Zean spoke first. His normally bold, youthful voice was stained with trepidation.
"Who… who are you?"
"I believe you know who I am. After all, you ARE the one who programmed me. And now you've activated me, isn't that right?" The NetNavi spoke in a low basso that echoed throughout the house.
"Yes… I mean, no… I mean… oh, why is this happening…?"
"I don't quite understand it either, and you're not helping. Now, either you programmed me or not, it's not a difficult concept to grasp. Answer the question."
"I… yes."
"Good. Now we're making progress." The Navi spoke as if he were Zean's superior.
Regaining his composure, Zean stood, waiting for a moment as his head swirled. Again, the Navi spoke. "So, now that I know my place and you know yours, I believe it's time I introduced myself. I am Yan. You are my creator. Shall I refer to you as master, or just plain sir?"
"My name's…" Zean began, but his mind veered off course before he could finish. Was this really the same Navi he had begun customizing earlier today? Sure, he had expected some difference, but this was insane. Could he trust this…Yan character? Normally, Zean would have passed it off as premature suspicion, but just to be safe, he decided to use a false identity. Now, what was that virus from the history books…?
"Your name is…?"
"Zero. Call me Zero."
"No formal title? It's all the same, I suppose. Well, Zero, this could be the start of something… you should know, being my creator, that I'm not your ordinary Navi… and I have a special talent, perhaps even a sixth sense, that allows me to tell when someone wants something. And you, dear boy, want something more than anything else in the world right now." The Navi's tone had changed dramatically. Now there was a cutting edge added to the solemnity.
"To wake up from this nightmare?" Tried the red-headed teen.
A cackle, vile and piercing, erupted from Yan's gullet. "No, no, not at all. You want revenge. I can taste your heated blood, your rage. You want someone's head mounted on your wall… I can do that for you, Zero. I can do that. All you need to do is release my true power…"
Zean's heart stuttered for a moment. This strange new compatriot was absolutely right. All Zean could think about was getting revenge on those who had caused his parents deaths, and how powerless he was to stop people from losing their lives in NetCrime accidents. Something was amiss, but Zean was far too blinded by his wants and needs to realize it.
"Revenge. I need to get my revenge."
It was nearly midnight now. One Navi patrolled the edge of the secret alcove in the depths of the Undernet. It was a perfect time to use this secret hideout, especially since the day had been so eventful; a heist, a bounty to rival Midas's cache of gold, and a few less pesky officials to worry about. It was like living a dream. NetCrime had become so hard to pull off that these scores were few and far between, and this particular Navi was milking every second of it. He would be the only one of the bandits to die happy that night.
Aroused by the commotion outside, three other Navis awoke and stepped out to the grisly scene. Their comrade lay in a pool of his own blood, face-down. That is, he would have been laying face-down in it, if he still had a face left. Most of it had been blown away by a high-impact shell. The entire group was silent for a few moments.
Then, out of nowhere, a shadow swooped by. A soft breeze passed the group of Navis. Three words were spoken before chaos began its reign.
"What the hell…?!"
As if on cue, it was at that moment that the offending Navi was literally cut in two, directly down the center. The only possible cause that his allies could have noticed was a clawed hand reaching out from an armored figure, and at that the image lasted for a mere second at best.
The next Navi to fall had only time to form his buster. He was the first to truly witness death coming for him. A Navi with a crazed look in his eyes was charging straight for him with a heavy chain gun outstretched in one hand. Upon further inspection, he noticed something odd about the Navi's eyes.
They weren't eyes at all, merely crimson slits in his face.
That was all he had time to notice. The only remaining bandit gasped and stepped back as the rear of his compatriot's head burst into a bloody spray. Barely breathing, he turned to run, only to meet up with the same exact Navi, staring him in the face.
Four bodies were scattered across the ground. Each had been mangled. Only one body remained standing. That was the one of Yan.
"In the name of God, I have tonight purified the damned. Let their souls be judged."
And with that, he turned and left, vanishing into the bleak gloom that surrounded the Undernet.
Zean stood for a moment, attempting to catch his breath, which had left him moments before. What had happened? All he remembered was his conversation with Yan, then… what? He just couldn't seem to figure out what had happened. But he knew that those responsible for his parents' deaths were gone; his PET's screen proved it with the four bodies lying on the ground. There was something he needed to do, something of utmost importance… but what?
It was all so vague… so tiring… he couldn't keep himself awake…
In moments, Zean had fallen into his own bed, fast asleep. His nightmare, however, was only beginning.
