Fire Team

By Jabber-Nut Foxypants

Up my list I go,

Very fast and not very slow,

I write and write,

For your delight,

Now read and review,

All the way through...

Nut: There's a little poem for you, not much to gloat about but hey, whatever. Okay, just read and review PLEASE!

RECAP

"Megaman? Did you hear that?" asked Protoman turning around facing the source of the sound.

"Yeah, and its right in front of me." he answered shocked about what he was seeing.

Chaud jumped back at what his netnavies eyes showed him on his screen. "Lan?"

"I see them Chaud." he answered looking just like he just saw a ghost. "It's my dad's unfinished projects."

Chapter Three

Caged

"So what do you want to do?" asked Chaud starring at Lan's infuriated face.

"We knock them out and take them back to my dad!" he shouted reaching for a battle chip.

"Well, well. Look there Demon," laughed Megaman's clone. "Visitors."

"I see that, Bandit," joined Protoman's clone.

Bandit whistled and made three cards appear, resembling something like credit cards. "About time you clowns got here," he said waving the cards back and forth.

"Megaman! Protoman! Help me!" pleaded Numberman weakly.

"Shut up! I'm talking here!" commanded Bandit squished Numberman's head more into the cyber ground.

"Like I was saying, you're just in time. Number freak here was just about to hand over all he owns over to Jay Corp, like the Sushi shop down the street, your local grocery store, and Hollywood video."

"But these are just the baby steps," said Demon searching for Numberman's ownership card. "Next it's Iono Tech, Sci-lab, then, Protoman, Blaze Quest."

"Not as long as I'm around!" the white haired navi answered.

"I'm with you Protoman! Double cyber sword! Download!" Chaud loaded his two chips like mad and Lan followed.

"Megaman! Megabuster and Cybersword! Get Numberman out of there!" he demanded.

"I gotta aim first!" Megaman said taking careful aim as Demon and Protoman matched swords.

"Doom Dice!"

Everyone stopped and looked to see white, rolling dice close to Bandit and Demon.

"What's the big idea?" asked Bandit after jumping out of the explosion's way. "Three against two? Come on!"

"I'm not gonna let you delete Numberman!"

Chaud and Lan looked beside them to see Higsbe yelling at his screen.

"Higsbe?" asked Lan startling the chip shop owner.

"Ah! Oh, hi Lan... hi... Chaud," he looked at his P-E-T then over at the boys. "Get rid of them please! Jack out Numberman!"

"Numberman, logging out!"

"Ah, now look. There goes our Christmas bonus," said Demon sarcastically sad.

"There won't be a bonus for you two!" shouted Megaman with his megabuster pointed directly at the back of Demon's head. "You're going back to Dr. Hikari, where you belong..."

"Of course, there will be a bonus," said Bandit dusting himself off.

Before anyone could tell Bandit teleported in front of Megaman and gave him a stiff knee in the gut while Demon confronted Protoman with a cybersword program advance.

"Megaman, are you alright?" asked Lan as his navi groaned.

"Yeah, but man, Bandit hits like a ton of bricks..."

"And I'm not done yet!" he shouted teleporting into the air then down onto Megaman's chest with his knee. "Blacknails!"

Long sharp finger nails, two and a half meters long, ejected from Bandit's finger tips.

"Blacknails!" shouted Demon soon after. The same thing happened with his nails. Demon swung Protoman up the chest and under the jaw with his nails. Bandit struck down Megaman's body that was pinned to the floor by the clone's knee.

"Get off of him!" shouted Lan inserting a battlechip. "Area steal!"

The body of Megaman disappeared and Protoman rushed over to help when the short navi appeared close to him. "Bandit didn't strike hard enough to puncture his firewall, but, Chaud we need a different battle strategy. They're way faster then we are."

Megaman woke up just in time to notice Bandit and Demon teleporting from floating cyber rock to floating cyber rock. "And they're coming again!"

Protoman jumped but Megaman rolled and barely missed being slashed by one of Demon's nails.

"Chaud, go any ideas?" asked Lan desperately.

"All I can think of is to wear them out..." he started then looked over to Higsbe who had dove over the shop's cashier counter.

"Try these!" he said throwing rare battle chips over to the netsavers.

"Higsbe? Are you sure?" asked Lan.

"Yes! Yes! Just take them! Get those things out of my computer! I have rare battle chips to sell here!" he demanded from behind the edge of the counter.

"You heard the man," said Chaud examining the battle chips. "Lion's cage! Download!"

