The Pain Of Loss Chapter 15 – Battle Aftermath, A Time to Think
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Me: Well, it's another fine day for writin'!!!
Everyone else: #Off doing their own thing#
Me: That's harsh...
Megaman: Hey, it's not that big a deal that you're writing chapter 15.
Me: Feh, I bet you just say that 'cause you're not in the story...
Megaman: #Fumes a bit over that comment#
Me: #Grins# I thought as much... ON WITH THE STORY NOW!!!
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Roll slowly came around, moaning in pain. Again, she was in the Virus Lab at Scilab. She sighed, looking around, finding her gaze on Protoman, back in his casual clothes, but practically covered in bandages. She smiled weakly to him. "Guess I just keep getting myself hurt, huh...?" Protoman nodded solemnly. "Relax, you're not the only one..." Roll sighed, looking up at the light high above in the net "sky". She sighed, clenching her fists. "Quickman's gone for good... right...?" Protoman sighed a bit, giving another nod. "The only remnant they could find was half of the Quick Boomerang he wore on his head. Otherwise, there's no data left." Roll nodded weakly, shutting her eyes once more. "Good..." After saying this, she drifted off to sleep once more.
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Mayl sighed a bit, leaning against a wall outside of Scilab. She'd left her PET inside the Virus Lab so repairs could be done on Roll properly. Lan walked outside, smiling as he saw Mayl. "Good news. Roll's gonna make a full recovery. She's supposed to be up on her feet by the end of the night." Mayl blinked, then sighed once more, this time in relief. She stood up straight from the wall and walked to Lan, embracing him tenderly. "Thanks... I needed to hear that." Lan nodded gently, kissing Mayl's forehead and stroking her back gently. Mayl giggled at these loving gestures, then looked up to him. Her smile quickly faded as a thought came to mind. "Lan... A lot of these Navis and viruses are attacking Roll lately... Doesn't it all seem just a little bit... I don't know, it just seems like they're targeting her. Like there's something that they want..." Lan blinked, then chuckled, walking her to a bench and sitting her down. "Well, she really is one of the most powerful Navis on the net right now..." He sat down beside her, pulling out his empty PET and sighing. "They may just want to try and get her out of the way... Like all those Viruses did to Megaman while we were running around the ACDC areas and such."
Mayl looked down, giving a weak nod. "It's the Navis I'm really worried about... You told me that even you and Megaman struggled with Quickman when he was just a basic level Navi. He nearly deleted Roll and Protoman today..." Lan sighed a bit, putting his PET away and wrapping one arm about Mayl's waist. "Yeah... but we don't have to worry about him anymore. He's been permanently dealt with." Mayl gave a weak smile to Lan, kissing him on the cheek, and immediately after laying her head to rest on his shoulder. "Yeah... it's others that worry me now..."
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In Undernet 4, Kali was knelt down before the same shadowy figure as before. The figure's eyes gave a piercing red glow now, instead of the earlier light pink. Kali was currently relaying video feed of Roll and Protoman's battle to him. "So... Roll.EXE has grown this powerful... I hope you had purpose in forcing her into battle and awakening that level of strength. She poses a great threat to us now, Kali..." Kali nodded, smirking a bit. "I'm well aware, sir, but it was necessary. If we want to extract her full power, we must awaken it all. If I attempt to bring it out once and only take a portion, she will lose her trust in me, and it will become that much harder to take what we need..." The figure stood still, then gave a solid nod, freeze-framing the feed on the Roll Blast. He chuckled, turning fully to her. "Very well... take the time you need, but if you fail, don't you dare return to my sight..." Kali gave a solemn nod, standing and bowing. "I will extract her powers, and we shall achieve our goal..." With that, Kali vanished into the darkness.
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Kali paced through the Undernet, her arms hanging at her sides. She came to a stop at a dead end, looking down over the data stream below, smirking slightly. "Hmph... to think that somewhere down there, Alpha and Megaman's now corrupt, fragmented datas are floating around... It's so pathetic." She sighed, sitting down. "All of this nonsense will be put to an end the day we achieve our goal..." From nowhere, a high-pitched squeal shot out, echoing through the depths of the Undernet. A dark figure appeared behind her, smirking. "Wh-wheeee! It seems that you've got your hands full, Kali...", the figure said in a sophisticated, yet demonic voice. Kali huffed, smirking at the same time as she let her right leg hang over the edge, her left leg held up close to her chest. "Tch, not nearly as bad as you, Shade Man..."
The bat-like Navi moved forward, his body becoming visible. He retained a human-looking face and upper body beneath a dark blue dress suit, much like those the traditional vampire was pictated to wear. But this image was thrown off easily by the large claws he had for feet and hands, as well as the bat-like ears. Shade Man grinned a bit. "Still a loner, too... All of us here are willing to lend you a hand, you know that. Our boss would be most discouraged if one of his best was destroyed, after all..." Kali stood, looking over her shoulder to him. "Thanks, but I don't trust the filth of the team for anything. You'll just get in my way. Concentrate on your own tasks now, Shade Man, while I concentrate on mine!" Shade Man narrowed his eyes, then gave off a light chuckle. "Fine... but know this. You may be one of the syndicate's top Navis, but you are still below me in rank. Be cautious as to where you tread with me..." With that, Shade Man vanished into the darkness, engulfed in the shadows.
Kali started to walk away from the dead end, grinning a bit as she thought to herself. 'Go, Shade Man, do as you wish for now... but once I attain Roll's true power for myself, it will be I, and I alone who stands by our leader's side as we dominate! And you... Your data will become a part of me...' She smirked, a black Quick Boomerang forming in her hand as she walked, heading into the darkest part of the Undernet.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()Me: I have to say, I feel this is one of my best yet.
Roll Light: Looks like you're even introducing some of the cast of Battle Network 4 now, too.
Proto Man: And to think that he would've looked like that if Dr. Light had gotten funding for his internet research instead.
Protoman.EXE: Looks aren't everything...
Me: Point taken... Hey, has anyone seen Gutsman lately?
Megaman Volnutt: That big guy? He and his counterpart are outside duking it out. Said something about seeing who's the real Gutsman...
Me: ... Apparently they're too dumb to understand the concept of time branching out like a tree and going in separate paths with the same people, but who live under different circumstances...
Bass: Are you done with the scientific babble?!! I would've asked Dr. Wily the schematics on the other Robot Masters if I wanted to hear it!!!
Me: Right, right, right... Anywho, next chapter's comin' soon ladies and gents. See ya later!
Sidenote : If anyone here can figure out why I can't use Asterisks ( the star on the 8 key ) and the wave things ( on the key just below Escape ), please inform me in the review. Any help is greatly appreciated.