Interlude: The Inherited Program of Light and Dark
06:14 AM (Japan Time), Saturday October the 3rd…
"…Eternal "Dark"…"
Forte was slowly drifting across the depths of the Reverse Cyber World, apparently in a coma-like state, given how he was muttering to himself, as if he was in a dream, and his azure jewel was shining in an intermittent manner on and off: he was rotating across his axis too in a slow manner as if he was a drifting asteroid.
The place seemed to have been designed to emulate outer space and the lack of gravity (the decoration was a replica of outer space) and large circuitry boards slowly drifted and rotated across the space too: it seemed to be very vast and unending.
"Loneliness and despair rule in here… The Reverse Cyber World… It rejects any sacred ones… A cybernetic graveyard…" He muttered.
Various pieces of data started to flee from something: a purple light the brightness of which was increasing by the second glowed close by.
"What is this fiercely huge energy…?" He wondered.
It was powerful enough to wake him: he stopped and realized that he was floating above what looked like a huge purple mass of burning energy: some of it was leaping "skywards" as if it were dancing fire.
"What!" He gasped.
He managed to get into an upright position and hovered away from the mass while he opened his cloak.
How did I end up here? How long have I been here? What the hell is that thing?
A shape, a face, formed on the purple mass, yet it didn't seem to have any traits save for big exaggerated eyes, nose and mouth: it wasn't intended to be too perfect but just to form the overall form, more like a skull.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"
"You lowlife!" Forte cursed as if he'd recognized it.
… Huh… That voice…! Let devil bite me if I don't know to whom it belongs to…! Huh? Something's coming!
A monster suddenly formed out of the mass.
Its main body's shape looked strikingly similar to the Alphabet letter "T" with the base having three pale blue diamond-like formations aiming NE and NW on each side of it: four large metallic chains came out from inside of the vortex and attached to the purplish mass which was the upper body.
The thing's head had an irregular shape as it was made up of reddish mass with white patterns drawn over it: two red eyes missing any iris shone on the face while the mouth area was colored blue: giant teeth filled the open mouth which uttered inhuman roars: a thin large diamond object was set on the forehead, too.
Six needles colored blue and with a small blackish stripe near the base of them emerged from behind the shoulders: they had an eerie vibe to them and looked sharp.
The monster's hands looked more like claws than real hands: they were colored in a reddish tint all the way to the start of the forearms: two cuffs seemingly made of metal with an inner blue band and lacking chains were visible on the monster's wrists.
It emitted an inhuman roar and gripped Forte with its hands as it loomed out of the spiraling and shape-shifting mass.
Grah! Let go of me, you ugly thing!
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"
Let go of me! Hell! Why won't my power flow out? My body feels slow and… Ugh… My consciousness is fading away…! What the hell is this about…? Ugh…!
Become my pawn and bring forth destruction! Foolish Net Navi!
The city of London was busy with people going up and down.
Let this prideful metropolis be filled with terror and fear!
A strange and small purple circle with some patterns drawn inside formed in the street and a thin beam of light began to shoot upwards in a sudden manner.
It's started!
The pedestrians had just taken notice when the size increased tenfold and expanded into a huge column of light which moved at a crazy speed.
There's nowhere to run off to!
It cut through buildings and swallowed anything on its path: it stopped after a while and vanished as quickly as it had appeared just as the Big Ben's clock handles signaled four in the afternoon and it began to chime.
Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah!
The people looked in horror: there was only an unending abyss left on the beam's wake the walls of which were colored blue and looked cybernetic in nature: and, when seen from afar, it drew a gigantic shape across the city's body.
I've gotten news of something happening and I find THIS. What the hell is this? Duo's newest handiwork…? A new form of "Earth Erasure"…? He's run out of patience?
Freeze Man had gotten a hold of the news already and he was looking at helicopter-recorded footage.
It didn't even last 2 minutes and did this much damage? That thing's speed must be brutal! Maybe the Science Labs will know what this thing is about? I should head back to Japan.
Freeze Man sighed and had his diamond enter a hi-speed transfer lane to flow back into his base: he landed there and came out of the diamond while looking worried.
What's going on?
08:17 AM (Japan Time)…
"… Let's go! Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"
Netto, Dekao, Meiru, Hikawa and Chisao had gone to the amusement park to take part in a Net Battle tournament.
So! It's begun.
"K. S." had mingled amongst the public and was looking at the scene with some amusement.
That opponent's name is Foot Man…
The opponent Navi, Foot Man, was not a very though opponent even though he could divide himself into three copies: they looked just like a football player with the suit and helmet: the match was finished with the Giga Cannon Program Advance.
"Winner! Hikari Netto a~nd Rrrrrock Man!" The presenter exclaimed through the microphone.
Heh. As expected, gentlemen.
"We did it!" Netto exclaimed.
"Incredible! Chu!"
"Good work!" Hikawa added.
Meiru hugged Netto to congratulate.
"You did it, Netto!" She told him.
"Hey! Netto! Whaddya ya think you're doing to my Meiru – chan?" Dekao complained.
"But I'm not doing anything…" Netto protested while trying to shake Meiru off.
"Tomahawk Swing and… Tomahawk Rolling!" A familiar voice yelled close by.
Aha! That's Mr. Dingo: Tomahawk Man's Operator.
Dingo was a young man who was surely younger than 15 years old to begin with.
His eyes' irises were brown and his hair was reddish in color: he had two narrow white stripes below his eyes stretching outwards.
He wore a bandana with green diamonds over a brighter green background, some white decorative pieces at the end of his hair strings, a navy blue hood and a blue handkerchief having a red edge and small white straws of silk coming out of its edge.
The rest of his clothes were a blue jumper with long sleeves having some kind of drawing stitched over the lower edge of the jumper: he also had shorts of the same color on him and wore sneakers colored brown and lush green plus having gray soils.
Lastly, he carried some beads tied into a string attached to the right lower edge of his jumper and three reddish feathers with a brownish end to them.
Overall he seemed to be of Indian Ameroupe affiliation.
And there's Mr. Tomahawk Man.
Tomahawk Man was a Net Navi shaped like a native Ameroupe Indian and who struck as being slightly over a meter and sixty tall.
His face had two red triangles painted on the lower edge of his cheeks and aiming towards the center of it: his eyes' irises were brown and he had a youthful face.
His head's helmet had a red piece over the forehead which also extended downwards until the star of the nose with two white patterns facing opposite directions having a drawing reminiscent of the Alphabet "P" letter set on it.
Two small extensions ran down the sides of his head and they looked like a Native Ameroupean's hair decoration colored white, orange and red: a larger hair decoration piece with the same color combination spread left and right of his head.
His upper body was protected by armor colored in an azure coloring: His shoulders were spheroids using the same color palette: his short arms without elbows and having black "skin" emerged from them.
His emblem was a simple silhouette of an eagle colored white as seen from the front and with the head tilted towards the left and set against a black background with a metallic edge.
Armor covered the wrist and forearms with yellow discs set on the wrists at the start of them: his right forearm had a large tomahawk built into it as explicitly stating why he was named Tomahawk Man to begin with.
He had a thin azure belt around the waist and one piece of armor protecting the legs until the start of the knees: it was shaped like a rectangle aiming downwards: the edges were colored brown and a brown "X" letter was drawn on the center of it and set against an azure background.
The armor over the legs, starting just below the knees, was colored azure as well and it had a curious design: the outer edges had three brown rectangles a small pyramid aiming south drawn into them plus a thin line running down vertically along its length.
His feet were simple brown pieces with the end of the leg armor (which, when seen side from the side, looked like a rectangle with a triangle aiming south) fusing with them midway across their length.
"Tomahawk Swing!"
Tomahawk Man swung his weapon: a spiral of wind travelling across a cylindrical air shaft flew across the field and hit his opponent, who had to shield himself as he recoiled.
"Tomahawk Rolling!"
Tomahawk Man swung across the air and landed atop a totem's head before using that as a base to jump into the air and start rolling like an armadillo while setting the air around his body in red burning flames: the Navi hadn't had time to recover and the blow landed on him causing some flames to spread upwards from the point of the impact.
"Guoh!"
He was kicked into the air and forced to "Log-Out" before he could hit the floor.
"Winner! Dingo a~nd Tomahawk Man!"
"Yessir!"
"Dingo did it, too!" Netto commented.
"Yeah! If it was him, it was obvious and - HEY!"
Dekao had been distracted and focused again on quarreling with Netto.
"GET AWAY FROM MY MEIRU – CHAN!"
No, no… Mr. Ooyama… Ms. Sakurai has an honor to protect. And that claim of yours was way too rude. They had never said they wanted to be… Hum… Ahem… Well. Your girlfriend, right?
The group walked around the amusement park: Chisao sported a pink-colored version of his usual shirt and jean-style shorts.
Hikawa wore an open white and blue vest over a navy blue shirt and brown jeans.
"So this Japan's Thousand Amusements building… I see! I was obviously thinking of a wholly different scale." Netto commented.
"It's huge! Chu!"
