Hey all, it's me, Jonjetman, back with another Megaman adventure. However, this time I'm joined by the creative mind of Vyser Adept of Dragons. Say hello, Vyser!
Just glad to be here!
Just to let all of you know, for these beginning and after parts, anything I "say" will be regular and anything Vyser "says" will be in italics. That way you can tell the apart. Isn't that convenient?
Well, anyway, you all know that at the end of my last fic, Lee was now a Net Saver, and plus I left a whole lot of questions unanswered. Well, guess what? You guessed right! I'm going to answer them in this fic! Props to Vyser for giving me the excellent idea for this story.
No problem! I'm happy to oblige!
Well, (I seem to be using that word a lot) we've bored you long enough with this intro stuff, so let's get down to the good part. Without further ado, I…
Ahem.
Oh right, sorry, I mean, we give you… "Signs of the Zodiac!" Ooo… Isn't that title just so ominous?
Serena took her time walking out of DenTech Academy, while everyone else rushed out around her. She was in no hurry, nowhere special to go, no one to talk with. She was a loner. But she did that to herself. She was shy, especially since she had only just come to this school. Perhaps that was why she and her navi got along so well.
Dolph was almost a complete opposite to her, personality-wise: Outgoing, always willing to make a new friend, and brave. Serena felt that Dolph was everything she herself wanted to be, but never would.
She pulled out her PET as she walked out into the sunlight. "What do you want to do today, Dolph?" she asked.
"Uh, didn't Mom ask us to pick up some groceries on the way home from school?"
Serena clapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh right! I completely forgot!"
Dolph just smiled. "That's why I'm here. Jack me in and go on ahead and let the grocer know what to have ready."
"Right, you should already have the list loaded up. Ready?"
"Duh. That's why I suggested it."
"Jack in, Dolph, power up!"
The aqua colored navi appeared just outside the Net City System. "I'll meet up with you in town," she said, starting to head toward the city.
"Okay, don't get into any trouble."
Ironically, several pairs of eyes were suspiciously watching Dolph jog past. "Boy, isn't she a pretty little bunch of data?" One evil-looking navi observed, rubbing his hands together.
The other two present glanced at their leader, awaiting a response. The leader rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yea… Wouldn't it be a pity if she were all of a sudden to disappear? I bet certain people would pay a lot of money to get her back."
One, a bit slower than the rest, just had to ask: "Which certain people, boss?"
The leader hit him over the head. "Her Op, you idiot!"
"Oh right. I knew that."
The four slipped out of the alley and began trailing Dolph from a distance.
Back in the real world, Serena turned out of the school entrance and headed toward the grocer's a couple blocks over. She had only been walking for a few minutes when an alarm went off on her PET. "Dolph, what's wrong?" she asked urgently.
"These four guys got me backed up in an alley. I can't get away."
Two of the evil navis were slowly advancing on Dolph, while the boss waited in the background and the remaining one guarded the end of the alley from the shadows.
"This is bad." Dolph muttered. "Serena doesn't have any battlechips and she's too far away to log me out." She quickly turned and kicked one of the two in the face when he got too close.
"Ow!" He staggered backwards holding his nose. "What'd you do that for?"
His partner hit him over the head. "Whaddya think she did it for?"
The leader came forward. "Feisty one, ain't ya? Now then, come quietly and no one, meanin' yourself, gets hurt."
"If those are the options, then I prefer to crank up the volume. Aqua Trident!" Dolph grabbed a blue trident that formed in front of her and hurled herself at the nearest two.
"Get down here!" the boss called to the one guarding the entrance.
"But…"
"NOW!"
Meanwhile, Dolph had managed to put the slow one out of commission and was struggling with the second. Both the two navis had both hands of the trident and were grappling for control of it. The evil navi caught a signal from his boss and began maneuvering to get Dolph's back to the other two. Dolph was unaware of such a plot and continued struggling until the two grabbed her arms from behind. She continued to struggle but they just held her tighter, breaking her hold on the trident and bringing her arms behind her.
The one she had been fighting with picked up the trident. "Not so tough now are ya, huh missy?" He began poking her with her own trident.
"Stop that!" The boss called. "Help us tie her up."
He complied, but not before whacking at Dolph's legs with the trident. It turned out to be his one big mistake.
Just after Dolph cried out from being struck, a bright light emerged from the spot that the navi had hit engulfing Dolph. The navis backed away, unsure what was going on. "What did you do?" the leader demanded.
"Nothin', I swear!"
Meanwhile, Serena, who was rushing toward the grocer's, hoping to find a place to connect with Dolph and log her out, noticed the bright light also. "Dolph?"
Finally the bright light died down to reveal Dolph, but not the same Dolph. Her colors were inverted, switching around dark and light aqua blue. Also, a strange blue light hung around her.
The three lackeys edged away a little further. "Boss…"
Dolph picked up her trident that lay discarded on the ground. "Who wants some?" she asked smirking.
The other three backed away even more. "Boss, let's get out of here," one said. "I don't like the look she has on her face."
"Looks are nothin'. Let's see if the little girl can take me on. Bone Crusher!" The boss slammed his fist into the ground causing a huge shockwave.
"Tidal Shield!" Dolph sent up a huge tidal wave, canceling out the shockwave and continuing to rush toward the leader. It sent him staggering backwards, but not too much damage was done.
"Huh," he said smirking. "Looks like your bark is worse than your bite. Take this! Storm Barrage!" He launched himself at Dolph; his fists moving like pistons lightning quick.
"Dolph, no!" Serena cried as Dolph took hit after hit after hit.
The navi backed off, grinning evilly. "No one could come back after that," he told his gang.
"N-n-no one, except h-h-her," one said, pointing a shaking finger.
"What?" The boss whirled around to see Dolph still standing there a smirk etched on her face.
"Whoa, she hardly took any damage from that attack," Serena said in amazement and relief. "Either that, or she recovered really quickly."
"That the best you got?" Dolph said.
The boss stared her in disbelief for a moment, then turned and ran out of the alley. "Let's get outta here, boys!"
"You got it, boss!"
"And don't come back!" Dolph shouted after them, and suddenly collapsed, her colors returning to normal.
"Dolph!" Serena cried. "I'm logging you out now."
Dolph, logging out.
"Dolph, what happened?" Serena asked urgently.
"I… I don't know," Dolph said weakly. "I remember being grabbed by them, then there was this light, and after that… it's all a blur. And now, I feel… drained."
"Let's get home so I can plug you in to recharge."
"But what about the groceries?"
"Mom will understand." I hope, she thought.
"Ok, I guess. You mind if I shut down for a 'till then."
"Go ahead, if it makes you feel better." Serena watched the screen go black with the words "Standby Mode" written across it. I hope that whatever happened doesn't damage her permanently. But I wonder what it was? It's not like I can ask anyone else what it was, 'cause no else has probably had it happen before. Oh well…
Back in the Cyberworld, the four navis continued running until their leader halted them. The three leaned against a wall, gasping for breath; while their boss turned back toward the way they had come, staring. "Wha…whaddya think that was?" one of the three managed to gasp out. The other two just shook their heads.
"I think I know," their leader said suddenly. "And I think I know someone who would be very interested in this little incident…"
Wow, what an intriguing first chapter! I don't know about the rest of you, but that little thing with Dolph seemed kinda familiar… but that's just me.
Now that this is over, you wanna know what happens next? You get to review! Isn't that exciting? It's not? Well, do it anyway!