Biometal In Network

Dying in one world is a heartbreaking experience, especially when you reincarnate with all your memories of that past life. It only gets worse when you die with another reincarnation whom you knew in both lives and fell in love with in both. For Vent and Ashe, this only leads to new things in life as their second deaths led them back to where they started all over again. Only now...It's time to MegaMerge!

Notes:

(See the end of the work for other works inspired by this one.)

Chapter 1: MegaMerge in the Network!

Chapter Text

GammaTron: I did say I'd be doing a lot of stuff this month involving Megaman because it's Mega May. Today, I post this story: Biometal in Network. It's a story about Vent and Ashe being the reincarnations of MegamanEXE and RollEXE from the anime (specifically up to Stream's world-ending episode) who die on Ouroboros and wake up back in their original lives' world with Vent awakening in the first episode and Ashe being awake for far longer. As usual, I don't own Megaman. It's owned by CAPCOM.

The winds blew across two figures standing amidst the destruction of a massive purple structure. One a man adorned in whites and golds with long, flowing red hair and the other a young woman. Her bodysuit was gray with a dark-blue inside. She was donned in sleeveless dark-blue and red armor that fully covered her chest area. Gray armor covered her shoulders with her lower arms and legs/feet were covered in dark-blue armor with white fingers and soles. A red armored ring covered her wrists and her calf/ankle areas. Finally, her hair was ser in a ponytail, emerging from a mostly dark-blue helmet with two-pronged red crest with yellow horns extending further from their end and an oversized bolt situated in the center. She was the only one still standing, her hands filled with two strange bulky guns.

"You're no Mega Man king... You're no god...You were gonna destroy the world... You were gonna end the story…" she panted before snarling and shouted, "You're not the one to make that decision! This is my life, my story!"

"Is that your best answer? You're most definitely one of my creations," the man panted, looking up at her with pitch black eyes with red irises, "You... have surpassed me... My research wasn't wrong after all... Goodbye... Ashe...! You can have your peace, and... rot in it!"

His body began to shine before it exploded, leaving a small crater behind. Ashe stared at the sight for a few moments before the ground under her rumbled.

[We're in trouble! This flying fortress is going down!] a voice in her head yelped.

"He's gonna try and take us all with him! Model A, let's get back to the others…" Ashe ordered as she turned…or rather…she tried to move, "It's weird... I-I can't... move…"

Her eyes grew unfocused as she kept trying. Her body glowed before her armor glowed and transformed, leaving behind a white belt, an orange long-sleeved jacket, a red bandana on her forehead that exposed more of her silver hair with two large locks going over the bandana and framed her face. The armor reformed into a small, handheld object in the colors of the armor and shaped to resemble a face with a white face-mask and blue 'eyes.' It hovered before her as she finally moved…by collapsing to the ground.

[Hey... Hey! Ashe! Get a hold of yourself! Ashe!]

Further inside, five figures stood with four facing one. The four were donned in similar armors of a sleeveless jacket and armor in either purple, orange, blue, or green all sharing a similar white armor. The one they faced, though, was adorned in red with short sleeves on his small open jacket with long flowing gold hair. Unlike the four before him, he barely seemed winded while three of the four were panting.

'What…What is this guy…?' the orange one thought.

'We've been going at him with everything we have…Yet he…he doesn't even look winded!' the blue thought in worry.

'Is this…the power of Double MegaMerge?' the green pondered as the area shook.

[Vent! It's too dangerous here, we have to go help Ashe!] a voice in the red one's head warned.

"...I know, X," Vent replied, "But…we have to do one thing before we can."

=OBSERVATION: ENEMY IS TOO POWERFUL. RETREAT ADVISED= the purple one observed in a robotic voice.

"I think not," Vent scowled, "Zero, I think they're good and ready now. Failsafe!"

"Failsafe?" the orange repeated before Vent's armor glowed and turned blue with his left arm becoming a bulky blue blaster, while a small handheld object resembling a face with a white facemask and green 'eyes' in the colors of his red armor hovered before him.

[Today's not our day to meet our maker. But for you brats…it is] the red device stated before the four locked up [I know more about Biometals than you.]

"Agh... What!? My... body... feels... heavy... Model L...!" the blue one gasped.

"Biometal!" the orange one grunted, her eyes glaring at the one Vent called 'Zero.'

=INCOMPREHENSIBLE...! INCOMPREHENSIBLE...!?=

"You really think that the gal who made these Biometals was just someone who made them based on legends?" Vent asked, shaking his head, "No. You're dealing with the real deals. I don't know how Albert suppressed them, but Zero was the first and the only one who doesn't have this failsafe in him…because he is the failsafe."

[For too long you've had my sons and daughter] X informed [You have harmed countless people, both human and Reploid with their power. No more]

[Don't know what'll happen to you four, but I could care less] 'Zero' informed before his eyes flashed.

The four screamed as a flash of light went off. The four collapsed, their armor no longer on them while they laid collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Vent held his hand out and caught four small handheld objects much like 'Zero' but in the colors of the four. Each one's 'eyes' were grayed out as Vent looked at them.

"Model H…Model L…Model F…Model P…That's all four of them," Vent noted.

[...They're going to need some time to recharge. Ten, maybe twenty minutes at best] X informed as 'Zero' hovered over and Vent regained the red armor [Zero…thank you]

[It's nothing. Ciel…was a pretty good genius, wasn't she?]

[She was] X agreed as the area shook and Vent jumped back as a large piece of the ceiling collapsed and buried the four.

"Shit! The place is collapsing!"

[Vent, don't forget Ashe!] X called.

"On it!" Vent replied as he sped out through the door behind him and arrived at the destroyed area, "Ashe! Ashe, where are you?!"

[V-Vent! Over here!]

"Model A?" Vent pondered before spotting the collapsed silverette, "ASHE!" he dashed over and knelt down to scoop her up, "Model A, what happened?"

[We blew up Master Albert! But…but she got hurt really bad!] Model A explained [We couldn't hold MegaMerge and she passed out!]

"We've managed to recover the other Biometals from those thieves. Come on, we can get out of he…" Vent began as he took a step before the ground collapsed, "?!"

[VENT!] 'Zero,' X, and A screamed as the two fell.

"U-Ugh…" a groan escaped soft lips as Ashe slowly opened her eyes, seeing a broken darkened ceiling above, "Wh…Wha…" she tried to stand, only to grunt, "What th…" she looked down and her eyes widened, seeing her right leg beneath rubble, "?!"

"Gh…" Ashe turned her head to see Vent beside her, his right arm caught in the rubble and missing his armor, leaving him in a dark blue version of his jacket with long flowing brown hair that was partly underneath more rubble and baggy blue pants.

"V-Vent?"

Vent slowly opened his eyes, "H-Hey…"

"Oh god…W-What happened?!" Ashe gasped.

"Albert…G-Guy set up…pitfall traps…" Vent replied, "X? Zero?"

[We're in here, Vent] the first voice spoke as a blue handheld object peeked out of his jacket with 'Zero.'

"Zero?" Ashe repeated.

"That…That's Model Z's actual name," Vent replied, "Think you two can…"

[Your body is too damaged] Z replied [We can't MegaMerge]

"O-Oh…"

"M-Model A!"

[Ashe! Oh thank god you're awake!] A exclaimed, peeking out of her jacket [It was horrible! Vent was holding tightly on ya as you fell and her kept getting blasted by machines and hitting things and-and-and how did you not wake up when the boulder crushed your leg?!]

"I'm a heavy sleeper, alright. C'mon! Let's MegaMerge and get outta here!" Ashe called.

[...]

"...Model A?" Ashe pondered.

[You both suffered fatal damage in that fall despite Vent's best efforts to avoid that from happening to you] Z informed.

"?! Y-You're kidding me, r-right? I…I feel fine. Sure, I've got a leg gone, but…" Ashe began before trying to move her still good leg, "...I…I can't feel my other leg, either…"

[He protected you from a lot, but gravity couldn't be one] X admitted [Even with Vent using himself to cushion the fall, it…it still damaged you enough to paralyze you from the waist down]

"?! S-So…that…that's it?" Ashe asked in disbelief, "We save the day…but we're gonna just die?!"

[Not something that I'm unfamiliar with] Zero noted.

"Dammit…Goddammit!" Ashe cursed, tears welling in her eyes, "This…This isn't…I-I just can't…" she sniffled as she covered her face and croaked out, "Oh god…"

"Rrr…" Vent grunted as he struggled until, with a cry of pain, he pulled his arm out of the rubble…or, at least, the mangled limb that had been his arm, "Sonuva…" he grunted as he pulled his hair out of the rubble, "Gah…" 'Aw man…And I just got it as long as I wanted for her…' he looked to the sobbing silverette before stumbling over towards her, gritting his teeth each time he took a step with his left leg, 'Shit…leg's broken…not that it matters…' he managed to get his way over to Ashe and slowly slid down to sit beside her, his good arm on her side for him to use, as her sobs slowly faded, "H-Hey…It…"

"Maylu…" Ashe whispered.

"?!" he paused in his reaching to her.

"Oh god…I-I'm so sorry, Maylu…" she whispered, trembling now, "I-I couldn't…couldn't keep it…the promise I made…"

"..." Vent put his hand on her shoulder, making her tense, "...If I were to say 'BattleChip in and download'..."

"NetNavi?!" Ashe gasped, looking up at him with wide, red, puffy eyes.

[Net what now?] A asked.

"...Roll?" Vent asked, his mouth going a little dry.

"..." Ashe nodded, her voice lost for a moment, "...Y-You?"

"Rush once hid some gum in your hair and you made me swear to never tell another soul about it when I helped get it out without ruining your long hair," Vent chuckled weakly.

"..." Ashe let out a bitter laugh, "Of course…oh, of fucking course I finally see you again only to get us both killed!" She glared at the sky as another piece fell near them, "You jackass in the sky! You really like to fuck with me, don't ya?!" she let out a sob, "Why?!"

[I don't get it. Ashe, what's going on? Why is he calling you 'Roll?' Why are you acting like this?] A asked.

[They're reincarnated souls] X explained.

[Was a bit of a surprise for us when Vent…or MegamanEXE…told us when he was twelve before we went to fight Serpent] Zero explained [He thought he was the only one]

[Shut the front door!] A gawked as Ashe just sobbed while Vent held her close with his sole arm.

"Why…? Just why do they hate me?" Ashe sobbed, Vent gently rubbing tiny circles on her back.

"Hey, Duo hates me, too," Vent pointed out, "If anything, we're both hated by the greater powers above." He cringed as another piece of the ceiling fell near them, "But…I'm…I'm happy, too."

"?!"

"In the end…" Vent held her hand, "...I'm with you. If we cheat death again, we'll be together. If not, we'll still be together because I'm never letting you go."

"Oh god…You…You always do this…" Ashe choked out a laugh in her tears, "Y-You just know the one damn thing to say th-that gets my heart pumping…" she leaned against him, closing her eyes, "C-Can we just stay like this…until…until the end?"

"...Yeah," Vent replied, moving one of her silver locks out of her face, "...I should've known it was you this whole time, Roll."

"Hm?"

"Your excitable personality for one," Vent replied, cupping her cheek with his hand, "The other is that you still have the cutest face."

"Aw~"

[I'm gonna be sick…] A muttered, floating between X and Z.

[It's honestly still surprising to me how people just seem to…do this when they know their deaths are imminent] Z admitted.

[You faced it with dignity on that fall from orbit, Zero] X pointed out before the trio laid down on the two.

"Huh? Model A?" Ashe pondered, opening an eye.

[Hey, if you're going down, so am I] A spoke [I'm…kinda scared, to be honest. Does…Does it hurt?]

"Only for a moment," Ashe replied, using her free hand to give Model A a hug.

[Seems like it's our time] Z noted.

[I'm glad my kids didn't die as slaves to those four] X spoke, seeing the four Livemetals peeking out of Vent's vest [Thank you, Vent, Ashe. …Or do you want to go by your previous names for these last moments?]

"Go with what you prefer, buddy," Vent replied, flinching as one piece landed very close to them, "...Hub…"

"Hm?" Ashe pondered.

"If we're really dying, Roll…I want you to know something dad and mom made me swear to never reveal to Lan until he was old enough," Vent noted, "I…wasn't always a NetNavi. I was actually born a human by the name of Hub…the older brother of a twin. The younger twin was healthy and liked to go all over, but…I was born with HBD and…I died when I was barely a year old." Ashe quietly gasped on hearing that, "Dad…he couldn't handle it, so…he used my DNA as data for this ultimate NetNavi project. It worked and I woke up in his lab's network." he smiled softly, "Mama was there, too, holding my baby brother. So much went through us during that time, a lot of emotions just…swirling."

"Huh? A twi…Lan?!" Ashe gawked.

"Yeah. Didn't you ever notice how much we looked alike?" Vent asked.

"...Um…" Ashe glanced away with a blush of embarrassment.

Vent chuckled at that, "Yeah. Dad was waiting until Lan got into the fifth grade before I could be his NetNavi. Until then, I was kinda…stuck…in SciLab as an errand boy for the SciLab network." he looked up at the ceiling above them, the largest piece starting to crack directly above them, "I guess it's why in this life as Vent, I loved being a courier. It reminded me of my time at SciLab. But…" he looked at X and Z, "I can't really leave behind the 'saving others' part of me, either."

"It's just a part of you that I love," Ashe noted, "You don't like doing all this saving stuff, but you do it anyway because it's the right thing to do. …Hey, Mega?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think…Lan and Maylu are waiting for us?"

"They probably are," Vent replied, "They're our adorable little siblings, after all."

"What I wouldn't give to talk to her or just listen to her play the piano one more time," Ashe shook her head in fond remembrance.

"What I wouldn't give to tell Lan that I was Hub this whole time and how much he really means to me because of that bond," Vent noted.

"...Hub?"

"Hm?" Vent looked down at Ashe, who placed Model A between X and Z before cupping his cheek.

"It will be quick…right?"

"...Yeah," Vent nodded.

"Then I have enough time for this," Ashe noted.

With that, she leaned in close and took his lips with her own. Vent's eyes widened before returning the tender kiss. The Biometals softly glowed, the glow in the pieces on them meant to resemble eyes slowly fading as if they were simulating eyes closing. It was like they said…there was a sharp pain for one moment…and then silence.

Vent gasped, snapping his eyes open. He breathed in heavily and rapidly as he looked around. He choked on his spit as his eyes widened. The air above…was more of a repeating pattern of a 'wave' of blue with a football (soccerball) going across it. He looked down at where he was standing…and saw a vast array of squares forming a grid-like floor that expanded out as far as he could see.

"It…It can't be…" Vent whispered before turning and holding a hand out…before a mirror formed in a cluster of data, "!" he wore his uniform still, but his navy blue bodysuit now sported light blue lines going up the sides, his hands now covered in dark-blue gloves with dark-blue boots on his feet that his pants were going into…and his chest sported a gold ring with two red blocks divided by a red line going diagonally on it, "It…It can't be…" he looked around, "M-Model X? Model Z?!"

[We're here] Z informed, coming out of Vent's jacket with the other Biometals.

[How are we still alive? I could have sworn that the ceiling…] Model H trailed off as they looked around.

[This is…Where you were born, Vent?] Model X asked, recognizing it from how Vent described it in his stories.

[It feels like the world when we were Cyber Elves] Model Z noted.

[Yet here we are, still as Biometals] Model L sighed [What I wouldn't give for my old sexy body]

"Please stop…" Vent groaned, bringing a palm to his face.

[Now why would we do that? Leviathan got you out of that weird spaced out look] F pointed out.

[I take it that it involves the human child sleeping in that bed that looked like you at his age when we all met] P noted, looking at the floating screen nearby to see a young boy around 12 that looked like a younger Vent with shorter hair, an orange vest over a white long-sleeved shirt, black shorts with yellow lines going up the sides, and orange slip-on shoes sleeping on top of a blue bed.

[Vent, is he…?]

"Yeah…That…That's my brother…That's Lan," Vent replied, a few tears welling in his eyes before an alarm started beeping, causing him to let out a choked chuckle, "And he sleeps through it like always."

[An alarm? Are we under attack?! Vent, we gotta MegaMerge!] F demanded.

"It's an alarm to wake him up that he set," Vent explained as he wiped his tears, "And, like always, it fails." he grinned deviously as he made a bugle appear in his hands, "So…" he inhaled deeply before roaring out, "LAN XAVIER HIKARI! UP AND AT 'EM! ATEN~HUT!"

With that, he proceeded to play Reverie on the bugle. The six Biometals all sported a drop of sweat going down the back of his head. This…This honestly explained to them how Vent was just so good at waking everyone in the Guardians up.

"GYAHAHAHA!" the boy yelped as he fell off the bed and landed flat on his face, pulling down the orange vest and white shirt to show his back.

'?! Where are his scars from CrossFusion?' Vent pondered, quickly bringing up the calendar, '! It…It's the first day we met…'

[Play it cool, Vent] Z advised.

"Ah! Who said that?! Who's Vent?!" the boy, Lan, yelped as he started looking around rapidly.

"Huh…He heard you, Model Z," Vent noted before whistling, "Lan, over here on your PeT!"

"H-Huh?! My p…My PeT?" Lan pondered as he finally looked at the screen.

"Hey there, Lan! It's nice to meet you!" Vent greeted, "I'm Megaman, but you can call me 'Vent' when I'm not in uniform."

"Megaman…Vent…?" Lan pondered as a long silence fell until Vent snapped his fingers and smirked.

"Ah, you must be thinking about Dad telling you he'd make you a NetNavi for when you got into the Fifth Grade and you weren't expecting me, were ya?" Vent 'guessed,' "Probably expected someone bigger and more powerful looking?"

"Ah! Th-That's right!" Lan gawked, "How did you…?"

[He's psychic] Z joked.

"Ah! That voice again!"

"That was Model Z," Vent replied as he let his Biometals hover around him, "These are Biometal Models X, Z, L, H, F, and P. There's one more but he sleeps a lot."

[I still can't believe you willingly befriended that…] Z growled.

"Better to make a friend than an enemy," Vent shrugged, "But like I said, these guys are called Biometals."

"Biometals?"

[Think of us as Vent's ace in the hole] X summed up [We also 'talk' in a frequency only very few can hear, such as you and Vent]

[Do try to not look like you're insane when you talk to us] Model H advised.

"Hey!" Lan scowled.

[A pleasure to meet you, Lan] L greeted [Though we all have a letter as our names, you can also call us Fafnir, Harpuia, Phantom, Zero, and Leviathan or 'Levi' for short]

"I just use their first letter to talk faster in public but their full names in private or slow times," Vent admitted.

"Wait. What about X?"

[That is my name]

"Your name is just 'X'?"

[Yes. Biometal Model X]

"...Huh…So Zero, Fafnir, Harpuia, Phantom, Levi, and…X? Mmm…Kinda…lackluster compared to the others…"

[I'm liking this boy already] Z chuckled before the Biometals and Vent looked past Lan at the wall.

[Kid, get downstairs quick!] F shouted.

"H-Huh?!"

[We're detecting a quick increase of temperature that signifies…] H began.

[Your house just caught fire!] L interrupted before a scream came from downstairs.

"Ah! Mom!" Lan gasped, quickly taking his PeT and ran downstairs towards the kitchen where an older brown-haired woman was backing away from an oven spewing flames, "Mom!"

"Lan! The oven suddenly caught fire!"

[Fire extinguisher located] P noted.

Lan quickly picked up the house extinguisher and ran to the oven. He aimed and let loose a blast of it, putting it out. The oven sparked before it erupted once more with even more flames than before.

"Gah!" Lan yelped, jumping back in surprise, "Ah…The computer must be on the fritz."

[There's a computer in your oven?] L asked in disbelief.

"All appliances have the ability to connect to the internet."

[Not a very sound security plan] H stated.

"Lan!" Vent called before giving a sharp whistle to earn his attention, "Get me in there and I'll look around."

"You will?"

[Hurry, Lan!] X called.

"Gotcha!" Lan replied, firing off another blast of the extinguisher, "Jack In! Megaman! Power Up!"

[WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!] F screamed.

"Language!" Vent scolded, "And that was Logging In."

[It felt like going through a teleporter…but more invasive…] H admitted.

[We've got company] Z advised as Vent turned to see himself surrounded by viruses resembling skulls and claws engulfed in flames.

"Viruses," Vent frowned, "CanDevils."

[And Mettaurs] X added, spotting several small black orbs wearing yellow helmets with tiny yellow feet striking away at things with pickaxes.

[We can never get rid of those things no matter where we go, can we?] F complained.

[Aw…They're still so adorable~] L cooed.

"Not the time, L," Vent silenced.

"Is it a computer virus?" Lan asked.

"CanDevils and Mettaurs," Vent replied, "...Heh. Time to get to work then. Since there's more Fire than Null, why not get a little wet and wild?"

"Huh?"

"Model X!" Vent called as the Biometal shot into his hand, "Model L!" the sole female of them shot into his other as he quickly crossed his arms before him, "Here we go! Double MegaMerge!"

[Biolink Established. Meta-Encapsulated Granule Awareness Systems Online] the two Biometals stated before Vent was engulfed in a flash of blue-tinted light for a moment.

Vent was now donned in a light-blue armor that covered his lower arms, lower legs/feet, and head. His jacket became bulkier and grew a gold 'collar' while gold armor also covered the back of his fists, the calf/ankle part of his boots, and on the ends of the two 'fins' growing out of the sides of his helmet. Bulky white armor covered his upper legs/thighs and seemed to be shaped to resemble fins. A red arrow made of crystal wrapped around the top of his helmet while he held a hand out and, in a sudden formation of ice that shattered, gained a white double-ended spear, the blade made of a light-blue plasma.

"V-Vent…?" Lan asked.

"Vent is when I'm out of the armor," Vent spoke, opening his eyes to reveal they had turned sapphire in color, "When I'm suited up, it's Megaman! In this case, Megaman Model LX, the Ice Megaman!"

"Whoa~" Lan awed.

"Now let's bust some viruses, Lan!" Megaman declared before dashing at the nearest Mettaur and cleaved it in two with his spear.

Now earning their attention, Megaman smirked as he started running about and delivering several slashes with his spear, cleaving through the Viruses with ease. Several Mettaur jumped at him, only for Megaman to jump up and swing his spear in an arc…forming an arc of ice that crushed the startled Mettaurs with ease. He charged up and, with a roar, swung his spear…unleashing a massive dragon made of ice with glowing red eyes that tore apart the remaining viruses in the area.

"So fast…!" Lan awed.

"Whew. Not too shabby, eh?" Megaman asked before looking over his shoulder to the last of the flames in the area, obscuring a figure within them, "What do you think…World Three?"

"...Tch…" the figure in the flames growled before they Logged Out, dispersing the flames in the process.

"Phew…the fire's out…" the woman sighed in relief.

"Log Out," Lan ordered, removing the plug from the port and grinned at the PeT's screen, "That was so cool~! You were so cool and got rid of them so fast! And that dragon!"

"Never judge a book by its color, Lan," LX noted before changing back to Vent, "You either underestimate who you judge or overestimate."

Lan chuckled eagerly, "I got it! With you by my side, I can beat up Dex's Gutsman in no time flat!"

[I'm lost here] Z noted.

"NetNavis don't just perform errands and bust viruses. We also enjoy friendly battles with one another known as NetBattles," Vent explained, 'Dex and Gutsman, huh? I wonder if I'll even need to MegaMerge? Or if I should and give them a bit of a motivational talk to make them get stronger for what comes?'

[Whoa, whoa, whoa! Kid, you mean to tell me we get to fight a lot?] F asked.

"Yep!" Lan grinned.

[Sold!]

[Dammit, Fafnir, you crazy battle junkie!]

[Fairy Leviathan Light! Language] X scolded.

[Sorry, Daddy…]

-linebreak-

[It's been so long since I last visited a school] X noted.

"Never went to one in my past life," Vent admitted, "Used to attend with Lan, so it's nice to go back to it…even if I'm just gonna be relearning what I've already learned from Ms. Mari."

[Care to give us a rundown on who we'll meet in this school?] P asked.

"Hopefully…we'll get to see Ashe and Model A…if they're here."

[If not, we'll get to meet her when she was Roll, right?] L asked.

"Yeah…" Vent nodded, a blush forming on his face.

[Not sure if you like her more as Roll or as Ashe, are you?] H asked.

"She's equal in both," Vent replied.

[Lan, I have a question. I have been reading your digital copy of the school handbook and it says that NetBattling isn't allowed. Why are you planning one?] P asked.

"Aw don't worry about it, Phantom! It's gonna be after school, after!" Lan replied.

[...Master Vent…] P began.

"Um…Did I forget to mention that you need a License to NetBattle and Lan just ignores that law?" Vent sheepishly scratched his cheek, 'Even if it is going to go away before the N1 Grand Prix which was made to celebrate the law's repeal…'

[YOU DID FORGET!] L, F, and Z barked.

[This is Vent. Have you forgotten he forgets random things at times?] X chuckled.

"Hey…" Vent grumbled before blinking a few times, "...Hey, Lan?"

"What's up, Vent?"

"You mind if I look around the school network during class?" Vent asked.

"Eh, sure. Just be back in time for Virus Busting class," Lan replied.

"Can do," Vent nodded.

[Vent, what are you planning?] X asked.

"Preparing to flip the script," Vent replied.

Vent grunted as he quickly deleted another Mettaur with his hand pistol. This was honestly something he rather enjoyed over the robots and mechanilloids: money was easy to come by more and he could gather their data for BattleChips for Lan to use and trade in when Higsby finally opens his shop. A Canodumb prepared to shoot at him from behind before something large slammed down hard on it. Vent tensed as he grabbed X while spinning around. Slowly, the smoke cleared to reveal a massive machine-like beast resembling an ice-blue alligator in terms of motif with ice for fangs and red eyes. It let out a roar before, in a flash of light, Ashe replaced it with a big grin on her face. Vent's eyes widened as the silverette walked over to him, giving a sway of her hips for show.

"Not too shabby! You were really good at beating up those Viruses with just a peashooter," Ashe complimented as she wrapped her arms around his neck with a flirtatious wink, "You really rock, ya know?"

"Heh-heh…Thanks. I'm Megaman, but…you can call me Vent," Vent introduced himself.

"I'm Roll, but my friends call me Ashe," Ashe greeted, "The only exceptions are my adorable musician of a NetOp and you. You get to call me Roll."

"Only if you call me 'Mega.'"

"Deal," Ashe giggled before fully hugging him and sniffled, "Oh god…We're here. We're really here, Hub. Maylu and Lan…it…it's just…"

"I know," Vent replied, returning the hug, "This time, we'll do our best for them."

[What took you so long to see us anyway? We had to come find you!] Model A complained.

[We just woke up last night] X explained.

[Kid is pretty interesting. Reminds me of Vent when he was the kid's age] Z chuckled.

[It seems young Lan is a potential Chosen] X added [He could hear us clear as day]

"Seriously?" Ashe asked.

"Yep. Seems he likes Model F the most," Vent chuckled, "Makes sense."

"Sure does," Ashe agreed.

[What's that supposed ta mean?!] F demanded.

"Nothing," the two Chosen replied.

"Did you try to see me as a courier for SciLab?" Vent asked.

"You looked so adorable. Acted like a little puppy when you got thanked for your help," Ashe giggled, "Had to use Siarnaq's look to sneak about in it so I wouldn't get detected."

[You looked ridiculous] Model A joked.

"Hey…" Vent mock-pouted before Ashe kissed his cheek, "!"

"So…Glad to see my adorable baby sister isn't gonna be the odd one out when it comes to hearing voices," Ashe noted.

"But you were made when she was six."

"And I have lived two lives, so I am older," Ashe defended before tapping his nose, "And just for that, no hot raging sex for a week."

"A-Ashe?!" Vent squawked, his face going bright red.

"Okay, no hot raging sex until tonight, ya big goof," Ashe winked.

"...Uh…I…um…er…" Vent stammered, now sweating heavily at the declaration.

"You've fought dangerous terrorist organizations several times, lived three different lives, fought people trying to become gods…but you loose your cool because of your cute curvaceous little Hunter?" Ashe giggled, "I should find that offensive, but I'll take it as a compliment."

"Eep!" Vent squeaked as he froze up.

"This, too," Ashe winked before moving away from Vent, "Well…it's almost Virus Busting class, Hubby, so I gotta go to Maylu's PeT to beat up a big dummy to copy his Data to make hilarious videos of him~"

"Roll…" Vent sighed, forcing the blush down.

*BANG!*

"See ya~" Ashe winked as she Logged Out, the Mettaur nearby falling over from the two holes in it from Ashe and Vent's guns.

"See ya," Vent waved, a fond smile on his face.

[...You're fucked tonight] L summed up.

"L-Leviathan!" Vent squawked, turning bright red once more.

[It is nice to see that she's here as well] X noted [But please, do use protection]

[I refuse to be Uncle Zero] Z stated.

"WHY ARE YOU TORTURING ME?!" Vent shouted at the sky.

"Oh, I am so gonna use this for later amusement," Ashe snickered as a small sphere of data entered Model A.

[That was some strange looking metal monkey] A noted.

"Ah, that's just Gutsman being Gutsman," Ashe snickered, 'Gonna have to introduce him to Vent later and lie saying we've been dating since he was a SoloNavi working at SciLab.' giggling made her look up, "Bet you're amused by these two, eh, Maylu?"

"A little," the screen showing a light-skinned girl with chocolate-brown eyes and rich shoulder-length red hair quietly replied.

"Great! So…while we're waiting for the Bustin' part…I met someone~"

"You did?"

[It's Lan's new NetNavi! Remember that courier SoloNavi Ashe talked about? That's him!]

"I hope you don't mind, but is it okay if I invite him over after your piano lesson?" Ashe asked.

"It's fine," Maylu softly replied, "I'd like to meet the guy brave enough to date you."

"I'll point him out when we get to Virus Busting," Ashe assured.

"Okay, class, we're moving on to the Virus Busting portion so please Log In your NetNavis!"

"Here we go!" Ashe cheered, quickly Logging In through the desk.

"Hello, everyone. We'll be sending out the Virus we've been discussing in today's lesson. Any volunteers?" a female NetNavi wearing a formal green armored dress with purple gloves and boots asked as she stood before several steel blocks.

"YO/Right here, ma'am~!" Ashe and Vent called as both held a hand up at the same time.

"Oh? Excited as always, eh, Ashe?" the Navi asked before looking at Vent, "And you're a new face."

"My name is Vent. I'm Lan's Custom Navi," Vent greeted, causing the other NetNavis and their NetOps to start whispering and awing, "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"Alright. So you and Ashe are up first then. Ashe, come here please. Vent will come after."

'Oh goody! I can't wait for this! …Wait, what was this class about again?' Ashe pondered as she stood before one box…before it transformed into a small brown mouse-like mouse Virus with a red gem on its back, "..."

[Ashe…Are you okay?] A asked, feeling unease at how she simply…stopped.

"Oh no…" Vent groaned, facepalming.

"Oh dear," Maylu squeaked.

"Dead Ratty squeaking…" Lan muttered, giving a shudder.

"You sonuva…" Ashe growled, her face getting red in rage.

[Um…What's happening?] L asked.

"Roll has…issues…with Ratty Viruses," Vent explained under his breath, cringing as Ashe grabbed Model A and MegaMerged, "When she sees them…boom."

[Boom?] F repeated.

"DIE YOU STUPID RAT! GIGA CRUSH!" Ashe screeched before the whole class jumped as the blackboard sparked along with several other systems in the room for several seconds while the Network showed several deep craters where the Ratty virus and all the containers had been.

"Boom," Vent confirmed as Ashe stomped over to Vent, grumbling under her breath before dropping MegaMerge to hug him, "...Um…There-there?"

"Just hold me before I rip someone's head off…" Ashe muttered.

[If you do, rip the gorilla's head off] Model A tried to joke.

"Again, Ashe?" the teacher Navi groaned in exasperation.

"She told me about this," Vent noted, holding his hand up, "She had a really bad encounter with a Ratty Virus during her early days of being a NetNavi and developed a…er…very strong hatred of them because of it."

"Because they're evil! Totally evil and vile and worse than WWW!" Ashe declared.

"Well…considering your attack destroyed all our Ratty viruses for the whole class, it seems we'll have to go to a quiet period."

"...Um…I know where to get more if you need them, ma'am," Vent offered before gagging as Ashe grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him to look her in the eyes.

"You know where they come from?!" Ashe hissed, rage in her eyes as they seemed to glow with her anger.

[Mercy, Ashe! Mercy!] X panicked.

[Killed by his own girlfriend…I swear, we're more alike than I thought, Vent] Z muttered.

"...I'll tell you after school," Vent replied.

"Oh no you d…" Ashe began before she was Logged Out by Maylu.

"...How fast can you get them?" the teacher Navi asked.

"Ten minutes," Vent replied.

"...Bring them and Lan will get extra credit for this," Ms. Mari informed.

"Understood," Vent replied before running off.

"And you are staying in the PeT until my piano lesson is done," Maylu scolded as the bell for classes ending for the day played.

"Mmm…" Ashe whined.

[Hey, it's your own fault for blowing up the whole class!] A pointed out.

"But it was a Ratty~"

"No buts!] Maylu and A barked.

"Lan, slow down!" Vent called, making Maylu turn in time to see Lan skidding to a halt and nearly fall over.

"What is it, Vent?" Lan groaned.

"Aren't you going to wish Maylu good luck with her piano lesson today?" Vent asked.

"Hm?" Lan blinked before turning his head to see her, "Ah! Hey, Maylu! Today's your piano lesson?"

"It is," Maylu nodded, "And Roll isn't allowed on the net until after it for her blow up in class today."

"Boo…" Ashe whined.

"Guess we'll have to delay you showing me your house for another day, huh?" Vent asked.

"Huh?" Lan looked at his PeT.

"So you're Vent?" Maylu asked.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you, Maylu. Ashe likes to talk a lot about you," Vent chuckled, "And these are my partners, Models X, Z, H, F, L, and P."

"He has one more but everytime I ask, the others refuse to answer and interrupt Vent when he tries to say anything about the last one," Lan grumbled.

[It's an abomination] Z growled.

[A monster] L added.

[Extremely dangerous] P warned.

[Kicked our asses but good]

[Fighting Fafnir Light!]

[Sorry, Pops]

[A pleasure to meet you, Maylu] H greeted.

"Oh! They're like Model A?" Maylu asked.

"You hear them, too?" Lan asked in surprise.

[Of course she can!] Model A replied [And finally, a guy that can hear me!]

"What's that supposed to mean…?" Ashe grumbled.

"Nice to meet you, Model A," Lan greeted before seeing the time, "Ah! I'm gonna be late! Good luck with your practice today, Maylu!"

"Thanks, Lan!" Maylu waved.

[You think he'll ever be smart enough to recognize you like him?] Model A asked.

"M-Model A!" Maylu stammered, blushing at that.

[What?]

[That is one big metal gorilla] F noted as Vent grinned, looking up at the large gorilla-shaped NetNavi in bulky reds and yellows with metal arms and small black-covered legs with green lines on the outside.

"Are you serious, Lan? That little pipsqueak's your NetNavi!"

"Yep! That's my NetNavi, Vent! And like he told me yesterday: don't judge a book by its cover!" Lan declared.

"You think you can beat my Gutsman with that?"

"Just shut up and get started."

"Let's have a fun NetBattle, Gutsman," Vent spoke, offering his hand to shake.

"Gutsman gonna have tons of fun squashing you, guts!" Gutsman replied, shaking it with a tight grip only to grunt a little at Vent returning it just as hard if not a bit harder.

[Oh you wanna go? Ya wanna go?!] F demanded [Tag me in, Vent! Tag. Me. In!]

"Maybe…if you can overpower me," Vent smirked at Gutsman before grabbing Model X and Model F, "Model X! Model F!" he crossed them before him, "Let's go! Double MegaMerge!"

[BioLink Established. MEGA Systems Online]

Vent slammed his fist onto the ground, engulfing him in a blast of flames that dispersed. His jacket had turned a brilliant orange in coloration. His leg armor resembled that of LX with the fin motif gone from it and the light-blue swapped for orange. His pill-shaped guards on his lower arms/back of hands swapped for a bulky box-shape with the light-blue replaced with orange On his back laid a pair of bulky orange and black engine-like devices that looked more like the maws of a beast. His helmet had the red arrow crystal nestled on a piece of white armor on the orange helmet with two yellow horns coming out from behind the helmet with two yellow spikes pointing downwards. He stood up and his eyes snapped open, revealing them to be a brilliant orange in color.

"The Fire Megaman! Megaman Model FX!" Megaman declared, bashing his fists together.

"HAH?!"

"Ready for this, Dex? Let's go, Megaman! Battle Routine, set!"

"Execute!" Megaman FX declared.

"Rrrr…! Crush this pipsqueak, Gutsman!"

"GUTS!" Gutsman roared, bashing his fists on his chest, "Gutsman will crush you, guts!"

"Let's go!" Megaman FX roared as he charged at the big bruiser.

[I'm so relieved that we managed to convince Maylu to let you go checking the oven during practice] A sighed in relief as Ashe walked around in the oven systems.

"I'll say," Ashe agreed, "Probably shouldn't have Giga Crushed…"

[That was overkill…and I normally love doing overkill!]

"R-Right…Well, let's just be on the lookout," Ashe muttered…just as viruses started to form, "And hello~World Three!" she swung a hand into the air, holding Model A, "MEGAMERGE!"

[BioLink Established! MEGA System Online!] Model A shouted, quickly transforming Ashe.

"Roll Model A ready to rock!" Ashe whooped.

[I'm sorry, but…Roll Model A?]

"Hey. 'Mega Man' ain't no title here. That's all Hubby," Roll A replied, "I went along with it to honor my love for him, but since we're back here, him being alive, and us now romantic, I am calling myself Roll instead of a Mega Man, got it?"

[Alright, alright…] A sighed.

"WHOO! Let's kick ass and claim some valuable booty for A-Trans and our bank accounts!" Roll A whooped before letting loose with her guns, tearing the Viruses apart before they could start anything.

Megaman FX laughed, jumping back as he avoided another punch from Gutsman, who had yet to get a single hit in. He grunted as his back bumped into a wall and he grinned, realizing Gutsman was leading him into a corner.

"MegaGuts Punch! Slot In!" Dex declared.

"Guts!" Gutsman roared as his right fist tripled in size before he threw it at Megaman FX…who stopped it with a pointer finger.

"You're quite hotheaded, ain't ya?" Megaman FX asked in amusement.

"Way to go, Megaman!" Lan cheered.

"Will admit that you've got a good punch, but you forgot to put your back into it," Megaman FX noted as he reached behind him with his free hand, letting one of the items on his back detach and expand, revealing it to be a blaster that he had been charging up, "Like…THIS!"

With that, Megaman FX put his back into the punch he delivered. The impact tore through the MegaGuts Punch and right through Gutsman's gut. Gutsman gagged as a red glow shined on the other side of his body…before a blast of flames tore through it. His body glowed before he quickly Logged Out.

"AHHH~! GUTSMAN~!" Dex sobbed.

"...Dex," Megaman FX spoke, "Gutsman…has a lot of potential. He just needs to better understand what it means to throw a punch. I'd be glad to NetBattle him again once he becomes stronger and can understand what it means to 'punch.'"

"Huh? A punch is a punch, right?" Dex asked.

"There's more to a punch than what one thinks," Megaman FX replied, "Ask on the SBS in the Net Square and you may get some leads on how to help Gutsman grow stronger."

"Ya sure?"

"Sure he's sure!" Lan replied, "Megaman is really strong and he likes to help others become stronger, too!"

"Sorry about not letting ya get a BattleChip or two in, Lan," Megaman FX apologized, "Hopefully next time we NetBattle, you'll get more participation than just strategy."

"I'm still trying to see all you have," Lan assured.

'And no sign of Roll,' Megaman FX thought as the two kids started to talk, 'She's got it covered.'

"And, boom goes the dynamite!" Roll A laughed, deleting the last of the viruses, "...Hmm…Oh, Fireman~I know you're in here~!" she called, "You World Three folk that much of a chicken, eh?" she grinned before rolling out of the way of a barrage of fireballs, "Nice try!"

"You know my identity?" a voice asked before a tall NetNavi in red with flamethrowers for a head and arms appeared.

"Yep~! My boyfriend Megaman told me about how he saw you in the flames in his oven network last night," Roll A winked, "And thanks for confirming your name's Fireman! You can call me Roll Model A!"

"Roll Model A? As in an Alpha build?"

"No, as is Asskicker!" Roll A declared as she let loose several shots, forcing Fireman to dodge.

"Fire Tower!" Fireman roared, slamming a fist into the ground and unleashing a tower of flames that came towards Roll A, who grinned.

"A-TRANS!" she cried out as the 'screw' on her forehead spun before, in a flash of light, she was replaced with the giant robotic alligator that let the attack splash off him, "Bifrost!"

"What in the world?!" Fireman gasped before Bifrost's lower jaw unhinged and his mouth opened fully…before the 'fangs' shot out like rockets towards Fireman, forcing him to dodge and grunt as he barely missed being impaled.

"What is the world is up with this NetNavi?" Fireman's Operator questioned as Bifrost turned back into Roll A as her guns shined bright.

"The gal who's pissed off that you tried to set fire to my house!" Roll A declared, "GIGA CRUSH!"

"Giga Cr…" Fireman began before screaming as he was shredded apart with a myriad of bullets, lasers, and electrified homing shots, barely Logging Out before he could be deleted.

"Hmph! And don't…ever come back to…my oven, ya…ya hear?!" Roll A declared between pants, "Whew! I…hate the cooldown…"

[Hey, he left his data behind!] Model A beamed, seeing a floating sphere of white light that floated over to them, soaking into her armor [Nice! Now let's see here…Fireman…sweet, he's got some killer flamethrowers for primary and that Firetower as his secondary…and he can make a tidal wave of lava for his Charge Attack?! AWESOME~!]

"We're gonna have so much fun with that," Roll A grinned deviously as she held a hand out and the remaining data in the air floated over and coalesced into a myriad of digital BattleChips of the various viruses, Torchman, and several dozen gold coins with a green stylized 'Z' in them, "And look at all this booty from the Virus Busting!"

[We've been awake for five years now and I'm still getting used to seeing you do that] Model A muttered as she dropped MegaMerge.

"Yeah. But you can't deny you love Maylu's piano practices," Ashe grinned.

[Mmm…S-She's pretty good at it, okay?]

"Alright, alright. Let's get on to another system near the piano so we can hear it better, alright?" Ashe advised.

[Okay!] Model A beamed.

"And then we Giga Crushed him for the win!" Ashe beamed, slamming her fist into her palm with a grin, as she sat beside Vent on a picnic blanket in Maylu's PC, "Now we've got Torchman's data!"

"Isn't he called Fireman?" Vent asked.

"Yeah…But Imma call him Torchman because it'll be a good insult," Ashe winked before resting her head against his chest, "...It's honestly nice…having Maylu, Lan…just…everyone back."

"Ah," Vent agreed, "And all the way in the beginning at that." he looked up at the music-themed 'sky' of Maylu's homepage, "So many troubles caused that can be solved easier, like today with you getting that hot head before he could send Maylu to the hospital."

"I wanted to avoid that at all costs," Ashe frowned, "Those bastards caused damage to her lungs from all that smoke inhalation. She had to hide the fact she had to use an inhaler from then on."

"...Um…Lan already knew."

"Huh?" Ashe looked at Vent.

"Yeah, he saw her using it when he was looking out over at her house one night," Vent explained, "He kept quiet since he thought she'd tell him when she felt comfortable doing it."

"Oh that dummy," Ashe sighed, a small smile on her face, "How can he be oblivious one moment and then honestly thoughtful the next?"

"That's just Lan for you," Vent shrugged, "Still…we have a lot to cover and remember."

"Which is why I wrote down everything in a Word Doc," Ashe grinned as she displayed the doc for Vent, "Have a list of things to change and a list of things not to change."

"Huh…Not gonna change Maylu's hair getting ruined?" Vent asked.

"You kidding me? And miss blowing up Torchy again?"

"Fair," Vent chuckled.

GT: Hope you guys are enjoying Mega May so far. I sure as heck am. Please make sure to Read and Review, please!

Chapter 2: Subway Scramble

Chapter Text

GT: Glad that everyone seems to be enjoying things so far! Um, just to do some notes, if you don't see a certain scene, it means that the events of it happened like they did in the anime. Either that, or I'll be addressing several issues in the anime's run due to Ashe and Vent's life experiences.

"UP AND AT 'EM, LAN XAVIER HIKARI! RISE AND SHINE!"

"GYAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

Mrs. Hikari looked up from her cooking towards the upstairs as Reverie blared loudly. She shook her head in amusement at the method her elder was implementing on her younger. As she slid another pancake onto the growing stack and prepared the next batch, she started to have her mind wander. Her heart still ached to actually hold her eldest once more and not merely put a finger to a small screen over his hand pressed against it. But it filled with joy having them both together in the house. Her body went on auto as she drifted to her talk a few nights ago.

"Mama?" Mrs. Hikari paused in her walk from the kitchen to see Vent on the TV.

"Oh, is Lan still awake?" Haruka asked as she walked over.

"No. He's snoozing," Vent replied before frowning, "Mama…When…When do you think I should tell him?"

"...Honestly, I wanted to be fully honest with Lan the whole time, Hub," she admitted, putting her hand on the screen as Hub did the same, "But…your father had several convincing reasons to wait until he was old enough to understand."

"Yeah…" Hub sighed, rubbing a hand on the back of his head, "...But…when will be the right time?"

"Whenever you feel that he's ready for it, Hub," she replied before smiling, "Now do you mind explaining the long hair? The time I visited before your father took you with him on that trip you were still sporting shorter hair, no pants or jacket, and wearing a helmet."

"Oh! Um…w-well…I…I met this girl that snuck into the systems," Vent noted, "It…It was Roll now that I met her and Maylu."

"Oh that rascal," she giggled, "Because of course Ashe would do that."

"We talked and she kinda had this idea get stuck in my head. I didn't think I'd see her again, but I also wanted to have a physical reminder," Vent explained, "So I grew out my hair because I wanted to have a way to remember her and the fun I had showing her the public areas of SciLab's network…even if she tried to trick me once or twice into a more restricted area, but we laughed them off because it was just…fun."

"...Ohh! My baby boy has a crush!"

"Um…well…m-more than that," Vent blushed, "We actually agreed to go on a few dates and…"

"Dates?!" She gasped before putting her hands on her hips, "Well now! Not even two whole weeks and you're already dating her? I hope you take good care not to upset her, Hub."

"I won't, I won't!" He quickly assured, waving his hands in front of him frantically while sweating a little, "I was, well…hoping you could give advice on what to do."

"Well…try for the first ones to do activities she'd enjoy or go to places that she'll be comfortable with. Your father was easy enough to understand. We saw this movie involving robots fighting one another in a ring," she recalled, "I honestly enjoyed it and your father got a kick out of trying to figure out how the robots could actually function outside of the movie."

"You did?"

"Of course. I boxed in High School."

"M-Mama boxed?!" Vent gawked.

'I should really try on my old gloves for a bit…Maybe while Lan and Hub are out playing with their friends today,' she thought in amusement as a grumbling Lan walked downstairs.

"It's the weekend…why wake me up so early…?" Lan muttered.

"Because you are not sleeping in with me around without good reason," Vent smirked.

[We have military programming in us, so good luck trying to sleep in anymore] Z chuckled.

"Aw man~"

"Good morning, boys," their mom greeted.

"Hi, Mama(...)!" Lan and Vent greeted in a tired tone and happy tone respectively.

"I'm so glad you woke him up earlier than usual, Vent," she thanked as she put a plate before Lan with some syrup, berries, and peanut butter, "Pancakes are better fresh than cold."

"Oh wow! Pancakes!" Lan beamed, all signs of exhaustion gone as he started eating, "S'ho good~"

[What's a pancake?] F asked.

[They're fluffy edible circles humans make for breakfast] X explained [A key ingredient went extinct before you were made, so that explains why you don't know what they are]

[Aw man~Now you make me wanna try them, Pops~!] F complained.

"If we ever have pancakes in the Cyber World, I'll make sure to MegaMerge with you to let you share my tastebuds, Fafnir."

[You're the best, Vent!]

[Kissup]

[WHAT WAS THAT, LEVI?!]

Vent shook his head before the PeT buzzed, "Mail for you, Lan. It's from Gutsman."

"What's it say?" Lan asked.

"Looks like Dex ended up in the hospital. Gutsman is asking if you'll go see him with Maylu today," Vent summed up what he read, 'And hello Elecman, the robot mutt, and the speeding train.' he blinked a few times, "How did Gutsman know we were awake?"

[...] P floated away.

[Phantom…] L began.

[We'd best hurry to Ms. Sakurai's residence to escort her to the hospital to visit your companion's Network Operator, Vent]

[...Don't tell me you're an internet troll now, Phantom…] H groaned.

"You guys are the best, guts!" Gutsman thanked, tears in his eyes, as he looked at Ashe and Vent.

"Hey, it's no sweat, big guy!" Ashe assured, "So what happened? It's not something like his rat catcher bot suddenly jumped him and is clamping down hard on the leg, is it?"

"...Um…" Gutsman looked away, scratching the side of his face.

"He's got a warranty for it, right?" Vent asked.

"...Um…"

"Don't worry. I-I'm sure we can figure this out. Has anyone tried to plug you into the cat?" Vent asked.

There's no port directly on it, guts," Gutsman replied.

"Seriously?" Both deadpanned.

"It's meant to help avoid viruses, guts…"

"Darn you, Lan…D-Don't laugh!" Dex snapped.

"Dex is right, Lan!" Ashe called, "That cat's tearing right into his tibialis anterior. It's causing a lot of pain to his leg which is why it's being elevated!"

"Ah…" Lan squeaked before Ashe giggled.

"But I will admit that this cat bit off more than it could chew with the mouse it found~" Ashe joked, causing Lan to start laughing again.

"Et tu, guts?" Gutsman groaned.

"You too, Maylu~?"

"S-Sorry, but…but…Ahahaha! Ahahaha! Y-You were injured by your toy cat!"

"Not a cat! It's a pest control system shaped to resemble a cat to better intimidate rodents," Vent noted, rolling his eyes at the hijinks.

"What Vent said…And why are you so close to Maylu anyway, dang it?!"

"Because Gutsman sent the email to them both?" Ashe replied as she frowned, 'Ugh…Forgot about the gorilla boy's crush since he moved away for long enough to get over it. So annoying…'

"...Gutsman gonna hide behind Vent, guts," Gutsman admitted, doing just that, "Roll is scary when she's angry, guts."

"You said it," Vent nodded.

"What was that?!" Ashe snapped.

"Er…uh…Gutsman, get ready to record this for Dex later," Vent quickly spoke.

"Huh?" Gutsman pondered as he saw Lan walk over to Maylu.

"Oh? Well, we were planning on going out on the town today, maybe see a movie or something, right?" Lan asked, pulling Maylu close while giving a teasing expression to Dex.

Maylu simply smiled. Lan froze as a pain shot through his foot as more exploded from the elbow ramming hard into his solar plexus.

"In your dreams!" Maylu declared with a huff, leaving Lan to gag and collapse to the floor.

"Gahahahaha! Too bad for you!" Dex cackled before a snapping noise went off, "Gh…"

"He laughed so hard the vibration snapped the band holding his leg up," Ashe cringed.

"Oh not again, guts…" Gutsman groaned, facepalming.

"EEEEEYYYYOOOOOOWWWWW!-!-!-!"

"I can't believe you had him record it," Ashe snickered as she and Vent sat at a digital table, drinking tea.

"I also got a copy of it," Vent added, "I'll show it to Lan whenever he starts getting too cocky. He kinda needs it at times."

"Oh tell me about it," Ashe rolled her eyes, "No offense, but Lan has an easily buildable ego issue."

"I honestly worry for him with that at times. I mean, what if he does something that really pisses off a friend? Or worse, pisses off Maylu to do more than just delete his homework?" Vent pondered.

"I'm worried, too. I don't want things to get that bad. They're just adorable together and Maylu once showed me this secret place where they drew each other when they were preschoolers," Ashe noted.

"The important thing is to nip the problem in the bud before it becomes a problem," Vent noted.

[Indeed] Z agreed.

[I'm surprised you're not trying to defend your brother] H noted.

"I love Lan as only a brother can, but he does need a reality check more often than not," Vent sighed, "Especially as time went on. I swear, he became an idiot savant at some point and not just a boy with a ton of potential that he hid by being lazy."

[Maybe this 'CrossFusion' was the cause?] X asked.

"Maybe," Vent shrugged, "All I know is that I love my little brother and I just want him to have a good life."

"Same with Maylu. She's gonna get that life and no giant cosmic meteor-riding god NetNavi is gonna stop it this time," Ashe narrowed her eyes.

[You sure you should talking so loudly about future events?] Model A asked.

[There are no signs of any Network Navigators in the area] P informed [Still keeping a lookout]

[Ah…I miss having a body] L sighed [That tea looks really good]

"That's because it is," Ashe replied, "A nice lovely, rich rose tea." she then blinked a few times when Vent became Megaman LX, "Mega?"

"It's not much…but does this help any, Leviathan?" Megaman LX asked before taking a sip.

[Mmm~It helps, yes] L replied.

[It has been quite some time since I last enjoyed a cup of tea…and this exceeds my usual tastes] X noted.

[Aw~Now I'm curious!] A complained, [Ashe~MegaMerge please~!]

"Okay, okay," Ashe rolled her eyes before taking a sip as Roll A, "So?"

[Huh…This is kinda yummy! Thanks, Ashe!]

[...] H hovered.

[You want to taste it?] Z asked.

[A little, but maybe another time. For now, Levi should just enjoy it] H replied.

'Huh…I feel like I'm forgetting something…' Roll A pondered, enjoying the tea.

"The calcium is on the way!"

"Oh right…Masa…" Ashe deadpanned.

"He never changes," Vent chuckled.

"Hm? Isn't that Ms. Mari?" Maylu pondered.

"I think so," Lan replied.

"...Oh, this is when we meet Miu," Ashe recalled.

[Miu?] X pondered.

"A fortune teller and antique shop owner," Vent replied.

"What's she doing in this place, anyway?" Lan pondered, "Why are folks interested in this old junk, anyway?"

"Hey! It's not junk!" Ashe argued, making Lan jump and Maylu fumble with her PeT, "Antiques are a vital part of history! It's a way to connect to our past! A glimpse into what it was like back then for the people who made those objects that you call 'junk' today!" she growled as she rolled up a sleeve of her jacket, "I swear, Lan, you call this stuff 'junk' again and I swear that I will find a way to come to the Human World and clobber ya on the head for being such a…"

"Whoa now! Easy, Roll!" Vent yelped, quickly pulling her into a hug, "Cool it. You really like antiques, don't you?"

"...I do…" Ashe replied before hugging him and whispering into his ear, "I treasure them because they helped me remember them. An old boxing glove for Gutsman and his fondness of punching stuff…this china set reminded me of Glyde…a piano key for Maylu…Antiques helped me in the darker moments. They helped me keep going forward and never forget the friends I lost…of the moments that I treasure…"

"..."

"Funny enough…a book was what reminded me of you," Ashe went on, tears in her eyes now, "It was stupid, but…its story reminded me of you…of how to hope for another tomorrow…It…It's why I focused on Prometheus so much…it wasn't just what he did to the family I made in that era…he destroyed my treasures right before my eyes."

"Roll…" Maylu whispered, looking at her PeT to see the embrace alongside Lan, neither able to hear what she had been saying but able to tell she was crying.

"..." Lan grimaced, guilt forming in his gut as he realized his comment really hurt her, "...Um…A-Ashe?"

"W-What?" Ashe sniffled, refusing to look.

"D…Do you think you could help me understand better? Maybe help find one you think would be good for Maylu and me?"

"..." she sniffled while looking over her shoulder, "Y-You're not sayin' that just because, are ya?"

"No, no!" Lan shook his head, "I…I guess I just wanna get why since it seems really important to you."

"...A-Alright…but…let's wait for your teach to leave first," Ashe replied, "I don't want it ta be awkward, alright?"

"It would be rude to just pop in when it seems she wants to keep whatever she's doing quiet," Vent added.

Lan and Maylu nodded, now embarrassed because that was exactly what they were about to do. It took several minutes (which felt more like an hour to the two) before Ms. Mari left the building and allowed the two to head inside of the antique shop. Within, it felt a bit…unnerving…the way the lighting was set in the place added a sense of…mysticism to the place. Ashe snickered from Maylu's PeT.

"I like this lady's style. She wants to give people the 'story' of these antiques," Ashe noted as the two twelve-year-olds approached the counter to see a woman dressed in black with her long teal hair pulled into intricate braids on the sides of her face beneath a black hat.

[I believe this is Miyu] P noted, managing to spot a business card holder from the screen on the PeT [...When will we have a way to see more of the world without the screen? This form of intel gathering is rather tedious]

'A year from now,' Vent replied mentally.

"Um…Hi. We…" Lan began.

"Silence…" Miyu spoke, looking down at her crystal ball, "...Water."

"Water?" the two pondered.

"I see flowing water."

"Seriously?" Lan pondered before Miyu looked at him.

"Who might you be?"

"Huh? M-Me? I'm Lan, Lan Hikari."

"Your NetNavi…"

"Huh? Vent?" Lan pondered as he pulled his PeT out to show him.

"Hello, Miss. A pleasure," Vent greeted.

"..." she then looked to Maylu, "And you and your NetNavi?"

"Oh! I'm Maylu, Maylu Sakurai," Maylu replied as she showed her PeT, "This is Roll, but she prefers people to call her 'Ashe.'"

"Yo~!" she waved.

"...Your NetNavis…I cannot 'hear' them like others," Miyu noted.

"...Hear?" Lan tilted his head.

"Yes. Their 'voice' is more…of a human's than an object."

"Huh?" Maylu tilted her head.

'Can she tell we're reincarnations?' Ashe pondered in surprise, a bit worried now.

"Um…excuse me?" Vent spoke up, "I know this is out of nowhere and a bit of a surprise, but…Do you…do fortunes for NetNavis?"

"Vent?" Lan pondered.

"A fortune for a NetNavi?" Miyu asked before closing her eyes, "Hmm…This is surprising."

"Huh?"

"Normally, my clients are human," Miyu replied, waving her hands over the crystal ball, "But…" she gave a soft gasp, "What is this?"

"What's wrong?" Maylu asked.

"A Game of Destiny approaches," Miyu informed, making Vent and Ashe tense, "What comes will not be as you expect and try to avoid. The ripples you make will cause rivers that were meant to be blocked to open and flow. Rivers intermingle, powers cascade. Events unseen before now rise up and a new river flows. The awakening of the End will signify the start of the Game. But the buildup will form from the divergence of who one is and the awakening of a power neither had before."

[A…A Game of Destiny?] A softly gasped.

[Y-You can't be serious…] Z growled under his breath.

[...This is our fault…] X whispered as Vent clenched a fist tightly while Ashe trembled in a building rage.

'Elecman…You better get your shit started sooner than later…I need something to unleash hell on!' Ashe thought.

"OWOWOWOWOWOWIE-HEE-HEE~!"

'Thank you, Elecman!' Ashe thought as Lan and Maylu ran outside to see Dex on the ground…now with a robotic white dog bitting into his leg.

"Are robo-animals all hating you today, Dex?!" Lan gawked.

"OFF-OFF-OFF!" Dex screamed, rapidly kicking his leg until the dog let go and landed on its feet with a snarl.

'Huh…Come to think of it…now that we don't have Ms. Mari here…what is the dog supposed to take to make us…' Vent pondered before screaming as Lan's PeT was grabbed, "I'M BEING DOGNAPPED?!"

"VENT?!" Lan panicked as he skated after the dog, "You get back here, you metal menace of a mutt! I swear if you don't let go of Vent, I'm taking you to a mechanic and you don't wanna know what they'll do! ACK! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STOP, NOT GO FASTER!"

"Lan, wait for Roll and me!" Maylu called, quickly getting on her scooter and following after him.

"YOU STUPID MUTT! GET BACK HERE! YOU LET GO OF MY BOYFRIEND RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Ashe raged, "THAT'S IT! YOU BETTER NOT LET ME GET NEAR YA OR ELSE IT'S TIME TO SPAY AND NEUTER YA!"

"Ah! I gotta follow Maylu!" Dex grunted as he stood up and took a step with his cat-bitten leg, "Gh…EEEYOW!"

"Hey, c'mon now! Why not be a good doggo and let me go, huh?" Vent asked.

[I don't think it's going to listen to you, Vent] Zero noted.

[Days like this make me wish we could be out there so this won't happen] Fafnir complained.

[Fafnir, this is the first time we've been kidnapped by a dog] Levi ponted out.

[...]

[It's his fifth time in total and only the second time as a Biometal]

[PHANTOM!] Fafnir barked.

[We're approaching a subway station] X noted [Lan was so hoping for that new BattleChip…]

[Our Virus Busting escapades are sufficient enough that there won't be much of a dent in the account] Zero pointed out.

[I'm just enjoying this because we can finally see more ahead of us then watching as it passes by] Harpuia admitted.

[Did this happen last time, Vent?]

"Yes, but it was with Ms. Mari's purse, not me!" Vent replied before chuckling, "So…Who's operating you, big guy? WWW wants me deleted if you aimed it at me. Or were you aiming for Ashe in Maylu's PeT?" the dog ran into the subway train and sat on its hunches between the distance of the two ways to get off, "...Elecman." the dog dropped it as its red eyes glowing while looking at the screen, "Oh, so that's your name. I was just taking a random guess like Ashe did with Fireman. But good to hear your confirmation through action." he rubbed his chin in fake-thought, "You…You want to lure Lan down here, Maylu as well if able, then hack the train systems to have us on a collision course with either another train or a sealed off part of the tracks." he chuckled while cracking his knuckles, "Well…Just leave the door unlocked, alright? I'd rather enjoy fighting you if you went to all this trouble."

"Just who are you?" a voice came from the dog.

"The name's Vent. I'm just a courier," Vent replied with a thumbs up before giving a thumbs down, "And your delivery is defeat, Elecman of WWW."

"I'd like to see you try, Vent," Elecman chuckled as the red eyes turned green and the dog laid down with a paw on the PeT before a minute passed and Lan picked him up.

"Vent!"

"Hey there, Lan. Found out what was causing the trouble," Vent informed.

[It's WWW again] X added [The NetNavi hijacking it, Elecman, is now in the train's systems. By now, he may have already taken control and…]

"Lan! The train's speed!" Maylu's voice gasped.

"Vent…What did you do?" Lan groaned.

"Oh, I asked him to keep the door to the front of the train unlocked if he wanted to NetBattle," Vent replied.

[...This is why you're a battle junkie, isn't it? Y…You just like jumping into danger!] H groaned.

"We're NetNavis, H! Of course we're battle junkies!" Ashe argued before the PA rang.

=Attention, Attention. Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai to the control room. Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai to the control room. WWW is waiting for your NetNavis in the network for us to delete. I repeat, WWW is waiting for your NetNavis in the network for us to delete. Thank you=

"...Vent…" Maylu and Lan began.

"I accept full responsibility after we save everyone."

"Let's get going!" Ashe called.

"Excuse me! Pardon me!" Lan called as he led the way for the two, "Gang way!"

"Please excuse us!" Maylu warned as they arrived at the front of the train where a crowd was, "Ah! What's going on?"

"The conductor's knocked out cold!" one explained.

"It looked like he was shocked by something when he tried to mess with the controls!" another added.

"And this thing's locked up tight!" a third complained, slapping the door…before it slid open.

=You can take the conductor, but those two stay in here= Elecman's voice spoke from the PA system =Better hurry and get your Navis ready, you two. This battle will be electrifying and on a time limit=

"Time limit?" Lan asked as two men helped carry the unconscious conductor out and let the two preteens in.

=At the moment, I've locked the tunnel ahead from being able to switch tracks. Another train in approaching and has no time to start moving in reverse to avoid a high-speed collision= Elecman explained =Three minutes is all you have=

"Gh…Vent…" Lan growled in annoyance.

Ashe cracked up laughing, "Oh, this is hilarious! Ah well, time to get me some booty from this!"

"I'm so sorry…" Vent apologized, bowing repeatedly.

[We will discuss this later] Z warned.

[We haven't had to do this in years] X noted.

"I was bored, okay?!"

"NO EXCUSES!] all the Biometals, Lan, and Maylu snapped.

"I'm gonna enjoy this," Ashe giggled.

"So…What's the plan for us?" Ashe asked as she quickly donned Model A.

"We lure out Elecman then beat him up as fast as we can," Vent replied, "Model X! MegaMerge!" a blue flash went off before he was in a blue version of LX and HX's outfits with the helmet blue and white with a red gem in the forehead and his right arm/hand engulfed in a bulky blue and white buster, "The Blue Megaman! Megaman X!"

"No double this time?" Roll A pondered.

"Not yet," Megaman X replied as they looked around, spotting yellow orbs with black dots acting as faces with large eyes, tiny crooked horns on the back of their heads, tiny yellow feet, and needle-like 'arms' along with orange transmitters with orange and red drum-like viruses floating above them, "Billy and Twisty viruses this time."

"Oh goody! Been meaning to stock up on Elec Element BattleChips!" Roll A grinned as she whipped her guns out.

"Same. Especially if for any fishy situations," Megaman X noted before Roll A clonked him with the underside of her gun on his head.

"No, no spoiling," Roll A whispered.

"Right, right…" Megaman X muttered before quickly open firing on an oncoming Billy, "Let's just do our collecting then. A big delivery of BattleChips and Zenny to our sibs."

"You got that right!" Roll A whooped as she quickly fired homing shots at the Twisty viruses.

The two were quick and efficient, tearing apart the viruses that spawned within moments of them appearing. As they did that, the other Biometals peeked out of Megaman X's jacket.

[Behind Ashe!] P shouted.

Roll A and Megaman X jumped out of the way of a blast of lighting that barely missed hitting Roll A. They spun around and looked to see a NetNavi appear. He was taller than them with gray skin with lightning tattoos going down his cheeks from his red eyes. He was donned in black armor with only lightning bolt designs on the body and helmet breaking up the color. Copper covered his lower arms as four generators glowed on his back with electricity.

"Elecman, I presume," Roll A noted.

"That is correct. You two seem to have quite the habit of making good guesses on our names," the NetNavi noted, "But this matters not. You will be deleted here and now."

"I'd like to see ya try!" Roll A declared as she fired at him, only for Elecman to vanish, "Huh?!"

"Oh, I forgot about this," Megaman X whispered before Elecman appeared and he shot at the dark-armored NetNavi only to vanish once more, "He's fast!"

"Roll, behind you!"

"?!" Roll A tensed as she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Fall," Elecman stated before a blast of electricity erupted from his hand and zapped Roll A.

"GYAH!" she cried out before Elecman dodged several shots from Megaman X.

"Elec Tower!" Elecman roared, slamming a hand down and letting out a series of towers made of lightning head towards Megaman X.

"Model X! Model H!" Megaman X called, "DOUBLE MEGAMERGE!"

Just as the lightning neared, a flash of green went off and something tore it asunder.

"What the…?!" Elecman gasped.

Megaman smirked, donned in a green attire similar to LX and FX. The helmet was the same with green coloration and the red arrow, but it sported a pair of green 'wings' with yellow undersides on the sides of it with two bulky green and white armored 'wings' on his back. He whipped out two white handles before they produced purple triangles in the form of short-swords.

"The Wind Megaman! Megaman Model HX!" Megaman declared before smirking, "This is where the real battle begins! Lan, you ready?"

"You bet! Battle Routine Set!"

"Execute!" Megaman HX declared.

"I'll blast you to ashes!" Elecman declared as he raised his hands up over his head, "Lightning Blast!"

The 'wings' on Megaman HX's helmet and back split open as a soft purple light shined from within. He vanished just moments before the large blast of lightning struck. Elecman's eyes widened as he looked around.

"Spreader! Download! Sword! Download!"

A rain of plasma shots slammed into Elecman, forcing him to make a barrier of electricity to block most of the shots. He dismissed it and his eyes widened. His left arm glowed before transforming into a gold guard with an electrified blade of plasma in it. He swung and barely parried Megaman HX's short swords, both now blue and slightly longer than before. But what caught Elecman's eyes were the magenta wings of plasma emerging from his open 'wings.'

[This is how using a BattleChip feels? It's fascinating] H noted.

"Fire Arm!"

Elecman screamed as he was struck in the back by a stream of intense flames. This gave Megaman HX time to slice off all four generators on his back and shoot off in the air. Elecman spun around to glare at whoever hit him…before his eyes widened. Megaman HX smirked as he stood beside Fireman, giving an amused wave to Elecman.

"Fireman, what are you…"

"HeatWave!" Fireman roared, slamming his arm down on the ground before a wave of lava erupted and came for Elecman.

"Gh! I won't forget this betrayal, Fireman! I will have my revenge on you and on Megaman!" Elecman screamed, quickly Logging Out before the wave could hit.

"Heh…" Fireman chuckled before, in a flash of light, he was replaced with Roll A, "Oh, I'm gonna be excited for that fallout~"

"Ashe?!" Lan gawked.

"Surprised? I don't use A-Trans often, but I love it when I surprise folks with it," Roll A winked.

"You are such a sneaky woman, my Hunter," Megaman HX chuckled, hugging her close.

"I do my best, my Guardian," Roll A winked before kissing his cheek, "Now one minute. Elecy left me a nice gift! Come here, you sweet, sweet booty!"

"Huh? What's she talking about, Maylu?" Lan asked as the spot Elecman had been now sported a floating orb of light.

"Just watch. This is always so fun to see when she fights a strong enough NetNavi!" Maylu giggled as the orb went into Roll A.

[Alright! Elecman is a pretty interesting guy! His normal attack is firing a bolt of lightning while his alt weapon is that ElecSword of his! And his charged shot is an area-wide lightning blast!] Model A examined [Oh! He even recovers health when you use an Elec-Element BattleChip while transformed, Ashe!]

"Yes! Big booty right there!" Roll A cheered.

"Speaking of…" Megaman HX noted before the two held their hands out to the data still in the air and let it quickly gather to them, making several BattleChips and a decent amount of Zenny.

[We are really putting a dent into the availability of blank BattleChips, aren't we?] Z asked.

"Probably," Lan replied.

"Um…The Train's not slowing down," Maylu noted.

"...Huh?" both looked at the screen of their NetOps, showing a troubled expression on Maylu.

"...Gah! Where's the NetNavi that controls the train?!" Megaman HX yelped, looking around.

"Ah…Um…Oh! There!" Roll A pointed at a figure slumped against a piece of programming, resembling a bulky, athletic NetNavi donned in white streamlined armor.

"Ah! Come on…" Megaman HX whispered before zipping over with a burst of his 'wings' and started to gently slap his face, "Wake up…Get up, man!"

"How come he gets the nice stuff but I get the horn?"

"Lan, you're a genius!" Megaman HX declared as he pulled his horn out and blasted Reverie on it.

"GAH!" the NetNavi yelped as he jumped up, looking around.

"Easy there!" Roll A called as she held her empty hands up, "We got the viruses cleared out and scared off the NetNavi that was leading them!"

"A-Ah…You have? O-Oh, you have! …Ah! I can't slow down in time!" the NetNavi panicked, checking the status of things, "Impact in thirteen seconds!"

"...Accelerate! Activate the emergency boosters!" Lan called as he grabbed the controls.

"What?! Are you serious, Lan?!" Roll A gawked.

"There are what in this thing?!" Megaman HX gawked.

"Affirmative! 7 seconds to impact!" the NetNavi confirmed.

The nose cone on the back end of the train fell off before a burst of the thruster in it went off, causing the train to go even faster. Maylu nearly fell if Lan hadn't grabbed her and pulled her into his lap.

"Switch to manual control!" Lan ordered.

"Lan, what are you…?" Maylu began.

"We're at 1G now!" Lan explained as the NetNavi kept counting down, "And we're in a rounded tunnel. If I do this right, then…"

He grunted as he pulled on the controls. The train shook as the oncoming train was almost upon them. The train they were in dodged it…by getting onto the wall and then spiraled completely over the train and onto the tracks behind it.

"We did it!" Lan cheered.

"Incredible piloting, Lan!" Megaman HX gawked.

"Holy cow! Props to you, Lan!" Roll A awed with a laugh, "Did you steal trains before and never tell us?!"

"We were able to perform a ceiling course thanks to our speed exceeding 1G," the train NetNavi noted, sighing in relief, "Th…That's a relief…"

"I don't believe it…" Maylu sighed in relief, her hold on Lan loosening as she laid on him, her body relaxing from all the tension of that near-collision before alarms went off, "WHAT NOW?!"

"Ah…Forgive me, but…I think those viruses damaged the fire protocols," the train NetNavi apologized…before Lan and Maylu screamed as the sprinkler systems went off.

"...Oh my god…That lady was right!" Ashe A gawked.

"Hm? Lady?"

"A fortune teller and antique saleswoman by the name of Miyu. She predicted these two would be dealing with running water in the near future and it happened!" Megaman HX noted, "That lady is amazing!"

"THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR PRAISING!" the two snapped as they got their vests off and tried to use them to cover from the sprinklers.

-linebreak-

"Ugh…" Lan groaned as he and Maylu walked out of the subway exit, both still soaked from their surprise shower.

"Achoo!" Maylu sneezed, holding onto the dog robot.

"Any clue where we are?" Lan asked.

"Looks to be Elec Town," Vent guessed.

"Eh?! We're that far away?!" Lan gawked.

"We could call a cab," Ashe suggested.

"Or try a different metro."

"Absolutely not," the two preteens deadpanned.

Awoo= the robot dog whimpered in agreement.

"...Hey, Maylu, why do you have that robo dog, anyway?" Lan asked.

"Oh, well…it…it's kinda cute and…" Maylu blushed.

"Finders keepers! Losers weepers!" Ashe declared, "Welcome to the family, little guy! What's his name?"

"...I'm not sure," Maylu replied.

"Mmm…Why not Gow?" Lan suggested.

"Gow?"

"He looks like a 'Gow' to me," Lan shrugged, earning a happy bark, "See? He likes it!"

"..." Maylu giggled as she patted the top of the robo-dog's head, "Gow it is!"

'It's not my puppy, but this is still good,' Ashe thought, "Good thing we're in Elec Town then! Let's get some new things for Gow!" the two preteens sneezed again, "And a change of clothes and hot drinks for you both!"

"R-Right…" both mumbled.

"You say Fireman assisted Megaman in defeating you…and yet…I had Fireman and Match with me the entire day," an elderly man with jagged gray hair, liver spots, and one eye covered by a metal purple monocle-like object spoke.

"What?! But…But that can't be, Lord Wily…He was there! I know his FireArm well!" Elecman argued.

"It was most likely Roll A," Fireman noted.

"The one who defeated you when you tried to set fire to another oven," Wily spoke.

"Yes, Lord Wily. She has the ability to use a technique called 'A-Trans,' which allows her to transform. More than likely…she copied my appearance and abilities. And more than likely…she now has your looks and power."

"Megaman and his different forms…and Roll A and the A-Trans ability…" Wily noted, looking at a monitor showing Vent and Ashe in their transformations, "Just what are these two NetNavis?"

"Well…we warned them," Ashe sighed, the two hanging out in Lan's PC the next day.

"Sadly yes…" Vent nodded as he glanced out the screen to where Lan and Maylu were asleep, their faces flushed with a heavy sweat and Gow curled up at their feet, "Both of them caught a cold from getting distracted."

[I should not have pointed out that sale] Leviathan sighed.

[Their own fault for not doing the clothes first and then doing the sale] Zero argued [They're also kids, so of course they'd forget things like this]

[It was nice of Mrs. H to bring Maylu over] Model A noted.

"She does this every time," Ashe reminded.

[She does?] the other Biometals asked.

"With how often her parents are out of the country, Mama is basically her guardian if her grandparents can't be there," Vent explained, "They're doing some very difficult jobs to make sure she has a good future and are always doing their best to make time for video calls so she can talk with them."

[I noticed your mother is extra protective of children who are ill] Harpuia noted.

"She has experience with handling a kid who was constantly sick," Vent reminded, pointing at himself with a deadpan expression.

[...My apologies, Master Vent]

"Ah, no offense taken, Harpuia," Vent assured before feeling Ashe take his hand, "?"

"Hub…" Ashe whispered, "Miyu's fortune…the one she gave us…"

"You're worried about what will happen with it?"

"Yeah…especially with that first part…the Game of Destiny…" Ashe grimaced as Vent led her to his bed to sit on.

"We're going to have to train harder then," Vent noted, looking out at the sleeping duo, "Especially for our family and friends. We also need to find a way to train Lan and Maylu. They'll need to be ready for whatever comes and, hopefully, it's when we get CrossFusion and not sooner."

Ashe nodded, narrowing her eyes in determination to keep her home and her family safe this time, 'Whatever comes our way, they lay a hand on my sister and I'll rip them to pieces.'

GT: Day 10, folks! Day 10 on Mega May and we've got this update for ya! I really hope you guys are all enjoying this so far!

Chapter 3: A Formal Greeting

Chapter Text

GT: Welcome to Day 20! Here's an update to Biometal in Network! And don't worry! I'll be working on all of these even after Mega May passes!

"What's with all this, Vent?" Lan asked.

"Hm?" Vent looked up from his stretching and at Lan in his PJs, "Oh, I'm just building something to train myself up."

"Huh? But you're already so strong."

"One can always reach a new pinnacle of power so long as they train hard and remember to be humble about their accomplishments," Vent replied.

Lan raised a brow as he looked out at what Vent had built. A moderately-sized maze was the start of it all, made of high walls to prevent him from looking over them for the exit. Past that was a series of statues that Lan couldn't help but do a double take on at times. They all looked like humanoid robots that were based on animals and even insects! The one that looked like a buff dragon looked so cool with how strong it looked and, to Lan's admittance, was kinda what he hoped his dad was gonna give him until Vent showed what he was capable of. Those fed into a grassy patch with several trees that seemed to have nothing to them at all and Lan thought they were just meant to be a place to rest before leading to a large wall.

'Nice touch on those statues, X, Zero,' Vent thought.

"This is meant to help you get stronger?" Lan asked.

"Yep," Vent replied.

"But…where are the weights or enemies? Do the statues come to life or something?"

Vent chuckled, "Lan, becoming stronger isn't always about fighting or using weights. There are all kinds of ways to become stronger in different ways."

"Huh?"

"If you study, you become stronger mentally," Vent pointed out, "If you started adding small weights in your vest and shoes, you'll become stronger in terms of speed and jumping."

"I could?"

"Yes, but I'd suggest going with fifteen pounds at first then add a little more to each once you start to get used to them," Vent replied.

[Vent's right, Lan. His outfit may not look it, but his vest alone weighs over fifty tons] X noted.

"HAH?! F-Fifty tons?! No wonder you could catch Gutsman's punch so easily…" Lan awed.

"Get your facts right, X. I just upped it last week."

"Vent is so cool~!" Lan beamed, Vent swearing he saw stars in his brother's eyes.

"Maybe, Lan," Vent chuckled as he finished his stretches, "Alright, I'm gonna be doing this now. If it interests you, I can get a regime compiled so you can get just as cool as me."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because by training, you also get stronger and making me stronger."

"Huh? But…How does that work?"

"It helps you get into a good mindset that works with me, better improving our coordination," Vent replied.

[Meaning you get to be even closer to being the best of the best] F added.

"Oh! W…Well, I guess I could do some stuff…" Lan muttered.

[Give us a day or two to think of one] Z advised.

[Hello, Ms. Sakurai] P greeted.

"Huh? Ms. Sa-BWAH!" Lan yelped after turning to the left to see Maylu in his room and fell out of his chair, letting Gow swipe it.

"Hi, boys and Levi!" Ashe greeted after Jacking In.

"How the…when the…hah?!"

"Your mom let me in," Maylu explained, "What's this about training?"

"Ooh~! An obstacle course?" Ashe asked.

"Yeah. Using it for a light exercise outside of Virus Busting."

"When are you taking me to that Ratty hideout so I can slaughter the little hellspawns again?"

"Um…"

[It looks more like a garden than an obstacle course] A noted.

"Never judge a book by its cover," Vent spoke quickly, grateful for Model A, "And as for training, Lan is interested in doing some to better work with me."

"Oh? Maybe I can help. Ashe has been having me do parkour on Saturdays and Wednesday afternoons for years now," Maylu offered.

"Wait…is that why you wear shorts instead of a skirt those days?" Lan asked.

"Yep! She's pretty good at it!" Ashe beamed as she hugged Vent, "It's a ton of fun to do!" she then whispered into Vent's ear, "And good for when the doc gets those SynchroChips setup. We are so gonna do CrossFusion without needing Rush for that extra boost this time around."

"Right," Vent chuckled, kissing her forehead, "Care to try out my little course?"

"Aw~That's so sweet of ya, Mega," Ashe grinned, "Sure thing! So how's it work?"

"We start at the maze, go through the statues, then through the forest. At the end is a small flag I set up," Vent explained.

"...This is Yai's security system, isn't it?" Ashe whispered.

"A one-to-one recreation, yes," Vent replied softly, "I love being a NetNavi again. So much easier to recall things by bringing them up as Memory Data."

"...You're prepping Lan by remembering this setup," Ashe stated.

"Guilty," Vent nodded, "Any day now."

"Sweet~" Ashe grinned, "Rare BattleChip booty for Maylu and me once she shows up~"

"..." Vent gave her a deadpan look.

"...Loser pays for the date tonight?" Ashe suggested.

"Sure. Was thinking on taking you to the movies," Vent replied.

"Ooh~nice! Hey, wait a minute. You ain't gonna lose on purpose now, are ya?"

"Not at all. Fafnir would kill me."

[You're damn right I would!]

[Fighting Fafnir, language!]

[Sorry, Pops…]

"Alright! Then let's get to it!" Ashe cheered before spinning to the screen, "Hope you two pay attention now! You especially, baby sis!"

"Pfft…"

"Lan Xavier HIkari…Do I have to show the video again?" Vent warned.

"Ack! N-No, Vent!" Lan yelped, not wanting to watch his foot getting stomped on and him nearly losing his curry breakfast in the hospital again.

"Then focus and don't laugh," Vent ordered.

He turned to Ashe, about to ask if she was ready, before his thoughts halted. Ashe was currently doing some warmup stretches to get ready for the race. Her bodysuit did little to hide how snug it was on her shapely figure, the rose-red lines going down the sides of her body acting as an outline for it all. While she wore her utility belt and her orange long-sleeved tiny jacket, she also had her old little 'tail' from being just a normal custom NetNavi. It seemed smaller, but that may be for the fact Roll had been designed to look like a twelve-year-old but Ashe was eighteen and her figure all but showed her as the woman she had aged into. She had her old gloves and boots, but she had recolored them to be the same oranges and whites as her jacket. She paused in her stretches and glanced over at him with a teasing smirk, currently bent over in touching her toes and letting her behind stay up and aimed at Vent.

"Ain't ya needing ta focus?" she asked, giving a small flirtatious wiggle, "Or are you focusing on something else?"

"Ah! Er…um…" Vent scratched his cheek while blushing.

'Oh I love getting him all flustered,' Ashe thought in amusement as she finished up her stretches, "Ready~!"

"Okay. Oh, and before I forget…the rules," Vent informed, "No shooting the setup or the obstacles. No MegaMerge. Oh, and no early starts."

"Shoot," Ashe mock-pouted as she and Vent walked over to a starting line before whispering, "Ooh…Even down to the point where the fence is?"

"Of course," Vent replied softly before Model F floated between them.

[Alright! On your marks…Get set…AND GO!] F shouted.

With that, the two shot off into the hedge maze. A buzzing noise caught Ashe's attention and she looked over her shoulder before paling, seeing what looked like a bulky blue lawnmower with a demonic theme to it, leaving destroyed panels in its path.

"Wow! Look at them go!" Lan awed as Gow barked.

"Vent really worked hard on this, huh?" Maylu asked as they watched Ashe barely outrunning the lawnmower as Vent got out of the maze first.

[Why do you think Vent would stay behind some days when you needed to attend school?] Zero asked [He wanted to make sure everything would work to give him a decent workout]

[Vent may be a NetNavi, but he likes to consider himself more as a human when it comes to training] X noted.

"Sounds like Roll," Maylu giggled as Ashe finally got out and entered a large field that deployed several towers with Cannon BattleChips activating on them, "Ah! Are those Cannons?!"

[He went with live rounds to add a sense of urgency in achieving victory] Harpuia informed.

"EYAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Vent screamed as his smoking body sailed over to the start of the current leg of the obstacle course, "Ow…"

"Thank you petit yet sexy body!" Ashe laughed as she got out of it and into the field of statues, "Wow~! Not too shabby! Who made the statue designs?"

[That would be me] X replied

"Not too shabby, Model X. May need to ask you to be a home decorator for our Homepage," Ashe complimented before paling as many of the statues opened to expose high-pressure hoses, "...Uh…"

[Levi and I dabbled on the coding for this part] Fafnir chuckled before Ashe screamed and barely avoided gouts of flames and high-pressure blasted water.

"YOU JERKS!" Ashe screamed in abject horror, "THAT NEARLY SINGED MY HAIR!"

"That's what I said!" Vent agreed as he jumped over a gout of flames and slid under another.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm not outta this yet!" Ashe declared, "That booty is gonna be mine, ya hear!"

"...Why does she always say things about butts?" Lan asked.

"Lan, 'booty' is a term for 'treasure,'" Maylu sighed, "She likes to use a lot of 'pirate' terms, so I had to study up to understand her."

"EEK!"

"Roll?!" Maylu looked at the screen followed by Lan.

"Aw come on~!" Ashe whined, stuck in a cage in the middle of the tiny forest part.

"You should've kept running," Vent noted, leaning against it with a red flag pinched between his pointer and middle fingers of his right hand, "And shall we say this Thursday for the movies? I found a great old time movie that seems like it'd be a ton of fun."

"Aw man~" Ashe whined as Maylu started to giggle, "Maylu, why~?!"

"I-I'm sorry, b-b-but you in that cage…" Maylu's giggle went into laughter that Lan joined in on.

[This is so humiliating…] Model A whined.

"That was so cool!" Lan noted once the two preteens had calmed down.

"Glad you liked it," Vent winked as he helped Ashe out of the cage, "I hope we can find a way you can do something like this, Lan."

"Eh, if we do, I'll stick to whatever training plan you lay down on me," Lan replied, 'Like that'll happen…'

"You swear on Mama?" Vent asked.

"Yeah, I'll swear of Mama and her cooking," Lan replied.

"Great! In the meantime, you're more than welcome to do parkour with Maylu!" Ashe grinned.

"It honestly is fun to do," Maylu noted, picking up Gow.

"Mmm…Well…Alright," Lan replied.

"Great! We can do a warmup tomorrow for ya then! Show ya what we'll be expecting in the first few weeks!" Ashe grinned.

Lan groaned as he stretched an arm over his head, skating alongside Maylu as she walked her scooter along the sidewalk to school. That parkour stuff was insane the day before. Who'd have thunk it to make that kinda exercise? His whole body was still sore, yet Maylu looked like she hadn't broken a sweat at all during it. Then again, she had been doing it for years from what she and Ashe had said.

"Did you hear that we're getting a new transfer student today?" Maylu asked.

"Huh?" Lan pondered, snapping out of his tired thoughts.

"The new transfer student. I overheard the faculty talking about it Friday. She's apparently the heiress to a big time company!" Maylu explained.

"We would've gathered more, but Model A wanted to buy some BattleChips," Ashe noted.

[Hey! You're the one who's been getting all that BattleChip data from viruses and needing us to stockpile blank ones to fill them up!] Model A argued.

"Good morning, Maylu!" Dex cheered, riding up between the duo.

[Aw great…It's the gorilla and his big metal gorilla] Model A complained.

"Model A, quit being so rude," Maylu whispered before saying aloud, "Good morning."

"Hello, Dex, Gutsman," Vent greeted.

"Vent! Gutsman thinks I have a hit, guts!" Gutsman beamed, "Someone answered my question on the board, guts!"

"Good to hear, Gutsman. I can't wait to see how far you'll go with this development. Who answered it, by the way?"

"Someone named 'Haruka,' guts," Gutsman replied.

'Isn't that Mama's name?' Vent thought.

A limo passed by them, making the trio of humans stop talking and watch it enter school grounds. After a moment of it stopping, a red carpet ejected from the underside of the back door facing the school, unraveling to a surprising length that easily reached the school entrance. The driver door opened and a young-looking, shapely maid emerged, her silver hair neatly tied into a bun with a driver's cap and white gloves on. She walked around the limo before gently opening the door of the red carpet, being utmost careful to not step upon the fabric.

'And there she is…' Ashe thought as a short figure emerged from the limo.

They were short, roughly up to Maylu's waist in height. They were donned in a, at first glance, plain red dress with pink diamond-pattern detailing along the skirt with puffy shoulders and a pink collar. On her back was a slim black backpack and a designer purse was nestled across her top and settled on her hip. The two biggest things people noticed were her long golden-blond hair pulled into braided ponytails…and her large forehead that reflected a bit of sunlight.

'Yai Ayano,' Vent thought, 'And with her…an old friend.'

[So that is Yai Ayano? The girl who has a family so rich that they can have a mansion that becomes a giant robot?] X asked.

[Ah! Guys, be quiet! Lan and Maylu…] A panicked.

[Calm down, Axl. We've long learned how to make things private between us and Chosen ones] Zero noted.

[...Axl?] A pondered.

"Shh," Maylu softly quieted the Biometal.

[Zero…] X began.

[What? You know as well as I do that 'Model Albert' was probably just a buncha bullshit and he used Axl to make Model A] Zero argued.

[Is now even the time?] X demanded.

"Ms. Ayano here transferred all the way from England to our very own ACDC Elementary," Ms. Mari introduced.

'And here she'll introduce herself as heiress to AyanoTech…' Vent thought.

"I'm also the heiress to GABCOM," Yai added, "But don't expect any freebies or insider hints on upcoming games and gaming products."

'...GABCOM?' Vent thought, his eyes slowly widening in shock as the class erupted in talk, "Lan…C-Can you jack me in real quick? I kinda wanna go bust some viruses, alright?"

"Huh? Uh…sure," Lan whispered.

"Maylu, I need to go Virus Bust a little. Getting a little antsy," Ashe whispered.

"Okay, Roll," Maylu quietly replied before the two were logged in and quickly booked it as far away from the place as they could.

"What the hell was that?! It was AyanoTech. AyanoTech!" Roll A stressed as she and Megaman X dealt with various viruses, "Oh god, what if we got other things wrong?! What if Maddy doesn't attack the WaterWorks? What if we don't have the N1 Grand Prix? …Is Masa even Commander Beef?!"

"He was Commander Beef?" Megaman X asked, firing off a charge shot that wiped out several mole-like Viruses.

"...Vent…I am already freaking out here. Don't make me come over there and not be nice!"

"Sorry, sorry," Megaman X apologized as Roll A deleted the last of the viruses, "...Maybe…it's not the same timeline we came from."

"Hm?"

"Think about it, Roll," Megaman X noted as he walked over to her, the duo dropping MegaMerge, "We somehow not only reincarnated from one timeline to another, but also time traveled to that first timeline in the past as our reincarnations. It may follow some events we know, but there may be major differences, like names of places or businesses or companies, like AyanoTech, a multibillion technology company, being GABCOM, a multibillion gaming company, here."

"...Did you confirm you were…"

"Yeah. I'm still Hub Hikari," Vent replied, "And you already confirmed I was a courier for SciLab still."

"...You think Chaud is gonna be different?" Ashe asked.

"If his name is changed to something like 'Eugene,' I'm going to laugh," Vent admitted.

"Ditto," Ashe agreed.

[How did you never notice anything was different?] L asked.

"...I was more focused on spying on little Mega and doing more with Maylu," Ashe admitted before sighing, "Well…let's get back. Hopefully by now, Ms. Mari's shut that presentation off and we can 'meet' Glyde. I missed that guy."

"Same. I can't tell you how much I owed his lessons on manners he gave us. Saved my bacon more than once on deliveries and meetings," Vent noted, a fond smile on his face.

"So…let's show him we 'know' some manners then," Ashe grinned.

"But of course," Vent replied, offering his arm to her.

"Oh, why thank you, good sir," Ashe giggled, accepting it and resting her head against his shoulder as they walked off…

*BANG!*

…while holstering their guns and getting the Zenny and BattleChip data from the Spiky virus they just shot in the head.

"...Seriously, you didn't know Masa was Commander Beef?"

"They look so different."

"It's just a cape and a helmet!"

"I learned Mama used to box."

"Don't go cha…Wait. She boxed?!"

"Lady Yai is supposed to be in third grade, but she has done so well that she has been allowed to advance up to the fifth grade."

Vent and Ashe couldn't help the smiles on their faces. Before them, standing taller than Gutsman, was a gentleman of a NetNavi. His body was donned in an assortment of brown armor that complimented the rich charcoal-black bodysuit he adorned, further complimented by the rich gold detailing on most of the armor upon him. Sharp blade-like wings emerged from his back, standing upwards at angles, while his head was adorned into a blocky brown helmet of sorts with a golden front and extended down to halfway down his neck at the sides. His face seemed blockier than normal human-looking NetNavis with lines going down from the bottom of his eyes to the underside of his head. Resting upon his chest and the sides of his head were the symbol of three golden triangles forming a large one standing upon an auburn land with a red upside-down triangle in the center of the three.

"Oh, where have my manners gone?" the tall NetNavi pondered before giving a formal bow, showing the back of his hands to be adorned with a small gem on them, "I am Lady Yai's most faithful NetNavi…Glyde."

"A pleasure to meet you, Glyde," Ashe replied, giving a curtsy in return, "My name is Ashe, but those I consider as friends are allowed to call me 'Roll.'"

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Glyde. While my name is Megaman, I prefer people to address me as 'Vent' outside of the exception of Roll who may call me 'Mega.'"

"...Why are you two sounding funny, guts?" Gutsman asked, scratching his head, "Gutsman confused."

Ashe giggled, "We're wanting to have Glyde feel comfortable and ease him into things here, Gutsman. That 'virus busting' we did was just so we could do some quick study to try to help get him comfortable here."

"You two are quite thoughtful of others."

"We try our best," Vent replied, "And we do mean it, Glyde. It's a pleasure to meet you and we really hope to become friends with you."

"And not because of your NetOp, no. Honestly, could care less about that reason," Ashe shrugged, "We want to be friends with you because you seem like a good guy."

"Truly now?" Glyde blinked a few times in surprise.

"Yep!" Ashe grinned, "Oh! And now we're the rude ones!" the Biometals floated out of their jackets, "This is Model A."

"And these are Models X, Z, H, L, P, and F," Vent added, Gutsman giving Model F a look.

"Careful of that orange one, guts," Gutsman warned Glyde, "It's a real hot head."

[OH SCREW YOU, YA BIG METAL GORILLA THAT SUCKS AT PUNCHING!] F snapped, spinning to face him with his 'eyes' glowing in anger.

"These are extra special programs just Vent and I can use. They're called Biometals," Ashe explained, "They have their own unique AI to them and can 'talk' to us with a unique frequency. Sure was a shocker when we learned that Lan and Maylu, our NetOps, could understand the frequency when no one else we've met can."

[I'm just relieved at least two girls can hear me] Leviathan sighed.

"There is one more but everytime I try to say his name, these guys…" Vent began before F, L, and Z were up in his face, their 'eyes' glowing.

[SHUT UP!] the trio barked.

[I wanna know~] A whined.

[Sadly, you do not want to know, Axl] X sighed, resigning to using the nickname Zero gave the youngest Biometal [While I am unsure if you can hear us, Glyde…] he tilted himself to mimic a bow, Phantom and Harpuia following his lead [It is a pleasure to meet you.]

"Oh, how polite," Glyde complimented, giving a bow to them in return.

As the day progressed, Vent and Aile were more than relieved to see things going like they had before. Lunch soon rolled around and, upon the ringing of the bell, Ashe grinned and held a hand out, forming a modestly large table, much to Glyde's confusion.

"Excuse me, Ms. Ashe…"

"Glyde, you're more than welcome to call me 'Roll,'" Ashe assured.

"Ah, then Ms. Roll, what are you doing?" Glyde asked.

"Preparing lunch," Ashe replied as she waved her hand out at the table and had a light-brown China set appear on it.

[A tea set? …Is that…?] X began to ask.

[Yeah. From what I've asked, this tea set is the one she lost when Prometheus destroyed her personal 'booty'] A replied softly.

"Would you prefer Earl Gray or would you prefer to try a different flavor, Glyde?" Ashe asked as Vent made a stove, sink, and kitchen counter form while tying on an apron.

"Gutsman, gonna need you to knead," Vent spoke, making several ingredients from data.

"You got it, guts!" Gutsman beamed.

"My goodness. I do apologize, but…how are you two performing this?" Glyde asked.

"Hm?" Ashe looked at Glyde as she was looking for a flavor of tea to brew.

"This level of data manipulation," Glyde explained, "It has not been heard of before."

"...It hasn't?" Ashe asked.

"No, it has not," Glyde replied, "You are creating material at a level unheard of outside of the utilization of BattleChips."

[So this isn't normal?] A asked, looking at Ashe in confusion.

"Huh…That's news to me," Ashe admitted, 'Ah shoot…I forgot that this kinda technique wasn't mainstream until the Link PeT came out…' "Well, if you want, we could spend the afternoon classes doing some lessons on it."

"Truly? I would be delighted to learn this technique. It would do wonders in assisting Lady Yai in being her faithful NetNavi," Glyde agreed.

"Great! …But seriously, do you have a preference or would you prefer to try a new blend?" Ashe asked.

"I have heard of a blend called Jasmine. I am unsure of what it is, but I will admit to my curiosity," Glyde replied.

"Perfect," Ashe smiled, 'If I remember right…Glyde liked Jasmine tea with two teaspoons of sugar and stirred clockwise for one teaspoon then counterclockwise with the other.'

"Whatcha makin' anyways, guts?" Gutsman asked, kneading the dough.

"Was thinking scones."

"Stones?"

"No, scones. Though maybe some crepes as well with different fillings," Vent replied.

"No idea what those are."

"Oh, pastries with filling like chocolate or jam."

"...How much dough you need?" Gutsman asked, sold on the idea now.

An elderly man calmly approached a large monitor, using a sturdy cane with a skull-shaped handle to keep steady. He was donned in a variety of darker creams and browns in the form of a robe of sorts, his large collar's inside being a rich crimson. His sole visible eye gazed upon the screen as his right eye's intricate purple jagged monocle glowed and flickered before the screen turned on.

"Maddy, it is your turn to instigate chaos in the world of these internet lovers," the elder ordered, his deep voice echoing in the darkened chambers.

The screen finally settled and he frowned, seeing the screen showing nothing but a well-manicured hand, the long fingernails sharped into claws and painted a rich pale fuchsia. It moved away to show the bust shot of a shapely, youthful-looking woman with her long pink hair pulled into large 'puffballs' on the backsides of her head, pale fuchsia eyeshadow complimenting her olive-green eyes, silver-hooped earrings, and a hint of the white shirt with orange sleeves she wore.

"What do you think? Are they pretty?"

'I should pick my agents better. Or build robots that could do a better job,' the elder thought, keeping his neutral expression, "About the plan…"

"It's alright, sir. I've got a good one to spread a little fear and terror to these idiots," Maddy assured, moving back to reveal a studio-like bedroom and showing off the long maroon sleeves of the shirt beneath her orange and white shirt, jean short-shorts, and the green and blue striped stockings on her, "Don't put me into the same position as Match and Zap now."

"Just be cautious when you do. There may be a chance you will encounter these two," he warned as two popups appeared on the screen, showing Vent and Ashe in their MegaMerged states with Vent in X, LX, and HX and Ashe as Model A and Bifrost, "The male has a variety of armors with unique abilities while the female can transform into creatures and even other NetNavis…including our own NetNavis."

"Oh? Not to worry, Lord Wily. If they do show up, I'll make sure to be ready for them, be it to defeat them or needing to retreat," Maddy assured, filing her other hand's nails.

"Retreat?"

"I'm not overly confident that I can win. We only know of a few forms that girl takes and we have no clue how many armors that boy even has," Maddy explained, "If anything, I'll try to get new information for you to gather if I do encounter them at worst or Delete them at best." she waved to the screen as it began to turn off, "See ya. Delete…"

Wily sighed, shaking his head, "She never changes. But…she is one of the best agents because she gets things done."

"Roll…What is going on here?" Vent whispered, glancing out Lan's PeT at Maylu standing with Dex and Lan before the iron fence of a massive mansion.

"This isn't like last time where Maylu had her lessons every other day," Ashe reminded, "Remember the schedule I showed ya? I'm the one who arranged it that way so she could have more time with Lan and get some extra exercise."

Vent nodded, "We'll have to be careful. …You think Dex is going to get stuck in the cage?"

"Most likely," Ashe nodded.

"Oh! Look over here! There's a hole in the gate!" Lan exclaimed.

"So this is how they got in last time?" Ashe asked.

"Yep. Turns out that hole in it is on purpose so they can test the security system," Vent replied.

"...Yeah, no. I'm gonna play it smart here," Ashe deadpanned before kissing Vent, "Have fun with the boys, Mega."

"Good luck on your end, Roll," Vent replied, blushing a little as she left.

"Guys, I don't think this is a good idea," Maylu noted.

"She's right, you two," Vent agreed, "You really should go find the entrance and do this properly."

"Aw come on. It's cool, it's cool. We're her classmates, after all!" Lan beamed.

"That's right, we're classmates!" Dex agreed.

"Do what you want, I'm going to go find the entrance," Maylu huffed as the two went through the open bars.

"Good luck, boys~!" Ashe called out.

Yai calmly took a sip of her tea, sitting in her room, 'Hmm…Jasmine isn't that bad at all. I'll need to compliment Glyde for this suggestion later.' a beep from her PeT went off, "What is it, Glyde?"

"A message from the home security office," Glyde replied, "Please have a look."

Yai looked up to a portrait of swans mid-flight in an afternoon sky. It moved back before sliding down, exposing a screen. It turned on to show a split feed of Dex and Lan walking through the garden on one feed while the other was that of Maylu before the entrance. Yai couldn't help but smile at the sight of the red-haired girl. She had been one of the rare few that didn't seem overwhelmed by her and her habits.

"They are your current classmates, so I felt it would be best to inform you first," Glyde explained, "Lan Hikari, age 12, Dex Oyama, Age 12, and Maylu Sakurai, Age 13."

"So two intruders who probably went through the fake opening in the fence line and another at the gates," Yai observed, "Let her in while the boys…let's try out our house's security system. They're in the garden so…let's surprise them with our lawnmower!"

'I was really hoping that having Maylu there would change their minds…' Vent groaned as Lan and Dex screamed while running away from a monstrous-looking green lawnmower.

[WHY IS IT ALWAYS A LAWNMOWER?!] H panicked.

[I'm lost here] Z noted.

[Lawnmowers and Harpuia have an interesting history…with him often having to be repaired when one hits him]

[SHUT UP, LEVIATHAN!] H snapped.

[...Lan, a tennis field is up ahead] Model P observed.

"Great thinking!" Lan whispered before shouting, "Dex, let's hide in the tennis court!"

"Good thinking!" Dex agreed as they ran into it and closed the metal gate door behind them, "Phew…safe…"

[Not exactly] P replied as several holes in the court opened, deploying tennis ball cannons that open fired.

"RUN!" Gutsman panicked as they began to book it once more, Lan and Dex getting hit several times by the tennis balls in the process of getting out and towards several statues with them laying underneath one of Athena.

[...Lan, the statues are equipped with pressure hoses] P informed [As you come upon them, start running in a zig zag pattern starting from your left to the right]

"Huh? Pressure hoses?" Lan pondered.

"Hah?!" Dex gawked before the parts of statues moved, exposing hoses that fired pressurized water at them, "YIKES!"

"Model P, how did you…?" Lan whispered as he pulled Dex along in a zigzag pattern that avoided each and every shot.

[This is a near exact setup for the training course Vent made] P replied [When you get out of this, do not stop running. There will be a cage set up with a trap hole at the bottom. If you do not wish to exit through that manner, keep listening to my orders]

"Okay," Lan softly agreed before saying aloud, "Keep running, Dex!"

"C-Can't we…take a moment…to breathe?!" Dex panted.

"No way! They probably have traps in the trees!"

"Gh?!" Dex panicked.

"Eh? You have that hole there on purpose?" Maylu asked.

"Yep. It was Papa's idea," Yai replied, "It's a good way to see how our security system can handle intruders." she looked up at the screen, "That brunette is pretty good at avoiding them while your other friend…" Maylu cringed at seeing Dex get caught in a cage that popped out, "Yeah…"

"We told them not to go in there, but boys will be stubborn boys," Ashe sighed.

"But look at that brunette go! He managed to get out on his own while the other…" Yai giggled as she watched Dex yelp as he fell into the tunnel that produced a pipe at where Lan got out of and dropped him on Lan, "Got to try out the slide!"

"Huh…That kinda looks like my boyfriend's obstacle course," Ashe noted as Maylu giggled, "But replace the water with flamethrowers and the lawnmower with a machine that destroys the ground."

"Your boyfriend?"

"She means Vent," Maylu explained.

"Sir Vent and Ms. Roll were the two who aided in welcoming me to the other NetNavis of your classmates, Lady Yai," Glyde noted.

"Talk about coincidences," Maylu noted, blinking a few times.

[Phantom must be pointing out all the flaws by now] Model A noted.

"It's not that bad, Model A," Maylu noted.

"Huh?" Yai pondered.

"Oh. Sorry," Maylu apologized, "Model A 'talks' in a unique frequency that Roll and I can understand. He's saying that one of Vent's Biometals, Model P, is more than likely going over any flaws in it."

"Flaws?" Yai repeated, her eyes widening in surprise, "And a frequency?"

"I don't fully understand it myself, but that's the best guess as to why I can hear Model A," Maylu replied, sheepishly scratching her cheek, "Apparently, it's extremely rare to have the natural ability to hear a Biometal."

"Hmm…So people could hear these Biometal if we figure out the frequency?" Yai asked.

[It'd be nice to have more people hear me] Model A noted.

"Model A is up for volunteering his time if you want to figure it out," Ashe noted.

"Really now?" Yai asked, "Well thank you, Model A."

[You're welcome, Lady Baldy!]

"Model A says you're welcome," Maylu omitted the last part, 'At least this way others will have to deal with Model A's ramblings…'

[Hey, Ashe. What's the plan for this afternoon?] Model A asked.

"It's Tuesday, so that means piano lessons," Ashe replied, "Did you really forget that?"

[Sorry. Still a bit excited to see if they really can get a program made to let people hear me] Model A noted [I mean, it's nice to talk to you, Maylu, Vent, Lan, and the others, but…]

"I get it, Model A," Maylu noted, washing her hands, "Mmm…Maybe you two can go with Yai and Glyde to her house while I'm doing my lessons."

[No way! I'm not missing those for the world!] Model A argued.

Ashe giggled, 'Oh Model A…He really cares a lot for Maylu. I'm so glad they get along like they do.'

"Hm? Oh, hello, Yai. Heading for the restroom?"

"U-u-um…n-no! Girls like me d-don't do such things!" Yai denied.

"Huh? …What was that about?" Maylu pondered.

"You may have started to become friends, but I don't think Yai is willing to admit to needing to use the public restrooms," Ashe noted, quickly sending a message to Glyde that there are major traffic jams, "Luckily, we were the last ones in there so she may turn around and come back."

"I hope she'll be alright if she doesn't," Maylu noted.

[She's just a shy bathroom person, I guess] Model A noted [Oh! Maylu, what are you going to play today?]

"I was thinking on practicing Beethoven."

[Oh~I like that guy!]

"That's because you heard he threw a person out the window once."

[Well yeah. What's your point, Ashe?] Model A asked innocently, causing the two 'sisters' to giggle.

"This sure is a lotta traffic," Lan noted, looking around at the large jam.

"True," Vent agreed, "Probably the WWW causing trouble again."

"Couldn't it just be a virus outbreak?" Lan asked.

"It could, but on this scale? It doesn't seem likely," Vent replied before the PeT rang, "Oh! Email…from Glyde?"

"Glyde? That's Yai's NetNavi, right?"

"Let me check it. 'Sir Vent, Lady Yai has requested me to check the Global Line to resolve the ongoing issue here. If you are able to, may I request your assistance in this matter?'" Vent read.

"That is one polite NetNavi," Lan noted, blinking a few times.

"He's a pretty good guy who just wants to do his best for his NetOp," Vent chuckled, "What do ya say, Lan? Mind if I help out?"

"You go for it, Vent!" Lan beamed as he ran over to a traffic pole, "Jack in! Vent! Power up!"

Vent landed in the Network a few moments before Glyde appeared, his hands on his hips and his eyes closed.

"Excuse me, but I must speak with the one in charge of the systems at this moment," Glyde spoke.

"Um…Glyde? I think they've been deleted," Vent noted.

"Hm?" Glyde opened his eyes and gasped, seeing the numerous Mettaur in the area, "Viruses!"

"Glyde, what's happening?" Yai asked.

"Viruses have overtaken the traffic controls. There are so many of them that this will take some time to resolve," Glyde informed.

"Oh no…" Yai whimpered.

"Where is she right now, Glyde?" Vent asked.

"Fifth street in the limo," Glyde replied.

"Gotcha. Lan, you head on over there to check on Yai," Vent ordered.

"You got it, Vent!"

"But do you not need him to Operate?" Glyde asked.

"Not with simple guys like these," Vent replied, "And since we're in a rush, better go with the heavy hitter. Model X! Model F! Double MegaMerge!"

"Double MegaMerge?" Glyde repeated before gasping as Megaman FX formed in a burst of flames.

"Let's get going, Glyde. Sooner we clear these out, sooner Yai will be safe," Megaman FX noted, whipping out his busters and began to open fire with rapid shots.

Glyde's right arm and hand glowed before transforming into a gold and black Cannon-shaped Buster that he proceeded to open fire with, keeping it steady with his other hand. Several Mettaur jumped at them only to be quickly wiped out by the duo.

"I swear, we are going to get so much data from these little guys," Megaman FX noted.

"Data?" Glyde pondered.

"Have you never tried collecting their data before?" Megaman FX asked.

"No, I have not," Glyde replied.

"When you do, they leave behind Zenny and data to be used for BattleChips," Megaman FX explained, "Roll and I tend to stockpile them for those Chip Traders all over for Lan and Maylu to use. We've managed to get some good trades from those machines."

"Interesting," Glyde admitted before seeing something coming from behind Megaman FX, "Watch out!"

"Huh?!" Megaman FX asked before Glyde pushed him out of the way and was struck by a large white sphere with blue polka dots that sent the gentleman NetNavi crashing into a digital pillar and ended up embedded in it, "Glyde!" he charged up and swung a fist at the oncoming sphere, destroying it with his fire-engulfed punch, "GRAH!" he ran over to Glyde and pulled him out, "Hey, are you alright? Glyde?!"

"U-Ugh…Are you…unharmed, Sir Vent?" Glyde asked.

"I am," Megaman FX replied, "Yai! Yai, can you Log Out Glyde?" he grimaced, "She must have removed her PeT connection."

"D-Don't fret…about me…Sir Vent…" Glyde assured as Megaman FX leaned him against the pillar.

Megaman FX's eyes widened by a small fraction. For a brief moment, Glyde and the Network were gone. In their place laid a burning highway in the afternoon lights, the fumes of smoke, burning gasoline, and the corpses of human and Reploid abundant. The one weakly leaning against the side of the rest stop along it was a young man in his early twenties, his visor cracked in two to expose a weak, gentle eye. His black bodysuit torn and burned off in several spots from harsh battles moved along with the open red and black jacket as he let out ragged breaths of air. Megaman FX blinked before seeing Glyde and the Network once more. His eyes slowly settled into a determined expression before holding a hand out and catching another thrown sphere, steam hissing off it from the friction.

"So you're the guy who's behind all this," Megaman FX noted, keeping focused on Glyde, "Coloredman…and his NetOp Ms. Madd or Maddy for short, right?"

"Hah?! Wh-Where are you getting all this intel from?!"

He stood up slowly and turned his head to look at his opponent. The figure was lanky with a round yellow head with a tiny red ball on the very top and massive silver tufts of hair on the sides of its head. They were engulfed in a red dress-like outfit trimmed in silver on the collar and bottom, letting thin black legs bleed into bulky rounded feet. His arms were longer than his body, interchanging between yellow and silver bands of color settling into bulky red hands with yellow fingers. His red eyes with yellow pupils were wide with shock, framed in blue makeup resembling eyelashes while his mouth was wide open.

"I'm a courier. Knowledge is something we're pretty good at gathering," Megaman FX replied, strangely calm.

"A…A courier? Elecman talked about that…" Coloredman blinked a few times in surprise.

"Yeah…And you have a delivery," Megaman FX informed, grasping the sphere in both his hands.

"?!" Coloredman tensed as Megaman FX easily crushed the sphere, breaking it into data.

"Your defeat."

"What in the world…?" Maddy whispered, "Coloredman, you alright?"

"I-I'm kinda scared now…" Coloredman admitted, sweating a bit, "He's not joking or looking all that casual like Fireman and Elecman said he acts."

"Could his armor change his attitude?" Maddy pondered.

"YIKES!" Coloredman screamed, barely throwing himself out of the way of a fireball as big as his body.

"He seems to be the Fire-Element right now, so…" Maddy inserted a BattleChip, "WaterTower, Slot In."

"WaterTower!" Coloredman shouted, slapping a hand down and unleashing a barrage of thick pillars of water at Megaman FX and Glyde.

"Double MegaMerge!" Megaman FX declared while holding a hand out.

The towers halted in their tracks before they began to freeze over. Megaman LX kept his focused eyes on Coloredman before swinging his staff and shattered the pillars. Another flash and Megaman HX was upon him, the shadows cast by his back towards the natural lights shadowed his visage, leaving his pale green eyes glowing ominously at the clown-based NetNavi.

"M-Mini Colors!" Coloredman shouted as a barrage of child-sized Coloredman copies appeared and swarmed Megaman HX.

"BLOW AWAY!" Megaman HX roared as he swung his dual blades, unleashing two small tornadoes that sucked in and electrocuted the copies.

'Elec-Element and Wind-Element?!' Coloredman thought, 'A-And he was a Water-Element when he countered my WaterTower!' "FIRETOWER!"

Another flash went off before the tower of flames engulfed Megaman HX. A roar bellowed from the flames before the ground shook and the tower was dispersed, revealing Megaman FX once more, his buster-engulfed his slammed into the ground. The red gem on his helmet shined and, for once in the fight, he smiled.

"Lan…" Megaman FX noted.

"I got Yai to the bathroom in time!" Lan beamed, "Gyah! D-Did someone try to make one of those creepy clowns from that weird movie about space clowns that turn people into cotton candy?"

"HEY!" Coloredman snapped.

Megaman FX chuckled at that, "You could say that, yes."

"NO~!" Coloredman denied, "Y-You're so cruel! You monsters!"

"..."

"..."

Megaman FX's buster glowed before transforming into a bulky blue and light-blue cannon that he aimed at Coloredman while a glowing red light shined within it as they shouted in unison, "BAD GUYS DON'T GET TO TALK LIKE THAT!"

With that, Megaman FX pulled the mental trigger. From the HiCannon, a massive blast of plasma engulfed in the added flames of Model F rocketed at Coloredman. He screamed before being quickly Logged Out, barely avoiding a fiery end. Megaman FX huffed before dismissing his armor. As he ran to Glyde, he kept a hand held out behind him and gathered the data of the viruses and what Coloredman left behind.

"Glyde!" Vent shouted, quickly getting over to the taller NetNavi, "You alright?"

"I…I will be…" Glyde assured as the area grew lighter due to the retreat of WWW and its viruses, "Thank you, Sir Vent."

"Hey, it's no trouble," Vent assured, sitting down beside Glyde and looking at what he had collected, "Here." he split it in two and offered half to the gentleman NetNavi, "This is your part of the rewards here."

"I…I cannot accept this, Sir Vent. You were the one who…"

"Nonsense. I wouldn't have been here if you hadn't sent that email asking for help," Vent replied, "So you are taking this because it's only fair. And you did your fair share of Virus Busting, too."

"..." Glyde couldn't stop the small smile, "I am glad…Lady Yai came here…" he accepted the data of Zenny and BattleChips, one being that of Coloredman, "It has been…truly a blessing…to have friends…"

"You just rest up, Glyde," Vent spoke, giving a smile in return.

"Lan?"

"Hm?" Lan turned from the phone he had Jacked into to see Yai walk up, her gaze on the floor with her hands over the front of her skirt.

"...Th-Thank you," Yai thanked.

"Heh. It wasn't a problem," Lan assured, "Oh, but um…you may wanna Log Out Glyde."

"Glyde?!" Yai gasped, quickly pulling out her PeT, "Glyde!"

"I'm…alright, Lady Yai. Are you…well now?"

"Yes. It's thanks to Lan," Yai replied, "Um…I'm sorry about yesterday, too."

"It's fine, it's fine. Dex and I shoulda listened to Maylu and kept trying ta find the doors," Lan assured as they logged out their NetNavis.

"Glyde and I owe you both a lot for today! If it's possible for my family to do, then ask away this one time!" Yai informed.

"Huh? …Okay," Lan nodded, "Can we be friends then? Like Vent and Glyde are?"

"J-Just that?" Yai asked in surprise.

"Yep," Lan smiled, "I'm happy with what I have right now, so being friends sounds just right."

"..." Yai giggled as she smiled, "Okay! And you, Vent?"

"Hmm…Honestly, I'm not sure," Vent replied.

[Vent, may I offer something?] P asked before whispering to the triple-reincarnated NetNavi.

"Oh…Good thinking, Model P. There is one thing that I'd like to request and it shouldn't cost much," Vent spoke as Lan got a bad feeling.

"EYAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Lan screamed, running away from the mower once more with Maylu, her skirt replaced with black track shorts with a pink line going up the sides, "I KNEW I HAD A BAD FEELING!"

"EEK!" Maylu squealed in fright, "LAN, WHAT DID YOU DO YESTERDAY?!"

"IT WAS VENT! IT WAS VENT!"

"DON'T YOU BLAME JUST HIM, YOU-GAH! ARE THOSE CANNONS FIRING TENNIS BALLS?!"

"Wow. You, sir, are a slave driver," Yai noted, blinking several times at the PeTs set up on their stands at the table she and Dex were sitting at and watching.

"More like someone who wants his NetOp to be fit and healthy…and also have a way to burst his ego before it gets too big," Vent replied.

"And I just want mine to be able to do more stuff with her boyfriend to be," Ashe giggled, "Thanks for including Maylu in this, Mega."

"No problem. Oh, Gutsman, any new correspondence with your new friend?" Vent asked.

"She gave Gutsman lots of good boxing advice! Gutsman is gonna work hard to figure out how to punch for a big rematch against you, Vent, guts!" Gutsman declared, banging a fist on his chest before an explosion of water went off and Ashe cackled.

"VENT!" Maylu and Lan shrieked.

'This…This is quite nice…' Glyde thought with a smile.

GT: Ah, this was nice to do. Hope Mega May is going well with everyone. Just to let everyone know…a big big change is happening to things next chapter, so be on the lookout~! And please READ AND REVIEW~!

Chapter 4: The Unexpected Variable

Chapter Text

GammaTron: Let's do this thing! Hope you all enjoy!

"I see…So World Three was behind the traffic jams in Den City. Were you able to see who fought the NetNavi?"

A soft humming of a random tune escaped the closed mouth of a little girl around six with long blond hair that nearly reached her ankles. She was dressed up in a large pink dress with black sleeves and a gold trim; she also wore black stockings and white gloves. She laid down on her belly on a nice carpet with a mosaic pattern to it, a tongue sticking out as she drew something with a red crayon. In her unoccupied arm, she hugged a stuffed kitty doll with tiny wings shaped like UV bulbs.

"…Glyde and 'Sir Vent'?" the crayon paused in its movements, nearly hitting a yellow that had already been drawn, "Send me the surveillance footage, alright? I'll look it over. Try to find out the names of their NetOps, too. I…hm? You have a good idea who this 'Sir Vent' belongs to?" large blue eyes looked up towards a man sitting at the kitchen table, his black suit's back facing the little girl, "…Hikari? Like Tadeshi Hikari and Yuichiro Hikari? …Alright. Keep an eye on this 'Lan Hikari' and his mother and his friends. They could very well be targeted now due to their interference with the World Three. …Roger. Good luck with your cover job, Madame Rose."

The man hung up and sighed, shaking his head. Slowly, the girl got onto her feet and picked up her drawing. She smiled before running over to the table.

"Papa!" the girl called.

"Hm? Oh, sweetie, what's up?"

"The ceiling!"

The man chuckled, "Classic."

"Papa, lookie!" the little girl beamed as she held up her drawing, showing a figure in blacks and red jumping in the air, a green sword in one hand and a green shield in the other.

"Oh? This figure again?"

"Uh-huh! Big sis said that she's gonna make me a NetNavi and I wanna have this one!"

"Oh? Well, he looks dependable."

"Uh-huh! He's gonna be so cool!"

"You have a name for this NetNavi you're dreaming of?"

"Uh-huh. His name is…"

"Zero, why~?" Lan whined, sitting at his desk in the afternoon.

[You know the rules, Lan. Homework first and then we can go find a secret NetBattle group] Zero replied.

[I can't believe you're endorsing this, Zero] Leviathan sighed [...Then again, it is you]

[What does that supposed to mean?] Zero asked.

[Yeah! Come on, Lan! Just do the work and we can go~!] Fafnir whined [I wanna beat up idiots~]

[I believe it is my turn, Fafnir]

[Oh go blow it up your rear, Harpuia!]

[Boys, no arguing!] X called.

[Sorry, Pops/Father…]

"Come on, Lan. You got this," Vent encouraged, "I know you're smarter than people think."

"But Vent~! It's so boring!" Lan whined.

[Boring how?] Model P asked.

"They're too easy," Lan complained as he brought up his math assignment, "See?"

[I do…but isn't this the standard for coursework at your current grade level?] P asked [And if they are so easy, why do you not just do them immediately and get it over with so you can spend more time online and not complaining?]

"But it's so boring~"

'It's boring because it's easy? He's been lazy at school…because he's been bored?' Vent pondered, "Tell you what, Lan. If you can get all this homework done, tomorrow I'll try to convince Yai to not have you run the course again."

"Really?!"

"I swear on our BattleChip collection and on Mama's cooking skills."

"YES!" Lan whooped as he quickly went to work.

'Huh…I guess I shouldn't be too surprised Lan's laziness was more out of boredom. Our dad's a genius since he was able to turn DNA into data that made me. And Grandpa made everything that became our current society…' Vent thought.

"Okay, I'm done!" Lan beamed, quickly saving his homework, "Now it's time for f…"

[Hello, Ms. Sakurai]

"I'm not falling for that again, Phantom," Lan glowered.

"Hi, Phantom," Maylu greeted, waving at the screen from her spot on Lan's bed.

"BWAH!" Lan yelped, falling out of his chair, "...Maylu…Are you secretly Batgirl from those old comics from Ameropa?"

Maylu giggled, "No, you just tend to block things out when you're focused or bored."

"No Gow this time?" Lan asked as she helped him get up.

"No. He's recharging," Maylu replied.

"Mom let you in again?"

"Nope. Used the tree to parkour from my balcony to yours," Maylu replied.

"It was fun!" Ashe beamed, "So what's up?"

"Was gonna go do Virus Busting," Lan replied.

"And he wanted to find a Pit," Vent added.

"Vent, why~?" Lan complained.

"Whoo! Sounds great, Lan! Haven't been to one in months!"

"...Huh?" The two looked at her and a blushing Maylu.

"...um…Well…" Maylu looked at her shoes, finding them oh so interesting now.

"What? You think I'm this good naturally? Took a ton of convincing on my end to get her to try them," Ashe huffed.

[And using A-Trans to hide our identity] A added [Ever hear of Buckfire?]

"Buckfire the Brave?! The awesome gazelle-looking Navi that was undefeated for four years straight?!" Lan gawked.

"You're looking at them," Ashe winked.

"...What?!" Lan gawked, his jaw dropping and eyes widening in complete and utter shock, "Why didn't you say anything about this, Maylu?"

"Probably to keep you from asking to NetBattle her with your previous NetNavi," Vent replied, "You used to use a rather basic one before you got me, right?"

"Well…yeah…"

"And need I say you have issues with losing?" Ashe added.

"I…I don't…"

[You do] the Biometals of Vent deadpanned, making Lan slump.

"That and, well…I try to not NetBattle anymore if I can avoid it and let Ashe handle things on her own," Maylu added.

"...Huh?"

"Well…during that last year…I…I started to not feel well after battles," Maylu admitted, "I'd even have bruises on my body when I know that I did nothing to cause them."

"Huh?!" Lan gawked as he looked her over in concern.

"Lan, Lan, it's alright. I haven't had much of that since I quit the Pits," Maylu assured.

[It was really scary. I thought there was an Invisible Man in the house hurting her!]

"This is why we don't have horror movies in the house network anymore," Ashe rolled her eyes.

"Wait…Did anything happen when we fought Elecman?" Lan asked.

"Um…I…I did feel a bit of a sting," Maylu replied as she pointed at her shoulder, "Mainly here. Managed to hide it thanks to you focusing on making the train go over the other train and the sudden 'shower' on us."

"Maylu…" Lan frowned, "Tell me next time this happens, ok?"

"I will," Maylu assured.

"...Though now I'm worried, too," Lan noted.

"Huh?"

"Ever since I got Vent, the few times he's ever been hurt when NetBattling, I've felt small stings right where he got hit," Lan admitted.

"What is even going on?" Maylu pondered.

Vent and Ashe traded looks from their PeTs. Vent gestured to Maylu. 'What is going on here?' Ashe shrugged, unsure what was happening to her 'baby sister.' Vent facepalmed, realizing this was something new that separated their timeline from the original…and he wasn't sure if it was because of Ashe trying to make Maylu more available for helping out with the nonsense that was their lives or something else.

"Not even earplugs work on letting me sleep~!" Lan groaned as he skated alongside Maylu on her scooter to school.

[That's because you have us to deal with that 'speak' directly to you mind] Z chuckled.

[Speaking of our talking, any news about the young lady Yai's project?] X asked.

[Not much. Glyde can barely make out a letter in a five word sentence] A replied with a groan [At least they're trying to use NetNavis before trying human volunteers]

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Ashe demanded, miffed with her little partner.

[...Sorry, Ashe] A apologized.

Maylu giggled, "Maybe one day you'll get to sleep in again."

"Not with me around," Vent stated.

"I swear, it's like a reverse of Roll and I," Maylu sighed, shaking her head.

"Mega…Honey, I love you…but if you ever try to wake me up with your methods for Lan, Imma bash your head with Briofrost's tail!"

"Uht! N-Noted, Roll…" Vent gulped, sweating a little now.

[Hmm…We'll get Vent to stop for a week if you can get all A's for three whole months] Phantom offered.

"Really?!" Lan gasped before picking up speed with his eyes closed in excitement, "Okay! I'm gonna get that week without the horn no matter what!"

"Ah! Lan, watch out! Watch out!" Vent yelped before Lan collided with someone, knocking their briefcase into the air and into Maylu's arms.

Maylu blinked a few times as she looked at the sight before her. Lan groaned as he slowly sat up, opening his eyes to see what he ran into…or, rather, who he ran into. The man was lanky, wearing a simple pair of jeans with a brown belt, brown shoes, messy brown hair with square glasses, a cream button shirt, and a red tie. He ran over to Maylu and she presented the briefcase to him.

"Ah! My collection!" the man exclaimed as he opened it and pulled out BattleChips.

"Huh? BattleChips?" Maylu pondered.

"Phew…Not a single one damaged," he noted in relief, "Thank you very much for catching that, miss."

"Oh! It's not a problem, sir," Maylu assured.

'Higsby…' Vent thought.

'Giver of BattleChips and master of their knowledge!' Ashe grinned.

"We're really sorry. Got Lan motivated too much and he tends to get tunnel vision when that happens," Vent apologized, "Neat collection from what I can tell. M-Cannon BattleChips are pretty rare in this part of Den City."

"I know, right? You'd have to travel to the UnderNet for them!"

"...UnderNet?" Vent whispered, looking to Ashe.

"No clue."

"What's the UnderNet?" Maylu asked.

"A truly horrifying place. It is the Network that lies directly beneath our Network, filled with dangerous viruses where you need a lot of power to handle it all! And not just from viruses, either! SoloNavis and criminals like to use it as their home turf!" Higsby explained, the eyes of the two NetNavis widening, "Never ever go in there unless you truly are strong enough to do so!"

'And yet another change…' Vent thought.

'I really goofed up my six years here…' Ashe mentally groaned as she facepalmed, '...Pictures of adorable baby Mega being an errand boy and getting Maylu stronger for our future CrossFusion and being awesome badasses was worth it.'

"Uh…What are you two doing, guts?" Gutsman asked, he and Glyde looking to see the blue and orange NetNavis sitting together at a large desk with numerous PDFs and text files scattered about it.

"I focused so much on being with Maylu and doing stuff like training with her that I never learned a lot about the Network outside of the usual stuff!" Ashe replied.

"And I'm still a new NetNavi, so I haven't learned much about the world I live in," Vent added, "Ah. Roll, this is new."

"A cyber monorail? Where was that?!" Ashe gawked as they looked it over, "...I have enough to buy the annual pass. You?"

"Same," Vent agreed.

"So many stops…" Ashe observed.

"I wonder if this Beach Area has actual beaches?"

"They better. I think I've got a little special something for you to enjoy seeing me in," Ashe flirted, making Vent blush.

"...You get what they're talkin' 'bout, guts?" Gutsman asked.

"Not a bit, sadly," Glyde sighed as he walked over and held out a hand, "..." he narrowed his eyes as he recalled what Ashe and Vent had been telling him how to do it before, slowly, a chair materialized.

"Oh, not bad!" Gutsman noted.

"No…it is dreadful, to admit," Glyde replied.

"Why?"

"I was going for a chartreuse to compliment the panels of the ground," Glyde replied, "This is maroon."

"Oh…I…I see, guts," Gutsman noted, a drop of sweat going down the back of his head as Glyde sat down to join in the reading, "And why you?"

"There may be information I was unaware of in Den City," Glyde replied.

"Oh come on. Dat ain't…it shouldn't…" Gutsman trailed off before making a stool for himself to sit down and join in on the reading, "...We ain't nerds for doing this, are we, guts?"

"Depends. Do you want to get your head flushed in a toilet?" Vent asked.

"No."

"Then we're not nerds."

'Ohh~I'm so excited! This was such a cool place!' Ashe thought, hopping inside of Maylu's PeT in excitement as Yai led Lan, Maylu, and Dex through her backyard towards a large tree…with a treehouse that looked more like an actual house made of logs on it.

"Huh…Kinda looks like a giant birdhouse," Dex noted, tilting his head.

"Hmph! How rude, Dex! This is a secret fort that my daddy had built for me," Yai huffed.

"Se…Secret base?" the trio repeated in surprise.

"Yep! Right this way!" Yai beamed as she quickly climbed up and went in.

"So glad I came ready for that gauntlet," Maylu sighed in relief as she went up next followed by Lan and then Dex.

The trio followed Yai in and Phantom once more grew annoyed at the limitations of the PeT. The building was fairly modest and looked to be more like a simple house. A magenta couch and recliner were set up in the living room with a small dining table set up in the kitchen complete with fridge and oven.

"So this is a secret base?" Lan asked.

"It seems kinda nice," Maylu complimented, "People wouldn't think someone from Yai's family would stay in a place so simple. Ah…No offense?"

"None taken," Yai assured, "I like it. Plus, this is just the cover."

"Cover?" Dex repeated.

Yai smirked as she held up her thumb. She put it against a small black square by the door and the scanner went off. The wooden walls flipped like blindfolds, revealing intricate machinery and then sleek metal walls and several monitors. The lighting dimmed just a bit to avoid blinding everyone from the brightness of the screens. The trio couldn't help but awe at it all and Phantom only grew annoyed further than before.

[Master Vent, when are we getting holograms for the PeT?] Phantom asked.

[Phantom…are…are you…whining?] Leviathan asked.

"What the heck is this?!" Dex gawked before several lights turned on and aimed at the center of the room to reveal a holographic display.

"You like? It's the latest 3D monitor," Yai grinned as she pointed at the couch and recliner, showing they had Jack In ports on them, "You can Jack In through these. We can even NetBattle without getting into trouble here!"

"You're the best!" Lan and Dex cheered.

With that, all four Jacked In their NetNavis. Before them, the hologram displayed the Network and four flashes of light that formed into their NetNavis. Vent blinked a few times, realizing that the monitor was also acting the same for them, letting them see their NetOps as if they were in the Network.

"Whoa! …Dex is short, guts," Gutsman noted.

"HEY!" Dex snapped.

"This is even cooler than I thought!" Lan awed as he walked up to the display.

"I'll say," Vent chuckled, crouching a little to be of even height with Lan, "It's kinda nice to be using this. A bit sad, too."

"Huh? Sad?" Lan asked.

"Ah…" Ashe sighed as she walked over and rested against Vent's back, "Still can't give Maylu a big ol' hug like I've always wanted to do. But being able to compare our heights is a pretty good start…" she winked at Maylu, "And seeing how things look for three more measurement comparisons."

"Huh?" Lan and Dex tilted their heads as Maylu blushed.

"Roll! N-No! Bad! Very b-b-bad!" Maylu stammered as Ashe cracked up laughing, "I am so sorry for her, Yai!"

"NetBattling will be interesting here, guts," Gutsman noted, "It's like everyone can cheer better at this view, guts!"

"Speaking of NetBattling…" Glyde spoke up before bowing, "I would gladly be your opponent this day if any of you wish to partake in one."

"You sure, Glyde? You're not designed with combat in mind," Vent noted in concern.

"I have Lady Yai's BattleChips…it's not a problem, I assure you," Glyde replied with a smirk, closed eyes, and holding up a finger.

"Ah, he's very confident," Maylu noted.

[I want to wipe that smirk off his face] Z growled.

'That is overkill, Zero,' Vent deadpanned.

[May I be of service then, Master Vent?] P asked.

Vent nodded, "Okay, if you guys don't mind, I'll go first."

"Huh? You want to fight for once, guts?" Gutsman asked…before paling, "Oh shoot…You want to fight, guts…" he turned to Gylde and patted his shoulder, "Nice knowing ya, Gylde."

"I beg your pardon?" Glyde asked, blinking a few times.

"Run away!" Gutsman declared as he ran off and hid behind one of the pillars, peeking out from behind to avoid the explosions that might occur.

"Good luck, boys~!" Ashe waved as she walked over to where Gutsman was, giving a wink to Vent as she went by him.

"Vent's actually taking him on?" Dex asked, "Oh! Is he using FX?"

"Not sure," Lan replied.

"Model X!" Vent declared, catching the blue Biometal before grabbing the purple one, "Model P!" he crossed them above his head, "Let's go! Double MegaMerge!"

[Biolink Established. MEGA Systems online]

Shadows engulfed Vent before his form twisted within. The shadows settled to reveal Megaman in a new attire. This one was purple and like all the others in terms of design. The differences were more obvious to everyone, however. His lower arms had gold teardrop-shaped guards on the backs of them with a red crystal inside. His head was covered in a purple helmet with a bird-shaped white mask over the upper half of his face, exposing his sharp violet eyes. A long red scarf fluttered behind him as he shifted into a calm natural stance.

"The Shadow Megaman…Megaman PX," Megaman stated.

"Whoa~! He's a ninja!" Dex awed.

"So that's what PX looks like," Lan noted, "Ah…I really wanna see ZX and that other one now!"

"You'll get your chance, Lan," Megaman PX assured, "With Model Z and Mo…"

[NEVER!] the Biometals all snapped, minus X, P, and A.

"Aw come on~! I wanna know the Biometal's name, guys~!" Lan whined.

"You'll have to wait until later, Lan," Megaman PX sighed.

[NEVAH!] Fafnir declared.

"Can we start already?" Megaman PX sighed.

"But of course. You may deliver the opening move, Sir Megaman PX," Glyde replied.

"Good," Megaman PX replied before throwing a volley of plasma made bo shuriken at Glyde.

"Download!" Yai declared as a gold aura appeared on Glyde's body, bouncing the bo shuriken off him.

"Ah! They didn't do a thing to Glyde!" Dex gawked.

"Could that be…LifeAura?" Lan pondered.

"Indeed," Glyde replied.

"Hmm…Not too bad," Megaman PX noted.

"And next~HeroSword, download!" Yai declared.

"H-HeroSword?!" Lan stammered, now worried for Megaman PX.

Glyde held up his right arm before the glove part of it glowed and transformed, becoming a guard with two large wide half 'discs' on the sides and a large aquamarine plasma blade ending in a diamond-shaped end sporting a black diamond-shaped gem in it. The coloration of it all was quite consistent with Glyde's looks, being a rich gold, brown, and black in coloring. Glyde swung his blade, unleashing a wave of its plasma towards Megaman PX. The purple Megaman smirked before it hit…and a log sliced in two replaced him. Glyde tensed as he looked around…before something slammed down on the ground and engulfed the area in an explosion.

"AH!" Glyde yelped.

"Ah! Glyde!" Yai exclaimed as the smoke slowly dissipated, revealing Glyde struggling to get out of a bit of steel rope held up by an overhead extension on one of the pillars, his arms tied behind his back with an 'X' band of the ropes across his torso, "What happened?! How did he get caught with LifeAura in effect?!"

"Because this isn't an attack; it's a capture technique," Megaman PX replied, sitting on the extension…upside down, "Furthermore, I've studied LifeAura. The maximum power it can protect from is 100 and can even wear off after a period of time…or if you counter with a NorthWind BattleChip."

"NorthWind? …Oh! We got that yesterday from that BattleChip Trader!" Lan recalled, "NorthWind, Download!"

Megaman PX chuckled as he brought his hands together, "Ninpo: Chou Kitakaze!" he swung his hand out and an intense wind erupted from the palm of his hand, causing Glyde to spin and swing around.

"Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear!" Glyde yelped before it slowed to a halt and revealed his aura to have vanished, "Ohh…"

"Hah?! Y-You…and the…but the…" Yai stammered as Megaman PX let Glyde down.

"While I'm glad you believe in Yai's BattleChips providing great benefits for you, Glyde, it doesn't matter if your opponent is aware of you capabilities," Megaman PX advised, "Plus…I recognize that BattleChip because I was the one who delivered it."

"Huh?" Lan pondered.

"Lan, did you already forget that I said that before I was your NetNavi, Papa had me be his courier for SciLab to help me get used to being your NetNavi?" Megaman PX sighed, dropping Megamerge to look at them.

"O-Oh yeah…I forgot to tell you the truth," Lan sheepishly replied.

"Right. Anyway, that is indeed the LifeAura BattleChip that I delivered to a man about…a year before becoming Lan's NetNavi," Vent replied.

"My daddy got me this," Yai noted, "...Wait! He said the courier was a little blue NetNavi!"

"I updated my looks for a better look for Lan," Vent explained as Ashe walked over and held up a picture of a smaller NetNavi looking a bit like Vent with his hair navy blue and much, much smaller and put into four spikes underneath a blue, light-blue, and silver helmet with two yellow bars in the middle of it, "Not surprised you took pictures."

"You were just so adorable," Ashe replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

Vent rolled his eyes at that, "Hey, Maylu, any embarrassing pictures of Roll when you first got her?"

"Oh, I have several my mama took of her!"

"Ah! Nononono! It's cool, it's fine! Nothing to see here!" Ashe panicked.

Vent chuckled before looking at Yai and Glyde, "Still, the point to take here is that you two have a very impressive combination. LifeAura to protect and HeroSword to attack. You just need to better fine-tune it with plans in case that combination falters like it did here."

"I…I see…" Glyde noted, a contemplative look on his face.

"Ah! He did this with me, too, guts," Gutsman noted, "He slugged me silly with one blow, then he got to helping me out!"

"What can I say? I like it when I can help people bring the best out of them," Vent shrugged with a small smile.

[!] P spun around to look into the distance [Vent, we're not alone]

"Hm? Yai, Phantom says that he senses an intruder in the system," Vent noted.

"Oh don't worry about that. This is the best security system money can buy," Yai snorted, "No one could get past its systems!"

"...Phantom?" Vent asked.

[They've left] P replied [It seems they could have been intel gathering]

'That must have been Numberman…' Vent thought, 'Impressive that he was able to get past Yai's family's security system.'

"That sure was fun today," Ashe grinned, she and Vent walking along a road in the network, "Can't believe you actually thought of doing that to Glyde to get past his LifeAura."

"It's just something I've never seen others do before. It's like they think an aura can make you invincible to anything," Vent shrugged, "I mean…What's stopping you from destroying the ground under them and let them fall into the abyss? Or just tie them up and wait for it to vanish or use that to prep a strong enough combo to destroy the aura?"

"Yeah…G-Gotta admit, a lot of the stuff our NetOps got into could've been avoided by just, well…not being idiots."

"Sad, but true," Vent sighed, shaking his head, "And a lot of our battles could've been easier if we had thought smarter."

"Guess reliving those events are a real eye opener," Ashe noted.

"Speaking of future events…is Maylu still a part of the newspaper club?" Vent asked.

"Oddly…There isn't a school newspaper," Ashe replied.

"Which means Higsby will strike elsewhere to get Yai's BattleChips," Vent frowned, "Damn…"

"Hey, cheer up! That just means we gotta stay close to them for a bit is all!" Ashe assured, patting his back.

"...True," Vent nodded, "We'll just have to be ready for anything." he walked them around a corner, "And what better way…" they stopped and he pointed down at a hole, squeaks coming from it, "Than a little practice?"

"...Their hideout?" Ashe asked.

"Yep," Vent replied.

"...Best. Boyfriend. Ever!" Ashe beamed.

[...You have got to be kidding me…] Zero deadpanned as Vent let out a snort in his sleep, partly off his bed in the computer, as Lan snored in the same exact position.

[To be fair, Vent was up late with Ashe] X noted.

[...I guess Lan didn't have to wait for three months] Fafnir noted.

[Age Lan up six years and they really would look like twins at the moment] Leviathan giggled.

[Something the matter, Phantom?] Harpuia asked, looking over at Model P as it looked out to the human world.

[...I have a feeling something is going to happen today…something unexpected] Phantom replied.

[Huh?]

[The last time this feeling came…was the day I died]

[?!] all of them tensed at that.

"GYAAAA! Late! Late! I'm so late it's not even funny!" Lan panicked, skating as fast as he could towards school, "Guys, what happened?!"

[You two looked too cute to wake up] L giggled {That and trying to figure out what was going on with Phantom's sense of dread…}

"Huh?! Vent was asleep?!" Lan gawked.

"I…kinda had a long night with Ashe. FInally took her to a den of Ratty viruses I knew about," Vent explained, "She refused to go until every last one was Deleted and their data harvested for Zenny and BattleChips."

"Wow. That must have been a lot of Ratty," Lan noted, closing his eyes in thought while trying to imagine how many there were.

[Lan, watch out!] Z shouted.

*CLANG~!*

[Nevermind…] Z sighed as Lan fell over, red marks on his face in the shape of bars.

"...O-Ow…" Lan groaned as he slowly sat up and looked up at what he hit, revealing the steel sliding gate for the school, "Huh?! Wh-What gives?!" he jumped up with wide eyes, "Class doesn't start for another…um…" he looked at the PeT, "...three minutes! Why's the school gate locked already?!"

[Guess you got fired from school] F chuckled.

"Not funny, Fafnir!" Lan complained.

"Hey, kid…"

"Huh?"

Lan turned to see a pair of men approach. One was a younger-looking man, possibly just out of college, with a pair of glasses while donned in a gray shirt and gray slacks. The other was a taller, older man with most of his face hidden by the shadows of his black fedora. His attire was an all black formal outfit with a white button shirt and black tie. The only things Lan could make out were his cool blue eyes and gray mustache.

"...You attend this school?"

"Um…Yeah," Lan replied.

"Well…You don't have to today. Go on home," the man ordered.

"Really?" Lan blinked twice.

'Who is this man?'

[He appears to be a detective based on attire] X noted.

[Don't get arrested, Lan] L warned [Maylu won't forgive you if you do]

"I…I can just go home? No marks on my record?" Lan asked.

"Yup. Take off and have fun now. You won't get into any trouble for it, I assure you."

"Yes! C'mon, guys! Let's get going!" Lan cheered as he ran off.

"Seriously, Lan?!" Vent gawked.

[Lan, this seems entirely too convenient] Phantom noted.

[Phantom's right, kid! This smells worse than when Levi had to go through sewer systems to look out for Mavericks]

[FAFNIR!] Leviathan snapped.

"Oh relax," Lan replied as he knelt down and slipped on his skates.

[What are you planning, Lan?] Harpuia asked.

"You'll see," Lan grinned as he got up, skated ahead a few more meters…before spinning around and shooting off towards the gate and the two men, "HEADS UP! COMIN' THROUGH! YAHOO!" with a jump, Lan soared over the gate and skated towards the entrance, "Sorry! But people telling me not to go to school…makes me wanna go even more!"

"You are a living contradiction, Lan…" Vent sighed.

"That little brat!" the glasses-wearing man growled.

"Feh…Didn't expect that kind of stunt," the fedora-wearing man chuckled, "Well…he's got spirit, that one."

"Ah! S-Sorry for being late!" a plump man in a suit apologized as he ran up, "Everything's ready, sir! We can Jack In the school's network at any time!"

"Very well! Let's go! And make sure no one leaves the school grounds!" the fedora-wearing man declared, "Madam Rose is onsite inside of them in case of emergency!"

Maylu sighed as she looked at her PeT, "He was doing such a good job, too…"

"That…That's probably my fault, Maylu. I think I exhausted Mega last night with Ratty Genocide," Ashe sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

"Hey! The teacher's coming!" a student warned before Higsby entered.

"Weeeeel now, I'd like to begin the first class, huh!" Higsby declared.

'Huh?' Maylu blinked a few times before raising her hand, "Mr. Higsby, where's Ms. Mari?"

"Ms. Mari? She was sick and went to the nurses office, huh. She sent me on ahead to do this for her, huh."

"Wha..!?" Dex gawked as the students started whispering.

"Quiet, everyone! ...First class will be Study Hall, huh."

"All right!" several cheered, Dex included.

"Don't rejoice just yet, huh! I want you all to do math drills. I'll be checking them later!" Higsby ordered, earning whines from most of the students, "Now, Jack In to the blackboard! Huh! All right everyone...Good luck!"

"Wait, he's just leaving us?" Yai asked.

[I've got a bad feeling] A noted before an ERROR screen formed on the blackboard [Called it!]

"Eeek! What's that?" Yai asked.

=We will now announce...The real goal of our plan...to control the net!=

"What the…?"

"Huh?"

"C-Control the net?"

=The WWW's true plan is to start a war...the EndGame! We will take control of the military networks and all other networks! The only cure for this rotten world is deletion!-!-!=

"Noooo!"

"What?!"

"Why? Why would they do that?" Maylu gasped.

=To reach our goals, the WWW is hiring new staff members! We will begin a new instruction program, starting today! Children! Study well and become good slaves to the WWW!=

"Maylu! This is a WWW re-education program!" Ashe realized, 'What the hell?! What in the flying hell?! Higsby…y-you're…'

"What!? No way man, not me!" Dex growled.

"Oh no, I can't turn my terminal off!" a student gasped.

"Heeeeey! The door's locked!" another called, grunting as they tried to open the door to no avail before jumping as something crashed into the door on the other side.

"SONUVA…!"

"LAN XAVIER HIKARI, DO NOT FINISH THAT!"

"?! Lan!" Maylu shouted.

"Ugh…" Lan groaned, rubbing his sore face, "Maylu, is this a new punishment Ms. Mari is doing?"

"No! She went to the nurse's office! Mr. Higsby locked us in here! We're trapped and a WWW re-education program is on the blackboard!" Maylu replied.

"WHAT?!" Lan and Vent shouted.

'He's…He's WWW?' Vent thought, holding a hand to his heart in disbelief.

"EEK!"

"M-Maylu?!" Lan gasped as shouts began to go off from the other classrooms.

"G-Gah! My…My head…" Maylu groaned, barely audible from behind the door.

[Shit! A brainwashing program!] Z realized.

"Gotta get them out…" Lan whispered, looking around before spotting a Jack In port by the door, "Oh! Do you think we can reset the electronic lock?"

"Good thinking," Vent replied.

[...This is why everything shouldn't be digital] H sighed in exasperation.

[Where's the fuse box for the school? Let's just cut off the power and things will be a-ok] F suggested.

[And what if Ashe is in the network when we do that? If the power cuts out, it may delete everything in the network for the school] Z pointed out.

[Hard way it is] L sighed.

"Jack in, Vent! Power Up!" Lan declared.

"Maylu! Maylu, you gotta get me in the system!" Ashe called as Maylu trembled, holding the side of her head as a ringing filled the ears of all the students in the class.

"G-Glyde…G-Get the door open…" Yai whimpered.

"Go get 'em, Gutsman…!" Dex growled as the three managed to Jack In through their desks.

"Jack In! Ashe/Glyde/Gutsman!"

"MEGAMERGE!"

Megaman X appeared in the network and looked around, "No signs of viruses, but that's probably the fault of…"

"Mega!" Megaman X turned to see Glyde, Gutsman, and Roll A run up, the latter jumping and hugging him before whispering, "Mega…H-Higsby's…"

"I know," Megaman X quietly replied, returning the hug before looking at Glyde and Gutsman, "Situation report, you three."