"It's really amazing!" Dekao exclaimed.
"Let's go check out other stuff apart from Net Battles! Since we've still got some time before our match…"
Meiru checked her wrist watch.
"True! Since we've come here to check it out, anyway…"
"Okay! We'll go to the eating contests! Let's go!"
Dingo dragged Dekao along.
"Whoa! Meiru – cha~n!"
"See you later!"
"Don't forget our meeting point!" Hikawa reminded them.
"Don't get lost!" Netto told him.
"Meiru – cha~n!"
A roller coaster passed nearby and they heard a yelp which sounded familiar.
"Is it me or did I hear Higure – san?" Hikawa asked.
He wasn't wrong: he and Shuuko were riding on the roller coaster.
"I'm so happy! This is funny!" Shuuko exclaimed.
"LEMME GO, I'M GONNA DIE DE MASU!"
Higure realized they were upside down.
"MARIKO – SENSEI~!"
His PET III fell towards an artificial lake just below.
"Yamitarou~!" Number Man yelled.
The PET fell into the water: Netto and the others walked around and ended up in the middle of a gathering of fans from one sci-fi show.
"By the way… It looks like we've wandered into a bunch of aliens..." Netto whispered to Hikawa
"Oh. That's because this event hall holds a convention for a popular sci-fi show." Hikawa replied.
"There are lots of die-hard fans!" Meiru added.
"Warning, warning!" Someone disguised suddenly announced in front of them.
The person was wearing an odd helmet and had some kind of machine on its hands.
"Enemy alert! Enemy alert!"
Netto and the others looked on, puzzled.
"I'm counting on reinforcements! I'm about to engage in battle!"
The person stopped and began to take out the helmet.
"I was just kidding!"
The person was Mariko.
"MARIKO – SENSEI?" They all asked, baffled.
Oh my. So they have other hobbies apart from onsens…
"What's written here? I'm Hyo Khan!"
"Hyo Khan?" Meiru asked.
"From onsens to sci-fi…?" Hikawa asked.
"You sure have a lot of hobbies…" Netto looked surprised.
"Amazing! Chu!"
The radio-like machine Mariko was holding beeped.
"This is the Space Armada Leader…!" She began saying.
Next is another prideful metropolis…
A tanker was navigating near the coast of a country when the deadly beam appeared and headed for the tanker: the crew couldn't react in time.
"What in the…?" One uttered in horror.
It cut the tanker on half and created a fissure through the water before it entered the mainland and split into another two.
Cower in terror and fear, you foolish humans!
Between the three of them provoked the same destruction it'd done in King Land but in an even larger scale.
Seen from a height, the carvings seemed to be carving some kind of figures which somehow resembled the so-famous Nazca Lines in the South Ameroupe continent.
Let's check with the Science Labs…
Freeze Man got into the Science Labs and spotted how Meijin was talking with Dr. Hikari about these phenomena.
"This is imagery from Ameroupe, sir. The same phenomenon happened in King Land about thirty-eight minutes earlier… It's a large-scale de-materialization phenomenon." Meijin reported.
"Amplify the imagery." Dr. Hikari commanded.
"Roger."
"The de-materialized spots have been transformed into cybernetic data…"
"Into cybernetic data…? How do you know that, sir?" Meijin asked.
"Wait… Please switch to satellite image." He requested.
"Yes, sir. Please wait just a moment." A scientist announced.
"Do you have any suspicions?" Meijin inquired.
"It couldn't be… There's no way it could be…" He muttered.
Huh? Some technology which is being misused? Then this isn't Duo's handiwork but some human's work? Not the "Neo WWW"… Those idiots can't use anything more complicated than the Net Police robot they used a few days ago when Magnets went mad from those "WANTED" notices having her age printed there… She's mad with being told she's on her 30s and Gauss altered one notice to put 29 years old instead. Stubborn woman. Why deny reality? You're in your 30s. Like it or not. Hmpf.
"Here it is."
He gasped when seeing the giant figures: part of them had been carved into the Europe continent and the recently attacked spot was a large chunk of Ameroupe's Eastern Coast.
"Almost like giant algorithms…" Meijin commented.
"… "Spectrum"..." Dr. Hikari hissed.
"…"Spectrum"…?" Meijin was surprised.
So that's the name of the technology?
"The "Wily Program" has begun execution!" Dr. Hikari exclaimed.
W-Wily Program! Wily's done this…? Or it's a discontinued plan of his which someone is taking profit of?
Netto was looking at a display from a movie inside of the amusement park along with Chisao, Hikawa and Meiru.
"What an amazing destructive force, chu!"
"That's true!" Hikawa added.
Netto's PET beeped with the typical "Net Savior" call ring-tone.
"Netto – kun! Otouto!"
"Jeez… Just at the most interesting moment… What's up, Saito – niisan?"
"There's an emergency call from the Science Labs. I'll connect it."
Yuuichirou appeared on screen along with Meijin.
"Papa?"
"Netto! Saito! You two must get to Trident Tower ASAP!"
"Trident Tower? Where is that at?"
"The famous IT Connections Company… TRINITY Brain Inc.?" Rock Man asked for confirmation.
"That's right, Saito."
"You can see it from here."
Oh true. I hadn't noticed that building before that. So it's owned by some company named TRINITY Brain Inc.? "K. S." looked there.
Netto turned to the windows and eyed a building which was a tower with another three towers built around the central one: hence the "Trident" name.
"What do you want me to do over there?" Netto asked.
"I'll explain later! Just hurry and get there!"
The call ended in a rather abrupt way.
"Hey! Papa!"
"An incident…?" Meiru assumed.
"I don't get it, but… I'm sorry: I won't be able to cheer on you. I'm sorry, Tooru – kun. Anyway! I better get on the move!" He told them.
"Seems like trouble! Chu…"
"Good luck!" Meiru waved good-bye.
"Good luck to you guys as well!" Netto added.
What's going on? Saito wondered.
Dr. Hikari was typing madly into a computer.
"Send me the info about TRINITY Brain Inc., please."
"Yes, sir."
"…"Spectrum"? I've heard rumors about it, too… But… Does it really exist? The rumors say it could freely manipulate the Cyber World and the real world. And that "Wily Program"… What's in TRINITY Brain Inc., anyway?"
Rumors? Freely manipulate both worlds? And it's connected to TRINITY Brain Inc. somehow? Freeze Man wondered.
"Save that for later, Meijin!" Yuuichirou replied.
"Hikari – hakase! The dematerialization has appeared on Choina!"
Live feed of the phenomenon appeared: Dr. Hikari made a grimace and hissed.
"Even in Choina!" Meijin cursed.
It's jumping quickly!
"Is Netto over there yet?" Yuuichirou asked.
"That's…"
Netto was on board a taxi heading towards there but they'd gotten stuck in a bottleneck.
"What horrible traffic!" The driver looked baffled.
"Driver – san!"
Netto was nervous.
"It should have only been 10 minutes…" The driver muttered.
Netto was not the patient type.
"I'm getting off here. Thanks, mister."
He paid with the PET and climbed out.
"Ah! Sorry!"
He maneuvered across the stopped cars and skated towards the tower: a dragonfly quickly flew across the air to chase him.
Let's see what's going on... But Dr. Hikari wouldn't be that impatient if it were the "Neo WWW" or an "Asteroid"… So that leaves us with… Slur and Duo…? Have they done something? "K. S." wondered as he calmly looked at his PET III while walking away from the scene.
Otouto! I'll guide you to a shortcut. Turn right on the next street.
O.K.!
He turned and entered a side alley: he then jumped in top of the stairs' railing and descended this way: he flew over a box which was being carried by two men next.
"Sorry!"
He even went through an unused tube and skated along an unused drain: the PET beeped.
It's Papa.
"Netto, Saito. Once you two get to Trident Tower, Plug Rock Man "In" into a TRINITY Brain Inc. computer."
"Plug niisan in?" Netto asked.
Commissioner Kifune and Superintendent Manabe entered the room in Science Labs, to Meijin's surprise.
"Commissioner Kifune?" Meijin asked.
"Listen up, you two. A large-scale de-materialization phenomenon is happening across the world by now."
"De-materialization phenomenon?"
"That's but a summary. I'll give you the details later! But in order to avoid the worst outcome… I need you two to destroy the "Hikari Tadashi Program" which is in the lowest floor of the TRINITY Brain Inc. system."
Dr. Hikari's words left Commissioner Kifune stunned.
"The "Hikari Tadashi Program"?"
"Grandpa's Program?" Saito wondered.
First-timer. And what's a "de-materialization phenomenon"? Matter is being destroyed somehow? "K. S." inwardly wondered.
"Are you insane, Hikari – hakase? You know that TRINITY Brain Inc. is the most important hub of Japan's IT… That computer is the one proving the lifelines to all computers across the nation, sir!" Kifune argued with Dr. Hikari.
"To stop bomb, you must first cut its device!"
Kifune recoiled, surprised by his outburst, along with Meijin.
