Megaman Battle Network - New Generation
Book 1
By Zelloss
Author's Note: Here's a little Bonus for you! I've taken a look back at the first chapter of book 1, and I realized that perhaps I should have put up one of the OTHER version of the first chapter! What's the story over this one? It's not too surprising to have several different versions of a first chapter. J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter) apparently went through 13 different first chapters, which, if you read them all, would tell you nearly the entire storyline of the book... Enough blabber though. Here's my little bonus to you guys! [NOTE: I put little notes explaining some stuff in brackets like this, seperate from the story, in case there's anything I need to really explain. I suggest you don't read these if you haven't yet read the rest of the story!]
Chapter 1 ALTERNATE - Dreams of Shadow
"Hayato..."
I looked around me. Nothingness.
"Hayato... The time draws near..."
"Who... Who's there?" I shouted out.
A blue mist began to form around the area, and I saw a silhouette of a man standing far away from me.
"Who are you?"
"Hayato... Are you ready?" the man's voice asked me.
"Yes! But tell me..." I began, but was instantly cut off.
"Then awaken..."
* * * * *
I suddenly sat up in my bed, wide awake. My face was drenched in sweat. I reached up and pushed it away.
There was a faint ringing sound. I pulled off the covers and looked at my desk.
"Yo, Hayato! It's time for you to wake up!" a familiar voice called out.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Time for school, you idiot!" the navi called.
Navi. Do you know what that is? If not, I suggest you skip the next bit.
You see, a navi is a digital program that is used to surf the internet these days. Navi is short for Net Navigational Program. They're stored in PETs, or Personal Transmitters, or something like that. Okay, so I'm NOT the best student.
Most navis these days are customized to their owner's liking. Unfortunate little me, though, only has a generic navi. The very BASIC navi, and indefinately the weakest, under normal circumstances.
I sighed. I changed into my school clothes and grabbed my PET, attaching it to my arm, then ran out into the hallway.
"You'd best be running..." My uncle Juru called to me.
See, I live with my uncle, Juru, in ACDC Town. ACDC is a small town in the country of Electopia. Juru's nice, but I only live with him because my parents are dead.
Kind of. I know for a fact my mother is dead. She died of cancer.
As for my father, well... I'll tell you when it becomes important.
Anyway, Juru now takes care of me. I rushed down the stairs of our house. Juru was standing there.
Here's the wierd thing about my uncle. It's not his long, blonde hair. It's not his clothes, just a normal guy, if it was just for that.
It's the fact that he always wears sunglasses. Outdoors, Indoors, even in the dark. I have never seen him take them off.
I usually just shrugged it off. He refused to let me see what was underneath.
I grabbed the lunch my uncle was holding, and dashed through the door of my house, turning towards the school. It was the first day of classes in fifth grade.
* * * * *
I rushed into the back of class and took a seat.
"Late, are we?" my teacher asked. My teacher this year was, well, how can I say this? An old woman. Probably a screech owl, as some people call them. "And who would you be, sonny?"
"Hayato" I responded.
"Last name?" she asked. I gulped. That was the one thing I didn't like to give out. "Well, come on, sonny, out with it!"
"G... Grausherra" I stated hesitantly.
"Grausherra, huh? God, I remember your father..." she paused in a moment of reflection.
You see, my last name, Grausherra, is famous. VERY famous. Everybody seems to know it. The Grausherra line was very thin, so that last name can instantly make you related to any other Grausherra. And it's true.
"He was a great netbattler, until he went mad..." she grinned. "He was also rather handsome too. Yet he was still a troublemaker..." she shook her head. "I should hope you won't be like that."
I shook my head. "Of course not."
She still seemed suspicious of me.
The girl sitting beside me looked at me. "Don't worry about it, Hayato."
I smiled. "I know, Aera."
Aera was a nice young woman. She was about my height, had short red hair, and a body that was quite attractive. Today, she was wearing a red t- shirt and blue jeans.
"It's nothing..." a voice came from her PET. "It could be worse, don't forget that..."
I gulped. "Yeah..."
* * * * *
I should probably tell you something about my father now.