"We are going to try to override the electronic lock on the classroom door," Glyde explained, "We are on a time limit due to this brainwashing program coming from their desks."

"Okay! Let's get going," Megaman X ordered, "We're getting everyone out of there."

"Right!" the trio agreed.

Something clattered down near them just as they were about to head off. They looked down and Roll A and Megaman X tensed on seeing three different dice, one with a '2,' one with a '4,' and one with a '1' face up. They tackled Gutsman and Glyde before the dice glowed and exploded in different sizes.

"What was that, guts?!" Gutsman yelped.

"That would be me," a voice noted.

The four looked in the direction of the voice to see a tall, lanky robot-looking NetNavi with near-stick thin limbs. Its body was mainly cream with lime-green, only broken up by red rings. His bodysuit was black and the only parts visible beneath the armor were his waist/crotch area and neck. On his chest was a calculator's screen with his hands being made of three silver fingers resembling the rings of a binder. His head was the strangest thing about him, resembling a large clear dome with a 'disco ball' inside of it with two yellow 'eyes' glowing underneath the dome.

"I am Numberman," the NetNavi stated, "I have rerouted all the systems into myself. The only way to unlock the door and turn off the program is to defeat me. However, I will only battle those with a rare BattleChip."

"What's stopping us from jumping you all together then?" Roll A growled.

"AreaSteal," Numberman stated before vanishing and appearing behind Glyde, "I will be taking your LifeAura and HeroSword BattleChips."

"?! How did you…" Glyde began before a triple-layered barrier formed, cutting the two off from everyone else, "Ah!"

"Oh great…a Polyvirus barrier," Roll A groaned.

"...You can still hack, can't you?" Megaman X whispered.

"Duh," Roll A rolled her eyes before her helmet glowed and an orange helmet with a magenta heart design on the front with two gold circles in the hearts with a pair of transparent golden plug-shaped antennae emerging from the circles replaced it as her ponytail emerged from the bottom, "Like I'd get rid of this neat little trick."

[It's so girly…] A whined.

"Shaddap, A," Roll A glowered.

[Don't you remember the passwords already?] H whispered.

'We don't know if they've changed or not,' Megaman X replied, 'It's better to do this than guess and end up wrong.' he looked at Numberman, "Why? Why are you working with the WWW anyway? You don't seem like that bad a guy. Neither does Higsby. So why?"

"Why? Being a WWW slave is fun! Isn't it, Mr. Higsby?"

"Yes! With my new WWW salary I can buy lots of rare chips!" Higsby replied, appearing on a screen.

"And you call yourself a teacher!" Lan growled.

"Heh...I did feel a little bad at first, huh."

"Mr. Higsby!"

"Yes! But then I knew I'd do anything for rare chips, huh!"

"Who needs rare chips bought with the WWW's dirty money?!" Maylu demanded.

"Huh!...Silence! Now, your rich friend's Navi will face me and NumberMan!"

"I'll get started on hacking these things for the password," Roll A spoke.

"We'll protect you," Megaman X noted, gesturing to himself and Gutsman.

"From what?" Gutsman asked before viruses began to form, "Oh…Nevermind, guts."

"Okay…Lan, get ready because this is a counting game!" Roll A informed.

"Counting?"

"Yeah. This guy's name is Numberman, afterall. Makes sense he changed the passwords to number ones. First up…how many pigeons are in the school's birdhouse?"

"On it!" Lan replied as he quickly skated off and got out to the pens, "Okay…Let's see…one, two, three, four, five, si…" the birds began to fly around, "Ah! Quit it! Quit it! I'm trying to count you guys, dang it!"

"There's thirty-four pigeons here!" Lan informed.

"Gotcha!" Roll A grinned as the innermost barrier vanished, "Next up…Hoo boy…The number of tennis rackets in each color."

"Aw come on!" Lan complained.

"Keep it going, buster! Everyone's struggling to hold on out there!" Roll A barked, "And I swear if you let Maylu be a member of WWW, Imma gonna find a way out there and kick your…"

"I'm going! I'm going!" Lan replied.

"H-HeroSword, download…" Yai grunted as Glyde formed the blade.

"Utilizing your finisher at the beginning," Numberman noted as Glyde swung and released the shockwave, "Countering with Invis." his body turned transparent, allowing the energy slash to go through him without any damage, "Followed by M-Cannon." a red and orange Cannon formed on his right arm and fired, striking Glyde and slamming him back-first into the barrier.

"Glyde!" Yai panicked.

"Gah…Why are there so many~?!" Lan groaned, "Um…One white…no, no, there's two…one blue…one red…another white…does this even look like the US to anyone?!"

"Any progress, Lan?" Megaman X asked, shooting another virus down as Gutsman crushed several more.

"20 red, 15 blue, and 28 white!" Lan replied.

"Final barrier!" Roll A beamed as the second vanished, "...Aw crap! The number of all the sweet pea flowers in the campus flower bed!"

"I have to count all those?!" Lan gawked, "Ah man…Alright, alright! I'll get right on it!"

"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY?!" Lan snapped, seeing all the potted sweet pea flowers, "..." he shook his head, "I can't give up! I gotta count all of these for that password!"

"Dice Bombs!" Numberman declared, throwing three more dice that landed on '4' each.

"Ah! D-DreamAura…" Yai countered, making the aura formed on Glyde.

The explosion knocked him back and into the barrier once more, "Gah!"

"DreamAura. While powerful, certain things will allow it to be bypassed. NorthWind, activate," Numberman informed.

"?!" Glyde tensed as a powerful wind tore it off him, "Not again!"

"GLYDE!" Megaman X gasped, "You were the one spying on us!"

"The security was rather lackluster in its capabilities."

"Say WHAT?!" Yai screeched.

"Gah! Did I count that one twice?!" Lan panicked, "Shoot! Dang it! No, no…I have to get them all counted or Glyde's gonna get Deleted and everyone will…they'll be…"

"Lan?"

"!" Lan turned to see Sal walk up, "Sal?"

"Everything alright? Why aren't you in class?"

"One of the teachers, Mr. Higsby, is working for WWW! He's got everyone trapped in the classrooms and they're getting hypnotized!" Lan explained.

"W-What?!" Sal gasped.

"And the only way to get to his NetNavi and stop it is the password, but I don't know how many potted sweet pea flowers there are!"

"...665," Sal replied.

"Huh?"

"I just finished this flower bed as part of my job," Sal explained, "There are 665 sweet pea flowers in pots at this flower bed."

"Ah! Thank you! Thank you so much, Sal!" Lan thanked as he skated off to his classroom, "Vent! It's 665! There are 665 flowers!"

"Now to finish you off!" Numberman declared.

"Roll, hurry!" Megaman X called as the three tossed dice landed on all 5.

"GLYDE!" Yai screamed.

"GOT IT! A…" Roll A began before a blur went by, "?!"

"Lady Yai…" Glyde whispered, seeing the dice glow, "...I'm sorry."

"GUTS!"

"?!" Glyde's eyes widened as Gutsman jumped and landed on the dice, "Gutsman, what are…"

"Heh…Go get 'em, Roll, Vent…" Gutsman whispered as the dice shined.

*BOOOOOM!*

"?!" Roll A and Megaman X gasped.

=GUTSMAN…DELETED=

"GUTSMAN~!" Dex screamed.

"N-No…" Roll A gasped.

"He's…deleted…?" Megaman X whispered, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Gutsman…W-Why did you…?" Dex sniffled, "Y-You dummy! You big goof! Y-You coulda smacked them away! Or smashed them before they blew up! W…Why did…Why did ya have to…to…Gh! G-Gutsman~!"

"Gutsman has backup data, right?" Lan asked.

"I think so, but I don't know the last time he backed Gutsman up…" Maylu replied.

'This Numberman and Higsby…they're with WWW…' Roll A thought, her helmet hiding her eyes in the shadows.

'They tried to hypnotize the students for rare BattleChips…' Megaman X thought, his own helmet doing the same.

'They Deleted our friend…' two NetOps and two NetNavis thought in unison.

"Maylu…" Lan softly spoke.

"It's unforgivable," Maylu quietly said.

"Yeah."

"Roll…"

"Vent…"

"Gotcha/Understood," both replied.

"FOR GUTSMAN!" all four roared as Roll A and Megaman X snapped their heads up, their eyes, emblems, and the screw/gem on their helmets glowing as they glared harshly at Numberman.

[What in the world?!] A yelped.

[Vent?!] X asked, startled, before several dice dropped…all of them a '6.'

*KRA-KRA-KABOOM!*

"Hmph. Another pair deleted," Numberman noted before looking at Glyde, "And now for…"

"?!" Glyde gasped, looking past Numberman.

"You think that would work on us?" Roll A's voice growled.

"You made the worst mistake of your life, Maverick," Megaman X's voice snarled.

Numberman spun around to see the smoke dissipating…revealing the two slowly walking out of it. Parts of their bodies were leaking data, mainly from the shattered pieces of armor on Roll A's torso and right arm and on the left side of Megaman X's helmet and the right side of Roll A's helmet. Yet, the damage didn't even seem to phase the two determined fighters. Their focus was purely upon Numberman, the sheer anger in them radiating out and focused upon the lanky NetNavi.

"Im…Impossible!" Numberman squealed in fright, "C…Combat Assessment Scan!"

"Payback time!"

"Yai, I'm borrowing this!"

"Cyber Sword/Hero Sword, Slot In!"

"!-!-? Th…This cannot be…!" Numberman panicked as Megaman X's buster glowed before transforming into a light-blue and navy guard of sorts before producing a light-blue/white plasma blade as Yai's rare BattleChip formed on Roll A's arm/hand, "...A proper result for both?!" he swung a hand out, preparing to throw more dice, "I declare a calculation error! You could not have…" the two vanished from sight, "!?"

The duo appeared behind him, walking slowly to Gylde. The moment they dismissed their blades…Numberman screeched in sheer agony. His body tore itself apart from the myriad of slashes that tore into him. His dome shattered, scattering the pieces of his 'brain' within it, as he lost an arm and the end of his foot.

"Res…Resul…Result is…r-r-r-r-Result is-s-s-s-s im…possi…impossible…" Numberman groaned out before he exploded violently.

=NUMBERMAN: DELETED=

Both held a hand out to the explosion, pulling in the data for later BattleChip creation. A familiar orb of light emerged from the smoke and was soaked up into Model A in its armor state. Model A didn't comment on the new A-Trans data. He was more focused on Ashe's data and what was going on with it. The duo groaned, losing their MegaMerge, and collapsed to their knees and hands, the glow in their eyes and emblems fading.

"Ugh…Wh…What the…?" Vent gasped out.

"I feel…like after…fighting Master Albert…" Ashe groaned.

[WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!] A screamed.

[It felt like there was another presence in our MegaMerge…boosting it to levels I haven't reached in centuries] X noted before the two NetNavis collapsed [Vent!]

[Ashe!]

"What in the world…?" Yai gasped, looking down at the collapsed, unconscious Maylu with blood coming off a nasty wound on the right side of her head and part of her vest and shirt underneath turning red.

"Whe…When did she get hurt?!" one of the other students panicked.

"Ah! Lan!" Dex yelped, causing the others to look at him to see the bigger preteen carry Lan into the room, the brunette in the same condition as Maylu with just a head wound on the left side, "What happened?"

"Ahem," the students looked to see the man outside the gates approach with several officers and Sal, "We'll take care of these two, kids." he glanced down at the two unconscious students, 'Well now…Seems we've hit the jackpot on a two-for-one deal.'

GT: Barely didn't make it in time…Here's to Day 24 of Mega May, folks! As you can see…lots is changing here. Hope to see some reviews on what's going on here.

Chapter 5: FullSynchro Unleashed!

Chapter Text

GammaTron: Warning! Warning! This chapter contains some pretty freaky stuff at first! Please be advised!

"Huh?" Lan blinked a few times, "What is…?"

He couldn't figure out what to say. The last thing he remembered was being outside the door to his classroom. But now…he gagged as the scent of burning metal, wood, and fabrics filled his nostrils…along with that of burning corpses. Screams of fear and agony echoed amongst the sounds of buster shots and destruction. He ran around, looking at the burning wreckage that he could only correlate to an amusement park…if it were under attack by something!

"Vent!-!-! VEEEENT!"

"?!" Lan skidded to a halt to see a woman running around, 'She…She looks like…' "Mama?"

The woman running around indeed looked like his mother, but there were several differences he could make out. Her hair was much longer, reaching the middle of her back, and was messed up…which made sense given what was happening. She was wearing a white jacket with the collar zipped up and the rest left open, exposing a black bodysuit on her with a knee-length white skirt. The biggest thing about her was the strange metal things over where her ears should have been. They kinda reminded Lan of the ones on Vent. She yelped as she tripped on a piece of rubble.

"Ah!" Lan yelped, about to run over before halting, "?!"

Approaching and surrounding the woman were three humanoid figures. He…He couldn't call them human because while they had a human-shaped body…they weren't. All of them were donned in shades of purple and red from the bodysuits to the clothing-like armored jackets like on Vent when he donned his armors, and the actual armor pieces. Their heads were completely engulfed in rounded helmets with only a red horizontal bar that glowed ominously. The three machine-like humanoids raised their left arms, revealing them to be busters like Vent's when he used just Model X.

"Mama! Where are you?!"

Lan looked past the machines to see…he blinked a few times. It was a little toddler Vent! He didn't look any older than four, even! And his hair was so short, too! …Wait…baby Vent…a NotMama…what was going on here?!

"?!" the toddler gasped as he spotted the woman.

"Vent…" the woman gasped, "I…!"

Lan choked as burning flesh filled his nose as blaster shots filled his ears while he looked away. And yet…the shots did nothing…

"MAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!-!-!-!-!"

…to hide the agonized wails of a child witnessing the death of their mother by monsters…

"GAH!" Lan screamed, shooting up and knocking the covers off him, "Haaa…haaaa…" sweat poured off him as his eyes tried to focus, his ears still filled with the wail of a child losing his mother, 'What the…What the heck was that?! A…A little kid Vent…a lookalike to Mama…What were those things?! Why was…how the…oh-oh no…' he couldn't hold it in and barely managed to get out of the bed he was in and emptied his last meal into the toilet.

[Lan!] X called.

"?!" Lan looked up from the porcelain 'throne' and looked at the bed, seeing his PeT, "G-Guys…"

[Oh honey, what happened?] Leviathan asked, concern heavy in her voice.

[It could be from the head injury] Harpuia noted.

[Then why didn't he puke while knocked out?] Fafnir asked as Lan grabbed it.

"Lan…What's wrong? Are you alright?" Vent asked, worry evident in his tone and his face.

"V-Vent…I…I saw something freaky…y-you were a little kid a-and there was someone who looked like Mama…an-an-and then these…these things! These purple things that were trying to look human and-and they were…" Lan rambled, not seeing Vent's face turn to one of horror.

'He…He saw that day…When…When I lost my Mama…' Vent thought, tears starting to well in his eyes, 'H-How is he…?'

[As much as I enjoy this…] Zero sarcastically noted [I suggest you look at where you are, Lan]

"H-huh?" Lan snapped out of it and looked around, "Uh…two beds…a toilet…lots of metal walls…cell bars…" he paused, looking behind him at the cell bars and door, "...WE'RE IN JAIL?!"

"Mmmnnm…"

"?!" Lan spun his head to see another bed in the cell, Maylu lying on it and slowly waking up.

"Ow…" she mumbled as she slowly sat up, letting the sheets fall and…

"GH?!" Lan quickly focused on the wall outside of the cell, his cheek bright red.

"Ah! Maylu, sheets! Sheets!" Ashe panicked.

"H-Huh…?" Maylu mumbled, opening her eyes to see Lan looking away from her, "L-Lan?"

"MAYLU EUPHEMIA SAKURAI, COVER YOUR HOOTERS THIS INSTANT!" Ashe roared.

"EEP!" Maylu yelped, "A-Ashe?!"

"YES! NOW COVER YOUR SWEATER MELONS UP!" Ashe snapped, 'I really should've looked into those diet plans I put her on with the workouts…'

"?!" Maylu blushed as she looked down at her bandaged chest before quickly covering it with the sheets.

[My, my…That's quite the reveal…] Leviathan noted.

[Isn't she…] Fafnir began to ask.

[Puberty can trigger earlier in girls than boys] Phantom informed, earning looks from the Biometals [...What? I study biology to better assist Lan in case of an emergency such as him injuring himself or he needs to do emergency medical assistant for someone else]

"H-Huh?" Maylu blinked before noticing their location, "Wait…Where are we?"

"It's safe to look, Lan!" Ashe called.

"As for where? Not sure. Last thing I remember are Official NetNavis and passing out from exhaustion," Vent added as Lan turned back to look at Maylu.

[We know] Zero informed.

[We're actually in Beach Street Hospital, specifically the Fifth Floor meant for the police to house injured people of interest] Leviathan explained.

"Police?!" the preteens gawked.

[Yes. They brought you here and had you examined by some doctors. You both had injuries in the same places that were on Vent and Ashe] X informed [Which is rather…unusual]

[Yeah! For some reason when you guys got serious, it felt like there was someone else in the MegaMerge!] A added.

"Someone else in the MegaMerge?" Ashe repeated.

"We can think about it later. Right now we have something more important!" Vent replied before looking at Lan in concern, "How are you feeling, Lan, Maylu?"

"Huh? O-Oh, right…You and Roll got in that explosion while fighting Numberman, you getting a bad head wound like Roll but she also got some damage on her chest and arm," Lan recalled, "Then this pain hit my head and it felt like it was gonna split in two, so I blacked out and…" 'And then I dreamed of a kid you watching his Mama get killed…'

"The same thing happened with me," Maylu noted, "It was like…I was feeling Roll's injuries on me." she looked around, "Still…why did they put us in a jail cell?"

"A good question with a valid answer," a voice noted as the door on the other end of the room opened, allowing in an older man in a black business suit with fedora covering his head entered, "Hello, kids. How're you two feeling?"

"Confused on where my shirt and vest are," Maylu replied, still covering herself with the blanket.

"Our apologies, we couldn't get the blood stains out of them," the man apologized as he passed a black T-Shirt to Lan to give to her, "You two gave your friends and teacher quite the scare."

[Hm? That's the man who tried to have you go home in front of the school] Leviathan noted.

"Huh? You're the guy who tried to get me to go home and not go to school," Lan spoke.

"Glad you recognize me," the man noted before holding up an intricate police badge and removing his fedora to show his black hair contrasting with his grayed mustache and sideburns, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lan Hikari, Maylu Sakurai. I'm Inspector Oda of the Cyber Investigation Division." he gave an amused grin, "Some even call me 'Inspector Slick Daddy.'"

"...Pfft…" Ashe snorted back a laugh, "Classic, Inspector."

"And someone finally gets it," Oda sighed with a smile.

"Hold on! Why are the police locking us up like this?!" Lan demanded as Maylu got out of bed, now wearing the shirt.

"What happened to that jerk Higsby?" Ashe demanded.

"...Detox," Oda replied, "The man was actually hypnotized if you can believe it. We were fortunate that GABCOM was actually doing study into signal frequencies and the heiress was willing to lend a hand. He'll be right as rain in a few days, be fined majorly for what he did while under it, and then let go." he looked at the two preteens, "As for you two, this is our tidiest, safest place to keep you safe from the enemy."

"The WWW?" Lan guessed, earning a nod and a smirk.

"You could say it's a tidy ol' hidey hole."

Ashe laughed at that, "I like this guy's humor!"

"Roll…!" The two whined.

[Hey! Why did they take you in here, anyway?] Model A pondered.

"Um…A-Are we under arrest?" Maylu asked.

"No," Oda replied, shaking his head, "You're both in here because we're trying to figure something out about you two."

"Huh? Something about us?"

"Those nasty wounds you got…" Oda gestured to the bandages on their heads and on Maylu's upper body, "...Did this ever happen to you before?"

"Huh?"

"What I mean to say is…when you two NetBattled the WWW before or even viruses or, perhaps, participating in a secret Pit…" Oda noted, taking note of the flinch Lan gave and the very subtle cringe Maylu delivered and tried to hide as her feeling pain from her injuries, "...When your NetNavis sustained damage, you were ever hurt in the same way?"

"...I…I'd sometimes get bruises when Roll was hit," Maylu admitted, "And when Elecman attacked that train and shocked her, the shoulder he used to zap her with hurt."

"And I've been feeling a lot of stinging whenever Vent got hurt ever since I got him," Lan added.

"Bingo," Oda whispered with a smirk, "Okay, you two. We'll let ya out so you can take a test for us."

"A test?" Maylu repeated.

[I'm not worried about Maylu passing, but Lan…] Model A trailed off.

[Actually, Lan gets perfect scores on the tests because the sooner he's done with them, the sooner he can leave class] X noted.

[SERIOUSLY!?] A exclaimed in shock.

[We learned a few days ago he's just lazy and bored in school, hence his attitude on waking up and doing homework] Zero noted.

"Forget it!" Lan snorted as he turned to look at the wall, "I get enough of those at school!"

"Even if this test means you two will get to become Licensed NetBattlers?" Oda offered, making Lan freeze.

"A…An actual License?!" Vent asked.

"WE'RE IN!" Ashe declared.

"Ashe…" Vent and Maylu began.

"You're not joking again, are you?!" Lan asked, spinning around to look at him in excitement while reaching for the bars…not seeing a spark coming off them.

[?! LAN, PULL BACK NOW!] Phantom shouted.

"STAY AWAY FROM THE BARS!" Oda shouted at the same time.

"Huh…?" Lan pondered before Maylu barely grabbed the back of his vest and pulling him back as the bars lit up with electricity, "YIKES!"

"What the hell?! Did we just get shoved into an oversized bug zapper?!" Ashe panicked.

[Vent, did this…?]

'NO! THIS IS NEW ENTIRELY!' Vent snapped as a red alert began to blare.

"Inspector!" an officer called as he ran in, "We're under attack! A rogue NetNavi has taken over the hospital network!"

"And nearly fried bandana boy here to a crisp," Oda calmly noted.

"'Tidy ol' hidey hole,' huh?! It's an overcranked bug zapper!" Lan complained.

"System Malfunctions are cascading! If this keeps up, even patients in the middle of surgery or on life support are…" the officer spoke.

"Well what are you waiting for?! Get a NetNavi team deployed already!" Oda snapped.

"Yes, sir!"

"You kids stay here!" Oda ordered as he ran for the door.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Lan snapped.

"Don't fuss! Just leave it to us!"

"Pffft! Good one!" Ashe snorted a laugh.

"YOU'RE NOT FUNNY!" both of them snapped as the door closed.

[Lan, could you rotate the PeT around slowly?] Phantom asked.

"Huh? Um…Okay?" Lan replied, holding the PeT over his head and spun it around three times, "Why did you need me to do that?"

[...There is a pair of Jack-In ports on that intercom in our cell] Phantom informed [Furthermore, there is nothing on them to prevent Jack-In]

"Oh, great! Let's head on in then!" Ashe beamed.

"That's right! We can help out with the situation!" Vent beamed.

"Hell no!" Ashe snapped.

"R-Roll!" Maylu exclaimed.

"I'm with Ashe! Let's go show up those guys for locking us up!" Lan declared, pumping a fist.

"...You get the feeling we got the wrong person for each of us, Maylu?" Vent deadpanned.

"Some days," Maylu sighed.

"There's too many of them!" a police NetNavi shouted.

"INCOMING!" another screamed as they barely avoided a massive silver milk container-like Virus slamming down hard on the ground they had been on, "They have Quakey!"

"HANDY!" another screamed as a grey and orange glove-like virus dropped off a bulky bomb with a timer on it.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! DESTROY THE BOMB BEFORE IT GOES OFF!"

A group of officer NetNavis were surrounded, keeping their backs to one another as they had busters ready to fire. One moment, the viruses were coming at them. The next…their eyes widened as the viruses were all sliced to pieces.

"You guys alright?"

"We're here to help!"

The officers looked up to see Megaman HX land before them. Beside him was a male NetNavi that looked almost identical to him. His armor was a darker-green with a small red triangle instead of the wrap-around arrow on HX. His helmet's 'wings' were tinier and looked like jet wings. His wings were also less bulky and looked more like jet wings with a green bulky pack when the wings weren't deployed. He also had sharp red eyes. He smirked before, in a flash of light, he was replaced with Roll A.

"You boys doing alright?" Roll A asked.

"Don't let your guard down!" one advised as they shot at another virus.

"These Viruses were deployed by the WWW!" another added.

"Because of course it's those assholes!" Roll A complained.

"Roll, lang-ah forget it. It's been a long day," Megaman HX sighed, stabbing a Handy virus while the two collected the data of the viruses they were deleting, earning Zenny and new BattleChip data for later, 'Huh…One of these is a LongSword BattleChip. Now I can show you guys a Program Advance later.' "Which one is it this time? Fireman? Elecman? Coloredman?"

"If it's Torchy or Wacky, I call dibs!" Roll A declared.

"...Wacky?"

"What? It's a good name for Coloredman. He's Wackoman to me!" Roll A beamed.

"She's got a good point," Lan noted.

"None of those! It's a strange-looking one we haven't seen before!" an officer replied.

"You guys have a lot of experience with directly battling these guys, right?" a second questioned, "We'll hold off these Viruses! You two deal with the agent! They're at the Control Area!"

"WHOO!" Roll A cheered as she ran off, "Control Area and valuable Booty, here I come~! A-Trans! Aeolus!"

"Roll, wait!" Megaman HX called as he ran after the girl, now transformed back into the green-wearing male.

[This doesn't make sense…The timing…the exposed Jack-In Ports on important technology…] P noted to himself.

[Something on your mind?] Z asked.

[...This must be their test] P stated.

'Really?' Vent asked as Megaman HX sliced through a Swordy and Handy while A-Aeolus cut down several Mettaur, 'Guess that means our 'WWW Navi' is actually someone in the police force. Probably Inspector Oda's partner.'

"I think I see the big bad!" A-Aeolus called as she was ahead of Megaman HX before both landed with Roll A changing back to her standard form.

The two looked and noticed he was as tall as Glyde. The NetNavi was donned in the guise of a shogun with a white rope wrapped around his waist and over his shoulders and down the back to the belt. His armor was a deep navy-blue with purple and gold detailing. The left arm sported a long, thin shield while a gold spear was grasped in their right.

"Well, well…Megaman Model HX and Roll Model A," the NetNavi noted, "You're a little too late. I, Japanman, have already taken over the Control Area."

'Japanman?!' Megaman HX thought, 'Isn't that the name of Electopia in the other world? Why does he have that name?!'

"Well, we'll just have to blow ya up then!" Roll A smirked.

"Perhaps…but let's deal with those little tricks you two have first, shall we?"

"Huh?" the two pondered as Japanman held up a remote and pushed a button, causing Megaman HX to freeze.

"G-GYAAAAAH!" Megaman HX screamed, sparks coming off his armor.

"Vent!? Vent, what's happening?!" Lan panicked before, in a flash, Megaman X collapsed to a knee as H was barely caught by him, "HAH?!"

"Model H!" Megaman X gasped, quickly picking him up.

[I…I can't move…] Harpuia spoke.

[None of…us…can…] Leviathan added.

"Like it? We've studied enough on you to figure out a 'counter frequency' for your Double MegaMerge," Japanman chuckled.

'Okay…This isn't good…' Megaman X thought, putting H back into his jacket with the others.

"This also prevents your A-Trans from working, Roll Model A," he went on.

"Seriously?!" Roll A gawked.

[He's right! I've been trying to access our forms and they're not activating!] Model A panicked.

"Aw crud…" Roll A cringed.

"Guess we're doing this without any tricks," Megaman X noted.

"Shoot…Well, tricks that our NetOps don't have ready for us to use," Roll A shrugged.

"Heh. Big talk for little kids like you two," Japanman chuckled.

"LITTLE?!" Roll A snapped, "I'll have you know I drank a ton of milk growing up and I am an F-Cup thanks to it, thank you very much!"

"..." Megaman X facepalmed.

"What does a cup have to do with size? And what's go big about an 'F'? I thought XXL was the biggest a drink could get," Lan pondered before yelping after a smacking sound went off, "Ah! Maylu, what the hey?!"

Megaman X shook his head, "You may have prevented me from doing the Double MegaMerge, but I still have Model X. And more importantly, I have Lan with me."

"Same with me and Model A with Maylu!" Roll A stated, "It's deletion time for you and we'll collect our sweet, sweet Booty!"

"Heh. Big talk from little kids."

"STOP CALLING ME LITTLE!" Roll A snapped as she and Megaman X jumped at him, HeroSword and normal Sword replacing their right hands/lower arms.

A small eyepiece slid over Japanman's left eye, "Beginning Combat Compatibility Scan." he raised his shield up and both blades hit…leaving not even the slightest scratch, "Battle Points: 580 and 620. Synchronization Levels: 63.2 and 66.3 percent."

"Battle Points?" Roll A asked.

"Synchronization Levels?" Megaman X pondered before both were forced away with Japanman swinging his shield out.

"Not a pair of bad scores…" Japanman noted before he vanished just as they shot at him…only to appear behind the two, "...But nothing I need to worry about."

"S-So fast…!" Roll A gasped.

"Wrong," Japanman stated, suddenly in her face, "You're slow!-!"

With that, he slammed his fist into her gut, causing Roll A to gag and shoot over at Megaman X. He tried to catch Roll A only for Japanman to grab him by the face and throw him at Roll A, letting the two slam their backs into the other and crumple to the floor. Lan and Maylu quickly inserted AreaSteals and the two barely teleported out of the way of his fist coming at them.

"This guy's nuts!" Roll A whispered to Megaman X as the two hid behind a block.

"We may need to use your Giga Crush," Megaman X noted.

"If I can break his weapons, you finish him off with a big ol' Charge Shot," Roll A replied.

"You got it, Roll," Megaman X nodded.

"I'll buy you some extra rest time with an Invis, Roll," Maylu noted.

"And let's add in a Cannon to the mix, too, Vent," Lan noted.

Megaman X nodded, "Okay. We've got a plan, so let's do it."

"Then let's go!" Roll A declared as she ran out from behind and shot at Japanman, who blocked with his shield, "You think you can withstand my attacks, big guy? Then take this! GIGA CRUSH!"

As Roll A unleashed her massive AOE assault, Megaman X's Buster glowed before transforming into the green and yellow Cannon. He focused the Charge Shot through the BattleChip, causing the cannon to start flashing rapidly as a white light shined inside of the barrel. Roll A panted as smoke hid Japanman from view.

"H-How…do ya…like them apples…ya…ya jerk?" Roll A panted.

Slowly, Megaman X looked around the corner. The two NetNavis tensed as they saw Japanman slowly emerge…without a scratch.

"How the…B-But that's…that's not…" Roll A gawked.

"Invis BattleChip," Japanman informed, "Your attack was quite the powerhouse. Would've done some real nasty work on me if I didn't keep one on standby for times like this."

"But…But that's not fair…" Roll A whined.

"FIRE!" Megaman X roared, firing a massive white blast of plasma at Japanman, who simply vanished to dodge the attack.

"Another fine attack. Shame it was too slow," Japanman noted behind Megaman X.

"Ah…" he spun around only to get kick into the face, knocking him into Roll A and forced them out of MegaMerge.

"HAH!" Japanman roared as he stabbed down at them, his spear tip transforming into a five-pronged trident that pinned the two by their necks with Vent's right wrist.

"GACK!" both gagged.

"VENT/ROLL!"

"Gotcha pinned, kids," Japanman chuckled, using both hands to pin them down and slowly dig the trident down lower into the ground, "This it? This all you've got?"

"L…Like hell!" Ashe coughed.

"We're…not giving up…" Vent added, glaring up at him in defiance.

"No way are we gonna quit!" Lan added, a hand going to his neck as he felt it throbbing.

"Roll isn't giving up…so neither will I!" Maylu added, winching at the throbbing in her own neck.

"Very well! Then say goodbye to your heads!-!" Japanman declared, increasing the pressure and digging his trident even deeper.

"G-Gah!" Vent gagged, the sharp edges of the weapon slicing into the sides of his neck and wrist.

"VENT!" Lan gagged, cuts opening on his neck and sides of his wrist.

"GH!" Ashe grit her teeth as her own neck was getting cut into.

"Roll…" Maylu coughed, blood seeping out of the new cuts on her neck.

"We…won't…" Vent began.

"...give in…" Ashe continued, the eyes of both NetNavis starting to glow with their emblems.

"...not to…you!" Lan and Maylu finished in unison, their hair starting to float in some unseen force.

"Huh!?" Japanman pondered as his eyepiece slid back down, "Synchronization Levels have linked rates?! 72.5…75.4…83.7! You kids are…" light began to shine off the two as their free hands grabbed the trident's blades tightly, "Not possible!-! To manifest a change this quickly…" his eyes widened as his trident shattered and the two vanished, "What…?! Where…Where'd they go?!" he looked around before spotting the two in crouched positions several meters away, their backs to him.

"...R-Roll…" Vent whispered.

"Mega…" Ashe gulped as the two slowly stood up, their NetOps briefly superimposed over them and looking at their hands like they were.

"What's happened to us?!" all four asked in perfect unison.

"Well I'll be…" Japanman whispered before charging at them, "You kids just redefined what's possible!-!-!"

"MEGAMERGE!" all four shouted before Megaman X and Roll A were swiftly dodging the stabs.

[It's happening again?!] Model A freaked.

[Vent…This feeling…Lan…are you…sharing Vent's body?] Model X pondered.

'I'm…I'm at a loss…' Lan admitted.

'These stabs…they're so slow…' Roll A thought.

'...No! You're…No, we're faster!' Maylu countered.

"Let's try breaking that shield again!" MEgaman X noted, "Lan, three Cannons at once!"

"You got it, Vent!" Lan replied.

"Maylu, you too!"

"Okay, Roll!"

"Kid, this shield can tank a LifeSword! No way you can break it! Even with two ZetaCannons!"

"ZetaCannon?" Lan and Maylu repeated.

A Cannon appeared on both hands/arms of the two NetNavis before they shined and merged into a massive over-the-shoulder green and yellow cannon.

"PROGRAM ADVANCE! ZETACANNON 1!" both roared as they fired in unison.

Japanman swung his shield up and the blasts hit. He grunted as he was dragged back a little before regaining his footing. He struggled with the blasts before his eyes widened as cracks formed.

"N-No way…" Japanman whispered in shock before hearing a hum.

"CHARGE SHOT!" both roared as they fired massive blue spheres of plasma with a green pair of rings around Megaman X's and two orange ones on Roll A's.

The two Program Advances ended, leaving the shield littered in cracks. The two charged shots struck and it shattered. A unified roar made Japanman look up from his shattered shield to see the two charge and fire again, piercing his spear-holding arm.

"GYAAAARGH!" Japanman screamed, grabbing the two holes in his lower left arm, "Gh…" he fell to a knee and the two slammed their feet into his chest, knocking him onto his back and aimed their guns at him, charging up once more.

"Okay! Talk!" Megaman X growled, "What the hell is with this test, Inspector Oda?!"

"Inspector Oda?" Roll A repeated.

"...Heh…Not bad, young fella," Japanman chuckled weakly, "You saw right through this 'attack' for the test it was."

"This was the test?!" Roll A demanded.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?!" Maylu snapped, finally fed up with everything.

"M-Maylu?!" Lan gawked.

"Today's 'attack' was the test, one meant to test your abilities," Japanman informed.

"You call it a test, but I call it a lowdown dirty trick!" Ashe complained as the cell bars slid up behind Lan and Maylu as they fell to their knees as exhaustion suddenly struck now that the fighting was over.

"M-Maylu…" Lan whispered.

"Lan…d-did you…"

"...feel like Vent and I were one person? Yeah," Lan replied, "...You and Roll were…"

"...feeling the same way just now? Yes," Maylu finished.

"That's FullSynchro in a nutshell, you two," a voice spoke, making the two turn to see Oda.

"FullSynchro?" Lan repeated before his eyes widened, seeing Oda's arm in a sling…the same arm that Japanman was currently missing large pieces of.

"The normal NetOp may control and monitor the NetNavi, but only from an external point of access," Oda explained, "This creates delays from 'order' to 'action.' Even the tiniest delay can mean the difference between life and death. However…in FullSynchro…the barrier between the 'Real World' and 'Cyber World' drops away, fusing the consciousness of NetOp and NetNavi as one."

[That's why you two felt different! Lan and Maylu were fused with you two!] X realized.

"The delay between 'order' and 'action' is eliminated and the full potential of the NetOp/NetNavi combination is unleashed!"

"Fused consciousnesses…Whoa~" Lan awed.

"Yes, but there's a downside!" Oda warned, "What once happened to one, now happens to both!"

"...Our injuries!" Maylu realized.

"Exactly, little lady," Oda replied, "For such a dramatic increase in combat capabilities…a NetOp becomes exposed to a great deal of real danger!" he motioned to his sling, "Case in point, I now have a broken bone from those shots Japanman got. Lucky for me…it wasn't the funny bone."

"...Pfft…!" Ashe snorted a laugh before giggling.

"You've earned your Licenses, you two! And not just for regular NetBattling! As of now, you're now official members of the Cyber Investigation Division - Net Saviors Unit!" Oda declared, pointing at the two.

"W…We are?!" Lan gawked.

"Net Saviors Unit?" Maylu pondered.

"Ah! W-Wait a second! Hold on! How did you know how to counter our Biometals?" Vent asked.

"Well…that's because of the leader of the CID - NSU," Oda replied, "She is the one who made them, after all. Same with my NetNavi, Japanman."

"Funny man say what now?" Ashe asked.

The door behind Oda opened and a figure entered. The girl was roughly Maylu's age in appearance. She had pale skin almost on par with Maylu's with deep cobalt blue eyes that seemed to hold so much within, long thick blonde hair pulled into a ponytail with three angular bangs at the top of her head. She was wearing a pink outfit consisting of a sleeveless dress, a pink vest reminiscent of Vent's, high heels, and white gloves. She sported a pair of black stockings that went up into the skirt and shoulder-length black gloves under the white ones.

[?! C…Ciel…] Zero gasped.

"Zero…" the blonde smiled, looking at Lan's PeT.

"Hm?" Oda looked at her before looking at the two, "Lan, Maylu, this is my daughter and your leader, Ciel Oda."

"So you're the two who have the Biometals I made," Ciel noted.

"Huh? Bio…Wait, you made X and the others?" Lan asked.

"Yes. Years ago, I sent them out in the cyber world to find someone to work with. Imagine my surprise to see them all together with you," Ciel noted.

"X was the one who found me. Zero was…a gift from an old friend. The others I had to reclaim from Viruses that became monsters called Pseudoroids," Vent explained.

"Model A has always been with me," Ashe grinned.

"Model A?! I thought you were stolen!" Ciel gasped, "Is he alright?"

"Yeah. He's been the best little partner," Ashe replied, "He loves listening to Maylu's piano practices."

[Of course I do! They're really nice and fun to listen to!] A replied.

[We were worried about you as well, Ciel] X noted [We thought a snake got you]

"Oh don't worry. That issue slithered away."

"I still can't hear them," Oda sighed, shaking his head, "Guess there's more to it than just achieving FullSynchro."

"There is a lot more to it," Ciel confirmed before bowing to the two, "If it's okay with you two, I need to examine your NetNavis and the Biometals for a few minutes. Troubleshooting and checking for errors."

"Huh? Um…S-Sure," Lan replied, offering his PeT.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No. I'm just wanting to be cautious. Papa can explain what your duties will be until I come back," Ciel assured as she accepted the two PeTs and walked out of the room, "...I thought I was the only one…"

"It's nice to meet you at last, Ciel," Vent greeted.

[We were surprised to appear in this world] Zero noted [But…how did you end up here?]

"...I was killed by Master Thomas after barely avoiding being killed by Albert and Serpent."

"MASTER THOMAS KILLED YOU?!" Vent and Ashe gasped in shock and horror.

"Shh!" Ciel quieted, glancing at the door, "Quiet voices, please. But yes, Thomas did. I woke up as a little girl around three that had been in a coma after a lightning bolt hit her…er…me. I've been here for ten years now. Alouette is here, too."

"Prairie's here, too?" Vent asked.

"Yes. She's abusing the fact she's a little kid again, though," Ciel huffed, "Honestly, even as an adult, she never grew up, did she?"

"She actually made dolls of the Pseudoroids I destroyed," Vent admitted.

"Hey! Vent, your confused girlfriend over here on who this is!" Ashe called.

"Oh! My apologies. My name is Ciel. I'm the one who made all the Biometals after discovering Model W," Ciel explained, "In this life, I am Ciel Oda, daughter of the Inspector in there talking with your NetOps, college graduate at the age of nine, older sister of Alouette Oda…and creator of the Biometal programs that I sent out into the Network."

[Shut the front door! But…But I was made by Master Albert…]

"No. You are Biometal Model A…short for 'Axl.' The Reploid that made the Hunter Trinity, the three greatest Maverick Hunters including X and Zero," Ciel informed, frowning, "Albert must have messed with your memories. If you'll let me, I can try to restore them."

[Y…You would?] A asked.

"Of course," she assured with a smile before it became somber and she hugged the two PeTs, "...I missed you…all of you."

[We missed you as well, Ciel] Phantom assured.

[Still as flat as ever]

"H-hey…!" Ciel pouted, pouting, "I'm only thirteen. A-And I've been drinking milk!"

"Have you been doin' parkour?" Ashe asked, "Or doing training by running through a rich girl's mansion security system and helping upgrade it to catch any intruders?"

"...Huh?"

"Moving on," Vent noted, "Listen…there's something you should know. Ashe and I came from this world. We died a year from now because of a cosmic NetNavi God called Duo and his servant Slur. We reincarnated into Ashe and Vent and then we died after defeating Master Albert and destroyed Model W's final form: Ouroboros."

"That sounds complicated," Ciel noted.

"Yep. Mega has it worse, though."

"Yeah. You know Dr. Yuichiro Hikari, right?"

"Dr. Hikar?! He's my role model in this life!" Ciel replied, stars in her eyes, "I've always wanted to meet him!"

"He's my dad. And Lan is my brother…my twin brother," Vent informed.

"...Huh?"

"Mama gave birth to twins. Their names were Hub Eisenhardt Hikari and Lan Xavier Hikari. When they were one, Hub died from the disease HDB. But Papa…turned him into a NetNavi," Vent explained.

"...You?" Ciel gasped, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes. Me. Please don't tell Lan. I want to be the one to tell him," Vent informed.

"He doesn't know?!" Ciel gawked.

"Nope! Hub told me, though," Ashe replied, "We thought we were going to die, so he didn't want any secrets between us."

[Ciel…Did you really make us in this world?] X asked.

"I did. Imagine my surprise to find out that the next time I'd see you after sending you out…you'd be the real deals," Ciel noted, a somber smile on her lips.

"I just blame the stupid meteor god in space," Ashe shrugged.

"Still…This is good to know. Ciel, we have a lot of intel for this world," Vent explained, "The only troubling thing is…we're not sure how accurate it all is now due to these new changes."

"Especially with Higsby and Numberman," Ashe frowned.

"Huh?"

"This timeline…it's different, but the same at the same time," Vent explained, "Mr. Match, Ms. Madd, Count Zap, Yahoot…these four are members of WWW with their leader being Dr. Wily."

"Yahoot?! B-But…He's WWW?!" Ciel gawked, "B-But how? He's my favorite yoga instructor on TV!"

"There's also something else…Dr. Regal is going to form a criminal syndicate known as Nebula…and distribute horrific BattleChips known as 'DarkChips,'" Ashe explained before Ciel tensed and slumped.

"Dr. Regal, too?" Ciel asked, "...Is…Is Mr. Famous…"

"He's a good man. He was a lot of help," Vent assured, earning a sigh of relief from Ciel.

"That…That's a relief…Alouette and I are big fans of Mr. Famous," Ciel noted.

[Probably more than 'big fan' on your end] L teased.

"H-Huh?! N-No way!" Ciel argued, shaking her head.

[Oh, true…I think you're more into red-wearing long-haired blondes that die a lot]

[...]

[...I'm in trouble, aren't I?] L asked.

[What do you think, Fairy Leviathan?] Z questioned.

[...Oh dear…]

"I can't believe it…We're Licensed NetBattlers!" Lan grinned excitedly, skating beside Maylu on her scooter towards school the next Monday, "Actual honest to goodness Licensed NetBattlers!"

"No more Pits! No more dirty tricks! We can even enter tournaments now! Oh, think of the glorious Booty we'll reap!" Ashe drooled.

"Just remember that we're not allowed to talk about our 'after-school activities' if we need to go to them," Maylu reminded.

"Right, right, right," Lan waved it off.

"Lan, I've got more material from the hospital that I will use if you get too big of a head," Vent warned, making Lan nearly trip in his skating as he sweated heavily, "Should I do the one when the doctor had to give you a shot you were missing?"

"H-Hey! I've been good!" Lan argued as Maylu started laughing as she remembered that.

"And yet, you're starting to get that ego built up again. I may have to share one of the videos with some of your classmates."

"Vent, please! Don't!" Lan begged as Maylu giggled at how fast Lan was to react.

"We're gonna be epic BAMFs!" Ashe cheered.

"What a Bamf?" Maylu frowned.

"...Mistakes were made," Ashe gulped.

"You're not getting any sympathy from me, Roll," Vent stated.

"...Shit."

"Roll Ashe Sakurai, Language!] Maylu, Vent, and X scolded as they entered the campus.

"GUYS!" Lan and Maylu looked up in time to see Yai and Dex run up to them.

"You're alright!" Dex beamed.

"Hey, guys!" Lan waved.

"You two are okay…right?" Yai asked.

"We are. It turns out those injuries are because of something a rare few NetOps and NetNavis can achieve," Maylu explained.

"Yep! Achieving it and demonstrating to the CID gets you Special Sanctions!" Lan grinned before holding up an ID, "See?"

"That's a NetBattle License!" Yai gawked.

"Oh, we are gonna collect so much Booty~!" Ashe squealed.

"Still in trouble, Roll," Maylu frowned.

"Aw crud…" Ashe groaned.

"So that means…you have one, too?" Dex asked, looking at Maylu.

"Yes," Maylu admitted, showing hers, "The technique is called FullSynchro. If you train hard with your NetNavi, doing lots of battles, there's a chance you'll achieve it."

"Speaking of…" Lan frowned as he looked at Dex, "...Is…Is Gutsman…?"

"I was glad that I made a backup before school," Dex admitted as he held up his PeT to show Gutsman on it.

"GUTSMAN!" Vent and Ashe cheered, joy and relief in their tones and expressions.

"Hi guys, guts!" Gutsman waved.

"Oh! Yai, I nearly forgot," Maylu noted as she pulled out the HeroSword, "I need to give this back to you."

"No way," Yai shook her head, "You keep it, Maylu. Think of it as a 'congratulations' gift on getting that license!" she pulled out her LifeAura BattleChip and gave it to Lan, "And this is for you, Lan."

"Huh? But…"

"You guys, all three of you, saved Glyde that day," Yai stated, "Dex is getting boxing lessons from one of my maids and Gutsman was given the latest NaviCust system as thanks for Gutsman taking that explosion." she pulled out two discs, "And these are for you two! They're the latest NaviCust and some programs to go with it!"

"NaviCust?" Vent repeated.

"Oh sweet! I've heard of these! They're special customization programs that can help make NetNavis stronger!" Lan beamed.

"So the reason Sir Lan and Lady Maylu were grievously wounded was through this 'FullSynchro' you underwent with them?"

"Yeah. It's so awesome!" Ashe beamed.

"Not awesome," Vent corrected with a frown, "When it's used, Lan and Maylu are going to get hurt when we do. We've spent the entire week going through drills with it and learning to dodge better…"

"But we get so much stronger!" Ashe pointed out, "And I don't get as exhausted from Giga Crush as I used to when it's used!"

"...So Gutsman can learn it if Dex and Gutsman get stronger?"

"Yep," Ashe nodded.

"But just remember that if you get hurt, Dex will get hurt if you use it," Vent warned, "This is a dangerous ability to learn. I'm honestly worried for Lan now more than ever thanks to this."

"Gutsman will, Vent!" Gutsman promised, "Gutsman don't want Dex hurt by accident, guts!"

"I will try to avoid that technique myself," Glyde noted, holding his hands up with a worried expression, "I would never wish for Lady Yai to be harmed, even with the power boost it gives."

"I trust Maylu to take care of herself," Ashe stated, putting her hands behind her head, "We've been having a lot of nightly talks about the drawbacks, "So we've been upping dodge training."

"Dodge training?" the trio repeated.

"Yep," Ashe grinned, "We also tested a little and turns out my natural healing ability can be feedbacked, so healing myself heals her when we're in it." she looked at Vent, "Don't worry, Mega, I'll heal you and Lan up if you're worried."

"..." Vent couldn't help the small smile form on his lips as he held her hand, "Thanks, Roll."

"No prob! Oh, anything juicy I've missed in the gossip mills, Glyde, Gutsy?" Ashe asked.

"Gutsman heard teachers talking about transfer student for our class, guts!" Gutsman replied.

"Oh? Transfer student?" Ashe grinned, "I wonder who we're getting now."

"I wonder what NetNavi they'll have," Vent noted.

"Looking to add another member to our group, Sir Vent?" Glyde asked.

"It's always nice to have friends," Vent replied with another smile.

"Huh? You dreamt of a little kid version of Vent?" Maylu pondered, the four friends in their classroom waiting for Ms. Mari to show up.

"Yeah. It…It was kinda disturbing," Lan admitted, "These weird humanoid monsters attack an amusement park. There were people panicking and running and they all had these weird metal things covering their ears and sometimes had an upside down triangle on their foreheads." he grimaced, "I…It ended when what I think was Vent's mom…she was…gunned down by three of them…with Vent there."

"?!" the three looked at him in shock.

"Dude…what the heck?" Dex gawked.

"That…That's insane…"

"The scary part is…I…I can't help but think…it was something that really happened."

"Huh?!" the three gawked before the bell rang and they went to their seats.

"Good morning, everyone! Now I know it's barely been a month since we last did this, but we have a new transfer student," Ms. Mari informed, causing whispers to erupt in the classroom, "Okay, okay. Settle down now, settle down!" she looked at the door, "You can come in now!"

As Ms. Mari began to write on the board, the door slid open. Lan and Maylu's eyes widened as the new student walked into the classroom. Ms. Mari finished writing before turning to the class…standing beside Ciel with the girl's name written on the board.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Ciel Oda. Please…take care of me while I'm your classmate," Ciel greeted with bow.

"Ciel?" Lan and Maylu pondered in surprise.

"Oh! Hello, you two!" Ciel greeted.

"You know them?"

"Oh yes. We met at the hospital they were at last week," Ciel replied.

"Good. Once introductions are complete, they'll be the ones who will show you around the school during the next break," Ms. Mari informed.

[Well…This is a surprise] Zero noted.

[...You knew about this, didn't you?] Harpuia glowered.

[I may have been the one to suggest this to her, yes] Zero admitted.

[You just want to be around her] Leviathan teased.

[...]

[I'm in trouble again, aren't I?]

[Start flying] Zero growled.

[EEK!]

'Well…Life isn't going to be as simple as I was hoping…' Vent thought with a sigh as he scratched the back of his head with a worried look, 'FullSynchro…The creator of the Biometals…Are there others from our pasts here?' he looked up at the sky, 'Is this...your doing?'

GT: And with that, I end Day 29 of Mega May with another update from Biometal in Network with one of the biggest changes! To those of you who are unaware of this, the power of FullSynchro is something used often in the 4th games and up with only being shown in the last portion of the third game. In the manga, it's been established since the first volume, which is what shows off this power and its drawbacks and benefits the most. The anime…only had it appear when fighting CrossFusion Laserman in the finale of Axcess, so I'll be using the manga version of it here. And how many people were expecting Ciel to appear in this, huh?

Chapter 6: Aquarium Assault

Chapter Text

GammaTron: So…the same day I posted the last chapter, I learned that in the development of Megaman Zero 1, Ciel was originally named 'Roll' until they gave her the name Ciel. Go figure.

A few weeks had gone by since the Numberman Incident. With a little help from the Biometals, Ciel was able to integrate into the small group of friends, getting along quite well with Maylu and Yai…when not helping Yai with security upgrades. She often left Yai and her security team confused on why she didn't integrate network access into the systems at first until she ran a simulation for them on what would happen if viruses got into the security system…which ironically had happened during the simulation. It did let Gutsman, Vent, and Ashe collect a lot of Zenny and BattleChip data, however, so it wasn't all that bad. One night after that event, Maylu yawned as she slid into a baby-blue night shirt and fluffy pajama bottoms.

"Good night, Ashe, Model A," Maylu spoke as she climbed up the ladder leading to her bed.

[Night, Maylu!] Model A chirped.

"Night, baby sis!" Ashe called, her hair let undone and wearing an orange version of Maylu's pajamas, "Remember that we have to be up early tomorrow to do the parkour before meeting up with Lan and Ciel!"

"Right," Maylu nodded, "We're going to meet the other agents that live in DenTech tomorrow." she laid down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling, "...I still can't believe it…"

"Me neither. I mean, I knew you had a lot of potential in you, but…wait. A-Are we talking about the same thing we can't believe?" Ashe asked.

"What are you thinking?"

"That I can't believe we're licensed NetBattlers, members of the police, and you and I have this FullSynchro ability. You?"

"Honestly? Pretty much the same," Maylu replied, interlocking her fingers, "Before you and Model A came into my life, I didn't really think much of what I wanted to do in my life, just that I liked the piano. But now…well…just think of what's happened since we met."

[It has been pretty fun. Stressful and annoying at times, but mostly fun] Model A noted [Only thing I would've changed was bringing Lan along on parkour sooner]

Maylu blushed, "Yeah…D-Do we have anything else to do tomorrow?"

"Well, let's see…the only reason we gotta go to the base is because tomorrow is the best day to do it since it's a school holiday, so…I don't think we have anything after. Thinking of asking Lan to do something?" Ashe asked.

"M-Maybe…"

[Oh! Maybe take him to that aquarium place!] Model A suggested [Didn't they make a new exhibit of robo-fish people can interact with?]

"Mmm…Do you think Lan would like that?"

[I don't know. Do you?]

Ashe sighed, "You gotta think of it like Lan, you two. What does he like?"

[Food, NetBattling, sleeping, NetBattling, Maylu, NetBattling…]

"What was that second-to-last one?" Maylu asked, sitting up and looking over the railing down at her computer.

Ashe facepalmed, "He likes sports like football or fast-paced things. I mean, he's gotten so good at parkour after just a few lessons. But he's also curious about how things work. Remember when your music box broke? Lan looked it over and figured out what happened and fixed it up good as new!"

"That is true. His best grades are in Virus Busting, PE, and Science," Maylu nodded, "...Maybe he would like going to see that new exhibit at the aquarium, then. To see how they work."

[Just make sure to wait until the third date before kissing him] Model A warned [Though that may not be a valid point since you already showed the tatas to him in jail…]

"Wh-wh-wh-what?!" Maylu yelped, blushing hard now, "E-Evil! Bad, Model A! Bad!"

"She's right, A! …He's gotta wait for the fifth date before he can touch 'em!"

"ASHE~!" Maylu whined, covering her face now as Ashe laughed.

"Ah~I kid, baby sis, I kid!" Ashe assured, "Tomorrow while you're doing Parkour, I can go check around for some stuff we can watch that's got some good music and wicked action scenes, alright?"

"O-Okay…" Maylu mumbled, "N-Night…"

She laid back down, looking up at the ceiling with her face still beet red. Soon enough, sleep claimed her attachment to reality.

[Are you thinking about what to do after we meet these other agents Ciel has for the NetBattler division?] X asked, floating by Vent as he laid on his bed and looking up at the sky.

"Hmm…Was thinking about something to do with Roll after it," Vent replied.

[There is that aquarium exhibit that recently opened] L suggested.

"World Three are going to use it to attack the town," Vent replied.

[Why not find another Ratty nest?] Zero suggested.

"Absolutely not," Vent deadpanned.

[Hmm…Maybe you could see if that antique store sells digital copies of its wares for NetNavis] Leviathan offered.

"Maybe," Vent rubbed his chin in thought about that.

[Oh! You two could always check out one of the new places that weren't in your other timeline!] Fafnir suggested [That UnderNet place sounds awesome!]

[And dangerous] Harpuia deadpanned.

[May I suggest gifting her something before you start the date or gift something to her after it?] Phantom suggested.

"Huh? A gift?" Vent pondered, "Hmm…What kind, though?"

[Well, why not a handmade gift? Like a bracelet or perhaps a necklace?] Leviathan offered.

"?!" Vent flinched as he moved a hand to his stomach subconsciously, "Uh…M-Maybe…"

[Vent? What's wrong] X asked asked.

"Nothing. J-Just a bit overwhelmed with thinking is all. Alright, good night," Vent spoke, pulling the covers over his head.

[...] the Biometals traded 'looks' with one another before floating over to the table with pillows in their colors on it.

[Anyone else startled by his reaction to Levi's suggestion?] Fafnir asked.

[You think he has trauma involving handmade gifts?] Zero guessed.

[His heart rate spiked when you suggested the necklace. …It could be that his mother died after he gave her a handmade necklace] X noted.

[Father, I do not think Vent was impaled in the stomach when that event occurred] Phantom countered.

[When Vent wishes to tell us, he'll tell us] Harpuia stated calmly [Forcing the matter will just make him push away from us when we need to be closer due to that prediction]

Beneath the covers of his bed, Vent grimaced as he kept a hand over his stomach as phantom pains rocked the sight. Slowly, he held up his other hand and data collected, becoming a simple gold necklace. On it was a charm of a blue heart in pink hands that cradled it like a precious treasure. He gently squeezed the hands and it opened down the middle, revealing a photo of himself and Ashe when they were Megaman and Roll, side-hugging one another with large smiles. Tears prickled as he dismissed the necklace and added the hand to the one on his stomach.

'Keep it together, Vent…' the brunette thought, 'It's been years since then a-and you're dating her. She knows how you feel and you know how she feels…r-right…?'

Wind fluttered her pajamas and Maylu blinked several times. She looked around and saw she was on some sort of flying ship. Footsteps made her turn to see Ashe…on Earth? O…Or was Maylu in the Network? She looked at the clear blue skies but couldn't tell if it was real or fake. She quickly looked back at Ashe as she walked by and leaned against the railing, looking out at the distance. Maylu walked over to see Ashe open her vest and pull out…a weathered old ivory piano key.

"Hey there…" Ashe spoke, looking at the key and then up at the sky, "Maylu…I hope you're seeing me from wherever you are."

"Roll?" Maylu pondered.

"Hard to believe it's been 15 years now since I last saw you…"

"?!" Maylu paused at that.

"I finally got to go on one of the bigger hunts!" Ashe grinned, "Oh man, it was insane! We blew up a whole lotta Mavericks! But…I got this…" she held up the piano key, "Now I have something that helps me better remember you." She grimaced, "...I'm sorry that I wasn't a better NetNavi for you. Especially for the few weeks after the amusement park incident."

"Amusement park? What amusement park?" Maylu pondered.

"I wonder if we could have CrossFused without Rush if I had pulled my head out of my ass and apologized to Mega sooner," Ashe continued, "...Maylu…If we ever got a chance to…do things over…would you give me another chance to be your sister?" She shook her head, a tear dropping on the key, "Probably not. You pretty much made it clear on the fifth day of my refusal to see Mega…when you started to stop using my name and kept calling me 'NetNavi' or 'You' or 'It.' You…you never really said my name even after I did apologize for shooting Mega with my RollArrow and blocking him, now that I recall…or even said you liked me."

"Wha…What?" Maylu pondered, "Roll? What are you talking about? Roll? Ashe!?"

"ASHE!-!-!"

"Ah! I'm awake! I-I'm awake! What's going on?! Intruders?! World Three? Did an AdBot sneak in again?!" Maylu looked over the side at the computer, seeing Roll A looking around with guns out.

"Ashe…?" Maylu asked as she slowly climbed down her ladder.

"Maylu, what's wrong? What happened?" Roll A asked, looking around before looking at Maylu and seeing the tears going down her cheeks.

"...I…I think I had a bad dream," Maylu admitted, wiping her tears while sitting down in front of the computer, seeing it was four in the morning.

"...Ohh…" Roll A whispered, dismissing her armor and making a chair to sit on, "Talk to me, sweetie. What's wrong?"

"I…I dreamt about you. We were on this big airship, but I didn't know where it was," Maylu replied, "You were…talking to me. Well…more like a piano key you were using."

'A piano key?' Ashe pondered, a pit forming in her gut as she kept her expression from changing.

"Roll…I…I wouldn't be mad enough to stop calling you by your name, would I?" Maylu asked.

"Of course not! You're too nice and sweet to stop using someone's name!"

"...Dream you said…that we haven't seen each other for fifteen years and that I…that I hated you to the point I never said y-your name or liked you anymore," Maylu grimaced, putting a hand over her heart, "I…I don't want that to happen." Tears welled in her eyes once more, "Y-You're my big sister. You've been there for me more than anyone else." she started to wipe her tears, "I…I can't think of losing you…"

"I don't want that to happen either, Maylu," Ashe replied, putting a hand on the screen with Maylu pressing her finger on the spot, "Ya know I love ya, right?"

"Uh-huh. I love you, too," Maylu replied.

"Then that's that. We're together through thick and thin!" Ashe assured with a smile.

Maylu nodded, "...I…I don't think I can go to sleep again."

[You want to get ready then?] A asked.

"Yeah," Maylu nodded, wiping her tears with her sleeve.

"You do that, sweetie. I'll get ready, too. Gonna be interesting on who we meet."

"Uh-huh," Maylu nodded before going to the bathroom, leaving Ashe to sigh and sit on her bed.

"Goddamn…Is seeing our memories something that FullSynchro causes or something?" Ashe asked.

[That wasn't a dream?] Model A asked.

"No. It was a private talk with myself the day after my first big Hunting job with everyone," Ashe explained, "..." she wiped her eyes as she felt the tears forming, "I…I'm glad I've gotten another chance to be with her. Another chance with everyone."

[Ashe…]

"You okay, Maylu?" Lan asked as the two followed after Ciel down a street, the girls on scooters while Lan was on his skates, "You didn't do as much as usual."

"I…I just woke up early," Maylu assured, wearing a black tee and black track shorts with hot pink lines going up the sides of the shorts and up the middle of her tee.

"It is a bit exciting meeting our fellow members," Vent noted, "Are you sure we can't know yet?"

"World Three may have eyes everywhere," Ciel advised as they came upon an arcade with a 'sold' sign on the front.

The trio walked into the alley beside it. Ciel pulled out an ID card and pressed it against a wall. The wall slid inwards before moving to the side, revealing a secret entrance into the sold building. The trio walked in, revealing the inside of the place was immaculately sterilized with the interior seen from the outside being a set of wooden boxes over the windows with posters of a messy, abandoned interior in them to give an optical illusion. Several supercomputers were set up on a wall with a massive monitor on another. The floor sported a police badge surrounded by two multicolored bars of data with the word 'GUARDIAN' on the outer ring and 'CYBER INVESTIGATIONS DEPARTMENT' on the badge itself.

"Welcome to Guardian HQ," Ciel declared, turning to the two, "Now step into that room. The others will be here in ten minutes and we do this like at school for new students."

"Okay!" Lan nodded.

"I'm really nervous about this," Maylu admitted as the two entered the room she pointed to, "Just a month ago and we were just a pair of normal fifth-grade students…now we're members of a group that's going to battle threats like the World Three."

"It's pretty exciting for me," Lan noted as they sat in a pair of chairs, "But…how are you feeling on it?"

"...I'm worried," Maylu replied after a moment of thought, "Shouldn't this be something that adults should handle?"

"It should, but…sometimes, a kid tends to be the deciding factor in life," Vent spoke up, recalling when he was fourteen and first bonded with Model X and even his original life here.

"I would've liked it if you were older before we did something like this, but I guess time waits for no person," Ashe frowned, "I'll look into some psychiatrists for you later."

"...Don't worry about it," Lan spoke, taking her hands into his own and giving her a big smile, "I'll be right there with ya the whole way! We'll get through this together, okay?"

"O-Okay…" Maylu replied as she blushed a little.

"Okay!" Lan beamed as Ashe and Vent watched the two.

"Oh my god…They're just so adorable," Ashe whispered.

"I know, right?" Vent chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around her waist, "They're so sweet when they want to be."

"They're also not afraid of getting into physical fights with one another."

"...Huh?" Vent looked at Ashe in surprise.

"I…may have been encouraging Maylu to be more of a tomboy than she was back then…"

Vent chuckled, "Oh, I gotta see one of those moments."

"Even when they're mad it's adorable."

[They're still children. Of course it's adorable] Leviathan noted.

[Out of all of us, Levi's always been the protective Mama Bear to all children. Even when we found Resistance Bases, she'd wallop any soldier that even glared at one of the children in those bases…] Harpuia sighed [She always cried when the children were taken away, too. Either by the Resistance managing to escape or by our troops]

[Shut. Up. Sage]

It took roughly thirty minutes before the entry opened and three figures entered. The first of them was a tall, strong-looking man wearing a blue bodysuit with red lines going up the sides and wearing red shark-themed armor with a helmet shaped like a shark's head with a black visor in its 'jaws.' His right arm sported a bulky wrist-mounted device shaped like a shark with a PeT screen on it. To his left was a slender woman in a black bodysuit with blue mystical flame patterns on her right leg and left arm. She wore bone white armor resembling the skeleton of a cat and a skull-themed helmet over her head and a purple visor hiding her face while her left arm had a white cat-themed device with a PeT screen. The last was a woman of the same stature as the second in a forest green bodysuit with wood-themed armor and a helmet that looked as if it was made from cherry blossoms with a gold visor over her face. On her arm was a log-themed device with a PeT screen.

"Welcome, Commander Beef, Misteriyu, Madam Rose," Ciel greeted as she walked over to them.

"Commander Ciel," the male of the trio greeted with salutes.

"At ease. I'm glad you all arrived on time," Ciel smiled before turning to the other room, "Please come in, you guys."

"Oh? Our new members?" The wood woman asked before Lan and Maylu walked in.

"Uwah! Th-The real Commander Beef!" Lan awed, stars in his eyes as he looked at the male of the trio, "We get to really work with him!?" Ciel nodded, "This is the best~!"

'That's Commander Beef?!' Vent and Ashe exclaimed mentally.

[Ooh~ Mama likey!]

[Fairy Leviathan Light!]

"These are Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai," Ciel introduced, "Lan, Maylu, I introduce to you the other members of our group here in DenTech. Commander Beef, Mysteriyu, and Madame Rose." She turned to them, "Please dismiss your armors, you three. Since they are part of the CiD now, no need to hide who you are from them.

Commander Beef nodded before he tapped a watch on his free wrist. His armor glowed before vanishing, revealing a light blue sweater and rubber hose pants with fishing boots and white chef gloves. He pulled out a fake belly and lifted his shirt, showing off strong abs, before covering it with the belly and shirt. He looked up…and Masa grinned at them.

"Well howdy, kids!" He greeted as jovial as ever.

"M…Masa?!" Lan and Maylu gawked.

"He's ripped?!" Vent and Ashe gawked.

[Ooh~ Mama no likey]

[Fairy Leviathan Light!]

Madam Rose and Mysteriyu followed his lead, revealing themselves to be Sal and Miyu. Lan and Maylu blinked several times before looking at Ciel.

"Special technology I've built just for the Guardians," Ciel explained, "Present names!"

"Masa Samehada! Codename: Commander Beef!" Masa declared.

"Sal. Codename: Madam Rose."

"Miyu. Codename: Mysteriyu."

"Sharkman!"

"Woodman!"

"Skullman…"

"Net Savers of the ACDC Branch of the DenTech Guardians Unit," Masa completed.

Ciel nodded, "Aside from three of you, the other three know of our new members. Introduce yourselves, please."

"Lan Hikari."

"Maylu Sakurai."

"Vent Hikari. Codename: Megaman."

"Ashe Sakurai. Codename: Roll A."

"Alright. Now that introductions have been made, any questions?"

"You're all Net Savers?" Lan asked.

"We are, yes," Sal confirmed with a nod, "I was deployed to your school that day due to rumors of the school being the next target of the World Three." she bowed, "I was a member of a group of protestors to protect nature and the balance it has with us. Oda recruited me when Woodman and I achieved FullSynchro when a man I used to see as a friend became an eco-terrorist and tried to bomb a power plant and we had to fight his NetNavi to stop him."

"Got scouted by Oda during the early days and Ciel was three," Masa explained, "Went into FullSynchro during the final battle of a tournament being sponsored by the police to promote getting your NetBattle License."

"I was recruited by Ciel due to my clairvoyance," Miyu explained, looking at their PeTs, "Then one day during a raid, I entered FullSynchro with Skullman to protect Sal and Woodman from a surprise attack."

"Every member of this team, aside from myself, all have a single requirement to be a member: Achieve FullSynchro," Ciel explained, "Using it to boost our power, we're often deployed as a 'last line of defense' during harsher times. But we perform our duties while maintaining 'normal' lives."

"Each of us enjoy our jobs, but we also use them to gather intelligence about threats to Earth and the Network," Sal added.

"So…does that mean…?" Maylu began.

"No. I meant it every time you visited, Maylu," Sal assured, "There were days I really wanted to tell you about my main job, but I remember that exposing myself would cause me to get transferred to another section in another country to make a new identity to hide under."

"Huh?!" Maylu gasped, looking at Ciel with wide eyes.

"...It's extreme, yes, but it was the Officials that ordered this to be done to form our division," Ciel sighed.

"But that…" Maylu began, pursing her lips.

"...We just gotta keep it secret then," Lan noted, grimacing, "That…That's gonna suck."

"Tell me about it," Masa sighed, patting his fake potbelly.

"It's why I wanted to have all three of you come today," Ciel spoke, smiling, "To help Lan and Maylu with having to deal with this."

"...It's not easy some days. I'm able to get away with showing a bit of my know-how thanks to being seen as a bit of a kook by folks that gives great deals on the best fish in the whole town," Masa noted, rubbing the back of his head, "Helps that I use my bike all the time."

"I'll be glad to offer some advice," Sal smiled.

"..." Miyu nodded.

"Great!" Ciel beamed.

"First was Fireman…then Elecman…followed by Coloredman…and, finally, Numberman…" the elder spoke, standing before several monitors replaying the defeats of the World Three NetNavis, "Our World Three NetNavis taken down by two unknowns time and time again. And now the CID has gotten our BattleChip supplier!" he turned and glared at the trio, "What do you have to say for yourselves, hm?!"

"Lord Wily, sir, these two have abilities we've never dealt with," Match explained, "The one called Megaman is able to change between armors, giving him different Elements. And the one called Roll is able to copy our NetNavis' data to transform into them!"

"It was a real shocker, especially when it happened to Elecman and I, sire," a lanky Englishman spoke, wearing a green suit and his large blond hair split into a 'V' shape with orange headphones over his ears.

"Tch. We shoulda had Higsby do all the classes but the one those kids were in and have the students pin the whole class down so we could reprogram them," Maddy frowned.

"Enough! You have all failed due to them being unknown factors," Wily scowled, "The goal of World Three is to cause chaos and mayhem to this net-based society…" he paced, "But…our current levels of them are being thwarted. Match…"

"Hm?"

"Did you find the minor thing I asked you to look for while you were setting those ovens on fire?"

"Heh. That weird data signature? Sure did," Match replied, "It was in that Hikari brat's oven network of all places."

Wily nodded, "Good…There are three others out there. My informants have been deployed, gathering the information for the others and where they hide. In the meantime, you will cause chaos and disorder!"

"Not to worry, Lord Wily," Match assured.

"Our next plan will cause that in no time at all!" Zap grinned.

Maddy winked, "Our target is going to be the new exhibit at the aquarium; the Robotics Aquarium."

"This is so cool~" Lan awed, he and Maylu walking through an aquarium with no water in any of the tanks…but had fish hovering about in them, "Do they have built-in drones inside of them to keep them floating? What would they do if they were submerged in actual water?"

"They're really detailed in design," Maylu admitted as a robotic shark swam by.

"From what I've read, they had several experts on sealife to make sure these robots were all accurate in appearance and even programmed down to the last detail outside of eating habits," Vent explained.

"How accurate we talkin'?" Ashe asked.

"Well, the reason why there isn't a jellyfish robot is because of the majority of its body being made of water," Vent replied.

"Really?" Lan asked, chewing on some fish-flavored rice crackers, "Where did you learn about this?"

"Oh, from Masa," Vent replied.

"Guess teaching things about fish is a fun hobby of his, huh?" Ashe snickered.

"I still can't believe it," Lan admitted.

"Same. They've been here for years and to think there was so much we didn't know," Maylu agreed before their PeTs buzzed.

"EMail from Miyu?" Ashe pondered.

"Same here. Huh…Seems that she sends everyone a fortune each day on the team to forewarn them of any dangers they may have that day," Vent noted, "Mine is 'beware water' while Lan has 'you're in for a shock today.'"

"Mine pretty much says the same thing for me on water, but Maylu's apparently going to have to deal with a 'fishy situation.'"

"That's nonsense," Lan huffed.

"Need I remind you about the impromptu shower that happened the last time she predicted something?" Vent reminded, making Lan grumble.

"...Oh I'm not feeling comfortable here now…" Maylu admitted with a grimace.

"Huh?"

"Lan…We're in an aquarium…filled with water and fish," Vent pointed out.

"Ah…" Lan blinked a few times in realization, "Right. Stay close. Vent, Ashe, get ready to go into the Network to check on things."

'Seems we're going to try to get to it before the problem starts…' Vent thought before several of the larger robotic fish stopped, 'Or not…'

[Uh…Guys?] A gulped.

"What's wrong, Model A?" Ashe asked.

[The fish are looking at us] Z spoke up.

"?!" Maylu and Lan tensed before slowly turning their heads to look at the aquarium tanks…where all the robotic fish were looking at them.

"...Shit."

[Lan Xavier Hikari!] X began to scold before a hammerhead shark robotic fish rammed through the glass as they started to chase the two.

"GYAH!" the duo screamed as they started to run.

"Hurry! Get to the control room for these things!" Vent shouted.

"GO! GO! GO!" Ashe hollered.

'Okay…Given my memories of this place when we were leaving…' Vent thought, "Turn right up here!"

"Okay!" Lan replied as the two turned a right, allowing the swordfish robot to miss them and get its nose stuck in a vending machine.

"The controls are likely to the right three doors down!" Vent informed.

"Did you download a map of the place that fast?" Lan asked.

"I made a delivery to this Network last year! The control room for the whole place is in there," Vent explained, "Now hurry!"

The two followed Vent's orders and quickly arrived at a glass door they quickly opened before slamming shut and ducking behind the desk in the room. Lan held his PeT up over it.

[...They're gone] Phantom informed.

The two pre-teens sighed in relief upon hearing that. They stood up and looked around before spotting Jack-In Ports. The duo quickly plugged their PeTs into it and Vent and Ashe teleported into the Network. The moment they materialized in it, they yelped and fell into the water that had overtaken it all. A flash of light went off and LX and a boy in armor resembling it looked around, both holding spears.

[It's been a while since we used Thetis] Model A noted.

"Yeah. This form's always great for looking for secret Booty. I guess there hasn't been much call for using it," R-Thetis admitted.

"Looks like Jelly Viruses," Megaman LX noted, looking at the myriad of Viruses resembling blue Jellyfish with gold 'stars' in their bodies.

[And company] Model L noted.

The two glanced over their shoulders to spot a figure nearby. He looked like a humanoid shark with a cream underside and blue overside with yellow highlights on the front of the fins on his head and lower bulky arms. He was donned in a black bodysuit with a green and yellow armor plating over his upper body. His green eyes looked at the two before they nodded at him. The two Mega Men charged up their weapons before, with a unified roar, swung them…and two massive Eastern Dragons made of ice came from their spears and charged at the Viruses. At the same time, the shark's fins glowed blue before firing a barrage of energy slashes. The attacks began to tear into the Viruses with efficiency.

"It's them again!" Maddy recognized.

"Come on, Jelly Viruses! Wipe them out!" Count Zap cheered.

"I know that form they're takin'," Match scowled.

"Hm?" the two looked at him.

"That form Megaman's using…he used it to wipe out the Viruses I used on his family's oven," Match explained.

"Oh?" Zap pondered, "How interesting."

"Surprised ya didn't think I was with 'em," the shark noted, having his back to the backs of the duo as they kept up their attacks.

"It's your eyes," Megaman explained, swinging out a barrage of ice at the viruses while R-Thetis swung his spear and made a barrier of ice that blocked the charge of three of them before slashing it to send the shards at several more, "Your eyes aren't like the others we've seen in World Three."

'That and we already know who you are, Sharkman,' R-Thetis thought before yelping as the Viruses began to glow and shoot about as blurs, "Aw man! They're picking up the pace! A-Trans!" a flash of light went off and he was switched with a mechanical blue horseshoe crab-like form with a long tail made of ice, "Chronoforce…" he rose up and brought his tail up to the face hidden beneath the bulky exterior, "Time Bomb."

With that, he spun his tail around, acting like a clock. Icy blue waves came out of R-Chronoforce and spread through the area, leaving behind twinkles of 'ice' in the water. In a flash, R-Thetis was back and gave a thumbs up at Megaman and Sharkman, the latter confused on what the A-Transing NetNavi just did…before his eyes widened on seeing the Jelly Viruses had all slowed to a crawl.

"Nice trick, eh?" R-Thetis grinned, "Better hurry. This only lasts for a few minutes."

"Right!" Megaman agreed as Sharkman shook his head to clear his surprise before nodding in agreement.

The trio began to shoot through the water, slicing, stabbing, freezing, and-in Sharkman's case-biting the various Viruses into Deletion. As the 'ice' faded, the remaining Viruses quickly moved away from the trio.

"Feels like it's endless," Megaman admitted.

"Yeah," Sharkman agreed, "Delete one and two more pop up!"

"Uh, guys? What're they doing?" R-Thetis asked.

"Huh?" the two looked to see the Viruses all charging at one another, gathering into a large bundle to resemble a blue ball…before they turned into a giant Jelly, "Gh?!"

"Out of the pool!" Sharkman ordered, swimming upwards.

The two quickly followed after Sharkman up to the surface. The trio jumped out of it and landed on warped landscape. Megaman switch to HX as A-Thetis turned back into Roll A. The waters churned and bubbled before the giant Jelly floated out of it.

"Okay…What's the plan?" Roll A asked.

"This thing's too big for our shots to deal damage," Megaman noted with a grimace, "We'll need an Elec BattleChip."

"Good thing for Elecman attacking us…" Lan noted, "Let's try Thunder1!"

A sphere of lightning erupted in-between Megaman's blades. With a roar, he swung them out and sent the ball at the giant Jelly. The Jelly quickly moved out of the way before swinging a tentacle out, sending up a tidal wave at them. Roll A charged ahead, changing into Fireman. He slammed a fist down and created a wave of magma that collided with the water, dispersing both attacks into steam. She flashed into Elecman and fired lightning at the Jelly as Sharkman fired a barrage of energy blades from his fins, trying to get the giant Jelly into the path of the lightning attacks.

'This isn't good…It's too fast,' Megaman thought, throwing another Thunder1 only to miss due to it dodging.

"Roll, what about another Time Bomb?" Maylu asked.

"Still recharging the gauge," R-Elecman replied, firing another blast of lightning.

"We need to get it to be trapped in one spot for an ElecSword," Sharkman noted with a scowl.

"An ElecSword? But we don't have that one," R-Elecman noted.

"Not yet," Sharkman grinned before Maylu screamed.

"Maylu?!" R-Elecman gasped.

"Oh come on! Back! Back!" Lan snapped, smacking the tentacle of the robotic squid trying to get at them with the chair.

"They found us!" Maylu exclaimed, hiding behind Lan with wide eyes.

The tentacle suddenly stopped before dropping to the floor. The two blinked before looking past it to see Commander Beef standing before the giant squid robot…before it collapsed, sliced apart. The disguised man smirked as the plasma blade in his hand turned off.

"Don't know where the chief got these, but I'm always grateful for the tech," Commander Beef noted before turning around, "You kids okay?"

"We're alright," Lan replied before yelping as he caught a BattleChip Commander Beef tossed to him, "Ah! Huh?" he looked at it, "Oh! An ElecSword!"

"You kids hurry up and finish this with Sharkman," Commander Beef advised, deploying his blade as more robotic fish flew towards them, "I've got these."

"Whoa~" Lan awed.

"Lan, focus," Maylu whispered.

"R-Right!" Lan nodded, shaking out of his awe.

"Vent, I'm sending you an ElecSword!" Lan called as Megaman's blades crackled and turned neon blue with lightning circling them.

[This feels like the last time I channeled a storm through my blades] H compared.

"Perfect," Megaman noted, "Sharkman, Roll! Keep it in one spot!"

"You got it!" both replied, R-Elecman firing more lightning bolts as Sharkman unleashed a barrage of fins.

Lan and Megaman kept focus on the Jelly Virus. For a few moments, that was all they did. Lan slowly closed his eyes…before snapping them open in a determined look.

"NOW! ELECSWORD!-!-!" the two roared in unison as the blades extended out and pierced the Jelly.

For a moment, nothing seemed to have happened. Then…the Jelly let out a weak, feeble cry as its body crackled and shattered in data. Megaman sighed in relief as his blades retracted while the ground below shifted and settled into a flat plain. He flew down and R-Elecman changed back into Roll A.

"Not too shabby dealing with that enemy," the shark NetNavi chuckled.

"Thank you and Roll for dealing with keeping it pinned long enough for me to get the last blow," Megaman thanked.

"No prob!" Roll A beamed as she held up several bundles of data, "Oh my god, this was the motherlode of booty!"

[I'll say! Look at all this Zenny and data for BattleChips!] Model A agreed.

[You do know we'll need to give some of this to the Ciel to distribute to the others, right?] Model Z pointed out.

"Aw what?!" Roll A gawked.

[Boo…We won these fair and square!] Model A whined.

[Now, now…It's only fair] Model X spoke [We're all part of the same team and what if one of them needs a BattleChip from this in case of an emergency?]

"Mmm…] Biometal and Partner fumed.

"Gah! Stopped before we could really rock it out!" Zap groaned.

"What does it take to beat these brats?!" Maddy snapped.

"This is unforgivable…!" Wily growled, slamming the bottom of his cane on the ground hard enough to crack the tiles, "What kind of NetNavis are we dealing with?! Elemental-related armors…shapeshifting with each form sporting its own unique abilities and restrictions…" he swung an arm out at the trio, "Find out all that you can about these NetNavis! Find out who their NetOps are, who their families are, their strengths, weaknesses, everything!"

"Aye, boss," Match replied, grimacing.

"Ugh…My wrist hurts…" Lan groaned as he walked beside Maylu towards their houses.

"You said it," Maylu agreed, rubbing her own.

"They never show you agents doing paperwork in cartoons," Vent chuckled.

Maylu sighed, 'Well that was a bust…'

"Hey, Maylu?"

"Hm?" Maylu looked at Lan.

"I'm sorry our day out went like this," Lan apologized.

"...Huh? B-But that wasn't your fault," Maylu noted.

"I know, but still," Lan frowned, "...Those WWW guys keep messing with everything we do. It's not fair for anyone."

"Oh Lan…" Maylu whispered before hugging him.

"?! H-Huh…?"

"We'll get through this as a team, okay?" Maylu reassured.

"..." Lan wrapped his arms around her waist, returning the hug, "Sure."

[Oh that's just so sweet…] Levi whispered, keeping her communication to Maylu [Don't act off now. Only you can hear me at the moment. You keep at this, ok? Boys can be thick-headed when it comes to romance, so just do your best]

Maylu nodded, making it seem like she was just nuzzling into Lan, who started to blush at that action.

"Oh they look so cute together," Ashe whispered, muting Lan's PeT on her end as she sat with Vent on a recliner.

"True," Vent agreed, a small smile on his lips.

[Leave it to Ciel to give the special forces unit here access to tech that shouldn't have been made in this time] Zero sighed.

[At least we made sure she had put in failsafes in them on the off-chance one agent goes Maverick] X noted.

[So…How different were these guys from your first go-around?] Fafnir asked.

"With those three? It was kinda embarrassing…Lan and I…well…we…"

"They didn't realize Masa, Miyu, and Sal were those three when the disguises were rather obvious," Ashe informed with a deadpan tone.

"Roll~" Vent whined.

"What? You know it's true, Hub," Ashe giggled.

"Well, yeah…b-but still…!"

"And this fish attack was a lot more than just a rampage in the aquarium," Ashe went on after giving her boyfriend a kiss to the cheek, "Dex and Yai were involved because Masa had gotten past Yai's security system and pulled 'em all out for exercise and fish facts!"

"Won't happen this time, it seems," Vent shrugged before grimacing, "...Miu's fortune…"

"?"

"The one she gave us when we met," Vent reminded.

"...Ah! A-Another change!" Ashe gasped.

"She said that rivers blocked are flowing now or something like that…" Vent frowned.

"No FullSynchro, for one. Or the Cyber Investigations Division," Ashe added.

[There's also the fact that she mentioned the Game of Destiny…] X noted in concern as he looked at his four children.

[That is troubling] Phantom agreed.

[Bring it on! We'll overcome it!] Fafnir declared.

[All we can do is try and be ready for what comes next] Harpuia noted.

[That's right! We'll weather any storm as a team!] Leviathan declared.

[I don't know about you guys…but I'm all for it! Bring it on, fortune lady! We'll beat it like we did Albert!] Axl cheered.

[What do you two intend to do?]

"Mmm…Keep looking for strong NetNavis to fight to get an A-Trans from, some more Booty to get better BattleChips, and train with my Hubby and our friends," Ashe noted.

"Same for most of those, but change the first one to getting you guys to let me work with Model…"

[NEVER!] the Four Guardians and Zero declared, causing Vent to roll his eyes while X shook himself like he was shaking a head in exasperation.

GT: Yes, I am not going to stop writing this. I promise. It may take time, but I am not gonna quit this story, I assure you.

Chapter 7: The Red NetNavi

Chapter Text

GT: I'm loving this year so far for Megaman news!

Lan couldn't hold in his gasp of amazement as he looked out at the foliage around him…with bits of circuitry visible in parts of the greenery. It was as if machinery and plant life had merged into a single entity in the area. As he walked through it all, he came upon a pair of bikes, one red and one blue and both sported sidecars with a case inside of them. Lan paused in his walking when he came upon Vent, who looked to be around fourteen with short hair like when he saw him as a little kid. He looked around and sighed in relief. No weird purple NetNavis attacking. He walked up to Vent and paused.

"Whoa~" Lan awed, seeing a large, futuristic looking city in the distance with a massive tower resembling a flower with six massive white 'petals' extending outwards to the parts of the city while several other buildings sported what looked like holographic lilac or magenta lotus blossoms on top of them.

"Hey, Vent! You ready to move out?" a voice asked, making Lan jump and nearly fall off if he hadn't grabbed the broken base of a tree on the cliffside.

He turned and blinked a few times. The older man in his mid twenties that approached them had the same long hair the Vent he knew had outside of the front part of the hair being spikier and straight. He had a strange red upside-down triangle on his forehead that made Lan curious, thinking it was his NaviMark. He wore a red version of Vent's jacket with the gold swapped for white along with red armored shoes. …Yet, it was the eyes that really caught Lan's attention. They were a gentle shade of blue that seemed to be filled with a kindness he'd only seen in his mom and dad's eyes but also a deep well of regrets and determination that he'd sometimes catch in his dad's eyes. He blinked and, for a moment, he could've sworn he saw his dad in the man's place.

"Hey, Vent! Are you ready to move out?" the man asked, "Vent! Did you hear me?"

"..."

"Vent?" Lan pondered, looking at the fourteen-year-old to see him looking out at the city…or, rather…glaring at the flower-shaped building.

"You can see the Slither Inc. building from here. This country sure has grown and prospered thanks to them," the man noted as he walked over.

"Bigger's not always better. If their security force had come sooner ten years ago…" Vent squeezed a fist tightly, "My mom might still be alive."

Giro, for a moment, sported a sad frown before gently putting a hand on Vent's shoulder, "I'm sorry that you lost your mom in the Maverick raids. I understand how you feel, but don't let on about your feelings in town. We were experiencing an energy crisis and suffering from never-ending Maverick raids." he gestured to the tower, "But that company stepped up and fixed all of those problems. As far as the people are concerned, the president of the company, Serpent, is a genuine hero."

"Serpent? That…That really doesn't sound like a heroic name…" Lan muttered as the man turned to walked to the bikes.

"Anyway, we better get going. Our client is already on their way to the rendezvous point," the man informed before they began to walk towards them, Lan quickly following the older, yet younger, version of his NetNavi.

"Hey Boss, just who are those Guardians that we took the job request from? They haven't even told us what's in the package they want delivered so badly," Vent frowned, suspicion in his tone that surprised Lan.

"The Guardians are a defense force that banded together to fight the Mavericks. Right now, they're moving from place to place investigating the cause of Maverick outbreaks. As for the package, try not to ask too many questions. I'm sure it's very important and very dangerous. It's probably better we don't know," the man advised.

"Guardians? Isn't that what Ciel called our team?" Lan pondered before jumping as three plasma bullets hit the red bike, forcing all three to cover behind the blue one, "Holy…!"

"W-what's going on!?" Vent panicked as the man and Lan peeked out of the sides and their eyes widened, seeing a trio of the purple one-eyed 'NetNavis' approaching.

"Those are Galleon Mavericks! How did they get here!?" the man pondered before they fired several shots at the blue bike, causing it to start smoking and cracking the casing in the sidecar, "Ah! They must be after the package!"

Lan looked at it and narrowed his eyes. He leaned closer to one of the openings from the cracking of the case and his eyes widened.

"Model X…?" Lan pondered.

The Galleons fired at both bikes and the blue suddenly exploded, throwing Vent, Lan, and the package off the side of the cliff.

"Aaaah!"

"Vent!" the man shouted, reaching out…

*THUD!*

"Ow~" Lan groaned.

"Aw…" Vent whined, lowering his military horn, before Lan popped his head out from under the bundle of blankets while looking around rapidly, "Lan, what's wrong?"

"Vent…I…I had another weird dream. It was you, but you were with short hair and being all grumpy!"

"G-Grumpy?"

"Yeah! You looked so weird with the short hair and being all grumpy!" Lan replied.

'Grumpy?' Vent mentally repeated.

"And there was this cliffside we were on and it was amazing! It was like the plants were all made from machines or it was machines that were made to look like plants a-and there was this huge city!" Lan spread his arms out as wide as he could, excitement in his voice at the memory of his dream, "It looked so awesome, Vent! Like a bunch of giant flowers were growing out of the tops of buildings like it was a city of plants!"

'He must have seen Cinq Ville,' Vent thought, 'Short hair…Cinq Vill…cliffside…'grumpy'...Oh shit.' his eyes widened, unseen by Lan as he scurried over to his desk and started to scribble what he saw as best he could.

"A-And then there was this guy with you!" Lan went on, "He…" he paused in his drawing, "He kinda felt like Papa."

"..."

"I didn't know his name because you called him 'Boss,'" Lan went on, "He…He felt a lot like Papa…"

"...Giro."

"Huh?" Lan looked at the screen to see Vent had a bit of a fond, yet somber, expression.

"Remember, I was a courier. I wasn't programmed for it and was taught by a great guy named Giro," Vent explained, Model Z floating out of his pocket, "Zero was his Biometal before he gave him to me."

"Huh?"

Vent looked down, a solemn look on his face, "Giro…gave his life up for mine." Lan's eyes widened, "It was an attack and I had recently got Model X. I thought I could help, but…All I did was end up causing Giro to lose his life."

[He…was weak in body at the end, but not in spirit. We were MegaMerged and if he dropped it, he would be gone. But…Giro wanted Vent to live and asked me to stay with him] Zero explained [He's missed, but he'll never be forgotten by Vent or I]

"Vent…Zero…" Lan whispered, "I'm sorry. I…"

"It's not your fault, Lan," Vent assured, reaching a hand out to put on the screen, Lan putting a finger on it to try to mimic it being held in Vent's palm, "You had a pretty interesting dream."

"It…It felt more like a memory," Lan replied, not seeing Vent flinch as he looked down at his drawings and started getting back to drawing the city he saw in his dream.

[So…Why are you drawing the city in your dream?] Fafnir asked.

"Huh? Oh! It looked so cool and there's this contest about drawing a city for the Network," Lan explained, "I wasn't gonna enter, but after seeing that flower city…"

'Okay…I think I made that 'river' flow this time,' Vent thought, a drop of sweat going down the back of his head, 'Cyber City's gonna become Cinq Ville 2.0 if Lan wins…'

"Ciel!"

"Hm?" Ciel looked up from putting on her shoes to see Alouette running up, "Oh! Hi, sis! All ready for school?"

Alouette giggled as she gave her a hug, "Uh-huh! Um…" she poked her pointer fingers together, "S-Sis…?"

"What is it, Alouette?"

"C-Can I have a NetNavi? Please~?" Alouette asked, looking at her with big puppy dog eyes.

"Well, you are reaching the age that you're going to need one for school," Ciel replied, "Mmm…Give me a few days and I'll see what I can come up with. Anything you want in particular?"

"Uhn!" Alouette held up the drawing she showed Oda, "See?"

Ciel giggled, "Someone like Zero, eh?"

"Uhn!" Alouette nodded, stars in her eyes.

"Okay, okay…I'll see what I can do," Ciel promised.

"Yay~!" Alouette cheered, hugging her again and nuzzling into her, "I love you, big sis!"

"Okay, okay," Ciel giggled, returning the hug, "Okay, let's get you to school, alright?"

"Okay~!" Alouette cheered as she went off to grab her backpack.

'Oh that girl…' Ciel thought in amusement and fondness before her PeT buzzed, 'An EMail?' she pulled it out and looked at it, '?! He's back…Well…I wonder how they'll handle meeting him…'

"So any plans this afternoon?" Yai asked as the final bell rang.

"Oh! Um, well…" Maylu began.

"I asked Maylu and Lan to help me with this NetNavi I'm making for my little sister," Ciel explained.

"Really?" Yai asked.

"Yes. I want her to have one that can protect her in case of emergencies, so I'm having it go up against Vent and Ashe. If they can tie with at least one of them, then I'll believe they're able to protect her," Ciel replied.

"Really?" Dex asked.

"Yes, but…I don't want to overwhelm them, so it's why I'm asking for just Lan and Maylu to help today. If things go well today, I'll bring them over to the treehouse tomorrow," Ciel assured.

"Heh. Hope your sis's future Navi can handle Gutsman and me then!" Dex beamed.

"Gutsman been training, guts!" Gutsman declared, banging a fist on his chest.

"How's your punches?" Ashe asked.

"Oh, a lot better!" Gutsman replied excitedly, "Having a boxing coach helping me understand it has helped a lot, guts!"

"Can't wait to see," Vent chuckled.

"Best hurry. My bus home will be at the bus stop in a few minutes," Ciel noted, quickly closing her backpack and zipping it up, before, a few minutes later, the three were on the street on skates (Lan and Ciel) or a scooter (Maylu).

"Nice lie," Lan noted.

"Oh, I'm not lying about Alouette's surprise," Ciel replied, "I hope you don't mind that he'll be based off you, Zero."

[Mmm…So long as it's not like Copy X, I'll be fine]

"Copy X?" Lan repeated.

"Big mistake," Ciel sighed, "Very big mistake."

[Don't ask] all the Biometals but A pleaded.

"Don't worry. He'll be more of a puppy," Ciel assured.

"Puppy she says…" Vent sighed, "It's not going to be like O…"

[DO NOT SAY HIS NAME!] the Biometals minus A and X snapped.

"So it starts with an 'O?'" Lan asked, "So the last one's called Mo…"

[NOOOOOO!-!-!]

"...What is with them?" Maylu asked.

"Some bad trauma involving the Biometal in question," Ciel replied, "We try to not bring up the name of that one."

"That explains so much…and so little," Maylu sighed.

"Cheer up, you two," Ciel noted, "We have Synchro Tests today and an agent that's been in Ameropa for the last few weeks has come back!"

"Huh? Another agent? Can they go FullSynchro like us?" Lan asked.

"Of course!" Ciel replied, "You'll be doing simulations with him when we arrive."

"Can we get a name?" Lan asked.

"Of course. His name is Chaud," Ciel replied, making Ashe and Vent swiftly turn their heads to look at her as best they could from their PeTs.

'So we're meeting them sooner than before…' Vent pondered.

'Should we be on the lookout for hypnosis sooner?' Ashe asked.

'I've been looking out for signs of anything being different,' Vent replied.

"Side-effects outside of the damage feedback?" Ciel asked, exiting the metroline with the two.

"Yeah," Lan replied, "The day we first used FullSynchro, I had this weird dream of a little kid Vent and someone that looked like my mom but with the metal things on Vent's ears in a destroyed amusement park and…well…" he grimaced as he trailed off, not wanting to remember the senses from that dream.

"I had one where Ashe was talking to a piano key like it was me and she was sad that we hadn't talked in over fifteen years," Maylu added, Lan moving closer to her and putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hmm…You sure you're not just having dreams?"

"These were way too vivid to be normal," Lan argued, shaking his head.

"I see," Ciel nodded, discreetly looking at their PeTs, "...Have there been any other moments?"

"Yes," both replied.

"Alright. I'll get started on some theories, but you two are having something I have not seen in other FullSynchro users," Ciel spoke as they arrived at the base and entered it through the secret entrance.

"I'm still getting used to this," Maylu sighed.

"It's still pretty awesome how secret agent this is," Lan grinned.

"We still haven't met anyone else that's part of this outside of Ciel and the trio," Ashe noted.

"I assure you, you will get to know everyone that can currently use FullSynchro that's a member of our division of the CID," Ciel assured, "You're going to be meeting another one today, after all." she paused as they passed a sliding door by a long stretch of a one-sided window, "Oh! They're here and doing the Virus Simulator!"

"Huh?" the two pondered.

They looked at the window to see a holographic display like Yai's in the treehouse. In it, they were witnessing a massive swarm of viruses. Fish ones with arm-like fins that were shooting tridents from their mouths, Mettaur, Handy, cartoon-looking birds, armored orbs with eyes and a nose-like tank cannon, and even sleek paper-plane shaped viruses with eyes…all in a myriad of colors. One moment, they were there…the next, all of them were sliced to ribbons and deleted.

=Clear Time: 2.57 Seconds. Busting Rank: S= a soft female voice informed.

"Perfected Level 30 again?" Ciel pondered with a sigh, "He must be getting bored again…"

"Level 30?"

"It's currently the highest level for the simulation," Ciel replied, "And now I'm going to have to add another level because he's going to complain about it being boring now that he perfected it."

The two raised their brows before the metal door slid open. Stepping out of it was a boy around their age, maybe a year at best older than Maylu. He wore a pair of baggy camo pants with black and white shoes. He sported a black long-sleeved shirt underneath a red sleeveless jacket. Yet the most defining trait that drew the attention of the two was his hair. It was layered with white on the top and black on the bottom.

"...Is that a hat?" Lan asked.

"Ciel…" the boy began, giving her an annoyed look.

"I'm already planning on incorporating the data of the two WWW NetNavis our new agents have encountered," Ciel stated before smiling and looking at the two, "Speaking of…Chaud, these are Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai. Lan, Maylu, I'd like to introduce to you Eugene Chaud Blaze."

"Blaze? As in the Blaze family in charge of IPC?" Maylu asked, "The company that makes PeTs and several other pieces of tech?"

"Indeed," Chaud replied, "Seems one of you at least does your research."

"...Hey!" Lan frowned.

"How was Ameropa?" Ciel asked.

"We were able to catch the criminals and detain them," Chaud replied.

"And you deleted their NetNavis again when I ordered you to keep them alive, didn't you?" Ciel asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hmph. I don't get why you want them active. A good terrorist NetNavi is a deleted one."

"But they could provide vital data!" Ciel groaned, facepalming.

"Yeah! At least when Mega and I deal with them, we try to get info outta them!" Ashe argued.

[I'm strangely reminded of you, Zero] X noted.

[I did not have an eggshell on my head] Z argued.

"Something your NetNavi wants to say to me, Hikari?" Chaud asked, narrowing his eyes.

"?! You heard Model Z?" Lan asked.

"Model…You're the ones with the Biometals?" Chaud asked, raising a brow.

"I've told all the members of our division about them," Ciel explained, "And it's nice to know another member can hear them."

[Does it have to be the one with an eggshell on his head?] Model A whined.

"...Your hair does look like one," Ciel admitted, blushing while trying to avoid the annoyed look aimed at her by Chaud, "L-Look…" she cleared her throat, "Anyway, I'm glad you're here, Chaud. I'm hoping you can NetBattle Lan or Maylu and their NetNavis Vent and Ashe."

"Seriously?"

"Of course. They have a lot of potential," Ciel replied, "Hopefully, one of them can help with your boredom."

"I'll be the judge of that," Chaud replied, giving her a sharp look.

"This guy rubs me the wrong way," Lan whispered to Vent.

"Anyone who acts like they're cool rubs you the wrong way," Vent deadpanned.

"Just take it out of the network here, you two," Ciel ordered, "Not after the last time when you took on Skullman, Woodman, and Sharkman together."

"..." Chaud looked away, now looking awkward at that reminder, "I apologized, didn't I?"

*THWACK!*

"You eight wiped out several pieces of vital data I was examining!" Ciel snapped, glaring down at a downed Chaud with a broom in her hand.

[C-Ciel?!] Z gawked.

[Wow…I haven't seen someone go to town on someone else with a broom since those rookies poked Leviathan's buttons by accident] F noted.

[Those were good times…] L sighed in content.

"Can you teach me that?" Maylu asked, causing Lan to turn ghostly white in fear.

"We're meeting him a lot sooner than before," Ashe whispered as a red beam of light shot down from the 'sky' and formed into a NetNavi before the two.

The NetNavi looked to be around their age in a purple bodysuit with the exterior parts of it being pitch black. His upper body was covered in red armor with spiked shoulders while his lower legs were covered in red boots with white toes and a spike jutting out where the legs slid into their feet. His gloves were similar to his boots with the hands covered in a black material. His head was covered in a red helmet with a red horn on the front with a black visor resembling sunglasses. Emerging from the back of his head and reaching down at the same length as Vent's hair was white hair. The emblem on the NetNavi was a black and white symbol split down the middle in a lightning pattern.

"Atten-hut!" Vent declared, saluting.

"What the wha…?" Ashe raised a brow.

"At ease," the NetNavi replied, "You two are the new recruits…"

"Yes, sir," Vent replied, "I'm Vent, but I go by 'Megaman' when in battle."

"Ashe! But I'm 'Roll A' when I'm brawlin'!" Ashe grinned.

"It seems at least one of you is competent…" the NetNavi noted.

"Hey!" Ashe frowned as Vent kept her from trying to punch the red NetNavi.

"We've introduced ourselves, so may I know who you are?" Vent asked.

"Protoman."

"A pleasure," Vent nodded before producing a data file and tossed it to him, "Combat reports on the World Three NetNavis we've battled."

"Impressive. And you were originally a civilian NetNavi?" Protoman asked.

"Oh no. I was a courier for SciLab before becoming Lan's NetNavi," Vent casually replied, "Dr. Yuichiro Hikari was my maker."

"Yuichiro Hikari?" Protoman repeated, raising a brow in interest.

"Yes," Vent replied, "I'm rather happy being Lan's NetNavi over the last few months."

"...You've really let them go?" Protoman asked.

"The agents we've been dealing with seem to have an Auto Jack Out to prevent Deletion," Vent explained.

"Tch. That will make our job harder then," Protoman noted, scowling.

"Eh, no sweat! We're pretty strong so we'll just keep workin' hard and clobber 'em!" Ashe grinned.

"What was that?!" the trio looked up at Lan's shout.

"You heard me. You fancy yourselves as being able to hold a license? I think not," Chaud scoffed, a cold look in his eyes as he looked down upon Lan.

"Hah?!"

"Chaud, come on now! These two and their NetNavis have been a great help!" Ciel argued.

"It's obvious to me they'll end up as liabilities," Chaud stated, "What if they were put into a situation where the only choice is to Delete the enemy only to give them a chance to undo it on their own?"

[That sounds like an oddly specific situation] Model A noted.

"It is a scenario we run through," Ciel noted, "You two were meant to do that next week but that will have to be delayed." she shook her head, "Getting off track. Chaud, seriously. You're not the one who decides who is and who isn't good for our division. I'm the leader of this division."

"Yes, but I can't help but find your choices this time as severely lacking."

"Oh that is it!" Lan snapped, "Think what you like! Imma bustin' ya down to first grade right now!" he picked up his PeT, "Vent, let's get ready to NetBattle this eggshell head!"

"Why am I not surprised it led to this…?" Vent sighed.

"HOLD IT!" Ciel snapped, slamming a red button and Ashe, Vent, and the Biometals yelped as they and Protoman were ejected from the Network, "No one NetBattles in the Guardian Network! Not after the last time Protoman, Sharkman, Skullman, and Woodman went all out in it!"

"...Is the Network in the arcade separate from the Network here?" Lan asked.

"Of course it is. I'm not an idiot to put the important Network on the same Network as the place we're in," Ciel replied, "The actual server is in…"

"That's all I need to know! Let's go, Chaud! Time to see who's top dog!" Lan declared, walking towards the secret exit to the abandoned arcade.

"Heh…We'll see, all right…" Chaud noted as he walked after him, the lights shadowing his eyes as a sharp look appeared in them, "...just how little you understand the vast gulf between our skill levels."

"Lan…" Maylu began.

"Maylu, don't bother. Lan's gone into a stubborn state," Vent advised with a sigh, "He'll do this regardless of what someone says."

"And given how Chaud's posturin', he's all for beating up Lan and Vent," Ashe frowned, "Don't you dare lose to these guys, boys!"

"No way we're losing!" Lan declared.

"Maylu, you mind staying behind? We can discuss important things while they're being idiots," Ciel sighed.

"Um…Sure?" Maylu replied.

"No holding back, Vent," Lan ordered as he pulled out the cable of his PeT and plugged it into an arcade cabinet as Chaud put his into a machine on the upper level, the nearby screens lighting up to show the Network.

"For the record, I'm against fighting our allies most of the time," Vent admitted before, in a flash of light, Megaman Model X used his buster to block the glowing red blade wielded by Protoman, "So sorry if I'm not up for fighting today!"

"I will show no leniency despite your own hesitation. This is a battle to the finish," Protoman stated.

"Seriously?!" Vent asked before Protoman vanished.

"Ah! What kinda speed is that?!"

"Protoman is rated at a CyberSpeed of over Mach 5," Chaud explained, "From the very beginning you've been…" he paused as his eyes widened as Protoman's sword was parried…by Megaman Model HX's swords while the oldest of them had his eyes closed, "What?"

"Mach 5, huh? You're slower than the foes I've battled," Megaman stated calmly, opening one eye to giving him a calculative look.

'What kind of reflexes does this civilian NetNavi have?' Protoman pondered in surprise.

The two moved back from one another before quickly turning their heads to the distance. Before either NetOp could ask, a scream came from the direction as a swarm of Viruses appeared, chasing a NetNavi in a white bodysuit with red rings acting as armor for his torso, lower arms, and lower legs.

"H-HELP! Please! Someone! Save me!" the NetNavi panicked before a burst of heat went by Protoman and Megaman FX had leapt between the NetNavi and the Viruses and began to unleash a barrage of fiery plasma bullets that forced them away from them.

"Are you okay?" Megaman asked.

"I-I think so," the NetNavi gulped before yelping as Protoman appeared before him.

"Based on your design…You're a World Three Recon NetNavi," Protoman noted.

"A what?" Megaman asked, looking over his shoulder at them.

"They're NetNavis that World Three uses, modifying them with camouflage programming to hide and gather intelligence," Chaud replied.

"P-Please! You have to help me!" the NetNavi pleaded, tears welling in his eyes, "I…I was a regular NetNavi once…I even had a NetOp who I always tried my best to work with, but…but they abandoned me one day…leaving me to wander the Cybernet, alone, scared, and lost…until I was scooped up by World Three!"

"These Viruses seem to be focused on you…" Megaman noted, "Are you…trying to run away from World Three."

"Yes! I…"

"Hmph. I've heard more than enough of this drivel," Protoman stated, "You're Deleted."

"Wait! N-n-n-no!" the NetNavi panicked.

"Protoman, wait! We could help this poor NetNavi! Find him a new NetOp a…" Megaman began before, in an instant, Protoman was standing over the now derezzing NetNavi, "?!"

"No!" Lan gasped as the NetNavi was fully Deleted before they could react.

"...How could you?" Megaman asked, flashing back to Vent in his shock, "Why…Why would you do that?" he clenched a fist, "He was no fighter…he wasn't a threat…" he grit his teeth, "He even begged for his life." his emblem began to glow along with his eyes as Lan's hair started to float, "What possible reason was there…"

"...to commit such cold-blooded murder?" Lan finished.

"The best reason: he was World Three," Protoman replied before holding up a small chip, "This is his memory chip. The only thing of value."

"Value? Why you…" Vent growled before he glared harshly at Protoman as NetOp and NetNavi spoke in unison, "SO THAT'S HOW YOU OPERATE?! YOU AND US ALLIES?!-! NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS!-!"

"...!" a small light shined in Protoman's visitor, "Synchronization Level: 92 percent. FullSynchro achieved through anger…"

"...Such a gross emotion," Chaud noted with a sigh of disappointment, "How inept. You're an utter failure."

"The only one I see as a failure…are you two," Vent growled, "...X…Zero…"

[These two actually did something I haven't felt in a long while: they've made me mad] X growled.

[We're with you, Vent, Lan] Zero spoke, a hardened determination in his voice.

'Huh…A-Are we…?'

'Yeah, Lan…' Vent smirked before pulling them out, "Model X! Model Z!" he swung his arms out and crossed them before him, "Let's Rock On! Double MegaMerge!"

[Biolink Established. MEGA System Online]

The appearance of a pillar of light that engulfed Vent deleted all the viruses closest to him. Within, Vent held the Biometals out to his sides as armor began to form over his body from the data pouring from the two. The pillar pulsed before shooting outwards, engulfing everything and deleting all the viruses. Within the light, a figure appeared. White armor covered his upper legs and pelvic area with red armored combat boots with black soles. Red armor covered his wrists and the backs of his lower arms with a gold piece over the back of his hands, a gem connecting the pieces. The wind fluttered his red shirt-sleeved jacket. His head was covered in a black helmet detailed in red armored plating to resemble horns with two white 'fins' on the sides of his head. A green crystal 'arrow' pointing downwards rested in the center of the helmet and wanted to wrap around over the top of it. A data pattern appeared in the gem as he opened his eyes. Red lines shone on his bodysuit as eight 'wings' of golden hair shot out from under his helmet before settling into Vent's familiar hairstyle. The green gem and his eyes shined bright as the light finally died down, revealing a white and black handle and guard with a gun trigger on the handle. A green arrow-shaped plasma sword emerged from it as he looked up at Protoman, who stepped back and looked closely at his chest, showing the Hikari logo combined with a red 'Z' and a blue 'X.'

"Vent?" Lan asked in awe, 'Whoa…Is…Is this how combining X and Z feels? It…It's amazing!'

"Yeah. …Lan, in this armor, I'm the Utlimate Megaman. Megaman Model ZX, the protector of all," Vent replied.

'Just transforming into this form deleted all the viruses in the area,' Protoman thought, raising a brow in surprise, 'Interesting…'

"What is this form?" Chaud pondered.

"Didn't I just say it? I am the Megaman that will protect everyone I can," Megaman ZX replied, "Megaman Model ZX. However…I'm also a deliveryman."

"A deliveryman?" Protoman repeated, readying his sword.

"Ah…" Megaman ZX nodded before glaring at Protoman, "And you for you two? That delivery…is defeat!"

Protoman vanished from sight. Chaud tensed as Protoman's sword was blocked by Megaman ZX's sword, the flat of it easily blocking the backstab Protoman was going for. Yet, despite the struggling Protoman was doing to push through, Megaman ZX didn't even budge.

"You think us activating FullSynchro in anger is disgusting?" Megaman ZX asked, calmly looking over his shoulder to keep his glare on the red NetNavi before swiftly kicking at Protoman, forcing him to make a red and white oval shield form and take the blow only for it to shatter upon impact, "WRONG!-!-!"

"It's your own actions that ticked us off!" Lan added as ZX charged, swinging his sword and cleaving the shield with ease, "You two saw evil where it didn't exist! He was lost and alone, with no will to resist! He even admitted to fleeing from the World Three!"

"Couldn't you see any of that?! Didn't you feel the merest shred of compassion and decency?!" Megaman ZX demanded, his sword switching into a blaster that he used to fire several shots at Protoman from point-blank, forcing Chaud to insert an AreaSteal to dodge.

"NO!" Protoman snapped, Megaman ZX quickly spun around to parry the HeroSword in Protoman's hands, actually making him grit his teeth and shake a little, "Compassion? Mercy?!" a large gold gauntlet formed over his free arm and he used it to slug Megaman ZX away, "Those things are pointless!"

"All I believe in…all that counts…is power!"

"Total, absolute power!"

"...Absolute power?" Megaman ZX repeated, sounding eerily calm.

Lan grit his teeth as he held the side of his head. He blinked and saw the burning highway…the young man in blond hair wearing what looked like a broken version of Model ZX with a shattered purple visor replacing the helmet and the 14-year-old Vent in Model X both down and defeated. Standing over them was a massive man with the same white things on Vent's ears in an armored green business suit with bulky robotic hands and purple hair, a murderous gleeful expression on his face. The same expression was on a lanky teenager with long blue hair in purple reaper-like armor with a massive plasma scythe in hand standing by a hovering teenage girl with long green hair in white and pale-blue armor with an emotionless expression and sitting on a blue and gold staff like it was a witch's broom. He blinked again and saw the real/cyber world in his eyes.

'H-Huh? Another…?' Lan thought.

"ABSOLUTE POWER?!" Megaman ZX snapped, the ground breaking apart around him as his armor started to shine with his hair spread out to look as if he had six golden wings.

He vanished and a LifeAura formed on Protoman only for it to be useless against the saber of Megaman ZX, cleaving through and cutting off his arm. Protoman moved, vanishing from normal sight only for Megaman ZX to appear behind him, barely inches away. Protoman swung his arm only for Megaman ZX to grab it and tear the lower arm off completely.

"YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A MAVERICK!" Megaman ZX bellowed, slamming a fist and cracking Protoman's visor, "You think absolute power is everything?! That kind of thinking is more in line with terrorists like the World Three!"

"I've had enough of you…" Chaud growled as he inserted a Recov120 into Protoman, fully healing his injuries, "Your ignorance is trying my patience!" Protoman took a step before freezing, "!"

"...The only ignorant one here is you," Megaman ZX coldly replied, his sword impaled through Protoman's gut while looking Protoman directly in the eyes behind his visor, pity in his eyes, "...I pity you."

"!? Y-You…"

"Your line of thinking…it's completely and utterly disgusting. How you fell into it I'll never understand," Megaman ZX spoke, "All I can do…is pity you and hope you can crawl out of that mental state of delusion." he switched the sword to its buster state and shot Protoman in the same spot, tearing through his body and forcing him to Log Out, letting Megaman ZX catch the dropped memory chip, "..." he held a hand up and gathered the deleted NetNavi's data, doing his best to make sure not a single piece was missing, "...Lan…Can we take this to Ciel?"

"Yeah," Lan replied, ignoring the trembling Chaud, hunched over on the railing while holding his gut as he glared at Lan in rage and disbelief, "Maybe she can help find him someone that won't abandon him."

"Okay…How are you feeling?" Ciel asked.

"I…I feel great! Thank you, miss! Thank you!" the repaired NetNavi thanked, tears in his eyes.

"That's good to hear!" Ciel giggled, "I'm really sorry for what happened to you. I'm grateful that Lan and Vent brought me your data so I could get you back together."

"Yeah! …They're…really kind, huh?" the NetNavi asked, looking out past her to Lan who was hissing as Maylu put some rubbing alcohol on one of his cuts.

"A compassionate soul gives way to powers far beyond any others could imagine," Ciel replied, "...Do you have a name?"

"Huh? A-A name? ….No. I…I don't. Before my NetOp abandoned me, he deleted my name."

"That's horrible!" Ashe gasped.

"...Roze."

"Hm?"

"I'd like to give you one then…and a home," Ciel replied, "Would you be willing to be upgraded and become my little sister's NetNavi?"

"I…I get to have a home again?" the NetNavi asked, tears welling in his eyes, "Y-Yes! Please! I'll do anything! Thank you, ma'am! Thank you so much!"

"It's not a problem, Roze," Ciel smiled, "Let's get started on those upgrades then, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Don't we need info from him first?" Lan asked.

"Oh! R-Right!" Roze sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Um…Well…The biggest reason I left…was because of Lord Wily declaring the start of Operation Endgame."

"Operation Endgame?" Maylu repeated.

"He's creating a Virus. A powerful one that will be sent into space to broadcast a signal to self-destruct every single machine connected to the internet," Roze explained, making them tense, "That's what tipped me over the edge to run away from World Three. They're going to cause attacks to collect the Four Elemental Codes to make this Virus, but I don't know where any of them are, sadly. Well…aside from the FireCode. They managed to obtain that one. It was inside of the Hikari Family's oven Network…"

"Huh?!" Lan gawked.

"It's okay, Roze," Ciel assured, "That information alone is going to help in a massive way!"

"And tomorrow means you get to meet our friends, too," Lan grinned, "Hope you're ready for meeting them, Roze!"

"I-I'll try to be…" Roze replied, no one paying attention to the NetNavi couple sharing looks.

"Okay…This is bad. The LifeVirus…was a Virus that we beat back with Glyde, Gutsman, and Iceman while our NetOps had been fighting other viruses with Super Soakers in that Dimensional Core thing at the mall," Ashe recalled, wearing an orange semi-transparent nightgown that showed her navy blue panties through the material, as she and Vent were nestled into Lan's PC in a part where Maylu and Lan couldn't see or listen in on them since the human duo were spending the night together.

"But now it sounds like it won't be as easy as it was back then," Vent frowned, wearing light blue pajamas.

"Right," Ashe nodded before looking at the 'sky' and the artificial night sky she made for it in her bedroom, "...They were completely different from the two we knew. Or were they like that before we began to fully know them?"

"I just want to punch them again," Vent growled, clenching a fist, "They…They reminded me too much of Serpent and Prometheus…wanting nothing but power…" he grimaced, "And I think Lan saw my memory of the two and Pandora in my rage…"

"...Maybe we should tell them?" Ashe suggested.

"Tell them what?"

"That…we're reincarnations of two people who ended up with powers…" Ashe trailed off before facepalming, "Ugh…No, no…That'll lead to Maylu's 'dream' being asked and a whole can of worms and I'm terrified they'll think they're our replacement goldfish."

"...Perhaps, but…there are differences, too," Vent noted, "For one…they're becoming different to the ones we originally knew. I mean…I don't even know if Lan was like this before when it came to school."

"Didn't he make the wireless Jack-In device that led to the next generation of PeT?" Ashe asked.

"He did," Vent nodded, "A bit before the LifeVirus incident with the Dimensional Core in that mall." he chuckled, "I…may have suggested to Lan yesterday about the idea of having one in case of emergencies, like a hypothetical. You should've seen him, it looked like he had gears turning constantly."

"Oh, that would be perfect! You remember how often we had terrible situations in Virus Busting and fighting World Three and Gospel until the wireless PeTs were made?" Ashe recalled.

"Tell me about it. I had one too many close shaves with Deletion if Lan hadn't gotten there in time," Vent grimaced.

[Well…Now you have a combination of experience and all of us with you to stall until Lan and Maylu can get there] X noted.

[That's right!] Axl chirped [Remember when Maylu's PeT got all glitchy and we had to spend a few days in a SubPeT? The worst time was conking out when we were Buckfire and fighting in a Cage Pit Match against the former champ!]

"Almost resorted to using A-Trans and blowing my cover," Ashe recalled with a frown before shaking her head, "Though I'm getting the point, you guys. So long as we work together, we're gonna get past anything!"

"Right," Vent nodded.

"Hey, Hub?"

"Hm? What is it, Roll?" Vent asked before blushing as Ashe hugged him, "..." he chuckled as he returned the hug, 'I won't be an idiot this time, Roll…I promise.'

'Hub...I won't make the same mistakes as I did back then...especially after that day,' Ashe mentally vowed, a brief moment of anguish crossing his face.

GT: Hoo boy! Was thinking another story would be updated, but nope. Blame the livestream CAPCOM is doing, showcasing all the episodes of the NT Warrior anime.

Chapter 8: Subzero Temperature!

Chapter Text

GT: I loved the English Dub's marathon livestream on CAPCOM's Twitch. I got to see all the episodes I didn't get to see as a little kid, mostly for the fact that they were sometimes one and done broadcasts and I could never find the DVDs.

"Vent…"

"What is it, Lan?" Vent asked.

"Why did you make me buy so many cases of bottled water?!" Lan complained, pulling a small wheelbarrow with several cases of water on it to their house.

"We had enough cash from the Virus Busting and the pay we get for being agents that I felt it was time to teach you to be ready for certain situations," Vent replied.

"I really wanted to use it to get some new BattleChips from that shop Higsby opened," Lan pouted.

"While I'm glad you're not holding a grudge, this is more important. We can gather our own for free with a bit of effort and travel on the Network," Vent replied, "But water is really important to have, more than anything else. You can survive without food for a few days, but water is something vital."

"Yeah…But why our money for BattleChips~?"

[Lan, this is more important than BattleChips] X spoke.

"Mmm…"

[We can call Ciel and ask if she has a mission after] Zero offered.

"Yes!" Lan cheered as he picked up the pace.

[Vent, what are you planning?] X asked, isolating his voice to his partner.

'I want him to have a bit more time without being parched. Around this time, we had to deal with Maddy and him forcing Tory to use Iceman to freeze the Waterworks,' Vent explained, 'We know what to do for this situation, but…what will the differences be this time?'

[I'm unsure, Vent…but we'll overcome it like we always do] X assured.

"No new missions…" Lan grumbled as he skated away from school the next day, "Lousy stinkin'..."

"Why am I not surprised Chaud and Protoman took them all?" Vent pondered.

[You really lit a fire in them with that curbstomp when you combined with Papa and Zero, Vent] Leviathan giggled as Lan spotted Dex up ahead.

"Hey, Dex!" Lan greeted, skating up to be beside him, "You up for a NetBattle?"

"Anytime, anyplace," Dex grinned before Maylu came up by them on her scooter, "Hey, you wanna come watch us NetBattle, Maylu?"

"Sorry, guys, it's my piano lessons day," Maylu apologized.

"I'd love ta join in, but Model A loves listening when Maylu's practicing," Ashe grinned before blowing a kiss at Vent, "Kick ass and take names, Vent~"

"Language!] Maylu and X scolded.

"See ya, May…" Lan began before a boy ran past Lan, knocking him over, "UGH!"

"Gomen!" the boy apologized in his running.

"Ow…Anyone get the number of that car that hit me…?" Lan groaned before his hand felt something, making him look to see a card of sorts, "Ah!" he held it up, "Hey! You forgot something!"

"What's with that kid?" Dex asked as he helped up Lan.

"He's from the class next to ours," Maylu noted, "Tory Froid, I think is his name."

"Froid, huh? I delivered programs from SciLab to his father I believe," Vent recalled, "He works in the WaterWorks, which is where all the water in Den Tech comes from."

"Really?" Lan asked, "What's the Network there like?"

"It may have changed since the last time I saw that place, but I remember it felt a bit like a water park," Vent replied.

"So what'd he drop?" Ashe asked.

"It looks like a key card to the WaterWorks," Lan replied after looking it over.

"We'd better take this to the WaterWorks later," Vent advised.

Tory panted as he slowed to a stop at a three-way intersection. A black car with tinted windows drove up to him and opened the passenger door. Tory grimaced with a small glare as Maddy smirked at him.

"...What's the matter, kid? You've got quite the scary look on you," Maddy noted in amusement.

"..." Tory slowly got into the passenger seat and Maddy drove off with him.

"...Hey, Vent…"

"What's up, Lan?" Vent asked, looking up from some information documents he had downloaded to better map out the Network and out the screen of the PeT to the bathtub Lan was in, looking up at the ceiling.

"Is there…something wrong with me?"

"What do you mean, Lan?" Vent pondered, concern in his tone.

"Lately…I…" Lan took in a breath of air and exhaled it, "Whenever I'm around Maylu, I feel weird. L-Like something's wrong with my stomach."

Vent blinked a few times, "Well, Lan…is it a bad feeling in your stomach?"

"No. It…It just feels weird, like something's in it moving around."

Vent nodded, "And what else happens? Do you feel warm when she's close? Or like you don't want her that close?"

"Huh? Um…it…it feels nice when she's close…"

"..." Vent chuckled, "Lan, I think you're developing a crush."

"A…A crush?! Like how Dex acts weird around her?" Lan asked.

"Lan, the important thing about this is that you just keep being yourself. Girls like it when you are just being yourself," Vent advised, "Though I have to ask…what brought this on? How long have you been feeling like this?"

"It…well…I've been feeling like this since a few parkour lessons ago," Lan replied, "Remember when Maylu slipped?"

"I do," Vent replied, managing to hide the wince as a scream echoed in his head as pain lanced through his stomach.

[FLASHBACK]

"Okay! You've been doing great, Lan!" Ashe beamed, the screen she was jacked into showing her on the Network as she waved a hand, displaying a map of the part of Den Tech they were in, "You're ready to take on this route with Maylu!"

"Alright!" Lan cheered.

"It feels good getting back to the harder stuff," Maylu noted, "Why can't you apply this kind of effort to your homework, Lan?"

"It's too boring," Lan grumbled.

"Boring or not, you just have to get it over with so you don't have to go into a panic doing it at the last minute," Vent scolded, "Why do you think I asked Mama to install that lock on the computer that won't turn off until you do your assignments?"

Maylu giggled as Lan fumed.

[Pick on the boy's habits later; talk about their route first] Zero scolded.

"Right, right, right. Okay, this is the last day that parts of the route will be available because of construction companies coming to start tearing stuff down," Ashe explained, showing a news article, "Apparently, it's for an amusement park to be opened later this year."

"A-Amusement park?" Vent repeated.

"Huh?! They're tearing everything down? Even the park near here?" Lan asked.

"No. It seems they're gonna incorporate it into the amusement park," Ashe replied, looking at the article.

"So nothing's gonna get wrecked at the park?" Maylu asked.

"Nope," Ashe confirmed before both pre-teens sighed in relief, "...I'll ask about that later. For now…" she waved a hand and a red line appeared on the digital map of the area, "This is your route. Your ending point is a few streets down from a nice cafe you can have breakfast at as we can go over things you did while on the course. Vent and I will follow you kids on the ground via Gow, ok?"

"Okay!" both replied as Gow gave a bark.

A few minutes later, the two were laughing as they ran along a rooftop, Maylu in the lead. She jumped and made it across the gap to the next rooftop, doing a roll before resuming her run with Lan coming up behind her. A window above a door into the abandoned structure was the right size for them to jump through, Lan quickly taking the lead as they made their way down the stairs and out the third floor window onto the two-story building's narrow rooftop. Maylu smirked as she picked up the pace and jumped at the chimney of the roof, using it as a wall to jump over Lan and take the lead again. As they reached the end of the roof, the park and its trees began to come into view. Maylu reached the end of the roof only for her foot to catch a raised broken piece of the roof tiles. Her eyes widened as she ended up falling instead of jumping.

"KYAAAA!"

"MAYLU!" Lan shouted, looking at the area in his run before jumping off.

Lan grabbed onto Maylu, keeping her close. He managed to land against the tree across them, bending his legs, before he started using the tree and the side of the building to land on the ground, the two tumbling a bit on the landing. For a few moments, neither moved from the spot on the ground, keeping their eyes closed as they slowly registered what happened. Gow barked frantically as he ran over, skidding to a halt and whimpering.

"Are you two okay?!" Ashe asked in a panic, "Do we need an ambulance? I-I'm gonna call an ambulance! You two stay here until it comes! I…"

"Ashe…Ashe…Roll!" Vent called out, "I think it's just shock."

"How do you know?! You're not a doctor!"

"W…We're okay," Maylu assured, the two slowly sitting up, "I…I got my foot caught on a piece of the rooftop."

"Glad I was able to help you," Lan spoke, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Will you please stop moving until I can get an ambulance here?!" Ashe demanded.

"Roll, we're alright," Maylu sighed.

"Is she always like this when something like that happens?" Lan asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Maylu sighed.

"Can you blame me?!"

"She's going to be like this for a few hours," Maylu shook her head before hugging him.

"H-Huh?" Lan blinked a few times.

"Thanks for saving me, Lan," Maylu thanked, "Though…I think we're done with our parkour for the day."

"For ever is what you mean!"

"She'll calm down later," Maylu assured, ending the hug before looking around, "It's been a while since I last came here."

"Same," Lan nodded, "You think the playground's still there?"

"Maybe. Do you want to look?"

"Ah! What are you two doing?! Where are you going?! Get back here! N-No service?! Gah! Why can't I call an ambulance?!"

"Gow, keep up with them. I'll try to calm Roll down."

Gow barked as he followed after the two as they walked into the park. As they walked, Maylu rested her head on Lan's shoulder. He looked at her and opened his mouth.

"I'm alright. You just have a comfy shoulder," Maylu assured, causing him to blush.

[END]

"You were crazy jumping like that."

"I knew I could do it after looking at what was on the way down," Lan replied, "It was simple angles and physics. Why does Ashe even freak out like that when she falls, anyway? She did that last year when we went to that amusement park for a field trip."

Vent hid the grimace, "It's…personal for her." a hand rubbed his stomach, 'For me as well…' "When she feels ready, I'm sure she'll tell Maylu."

"I hope so," Lan noted.

"So…what was it at that time that you felt…different?"

"Oh! Well…it…it was when she thanked me," Lan replied, "I mean…I've been hugged by her before, but…but it felt…weird. Like there was…more…than normal to it. Maybe it was the location o-or something, but…" he put a hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating faster, "...but lately, my heart feels like it wants to come out of my chest when she gets close enough to me…"

"It's a pretty important place, that park…" Vent noted.

"Of course it is! It's when Maylu and I first met as little kids!"

[Really?] Phantom asked.

"Yeah. We were…um…three if I remember right. She was getting bullied by this kid a year older than us, so I threw a bucket at his head. He ran off, crying for his mommy, and I promised to protect her from anymore bullies," Lan explained, "We spent a few hours playing together in that playground and at the end, we decided to make a lucky charm there."

[A lucky charm?] Harpuia repeated.

"Uh-huh. We wrote our names in the inside of that concrete bubble," Lan replied, "It's our lucky charm, a physical promise that we'll always be together."

[That sounds precious] X noted.

[Good thing Leviathan isn't here. She'd be cooing] Fafnir chuckled.

"Ugh…Yeah, no…" Lan shuddered as he turned the faucet on to rinse his hair…only for no water to come out, "Huh?"

'And so, it begins…' Vent thought.

"Oh no…Did the bill not get paid?" Maylu pondered, looking at the faucet in the kitchen in concern.

"Guess we'll be going to the WaterWorks tomorrow after classes," Ashe noted.

[Guess it was a good idea we've been stockpiling water, huh?] Model A asked.

"Great idea," Maylu noted as she walked over to the door to the basement, "...I really hope they don't break the lucky charm…"

"When they build that amusement park, right?"

"Yeah. It's important," Maylu replied, "It's the physical evidence of mine and Lan's promise to one another. I hope we can go there when it opens so we can check on if it's still there…"

"Just don't get on a roller coaster."

"Roll, seriously, what's wrong with roller coasters?" Maylu demanded, stopping from opening the door to look at the television screen.

"They're evil and dangerous!"

"So's being an agent of the CID, but I don't see you overreacting to that."

"That's different!"

"It's more dangerous than a roller coaster! The attack at our school and the aquarium?" Maylu pointed out.

[We also stopped the World Three from causing a fire with the oven the day you met Vent] Model A added.

"You're not helping, Model A!"

"..." Maylu frowned, "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Maylu?"

"I'm glad I took a bath before the water shut off," Maylu noted as she made her way to the stairs, "Good night, sis."

"Ah…M-Maylu?" Ashe gawked as Maylu went upstairs, "...Dammit."

"Morning, Mom!" Lan greeted in the morning.

"Oh...Lan...Morning!" Haruka greeted.

"What's wrong? Not feeling well?" Lan asked in concern.

"No, it's just...The water's off still. I'm really glad you bought all that water, otherwise we wouldn't have breakfast…" Haruka noted.

"Aw what? Still no water?" Lan asked in concern.

"That's not good," Vent noted before the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Haruka spoke, answering the door, "Oh! Good morning, Maylu."

"Good morning, Mrs. Hikari," Maylu greeted, "I was coming over to check on if you had running water."

"Sadly, no. …Wait, are you having issues with water as well?"

"Yeah," Maylu replied, "I lost water last night before I could make dinner."

"Oh dear. Well, come in then. With the water Lan stockpiled over the last few weeks, we have enough to make a few meals," Haruka offered, letting Maylu come in.

"Hi, Maylu," Lan waved, "You didn't have water, either?"

"No. I can't even wash my face before school…" Maylu grimaced as, in the Network, Vent and Ashe entered the house network.

"Morning, Roll," Vent greeted before seeing Ashe rubbing her arm with a pensive look on her face, "...Roll?" he walked over to her, "What's going on?"

"...I think I goofed up last night and Maylu doesn't want to talk to me…" Ashe whispered.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Vent asked, quickly wiping some of her tears that were forming.

"I…I don't want her going near any amusement park because they have roller coasters, b-but I don't want to tell her why!" Ashe replied, not seeing Vent tense, "I…I can't have the last time repeat. Never again."

"..." Vent rubbed the back of his head, "I…Yeah. It…It was pretty bad…"

"...I…I never did fully apologize, did I?" Ashe asked.

"Hm?"

"F…For using RollArrow on you," Ashe explained.

{That explains why Vent has that reaction…} Phantom thought.

"It…It's fine, Roll."

"No, no it wasn't. I overreacted and didn't try to listen to you for weeks!" Ashe shook her head, rubbing the back of her head in exasperation, "I was a real bitch and…" she looked up at him, remorse in her eyes, "I'm really stubborn and I should have listened and not just…"

"Roll, enough," Vent spoke, putting his hands on her shoulders, "What happened is in the past. What matters is what comes next." he nudged her head up to look him in the eyes, "If we dwell on the past too much, we'll end up consumed by it." his eyes softened, "Don't beat yourself up over it, alright? Ciel's gathering everything she can on Regal, so there's a chance we won't have a replay of that incident. We're also stronger than we were in our original lives as Megaman and Roll."

"...I…I don't want to have it ever happen," Ashe sniffled, Vent holding her close as she muffledly cried into his chest.

'That day…' Vent thought, an ache going through his heart, 'I won't let it repeat…for all our sakes.'

"Yikes…even the pond's empty!" Lan whispered with wide eyes as he saw the pond at the school was without any water at all, "...What if there's no water at school?"

"Oh no! I hope not!" Maylu gasped.

"Guys!" the two looked to see Ciel coming over on her scooter.

"Ciel!" Lan spoke up, "No water at your place?"

"No. Alouette was really upset because we were planning to have her favorite oatmeal this morning," Ciel sighed, "Dad thinks that this is a World Three plot. Chaud's been deployed to check the WaterWorks."

"Oh come on," Lan frowned, "He'll just delete the World Three agent if it is them and we won't get anything out of it."

"Oh no he won't," Ciel frowned, "I have him on probation. One more deleted World Three NetNavi without prior approval or valid reasoning outside of 'They were World Three' and he'll be stuck on desk duty for the rest of the year."

Lan nodded, "He's a downright jerk."

"How's Roze?"

"Alouette absolutely loves him," Ciel giggled, "He's been a good NetNavi for her and has been giving Dad and I as much details as he can about the World Three."

"What do you need us to do?"

"We'll check everywhere to see how bad the damage is," Ciel ordered, earning nods from the two.

"Hey, guys!" Yai greeted as she spotted the trio enter.

"Yai, is everything alright with your water?" Lan asked as Yai and Dex ran over.

"It's all shut off at our place," Yai replied.

"Yeah, same here," Dex grimaced.

"Don't tell anyone but...A kid from Class B is missing!" Yai added.

"Huh? Someone's missing?" Lan asked.

"It could be they're just sick today," Ciel noted before the bell rang.

"It may be or it may not. I'm just telling you what I've heard," Yai shrugged as they all got to their seats and Ms. Mari walked into the room.

"I'd like to begin homeroo…" Ms. Mari began.

"Ms. Mari! We don't got no water at my house!" Dex called before more students began to complain.

"Mmm…" Ms. Mari frowned before whistling loudly, making everyone stop, "Now be quiet, we're going to talk about that in homeroom." once a few moments passed, she spoke again, "...Now, Class, you all know that the town water has stopped. Right now, we're unsure why it's stopped or when it will be fixed, so…" she sighed, "The school has decided that classes will be canceled until the water comes back."

'That's new,' Vent and Ashe thought.

"Well, that makes things easier," Ciel whispered as students began to get up.

"Wait! Don't walk around too much, you'll get thirsty!" Ms. Mari warned.

"So what now?" Dex asked.

"If things are like this at our school, I need to go pick up my little sister," Ciel spoke, "She's going to be upset by this change in her schedule."

"Hmm…Hey, why don't you let me help?" Yai offered.

"Huh?"

"Yummy~!" Alouette cheered, drinking a cup of water in Yai's clubhouse.

"So this is your little sister, huh?" Maylu pondered, "She's really cute."

"That she is. You remember what to say, Alouette?" Ciel asked as she accepted the empty cup.

"Thank you, Ms. Yai!" Alouette thanked before holding up her plush and spoke in a tough (for the child) voice, "Meow. Thanks for all the yummy water! We were parched, meow!"

"Oh that's adorable," Yai noted with a smirk.

"Big Sis made him for me!" Alouette beamed.

{My god…She's acting just like she did when she actually was that age} Zero thought, a drop of digital sweat going down the back of his form.

"You're awesome, Yai!" Dex cheered.

"Well, what can I say? My family always makes sure to have enough water stocked up to last for an entire year," Yai shrugged.

"It's nice ta meetcha, Alouette! I'm Ashe!" Ashe grinned, 'Ugh…The one thing I hate about being a NetNavi and not human anymore…limited interactions with kids to be a good role model for them.'

'Hard to believe the leader of the Guardians was…no…no, I can believe it,' Vent thought, shaking his head.

"Still…This is troubling," Dex frowned, "Shouldn't the WaterWorks have something for emergencies like this?"

"They should," Yai noted, "Glyde, can you go check on the situation there?"

"But of course, Lady Yai," Glyde complied as he left.

"Huh? Check on the…but the security system would…" Ciel began.

"Glyde has a Level Seven Security License," Yai assured.

"Lady Yai, I have reached the Network for the WaterWorks," Glyde informed, "I will now be attempting to access the firewall. One moment, please."

"That is one efficient NetNavi," Ciel noted, blinking a few times in surprise.

"Is this illegal?" Maylu asked quietly to Ciel.

"Mmm…It's not, really. So long as she doesn't interfere with the systems, it's not a felony to look around," Ciel noted softly.

"We've got an emergency!" Glyde informed, "Lady Yai, the entire WaterWorks Network is covered in ice!"

"Ice?" Lan pondered.

"That explains it!" Ciel gasped, "If the systems are frozen, then it means that nothing's operating in there…" her eyes widened, "Including the filtration systems!"

"That's bad, isn't it?" Alouette asked, looking up at Ciel.

"Very bad, Alouette. It's what makes the water safe to drink," Roze spoke from her PeT that was peeking out of her cat plush.

"Glyde, please get out of there," Ciel warned, "This is…" everyone jumped when the screen flickered and disconnected.

"Glyde…Glyde?" Yai asked in worry.

"What happened to Glyde?" Dex asked.

"I hope he's okay," Maylu noted in concern.

"Mmm…" Yai frowned before walking to her recliner and sat in it, "Everyone, sit on the couch!"

"Huh?"

"Best do what she says," Vent advised.

"Ohh~I have a good feeling about this!" Ashe grinned in excitement as everyone sat down on the couch with Alouette sitting in Ciel's lap and Maylu in Lan's, much to both their embarrassment.

As if on cue, seatbelts appeared and held them in place. Yai's recliner rose up and folded out before shooting down into a tunnel that was exposed by the changing recliner. The others all yelped, aside from a cheering Ashe, Model A, and Model F, as the couch shot down into the floor into its own tunnel. Inside of a large tunnel, a yellow limousine rose up from the floor, a Maid dressed as a driver at the wheel. The back opened up, revealing empty slots in the car. Above, a panel opened and Yai was lowered down in her recliner-now shaped to look like a car seat-and settled into one slot. With the others, the couch stopped its descent before moving quickly several meters to the left and shot back up into another tunnel. The underside of the car moved and the couch rose up into the other slot in the back. Everything in the car sealed up.

"To the WaterWorks, Deloris!" Yai ordered.

"Roger," the maid replied, pulling her left hand's racing glove tight.

"What in the world…?" Ciel whispered in shock.

"Never underestimate the rich!" Ashe laughed, "Let's go again after we save Glyde!"

[Can we not and say we did?] Zero and Leviathan demanded.

With that, the maid pushed a red button on the dashboard. A metal panel rose up behind the vehicle…as rocket engines roared to life. Everyone held on tight from the G Forces as the limo raced down the tunnel. Outside, a cluster of trees connected to a roar parted, allowing a tunnel to rise up from the ground. The limo shot out of it, cutting off the rockets, and zipped down the road.

'This almost felt like some paths back in my old time!' Ciel thought.

"Wee~!" Alouette cheered.

"Is it over?" Roze whimpered.

"Not yet," Vent noted.

"Oh Asimov, why~?"

"Okay…What are we doing?" Dex asked.

"Going to rescue Glyde of course!" Yai replied.

"That's honestly for the best," Vent noted.

"Right. I have a friend there that can help us out," Ciel noted.

'A 'friend,' right…' Lan mentally scoffed as Vent frowned.

"Lan, Maylu, can you two send Vent and Ashe into the network once we arrive? I'd like Gutsman to stay here with us just in case," Ciel spoke.

"Gutsman gonna be the best 'in case' guy, guts!" Gutsman declared, thumping his chest.

"Huh? Why?"

"I feel there may be trouble and I'd like to have someone with us as an emergency," Ciel replied.

"Huh? What about Roze?" Lan asked.

"I'm in a SubPeT right now. I don't have approval for anything heavy duty like Virus Busting yet," Roze explained.

"Sis won't let me have a normal one," Alouette pouted.

"Because I know you'd go straight for one of those underground fight clubs," Ciel replied, a deadpan expression on her face.

"Le gasp! Lies and stinks!" Alouette comically gasped and denied.

"She gave me a map to them all…"

"Roze~!" Alouette whined.

"Have you been able to find it, Maddy?" Wily asked.

"Yeah. It…Wow, it was really ingrained into the systems," Maddy replied, "What kind of program is this?"

"It is the Water Elemental Code," Wily explained, "The very embodiment of all programs that are related to water itself. Send it immediately. If you want to continue spreading chaos, you may do so! And if Megaman and Roll A arrive…delete them if you can."

"Of course, Lord Wily!" Maddy smirked before blowing a kiss, "Delete~"

"Ah…This was quite fun. Eh, kiddo~?" Maddy smirked as she looked at the pensive Tory, squeezing his hands into fists in his lap, "Thanks to you, we're one step closer to our goals in World Three!"

"Noisy…" Alouette mumbled, covering her ears to try to block out the people all screaming and shouting over one another to try to get their complaints about the missing water out to the people at the desks, 'I miss being able to turn off my hearing…'

"Go, go, go," Ciel whispered as the group quickly made their way to an elevator and closed it.

"Seriously, Ciel? More civilians?" Chaud questioned, making everyone jump and look at him reclining against the other end of the elevator.

"Oh great…you," Yai scowled.

"You know Egghead here?" Ashe asked.

"Our companies are rivals," Yai replied, keeping a glare aimed at the ambivalent Chaud, "Lot of years between us."

"Too many with how frivolous your family is with their earnings," Chaud scoffed.

"Mmm…!" Yai fumed.

"Chaud, really," Ciel sighed, pulling the boy to the side and whispered quickly, "They are unaware of our job, Chaud. Don't you dare blow our covers."

"I…"

"I have a collapsible broom in my satchel."

"...Fine."

"Okay! We're done chatting!" Ciel beamed as she walked over to the others, "So, you know about the frozen Network, Chaud?"

"Protoman's been searching for the cause," Chaud replied, "Don't get in our way."

"Like we'd do that," Lan scowled as he glared at Chaud, "Remind me who beat who when we first NetBattled, huh?"

"Lan, not the time," Vent scolded as Chaud narrowed his eyes.

"You just got lucky, Hikari," Chaud stated.

"LAN!" Vent barked before Lan could speak, "It's not worth it right now. We need to find Glyde and defrost the Network when we defrost the filter program first."

"But he…" Lan began before sighing, "Oh fine…"

The elevator went off and the doors opened…before everyone but Chaud jumped on seeing a large, four-legged robot before them.

"Relax," Chaud spoke as he walked up to the robot and put a hand on its arm, "These robots are shut down because the Network is down."

"Seriously?" Lan asked.

"Ciel, I'm moving on. There are a few places I haven't searched yet," Chaud replied as he walked off.

"Send a message with anything you find," Ciel replied, waving him off.

"...He's a big stinky fart," Alouette stated, pouting.

"...Ciel, I just love your little sister," Yai grinned, earning a smile and giggle from her fellow blond.

"What a lousy robot pulling a fast one on us like that," Dex scowled as he bonked the robot upside the head…before it powered on.

"DEX!" everyone screamed as Lan picked up Alouette and they started running…with Dex stuck on the robot's back.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, sorry, sorry~!" Dex screamed before blinking a few times, spotting a control panel on its back, "Oh…!"

"Dead end!" Maylu yelped, seeing a sealed door ahead.

[Really wish I was out there. That door's so flimsy!] Model F complained.

[It's stopped] Model Z spoke up, making Lan, Ciel, and Maylu skid to a halt.

"Ah! What are you…?" Yai began as she noticed they stopped before pausing, seeing the robot had stopped.

"Sorry, guys!" Dex apologized, his PeT plugged into the robot's back, "I fixed it!"

"Gutsman the best!" Gutsman cheered.

"Phew…Keep him in there, Dex," Ciel ordered, "And stay on its back. Gutsman, try to look for anything that may be important in there, ok?"

"You got it!" Dex gave a thumbs up.

"Phew…" Lan sighed in relief before spotting a port on the card scanner by the door, "Oh! Let's get going, Maylu!"

"Right!" Maylu nodded.

"Jack in, Vent/Ashe! Power up!"

"Wow! I haven't seen a place this frozen in years!" Ashe noted, whistling in surprise.

[I'm getting Chronoforce vibes here, Ashe…] Model A noted.

"Same here, Model A. Now let's go rescue Glyde and collect some sweet, sweet booty from the Viruses here!" Ashe grinned, 'And the Data on Coloredman and Iceman…!'

[Uh, guys…?] Model A gulped, floating before a large chunk of ice [I found Glyde…]

The two NetNavis turned and Ashe gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Glyde was stuck in the ice, frozen in a pose of an arm reaching out towards whoever froze him. Ashe grabbed Model A and, in a flash of light, was replaced with a woman in armor resembling Model FX's with the horns pointing backwards.

"Stand back," Roll A ordered as she reeled her fist back, the blaster firmly in hand as she charged it up.

With a roar, she swung her fist and shattered the ice. Glyde gasped out before Vent caught him.

"Easy there, Glyde," Vent softly spoke.

"M-Master Vent…" Glyde groaned before seeing Roll A, "...Miss Roll?"

"Yep. This form's called Atlas," Roll A introduced as she shifted to her normal armored state, "What happened, Glyde?"

"I…I was looking for the cause and…and I saw a NetNavi. I intended to approach with stealth, but…" Glyde grimaced, "Master Vent, it's Coloredman. He and another NetNavi are in here." he eyes widened, "Look out!"

Vent and Roll A grabbed Glyde before jumping out of the way of a stream of snow. They landed and Vent donned Model X. They looked to see a small NetNavi, possibly the size of Alouette even. He had a permanent blush on his cheeks and wore a dark-green parka as a bodysuit and armor with a tassel on the top. His boots and gloves were brown and resembled snow gloves and show shoes while he had a burst of snow shaped like a star as an emblem on his chest. He narrowed his brown eyes at the trio.

"I know you," Vent noted, "You're Dr. Froid's NetNavi, right? Iceman."

"Mmm…How do you know that?"

"I did a delivery to the WaterWorks when I was a courier for SciLab. You were visiting Dr. Froid to make snowmen in the Network for all the workers if I remember that day right," Megaman noted, 'Thank god for backup memory data on my past in this timeline…'

"He's pretty adorable," Roll A noted.

"Shut up!" Iceman fumed.

"Glyde, log out now," Megaman ordered, "You're still injured and you need to run a warming program."

"U-Understood," Glyde nodded, "Stay safe…"

"We'll do our best," Roll A promised as Glyde logged out, letting the two face Iceman, "So…any chance you'll stop this?"

"Shut up!" Iceman repeated before slamming the palm of his hand on the ground.

Spikes of ice came at them, quickly encircling the duo. As ice engulfed them, flashes of light went off and the ice shattered from R-Atlas and Megaman FX's punches. The two slammed both their weapons on the ground, unleashing a blast of heat that melted the ice and snow around them before switching to Roll A and Megaman X. A scream from above made Roll A look up in time to see Iceman jumping at her, a Sword replacing his right hand.

