ROCKMAN vs. MEGAMAN
Rockman stood in the message board area, waiting for something, anything to come up. He was so focused on the boards that he barely noticed Blues.
"Working hard?" Blues asked in an uncharacteristically casual manner.
Rockman look at the red Navi, startled. "Yeah. I feel like he's my responsibility."
"He isn't, you know."
"I don't care. I have to deal with this," Rockman sighed. "It's . . . It's like I can finally lay all of my own doubts about myself to rest. Like purging the evil from my soul." He looked at Blues. "You know?"
Blues remained silent. He really couldn't grasp the concept of guilt. He did what he was told, nothing more. The fact that Rockman seemed so concerned about his own soul intrigued him, however.
"You have already died once, Saito," Blues said carefully.
Rockman's eyes widened. He'd forgotten that Blues had been present for Rockman's installation of Saito.bat.
"I know that," he managed weakly. "But I have to do what I can to protect Netto's world. I just have to."
"As do I," Blues said, smiling.
Something occurred to Rockman. "Where's Enzan?"
"Asleep. I'm not really supposed to be here," Blues shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time I've done something he didn't approve of."
"But why?" Rockman asked. "Why get into trouble?"
"I had to give you something," Blues said. He handed a blue orb to Rockman,
"Hey . . . this is . . ."
"Battle chip data," Blues finished for him. "Two chips, actually."
Rockman gave him a questioning glance as Blues continued. "Custom Sword and Variable Sword. Not the best chips in the world, but under the right circumstances . . ."
"Double Hero," Rockman nodded. "I remember. It's how we beat Gospel."
They both remember that battle well. They fought with two completely different styles and tactics, and often got in each other's way. The multi- bug organism known as Gospel had the upper hand until Netto stumbled onto the program advance known as Double Hero. The results had been spectacular, and had resulted in Gospel's deletion.
"I also have something else for you," Blues said.
Rockman smiled. Blues was never really this helpful before. "What is it?" he asked.
"A message from an old friend of ours. He told me to tell you," Blues said, and then cleared his throat and deepened his voice, "'Just give the word.'"
Rockman thought about this for a while. Then he smiled again. "Tell him thanks. I'll send him a message when we need him."
"Which, as much as I hate to admit, we probably will," Blues sighed.
Rockman laughed. "Any news on Megaman's whereabouts?"
Blues looked around for a minute, and then looked back at Rockman. "Last we heard, he'd hacked into the old World 3 server. I don't know what he hopes to find there, but whatever it is has kept him busy. He hasn't come back out for four hours."
"That could be bad, or worse," Rockman said grimly. There was a beeping noise in his ear. "Hey . . . I got a message from Roll-chan . . ."
"A call from the girlfriend?" Blues chuckled. "I better not distract you then." He logged out before Rockman could protest.
Grumbling, Rockman accepted the call. Rolls beaming face appeared in a window.
"Guess what?" Roll said, smiling.
"Uh . . . what?" Rockman asked.
"I managed to find someone to help us."
"Good," Rockman said, "we'll need all the help we can get. Who is he?"
"Well, that's the complicated part . . ."
"Why?"
"Well . . . It's just . . . it's complicated. Yeah." Roll said, looking guilty.
"Just tell me who it is. I promise I won't overreact." Rockman said calmly.
Roll told him. Boy, did he ever break THAT promise.
"FORTE?" Rockman shouted loud enough for the entire square to hear him. "ARE YOU NUTS?"
"Hey! Don't be mean," Roll shot back. "He's not that bad, actually."
"Not that bad? He's the most evil Navi in existence!"
"NO! He's just . . . misunderstood." Roll said.
There was a mumbling out of sight to Rockman. Then suddenly the small screen's view was taken up by a face he never wanted to see. A face with purple streaks under the eyes and yellow fins sprouting from a black helmet.
"My vendetta with the humans can wait," Forte said in a serious tone that made Rockman want to wet himself. "Right now, there are far more pressing concerns, and that would be this copy of you that calls itself Megaman."
'Uh . . ." Rockman managed.
"We need to act quickly," Forte continued, "before he becomes any stronger than he is now. If he reaches the World 3 servers and deletes the backup Navi data Wily stored there before his fortress was destroyed, we're going to have one hell of a time beating him."
Rockman was still speechless, but then something registered. "World 3 server . . .? Um . . . Forte? We have a problem . . ."
Forte raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problem? A 'misinformed, thought the World 3 was gone' kind of problem, or a 'we're screw because he's been there for an hour already' problem?"
"Four hours," Rockman said.
The color visibly drained from Forte's face. They were a whole lot more screwed now.