See, he was, how can I put it? He was an excellent Netbattler. That's a guy who battles other navis using his own. It's very popular in schools and they even have tournaments of it nowadays.
Well, he WAS an excellent Netbattler. Then, so the stories go, he went mad. Totally mad. He destroyed an island, leaving it in ruins. He practically destroyed the world.
Then, one day, he dissapeared.
Just like that. Poof. Right into thin air. Was never seen again.
Except by me.
When I was young, I seem to remember finding my father. His black clothing was in tatters, and his hair was untidy and darkened by ash and the like. His right sleeve was cut off, revealing a long scar.
I was scared, but I didn't move. He looked at me, with unsteady eyes, and gave me something.
A PET. And a folder of Battle Chips.
I immediatly ran home to my mother. Of course, she knew the PET and the Battle Chips. She locked them away. I never saw them again. She refused to tell me anything before she died.
So, my life continued as normal. Well, about as normal as possible when your father is called one of the worst criminals of the century.
Of course, the one thing I never could figure out, was why I seem to remember their being another person there.
* * * * *
That day, I walked home with Aera. We lived near each other, so it was easy.
After leaving Aera at her house, I took the shortcut to my house. It was a back alley between two chip shops.
I smiled as I walked along it.
"What do you think he's got?" I heard a voice, and I turned to face the sound.
"I hope something good. I could use a powerup..." another voice said, and I turned to that one's direction.
Four or five young men stepped out around me. They were dressed in a mess of clothes, and I knew who they were.
One of the Electopia street gangs, I suspected. Rumors were my father had once been part of the most feared one in the entire country, no, nearly the entire world.
The first one, the smallest, looked at me. "So, what'cha got for us, kid?"
"N... Nothing..." I stuttered out.
"Oh really? Are you sure...?" one of the men, a tall one, walked over to me.
"Yes" I gulped down my fear.
"Well, then..." the man smiled. He swiped with his arm, and tore off my PET.
"HEY!" I shouted.
"Look at this..." he shrugged. "A generic navi. No good there..." he tossed it to another one of the men.
"What about these?" another man had snuck up behind me and grabbed my chip folder. "Junk! All the kids have these days are junk..." he emptied it out on the ground.
"No..." I went to grab them, but they had been shattered with the impact.
"Screw it. Let's go" the tallest one said.
The one holding my PET laughed, and snapped it in two, right over his knee.
I just stood stunned.
* * * * *
I ran home right away, without a PET and without Chips. That kind of thing could cost a ton to replace.
I ran into the door, backed up, rubbed my nose, and opened it. "Juru? Juru?" I shouted out.
There wasn't a response. I hurried into the kitchen. My uncle always left notes there.
"Here we go..." I pulled a note off the fridge.
'I'm going to be gone for the day. Rest for a while. Supper just needs to be put in the microwave. ~Juru'
I paused, then something dawned on me.
Immediatly, I rushed upstairs. I ran into the room that had once been my mother's.
Inside, I reached for a dresser immediatly and pulled at one of the drawers. I tried to pull it out. It wouldn't budge.
I reached to the top of it and grabbed a mirror. Turning it, I found a key taped to the back. I grabbed it and pulled it out, and unlocked the drawer.
Inside was a PET and a Battle Chip folder.
I grabbed the PET first, and pressed a couple buttons.
Immediatly, an image came onto the screen.
I recognized him instantly.
"You... You're the person from my dream!" I realized.
The navi stretched and yawned for a moment. I got a good look at him. He had hair that was short, blue, and untidy. He was wearing a long white robe with leather armor over top of it.
"Hello. You're not Zel. Who is this?"
"Hayato Grausherra" I said.
"Hayato? Of course. Zel's son. A few years of deactivation makes you forget a couple things. My name is Dynast!"
"D... Dynast! So then it was my father..." I whispered to myself. "Dynast, what do you know about where Dad is right now?"
Dynast shrugged, and grinned a bit. "I'm forbidden from telling that piece of information."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid I've forgotten..." Dynast let out a nervous laugh.
I sighed. "Oh well. I need a new navi anyway. The old one was..." I gulped. "Destroyed."
"Oh dear" Dynast sighed. "I never have been able to get over that slight shiver, even though I've destroyed so many navis it's not funny..." he sighed.
