Chapter 4

Mental Prisoner

"UUUUUUUHAAAAA," Terra shuttered as she and the others materialized back at headquarters. "I swear I will never get use to that."

"What's so weird about it?" Whisper asked.

"If you're wondering if it's the fact that my flesh and blood just got converted into inorganic matter that's not what I find creepy. As strange as that is by the way. It's the way it feels when you undergo the conversion. How do I explain it?" Terra asked suddenly at a loss for words.

"You mean that creepy crawly tingly feeling that slowly crawls over your entire body feeling like a million spiders are creping over you?" Lan asked.

"Exactly, that's what it feels like." Terra replied a twitch.

"You know Lan with the way you explain things someone might think that you need deep psychological help." Proto remarked.

"Well it's not my fault I have an overactive imagination it's his," Lan said pointing to his brother. "Everything I've got I've got from him."

"Mega, goody to shoes, Mega? Always knows the right thing to say, never overreacts Mega?" Proto asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah," Lan replied, "you may never think that he's majorly mature but that's all a façade that hasn't come off yet. But believe me underneath he's my dark devious twin. So if you ever thought that I was the evil one think again. If you think I'm bad he's me times 10."

"Now that's hard to believe." Chaud said, although he remembered the couple of stories he had heard from their childhood; he still couldn't believe that Mega was the mastermind even if that was years ago.

"Yeah well I believe it." Terra said getting up from her chair official report in hand. She had got stuck with the assignment of writing it. Terra looked into Mega's eyes for a second. As she glanced into his them she could see that the pranksters spark that had lay dormant for so many years, buried by confusion and responsibility was slowly starting to resurface, and once it did it would match the one that Lan already portrayed. Only it would be way worse sine there would be brains behind it. Hikari brains at that. "Here you go all i's dotted and t's crossed, it's ready for the chiefs inspection and explosion." Terra said as she handed Chaud the report.

"Why do I always have to turn it in?" Chaud asked taking the file.

"Because he respects you more, you're his favorite, that's why." Terra replied, "and he's less prone to lose it with you."

"Fine," Chaud replied as he headed down the hall, to his relief that chief was out and all he had to do was leave the report at the door.

"Well that was fast." Whisper said when he came back to the lobby.

"The chiefs out, I just left the file on his door." Chaud replied.

"Well then now that that's done lets get out of here, if I hurry Maylu and I can still catch the last bus to Tokyo." Terra said getting up to leave.

"And just what are suppose to do?" Lan asked.

"I don't know but it's Saturday, there should be something. Lan why don't you and Chaud do something together? I know your like water and oil but I'm sure you can get past your differences and give your friendship a little more backbone. Anyway I'll see you guys later." Terra replied as she turned down 10th street leaving Lan and Chaud alone.

"So what exactly are your plans for today?" Lan asked, "If you're not busy we could go the skate park."

"Sounds like fun, but I'll pass, my dad faxed me some papers to look over yesterday and I have to get that done, thanks for the invite though maybe some other time." Chaud replied as his car pulled up and he got in, "You need a lift?" he asked.

'No thanks I'll just skate." Lan replied popping his wheels out.

"Ok see ya then." Chaud replied as the car left.

"Race ya home." Lan said as he sensed his brother materialize beside him.

"You're on." Mega replied.

"Come on Terra hurry up if we don't make it to Maylu's in 20 minutes we'll miss the bus." Whisper called over she shoulder urging her op to skate faster.

"Well sorry but unlike you I get tired quicker." Terra replied as she tried to keep up with Whisper.

"You want a piggyback ride?" Whisper asked as she doubled back and came up beside her friend.

"No thanks I'd rather lose all feeling in my legs." Terra replied as she pushed on, "Hey isn't that the chief?" she asked as she pointed to a man ahead if them.

'Yeah it is, hey Chief Keifer." Whisper called out to the man as he turned around.

"Hello Whisper it's good to see you, I take it that the mission went well?" he asked.

"Well I wouldn't say it went bad," Terra said when she caught up with her navi, "we hit a few snags but everything went okay, its all in the report, we left it on your door back at headquarters."

"Good, I'll go and review it then," the chief replied, "enjoy your Sunday girls." He said as he walked away.

"Did he just say Sunday?" Terra asked when she and Whisper continued on their way, "it's Saturday."

"Yeah he did." Whisper replied a little surprised, the chief was the most put together guy she knew next to Chaud and Protoman, "but its no big deal he's probably just tired."

"Yeah, I can relate to that." Terra added.

