Begin Chapter!
"Stay focused," ProtoMan readied his blade, "this is not going to be easy."
"You're a master of the understatement." Roll quipped uneasily, as she kept her eyes glued to the rapid Black Shadow. As she did so, she remembered StarMan's warning that Nebula had been targeting Bass all along, and even with that warning they had fallen short in their goal to stop that from happening.
"Now," KaraokeMan pointed his oversized hand at his opponents. "Wipe them out!"
"Let's not give him that chance." Maylu hurriedly slammed three Battle Chips into her P.E.T., "Cyber Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword, Battle Chips in, Download! Program Advance: Activated!"
"I'll raise you on that." Chaud inserted his own pair of chips, "Cyber Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword, Download, Program Advance: Activated."
The two cybernetic allies quickly fused their three individual blades together into a long narrow sword of pure energy. Acting in unison they hauled back their swords and prepared to strike.
"Double Life Force Sword!"
In perfect synch, ProtoMan and Roll slashed through the air in front of them with their swords. As they did so a crescent-shaped band of energy exploded out of the Life Force Swords and rushed across the Network.
But it didn't end there.
The attacks of the two individual Program Advances actually wrapped about one another in mid-air, fusing together into a Double Program Advance.
Bass didn't even flinch as the explosion of energy crashed towards him, his eyes didn't even seem to register its existence as the Black Shadow formed his Bass Cannon and leveled it at shoulder's height.
"Bass Buster."
A burst of intense power discharged out of the gun barrel, the energy of Bass' attack shot through the air, and headed straight for the Program Advance.
Or rather, straight through it.
Roll gasped as Bass' attack shattered the Double Program Advance like it was nothing more than butter. Quickly, she regained control of her composure and raised her heavy Life Force Sword as the Black Shadow's attack careened towards her; she had to deflect it.
"What are you thinking?"
Something hard and small rammed into the pink wonder from behind, and the impact sent her tumbling to the floor and causing her Program Advance to shatter.
Because of her current decked position, Bass' attack whipped over her head, but failed to harm Roll.
"Didn't you learn anything from that last exchange?" Roll looked up to see StarMan hovering over her. "You can't deflect Bass' attacks with a Life Force Sword! It just isn't possible."
The pink Navi shook her head as she righted herself, and got back to her feet.
ProtoMan however, had a pressing question on his mind.
"Why'd you save her?"
"Me?" StarMan glanced about, as if trying to find out who the Raider was addressing. After a second he shrugged and answered the question. "Can I help it if I've got a thing for blondes?"
ProtoMan stifled a groan before turning back to the fight with Bass. "Is there anyone who doesn't have a crush on Roll?"
"I guess that it makes things easy come Valentine's Day," StarMan shrugged, "to have everyone like you… I never got a valentine…"
"We'll worry about your scarred childhood later." The Red Raider snapped, "For the moment, let's concentrate on Bass."
"Good idea." The spiky-haired Navi turned to face the Black Shadow. "Any idea how we take him out?"
"The same way we did last time." Roll's face became a mask of determination. "Teamwork."
"Then let's do this." Chaud nodded his agreement.
"Quit fooling around, Bass!" Snapped KaraokeMan. "Take them out!"
The Black Shadow nodded in reply, before forming two more Air Bursts in his open hands.
"We'll cover the attacks." The pink wonder put herself into motion, throwing herself to the left. "You go for the strike, ProtoMan."
"Roger that!" StarMan leapt to the right, his own yellow bow appearing about his right wrist.
Bass' arms snapped around, throwing his two spheres forward at his opponents. "Air Bursts!"
"High Cannon Battle Chip in, Download! 3 Attack Plus 10 Battle Chips in, Triple Download!" Maylu sent her chips flying into her pink P.E.T. Advance.
Not wasting an instant, Roll equipped her powered up cannon and locked onto the closer Air Burst. Once certain that she had a clear shot, she unleashed her firepower.
"Star Arrow!" StarMan brought his weapon around to bear on the other attack. Swiftly he unleashed a barrage of star-tipped arrows that flooded through the sky, and the Air Burst.
As the two electrical spheres vanished from the Navi's attacks, ProtoMan made his move. Flying between the two dissipating attacks, the Raider rushed Bass.
"Fighter Sword Battle Chip in, and Download!"
A golden hilt sporting fancy design burst into existence about the Red Raider's right wrist, the next instant a diamond-shaped blade materialized inside of the sword's shaft. With practiced precision, ProtoMan closed in on Bass and cocked his arm back.