"Well, comeon, Dynast..." I started, then paused. "Err... It's not a good idea to be going around calling yourself Dynast, by the way" I said.
"Oh really?" Dynast asked me.
"Yeah, really. I mean, the name Dynast is famous, but not in a good way these days."
"Okay. What name would you prefer I respond to in the presence of others, Hayato?" Dynast asked.
"Let's see... How about Frostman? You do look like an Ice navi, after all."
"Frostman it is. And I AM an Ice Navi, you idiot..." Dynast muttered.
* * * * *
As the night passed, my uncle still hadn't come home. So, I had to remind Dynast to get me up at the right time. Dynast sighed and muttered something about needing sleep himself, which I didn't really understand. After all, not very many navis need sleep.
So, of course, it didn't surprise me when I found Dynast sleeping when I woke up. After quickly getting the time, and finding I wasn't too late for school, I grabbed the PET and headed to school, not bothering with a breakfast or lunch.
Now, some people would have considered that a problem, but when one of your friends is a multi-millionaire's daughter who always gets a 10- course lunch, well, it's not.
Sasama is the grand-daughter (Or something like that) of Yaito, who once headed a gaming company named Gencon. Of course, her mother apparently runs the company now. Seems to be the family buisness. People say she looks just like Yaito, actually.
Of course, it wasn't easy trying to keep Dynast's identity secret. I think everybody suspected me. Nobody could quite name Dynast, but they didn't believe my story of having ordered 'Frostman' three months ago.
One boy in particular was always watching me. An old opponent of mine, who worked for the ONBA (Official Netbattler's Association, like the Net Police) as a top official. Otoyo Ijuin. The grandson of one of the previous top netbattlers of the ONBA.
[NOTE: Otoyo Ijuin is the correct name, as Kiro Netto should have been Kiro Hikari. This was because, in translation, it's written Ijuin Enzan in japanese, and the last names come first in Japan. I always forget that.]
After school, I grabbed my new folder of Battle Chips and took off towards the Game Arcade. This was where everybody went after school.
I looked around for a battle stadium. Already, people had filled the consoles and netbattles were already going on. I sighed.
"Hayato? Could I..." I turned and saw Otoyo. "Have a match with you? Private Arena, of course..."
I nodded, grinning. "Why?"
"Follow me..." he led me into a small room, offset from the rest. The room was small, with a battle arena in the center for private netbattles.
Otoyo then turned to me. "I've locked the doors, Hayato. I know the truth. That's Dynast, isn't it?"
I swallowed hard. "Yeah. What about it?"
"What would happen if it got out? You know how fast you'd lose him, right?"
I gulped again. "Yes"
"And I want a chance to netbattle the 'famous' Dynast. So, here's what we'll do. If I win, I report it. If you do, I don't. I'm only giving you this chance because I would like to netbattle Dynast. If it was any other criminal navi, you'd have been turned in in an instant" Otoyo laughed a bit, then walked to the other end and plugged into the console.
Otoyo's navi, Silver, was a large angel-like figure. Silver has a body like an angel, with long white-and-silver robes and golden wings that curved around his body. The navi had a silver helmet on his head.
I sighed and plugged Dynast into the other console.
"Let's go!" Otoyo grinned, pulling out some battle chips and slotting them in. "This will be quick. Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Slot-In! Program Advance, Life Sword, activate!"
I should explain the Program Advance, huh? It's a common maneouver nowadays, but hard to do. For one, your breathing and your mind has to be in sync with your navi. Second, you have to have a particular set of chips and use them in a certain order. The Life Sword was one of the most common.
I reached for the chip folder, looking for something to use, as a glowing sword appeared in Silver's hand.
I heard Dynast in my head. "Battle Chips, Leaf Shield, Fire Blade, Aqua Blade, Elec Blade, now!"
My hand instantly moved to the folder, grabbing the four chips. I slotted in Leaf Shield first
A strange green barrier surrounded Dynast, as Silver swung the Life Sword. A beam of energy shot towards Dynast.
It struck the barrier and dissapeared into it. Dynast's body glowed the color of the Life Sword's beam had been.
