Omega didn't track down the data. Instead, he was kept in Daniel's PeT, locked away and preparing for the next oppertunity to strike. Morrigan had disappeared without a trace, and the talk of Omega's attack was still the gossip of the day.
"Did you hear?" whispered a CivilianNavi. "Some huge Navi attacked the NetBattle Arena and destroyed it!"
"No kidding!" replied a GuardNavi. "I saw it all! No-one could stop it!"
"Then what happened to it?"
"Some other SuperNavi forced it to jack out. It just held out one hand and poof! It was gone"
SuperNavi. That was the term that people used to describe Omega and Morrigan. No-one had seen power like that. The tale of Omega and Morrigan had been told so often, the truth had mingled with fiction. Everyone had heard at least three versions of it. Omega got bored, Morrigan deleted Omega, they both deleted each other, they both deleted everything and left ... the truth of it was lost behind the exagguration. Only a few knew the real story, and those few were at school, at this moment.
"MATT! Pay attention! You barely make the grade as it is!"
"Sorry, Mr. McKenna" Matt groaned.
Yet again, Matt had been sorting through his Battle Chips than paying attention to the Maths lesson. Who cared about sine curves and quadratic equations? Not Matt, for one. He would just sit and clock-watch, unless it was Virus-Busting class. It was pretty much the only class he was good at. Time ticked past. Soon, Matt and L-Drive would rush through the school doors and head to the Science Labs. Netto's gift was waiting for them both. The suspense was killing them both. L-Drive was clock-watching too, but made a better attempt at hiding it than Matt did. Still, the school bell didn't ring.
"...curves up until it reaches its highest point, known as the turning point, and then curves downwards until it reaches the x-axis, when it will curve up..."
Matt didn't remove his eyes from the clock, mesmerised by the spontaneous movements of the second hand.
"...and reach a point of intermediation. Unlike the turning points, the curve would continue on it's path upwards, or downwards in some cases, until we either run out of space or hit anither turning point..."
L-Drive was beginning to count down the seconds already. 50 seconds left! No, wait. 92 seconds left.
"...using the formula Y minus C equals M X plus B, you can work out the gradient along X and Y intersects of the curve. Would anyone care to work out the gradient for me?"
The class was silent.
"Luke, how about you?"
L-Drive snapped out of his trance, looking worried and surprised.
"Ah, well, erm, uuuh, you would, uumm"
"Were you paying attention?"
"Y-yes"
"It doesn't seem that way, Mr. Modem. Now, please answer my question"
"Uuh, okay, think of something random" he thought.
"Well?"
"Three point six?"
Mr. McKenna stool still for a second, staring straight at L-Drive.
"Correct, although I was expecting two and three fifths"
L-Drive sighed a breath of releif, just as the school bell rang. Matt and L-Drive grabbed their things and disappeared though the door, sprinting all the way. Daniel and Mr. McKenna looked on with a confused look.
"Heh, trust those two to get excited" laughed Daniel.
Minutes later, the two arrived at the reception of the Science Lab. Rather out of breath, but they had arrives none the less. Firewolf and Cyberlink were just as excited at their operators.
"Wow, it's finally here!! I couldn't take the wait any longer!" Shouted Firewolf, bounding around hyperactively in his PeT.
"You and me both!" replied Cyberlink, who was bouncing off the walls randomly in his PeT.
"Heh, calm down, guys. We don't want to cause a racket" interrupted L-Drive, not realising Matt running around too.
"Wow, we're gonna get something cool from Netto! It's gonna be cool. REALLY cool! ULTRA COOL! PERFECTLY COOL!!"
L-Drive just sighed, then turned to the receptionist. "Hi, we've got an appointment to see Dr. Netto Hikari?"
"Ah, there you two are" said Netto, walking to meet them from the corridor. "Heh, I see your buddy's excited" He laughed, pointing to Matt, who was now running in circles holding his PeT in front of him.
"Yeah, he gets like that" smiled L-drive weakly, trying not to become embarrassed.
"It's gonna be ULTRA SUPER PERFECTLY COOL!!" Shouted Matt, who had now just bumped into Netto. "Erm, hi"
Netto laughed, then beckoned them both to follow him. They walked through a long corridor and through many doors, until finally reaching Netto's office.
"Well now, where did I put that ..." said Netto to himself, looking around on his desk, which was rather untidy. "It should be around here somewhere..."
"What is it?" asked Matt. "Oof!"
"Shut up!" whispered L-Drive, who nudged Matt in the ribs. "Be polite around Netto"
"It's a chip folder I used when I was a kid" replied Netto, petending not to notice L-Drive's actions. "Plus I want to put you two to the test. Ah, here they are"
Netto stood up and handed a bag of Battle Chips to both Matt and L-Drive. He stood up and sat down on the chair at his desk.
