A/N: It's okay! It's been a pretty busy holiday for me, too, so I totally understand there being no time to review.
(Poor Dingo, having to go up against Black in that sort of mood. I don't think it's spoiling anything to say that one might make a bit more sense in hindsight...) Yes, the slow pace is totally a feature! It's not because between my inexperience when I was writing this and Kaita's current inexperience, things just wound up going really slowly at first. It's hard for Kaita to find things out right now, he's just a kid and everyone else important is way more experienced or has agendas. Or both at the same time. XD The overarching plot is going to be taking precedence in the stories after GC, so don't worry, you'll piece together what's going on somewhere down the line.
As the Technos finished repairing the battlefield, Kaita asked, "So, who's supposed to be next?"
"I don't know," Mary said. She looked over at who was coming in and said, "Well, here comes bad news." Atsuki strode in, smiling as usual. Behind him was Burnerman, who wore a much nastier grin.
Mindful of Meiru and Roll walking across the row behind him, Kaita was careful to think instead of speak 'And here comes worse' as Enzan and Blues came out through the other doorway.
"Thank goodness, it's that guy," Kalama said, indicating Enzan. Kaita was a little confused at her excitement for a moment. Then he remembered that not everyone had been wandering around so late at night to see what he had. "He'll show Burnerman how to really Netbattle!"
Kaita's suspicions weren't helped by the first words out of Burnerman's mouth. "I remember you," the Navi said, smirking. "You don't look like you've changed at all! I doubt you'll be a challenge now."
"You'll see how much I've improved soon enough." Blues was on guard, but didn't make any movements.
"He must be waiting," Kaita said. "Letting Burnerman move first..."
"So Burnerman can slip up first," Dingo finished. "Just you watch!"
The two Navis watched each other for a moment longer. Finally, Atsuki sent in a Battlechip, sending Burnerman shooting forward in an Area Steal. "Burnerman, Burning Sword!" Immediately, Blues' default sword met it. The two were struggling to overpower each other.
"Samurai Sword, slot-in!" A second sword appeared on Blues' other arm. Burnerman's grin didn't falter, even as the Samurai Sword whistled forward.
"Gold Fist!" A well-placed right hook broke both swords and continued on, clipping Blues as he tried to dodge and knocking him to the floor. The silver-haired Navi rolled to the side to escape a jet of flame from Burnerman's buster, then another two in quick succession. "Hmph. Think you're fast, huh?" said Burnerman as Blues flipped backward to a crouch and jumped away.
Atsuki smiled. "Air Hockey, slot-in!"
"Well, try this!" yelled Burnerman, hurling the oversized hockey puck straight where Blues was about to land.
"Area Steal!" Blues rocketed forward. At the same time, the exhaust pipes on Burnerman's back ignited. Seeing this, Enzan slotted-in another Battlechip. "Z-Saber!"
"Drill Arm!" Burnerman shoved it straight at the incoming Navi, who had reappeared carrying a green beam sword. "Another sword?" laughed Burnerman as Blues twisted to the side, turning the attack from a devastating blow to the side into a small scrape against his helmet. "That doesn't work against me!"
"We'll see about that." As Burnerman sped away, Blues whirled around and hurled the Z-Saber straight at his opponent, who didn't see it coming. Burnerman yelled in pain as the Z-Saber stabbed him in the back, turning his controlled Burning Jet into a long skid against the dirt.
"Aqua Sword, slot-in!" called Enzan, as his Navi changed direction. Blue blade on his arm, Blues charged forward to meet Burnerman, who was struggling to his feet. With one swipe, Burnerman was sent flying under a wave of water. Kaita almost thought it was over after the wave had cleared away. Burnerman was lying on his side, the blue flames on his head extinguished and the Z-Saber still sticking out of his back.
"Iron Ball, slot-in," Atsuki said icily. Blues dashed out of the huge metal ball's way while Burnerman got to his hands and knees, ripping the Z-Saber out with a growl of fury. Neither in its master's hand, nor embedded in his enemy's back, the Z-Saber vanished, leaving behind a large cut that leaked blue pixels. "Drill Arm, double slot-in!"
