WB: Just a couple of notes here before we begin. I apologize for the delay in uploading this chapter, but a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome went into this chapter, so I think the wait was worth it. And, Dragonflare 4000, I'll tell you what I told everyone else. Maybe Maylu will pick Chaud; maybe she won't. There is no conceivable way you guys will be able to guess the ending to this fic, so hang tight.
WB: Disclaimer: Sozoji and KaraokeMan are not my property; KaraokeMan belongs to, and was created by, LazerWulf. Used in this fic by request (I told you guys I was taking suggestions for matches).
LazerWulf: Sozoji is a character that was used once in a Manga, and I chose him to be KaraokeMan's Op. I'm offering a cyber-cookie to anyone who knows which Manga he is from. And if you DO know where he's from, the reason he was chosen should be obvious.
WB: Final note, translations for Japanese words will be italicized and marked by slashes (/translation/)
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And now, its time for the next round!" Ribbita shouted into her mike. "Maylu and Roll, against Sozoji and KaraokeMan!"
"How much trouble could one little, blind Op give us?" Sozoji appeared in the battle area. He was fairly muscular, with brown hair combed to a point, and decked out in one really bad Elvis-imitation suit.
"I guess we'll find out." Maylu brushed the insult off; she'd battled against that mind-game strategy for so long that she'd developed immunity to it. So try as he might, Sozoji wasn't going to faze her a bit. "Shall we start?"
"Sure, if you want to loose!"
"Jack in, Roll, Power Up!"
"Jack in, KaraokeMan, Tune Up!"
Two flashes of light shot down out of the Network's 'sky' and slammed into the mainframe's 'ground'. After a second the light faded away to reveal the two opponents.
"I'm in." Roll called back to her Op. "KaraokeMan… he's odd. He's as big as GutsMan, except he stands upright. He's black with a metallic blue trim; his huge chest contains a giant
subwoofer, with a pair of tweeters on his shoulders. His head is a TV monitor, with his face on the screen, and he's got a microphone in his hand."
"Yep," Sozoji nodded, "That's my KaraokeMan, and you're toast!"
"We'll see about that." Maylu replied as she fingered her Battle Chips.
"BATTLE START!" The message flared across the screen.
"Now, we'll take you down, Fanfare, Battle Chip in, Download!" Sozoji sang out.
The pink Navi raised her right arm as her pink Bow materialized around her wrist, at the exact same moment that KaraokeMan lifted his mike to his face.
"Fire!" Roll got her shot off first, and watched in satisfaction as her arrow tore out of its bow and soared through the air, straight into her opponent.
"Whoa!" The musical Navi was knocked back a step by the projectile. "Now, that was a lousy attack, I didn't even make a scratch. But since I'm gonna delete you in this round, I might as well let my Fanfare sound!"
Roll didn't make a move to dodge or to take cover; she just stood there smirking.
KaraokeMan screamed into his mike, expecting his attack to materialize, instead only his amplified voice flooded the stadium.
"What!" The blue Navi blinked his video eyes. "Where did my attack go? Why didn't the Fanfare blow?"
"Yo-yo, Download!"
"Like I'm going to tell you." Roll decided to keep the fact that her Arrows could destroy any inactive chips a secret as she called on her own chip, forming a Yo-yo launcher on her wrist, the contents of which she proceeded to send spinning into KaraokeMan's frame.
"YAAHH!" The singing Navi screeched as the Yo-yo slammed up against him, and then the toy rocketed back into Roll's launcher.
"Knock it off!" Sozoji snapped at his Navi, "You're making us look bad! Her Op's blind, this can't be that hard."
"Right, this has gone on long enough. I still don't think she's that tough! Well, now her lucky breaks are a thing of the past, when I unleash my Sound Blast." KaraokeMan sang into his microphone, causing his chest to glow ominously.
"I don't like the sound of this…" Maylu muttered.
"I don't either- MAYLU!" Roll's reply was cut off as a deafening 'boom' came exploding out of KaraokeMan's subwoofer of a chest, the pink Navi threw her hands over her ears as her Yo-yo Launcher shattered, and the sound flooded the arena.
"Roll!" The redhead shouted into her P.E.T., "Are you alright?"
"That… wasn't fun…" The pink Navi panted as she tried to clear her head.
"Now this party's started! Activate your Subtitles ability!"
"Yeah!" KaraokeMan shouted, right before he placed his microphone in front of his face, as he burst into song:
"Mirai heto nabi wo tore!
taemanai hikari de kotae sagashitsuzukeyou
kasokusuru supiido de dokomademo yukeru yo
kaze wo tsukinukete kimi to (kimi to)
/Take your Navi toward the future!
With its unending light let's keep searching for the answer
With accelerating speed, we can go wherever!
