Megaman Battle Network Omega
Chapter 10: Megaman, Meet Megaman
"Who are you?" Megaman demanded of his look-alike. "What's going on?!"
The duplicate gestured to himself. "What you see here is the pinnacle of engineering and compression... everything you are and so much more."
He smirked evilly. "I am you, Megaman, built from your blueprints and components, but enhanced beyond your wildest dreams. I am Megaman Omega... but feel free to call me Omega for short."
Megaman raised his buster defiantly. "We'll see just how enhanced you are!" He attempted to fire, but before he could even blink, Omega had rushed forward and pointed his buster upward, where it fired harmlessly into the air.
"Come on, I'm trying to monologue here." He swiftly punched Megaman in the gut, sending him flying backwards, where he landed hard on the ground many feet away. "Now sit and listen like a good boy."
Megaman grabbed his stomach and slowly tried to stood up. "You... you must be using the Gamma program..."
"You're smarter than you look." Omega smirked and walked forward. "But you're a bit off. What I'm using is the refinement and perfection of the Gamma program. The Omega program... so named for being the final, ultimate advance. It's made me more powerful than you could ever dream of being."
Megaman managed to get back on his feet, staring defiantly into Omega's eyes. "So... the spy in SciLab... he took my blueprints?"
Omega laughed again, amused. "And here I thought you were getting it. What's this business about a spy?"
"Don't play dumb!" Megaman called out, firing his buster at Omega, who dodged easily; Megaman continued, undeterred. "The WWW has a spy at SciLab! That's how they broke into the Mother Computer!"
Omega burst out laughing, much to Megaman's derision. "You people are too much... something bad happens at SciLab, and you immediately turn on your own! And from here the plan seemed so obvious."
"How else could you get those codes?! The only people who could know about the workings of Gamma are SciLab and... and..." Megaman blinked, finally coming to a realization.
"Give him a prize, folks," Omega laughed again. "That's right. SciLab's partner in development, Thinking Big Industries, was nothing but a dummy corporation set up by the WWW! You were never protected from us, not for an instant!"
Megaman tried to wrap his head around this plan. "But... why? Why would the WWW help develop a security system for SciLab?"
"That certainly wasn't our intention," Omega replied, walking toward Megaman again, who got into a defensive position. "But when SciLab offered to use the program to shield themselves uselessly... well, how could we resist?"
He grinned evilly once again. "No, the goal of creating the Gamma program was solely to create me. I am the end result of years of planning and hard work." He raised his fists with pride and triumph. "Myself, the control center for a superpowered army, and the most powerful Navi in existence! I am the most perfect weapon ever created!"
"You're full of it, is what you are," Megaman shot back. "Too bad for you, but I've got a trick up my sleeve too! I'm still stronger than you!" He looked upward, toward Lan. "Lan! Do it now!"
Not thinking twice, Lan quickly activated HubStyle; Megaman glowed a bright white, then reverted to his more powerful form he used on the first clone. Aiming to demonstrate his strength, he dashed forward and punched Omega in the neck; as Omega grabbed his throat, choking, Megaman grabbed him by the arm and swung him into a nearby wall, where he crashed heavily.
Megaman grinned, feeling confident and ready to dish out more pain, when Omega started laughing; it started low, but grew louder and more sinister as he stood up and dusted himself off.
"You poor deluded fool... that's your ace in the hole, the one that will save the day?" He grinned, and jumped on top of the wall he had hit in a single bound. "Perhaps you didn't understand the phrase 'everything you are and more'!"
Megaman's eyes widened. "No... that's not possible! How did you even get that data about me?!"
"That information was obtained by our good friend Swordman," he replied, his body slowly starting to glow yellow, "extracted directly from your body. We know all about the DNA encoded into your body, and your partial fusion with your operator... and I'll do you one better!"
He suddenly flashed bright yellow, and Megaman cried out and had to divert his eyes. When he looked back, Omega was still glowing yellow; like Megaman, he too had shed armor in favor of a battlesuit, but his hair spiked out in all directions. His evil grin remained, even wider than ever.
"This is MY HubStyle form, Megaman!" he called out. "Even more powerful than your own, and I don't rely on an Operator to activate it!"
Megaman looked up at him, panicked, as Omega leapt down to the ground. The mere force of impact sent a shockwave through the Netspace that knocked Megaman off his feet; an instant later, he was sent flying by a powerful kick to the jaw, skidding to a stop on the ground many feet away.
"How do you like it? Makes you feel a bit insignificant, doesn't it?!" Omega rushed forward and grabbed Megaman by the collar, kneeing him hard in the stomach before throwing him hard back into the ground.
"Ughh..." Megaman groaned. He could feel the HubStyle connection slipping away; he needed to maintain it, but it was a hassle even to get up. He got on his knees, but a sneering Omega stomped on the back of his neck; he cried out and slumped to the ground, as his HubStyle disappeared completely.