"Ha I win!" Lan exclaimed as he skidded to a halt in front of his house.

"That's only because you cut through 4th street Mega replied as he stopped behind him.

"Hey the rules weren't laid out." Lan said as she opened the door. "Mom we're home!" he called out.

"Hi sweetie how did practice go?" she asked as she leaned out of the kitchen.

"It went." Lan replied, thinking it was best to leave the net adventure to himself.

"Ok you have a good day." She said as she kissed Lan on the forehead, "oh hi Mega," she said shortly before returning to the kitchen.

Lan cocked his eyebrows at this. "That was weird." He said when his mom disappeared into the kitchen.

"Yeah it was," Mega added.

"Good morning master Blaze," Chaud's butler addressed as he came through the door. "I guess you had a good practice?"

"It went well thank you Miles," Chaud replied as he headed his office upstairs to finish looking over the papers his farther had sent. When he opened the door he was met with a surprise.

"Dad?" Chaud asked when he saw the man he barely knew standing in his office.

"Oh it's good to see you son, you've done great work so far with the company, keep it up." His father replied.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you still be in the states?" Chaud asked.

"Chaud that business trip ended weeks ago, I was due back home today you know that."

"No I don't, sure the last trip was over two weeks ago but you sent me an e-mail saying you found a small company that was looking to merge and that negations would take another two months. You faxed me the papers to look over yesterday."

"Chaud that company was a dead end." His father replied seeming to try to cover over the situation.

"So I did all that work for nothing?" Chaud asked.

"No Chaud, I never sent you those papers, the papers I sent you were from a company right here in Dentech, they sent me their proposition while I was still in New York, here look for your self." His father said handing him the papers he had been working on.

Chaud looked over the documents, although they were filled with his handwriting and his thoughts they weren't his, he hadn't seen these papers before. He could remember that the papers that he had been working on were from a company in Chicago, not Dentech, Japan. Something was wrong. "Oh I guess you're right, I must have been really tired yesterday."

"Well you have been working hard it's an honest mistake, but you still have a lot of work to do so get to it." His father said as he left the room.

Chaud could only stare at the door when his father left, this was the first time the thought had ever come to his mind. 'Since when dose a man allow his 14 year old son to be the vice president of a multi billion dollar company?'

"Theses aren't the documents you were working on yesterday." Proto said as he materialized taking the memo's from Chaud's hand. "And your dad's not due back for another two months."

"I know," Chaud replied.

As Terra and Whisper made their way down Maylu's street she caught sight of Maylu and Roll sitting on their front steps book in hand. (Lan had scored Maylu a PET III )

"Hey," Terra said as she ran up the walk, "I know we're late but if we hurry we can still catch the last bus to Tokyo."

"Huh?" Maylu asked thoroughly confused.

"You know the shopping spree in Tokyo? You've planned this for weeks, its today." Whisper added.

"I never planned a trip to Tokyo." Maylu replied.

"Are you sure because it's all you've been able to talk about for the past few days." Terra said.

"Yeah, I think I'd remember planning something like that." Maylu replied.

"And I can vouch for her," Roll added, "I just looked over her schedule and she has nothing planned for today."

"Ok I guess I must have dreamed it then." Terra said as she backed away felling like a total idiot. "I guess I'll se ya later?"

"Sure," Maylu replied getting back to her book.

"Ok, I know for a fact that you didn't dream that. The only dreams you've had for the past three weeks have been nightmares. So what's going on? Maylu would never have forgotten about that trip. She saved three years worth of baby sitting money just so she could go. What's going on?"

"I have no clue…" Terra started to say when she noticed something. The trees that liked the street seemed to fade. No that wasn't right, they seemed like they had static. But was soon as it started it stopped.

"What is it?" Whisper asked as Terra's voice drifted off.

"We need to get out of here." Terra said abruptly as she began talking again.

"What why?" Whisper asked as she snagged Terra's arm.

"That's why." Terra said pointing across the street as some of the pedestrians seamed to flicker and fade.

"What is that?" Whisper asked.

Lan drifted off in thought as he stood on his balcony outside his room. He knew he probably shouldn't make a big deal out of it but he couldn't get it out of his head. Something weird was going on. Ever since he had found out the truth his mom had treated he and his brother like she did when they were little. It was almost like someone had pressed a pause button on their lives and pressed play again, but now she had just acted like Mega was just some common netnavi. But that wasn't right. Lan's mom was like him, she saw netnavis like he did. Like other people. Now it seemed like she just saw them as many people did, just data. She had treated Hub like that, some common object, no her son.