"Whoa now!" Roll A exclaimed, barely catching the sword before throwing the small NetNavi into a pillar of ice and throwing him for a loop, "I'm as much of an ice person as the next, but you do not get to jab me with a sword!" she hugged Megaman's arm, "That's my Hubby's job with his private sword."

"Roll…" Megaman groaned.

"Oh Megaman~!"

"?!" Megaman spun around to see Coloredman smirking at them.

"I know you're a deliveryman and all that, so I have a delivery for you!" Coloredman smiled as he gestured to the side…where a screen popped up showing Maddy holding a knife to a frightened Tory's neck.

"?!" Roll A and Megaman tensed.

"Keep fighting and the kid gets it," Maddy threatened.

"Gh…" Roll A grit her teeth.

"Iceman, if you'd please cool our guests?" Coloredman snickered.

Iceman grimaced before seeing Megaman's face. He gave him an assuring smile, assuring silently he didn't blame Iceman for any of this. Iceman frowned sadly before firing a blast of frozen winds at the two, encasing them in the ice. Maddy smirked as she moved her knife away from the startled Tory.

"Gh…This is bad. I can't send Vent any BattleChips," Lan frowned.

"Neither can I with Roll," Maylu noted in worry before Lan yelped.

"Guys!" Lan exclaimed before the others peeked to see the Biometals minus Model X and A on the screen.

[That idiot forced us back in here before they got frozen!] Zero ranted.

"They're frozen?" Lan asked.

"How?"

[The World Three agent threatened to kill a hostage] Phantom replied [It was Tory Froid, the boy that was missing from school today]

"What?!" Yai gasped.

"Oh man…Not cool!" Dex frowned.

"Mmm…" Alouette whimpered, 'Vent…'

Ciel's PeT rang and she answered, "Chaud?"

"I've found Dr. Froid. He was tied up and locked in a broom closet," Chaud explained.

Ciel nodded, "Chaud, we have a hostage situation. Dr. Froid's son, Tory, is held captive by World Three. They used him to make Vent and Ashe stop fighting and they're currently frozen in the WaterWorks Network. You need to detain the World Three NetNavi. Do not Delete."

"Fine," Chaud huffed.

"So what do we do now?" Dex asked.

"...These robots are meant to be security, right?" Lan asked.

"Yeah," Ciel replied.

"So that means it has to have access to everything down here to deal with intruders, right?"

"...Oh!" Ciel realized.

Alouette giggled as she smiled up at Lan, "Piggyback on the robot?"

"Well, you and Yai probably could," Lan replied.

"Is that a jab about my height?" Yai frowned.

"No, no," Lan quickly replied, holding his hands up and sweating a bit.

"Chaud, is Dr. Froid still with you?" Ciel asked.

"I'm here," an older man's voice replied.

"Sir, where are the emergency manual overrides for the filter system?" Ciel asked.

"...Ah! I nearly forgot about that," Dr. Froid gasped, "If you're still near the elevators, you need to go to the right hallway from the point of view you have of getting off. They're down that hall behind the sixth door on your right. With the robot, you don't need to worry about the access card to get in."

"Card?" Lan repeated as he pulled the one Tory had dropped out, "...Sir, Tory dropped one of those yesterday."

"Ah! That's the spare of mine that they took," Dr. Froid realized, "Who are you?"

"Lan Hikari, sir," Lan replied.

"Alright. That card gives you a higher access than even the robots," Dr. Froid explained, "My son and this World Three agent that kidnapped him are likely in the one place that only that card can grant access to; the main computer room of the entire WaterWorks…and where the WaterCode is."

"Oh shoot," Ciel whispered as her, Lan, and Maylu's eyes widened.

"Right. We'll use the robot to get into the filtration systems to turn on the manual override to get them working again. Once we're in there, Dex will meet you and Chaud with the access card for the main computer room so you can save Tory and get that World Three agent."

"Are you giving me orders, Hikari?" Chaud demanded.

"You got a better idea, Mr. Eggshell?" Lan snarked.

"No fighting!" Ciel ordered, "Chaud, that idea is honestly better than what I was thinking and just keeping the robot with us."

"We can meet you at the filtration room and I can override the commands in the robot to listen to my orders," Dr. Froid informed, "You'll have another person on-hand to turn on the systems. And doing so should cause the filtration program to thaw out and thaw the rest of the network."

"That's good to hear," Maylu noted, 'Hang on, Roll…'

"How do you like that, Megaman, Roll?" Maddy laughed as she held up the knife…and bent it, revealing it to be rubber, "A rubber knife and you give in so fast!"

[This…This is bad…] X noted.

[Why that no-good…] A growled.

'Just wait until they're distracted, Model A,' Roll A thought.

'Lan…Be careful…' Megaman thought.

"Well done, kid! We'll both be worshiped for this!"

'Poor Tory…' Megaman thought, 'X, do you think we can use the MegaBuster to heat the ice and melt it?'

[Possibly…] X replied [We'll need them distracted first, though…]

Alarms began to go off and Tory gasped, "No! The water tanks! If they overflow…"

"This seems to be the end for the WaterWorks!" Maddy laughed as Iceman grit his teeth.

"I won't allow it!" Tory snapped, "Iceman! Iceman, put a stop to the system immediately!"

"Did you forget that I have your Papa? If you don't obey me, then…"

Ashe let out a muffled shout at that before a flash of light went off…revealing Iceman in the ice, now in the hole left in the shape of Roll A.

"Hah?!" Coloredman yelped.

"Sh-She just turned into me!" Iceman gasped as R-Iceman grinned.

"A-Trans! Bifrost!" R-Iceman declared before a flash of light went off and Bifrost roared while shattered the ice 'he' had been trapped in before flashing back into Roll A.

"Gah! I forgot about that power!" Maddy gasped.

"Tory, relax! The Officials have already gotten your Papa out!" Roll A smirked.

"WHAT?!" Maddy shrieked.

"You're serious?"

"Sure am!" Roll A grinned, keeping her lie going, "We got sent in after we found him tied up."

"Ugh! You lousy…" Maddy growled before Iceman blew a blast of freezing winds at Coloreman, forcing him to dodge.

"Vent, hang in there, I…" Roll A began.

[Ignore us. Focus on helping Iceman] X informed [That is what Vent says.]

"...If you're sure," Roll A replied after a moment before turning to shoot the ball away from Iceman before it could hit the smaller NetNavi, "Ready to take down this clown, Iceman?"

"Uh-huh," Iceman nodded.

"I'm not staying here a minute longer! See ya, kid!" Maddy called.

"Gh!" Tory grit his teeth.

"You can deal with that later, Tory," Roll A advised, "You operate Iceman and I'll help as much as I can!"

"R-Right," Tory replied, "Let's go, Iceman!"

Lan and Maylu grunted as they pushed on a rusted wheel. In other parts of the filtration room, Dex grunted as he tried to turn another as Dr. Froid, an older man with silver hair, grunted as blood began to trickle down his palms from the effort of turning his and Chaud's wheel. He pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it around his bleeding palm before resuming. Dex paused, panting for a few moments, before resuming.

"Ugh…" Maylu groaned, "These haven't been used in so long…"

"Come on, Maylu! If we don't do this then all the water…" Lan grimaced as he trailed off, looking at all the rust.

[Is that really all you've got?]

"Model F?" Lan looked at his PeT.

[Is that all your fighting spirit has to burn?!] Model F demanded [How you're a Chosen I'll never get with that weak spirit of yours!]

"Weak?! I'll show you!" Lan growled as he ran back to the wheel and started tugging on it, "I…won't…lose! Not when…everyone is…counting on us!"

[Show it then! Show me it!]

"Lan…" Maylu whispered.

Lan roared as he kept pushing at the wheel, not seeing the fiery aura starting to come off his body nor of how Model F was glowing with the same aura in his PeT. Lan grunted before yelping as the rusted wheel lost its binds and was moving with ease, making him fall onto his face and the aura to vanish.

"Ow…" Lan groaned before looking up at the wheel, "Ah! I…I did it!"

[Nice job, Lan] F complimented [I bet if I ever got to come out to Earth, we could probably MegaMerge]

"Huh? R-Really?!" Lan gawked.

[Lan, we Biometal are special. Far more special than people think] F replied [Naturally hearing our voices is a sign you are someone who has the potential to wear us. But I'm not sure how long you could use the power. We're not meant to be used by humans without special upgrades to their bodies while Pops and Axl's first times MegaMerging with Vent and Ashe downloaded upgrades to better handle the power]

"Whoa~" Lan awed as Dr. Froid, Dex, and Chaud ran over.

"Oh! You managed to get the last one working!" Dr. Froid gasped in surprise.

"There's more to a book than just its cover," Lan grinned, putting his hands behind his head.

'What was that?' Maylu pondered, looking at Lan with wide eyes.

Tory tensed as the door slid open, exposing a security robot. It didn't enter, but instead turned to the side to reveal Alouette and Yai on its back.

"Hi~!" Alouette waved before Ciel peeked in.

"Tory, right?" Ciel asked as Tory started to blush.

'Wh…Who is this…?' Tory thought, "Uh…y-yeah…" a scream from the computer made him turn back to it, "Iceman!"

"Ugh…I forgot he could multiply…" Roll A muttered under her breath as she caught Iceman, having been sent flying from the ball slamming into him, "You okay, Iceman?"

"Ugh…I…I'll be fine…" Iceman replied as Roll A quickly used her Recov Element to heal the Aqua Element NetNavi.

"Can't find the real me, can ya?" Coloredman laughed alongside his myriad of clones.

"...I don't need to find you…" Roll A replied as she had Iceman hold onto her by the back of her armor, "I only need two words to do that!"

"Oh? And those are…?" Coloredman asked.

"GIGA CRUSH!" Roll A roared.

With that, she unleashed her strongest attack. As the barrage went off, Coloredman screamed as his clones were ripped to shreds. Just before they could hit him, his body turned to shadows, letting the attack go through him.

"Phew…Good thing for that Shadow BattleChip I got out of that Chip Trader," Maddy noted.

"OH FUCK YOU, AVOIDANCE CHIPS!" Roll A snapped.

"Swear!" Iceman scolded.

"Seriously?" Roll A deadpanned.

[Behind you!] X shouted for Vent.

Roll A jumped, avoiding the giant ball rolling at them, "Oh, so you wanna have a ball, eh? Well, I've got the form for you! A-TRANS! Argoyle and Ugoyle!"

In a flash of light, Roll A was replaced with a robotic, humanoid, purple shiba with a white open muzzle, blue optics, and wheels replacing their feet and engine pipes acting as a tail. Iceman could help but awe before yelping as a transparent copy appeared beside Argoyle, spotting a closed mouth instead. Coloredman fired his ball once more at them, only for the two to do a backflip, sending the ball back with an aura coming off it. Coloreman yelped and screamed as he was slammed with the ball, knocking him away. The two zipped about, kicking the ball and making the aura grow stronger each time the hologram one kicked it. Finally, R-Argoyle did a flip and slammed her foot into the ball, letting out a shockwave before it slammed into Coloredman, creating an explosion. The smoke dissipated, revealing a groaning Coloredman struggling to stay standing. He prepared to attack when the area started to glow.

"H-Huh…?" Coloredman pondered before the ice melted away, "N-No way!"

"Whoo! Alright, guys!" R-Argoyle cheered as she changed back into Roll A.

"Looks like they did it," Ciel noted, seeing various systems restored back to optimal operations.

"Alright!" Tory, Yai, and Alouette cheered.

"N-No!" Coloredman panicked.

"Coloredman."

"Gh?!" Colorman squeaked as he saw Megaman stand beside Iceman and Roll A, "Hope you're ready."

"F-For what?"

"I have a delivery for you…or, rather, we have a delivery," Megaman stated as he and Roll A held up their blasters, fully charged.

"Your defeat!" Roll A declared as they fired.

"AH!" Coloreman screamed before he quickly logged out, letting the shots miss.

"Whoo! That was great!" Roll A cheered…before she and Vent dropped their transformations and hugged each other, shivering, "N-n-n-now for some hot ch-chocolate…pl-please?"

"I'm sorry," Iceman apologized, bowing to the two as, nearby, Protoman looked out at them.

"So…that's what she can do," Protoman noted, seeing a small sphere of data where Coloredman had been appear and get absorbed into Model A.

[Oh wow! Ashe, Maylu, Coloredman is pretty fast! His normal attack shoots his ball all over while his charged attack can summon allies that can use FireTower or AquaTower!] Model A awed, Maylu standing a bit away from the others to talk quietly with her NetNavi [Meanwhile, Iceman's one chill guy! We can make ice shards with the normal attack and his charged attack can let us use that frozen wind of his to freeze our opponents!]

"I'm glad you're alright, Roll," Maylu noted, seeing her NetNavi wearing a thick blanket and sitting on a couch in the PeT with a hot drink in hand.

"Th-Thanks…" Ashe nodded before looking down, "...Maylu…"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for last night," Roll apologized, "You just mean so much to me and I…I just don't want to see you getting hurt horribly or traumatized from a big fall…"

"..." Maylu sighed, "Roll, I'm sorry, too. You've always been there, looking out for me. I just…really want to try some things, you know? You used to tell me about these amazing stories of treasure hunts and stuff, and it makes me want to explore, too."

Ashe chuckled, rubbing the back of her head, "How about this, then? I'll try to not freak out as bad, but you gotta prove you won't be as reckless as Lan is."

"Deal," Maylu winked, both NetNavi and NetOp sporting relieved smiles as she walked back over.

"I…I'm really sorry," Tory apologized, bowing to the group outside the WaterWorks.

"Hey, you've got nothing to take fault for," Lan assured.

"That's right! It's the World Three's fault!" Maylu agreed.

"Just our luck that we couldn't catch them in time," Yai frowned.

"Still glad we were able to help!" Dex beamed.

Alouette yawned as she leaned against Ciel, "No being a dummy…" she held up her doll and it 'added,' "Meow. You are a good boy wanting to protect your Papa. You're not at fault here, so cheer up, meow."

"Uh…" Tory blinked a few times.

"It's almost time for bed for her," Ciel noted, a hand covering her smile, as she looked over at where Oda was talking to Dr. Froid, "Once our father is done getting statements, it's straight to bed with you, Alouette."

"Mmm..not sleepy…" Alouette mumbled before yawing again.

"Those yawns say otherwise," Ciel countered, picking her up.

"Mmm…" Alouette mumbled as she nuzzled into the older blond.

"That's just too cute," Yai whispered to herself.

"Sakurai."

"Hm?" Maylu looked to see Chaud approach.

"Your NetNavi has more to her than I presumed," Chaud noted.

"Oh! Um…Thanks," Maylu thanked, "I honestly forgot Roll could do that."

"I can understand why you seem to be a person of interest…Buckfire," Chaud stated, making Maylu tense.

"Buckfire? Ya mean 'Buckfire the Brave?'" Dex asked, "Da best NetNavi in those pit things I've heard on the BBS? I heard he vanished a year ago from the scene without explanation."

"Maylu?" Yai asked, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Ugh…How did you know?" Ashe groaned.

"Protman was about to intervene when you showed off your power to shapeshift," Chaud explained, "Those mechanical animal forms she used looked quite similar to how Buckfired looked from what limited footage that could be found of those underground NetBattles."

"Wow! Did not think you'd do that kinda stuff, Maylu," Yai noted as the redhead blushed.

"Hey, anytime you're up for facing a legend, I'm game!" Ashe grinned, "Just be ready for the loss you'll take!"

[Can we not today?] Model A whined [I wanna go home and sleep in a nice warm bed]

Maylu giggled, glad for Model A, "Okay, Model A. We'll get you home soon enough."

"Excuse me, kids," Oda spoke as he walked over with Dr. Froid, "Need to speak with these three…" he gestured to Lan, Chaud, and Maylu, "...real quick since their NetNavis were the ones involved in the fightin' here."

"We're good to head home, Tory," Dr. Froid spoke before nodding to Oda, who nodded in return.

"See you tomorrow at school, Tory," Yai spoke.

"Yeah! Let's hang out sometime, alright?" Dex grinned.

"...Y-Yeah!" Tory nodded, a relieved smile on his face as Oda led the three away from the others.

"You kids did good," Oda complimented, "Unfortunately, they stole the WaterData that was used here in the WaterWorks. We'll have to beef up security for the WoodData and ElecData."

"Sir…Where are these programs, anyway?" Vent asked.

"The WoodData is secured in Officials HQ as of last night," Oda explained, "The ElecData, however, is in a place where we can't move it without major consequence." he looked over at SciLab in the distance, "The Power Plant beneath SciLab."

"Wh-What?!" Lan and Maylu gasped.

"We're going to have to increase security detail in the Power Plant to prevent World Three from obtaining that data," Oda explained.

"Sir…is the ElecData doing something vital for the Power Plant?" Vent asked.

"It helps regulate the energy that is used and released," Oda explained, "Ciels is working on a program that can replace the ElecData so we can have it removed and relocated to prevent World Three from getting it."

"She's really smart," Maylu noted.

"That she is!" Oda beamed before frowning, "Still…anything I should be aware about?"

"Model A and I copied Coloredman's data today," Ashe explained, "We'll be able to provide more data on what techniques he's capable of in a few days."

Oda nodded, "Dismissed. I have your friends left to interview about this."

"We'll wait by Yai's limo," Lan replied as the two quickly left.

"I'm starting to really regret agreeing to do those underground fights," Maylu sighed.

"I sorta regret it, but it also got you and me to achieve FullSynchro," Ashe noted.

"Just be careful if you do end up fighting Protoman, Roll," Vent warned.

"Eh, if I fight him long enough, I'll be able to A-Trans into him, remember? Then he'll have to watch out for me!" Ashe assured with an excited grin.

"Really wish I could've done more," Lan frowned.

"Lan, you did more than enough," Maylu assured, "You got the last wheel turned in order to save the water that everyone needs in the city."

"I did, but still…" Lan frowned.

"Oh! Vent, Ashe, something weird happened when Lan did that," Maylu noted.

"Huh? Something weird?" Lan pondered.

"You were glowing! It was like you had this fire coming off you!" Maylu explained.

"...Model F?" Lan asked.

[Like I said, us Biometals are mysterious] Fafnir chuckled.

"Model F…a…are you resonating with Lan?" Vent asked.

[Maybe] Fafnir replied [Won't know until we figure out a way out of here and onto Earth to fully see]

GT: Hoo…This took me a bit to write. Several days at that. The original plan for the WaterWords was for Lan to have gone into MegaMerge with Model F already, but after a bit, I thought it'd be better to hold off on something like that until an event allows Model F to be out on Earth. Things would be a bit too easy for the cast if he could do it with just his PeT.

Chapter 9: It's Game Time

Chapter Text

GT: I'm going to let everyone know this in advance: not all anime episodes will be adapted to this story if I feel that there is not much to change about them. Like several of the world tour episodes. I should probably also probably go over something I should've addressed involving Chapter 7. The reason Chaud and Protoman lost is because of Vent. He has knowledge of how they fight and has spent more years battling than they have with far greater consequences if he lost in any of them. He's been battling a long war against Mavericks and Model W. Add in the power of the Biometals, especially Model X combined with Model Z, and he didn't really have a chance. But this also means to spur Chaud and Protoman on to become stronger to overcome the Blue Megaman.

"You know what stuns me?" Ashe asked, sharing Vent's PeT with her boyfriend.

"No. What is it?" Vent replied.

"Why are we standing in line when, oh I don't know…we could pre-order the dang game online?!" Ashe complained as Lan, Maylu, and Dex were standing in a long line heading towards Higsby's store.

"Because they haven't made digital pre-orders for consoles yet. That's next year," Vent reminded her, "Though…I'm still surprised Higsby also sells video games."

[Considering the prices for his BattleChips…I'm not surprised he has to branch out to other things] Zero huffed.

[Vent, Ashe, was this…?]

'Yeah, it was, X,' Vent replied, 'And cue Masa.'

"Hey, what's with this line? Is the Prime Minister here or something?" Masa asked as he biked over to the trio.

"Nope," Lan replied, shaking his head, "We're in line to get a preorder for a new video game."

"Oh! Masa! Glad to see you're here!" Ashe beamed "Was hoping to order a delivery later!"

"Roll…" Maylu groaned.

"Oh come on, Maylu. You've been wanting to try that new recipe for several days now," Ashe pointed out.

"A recipe involving fish?" Masa asked.

"Yep! I'm pretty sure you have the right type, too!" Ashe grinned.

Vent rolled his eyes before turning as Sharkman appeared in the PeT. Vent quickly muted the PeT and waved a hand, making a table appear with some tea.

"Neat trick," Sharkman noted as the two sat across from one another.

"It's easy enough to learn," Vent offered as he poured the tea for them both, "What's the situation?"

"Heads up; we've been dealing with a string of thefts in the area, each time the security levels have been increasing," Sharkman explained.

"Any agents on the job?"

"Sal and Woodman have been the ones in charge of this," Sharkman replied, taking a drink of his tea, "We got an EMail sent a few minutes ago from her. The next attack will be a Level 9 system…and there's only one place in town with that level."

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say the Ayano Family's mansion," Vent 'guessed.'

"Exactly," Sharkman replied with a nod, "Any chance ya can get access for Woodman?"

"If we're lucky, Ashe and I will be at the Ayano Family mansion tonight," Vent replied, "We'll send the link for Woodman to be deployed if we get in."

"Great," Sharkman nodded, "...So…what's happening out there?"

"Huh?" Vent blinked a few times.

[Masa is causing a scene] Phantom stated.

"Masa is causing a scene?" Vent repeated.

[He's arguing with Higsby] Phantom noted.

"Because of course he's arguing with the formerly mind-controlled ex-World Three member…" Vent groaned.

"Sometimes he goes a little too far in his cover…" Sharkman groaned, facepalming.

"And Lan is out of line," Vent shook his head.

[As are Dex and Maylu] Fafnir added.

"Son of a bitch," Vent sighed in exasperation before looking out the screen and chuckled, "Hey, Sharkman?"

"What?"

"Look at your NetOp," Vent snickered.

"Hm?" Sharkman looked and his large jaw dropped to the floor, seeing Masa completely flustered and poking his pointer fingers as Ms. Mari smiled at him, "Wh-What?! What is this?!"

"I think he has a crush on Ms. Mari," Vent noted.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Sharkman exclaimed in utter disbelief.

'Glad to see that his crush on Ms. Mari didn't change,' Vent thought in amusement, 'And now we have a good excuse for us to get that link for Woodman.'

[How so?] X asked.

'The game, Maxima's Warrior, is made by GABCOM,' Vent replied.

[Oh~!] the majority of the Biometals noted in realization.

"Better get back to your PeT, Sharkman. I'll make sure to get that link for Woodman for tonight," Vent replied, "I think I've got a good idea what this attacker plans on stealing tonight."

"Y-You do?"

"Maxima's Warrior," Vent replied, "With how many people want to play it, this game means a ton to them all and GABCOM especially. Think of the issues that could develop for GABCOM due to this situation and the chaos that could be brought by this theft."

"?!" Sharkman's eyes widened before his eyes sharpened, "Gotcha. I'll make sure Sal and Woodman are ready for it."

Vent nodded, shaking hands with his fellow NetNavi before the shark left, letting Vent unmute the PeT, "Guess we're in trouble, huh?"

"You said it, Vent," Lan sighed, "The line's reached the limits for pre-orders for the game and we didn't get into it because we got distracted."

"It's hard to not want to see a fight between an Otaku and a Fishmonger," Dex admitted.

"Was honestly hoping to see what Maxima's Warrior is like since it's a VR game," Vent admitted.

"You said it, Vent! NetNavis can even work with their NetOps in it!" Ashe agreed before sighing, "Sure it'd be VR, but I'd still get to do more with Maylu…"

"I was looking forward to it, too, Ashe," Maylu agreed before a familiar pink limo drove over.

"Hey~! What are you guys doing here?" Yai asked, poking her head out of the limo with Ciel.

"Yai? Ciel?" Lan pondered.

"We were planning to preorder Maxima's Warrior," Vent replied.

"But these three got distracted by Higsby and Masa getting all argumentative and then infatuated with their teacher," Ashe huffed.

"Oh like you didn't say 'Fifty Zenny on the fishmonger,'" Maylu grumbled, making Ashe sheepishly rub the back of her head.

"Oh-hoh~! So that's why you're here," Yai noted.

"That's the latest game getting a midnight release tonight, right?" Ciel asked.

"Yep! And my family's company, GABCOM, made it," Yai grinned before winking, "You guys want to come over to my place? If I ask Papa, I could get it real fast."

"R-Really? Yai, you don't have to do that…" Lan began.

"Hey, you're my friends! Of course I wanna do this!" Yai beamed.

"I gotta be honest, I forgot about that," Dex admitted.

"S-Seriously?" Yai asked in surprise.

Ciel giggled, "I guess that because they don't see you as the daughter of GABCOM's president, but as our friend named Yai."

"Aw guys…" Yai blushed as she saw the agreeing looks they were giving.

Ashe and Vent couldn't help the smiles on their faces. The friendships made by their NetOps had always been a true and honest one, no taking advantage and even forgetting things like the importance of the families they have. Even when Dex and Yai had moved to different countries entirely, they had still remained close friends.

'Even if things are different…I know they'll still be connected to each other,' Ashe thought, 'We just need to keep these days to make happy memories with one another.'

"You really believe that Megaman and Roll A will be there when you attack?" Wily asked.

"Of course. We're targeting the company of a friend of their NetOps," Zap replied on the monitor, "With focus aimed at Elecman and me with our 'shopping spree' in rising security levels, all eyes will be focused on GABCOM's network!"

"Meaning we can obtain either the ElecCode or WoodCode while all eyes are elsewhere," Wily noted, "Excellent planning, Count Zap!" he rubbed his chin in thought, "I'd rather wait for the ElecCode. There's an event coming up that will make the perfect opportunity to truly strike fear into these Network-loving sheep. While you have them focused on you, I will deploy two of our best to get the WoodCode."

"Of course!" Count Zap grinned, "Delete!"

=Remember your manners now, Lan= X reminded, the friends all at a long dining table in Yai's mansion.

'I am, I am…' Lan thought, swallowing a bite of his steak, "Honestly, a bit envious here. You get to eat like this daily, Yai?"

"Of course," Yai replied, sitting by the head of the table where an older man in a business suit was enjoying his own meal.

"So you're the kids who my little girl's been using the security system to help give you two not only workouts, but also helping vastly improve it!" Yai's father recognized as Lan and Maylu blushed.

"Indeed they are, Daddy," Yai confirmed.

He chuckled, "Honestly…this is the first time my daughter's ever brought friends over to dinner. She's a rather shy girl."

"That's quite the surprise," Maylu admitted.

"True, you wouldn't know that given her personality," he admitted with a small smile at his daughter.

"Ahh…Daddy~" Yai pouted.

"Ah, sorry, sorry," he apologized.

"I hope it was alright with helping to upgrade the security system, sir," Ciel noted.

"It's perfectly fine and truly a blessing," he assured, "When the normal testers for these systems checked it out, you all helped escalate it from a Level 8 up to 9!"

'Oh shit…' Vent and Ashe thought, freezing up in the PeTs.

"By the way, Yai said none of you were able to pre-order Maxima's Warrior. Is that right?"

"Yep! Gutsman and I spent a few days after school working on getting enough Zenny to get it even with the allowance we saved up," Dex replied.

"Virus Busting is pretty fun and a good way to get some extra Zenny," Lan nodded.

"In the end, we got distracted long enough that the line reached the limit before we could get in it," Maylu admitted.

"There's just something about a nerd and fishmonger getting into a spat that is just so darn distracting to witness," Ashe admitted.

"I see," he nodded, "Well…With all your help with the security and for being my daughter's friends…" he winked at them in a familiar manner they all knew from Yai, "We'll get that dealt with here then!"

"Really, Daddy?!" Yai gasped in glee.

"But of course!" he chuckled, patting her head, "Your friends have done something truly wonderful that I can never repay for in my opinion. Let's get them settled!" a maid approached with a covered platter, placing it on the table and uncovering it to reveal an elegant set of finely-made strawberry parfaits, "...After dessert, of course."

"Indeed!" Yai agreed.

'Well she had to get it from somewhere,' Ciel thought.

"Whoa~ It's like an electronic fortress here," Lan awed, looking at the myriad of computers and supercomputers set up.

"The original data of all our video games is stored here as well as inside of several USBs to make room for more games," Yai's father explained.

"The original game data?" Maylu repeated.

"Indeed. At midnight, Maxima's Warrior will be sent to all stores globally," he explained, "There, the data will be transferred to the sent data discs to be sold." he looked over at another computer, "But next year, we'll be changing things up with the next generation of consoles."

"How so?"

"The next generation will have digital stores that you can pre-order digital versions of games to store on your console," Yai explained, "So situations like this will be a thing of the past unless you want a physical copy…which you'll want for special extras that will be provided in physical merchandise."

"Nice tactics," Ashe complimented.

"So if the data was stolen or deleted here…" Lan grimaced.

"There's nothing to worry about. Our mansion is protected by a Level 9 security system," Yai's father explained, "As for the data itself? It's under an even stronger security system of Level 10."

"Any intruders will be caught on site both in the Network and here!" Yai declared with a grin.

Maylu, Dex, and Lan all shuddered, "We know, we know…"

"And with how strong the system is, no chance of an early playthrough," Ciel surmised.

"Indeed," Yai's father nodded.

"Huh?!" Yai gawked.

"Ah, it's fine," Lan assured.

"We're alright with being patient," Maylu assured, "It was already more than a blessing that your father allowed us to get a pre-order here."

"Mmm…Oh! Since the game comes out at midnight…Then why not stay here, guys?" Yai offered, "A big slumber party in the treehouse and we can play the game in there when it comes out!"

"Sounds fun, Yai," Vent noted.

"I'll be sure to send some maids to provide good catering for it," Yai's father offered, "And when midnight comes out, I'll have some bring your copies."

"You're the best, Daddy!" Yai cheered, hugging the man.

"Thank you, Mr. Ayano!" the kids thanked.

'This is perfect,' Ciel thought, 'Sal and Woodman will have extra cover from Vent, Ashe, Lan, and Maylu being here. When I get a moment, I'll send her the link to the network.'

Zap hummed as his small light bulb-covered hot air balloon casually soared through the night sky. He had a computer set up with Elecman inside of it, getting things all set up for himself. Attached to it was a small robotic firefly, ready for deployment. Zap looked over the side of his basket to look upon the Ayano Mansion. He grinned before looking at a watch on his wrist.

"10:27," Zap noted before looking to Elecman, "Want to do it now or wait until it's closer to midnight?"

"I'd say closer to midnight. Once it hits, the data won't be able to be sent out to anyone," Elecman replied, "Can't wait to take on the Level 9 defenses."

"Same here! …So, uh…"

"Yes, I'd be up for playing the swiped game. Just because no kids will get to play it doesn't mean that we can't."

"WHOO!" Zap cheered under his breath.

'What I wouldn't give for a coffee instead of a hot chocolate…' Ciel thought, taking a sip of the sweet warm beverage before glancing over at Lan, Yai, and Maylu as they talked…while Dex was passed out on the other sofa, "Should we all take a quick nap with an alarm?"

"I'll be glad to…"

"Vent, don't you dare subject them to your horn!" Lan quickly panicked.

"...Horn?" Yai and Ciel repeated.

"He plays Reverie to wake Lan up," Maylu explained, "Sometimes me, too, it's so loud…"

"Sorry, Maylu," Vent sheepishly apologized.

"At 11:50, we'll get the link that will connect the widescreen here to the Network where Maxima's Warrior is," Yai informed, "We'll be able to play at midnight exactly!"

"That's good to hear," Ciel noted, 'So at 11:50, I'll be able to link Sal and Woodman to the Network…'

"It's showtime," Zap grinned deviously as the clock reached a few minutes before midnight.

The firefly robot twitched before unplugging itself from the laptop. Its eyes flashed as Elecman began to pilot it, flying about and nimbly dodging the infrared lasers utilized by the security system before landing on a camera. He deployed the cable and had it plug into the camera, sending him into the Ayano Family's Network.

"Ahh! Ten seconds left!" Lan grinned in excitement.

'Here he comes…' Ashe thought.

'Another round against Elecman,' Vent narrowed his eyes as Yai, Maylu, and Lan started counting down.

'It's honestly adorable,' Ciel thought, a fond smile on her lips.

"3! 2! 1! 0~!" all three cheered as the time hit midnight…and the screen turned to static.

"...Huh?" Lan blinked a few times.

"What's going on?" Maylu pondered.

"Final Security System has activated!" a voice called out as several dozen NetNavis of similar build in green and browns materialized in the Network before Elecman, "Intruder! If you do not Jack Out immediately, we will be forced to use Deletion-level measures to force you to leave!"

Elecman sighed, shaking his head, "You're the ninth group that's told me that. I'VE HEARD IT TOO MUCH ALREADY!"

The parts on his back crackled to life with electricity before unleashing a massive blast at the security NetNavis, causing them to screech in agony until they were logged out. Elecman smirked as he cracked his knuckles.

"It's past midnight now, but the game hasn't appeared…" Maylu noted in concern.

"It's not like Daddy to break a promise," Yai noted in worry.

"Should we go into the Network and see if there's a connection issue?" Lan asked before the lights went out.

"Did one of the maids do this?" Ashe asked.

"No. I can't seem to get in contact with any of them," Glyde replied, "Good heavens! It might be that someone's entered the main computer system!"

"Not good," Vent scowled as the screen crackled before showing a smirking Count Zap on it.

"I am Count Zap of the World Three! We're goin' on a Rock n' Roll party all night here!" he declared with a cackle.

"I've cleared this entire security system! Now I'm going to be stealing the smiles from all the children globally!" Zap declared.

"Steal the…?" Mr. Ayano began to repeat, several maids working at consoles with haste.

"Sir! Based on the movements of the intruder in our systems, he means to steal Maxima's Warrior!" one maid called.

"That's right~! Maxima's Warrior shall never be released!" Zap declared.

"Ah~ How delightful it will be to see the chaos that comes from this!" Zap cheered.

"You jerk! So many have been waiting for this game!" Lan snapped, pointing a finger at the screen, "You're not getting away with this while we're here!"

Zap chuckled, "Ah! Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai! I just knew you'd be here! Well, let's see if you can stop us this time!" the sceen zoomed out to show him with his guitar that he began to play, "WHOO! IT'S SHOWTIME~!"

"Ugh…so noisy…" Dex groaned as he began to wake up…before the lamp by him let out a few sparks of electricity that caught his shorts on fire, "?! EEEYOW!"

"Ah! Fire!" Ciel panicked as she looked around, "Uh…uh…Yai, where's the extinguishers?!"

"Over there!" Yai pointed out, quickly grabbing one to shoot at Dex.

"Dex, are you okay?" Ciel asked as she moved over…before she jumped as a glass screen slammed down between them and Lan and Maylu, "?! Yai…"

"Ah! One of the defense systems went off!" Yai gawked, "It's meant to protect us if an armed intruder gets into the treehouse, but we're on the wrong side of it!"

"Not good," Ciel frowned, "Lan, Maylu, use the television! Since we were meant to play the game on it, it should be linked to the main computer still!"

"Understood!" Maylu replied.

"We'll save the game!" Lan declared.

"Jack In! Vent/Ashe! Power Up!" the two declared.

"(DOUBLE) MEGAMERGE!"

"The last line of defense," Elecman noted, looking upon the tower over a ring, "It's no use against me! Lightning…"

"WOODTOWER!"

"?!" Elecman jumped back as a barrage of thick logs sharped into spikes erupted in a path towards him from the right, forcing him to turn to see a large, rotund NetNavi that looked to be made of a log in black shorts and sporting mechanical arms and legs with conjoined eyes where the white was black and the eyes were yellow and thick pink lips, "No way…A NetSavior here?"

"Sorry, but there's no way we're letting you get that game data!" the NetNavi declared before Megaman Model HX and Roll A appeared at his sides, "Glad you two arrived."

"Not all that glad to be here, sadly," Megaman HX noted, frowning, "Was really hoping there wouldn't be trouble tonight."

"Same here! I wanted to play Maxima's Warrior with Maylu so much!" Roll A scowled as she glared at Elecman, "You're in for it now, ya malfunctioning electrical socket!"

"Ghhh…Why you…!" Elecman snarled, unleashing a blast of lightning at the trio before Roll A quickly turned into A-Elecman and absorbed it, "!?"

"Whew…Not too shabby. Thanks for the juice!" A-Elecman grinned, punching his fist into his palm, before unleashing a blast of lightning at him, "Take this!"

"...Heh," Elecman smirked as he absorbed it, "Thanks."

"Looks like he heals with Elec-Element attacks, too," A-Elecman noted with a grimace, "Sorry, guys."

"Hey, you thought it was just a unique thing to you," Woodman noted with a shrug, "But it's fine."

"Ashe, you soak up the shocks he sends. Woodman and I will go for the heavy blows," Megaman HX ordered, switching to FX.

"Battle Routine, set!" Lan declared.

"Execute!" Megaman FX complied as he unleashed a barrage of fire bullets at Elecman, who quickly moved about to dodge only to be hit by a thrown log by Woodman, before Megaman switch to HX again to deliver a slice right across Elecman's emblem, "You're finished!"

"Oh no you don't! Lightning, Slot In!" Zap declared before a bolt of lightning slammed down on Elecman…repairing the emblem and bruises.

"Because of course he has BattleChips that electrocute his own NetNavi," Woodman grimaced before A-Elecman quickly soaked in several blasts of lightning from Elecman.

"Gonna have to try harder than that!" A-Elecman blew a raspberry at the original.

"Oh we will!" Zap declared before Elecman vanished and appeared behind his copycat…with his left lower arm/hand replaced with a green guard with a lime-green plasma blade coming out of it.

"HRAH!" Elecman roared, delivering a slash to A-Elecman, causing him to shriek in pain as he was knocked away.

"?! A WoodSword!" Woodman gasped before it switched to a red guard with the plasma turning crimson, forcing Woodman to jump to dodge the swipe, "Now a FireSword?!"

"After learning that girl can copy us, all World Three members now carrying BattleChips of different Elements to counter her powers," Zap explained.

[Oh you suck!] Model A complained as Megaman HX parried a swipe of Elecman's FireSword.

"You big jerk! Why are you even doing this, huh?!" Yai demanded.

"'To bring fear and confusion to society.' That is WWW's motto!" Count Zap replied, "And what better way than to ruin the debut of a highly-demanded video game? Just think of all the smiles we'll steal with this!"

"Unforgivable!" Lan growled, "You guys are the worst!"

"You think we'll let you steal anything tonight? No way!" Maylu declared, the 'bolt' on A-Elecman's helmet lightning up at the same time as the gem on Megaman HX's helmet.

"ElecSword, download!" Lan declared as Megaman HX's blades began crackling with the power.

"Uh…Lan? You just gave me an Elec-Element BattleChip…to fight a guy who heals from those."

"It's for Ashe," Lan replied.

"Ohh…" Megaman HX blushed as he offered his sword to A-Elecman, "Sorry…"

"Aw~You're such a sweet young man, Lanny," A-Elecman snickered as he put his hand on the blade and absorbed it before changing back to Roll A, "Alright! Let's kick some ass and collect some more Elecman booty!"

[But what about the lightning healing him?] Model P reminded.

"...Got it! Woodman!" Lan called as the burly NetNavi landed by them and away from Elecman.

"Yes?" Woodman asked.

"Can you make your WoodTowers into a lightning rod?" Lan asked.

"A lig…of course!" Sal realized, "Woodman, follow Lan's orders on this."

"Understood, Madam Rose," Woodman complied.

"When the lightning comes, block it so he can't heal," Lan ordered, "Vent, HX. Spreader, BattleChip in and Download!"

In a flash, HX formed and charged up the blocky BattleChip with his Fire-Element. Elecman roared as he formed a sphere of lightning between his hands. Megaman HX opened fire with a barrage of Fire-infused shots as Elecman unleashed a stream of lightning at them. The two attacks collided, creating a flash of light and an explosion. Within the light, a flash went unseen before Elecman cried out as A-Aeolus and Model LX impaled him in the gut and chest with their blades. Elecman scowled before smirking.

"Aren't you forgetting? I'm invincible!" Elecman declared before a bolt of lightning headed for him…when pillars made of logs that had sharpened to a point at the ends erupted from the ground, forming a 'dome' to block the blast, "?! No!"

"What in the world?!"

"Good strategy, Lan," Woodman complimented, hands pressed on the floor, "My WoodTowers are acting as a lightning rod, preventing his BattleChip from allowing him to heal."

A flash went off and Megaman X and Roll A aimed their guns at Elecman, "DOUBLE CHARGE SHOT/GIGA CRUSH!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAARGH!-!-!-!" Elecman screamed as he was ripped into by the blitz until he was Logged Out.

"Shit! We couldn't get the data!" Zap exclaimed in shock, "Those brats…I gotta get outta here…"

"Allow me to help you then," a voice spoke, causing Zap to look over the side of his brightly lit hot air balloon to see Madam Rose smirking at him from the rooftop.

She aimed her wrist-mounted PeT at the balloon before plasma-made leaves shot out of it at a rapid-fired pace. The leaves spun around rapidly, becoming green glowing buzzsaws in appearance. Zap screamed as they pierced his balloon's fabric, causing the hot air to start shooting out. He screamed as he held on tight, all his electronics falling out and landing in bushes or on other objects over the mansion before flying off into the distance, leaving a twinkle in the sky. Madam Rose managed to jump and catch Zap's laptop before it could hit one of the statues…before tensing as alarms went off and the statue opened up, deploying several hoses.

"EEEEEK!-!-!-!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't push, huh! Don't push!" Higsby scolded at the large line the next day, "Everyone who pre-ordered can purchase the game! We have a list and we will check it to make sure you are who you say you are!"

"Hoo boy…The line's even bigger," Lan gawked, standing outside Yai's limo with the group.

Maylu giggled, "But look at all those smiles. Seems World Three failed to steal them after all."

"We were able to get the game released on time thanks to you kids," Mr. Ayano spoke.

"We wouldn't have been able to win if it wasn't for that NetNavi that showed up to help," Lan noted, "I hope their NetOp's alright…"

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Vent noted, 'Unlike last time when Elecman managed to steal it and Sal had to retrieve it, he never got a chance at it here. That's honestly good.'

"It was a distraction," Oda informed while sitting across from Ciel and Chaud, a grim scowl on his face as his fedora his his eyes, "World Three deployed two powerful NetNavis into where we had stored the WoodCode and managed to obtain it due to all eyes being more focused on Zap and Elecman's rampage through security systems."

"Oh no…" Ciel gasped.

"How long will it take to finish that fake copy?" Oda asked.

"If they're as proactive as they've currently been…too long," Ciel grimaced.

"...What if we added a program to the ElecCode then?"

"Hm?" the two looked at Chaud.

"If we lose the ElecCode, the World Three will have all four Elemental Codes," Chaud informed, "We'd just spend time trying to find their base in a mad scramble and it would be too late to find them most likely. But what if we added a program to the ElecCode? One that, if they do succeed, will allow us to find their base of operations?"

"...Ciel?" Oda asked as the blond tapped her cheek in thought.

"If it's a tracking program…That's honestly easily done. A simple two hours for it being traceable in a three mile radius or globally if I focused on it solely for three," Ciel replied, "Attaching it to the ElecCode and hiding it so no one would notice? Mmm…I'd say it'd take me a good five minutes."

"..." Oda sighed, "Get to it, Ciel. We'll do that. But afterwards, keep working on making that replacement for the ElecCode. Stolen or not, it's vital for the power plant to have a program that operates like the ElecCode."

"Yes, sir," Ciel replied, "Do you think they'll attack during the N1?"

"The event in two weeks?" Oda asked, "...No. More than likely, they'll have several members sign up for it under pseudonyms."

"Why?" Chaud asked.

"Think about it, Agent Blaze. If World Three's agents were to win the massive tournament that is being held for the strongest NetBattlers to partake in, what would you think would happen to people's sense of safety?" Oda responded with his own question.

"..." Chaud scowled.

"All members with a NetNavi are advised to sign up to defeat the World Three agents that participate in it," Oda ordered.

"I'll make sure the other NetSavior agents get this information," Ciel assured, "Though…" she smiled, "This will also be something that will finally settle something for us: the ranking of NetNavis so that fights stop breaking out."

"Hm?" Oda raised a brow under his fedora as Chaud narrowed his eyes.

'A tournament where I can fight that boy again…' Chaud thought, clenching a fist tightly under the table, 'You won't win this time…'

"By the way…" Oda spoke up before pointing to the medical bay in the secret base…where a bandaged up Sal was in one of the beds, "What happened to Madam Rose?"

"The Ayano Family security system that Agents Hikari and Sakurai are constantly testing for them and that I've helped improve upon," Ciel replied.

"...A home security system did that?" Chaud asked, raising a brow.

"It's as tight as Fort Knox in the USA," Ciel stated, "Maybe even tighter. But she was able to obtain a laptop owned by World Three which I'm having Roze look through."

Oda nodded, "Well…remind me to request that Sal be given a raise…and then ask for the blueprints of the security system later to make it into an obstacle course for our agents along with a digital version for the NetNavis."

'How can those two kids handle that security system?!' Sal thought in bewilderment as Miyu peeled an apple by her bedside.

'It seems the river flows in what it was meant to before at this time, but paths have flowed into it threatening to spill it over,' Miyu thought, glancing at her crystal ball, 'Yet…even the altered river still flows to one path…Deletion.'

GT: Been a while since I updated. My apologies. Next chapter…I'm sure a lot of folks will be interested on seeing how it's handled.

Chapter 10: A Burning Revenge!

Chapter Text

GT: Yeah…You know Miyu and her fortune? About how rivers and stuff? …This is one of the moments where one river bled into the river they're in.

Fireworks exploded and crackled from a hologram projector set up in the middle of a modest two-story home by a large lake, most of the ground covered in dirt and gravel outside. The room the projector was in was a rather spacious living room, a bar set up on one wall near the kitchen with a large circular couch in the center of it all. On the couch, Match gazed upon the feed with a bored expression.

"Tamaya~! The firework's temperature is about 1100 degrees celsius!" the narrator cheered, only causing Match to sigh as it changed to show a volcano with a flow of magma pouring out of it, "The steaming hot lava that flows from a volcano burns at about 2000 degrees celsius."

"It doesn't burn…" Match grumbled as the image changed to the sun in space.

"The sun burns at about 6000 degrees celsius."

"It still won't burn…" Match sighed, "Ever since that day…my heart has been heavy. It has stopped burning with the intensity it once had…" he slumped and turned off the movie, leaving him in the darkness, "All because of…" he clenched his fists as he grit his teeth, anger rising within him as he recalled Roll A and her swiftness in defeating Fireman, "If it weren't for that punk who destroyed my plans with her NetOp's home!" he stooped up, "That damn Roll! You've stolen the flames of my heart! I swear…I swear that I will Delete you for this! I'll show you…" he clenched a fist, "I'll show you my true inferno!"

"Oh really now?"

"?!" Match tensed and slowly looked at the projector as it turned on, "Y-You're…"

"I'm excited for what you wanna do, Match. I'll let you have one of them to help Fireman. But the only condition? Include Vent in your revenge scheme."

"The Hikari lad's NetNavi?"

"Indeed. We have quite a unique…history so to speak."

"Okay…How are you feeling, Roze?" Ciel asked, working on her laptop in the NetSaver base, "How's the build?"

"I feel…lighter. A lot lighter than ever!"

"Great! I'm going to deploy a few Viruses for you to fight so you can get used to your new power, okay?"

"Understood! I'm ready!"

Ciel smiled at that as she launched the program, 'I think by tomorrow, I can give you to Alouette at last.' the door to the base opened and Madam Rose ran in, "What's the situation?"

"Heat surges in the Network," Madam Rose informed.

"Hm? Heat surges?" Ciel asked as she turned around to face her…before blinking a few times at seeing Commander Beef being helped into the place by Mysteriyu, "What happened?!"

"Ugh…The container I use to transport my fish for my undercover job exploded," Commander Beef informed, "I barely got my suit on before it did, but I feel like I've been broiled like a lobster. Lost my bike and today's catches due to it."

"My sprinkler system deployed boiling hot water and damaged many of the plants I was raising up," Madam Rose scowled.

"On my way here before I encountered Commander Beef, I witnessed your schoolmate Dex in a 7/11 opening up the drinks…and all of them were boiling and ready to pop," Mysteriyu added.

"Are WWW doing this?" Ciel pondered in concern, realizing she still wasn't done with the additional coding for the ElecCode.

"No. It seems to be pure randomness," Madam Rose replied, "Normally, there's a pattern to WWW's schemes. But this time…it's all random."

Ciel's PeT rang, "Hello?"

"Big Sis~!"

"A-Alouette? What's wrong?" Ciel asked in concern.

"O-Our class was on a field trip to the ice cream factory…a-and we were gonna get to get free samples…b-b-b-but it's all melted~!"

"Oh my goodness…" Ciel whispered, her eyes going wide, "This…This isn't good at all." she shook her head, "Alouette, be a big girl for me, okay? I promise we'll get this solved and later on, I'll get you your favorite ice cream flavor and a new outfit for Beep."

"O-Okay…" Alouette sniffled as she hung up.

Ciel sighed, 'Even if she's really several hundred years old...she acts like her physical age...' "Great…" she looked at the trio, "Deploy Woodman, Sharkman, and Skullman. Have them search for the cause of these surges. I'll get in contact with Agents Chaud, Lan, and Maylu immediately to request Protoman, Vent, and Ashe to assist."

"Yes, ma'am!" all three replied.

'I really hope they're not somewhere that is being hit…' Ciel thought, dialing for Chaud first.

Roll A narrowed her eyes as she stood, surrounded by Fireman, Colorman, and Elecman. Oddly, the trio had a faint aura to them while their eyes were dull, almost as if there was no soul within. Colorman shot out his large ball at Roll A, who rolled out of the way and a flash went off…causing a yellow and orange ball to zip off and right at Colorman. The orange parts extended out into electrified spikes that shocked Colorman. Lightning raced towards the ball as it uncurled to reveal a mechanical-looking hedgehog-like creature. A flash went off and R-Aeolus sliced through the lightning strikes. Another flash and R-Atlas slammed one of her guns into the ground, sending a trail of fire to strike at Elecman. Another flash and R-Thetis created a wall of ice that took on the Firetower from Fireman. All three jumped her only for another flash to go off and Roll A grinned, her guns bright.

"GIGA CRUSH!" Roll A shouted as she tore them apart with her gunfire, "..." she sighed in relief once they were gone, "So glad I found that concept on Ghost Data so I can practice on these things."

[We really goofed up focusing on just Maylu and watching Vent when he was Megaman] Model A admitted as she dropped the Megamerge [So many things we didn't look on, like this Ghost Data stuff that forms when a strong NetNavi gets damaged enough that its lost data merges with BugFrags to make 'ghosts' of them NetNavis can fight for BattleChip and Zenny data or the Undernet o-or a lot of stuff…]

"Yeah, that was…that was our bad," Ashe sighed, rubbing the back of her head, "Normally I like to make sure I'm all prepped for things, but…" she frowned, "...but I didn't want to leave Maylu…I lost her once because of my actions in the past…never again."

[Still…] Model A began before they heard the door open [Oh! Welcome hoooh my gosh!]

"Hi, Mayloooh…" Ashe grimaced as her eyes went wide.

"A-Ashe…" Maylu sniffled, tears welling in her eyes.

'Shit…I forgot it was after Elecman and his video game heist that this happened…' Ashe thought, deciding to turn off notifications on the PeT to focus on Maylu.

Lan yawned before rubbing an eye, "Ugh…You are evil, Vent."

"Hey now…You're improving," Vent defended, "I didn't reach the end like normal today."

[You really need to stop the late night strategy stuff, Lan] Leviathan noted.

"I get my best ideas at night…"

[Here comes Maylu] Fafnir spoke up as Maylu walked by, wearing a green hat resembling a lily pad.

"Mornin'!" Lan greeted, causing Maylu to jump and grab her green hat and pushed it down on her head, "Hm? What's with the hat?"

"I-It looks good, doesn't it?" Maylu asked, "I-I thought I'd try a new thing…"

"Mmm…" Lan frowned before grabbing her hand, "Hold on."

"Huh?" Maylu blinked as Lan led her back into his house and to his room, "L-Lan, what are…" she yelped as Lan took her hat off, letting her hair drop…before curling up, "Ah!"

"Hm?" Lan blinked, tilting his head, "...I honestly don't know how to help with this aside from listening."

"...Yesterday, I went to the salon," Maylu explained, "I…I won a free full treatment the other day at the shopping district. It was going so well, too. B-But then the dryer malfunctioned and…and…" she sniffled, "I look terrible…"

"Hey now," Lan frowned, wrapping an arm over her shoulders, "You don't look terrible. It's…kinda cute, actually."

"?!" Maylu looked at him in surprise.

"W-What?" Lan asked, blushing now, "Look, if it bothers you that much, why don't we ask Vent and Roll to stockpile enough Zenny for a better place to redo your hair this afternoon?"

"...Y…You think we can?" Maylu asked.

"Yeah," Lan nodded, "We're best friends, aren't we?"

"...Yeah," Maylu nodded, wiping her sleeve on her eyes to dry her tears as she was given her hat back, "...I…I thought you were going to laugh, to be honest."

"...I probably would've, but Vent and the Biometals have been, well, beating my butt with learning manners," Lan admitted with a small grimace, "It's not all that fun at times. Especially when Zero figured out how to block access to stuff on my PeT."

[Just be glad you didn't laugh. I would've deleted your homework] Leviathan noted.

"L-Levi!" Lan yelped.

"Yeah…I think I would've done something like that if you had laughed at me if Ashe hadn't been helping me with some issues I've had," Maylu admitted with a grimace.

"Eh?!" Lan gawked in disbelief, 'Girls are terrifying!'

'Crisis averted…' Vent thought before going to check on Ashe, "You alright?"

"Yeah. I didn't have a bad problem with the hair dryer at the salon," Ashe replied, "I'm thankful for what you guys have been up to with Lan. I was worried Maylu would do something like delete his homework again, even with the stuff I've been doing to help with her temper like the meditation and medication…"

Vent nodded, "Hey, I get how Maylu feels. If someone caused my hair to curl like that, I'd be horrified. I like my hair the way I want it. I'm just relieved that instilling manners in Lan is helping not to cause a mess like last time." he frowned, "And…I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"For when this happened in the previous timeline," Vent explained, "You girls apologized, but Lan and I…we never apologized for laughing at Maylu nor for making you so upset."

"Ah, it's all water under the bridge, Hub," Ashe assured.

"I really do want to make up for it," Vent insisted, "Maybe tomorrow we can enjoy a nice dinner and go see that show you've been wanting to see?"

"You betcha!" Ashe smiled before hugging him, "So…when do we find that asshat and shoot him dead?"

"After we get a good plan and Fireman comes to find you to send that challenge letter to me."

"I have a great plan! …I'll A-Trans into Bifrost and eat him!" Ashe declared, slamming her fist into her palm, "Then turn into Buckfire and dance on his grave!"

"You don't know where he's been," Vent pointed out.

"...Phooey," Ashe pouted, earning a chuckle from Vent as he kissed her forehead, "...In no way does this make my pout any less of a pout."

"Why did he give you the challenge, anyway?"

"Because I'm normally with you. He didn't even know I was mad at you at the time," Ashe replied.

"I see…So we just wait until he shows up?" Vent asked.

"I guess. So…let's get going on collecting that cash for Maylu, hm?"

"You bet," Vent nodded, "Surprised Lan thought of that."

"Same here. Guess you're helping him grow up faster," Ashe noted.

"Maybe…" Vent frowned.

"...You're thinking on the memories Lan and Maylu are seeing, aren't you?" Ashe whispered.

"Yeah. Last night was when I was his age and had a nightmare about the day I lost my mother," Vent replied, "You?"

"...She saw a memory from when I was eight and tried to follow after my foster pops on a mission of his," Ashe grimaced, "That salon trip yesterday afternoon was meant to help her forget what she saw happened to one of the guys on that mission."

"Then let's get enough to give Maylu a great memory to make up for both," Vent grinned.

"Right!" Ashe agreed.

"You're going to be late you tw…" Haruka began as she poked her head in to see Maylu's hair, "Oh dear. …I see why you brought her inside, Lan. Maylu, I've had this happen before."

"Ashe and I are going to work on getting some Zenny while Lan and Maylu are at school for a salon to help after school," Vent informed.

"Good. Maylu, I can do a temporary thing until you can get to a salon," Haruka advised as she offered a hand to Maylu.

"Th-Thank you…" Maylu thanked, trying to hold back her tears from the kindness as she accepted the offered hand.

Several minutes passed before Lan and Maylu headed out, the latter's hair pulled into a tiny ponytail and some styling gel made to keep her bangs framing her face straight.

"There you two are!" Lan and Maylu jumped at the sharp tone Ciel had as she glared at the two, "Why didn't you respond to me last night?"

"Huh? Respond?" Maylu blinked a few times.

"Zero locked all my stuff on the PeT until I finished my homework," Lan explained.

[When an assignment is one that can make or break your grade, Lan, of course I'll make sure you do it] Zero huffed.

"My bad, too. Maylu came home in tears since I was doing some practice with A-Trans, so I turned the alerts on the PeT off so I could run damage control and comfort," Ashe added.

"..." Ciel looked at Maylu's hair, "...Shoot. You got hit by the heat surges yesterday."

"Heat what?" Lan blinked a few times.

"All over ACDC, random heat surges went off. Sal lost several delicate plants, Masa's out of a bike and nearly got severe burns from boiling water and boiled fish, the local 7/11's entire fridge section popped due to the drinks boiling in their bottles, and the ice cream factory lost its entire stock."

"What?! Aw nooo…" Lan groaned, "There goes that."

"Huh?"

[Lan was going to treat Maylu to ice cream after we got her trip to a different salon done to help her feel better] X explained.

"I see," Ciel frowned before sighing, "I know we're kids, but you also have responsibilities now. Please keep notifications on in case this happens again."

"Okay," both nodded.

Ciel nodded, "Good. Now then…your hair looks cute that way, Maylu."

"Mrs. Hikari helped me," Maylu explained, blushing at the compliment.

Match cackled in glee, "Keep going at it, Fireman! Unleash a burning hell on the Network and earn the attraction of that nuisance Roll A!"

Fireman cackled as he raced through the Network. Across town, a sauna was filled with screams as old men in them raced to get out with bright red bodies from the intense boiling waters…aside from one elderly man who sighed in content in the boiling liquid as it was finally hot enough for him to relax. In an electronics store, people were fleeing from it as intense waves of heat billowed from the multitude of ACs for sale. A deep chuckle made Match look at the nearby projector as a figure sat down in the Network on it in seiza.

"The panic and chaos caused by this is quite filling," they commented, "However…This is quite unlike the boy."

"Hm?"

"In times of danger like this, he was quick to respond," the figure explained before chuckling, "It may be that due to his new position…he is unable to see and respond to this."

"You're telling me we did this for nothing?!" Match gawked.

"It seems that way, Mr. Match," Fireman sighed as he appeared by the figure, "Maybe we need to do a direct confrontation."

"A challenge letter," the figure offered.

"Hm? A challenge letter?" Match pondered, rubbing his chin in thought, "...Yeah…" he grinned, "That's it! We need to take this directly to them!"

"Go with the recycling center," the figure advised, "If we wreck havoc upon there, it will mean more being delivered to the power plant to turn into fuel for the systems."

"Oh! Furthering World Three's plans and getting us a way to fight that damn bitch and you getting your chance at Megaman!" Match grinned, "I love it!"

"It looks like all the heat surges have just…stopped," Vent noted, looking around with Sharkman.

"Ugh…Seriously, what was with that? Masa's not gonna be able to do many assignments for a week or so because of it," Sharkman scowled.

"Likely…an upset Fireman," Vent guessed.

"Huh? Fireman?"

"Think of it, Sharkman. Colorman and Elecman have appeared multiple times, yet Fireman has only appeared during his oven fire outbreaks," Vent reminded.

"Huh…Ya know, dat is right…" Sharkman muttered in thought, "Ain't no signs of 'im at all…" a beam of red light shot down before the two, "Huh?"

The light formed into Fireman, who focused on Vent, "Megaman."

"Here for a fight?" Vent asked, readying Model X and Model L…before blinking a few times when Fireman materialized a letter and sent it to him, "Huh?"

"Pass this on to Roll A for me," Fireman ordered.

"...A letter of challenge," Vent noted, looking at it…before registering the name he said it was for, "Wait…Roll? Why her?"

"You snuffed out my Viruses in your NetOp's family's oven. Nothing much to get heated up over," Fireman shrugged before narrowing his eyes, "But the one who snuffed out mine and my NetOp's infernos…she is the one who I challenge."

'Sonuvabitch…' Vent thought as his eyes widened.

[Wow. So instead of you…it's Ashe] Zero noted.

[This is hilarious!] Fafnir cracked up laughing.

"However, a partner of mine overheard this and requested me to give you their challenge as well, so I wrote it with mine to her."

[Wait, what?] Fafnir paused his laughter.

"...Do you have a time on this?"

"Location and time. Both are in the written challenge," Fireman replied before logging out just before Sharkman could grab him, causing the shark NetNavi to land on his face.

"Oh god…" Vent groaned, facepalming, 'If I were anyone else and didn't know how strong she was, I'd be worrying about Ashe surviving.'

[Good. If you were, I'd be pissed] Leviathan warned.

"Ugh…W-Well…I guess you were right…" Sharkman groaned as he got up, rubbing his bruised nose, "What's it say?"

"I'll check," Vent replied, opening it, "'We challenge Roll A and Megaman along with their operators to a pair of duels. Fireman and Mr. Match against Roll A and her NetOp while Megaman and his NetOp face against…" he trailed off as his eyes widened, "No…"

"Hm?" Sharkman tilted his head as Vent broke out in a sweat.

'No…This…This shouldn't be possible…but…but that can't be…' Vent thought.

[How the hell is he here?!] Fafnir demanded.

[We're in for a rough battle, it seems] Leviathan noted.

"He sent a challenge letter?" Ciel asked, sitting in the empty lobby of the salon with Lan.

"Yes. It takes place at 9:15pm tonight in the DenTech Recycling Center," Vent confirmed, "We managed to also confirm that Fireman was the one causing the heat surges all over town yesterday and today thanks to their admittance in the challenge letter for Ashe and myself."

"World Three…They're gonna pay for the hair and ice cream!" Lan declared, pumping a fist.

"...I could've sworn you'd just think about the ice cream…" Ciel muttered, a drop of sweat going down the back of her head.

[He likes…] Zero began.

"Shaddap, Model Z!" Lan quickly spoke, his cheeks pink.

"There's more. 'If you bring any other NetSavers aside from Roll A and Megaman, we will leave and engulf the city in an inferno for snuffing out our flames of vengeance upon you two,'" Vent read, "And with him there…that's not a threat; it's a promise."

"Him?" Lan and Ciel repeated.

[An old enemy] Model Z replied.

[He used Fafnir to make himself powerful] Model X explained [He laid waste to part of the Network Vent was making a delivery in. We saved as many lives as we could]

"Huh? Why haven't I…?"

"To maintain a cover of 'peace' for the normal populace, the police have been enacting a 'coverup' policy on major network-related crimes," Ciel admitted.

"S-Seriously…?" Lan whispered in shock.

"Ashe and Vent have been involved in several of them prior to becoming your NetNavis," Ciel added.

"I swear, my delivery routes are cursed to be involved with danger," Vent sighed.

"So…you know who's working with Fireman?" Lan asked.

"Yes. It was back when I first got Model X and Model Z. He had part of Model F in him, using it to empower himself," Vent explained.

[It's been years since we last fought him, but we're stronger than back then and we have you operating us, Lan] X noted.

"I'm done~!" the two kids looked to see Maylu walking over, her hair back to its original state, "Honestly…this place was much better than that last salon. Cheaper, too."

"You look great!" Lan beamed before remembering what just happened, "Ah…We have a situation."

"Hm? The heat surges, right?" Maylu guessed.

"It involves them," Ciel replied.

"It was Fireman's doing?!" Maylu angered shout made Lan and Ciel wince as Maylu fumed in the arcade part of the base, several of the arcade machines looking in better condition than before.

"He just left a challenge letter for Ashe," Vent informed, "And I have a challenge from a partner he's working with…one I thought I destroyed four years ago."

"Huh?" Ashe pondered, going to his PeT to look at it, "...What the hell? Why am I getting challenged and not you?"

"For one, you're the one who smacked him around; I just Deleted his viruses while you beat him," Vent reminded, "The others will be targeting me more than you, Colorman especially."

"Unforgivable…" Maylu growled, Lan swearing she was ablaze with intense magenta flames, as she spun around to the Whack-A-Mole game the blonde and brunette of the trio had gotten working, "I'll never forgive him!" she began to rapidly strike them, "Never! Absolutely never!"

"Ulp…" Lan nervously gulped, watching the sight with wide worried eyes.

[I am really glad you didn't laugh at her hair or, even worse, do it at school…] Fafnir muttered.

[I'm surprised. Her spirit at the moment seems like it'd fit you to a 'T,' brother] Harpuia noted.

[I'm headstrong; not stupid]

[Could've fooled me…] Leviathan muttered.

[Focus] Phantom reminded [We have a situation involving World Three]

"Phantom's right," Ciel nodded, "Maylu!"

"Hm?!" Maylu looked from the machine at her.

"Focus that on Fireman."

"Right!" Maylu nodded.

"Vent, what do you have about this other guy?" Lan asked.

"He's a Fire Element and he's truly intense. Sheer blunt force brutality. We'll need to be fast and nimble…and have a lot of Aqua Element BattleChips."

[He used part of me as a battery!] Fafnir growled.

"What?! B-But how?! Only those I made certain had certain requirements could use Biometals!" Ciel questioned.

[Serpent happened] Zero replied, keeping the connection to just her [He split Fafnir, Harpuia, Phantom, and Leviathan in half and either made bodies that became Pseudoroids or infused them into Reploids and humans to make Pseudoroids]

[A scientist managed to figure out how to create living programs that could draw out our power] X 'explained' for everyone else [Models P, H, L, and F were all split into two and used to make eight Pseudoroids-NetNavis that were infused with the power of a Biometal and transformed into AutoNavis of incredible power-that Vent had to defeat to collect]

[And then another made eight more!] Model A added.

"...Those weird animal-looking ones?" Maylu realized.

"Yep. Model A and I thrashed them good before we became your NetNavi, Maylu," Ashe admitted, "We didn't want you to worry about those forms because we thought they were all long gone, but…the past really hates to be left behind, huh?"

"But we have you guys now. This will be hard, but we can overcome it together," Vent assured.

"Right!" Lan nodded, pumping a fist, "Let's beat up these jerks and get payback for Maylu!"

Night soon fell and workers at the recycling center worked, part way through the afternoon shift. Several alarms began to go off, causing them to look around and start entering commands, trying to find the source of the problems. Within the Network, several Mr. Progs whimpered on the floor, several sporting burns and others sporting dents and even chunks missing from their bodies. The ground began to break and crack as they logged out. Within moments, the ground shattered and began to float above a vast pool of boiling lava. Fireman gazed out upon the transformed Network, his eyes steel in their resolve.

"Roll A…I have issued the challenge to you and the challenge for Megaman," Fireman declared, "This will become your grave, you two." twin beams raced down and slammed into the ground across from him, transforming to become Roll A and Megaman ZX, "?! A…A new form?"

"Fireman…!" Roll A growled, "You're gonna pay for wrecking my adorable little sister's hair with that stunt yesterday!"

"..." Megaman ZX narrowed his eyes before spinning around, his Z-Saber shifting into an ovoid shield that blocked a blast of flames resembling a lion's head, "So…that wasn't a lie…"

Standing atop one of the smaller 'islands' dotting the landscape was a slender, toned being. Their body was covered in a dark-orange/brown bodysuit with crimson armor covering most of it. The crotch area sported orange armor covering it with orange making up most of the lion-shaped head and in the middle of his bulky upper torso armor. Thick rounded gauntlets covered his lower arms, giving way to large three-clawed hands with his feet sported three more on each foot. Flames billowed out of the back of the lion head while green optics shined in its eye sockets.

"Fistleo the Predatoroid," Megaman ZX recognized.

"It has been many years, Vent," Fistleo noted, pointing a claw at him, "I have spent my time since my revival here practicing and improving upon the Reioh-Ken. Even with the loss of Model F, I will show you how far my strength has grown."

"You're not the only one who has grown stronger since our last battle all those years ago, Fistleo," Megaman ZX declared.

"Good luck, Vent," Roll A whispered.

"To you as well, Ashe," Megaman ZX nodded.

Roll A nodded before pointing at Fireman, "Listen you, you hothead! A girl's hair is her life! You won't get away with what you've done to my little sister!"

A flash went off as Megaman HX started things off, a sharp look in his eyes as he focused on Fistleo. Purple blades of plasma swung and were caught by claws engulfed in a fiery plasma. Fistleo's foot slammed into Megaman HX's gut, sending him through the air…before his eyes widened as the lion-like being shot up at him, his feet kicking at the very air to make him move towards Megaman HX to deliver a roundhouse that sent him flying and crashing into another large patch of ground several kilometers away from Roll A and Fireman. A flash went off and R-Iceman unleashed a barrage of icicles erupting from the ground at Fireman, who retaliated with a wave of lava from slamming an arm onto the ground that overpowered the ice. A flash went off and a magenta blur dodged the lava. Fireman looked up to see a humanoid bee-like being with the lower half resembling a plug for a port in a car's dashboard. It aimed at him and fired off a barrage of plasma arrowheads that forced Fireman to start to run around and return fire with fireballs that caused explosions when they collided with one another.

[How are you here, Fistleo? I thought when Slither Inc. was destroyed, the data to revive you was gone as well] Model X noted, keeping his voice to just Megaman HX and the Pseudoroid as the green Megaman did his best to fly about to dodge the strikes of the lion.

"I awoke one day here. I knew not how, but it mattered little to me," Fistleo replied, "This realm…this Network…it's full of weaklings outside of a single area: the one they call the Undernet."

'That place again…' Megaman HX thought, swinging a blade and sending a crackling sphere of purple and black plasma and harsh winds at Fistleo, only for the lion to punch a fist and send out a massive lion-shaped head of plasma that 'ate' the sphere before exploding.

"It is paradise for the powerful! Constant battles! Endless excitement! The thrill of eternally growing stronger to challenge those known as 'The Ranked!' It is Valhalla to me!" Fistleo cheered, upon Megaman HX before a flash went off and LX unleashed an ice dragon upon the lion, forcing him to 'kick' the air and move away, landing with a backflip on a tiny island amidst the floating islands with LX handing upon another, "While I was there, I was found by those who would bring me more to face and grow stronger from combat with!" He did a roundhouse kick, unleashing a large slash of burning plasma at LX who blocked with a wall of ice that vaporized in an instant upon contact, "As you can see, it has led me to becoming greater than before! You will fall and not me this time, Vent!"

"This guy's nuts!" Lan gawked.

"From the little time I spoke with him during our last battle, he's a man obsessed with physical power and obtaining it," Megaman LX noted.

"And again with that Undernet place. I'm really starting to want to look at it," Lan noted.

"Same…but we need to survive today to adventure another," LX reminded.

"Right! It's all us, guys! FullSynchro!"

"Here we come, Fistleo!" LX declared, spinning his spear to point it at the lion.

Fireman swung a Firesword at Roll A, who retaliated with a swing of her PaladinSword, creating a small shockwave from the impact.

"Your transforming technique surprised me that day," Fireman noted, sparks flying from their stalemate, "But it won't save you today, Roll A!"

"Neither will you after messing with my baby sister's hair and causing her to cry!" Roll A snarled.

"We won't let you get away with doing that to any other girl!" Maylu declared as the two went FullSynchro.

"You'll feel my rage when I take your life!" Fireman roared before the two jumped back from one another.

"...Heh…" Roll A smirked, "Honestly…this feels like the Pits."

"...It honestly does," Maylu admitted, "So…let's go with a classic."

"You betcha! A-Trans!" Roll A cheered.

In a flash of light, a tall, bulky yet slender, gazelle-like being replaced her. Sporting costume traits from North American Indigenous peoples, the new form's body had a sand color with details in red, black, and white. It had two cannons for arms with long red hooks on the wrists, and a pair of red and black horns with the appearance of sword blades. The plating on the back of the head resembled the feathers of a war bonnet and the feet had the appearance of pilots from locomotives.

"BUCKFIRE!" Roll A's new form declared with a bellowing cry.

"Wh-What?!" Fireman took a step back.

"No way…Y…Ye can't be Buckfire the Brave!" Match gasped, "Ye musta copied him! That's it!"

"Nope," R-Buckfire snorted, pawing the ground with a hoof, "You're seeing the real deal here!"

With that, an AreaSteal went off. Fireman spun around and his sword met the glowing blade of R-Buckfire's right arm before grunting as he was knocked away with three arrows impaled in his side. He managed to slam an arm into the ground, unleashing a Firetower at R-Buckfire, who crouched down and shot up into the air right over the Firetower. A pair of M-Cannon BattleChips formed over R-Buckfire's own before the gazelle unleashed a barrage of shots, engulfing Fireman in the smoke of the explosions. Nearby, dragons of ice and lion heads of flames collided, engulfing the field in steam. The thickness of the steam hid the flash and Fistleo roared at the same time HX shouted. The two threw a fist and charged weapon met flame-engulfed fist, unleashing a shockwave that dispersed the steam. HX grunted…before grinning as his weapon and lower arm changed into a drill with yellow casing that tore and shredded Fistleo's fist, making him cry out in pain. HX dismissed the drill only for it to be replaced with one of Gutsman's gauntlets and fist. He slammed it into Fistleo, sending him flying into the smoke Fireman was within.

"Quake 1, Quake 2, and Quake 3! Download!" Lan and Maylu shouted, their NetNavis jumping into the air.

"Program Advance!" the two NetNavis shouted as they fell towards the smoke, extending their left legs as a bulky crimson (R-Buckfire) or cobalt (Megaman HX) metal stamp formed over it.

"HEAVY STAMP!" all four roared as the two NetNavis shot through the smoke, explosions erupting in the smoke before it dispersed…revealing large holes in the two WWW NetNavis.

"It…It happened again…" Fistleo choked out, "Y…You did it…again…" he closed his eyes, chuckling weakly, "Nice job…Vent…"

"Who brought you back to life?" Megaman HX demanded.

"You'll see…soon enough…" Fistleo chuckled before his body shattered while Fireman logged out.

=Fistleo: Deleted=

The ground rumbled as it slowly lowered back down, merging the islands back to their original single area. R-Buckfire snorted before changing to Roll A as Megaman HX dismissed the Double MergaMerge. He blinked as a familiar 'star' appeared where Fistleo had been before going to Roll A.

[Whoa~! Fistleo is really strong! He can jump in mid-air like a doublejump! His normal attack is a close-quarters style of rapid and heavy strikes, but charging it up lets us add some fire power to it!] Model A noted.

"Looks like all the systems have gone back to normal," Ciel noted in relief, looking at the data of the Network, as everyone stood in the NetSaver HQ.

"That's a relief," Lan noted.

"Though…it seems some of the systems the center uses for doing their job have burnt out from the heat," Ciel frowned, "Which means more of it will be diverted to the Government Complex's Power Plant."

"That's horrible," Sal frowned, "A lot of the products I use come from here."

[Ciel…why haven't you introduced the CIEL System here?] Zero asked, focusing his 'voice' on her.

'I need a few more years before I can,' Ciel replied, 'It would be too suspicious for a twelve-year-old to just suddenly make a whole other energy system.'

"Still…It was a World Three plot in the end," Masa frowned, several bandages wrapped on parts of his body, "And it's interesting to hear about you knowing Fistleo, Vent."

"He had part of Model F inside of him. I wasn't going to let him go about with him." Vent shrugged, "What worries me is that World Three was able to revive him…meaning there may be others like him in their ranks."

"Others?" Sal asked in concern.

"Just means all of us are going to have to take them down and not just Vent," Lan noted.

"We're going to need a roster on all the NetNavis like Fistleo you've fought," Ciel advised/ordered.

"I'll have them first thing tomorrow," Vent assured.

"Oh! We were able to collect his data! Maybe you could make a simulator for everyone to practice with in case he gets revived again," Ashe suggested.

"Right," Ciel nodded…while mentally sobbing, 'Another project~'

Vent frowned as he looked up at the 'sky' of Lan's homepage from his bed in it, "Fistleo…"

[We should've expected this] Phantom noted [If Ciel and Prairie were here…it stands to reason that others could be here as well]

[I'm more worried that someone copied us when we were Reploids] X noted in concern.

'If there is a copy of one of you, I'll eat a hat,' Vent thought before a soft beep made him pull up the feed for his security cube, seeing Ashe on the other side, "..." he unlocked it and sat up before Ashe entered and ran over to him, "Worried, too?"

"Yeah," Ashe frowned as he gestured to her to sit beside him, "That guy…you fought him back then?"

"Yes. Him and seven other Pseudoroids made from halves of Biometals F, H, L, and P. Serpent had them made," Vent scowled, "And with Fistleo here…there may be others."

"Maybe even the ones I fought that Albert made from Model W," Ashe growled.

"Maybe…" Vent nodded, "...I'm glad things went differently this time…but…"

"Hm?"

"I'm sad we didn't get to see Fireman's face when Gutsman shot through his lava wave again."

"...pfft…O-Oh!" Ashe began to crack up laughing, "Oh man…I forgot about that!"

Vent smiled at Ashe as she continued laughing, 'We need more times like this…especially if more Pseudoroids really are here…'

GT: Whew…okay…originally, this was meant to be Vent still getting challenged and Ashe getting to rip off Fireman's arm as Bifrost, but…that didn't make sense because Ashe was the one who bested Fireman, not Vent. Furthermore…there wasn't meant to be Fistleo, but while I was writing…he just appeared in my head. The scene involving Lan doing the hat thing? It was meant to happen at school, but Lan takes her under the stairs instead of doing it in class. This episode of the anime…has always been one that I could never stand. So many issues in it that I couldn't handle between Lan and Maylu and Megaman and Roll. The former two never even truly apologized or made up for their actions. They just got mad at one another again at the end while Lan and Maylu made up. I refused to let this episode be the same as in the anime!

Chapter 11: Magic Mishap and MEGA System Online

Chapter Text

GT: Fair warning for you guys…this is not going to be all of a good ending. Be careful near the end as things really start to change.

Wily pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly. For the past two months…the several plans devised by his organization were being messed up…by children. None of them even at thirteen even. Walking over to a computer, he looked at the four portfolios on it.

Ciel Oda, daughter of 'Slick Daddy' Oda who was infamous in the underground circles due to his style of sleuthing. She was a genius, having made several programs shortly after she got out of the hospital after a car accident left her and her younger sister comatose for several days. Mother died in the accident.

Eugene Chaud Blaze, son of IPC's president. Famous Official, having become one at the age of nine. Also the vice president of IPC. His informants managed to find out that the father and son had deep issues on connecting with one another, growing worse when the mother passed when he was 5 of a sickness.

Maylu Persephone Sakurai, parents constantly abroad due to their professions. Grandparents live nearby to keep watch of her. Practices parkour and the piano.

Lan…Hikari… Wily grit his teeth, his eye burning in anger as he gazed upon that name. Son of Haruka Hikari, former high school boxer, and Yuichiro Hikari…scientist of SciLab and son of him. Moderate grades until a few days after Fireman failed his ongoing mission of causing fires through the ovens. He had to look away to calm his rising blood pressure and change to their NetNavis, aside from Ciel who didn't have one oddly enough.

Protoman…A customized NetNavi…made by Chaud's mother even as she was on her deathbed. Speed, reflexes, defenses…all stronger than even the most recent line of NetNavi. Preference to sword-related BattleChips.

Roll A…also known as 'Ashe,' she is a wildcard with her A-Trans ability that allows her to transform into others she's battled. Even without it, her ultimate attack Giga Crush has been devastating to his forces. Seems highly protective of her NetOp, often getting enraged and far more dangerous if she is put into danger.

Megaman…known also as 'Vent,' he calls himself a 'carrier.' Deeper research through plants in SciLab discovered he was a NetNavi made by Yuichiro and has surpassed even other, more modern, NetNavis. Had a mentor NetNavi teaching him before an accident left the NetNavi Deleted. Has access to items known as 'Biometals,' allowing him to change armors with unique elements…items that were created by Ciel Oda shortly after she got out of her coma and scattered them across the Network. An interesting pattern was that each armor always had 'X' in their name.

Even Roll A had one that allowed her to A-Trans: Model A. Another of Ciel's creations, perhaps? It mattered little of their origins. What mattered was the fact that they were a dangerous threat to all his plans if he couldn't obtain the final of the four Elemental Codes. He let out a sigh, shaking his head, before looking at four machines set up before him, three filled with holograms of a sphere either made of flames, leaves, or water. Just one code remained…his thoughts were cut off by a cup of tea being placed before him.

"Lord Wily, please take some time to calm yourself," a voice spoke, causing Wily to look at the slender man with two blue triangles on his face, a red dot on his forehead, and his brown hair pulled back into a slipknot.

"..." Wily sighed, taking the cup and taking a sip of it, "...Your tea is marvelous as always, Yahoot."

"I am pleased to hear," the man noted with a small smile, his eyes kept shut, "I've come to do a report for myself and my cohort also in the DNN involving the N1 GP."

"Pray tell, what news do you bring?"

"Under pseudonyms, we were able to enter Maddy, Match, and Zap into it as Madoi, Hinoken, and Jack Elec. I was able to talk him down from entering under the identity of 'Netbattler Q' so that we would have a member partake in it in the background," Yahoot explained.

Wily nodded, "Good…Before the second round, make sure Zap is out of it. The night before it, SciLab will be having a party to showcase new inventions. I need him and Elecman for the plan."

"We will make sure of it," Yahoot assured.

"...There is one other thing…No one knows your NetNavi, yes?"

"Indeed. I have kept him hidden while using the Alpha-I that you provided for my cover," Yahoot replied.

"Good. During your next broadcast, deploy him with his hypnosis program at full force," Wily ordered, "Deny any and all association should he lose to Megaman and Roll A."

"Sir?"

"The N1 will be a powder keg, all we are doing with this final act before it is add the final touches to its load to ignite," Wily stated, "An event meant to alleviate the tensions by showcasing how strong humanity and NetNavis can become to fight us…will instead be a full blown panic-spreading assault of madness. When Zap and Elecman are successful in obtaining the ElecCode…In the final round…we will deploy Operation Endgame!"

"Understood," Yahoot replied, bowing.

"Hah…" Lan sighed as he skated alongside Maylu on her scooter.

"What's wrong?" Maylu asked, "I thought you'd be excited for something like the N1."

"I am…but it's the reasons behind it that's getting to me," Lan replied, frowning.

Vent frowned in his PeT, 'That's true…In the original timeline, we joined because it looked like fun. But here…as NetSavers, we 'received' intel on World Three entering the tournament. We're being entered instead of just volunteering like we would've done.' "Hey, Lan?"

"What?"

"Don't focus on the World Three, alright? Focus on something else."

"And what's that?"

"Us winning," Vent smirked.

"What?! Oh heck no! If anyone's winning the N1, it's gonna be Maylu, Model A, and me!" Ashe declared.

"A-Ashe?!" Maylu gawked.

"No way! Vent, me, and the Biometals are gonna win," Lan declared, a grin on his face, "No offense, Maylu, but we're not gonna lose if we fight you."

"...What's that supposed to mean?" Maylu demanded, narrowing her eyes.

Lan chuckled, "Well…we're not gonna hold back on you guys. Even if we're best friends, I'm not gonna let that get me to hold back."

"Mmm…Well, neither will we!" Maylu declared, "Ashe, Model A, we're gonna go all out when it's time!"

[Heck yeah! We're not gonna lose to you guys! And don't think it'll be a draw like when we first fought, Vent!] Axl whooped.

[Careful, Axl, pride goeth before the fall] Zero warned.

[No wonder my siblings kept losing to you] Phantom noted, keeping the link to just Vent and Ashe.

[Phantom~!] Fafnir and Harpuia whined.

[And who's pride had them self-destruct to try to take down Zero?] Harpuia recalled.

[Kids, no arguing] X scolded [We're already going to be late enough as is]

"Gah! That's right!" Lan panicked.

"You could always send us ahead to explain the situation," Ashe offered.

"Please do!" Maylu begged as the two kids picked up the pace.

"Those two sure are running late…" Dex noted, himself, Yai, and Ciel in Yai's treehouse base, "The show's about to start soon!"

"It can't be helped, I suppose," Ciel sighed as she glanced at the television, 'I…I still can't believe that Yahoot is a member of World Three…'

"Lady Yai, Sir Vent and Madam Ashe have arrived," Glyde informed, the screen popping up to show the Network.

"We're really sorry about Lan and Maylu's tardiness," Ashe apologized, bowing to them, "Masa trouble."

"Who's Masa?" Yai asked, tilting her head.

'Oh right…The aquarium event was different,' Vent thought.

"A good fisherman, but also a bit kooky," Dex explained, nodding in understanding, "I get that all too well, Ashe. Why do you think I was jogging to school and not on my scooter that one day?"

"...This Masa guy?"

"Yep! He's a man who takes health quite seriously," Ashe explained, "He's got a good heart, but is a bit…er…gungho."

"He's an honest fishmonger…but I cannot deny he has moments that just make me chuckle," Vent added.

"Plus, he's very knowledgeable about fish. We honestly needed it when a virus attacked," Ashe recalled, "That knowledge on jellyfish was perfect for the Jelly Viruses!"

"Really?" Yai pondered before a notification went off on Ciel's PeT.

"Oh. The show's about to start," Ciel informed.

"Glyde," Yai commanded.

Glyde smiled before giving a formal bow. The screen changed to show a channel that was showcasing a title card of a pair of elephants that seemed to be playing with one another in a sunset background. Above them were the words 'Mahajarama Yoga.' Traditional music played as the card transitioned with a fading effect to a studio set up with various oriental items as Yahoot sat upon a yoga mat with his legs crossed behind his head and his hands brought together in a prayer pose.

"A pleasure to have you all gathered once more," Yahoot greeted calmly, "For those new to our program, I am Yahoot Mahajarama, an expertise in the art of Yoga…"

'Ciel…I hope you remember to close your eyes when the real event starts,' Vent thought in concern.

"In ancient India, Yoga was a way of strengthening one's heart and body. Under my guidance, you will surely have the opportunity to improve upon your health through your body and mind, healing yourself both physically and spiritually," Yahoot continued as he stood up, "Now then…let us begin. We'll start off with the grasshopper's pose, allowing our skin to be strengthened." Yahoot bent down to the floor, slightly bending his knees while keeping his hands flat on the floor, and the three pre-teens followed his lead, "Good. Now we will transition to the pose of a flying bird to allow us to become more active. It is often best to use this when you first awaken in the morning." the trio followed his lead of standing up with the left leg bent and lifting their right leg back while spreading their arms out and tilting their body to the side a little, "The pose of a wild boar to increase one's endurance follows."

"Why are you doin' it, too, guts?" Gutsman asked, watching Ashe and Vent follow the posing.

"Ah!" Ashe nearly fell out of position if not for Vent nudging her, "It's so we can show Lan and Maylu later because of them missing it."

"The pose of a lemur, allowing one to have optimal space within a crowded train," Yahoot continued as the two bent their knees while rising up a little, folding in their arms and keeping them curled up like animal paws before them.

"It also helps us feel closer to our NetOps to better synchronize with them in FullSynchro," Vent added.

"The pose of a western wildcat, loosening up the body enough to let one easily remove stickers without leaving residue behind or causing it to tear," Yahoot went on.

"Even if I've known the guy for a while now, it's hard to believe a famous yoga instructor like him is working for World Three," Match noted in the World Three base.

"I'll say! This show is seen by almost every single person in Electopia! And even in some international channels, too!" Zap grinned.

"He's got such a weird face…" Maddy muttered.

"He's been around since the very beginning of World Three," Wily informed, "Now watch, you three, and see the difference between the chaos you bring forth…and what he can do."

"You've all done well today. Before we end today's program, as a treat for the N1 Grand Prix in a few weeks, I would like to show you all a pose that will circulate your energy in a way to bring out the maximum performance of your NetNavi through a spiritual connection," Yahoot informed, "It was quite the surprise when performing it that I felt as if I was seeing through my NetNavi's eyes."

Ciel gasped under her breath as Dex blinked a few times before asking, "Hey…Doesn't that sound like what Lan and Maylu describe FullSynchro like?"

Inside of the Network, Ashe and Vent narrowed their eyes at that statement, realizing the implications. The screen suddenly flickered before changing to show another Network with an ominous blue-garbed NetNavi based upon a sorcerer with a metal cream 'beard' that hid all but his glowing yellow eyes underneath an armored wizard's hat and red crystal spheres for hands.

"Who dat?" Gutsman pondered.

"Ladies and gentlemen, children of any age! Don't be surprised and turn the page. I am Magicman, Magician of Skill! Watch as you are now under WWW's will!"

"Close your…!" Ciel began before a bright flash went off from the screen…and Ashe and Vent collapsed.

"Hurry, hurry! We probably already missed it, but we are not gonna be no shows!" Lan declared as the two approached the clubhouse.

"Why didn't we keep Ashe or Vent with us to deal with that virus that messed with the crossing signals at all those crosswalks?" Maylu groaned as they entered…and blinked a few times.

Yai rowled as she chewed and gnawed on a fish on the floor. Meanwhile, Dex hooted and banged his chest with one fist as he ate a banana in the other. Ciel sighed upon spotting the two.

"Oh thank Asimov you two aren't like them," Ciel noted in relief.

"Ciel, what's going on?" Maylu asked.

"WWW hijacked the yoga show," Ciel explained, "A NetNavi by the name Magicman sent out a hypnotic visual signal. I barely got my eyes closed before he did, but Yai and Dex…" she gestured to the two acting like a cat and gorilla, "They nearly attacked me if I didn't bribe them with food. And don't show your teeth around Dex. It seems that whatever this is also included the actual behavioral patterns of the animals they're hypnotized as. But…"

"But…?" Maylu repeated, unease in her tone.

"Master Vent and Lady Roll passed out when the light went off," Glyde informed on the screen as Gutsman was keeping vigil of the two collapsed NetNavis, "We've attempted to awaken them, but nothing has changed."

"Oh no…!" Lan gasped as he ran over to it, "Vent! Hey, Vent! Wake up, buddy!"

[We've been trying to get them to awaken ever since they collapsed] Zero explained [No luck. Not even Reverie is working]

"Oh that is so unfair!" Lan groaned.

"Lan…" Maylu sighed before looking at Ashe in worry, "Roll…" she noticed Ashe's hand twitch, "Roll?"

"Vent!" Lan called out as, slowly, the two started to awake.

"...rrrrr…" Vent growled.

"Vent?" Lan pondered before Glyde and Gutsman yelped as Vent snarled while chasing after them on all fours, barking and howling, "VENT?!"

"Roll?" Maylu pondered as Ashe licked the back of her hand and rubbed it against her face.

"Is she a cat like Yai?" Ciel pondered.

"Rrowrl~!" Ashe mewled…before Vent froze up, Gutsman trying to pull him off Glyde as the long-haired male's teeth dug into part of Glyde's right boot.

"Guts?" Gutsman pondered, earning her attention, "?!"

"Mmrowl?" Ashe mewled, tilting her head before seeing Vent, "Rowrl!" She bounced up and started to approach…before Vent bolted, "Meow?"

Vent whimpered as he hid behind a pillar in the Network.

"...What's going on?" Lan pondered, watching as a curious Ashe moved to the pillar only for Vent to run away again.

"Is Vent…afraid of her?" Maylu pondered.

[No. I've been with Vent the longest alongside Zero. With how long we've known each other…] X noted.

[Vent's guilty] Zero summed up [His posture and mannerisms all show signs he feels guilty about something involving her]

"Vent? Vent, come on, what's wrong?" Lan asked, his voice making Vent freeze up before scurrying out of sight once more.

[Seems you're also triggering a guilt] Zero added.

"What is he guilty about?" Maylu pondered as Ashe kept trying to catch Vent, none of them seeing how Ciel bit her lower lip.

'I know…' Ciel thought before shaking her head, "Everyone, Log Out. Lan, Maylu, we have to head for DNN's broadcast station to shut down the signal. Can you two handle operating Gutsman and Glyde since Ashe and Vent are currently incapacitated?"

"..." Lan frowned in concern but nodded, "Since we're stuck in this situation, who do you want to Operate you guys? Me or Maylu?"

"I'm used to being Operated by Lady Yai, so would it be alright if you do so, Lady Maylu?"

"Of course, Glyde."

"Gutsman glad to work with ya, Lan! Let's show that Magicman jerk how much my training's been paying off, guts!"

Ciel nodded as she picked up the dropped PeTs. She gave the duo some more fish and bananas before the trio left with all four NetNavis in their individual PeTs. Ashe let out a few sad mewls, pawing at the screen while Vent huddled in a corner of his PeT's screen, still whimpering.

{Curiouser and curiouser} Phantom thought, watching over Vent with the other Biometals.

Wily cackled as various screens displayed the chaos occurring all over Electopia. People gave chase to many either individually or in packs. Buildings with windows and balconies had people hanging on them upside-down like bats regardless of age. In stores, all the fruit, meats, and vegetables were being voraciously consumed by the people within them…or playing with the various pet toys and yarn.

"Excellent! Your work is impeccable as always, Yahoot, Magicman!" Wily laughed, "Now this is what a plan to instill chaos truly looks like! Perhaps you may learn well from this!" he turned around…before facepalming as he saw the trio were a dog, a peacock, and a frog, "...Because of course they didn't look away…" he noticed something on one screen and scowled, turning around to see Lan, Maylu, and Ciel running through the city, "They didn't look."

"Would you care if we did something?" a voice asked from another.

"Do as you wish," Wily replied.

In the recycling center, several machines hummed to life as a conveyor belt moved. Mechanical hands reached down and began to go to work. On several screens, a purple stylized 'W' shined within the darkness as blueprints, coding, and schematics flashed rapidly across them in popups.

"This is bad…really bad…" Lan grimaced.

"Ah! Lan, Ciel! It's Ms. Mari!" Maylu gasped, pointing ahead at a tree…where Ms. Mari was hanging upside down, a lazy expression on her face.

"Whoa, she's just looking nowhere, hanging upside down in that tree like that," Lan awed, "She must think she's a sloth!" he jumped as Sal jumped by them, keeping her hands before her in a curled up manner, "Sal?!"

"She looks to be emulating a kangaroo," Ciel noted, seeing a doll peeking out of her outfit, before a shadow came overhead, making them look up in time to see Miyu soar by using her fortune telling table's cloth as a glider, "...Aaaaand Miyu seems to have become a flying squirrel."

"Dis is gettin' nuts, guts," Gutsman noted before Ashe began to rowl and hiss, making them look in the direction Maylu's PeT had been facing to see Masa slithering on the floor.

"Good heavens! Has this poor man become a serpent?" Glyde asked.

"No…This is Masa," Lan replied, "A-And I…I think he's an eel."

"Even hypnotized, he's still nutty about fish," Maylu sighed.

"Help~! Some assistance if you please!" everyone looked at a tree where Higsby was clinging to it.

"...I…I think he's supposed to be a cicada?" Lan guessed.

"First bug of the day," Ciel muttered before yelping and barely catching the falling PeT from Higsby's broken holster.

"Oh thank goodness! I'm saved!" Numberman sighed in relief, "This is horrible! What's happened to Higsby?"

"We're heading for the TV station to try to deal with that bad NetNavi," Lan explained, "It even affected Vent and Ashe."

"Really?!" Numberman gasped, "Please, allow me to assist."

"Why should we trust ya?" Gutsman questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Because I was the one who rebuilt him and installed a termination code into him if he and Higsby violated their parole," Ciel replied.

"I also have my memory from our time in WWW," Numberman added, "I recognized the NetNavi on the screen as Magicman, one of the strongest NetNavis in the organization. I, however, never met his NetOp."

"...Glyde? Gutsman? This is your call since he he hit you two, Yai, and Dex the most with what went on back then," Lan spoke.

"...Any help would be good in this troubling time," Glyde replied, "I do not condone his actions against myself and Lady Yai nor his actions that hurt Dex and Gutsman, but in the end, we need as much assistance in this endeavor as we can ascertain."

"Gutsman don't trust disco head, but we need any advantage we can get for dis jerk, guts," Gutsman huffed, crossing his arms over his torso as he glared at Numberman's PeT, "And, if anything, we can toss him into the PeT with Ashe in it."

"Speaking of…why aren't they speaking?"

"They got affected," Lan replied, showing his PeT.

"Huh?! But…how?!"

"We have no idea," Maylu replied.

"..." Ciel looked around before spotting a set of gachapon machines, "Over there. We'll send Gutsman, Gylde, and Numberman ahead to DNN while we make our way there."

"I'll inform Gutsman and Glyde of as much information as I have on Magicman and his abilities while we make our way there," Numberman assured.

The three preteens nodded as they approached the machines. Within moments, all three NetNavis were off towards the station's Network. After that, the two girls were quick on their scooters as Lan kept ahead on his roller skates. A howl made them look over their shoulders and yelp as they picked up the pace as a pack of office workers pursued them, acting like a hunting pack of wolves.

"He can do all that?!" Gutsman gawked as they raced through the Network.

"Indeed," Numberman confirmed, "His name is not merely that, but his entire being. Though…there is something odd."

"What is it?" Glyde questioned.

"Those two…Vent and Ashe…they shouldn't have been affected by the hypnosis," Numberman replied.

"Huh? Why's dat?" Gutsman asked in confusion.

"Because Magicman's hypnosis doesn't work on NetNavis or animals, only humans."

"?!" Gutsman and Glyde's eyes widened in surprise before a red beam of light raced passed them, "Ah!"

"Good heavens! What was that just now?" Glyde questioned.

"I believe that may be another NetNavis making their way to the station!" Numberman realized.

"Den let's pick up da pace, guts!" Gutsman roared before, eventually, the trio entered a massive Network with the 'sky' above sporting a series of revolving logos for DNN.

"Civilians and a criminal?" the trio looked to see a scowling Protoman on another part of the Network.

"We were sent here by Ciel Oda to assist," Numberman informed quickly, "Magicman is a skilled NetNavi capable of techniques that could only be described as like his namesake!"

"Dat's right!" Gutsman backed him up, "Da guy can teleport, make fire dat homes in on ya, and can summon tons of viruses!"

"Like the ones that fast approach," Glyde noted in concern.

"Of course," Protoman scoffed, about to attack when Numberman waved a hand at him.

"We will handle these. You need to force Magicman to Log Out or Delete him to reverse the trouble he's caused!" Numberman spoke.

"...Lord Chaud?"

"We'll allow it for now," Chaud stated, "And I'd rather not stress Ciel out further due to what's going on already."

"Understood," Protoman nodded before racing off to find Magicman.

"I think…that was worse…than last year when Masa…got Maylu, Dex, and me doin' all sorts of…exercises…" Lan panted, the trio having blocked off the entrance to DNN with as many tables and chairs that they could grab.

"Now…it…it'd be a lot worse…if we…we haven't been doing…our parkour and…and Yai's security runs…" Maylu added between pants.

After a few more moments of catching their breath, Ciel was the first to get up and look around, "Looks like the lobby is empty, but we have to be careful."

"Right," both nodded.

With that, the trio went towards the studios part of the building. As they went down the hallways, they ended up stopping and tensing at times when they heard loud crashes and banging against doors, the howls and roars of the people hypnotized within muffled by the doors and walls. Lan peeked through part of a window where the blindfolds had been bent and mangled to see a man in a yellow jacket with tassels on the sleeves curled up on the floor with the room a mess of broken trophies, plaques, overturned chairs and even the desk with all the items on it scattered across the floor either intact, partially broken, or completely destroyed. He grimaced before nearly jumping and screaming when he felt something grab him. Two hands quickly covered his mouth and pulled him away to show it was Maylu and Ciel that had grabbed him. He relaxed before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Maylu rolled her eyes as Ciel gave him an annoyed look before pointing down the hallway for them to resume. Eventually, they made their way into the studios, the entire area pitch black from no lights turned on. Lan took a step forward before a guitar riff wailed. Spotlights lit up and shined down ahead of them, revealing a stage with large speakers. Standing on it was a strange mechanical-looking creature. Its body was lanky and made of various shades of a green/blue metal shaped to resemble a condor of sorts mixed with a humanoid. Its legs were digitigrade in shape, meant to resemble the legs of a bird with three sharp, white talons for the feet. Each segment of its arms sported two long spikes that a semi-transparent blue plasma flared between to resemble wings of sorts, leaving to its green hands with four, white, talon-like fingers that grasped a skeletal-themed guitar in the same colors as the creature. On its rounded torso, a part raised up to show a gunmetal interior…with glowing red lights resembling eyes shining within. Attached to it by a long, skinny neck was a head resembling an armored skull of a condor with red eyes in the sockets, green spikes emerging from the sides, and a green lower beak/jaw.

"I see you pushed your way through all those Mavericks to get a special front row seat to watch me perform. That's pretty rocking of you kids," the machine spoke, sounding like a rocker.

"?!" all three tensed up on seeing him.

"A…A robot?" Lan asked.

"Nope! I'm a Pseudoroid! The name's Vulturon the Condoroid! But I'm thinking of making myself a handle for the stage and calling myself Condorock the Vulturoid!"

"Wait…Y-You're one of the A-Trans Ashe can use!" Maylu recognized.

"Huh?" Lan looked at Maylu in surprise as Ciel narrowed her eyes at the Pseudoroid.

"Y-Yeah…She uses it to play music at times, normally gentle guitar melodies when I can't sleep," Maylu replied, causing Vulturon to nearly fall over.

"Aw what?! Now that ain't Mega of Mega Man Model A at all!" the Condoroid snapped.

"Huh? Megaman? But…we're talking about Ashe," Lan tilted his head.

"He does mean Ashe, you two. I gave the title of those who can transform with the Biometals I made 'Mega Man,'" Ciel explained, 'How is a Pseudoroid here on Earth of all places?'

"Mmmm…" Lan looked over Vulturon's shoulder (which was a bit difficult since the machine was banging his head to an unheard rhythm) to see the doors, "Those must be where we can shut off the broadcast." he started to move only to yelp and move back when Vulturon leapt and landed before them, his eyes glowing dangerously.

"Not so fast, that's where the VIP seats are. I'm afraid you can't go in there," he scolded.

"Gh!" Lan tensed as the trio started stepping backwards from the slowly approaching Pseudoroid.

"What do you say we start the show?"

"S-Show?" Maylu repeated.

"Yeah…I'll play the guitar, and you'll sing the vocals," Vulutron declared, turning his guitar, "I'm looking forward to the finale…" he raised his talons into the air, "…as you scream your last breath! Sound Vibration!"

He swung down, his talons raking across the magenta guitar strings made of a faint plasma. All three screamed as a visible barrier resembling a soundwave erupted from his body and knocked them away to different parts, Maylu to the right, Ciel to the left, and Lan straight backwards. Maylu grunted as she bounced a few times along the floor as Lan gagged as he slammed into a buffet table, knocking it over onto him. Ciel grunted, tumbling along the floor. Vulturon turned to her only for a slice of cake to hit him in the face. He wiped it off and looked to see Lan, already up and his hands filled with two more slices. With a shout, he threw them at the bird machine and ran away.

"Gah! You little punk! Junk Marionette!" Vulturon shouted, playing a rapid riff while his back was turned away from Ciel.

As he played, he didn't see Ciel managing to get into the next area, the blonde glancing over her shoulder to see Lan subtly giving her a thumbs up as he ran over to Maylu to help her up. She gave a silent prayer for their safety as she made her way. Meanwhile, the pieces of machinery in the studio shook and trembled before several broken parts shot off and assembled with one another, turning into a strange humanoid figure made of junk, a broken camera lens acting as a cyclops eye that glowed ominously with a red color. It shuffled across the floor, its movements earning the attention of the two.

"Ah! Robo-zombie?!" Lan yelped as he grabbed Maylu's wrist, "This way!"

The two quickly ran away, avoiding the lunge it made to grab at them only to break a piece of the set of another show. The two yelped as they barely avoided Vulturon landing before them while he swung his guitar at them, smashing another set piece with it after missing the two kids.

"Hmph. Black Ruler," Vulturon intoned as he strummed his guitar…before he vanished in the soundwaves.

"?! Where did he…?" Maylu began, the two looking over their shoulder before they gagged as Vulturon's guitar slammed into them.

"GAH/GUH!" the two screamed as they were sent crashing into the Junk Marionette.

Before either could do a thing, the created machine grabbed them both and squeezed them hard in a hug of sorts. Pops and cracks echoed as the two screamed. It dropped them on the stage as the speakers had been turned to face inward. Vulturon raised his talons up.

"Last Gig…"

With that, he began to play wildly. All over, the debris in the room began to shake from the soundwaves coming out of the speakers that slammed into the two kids between them. All Lan and Maylu could do was scream, the music drowning that out, as the debris shot out and covered the speakers before shooting out and slamming into the two. For a few moments, silence fell. On the stage, Lan and Maylu laid down on it, their bruised and battered bodies barely twitching while their PeTs had fallen out of their holsters to lay near their heads. Vulturon sighed, looking at the state of the two.

"Mega bummer, dudes," he noted, slowly approaching, "Honestly, with how much of a rockin' time you've been havin' with my fellow performers in the WWW, I thought you'd be a better match in this battle of the bands."

'A…Are we…going to die here…?' Lan thought, 'C…Can't move…don't…don't feel my limbs…'

'W…We're dying…' Maylu thought, 'Breathing…h-hurts…so much…'

"Rrrrrrr!" Lan managed to move his head, seeing Vent snarling and growling while looking towards Vulturon with murder in his eyes.

"HISSSS!" Maylu got her head to move enough to let her see Ashe on the screen, rowling and hissing while giving Vulturon the fiercest look she could.

'Roll…'

'Vent…'

'...I'm so sorry,' both thought as a tear fell from their closing eyes.

The drops fell and landed on the two PeTs. For a moment, nothing happened…before a light began to shine from the screens. Vulturon backed away, holding a hand up to block the bright light.

[Lan…] X spoke [There is still hope]

"H-Huh?" Lan asked.

[Maylu…There is something we could do…] Axl suggested [But it's risky, especially in your states]

"Risky…?" Maylu cracked open an eye.

[In all likelihood…you could very well die because you don't have certain modifications to your bodies] X warned.

[Especially with how beaten up you've been] Fafnir added.

[Ashe and Vent are able to merge with us because they can hear us] Axl explained [If you can hear us…you can merge with us]

[Lan, don't even think of trying to use two of us together] Zero warned [Only one of us can be with you, so pick just one]

"We can…merge with you?" Maylu asked.

[Of course!] Axl beamed [Now I want you to focus on a Biometal. Then you yell, "MEGAMERGE!" as loud as you can! Ya got it?]

Both managed to nod before, with grunts, the two slowly stood up. It was strange…just a minute ago, neither could feel their bodies at all…and yet, here they were. Standing up again. Aches and flashes of intense pain lanced through them…but neither cared. Their eyes focused on Vulturon as they held their PeTs tight.

"Oh? You guys think the show's not over?" Vulturon asked.

'Please work…' both thought before inhaling deeply, Lan's thoughts turning to Model F and the time in the Waterworks as Maylu's turned to all her times with Model A, "Mega…MEEEEEERGE!-!-!-!"

Twin pillars of light erupted from their PeTs as Model A and Model F lit up [BIOLINK ESTABLISHED! MEGA SYSTEM ONLINE!]

In the Network, a figure stared at the feed inside of the studio with wide eyes of surprise before narrowing in excitement. Within the light, Maylu and Lan grunted as sparks came off their bodies. The two let loose cries within the light before it slowly dissipated, leaving the two heavily panting. Maylu was donned in Model A's armor, but her helmet didn't sport a ponytail; instead, her back armor was slightly bulkier with two long orange and red cables acting as a scarf emerged from it. Meanwhile, Lan looked like he was Model FX, but the horns faced away from him instead of going forward while the busters had grown bulkier and more draconic in appearance, almost resembling the heads of two dragons.

"What the…This feeling... This power...in my body...What is it?" Maylu asked as the two looked at themselves.

"I…I think it's the Biometal, making us stronger!" Lan realized.

[You betcha! This is the power of the MEGA System!] F declared.

[Guys, you don't have long in this form, so kick that beak boy's head in!] A shouted.

"Right!" Lan nodded.

The Junk Marionette rushed at them. Lan narrowed his eyes as his right hand was engulfed in one of the white buster/gauntlets. He rushed at the machine while reeling his fist back. With a roar, he swung the weapon at the machine and shattered it. Vulturon moved to start playing before yelping as bullets riddled him, forcing him to jump up as the blue energy on his arms flared up, jetting him away from the attack coming from Maylu's guns. The two guns in Maylu's hands shifted parts of themselves before she pulled the triggers and plasma bolts shot out of them and slammed into Vulturon, knocking him out of the sky to get another punch from Lan, sending him crashing into one of the speakers. Vulturon pulled himself out before he smelled something burning. He spun around in time to see a streak of flames racing across the floor and explode beneath him, sending him up into the air. Lan stood up from his punching the ground to catch Maylu in her jump and threw her at Vulturon. The red head roared as she slammed the sides of her guns into the bird robot, slamming him into the other speaker, knocking it over with him embedded into it. Maylu landed beside Lan and the two couldn't help but look at themselves and each other.

"H…How are we…?" Maylu began to ask.

[You're just kids, so we're lending a hand by stimulating your bodies with 'memories' of how to fight with our powers] Model F explained.

[Think of it as giving your muscles new 'memories' that will let them handle this] Model A added.

Vulturon groaned as he pushed himself out of the ruined speaker, "Ugh…" he shook his head before looking at the two while pulling his guitar out of the debris, "..." he couldn't hold back a laugh, "What an act! You two are a real platinum record at the moment to me! Let's give way to the finale then!" he played his guitar hard, causing the entire studio to shake as all the broken debris assembled into a pair of speakers at his sides, "Are you ready to rock?!"

[One last hit, Maylu. I'll help you with it, so let's go with the Giga Crush!]

"Right," Maylu nodded.

[Lan, you've got a pretty strong soul that roars like an inferno. I'm going to teach you something Vent doesn't know about]

"Huh? Something Vent doesn't know?" Lan grinned, "Alright then!"

The bulky busters covered both of Lan's hands as Maylu closed her eyes. A three-dimensional purple 'cube' emerged from her, covering the area. Beside her, Lan closed his own and aimed at the ceiling at an angle. The busters in his arms glowed before opening up, resembling the heads of a pair of dragon/wolf hybrids preparing to roar out.

"LAST GIG/GIGA CRUSH/METEOR RAIN!" all three roared.

Ciel forced back a scream that escaped her lips as the ground shook and rumbled as bits of dust fell from the ceiling above. In another room, Yahoot frowned as he was surrounded by knocked over objects with his PeT held between the soles of his sandals, watching as Protoman sliced through a green fireball Magicman released from his right red orb before tearing through several serpent like viruses that emerged from the left red orb. He heard footsteps and knew it was time. He set up an Auto Jack-Out program to activate for Magicman before hiding his PeT inside of his outfit. The doors swung open and Ciel ran in and flinched. Yahoot looked up, standing on all four. He looked at her before bounding off, acting like a graceful gazelle.

"Even Yahoot was put under it. …Maybe Vent and Ashe were wrong and Yahoot isn't in the World Three?" Ciel pondered before shaking her head and running off towards the control room of the whole building.

"..." once she was gone, Yahoot stood up and rubbed the underside of his chin, "Vent and Ashe…How curious…"

"GUH! U-Ugh…" Vulturon choked as he looked at the two…before his eyes seemed to smile atop his hole-ridden, partially melted body, "N-Nice performance…second time I did a revival concert…only to retire once more…" he chuckled, "Go on then…give 'em a rockin' performance out there, you two."

He collapsed as the light left his optics. The sparks grew stronger before tiny explosions began to go off in him before a final large one left nothing but a small crater where he had been. Lan and Maylu sighed before their armor vanished. Lan weakly took a step forward…only to gag and he threw up blood onto the floor. Maylu began to shout and reach for him…only to collapse to the side, throwing up a bit of blood as well. Lan fell backwards, his head landing near Maylu's. The last thing he remembered seeing was the ceiling while something warm held his hand before darkness engulfed him.

"Program Advance," Protoman declared as he grasped a blade of pure purple plasma, "LifeSword!"

He vanished before appearing behind Magicman. The sorcerer-like NetNavi turned…before he collapsed into two halves and Logged Out. Nearby, Gutsman roared as he delivered a final blow to some of the last of the Viruses. Several explosions made him flinch and turn to see Numberman holding an arm out where several bits of Viruses that had been behind Gutsman were dissolving from his dice bombs. He nodded at the skinny, lanky NetNavi before walking over to Glyde.

"Guys! I've turned off the broadcast!" Ciel called, "Is everything alright in the Network?"

"No more Viruses, guts," Gutsman replied.

"Protoman has managed to defeat Magicman, so the hypnosis should be wearing off for everyone," Numberman added.

"Protoman? Oh thank goodness…" Ciel sighed in relief.

"Guess Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai were victims?" Protoman asked.

"?! Oh gosh! I forgot!" Ciel panicked as she ran off.

"I am checking the outside cameras," Glyde informed, "People are coming out of hypnosis as we-Oh dear! Master Lan! Lady Maylu!"

"?" Protoman turned to him as Glyde had a screen displaying the two preteens collapsed on the ground within a growing pool of blood, "What happened?"

"Something interfered with the security feed. Between their arrival and just a few minutes ago is corrupted," Glyde informed.

"I think Gutsman sees gunshot holes," Gutsman noted, pointing at parts of the floor…and then on the injuries on the two.

'What happened?' Protoman pondered, narrowing his eyes behind his visor.

"What happened?" Oda questioned, his fedora tilted to hide his anger-filled eyes.

"It seems their bodies were put under an immense strain," the doctor explained, looking through the glass window to the recovery ward where Lan and Maylu were sound asleep in separate beds with Haruka keeping watch of them both, "Several organs are on the verge of failure, muscles and tendons strained with many more ripped to shreds…We've had to restart their hearts five times in the last three operations we've done so far. To be honest…they're…probably never going to be able to do much with how wrecked their bodies are. Even with physical therapy, neither will be able to hold things like the handle of a PeT or even basic things. They'll be wheelchair bound and will barely be able to do much of anything. We'll likely need to give them wheelchairs that include a device to speak for them."

Oda scowled. Nearby, Ciel looked down, biting her lower lip. Yai struggled to not cry as her father held her close as Dex grit his teeth as his clenched fists were squeezing hard enough to draw blood. Ciel inhaled before standing up, tablet in hand with a determined look in her eyes.

"I have a suggestion, one with a recovery period of less than a week and give them mobility and protection from this repeating," Ciel informed as she walked up to the doctor and her father.

"Ciel?" Oda pondered.

"What do you mean?" The doctor asked before Ciel showed him her tablet, "..." his eyes widened as he read through it, "What the…?"

"Can this be done?"

"I…I'm not…but the data here…but…"

Ciel slammed a fist on the window, startling Haruka on the other side along with the doctor, "Can your doctors do this?"

"...We…We could, but where would we get these…?"

"What do you need?" Yai asked, "Whatever needs to be obtained, I'll make sure to get it for them!"

"Yai…" her father began.

"Daddy, they've done so much for you and me and the only things they asked were to be my friend and help improve our security systems. They're the ones who saved our company from that WWW attack along with the one at school." Tears welled in her eyes, "If I can even do just one thing for them, then…"

"..." he looked at the doctor, "All billing is to be given to the Ayano Family. We will make sure to get whatever you need as well. Glyde?"

"Ready for note taking to send to the right people and NetNavis, Master Ayano."

"But there's still the fact this…" the doctor began before Ciel tapped the tablet and showed a few photos, "?!" he looked at her in surprise, "He did it before?"

"Yes," Ciel replied.

"He?" Oda repeated.

"..." the doctor furrowed his brow in thought, "...We're going to need some scientists from SciLab here to help with the operation. If Dr. Black Jack could do this…then it is possible."

'?! Dr. Black Jack? The miracle worker?' Oda thought with wide eyes as he glanced at his daughter, 'What kind of connections have you been making when I haven't noticed?'

"Make sure no one puts neither Network interactivity nor compatibility into these," Ciel warned, "Just think of the horrors a rogue NetNavi or Virus could cause."

"Wait, scientists? Ciel, what did you…?" Oda pondered.

"Your daughter just gave us a method that can revolutionize the field of medicine and cybernetics on a scale unheard of," the doctor summed up, sending copies to his PeT and then to several doctors, "This works as intended and by the instructions provided? Those kids will be out before the N1 starts if they were planning on joining it."

"That fast?" Yai's father asked in surprise.

"I'll just need the permission of the parents or guardians," the doctor informed as he walked off to go inside.

Oda slowly looked at Ciel, "Ciel…you are just brilliant, you know that?"

Ciel sheepishly scratched her cheek, blushing at the praise, "It…It's not that much. Just…something I did while bored one day…"

"Well, if this procedure you came up with does what he says it can, you should get bored more often," Oda chuckled.

"Ah! Father~" Ciel groaned, realizing he was doing a joke.

"What I'm scared 'bout is what happened to cause that in the first place," Dex frowned.

"Gutsman don't know. We went ahead and got stuck fightin' Viruses and Magicman, guts," Gutsman noted in concern.

"We know Magicman has a powerful hypnosis ability, one that actually bypasses the need for believing the hypnosis will work like most cases. Maybe before the fighting began, he used it on those two to make their bodies do this," Ciel suggested, not willing to tell anyone about the Pseudoroid, "I wouldn't know since a pack of hippos caused us to split up."

"What the hell happened?!" Ashe demanded, pacing about in Vent's PeT, "I mean, what the fuck went tits up today?! We weren't supposed to get hypnotized! Just humans!"

"...Roll, we are humans," Vent reminded her, sitting at the table nearby with a contemplative look.

"Huh?"

"I was a human who became a NetNavi. You're a NetNavi. We both died and reincarnated as humans. Then we died and became NetNavis again," Vent explained, "But the fact is we were human before. We might be NetNavis now, but maybe our minds are still human enough that it worked on us."

"Maybe…" Ashe sighed, sitting down across from him, "Ugh…It just sucks I can't remember anything! Especially with what happened to our sibs!" she glanced out of the screen towards the two comatose preteens, "..."

[Perhaps we can explain about some of that] Phantom noted as he floated over.

"Huh?" Vent pondered, looking at the purple Biometal.

[Lan and Maylu Megamerged with Biometal Models F and A respectively]

"WHAT?!" both gasped.

[They had to in order to defeat Vulturon and not be slaughtered] Phantom explained.

"V-Vulturon was here, too? On Earth?" Ashe asked.

[Yes. He was protecting the main area of the TV station] Phantom explained, [Had they not performed the act, they would've died then and there]

"And this is better?!" Ashe snapped.

"Roll…" Vent began in worry.

[They'll survive] X stated [We just received a private message from Ciel. The doctors are going to use the method from your time as humans to save them]

"Method? What me…?" Vent trailed off as he looked over at Ashe…specifically the white boxes on the sides of her head, "...She's giving them that?"

"Huh?" Ashe tilted her head, her rage replaced with confusion.

[They're replacing parts of their internal systems with cybernetics] X explained.

"...HAH?!" Ashe gawked.

[She did leave out the 'ears', though] X noted.

"What are they doing?!" Ashe demanded as Vent grabbed her by the shoulders to look her in the eyes.

"Roll…They're doing what our old world did to us," Vent calmly explained, "They'll be alright and will be tougher so they won't have to worry about getting harmed as much."

Ashe grimaced, "...Why…?"

[That's our fault] Model A reminded her, he and F floating over [Vulturon was about to kill them and…]

[None of us expected this severe of a drawback to a Chosen that didn't have the implants to happen] F stated [All we can do is pray for their recovery going well and possibly avoid doing this again]

"...And knowing our luck…" Vent sighed before seeing how worried Ashe was and quickly held her, "They'll recover. We have to believe that."

"I…I'm scared…" Ashe whispered, trembling in his embrace, "I…I don't want that to happen again…please…n-never again…"

She didn't notice how Vent tensed at her words as a phantom agony tore through his stomach and heart. He held her closed, letting her sob into his body, as his eyes started clouding over until he shook his head and narrowed his eyes.

"That day will never happen again. Not as long as we can help it," Vent swore, "They are going to get through this…all of us are going to get through this." 'Damn it…Just…Just what the hell is happening?!'

GT: Eeyup. No one expected this, did they? In all honesty, Lan was meant to Megamerge with Model F in the Waterworks, but I went against it and instead just resonate with the Biometal to boost him enough to make the wheel turn. And in all honesty? I've always meant to give this harsh drawback to the Biometals since they've only been used by Reploids or by Humans that have undergone the surgery that modifies their bodies to extend their lives and make them far more durable in the era they live in. That kind of power needs those conditions to not kill a person. As for Vulturon? He originally wasn't involved in this, was gonna be more like the anime but with those three there instead of Megaman. But after Fistleo…my head just couldn't get the idea out of my head to not do more. Was gonna extend this to when they wake up, but…I think I'll enjoy you guys waiting for that more. Please read and review!

Chapter 12: Recovering and Final Preparations

Chapter Text

GT: And here's what happens next after last time. Let's see what's been going on, hm?

"They knew?" Wily asked in disbelief, turning to look at Yahoot.

"If what that young lady Ciel said was true, then those two NetNavis belonging to Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai know who our members are," Yahoot replied, "While my imitation of a gazelle allowed suspicion to be thrown off, it is still troubling."

Wily scowled, "...What if they knew of our plans? That they were already aware of us long before?"

"Lord Wily," Fireman spoke up from Match's PeT, the man holding it up to show the NetNavi, "...Vent…he…he knew my name and knew that I was the one who was in his oven's Network."

"He was?"

"Come to think of it…he knew our names before we even introduced ourselves," Colorman noted.

"He knew it was me in the dog robot," Elecman added, "Just what is with this guy?"

"Do we have a mole?" Maddy asked, glancing around in suspicion.

A laugh went out from the speakers, "Oh please…They would've been done in before they could even get a try at getting any info out!"

Everyone but Wily tensed on that voice, the leader of the organization instead smirking as he turned to a screen, showing a figure, "I must say, whatever you sent had quite the impact. Those two brats are in the hospital."

"Yeah, I sure wasn't expecting that. I was hoping Vulturon would have killed them and not the other way around," the figure noted, "But still…it's quite the surprise how they did it."

"Hm?" Wily raised a brow before the screens behind him changed, replaying Lan and Maylu fighting Vulturon, "What in the world…?"

"Those Biometals that Ciel Oda created are special…far more special than anyone knows," the figure noted, "I'm honestly excited for what comes next from them…if they're still alive after the drawbacks from pulling that off without cybernetics infused into their bodies."

Lan and Maylu blinked before jumping back from the other. Lan tried to speak, only for nothing to escape his lips. Maylu tilted her head, opened her mouth, and nothing escaped either. The two grimaced before Lan rubbed the underside of his chin in thought before snapping his fingers…with no sound coming from that action either. He looked at the hand in annoyance for a moment before smiling at her. He gestured to the both of them, made an 'X' with his arms, then pointed at his mouth. 'We can't speak.' Maylu nodded before looking around with a small shudder. They were in a large cave of sorts, possibly a mine even given the discarded tools around them that had long since been claimed by nature. Yet…there was bits of wiring melding with the natural cavern, as if growing out of the stone itself. She pointed at it while looking at Lan in curiosity. Lan shrugged before a hissing noise made them look to the right to see Vent entering through a sliding door of sorts to the left, looking to be his current age. He walked by them and they turned…before freezing. Before them, ominously connected to several cables growing from the walls…was a monolithic metal item of sorts. It was jagged, looking as if it were missing bits and pieces of itself. Its surface was a tainted silver of sorts, almost an off-white even, with gold detailing scattered about it like the surface of a computer chip. All of it led to a part near the top of it where its surface was expanded to a jagged circle of sorts. Resting in the center of that was a glowing red and purple crystal of sorts, the glow pulsing in and out like a slow heartbeat. Vent narrowed his eyes.

"Of course it's another Model W and not the others," Vent noted.

[We'll find them, Vent, X] Model Z's voice assured.

[Indeed. But for now, we need to take care of this part of Model W] Model X's voice advised.

Model W? The two kids looked at one another in confusion. Ashe and Vent never said anything about a Model W before. Lan pouted, realizing that there's another Biometal aside from the one called Model…A hiss made them look at the door to see Ashe, armored up in Model A, running in. She skidded to a halt upon spotting Vent. Both kids smiled, knowing that their NetNavis were…

"Who are you!?" Ashe demanded, causing Vent to turn around to look at her in confusion.

"What's a girl doing here?"

…What? The two kids looked in confusion at the two as they didn't seem to recognize the other. It felt…wrong…that they didn't know who the other was with how close they've always been. Model X and Z floated out of Vent's pockets.

[Careful, Vent! I sense Biometal on her] X warned.

[I've never sensed anything like this before. What is she?] Zero pondered.

[Two Biometals!? A Mega Man!?] Model A asked in disbelief.

The two traded looks. Was this…how Ashe and Vent met?

"It looks like you beat us to it. Whaddaya say you be a gentleman and let me have the Model W?" Ashe asked, giving a flirtatious wink.

"What do you want it for, huh?" Vent casually pondered, yet his posture spoke louder to the two as an opening stance for a fight…which Ashe also noticed given the scowl she gave him.

"Alright, I'm done with the nice approach. I'm gonna take that Model W with or without your permission. Your choice," Ashe declared, aiming her guns at him.

"Sorry, no deal," Vent declared before grabbing the two Biometals, "Model X! Model Z!" he swung his arms down, bending the elbows, "Here we go!" he swung his arms up into the air, crossing them over his head, "Double Megamerge!"

[Biolink Established! MEGA System Online!] the two declared before, in a flash, Megaman ZX stood before Ashe.

"I don't want to hit a girl, but there's a reason I can't give it to you," Megaman ZX spoke, Z-Saber at the ready, "I will become a Mega Man that can protect everyone!"

The two kids froze, realizing that they were about to fight. Lan ran in front of Megaman ZX, holding his arms out, as Maylu ran to Ashe and tried to grab her…only for her hands to phase through her body. Maylu stumbled back, bumping into Lan. He gave a muted yelp and tumbled forward…only to phase through Megaman ZX. He looked over at Maylu in shock as she ran over and helped him up. Before either could try to communicate with gestures, a pair of voices broke into their minds.

'Lan, Roll…please keep watch over me in this fight…' Vent's came forth.

'Mega…Maylu…please…Lend me your strength wherever you are…If you'll let me…' Ashe's pleaded.

The two gawked as they looked at the two as Megaman ZX was swift to lunge at her only to bounce off the shell of Chronoforce, who quickly set off Time Bomb. Megaman ZX's eyes widened as he felt his body becoming sluggish. A flash made him look to see Buckfire firing several flaming arrows at him. He managed to turn his sword into its gun mode and managed to get several shots off, destroying several arrows. His jump during the shooting let him avoid the rest. Buckfire switched to Ashe, who unleashed a Giga Crush. Just as the shots were about to hit, the Time Bomb's effects ended and Megaman ZX vanished. Ashe screamed as several slices formed on her armor and bodysuit, causing blood to come out of the cuts. Maylu tried to run for her only for Lan to hold her back. She turned to look at him only to flinch, seeing how he was struggling hard to not run out there either. All the two could do was watch, seeing flashes of light from Ashe's A-Trans intermingle with the very elements raging upon shots and slashes of plasma. Maylu covered her mouth when she noticed several shots from Ashe and Megaman ZX had struck parts of the 'Model W.' Eventually, the two stood across from one another, panting a bit. A glow came from Megaman ZX's helmet, revealing a familiar twinkling 'star' Maylu had gotten familiar with lately. It flew over to Ashe and went into her helmet…before she began to scream in pain.

"Aaaaagh!"

Maylu moved to run over to her…only to collapse, holding her head. Lan moved to help her, only to stumble and grab his own head as he let out a mute scream.

"Gyaaagh!" Megaman ZX stumbled back, grabbing his own head, "What's... this!?"

[She's resonating...! Could it be because of her Biometal?] Zero questioned.

[Be careful, Vent! There's some kind of data pouring out from her Biometal!] X warned.

The world felt like it was turning to white to the two kids as their eyes squeezed shut from the pain. Slowly, the light faded, revealing a shadowed figure with long hair holding their arms out as if acting as a priest of sorts…with a monolithic structure bigger than DenTech City floating ominously within the setting sky.

=EXTRACTING FROM CODE AC196 TO TC2343. EXPANDING REPORT DATA. This is the last cipher. You, who knows all about the plan. You have earned the right to receive the ultimate Biometal. Sleeping Model Ws everywhere feed on the fear of humans, waiting for their day of awakening. And when all Model Ws have combined, the ultimate Biometal will be born. Its name will be Ouroboros... The one who holds the Ouroboros will evolve beyond the mere fusion of man and machine. What I seek is to become the ultimate Mega Man. My name is Master Albert. And I decide how things are going to be. You, who will usher in a new way of life in a new world... I hope that one day my research will pave the way to a new course of evolution=

Slowly, the light returned and then that faded as well alongside the agony pounding in their heads. Lan and Maylu slowly sat up, backs pressed against the other, and saw the two had lost their transformations with the Biometals hovering around them.

"Ouroboros and the ultimate Mega Man... That's Albert's plan!" Ashe grit her teeth.

[Now I get it... The reason why we were created. Why you can Megamerge with me…]

"Model A...? What did you say just now...?" Ashe pondered, looking at Model A.

"Can someone explain it to me, too? When I resonated with you just now, I saw a lot of data. That man, Master Albert, created Model W, right? So who are you?" Vent questioned.

[That's kinda hard to explain…] Model A noted…before the fragment of Model W suddenly broke from the wires and fell down several stories.

[Uh oh! Model W!] X panicked.

[It must've taken some damage in the fighting] Zero noted, making the two grimace and making Maylu facepalm.

"Tell me, Model A, who am I? What do you know?" Ashe demanded.

[I'm sorry... I can't tell you now…]

"Model A!" Ashe snapped, looking ready to break the Biometal with her own bare hands before Vent moved before her.

"Okay, that's enough. There might be a reason Model A can't say anything right now," Vent scolded, "While we're standing here, that Model W is making more Mavericks, which is going to make it tough to get close."

"And who made you the big brother all of a sudden!?" Ashe demanded, poking him in the chest.

"Someone has to be the adult here," Vent replied with a shrug.

"...Tch. …Anyway... I'm sorry…"

"Let's call a truce for now. We should both focus our attention on that Model W," Vent warned, turning to leave after the fragment only to stumble and Ashe caught him.

"Can you move? You must have overdone it. I'll go ahead," Ashe informed.

"...You believe what I say so easily. I should finish you off…" Vent noted, narrowing his eyes while keeping his lackadaisical smile.

"Gimme a break. You're gonna make me lose my concentration," Ashe huffed, merging with Model A before picking him up and placing him on a part of the ground they hadn't destroyed before giving him a strange canister filled with a glowing liquid, "Drink up."

"Thanks. The scenery could be a touch different though, Doc."

"Oh, you are so cheeky, ain't ya?"

"I like to think I am, yeah. Well…like an old friend used to say…" he picked up the canister, "A light atmosphere makes the medicine work better."

Ashe blinked a few times as the two heard her thoughts once more, 'What the hell? How does he know what I used to say before the amusement park? It…It's probably just a coincidence…' she shook her head and ran off deeper into the mines, leaving him to start drinking the canister…as Lan followed her and leaving Maylu there.

"..." Vent put a hand to his chest, the girl hearing, 'Why is my heart racing like this from interacting with that girl? …I…I'm not starting to crush on her, am I?' he grimaced as he grabbed his stomach as a phantom pain lanced through him, the red head stumbling back as she swore the sights changed to the Network showing two NetNavis in shadow with one shooting the other through the stomach before showing the figure curled up on the floor of Lan's Network with everything a mess and then to them doing something on a screen that Maylu couldn't make out before changing back, '...I…I don't deserve love or affection…I lost my heart a long time ago because of a dumb action…I…I should've jumped back then…you stupid coward, Hu…'

[Vent?] X pondered, noticing tears prickling his eyes [Vent, what's wrong?]

"It…It's nothing important, X. I think she hurt me a lot harder than I expected, is all," Vent lied as he took another swig of the drink and his injuries began to fade away, 'I don't know how I can ever face you or Maylu in the next life, Roll…if you're still there or wanting to ever see me again…I…I want to lock them up again…it was easier on me when I couldn't…couldn't…'

Maylu's eyes teared up as confusion and questions filled her head as she just watched the somber Vent recover. Meanwhile, Lan managed to-somehow-grab onto Ashe's back, stifling noises (even if he couldn't make any at the moment) whenever they got caught in a fight against strange humanoid machines and mechanical spiders and rodents.

'What the hell? What the everloving hell is with my heart? Every time I'm thinking about that guy…' Ashe's thoughts were heard loud and clear by Lan, 'I…No, I don't deserve love…I never deserved it…especially with my actions that day…' Lan flinched, seeing the same vision of the two Maylu saw and then it shifted to the shooter having a posture of shock as a screen showed a slightly older Maylu screaming at the figure and then to the figure lying in a strange-looking PeT, being blatantly ignored by Maylu…with a broken look in the figure's dulled jade eyes, 'I…I just hope what I'm doing here…it'll help with you forgiving me…Maylu…Mega…e-even if I don't deserve it…that I'll never deserve it for the hell I caused…'

[Ashe…?] Model A tentatively asked, the silverette pausing in her running to start wiping the tears out of her eyes.

"I…I'm fine," Ashe croaked out, "Just…Just thought of something from the past that I'll never get back…" he slapped the sides of her face, "W-We need to keep going!"

Lan frowned, his body having fallen off her due to phasing through it. Ashe…did something to make Maylu so mad she didn't forgive her? Does she still not forgive Ashe for whatever it was? And…And what was with those images? He couldn't make Ashe out at all! He took a step forward…only for the floor and area to shatter like glass, causing him to fall into the abyss.

Beeping was the first thing that breached the darkness. Further piercing it was an intense smell of bleach and a faint copper. Light began to make its way next as chocolate brown eyes opened. Things were nothing but a jumbled mess of blurs for a few seconds until everything focused, revealing a white ceiling with several lights. Slowly, the eyes moved to see a set of windows and a medical bed…with a familiar face occupying it.

"M…M…Maaaayyyy…" a hoarse voice escaped parched lips.

"Lan!" The eyes darted to see a PeT, Vent within with a look of relief.

"Oh thank goodness…" Vent spoke, "Hold on. Don't do anything. I need to send out the message that one of you has…"

"Mmmmmnnn…."

"Correction: both of you have woken up," Vent noted in relief before quickly sending off an email, "You missed Mama. Visiting hours just finished not even a minute ago."

'Visiting hours?'

[You're in the hospital. You and Maylu needed an emergency operation] X calmly explained.

[We severely underestimated the repercussions of what would happen to you two] Fafnir admitted [You have the potential, but the drawbacks caused so many problems]

"Don't you dare move, Maylumai Alouette Sakurai!" Ashe scolded, "You are going to lie still and wait for the doctors like a good girl will!"

"Roll…" Vent sighed.

"I-I'm sorry, alright?! They've been asleep a whole week! And you know how many times their old hearts needed to be restarted!"

'Old hearts?'

[Um…Yeeeeaaaaah…You guys needed a surgery to end all surgeries from the drawback] Axl explained [Just, uh…Just gotta be careful of magnets and the like…]

[Axl, don't make up lies. You know those things won't be affected by the stereotypical issues] Harpuia sighed before, after several minutes, a doctor entered quickly.

"..." he looked at the two and sighed in relief, "We were all worried. The procedure is brand new and we were all worried about the results. Luckily, a nurse stopped Mrs. Hikari just as she was about to leave. She's on her way back here…"

"Lan! Maylu!"

"...now," he chuckled, moving out of the way to let the brunette ran in and take hold of Lan's hand before zipping over to Maylu and back, "Mrs. Hikari, please. I need to follow the standard procedures." He walked over and looked at the two, "What are your names?"

[...Uh…Does he not know you two?] Axl asked.

[Sometimes people have temporary amnesia after traumatic experiences or after intensive surgeries] X explained.

"L…La…n…Hi…ka…kar…i…"

"Ma…maa…ma…y…lu…saaa…aa…ku…kuu…rrrrr…ai…"

"Do you two need a drink of water?" He asked, earning nods, "Alright."

"I'll do it, doctor," Haruka assured, already pouring a cup and having Lan drink it while she held it before repeating for Maylu.

The doctor waited for them to finish drinking and clearing their throats, "Okay…do you remember what you were doing before waking up here?"

[Ciel made a cover story. You got separated by hypnotized people and ended up seeing a screen with Magicman. You saw a bright light and remember nothing] Phantom informed.

"...crazy hypnotized people and…and then that wizard Navi on a screen…" Lan spoke, Maylu nodding.

"He put you two under hypnosis and made your bodies wreck themselves something far worse than any other case that happened," he explained, "We…had to restart your old hearts several times."

"...Old?" Maylu repeated as she looked down, tugging a little at her medical gown…only for it to rip completely, "?!"

"Yeah…Ciel did warn us…" he sighed as Lan covered his eyes while Maylu scrambled to cover herself with her blanket.

"What was that?" Lan asked.

The doctor and Haruka shared looks before the former spoke up, "Kids, I'll be blunt: you were going to either die or be rendered like the late Stephen Hawking. However, thanks to the Ayano Family and your friend Ciel, you won't have to fear that."

"..." Maylu looked at her hand, "Does it…does it involve what just happened?"

"Yes," the doctor confirmed, "You two were given a brand new life-saving operation. Your bodies…are now partially cybernetic."

"...We're cyborgs?!" Lan gawked, his hand coming off his face to look at him in shock.

"In a way, yes," the doctor replied.

[Think of it as you two are like Vent and Ashe as if they were humans but had their NetNavi physique] Harpuia compared.

"...Hah?!" Lan exclaimed.

"Easy now," Haruka advised, placing a calming hand on their shoulders, "Let the doctor and your father explain when he arrives."

"H-Huh? Papa?" Lan asked.

"He was one of the scientists that helped with making the new parts in you two, though we didn't tell him until after everything was done about who he was making these for so he wouldn't be unnerved," the doctor explained.

"Wait, he was?!" Vent gawked.

"You didn't know that?" Lan asked.

"I didn't want to add anything else to Vent and Ashe since they were already worrying over you both," Haruka explained.

'Yeah. We not only moved some rocks…we caused a goddamn flood!' Vent thought.

Several minutes soon followed before the door opened, allowing an older man to enter. His hair was much like Lan and Haruka's, but just a lighter shade of brown compared to the two. He sported a pair of glasses while he wore an orange and cream long-sleeved shirt, light-brown slacks, and brown slip-on shoes. He looked at the two kids in relief before fully entering with Ciel following.

"Sorry, I had to get Ciel out of a meeting with the other doctors of the hospital," he apologized for the wait.

"Papa!" Lan beamed.

"Hello, Dr. Hikari, Ciel," Maylu greeted.

"Oh thank goodness you brought her," the doctor sighed in relief.

"Ciel, what's going on with us?" Lan asked.

"Well…" Ciel grimaced, "Your bodies were, basically, killing themselves due to the accident. Organ failure, muscular deterioration…it's as if you two were put under something that a normal human body could never handle and your immune system was registering everything as a threat." Both grimaced as A and F felt immense guilt going through them, "So…we had to use a surgery that only succeeded once before by Dr. Black Jack."

"Does it involve why we keep breaking things?" Lan asked, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head while glancing at the broken plastic cup shards in the trash.

"Yes," Dr. Hikari sighed, "Basically…you two had to have parts inside of you replaced with stronger artificial ones. Hearts, lungs, kidneys…even most of your bones."

"Hah? Doesn't that mean we're stuck at this size?" Lan asked.

"No. The new ones still grow like your original ones and do everything your original bones do since it was more of a fusion to them instead of simply replacing," Ciel replied, "You'll still grow like any other human, but you're stronger, faster, and more durable." She shot Dr. Hikari a dirty look, who glanced away with a blush, "And, despite what I said not to do, your right eye and Maylu's left eye are actually connected to the Network."

"Huh?!" Maylu gawked, looking for a reflective surface before Haruka held up a pocket makeup mirror to let her see that her eyes didn't look all that different.

"Yeah…on the way to the hospital, those eyes actually popped," Ciel grimaced, "Do you see the tiny icon in the corner?"

"Icon?" Both repeated before yelping as a set of data appeared in their respective eye, "Ah!"

"What is this?"

"Life gauge," Vent explained, "Don't let the green vanish because you'll die due to the implants being unable to function anymore."

"Gh!"

"Vent," Haruka scowled.

"Sorry, Mama. I just want them to take all this seriously. Their lives are changing and they need to understand that I am worried and want them safe."

"Same here. We couldn't do a thing and…" Ashe grimaced.

"Roll…" Maylu whispered, seeing the tears in her eyes, before the two yelped as a red ball bounced off their heads.

"These let out a sound when you squeeze too hard on the setting they're put at so you can adjust," Ciel explained, "They're set to the point of crushing an empty soda can at the moment. I'll adjust them as needed."

"You'll also need to spend about…three days here to make sure nothing is wrong with anything," the doctor added.

"Um…How do these even work?" Maylu asked, "Do we need a battery or…?"

Ciel giggled, "Nope! They use the body's natural energies. Sure, it means you'll have a larger metabolism but it's worth it to not need batteries."

"..." Maylu grimaced.

"Are…No, no. Bad idea to ask that," Dr. Hikari shook his head as he walked over, "Would you share what's on your mind?"

"...It…It's not all that important, sir," Maylu replied.

"..." Ashe glanced at the two Hikari parents and gave them a subtle nod before they all winced on the loud noise that quickly went out the moment Lan dropped the ball in his hand.

"...Oops…" Lan sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Well…it is rather late," the doctor noted, looking at the clock, "I know it's against policy, but you're welcome to sleep here tonight."

"Thank you," Haruka thanked before everyone jumped at another alarm from Lan's ball.

"Sorry!" Lan apologized, blushing heavily.

"That…That's going to be something for the next few days," Ciel sighed before giving the two an individual hug, "I'm glad you're both awake. I need to head back to that meeting before I can finally go home to my little sister and my dad. Genius I may be, but I still have school in the morning."

"...Aw shoot…" Lan groaned, falling onto his back on the bed and letting the ball roll away from his hand, "Homework aplenty…once I can hold a pencil without snapping it."

"Oh, that is gonna be bad…" Maylu groaned, facepalming before blinking a few times and looked at herself, "Um…where are the needles and things?"

"Virus attack while I was here," Haruka explained, "They had to remove them and should have replaced them by now…"

"They probably were before they woke up," Ciel replied, giving a wave as she left.

[Look on the bright side, you two] Leviathan noted [You're not waking up behind bars again]

"...Bad joke, Model L," Maylu muttered.

"Huh?" Yuichiro raised a brow.

"She means the Biometals Ashe and Vent have," Haruka replied.

"...Vent?"

"I told ya hiding was a bad idea," Ashe sighed, giving Vent an annoyed look.

"Well, last time he saw me, I didn't look like how I do now."

"Huh? M-Megaman? Why do you look like that?" Yuichiro asked in surprise.

"I wanted to try a new look," Vent explained, scratching his cheek.

"Huh? You weren't meant ta look like that, Vent?" Lan asked.

"Nope. Honestly? I looked kinda like you in a bodysuit and armor."

[Our fault entirely] Zero spoke up [His old look just didn't fit]

"Guess Father is busy at work today," Ciel noted as she walked down the hallway and arrived to a room filled with plushies, Alouette wearing pink pajamas while lying in the large cat-themed bed, "Hey, Alouette."

"Hi, big sis," she greeted, "You missed Daddy. He got called out." She looked worried, "Are they still sleeping?"

"No. They woke up two hours ago," Ciel noted.

"That's good. I don't like seeing Mrs. Hikari so sad," she noted, "She gives the best hugs and shouldn't be so sad because she gives the best hugs."

"I'm relieved. Lan was one of the two who helped save me," Roze spoke up from Alouette's PeT.

"..." Alouette looked at Ciel, the childish features looking far older and something that shouldn't be on a child her age, "How far do you think their lives have been extended by?"

"I'd guess another hundred years," Ciel replied.

"I still get headaches from when you do this, Alouette," Roze sighed.

Alouette Prairie Oda giggled, covering her lips with a hand, "Well…it makes sense. My body may be that of someone just two years Yai's junior, but my soul is several centuries old." She picked up the PeT and hugged it, "It just lets me appreciate you far more, Roze." She looked at Ciel again, "Lan and Maylu…will they…?"

"Knowing Lan? He'd have to get a horrible sickness like a bad cold to keep him away from a tournament," Ciel replied, "Maylu, however…she may be wanting to avoid acknowledging what's happened to her. I hope this doesn't…"

Alouette hugged her, "Big Sis, it's going to be okay. She won't go down that path. She has Ashe, Vent, Lan, you, and all their friends. You just need to have a therapist on standby."

"I do. I intend on having them meet as soon as they can," Ciel replied, returning the hug.

"Right. Now then…" Alouette dropped her older features and held up a storybook, "Please~?"

"..." Ciel struggled to not laugh as she accepted the book, "You are spoiled, you know that, right?"

"And who's to blame for that, hm?" Alouette asked before holding her cat plush up, "She means you and Papa, meow!"

Ciel rolled her eyes as she sat on the bed with Alouette, letting the younger girl cuddle into her as she started to read the story.

Maylu managed to stifle a loud yawn from her lips, making sure not to disturb the others. She glanced at the clock to see it was her usual wake up time of six in the morning. She frowned a little as she remembered where she was.

"Pssst…" Maylu turned her head to the side table, where her PeT was set up on a charger with Ashe waving at her.

"Roll…" Maylu whispered.

"It's uncomfy, isn't it?"

"...A…A little…"

"Cybernetic implants tend to be for the first month," Ashe noted, "What's important is that it will go away, but…" she bowed, regret heavy on her face, "I'm so sorry, Maylu."

"S-Sorry?"

"I…I couldn't do anything to stop what happened to you and Lan," Ashe explained, tears prickling her eyes, "We could've done something, anything, but…but Magicman's hypnosis a-and we never…" Maylu reached out and put her finger on the screen, managing to barely move the stand, "?!"

"Not your fault," Maylu argued, "Lan and I were the ones who stayed and distracted Vulturon…We're the ones who did a Megamerge with Axl and Fafnir…" she looked down at her hands, "I…I'm just trying to deal with what the consequences are. I…I'm not…"

"You're a human being, Maylu. You're no different from anyone else who's had an incident that caused a body part to be changed," Ashe spoke, "People who have gone to war, been in accidents, or a disease can understand what you're feeling on losing a part of them. You're still a human being, you just have parts of you that had to be replaced."

"..." Maylu nodded.

"...The CID has a therapist on their payroll," Ashe noted, "I…I know it'd be rough and all…"

"...I…I think that may be for the best," Maylu replied.

[Maylu…?]

"Axl?"

[I…I'm really sorry. I…I didn't know that this would've happened a-and…]

"...It's alright. I don't think any of us would've known," Maylu assured the Biometal, "And doing it…it saved Lan and I. I…I know that we would've been dead if we hadn't. So…thank you for saving me, Axl."

Axl sniffled as Ashe swore that if the Biometal could, he'd by crying rivers at that point.

"Okay, okay…We'll see if Ciel can get an appointment for you. But for now, you gotta take it easy," Ashe spoke, "You gotta practice on holding things again with that stronger grip you've got."

"Do you know what else Lan and I will need to be ready for?"

"Mmm…You'll be able to move faster, jump about twice your original jumping height, your body is a lot tougher and could probably tank a small car hitting you and you wouldn't even fall over," Ashe noted, "But mainly, it's meant to keep you alive and healthy. You'll find that it's harder to get sick now and things like carpal tunnel or arthritis won't be an issue. Sure, you'll sprain yourself, but it will take a lot more effort to have that happen. If your bones break, they'll heal like any regular bone would, but it'll take at least three times the pressure to break yours." she tapped her cheek, "In all honesty? You'll be back to how you were before the surgery in about two days."

"T…Two days?" Maylu repeated.

"Yep. Muscle memory is a lot stronger now and faster to adapt."

"A-Amazing," Maylu softly gasped, "Just how smart is Ciel?"

{Smarter than you'd think} many of the Biometals thought as one noticed a subtle shifting in the redhead.

[Even though you're different, you're also still the same Maylu Sakurai] Leviathan spoke up [You still love the piano, relishing in the thrill of the parkour…wanting to strangle Vent each time you and Lan run through the gauntlet that is the Ayano Family Mansion's Security System because he's the one who asked for that for you two to do…]

"Wait, she what?" Vent quickly asked, sweating now, and causing Maylu to start giggling.

[You know Lan's wanting to do the same exact thing] Zero huffed.

[Speaking of…How long are going to pretend to sleep?] Phantom asked, keeping the link solely to the brunette.

'...Just a few more minutes,' Lan replied, his back to Maylu's bed as he looked at the wall, 'We…really messed up, didn't we?'

[You couldn't escape from the Pseudoroid and you would've died from your injuries. This may have been the better alternative, but it is still saddening and infuriating] Phantom responded.