"Agh!" Lan, in the real world, collapsed to the floor, sore and in pain after the loss of HubStyle, but still straining to watch his PET.
"Pathetic... only a few blows and you're down for the count." Omega lifted Megaman up by the collar once again, punching him in the stomach. "Guess that's the price you pay when you're the perfect fighting machine."
"You... you won't get away with this..." Megaman managed. "Even if you take the Net with your army, people will move away from it... find something else... life will go on without you!"
Omega sneered once again. "Ah yes... and that's where part 2 of my genius plan comes into play." He chuckled lightly.
"It's true that my reign will be limited to the Net in this form... but the minions of the WWW are working on something else. A battle body, made especially for me to inhabit... one that can bring my phenomenal powers to the real world! I'll take the planet by force, all by myself!"
Megaman's eyes widened. "What? You're... crazy!"
"Now hold on one moment!" Dr. Wily's voice cut in, much to Megaman and Lan's surprise. "What's going on here? I never approved any sort of battle body, you arrogant..."
Omega laughed derisively. "Well, that doesn't surprise me in the least, old man... because you are no longer in charge of this operation."
A cry of surprise was heard from Dr. Wily; Lan looked up at the video screen, to see two WWW guards forcefully grab Wily's arms.
"What is this?!" Wily demanded. "You traitor! I gave you life, I gave you purpose! This is how you repay me?!"
"A child, Dr. Wily!" Omega responded. "Twice now your plans have been laid to waste by a mere child, even with the world's best technology at your side! You are a failure in your position!"
Omega flexed his bicep, smirking. "The WWW needs a leader who will not fail... one who will lead them to an age of true rule and prosperity... one who is perfect! And that leader shall be me!"
"Curse you, Omega!" Wily shouted, as the guards carted him off to who knows where. "You will pay for this treason, I swear it!"
With Wily's voice gone, Omega turned back to a very surprised Megaman. "Of course, I'm not quite perfect yet... but that will only take a minute to fix."
"What are you planning now?" Megaman shot out, as he struggled against Omega's grip fruitlessly; he didn't have nearly the strength he needed to get free.
"I haven't told you about my other function, have I?" Omega inquired bemusedly. "Quite the multi-tasker, I am... I also have the ability to absorb powers, or components, from other Navis... because there are certain parts of you that I need to get from the source."
He gestured to the numerous power cables behind him. "Right now, my power is so great that it must constantly be cycled and replenished... my body is not complete, not equipped to handle the power. Which is why we hatched a plan to deceive you, lead you here to me." He smirked. "But once I get the final components from you... nothing will be able to stop me. And there's nothing you can do about it."
He placed his hand to Megaman's chest, and it started to glow. "It was nice meeting you, by the way..." Omega grinned and glared evilly, as Megaman desperately tried and failed to think of a way out of this situation. He could do nothing but close his eyes and wait.
Instead of feeling the life sucked out of him, however, Megaman felt himself being dropped to the ground. He opened his eyes and looked up at Omega, who was grabbing himself in pain. Looking further, he saw that one of Omega's power cables was sparking violently, and an instant later it exploded, disappearing completely. Megaman blinked and stared, confused.
"Looks like you two need a hand against this guy," called out a familiar voice. Back in the real world, Lan looked up to see Chaud standing over him. He held a smouldering, sharp piece of guard robot in his hand, and one of the cables had been violently separated from the wall.
He offered his hand to Lan, pulling him up. "You alright there?"
Lan nodded, leaning against the wall. "A bit worn out, but I'll be just fine... need to focus on Omega..."
Chaud handed Lan the sparking, severed cable. "You'll want this. Connect it to the expansion port on your PET." Lan nodded, as Chaud turned and headed off. "I need to help the others, they're still fighting off guard robots. Go get 'im, Lan."
Lan nodded. "Thanks, Chaud." He took the cable he was handed and shoved the wires into the expansion port, which caused the screen to flash a bright white.
Back in the Net, Omega finished shaking off his pain, then looked down at his hands, flexing.
"What is this? What's happened to my strength?!" He looked over at Megaman and did a double-take. Megaman's HubStyle had returned, as had his strength, and he now emitted a faint white glow similar to Omega's. He made a fist and looked down at it, grinning.
"Oh yea... this is much more like it." He turned and looked toward Omega, whose face was contorted in anger. "Time for the second round, Omega!"
"This changes nothing, whelp!" Omega shot back. "You may have some of my power, but you're still nothing compared to me!" He formed a Long Sword and ran toward Megaman.
"We'll just see about that!" Megaman retorted, making a Wide Sword of his own. The two blades connected with a mighty clang, and the battle began once again.