If the world can be saved then some sacrifices are needed, I guess…
"To be able to cross TRINITY Brain Inc.'s firewall and destroy the program… Netto! You and Rock Man are the only ones who can do it!"
"We get you, Papa!"
"Count on us!" Rock Man added.
Let's hurry up!
Netto skated towards the tower while Meiru and Hikawa prepared for their tag battle.
"In the blue corner… Sakurai Meirrrru a~nd Rrrrroll!"
"Plug In! Roll, Transmission!"
"Wi~th… Hikawa Tooru and Ice Man!"
"Plug In! Ice Man, Transmission!"
Dekao, Chisao, Shuuko and Higure were cheering.
"Good luck, Meiru – chan!"
"Good luck! Chu!"
"Good luck! You two!" Shuuko rallied.
"You better win! De masu!" Higure rallied next.
Netto entered the lobby of the Trident Tower and dashed towards the reception desk while dodging the employees.
"Excuse me!"
He braked and leaned on the counter to catch his breath.
"What is the matter?" A clerk asked.
"I'm a "Net Savior". I need to use your console."
He flashed the hologram for a moment before plugging Rock Man in.
"Y-yes? Ah... Please go ahead." The clerk smiled.
The entrance was detected by the control center.
"There's an intruder in the system, sir!"
"We're starting the search!"
Rock Man jumped across the platforms and reached the firewall.
"Netto – kun! The firewall…!"
"This is the firewall which even the "Net Saviors" need a commission to access, huh… It can't be helped. Break through it! Program Advance!"
"Program Advance! Mugen Vulcan!"
Rock Man made a hole and spotted another section of the Cyber World.
"Good! Soul Unison, Gyro Soul! Slot In!"
Ah! Time to see this new "Soul Unison"…
"Gyro Soul" granted Rock Man the main design of Gyro Man and his yellowish armor.
The helmet was reminiscent of a pilot's helmet with the cyan blue shades covering most of the forehead and two flaps sprouting from the upper edge of the ear-pads.
The chest armor included some metallic flexible steel frames to hold into place and the spaces above and below the chest emblem had a brownish color to them.
His forearms' designs were cylinders with a white stripe near the start of them and dagger-like-shaped armor over his hands: a smaller scaled second armor was placed right over the part of the forearm before his wrist.
Regarding his boots, they included a piece of white armor with a small cyan cavity on their center over the knees, main cylindrical bodies with white stripes on their end, two short flaps forming from the sides of his boots with a vertical white stripe drawn across their half: the soils also had a white stripe spanning across their width on the middle of their length and ended in a red dot over his feet fingers: the soils were black and thick too.
The helicopter rotor came included as well, being attached to the back of his body.
Intriguing!
Rock Man turned on the rotor and began to fly into the new section: the technicians were nervous and panicked by now.
"The firewall has been breached!"
"We're activating the defense programs!"
"Defense program activation: confirmed!"
"Hey! Call the Net Police!" The Chief ordered.
"Chief! We've got a transmission from the Net Police."
"What? Connect them at once!"
"Roger! I'm patching it to monitor twelve."
"This is Kifune of the Net Police. Truth is: it's an emergency situation!" He announced.
Rock Man easily dodged the defense cannons with his "Gyro Soul" without sweating.
Well! My Navi doesn't have a rotor but he can use the Jet Condor Battle Chip to fly across this area: and since those guns are more preoccupied with Mr. Hikari Sr. then…
"This is going nice, Rock Man. There should be a tunnel which will lead you to the next system." Netto smiled.
"I see it, Netto - kun!"
"Go!"
"Roger!"
Rock Man passed through a ring made of several lights which suddenly activated and beeped: an electrical field formed some meters beneath him and it shot upwards.
Otouto!
"Battle Chip, Salamander! Slot In!"
Rock Man was merged with the fire dragon (cancelling "Gyro Soul" in the process) and shot downwards while shattering through the field: his progress was being monitored at the Science Labs.
Hum. I'm still not sure what use destroying such an important program will have but I guess it's a necessary sacrifice if we want to stop this phenomenon from rampaging across the world. And, anyway, the Detective must be there by now. He'll handle the field. Freeze Man was still in the Science Labs and looking on.
"Rock Man has crossed over the shaft's level eight." A technician reported.
"There should be another two floors left…!"
"Hikari – hakase!" One scientist yelled.
"What's wrong?" Yuuichirou asked.
"Another intruder is quickly approaching Rock Man!"
Another intruder! Who are they?
A blue/white/purple sphere shot down from above and hit Rock Man, dragging him to the end of the tunnel and into the next area, crashing and causing dust to fill the area.
Che! I can't see anything with this dust. Freeze Man grumbled.
Luckily I decided to have my Navi wait before coming down there: I wanted Mr. Hikari Sr. to secure the pathway. "K. S." sighed in relief as he looked at the tower from several hundred meters of distance.
Rock Man was leaning against some rocks which had been ripped off the ground from the explosion: he then opened his eyes and gasped.
"You're…!"
Forte was standing in front of him: his form was surrounded by a powerful wind and looking fierce.
"Forte!" Netto gasped.
"Why is Forte there…?" Dr. Hikari was stunned.
"He was, time ago, thrown into the Reverse Cyber World by Slur!" Meijin exclaimed.
True! And "time ago" was over 4 months ago!
Something was out of place with him: his jewel was purple and so were his eyes' irises: they looked devoid of life or intelligence.
Is something wrong with him? Freeze Man wondered.
Mr. Forte! He's alive! But why is here? "K. S." gasped.
"Forte…!" Saito muttered as he managed to stand up.
"Dark Arm Blade!"
Forte jumped into the air and took out two indented blades: his voice had slightly different tune to it as if he was speaking through a microphone or speaker.
"Battle Chip, Samurai Sword! Slot In!"
"Don't get in the way, Forte!" Rock Man yelled.
Forte jumped backwards and shot some purple orb which Rock Man managed to dodge.
"There's no time for this, Netto!" His father urged.
"Soul Unison, Search Soul!"
Forte yelled as he jumped towards Rock Man with two energy orbs on both hands: "Search Soul" Rock Man aimed for him.
"Scope Gun!"
The shot pierced Forte's chest and made a hole on the cloak: he, however, vanished.
That's a new technique! But not time to admire! Where are they?
"Ah! Behind you, Rock Man!"
Forte jumped behind him and Rock Man turned too slowly: the two "Hell's Rolling" wheels hit him and he fell to the ground: his "Soul Unison" reverted and he could barely move.
"Niisan! Battle Chip, Recovery! Slot In!"
Forte simply kicked him with one foot and he collapsed into the ground in face-down position.
"Niisan!"
Forte began to charge energy on his hands and made a small chuckle.
"Heh, heh, heh… Darkness Over…!"
He didn't get to finish as a familiar Navi icon appeared behind him and Colonel came out: he jumped out of the way and shot his attack at Colonel, who easily cut through it.
W-w-whoa! Colonel! When did he…? Freeze Man gasped.
Colonel! Did they get a hold of this? "K. S." wondered.
"Forte! I'll be you lowlife's opponent!" He claimed.
He started to clash his sword against Forte's Dark Arm Blades and both combatants landed on the ground: they struggled in the deadlock.
"You lowlife…! You've become a puppet!" Colonel realized.
Rock Man managed to open his eyes and gasped.
"Colonel!"
"Go, Rock Man! Destroy the "Hikari Tadashi Program"!"
"I get it! Thanks, Colonel!"
Rock Man ran into a tunnel.
"… Hakase! The de-materialization program has appeared on Densan City!"
"What?" He was astonished.
The three deadly beams were destroying everything on their path while carving the giant algorithm.
Hurry it up, Rock Man! Freeze Man grimaced.
Crap! I gotta put some distance between me Trident Tower! The thing will head there: I've got that hunch! "K. S." gasped and began to run away from the tower.
Rock Man entered the final area: a shining and huge program shaped like a trapeze stood there: it size was gigantic and it easily occupied a whole sector of the Cyber World: it seemed to be interconnected to other machines.
"This is…" Rock Man began.
"… The "Hikari Tadashi Program"!" Netto finished, being totally awed.
No wonder Commissioner Kifune argued it was insane to destroy it! Can it be destroyed to begin with?
"Netto! Rock Man! Destroy that program!" Yuuichirou commanded.
"Rock Man! Program Advance!"
"Program Advance!"
"Battle Chip, Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword!"
The swords fused as the tunnel exploded with dust and Forte and Colonel got inside of the room: Forte glanced for a moment at the program but Colonel was keeping him busy: he seemed to be getting tired, even.
If you haven't fought in 4 months then it's no wonder. Freeze Man formed a smug smile.
"Dream Sword!"
The attack hit the massive program: the shock-wave hit and made some small cuts to Colonel and Forte, who stopped fighting, as the "glass" covering the program began to shatter up.
One of the beams was now reaching for the Trident Tower: it passed besides it and stopped before it recoiled and absorbed one of the clerks, to Netto's horror.
"ONEE – SAN!"