Rockman stood in the message board area, waiting for something, anything to come up. He was so focused on the boards that he barely noticed Blues.
"Working hard?" Blues asked in an uncharacteristically casual manner.
Rockman look at the red Navi, startled. "Yeah. I feel like he's my responsibility."
"He isn't, you know."
"I don't care. I have to deal with this," Rockman sighed. "It's . . . It's like I can finally lay all of my own doubts about myself to rest. Like purging the evil from my soul." He looked at Blues. "You know?"
Blues remained silent. He really couldn't grasp the concept of guilt. He did what he was told, nothing more. The fact that Rockman seemed so concerned about his own soul intrigued him, however.
"You have already died once, Saito," Blues said carefully.
Rockman's eyes widened. He'd forgotten that Blues had been present for Rockman's installation of Saito.bat.
"I know that," he managed weakly. "But I have to do what I can to protect Netto's world. I just have to."
"As do I," Blues said, smiling.
Something occurred to Rockman. "Where's Enzan?"
"Asleep. I'm not really supposed to be here," Blues shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time I've done something he didn't approve of."
"But why?" Rockman asked. "Why get into trouble?"
"I had to give you something," Blues said. He handed a blue orb to Rockman,
"Hey . . . this is . . ."
"Battle chip data," Blues finished for him. "Two chips, actually."
Rockman gave him a questioning glance as Blues continued. "Custom Sword and Variable Sword. Not the best chips in the world, but under the right circumstances . . ."
"Double Hero," Rockman nodded. "I remember. It's how we beat Gospel."
They both remember that battle well. They fought with two completely different styles and tactics, and often got in each other's way. The multi- bug organism known as Gospel had the upper hand until Netto stumbled onto the program advance known as Double Hero. The results had been spectacular, and had resulted in Gospel's deletion.
"I also have something else for you," Blues said.
Rockman smiled. Blues was never really this helpful before. "What is it?" he asked.
"A message from an old friend of ours. He told me to tell you," Blues said, and then cleared his throat and deepened his voice, "'Just give the word.'"
Rockman thought about this for a while. Then he smiled again. "Tell him thanks. I'll send him a message when we need him."
"Which, as much as I hate to admit, we probably will," Blues sighed.
Rockman laughed. "Any news on Megaman's whereabouts?"
Blues looked around for a minute, and then looked back at Rockman. "Last we heard, he'd hacked into the old World 3 server. I don't know what he hopes to find there, but whatever it is has kept him busy. He hasn't come back out for four hours."
"That could be bad, or worse," Rockman said grimly. There was a beeping noise in his ear. "Hey . . . I got a message from Roll-chan . . ."
"A call from the girlfriend?" Blues chuckled. "I better not distract you then." He logged out before Rockman could protest.
Grumbling, Rockman accepted the call. Rolls beaming face appeared in a window.
"Guess what?" Roll said, smiling.
"Uh . . . what?" Rockman asked.
"I managed to find someone to help us."
"Good," Rockman said, "we'll need all the help we can get. Who is he?"
"Well, that's the complicated part . . ."
"Why?"
"Well . . . It's just . . . it's complicated. Yeah." Roll said, looking guilty.
"Just tell me who it is. I promise I won't overreact." Rockman said calmly.
Roll told him. Boy, did he ever break THAT promise.
"FORTE?" Rockman shouted loud enough for the entire square to hear him. "ARE YOU NUTS?"
"Hey! Don't be mean," Roll shot back. "He's not that bad, actually."
"Not that bad? He's the most evil Navi in existence!"
"NO! He's just . . . misunderstood." Roll said.
There was a mumbling out of sight to Rockman. Then suddenly the small screen's view was taken up by a face he never wanted to see. A face with purple streaks under the eyes and yellow fins sprouting from a black helmet.
"My vendetta with the humans can wait," Forte said in a serious tone that made Rockman want to wet himself. "Right now, there are far more pressing concerns, and that would be this copy of you that calls itself Megaman."
'Uh . . ." Rockman managed.
"We need to act quickly," Forte continued, "before he becomes any stronger than he is now. If he reaches the World 3 servers and deletes the backup Navi data Wily stored there before his fortress was destroyed, we're going to have one hell of a time beating him."
Rockman was still speechless, but then something registered. "World 3 server . . .? Um . . . Forte? We have a problem . . ."
Forte raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problem? A 'misinformed, thought the World 3 was gone' kind of problem, or a 'we're screw because he's been there for an hour already' problem?"
"Four hours," Rockman said.
The color visibly drained from Forte's face. They were a whole lot more screwed now.