ROCKMAN vs. MEGAMAN
Megaman staggered to his feet, coughing again. "I have to admit," he wheezed, "that I never expected to feel pain like this." He looked at Rockman and grinned. "It's fun, in a way."
Rockman narrowed his eyes. "You're nothing but a bug. A glitch in the system. You don't deserve to live."
"HA!" Megaman barked. "You think that I'm a mere bug anymore?" he made a sweeping motion with one arm. "I stole everything from you! I stole your upgrades, your styles, and more importantly, your identity! I AM Saito, sans all of those petty morals."
Rockman growled. "You are not Saito, I AM! You're an evil little virus masquerading as me!"
"This little program of mine says different," Megaman grinned. "Saito.bat speaks to me . . ."
Rockman's eyes went wide, and Blues looked at Rockman. "He . . . he stole Saito.bat? How?"
"I can do anything," Megaman chuckled. "Even come back from the dead."
"We'll have to test that theory," Forte said, raising both busters.
"Wait," Rockman said. Forte looked at the blue Navi in surprise. "He's mine."
Megaman smiled at Rockman. "Ah, good. I finally get to destroy you. It'll give me such a sense of closure."
"Just shut up," Rockman said. Without another word, he charged at Megaman, blazing away at the glowing Navi with his buster.
Megaman laughed and countered with his own buster, the plasma bolts canceling each other out in midair. As Rockman neared, they both equipped swords, and the air resounded with a clang as their blades met. Megaman swung his blade high, and Rockman parried, returning with a wide slash across the chest Megaman managed to dodge. They traded blows back and forth as Blues, Roll and Forte looked on.
Roll was the first to speak. "Aren't we . . . going to help him?"
"That heroic fool wants to finish it himself," Forte sighed, shaking his head.
"I can understand why," Blues spoke up. "Sort of, anyway. I think Rockman is battling for his soul. I think he wants Saito.bat back."
"That makes sense, I guess," Roll nodded.
"Feh," Forte snorted. "Souls. An unsure power source at best."
Megaman forced Rockman back a few steps before forcing the blue Navi to the ground. "Give it up," he growled over his blade, "I'm stronger than you ever were!"
"You stole everything from me!" Rockman said through gritted teeth. "I'm not going to let you get away with it, no matter how strong you are!" Rockman kicked Megaman in the stomach, forcing the startled Navi up and away from him. Jumping to his feet, Rockman began his attack anew, raining a storm of blows down on Megaman.
"Will this guy ever go down?" Roll asked in a whiny tone.
"I hope so," Blues said. "I'm getting bored over here on the sidelines."
"You said it," Forte nodded at the red Navi. "At least when I was fighting him, there was explosions and flashing lights. Now they're just fencing."
"And WHAT'S wrong with fencing?" Roll cried, stamping her foot. "I find it rather romantic!"
"Yeah, but nothing beats a bunch of cool explosions," Blues shrugged.
"True that," Forte nodded again.
Roll just rolled her eyes. "Boys."
"Rockman!" Netto's voice came out of the air.
"Netto-kun!" Rockman managed as he deflected another sword swipe from Megaman. "Where the heck have you been?"
"Er, Mom called me down for dinner. Did I miss anything?"
Megaman laughed and swung at Rockman again. "With an operator like him, who needs enemies! Now I can see why father wanted to improve you they way he did!"
"Don't remind me," Rockman muttered, ducking the slice and coming up with a lunging attack that forced Megaman back. "Any help would be great, Netto- kun, IF YOU COULD SPARE THE FREAKIN' TIME!"
"Oh, sure! Battle Chip: Custom Sword! Slot in!"
Rockman's free arm glowed and transformed into the wide blade with a small bar that gradually filled up. As the bar filled, the sword became sharper. Megaman was forced to activate another sword to block Rockman's doubled attacks.
Forte watched. "A bit better. Still no explosions though."
"WHAT IS WITH YOU AN EXPLOSIONS?" Roll screamed at the black Navi.
"I like explosions," Forte shrugged. "They're my forte."
"Was that a joke?" Blues glanced at Forte. "Nice. Painful, but nice."
Roll just groaned. What else could she do?
"Battle Chip," Netto's voice rang out, "Variable Sword, Slot in!" Rockman's normal sword was replaced by the oversized, anchor-like blade of the Variable Sword. Rockman grinned at Megaman.
"You know what?" he asked the glowing Navi as he forced him back another step, "I was wrong. You didn't steal EVERYTHING. I still have my friends!" Rockman swung the Variable Sword around in a wide arc and forced Megaman back. "Blues!"