With his hands both replaced by spinning drills, Burnerman's grin was huge. He ran forward for a few steps, then leapt into the air. "Don't run away, now! Burning Jet!" In moments, Burnerman had boxed Blues in with a wall of flame.
Kaita couldn't help wondering if Burnerman had the other Navi beaten, remembering how defenseless Pele had been. But Enzan didn't seem worried at all. "Neo Variable, slot-in!" he called.
The sword formed on Blues' arm, and he raised it to a defensive position. Burnerman sped past one, two, three times without Blues making a move. "He can't hit him, can he?" Kaita wondered. "Burnerman just keeps getting faster and faster, so-"
"Sonic Boom!" Blues turned and lashed out with his sword, creating a wave of energy that hit Burnerman square in the chest. He sent out another, but the larger Navi vanished in an Area Steal, leaving the energy wave to fly through empty air to rattle the side of the Castillo.
Burnerman reappeared in midair, directly above Blues. "Burn!" He slowed his fall by sending streams of blue-hot flame roaring toward the ground and the Navi below him. Blues flung himself out of the way, but the attack was massive. The blue-hot pillars coming from Burnerman billowed out into red flame as they hit the ground. It was lucky the two Dream Auras containing the Operators were holding fast; everywhere, the grass was on fire. In the midst of it all, Blues turned his fall into a roll, coming to a stop on his feet. He jumped up and away, plenty singed, but hardly shaken, forming his red default sword on one arm.
As his Navi reached the apex of his jump, a few feet away from the top of the Castillo, Enzan sent in another Battlechip: "Wide Blade, slot-in!" Blues drew both swords back as he started to fall, then whipped them around, the force taking his body along as well. In seconds, all Kaita could see was a blur, and then a column of red, like a tornado blowing out the flames around it as it moved across the battlefield.
"Hm." Atsuki regarded the pillar for a second, then made his move. "Vulcan, slot-in." Burnerman had been backing away from the tornado, his grin starting to falter as he neared the wall, but now it was back in full force as the yellow base and silver barrels of the Vulcan Battlechip replaced his right arm. Enzan's eyes narrowed for a moment, but he didn't seem too worried; he took out a Battlechip and waited. Burnerman's Vulcan plowed through the tornado, breaking it up and leaving Blues behind. The white-haired Navi dropped both swords as he made one more turn to the side, gripping the edge of the outer wall as Kaita realized that it had been the target all along. But with the Vulcan still firing, how long did Blues have before he fell? As the white-haired Navi swung himself up and over, Burnerman abruptly stopped firing; an Earthquake had appeared over his head, and it nearly crushed his foot as he flung himself out of the way. Once he was safe, his arm cannons formed, and he wasted no time shooting flames up at the Navi on the roof. But it was no use; the wall was blocking off most of the attack, and Blues was easily evading whatever made it to him. It was clear that Burnerman was wasting his time on the ground.
"After him," commanded Atsuki. Burnerman leapt into the air, activating his thrusters and both arm cannons to push him higher up.
One look at Enzan's face was enough to tell Kaita that this was all according to plan. "Program Advance! Fumikomizan, triple slot-in!"
"Zeta Fumikomi!" Blues was suddenly gone from the roof. It was almost like there were three Blueses at once, he moved so fast. Burnerman was sent flying backward into the Castillo wall sporting three new cuts across the red armor on his upper body, while Blues landed just above him atop the same wall. With one last howl of pain, Burnerman logged out.
Atsuki's voice betrayed nothing as he said, "Very well." But his smile seemed forced. Flickers of that same madness that made Burnerman's grins so intimidating were sparking in his eyes before being hidden away. Enzan didn't seem to notice; he was sending Blues a Bubble Shot to remove the last of the fire from the field so the Navi could safely get off the roof and the Operators could leave the Dream Auras. It made Kaita wonder just what Enzan's relationship to Nova was. To him, it was obvious they were connected if Burnerman remembered Blues and Enzan could have such a strange meeting with Black, but neither of the out-and-out Novas nor their Navis seemed to like the-were they really Net Saviors? Or were they double agents? And if so, for whom? It was all so confusing.
"Kaita! Hurry and get down there, or you'll miss your Netbattle!" Ring said.
"Right!" Kaita said, glad to not have to think about it anymore. "Let's go, Turboman!"