Yay, another one! Though it wasn't too long either, I do hope it turned out better than the last one ^^;

Grave

The Great Virusbeast appeared and for a start it destroyed a part of the city, attacked Megaman, and deleted an electric Navi called Thunderman. Depression became widespread.

Panic spread across NetCity. Though the monster wasn't there, but the pictures about it were more than enough. It was unbelievable how far Grave could go to gain power. The city was the centre, the heart of everything. I didn't worry about our restaurant. Okay, I did, but there were more important things. Like… the hospitals. What about that? The two hospitals with hundreds of sick people who were being kept alive by some kind of machine. What would happen to them? Gauss and Magnetman were never sensitive or anything but this… this was horrible.

But… someone else must be behind the scenes. This beast was a miracle, the terrible top of programming. I didn't believe that Kid Grave was the creator either.

After the monster's appearance that was all I could think of. Grave really could kill for power. I was feeling sick, didn't want to do anything. The others weren't better either. Our NetOps lost all hope (except Mr. Match) for recreating World Three. We ticked Mr. Match and Heatman off with that kind of attitude, but what could we do? Wackoman was groveling on the table while I was leaning back on my chair and staring at the ceiling, counting those little shining orbs. Only Yahoot and Magicman were in shape though they were in curry-business for a long time. We still had to adapt to it. Mr. Match and Heatman escaped from the restaurant, yelling that we were driving them nuts.

- Hey, Wacko! – I said after a very long pause.

- What? – he moaned while still groveling on the table. He started turning into the different tones of grey. Like a chameleon.

- Did you know that there are 435 orbs on the ceiling?

- In the oven there are 623.

- You won.

- And also the Sea (a.k.a. the endless Curry-sea) has 870 carrot-pieces in it.

- And 789 meatballs.

- You couldn't do anything else either, could you? – he asked, finally lifting his face and looking at me.

- Of course not – I sighed. – Do I look like someone who is busy?

- You hate being bored, don't you?

- Nah, I got used to it.

- Then what's wrong?

- Nothing – I frowned. I forgot that Wackoman is very good at reading from face. Sometimes I felt like he can even see inside my soul.

- Yup, there is something – he stated. I gave up.

- Damnit, that idiot Grave is my problem!

- It's everyone's right now.

- How can they be so ruthless?

- Well, if we add that Gauss and Magnetman are on the top…

- Thanks, I needed that – I interrupted sarcastically. At least he didn't point out that jerk was my bro.

- Sorry – he sighed. He was always full of color, someone would think he was dying, being pale and all.

- Just let us survive this… Please, just let us survive! – I said my prayer to the sky.

- Well, unless Megaman and his friends aren't trying to save the world, we're doomed.

Man, I missed the old Wackoman, who always tried to ease the atmosphere somehow with a dumb joke.

We didn't have problem with the restaurant, heck no! At least not me. Jack and I were grateful for this little place. I was troubled by the way the world will change when Grave wins. We couldn't do much, couldn't stand a chance against any of their Navis. Except Heatman of course.

Suddenly Magicman ran to us.

- Something's happening! – he shouted.

- What? – I groaned.

Magicman opened a screen to NetCity. Freezeman and Heatman were dashing against each other and were falling from a… frozen, flying building? Megaman was clinging to the edge of it, and taking advantage of Freezeman not being after him, he started climbing to the top. Something there was causing it.

Heatman and Freezeman were smacking each other down below. Suddenly over the skyscraper a kind of sand flare appeared and swallowed it along with Megaman. We didn't know what was going on. And for a half an hour we didn't get the answer.

Suddenly we heard a strange noise from outside. Yahoot opened the door whereof the wind almost ripped his head off. Outside there was a yellow helicopter slowly descending towards the pavement. Our NetOps ran out.

- Get away from here before you drive away all our costumers! – shouted Yahoot.

That's when the helicopter's gun turned to them. If I had a heart, it would have skipped a beat. I thought it was from Grave. The pilot opened fire and I closed my eyes so I didn't have to see that. I heard they were shouting but it wasn't painful or anything, like they were simply… surprised? I dared to take a look. They were covered with pink liquid which Maddy identified as strawberry yoghurt. Strawberry yoghurt?

Suddenly Lan's voice spoke up from the helicopter.

- World Three, listen up! You're gonna help us get to Megaman!

I was about to explode. That stupid, little, fifth-grade kid was ordering adults around? Of course they had to agree. The copter landed and we got on. Wackoman started with jumping on Glide and stifling him until I and Magicman could drag him away. Wacko was ticked, he was howling like hell that Megaman and the others were taken aback. He was shouting that what those idiots were thinking, we thought they were from Grave and wanted to kill Maddy and the others and so on. Wacko was rarely angry, but when that happened, he was furious.

When we managed to calm down a little bit, the kid told us the coordinates where we were heading. They said Megaman was taken there. You won't believe what was there: our old hideout which was blown up along with Mr. Wily by Pharaoman. The copter landed on a nearby clearing.

Never liked that place. It was too dark, too unfriendly for my taste. Most of the ceiling broke in and sunlight infiltrated. The floor was covered with detritus, the computers were destroyed except one that was working fine. Too fine. Maddy said there was a program running on it. Yahoot checked with his PET. So they checked us in.

- Oh, not you! – growled Gutsman.

- It's cool – I calmed him down.

- We want to help out too! – smiled Wackoman, who got back his colorfulness and enthusiasm, probably from finally taking some action.

Magicman stated this place weren't looking like we left it. We headed to a direction from where we could hear whispers. Like a ghost talking. It was creepy. Then we saw them.

Megaman was lying on a rock and next to him was a… hardly higher, strange guy wearing a poncho and a helmet that looked like bat-ears. I guessed it was that Bass Navi the kids were talking about.

- You're the Net Navi called Bass, I presume! – I growled and tried to hide my fear. He looked familiar like I've seen him before somewhere.

- What have you done to Megaman? – snapped Glide.

- I finished with your Megaman, that's what I've done – Bass hissed back. – Take him. At last… I have the final piece of the puzzle.

And then he simply vanished. Megaman woke with a start after some minutes, like he had a bad dream. We tried to ask him about this Bass, but he couldn't tell much either.

Some minutes later Grave darkened the counsel…

R&R please!