[It sucks, but…I'm in the same boat as Model A] Fafnir noted [I'm sorry, too. Should've thought more 'bout the consequences, remembered that you are just a kid!]

'It's fine, Fafnir. I…I honestly liked working with you like that,' Lan noted, '...But…I…um…'

[Do you want to see whoever the therapist is?] X asked.

'...Please…' the Biometals belonging to Vent felt the desperation in his tone, 'I…I don't…I just…'

[It's going to be okay, Lan] X gently assured [We'll get through this together. Remember: you are never alone when you need help the most]

Eventually, Vent and Ashe went out to do a bit of Virus Busting. Megaman X fired at several Viruses resembling mushrooms while Roll A leapt over one resembling a bush sporting an iron tribal mask to shoot at it from behind to rip through it. Once the last of the viruses were ripped to pieces and their data harvested, the two sat down on a bench Roll A made.

"...He would've been in the Himalayas by now," Megaman X noted.

"Hm?"

"Papa. In our old timeline, he left yesterday for the Himalayas for a project," he explained, taking a glance to check the camera of his PeT to see Yuichiro jumping as Lan set off his ball again before they both jumped and nearly fell over when Maylu triggered hers as Haruka stifled a laugh, "But he's here instead."

"And we're still no closer to figuring out how Vulturon was out there on Earth," Roll A scowled, "...You don't think…?"

"It would make sense given how the two of us, our Biometals, Ciel, and Prairie are here," Megaman X sighed.

"Yeah, that-Prairie?"

[He means Alouette. He knew her as Prairie AKA the woman who led the Guardians until Biometal Models F, H, P, and L were stolen and she was killed] Zero explained, causing Roll A to grimace.

"Yeesh…" Roll A muttered under her breath.

"Yeah…a…a lot of people on the ship at the time…" Megaman X sighed, looking down in regret, "I should've stayed when that alert went off in Sector D-1…"

[If you had, there would've been far more lives lost to the Mavericks] X reminded.

[Vent, we've all had something like that happen. All we can do is just move on and keep their memory alive through us and our actions] Zero added [And who knows? Maybe some are out there in either the Network or on Earth]

"Maybe…" Megaman X noted.

"It…It would be nice if they were, living lives they should've had in a time of peace," Roll A noted, looking to the distance.

[Yeah! And who knows what's gonna happen next? Well…aside from the N1] Axl noted.

"Seriously?" Roll A asked in a deadpan tone.

[Oh, like you don't know Lan won't wanna participate still] Axl huffed.

"...Fair point," both sighed.

"Okay…doing better…" Maylu mumbled, holding the ball she had been given, before jumping at a loud horn, causing her to squeeze hers and cause it to let out a loud horn, "Lan~!"

"Sorry!" Lan apologized, placing his on the table in the room-his parents having left for a change of clothes and get a change of clothes for the two kids-, "Got distracted."

"Huh? With what?"

"Just…what we did," Lan replied, causing Maylu to tilt her head, "...Using Megamerge when the Biometals are supposed to be programs?"

"O-Oh! Yeah, that…That is a bit startling now that I'm thinking about it," Maylu admitted, walking over and sitting down with him, "I mean…How did we even do that?"

[It's because you're Chosen] the two looked at Lan's PeT to see Model P in it.

"Phantom?" Lan raised a brow.

"...What does that even mean?"

[Chosen are the names of those who can both naturally hear us…and can perform Megamerge with us] Phantom informed [This was before your time, but…I feel that you need a history lesson. One hidden by the world's governments for the stability of the world]

"Huh? H-Hidden?! But…"

[No, Lan. What Fighting Fafnir and Axl did was reckless. You two needed a surgery that hasn't been used in this world for countless eras] Phantom informed.

"Huh?! C-Countless…?" Maylu began before shaking her head, "S-Sorry, Phantom. It's just…"

[I understand the confusion] Phantom assured [Perhaps it's best to tell you…what the Biometal really are] the two tilted their heads [We…are the physical embodiments of great warriors of the past, living machines that were so advanced we'd seamlessly blend into society if we could. Ciel is not fully aware of this when she made us, but we are from a Hyper-Advanced Prehistoric Civilization, one that surpasses the age of any society that is known]

"!?" Maylu covered her mouth in shock.

"Hypno what?" Lan tilted his head, causing Maylu to fall over.

[Ms. Mari gave a lecture on them last week. Many of you laughed when Dex questioned about Mu and Atlantis] Phantom replied [...Oh wait. You were asleep at your desk]

"Aw come on…" Lan groaned.

"So Ciel didn't make you?"

[No, she did…but didn't at the same time] Phantom replied [Fairy Leviathan, Fighting Fafnir, Sage Harpuia, and I were once four guardians of an ancient civilization known as Neo Arcadia. Our father was X, handmade by his own two hands. One day…Father vanished, having sealed a great evil within his own body to protect our nation. But…my siblings did not notice it…that a duplicate made by a female scientist had taken the place of our father. When an energy crisis broke out, this 'Copy X' declared that it was our kind-Reploids-that were the issue and began to have us exterminate our own brethren. In desperation, a rebellion formed…a resistance. They went out and found Zero, who had been sealed away during the earlier days of Neo Arcadia. He was unleashed by the leader of the resistance…who was the very scientist who made Copy X. Tides shifted and I sacrificed my own life to try to stop the war, but to no avail. Zero slayed the imposter and the war continued for a few more years…until…] the two kids leaned closer [...Until Dr. Weil emerged. He was…a monster…one that wore the skin of a human, yet was not. He was sentenced to live an eternity in isolation and it was done by an earlier version of what you two went through that left just his head the only organic part of him, sealed within an orange glass dome with the rest made of robotics. His crimes were numerous and horrific to the point they were unspeakable. He wanted to glass the whole planet and remake it into his image…One by one, my siblings fell to him and our father, who had kept a great evil sealed within him, was destroyed to unleash that evil. All that remained at the end were Zero and Dr. Weil. They fought and Zero killed him…but he did not die. His greatest creation…a massive structure known as Neo Ragnarok, was set to destroy the world. Zero destroyed it at the cost of his life…but Dr. Weil's corrupted, forsaken soul…would not die. Instead, he infected all of the pieces of his creation, twisting and turning them into monstrous constructs known as Biometal Model W…Biometal Model Weil. They twist the user, filling them with disgust and hatred to the world and wanting to remake it in their…or rather Weil's…image. The scientist, stricken with grief, found our souls-our Cyber Elves-and, on our agreement, created a unique vessel for us: the Biometals. We found that only certain people could hear us and those that could…could wear what we once wore and battle as we once did when we lived]

"..." both nodded.

[We called these individuals the 'Chosen' for what else could be called those capable of working alongside us. However…the fragments of Model W took notice…and learned to do so as well. Many 'tragedies' in this world? They were caused by Model W's influence on those who were allured to its lies, but were covered up by those who used us in those times to face those influenced by Model W.]

"Wait, wait, wait. If that's real, then…then how'd Ciel make you guys?" Lan asked, picking up his ball.

[...Our last encounter with the last fragment of Model W that we knew of was…a disaster. We destroyed it, but…we also ended up destroyed and our partners at the time are…no longer around…] Phantom replied [Our spirits entered the Network, where we were found by Ciel. She gave us new Biometal forms here because we believe that if we were able to get in here…]

"That Weil guy is, too?" Lan asked in concern.

[His hatred will just not die] Phantom sighed [Of course…you know that while we were released to find a Chosen, Axl was instead taken by someone else and eventually came into Ashe's hands. It's their story to tell]

"Right…" Maylu nodded before grimacing, "That robot…Vulturon…Ashe can turn into him."

[Model A's power, the A-Trans, allows him to take on the forms of those he's defeated in the past, but he often takes on the power of those he wants to take on or needs to for situations] Phantom informed [If he has Vulturon…then it means Ashe fought him in the Network in the past]

"Like Vent and that Fistleo guy!" Lan recalled, "But…how did they come back?"

[It is likely the influence of Model W within the Network] Phantom replied {As much as I don't want it to be true, the evidence is laying out that Model W followed us to this world…}

"...But what does that mean about how we were able to do that?" Maylu asked.

[That one is simple enough…Fafnir and Axl used your PeTs as mediums, making them pseudo-Biometals, to bypass the gap between the Network and Earth] Phantom explained [But we are refusing to do so again. Ciel has yet to examine them to see if there are any repercussions, so no trying to Megamerge with them or any of us]

"Right…Wait…Any of you?" Lan asked.

[We have our preferences, but any Chosen can use any Biometal] Phantom replied [You two just focused on Axl and Fafnir. If Ciel permits it and the studies on the two you did that with along with your PeTs shows more positives than drawbacks, then we can see if the others will want to experiment]

"Wow," Lan awed.

"It's…kinda scary…" Maylu admitted.

[You were in a difficult life-or-death situation with the power you used to survive causing you to need life-altering surgery to save you both. It is understandable that you are worried about using that power once again…and commendable] both blinked in surprise [Sometimes, power just isn't worth it. As the saying goes: Power corrupts and Absolute Power corrupts absolutely. You are wary of it and it's commendable that you do. Never forget that and power will not corrupt you. Also…excellent job, both of you]

"Huh?" both pondered.

[You've held those balls this entire time and not once have you set the horns off] Phantom noted.

"W-We have?" Lan looked at his hand, "Huh…we have."

"...Lan, don't you dare squeeze it on purpose," Maylu warned.

"I wasn't, I wasn't!" Lan assured before looking at Phantom, "Wait…did you tell us that on purpose just so we'd stop focusing on these things?"

[Not fully. I wanted you to understand us better, but this is also a needed benefit] Phantom replied before floating away from the screen.

"I just can't get a read on him," Lan sighed before a knock came from the door, "We're good if you want to come in."

The door opened and Yai entered, "Guys!"

Dex followed in with Tory, the former grinning, "Ciel sent the word out about you two waking up! We were all worried, ya know?"

"My dad and I got these for you two," Tory said, walking over to the table and placing a vase with flowers on it before handing the two envelopes, "Iceman got you these."

"Huh?" Lan pondered, opening his, "Oh! BattleChips?"

"He spent a whole night Virus Busting with my dad at the Waterworks," Tory explained.

"Thank you, Tory. You and your family," Maylu thanked, looking at her own.

"Good timing, too," Lan chuckled, "We just got our hands working right again."

"That's a relief," Yai sighed in relief before hugging the two, "You had me worried sick…"

"Sorry about all this," Lan apologized.

"We'll try harder if there's a next time," Maylu assured, returning the hug, "Mrs. Hikari said that your family paid for our operations."

"Of course we did! You've been amazing to us and we couldn't do enough to repay you both!" Yai replied, "Really glad your dad ran a business that sold several pieces of the material needed, Dex."

"No worries," Dex assured, "I'm just glad you guys are fine again."

"Um…"

"We're kinda fine. Having to relearn some muscle stuff so we don't hurt ourselves," Lan explained.

"Huh?" Dex tilted his head.

"It makes sense. From what I've been told, you guys pulled a lot of muscles," Tory noted before a knock came from the door.

"Enter," Maylu replied before it opened, letting Ciel enter with Alouette, "Oh! Hello, Alouette."

Alouette giggled, holding up a large box, "Hi! We brought cookies!"

"Oh! H-Hi, Ciel…" Tory greeted, a pink tint appearing on his cheeks.

"Hey, Tory. Sorry we were late. There was a glitch in the register at the store," Ciel explained, "I had to temporarily remove the restrictions on Alouette's PeT."

"Roze beat 'em up really good!" Alouette giggled in glee.

"It…It was just basic Mettaur…" Roze sheepishly noted.

"Lan, Dex…I blame you, Gutsman, and Vent," Ciel stated, giving the two an annoyed look.

"...Huh?!" Lan gawked.

"What did we do?!" Dex demanded.

"She was not this gung-ho about NetBattling until she watched you two, Vent, and Gutsman NetBattle!" Ciel complained.

"Dahahahahaha~! We're inspirations, guts!" Gutsman laughed.

"I don't think she agrees," Lan noted, sweating a bit at the annoyed look Ciel gave them.

"We're back~!" Ashe cheered, "Oh man, we got a ton of Booty from the Hospital's Network! So many plants and a totem-looking Virus that burns and heals and…" she trailed off on seeing the others, "Oh! We've got guests? Maylu, why didn't ya say somethin'?"

"Roll," Maylu sighed as Glyde, Gutsman, and Glyde entered the Network.

"Been a while," Iceman greeted.

"How you holding up?" Ashe asked, offering a handshake.

"It's been alright. Tory and I have been practicing for the N1!" Iceman beamed before looking out at the room to see Dex being pulled into a chokehold by a livid Ciel, "...I'm really relieved they're alright. I was terrified when Tory and his Papa started acting like dogs."

"I am truly sorry, Sir Vent, Lady Roll," Glyde apologized with a formal bow, "I could not recover any of the footage of the cause of their grievous injuries so as to find the perpetrator."

"Mmm…Gutsman thinks dat stupid Magicman got to dem before dat red guy was on him," Gutsman grumbled.

"Red guy? Had a sword as his default weapon? Black pointy visor like sunglasses? Attitude problem?" Ashe listed, earning a nod from Gutsman, "Yeah, Vent and I know him."

"You do?" both asked.

"We do," Vent confirmed, "His NetOp and Lan do not get along at all."

"Yeah…Both guys are real jerks, but Ciel trusts 'em," Ashe noted.

"Lady Ciel knows them?" Glyde asked.

"How do you think Lan and Maylu met the jerk?" Ashe huffed.

"Jerk?" Iceman repeated.

"Chaud Blaze and Protoman," Ashe supplied.

"Blaze? I do believe that is the family name for the people who founded and run IPC," Glyde spoke, rubbing his chin in thought, "...Yes, I do believe that is their family name."

"IPC?" Ashe tilted her head.

"I think I made a delivery to them for Papa once on some components for the current model of PeT before I became Lan's NetNavi," Vent recalled, 'Right…Should've expanded the search from just stuff around here to previous friends. Need to check on other countries, too…'

[Hiya, Glyde! Is it working? Is it? Is it?] Model A asked, floating over to the butler NetNavi.

"Hm? Oh, one moment, Model A," Glyde spoke as his eyes flashed, "Were you attempting to speak to me?"

[Yeah! Is it working?]

"Hmm…I was able to hear a 'yeah' and 'working,'" Glyde noted, "Lady Roll?"

"You heard the first and last things he said. The whole thing was 'Yeah! Is it working?', so…sorta, Model A."

"Huh? What's working?" Iceman asked.

"A program to let others hear the Biometals," Vent explained, his own floating over.

[It's coming along faster than one would expect] Model X noted.

[Hey, I'm gonna do something fun] Model F spoke up.

[Fighting Fafnir Light, you are not cursing at Glyde] Model X scolded.

[Rats]

"I am so sorry for them, Glyde," Vent apologized with a sigh of exasperation.

"It is quite alright, Sir Vent," Glyde assured, a smile on his face, "I am just glad at the improvements on the program so far."

"Okay, so think of it like…um…oh! Think of it like the notes for your piano," Lan compared, the two working on their homework.

"Huh? Notes?"

"Yeah, the ones on your music sheets," Lan elaborated, "The 'X' in these is a missing note from the music."

"Think of it like a note that's missing…" Maylu mumbled, thinking about it, "...I think I'm starting to get it."

"Great!" Lan beamed before a gentle knock came from the door, "It's unlocked."

"Come in!" Maylu called before the door opened and allowed Sal and Miyu to walk in, "Oh! Hello!"

"It's good to see you two out and about," Sal noted in relief as she placed a pot with several flowers in it on a different table in the room from the one with their homework on it, "I brought you some flowers that are meant to symbolize health and recovery."

"Masa tried to accompany us, but…he got too into his normal cover role and was banned from it for a period of time outside of ER visits," Miyu added.

"M-Miyu! We weren't supposed to tell them that!" Sal gawked as Lan snickered while Maylu giggled.

"Hence why I said it," Miyu stated before bowing to the two, "I'm sorry."

"Huh? Sorry?" Lan pondered.

"What do you mean?"

"I had two fortunes that could have come true that day. One of a simple mission…or this," Miyu explained.

"You thought it'd be the safer one," Maylu guessed, "Hence why our fortune that day was 'beware animals.'"

"...You saw this?" Sal asked.

"Something like it," Miyu admitted, looking down at the crystal ball in her hands, "I saw…junk, debris of sorts…and a monster that should not exist in this timeline of Tadashi Hikari instead of Thomas Light."

"H-Huh?" Lan blinked a few times, "Grandpa? Why are you talking about him? And who's this Tom guy?"

"Would it be alright if I give you a long-term fortune?" Miyu responded with a question of her own.

"Miyu! What did you…?" Sal began in growing anger.

"It…It's alright, Sal," Maylu assured before looking at Miyu, "I'd be alright with one."

"I don't really get much about fortunes…but yours do seem to really work," Lan noted, "But…long-term?"

"It is a fortune that connects to you for between a year to five years," Miyu explained, "Often, women come to my shop for those and focus on one subject: their love life."

"Ech…" Lan stuck his tongue out, "Leave that outta mine please."

"I'll try," Miyu assured, a ghost of a smile on her lips, as she laid the crystal ball on the table before the two and began to run her hands over it, "...The Game of Destiny approaches. You who dons the draconic wolf of flames and the sinful ocean's fae that emerges pure…you are but the first of many that come, cursed with that which should not exist in this path formed from the life of the Genius born of two nations of two names. Existence itself decrees a path must be followed. The more the Blue Bombers and the Shifting Anomalies continue to defy that which comes, the stronger it shifts to enforce that path…yet the path no longer flows for it is gone. A beast of humanity's damnation awakens and hungers. It devours those that threatened this before, now altered from the rivers that have overflown from the actions of those who should not exist and those who exist who should not as they are now." the three humans couldn't hide the fact they had gulped in uncertainty at what Miyu spoke…the way her already pale skin had grown paler…the way her eyes had lost all color…of the ethereal echo they swore was in their ears, whispering to them, "The Pharaoh arises after the three worlds collapse from the demise of that which should not arise in this river. The Chaos Lord has arisen, his existence paradoxical for he exists in a river when he should not yet. The Son of the Genius Born of Two Nations and Two Names is not alone in his Sin against God. A girl who should not exist has and walks amongst the realm of this river's Original Sin. The Grim Reaper bares its scythe upon those it should not. You cannot fight the flow of the Pharaoh's Rise and the Scythe that slays the Original Sin." their eyes widened as the crystal ball began to crack, "The Anomalies which should not float upon this river have flooded the rivers to the point none have been left untainted with their existence. Their Game of Destiny has pulled in the Fated Lovers. Should either die before the Child is born, the rivers will dry and all shall perish. The Power of Links shall not exist, the Murklands consume all, a Shooting Star shall not rise amongst the stars, and it will destroy all which the Rivers connect." pieces fell from it as she 'gazed' directly at Lan and Maylu, "Do not falter in your choices, ye who are the Heart and Soul of the other. The rivers will dry should either truly perish before the Child is born. Do not falter in your fate. Do not yield to powers of might for none can overcome that which is born of when the Heart and the Soul act as One. Do not let the River go dry as the ill-fated fall created so long ago that led to their tainted flow. Do not let that old taint ruin that which you regained that was lost to ill-timing and stubbornness. Overcome it, Anomalies of the other River reborn from the original River of this path…overcome and Duo shall fall…" the crystal ball crumbled and Miyu collapsed into Sal's arms, a trail of blood dribbling from her nose as she slowly blinked and her eyes returned to as they were, "...gh…m…my head…"

"Miyu, are you okay?" Maylu asked in worry.

"We can get a nurse in here if you need one," Lan added, "Vent, Ashe…"

"N-No…just…just need to rest…" Miyu assured, "S-Skullman…"

"Sent," Skullman replied before Lan and Maylu's PeTs buzzed, "Lan…Maylu…Never delete the EMail you've been given for it contains something that They spoke of through her. I've only seen this happen once before…so do not get rid of them, but do not obsess over it like that first time."

'It…It's a copy of what Miyu spoke of…' Vent thought.

"I'll take her to a nurse, you two, don't worry," Sal assured, helping Miyu to the door, "I'll be sure to be here to see you two getting out, alright?" the two waved at her as they left, "...Okay, talk to me, Miyu. What was that about the Heart and Soul thing?"

"...Lan and Maylu…are a Canon Couple," Miyu softly replied, managing to get herself looking as if she was walking beside Sal and holding her close.

"!" Sal tensed, "A…Are you sure?"

"'I' have seen it often in other Rivers…when they do not…when the Child is not conceived..." Miyu softly confirmed, "When they are not…the River dries and the next who inherits 'Mega Man' as their title…does not exist because the Child does not. Their stories end in tragedy and dissolve into the ether…"

Sal couldn't hold back the groan of exasperation and dread, "You just had to bring the crystal ball…"

"It was…the only way to see past Vent and Ashe's lies…"

"...Huh?"

"Skullman…"

Sal's PeT buzzed before Skullman spoke, "It is done. Neither will know of their personal fortune you saw at the same time as Lan and Maylu's. It will be just us four. Not even Masa and Sharkman."

"'Your actions have flooded the River with others. Your mere existence has caused that which should not to now exist in a time they shouldn't. Your daming against the river shall escalate the eruption that comes with that dam that falters in the River's path. Do not repeat the mistakes of your original River, Blue Bomber and Pink Rabbit. You know of why the Judge came to the false conclusion due to the actions of you and the broken Canon. Reign the rage and hate within and keep the Heart of the Soul from damning her love with hatred the Soul moves away from. The Game of Destiny comes in a River it should not flow through…and the Pharaoh shall ignite it with the demise of the Blue Bomber once more,'" Woodman read.

"...Oh god, we're gonna have to keep an eye on Vent and Ashe, too, aren't we?"

"Zzz…"

"..." Sal sighed, moving to sitting down on a bench and allowing Miyu's head to rest in her lap, "Great…just…just great. A 'Canon Couple' we have to help get together or everyone and everything dies and some sorta 'Game of Destiny' is approaching that they're involved with…" she slumped, "I miss the days I was an eco-worker without being part of the police and didn't work with a woman with dangerously accurate fortune telling skills, a fishmonger that hides his coolness behind idiocy and a fake beer belly, two kids in the hospital that are a 'Canon Couple' and don't even understand that or know of it and are now essentially cyborgs, and the son of a powerful businessman who wants to stay out of his old man's shadow by being an Official before he's even in middle school while we all follow the leadership of a girl not even hitting puberty for another year…"

"Looks like everything is alright," Ashe noted, looking over Maylu as she slept.

"Same with Lan," Vent agreed before he hastily muted the PeT's alarm for an EMail, "Oh great…what now?" he opened it and blinked a few times, "'Vent, can you and Ashe come to this spot in the Network? We need to talk about what happened last week. Gutsman.' Was wondering when they wanted to talk about that."

"Well, may as well not keep 'em waiting," Ashe noted.

The two quickly made a note, explaining Gutsman wanted to chat in private, and left into the Network. Several minutes passed before the two came upon the digital duplicate of ACDC Town's park's infamous squirrel statue. Sitting before it, Gutsman looked up to see them first. Glyde and Numberman looked away from their chat to see them walk over.

"Numberman?" Vent pondered.

"Greetings," Numberman greeted.

"So what's up?" Ashe asked.

"Lady Roll, Sir Vent, when we were heading to confront the ruffian Magicman, Numberman spoke of something that…well…" Glyde was unsure how to put it.

"He says dat youse two shouldn't have been all wolf and cat, guts," Gutsman bluntly stated.

"Huh?" Ashe tilted her head.

"Indeed. Magicman's hypnosis only works on humans," Numberman explained, "For it to affect NetNavis…it is highly illogical."

"..."

"I have run the data through many different possibilities," Numberman continued, "But…the conclusion…it shouldn't be logical or even feasible."

"...And what is…?" Vent asked.

"He's bein' all big talk and sayin' dat yer somehow humans," Gutsman huffed, "Gutsman thinks dat it's just 'cause yer more human-looking den other Navis."

"..." Vent looked away, a troubled look on his face, as Ashe grimaced.

"...Wh-What?" Gutsman gawked.

"Y-You two are…?"

"Will you let us explain before rushing to a conclusion?" Ashe pleaded.

"..." the three looked at one another before nodding.

"Your NetOps aren't listening in, are they? No recording apps or the like running?" Ashe continued, "Because let me tell you that if this gets out…" she looked away, fear and worry in her expression, "...it…it won't end well for anyone involved."

"...I certainly do not have anything of the like on," Numberman informed, "And Higsby is resting at the moment. He intended on upgrading me tonight to prepare for the N1, but I requested to delay that."

"Lady Yai is resting at this moment in time," Glyde replied.

"Dex is snoring loud and proud, guts," Gutsman snorted.

"..." Vent inhaled deeply before sighing, "Hub Hikari."

"?"

"Numberman, World Three probably knows that name as a footnote, right?"

"Indeed. It was in the developing dossier Lan has," Numberman confirmed, "Hub Hikari, deceased at the age of one due to Heart Bypass Disorder. …" he took a step back, "Y-You're…!"

"Guts?" Gutsman tilted his head as Vent nodded.

"My name is Hub Hikari, son of Haruka Hikari and Yuichiro Hikari…and Lan's older twin brother," Vent introduced himself.

"?! Gh-Ghost?!" Gutsman panicked.

"No, no, no. It's not that convoluted," Vent replied quickly, "I…" he inhaled before exhaling, "I was converted into data through a program called 'Spectrum.' It is a top-secret project, one that was deemed forbidden from ever being resumed years before Lan and I were born."

"...Your father!" Glyde realized.

"Yeah. Papa used the forbidden project to save my life and turned me into Megaman. It wasn't until recently that I was finally allowed to do more than just be a delivery guy with others keeping an eye on me for Papa," Vent went on, "I was under orders to not divulge this secret unless someone figured it out on their own, such as the case for you three."

"...And Ashe?"

"I…I don't fully know," Ashe replied, "If…If you say that only humans could be controlled like this, Numberman…"

"Then you may unknowingly have similar origins to Vent," Numberman presumed.

"Probably," Ashe replied, "Geeze…That's gonna bother me now."

"So…you were both human, but ya got turned into NetNavis?" Gutsman pondered, "..." he shrugged, "Meh."

"Sir Gutsman?!" Glyde gasped.

"What? So dey were humans before, don't mean dat matters today. Dey're NetNavis like us, guts," Gutsman huffed as he held a fist up to the two, "Ah ain't much fer deep thinkin', but youse are my pals and have helped me and Dex tons with thinkin' ways of becomin' tougher t' help others. So who cares? Hub and some girl…Vent, Ashe…Whatever! Yer my pals and dat's fine fer me, guts!"

"..." Vent tried to not cry as he bumped his fist against Gutsman, "Thanks, Gutsman. I…I needed that."

"Same here, especially with that realization," Ashe added, following Vent's lead.

"...While not as spoken as Gutsman, I, too, agree that it matters little when you think of it," Glyde noted as he bowed to them, "We are friends. It matters little where our origins lay, for our actions show who we are."

"..." Vent smiled, "Seriously, you guys…you're gonna make me cry."

"Too late," Ashe giggled, making a tissue form and dabbing his cheek, showing him the tears it soaked up.

"You, too," Vent pointed out, accepting the tissue to repeat Ashe's actions on her.

"I can see if there is a way to figure out your origins, Ashe," Numberman noted, "Do you remember when you first activated?"

"Mmm…It was Maylu's sixth birthday. The first person I saw was her mom," Ashe recalled, thinking of her previous life before becoming Ashe, "She said that I was going to be Maylu's sister and for me to look after her while she and her husband couldn't."

"I see…" Numberman nodded, "This is going to be rather bothersome…"

"You said it," Ashe agreed as Vent blinked a few times.

'I never really did ask her about her origins,' Vent thought, 'Always thought she was just a NetNavi her parents paid for a customization for Maylu. Never did ask who made her or the like…' "So…what about you guys?"

"Hm?" Glyde pondered as they looked at him.

"Do you guys know who made you?"

"Er…D-don't tell anyone, alright?" Gutsman pleaded, blushing, "Gutsman is well…from an older model, guts."

"Huh?"

"Gutsman was Dex's dad's NetNavi 'till his job had him upgrade t' a new one," Gutsman explained, "Felt really bad 'bout it 'till Dex started to learn how t' work on my code and ya got who I am now, guts."

"Lady Yai's father paid several programmers for their services in creating myself as a gift for Lady Yai two years ago," Glyde explained.

"Higsby made me originally to help crunch numbers to make sure we had a roof over our heads and still get a rare BattleChip or two," Numberman spoke up.

"Huh…So Gutsman…is Grampsman?" Ashe joked.

"Ack!" Gutsman froze up and fell over from the shock, "N-No! Gutsman isn't an old man, guts! Gutsman fit as fiddle!"

"Okay, okay," Ashe giggled.

Vent chuckled, shaking his head, 'These guys…' he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the hospital's Network, "...Hope everyone's ready for when they're let out of the hospital."

"You see 'em yet?" Masa whispered as he biked along the normal routes schoolkids took to get to ACDC Elementary.

"Mmm…" Sharkman glanced around, using the tiny camera on Masa's apron disguised as a fish pin to look around, "...There! Coming up!"

Masa glanced and his smile grew on seeing Lan and Maylu moving along on skates and scooter respectively, Maylu wearing a blue open vest over a pink short-sleeved shirt and red shorts while Lan had his usual shorts, but his vest was black with flame decals and a red short-sleeved shirt. He nodded before pedaling along.

"Well howdy there, kids! Done worried 'bout y'all!" Masa greeted, "Hope y'all weren't in that there hospital 'cause of a lack of calcium!"

"Hi, Masa!" Lan greeted.

"No, small accident when everyone thought they were animals is all," Maylu assured.

"Oh don't remind me 'bout that," Masa grimaced, "Done woke up with a horrible pain in my back from all that wiggling I did as an eel!"

"Maylu thought you were a snake," Lan snickered.

"Lan~" Maylu groaned.

"You'd be amazed at how often folks mistake eels for them in the water," Masa sighed before whispering and dropping his accent, "In all seriousness, though…how are you two?"

"..." the two shared looks.

"We…We're both going to start attending some therapy sessions on…on what happened that day," Maylu replied after a few moments, "A-And on what we're gonna have to deal with from now on."

Lan nodded, "It's…It's kinda weird, but…but feels like nothing's changed, too."

"Just wait until you're approved to resume parkour practice, you two," Ashe noted.

"Better yet, going through the Security System," Vent joked.

"Evil…You, sir, are evil," Maylu hissed as the male NetNavi.

Masa nodded, "It's nothing to be ashamed about going to a therapist. It's just a sign of times changing from the old to the new. Don't be ashamed of it, because a few members of the CID need it for the troubles we've experienced in our career."

"Kids~!"

"Gh?!" Masa froze up as Ms. Mari ran over.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you both out of the hospital!" Ms. Mari beamed, "It was really worrying the few times I could go there."

"We're both glad to be out of there as well," Maylu assured.

"The beds were comfy, but the food was nothing good," Lan grimaced jokingly.

"Thank you so much for sending the assignments and homework they missed," Vent thanked, earning an annoyed look from Lan.

"I'm glad to hear you're both doing better and that you got them done," Ms. Mari noted in relief.

"Of course we did, Ms. Mari! Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to compete in the N1!" Lan replied.

"You're still doing it?"

"Yep!" Lan replied, "Only way I'd not do it is a family emergency or if I got sick."

Maylu rolled her eyes, "We both are really excited for it and wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Well, I'll make sure to come cheer you and the other students who are competing on," Ms. Mari assured before seeing Masa, "Oh! Hello, Masa."

"M-Ms. Mari, howdy!" Masa greeted in glee, "Ah! Yes, was just checkin' up on these kids! Some of th' best folk in town and was mighty upset over what happened to 'em!"

Lan blinked a few times in confusion, 'What's wrong with Masa?'

[Oh to be a child again…] Leviathan giggled.

'Huh?' Lan pondered.

"Oh, that's so nice of you," Ms. Mari complimented.

"He's always been a good guy, Ms. Mari," Ashe noted, "Eccentric, but a pretty good guy who has the best darn deals with his fish. Ah, that reminds me. We need to buy some for dinner tonight, Maylu."

"Roll…" Maylu sighed.

"There you guys are!" the four looked to see Ciel coming over on her push scooter, "Mmm…I told you two to wait for me, didn't I?"

[Lan did it] Fafnir and Axl quickly blamed.

'I did not!' Lan argued.

Ciel sighed, "Why am I not surprised? You two probably forgot it since I did say it when you two were likely tired." she turned to Masa, "Oh, Masa, sir. I heard someone saw a shark by the coastline."

"Hm? Anything to note about it?" Masa asked.

"Yes, it had a shredded tire stuck between two teeth and was quite nasty."

"Not to worry, kiddos! Ol' Masa has got this shark handled! Hope I get a good deal from a customer for it!" Masa declared as he got on his bike and sped off.

[Before either of you asks, that is a standard code for 'aquatic enemy found near a vital water source in the area. The tire means that electricity won't work on them. And the last part, 'quite nasty' means 'get there immediately'] X explained.

[Seems we'll be having lessons on learning the lingo] Fafnir noted [I know we can all agree on one thing…]

[If you make a jab about me, you will regret it, brother] Phantom warned.

[Kids, no arguing] X scolded [Lan, Maylu, Ciel, don't forget you're going to be late if you don't get a move on]

"We'd better get going to class," Maylu noted.

"That is true," Ms. Mari nodded before sighing, "We've had to modify the curriculum while you kids were out after that crazy day."

"Huh? Modify the curriculum?" Lan repeated.

"Yes. While some classes are going to be a bit shorts, Virus Busting will be longer," Ms. Mari explained.

"Meaning more homework for the other courses, right?" Ciel guessed before Lan could give a cheer.

"Indeed," Ms. Mari confirmed as Lan slumped in defeat.

Oda frowned as he looked over the medical reports once more as he had been throughout the week, "It's hard to imagine my daughter could be this ingenious."

"Hmm…Yes, it is rather startling."

"?!" Oda looked up to see a man entering his office sporting semi-long brown hair pulled back into spikes in green-rimmed sunglasses, an orange and red shirt, a lab-coat/jacket fusion, brown baggy pants, and orange and white running shoes with red fingerless gloves on his hands, "Famous! Finally back from your trip to Netopia, I see."

"Indeed. I was able to get things done after I managed to create some new NetNavis to help. Gateman for transport, Punk for defense, and Kendoman for a relentless offense," Famous replied as he spun the papers around to let him glance at them, "Ciel really has come far since that accident she and Alouette were in."

"The doctors did warn me that due to the head trauma both had, they'd likely have changed in personality," Oda noted, "There are times when Alouette is a bit more mature than other kids her age and Ciel is quite the genius and even got several doctorates in the first two years after it!" he smiled, "I'm just happy she's gone back to school. Because two of her agents may be kids that are attending school at the same grade she should be in while the other is already doing high school-level classes online, I still worried about her finding friends her age."

"Yes, that is true," Famous nodded, "I'm no parent myself, but that kind of worry for a kid is bound to happen to anyone our ages." he raised a brow, "And these medical reports are from a procedure Ciel created?"

"Yes. It was actually successfully performed by Dr. Black Jack himself once before she presented it to us when Agents Hikari and Sakurai needed it the most," Oda replied.

"The Black Jack? I swear, your daughter is gaining connections that we never would've expected," Famous noted, "The grandson of the late Tadashi Hikari and the son of Yuichiro Hikari and Haruka Hikari, the daughter of the world's best medicinal business owners that have to work in different parts of the planet, the son and Vice-President of IPC, the heiress of GABCOM, son of the Prime Minister, son of the head of the Waterworks…It's staggering to know what she's built up in such few years." he tapped the papers with the back of his knuckles, "And now this: a new method to not only save lives, but also make humans far more endurable and even expand our life expectancies to be well over a hundred years, possibly more."

"You noticed that as well," Oda nodded, "It is surprising how developed it is. But…I can't help but be both proud and worried for Ciel. Especially when this can be performed more later on."

Famous nodded, "Then there's the NetNavis of your new agents. Vent and Ashe, correct?"

"Yes. They go by those, but their designations are MegamanEXE and RollEXE. 'Vent' and 'Ashe' are just nicknames they go by," Oda replied, sharing a pair of digital folders with Famous, "Their data analysis as per standard procedure for the CID."

Famous opened the two folders up, "...Both have quite the intricate programming. Possibly enhanced by the Biometals Ciel made and sent out that they've obtained." he raised a brow, "But other parts of them…the complexities are quite unusual. It's almost like they were trying to completely digitize a person's brain." his eyes widened as he looked over Ashe's, "Wait…this coding…"

"Hm?"

"I know this quite well. It's only used by one man who's long since been banned from leaving his home country of Sharo until it gets lifted in a few months," Famous replied, "But was this done before or after he was barred from ever making NetNavis?"

"B-Barred? Wait, you couldn't mean that Ashe was made by him, do you?"

"It may be a possibility," Famous replied, sending a copy of the folders to his PeT, "I'll take a deeper look into this, Oda. Their coding honestly intrigues me."

Oda nodded, "You may very well be meeting them this afternoon unless Ciel wants them to be the kids that they are after getting out of the hospital."

"That's fine. I'll introduce myself when the N1 happens," Famous assured.

"You're competing?"

"Yeah. Gonna use Punk for it," Famous replied, earning a nod from Oda.

'Some of the best of the best we currently have in the CID are part of this…Here's to a good tournament,' Oda thought before grimacing when his coffee cup cracked before he could take a sip, spilling its black contents upon the floor, "...Tch…Of course."

"Okay, are you all ready?" Ciel asked, laptop in lap as she sat in a recliner in the Treehouse.

"Yeah!" Lan, Maylu, Yai, and Dex replied.

"And all of you?" Ciel looked at the holographic screen displaying the Network.

"Indeed, Lady Ciel."

"Gutsman ready!"

"Bring on the training!"

"We're all set, Ciel," Vent assured.

"Okay. Beginning Level 7," Ciel declared.

In the Network, several slim NetNavis in pure white outfits with only a pair of sharp eyes discernable appeared. Their arms glowed before gatling guns replaced their hands and lower arms. A flash went off and Gutsman used Chronoforce's back to block the barrage. Megaman HX and Glyde used his shoulders as platforms to jump over him and unleashed a barrage of buster shots and an electrified tornado at the enemy Navis. Gutsman reeled a fist back with another flash going off. He swung and rammed his fist into an yellow metal wheel with orange spikes sticking out of it, sending it right at the NetNavis and caused them to be bashed away. The wheel uncurled to reveal it to be a robotic hedgehog of sorts that quickly unleashed balls of lightning around it to zap them midair. Megaman LX swung his staff and a massive ice dragon 'roared' as it was sent at more of them. Nearby, Glyde was swift, taking a step and vanishing only to appear before several NetNavis and sliced them down with a WideSword. Another flash and all four had their backs to one another with the remaining NetNavis surrounding them. With a roar, Roll A unleashed a Giga Crush. By her, Megaman X unleashed a pair of Charged Shots. Glyde slammed a hand on the ground and a massive wave of magma erupted from the ground while Gutsman brought his hammer down to unleash a shockwave. The blank NetNavis panicked as the attacks struck before they could even fire, forcing them to LogOut. All four looked around before smiling at one another.

"Level 7…cleared," Ciel informed, causing all of them to sigh in relief.

"Thanks so much for doing this, Ciel," Yai thanked, "Otherwise, Glyde and I would've had to be the ones and wouldn't get a chance to partake in the fun."

"No worries," Ciel assured with a wink, "I'll be cheering you guys and Tory on when the time comes. And fair warning? I will cheer the gals here on if you boys fight them."

"Hah?!" Said boys exclaimed in shock.

"Girls Code. Just like boys, we've got our own," Ciel winked at them.

'So that's where Prairie got it…' Vent thought with a drop of sweat going down the back of his head.

"Okay, let's start up Level 8," Ciel spoke as an army of the strange standard NetNavis appeared…with missile launchers replacing their arms.

As the simulation began, Lan closed his real eye while his replacement eye softly glowed, unseen due to the lights of the projector. It was odd at first (and to his last days to his great-great-great grandkids, he'd admit it was still odd), but the vision in his new eye was good…really good. Even if it was just a projection and he wasn't using FullSynchro, he could easily make out every single piece of detail he couldn't with his normal eyes. He also took note that he was seeing some key details like he was in a real life RPG. Above all the NetNavis were their names, their Attribute, and HP. He tried to not look at Megaman X or Roll A. He always got headaches when he looked at them when he was using solely his cybernetic eye because it was also registering several names at once. By him, Maylu shut her cybernetic eye at the same time. She couldn't handle the things it showed her. Why did they modify them when Ciel specifically told the scientists to not do that? Just because she was around their age didn't diminish the fact how smart she was. Eventually, the Level finished and the two opened the eye they closed.

"Okay, that's enough for today," Ciel clapped her hands twice, causing the lights to turn back on.

"Aw come on. Can't we do a little more?" Dex complained.

"Yes, you could…but then you'd be too tired for the N1 and likely sleep in," Ciel replied, "And then there's also factoring in how your NetNavis would be." she smiled at all four of the humans and all four NetNavis, "I want you guys at your best for the N1. So you all can have fun and get as far as you can. So tomorrow should be a day of rest for everyone. A chance to unwind and recover before the N1."

"Huh…That does sound like a good idea," Yai admitted.

"A little rest won't hurt anyone," Ashe agreed, "You don't wanna be exhausted before a big event, otherwise you're gonna be all sloppy in whatcha wanna do and goof up."

"Speaking from experience?" Lan asked.

"Urk! Er…"

"I can. I stayed up too late at night once when I was a delivery boy for SciLab. I…well…took the HeatData to a Mr. Prog in a vending machine…" Vent admitted, grimacing, "The whole floor had to be evacuated because the vending machines all broke out into flames. The Mr. Prog was destroyed completely and the whole floor was shut down to be repaired for fire damage." he sighed, "I got such a scolding and put under heavy monitoring for months after that."

"Oh, I remember that," Ciel recalled, "Father was dumbfounded by you and how that happened. He chewed out the scientist for not double checking if you were fully functional that day because even he could see you were exhausted…"

"Um…That was Dr. Hikari…"

"Hah?! Even adults like Papa get scolded?" Lan gawked.

"They do, yes," Ashe confirmed, "Not as often as you kids do, but yes. Their mistakes are often rarer…but bigger. Their mistakes can lead to bad things like shutting down the Waterworks or causing NetNavis from being able to get into the Network for hours on end. They have very important things to do that you kids don't have to deal with yet."

Ciel held back a giggle, 'It's nice…Even if they're doing this because it's an assignment, the way they're able to be excited for it…'

Maylu stared up at the ceiling, wearing a baby blue sleeping gown with Gow in her arms. She closed her cybernetic eye, grimacing. She looked over her railing to look down at her PeT's charger stand, the screen facing up to let her see Ashe sound asleep in her bed with the sheets kicked off, showing her in her bodysuit and an orange and cream nightgown that was snug on her curves. Maylu opened her eye and closed it swiftly, another ache going through her head. She climbed down, thinking a few aspirin would help. She walked by her balcony…and backtracked to see Lan wide awake and looking at his computer. She frowned before opening the door. She got onto her balcony and, after a few calculations, she jumped over the tree and safely landed on Lan's balcony. She knocked on it and Lan nearly fell out of his chair. He did a double take and quickly opened it, letting her in.

"Maylu? What's up?" Lan asked.

"I…I can't sleep. My head's aching because of this stupid eye," Maylu explained, pointing at her closed eye, "There's too much showing on it."

"Too mu…Oh, all that," Lan realized.

[Oh, sweetie] Leviathan said, her tone strong in sympathy, [Information Overload is never a good thing. It's simple enough to take care of. We even adjusted Lan's to keep that from happening]

"Just sit here," Lan ordered, having her take a seat, "X, Zero?"

[Just keep your eye on the screen and just on X and I, Maylu] Zero instructed [Vent…]

"Staying off-screen and putting up a backdrop for you," Vent replied as the background turned to black to let X and Zero be the only things on the screen.

"Just keep your new eye on them and they'll adjust it," Lan explained, petting Gow on the head.

"...I…jumped over the tree," Maylu noted, keeping her cybernetic implant focused on the screen as X and Z's gems glowed.

"You did?" Lan asked.

"I…I've never been that strong…" Maylu whispered.

"They did say we'd have big changes," Lan reminded her, "We haven't even tried parkour yet, so that…yeah, that should've been done earlier…" he looked at her waist, "No Ashe?"

"She's asleep," Maylu replied.

"Ah," Lan nodded before looking at the ceiling, "...It's weird, huh?"

"Hm?"

"Two months ago, I was just a regular kid with a dad who has a very important job that keeps him away for weeks at a time, a stay at home mom who makes the best curry, and couldn't beat Dex whatsoever in NetBattles," Lan noted, "Now I'm an agent for the CID, Masa turns out to be a competent super agent, Dex hasn't beaten me in a NetBattle, and I'm a cyborg."

"...Before all this, I was just a normal girl with parents who often have to leave the country for their jobs, practiced the piano on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Parkour Wednesdays and Saturdays, and was the one who was there to listen to your troubles and new strategies to beat Dex and Gutsman," Maylu replied, "I can't believe Masa is who he really is either and I'm still shocked about how Sal is an agent as well. But…" Lan looked down to see her hand holding his before looking to see she had a small smile on her face as she kept her eye on the Biometals on the screen, "...I don't regret my choices. It…It's going to take me a…a while before I accept what happened to me…to us."

[You're good now, Maylu] Zero informed as the glow from them faded.

[We've disabled everything but picking up small statuses on NetNavis so you can keep better track of Ashe's health in a NetBattle] X added.

"Thanks," Maylu thanked before looking at Lan, "Sorry for this."

"Hey, it's no trouble with me," Lan assured, grinning at her, "I'm always gonna try to be there for you when you need me or one of the Biometals or Vent."

"L-Lan…" Maylu stammered as she started blushing before Lan's PeT buzzed.

"EMail for you, Lan. It's from Ciel," Vent spoke up, "She wants you and Maylu to go to Beach Street tomorrow near the docks near DNN."

"Hm?" both looked at one another.

The next, an older boat came to a stop by a rock formation that resembled a ramp of sorts. After a few moments, Lan, Maylu, and Ciel got off it and the former two looked up and gulped. Before them on the small island was a massive, towering rock formation, the top of it shaped as the head of a demonic visage with gargoyles scattered around it on varying levels.

"Hades Island," Ciel's voice made the two look at her, "It's nowhere near where the N1 is taking place on the artificial island developed by a joint project between several companies and the Electopian government." she turned to the two, "You're both wondering why I called you here, right?"

"...Is it because of the implants?" Maylu asked.

"Yes, but also…you two using Megamerge with the Biometals," Ciel replied, making the two flinch, "Lan, Maylu…this operation you two went through saved you…but it also made it so you can safely Megamerge without nearly dying."

"H-Huh?" Lan blinked a few times as Maylu's eyes widened.

"Since today is meant to be a rest day for the N1, I thought it'd be a good idea for you both to not fear this power," Ciel informed before reaching into her pink backpack and pulled out a pair of strange devices that caused Vent and Ashe to nearly choke on their spit because they were identical blue and pink devices resembling rectangles with the ends curved into half-circles, "I scanned your PeTs while you were in the hospital. And, Lan?"

"Yeah?"

Ciel smiled at him, "When I was helping your mother with getting you some pajamas, I found your rough drafts for a wireless jack-in device."

"Ack! Y-You saw those?!" Lan asked, blushing.

"I'm sorry, a what?" Maylu looked at Lan.

"It-It was just something I was thinkin' on," Lan replied, "A way to not have to be at the danger but still send BattleChips to Vent."

Ciel nodded, "Honestly, after looking over your rough draft and design, if you had been able to assemble it, it would've worked immediately." she handed the two the devices, "As such, I hope you don't mind what I did."

"What you did?" Lan repeated.

"I incorporated it into these new PeTs," Ciel explained, "They're highly experimental and only you two and Chaud will have these."

"R-Really?!" Lan gawked.

"Yes, because you three can hear the Biometals," Ciel replied, "If Chaud gets the surgery, even he could do what you two now can."

"Aw seriously?" Lan grimaced.

"I know you two had some bad first impressions, but…there is more to Chaud than what you saw," Ciel assured, "He's just…" she shook her head, "A-Anyway…these new PeTs I've built will let you safely Megamerge with the Biometal you choose. When I scanned your original ones, I found they're on the verge of breaking from the energy strain caused by the Biometals using them as mediums to fuse with you two. With these new models, you don't have to worry about them suddenly breaking."

"Let's give it a try," Vent offered.

"Right!" Lan nodded as he plugged his PeT into a port on the back of the new model, causing his old model to shut off and the screen to turn on on the new model…before Vent appeared above it in a hologram, "Whoa!"

"Whew! Feels pretty spacious!" Vent complimented as Maylu did the same.

"Yes! More space for some sweet sweet booty!" Ashe beamed.

[Oh finally. I can see more than just what the screen faces] Phantom sighed in relief as his Biometal appeared in holographic form and looked around above Vent's head.

[It does feel quite nice] Leviathan noted…from Maylu's new PeT.

[Ah! What's going on?! How'd you…?!] Axl gawked.

[A lady has her ways] Leviathan giggled.

"Do you two want to try Megamerging here?" Ciel asked, "Or do you need some more time before trying it again?"

"..." Lan and Maylu looked at one another.

"I…I'm worried about what would happen," Maylu admitted, "Wha…What if I wake up and most of my body is metal and steel? I…"

"...I don't mind trying it again," Lan offered, earning a startled look from Maylu, "It was pretty cool combining with Fafnir. This is meant to see if the operation was a success and can let us handle the strain, right?" Ciel nodded, "And…" he narrowed his eyes, "I don't want a repeat of the station to happen. We barely survived thanks to Fafnir and Axl letting us use their powers. I want to be ready if another one like Volturon appears on Earth and not in the Network. I don't want to have what if's swimming in my head or have a single regret if doing this can save another."

[A good belief] Zero commented [...Alright. Try me this time, Lan]

"You sure?" Lan asked.

[Yeah] Zero affirmed.

"Okay," Lan nodded, moving away from the girls and held his new PeT up, "Model Z! Megamerge!"

A red flash went off at that. The light faded and Lan stood, wearing a black bodysuit with the fingers and thumbs of his hands all white. He wore a white armored belt with green gems on the sides of the middle of the waist while bulky red armor covered his lower legs, feet, torso, and lower arms. His shoulders were covered in white blocky guards with a stylized 'Z' on both with a tiny spike on the sides of the slant of them. His head was covered in a black helmet with red curved spikes and a green triangular upside-down gem in the center with white bits framing his face as he opened his eyes, showing they had changed to a jade green. He looked around, causing his long blond hair to move with his head.

"Oh!" Ciel gasped.

"That looks a lot different from Model ZX," Ashe gawked.

{He looks like Zero did before the Elf Wars} Axl thought.

"How…How do you feel?" Maylu asked, approaching with a slight trepidation.

"..." Lan looked at himself, "...Not too bad." He did a few stretches, "I feel that rush from first working with Fafnir, but…different, too."

[It's because your body isn't being strained to the point of breaking down. The surgery seems to be a success. Congratulations, Lan] Zero noted.

"..." Maylu reached out and gently cupped his cheek, "..." she released it, "I…I'm glad. But…I…Is it okay if I wait until after the N1 before I try anything?"

"..." Ciel walked over and held her hand, giving the red head an assuring smile, "You do this at your own pace, Maylu. Nobody should force you to do something you don't feel comfortable with, so take as much time as you need."

"Thank you, Ciel," Maylu thanked, a relieved smile on her lips before yelping as Lan picked her up, "Lan?!"

"Huh…You feel lighter than normal like this," Lan noted…before blinking a few times as Maylu, Ciel, and Ashe all glared at him, "Huh?"

"Lan…did you just call me fat?" Maylu growled.

"What? H-Huh?! What?! N-No! I'm just saying you're really light when I'm borrowing Zero's power! It's like you're a feather," Lan replied, rambling.

"Laaaaan…." Maylu seethed.

[Oh you are in deep trouble, young man!] Leviathan seethed as Maylu gripped her PeT tight.

"Megamerge!" Maylu snapped.

A light blue flash went off and Lan screamed as a blast of water sent him crashing into the island's namesake. Maylu let out a noise of annoyance as she glared at Lan with ice blue eyes, wearing a bodysuit like Lan's. Unlike him, she had a blue 'swimsuit' of sorts over her body with a white armored belt on her waist. Over her chest was an armored top while her feet were covered in armored high heels with slender armor covering her lower arms. Over her head was a white and light blue helmet with a heart-shaped gem on the center of it and a water jet shaped like a ponytail on the back of it. She thumped the butt of the cybernetic polearm in her right hand on the ground, the teal plasma blade of it shaped like an upside-down heart.

"...Well…I guess you're ready now…" Ciel muttered, a drop of sweat going down the back of her head as she tried hard to not feel the burning jealousy in her increase by focusing more on Maylu's face than the neck below.

"Are ya tryin' ta drown me?!" Lan shouted.

"Go soak your head, you jerk!" Maylu barked, shaking a fist at him.

"I'm just saying you're lighter when I'm suited up!"

"GO DROWN!" Maylu shouted as she swung her polearm and a dragon of water erupted from the sea.

"GYAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Lan screamed as he scrambled to flee from the water dragon, scaling up the mountain-like structure with ease and then running down it.

"YOU GET BACK HERE! I AM NOT FAT!" Maylu roared, sending more at him, "I'M JUST AN EARLY BLOOMER, YOU JERK!"

"HAAAAAALLLLLP~!-!-!-!" Lan screamed.

'Well…Lan unintentionally got Maylu going…' Ciel thought, facepalming and trying hard to ignore the dragons that were assaulting the temporary blond as he finally got a sword in hand made of plasma to slice through them while still fleeing from the infuriated armored girl, 'Does…Does this count? I…I guess it does…'

GT: I think this was the longest chapter yet that I've written. That confrontation with the three to Vent and Ashe was something I wasn't planning on. Neither Oda and Famous, but things happen. Also, no crazed Numberman this time so no being fashionably late for the N1. Next chapter we'll get to the N1 Grand Prix at last. So please Read and Review!

Oh, and for those who want more Battle Network and ZX(A) goodness? Check out Light the Future by EmeraldtheLynx or Digital vs Analog by Midas_king_of_gold. They're really good so far, so take a chance to read 'em.

Chapter 13: The Start of the N1 Grand Prix

Chapter Text

GT: BEHOLD~! Day 1 of Mega May 2024! And here we are at last! The N1 Grand Prix!

"Alright, thank you all for coming," Ciel thanked as she stood at the head of the table of the gathered NetSavers of DenTech in their base, "I know that you're all eager for the N1 happening at noon today, but we also have our duties as NetSavers. There is a high chance of WWW activity occurring during the tournament, so if you are not in a NetBattle during this, I need you to be looking into things."

"What do you need us to look into?" Commander Beef questioned.

"Any signs of WWW activity. The wording for the official rules ended up putting us at a severe disadvantage of simply arresting them the moment they show up," Ciel explained, bringing up the N1GP's rules and bylaws, "It doesn't help that the location is an artificial island that is considered neutral territory for all nations, making it so these could also be considered a foreign country's laws. Until the WWW does something illegal there, we cannot arrest them nor pursue them."

"All nations?" Maylu repeated.

"Yes. We're going to have international participants from different parts of the world for this," Ciel explained, tapping on her tablet and showed a list of participants with several sporting green highlights to their names, "This is one of the other things I want you all to watch out for. The names of the contestants here? The ones highlighted in green? They are potential NetOps and NetNavis that can obtain FullSynchro. The UN has taken notice of our nation's CID's Special Forces Unit which is who we are due to recent events that our people have been involved with and solved."

'What the…? They weren't in the N1 last time! We never even met them for a few months when Nebula was on the rise!' Vent thought in surprise.

'Oh god…She's one of the participants?! Fuuuu….!' Ashe mentally screamed in building fury before pausing, 'Wait…I've got Mega…Hah! Suck it!'

"..." Chaud raised a brow, "Am I reading this correctly, Ciel?"

"What do you mean, Agent Blaze?"

"Several of these participants are military from other nations," Chaud informed.

"Again…blame the wording of the rules of the tournament," Ciel sighed, "We've got civilians, military, government, and terrorists in the list of participants. If we were in Netopia, this would be a great Ameropian melting pot in terms of diversity, especially if one counts the audience who is there to watch the battles and events being held there."

[Is this as massive as back then?] Phantom asked, keeping the link to Vent and Ashe.

'No. It's way bigger! And the place it was held at wasn't large enough to be its own nation!' Ashe replied.

Vent pinched the bridge of his nose, 'We've lost nearly any and all control of events ahead of us that I'm going to throw out everything I know involving the dangerous participants of those events.'

"You okay, Vent?" Lan whispered, spotting Vent's movement on his shoulder.

"I'm alright. Just going to be difficult even for us," Vent replied before speaking aloud, "Ciel, the reason for us looking out for these FullSynchro potentials…is it for trying to expand this unit to be more than isolated to just Electopia?"

"Yes. If possible, our unit will be elevated to its own special unit employed and funded by the UN itself as a part of the Officials," Ciel replied.

"You may not be aware, you four, but Chaud is actually a representative of the Officials that was assigned to us because of what we are capable of with our NetNavis," Madam Rose explained.

"Really?" Lan gawked, "Him?"

"Is that really a surprise?" Chaud questioned nonchalantly.

"Given your attitude, yeah," Lan bluntly replied, earning a sharp look from the dual-haired boy.

"Hold it!" Ciel barked, slamming her hands on the table, "No NetBattling unless you end up fighting the other in the tournament! You are all ordered to not NetBattle or get into a physical fight with anyone else in this room until you either face one another in the N1 or are kicked out of it! Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" everyone replied, Lan's response more annoyed than anything.

"Good. Masa, Sal, Miyu, while you are not participating, I want you to assume civilian identities and resume normal inactive duties on the island," Ciel ordered, "With how young Lan, Chaud, and Maylu are, they can be themselves while not participating, but you three need to keep your covers due to the fact you've been doing such for years now."

The two women in disguise gave side-eye glares towards the fish-themed male of the trio of adults there. It had been his idea to do this to keep things safe for themselves and others.

"And yourself?" Chaud asked.

"I'm part of the technical support to make sure everything on the island is running smoothly," Ciel replied, "It will also allow me access to areas all of you will be unable to. This includes a detailed map of the entire island both inside and out." she tapped her tablet and all their PeTs buzzed, "You all have patrol routes for when you are available to do so. Dismissed! Chaud, a moment of your time before you leave?"

Chaud nodded as the others began to leave to go over everything and final preparations for the N1. Once they were left to just Chaud and Ciel…the blond sighed as she went slack in her seat.

"Roze didn't have details on the humans of the WWW, but the extensive list of NetNavis he's provided is a relief to have," Ciel informed, "The memory data alone wouldn't have been as extensive as what he's provided."

"Is that all?" Chaud questioned, hiding any annoyance in his tone.

"No," Ciel shook her head, "I was able to get permission from the two with coaxing from the Biometals aside from Model A."

Chaud raised a brow, "?"

"It wasn't Magicman who did that to Lan and Maylu," Ciel admitted, "What attacked them…was a Pseudoroid."

"! I thought you said…"

"I thought that they were just stuck in the Network as well, but someone managed to build Vulturon with all his powers when our tech shouldn't be at that level yet," Ciel grimaced.

"You think Dr. Wily hasn't just been working on this Endgame of his all these years, but also pushing past the limits of his robotics despite the abject failure of Blues," Chaud noted, earning a nod.

'And something far worse…' Ciel thought before speaking aloud, "They…also Megamerged with Models F and A to destroy Vulturon. The feedback is…"

Chaud nodded, "What they did was completely reckless and foolish, but…they didn't have a choice other than dying, did they?"

"No, they didn't," Ciel shook her head, "It was either Megamerge or die. They…needed the operation."

Chaud nodded, "And now it's known by the medical and scientific community."

Ciel nodded, grimacing, "I didn't want it out there, but…"

"It's too late to turn back the clock," Chaud stated, giving her a sympathetic look, "That kind of procedure can save numerous lives."

"Yeah…if the scientists don't be idiots and put Network tech into them like I said to not do to Lan and Maylu," Ciel sighed, earning a confused look from Chaud, "...Dr. Hikari put it into their replacement eyes. The only benefit? It let Models X and Z readjust them since there was too much information being displayed."

"Ah," Chaud nodded.

Ciel groaned, facepalming, "Seriously, I've never understood just…just why everything needs to be connected to the Network! Even the toilets are! Do you know how disturbing that is?! And what about when we move past the Network onto something else, huh?! What will happen to all that tech?!"

"Ciel…Ciel! You're working yourself up again!" Chaud shouted, making her stumble in her seat and sheepishly rub the back of her head, "Honestly…Only you would think too much about this subject. Even as valid as it is, we can't just change the minds of people." a moment passed, "...But, yes, I do agree that the toilets having Network compatibility is highly unusual and disturbing."

"Thank you…" Ciel sighed in exasperation, "Also…the fake ElecCode and the replacement for the real one are complete. We can make the switch the night before the big dinner."

Chaud nodded, "And how will we proceed with that?"

"You'll be assigned to watch the 'real' ElecCode that night," Ciel replied, "I'll explain to Lan about it since his father is one of the scientists there and he'll likely invite his family."

"Great…again…" Chaud sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "I swear, that kid has been nothing but trouble since we met."

Ciel sighed, "Like you're one to talk. You and him just seem to rub one another the wrong way." she stood up, "Still…this was the important stuff I wanted to talk to you about. Now I need to go pick up Alouette so we can watch the matches together."

"Do you two need a ride?" Chaud offered.

"...Honestly? It would be nice. You know how Alouette adores you," Ciel noted with a small giggle.

"Please remind her my hair is not an eggshell…" Chaud sighed.

Fireworks exploded high in the air, taking the shape of a PeT, basic NetNavis, and even a few of the cuter looking Viruses. Down below laid a massive artificial island, shaped like a video game controller. On the handles of it, a pair of domes laid in either red or blue that opened up, exposing well over thousands of seats with massive green devices in the center of their arenas. In the middle of the island, a lush field of greens laid, decorated in an abundance of trees and flowers to form a nature walk/park of sorts. The directional pad on the left was a massive food court/shopping center while the buttons on the right side were all hotels of various themes. Its 'cable' was a massive road leading to the mainland of Electopia far in the distance. On the upper left side, an oval tower stood, several broadcast dishes on it. Inside of a booth set up on one of the higher floors, a young woman adjusted a massive green hat atop her head resembling a cartoon frog with tufts of her light brown hair peeking out. She had a permanent blush on her cheeks while she wore a frilly, pale yellow, sleeveless shirt and a green skirt reaching just past her knees that hugged her curves. She smiled as she plugged her PeT onto a stand beside it and the screen at her side turned on, showing an adorable green NetNavi made to resemble a frog of sorts with yellow detailing.

"Ready, Toadman?"

"Always, Ribitta, kero!"

Ribitta nodded as she nodded to a cameraman sitting before them. He nodded and pushed a button, causing a red light to turn on on the camera. Ribitta and Toadman smiled.

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the first ever N1 Grand Prix! A three day International competition where the NetOps and NetNavis that signed up all over the world have assembled to find out who is the best of the best!" Ribitta declared.

"We're your roving global reporters, Ribitta Kero Midorikawa and Toadman, here to do our wonderful duty of being your intrepid announcers for this, kero~!"

"We'll be joined later on with a BattleChip Specialist so you folks at home who've never heard of some of these will be able to learn some great new facts about them!" Ribitta winked at the camera.

"The reason we don't have him here now is because he's a contender at the moment!"

Dr. Wily turned off the screen, standing in a rather comfortable business room. He turned to see his four known WWW agents along with a figure dressed in a black cloak with a red pointed hood, devil wing props, and a pure white Noh mask. After a moment, the monitor turned on and showed Fireman, Coloredman, Elecman, Magicman, a green and yellow Basic NetNavi, and two others hidden in the shadows.

"Excellent. Everything so far is falling into place," Wily noted with a smirk, "With the rules established thanks to you two…" he looked at Yahoot and the cloaked figure, "...Officials are unable to make any arrests while we are on this island. And if they try catching us leaving, well…it's quite difficult when they have no idea of the underwater monorail we connected to this place to our normal track." he turned to the humans and NetNavis, "This tournament shall be our chance to instill fear and panic through WWW's new world order to connect with the final touches of Project Endgame!" he turned to the basic NetNavi and the cloaked figure, "When you encounter one of the NetSavers, do not hold back." the figure nodded.

"Understood, Lord Wily," the NetNavi saluted.

"That goes for all of you as well," Wily went on, "Even if you cannot defeat them, you are to get as much data as you can for those still in the Tournament to use!" he held up a sheet of paper, "I have the papers for who is NetBattling who in the two battles today."

"Huh? Only two? Boy, that third day is going to be nuts," Zap noted before grunting as Maddy elbowed him in the ribs.

"Idiot. He means that the winners of their first battles are going to battle again today," Maddy scolded.

"Indeed," Wily replied as he held up the paper, showing the humans their opponents.

"Tch. Why are you getting that lassie?" Match demanded, glaring at Maddy.

"Hey, I was hoping to get Megaman myself," Maddy replied.

"Seems Elecman and I will be facing Protoman in the next round of the day," Zap noted as Q nodded, seeing they weren't going to face anyone from the NetSavers.

"It seems I'll be facing young Lan and Vent should Match and Fireman fail," Yahoot noted.

"Good luck with that," Match smirked as Fireman narrowed his eyes in determination, "I just completed Fireman's latest upgrade."

"Elecman's been fine tuned as well!" Zap grinned as Elecman smirked, lightning crackling off his back parts.

"Colorman will present to you the championship," Maddy declared as said NetNavi laughed jovially.

"I will be going in disguise, but Magicman and I shall be ready," Yahoot informed, Magicman nodding in agreement.

"Good. All of you, send terror and confusion throughout these NetBattles!" Wily ordered, "The WWW shall be triumphant!"

"Delete!" all of them declared.

"Oh! It's quite lovely," Haruka noted, walking with her husband, Lan, and Maylu through the park of the island.

"I'll say. So much dedication was put into this whole artificial island," Yuichiro agreed.

"I'm really happy you get to be here to watch us, Papa," Lan noted, turning around to walk backwards to smile at him.

"Same here," Yuichiro nodded.

"Where were you going again?"

"A mountain range in Holland," Yuichiro replied, "We were working on an expedition for new materials that lay in it for a new upgrade to the PeT."

"What kind?" Lan asked.

"Infrared," Yuichiro replied, "We've been trying for months now, almost a year even, to make it work."

"...Huh? But…that was easy to do," Lan noted in confusion.

"Eh?"

"Lan and Ciel made us new PeTs," Vent explained as Lan and Maylu held them up, "Lan was the one who made the infrared for them with compatibility with the current Jack In ports."

"What?!" Yuichiro gawked.

"She's helping me learn how to patent and copyright it," Lan added.

"Oh my," Haruka giggled, covering her mouth in amusement, as Yuichiro kept gawking and looking at Lan in stunned surprise, "Though…why did you need to upgrade your PeTs, you two?"

"Oh, that's our fault, Mrs. H," Ashe quickly responded, appearing on Maylu's shoulder, "Mega and I had a bit of a power breakthrough and it caused their older models to short out."

"E-Even holographic tech?!" Yuichiro gurgled out in stunned shock.

"This part was Ciel's doing," Vent noted, appearing on Lan's shoulder, "...Mama, please catch Papa. I think he's about to faint from shock."

"Oh not again," Haruka sighed, holding on to Yuichiro, "You know, your father did this when you were seven and you made that attachment to the older PeT you used to have. The one with the battery in the handle and the tiny keyboard?"

"What attachment?" Maylu asked.

"My hand kept getting really hot from the battery in the handle so I just made a new one on the side of the PeT. Funny enough, our last model before these had it just the way I made mine," Lan recalled, "...Wait. Was my little makeshift handle…?"

"Yes and I made darn sure you received the credit for the idea of the battery not being in the handle," Yuichiro assured, managing to recover, "Still…you kids keep one-upping all the scientists in SciLab. Next thing I know, one of you will probably…oh, I don't know…make a renewable energy source that would knock out all the power companies in one blow."

The Biometals all struggled to not speak a word about Ciel at that statement. Especially Zero since he had been with Ciel when she had finished creating the CIEL System that was still being used to the day they attacked Ouroboros.

"Oh!" the four turned to see Ciel, Oda, and Alouette walking over with Ciel speaking up, "Hello there!"

"Ciel and Alouette!" Maylu beamed.

"Hi~!" Alouette waved as she held up her kitty doll, "Meow, hello!"

"Oh that's adorable," Haruka giggled before bowing to Oda, "A pleasure as always, Inspector Oda."

"Likewise, Mrs. Hikari," Oda assured before nodding to Yuichiro, "Yuichiro."

"Takamisaki," Yuichiro nodded back, "Here to watch as well?"

"But of course," Oda chuckled, patting Ciel's head, "My daughter here is helping with the background stuff, making sure things are running smoothly."

"I'm rooting for everyone in our class that's in this," Ciel informed, pumping a fist.

"This is going to be fun!" Alouette giggled as she held up several flags with childishly drawn faces of Lan, Maylu, Dex, Yai, Tory, and Chaud on one side and their respective NetNavi on the other, "Lookie! I made all these for everyone!"

"Gosh dang it, she's too cute!" Ashe exclaimed.

'You don't know her like I do…' Ciel, Vent, and the Biometals minus Model A all thought.

"How are you doing, Roze?"

"Eh, can't complain. The PeT is going to be unlocked next week so I'm happy for that. The few bits of time Ciel's let me out have really made me antsy to do more with Alouette," Roze replied.

"Mmm…" said little girl pouted as she held up her plush, "Meow, Big Sis is being stingy on the keys."

Haruka tried hard to not laugh at that or the flat, exasperated expression Ciel had, 'Oh this is just adorable.'

=Ladies~ and~ Gentlemen~!= Ribitta called out on the speakers as screens on the posts turned on =It's time for the first battles! Please make your way to the Red Dome and Blue Dome for who you want to see first! In the red is Protoman vs Speedman and in the blue is Greenman vs Gutsman!=

"Well I'm off to the blue dome!" Lan cheered, quickly skating off.

Ciel facepalmed, "Lan…"

"Hm?"

"Let's just say that he and Protoman's NetOp are rivals," Ciel summed up, still keeping her hand to her face.

"Come on, Dex! Y'all got this!" Masa cheered, sitting near Tory, Yai, and Ms. Mari.

In the Network, Sharkman did his best to pretend he wasn't Masa's NetNavi. He looked at the stands set up in the Network, almost perfectly mirroring the one in the human world's dome with various exceptions from some seats far bigger and some far smaller…and the fact they were split up into four sections that floated high above the combat arena where Gutsman and a green-armored humanoid NetNavi were ready to fight. Outside of the Network, four orange projectors rose up from the floor near the stands. Each one lit up as a projector on the machine Dex and his opponent stood turned on as well. All the lights intersected with one another in the center and a sphere formed showing a view of the battlefield in the Network just as Lan, Maylu, and Lan's parents arrived.

"Whoa~! It's like the clubhouse but bigger!" Lan awed.

"And it doesn't need a wall to project on, either," Maylu noted before looking to Yuichiro, "Sir, how is that possible?"

"That's because of the different projectors that are set up all over," Yuichiro explained, pointing at one, "Each one is set up in a spot that was precisely calculated and, when all the lights from them intersect, create a three dimensional visual of the Network of the device connected to the primary projector that shines beneath where the other projectors intersect. Speakers in the arena will let us hear what they do in the Network. While SciLab is working on making a better version of this kind of technology…Ciel and Lan have already beaten us to it with this new model of PeT you two have."

"Hey, I just made the wireless transmission," Lan held his hands up, "Ciel made the hologram projector part."

[I am in an eternal debt to her] Phantom stated, the Biometal having yet to shut off his projection from atop Lan's head, keeping vigilance.

"NetOps, ready?" Ribitta asked, seeing the two nod, "NetNavis, ready?" her smile widened as she saw the two nod while keeping a glare at the other, "Then let's go! Gutsman vs Greenman! Battle Routine Set!"

"EXECUTE!" both roared.

Both charged at one another. The NetOp inserted a BattleChip and Greenman's right arm swelled up with bronze plating engulfing it. With a roar, he swung a punch at Gutsman in an overhead strike. Gutsman narrowed his eyes before swiftly moving to the side while keeping his fists raised up. Before Greenman could turn, Gutsman was upon him with a jab, hook, and finally an uppercut that sent Greenman sailing overhead to crash down on the other side of the arena. Gutsman brought his fists together and formed his piledriver-like weapon. With a mighty slam, Gutsman brought it down and unleashing a trailing shockwave along the ground that slammed into Greenman before he could get up, forcing him to Log Out and sirens to go off, signifying the end of the fight.

"Amazing! In just under thirty seconds, Gutsman has taken out Greenman with only four hits!" Ribitta exclaimed.

Haruka nodded, an arm under her bust with the hand holding the other's elbow as she rubbed her chin with it, "Hmm…yes, good. He remembered to keep a light footing and not a single movement was wasted. I'm so glad he's been doing well."

"...Huh?" Lan looked up at Haruka.

"Wait…Mama…You're Gutsman's teacher?!" Vent gawked.

"He's quite the diligent student. I may have to think of doing a Sunday School for NetNavis who want to learn the sweet science of boxing," Haruka noted.

"That's my wife," Yuichiro chuckled.

"AH! Th-This just in, kero!" Toadman yelped, earning everyone's attention to one of the larger screens, "W-We have a new record in Deletion Time! In the Beta Dome, the NetNavi Protoman…has earned the time of three seconds, kero!"

"Th-Three seconds?!" Maylu gasped.

'Holy shit…I think that was faster than the other N1…' Ashe thought with wide eyes as they watched as Protoman was across from his opponent…then behind them as their body was cleaved in two and forced to Log Out.

'In our old life, Protoman took twelve seconds to win…' Vent thought, narrowing his eyes, 'Guess his defeat made him all the more determined to become stronger…'

"In just three seconds…" Lan whispered before narrowing his eyes at the screen showing Chaud looking directly at the feed, "Chaud…"

"Don't disappoint Protoman and I…Lan Hikari," Chaud declared calmly before logging Protoman out and walking away from the machine.

"Rrrrr…! Okay!" Lan shouted, pumping his fists as he grabbed the railing, "Just you wait, Chaud! We'll fight you in this and win!" a groaning sound made him blink and look, seeing he had gripped a bit too hard and left dents shaped like his fingers in the railing, "Ah! S-Sorry…"

"Easy there, Lan," Yuichiro warned as Maylu looked at Lan in concern.

"Y-Yeah…" Lan nodded, looking at his hands and then to the railing with a worried look.

[It's fine to be concerned, but don't let it consume you] Zero advised [If you become afraid of your own strength, you won't be able to control it. It's better to remain calm and work through it naturally] Lan and Maylu gave subtle nods, the latter realizing Zero was talking to her as well [Good. Now go find a seat with Dr. Hikari and Mrs. Hikari]

[I've spotted your teacher and classmates near the top to the left of us] Phantom informed [...That is honestly an optimal location. Far enough to be unseen by others, yet able to observe the entirety of the arena]

[Only you and Harpuia would care for that, Phantom…] Leviathan sighed.

[Hey, it's a good position] Axl chirped out [...What? I used to have a lot of forms that were long-range fighters]

"Chaud…" Ceil groaned, facepalming in the red dome arena's stands between her father and sister.

"While I am impressed with his efficiency and speed…kinda have to admit he went a little too fast," Oda muttered, a drop of sweat going down the back of his head as the next participants entered.

"Mmm…" Alouette frowned before holding her plush up, "Meow, that was super boring. He needs to slow down, meow."

"Sadly, true," Ciel nodded as the next battle in the preliminaries started before her eyes widened on seeing Famous there, "M-Mr. Famous!?"

"Surprised? He came back from Netopia a few days ago to participate," Oda explained, "He wanted it to be a secret, so asked me not to tell."

"Ah! D-Daddy~!" Ciel whined, "He's one of my agents…"

"Part-time, yes," Oda reminded her, "Most of the time, he's a freelance scientist." he tipped his fedora a bit, hiding his eyes, "He's impressed with your medical procedure that saved Lan and Maylu's lives."

"! H-He is…?"

"Yeah," Oda nodded, "...Ciel…what do you know of Ashe's creation?"

"Hm? Ashe?" Ciel pondered, "I…don't know to be honest. She and Maylu likely have no clue and it's possible she was just a NetNavi her parents bought and paid to be customized for her." she frowned after a moment, "...Sir. Is there something that Agent Famous noticed when looking through her data file?"

Oda nodded, his shadowed eyes focused on Famous as he plugged his PeT into the terminal and the hologram showed a bulky red NetNavi with an orange 'mohawk' and red gauntlets at the ends of metal cables appear, "When you have time later…look up a man named Mikhail Cossack."

'Mikhail? Like one of the Sage Trinity?' Ciel pondered while nodding at her father, her thoughts going to her former life just a few months before her death of a jovial shorter human that, despite being several decades younger than her, acted more like a grandfather to everyone who looked younger than him.

"Ohh~" Alouette awed, holding her PeT up for Roze to watch as the red NetNavi blocked a barrage of blasts with one of his circular spike-ridden shoulderguards before his arm on the opposite end snaked around and slammed hard into the back of the enemy NetNavi, "He's new!"

"I'll say. A-And kinda scary…" Roze gulped.

"It's one of three he developed on his trip," Oda informed, "That one he calls Punk."

"Punkman?" Alouette tilted her head.

"No, just Punk. Not every male NetNavi needs to have 'man' at the end of their name, sweetie."

"But you have Japanman, Dex has Gutsman, Tory has Iceman, Chaud has Protoman…"

"And Lan has Vent and you Roze, remember?" Ciel pointed out.

"...But aren't they girls?" Alouette innocently asked.

"G-Girl?! Me?!" Roze squeaked out as Oda had to shove his fedora over his face to hide his face as he trembled in struggling to not break out in mad cackles, "Ciel, am…am I girl?!"

"No, Roze," Ciel sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Alouette is being a little stinker is all."

"Bleh~" Alouette stuck her tongue out at her older sister while Punk delivered an uppercut that forced his opponent to Log Out.

"So, Mariko, how is Lan doing in his classes?" Haruka asked, sitting opposite of Masa's side of Ms. Mari.

"I tell you, Haruka, your son's grades are better than ever! It started ever since Lan showed off Vent in his classes," she explained, "Ever since Vent came into the picture, Lan's grades outside of Gym and Virus Busting have him easily earning top marks!"

"Vent's always been looking out for my husband, so I shouldn't be surprised he's doing the same for Lan," Haruka noted before looking around, "Speaking of…where did he go?"

"He went to get some snacks from the stands," Maylu explained, sitting a row ahead of them with the other kids of the group aside from Tory, who was getting ready for his NetBattle

"EMail from Vent. They're on their way back but may not be able to get to the seats in time," Ashe informed.

"Hurry, Lan, hurry!" Vent encouraged as Lan dashed along the ground to get to the stands.

"Ugh…Lousy no skating rule!" Lan complained, keeping the tray with snacks loaded on it balanced in his hands, "We didn't forget anything, did we?"

"No, that's everything," Vent confirmed, looking at the list he compiled from the EMails the other kids had sent.

Cheers made Lan skid to a halt and look at one of the larger monitors in the arena, showing a large, imposing NetNavi that looked like a massive yellow missile launcher with orange-tipped missiles in it, a jet's cockpit and cone for a head beneath it, skinny pale yellow legs ending in orange and black-tipped feet, and two bulky jet engine-like arms, "That must be Tory's opponent."

[It says here his name is Breakman] Phantom noted, looking at the list of competitors, [He's from the DenTech Battle Academy on the other side of the city]

"Ya mean near where Miyu and Sal work?" Lan asked.

[Indeed] Phantom confirmed.

[I swear, I don't get NetNavis most days. The design is horrible and how can he even stand or move?] Harpuia questioned.

[If I still had my body and troop and he got ordered to join it…I'd send him back with a demand that they redo his frame] Fafnir huffed [He needs a third leg at least in order to make it work or replace the legs with a propulsion system or something…]

"Vent…They're doing it again," Lan whispered.

"I know, I know…" Vent sighed, "Still…interesting opponent that Iceman and Tory are going up against."

"I wonder how tough it'll be," Lan pondered.

"The battle will be over in one minute," Lan looked to see Miyu approach, crystal ball in hand, "That is what the future holds."

"I guess you're not allowed to bet, huh?" Vent asked.

"Vent," Lan shushed as the lights dimmed to let people see the massive holographic sphere to showcase the arena, "So just a minute?"

"Yes. Iceman will prevail. Or, at least, he should," Miyu responded.

"Huh? Should?" Lan pondered.

"The 'rivers' that I normally look into have had recent 'floods' in them, muddying the waters on a scale unheard of," Miyu explained, "People, locations, and objects that should not exist do while those that should may not. A life was brought here long ago that caused the first river to flow into ours before more appeared with the tipping point being two who should and shouldn't exist."

"Huh? A pair of people that are a paradox?" Lan questioned before the starting buzzer went off, "Ah! There they go."

"Starting the timer," Vent informed before Skullman appeared in the PeT and Vent turned off the speakers, "She means Ashe and I." Skullman nodded, "...She knows what we are, doesn't she?"

"Same," Skullman replied with a casual shrug.

"Not even going to try to deny?" Vent raised a brow.

"Why should I? Miyu's the cryptic one," Skullman replied as they kept watching, "...I shouldn't even be able to do what I can, ya know? It's like…one day I just…had new powers I was sure I didn't have." he shrugged, "I don't get it, but I don't mind these changes to our river's flow. The excitement and dangers of the unknown is kinda fun to have. Scary, but still fun."

"So…you can see into the future now?"

"Yep. Up for a prediction that doesn't involve that 'Game of Destiny?'"

"...A little, yeah."

Skullman nodded before pulling out a pile of bones and offered them to Vent, "Choose one."

"..." Vent looked before picking up a femur.

"Good. Now how I do fortunes is that I read the cracks in the bones after burning them," Skullman explained before taking the bone and dismissing the others…and then unleashing a blast of blue flames on the bone until it had become charred and littered in cracks, "...I see you…but a hole is in place of your core. A secret you've kept from Lan will be exposed to him at last. A past grudge will collapse the skull and a grave will rise up, headed by one who didn't exist before who lives in turmoil that will be brought out by forging bonds." the bone turned to ashes in his hand, "...Oh, and you'll have as many kids as Lan and Maylu do. Possibly one more than them."

"Gh?! W-What?" Vent squeaked.

"Makes sense. Every NetOp's gotta have a NetNavi, just like every NetNavi's gotta have a NetOp," Skullman winked before cheers went off and they looked to see Iceman standing as his foe was logging out, "And one minute on the dot."

"Impressive on Miyu's end."

Outside, Lan cheered, "Alright! That's Tory and Iceman for ya!" he looked over at Miyu, who was looking at him, "...Something on my face? …I didn't drop any of the snacks, did I?"

"A rainfall will come today," Miyu warned, "...The overflow heads for you and I, Lan. Our battle will not happen here as intended."

"Huh?" Lan pondered as Miu walked away, "What was that about?"

"I guess whatever this river stuff is about changed a prediction of us NetBattling them," Vent guessed.

"Mmmm~!" Alouette mewled, her mouth filled with curry and rice.

"Delicious, Mrs. Hikari," Ciel complimented, the whole group of friends, agents, and the Hikari parents gathered in a clearing in the park area.

"Oh, it was just a quick meal," Haruka waved it off, "It was just a coincidence that Masa had the tuna I needed for the recipe."

"The cooking stations are a bit of a surprise," Maylu noted, looking at the black pole with a wood-burning grill atop it, "I've only seen these in some parks in Ameropa when Dad or Mom gets time off and wants me to go there."

"Those are pretty fun trips!" Ashe grinned, "So many new sights and sounds, neat new parkour areas to test, and the Booty from Viruses is unlike anything here in Electopia."

"Well, it was an international effort to build this place," Sal noted, refilling her cup with some of her homemade tea and then refilling Yuichiro's, "The park utilizes concepts based upon several different countries. A filtration system turns the salt water into fresh water with the impurities extracted from the process being recycled for other uses."

"This tournament is meant to showcase how the island can be used for a myriad of events held between nations for the promotion of further peace between them," Ciel added, "It's nice to be a part of history in the making, no?"

"It's rather exciting," Vent admitted.

"Gutsman ain't gonna be no footnote! Gutsman gonna win!" Gutsman declared.

"There's some stiff competition here, Gutsy," Ashe reminded, "Gonna be a ton of fun and if you get to the Finals, you'll have to face me and all the Booty I'll collect here~"

"Oh that's right! You and Lan are the only ones left in our group who still need to do the preliminaries," Yai realized.

"Any idea who you're fighting?" Tory asked.

"Not Mysteriyu," Lan replied, eating another serving.

"Why do you think that?" Dex asked.

"Because Miyu's really good at her predictions and that's one she saw," Lan replied.

"That Miyu gal is a skilled fortune teller. Got curious once and asked where I could fish up the best fish for the day and the place she pointed me to gave me one major haul! Got more than enough to have a carefree time for a few days after setting aside the usual for bills and restocking supplies," Masa recalled before thunder rumbled, "Hah?"

"Didn't the weatherman say it was gonna be sunny all day?" Yai asked as everyone looked up to see storm clouds starting to roll in.

"Miyu said it was going to rain," Vent noted.

"Uh-oh…" Alouette squeaked.

"To cover!" Masa called.

"It's almost time for the last two qualifier rounds," Lan noted, looking out at the rain with Maylu, "Yours and mine."

"And I need to get over to the other dome for it," Maylu grimaced.

[Did you forget you have me?] Leviathan questioned.

"Huh? But…won't Vent need you?" Maylu asked.

"It's alright with me," Vent assured, "It's better for you to be safe. Plus, I don't own the Biometals. They do as they want."

[You're darn right we do!] Fafnir laughed as Leviathan moved from Lan's PeT to Maylu's.

"Good luck, Maylu," Lan encouraged.

"You, too, Lan," Maylu replied, moving to leave…before turning around and giving him a hug.

"Ah!" Lan gawked as his face lit up in a blush, "Wh-What?"

"A hug for good luck," Maylu explained with a giggle before running out, a flash of light going off as she began to make the rain avoid her as she went out into it.

"Wh-What's with that?" Lan stammered.

"You liked it, don't deny it," Vent chuckled.

"W-well…y-yeah…" Lan mumbled.

[Remember to just be yourself] Zero reminded him [Now hurry on to the stage]

"Right," Lan nodded as he turned to head for the stage.

"Hey~! Lan, huh!" Lan looked up to see Higsby walking down the stairs.

"Hey, Higsby!" Lan greeted, "I saw your preliminary round! Numberman's gotten stronger, hasn't he?"

"Yep! I spent a few days straight working on upgrading him," Higsby replied, "I was wanting to thank you and Maylu for a while now."

"Huh? For what?"

"Helping catch me while I was under WWW," Higsby replied, "I haven't had time to fully do that, so here." he offered Lan a handful of BattleChips.

"Whoa! That's a ton!" Lan gawked as he accepted them.

"Thank you very much, Higsby," Vent noted, "We often only have enough to purchase one BattleChip at a time, but you doing this will help a lot."

"No problem!" Higsby laughed as he walked off, "Well, I'm off to find Maylu, huh!"

"Okay, let's see what we…" Lan began, putting them on a nearby counter, before blinking a few times at the first one he grabbed, "...Minibomb?" he picked another, "Minibomb?" a third, "Minibomb?!" he began to look at all of them, "They're all Minibombs!"

[Not all of them] Phantom noted as Lan paused [Those three near the bottom]

"Huh?" Lan picked up the three, "Anti-Navi? Anti-Sword? Anti-Damage?"

"Huh…That sounds like the three needed for another Program Advance," Vent noted.

[You know this one?] Zero asked.

"I've heard of it from some BBS boards," Vent replied, "I don't know what it does, though."

"Who cares? This is great! We've got a new Program Advance!" Lan pumped a fist.

[You have to figure out the order first, Lan. Keep the MiniBomb BattleChips as well. They'll likely be useful even if not for their intended use] Phantom noted.

"Hah? …mmm…Fine," Lan muttered as he put them all into his pockets and made his way to the arena.

As Maylu ran, she couldn't help but glance around her, seeing the raindrops just move away from her. The path she had taken was on the furthest part of the island out of sight of anyone, letting her not be seen but also see just what she was capable of. She pulled out her glaive as she kept her pace. She breathed in before making a swipe. The rain before her twitched in mid-air before combining into a thick half oval before flash freezing. She jumped onto it and began to slide swiftly ahead.

[You're doing well working with my power, Maylu] Leviathan noted.

"Thank you, Leviathan," Maylu thanked, "Did you use to do this?"

[Not often, especially near the end of my life as a Reploid] the Biometal replied, sighing wistfully [Maylu…Phantom told you of our past, yes?]

"Yeah."

[A hundred years before we were born, our father and Zero were part of a war with Weil. It was a horrific event known as the Elf Wars. It laid waste to much of the world, costing countless lives and species] Leviathan spoke [Father made the four of us to help restore the world. Fafnir would let loose flames, burning away the bad parts of the lands and use the ashes as nutrients to let plantlife regrow. Harpuia controlled the air and would use it to pull clouds together to make storms on the land to feed the seeds below. Phantom delved into the caverns below, gathering that which was down there to return to the surface to grow above. And me? I was made to heal the oceans, to restore the currents below and remove the toxins that fell into it. Harpuia and I worked together and reformed the ice caps of the planet, making them as thick and strong as we could] she nudged Maylu's muscles enough to make her swipe her glaive, forming a curving piece of ice that let her turn the makeshift ice board [Fafnir and I would make steam, heating up places that were meant to never be cold while I'd help Phantom in his spelunking by traversing through the water-filled places, pulling the pollutants from it and making it safer for those who could be harmed by that I was made to be immune to. It was…truly a wonderful time. Seeing the world be revived from death, aiding in that revival. But…we never got to truly enjoy that time. For after fifty years…father…changed. In truth, he had finally discovered a thing that Weil had twisted that was meant to be salvation and made it damnation. Father…chose to seal it within his body, but told none of us because he had to make a split second choice. You know what happened next?]

"The scientist's attempt to make another X," Maylu recalled the story Phantom told the two.

[Yes. Copy X. When he came, he focused on the fact that energy storage was not…optimal. And with how well he had been built, we…we truly couldn't tell the difference…] Leviathan sighed [He…decided that Reploids were the reason and began to cull them to try to get more power back to the energy storage. I'm ashamed to admit that my brothers and I helped in more than one operation. A resistance formed, led by that very scientist. They were able to find Zero and awaken him. In truth…I was glad that he slayed Copy X. It ached, because I thought he was my father, but also relieved for I felt it had ended a madness he had succumbed to. Later on, we learned the truth and then he came.]

"He?" Maylu repeated, making another curving wall of ice to slide along.

[The one Vent has. Did Phantom tell you of Dr. Weil?]

"Yes. He told us he became a Biometal known as W."

[The madman was charged with heinous crimes against the world itself…and those in charge at the time of his sentence believed it better to cannibalize his body with cybernetics, essentially turning him immortal with his head within a jar. He stole Zero's original body and created him…his strongest enforcer in the Elf War. Father and Zero in a new body barely weakened him enough to seal him within a rocket and sent it away from the planet. But…Weil got it to return…and let him loose once more. Fafnir, Harpuia, and I tried to fight him, but…we stood no chance…All we could do was shield Zero from his body exploding]

"Leviathan…" Maylu softly gasped.

[It…It's alright. Zero destroyed him…even if he ended up coming back after a long time passed as we had already become Vent's partners. Vent…I just don't get him. He defeated him…but spared him from destruction, instead taking what was the Biometal that formed inside of him and…considers him a friend…] Leviathan grunted in disgust.

"...Sounds like something Lan would do," Maylu sighed.

[How so?]

"Up until last year, a boy named Akira lived in DenTech. He was a class clown, pulling all sorts of annoying pranks on everyone. But…Lan wasn't bothered at all," Maylu explained, "He actually went out of his way to get to know Akira. He was a terrible influence on Lan! They'd do all sorts of things like shove hot sauce into meat buns, o-or use holograms of terrifying monsters and ketchup to make it look like they had been attacked by an actual one! I swear I was going to maim them with a broom if they messed with the music room's piano a second time!" she sighed, "But…at the same time, the pranks were a lot less harsh and mean than when it was just Akira. He even started to apologize to everyone for some of the meaner ones he used to do. He moved last year, but Lan and him still send emails at times, talking about random stuff." she shook her head, "People saw a lost cause…but Lan saw something underneath that…something none of us saw or even wanted to due to being victims of Akira."

[I swear, I will never understand boys] Leviathan sighed as they approached the other arena and Maylu, in a flash of light, walked inside in her normal outfit with Model L hovering by Ashe and Model A in her PeT.

"None of us do, Levi," Ashe agreed, "But we girls do know how to make 'em do what we want at times."

[Oh, that is so very true] Leviathan giggled.

[Mmm…] the sole male there whimpered.

"We'd better hurry. We need to get to the arena for our match, Roll," Maylu noted as she began to make her way.

=Welcome back to the final qualifier match in the Alpha Dome! Coming out first is from DenTech City's DenTech Elementary School! It's Class 5-A's very own Lan Hikari and his NetNavi Megaman!= Ribitta declared as Lan entered the arena, waving excitedly at the cheering crowd.

Up in the stands, Yahoot in the disguise of a Mardi Grais orange and dark yellow jester costume with a mask over his face sat beside Maddy and Zap before commenting, "I have been waiting to see what they have in store."

"Finally it's the male brat's turn," Zap noted.

"He might very well lose in his first match," Maddy smirked.

"Do not underestimate him," Yahoot warned.

=And his opponent, all the way from Sharo!=

'Sharo?! Could it be…?' Vent thought as, on the other side, an older teen emerged, his short teal hair beneath a red beret and donned in a pale blue button shirt, white gloves, and a pair of camo pants and thick green jacket, 'It is!'

=Representing the Sharo Military, it is Petty Officer Raika and his NetNavi Searchman!=

"Sharo?" Lan pondered.

"The nation above Choina," Vent explained, "More of a militaristic nation than others and often are in a constant winter due to how close to the northernmost part of the planet they are."

=Please Jack In your NetNavis!=

"Let's do this! Jack In, Vent! Power Up!" Lan declared, sending his NetNavi into the Network.

"Searchman, standby," Raika ordered.

In the Network, Vent appeared first. A green bolt of lightning struck down before him, reforming into a taller NetNavi in a black bodysuit much like Vent's. His body was covered in semi-bulky camouflage-patterned green militaristic armor that covered his legs and feet with silver flat ovals on his knees, a combat vest of sorts, rounded shoulder guards with silver insides, and fingerless gloves. His helmet was militaristic with a black interior broken by a line of camouflage with an antenna sticking up from the left side of the back of it. On the back of his glove and the sides of his helmet was his emblem resembling a red target reticule in a black space. His sharp amber eyes focused on Vent as he readied his large camouflage-print sniper rifle with a red pointed cone where the trigger should've been, his shoulder-length orange hair shifting a bit as he did so.

Vent saluted him, "A pleasure to have you as an opponent, sir."

"At ease," Searchman replied, managing to hide his surprise at how crisp and proper the salute was without a single fault to it.

"Hn…you are a part of your country's military? Or was it just your NetNavi before he became yours?" Raika questioned.

"He lived at SciLab as a courrier before I got him just about three months ago," Lan replied, "I don't get where he gets this stuff from at times."

'A SciLab courrier? It's likely his NetNavi has met military officers before then and received instructions on how to properly act before an officer,' Raika thought.

'Even with his relaxed posture, he has no openings,' Searchman observed, 'He's keeping focus on his surroundings and at least one eye is always on my person. Who is this NetNavi that was a former courrier?'

"Coming in from the left side is ACDC Elementary's Maylu Sakurai and her NetNavi Roll, kero~!" Toadman cheered as Maylu entered the arena, blushing as she gave a wave to the cheering crowd.

'It's so odd…we were the eighth to NetBattle, yet here we are one of the last two this time…' Ashe thought.

"And her opponent, a member of the CID, Mysteriyu and Skullman, kero~!" Toadman went on as Miyu in her disguise entered from the right side of the stadium, "NetOps, please Jack In your NetNavis~!"

"Jack In, Ashe!" Maylu cheered, sending in her NetNavi.

"Plug In, Skullman," Mysteriyu calmly ordered as she aimed her wrist-mounted PeT at the machine and a cable shot out of it, plugging into the port to allow Skullman to enter.

Roll A stretched, making a few pops go off in her spine, before grinning as she offered a handshake to Skullman, "Here's to a good match, Skullman!"

"A pleasure to do battle with you both, Ashe, Model A," Skullman agreed, accepting the handshake, "Here's to one of us moving ahead and the other to their duties."

"Gonna make a fortune on the results?" Roll A asked.

"..." Mysteriyu closed her eyes, "The battle will last five minutes while Lan and Raika's will last ten."

"Huh? Who's…?" Maylu began to ask.

"NetOps, ready?" Toadman interrupted.

"Yes," Mysteriyu stated.

"R-Ready," Maylu conceded.

"NetNavis, are you ready?"

"Ready!"

"Then let's go! Battle Routine SET!"

"EXECUTE!" the two shouted.

In a flash, Model PX was swiftly evading the opening shot from Searchman, throwing several kunai shaped like plasma at the military NetNavi. His lens glowed before he fired a single shot and it knocked all the kunai away from their intended target. Something rolling made him look down to see a Minibomb that lit up and exploded the moment it stopped, obscuring the area in smoke.

'Okay…just as dangerous as I remember,' Megaman PX thought from behind one of the various digital rocks that had formed in the digital arena, his left eye being covered by a black lens as a red dot shined behind it, 'Wait…Why is he aiming at…?'

*BA-BA-BA-BANG! BA-BANG! BA-BA-BANG!*

"?!" Megaman PX's eyes widened as a cold sweat broke out…as the rock crumbled into a perfect cutout of him, "O-Okay…You are a lot scarier than expected. Infrared?" he made an oversized shuriken that blocked the shot fired at him, "Okay, so don't tell me…" he threw another Minibomb only for it to be sniped from midair by a camo-colored satellite in the air, "And he has a satellite that can snipe me as well…" a flash went off and HX zipped away, avoiding several shots sent at him, 'Scan for weak points…that aren't the emblem…'

[I do that one time and you refuse to not bring it up…] Model H muttered.

[To be fair…you pointed at those on one of his good friends] Model X pointed out.

[Got it. He's using a scope to aim] Model H informed [Lan, we need light!]

"GAGH!" Megaman HX screamed as his left wing exploded from a round, sending him crashing down into the ground.

[And a Recovery BattleChip] Model X added.

Several shots went off and phased through Megaman HX as he turned transparent and then invisible. Searchman's lens turned purple before grunting as he was sliced in several spots by Megaman HX's blades. His sniper rifle was dismissed as he blocked the twin sabers with a combat knife that replaced it. A flash and Searchman and Megaman PX looked less as if they were in deadly combat and more of an intricate dance, small spark flying from the collision of kunai and combat knife. The crowd went into an uproar of cheers as the two kept their deadly dance going. The two swung a roundhouse at the other only for the other's to parry, making a small burst of air go off.

'Sending a Blind!' Lan spoke to the Biometals.

PX's body lit up brightly in an instant, causing Searchman to grunt and stumble back as he held a hand up to the light. His rifle was deployed in an instant and was on HX's neck as his blades were on Searchman's neck. Both looked at one another with a small smirks.

"Not bad," HX complimented.

"You're better than I expected of a civilian. Were you given combat from military NetNavis?" Searchman questioned.

"A little. Most of it was self-taught, really," HX replied, "But we're both far from done."

"Indeed," Searchman replied as the grenade under them beeped rapidly and went off.

A-Gutsman slammed his piledriver down on the ground, unleashing a shockwave at Skullman. The skeletal NetNavi chuckled before a stone statue of a Buddist monk appeared in the way of it. The shockwave was soaked into the statue before it opened its eyes…and A-Gutsman screamed as multiple bolts of lightning slammed down onto him, making him change back into Roll A.

"What was that?" Maylu asked.

"It was originally known as Ojizou-san, but folks today call it Guardian," Skullman explained, "When attacked, the one who hits it is struck by its righteous vengeance." he winked, "Got them at an antique store in DenTech from a nice fortune teller at a bargain."

"Seriously?" Roll A asked in a flat tone.

"Folks gotta eat," Skullman shrugged before throwing his arms out, causing them to pop off and shoot off as spinning orange discs at her, forcing the armored NetNavi to jump out of the way only to be struck with a fireball made of blue fire he shot out of his mouth.

"Roll!"

"I'm alright!" Roll A grunted before shooting off several homing shots at Skullman.

"Time to try a little…voodoo," Skullman chuckled as a voodoo doll appeared in his hand that he tossed at the shots, letting them be soaked up…and fired right back at Roll A.

"A-Trans!" Roll A yelped, switching to Chronoforce to block the shots before screaming as several pillars of sharpened logs shot out of the ground below her and forced her back into Roll A, 'Fuck! He knew where I was gonna change and to who?!'

[We gotta think of a new plan! Or a lot of them and pick randomly!] Model A panicked [No wait…Gah! I hate fighting fortune tellers!]

"...Or…We drop it," Roll A noted.

[Excuse you?]

"No more A-Trans. Or we use our Ace in the hole here and now," she explained.

[Mmm…I really wanted to use it later on, but…]

Roll A nodded, "Same here, buddy. Maylu, ready?"

"Always."

Skullman tensed, his eyes rapidly darting before he let loose a barrage of his bones and ghostly flames upon Roll A. A flash went off…and Megaman ZX sliced the onslaught apart. 'He' tensed before rushing at Skullman. Skullman began to move to the right before his right arm was cleaved in two from elbow down to the tip of his middle finger. R-ZX stood behind him, glaring at Skullman as the Guardian appeared where Skullman had been standing at.

"You can see the future…but I'm too fast for you to fully counter," R-ZX declared, ZX-Saber glowing ominously in hand.

'And we're at the four minute, thirty second mark…' Skullman thought, now sweating.

R-ZX fired a Charged Shot at Skullman, who quickly retaliated with the Voodoo doll…only for R-ZX to outrun the shot to snatch the doll midair and throw it out of the way while 'he' slid under the shot. Skullman threw a bone arm, taking the blast for him. A LongSword replaced his regrown limb and parried the ZX-Saber. R-ZX smirked as a LifeSword channeled through the ZX-Saber and cleaved through the LongSword and Skullman at the five minute mark. Skullman quickly logged out and Roll-A changed back, letting her absorb the Copy Data that Skullman had left behind.

"And it's over, kero! The winners are Maylu Sakurai and Roll, kero!" Toadman cheered.

"Five minutes on the dot," Maylu whispered before looking at Mysteriyu.

"Be careful, Maylu. A tragedy comes when there is meant to be celebrations," she warned before walking away.

"A tragedy where there is meant to be celebrations?" Maylu repeated, a bad feeling forming in her stomach.

"Let's hurry, Maylu! We can watch the boys win if we're fast enough!" Ashe encouraged.

[Allons-y!] Leviathan cheered.

"This battle is getting intense! Almost eight minutes now and neither one has been able to gain the advantage!" Ribitta commentated as the Network's battlefield looked more like the surface of the moon.

Megaman PX panted under his breath, his back against a bit of rubble, thankful for several fires going on at the moment to obscure Searchman's thermal vision.

'Options?' Megaman PX asked.

[Hit him from a distance with fire?] F offered.

[We tried that and he sniped them all down] H pointed out [Evasion to get in close again for CQC?]

[His skills in it are equal to our own and he can deploy a grenade at any moment or snipe us with his satellite] P replies.

'...We have that new Program Advance,' Lan offered.

[A Program Advance, Lan?] X pondered.

'It could work. But…'

[We don't know the order] H reminded Lan.

'Well what do we have to lose?'

[Heh. Lan makes a good point. This is do or Deletion time] F spoke.

'...Send them. Anti-Navi, Anti-Sword, and then Anti-Damage,' Megaman PX thought, X relaying the order to Lan.

'Why that order?'

[Anti-Navi to counter his unique abilities, Anti-Sword to counter his knife, and Anti-Damage for a sneak attack] P responded for Megaman PX.

'Gotcha,' Lan agreed.

'Let's go,' both males thought as Lan inserted the three BattleChips…before both felt the familiar rush, "?!"

[Well how about that?] F chuckled as the information went through Megaman PX's mind…before he switched to HX.

He shot up into the air and Searchman fired. The bullet grazed him…before a poorly made doll fell from where he had been. Searchman's eyes widened briefly before shooting a bullet and it began to rapidly knock away the rain of oversized shuriken raining upon him. A glint of green made him turn in time to see his satellite being destroyed by one of the shuriken. He grunted as another stabbed his rifle. His eyes widened as he realized Megaman HX was rapidly moving about, grabbing and throwing the shuriken right back at him. He pulled his knife out while dismissing his ruined rifle to try and keep up with the deflection only for Megaman HX to quickly grab and throw them right back at the military NetNavi. Maylu arrived to see the sight of a green streak going about, grabbing and throwing the knocked away shuriken.

"Well that's new!" Ashe gawked.

"What is that?" Maylu asked.

"BodyGuard," she looked to see Chaud watching the match as he leaned against the railing, "It's a rare Program Advance that leaves the user unharmed from a single hit while unleashing a literal rain of throwing stars. It's the first time someone's used it in a manner like this."

"Well that's Lan and Vent for you," Maylu noted, "They like using techniques in ways you don't expect."

"You should've seen them with a Cannon and a Ratton1," Ashe grinned before whooping, making the two look to see Searchman had mistimed a strike and got stabbed in the lower arm with one shuriken, allowing the rest of the PA to finally make home on Searchman, forcing Raika to Log Out the NetNavi.

"And at the longest match so far of ten minutes on the dot, our winners are Lan Hikari and Vent!" Ribitta declared.

The crowd cheered as Megaman HX returned to his PeT, changing back to Vent, "That was intense."

"That was really intense," Lan noted before moving around and offered a hand to Raika, "That was a great NetBattle! You and Searchman are really strong, Raika!"

"..." Raika nodded, accepting the handshake, "You and your NetNavi are unexpected. Your NetNavi fights like that of a man trained in the military and your own methods with BattleChips add in a dangerous factor into a battle. I would prefer to have you as an ally next we meet than an enemy."

"Hopefully we are," Lan spoke, "It'd be an interesting mission for the CID working with Sharo's military."

"You're with the CID? Well, I suppose this was productive for my assignment."

"Oh that's…wait, what?" Lan tilted his head.

"I was to look into the potential of the members of the CID," Raika explained, "If you're one of them, it may be favorable to work with your organization."

With that, he walked away, leaving a stunned Lan. Vent appeared on his shoulder, sharing a similar expression. In the crowd, Model L giggled at them.

[Boys…]

"And with that, Day 1 of the N1 Grand Prix has come to a close! Tune in tomorrow, folks, for Day 2 as we enter with new surprises and twists!" Ribitta declared, "This is Ribitta and Toadman, signing out!"

GT: *lying facedown with steam coming off of my head* Was not expecting this to be as difficult as it was…I always intended on Vent facing someone other than Skullman, but didn't have a clue until I decided to make this N1 much bigger than what it had once been.

Chapter 14: Fiery Redheads and Darkened Eyes

Chapter Text

GT: Part 2 of the N1 Grand Prix is heading your way, folks!

[Okay, Skullman is pretty voodoo to me. He can detach his arms to make them into Skull Boomerangs while the charge attack can be either a Ghostly Breath that's more like a spooky flamethrower from the mouth or a Skull Shield which makes these little spooky fireballs appear and act as shields, protecting you from getting hit by attacks for a limited time, also burning anyone who tries a melee attack] Model A noted.

"Nice," Ashe grinned, "Kinda nice facing some new foes here in the N1. We're getting some pretty primo A-Trans Booty."

[Yep! I'm already making a new Playlist so we have easier access to things] Model A noted before chuckling [Kinda wish I still had my A-Trans when I was a Reploid]

"Hm?"

[Yeah, I had quite the large roster now that I can actually remember] Axl admitted [I even got data from deceased Reploids after enough spars in training simulations] he chuckled [I loved the ones that let me have the ability to make Mavericks experience the Spark Mandrill Syndrome]

"The what?"

[It's hilarious! You freeze 'em for a second while they're mid-talk, keep on doin' it, and then they're 'splodin'!]

Ashe snickered, "Oh that sounds hilarious, especially if you're playing a game and do it. Then ya can pretend you're voicing the big ol' baddy and have them get frustrated until they finally die and have 'em say 'And I'm 'splodin'.'"

Axl let out a laugh at that [Oh, we gotta do that!]

"Let's not and say we did," Maylu rolled her eyes as she looked through some of the souvenirs they were selling for the N1.

Ashe rolled her eyes, "At least we're doing great so far, eh?"

"Well…Yes, but still…" Meiru frowned.

"I have to admit that I enjoy this souvenir shopping stuff," Yai noted as she walked over.

"Same here," Maylu agreed, looking over a hat before putting it back.

"Excuse me."

Maylu and Yai looked to see a girl their age approaching them. She had a perma-blush on her cheeks with her long purple hair pulled into buns on the sides of the back of her head, a flower nestled on both buns. She wore a white long-sleeved dress with pink detailing and trim.

"Oh! I'm sorry," Maylu apologized, about to step back.

"Oh no. I'm not looking for souvenirs until I lose or win it all," she replied, "I was looking for you, Ms. Ayano."

"Huh? Yai?" Maylu asked.

"Why me?" Yai asked.

"Have you seen the roster for the next round of matches today?" she asked.

"Um…Not yet," Maylu replied.

"Glyde?" Yai asked her NetNavi.

"You requested I not share until you and Lady Maylu were done here," Glyde replied, "Our opponents will be one Jasmine Jūnyī and her NetNavi Medi."

"That's us," the girl replied, giving them a bow, "It is a pleasure to meet you both."

"Likewise from me," a voice from the purple PeT on her hip added, making Jasmine show her PeT to show a shapely female NetNavi in a bubbly white and black nurse-themed bodysuit and armor with elbow-length white gloves with rounded bits on the ends, white heeled boots with peach-colored lining on them and on the white of her outfit. Her helmet was mainly purple with two bangs on the sides on the front, a pink visor over her eyes, a nurse hat-themed piece atop her head, and a purple canister-like piece on the back meant to resemble a bun made of hair.

'Jasmine and Medi…' Ashe thought, narrowing her eyes at the NetNavi of the duo, 'Thought I'd have a year before we'd meet again until I saw their names on the list.'

[Hey, Ashe? If you haven't met them yet…doesn't that mean there really isn't any reason to be mean or cold to them?] Model A asked.

'...Shoot. You're right, Model A,' Ashe sighed in agreement, 'I keep forgetting that…'

"I wanted to greet you before the match and tell you that I hope that, win or lose, we both have a good NetBattle," Jasmine spoke, giving them a bow.

"Likewise," Yai replied, giving a wink at her, "I won't hold back and neither will Glyde, so don't you two hold back either. Otherwise, what's the point?"

"Oh, I like her. She's feisty," Medi giggled.

"Yai's great that way. And Glyde makes a good assistant and friend for her," Ashe shrugged, appearing on Maylu's shoulder.

"Huh?!" Jasmine gawked.

"Sup? Name's Ashe," Ashe greeted, "New tech to let us NetNavis see more 'bout th' world you humans live in."

"S-Seriously?" Medi gawked.

"Lan and Maylu are testing it out for a friend of ours," Yai explained, "Their old models broke recently and she made them new models to try this out."

"Yep. Feels pretty comfy in there, too," Ashe grinned, "Nice ta meetcha both!"

"Oh! It's nice to meet you as well, Ashe," Jasmine greeted.

'Huh…Yeah, just treating them as different folks should make things easier,' Ashe thought with a smile.

[Hey~ Ashe, Maylu~! What about me?!] Axl whined, making Jasmine jump and look around.

"Who said that?" Jasmine asked.

"Who said what?" Yai asked.

[Oh snap! Did you just hear me?] Axl asked, floating out from his spot on Ashe.

"Jasmine, I didn't hear anything," Medi noted.

[Over here. I'm floating beside Ashe] Axl instructed as Jasmine looked at the Biometal [Well…This is fun! You can hear Biometal like Ashe and Maylu can!]

"Bio…metal?" Jasmine repeated.

"Jasmine, Medi, this is Biometal Model A or 'Axl' for short," Maylu introduced, "Only a handful of people can hear him, but Yai's family has been working on making a program to let others hear him."

"Really?"

"Indeed, Lady Medi. At this moment, I can only make out a few words whenever Sir Axl speaks. We are still fine tuning the program," Glyde replied.

[First time a NetOp can hear me but the NetNavi can't] Axl noted.

"I…I see," Jasmine spoke, blinking a few times in surprise, before shaking it off and looking at the hats, "Oh, some of these are quite cute."

"I know, right?" Maylu giggled as she picked a teal one and tried it on, "Not bad, huh?"

"Looks pretty good!" Yai complimented.

"Indeed. It matches your clothes quite well," Jasmine agreed.

"Aw thanks! Now I'm curious about getting it," Maylu giggled before yelping as the hat was swiped from her head, making them spin around.

"My, my…kids trying to be adults," Maddy smirked, wearing it and smirking at them, "Ya know, things like these are only good on cool-looking adults."

"So why are you wearin' it then?" Ashe questioned with a smirk.

"Nobody asked you, ya shrimp," Maddy snorted.

"What's your problem?! We were looking at that first!" Yai demanded.

"Ah~! So bright!" Maddy mocked, moving her head away and holding a hand up, "I'm not afraid of some kid with such a huge forehead!"

"WHAT?!" Yai snapped, "I'll have you know that my forehead is the most charming part of my appearance!"

"And we're not afraid of a rude person such as yourself," Jasmine spoke up, putting her hands on her hips as she glared at the woman.

"Whatever," Maddy scoffed before smirking at Maylu, "So…you're my opponent, eh? Maylu Sakurai, right?"

"H-Huh?" Maylu pondered.

"Rumor has it that you're a pretty girl…seems those rumors are all a dirty bundle of lies," Maddy smirked.

"...What?" Maylu narrowed her eyes.

"So sad…" Maddy shrugged, "I was expecting such a great NetBattle for today, but all I got was a little brat as my opponent."

"Just who are you?" Jasmine demanded.

"Madoi 'Maddy' Iroaya," Ashe replied, earning Maddy's attention, "World Three operator of ColoredmanEXE. She tells people she's 23 years old, but her true age is closer to 30, perhaps even over 30."

"Now that's a lie! I am so 23!" Maddy snapped, "Though since ya know me and who I'm part of, you may wanna just quit now, got it?"

"Lady, my boyfriend whupped your clown's behind several times over already, one time with me lending a hand," Ashe snorted, "Gonna be nice and easy to win~"

"Tch," Maddy scowled, "Yet what does it say that he needed help to beat just one of us, hm?" she walked up to Maylu and smirked, "Anyway, your chest is so small. But your face is okay, I guess…" Maylu's eye twitched, "In total, I'd have to give you a…15 on a scale of 1-100."

"Rating a person is rude, you know," Maylu growled, "Old hag!"

"O-Old hag?! Wh-wh-what are you saying, ya little brat?! I'm only 23! You should be calling me a lady, not old hag!"

"Oh, she's quite accurate," Jasmine cooly noted, "Your exterior is pretty, but it can't make up for the old hag of a soul you hide in it."

[She's so old, her fart was the big bang!] Axl laughed, the girls that could hear him unable to hold in their laughter with Yai and Medi joining in, thinking it was Jasmine's jab that set them off.

"D'oh~! Why you little brats!" Maddy growled, "Shut up! Especially a girl rated at just 15!"

"Stop ranking me, you overdosing of makeup using old hag!" Maylu argued as the two butted heads.

"I won't listen to you any longer! Once I deal with you, I'll deal with that Hikari brat of yours and his stupid NetNavi!" Maddy growled, "Maybe I'll even make you my servant so he knows where you stand."

"Bring it on, old hag!" Maylu declared before Maddy stomped off, "Ohh…! The nerve of that…that…"

"That floozy?" Jasmine offered.

"Yes, that floozy!" Maylu agreed, "Thank you!"

Yai and Jasmine shared looks before nodding and then looked at Maylu with determined expressions, "Let's get you set then!"

"Aside from all the cursing, this is hilarious," Lan chuckled, a pair of headphones in his ears.

"Yeah. You can't beat a good classic with 18 seasons and a finale movie," Vent noted.

[Feels like our holograms are like the AI in this] Zero compared.

[I have to agree on the swearing. There's so much] X noted.

[At least you're cutting back on the over-scolding] Zero spoke.

[I was still overprotective about my kids. With them being taken and abused by those four…]

"You think we could use a BattleChip to mimic some of these scenes?" Lan speculated.

"Maybe. Just don't expect me to quote something from it," Vent advised.

[Match at two-thirty] Phantom warned, making Lan tense and look over his shoulder to see Match at a hot dog/takoyaki stall.

"He looks like his profile pic…" Lan noted, thinking of the dossiers Ciel had gathered up.

"Don't get suspicions placed on you, Lan," Vent advised.

[Lan…I believe you would do best to utilize my power for this reconnaissance] Model P advised.

Lan blinked a few times before quickly skating off to hide in an empty restroom, "Really?!"

[It would be the best idea. Phantom is a master of stealth and using his power would help us follow after him] L advised.

[Maybe he'll interact with another WWW member while we're spyin'] F added.

[Just remember to keep track of time. He is your opponent in the next round soon] X warned.

[X, you know we have to be the ones keeping track of it] Z pointed out.

"Oh this is gonna be so cool~" Lan noted in excitement, "Model P! MegaMerge!"

A purple flash went off and Lan stood, now donned in armor similar to Model PX, yet he had a white guard over the lower half of his face and rounded guards on his shoulders. His body flickered before vanishing. He reappeared in the shadows within a tree near the top, looking down upon Match as he walked about with his order of takoyaki and a hotdog.

'Huh…Why hasn't anyone noticed me?' Lan P pondered.

[I was built for stealth and reconnaissance] Phantom explained [Your whole armor acts as a sound absorber, keeping noises your body naturally makes while in movement silent. It's the lightest of the four of my siblings and means I take more damage from things my siblings could handle better. Your visor can record up to twenty-four hours of continuous footage at a time. But as for why no one can see you…it is the scarf. It creates an optical illusion when you are in the shadows, blending you into your surroundings]

'That's so cool!' Lan P awed as they soon came upon Match sitting down by a disguised Yahoot.

"I still can't believe I have to deal with the laddie and not that lassie," Match huffed, "Sure, he snuffed the fires in his oven, but he ain't th' lass who done snuff out my fires for a time."

"Patience is a virtue," Yahoot advised, "These battles will aide in the goal of your fellow partner when the time comes for a rematch." he took a bite of the curry on his plate and frowned, "How bland…"

'Of course it's bland. Even I can tell that they didn't add the right spices to improve the flavor,' Lan P thought, his eyes focusing on the curry.

[Lan, focus] Phantom sternly reminded him [They just implied that you and Vent are his opponents this round. Furthermore, it is likely Maddy is going to face Maylu and Ashe]

'Oh right. …The girls are gonna win.'

"Still ain't right takin' the fight from Maddy," Match snorted, "Lucky for me, the stadium has a lighting system that some of Zap's Viruses can amp up to blind the lad. I'll make it quick."

'WHAT?! QUICK?! Oh that jerk…!' Lan P mentally growled.

"Do not presume the seed you have been given will grow into what you wish it to be," Yahoot warned, "Should you lose, Magicman and I shall need to deal with him whilst Q and Desertman will need to Delete Ashe should Maddy falter as well."

Match chuckled, "Pretty swanky that we've got you and Q workin' in DNN to be makin' these matchups, Yahoot."

'YAHOOT?!'

[He either made himself fall into the hypnosis or was pretending to be hypnotized the entire time] Phantom realized [We must inform Ciel at once]

'Right!' Lan P agreed as he raced off.

[Lan, wait a…] Phantom began before sighing as he remembered that Lan was still a child.

The boy quickly found an empty alleyway and landed behind a dumpster, dropping the MegaMerge. He skated out moments later, focused on finding Ciel or Inspector Oda and telling them about what he just learned. He turned around a corner and skidded to a halt. At some railing overlooking the sea were Chaud and Ciel, the latter typing on a laptop with his PeT attached to it.

"Okay…You're all updated, Protoman," Ciel noted.

"Thank you, Ciel," Protoman thanked, giving a formal bow to her.

Ciel giggled, "It's no problem. You're like a little brother to me."

"What's going on?" Lan pondered under his breath.

"Careful, Lan," Vent softly advised, "This seems rather private."

Lan nodded and moved away and wait until Chaud left or Ciel did so he could talk to her away from the boy. Unaware to them, Model Z was no longer in the PeT.

"Thanks for this," Chaud thanked, "I'd do the update myself, but…"

"You're too occupied with some of your duties as the VP of your family's company, I get it," Ciel assured, "It's not the first time nor will it be the last time I do this and I keep telling you I'm not bothered by it."

"But you shouldn't have to do this. Protoman was…"

"He's a united effort between our moms. Of course I'm happy to do this," Ciel huffed.

[So that explains it]

"!?" Ciel nearly jumped as Chaud narrowed his eyes as he saw Model Z on the computer screen, floating over to Protoman, "Zero?"

[Was in the area and saw you two here] Zero explained himself, Protoman narrowed his eyes behind his visor at the red Biometal [Kid, I've had glares worse than yours aimed at me by omnicidal monsters far worse than you can imagine. Get better at it, rookie, then we'll talk]

"Why are you here?" Chaud demanded.

[Just curious what was going on and heard a little something I didn't expect] Zero replied [I knew you were close, but this does explain why you don't have a NetNavi of your own, Ciel]

"H-Hey, that's not…" Ciel began.

[Though I don't think your mothers would appreciate what's happened to their shared creation]

"Excuse you?" Protoman questioned.

"Says the device that needs a civilian to use any of his powers," Chaud scoffed.

[Says the boy who lost to said 'civilian'] Zero cooly countered, earning a growl and glare from Chaud.

"We just didn't ha…"

[He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you] Chaud paused in his response […I should know…because it was the fate of so many of my precious comrades…my family…The ones who saved me from that fate]

"...What do you mean?" Protoman questioned.

[…We who are Biometals are the souls of past warriors from a Hyper Advanced Prehistoric Civilization] Zero informed [X and I…are the two oldest souls by several centuries compared to all the others]

"?!" Chaud tensed.

[A long time ago, there were two researchers…scientists…Both studying in the field of robotics. One wanted to focus more on the power of machines while the other believed in creating robots that could think and act on their own…to have their own soul. The latter swayed people more with his passion and reasoning. Infuriated with his denial of succeeding, the former held an immense grudge to the latter, but hid it. They were able to work together and create a prototype…only for the former's guidance system to malfunction. He believed the latter to be lying when it was revealed and left. That night…he stole the prototype robot to finish on his own. The latter, heartbroken, soon made more with his next two becoming his children, a son and daughter. The man loved them as if they were actual human children. A few years passed and he made more robots…only for his former friend to reappear and reprogram the robots except for his two children. The son of the two chose to modify himself to fight and restore his fellow robots. Many battles were waged, things constantly escalating. Years progressed and both scientists were getting old…far too old to keep going. The mad scientist wanted something he never realized he needed that the good scientist did: a Legacy. One to carry on his will to destroy everything made by the good scientist.]

"...He…" Protoman realized it first.

[Yes. He made me. However…there was a flaw inside of me…or…rather…something he felt was right with me. He made a hyper evolving computer virus that would not cease in its evolution and would cause any machine infected to become murderous and berserk] Zero spoke, a grim tone to his voice [I…lost these memories and it was through my death before I became Biometal Model Z that I remembered it all] he tilted himself, the angle making him look remorseful [...My first activation was the day death came for many. The virus had ensnared me, bending me to its whims. I almost ended his life before escaping into the wild, infecting machines through my presence alone. I laid waste to nine different areas, infecting the robots there and causing destruction in my wake until a signal made me return to where I had been created. I was surrounded by all the strongest robots the two scientists had built. The only one not there was the good scientist, who had grown weak to the point he couldn't leave his home for long periods of time. While they had managed to get me sealed away…it wasn't without consequence. I had scrapped almost every single one there or put them on the verge of being decommissioned due to the excessive damage. The 'daughter' had managed to avoid that fate, but…The one who managed to give the 'daughter' an opening to seal me away was that very prototype the mad scientist stole all those years ago, having been altered and improved by him. He used every single ounce of energy to damage me and let his 'sister' deal the blow that knocked me into the stasis chamber the mad scientist built. Even in my mental state, I could tell that the prototype was offline and burned out everything in him just to do that]

"Why tell us this?" Chaud questioned.

[Because your NetNavi carries the same name of that robot who was the origin of all the robots that would lead to my creation: Proto Man] Zero replied [He never used hatred and emotions correlated to it in that battle. He was the only one who damaged me because he used every single ounce of love for his 'siblings.'] he looked at Protoman [Don't become a monster, Protoman. Hatred can only get you so far. I should know. X surpassed me because he fought with love and the need to defend the innocent while I spent most of my time still using hatred as a source of strength when it's finite while the opposite is infinite]

Chaud narrowed his eyes at the Biometal before it left the laptop, "...What does that one know?" he clenched a fist at his side, "The power of Hatred is what's let Protoman and I get so far."

'Oh Chaud…' Ciel thought in concern.

"Protoman and I have to get ready for the next match," Chaud spoke, logging Protoman out.

"..." Protoman frowned in thought as Chaud left.

"..." Ciel watched the leaving boy with a worried look, 'Chaud…Please…Please don't end up like so many before you back in my old life…'

A moment passed and Lan walked up, "Um…Is everything okay, Ciel?"

"...Not fully," Ciel replied as she turned to him, "Is everything alright, Lan?"

"WWW has people working in DNN," Lan informed.

[I'm sending you the footage we recorded] Phantom informed before an email notification went off on her laptop, letting her check the footage.

Ciel grimaced, "So Yahoot was fooling us…"

"Yep! But who's this Q guy?"

"Unknown. All we know is he uses a green basic NetNavi," Ciel replied, bringing up images of the two.

"Huh? But they called his NetNavi Dessertman. Where's the ice cream or cake?" Lan asked.

"Desertman, Lan. Sand, not food," Vent corrected.

"Desertman?! That one really is dangerous! His amorphous body made of sand allows him to get into numerous cracks in security systems," Ciel noted in concern, "I'm going to have to check the files for DNN. Who was hired near the timeframe Yahoot was…check for any suspicious activity…"

"...I don't get it."

"Huh?" Ciel looked at Lan.

"Why do you like hanging out with that guy?" Lan asked.

"...Chaud?"

"Yeah."

"...He wasn't always like this," Ciel noted as she looked out to the sea once more, "He was a sweet kid when we were little. Bit of a crybaby when his dad wasn't around, actually." Lan raised a brow as he walked over, "His mom and mine were best friends and even coworkers in IPC. They made Protoman under the codename Project Blues."

"They did?" Vent pondered, 'Huh…Come to think of it, I never did learn what Protoman's origins were…'

"He was meant to be the first NetNavi with true emotions. However…" Ciel looked at Lan, "Your father beat them to it when you were a year old."

"...Vent?" Lan guessed, earning a nod from her in confirmation.

"My mom and his mom agreed to give Protoman to one of us if we were the first to ask for one. I'm not interested in one, but Chaud always was curious," Ciel went on before her look grew somber, "But…the week after he turned five, his mom died from a disease that hadn't been discovered until it was too late. A few years after and the accident that left Alouette and I comatose happened." A tear fell, "My mom died protecting us in it."

"! O-oh…I…"

"It's alright, Lan. You didn't know," Ciel assured, "When we woke up, it was terrifying. Mom was gone and Chaud…he and Protoman just…closed themselves. I'm not telling you this to justify their actions, just…" she sighed, shaking her head, "I just wish he'd open up again."

"..." Lan frowned before patting her shoulder and smiled, "Hey, don't give up on him. I don't like him, but you know him more than me. All I know of him is being a jerk and Deleting Roze the way he did."

'That explains why Chaud was the way he was while Protoman was a Darkloid…' Vent thought, 'He's the last piece of his mother he likely has.'

[Well I'm not gonna hold back. If we do, it'll be an insult to 'em both] Fafnir huffed.

"Never crossed my mind," Lan snorted, "...Wait. Vent?"

"Sorta…" Vent admitted.

"Aw come on! We can't win this if we hold back," Lan complained.

"Did you already forget WWW was here?" Ciel demanded in annoyance.

"No. Winning would just be a bonus."

"..." Ciel facepalmed, 'Wanting to capture WWW, but also wanting to win the N1 after that. Lan and Chaud are of the exact same mindset and they don't realize it…' she lowered her hand, "Well…Daddy can get the roster after this round. See who remains and who is fighting who."

"We can arr…"

"We can't make the arrest as long as they remain on the island," Ciel reminded him.

"Dang it!" Lan scowled, "...Who's fighting WWW this round?"

"Checking," Ciel replied, "..." she frowned, "You're fighting Match, Maylu is fighting Maddy, Chaud against Zap, Madam Rose against Yahoot, and…Dex is facing Q."

"...Shoot," Lan grimaced, "Well…at least things can't get worse."

[...You spo…] F began.

"I spoke too soon, yeah," Lan sighed, hiding behind a couch in a training room from the burning red aura erupting off Maylu.

"I won't lose! There's no way I'm going to lose to that pink-haired floozy!" Maylu declared.

[Um…Y-Yeah, I'm just gonna hide in here so she doesn't MegaMerge on accident from sheer rage] Axl gulped from Lan's PeT, managing to get past his fear long enough to make sure he kept Jasmine out of it.

[Whoo! Maylu's burning passion is visible to us all!] Fafnir exclaimed.

[Not the time, Fafnir!] Harpuia exclaimed.

[Can I jump into a lake? I feel like a lake would be the best place to hide from her lest she aim it at us] Zero advised.

"Maylu's terrifying!" Dex whimpered.

"Right, right!" Tory agreed.

"Maylu," Yai spoke before she and Jasmine offered her several BattleChips, "Take these."

"Make sure you use these to defeat that embarrassment for an adult," Jasmine advised.

"Thank you. I'll make sure to win for you girls, too!" Maylu assured as she accepted the BattleChips and the hands holding them…before they joined in the fiery aura.

"If we jump out the window, can we make it into the water?" Dex asked.

"Yes, but the water tension would injure us all to the point of hospitalization or worse depending on the order," Ciel grimly replied.

'What happened, Axl?' Lan asked.

[Jasmine showed up and did a better first impression with Ashe and Maylu. After that, Maddy showed up, took the hat Maylu was gonna get, called her a 15 out of 100, she got called an old hag, more barbs were traded, and now this] Axl replied.

'15 out of 100?' Lan asked.

[When you're older, Lan] X replied.

'Shoot. Why are most of the answers 'when you're older' when I ask?' Lan pouted as he looked at the PeT, 'Wait…Where's Model L?'

[Maylu] Leviathan spoke, making the redhead look at the hologram of Model L that appeared with her 'eyes' glowing in anger [How does one go about to create a BattleChip based on their own data? 15 out of 100…That's insulting! You're easily an 80!]

"Thank y-80?!"

[You'll get the remaining 20 when you're in your last two years of high school] Leviathan replied.

"...Right," Maylu nodded, Leviathan adding on to the burning aura coming off the three human girls and now one Biometal.

[Grant the souls they send your way final peace and rest at last] Phantom prayed, 'looking' skywards.

=May Jasmine Jūnyī and Yai Ayano please make their way to Beta Dome and Q and Dex Ooyama to Alpha Dome? I repeat, may Jasmine Jūnyī and Yai Ayano please make their way to Beta Dome and Q and Dex Ooyama to Alpha Dome?= an announcement went off, causing the aura to vanish from the girls.

"Oh shoot! We're supposed to fight!" Yai gawked.

"Win or lose, one of us three will either get victory or as close to it as we can so long as Madoi is taken down," Jasmine spoke.

"Right!" Maylu and Yai agreed, shaking her hands.

'A scary trio has been made…' all the boys thought, a drop of sweat going down the back of their heads.

"That ruffian! How dare she insult Lady Yai's forehead?! That is a vital feature of my beloved lady's appearance! And she would dare to make fun of it?!" Glyde calmly ranted, pacing in a circle before the NetNavis.

"It kinda is big, guts…" Gutsman muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Glyde!" Gutsman quickly replied, sweating a bit.

"Don't worry a thing about it, Glyde," Ashe assured, pumping a fist, "Maylu, Axl, and me will give Coloredman a thrashing for the honor of the girls she insulted!" she growled, '15…15 out of 100?! That's even worse than last time! Oh, they're so in for it this time around!' her anger was pierced by a soft, warm hand nestling into hers, making her look at Vent, "?"

"Easy there," Vent spoke, a gentle tone in his voice, "If you get too angry, you'll lose focus and not be able to fight right. You've got this, Roll."

"..." Ashe sighed before hugging him, "Thanks, Mega."

Medi giggled, "Oh you two look so precious together."

Vent chuckled, "I should hope so. We've been dating for a few months now."

"Good on you both," Medi smiled at that before bowing, "And a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Medi."

"I'm Gutsman!" Gutsman beamed, thumping his fist on his chest.

"Hello, Medi. My name's Iceman," Iceman greeted with a smile and a wave.

"A pleasure. I'm Vent," Vent greeted with a kind smile, "First time meeting Electopians?"

"No, just the first ones outside of a medical examination," Medi replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

"Ouch," Iceman grimaced.

"Eh, it's business," Medi shrugged before bowing to Glyde, "Here's to a good battle, Glyde."

"As to you, Lady Medi," Glyde responded in kind, a formal bow of his own to her.

"Huh…Those are the same places you two are fighting," Ciel noted, looking at the roster.

"Guess we won't get to watch again," Lan frowned.

"I barely made it in time to see the last minute of yours," Maylu noted.

"...Eh, I'll try to be fast so I can see the end of yours," Lan shrugged before smiling, "Go teach that old lady and her creepy clown a lesson, Maylu!"

"You bet! And you snuff out that hair-ruining jerk!" Maylu encouraged with a thumbs up.

Lan chuckled awkwardly, 'She's so gungho…' "I'm off to Alpha Dome then! Good luck, Maylu!"

"You, too," Maylu nodded as Lan ran out with Dex following right behind.

[Good heavens, she was gungho!] X exclaimed once they were out of there and down the hall.

[I swear I will never understand women…] Zero muttered.

'Maybe I should warn Dex about something a NetNavi like Desertman will probably have in his programming,' Lan thought, "Hey, Dex?"

"What's up, Lan?"

"Be careful of this guy's NetNavi, alright?" Lan warned, "Did some looking and I heard he has a SetSand program in his NetNavi."

"SetSand?! Aw shoot!" Dex grimaced, "Thanks for the warning, man. Gutsman's best attacks do squat on Sand terrain!"

"This is amazing! Just now in the Alpha Dome, a new record has just been made!" the two boys paused in their running to see Ribitta on the screen, "The battle time was seven seconds! Let's show an instant replay!"

"Mmm…" both boys watched, seeing Sharkman release a barrage of energy slashes from his head fin that swiftly made his opponent to Log Out, "Oh~!"

[Glad to see Sharkman is having fun] Fafnir noted.

"Same," Lan agreed.

"Huh?"

"Fafnir said he's glad Sharkman is having fun," Lan explained.

"Oh! Man, I keep forgetting you can hear those Biometal-things Vent and Ashe have," Dex sheepishly rubbed his head, "What do they sound like?"

"Mmm…like a bunch of big brothers," Lan replied, "Model L is more like a big sister that helps me understand girls better, F is the big brother that likes a good fight, H is the calm big brother who tends to look after everyone, P is the wise big brother and helped me a lot with trying to understand being subtle about stuff, but X and Z…"

"What about them?"

"...X honestly feels a bit like Papa to me," Lan replied, "And Zero feels like an uncle. You know, the cool uncle that's a lot wiser than you'd think?"

"Huh…That sounds cool," Dex spoke.

"As much as I'm enjoying this, you still have a NetBattle to get to, Dex," Vent reminded them.

"ACK!" Dex yelped as he quickly ran off with Lan right after him.

"Hurry, Dex, hurry!" the boy barked.

The hallway remained quiet for a few moments before Yahoot seemingly emerged from the wall, "So…it seems they figured something out." he pulled out his PeT, "Q, your opponent is aware of who your NetNavi truly is."

"Ah dang it! Who done left the script out for them t' read?!"

"I am unaware of who at this time," Yahoot replied, "But this does mean you will no longer be able to hold back."

"Shit. Was hoping t' wait fer fightin' someone in the Officials or the CID, but fine," Q sighed.

Ciel frowned as she looked at her laptop in a room with several other technicians working on the N1, glancing over at a feed on it that showed Medi moving swiftly, avoiding the barrage of meteors that rained down upon her. She tapped a few keys and the nearby television showed the fight feed zoom out as Glyde swiped at Medi with a FighterSword only to have her slide under it and deliver a series of jabs into his gut and then deliver a backflip kick into his chin, knocking him away. It then zoomed in on Gutsman and a basic green NetNavi appearing in the Network for the Alpha Dome. As if on command of the green NetNavi, the entire floor glowed and turned into a field of sands. She grimaced as everyone watched as the basic NetNavi began to twitch and spasm before its body collapsed, turning into more sand…before it rose up, becoming a demonic head made of sands that let out a fearsome roar that forced Gutsman to step back with his hands up to try to block the shockwaves and sands.

"Just as expected. They are World Three…but who would be their spy working with Yahoot in DNN?" Ciel pondered before sighing, 'I have to do this kind of thinking here…Honestly, it reminds me of the Resistance days and I didn't have a cozy blanket and bean bad chair and…cozy…coz…Cossack!' Her eyes widened as she ran the program in the background on her laptop and started to type rapidly, 'Only half a day and I already forgot what Mr. Famous told me! Come on…' she smiled as she got several results…before grimacing as she realized it was only her credentials that let her access them, 'Oh shoot…What is this that his information is buried this deep?' she began to access the files, 'Let's see…he was a former SciLab scientist from Sharo and was friends with Albert Wily and Tadashi Hikari…Wait…WHAT?!' She nearly jumped to her feet in shock before catching herself and went on, 'He worked with Dr. Hikari and helped create the first Network known as Project Proto or 'The Alpha.' Had a wife and a daughter. The wife is divorced for ten years and the daughter…deceased.' She gave a sad expression on reading that, feeling the all too familiar ache in her heart on receiving reports of the deceased on missions or in civilians due to Copy X's reign and then Weil's, 'Looks like he was involved with creating a NetNavi capable of using BattleChip data without a NetOp…but the information is above my credentials?'

She frowned and bit back a curse. As genius as she was, it was more aimed at programming, biology, and robotics since networking wasn't really a thing in Neo Arcadia. If this has been tech from there, it'd be easier than eating an MRE in the Resistance. But here… She shook her head and went back to reading about Cossack, multitasking with occasionally switching between the two battles going on and taking note of things. For one, Medi was quite skilled in close quarters, utilizing several different martial arts in her fighting style that was leaving Glyde looking worse for wear. However, Glyde was retaliating just as fiercely with the rare BattleChips Yai was delivering, managing to give Medi just as much in return. Ciel paused for a moment, seeing a cut appear on Jasmine's cheek where Medi had been cut by a FireBlade, a rarer version of the FireSword, before another hit later on showed no reflection on her.

'Will have to tell Father about her being a candidate,' Ciel noted.

She then focused on Gutsman and Desertman's battle. The field was a major advantage for the sand-based NetNavi, making it one with himself to create multiple hands, lion heads, and even blocks of sandstone bricks. While Gutsman was giving it his best, Ciel had a feeling he wouldn't succeed today. His fighting style was terrain control, isolating the opponent and then unleashing his punches upon them. But the sand on the ground was preventing him from destroying it. She sighed as she saw a sand lion get a blow in behind long enough for the sand to rise up, ensnare, and crush Gutsman until he logged out.

'I told him to add some BattleChips that alter the field…' Ciel thought before watching as Medi slid under Glyde's legs to avoid a barrage of plasma bullets from a golden vulcan replacing his glove, making Glyde spin around and be the recipient of an uppercut from a blocky container on her hand/arm that opened to deploy a green Yo-Yo with gold saw blades that tore into Glyde and forced him to Log Out, 'Oh Yai…I thought Vent got through to you that rare BattleChips alone will not guarantee victory…' she smiled when Yai was the one to offer Jasmine a congratulatory handshake, 'But you are still a humble loser. Good on you, Yai.' she narrowed her eyes as she started the sequence to start the commercials, 'Now it's Vent and Ashe's turn.'

"Yeesh…" Lan grimaced, "That Desertman really is dangerous."

"If we face him in the next round, we need to be careful," Vent advised.

"Maybe LX, HX, and FX would be best," Lan strategized.

[Oh?] Leviathan pondered.

"Yeah. LX can soak the sand and lock him in place, HX can whip up a tornado to blow it all away, and FX can make it all into glass," Lan noted.

[...He really is your brother, Vent] Zero noted, keeping his voice to Vent.

"Great ideas, Lan," Vent complimented, "But for now, focus on Match and Fireman."

[We know all WWW Agents now carry a variety of elemental BattleChips because of us and Ashe and Model A] Phantom reminded him [We will need to be ready with counters for each]

"Uh-huh," Lan nodded as he checked over his BattleChips before slowly stopping, "...Hey, X?"

[What is it, Lan?] X asked.

"What was it like? When you still had a body?" Lan asked.

[Hm? When I had a body?] X asked.

"Yeah. I've heard about Fafnir, Harpuia, Leviathan, and Phantom, but what about you and Zero?"

[Us, eh? What brought this on?] Zero asked.

"Well, like I said, I heard their story, but not yours."

[Hmm…Walk to the stage. We'll talk on the way] Zero replied.

"Right," Lan agreed.

[I suppose we should start in the past long before we were even a concept. There were two scientists, let's call them 'Tom' and 'Al.' They both focused on robotics, building and creating machinery to make things easier for everyone] X spoke [One day, both presented an idea to the government. Al presented a device that would enhance a robot to their beyond current known limits while Tom presented the concept of a robot with a 'soul' in them, letting them make their own decisions in emergency situations such as a cave-in or the like. The government chose Tom's idea over Al's, leaving a bitter resentment within Al]

[Tom, feeling sad for Al, asked for his help and they created a prototype for a robot with a 'soul.' However, Al's guidance system was flawed and caused the robot to destroy the table and then a wall before overloading and shutting down. Al grew angered, believing Tom messed with his guidance system on purpose and left. Days later, he returned and stole the prototype]

[Saddened, Tom continued his work and made two robots: Rock and Roll] X went on [They were his children and they loved one another as any family would. Soon, Tom made eight more robots dubbed the Robot Masters, all specialized in something unique to them. Al returned one night and reprogrammed all but Rock and Roll due to them having their own bedrooms in Tom's house and not the lab]

Lan frowned at that, "He stole Tom's work? What a jerk!"

[He was mentally unwell] X corrected [He had the Robot Masters attack humanity at the time, so Rock asked to be modified into a fighter. With reluctance, Tom agreed and made him into a powerful super fighting robot. Rock would, over the span of what felt like years, take on Al and his quest of global domination. But…years did go on and Tom and Al began to show their age…and their mortality as human beings]

[Tom began to have moments of forgetfulness if he wasn't focused on something he was passionate about and his body began to suffer from arthritis. Al was dealing with arthritis…but lung cancer]

"Oof…" Lan grimaced.

[So…Al made a robot to be his legacy, one to surpass everything he's ever built or whatever Tom built…and that's true] Zero went on [Because the robot that would equal and even surpass Al's wasn't made by Tom…but by his children]

X chuckled [What Tom didn't realize is how robots perceive one another. Though many Robot Masters were built after them, they were cousins and uncles to the two. While they…felt more than siblings to one another. To them…they were deeper than that]

"Huh?" Lan tilted his head.

[They were not siblings; they became lovers] Zero summed up.

"Wh-What?!" Lan gawked.

[It is complicated for a human to understand] Phantom spoke [Lan, they may have been made to be siblings, but they were never siblings]

[Indeed. Think of them like…adopted siblings] Leviathan compared.

"O-oh…"

[Thank you, kids] X thanked [Now then…Rock and Roll saw how Tom had become. They wanted to give him a wonderful legacy to carry on…and they wanted a child of their own. So…the two worked in secret. Tom would catch them at times, but his developing Dementia would make him forget and Rock and Roll would use it to make him think he was having them help make 'his' greatest creation: a robot who didn't need the Three Laws of Robotics]

"Whoa~"

[Yes. Roll spent nine months developing the robot's AI, carefully crafting each and every bit of it. Rock, meanwhile, would craft his body, making it beyond any other robot's frame. By the end of the nine months, they completed the robot and sealed him away under a thirty year timer to make sure he would be safe for humanity. Then…they had to stop the robot Al had made…and perished in the process of sealing it away]

"What happened to Tom?" Lan asked.

[He passed away, believing the robot was his own legacy and never realizing his son and daughter were husband and wife] Zero calmly replied [Al…fell to his own creation's hands in its berserk state from the virus he put into it]

Lan grimaced, "Even their deaths are vastly different…" he frowned, "...You're the robots, weren't you?"

[Yes. I am X Light, son of the late Rock and Roll Light and grandson of the late Tom]

[And I am Zero, son of the Al…but also brother to X Light and the late Alia Light and uncle to Fighting Fafnir Light, Hidden Phantom Light, Fairy Leviathan Light, and Sage Harpuia Light]

"That's amazing~! So you were asleep for thirty years?

Both chuckled at that before X spoke [We can talk more another day. We've arrived]

"Ladies and gentlemen~! For those tuning in, welcome to the First International NetBattle Tournament: The N1 Grand Prix!" Ribitta cheered, sharing a split screen with Toadman, "The crowds are excited as we await the next matches in the Alpha and Beta Domes!"

"Indeed, kero! In the Alpha Dome, we have the upcoming hotshot schoolboy of ACDC Elementary's Class 1-A, Lan Hikari, and his NetNavi Vent facing the devious hotheaded fire-wielding fireball, Mr. Match, and his NetNavi Fireman!" Toadman declared.

"And over here in the Beta Dome, we have the fighting beauty of ACDC Element's Class 1-A, Maylu Sakurai, and her NetNavi Ashe facing off against the well-experienced lady, Maddy, and her NetNavi Coloredman!"

Lan grinned, 'Maylu and Ashe have got this in the bag.'

[Focus on our fight and not theirs, Lan] Harpuia scolded as Lan and Match got to their places.

"Hooray! The match is about to begin over here in Alpha Dome, kero! Lan Hikari and Mr. Match are in position and are just waiting for the signal to begin!" Toadman cheered as everything activated to project the viewing sphere for the audience.

"It seems this part of the river is flowing as it should," Miyu noted, standing near Chaud who was watching while leaning against a wall.

"River?" Chaud repeated.

"Miyu did a few fortunes for them," Sal explained, grimacing, "Basically…not all things good."

"The existence of those who should not be here is a sign of rivers overflowing and spilling into the original stream we were upon," Miyu spoke calmly as Match and Lan sent their NetNavis in, "Incidents that have happened are not as they were meant to be, rivalries switched, formed when they should not, or nonexistent when they should exist." she looked down at her crystal ball, "Fates have been altered on levels untold. An innocent will be harmed by the raptor on the night beneath the waves and above the generating storm."

Chaud raised a brow at that before focusing on Lan once more. In the Network, Vent stood across from Fireman. He brought up Model X and Model L before flashing into Megaman Model LX. He swung his polearm out before aiming it at the WWW NetNavi.

"I hope you're ready to be snuffed out again, Fireman," Megaman LX warned.

"We'll see, Megaman," Fireman replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Okay~! Let's get ready here in Alpha Dome! Fireman VS Megaman! Battle Routine Set, kero!"

"EXECUTE!" both NetNavi declared.

As Toadman began to narrate, Megaman LX was already upon Fireman, unleashing a barrage of jabs with his spear. Fireman grunted as he used the bulky armaments that covered the lower halves of his arms to block the strikes before managing to deliver a jab to Megaman LX's face, stunning him long enough for Fireman to deliver a strong kick that knocked him away from the Fire-Element NetNavi.

"FireTower!" Fireman roared, slamming his arm onto the ground and unleashing a pillar of flames that rushed at Megaman LX.

[Oh, how cute] L 'smirked' [What a pretty little tower. Vent…let's crush it.]

Megaman LX nodded. He tapped the spear on the ground as the FireTower engulfed him…before a massive dragon of ice dispersed it, letting out a chilling roar as its red eyes glared down upon Fireman.

"Sic 'em," Megaman LX ordered and the dragon lunged.

Roll A walked through the arena, shaped to resemble a wasteland. She smirked before she looked up and fired a barrage of shots, hitting Colordedman and sending him crashing to the ground while she jumped out of the way. A moment passed and the ball smacked him on the head.

"Doi!" The clown NetNavi groaned before slowly pushing himself back up and onto his ball, "How?!"

"Do you have any idea how often I've had an attack come from above?" Roll A questioned with a smirk, "Gotta be more creative, Wacky." In a flash, A-Coloredman sent his ball at Coloredman, "Like this!"

Coloredman panicked, quickly sending his own at his copy's attack, causing both to bounce off and go back to their owner…before the original screamed as A-Coloredman fired off the ball once more followed up with a Cannon hitting it for an extra boost, forcing the original to barely roll out of the way, only getting grazed on the shoulder as it shot past him. He gulped as he saw the ball shatter one of the 'rock' structures around them before bouncing back over to his copy.

