Disclaimer: I do not own Rockman/Megaman. It belongs to Capcom. I wish I did own Axl but sadly he too belongs to Capcom (for those of you that don't know, he comes from the upcoming Rockman/Megaman X7 game for the PS2). I do own Ryu Shingure and all other non Capcom characters. This story takes place several years before the Rockman.EXE series.
The
Road Not Shown
By David Knight
Chapter Three: Ryu and Axl's First Net Battle
When Axl materialized inside of the area designated for the battle sight, he got a good look at his opponent.
It was ten feet tall to him, and instead of feet it had tank treads. Its metal was colored green all over. It had two arms that looked like rocket launchers. Its chest had machine gun mounted on it. Even its face was a weapon, as it had long nose barrel cannon.
"Cry in terror and fear, puny Net Navi! I Tankman will delete you!" it bellowed.
"... oh you have to be slagging kidding me!" Axl groaned in disgust. "Ryu, you can't possibly want me to fight a worthless Net Navi like him do you?"
'Worthless! How dare you talk about my mighty warrior like that!' Hirokazu snapped.
"Yup. He definitely gets his ego from his operator." Axl mused.
'Axl, you ready to kick this Navi's rear end?' Ryu asked.
"If it helps me move on to fighting more challenging Net Navis I'm all for it," Axl sighed, "Binary Boy here won't last five minutes and that's being gracious."
"WHY YOU WHELP!" Tankman roared. "BE DELETED!!! ROCKET BOOMERS FIRE!!!"
Axl saw the launched rockets and just smirked as he jumped up to avoid them.
"What?!" Tankman roared.
"You are too slow, you know that?" Axl taunted as he jumped over to another building like structure, then jumped off of it before rockets hit it. "I mean, I could dodge you for eternity."
"Shut up!" Tankman snapped as he fired another salvo of rockets.
"Missed again, slow poke." Axl taunted.
'Tankman! Let him have it!'
"TOTAL UNLOAD!!" the Net Navi roared as he fired everything he had at Axl, who was now on the run, trying avoid all of this. He made his way behind a building structure, one that was hit by the barrage.
It exploded on impact.
'Yes! Haha! Looks like all of this loot is ours, Tankman!' Hirokazu sneered.
"Foolish Net Navi. He had no chance against me." Tankman said boastfully.
"Who's fooling who stumpy?"
"What..." Tankman muttered as he looked up and saw someone.
Axl was on another building structure, totally unscathed.
'Impossible! You can't possibly be that fast!' Hirokazu gasped.
"I'm a lot more than fast," Axl returned.
'Tankman, attack!' Hirokazu snapped.
Tankman went to go up and fire off a rocket, only to find that he had none left. In fact, he was out of ammo. "Oh no..."
Axl finally let out a smile. "I knew it. I had a feeling you only won your fights by unloading every cheap weapon you had in you. You would be without your default weapons until you plug out and recharge." The smile got wider. "Of course if you do that, you lose this match and my operator and I win."
"No!" Tankman gasped.
"And now..." Axl said, his smile dropping as he materialized his default weapons, "It's my turn to go on the offensive!" He raised Suzaku and jumped off of the building, but as he did, Suzaku started to glow red.
'Tankman move!' Hirozaku ordered.
"He can't move fast enough to avoid me," Axl smirked, "Eat this! Phoenix Arrow!" He pulled the trigger and a blast of red energy shaped like arrow came forth, blasting right at his opponent's chest, destroying the mounted gattling guns and causing some damage to the chest.
'Alright Axl!' Ryu smirked, 'Now let's slow the treads down.'
"And make him a real sitting duck," Axl finished, "We do think alike, Ryu." He went running side by side with Tankman, firing at the gears that operated his treads blasting them apart.
'I won't stand for this!' Hirokazu spat. 'BATTLECHIP! TANK BLASTER! SLOT IN!'
Tankman suddenly gained a large mounted blaster on its back and was going to fire, however Axl's last two shots destroyed its treads, causing its weight to become unequal and became shaky.