"Hey what wrong you look a little lost?" Mega asked as he came up beside him..

"I am," Lan replied, "I just keep thinking about how strange mom acted, she hasn't called you Mega since the day I found out."

'Well maybe it was a fluke."

"That was no fluke, I mean yeah she's capable of one but that would involve calling you Mega. It's not like she just slipped up. She meant to say that. And she didn't call you Mega the way she calls you Hub, she was passive when she said that. And if it's one thing mom's never been it's passive. She's never been passive to anyone human or navi."

Mega began to see his point, then he noticed something. "You're probably right, but since when have you been so calculating? And don't tell me that after all this time the family genes are starting to kick in."

"I doubt it," Lan replied, "you're just beginning to rub off on me."

"So what do you think is going on? You think Regal's involved?"

"I don't know but I don't think that this is a coincidence. Regal has to be planning something. He's been quite for a while, the darkloid attacks have been few and far between and he's already told us that it wasn't over then all of a sudden something off the wall happens. Everything has his signature and if is him, whatever he's planning he's being really cautious about it. Come on." Lan said as he walked back into his room and boded Mega to come with him.

"What are you doing?" Mega asked as he followed his brother down the stairs.

"Seeing for sure if this was a fluke or not. Kiefer told us that we always needed to be watchful, that Regal could attack anywhere at anytime, but I want to be sure something's up for sure before I say anything."

"So what am I suppose to do?" Mega asked.

"Just be yourself," Lan replied as he shoved him back in the kitchen.

Mega was at a loss at what to say so he just said the first thing that came to mind.

"Hey Mom, whatcha doing?" Mega asked as he walked up beside her.

"I'm cooking," she replied slowly looking at Mega like he had lost his mind, "since when did you start calling me Mom?" she asked.

"Probably since I was about two years old, after all I am your son," this statement just made her look at him all the stranger. "You know your son, Lan older twin, I died at six from HBD, Dad saved my life by trapping my mind on the net, turned me into a netnavi, gave me to Lan three years ago, he just found out the truth, any of this ringing a bell?" Mega asked.

Slowly a smile came across his mother's face. "Oh you kids and your imagination," she said as she ruffled Mega's hair and speaking to him like he was three in a singsongy tone, "go find Lan I'm pretty sure he needs you," she said as she dismissed him."

"Ok that was the weirdest experience I've ever had." Mega said as she came back into the hall. "You're right something is off."

"Lan could you come here for a second?" Lan's mother said as she called him.

"Sure what is it?" Lan asked as he came in.

"Oh I just wanted to tell you that you might want your dad to check Megaman over, I think he might have a virus. He thinks I'm his mother. It was cute at first but then it got a little disturbing."

"Oh don't worry I'll get him checked out," Lan said as he left, "Oh yeah there is defiantly something wrong with her, she wants to get you checked."

"What are we going to do." Mega asked.

"I don't know…" Lan replied as he drifted off when he PET went off.

"It's an e-mail from Chaud, he wants us to meet him at his house." Mega said.

"Well than let's get out of here I'm starting to get the creeps." Lan replied.

"Regal." Terra answered as she watched some of the people continue to flicker and fade and then it was over.

"Terra?" Whisper asked her in a shaky voice.

"What?" Terra asked.

"Look." Whisper replied pointing to Terra's arm.

When Terra raised her arm and looked she could practically see through her arm as it began to phase in and out. "OMG" she breathed when it finally stopped.

"We need to get to headquarters." Whisper said as she began to walk away.

"No," Terra said suddenly as she grabbed her arm. "Have you ever seen people phase before? Something's not right here, something's wrong I don't think going to Scilab will help."

"Well where are we suppose to go?"

"Chaud's probably our best bet, we can call Mega and Lan from there see if it's not just us."

When Terra and Whisper arrived at the Blaze mansion they rang the bell and patiently waited for the door to be answered. When the door was opened Terra was met with an unexpected surprise.

"Why Miss Javedson what a pleasant surprise I haven't seen you in years here to see the young master I gather?" a slightly aged yet kind looking butler asked. When he fully opened the door and took notice of Whisper he suddenly went stark. "Miss Skyler?" the man asked in a shaky voice looking at the navi like he had just seen a ghost.

"Who?" Whisper asked thoroughly confused.

"Miles this is my netnavi Whisper, she look a lot like me I know, but that was my dad's idea." Terra quickly said trying to reassure the man.