"Finally!" Blues shouted, running forward. Leaping to Rockman's side, he brought his standard sword to bear and the pair of them began to glow. Megaman's good eye widened.
"What the . . .?" was all the evil Navi could managed before the program advance took effect.
"DOUBLE HERO!"
Rockman's swords were replaced by busters and he began blazing away at Megaman. Blues slashed wave after wave of energy at their mutual enemy, and the glowing Navi was caught entirely off guard. Megaman was slammed backward, crying out in both surprise and pain. One of Rockman's buster shots neatly removed his right arm, while a wave of energy from Blues tore his left leg from his body. Plasma and sword waves left their marks all over the glowing Navi.
Roll watched. "They're doing it! I think they might actually beat him!"
Forte looked on. "Amazing. Apart, they're simple rivals, but together . . . this is the force that beat Gospel?"
For the final part of the attack, Rockman and Blues both charged their energies, and sent a combination attack straight through Megaman's chest, leaving a gaping hole right through Megaman's twisted symbol.
The glow died instantly as Megaman fell to the ground. A kind of tense silence filled the place of the sounds of battle.
And then, Megaman faded away.
Rockman let out a whoop as he saw the data left behind. He had Saito.bat back. The other upgrades had been destroyed, but this piece of himself was now back where it belonged. Blues smiled as Rockman rejoiced, and Roll gave the blue Navi a hug.
Forte, however, looked thoughtful. Blues looked at the cloaked Navi. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, now," Forte said.
They stood in silence for a bit with Roll and Rockman rejoiced. "So," Blues said, "What will you do now, Forte?"
Forte looked up to where the sky would have been in the real world. "The scar on my chest remains as a reminder of the human's betrayal. That scar will not heal, and I will never forgive the humans. But for now . . ." Forte looked at Blues, "it's none of your business, but I warn you to stay on your guard. You may not be as safe as you think you are."
"I'll take that to heart," Blues nodded. Forte gave the red Navi one final look, and was suddenly gone.
Blues looked at Roll and Rockman, who were now excitedly talking with Netto and Mayl. The visored Navi allowed himself a small smile before walking over to the pair of them, allowing himself a small bit of relaxation before Enzan began barking orders at him again.
Megaman staggered to his feet, coughing again. "I have to admit," he wheezed, "that I never expected to feel pain like this." He looked at Rockman and grinned. "It's fun, in a way."
Rockman narrowed his eyes. "You're nothing but a bug. A glitch in the system. You don't deserve to live."
"HA!" Megaman barked. "You think that I'm a mere bug anymore?" he made a sweeping motion with one arm. "I stole everything from you! I stole your upgrades, your styles, and more importantly, your identity! I AM Saito, sans all of those petty morals."
Rockman growled. "You are not Saito, I AM! You're an evil little virus masquerading as me!"
"This little program of mine says different," Megaman grinned. "Saito.bat speaks to me . . ."
Rockman's eyes went wide, and Blues looked at Rockman. "He . . . he stole Saito.bat? How?"
"I can do anything," Megaman chuckled. "Even come back from the dead."
"We'll have to test that theory," Forte said, raising both busters.
"Wait," Rockman said. Forte looked at the blue Navi in surprise. "He's mine."
Megaman smiled at Rockman. "Ah, good. I finally get to destroy you. It'll give me such a sense of closure."
"Just shut up," Rockman said. Without another word, he charged at Megaman, blazing away at the glowing Navi with his buster.
Megaman laughed and countered with his own buster, the plasma bolts canceling each other out in midair. As Rockman neared, they both equipped swords, and the air resounded with a clang as their blades met. Megaman swung his blade high, and Rockman parried, returning with a wide slash across the chest Megaman managed to dodge. They traded blows back and forth as Blues, Roll and Forte looked on.
Roll was the first to speak. "Aren't we . . . going to help him?"
"That heroic fool wants to finish it himself," Forte sighed, shaking his head.
"I can understand why," Blues spoke up. "Sort of, anyway. I think Rockman is battling for his soul. I think he wants Saito.bat back."
"That makes sense, I guess," Roll nodded.
"Feh," Forte snorted. "Souls. An unsure power source at best."
Megaman forced Rockman back a few steps before forcing the blue Navi to the ground. "Give it up," he growled over his blade, "I'm stronger than you ever were!"