We'll break through the wind, you and me (you and me)/
machijuu ni habikoru misuterii
genjitsu no hazama ni hisomu tegakari
/The mystery spreading through the streets
Its clues hidden in the valleys of reality/
jittoshiterarenai tattaima shiritai
yuuki no puraguin tobikonde
/I can't sit patiently--I want to know now!
With a courageous plugin, let's dive in/"
As KaraokeMan continued to sing into his mike, his face vanished off of his TV-face, leaving a blank screen behind.
But it didn't stay empty for long; lines of text began scrolling across the monitor, subtitling the lyrics that the Navi sang. When the lines reached the center of his screen, the individual letters burst out of the TV and rocketed towards KaraokeMan's opponent.
After expressing disbelief at being attacked by the alphabet, Roll launched into a round of tight gymnastics, avoiding the deadly barrage.
And still KaraokeMan sang on, joined in harmony by his Op.
Maylu couldn't tell which of the two sang worse, KaraokeMan, or Sozoji.
"Mirai heto nabi wo tore!
taemanai hikari de kotae sagashitsuzukeyou
kasokusuru supiido de dokomademo yukeru yo
kaze wo tsukinukete kimi to (kimi to)
/Take your Navi toward the future!
With its unending light let's keep searching for the answer
With accelerating speed, we can go wherever!
We'll break through the wind, you and me (you and me)/
machijuu ni habikoru misuterii
genjitsu no hazama ni hisomu tegakari
/The mystery spreading through the streets
Its clues hidden in the valleys of reality/
jittoshiterarenai tattaima shiritai
yuuki no puraguin tobikonde
/I can't sit patiently--I want to know now!
With a courageous plug in, let's dive in/"
"Somebody shut this guy up!" Roll panted as she back-flipped over the 'valleys of reality' line.
"I can just barely hear you over that ruckus." Maylu called back, trying to be heard over the clamor, "If you can hear me, hold out just a few more seconds…"
"Battle Chip in, Download!"
"Mirai heto nabi wo tore!
taemanai hikari de kotae sagashitsuzukeyou
kasokusuru supiido de dokomademo yukeru yo
kaze wo tsukinukete kimi to (kimi to)
/Take your Navi toward the future!
With its unending light let's keep searching for the answer
With accelerating speed, we can go wherever!
We'll break through the wind, you and me (you and me)/
machijuu ni habikoru misuterii
genjitsu no hazama ni hisomu tegakari- AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
/The mystery spreading through the streets
Its clues hidden in the valleys of reality- AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!/"(1)
"What the-?" Sozoji cut his ballad off as his Navi broke out of harmony.
"Ow, that smarts! I hate those little darts!" KaraokeMan muttered as he rubbed his bruised back. One minute he had been singing away, trying to blast Roll into oblivion, and the next a Burner had rammed into him from behind and sent him sprawling. Wait… if he wasn't singing…
"Alright!" Roll rejoiced for two reasons. One, the 'Subtitles' attack had stopped; two, KaraokeMan's pitiful attempt at song had been cancelled.
"Wood Tower, Battle Chip in, Download!"
"Wood TOWER!"
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
KaraokeMan was sent flying through the air as a pointed Wood Tower erupted from underneath his feet, the attack slammed up against the Navi, sending him flying backward.
The electrical Navi hit the ground with a satisfying crash.
"Are you there?" Maylu spoke into her terminal.
"I am now that the noise has stopped." The pink Navi replied, "And I think that its time to take this guy down."
"I agree."
"The only ones going down are you two!" Sozoji snapped as he fed another chip into his Terminal. " Download!"
"Zap Ring!" KaraokeMan's right hand transformed into a spoked Buster, which he raised and fired, unleashing five separate spheres of electricity at Roll.
"I've got this one, Maylu. Roll Blast!" Roll blew a kiss to some 'unknown' Navi in the audience, creating a small pink heart in the process. Quickly she snatched the heart and swept her arm out wide, unleashing a meteor shower of pink heart-shaped projectiles into the air. Her attack whittled away KaraokeMan's Zap Rings, and continued on to crash into the singing Navi.
"You might as well admit it." Maylu stopped focusing on the battle for a minute to make an outside comment, "You always blow that kiss to-"
"MAYLU! Not in front of the world!" Roll cried to her Op as her face turned a deep shade of red.
"I've had enough of this battle round." KaraokeMan shouted at the top of his lungs. "So I'll attack with the ultimate sound!"
"Perfect." Sozoji smiled grimly. "Let 'er rip!"
"First, I hold the mike above my chest." The singing Navi hefted his microphone. "Then I use my attack, it's the best-"
The Navi's words were lost as an earsplitting squeal erupted from the speakers built into his shoulders.
