Character Thoughts: "{abc}"
Character Translation: "[abc]"
Language Translation: "abc [def]"
NOTE FROM RYDRAKE: I will warn you now, I am unaware of the events after the Axess season, as Stream, Beast, and Beast+ never received an English adaption. I am also unable to find any episodes with English subs, so no flames or anything similar.
Chapter 14:
Serenade's Confession
"Tell us Serenade. What's going on here?" Bass demands.
Serenade looks down at Blackberry, who's eyes are screaming for answers. He sighs and says, "Guess I have no choice. But you are not to tell anyone else, unless I give you the okay."
"We won't tell anyone. Just tell us what Adamant Enigma meant." MegaMan says.
Serenade nods, checks to see that no one else is around, and finally says, "Everyone, I am Blackberry's creator."
"WHAT?" everyone but Blackberry explodes.
Blackberry's eyes light up with glee as she asks, "I have a daddy?"
"No you don't! Quit lying, Serenade!" Bass quickly says, taking the offensive.
"I would never lie. I really am her creator." Serenade replies.
"Then what did you create her for? Besides being Bass's twin sister." ShadeMan asks curiously, as he knows nothing of Blackberry.
Serenade explains, "She was created not only to be Bass's sister, but so she could keep his immense power in check. I know that someday he may be overloaded with Dark Energy, and won't be able to control it all. Blackberry has Light-based attacks, like I have, to help balance his energy, like a yin and yang kind of system. And, if Blackberry were to ever be overloaded with Light Energy, Bass could balance her out."
"Makes sense to me. That's what Yuichiro theorized too, and it proved true when Bass fought ElecMan." BurnerMan says.
"I saw that battle. I'm glad that part of the Sibling Program activated when it needed to." Serenade says.
"Then what was my Ultimate Truth Program for?" Blackberry asks.
"It's sole purpose was to revive all forms of life should destruction fall upon them, not just to revive the Net should it ever be deleted. It was not meant for what Adamant Enigma is using it for." Serenade replies.
Serious Nimbus asks, "So, would that mean she'd be sacrificed?"
"No. The only negative outcome would be temporary amnesia as well as low power levels. However, I never fully got to test the beta form of it to its full potential, so I'm not sure how long her amnesia would last." Serenade answers.
"One thing I want to ask is this: how did you create her?" PlantMan asks.
Serenade replies, "There was an abandoned lab I found. Some of its machines were still working. There was also a robot there that I inhabited during the time I was creating Blackberry. And the only reason she was found in a Bug Frag Mass was to keep her from being sensed from other Navis...unfortunetly Gospel, and soon Mr. Wily found her. Another thing, in case she was ever disturbed sooner than expected, I made her weak as a failsafe; I wanted to keep her powers in check."
"So me being weak right now is a failsafe? You really thought a lot about me then." Blackberry says.
"I did. Oh, I almost forgot, I also created another failsafe for you in case your Ultimate Truth Program was forced out of your body." Serenade says.
"And what's that?" Bass demands.
Serenade smiles and says, "She can create a new program by having a child."
Bass gives Serenade the most intense distraught look. He knows very well that ElecMan is in love with his sister, and did not even once think about something like this. Blackberry starts to get fantasies in her head, mostly aboput ElecMan taking her on romantic dates, how and where he'd propose marriage, and even what their baby might look like.
Serenade gives off a feeble smile as he says, "And I have no issues if ElecMan has a child with Blackberry."
"Yay!" Blackberry cheers.
"IT AIN'T HAPPENING ANYTIME SOON, BERRY-CHAN!" Bass shouts.
Blackberry looks at Bass innocently and says, "B-but Otousan [dad; father] says it's okay."
Bass facepalms unable to handle the situation. MegaMan then gets curious and asks, "Hey Serenade? I know NetNavis can breed and have kids like humans but, just how does a NetNavi give birth?"