A huge column of light appeared within the Cyber World and it shot skywards towards a purple swirling vortex.
"What's this light…?" Saito wondered.
Nothing good! "K. S." inwardly cursed as he kept on putting distance between him and Trident Tower.
The culprit? Freeze Man wondered.
The column of light vanished and the vortex opened.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh…"
"What's that?" Saito wondered.
"That light!" Forte exclaimed.
Forte was clasping his forehead: the control over him seemed to have finished how his eyes' irises had returned to the normal coloring.
So Colonel was right!
"When I was beaten by Slur in battle… When I was wandering around the Reverse Cyber World… I met that light…!"
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"
The program began to levitate as it was being stolen by the rift: the same monster from before appeared.
"…"Nebula Grey"…!" Forte declared.
"…"Nebula Grey"…?" Saito asked.
The monster roared and frizzled with power as it started to shine: Forte had lowered his arms and was just looking on: his forehead's jewel had returned to normal too.
"Too dangerous! Let's get out of here!" Colonel commanded.
No one hesitated and everyone fled: an explosion wiped the whole network area.
Luckily I was looking on through the sensors! Freeze Man sighed in relief inside of the Science Labs.
I managed to "Plug-Out" just in time! Guess I'm close to 1 km away from there by now… I should be safe, I think! "K. S." sighed in relief as he stopped to catch his breath.
What the hell is "Nebula Grey"…?
Netto was staring at a cyber wall in front of him and the destruction left behind in the Trident Tower when his PET beeped.
"We won, Netto!" Meiru was making the call.
The light beam was quickly approaching them.
"I did my best, too!" Hikawa added.
"And you know, I also…!"
She never got to finish: the beam cut through the building from the right and Netto's PET screen frizzled with static.
What! Oh no! It couldn't be! It couldn't be! "K. S." gasped in horror.
"Meiru – chan…? Meiru – chan! Meiru – chan! Can you hear me, Tooru - kun? Everyone! Please answer me! EVERYONE~!" Netto yelled in panic while his voice echoed in the air.
By all the…! His companions got destroyed by that thing too? What was that thing? "Nebula Grey"? But… That voice… Don't I know it from somewhere? Freeze Man wondered.
It can't be, right…? Roll – chan and the others…? Saito was frozen in place once he'd returned inside of his PET.
It can't be…! Tell me it' a nightmare! This can't be! This can't be happening! Everyone…!
11:55 AM (Japan Time)…
Poor young man… Losing his beloved friends like that…!
Netto was sitting on a bench and looked really crestfallen: his father walked towards him and sat down next to him.
"There's still hope. There's a way to bring back your missing friends and the city." He told him.
Netto looked at his father.
"Really…?"
Yuuichirou closed the right arm around him.
"Don't give up hope 'till the very end!"
"Papa…"
Netto leant on him.
Oh! There's still hope! Thank goodness! "K. S." sighed in relief as he sat inside of his car.
A vintage disc player was playing inside of an apartment somewhere: it was surrounded by a small Time – Space distortion similar to those in that crater in the Ameroupe desert and Barrel, Colonel's Operator (as described by Jackass some days ago), was looking out into the city.
"The future can't be changed… Like I suspected… Colonel!"
"Yes, sir!" Colonel confirmed.
"I'll be the one to go there next." Barrel announced.
A conference… Now we'll get to learn what's happened today!
Dr. Hikari was briefing the people present on the Net Police HQ: some men who looked like VIPs had come too.
"Twenty years ago… My father, Hikari Tadashi, researched on linking human emotions and thoughts through the network: he developed a revolutionary futuristic model network system, "Spectrum", for that."
So! "Spectrum" is the name of this system, then…
"He thought of a freely living within Cyber Space by transforming the body into special data."
Impressive! And we're talking about 20 years ago!
"Send humans into the Cyber Space?" Manabe asked.
"When I saw the de-materialization phenomenon… I was able to confirm that the source was "Spectrum" through the conversion to cybernetic data and the circuitry diagram patterns. "Spectrum" works with 2 counterpart programs…"
A younger Hikari Tadashi (having abundant hair and a younger face without beard or moustache) and other scientists had been interacting with holographic screens displaying patterns on it and then studying a 3D model of a human body with algorithms forming certain patterns across the model's surface which were then amplified in the screens.
Yuuichirou brought up a screen with two columns on it titled "Hikari" and Wily", colored blue and purple respectively, and text began to scroll down their length.
"When you gather the "Hikari Tadashi Program" developed by my father and the "Wily Program" developed by Dr. Wily then you can make it work at full power."
So the name is a literal because Wily was involved in "Spectrum" too? Well. The WWW is a very recent thing. And apart from "raising" Yuriko and that other man, we don't know what he did before that. Hum. I feel the Detective. Freeze Man realized.
"Dr. Wily, you say?" Kifune leant forward.
"Wily was a co-developer of "Spectrum". Of course: this happened a lot years before he shifted into establishing the Net crime organization "WWW"…"
So we're going to know something new about Dr. Wily. I see that Mr. Freeze Man's listening in too…
"Hum." The public muttered.
They feel like it reeks: they surely don't totally trust Wily to be on our side given his past actions at the head of the "WWW"…
"However… Wily, being my father's opposite, forcefully pushed the project when he could. He approached the Ameroupe Army with the project."
"He approached the Ameroupe Army?"
A younger Wily (who had with black slightly spiky hair bent backwards, thick eyebrows and a slight Poirot – like moustache back then) and had been wearing a simple jumper and pants was shaking hands with a high-ranking military office in a facility control center somewhere.
There had been a viewing window displaying some tower rising in some inner yard: Wily had then spread out his arms and come outside to witness a tower being built inside of a large circular facility: two military jets had flown across the skies.
"Wily was glad to go to any ends as long as there were ample funds involved. Even if it meant that "Spectrum" would become a tool of the army… With Wily's withdrawal the project was cancelled and the "Hikari Tadashi Program" was adopted as the main system of TRINITY Brain Inc., one of the project's sponsors." He concluded.
So Wily was very mercenary in that aspect. Freeze Man concluded.
Greed: no wonder. And the Army must've seen on it an overwhelming MAD weapon to wipe off Sharo from the face of the Earth if they dared to attack their mainland: we're talking about the Cold War years. "Spectrum" must've taken years of research and construction. The project could've begun in the early 80s but it eventually died on the late 80s because the Soviet Sharo system collapsed. "K. S." reflected.
"I see… So it was moved to that building?"
"The problem is that thing named "Nebula Grey", yet…" Kifune warned.
"I do not know what that thing is, either."
"Nebula Grey"… "Nebula"! The evil organization which cooperated with the "Darkloids" and tried to rule the world 4 months ago…! Some left-over of "Nebula" which someone is taking profit of? Could the man Wily raised be involved? Freeze Man spotted a connection.
"But I will say this… "Nebula Grey" is still incomplete."
"Incomplete? Why would that be?" Meijin asked.
"Father might've foreseen this kind of situation… And he purposely left the "Hikari Tadashi Program" incomplete. If, by some chance, when "Nebula Grey", having absorbed "Spectrum", achieved its complete evolution… The de-materialization phenomenon wouldl spread across the whole of Earth… And it would trigger a reversal phenomenon in the space between real world and Cyber World… And Earth would be transformed into a gigantic Cyber Space…"
He displayed a holograph of Earth becoming a cybernetic spheroid to then break up into data and vanish: the presents didn't display surprise but it was clear that they got the message: the two VIPs glanced at each other too.
No wonder the Army would want that thing. Freeze Man gasped.
Devil. Armageddon brought forth by humanity. "K. S." cursed.
"But! It's not too late yet, ladies and gentlemen! If we could destroy that "Nebula Grey" thing before it completly evolves, then…! Earth would be spared of the de-materialization and we could to save those turned into cybernetic data!"
Good! Good!
Yes! That's what we need to do!
"That'd return Meiru – chan and the others to normal, right?" Netto quickly grasped as he stood up and looked at Yuuichirou.
"Yeah. Commissioner. Please try locating the place where Wily carried his "Wily Program" experiments 20 years ago ASAP, sir! We should be able to access "Nebula Grey" from those terminals, sir!"
"I understand."
He nodded at the two VIPs for a moment.
"Manabe – kun."
"Yes, sir."
Manabe stood up and headed for the nearby phone.
"But, hakase… Even if you say it's incomplete… Is destroying that gigantic "Nebula Grey" thing even possible to begin with?"
Yuuichirou inwardly gasped and lowered his head: it was obvious that he didn't have a good reply yet.
"We'll definitely show you how we beat the thing! Right?"
Saito – niisan? Netto suddenly spotted that he looked down.
Yeah… I was remembering something concerning Forte…
Concerning Forte?
Some time ago, Forte was targeting my "Ultimate Program". He said he wanted it to evolve into an even stronger existence… That's why… He trailed off and lowered his head.
What's it?
If we gathered my and Forte's "Ultimate Programs" then maybe we'd even be able to beat that "Nebula Gray" thing…
"Don't say nonsense! If you lose the "Ultimate Program" then you'd disappear as well! Won't you!" Netto scolded aloud.