"Thank you, I needed a recharge" Dynast laughed. "Now then, the other three chips, please?"
I slotted in the three Blade chips, as Dynast instructed. "Battle Chips, Fire Blade, Aqua Blade, Elec Blade! Slot-In!"
"Program Advance" Dynast grinned, reaching up, as a black sword appeared in his hands. It seemed like pure energy was circling around it. "Life Sword Black!"
Dynast swung the sword into the ground. There was a huge burst of energy. I heard the sound of logging out.
When the light cleared, Silver couldn't be seen.
Otoyo gulped. "I'll... I'll get you, Hayato! You know I will!" he looked nervous. "Don't think I won't report to the media about this!"
"Don't think I won't report to the media that you got beaten by a kid your age" I laughed. Otoyo had never been beaten. His reputation would fall apart like a jointless skeleton.
Otoyo walked over to me, and gulped. He then quickly dashed for the door and exited. Apparently, it wasn't locked.
I sighed and walked out after him.
* * * * *
I didn't bother to do any more netbattles that day, so me and Aera (Who had come with me), walked home. Aera decided she wanted to come visit me at my house, because she wanted to find out more about 'Frostman'.
Without thinking about it, I walked back through the back alley.
"Again, kiddo? You brought a girlfriend this time, I see..." a mocking voice called.
I immediatly froze. I had forgotten what had happened, in my state of happiness.
The men stepped out from their hiding places. Aera let out a feminine, classic "Eek!"
"So, what you got for us this time?" the man asked, walking over, and reaching for my PET. "This one looks old. Not worn on the arm, I see..."
I pulled my PET away. I couldn't let them take Dynast!
"Oh, he wants to fight, does he?" one man laughed.
"Mabye we can use the girl to get what he has!" one of the other men joined in, the short one.
The shortest one walked towards Aera. Aera let out an ear-piercing scream.
Instantly, the short man was out cold, face-down in front of Aera. Another figure with long blonde hair was behind them.
I took a better look. It was my uncle!
"Who do you think you are, ya' jerk!" the tallest man shouted. "Comeon, guys, let's get him!"
The four men ran by us towards Juru.
Juru didn't even flinch. He was fighting so fast, I could barely tell when he had begun a kick and finished the karate chop afterwords. Three bodies fell in front of him, stunned.
[NOTE: This is actually why I didn't post THIS version of the chapter up, really. Anybody who knew anything about Zel's ability would have realized the possible connection, therefore ruining the surprise]
The other one was behind him. "Juru, behind you!" I shouted.
Juru turned to face the tallest man, probably the leader. The man froze.
"Dashwin? I thought you were still with the ONBA. You should be ashamed of this. You don't want to be reported, do you?" Juru grinned.
Dashwin, as the man had been called, gulped. "Who... Who are you...?"
I saw Juru adjust his sunglasses for a moment, then return them to their normal position.
"Oh! Sir..." Dashwin began. Juru raised his arm, and I suspected he was indicating for Dashwin to be quiet.
"You haven't changed a bit, Dashwin" Juru laughed. "Now then, either I can tell the ONBA about you and your friends, and get you in more trouble then you've been in before, especially considering the intended victim," Juru paused.
"Or you can go yourself, turn these guys in, and only have a minor sentence. What'll it be?"
Dashwin paused, then ran off.
"I knew it. He hasn't changed a bit..." Juru shook his head and turned towards me. "Comeon, you two. Let's go."
I didn't question about Dashwin, because my uncle seemed to know a lot of strange people.
When we got home, Juru turned around and faced me.
"Hayato, I have two questions for you. One, how did you find Dynast?"
"Dynast?" Aera shouted out in surprise. "You mean that's not really Frostman, that's the devil navi that was said to be the 'King of Netbattles'? The one your father used to operate?"
I nodded. "Yeah. That's Dynast, all right."
Aera gulped. I turned back to Juru. "I knew where he was all along. I had almost gotten him once before, but I got caught by mother before she passed away. She didn't change the hiding place, though."
Juru nodded. "Just like your mother. Aera, I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you to leave. This might get a bit ugly..."
Aera nodded, turned, and left without another word.
"Then, there's number two" Juru reached into his pocket.