"Amazing! It's become a mirror match between NetNavis as Roll A has taken on Coloredman's form!" Ribitta gawked, "The crowd is getting whipped up into a frenzy of excitement!"

"Coloredman, don't get distracted by her tricks! We won't let a 15-point girl's NetNavi trump us!" Maddy snapped, making Maylu growl in annoyance.

"You've got this, Maylu!" Yai cheered in the crowd.

"Teach that old lady some manners!" Jasmine added.

"I've never seen a NetNavi capable of doing what she can before," Medi noted in surprise, watching as the two Coloredman race about, sending out tiny copies of themselves that let loose towers of fire and water upon the other.

"Ashe has always been a bit of a wild card in Virus Busting Class," Ms. Mari noted, "When she's wearing that armor of hers, she can become all sorts of NetNavis that I've never seen before." she smiled fondly, "I remember when she fought this one Wood-Element Virus we had for class and she took on the form of a plant-based robotic one that had two forms that she could shift between that would let out paralytic attacks that could even make a triangular energy field to ensnare the opponent to let her vines take them down either electrified or not. I believe the name she used was Rosespark for it."

"We all do agree that there's one Virus she isn't allowed to fight for class: Ratty," Yai grimaced.

"Why's that?"

"She goes for an overkill and often damages the entire classroom's Network," Ms. Mari groaned, "If not for Vent being such a polite young NetNavi and bringing more Viruses and repair data for the classroom on his first day there with Lan, thing may have been worse for Maylu and Ashe than a simple failing grade for that day's Virus Busting class and a before-school detention."

"Really?" Jasmine pondered as she looked back in time for Coloredman to go for a spot on his copy's side only for a flash to go off and him to scream as Bifrost's frozen fangs to clamp down hard on the arm, "By the Jade Emperor's throne!"

A-Bifrost thrashed 'his' head wildly about, throwing the clown-based NetNavi with it until he let go and let him crash through several 'rock' formations. He slowly got up and looked up…only to scream and roll out of the way of a barrage of plasma spikes rained down upon him by a magenta and yellow bee/wasp-like Pseudoroid. Maddy growled as she inserted several BattleChips, causing a rain of cubes made of stone to rain down upon the Pseudoroid Roll A had become. In a flash, A-Aeolus raced about, dodging and weaving around the rain of RockCubes before swinging a sword at Coloredman, unleashing an electrified tornado at him. Coloredman screamed as it engulfed him…and shredded apart the doll of him that been sucked into it. A-Aeolus grunted as 'he' swung 'his' blades about, parrying and cutting through the shuriken that came at 'him.' A flash went off and Roll A landed on the ground as Coloredman stood across from her, panting heavily.

"You are…really…really…annoying!" Coloredman complained.

"Can't even pull your schtick off on me, eh?" Roll A smirked.

Maddy scowled before pulling out a pocket mirror and opened it. She took out the fabric in it and lightly powdered it before doing the same to her cheeks…angling the mirror to reflect the light of the sun to hit Maylu in the face.

"Gh!" Maylu grunted, trying to block the light until her robotic eye darkened in color and caused her to blink a few times as the light hitting that eye…didn't bother her, 'Huh? Wait…did…did my new eye become sunglasses?' she closed her organic eye and pulled out a set of BattleChips, "Here's something from Jasmine. Lance, Download!"

'Huh?! Why isn't it working?!' Maddy thought in shock before a scream from Coloredman made her refocus on the battle to see him being sent flying into the air by several razor sharp-ended bamboo poles shooting out of the ground.

"And this is from Yai to you! Thanks for all the rubble you made with those RockCubes! Poltergeist, Download!"

Roll A smirked as she swung her hands up to the air. The rubble all over glowed before rising up into the air. With a roar, she swung her hands at Coloredman and the debris rocketed at him, causing the WWW NetNavi to scream but unable to stop the attack in midair as he proceeded to be pelted by all of them at once.

-Coloredman: Logging Out-

"AND IT'S OVER! The winner of this NetBattle and moving on is our very own Maylu Sakurai and her NetNavi Ashe!" Ribitta cheered as the crowd hooted and hollered and applauded the red-head.

Ashe sighed in relief as she as Logged Out, 'That went way better than the old timeline…'

[Why? What happened?]

'...You don't wanna know…'

[...Now I wanna]

"No way~! How does a little pipsqueak like you have such rare BattleChips?!" Maddy demanded.

"Oh, they were gifts from my friend Yai and my new friend Jasmine," Maylu replied, her eye changing back to normal before winking at her and sticking her tongue out at the older woman, "You really helped us bond over a mutual dislike of you, old lady."

"Grrr…! I won't forget this…!" Maddy snarled as she turned around and stomped away from the field while Ms. Mari and the others met Maylu on her way out.

"You did great, Maylu!" Yai cheered, giving her a thumbs up.

"You both gave me the two BattleChips that won it for us," Maylu noted, smiling at her and Jasmine.

"I'm just glad that rude woman is out of this now," Jasmine noted before bowing to Maylu, "If we face one another in the next match, we'll give it our best to win."

"Hope ya do! It's not fun if we're both not giving it our all," Ashe grinned, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a finger.

Maylu giggled as she bowed to Jasmine in return, "I can't wait!"

"Lan should still be in his battle," Ms. Mari noted, "Should we make our way over there?"

"Not bad," Fireman noted in honest surprise as he and FX stood back to back as flames engulfed the both of them, "I wonder how it would've been if you had been the one to snuff out the flames within Match and I instead of Maylu Sakurai and Roll A."

"Probably a bit like this, but your burning passion of revenge aimed towards me instead," FX replied with a smirk, "Lan and I don't make merry after our victories. We tend to keep on wanting to improve and get stronger."

"That's right! ElecSword, Download!" Lan declared as HX spun around swiftly, crackling blades of plasma aimed to cut deep into the Fire-Element NetNavi only to be parried by a pair of green plasma blades resembling bamboo in shape.

As the two began to perform a deadly dance of blades, Match smirked, 'That's it…Keep goin', laddies. You have no idea the hell that awaits ye both.'

Fireman was the first to break the stalemate the two got into and aimed his gauntlets at Megaman HX, unleashing their flames. At the same time, Lan inserted a BattleChip and a faint white barrier formed, shielding HX from the flames as he switch to FX. With a roar, FX slammed a Charge Shot-infused punch into Fireman, sending him several kilometers away. He got up and let loose a barrage of shots at the charging LX, who swung his polearm and another ice dragon tore its way through the barrage and sheared off Fireman's right arm, making him scream and stumble away.

"Why did I have to face the stupid 15-point brat and her NetNavi?" Maddy complained, sitting near the back of the seating with Yahoot-in his disguise-and Zap.

"Patience is a virtue. We have a way to bring you back in and have your rematch against both children whom you've lost to should Desertman and Magicman fail to defeat them," Yahoot replied.

"Don't you mean 'if'?" Maddy asked with a raised brow.

"I would rather not allow my mind to be clouded with disbelief. Megaman is a formidable opponent," Yahoot replied, watching the battle as Megaman LX's dragon was melted by a wave of lava, "His multiple forms and the power behind each one…and then the young Lan Hikari and his unique precision in NetBattling, able to find things most would miss." he frowned, "He may likely already have a counter strategy should he encounter Desertman instead of myself."

"Seriously?" Maddy asked in surprise.

"In all honesty…the personalities of the four seem to be a reflection of the other," Yahoot compared, "Where the personality of the NetNavi matches the other's NetOp."

"Really now?" Zap pondered as he watched as LX unleashed a barrage of stabs at the one-armed Fireman before sweeping his legs out from under him, letting him deliver a strong kick to send him tumbling away.

"He's quite strong, isn't he?" Haruka asked, smiling at the battle.

"I'm still a bit troubled by how much he's changed from how I last saw him," Yuichiro admitted, "He went from an eleven-year-old t-to eighteen for goodness sake."

"Well, he did say he worked on himself because he met Ashe while out on delivery for SciLab once," Haruka replied before giggling, "Oh, honey, they are just so adorable together! And they have such cute names for each other in 'Mega' and 'Roll.' Though, I do admit that 'Rock' might've been better for him, but they seem unbothered."

"That may be my fault," Ciel noted as she walked over.

"You?" Yuichiro questioned.

"Yes. Those devices Vent and Ashe have? The Biometals? I made them a few years back and made them to optimize those they decide to be wielded by," Ciel explained, "Vent and Ashe found them all and…" she gestured to FX delivering an uppercut to Fireman, "...That."

"Truly now?" Yuichiro pondered.

"Yes. It was quite difficult to make them. I'm not the best at programming digital sentience," Ciel admitted, "My expertise lies more in physical things like robotics and the like…such as keeping the Network from being inside of important things I need that would be messed up by having it integrated into it."

Yuichiro grimaced, "S-Sorry again for that…"

Ciel sighed, "I get why you did it since it's just second nature to people by now and we've already gone over why I didn't want it in them for their own safety. All that could be done was keeping it disconnected from everything and having Vent and Ashe put antivirus software into it."

"Dear," Haruka frowned at Yuichiro, having not heard of this.

"Er…" Yuichiro gulped.

"So, Ciel, you make more than just designing what saved Lan and Maylu?" Haruka asked.

"Oh, yes, yes I do, Mrs. Hikari," Ciel replied as she pulled out her tablet and pulled up a diagram, "I've been building a new energy source to replace all the current nonrenewable resources that are currently in play."

"A…A new energy source?" Yuichiro asked in surprise.

"Yes," Ciel replied, "I call it the Convergent Ignition by Energen Linkage System."

"The CIEL System?" Haruka compressed it.

"How does it work?" Yuichiro asked.

"Well…" Ciel began before the roof began to close up, "Hm?"

"What's wrong?"

"This shouldn't be closing. The weather is supposed to be good all day," Ciel frowned, tapping quickly on her tablet.

"You kids are pretty good. It almost feels like when the lassies snuffed out our flames," Match admitted, "Nice weather today, eh Laddie?"

"Weather?" Lan pondered before noticing the ceiling closing up, "Huh? What's…"

Match smirked as he inserted a chip into his PeT. Outside, the multiple solar arrays set up moved as one, forcing themselves to face the direct sunlight. In the control room, several alarms went off at once.

"The solar arrays have been taken over!"

"Shit! All power in Beta Dome has gone out!"

"It's being rerouted! Someone get Inspector Oda from the audience!"

"No need. I had a feeling when the dome began to close up," the workers looked to see Oda entering the room, "We'll get this checked on immediately."

"We, sir?"

"Yes," Commander Beef replied as he, Mysteriyu, Madam Rose, and Chaud stepped around him, "We."

"What's going on?" Maylu pondered, the first to arrive at the dome…before the sphere projecting the battle became a miniature sun in terms of brightness, "EEP!" she closed her real eye as the cybernetic one turned dark once more.

"Ghh…" Lan grimaced, his own cybernetic eye darkening and the boy managing to note a popup reading 'DARK MODE ONLINE' appear for a few moments in his fake eye's vision, 'Dark Mode?' his eye widened as he saw the brightness of the light fading to let him see the field had become volcanic in nature, 'Okay…So it wasn't that Fistleo guy who reshaped the whole recycling center's Network…'

"Heh. Good luck getting any help from your NetOp now," Fireman noted, his body healing up to full health, before slamming a gauntlet down on the ground, "FIREWAVE!"

The ground bubbled and rumbled before becoming a massive tidal wave of magma. It rushed at LX, who narrowed his eyes…before smirking as his gem glowed. The tidal wave came down and Fireman chuckled, seeing no trace of the NetNavi. He turned away…only to cry out as ZX sliced off his right arm.

"WH-WHAT?!" Fireman exclaimed in shock, stumbling back.

"What was that about Lan not 'seeing' the battle?" ZX questioned before shifting to LX once more.

"I can see the fight perfectly fine," Lan noted in amusement, "You had me for a few seconds, but I got past it fast enough."

[Lan, be ready, because we have a little surprise] Leviathan noted [The time for fun and games is over, Vent. It's time to go into…Overdrive.]

"Yeah," Megaman LX nodded before glaring at Fireman, "Overdrive Invoke System…" he crouched down and laid a hand on the ground…before it flash froze and shattered the magma field in time with an aura erupting off his body, "Activate."

Fireman stepped back as Match tensed, a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, "What is this…?"

"W-Whoa! It…It feels like a blizzard…" Lan shivered.

[This is my power fully unleashed, little one] Leviathan spoke [The only drawback is a time limit before I overload and have to sleep for a day]

"Won't take long," Megaman LX assured before glaring at Fireman, "Now…" he tapped the ground with the butt of his staff…and several ice dragons roared into existence, glaring down upon him, "Sic 'em."

"WoodTower!"

"Fin Cutter!"

"Bonemerang!"

As pillars of sharpened logs, blades of pressurized water, and ethereal flame-engulfed bones flew about and ripped apart the myriad of Fire Viruses about, Protoman and Japanman stood back-to-back with one another. Japanman unleashed a barrage of polearm stabs before bending over, allowing Protoman to roll over him and let loose a barrage of shockwave slashes. He produced a red and silver oval shield, tanking several blasts of flames, before Japanman jumped over it with a roar, slamming his spear into the ground and letting loose a tidal wave of water in return, wiping out the Viruses.

"That's the last of them," Japanman noted.

"Good work. Now give control back to the operators," Oda ordered.

"Yes, sir," Japanman replied.

The dome shook for a moment before opening up, causing the 'sunlight' to dissipate and allow everyone to see the battle once more.

"Gh…" Match grit his teeth as Fireman struggled to stay standing, most of his body littered in frostbite and missing both arms now, "Recover 300, Download."

Fireman growled as his injuries faded and his arms regenerated, "I won't lose to you!"

"Sword, WideSword, LongSword. Download!" Lan declared as Fireman charged at him, ElecSwords emerging from his gauntlets.

"Program Advance," Megaman LX invoked as his polearm transformed into the LifeSword.

"LIFESWORD!" the two roared in unison as LX charged at Fireman.

The two raced by the other, swinging their blades. Both landed, their backs to the other. A small cut appeared on Lan and LX's left cheek. Meanwhile, Fireman choked as the upper half of his body began to slide down ahead as his lower half remained in place.

-FIREMAN: LOGGING OUT-

"Like I say, Match. I'm a deliveryman and what I've brought for you…is defeat," Megaman LX declared before he dropped Double MegaMerge and caught the dimmed Model L.

[Mayhaps Ciel can be a darling and figure out how to extend the time limit…] Leviathan yawned before her 'eyes' dimmed and the Biometal turned dull in coloration [Good night, boys…]

"Great work, guys!" Lan cheered as he Logged Out Vent.

"IT'S OVER~! The winners are Lan and Vent, kero~!" Toadman cheered.

"Blast it! I…I was so close…" Match growled, slamming a fist on the console, "What was that power they used to counter my plan?!"

"You alright, Lan? That was pretty bright," Vent noted.

"It's alright. My cool eye acted like sunglasses so I could see with that. Plus, we were in FullSynchro, so I could see through yours instead if I didn't have it," Lan noted with a smile.

"Lan!" Lan looked up to see Maylu running up and giving him a hug, "That was amazing!"

"Y-You saw it?" Lan asked.

"You bet we did! That was amazing!"

"What was that aura on Vent?" Maylu asked.

[Overdrive. It's a power that lets Vent access the true potential of the Biometals he uses] X explained [It only works when I'm with him, however, because they're using my power as well to tap into it]

"Aw phooey," Ashe pouted.

[Agreed. I betcha Overdrive would've let us do a whole lotta stuff] Axl grumbled.

"We'll have a ten minute break for technicians to look over the battlefield. In the meantime, will Chaud Blaze and Count Zap please make their way to Alpha Dome and Higsby and Madam Rose report to Beta Dome, please? I repeat, will Chaud Blaze and Count Zap please make their way to Alpha Dome and Higsby and Madam Rose report to Beta Dome, please, kero?"

Lan tensed on that and looked back at the arena, "..."

"Lan, let's go sit with the others, alright?" Maylu suggested.

"...Yeah," Lan nodded.

"What a relief. I was worried for a minute there, huh," Higsby noted.

"Aw shoot. Guess it's all said and done," Higsby looked to see Masa walking over.

"Where were you?" Higsby asked.

"Stomach troubles," Masa sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Was stuck on the other side of the island for a good bit from some bad noodles they were selling."

"A pity," Wily shook his head, rewatching Fireman's defeat, "But now we know of a new power Megaman has."

"He's a crafty guy, alright," a voice spoke from the computer, "Him and the Biometals he has in his possession can unleash a power called Overdrive."

"And why didn't you speak of it before?"

"Honestly thought you'd be able to handle him before he could use it," the voice replied, "But I do have good news: I've got you a little surprise for when Zap needs to do what he does at that event tomorrow after the last few singles before it goes into the first round of Doubles."

"Hoh?"

"Yeah. It's gonna bring all kinds of terror and despair to those idiots."

"Wonderful," Wily smirked as the television screen showed Chaud approaching the console.

"Alright! It's the last match of the day in the Alpha Dome!" Ribitta declared as Protoman and Elecman stood before one another, "Time to see who wins and who loses! Elecman VS Protoman! Battle Routine Set!"

"Execute," both NetNavis declared.

Elecman quickly unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts upon Protoman, who blocked the first with his shield before he shot off, running between the strikes of lightning. He raced past Elecman…who grunted as his generators were sliced off. He turned around and his head kept turning as he tumbled to the ground, logging out in pieces.

"ACK! In just three seconds, Protoman has defeated another opponent, kero!"

"The winners are Chaud Blaze and Protoman! Can anyone handle these two?" Ribitta pondered in amazement.

"Yay~! Go, Chaud!" Alouette happily cheered before holding up her doll, "Meow! He's so fast!"

'She's just so precious,' Haruka thought.

"Now if only the eggshell head would make fights last longer, meow."

"A-Alouette!" Ciel gawked as Lan, Dex, and Yai cracked up in laughter.

"Huh…No celebration tonight," Vent noted, sharing Maylu's PeT with Ashe as they sat on a couch in it to watch a movie together.

"Yeah. Seems so weird, huh?"

"Guess it's just another change that happened," Vent guessed, "Well…aside from Higsby's defeat by Sal."

Ashe giggled, "Oh his face when that happens never quits making me be amused."

[It was hilarious!] Axl laughed.

[I took a screenshot to show Sis later when she wakes up] Fafnir chuckled.

"What do you think we should throw out of the books then?" Ashe asked, pulling up their list of events.

"Not sure," Vent replied, "But…I do get the feeling we'll be fighting Coloredman and Fireman in the doubles round just like last time. They're after both of us now since we beat them both."

Ashe nodded as she looked at a part of it and grew worried. In big, red, bold lettering was 'PHARAOHMAN DELETED MEGAMAN AT THE END OF THE N1GP.' Vent gently laid a hand on Ashe's shoulder.

"I'll do all I can to avoid that fate this time," Vent assured before grunting as Ashe turned around and hugged him, swearing if he had actual bones they'd be fractured from the pressure.

"I'm terrified of it happening," Ashe whispered, "It…It was horrible. You were just…gone." an ache went through her core, a grimace forming on her face at unwanted memories, 'And it got worse when you started to ignore all my attempts to tell you how I felt, even with you saying you accepted my apology…'

"We're stronger now, Roll," Vent assured, returning the embrace, "I can avoid his beams anytime. Heck, if I was as strong as I was at the end of our original lives, I'd still handle him easily. And I know I'm faster than ever." 'I made sure that I focused on my speed this time around if that event doesn't change. I won't let Maylu nearly die because I was too slow to reach her in time.'

[We'll do what we can to help keep him safe, Ashe] X assured.

[And who knows? Maybe it'll be you both in the finals instead of Protoman!] Axl beamed.

"...It would be kinda nice to be in the finals…" Ashe mumbled after a few moments.

"True. If the prizes are the same, win or lose, we'd both have a world tour," Vent chuckled, "If things don't really change on it, there's so much we'd be able to enjoy along with Lan and Maylu."

As the two started to talk about all the places and even started to pull up information on everything, Phantom floated a bit away from them {What happened in your first lives that made you both love one another…but also feel such guilt when you're around the other?}

"It feels so nice staying at a fancy place like this," Lan noted as he and Maylu walked along a hallway.

"It reminds me of the hotel chain my Papa likes to use when I go visit him in Ameropa at times," Maylu compared, carrying a bucket filled with ice, "Even ice machines at the end of the hallways where vending machines are as well."

Lan nodded before chuckling, "I watched the replay they're sharing about your NetBattle today. You and Ashe did a great job teaching them a lesson."

"I arrived to yours just as the system got all bright," Maylu spoke, smiling, "I'm glad you were able to help Vent even with the bright lights."

"Yeah," Lan nodded as he pointed at his cybernetic eye, "This thing was so cool! It filtered the light out to let me see. Add in FullSynchro letting me 'see' through Vent's eyes and we got past that trick of his no sweat!"

"I swear I keep finding new things from the operation," Maylu sighed, "Clearer sight with it, this light filter, jumping higher than I used to…" she shook her head, "I'm really glad we're seeing Dr. Saiko due to it all."

Lan nodded, "Yeah. I've only had two sessions with her so far and it's been really good for me." he smiled, "You ready for tomorrow?"

"I hope so," Maylu replied, "You?"

"A bit," Lan replied, "If I get Desertman, we're planning on using HX to whip him up into a tornado then swap to FX and use all the fire we've got to smelt him into Glassman. But if it's Magicman…we don't know all he can do, so we're going to go all out from the start." Maylu nodded at that before he asked her, "What about you?"

"I'm hoping to not fight either you or my new friend Jasmine," Maylu noted, "It'd be better if I could fight either of you near the finals."

"Same here with you," Lan grinned before slowly, methodical clapping made them look ahead to see Chaud doing it, leaning against a wall with his eyes closed.

"You two must give dentists a lot of business with how sweet you two are with one another," Chaud commented.

"H-Hey!" Lan scowled, both blushing.

"As a show, your battle was great, Hikari," Chaud noted, "I had fun watching what I missed due to dealing with the viruses deployed by Match to control the systems to cause that lightshow. But…"

"...But…?" Lan gestured for him to go on.

"It was the worst match I've ever seen; even Sakurai performed better than you."

"WHAT?!" Lan growled as Maylu grabbed his shoulder.

"Lan…" Maylu whispered before looking at Chaud, "I could say the same to you because yours was even worse to me."

"Excuse you?"

"You defeated him so fast that it was boring," Maylu huffed, "And what you said to Lan just now about his being a 'great show' means that yours was a 'horrible show.'"

"..." Chaud narrowed his eyes at her.

"Even Alouette said you're boring with how fast you do things," Maylu huffed, "People came to be entertained by us showing our efforts to train hard for this thanks to the restrictions on NetBattling being lifted somewhat. Ashe and I want people to enjoy our NetBattles, but we also take them seriously and let our opponents have the opportunity to show off as well."

"Sure it may leave us vulnerable, but Vent and me want to see just what people we fight have got," Lan added in, "I want to give people who are here watching it a chance to have fun and be excited by seeing who'll win and lose by letting both our NetNavis show everything we've got for them all."

"...Tch," Chaud scowled as he walked off.

"What a jerk," Lan scowled, "Even if he's childhood friends with Ciel, he's still a jerk."

"She sees something that we're not seeing," Maylu guessed, "All we can do is trust her."

Lan nodded, "Yeah…Let's get going. Still gotta get that ice back, right?"

"Right," Maylu nodded as they walked off in the opposite direction Chaud had gone, who walked around a corner to see Alouette and Ciel.

"Hoh~? You shared the idea of the CIEL System?" Alouette asked.

"Yeah. I thought it'd be a good idea if I can't get this fake ElecCode or the tracker working right," Ciel replied.

"Ciel, Alouette," Chaud spoke up as he walked up to them.

"Oh! Hi~!" Alouette beamed with a happy wave.

"Hey there," Ciel greeted.

"What's the CIEL System?" Chaud asked.

"Oh! Well…it's a new energy source I've figured out," Ciel explained as she showed her tablet to him and Protoman, "See? NetNavis give off a unique energy field, even while in PeTs. By taking a small bit of this shed energy and storing it into a creation I call the Energy Crystal, it will create a chain reaction that produced a strong amount of energy from the crystal that can be harnessed to power even entire cities as large as Den Tech for decades or even centuries depending on the amount! But it will only work on that shed energy of the NetNavis. If someone tries to use the entire energy inside of a NetNavi, the crystal will explode and take out entire blocks."

"Truly now? I knew you were a genius from how you created the Biometals and then the surgery that Hikari and Sakurai needed, but this is a whole other level," Chaud noted, honestly amazed by her invention.

"Aw shucks…You're making me blush, Chaud," Ciel mumbled, a tint of pink to her cheeks.

Alouette giggled, "Big Sis is sheepish~"

Chaud looked at her, "Hey, Alouette?"

"Hm?"

Chaud knelt down to her, "What do you think about how I've been NetBattling in the N1?"

"Mmm…It's okay, I guess…" Alouette mumbled as she glanced away from him.

"Uh-huh…" Chaud managed to hide the frown on his face, "And your 'kitty?'"

"Mm…I don't think you wanna hear what he has to say," Alouette replied.

"It would be nice to hear. Please?"

"Um…Okay, but I warned you…" Alouette replied as she held up her plush, cleared 'his' throat, and spoke, "Meow! You're more boring than watching paint dry and Big Sis Ciel made Alouette do that once when she made a mess of the pie Big Sis Ciel was making, meow! You go so fast that nobody gets to have any fun seeing the other guy and what he might be able to do! Stop making the N1 so boring, you eggshell head, meow!" she put down her doll, "Sorry…"

"It…It's fine," Chaud replied, clearing his throat a little while a drop of sweat went down the side of his head as he patted her head, "I did ask."

Alouette giggled, "You're welcome!"

"We were about to go get some dinner from one of the Ameropan vendors here. Would you like to come with us?" Ciel invited.

"It'd be nice," Chaud replied, "I'll split the bill with you."

"Oh how kind of you, good sir," Ciel giggled.

"She li~kes you," Alouette teased.

"A-Alouette!" Ciel squeaked.

"P-Please don't say thing like that," Chaud tried to scold.

"He li~kes you."

"ALOUETTE!" both barked, completely red in the face.

GT: Would you believe me if I said that I only had bits and pieces for this chapter and I just couldn't think of how to bridge everything together? Or that I originally didn't have Jasmine and Meddy show up and have Yai get her game canon defeat from Q and Desertman instead of giving it to Gutsman and Dex while they got whooped by Jasmine and Medi? Yeah…no big surprise. Still, I am working hard to do this fic and the others I've got. Real world stuff tends to do stuff to my noggin, so yeah… Still, I hope you're all enjoying this fic so far. Please Read and Review so that I know you guys want more!

Oh, and please, when you finish reading this, take a look at Mega Man Genesis: Rock 'N Roll Blues by Player_Blue over on A03. They're doing an amazing job on their take on an AU of this and expanding it with more things across the Mega Man franchise!

Chapter 15: Desert Sands and Magic Hands

Chapter Text

GT: Here we go! The end of the first Round of the N1GP!

Oda stifled a yawn in the early morning before taking a sip of coffee. He didn't focus on Ciel as she walked out and soon sat down across from him with her own cup, hers being hot chocolate instead of coffee. Oda grasped half of a berry and cream danish while Ciel took the other half. The two sat in content silence as they ate and drank.

Ciel finished her drink and put it on the coaster, "Daddy, who was Mikhail Cossack?"

"? Why are you asking?"

"Famous told me to look into him yesterday. My credentials aren't high enough to access everything that piqued my curiosity," Ciel replied.

Oda sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Of course he did…" he looked at Ciel, "Ciel, there are many…and I mean many things about that man that people don't want escaping. The only reason I know is because I was the officer who had taken him away to be exported back to Sharo and he told me as a way to confess his perceived sins and failures."

"What did he do?"

"That's the thing: he was blamed for something he didn't do," Oda replied, annoyance and frustration heavy on his face, "The people higher than any of us chose to blame him for the worst calamity and the NetNavi he made when it was a different NetNavi and a bug that were the cause. Something Tadashi Hikari himself was willing to take all the blame for."

"What?!" Ciel gasped.

"I feel you, Ciel," Oda grumbled, "I hate it, but…" he shook his head, "Cossack is a good man, like Yuichiro Hikari."

'...What did Cossack do?' Ciel pondered, maintaining her curious expression.

"He'll be allowed to leave Sharo later this year, but he's been banned from ever customizing or creating NetNavis," Oda went on, "He's quite skilled with robotics and has gotten offers from Cyber City to move there once his ban is lifted."

Ciel nodded, "I hope I can meet him."

"Hah!" Oda laughed with a smile, "He'd be excited to meet you and your creative mind, my little genius! When he does, I'll personally go out of my way to have a meeting set up!"

Ciel beamed at that before giving him a disc, "Thanks, Daddy. I finished this last night before bed. It's a tracer that can be attached to the ElecCode." She frowned, "I couldn't make the fake code. I tried and thought I had, but Protoman when he was given a sample of both immediately recognized the difference. The ElecCode is just too complex to duplicate to not be as powerful without a NetNavi noticing that it isn't one of the Elemental Codes."

"It's alright, Ciel," Oda assured, gently patting her shoulder, "The tracer alone is brilliant. If WWW is successful in stealing the ElecCode, we'll be able to find out where they took it and will likely be where the other three are as well."

"I suppose so," Ciel noted, still looking disappointed with herself.

Oda chuckled, "Don't worry now. You're brilliant and you have a great future ahead of you. Just look at what you've done so far. Quite a few different product in IPC have your fingerprints on them with a far better quality to them than other competitors, leader of an up and coming organization to protect people through the use of the Network and the bonds between NetOp and NetNavi utilizing gadgets you've built that have done wonders for them." he did a small cough into his fist as he adopted an embarrassed blush, "Especially the disguises what with Masa's idea for them all…"

Ciel could help but nod in agreement, 'All it was were masks and capes…and their civilian outfits…'

"Plus, you got recognized by the Ministry of Science for what you've done so far, even if a few of them are a bit miffed that they way you made some things can't be made Network compatible," Oda went on.

"Of course I made them incompatible. Reading not just your case files when you closed the cases, but also from personal experience, too much Network compatibility is why we get such major issues from small things," Ciel replied, "Just imagine what happens when a terrorist organization or a simple virus outbreak messes with the toilets."

"Yeah…That…That is why I don't buy the current model of toilet," Oda grimaced, "I'd be flushed with embarrassment over what'd happen there." 'Especially when you both start going through puberty…'

"...Daddy~!" Ciel groaned, putting her head on the table as he started to chuckle.

"What? Got no interest in some potty humor?"

"Ugh…" Ciel groaned further, yet had a smile on her lips at the warmth in her from the parental affection.

"You holding up alright, Numberman?" Ashe asked, the trio of NetNavis aware of Vent's status sitting together with the two reincarnations.

"I believe if life were an animation from the mid to late 1900s Ameropa, I'd still be pulling splinters of varying size out of my backside," Numberman admitted, "However, this does mean that Higsby will be working alongside Ribitta and myself with Toadman on explaining any BattleChip usage in the tournament. With how diverse the competition is, it will be rather riveting to partake in giving out trivia we've gathered over the years on several of them."

"Like how what may be rare in one country, it may just be common in another, right?" Vent guessed.

"Indeed," Numberman replied.

"I'm dreadfully ashamed I could not obtain a victory yesterday for Lady Yai," Glyde noted with a frown.

"Youse at least got ta fight wit' yer all. Lousy sand NetNavi and his SetSand field…" Gutsman grumbled, "Couldn't do a thing 'cept fer punching."

'It's strange to see Desertman having a NetOp when I remember he was a Darkloid last time,' Vent thought, 'Will the other Darkloids be different somehow?'

"Hey, there is one upside to it all," Ashe noted, earning looks from the two, "If I get to fight the ones ya lost to, I can get an A-Trans outta them and you can practice with me for a rematch!"

"Nice," Gutsman chuckled, giving a thumbs up.

"Oh, yes, Ashe. I believe I may have a lead on your origins," Numberman spoke up.

"Huh?" Ashe looked at the green NetNavi.

"Last night, I received this email addressed to me about a post I put on a programmer board," Numberman replied as he brought up an EMail.

"'My NetOp recognized this kind of programming. If your friend you're doing this for is interested in knowing a possible connection to their creation, at noon tomorrow I will be waiting in a training simulator in the Beta Dome at the N1 Grand Prix,'" Ashe read.

"Do you have a match at that time?" Vent asked.

"No clue," Ashe replied before her eyes glowed for a moment, "Oh! EMail for Maylu." she checked it, "And perfect timing!"

Vent's eyes glowed for a moment as well and he quickly checked Lan's EMail, "It's the roster for the next set of matches for the first round."

"Hell yeah!" Ashe whooped, "Looks like I'm fighting Desertman today, guys!"

"Good luck out dere, Ashe," Gutsman warned.

"And whom are you facing, Sir Vent?" Glyde questioned.

"Magicman," Vent replied, causing them all to tense.

"Vent…You need to be careful," Numberman warned, "Magicman is the most dangerous of all of the NetNavi is WWW for valid reason. He's why Lan and Maylu needed that surgery."

"I know," Vent replied, scowling as he remembered he had been affected this time by the hypnosis, 'Am I…more human this time because of my last life? Just what else is going to affect Ashe and I when it comes to things we used to be immune to but are vulnerable to now?' "What else does he have up his sleeves?"

"His namesake for one," Numberman replied, "Magicman can create elemental attacks such as tidal waves, mystical flames, lightning bolts from the sky, or even spikes from the ground. He can use runic arrays to manifest Viruses for him to swarm his opponents with, leaving them vulnerable to retaliation from him. Invisibility, levitation, teleportation…and, of course, hypnosis that only affects humans."

"He's also good a rhymin', guts," Gutsman added, "From da TV and even hearin' 'im fightin' dat Protoman guy he wouldn't stop usin' dem."

Vent frowned as he nodded, 'Seems to be his regular setup…but he's stronger in this timeline?'

"Aw shoot," Ashe frowned as she looked at the schedule, "Vent, you're fighting when I have to see that NetNavi."

"Come to think of it, have ya told Maylu 'bout dis?" Gutsman asked.

"...Um…" Ashe began before a ringing went off from Vent.

"Huh? Phone call for me?" Vent pondered as he answered it, "Hello?"

"Megaman, help!"

"Papa?" Vent pondered, "What's wrong?"

"I was working on some vital data for SciLab when a group of strange NetNavis stole it! Please, you have to help! I was able to track them to near your homepage!"

"So glad I got that bookmark for here," Vent noted, "I'll be right on it. Lan may need to be woken up, though, if I want to be at my best."

"Your mother says she's on it," Yuichiro replied, "Please hurry!"

"Well duty calls," Vent noted as he got up, gave Ashe a kiss, and ran off.

"Mmm…" Ashe began to follow when Numberman beeped with an email notification.

"Ah! Ashe, wait! They had to reschedule! They're available in the lobby of the hotel Network in five minutes!" Numberman yelped.

"Ugh…Of course," Ashe sighed.

"Go! Go! Go!"

"I don't wanna die!"

"Oh crap!"

Three tall and lanky NetNavis ran around a corner, all similar in appearance. Each one had black bodysuits with a brownish gray armor over their bodies with a skull-like helmet over the upper halves of their heads with jagged 'teeth,' red eyes, and three spikes jutting out of the sides and top. All three were also littered in burns, bruises and holes in their bodies. Megaman Model X dashed around the corner, firing several Buster shots at them and answering at least one question and possibly the others as well. The trio soon came upon a condensed sphere of black, purple, and blue energy and quickly jumped through it save for the last one.

"So long, copper!" he mocked before jumping through it with the pilfered data…but not before a Charge Shot hit him in the rear, "FUCK! MY ASS!"

"Get back here!" Megaman X snapped.

"Hold on! The readings from that sphere match that of the thieves," Yuichiro advised, making Megaman X skid to a halt, "Give me a few minutes to analyze it in case it's a trap."

"Gh…" Megaman X grit his teeth, 'This never happened either…'

"Is this a mass of condensed EM Waves?"

"!?" Megaman X looked at the sphere, hearing a voice on the other end.

"Is it some sort of enemy?"

"...Hey!" Megaman X called out to the sphere, "Is anyone over on the other side of this thing?"

"Hey, can you hear it? There's a voice coming from the other side…!"

"Oh good. You really can hear me then," Megaman X sighed in relief, "Hey, listen! Right now, this sphere is being analyzed for me to safely go through. However, we don't have time! I don't know who you are, but I feel like you're someone who can help us! This thief stole vital data from SciLab! They were strange, as if they were here but also not at the same time. They bypassed the security with others that I managed to take down, but he escaped into this sphere and to your side of it. Please, help find the data for us!"

"Well…helping others out is pretty much my thing…I don't think this voice is the voice of a bad person."

[Seems they're talking to someone on their end] X noted.

"Okay. I'll help you," the voice assured.

"Thank you," Megaman X thanked.

Ashe looked around, "So…where is this guy?"

"We're meant to meet him in this area," Numberman replied as he looked around as well before spotting a large NetNavi made of a red alloy with their limbs made of steel cables and a metal orange mohawk approaching them, "Hm?"

"Yo," the NetNavi greeted, "So yer Ashe, eh?"

"Yeah…That's me. Who's askin'?" Ashe questioned.

"Name's Punk," the NetNavi replied, "My NetOp asked ta talk to ya."

A screen popped up and Ashe quirked a brow in recognition of the brown-haired, sunglass-wearing man on the screen, "Hello. My name is Meijin Kawaguchi. But people prefer to call me 'Famous.'"

"Nice ta meet ya," Ashe replied, 'He never had a NetNavi back then. Gotta let Mega know later.'

"I'm curious to know why you asked a former WWW agent to post questions about your origins."

"Well…That's because I have zero clue," Ashe replied, "The first thing I ever remember is meeting my adorable and strong little sister Maylu six years ago for our birthday. It was her insistence that we share it."

Famous nodded, "I see. So you have no clue as to your origins."

"None whatsoever," Ashe huffed.

"Yeesh…That sucks," Punk noted.

"Indeed. With how unique her coding is, we've had little leads on it," Numberman noted.

"Well…In that case, I do have one idea," Famous replied, "The best lead you'll get is to speak to Raika and Searchman about a man named 'Mikhail Cossack.'"

"Cossack? Why would a disgraced scientist have to do with Ms. Ashe?" Numberman pondered.

"Who?" Ashe tilted her head.

"Raika is working with security here on orders from Sharo to keep note of people of interest," Famous informed, "He owes me a favor, so I'll send him a message."

"Ah! W-Wait a sec! I…haven't told Maylu I was looking into my origins," Ashe admitted.

"Seriously?"

"I want to learn it first in case it's anything bad," Ashe replied, "I'd rather her hear it from me if it's bad than anyone else."

"Quite noble of you," Famous commented.

"Thank you, sir," Ashe thanked before noticing the time, "Ack! I gotta get going. Just tell Numberman here about the deets!"

Once she left, Numberman looked at Famous, "Isn't Cossack banned from working on NetNavis due to…"

"I'm surprised you're aware of that information."

"WWW had people inside of several high places. Roze and I were able to provide several key pieces of detail for their removal and detainment."

Famous nodded, "He is, and if he was involved with Ashe's creation…"

"The analysis is complete!" Yuichiro informed, "It's unstable and will likely collapse after two trips through. This is because it's composed of compressed electromagnetic radiation trying to exist inside of a digital landscape."

"So the other side is likely a space made of the stuff?" Megaman X assumed.

"Most likely."

"You may have to suit up with Model Z to be safe, Vent," Lan advised.

"Gotcha," Megaman X replied, "Model X! Model Z! Double MegaMerge!" in a flash, he switched to Megaman ZX and looked at the sphere, "Okay…"

"Hey! Can you hear me? I've got the data back!"

"Really?! Ah, that's so helpful!" Megaman ZX sighed in relief.

"So how do I give this to you? Should I go through or…?"

"No need for that. I'm coming through to you," Megaman ZX replied, "Stand back now, alright?"

Megaman ZX took in a deep breath before jumping through the sphere. A moment passed and he landed on his feet on the other side of the sphere…and blinked a few times. He looked around before his eyes settled on a boy before him. He looked no older than Lan was with spiked up purple hair. He was donned in a navy bodysuit with lighter blue armor over the torso and shoulders. His right hand had a dark blue glove with blue armor up to the elbow with bulky blue armor on his lower legs and feet. He wore a blue helmet with spiked antennae on the sides with a maroon visor over his eyes. The oddest thing, though, was the right hand…which was the head of some sort of angular creature with green plasma coming out of the back like fire.

He mentally chuckled, 'He sorta looks like me in my original life as a NetNavi.' he gave him a calm, gentle smile, shifting his body into an eased position, "Hey there. Thanks for your help."

"You're…" the boy began before the sphere began to shake and distort.

"Shoot. It's already destabilizing!" Megaman ZX tensed before the boy ran up and handed him the stolen data, "Thanks for getting this back for us." he looked at his right hand before smirking and held it palm up, forming a sphere of data, "I'll give you this in return for your hard work. I hope you use it well."

"Th-Thanks, but, um…who are…?"

"Ah. Where are my manners?" Megaman ZX chuckled, "I'm Megaman, Megaman Model ZX. My NetOp is Lan Hikari."

"M-Megaman?!" the boy gawked.

"Yep. Take care now," Megaman ZX nodded before jumping through the sphere once more, landing on the other side and turned to see it fizzle out into nothingness, "...Well that was something."

[It's strange…] X noted [That boy seemed so surprised when you introduced yourself.]

"Seemed that way to me, too," Megaman ZX agreed, "...Think we'll meet him again someday?"

[Possibly] Z replied [For now, though, let's get this back to your dad and wait for the others to arrive.]

"Right," Megaman ZX nodded, changing back to Vent and logged out, "We've got the data back."

"Oh thank goodness…" Yuichiro sighed in relief as he pulled out a SubPeT and transferred the data over to it, "This is pretty vital stuff."

"What is it?" Lan asked.

"It's research data on a phenomenon in NetNavis that occurs when they reach a certain pinnacle of their current power that we've started to call the StyleChange," Yuichiro explained.

Vent smiled a little, fondly remembering those times when he had that power before adopting a thinking posture, 'Do I still want that power or is my body too far advanced that StyleChange wouldn't work for me anymore?' he closed his eyes, his mind flashing to massive fangs, programming bugs, and a tiny Lan clenched in his right hand, before opening them, 'I'd rather find a different solution to that this time.'

"Hello from the Beta Dome, kero! It's Toadman, reporting to you all!" Toadman beamed, "The last day of the first round is upon us, folks, and the next round is Tory Froid and his NetNavi Iceman facing Jasmine Jūnyī and her NetNavi Meddy, kero!"

Jasmine smiled across the field at Tory, "May we all have fun, Tory."

"Same here, Jasmine!" Tory replied, "Win or lose, let's try our best!"

"I wish you the best in our match, Iceman," Meddy noted, shaking hands with the tiny NetNavi.

"Same to you, Meddy!" Iceman beamed.

"So who do you think will win?" Alouette asked, looking up at Lan.

"Mmm…As much as I'm rooting for Tory and Iceman…I think it'll be Jasmine and Meddy," Lan replied.

'It's really surprising. Originally, this NetBattle was Roll and Iceman,' Vent thought.

[Who won?] Fafnir asked.

'Roll, of course, but…we never watched it,' Vent admitted, 'We were more focused on mastering the LifeSword and didn't pay attention to it. It was a major difference from how we do it now since we didn't have FullSynchro back then.' he felt a chilling glare aimed at him, 'I apologized! I apologized!' He gave a mental sigh of relief to himself when he felt it vanish, 'Trust me, Roll and Maylu were both miffed at us and took until our tag team match for them to forgive us.'

[Glad it wasn't longer] Phantom noted.

'We were 11 at the time. Kids tend to flip flop on what they can hold a grudge over,' Vent shrugged.

At the signal, both began their battle. Meddy charged only for Iceman to let loose a blast of chilling air that froze the ground. A Buster formed resembling a yellow starfish and let out a large bubble at the slipping Meddy.

"What's that BattleChip?" Lan pondered.

"For those unaware, that BubbleStar1 is a unique BattleChip one can only find in Electopia's Cyber City and coastal regions of Ameropa…except in the state of Washington. Oddly, not found there," Numberman noted, sitting beside Toadman in the commentator's booth's Network.

The bubble nearly reached Meddy only to go through her as she vanished from sight. Iceman gasped before several sharpened poles of bamboo shout out under him, knocking him into the sky. Several hand-sizes pills with white and purple halves struck him, creating several explosions. A burnt Iceman fell to the floor and slowly got up, his face flushed with a purple tint.

"Ah! What's…?! Why is your HP going down so fast?!" Tory gasped.

"That's a Medi Capsule," Jasmine explained, "The purple ones give NetNavis who get hit an HP Bug."

"An HP Bug?!" Tory gasped, "Iceman, we have to do this fast! Icecubes, Download!"

Iceman swung his hands out, making a rain of giant blocks of ice the moment Meddy reappeared. The nurse-like NetNavi began to sprint, weaving through the cubes falling down at her until she slipped on a frozen patch of ground. A cube nearly got her only for the girl to teleport out of the way with an AreaSteal, appearing behind Iceman. She swiftly kicked him into the air and delivered several swift strikes, a final blow sending him flying and Logging Out.

"And it's over, kero! The winners are Jasmine and Meddy!" Toadman cheered.

"Quite a splendid battle between them," Numberman complimented.

"I really need to invest in an IceStage," Tory sighed as Jasmine walked up to him.

"Using Iceman's breath like that was quite interesting. If I didn't have an AreaSteal, you would've gotten a good hit in," Jasmine complimented.

"Thanks. And Meddy was pretty awesome, too. That capsule giving an HP Bug was impressive."

"Thanks! I have a few others, too," Meddy giggled, "May I take a few minutes to help heal up Iceman? My primary programming is for helping NetNavis and people to get better, even if I do enjoy a good NetBattle or two."

"Mmm…Sure. Thank you for helping him," Tory thanked.

"No problem," Jasmine assured as they left the field for the next battles.

'Huh…Seems meeting us sooner was better for us all,' Vent thought, 'Especially between Jasmine and Maylu.'

[What? Did Jasmine want Lan, but Lan was too dense to realize he likes Maylu?] Fafnir asked before seeing Vent look away from the orange Biometal [...Oh my god…Yeah, we are doing a better job now than you did back then]

[Focus. We're up next] Zero reprimanded.

'Right,' Vent agreed before the PeT rang, "Phone call, Lan."

"Huh?" Lan pondered as he went out to the hallway and answered it, "Hello?"

"Hey, Lan," Maylu greeted.

"What's up?"

"Ashe and I are in the Alpha Dome for our match. I wanted to call and wish you good luck," Maylu explained.

Lan chuckled, "Aw thanks, Maylu. Good luck to you, too. Vent, the Biometals, and me are gonna give it our all against whoever we're fighting."

"Same with Ashe, Axl, and myself," Maylu smiled before the call ended.

Lan pumped a fist, "Man…I'm so excited! Let's do this!"

[Attaboy, Lan!] Fafnir whooped.

'Hey, um…Can we keep going with your history? I mean, how do you know all that stuff from before you two were made?' Lan asked as he began to make his way to get ready.

[X's gramps told us] Zero replied.

'Huh? But…wasn't he dead?'

[Yes. He had converted his mind into a digital being. What you call a 'Network Navigator' these days, we called 'Cyber Elves'] X explained [He was always there for me once I had to go and find these capsules containing armor pieces he had made for me that my parents never knew about]

'Whoa~! Wait…'had to go?' Why?'

[That's…sorta my fault] Zero admitted.

[A hundred years passed for Zero and myself instead of the thirty as intended] X explained [A man that I saw as a father figure, Dr. Cain, discovered the ruins of where I had been sealed away into and awoke me. Using my body as a basis, they began to create robots that had free will known as Reploids. Of course, with free will comes the choice to become good or bad. When that happened, we called them 'Mavericks.' Reploids were made to combat these Mavericks, forming a group known as the Maverick Hunters. I didn't want to be part of it at first, just stay with Dr. Cain and help him]

[But then…they found me. I was still under the control of the virus Al installed into me and ended up killing several Maverick Hunter teams…until their leader was deployed. His name…was Sigma. The Reploid was tough and tenacious, a father to his troops. My systems detected bits that recognized Tom's designs in them, yet all the other bits were causing issues and conflicts in my programming that were also scrambling the virus. This was both a great benefit…and a horrific detriment] Zero went on [With one punch form his remaining arm, Sigma destroyed the housing unit for the virus, freeing me from its control…but infecting him with the virus]

Lan barely hid an audible gasp at that, 'You mean…?'

[A year after Zero was recovered, he had been enlisted into the Maverick Hunters. Due to the rising threat of them, Dr. Cain and Sigma convinced me to join as well. I…wasn't good at it, especially when my fellow Hunters got caught and used as shields] X turned to look at Lan [Sigma told me this: 'There are times when we Maverick Hunters cannot afford to hesitate in pulling the trigger. We must become both sword and shield for those who cannot protect themselves: that is our sworn duty']

'A sword and shield…like what our group is doing to protect everyone, right?'

[In a way] X chuckled before 'looking' somber [But…no one knew that Sigma had been infected. He was able to keep his act up and infected several others under his command, including a friend of Zero's named Storm Eagle]

[He let loose a dangerous Hunter named Vile to distract us, made us believe Vile was behind the Mavericks that had been increasing in number and occurrence, but…no. He led X and myself to a power plant…which he had converted into a missile launch base] Zero spoke [He stabbed me and threw me to the side before beating down X and forcing him to watch as Sigma fired nukes on Abel City] Lan couldn't stop the gasp that escaped him or the stumble from the horror of what Zero just said [Much of Abel City was destroyed…and countless lives lost both human and Reploid]

[He seemed so focused on turning Zero and I into Mavericks] X added [And I couldn't stand what he had done, so I went out to fight. I would defeat my former allies and take their powers to help protect those they once did. As I did, I found capsules containing the armor parts and what I thought were messages from Grandfather that turned out to be his Cyber Elf]

[We never figured it out until I found one and he recognized me as a work of Al's] Zero added [It was quite the surprise, I tell you what]

[Sad we never realized it until the planet's surface became the same way that it was when the dinosaurs went extinct] X sighed.

'WHAT?!' Lan thought.

[Sigma fused with the virus, living through it. No matter how many bodies we destroyed, he'd always come back, always desiring turning X and I Maverick] Zero explained [He was the one behind the colony drop]

'A space colony?! If it wasn't for the destruction that happened, it'd be awesome that we had that.'

[I know, right?] X chuckled, enjoying the sheer awe Lan had and the surprising level of understanding [Still…It was Grandfather's suggestion that we study Zero since he had the virus originally to come up with the cure and even made blueprints to make Zero a second body to still be active]

'Phantom told me what happened. The Elf Wars.'

[Those were terrible times. Not even the colony drop was as horrific due to the mass genocide that occurred. Tom was a blessing during that time, able to unlock all of X's potential hidden in the black boxes in his system. But doing it…drained him]

'Drained?'

[Cyber Elves can live for almost an eternity…so long as they don't use their powers. Tom used every ounce of energy he had that let him live as a Cyber Elf to let X fight with all his power and let us overcome Omega] Zero replied [We held a funeral for him for everything he did for us and humanity and machinery. I still miss him since he was like family, too]

[He told us all the stories he knew. Fortunately, his dementia didn't follow him into his life as a Cyber Elf so he remembered it all with clarity] X spoke.

'He sounds amazing, guys.'

[He was a genius and an amazing person] Zero fondly spoke [He may be unknown now, but X, Axl, and I will never forget him or what he did for everyone]

[He always dreamed of a day where the cybernetic and organic would walk hand-in-hand as equals] X spoke [An Era of Peace]

[At least he lowered his expectations of Everlasting Peace]

'Huh? Why?'

[Everlasting peace is too much of a good thing. In life, there has to be balance] X explained [Too far in the good and corruption sinks into it and forces the balance to shift. In one case, the rise of Reploids being integrated into society was an era of peace and Sigma destroying Abel City was the needed shift of balance]

Lan grimaced, 'That's sad…'

[Life is like a roller coaster, Lan. It has its ups and downs. All we can do is not puke over the side] Fafnir huffed.

[We've arrived] Phantom informed.

'Aw man…'

Vent chuckled, "Well…We just gotta beat this guy, Lan. No worries."

"Right," Lan grinned.

"You ready for this?" Ashe asked, Maylu sitting by the entry to the stage.

"Mostly," Maylu replied.

[What's up?] Axl asked.

"I'm nervous. This doesn't feel like the other three we've faced," Maylu admitted.

"True. This guy's living sand for crying out loud," Ashe agreed, "But we've fought weirder. Remember Gummyman?"

Maylu nodded, "That was a hard fight back then. We barely won."

"And we've only improved since then!"

[Plus, we have our A-Trans and our BattleChips! Let's make like a beach bully and kick down this WWW Agent's sandcastle!]

"Right," Maylu nodded, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly before she made her way to the terminal.

"And now, ladies and gents, it's a fan favorite all the way from ACDC Elementary! The fiery redhead Maylu Sakurai and her bombastic gunner of a NetNavi Ashe!" Ribitta declared as Q emerged from the opposite end of the arena, calm and collected, "And her opponent! Name, nationality, and just about everything else about them is unknown! From only where they know is NetBattler Q and their NetNavi, the ever shifting, all encompassing, warrior of the sands Desertman!" she looked to her side at Higsby, sitting beside her, "Any thoughts on this coming battle, Higsby?"

"Ms. Sakurai and her NetNavi are regulars at my store over in ACDC. They're quite varied in their BattleChip usage utilizing a diverse collection of them. Their opponents will have to be just as creative as them to handle this. Meanwhile, Desertman is quite fearsome on his own. His body composition makes it difficult to make any lasting damage stick, huh."

"Oh, that's getting my blood pumping! NetOps, please Jack In your NetNavis!"

"Here we go! Jack In, Roll, Power Up!" Maylu declared as she sent in Ashe.

"MEGAMERGE!"

Q hissed as a cable came out of his sleeve and shot out to the Jack-In Port, "Jack In, Desertman. Devour your foes."

Roll A landed in a crouch on the holographic display. She smirked before doing a backflip, avoiding the waves of sand as the SetSand Program triggered with Desertman's arrival. The silicone-based NetNavi let out a bellow as two sandy hands emerged from the ground to join the head.

"Think you'll be able to copy his data?" Roll A whispered.

[I can try, but don't count your BattleChips before the Viruses are all Deleted] Axl replied.

"You will be consumed by the sands of this era's sins against our leader," Desertman rasped out.

"Like I haven't heard a variation of that almost every other day," Roll A rolled her eyes.

"Whoo! Things are getting feisty and we haven't even started yet! Alright! Desertman VS Ashe! Battle Routine Set!"

"EXECUTE!" both declared.

"I must say that this battle will be one of great interest for myself," Numberman admitted.

"Really?" Toadman pondered.

"Yes, I know both of the competing NetNavis," Numberman replied as Lan and the disguised Yahoot approached their places, "Magicman is a powerful and skilled NetNavi that embraces his namesake on a level unheard of before! Meanwhile, Vent is terrifying to battle against when he goes all out. I have no idea who will have the advantage or disadvantage!"

"Amazing~!" Toadman awed, "NetOps, please Jack In your NetNavis, kero!"

In beams of lightning, Megaman X and Magicman appeared across from one another, the field having taken on a mixture of a high tech forest and a mystical castle ruins. Lan did a small double take on seeing the bits of electronics within exposed parts of the plantlife. Megaman X looked around before offering his hand to Magicman.

"Here's to a good NetBattle," he spoke.

"Hoh? Showing this level of a polite word? Mayhaps you believe me to be a tattletale bird," Magicman noted.

"Nope. Just offering my hand as a sign of fairness between you and I," he replied.

Magicman chuckled before accepting the handshake, "Very well, Megaman, I shall agree to this hand. For today, your end comes around as the way of the Beatles band!"

"We'll see if that's true or not. So until the announcers tell us to start, I'll depart," Megaman X replied, walking back to where he had arrived.

"What an amazing display of camaraderie between two opponents, folks! Let's not waste anymore time! Magicman VS Vent! Battle Routine Set!"

"EXECUTE!" both shouted as, in a flash, Megaman HX was upon Magicman, who swiftly blocked the blades with the orbs that made up his hands.

"Burn from heat most dire! I cast Magic Fire!" Magicman roared, letting loose ghostly green flames from the orbs and forcing HX to rocket back to avoid the attack, "Hmm…Your speed is swift as lightning is bright. A golem, I summon, to be your blight!"

A runic array appeared beneath Megaman HX, who jumped out of the way of a massive stone hand trying to grab at him. With a roar, a large stone golem emerged from the array. Its arms twitched and shuffled its rocks before firing a barrage at HX, forcing the Green Mega Man to start dodging the barrage.

"AreaSteal!" Lan called out, allowing HX to teleport to behind the golem and, in a flash, FX roared as he swung and shattered the Virus.

"What powerful might that punch now gave. Aqua, oh aqua! Here comes a tidal wave!" Magicman casted, creating another array and unleashed a massive tidal wave.

"Oh geeze!" FX yelped before switching to LX and jumping into the attack, the turbine in his 'ponytail' letting him shoot through the water and jump out at Magicman, halberd ready to stab, only for Magicman to use AreaSteal to avoid it, "Gh!" a blast of lightning shot out of the sky and slammed into him, "GYAAARGH!-!-!"

"GAH!" Lan cried out, stumbling a bit from the pain of the attack.

"You chose to fight in FullSynchro?" Yahoot questioned.

"Gh…O-Of course. I don't hold back against bad guys like the WWW," Lan replied, glaring at the disguised Yahoot.

"I see…In that case," Yahoot spoke before Magicman began to glow for a moment, "FullSynchro."

"?!" LX tensed.

"You've impressed my partner, now face this oncoming storm. Be devoured by this massive Virus swarm!" Magicman declared as multiple arrays appeared and a swarm of several Viruses erupted from them, all looking like different colored versions of Viruses he's seen before.

'Shit! Those are the strongest variations!' LX thought in shock.

[Why do we always deal with Mettaur?] Zero questioned in exasperation.

A-Iceman blasted a wave of icy breath and slid down the frozen trail, followed by two lion heads made of sand. He spun around and, in a flash, a humanoid magenta and yellow hornet-like Pseudoroid shot up into the air on green plasma wings, letting the heads collide with one another and crumble into a pile of sand before lightning slammed down on the sand pile from A-Elecman. Desertman reformed as Roll A landed atop the mound of glass and the two glared at one another.

"This battle is getting intense! Neither one is able to really get a hit in on the other!" Toadman exclaimed.

[The frog's right! When we get a shot in, he just dissolves into the sand and lets his hands do the attacks! And when we destroy those, he makes more!] Axl complained [What do we do?!]

'Think, think, think…' Maylu thought, biting her thumb, 'All this sand and…and…wait…' her eyes widened as an old memory tickled her thoughts.

-flashback-

Maylu stuck her tongue out in thought as she watched as A-Buckfire dashed about, kicking up the sands on the battlefield in the latest battle they were in. The opposing NetNavi, looking like he had propellers on his wrists and plane wings on his shoulders, smirked.

"You may be fast, Buckfire, but you can't dodge this! WIND!" the NetNavi roared as he summoned a large box-shaped fan with a red switch on top.

The switch flipped and a powerful blast of wind roared from the device. A-Buckfire tensed…before grunting as the sand stage began to pepper him with a barrage of chunks of sand. Maylu stifled a gasp as she saw her NetNavi's HP draining from the barrage. She checked her BattleChips and quickly inserted an Invis, letting the barrage phase through false Pseudoroid as they turned invisible. The NetNavi tensed, looking around quickly, before screaming in fright as the fan was crushed by something before Buckfire reappeared, slamming his 'fists' into the NetNavi's gut. With a gag, the NetNavi's eyes went wide as a burning pain erupted from his body from the six flaming arrows that tore him apart, forcing him to Log Out. As everyone cheered, Maylu lightly scratched a small itch that formed on her arms.

"Oh geeze! Book it! Officials!"

The NetNavis panicked, scrambling about before managing to Log Out most before several police-themed NetNavis charged into the area, lead by Japanman and Sharkman. Maylu sighed in relief, having been one of the first to pull their NetNavi out.

-end-

Maylu's eyes widened, 'Axl! Switch to Aeolus! Use the wind and blow the sand at him!'

[Say what?!]

'Trust me!'

[Errr…Okay, Maylu. I'm trusting ta] Axl replied [Ashe, swap for Aeolus!]

'Right!' Roll A agreed, flashing into A-Aeolus and shooting up into the air.

"Blow the sand away, Roll! Tornado, Download!"

"Blow the…Ohh~!" A-Aeolus realized as winds gathered around his blades.

Desertman roared as several condensed cubes of sandstone rose from the stage and fired at the flying NetNavi l, who nimbly dodged and weaved around them. With a roar, A-Aeolus swung his blades, unleashing an electrified tornado from them. Desertman prepared to throw more sandstone only to freeze up as he noticed the sands being pulled into the tornado. Desertman's roars gave way to horrified screams as he was sucked up into the tornado. In a flash, A-Atlas landed on her feet.

"HeatShot, Triple Download!" Maylu declared.

A-Atlas's gauntlets shined brightly as both realized what it was. The girls grinned as the NetNavi of the duo aimed her guns at the tornado.

"Program Advance! HeatSpread!" A-Atlas roared out, unleashing a massive stream of flames that collided with the tornado, creating an explosion and flash of light that sooned settled, revealing a frozen reverse spiral of glass with a glass Desertman frozen within.

In a flash, Roll A lunged at the sculpture and, with a roar, swung the HeroSword Maylu sent her and cleaved it in two. Desertman's form glowed before he Logged Out. Q stumbled back in stunned shock as his masked face focused on Maylu.

"It's over! In a stunning shocker, Maylu and Ashe move on to the next round, kero!" Toadman cheered.

"Remarkable! Simply remarkable! I never expected to witness a HeatSpread Program Advance to appear this early on!" Numberman exclaimed in shock, "For those unaware, a Program Advance is where you use a combination of three to five BattleChips in a sequence that creates a power far greater than before! But knowing the combination is only half the battle to achieving the power to use one. You must have a close bond to your NetNavi and them to you."

'Here's hoping Lan's handling his fight,' Maylu thought, waving bashfully at the cheering crowd.

Megaman X panted, looking around at the derezzing Deleted Viruses surrounding him along with all the fresh new ones, 'Looks like we're gonna need to use ZX…'

[True. I was hoping to keep it secret from WWW until we were fully ready to confront them, but…] X agreed.

[But desperate times] Zero noted.

Megaman X nodded. He charged at the Viruses and, in a flash, ZX cleaved through a gray and silver Mettaur before shooting several plasma shots at a black and crimson Swordy. He became a blur, ripping into several more powerful Viruses.

'Interesting…He's never used this one before,' Yahoot thought.

In the crowd, Maddy grit her teeth as she growled under her breath, "That brat was holding back on us…"

"Yikes, that's a real shocker," Zap gulped while sitting beside her, "And this one seems to be his strongest yet. Look at it shredding those Viruses!"

"Aye," Match agreed, making the two look to see him walking over, "Just got here. The lassies turned Desertman into glass."

"Desertman lost?!" Zap gawked.

"Surprised me, too, but the lassies made a tornado that sucked him in then used a HeatBurst Program Advance to turn him into glass," Match explained.

"...S-Seriously?" Maddy asked after a moment of disbelief.

"The scariest NetNavi next to Magicman in the team…and wind is what we needed?" Zap pondered in disbelief.

Back in the fight, Lan sent in several MiniBomb BattleChips that ZX let loose, shooting them in the sky if a Virus moved out of the way and ended up caught up in the explosions instead. It was also creating a smokescreen that left Magicman narrowing his eyes.

"Now that's a new way to use one of the most common ones, huh," Higsby noted, "It goes to show that even the most simple of BattleChips can cause devastating effects if you know what you're doing."

"A pox! A pox, I say! Be blown away with the Magic Hurricane!" Magicman declared, letting loose a powerful blast of winds, revealing ZX gone, "What…?"

Yahoot grimaced, feeling the blood from the small cuts on the back and front of his body. Magicman choked as he slowly looked down at the ZX-Saber going through his back and through his emblem. He quickly Logged Out to avoid Deletion, leaving Megaman ZX standing alone.

"And it's over! After a relentless assault of the elements and Viruses, Lan and Vent have emerged victorious!" Ribitta cheered.

Vent sighed in relief as he collapsed on his bed in the PeT, 'God that was harder than before…I wasn't expecting him to have FullSynchro or a stronger skill with elemental 'magic.''

[It must be a rubber band effect going on here] Phantom noted [You and Ashe are far stronger than you were before, so it's causing people you could've fought easier before to become more of a challenge]

'Should've guessed…' Vent thought as Yahoot gave a bow to Lan, the boy returning it before making his way away from the man.

"...Whew…" Lan sighed in relief, "That was tough!"

"Given he's one of their top agents, I'm not surprised. How are your injuries?" Vent asked.

"Already scabbing," Lan replied before his PeT went off, "Huh?"

"EMail for you, Lan. It's from Papa," Vent informed.

"What's it say?" Lan asked.

"He's congratulating us on winning…and-oh! There's a party going on tomorrow at SciLab and he's inviting all of us!" Vent beamed.

"Nice!" Lan beamed.

'Huh…Guess this is replacing the one we were meant to have before today where Lan and I first used the LifeSword Program Advance,' Vent thought.

[Tomorrow will be a busy day, it seems] X noted.

"And now our last match of the day! Chaud and Protoman VS Madam Rose and Woodman!"

"Huh?!" Lan gawked, spinning to a screen to see Chaud and Sal in her Madam Rose disguise at the Beta Dome, their NetNavis already logged in.

Woodman slammed a hand down on the ground, letting loose a barrage of WoodTowers at Protoman. The red NetNavi deployed his sword and began to swiftly move about, slicing through the oncoming sharpened pillars of wood with ease. Woodman swung his hands outwards and logs bounced over him and rolled towards Protoman, who began to jump along them until getting to the last one and began to run backwards on it, causing it to slow and start heading for Woodman. Woodman yelped and quickly sent up a WoodTower to block the log and delete both attacks. A WoodSword was deployed to parry Protoman's sword, sending sparks flying. Madam Rose raised a brow behind her visor, realizing…Protoman wasn't finishing this as fast as he was earlier.

"Oh~!" Alouette awed, stars in her eyes, as she held her doll and SubPeT tighter, the screen facing the battle, "So co~ol!"

"Guess he listened to you and Beep, Alouette," Roze chuckled.

"Yay~!" Alouette cheered as Oda chuckled.

"He's a stubborn boy, but he's also your friend so of course he'd try to listen," Oda noted.

'Guess he listened to you wanting to see more of Protoman and you fight, Chaud,' Ciel thought, seeing how the crowd was cheering at the battle, witnessing the way Woodman and Protoman were going at it.

"VarSword, download," Chaud instructed.

"A VarSword?!" Higsby gasped as Protoman's left glove turned into a bronze and teal LongSword part yet without a blade, "That's one of the hardest BattleChips to master for a NetNavi and NetOp! It is a blade that will always produce a Sword unless you are capable of manipulating the data fast enough in the materialization to create a variety of effects! It's on the top of the list of 'Most Frustrating BattleChips to Master!'"

Protoman swung his sword and four different-colored shockwaves roared out of the weapon.

"Woodman!" Madam Rose panicked.

"Leaf Shield!" Woodman shouted, swinging his hands out ahead of him, creating several massive leaves of plasma that quickly layered over one another to form a leaf-shaped shield.

The first shockwave, blazing red in color, incinerated the shield, allowing the blue, yellow, and green ones to strike Woodman, knocking him back with a grunt from him and Madam Rose. She inserted a BattleChip and the damages he had been inflicted with healed up. He slammed his hands on the ground.

"DeathForest2!" Woodman roared before the ground erupted as several WoodTowers erupted from the ground, rapidly bending and twisting to rush at Protoman.

"StepSword, HeroSword, StepCross, Download," Chaud instructed.

Protoman shined before he took a step and vanished before the attack could strike him. Woodman looked around rapidly, sweating a little.

"Program Advance…" Protoman's whisper made Woodman look down in fright, seeing him right before him…with a new curved scimitar-like blade replacing his left glove and two more emerging from his elbows.

"EvilCut," Chaud intoned, clenching a fist as Protoman was now behind Woodman as the larger heavyset NetNavi was crying out as his body was sliced into eight pieces that were quickly Logged Out.

Madam Rose grunted, feeling several small papercut-like marks on her skin where Woodman had been sliced through, "S-So fast…"

"A-Amazing! An EvilCut here?! That's an incredibly rare Program Advance that not many can get the Chips for! HeroSword is one of the rarest BattleChips globally, huh!"

"Whoo! What a way to end the day then! Chaud and Protoman in a spectacular show with their opponents Madam Rose and Woodman triumph and move on to the next round!" Ribitta cheered.

Ashe waited until she was completely sure Maylu was sound asleep. Once she was, Ashe left and headed down the Network and entered a larger expanse of it with benches and chairs for NetNavis to sit at. Vent waved over at her, pausing in conversation with Searchman, Gutsman, Glyde, and Numberman.

"So you're the NetNavi who is curious about Mikhail Cossack," Searchman spoke, looking Ashe over.

"I'm more looking into my origins," Ashe admitted, "Right now, that man seems to be my best lead."

Searchman nodded before a beam came out of his lens and scanned her, "...You were made two months prior to his arrest. That's good."

"Huh?" Ashe raised a brow.

"By law, if you were built in the last ten years by him…I would have no choice but to Delete you and my partner would have had to arrest your NetOp," Searchman warned, making everyone tense.

"Good sir, why would you have had to perform those actions? Lady Ashe…" Glyde began.

"Because Mikhail Cossack is banned from working on Network Navigators due to an incident ten years ago," Searchman informed, "I do not know all the details about it, but the disaster is known as one of the worst events in the world and nearly ended the Network Era before it could begin."

Most of them tensed on hearing that. Vent raised a brow as thoughts of a land of sands came to mind. A screen popped up, showing Raika.

"Mikhail Cossack was a SciLab scientist who created the world's first AutoNavi, a NetNavi who does not need a NetOp and installed with BattleChip data they can access at any time," Raika informed as a screen was brought up, showing a middle-aged man with blond hair and a scraggly beard that hid his mouth, "This is a recent photo taken due to needing to update his files due to his travel ban being lifted this month."

Ashe stifled a gasp, 'Wh-What? Why…Why is my body reacting like this?'

"He looks sad, guts," Gutsman observed.

"He lost his credentials, credibility, and his creation and the right to make NetNavis. Of course he would be depressed," Numberman reminded the biggest NetNavi of the group.

"More than that. Six months before his arrest, he became a divorced man due to the loss of their daughter from a brain tumor," Searchman spoke.

"What the hell happened in a past life for him to have all this happen?" Vent asked in surprise.

"Who knows. We've told you all we know," Raika replied.

"Ah! W-Wait a sec! Where's his ex wife?" Ashe asked.

"Deceased as of last year," Raika replied, "Tuberculosis. She was buried in the same plot as her daughter Kalinka."

"There goes that angle of asking her," Ashe sighed before bowing to them, "Thanks. Even if it was just this much, it's a big lead for me."

Searchman nodded, "You are not the first, nor the last, NetNavi that will grow curious on their origins. It's a part of the Sharo Military's training to provide assistance to NetNavis with this kind of situation, even if yours is a bit more…circumstantial…than others."

Ashe nodded, giving a bow. Eventually, they split off to head back to their duties or NetOps. Vent and Ashe walked along a path back to the hotel's Network, the former walking with his hands behind his head as Ashe was in thought.

"Well…This is interesting," Vent noted.

"Yeah…When I saw that picture of him, I…I think I felt something," Ashe agreed, "Like a…a longing to know them, y'know?"

"I do. It was the same for me when I'd see pictures of Lan," Vent replied, "He may very well be your maker, Roll."

Ashe nodded, "It's funny…in my last life here, I didn't give two Zenny 'bout who made me because I had Maylu and everyone. But…But here I am, now looking for them."

"Back then, neither of us were affected by Magicman that day," Vent pointed out, "Whatever is going on this go around…it's harsher for our status."

"..." Ashe nodded, a troubled look on her face.

"...Roll?"

"Sorry, just…thinking," Ashe replied.

"On who your human DNA Data comes from?" Vent guessed, earning a nod, "...It won't matter to me." he smiled at her when she looked at him, "Roll, I love you because you are yourself. I don't care what others may think or what your origins are. To me, they don't matter." he cupped her cheer while holding her hand, the silverette looking the brunette in the eyes, "I love you with every bit of my existence."

"I…I…" Ashe trembled.

[Vent…you need something more than just words for this] Phantom spoke solely to Vent [Is there something from your past life as a NetNavi that would prove you mean it all?]

For a few moments, Ashe swore she saw a deep fear in Vent's eyes and worried, 'Oh god…Did I do something to ruin us again? Wh-What do I…? How can I…?'

[Psst! Ashe! Make something from some data!] Axl suggested [Make something to be a proof you love him even if you don't always show it!]

'But…But what can I…oh!'

The two looked away from the other. With a shaky breath, Vent made the necklace appear. He turned and blinked a few times. Ashe gave a nervous smile, holding up a sun and moon-shaped locket on a silver necklace. Her eyes went wide on seeing the necklace in his own hands, a look of worry on her face.

"H...Hub, I…" Ashe began.

"The one good thing about things made of data is you can repair it if you remember it all," Vent explained, "You apologized for it several times, but I wanted things to be over with involving Duo because, at the time, it didn't feel right to add this to all that." 'And my own actions that I did to myself kept me from putting it higher when I should've.'

Ashe gulped, a mixture of a painful stab and a blossoming warmth filling her core. She shakingly reached out to it before dropping her hand.

"C…Could you put it on me? Please?" Ashe asked, a plea in her tone Vent heard as clear as air.

"Yeah," Vent replied.

Ashe turned around and moved her hair out of the way. With a nervous breath, Vent undid the clasp and moved his arms around her. He slid it on her, pausing to gently kiss her neck. Ashe stifled a shiver of delight at the affection while Vent finished putting the necklace on.

"Could you…do the same for me?" Vent requested.

"Y-Yeah," Ashe nodded.

The two turned around and Vent moved his hair. Like him, Ashe couldn't keep her hands from trembling as she worked to release the clasp keeping the chain together. Once she did, with a shaky breath, she moved closer and gently put her hands over his shoulders and began to put the necklace on him. Unlike Vent, Ashe leaned in and gave a few butterfly kisses to his neck, earning a few small pants from the brunette. She finished getting it on and backed away, making sure to keep her hands visible. Vent turned around and smiled, showing his own. A few moments passed before Ashe quickly hugged him, Vent feeling his jacket getting wet as the top of her head was starting to get wet as well. Nearby, the Biometals hovered as Vent returned the embrace.

[Did we goof up?] Axl asked, keeping it away from the two.

[No. Both need to do this if they truly want a healthy relationship] Phantom replied [Ashe was trying too hard and Vent was overthinking everything. Neither has really addressed it properly and this will either make or break their relationship]

GT: This one took a bit, mainly for the fact that Archive removed the Japanese Dub of Megaman NT Warrior with the English subtitles from its site for some reason. Had to scramble to find them all over again because I didn't download the vids in time. Hopefully, someone who did download them will put them back up. I should also let you all know that the final chapter of the N1 Arc is completed…just not everything in-between yet. Some backstory stuff is going to happen over the course of this arc for some characters, so hope you'll like those.

As for the backstory X and Zero are telling Lan, the Dr. Light bit is actually from the final issue of the Mega Man comics produced by Archie Comics prior to the contract ending alongside Sonic the Hedgehog. In that final issue, Dr. Light ends up seeing images of the future and showed a moment in the Elf Wars where Weil and Omega are facing X, Zero, and Axl…along with a Cyber Elf Dr. Light. To me, this made me believe that Dr. Light uploaded his mind and became a digital being before his passing in order to safely watch over X. This can also be evident given when Zero interacted with a capsule from Dr. Light in one of the X games (can't remember off the top of my head while I'm writing this, but it did happen), and how Dr. Light seemed to 'sound' sadder as X found the capsules in later games.

And for said background, I tend to prefer combining materials from different media when I write Mega Man fics that better make up the lore of the world. In this case, the Classic era uses the Powered Up game as the events of the first war against Wily meaning Time Man and Oil Man were enemies Mega Man fought and is also the game that implied Roll was really in love with Rock alongside a few images CAPCOM has shared such as one for MARVEL vs CAPCOM where Roll is hugging Rock's arm while giving Morganna of Deathstalkers a fierce, possessive glare. For those who enjoy the X era, you'll recognize the history X and Zero shared today as the Day of Sigma OVA from Maverick Hunter X and the X Legacy Collection. As for Vent, well…he went through a combination of the Megaman ZX game and the Megaman ZX manga (props to them using Vent and not Aile for the manga. We need more love for the boy).

Chapter 16: Power Plant Perils

Chapter Text

GT: What comes this way is not what they planned for.

"How exciting! The First Round of the N1 Grand Prix, the world's first International NetBattle Tournament, has come to an end! Everyone is burning with anticipation as we head on to the next Round with many people here shouting out in excitement for the next battle to start!" Ribitta cheered on television…in an empty Alpha Dome, "But~as you can see, nobody's here but me and Toadman!" she grabbed her outfit and pulled it off, revealing a pair of black and green stockings, an orange pair of shorts, a pink sweater, and a blue open vest replacing her outfit…aside from her hat, "That's right! Today's a day off for all our competitors moving on to the second Round!"

The footage changed to Higsby in the empty Beta Dome, "Our NetBattlers who have made it to the next Round are being given this day to not only rest and recuperate from the two days of NetBattles so far, but also be given the chance to work on their BattleChip collections and strategies." he held up a hand and a screen on the TV popped up, showing various locations on the island, "For many, they will have a chance to stock up and trade at various facilities on this artificial island. You can even use the boats to head for nearby Electopia's DenTech City's Beach Street to see some local excitement." he adjusted his glasses with a small smile, "As for the next Round, I predi…"

"STOP!" Ribitta shouted, suddenly at his side, "Don't go predicting the next Round without me, Mr. Higsby!"

"Ah, I had a feeling trying to do it would get you here quick for it," Higsby chuckled in sheepish amusement, "Any predictions?"

"Yep! We're gonna be seeing some hot-blooded competitive battles for sure!"

"Indeed! There are many who have moved on that will be of great interest to watch!"

"So glad they're doing a day off to rework the systems for double battles and basic system updates," Ciel noted, wearing a formal pink and white dress with her hair pulled into a bun, "Okay…" She turned off the screen and looked out at the members of their team, assembled in their secret base in the hollowed out abandoned arcade, "Masa, Miyu, Sal, are you three ready to be on standby?"

"Sure as a yellowtail is delicious!" Masa replied, "Sal and I have stalls set up on the property, selling bento boxes and fish respectively. We'll keep track of folks coming in and outta SciLab through a hidden camera on our stalls that Woodman and Sharkman will operate."

"Meanwhile, Miyu is going to be in the lobby, working as a receptionist," Sal added.

"Good, good," Ciel nodded before looking at Lan and Maylu, "Meanwhile, we'll be down there because of Dr. Hikari and my father being presenters and guests respectively, so we'll be the second line of defense if WWW agents bypass our trio above. Lastly, Chaud will, after spending enough time fulfilling his company obligations, move down to the Power Plant, where he will be the last line of defense. If anything happens, Lan is to go down to the Power Plant to provide backup. Any questions?" Lan raised his hand, "Lan?"

"Why are you dressed up?" Lan asked.

"Lan, this is a formal event. Your current attire is not good enough for this event. Therefore, I've asked Yai to help you, Maylu, and the others to get fancy," Ciel replied.

"Fancy?" Lan tilted his head.

"Is everything prepared for tonight?" Wily demanded, looking at Yahoot and Count Zap.

"Of course, Lord Wily. Using my status, I was able to earn a spot amongst the guests for the event being held. Using that, I will leave an opening for Count Zap to enter SciLab and progress to the Power Plant," Yahoot informed.

"It's gonna be a real shocker for them all when I have Elecman cut off all power to that floor and lock the elevators and vents!" Zao laughed, "Only one that's gonna survive is Yahoot with that hidden oxygen he'll be stashing!"

"And if Vent and Ashe interfere and stop all that?"

"?!" All three looked to a monitor, a shadowed figure on the screen.

"I would prefer to plan for them and their NetOps," Wily admitted.

"Heh. Don't worry, Doc. I've got someone that Zap will have to carry in," the figure chuckled before a crackling electrical noise made them look up and their eyes go wide.

Chaud calmly tugged on the collar of his formal, dark red suit, standing in the lobby of SciLab a bit out of the way to avoid detection. He frowned, looking at the black tie in his hand, untied. He began to work on getting it on before a pair of gloved hands took it. He looked to see Ciel in her dress, giving him a small smile. Wordlessly, she properly did his tie for him.

"You look troubled. Is it your father again?" Ciel asked in concern.

"No. It's something I've been dealing with for weeks now."

"...Lan and Vent?" Ciel guessed, earning a nod.

"It's hard to believe that one person has all of your Biometals aside from Model A," Chaud admitted, "A Civilian of all people having that kind of power…Let alone two if you include Sakurai and Ashe…"

"They're tempered by their NetNavis, being guided by them and their skills already with them," Ciel pointed out, "You remember when I deployed them all after Model A was stolen, right?"

Chaud nodded, "It was a few weeks after Protoman and I activated FullSynchro in that three-on-one your father and you had me unknowingly go under which necessitated the need for the CID to purchase that abandoned arcade building that became the base of operations for DenTech's branch."

Ciel smiled at that. While she had made all the Biometals together in her last life, this one she had made Model A shortly after her reawakening from the lightning bolt that hit her as a child, only for him to have vanished just when she had looked away for a few moments, and then made the remaining ones after the coma she and Alouette had been in from the fatal car accident. The memory of what Chaud talked about was still fresh in her mind.

-flashback-

"I was wondering what you were up to being here so late," Chaud's voice nearly made Ciel let out a scream.

"Ch-Chaud! Stop doing that! You and Model Z are terrible at doing that!" Ciel scolded, spinning around as Chaud walked up and sat beside her, several bandages on his body, "And you were using your family home's security system to train again, weren't you? I keep telling you to just give me time to make one upstairs!"

"These are them?" Protoman asked, appearing in the Network before capsules containing the Biometals minus A, and earned an exasperated sigh from Ciel as the two ignored her question.

"Yes. Biometals Model X, Zero, Fighting Fafnir, Fairy Leviathan, Sage Harpuia, and Hidden Phantom," Ciel responded, 'It's not the ones I made and they're really just basic AI based on the personality data I could remember when I originally made them with the Cyber Elves of them all, but…'

"So what now? Do you plan to distribute them to us?" Chaud questioned, looking at Model Z.

"...No. With Model Axl stolen a few years ago and incomplete because of it, I worry for the denizens of the Network."

Model A sneezed, [Sorry…]

"It's alright, A," Maylu assured…despite her eye twitching as she looked at the collapsed stack of cards she had been making into a tower of sorts, "It's all…peachy …"

Model A gulped {I shoulda just stayed in that computer instead of freaking out on waking up and going off on my own to find Ashe several years ago…}

"You're just sending them off?" Chaud asked in disbelief.

"Only those with the potential to use them will be able to see them or even hear them. The fact you and Protoman can is quite amazing already," Ciel noted.

"So why can't you just…"

"Because I want them to find their partners, not be given like pieces of candy. You're welcome to find them after I send them out," Ciel replied, giving him an all-too familiar sharp look.

"..." Chaud sighed, "Fine, fine. Do you want me to Jack Protoman out to make this all the more fair?"

"Of course," Ciel replied, "You can send him in after two minutes have passed."

-end-

"In the end, I never found one…and they all were found by one NetNavi," Chaud frowned.

"After Viruses grabbed onto all but X and Zero," Ciel pointed out, "And even then, Zero was found by someone else before Vent and was given to him as a tragic final gift."

Chaud grimaced at that, "Yeah…"

"...You really wanted Model Z."

Chaud nodded, "It seemed to be amazing to me from the first moment I saw you finish it. And then to be on the other end of it…" he clenched his fists, recalling the pain in his body from the devastating strike that had gotten through FullSynchro, "..." he shook his head, "What about that last one you made?"

"Vent has it."

" What?!" Chaud hissed.

"It escaped the container I had it stored in and he found it and I don't know what he's done to make it no longer be a threat."

"What is with that NetNavi?" Chaud groaned in disbelief, bringing a hand to his head as a headache went through his mind, "And why a Civilian?!"

Ciel shrugged, "Maybe they see something in them that you can't."

Chaud frowned, "Maybe…"

Ciel nodded, "Chaud, remember that the ones inside of the Biometals are older than anyone you know, be it in person or from history books. The way they choose someone is all to their own preferences."

"I still can't believe you lied about that."

"They asked me to until they felt like telling someone else," Ciel spoke, "They trusted me enough to make them new bodies; I couldn't betray that trust, even if it was to you and I really wanted to tell you so badly for years."

Chaud sighed, scratching the side of his head in frustration, "And Model O?"

"That one was unintentional and shouldn't have been built," Ciel scowled, "How Vent's keeping it and somehow not going berserk I have no clue on…"

Chaud nodded, "I'm heading down to the Power Plant to prepare for WWW's attack. After that, I'll come to the restaurant to do business for IPC."

"Make sure to patch the ElecCode with the tracker," Ciel reminded him, earning another nod from him as he left.

Once he was gone, Ciel slumped, 'Oh Chaud…After WWW is gone…I promise I will come clean to you about everything.'

"It's so weird. Why is there all this water under this building?" Dex asked, looking at a map of SciLab in another part of the lobby.

"That's because the Power Plant is underneath us," Tory explained, "The water helps deal with any heat it produces. This also helps the waterworks beside here because the steam that is produced helps the purification process for the water we use in town. The waterworks has non purified water dumped into this part to refill the water that is evaporated so that the cycle continues."

"So the waterworks brings water to SciLab to help keep the power plant from overheating so that SciLab and the power plant can help the waterworks give people fresh water to use, but this also lets SciLab and the power plant do what they can do to help people," Lan summed up for himself, "It's pretty cool when you think about it."

"I still have a question," Dex noted…before he motioned to the black suits with either green, yellow, or orange button shirts beneath that he, Tory, and Lan were all in, "Why are we butlers?"

"That depends. Are we serving food to folks we don't know?" Lan asked.

"No."

"Then we're not butlers," Lan nodded.

"It's a formal event, Dex. Just be glad Yai was ready for something like this happening," Tory noted, "And don't make a mess on the clothes."

"Speaking of…Where are the others?" Lan asked.

[Greetings, Ms. Sakurai] Phantom spoke.

"..." Lan slowly turned around and sighed in relief, seeing she wasn't behind him this time, "Not falling for a third time."

He looked to the doors…and his brain momentarily rebooted. He wasn't focused on Yai in her strawberry pink shoulderless dress with white gloves reaching halfway past her elbows. He didn't really notice the lavender formal cheongsam with dark green elbow-length gloves worn by their new friend Jasmine with her hair done in a braided ponytail with chopsticks holding it in place. His eyes were settled upon Maylu, wearing a navy blue backless dress held up by a collar on her neck with a silver necklace. Over it was a white long-sleeved, short jacket fully open. While her bangs still framed her face, lightly touched with makeup, the rest of her hair was pulled into a small bun with a flowery comb-like piece holding it in place.

[Oh my goodness! You look so beautiful, sweetie!] Leviathan cheered [Doesn't she look beautiful, Lan?]

"Ah! U-Um…well…" Lan stammered.

[You've left the boy speechless! That's the sound of success!] Leviathan laughed.

"O-Oh…Um…" Maylu stammered, blushing as much as Lan now.

"Whoa~! You girls look great!" Dex praised.

"Y-You all look very nice!" Tory added.

[Lan!] Zero barked in a private link, making Lan jump and snap out of his dazed state.

"Ah! Um..Y-You look great!" Lan complimented.

[Well…One step forward, I suppose] Leviathan sighed.

[Wish I could have some popcorn for this] Fafnir chuckled before a muted alert for access permission went off in the PeT.

Vent accepted it and Ashe entered. She was wearing a similar outfit to Maylu, but the blue was in a lighter shade and the jacket the same orange as her normal one. The one thing she made sure was evident on her was the necklace Vent gave her. She gave a small, awkward smile at the young man wearing a similar suit to Lan with his necklace on, the buttons blue in color.

"You look beautiful, Roll," Vent complimented, muting the speakers.

"Thank you. You look amazing yourself, Hub," Ashe returned.

"Glyde was insistent on us looking fancy as well," Vent replied, "...How are you holding up?"

"I'm…I'm doing as best I can after that talk we had," Ashe replied, "You?"

"Handling it as best as I can. We both needed to say all that," Vent replied as he held her hands, "But we can get through this as a team."

Ashe nodded. Vent leaned in and gently kissed her, earning a small smile from her and a return kiss.

[Lan, your father is coming this way to your right] Phantom informed.

"Huh?" Lan looked and saw Dr. Hikari walking up, "Papa!"

"Lan, did you and your friends wait long?"

"Not at all, sir," Tory replied, the others nodding.

"You all look great!" Yuichiro complimented before looking around, "Um…Where's Mom? Didn't she come with you?"

"She's coming! She just had to get dressed!" Lan assured, earning a chuckle from Yuichiro.

"Well, that'll take a while, if I know your mother!"

Yai, Maylu, and Jasmine shared looks and giggled. The doors to SciLab opened a moment after that.

"Sorry! Here I am!" all of them turned to see Haruka walking up, wearing a modest lavender dress with a cut on the right side to show some of her leg and a green short jacket over it, a gentle application of makeup enhancing her natural beauty, "Honey! How have you been today?"

"I-I'm doing alright!" Yuichiro replied, "You look stunning."

Haruka giggled, "Why thank you! Now then…let's go downstairs to the restaurant floor and eat!"

"Alright!" Lan and Dex cheered as the group headed for the elevators, passing by the reception desk with a woman with silver hair was working.

"..." she glanced down at a crystal ball in her lap, hidden behind the counter, 'The overflown river…upon green wings and generated lightning, Death has come tonight.'

An elevator dinged and the group stepped out of it. As they walked through a hallway, a few took the time to awe upon seeing thick reinforced glass panes set up on some of the walls, showing they truly were underwater with several robotic fish swimming around, acting as filters to help with the process. Lan and Maylu both let out silent sighs of relief when they saw no signs of anything too big and dangerous swimming out there. Yuichiro presented his ID card to a pair of strong-looking men in suits at a pair of double doors, who nodded and gave each of them a pass before opening the doors for them, revealing a rather large banquet hall with tables filled with various dishes and a stage where several items were ready to be presented.

"I haven't been to a good party in years!"

"Those PeTs on display... Are those really the latest thing in technology?"

"I heard that they're recycled from plastic bottles…"

"I think that we have the best technology, but it's important to keep abreast of the latest trends from overseas. We'll fall behind if we don't watch out!"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm the chef!"

"Whoa~! This looks so cool!" Lan awed, "Oh! Ciel, look! These really are made from recycled materials!"

"Not bad, not bad at all," Ciel noted, looking them over, "They do look durable."

Lan nodded, "But I like the ones you built for us more."

[Agreed] Phantom agreed, using the hologram function to keep vigilance.

"Glad you're enjoying it," Ciel smiled before seeing Jasmine waving her over at one table with Yai, Alouette, and Maylu, "Try to enjoy things, alright?"

"Gotcha," Lan nodded before she walked off and Yuichiro walked over, "Hi, Papa."

"It's been a while since we've talked, Lan. Actually, there is something I've been meaning to ask you and Megaman."

"Huh? What's that?" Lan asked, Vent appearing on his shoulder.

"Well for Megaman, why did you change your appearance?" Yuichiro asked.

"Huh? Oh right! You said that when we were in the hospital, right?" Lan recalled.

"Yes," Yuichiro replied as he showed Lan his PeT, showing an image of Vent as Megaman, "This is what he used to look like."

"That'd be the fault of me using a Biometal, Papa," Vent replied, "The power in them is so strong that my Ultimate Program went off to adapt my body to it."

"?! It triggered?" Yuichiro asked.

"Huh? What's an Ultimate Program?" Lan asked.

"It's a rare anomaly that can develop inside of a NetNavi, giving them a power far greater than anything seen before," Yuichiro explained, "Megaman's is called Hyper Adaptability, allowing him to undergo extreme changes when a situation calls for it. If his body could access the power of StyleChange, I'm sure that he'd be able to interchange between any Style he'd want with a command from your PeT."

"Whoa~" Lan awed as Vent nodded, "So…what about me?"

"Well, it's about my research…" Yuichiro replied.

"Sounds difficult! How would I know anything about that?" Lan asked, titing his head.

"Well, it's connected to you and Megaman," Yuichiro replied, earning a nod from Lan, "You see, I made your previous PeT. It was different from normal ones. And Megaman, too…"

Vent's eyes went wide, 'Wait…Does he…?'

=Bing bong bing bong! Dr. Hikari, paging Dr. Hikari... Please report to the Lab immediately. Dr. Hikari, please report to the Lab immediately=

"Whoops! I'm sorry, it looks like I have to go! Lan, we'll finish where we left off next time!" Yuichiro spoke.

"G-good luck, Dad!" Lan waved as Yuichiro ran off…before he sighed, " ...So much for dinner together…"

Haruka shook her head, seeing the sad look on both her son and husband, before walking over and giving Lan a side-hug, "Well, we'll just have to enjoy the food all the more. Let's eat!"

Lan nodded as they went over to enjoy the meal with his friends. Meanwhile, Vent quickly went into the Network and popped up on a screen in the elevator with Yuichiro.

"Dad."

"Hello, Hub," Yuichiro greeted, "I…"

"It's okay. I know you have something important going on in the Lab at the moment," Vent assured, "But…were you about to tell Lan about…me?"

"No, I was going to explain my concern over you and him with FullSynchro," Yuichiro replied, "It's dangerous, especially when it comes time to give you HubBAT."

Vent nodded, "The data that will remove that 0.001 percent difference to keep Lan safe. Still…Lan's smart. I think he's going to figure it out sooner than later that I'm more than what I say I am."

Yuichiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I should've guessed from the wireless Jack-In that he's smarter than he shows to others." a few moments passed, "...After the N1."

Vent blinked a few times in surprise, "You sure?"

"No, but…You're sure he's getting close?"

"Yeah. It also doesn't help that…FullSynchro may be letting him see random memories of mine."

"?! Wh-What?"

"I…think it's because I was human before. It may be causing a feedback that, when he sleeps, he's starting to see random memories," Vent noted, causing Yuichiro's eyes to go wide.

The evening sky was quite beautiful, the setting sun's rays reflecting off the glass windows of SciLan and the Waterworks just nearby. In a small park before the two buildings, people were gathered and partaking in Sal performing ikebana, explaining to some of the children still there with their parents what she was doing. Nearby, Masa's hands were swift, slicing into a fish, grabbing sticky white rice and sheets of seaweed, and making sushi and sashimi, giving interesting facts about the fish he was using to folks who were watching him. On a hidden camera atop both the stalls' flagpoles, Sharkman and Woodman were taking note of anyone approaching SciLab and occasionally sending a message to Oda or an Official that was on standby in SciLab on one person or another that felt suspicious. A man in a SciLab janitor uniform approached a backdoor and felt the handle. He grinned as the door opened. With a grunt, he hefted up the green metal suitcase and rolled it inside. He looked at the cameras, seeing them working but knew that they were put onto a small loop to prevent him from being detected. He got into a service elevator and pushed two buttons. He removed his hat and Count Zap grinned and looked down at the suitcase.

"Tonight is gonna be a real shocker for these folks," Zap noted, "Hope you're ready to amp up the fear and chaos that will happen tonight, because Yahoot confirmed that those brats are here." the elevator opened and Zap, his hat back on, put the suitcase out and against the wall beside it, "The moment the power goes out up here…have a wonderful concert of chaos and mayhem!"

He laughed as he went back into the elevator. Once it was on its way, the suitcase twitched and began to hover in the air. It floated off and into a hidden corner of the hallway behind a pair of vending machines.

"Wait…so these bruises and scratches I get at times when Meddy fights…is from this phenomenon?" Jasmine asked, standing in line at a buffet with Maylu and Ciel.

"Yes," Ciel replied, "Maylu is another who is capable of using that power with Ashe."

"It was a shock when we first fully went into it knowingly," Maylu admitted, "It's like I'm seeing both where I'm at and where Ashe is from her point of view."

"The power boost from it is pretty nuts, too," Ashe added, "Maylu's faster on the BattleChip use, too."

"Come to think of it, lately it has been feeling like Jasmine has been faster on giving me them when we're in an intense Virus Busting battle," Meddy thought aloud.

"That's because she is," Ciel noted, "I know of a few others that can help you with handling it if you want to meet them."

"Well, I kinda have to if I agree to being part of this initiative you've offered to us," Jasmine replied.

"We just need a few days to think it over," Meddy noted, earning a nod from Ciel.

"Take your time, Jasmine," Ciel assured as, nearby, Lan was finishing off a plate of food and sitting with Dex and Tory.

"Man, this is pretty sweet! Thanks to your dad for this," Dex noted.

"Yeah," Lan nodded, "Still wish he didn't get called out, but I know that there are some really important things he has to do here and if he gets called over the speakers then it's a major thing."

"The same with my dad and his job," Tory sympathized, "Being someone high up in these places has a ton of responsibilities for them."

Lan nodded before looking out and blinking a few times, "Raika?"

"Huh?" the two looked to see the Sharo soldier approaching them.

"Didn't think you'd be here," Lan noted.

"A few of my fellow soldiers and myself have been assigned to be the protection detail of one of the scientists from Sharo that will be presenting tonight," Raika explained, "I will admit that this place confuses me."

"You mean how it's connected to the Waterworks, right?" Lan noted.

"Yes. We have nothing like this in Sharo. We use nuclear energy and geothermal energy for our power supply," Raika explained.

"That does make sense," Tory noted, "Sharo is closer to the top of the planet and normally covered in snow, so having places like this wouldn't really work out."

"I remember my mom telling me 'bout nuclear power plants once," Dex recalled, "You gotta be super careful with those or a whole city could be unin…unih..uni…er…not be able to be lived in."

Raika nodded, "May I have a moment of your time, Lan Hikari?"

"Huh? Uh…sure," Lan nodded, waving to Dex and Tory as he walked over to a corner with the taller boy, "What's up?"

"Is everything okay?" Vent asked, appearing on Lan's shoulder.

"I have been curious…How long have you been able to use FullSynchro?" Raika asked.

"You know FullSynchro?" Lan asked in surprise.

Raika nodded, rolling up his jacket sleeve and this his button shirt sleeve, revealing several faint scars from FullSynchro feedback, "Searchman and I have been using it for two years now."

"...We only found out we could a few months ago," Lan explained, "Just a few weeks after I got Vent."

"Has Inspector Oda approached you?" Vent questioned.

"No. A man named Famous did," Raika replied, "So you are a member of the CID's Special Forces then."

"That's correct," Vent confirmed.

"No wonder you're this skilled," Searchman noted as Raika nodded.

"My superiors and the CID have come into agreement that should there be a need for it, I am to assist the CID while I am here in Electopia," Raika explained.

"Great! That means we'll be working together!" Lan beamed, "You and Searchman are really strong, so you'll fit right in!"

Raika blinked a few times at the enthusiasm Lan was giving off. The boy was completely different to what he had been expecting. What he thought was just a cover personality…really was an honest and excitable civilian child. Yet, he could also tell how Lan's posture was subtly ready to go into immediate action.

"Do either of you know of anyone else that may have been spoken to during the Tournament?" Vent asked.

"Not to our knowledge," Searchman replied.

"Oh, quite a few that both moved on to the next round and didn't make it."

"GRK!" Lan jumped as Raika merely looked behind Lan, the brunette spinning around to see Famous, "Wh-Who are you?"

"I'm Famous."

"You are? But I don't know you," Lan tilted his head.

Vent chuckled, "Lan, this is Meijin Eguchi. His nickname is 'Famous,'" Vent explained, a memory of his life here and his previous going through his mind, showing different ways he's met the man before him.

-Flashback-

"MEN! DOU! KOTE!"

"Hah! Hah! Hah!"

"MEN! DOU! KOTE!"

"Hah! Hah! Hah!"

An eight-year-old Megaman repeatedly swung the wooden katana at a straw dummy on a wooden post, hitting the three spots he was being ordered to strike. Standing near him was a tall NetNavi donned in navy blue and crimson armor resembling the uniform for kendo, sharp amber eyes focused on the child-sized NetNavi's movements. On a nearby floating screen, Yuichiro looked at the sight in concern as Famous stood by him.

"I must say, Yuichiro, your NetNavi is a fast learner," Famous noted.

"Thank you for helping with teaching him some techniques for Virus Busting, Meijin," Yuichiro thanked.

"It's no trouble. I was hoping to find someone to be Kendoman's first test at teaching the sport," Famous assured.

"HALT!" Kendoman barked and Megaman used the sword as a crutch to stay standing, "Ten minute rest then we resume. Breathe through your nose and out your mouth to recover your breath quicker."

"O-Okay, Mr. Kendoman…"

"It is Sensei when we are training, my student," Kendoman replied.

"O-Okay, Sensei…"

"Kendoman, remember that Megaman is a fast learner. Use him as an example of what a fast learner is capable of but not as a standard student," Famous advised.

"Understood," Kendoman bowed.

"Um…Papa…Wh-Who is this mister with you?" Megaman asked.

"This is an old friend of mine, Meijin Eguchi."

"Please call me 'Famous.'"

"Mr. Famous?"

"Just Famous."

-end-

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, 'Just Famous,'" Vent greeted with a bow and small chuckle, "How is Kendoman?"

"He's doing well. Currently teaching some NetNavis and kids the art of kendo," Famous replied, "Currently, I'm using a new NetNavi named Punk."

"Yo," Punk replied, "Huh…So yer da guy dat Kendoman talks 'bout at times? Da kid who was his first student?"

"That I am," Vent confirmed, "Many of my sword techniques can originate from his teachings." 'That and you guys, Zero, Harpuia, Leviathan, Phantom.'

"Huh? You know him?" Lan asked.

"Papa asked him to help with my Virus Busting training a few years ago," Vent replied, "Kendoman was a strict teacher and very good at it."

"Glad to see you have more fond memories than fearful ones," Famous noted.

"Whoa~" Lan awed as Raika made a mental note on this information.

"Perhaps we'll face one another in the N1," Famous spoke.

"You're in it, too?" Lan asked, "It's really fun, huh?"

"It has been. There are many who have quite the potential to go far as NetBattlers," Famous replied before a few chimes went off from the speakers.

=Everyone, thank you for waiting. We'd like to welcome our Master of Ceremonies for the evening=

"Master of Ceremonies?" Lan pondered.

"Odd. There shouldn't be one," Famous noted before the screens all over flickered before revealing Zap's face, "!"

=Ladies and gentlemen thank you for coming here this evening. To our...WWW Party of Death!=

"That's…!" Lan gasped

=We'd like you to know that the WWW has just taken over the underground power plant! So, let's get the party started with a little...No, a really big...blackout! ElecMan! Zap to it!=

At once, all the electronics but the screens turned off.

"Ah! Hey, who turned out the lights?!" Dex yelped.

"Ah! It's too dark!" Tory panicked before both boys ran into each other and knocked themselves out.

"A power out!? Oh no! The air vents have stopped! If we don't fix them, the air will…run out…a-and…" one of the scientists trailed off with a worried gulp.

=Now, relax and enjoy your last breaths! Ahahahahahah!= Zap cackled as the screens shut off.

"No good! The power won't turn on!" A technician called out from the newrby fuse box, "The generator... Someone go check the power plant below us!"

"Lan, let's go!" Vent spoke, remembering their orders.

"Easy for you to say, Vent! It's pitch black in here! ...Wait, my eye's adjusting…" Lan muttered as he blinked and his cyber eye turned green, "I can see with it. Must be night vision!" he pumped a fist, "Okay, Vent! Let's go!" he looked over at the approaching Maylu, her own eye showing it was in night vision mode as well, "Maylu, can you stay here with everyone?"

"I can," Maylu replied, "Be careful, alright?"

Lan nodded, "Promise."

"Raika and I will come with you, Lan," Famous spoke, his sunglasses' lenses glowing with night vision as well, "If there's no power, it means the elevators won't be working, but I know a way down to the Power Plant from here that doesn't need one."

"Right," Lan nodded, giving Maylu a smile before the three left and ran down the hallway with Famous in the lead.

"Why is his eye glowing?" Searchman quietly asked.

"He was in an accident and had to get a surgery. The eye is a robotic one with several functions," Vent quietly replied, earning a nod.

A handle rattled several times in rapid succession before it slammed open and Lan gasped out as he crawled out, "Ugh! Gross~!"

"Not the worst I've gone through in training, but I must agree," Raika agreed as he got out next, grimacing as he removed a rotting banana peel from his shoulder and tossed it back into the garbage chute…before Famous poked his annoyed face out, the banana peel on it.

"..." he removed the peel and tossed it away before pulling out some kleenexes to wipe his face, "If we're done being juvenile on that, it was our safest way to get down here." he pulled out his PeT, "Agent Chaud, report."

"I'm stuck in the Power room of the Power Plant. They've sealed the door shut and there's nowhere for me to send Protoman into the Network," Chaud informed.

"Were you able to install the patch in the ElecCode?"

"Affirmative," Chaud replied.

"Then rest until we can open the door," Famous replied, "Once done, you are to send Protoman into the Network to assist with the WWW threat. Even if we have that patch in the ElecCode on the chance it is stolen, we cannot allow them to steal it no matter the cost."

"Understood," Chaud replied.

"Wait, can't he turn on the power in there?" Lan asked.

"What?" Chaud questioned.

"The entire floor above us and the elevator are without power," Famous informed.

"Then the issue lies in someone manipulating the power pathways. Because I am standing before the breakers for everything and they are all on," Chaud informed before the call ended.

"Then that means WWW is specifically targeting the floor above," Raika scowled.

"How good is Searchman's scope?" Lan asked.

"He's able to strike a Mettaur fifteen Areas away from his current one," Raika replied.

"What are you planning, Agent Hikari?" Famous asked.

"We need to understand what's going on. With Searchman, we can find exactly where the WWW is messing with things in the Power Plant's Network," Lan spoke.

"Once that's done, we can perform a pinching maneuver," Vent added, "Punk and I can pretend to be the only two in the Network and confront the WWW NetNavi. We'll keep an open comm with Searchman. Upon confirmation of him having the ElecCode or not, Searchman is to take the shot and aim for the head or the Core." he narrowed his eyes, "It also depends on what has been done to alter the Power Plant's Network. If it will take more than five minutes for us to reach the WWW NetNavi, disregard previous orders and Delete that NetNavi without our distraction, Searchman."

"Understood."

Raika quirked a brow at Lan, who shrugged his shoulders, "Vent is really good at planning for operations like this. If he has a strategy for this, then I de…um…I just listen to his idea and make sure to be ready with BattleChips and FullSynchro if the plan flops."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, Lan. You come up with amazing plans on the fly while I tend to go for mid-to-long term plans," Vent assured, "Now hurry! The more time we waste, the less time everyone upstairs has for oxygen!"

"Bingo," Oda smirked after opening a door, "We've got oxygen tanks."

"Good thing this floor also doubles as storage," a scientist sighed in relief as she and another looked them over.

"All are full and if we set them off slowly, there should be enough oxygen to prevent us from passing out for a good two hours," the other spoke.

"Those WWW people are monsters," Jasmine grit her teeth.

"Too right," Haruka agreed, "If I ever meet one in person, I'll give them one of my favorite combos from my old boxing days. A set of jabs to the stomach and then an uppercut to the underside of their jaw."

"We need to figure out how to get the power back on," Yai frowned.

"Lan is already handling it," Maylu assured, "I saw him go with Raika and someone else."

"Who else?" Ciel asked.

"Um…a tall man in a lab coat, fingerless gloves, and I think he was in sunglasses," Maylu replied.

"! …Oh yeah. We're going to be in safe hands then," Ciel nodded, "The man they're with is named 'Famous.'"

"Wait…As in Mr. Famous, the Pro NetBattler and researcher?" Yai asked.

"The one and the same," Ciel confirmed.

"Amazing," Jasmine awed.

"There's a crowbar over here!" a waitress called from another storage space and ran over to Oda, holding it up, "We could maybe use this to open the elevator door to get oxygen in here?"

"Well?" Oda asked, looking at the two scientists.

"Yes. If the elevator is at the bottom or at least three stories above us, then there's an opening to allow air inside the building without the systems in place needing to run," the male replied.

"We have a second elevator that way with the same build in case the first breaks down," the female added.

"Gotcha. I'll open the backup elevator first," Oda informed, "Were there any other crowbars in there?"

"Yes," the waitress replied.

Oda nodded, "I need some strong folks, men or women, to lend a hand! Grab a crowbar and follow me!" Oda ordered loudly.

"Mmm…" Alouette whimpered as she held her doll close, "Too dark…" she lightly tugged on the doll's tiny tail, causing the 'wings' to light up, "Phew…Thank you, Beep."

"That's pretty handy," Yai complimented.

Alouette giggled, "Big Sis made Beep for me. I don't like the dark, so Beep makes things shiny enough so I can sleep easier."

'Even as an adult, she couldn't sleep unless she had Beep or a window in her bedroom,' Ciel thought, gently petting the top of her little sister's head.

In the hallway, the suitcase rolled out of hiding and began to make its way down the hallway. As it began to approach the doors to the restaurant, its plating began to open and shift about. Engines hummed as electricity began to crackle along mechanical wings encased in plasma blades.

In a bleak-looking Network, scattered platforms of gunmetal panels surrounded by black, red, or blue borders floated amongst a 'sky' of darkness. Electricity crackles along the borders of the larger panels, sporting lightning rods on them. A trio of beams shot down, forming into the trio of Searchman, Vent, and Punk. Searchman held up his sniper gun and grimaced.

"There's too much electrical interference. I can't get a lock on the enemy NetNavi," Searchman informed.

"Tch," Vent scowled, "So much for the swift and safe method for saving the people upstairs."

"Uh…How's we gonna get to da core of da place?" Punk asked, looking at the small platform they were on.

[Vent, there seems to be more to this place than meet the eye] Phantom advised.

"I'll try something," Vent spoke, pulling out X and P, "Double MegaMerge!" in a flash, Megaman PX stood and looked around, his left eye behind his mask glowing, "...Invisible pathways. Of course."

"All of you, follow Vent," Famous advised, "Whatever they've done to the Network is affecting our PeTs as well. They seem to be draining the batteries for myself and Raika since we have to directly plug them into the system."

"I'll look for backup PeT batteries for them. Vent, you got this without me for a few minutes?"

"I'll do my best, but please hurry back," Megaman PX replied before nodding to the two, "Follow me, guys."

"Gotcha/Understood."

"Mmm…They're taking too long back there," Jasmine scowled, looking to where the people who followed Oda had run off to.

"There's still a few crowbars left," a recovered Dex noted as he picked one up, "Maybe we can get the other elevator shaft opened?"

"Good thinking, Dex," Tory agreed as he picked one up.

"It's easier than just staying here and being worried," Jasmine noted as she picked one up.

A few others grabbed one of the remaining crowbars and the group started to head for the doors before they were roughly slammed open, knocking everyone back. Dex and Tory hit a wall, knocking themselves out from the impact, as Jasmine landed on Yai headfirst with Yai's large noggin, knocking both girls out.

"Oh? Trying to delay the inevitable?" a voice smoothly spoke from the darkness of the doorway before plasma blades illuminated light green, white, and gold armor adorning a lanky, raptor-like frame, "Well…I can't just let that go."

Alouette softly gasped in fright, earning Ciel's attention as the little girl whispered under her breath, "Hivolt the Raptoroid…"

"Have no fear. It'll all be over soon. You'll all just feel a little jolt before you sleep… forever!" the machine screeched as electricity erupted off its body.

Several people screamed as they scrambled to run only for Hivolt's legs to detach and bend to resemble talons that fired off beams of electricity. Several people were stuck, electrocuted and crumpled to the floor. While a few were stunned, others no longer moved. His legs reattached and Hivolt flew up into the air in the larger room and his wings began to shine.

"Perish, bags of flesh!" Hivolt declared, unleashing bolts of lightning from his wings in the form of beams of light, "IMPERIAL RAYS!"

People screamed as they tried to avoid the bolts, overturning tables to hide behind. A few were unfortunate to not reach cover and were struck, screaming in agony as the amperage coursed through their bodies for several seconds until collapsing as charred husks. Alouette yelped as she tripped and fell to the floor while trying to run with Ciel, trying to reach the table that they had been at near the corner of the place. She got up slowly, wincing in pain growing on her knees and nose.

"Alouette!" Ciel shouted, spinning around to try to grab her.

Alouette's eyes went wide as one of the bolts came at her. She felt something press against her and she was behind an overturned table with Ciel…as a scream echoed in the room. Ciel gasped and Maylu turned as pale as a ghost in horror. Alouette blinked as she looked at the still body of Haruka Hikari, the back of her dress and jacket burned away…exposing a horrific burn on her back. Screaming had reached her ears…and it soon registered with her that the scream was coming from her own lips. A flash of light went off behind her as Maylu, donned in Model A, roared in fury as she unleashed a barrage of shots at Hivolt, who swiftly flew out of the way. A flash went off and a spinning yellow wheel slammed into Hivolt, knocking him out of the sky and onto the floor where Maylu A, now replaced with a woman wearing Model F, shot down from the air and slammed her buster down hard onto the Pseudoroid, unleashing its charged shot and creating an explosion of flames. Hivolt shot out of them with A-Aeolus chasing after him, blades ripping into the right wing. A final flash went off and Maylu A slammed her guns into Hivolt's chest.

"GIGA CRUSH!" she screeched, letting out the strongest attack she had.

Plasma bullets ripped and tore through Hivolt, the Pseudoroid unable to even produce a sound as his vocals were the first to be torn into. Within seconds, his body was shredded and managed until it was fully evaporated by his core exploding. A twinkle of data hovered where he had been and went into the bolt on her helmet, but Maylu A didn't care. She ran over to the two, a final flash going off and letting her collapse before Haruka and holding her with a fit of sobs escaping her lips. Up in the lobby, Miyu sighed, hearing a faint whistling over the busy lobby.

"A life harmed when it needed not be," Miyu whispered, "Scars formed in a time they should not…"

"I swear that if I see another battery puzzle, I am going to lose it," Megaman PX growled as they ran across a pathway made of hard-light red, green, and blue panels.

"You and me both, bub," Punk grumbled as they soon approached a large space with Elecman standing on the other end of it, smirking at them.

"I thought you'd come here, Megaman. Hrm...You did good coming this far, but you're too late…" Elecman sneered, "I just finished downloading the ElecCode!"

"Dammit!" Megaman PX grunted before Elecman grunted as a pair of sniper rounds hit him in the forehead and emblem one after the other within a second.

Elecman stumbled back before bolts of lightning slammed down from above and struck him. His wounds vanished and he corrected himself, glaring at the distance where Searchman was looking at him in shock.

"It didn't work?!" Punk gawked.

"Electricity is my power! As long as there's power generated, I can't be stopped!" Elecman declared before swinging his hands out, his right hand shaped into a circle and the left wrapped around it, "ElecRail."

A yellow light shined before PX and Punk were forced to the sides, barely avoiding the concentrated beam of electricity that shot out at Searchman. He grunted as he rolled out of the way with only his sniper arm being the only casualty of the hit. Elecman roared, swinging his arms out and a wave of lightning roared to life and rushed at the two. In a flash, FX slammed his fist down hard on the ground, creating a blast of flames that warped the lightning around him, as Punk collapsed into the shields on his shoulders into a spiked wheel of sorts, letting the attack bounce off them. He spun and charged at Elecman who slammed a foot down hard on the floor. Punk yelped as he shot up into the air, opening his wheeled state up and received a blast of lightning from the impact and sent flying into Searchman.

"You used electricity to reverse the gravity around Punk," FX noted.

"Sorta. The panels we're on are made of metal, so I turned them into magnets to repel him," Elecman replied, "And now…there's just you, Megaman." he aimed his hands at him, "ElecRail!"

The railgun attack shot out and FX swung his fist, engulfed in a charged buster. The two collided and an explosion ripped out from the impact. Elecman cackled in glee…before the wind picked up. His eyes widened as the smoke was blown away as Megaman HX floated in the air, a green aura erupting off his body.

"Overdrive…Model HX," Megaman HX intoned, cold, calculative eyes focused on Elecman.

A blast of lightning shot down towards Elecman. It nearly struck only for it to curve away and hit HX's blades. He swung the blade…and seven massive tornadoes ripped out of it and tore into the area, all coming for Elecman. He fires several blasts of lightning only for the vortexes to suck them up and send them to HX as he calmly walked towards Elecman. The WWW NetNavi froze from his shock long enough for the tornadoes to get him, the sharpened winds ripping into him and sending bits of his data scattering. He landed roughly on his back with a cry of pain…before gagging as HX impaled him through the core with both blades. Before he could do anything, HX flexed his arms and the swords became a makeshift pair of scissors, slicing through Elecman fully.

=ELECMAN: DELETED=

"Gaaah! Elecman, no~!" Zap wailed in abject horror, "Ghh…We have the ElecCode, but I won't forgive or forget what you brats did! I hope my partner slaughtered everyone upstairs!"

"Wait, what?" Megaman HX gasped.

"Slaughtered?! Vent, we…!"

"You kids head up. I'll focus on restoring the systems," Famous ordered.

"Thanks, sir! Vent, log out!"

"Yes! Yesyesyesyesyesyes! All four codes! All gathered together at last!" Wily cackled, "Excellent job, Zap!"

"Now that we have assembled all the pieces, we may now proceed with the next step, correct?" Yahoot questioned.

"No," Wily replied, "It will take time for the program to be completed. During that time, I want you to still partake in the N1. Get Match and Maddy back into it against Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai. Meanwhile, Yahoot…" he held up a BattleChip showcasing a demonic emblem, "Deliver this to the girl. Disguise it how you like, but make sure that she uses it and synch it to your PeT."

"Lord Wily, I have a request," Zap spoke up.

"Yes, Zap?"

"Allow me to be the one to hijack her NetNavi," Zap spoke, narrowing his eyes, "Megaman Deleted my beloved partner Elecman. What better way to torment them than making her destroy him physically and then emotionally with ripping her own Core out and crushing it in his face when he's too weak to fight?"

"...Heh. Impressive, Count Zap," Wily complimented, "Do so. I believe by the time of the semifinals will be when It will be complete."

"Your wife's jacket was what saved her life," a doctor informed Yuichiro at the hospital, "The materials it was made of acted as an insulator for the worst of it. She'll make a near full recovery."

"N-Near?" Yuichiro repeated.

The doctor nodded as he looked over at the small group inside of the hospital room, Lan holding his sleeping mother's hand with a despondent look on his face, "She'll have that scar for the rest of her life and there will be moments where her body will lock up for a few moments."

Yuichiro grimaced, 'Haruka…'

"But those moments will fade away so long as she follows the proper physical recovery exercises we'll be prescribing her alongside her medication," the doctor went on, "Nurse Akane will deliver everything you'll need for your wife's recovery to you before you leave tonight."

"Thank you, doctor," Yuichiro thanked as the man walked off and Oda and Famous walked over to him, "...It…It was just meant to be a simple night, something to let the kids unwind from the N1 and a way to just spend time I haven't had with my family…"

Oda laid a hand on Yuichiro's shoulder, removing his fedora to look the man in the eyes, "She's still alive and will recover. Take it from a man who's lost his wife: hold what you have close to your heart and cherish every moment you have with them, be they good or bad."

Yuichiro somberly nodded at that. Inside the room, Lan sniffled as he struggled to not cry. Vent 'sat' on his shoulder, his eyes seemingly vacant as he gazed at the sleeping mother, while Lan held her hand.

"It…It's my fault. I should've stayed…"

"We both should have," Vent agreed.

[Boys, don't think that way] Zero scolded [The attack was too fast for anyone to react fast enough. Be thankful that she was wearing something that saved her life and that she'll live]

"But…"

[No. You two understand that these things can happen. None of us expected Hivolt to appear like Vulturon did. It's wrong to blame yourselves for something you have no control over] X added [Vent, you especially know this]

Vent grimaced as Lan blinked a few times.

"Huh? What do ya mean?"

"...He means Giro, Lan…" Vent sighed, some color returning to his eyes, "You're right, guys, but…but it still doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt and tear at my very existence that this happened…"

"...don't…"

"!?" Lan and Vent looked to see Haruka's hand managing to grip onto Lan's as she was managing to look at two.

"...don't…blame yourselves…"

"Mama!" Lan gasped, holding her hand in both of his.

"She's awake?!" the doctor gawked, "She should still be unconscious for another three days given her injuries!"

"Doc, I've learned to never underestimate a Hikari," Oda replied, a small smile on his lips.

"Gah! Mrs. Hikari, you need to lie down still!" the doctor panicked as he ran inside when he saw her trying to sit up.

"Mama, please don't try to get up," Lan pleaded, "You're hurt and…"

"It's...not your...fault," Haruka huffed, trying to get up only for the doctor to make her lie down, "I took...the hit so...Alouette would be...safe. You kids…are the most important...thing in life." she managed to tap Lan's nose with her pointer finger, "Understood?"

"...Y-Yeah," Lan nodded, "But…you're just as important to me and Vent, so you listen to the doctors and get better, alright?"

"Lan's right, Mama," Vent agreed, "Please take it east for now. We want you to be as healthy as can be."

Haruka couldn't help a giggle escape her lips, "Alright, alright. But…you boys have to...do one thing for me, too."

"What's that?" the two asked.

"Get as far as you can in...the N1. Even if I can't be there in person, I'll still be watching," Haruka spoke.

"..." Lan blinked a few times before smiling, "Okay, Mama! Just you wait! Vent and me are gonna win this!"

"We're gonna get as far as we can. If it means we win it, then that's what we'll do!" Vent agreed.

"That's my boys…" Haruka smiled.

"...What's the total?" Ciel asked as she, Chaud, Famous, Commander Beef, Madam Rose, Mysteriyu, and Oda stood in the secret base for the NetSavers Division of the CID.

Oda took in a drag of his cigarette's smoke and exhaled, "...8 injured…and 21 dead."

"This is the worst incident they've done since the hypnosis incident before the N1," Madam Rose grimaced, "And one of the injured was one of our own's mother."

"Mysteriyu, what's our future look like?" Masa asked.

The skull-themed woman looked at her crystal ball, "The river has mixed up so much that events have become muddled for most things. I feel that during the N1 there will be those injured, but no deaths on our end."

"A mixed up river?" Famous asked.

"It's what she calls the timeline," Madam Rose explained, "Something happened and it seems other timelines mixed into ours."

"Many events have altered from their intended paths long before the ones who unintentionally altered things were even born. That is how strong their presence caused alterations from what once was," Skullman added.

"..." Chaud frowned, "It was unintentional, so do not blame them for these things. If things already happened before they were even born, then it just means you're looking in the wrong 'river' then." everyone looked at him in surprise as he walked towards the exit, "I'll turn in my report in the morning. I need to be up in six hours to be at a business meeting for IPC." He looked over his shoulder at Ciel, "Make sure Alouette is alright for me, Ciel."

'Chaud…' Ciel thought as she nodded.

"You'll be able to track them down now, Ciel?" Oda asked.

"Yes," Ciel replied, narrowing her eyes in determination, "It will take two days to be accurate, but we will have the location of their base. I refuse to allow murderers like the WWW to get away with their crimes."

Oda nodded, "But first…get some rest. You had a rough night. I'll give some final words here then meet you in the car."

Ciel nodded, giving him a hug before leaving. Once she was gone, Oda scowled.

"Miyu."

The fortune teller nodded at Oda's unspoken command, "Lan and Maylu are a Canon Couple. So far, that has been stable and actually being improved upon by these changes to the river."

"Sonuvabitch," Oda growled in exasperation, "FullSynchro capable, powerful NetNavis originating from one of the founders of NetSociety alongside the son of one of the founders, being the grandson of that same founder, and now those kids are a Canon Couple…"

"All we've done is just encourage them to be themselves around one another," Madam Rose noted.

"Wait…You know and neither of you told me?" Commander Beef asked.

"Your persona outside of disguise and the base is rather…discouraging to allow you to help in building their relationship," Mysteriyu bluntly stated, making him slump.

"Anything else?"

"...You must understand that there are names in existence that are far more vital than one would think," Skullman spoke, "Names like Rock Light, Dante, Zero, Ryu, Volnutt, Django…" he narrowed his eyes, "Vent's title of 'Megaman' is one associated with the very embodiment of the world's protection against an oncoming storm that cannot be halted, but help reinforce protections already in place. The call failed before due to outside factors and they were reforged to better readily answer the call in this second chance. We are not who was meant to be, but what we are now to maintain the precarious balance of existence that would drastically tip too far in one way without the overflow."

"Skully…Some days you make sense, others? You make yer NetOp sound perfectly clear," Sharkman bluntly put it.

"Being clear would interfere with the balance," Mysteriyu stated, "The more clarify forms, the thicker the veil becomes for the future."

"If you are blunt with your predictions and not vague, you start losing it," Famous guessed, earning a nod from the teal-haired woman, before he sighed, "So…we're dealing with something coming that fate itself needs us to he ready for but we can't fully handle it…only Lan and Vent can."

"Alongside Maylu, Ashe, Chaud, and Protoman," Mysteriyu stated, "The trinity of Rock, Roll, and Blues has always been a vital trinity in the rivers we live through…"

"..." Oda grimaced, 'To think…we have to rely on children because existence itself needs to rely on them. If there is a God, they can be cruel and all we can do is be there to support them all and help with what may come…'

GT: Nobody expected this, huh? Yeah, the build-up and background stuff was a major part of why it took so long. I always planned on Hivolt doing that to Haruka. It is a warning to them of the consequences of what their actions have caused. While, yes, most has been the same…not everything will be due to what they've unintentionally brought with them.

Chapter 17: Tag Team Triumph

Summary:

The next round of the N1 commences: Tag Battles! Watch and see how the river's overflow has altered the events of these times, especially with the usage of 1 twisted BattleChip.

Chapter Text

GT: Here's the next chapter, folks! Took me a while to write due to several reasons.

'Well…This is going better than the original attempt,' Vent thought, sitting on Lan's shoulder as the boy walked around the artificial island while blindfolded.

[What are you doing, Lan?] Model X asked.

"Training with FullSynchro," Lan replied, "I'm trusting Vent to be my eyes in case my cyber one doesn't help like it did with Match and Fireman. Why are you asking now, though?"

[He was sleeping in since I didn't want to wake him up] Zero replied.

Vent narrowed his eyes as Lan walked by the island's lighthouse, 'The schedule for our NetBattles was different this morning. Instead of working with Masa and Sharkman…we're working with Maylu and Roll in our first tag team battle, even doing the roulette given the three question marks. Even then…instead of Shiningman being with Protoman, the two are on opposite teams with both having question marks to them…'

[I still feel bad Jasmine and Dex didn't get to move on] Leviathan noted [Those two AutoNavis were impressive]

"Yeah, I gue…Wait. AutoNavis?" Lan pondered.

[You didn't notice that those two 'operators' in heavy cloaks they have are just robots they're operating?] Fafnir asked.

"Those were robots?!" Lan gawked.

[Yes, yes they were] Zero confirmed.

"...Is that al…?"

[There are no rules against Network Navigators being allowed to participate without a Network Operator] Phantom replied [Tree]

"Huh?" NetOp and NetNavi asked before Lan walked facefirst into a pair of palm trees.

"DOI~!" Lan groaned as he collapsed onto his back, twitching.

"Oh Lan…" Vent sighed before looking out to see Maylu doing the same thing…in parkour, "HAH?!"

"Ugh…" Lan groaned before tensing as his shared sight let him see Maylu doing a flip across two of the buildings in the shopping district, "Gah! M-Maylu?!"

[Whoo! Go, girls, go!] Axl cheered.

"What is she doing?!" Lan gawked, pulling up his bandana to skate after her.

[Likely the same thing you were] X replied [Training harder to get stronger and not have what happened that night repeat]

Lan grimaced, recalling that she hadn't really stayed near him since they came back to the island for the next round of the N1. It was kind of exciting for the boy what they were doing for the second round of it: Tag Team NetBattles. Yesterday had been the first batch of battles while today would be the one with the rest of the participants getting to partake in them. The EMail announcing the battles this morning had him excited since it meant he and Vent would be working together with Maylu and Ashe…before he frowned again at how she had avoided him all day yesterday.

"...Do you think…I messed up?" Lan asked.

"Hm?"

"Maylu…ignored me all day yesterday," Lan pointed out.

[I think she's feeling guilty for what happened to your mother, Lan] Leviathan noted.

"Huh? But…But she wasn't at fault! It was that weird green bird robot!" Lan argued.

[I'm aware it was Hivolt, dear] Leviathan assured [But she couldn't react fast enough to save her from being hit]

"..." Lan frowned before looking around and ran to an alley between two shops and began to jump along the walls to get up and began to go after Maylu.

[Lan, what are you…?!] Harpuia began to ask.

[Nobody really looks up at the current angle we're on] Phantom noted [If Ashe can get her to stop, it would be a good location for a private talk]

[Kid's got a burning passion in making sure his friends are all okay] Fafnir chuckled.

[That and she may be so focused on this training…she's forgotten that they need to report to the Beta Dome in an hour and a half] Phantom added [Our match is in the middle of the day followed by Chaud and Protoman's]

Lan narrowed his eyes as he picked up the pace. He jumped along the rooftops, following after the redhead. Up ahead, Maylu jumped and did a flip, landing on the railing of a fire escape. She breathed in before going down the stairs, Lan following moments later. Model A looked behind them and up to see Lan.

[Psst…Ashe] Model A 'whispered' to Ashe, managing to keep the link to her [Once we get offa this, think you can have Maylu turn around and hold her arms out?]

"Alright, not bad, not bad," Ashe commented as she nodded, "Say, uh…I think Model A picked up something. Mind stopping once we get off this fire escape and hold your arms out?"

"Huh? Well, alright," Maylu replied, doing a jump off the second-to-last stairway before running a little along the wall before jumping off it and to the other before landing in a tumble, "There we go. And…" she held her hands out and Lan landed before her, grasping them, "ACK!"

"Hi!" Lan greeted.

"L-Lan?!" Maylu gawked, Lan letting one hand go to let her pull her blindfold off, "U-Um, I need to…"

"Did I do something that made you upset with me?" Lan asked.

"H-Huh?"

"I mean…you've been avoiding me all day yesterday a-and this morning, too," Lan explained, "Did I do something that made you upset and I don't get what I did?"

"Wh-What? No! No, you never did anything!" Maylu shook her head, "It…I just…"

Ashe sighed, "She's feeling guilty she couldn't protect your mom."

"Oh," Lan blinked a few times before frowning and lightly chopping her head.

"Ah! L-Lan!?"

"You're not at fault for that," Lan spoke, "It was WWW who hurt Mama and nobody was expecting the giant green bird robot to attack. …Which is kinda weird that you've seen two robot birds now…" he shook his head, "Look, I don't blame you for what happened to Mama. She's gonna get better."

"...But I still should've acted sooner," Maylu grimaced.

"Maylu, you. Are. Kids! You're going to have moments of freezing up when scary things happen," Vent spoke, "There are times we all will lock up from something happening that we wouldn't expect. Kids, adults…we all feel fear in one way or another. You did everything you could do and Lan and I are grateful that you stopped Hivolt from taking any more lives that night."

Lan nodded in agreement at that, "Maylu, you know how I get when I'm mad. I'm not mad at you at all, I'm not upset or-or anything like that!" he smiled at her, "You're my best friend and you mean a whole lot to me and my parents. Of course we're not mad or anything like that with you. You saved a lot of people that night. Mama will be alright and Vent and me are gonna do our very best to win for her."

"She was a bit sad that you didn't come see her," Vent added.

"I…I thought she wouldn't want to see me…" Maylu admitted, earning a frown and another chop to her head, "Gah! Lan!"

"You're being a dummy," Lan huffed, "Of course Mama would wanna see ya! You're practically family!" he huffed, "After today, we're gonna go see her and you are gonna talk with her, okay?"

"...O-Okay," Maylu nodded.

"Great! Because we have an hour left to plan things out for tag team strategies!" Lan beamed.

"Huh?"

"Oh right, forgot they announced the battles today," Ashe recalled, "Yeah, we're working with Lan and Vent in this portion of the tournament."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?!"

"You wanted to clear your head with parkour," Ashe shrugged.

"Roll~!" Maylu whined as she pulled up the email, "...Huh? What's with the question marks?"

"Considering the odd number of competitors, they're likely going to have some people that lost be brought back in to make things equal again," Vent guessed.

"So we're gonna be in consolation matches?" Ashe questioned.

[Probably, Ashe] X replied.

[It better not be the sand guy again] Axl spoke [I hate that stuff. It used to get into everything and my joints would be all itchy and my taste sensors would have this gritty texture added to everything for weeks…]

[Do we know who'll be picked?] Zero asked.

"They're going to start the lottery in a few minutes," Vent replied as he turned on the TV app of the PeT, letting a popup screen show Higsby and Ribitta in the booth.

"Ladies and gentlemen~! Many of you must be wondering just why our next two battles in an hour from now have so many questions marks, right?" Ribitta asked as a screen displayed Ashe and Vent above three question marks while another showed Protoman beside two question marks above a green-skinned NetNavi in a white turban and sun ornaments with question marks on their side.

"You're all in for a treat! Four lucky contestants from the last round that lost will have the chance to come back in a consolation battle! Battles will be intense with the two who remain when two NetNavis are Logged out get to move on, huh!" he adjusted his glasses, "I did request to not be added to it since Numberman and I are enjoying this much more."

"And glad to have ya here!" Ribitta beamed, "And now, we let our roulette program will get to work! Anyone still has the chance to become the winner!"

"Oh, this is gonna be awesome! C'mon, Gutsman, Glyde, Iceman, Woodman, Skullman, Searchman, Meddy!" Lan cheered.

"Lan, you battle against Dex almost every other day…"

"Yeah, but this a tournament!" Lan beamed.

"I know, right? Maylu, for shame," Ashe scolded.

"...That's the best we're going to get, Maylu," Vent sighed, Maylu facepalming.

"There it goes!" Ashe beamed as the screen showed the four icons starting to rapidly spin, showcasing a myriad of NetNavi emblems.

"First up is the NetNavi fighting alongside Protoman!" Ribitta cheered as the icon slowed down to a halt, revealing Searchman's logo, "Welcome back, Searchman!"

"Hoo boy," Lan gulped, "He's a strong guy to fight."

"And really good at spotting and disarming traps," Vent added, "He was a major help with some traps in the Power Plant's Network WWW left in there to delay us."

"Now for Shiningman's partner!" Ribitta cheered as an emblem settled on Magicman's, "Magicman!"

All four tensed at that before Lan whispered, "WWW…"

"They musta rigged that somehow," Ashe scowled.

"And now for our tag partners facing off against Ashe and Vent!" Ribitta cheered.

"A rare BattleChip it's Torchy and Wacky," Ashe spoke as the images landed on Torchman and Coloredman's emblems, "Called it."

[Nobody agreed to the bet] Hapruia informed.

"Rats."

"That was weird," Lan frowned, "It looked like it was trying to land on Gutsman's and Iceman's and then Woodman's and Skullman's."

"WWW probably interfered somehow," Maylu noted with a grimace.

"They're really gunning for us, aren't they?" Lan questioned.

"Makes sense; we've been causing major upsets for their plans ever since you and I became NetOp and NetNavi, Lan," Vent pointed out.

"We've fought these two jerks before and we can handle them again!" Ashe declared, slamming her fist into her hand.

"With those Mettaur succeeding in rigging the battles…all that remains is readying ourselves for them," Match noted, standing beside Maddy and Yahoot.

"Defeating those kids…it's too soon to be confident," Maddy noted, "Especially with that Overdrive ability Megaman possesses."

"Indeed. His aura drastically rises with the certainty of defeating him eroding away at the same pace," Yahoot observed, rewatching Megaman LX and then Megaman HX using their Overdrives, "But there seems to be a period where he cannot use the form he triggered Overdrive with more than once at a time." he smiled, "But worry not. My part in your battle is now at work as Zap readies his own."

Higsby sighed as he zipped up his pants before heading for the bathroom sinks, "While I can't say that I'm not sad that we didn't get to go back into it, I do like what we're doing so far, huh."

"Likewise," Numberman agreed, "We had a rather surprising amount of customers at the shop when we opened it during the day off the N1 had."

Higsby nodded. He opened his mouth to keep talking before a pair of hands grabbed him from behind and pulled him into the broom closet.

"Ah! Higs…!" Numberman began before a ruby red orb slammed into the back of his cranium, knocking him out.

Slowly, the doors opened and Higsby stepped out. He held up his PeT and smirked, Numberman nodding at him.

"You two beat those guys before so you'll have just as easy a time, right?" Yai asked.

"You bet!" Maylu agreed.

"Are we going to see that Overdrive ability again?" Tory asked.

"Maybe. It's up to Vent and the Biometals," Lan replied.

"Oh, that's promising! Keep it up, you two!" Masa cheered.

"Both of you, do your best!" Ms. Mari encouraged.

"Right! Let's do our best, Lan!" Maylu encouraged.

"You betcha, Maylu!" Lan agreed.

"Ah, Lan got to team up with Maylu…I'm so jealous," Dex sighed.

"I don't know," Jasmine noted, "They seem quite close and their NetNavis seem to work really well together. I'm more upset that I didn't get another shot in after those two guys thrashed our NetNavis."

"Ugh…I never wanna see another RockCube…" Meddy groaned.

"You and me both, guts," Gutsman grunted.

"...Why do I feel like you were supposed to drag me by the ear past all of 'em?" Lan asked after they walked around a corner.

"I…don't know," Maylu replied, "Don't be a weird boy, Lan."

Neither of their NetNavis wanted to say 'That's because she did when you were too focused on mastering the LifeSword Program Advance, Lan.'

"Both of you guys are good…"

Lan and Maylu jumped and looked to see a rather depressed Higsby slumped beside them.

"Higsby?" Lan pondered.

"I'm sorry you had to be left out of the drawing," Maylu apologized.

"It's fine, it's fine," Higsby sighed, "I'm just glad that I found at least one of the people readying for the matches today."

"Huh?" Lan tilted his head.

"Maylu, would you be willing to use a BattleChip I developed for sale at my store as an advertisement for it?" Higsby asked.

"You made a BattleChip?" Maylu asked.

"Yes," Higsby replied as he pulled out a magenta-colored BattleChip and Lan gurgled in shock.

"G-GigaChip!" Lan choked out in shock.

"A GigaChip?!" Maylu gasped.

[What's a GigaChip?] Fafnir asked.

[One of the rarest kinds of BattleChip! They're so powerful that NetNavis can only handle the power of one per day!] Model A explained [They're stupid broken and can do almost anything! I've heard of one that can even refresh every single BattleChip you've used…including itself and let that NetNavi use it again without worry!]

"That's insanely broken!" Lan gawked.

"What's it called?" Maylu asked.

"No two exist in the whole wide world at the moment," Higsby informed, showing the image of it to be white angelic wings emerging from a blue diamond crystal, "The Divine White Angel GigaChip. It releases a powerful light that disperses all Invis-Element BattleChips, rendering those under its light unable to use them, grants flight, and heals all of the user's allies for five minutes."

"...I repeat my original statement: That's insanely broken!" Lan repeated himself.

"And since you made it and want it shown off, you came looking for me?" Maylu asked.

Higsby nodded, "WWW knows your playbook and will likely have a lot of Invis-Element BattleChips like the Invis series and Shadow series."

"Shadow?" Lan pondered.

"They come from a Virus Family called Dark Shadow," Higsby explained, "Shadow, RedDevil, BlueDemon, and ShadowΩ… These Viruses are found deep in the UnderNet and shapeshift into the forms of knives and axes. They're immune to all attacks unless you use a Sword-Element on them. The BattleChip they give is called Shadow, which turns you into a living shadow that is only harmed by Swords or my new GigaChip creation."

"...I don't know," Lan frowned.

"Hm?" Maylu pondered.

"It sounds…too convenient," Lan admitted.

"We could ask Ciel to double-check things," Vent offered.

"Yeah, yeah! Let's go do that real quick!" Ashe quickly agreed.

"I see, I see…" Higsby chuckled before holding up his PeT, "Not to worry. Numberman used this earlier and I have footage of it right here."

"Hm?" both pondered as they looked at the screen before Numberman appeared on it…and a light shined out of it, causing their eyes to go dull, "Ah…"

"How quaint, how amusing. You're smarter than we were presuming," 'Numberman' rhymed, "Well, we'll need to fix that quite fast. Otherwise this plan will go up like a dynamite's blast." he swept an arm out, "You need not worry, you have no concern. You trust in our word, so onward to the battle around this turn!"

"You two are…!" Vent growled.

"Yahoot! Magicman!" Ashe barked.

'Higsby' smiled at that, "Quite perceptive, Ashe, Vent. There are many questions I have about just how you know that I am with WWW even if we have never met. But…now isn't the time." he lowered his PeT, "You won't win, you know."

"Try us! We know that's the Devil Chip that you'll have Zap use to control Roll!" Vent declared.

"You're even aware of this scheme?" Yahoot questioned, "It appears we truly do have a traitor in our ranks then."

"Good luck with that. He's craftier than you think she is," Ashe replied, "He'll expose y'all to us even with her last dying breath!"

'Switching between genders to try to throw off any leads…' Yahoot thought, "You two are quite dangerous. If not for the security in this place, I would likely deal with you both here and now, sparing the children."

[You insufferable asshole!] Fafnir snapped.

"How rude."

[Shut the front door! You can hear us?!] Axl gasped.

"In a way. I am not one of the 'Chosen,' but your aura is easy to read with how ancient they are," Yahoot replied, lowering his PeT, "You have three minutes to defeat Fireman and Coloredman before Maylu uses the Devil Chip. Don't bother warning them, either. They won't hear or see any warnings to not use it until after it gets downloaded into Roll A."

He walked off. He raised a hand and snapped his fingers the moment he went around a corner. Lan and Maylu blinked and shook their heads.

"Ah…I'm so jealous," Lan sighed, "Higsby only gave me a buncha MiniBombs, but you get to use a one-of-a-kind GigaChip."

"It's really surprising," Maylu agreed, "But Invis has always been the worst thing for Ashe, especially when she uses Giga Crush."

"True," Lan nodded, "Ah! We better get going to the stage!"

"Right!" Maylu agreed as they ran off, neither seeing Vent go into Maylu's PeT and run up to Ashe.

"Not again, not again, not again…" Ashe whispered, a faraway look in her eyes.

"Shit," Vent cursed under his breath before grasping her shoulders and kissed her.

"?!" Ashe blinked before melting into the kiss for a few moments until they ended, "M-Mega…He…He gave that to her…"

"Roll, we planned for this," Vent reminded, moving a lock of hair in her face away, "We would go all out immediately and go straight for Deletion."

"Megamerge before we Jack In," Ashe nodded.

"Yeah. Giga Burst and ZX Charge Shot and get them off before they can insert any BattleChips," Vent confirmed, "After that, we'll convince Maylu and Lan to see Higsby, the real Higsby, to ask about the 'Angel' Chip since you and I felt guilty they didn't get to see what it does."

"Right…Right," Ashe nodded before glancing at the screen, "..."

"We have three minutes to crush them," Vent sighed.

"If…If we can't…"

"Roll…"

"Hub, please. If it happens…keep Model A with you. I'll be weaker without him," Ashe spoke.

[Ashe…] Zero began.

[No, guys. This is a nightmare Ashe has been having for a few days now. I want her safe and that means she can't have me with her if she does have her body hijacked] Axl spoke, a determined tone in his voice [If we can't stop it, then use me to turn the tides, Vent]

"..." Vent nodded before holding Ashe close, causing her to blush.

"H-Hub…?"

"Just…want to assure you that no matter what happens, you're not at fault for what WWW has done or what that Chip is going to try to do," Vent assured.

"Really wish we could tell someo…" Ashe trailed off as her eyes went wide, "CIEL!"

[Gah! Why didn't we…?] Fafnir began before the EMail notification went off.

"..."

[I sent her the recording I made] Phantom informed.

Vent opened the EMail, "'Ashe, Vent, don't worry. I'm working on an anti-hack device as fast as I can. If all goes well, I'll be done before the time limit Yahoot gave you before Maylu uses the Devil Chip. As for getting Yahoot exposed, I'm unsure if we can. The man is shockingly good at his disguises. I think he was about to hypnotize us when Ribitta dragged him away to the broadcasting booth.'"

Ashe sighed in relief, "I hope whatever she's making works."

Ciel grumbled as she soldered and worked on a small box-shaped device on her lap in the audience, "Lousy rotten no-good…"

"Ciel, what are you doing?" Oda asked.

"I can't believe I didn't think they'd try something like hacking into our NetNavis with a Devil Chip…"

"D-Devil Chip?!" Oda gasped, "You really think the WWW will try to use that? Those things are banned in all but Nation Z due to the dangers of them being used by terrorist organizations!"

"Think that? No, they admitted it after Magicman's operator disguised as Higsby hypnotized the two and we can't stop the match because he's likely controlled everyone else that can stop it," Ciel replied, screwing a motherboard into place, "What I'm building right now is a Hacking Disruptor, designed to fight the signal that is released by hacking programs like the Devil Chip. It's a rush job, meaning that it'll need to be up to the NetNavi who it's used on to have a strong will to help fight off the hack." she narrowed her eyes, "They're messing with the people I care about here."

Oda nodded, scowling at the depths WWW would sink to in their goals. Down on the field, Match and Maddy stood across from Lan and Maylu. Match narrowed his eyes at Maylu as Maddy scowled at Lan.

'Maylu Sakurai…I'll repay you for the humiliation you've dealt to me and Fireman!'

'Little boy…I'll make sure this day is unforgettable for you,' Maddy thought before blowing a kiss at Lan, who tilted his head.

"What's that gesture mean?" Lan asked, looking at Maylu in confusion…before flinching as he swore Maylu was on fire again while growling and glaring at Maddy, "GH?!"

"Alright! Let's do this, folks! Please Jack In your NetNavis!" Ribitta declared.

"Jack-In! Vent/Ashe/Fireman/Coloredman!" all four shouted before their NetNavis materialized.

'Huh? They're already suited up?' Lan and Maylu pondered.

"I'm getting a real bad feeling here, Maddy," Match noted in concern.

"Same," Maddy tensed.

"Oh, Torchy~ Wakky~" Roll A spoke in a singsong tone that hid none of her desire to blow them to kingdom come.

"We'll do all we can to Delete you both in three minutes," Megaman ZX stated, his cold eyes glaring at the two NetNavis.

'Dammit…They must have figured out the plan,' Match thought.

Outside, Zap chuckled to himself as he pulled out his PeT and plugged it into his speaker, "Okay, we're all set up." he attached his PeT to a red and orange V-shaped guitar and began to play several notes, "Yes! Time for a real shocking twist to the battle! It's time to rock n' roll!"

In the stadium, a shiver went down Maylu's spine before she looked at Ashe…before her eyes went dull as she smirked, "Let's win this, Roll!"

"Ashe-Vent Team VS Fireman-Coloredman Team…START!" Ribitta declared.

"GIGA CRUSH!" Roll A roared, unleashing her ultimate attack on them first.

Both NetNavis screamed before their bodies turned transparent and then invisible. A flash went off and Megaman PX charged the moment the Giga Crush ended. The young man jumped and went over the hidden ball sent by Coloreman as another flash went off as A-Chronoforce's invulnerable shell bounced the ball off him. His body began to glow as PX landed behind the two as the Invis ran out. A-Chronoforce roared as he shot up into the air and his ice-made tail flipped up and spun like a clock while waves of icy blue energy washed over him. Maddy and Match inserted another BattleChip into their PeTs and the two started to turn transparent…before the NetOps' eyes widened as the Invis was slowly activating instead of the near-instant effect it should have. A flash went off and LX managed to sever Fireman's arms as an ice dragon's fang tore into Coloreman's side just before the Invis could trigger.

"What the heck?!" Match exclaimed.

"Chronoforce's ice is so cold that even time itself slows for him," A-Chronoforce replied, flashing back to Roll-A.

In the booth, the disguised Yahoot scowled, 'A power to slow down time that it even makes the effects of the BattleChips activate slow to a crawl…With the speed of Megaman's modes, they may be able to get done before three minutes have passed. Fortunately…we planned for this.'

"Say, HIgsby? What do you think of this match so far?" Ribitta asked.

"Eh, we-well that is…" Yahoot stumbled in his words, "Th-The stronger team will prevail!"

"Huh?" Ribitta tilted her head.

'This is bad…I have to get out of here and fast…'

"AquaTower, download!" Maylu declared.

"MiniBomb, download!" Lan added.

Roll A smirked as she slammed her hand down, "AquaTower!"

"This should be easy enough. Slowed down time means their Invis BattleChips shouldn't run out as fast as…" Maddy began before the Invis ended, "HAH?!"

"Gh! D-Don't tell me that it only affects the chips when they're being loaded but not how long they normally last!" Match gasped as Megaman LX threw the MiniBomb into the AquaTower as the bomb was glowing an aqua-blue color…before the tower swelled up to several times its original size.