"Hmm, to tell you the truth, it's complicated. The way a NetNavi even becomes pregnant is different; she does not have to follow the whole 9 month pregnancy. I have looked into this myself, and found that a Navi can breed one night, and the next morning can have a full term belly. It has something to do with how close and how strong the bond is between both NetNavis. Also, the NetNavi, once having a full term belly, can give birth that moment." Serenade replies. He scratches his head and continues, "The birthing, however, is very different from how humans do it. Instead of the two known methods, that belly is nothing more than added on data, like a program of sorts. That belly will glow, disconnect from the mother, and form into a Baby Navi."
"Is it painful?" Blackberry asks.
"Not sure." Serenade answers.
"No, she is NOT having a child with ElecMan. I don't care what anyone says!" Bass growls.
"But Bass..." Serenade says, approaching Blackberry, soon wrapping his arms around her and pressing his cheek to hers, "...don't you want your little sister to be happy?"
MegaMan breaks the 4th Wall and says, "And so the shit hits the fan."
In DenTech, Mr. Famous was able to get everyone to the school that Lan and co. go to. He leads them to a computer room with no one else inside it. He asks evryone to take a seat as he calls up the KilbyEX and Milko Viruses alongside his Shrimpy2 Virus. Mr. Famous then asks for everyone's PETs, to which Lan is reluctant to hand over.
"Okay, now that everyone's here and not distracted by anything, I'd like to discuss our current situation. Now then, our new foe, Adamant Enigma, which is the cloaked NetNavi that shot down an airplane, has put up a Dimensional Area large enough to surround the entire Earth, not just Japan. By what I have gathered from the Ex-WWW members, the Navi my virus distracted was in fact Mr. Wily, but reborn as a NetNavi in the form of a Hellhound. Also, we are able to tame these viruses in various ways. We must rely on these viruses in order to survive as they can still teleport safetly to other areas." Mr. Famous debriefs.
"What do we do about Wily, though?" Yahoot asks.
"Well, it appears that the Water Element is his weakness as Hellhounds are associated with fire. So fighting him shouldn't be hard if we can befriend Water Viruses." Mr. Famous answers.
"Can we befriend more than one?" Chaud asks.
"The answer is yes. I have another virus currently running through the Net Space, as I'd like to call it, looking for supplies and a more hidden location to work with." Mr. Famous responds.
"Cool, then we of #1 Curry will befriend Water Viruses to combat Wily, and whatever else we can get our hands on!" Maddy says.
"Actually, it'd be better if you can befriend several viruses of varying types. If Adamant Enigma appears again, we need to figure out if he has a weakness. If he doesn't, then we need to befriend very powerful viruses." Mr. Famous says.
"What about our NetNavis?" Lan asks.
Mr. Famous looks at him and says, "There isn't much we can do. As you're all aware, communications have been cut off. All the world's Navis are on their own until MegaMan and the others can figure something out, or until we discover something."
"MegaMan's a smart NetNavi, Lan. I'm sure he's already finding his friends, forming a nice large team, and keeping Blackberry safe. Hell, I'm sure Bass has probably found them by now and is working hard to help protect everyone." Maylu says.
"You think so, Maylu?" Lan asks.
"I know so, Lan. MegtaMan isn't one to disappoint." Maylu answers.
"We should go out and try to befriend more viruses before it gets dark." Count Zap says.
"It's not a good idea. With Adamant Enigma and Wily causing all kinds of damage, going out even in a group this big will only attract them. Last thing I want is for anyone to die early." Mr. Famous says.
"So how are we supposed to befriend any viruses?" Yai asks.
"I'm working on a PET program that can sense where Adamant Enigma and Wily are. Once I finish it, I'll install it into all our PETs, and using that, we can determine which area is safest to look for viruses." Mr. Famous replies.
"So then, what should we do until the program's done?" Dex asks.
"Whatever you want within this building, basically. The PA system here still works, so when the program's finished and installed, I'll contact you all with that. For now, you're free to do whatever." Mr. Famous says.
Count Zap gets up and says, "In that case, you'll find me in the music room."