And produced my broken PET.
Author's Note: Here's a little Bonus for you! I've taken a look back at the first chapter of book 1, and I realized that perhaps I should have put up one of the OTHER version of the first chapter! What's the story over this one? It's not too surprising to have several different versions of a first chapter. J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter) apparently went through 13 different first chapters, which, if you read them all, would tell you nearly the entire storyline of the book... Enough blabber though. Here's my little bonus to you guys! [NOTE: I put little notes explaining some stuff in brackets like this, seperate from the story, in case there's anything I need to really explain. I suggest you don't read these if you haven't yet read the rest of the story!]
Chapter 1 ALTERNATE - Dreams of Shadow
"Hayato..."
I looked around me. Nothingness.
"Hayato... The time draws near..."
"Who... Who's there?" I shouted out.
A blue mist began to form around the area, and I saw a silhouette of a man standing far away from me.
"Who are you?"
"Hayato... Are you ready?" the man's voice asked me.
"Yes! But tell me..." I began, but was instantly cut off.
"Then awaken..."
* * * * *
I suddenly sat up in my bed, wide awake. My face was drenched in sweat. I reached up and pushed it away.
There was a faint ringing sound. I pulled off the covers and looked at my desk.
"Yo, Hayato! It's time for you to wake up!" a familiar voice called out.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Time for school, you idiot!" the navi called.
Navi. Do you know what that is? If not, I suggest you skip the next bit.
You see, a navi is a digital program that is used to surf the internet these days. Navi is short for Net Navigational Program. They're stored in PETs, or Personal Transmitters, or something like that. Okay, so I'm NOT the best student.
Most navis these days are customized to their owner's liking. Unfortunate little me, though, only has a generic navi. The very BASIC navi, and indefinately the weakest, under normal circumstances.
I sighed. I changed into my school clothes and grabbed my PET, attaching it to my arm, then ran out into the hallway.
"You'd best be running..." My uncle Juru called to me.
See, I live with my uncle, Juru, in ACDC Town. ACDC is a small town in the country of Electopia. Juru's nice, but I only live with him because my parents are dead.
Kind of. I know for a fact my mother is dead. She died of cancer.
As for my father, well... I'll tell you when it becomes important.
Anyway, Juru now takes care of me. I rushed down the stairs of our house. Juru was standing there.
Here's the wierd thing about my uncle. It's not his long, blonde hair. It's not his clothes, just a normal guy, if it was just for that.
It's the fact that he always wears sunglasses. Outdoors, Indoors, even in the dark. I have never seen him take them off.
I usually just shrugged it off. He refused to let me see what was underneath.
I grabbed the lunch my uncle was holding, and dashed through the door of my house, turning towards the school. It was the first day of classes in fifth grade.
* * * * *
I rushed into the back of class and took a seat.
"Late, are we?" my teacher asked. My teacher this year was, well, how can I say this? An old woman. Probably a screech owl, as some people call them. "And who would you be, sonny?"
"Hayato" I responded.
"Last name?" she asked. I gulped. That was the one thing I didn't like to give out. "Well, come on, sonny, out with it!"
"G... Grausherra" I stated hesitantly.
"Grausherra, huh? God, I remember your father..." she paused in a moment of reflection.
You see, my last name, Grausherra, is famous. VERY famous. Everybody seems to know it. The Grausherra line was very thin, so that last name can instantly make you related to any other Grausherra. And it's true.
"He was a great netbattler, until he went mad..." she grinned. "He was also rather handsome too. Yet he was still a troublemaker..." she shook her head. "I should hope you won't be like that."
I shook my head. "Of course not."
She still seemed suspicious of me.
The girl sitting beside me looked at me. "Don't worry about it, Hayato."
I smiled. "I know, Aera."
Aera was a nice young woman. She was about my height, had short red hair, and a body that was quite attractive. Today, she was wearing a red t- shirt and blue jeans.
"It's nothing..." a voice came from her PET. "It could be worse, don't forget that..."
I gulped. "Yeah..."
* * * * *
I should probably tell you something about my father now.
See, he was, how can I put it? He was an excellent Netbattler. That's a guy who battles other navis using his own. It's very popular in schools and they even have tournaments of it nowadays.