"Oh craaaa…" both slowly spoke before time finally sped up to normal and let them be slammed by the attack, "AAAAAARGH!"

"Yes! That was the best combination!" Yai cheered.

"Weird, it was larger than normal for an AquaTower-MiniBomb combination," Tory noted.

"That's because Vent charged up the MiniBomb," Alouette giggled, sitting between Yai and Jasmine.

"Really?" Jasmine asked.

"Yep! Vent can charge Null Element BattleChips when he uses Double MegaMerge," Alouette explained before holding up Beep, "Meow! They're full-a surprises so watch out if ya make 'em mad, meow!"

"Gh…We can do that, too! AquaTower, download!" Maddy declared.

"FireTower, download!" Match declared.

"Oh boy~" Coloreman called as a smaller Coloredman in greens and reds appeared.

"Right here~! AquaTower!" the tiny copy cheered.

Fireman roared, slamming his arm down on the ground before it exploded as a FireTower ripped out of it and headed for them alongside the AquaTower. Both looked at one another before simply doing nothing. The two towers were almost upon them when they hit one another…and turned into a cloud of steam that hid the two from view.

'Higsby' facepalmed, "The conflicting elements of the two canceled one another out…"

Megaman ZX roared as he shot out of it…alongside a second ZX. Both screamed before their bodies went Invis once more, avoiding the slash and gun barrage.

"Ugh…Shouldn't have gone out of the plan…" Maddy grumbled.

"These brats…" Match growled before blinking, "Wait…what are they…?"

"Huh? Vent, what are you doing?" Lan asked, watching as both ZX continued to slash and shoot…at the ground around the invisible WWW duo.

"If we can't hit you…then we'll make you lose another way!" Megaman ZX declared.

"HAH!" A-ZX roared as he made a final slash before both stood across from one another and raised a fist high up.

With a unified roar, both slammed down on the ground…and the ground underneath the two shattered into a perfectly circular hole. Coloredman screamed as he barely grabbed onto Fireman as he used his arms as makeshift rockets, barely getting out of the fall and onto land as their bodies regained appearance.

"There's always more than one way to prevail over a seemingly impossible BattleChip," Megaman ZX declared.

"Oh! This is almost like when Vent outdid Glyde!" Yai gasped.

"Indeed. A well-needed lesson in humility upon my end," Glyde noted.

"So if they can't hit them with attacks…they can go for a ring out by destroying the field," Tory realized.

"GIGA CRUSH!" Roll A roared, unleashing her ultimate attack once more.

Both WWW NetNavis grunted before their bodies turned into shadows, letting the laser barrage phase through them…only to scream as Megaman ZX ripped into them with his ZX-Saber.

"What just happened?" Ribitta pondered, "The Giga Crush failed, yet Vent was able to inflict damage!"

"The Shadow BattleChips make one into a living shadow…but they leave you vulnerable to blades while all else fails to wound you," 'Higsby' explained.

"The combination of Vent and Ashe is proving to be the superior way!" Ribitta cheered.

"Lan, Maylu, give it your all!" Ms. Mari cheered.

"When ya win, I'll give this big bag of Niboshi away for free!" Masa declared.

"Three minutes are nearly there…" Zap grinned, looking at his timer before a notification went off, "Gh?! 'Do it now.'"

"Oh dear! It seems that Fireman and Coloredman will fall into the darkness of defeat without a shred of light to shine on them!" 'Higsby' noted.

"!?" Maylu tensed as her eyes went dull, "Light…"

[SHIT! Yahoot put a trigger command into Maylu!] Axl realized.

"Divine White Angel…GigaChip Download!" Maylu shouted as she inserted the GigaChip into her PeT…before black electricity crackled off it as the screen turned to static, "AH!"

"Maylu?!" Lan gasped as he looked over at her, her eyes going back to normal, "Wait…Why did you use that BattleChip?"

Smoke hissed off the GigaChip before its cover burned away, revealing a demonic pair of wings with a red crystal and crimson 'eyes' in the wings. The screen static cleared up, showing the same image on it.

"Oh no…" Ciel gasped, dropping her screwdriver, "I'm too late…"

"The way Maylu moved after Higsby said that…" Oda spoke before gritting his teeth, "She's been hypnotized."

"That means that isn't Higsby up there!" Ciel gasped before Oda ran off.

"Keep working on it, CIel!" Oda ordered, "I'll detain that imposter and find the real Higsby!"

"EEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAARGGGGGH!" Roll A shrieked as purple lightning erupted off her body.

[AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGH!] Axl screamed before a flash went off and he shot over to Megaman ZX as he reverted to Vent [O-Ow…That…That hurt worse than any Maverick I've fought with electrical powers…]

"ROLL!?" Maylu gasped in shock.

[Vent!] X barked.

"Right!" Vent nodded, "Axl?"

[Let's do this, X, Vent! For Ashe!]

"Model X! Model A!" Vent shouted, grasping both Biometals and held them high above his head, "Double MegaMerge!"

[Biolink Established. MEGA System Online]

A pillar of light erupted around Vent. Within, data poured out of Model X and Model A like geysers. Armor began to appear on Vent as his eyes were shut and his hair floated high in the air. A pulse went off and the pillar of light slowly ebbed away. Megaman stood there, donned in armor that was shaped mostly like Model X and Model ZX, however his back sported a white armored pack on the back with two sharp 'wings' pointing downwards, resembling an upside-down 'V.' His helmet resembled Model A's, but the spikes on it stretched back a bit further with the screw replaced with a blue orb. Data lines appeared in the orb as Megaman AX opened his eyes.

"The Copy Megaman…Megaman Model AX," Megaman AX declared.

"Oh come on!" Coloredman snapped.

"He can even do it with that one!?" Fireman gasped.

Megaman AX looked over at Ashe, who was holding herself as she grit her teeth. He walked up to her and laid his hands on her shoulders.

"You've got this, Roll," he whispered into her ear, "I know you won't lose to this."

[Vent…You won't believe what I've got!] Axl exclaimed, excitement in his voice [These two are in for it for what they pulled!]

"W-Wait…What's going on?!" Lan asked.

[Yahoot was the Higsby you two encountered. He hypnotized you both to ignore any attempt to not use the Devil Chip he disguised as that fake one] Zero informed.

"Huh?!" Lan gawked, "Ah! Maylu, hurry! Get it out!"

"You need a Cyclone BattleChip," AX informed.

"C-Cyclone…?" Maylu gasped, "I…I gave my only one to Jasmine this morning for a trade for a RockCube BattleChip to use with Roll's Atlas form…"

'Shit!' Megaman AX thought.

[Focus, Vent] Axl spoke [I don't know how, but the boost that X gives to us Biometals seems to have unlocked my whole roster from before my body went kablooey]

"...Your whole roster?" AX pondered.

[The whole thing] Axl chuckled as an image appeared in AX's eyes [How's 'bout this one? Claws for Shadow and too tough for them to chip at while under Invis…and one technique that bypasses that stuff and directly attacks the 'soul' of the enemy]

AX nodded, "A-TRANS! MAGMA DRAGOON!"

Flames erupted off AX before a larger, clawed hand swung out of it, dispersing them. In AX's place was a tall figure based on a dragon, leaning towards the European depiction of dragons as winged, fire-breathing, reptilian creatures. He had a reptilian snout with sharp fangs, straight horns, and bushy eyebrows. His armor was red, black, and silver, featuring claws on his feet and shoulders. He had two appendages on his back that resembled wings. He had a ring of green beads around his neck similar to prayer beads, and the Japanese ten symbol "天" below his breastplate, meaning 'heaven' or 'sky.' He leaned his head back and let out a powerful roar that shook the arena.

"Wh-wh-wh-WHAT?!" Coloredman freaked.

"What…What is that?!" Fireman gasped, taking a step back.

"Your Deletion," AX-Magma Dragoon growled…from behind them.

"?!" both spun around before his flaming fists rammed into the underside of their jaws.

"SHO! RYU! KEN!" he roared, delivering a double uppercut as the flames took the shape of rising Western dragons that sent them flying into the air.

Ashe stumbled back, grasping her head as digital blood leaked from her mouth, 'H-Head…hurts…!'

Obey…

'Wh-What's…?'

Roll…Become Count Zap's servant and do evil…

She blinked and found herself in a black void, "?!" she looked around, "What the…Who's there?!"

Black lightning hit the ground before her and she tensed when it took form. Standing before her was herself…before she became Ashe. Yet…This Roll sported high-heeled boots with her hair missing. Black eyeliner and purple lipstick were on her face, paler than normal with a far too sinister look on her face. Elecman's generators, albeit smaller, were attached to her back while her gloves ended in sharp claw-like fingernails.

"The hell…?"

"Welcome to our spiritual realm."

"Oh great…Guess because I'm not giving in as fast as before, you're doing this then," Ashe scowled before, with effort, a crack in the darkness gave way, illuminating it with a near oval-shaped 'mirror' showing AX-Magma Dragoon fighting both WWW NetNavis.

"Well, now this won't do. We cannot Delete that insufferable Megaman like this~"

"You won't win this time," Ashe growled.

"Oh? Why not?" the dark reflection of her past self questioned, walking up to her, "You don't have the Cyclone BattleChip. You never even noticed she traded it away, hm?"

"Gh…"

"Let's face it. You've always been destined to become me at this time," she smirked, lightly running a finger along her cheek and then the underside of her chin, "We're a naughty naughty girl~!"

"What did I do…?" Maylu whispered, on the verge of tears, as she looked at how Ashe was paralyzed by the black electricity and doing a mixture of screams and sobs at random intervals between moments of grunting and straining herself.

"Let's try together," Lan offered.

"But Lan, you…" Maylu began before a tiny cut form on his head from where a FireSword from Fireman grazed his partner in the same spot, "!"

"I can provide a boost to his abilities, but no BattleChips. Not until we help Ashe," Lan stated, "You pull and I'll hold onto your PeT."

Maylu nodded, "R-Right."

Lan held her PeT and Maylu managed to grip the bit of the Devil Chip in her PeT. With a unified grunt, both began to pull. After several moments, both yelped as the PeT went up into the air and the two fell onto their backs. Maylu groaned before the PeT landed on her chest, letting out a huff from the impact. She opened her eyes and looked down at it, seeing that troubling icon still flashing on it.

"I'm not quite sure what's going on," Ribitta noted in concern, "Ashe has locked up while Vent has taken on a new form that's letting him two-v-one Fireman and Coloredman with fervor." she looked over to 'Higsby,' "What BattleChip did Maylu use that caused this?"

"Er…I believe that…" he began before the screen turned off.

"Huh? What's…?" Ribitta began before Oda slammed the door open with several officers.

"Grab him!" Oda barked.

'Higsby' glanced at them, his glasses hiding his eyes, as the officers rushed at him. With surprising dexterity, he began to swiftly evade and strike at the officers, locking their bodies up or throwing them around and over his head. Ribitta yelped as she ducked down to avoid the fighting until the only ones left were her, 'Higsby,' and Oda.

"How did you…?"

"You stopped the kids from finding out, but didn't prevent the NetNavis from getting the word out," Oda explained.

"Unfortunate," 'Higsby' noted.

"Drop the disguise, Yahoot. We already have the real one free and making him head out to the arena floor," Oda informed.

"..." 'Higsby' chuckled as he pulled off his disguise, "So they told you that as well."

"K-Kero~!"

"Toadman!" Ribitta gasped, looking at the monitor where Magicman was holding Toadman by the throat.

"Allow us to leave and I will return Toadman to his operator once we have escaped," Yahoot warned, "You should be aware that she hasn't backed up his data because neither has had to deal with a threat like this before to him."

Oda scowled, yet moved to the side, "How low…" 'I should've asked Ciel for an upgrade to my PeT. Blasted cable…'

"Though…I should warn you of something," Yahoot spoke, walking by Oda, "The two called Ashe and Vent are more than they seem. They hold knowledge that not even a mole in our ranks should have access to…power that shouldn't be possible yet. And the aura of your daughters are old…far too old to be children."

Oda frowned at that. The moment Yahoot closed the door behind him, Oda spun around and opened it, revealing no sign of the man. He scowled as Toadman fell to the floor, panting.

"Oh Toadman…" Ribitta gasped, quickly logging him out to hold him to her chest in the PeT, sobs coming from the speakers of it.

"Okay, it's done," Ciel sighed in relief as she looked at the box with a small satellite dish on the top, "Please…Please work…"

She pushed the top and the dish began to spin. Maylu looked up at Ashe as the black lightning started to lessen in its ferocity as her screen started to turn to static in places once more.

"What the…?" Maylu pondered before looking back up at Ashe, "..." she closed her eyes and started to grunt as her hair began to softly float and drop back down.

"M-Maylu?" Lan gasped.

"F-FullSynchro…!" Maylu grunted, her hair repeating its process, "FullSynchro…FullSyncro…!"

'She's…trying to force it?' Lan pondered before looking at Ashe, 'Come on…Let her in!'

"Gh…What's going on?!" Zap growled, seeing an error on his PeT screen, "I'll just have to play harder, it seems!" he pulled out a BattleChip, "Signal Booster, download!"

Black electricity roared from Maylu's PeT and struck her, "AGH!"

"Maylu!?" Lan panicked, catching her as she collapsed into his arms, "Maylu!"

Maylu slowly cracked her eyes open, a strong pain throbbing in her head. She slowly sat up and looked around, seeing a black void of sorts almost all around her before wincing as her eye had to squint, seeing a light in the distance. She began to run towards it…and voices made their way to her ears.

"I'm not a monster! I won't hurt him again!"

'Roll!' Maylu thought in surprise before picking up the pace.

A sharp cackle came from a voice similar to Ashe's own, "Oh? Now we both know that's a lie. You've already broken him, Roll~ Just like Maylu. Broke. You."

Maylu stumbled in her run, 'What? I…broke Roll?' she shook her head before running, soon coming up on Ashe and the dark Roll, '?! What the…?'

"You shut up!" Ashe growled.

"Oh very well…Let's let the memories say otherwise!" the dark Roll replied, swinging her arm out.

The darkness bled away and Maylu blinked, realizing they were suddenly in her homepage.

"SHUT UP!" Maylu spun to the right as did Ashe before both tensed…for different reasons.

There, having slammed a fist into a NetNavi that oddly reminded Maylu of Lan if he wore a navy bodysuit with light blue armor and cobalt hair peeking out from under it…was a NetNavi that seemed like Ashe if she were Maylu's age with long blond hair and her outfit replaced with pinks and reds and seemingly constant in wearing the odd helmet Ashe would sometimes wear to help with situations that those antennae called for if her A-Trans couldn't do much.

"R…Roll…?" the Lan-like NetNavi asked, as if in stunned disbelief.

"I hate you," the pink NetNavi spat before ripping off a necklace, one Maylu recognized as the one Ashe had begun wearing before that attack at SciLab happened, and threw it to the floor before stomping and shattering it.

"Ah! R…" he began before the girl's right glove turned into a pink crossbow with the arrowhead shaped like a red heart and shot him with it, impaling him through the gut, "GURK!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU FREAK!" She then slammed a heel into his face, knocking him into the exit and forcing him out, before she made a screen pop up and insert a filter and changed the password, "You tried to let Maylu die…I'll never forgive you, Megaman."

'What the…M-Megaman? Wait…That looked like those photos Ashe sometimes looks at! Was that…Vent before he met Lan? But…But who was that pink NetNavi? Why does she look like the creepy one here?' Maylu pondered before her eyes widened, 'Wait…This moment…' she thought back to when she shared that 'dream' with Lan after the Vulturon incident, 'That was…'

"Oh, and let's not forget…" the dark Roll went on as it changed to the younger Roll wincing as a screen showed a slightly older Maylu glaring down at her.

"YOU JERK!" the older Maylu snapped, "They had a backup plan in case they couldn't get to me in time! You saw how the Dimensional Area was fading away! With how high up we were, of course it would've forced the CrossFusion to end!"

'Cross…Fusion?' Maylu pondered.

"B-But th…but that can't be! He stopped! He let you fall!"

"If you had looked down, you would've seen Rush calling out a herd of Moloko!"

"But that's…"

"They saved me…us! And what did you do?! You called Megaman a freak, a monster! Megaman and I spent weeks in private conversations on making that necklace!"

"Wh-What?"

"Yes! We both worked to make that as a gift to you because you were feeling upset over the lack of time you've had with him!" the older Maylu growled, "A-And you go and break it a-a-and then you nearly Deleted him with that RollArrow! It almost hit his CyberCore!" she took in a shaky breath, "You need to go and beg for his forgiveness."

"B-But he…"

"NO! You are going to apologize!" she demanded, slamming a fist on the table.

"B-But…"

The older Maylu growled, "Fine! Until you do, you're not Roll anymore! You're a fake! A dumb stupid AI trying to pretend to be her!"

"M-Maylu…"

"SHUT UP! You're not Roll! You don't get to call me anything but 'NetOp' from now on! Got it, NetNavi?"

"M-Maylu?!"

"You're not Roll, so stop calling me by my name," she growled before forcing her to log out and shut off the PeT, leaving them in darkness with a stunned Roll before she, too, vanished into the darkness.

"I must say…How stunning it is, hm? You say you love him, but you go and hurt him far worse than any other has managed. Not even his Deletion back at the first N1 was as painful," the dark Roll chuckled, Ashe stumbling back as tears fell down her cheeks.

'First N1?' Maylu tilted her head.

"You know it's true, right~? I am the real you, the one you showed that day," the dark Roll sneered, "I am what you really are: a girl who relishes doing evil! Who loves to hurt others as deeply as making them love me only to crush their hearts!"

"N-No…I…I don't!" Ashe argued, "That's a lie!"

"It's not a lie," she purred, moving closer…only to have Maylu run between them, spreading her arms out, "What?"

"M-Maylu…?" Ashe gasped.

"How dare you?!" Maylu growled, glaring at the dark Roll, "You shut up right now! You're saying you're Roll? No way!"

"And you think you know her?" the dark Roll asked with a sneer, "She's been lying to your face since the first day…she and Vent are liars, having a joke about leaving you and your boy toy in the dark."

Maylu scowled, "You don't know a thing about her!"

"And you think you do?"

"...She goes into panic attacks when the PeT is turned off or when rollercoasters are brought up. She worries when I skip a meal by accident or when I'm sick. If I wake up from a nightmare, she makes me forget them with all kinds of stories," Maylu spoke, "She does all she can to make sure my schedule is balanced between important things and things that let me be my age and not having to be an adult. …For the first two years, her smile was fake most of the time." Ashe flinched, "...It was the same smile I had for a long time. But…" she narrowed her eyes in determination, "She's amazing! She does so much and wanted so little from it for so long! I basically had to tell her several times over that it was okay to be selfish at times! I was the one who had to convince her to try out those NetBattle pits for crying out loud! I don't know what all that was…" she frowned sadly, "It looked like stuff was missing from it that would make it make sense, but…but don't hurt my big sister like that! Don't use stupid bad stuff that wouldn't happen with us like that!"

"And how would you know, huh?" the dark Roll demanded, "That stuff? It did happen!"

"And I don't care!" Maylu snapped, "That wasn't me! I am me! Not that mean fake you showed! Roll is my big sister! I love her with so much of my heart!" she looked over her shoulder at Ashe, "I…don't know what that was…but it doesn't matter right now. Can…Can we talk about that later?"

Ashe just nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment, as tears fell down her cheeks. Her eyes widened as she pulled Maylu back, barely avoiding a barbed whip the dark Roll was using.

"You little bitch!" she hissed, "I don't know how you got in here, but you won't interfere!"

"No, you're the one interfering! Ashe and I were excited for this and you and WWW are ruining our NetBattle!" Maylu fumed before hugging Ashe, "You're not a thing…You're Roll…You're my big sister and an awesome friend."

"M-Maylu…" Ashe choked out before returning the embrace.

"Ugh…Cry me a river," the dark Roll scoffed, "Now get out of the way! This body is mine!"

"...I'm…not giving up…"

"Hm?" the dark Roll raised a brow as Ashe glared at her.

"You're not hurting him or her or anyone else ever!" Ashe growled.

"Leave us alone, you imposter!" Maylu agreed, glaring at the dark reflection of her big sister.

The dark Roll swung her whip out before tensing as Ashe grabbed the whip without injury. She tried to pull it back only for Ashe's arm to not even budge. Maylu and Ashe glowed before the younger girl seemed to meld with the older one like FullSynchro. Her hair bled into golden locks as her eyes turned a strong sapphire, her clothing fading away. The dark Roll gasped, stumbling back as her whip burned away. The young woman before her calmly held a hand up.

"Begone."

Ashe roared as a shockwave came off her, dispersing the energy. Maylu's PeT sparked and crackled before the Devil Chip exploded out of the slot and Higsby screamed in fright as it embedded itself halfway into the concrete wall just as he was about to head out to talk to them.

"H-Huh?!" Higsby gawked.

"Good heavens! It…It exploded out of the PeT?!" Numberman gasped, 'Is it…from her origins?'

"Ugh…" Maylu groaned.

"Maylu!" Lan exclaimed, seeing the girl's eyes slowly opening back up.

"Ow…" Maylu groaned as Ashe collapsed to her knees, panting heavily.

Outside, Yahoot caught the collapsing Zap, his body littered in burns as his guitar's remains sparked and crackled in a pool of its melted metals along with the smoldering remains of the melted PeT and speaker. He frowned as he looked at his PeT, watching the feed showing what Ashe did.

"Curiouser and curiouser…" Yahoot whispered before picking up Zap and vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

"Roll!" AX-Magma Dragoon exclaimed as he quickly delivered a roundhouse kick engulfed in flames to knock the two away before running over to her, flashing back to Megaman AX to catch her.

"Ugh…" Ashe groaned before chuckling and looking up at him, "I…I didn't lose…"

[Oh my gosh!] Axl exclaimed, ending the Double MegaMerge to get over to her [Are you alright? Please don't be hurt…]

Ashe managed to get up to her feet with Megaman X's help, "I…I'll be alright, buddy." she glared at the two WWW NetNavis looking at her in stunned shock, "But they won't."

Axl let out a noise of agreement [Yeah. And good news, Ashe]

"What?"

[Remember the stories that I've been telling you and Maylu since my memories came back? Guess who has all their old saved A-Trans back~?]

"...No way," Ashe grinned deviously.

[Yes way~! I shoulda did a Double MegaMerge with Vent a long time ago!] Axl replied in giddy.

"Heck yeah!" Ashe pumped a fist before stumbling a bit, "U-Ugh…Probably best to try 'em all out later."

Megaman X nodded, "Yeah. We need to finish this fast and get you checked over by Famous."

Ashe nodded, "MegaMerge!" in a flash, Roll A readied herself, "Ready?"

"You bet," Megaman X replied as, in a flash, Megaman ZX stood, "Hey! Remember my job?"

"Oh no," Coloredman gulped.

"I'm a Carrier. And my delivery? Is your defeat!" Megaman ZX declared.

"Gah! He said the line!" Coloredman screamed in frustration.

"Let's go!" Lan declared, "They ran outta Shadow and Invis BattleChips trying to survive Vent's rampage!"

"Oh~? You rampaged?" Roll A teased as ZX glanced away with a blush.

"W-Well…They made me mad for doing that to you and Maylu," ZX mumbled before she pecked his cheek with a kiss.

"You are so sweet," Roll A giggled before both shot a charging Coloredman, knocking him away, "Shall we?"

"We shall," Megaman ZX winked.

"GIGA CRUSH!" Roll A roared, letting loose the plasma barrage.

"GYA!" both screamed as they prepared for the attack…only for it to completely miss them and strike all around them, engulfing the area in smoke, "Huh?"

"Wh…What's…?" Coloredman gawked before screaming as Megaman ZX was upon him, Life Sword tearing through his body, "GARGH!"

=COLOREDMAN: LOGGING OUT=

"Ah! No~! Coloredman is…!" Maddy panicked.

"Fireman, roast them!" Match roared.

"Lava Wave!" Fireman roared, unleashing a tidal wave of magma.

"Nice trick…" Megaman ZX smirked before turning into FX, "Here's mine. Overdrive…"

Flames erupted off his body before his slammed his fists down on the ground…before an even bigger wave of lava ripped out of it and engulfed Fireman's with ease. Fireman screamed as he used his arms to fly out of the path of the tidal wave of boiling lava before his eyes widened as Roll A was before him, a smirking FX lowering his throwing arm.

"Get sliced through along with the very edges of the universe with our righteous fury!" Roll A declared.

"HeroSword! Sword! WideSword! LongSword!" Maylu shouted.

"Impossible!" Fireman panicked.

Roll A roared as she first swung the HeroSword, cleaving through him for a rising diagonal to the left. She then swung the LifeSword, ripping through him with an overhead slash.

=FIREMAN: LOGGING OUT!=

"This…This can't…" Match gasped, slumping over the console in defeat.

"Match over~!" Ribitta cheered, managing to keep a facade going to hide her nerves from the situation that happened to her, "The winners are the team of Vent and Ashe!"

"Whoo! That's…that's great…" Roll A groaned, changing back to Ashe and caught by a concerned Vent, "Ugh…"

"Maylu, Lan, let's get Ashe over to Jasmine and Meddy," Vent advised.

"R-Right!" Maylu nodded.

"Alright! Maylu and Lan won!" Yai cheered.

"That's a relief," Tory sighed in relief, "Though…what happened with Ashe?"

"No clue. It looked really painful," Dex grimaced.

"Mmm…Jasmine?" Alouette looked up at the older girl from Choina.

"Yes?" Jasmine asked.

"Do you think Meddy can look over Ashe? It looked really painful whatever happened to her," Alouette asked.

"Only if Maylu and Ashe ask," Jasmine replied before her PeT went off.

"Speaking of, Maylu just sent an email asking just that," Meddy noted.

"You'll need some help from a programmer," the group looked to see Famous walking over, "That was an attempt at someone using a Devil Chip."

Ms. Mari gasped, "A D-Devil Chip?! But those are illegal in almost every country in the world!"

"Yes," Famous nodded.

"We were so close! So close! Why didn't the stupid Chip work?!" Maddy growled, slamming a foot repeatedly on the wall of the hallway the two were in.

"Aye. The lass is indeed strong-willed," Match frowned, "And Megaman showed off he can use Model A as well."

"We should've expected that! He can do it with all those others, so why not that one his girlfriend has!?" Maddy growled, "Those brats are gonna pay! We'll have our victory!"

"In all of recorded history, evil has never truly triumphed!"

"!?" the two turned to see Commander Beef standing before them, arms crossed over his torso with a stern glare behind his visitor, with Mysteriyu and Madam Rose at his sides.

"A cool man, Commander Beef!" he declared.

"A wise woman, Mysteriyu."

"A blossoming woman, Madam Rose."

"Gh…" Match grit his teeth before grabbing a trash can and throwing it at them.

"Useless," Commander Beef declared as he deployed his laser blades and chopped through it.

"Gah! They have laser weapons?!" Maddy gasped before screaming as a whip made of plasma skeleton bones wrapped around her, "GAH!"

"Maddy!" Match panicked before a plasma rose whip ensnared him, "NO!"

"Due to WWW's utilization of a Devil Chip in this officially sanctioned international tournament, your privileges as not being able to be arrested on this land have been forfeited," Commander Beef declared, presenting his badge, "You two are under arrest."

"Mmm…Well, it seems that the strain on her data isn't as bad as I expected after learning she got a Devil Chip forced on her," Meddy noted, looking over a sphere Ashe was floating inside of while sound asleep.

"It seems that whatever you two did to force it out of the PeT minimized the damage she should've taken," Famous observed, looking over Ashe's data on his PeT's screen, "She'll need to stay in a recovery cycle for the rest of tonight, but she'll be able to continue on tomorrow." he frowned at Maylu, "But we do have one thing to address: forcing FullSynchro is a dangerous thing to do. If something went wrong, you would've been rendered comatose or worse."

Maylu gulped, "I…I'm sorry, but I…I just couldn't let Roll…" Lan gently laid a hand on her shoulder, "?"

"It's alright, Maylu. I understand what you were trying to do and it worked out in the end. We just gotta be more careful, alright?"

"Right…" Maylu nodded.

"Everyone, an urgent announcement!" everyone looked at a screen showing Higsby and Ribitta, "Due to certain actions earlier today, our final match will need a redraw for one competitor." the screen changed to show Magicman being removed from his spot as the roulette spun before settling on an icon for a whale's tail poking out of the sea, "Whaleman is taking his place! Please make your way to the Beta Dome for the next match, folks!"

'Oh those poor…poor folks… This will be a curbstomp,' Vent thought, "Lan, is it alright if I stay here?"

"Huh? Mmm…I guess," Lan replied, "But you don't really have to ask me. You're your own person. Just let me know when you're back, alright?"

Vent chuckled, a soft smile on his face, "Thanks, Lan."

Eventually, the only ones left were Jasmine, Meddy, Vent, and Maylu in the room. Jasmine logged Meddy out and nodded to Maylu.

"We'll be right back with something to eat," Jasmine spoke, "You need something as well."

"Thanks," Maylu thanked before she left, leaving her, the Biometals, Vent, and Ashe, "...Vent?"

"Yes?"

"...I…I saw something when in FullSynchro with her," Maylu explained, grimacing, "She…She was arguing with this scary lady in pink and looked like she had bits of Elecman on her body a-and her helmet that she sometimes wears." She barely noticed the flinch, "You know what she looked like."

"Um…"

"Are…Are you and Ashe…from the future?"

Vent grimaced, "...Maylu, I…"

[Maylu, what you are asking is a dangerous question] X spoke gently [We…]

[It's up to Vent] Zero cut X off.

"...Maylu, if I answer that…I want you to stay silent from Lan about this. I want to be the one to tell him, like how Roll wants to tell you," Vent responded.

Maylu nodded, "O…Okay."

"...We're from a bad timeline. We died…but Ashe and I somehow woke up on the days we were given to you and Lan respectively," Vent confirmed, "We've prevented the worst things, but…" he sighed, "Some things seem to just want to happen."

"Like the Devil Chip?"

"Yeah…" Vent grimaced, "We tried so hard to end that fight before you'd use it only to not think that Magicman added a secret trigger sentence to your hypnotism."

Maylu nodded, "...Um…"

"Maylu, after the N1, I want to tell Lan the truth…No, I will tell him the truth," Vent explained, "Do you think you can be patient enough to wait until then for the full explanation?"

Maylu nodded before a moment passed and she had a look of guilt, "...I did something bad, didn't I?"

"You didn't. The other you did…as did I," Vent sighed, "But remember: after the N1. I won't answer anything major about the future until then…well…except two things."

"Huh?"

"One thing Ashe wanted to do so much…was get past this point of the N1 with you since…this is where she and that other Maylu were forced to drop out," Vent explained.

Maylu grimaced, understanding what likely happened, "And the other…?"

"She loves you from the bottom of her heart and really does cherish you as a sister. She's been terrified of what would happen between you both when you learned the truth and doesn't want you to think that she thinks you're something like a replacement when that's further from the truth than anything," Vent replied, "And, frankly? You are a wonderful young girl that is far better than that other one. You're more active, you have a clearer head…you…smile more honestly…"

Maylu nodded, gently laying a hand on the screen showing Ashe in the sphere, "Roll…" she thought to what little she saw that evil Roll showed, 'I don't want to be like her…' she blinked a few times, '...Come to think of it…that dumb me didn't look well…even with what Vent said, she…likely wasn't mentally well, either. Roll probably didn't have her try parkour and find out it's amazing. She probably never learned how Virus Busting and those Pits helped save up money for rougher times when Mama or Papa thought the other paid bills during extremely busy times at work and I had to use my allowance and what we earned from those to pay the bills and have good healthy food.'

[Maylu?] Axl asked in a private link to her [Please don't react outwardly to me, okay? Vent's right about Ashe and how much she cares for you. She sometimes wakes up from nightmares of that other you and whatever she did. I don't know the full story either, but she and Vent never had us with them back then. I don't want to cause trouble because I like you as family, too. You and Ashe are the best sisters I've known aside from the two I used to have before the Elf Wars]

'You had sisters before us?'

[Alia and Layer. They were the best big sisters and really liked my big brothers X and Zero. They don't like talking about them, though. We…lost them during the Elf Wars when Dr. Weil bombed the current HQ at the time] Model A sniffled [It wasn't fair. Alia and X were gonna marry a few days before the Elf Wars broke out and Layer was gonna go on a date with Zero. I wish I had a chance like you and Ashe have here, but…]

Maylu's eyes softened, 'It'll be alright, Axl. Your sisters are probably still watching out for you and the others from above and you have Roll and I here for you as well. I don't thi k things would be the same if you weren't there.' She mentally giggled, 'You've helped me find things that I really enjoy that Roll thought of and you're a really good tutor for school.'

[Ohh…You're the best lil' sis, Maylu] Axl preened.

'And you're a great big brother,' Maylu replied, "Vent?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for telling me this. And…I promise, I will try to stay silent on this time travel stuff until the N1 is over and you're ready to tell Lan," Maylu spoke.

Vent blinked a few times before a gentle smile of relief formed on his face, "Thanks, Maylu."

Chaud and Raika walked alongside one another towards the field of Beta Dome before Raika spoke, "Searchman and I will stay to the back, taking the mid-to-long range if needed."

"You think you won't be needed?"

"With your abilities and Protoman's, the battle will be swiftly over," Raika replied.

Chaud shook his head, "As much as I'd enjoy a swift and easy victory over them, I have an agreement to 'give a show' for someone important."

"Contractual agreement in the IPC?" Raika guessed.

"No; a little sister of a friend of mine," Chaud replied, "This is also a chance to show what Sharo's methods of NetBattle are like when working alongside another nation's style."

"I see," Raika nodded, "They're quite important to you if that's how you are handling this."

"Of course," Chaud replied, "They're family."

The two entered the field of the arena and approached their podium for the NetBattle. Across from them, their opponents were slightly unnerved due to who they were fighting. Hovering by Lan in holographic form, Model F chuckled.

[Ohh…Those two are gonna be up the lava flow without a reinforced Lightanium-X alloy paddle] Fafnir noted.

'Yep. …What's Lightanium-X?' Lan asked, looking at the Biometal after a moment.

[It's the alloy our dad was made from] Fafnir replied [It was super durable and took so much to damage it]

'Huh…Neat,' Lan noted as all four sent in their NetNavis, the opponents to Searchman and Protoman being a massive humanoid orca whale and a humanoid NetNavi with green skin, solid red eyes, a white bodysuit with gloves and scarf with a turban sporting a gold sun emblem on the turban.

[X…is it just me or does that guy look like Duff McWhalen?] Zero asked.

[He does, but I thought he went by Tidal Whale] X noted.

[Oh right, I fought him while you were being repaired by Alia after fighting Slash Grizzly] Zero replied [He had changed his name a few weeks before he was infected]

[That colony drop incident left me so baffled on the names of those we had to fight to get the things we needed] X sighed.

[I'm recording this for Ashe when she wakes up] Axl spoke [Also, I like the names from the reports from that incident. All of them sounded like musicians or songs]

"The more I hear about the past…the more I'm left confused," Maylu sighed.

"Those two are in for it. Searchman and Protoman are a dangerous combination to fight," Vent commented before Chaud held up three fingers, "Oh? He's giving them three minutes before he stops holding back. Good time limit for them."

"Um…I…"

Vent chuckled, "Tell you what, Maylu. I'll tell you some things from the other timeline for the N1 since those events happened differently to here. In this case? Blastman and Whaleman were Protoman and Shiningman's opponents. Protoman…beat up all three of them in seconds."

"Wow," Maylu noted in surprise.

"Yep. Though…I don't get why Chaud and Protoman are going slower than the first matches they've had here."

"Oh, that's because Alouette asked them to so she can cheer them on more," Maylu replied.

[...That little girl is devious] Leviathan summed up what they were all thinking.

"Three minutes…sporting," Searchman noted.

"I'd rather do less, but…a teary-eyed Alouette is not something one can handle without being truly evil," Protoman admitted.

"Come now. That can't be…" Searchman began before Protoman held up a digital photo of Alouette, looking at the camera with big, teary eyes, a quivering lip, and hugging Beep close, "...Put it away. Put. It. Away."

"See? And Alouette had Chaud take a photo of it for good measure and challenged us to see if we can overcome it," Protoman sighed.

"...That little girl is devious."

"And begin!" Ribitta cheered.

"Shining Blinder!" Shiningman shouted, letting loose a brilliant flash of light.

"Blind Mode!" Protoman declared, his visor turning darker as Searchman had to hold up his sniper rifle to prevent the light from getting into his eyes again.

Whaleman bellowed, having been behind Shiningman, before jumping over and slamming his tail down…letting loose a massive tidal wave. Protoman heard the oncoming wave and Chaud inserted a BattleChip, creating a pair of Swords before he teleported behind the tidal wave and before Shiningman, delivering two diagonal slashes with his swords to form an 'X.' He spun around as his swords were replaced with a golden blade with a cosmic-colored middle that seemed to be randomly shifting. He swung the blade and a barrage of four different colored shockwaves shot out and sliced apart the tidal wave before it could hit Searchman.

"What were those?!" Ribitta asked.

"The first was a StepCross. It's rumored to be have created from the data of two Sword BattleChips and an AreaSteal, hence why he could teleport like that and deliver those two slashes. There's another called StepSword that uses a single WideSword instead of a pair of Swords, huh," Higsby explained, "As for the other one, that is a rare BattleChip known as VariableSword. It can become any kind of blade the user wishes with the strongest attack being the Elemental Shockwaves, a set of shockwaves in the four Elements that comprise most of the Network."

Whaleman inhaled deeply before firing a pressurized stream of water at the two, forcing them to jump out of the way. Shiningman's NetOp inserted a BattleChip and a pair of swords made of light formed in his hands as he charged at Searchman. The Sharo-made NetNavi pulled out his combat knife and began to swiftly block and parry the attack upon him. A series of clicks made Shiningman look down in their stalemate to see grenades all primed and ready to go off beneath them. He gulped as Searchman smirked before they went off. Whaleman fired a barrage of water-made bullets from his blowhole, Protoman slicing through them with his sword or making them bounce away with his shield.

"I'm amazed that they're holding back like this," Famous noted.

"Not me," Oda chuckled as they watched the battle on Famous's PeT as they were on a boat heading back to shore, Match and Maddy detained under the deck with Madam Rose and Mysteriyu keeping vigilance and Commander Beef piloting, "Chaud tends to be headstrong…but nobody, aside from me, has ever been able to say 'no' to a request from a teary-eyed Alouette." he let out a huff, "She knows why that doesn't work on me anymore. Goddamn freemium apps…"

"Right…" Famous spoke, looking away from him to focus on the timer he had in the corner, "Ten seconds left."

"Maylu, do not blink or it will be over before you can watch," Vent warned.

"Huh?"

[Three…two…] Zero counted down.

"One," Lan whispered as three minutes were up.

As if a switch was flipped, the NetNavi team of Protoman and Searchman narrowed their eyes. One moment, they were about to be hit by an AquaTower…then Protoman was behind the two NetNavis as the AquaTower collapsed from two holes in it. The two gagged and choked as holes went through their emblems as several red lines covered their bodies…before they began to slide apart on them and quickly logged out.

"What just happened? I blinked and it was over, huh."

"Wow! What amazing speed!" Ribitta cheered, "After an intense three minutes, the winners are the team of Protoman and Searchman! Welcome back into the N1, Searchman and Raika!"

"Anything to note on them?" Chaud questioned as they soon left the field.

"Neither was showing any signs of FullSynchro," Raika replied.

"Pity. Improve Shiningman's speed in his attacks and he could be a good initial contact with enemies, utilizing his light to temporarily blind the opponent for other NetNavis to attack and either Delete or detain a criminal," Chaud noted.

Raika nodded, "Their tactics were sound and were quick to adapt to one another despite the last minute exchange. They'd be offered training in the Sharo military if they had been from my country for sure in order to maximize their potential, but neither of their NetOps seem to have the right mentality to handle it."

"That's just the difference between us and them, I suppose," Chaud casually shrugged.

"Whoa," Maylu gulped.

"Nervous?"

"Yeah."

"You and me both. Especially since I know they will become even stronger."

"They get stronger?" Maylu gawked before the door opened.

"Sorry. I got stuck in a crowd on my way back because they were watching on the screens and their PeTs," Jasmine apologized, entering with some food.

"Any changes?" Meddy asked.

"No changes," Vent confirmed.

"You're quite the dedicated boyfriend, hm?" Meddy pondered.

"A bit, yes," Vent replied, "Just wish I could've stopped this. Lousy WWW…"

"So infuriating. I wish Sun Wukong wasn't just a myth so he could enact righteous justice on them for interfering in a fight like they did!" Jasmine growled.

"She'll be okay, right?" Maylu asked, wanting a change of subject.

"Ah…Yeah, she will, Maylu," Jasmine assured, "She somehow did something no other NetNavi has ever been recorded of doing: forcing the Devil Chip out."

"Huh?"

"Yes. In all other recorded cases, a NetNavi has always, and I mean always, succumbed to the Devil Chip and been taken over," Jasmine explained, "Ashe, however, not only prevented it from happening…she forced the Devil Chip out of the PeT as well! Who made her, anyway?"

"I…I don't know," Maylu admitted, "Mama and Papa said they got her from a shop selling her data disc and thought she'd be a good NetNavi for me to have."

"Seriously? Hey, Vent, has Ashe…?"

"She doesn't know, either," Vent replied.

"Unusual," Jasmine frowned, "Whoever built her is advanced…extremely advanced. I'd really like to meet the person who made her to figure out how they made a NetNavi that did that to a Devil Chip."

'You and me both,' Vent thought, glancing over at the recovering Ashe.

GT: Whew. This…took…a while. Either delays caused by real life stuff or from mental burnout. Yes, I skipped the Bombman and Stoneman stuff and Beef fighting alongside Lan in the N1. I chose to go with the English Dub's choice of making the BattleChip needed being exactly the Cyclone one instead of just any because I found it to be the more interesting idea. Needing a specific BattleChip to stop the Devil Chip-or Twisted Chip as it's called in the English Dub-esd good.

Originally, Maylu wasn't meant to do that FullSynchro thing and see those memories, but as I write this, I felt like this was needed for some growth in their bonds and a way to show just a bit of what went wrong in that first timeline. Also, I swear that most of the random things I write for this just come from outta nowhere. Like Alouette using her child self to be adorable and use a sad pouty puppy face to make people cave in.

I'll be skipping the next day's NetBattles to focus on the top 8 and then the Final Four. If all goes well, I'm gonna get them all done before 2025 starts. If not, ah well, at least I tried to get the N1 arc over by 2025. Until next time, please Read and Review.

Chapter 18: Operation Shooting Star

Summary:

A day off from the N1 leads to troubles as Ashe goes missing. The only clues are a NetNavi kidnapped her...and a NetNavi was on Earth outside of the Network.

Chapter Text

GT: This one…I've always planned to have. I always liked the idea, but wished they expanded on it instead of just a single scenario in Operation Shooting Star. If they ever try to do this again, I hope it will be a bigger thing, like its own game that takes place after BN6 and maybe include other parts of the franchise in it like how XDiVE was originally X characters but expanded to all others…with only three representatives from Star Force…ugh…yeah, we need some more stuff with the Star Force era of Megaman. I warn you in advance: minor torture near the end of the chapter.

Ashe yawned as she did some morning stretches, doing a morning workout video with Maylu in their house. With how close DenTech was to the artificial island, it was honestly easier for them to just take a boat there and back than just staying at the hotels. The exercise soon ended and Maylu grunted, rubbing one of her legs. Gow walked over, giving a mechanized bark while bringing over a sweat towel for the redhead. She accepted it, giving Gow a pat on the head as thanks.

"I'll get a shower real quick, Roll," Maylu spoke, "After that, we have a few bills to pay."

"Gotcha, Maylu," Ashe replied before, as Maylu went to wash up, she pulled up the news.

"Everyone~! Thank you so much for the last few days of the second half of the N1 Grand Prix!" Ribitta thanked on the screen, sitting in the empty Alpha Dome once more with Higsby on a lower level, "Yesterday's battles were really intense!"

"Indeed. After a minor scare the day before with one of our competitors and the forced usage of an illegal BattleChip, the NetNavi and NetOp were well enough to continue competing and showed a lot of potential, huh," Higsby agreed as several screens popped up at their sides, showing Searchman and Protoman taking down a pair of red and green NetNavis looking like they wore rounded armor resembling bricks and throwing pick axes at them on one, A-Atlas and Megaman FX delivering an uppercut of flames to force a duo of NetNavis to log out, Sharkman erupting from under the ground two NetNavis were on before Punk's arms slammed into them from the sides, and then a rain of rocks to fall upon two more with several round cartoon bombs before the latter exploded, "We've come down to the Final 8 NetNavis!" the screen changed to show a headshot of Vent, Ashe, Punk, Protoman, Sharkman, Searchman, and two other NetNavis, "Meaning that tomorrow will be showcasing not only the battles of two-v-two, but also the semifinals between the two teams that made it through the doubles round."

"We'd be having it today, but…" Ribitta sheepishly scratched the back of her head as the camera moved up to show Toadman and Numberman running by on the giant monitor…with a Virus swarm chasing them and other NetNavis, "A Virus Outbreak triggered, so we're spending the day working on purging the systems for tomorrow!"

"Ugh…We have to wait a few days before the next round because of the system damage from a Virus Outbreak…" Lan groaned, lying flat on his back.

"Sometimes we all need a day off, Lan," Vent noted, lying on his back on the desk while four of his Biometal partners were in the computer.

[WHAT IS THIS GAME, DUDE?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! GIVE ME A GREEN CARD! WHAT! ARE! YOU! DOING?! HOLY SHIT!] Fafnir screeched as Leviathan couldn't stop laughing [OH FINALLY! Green 3!]

[...] Phantom played a green Reverse.

[I DON'T HAVE A GREEN!] Fafnir shrieked as Harpuia joined Leviathan in mad cackles of amusement.

[The…The best thing…about being a Biometal…!] Leviathan cackled [Faffy can't f-flip the table~!]

[SONUVABITCH!]

[Vent's right, Lan. With all that happened so far, you need a day to relax and unwind] Zero advised, chuckling at the sight of the ongoing game of UNO between the four younger Biometals.

Lan sighed, "But it still sucks…" his PeT began to go off, "Huh?"

"EMail from Inspector Oda," Vent informed, "Oh nice! We have the location of the WWW base!"

"Yes!" Lan whooped.

"It's in a deep part of the forests in a part that shouldn't be possible to get to as fast as the WWW have managed to get around," Vent replied.

"That far?" Lan gawked, "Mmm…Maybe they use a secret metroline?"

[Excellent suggestion] X noted [Several times when Zero and I were Reploids, Mavericks would use secret tunnels to perform covert operations to make their largest schemes go off]

[Only question is where the metroline would be] Zero spoke.

Lan nodded, "Guess we'll have to let everyone know?"

[Indeed] X agreed before the PeT rang [Phone call, Lan]

"Who's calling now?" Lan pondered as he answered it, "Hello?"

"LAN!"

"Maylu?" Lan pondered as he saw tears in her eyes.

"It's awful! It's…!"

"Maylu, deep breaths. You're panicking and not making sense!" Lan spoke, "Take a few deep breaths and tell us what's going on."

"It's Ashe! She…She's been…kidnapped!"

"What!?" Vent gasped, "What happened!?"

"That…That's the thing. One minute, everything was fine. We were out Virus Busting, having fun after paying some house bills, and…and all of a sudden…a NetNavi appeared, and…and then…" she shook her head, "I'm sorry, it's no good! I just don't understand what happened! What do I do…!?"

"Where are you?"

"Near the base."

"Okay. Head on in there and, if she's not there, call Ciel to come to the base. I'll be over there as fast as I can."

"O-Okay! I'll wait for you and the others, Lan!" Maylu promised before hanging up.

"Andale, Lan! Get there pronto!"

"Pronto? Is…that even a…?"

"LAN!"

"I'm going! I'm going!"

The secret entrance to the base slid open and Lan ran inside. He looked around before sighing in relief upon seeing Maylu sitting near the big monitor with a concerned Ciel and Sal. Nearby, Masa was focused on his PeT while Miyu was looking at her crystal ball with a troubled expression. He caught sight of Chaud watching the girls with a neutral expression before ignoring the boy to focus on Maylu.

"Maylu, are you alright?" Lan asked, "What happened?"

"She was waiting for you before telling any of us," Ciel replied.

Maylu nodded, "I'm fine, but…but Ashe was…"

[Maylu, honey, remember. Deep breaths] Leviathan spoke.

"U-Um…" Maylu took in a few deep breaths, "Th-Thanks, Leviathan…"

[No problem. Now just tell us what happened before whatever happened to her] Leviathan spoke.

"R-Right. We were on the Net, taking care of some things for the house," Maylu recalled, "But then…a NetNavi barged right into me!"

"Huh? A…A NetNavi barged right into you?" Sal gawked.

"Is that possible?" Masa asked in disbelief.

"Hmm…I heard of a city a day's drive from here working on a project to let NetNavis walk about on Earth, but they're still in the concept stages," Ciel recalled.

"And you know this because…?" Sal asked.

"More than likely, it requires robotics and Ciel has a few awards in it," Chaud replied, earning a nod from Ciel.

"I couldn't believe it, either," Maylu replied, "He went right into the PeT and appeared right beside Ashe! Then Ashe was…was…"

"Oh geez…Don't cry," Lan spoke, "It'll be alright, Maylu. Whoever kidnapped her is still on the Network, right?"

[Did you see where the kidnapper was taking her?] X asked.

"It…It looked like he was heading to the metroline's Network before I lost communication with Ashe," Maylu replied.

Ciel nodded, "Miyu?"

"...It…It's clouded."

"Huh?" Sal pondered.

"We can't get a fortune goin'," Skullman explained, grimacing, "Somethin' is jammin' our abilities and we can't see anythin'."

"Guess we'll have to do this the normal way and not the fun way," Masa noted, "Sharkman, get going to the Metroline's Network."

"Woodman, you go there, too," Sal commanded.

"Skullman…"

"Of course, Miyu."

Vent slammed his fist into his palm, a determined look on his face, "I can't forgive anyone who kidnaps Ashe. They're in for a world of hurt!"

"V-Vent? You look more fired up than usual," Lan gawked.

[Why shouldn't he be? Ashe is his girlfriend and a person he loves deeply] Zero noted.

"Hurry, all of you," Ciel ordered, "Whoever did this messed with one of our teammates. They should know that it means they messed with all of us."

"I suppose," Chaud acquiesced, "Protoman."

"Understood," Protoman replied.

[I'm surprised yer goin' along with this] F noted as Megaman Model X and Protoman ran along the Network towards the Metroline Network.

"Ciel was the one who requested me," Protoman replied.

[Good to hear] Z noted.

They ran up a pathway before skidding to a halt. Megaman Model X blinked a few times and he took in the sight before him. Before the two with his back to them was a NetNavi that looked to resemble a human boy of sixteen years of age. His purple hair was pulled up into a hairstyle meant to resemble the tailend of a shooting star in a navy blue bodysuit with gold data lines going up the body to armor in various shades of blue and silver.

[Vent, doesn't he look like that NetNavi who had been on the other side of that sphere of EM waves?] X pondered.

"Who are you?" Protoman demanded before Megaman ZX could answer.

The NetNavi turned around, his eyes hidden behind a magenta-tinted visor. He raised his left arm, showing a stylized piece of armor on it that resembled an angular blue dragon-like head on it with a crystal green piece on the back that seemed to resemble a slot to fit a card into. His fist glowed before changing into a blaster that he proceeded to fire several shots at them with, forcing Protoman to deploy his shield to block them as Megaman X switched to HX to rapidly cut through the attack.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Megaman HX demanded.

"..." the NetNavi spun around and dashed off, resembling a beam of neon green light.

"F-Fast!" Megaman HX gasped.

"He's going to the Metroline Network," Protoman noted, "After him!"

"Right!" Megaman HX agreed before they raced after him.

"You said you recognize this one, Model X?" Protoman asked.

[Yes. Despite some added detailing to his armor and his left hand no longer being some sort of dragon-dog's head, I believe it is the same person who got the missing data back from those strange thieves] X affirmed [He seems older as well, which may suggest…he's a time traveler]

"Time travel? You think he came through a Past Tunnel?" Megaman HX questioned.

"Past Tunnel? What's that, Vent?" Lan asked.

"It's a phenomenon that creates a sort of 'tunnel' between two time periods, allowing communication to go through them," Megaman HX replied.

[So if it only allows communication, how is he here?] Harpuia questioned.

"We're made of data, a type of communication that can be sent," Megaman HX replied.

"So a Past Tunnel could let a NetNavi go back in time to record an event that's unclear to us…" Protoman noted before frowning, "...or allow them to alter events without our realization until it was too late."

"Yeah…" Megaman HX confirmed, hiding a grimace as, for a brief moment, he saw visions of an army of NetNavis with ominous red eyes and demonic expressions, a large clawed hand ripping out their own Emblem, and of a dark reflection laughing.

"Then it's best to cut him off. AreaSteal, download," Chaud ordered, causing Protoman to vanish.

"Hold it right there!" Protoman shouted, appearing ahead of the blue NetNavi and forcing him to skid to a halt.

"We have some questions you need to answer," Megaman HX spoke as he displayed a photo of Ashe, "Have you seen this NetNavi?"

"…" the NetNavi grimaced as he looked between the two before he charged at Protoman while glowing.

Protoman swung his sword…only for the NetNavi to phase through him, causing the red NetNavi to grunt. He turned around in time to see the NetNavi escape.

"Okay, if he wasn't already suspicious, then this just confirms it," Megaman HX scowled, "After him!"

"Sharkman, Woodman, Skullman, be on the lookout for a blue NetNavi with purple hair and a magenta visor! Top suspect in the kidnapping of Ashe!" Ciel informed.

"You got it," Sharkman replied, the trio standing ready at the entrance to the Metroline's Network.

"Someone's coming this way," Woodman spoke, causing the two others to look to see the blue NetNavi running their way.

'?! Oh shit…' Skullman thought as his eyes widened comically.

"Dat him?" Sharkman asked.

"Affirmative. Proceed with detainment," Ciel ordered.

"Gotcha! Fin Cutter!" Sharkman shouted, releasing a barrage of blue energy fins at the NetNavi, who swung his right arm up in a defensive manner and produced an emerald-green hexagonal barrier, "Gh?!"

"WoodTower!" Woodman shouted, slamming a foot down and sending out the pillars of sharpened logs at the boy only for his body to glow and phase through them all.

"Ah! It's just like Protoman said," Ciel gasped, "Is he…changing his frequency to prevent him from being harmed by it?"

"Bonemerang!" Skullman roared, throwing his arms at the male who phased through them and then the trio before continuing on.

"Gh…Blast it! After him!" Sharkman growled as he jumped up and 'dove' into the ground, racing after the NetNavi with just his fin poking out of the floor.

The blue NetNavi ran along a path before skidding to a halt. Before him laid a large digital clock-like gate shaped like an old time clock face. He took a step forward, only to be forced to jump out of the way of an ice dragon. He spun around to see the five NetNavis glaring at him.

"Now we have you," Protoman spoke.

"Where is Ashe!?" Megaman LX demanded.

"..." the male grimaced as he shifted into a fighting stance, "I can't let you pass!"

"What?"

"Tch…He must be guardin' what's behind that link," Sharkman guessed.

"That must be where Ashe is," Woodman guessed.

"Well, if he's wanting us to stay out of there, then we'll just have to force our way through!" Megaman LX declared, switching to ZX.

The blue NetNavi seemed to cringe as he readied himself. Skullman quickly threw his bones at the male only for the shield to form and block them. He did a backflip, soaring over ZX and Protoman's blades aimed for his back before unleashing a barrage of shots from his buster that forced Protoman to dodge as ZX rapidly swung his blade, the plasma shots being absorbed into the ZX-Saber. The male landed and was entrapped in a circle of WoodTowers. He started to glow again only for it to be stopped by Sharkman erupting from the ground with a WaterTower that sent him flying into the air and right into a barrage of slashes from Protoman until a demonic creature of green flames erupted from the boy's body and delivered a harsh slash to Protoman, sending him crashing down onto the ground.

"Vent, you get on through there. We'll keep 'im distracted," Sharkman whispered.

"Thanks," ZX nodded before rushing into the portal.

"NO!" the male shouted before throwing his shield up and blocking a slash from Protoman, "Gh!"

"Ugh…This ain't good…" a voice growled from the piece on the male's arm, the two red crystals on it flashing in time with the voice, "This is gonna alter history big time, ain't it?"

"Seems that way," the male whispered, "But…" he grimaced as he readied himself for another round of fighting, "..." he jumped back right into the portal.

"Gah!" Sharkman shouted, "We gotta go after 'em!"

"Ah! Wait! Don't go in there!" Ciel panicked.

"Why not!?" Sharkman demanded.

"Lan's collapsed and his PeT isn't registering Vent at all!"

"WHAT?!"

Megaman ZX materialized on a panel with an 'I' on it. He looked around and his eyes widened, seeing a vast void with only a large circular pathway upon it. In the center of the pathway was a large digital face of an old time clock, the hands slowly moving.

"Ah! Vent, over there!" Lan shouted, making Vent turn to see on a platform resembling a grandfather clock's face…was Ashe.

"Roll!" Megaman ZX shouted, earning no response from her, "...Roll?"

[Axl! Axl, respond!] X ordered, earning nothing.

[What's going on here?] Zero pondered.

"I don't know," Lan replied before letting out a confused noise, "Uh…"

"What's wrong, Lan?" Megaman ZX asked.

"I…can't feel my body."

"Huh?" ZX blinked twice in confusion.

[Odd…It does feel more cramped in here than usual] Zero observed.

"...Should we keep moving ahead then?" Megaman ZX pondered.

"I…um…" Lan tried to think before huffing, "Yeah! We have friends to recover!"

"Right," Megaman ZX nodded before taking a step forward…only for his body to tense and flicker, "!?"

"U-Ugh…" Lan groaned.

[What is it…?] Zero pondered before Lan seemed to fall out of Megaman ZX.

"Lan?!" Vent gasped, catching the boy.

"Ugh…" Lan groaned, his eyes fluttering open, "V…Vent?"

"I'm right here. But…you're here, too?" Megaman ZX pondered.

[This place must have messed with FullSynchro and pulled Lan's consciousness all the way in here] X guessed.

[Tch…Of course] Zero groaned before splitting off from Megaman Model X and MegaMerged with Lan [I'll give you some protection while we're here]

"Th-Thanks, Zero," Lan thanked before looking up at Megaman X, "Let's get going then."

"Oh no. You are going back," Megaman X argued.

"Mmm…AH!" Lan pointed to the right.

"Wha…?" Megaman X began as he turned to see nothing, "...He ran past us, didn't he?"

[Yes, yes he did]

"...Dang it," Megaman X groaned as he dashed after him, neither seeing the other boy appear.

"This must be…" the male began before seeing the two, "!? Two of him?"

"Must be his NetOp's consciousness, Geo," the voice observed, "Didn't those files Granny gave us say that some NetOps and NetNavis could fuse their minds together for a thing called FullSynchro or something?"

"This place must have disrupted the connection," the male…Geo…replied before running after them.

"LAN!" Megaman X shouted, quickly dashing ahead of the boy and got before him on top of a platform resembling a smaller version of the one Ashe was on.

"Gh!" Lan jumped back, "S-Sorry, Vent."

"Ugh…Lan, please be careful. I…don't…want…to…" Megaman X's voice slowed down as his body froze.

"Vent?" Lan pondered before jumping back as a red energy barrier surrounded the platform, "ACK!"

[Shit! It's a trap!] Z exclaimed.

"Vent! Vent! VEEEEENNNT!" Lan screamed, attacking the barrier with the Z-Saber only to bounce off it each time, "Gh! Let him go!"

"Shoot! We're too late!" Lan spun around, glaring at Geo.

"You!" Lan snapped, "You did this, didn't you?!"

"Hey, hey, whoa now! We ain't done nothin'!" the voice from his arm snapped before the creature appeared beside Geo, donned in armor matching in color to Geo's with an angular head.

[Lan, I recognize that creature's head, it was on the arm of a boy NetNavi that looked to be your age] Zero recognized.

"Huh? The one who helped get back Papa's data?" Lan questioned.

"Oh yeah…We did do that, didn't we, Geo?" the creature asked.

"Omega-Xis…" Geo sighed before looking at the boy and the trapped NetNavi, "Oh man…We were told to not involve people from the past in this to prevent time from being altered…"

"Huh? Past? Alter?" Lan questioned.

"Well there's no helping it," Omega-Xis huffed as he floated over to them, "Look, we need to get outta this place, okay? We can talk wherever your body's at."

"Hey now…!" Geo began.

"Kid, it's too late. They're involved now," Omega-Xis argued, "Time to stop sneaking around and time to go buck wild like usual!"

"N-No! And aren't you the one who always goes buck wild!?"

[Okay, I'm getting annoyed. Lan, can I borrow your head for a moment?]

"Huh? My head?" Lan pondered, "Uh…sure." his mouth twitched as his eyes flashed for a moment, "ATTEN-HUT!" almost instantly, Geo tensed up and stood at attention on pure reflex from the sharp tone in Zero's voice that came out of Lan's mouth all of a sudden, "Understand this…Our friends are in danger…our partners are right there, frozen like statues…You are going to tell us everything that's happening or so help me…" Zero tilted Lan's head, shadowing his face as his eyes seemed to glow ominously with his cybernetic eye turning a deep azure, "You won't like what we do to you brats."

Geo gulped, sweating heavily now.

Lan groaned as he opened his eyes, wincing a bit at the ceiling lights. He blinked a few times before going beet red as he realized his head was on Maylu's lap…before seeing her worried face.

"Sorry," Lan apologized as he managed to sit up.

"What happened?" Maylu asked.

"Wherever that leads to, it made me fall outta FullSynchro with Vent and dragged my mind in there," Lan explained, "Zero let me MegaMerge with him, but Vent and Model X…"

Everyone jumped back as Geo materialized before them, "H-Hello."

"What the…?!" Masa gawked.

"A NetNavi really did materialize on Earth!" Sal gawked.

"I'm not a NetNavi," Geo corrected.

"...Say what?" Ciel pondered.

"He is the one who inherited the title of 'Megaman' two centuries from now," Miyu informed.

"Huh?! H-How did you…?!" Geo gawked.

"Fortune teller," Sal replied, "So…you're from the future?"

"Nobody ask about the future!" Ciel barked, making them jump, "What's your name?"

"Um…It's Geo, miss," Geo replied as he held up his arm, "This is my partner, Omega-Xis."

"Howdy. You've got a pretty strange frequency to ya, Blondie."

"Omega-Xis," Geo hissed out in a scolding tone before speaking aloud, "I fuse with him to become Shooting Star Megaman."

"Fuse? Like a MegaMerge?" Lan compared.

"Never heard of that," Geo replied.

"So…Omega-Xis is your NetNavi?" Maylu asked.

"No. We use Wizards in my time. They're like NetNavis but are made from Electromagnetic Waves. We switched from the Network to using EM Wave about 150 years from now. We still have NetNavis…just…specialized."

"Specialized?" Chaud repeated.

"Like one for teaching homeschool, another to pilot RC helicopters…that kind of stuff. Basic things," Geo explained before shaking his head, "The reason I'm here is because of a NetNavi made in our time meant to just keep track of the time. An incident I was involved with caused some condensed EM Waves to be infused into him and evolve him into Clockman." He scowled, "He kidnapped my closest friend and then came back to this time and kidnapped your friend Ashe."

"How did you come back to this time?" Ciel asked.

"A friend of mine, Kazuma, worked with a scientist we know to make a working time portal, but…"

"One way only?" Ciel guessed, earning a nod.

"Only way we're getting back is by going buck wild on Clockman and getting those girls back," Omega-Xis huffed.

"What happened to Vent and X?" Lan asked.

"A Time Trap," Geo explained, "Clockman had temporal manipulation on his side, so we need data from clocks to break the traps."

"Wait…Why clocks?" Masa asked.

"He may control time, but time doesn't stop. By introducing 'time' to the traps, they'll come undone," Geo explained.

"Only reason we know this is because Kaz had to get us free from the one the kidnapper put us in when he kidnapped Geo's girlfriend."

"Not my girlfriend!"

"We had the red bean rice!"

"Ugh…!" Geo facepalmed.

"...I see seven children in the future," Miyu informed, causing Geo to start sputtering with a beet red face.

"She kids, she kids. This Clockman seems to be messing with our skills, so we can't do any fortunes at the moment," Skullman chuckled, "We have a few clocks at the shop."

"I have one back home!" Masa noted.

"My mom gave me our family's old grandfather clock for my shop," Sal added.

"Bring them all," Ciel ordered, "We need this clock data to help deal with the threat."

"So…guess we're stuck here until they get back," Lan spoke.

[I'd feel better if we were able to go there now] Zero spoke.

"Who said that?" Geo asked, looking around.

"Add another to the list, Ciel," Chaud said as Zero formed on Lan's shoulder.

[I did. Seems you have the potential to MegaMerge then] Zero noted.

"All he needs is a surgery," Lan nodded.

"Wait, what surgery?" Geo tilted his head, "Do you mean the Reploid Operation?"

"...The what?" Maylu blinked a few times.

"An operation that extends a human's life by replacing several internal organs and bones with techno-organic replacements. The process is pretty simple and beneficial for folks. Normally you have to be fifteen or older to get one, but there can be exceptions like being an actress or actor and need it in order to do certain scenes or like me when an accident when I was eleven made me have to go through it. It's simply a few hours in surgery followed by three days to recover," Geo explained, "Weren't you two the original Patients Zero?"

"Oh! That!" Lan realized.

"Do ya have to remind me of that, kid? It was freaky seein' ya all opened up and things gettin' swapped…Lousy statue landin' on ya after that last blow…" Omega-Xis grumbled

"So…what I introduced is still a thing in the future?" Ciel asked.

"Yes," Geo confirmed, "It's saved a lot of lives due to the enhanced durability it gives along with it saving people from dying of organ failure." He shook his head, "But we're getting sidetracked."

[True. We can't do anything until we get that clock data] Zero huffed [How's the Data Vent give you doing?]

"Huh? You met Vent?" Lan asked as Geo looked at Model Z in surprise.

"You recognized me?"

[Of course I did. You can change the look and the experience, but one always has something they just can't change in them that people can always use to recognize them] Zero explained [For you…it's the kindness in your eyes. It's stronger now than when I first met you, no longer held back by trauma]

"O-Oh…Well…"

"That Buster is insane! That thing is stupid fast in speed with all kinds of side-effects on the enemies we hit it with. Even with it being so long since we got it, there's still nothing we can compare it to! Even that Granny hasn't been able to make a Buster capable of that sorta speed!"

"Omega-Xis!"

"Even you have to admit that the Buster is nuts! Especially that upgrade we got when we found all those journal entries! Seriously, this red head looks like the ice sculpture we found one entry in, even…."

"Shush!" Geo and Ciel shushed, Maylu tilting her head in confusion.

"Oh great. It's in stereo now. Betcha she's yer ancestor."

"I am so sorry for him," Geo apologized with a groan.

"It's relatable," Ciel assured, "...And I refuse to do a DNA test just to spite him for the joke."

"Rats."

"Hmm…How peculiar," a voice noted before an orange-colored finger in a lime and neon yellow fingerless glove traced Ashe's jawline, "You…are not of this timeline. And yet…you are as well. You are…ah, I see!" the fingers snapped in realization and pointed at Ashe, "You are on your latest life." the hand waved to the side and a large clock spun its arms in reverse, giving way to a vision of a large, menacing figure glaring down upon a group as a screen within the vision showed the remains of the world, "A failure when there should not have been one. Whatever was the cause?" the image went rapidly in reverse until showing Maylu in a ripped up sundress falling from a broken roller coaster onto a pile of Moloko Viruses before it split in two and the second showed her being caught by what looked like Vent when he was Megaman with brown hair and eyes catching her mid-fall on a Condor Virus, "Oh, I see, I see…A change in the course of actions. Events shifted drastically from where they were meant to be and then…" the image changed to show Ashe in her last life as a Hunter and the events that followed her finding Model A, "How…intriguing. You and Vent…" the owner of the hand looked out to where Megaman Model X was frozen, "...you have contaminated this timeline, altered it on a level it was not meant to go through. Even before you came into being in this life, your mere coming had already altered events." the image changed, showing a bewildered and confused Masa and Sharkman walking away after a tournament only to come upon Oda and Famous, a frightened Sal watching as a male her age in a red hoodie and black and yellow baseball hat with glasses shoved into the back of a police cruiser by Oda as Masa in a red helmet with visor and fish fins glued to it approached with Famous, a man in shadows creating a NetNavi not meant to have existed yet before an internet system not supposed to exist now exists… "You have conjoined the split between game, animation, and two books of timelines as one unified one. This was meant to be just the animation, yet your existences has overlaid the others onto it, restructuring things to allow others to make sense and either removed or replaced events." a second hand joined the first, "Even I and these events should not have occurred were it not for you two…" he chuckled, "Oh, this is too rich! My plans are able to go as they please because I exist in this version thanks to you two existing!" he waved both hands and a larger one formed, showing a reflection from above, the other owner of the hands grinning a grin of excitement on their orange face donned in more lime green and neon yellow armor with bits of clocks on them as he had a third girl as well, one sporting spikey blond hair in reds, "And you've created one other as well! One of the exact same events, yet also altered with more reincarnated souls in not just our part of the split, but also on the very end! How many more are blossoming because you two Destined Lovers have come back to life in this new form?" another laugh came from them, "It seems no matter what happens, you two Destined Lovers have created an era of pure excitement that we would not have had! I must thank you so…" he looked over at the frozen Megaman X as his reflected counterpart gazed upon a frozen Megaman X…and Protoman, "As such, I may let you live as statues for gazing upon when my harem recovers or must take time for my children to be born." he ran a finger along Ashe's jawline, his counterpart doing the same to his Ashe and the blonde in red before the reflected image vanished above, "And you shall be my first to bed."

"Okay…What's with the chair?" Lan asked, looking at the bulky white device with a navy blue seat in it that Ciel was assembling.

"Your PeT won't function properly with that link," Ciel pointed out, "What this does is allow your mind to go into the Network and make a stronger connection with the PeT. Normally, this is ill-advised since it leaves you vulnerable. But you have Zero with you and can MegaMerge with him, so you'll be safe."

"What do you mean 'ill-advised,' Ciel?" Maylu asked in concern.

"Humans don't have combat programs like NetNavis do," Ciel explained, "And if a human's mind is Deleted…"

[The human is rendered brain dead until their mind's deleted fragments are reassembled] Zero finished for her.

"WHAT?!" Maylu gasped.

"But Lan will be safe," Ciel quickly assured, "I would trust Zero with my life and he'll have the others escorting him and Geo back to the link."

"...If it can help save Vent and Ashe, then I'm up for it," Lan declared, clenching a fist in determination.

"Lan…" Maylu grimaced in concern.

"He'll be safe with us," Geo assured as the three adults returned.

"We got the data from every single clock we could find," Masa informed.

"Splendid! And I'm done working on the Pulse Transmission system," Ciel smiled before looking at Lan, "Just sit in this and you'll be sent into the Network."

"I hope you're ready then, Zero," Lan spoke.

[With everything I've dealt with, this is just a typical Tuesday for myself] Zero replied as Lan sat down in the chair.

"Just plug your PeT into there and slot thirty of your BattleChips into here," Ciel explained, "After that, you start the system up by pressing this button right here. Once you do, it will run until you Log Out by returning to the exact spot you logged out of or I press the override button."

"So what? He's just gonna nap in there?" Omega-Xis asked, not really getting it.

"No, Omega-Xis, he's going to use that system to let his mind go into the Network," Geo explained.

"So why can't I just turn him into an EM Being like I did with…?"

"Omega-Xis, no! We are not doing that! That would alter history far too much than it already is!" Geo scolded in a panic.

"Huh…Converting a human being into electromagnetic waves?" Ciel pondered, "..." she shook her head, "No. I'd rather not touch that subject at this time."

'Zero, did…' Maylu thought.

[I try to respect the two and not ask about every little thing that happened] Zero replied to Maylu alone [Pretty sure this is all new to them as well]

"Okay! I'm all good to go!" Lan declared, "TIme to save Vent, Ashe, and Geo's friend!" he pushed the button and a helmet flipped over and onto his head, hiding his face before his body went slack in the seat.

"Lan…" Maylu whispered before looking at the large monitor with the others before a digital version of Lan appeared on them before Zero MegaMerged with the boy.

Lan Z opened his eyes, "Did…Did it work?"

"Yep!" Sharkman replied as the NetNavis logged in with Geo.

"Wow! You're taller than I thought, Sharkman!" Lan Z awed.

"Let's focus on the mission," Protoman ordered, "We'll escort you all, but it may be best if just you two go into there. If this Clockman is a threat, all of us going in at once would just make him more dangerous and take on risks that we can't afford with hostages involved."

"Protoman's right. Please rescue everyone from this Clockman," Ciel pleaded.

Lan Z and Geo entered the clock-themed Network and Lan Z sighed in relief, holding the spheres containing the Clock Data in them, "Oh thank goodness…"

"Pretty wild, right?" Omega-Xis smirked.

[And Vent has to deal with this stuff almost daily] Zero added.

"Yeah," Lan Z nodded before they walked up to the trap Megaman X was in, "Time to save you, guys."

He held up one of the spheres and it entered the trap. The clock glowed before the hands began to move once more. Megaman X stumbled and blinked.

"Huh? …What just…?" he pondered before Lan Z hugged him, "Ah!"

"Vent! I'm sorry!" Lan Z apologized.

"H-Hey now! Lan, what's gotten into you?" Megaman X asked.

"You've missed a lot, sir," Geo replied.

"Oh! Vent, this is Geo and his buddy Omega-Xis! They're from the future!" Lan Z explained.

"The future? …Wait…We went into the future through that sphere of EM Waves?!" Megaman X asked in shock.

[Not my first foray into time travel] X noted.

[May not be our last, either] Zero added, separating from Lan to let him go into FullSynchro with Megaman X before they became Megaman ZX [Long story short: a NetNavi named Clockman went Maverick, kidnapped Geo's friend that's standing beside Ashe, and he has power over time itself. We need to use this ClockData to counter his traps as we get closer]

Megaman ZX nodded, "I see…So you came to the past to save someone special to you."

"That's right. I'm sorry for attacking you before. I was trying to not get anyone else involved in this situation and alter the past," Geo apologized.

"Hey, it's alright, Geo," Megaman ZX assured, "Time travel is tricky that way. For all anyone here knows? You doing this may have been predetermined and had to happen."

"Ugh…Time travel sucks!" Omega-Xis complained, "Less stop yappin' and start going Buck Wild on that kidnapping creepazoid!"

"Right," Geo and Megaman ZX nodded before they proceeded on ahead.

"Heads up! Incoming Viruses!" Lan warned.

"I've never seen ones like those," Geo noted, seeing a few resembling skeletons missing their lower halves and wielding clubs made of bones, ones in miniature biplanes, and octopi blowing yellow bubbles.

"I have." 'What the…? Some of these Viruses shouldn't exist yet,' Megaman ZX thought before seeing Mettaur with an antenna on their helmets, living red and black one-wheeled motorcycles with a single fire-made wheel and demonic faces, and-oddly-random colored, blank-eyed Omega-Xis-like Viruses, "...Your partner is a Virus?"

"NO! I AM AN ALIEN!" Omega-Xis snapped, "GRAAAAH! Geo, it's those goddamn copies of me again!"

"This place must be filled with Viruses from different eras," Geo guessed as he began to shoot at the Viruses as ZX opened fire as well before using his saber to cut through any that got too close.

"Because of course things just can't be easy for once," Lan grumbled as a Spreader replaced Megaman LX's glove and fired off a barrage of shots that froze several Viruses that he swiftly shattered with his polearm.

"It doesn't matter to me," Megaman LX scowled before HX swept past several Viruses, deleting them and collecting their data for later, "I'll do everything I can to save Ashe and Axl!"

"Same here!" Geo agreed as his arms turned into a pair of pink plasma swords surrounded by teal plasma forming a drill-blade of sorts before racing in and tearing into the Viruses, "Sonia and Lyra are counting on us!"

{Interesting blade} Phantom thought as PX swiftly threw a shuriken with some Clock Data attached to it ahead, disabling another trap, [That appears to be the last one]

"Good," ZX nodded as he cut down the last Virus and collected its data, "Let's get going!"

"Right!" Geo nodded.

The two continued on, at times having to delete more Viruses that would appear from the floating digital clock-like gates. Eventually, they arrived to the largest platform where a frozen Ashe stood alongside a young woman Geo's age with shoulder-length blond hair in red and white armor resembling a short dress with a heart-shaped armor over her chest, headphone-like pieces on her helmet with a blue-tinted visor, a long white scarf, and an orphan blue guitar with a small face on the head of it with a mic that it seemed to 'hold.'

"That your friend?" ZX asked.

"Yeah, that's Sonia and Lyra," Geo confirmed, "That's Ashe?"

"Yes," ZX confirmed as he ran up to her and looked her over, "...Do we still have any Clock Data?"

"Yeah. Last two," Geo replied as he handed one to ZX as he had the other before they put them against the girls and let the data be used…before ZX grunted as Ashe slammed a fist into his face as Geo yelped as Sonia tied him up in guitar strings.

"YOU-Ack!" Ashe yelped as she looked at Megaman ZX with wide eyes, "Mega?!"

"What?" Omega-Xis asked.

"Not you," Geo grunted, struggling to get out of the strings.

"Huh? G-Geo?!" Sonia yelped before playing her guitar, causing the strings to let him go and return back to her guitar, "Oh my goodness! I'm sorry! I…wait…" she looked around, "Um…Where are we? Last thing I remember was going to attack that freaky guy that froze you with a touch."

"Orange skin? Lots of green and yellow? Too many clocks on him for anyone's liking?" Ashe asked.

"Yeah!" Sonia nodded.

"I was going for a brawl one moment then I'm here, too," Ashe noted.

[All I remember was you about to MegaMerge then he reached for us] Axl added, popping out of her pocket.

"Huh? Who said that?" the guitar asked.

"Was it coming from the tiny metal thing?" Sonia pondered.

[Huh…Good to know that there's two Chosen in the future if there's an emergency they can't handle on their own] Fafnir noted.

"Huh? Who said that?!" Sonia asked.

"Our Biometals," ZX replied, "My name is Vent, or Megaman when I'm suited up."

"I'm Ashe, but call me Roll A when I'm working with Axl," Ashe added.

"It's nice to meet you, Ashe, Axl," Geo greeted, "I'm Geo and my partner is Omega-Xis. These are our friends, Sonia and Lyra."

"I go by Harp Note while suited up!" Sonia beamed before blinking a few times, "Wait…Isn't Megaman your name, Geo?"

"It's time travel, Sonia," Geo replied, "We're technically in a temporal pocket space bridging the years 22XX and 20XX together."

"Ohh…It's much more than that, Shooting Star Megaman…"

All four tensed as, in a flash, Roll A had her guns out, Geo readied his Buster, Megaman ZX prepped his sword and buster, and Lyra Note had Lyra ready to play with Megaman ZX speaking up, "Clockman, I presume."

"Indeed I am!" Clockman's voice laughed, "Oh…You…You boys are several seconds behind schedule but also several minutes ahead of time with freeing those girls than the original timeline held!"

"Huh? Original timeline?" Lan pondered, earning a chuckle from Clockman.

"Time's gone all wibbly-wobbly, Lan Hikari. Nobody truly knows what comes next due to these altered times from existences not meant to be and loss of existences meant to be," Clockman went on, "I should not even exist nor the connections made between these two eras…and yet…here we are! Connected and existing!"

'Shit…Another issue from us…' Roll A thought with a grimace.

"You touched the Deep Dive, you who should and shouldn't exist in this timeline," he continued, "You touched it and linked it to this line in a way it was not meant to. Things have flooded in from the others connected and even this realm has branched off with more!" the clock appeared above them, looking to see all of them looking upwards, but also the blonde in red, a boy in blue armor so much like Geo and Vent's as Megaman X's own, and Protoman before it flickered, showing a frozen Sonia and Roll nearby but also Vent in his original life with Geo and Zero in a physical body (much to the stunned surprise of the Biometals, Vent, and Ashe); another flicker and it began showing several other variations before settling back on the first before vanishing, "You have created worlds unlike any other! You've caused quite the schism to things and the Deep Dive has embraced this unknown! However…it matters not to me! All I want…is what I want." a clock gate appeared before them on Geo and Megaman ZX's end, allowing the tall, lanky form of Clockman to be fully exposed, "Hoo-hoo-hoo~!"

"This guy's Clockman?" Megaman ZX asked.

"Yeah! A real piece of work, ain't he?" Omega-Xis huffed.

"My goodness, this is quite the upset, hm? Events happening, events not happening, choices originally made changed leading to what happens here," Clockman chuckled.

"Uh…Any idea what he's talking about?" Lyra Note asked.

"Long story short? Sounds like all this wasn't meant to happen, but something went wrong and made it happen," Omega-Xis guessed.

"Indeed~! We were not meant to exist, nor were the events of 200 years from now meant to connect to the events of now in this timeline of the Network Era," Clockman noted, "A simple choice of using a Moloko swarm to be a backup plan instead of using a Condor allowed a deep-seated mental break finally trigger instead of ending up naturally vanishing. A failure came from it because the results of a broken heart leading another to seal up their heart and the mental break to fully shatter and turn the heart to darkness and all three lead to a failure from the Divine. Two lives initially reborn in the Robot Era and then it spread and created near-similar and gave way to one of the playable Eras of the Robot Era and two of the viewable Network Era to be connected to the soul from the failed timeline to appear as the core trinity of the Robot Era and be reborn upon death in an inverse for the far end of the Network Era to be the playable and the viewable Network Era be this one, but also more with all three connected to the era the broken hearted Fated Lovers were reborn within after the serpent eating its tail was obliterated with all remnants of the madness now gone and in the blended present Network Era."

"Aaaand I am completely lost," Roll A muttered.

"Things didn't go as planned, some couple died when they shouldn't, and then shit happened and we're dealing with multiple timelines all doing this event in different ways with different folks."

"How are you understanding him?!" Roll A and Sonia gawked.

"Spend enough time dealing with psychos, you learn to understand the stuff they spout. Don't give a damn about it. He's getting whupped!"

"Let's see if you can. Even with these delays, I can still accomplish my goals within 32 hours, 8 minutes, and 12 seconds!" Clockman declared.

[Oh boy…This guy's one nutty psycho] Axl groaned.

"Goals?" Megaman ZX repeated.

"Of course! To collect all the beautiful NetNavis of this era and bring them to the future, freezing them in time to do with as I wish whenever I want to," Clockman replied.

"What?! Oh you are sick, buddy, y'know that?!" Roll A snarled.

"You…" Megaman ZX narrowed his eyes, gripping his weapons tighter, "You kidnapped our friends for such a sick and selfish reason!?"

"Hmph, as expected from those without any true beauty such as yourselves," Clockman huffed, "Unable to understand the thoughts of one such as I."

"Heh! I don't wanna even understand 'em in the first place!" Omega-Xiss huffed.

"Taking away people's time just for your own purposes…Unforgivable!" Geo declared.

"Hmph. Very well then…" Clockman held an arm out and a sword resembling an hour hand snapped into place in the palm of it, "...Three minutes…" he held the other out and a minute hand-like sword snapped into the palm of that hand, "...In three minutes exactly, I will end all of you."

"I can't get in contact with Maylu…" Roll A grimaced.

[Looks like we're the power duo again and not the awesome trinity] Axl noted.

"The only reason I can do anything is because I used something called Pulse Transmission to keep a connection to Vent," Lan spoke, "Sorry I don't think I can send you any BattleChips, Ashe."

"It's fine, Lan," Roll A assured, "Axl and I are good enough for now."

"Here he comes," Lyra warned.

"Let's kick his butt and teach him not to mess with us ever again!" Sonia declared.

"Right! Wave Battle…"

"Battle Routine, set!"

"Ride On/Execute!" Geo and Megaman ZX declared, the first upon Clockman and swinging down with the drill-like sword for Geo and the ZX-Saber from ZX, making the time traveler swing his Clock Slicers up to block their blades only to grunt as several plasma-made music notes and bullets to slam into him, knocking him away from them.

"Tch…Calling Rogue!" Clockman declared as a clock appeared before them, showing '22:XX' on it before it opened…forcing ZX to grunt as he parried two large swords held by a boy around their age in a black bodysuit with red designs and a left arm engulfed in purple electromagnetic radiation.

"Solo?!" Geo gasped.

"Calling Protoman!"

Geo cried out as a green hexagonal barrier materialized, blocking Protoman's sword from slicing into the future Megaman. A-Magma Dragoon's fist rammed into Rogue's side as Protoman was wrapped up in guitar strings and thrown at Rogue, slamming their backs into one another before A-Atlas and Sonia with her right fist engulfed in a massive red-armored gauntlet slammed their charged up buster/fist into the two, creating a fiery explosion. Clockman did a moonwalk, avoiding the blasts from Geo and ZX.

"Clock Laser!" Clockman declared, swinging his hands up and firing green beams from his Clock Slicers at the two boys, making them dodge and let a nearby Mettaur pair get it…turning onto into dust and the other into what appeared to be a tiny baby Mettaur with a pacifier and plush pickaxe.

"...Right…Do not be hit by that laser," ZX advised, earning a nod from a wide-eyed Geo.

"Hah! Let's see you try! Clock Laser Rain!" Clockman declared as dozens of clock gates appeared overhead and began to rain down lasers on the two.

In a flash, HX and Geo raced about, dodging the assault. HX's hands turned into Spreaders and began to fire at Clockman, making the orange-skinned NetNavi grin and began to dodge the onslaught before crying out as a purple rain came down upon him where the gaps between Spreader shots were, sticking him to the ground and be assaulted with shots from HX.

"Wh-What is this?!" Clockman gasped, struggling to get out of the slime.

"StickyRain," Geo replied as steam hissed off Clockman, "It immobilizes and damages."

"Gh…" Clockman hissed before glaring at them, "Calling Copy X!"

[?!] the Biometals minus A tensed as a clock gate appeared and deposited what looked like a thinner Megaman Model X with red eyes, a white bodysuit, and white and gold angelic-based armor with tiny 'wings' coming out of his blue helmet and two on his back.

"Copy X?" Geo repeated before he was gone, "?!" he screamed as the claws on Copy X's hands ripped into his back, "GYAAAARGH!"

"Geo! Quick Strings!" Sonia shouted before her guitar strings were caught by Copy X and pulled on hard, "YIPE!" she was spun around before slammed down hard onto Geo, "GAH!"

"URK!" Geo grunted.

"Giga Crush!" Roll A shouted, unleashing her strongest attack…only for Copy X to swiftly evade each and every shot before delivering several strikes with his claws and then a kick to her stomach, "GH!"

[This is bad…They can't fight Copy X] X noted in worry.

[I really wish I had my body back to deal with him again] Zero growled.

"...Body?" Lan repeated as he looked over at the toddler Mettaur, babbling as it waddled off, before looking over at Clockman as he was using his Clock Lasers to age the gunk to dust, "...That's it!"

"What's it?" ZX asked.

"Everyone, trust me on this, alright? Drop the MegaMerge and make him mad," Lan ordered.

[What?! Dude, that's…] Fafnir began.

[Brilliant] Phantom stated.

[Huh?] Leviathan and Fafnir pondered.

[I think I understand what he's planning. Vent, it would be best to do what Lan says. Rile him up and make him use one of his strongest Clock Lasers] Harpuia advised.

"Well…A-Alright," ZX sighed before changing back to Vent, "Hey, Clockman! What's wrong? Are we messing with your schedule?"

"I still have two minutes and seven seconds remaining before my perfect three minutes ends," Clockman scoffed.

"Oh please…You won't win," Vent shrugged, "You need to summon others to tucker us out. You're just an incompetent, lazy wuss."

"Gh…"

"Oh, and what's with all the old clock motifs here, huh? Guess you're not as advanced as you think if you're using something so antiquated," Vent went on.

"A-Anti…"

"Though, I guess you need all these to compensate."

"C-Compensate?! For what?!"

"How little you have compared to even a regular-sized clock's second hand," Vent replied.

"!?" Clockman's eyes turned into pinpoints.

[There it goes] Fafnir chuckled.

"Huh? What did you mean by that, Vent?" Lan innocently asked.

"I'll tel…"

"MEGA CLOCK LASER!" Clockman bellowed as a massive green beam ripped out of the gate behind him.

Vent smirked…before throwing all his Biometals at it. Clockman's eyes dilated in horror as the beam hit and created an explosion. For a few moments…it was still. Then Clockman yelped, barely dodging a rain of plasma shuriken before he was sliced multiple times by a green blur before an ice dragon's fangs buried into his side and a burning explosion of flames rammed into his face. Copy X stood over Geo, about to impale him with a thrust of his right hand, before a Charged Shot ripped through him before a green plasma saber finished him off. A white gloved hand was offered to Geo, making him look up…to see X's face giving an encouraging smile.

"On your feet now," X advised, helping Geo up.

"Th-Thanks," Geo thanked, his eyes wide in surprise.

"No problem," X assured.

"That was reckless, insane, and might have just killed us all," Zero scolded before chuckling, "I've rubbed off on you a bit too much, Vent."

"My, my~" a shapely young woman wearing armor similar to Model LX spoke in Leviathan's sultry tones as she stretched a little, "It feels wonderful to have my lithe frame back."

"Even if it's just for a small window of time, it is nice to be able to soar on my own," a lithe male with pale skin in HX-like armor noted in Harpuia's voice, hovering in air on his plasma wings.

A strong-looking male with tan skin slammed his fists together, flames coming off his FX-like armor, "WHOO! Don't care how long I've got! I'm gonna show this asshole not to mess with us!"

"Wh-Why you…you…you tricked me!" Clockman snapped before crying out as several plasma bo shuriken stabbed into him from behind as another male in PX-like armor landed beside Leviathan.

"Your own pride caused this," Phantom stated calmly.

"Grrrr…!" Clockman snarled, "CALLING CRIMSON DRAGON! CALLING GREGAR!"

Two massive gates appeared at his sides. Geo tensed as the one to Clockman's left called upon a massive dragon made of magenta and crimson armor and a strange crimson static-like substance. The other caused Roll A and Vent to gasp as a massive green wolf with bits of red and gold emerged from it, donning a spiked mane of sorts and a long, slim tail ending in spines. Both titanic beasts let out roars that shook the entire Area, cracking hundreds of the digital clocks around them.

"Oh…I goofed up," Lan gulped.

"W-We can still do this, Lan," Vent assured.

"..." Harpuia smirked before patting Vent's shoulder, "Focus on Clockman."

"Huh?" Vent pondered as Zero walked up to stand beside him as X stood with Geo.

"The four of us will fight Clockman," X stated, "Everyone else, pick either the dragon or the wolf and keep them away from us."

"Huh?" Sonia gasped.

"Wait, I need to fight that dragon. It's made of Crimson, a…"

"Massive collection of broken down electromagnetic wave radiation," Phantom filled in, making him do a double-take, "We had to deal with that during the first few years of Neo Arcadia when we came online. The best scientists created a filter unit inside of all machinery in it along with all Reploids to handle even a planet-sized mass of them to protect everyone in the city."

"Fafnir, Phantom, and I will fight the dragon," Harpuia spoke, "Leviathan, would you work with Sonia, Ashe, and Axl to fight the wolf?"

"But of course," Leviathan replied, "Who knows? Maybe we'll have a cute big puppy in the family after this."

"...I am not taking it out for walks," Fafnir huffed before charging at the Crimson Dragon, "BRING IT ON, YA BIG OVERGROWN SALAMANDER! FIGHTING~ FAFNIR~!"

"And he just ran in," Phantom sighed.

"Damn it, Fafnir!" Harpuia snapped, "Wait for us!"

"Shall we teach this naughty dog what girl power can do, ladies?" Leviathan asked.

"You betcha!" Roll A smirked.

"Right!" Sonia and Lyra cheered before all three jumped out of the way of Gregar's lunge.

Leviathan swung her polearm and several frozen dragons formed from the air's moisture and charged at the wolf. Gregar snarled as it swung its claws, ripping through the first, before unleashing a blast of flames from its jaws to melt the second as a barrage of bone-made bullets ripped out of the tip of its tail to shred and shatter the last one. The wolf jumped back, avoiding the barrage of lasers from Roll A and electrified notes of Sonia before firing another barrage of bones that made the three move out of the way. Nearby, Fafnir swung a punch as the Crimson Dragon swung a claw, creating a shockwave from the impact as neither budged from trying to overpower the other. An electrified tornado filled with plasma kunai and shuriken slammed into the Crimson Dragon's back, making it cry out and lose the stalemate with Fafnir, letting him send its claw back into its face, knocking it backwards.

"Looks like you have a limit to these things," Zero noted, Z-Saber parrying Clockman's hour hand sword as Vent's ElecSword parried the minute hand sword, "You can't summon more unless you dismiss one or the other or even both, can you?"

"Wh-Why you…!" Clockman snarled, "Clock Laser Blitz!"

A rapid fire of various Clock Lasers shot out at the four in rapid, erratic succession from a multitude of angles. All four became blurs, either shooting down or cutting apart the beams. Zero's Z-Saber glowed before it became a plasma cat-o-nine that he began to rapidly lash out with, allowing the beams to be overcome. X used Zero's shoulder as a jumping point to get over the barrage and deliver a Charge Shot to Clockman, knocking him away and ending the assault. A loud bang made Geo glance over at the Crimson Dragon and gawk, seeing several meteor-sized fireballs rain down upon the titanic lizard before electrified vortexes and oversized chakrams of plasma tore into it.

"These guys are on a whole other level…" Geo whispered with wide eyes.

"I wanna fight 'em."

"Please don't~" Geo pleaded, tears going down his cheeks with his eyes closed shut.

A-Bifrost roared as his frozen fangs dug into the back leg of Gregar, making the beast howl in anger, before unleashing a pulse of electricity from his mane, knocking the younger girls back and forcing Roll A back to her normal state. Leviathan gently brushed it off.

"Cute…You think I have that as a weakness," Leviathan noted, her gaze turning as cold as her ice as she tapped her polearm on the ground, "Let me show you what you get for that mistake."

As if on cue, the ground around Gregar erupted as massive frozen dragons erupted from the ground, all aimed to take a bite off of the behemoth wolf's form. Yet…Gregar did not budge. Instead, he began to growl. Leviathan tensed as the air seemed to change before seeing her father, his brother, Vent, and Geo fleeing over to Roll A and Sonia.

"ASHE!" Harpuia shouted as he dragged his brothers over to the girls, "Chronoforce, now! Leviathan, Wall of Eternal Frost!"

"H-Huh?" Roll A asked, shaking off her daze from the blow.

"Change to Chronoforce! Hurry!" Harpuia barked.

"Huh? What are they…?" Clockman pondered as A-Chronoforce was picked up by Fafnir and held up towards Gregar as Leviathan slammed her polearm into the ground and made a thick wall of ice before them as they huddled behind A-Chronosforce and Fafnir.

Gregar let loose a roar. Yet, nothing could be heard. The concussive shockwaves of the powerful bellow deafened the very air itself. The entire Area's landscape bent, twisted, and crumbled beneath the immense power behind it. The Crimson Dragon's wails of agony were snuffed out as it was torn asunder. After several long, agonizing seconds…all fell silent as Gregar vanished. The mound of shattered ice shook before the chunks flew away with a swing of Leviathan's staff. Roll A hissed, her Recov Element going into overdrive to heal her back.

"Wh…What the hell was that?" Vent asked with wide, shaken eyes.

[Whatever it was…I'm glad I don't have a body or I'd need a change of pants…] Axl gulped.

"G…Gurk…" everyone looked to see Clockman stumbling to stand up, his body mangled, "R…Rewind…" his body glowed before it changed back to just a few second ago, "GH!" He gagged as he coughed up blood-like data, 'Dammit! I…I grabbed the Gregar of that timeline…' running footsteps made him look up and his eyes widened as he saw Geo, Vent, X, and Zero charging at him, "N-No! MEGA CLOCK LA…"

Zero and Vent roared as they swung their blades, slicing through Clockman's swords mid-sentence. Clockman screamed in fright before X and Geo fired their charge shots and tore through his torso. Clockman gagged as he stumbled back before choking as Zero's blade on a rod pierced his CyberCore and shattered it.

"Three minutes on the dot," Zero smirked, pulling it back.

Clockman gagged as his body began to break up, "Y-You…U-Unbelievable…! This…This…!" he began to weakly laugh, "Fascinating…"

"Fascinating?" Zero repeated.

"This new timeline you've created…these branches that have grown…I feel each one where I die as they are…but each build up different…" he raised his now sole arm up, his dissolving pointer finger aimed at Vent and Roll A, "You two…keep the path you tread…it leads…to…" his body collapsed, shattering into data, "...this moment."

=CLOCKMAN: DELETED=

"..." Phantom let out a small sigh as he dismissed his weapons.

"Is it over?" Leviathan asked, looking around in concern.

"It's over," Zero affirmed before the bodies of the Reploids glowed before reverting back into Biometals.

[Dammit! I wanted to keep my body!] Fafnir complained [I wanted to fight Vent to see how he could handle me at my best!]

[Always another time] Harpuia replied, earning groans from the other Biometals.

"You came to save me," Sonia noted, walking up to Geo with a sad expression on her face, "Thank you. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble…"

"That's not true…" Geo shook his head and he held her hands, a warm assuring smile on his face, "I'm just glad you're safe."

"G-Geo…" Sonia mumbled, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Oh they are just so precious," Ashe whispered before kissing Vent's cheek, "Thanks for rescuing me and Axl, Vent."

"It wasn't much," Vent bashfully replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're our friend, Ashe! Of course we'd help you, Maylu, and Axl when you're in trouble!" Lan added.

[Aw shucks, guys…] Axl mumbled bashfully.

"Ugh…So much lovey-dovey crap…" Omega-Xis groaned, "Hey! We got the girls, so it's time to amscray before you panic on changing the timeline any further, remember?"

"Gh…" Geo grimaced before looking at Vent and Ashe, "Right…"

"We were so busy fighting that clock jerk that I never introduced myself," Sonia noted before smiling at them, "I'm Sonia and this…" she gestured to her guitar, "...is my best female friend and partner, Lyra."

"A pleasure," Lyra greeted.

"I'm Ashe," Ashe replied, "My goober of a boyfriend is Vent here."

Sonia giggled, "And my goober is Geo right here."

"G-Goober?" both boys asked in confusion before shaking it off.

"Thank you, both of you. I don't think we would've been this far if not for you two, Lan, Vent," Geo thanked.

"It was nothing, but it wasn't just us," Vent reminded him, "The Biometals, Ciel, Chaud, and everyone else at NetSaver HQ were important to handle the situation we just had."

"You helped save everyone here but Model Z, so we're even!" Lan added.

Ashe giggled, wrapping an arm over Vent, "Well, I'm just glad you two rescued us and I'm really glad this guy saved his special gal, too."

"Huh? Special?" Sonia pondered as Geo began to blush heavily.

Ashe giggled, "Well, we were princesses stolen by the dastardly fiend. So what better way to give thanks than a little 'thank you' kiss to our handsome knights in shining blue armor, hm?" Ashe asked with a wink.

"R-Roll…" Vent mumbled before Ashe kissed him.

"O-Oh my…" Sonia gulped, blushing heavily now.

"Y-You don't need to d-d-d-do that, S-Sonia…" Geo assured before freezing up at the quick peck on the cheek the beet red Sonia gave him.

[Aw~ How adorable] Axl cooed.

[They're their modern day's version of you two] Leviathan giggled.

[...Lan and Maylu could take a few notes from these two] Phantom pointed out.

"Wh-wh-wh-what's that supposed ta mean, Phantom?!" Lan squeaked.

"Well…It's about time for us to head back to our time two hundred years from now," Geo noted.

"Hey…You didn't tell them anything about what happens, did you?" Sonia asked.

"No. I don't want to mess with history any further than we already have," Geo replied, "Like admitting the operation Lan and Maylu went through is common in our time."

"You said that?" Sonia asked in disbelief.

"It just happened after he heard those floating pieces of metal jabber!" Omega-Xis replied.

[They can hear us?!] Axl gawked.

"Geo's a Chosen," Vent replied.

"Huh? Why does Geo hearing that little guy's voice mean by being a 'Chosen?'" Sonia asked.

"Focus, Sonia. The boys goofed up with exposing something brand new is common two hundred years from now," Lyra reminded her.

"Oh right!" Sonia recalled before pouting at Geo, "Geo, why~? Wait, you didn't expose that I had one a few weeks before you and I met, did you?"

"Huh? No, no, not at all," Geo assured.

"But you did," Omega-Xis chuckled, making Sonia blush.

"Eh, this sorta nonsense happens," Ashe assured, "Love the hair, BTW. Was a blonde myself before I changed my hair silver."

"Oh, this isn't my natural hair color," Sonia replied before a swirl of magenta radiation covered her head and dispersed, revealing her hair had turned a rich dark red/magenta in color, exposing her light fair skin, bright jade green eyes, and a pair of white pieces on the sides of her head where her ears should've been reminiscent to Ashe and Vent's, "See?"

'Huh…She has almost the same shade of red as Maylu's hair…' Ashe thought.

"Huh?! You got the same things on Vent and Ashe!" Lan gawked.

"I was feeling extra rebellious at the time with my stupid manager and secretly paid for the best and most expensive one. He was sooo pissed with me for doing it," Sonia sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, "The funniest thing is that my fanbase exploded exponentially in size when I debuted after my surgery."

"And they lost the plot again," Omega-Xis huffed.

[What I'm curious about is how you two intend on getting back] Zero spoke up.

"..." Geo pointed to a nearby digital gate, "Clockman's portal was made from a phenomenon called a Past Tunnel. We just need to keep going to the other side and we'll get back to our time. Meaning you two have to go back the way we came in here in your present to get to your time."

"You sure you guys will be okay?" Lan asked.

"Hah! Despite his demeanor and personality, the kid's actually pretty reckless!"

"Mostly because of you, Omega-Xis," Geo huffed before several beeps went off from the arm device, "?!"

=HEEEEY!= a male's voice shouted on the line =Can you hear me?! Granny Goodall and me built a booster for communications! Please answer!=

"Kazuma?" Geo asked.

=Oh thank god! Glad to hear you, man! What's the sitch?=

"Clockman's Deleted and we were starting to head home," Geo replied.

"Hi, cousin Kazy!" Sonia greeted.

=Good to hear= Kazuma replied, relief in his tone =Now hurry! Prez is getting upset and you know how she gets when she reaches her breaking point=

"Ack!" Geo and Sonia yelped, breaking out into a sweat as Sonia quickly made her helmet and hair return.

"Okay! Let's get going back to our time before we get scolded!" Sonia gulped.

"...Just a moment, Sonia," Geo spoke.

"Huh?" Sonia pondered before Geo walked up to Vent.

"Vent, Lan, could I make a final request before we leave?"

"Sure thing," Vent replied.

"What'cha need?" Lan asked.

"Would you be willing to become Brothers with me?"

"Brothers?" Vent asked.

"It's a term we use in the future for close friends," Geo explained.

"Well that's silly. We're already close friends, ain't we?" Lan asked as Vent nodded.

"Of course," Vent agreed, offering a hand.

"Lan…Vent…" Geo whispered before smiling and accepting the handshake, "Thanks! Since our devices are vastly different, we can't form a BrotherBand, sadly, but…like your BN Buster you gave Omega-Xis and me, take this as proof of us being Brothers!" the eyes on his arm glowed before data entered Vent.

"Huh? What's this…?" Vent pondered, looking at the data.

"It's a copy of my data," Geo replied, "I remember in my homeschooling that using someone's copied data in a blank BattleChip makes either a MegaChip or GigaChip. But I also included a program called Star Force. You'll be able to produce a protective barrier that only a Breaking effect can pierce and recharges in seconds."

"Really?! That's amazing!" Vent beamed.

"Thanks, Geo!" Lan beamed.

"No problem!" Geo assured before he backed away to beside Sonia, "Well…I guess it's time to go."

"Oh hold on now," Ashe spoke before making a sphere of data and giving it to Sonia, "Here. I hope it helps you stand beside Geo better like you want to."

"Huh?" Sonia pondered as she accepted it…before yelping as Lyra transformed into a strong-looking harp-themed bow with a magenta radiation arrow, "Whoa! Lyra, that's amazing!"

"It's a copy of my RollArrow. Anyone that you hit with that will scramble their battle programs," Ashe explained.

[I included some of my data in it, too! It's got multi-elemental power so just think of whatever Element you need the arrow to be and it'll become that!] Axl added as Lyra shifted back into a guitar.

"Oh, that is epic!" Sonia beamed before hugging Ashe, "Thanks!"

"No prob!" Ashe beamed before feeling the faint transfer of data along with Axl.

[Huh? Hey, what's…]

"Hope you enjoy my present for you!" Sonia beamed as she grabbed Geo's hand and started making their way to the portal to their time, "Bye~!"

"Bye, you two! Don't be strangers now, ya hear?" Vent called out.

"Don't forget us!" Lan called.

"So long as you don't forget us, either!" Geo replied before they jumped through the portal.

"...They're gone now, huh?" Ashe asked.

[Yep! But no way forgotten! That cheeky girl gave us both enough data that we can make either a MegaChip or GigaChip of her and enough that I can A-Trans into her now! Lyra Note is a music queen! Lithe and flexible, she's got all the grace and dexterity to dodge in ways I never saw before!] Axl noted [Her main attack is the Quick Strings that can let us use them for all sorts of purposes and the charged shot is Shock Note, letting loose a barrage of electrified notes that'll leave the crowd electrified!]

[Don't want Clockman's data?] Fafnir asked.

[Hell no! I don't touch time traveler data!]

"...Geo sure is amazing," Lan noted

"Hm? What's up, Lan?" Vent asked.

"Well, he came all the way from the future to save that girl," Lan explained, "He didn't even think about how he'd get home. That must have been really tough."

"Sounds a bit like you with Maylu," Ashe compared.

"I'm not gonna be outdone by him," Lan mumbled, "Hey, Vent?"

"What is it, Lan?" Vent asked.

"Do you think if Maylu and me worked with the Biometals, we could get an ambush on the WWW?"

"Huh?!" Vent gawked.

"Well, just like Geo saving his friend, and you saving Ashe, I wanna save everyone from those jerks in the WWW! I can't just leave things unfinished!"

"Lan…" Vent whispered.

"Plus, we can't leave it all to that jerk Chaud!"

"Oh that's awful, Lan," Vent frowned, a hint of amusement in his eyes, "I may just have to tell him you said that when we leave." he looked at the Biometals, "But…you're right. We can't just wait for things to be done with. If we can get our battle done tomorrow quickly, we'll see if we can't do just that."

"Great!"

"But you'll have to bring the others in the team along," Vent added, "Chaud included."

"Huh?!"

"You really think Vent and I are just gonna let you and Maylu go off on your own with just us? Heck no!" Ashe explained.

"Aww…"

"We care too much for you two to let you go alone in this dangerous situation," Vent spoke, "I want you safe above all else, Lan. Just like Roll does with Maylu."

"Mmm…Alright," Lan sighed, "I just hate waiting."

[...Tonight, give me ten minutes in control of your body, Lan] Phantom spoke.

"Hm?"

[We have Match and Maddy in custody. I know how to get information] Phantom explained [If you can, try to go to sleep while I'm controlling it]

"Phantom, what are you…?" Vent began.

"Sure thing! If you can help us get to their location sooner, the better!" Lan beamed.

"Dang it, Lan…Phantom…" Vent groaned.

"I think that's the best you'll get, Mega," Ashe noted, a drop of sweat going down the back of her head, before grabbing his hand, "We can talk about this later, okay? Right now…I want to go home and be with Maylu."

Vent nodded, "Okay."

"Roll~!" Maylu cried, hugging her PeT, "Axl~!"

"I'm so sorry for making you so worried, Maylu," Ashe apologized, tears in her own eyes as she gave a digital hug with her hologram.

[Lousy stupid clock guy's fault] Axl huffed [But I'm sorry, too]

"I've never seen BattleChips like these before," Ciel noted, looking over the pile of BattleChips made from the data Vent obtained, "I guess you obtained them from Viruses in that Past Tunnel while making your way to Clockman."

"Yeah," Lan nodded, "Pulse Transmission was kinda fun, but also a bit scary since Vent wasn't there."

"Mmm…I'll keep it installed in here and work a bit on it," Ciel noted, "It would be interesting to see the world as a NetNavi does, but I want it to be safer than anything else."

"You gonna copy them for everyone?" Lan asked, gesturing to the BattleChips.

"...No," Ciel shook her head and giving them to Lan, "It's better for you to have the only copies of these in this time. I don't want them getting out there when they shouldn't yet, so they're safest with you." she held up a GigaChip, depicting the Crimson Dragon blasting its flames, "Especially ones like this that the Four Guardians collected while you, Geo, X, and Zero Deleted Clockman."

"We have a GigaChip~!" Lan awed, stars in his eyes, before quickly grabbing it and ran over to Maylu, "Maylu, look!"

"Huh?" Maylu looked and gasped, "Oh! A GigaChip!"

"Yep!" Lan replied…before giving it to her, "It's yours!"

"...HUH?!" Maylu gawked.

"It's to make up for that jerk Yahoot doing that stupid stuff with that Devil Chip thing," Lan frowned before smirking, "And it'd be awesome if we fought him and you pulled this out on him as payback! Using a real GigaChip on the guy who gave you that fake one!"

"Oh Lan…" Maylu whispered before hugging him, "Thank you…for everything today."

"Ah! Uh…It…It's not much, Maylu," Lan sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

[Lan and Maylu, sittin' in a tree!]

[K-I-S-S-I-N-G!]

[Axl! Fafnir!] X barked as the two kids went beet red and blushed heavily.

"I'm guessing Axl and…I wanna say Fafnir…done teased 'em?" Masa whispered to Ciel, who nodded with a giggle.

The full moon shined down through the bars of the jail cell Maddy was lying down in, scowling, 'It's not fair! It's not fair! We actually got arrested! Those stupid assholes! Why did we have to use a Devil Chip?!' a soft tap made her look to see Lan emerging from the shadows, donned in Model P's armor, "Wh-What the…?"

"How do you access the WWW base?" Lan P spoke in Phantom's voice.

"...Oh great…They're going with scare tactics now?" Maddy huffed, "What? Gonna try and 'rough me up,' huh? Oh please…I know you good two-shoes aren't allowed to…" Lan P's arm up to the elbow slammed through the wall to the left of her head, "!?"

"...You seem to be mistaken, Madoi Iroaya," Hidden Phantom spoke, Lan's cybernetic eye changing from chocolate brown to deep abyss black, "I am not a policeman. I hold no mercy for those who threaten the peace of this world. I ask you, how do you get to the WWW base hidden deep in the mountains?"

"?! H-How did you know that?"

"I head an organization that makes it their goal to know," Hidden Phantom replied, "Now…I ask you one. last. time. How do I gain access to the WWW base hidden deep in the mountains?"

"I…I won't tell. Lord Wily would Delete me if I did," Maddy replied, fear in her eyes…before Hidden Phantom chuckled.

"Oh…Poor, poor Madoi," Hidden Phantom noted, far too calm for Maddy's nerves…before he pulled out a satchel, "I asked you nicely. Now…" Maddy grunted as he ripped his arm out of the wall, grabbed her by the front of her shirt, and slammed her against another wall, "...I force it out."

"...G…GUARDS!" Maddy screamed, "GUARDS! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! HELP!"

Hidden Phantom shook his borrowed head, "Oh Madoi…Nobody will save you. They've been dealt with. Both human and NetNavi."

Maddy's breath caught in her throat, her eyes darting up to the camera to see it was offline. All over the station, officers were all knocked out as PeTs were shut off. In the cell, Hidden Phantom stabbed a pair of giant shuriken to pin Maddy into place on the wall before opening the satchel and pulled out a box of needles, a strange black string, and…a lighter. He carefully wrapped a bit of string around one of the tiny needles before flicking it and Maddy gasped out in a small stab of pain from the needle going into her outer right soleus. Hidden Phantom lit the string and Maddy was confused at first, seeing it wasn't burning as fast as she expected. Only a moment passed as she realized the heat was conducting in the metal of the needle and couldn't hold back the scream that came out of her mouth. Another hit her internus oblique and the pain of the heat of the burning thread soon followed along with another scream. Biceps brachii short head…Biceps brachii long head…the outer left soleus…Pectoralis minor…Arcuate line… Within a matter of thirty minutes, Hidden Phantom was leaping along rooftops as an unconcious Maddy laid upon her cot, foaming and twitching with her injuries from burns and the needles tended to with care.

[Did you have to go that far?] Fafnir asked, sounding unnerved.

"I was far more lenient with her than I was with the rebellion when Neo Arcadia was our home," Hidden Phantom replied.

[I can't believe you used to do that!] Zero exclaimed [No offense, X, but I'm kinda glad he blew himself up after I fought him if this is just a little of what he used to do…]

[Zero, we've seen worse] X pointed out.

[Yeah…but this is one of your kids]

[Wait…Father, did you watch him when he'd do things like this?] Harpuia asked.

[Yes, if only to give comfort to whomever was interrogated in their sleep, to try and help with their mental states] X replied.

"My apologies if I went too far."

[No, no, Phantom. I'm just saying that I understand why you did what you had to back then] X spoke.

"And tonight?"

[...It's better we stop them sooner than later] X replied.

"I already sent word to Ciel," Vent finally spoke up, "And you're sure Lan is sleeping?"

"Yes," Hidden Phantom replied, "He will never be aware of what actions I took. He deserves to try to keep what little innocence remains within him."

"Good. That…That's good, Phantom," Vent nodded, "Just…remind me to not make you mad, alright?"

"A wise action, Vent," Hidden Phantom replied, a ghost of a smirk on his lips as he continued his rooftop running, "Still…it will take time to gather what is needed for the raid. Even then…"

[Indeed. Initial plans may not even work out] Hapruia agreed to the trailed off sentence [All we can do now is just…deal with the tournament until it is time to partake in the raid]

[Aw yeah! Can't wait! I wanna smack that smug look offa Protoman's face!]

[Fighting Fafnir Light]

[Aw c'mon, Pops! You know you wanna also smack the guy who's using our late uncle's name!]

[Blue's name was Proto Man. This is Protoman. No spacing between the words]

[That's the best you're gonna get from him, Fafnir] Zero pointed out.

[Aw nuts]

"Still…it's a shock to think their way to it was underneath those two places, the second made so recently at that," Vent frowned.

"Indeed. For now…" Hidden Phantom landed on the balcony of the Hikari household and entered Lan's bedroom, "...Let us give Lan and yourself some time to rest, Vent." he placed the PeT on its charger before lying down on the bed, "Rest well, Vent."

In a flash, Lan snoozed on his bed, unaware of what acts Phantom performed to get the information they needed. Vent lied down on his bed, looking up at the digital sky.

'We have WWW's plot to foil…and then three more battles in this tournament…' Vent thought, 'This is getting intense…The stakes feel so much higher than they had last time. All because Roll and I exist…even before then if Miyu is right…Is it because of our experiences? Why?' he narrowed his eyes before looking over at where Lan was, 'I'll make sure you get a good future, Lan.'

GT: Whew! This took a bit for me! Not just from real life stuff, but also working on other things, too. Not much can he said about this…aside from the T and I Phantom did. That…was something I didn't plan on doing. But when I was reaching the end, I felt I just had to write it. Even if they've good guys, it doesn't mean they don't have skeletons in their closets from their time of having actual bodies.

Chapter 19: Quarterfinals. Sniper Sharks and Feral Soloists

Chapter Text

GT: Here we go! Next round of the N1! It'll be a pair of NetBattles! After this, there's one more chapter before stuff goes down!

Maylu mutedly sighed, looking around the Network she was in. She guessed it was another memory, but a more recent one. Her eyes widened as Roll A walked past her and, in a flash, became Buckfire. Her eyes widened further as she began recognizing the path she was walking alongside A-Buckfire. They stopped before a wall. A-Buckfire snorted and a screen of a younger Maylu appeared.

"Ready for this?" A-Buckfire asked.

"Uh-huh!" Memory Maylu beamed, the younger girl smiling in excitement.

"Then let's do this!" A-Buckfire whooped before walking through the wall, Maylu following 'him' through it to be welcomed to a cheering crowd of NetNavis with a stage set up, "MRRROOOOOOOO~!"

"?!" everyone looked out to A-Buckfire and erupted into cheers.

"Buckfire the Brave!"

"Whoo! Yeah! It's a Buckfire Brawl Night!"

"Oh shit! Glad I ain't going to brawl tonight!"

"This is gonna be epic~!"

"Buckfire!"

Maylu couldn't stop the smile on her face as A-Buckfire waved to the cheering crowds. Even if they were hiding behind an A-Trans, this had been something she really enjoyed. A recognition of their strength and how hard they trained after hanging out with friends. Her smile slipped as she remembered that she wasn't able to go back because of their developing FullSynchro at the time worrying the both of them. She wondered if they still had these with the N1 showing the need for a license was being pulled back. A-Buckfire stepped up to the queue and many immediately offered to let 'him' cut in line.

"Oh no, I couldn't," A-Buckfire chuckled in good nature, "I'm just a NetNavi looking for a good fight like anyone else here. Plus, it's first come, first serve. I ain't breaking that rule."

Maylu couldn't hold in the mute giggle. She was always so dang humble outside of the ring when she was using Buckfire. It was a part of why so many in the Pits respected them. They were humble out of the ring, honorable within, and always made sure to give a show while battling. Her eyes widened as she spotted a NetNavi nearby. They were humanoid in appearance, but donned in a stylized crimson and obsidian armor resembling a wyvern of sorts. On their back was a broadsword and a spiked shield on their left arm. Yet…the long yellow scarf around their neck caught her eye.

Maylu gasped, realizing that this was their last day. She blinked and jumped, realizing she suddenly jumped ahead as the roars of the crowd boomed as the referee Mr. Prog hovered in the center of the stage.

"And now, for the moment we've all been waiting for! First, the challenger! A newcomer, donned in mystery! The dragonic slayer! Give it up for Breakman!" The Mr. Prog announced as the armored NetNavi approached, music playing as the crowd cheered.

Maylu frowned as she realized that the N1 hadn't done something like this at all. No unique tune for NetNavi and NetOp, just declaring their names and even then it's mainly the NetOp's. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the music picked up pace and the crowd began to rise to a fever pitch of excitement.

"And now, here comes the home champion! The bucking broncho! The burning brawler! The Native Gazelle! Undefeated champion! BUCKFIRE~ THE~ BRA~VE!"

Several NetNavis with flamethrowers let them rip into the sky. Within an instant, they were dispersed as A-Buckfire shot through them with a flying side kick and landed perfectly at his corner. The crowd was in pure excitement as hoots and cheers ripped out. Maylu gave a muted snort of amusement as she watched her sister flexing and posing for the crowd. The two approached the Mr. Prog.

"Allright, I want a good, clean NetBattle. No illegal programs, keep your UnderShirt Program running at all times, and if I say 'stop,' you stop," Mr. Prog ordered.

"Understood," both replied.

"Then let's get ready to rumble~!" Mr. Prog declared as he got out of the ring, "Battle Routine, SET!"

"EXECUTE!" both declared.

Hoof met the flat end of a broadsword and spiked shield, sending up a ripple of air around the two. Maylu tilted her head, realizing she was looking at a NetBattle from an angle she never knew of and spotted how Breakman tensed. Guess he realized that Buckfire has two faces, the gazelle head…and the one on his neck with a grate acting as a guard for it. Breakman swung his sword and cut through the flaming arrows fired from both arms of A-Buckfire. He lunged only for an AreaSteal to allow Buckfire to avoid the strike and force Breakman to roll out of the way of the diving sidekick he let loose. A-Buckfire cried out as he swung his head, letting loose his 'ears' as a pair of spinning blades. Breakman's sword glowed before he swung it, letting loose four elemental slashes that collided with the two spinning attacks and creating an explosion. Breakman shot out of the smoke only to tense as A-Buckfire was nowhere to be seen. He barely turned around and used his shield to protect himself from the barrage of fire-engulfed arrows that came from the smoke. The Gazelleroid erupted from the smoke headfirst as the 'ears' glowed with energy. Breakman swung his sword and an explosion erupted from the collison. Maylu bit her lower lip as she watched the battle from the past, both sides unable to gain a clear advantage as it only made the audience go crazy from the intensity and excitement of someone finally rivaling Buckfire the Brave. She remembered how she had been feeling during this time all too well. It was…a rush. The challenge they were being given, the fact they were going on for longer than they had before… The battle soon reached a fevered pitch, roars bellowing as Sword BattleChip met broadsword and sending up sparks that illuminated the damaged armor of both fighters.

"You…are strong," A-Buckfire snorted.

"Same to you," Breakman grunted, "But…Why stay in these pits? You could do a lot more in other places like the Officials."

A-Buckfire snorted, "Sorry, but I'm doing these for fun and personal training. Got a friend I'm waitin' for. I've got a good clue when he'll show up, too."

"Care to share?"

"A kid I know is gonna be enterin' th' fifth grade soon. My friend is gonna be his NetNavi then," A-Buckfire replied, "He's a hell of a lot stronger than even me. It's why I'm here: ta train ta stand by him and not be a liability like I used to be."

"Interesting," Breakman noted, "Then let's see you deal with my best move. Del…"

"NETPOLICE!" A basic NetNavi shouted, "IT'S A RAID!"

As if on cue, the NetNavis scrambled, many logging out immediately as others took for bolt holes. A-Buckfire huffed at the bewildered expression on Breakman's lips and posture.

"Next time," A-Buckfire noted as he logged out.

Maylu yawned as she stepped out of the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day. She walked up to her computer and unplugged the PeT from its charger. Ashe smiled at her as she appeared on top of it in her normal hologram.

"Ready for today?"

"You bet! …Um…Roll?"

"What's up?"

"I dreamt about our final battle as Buckfire the Brave last night."

"Oh? Man, that was intense and was left on a cliffhanger thanks to that raid," Ashe recalled before frowning, "I still wanna fight him again one day."

"Same here," Maylu agreed, "Who knows? Maybe he'll see the N1 and want to fight us as we are."

[I'd be happy for that! I didn't get a chance to copy his data in our original battle!] Axl chirped up.

"What?! We have to work with that jerk?!" Lan complained as he watched the screen announcing the teams.

"Sadly, yes," Vent sighed, "But…we just have to suck it up. After this are the semifinals and then the finals."

"Maylu and Ashe are gonna be the hardest if we fight them because they're good at working together and with Axl," Lan frowned before thinking back to the dream he shared with Maylu, "..."

"What's up, Lan?"

"Vent…Did…Did you and Ashe fight each other because of Model W?"

"...We did," Vent replied, "We didn't recognize one another at all since we both looked really different from when we saw one another before."

"Ouch," Lan winced, "So…she was stronger than you?"

"No, we'd honestly tie if it was just me using ZX and her using Model A," Vent replied, "I was already tired from fighting various enemies between me and destroying the Model W fragment. Plus, neither of us had you two, so it's going to be interesting if we do fight."

"Not reluctant to fight her?" Lan quirked a brow.

"Oh, I am. But I also know she'll kick my butt and Maylu will do the same to yours if we even consider holding back," Vent replied.

"Ack!" Lan flinched.

[They're announcing who you're fighting] Phantom informed, making the two look at the screen to see that they'll be fighting the Alpha Dome against a large NetNavi made of stone and a red, yellow, and black NetNavi with bombs on its shoulders while Maylu and Famous would be up against Masa and Raika.

"Yikes," Lan flinched, "We could barely beat Searchman on his own, but now Maylu and Ashe have to fight him and Sharkman at the same time."

"They also have Famous with them and he seems to be quite the capable NetBattler," Vent pointed out, "But it's Stoneman and Bombman that I'm more concerned about."

"The NetNavis that don't use NetOps," Lan recalled before laughter appeared on the screen and it changed to show the two, making Lan gulp as Bombman was around Vent's height…but one of Stoneman's legs were that same height as well, 'He's gigantic!'

"It's pointless, pointless," Stoneman spoke, his voice reverberating.

"Indeed. Whether it's just these two or two hundred of them, we who do not require Network Operators…we independent NetNavis are the ultimate force!" Bombman declared before the screen moved into a split on with Higsby and Ribitta.

"Mmm…What do they mean?" Ribitta pondered.

"It's a bit of a hot topic among NetNavis. Independent NetNavis don't have to worry about a delay between action and attack," Higsby explained, "In that I mean that a NetNavi with a NetOp wastes time between attacks as the NetOp picks a BattleChip for them to use."

"Yes, that's correct," Bombman agreed, his arms over his torso.

"This means that Lan and Chaud along with Vent and Protoman will be at a disadvantage in this round…but the same can be said for the independent NetNavis."

"Hm? Explain, explain," Stoneman ordered.

"The sheer variety of BattleChips and combinations that Lan and Chaud have pulled off with Vent and Protoman over the course of the tournament along with how unique their personal abilities are," Higsby replied, "This battle will be one that many NetNavis will be watching closely to see which is truly superior: Independent NetNavis or NetOp-NetNavi pairs."

"We'll be making adjustments to both domes, so the semi-final battles will begin in two hours," Ribitta informed.

"Is it really that important?" Tory pondered, the group all in a picnic area on the artificial island, "Independent or working with a NetOp?"

"A lot of NetNavis have it rough with their NetOps, some even abandoned by them for different reasons," Ashe noted, "They may even be kept, but abused by the NetOp, unable to leave for various reasons, such as not knowing where they would go or turn to if they left since their life with a NetOp is all they know."

Maylu grimaced, knowing fully well what she was referring to. The silverette looked at her and gave the redhead an assuring smile and pretending to rest her hand on Maylu's cheek in assurance.

"That's horrible," Dex growled, "What kinda jerk does that to a NetNavi?"

"It's something that just happens, hence why going independent has been a thing among NetNavi circles," Vent shrugged, "I've heard a few talks about it when I was working as a SciLab courier doing deliveries. And both sides have a point; there are many NetNavis who love being partnered with NetOps because of the connections that come from it, such as being able to experience things they couldn't in the Network alone, such as utilizing BattleChips or sharing experiences with their NetOps. But independents have free reign to do as they wish without being constrained by NetOps and the delay between BattleChip usages and not having to fear an abusive home."

"I tried to be independent myself, but it was really scary. Almost being Deleted from stronger Viruses…being ridiculed by other NetNavis…I had to resort to things that will haunt me for the rest of my life just to live another moment longer," Roze added from Alouette's PeT, "But, I'm…" he sniffled, "I'm truly grateful to Ciel and Alouette for letting me be Alouette's NetNavi and giving me a new home."

"Aw Roze…" Alouette whispered before hugging her PeT.

"This is quite a heavy topic for kids…" Ms. Mari noted in concern.

"Yet they seem to be handling themselves alright," Masa added, "They have some good mature NetNavis helping with it." he looked to the kids, "You all have some good points, much like how the fishing community has differing opinions on the best kinds of fish, best fishing spots, and even preferred bait to use. However…Lan, Vent, you two have an advantage that they don't understand, something that no computer can calculate for."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Lan asked.

"You have a strong friendship with one another," Masa stated, "They don't know how much power comes from that kind of bond and likely never experienced what it's like to have a bond like you two have."

Lan smiled at that, "Thanks, Masa."

"You're quite the inspirational sayer, Masa," Ms. Mari complimented with an enthusiastic pat to the back that caused Masa to yelp and fall over into his bento, "Ah! A-Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, I'm fine!" Masa assured before a few pops went off, "Ah…"

"Don't worry, I know how to handle this," Jasmine assured as she made her way over.

"I swear, your teacher has to have cybernetics in her own body when she does things like that," Ashe muttered, a bead of sweat going down her head.

"It's still unfortunate you have to pair up with Chaud of all folks," Yai huffed.

"Oh, right," Maylu recalled, "Your family companies are rivals, right?"

"Indeed," Yai nodded, "GABCOM and IPC."

'That still feels so weird…I'm used to them being Ayano-Tech and Blaze Quest…with the latter being a gaming company…' Ashe thought.

"There may be a rivalry between your companies, but that doesn't discredit Chaud's operating abilities," Tory spoke up, "Nor how fast and strong Protoman is. He currently has the record for fastest Deletion Time in the N1 for a good reason."

"Hmph. Vent, the Biometals, and me beat him once, we can do it again," Lan stated.

"Huh?! Ya did?!" Dex gawked.

"When we first met him, they had a NetBattle that got really intense and nearly broke the arcade system that they were using," Maylu noted, "It was the first time I ever saw Vent used Model Z and Model X together."

"The form that makes his hair blond and his armor red?" Tory recalled, "Yeah, that armor's really powerful."

[Aside from the failsafe in us that Zero can trigger if we fall into the wrong hands, Vent working together with Papa and Zero is capable of overcoming not only the four of us, but also…] Leviathan trailed off.

"I still wanna know about this Model…" Lan began.

[NOOO~!] the more vocal three of the Four Guardians and Model Z all shouted.

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," Maylu sighed.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Tory asked.

"Vent has one more Biometal, but Models Z, F, L, and H keep freaking out before we can learn anything about it," Maylu huffed.

"Considering he's why three of them are Biometals, it's not a shock," Vent admitted.

"Huh?" Tory pondered.

"My last partner has a lot of power, having needed both X and Zero to defeat him and render him into a Biometal himself," Vent explained, "I can do a Double MegaMerge with him, but I can't do that when a Biometal's 'asleep.'"

"Sir Vent…Biometals require rest?" Glyde pondered.

"At times, yes. But my friend is one who likes to sleep a lot until he feels like there's someone strong to challenge nearby or whenever he just wants to wake up," Vent explained, "He also speaks in a dead language and it took me over a year to learn it myself so I could understand what he was saying."

"Hah?! So then how come he doesn't pop out whenever we brawl, huh?" Ashe demanded.

"Most likely? He's in one of his deeper sleeps at the moment," Vent sighed.

"Do you think we can see him?" Iceman asked.

[Vent, please don't!] Leviathan begged.

"It's alright," Vent assured, "He's sleeping and can't hurt you anymore. Plus, I've been wanting to introduce him ever since you all started this shouting bit."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a dulled out Biometal. It had a 'face' similar to Model Z and Model X, but its casing was primarily a rusty red color and shaped to resemble the symbol for Omega. Ashe blinked and looked at her sides to see three of the Four Guardian Biometals had all zipped over to her PeT and were hiding behind her shoulders. Model P remained hovering by Vent, taking a better look at the Biometal. Aside from Ashe, all the other NetNavis there unknowingly took a step back as it felt like something shot through their systems.

"This is him," Vent spoke, "Model O. As you can see, he's sleeping. He'll wake up when he wants to." he put the Biometal away, "It's part of our agreement, after all."

"Agreement?" Lan tilted his head.

Vent nodded, "He doesn't go all destructive on the world and try to plunge into into chaos and obliteration by trying to take over my body and I let him sleep whenever he wants for how long he wants and only MegaMerge with him if he wants to fight someone he deems as strong enough to challenge him. It's rare that he comes out, but sometimes he'll wake up without wanting to fight and just watch something going on." he pointed at Ashe, "He was awake when we first met. Was hiding near the top of the place and watching. He commented that you were strong, so if he's awake the next time we spar, he may want to see what you're made of."

"Oh? Well, I hope he is awake then because I wanna go at him myself!" Ashe declared.

[We hid behind a suicidal chick!] Fafnir panicked.

[Do you have to point that out?] Harpuia sighed.

[Ashe, dear, please don't!] Leviathan begged [I'll have two less girls that can hear me that I enjoy conversing with!]

"Guts~" Gutsman shook before stomping a foot, "Gutsman wanna get stronger ta take you on in whatever that one makes, guts!"

"I'd honestly like to check you over to make sure there aren't any drawbacks to this power that sleeping Biometal has," Meddy noted, concern in her tone.

"If it helps you feel better about him, alright," Vent shrugged.

"I am unsure of how Model O is like, but I do trust in you, Sir Vent," Glyde spoke, "However, did you not feel the shift in the air when you had that Biometal out?"

"Shift?" Lan repeated, tilting his head.

"You guys wouldn't feel it out there, but in here it was as if something went…wrong…with everything, guts," Gutsman admitted.

"Hey, it's alright. He's a good guy once you get past his issues that his former 'master' shoved into him through some terrible programming," Vent assured, "...And not 'terrible' like villainous or the like. I mean 'terrible' as in I want to slap his entire family lineage for how messed up the coding was. So many conflicting triggers in the coding…"

"You know coding?" Lan asked.

"I was made in SciLab and was a courier for them for several years. There's something wrong if I didn't pick up things from overhearing scientists talk with one another, talk with NetNavis and Mr. Progs, or to themselves as they worked," Vent pointed out.

"O-Oh, right…"

"Hmm…Yai, are you still up in arms about that comment Chaud made about your company being 'third-rate?'" Ciel asked.

"Wouldn't you if he said the same about your papa?!" Yai fumed.

"Yes…but he knows what I'd do if he upsets me," Ciel replied.

"That and because I honestly respect Commissioner Oda is why I don't call him that," everyone looked to see Chaud approach.

"I sure wasn't expecting they'd change things up like this," Lan spoke, "Happy to delay how long it'll be before Vent and me take you on again?"

"Just don't get in my way in this match," Chaud replied.

"What'd ya say?!" Dex demanded.

"Let me say this: A NetBattle is not so easily won through friendship," Chaud stated.

"Hah?! What's that mean?! Vent and I smacked you around because of our bond!" Lan argued.

"Fueled by hatred and anger," Chaud pointed out, making him grimace, "When we fought, you were enraged. Your attempts to say otherwise are as useless as a third-party's playhouse games."

"Whaaaaaat?!" Yai hissed, her pigtails shooting straight up as she glared daggers at him.

"Just leave Stoneman and Bombman to me. You just stay in the corner if you want to avoid Vent's Deletion," Chaud warned.

[Remind me again just who was curbstomped by who last time, hm?] Leviathan demanded [If anything, Protoman would be in Vent's way, especially as Model ZX]

"Okay, enough please," Ciel spoke up before Chaud could retort, "May I walk with you two, Lan, Eugene?"

"Eugene?" Lan repeated, trying to hide his amusement but winced at the harsh glare Ciel gave him, "Ulp…"

"Hoo boy…Chaud and Lan are in trouble~" Alouette winced as the two boys were practically dragged away by Ciel.

"How so?" Yai asked.

"I know the tone Ciel gave too well, mainly for the fact that I've dealt with it from my mother and then me giving it to the more troublemaking of my students," Ms. Mari noted.

"Okay, I am good with some healthy competition between co-workers, but not to this point," Ciel sternly spoke, giving the two a stern glare as they stood by the harbor of the artificial island, "Eugene, I know how this tournament is for you and how working with Lan will irritate you for several reasons, but cool it. You're strong, I get it. I know you're strong, but we are dealing with two WWW AutoNavis that were likely custom built by Dr. Wily himself." she spun around to look at Lan, "Lan, you're a kid, I understand it. I also know your first meeting with Eugene was far less than ideal and how I would've hoped for. But please just let. it. be. We are on the precipice of the ideal operation to take down WWW, but we need to push them deeper into a corner and show them we mean business." she inhaled deeply before looking at them both, "Eugene Chaud Blaze, Lan Xavier Hikari, I am ordering you both to work together as equals in this operation. You are authorized to Delete Stoneman and Bombman and obtain their Memory Data. Chaud, you are to focus solely upon Bombman unless Stoneman interferes. Lan, you are to focus on Stoneman unless Bombman interferes." she looked at the two NetNavis, "I can trust you two, Vent and Protoman, to coordinate with one another better than your NetOps…right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Vent replied.

"Understood," Protoman confirmed.

Ciel nodded before sighing, "Look, guys, just…just do this, okay? You're both my friends, but I need to be your boss at the moment because of what this is leading up to. Today is what leads up to tomorrow's massive operation to stop WWW, but we can't do that unless our operatives are all good and ready and not demoralized by losing to WWW NetNavis."

"Mmm…Well…alright," Lan agreed, "We just focus on the WWW, right?"

Chaud sighed, "Very well, Ciel. I'll…try not to get infuriated with Hikari."

"That's all I ask."

It was then Chaud's PeT started to ring, "Lord Chaud."

"What is it, Protoman?" Chaud asked.

"An emergency request from the president."

"The old man?"

Bombman grunted as he did a few stretches. Nearby, Stoneman stood as still as his namesake, yellow eyes focused solely upon a single spot. He raised his arms up before slamming them down hard, producing three Rockcubes that crashed down hard and surrounded three sides of the spot. A strong kick from Bombman sent one of his namesakes rolling into it before an explosion went off a moment later, sending chunks of the three Rockcubes scattering and leaving behind a smoldering hole in the ground.

"Not bad…but it won't be enough."

"?!" Bombman turned around as Stoneman tilted his head towards the owner of the voice.

"It is you, you…" Stoneman noted.

"Indeed, big guy. And like I said…it won't be enough since you're up against Vent," the figure warned, "If he uses a form called FX, your strategy won't even bother him. He can shatter those cubes like they were LEGO bricks and his blasters can catch your bombs on fire and explode them before they even get close to him. And that's just him. There's also his buddy, Protoman. You're fast, Bombman, but his blade is faster."

"Tch…So yer sayin' we're gonna lose, right?" Bombman demanded.

"As you are now, yes. But, I have a little something for you both," the figure noted before a pair of purple orbs materialized, "Integrate these into yourselves and you will gain unimaginable power."

"What are these, these?" Stoneman asked.

"A sliver of power from what the good Doc is creating from the Four Elemental Codes along with what my associate and I are adding into it," they responded, "This should even the odds and grant you an upgraded form. I like to call it…"

"Mmm…What's taking Chaud so long?" Lan pondered, standing at the consol a bit later.

'Guess that event's still happening with Yai and Chaud stuck in the elevator,' Vent thought.

[They got stuck in an elevator?] X asked, isolating himself to just Vent.

'Yes. I learned it later from Glyde. They got stuck in the elevator and Chaud had to carry Yai out of it on the emergency escape ladder inside of the elevator shaft. Turns out he lost most of his BattleChips from that,' Vent recalled.

[Seriously? And you still lost to him?] Fafnir asked.

'A little bit after we met back up again after a lot of things went down, Protoman told me just how he got a sudden power boost in the final round of the tournament,' Vent replied, 'His Ultimate Program triggered.'

[Ultimate Program? Like your Hyper Adaptability?] Phantom questioned.

'Yes. Though, now I'm curious, does this Protoman still have his Ultimate Program…or is it something else entirely?' Vent pondered, narrowing his eyes.

"While Beta Dome is doing their countdown due to Chaud currently not there, let's turn to here in Alpha Dome where the teams of Raika and Commander Beef go head-to-head against the team of Maylu Sakurai and Famous!" Ribitta cheered.

"You ready to smack 'em silly, big guy?" Roll A asked, smirking at Punk.

Punk chuckled, "Oh, you are a real firespitter, gal." he slammed his fists together, a determined gleam in his eyes, "Let's do it!"

[Ashe, any chance you…]

'No, buddy. Famous didn't have a NetNavi in the old timeline I'm from, so this is uncharted waters,' Roll A replied.

[I'm starting to think that you should just throw out all that future stuff with how much it's all changed…]

"I'm quite curious about how you three will keep up with Punk and I," Famous noted, adjusting his sunglasses.

"We'll do our best," Maylu assured.

"Not even started yet and already things are intense! Let's get started!" Higsby cheered.

"Right! NetOps and NetNavis, ready? Battle Routine SET!"

"EXECUTE!" all four shouted.

In a flash, A-Chronoforce was hefted by Punk, utilizing him as a shield that bounced off the barrage of shots from Searchman. Punk spun around and threw A-Chronoforce into a slide, causing 'him' to dive underground as if it were water in time to ram into Sharkman, sending him into the air and out of the 'water.'

"You know…I keep forgetting I can do that," A-Chronoforce admitted.

[I'll say. Almost a decade with you in here and I'm still forgetting that for Chronoforce so he's not just stuck in one spot unless underwater] Axl agreed.

Punk curled up into his shoulderguards and raced off towards Searchman, becoming a spiked wheel of sorts. Searchman narrowed his eyes as he took aim. With a mental command, Searchman fired a round and struck the floor inches ahead of Punk, causing an explosion. The smoke burst as Punk soared through the air and opened up, swinging his arms out and extending them on his cable-like limbs. Searchman turned transparent and then invisible, the two limbs missing him and shattering the ground instead. Nearby, Sharkman and A-Chronoforce raced about 'underwater' against one another, energy blades shaped like shark fins and icicle tail ends trading collisions and explosions. A-Chronoforce raced past him and headed for Punk, causing Sharkman to narrow his eyes and pursue 'him.' the fake Pseudoroid jumped out and, in a flash, A-Atlas grabbed the tossed up shoulderguards of Punk and threw them hard at Searchman. In another flash, Searchman sniped them out of the sky only to be slammed with an electrified sphere. A-Argoyle cheered, high-fiving the holographic A-Ugoyle, before dashing out of the way of the erupting Sharkman from below, attempting to chomp down on her. He was instead met with a massive enlarged 'fist' of Punk, smashing in his face and then sending him crashing into the ground, skidding across it to end up beside Searchman. The shark NetNavi grunted, pulling his snout out. He opened his mouth and felt his gums with his tongue, not a single tooth remaining. He huffed before, with a grunt, an entire new set of sharper fangs popped out.

"...What?" Searchman flatly asked.

"You think I would make a shark-based NetNavi and not include one of its best features?" Commander Beef questioned.

"Sharks can regrow their teeth?" Raika asked in surprise.

"Of course," Commander Beef nodded.

"But he also added and removed some stuff," Sharkman smirked, picking up his broken teeth before throwing them, causing them to glow and turn into shark-shaped missiles that rocketed at the two, "Like this!"

Famous and Maylu inserted BattleChips into their PeTs. A flash went off before the missiles struck, creating a smokescreen. A moment passed before Sharkman was rammed into by a side tackle by Punk as Searchman spun around, rifle replaced with hand and combat knife to parry A-Megaman ZX's ZX Saber. They glared at one another before they started moving once more.

"Whaaa~! It's like when Searchman and Megaman fought! A deadly dance of blades has graced us once more!" Ribitta awed.

"Only change the ninja for a swordsman, huh," Higsby adjusted his glasses, "In the meantime, Punk is not giving Sharkman a single opening to repeat that trick of his!"

True to his words, Punk was laying a beatdown upon Sharkman. He slammed his arms on the sides of Sharkman's head, causing his head to start ringing. He then slammed a foot into Sharkman's solar plexus, making him gag and go into an uppercut that sent the shark into the air. Famous inserted three BattleChips into his PeT and Punk glowed for a moment. His arms coiled, becoming spring-like in shape. He jumped and used them as actual springs to jump higher into the air above Sharkman. The shark spun around and fired off a barrage of energy fins at him along with several shark missiles from teeth he pulled out of his mouth. Punk's eyes shifted to look pleased before his left leg enlarged to twice the size of his body, shaping into a cylindrical weight with a menacing face on the side. He fell down, the 'blades' and missiles splashing off his leg harmlessly. He slammed into Sharkman and then crashed down hard into the ground, shattering the entire stage. A-Megaman ZX and Searchman's eyes went wide and began to use the shattered pieces to get onto a smaller platform while Punk bounced along several others to land on another platform, unfolding from his wheel mode to turn around and look at them.

"Sharkman has been Logged Out! Now all that remains is a two-on-one scenario! How will Searchman deal with this?"

In a flash, Searchman shot and missed A-Megaman ZX. He looked down only for A-Iceman to unleash a freezing blast of air at the ground, freezing it over. A-Iceman smirked only to scream as Searchman easily skated along the ice to deliver a swift kick to 'his' face, sending him into the air where, in a flash, A-Aeolus hovered and glared down at him.

"Much of Sharo's Network is covered in ice panels. Nice try," Searchman commented.

"Really?" Maylu asked in surprise.

"Yes," Raika replied, "Ice panels are a specialty in Sharoian NetBattling."

"Then this calls for a heavy hitter," Maylu sighed.

"Whoo! A-Trans! Bifrost!"

A flash went off and Searchman was engulfed in a shadow. He looked up and his eyes went wide in startelement at seeing the massive blue Pseudoroid falling down at him. An AreaSteal barely kept him from being crushed under the behemoth's size that cracked the entire ground around 'him' upon impact. The moment he reformed, Searchman spun around and blocked the charging spiked wheel that was Punk with the flat of his rifle. The orangette grit his teeth as sparks raced off the collision site. With a roar, Searchman managed to move and force Punk's rolling to head for A-Bifrost. A-Bifrost roared and swung 'his' tail around, slapping Punk back at Searchman. Punk unfolded and swung his extendable arms out to strike at Searchman, who turned into shadows and caused Punk to phase through him and started to fall into the void below, forcing Famous to log him out.

A flash and Roll A scowled at the shadowy Searchman, "Shadow BattleChip…I just hate those so much~!"

[I'll say! Now we can't blast him anymore!] Axl complained before, in a flash A-Aeolus was forced to zip about to avoid sniper shots [And we can't get close, either!]

Maylu grimaced as she checked her BattleChips. Hardly any would help in the current situation and she refused to use the GigaChip until they tested it out. She grit her teeth as she thought to the Pits and the battles there, trying to recall anything from those that could help.

'The last time this happened, our opponent's weaponry caused a ton of smokescreen to hide Ashe as that Siarnaq form, but none of Searchman's…' Maylu thought before looking at her BattleChips again, 'Wait…I don't need Searchman to be explosive. Axl!'

[What's up?]

'Tell Roll…' Maylu 'told' him her idea.

[Hah?! That's your idea! …Why didn't we think of this before?!] Axl pouted.

'Better late than never!' A-Aeolus thought before yelping as 'his' right wing finally took a hit and, in a flash, A-Hedgeshock bounced along the broken panels until landing on a larger one, "Let's go for it!"

"I may not have as many as Lan, but MiniBomb, multi-download!" Maylu called out, holding up several BattleChips.

One by one, MiniBombs materialized and were swiftly tossed all over by A-Hedgehog spinning around like a top. Searchman and Raika raised a brow in unison, not getting what they were doing by just randomly throwing explosives about…before some smoke hid the yellow Pseudoroid from sight. A muted light went off briefly and Searchman tensed and quickly took several shots into the massive smokescreen the girls had made. He jumped back while his sniper rifle was cleaved in two by a plasma oversized star-shaped shuriken.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Raika glowered at Maylu.

"Why is it that both times we've fought someone from your hometown…" Searchman grumbled, parrying the plasma kunai of a lanky figure donned in Model P's armor with the white parts of the helmet elongated enough to attach to one another a few inches ahead of the now shadowed face, hiding all detail except for a pair of glowing red eyes, with his combat knife, "...they have a ninja form?"

"RESPONSE: COINCIDENCE," 'he' responded in a cold, robotic tone.

Maylu shuddered, 'I've always felt Siarnaq was…off…'

[He pretty much was this super creepy guy the three times we encountered him] Axl replied.

"Here we go again with ninja vs sniper!" Ribitta gawked as another 'dance' broke out between the two.

"Oh! Just got word from Numberman, Chaud has finally arrived at the Alpha Dome!"

"Oh thank goodness…With just three seconds to spare, Challenger Chaud has arrived in time," Numberman sighed in relief, collapsing into the commentator's chair he had been in front of.

"We got super worried, kero!" Toadman exclaimed, sitting in his own.

"Glad you made it," Lan noted as Chaud walked over to the console.

"Sorry to make you wait," Chaud apologized.

"Hmph. Foolish humans. Come to get your NetNavis Deleted by us," Bombman declared, a hand on his hip.

"Guess whatever your dad needed help with took longer than ya thought," Lan noted.

"A little," Chaud replied.

Lan nodded, "These guys feel a lot stronger than the others we've fought in WWW. We're gonna have to avoid holding back anything."

"I've said it before…I don't need your help, Hikari," Chaud stated, "Just keep focused on Stoneman and Protoman will handle Bombman."

"Fine, fine," Lan huffed before tossing him a folder.

"?" Chaud caught it and opened it, seeing it filled with various Sword-Element BattleChips, "What's this?"

"Vent thought it'd be a good idea to give you all these," Lan huffed, "He went over the top last night and did a ton of Virus Busting without me."

"Sorry, Lan. But you really needed your sleep after the crazy day with Clockman and everything," Vent replied, "NetNavis don't really need to sleep like humans do, so…"

"Just warn me next time, alright? We're friends," Lan stated.

"Sure thing, Lan," Vent nodded.

'Did…Did Vent know I'd lose most of my Folder helping Ayano in that elevator?' Chaud thought, raising a brow.

'How did he know we wouldn't have most of our BattleChips?' Protoman pondered as the two were sent into the systems.

"Stoneman and Bombman…both call themselve the Ultimate NetNavis because they can battle without NetOps…" Toadman narrated, "Will they be able to prove that against the two candidates that people are predicting will make it all the way to the finals, Megaman and Protoman, kero?"

"Who will win this quarterfinal round? Which method will prevail today? Solo vs NetOp…Programming vs BattleChips…" Numberman added.

"The time in now!" both declared, "Battle Routine SET!"

"EXECUTE!" all four NetNavis shouted.