"I will be in the gym practicing yoga." Yahoot says, standing up.
"Meh, I'll stay here and see if we still have some kind of internet." Maddy says.
"Same here." Chaud says.
Count Zap and Yahoot leave the room. The kids decide to stay in the computer room, until Yai announces she'd head to the art room, and promptly leaves. Dex decides to follow her there so she isn't alone. Mr. Match soon decides to head to the cafeteria to get food. Maddy and Chaud start to get the computers warmed up, finding they're still working just fine. Lan and Maylu soon turn on the computers behind them. Mr. Famous gets to work on finishing the program.
Back in NetCity, Serenade had gotten everyone to the Net Repair building, where all but ProtoMan and SearchMan were given separate rooms to sleep in. With the others sleeping, SearchMan activates his scanner, and starts to look for MegaMan's other friends. He is able to easily locate GutsMan, Roll, Glyde, and NumberMan with ProtoMan's help describing them. SearchMan tells him where they are, only being just across the way up on the invisible path, and ProtoMan quickly heads over to them. With that, and finally feeling safe, SearchMan takes a seat in a leather chair against a pillar. The Net Repair building looks a lot like a luxurious hotel, the walls being a gentle blue color, white floor tiles with gold sun and silver moon patterns with light purple stars, and the rooms having beds with Tempurpedic-like mattresses, extremly soft sheets and pillows, and walls painted like the night sky with a tropical island pattern on the floor. The building also plays music from radio stations around the world in the lobby, and more gentle music or soothing sounds in the rooms. SearchMan was started to lose himself on the chair as he hardly gets to relax. As Serenade is about to join SearchMan, SharkMan and his comrades enter the building, calling out to Serenade.
"So, you're the one who created Blackberry." SkullMan says.
Serenade gains a shocked look and asks, "How do you know that?"
"We followed you to the outskirts and hid within hearing range. We heard everything you said back there." SharkMan says.
"And what do you plan to do, SharkMan? You can't exactly arrest me, you know. Not to mention, I'm on your side." Serenade says.
"We're not here for a fight. We want to know why you gave her such a program that could cause a crisis this huge and out of control." WoodMan says.
"You want to know why I gave her the Ultimate Truth Program? You heard me back there, no? It is meant to show humanity mercy - something a criminal like Adamant Enigma could never show." Serenade replies.
"You also seem to know a lot about Adamant Enigma. Why didn't you stop him sooner?" SharkMan asks.
Serenade sighs and says, "I was trying to show him mercy for being so weak. I didn't think the creation of Blackberry would awaken him. I was foolish to think that."
SkullMan says, "No kidding. Hey, do you know Bass as well?"
"Hm? Yes. His increasing powers motivated me to create Blackberry, so that I can protect my home from any harm. I also didn't want to end up in another battle with Bass; the last one we had lasted for days." Serenade replies.
"I see. So, what do you intend to do about this?" SkullMan asks.
"I cannot fight Adamant Enigma alone. I know for a fact he will create other incarnations of himself until he cannot create anymore. However, his defeat will depend heavily on Blackberry and ElecMan's bond." Serenade answers.
"Man, you are some kind of f*cked in the head." SharkMan says.
"Oh? So are you three." Serenade fires back.
"Okay, that's enough. Can't we all just try to relax for a while?" SearchMan calls over.
Serenade looks at SearchMan and says, "You're just really comfortable there, aren't you?"
"Oh, like you wouldn't believe! It's too bad I'm not damaged; I'd like to see what those rooms are like." SearchMan happily replies, reclining back in the chair.
A message is soon heard on the radio system announcing that a Dimensional Area surrounds the entire Earth, actually blocking the sun's rays that give the Earth its heat. Temperatures around the world have dropped dramtically by 20 degrees in the past few hours, and they continue to drop as the sun starts to set. Most people are starting to befriend viruses in order to survive, and that a cloacked NetNavi, a Hellhound NetNavi, and a Bull NetNavi are randomly attacking cities and towns around the globe, able to teleport anywhere at pure will. There have been multpile sightings of these NetNavis around the world, which are leading experts to believe that the sightings are of clones created by the Navis. As these attacks carry on, experts are working tirelessly to re-establish communications with the NetNavis that were forcfully jacked-in to the Net. The announcement ends changing into the song "Walking on Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox.