The next instant Bass vanished from sight, and less than a split second later, ProtoMan's blade shattered into a thousand pieces.
"What in the disk drive?"
ProtoMan never got a chance to finish that statement. Before he had overcome the shock of loosing his weapon, a blast of energy exploded against his back. The force of the impact knocked the swordsman off of his feet, and sent him crashing to the ground.
"He's fast…" StarMan gasped in disbelief, "He's even faster than before he went DS."
"ProtoMan!" In concern, the pink Navi shot across the Network towards her downed ally. It was then that she noticed Bass materializing over the injured Raider.
"Now, to finish you…" The Black Shadow equipped his default cannon, and leveled it at his adversary.
"NO!" Unconsciously, Chaud's grip on his P.E.T. tightened as he watched Bass prepare to finish off his friend.
"MAYLU!"
"Five Arrow Battle Chips in, Download!" The redheaded Netbattler slammed the disks into her Chip Slot. "Program Advance: Activated!"
Roll stretched out her right hand as a jeweled bow and arrow locked about her wrist. Setting her sights on Bass, she aimed her weapon and drew back the string, priming her arrow for the release…"Program Advance:" The pink Navi let her shot fly, desperately hoping that she had aimed correctly. "Omega Arrow!"
The golden arrow exploded out of the bow, and ripped through the air towards the two other Navi. As it flew, six other arrows materialized about the arrow, and together they shot onward…
Bass didn't stand a chance.
The Program Advance slammed into him, knocking him off of ProtoMan, who promptly teleported away via an Area Steal.
"That was too close." Roll breathed a sigh of relief, as the Raider materialized behind her and StarMan.
"Nice shot." The former Nebular Navi shook his head, "But not good enough, Bass wasn't even scratched."
ProtoMan's teeth locked as he noticed that StarMan was correct, the Black Shadow wasn't even slowing down from the assault.
"Now then, let's finish them off right now!" KaraokeMan 'blinked' over to stand beside his ally. "With both our power!"
"As you wish." Bass nodded his agreement.
"Sound Blast!"
"Bass Cannon!"
The blue electrical Navi screamed into his microphone, causing his built in sound system to unleash wave after wave of devastating sound energy.
The Black Shadow's cannons went to work filling the sky with his firepower.
Roll, ProtoMan, and StarMan tensed as the flood of attacks rushed closer to them. It was not going to be easy to escape from this one…
"Battle Chip in, and Download!"
"What?" Maylu jerked slightly as she realized that neither she nor Chaud had called out that last attack. Someone else entirely had just entered this battle.
"Black Hole!"
Before Roll's eyes, a black rip of distorted space appeared in the air a short distance before them. Because of the placement of the newly created abyss, all of the Nebular Navi's attacks were cancelled as they fell prey to the Black Hole's gravitational pull. The Sound Blasts and Bass Cannon Shots were scooped up by the Hole, which vanished as soon as its work was done.
"Wait a minute…" Snapping her head around, Roll saw the final member of their group standing a short distance away. "MegaMan!"
"Took you long enough." Chaud watched as a link opened on his P.E.T. screen, showing the connection between his Terminal and Lan's.
"Now you know how I feel." Lan replied via the connection, "Actually, I can understand why you always show up late, it's kind of classy."
"Well, well, it looks like everyone's finally here." KaraokeMan nodded in satisfaction as he spotted the new arrival. "Now, Sozoji, may we get this party started?"
"Now that the audience is here, of course!" The lounge singer chortled, "This is one performance that is going to be absolutely lethal!"
"Just try it!" MegaMan's Buster burst into existence; "I think its time for a little payback for the entire Dark Soul mess you put me through."
"Who said that we were targeting you?" KaraokeMan smirked in response. "We've been working on my Feedback ability, I think your Net Op's really going to enjoy the new features we've built into it."
"You sick coward!" Roll snapped, her Buster powering up to its highest level. "I won't let you endanger Maylu any more!"
"Do you really think that you can stop me?" The singing Navi shot back. "Any attack you launch at me, Bass will deflect. Face it, you can't win!"
"I won't let you do this!" The pink Navi's bow arm snapped up. The arrow ripped out of the weapon and sped through the air towards her opponent.
"Bass?"
The Black Shadow materialized before KaraokeMan, and effortlessly flipped it aside.
"Now then…" Preparing to unleash his ultimate attack, KaraokeMan hefted his mike…
"Star Arrow!"
A studded object rammed into KaraokeMan's back, canceling his attack and sending the singing Navi plunging to the floor.