"Hirokazu... I can't fire my weapons like this..." Tankman groaned.
'What?!'
"Now I think it's time to end this." Axl said determinedly.
'So do I.' Ryu agreed. 'Axl, even though he said he was going to delete you, I don't want you to delete him.'
"Fine," Axl said, "But don't you think letting him off the hook regardless of being a wimp is just too much?"
'Whoever said we were letting him off the hook?' Ryu smirked, 'BATTLECHIP! ELEC SWORD! SLOT IN!'
Axl's default weapons disappeared and his right hand became an electrical sword, having received the program. His face was confused for a moment before smirking, "I gotcha." He turned toward Tankman, a smile on his face as he rushed him at his top speed. With a battle cry he swiped down at his opponent's arms... and cleaved them off. He then cleaved off the gun turrets before they could be used.
"I don't... I don't believe..." Tankman muttered until he saw Axl with the ElecSword in his face.
"You've lost." Axl said, his eyes narrowed at Tankman. "Now Log Out... before I delete you."
Tankman saw the eyes and truly believed that he would delete him. So he logged out.
Axl breathed out and checked his internal clocks. "Heh. Well what do you know? Binary boy lasted longer than I thought. He lasted for three minutes and twenty-one seconds. I thought for sure I could have wrapped it up in two minutes flat."
* * *
In the real world, Hirokazu was on the ground, on his rear not believing this. "No way... no way did I just lose... It's not possible!"
"You just did," Ryu said as he took his chip folder and his money. "And now I am going to take the chips that I just won from you."
"Ha!" Hirokazu laughed as he pulled out a knife. "No way in hell am I going to allow that!"
"He's got a knife!" one of the students on the ground with Madoi declared.
"Now give me your money and your PET before I make you really uncomfortable!" Hirokazu sneered.
Ryu was wondering what to do now when suddenly he heard some one clapping.
"Such a display of authority, Hirokazu."
Everyone turned to see one of Hirokazu's thugs standing next to a person dressed in a blue suit, he looked like he was in the 11th or 12th year classes and the outfit he wore was for the Student Council. He had eyes like a wolf and his hair was short black.
When Hirokazu saw him, the knife dropped from his hands, his face ashen. "A.. Aoshi-sama..."
"You are a disgrace to us all, Atagi," the one called Aoshi said emotionlessly. "Pick that knife up and hide it."
To Ryu's own surprise, Hirokazu did as he was being told.
"Now hand over to him the chips. He did win them honorably." Aoshi said.
Hirokazu did as he was told, handing over to Ryu the Variable Sword, Fighter Sword and Gaia Blade battle chips, with his head hung low the entire time.
_What's going on? One moment he's ready to go all kamikaze on me, and now he's taking orders like a trained dog from whomever this guy is,_ Ryu thought to himself.
"Now get out of my sight," Aoshi told him and Hirokazu left along with the other thugs that had been with him. Aoshi then looked toward everyone in the room. "If any of you were harmed I can assure you that those boys will be punished. I'll see to it as being president of the student council."
Aoshi looked at Ryu and when he did he felt as if someone was trying to gaze into his soul. _Just who is this guy?_
"You seem to be an honorable net battler." Aoshi said, "Perhaps some time our paths will cross."
"Perhaps they will." Ryu returned, his own eyes staring right back at the man before he left.
"Oh wow. Aoshi-sama is so cool." One of the girls by Madoi said awestruck.
"You know that guy?" Madoi asked.
"You're new so you don't know. That's Shidou Aoshi, the Student Council President."
_Shidou Aoshi..._ Ryu mused as he looked at where the man had been. _There's more to you than meets the eye._
"Ryu!"
Ryu looked up and saw Kaede and Gendo along with many other classmates behind them.
"Hang on buddy! We're here to..." Gendo cried out only to stop and look as dumbfounded as everyone else when they saw no one in the room except Ryu, Madoi and the three other students. "... help you out?"
Ryu scratched the back of his head, "Sorry man, but fight's over."