"I know that, otouto, but…"
"We needn't do that to…!"
The area suddenly rumbled and everyone gasped as "Dimensional "Converters popped out of various places.
"…"Dimensional Converters…"!" Meijin exclaimed.
What! Oh no! Don't tell me it's that guy's handiwork! I should've seen it coming when I saw the monster thing! Heck! "K. S." gasped.
The "Neo WWW" don't have access to these either! Freeze Man looked confused.
A beam of purple blinding light burst out of the middle of the room.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"
Some data began to fuse and give way to a human's shape: Yuuichirou shielded Netto and looked towards there with a grimace on his face.
A man had appeared once the light dimmed
He had neatly combed blonde hair while his eyes' irises were crimson red in coloring: his face looked young so he probably wasn't older than twenty-five years old: he had almost no trace of facial hair to him.
He sported a plain black suit over a white shirt and a pair of black pants: his socks were black too and he wore brownish shoes.
"Dr. Yoru Yami!" Meijin exclaimed.
"Been a while! My half-brothers! However! My business is with Hikari – hakase…"
He walked forward and extended his right hand: Dr. Hikari gasped as some strange patterns glowed inside of his right eye's retina: his glasses suddenly hit the floor as the man grabbed Dr. Hikari from behind all of sudden by closing his right arm around his torso from behind.
"Heh, heh, heh…"
"Papa! Yoru Yami! Saito – niisan and I beat you back then!" Netto recognized him and scowled.
"Wrong! I managed to escape before the robot exploded! I then hid in the Reverse Cyber World and guess what I found there… The dormant "Wily Program"!" He sneered.
"What!" Commissioner Kifune gasped.
"I traveled to the "Spectrum" facility, abandoned ever since twenty years ago. And I installed the program into myself to become a new entity… I became the mighty "Nebula Grey"!"
"…"Nebula Grey"…!" Netto was baffled.
"… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…! You can't realize the scale of its power…! However! I am in need of Dr. Hikari here. No hard feelings!"
A column of purplish light formed on the air and spread upwards: the man began to hover along with his hostage.
"Papa!"
"Netto! Saito! Destroy "Nebula Grey"!" Yuuichirou yelled.
"Papa!"
Netto tried to reach out to him.
"Before it achieves its ultimate evolution…!" He kept on saying.
Their bodies began to slowly disappear and the burst of light lost thickness until it vanished altogether: the presents gasped in horror.
"Papa… PAPA~!"
No way…! Saito gasped in horror.
Netto fell to his knees, stunned, and looked at the glasses which had fallen into the ground.
The devil! Yoru Yami was alive! He escaped the robot and has been fusing with that thing over these 4 months! And he now wants to force Hikari – hakase to complete his evolution: since the program is incomplete he needs to finish it! Hell! Freeze Man hissed.
Che! So the Paris stunts and all were but distractions to make me think you just wanted to stick around and win time for a surprise apparition: you were aiming for this? Odd! Too odd! That woman wasn't interested in Armageddon: their business would be crippled! Something's out of place here… Cousin Yoru Yami! What are you REALLY up to…?
13:19 PM (Japan Time)…
I don't know why Airstar suddenly came to pick them up…
Netto was riding on-board Charlie's chopper.
"Where are we going, Charlie? Tell me already!"
Charlie simply whistled in surprise as he apparently eyed the trails of destruction left behind.
"I've been hired: to deliver you, see." He admitted.
"By whom?" Netto questioned.
Charlie chuckled while Gyro Man appeared on the computer's screen.
"We'll be arriving within two minutes."
"O.K.! Gyro Man!"
They stopped on top of a half-built road bridge crossing over the bay and into the other edge of the bay: only the two initial segments were done and the central one was pending although the foundations were already there.
"Why would they have me delivered to this place of all ones?"
Otouto! A plane's coming.
He turned to see a cargo plane descending.
"True…"
The plane missed him by inches and landed behind him taking out two parachutes to brake.
"Whoa! That was too reckless!" He gasped.
No way that's "them"… They wouldn't use such stunts. No. This is someone else. "K. S." thought as he looked on.
The cargo door opened and a familiar limo came out: it stopped next to Netto.
"Homona Airport was de-materialized, so…"
Oh! Mr. Ijuuin!
"Enzan!" Netto exclaimed.
"Let's go!" Enzan opened the door.
"…"Go"? Where to?"
"Don't say half-sleeping things… The Ameroupe Army base where Wily conducted his experiments twenty years ago…!" Enzan told him.
"You…?" Netto asked.
"My company has influences in the Ameroupe government, you know."
The limo climbed back inside and the plane used the bridge as a runaway to lift off: Enzan used a computer in a cargo bay – like room to pinpoint the place.
"Around the southern seas, without a name… They call it KA-222."
He brought up satellite imagery showing various buildings: one of them was shaped like a volcano.
"The island's center is the Ameroupe Army's experimental tower. It became shut down 20 years ago, after Wily experiment's failure. The abducted Hikari – hakase is probably there."
"Enzan – sama." Blues called out.
"What is it, Blues?" Enzan asked.
"We will soon reach the rendezvous point." Blues reported.
He displayed the trajectory of an airborne object in a small map as both flew across the ocean.
"I see."
"Rendezvous point?" Netto asked.
They're going to mid-air rendezvous with someone? "K. S." wondered.
A fighter jet flew towards the cargo plane and a hatch opened on the underside: the jet came in and was locked in place by two metal bars which held it from beneath the wings: a pilot came out.
"Netto!" The pilot greeted.
Netto frowned but the pilot removed the oxygen mask and the helmet, revealing Laika.
"Laika!"
"Enzan contacted me. Allow me to fight along you in the battle against "Nebula Grey"." Laika announced.
Netto was awed.
"All the actors have been gathered." Enzan declared.
Meijin, Commissioner Kifune and Superintendent Manabe eyed the live transmission within the Science Labs.
"With Enzan, Laika and I, the three of us will break into the base of "Nebula Grey" base."
Laika and Enzan were checking the hovercraft vehicle in the background.
"Wait, Netto – kun… I was just notified that a dispatched Ameroupe Army group sent to neutralize "Nebula Grey" was annihilated."
Kifune's words got the attention of the other two.
"The Ameroupe Army was?" Netto asked.
"I want you to return and rethink your plan once again."
Enzan walked towards the camera.
"If you allow me to interject, Commissioner Kifune… Before we can rethink our plan, the Earth could be wiped out!" Enzan interceded.
Kifune and Manabe gasped.
"Hikari – hakase was our "Cross Fusion" benefactor! We will definitely rescue him." Laika announced.
"And speaking of that… I'm counting on you to have the "Dimensional Area" ready, Meijin – san." Netto told him.
"Netto – kun. San wa iranai. It's O.K. if you leave the "Dimensional Area" up to me."
The Commissioner sighed and clasped his forehead while Manabe smiled a bit.
"The three of you better be careful."
"Thanks, Meijin – san!"
The transmission finished and the Commissioner turned to speak with his assistant.
"Manabe – kun: ready the search and rescue relief ASAP… "
"I understand." She confirmed, smiling.
"Jeez… What troublesome guys…" Kifune grumbled.
"Let's put our faith on them. We have no one else to put our faith on but those three." Meijin calmly told him.
"Meijin…"
"So that the "Dimensional Generator" will smoothly start up… Revise it up while we can!" Meijin ordered.
"Roger!"
"Bring some coffee too!"
"I need some ramen too."
"Let's go have some knock-out ramen once this is over!" Meijin suggested to the staff.
"YEAH!"
"Alright! Let's get to work!"
"YEAH!"
16:45 PM (Jakarta Time)…
Huh…?
The abandoned facility had a central tower built inside of the "volcano" and a glass dome covered it.
Huh…
Dr. Hikari awoke to find himself seated on a chair with restraints on his wrists and ankles: the room was wide and a focus was illuminating him from above, obscuring much of the surroundings: some strange machines could be seen nearby.
"Good afternoon, sir."
"Dr. Yoru!" Yuuichirou exclaimed as he looked around.
"I shall acquire power. Terror and fear will rule the world and I shall accomplish my mission. Oh! Do excuse me. I have not thanked you enough yet. Were it not for you, sir, I wouldn't have existed. You see my point, hakase?"
"How ironic! I don't have any knowledge of how to complete those remaining programs! And even if I did, I'd never cooperate with you lowlife! I'd rather prefer that you lowlife hadn't ever existed!" Yuuichirou shot back.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Regrettably… It is too late to stop me. I know where the remaining program is at. By the way… Even if you, sir, had not wished for it, I'd come to exist nevertheless. "Ice Queen – sama" would not let the chance slip by." He announced as he loomed over him.
He picked a kind of head set with a special device.
"What are you doing?" Yuuichirou demanded.
The device blocked his eyes but forced one of them open.
"Stop this madness, Yami!" Yuuichirou yelled.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" He chuckled as he walked out.