"Kunai with chain! Download!" said Lan.

A cage came down from the cyber sky and the clones smiled as they saw it coming. They jumped out of the way and watched the dust fly up as it caught nothing under it.

"You're going down first Bandit!" said Megaman from the ground behind the dirt. A three edged Kunai flew up and around Bandit and a chain binded him all the way around. With a tug, Megaman plowed him into the ground and went to secure the chain. "You're not getting out of this one."

Bandit glared and growled as the blue shorty made sure his hands were tied in a way where Blacknails wouldn't be of any use. "Demon!"

"Sorry kid, but, I got my own problems," he said drawing nails to Protoman's sword.

"Megaman! Grab Bandit and get away from us!" Protoman commanded kicking Demon away. "We have to keep them separated."

'Okay, Demon you're turn,' thought Chaud developing a plan.

"Yes! We got one of them Higsbe!" shouted Lan happily.

"Yeah! But there are two of them! Get'em both!" he answered frantically.

"We're going! But Demon is fast!" he said staring at his screen more talking to Chaud.

"I know, but, we might need another way to capture Demon," he said. "He is Protoman's clone. So, if I know Dr. Hikari, he made Demon the faster one and Bandit the stronger one. He wouldn't make both of them have twice as much speed and power as the originals."

"So... what you're saying is Bandit is stronger and Demon's faster," concluded Lan to ensure himself. "And I thought Bandit was fast."

"Bandit is probably a little bit faster than Megaman, but, still enough to give both of our navies a run for their money."

"Chaud!" shouted Protoman abruptly. "Help me!"

His eyes went wide as he peered upon his navi on the ground holding off Demon with his two cyber swords. The albino net-op frantically searched in the pile of rare chips stacked in front of him. "Air shoes! Download!"

Data attached itself to Protoman's shoes in the shape of wings and he sped out from out of the clone's grip and landed a hundred feet behind Demon.

"That was too close," the albino said, bangs hiding his eyes.

A sharp scream was heard from Megaman's side of things. Demon had teleported over to Megaman and quick kicked him in the head sending him far away from his captive chained up on the ground.

"Hey Bandit, I'm here," he said unhooking the chains binding his partner.

"Couldn't just leave me could you," said the Megaman clone.

"Frankly, no. You're the strength, I'm just the speed."

"That's what I like to hear." Bandit heard the last chain snap and he spun up and swung kicked his friend in the face. "That's for leaving me!"

"It wasn't on purpose you idiot!" snapped Demon catching himself and drawing sword.

"Don't insult me! You need me more than I need you anyway! I could delete you here and continue on by myself!"

"It's not all about brute strength, speed is important too! You couldn't catch a fly virus even if it wasn't moving!"

"That's it!" Bandit drew his nails and charged and engaged in an erupting battle with Demon.

"What's going on Chaud? Why are they fighting?" asked Lan blinking clueless.

Chaud chuckled and closed his eyes and then opened them in order to explain. "They may be faster and stronger versions, but, that doesn't mean Dr. Hikari made them get along any better then Megaman and Protoman."

"That's right, they seem to be fighting and insulting each other like me and you do Protoman," said Megaman staring upon the fiery battle.

"I am stronger and faster though," Protoman said strongly making sure Megaman knew that.

The blue navi sweat beaded and confessed that he knew. "Yes, Protoman. I know you are. But, I'm guessing Bandit and Demon haven't got the chance to prove that yet. Like we did about a year ago."

The battle raged fourth and eruptions of fire kept breaking cyber ground and lava bubbled through the holes.

"This isn't good Lan," said Megaman backing away from the incoming molten rock.

"I know! But just wait. If Demon and Bandit keep going on like this, they'll be so easy to catch," he said hoping he was right.

Finally, after a wait, Bandit clipped Demon's sword in between two nails and belly chucked him down into the ground, breaking the weak cyber sword. "It's all in the strength."

Demon somersaulted off the ground and prepared for a program advance.

"Not so fast!" said Lan happily. "Kunai with chain! Download!"

"Kunai with chain! Download!" Chaud said excited.

The kunai's binded both clones and they both fought with failed attempt at breaking the bond.

"Now, you guys are coming with us," said Megaman strongly. "And don't resist. Cause we will knock you down if that needs to be done."

"Now, let's go to my Dad's," said Lan to Chaud.

"Right," he responded.

Fin

Nut: Too tired... going to bed... good night... and please review!