"And man what a fight it was! Your Net Navi made Hirokazu's Tankman look like a snail!" the only male student that had gotten taken cried out.
"What?!" Kaede blinked. "You beat Hirokazu?!"
"Um yeah... hey mind if we talk about this over lunch though?" Ryu asked, "I mean we only got thirty-five minutes left."
"Okay but you are definitely telling us what happened, buster!" Kaede demanded, starting to drag Ryu out but he stopped her. He looked down at Madoi and held his hand out, offering it to her.
"Iroaya Madoi?" At her blinking, Ryu said, "That's what Yuriko-sensei said your name was, wasn't it?"
"H-hai." she said shakily as she took his hand and got up off her feet.
"Shingure Ryu." he introduced himself, "Would you like to have lunch with me and my friends?"
"... I'd like that." Madoi said with a small smile.
"Come on. I'll show you the way to the cafeteria and which food you should avoid since it comes from a terrible server," Ryu joked on the last part, eliciting a giggle from Madoi.
"Looks like Axl's really good if he thrashed that Tankman of Hirokazu's," Gendo said to Kaede. "I mean we only managed to hold our own and force a draw when we had to fight him two years ago when we got our customs."
"Speaking of the jerk," Kaede mused, "I wonder just where he is now."
* * *
In the men's bathroom...
"Forgive me Aoshi-sama..." Hirokazu pleaded on his knees, his gang behind him also on their knees.
All save for the one called Makoto, who was standing by Aoshi who looked at Hirokazu in distain, "A knife, Hirokazu? What were you thinking?"
"I'm sorry... Aoshi-sama..." Hirokazu muttered, "It's just... I lost... I never lose... except to you Aoshi-sama."
"Indeed." Aoshi nodded, _Which makes this boy that beat you most intriguing. His first Net Battle and he mops the floor with Hirokazu. A feat only I have been able to perform._ He looked down sternly at Hirokazu, "You will be suspended indefinitely. You do realize this. It has to be done."
"I must repent and bring honor. I accept my fate Aoshi-sama." Hirokazu replied.
"Good," Aoshi told him, "Rujin Makoto. You will take Hirokazu's place among his gang as leader... unless anyone has any objections."
No one did.
"Good. Makoto, Remain here. The rest of you can go." Aoshi ordered them and they all left.
"Is there something you wanted from me Aoshi-sama?" Makoto asked.
"There is," Aoshi replied, "... tell me everything you know about Shingure Ryu."
* * *
Gendo was looking over the chips that Ryu had won from Hirokazu, letting out a whistle when he saw their rarity. "Damn man! Your first ever Net Battle and you got really good chips!"
"It helped that I had Axl on my side." Ryu said modestly.
"And of course it helped that I have a good operator on mine." Axl spoke, "Thanks for the tips. They helped out in that fight."
"Ouch..."
Ryu turned his head to see Kaede putting some ice over the side of Madoi's face that got hit by Hirokazu. "You are lucky that jerk didn't hit you really hard other wise the bruise would have been worse. The swelling should be small."
"I'm glad for that," Madoi said, "So is that jerk going get what he deserves?"
"We can only hope," Kaede mused.
"Why did he pick you Madoi?" Ryu asked.
Before she could answer Gendo did, "Hirokazu always goes after new students when ever he can, rip them off of their chips."
"... that is so low." Ryu growled.
"Paladin Shingure..." Madoi said softly.
"Huh?" Ryu blinked.
"That's what he called you," Madoi mentioned, "Why did he say that?"
"Oh that's something Ryu's gotten as a nickname," Gendo said casually, "He's always stood up against bullies and jerk weeds even if they were twice his size or several classes older than him. He just doesn't care."
"Gendo, you make it sound like I go out looking for trouble," Ryu quipped.
"And you don't?" Kaede rolled her eyes at her friend. This got a laugh from everyone, even Madoi.