"Humph, don't forget about me." StarMan drifted to the ground behind the other Nebular Navi, his bow was in the process of dissipating.
"Roll…"
The pink Navi turned to see MegaMan standing beside her, his right hand was open and extended towards her.
"This is you're fight, you can't allow KaraokeMan to endanger Maylu anymore." The Bomber continued to hold out his hand.
Roll's eyes widened as she realized just what MegaMan was offering her. "Mega, I can't."
"I have yours, now its time for you to have mine." The Blue Navi replied, "We'll take him down, together."
The pink Navi stared at her companion for several seconds, and then took his hand. "Let's do this."
"SOUL UNISON!"
"I don't believe it…" Lan spoke over his com-link as he deciphered the information pouring across his screen. "This is Roll's first Fusion Unison!"
"Say what?"
"Fusion Unison." The brunette clarified his statement; "There are two kinds of Soul Unisons, Fusion Unisons and Copy Unisons. In Copy Unison, uh, Roll mimics the appearance and abilities of another Net Navi. In Fusion Unison, the two Navi literally merge into a new Navi the first time the Unison occurs. Fusion Unisons are more powerful than Copy Unisons, but require a greater level of friendship to pull off."
As the last of the transformations finished, Roll Mega Unison's green eyes slid open.
Her boots had taken on the shape of MegaMan's, but had maintained the yellow trim at the thickest part of the taper. Her bodysuit was a dark azure color and a light blue vest with yellow markings was wrapped about her chest. Two yellow shoulder pads slid out of the vest, and her gloves had transformed to match her boots. MegaMan's blue power pack materialized on her back. Finally, her Data Ribbons were missing, replaced by two yellow lines running over the top of her headgear.
"Whoa…" StarMan gaped at the Soul Unison, "I've gotta get one of those…"
"Hang back, ProtoMan." Chaud instructed his Navi. "This is Roll's fight."
"If you say so." The Raider agreed.
KaraokeMan fought back the rising sense of dread flooding his system. He'd seen first hand the power of MegaMan's Proto Soul, so he had no doubt that a Roll Mega Soul wouldn't be any less deadly.
"You're still too late!" The singing Navi sputtered, "With Bass standing between you and me, you'll never stop me from launching the most devastating Feedback your Op's ever seen!"
Roll remained mute, but stretched out her hand; a Mega Buster, bearing a strange resemblance to the Cross-Fusion Mega Buster, locked about her wrist. With determination, she lifted it to shoulder height and leveled it on KaraokeMan. "We'll just see about that."
"And Feed-" The Nebular Navi lifted his mike.
"Mega Buster!" A purple blast of plasma power ripped away from the Unisoned Navi's gun barrel. Her shot exploded through the air and headed on towards KaroakeMan.
Without a word, Bass slid into position to block the shot.
He might as well have tried to stop a freight train on steroids.
The Mega Buster's shot exploded into Bass, detonating on contact. Amazingly, the force of the attack was great enough to send the Black Shadow flying backward, straight into the powering-up KaraokeMan.
With a scream of dismay, the singing Navi was sent slamming to the ground as Bass crashed against him. And as if that weren't enough, Bass crashed into the Nebular Navi, pinning him to the floor beneath the Black Shadow's frame.
"Will you get off?" KaraokeMan squirmed from his buried position; he could feel his humiliation turning into anger...
A slight growl escaped from Bass, as he rolled off of his commander.
"Now, wipe that Navi off the face of the Network!" The Nebular Navi shrieked.
"With pleasure." Bass leapt up into the air, summoning two more Air Bursts in his open palms.
"Don't worry about this one, Maylu." Roll's called back to her Op, as she did so, her eyes slid closed in concentration. "I've got it covered."
"Air Bursts!" The Black Shadow sent his electrical orbs plummeting down on Roll.
"Soul Unison: Ring Soul!" The Unisoned Navi's eyes snapped open, as a burst of light surrendered her frame. After a second, the light faded away to reveal an unchanged Roll Mega Unison, except now the shadowy form of Ring had superimposed itself over Roll's body.
Acting as one, Roll Mega Unison and Shadow Ring lifted their right hands and pointed it at the approaching Air Bursts. "Ring Zap Ring!"
Two Zap rings materialized in Roll's palm, and shot upward into Bass' Air Bursts, where they exploded on contact…
Taking the electrical orbs with them.
"I don't believe this!" Chaud stared into his P.E.T. "Mega Soul must give Roll the power to use any of her Soul Unisons at will!"
Bass crashed to the ground, his Buster forming. Instantly he had his weapon hefted, pointed at Roll, and firing.