Bombman stomped on the ground before he swung his other leg out, unleashing a series of bombs soaring at them. Protoman became a red blur as, in a flash, FX swung his right gauntlet with buster covering it and shattered a massive Rockcube that came down on them while the bombs just bounced and rolled away, their wicks all sliced off. FX jumped back, avoiding another that had been hidden by the first, before swinging his other out and slammed it into the Rockcube, sending it right at Stoneman. Stoneman swung his upper left limb and shattered the Rockcube before both his upper limbs flipped around to let the small orbs on them face FX. A pair of green lasers shot out of them and, in a flash, HX was soaring over it towards him. Another flash went off and FX roared, swinging down a fire-engulfed LifeSword at Stoneman. The behemoth of a NetNavi looked up in time for the blade to go into his right eye, making him screech and flail his head about, forcing FX to lose his grip and be sent flying back a few yards. Bombman grunted as he caught Protoman's sword before slamming a bomb into the red NetNavi's face only for it to be revealed to be an afterimage. His eyes widened before crying out as several deep cuts formed on his body as Protoman appeared behind him, back to the WWW NetNavi.

"A-Amazing!" Numberman gawked.

"Despite the size difference, Megaman is giving Stoneman a truly difficult time! It's like a modern day David vs Goliath situation! And despite the destructive power of Bombman's namesakes, Protoman's speed is preventing even a single one from getting set off, kero!" Toadman added.

"The speed these two have are something else," Tory noted in surprise in the audience with Dex, the Oda family, and Yai.

'If it had been against anyone else, those two would've been outpacing their opponents,' Oda thought as Protoman and Megaman LX were upon their opponents, 'Yet, with the time between [Order] and [Delay] almost at a zero time difference thanks to FullSynchro, that advantage these Solo NetNavis have is rendered null.'

Miyu frowned, no longer focused upon Roll A and Searchman's battle, while she gazed down upon her crystal ball in her lap, "...A power that was not witnessed in the one before arrives too soon. Delivered by an unwilling judge of destruction and ruin."

"Hm?" Sal looked over at her, pausing in her cheering with Ms. Mari for the redhead.

"Another result of the overflowing waters," Miyu shook her head.

Sal gulped on hearing that. She looked back down to the battle, seeing the swift flashes of A-Trans going off at points. One moment Searchman was shooting at a charging A-Argoyle only to miss because A-Hedgeshock raced along in her curled ball state at him. Another shot and flash had A-Aeolus racing at him in the air before another flash and the shot missed because A-Colorman deflected the shot with 'his' thrown ball. An AreaSteal allowed Searchman to avoid electrocution from a grab by A-Elecman only for another flash to go off and let A-Vulturon to swing 'his' guitar and bat the sniper shot away only for the second to graze the side of 'his' face, blood being drawn from the same spot on Maylu's face. A flash went off and a barrage of fire-empowered Spreader attacks from A-Atlas roared out and headed for Searchman only to be sniped out of the sky and engulf it in a cloud of thick black smoke from a single round. A HiCannon was proven effective from avoiding being ensnared by A-Thetis's summoned ice dragon only to grunt as Roll A's homing shots finally getting a hit in.

[This guy's just too fast at points!] Model A panicked.

'Too fast? Too…wait. That's it! Axl, tell Roll to go to Chronoforce!' Maylu advised.

[Chronoforce? …Oh yeah! That's it!] Model A cheered.

In a flash, the sniper round aimed to take out Roll A missed as Chronoforce 'dove' into the ground. Searchman frowned as he looked around, taking note of the moment any ripples materialized to shoot. His sniper rifle clicked as the red on it turned black with a red tip after Raika inserted a BattleChip into his PeT.

'Breaking Element installed. Now to…' Searchman began before snowflakes materialized in the air, "?"

"Should've been quicker, bub!" A-Chronoforce called out as 'he' shot out of the ground and turned back into Roll A, her guns aimed at Searchman's back.

Searchman tried to swiftly turn around…only to have his eyes slowly widen as everything had come to crawl for him.

"When Roll uses Chronoforce, she can temporarily slow down the entire area she's fighting in," Maylu explained, inserting a set of five BattleChips into her PeT, "Thank you for the battle, Raika, Searchman."

The two guns of Roll A's glowed before turning into a massive gunmetal, black, and red cannon hefted onto her shoulder, "Better luck next time, Searchman. It was an honor facing you today." the barrel shined brightly as a purple 'cube' spiraled into materialization around the two NetNavis, "Program Advance! PowerCannon! PLUS GIGA CRUSH!"

What came next was a brilliant burst of light and a barrage of gunshots and artillery fire erupted from all the speakers connected to the fight. Several tense moments passed once they stopped and the light dimmed down. Roll A panted, falling onto her behind, as she looked out at the large empty void before her while sirens went off.

"AND IT'S OVER~!" Ribitta cheered, "The team of Famous and Maylu move on to the Semifinals!"

The crowd erupted into roars of excitement and jubilee. Down on the field, Commander Beef smiled as he shook Famous and Maylu's hands. Raika, meanwhile, saluted the two, giving a small nod to Famous who returned it. Several beeps came from their PeTs and Commander Beef and Famous casually tapped the sides of their helmet/sunglasses and a faint glow momentarily shined from their visor/sunglasses before tensing. It was a message from Miyu: 'Danger in Alpha Dome caused by the river overflow. Report immediately to it at once.'

[Gotta admit, Vent…Your stories about these two being a hassle aren't really living up the hype] Fafnir noted, the two NetNavis standing across from their opponents, said opponents in far worse shape than when they began.

'I guess it's because they were some of the first tough enemies I fought when I was a kid,' Megaman FX admitted, 'They were just so strong back then and we barely won. But…after the lives I've lived…They're not as difficult.'

[Would probably be like X as he was in the Elf Wars being brought back to Sigma's first rebellion] Zero compared [What was a hard time back then would be a cakewalk due to your memories]

Bombman grunted, putting a hand over the deep gash along his chest, barely having missed his emblem, "Guess…we gotta use it, huh?"

"No other choice, choice, choice," Stoneman agreed.

"Huh? What are they…?" Lan began before an ominous green glow came off Stoneman as a matching red one came off Bombman.

Stoneman grunted and growled before his lower jaw jutted out a foot further than normal. The growls overcame Stoneman as his hind legs elongated with two parts stretching out of the sides while three stone claws grew from his front legs. More stones gathered to make a triangular 'tail' of sorts for him as two tiny 'pyramids' grew out atop his head. Meanwhile Bombman grunted and roared as parts of his back near his shoulders began to bubble. They bulged before exploding, exposing massive red, orange, and black wings, the 'feathers' of them resembling sticks of dynamite. The bombs that made up his shoulders bulged and bubbled before sharpening into spiked spheres. His mohawk jutted out into a line of spikes as the armor over his torso and mouth area elongated as another orange and yellow piece grew out of his head to make it look as if he had a pelican's beak. Two more white rings formed down both his legs as the orange parts of his boots piled up and widened out to engulf his feet, allowing yellow talons to grow out of them once they hid his feet. Both let out frenzied cries that shook the entire battlefield and caused sparks to come off the machine.

"Wh-wh-wh-WHAAAAAT?!" Numberman panicked, nearly falling out of his chair.

"EEK! Wh-What is this, kero!? They've become…become…" Toadman whimpered, jumping behind Numberman's chair.

"...Beasts," Protoman finished for them.

[...Vent…?] Fafnir warily asked in growing concern.

'This never happened in my old timeline,' FX replied with wide eyes, 'Nobody ever did this in that old timeline.'

In the audience, Oda narrowed his eyes and scowled, 'We're going to have to get a permit to examine the seal in Cyber City's Network. Somehow…either their power leaked out…or Wily made one with the Elemental Codes.'

Yahoot stepped back from the screen, "By the Buddha…What is this chaotic sensation?"

"Hmm…I've heard of this," Wily noted, "Just before Tadashi's death…a tale of two beasts tearing one another throughout the Network only to have perished, yet for months after, NetNavis that had been near the places they battled were infected by something and turned into mindless savage beasts only out to destroy everything and kill everyone." he narrowed his eye, "I take it one of you had a hand in this."

"Oh come now, Doc," the voice chuckled from another monitor, "...You are absolutely correct. I just borrowed a sliver of the energy of the Elemental Codes and from where that gift we gave to you for it came was mixed into it and this was the result."

"I see…" Wily nodded, "So it's not the Beast Factor, but something akin to it."

Both WWW NetNavis screeched and howled with unbridled fury, shaking the entire Network of the island, just as the others from the Beta Dome entered the audience.

"Are those…Bombman and Stoneman?" Maylu asked in shock.

"Holy cow! What happened to them?!" Ashe gawked.

"It's an old tale," Famous spoke, frowning, "Long ago, just after an incident known as the Alpha Revolt occurred, a mass of BugFrags clustered together creating a massive beast known as Cybeast Gregar. It rampaged through the Network, destroying everything and anything in its path. A scientist, long since discredited, created another Cybeast, Falzar, to do battle with it, but it only caused even greater damage. Eventually, the two were locked away deep underground in the Network, trapped in an isolated portion of it never to be reconnected. But…remnants of their power seeped into nearby NetNavis, altering them into nothing more than feral beasts that would slaughter everyone and everything around them until they burned out and self-terminated from all that power. What this 'infection' was called…was the Beast Factor."

Beast Stoneman howled, slamming his upper limbs down hard. Shadows overcame the two human-like NetNavis. They looked up and went pale. In a flash, HX swooped through the air, barely dodging the spiked Rockcubes that exploded upon impact with the ground that was ripping and tearing it apart from the impacts. Meanwhile, Protoman was rushing towards Beast Stoneman when Beast Bombman rammed into him, holding him by his neck. Chaud gagged as Protoman was slammed hard into another platform nearby. Beast Bombman shot up into the air and shot his wings down at Protoman, sending down a rain of feathers at him. The ends of them lit up the moment they struck the ground and, in an instant, exploded. Protoman appeared out of an AreaSteal beside HX as he landed on another platform, grimacing.

"Their output has gone up by a drastic amount," Protoman observed.

"This isn't natural," Chaud noted, trying to think of what to do while rubbing his neck, faint bruising forming from the feedback.

"This is terrifying," Iceman whimpered.

"Good heavens! What's become of those two?!" Glyde gasped.

Yai grimaced, 'I know Lan looked like he gave Chaud BattleChips, but will those be enough?'

Beast Stoneman let loose a howl as his front legs flipped around. The laser that came from their combined might was twice as large with the front resembling a jagged beast's head that came at the two with its 'jaws' wide open to devour them. The two quickly dodged it with AreaSteals before Protoman and Megaman ZX formed the LifeSword and swung them down, cleaving through Beast Stoneman. They jumped back from an attempted strike of Beast Bombman as a pulsating silver orb rose from the remains of Beast Stoneman. It flashed before the pieces of him reformed and repaired the destroyed feral NetNavi, who let loose another howl and swung a fist down. In a flash, FX grunted, falling to a knee as he struggled to keep the powerful blow from crushing them. The two humanoid NetNavis glowed and vanished, letting the limb smash down and shatter the ground around it. The two faded back into view across from the two feral NetNavis that howled and screeched at them, fury and madness in their eyes.

'Guys…' Megaman FX began.

[Zero] X spoke up.

[...Tch. I can't believe that this is making us use that] Zero grumbled as, in a flash, Megaman ZX stood.

"Stay behind me," Megaman ZX warned as L, H, P, and F floated around him in a ring.

"What are you…?" Protoman began before the four Biometals slammed into ZX…before the red turned gold and the white silver.

"OVERDRIVE ZX!" Megaman ZX roared as a blinding light filled the entire arena.

"Gh…C-Can't see!" Numberman exclaimed, holding an arm up to try and block the light.

"What's happening in there, kero?!" Toadman gawked, holding his own hands up and looking away.

Several machines on the island sparked and exploded as sparks came off the dueling terminal. Both boys grunted, holding an arm up and squinting to try and look through the light while exhaustion was suddenly slammed into Lan. Within the light, an undignified screech of howling agony pierced through before it fell silent. The light slowly died down and Megaman X panted with a stunned Protoman behind him. Before them…was nothing but utter devastation. Numerous 'slashes' filled the air, distorting it all. Beast Bombman trembled, missing a leg and an arm from the same side while the wing was regenerating. Where Beast Stoneman had been…was nothing more than a massive 'slice' torn into the very air where he and the destroyed platform had once been. Megaman X stumbled and, in a flash, Vent fell onto his back, still breathing heavily to try and catch his breath. Lan groaned, almost collapsing and barely managing to hold himself up by holding onto the front of the machine. Several alerts flashed through his cybernetic eye, notifying him of his body being strained heavily and trying to suggest immediate rest.

'Vent…Z-Zero…X…Wh…What was that…?' Lan thought, trying to stay awake and swearing he saw all but Model X in his PeT, dull and lifeless.

[Our final attack] X replied [It drains everyone to channel their powers through me to use it, so we can't use it if even one of the kids uses Overdrive with Vent and I. They'll wake up in about twelve hours exactly]

'T…Tired…' Lan admitted, managing to look at Chaud, "F…Finish it…"

Chaud flinched and shook his head, clearing his mind of the surprise and shock, "Protoman!"

"Understood!"

"Sword, WideSword, and LongSword!"

"PROGRAM ADVANCE!" both roared.

Beast Bombman shrieked as he saw Protoman heading for him. His shoulders hissed before he let loose a barrage of bombs from them along with his explosive feathers. Yet…Protoman's emblem glowed and he moved. What people saw one moment was Protoman at one point and then the next? He was behind Beast Bombman, LifeSword swung. The beast gurgled before his entire body was covered in thin lines…before his body collapsed into miniscule cubes that shattered.

=BOMBMAN - DELETED=

Protoman dismissed the blade and made his way over to Vent. The young man grunted as he slowly sat up…while Lan groaned and fell over, caught by a worried Maylu. As the siren went off for the end of the battle, nobody spoke up, no declaration, no applause, just…stunned silence. The last of the quarterfinals had come and gone…and nobody would ever get their mind off the brief moment that nobody could see just what Megaman ZX had performed.

"A double-edged final attack," Oda summed up as the on-island medical clinic had Lan sleeping on a bed in it, "The feedback from it wiped out even the stamina of a boy like Lan."

"What was that anyway?" Chaud asked.

"Something I didn't know they could do," Ciel noted, completely honest about it.

'I haven't seen that form since Serpent was defeated…' Alouette thought, 'X and Zero must have thought they needed to end the fight immediately once those two transformed like that.'

"It's something the Biometals have been able to do since I found all of them. When I use ZX and they're all ready, they channel everything into Model ZX for one big attack," Vent explained, "We've only used it once before, but given the strange situation…"

[It was safer to do that than let things unfold with an unknown threat] Zero stated, Ciel repeating it for those who couldn't hear the Biometal.

"What was that, anyway?" Dex asked.

"An old folktale from a long time ago," Oda replied, "It's not a good thing. Immense power at the cost of exponentially shortening the life of a NetNavi and destroying their sanity, leaving them as a feral berserker."

"S-Seriously? They went that far to try and prove a point?" Yai asked in disbelief.

"Sometimes, a person's pride goes too far to make rational choices," Ashe noted with a grimace, Maylu glancing at her NetNavi in concern.

"Too true," Oda nodded, "It's why it's important to have those you can bond with. They help keep you in-check and in turn you keep them in-check. Even when one is far away, you'll always be connected through that bond." he glanced over at Ciel and Alouette, who smiled up at him with sad looks in their eyes, "Even in death, that bond will always be cherished."

GT: Whew. This was intense. And we're not done yet, either. This was just the quarterfinals. Next up, the semifinals!

Chapter 20: Semifinals: Blades and Spikes vs Guns and Variety

Chapter Text

GT: Here it comes, folks! Semifinals are a-go! And welcome to Day 1 of Mega May!

Wily narrowed his eye as he gazed upon the four devices, the yellow one now containing a lightning bolt inside of it. He walked over to his computer and began to type in commands. How long had it been since the presentations? He knew exactly when it happened…March 22nd, 19XX. The presentation between his robotics and Tadashi's internet.

'Tadashi…you ruined my presentation…' Wily mentally hissed, 'It no longer matters to me what Duo does to this world when he finally arrives. My son wishes to perish fighting him and trying to control what cannot be controlled? No. His plot will not come to pass for once my LifeVirus is done with its tasks, the Internet will no longer exist! All Duo will come to when he arrives is a barren world glassed because of its own hubris!'

He hit the ENTER key on his keyboard and the machines began to produce a loud hum. As the four images began to flicker, a police officer entered. He reached up to his hat…and pulled off his face, revealing himself to be Yahoot. The man looked troubled as he walked up and knelt down before Wily.

"Lord Wily, we have a situation. I was planning to release Match and Maddy with Count Zap, only to discover Maddy was tortured for information. They know how to get here," Yahoot informed.

"..." Wily looked at the machines.

"Sir, what are your orders?" Yahoot asked.

"...Heh," Wily chuckled as he grinned, "Had it been sooner, I would've been concerned. But worry not, Yahoot, and watch."

One by one, the holograms vanished and the cables connected to them lit up in the respective color of the ElementCode, each one leading to a massive version of them in pure white and orange. Hovering inside of it as a hologram was a white, orange, and pastel blue Biometal resembling an upside-down Model A without a 'face' on it. The four codes materialized around it before they slowly moved into one another and the Biometal. In a flash of black-colored light, a black crackling sphere of darkness and purple lightning manifested.

"It's done…! It's done! It's done! It's done, it's done, it's done!" Wily threw his head back and cackled in ecstasy, "I've made the LifeVirus!-! Now we can delete, DELETE, DELEEEEEEEEEETE!-!-!-!"

"You mean, the EndGame is about to begin?" Yahoot asked in amazement.

"Hah hah! Of course! The final battle at last! Yahoot! Come with me!" Wily declared as he turned and walked off.

While Wily walked away, Yahoot glanced towards the device containing the 'LifeVirus.' A cold shiver raced down his spine as he felt the maliciousness within…the sheer fury and upheld rage that emanated from it…seemingly grasping out to corrupt all it could and destroy what it couldn't… He managed to avoid giving out a nervous gulp and maintained a calm composure as he focused on Wily.

"...As you command, so shall it be done, Lord Wily," Yahoot calmly responded, following after him.

"Begin," Chaud ordered…as Breakman hefted up his broadsword and became a blur, ripping through multiple Viruses with his blade and spiked shield.

=Complete. Deletion Time: 0.5 seconds. Rank: S=

"Seems he's fully used to the weight of the armor," Ciel noted.

"He looks like a dragon knight!" Alouette awed.

"You said that the first time you saw it," Breakman, or rather Protoman, pointed out.

"Can you blame me? You look almost as awesome as Roze!"

"Please don't pull me into this, Alouette," Roze pleaded from his PeT.

"Are you tempted to use it if or when you fight Maylu and Ashe?" Ciel questioned.

"A bit. I still find it surprising that those two were Buckfire the Brave all this time, yet everything also lines up. The times 'he' was on match that of a child at Maylu's ages when Buckfire was active until last year, the BattleChip layout was also the standard layout given to all schoolchildren when Virus Busting classes start…but all that could have been a ruse because of just how experienced a fighter Buckfire showed themself to be, making one think 'he' was actually the NetNavi of a military person or an active fighter in a fighting sport."

"It's hard to believe Ashe is a simple civilian NetNavi, even with Model A."

Alouette giggled, "Never underestimate us girls! Especially when we can do things in crafty retaliatory ways! Like putting up posters of a guy's hair photoshopped to look like an egg all over Officials HQ in Electopia!"

"It was you!" Chaud barked before Alouette yelped.

"I swear, those two," Ciel sighed, shaking her head as Chaud noogied the sides of Alouette's head, "I'm glad you still like wearing the Rathalos Armor."

"Indeed, Lady Ciel. However…Where did you come up with this, anyway?"

"It was from Zero," Ciel replied, "He remembered an odd time for him, X, and someone named Iris where they were stuck in unusual armors that affected Iris's personality data. He couldn't remember a lot due to some memory corruption, yet he was able to remember all the armors they had. This is based off of one that X had been wearing. I think he called it the Rathalos Armor."

"I see," Protoman noted with a nod before a notification went off, "Lord Chaud."

"Hm?"

"We have just received the roster," Protoman informed.

"Who are we fighting between them?" Chaud asked.

"Hoo boy…" Lan gulped, sitting in the park with his friends.

"I'm facing Chaud," Maylu grimaced.

"That guy's fighting style in pretty intense," Jasmine noted.

"The only reason he hasn't been curb stomping since the first day is because of Alouette," Yai huffed, "You better be ready for anything, Maylu."

"Right…" Maylu nodded.

"Hey, you'll do great!" Lan encouraged, "And look how far you've gotten! Semi-finals!"

"T-True…" Maylu nodded, smiling a bit, 'And a lot farther than the other me.' "Any advice?"

"He's super fast at Mach 2 and I've noticed Protoman focuses on the right side of his opponent more than the left," Lan replied.

Maylu nodded.

"So each fight will be in the Alpha Dome one after another?" Ashe asked.

"Indeed," Numberman replied, "It was in the email, but I also wanted to explain in person to wish you luck against your opponents today."

"Thank you, Numberman," Ashe thanked.

"Hey…Have you seen Searchman anywhere?" Meddy asked.

"Ah, yes. Sir Raika requested Lady Yai's assistance in a matter involving an investigation this morning," Glyde replied, "I am unsure what it is, but Sir Searchman did ask that, should you ask, that I inform you that he is sorry he could not apologize in person for not being able to continue your discussion with him, Lady Meddy."

The Choinese NetNavi sighed, "It's alright. Thank you for giving me his message, Glyde." 'I knew I should've given Searchman my email address…'

A gentle snow betrayed the feelings within Raika as he approached a modest log cabin…yet, as he approached, he recognized the wood was actually fake and his eyes could make out bits of metal behind the logs. He rang the doorbell and waited a moment.

=I was not expecting the military to come today= a man's voice came from the speaker.

"I am Petty Officer Raika," Raika informed, "I am not here on behalf of the Sharo Military, Mr. Mikhail Cossack. I am here for a different reason."

=Hm? Well, I hope it's nothing to do with a NetNavi. I'm banned from…=

"Kalinka Cossack."

Several tense moments passed before the door opened. The man behind it was an older man with hints of gray in his short, scraggy hair and his scraggy beard. He wore a green suit with a pale blue button shirt beneath the jacket and brown glasses that showed his shocked eyes. Raika looked at the man.

"H…How do you know that name?"

"A NetNavi was discovered built by you and owned by an Electopian girl known as Maylu Sakurai," Raika informed as he held up his PeT and showed photos of her and Ashe along with a page of coding, "The NetNavi in question, known as Ashe Sakurai, has requested our assistance to find out her origins."

"Sir, Ashe was worried about her origins," Searchman spoke, "She's afraid that she may be a liability to the NetOp she lives with, having developed a deep bond as an 'older sister' to Maylu Sakurai while Ms. Sakurai has been known to declare Ashe as her 'big sister' in return. Ashe loves her so much that she begged us to not reveal this investigation to Maylu for fear of this causing something to happen to that bond."

"..." Cossack sighed, looking even older all of a sudden, "Considering you know Kalinka's name…I suppose you've earned the right to listen to an old man's story."

"Welcome, ladies and the gentlemen, to the semifinals of the N1 Grand Prix!" Ribitta cheered, "I'm Midorikawa Kero Ribitta reporting live from the Alpha Dome alongside Higsby, DenTech City's resident BattleChip Expert, and our NetNavis Toadman and Numberman!"

"It's been a crazy week, folks! From so many to just these four pairs of NetNavi and NetOp and witnessing some insane feats from them all, it's going to be downright surprising to see what else they may have in store for us!" Higsby added.

"And here in Alpha Dome, we're starting off with the boy coming in from the red side! He's thirteen years of age, yet already in his final years of high school! The Rising Star of the Officials with a perfect arrest record of well over one hundred criminals and record holder for shortest NetBattle ever at three seconds. Vice President of IPC, Network Operator to the evasive, the mach speed battling, the Red Swordsman of Speed Protoman! It's Chaud Blaze~!" Ribitta announced as Chaud entered from the red side of the arena to abundant cheers.

"And coming in from the blue side! She's also thirteen years of age, attending ACDC Elementary, and voted 'Prettiest Girl in School' two years running! Network Operator of the Maestra of Mayhem, the Shapeshifter of Surprise, the Bombastic Beauty Ashe! A frequent customer of my shop, huh! Please welcome Maylu Sakurai!" Higsby declared, a blushing Maylu waving to the crowd as Ashe grinned widely as she waved with both arms enthusiastically at the cheering crowd.

"Did he have to add that last bit?" Maylu whispered, still smiling.

"It's Higsby. I ain't surprised," Ashe snickered.

"Sakurai," Chaud spoke once they stood across from one another at the NetBattle machine, "I have a request before we send in our NetNavis."

"Hm?" Maylu raised a brow.

"Protoman and I would like to fight your NetNavi as Buckfire for the first five minutes before we go all out," Chaud requested.

"Say wha?"

"A rookie messed up and thought the signal had already gone off, causing our NetBattle to be halted before it could really begin," Chaud explained.

"...We've NetBattled before?" Maylu asked in confusion, "I thought we only met a few weeks ago?"

"You and I, yes. But not our NetNavis," Chaud replied, "We never did the full ten minutes for a Pit Battle, just the first five, hence the request."

"...Wait…" Maylu gasped as she figured it out, "Protoman was…"

"Oh you gotta be kidding me! You?!" Ashe gawked before laughing, "Oh man! We were just talking about hoping to challenge him again if we ever met just yesterday!"

"...Alright. You're on, but do you still have it?"

"He hasn't taken it off since we finished doing some training in it this morning once it was confirmed we're NetBattling you two," Chaud replied.

"Great! MegaMerge! A-Trans!" Ashe declared and turned off the hologram for the PeT.

"NetOps, please send in your NetNavis!" Ribitta declared.

"Jack-In! Protoman/Ashe!" the two shouted.

The holograms turned on, showcasing a large area in the Network resembling a fighting arena for a massive steel cage match. Many native to Electopia gasped as the two that formed weren't Ashe and Protoman…but A-Buckfire and Breakman.

"Can it be…?"

"No way…That…That's gotta be…"

"Well how about that…"

"MRRROOOOOOOOOO~!" A-Buckfire bellowed, tilting 'his' head back and pumping 'his' arms, "HOW ARE YOU TONIGHT, MY PIT PARTNERS?" 'he' stomped a hoof behind 'him,' assuming a kabuki pose, "THE PITS MAY BE SOON FORGOTTEN, BUT THE STORIES THEY TOLD SHALL NEVER BE LOST TO THOSE WHO WENT IN!"

"I-I don't believe it! It's…It's the Home Champion! The Bucking Bronco! The Burning Brawler! The Native Gazelle! Undefeated Champion of the Pits three years running! The Pit King! BUCKFIRE THE BRAVE!" Ribitta squealed in excitement.

"Wh-wh-wh-WHAT?! I've only heard stories of him, myths!" Higsby gawked, "Said to have appeared in the worst of the worst illegal NetBattle Pits in Electopia and, in just a day, curb stomped the entire competition with a basic Folder and rebuilt it all from the ground up! Demanding that all participants have an UnderShot always equipped to prevent Deletions, that respect be given to the referees, and even a 'first come, first served' registration with cameras to prevent line cutting, huh!"

"And this is a battle many who witnessed his final day in the Pits have been awaiting! The unknown newcomer that had entered only that day! The Unknown NetNavi Breakman!" Ribitta cheered.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so excited, kero~!" Toadman squealed, stars in his eyes.

"Indeed! I cannot calculate who will win!" Numberman agreed.

"Then let's not wait! Semifinal Match One! Ashe vs Protoman! Buckfire vs Breakman! Battle Routine Set!" Ribitta declared.

"EXECUTE!"

The start was A-Buckfire's hoof slamming into the flat of Breakman's sword and spiked shield, a shockwave cracking the ground under them. Breakman swiftly moved back, avoiding the ZeusHammer that came his way only to get slammed in the side with one of A-Buckfire's detached ears acting as a spinning blade. A poorly made Protoman doll's halves fell to the ground and three oversized shuriken missed a vanishing false Pseudoroid.

"Augh! I still can't believe Maylu and Ashe were the Buckfire!" Dex groaned in exasperation.

"I'm shocked they managed to hide it so long," Tory added with wide eyes.

"I still don't get what this is all about," Yai huffed.

"Buckfire is a local 'hero' to all NetNavis who wanted to NetBattle but legally couldn't," Ciel spoke, "I've heard that the Officials were searching for Buckfire to officially join them the entire time he was the Champion."

'Hard to believe that the whole time Ciel was looking for Buckfire to join the CID…that Buckfire was actually a Civilian NetNavi operated by a girl her age,' Oda thought, watching as kicks, swords, tackles, shield bashes, and flaming arrows were traded back and forth between the two intermingled with AreaSteals, Anti-Damage, and a myriad of other creations from BattleChips.

[Huh…Hey, Pops?]

[Fafnir?]

[Ain't that your Rathalos Armor from the story you told us? The one about you, Zero, and this girl you two knew entering a place and you all getting super powered dragon-like armors?]

[Oh right. That did happen…twice to your uncle and I. Remember those times, Zero?]

[...]

[...Zero?] Leviathan pondered, the Biometals all looking at Zero as he was tinted pink with a bit of smoke coming off him.

[...Oh, I think I know who you're thinking of. I do recall she got really…um…affectionate with you and…]

[Shut. Up. X]

As the fifth minute approached, A-Buckfire managed to snag Breakman in a lariat. Breakman grunted as he hit the floor before gagging as the false Pseudoroid's hoof stomped on his neck.

"..." Breakman chuckled, "Not bad. I'll admit that, as I was a year ago, you would've won and most likely surpassed my ultimate attack. But now…" the fifth minute started and Breakman's armor became littered in cracks, "No more holding back."

"You said it," A-Buckfire snorted before, in a flash, A-ZX's ZX-Saber clashed with Protoman's LifeSword, shattering the ground around them.

Both NetOps and NetNavis grunted before, in a flash, A-Aeolus's swords and Protoman's swords-one plasma and one curved and jagged-were moving as blurs of light, striking and blocking at blazing speeds. Their swords struck at the tip of one another and shattered. In a flash, A-Atlas's gauntlet buster crashed and dented Protoman's shield before A-Skullman's thin frame let the girls avoid a strike of a LongSword thrust. Protoman jumped back and let loose a shockwave slash that was blocked by four ghastly skulls engulfed in a dark blue blazing fire summoned by A-Skullman. A-Coloredman jumped over the skulls and fired off the ball they rode upon. Protoman sliced through it before an enlarged gold gauntlet replaced the sword.

He swung it and collided with the piledriver that was A-Gutsman's fists, shattering the ground around them from the impact. In a flash, A-Hedgeshock rolled down the fist before A-Argoyle slammed her wheel for a foot into Protoman's face, knocking him away. Roll A landed and let loose an Omega Spread PA as Protoman landed on his feet and was engulfed in a massive Mettaur helmet, creating a large explosion.

The smoke of the explosion filled the area, hiding it for several tense moments as the sounds of blades striking one another echoed within. Slowly, it settled down to reveal the wrecked field with the cage long destroyed. A-Siarnaq flashed as they skidded away from Protoman and she shakingly stood up. Roll A and Protoman stood across from one another, panting and focused on the face of the other.

"You…You did something I never expected…" Protoman noted, a Recovery150 removing the bits of frost A-Iceman had used on him.

"What…What can I say? I…like to surprise my opponents," Roll A replied.

"I must commend you and your NetNavi…Maylu," Maylu did a double-take at Chaud's use of her first name, his right eye closed to keep the blood from a feedback injury from getting into it, "Just like last year when you faced us undercover as Breakman, you've actually triggered it."

"It?" Maylu repeated before noticing Protoman seemed to have a faint glow coming off his emblems, "?!"

"Face us with your best attack; it will be your last," Chaud declared as he held up three BattleChips.

"Gh…" Maylu flinched before looking at her selection and spotted one, "Gotcha." She pulled out the GigaChip, "Crimson Dragon! GigaChip in and Download!"

"StepSword, HeroSword, and StepCross. Program Advance!"

Protoman held his arms before him. His normal ProtoSword manifested on the right as the curved jagged blade manifested on the left before matching blades on the left grew from his elbows, "EvilCut."

Roll A swung her hand skyward as a digital replication of the Crimson Dragon manifested, bellowing in fury and might, glaring down upon the red NetNavi. Roll A narrowed her eyes in unison with the Crimson Dragon's as she charged up a Giga Crush while crimson energy manifested within the dragon's maw.

'Ashe…You are strong…truly one of the strongest I've ever faced. Therefore…I will surpass you because I can truly acknowledge it within my CyberCore,' Protoman thought, crossing his arms before his torso.

"GIGA CRUSH!" Roll A roared as she pulled the triggers.

The barrage was unleashed before the Crimson Dragon let loose a massive beam of crimson and black energy. The two attacks spiraled around one another before becoming a multicolored beam several times larger than Protoman. Chaud and Protoman roared as the beam came upon Protoman. The red NetNavi swung his arms…and dispersed the unified attack.

"N-No way…!" Maylu choked out in shock.

"He just…" Ribitta began.

"...c-cut through the GigaChip empowered by the Giga Crush!" Higsby finished.

Protoman shot through the opening created from the dispersal, 'You did well, Ashe. Keep striving upon this path…and face me once more.' He split into three versions of himself and landed in a triangle formation around Roll A and the dissipating dragon, "Delta…Ray…" a red triangle of light manifested as Protoman stood behind Roll A, "...Edge."

Maylu grimaced as she nearly collapsed, gritting her teeth as she shakingly stood while keeping a hand on the console. In the Network, Roll A gurgled as she reverted to Ashe, her jacket torn to shreds as parts of her were barely attached by strips of artificial bodysuit-like skin. She and a greyed out Model A logged out and sirens went off.

"It…It's over! Wh-While the fated duel between Buckfire the Brave and Breakman settled in the former's victory…" Toadman gulped.

"Th-The winners of the first semifinal battle of the N1 are Chaud and Protoman!" Numberman declared, their NetOps still stunned, as the crowds cheered and applauded.

Chaud walked over to Maylu and discreetly held on to her to keep her steady. She managed to wave at the crowd with him until they left the view of everyone. The moment they were, Maylu groaned and Chaud grunted, making sure not to say anything about how heavy she was from the implants. Sal and Miyu walked over and helped carry Maylu over to a bench before Lan ran over, worry evident on his face.

"It's alright. She's exhausted. Given how tired she is and the lack of severe feedback, Ashe forced FullSynchro to be cut off the moment the last attack she sent was dispersed," Sal assured.

"They're very strong," Chaud complimented, "It was…honestly the best one I've had since I became an Official."

Lan gawked at him in surprise, not used to him complimenting someone aside from Ciel. He shook his head and frowned. He walked over to Maylu.

"Sorry…I…couldn't win…"

"Don't be. Chaud's really strong," Lan assured, "Top 4 is still pretty awesome!"

Maylu blinked a few times, "L-Lan…"

"Plus, if we lose against our opponent, we can still do a NetBattle for third and still get to see if Vent and me can beat you and Ashe. Otherwise, I'll do my best to work with Vent to beat these two," Lan went on, gesturing to Chaud.

"Hmph. Good luck with that, Hikari," Chaud scoffed as he walked off, "Get Ashe recovered enough for the raid later today, Maylu. Rest up, too."

"...Huh…Did he just use your first name?" Lan asked.

"I'm…surprised, too," Maylu admitted before Yai and Jasmine ran in, "Oh! Sorry…"

"Hey, don't be!" Yai spoke, "You were amazing!"

"Just take it easy for now, alright?" Jasmine advised as she pulled out a medical kit, "Lan, do not look this way. I'm going to be bandaging her injuries."

"Ack!" Lan spun around and focused on a screen that was replaying the NetBattle.

"Does FullSynchro double as a mental illness that increases one's recklessness?" Yai questioned as Jasmine had Maylu pull off her vest and shirt…exposing the bindings that wrapped around her chest area.

"Ah! You were already injured?!" Jasmine gawked, "Oh for the-Now I gotta get these off and check to make sure you weren't a dingus and reopened treated wounds!"

"Ah! N-No, wait a se…" Maylu began before a silence fell.

"..." a few moments passed and Lan began to ask, "Is everyth…"

"Do not look this way!" Jasmine snapped, making Lan go ramrod and refocus on the screen, 'Good heavens…I…I just…huh? Wha…?' She squashed down a rising jealousy and refocused on the cuts covering the redhead and began to go to work, applying disinfectant before applying a salve and wrappings, "How do you…?"

"Wow! My mom was the biggest lady I know and you just blew past that!" Yai gawked.

"I blame the food plan and workout routine Ashe created for me when I was younger," Maylu admitted, the adrenaline from what just happened helping her fatigue.

"Now I'm curious about what this plan and routine are," Meddy noted as she had Ashe in a restoration sphere.

[I'm impressed that she came up with a routine that caused this] Leviathan admitted [How large are you anyway? C? Bigger?]

"Mmm…C-Can we please change the subject?" Maylu pleaded, blushing hard and glancing over at Lan.

'See? See what? What's bigger? What does Maylu have that's bigger than Yai's mom and whatever she has? What are they talking about?' Lan pondered.

[Just keep looking at the match and memorize what Protoman can do, Lan] Zero advised.

[I'll explain once you turn thirteen. I promise] X assured.

"...Sorry I couldn't get further," Maylu apologized to the two girls.

"Don't be! Chaud is a really strong opponent!" Yai assured, "And getting to the semifinals is still amazing, Maylu!"

"Indeed," Jasmine agreed, "You are truly amazing, Maylu. I'm glad that I came to the N1 because of meeting you and the others." she nodded and handed Maylu a black shirt with the N1 logo on it they bought her before coming here, "Just take it easy for now, alright? Don't want to reopen these cuts."

Maylu nodded and put it on, "Y-You can look now, Lan."

"Phew…" Lan sighed in relief as he turned around, "You need any help getting to the stands?"

"We can handle that, Lan," Yai assured, "You've got to stay and get ready for your NetBattle."

"O-Oh. Right," Lan remembered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Thanks for offering, Lan," Maylu thanked as Jasmine helped her up before she gave him a hug, "Good luck!"

Lan smiled as he returned it, "Thanks, Maylu."

"We're rooting for you two," Yai spoke, pumping a fist, as Jasmine helped Maylu out before she followed, leaving Lan alone with his NetNavi and the Biometals.

"...We can always ask them if they'd like to NetBattle at the arcade part of the HQ after this," Vent suggested.

"Yeah…" Lan nodded, "But…I was really hoping to face them in the finals."

[Same here] Fafnir agreed [But…plans don't always work out. We gotta just roll with the blows we receive and plan things out as they go]

[Let's do all we can to achieve victory; not just for us, but for the girls] Leviathan spoke.

[Not gonna go stay with the girls and chat with the ones who can hear you?] Harpuia asked.

[Absolutely not! I'm excited for this battle, too!]

X sighed [I blame myself for their gung-ho attitude for battling…]

[It is alright, Father. This seems to be a good thing for now] Phantom assured.

"Sorry for the wait, folks! We had to wait for the dome's Network repairs to be finished, kero!" Toadman apologized.

"We thank you all for your patience! I am Numberman and this is Toadman, NetNavis of Higsby and Ribitta respectively," Numberman introduced, "We welcome you back to the N1 Grand Prix's semifinals! From the red side, "He is a NetBattle master that is said to have done a legendary 69 consecutive wins in the World NetBattle Cup! He is a scientist who is relied on by others to provide new equipment and support from, having ingenuity nearly on par with the likes of Dr. Yuichiro Hikari even! In his twenties, the man with a thousand NetNavis, and currently the Network Operator of Punk! He's Eguchi Meijin, better known the world over as Mr. Famous~!"

"Just Famous, please," Famous spoke as he entered the arena.

"And now for his opponent, kero! Our youngest Finalist at 11 years of age! Son of Dr. Yuichiro Hikari and grandson of the Dr. Tadashi Hikari whom everyone can thank for the existence of NetNavis and the era we all live in! Classmate of Maylu Sakurai in ACDC Elementary! NetOp to the former SciLab Courier MegamanEXE known better as Vent by everyone here! It's Lan Hikari, kero!"

Lan smiled as he waved to the cheering crowd, Vent waving in the opposite direction on his shoulder. The boy walked up to the console and smiled at Famous.

"Here's to a great NetBattle!" Lan beamed.

"Indeed," Famous nodded, a small smile on his lips.

"NetOps, please Jack In your NetNavis!" Ribitta declared.

"Jack In, Vent/Punk!" the two declared as their NetNavis were sent in and the holograms turned on once more, showing a facsimile of a rock quarry.

"Ya lookin' at me?-!-! Then feast yer eyes on The Punk! OH YEAH~!-!-!" Punk declared, flexing and posing for the audience.

''The Punk,' eh? Makes me wonder how he'd handle 'The Murray,'' Vent thought in amusement.

[Well neither wear pants, so they're both probably in a size husky hippo] Fafnir snickered.

[Let's floss our teeth with his spine!] Leviathan cackled.

"Lan vs Famous! Vent vs Punk! Battle Routine Set, huh!"

"EXECUTE!"

FX's buster gauntlet met Punk's weight/fist, creating a shockwave from the impact. FX slammed his other hand on the fist, using it to vault over Punk and avoid the spinning discs. HX shot off, avoiding being ensnared by the cable that made up Punk's other arm. He aimed a Cannon at Punk and fired off an electrified plasma shot. Punk swiftly blocked with a shoulder guard and retaliated with a red and orange Cannon. HX swiftly dodged it and gulped on seeing the shot leave a large crater on one of the walls of the quarry.

[Lan, try using those new ones] H advised.

'Gotcha!' Lan nodded as he pulled out one of the BattleChips from the data obtained in Clockman's 'place,' "Golem Hit 3, BattleChip in and Download!"

"Gol-what now?" Punk asked as HX shot down at him and, in a flash, FX roared, reeling his fist back.

Punk deployed both his shoulderguards, layering them over one another. FX swung as his arm was engulfed in a dark red stone to make a makeshift massive lower arm and fist, flames pouring from the cracks. The punch tore through both shields only to hit Punk after he became a shadow. A flash went off and HX parried the stream of electricity coming from a purple Virus resembling a single eye in black and purple armor. Another flash and PX raced along the top of the sharpened bamboo that shot out of the ground. His body glowed and vanished from the Invis that covered him before Punk grunted a moment later as an oversized plasma star shuriken sliced into him before the Shadow ended. Punk grunted before an aura came off him for a moment and his injuries vanished with his shoulderguards reforming. He closed his eyes before he leaned back and then moving to the right. The Invis ended and PX gagged as Punk's fist rammed into his gut and sent him flying across the arena, slamming down onto a conveyor belt towards a rock crusher. He cracked open an eye before backflipping and avoiding the giant wheel that was Punk slamming down where he had been and destroying the conveyor belt. FX grunted as he was forced to grab onto the charging Punk, slowly being pushed back by the sheer force of the larger NetNavi's powerful spinning.

"This is intense! Normally, Vent's got the upper hand on his opponents, yet this is the second NetNavi I've ever seen that's given him any real trouble," Yai noted in surprise.

"Third," Maylu admitted as she glanced up at Oda.

"Huh? Who? Was it Ashe?" Jasmine asked.

"No. When it happens, she'll be the fourth," Maylu replied.

"Thanks for waking me up to watch, Meds," Ashe thanked, sitting in a recovery sphere.

"I knew you'd be upset if you couldn't watch in person again," Meddy replied as she watched, "So…how long have you two been an item?"

"Oh, since the first day we met a few months back," Ashe replied as Lan inserted a BattleChip that created a blue gun with two barrels that FX unleashed a barrage of burning shots upon Punk as he charged through them with his right shoulderguard ahead, "We're trying to do things slow and steady, but sometimes we also like to jump the gun with a bit of a makeout session or sleeping in the same bed. It just feels natural to us."

Meddy giggled, "Oh that's so sweet. Love at first sight."

"You could say that," Ashe nodded before Punk fled from an ice dragon with his right arm frozen while LX was nursing a bruise on his face shaped like Punk's fist.

"Gutsman is really happy to know Vent," Gutsman spoke, "He helped Gutsman learn what it means to really 'punch,' guts."

"Sir Vent is truly a noble NetNavi. He's done so much for us that it feels like I myself may never be able to truly repay him," Glyde admitted, watching as a LifeSword from Punk collided with ZX's ZX-Saber…which cleaved through the LifeSword much to Punk's surprise before he delivered several slashes to the larger NetNavi that managed to slice off his arms before a harsh kick from Punk knocked him away.

"Ashe and Vent are both amazing friends," Iceman smiled, "They helped me when I really needed someone there for me, Tory, and his dad."

Meddy nodded, "Vent is really amazing." she winked at Ashe, "So you better keep him close, got it? There's a ton of gals out there that would want a hunk like him."

"Oh? Like yourself, mayhaps?" Ashe asked, managing to hide her worry at still having her as a love rival.

"Mmm…Well, he is cute and seems like a great guy, but…I'm not a fan of the long hair," Meddy replied with a shrug.

"S-Seriously?" Ashe asked in surprise as the recovery sphere vanished.

"Yeah. I don't find guys with long hair attractive. I'm sure he has his reasons for it, but it's a turn off for me."

'...' Ashe blinked several times while Model A wheezed in his laughing fit as he was quick to realize Ashe was worried for nothing…because of a single preference!

"AH!" everyone looked towards Iceman at his shout as he pointed at the screen, making them look to see Viruses appearing all over the arena.

"What the hell!?" Punk gawked.

"I've never seen this many Viruses at once," Megaman ZX scowled, looking around with narrowed eyes as, outside, systems started to go wild and even explode.

"What's…?" Lan began before a cackle went over the speakers as all the screens flicked before changing to show Wily, "!?"

"That's Albert Wily," Famous recognized.

"Who?"

"A former scientist. His doctorate was revoked years ago," Famous replied.

"I am pleased to announce that the WWW master plan...is entering the final phase! Our next targets are this country's military satellites!" Wily declared.

"What?!" Lan gawked.

"We will be launching a hacking rocket from our WWW labs...Once we have control...the EndGame begins!" Wily cackled before the screens exploded.

Lan narrowed his eyes as Famous adjusted his glasses and both thought, 'Go time.'

GT: Lemme tell ya…This was crazy to write. At first, I thought it'd be good to have them finish their battles, but then…interrupting an important event seems like Wily's style more. And, yes, I know this is shorter than other chapters, but that's for a few reasons. 1: I couldn't think of much more to write for this. Everything's been set up and gathered in other chapters. 2: I originally planned for the battles to happen simultaneously but I don't think that'd be how something like this would work for a live event. 3: Wanted the Endgame for Wily's plot to be its own chapter along with what comes after.

Chapter 21: WWW's EndGame 1: WWW Base

Chapter Text

GT: Happy Day 4 of Mega May 2025, folks! It's time to finish things with WWW and their plot!

'And this is why having so many things connected to the Network is a bad thing!' Ciel thought, looking at her tablet's feed to see places going haywire all over Electopia from in the computer room for everything.

"Ciel," Chaud spoke as he ran over.

"I know," Ciel nodded, "Head for the hotel. Our intel has the secret monorail down there. The others will meet you there."

"Understood," Chaud replied.

'Please be safe, you two,' Ciel pleaded.

"Everyone, please remain in your seats!" Higsby called out, "The design of the building ensures that those are the safest spots in the area in case of an emergency, huh!"

"Lan," Famous spoke.

"Right," Lan nodded as they logged their NetNavis out and ran for the exit.

"This isn't good," Oda frowned, standing up.

"Bad timing…" Maylu grimaced, fidgeting a bit in her seat.

"I'll escort her," Oda informed.

"Thank you, sir," Ms. Mari nodded in thanks.

"Not a problem," Oda assured as he escorted Maylu off, "...What's the best idea for her?"

"Say that the viruses caused the stalls to lock and I couldn't get out," Maylu replied, earning a nod from Oda, "I love Ms. Mari, but…"

"Yeah. She has these oblivious moments," Oda nodded, "Doesn't mean she isn't a darn fine teacher and chaperone."

"Here, here!" Ashe agreed, "Though…Shouldn't we have grabbed Jasmine and Meddy?"

"They haven't been able to enter FullSynchro on command yet," Oda replied, "I don't bring in folks that can't do that for major operations like this."

"Inspector Oda! Maylu!" the two looked to see Lan skating over, "Mr. Famous and the others are heading for the hotel."

Oda nodded, "Good. Once we arrive, we're moving out."

Commander Beef swung his plasma blades and sliced into a wall. He delivered a kick to it and the rubble fell, exposing a hidden stairway. Madam Rose looked at Mysteriyu, earning a nod from the skull-themed woman after a moment of looking at a crystal ball in her hands.

"Clear," Madam Rose confirmed.

"Move out," Oda ordered before they started down the stairway, Beef in the lead and ready to slice anything in their path until, after a minute, they arrived in a large subway tunnel, "This is the place."

"But where's the train?" Lan questioned.

Madam Rose looked around before seeing a button nearby, showing an image of a train, "Maybe this will call it?"

She looked to Mysteriyu, who gave her a nod after a moment. She reached out and pushed the button and, after a few minutes, a subway train with a skeleton motif to it slid into place and opened its doors.

"Hard to imagine this was just hidden here," Madam Rose admitted.

"And the other entrance was underneath that statue at our school the whole time, too!" Lan added.

"It's crazy how nobody noticed it," Maylu spoke.

"You six head out," Famous ordered.

"Huh? But what about you two?" Lan asked.

"We're going to work with Officials on the island in quelling the Virus Outbreak here," Famous responded.

"Commander Beef will be in charge of the operation. All of you listen to him," Oda ordered.

"I will do my best," Beef responded with a salute, "All aboard!"

Raika simply stared at Cossack with wide eyes, the older man looking down in shame, "So…that's why…"

"Yes," Cossack nodded before Raika's PeT went off.

"An emergency message from Famous, Raika," Searchman informed before the screen changed and began to play Wily's message.

"!? Oh, Albert…" Cossack whispered, pain evident in his tone.

"You know the man?" Raika asked.

"He and Tadashi were my friends," Cossack replied, "I helped them both with their projects to present to the Ministry of Science decades ago. I even introduced Tadashi to his wife Noele."

"...I need to deploy immediately to assist in defeating him and stopping his goals," Raika informed as he stood up…before Cossack pulled out a GigaChip from his jacket and offered it, "Hm?"

"If Ashe is on the verge of Deletion or has begun Deletion, Ms. Sakurai needs to download this into her PeT immediately," Cossack informed.

"What is it?" Raika asked, accepting the GigaChip.

"This is what is missing from Ashe to complete her," Cossack replied, "The moment this missing piece of data is returned to her, she will immediately repair herself…and the Ultimate Program I created for her will awaken."

"!?" Raika tensed.

"Alright. Gather around," Beef ordered as the metroline sped down the path, "We're going to talk about the man leading WWW."

"Who is it?" Lan asked, "And where did you get the intel from?"

"A trusted source of Ciel's gave it," Beef replied as he aimed his PeT out and pressed a button on it, causing a hologram of Wily to materialize, "This is Albert Wily, formerly a roboticist who wanted to create a robot with free will."

[Huh…Doesn't look like my old man from the few memories of him I have] Zero compared, keeping his 'voice' to just the other Biometals, Ashe, and Vent.

"He and Lan's Grandfather, Tadashi Hikari, were amazing! Working together, they made several advancements such as improving energy gathering from renewable resources that made non-renewable ones inefficient and defunct along with the weather control programs all nations have to maintain the climates of them all and not need to worry about dangerous weather conditions such as hurricanes and the like."

"He was friends with my grandpa?" Lan asked, eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes," Beef nodded, "But…years before you were born, probably when your dad was your age, he and Wily were to present their most important projects to the Ministry of Science at the United Nations. Dr. Hikari presented his work on a digital lifeform that is incorporated into the Internet that could help combat virus threats and protect vital programs so that dangerous threats before them would be a thing of the past."

"The first NetNavi?" Maylu guessed.

"Bingo! And as for Wily, he was submitting a sentient robot with almost perfect free will," Beef spoke.

He pushed another button and the hologram changed, showing a younger middle-aged Albert standing beside what looked like a human boy around their age with light brown hair slicked back with a slicked back pompadour, pointed black sunglasses, a silver bodysuit, red gloves and boots that were much larger than any human's limbs, and a yellow scarf.

"This was his presentation of Project Blues," Beef continued as it showed Wily giving simple commands to the robot, slowly increasing the difficulty, "All was going well…until the guidance system malfunctioned."

They watched as the prototype began to wince and grab its head and began to stumble to its knees, looking as if it were suffering in agony and didn't know why it was happening. Wily ran to its side…but it swung its arm and struck Wily in the face, knocking Wily off of his feet and down to the floor.

"Get away from me!" the robot roared as it ran towards a wall, swinging its arms and plowing itself through the wall, leaving a colossal hole in it.

"Stop, Blues!" Wily shouted, getting back up while holding a hand over his right eye, "I command you to stop, now!"

The prototype ignored the order and made its way towards a large piece of equipment in the storage room it just barged into. There was no hesitation as it began bashing it with its fists and ripping it apart. Its glasses flew off, revealing its eyes, filled with a mixture of pain and rage. Lan's grandfather grabbed a prototype PeT from his table and ran over to Blues, managing to find a plug port on the back of its head. The playback ended as Blues was shut down, letting Lan and Maylu loosen their hold on the other's hands. Beef dismissed the hologram.

"This incident led to the denial of advanced artificial intelligence built specifically for robots from being made for fear of a robot uprising," Beef went on.

"What…What happened to Blues?" Maylu asked.

"...Blues was deemed a failure and scrapped entirely. Blueprints, body, even the very tools used were all sent to be destroyed," Beef responded, "As you can guess, Wily was heartbroken by this and even more so. His Doctorate was revoked and his name stricken from every single thing he created or helped to invent. He vanished shortly after and nobody has heard from him until today."

"That's disgusting!" Maylu exclaimed, "It wasn't Blues's fault! You said it was the guidance system that became faulty!"

"People tend to make poor choices when there's too much of one emotion, Maylu," Ashe spoke, looking solemn, "They were afraid and that led to hatred to what made them afraid. I…I know that all too well."

Maylu frowned before hugging her PeT, 'Is this…part of her past?'

[Yeah…Remember: she'll tell you after the N1 is complete or this cancels it] Axl reminded her.

"I don't like it, either," Madam Rose sighed, "Project Blues was, in a way, alive. Sadly, we can't change the past." Vent and Ashe managed to hide any flinching as Mysteriyu and Skullman subtly looked at the two NetNavis, "All we can do is handle the present to help the future be one safe for those who come after."

"...It's still not right what they did," Lan muttered, "Maybe Grandpa could've made Blues's AI into a NetNavi o-or something."

Mysteriyu gently patted his head, making him blink a few times but didn't try to remove it. She seemed to know just how to make it comfortable for him like Maylu could. Chaud frowned as he looked at the two kids his age with a mixture of annoyance and familiarity. He had already heard the story of Project Blues…and Ciel was not happy whenever she talked about it, especially the board of directors that demanded Blues's complete destruction. A tone went off and everyone looked up to see an arrival signal going off. The system slowed down and revealed a set of stairs outside. Beef took the lead with Mysteriyu and Madam Rose in the back with Chaud, Maylu, and Lan in the middle. Light poured from the exit at the top before they emerged from underground and set foot onto dying grass. Madam Rose couldn't stop the horrified gasp that escaped her lips at the dying landscape around them. A once pure lake was engulfed in nauseous toxic purple sludge, the remains of deceased fish floating upon its surface alongside several birds. All of it came pouring from waterways letting it loose into the lake that connected to several layers of a stony base of sorts, several ominous monoliths scattered about with cartoonish white skulls upon them. At the top of it all was a massive demonic skull, the brand of the World Three firmly put in place atop its forehead.

"...Add destruction of the environment to their list of crimes," Beef growled, "Madam Rose, I'm feeling enraged at all this pollution, but we cannot even begin to consider starting the efforts to try and save it if we don't arrest the remaining WWW members immediately."

"R-Right…" Madam Rose weakly agreed, Mysteriyu and Maylu having to hold her hands to help her along.

"Secrets will start to be unveiled today and continue on as the week passes," Mysteriyu spoke as they approached a pair of massive steel doors.

"Good," Commander Beef stated, deploying his blades and swiftly tearing open an entry for them to enter…before he ran back out, laser fire barely avoiding him, "DUCK AND COVER!"

Everyone ran behind a large boulder. Lan peeked around and gasped, seeing the familiar purple and white mono-eyed monsters of Vent's memories.

"Galleons," Vent recognized.

"Holy fuck!"

"Ashe!?"

[We shouldn't be shocked. If they were rebuilding the Pseudoroids, then these would be far easier to mass produce] X pointed out.

Lan and Maylu looked at one another and nodded. They looked at the three adults and Chaud.

"We've got this," Lan spoke, "That operation opened up a new avenue for us that's perfect for Maverick Hunting."

"Please hurry inside while we give you the opening," Maylu assured.

"What?! Kids, that's a robot army! You should leave it to…" Beef began as the two clutched their PeTs as Model F and L began to glow, "Huh?"

"Model F/Model L! MEGAMERGE!" Both shouted.

In a burst of flames and water, the two were donned in the armors of the two members of the Four Guardians. Maylu L leapt over the rock and swung her polearm, letting loose a dragon of ice that slammed down onto the robots, freezing and destroying many of them. Meanwhile, Lan F raced out around the side and unleashed a barrage of shots from his Busters before slamming one at the ground, letting loose a trail of flames that exploded upon contact with a troop of robots. Maylu L swiftly moved about with pillars of ice, using them and her polearm to be graceful in the air and tear into the machines, as Lan F hefted up a boulder and rolled it at several more, sending their parts scattering.

"STRIKE!" Lan F beamed as Maylu L landed beside him.

"Clear!" Maylu L waved to the four.

"...When could they do this?" Madam Rose asked in shock.

"A while," Mysteriyu responded as she calmly came out and walked over to the two and then into the base.

"...Wait…their operations…" Chaud realized.

"Well I'll be," Beef muttered in surprise, "Ciel must have snuck those in."

'Ciel?' Chaud pondered.

"As you predicted, Lord Wily," Yahoot noted, sitting on the ground with his feet behind his back with the soles touching one another, "Their strongest all came here. A shame, however, for none of their NetNavis will leave if Magicman is not overcome."

"Leave it to me, my closest friend. When they come to find Lord Wily, it will be their end," Magicman declared.

"I'm quite pleased, though…I will admit that I am saddened."

"Hm? Sad? Why would you not be glad?"

"Those two…Vent and Ashe. Their auras…they felt as if they recognized me not as merely an enemy…but an acquaintance or even a companion to seek for advice."

"How curious, how unusual. An aura like theirs should not be taken as casual."

"Door's open!" Chaud called, jacking out Protoman from the computer by a steel doorway.

"Great!" Beef cheered as he cleaved through the last of the robots in the area.

"Do you think we'll see more robots?" Madam Rose asked, recalling her plasma thorn whip.

Mysteriyu looked at her crystal ball for a moment, "...Just one after this room." she glanced towards Maylu L as the redhead was getting praised by Lan F.

"Okay! Let's go!" Lan F cheered as he ran ahead.

"Lan!" Maylu L shouted as she ran after the boy…before a second door slammed down behind them, cutting the others off, "!?"

"It's not as thick as the door, but I'm going to have to cut it open," Beef informed, "You two try to find a way to open it on that side!"

"Right!" both agreed.

The two began to look around. After confirming there were no robots, they dropped MegaMerge.

"What are these?" Maylu pondered.

"These must be where they stored the Elemental Codes," Vent guessed.

[Lan, use my power for a few moments] Phantom advised.

[Maylu, use my power again. It works well with Phantom's] Leviathan spoke.

"Alright," Lan replied, once more merging with Model P while Maylu donned Model L.

[Look through the lens] Phantom spoke as the black lens in his right eye glowed.

[Close your eyes, Maylu] Leviathan advised, waiting for Maylu to close her eyes before a small pulse came from the gem on her helmet [You see it?]

"Whoa! There's a secret passage here!" Lan P gawked as he ran over to a portrait of Wily.

"...Echolocation?" Maylu L realized.

[Bingo~!] Model L giggled as they dropped the MegaMerge.

"There's a port here. Let's send Vent and Ashe in there," Lan advised, earning a nod.

"That should be the last of the locations on the island's more vital systems…" Ciel noted as she was running operations for both technicians and NetBattlers helping with the Virus Outbreak.

"Ms. Oda," Ciel turned to see Raika approaching.

"Raika!" Ciel beamed as she ran up to him, "Hurry. The others are at the WWW base."

"Maylu Sakurai is there?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I have something for her NetNavi that she needs immediately."

"Understood. Please hurry," Ciel replied, now looking worried for Ashe.

"Mega…"

"Yes?"

"Was this like the power plant's Network?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"...I hate battery puzzles," Roll A groaned.

Megaman ZX rolled his eyes with a fond smile at her. They entered a new Area and stopped, seeing Magicman before a set of controls. They readied to fight as Magicman stood casually.

"Let none hear us, none shall wail. I call upon greater magics and cast the Silent Veil," Magicman declared, waving a hand skyward before everything flickered.

"Gh!" Roll A and Megaman ZX stumbled.

"Wh…What did you do?" ZX demanded.

"Fear not. Magicman has severed FullSynchro and is preventing a connection to your PeTs outside of BattleChip usage," Yahoot spoke, appearing on a screen, "However, doing so drains him."

"Why do that?" Roll A asked, "You know we can fight without them if we need to."

"It's because I'm curious…You two…are time travelers, are you not?"

"!?" both flinched.

"I see," Yahoot nodded, "Our goal…it prevailed and you are here to thwart it?"

"..." the two looked at one another before sighing.

"No," Megaman ZX replied, shaking his head, "WWW failed and ultimately disbanded and reformed into a curry franchise. Maha Ichiban."

Yahoot froze at that, "Maha…I-Ichiban?"

"Oh, so you know that name," Roll A grinned, the smile not reaching her eyes, "Yeah. You, Match, Zap, and Maddy made it while Wily vanished and randomly showed up after that…to help."

"You say we failed, you say we will stall. But tell me then, time travelers, why did you call?" Magicman asked.

"...When we came from, the world is destroyed in one year's time," ZX replied, "By a cosmic entity known as Duo that a Hyper Advanced Prehistoric Civilization that lived here on Earth created and lost control of."

"I haven't had time to confirm if that place is still here or not that could've helped us find a way to stop Duo," Roll A admitted with a grimace.

"Duo? …Lord Wily has muttered that name at times when he has felt safe," Yahoot admitted, "What is this Duo?"

"He is a cosmic entity, capable of warping reality itself," Megaman ZX replied, "He…razed the Earth into ash and volcanic lands. No one was spared because we failed to prove to him that humanity deserved to be spared."

"But…here we are. Back in the past with powers we didn't have the first go around," Roll A gestured to them both.

"...Has the fortune teller of your team spoken of…"

"Yes, we've apparently 'flooded the rivers' and things are a lot more complicated now," ZX admitted with a grimace, "We…don't even know if you'll be like you were should we beat the WWW of this time."

Yahoot frowned as Magicman looked away while speaking, "Yahoot, please hear my word. Speak of your worries about our Lord."

"Worries?" Roll A repeated.

Yahoot nodded, "Lord Wily has found…a benefactor of sorts. The ones who built those machines along with the one that attacked your NetOps in the studio and the one in SciLab. I knew neither of those machines existed until long after they were deployed and destroyed."

"Pseudoroids," Roll A replied, "That's what they're called. They're the creations of a dangerous item called Model W."

"Meaning if they're being made, then Wily is in danger," ZX spoke, concern evident on his face.

"You're…worried for Lord Wily?"

"Of course! Nobody should be under that thing's influence," ZX grit his teeth, his fists shaking in anger as Giro, Prairie, and so many others came to his head, "Model W killed so many that were important to me."

"And to me as well," Roll A added, pain in her eyes at the memories of her 'family' and the mad cackles amidst swings of a scythe of plasma echoing in her mind.

"..."

"..." Magicman lowered his hand and the two felt their connections return, "Yahoot…We need to stop."

"!? Magicman, you…"

"I cannot rhyme with what has befallen Lord Wily…What we failed to stop because we didn't know," Magicman replied, "You must leave immediately."

"Huh? L-Leave?! But we're here to stop…"

"Lord WIly and the LifeVirus are not here. He left immediately after the announcement with a troop of those robots you've been destroying," Yahoot replied.

"!?" both tensed.

"Then…where did they go?" Lan asked.

"They…" Magicman began before a purple beam shot down and slammed down onto him, "?! G-GYAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

"Magicman!" Yahoot gasped as the energy of the beam swirled and condensed before a flash of light went off.

The light died down and Magicman was transformed. His blues had bled away, turning into whites with the stripe going down the middle a brilliant ominous orange and becoming jagged in appearance with a purple stripe going down the middle of that. His spiked shoulders had changed, the top halves becoming a clear orange. Spiked horns replaced the 'feathers' on his 'hat' while a spike grew from the diamond that had been on the upper part of his arms. The orbs were replaced with semi-clear orange spikes while the tips of his feet were much the same. The area around his eyes had reshaped like his eyes had grown and glowed with an ominous violet light. The book on his back was replaced by a copy of the object that had been in the primary machine for the LifeVirus, slightly sunk into his back. Finally, his emblems on his shoulders had altered, now showing an orange ring with a stylized 'W' over the lower part of it. Magicman trembled as he threw his head back and began to roar.

"SHIT!" ZX cursed, jumping back as he readied to fight.

"He's been infused with a Model W fragment!" Roll A panicked, readying her guns.

Unseen by any of them, a figure hovered high in the 'air' above, looking down upon them, "You should not betray our goal. This is your punishment for your betrayal."

"No! I've lost control of Magicman!" Yahoot panicked.

"Sir, did you recently back up his data?" Megaman ZX asked.

"Yes. While you were making your way here."

"Then you'll need it," Megaman ZX frowned, "Once infused with a Model W fragment…you can't go back."

"I felt it when he was struck," Yahoot solemnly responded, "Please…try to make it quick."

"VENT!"

"Gah! Lan, not so loud!" Megaman ZX grimaced.

"Oh my gosh! Is that Magicman?!" Maylu gasped.

"Yeah. He got a massive power boost from Model W," Roll A grimaced before the two jumped out of the way of black flames that shot out like a lance from his spiked crystals that replaced Magicman W's orbs.

There were no words from the manic NetNavi, only growls, snarls, and roars as he let loose pitch black versions of his normal attacks almost erratically, but always aimed at the direction of the two NetNavis. In a flash, A-Elecman fired off a bolt of lightning at him only to be countered by a black bolt of lightning that pierced A-Elecman's attack and slammed into her…making her scream and revert back to Roll A.

[Shit! Model W must have turned all his attacks Null so you can't absorb them, Ashe!] Model A panicked.

'Gh…N-No, Model A…That…gh…That felt like…Dark Power…' Roll A grimaced.

HX raced about, delivering several slashes each time he could get in close to Magicman W. He harshly backhanded A-Hedgeshock before summoning a swarm of grey and navy blue Mettaur. In a flash, Roll A let loose a Hyper Burst PA while FX let loose a Powered Cannon PA, the two attacks wiping out the Viruses. In another flash, A-ZX and ZX roared, swinging LifeSwords at Magicman W, who parried with purple plasma swords, creating a small explosion. A red light shined from the smoke before it dispersed from the onslaught of laser fire coming out of Magicman W's 'hands.' A-Aeolus and HX began to rapidly swing their swords, cutting through the laser barrage. As it ended, Magicman W stabbed the ground and a massive wave of poison rushed out and at them. A-Aeolus narrowed her eyes before, in a flash, A-Lyra Note grabbed HX. They glowed before vanishing, letting the wave wash over where they had been and left the ground toxic and tainted with poison. Magicman W snarled, looking around rapidly. Strings quickly ensnared his form before ZX impaled him from behind while A-Lyra Note manifested before the feral NetNavi.

"Vent, hurry!" A-Lyra Note pleaded.

"You're…Deleted!" ZX roared, ripping his sword out and aimed for Magicman W's neck…only for the NetNavi to let loose a dark purple pulse that destroyed his bindings and knocked ZX away.

"GRAAAAAAAH!" Magicman W howled before swinging his arm out at the stunned ZX, his crystal spike remolded into a drill crackling with power…

*Squelch…*

…and Roll A gagged, the arm going through her emblem and body, "Hurk!"

"?! ROLL!" ZX screamed.

Roll A aimed her guns and pulled the trigger, blasting Magicman W in the chest with a Giga Crush and ripping out through his back. Chunks of his CyberCore dissolved in the air along with the pieces of what looked to be bits of white, purple, and orange metal. His eyes widened before slowly returning to their original color before they closed and he let go.

=Magicman Model W: Deleted=

Megaman ZX caught the collapsing silverette as Model A was forced out of the merge. Ashe struggled, trying to breathe to no avail, as she weakly raised a hand up. Vent grasped her hand, tears in his eyes.

"R-Roll…" Vent choked back a sob, seeing the hole in her chest where her CyberCore was meant to be.

[ASHE!] Model A screamed.

Lan caught Maylu, the redhead looking at her PeT with wide, horrified eyes. Mysteriyu closed her eyes as Madam Rose looked at her in worry, the door having been opened the moment Magicman W was Deleted. Chaud shook his head, a sympathetic look in his eyes while he kept his face neutral. Meanwhile, Commander Beef ripped through the portrait (Chaud having 'heard' what Phantom said about it the moment the Biometal spotted the dual-haired boy) and ran on, a furious look on his face.

"...She'll live," the fortune teller foretold softly, "There is no whistling."

Madam Rose blinked a few times before footsteps made her look to see Raika running in.

"Dammit. I wasn't able to arrive before she was damaged," Raika grunted, earning Lan's attention.

"Raika!" Lan gasped before the Sharo native offered a GigaChip to Maylu, depicting a girl in shadows, "Huh?"

"Wh…What's this?" Maylu asked as she accepted it.

"KalinkaBAT," Raika explained, "It is missing data that will repair Ashe even in the midst of Deletion only once."

Maylu's eyes widened, "Wh-What?!"

"It was given to me by her creator, Mikhail Cossack," Raika informed.

"?! Her…Her creator? I thought Mama and Papa got her as a gift," Maylu spoke.

"No. She is a creation of Mikhail Cossack…the final NetNavi he ever built. Her disc containing her data was long stolen a few days before he was barred from ever creating another NetNavi with threat of death and the Deletion of whatever NetNavi he makes," Raika explained, "Ms. Ayano helped me retrieve this disc for her."

"Huh? But…why did you…?" Maylu began to ask.

"She wanted to find out, but not make you worry," Vent explained, "Numberman told us something about Magicman's power. It was disturbing enough that she wanted to know her origins, but she didn't want you to think you did anything wrong because she loves you and you're her family and…" a pair of loud smacks went off, "...Thank you, Searchman, Protoman."

"What do you mean?" Lan asked.

"...Kalinka Cossack. She'd be in her late twenties if she hadn't been diagnosed with leukemia fifteen years ago in the latter stages of it," Raika spoke, "Mikhail couldn't handle losing his daughter. He desperately looked for ways to save her…and found it in a program created through a joint effort between two of his closest friends: Tadashi Hikari…and Albert Wily." Everyone tensed, "The program can convert organic matter into data."

"..." Maylu gasped, covering her mouth, "She was…"

"Yes," Raika nodded, "I haven't told anyone because this was done before he was forbidden from making NetNavis, so it isn't needed to be discussed with others."

Madam Rose blinked a few times in surprise, 'Huh…He's a bit of a secret bad boy in a way. He's loyal to his nation, but also to people he and Searchman are connecting with.' She smiled, "If we load this into Roll, she can be saved, but…what happens after?"

"It will rewrite parts of her internally," Raika explained, recalling what Cossack said, "And it includes a private message that she can play later." He looked at Maylu, "...It doesn't matter who she was or what may happen. Right now, she is your NetNavi…your 'sister,' correct?"

"...Yes," Maylu nodded, "She's my big sister. Ever since I first met her, she's always been my big sister first and foremost." she looked at the magenta BattleChip and nodded, "Download!"

Ashe stood in a black void. A hauntingly somber whistle echoed within the void, making her look around. Slowly, a cloaked figure emerged from the void, crimson red eyes glaring at her. They took a step…before snarling as Ashe felt…lighter? They stepped away, irritation and anger strong in their crimson eyes that never broke contact with her gaze. Once it was gone and the ominous feeling faded with it, Ashe was left in the void once more. Footsteps echoed and a girl around her age when she was just a NetNavi stepped out, looking eerily similar to herself as Roll outside of the sapphire blue eyes. The two looked at one another with surprised looks. Ashe walked up to her and Roll met her duplicate's gaze.

"...You're…me?"

"And you're me," the girl replied, a Sharoian accent in her voice, "Is very…strange."

"You're telling me," Roll nodded, "My old old life never had…this."

She smiled at Roll, "I don't feel that I existed at that time. Yet…oddly, I remember it."

"Don't judge Maylu, alright? She's not…not like that."

"I know," she smiled at Roll, "Maylu is wonderful. Is our adorable little sister, yes?"

"Yeah, she's our little sister," Roll nodded with a grin, "Just…gotta find her."

She giggled and hugged Roll, "We just need to wake up."

"...Yeah," Ashe replied, returning the hug as she closed her eyes…before opening them to see Vent's worried face, "...Hey…Mega…"

"Roll!" Vent exclaimed in relief, giving her a hug, "The program worked!"

"Huh? Program…?" Ashe repeated, returning the embrace on reflex.

"Roll!" Ashe looked up at the screen showing Maylu's relieved, tear-filled face, "It worked! It really worked!"

[They know you were looking into your past] Model A spoke 'privately' to Ashe [Turns out, you were a girl named…]

"Kalinka, yeah," Ashe replied, earning surprised looks, "It…It's in my head. A-Along with memories of…of being her."

"Mikhail lost your data disc when SciLab was packing up his belongings and throwing out anything they thought may relate to NetNavis," Raika explained, "It was eventually bought by Maylu Sakurai's parents and thus led to you."

"I…I see…" Ashe nodded.

"As…Ro…Ka…um…"

"Call me what you feel most comfortable with, Maylu. The rest of time? I'm Ashe," Ashe assured with a carefree grin as she pumped a fist, "So let's get going and…" she stumbled and Vent caught her, "Ugh…"

"You are still healing," Vent spoke, "I'm sorry, but Maylu, please log her out so she can recover."

"Aw come on…" Ashe groaned before blushing as Vent gave her a small kiss to her cheek.

"Please, Roll," Vent softly spoke, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Mmm…F-Fine," Ashe huffed, giving up, "But you guys better kick a ton of WWW booty, ya got it?"

"Promise," Vent chuckled before the base shook on Earth.

"There's no sign of Wily anywhere," Commander Beef frowned as he glared at the tied up Yahoot (a bit surprised he didn't try to fight him now that he had calmed down), "Where is he, Yahoot?"

"Back to where it all came apart," Yahoot calmly replied, "SciLab is where the presentation of Blues was held. It is where his Robots fell…and it is where he wants Tadashi Hikari's Network to fall."

"The robot that had its guidance system go out of control?" Beef asked, "So this was…"

"A deception, yes," Yahoot confirmed, "His associates have provided him the means and he went with them."

"Associates?"

"I know not who they are nor how they are able to perform the abilities I've witnessed from them, but…" Yahoot frowned, "They've given Lord Wily something that…disturbs me. The dark energies of it feel…addictive. If not for my training, I would have been bespelled like Lord Wily regretfully has."

"Hm? A dark energy? …I've heard rumors going on about a BattleChip made from some sort of dark power…"

"It is no BattleChip, I assure you," Yahoot replied with a grimace, "It felt as if it were made from a madman's ceaseless grudge. A man long dead refusing to submit to his fate and wishes to drag the worl…no, everything down with him." the base shook, "?!"

"What's going on?" Beef demanded as the others ran into the room.

"The self destruct has been triggered, but…how? Lord Wily made only the one switch and that is at his desk!" Yahoot pondered before one of the machines exploded nearby, "!"

The smoke settled, revealing what looked to be Blues, yet remade to look like a young adult. He was donned in red armor with a skull-shaped shield and a blaster resembling Model X's replacing his left hand.

"What the…?" Beef pondered before deploying his plasma blades and sliced through a shot made of plasma.

"Ah! Isn't that the robot that got scrapped?!" Lan gawked before Madam Rose and Mysteriyu pulled him and Maylu out of the way while Chaud rolled to the side, all avoiding a beam fired from the Buster.

"Children, hurry to SciLab," Yahoot spoke as he ducked and let a shot from the robot burn off his bindings, "You must stop my lord from deploying his Virus at SciLab." his leg shot out and the rock between his toes struck the Buster mid-charge, causing a small discharge that went off in it.

"Why are you…?" Chaud began.

"I am loyal to Lord Wily. Right now, he is possessed by the grudge of an ancient human that wants to destroy the very universe. The WWW only wanted to protect the world from a threat within the Network by creating the LifeVirus, not all life," Yahoot responded.

"Kids, go to SciLab STAT," Madam Rose ordered, deploying her plasma thorn whip and slapped the robot in the face, tearing the skin off where she hit to expose the mechanics within, "We can handle this one!"

"But we…" Lan began.

"You kids are our only hope!" Commander Beef responded, delivering a swift strike to Blues that managed to make him stumble back and allow Mysteriyu to strike the robot repeatedly with a plasma bo-staff resembling a bone, "Go! Now!"

"...Okay," Lan nodded.

"Good luck," Chaud spoke before the four ran for the exit.

"I'm guessing he didn't tell you about this one," Madam Rose spoke.

"He did not, no," Yahoot replied, "Most likely? His benefactors did this for him."

GT: Yeah, gonna cut it off there. This'll have to be a two parter. I planned on it being longer, but I decided to cut it into two parts.

Chapter 22: WWW's EndGame Part 2: The LifeVirus

Chapter Text

GT: Here we go! Day 7 of Mega May 2025! The finale of the two-parter!

When the attacks broke out just a few minutes ago, chaos reigned strong with machines all over beginning to explode due to the Virus Outbreak. Yuichiro sighed in relief as he removed his hand from the circuit breaker for the house, water soaking his clothes.

'Ciel's right…Some things shouldn't be connected to the Network…' Yuichiro thought, breathing heavily.

"In through the nose and out through the mouth, honey," Haruka called from inside, a pair of crutches keeping her standing.

"I…I need to get…get to…SciLab…" Yuichiro spoke between pants of air.

"If you're sure," Haruka nodded as Yuichiro stumbled over to her and hugged her, "Stay safe, okay?"

Yuichiro nodded before the door slammed open, making the two tense. Several Galleons entered the house and surrounded them. Soft steps echoed before Wily entered the home.

"?! Y-You're…!" Yuichiro gasped.

"Hello…Yuichiro," Wily greeted before looking at the robots, "Grab them both. We need someone to help coerce my old friend's son if he chooses to be obstinate. And for heaven's sake, the woman is already injured; don't make it worse for her. She can be granted comfort before the world ends so long as he's complying with our demands."

"Yuichiro…" Haruka whispered, who gave her a look of assurance and to go along with them.

"It's been years, Uncle," Yuichiro spoke as they were led out to a limo, one Galleon in it with a driver's hat on it, "How are…"

"I haven't been your 'Uncle' for decades," Wily chuffed, "Not since that damn presentation."

"Dear…Introductions?" Haruka asked, unnerved yet surprised at how much care the robots were giving her in getting her inside the limo.

"Dr. Albert Wily."

"I am not a Doctor. SciLab ripped it from me," Wily growled.

"You'll always be one to me," Yuichiro replied, none of them aware of Gow sneaking into the limo, "Especially with these creations of yours."

A moment passed and Wily sighed, leaning into his seat, "They're not mine. A benefactor built them for me to command."

"I see. Well…This is my wife, Haruka."

"I've read the files my WWW gathered. I know well who she is and that is why I'm seated away from you two, crutches or not," Wily huffed, "You Hikari men always love women that are kind-hearted and good with kids…but terrifying when angered. Seems your son follows that, too."

"Oh, you saw the security footage of when Lan and Maylu met in Kindergarten?" Yuichiro asked in amusement, Haruka facepalming in exasperation.

'I have a son that's a NetNavi…My father-in-law created the Network we all use…I'm planning to run a Night Boxing school for NetNavis once I complete my physical therapy…and my husband calls the leader of the terrorist organization that made that green bird robot that hospitalized me and caused the operation our boy needed to save his life 'Uncle.' …What is my life?' Haruka thought.

"Given the chaos going on…You made a program to end all programs," Yuichiro noted.

"Heh. Of course. With the Four Elemental Codes, I unified them as one and created the ultimate Virus: the LifeVirus," Wily smirked, a dark glint in his visible eye, "Its mere existence is amplifying the power of all these Viruses that are rampaging and showing how dangerous Tadashi's work has become."

Yuichiro nodded, a look of worry on his face for the people being harmed by it all, "Aren't you worried about your…"

"Hmph. I've never heard from two of them for years now," Wily huffed, "The other…" he shook his head, "This isn't about them. You are the only one who has the codes I need to access the Silver Tower."

"!?" Yuichiro flinched.

"Silver tower?" Haruka repeated.

"It's the tallest building in SciLab and where I work primarily," Yuichiro explained, "It was originally the lab where my father and my uncles, Mikhail Cossack and Albert Wily here, worked together."

"Again, not. your. Uncle," Wily growled in annoyance and slight disbelief, "The Silver Tower also houses the strongest satellite dish in all of Electopia. With that, I will broadcast my LifeVirus to a satellite in space. When that happens, its influence will spread globally and wipe out everything."

"And you brought my wife along as coercion."

"That and extra assurance against your son," Wily huffed.

"Huh? Lan? Why would you…?"

"Because your son and his friend have been a constant thorn in my side," Wily growled in annoyance, "Their NetNavis have destabilized and foiled so many of my agents and their plots to help spread the panic necessary to fully empower the LifeVirus. Their best plan didn't even leave the robotic portion of the aquarium!"

"Excuse me?" Haruka questioned in surprise before several beeps went off and a screen lowered from the ceiling.

"Oh goody," Wily groaned, "They're already in my base." He tapped his cane on the floor and the screen turned on…showing Lan F and Maylu L tearing into Galleons alongside Commander Beef, Madam Rose, and Mysteriyu.

"What?!" Haruka gasped, seeing the armors the kids were in, "H-How in the…?"

"My hypothesis is their implants," Wily replied, "Whoever made them seems to have a fundamental understanding of the 'barrier' between Earth and the Network."

'Ciel?' Yuichiro pondered.

"So you were once human," Protoman spoke, the quartet of NetNavis all settled into Lan's PeT as their NetOps were on the train to ACDC Elementary.

"Yep. Kinda shocked," Ashe admitted, "But…I'm kinda glad I know this now. I never knew where I came from and when Magicman did that mass outbreak of hypnosis, I got affected when only humans should've."

"It was quite a shock to learn of your origins," Searchman noted, "But it does not change who you are now or what you've done in your life as a NetNavi." He saluted her, "I am honored to work alongside you all."

"Same here," Vent spoke, returning the salute.

"Vent, out of everyone here, you know SciLab best," Protoman spoke, "What defenses are in there?"

"Some advanced firewalls that detain and extract all data from any program that triggers them for one. I had a list of codes, but they change those every other month for security reasons," Vent replied, "But if WWW took them over…I don't know what they've added."

"Any idea why Wily went there?" Ashe asked.

"...The Silver Tower," Vent replied after thinking on it.

"What's that?" Ashe asked.

"It's the tallest manmade structure in DenTech City," Protoman explained, "It is where the majority of Network research is performed by SciLab. It also houses the strongest satellite dishes in Electopia."

"He's going to most likely transmit whatever he created with the Elemental Codes he fused with Model W," Vent guessed.

"Model W?" Searchman repeated.

"...A Biometal that Ciel didn't create," Vent replied, "It is the remains of a man that refuses to die unless he takes everything in existence with him to the point he turned the remains of a planet-destroying weapon falling to the planet into the first Biometal eons ago."

"Our Biometals are actually the containers of the souls of powerful warriors who fought against Model W when they were all alive," Ashe added, "One of the biggest goals in our life is to help completely destroy Model W to the point it can never return."

The two NetNavis frowned at hearing that. Outside the Network, Chaud held up his PeT and displayed a hologram of SciLab's blueprints.

"We need to figure out why he aimed for SciLab. Why here outside of his grudge…" Chaud frowned.

"...Maybe the Silver Tower," Lan offered, "It has the best satellite dishes on it and he could transmit what's happening here globally if he uses them right."

"Terrible," Raika scowled.

"How did you know that?" Chaud asked in disbelief.

"I practically grew up at SciLab on the weekends," Lan smirked, "Papa would 'forget' his lunch at times and I got to deliver them and spend time there." he huffed, "I never got to see Vent at all whenever I was there."

"To be fair, you didn't know Vent existed until this year," Maylu pointed out.

"Yeah," Lan sighed before shaking his head, "But I know an entrance most won't think we can use. We just need Model H and Model A."

"Hm?" the others pondered.

"Start it up," Wily commanded.

The Galleons saluted and began to start typing in commands into the various computers in the large room. Nearby, Yuichiro and Haruka sat, still trying to process seeing their son and his friend using the power of those Biometals. Wily huffed as he looked over at Yuichiro.

'Why just give it to me? No hassle, no needing threats. Sentimental youth…' Wily mentally grumbled as he pulled out a portable hard drive and plugged it into place, the largest screen turning on to show the black sphere manifest, "It will take thirty minutes to upload my LifeVirus to the satellites in space. After that…only eighteen minutes to wipe out the entire planet." He narrowed his eye, "Tadashi…I will damn this world for what you and those fools took all those years back."

Raika tried very hard to not ask about how he was being carried by a large magenta and yellow wasp-like machine with blue eyes (and a second set on a 'secret' second face on it) and wings made of plasma. Nearby, Lan donned in Model H's armor flew over to the top of a large silver tower with several dishes on it. The wasp landed and, in a flash, Maylu A put Raika down.

"See?" Lan H grinned as he walked over to a door and opened it, "They even leave it unlocked."

Chaud nodded, "Good."

Raika looked around, "Before we head in, perhaps it would be best to disable these."

"Good idea," Maylu A complimented…before pulling her guns out and letting loose a barrage of shots as Lan H zipped about, tearing into the dishes.

"What are you two doing?!" Chaud snapped as the two took down the last satellite.

"Um…destroying them?" Lan H replied.

"Oh for the…SciLab needs those!" Chaud snapped, "I was suggesting we Jack In and disable them!"

"You can't Jack In into these from here. They can be replaced; the lives of innocents can't," Lan H countered.

"...Is…Is there something with your armors that makes you less hesitant to destroy things?" Raika questioned.

"..." both blinked a few times while looking at one another, "Uh…"

[Some of our combat experience goes into them while in it] Model Z informed [So, yes, they are more likely to do things like this if the situation can call for it being the fastest way to stop a crisis] Chaud facepalmed, Raika blinked a few times once Chaud translated, and the two MegaMerged kids gawked [Focus, all of you. We need to find Wily and he'll likely have more robots with him. While Lan and Maylu can handle them, Raika and Chaud should send Protoman and Searchman into the Network to try to ascertain if this LifeVirus of his is in there or not. If not, then it may be on his person.]

"Understood," Raika responded once Chaud told him, finding it sound given the current circumstances.

'Given that these two can only do it because they had those operations that enhanced their bodies to handle the strain…' "...Very well, Zero," Chaud nodded.

[There's a Jack-In Port over there by the entrance to the stairway] Model P informed, [...I enjoy this upgrade to your PeT, Lan]

Punk and Japanman panted as they stood back-to-back, the last of the Viruses on the island dissolving into data. Punk groaned as he collapsed to a knee, breathing harder than the other NetNavi.

"What's wrong?" Japanman asked.

"One big fight…then all these Viruses…" Punk replied, "I…I'm runnin' on fumes."

"Blast," Japanman frowned behind his mask as more Viruses began to materialize.

A Mettaur lunged for them only to stop when several dice rolled over, all landing on 5s and 6s. They glowed before letting loose a barrage of explosions. Nearby, medical pills the size of hands fell down and exploded, infecting Viruses with HP Bugs that were then taken down with a barrage of icicles. The two looked to see Meddy, Iceman, and Numberman attacking the Viruses before Toadman walked over to them.

"Are you alright, kero?" Toadman asked.

"Punk's exhausted himself," Japanman replied.

"Oh screw you…" Punk grumbled before Meddy ran over and pulled out a medical kit.

"Beginning exhaustion treatment," Meddy informed, pulling out a medical needle with a glowing orange liquid in the vial, "Fair warning that this will only last for three hours before you will need to rest for a full twenty-four hours."

"Do it," Punk replied.

Meddy nodded and injected him with it. A large purple Virus with an oversized mallet swung down at her…

"GUTS IMPACT!"

…only for Gutsman to deliver a powerful right hook to the Virus, shattering it into data. Toadman spun around and let out several croaks, releasing electrified musical notes that went about and zapped several more Viruses that Glyde quickly dispatched.

"Excuse me, but have either of you seen Lady Ashe in the area?" Glyde asked.

"...We did," Japanman replied, "She went with Vent to find the source."

"If anyone can, it's dem," Gutsman nodded before punching another Virus.

"Huh…Good technique," Punk complimented as he got up.

"Thanks! Got a great teacher, guts!"

Beef grunted as he struggled underneath the strong arms of the rebuilt Blues, chainsaws sending out sparks as they fought his plasma arm blades. Madam Rose's whip wrapped around Blues's neck before Mysteriyu slammed her bo staff into the back of Blues's knee joints, causing them to falter enough for Mysteriyu and Yahoot to pull hard and pull Blues back enough for Commander Beef to swiftly stab him in the chest and gut. Blues sparked before he collapsed, smoke coming from his fried circuits. All four slumped with sighs of exhaustion after several long, tense moments.

"That…was…exhausting," Beef groaned…before another machine exploded, "DAMMIT! Forgot the place was self-destructing!"

Yahoot pushed a button and a wall slid down, revealing a tunnel, "This way. It leads straight to the monorail."

He helped up Beef, letting the agent use him for support. The four quickly made their way out and managed to get to the monorail entrance just as the skull exploded, collapsing into a pile into the lake. All four just watched as the smoke came out of the wreckage.

"...Do you have a copy of your face?" Mysteriyu asked.

"Huh? Now why are y'all asking that?" Beef asked, too tired to hide his accent, as Yahoot held up a copy of his face, "And don't you be showin' it!"

Mysteriyu took it, "In our haste to get the criminals of WWW, the one we believed was Yahoot turned out to be an imposter and the real one was found locked up in a room to use his famous image for tyranny."

"What the hell?!" Madam Rose demanded.

"...He is key to events in the future. We need him and the others in the WWW free," Mysteriyu replied.

"...Goddamn future bullshit…" Madam Rose growled as she stomped away to take it out on the rubble.

"You…are letting me go?" Yahoot asked.

"Yes. Your store is necessary," Mysteriyu responded, "A Canon Couple will need guidance…and one half will enjoy the curry a lot."

"..." Yahoot smiled and, after Mysteriyu took Beef from him, brought his hands together and respectfully bowed to her, "Thank you. I will do what I can to help."

"Now wait a cotton pickin' moment! We came here to…" Beef began to rant.

"You joined because your home was wiped out by tanks that had been infected by Viruses when you were a teenager," Mysteriyu spoke.

"...I did, yes. They were meant to help protect our home…only for them to become the tools of our demise," Yahoot admitted, "You are well aware of my past."

"The future is difficult to perceive at times…but the past is sound," Mysteriyu responded, "Now go."

Yahoot nodded before he walked towards a tree…and seemingly phased into it, "Do come by when I open Maha Ichiban."

"Ugh…So now what?" Madam Rose demanded.

"We call the monorail and arrive to witness the ascent of the King."

"We've managed to close and lock down various areas of the building," Searchman informed, "You will have safe passage to the main server room."

"Good job, Searchman," Raika nodded.

"Stay suited up, you two," Chaud warned.

"He still has some of his robots with him," Protoman informed, "Maylu, best turn into that Atlas form of Model A's."

"Huh? Um…Okay?" Maylu A replied, changing into A-Atlas, making them all realize she was now the tallest of them all, "Now what?"

"Pick up Hikari," Protoman replied before speaking once more the moment she had him in her arms and in the air with both blushing, "Security cameras show Dr. Hikari and Mrs. Hikari are in there, held hostage by Wily."

"He what?!" Lan H snapped as he began to struggle, "Lemme go, Maylu! Lemme go! I'll wallop him! I'll poke his monocle out! Imma gonna…"

"Calm down before you do something that makes them victims," Chaud harshly interrupted his rant, making Lan H freeze, "There are lives on the line here…your parents' lives. So calm down and we are going to plan. things. out. Understand?"

"...O-Okay…"

Chaud nodded, gesturing for A-Atlas to put him down. In a flash of light, Maylu kept a hand on Lan's shoulder, giving her best friend a small smile of assurance. He returned it after a moment and looked at the two more experienced boys as Vent and Ashe appeared on their shoulders.

"Disconnected?!" Wily snapped, slamming the bottom of his cane on the floor, "How?!" The Galleon reporting to him shrugged as the man's monocle flickered a light in it, "Well go look at the satellites. Bring up security footage!"

"Password is under your desk," Yuichiro spoke to one Galleon, "Jenkins always forgets it so he has a sticky note under his desk."

"Will you stop being so helpful?!" Wily snapped.

"I'm worried, too. We need those satellites," Yuichiro replied.

"..." Wily groaned as another Galleon gave him a cup of tea, "Hikari men and their lowered sense of self-preservation. I swear, you'd even try to talk sense to someone in a volcano as it's going off…" he took a sip before spitting as alarms went off, "Oh what now?!"

"Fire alarm," Yuichiro replied as a Galleon opened an umbrella above Haruka as the sprinklers went off.

"Ugh…" Wily sighed, "My LifeVirus must be a bit too strong and may have attracted a Virus Swarm into the Silver Tower instead of keeping them away with its presence." He blinked as he realized the area wasn't getting wet.

In fact…the water of the sprinklers was staying in the air, collecting. A twitch of the water came…before it froze into icicles as big as a golf club and shot down, tearing into the Galleons.

"Wh-What?!" Wily yelped before pain went through his ankle, "EEEEEEYOOOOW!"

"Oh! Gow!" Haruka gasped as Wily fell over, grabbing the leg that had Gow biting down hard on near the ankle while the four ran inside, Lan wearing Model L and Maylu as A-Thetis.

"Papa! Mama!" Lan L called as he ran over before blinking as they weren't even tied up, "Huh?"

"Lan Xavier Hikari," Haruka frowned, "While I'm happy to see you, when were you going to tell us about this armor thing?"

"Er…"

"We found out the day of the N1 started with Ciel," A-Thetis replied, changing back to Maylu as Lan separated from Model L.

"Albert Wily, you are under arrest for terrorism," Raika informed as he and Chaud managed to handcuff the man.

"Who's robot dog is this?" Chaud asked.

"Gow~!" Maylu called, patting her lap, "Come here, boy." Gow released Wily's leg and ran over to her, jumping into her arms, "Good boy! You snuck after them to help the Hikari family, didn't you?" The robot dog barked as his tail wagged, "You are such a good puppy!"

"H-How?! I had my robots all over the lower floors!" Wily demanded.

"..." Lan combined with Model H, "We can fly." He dismissed it, "Also…Sorry, Papa. We broke the satellite dishes to stop his plan here."

"Lan, we needed those~!" Yuichiro groaned.

"Now hand over that LifeVirus," Ashe demanded.

"You're too late. I've already loaded it into the computers here. If it can't go global, then I'll make sure it can at least raize this city!" Wily replied before he began to cackle, "DELETE!-!-!-!"

*Ba-BUMP!*

"HRK!" Wily tensed up.

Vent tensed, 'Shit! His hatred…!'

Wily cried out in pain as a purple smoky light emerged from his body and shot into a nearby computer. After several moment, it stopped and he collapsed.

"U-Ugh…" Wily groaned.

"Lan! Send me in!" Vent called.

"Right!" Lan nodded as he ran over to the computer and sent Vent into the Network where the sphere was hovering across from him, "Vent, is that…?"

"Most likely," Vent replied, becoming Megaman X, "Now…"

[Matte…]

"?!" Megaman X tensed as Model O floated out of him, "Model O?" the Biometal made a small hacking noise before a purple beam came out of it and into the sphere.

[Watashi wa yameta] the Biometal declared before phasing back into Megaman X.

"...What did it say?" Chaud asked as Protoman, Searchman, and Roll A entered.

[Wow. Even his own creation can't stand the guy anymore] Axl noted before the area rumbled.

The sphere pulsated with a dark malicious aura emanating off its form. The black sphere pulsed at that…before growing bigger. Cracks and snapping began to come out of the sphere as it continued to grow, bulging out at points. Six large gunmetal spider legs ending in spikes emerged first, a silver bony piece of plating on each one acting as joints and a serrated orange ridge going down the middle of each ond. A crimson and scarlet base formed next, sporting an armored 'loincloth' resembling a sword pointing downwards at the front of it, the bottom of it orange in color with four holes. Sludge poured from the top of it before a large deep dark purple/near black purple torso emerged from it, sporting what looked like a face in it with a crystal mouth and eyes. Gunmetal spheres formed four shoulders, a jagged spike on each, before massive gunmetal arms erupted from them, an orange spike gem on the back of each of its massive hands' knuckles. Finally, a large head formed, sporting a face reminiscent of Zero's in a large, silver, spiked helmet that curled in the back that extended out into a point. It sported a pair of red spikes, dark black/purple spikes, and navy blue spikes acted as a crown for it with an orange horn on the forehead. It tilted its head back and let loose a roar that shook the entirety of the the Silver Tower's Network as an aura formed over it.

"That's…!" Megaman X gasped.

"Aw crap…" Roll A gulped quietly, "A Model W-empowered LifeVirus…"

{Even in another life, Dr. Weil refuses to leave us be…} Zero growled mentally as it roared once more and glared down at them…before it snarled.

"̴̶̛͘҉̷̵̶̨́͝Ax̨̀̀͏l҉̷̴̕…̷͏̷̴̷̧̨̕͘͡͝͏X̷̵͢͢҉̸̧̀͘͜…̴̷͢͞͠Ze̢̨͘͏̶̸r̶̡͟o̸̢…̵!"̸̴̶̴̀͜͟͝͡͞͝ It let out a guttural hiss, narrowing its eyes at Roll A, Megaman X, and Protoman.

"...What?" Searchman raised a brow.

[Oh shit. He thinks you three are us] Axl realized before all four dodged a purple laser that came from its forehead.

Searchman deployed his satellite and moved the furthest back. Meanwhile, Roll A began to fire electrified homing shots at the Virus only for a barrier to flash each time and block the hits along with the shots from Searchman's satellite. Protoman attacked with a HeroSword, managing to break it and let a Charge Shot from Megaman X to get off…only to hit the barrier.

"Huh?!"

"I thought Protoman broke that barrier," Lan frowned.

"He…did…" they looked to see Yuichiro helping Wily up, the elder looking at them, "The barrier…is called…NightmareAura."

"NightmareAura?" Raika repeated.

"Yes…" Wily replied as Yuichiro helped him sit in the chair by his wife, "It was…a LifeAura enhanced by…the four Elemental Codes, but…that item I was given…changed it into NightmareAura."

"Easy there, Uncle," Yuichiro advised.

"Uncle?!" Lan squeaked, "We're related?!"

Wily snorted, "Like I'd like…a grand nephew as headstrong…as you…"

"He's not blood related, but I do see him as family," Yuichiro replied, "Still…it should've been a one and done thing like other Aura-related BattleChips."

Wily shook his head, "The codes are…boosting it significantly. …It regenerates in…a millisecond after destruction."

"?! A millisecond?!" Maylu gasped.

"But…how can we deal damage then?" Chaud scowled.

Lan frowned before recalling something, "Raika, can you make a shot in a millisecond with Searchman at his current spot?"

"Yes," Raika replied.

"Aim for…the mouth in its torso. That's the…only place…the program would…fit."

"Why are you helping us?" Haruka questioned in honest confusion.

"It…tried to…eat my…soul," Wily replied, managing to tap his cybernetic eye, "MagnoMetal protects…the soul…"

"Huh?" Lan tilted his head.

"Take down the LifeVirus now, talk later," Chaud ordered.

"Ah! Right!" Lan nodded, "Raika, the moment the Aura's down, take out that gem. NorthWind, download!"

The powerful northern winds erupted and slammed hard into LifeVirus W. The behemoth roared as it seemed unaffected by the assault while its aura faded away. Searchman's rifle clicked before a magenta beam shot out of it. The barrier reformed…and the monster screeched in agonized wails as its 'mouth' exploded and the aura faded away.

"Booyah! Awesome shot, Searchman!" Roll A whooped.

The LifeVirus W howled before it glared at them harshly. It slammed its hands on the ground, causing cracks to form before massive holes formed. Viruses erupted from the holes, all looking like they were crabs, snakes, sentient jars, and squids…and all made from pieces of the LifeVirus W.

"What is this?!" Chaud demanded.

"It can…propagate? Bit LifeViruses?" Wily pondered.

"Shoot…" Roll A scowled.

"BoneBoomerang!"

"WoodTower!"

"Fin Cutter!"

"RozeSaber!"

Several Bit LifeViruses were swiftly deleted as the trio appeared. Alongside them was a NetNavi that looked like a slender hybridization of Model ZX and Lan wearing Model Z. He sported long gold hair while his shoulders sported a stylized rose emblem.

"Oh great…was really hoping these weren't a thing," Skullman grumbled.

"Sorry for the wait!" Woodman apologized.

"Had to pick up a pal before coming here," Sharkman grinned.

"...Roze?" Megaman X realized.

"H-Hi," the NetNavi greeted in Roze's voice, "Alouette let me come help even if she can't."

"And we ain't alone," Sharkman smirked as three more came at the four.

"LavaWave!"

"FireTower!"

"Lightning Bolt!"

"?!" Roll A gawked as the three were destroyed by Coloredman, Fireman, and Elecman, "You?!"

"They brokered a deal," Fireman replied.

"Gh…We really helped make that?" Coloredman grimaced, looking upon LifeVirus W.

"Did not look at all what Lord Wily had in mind. Like someone twisted it into something far worse," Elecman grimaced before they all jumped out of the way of several laser shots.

"We destroyed its ability to make the NightmareAura," Megaman X noted, "But now it's making those Bit LifeViruses and they just keep coming from what I can tell."

"..." Roll A reverted to Ashe and offered Model A.

"Roll?" Megaman X questioned.

"You'll need Axl more than me," Ashe replied, donning her old helmet, "It's been a while since I last used what I could do before he became family, so what better time?"

"..." in a flash, Vent held her close, "Stay safe."

"I've got a ton of strapping strong boys around me. If I get hurt, they're the ones who done goofed," Ashe replied.

"Yep. And they'll be paying for it later from you," Vent chuckled.

"Hey~! We're right here," Sharkman complained.

"Then you know what's going to happen if she's hurt," Vent nodded before looking at LifeVirus W, narrowing his eyes, "Time to deal with this."

[We're ready when you are, Vent, Lan] X spoke.

"Then let's do this! Final Battle Routine Set!"

"Execute!" Vent declared before, in a flash, Megaman HX was shooting right for LifeVirus W.

"Here we go!" Ashe declared, her right glove turning into a magenta crossbow with a heart-shaped arrowhead.

LifeVirus W bellowed as his Viruses swarmed them all. HX evaded them all while giving several strikes with his blades and a few BattleChips as he made his way to the Model W-enhanced beast. In a flash, AX roared as he let loose a barrage of gunfire, forcing LifeVirus W to raise a hand up to block the barrage aimed for its face. It raised a fist and slammed it down, letting loose a tidal wave of magma. In a flash, FX shot through the wave and slammed a punch that LifeVirus W retaliated with using its own punch, shattering the ground around them. PX raced up its arm before LX let loose several ice dragons. LifeVirus W roared as it let loose bolts of lightning, shattering the serpents, before screaming as a Charge Shot from Megaman X slammed into its main face, shattering two of the horns of its 'crown.' It looked at the Blue Bomber in time to see ZX upon it, ZX-Saber shining with a LifeSword. In its furious haze, a brief moment had it overlap ZX with another.

"̢͡͏͏̶̴̵̧̛̕͡Z̴͞È͜RO͏!̴̵͜҉̵̨̨̛̛́͟-!҉̴̧̢͢͡-!-!̸̕" The LifeVirus W bellowed, letting out a pulse of darkness that knocked him away, "̴̵̢́͏Y̵̵̨̡̡̨̛͢͏̡̨͜҉̴Ò̷͡͝҉́U҉̶̵̀͟͜͡ ̴̵̴̡̛̛͘͟͢͜͝͝͏̧͡W͟Į͢Ļ̸̵̢͘͞Ĺ̸̷̵ ̴̵̴̵̶̴̶̧̢̀̀͟͜͜͠N̷̨͢O͟͜͏҉̨̡T͏ ̛̛K͢I̡͟͠L͡L̀ ͢͞͞͝͝M̷̡͢͠͞͠͞Ę́̀͢͝҉̶̷̡͟ ̴̷̢͜͟͞͠͏̵̛͘͢͜͢A̷̴͜͠͝͏̸̷̴̶̨̨̨̨̛̕̕͞͡G̴̡͝Á̷̴̸̢̛́͞͠͞͝͞͝I̸̸N!̵̴̧̨͘͘͞͝͞"͠҉̕͏̸̡̢̛̀̀̕͘͜͢͢͡͝͝͞͏̀͟͠͏͏

'Omega, what did you do?!' Megaman ZX thought.

[...Watashi wa kare to wakareta]

'I know you said you quit!'

[It's likely Model O held the biggest 'fragment' of Weil's essence and he just gave it back. Correct, Omega?] X asked.

[...Hai, Eksu…]

Before anything else could be said, ZX tensed as the air…shifted. To the Biometal user, it felt as if all color was lost and everything had gone black with a white outline that was splitting into several overlapping, mis-lapped stills of everything. He stumbled on the stone grounds…stone ground? He looked around and his eyes widened, seeing not the Network…but open area of the Ministry of Science. A loud roar made him look back to see the LifeVirus W after it threw one of the massive water tanks of the Waterworks at him.

"W-Where did Lan go?!" Maylu gawked, looking at the empty spot where Lan had been and had, suddenly, vanished from.

*̨̧̛́͜͜͜͞͡͡GŔ̴̵̴̴̕͜͞͝͝҉͘҉͞R̕͞҉̷̸̴̡̡̨͘͝҉́͢͏̴̴̵̷̴̵̡͘̕͢͢͠͠͞͞R҉͘͠͝͠͡҉̶̶̷͘͜͟͝҉̶́͢͠҉̷̷́͢͡͏̴̶̧̀́͘͜R̷̵̴Ơ̵̶͜͡͠Ó̡͠҉̶̸̀͞͡҉̨̢̀͘͘͜͞͡҉̵̕͢͝O҉̕͡Ơ̷̡͟Ǫ̡͟͝͠͏̸̴̨O̷͘͠Ẃ̶̶̧́͡͏̵̵̷̸̴̨̢̛̀͠A͞͡͏͘A̧͘͡͠AA̡̢͞͞A͜͜A͠҉̨͢͞R͝Ǵ̡҉̧̀̕͝͝͏̴̢̢́͘͘̕͟͜͢͡͠H̷̷̢̧̧̧̀́̕͟͞҉̶͡͏̀҉̨̧!͜͢͢-́͢͡҉̢̡҉̶҉̡̕͏͝҉͠!̴̡̢͡͠͡͏̵̢̡̛͢͟͠͠-̵҉̶̛͞҉̴̷̨̨̛̕͜͝͝͞͠͏̶̵̡͢!̴҉͝҉̡*̵͟͟͝

Everyone tensed and Yuichiro was the first to run to the windows and look out…before gulping. The others (Raika assisting Haruka and Chaud with WIly) made over to the windows in time to see a humanoid robot resembling a green ostrich racing about, avoiding WoodTowers before flashing into a purple humanoid eagle robot that took to the skies and let loose a powerful stream of pressurized winds to disperse a blast of flames. In another flash, HX zipped about, dodging meteors that, in another flash, were quickly destroyed by a falling FX to let the rubble fall safely away from anything important.

"Manifestation?" Yuichiro gasped.

"How is this possible, Dr. Hikari?" Raika asked.

"Whatever you used for this creation and what it pulled out of you when it tried absorbing your soul must have made it powerful enough to break down the barrier between Earth and the Network," Yuichiro hypothesized as he looked at Wily.

Wily nodded, watching as PX avoided a slam of LifeVirus W's fist and ran up the arm, a flash of AX changing into a humanoid fire-engulfed T-Rex robot at the end of the run rolled into a tackling wheel into the monster's face, "Not fully enough for the entire Network to emerge…but just a localized area around it that Megaman was lucky enough to be inside of."

"But where did Lan go?" Haruka asked.

"...Was it because he was in FullSynchro?" Maylu questioned, inserting a BattleChip into her PeT for Ashe to summon the Crimson Dragon once more to wipe out a large amount of Viruses.

"Perhaps," Wily nodded.

"What?" Haruka blinked a few times.

Wily pointed at ZX slicing off another horn of LifeVirus W's 'crown,' "Your boy is sharing a body with his NetNavi."

"WHAT?! Ohh…Where's the one who made that tea?" Haruka groaned.

"Over there, over there, and up there," Wily replied at several pieces of a Galleon.

ZX skidded back from the LifeVirus W, breathing heavily. To the side, the sunset mixed with the darkened clouds from the smoke of multiple destroyed electronics cast its crimson glow upon the land. He narrowed his eyes as a multicolored dark aura manifested upon the beast before more of the odd wisps of purple smoke came from the city and into it, healing up all its injuries.

"Oh come on~!" Lan groaned, "And I'm outta BattleChips, too!"

"You did great, Lan," ZX assured, "But…we still have one shot left."

"Overdrive in ZX?" Lan guessed.

"Yeah," he replied, "This is…This is it. Are you guys ready?"

[If it means we brutalize this guy once and for all, I'm down for it] Fafnir replied.

[Let's slay this monster once here and now!] Harpuia declared.

[With hope, this is the largest chunk of Model W since Ouroboros. Destroying this…it may mean that only the power of his grudge will remain and not the twisted mind and soul] Phantom noted.

[Let's go, boys. Time to deal with this here and now] Leviathan 'smirked.'

[Hey, let me in on it, too!] Axl spoke [This guy did a ton to me and my family and friends!]

[...Gattai] all of the Biometals froze.

ZX smiled softly, 'Even you want in on this, Omega. Don't get why you're isolating your voice to just me, but I'm alright if it's a personal one.' "Alright. Let's do this! OVERDRIVE! ZX!"

One by one, the Biometals floated out of Megaman ZX, each one glowing brilliantly. They encircled the warrior before slamming into him, creating a brilliant golden flash of light. It dissipated and Megaman ZX glared upon the LifeVirus W as its NightmareAura glowed in contest with the golden aura of the Blue Bomber. ZX's reds and white had turned into golds and silvers, but more had changed as well. The sides of his boots now sported small 'wings' while his shoulders were now covered in angular rounded guards. More spikes decorated his helmet, giving it the appearance of a crown, as two extra 'points' had grown on the 'arrow' crystal of his helmet. His hair remained as it was outside of Overdrive, but now he sported six wings of multicolored light with a rainbow 'ring' connecting them all. A voice inside of his mind whispered…and he answer.

"I am...Vent…the Mega Man King…" he whispered, readying his ZX-Saber.

"҉͝I̵̴̶̕̕͜͞ ̷̡͏͏w̴̧̛o̴̢̨n'͏̕t̸̨́͢ ̢̛͘̕͟͏̧͞ý́í̧͡ę̸̷̨̀́͟l̵̸̨̡d͢͠ t̴͘͏̸̧o̸ ̨ý̵̴̨͘̕҉̨̛ou̵̷̵̢̨̢͢͜͝͡!̧̛́́͢͢"͏̀ Life Virus W snarled.

The 'face' on his lower half opened its 'mouth' and dark multicolored flames erupted from within. A hilt emerged from the 'mouth' and was grasped tightly by the left hand of the behemoth. It pulled…and a massive katana erupted from the 'mouth' of the lower half of its body, three times the size and length of the monster it came from.

"̨́I͟ ̷̵̸̶̧̛̛͢a҉̸̵̷̡̡̛́͘͞m t̶̢̡̕͢͞͞͠h́è ̛͢͟͝҉́͏̴̷̴͜ḱ̕͝i͟͡ng ̨̢͟of̵̨͢ ̴̶͡͡͠è̶̶̛̛̀̀̕x̀is̨̛͘͝͏̵̧͘͟t̵e̡͠͞nc̴̨̡҉̵̵́͘͢͡è̴̷̵̛͘͘͝!̧͠͞ ̶̴͜Yo̷҉u ̶̕͟͞s̶͝hà̡̢̨́͞l̶͞l͏̵̸̢̕ ̨̡͘͟͜͜n҉o̡҉̸́͡͝t̸̵̴̨̢̡̧̀͜͞͡ ̷̸́́͘͢͝g̶et̛ ̢́͡in̡̕҉͞҉͢ ̷̴m̷̶̢͝҉̨͘͘͠y҉̵̵̢̧̀͜ ̶̴̡̛̀͢͝͠w͜͟͏a̷͜͝͡͞y̵̵̡̨͠ ̨͢҉͟an̵͏y̡҉m̸̸̵̵̷̛͝o̧͢͝͡ŕ̷̨̧̀ę̧́͘͝͞!͞ X͏̸̵̢͜͡͏!͜͞҉̶̨̡ ̵̡͘͝͏̶̴̴̶̡̢͝À̴̴̢̨̨͡X̢͘͘̕͜͞͞L̴̛̕͘͠!̀ ̶̛̀̕͟ Z͠͏E̷̕͜R̢O͏ !̸̸̢̧̧̨̛͢"̛͞

The monster roared as they swung down the blade at Vent. The NetNavi shifted his footing, grasping the blade tightly in hand as the blade shined and turned a brilliant cobalt and crimson. His eyes remained focused as images flashed in his mind. Gutsman, Glyde, and Numberman accepting Ashe and him for what they were…Ciel and Alouette's encouragement and joy…Dex's encouragement to Lan…The tears Yai had shed when she thought no one was looking from the sheer joy that everyone forgot she was rich and saw her as herself…Protoman and Chaud saving Ashe…The Biometals that had become their family…Lan and Maylu being more than who their other selves had ever been…the softness of the tender kiss amidst a collapsing Ouroboros…

"HAH!" Vent roared.

He swung and a glint happened…before the far more massive katana shattered into slivers. The cobalt and crimson wave sliced through the ground and air itself, leaving a perfectly clean line through the atmosphere far in the distance that reached the very heavens. As the structures gave way and collapsed into dissolving particles, the LifeVirus W stood frozen, a flashing cobalt and crimson line going across them diagonally. It could only let out choked gasps and panicked noises as its body began to bulge and contract randomly all over its form before it reeled itself back with an agonized wail and light poured from the cut. The explosion that followed could be seen for miles and even from space itself. The realm flickered and shifted as motes of light fell from the skies like the fizzling glimmers of fireworks. Lan panted as he collapsed to a knee, looking up at the dissipating smoke of the explosion. In the PeT, Vent sighed, lying on his back as the Biometals were all lying on him, even Model X greyed out.

"That showoff," Ashe sniffed, the smile betraying her comment as the NetNavis stood atop a deleting pile of slain Viruses and watching the feed from outside security cameras.

"What kind of NetNavi does he have?" Chaud whispered with wide eyes, seeing the slice in the sky slowly closing up and hiding the stars once more.

It was around eight at night before everything settled down. Response teams from all over had scrambled, managing to save many lives. At the moment, the members of the CID were gathered in their base of operations. Ciel was at a nearby table, the parts of Blues all about (they had been sitting in a box outside of the HQ's actual entrance with Magicman's symbol on the side of the box). She sighed as she removed what appeared to be a motherboard and the housing unit for the AI…melted from Commander Beef's plasma blades.

'Ah well…Maybe I can use this for Protoman as a gift for him and Chaud if they win or lose,' Ciel thought, smiling in amusement, 'I mean…they are the same person, just one was created as a NetNavi and the other was a long forgotten prototype that led to the Reploids that I've only heard of from stories X and Zero told me of once they were Biometals.'

"It's still gonna happen?" Lan asked, several bandages on his body from feedback from the LifeVirus W battle.

"People need something special to deal with after the massive scare WWW attempted. Famous has dropped out to help with repair work on the city's Networks, so it is just down to the Final NetBattle. It's going to take place in a week to help settle everything down here," Oda explained, "Lan…Chaud…This final match is something everyone needs to witness to get past the fears WWW ignited." He lifted his fedora to let them see his gaze and small smirk, "Plus, I don't want my older daughter complaining to me about people deleting her data she's studying…and having to avoid laughing at you all for having been whupped by someone using just a broom and righteous fury again."

Chaud, Masa, Sal, and even Miyu all adopted flat looks and avoided looking at Ciel. Lan's chuckling made them glare at him…before realizing he wasn't even focused on them. He was just excited.

"Great! Because I was hoping they wouldn't cancel it. I wanted a rematch with Chaud and Protoman after he beat Maylu and Ashe," Lan noted, smirking at the dual-haired boy, "Might not even need ZX this time around."

Chaud narrowed his eyes, "You won't win with a cheap trick like that this time, Hikari."

"Hah?! Double MegaMerge ain't a cheap trick, ya egghead!" Lan growled, butting heads with Chaud.

"Alouette gets away with that, but you…!"

"Grrrr!" Both growled, everyone swearing they were seeing sparks.

"Wow. Chaud's so mad he dropped his cold self," Ashe noted in shock.

"He only lets Alouette get away with it because we grew up together. Even then, she still gets a noogie at times," Ciel sighed, "Where are the members of WWW?"

"Because of a deal Mysteriyu brokered for their cooperation, everyone but Wily had all charges dropped and a tracker installed on their NetNavis to prevent any crimes from being committed," Oda replied, "As for Wily himself? He agreed to be taken in for questioning and charges for terrorism and attempted genocide. Given what was seen and told about his creation…he may be acquitted due to what it did to him."

Ciel nodded, "With the WWW finished, a power vacuum will come, won't it?"

"Sadly, yes," Oda nodded, "But we'll just have to do what we always do: fight for a tomorrow for those who can't fight."

GT: And now…the arc's finale next chapter. This was such a hassle! But I'm so glad it's almost over! I'll be honest, Model O wasn't supposed to do what he did this chapter, but…Vent had all the Biometals on him and I couldn't pass up a chance. Yes, Model O speaks in only Japanese…Google Translated Japanese at that. The reason? The language is a dead language in the timeline they're from and Omega liked the language, but since it was dead…he's stuck using Google Translate. But, yes, next time it's finally the rematch!

Chapter 23: N1GP Finale: Protoman vs Megaman Round 2

Chapter Text

GT: And Day 8 of Mega May 2025, folks! Final Round in the N1GP! And like in the anime canon, it's down to Lan and Chaud! But will things stay the same…or will something change?

"Analysis complete. The current results are 97.4 percent," Protoman informed, inside of a NetBattler simulator in the Alpha Dome two days after Operation EndGame failed.

"Why…Why doesn't the computer guarantee our success by 2.6 percent…?" Chaud pondered before typing on a holographic screen by Protoman's hologram, "Gh…Run it again with these variables."

"Running. …Analysis complete. 86.12 percent."

"Ghh…" Chaud grit his teeth before trying several more.

"93.22…50.13…0.04…96.4…97.4…97.4…97.4…75.69…69.69…97.4…"

"Gh…" Chaud growled, "Why…Why are none of them creating a perfect score? Why are there so many at just 97.4?"

"Often simulations can't handle something and give out a NULL or error result," Chaud looked over his shoulder to see Ciel walk up, Alouette following after her, "There's also a factor that can't be factored for: one's willpower and resolve."

"You've had to fight crazy odds and still came out on top, so maybe you'll do it again here!" Alouette pointed out, "But…Win or lose, you're still my big brothers that I love very much!"

"...A…Alouette…" Chaud mumbled.

"Especially my big brother with an eggshell!"

"You brat…" Chaud mumbled, his eye twitching as he glared at her while preparing to grab her.

"You can't underestimate Lan and Vent, Chaud," Ciel warned, snapping Chaud out of it, "Not just because they have the Biometals, but because of their potential as well. In a matter of weeks since they've met one another, a growth of experience the likes they've had…it's only happened with one other person I know of: you."

"..." Chaud's eyes widened, "Of course..." he typed on the keyboard, "Protoman, final check."

"...99.9 percent…the 9 repeating," Protoman informed.

"Less than a 0.1 percent of victory…" Chaud muttered, "Protoman…These two…It's likely your Ultimate Program, Slingshot, will trigger like it did when we fought Maylu, Model A, and Ashe."

"!?" the sisters gasped at that as Protoman nodded.

"It's hard to believe…it's more like a dream," Lan admitted, looking out to the afternoon sun over the horizon.

Vent nodded, "You've done an amazing job, Lan."

[Don't forget we all worked together to accomplish this goal] X reminded them.

Lan nodded as he laid his PeT over his chest, "You can hear it, right?"

Vent nodded, "Yes. It's got a pretty quick beat. Excited for this?"

"You betcha," Lan replied, "Vent…thanks."

"Hm?"

"For being my NetNavi," Lan explained, smiling at him, "And not just you. But everyone. You're all so cool and I'm really glad to have you with me."

[Ohh…Y-You…!] Leviathan stammered, the white on her turning pink.

[You're a pretty great kid, Lan! I'm glad to be by your side!] Fafnir beamed.

[We've come quite far since our introductions. I hope we can continue on with this] Harpuia noted.

[Compared to our long lives…this tournament has been quite the refreshing experience] X noted.

[Aside from the WWW's attack before this…No. Even with that, I've had quite the enjoyable time] Zero chuckled.

[And we are not alone in our thoughts] Phantom added.

"Huh? What do ya…?" Lan began.

"You're our champions, Lan and Vent!"

"GAH!" Lan yelped, barely keeping his jump to a few inches off the floor and spun around to the left, seeing his friends both old and new, Higsby, Ms. Mari, Masa, Sal, and Miyu, "E-Everyone?!"

"Everyone's rooting for you in this final match," Maylu spoke.

"Go win it for everyone who couldn't, Lan!" Jasmine pumped a fist.

"Just one NetBattle remains," Sal spoke, "Win or lose, you've shown just how far you've come."

"Th-Thanks," Lan chuckled sheepishly, Raika nodding in agreement with Sal's words.

"You kids have got this like a fisherman using a hardy net catches a school of tuna!" Masa encouraged, waving a large blue flag with a red fish and bubbles on it.

"It will be a hard battle coming up, but you'll be giving it your all and that's what matters most," Higsby spoke, adjusting his glasses.

"Fight with no regrets, Lan!" Ms. Mari encouraged while, in the Network, the NetNavis were all gathered.

"I was not expecting to see you three," Iceman noted.

"Our NetOps are busy at da moment, but dey asked us ta send their regards ta Lan and Vent fer makin' it to da Finals," Sharkman explained.

Woodman nodded, "You boys have really impressed our NetOps and us. You're going to grow into some truly amazing trees."

"Aw thanks," Vent chuckled sheepishly before Ashe gave him a small hug.

"A hug for good luck," Ashe spoke, stepping back with a smile.

[Kick their asses, guys!] Axl cheered.

"I calculate, given the fights I've seen you two have been in during the N1, that you have a 99.9 percent chance of victory with the 9 repeating," Numberman informed.

"Give dat guy a good thumpin', Vent!" Gutsman rooted.

"All of us will be cheering you and Sir Lan on in this, Sir Vent," Glyde spoke.

"..." Skullman walked up and shook Vent's hand before leaning in close and whispered, "You seem calm for what comes."

"If it happens, it happens," Vent replied, "I can say that the Grim Reaper has issues with me."

Skullman chuckled, "'Issues' is an understatement. The wolf is more enraged over you than he was with the cat who spent eight of his nine lives recklessly."

"When it's truly my time, then I'll welcome him as an old friend and apologize as I should for what I could and couldn't control," Vent noted, earning a nod from Skullman, "...If or when it does…" Skullman felt some data go to him, "Give that to Roll, got it?"

"Understood," Skullman replied.

Meddy smiled, "Go and win for all of us that couldn't reach it to this point, Vent!"

Searchman saluted him, "Fight with honor."

"Anything less would be an insult to us both in this battle," Vent replied, saluting the man in return before an alert went off, "...Lan, it's time."

"Gotcha," Lan nodded before smiling at everyone there, "Thanks, everyone! Just you watch! Vent and I are taking Protoman and Chaud down!" he turned and ran off, changing to his skates the moment he was on pavement, 'Chaud…'

"It's time, Lord Chaud," Protoman spoke.

Chaud nodded as he logged Protoman out of the simulator, 'A 2.4 percent chance of them winning minus the Ultimate Program triggering that makes it less than 0.1…' he narrowed his eyes, 'Hikari…'

"We're back, ladies and gents! It's time for the finale of the N1 Grand Prix! The Final Match!" Ribitta declared, standing beside Higsby in the booth.

"Challenger Lan Netto Hikari, Age 11 of ACDC! Challenger Eugene Chaud Blaze, Age 13 of ACDC!" Higsby declared.

"LET'S CHEER THEM ON!" Toadman hollered as Numberman nodded.

The lights of the Alpha Dome turned off. The holograms shined as they came to life before twin pillars of light erupted on opposite ends of the machine. Rising up from underneath the structure, Lan and Chaud emerged in the beams of light, flickering out the moment they finished rising up. The audience cheered loudly as many applauded their entrance.

"Now it's the moment we've all been waiting for!" Ribitta declared, "In this arena and the other, many challengers met fellow challengers! Bonds of friendship and rivalry forged in this week of battles! All that remains are the two strongest and bravest!"

"NetOps, send in your NetNavis!" Higsby commanded.

"Jack In! Vent/Protoman!" Lan and Chaud shouted, "FullSynchro!"

A beam of blue light shot down inside of the battlefield, forming into Megaman Model X. Across from him, a bolt of red lightning slammed down, transforming and becoming Protoman. Their emblems glowed for a moment as FullSynchro was confirmed in the NetNavis while the hair of the NetOps seemed to start floating a little in an unseen wind.

"For an extra touch, we are altering the battlefield one last time for this event through entries submitted by people all over the world!" Numberman declared.

"We thank everyone who submitted their designs for the battlefield for this event, but only one could be chosen, kero!" Toadman added.

The digital landscape shined before data poured out all around them. Within moments, the data settled and the landscape became that of a massive underground arena, lit up by an opening in the ceiling high above, shining down upon the two. Rubble was scattered about them as the remains of a massive mechanical white and gold behemoth laid to the side.

[What the…?] Zero pondered.

[Zero, this is…] X gasped, the two developing a bad feeling.

[Do you think this was Weil through Wily?] Fafnir questioned.

[Ugh...Being in the place you died gives one the shivers] Leviathan shuddered.

[Focus on the fight for now; we can worry about this later] Harpuia advised.

"Lan Hikari and Vent…Eugene Chaud Blaze and Protoman…One of these two NetNavi/NetOp pairs is going to be known all over the world as the Top NetBattler of the N1 Grand Prix," Ribitta spoke, "So, let's get started! Who will win the battle?!"

"Both NetNavis and NetOps have been fierce during this whole event! Each one giving it their all to reach the top! With our Bronze found already, all that remains are the Silver and Gold! Who triumphs here decides that!" Higsby declared.

"NetBattlers! On your marks!" Ribitta declared before a massive blue arm crashed down near Megaman X before a piece of rubble pierced the oddly shaped shoulder resembling a demonized Model X head, crushing it with a small explosion.

"Be Steady!" Higbsy's call preceded a demonized Model ZX head followed in crashing down by Protoman before the lower half of the arm fell and crushed it with another explosion.

"BATTLE ROUTINE, SET!" all four announcers declared.

"EXECUTE!" Protoman and Megaman X roared, the Biometal user opening it with a salvo of Buster shots, forcing Protoman to swiftly evade them.

"So slow! Is this your battle plan!?" Protoman demanded.

"AquaSword, Download."

"ElecSword, Download!"

In a flash, Model HX's blades parried Protoman's AquaSword. Both remained locked before vanishing from normal sight, becoming nothing more than flickers of red and green blurs. Another flash went off and FX unleashed a barrage of Fire-infused Spreader shots that Protoman was either dodging or slicing through to come upon him. Another and LX grunted, struggling to hold back Protoman's sword from him only to be struck with a knee to the face. A swipe and an ice dragon tore out at Protoman, forcing him to dodge and end up getting grazed on the shoulder by it.

"Holy cow! They're moving so fast!" Tory gawked.

"What kinda speed are they pulling?!" Dex gawked.

"I…I don't get it. Protoman was slower than Vent before…What changed?" Maylu pondered.

"It's Protoman's Ultimate Program," Ciel spoke.

"Huh? Ultimate Program?" Jasmine repeated as the group looked at her.

"What's that?" Dex asked.

"It's a rare Program with only a handful known at this time," Ciel explained, "They manifest in different ways, be they automatically developed in a NetNavi when created or from another program evolving within them over time. For Protoman, his manifested a few weeks after he and Chaud achieved FullSynchro. I call it 'Slingshot.'"

"Slingshot?" Yai repeated.

Ciel nodded, "It's because the Ultimate Program triggers when Protoman fights against a vastly superior opponent. When it does, his combat capabilities 'slingshot' to become a powerful equal and possibly surpass them. The only condition?" She watched as Protoman and Megaman HX parried one another's swords and a shockwave cracked the ground beneath them, "He must consider and acknowledge that they are more powerful than him."

The two flexed…and multiple shockwaves erupted all around them before they vanished and appeared high up in the air. Another flicker and array of shockwaves had them amidst the shattered remains of a nearby platform. With a shared grunt, both vanished and the Network began to be littered in slashes on any surface possible. Lan and Chaud managed to not flinch as small cuts began to form on covered parts of their bodies.

Megaman LX stabbed at Protoman with his polearm, only for the red NetNavi to jump atop it and ran down to go for a stab. He deployed his shield to block FX's strong punch, shattering it and sending him tumbling away. He used the tumble to let loose a shockwave slash from his sword with HX retaliating with three slashes of his own, creating an explosion. Within the smoke, PX swiftly and silently dashed through. He deployed an energy shuriken and swung it, shredding into a doll of Protoman. A rain of shuriken rained upon PX only for an AreaSteal to let him dodge.

"Mmm…" Alouette frowned, looking troubled.

"What's wrong?" Ms. Mari asked.

"I…I feel something," Alouette noted, hugging Beep closer to herself, "A bad feeling…"

"Hm?" Jasmine pondered before Ciel's PeT buzzed.

"Ciel," Ciel answered.

"The feedback between the two NetNavis battling is causing errors in the systems all over the island!"

"?! Wh-What?" Ciel gasped.

"The energy being generated from Vent and Protoman is staggering!" a technician informed, rapidly working on the systems.

"At my desk should be a box! In it should be crystals with a USB drive sticking out of them!" Ciel informed, "Plug them into every single USB port you can find in there. When they're starting to shine brightly, plug them out. There should be enough to try to contain the energy they're producing long enough to either finish the battle or safely evacuate the people!"

"Understood," the technician replied, running over to her claimed desk and pulled out a box from under it, the contents being a large array of diamond-shaped crystals with bits of orange metal on the edges with a USB stick poking out of the bottom of them, "This must be them." he plugged one into the USB and saw the feedback energy being produced starting to drain into it, "Right. Hurry, everyone! Get these plugged into all the USB ports! Someone contact the Officials on the island to begin emergency evacuations!"

Protoman and Megaman HX landed across from one another, standing atop the broken 'heads' of the behemoth's arms.

"Your moves aren't bad, but I'm afraid I've done the calculations beforehand," Protoman boasted calmly, "I am stronger this time, Vent!"

"We'll see about that! MiniBombs, multiple Downloads!" Lan declared.

The moment the first began to materialize, FX loaded it into his Buster and fired it, making Protoman lean to the side to avoid the explosive and let it slam into one of the walls, going off in a fiery explosion. More and more came upon Protoman, forcing him to dodge and quickly produce his shield to start tanking several of them, engulfing him and his stand in flames.

"It's like Lan's a different person at the moment," Dex whispered.

"His hand's just a blur to me!" Yai gawked.

"His training using FullSynchro is really coming through," Maylu noted, "His movements are flowing as smoothly as a clean river."

"Heh…What a joke," Chaud noted as the smoke and fires died down, revealing no sight of Protoman, "Your battle pattern is constantly changing…from how you use BattleChips in unexpected ways like empowering them with an Element from one of the Biometals to changing which type you use." wind blew behind him, making FX turn around to see a massive tornado of water slam into him, "Predictable."

"ARGH!" FX screamed within it.

"So much for the less than 0.1 percent miracle," Chaud whispered before the vortex exploded, "!?"

An ice-made hydra screeched from its several heads as they glared down upon Protoman. LX in Overdrive glared down upon Protoman, an icy demeanor on his visage. He swung his polearm and the hydra advanced with unified roars.

"Impossible! My calculations couldn't be wrong about that being the finisher!" Chaud exclaimed.

Lan stuck his tongue out at him, "Bleh~! My best subjects in school are arts, crafts, science, and gym! Math's my worst subject, so calculations don't mean a thing to me~!"

"Lan! Stop saying things like that when they aren't true! You know you get amazing grades except for your homework until you got Vent!" Ms. Mari fumed as Masa chuckled.

"The boy's just trying to rile him up is all," Masa assured before wincing as they watched Protoman shatter the hydra with a barrage of slashes from a pair of ElecSwords.

"You're pretty impressive, too! Protoman's fast, but he's not invincible," Lan smirked.

"Impressive? No…It's my intuition, in this instant, that tells me to never stop!" Chaud declared, "FireSword!"

"ElecSword!" Lan countered.

In a flash and a powerful gust of winds, HX stood with his blade roaring and crackling with the ElecSword's power. Across from him, Protoman dual-wielded an ElecSword and FireSword. The two charged at one another, their blades seeming to 'sing' as they swung and struck one another's or the air as they dodged with fluidity and elegance. The dome suddenly trembled and Ciel's PeT buzzed again.

"Ciel, we have issues popping up all over still! The systems put into place on the part of the island the Alpha Dome is at are failing! It's spreading at an accelerated rate to all the island's systems, creating catastrophic breakdowns!" a technician exclaimed, a fire burning in the background as several others were blasting it with fire extinguishers with one letting out a scream as they threw their empty one at it, "People need to start evacuating at once!"

"Understood," Ciel nodded before looking at the others, "We need to get going."

"All of you get goin'," Masa ordered as screams began to break out as some of the smaller pieces of the dome started to fall off.

"Huh?!" Maylu gawked.

"Someone has t' stay t' grab those two boys down there," Masa replied, gesturing to Lan and Chaud…as both didn't even seem to notice anything and were solely focused upon the battle.

"...Be careful, Masa," Ms. Mari advised as she offered her hand to Alouette.

"Can do," Masa nodded as everyone began to leave.

"Maylu, come on," Dex grunted, picking the red head up and over his shoulder…and trying to not fall over from the cybernetic implants inside of her.

"Dex, let me go!" Maylu argued, struggling and trying to not hurt him.

"No way! Your safety comes first! And I trust Masa to get him outta here!" Dex replied.

"This is an emergency! Everyone in and around the Alpha Dome is to evacuate immediately! The Mega-Float is being destroyed by something unknown to the workers at this moment in time, and it-along with the entire island-will sink into the ocean soon!" Ribitta informed, "The Match is to be stopped immediately! All guests must evacuate in an orderly fashion, please!"

Masa sighed as he watched as neither Lan nor Chaud were stopping. He was sure that neither even heard her, just focused solely on the battle between them and their NetNavis. He watched as people fled and no one focused at all on the fishmonger in the stands. He got up, walked up to the highest part of them, and behind a pillar. He pulled out his wrist-mounted PeT and settled it on his arm while removing his fake belly. He pressed a button on it and his Commander Beef uniform replaced it in an instant.

"Reminds me of when Ciel was little and we first got recruited," Commander Beef noted.

"Yeah. We didn't even realize we went FullSynchro in that tournament. All we were focused on was the win and the prize money to get the funding for your dream," Sharkman noted, a fond tone in his voice.

An I-Beam fell from the dome, heading for the unaware Lan. Commander Beef tensed before becoming a blur. Metal hissed as a plasma blade karate chop rendered it in two, the halves going out and crashing into the stands. Commander Beed landed on the other side, keeping vigilant of the two boys.

"Was it my crystals?" Ciel asked in concern as everyone on the artificial island was being ushered to the docks of it and getting onto ships.

"No, we managed to save all of them," the technician who had been in talks with her explained, "They were able to store up all the energy that had been coming out of the fight…until a different energy source went through and nearly overloaded them all."

"Huh? Something that wasn't Vent and Protoman?" Maylu asked, Ashe getting a bad feeling welling up in her stomach.

"Fate cannot be changed," Miyu spoke, looking out at Alpha Dome with Sal, "The Grim Reaper is coming to try to claim his soul once more."

"What?" Sal pondered.

"Listen…" Miyu said, closing her eyes.

Sal tilted her head but closed her own eyes. Despite the panicking voices…the chaos…there was a single noise in the air. …A whistling tune, somber, hauntingly…taunting who the one it was meant for to hear. She opened her eyes with a shudder down her spine.

"Wh…"

"Death comes to try to claim his life once more…" Miyu replied.

"Not yet…Not yet, Chaud!" Lan declared, blood starting to come out of some of his cuts.

Chaud smirked, an eye closed to not let the blood coming from one above the closed eye from getting into it, "I admire your tenacity, Lan Hikari!"

"The battle rages on within the crumbling arena!" Ribbita commented, "I, Ribitta Midorikawa, will not leave, either! Not until the end!"

"I, Higure Higsby, will also stay until the very end! The techniques and BattleChips being used by these four will be commentated on no matter what!"

Commander Beef chuckled, 'That guy…' he leapt and cleaved through the last of the rubble of the ceiling that had been above Lan and Chaud, sending the pieces flying off to the sides, "Come on, boys! Show us your power! The sea itself feels your power and wants to hear it!"

"That's the last of the people, sir," Madam Rose informed, having suited up with Mysteriyu before they joined with the crowd, as they stood by Oda, Famous, Ciel, Alouette, and Maylu by the shore of the collapsing island, seeing the boats moving away from it as the hotel towers gave way and crumpled under the collapse.

Oda nodded, "Good. All that remains are getting those last four and Masa out of here."

Ciel pulled her PeT out and displayed a larger holographic screen, letting them see the battle as neither Megaman in Overdrive with PX and Protoman giving the other even an inch as more blades and guns were traded with one another, "These guys…They don't even notice what's happening…"

"It's as if they've become fully enveloped into the battle that nothing will get between them and victory," Oda frowned in concern, "We should've settled this issue between them sooner and in a safer location."

"Perhaps," Famous spoke as he had a laptop out, "But…this is also quite amazing. The synchronization levels between them are almost at the maximum level!"

"You mean…Could the mythical PerfectSynchro be possible?" Oda asked in surprise.

"It may very well be for one of them," Famous confirmed.

"Mega…" Ashe whispered, looking out at the crumbling Alpha Dome in worry.

"..." Maylu stepped forward a few steps and inhaled deeply, "LAN! VENT! DO YOUR BEST~!"

"M-Maylu?" Ciel pondered.

"HURRAY! HURRAY~! CHAUD~! PROTO~!" Alouette cheered as well.

"What are they…?" Madam Rose gawked before Mysteriyu tapped her shoulder and pointed to the boats…cheering and rooting going off from them all, "Wha…?"

Oda chuckled, lifting his fedora up to show a strong light in his eyes, "These boys…The battle is still being broadcasted…The place is collapsing around them, but they're still going at it strongly. People can't help but want to know just what drives them to keep going."

"This truly is amazing," Numberman awed as Protoman and Megaman ZX went at it, ZX Saber infused with HeroSword and FighterSword crying out as both met with one another at times while grazing their enemy with the other, "Neither one is yielding to the other in this ongoing battle."

"Both have blocked out all voices but one another…no sounds but those in the field of battle…" Toadman gulped, his throat feeling dry as he focused on the ongoing battle, "It is as if they are in their own world, kero…"

"This isn't a battle like we've seen before," Higsby noted.

"Indeed! It's as if this is…a battle to the death!" Ribitta exclaimed.

"Right! There's no technique or strategy anymore between them! It's come down to raw strength against raw strength!"

Protoman stabbed only for ZX to parry and send the stab down into the ground, letting him slam a knee into Protoman's face. The white-haired NetNavi used the momentum to give off a roundhouse kick, knocking ZX away from him.

'Why…Why isn't it over already? A battle like this should've been easy with the simulations we've run through…with Slingshot going at full power…with us in FullSynchro!' Chaud thought, a determined and irritated look on his face.

ZX and Protoman roared, swinging their swords and creating a powerful shockwave that sent the water beneath them scattering before their blades shattered. ZX Buster was swiftly fired as Protoman blocked with his shield, using it to swiftly bash ZX several times.

'It…It's not just luck,' Chaud admitted, 'Even back then…Lan Hikari and Vent…Lan Hikari and Megaman…' he grit his teeth as he focused on Lan, 'Why are they able to do it? What is the secret to their power?'

Both roared out, delivering a cross counter to one another. Both stumbled away from the other, panting and looked at the other.

"I…won't give up…" Megaman ZX stated, "The dreams of…all of us…reside in me."

"You won't prevail over me again," Protoman declared.

The two began to glow with either a red aura or a blue aura. The two became blurs of red and blue, ripping about the area and leaving gouges within it as they repeatedly collided with one another. They spiraled upwards to the hole in the cave and collided, letting out a golden light that even surprised Lan and Chaud. Even out at the boats, a pillar of golden light shined brightly into the heavens above.

"H-Higsby…What is this?" Ribitta asked.

"There's next to no difference between the power of Vent and Protoman. Every counterattack creates a tragedy and a hope…What is before us is the resonation between their powers that can't be compared to any other at this time," Higsby replied.

Ribitta sniffled as she rubbed her eyes, "I…excuse me, I can't seem to stop crying…"

"Myself as well," Higsby choked back a sob, "It's truly a beautiful sight!"

"We won't give up…Not now, not ever!" Lan declared, "We're here…for everyone! Our thoughts are our friends' thoughts! For our friends…for those who couldn't make it here…" he narrowed his eyes, "We will win!"

"...Is that right then? I think I see now," Chaud noted, "Your power…it's the strength of a group…to feel the strength of the 'heart.'"

"That's right," Commander Beef spoke, nodding while he heard it over his PeT as he carved a path for them to get out of the collapsed structure, "The strength of the heart…to feel the heart of the group is the key…" he grinned as his blades ripped open the last of the barricades to freedom, "Humans are able to become stronger through these bonds, no matter what!"

"But…even with the strength of heart, I refuse to back down!" Chaud declared as the light dispersed with Protoman's foot slamming into ZX, sending him crashing into a wall, "My rage…my hatred…! It will surpass you as it was meant to!"

"Vent!" Lan panicked.

"I'll win…" Chaud growled before roaring out as loud as he could, "I WILL WIN!"

Lan glared at Chaud before looking at his hand and seeing just three BattleChips left of his stock, all the others around his feet and faded from their use. He looked at his PeT, seeing the dimmed Biometals of F, L, P, and H inside of it after their Overdrives ran out.

'I only have three BattleChips left and only you two are left, X, Zero…' Lan thought.

Zero chuckled [Coming down to the wire with barely anything left in us…]

[It feels nostalgic] X noted in amusement.

"Let's do this, Lan, Zero, X," Megaman ZX spoke, smirking as he got up.

"Sword! WideSword! LongSword! Download!" Lan declared.

"Useless! Sword! WideSword! LongSword! Download!"

"PROGRAM ADVANCE!" both NetNavis shouted as the LifeSword flared into life in Protoman's hands and Megaman ZX's ZX Saber.

Both continued to roar as they charged at each other. Their blades collided and the winds began to pick up, spiraling water and sands being dragged into the winds. Over and over again, their blades collided. Both tried to kick and strike at the other in-between strikes of their blades, neither gaining ground over the other. Lan coughed as blood came out of his mouth as Chaud refused to cough as blood trickled from his split lower lip. All four roared as the two NetNavis swung their blades and shattered them upon contact with the other.

"NOW!" Chaud roared, inserting another PA into his PeT.

"Wh-What?!" ZX gasped as the EvilCut materialized.

"EVILCUT!" Chaud and Protoman roared.

What came next was a frenzy of slashes. Each blow, ZX swore he was seeing images…stills of another life…a taller man in black and white slicked back spiked hair glaring down upon him…intensive physical and educational training within an empty manor…a woman's grave as the taller man callously said something…countless battles… Then there were more sights…a colony drop…a behemoth of a replicated android of a human with scars over his eyes laughing as screens showed a city going up in destruction…a maniacal man hidden in the shadows of a light shining from behind, seemingly gloating…a demented elderly man cannibalized from the neck below by machinery in whites, oranges, and blues sneering joyfully at him…a white behemoth glaring down upon him with a look of disgust and anger as a fist came upon him… Lan and ZX screamed as a final slash let loose a shockwave that sent ZX crashing into a wall, causing it to give way and collapse upon him with Lan collapsing with blood coming out of multiple cuts on his body and starting to turn his clothes red.

Lan's eyes snapped open and he shot up, giving a muted shout. He looked around before gawking upon seeing Vent beside him, looking at him in concern. Lan smiled as he looked up at Vent before tilting his head. Vent realized Lan was looking past him and gawked, seeing a male with a similar build to Vent, but he was wearing white and blue robes with what reminded Lan of the helmet Vent would wear using just Model X. He smiled at the two and gave them a small wave.

'X?' Vent mouthed.

The man nodded and Lan gawked, recognizing the man now. X looked to their side, a somber, yet fond, expression on his face. The two followed his line of sight and gasped. Before them was a massive steel behemoth…sliced apart and exposing the inner workings. Water dripped from broken pipes onto it. Yet…Lan couldn't keep his eyes off Zero standing across from an older Ciel with a black and pink helmet on her head…and those same white pieces that Vent and Ashe had on their heads.

"So you're the legendary Zero!" She gasped.

"Zero...? Is that my name?" Zero questioned before sighing after a moment, his eyes closed, "I can't remember."

"I'm sorry I forced you to wake up," she apologized before holding her hands together and gave him an all too familiar pleading look Lan was used to from his Ciel, "Please, I need your help!"

"What if I'm not the Zero you speak of?" Zero questioned almost immediately.

For a moment, there was silence…before Ciel, with a small giggle, replied in complete and utter sincerity, "You're already…Zero to me."

The area faded into darkness as the last words echoed, leaving just Zero, who now faced them. Lan gawked as he walked up them, armor bleeding into a similar outfit to X's.

"You saw a memory of mine," Zero stated, frowning.

"Sorry," Lan apologized before realizing he could speak.

"Seems that being knocked out while in Double MegaMerge let you see into mine this time," Zero noted.

"We're knocked out?" Lan asked.

"Seems so."

"Aw man~!" Lan groaned, "We lost?"

"We haven't yet. Time is moving slower out there," X replied, "But we have reached a point that something needs to change."

"...Can you do that Overdrive thing without the other Biometals?" Lan asked after a moment of thought.

"No. We don't have the ability to do it on our own because it drains everyone and not just me, remember?" Zero replied with a scowl.

"O-Oh…Right…"

"It's pretty odd. Always has been," Vent admitted, annoyance evident on his face, "Why do the others have it one way but you and Zero need another way?"

"It may be due to how we've always been, on a level, synchronized with one another for centuries that we're always giving it our all," X replied, "With everyone united, the scales needed to trigger Overdrive can go active, but you already drained everyone else."

"...Why don't you two tag in then?" Lan suggested.

"Huh?" Zero and Vent looked at Lan as X tilted his head.

"Well…you guys are basically merged with Vent, right?" Lan explained, "So why can't he let one of you take over the fight for a few minutes? Like Zero and Phantom did with me?"

The older men shared looks. X rubbed his chin in thought as Zero looked at him in disbelief. Vent shrugged and Zero gave him a flat look. X smiled and nodded at Vent before both looked at Zero. Zero threw his hands up in exasperation and they looked at Lan.

"We can try, but it may not work," Zero warned.

"Great! Let's do this!" Lan cheered, jumping in excitement.

Protoman tensed as a loud humming noise erupted from the rubble as a cyan-green light shined brightly from the gaps in the rubble. Chaud looked to see Lan managing to stand up, giving Chaud a determined look…and Chaud swearing that Lan's eyes, both organic and robotic, were shining a strong emerald green.

"We're…not…DONE!" Lan declared as the rubble exploded as Megaman ZX swung his ZX Saber downwards.

He stood up and glared at Protoman, the gems of his armor shining as his hair flowed freely in an unseen wind. Protoman looked at his eyes and tensed. The look in them wasn't that of Vent's… It was the look of a warrior bathed in countless wars…centuries of wars…and conquered. A transparent Megaman Model X appeared at his side, sharing a similar look but far more tired than the first's…yet he also looked different as well with bulkier armor in slightly darker colors and even a crimson scarf of plasma.

"Power is not meant to destroy," ZX stated, Model Z's voice coming from his lips.

