When everyone had caught their breath, Chaud leaned forward. "I have good news and bad news."

Bass looked up from what he was doing, which was examining a stitch he was clutching in his side. "Doesn't anyone ever ask if we're all right any more?"

"We do want to Bass, it's just that if we asked such a stupid question, Star would smack me. Am I right?"

"Alas, you know me too well Sam."

ProtoMan sighed and looked at Chaud. "Okay, good news first. We just had enough bad news when ShadowMan turned up."

Sighing, Chaud leaned back. "Okay. Good news is, we did find some good information. Turns out, there's one scientist who had been researching Navis in the real world."

Starfire's eyes seemed to light up. "That's great! Let's go see him!"

"That's what we're doing." Then the white haired boy hesitated. "That also happens to be the bad news."

Everyone seemed to stop dead still. "What do you mean?" Asked ProtoMan slowly.

Sam looked nervously at Chaud before answering. "Well, not bad for you Proto. Just…. bad for some of us." She cast unsure glances Bass and Starfire.

ProtoMan looked between Star and Sam. "Wait, Star and Bass know this scientist?"

Miserably, Sam nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."

The purple haired youth frowned. "I don't understand. Who do both Star and I know that's a…"

Chaud cut him off. "Never mind that. Bass, according to what you've told us, you used your aura, correct?" When he had nodded, the boy continued. "Well, earlier, none of you could use your Navi powers!"

The blonde girl caught on. "What're you trying to say Chaud? The longer we're here, the more powers we'll regain?"

Shrugging, Sam folded her arms across her chest. "We don't know if that's the case at all Star. That's why we're going to see this scientist."

Chaud peered out the window. "We're here."

Star and Bass peered out the glass and simultaneously froze up.

They were looking at a modern house, painted white with plenty of glass and chrome. It was set atop a hill and a few trees were planted by the driveway up to the house.

Bass turned around and glared hard at Chaud. "Oh no. AH HECK NO! I said I would never come back here! I am NOT going in there."

Looking between his operator and Bass, the silver haired Navi spoke. "What's going on? Who lives up there?"

Everyone stopped as the door opened and Star stepped out. She seemed to be highly determined and held the door for the others. "Coming?"

Bass scrambled over the seat to look at Star. "Starry, what're you doing?"

Star met her sibling's eyes. "If he's our only hope, I'll take him. I'm not saying I like it, but I'll take it."

"We don't have to do this Star! We can figure this out by ourselves, just like old times!"

"We can't figure it out with Sam and Chaud doing all they can Bass! You think that we'll fare any better?" Turning, Starfire began to stalk up the driveway.

Sighing resignedly, Bass strode after her with everyone else in tow. Chaud decided to move to the front with Sam so as to keep Star and Bass in check. He rang the doorbell and after a few tense moments, the door opened.

A blonde man with a beard and moustache opened the door, wearing a brown suit under a lab coat. A blue tie was just visible from between his jacket and vest. "Ah! Chaud Blaze, I received your call earlier saying you'd be stopping by with some friends. Come in, come in!" He ushered the group into the front hall and led them down a flight of stairs. "I was just recovering the data you requested of me, although I found it very odd you'd ask for it…"

Chaud nodded and the man turned his eyes to Sam. "And who is this young lady?"

Before the white haired Netbattler could open his mouth, Sam spoke. "My name is Sam Rebena. I'm Chaud's net battling partner."

"Rebena, eh?" The man opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, leading them into a large laboratory. "I want to say that's a familiar name, but I've never met you before…"

Smiling ever so slightly, Sam stared at the scientist. "Actually, you knew my father. Tobias Rebena? You sold him a Navi…"

The man snapped his fingers. "Of course! Terrible thing that happened to him…terrible. I assume you still have Starfire?"

Widening her smile, Sam nodded. "Of course. She's been the best Navi I've ever known and nobody would ever guess she's second hand the way we've bonded."

The doctor nodded approvingly. "Good…good! If I may, could I speak with her?"

Shrugging, Sam changed her smile to a smirk. "Sure thing. Ah," She stopped the doctor from reaching for her PET. "You're looking the wrong way." Stepping aside, Sam let the man have a clear view of Starfire, who had her arms crossed over her chest.

"Hi Dad."

Doctor Cossack took a step back before assessing his creation. "Starfire? How is this…" He moved forward, but ProtoMan stepped up to stand by Star's shoulder. "Who is that?"

Looking up at Proto, Star smirked. "Oh, him? This is my boyfriend, ProtoMan. He's Chaud's Navi."

ProtoMan remained courteous, even though he longed to give the man who gave Star and Bass such a hard time a piece of his mind. "Hello."

Cossack nodded in reply. "If you're here, then…." He looked over Star's shoulder at Bass, who was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest and looking quite different from the person who had been in the limo not moments before.

"Hey Doctor C."

With an apologetic look, Doctor Cossack stepped around his daughter to look at his son. "Bass…I'm so sorry, I never meant to…"

"Don't waste your breath." Bass said, opening his crimson eyes and glaring at his father. "Every day I'm reminded of what you did." He pointed to his chest where his scar was just visible. "And don't think I didn't hear about how you sold Starry off like some common program." Walking fully into the room, Bass roughly brushed past his father. "Let's just get on with this."

"R-Right…" Cossack led the group over to a large computer. "Chaud, I preformed the scan you asked of me and this is the data I've come up with." Punching a button, a view of the Earth appeared with a multicolored sphere surrounding it.

"Great," Bass remarked. "Our planet is trapped in a big bubble. Whoop-de-freakin-do."

Ignoring his son's comment, Doctor Cossack turned to the group. "This is a dimensional area of enormous proportions. I have no idea where the generators are, but they must be running on a massive amount of power to generate this."

Sam held up a hand. "But there's something I don't understand. Only a fused Navi-Human team can appear in the Dimensional Area. How can Star, Proto and Bass be here then?"

The doctor typed on the keyboard, bringing up a view of what appeared to be a large syringe. "This is a Dimensional Area Generator. With the correct modifications, a Navi-human pair can exist here without being fused."

"That still doesn't explain how Bass and ShadowMan can exist. Both are Solo Navis." Stated ProtoMan, feeling like that was a question that needed answering.

"You forget," The blonde doctor remarked. "Bass was not always a Solo Navi. No matter what you do to the programming, Navis can never shake their roots. So Bass can appear here because of his past Navi-human programming."

Bass scowled darkly. "That doesn't explain ShadowMan."

Stroking his beard, Cossack was thoughtful. "I don't know this ShadowMan you're hunting, so I can only assume that he's a solo Navi and he altered the generators further than I ever thought they could be."

Abruptly, a ring broke through the room. Sheepishly, Chaud pulled out his cell phone. "I've got to take this call." Stepping away from the group Chaud flipped open his phone.

Star was all business. "Isn't there a way you can find the generators Dad?"

"Well, yes but it takes a lot of time. I have to search the whole planet. For one little spot probably only ten square feet that's not covered by Dimensional Area."

"But couldn't the generators be stacked on top of one another so there was no space like that?" Questioned ProtoMan.

Nodding approvingly, Cossack seemed pleased. "A good question ProtoMan. That cannot be, because the generators are stabilized by this stake here." He pointed to the large conical device on the end of the generator. "If one landed on top of another, it would destroy the one beneath it, making it impossible to form an area. And you need at least three or four to create a single area."

Glancing over at Chaud, Sam bit her lip. "He sure is taking a while." The white haired Netbattler was nodding and giving terse replies that none of them could hear. Eventually he closed the phone and looked at Starfire.

"We have to go now. Star, you're wanted up at HQ."