"Oh, I love this song!" Serenade says as he starts to sway to the upbeat music, and soon singing, "Walking on, walking on broken glass..."
"...Are you serious?" SharkMan asks dumbfounded.
"This is disturbing. I'm out." SkullMan says, leaving Net Repair.
"I agree." WoodMan says quickly leaving.
"...Uh, wait for me guys!" SharkMan calls, rushing out the doors.
SearchMan doesn't react as he returns to resting in the chair. Serenade contiunues to dance to the music and sing along, just as ProtoMan returns with Roll, GutsMan, Glyde, and NumberMan. ProtoMan and GutsMan quickly find it to be weird and wander off to another part of the lobby. Roll, Glyde, and NumberMan watch, finding Serenade to be an elegant dancer. The raiments soon start to slowly spin around Serenade as the song starts to approach the end, making him look more elegant. When the song finally ends, the raiments return to their normal position, and Serenade hears clapping, looking over at Roll, Glyde, and NumberMan. They compliment on his moves to the music. Serenade bows thanking them.
"You really know how to move to the music, S." Glyde says.
"ProtoMan told us that you lead Mega and the others here. Are they still sleeping?" Roll asks.
"Yes. I think they still have another 40 minutes left to go." Serenade says.
Suddenly, Navis outside start to run and scream in terror. Serenade and the others rush out to look, finding another one of Adamant Enigma's incarnations causing trouble. This one is a large, bipedal grizzly bear with a muscular build. His fur is dark brown, and armor resembling a midieval knight's, bronze in color. His eyes are an orange color with a red jagged scar over his left eye. He soon locks eyes with Serenade and the others.
As he speaks, his voice sounds like Final Fantasy's Sephiroth's english voice, "So, you are the ones that think my Master is a lowlife, huh? You all shall feel the relentless wrath of I, Hardy Quake!"
"...Dude, what the hell?" BurnerMan asks confused.
"All of his incarnations are named after their element. His is ground!" Serenade says.
"Shit! Do any of us have an advantage?" NovaMan asks.
"It doesn't matter. Water, Grass, Ice...either will do. We need to take him out!" Serenade says.
"In that case, I'll start!" PlantMan says, jumping into battle.
Hardy Quake grabs onto the ground, and cracks it like a makeshift whip, as if trying to whip a hose. PlantMan jumps into the air, avoiding the attack, and whips the Grizzly Navi with his own vines. Hardy Quake grabs onto PlantMan's vines, and throws him onto the ground. PlantMan hits the ground hard, but manages to get up without issues. He summons his Red and Yellow Flowers, attempting to make their pollen paralyze and confuse the Grizzly Navi, respectively. Hardy Quake is unable to dodge the thick pollen, becoming both paralyzed and confused. PlantMan uses his Plant Weed attack, the vines easily connecting with Hardy Quake, sucking out his HP. PlantMan then quickly uses Rose Nedles, firing multiple thorns at the Grizzly Navi. He is hit with each thorn, and given the circumstances, retreats, logging out from NetCity.
"Alright! Way to go, PlantMan!" NovaMan cheers.
"Dude, that's Blackberry's thing." BurnerMan says.
"I decided to fill in while she's recovering." NovaMan says, earning a slap across the face from BurnerMan.
"This is bad. Adamant Enigma has already made another incarnation." Serenade says, getting serious.
"Hey Serenade, do you know what Adamant Enigma looks like?" ProtoMan asks.
"...I've never seen his true face myself. All I know is, he is a creature that most people fear becoming when there is a crisis of great famine. Knowing that, I would not want to know what he truly looks like." Serenade replies.