Shadow Ring vanished as Roll watched the Buster Shots rush her. Again she closed her eyes…
"Soul Unison: Turbo Soul!"
A shadowy TurboMan appeared around Roll's frame. Together they summoned a pair of Flaming Tires and sent the wheels screaming across the Network. Roll's attacks rammed into Bass' Buster shot. Both attacks shattered as they collided in mid-air.
"GGRRAA!"
Enraged, Bass launched himself forward; flying across the ground towards this new pest that was destroying all of his attacks.
"I get the feeling that he doesn't take rejection well." Roll muttered as she watched the Black Shadow close in on her.
"Maylu, I'm sending you some Chip Data." Lan's voice came flying across the Network. "Download it off onto a Battle Chip and activate it, hurry!"
"If you say so…" The redheaded Netbattler hurriedly shoved a blank chip into her P.E.T., she didn't have to ask, there was only one thing that Lan would be sending her at this particular moment. The second that the disk was ejected from her P.E.T. Advance, Maylu was shoving it back into the disk drive. "Mega Booster, Battle Chip in, Download!"
In response to this move, two round air intake valves burst into out of the top of Roll's backpack, at the same instant that two funnels exploded out of the bottom of the power pack. With a high pitched squeal, a blast of flame erupted out of the bottom exhaust funnels.
"Mega Booster!"
Using the power of her new upgraded jetpack, Roll launched herself upward. Her pack carried her into the Network's sky, and conveniently allowed Bass to fly straight through the spot she had just vacated.
Roll twisted about as she stopped ascending, with practiced precision she leveled her Mega Buster at Bass. Once her site was set, she fired.
And missed by a mile.
Bass snaked around, causing the Buster shot to miss him completely. Instantly he was shooting upward as he followed his prey into the air.
Roll maintained her position, waiting for Bass to get close enough for her to make her move.
The Black Shadow flew closer; he was rapidly drawing in for the kill. His arm cocked back readying itself to deliver the final blow…
The Unisoned Navi slipped aside, her thrusters screaming in protest over the sudden maneuver.
Bass's arm shot forward, missing Roll by a hair's breadth. Abruptly the Black Shadow jerked backward as something round and soft bumped into his chest.
Stopping his ascent, Bass glanced down to see a round Wacko Ball sitting in front of chest. His eyes widened in fear as his realized what was happening, instantly his head snapped up to see Roll, with a Shadow WackoMan surrounding her, spinning in place getting ready to send her foot flying into the Wacko Ball.
The Wacko Ball sitting squarely in front of his chest.
"Wacko Ball Shot!"
Roll's foot lashed out, connecting solidly with her weapon.
Because of the close range Bass didn't stand a chance. The ball smashed against him, sending him flying backward and downward… straight onto KaraokeMan.
The singing Navi screamed in fury as Bass crashed into him, pinning him to the floor for the second time that day.
Roll dropped to the ground, her patience was at an end; it was time to finish this.
Growling in anger, the Black Shadow righted himself. With restrained anger he hauled back his arm, and sent it crashing into the ground before him.
Roll didn't flinch as a massive explosion of flame and energy burst out to the ground before Bass and began racing across the Network toward her.
With slow, calculated precision, she placed her cupped hands together and waited.
The explosion raced closer.
A seed of blue energy appeared in the Unisoned Navi's hands and under her watchful nurturing; the power began to grow and gain strength.
Bass' attack was within twenty feet…
A blast of light erupted from Roll's hands as she brought her attack to its full power. With determination dancing in her eyes she brought her cupped hands back and leveled her gaze at the approaching wall of flame; it was within ten feet now.
"This is it." Roll snapped her arms forward, unleashing her attack.
A blinding blast of light erupted as Roll's attack, the Shokutan, took on its true form. The energy transformed into a massive blue sphere of power that exploded away toward the advancing attack.
Effortlessly, the Unisoned Navi's attack cleaved through the Black Shadow's attack, and rushed onward towards the two Nebular Navi.
"What is that thing?" KaraokeMan's limited courage gave out, as he literally cowered behind Bass DS.
"It's known as The Shokutan…" The words fell from Bass DS's lips, just as the massive power exploded against them.
End Chapter!
Now before you all jump my case, let me explain. The Mega Booster is a move that MegaMan uses in the Magna, I'm not sure how he gets it since I'm missing Volume 2, but hey, its there. And then there's the Shokutan, anyone remember the 'the fireball', the ultimate attack from X1? Yep, that's the one! Which brings up the eternal question, how many Shokutans would it take to defeat Sigma?