So anyway, on with the next chapter… As usual I suck at these intros. At least Vyser made it interesting.
Lee glared across at Pisces as he laughed over his apparent triumph. "Bwahahaha!! I've got you now! You can't escape!"
Lee just felt like making a retort at the moment so he responded: "Ever think about the fact that you're trapped in here, too?"
"Will someone please explain what in tarnation is goin' on here?!" Kane exclaimed.
"Long story short: Him," Lee pointed to Pisces. "Bad guy. Us: good guys. They want some important data that our two navis have and that yours apparently has too."
"Unless there's some other kind of data that makes you glowy and super powerful," Cypher remarked.
"You, keep your comments to yourself and get in there and help Axeman. Jack in, Cypher, power up! Watch out," Lee added, aside to Kane. "He's another one for lame jokes…"
"Comedian program?" Kane asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, naturally."
Cypher appeared beside the glowing Axeman. "Hey there," he said, waving cheerfully. "I'm a big fan and was wondering--" He didn't get the chance to say more because a huge swipe of Axeman's arm sent him flying. Cypher winced as he stood up. "Well, this hasn't started well."
"I forgot," Lee said smacking his head. "When a navi's in Chaos mode, they totally ignore all boundaries between friend and foe… including Netop commands."
This was confirmed by Axeman beginning to lumber off toward Tusk. Pisces smirked. "Heh, this Wood Chaos isn't so tough. Look how slow he's going! Take him, Tusk!"
"Tusk Missiles!!" Tusk once again fired off a round of pointed missiles at the oncoming Axeman, but they just glanced off him, continuing their flight at odd angles. Most spiraled out of control and exploded. Cypher was forced to dodge one such wayward missile. "Yow! Nice defense though…"
"That's the Wood Chaos ability," Lee said, peering at the incoming info from the Chaos scanner program. It displayed yet another brown wedge shaped piece of data, this one with a leaf on it. "The user is impervious to all attacks for a short amount of time. However, their speed stat is cut and one other thing…"
"What? What is it?" Kane asked, trying to move to look over Lee's shoulder.
"The shield won't hold up against Fire attacks. And if an attack gets through, the Chaos Mode shuts down immediately."
"Thanks for the info!" Pisces said, slotting chips into his PET. "Heat Shot, triple download!"
"Program Advance!" Tusk yelled. "Heat Spread!"
"Oh great…" Cypher said, beginning to dash headlong toward Axeman. "Get out of there, big guy!"
But Axeman continued to ignore him, completely concentrated on Tusk. Kane gritted his teeth. He's not gonna make it…
"Fire!!" Tusk yelled, letting off a huge blast of flame. There was a huge explosion. Cypher was knocked back several yards. He scrambled upright. "Axeman!"
Pisces began laughing afresh. "Bwahaha! Now the Wood Chaos is ours!"
"Not quite," said a new voice.
"Huh?" Cypher said.
Pisces was equally as confused. "Who dares to interfere?!"
The smoke cleared away, revealing Dolph standing in front of Axeman. A barrier was just fading from around the two of them. "That'd be me," Dolph said.
Lee shot a glance at Serena, who merely smiled shyly back at him. She was about to say something when Kane picked her up and swung her around, beaming. "That was some quick thinking there, little lady! You done saved my Axeman!"
Serena was blushing fiercely. "Thanks… I guess," she muttered when Kane set her down again.
Cypher skidded up next to Dolph. "Way to go, kid!"
Dolph put her hands on her hips. "Who's a 'kid?' I haven't seen you do much against this guy yet."
"Just takin' my time," Cypher responded, winking at her. "And I think our friend's about to come to his senses…"
As he said this, the aura around Axeman faded and his coloration returned to normal. He held his head, groaning. "Oh… what happened? I feel like someone hit up side the head with a tractor… or something just as big."
"Try him," Cypher said, pointing over at Tusk.
Axeman seemed to notice them for the first time. "Who're you then?"
"A fan," Cypher said grinning. "But let's show this guy who's king of the garden first, eh?"
A broad grin spread across Axeman's face. "I like the way ya think."
"Alright here we go!" Lee said. "On my signal!"
Pisces gritted his teeth. "C'mon, my Tusk can still take ya!"