"… I'm counting on you for the piloting, Blues."
The last preparations were being checked inside of the plane: Enzan transferred Blues into the vehicle.
"Roger."
"We'll reach the point in five minutes. Try to be careful."
Enzan walked to another part of the plane and opened an attaché case.
"What's that?" Laika inquired.
"These are the new model grip and scope developed by IPC. They improve the PET's functions." Enzan announced as he handed one to everyone.
"Cool!" Netto commented.
Everyone attached the grip along with the protective screen: the cargo bay ramp opened and the hovercraft jumped into the water: their progress was being monitored by the Science Labs.
"They're landing and embarking on the island." One scientist reported.
The hovercraft climbed the beach and headed for a fence but three laser beams suddenly destroyed it.
What! Luckily I was riding in Rock Man's PET…!
Freeze Man gasped as he witnessed that while being inside of Rock Man's PET: the culprits were small mechanic units colored green and four legged: they had a red jewel set on their foreheads.
"Are you okay?" Enzan asked Blues when he returned into his PET.
"Yes, sir. Enzan – sama."
"That was surprisingly quick." Enzan muttered.
The three of them were hidden beneath a partly-destroyed wall: they'd obviously jumped out the vehicle upon reaching the beach.
"That "Nebula Grey" dude… It even has those things." Netto grumbled with clear annoyed.
"Old-style military mecha… They've been mass-produced using the local facilities…"
"So the Ameroupe Army was destroyed by its own mecha, then…"
One of the robots walked and stopped: its eyes and jewel flashed as they turned red: it scanned and located the three of them so the other two robots joined it.
Old-fashioned mecha, huh…
"Meijin – san!" Netto called out.
"I was waiting for that! Dimensional Area: Activate!"
The "Dimensional Area" formed around the island.
"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!" All of them yelled.
The three robots shot at them but failed because the three "Cross Fusion" users jumped into the air and attacked.
"Rock Buster!"
"Sonic Boom!"
"Scope Gun!"
Their attacks made short work of the mechanic units: they next jumped over the fence to face another multitude of robots.
Go!
"CF" Netto ran while shooting small bursts: all of his shots met his slow-moving targets and blew them up.
Go, Mr. Laika!
"CF" Laika did the same and then quickly ran in a diagonal manner to dodge the laser beam being projected by one of the mechas: he calmly took aim and blew the mecha up too.
Go, Mr. Ijuuin! The three of you are the only ones right now who can stop Cousin's madness… No… His stunt…
Three lasers tried to converge on "CF" Blues but he quickly dashed past the mechas and cut through them: they began to rotate and they then exploded.
Good!
The group then ran inside the base and the doors closed behind them.
"Netto!" "CF" Laika warned.
The area was obscured but it was filled with endless amounts of red eyes: they backed up as the countless amounts of robots walked towards them until their backs were glued.
"Ua~h!"
Yuuichirou yelled as four lasers started to penetrate his right retina and seemingly read something there: two halves of a spheroid closed around him thus enclosing him inside of it: various systems engaged and the central tower began to emit light.
It's begun! "K. S." gasped.
A purple light burst out of the dome as "Nebula Grey" rose inside of the Network.
And there they are!
Yoru Yami had somehow changed into the form of a Net Navi and was now standing inside of the Cyber World: a projection of his body was amplified to create a sinister sensation.
Their Net Navi form was over a meter and ninety tall and his body design was highly reminiscent of Rock Man's one.
He wore a helmet with a mouth guard activated: his eyes' irises were visible and it could be seen that they were colored crimson red.
His chest emblem consisted on just two shades of black and white split by a horizontal grey line: he had two curious shoulder pads which were shaped as two split halves of a diamond: his main body's color was navy blue although the forearms and his boots were colored in purple.
A black smooth cape hung from the back of his shoulders and reached all the way to the floor as well as an add-on to his bodysuit.
"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"
A program in the shape of a silver sphere with grooves carved all across its surface and having an opening on the lower edge on it levitated and activated: a burst of shifting rainbow lights covered the island.
"A distortion of Time – Space has engulfed the whole of the island!"
"What!" Meijin exclaimed, baffled.
"CF" Blues and "CF" Laika were dealing with the crowd.
"Go on ahead, Netto!" "CF" Blues exclaimed.
"Head for "Nebula Grey"!" "CF" Laika added.
"Thank you!" "CF" Netto thanked.
"We're counting on you, Netto!" "CF" Blues declared.
"CF" Netto ran alongside corridors in the central hub of the facility.
Bloody Yami… Where did he hide Papa? Gotta be in a higher floor!
He was about to turn and enter a corridor when he spotted the distortion: the very image of the corridor was agitating.
"W-what's this?"
A Time – Space distortion!
"A Time – Space distortion…?"
Two "ghost" scientists passed through him and ran down the corridor all of a sudden as if they were a projection of the past.
"Past Visions"? This same day in the past happened to be a day when Wily was running an experiment or what? "Spectrum" alone shouldn't be capable of doing that, right? "K. S." realized.
"Hurry up!"
"What's going on?"
W-were those misters ghosts? Saito suddenly asked.
No! They rather looked like a "Past Vision" like when we went to that crater… Netto ventured.
Given the way they talked… Maybe our present and their era are interlinked and there's a Time – Space distortion there, too?
Who knows? Papa will explain it: let's go rescue him!
Yeah! Let's go!
Wily and a general were looking at the central tower of "Spectrum" on the same day and hour 20 years ago: the tower was glowing with light and the distortion could be felt inside of the control room.
"A Time - Space distortion…? What does that mean, Dr. Wily?"
"Most likely… "Spectrum" has been activated in our same location in the future. Given how both devices are resonating, it has also changed Time – Space into cybernetic data and…"
Some "bubbles" of seemingly materialized Time-Space were forming all around the base: two army men looked stunned while standing in the midst of a nearby corridor.
"What are you doing? Barrel Tai – sa?" One asked.
Barrel ran ahead for the bubble and he vanished in a bright flash along with the bubble.
"TAI – SA~!" The men called out.
A pink-colored bubble formed on the present and Barrel came out of it while still running: he panted and eyed the tower: the level of rustiness to it was proof enough.
"This is the future, then?"
He ran off while looking like he knew exactly what had to be done and which way he had to pick.
"… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"
The program was tilted sideways and a gelatin – like substance was covering it while forming a column: Twilight emerged from the substance in the ground, and his body frizzled with energy.
"K. S.! You lowlife are powerless! I shall become Demon King – sama and you lowlife shall be annihilated! I know that you lowlife are witnessing this… Witness more! When I turn my half-brothers into cybernetic data, you lowlife shall be next!" He announced aloud in a victorious tone of voice and having a smug smile on his face.
"Brag on, Twilight! I know perfectly that this is but a stunt." His Net Navi suddenly showed up there.
"Hah! Stunt, you say. And why would that be?" He mocked.
"Unless you've gone mad then you'd be destroying the woman's ugly businesses. And they wouldn't get their "prize"."
"Ah! But aren't you forgetting something? We're both outsiders to this story! Ice Queen – sama doesn't exist here. So I can go all out! This experience will then be useful for a future scheme."
"Che. As crazy as that woman… I'm off. They will come and land a hammer's blow in your helmet, anyway." He fumed.
"Flee, you cheap MI6 agent! This is MY SHOW!"
"Whatever."
The Navi came out of the spot and Twilight shrugged.
"… Bah... A mere fool which believes in that whole utopian "justice" thing… Whatever the friggin' ever… This place is like my second birth-place to me, anyway… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Yeah… "Spectrum" was what allowed me to become the evolved Net Navi I am! Ice Queen – sama: thou wanted these foolish humans to taste thou power… So that's what I am doing, my lady! Hikari Brothers! Join your companions as cybernetic data, forever! Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"
"Ua~h!"
Yuuichirou kept on roaring in pain while "CF" Netto kept on running.
"Why is there a Time – Space distortion in here?" He wondered aloud.
Turn to the opposite side next.
Two robots colored purple, similar to the other ones, dropped in front of him.
"An image from the past…?" "CF" Netto wondered.
Wrong! They're from this era! Saito corrected.
"CF" Netto took out the Rock Buster but his shots got deflected.
It's not taking effect!
"Then… Battle Chip, Wide Sword, Fumikomizan!"
"CF" Netto shot forward with his sword but got repelled.
"They're though…" He muttered.
The other two "Cross Fusion" fighters kept on destroying robots by shooting Sonic Booms and normal shots: they glued their backs to make sure they wouldn't be hit from there.
"Curses! Just how many of these are in here?" "CF" Laika was losing his cool, for once.
"Who knows? But they must be fewer than all the struggles he gotta be experiencing." "CF" Blues commented.
And he was dead right, as always.
"Battle Chip…!"
One of the robots used its claw to crash him against a wall.
"Ba… Bamboo Lance!"
The lances emerged beneath the robot, effectively breaking it: "CF" Netto tried to recover.