Well, he WAS an excellent Netbattler. Then, so the stories go, he went mad. Totally mad. He destroyed an island, leaving it in ruins. He practically destroyed the world.
Then, one day, he dissapeared.
Just like that. Poof. Right into thin air. Was never seen again.
Except by me.
When I was young, I seem to remember finding my father. His black clothing was in tatters, and his hair was untidy and darkened by ash and the like. His right sleeve was cut off, revealing a long scar.
I was scared, but I didn't move. He looked at me, with unsteady eyes, and gave me something.
A PET. And a folder of Battle Chips.
I immediatly ran home to my mother. Of course, she knew the PET and the Battle Chips. She locked them away. I never saw them again. She refused to tell me anything before she died.
So, my life continued as normal. Well, about as normal as possible when your father is called one of the worst criminals of the century.
Of course, the one thing I never could figure out, was why I seem to remember their being another person there.
* * * * *
That day, I walked home with Aera. We lived near each other, so it was easy.
After leaving Aera at her house, I took the shortcut to my house. It was a back alley between two chip shops.
I smiled as I walked along it.
"What do you think he's got?" I heard a voice, and I turned to face the sound.
"I hope something good. I could use a powerup..." another voice said, and I turned to that one's direction.
Four or five young men stepped out around me. They were dressed in a mess of clothes, and I knew who they were.
One of the Electopia street gangs, I suspected. Rumors were my father had once been part of the most feared one in the entire country, no, nearly the entire world.
The first one, the smallest, looked at me. "So, what'cha got for us, kid?"
"N... Nothing..." I stuttered out.
"Oh really? Are you sure...?" one of the men, a tall one, walked over to me.
"Yes" I gulped down my fear.
"Well, then..." the man smiled. He swiped with his arm, and tore off my PET.
"HEY!" I shouted.
"Look at this..." he shrugged. "A generic navi. No good there..." he tossed it to another one of the men.
"What about these?" another man had snuck up behind me and grabbed my chip folder. "Junk! All the kids have these days are junk..." he emptied it out on the ground.
"No..." I went to grab them, but they had been shattered with the impact.
"Screw it. Let's go" the tallest one said.
The one holding my PET laughed, and snapped it in two, right over his knee.
I just stood stunned.
* * * * *
I ran home right away, without a PET and without Chips. That kind of thing could cost a ton to replace.
I ran into the door, backed up, rubbed my nose, and opened it. "Juru? Juru?" I shouted out.
There wasn't a response. I hurried into the kitchen. My uncle always left notes there.
"Here we go..." I pulled a note off the fridge.
'I'm going to be gone for the day. Rest for a while. Supper just needs to be put in the microwave. ~Juru'
I paused, then something dawned on me.
Immediatly, I rushed upstairs. I ran into the room that had once been my mother's.
Inside, I reached for a dresser immediatly and pulled at one of the drawers. I tried to pull it out. It wouldn't budge.
I reached to the top of it and grabbed a mirror. Turning it, I found a key taped to the back. I grabbed it and pulled it out, and unlocked the drawer.
Inside was a PET and a Battle Chip folder.
I grabbed the PET first, and pressed a couple buttons.
Immediatly, an image came onto the screen.
I recognized him instantly.
"You... You're the person from my dream!" I realized.
The navi stretched and yawned for a moment. I got a good look at him. He had hair that was short, blue, and untidy. He was wearing a long white robe with leather armor over top of it.
"Hello. You're not Zel. Who is this?"
"Hayato Grausherra" I said.
"Hayato? Of course. Zel's son. A few years of deactivation makes you forget a couple things. My name is Dynast!"
"D... Dynast! So then it was my father..." I whispered to myself. "Dynast, what do you know about where Dad is right now?"
Dynast shrugged, and grinned a bit. "I'm forbidden from telling that piece of information."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid I've forgotten..." Dynast let out a nervous laugh.
I sighed. "Oh well. I need a new navi anyway. The old one was..." I gulped. "Destroyed."
"Oh dear" Dynast sighed. "I never have been able to get over that slight shiver, even though I've destroyed so many navis it's not funny..." he sighed.