"MagBomb3! Download!" Lee shouted, slotting in the corresponding chip.
Cypher hurled the bomb directly at Tusk, who cockily sidestepped it. "You missed," he said grinning.
Cypher merely smirked. "Oh right, and I totally forgot the attack spreads out too. My bad…"
"Wha?" Tusk glanced down at his feet. The magnetic force of the bomb had spread from the point of impact and now his feet were firmly stuck to the ground. "No!!"
"Oh yes! Now you two, attack!" Lee directed.
"Tri Fin Boomerang!!" Dolph shouted, as the fins on her arms and helmet enlarged and launched themselves off at Tusk.
"Axe Slammer!!" Axeman ran straight for Tusk, axes extended.
Two gigantic axe slashes and three smaller ones from the boomerangs connected with the stuck Tusk. Tusk, logging out.
"Yea! I guess that Tusk wasn't nothin' but a big ol' cow after all," Axeman said beaming.
Everyone else sweat-dropped as Cypher rolled on the floor laughing. "Cow! Ahahaha! Tusk: a cow! Aha! Hahaha! Oh my ribs…"
Pisces, in the meantime was finding Lee's earlier comment to be quite true. He glanced at the group across the way. They're distracted… Maybe, now I can find a way out of here. He gripped the bars, pleading to his comrade outside. "Scorpio, get me out of here now!"
Scorpio, who had been observing quietly from a close distance, began walking away. "Do it yoursssself. It issss your cage, after all."
"What?! No, get back here you little… snake!"
"Now just who would y'all be talkin' too out there?"
Pisces dreaded turning around, but he did, finding himself face to face with three grim expressions. "Err…"
"Where's my brother?" Lee asked sternly.
Pisces began feeling around in his pocket for something. He stalled. "Oh, er… who might that be?"
"You know perfectly well who it is!" Lee yelled, getting more frustrated. "Now where is he?!"
Pisces found what he was looking for. He grinned. "Find him yourself." He pushed a button on a remote and a trap door opened up right beneath him. "Later, suckers!" The door closed right after he dropped through.
"Dang it…" Lee mumbled as the cage bars lifted.
Serena put a hand on his shoulder as the three of them walked off the platform. "We'll find him… sooner or later."
"I'd prefer sooner," Lee grunted.
"Now I don't know what y'all are mumblin' about," Kane interjected. "But you've done me a good turn, so whenever you need a hand just give me a shout, ya hear?"
Lee looked up smiling. "Thanks, Mr…"
"Kane."
"Right. I'm Lee and this is Serena. And the heap of laughing data is my navi, Cypher," Lee added, glaring at his PET screen.
"I can't help it," Cypher said, seemingly wiping a tear out of his eye. "This guy is so hilarious!"
Axeman beamed. "I've got a fan, man!"
"Your only one…" Kane muttered.
After parting ways with Kane, Lee and Serena started their trek again. "Now where to?" Serena asked.
"I don't know… But we do know that the Zodiac is behind these tournaments. We'll keep an eye out for anymore element-exclusives." But in the meantime…" Lee grinned at her. "I'm starved. Wanna get something to eat?"
Serena smiled back. "Definitely."
Cypher piped up. "Hey, you guys wanna hear a couple jokes Axeman taught me?"
"NO!!"
"Spoilsports…"
Meanwhile, Pisces had arrived back at HQ to see a fuming Leo. "But… But I discovered who has the Wood Chaos data!" he protested. "That's gotta count for something!"
"Oh I'm sorry," Leo said, putting on a mocking voice. "Now whose exact words were 'We'll get that Wood Chaos. I swear on it,' Hmm…?" His tone changed completely. "Get out of my sight!" Pisces scrambled out of the room as fast as he could.
Leo sat back in his chair, with his head in his hands. "Why am I surrounded by incompetence…? Though I must say those brats have incredibly lucky up 'till now…" He suddenly struck upon an idea. "Yes… they have been lucky… but their luck's about to run out." He tapped an intercom beside his chair. "Agent Gemini, you're on."
Dun dun dun… A new agent is on the case… But what's so special about them, eh? The Zodiac is running down. Review time peoples! Later days!