"Only one left…"
But the robot had damaged his chest emblem and it provoked a cancellation of his "Cross Fusion": the PET fell a meter in front of him and he ran towards it.
"Saito – niisan!"
The other robot stood in front and ready for the kill: his eyes panicked and the claws moved forward while Netto tried to shield himself with his arms: he closed the eyes.
No! He can't win here! "K. S." gasped in horror.
An explosion happened on the back of the robot, thus making it stop: when Netto dared to open his eyes, he spotted Barrel standing atop it: he had a steel rod on his hand and he jumped for another incoming robot all of a sudden.
"You should've figured out their defect by now!"
The man ran towards another robot, dodged its attacks, jumped on top of it, and hit the spine with the steel rod.
Impressive! Freeze Man gasped.
Obviously! He developed them! But who is he? He looks military, that's rather obvious.
"This is their weak spot. Netto – kun! Move it!" He commanded.
More robots were coming so they ran for it.
"How do you know my name?" Netto asked.
Barrel took out his PET and aimed forward.
"Colonel!" He commanded.
"Colonel?" Netto wondered.
Colonel's Operator, Barrel? The mysterious man Jackass reported about not too long ago? "K. S." wondered.
Why are they here…? Ah! The Time – Space distortion has allowed them to skip forward to the future?
"Take a right over there." Barrel instructed.
They entered a corridor and the steel shutter locked the entrance.
"Who are you, mister…?" Netto asked.
"My name is Barrel." The man introduced himself as he retrieved his Navi.
"Barrel – san?"
"The one who is always coming to save us: Colonel!" Rock Man exclaimed.
The robots were using lasers to break through the shutter.
"Let's hurry."
They ran forwards and talked along the way.
"Retinal pattern, you say?" Mettp asked.
"Just like fingerprints: the eye's retinal pattern is unique to a person. Hikari Tadashi – hakase encrypted the final algorithm and etched it onto Hikari Yuuichirou – hakase's retinal pattern thus entrusting its safekeeping to him." Barrel explained.
The younger Hikari Tadashi had brought Yuuichirou over to his lab and had him lie on a table as one laser device did something with his right eye: Tadashi interacted with the screens: some patterns were drawn upon his retina.
"So that's why Yami took Papa… However… How did you know such a thing? Barrel – san?" Netto realized before asking.
"Dr. Wily was the one who knew that!"
"Wily!" Netto was surprised.
"But that's a story of about twenty years ago… Let's hurry!"
They eyed the end of the corridor and the central tower rising ahead of them.
"We should be able to access to "Nebula Grey" from the tower's controls."
They'd almost crossed the bridge when more robots dropped both in front and behind them: the bottom part of the catwalk above them was filled with them, too.
"They're behind us, too!" Netto gasped.
One of the robots used its lasers to cut the catwalk in half.
Oh no! "K. S." gasped in horror.
They fell but Barrel grabbed Netto's hand as he shot a wire with a grip which attached to the side of the tower: he was holding Netto with one arm and leaning a foot against the wall.
"Having our situation reach an unexpected end clocks at one zero one seven…" He calmly announced.
Netto still looked like he was recovering from the earlier experience.
"Colonel. Bring us up."
"Ua~h! Wa~h!"
They raced to the top level: the entrance to the cupola on top of the central tower was there.
Phew! They're finally there!
They ran in and spotted the spheroid: they could hear Yuuichirou's yells coming out from inside of its body: Barrel scanned the room.
"Wa~h! Ua~h! Uah…! Huh…!"
"Papa!"
They ran towards it and Netto banged on it.
"Papa! Papa! Papa!"
"Let's Plug – In into this thing." Barrel instructed after looking around and seemingly deciding the best course of action.
"Into this…?" Netto asked.
"This is the core of "Nebula Grey"! Once we beat the thing we'll surely be able to save Hikari – hakase." Barrel summarized.
"I see. Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"
"Plug In! Colonel, Transmission!"
The two of them entered a corridor decorated with white columns: they could clearly see energy rails diverting all energy towards the core up ahead.
"What's this…?" Rock Man wondered.
"All of the base's energy is flowing into "Nebula Grey"...!" Colonel realized.
Some kind of jelly-like opponents appeared: they had sharp blades on their arms and a hostile look: they began to attack them and both began to dodge: Rock Man shot them but the missing parts regenerated: more and more popped out.
"I'll handle this spot. Rock Man! You go on ahead!"
"Colonel!"
"You must defeat "Nebula Grey"! Screen Divide!"
Colonel cleared a path.
"Now, Rock Man!"
"Thanks, Colonel!"
Rock Man ran and Colonel kept them busy while the base crumbled and pieces of it moved aside: parts of it collapsed thus surprising the two "Cross Fusion" fighters.
"What has started to happen?" "CF" Laika wondered aloud.
The beams started to shoot out while escaping the "Dimensional Area" thus causing more destruction.
"Meijin! We have more de-materialization phenomenon!" One scientist reported.
"It's started…!" He hissed.
Seen from space, Earth was being covered in those gigantic algorithms.
Make it on time, Rock Man!
Rock Man reached the core and was stunned.
"Ah..!"
The walls of the round room had an organic-like look and there was an inverted dome (which surely was part of the earlier program Twilight had been interacting with) with a hole placed in front of hum: a pedestal had been built beneath the opening and the energy was diverting around it.
"This is his final evolution?" Barrel wondered aloud.
The room shook as the walls collapsed entirely and a hologram projection of "Nebula Grey" appeared: it roared.
"That's "Nebula Grey"?" "CF" Blues wondered.
Twilight appeared on the pedestal below the dome's hole.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Too late… Too late to stop Armageddon! Hikari Saito! Tempus fugit, as the Romans used to say!"
Saito gasped.
"In another ten minutes, according to my calculations, my final evolution shall be completed. Armageddon! It's like one of those sci-fi films but it's happening for real!"
A strong energy blast shot out of nowhere and it almost hit Twilight but it was stopped by a barrier: Forte was there.
"Forte!" Rock Man was surprised.
"Twilight!" Forte called out.
"Hmpf…"
The villain smirked and looked liked he'd been expecting it to happen.
"…Huh… You dared to…! You lowlife dared to… To make a pawn out of me…! Unforgivable!" Forte hissed with obvious anger.
He made a grimace and attacked again with the same result.
"Otouto!"
"Battle Chip, Vulcan!"
The attack did no damage at all while the beams kept covering the Earth in algorithms.
"Commendable, yet futile!"
The pedestal rose into the hole.
"Curse you! Wait, Twilight!" Forte yelled.
He shot his energy orbs and made a hole in the dome: the interior of it seemed to recreate the "Reverse Cyber World" because "stars" shone inside of it: Forte was surprised but he jumped into it as the hole began to regenerate.
"Forte! I see! If we do it from the inside…!"
Rock Man followed him just as the hole finished regenerating.
"Saito – niisan!" Netto gasped.
Both Rock Man and Forte started to slash and cut wires which were moving skywards: Forte shot a Darkness Overload to get rid of some of them: the jelly-like substance was rising into the core from the outside.
"Saito – niisan!" Netto called out.
Twilight was floating in a platform and holding a small spheroid with some holes allowing one to see a reddish mass inside of it: the purple vortex spiraled around him.
There's the madman.
"… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…! If you want to be useful… Allow me to cross-examine you by dissecting your data and fusing it into me. I'm Dr. House: specialist in dissecting Net Navis!" Twilight announced with obvious sarcasm.
He waved the right hand: "Nebula Grey" appeared behind Rock Man and grabbed both of them: his arms vanished and were replaced by a bunch of wires which merged into a single sphere.
"Niisan! Niisan!"
Both of them were trying to struggle but they couldn't break free as some small wires attached to them and their strength faded: a white light surrounded the mass of wires as a jelly-like substance of gray/pink coloring began to slowly cover their bodies.
"Fo… Forte…" Saito called out.
Forte turned to look at him while seemingly surprised.
"My… Use my "Ultimate Program"… You wished to combine with my "Ultimate Program" and to be able to evolve into a powerful existence…"
"Saito…" He muttered.
"What are you saying, Saito – niisan?" Netto asked.
"… The world will be destroyed if we don't… The Earth, too… Humans, too… And Netto – kun… my otouto…" Saito warned.
"Saito – niisan!" Netto yelled with tears on his eyes.
"This way… you can… even… defeat… "Nebula Grey"…!" Saito insisted as the substance began to gain thickness.
The "Dimensional Area" around the island had faded and the beams were shooting in all directions: the robots had stopped working (apparently Twilight thought they weren't needed anymore) and Laika and Enzan could only watch as the hologram of "Nebula Grey" hologram kept on roaring.
"It's only way left…!"
"Stop it! Stop it, Saito – niisan!" Netto pleaded.
An opaque gray substance was covering them by now.
"Hurry, Forte! Hurry!" Saito pleaded.
"Same wish over here!"
Forte's eyes glowed with lust as he reached out for Rock Man despite the wires trying to block his right hand.
"STOP I~T!" Netto cried.