"Well, comeon, Dynast..." I started, then paused. "Err... It's not a good idea to be going around calling yourself Dynast, by the way" I said.
"Oh really?" Dynast asked me.
"Yeah, really. I mean, the name Dynast is famous, but not in a good way these days."
"Okay. What name would you prefer I respond to in the presence of others, Hayato?" Dynast asked.
"Let's see... How about Frostman? You do look like an Ice navi, after all."
"Frostman it is. And I AM an Ice Navi, you idiot..." Dynast muttered.
* * * * *
As the night passed, my uncle still hadn't come home. So, I had to remind Dynast to get me up at the right time. Dynast sighed and muttered something about needing sleep himself, which I didn't really understand. After all, not very many navis need sleep.
So, of course, it didn't surprise me when I found Dynast sleeping when I woke up. After quickly getting the time, and finding I wasn't too late for school, I grabbed the PET and headed to school, not bothering with a breakfast or lunch.
Now, some people would have considered that a problem, but when one of your friends is a multi-millionaire's daughter who always gets a 10- course lunch, well, it's not.
Sasama is the grand-daughter (Or something like that) of Yaito, who once headed a gaming company named Gencon. Of course, her mother apparently runs the company now. Seems to be the family buisness. People say she looks just like Yaito, actually.
Of course, it wasn't easy trying to keep Dynast's identity secret. I think everybody suspected me. Nobody could quite name Dynast, but they didn't believe my story of having ordered 'Frostman' three months ago.
One boy in particular was always watching me. An old opponent of mine, who worked for the ONBA (Official Netbattler's Association, like the Net Police) as a top official. Otoyo Ijuin. The grandson of one of the previous top netbattlers of the ONBA.
[NOTE: Otoyo Ijuin is the correct name, as Kiro Netto should have been Kiro Hikari. This was because, in translation, it's written Ijuin Enzan in japanese, and the last names come first in Japan. I always forget that.]
After school, I grabbed my new folder of Battle Chips and took off towards the Game Arcade. This was where everybody went after school.
I looked around for a battle stadium. Already, people had filled the consoles and netbattles were already going on. I sighed.
"Hayato? Could I..." I turned and saw Otoyo. "Have a match with you? Private Arena, of course..."
I nodded, grinning. "Why?"
"Follow me..." he led me into a small room, offset from the rest. The room was small, with a battle arena in the center for private netbattles.
Otoyo then turned to me. "I've locked the doors, Hayato. I know the truth. That's Dynast, isn't it?"
I swallowed hard. "Yeah. What about it?"
"What would happen if it got out? You know how fast you'd lose him, right?"
I gulped again. "Yes"
"And I want a chance to netbattle the 'famous' Dynast. So, here's what we'll do. If I win, I report it. If you do, I don't. I'm only giving you this chance because I would like to netbattle Dynast. If it was any other criminal navi, you'd have been turned in in an instant" Otoyo laughed a bit, then walked to the other end and plugged into the console.
Otoyo's navi, Silver, was a large angel-like figure. Silver has a body like an angel, with long white-and-silver robes and golden wings that curved around his body. The navi had a silver helmet on his head.
I sighed and plugged Dynast into the other console.
"Let's go!" Otoyo grinned, pulling out some battle chips and slotting them in. "This will be quick. Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Slot-In! Program Advance, Life Sword, activate!"
I should explain the Program Advance, huh? It's a common maneouver nowadays, but hard to do. For one, your breathing and your mind has to be in sync with your navi. Second, you have to have a particular set of chips and use them in a certain order. The Life Sword was one of the most common.
I reached for the chip folder, looking for something to use, as a glowing sword appeared in Silver's hand.
I heard Dynast in my head. "Battle Chips, Leaf Shield, Fire Blade, Aqua Blade, Elec Blade, now!"
My hand instantly moved to the folder, grabbing the four chips. I slotted in Leaf Shield first
A strange green barrier surrounded Dynast, as Silver swung the Life Sword. A beam of energy shot towards Dynast.
It struck the barrier and dissapeared into it. Dynast's body glowed the color of the Life Sword's beam had been.
"Thank you, I needed a recharge" Dynast laughed. "Now then, the other three chips, please?"
