Chapter 3

Hidden Snare

"Come on, lets get out of here before someone comes. We've been fortunate so far but I don't think we need to push it." Chaud whispered as he motioned back to the open link. But before anyone could move toward it the link suddenly exploded, sending all the netsavers to the ground.

"You know, you Blaze's are always so perceptive, too bad you're always about ten seconds too late. Neon Lights!"

All six netsavers split to avoid the attack.

"Flashman! What are you doing here?" Protoman demanded drawing his sword.

"I live here. And not only have you breached our security, but your trespassing. Neon lights!" He said as he sent another attack the red clad navi's way. Proto effortlessly leaped over the crackling energy and delivered a blow with his sword.

"I wouldn't really call it trespassing, when you don't own the building."

"Oh toushay, Proto boy." Flashman said as he seemed to effortlessly pick up Protoman and sling him across the room sending him into the wall.

"Protoman!" Chaud exclaimed as he saw his navi hit the wall. "Cybersword battlechip in!" He exclaimed, as he was the next to make advance on Flashman. When he brought the sword down, Flashman caught it with his armor.

"Fancy meeting you here Chaud." Flashman stated. "How do you like the net so far?"

"I like it just fine." He said as he swung his sword again only to have Flashman catch it again with ridiculous ease.

"You have spunk kid. It's too bad you're on the wrong side." Flashman said as he channeled energy from him into the sword and into Chaud.

"AGGHH." Chaud groaned as the electricity flooded his body. Chaud's friends looked on in horror, but they didn't have time to be paralyzed.

"Goodbye kid." Flashman said as he brought up his hand forming a charged shot. "It was nice knowing you. Neon ligh-" He started but…

"Charge shot!" Four voices rang out as four beams of charge plasma sliced through the air, all slamming into Flashman head on making him release Chaud and sending him across the room causing him to slam violently into the far wall. "Flashman deleted."

"Well, that was short and sweet." Terra commented.

"Chaud are you okay?" Lan asked as he rushed over to his friend, leaving Whisper, Mega and Terra to check on Protoman.

"Yeah I am now." Chaud replied when Lan gave him a HP recovery chip returning his strength, "Is Proto going to be okay?" He asked.

"Yeah I'll be fine." Proto replied as he walked over, "He just really knocked the wind outta me, Regal must have given him some work up. Flashman's never been that strong before. Where is he?" Proto asked as he lifted Chaud off the floor.

"Deleted." Chaud replied, "But it took almost everything we had. Regal's not playing with us anymore." He continued as he was helped to his feet by his navi.

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that." A voice stated as a figure rose from the smoke where Flashman once was. "The games have just begun." When the figure came into view, it was revealed as Vidoman.

"Vidoman! Where did you-," Mega stated, "Flashman was never here was he?" he asked buster drawn.

"Of course not," Vidoman replied, "I'm a creative navi, with a simple boost from the supreme master, I'm able to copy and assimilate the identity of any navi along with their powers and multiply them tenfold."

"Supreme Master? You're a real suck-up, you know that?" Terra said. "Not to mention a braggart."

Vidoman turned his attention to Terra. "How sweet it is to see you here." He said and walked over eyeing her, parting the team as he did. Chaud eyed his friend with slight concern, as Vidoman seemed to single her out but Terra wasn't worried in the least.

Videoman walked right up to her so that they were only inches apart. He meant to intimidate her but it was exactly what Terra had wanted. "Whisper Shock!" she exclaimed as the energy flowed though her arm to where she had placed her palm on the darkloids icon, the plasma coursed its way through Vidoman's body and threw him twenty feet away.

"Wow the little diva's still got spunk, but you won't for long," Vidoman exclaimed as he got back to his feet. "Windcutter!" He exclaimed as the film between his hands shot out toward Terra.

"Don't think so, custom sword!" Lan exclaimed as he stepped in front of Terra, knocking the film off course.

"And what would a battle be without Megaman's sidekick?" Videoman asked. "You still think you got what it takes on this side of the tracks?"

"Absolutely." Lan replied.

"Well allow me to prove otherwise, windcutter!" Vidoman exclaimed sending the tape a second time. As it came toward him Lan did not move an inch, when it came close enough to him he flipped over the contraption and bringing his blade back around he struck the windcutter and shredded the tape into confetti.

Vidoman looked on at a loss at his ruined offense. "How…did…you…do…that?" he demanded, "no one should have been able to tear through those defenses especially not a pipsqueak like you!"

"Let's just say I'm stronger than I look." Lan commented, "just like my main man."

By now Videoman was VERY agitated, "Ok that's it no more mister nice guy! Stunt double!" he exclaimed activating his projector and a second Videoman appeared behind the group.

"Wow he really is egotistic." Whisper said.

"Ok brats it's time for you to learn to respect your elders, winedcutter!" Videoman called out as the double attacked.

"Aqua sword battlechip in! You know what Videoman I think I skipped that class." Whisper called out holding off the attack forcing the double back. When she went in for a defensive strike Videoman sidestepped her causing her to barely miss him.

"You know what young peoples' problems are? They have absolutely no fear today, I mean look at the entertainment you watch filled with sex and violence you've become immune."

"You know that's your own fault VM," Whisper replied, "After all you help make the bad entertainment, but it just so happens I'm a sheltered girl. But really what to I have to respect? Except for Bubbleman you're the second biggest excuse for a darkloid I've ever seen, not to mention you're nothing more than a trick of light."