"Have you two ever heard of a Program Advance?"
"Program Advance?" asked Matt.
"A Program Advance!? I've heard of them but never seen one!" shouted L-Drive.
"Well, I'm going to teach you one of the Program Advances I used a lot. Jack in and Rockman will show you the ropes"
The two nodded, and pulled out their PeTs.
"Jack In!"
"Firewolf.EXE!"
"Cyberlink.EXE!"
"Rockman.EXE!"
"TRANSMISSION!"
The network was already set up for them, with targets shaped like various viruses for them to practice on. Firewolf looked around for Rockman, and founf him standing in front of a target.
"Okay, watch this!"
"Battle Chip! Sword!"
Rockman's left arm transformed into a Sword.
"Widesword!"
His other hand transformed into a Widesword.
"Longsword! Slot In!"
Both swords disappeared, and a large, bright blade hovered above Rockman's head. He brought up both arms to grab the blade, and sliced the air in front of him with it. Firewolf didn't expect it to hit, but it created a shockwave that tore through the target like wire through cheese. He stood gobsmacked, just like Cyberlink. Rockman grinned at them both.
"Okay, now you try it" he said to Firewolf. "Let's see if you got what it takes"
Firewolf stepped up nervously, slightly worried that he wouldn't do it right.
"Try to breathe together" Rockman advised. "The timing is everything. 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3"
Matt slowed his breathing and tried his best to match it with Firewolf's. It was difficult to keep his mind clear of all other things, but he was determined to try it. He picked up the first chip.
"Battle Chip! Sword!"
"Sword!" said Firewolf, as he held out one arm and it morphed into a shining blade.
"Widesword!"
"Widesword!" repeated Firewolf, as his other arm became a wide blade.
"Longsword! Slot In!"
"Longsword!" Firewolf said, this time almost in unison with Matt.
He brought both his paws up and grabbed hold of the blade slowly. It felt warm in his paws, yet he knew that it was full of destructive power. Like a gentle giant. He stared at the blade, rather than use it. He couldn't beleive he had summoned it. The Program Advance.
"This sword ... it's like nothing I've seen before" he said as he held it up high.
"We did it, Firewolf!"
"Not yet" interrupted Netto. "Use it to complete the Program Advance"
"Okay! Firewolf, use that sword against the target!"
Firewolf grinned and nodded. "BETA SWORD!!"
He sladhes it through the air and watched as the shockwave sliced through the air. He stood stock still as it approached the mock-virus. He was unaware that the Program Advance didn't last forever. The sword in his paws disappitated into thin air almost instantly. He looked at them, wondering where it had gone. His eyes darted back to the shockwave, which disappitated too.
"Did it hit!?" aksed Matt.
The view spoke for itself. Rather than the target staying in one piece, the top half slid off slowly, then fell to the ground. It wasn't as powerful as Rockman's Beta Sword, but it was a start.
"WE DID IT!" Shouted Matt at the top of his voice. "We did the Beta Sword Program Advance!"
"Yeah!" shouted Firewolf, full to bursting with excitement and enthusiasm. "We can take on anything now!"
Cyberlink was up next, and things happened exactly the same way, except that Cyberlink's Beta Sword was a little more powerful. He didn't hang around to gawk at the sword. The pair had completed the training to a level that Netto was proud of. He bode them farewell as they left, filled with joy. They had learned the Program Advance in less than an hour.
"Heh, this is SOOOOO cool!" grinned L-Drive. "A new ability that no-one else knows!"
Matt didn't say anything. He just walked home and grinned all the way. They decided to stop off at a Coffee shop to buy a soda and maybe some cookies. Just as Matt sat down, his PeT rang out.
"You got an E-mail from Mom! Uh oh, that's not good"
"What is it?"
"You forgot to tell Mom you were going to the Science Labs! She's pretty riled!"
"Uuuh, whoops. Tell her I'm at the coffee shop with L-Drive. She'll understand"
"I hope so! Last time you forgot was pretty bad"
L-Drive came over holding a tray with their sodas and some chocolate cookies. He sat down next to Matt and checked his PeT screen.
"Again? Matt, you're pretty forgetful"
Matt took a sip from his soda. He noticed a man with long brown, hair sitting at a table opposite him, glancing at his PeT randomly. He wore a sky-blue top and grey pants, but nothing that would mark him out in a crowd. Matt caught a glimpse of his Pet, but he turned it away from him as soon as he did. The figure on the screen looked familiar...
"Hey, Matt. What's up?" said L-Drive, snapping Matt out of it.
