"Are you sure about this?"

ProtoMan nodded, torn between smiling and keeping his poker face. Once more, he was on the boundary of the Undernet, once more about to dive into its depths. With a deep breath, he sprinted across the dusty plain. After ProtoMan had lost sight of all civilization, he glanced up at Chaud. "Let's get to work."

Chaud nodded and began to download some of the most powerful chips he had to ProtoMan, who set about causing the biggest ruckus he could manage.

After quite some time, ProtoMan finally got his intended result.

"WHAT IN ALL OF HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE YOU DOING!"

Stopping, ProtoMan turned around, a small smile gracing his face for only a moment. "It's good to see you again too…Bass."

Bass. EXE was a tall Navi, and had an oddly shaped helmet. Two fins swept back majestically, and his dusty brown cape flapped gently in the breeze. His deep crimson eyes sparkled at ProtoMan, and they were accented by the purple stripes along Bass' cheeks.

Chuckling, Bass shook ProtoMan's hand. "And you too ProtoMan. So, making all this mess was just a ruse to draw me out? Very clever! So, how's my little Starry doing?"

Bass didn't know much about ProtoMan, but from the way he looked down and to the side when he mentioned Starfire told him that was why he had been called.

"So let me get this straight," Bass ran a hand over his helmet, "You and Star were talking about what happened when she went to get help and then ShadowMan came and kidnapped her?"

Solemnly, the red Navi nodded. "I wish this wasn't the case, but it is. I was hoping you could help me track ShadowMan and then I could take it from there…"

Standing up, Bass snorted. "You take ShadowMan alone? Not a chance. Getting killed is not a way to impress the girl you like. I'm helping you."

At this point, Bass did something almost unheard of.

He removed his helmet.

ProtoMan was shocked. He himself had removed his helmet only once in his life, maybe, but this was something almost unreal!

Bass ran a hand through his purple hair. Yes, purple. It was a lighter purple, about a lilac shade almost. In the back it was pulled into a small ponytail with a strip of black leather. His hair was longer than normal, but Bass made it look very good. It appeared that Bass' nervous habit was to run his hand through his hair.

"I never thought she'd actually do it, but it seems that my little sis has gotten in over her head." With another sigh, Bass looked over at Proto. "She's revealed she's an Ultimate."

"What?" ProtoMan abruptly realized why Bass had taken off his helmet. He was starting to feel really hot with it on. With a quick look around, the silver haired Navi pulled it off and ruffled his hair to get rid of the helmet hair.

"I mean," replied Bass, as he paced agitatedly, "Starfire is not all that she seems! Starfire is my little sister, and as such, she is entitled to inherit whatever traits it is in my power to give her!"

Whirling, Bass looked at ProtoMan. It all looked very dramatic with the cape and everything. "Don't you see? I gave Starry my power! Everyone is out there," He gestured back towards Net City, "Thanking their lucky stars that there's only one Navi like me! They don't know that there's more than one! Starfire is that one. If I'm right, when she was out there getting help, Starry encountered FreezeMan and TorchMan. Since she was blind, Starry had to rely on her power as an Ultimate Navi. So now ShadowMan knows and who knows what he'll do with her?"

ProtoMan held up a hand to stop the black Navi's rant. "Slow up. What do you mean, Ultimate? Are there any special powers that she has that marks her as one?"

Nodding, Bass looked a little calmer. "Yeah! She can do it all! The whole, aura- earthbreaker- floaty thing."

"Floaty thing?" ProtoMan appeared to raise an eyebrow.

A little disappointed Bass nodded. "For lack of better term, yes." Then he took a deep breath and slid his helmet back on. "Now, if I'm going to start tracking, we've got to be where Star was captured."

ProtoMan was all too happy to put his helmet back on. "Are you mad Bass? The spot is crawling with officials and Net Agents! You'll be hauled in or deleted faster than you can say 'Starfire!'"

Grinning, Bass had begun walking back towards civilization. "You're an official, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then we're fine!" Glancing at the red Navi, Bass had his telltale scheming grin on. "Look, if you bring me in, you can say I'm assisting with the investigation and when you come back without me, you'll say I got away!"

As the two Navis raced back towards Net City, ProtoMan released a small sigh. Try telling that plan, he thought, to your little sister and then we'll see how much she likes it.

"Bass, are you sure that you're doing this right?"

"Of course I'm doing it right!" Bass turned away from ProtoMan to inspect the grass but he muttered something that sounded along the lines of 'amateur.'

For about ten minutes Bass had been inspecting the grass and pacing in strange patterns, shaking his head every so often.

And it hadn't been that easy to get him past all the Net Agents either! It was only when they saw the dangerous spark in Bass' eye when they remembered what Bass could do and let him past.

"I've got it!" Bass cried triumphantly, startling the swarms of beginner net police agents who had gathered to watch. Striding over, Bass stood where ShadowMan had been when he captured Starfire. "He was here, right?"

ProtoMan nodded. "Yeah, that's where he was. And I was right here." Taking his place, ProtoMan dropped to his knees.

Bass turned his head slightly. "You," He pointed at a Navi in the front ranks, "Come here. I need you for a moment. What's your name?"

The Normal Navi trembled but answered. "A-Axl. EXE, Mr. Bass sir."

Nodding, Bass took Axl's arm. "That's a nice name. Now stand here, and don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need to demonstrate for my friend here." Gently, he held Axl in a similar way that ShadowMan had. "So ShadowMan was holding Star like this right? Go limp," Instructed Bass to the Navi in his grasp, who obliged willingly. "Now, what I know that you don't is which direction ShadowMan went after you conked out!" Taking a couple steps, Bass placed his feet delicately into the depressed areas of grass where ShadowMan had been, turning and then pointing. "That way."

Following where Bass was pointing, ProtoMan groaned. Bass was pointing to the south.

Straight into the heart of the Undernet.