A ripple of sound energy erupted from the speakers and raced across the Network. Roll wasn't sure what the things would do to her, but she decided that it wasn't the time to find out.
For some reason that she couldn't understand, Maylu gasped as a sharp pain flooded her ears. But it wasn't anything major, so she blocked out the annoying pain and tried to concentrate on decoding the sounds of the match.
With a calculated bound, the pink Navi vaulted over the crescents of energy, clearing the attack, and preparing to launch a counter attack.
"More power!" Sozoji shouted.
"Roger that." KaraokeMan increased his speaker's volume and hefted his mike again.
Two sound waves exploded out of the singing Navi's speakers, as an even higher pitched scream burst out of the sound system.
Once again, Roll flipped over the rings of sound energy, but her concentration was broken when an anguished scream came from her loved Operator.
"Maylu!" The match forgotten in her concern, the pink Navi spun around and opened a link to her friend. "What's wrong!?"
She never heard the reply, if there was one. A wave of sound slammed against her. The noise flooded her systems with its intense chaos, rendering her completely unable to move, unable to think, as the Feedback washed through her.
In the outside world, Sozoji was staring at his blind opponent in shocked bewilderment.
"I never thought that this could happen…"
"Make it stop!"
The redheaded Netbattler dropped her P.E.T. as she pressed her hands over her ears in a desperately futile attempt to block out the high pitched scream of the Feedback burning in her ears.
"I don't get it." The song-loving Op stared at Maylu. "Why's the Feedback affecting her like this? Oh who cares? This is the break we've been looking for! KaraokeMan, increase the power even more!"
KaraokeMan's reply was lost in the noise, as the squeal of Feedback grew even more intense. All the while he kept his sound waves focused on Roll, keeping her paralyzed and unable to do anything to help.
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"Lan! What's going on down there?!"
"I don't know, MegaMan!" The brunette had bolted out of his seat the instant that Maylu had screamed, and was currently tearing down the aisle towards his friend. "But whatever it is, it can't be good!"
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Maylu desperately tried to block out the sound invading her mind. Whatever that Feedback was, it was flooding her brain and driving all form of concentration away. To make matters worse, it robbed her of the worse thing ever…
Her link to the outside world.
Ever since her sight had been taken, Maylu had been dependant on her hearing to exist in the world. And now that the scream of raw noise was attacking her mind, all other form of sound had been blocked out. No longer could she tell what was going on… where her friends were… what was happening to Roll… nothing…
Never before had she been so… alone…
Even when she had first gone blind, she could still hear her friend's voices; it had been the only comfort she'd had. But now… that lifeline had been removed.
As the sound continued to scream its way through her mind, the redhead felt her knees giving out. Her legs were refusing to support her.
What could she do? There wasn't any way for her to connect with the outside world… Try as she might, she couldn't escape from the Feedback's grasp. Whatever that thing was made of, it was terrible.
Maylu's knees gave out as the she slumped to her knees; her hands were still clasped over her ears in a failing attempt to block out the sound. Trying to free her from the agony of the unending scream.
The redhead gave up as she pressed her eyes tight. It was over… she couldn't save Roll… she couldn't even think… All she wanted was for the torture to end…
Then for a brief second, a feeling of peace washed over her as she felt gentle weight on her right shoulder.
Maylu mentally blinked as the noise continued to assault her mind. What was that? It felt so familiar…
Lan…
He was there.
Maylu didn't know how she knew, but she knew that it was the brown-haired Op there beside her, trying to help in whatever way possible.
A familiar sensation came from her left hand as she felt someone placing his hand over her own. Slowly, but deliberately, she pried her hand off of her ear, ignoring the increase of noise flooding her mind.
Instantly a strong hand had clasped her own.
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Sozoji grinned as he glanced at the timer, three minutes and counting. So what if the pest's boyfriend had come running out of the crowd? Even if they could stop the Feedback there was no way that they'd be able to win this match, the Feedback attack was taking care of that.
The Op wasn't bothered in the least by the fact that his Navi was harming a human. In fact, he almost seemed thrilled with the prospect.
Sozoji's feeling of triumph shattered into a thousand pieces when it happened.
That blind Netbattler… she was getting to her feet with the support of that brown-haired kid!
Sozoji watched in growing horror. Although it was evident that the redhead was still combating the effects of the Feedback, her face was filled with determination.
But that wasn't what was concerning him.
Her boyfriend, the brunette, was glaring at him, and if looks could kill, Sozoji would be lying on the floor… smoldering.
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It took everything that she had, but Maylu felt out her Terminal with her free hand while keeping her other entwined in Lan's. After a second she located the P.E.T., laid it on the battle station, and proceeded to fish through her folder. There was only one chip that could save Roll now.
"Chip in… Download!"
And then it stopped.
The endless noise…
The confusion…
It was all gone, leaving that blessed peace of silence behind.