"Oh, just that guy over there seems to be trying to get a good look at Firewolf. He looks ... well, weird. His Navi looks familiar too"
"Meh, don't worry about it. It'll be nothing"
The man got up from his seat and stuffed his PeT into his pocket. Matt managed to catch one final glimpse of the Navi. Whoever it was had long brown hair that flowed around its shoulders. Still, Matt wanted to know more.
"Wait until Daniel hears about this Program Advance!" said L-Drive.
"Yeah, he'll be sooo jealous!"
"We'd beat him in a NetBattle, anyway!"
"Well, his Navi is broken, so we can't fight him"
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that"
"I wonder how it's getting on. Maybe we should take it to Netto?"
"I'll suggest it next time I see him"
Minutes later, the pair finished their snack and headed towards the exit. Matt was blabbing on to L-Drive about the chips that Netto had given them, which were all good ones. Without realising it, he walked right into the door.
"Ouch!"
"Hey, you okay? That looked pretty sore"
"Yeah, it was. Wait, wasn't this door automatic?"
L-Drive gave the door a slight push. It was locked tight.
"It's not closing time already, is it?"
The lady at the cash register shook her head. The door had locked itself.
"Must be a virus, but I don't know how to delete them" she said.
"Leave that to us, 'mam" grinned L-Drive, as he and Matt pulled out their PeTs.
"Let's go!"
"Jack-In! Firewolf.EXE!"
"Cyberlink.EXE!"
"Transmission!"
Firewolf and Cyberlink beamed in, and were greeted by the view of vines ensnaring everything they could see, including the door program. Other Navis were in the area, but were out cold. Only Firewolf and Cyberlink were active. A laugh from behind them made them jump.
"Hahahahahahahaha!" rang out a deep voice.
They spun around, and saw a Navi that seemed to be composed entirely of vines. Only his head was visible, with vines forming long hair that flapped around behind him.
"Who are you!?" demanded Cyberlink.
"Who am I? I am the gardener around here. I can't leave this fertile network go to waste, so I let my vines grow here"
The Navi threw one hand in their direction. His fingertips shot out towards them and bowled both of them over like pins in a bowling alley. They pulled themselves to their feet after that, and held out their arms, which transformed into busters.
"Tell us who you are before we delete you!"
"Fiesty little ones. I am Vineman! And I'll be the one doing the deleting!"
Vines shot up from the ground, and surrounded them both. Vineman's laughing could be heard from the other side of this green wall. Matt was on the move with his first Battle Chip.
"Battle Chip! Flame To-"
"WAIT!" interrupted L-Drive. "If you were to use that, the entire network would be up in flames! That's not a good idea. Leave it to Cyberlink"
Cyberlink brought out his sword, and slashed at the vines. They fell apart instantly, creating an opening for them to escape.
"Easy as pie!" he grinned.
"Not really" replied Firewolf, looking at the gap.
The vines had regrown and the hole closed up quickly.
"We're gonna need some bigger guns. Matt! L-Drive! Try the Program Advance!"
"All right, Firewolf" replied Matt.
"BATTLE CHIP!" Both of them reached into their pockets and brought out the three chips.
"SWORD! WIDESWORD! LONGSWORD!"
The chips sent instantly and the Beta Sword materialised above Firewolf and Cyberlink's heads. They reached up to grab it as fast as they could.
"Oh no you don't!" shouted Vineman.
The vines around the duo came crashing down upon them both, knocking them to the ground. When the vines returned to their original position, the Beta Sword was gone.
"Damn!" cursed Matt.
"Hah, did you think I would allow you to do that? Foolish humans!"
Firewolf pulled himself up off the ground. He wad a few bruises, but was still okay.
"Matt, send me a chip!"
"Battle Chip! Minibomb! Triple Slot In!"
Firewolf threw the minibombs upwards, straight towards an opening in the vines. If he was lucky, they would roll down the outside and explode near Vineman. Unfortunately, Lady Luck was not on his side. The vines gathered together and closed the gap. The bombs bounced off harmlessly and fell back down.
"OH CRAP!" Shouted Firewolf.
The exploded near to them, slamming them against the vine-wall. Vineman grinned on te other side, knowing his victory was near. The vines grabbed hold of the duo and wrapped themselves around them both, holding them in a vice-grip. The other vines retreated into the ground as Vineman strutted towards them both.
"I told you. I'll be the one doing the deleting. But since you were rather fun to fight against, I'll give you a choice. You can be food for my plants, or I can delete you here and now"
Cyberlink scowled at Vineman and didn't answer. Firewolf struggled to break free, but it was no use. He was held tight. Vineman moved over to Firewolf.