I slotted in the three Blade chips, as Dynast instructed. "Battle Chips, Fire Blade, Aqua Blade, Elec Blade! Slot-In!"
"Program Advance" Dynast grinned, reaching up, as a black sword appeared in his hands. It seemed like pure energy was circling around it. "Life Sword Black!"
Dynast swung the sword into the ground. There was a huge burst of energy. I heard the sound of logging out.
When the light cleared, Silver couldn't be seen.
Otoyo gulped. "I'll... I'll get you, Hayato! You know I will!" he looked nervous. "Don't think I won't report to the media about this!"
"Don't think I won't report to the media that you got beaten by a kid your age" I laughed. Otoyo had never been beaten. His reputation would fall apart like a jointless skeleton.
Otoyo walked over to me, and gulped. He then quickly dashed for the door and exited. Apparently, it wasn't locked.
I sighed and walked out after him.
* * * * *
I didn't bother to do any more netbattles that day, so me and Aera (Who had come with me), walked home. Aera decided she wanted to come visit me at my house, because she wanted to find out more about 'Frostman'.
Without thinking about it, I walked back through the back alley.
"Again, kiddo? You brought a girlfriend this time, I see..." a mocking voice called.
I immediatly froze. I had forgotten what had happened, in my state of happiness.
The men stepped out from their hiding places. Aera let out a feminine, classic "Eek!"
"So, what you got for us this time?" the man asked, walking over, and reaching for my PET. "This one looks old. Not worn on the arm, I see..."
I pulled my PET away. I couldn't let them take Dynast!
"Oh, he wants to fight, does he?" one man laughed.
"Mabye we can use the girl to get what he has!" one of the other men joined in, the short one.
The shortest one walked towards Aera. Aera let out an ear-piercing scream.
Instantly, the short man was out cold, face-down in front of Aera. Another figure with long blonde hair was behind them.
I took a better look. It was my uncle!
"Who do you think you are, ya' jerk!" the tallest man shouted. "Comeon, guys, let's get him!"
The four men ran by us towards Juru.
Juru didn't even flinch. He was fighting so fast, I could barely tell when he had begun a kick and finished the karate chop afterwords. Three bodies fell in front of him, stunned.
[NOTE: This is actually why I didn't post THIS version of the chapter up, really. Anybody who knew anything about Zel's ability would have realized the possible connection, therefore ruining the surprise]
The other one was behind him. "Juru, behind you!" I shouted.
Juru turned to face the tallest man, probably the leader. The man froze.
"Dashwin? I thought you were still with the ONBA. You should be ashamed of this. You don't want to be reported, do you?" Juru grinned.
Dashwin, as the man had been called, gulped. "Who... Who are you...?"
I saw Juru adjust his sunglasses for a moment, then return them to their normal position.
"Oh! Sir..." Dashwin began. Juru raised his arm, and I suspected he was indicating for Dashwin to be quiet.
"You haven't changed a bit, Dashwin" Juru laughed. "Now then, either I can tell the ONBA about you and your friends, and get you in more trouble then you've been in before, especially considering the intended victim," Juru paused.
"Or you can go yourself, turn these guys in, and only have a minor sentence. What'll it be?"
Dashwin paused, then ran off.
"I knew it. He hasn't changed a bit..." Juru shook his head and turned towards me. "Comeon, you two. Let's go."
I didn't question about Dashwin, because my uncle seemed to know a lot of strange people.
When we got home, Juru turned around and faced me.
"Hayato, I have two questions for you. One, how did you find Dynast?"
"Dynast?" Aera shouted out in surprise. "You mean that's not really Frostman, that's the devil navi that was said to be the 'King of Netbattles'? The one your father used to operate?"
I nodded. "Yeah. That's Dynast, all right."
Aera gulped. I turned back to Juru. "I knew where he was all along. I had almost gotten him once before, but I got caught by mother before she passed away. She didn't change the hiding place, though."
Juru nodded. "Just like your mother. Aera, I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you to leave. This might get a bit ugly..."
Aera nodded, turned, and left without another word.
"Then, there's number two" Juru reached into his pocket.
And produced my broken PET.