_They all sound so friendly towards one another. Like they know each other for a while. And here Ryu is helping me..._ Madoi mused. _I could like this... I wonder what my Navi thinks of theirs though?_
* * *
All four of the teens Navis were gathered at a hub to meet. Well Axl, Artemis and Centaurman were going to meet Madoi's Navi.
She was wearing a purple bodysuit with pink and silver highlights, a star symbol was above her chest. She wore high-healed boots and her gloves were rimmed silver. Her hair was silver white while her eyes were a deep emerald. "Hello. I'm Minerva.EXE. Madoi's Navi."
Artemis had a smile on her face, "Always a pleasure to see another female Navi. Some times I don't think there are enough of us out there on the Net."
"Matrix forbid it," Centaurman said under his breath, getting an elbow in the stomach from Artemis. "Hush, horse boy."
"Axl, I want to thank you and your operator for helping Madoi," Minerva said holding her head down, "... I wasn't strong enough to help her." She suddenly felt some one lifting her head up, and that someone was Axl.
"Don't you dare feel ashamed for losing to a cheep cheating Navi like that," Axl told her flat out. "You did your best, but I can tell you haven't really practiced in battling. You need to practice."
"That obvious is it?" Minerva sighed, "With all of the moving Madoi's guardians do, she hardly has time to meet any lasting friends."
"Well maybe that will change," Centaurman said. "Our operators are very loyal friends indeed. I am certain Madoi would like them very much."
"So do I," Minerva replied.
"In the mean time," Axl said with a small smirk. "We still have thirty minutes before we got log out of here right?"
Artemis caught the smirk. "What did you have in mind Axl?"
"Hand to hand combat. No weapons, no chips," Axl challenged. "Think you could keep up with me?"
"Question should be, can you keep up with me?" Artemis smirked as she walked away from Centaurman and Minerva.
"Minerva, take notes. You could see how important it is to keep an eye out on all elements needed for battle." Axl said as he went off in a lunging run and struck at Artemis with an elbow strike, one that she blocked.
"That was strong," Artemis said holding him back.
"And you're fast," Axl returned, the two Navis breaking away from each other, staring at each other in the eyes, each having the same thought as they charged each other.
_This is going to be fun._
* * *
Thirty minutes later, the operators plugged their Navis out of the terminal and back into their PETs. Two of them were somewhat annoyed at their actions.
"Why didn't you tell us you were going to fight?" Ryu asked his Navi.
"Because we didn't want you to send any battle chips," Axl told his operator, "It wouldn't have been fair. Besides, I got a much better work out sparing with Artemis than I did fighting tankboy."
"He outlasted you?!"
Ryu turned to look at Kaede, who was in disbelief at the apparent result of Artemis and Axl's contest. "He beat you... a newborn navi beat you in hand to hand combat!"
"I'd like to see you fight someone for thirty minutes straight in hand to hand combat," Artemis defended herself. "Axl knows how to fight and he can fight damn good. He could win the N1 Grand Prix."
"The N1 Grand Prix?" Ryu blinked.
"For someone that has been going on about wanting to net battle since the fifth year, you are really clueless about some things, buddy," Gendo sighed.
"The N1 Grand Prix is Japan's national net battling tournament. All the best Net battlers in Japan attend and this is its fifth year. Eguchi Meijin was the first ever winner of it." Kaede explained.
"Eguchi Meijin," Ryu breathed, "The guy is only in his twenties and he's one the worlds leading experts in Navi creation."
"Why am I not surprised he knew about Eguchi Meijin," Gendo shook his head, "I mean you do live in a laboratory half of the year."
"Live in a lab?" Madoi blinked.
"My grandfather's a scientist and I live with him," Ryu said, looking at Madoi, hoping that she wouldn't ask why not live with his parents. Strangely enough, she didn't ask that question. _... weird... its almost as if... she understands me._ As they were walking through the masses to go to class they heard them speaking.
"Hey did you hear about Hirokazu?" "Yeah I did! He's going to be suspended!"
Hearing that, all four of them decided to listen and try to figure out more but it was pretty much the same. At the end of the day, they learned from a teacher that what they heard in the halls was true; Atagi Hirokazu was suspended from Central Densan High until further notice.