"Y'know, I expected more from you. You are a fire-type Navi, after all. But you proved pretty useless against me. You could say that I smothered your flame"
Vineman laughed loudly, as it echoed through the network.
"Goodbye, it was nice knowing you"
Firewolf growled, and then screamed out in pain. The vines were trying to crush them completely. Vineman walked off and stood laughing at their pain.
"FIREWOLF! FIGHT IT! YOU CAN DO IT!"
"COME ON, CYBERLINK! SLICE YOUR WAY OUT!"
It was no use. Neither Navi could move. They were going to be deleted and there was nothing they could do about it.
"F-Firewolf. It was fun" Cyberlink struggled to say
"..."
"We've overcome a lot of things. Viruses ... Omega ... NetBattles ... Woodwiz at NaviKareoke"
"Heh, that last one was fun"
"Yeah, but I guess it ends here. You've been the greatest friend I've ever had"
"..."
"You too L-Drive. It's been fun"
"Cyberlink..." L-drive said sorrowfully into his PeT.
"Firewolf! You can do it, you can get out of this ... just fight ... Firewolf ..."
"Goodbye ... Firewolf"
Matt stared into his PeT, and closed his eyes. It was over. Or so he thought.
On the network, Firewolf and Cyberlink began to glow brightly. L-Drive saw this too, and stared at his PeT. He nudged Matt, who opened his eyes and saw the glow too. The vines shot out randomly into the air and the two balls of light moved closer to each other. Only Firewolf and Cyberlink could see what was going on.
Firewolf stood in front of Cyberlink, both their eyes closed as they floated in mid-air. A smaller ball of green light shot from the symbol on Cyberlink's chest and disappeared into Firewolf's symbol. Firewolf's entire body began to glow as he changed slowly. The darker fur on his body became a blue color similar to Cyberlink's, and one of his arms grew a metal shield. A green tunic also appeared, which draped down to about his knees. The glowing disappeared suddenly, and the duo fell to the ground and landed neatly as if nothing had happened to them earlier. L-Drive and Matt stared on in disbeleif.
"W-What the heck happened!?" exclaimed Matt.
"Firewolf looks like Cyberlink!"
"You didn't notice?" said Cyberlink. "When you jacked into Netto's network, a patch was installed on Firewolf. He can gain the abilities of other Navis, like what's just happened right now"
"What?"
"In short, our souls have become one! It's called Soul Unison!"
"Soul Unison ... Let's see what this can do!"
Firewolf drew a sword, similar to Cyberlink's. They looked at each other and grinned.
"Let's see which of my skills you get, buddy" smiled Cyberlink. "HOMING ATTACK!"
"HOMING ATTACK!" Shouted Firewolf, as both of them morphed into a ball and flew at Vineman.
"W-What? NOOOO! This can't be!"
Both of them knocked Vineman over and onto the ground. They landed near him and held their swords in front of them.
"CYBER BLADE!" They shouted at once, as they sliced their swords in front of them. An electic shockwave shot from Cyberlink's sword, and a fire wave from Firewolf's. Vineman looked on with a look of complete petrification on his face as they came into contact with him.
"I-impossible" he croaked as he flew through the air.
He didn't even get to hit the ground. He disintegrated into blocks, and the words "PLUG-OUT" appeared in his place before he disappeared. The vines disappeared too and the Network was restored to normal. Cyberlink turned to Firewolf. He winked and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Heh, it was nothin'!" he replied, before they both jacked out.
Matt removed the blank chip from his PeT. He stared at Cyberlink's logo on the chip, then grinned and put it into his pocket.
"Soul Unison, huh? Cool"
"Looks like Cyberlink left his mark on Firewolf" grinned L-Drive.
"We can use that chip any time, now" explained Firewolf. "We can kick butt with the speed of Cyberlink, and the power I have"
"I can't wait for our next battle! But one thing bugs me"
"What?" asked L-Drive.
"Who was operating Vineman? And why did he attack here? It doesn't make sense"
Matt stared down the street. It was getting late and the sun was beginning to set already. It was the end to a rather eventful day, for them both. Still, trouble was brewing elsewhere...
"IDIOT! You should NOT have let them win! YOU ARE USELESS! USELESS! I don't know why I don't sack you now! Instead, I'll use you for another purpose. The Forbidden Battle Chips. I want them. You shall get them for me. Otherwise ... you will rue the day you came to me"
A shadow in a run-down building was talking to someone via a cellphone. They hadn't been used in years, so they were untraceable. The shadow slammed the cellphone onto the table, and moved over to a large computer screen.
"Hmph, the world shall bow down before me. If only Dr. Wily and Dr. Regal were here to see me now. They would recognise my potential for world domination. The world will be mine and NO-ONE will stop me!"