A sly smile slipped across VM's lips reveling his green teeth. "Oh but dear I can change that." He said as he began to morph into someone, his body twisting and pulling until he came into his new form. Savageman's form to be exact.

Whisper's face faulted, she had always been a little afraid of Savageman but she thought that that was a bit of information that she had managed to keep to herself. Whisper began to back away out of fear, she couldn't help it.

"It's time I teach you some manners," VM said now in Savageman's voice.

Whisper held her sword as steady as she could ready to defend herself from the coming attack trying to calm herself down. At that second she saw a fluid motion of red come behind her, she relaxed, everything was going to be all right.

"It's time for your education dear," VM said as he charged at her.

"And again I don't think so," Whisper said as she sprang into the air reveling non-other that Protoman behind her.

"It's time to go back into your cage." Proto swiftly said, "Maurassa battlechip in!" he called as the received the fuchsia sword cutting into Videoman's hand which was now Savageman's claws. Slicing the weaker head on. Once the sword made contact and sensed the evil it shattered it instantly.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH" the double groaned as he reverted back into his original form. "This isn't over yet!" it exclaimed as it powered it's projector and began to create an image of someone.

"Oh no you don't" Whisper said as she slashed the image from behind before it had the chance to materialize.

"Ohh, you're going to pay for that girl!" VM yelled as he made another projection that appeared above her this time.

"AHHHHH," the image exclaimed as it came down to her twisting and turning as it came until it finally morphed into Protoman's image.

"Barrier, battlechip in!" Whisper exclaimed throwing her arms up forming the shield over her causing the clone to slam into the forefield instantly deleting it. "My name's Whisper camera boy, and you're going to have to do a whole lot better than that to do me any damage."

"And I would have to agree with her, long sword!" Terra's voice called out as a swift slash came across the double's projector. As the Videoman's doppelganger phased out Terra appeared.

"Give it up Videoman!" Lan exclaimed as he slammed the darkloid to the ground.

"Yeah, you're at the end of your rope." Mega added.

But Videoman didn't say anything in reply, he only stared.

"My beautiful masterpiece," he seamed to say at a loss. "You…never…destroy an artist's finest work!" Videoman suddenly exclaimed activating his dark aura throwing Lan and Mega off him. "Now you will all feel my wrath!" he yelled, "You'll all pay! Set cast!" he called out as his projector went into overdrive creating seven Videomen.

"Great." Chaud commented when they regrouped totally surrounded by the darkloids.

"I've played around with your whelps long enough, it's over, set flash!" VM exclaimed along with his seven clones.

"We're not giving up that easily," Proto stated as he watched the energy coming steadily coming toward them, "Fire tower battlechip in!" he said slamming his palm to the floor.

"Fire tower battlechip in, Salamander battlechip in," Whisper, Mega, Lan, Chaud, and Terra exclaimed following Protoman's lead.

When the two energies met they seamed to act like oil and water, one flowing over the other, the set flash hitting the netsavers and the fire towers and the salamanders impacting the darkloids…

"Videoman deleted." the computer voice stated as the six teens slammed into the ground.

"What was that?" Lan asked when he got back to his feet, "that didn't do a thing."

Little did he know, or any of them…

"I have no idea," Mega replied, "But I do know we need to get out of here and report this back to the chief, although I don't know the good it do since Regal'll know we were here."

"What is it?" Chaud asked when he found Terra still staring at the door.

"All this noise and commotion and none of these darkloids woke up? You know we shouldn't even be having this conversation right?" Terra replied.

"Soundproof room," Proto suddenly commented as he analyzed the cyber material, "an atomic bomb could go off and they wouldn't hear it."

"Fortunate us." Whisper replied.

"And I wouldn't push it." Mega added opening the link. "Let's get out of here."

Videoman walked across the warehouse toward three still forms that were sprawled on the ground. Spontaneous materialization was really something. Dimensional areas had been impressive but this was something else. Regal had used the large forcefields for mainly two reason: contain and capture as well as keeping the authorities out but there was also a negative side; it was impossible for a dimensional area not to draw attention. Sometimes finesse was needed and when Regal discovered that the netsavers had implemented a materialization program he knew it was time to bring his dimensional areas down to size.

"Videoman did you complete your mission?" Regal asked an ominous voice.

"Yes master I think you'll be quite pleased. Their minds are totally under your control." Videoman replied as he gazed at the three unconscious teenagers. His set flash had knocked Lan, Terra and Chaud out of their data forms making them human again; depositing them in the real world space the net area had been attached to. The darkloid also took notice that the children's PET's were strone around them as well, the simple handhelds had caused his kind so much greif; giving these so-called heroes a conduit into their world. His attention then turned to the three navis, how easy it would be to destroy them now by simply crushing the PETs underneath his feet but Regal had something else in store.

"Excellent now bring them to me." Regal demanded.

"As you wish masher, as you wish," Videoman replied as he started to pick them up one by one. But as he picked Terra off the ground something sliped off her neck and droped to the floor making a metallic sound as it did but one that VM didn't hear.

Her locket.

Regal watched as Videoman brought the net savers in, each one laying limp in his arms, it would be so easy to destroy them now but what fun would that be? He wanted to make them suffer. No he had a different kind of torture in mind and it wasn't physical, it was mental.

TBC