At first, she couldn't believe it, but after a few seconds Maylu realized that it was true.
The Feedback was gone.
"Maylu…" Roll's weak voice came through the P.E.T., "Thanks for the Mini Boomers."
"Any time… Are you alright?"
"I… I am now!" The pink Navi's voice was gaining strength, "Now, let's take this guy out! I'm going for it!"
"The fourth-"
"Exactly!" Roll nodded, "Its time to put a stop to this guy. Style Change!"
In response to the pink Navi's order, a yellow sphere surrounded her.
The transformation took seconds; the sphere shattered away to reveal a transformed Roll.
"Elec Guts Style!" Roll announced as she hefted her new arm into the air. "My bodysuit's turned a deep shade of yellow, while my boots and left glove have turned deep crimson. My helmet's turned mustard with red trim, and the robotic Guts Arm has appeared."
"Now let me quote MegaMan." The Style Changed Navi pumped her new arm. "Yeah, baby! I can't wait to use this thing!"
"So you stopped our Feedback!" Sozoji bellowed, "But we'll still win this match. You've only got two minutes to make the biggest comeback in history!"
"Then we'll make it!" Maylu shot back, keeping her hand in Lan's. "Let's do it!"
"Right."
"This battle is almost through! So I think I'll delete you!" KaraokeMan began to lift his mike towards his chest again. "Feedback!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Roll's Guts Arm quickly transformed into a Buster resembling a large crossbow, loaded and ready to fire. Instantly she raised it to bear at KaraokeMan and cut loose. "Elec Roll Arrow!"
An arrow-shaped blast of electrical energy exploded out of the transformed Navi's weapon, and tore its way across the arena. Just as the singing Navi got his mike in place, the energy reached him, exploding around his upraised hand and slamming into his chest.
And fizzled out without doing an ounce of damage.
"You foolish girl!" Sozoji screamed in triumph. "You forgot that KaraokeMan's an electric type Navi, so your electric attacks won't even faze him!"
"Au contraire." Maylu shot back, she didn't know what had happened, but evidently Roll had a plan. "That was exactly what we needed! Just try your feedback now!"
"With pleasure!" KaraokeMan placed his mike in front of his chest, and raised the volume to hear…
Nothing.
Dead air flooded the stadium.
"Huh?" KaraokeMan tapped his microphone with his free hand. "Testing, testing, is this thing on?"
"I don't get it." Sozoji scratched his head. "The Feedback's not working- She shorted it out!"
"Bingo!" Roll reformed her tank of a fist. "If you'll remember, my Elec Arrow ripped through your hand, which held the mike, before it struck you! Since the Elec Arrow carries more voltage than your mike was programmed to carry-"
"The Arrow fried my microphone like an egg." KaraokeMan's digital face fell.
"Right!" Maylu finished, "Take him down!"
"My pleasure." The healer raced in, her huge fist cocked back to swing…
"AAAHH!" Without his microphone, KaraokeMan had no defense. In short, he was wide open to any and all attacks.
So Roll didn't have any trouble arranging a meeting between her huge fist and her opponent's face. She even gave a satisfied smile as she felt her mammoth hand connect with her opponent.
KaraokeMan Logging Out.
"And at the buzzer!" Ribbita shouted as the horn blew. "Maylu and Roll have come from behind to win this match! What a comeback! And with that exciting note we have to end today's matches, but I'll see you again tomorrow bright and early when Tory and IceMan face off against Maylu and Roll!"
Back down in the battle arena.
"Hey, Lan." Maylu finally released the Op's hand.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks..."
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If anyone had gone looking for Sozoji after the match, then they wouldn't have found him down in the arena.
The caroling Op had vanished immediately after the match, and was currently sulking in a darkened corner of the stadium.
But he wasn't alone.
"You failed, Sozoji."
The Op spun around, anger blazing in his eyes to see the shadowy form of a woman behind him.
"Don't you EVER tell me what I have or have not done, Yuri!" The Elvis imitator snapped, "Besides, she played right into my hands, I didn't want to delete her, I've got better ideas."
"They had better be good, Nebula won't tolerate another failure."
"They are, now that Maylu's poisoning her chips, we can take her Navi." Sozoji smiled grimly at the prospect as he watched his former opponent leave the arena and head towards the recharge machine. "I just have to make sure that she uses the chips… And now that I know her weakness, it'll be a piece of cake!"
END CHAPTER!
(1) And a special thanks goes to rockman-exe(dot)com for the translated lyrics from the Japanese RockMan.EXE Anime. But if you decide to drop by that site, be warned that there are spoilers everywhere you look. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Also, I'm not making this stuff up about Battle Chips having to be recharged; we actually see them do this during the N1 Grand Prix.
Next: Dark Navi are born…