"You stole everything from me!" Rockman said through gritted teeth. "I'm not going to let you get away with it, no matter how strong you are!" Rockman kicked Megaman in the stomach, forcing the startled Navi up and away from him. Jumping to his feet, Rockman began his attack anew, raining a storm of blows down on Megaman.
"Will this guy ever go down?" Roll asked in a whiny tone.
"I hope so," Blues said. "I'm getting bored over here on the sidelines."
"You said it," Forte nodded at the red Navi. "At least when I was fighting him, there was explosions and flashing lights. Now they're just fencing."
"And WHAT'S wrong with fencing?" Roll cried, stamping her foot. "I find it rather romantic!"
"Yeah, but nothing beats a bunch of cool explosions," Blues shrugged.
"True that," Forte nodded again.
Roll just rolled her eyes. "Boys."
"Rockman!" Netto's voice came out of the air.
"Netto-kun!" Rockman managed as he deflected another sword swipe from Megaman. "Where the heck have you been?"
"Er, Mom called me down for dinner. Did I miss anything?"
Megaman laughed and swung at Rockman again. "With an operator like him, who needs enemies! Now I can see why father wanted to improve you they way he did!"
"Don't remind me," Rockman muttered, ducking the slice and coming up with a lunging attack that forced Megaman back. "Any help would be great, Netto- kun, IF YOU COULD SPARE THE FREAKIN' TIME!"
"Oh, sure! Battle Chip: Custom Sword! Slot in!"
Rockman's free arm glowed and transformed into the wide blade with a small bar that gradually filled up. As the bar filled, the sword became sharper. Megaman was forced to activate another sword to block Rockman's doubled attacks.
Forte watched. "A bit better. Still no explosions though."
"WHAT IS WITH YOU AN EXPLOSIONS?" Roll screamed at the black Navi.
"I like explosions," Forte shrugged. "They're my forte."
"Was that a joke?" Blues glanced at Forte. "Nice. Painful, but nice."
Roll just groaned. What else could she do?
"Battle Chip," Netto's voice rang out, "Variable Sword, Slot in!" Rockman's normal sword was replaced by the oversized, anchor-like blade of the Variable Sword. Rockman grinned at Megaman.
"You know what?" he asked the glowing Navi as he forced him back another step, "I was wrong. You didn't steal EVERYTHING. I still have my friends!" Rockman swung the Variable Sword around in a wide arc and forced Megaman back. "Blues!"
"Finally!" Blues shouted, running forward. Leaping to Rockman's side, he brought his standard sword to bear and the pair of them began to glow. Megaman's good eye widened.
"What the . . .?" was all the evil Navi could managed before the program advance took effect.
"DOUBLE HERO!"
Rockman's swords were replaced by busters and he began blazing away at Megaman. Blues slashed wave after wave of energy at their mutual enemy, and the glowing Navi was caught entirely off guard. Megaman was slammed backward, crying out in both surprise and pain. One of Rockman's buster shots neatly removed his right arm, while a wave of energy from Blues tore his left leg from his body. Plasma and sword waves left their marks all over the glowing Navi.
Roll watched. "They're doing it! I think they might actually beat him!"
Forte looked on. "Amazing. Apart, they're simple rivals, but together . . . this is the force that beat Gospel?"
For the final part of the attack, Rockman and Blues both charged their energies, and sent a combination attack straight through Megaman's chest, leaving a gaping hole right through Megaman's twisted symbol.
The glow died instantly as Megaman fell to the ground. A kind of tense silence filled the place of the sounds of battle.
And then, Megaman faded away.
Rockman let out a whoop as he saw the data left behind. He had Saito.bat back. The other upgrades had been destroyed, but this piece of himself was now back where it belonged. Blues smiled as Rockman rejoiced, and Roll gave the blue Navi a hug.
Forte, however, looked thoughtful. Blues looked at the cloaked Navi. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, now," Forte said.
They stood in silence for a bit with Roll and Rockman rejoiced. "So," Blues said, "What will you do now, Forte?"
Forte looked up to where the sky would have been in the real world. "The scar on my chest remains as a reminder of the human's betrayal. That scar will not heal, and I will never forgive the humans. But for now . . ." Forte looked at Blues, "it's none of your business, but I warn you to stay on your guard. You may not be as safe as you think you are."
"I'll take that to heart," Blues nodded. Forte gave the red Navi one final look, and was suddenly gone.
Blues looked at Roll and Rockman, who were now excitedly talking with Netto and Mayl. The visored Navi allowed himself a small smile before walking over to the pair of them, allowing himself a small bit of relaxation before Enzan began barking orders at him again.