Forte gripped the chest emblem and a strong energy wave formed: the power was such that the wires ball broke and the light made the energy stop being sucked by the core.
"UA~H!"
"Uack!"
"UA~H!"
Rock Man yelled as he turned into a blue-like mass and surrounded Forte, who didn't seem to expect the power to be so great, given his yelp of surprise: an aura of power surrounded him.
"This… incredible energy…! You can't… control… my "Ultimate Program"…! UA~H!" Two voices spoke at the same time as it to signal that the absorption was far from perfect.
There was a bright flash as Forte's body transformed: a shower of the substance came out from the hole in the dome: it washed Colonel and the jelly-like fighters so he turned around.
"What's this?"
A bright yellow spheroid came out of the dome, and, when it vanished, everyone was stunned: a mix of both Rock Man and Forte was floating in the air.
The helmet design was also highly similar to Forte's including a small greenish diamond in the center of the forehead.
He gained two shoulder armor pieces and a deteriorated brownish scarf around his neck which ended in a broken shard at the end: his boots got replaced by Forte's design as well as his forearms:
"Saito – niisan…?" Netto wondered.
Twilight descended while looking slightly taken aback.
"What… You two used the "Fusion" Magic Card and became a Fusion Monster?" Twilight questioned with a hint of annoyance on his voice.
The fusion shot forward at an incredible speed and was deflected by the barrier.
"Huh!"
Twilight gasped as the shock-wave provoked holes in the dome and the substance came out in the form of torrents of liquid: the fusion landed on the ground and stood there.
"What an incredible power…!" Netto exclaimed.
Debris began to fall from the ceiling and Twilight looked panicked at his surroundings.
"Che! Can't be helped… Come! My pet! Cave canem!" Twilight made a smirk after his initial grimace.
"Nebula Grey" emerged and grabbed Rock Man but its right hand suddenly exploded.
What power! Freeze Man gasped.
Hmpf. Show that foolish Cousin the foolishness of his actions.
"Nebula Grey" then shot a ball of fire which was easily dodged: it tried to shoot some needles next which failed as well because Rock Man warped out of the way: "Nebula Grey" kept on roaring.
Realize your own powerlessness! Cousin!
Rock Man activated the Salamander Battle Chip and moved forward while shooting the Hell's Rolling: his coloring switched to silver.
Hah! Twilight's desperate assaults can't harm them!
The indented wheels made two large vertical cuts on the monster's chest which leaked the white substance: Rock Man took something similar to the Hell's Buster next: he shot several attacks all meeting their target and seemingly overwhelming the monster.
The final blow, Rock Man! Forte!
Rock Man landed on the ground and charged up energy on his hands.
"HRUA~H!" He roared.
Rock Man shot a powered-up Darkness Overload at the monster's head, effectively destroying it.
Hah! That's what happens when you get in the way of "Gospel": we can let them dispose of you and then we'll rise back to power. Freeze Man rubbed his hands.
"Nebula Grey" fell with its back into the ground and mingled with the substance, which acted like water: when it cleared, Twilight was lying in there instead of the monster: he looked shocked.
"Un… Unbelievable! I…! The great Demon King… Have lost? Hollywood idiots…!" Twilight muttered while sounding baffled at first but then adding a sarcastic curse.
Rock Man panted and collapsed face-down into the ground, exhausted from the effort.
"Saito – niisan!" Netto gasped.
The core hissed and split in two thus opening.
"Ah! Papa!"
Barrel removed the device from the unconscious man and the restrains as well: he had an ugly bruise on his right eye: Yuuichirou stirred.
"Netto…?" Yuuichirou asked.
"That's right, Papa!" Netto was relieved.
"Netto…" Yuuichirou muttered as he caressed his right cheek.
The giant algorithms faded and everything was reverted to normal once again: everyone stared in awe at their surroundings completely oblivious to what had happened around them: the Science Labs team eyed the situation in relief.
"The city… The de-materialization is fading away!" Meijin exclaimed.
Dr. Hikari was leaning on Barrel since his balance was not good enough.
"Colonel. You've done well." Barrel announced before he shut down the screen.
"Niisan! Saito – niisan!" Netto called out.
"Netto - kun?" Barrel asked.
"I can't Plug niisan Out!" Netto exclaimed.
The Cyber World was still collapsing.
"I shall not die alone… You two shall come with me to the Demon Tribe World. The flames of Hell shall incinerate you!" Twilight muttered.
The spheroid emitted a purple glow and a black swirling vortex opened: it began to suck up all chunks of debris and Rock Man, too.
"Niisan! Wake up, niisan! Niisan! NIISA~N!"
Rock Man opened his eyes and the fusion reverted in a bright flash, leaving both floating in the air.
"Otouto?" He called out while looking confused and out of place.
"Saito…" Forte muttered.
Rock Man turned to look at Forte who he had placed his right hand on top of his left shoulder: he shot him an energy burst thus pushing him backwards and allowing him to be logged out.
"Heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah! Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, ha~h…!"
Forte then vanished into the depths of the rift while Rock Man appeared inside of his PET with his eyes closed, apparently exhausted.
"Saito – niisan!" Netto exclaimed in relief.
"Let's hurry." Barrel instructed.
"Yeah!"
The rest of the base crumbled: the central tower lost its balance and hit one of the walls: the group of three was running down a corridor when they saw how a shutter in front of them was lowering.
"The door…!"
Barrel threw his PET below the door and got it stuck: he then crouched and pushed it upwards by applying strength so as to leave enough space to crawl: the PET could be seen having a significant crack in the right side of the screen near the controls.
"Netto – kun!"
Netto and his father passed through by crawling under the opening and they then turned to look at Barrel.
"Barrel – san! Hurry up!" Netto called out.
"This is our farewell. When Saito's in a pinch then Colonel will definitely show up. I'm the immortal Barrel. Until we meet again! Netto - kun."
He must believe "Saito – niisan" is a nickname for Rock Man…! Netto realized.
"Barrel – san!" Barrel – sa~n!" Netto yelled.
The shutter lowered while Enzan and Laika came running towards them across the corridor.
"Netto!" Enzan called out.
"Hikari – hakase!" Laika called out.
"Enzan! Laika!" Netto exclaimed.
18:08 PM (Jakarta Time)...
Twilight's ambitions are crushed. Well done, gentlemen.
The four of them were on-board a rubber boat while witnessing the explosions which rocked the base: smoke covered all the base and some small chunks of debris fell into the water.
"The inherited program of "Light" and "Dark" is vanishing… Enzan – kun, Laika – kun, Netto, Saito… Thanks to your joint efforts Earth has been saved. Thank you." He smiled.
"Otouto…"
Netto picked the PET and looked at the screen.
"Back then… Forte…" He looked uneasy.
I think Forte was displaying some kind of mix between thrill, joy and disappointment… Rock Man's "Ultimate Program" was too powerful for even to him to properly absorb. He'll have to find another way of gaining the power to defeat Slur… That attack on him was a smug way of saying "thanks for the thrill ride, Rock Man"… The guy must've felt the biggest thrill he'll ever feel… And he's vanished into that rift thing because maybe he knows it's but a stunt by Twilight to flee somewhere else…
"The relief team…!" Laika announced.
"It must be Commissioner Kifune and the others!" Netto guessed.
Netto stood up and waved his harms at the incoming helicopter.
"Oi~! Oi~! We did it! Hah, hah! Hah, hah! Commissioner Kifune! Manabe – sa~n! We did i~t!"
Manabe pointed to the group of people and Commissioner Kifune smiled in relief: Enzan also waved while Laika and Dr. Hikari smiled.
"Hah, hah, hah!"
The men on the Science Labs shook hands and Meijin made a victory gesture.
08:07 AM (Japan Time), Sunday October the 4th…
Good! His friends and everyone have been restored to normal… That's good to see.
"K. S." looked on as Netto ran to meet his friends and Meiru hugged him: Saito was being hugged by Roll at the same time while Search Man and Blues smiled.
Good!
Barrel, on the other hand, was on the midst of a nocturnal city while witnessing the skies and looking relaxed.
Oho. So they've gone to the matches again.
"K. S." looked on as both made their way through the matches and the announcer then signaled them.
"Winner! Hikari Netto a~nd Rock Man!"
The group then headed to their homes and Netto got into his: he dropped into his bed, sighing in relief.
"What a nerve-racking week-end…! We barely avoided the Earth's destruction and all…!" Netto exclaimed.
"Yeah… So Twilight was alive… Has he died for real now by being sucked on that "black hole" thing or…?" Saito muttered.
"Dunno… But at least we've avoided the worst outcome and rescued Papa and our friends too!" Netto shrugged.
"Lately, though… I've gotten the feeling that someone's been watching me from the Cyber World… It could be that "K. S." mister but it can be someone else too…" Saito trailed off, worried.
"Guess so… But whatever! We're the ultimate team! As long as we combine our power and that of our friends we can beat anyone!"
"Yup! Let's go for it, Netto – kun! This is far from over!"
"Yeah! Time to tune into the next season! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"