A second LifeSword danced on Protoman's blade as the transparent 'Megaman Model X' overlapped ZX and vanished. The two charged and their blades sang as they swung through the air to strike at the enemy and their weapon. Flashes and sparks rained out as new cuts were delivered, far more forming on Protoman than on ZX as each slice he sent, ZX returned with seven at the same time. With each strike ZX achieved, the images felt as if they were being cut down. Protoman went for an overhead strike only for ZX to go for a stab…and split the LifeSword from the tip down. Protoman was stunned long enough for ZX to begin an onslaught of slashes, tearing into and destroying the last of them with the most ominous of them all being cleaved into several times. With a kick, Protoman was sent flying back. He managed to do a tumble to get up only for ZX to jump upon him. Protoman formed his shield, only for it to be of no use as ZX tore through it with a bare hand, the palm shining with an emblem resembling a Z and X overlapping.

"Power is for protecting one's friends and what they believe in!"

A charged shot slammed into his gut, knocking him back. The more armored Megaman Model X appeared behind him and fired a Charged Shot at his back. ZX shot him again before both shot him in unison, leaving him stunned. ZX redeployed his ZX Saber as he came up to Protoman. As the blow came, Protoman swore he saw flashes of a group of people all working together with one another, all sporting the same coverings on the sides of their heads like Vent and Ashe. A diagonal rising slash and he saw pe…no…robots that looked almost human outside of bodysuits and armor on them all. All working to protect humanity and themselves from their fellow robots, the red NetNavi swearing two looked like his creators in armor as well. A falling diagonal slash from the opposite direction came and he swore he thought he saw an adult Alouette with those same coverings on her ears and a mark on her forehead in command of a group of people in similar uniforms to the first group alongside a smiling Vent with shorter hair and a younger look, looking more like a family than anything else. A horizontal slash and a robot that looked like a young woman with long brown hair in a beret came to his 'sight,' a sad, wishful look in her eyes that stood by a taller, strong looking, white-armored colonel of sorts with a firm resolve in his eyes. A final downward slash tore into Protoman and his emblem, yet all Protoman could see was an older Ciel, smiling almost lovingly at someone with the sad-looking woman in brown hair, smiling just as lovingly at the same one the older Ciel was.

=PROTOMAN: LOGGING OUT=

ZX panted as his eyes bled back into Vent's normal ones. In a flash, Vent was unarmored and the Biometals were all in the PeT, Model Z looking duller in color.

[Lan…We are not doing that again unless it is a last resort…] Model Z firmly declared as best he could due to how tired he sounded.

[What the hell was that?!] Fafnir exclaimed despite the exhaustion he was feeling.

[Lan suggested one of us 'tag in' for Vent] X explained [I was going to, but Zero did as he does best]

[Shut up…X…] Zero groaned.

Chaud trembled, his grip going slack on his PeT as it clattered onto the console, "H…How…?"

"Hm?" Lan looked up at Chaud.

"How did…How?! I…I had my rage…my hatred!" Chaud looked up at Lan, "How could you defeat us?! Again?!"

"...It's because you fought with those emotions you failed," Lan replied, "You didn't fight with your bonds. You didn't fight thinking of your friends and family. Vent, the Biometals, and me?" he put a hand to his chest, "We fought with our bonds with one another and with everyone we've met. You didn't fight with anything but dark stuff in your head."

"But you…our first battle…you used those…"

"It's what let us go into FullSynchro then, yeah, but even in that state, we were fighting for others," Lan explained, "We fought for Roze and your callousness to his plight and didn't think twice about Deleting him. You fought for power itself, but not for what you needed that power for…for who you wanted to protect with it." he rubbed the back of his head, "I don't understand just why Ciel and Alouette like you so much with what ya did to Roze and all that power talk. Because…I think you've forgotten why you were trying to get that power in the first place."

Chaud stepped back in a mixture of shock and surprise, "I…forgot…?"

"Lan and I tend to constantly humble ourselves, always trying to make sure that what we've accomplished doesn't go to our heads," Vent spoke, "Power corrupts, Chaud. Especially when you go for a long period of time without someone to humble you. Lan and I have had many moments where we've had that put into our heads…" he looked at Chaud sadly, the dual-haired boy seeing just how tired Vent's eyes were, "I have power…yet it was useless when needed most to save Lan and Maylu from needing that surgery…We couldn't stop Mama from ending up in the hospital and forever scarred by a terrorist attack…"

"I wake up at times in the middle of the night from nightmares of Mama not being here and having died instead of recovering from it," Lan added, "I don't want others to feel like I do, so I want to keep getting stronger with Vent so nobody has to go through what we've had to."

[Like Zero told you and Protoman: 'Power is not meant to destroy. Power is meant to protect one's friends and what they believe in.'] X added [Rage and hatred can only help you get so far before someone can surpass you. I hope you learn to let go of the darkness that forms from those, Chaud, Protoman]

"It…It's over!" Ribitta exclaimed, "Barely surviving the EvilCut Program Advance and then overcoming a LifeSword with raw power alone…Lan Hikari and Vent have succeeded in winning the first ever N1 Grand Prix!"

"Vent…Vent!" Lan cheered, "We did it!"

Vent nodded, "Y-Yeah…We did, didn't we?"

"Vent?" Lan pondered before stumbling and collapsing against the machine, "Ugh…Everything hurts…" he coughed up a bit more blood, "U-Ugh…"

"You both overdid it with FullSynchro," the two boys looked to see Commander Beef walking up to them, Higsby and Ribitta at his sides with Mysteriyu and Madam Rose.

"FullSynchro?" Ribitta asked.

"A technique only those with the potential to be the strongest of NetNavis and their NetOps can achieve," Commander Beef stated, picking up Chaud's PeT and gently handing it to the boy while Higsby scooped up all the BattleChips and put them into folders with names labeled for them.

'He's arrived,' Mysteriyu thought solemnly, closing her eyes in quiet resignation.

"Come on. I'll help you get to the boat, Lan," Madam Rose offered.

"Oh…Th-Thanks," Lan thanked, stumbling a bit as Madam Rose began to support him, "...O-Oh! Wait, I…I need to log out Vent…"

Vent nodded. He took a step forward…before he swore he heard whistling. Vent's eyes widened, a curved blade of purple plasma sticking out of his chest right through his emblem. He choked as he recognized the blade, not fully registering it on a vain belief that it wasn't who he knew it was that was holding it.

"Well, well…if it isn't Vent," a rough voice chuckled.

"Y…You…" Vent choked out.

"Tch. You sent them all away into that little kid's PeT, huh? No matter. We'll get the codes in them sooner or later to restart the Game of Destiny. But you…won't be there, Vent."

The blade was pulled out of Vent, who stood there, staring at the sky. Slowly…he smiled.

"Lan…Maylu…Roll…" Vent whispered before his body shattered into data.

=MEGAMAN - DELETED=

Everyone stood frozen in shock and horror. None more so than Lan as tears began to fall down his cheeks without his notice. The owner of the blade swung it outwards, the plasma scythe dismissing itself as the bone-white shaft collapsed to let the owner put it away. He wore a black bodysuit with lavender lines going up his sides and a zipped up purple jacket like Vent wore with purple gauntlets with white gloves and a white cartoonish skull on the gauntlets. His lower legs were in reinforced purple armored combat boots with the same cartoonish skulls of the toe covering. His helmet was tall and pointed with a cartoonish skull on that as well with armored blue 'hair' emerging from it on the back. Yet…his visage was disturbing when one looked at his pale face. His mouth was wide, showing off several sharp fangs in it, while his onyx eyes held back none of the bloodlust within him.

"Ve…Ve…Vent…"

"Who are you?!" Commander Beef demanded, snarling at the NetNavi…who chuckled.

"Who am I? Oh come now…Vent, you naughty boy, you never told anyone about me?" the NetNavi asked, taunting the spot Vent had been in before looking at them, "My name is Prometheus, a user of Biometal Model W and Observer of the Game of Destiny!"

"Game of…Destiny?" Chaud repeated.

"Oh, it's big…oh so massive…" Prometheus responded, a devilish sneer upon his lips, "For the winner…becomes the Mega Man King and will wipe this world out and make it in their image!" he looked at the despondent Lan, "And for that to start, we will get those Biometals you have, Lan Hikari. Even if we have to slaughter everyone you know and love just to get to you." He swung his arm out and teleported away with a cackle, "And thanks for leaving SciLab vulnerable~"

"Sc-SciLab?" Madam Rose repeated, looking at her PeT when an alert went off, "!?"

Ice crinkled underneath heeled boots as a lithe, shapely woman walked up to a glass casing. A mint green staff ending in gold pieces was held up before swiftly swung out, shattering the case. A computer chip fell from it and landed in a white gloved hand, the fingers all a navy blue. The woman turned around, the few unbroken lights above reflecting off her pristine white armor akin to Prometheus's outfit with an egg-shaped helmet on her head, armored tufts of mint green hair coming out of it. She walked up to a computer and laid it in place on a panel. The Network inside shined with a sphere of light before it transformed, becoming a yellow sarcophagus-like NetNavi with orange and blue-striped arms with the elbows above replaced with a small crystal orb on each. Sharp navy blue eyes snapped open into a menacing glare.

"I am Pharaohman, the only one that can be called the King of this world! All others shall become trash of the sea!" the NetNavi declared.

"Praise be to you…my king," the woman calmly spoke, bowing down, "I free you…to begin your reign as you rightfully claim…" she walked away, walking by large spikes of ice with frozen, frightened scientists within, and charred sizzling corpses of others, small crackles of electricity coming off their still burning corpses.

The people on the CID's personal boat looked out upon the collapsing, sinking island. None more so than Lan…who just watched it sink with dulled, lifeless eyes. His hand refused to go slack, tightly clasping the PeT in it even as the word 'DELETED' repeatedly flashed on the screen. Alouette was held close by Ciel, the younger sister having dropped her doll as she sobbed into the older sister's clothes. Oda shifted his fedora, hiding his eyes as he grit his teeth tightly. Higsby reached out to Lan only to stop and shake his head, knowing it'd be best to not try at the moment…before clasping a hand on Ribitta's shoulder and gave her a look to make her stop from trying as well.

"Lan…" Maylu whispered as Ashe had muted the speakers on her PeT, sobbing on her bed as she held her necklace close.

"Vent…Vent…Vent…" Lan repeated before everyone stepped back as he let loose an agonized wail of pain and loss to the star-filled skies above.

GT: Yep. Even with all that they've done and tried to do, Vent still gets Deleted at the end of the N1. Fun fact? This whole chapter was written before the chapter that started the N1GP. Yep. This whole chapter was planned that far in advance. Next chapter, we're dealing with the aftermath.

Chapter 24: The N1 Aftermath

Chapter Text

GT: You can probably notice by now…but I stocked up on Biometal in Network chapters. So enjoy Day 19 of Mega May 2025, folks.

Yuichiro grimaced at the somber atmosphere. Not only had they lost people in the chaos of Operation EndGame, but now a group of scientists were found murdered and Pharaohman's chip was discovered to have been integrated into the systems. All of them were now hard at work, not only repairing what was wrecked by WWW…but now they had to put efforts into capturing Pharaohman once more. He sighed, pinching his nose.

'I knew it was a bad idea to keep Pharaohman sealed and not destroyed. But the higher ups…' he thought in annoyance before shaking his head, 'We need to deal with this now and complain and demand the destruction of the chip later.' he glanced to his desk, seeing a photo of two infants barely a year old in blue and orange footie pajamas held by Haruka, '...Hub ..Lan…'

Lan curled up tighter in his bed. He wanted to keep crying, but the tears wouldn't come anymore. Outside his room, Maylu looked at the door in concern. Her house was being repaired due to the electronics that had exploded in the building (including her favorite ice cream maker that she and Ashe spent hours fine-tuning to make the ice cream just perfect) and so was staying with the Hikari family.

[What do we do?] Axl pondered [He's been doing this for three days now. Just stay in his room, only come out for business, then back inside…]

"I…I don't know," Maylu replied.

"...Can I try something?" Ashe asked.

"Hm?"

"Please? Just me, lil' sis?"

"O…Okay," Maylu nodded, letting Ashe go into the Network, "Good luck, big sis."

Ashe nodded. She breathed in deep before heading off. In a few minutes, she entered the link to Lan's computer and saw the Biometals all over it, doing small tasks that they could. She looked at the screen, seeing Lan lying on his bed.

"...He saved Maylu the first day we met," Ashe spoke, "I couldn't handle what happened and went to find help and met him for the first time." she watched him shuffle a little on the bed, "He was terrified of ghosts, even Casper and he's a friendly ghost. He was also really dumb, not noticing the obvious." she shook her head, "But…he had this spark to him. This…This powerful light in his soul that could resonate with anyone. He'd always try to see the good in everyone."

"...He…He was like a big brother to me," Lan whispered after a few moments, slowly sitting up, "It felt like…everything was right when he was here. Sure, that bugel is evil and the less said about how he got Yai and her family to have us be their security system testers the better. But…he…" he took a shaky breath and held a hand to his heart, "But he…filled something. I-I can't describe it, but…but it felt like something was back that…that I forgot." he sniffled, clenching his hand over his heart into a fist, "But…But now it's back…it's back a-and it…it hurts…it hurts more than anything else a-and I don't get why."

Ashe grimaced at hearing that, 'Because he's your twin.' She shook her head, "It's because he's important to you. Vent…he was precious to you as much as he was to me." She held her hands over her heart area, "I ache every time I think of him…of his smile…his voice…but…we don't need to forget him. He's still in our memories and our hearts. With hope…maybe your dad can rebuild him."

"But…will it be him?" Lan asked, worry in his voice.

Ashe frowned. That was a thing. Even with backup data…there would always be those memories that didn't get saved before Deletion. But…maybe Vent could pull that off again. She'd have to keep a careful eye on Maylu's PeT.

"Who knows? It's up to Vent," Ashe replied, "...Maylu's worried, y'know. She's probably still outside the door, trying to overhear us." Lan winced, "Yeah. Remember that you're not the only one hurting. It doesn't diminish what you feel, but…talking about it helps."

"W…Would she even want to listen?"

Ashe smiled softly, "Lan, Maylu has been wanting to let you let it out to anyone so you can start the slow recovery. So, yes, I'm more than sure you can talk to her about this."

"...Th…Thanks, Ashe," Lan thanked.

"Anytime for someone that's like a little brother to me," Ashe replied.

"...How is she?" Chaud asked as Ciel let him into the apartment.

"Still crying," Ciel replied, grimacing, "She hasn't cried this much since Mommy…"

Chaud nodded, a familiar pang of pain coming from the reminder of his 'aunt' and her passing. While Ciel went to the kitchen, he went to Alouette's bedroom and Chaud heard the muffled sobs. He opened the door to a room half filled with various plush dolls of varying designs and sizes and half filled with technology and pieces of machinery on a large desk. On the big rounded bed laid Alouette, hugging Beep close with her PeT plugged in nearby on its charger. Fortunately for him, Alouette's side of the bed was facing away from the door.

"I lost someone again, Roze…" Alouette sniffled, Chaud hearing age in her voice that shouldn't be inside of a girl her age, "This…This feels worse than when I lost Giroette when Pandora, Serpent, and Prometheus killed him in my old life."

Chaud tensed, 'Old life?'

"It hits worse because you raised Vent after that incident for four years, right?" Roze asked.

"...Yes," Alouette replied.

'She's known Vent for four years?' Chaud pondered.

"A-And n-n-now Big Sis wants to tell Chaud…someone…someone that's been my big brother for years now…th-that means the world to me because he's my big brother in all but blood…wh-what we are when…when all this happened!" Alouette shifted a bit wildly in bed, "She…She doesn't get what Vent means to me…that he was my son for those four years before Prometheus killed me with the same damn maneuver followed by Pandora destroying my Cyber Elf just so I couldn't try something!"

'Prometheus? Pandora? What's a Cyber Elf?' Chaud pondered before he moved closer…only for the door to creak.

"?!" Alouette looked up and looked at him in fright and realization, "...Y…You heard all that…"

"...I did," Chaud admitted.

"Ulp…" Roze gulped nervously while Ciel walked up with a tray of drinks.

"You…died?" Chaud asked, the question making Ciel nearly drop the tray, "Both of you?"

"H-How did…?" Ciel gasped before sighing, "...Do you want to sit or pace?"

"..."

"Pacing it is," Ciel sighed as she picked up Alouette and went to the living room with Chaud following before the two girls sat down on the couch, the two PeTs on the table to let Protoman and Roze appear via hologram, "...I remembered my past life after a bolt of lightning hit me before we met. Funnily enough, my name back then was Ciel."

"...I got mine back when the car accident happened," Alouette admitted, "I was named Alouette by Big Sis when she saved me before I changed my name to Prairie after she…she was murdered."

"Named you?"

"In our old lives…it was roughly 300 years from now. In that era…we didn't have the Network, we had robots…Reploids which are androids made so human-like you could only tell they weren't because of armor on them or by an emblem on their forehead," Ciel noted, "I was…an experiment. Genetically altered with a more powerful mind. It's something I retained, hence my degrees on the wall."

"I was a Reploid and Ciel found me and saved me. She gave me my name and she became my Big Sis," Alouette went on, "It was…a dark time. The ruler believed Reploids were the cause of an energy crisis and demanded our destruction. But…Big Sis wanted to solve the crisis and save everyone. She made a resistance movement that would protect Reploids and their supporters."

"There were many harsh battles over the years. I saw so many friends die," Ciel shook her head, "Eventually…peace was found. I made a new energy source and we began to evolve."

"...The operation that saved Hikari and Maylu…it was from your past life. Same with the Biometals," Chaud recognized.

Ciel nodded, a weak smile on her face, "Imagine my shock when the ones I made here as tribute to them and give hope to this new life…turned out to be the very Biometals from my past life."

"...Alouette…You raised Vent. Was he…?"

"Yes," Al…Prairie spoke, "After Big Sis was murdered after creating the Biometals, I inherited her role as leader of the evolved resistance…the Guardians. I led them for decades and met a Reploid named Giroette or 'Giro' for short. He was the partner of Model Z and had adopted young Vent after losing his family in a Maverick attack on an amusement park. Mavericks being those who want to kill everyone. It used to be just Reploids, but it expanded as humans became Humanoids aka humans with the operation done to them that Lan and Maylu had."

Chaud nodded, "Okay. So…this Giro raised Vent. But how does this…?"

"Giro ran a delivery service and one package was for me: Biometal Model X. They were attacked and Vent MegaMerged with Model X and saved my team and I. A few days later…Giro was murdered…"

"By the same NetNavi who Deleted Vent and two others. Pandora and Serpent."

"Yes," Prairie replied, "He held so much anger and hatred for what they did. It scared me at times even. But…he cared more for the people. He did all he could to help the innocent and those in need. He defeated Serpent, but Prometheus and Pandora escaped. After that, I adopted him and raised him for four years, sharing stories and being a mother to him as best I could…until Prometheus and Pandora killed me when he was away and we were studying the Biometals for F, P, H, and L."

"...Vent reincarnated here. And Ashe…she's one as well," Chaud noted, pieces coming together, "They're strong not just through the bonds between them and their NetOps…it's also the experience of living in your old life that sounds far harsher than anything here."

"Oh, it was. The Majority of the planet had to be re-Terraformed to make it hospitable to life after the Elf Wars," Ciel noted, making Chaud flinch, "..."

Chaud finally stopped his pacing and sighed…before sitting between the two, "...You two thought you didn't need to say a thing…that your old lives were in the past…" both slowly nodded at that, "And that incident was from just…has it really just been two years?" both nodded again, "..." he sighed…before grabbing Prairie, pulled her into his lap…and began to noogie her hard, "You devious little girl! So that's how you've been able to do all that eggshell nonsense!"

"AH! NO! BIG SIS, HELP!" Alouette yelped, trying to get out of it.

Ciel blinked several times, watching the sight. Slowly, her lips twitched before she began to laugh. It was a laugh she hadn't had since she learned the Biometals were the ones she had originally made and now back with her. One she hadn't had for a good while now with all the WWW-related issues. Slowly, Chaud ended his punishment to Alouette and gave a small smile at the blonde.

"...You li~ke her laugh," Alouette quietly teased, causing Chaud to turn bright red and commence the noogie once more, "EEK! NO! UNCLE! UNCLE! AUNT?!"

"Did you know about…?" Roze began.

"No," Protoman replied, shaking his head, "You?"

"They kinda had to since I'm Alouette's NetNavi now," Roze replied, earning a nod from Protoman.

"Dammit!" Zap growled, slamming a fist against the wall, "Who the hell does that Prometheus guy think he is?!"

"...He sounded familiar," Match frowned, leaning against a pillar as Maddy filed her nails, wincing a little with some fresh bandages on where Phantom jabbed her with needles.

"Hm?" Match looked up from some plans with Yahoot.

"Like…I've heard it but…" Maddy frowned.

"...That was the voice…of the benefactor who provided Fistleo to Match, the two Pseudoroids for my operation and then for SciLab, and then empowered Stoneman and Bombman with those feral forms," Yahoot stated calmly, making the trio freeze up in shock.

"Tch! Disgraceful…Attacking the laddie like that after such an intense NetBattle," Mr. Match growled, "Ye wanna win, ye do it when they're at their best or the victory's hollow!"

Maddy frowned as she looked away, "If we're all feeling the pain of our loss…How do you think that kid's feeling now?"

"..." Zap and Match looked down in thought as Yahoot nodded solemnly.

Haruka smiled as she looked over at Lan, now on the couch with Maylu. The brunette was staying close to his best friend…yet Haruka managed to keep from frowning at the lost expression in her son's eyes. Her heart ached, yearning for her other son and hoping…begging…that Yuichiro could restore him once more. A knock came from the door and, with a bit of effort, Haruka managed to get over to it and opened the door slightly, revealing Dex, Yai, Tory, and one maid.

"Hello, dears," Haruka greeted.

"Hello, Mrs. Hikari," the trio greeted, the maid bowing respectfully to her.

"Are you feeling well today?" Dex asked.

"I'm down to just one crutch!" Haruka replied, pumping a fist, before managing to move away enough to fully open the door, "Are you here to see Lan and Maylu?"

"Uh-huh," Tory replied, "We've been kinda…concerned…for Lan."

"I know all too well," Haruka nodded, "With school still closed due to the damages from that major incident, having him here is a lot better than being out there." thunder rumbled and they looked to see storm clouds coming, "Oh not good…" she moved enough to let them inside, "Come in, come in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hikari," the trio thanked as they quickly got inside before the heavens opened up.

"Would you like assistance, Haruka?" the maid asked.

"It would be appreciated, Maira," Haruka replied gratefully, "Even with Maylu and Lan helping me, it's frustrating that I can't do everything I used to right now."

"I know you'll recover," Maira assured, "Even back in high school and you took that fall down the stairs, you still came to your boxing match and won even with one arm in a cast." she tilted her head, "I still don't get how you were allowed to do that."

"If there's one thing that my son inherited from me, it's my side of the family's stubbornness on finishing what we start."

"Glad to see you, man," Dex greeted as the trio sat at the seats in the living room.

"I'd…I'd honestly still be in my room if it wasn't for Ashe and the Biometals," Lan admitted, all of the Biometals minus A and O hovering on his shoulders.

"...Gutsman really has a lot ta thank Vent for, guts," Gutsman noted, "He helped me learn to do a real punch and got me wantin' ta get stronger t' be able t' give him a good fight, guts."

"I owe you and Sir Vent a great debt for that day we all met and for helping us when Lady Yai and Sir Dex were hypnotized," Glyde added.

"Yeah! You guys helped me, Tory, and his dad, too!" Iceman added, "Vent may be gone for now, but…but his memories are with us always."

Tory nodded, "They're right. I think Ashe and the others may have said something like this, but you're not alone in missing Vent."

"Grrrr…! That purple-wearing jerk! Just who was he anyway?!" Yai growled in frustration, "The damage from your NetBattle rendered everything mute and it cut off just seconds after Vent was…"

"Prometheus," Ashe growled, everyone looking at her as she had a look of fury on her face, "That…Ghh…I want to curse, but Mrs. Hikari is terrifying, so know that I wanna call him the worst name possible."

"You know him?" Lan asked.

"..." Ashe sighed, "He attacked me before, wanting Model A…him and his sister Pandora."

"He said he wanted the Biometals for this 'Game of Destiny' thing," Lan frowned, "And that they'd stop at nothing to get them…"

[Like hell I'm being taken away! I like Lan. Even if you guys work with him, he's my partner first] Fafnir growled.

[And Maylu is my ideal match. Quite frankly, I refuse to participate in this farce and hereby disqualify myself] Leviathan huffed.

[We may not have a choice with what they did to the four of us last time] Phantom warned ominously.

"Last time? They did this before, Phantom?" Lan asked.

"..." Tory and Dex looked at Yai.

"With the N1, we haven't done any progress," Yai sheepishly admitted, making them slump.

[Maylu, translate] Phantom ordered [Children, listen well. Before Vent became Lan's NetNavi, he was on a delivery when Prometheus and Pandora attacked him and several coworkers. They Deleted several of them, including a mother figure of his, and got away with myself, Fafnir, Harpuia, and Leviathan. They infected us with a virus that made us completely obedient to the first 'Chosen' to MegaMerge with us. Their names were Atlas, Thetis, Siarnaq, and Aeoulus]

"?! Those are…" Maylu looked at Ashe.

[I was lucky you're a heavy sleeper most nights so you didn't get wrapped up in this] Axl noted, working with the lie [They came after Ashe and me to try to claim me, but we always sent them packin' and copied them!] He switched to a private 'link' to her [This isn't the full truth, but we will tell you and Lan in private later. I promise. Yes, it involves the stuff you saw, but we need complete privacy]

"So what is the point of this Game of Destiny?" Tory frowned.

[The one who defeats all the Chosen and claims the Biometals becomes the 'Mega Man King' as they put it. They believe that King will 'cleanse the world' and 'make it in their own image.' But that is a farce]

"What does gas have to do with this?" Dex asked.

"He said 'farce,' not 'fart,'" Yai huffed.

[What they want…is to just have everything be destroyed]

"What?! But…why?" Lan asked.

[Because all their life…they've been slaves] Axl admitted, making everyone look at him as Maylu continued to speak for him [Ashe and I went out to find out why they were always coming after us. We found where they were built…and saw they are on a timer to go back and recharge before they end up Deleted permanently. When we were there…they only had a few days left. But guess they found a way to no longer need a recharge]

[They're also the ones who made the Pseudoroids] Zero informed [First with splitting F, H, L, and P into halves and shoving them into those unfortunate to be in their sights…and then using slivers of Model W's power. All the ones you've seen Ashe use? They're all the latter that Ashe and Axl have triumphed over] he looked at the two Humanoids in the group [Especially Vulturon who did that to you two that day]

"!" Lan and Maylu tensed at that.

"What's wrong?" Yai asked.

"...They…They were why we needed surgery," Lan admitted.

"It wasn't Magicman…it was them," Maylu added, making the trio tense.

"And nobody knew this because you two probably thought it was Magicman's hypnosis while Ashe and Vent were already hypnotized," Tory realized.

"We're going to have to work hard now," Ashe grimaced, "Those two will do anything to accomplish their goal."

Dozens of NetNavis stood at attention, standing before an access link with Japanman at the front of them all with Punk and Searchman. Within the link, several thick doors slammed shut tightly. Outside of the Network, Oda narrowed his eyes.

"How dangerous is this Pharaohman, Dr. Hikari?"

"He was infected with the same bug that 'The Beast' was infected with," Yuichiro responded, "We've relocated that to a portable harddrive to make sure he can't awaken it."

"You took it out of the TetraCode Safe?" Oda asked in disbelief.

"Pharaohman would destroy them without any effort. Even the security measures we have now will only delay him for a few seconds at best," Yuichiro replied, "He…has the strongest Ultimate Program in the Internet: Divine Realm."

"?!" Oda tensed as Famous narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses.

"Excuse me, but what is an Ultimate Program?" Raika asked.

"Ultimate Programs are an anomaly that we have no clue on understanding how they form. Each one is unique to that NetNavi and if they give it to another, it immediately changes. We only have a list of six NetNavis with it…well…" Yuichiro looked down in sadness, "…five now after the N1…"

"I will not be denied my right to rule," Pharaohman declared, hovering before the link to SciLab, "To begin my conquest, I must start where it all began."

His eyes glowed red and the area shook. Panels gave way to fields of sand as the first of the doors slid open.

Alarms began to go off in SciLab as the officers all tensed, ready for battle.

"Evacuate the scientists," Oda ordered, "Raika."

"Understood," Raika nodded, "Searchman."

In the Network, Searchman nodded. He aimed his rifle at the sealed entrance and his eye cover began to run calculations. After a moment, the rifle clicked before firing off at a shot. The beam went into a vortex in space that manifested before the sealed entryway. Further inside of the link, the vortex manifested behind Pharaohman and shot at him from behind…only to be blocked by a sarcophagus based upon the NetNavi.

"I must return to my place of birth…so that I may take over the world!" Pharaohman declared, forcing open another doorway.

Night had fallen and Lan was sound asleep in his bed. In the guest bedroom, Maylu mumbled in her sleep as Gow was recharging into a dog bed by the plug in the wall he was attached to. In Lan's computer, Ashe laid down in Vent's bed, sleeping beneath the covers. The Biometals were all lying on the table, everyone but A, Z, and X trying to stay away from Model O. In Maylu and Lan's PeTs…a corner fizzled.

Alarms blared as the last of the NetNavis in the Network screamed, their body turning to stone. Oda scowled as Japanman laid in his PeT, missing several parts of his body.

"I…I'm sorry," Searchman apologized in Raika's, his sniper arm solid stone and missing his legs.

"...Everyone evacuate," Oda ordered before looking at Famous, "...Famous."

"..." Famous sighed as he put hid PeT away, unoccupied while Punk was a statue in the Network, "Right. Tomorrow, we need to meet with the special forces."

Everyone quickly evacuated at that, Searchman and Raika unaware of their PeT's corner starting to flicker with static.

"What the heck's this, Gutsman?" Dex pondered in the morning.

"I don't know," Gutsman replied, looking at a broken gold ring of sorts in the corner of the PeT, "Imma try to remove it, guts." He reached out and grabbed it before grunting as he tried to move it…only to not even budge, "C-Come on! Move, ya lousy…!"

"Mmm…It doesn't even freeze," Iceman fumed as Tory and his father looked at a similar piece of data in the same corner of Tory's PeT.

"Okay…I've scanned it and cross-referenced this…it is fragmented NetNavi data," Meddy informed as Jasmine frowned on her bed in the hotel room she was staying at (provided by the CID due to planes still not operational from WWW's attack).

"NetNavi data?"

"Yes. It's fragmented, but somehow…it's persistent. It's woven itself into the PeT itself to prevent removal unless another PeT is connected to it…a specific PeT at that."

"I know this coding," Famous recognized, he and Raika looking at the data from scanning Raika's PeT, "But the fact it's here…"

"It's also impossible to remove from the OeT without that specific PeT."

"I'll call Ciel. We may not be the only ones," Famous spoke.

Roze poked the fragment on Alouette's PeT. Nearby, Protoman frowned as he looked at the one in Chaud's.

"This has 'Hikari' written all over it," Chaud muttered.

"Agreed," Ciel nodded before looking at the time, "If I remember correctly…he has a therapy appointment at the moment. I'll send a message to them, asking them to meet…" her SubPeT buzzed, "Huh?" She looked to see multiple EMails, "HUH?!"

"What's wrong?" Alouette asked.

"O-Oh my…Almost everyone I know that knows Lan is having this same issue," Ciel frowned, "...I'm going to tell everyone to meet in the arcade and for our team to come suited up because of civilians."

"Ashe…?" Maylu pondered as Ashe stared at the strange icon constantly revolving and spinning in the corner of the PeT's screen.

"It…It's him," Ashe whispered, emotions filling her eyes for the first time in days, as she reached out and moved it, holding it close to her, "It's Vent…"

"Wh-What? Roll…" Lan began.

"I know it's him! I can feel it!" Ashe insisted, holding the strange incomplete ring close, before her PeT rang, "EMail from Ciel."

Maylu looked at it, "She wants both of us at the arcade part of HQ immediately."

"We may not be the only ones with Vent inside of them."

"R-Roll!" Maylu squeaked, turning bright pink.

"Huh?" Lan tilted his head while Ashe laughed, realizing how she had worded it.

"Why are we here?" Match grumbled, leaning against a boxing game.

"Because each of us have these in their PeTs," Zap replied as he held his up as Elecman tried to zap the fragment…only to be zapped in return.

"Patience is key here, you three," Yahoot spoke, sitting seiza on an air hockey table, "This soul needs unity."

"We also don't want to anger the guys over there," Maddy added, glancing over at Commander Beef, Madam Rose, and Mysteriyu nearby.

"...They haven't figured it out, have they?" Yahoot asked.

"No, no they have not," Mysteriyu replied, standing beside the man.

"A pity," Yahoot sighed.

"Seriously, what are these?" Madam Rose asked.

"A soul still bound to this world for their destiny," Mysteriyu responded as, slowly, the friends of Lan and Maylu arrived along with Famous, Higsby, and Oda.

"Wow! This is a lot of people," Dex noted.

"Wow! There are a lot of people here!" Lan exclaimed as he and Maylu arrived last.

"You got this weird thing, too?" Yai asked, showing her PeT.

"It's really odd and frustrating to have to deal with," Higsby admitted, "I'm just glad that I was talking to Oda here about it when the EMail came, huh."

'There are way more people here compared to before…' Ashe thought in surprise before a door opened and Ciel, Alouette, and Chaud entered.

"Hello! I take it everyone here has an odd fragment of data attached to their PeTs?" Ciel asked.

"Ashe says that it's…it's Vent," Lan admitted.

"I know it's him! I just know!"

"Really?" Ciel pondered in surprise as Alouette covered her mouth.

"If it is him, then it means that your PeT, Lan, is the one the data connects to," Famous noted.

"Everyone, please leave your PeTs on the air hockey table. I'll see if I can't move it all to Lan's," Ciel spoke.

"Let her," Yahoot ordered the three WWW members when they opened their mouths to protest, putting his own on the table as he got off with a flip, before-one by one-everyone put theirs on the table and let Ciel pull out her laptop.

"Okay…It's akin to a puzzle," Ciel observed as she began to plug and unplug PeTs, "This…then this and this…" after a minute, she unplugged the last PeT and smiled, seeing the completed emblem of the Hikari family spinning on the screen of Lan's PeT, "There we go!"

"?!" Lan tensed, stumbling a little as he was given it.

"Lan…?"

"It…It feels like him," Lan admitted, pulling his PeT close to his chest while closing his eyes.

Maylu wrapped him in a side-hug, looking concerned for him. In her PeT, Numberman, Gutsman, and Glyde materialized before Ashe.

"Do you think he was able to do this because…?" Gutsman began to ask.

"I…I don't know," Ashe replied, "It…It could be." 'He did this when Pharaohman Deleted him in our old time…so it…it must be something we can do as literal ghosts in the machine.'

A request went off for access. Ashe accepted and Meddy and Searchman appeared. The moment she was in, Meddy ran over and hugged Ashe.

"How are you holding up?" Meddy asked.

"A-Alright as can be, especially now," Ashe replied, returning it before the two moved back from one another.

"I wasn't expecting Vent to be resourceful enough to do this in case he was Deleted," Searchman spoke.

"Tell me about it," Ashe huffed, "That guy's always surprising people…and I'm the one who shapeshifts!"

[Hey…]

"Okay, okay…We're the one who shapeshifts," Ashe corrected with a giggle.

"Still…is he like a Biometal now, guts?" Gutsman asked.

[...Hey, guys?]

[I feel his conscious…his soul…is in here, but he can't talk or move like we can] X informed.

[So he's a PseudoBiometal?] Leviathan questioned.

[Hey, Ciel! Can ya make him a new bod or what?!] Fafnir demanded.

"I wouldn't know where to begin to rebuild Vent's body, Model F," Ciel spoke.

"Maybe I should go to SciLab and talk to Papa about it," Lan noted before seeing the way Oda was standing, his fedora hiding his eyes, while Raika was looking away with a look of annoyance on his face, "...What's wrong?"

"SciLab has been taken over by a rogue NetNavi," Oda informed, "Officials were deployed to prevent it and capture the NetNavi…and only Searchman and Japanman escaped."

"What?!" nearly everyone exclaimed in shock.

"Wh-What kinda NetNavi is that powerful that it caused SciLab t' be evacuated?" Match asked in disbelief.

"...The story starts twelve years ago," Oda spoke after a moment, plugging his PeT into a wall of monitors that had once been meant to showcase the playable games in the building, causing it to turn on and show images of Pharaohman, "A group of scientists including Dr. Tadashi Hikari worked together, creating a NetNavi beyond all NetNavis of its time. It was meant to be the protector of the prototype of our modern Network, but…a bug infected both NetNavi and prototype Network."

"A bug?" Chaud repeated.

"Yes. The original Network, Alpha, became sentient to the level akin to an amoeba. It devoured everything connected to it," Oda went on, "Scientists back then were able to seal it away. However…Pharaohman became a tyrant, wanting to rule over both programs and humans…and he has the power to do so."

"What can he do?" Zap asked, "Is it like…"

"WWW's LifeVirus is nothing compared to what Pharaohman is capable of," Famous informed, "Inside of Pharaohman is the Ultimate Program called 'Divine Realm.'"

"?! Ultimate Program?" Jasmine repeated.

"What's that?" Dex asked.

"A program so powerful that scientists are unable to even begin to understand them," Famous replied, "An Ultimate Program develops only in those that have the potential to become the Ultimate NetNavi."

'Like the one Mr. Cossack says now lies within Ashe,' Raika thought, glancing towards Maylu.

"For Pharaohman, Divine Realm is the name of his Ultimate Program," Famous went on, "It has the power to rewrite the very Network itself, reshaping it to his whims. Dr. Tadashi Hikari managed to capture Pharaohman and sealed him away into a computer chip that was locked away deep inside of SciLab…until the N1 Finale."

"Tch. Pandora must have gone there while Prometheus Deleted Vent," Ashe growled.

"Who?" Oda asked.

"Prometheus's sister," Maylu spoke as she gestured to herself, Lan, Dex, Yai, and Tory, "Ashe told us about them yesterday."

"They're big meaners!" Alouette scowled, "They wanted to take Big Sis's Biometals before she could send them out to find Vent!"

"Excuse me?!" Oda gawked, his fedora slipping enough to show his shocked and worried eyes, "Ciel!"

"I thought they had been Deleted when they triggered my security system for the laptop that had them," Ciel admitted.

"I heard Prometheus's voice while I was…detained…by WWW," Yahoot spoke, "He provided the WWW with machines they dubbed Pseudoroids to help fulfil operations, including what happened at the party in the underwater restaurant at SciLab. Their goals are, honestly, a mystery to myself."

"Meaning this 'Pandora' has her own mobile body to interact with Earth," Oda grimaced, 'No wonder all those corpses were found like that.'

Commander Beef looked at Lan in concern behind his visor, 'Lan…That Prometheus said that he would come after you for the Biometals, no matter who gets in his way…We'll get Vent restored no matter what because you'll need all the help you can get.'

"...Moving back to the main subject, why did Pharaohman target SciLab?"

"That's because the late Dr. Hikari removed part of his data from him when he was sealing Pharaohman away," Famous replied, "Right now, Pharaohman is combing through the entire SciLab database to find that missing piece. Once he reclaims it…there will be almost nothing that can stop him."

"So why don't we just shut down SciLab's Network?" Maddy asked.

"Excuse me?" Oda questioned.

"That would be impossible," Tory replied, "SciLab relies on the WaterWorks to have a constant power supply and the Power Plant is directly wired into the building."

"True, meaning one would have to disconnect the power from inside of the Network," Zap noted.

"It would separate SciLab from the power of the Power Plant and WaterWorks, meaning that the SciLab part of its Network would also shut down," Famous said, "But right now…"

"I see! I see now! You…Tadashi Hikari…" Pharaohman growled as his eyes turned a solid red, "You dare seal me away?! You may have passed on, but your family shall earn my vengeance for your actions! I am Pharaohman! I am the Network's one and only King!" Blocks of sandstone materialized and began to rapidly stack up and engulf him, transforming into a massive, ominous pyramid as the grounds began to transform into a desert landscape, the rest of the Network quickly following as the sands expanded outwards, "I was born to control the world! Now, I shall do that very purpose!"

Alarms went off, making everyone jump.

"Wh-What's that?!" Dex gawked as Famous tapped on his PeT, causing the screens to change to show the Network transforming into a desert landscape.

"It's begun," Commander Beef grimaced.

"The fears of the scientists so long ago," Oda scowled before his PeT rang, "Oda."

"Oh god! Inspector! Th-They're everywhere!" a person on the line freaked…as a wave of buzzing noises poured out of the line.

"Calm down. What's wrong?"

"Th-This is the control tower for DenTech City's airport a-a-and there's a massive swarm of locust attacking us!" the person on the line shouted before glass shattering went off, "AUGH! THEY'RE INSIDE! THEY'RE IN…"

The line went dead. Moments later, all the power suddenly went off. Famous frowned before he typed into his PeT and a feed turned on, showing an avalanche in the Himalayas.

"What is this?" Lan whispered as alerts began to go off on all their PeTs, telling about avalanches in snow-ridden areas, a plague of locusts attacking airports, and rolling blackouts in multiple cities.

"Hmm…Pharaohman is likely utilizing maintenance programs in order to control insects, cause these blackouts, and given how fast the avalanches are triggering, he's possibly taken control of a few satellites and using their solar arrays to cause them," Ciel noted as Alouette moved closer to her in worry.

"I-Impossible!" Count Zap gawked.

"What a devil…" Match whispered.

"Gh…" Lan grimaced before looking at his PeT, "Vent…"

"...Maybe we can ask your father, Lan," Ciel spoke.

"Papa? …Oh yeah! That's right!" Lan looked over at Raika, Oda, and Famous, "Do you know where he is right now?"

"The scientists have set up a base camp of sorts outside of SciLab," Oda explained, "Even with the Network now being taken over by Pharaohman, they're still trying to do what they can to stop him. Most likely your father is running things now."

"Or he stepped out to check on his wife and saw his son and his friend staying with us running off in a hurry and followed them here," everyone but Mysteriyu jumped and looked to see Yuichiro at the doorway.

"...Why am I not shocked you get this sort of thing from your father, Hikari?" Chaud sighed.

"Actually, he gets it from both his parents," Yuichiro chuckled as he walked inside.

"Papa!" Lan beamed as he ran over and held up his PeT, "Vent…is he…?"

Yuichiro looked at the PeT, "This is quite amazing. Vent, during his Deletion, appears to have managed to fragment his 'soul' into pieces that went to all of you."

"And why's that anyways?" Maddy asked, "I mean, I'll admit that I've tried Deleting him a few times, so why me and these palookas I'm with?"

"The soul is a powerful thing," Yahoot spoke, "The strength of his is so grand, it likely transcends animosity and gained a bit of comradery with our NetNavis."

"He's always been a friendly one," Yuichiro chuckled, "But…yes. With this data…he will be revived."

Ashe narrowed her eyes, 'Here we go again. Hang on, Hub. This time things will be different.'

GT: Hoo boy…This is gonna be a doozy next time. Hope you're all ready for it.

Chapter 25: Saving NetNavi Vent

Chapter Text

GT: Day 29 of Mega May 2025 folks! And we come to the second-to-last portion of this epic conclusion!

"Can he really be revived?" Lan asked, looking at his father with hope and worry as the older NetSavers had discreetly gotten some fold out tables set up with folding chairs while the former WWW Agents had moved the arcade systems around to have enough space for everyone to sit at the tables.

"What you have in your PeT is without a doubt his Memory Data," Yuichiro confirmed, "All we need left is to find his Frame Data and he'll be revived easily enough."

"Frame?" Tory repeated.

"It's the base of all NetNavis, laddie," Match spoke, "Without that, Memory Data ain't got a thing for it."

"Only question is if it's still in the island's Network or if it went somewhere else," Maddy spoke, "Because if it's the former, that plan's sunk." pain erupted on the top of her head, "GH!?" she looked at Yahoot with a glower of annoyance.

"Vent was built in SciLab," Yuichiro informed, "His original frame may be gone, but I did make a backup of it when you visited for that flop of a party."

Zap felt a shiver down his spine, knowing very well that the man was giving him the darkest, most dangerous glare he'd ever felt since his mother was alive, 'It ain't just the kid that we need to be afraid of…'

"So let's get…" Lan began.

"Did you forget that Pharaohman took over the Network?" Raika questioned.

"He's isolated the entire SciLab Network from external access," Yuichiro sighed.

"So even if we got inside, it wouldn't do any good?" Ciel asked in concern.

"There are many security systems he's activated to keep everyone out," Yuichiro grimaced, "With the Network under his control, even more terrible events will occur all over the world."

"So there's nothing we can do?" Alouette asked, looking up at Yuichiro with big, watery eyes.

"N-Now hold on! That isn't what I'm saying!" Yuichiro quickly replied frantically before coughing into his fist and composing himself, "What we need are three things for one method I know of." he held up a finger, "First, we need a high-performance computer terminal. It would be even better if it were portable."

"Leave that to me," Yai declared, "I can prepare even a hundred or a thousand of them if need be!"

"That's a relief," Yuichiro noted, "Then the second would be NetNavis that can disable the barrier protecting his backup frame."

"We're up for it, sir," Maylu volunteered.

"You've got us," Dex replied.

"Vent and Lan are our friends, so we'll do all we can to help," Tory added.

"Indeed!" Yai grinned.

"If it means to recover a valuable ally, then I will re-enter combat," Searchman informed.

"Oh no ya don't! You are still healing! We'll check after things are set up and then we'll see if you are combat ready or not!" Medi scolded, "But, I want to go as well! An operation like this needs a medical professional to make sure there are no complications in the transfer of Memory Data into the new frame."

"Meow! Roze is comin' with!" 'Beep' declared before Alouette spoke, "Vent is very important to me, too! I want to help save him!"

"..." Yuichiro smiled, "I'm glad my boys have such good friends."

"That's dandy and all, but what if that Pharaohman spots 'em?" Maddy asked.

"...What if we perform a secondary maneuver?" Famous pondered.

"Secondary?" Yuichiro repeated.

Famous tapped on his PeT and the wall of monitors nearby changed, showing a set of chibis of everyone there. A white line divided the kids from the adults.

"While the kids are focused on retrieving Vent's frame, a second team will go out and attempt to shut down the entirety of SciLab's Network," Famous proposed.

"We can do that?" Match asked, standing up in surprise.

"Yes. There's a shutdown system inside of the Network for each area," Famous replied, "It's a mandatory piece of technology meant to isolate and shut down that single area of the Network to prevent an outbreak after an incident over a decade ago."

"That may be for the best," Yuichiro nodded, "I can provide you with the code to activate it as soon as we're ready."

"Papa," Lan spoke, earning his attention, "What's that third thing we need?"

"That one's easy," Yuichiro replied before holding up a large bag nobody realized he had been carrying, "Enjoying your mama's meat spaghetti."

"?!" Lan fell over at that.

[Your father's a smart man] Harpuia noted [Ever since Vent's Deletion, you have not been properly eating]

[Maylu~! He's gonna be stubborn, so you need to feed him~] Leviathan called out with a teasing giggle, causing Maylu to start blushing heavily.

Fafnir snickered [Hey, it might be easier to make him not avoid it if ya sit on his lap, too!]

Ciel struggled to not laugh at how red Lan and Maylu were getting, yet it was Phantom's statement that would send her over the edge [Make sure you keep your arms around her waist when she does sit in your lap. It will allow her stability and a valid reason to eat what she offers]

"What's got the lassie over there laughing?" Match asked in surprise as Ciel was repeatedly hitting the desk with her head pressed into her other arm, her muffled laughing still audible to everyone there.

"The ancient souls housed in the devices used by Ashe and Vent are playing matchmaker," Yahoot replied.

"The dancing around is cute at times, huh," Higsby quietly noted as he nodded in agreement as food began to be handed out to everyone.

"Considering the little robot dog with you, I take it you like dogs," Yuichiro noted as he looked at Maylu.

"Uh-huh," Maylu nodded, "I like cats, too, but I don't want to get one after some videos Ashe showed me on how difficult raising those can be."

Yuichiro nodded, "Understandable. Plus, Lan has a cat allergy so we couldn't even consider getting one."

"It's not that bad…" Lan grumbled.

"True, but still. Maylu, may I borrow your PeT for a moment?" Yuichiro asked.

"...Higsby," Commander Beef spoke.

"Yes?" Higsby asked.

"You know the access codes for the Undernet, correct?"

"Gh! T-The Undernet…"

"You know quite a lot about the darker side of the Network due to your rare chip hobby," Beef went on, "We need that expertise down there to access SciLab's Network without letting Pharohman learn of the primary team's method of access to the Network."

"So…it is you, the one who released me," Pharaohman noted within a massive onyx pyramid with golden decorations all over.

"I come to warn you of intruders, my lord," Pandora calmly spoke, "They seek to steal from you."

"Thieves?" Pharohman growled, "Where?"

"Within this Network that is your right to rule, there lies a NetNave Frame they wish to obtain," Pandora explained, "They will come soon."

"They try to steal from me?! Such insolence!" Pharaohman growled, "I thank you for your information, my subject. I will grant you a service. Speak it now or you shall not receive it."

Pandora barely smiled, "I offer you a soldier, one befitting your realm."

She held up a Model W and it floated before her. It glowed before transforming and a figure landed before her, bowing down. Their body took on the shape of a humanoid jackal, donned in pristine white straps of cloth. Darkened gold armor with hints of a royal dark blue covered much of the body, letting the white claws of their hands and feet be exposed. The armored jackal-like head was bowed down before slowly rising up to look upon Pharohman with sharp red eyes on its jackal face…and on the hiden face upon its neck.

"I am Anubis Necromances VI," the Pseudoroid declared, "I serve only my glorious master, the great and all mighty Pharaoh."

"Are you feeling better now, Lan?" Yuichiro asked.

"Y-Yeah…" Lan replied…as Maylu fed him a forkful of the red pasta.

[Oh we needed some humor here] Axl snickered.

[I can't believe she actually did it] Leviathan mumbled.

[I blame Ashe] Axl stated.

"Once you finish, we'll head out," Yuichiro spoke.

"The maids will have the system at the spot you requested in ten minutes, sir," Yai informed before taking a bite from her plate, "Haaah~ My compliments to your wife, sir!"

"She is quite the culinary capable woman," Yahoot nodded.

"Hey, Papa…Why did Vent's Memory Data go into so many PeTs?" Lan asked as one of Yai's maids drove a large van towards SciLab, letting Yuichiro man a command station of sorts inside of it with several screens showing the kids' NetNavis in the van's Network.

"My current theory is…because of Vent's Ultimate Program," Yuichiro replied.

"Vent has an Ultimate Program?" Chaud asked.

"Yes. Hyper Adaptability," Yuichiro replied, "It was quite the surprise when he triggered it when he was five. He had been running around, playing with a ball, only to slip and fall off a tall height. The next thing my old NetNavi and I knew, he was hovering because of a new attachment manifesting on his backpack. We had to wait until we got him calmed down from the panic attack that ensued to study it, but whenever Vent is in a life-threatening situation or something attacks his body, Hyper Adaptability will trigger and grant him something that will protect him. In this case, his Memory Data split into fragments and went into the PeTs of people that would be able to come together and reassemble it."

"Whoa~" Ciel awed.

"But…there's another reason, too, that I believe was a cause," Yuichiro added as he looked at Lan, "Your heart."

"M-My heart?" Lan looked at his chest.

"You have a strong heart, Lan. Allowing you to connect with so many people by being yourself," Yuichiro commented, causing Lan to look at everyone, all but Chaud and Raika giving him smiles as the two nodded at the youngest male of the group, "Trust in them to find Vent, Lan. All you can do is believe in them and wait patiently. But, don't forget that you have a big part in it all, too. Your time will come eventually once they find Vent's frame."

"Right," Lan nodded before Gutsman screamed, "Ah! Gutsman?"

In the Network, a hole manifested before the NetNavis. Everyone was tense, ready to fight…before a small pair of brown gloves peeked out. A moment passed and a tiny figure emerged. It looked like a small brown dog wearing a 'jacket' of sorts with a red collar.

"Awoo! Auf! Auf!" the dog barked.

"...Puppy~!" Ashe squealed under her breath, 'It's Rush! My puppy! Oh my gosh, he was so tiny and cute and-Eeeeeeeee~!'

"I think Ashe isn't going to be listening to anything else right now," Maylu sighed, seeing hearts in Ashe's eyes, "She has a thing about dogs, especially tiny ones."

"Oh dear…"

"Not a bad thing like being afraid or hating them, Dr. Hikari…She loves them," Maylu sighed before the puppy crawled out of the hole, walked up to Ashe, barked, and jumped into the silverette's arms to nuzzle her.

'Eeeeeee~!' Ashe mentally squealed as she cuddled the tiny dog, "Oh, you are just so cute and little and all things adorable and strong and brave! Oh! How about 'Rush' for your name?"

"That's actually his name," Yuichiro chuckled, "I'm happy you like him."

"Like? I love him!" Ashe cooed, cuddling the dog program.

"Arf!" Rush barked happily before licking her cheek and nuzzling against her.

"He's a lil' guy, ain't he, guts?" Gutsman asked before Rush looked at him and vanished, "Huh?! Where did he…?" a pie hit him in the face, "PFFT!"

"Auf auf!" Rush taunted, blowing a raspberry at Gutsman before jumping into a hole.

"Why you…!" Gutsman growled as he ran to where the hole had been, "Gone? Where did he go, guts?" a hole appeared on his crotch and Rush poked out, barking, "AH!" Rush blew another raspberry at him, "GH! Why you…!"

*WHAM!*

"EEEEERRRRRRK!" Gutsman's eyes bulged out as Rush came out of another hole and jumped into Ashe's arms.

"Timber," Ashe joked as Gutsman fell over, locked up in agony.

"This a present from me to you girls," Yuichiro spoke, "He'll be able to bring you straight to Vent's frame."

"I'm in puppy paradise~" Ashe sighed in joy, nuzzling Rush and earning licks from him.

"Given your statement, Rush was preloaded with Vent's scent to help find him, correct?" Protoman asked as he walked over.

"Awo?" Rush tilted his head at him.

"He is, yes. Rush can always find Vent no matter where he is," Yuichiro replied, "The same with Ashe since she's his designated owner now."

"Best puppy!" Ashe cheered, kissing Rush's forehead.

[I am so weirded out…] Axl muttered.

[It's a little puppy~!] Leviathan cooed [Oh~! Ashe, MegaMerge with me~! I wanna snuggle the adorable widdle baby, too~!]

"We've arrived to SciLab," Yai's maid informed.

"Excellent job as always, Deloris!" Yai beamed as the van halted before the security gate where a pair of scientists approached.

"Dr. Hikari!" one recognized the man.

"Let us in, Dennis," Yuichiro ordered, "Grab Jerry and meet us inside."

"How the hell does a wimpy guy like you get connections in the Undernet?" Maddy asked as Higsby worked hard at a computer with Famous, "The old geezer, I get, but you?"

"BattleChips and their data are interconnected. It's just good business to have minor connections," Higsby replied, "Plus, they're shared with the CID so I know they can be trusted."

"Really?" Zap asked, looking at Oda.

"This connection in the Undernet was…my late wife's NetNavi," Oda replied, looking down in sadness.

"Even though Ciel created me, this NetNavi I see as my father," Japanman added, his repairs finally finishing up.

"Okay, we've got a link established, huh," Higsby informed.

"We'll split into two teams for this. The first team will get Pharaohman's attention in order to keep the second team will locate and activate the shutdown sequence," Famous informed.

"Elecman and I will be on the first one," Zap offered, "His healing ability will be good at delaying him from finding out about the second team and the kids."

"Skullman and I will join as well," Mysteriyu informed.

"As will Sharkman and I," Beef spoke.

"You have myself and Magicman to help," Yahoot declared.

"As much as I'd like to have Coloredman deal with him, I know we can't handle the guy," Maddy spoke, "I'm fine with going after the shutdown system."

"I volunteer to be the one who inputs the code," Numberman volunteered.

"I'd rather you not get harmed again by him, Japanman," Oda noted, looking at his partner.

"It is fine, my friend. I will protect Numberman alongside those who come with us to shut down the system," Japanman declared.

'Seems the smaller team of Magicman, Skullman, Sharkman, and Elecman will handle distracting Pharaohman from the real goal that Numberman, Japanman, Coloredman, Woodman, and Fireman are tasked with handling,' Famous thought.

"Preparations are set," Dennis informed as everyone stood before a system setup that was plugged into the van and then into a port on one of SciLab's buildings.

"Now comes the hard part for us: disabling SciLab's security system to let the NetNavis get into SciLab's Network," Ciel noted, sitting beside Yuichiro as they readied to input commands at the computer with Lan watching.

"Since this won't be the normal way of accessing it, we can't leave it disabled for a long period of time," Yuichiro advised before looking outside, "You're good to head in!"

"Jack In!" everyone called out.

In the Network, the NetNavis appeared inside of a magenta tunnel. They all began to 'fly' through the tunnel with Roll A leading them and carrying Rush in one arm and one of her guns in the other. As Yuichiro and Ciel worked, various doors materialized in the way of the NetNavis, opening each time they got to one and entered it.

"This is the last security door," Yuichiro informed after several minutes, "Once you're through this one, you can access SciLab's Network."

'I feel like I'm forgetting something, but what is it…?' Roll A pondered as the final door opened…and she screamed as she was the first to crash down to the ground…before everyone but Searchman and Protoman landed on her, "GAH! …Owww…" 'Oh right…everyone landed on me!' "You all…have three seconds to…get off me before I…go Bifrost on your butts!" The next thing Meddy knew, the three boys were immediately off her and beside Protoman and Searchman and she was being carried in Gutsman's arms…with all three boys sweating and shaking in fear, "Ugh…Glad I was in armor, but still…!"

"Look alive," Protoman ordered.

Everyone looked out and blinked. Before them wasn't the familiar paneled landscape and constantly changing 'skies.' Instead, it was a massive desert landscape with clear blue skies and a bright sun high above.

"This is SciLab's Network?" Glyde pondered.

Roll A frowned, 'This feels like the outlands in my old life…and exactly how SciLab looked when I originally came here in my first life.'

"This was all…from Pharaohman's Ultimate Program?" Meddy asked.

"Pharaohman must be truly powerful then, correct?" Glyde questioned, looking at Searchman in concern.

"He is," Searchman confirmed, "Even when the entire unit utilized the strongest Program Advances we could…not a single one scratched him."

"Remember, Rush has the scent for Vent's Frame installed into him. Just follow him and you'll find it," Yuichiro reminded them.

"Auf auf!" Rush barked.

"Mmm…" Gutsman glowered at the dog.

"Be careful! If Pharaohman can alter the entire Network like this, then who knows what he's done to the Viruses!" Ciel warned.

A part of the 'air' cracked before exploding, allowing the second and third teams to enter SciLab's Network. They looked around, seeing they were in a sort of oasis.

"We're in," Sharkman spoke, "What next?"

"Strike Team, head out and start causing a commotion. Destroy Team, locate the main computer's power source and shut it down," Beef commanded.

"By shutting down the main computer, we can isolate Pharaohman inside of the Network long enough to extract and seal him inside of another computer chip," Madam Rose noted.

"And then we smash it with a sledgehammer, right?" Maddy suggested.

"It would be for the best; a NetNavi this powerful and psychotic must be put to rest," Magicman agreed as they started to separate…only to freeze as gouts of flames and blasts of lightning started to strike around them, "!?"

Anubis floated down before them, "So you are the intruders Lord Pharaohman was warned of that attempt to steal from him."

"?! Wh-Who are you?" Coloredman asked.

"I am Anubis Necromancess the VI," the jackal declared, "I was created to serve my great Pharaoh. May all those who dare attempt to bring him harm or steal what is his be buried beneath the soil."

"Oh crap," Elecman gulped.

A-Bifrost growled, keeping low and slowly moving. Beneath her, the others crawled along their stomachs and tried hard to not be blown away by the intense sandstorm going on around them. Rush barked a few times before making a hole appear.

"You tryin' ta run away, guts?!" Gutsman demanded.

"Auf auf arf!" Rush barked a few times at the hole before a Mettaur peeked out of it.

"A Mettaur?" Glyde pondered.

"This little program can summon Viruses?" Searchman asked before Rush and the Mettaur went into the hole.

"Don't underestimate my new puppy," A-Bifrost chuckled as, a minute later, the sandstorm abated, revealing the multiple Viruses resembling portable red fans were scattered about and deleting while behind them all, Rush was waving as a swarm of Mettaur were going back into the large hole beside him.

"Arf!" Rush barked, smiling at them with a wagging tail.

In a flash, Roll A scooped up Rush and cuddled him, "Ohh~! You are the bestest digital puppy in the whole Network~!"

"Let's keep moving," Protoman ordered.

"I know, I know," Roll A huffed as she waved a hand to collect all the data of the Viruses-pocketing all the Zenny-before splitting the data among them all, "Better to have this and not need it over needing it and not having it."

"Does she always do this?" Raika asked.

"Only when there's data to collect from Virus Busting," Maylu sighed.

Several minutes passed and they soon came upon what appeared to be a partially buried ruined excavation site of sorts. They descended down deep into it, Rush at the lead. Beneath that, they entered a cavern lit with various blue crystals. Rush kept sniffing the floor before running ahead and barked when he stood before a large door.

"This is it," Yuichiro confirmed, "Behind here, Vent's Frame is awaiting you all."

"I'll open it," Glyde volunteered.

"Everyone, be ready for anything that might be protecting his Frame," Protoman advised.

Everyone tensed as they readied themselves for a battle if needed. Glyde began to put in the code as Dr. Hikari relayed it to him. As Glyde put in the last sequence, the door slid open with a brilliant light shining from within. Slowly, the light faded and revealed the area had become a modest lab-like interior. Rush barked and they looked at him to see a cylinder of sorts filled with data.

"Papa, is that…?"

"Yes, Lan. That's his Frame," Yuichiro confirmed.

"Lan, there's something important you need to know before you send Vent's Memory Data in there," Yuichiro spoke…before pulling out a GigaChip, depicting the shadow of a young boy in a blue aura outline.

"H-Huh?" Lan blinked as he accepted the GigaChip, "'HubBAT.' …W-Wait! Vent's like Ashe?!"

"Hm?" Yuichiro pondered.

"We learned that Ashe was a human girl named Kalinka Cossack before she, on her deathbed, was converted into a NetNavi to save her life," Ciel explained, "Chaud and Raika know as well, but not the others."

Yuichiro gawked as he looked out at Maylu, "Maylu, Chaud, Raika, please come in here for a moment!"

"What's wrong?" Chaud asked the moment they entered.

"Maylu…You know Ashe's origins?"

"Yes," Maylu nodded, "You…You know them, too?"

Yuichiro nodded, "I was the one who helped my uncle Mikhail with the process…because I had done it myself." he reached into his coat and pulled out a picture frame, "I was able to get this out of my lab before evacuations were demanded of all of us." he opened it and pulled the photo out, showing Haruka holding a baby in blue footie pajamas.

"Aww~ Is that Lan as a baby?" Maylu asked.

"...No," Yuichiro replied before he unfolded it…revealing a younger him holding a baby in orange footie pajamas, "I'm the one holding Lan."

"?!" Lan gawked.

"In order to fully revive Vent…you need to understand his story," Yuichiro spoke, "Elevel, almost twelve, years ago, Haruka gave birth to twins. The younger brother, Lan, was rambunctious from the start, so full of spirit and vigor. But…the older brother…Hub…he was born with HBD."

"HBD?" Maylu repeated.

"Heart Bypass Disorder. It's a genetic condition where the heart doesn't work properly and too much stimulation can cause the victim of it to be unable to properly breathe or do much of anything," Chaud explained, "It should only develop in people four years and older."

"Keyword being 'should,'" Yuichiro admitted, "The doctors gave him six months to live. He managed to survive for over a year. During that time, we were so terrified for Hub and tried to figure out how to save him." he looked at his reflection in a monitor, his left eye reflected inside of it, "It was when Haruka said my father's name in one conversation that I remembered a project he and uncle Albert worked together on."

"The matter to data conversion one," Maylu realized, earning a nod.

"At first, Haruka was worried for what would happen to Hub, but we talked and talked and talked some more while spending as much time with both our boys as we could," Yuichiro went on, "Eventually…it was time. We had our final moments with Hub and, well…" he looked at Lan somberly, "...you started to cry when it was time. You didn't want to let go of Hub like you knew it would be the last time you'd ever physically be able to be in contact with your twin. It broke our hearts having to separate you from him before I turned the program on and he became a NetNavi known as 'Megaman' and eventually Vent."

"Y-You mean all this time…I…I was sending…" Lan whispered, horror appearing on his face.

"He asked to be your NetNavi," Yuichiro spoke, "He knew the risks and dangers and he still wanted to be your NetNavi. But…there was a catch."

"A catch?" Chaud repeated.

"I had to alter the DNA Data in Megaman and store that change inside of that GigaChip," Yuichiro admitted, "The reason for this is because of a test I did. I made a NetNavi using my own DNA Data. His name was Giroette or 'Giro' for short. When we did some Virus Busting tests, all the injuries Giro was getting manifested onto my own body. I came to realize that doing what I did led to us having a sort of pseudo FullSynchro whenever we worked together. I couldn't do what you kids can, but Giro was incredibly powerful when we worked together. But I couldn't do that to you and Hub, to let you both get hurt if you were doing something that kids would do, so I altered Vent's code by just a tiny percentage that would be enough to avoid that." he looked at Lan, "Lan, if you use that with the Memory Data, Vent will be restored. But doing it will also mean you and Vent will be in a semi-state of FullSynchro for the rest of your lives. If Vent were to be Deleted ever again…"

"..." Lan looked at the floor.

"Lan…" Maylu whispered before holding his hand with HubBAT in it, KalinkaBAT in that same hand, "It feels guilty, huh?"

"M-Maylu…?"

"I was feeling the same way, making Roll fight…but…I never made her fight. She always wanted to be the brawler," Maylu spoke, "Hub…is a lot like Kalinka. They both love us a lot and want to protect us." she smiled at him, "That's what older siblings do; they want to protect their younger ones no matter what happens to them. We just have to be good younger siblings and reign them in from going too far."

"Still…" Lan mumbled.

[Lan] X spoke up [Vent told us about this when we became partners. He was going to tell you immediately after the N1 because, win or lose, he wanted to tell you the truth]

[Hell, he wanted to tell you almost immediately on day one!] Fafnir added [But he wanted to make sure you were ready and by the time the N1 was comin' up, he knew you could handle this]

[He loves you so much, Lan. He was always second-guessing himself at times on whether or not to ever tell you, but then he'd look at you and immediately feel comforted, knowing you're more than ready to know] Leviathan added.

[He holds a great deal of trust in you with wanting to tell you the truth almost immediately, but he knew that you may act like this] Phantom added.

[Don't be upset with anyone, not even yourself, Lan. What's done is done, but what happens next is up to you] Zero added.

"...O-Okay," Lan nodded, sniffling as he wiped some tears from his eyes, "Okay, I'll use it. I…I want Ven…I want Hub back."

"Install the Memory Data first and, while it's loading, Download HubBAT," Yuichiro instructed.

Lan nodded. All four ran outside and to the system. Lan looked at his PeT, focused on the spinning emblem inside of it that the Biometals were protecting. With a nod, he aimed his PeT at the device.

"Jack in, Vent!" Lan declared.

Inside of the PeT, the emblem vanished with Model X following. Inside of the Network, the emblem appeared inside of the cylinder as Model X laid atop of the device. The data inside of it glowed before reassembling into, at first, a young NetNavi around Lan's age donned in Vent's bodysuit, boots, and gloves. But he also had a blue backpack of sorts and a helmet that let short cobalt hair stick out underneath the helmet.

"Oh, he looks cute like this," Meddy admitted, "Those little bits of hair in the back are just so adorable."

'So glad she doesn't find long hair attractive,' Roll A thought, her eye twitching, before Model X glowed and the boy turned into Vent, his emblem dark.

"Okay…" Lan inhaled deeply before holding up the GigaChip, 'Please…come back to me…to everyone…Hub…' "HubBAT, Download!"

Vent's body began to softly shine…yet he didn't awake.

"It will take time for Vent's body to optimize due to the unique structure of his frame," Yuichiro explained.

"How long will it take?" Dex asked.

"We can't tell," Ciel admitted with a grimace.

[I can tell] X stated [Vent is my partner. When his consciousness stirs, I can let you all know] a soft clatter made him float a little to turn and see Model O and Model Z at his sides in a sort of three-pointed 'star' formation.

[Don't know why he's here, but Vent's my partner, too] Z stated.

If X had a mouth, he'd feel like he would be smiling at this [It's fine. We'll let you know when Vent's awakening]

Suddenly, the area began to rumble. Cracks manifested on the container and the room began to shift and alter. Before anyone could move, the room transformed into Pharaohman's throne room…and the NetNavi was atop his throne, glaring down upon them all.

"You dare try to steal from me?!" Pharaohman demanded, "Such insolence!"

"P-Pharaohman!" Searchman gasped.

"Pandora was correct on you thieves!" he went on as the container holding Vent fell over and shattered, the three Biometals quickly attaching themselves to the body, "None will take my prize from me!"

"Keep your hands off him, asshole!" Roll A shouted, shooting at Pharaohman only for a sarcophagus to appear and take the shots.

"You want him so bad? Then you will become part of my collection to stay with him then! ANUBIS!" Pharaohman roared as Jackal-themed sarcophagi manifested around them.

"Don't look at them!" Searchman shouted, closing his eyes.

"What do you me…?" Gutsman began as the one before him had its eyes start glowing…and his body turned to stone.

"?! Gutsma…!" Glyde began before another moved before him and turned him to stone.

"Ah!" Iceman freaked, closing his eyes and quickly let out a blast of freezing air at the one before him, encasing it in ice, "..." he opened his eyes to look at it and grinned, "Can't turn me to stone now, can y…" the eyes of the statue glowed inside of the ice and Iceman soon joined the other two.

"Meddy, Roze, get to Vent," Roll A whispered before her guns shined, "GIGA CRUSH!"

She closed her eyes and screamed, letting loose a barrage of shots that ripped and tore into the statues around them along with damaging the area. At the same time, Protoman's visor grew even darker as he moved around, slicing into ones that were avoiding the Giga Crush. By the end of it, the statues were all destroyed and the throne room was a wreck.

"You dare destroy my room!?" Pharaohman snapped before a red laser shot out at them, four of them moving away as Roze roared as he swung his Beam Saber…and soaked in the shot, "What?"

"Laser attacks don't work on me!" Roze shouted, jumping up and swinging his sword at Pharaohman, only to bounce off the sarcophagus that materialized to block it.

"Then take this laser!" Pharaohman declared, his arms detaching and coming together.

A glint went off before a massive beam ripped out of them and engulfed Roze, who screamed as he was forced to Log Out. Alouette hugged her PeT in worry for Roze and the others, biting her lower lip.

'I need to train…' she vowed.

Back in the Network, Meddy reached Vent and scooped him up.

"We have to go," Searchman ordered, "I'll cover you."

"Right," Meddy nodded, about to run when she grunted in pain and looked down, seeing that her and Searchman's legs were engulfed in sand that turned into sandstone pillars that covered their legs up to their knees, "?!"

"You will not take what is mine!" Pharaohman bellowed before halves of sarcophagi manifested by them, "Eternal Entombment!"

Meddy barely tossed Vent to the side before the halves slammed into both NetNavis, entombing them inside of the sarcophagi. Outside, Jasmine and Yai held one another as tears fell down their faces, the connection to their NetNavis lost. Dex growled, slamming a fist on the table, as Raika glared harshly at the monitor showing Pharaohman. Sand rose up to engulf Vent only for his body to vanish to the Ultimate NetNavi's surprise. He looked around before finding Protoman and…Protoman? The second one gently laid Vent down before, in a flash, she turned into Roll A once more. Pharaohman grunted as several slices went across his body.

"Wh-What?!" Pharaohman gasped.

"I couldn't copy Slingshot, but that's fine with me," Roll A stated, "Still got at least three slices in while carrying Vent."

Protoman nodded, "So there's a limit to your power. Good to know."

"You insolent thieves!" Pharaohman snarled before a familiar star hovered out of him and into Roll A's helmet, "!?"

"I may not get your Ultimate Program, but I'm gonna use what I can to protect my boyfriend! A-TRANS! PHARAOHMAN!" Roll A shouted.

A flash of light went off at that. Pharaohman narrowed his eyes as a rising fury erupted inside of his core as his exact duplicate formed before him.

[Let's do this, Ashe] Model A 'smirked.'

"Have at thee!" A-Pharaohman declared before firing lasers from her eyes that were swiftly countered with the original's, creating a large explosion between the two that was dispersed as Protoman shot through it and swung his sword only to move away the moment an Anubis blocked it at the cost of its destruction and letting Pharaohman retaliate with a beam of his own.

"Sand Crush!" Anubis shouted, creating two massive walls of sand to slam into them, hardened sandstone spikes adding a touch more injury.

"LavaWave!" Fireman roared, slamming a fist down and sending up a tidal wave of magma at one of the walls, flash hardening it into molten glass.

"AquaTower!" Coloredman and Sharkman roared out, Coloredman's minion creating the pillar of water for him, before the attacks collided with the sand wall, melting it into a pile of muddy sands.

"Sand Juggling!" Anubis declared as a sand version of AquaTower headed for them.

"Your skills with the sand would make one weaker rescind. But not I, for I cast a powerful Magic Wind!" Magicman declared as several large cream fan boxes materialized at his sides, letting loose a powerful wind that created a tornado that dispersed the attack and slammed into Anubis.

"How goes the shutdown?" Elecman asked.

"I'm inputting it as fast as I can!" Numberman replied.

"I will not yield!" Anubis roared.

"Neither will we!" Fireman and Sharkman roared as they lunged at him.

Anubis swung his staff as Fireman and Sharkman swung a FireSword and AquaSword together. The three passed one another and landed opposite of one another. All three stumbled…before Anubis gagged as he was split into three.

"Even…in a new life…Fire and Ice…still prevail…" Anubis groaned as he collapsed, Deleted as he almost touched the ground.

"Hope those kids are done restoring Vent," Woodman whispered, none of them watching as Skullman looked to the distance and smiled.

Vent blinked as he looked around, a tunnel with glowing gems behind him. Ahead? The same tunnel. With a shrug, he walked down the tunnel. Soon, he entered a large chamber, several different jagged crystals jutting out of the ground in a circle. Vent entered it and a sound of hard, short breaths made him look over his shoulder. The white crystal's surface showed an infant, barely a year old, unable to breathe. He frowned sadly at the sight before looking to a blue one, showing his life as a NetNavi, his body mangled and looking as if it had been crushed beneath a giant fist, his eyes filled with grief and a broken heart. The green gem showed him in his last moments in his last life. The purple and last was of him with Prometheus's scythe going through his chest, who grimaced and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head when he noticed Vent looking at him.

"...Hello again," Vent greeted…but not to one of his reflections.

A strong snort of derision went off from the darkness, "Holá, niño."

Footsteps echoed before a figure emerged from the shadows. Black leather and fabrics donned them in the visage of a shinobi with the ends covered in dark leather strapped in place by frayed, thick, dark ropes. The wolf atop hind legs calmly approached, chakrams in hand-like paws as he entered the circle, red eyes focused upon Vent. One chakram flipped out, becoming a scythe-like bowie knife of sorts, and pressed it against Vent's neck.

"I want it to be clear: I despise you," the wolf growled in annoyance, "And yet, I commend and respect you. You face me with the respect and dignity I only receive from a handful of beings. You are not afraid because you know it is a part of life. But…you are also a Chosen of existence itself. Your name and title forever bound to a life of struggle and strife."

"I'm sorry for the work I give you when it should've been just done and dealt with years ago," Vent apologized.

"And one of the even fewer who apologize for it and actually mean it," he sighed before gesturing to another path, "Hurry on now. You have a girlfriend to assure you're alive and a brother to comfort and help deal with an hombré I've been itching to get from this new river you kids caused. Your girlfriend is going to unintentionally give you a boost to fully heal up, by the way. Plus…" he grinned savagely, "Existence tends to give me recompense in the form of alternate realities that deviate from the Canon Couples that Existence gets annoyed with coming into existence." He ran off, "Off to off another incest one between you brothers. Adiós!"

A drop of sweat went down the back of his head. He respected this iteration of Death, but sometimes he feels more hammy than he should be. Still…he turned to the new tunnel and walked down it.

"Only death awaits those who dare to oppose me," Pharaohman coldly declared, glaring down upon the panting Ashe and Protoman, Model A dulled and almost colorless while the spikes on Protoman's armor had all broken or been cut off as half of his sunglasses had been broken and exposed a sapphire blue eye behind it.

"This…This guy is an older model…r-right…?" Ashe asked.

"Yes…" Protoman confirmed.

"...L…Lan's gramps's skills are busted as hell," Ashe grunted.

"Agreed," Protoman grimaced, "But…we…we can't give up."

"Y-yeah," Ashe nodded as she glared at Pharaohman, "We're…gonna win. We're…taking Mega home with us."

"You will take nothing," Pharaohman declared before looking towards the stabilizing NetNavi…and fired a laser at him.

"?! NO!" Ashe screamed.

Ashe ran as fast as she could, putting everything she had to get between the laser and Vent. Tears stung her eyes and the cuts on her face as it began to reach her. She forced the connection with Maylu for FullSynchro to end as it came closer. Her clothes began to burn as she felt the intense heat of the shot. Just as it neared her CyberCore…her core let out a small pulse. The beam swelled as it was halted…before six angelic silver wings of light erupted from Ashe's back. A shockwave erupted from the spreading of the winds, actually forcing Pharaohman back.

"R-Roll!" Maylu gasped.

"What is this?" Yai gasped as the wings dispersed into feathers that raced around.

Several feathers fell upon the stone NetNavis before sinking into them…and their petrification reversed. Gutsman stumbled and fell flat on his face with a groan as Glyde looked around in surprise. More fell onto Protoman and sank into him. He felt…an odd sense of warmth…as if someone were hugging him. He looked at his hands to see his injuries fading and the damage to his armor repairing almost instantly. Several fell onto Ashe herself along with Model A, the color immediately returning as they sunk into the Biometal.

[AH! WHO-WHAT-WHEN-WHERE-WHY-HOW?!] Model A yelped, looking around.

"She really does have one," Raika gasped.

"One what?" Jasmine asked.

"An Ultimate Program," Raika replied.

The remaining feathers gathered around Vent, each one quickly absorbed into the stabilizing body. His body began to shine brightly…as the skies above turned to darkness.

"Ugh…" Numberman groaned, collapsing onto his back into Woodman's hands, "System shutdown has initiated."

"Great work," Woodman complimented as the others got over to him.

"We're gonna be stuck here for a while, aren't we?" Sharkman asked.

"At least until they can isolate Pharaohman and safely turn it all back on," Fireman replied.

"...Anyone have a Poker program?" Coloredman asked.

"We won't be in shutdown for long," everyone looked at Skullman as he stared at the distance, "...Fireman, I need you to roast a few bones for me."

"Huh?"

"Humor a skeleton, would ya?" Skullman tossed him a few bones.

"..." Fireman let out a blast of flames, letting the bones become blackened and start to crack.

"...The Messiah approaches to slay the false ruler," Skullman read, "The last secrets will be exposed this week to the Canon Couple. Time comes and heals wounds long suffered as bonds grow all the more powerful. The Chosen of Shadows and Wind approach as the Grave breaks down. The Game of Destiny comes as the nebulous threat moves to cast Darkness upon the world."

"Do ya gotta be so vague?!" Sharkman complained.

"...A cannon couple? Must love to blow up stuff," Coloredman noted.

"No, no, no. Canon Couple. Canon. As in a couple the world specifically made in order to have the world thrive for the next generation and not cause it to die," Woodman explained, "Like Star Potter and Germa Wessler."

"Ugh…! I hate that couple so much! There was no buildup like there is between Star Potter and Harmony Ginger!" Elecman complained.

"Indeed! It was far more calculable to pick those two over the one the author chose, especially with the insensitive lazy oaf that is John Wessler!" Numberman agreed.

“Hub…” Lan whispered, looking at the darkened screens of SciLab as ‘SIGNAL LOST’ was visible on the computers they were all at.

“It will be alright, Lan,” Yuichiro assured, “We know Pharaohman’s unique signature, so we can isolate him and remove him in just a few hours.”

“Foolish humans.”

“!?” everyone froze…as they heard systems turning back on almost immediately.

Everyone slowly looked at the screens, watching as Pharohman’s body was derezzing nearby…as a tall, strong-built figure stood where he had hovered. Black gauntlets and boots adorned in golden serpents covered his arms and feet while his torso was covered in black and gold armor shaped like the head of a crocodile. Golden metal wings of an eagle graced his back while his head wore a headdress similar in shape to Pharaohman’s ‘head’ while a powerful black and red aura came off of him.

“N-No way…” Lan whispered, “He was wearing a limiter ?! And he was still that powerful!?”

“Just…Just what kind of power does…does this NetNavi have?” Chaud choked out as Raika trembled, feeling a sensation of fear he hadn’t in a long time.

“We gotta get everyone Logged Out then!” Yai exclaimed.

“I am the King of All Creation and Ruler of All Things in Nature!” Pharaohman declared, an arm held outwards.

“You foolish humans and NetNavis who stand against the king, pay for your sins with your lives,” Pharaohman coldly declared as his eyes flashed red while swinging his arm downwards.

“What are you doing?” Meddy scowled before alarms went off from the mics of their NetOps’ PeTs.

“This is bad! Pharaohman just used the satellites at SciLab to redirect a satellite off its orbit!” Yuichiro exclaimed.

“WHAT?!” everyone gasped.

“Tracking…if we don’t get it to alter course in ten minutes, then in one hour…” Famous spoke as he typed on the computer before it showed a map of Den Tech City, “...it will crash right into the center of Den Tech City. The impact will destroy everything and kill everyone in a two hundred kilometer radius!”

“OH MY GOD!-!-!-!” Zap freaked.

“We’re all gonna die!” Maddy freaked.

“We have to stop this,” Oda growled.

“But…how?” Match asked.

“The only way to stop it is to Delete me,” Pharohman declared as Viruses began to materialize all over, “But…none can stand up to the King!” he swung a hand out and the Viruses swarmed, “DELETE THEM ALL!” a barrage of buster shots tore into the Viruses, “!?”

“Wh-What the…?” Meddy gasped as police NetNavis had their busters out, shooting at the Viruses.

“These are…” Searchman gasped before Punk slammed an arm down hard on a Handy Virus that tried to set off a bomb behind the sniper NetNavi, “Punk!”

“Don’t know what happened. One moment I sees this weird ugly dog statue. The next, we’re in a pyramid with a buncha folks,” Punk huffed.

“Pharaohman turned you and the other NetNavis meant to guard SciLab to stone,” Famous informed, “He must be Deleted in nine minutes or we’re all goners.”

“But…how did they…?” Pharaohman whispered before glaring at Ashe.

Ashe knelt down and held Vent’s hand, “Come on, Mega…Please…wake up.”

“ You …” Ashe looked to see Pharaohman glaring at her, his hands together with the palms cupped, “You are a threat. Perish! DIVINE JUDGMENT!”

A beam several times larger than any of his previous ones tore out of him, knocking NetNavis and Viruses away and out of the path. As it nearly came upon a wide-eyed Ashe, Vent pulled her behind him and the beam was split apart into several blasts. Slowly, it died down with multiple holes in one side of the pyramid.

"So…you woke up," Vent noted, a small smile on his lips.

"MEGA!" Ashe exclaimed in joy and relief before seeing Model O hovering, "Huh?"

"Vent…is that…" Lan began.

"Yeah," Vent replied as he looked at the Biometal, "Biometal Model O."

[Saito…Tsuyoi da (Saito…he's strong)] Model O noted, still 'looking' at Pharaohman.

"Ah…This guy has the same potential I do," Vent replied.

[...Ta…ka…te (Fight)?]

"Yep. Time to fight, Omega," Vent replied as he caught the Biometal, "Model X! Model O!" He swung them above his head, "Double MegaMerge!"

[Biolink Established. Meta Encapsulated Granule Awareness/ Rebirth Of Crystalized Knowledge System Online]

Pharaohman nearly fell over from the explosion of power that erupted from Vent, the pillar of light produced tearing apart the Viruses and destroying the roof above. The light dissipated, revealing Megaman Model ZX. Yet…his red coloration was far darker than before while his hair was far lighter. He deployed his sword, but instead of the rich green…it was a vivid magenta. His eyes snapped open as he swung his free arm ahead and aimed at Pharaohman, revealing an ominous, glowing omega symbol with a tiny 'X' in it in the palm of his hand. He clenched it tightly and grinned ominously at the sarcophagus NetNavi.

"Ware-tachi wa Messiah nari (We are the Messiah)! Megaman Model OX!" he declared with a dark, yet heroic, laugh.

[Nani? Ni no tamashii (What? Two souls)?]

"Um…You're probably sensing me, Omega," Lan noted, "I'm Lan. Hub and I are in a state called FullSynchro, so I'm kinda in his mind so to speak. Nice to finally meet ya!"

[…Netto…Hai] O agreed before OX readied himself [Saito…Netto…Eksu…Ikuze (Let's go)...]

"Battle Routine Set!"

"Execute!" OX declared.

"Be buried in the sands where you belong!" Pharaohman roared, firing his eye lasers at OX only for the strongest combination to easily cleave through them.

He dashed at Pharaohman, delivering several swift slashes before avoiding a sarcophagus that tried to slam into him from above. He fired several shots from his OX Buster, knocking Pharaohman out of the sky. The sarcophagus-themed NetNavi's eyes went wide as OX was upon him, the shadows cast from the 'sun' above allowing only the glowing gems and his blood red eyes to glow. OX roared as an ElecSword-empowered OX Saber tore through the sarcophagus shield Pharaohman had deployed before it turned into a cat-o-nine that he used to ensnare Pharaohman with. He roared as he pulled, forcing Pharaohman towards him. OX roared, spinning Pharaohman over his head multiple times before slamming him down hard on the ground, cratering it.

"Im…Impossible!" Pharaohman exclaimed, shooting out of the hole before producing several Anubis statues and quickly engulfed OX in them, "Be turned to stone!"

"Mega/Lan!" Ashe and Maylu shouted before purple light erupted between the gaps of the statues.

"Overdrive!] OX roared out, letting loose a pulse that decimated the Anubis statues surrounding him.

The pulse of the Overdrive turned the entire Network to static…before settling into its original appearance. The only major difference…was the massive singularity in the duality green and blue 'skies' above.

"Y…You overpowered my Ultimate Program…?" Pharaohman whispered…as fear settled into him at last.

"You are no King] OX declared, aiming his sword at him.

"N-No! Stay…Stay back! STAY BACK!" Pharaohman screamed, firing everything he had at OX.

The dark red NetNavi glared at the Ultimate NetNavi. He proceeded to charge, his blade singing as he turned it into a blur, slicing apart everything that came at him. A second OX saber materialized and he began to dual wield them and becoming essentially a living blender of sorts, tearing apart everything between him and Pharaohman.

"No! No! Stay back! St-Stay back! I…I am King! I am the King of All Creation!" Pharaohman screamed as OX jumped into the air, avoiding the last massive beam from him.

"YOU ARE KING OF NOTHING! BEGONE FROM OUR SIGHT, UNWORTHY USURPER!] In a unified roar of NetOp and NetNavi, OX swung and cleaved through the terrified Pharaohman.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGH!-!-!-!" Pharaohman cried out in agony as his body exploded several times over.

=PHARAOHMAN: DELETED=

The entire Network trembled as it turned to static once more. In a flash, Vent caught X and O as they stood in the restored SciLab Network. He looked up at the alternating binary codes in the air, constantly saying 'Welcome to SciLab' and 'NetNavis and Humans United As One.' Running footsteps made it to him before he turned and welcomed the tight hug from a crying Ashe.

"MEGA!"

"Roll!" Vent smiled, giving her a small hug.

"Y-You big dummy!" Ashe sniffled, looking at her boyfriend with large tears welling in her eyes.

"..." Vent held her close, "I'm sorry, Roll."

"Hub, you big dummy…" Roll softly whispered back, "It…It happened again…I lost you a-and…"

"It's alright. I'm still here," Vent whispered in assurance, gently rocking them both, "It's okay…"

"Emergency override accepted!" Ciel called out, "The satellite is returning to orbit now!"

"Good," Yuichiro nodded…before everyone sighed in relief and collapsed to the floor or in their seats.

"All in favor of Logging everyone out…going to Yai's place…and pass out in the clubhouse until morning?" Lan asked.

"I'll have the maid make a good breakfast," Yai declared.

"I can make reports in the morning…" Raika mumbled in his native tongue.

"Dibs on second-comfiest place to sleep in there for me and Big Sis and the Eggshell," Alouette declared.

"If I wasn't tired…you'd get it, Alouette…"

"Hooray~" the little girl weakly cheered.

"I'll make sure they are all safely brought into Lady Yai's clubhouse and let their parents know, Master Hikari," Deloris assured, earning a grateful nod from him.

As the kids were still on the ground, Lan and Maylu shared looks with one another and nodded. They'd rest for a few days…then Ashe and Vent would explain themselves.

GT: Hoo boy…This was a hassle.

Chapter 26: The Truth and the Black Shadow

Chapter Text

GT: Time to finally bury this hatchet and let secrets be revealed to the kids.

Vent sighed, grimacing as he and Ashe sat 'across' from Lan and Maylu, a wall of the HQ modified to be like the wall of Yai's clubhouse. Between them, Ciel and Alouette sat with concerned looks. Chaud stood nearby, requested to act as interference and stop the conversation if need be. Rush, nestled between the two NetNavis, tilted his head, not really understanding the situation and why it was so tense. After several long moments, Lan sighed.

"Okay…Just what is with these things, you two? All this…this stuff going on?" Lan questioned.

"It…It's complicated a-and…" Ashe began before Alouette sighed.

"Ashe, Vent, this isn't something you can keep hidden any longer," Alouette scolded, causing Lan and Maylu to do a double-take on how mature she sounded, "Especially you, Vent. I believed Giro raised you better than how you're acting."

Vent grimaced, "Low blow, Prairie…"

"It may be low, but it is necessary, young man," Prairie huffed, "They know you're Hub and Ashe is Kalinka, but they don't know everything."

Ashe bit her lower lip and Maylu quickly spoke up, "Roll…please. What are these…these weird dreams? Why was one me deleting Lan's homework and of him exposing me at school with that hair incident and I got ISS when that never happened? Why did I see myself older and calling you all sorts of lies a-and abusing you when we fought off the DevilChip?!"

"Why did I see Maylu fall off a ruined rollercoaster and me wearing some sorta NetNavi outfit that looked like you when your Frame was being rebuilt last night?" Lan questioned, earning a confused look from Maylu.

[...Right. Vent, Ashe. I am sorry, but they deserve to know the full truth] X spoke up in agreement [Ashe, you even agreed to tell Maylu after the N1 was done]

"...I…I just don't want you to think of what we've done as…as something horrible…our intentions twisted when they were meant to be nothing but good and well-intentioned," Ashe admitted, looking down in shame.

"Roll…" Maylu whispered.

"...We died."

"..." Lan looked at Ciel in confusion, "Huh?"

"What do you know about reincarnation, Hikari?" Chaud asked.

"Well…That's Vent, right? He died as Hub but turned into Vent," Lan replied, "And Ashe, too. She was Kalinka; now she's Ashe."

"You're both right…and horrifically wrong," Vent sighed, "I'm…not just that. I died as Hub and became Megaman. We met the same way we did this time around, but there was nothing about Biometals or your surgery or anything like FullSynchro and the organization we're a part of here."

"..." Lan and Rush tilted their heads.

"We never did parkour or had a better balanced schedule. Hell, we never did underground NetBattling or have Axl here, Maylu," Ashe added, "I…I messed up and ruined everything…"

"We both messed up, Roll," Vent corrected, both looking ashamed.

"I…I don't get it," Lan admitted, "Are you two time travelers like Geo and Sonia?"

"Yes and no. We died in that first timeline…everyone died because of our actions," Vent corrected, "Roll and I were reborn in an alternate timeline and only met during our last days there and died sharing a kiss…before I woke up on the day of meeting you all over again, Lan."

"And I woke up several years before he did on the very first day we first met, Maylu," Ashe included.

"...Huh…So you died four times now, Vent?" Lan asked.

[We've lost count, actually] Zero admitted.

[Shocking considering who just said that] Axl noted under his nonexistent breath.

"..." Maylu frowned, "Kalinka…You're an idiot."

"Maylu?" Lan gawked as Chaud nearly fell over in surprise and Rush's ears shot up.

"I'm not that Maylu, Kalinka," Maylu went on as she pointed at herself, "I'm myself." she pointed at Ashe, "And you're not that Roll. You're my big sister who's made my life all the better!" She swept her hand around, "Just look! Was any of this part of that other Maylu's time?"

"...No…"

Maylu nodded, "Did that Maylu have a responsible big sister who helped her figure things out with her piano lessons so she could do parkour? To have more time with friends? To feel a part of something a whole lot bigger and not feel like I'm a burden to my best friend?"

"Wait, you what?" Lan asked, looking at her in surprise.

"...No. Not at all."

"Because she had a NetNavi named Roll. I have my big sister named Roll Ashe Sakurai," Maylu pointed out, "I'm not replacing her just like you can't replace that other Roll. You're older, you've learned so much and done a ton more. Don't ever think that way again, alright? I'm me and you're you."

All Ashe could do was nod, stunned by her.

"Same here, Hub. …Wait. Did the other Lan ever…?"

"No. I never told you no matter how much I wanted to."

"Then there we go. I know you better than him. And you've done a lot to help me become better!" Lan huffed, "Why do so many adults think stupid things, Maylu?"

"No idea," she huffed.

"You…You don't care about us being…?" Ashe began to ask.

"Nope," Maylu interrupted, "All I know is that you are the best big sister I could ever have. I don't wanna get into an argument with Alouette over which of us has the best big sister of them all."

Alouette smirked, "That's because my big sis here is the best! Both in our past life and now!"

"Please don't, Alouette," Ciel pleaded.

"...Um…I guess that's why you have those bad memories, right?" Lan asked Ashe.

Ashe grimaced, "...Yeah…"

"I don't get what you did that made that other Maylu hate you like that and be cruel enough to pretend you were getting along so well around others," Lan noted.

"I wanna meet her and punch her teeth out before shaving her head bald."

"M-Maylu?!" Lan gawked as Alouette let out a slow, impressed whistle.

Vent shook his head, "It…It really stunned us all when it was exposed."

"Same with what you did," Ashe added, grimacing.

"Huh? What did Vent do?" Lan asked.

"I…I locked away my ability to feel love," Vent admitted.

"Huh?!" Lan gawked.

"Vent, why would…no!" Ciel gasped, looking at the two in shock.

"I…I refused to want to be involved with anything involving Mega after that incident at the amusement park. I…I just refused to talk to him or even look at him," Ashe grimaced, "Even when Maylu demanded I talk to him and even explained everything, I still refused and…and things went downhill from there. It took me until a big event that had everyone on the edge of their proverbial seats to get me to talk to him, but…"

Vent grimaced as Ashe trailed off, "I messed up. I gained an ability a bit before that time that kinda works like Double MegaMerge where I could use the power of another NetNavi. The very first one I ever gained was from Roll and…it was the most important one to me. Using it always felt different from all the others I had. It had this…this warmth none of the others ever had." His smile at the memories turned somber, "Then…came that day. That Lan and I had a way to do something akin to MegaMerge, but only under certain conditions. We just fought off a threat in an amusement park where they were on an outing together and Maylu was stuck atop a damaged roller coaster and the conditions were starting to unravel for our fusion. He had me take over and I rushed as fast as I could. But…"

"She fell when you almost grabbed her," Lan spoke, earning a nod.

"The reason she was saved was thanks to Rush. He was using it to manifest and summon several Moloko Viruses that caught Maylu," Vent spoke, Rush looking at Vent in surprise.

"I…I didn't see it because the PeT had run out of power due to some damage it sustained. The last thing I saw was the start of the fall and…and took it the wrong way," Ashe spoke up, "I…I just…broke. I thought he had stopped to protect Lan and ignore anything he wanted to save Maylu. I thought he…he had secretly despised her because of something between those versions of you. He came to see me…and I slapped him. We got into a shouting match and I just refused to listen to him. I grew fed up and…and I shot him in the stomach with a RollArrow. It knocked him out of our homepage and I quickly reset the protections with a new password and a filter targeting Megaman specifically that would reject the password even if he knew it."

Maylu grimaced, "Roll…"

"Mmm…I can sorta get it, Ashe. I'd be furious if something like that happened, but not to that point," Lan nodded, "But…what happened next?"

"I lost the ability to use that precious power I received from Roll. Each time I tried, it would fizzle out immediately and feel like a part of me would just…fade away. And when I needed it for something massive and vital…it failed and I got skewered and left on the verge of Deletion if not for the Searchman of that time rescuing me," He trembled, holding himself, "I…I couldn't handle it. I just felt wrong and I couldn't understand anything. I was hurting in my heart because I couldn't handle not having Roll there. She's always been there and this…" he looked away, shame and misery on his face, "I broke…and I couldn't handle having emotions…especially the feeling of love."

"..." Maylu gasped as her thoughts went back to their shared dream, "That moment…"

"Hm?" Chaud raised a brow.

"I…I saw small flashes of Vent's memories inside of a memory of Vent and Roll first meeting in their past life and didn't recognize one another," Maylu spoke up before she looked at Vent, "You…You were the NetNavi that was shot and then you…you were typing this big password."

"A one hundred thousand cipher. I used it to seal away the ability to feel love…then deleted the password from my memory," Vent confirmed, "The next time Roll came…she apologized, but…I couldn't feel anything but relief to see her again. I didn't feel love for her or anything, but I was happy to have her back even if I couldn't understand why."

"You what?!" Ashe gasped, tears welling in her eyes, "O-Oh god…I…You…" Vent grabbed her and held her close as she started to cry.

"After that…I was oblivious to Roll. I wasn't able to understand why she was being so affectionate? O-Or when she was jealous and I just thought she was playing around," Vent went on, his mouth dry, before looking down at Ashe, "You even up and bluntly stated to my face in those wedding outfits about how we looked amazing together in them and I didn't even do anything but make a comment that made you upset."

"Those were infuriating," Ashe admitted, "And…And it hurt. It just felt like every time…when we used to be able to just have moments together…it was as if you forgot all of them and…" she let out a sob, "And things weren't improving with Maylu at all, either! If anything, they had gotten worse! She stopped using my name! She only called me 'you' or 'useless' o-or just anything that didn't use my name. She'd keep me sealed up in the PeT and deny me anything we used to have, even turning me off when she had piano practice…"

Everyone jumped when Maylu's fists broke the coffee table from slamming down on it, the redhead on her feet as rage and fury was evident in her eyes, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THAT BITCH?!"

"M-Maylu?!" Lan gawked at the rather un-Maylu-like vocabulary she let loose just then as Rush hid behind the digital couch and Chaud blinked owlishly at her…while subtly making sure that there were no brooms in the room.

"Oh poo…That was my favorite one," Ciel sighed.

"How did nobody notice this?!" Maylu growled.

"She put up a perfect act for others," Ashe replied, "It…It was like she lost all care for me and only pretended to for others."

"We only found out…at the end," Vent sighed, "A cosmic entity called Duo came to judge our world. We thought we had made it, that we NetNavis that had been fighting his trials alongside our NetOps were getting through to him. Only…he had been watching through a crest he gave to each NetOp and Maylu's darkness and what I did had only reinforced his choice to fail us. He forcibly removed the lock on me and I nearly broke apart from the regained emotion while he spoke that Maylu and I were the cause for our world failing his trial. He…He glassed the planet, making us all watch it…and then slaughtered us all."

"I died trying to shield Maylu. Even…Even if she hated me, I still loved her…"

"When you two died…Lan and I just collapsed and didn't do a thing," Vent admitted as Lan was glad he was sitting, "We just…couldn't go on without either of you…"

"Hurp…" Lan scrambled for a trash can and barely got to it as Chaud gave a second to Maylu.

Vent grimaced as it only just renewed Ashe's sobs before he waited for them to finish emptying their stomachs before speaking again, "I didn't remember my old life as Megaman until my first Double MegaMerge with Zero and X. Ashe seemed to fully remember from the getgo."

[She told me she was five when she remembered everything after the trauma from seeing someone she thought of as an uncle get shot down by Mavericks] Axl explained for Ashe.

"I thought it had been the trauma of losing Giro that caused the personality shift," Alouette noted.

"Huh?" Lan looked at the youngest girl in confusion.

"Alouette and I are in a similar situation. We died in the timeline Ashe and Vent had reincarnated into and woke up here," Ciel admitted, "We were both over two hundred years old when we died."

"Your surgery is from our time," Alouette informed, "It had been made in order to extend the life of a human and reinforce their bodies to better survive the world."

"...So those stories about a secret coverup…a-and the Hyper Advanced Prehistoric Civilization…?" Maylu began to ask.

[Both a truth and lie. It was hyper advanced, but it wasn't prehistoric] Zero admitted.

[We wished to respect Ashe and Vent's desire to wait until you were older to explain the truth] X replied.

"..." Lan frowned before sighing in relief, "Well that's good."

"Huh?] Everyone looked at Lan.

"I honestly thought it'd be worse!" Lan chuckled, "So…I have a twin brother who's also a double reincarnate? Sounds like a comic book!"

"Lan…"

"Hub…I think you're a dummy for doing what you did. The less said about this other Maylu, the better," Lan huffed, "I like our Maylu a lot more because the other sounds stupid and mean."

"I never want to become her," Maylu shuddered in revulsion before thinking for a moment, "...No wonder you freak out when roller coasters and amusement parks are brought up, Roll."

"Yeah…I think we're cursed when it comes to those places," Vent grimaced, Lan wincing as he remembered the very first 'dream.'

"Look, the point I'm making is this…" Lan spoke, "I don't care about the past. You're not the you from then. You're older, smarter, and have a lot more support than before. Plus, you're both together." He gestured to how they were close to each other, "You both earned your happiness after all that stuff you went through and you've helped make things better than they had been before, right?"

"Not fully…Pseudoroids weren't a thing back then…nor what happened to Mama," Vent replied with a frown.

"Miyu said our existence caused drastic changes to the timeline," Ashe added, looking somber.

Lan huffed, "Good. Because if you already knew everything, then it'd be boring."

"...Laaan…" Vent groaned, "Some things were horrific for a kid your age."

"Aaaand did any of them result in me needing life-saving surgery or Mama ending up in the hospital? Did they have a therapist for it like we do now?"

"...Okay, point taken," Vent sighed.

"Yeah…I didn't focus on that stuff. I just wanted Maylu to be more free and not stuck in a rut," Ashe admitted.

"And I love you for thinking about me and my happiness, Roll," Maylu noted before frowning, "So don't keep thinking bad things. It's obvious you and Vent need to talk about what happened back then, so go do that tonight. I'll even turn the monitor and speakers on my computer off so you two can have privacy. I'll send the new password to Lan for you, Hub." She put her hands on her hips, "And as for us, Kalinka? I refuse to think like that stupid Maylu did. She decided to stay stuck in anger and stupid stuff. You've helped me stay away from that and probably other bad things you may not have known. Did she ever do therapy?"

"None whatsoever," Ashe admitted.

"Then there we go. I'm not her; I'm myself. So stop comparing us if you have and don't start if you haven't. To me? You're my big sister first and foremost; my NetNavi second."

"M-Maylu…" Ashe sniffled, wiping her sleeve over her eyes to dry her tears of joy and relief.

[Is there anything else you'd like to ask before we decide to end things for now?] X asked.

"Um…This other me…What was he like?" Lan asked.

"Kinda like you are now…but a bit of an idiot savant. He didn't even acknowledge to himself something you have."

"Huh? What was that?" Maylu asked.

[He means you having a crush on Maylu] Zero chuckled, keeping his voice from being heard by Maylu.

"Something private between us, Maylu," Vent casually lied as Lan glowered at Zero with a strong blush.

"Oh. Alright," Maylu nodded.

"Hey, uh…Does Chaud know about you two being…um…?" Lan looked at the two girls and then at Chaud.

"I do. Alouette didn't realize I was there when she was crying to Roze about Vent's Deletion and it came out," Chaud replied.

"It wasn't easy, especially with the fact I had to rip open old scars," Ciel grimaced, "I'm still the Ciel he knows, just…different, too, now that he knows the Ciel he met is me and not just a little girl that had been his age at the time." she shook her head, "It was easier for him to accept Alouette and her situation…because she's always acted this age even as an adult."

"Phooey! Phooey, I say!" Alouette declared before holding up Beep, "Meow! Don't be heaping lies and slander on us, meow!"

"Yeah…no, no. She's done this to her closest people, too," Vent sighed.

"Vent~!" Alouette whined like the little kid she physically was, earning small laughs from Ciel, Ashe, Lan, and Maylu.

"Did she give family embarrassing nicknames?" Chaud asked.

"She has, yes. She calls Model F 'Faffy' for one."

"Aw come on~!" Alouette whined.

"I'm…surprised you two are handling this so well," Ciel quietly admitted to the 11-year-old and 13-year-old.

"I'll be more freaked out later," Lan admitted, "But I know that Hub sees me, not that other Lan, because we may look the same but we're a lot different."

"Same with Kalinka and me," Maylu nodded, "It also helped I've known just a little bit because of what the DevilChip made me see inside of her mind when I forced FullSynchro with her."

"...You seriously want to punch that other you?" Lan asked.

"Lan, I want to take Leviathan and freeze her down to her soul then shatter her into pieces, box those pieces into a box, put that box into another box, mail it to my house, then smash it with a hammer the size of the largest car I've seen in person. That's how mad I am with that jerk," Maylu growled.

[I'd let her do it, too] Leviathan stated.

"...Right," Chaud flatly spoke before pulling out a pair of tickets and slapping them down on the table before the two, "You two need this more than I do."

"Huh? What's this?" Lan asked as he picked up one of the tickets and Maylu the other.

"The shared prizes for first and second place: tickets for a six month trip around the world," Chaud replied before giving Lan a folder with several blue BattleChips and one magenta BattleChip and a stylized gold and silver trophy depicting a human and a NetNavi crossing pumped arms with one another atop a PeT, "And your first prize: a collection of rare MegaChips and one GigaChip." he glanced at Vent and Ashe, "Was this something you two earned last time, Vent?"

"Nope. We only won the world trip and it was only for a month, not six. We lost to you two because Slingshot activated only at the end of the battle when we fought LifeSword to LifeSword," Vent replied.

"Hoo boy, we're gonna have to be working with Ms. Mari on making sure you two are able to keep up with the classwork," Ashe grimaced before rubbing her chin in thought, "Maybe ask if she can record her classes and then send us the videos?"

"She did that for Dex and Yai when they had to move to Jawaii and Creamland," Vent recalled.

"Aw crud! We won't get to see the Inauguration Day for Net City~!"

"What's a Net City?" all the humans, even Chaud, asked.

"Lan, remember that contest on designing a city you submitted a design for?" Vent asked, earning a nod from Lan, "That is the contest that will make the base for Net City to be built upon. It's going to be a massive hub for NetNavis to navigate without needing to worry about Virus attacks. BattleChips will be disabled unless you're in a NetColiseum that's built in there or if you have special sanction to utilize them like being an Official or member of the NetPolice."

"Oh wow~!" Lan awed, "I forgot I entered that contest, too!"

"I didn't," Vent replied, "And you really should've checked your EMail while I was…ahem…'on a trip'…" he brought up an EMail, "You won the contest. Your prize is permanent allowance to utilize BattleChips in Net City, a commemorative plaque that states you are the creator of Net City, and nine hundred thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine Zenny."

"I won?! And I got what?!" Lan gawked.

"Congrats, Lan," Maylu giggled as Lan looked at the EMail.

"See? Completely different now, you two!" Lan beamed as he looked up at the NetNavis, "This is gonna be awesome! And best of all, we can use the prize money for souvenirs!"

"You'll have a week before the cruise ship arrives," Chaud informed, "It will be part of your trip package, you two."

"A week? Great! That means you'll be able to be here tomorrow then!" Ciel smiled.

"Huh? Tomorrow? What's going on tomorrow?" Lan asked.

Ciel giggled, "Well, that's because Daddy and I got…"

"A promotion?!"

"Yes indeed!" Oda chuckled, puffing his chest in joy, "With the success the CID had thanks to you all, Ciel and I have both been promoted! I am now Superintendent of the CID!"

"It's weird taking on your old title, Daddy," Ciel admitted to her dad, "But it's all good, too!" she gestured to the modestly large building they were inside of, the warm aroma of various dishes in the air, "Hence the reason we invited everyone to this buffet! Yes, it's cheap and there's a time limit to how long we'll have the tables for, but Dad, Alouette, and I love coming to this buffet when we do something big."

"It holds a lot of fond family memories for us," Oda nodded, "Now all of you get going!"

"Must be hard not being out of the suits for something like this, huh?" Lan asked.

"Eh, it depends," Beef assured as he grabbed some filleted salmon, "Glad that this place is one of the ones Masa delivers to, so I know the fish are all top notch."

"It's really nice of the Inspec-err-Superintendent to treat us all for what happened," Madam Rose corrected herself, "Even if his pay increase appears to have not happened yet."

"..."

"...Is everything okay, Mysteriyu?" Maylu asked before the woman looked at her, Lan, and Chaud.

"...Beware the Black Shadow…The Messenger of Darkness approaches, unbound from the connections of the pharaoh, given the life of another river in this one's overflow," she warned, "The rush of heat will be your sign as remnants will force you to encounter the Dark Messiah."

[I told you to get rid of that one!] Leviathan fumed.

'Wrong Messiah, Levi,' Vent thought, feeling a sense of dread in his gut.

[What the heck's she sayin' this time?] Axl asked.

'I have no clue,' Ashe admitted.

"...And that is gonna be bothering me a lot now," Lan whispered, earning a nod from Maylu as Chaud kept his calm outside while inside he felt furious.

'Because even this place isn't protected from threats…' Chaud thought.

Eventually, the youngest members were all at one table while the adults were at another.

"Say, Protoman…"

"What is it, Ashe?"

"You're a pretty experienced NetNavi and know a lot 'bout the Network, right?"

"I have been around, yes."

"What do you know about this…Undernet place?" Ashe asked.

"Undernet? Didn't Higsby talk about it when we first met?" Lan asked.

Maylu nodded, "I think he said he got that one BattleChip from there."

"Why are you asking about that place?" Chaud questioned.

"Ever since Higsby talked about it, I've gotten curious," Ashe admitted, "I feel my old Hunter instincts triggering and wanna go check out the booty down there."

"...Considering your situation, Ashe, I'd like to be blunt," Chaud stated, "The Undernet is extremely dangerous." he rolled up a sleeve, showing faint scars littering the entire arm, "I have experience with the Undernet. It's filled with powerful NetNavis…many of them being criminals." he rolled the sleeve back up and showed his other arm was in the same state, "I'm covered in these from my required trips down there to chase criminals as an Official. If you intend on going down there, you are going fully armed."

"Not going to try to dissuade us?" Lan asked.

"No. You two have more than proven yourselves as far as I see it," Chaud replied, "Plus, you have strong NetNavis in Ashe and Vent with the Biometals."

Vent and Ashe smiled at that. Had it been their old timeline's Chaud, he'd still consider Lan as just a kid. But this one seemed to be acknowledging that Lan wasn't just a kid.

"Still…there is a rumor about the UnderNet," Chaud went on, pausing to take a bite of a pizza slice.

"Rumor?" Maylu repeated.

"Deep in it lies an NetNavi with a powerful Ultimate Program that has made it almost undefeatable," Chaud spoke, "The Black Shadow."

"The Black…Shadow?" Lan repeated.

"They go by many names. The Black Shadow, the Dark Messiah, the Messenger of Darkness…" Ciel listed, "They're all quite ominous."

"I'll say," Maylu gulped.

"You guys should really hurry up~" Madam Rose warned as she walked by, getting another bowl of salad and a platter of fruits on sticks covered in chocolate from the chocolate fountain at the buffet line, "There's a time limit, remember?"

"Ack!" Lan panicked as he and Chaud picked up the pace.

"Boys…" Maylu and Ciel sighed…before all of them jumped as an explosion went off that destroyed the chocolate fountain, "!?"

More explosions began to follow. A chef jumped back as his stove went off before two more were sent flying back into a wall when a pair of ovens exploded.

"What's goin' on?!" Oda demanded, a few plates of food dripping off his outfit.

"All the electronic devices in the kitchen and on the buffet malfunctioned!" a waiter informed, working on getting people out of the building.

"That's not an accident," Chaud scowled, a half-eaten sandwich in hand.

"It's gotta be NetTerrorists!" Lan agreed.

"We'll help with evacuation," Madam Rose informed, "You kids head on ahead into the Net with our NetNavis."

"Gotcha!" Lan nodded before spotting a nearby ATM, "Let's use that!"

"Good call," Chaud agreed.

"JACK…" both began…only to hold up a fork or a spoon instead of their PeTs, "...In?"

"..."

"..." Chaud glowered at Lan, "You're not going to go far with a fork, Hikari."

"And a spoon's any better?!" Lan argued, butting heads with him.

"Boys! Focus!" Maylu shouted and the two looked at her…and the table knife she had grabbed instead of her PeT, "...Oopsie…A knife's bad, too."

"..." Ciel facepalmed, 'Rule of Three…' she grabbed the three PeTs and handed them to their respective embarrassed NetOp, "Try again."

"JACK IN! VENT/ASHE/PROTOMAN! FULLSYNCHRO!"

"(DOUBLE) MEGAMERGE!"

Inside the Network, the NetNavis quickly appeared in time to see Sharkman letting off a barrage of energy fin blades at some Viruses. Swarming all over were Swordy, Beetank, and viruses resembling pufferfish fully inflated with pieces of a submarine fused to them.

"We've got Swordy, Beetanks, and Puffy viruses," Protoman noted.

[What the hell? These Viruses were things I fought in Cyberspace back in our old time when I still had a body] Model Z recognized as ZX readied his sword.

"Really?" ZX pondered as they went on the attack.

[It's true. I spent years as a Cyber-Elf living in the Cyberworld. I even had one of them as a pet. Can't remember which of the three, though…] X replied.

[A blue Puffy] Model P replied as ZX fired off several shots at some Beetanks [It became a Cyber-Elf that used up all its energy to give you that boost to help protect the Resistance]

[Oh yeah. Thank you, Phantom] X thanked as A-Aeolus swooped by and tore into several Swordy that tried to jump ZX from behind.

"Where are they coming from?" Protoman grunted, back to back with Skullman.

"There's a hole that way, but we can't get to it. Too many Viruses," Skullman replied.

"I've got it! Everyone, back off now or you'll get hit!" Roll A called, "GIGA CRUSH!"

The onslaught proceeded with Roll A taking the lead. By her, FX using a Giga Spread PA joined in with an added Fire-Element to it. Sharkman's Fin Cutters, WoodTowers from Woodman, ghostly flames and Bonemerangs from Skull joined in. Eventually, the path was cleared, revealing a hole in the ground of the Network. ZX narrowed his eyes as they got to it.

"I know that pattern," he noted, spotting scorch marks along the edges, "Flammole."

"What kinda Virus is that?" Woodman asked.

"Not Virus," ZX replied as he held up Model F, "It's a Pseudoroid; a NetNavi or Virus transformed by a fragment of a Biometal." he tensed before grabbing Skullman and Sharkman and moved back, "MOVE!"

Protoman, Roll A, and Woodman jumped back just before a pillar of flames erupted from the hole. The flames dispersed and a figure landed before them. It had almost a mole-like build to it. It had a stocky white frame with details in red and purple, as well as yellow lights acting as eyes for it. Pistons hissed upon its massive bulky arms, primarily in white with gunmetal and orange detailing with gunmetal 'claws.'

"Well, well, well~ If it isn't Megaman Model ZX," the mole creature spoke.

"Long time no see, Flammole," ZX replied, narrowing his eyes, "Prometheus and Pandora sent you, didn't they?"

"Hmph. Nah," Flammole replied, "I don't give a hoot what they want! I want that Biometal you stole after you destroyed me all those years ago! It's mine, dammit!"

"Biometal?" Lan repeated.

[Model O] X replied, [He thought it was a fragment of Model W, but the signature turned out to be Omega.]

[That was the worst battle we've ever had] Model Z admitted with a groan.

"Sorry, Flammole, but the Biometals stay with me until they decide to go," ZX declared.

[I'm always with the guy I've picked, so I'm stayin'] F chuckled.

[And mine is connected to Vent's NetOp, so you won't see me leave anytime soon] L giggled [Now go get yourself electrocuted]

"So he's a Fire-Element, eh? Then I've got this!" Sharkman roared as he rushed at the Pseudoroid.

"Sharkman, wait! Pseudoroids don't follow the chart!" ZX shouted before Sharkman fired off his Fin Cutters which bounced off Flammole's body.

"What?!" Sharkman gasped.

"BURNING GLOVE!" Flammole roared, letting loose several fireballs at Sharkman, creating an explosion with each one.

"AAAARGH!" Sharkman screamed as he sailed back and forced to Log Out.

"What happened?" Woodman asked.

"Pseudoroids have a different type wheel," ZX spoke as he turned into HX, "Fire beats Water, Water beats Elec, and Elec beats Fire."

"Of course," Skullman groaned as A-Aeolus rushed at Flammole.

"Fire Crawling!" Flammole shouted, slamming his fists into the ground and sending up waves of flames that rushed at them.

A-Aeolus roared as 'he' swung 'his' blades, releasing a sphere of electricity that blocked the flames coming for the Model A user, with HX mimicking them to protect himself, Skullman, and Woodman. Flammole growled before slamming his fists into the ground.

"GROUND BREAK!"

The area trembled before cracks raced around all over the ground. Before anyone could move, the ground shattered in an eruption of flames. As Woodman and Skullman were forced to Log Out, the LifeAura around HX as he held onto Roll A and Protoman stood strong against the heat and magma. Slowly, the attack dissipated…and all three tensed. Around them wasn't the buffet's Network, but a myriad of floating barren 'islands' within a static-filled 'sky.' HX swooped down and landed on one of the islands as Protoman grimaced.

"What is this…?" Roll A asked.

"Look up," Protoman replied, causing the two to look up and gawked, ceiling a part of the 'sky' was shattered, exposing the 'sky' of the buffet's Network.

"A-Are we…?" HX began.

"...in the Undernet?!" Roll A finished.

[Feels sort of like Area O] Model Z admitted before Protoman activated FullSynchro.

"Protoman?"

"Lan, Maylu, go FullSynchro at once!" Chaud demanded, "It's not safe unless you're in it!"

"Ah! R-Right!" Lan agreed as the two went FullSynchro with their NetNavis.

"So this is the Undernet…" ZX whispered.

"Was it like this in the…?"

"I honestly have no idea, Chaud," ZX admitted, "We never went to the Undernet. Regal did, but he turned into Nebula Gray and it took me uniting with someone nobody expected to defeat him and his plans."

"...We should look for Wily's Program of Darkness while we're here," Roll A suggested.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'Wily's Program of Darkness,' Ashe?!" Maylu asked before a crash made them spin around to see Flammole's legs kicking the air as his head was stuck in the ground.

"...Ask later, attack now before he drills himself out?" Protoman suggested.

"Agreed," all of them replied before…

"!?] the NetNavis and Biometals tensed.

[Ohhh…shit. That was not good vibes there] Model F gulped.

[Tsuyoi (Strong)…] Model O spoke.

[Gah! It woke up Omega!] Model Z gasped.

"...MOVE!" ZX shouted, flashing to HX and barely grabbing Roll A before they moved back…letting the island they were on be obliterated by what looked like a violet-colored sphere of darkness, "!?"

"S…Such destructive power…" Roll A whispered, trembling as HX landed on another island close by, Protoman appearing beside them.

"That blast alone…was stronger than Pharaohman's best shot," ZX admitted.

"He's here…" Chaud gasped.

"Who's here?" Lan asked.

"Look! In the smoke!" Maylu yelped.

The NetNavis looked to the smoke as it began to dissipate. A tattered brown cloak blew in the faint winds of the Undernet, a powerful pitch black aura wafting off the edges of it. The owner of the cloak was a NetNavi donned in a pitch black bodysuit, jagged silver lines going up it. Hints of an orange armor peeked out from the cloak, pitch black blade-like pieces on the gauntlets with white gloves. Purple markings framed the tanned face on the NetNavi, their sharp, crimson eyes focused on Megaman ZX. His head was covered in a black helmet with two large fins on the sides with orange insides and a cross-shaped crystal on the center of the helmet.

"That's…That's him…" Protoman gasped.

"The Black Shadow…The Messenger of Darkness…" Ciel gulped.

"The Dark Messiah…Bass!" Chaud exclaimed.

"...I've heard tale that…on one occasion, a band of Undernet outlaws once had him surrounded," Protoman spoke, "100 to 1 odds, they attacked…"

"It took just 0.02 seconds…With one arm, he wiped the lot of them out!"

"Veeent…" Lan began to ask.

"He is here a lot sooner than he was in the old timeline," ZX admitted, "What's more…if he already has a reputation…then he isn't Pharaohman's reincarnation from his Deletion."

"...You…" Bass hissed.

"?" ZX tensed before Bass was upon him, fist reeled back, "DOUBLE MEGAMERGE!"

In a flash, fist met fist as OX and Bass slammed fists, the shockwave actually sending Roll A and Protoman flying back. Bass snarled.

"You weren't a dream!" Bass snapped, swinging his other hand out, coated in a blade of darkness that OX's OX-Saber collided with it, splitting the island in two, "YOU DAMN INFERIOR CREATION!"

"Inferior?" OX repeated as he dashed about, dodging the barrage of orange-tinted plasma shots that hailed from the buster that replaced his right fist.

"Is he like you two?" Protoman asked.

"I…I don't know," Roll A replied before flashing into A-Pharaohman, this time sans the sarcophagus armor, "But I know we need to make him back off." she brought her hands together and fired off a beam at Bass's back, who glanced behind him and proceeded to backhand it away, "!?"

"A Cossack model…" he whispered before pointing a finger at A-Pharaohman, "Useless."

The Egyptian ruler-based copy barely avoided the narrow beam that ripped through where her head had been by turning into A-Hedgeshock and rolled off. Bass's barrier had several Buster shots from OX splash off it.

[Nani?] Model O pondered in surprise.

[Some sort of aura is protecting him…It…It feels stronger than the LifeAura] Model X realized.

"Heh. You won't get lucky this time, you waste of space," Bass declared, aiming his Buster at OX and let loose a barrage.

"O-Cannon!" OX shouted, letting loose the PA at the barrier, only for it to splash off, "Tch!"

"MOVE!" Protoman shouted, jumping over OX, "HEROSWORD!" Bass's aura bounced the blade off of it, "Gh!"

[Gattai Waza (Combine Move)] O suggested.

"Combine?" OX pondered before the trio regrouped.

"What do you mean?" Roll A asked.

"Omega suggests we combine our best attacks to break his aura," OX informed.

"A triple attack?" Roll A pondered.

"It could work. If we break the barrier, it will let us finally get a hit on him," Protoman suggested.

[Let's do it!] Model A cheered.

OX charged up his OX-Saber while Protoman charged up his Proto Sword. Meanwhile, Roll A grinned as her blasters glowed. The trio rushed at Bass, letting loose their attacks.

"TRIPLE HERO!" all three roared, OX and Protoman unleashing several slashes as Roll A let loose a GIga Crush.

Bass moved back, gritting his teeth behind his cloak. The aura around him flickered before shattering. Roll A panted as Protoman caught her.

"I need…to improve…my stamina…" Roll A grumbled.

"At least now we've broken the barrier," Protoman noted.

"...Pathetic," Bass hissed.

Everyone froze as the islands around them began to crack apart while the area of the Network they were in trembled like a powerful earthquake was tearing through it. Protoman and Roll A grunted as their bodies locked up from the power in the air as OX triggered Overdrive. Bass aimed his Buster at them and let loose a beam from it. OX roared, swinging his OX Saber and cleaved the beam in two. OX rushed at Bass and the two began to trade punches and kicks at one another.

"Get go him, Megaman!" Lan cheered before Bass caught OX's punch, looking at OX in surprise.

"Mega…Man?" Bass repeated before snarling, "You dare use his name?!" he threw OX over his shoulder and slammed his onto the ground before going for a punch meant to tear into OX's face only to get a boot to his own, knocking Bass back, "You robbed me of my goal and have the gall to use Mega Man's name?!"

[Okay, yeah. I am thinking that this is my older brother] Model Z realized as OX got up to his feet.

[Onii-san?!] Omega exclaimed in shock.

"Focus on surviving now; ponder how the hell he's here later!" OX barked, a LifeSword blazing on his OX Saber as he lunged at Bass…only for the OX Saber to shatter, "!?"

"He's…He's outpacing us in speed…" Protoman grimaced, seeing Bass high above them, "This isn't calculated in mach…it's lightspeed."

"C-Can't…move…" Roll A grimaced, struggling to try to move even a muscle, 'This is Bass?! He wasn't this crazy powerful back in the old timeline!'

Bass reeled his right hand back, a sphere of darkness materializing in it. The sphere grew quickly, becoming the size of a small building.

"This is…far more than we can handle!" Chaud exclaimed.

"Roll, we have to Log Out!" Maylu yelped.

"...You two get them out of here," Lan ordered.

"Wh-What?!" Maylu gasped.

"Hikari, don't be suicidal!"

"I'm not! Just trust me. We'll be okay," Lan assured, "DashAttack, Download!"

"I'm trusting you, Lan," OX spoke before a Fishy Virus materialized, letting OX jump onto it to shoot off towards Bass, "Here I come, Bass!" In a flash, ZX swapped into place, the Biometals minus Model A circling him, "OVERDRIVE! ZX!"

Roll A and Protoman barely logged out as the Network was filled with light and darkness colliding. As the lights and shadows faded and brightened respectively, all that remained was the shattered remains of the islands all over. Bass grunted, missing his entire right arm and the right fin of his helmet. Falling deeper into the Undernet, Vent was on the verge of unconsciousness.

'I…can't believe…how strong he is…' Vent thought…before smiling, 'NetNavis in this world…they can become so powerful…meaning that one day…I will, too.'

"Lan!" Maylu called out, holding the unconscious body of the boy.

"That idiot! He wasn't ready!" Chaud growled as the other NetSavers ran over.

"What happened?" Oda asked.

"We encountered the Black Shadow," Chaud informed, making Oda tense.

"Lan and Vent took the biggest attack we've ever seen to make sure Protoman and Roll could Jack Out," Maylu sniffled.

"A…Are they…?" Commander Beef gasped.

"No. They live," Mysteriyu responded as she knelt down by Lan, "He's been knocked unconscious. Wherever Vent is in the Network right now, Lan's consciousness will be there as well."

"Where were you in the Network?!" Madam Rose asked.

"...The UnderNet. It was a Pseudoroid named Falmmole that attacked and caused us to fall into it," Maylu informed.

"..." Oda pulled out his PeT and nodded at Japanman, who nodded in return.

"Ugh…" Vent groaned, holding his head as he slowly sat up, "Wh…What hit m…?" his eyes widened, "BASS!"

"Owww~! Vent, not so loud~!" Vent looked to his side to see Lan curled up in a ball and holding his head, "My head hurts~"

"Lan…" Vent gasped, gently pulling Lan into his lap, "Your mind's pulled into the Network again."

"Mmm…" Lan whimpered, the two staying in their spot until Lan's headache settled and he looked up at Vent, "Can we not fight him again until we're stronger…?"

"Yeah," Vent nodded before looking up at the 'sky' and blinking a few times, seeing it looked like a repeating gif of a raindrop zoomed in on the point of impact, "Where…are we?"

"I brought you to my master's abode, de gozaru."

"!?" both tensed and looked to see a light-blue and gold Japanman approach, his helmet sporting more armor to it with a gold, fang-like mask over the lower half of his face, no shield, and a polearm before them.

"J-Japanman?" Lan asked.

"No," he replied, "I am Yamatoman. I brought you to the SecretNet to heal your wounds from your encounter with Bass, de gozaru."

"Yamatoman?" Lan repeated, tilting his head.

'Yamatoman? The only one I knew of was the AsteroidNavi deployed by Duo for Raika's friend Iriya…' Vent thought before tensing, 'Guys!'

[We're here, Vent] X spoke as the Biometals floated out of his vest.

[Ugh…Make the world stop spinning…I wanna die…] Fafnir whined.

[We got washed up by a relic of the past…How humiliating and familiar]

[Leviathan, that better not be a jab at Zero] X advised.

"You two seemed to be Bass's primary target," Yamatoman spoke, "It was fortunate that I had been in the area at the time and got you out of there before he could resume his assault on your unconscious form, de gozaru."

"Thank you for that," Vent thanked.

"Do not thank me yet. You two are the first ever NetNavi and NetOp pair to have faced Bass and survived," Yamatoman warned, "Many who wish to obtain greater power shall now be pursuing you both to overcome you, de gozaru."

"..." the two shared looks before Lan grinned.

"Bring them on!" Lan cheered.

"Hm?"

"That's fine with us, Yamatoman," Vent chuckled as Lan jumped onto his back.

"We'll take 'em all on and win!" Lan beamed.

"..." Yamatoman chuckled, "Interesting! Quite interesting! Very well." he pulled out a scroll and handed it to Vent, "Take this once you have recovered. Take a bit of time away from the Undernet to recover and better prepare. Once you do, use this and locate what lies within the scroll."

"Whoa~" Lan awed.

"Thank you, Yamatoman," Vent thanked.

"This time, I accept your thanks, de gozaru," Yamatoman nodded before Japanman appeared nearby, "Ah. Rank 10, welcome."

"Rank 1.2," Japanman nodded before looking at Vent and Lan, "I had a feeling you found the boys."

"Ah…So these are the civilians who fight as true warriors," Yamatoman realized, "Do well, my young companions. I await your return here if you choose to become a Ranked, de gozaru."

"Ranked?" Vent repeated before Japanman walked up to them.

"...How mad is Maylu?" Lan asked.

"..." Japanman laughed and patted his head, "She's going to smack you with a broom most likely if Ciel doesn't."

"Aw man~" Lan whined.

*WHAP!*

"OW~!" Lan groaned, rubbing the top of his head in NetSaver HQ.

"DON'T BE THAT STUPID AGAIN!" Maylu barked as she handed the broom to Ciel…

*KAPOW!*

"Mrglrgl…" Lan gurgled, twitching on the floor.

"No more trips to the Undernet without my approval!" Ciel barked before…

*THWACK! SMACK!*

…glaring down at the downed Chaud and Maylu, "And the same goes to both of you!"

[We're really sorry, Ciel] Zero apologized.

"I can't believe you took on the Black Shadow," Alouette noted.

"S-Same here! I've only heard rumors of him…but even those give me nightmares!" Roze whimpered.

[It's gonna be worse] Zero admitted.

[Onii-san da] Omega informed.

"...What?" Ciel looked at the two 'brother' Biometals.

[Omega, you are not his brother]

[Iie. Onii-san da]

[...I swear if I had a body…] Zero grumbled.

"Zero…Is Bass like Ashe and me?" Vent asked.

[...He is. He's…my brother, SWN-001 Bass] Zero admitted.

"SWN?" Maylu repeated.

[Special Wily Number] Zero informed [When I went on my rampage when I was first activated back then, Bass fought me on his own. He used everything in his arsenal…and nothing harmed me. I tore him to pieces with just my bare hands]

"Yikes," Lan grimaced.

[The more I hear about your rampage when the doctors were still alive, the more I'm glad I got to know you after you became the Zero of now] X admitted.

[Eksu~] Omega whined.

"Wait…If you tore him apart so easy…how come he's…well…" Lan gestured.

[I do not know. More than likely, the past of this world has information we do not have at the present] Zero replied.

[Onii-san to mata tatakau no ga tanoshimida (All I know is that I am excited to fight big brother again)]

[NOOOOO!] the Four Guardians, Axl, and Zero all screamed.

[KNOCK THE BLOOD KNIGHT OUT!] Fafnir barked.

[Zero, does your failsafe work on him?!] Harpuia questioned in a panic.

[No, no it does not]

[AW COME ON!] Fafnir screamed.

"...Congrats, Zero. Your whole family is nuts!" Lan threw his hands up in exasperation before falling onto his back, "I need a vacation."

"Lan, we have a vacation," Vent reminded him.

"...Oh yeah," Lan sat up.

"It does sound nice," Maylu agreed.

"You don't need to worry about schoolwork, either," Ciel grinned, "I told your mom about your prize and she's going to talk to Ms. Mari tomorrow."

"Aw man~!" Lan whined.

"Hey, look on the bright side."

"What bright side, Ashe?"

"You get to do homework with Maylu and then get to enjoy the places we'll be seeing," Ashe grinned.

"Roll~" Maylu whined.

"Please focus. We have someone that's highly dangerous gunning for Vent just because Model ZX and Model OX look like someone who killed him in his past life," Chaud sighed, "Do you know anything else about Bass?"

[Well…I believe he was originally called Project: Forte]

"?!" Ciel gasped, covering her mouth, "That's a locked file in the database for the NetPolice and Officials. Even with the credentials I have and what Chaud has, neither of us can access them."

[Oh great. Guess he was called 'Project: Forte' here, too] Fafnir huffed.

[Anything else, Zero?]

[He had the copy system you and your father had] Zero recalled.

[...Not even gonna bet on him having an equivalent or better here in the form of an Ultimate Program] Phantom stated [Because Vent's Hyper Adaptability fits perfectly with his personality and experience back in our old world. Ashe, however…]

"I was a Recov-Element NetNavi in my past life and I still am one in this one," Ashe explained, looking at her hands as she remembered the angelic wings she grew, "I'm…not sure how I triggered mine, but when I do, I know I'll be a great helper and fighter."

"Eh, we can think about all that later," Lan chuckled, "We gotta get started on packing for our world tour!"

"L-Lan!" Maylu gawked.

"He is right. It's better to rest for now and gather our strength first," Vent advised before looking at the scroll in his hand, 'It will take a bit before we come back, but when we do…I hope what we find with this will help us succeed.'

"He triumphed over Model X," Pandora noted, looking at the wreckage of the battle, "Would he not be ideal for Model W?"

"Nope," Prometheus bluntly replied, making Pandora look at him in confusion, "If anything…he's more dangerous than Model W. Plus, the title of 'Mega Man King' seems like something he doesn't want at all."

"Why is that?" Pandora questioned.

"Call it a hunch, but he got pissed off something fierce when Vent's little brat called him 'Megaman,'" Prometheus replied, "Still…" he held up a Model W, the orange piece on it glowing as wisps of purple energy flowed out of the area and were soaked up into it, "...our dear old Daddy in this world will be pleased with this."

"It is…still difficult to believe something like…that…exists," Pandora noted.

"Heh. All the more worthwhile to take their power for ourselves," Prometheus sneered, 'Just you wait…Ashe…Vent…This world will burn just as our old world should've!'

GT: Okay…Before anyone asks…this was planned long before a certain other fanfic that is an AU of this one came out. Yes…I planned for Bass to be that Bass. One: I thought Network timeline Bass would still struggle. Two: This adds more connections that Vent now has thanks to having Biometals that are related to Bass through their connection to Mega Man (X and his four kids) or to Wily (Zero and, technically, Omega). Yes, Bass awoke Omega through his sheer presence alone. Yes, Omega will still use Google Translated Japanese to speak in because I find it amusing. Yes, Ashe can access Pharaohman's second form much like she can access Rosespark's second form. Also, please make sure to read the previous chapter on AO3. I updated that previous chapter there with some missing content.

Series this work belongs to:

Part 1 of Biometal in Network Next Work →

Works inspired by this one:

Actions

Kudos

Comments

Pages Navigation

Xenoguyver on Chapter 1 Tue 03 May 2022 06:16PM UTC

As a fan of Mega May, I'm looking forward to what you make. And THIS is a VERY fun looking story from what I've read. Honestly? I'd put this on the level of Rising Sun as a Mega Man fic.
Also, I like this kind of crossover. It's very cool. And I'm looking forward to seeing how MUCH stronger the NetNavi's will get. But I cannot help but think that Vent and Ashe are NOT the only ones sent back. My money is on the antagonists from ZX and ZX Advent being sent back as well. If said antagonists are NOT reincarnated in this world, then good for Vent and Ashe. They DESERVE the break. Also, if the "False Mega Men" from ZX Advent are reincarnated in this story, I hope they end up becoming friends instead of enemies.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 1 Tue 03 May 2022 07:38PM UTC
  
  Glad you're enjoying it so far then. Hope to hear reviews for RS from ya since we really appreciate each positive one we receive.
  Oh, don't worry about waiting for the potential increase in the Navis. They gotta step it up to keep up with the duo of Ashe and Vent.
  And we shall put that money in the bet vault. It's right over he...(sees Ashe walking away with it)...Well...it was right over there...
  Break? (Chuckles) Oh...This is the anime timeline, man. Breaks are a gift that is rarely given.
  
  Comment Actions
2. 1. Xenoguyver on Chapter 1 Fri 06 May 2022 04:41AM UTC
    
    Fair enough on the Anime Timeline bit. Also, I just had a thought. What if Ashe and Vent, like you had on here, minus their previous lives as Megaman.EXE and Roll.EXE, they are just Vent and Ashe, but they and the Biometals end up getting Isekai'd into the MCU?
    
    Last Edited Fri 06 May 2022 04:43AM UTC
    
    Comment Actions
  2. 1. GammaTron on Chapter 1 Fri 06 May 2022 04:50AM UTC
      
      That would be interesting to read. Not sure if I'd be the one write it, sadly. The MCU tends to confuse me at times because I haven't seen everything related to it.
      
      Comment Actions
    2. 1. Xenoguyver on Chapter 1 Fri 06 May 2022 05:05AM UTC
        
        Fair enough. Still, I look forward to how this story goes.
        
        Comment Actions
        
        Reply
        
        Thread
        
        Parent Thread
asunaokumura812 on Chapter 1 Wed 04 May 2022 12:25AM UTC

This is a great story! And I'm glad to see another Vent/Ashe shipper, those two are so adorable together. :)

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 1 Wed 04 May 2022 12:28AM UTC
  
  I know, right? I don't see much of this pairing as one would like, so if I can add something, I will.
  
  Comment Actions
2. 1. asunaokumura812 on Chapter 1 Thu 05 May 2022 11:52AM UTC
    
    Yeah, the same goes for the Aeolus/Atlas ship. I get that those two have totally different personalities and that's why a lot of people don't pair them, but personally I think those two are really cute together too, and I think that their real selves are totally opposite of their Game of Destiny versions. Like, maybe Aeolus is more understanding of people who don't know as much about the world and Atlas can actually be a sweetheart. If they would take the time and just show each other the real them, that relationship would work out.
    
    Last Edited Thu 05 May 2022 11:58AM UTC
    
    Comment Actions
T-bone (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sat 07 May 2022 04:42AM UTC

Will it be a Lan/Maylu story as well? Also do Lan and Maylu know about the reincarnation?

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 1 Sat 07 May 2022 05:15AM UTC
  
  Eventually, yes. At the moment, they are unaware of that. It will be a but before that gets dumped on them.
  
  Comment Actions
2. 1. T-bone (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sun 08 May 2022 07:46PM UTC
    
    Keep working on this when you can it is awesome!
    
    Comment Actions
HB_DS2013 on Chapter 1 Fri 23 May 2025 08:23AM UTC

Oh, now I'm very interested in this crossover. Roll A can give Model F a run for his zenny considering how she killed. A Ratty. With. A. Single Giga Crush. And also that Giga Crush overkilled Fireman. In BN terms, both Roll A and Mega Z can "Beast Out" using Megamerge. Also, Giga Crush feels like a mid-game NaviChip considering the sheer speed of Fireman's deletion. Also, Roll A introducing herself with A Trans is pretty awesome. Also the sixth Biometal Mega Z's keeping under wraps gives off Dark Chip or Beast Over vibes.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
Supermath33 on Chapter 1 Sat 02 Aug 2025 06:38AM UTC

If you look into the context of what Master Albert says when you compare what he says to Ashe when defeated to what he says when defeated by Grey, Albert does show he cares to some extent about Ashe, but not for Grey who he perceives as a failure.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 1 Sat 02 Aug 2025 07:59AM UTC
  
  Yeah, that is quite the minor detail most people don't notice when it comes to ZXA.
  
  Comment Actions
Xenoguyver on Chapter 2 Tue 10 May 2022 07:19PM UTC

I liked this chapter. And I thought the idea of them adopting the robo-pooch was better than just leaving it be after all was said and done.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 2 Fri 20 May 2022 03:01AM UTC
  
  I always wondered what happened to it, so I gave it a home.
  
  Comment Actions
2. 1. Supermath33 on Chapter 2 Fri 19 Jul 2024 06:24AM UTC
    
    Also gave it the name of something important in the games.
    
    Comment Actions
  2. 1. GammaTron on Chapter 2 Fri 19 Jul 2024 04:24PM UTC
      
      Yep. Completely intentional.
      
      Comment Actions
Supermath33 on Chapter 2 Wed 13 Nov 2024 10:34AM UTC

"It's the weekend…why wake me up so early…?" Lan muttered.
"Because you are not sleeping in with me around without good reason," Vent smirked.
[We have military programming in us, so good luck trying to sleep in anymore] Z chuckled.

Imagine Vent working alongside Morgana. EVERYONE MUST HAVE PERFECT SLEEP SCHEDULES!

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
Supermath33 on Chapter 2 Sat 22 Mar 2025 07:42AM UTC

Why am I suddenly imagining a version of Kris get the banana, but instead it's Lan get the fish. Masa replacing Queen and instead of potassium, it's Calcium.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 2 Sat 22 Mar 2025 08:07AM UTC
  
  Because it's Masa?
  
  Comment Actions
Xenoguyver on Chapter 3 Fri 20 May 2022 07:21PM UTC

Another fun chapter to read. Also, a couple things.
1) This timeline is not JUST the anime, but also has some elements from the Battle Network games mixed in since Yai is the heiress of GABCOM (which is the localized game reference to Capcom I assume.) instead of AyanoTech. I can't help but wonder what ELSE is mixed into this timeline. Hell, I think the idea of Vent and Ashe gaining CyBeast forms/Power Ups is going to be FUN.
2) I am now EAGER to see what the "big big change" is next chapter.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 3 Fri 20 May 2022 07:34PM UTC
  
  1) Actually that was a localization change for the English Dub in the US. In the original Japanese anime, Yai's family's company is called GABCOM. Oh, you'll start to see things in the next chapter. And yes, that idea does sound fun.
  2) Glad to know!
  
  Comment Actions
2. 1. Xenoguyver on Chapter 3 Fri 20 May 2022 07:42PM UTC
    
    Cool.
    Also, I can't help but think that these versions of Vent, Ashe and all the Biometals, if they got Isekai'd to a world similar to this one they are currently in but with the SCP Foundation as part of it as well, maybe these two would end up being a great asset to the Foundation. That universe could sure use some help and Hope.
    
    Comment Actions
  2. 1. GammaTron on Chapter 3 Fri 20 May 2022 07:44PM UTC
      
      True. It could use some help and hope...but I'm not sure these two could do something for them. ...Especially against 682 and his crazy adaptation ability.
      
      Comment Actions
    2. 1. Xenoguyver on Chapter 3 Fri 20 May 2022 07:52PM UTC
        
        The (essentially) Unkillable-Half-Zombie-Extradimensional-Lizard? Fair enough. Not unless they get blessed by an SCP similar to said Lizard, but benevolent instead. Hell, the Cybeasts could be those SCPs. Like, Vent and Ashe could be JUST as unkillable as 682, but are more personable and friendly in comparison.
        Sorry. That's off the subject of the story here. Looking forward to seeing how the story will evolve.
        
        Comment Actions
        
        Reply
        
        Thread
        
        Parent Thread
      2. Supermath33 on Chapter 3 Sun 23 Mar 2025 02:34PM UTC
        
        Remember that the SCP foundation tries to contain all anomalies even if they are good.
        
        Comment Actions
        
        Reply
        
        Thread
        
        Parent Thread
  3. T-bone (Guest) on Chapter 3 Fri 20 May 2022 10:16PM UTC
    
    Gregar for Vent and Falzar for Ashe? Awesome idea please do it!
    
    Comment Actions
Speedreader93 on Chapter 3 Mon 04 Sep 2023 04:24AM UTC

I cannot help but think that Vent has a bit of a sadistic side to him.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 3 Mon 04 Sep 2023 06:15AM UTC
  
  Oh? Now whatever gave you that idea~?
  
  Comment Actions
Speedreader93 on Chapter 3 Mon 11 Sep 2023 04:20AM UTC

The ending cracked me up.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
HB_DS2013 on Chapter 3 Fri 23 May 2025 08:56AM UTC

Mega being a tad sadistic? Must be you-know-who's influence, I guess. I'm hella surprised at the amount of foresight he and Roll A have. I was just expecting them to only have their skills and memories from their past lives. Oh well, I'mma find out how they've got all that. Also, Haruka Hikari being a former boxer's pretty cool

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
Xenoguyver on Chapter 5 Mon 30 May 2022 01:17AM UTC

I'll admit, those were pretty cool surprises in this chapter. Getting FullSynchro EARLY, and Ciel as well as Allouette (who's now Ciel's little sister in this lifetime) being part of this timeline as well? Things are VERY likely to change GREATLY. Hell, I'm wondering if both Vent and Ashe will get either the original Cybeasts in them like in your other fic, or if Ciel will end up creating a more "pure" version of the Cybeasts for Vent and Ashe instead. Either way, I'm SO looking forward to how this story will evolve and where it will go.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
asunaokumura812 on Chapter 5 Thu 02 Jun 2022 01:00PM UTC

I'm sorry if I sound dumb, but I know nothing about the BN franchise of Megaman. How does a NetNavi die? I figured they were pretty much immortal. Would deletion be the only way they'd pass away?

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 5 Thu 02 Jun 2022 02:06PM UTC
  
  Deletion is the equivalent to death for NetNavis. Sure, they can have backup data to 'revive' them, but they only have the memories to up to when the last backup was made, technically making them a 'new' NetNavi. But there are also NetNavi that are so special that you just simply can't make a backup for them. But in the case of Ashe's death as Roll.EXE and Vent's as Megaman.EXE, it's a little more complicated and convoluted since it involves Duo.EXE and his insane reality warping powers.
  
  Comment Actions
2. 1. Supermath33 on Chapter 5 Fri 24 Jan 2025 07:38AM UTC
    
    There is also the fact the Megaman.EXE is Hub Hikari which also means he can't be backed up as he is a digitalized human conscience which was unable to be backed up and had to be brought back utilizing something from the Undernet as was shown when Megaman.EXE was deleted by PharaohMan.EXE and only found out about it thanks to Serenade as otherwise Megaman.EXE would still be deleted.
    
    Comment Actions
  2. 1. GammaTron on Chapter 5 Sat 25 Jan 2025 06:44AM UTC
      
      What? Serenade wasn't in the anime. Do you mean the manga with Shadowman?
      
      Comment Actions
    2. 1. Supermath33 on Chapter 5 Sat 25 Jan 2025 07:09AM UTC
        
        I forgot to check information and got manga stuff mixed into the Anime stuff. It has been a good bit since I watched the anime stuff so I was rusty on my info.
        
        Comment Actions
        
        Reply
        
        Thread
        
        Parent Thread
T-bone (Guest) on Chapter 5 Wed 22 Jun 2022 10:06PM UTC

As I have said about your other megaman battle network stories more you awesome mad genius more! Also that pure Cybeasts idea xenoguyver had? 100% agree about it!

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
St0ryt3113r (Guest) on Chapter 5 Fri 05 Aug 2022 06:43AM UTC

Bruh this is dope! Can we please have another chapter?

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 5 Fri 05 Aug 2022 06:47AM UTC
  
  Don't worry. Work is currently in progress.
  
  Comment Actions
2. 1. St0ryt3113r (Guest) on Chapter 5 Fri 05 Aug 2022 07:19AM UTC
    
    Sweetness!
    
    Comment Actions
  2. 1. Supermath33 on Chapter 5 Fri 24 Jan 2025 07:38AM UTC
      
      Okay Junpei.
      
      Comment Actions
emerl2002 on Chapter 5 Thu 17 Aug 2023 04:09AM UTC

Me reading the description the first time: hmmmm…Iris.Exe wasn’t blonde was she? Nah, probably someone I don’t remember.
Me reading the description right after the Biometals being mentioned: WAIT! It’s not…could actually be…?!
I did NOT expect Ciel, as in the actual one, to be in this.
Nice to see that she and Praire are reunited with Zero…in a way at least.
Honestly I love this story so far

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. GammaTron on Chapter 5 Thu 17 Aug 2023 08:38AM UTC
  
  Thank you. I'm still trying to work on it. Sorry for how long you and other readers are waiting for it.
  
  Comment Actions
Nick113 on Chapter 5 Sat 01 Feb 2025 08:50PM UTC

"Yahoot?! B-But…He's WWW?!" Ciel gawked, "B-But how? He's my favorite yoga instructor on TV!"
"There's also something else…Dr. Regal is going to form a criminal syndicate known as Nebula…and distribute horrific BattleChips known as 'DarkChips,'" Ashe explained before Ciel tensed and slumped.
"Dr. Regal, too?" Ciel asked

Poor Ciel…

[...I'm in trouble, aren't I?] L asked.
[What do you think, Fairy Leviathan?] Z questioned.

He really pulled out the full name

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
St0ryt3113r on Chapter 6 Thu 23 Mar 2023 01:55AM UTC

I can’t remember if I said it in another comment, but the other model is Omega, isn’t it?
Either way, excellent chappy!

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread

Actions

Work Header