"This is too weird. It's not even been day and he's suspended." Kaede mused.
"As if he didn't deserve it." Madoi snorted.
"Well the buses are here and we better get moving unless we want to miss going home," Gendo said, "Catcha tomorrow, guys."
"Later, Gendo." Ryu said to his leaving friend. He looked over at Madoi, "So we'll see you in homeroom and for lunch again tomorrow Madoi?"
"Um... if you want..." Madoi said sheepishly.
"Well of course," Ryu said good naturedly, "I mean, why would I want to have lunch with a friend?"
"... Ryu-kun... arigatou..." Madoi said with much emotion as she left for her bus.
"That is one weird girl." Kaede mused.
"She isn't weird. Just shy, I think." Ryu offered.
"Well I'll be heading back to Shinjuku now. See ya tomorrow Ryu-kun," Kaede smiled before leaving.
Ryu smiled at her and was ready to leave but then stopped.
"Ryu-kun? What is it?" Axl asked.
"I feel like... someone's watching me..." Ryu muttered but then heard his bus pulling way, "Shimitta! Not again! Hey wait!" he shouted running after the bus.
* * *
From the second floor of the school, Aoshi watched Ryu intently, remembering everything Makoto had told him. _Parents dead, living with a scientist grandfather, has never had a PET until today. That means either the Navi is exceptional, the operator is, or both are._
"Aoshi-sama, are you really worried about this boy?" a female voice spoke to him.
Aoshi looked down at his black PET and let off a smile as he looked at his Navi. Some had called it strange that he would have a female Navi; however, she was ten times better than any male one in his eyes. Dressed in all black, wearing a mask that covered all but her eyes, ones that were hazel and looking coyly at him. "No Kodachi. I thought it might be nice to have someone who is actually a challenge."
"Blues-san was a challenge. Why don't we fight him again, Aoshi-sama?" Kodachi asked sweetly.
"Because his operator is a brat," Aoshi said in disgust, _Even though Blues is an exceptional Navi. He's the only one Kodachi's ever lost to._ "Also, this one might prove to be useful."
"Do you want to challenge him now Aoshi-sama?"
Aoshi closed his eyes for a moment, contemplating the answer to that question before giving it, "No. I think further study is needed. Makoto and his group will do that for us."
"And once we do know his capabilities Aoshi-sama?" Kodachi asked.
A cruel smile formed on Aoshi's lips, "Then my dear Kodachi, we'll simply challenge him and crush him."
* * *
At the Wily home, grandson and grandfather were enjoying a dinner together as the grandson talked about his day, the grandfather looked at the battle chips won.
"You do know you had a lot to lose," Wily stated.
"Are you saying I should have been more concerned about losing?" Ryu asked, taking a bite out of his dinner, only to get bopped on the head by Wily. "Hey gramps! What did you do that for?"
"Foolish boy. Wagering that much you should have at least demanded that he give you five rare chips with one of them being a level five," Wily reprimanded him. "Have I thought you nothing about negotiation?"
Ryu stared at his grandfather in disbelief for a while until he broke out into laughter, laughter that his grandfather joined him in. After a while they calmed down, and had finished their dinners, Ryu spoke again, "Axl filled me in on how you created him during the day."
"He asked, I told him," Axl said with a smirk, "So far I am running according to the specifications I was programmed for."
"That's good to hear. If you have any glitches let me know at once," Wily said.
"We'll I'm going up to study and finish some homework. Then I'm going to sort out my chip folder to put in these new additions before going to sleep." Ryu said as he took his PET off of the table, "Night Gramps."
"Good night, Doctor Wily." Axl responded.
"Good night boys." Wily said, watching them go upstairs. However Wily was in thought with a smile on his face, _His first Net Battle and he won with ease, not even needing to use the GetAbility program. It shows how strong he is... I wonder when he will end up using that program._ He folded his hands, the smirk never leaving his face, _One thing is certain... when he does use it, it will be something to remember._
To Be Continued...