"Yes, yes of course. Right this way," Miles replied as he showed them to a set of stairs. "Young Master Blaze's office is on the second floor fourth door to the right."

"Thanks Miles," Terra said as she passed him and started up the stairs.

"What was that about?" Whisper asked.

"I don't know maybe you reminded him of someone he's seen before."

"Terra he called me the same name you've been calling out at night." Whisper replied.

Terra was caught speechless and was only saved when…

"Terra?" a voce asked.

When Terra turned around she was faced with Chaud's father, Mr. Blaze.

"I thought that was you," he said when he got a good look at her. "My you've grown how long has it been 8 years?" he asked.

"Almost nine." She replied.

"Well aren't you a sight to see, you're a young woman now, I hear you've made some major improvement with our PET, I must say I was immensely surprised when I saw Protoman walking around, we could use you in the company."

"Thanks, but I'd rather hold on to my youth for now."

"Oh, that sarcastic sense of humor you know that's get you very far in the business world. Oh look at the time," he said as he checked his watch, but I have a meeting I must attend, nice to see you again Terra." he said as he left.

"He wasn't suppose to be back for another two months wasn't he?" Whisper asked.

"No he wasn't," Terra said as she knocked softly on the door, "hey," she said when she opened the door.

"Oh hey, Chaud said when he looked up from his computer, "I was just about to call you there…" he started.

"Something weird going on," Terra finished, "Yeah we know, have you called Lan?"

"Yeah," Chaud replied, "Hey aren't you suppose be have way to Tokyo by now?"

"Probably would be the operative word, Maylu said that she never planned a trip to Tokyo, and since she's been planning this for the past three months, that pretty much told me that something was up." Whisper said.

"That and the whole world began to flicker." Terra added.

"Flicker?" Proto asked.

"Yeah, like static on a TV screen, not to mention that my arm phased to the point where I could see through it, what tripped you off?" Terra asked.

"Work," Chaud replied as he handed her a stack of papers.

"What are these?" Terra asked again.

"Papers I had to work on that were from a company back in the states."

"But these are from here in Dentech." Whisper commented.

"We know and that's the problem. Plus his dad wasn't suppose to be back for another two months." Proto mentioned, then they heard knocking at the door. "I'll get it," Proto said before anyone moved towards the door, "hey guys," he said when he opened the door and saw it was Lan and Mega.

"You rang?" Lan asked holding up his PET.

"Yeah," Chaud replied, "you haven't noticed anything weird have you?"

"Ha that would be an understatement." Lan replied.

"Why what happened?" Proto asked.

"Our mom was acting really strange, she didn't even know that I was her son." Mega replied.

"Well that seals it, something is up." Proto commented.

"Yeah but what?" Lan asked.

"Whatever it is it started after the battle this morning with Videoman." Whisper brought up.

"Yeah you're right, but everything's wrong, besides the flickers and minuscule details everything's the same." Terra said.

Regal watched as the six made their deliberations.

"Well it seams like it's time to take things up a notch," he said as he pressed a button on his thrown. "Let's see how close your ties actually are."

"But what causing thi…" Mega started when everything in the room began to flicker with static that started to creep and crawl up the walls.

"What is that?" Lan asked as the black and gray matter snaked toward him.

"Regal, who else would it be Lan the Easter bunny?" Whisper stated sharply surprising herself as well as everyone else with her tongue.

"I agree but I don't think we should stick around to see what he has in store for us. We need to get out now!" Chaud exclaimed as he motioned to the door.

"Get out of here to where?" Terra asked as she peered out of the window.

"What do you mean where?" Proto asked.

"Look," Terra replied as she threw up the curtains, when she did everyone saw that there truly was 'nothing' outside the windows. Everything beyond the grounds if the mansion had disappeared but soon even Chaud's world began to drip and slip away, the room and everything else started to melt into nonexistence. Terra gasped and began to back up as the window and floor began to disappear, but it was no use because the wood floor slinked away faster than she could move. Soon she found nothing under her feet and she began to fall.

"Don't worry I have you." Chaud said as he grabbed hold of Terra's wrist but that wasn't enough soon the whole room vanished right from underneath everyone and they all felt themselves falling, but soon that sensation turned to that of floating and then that stopped all together. It felt like their feet had found solid ground although by looking you couldn't tell, there was nothing there everything was white, or however you could explain nothing.

"Welcome to my humble abode children, I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far." Regal's voice commented as it filled the room surrounding them.

"Regal, so you're the one behind this?" Mega demanded more as a statement than a statement than a question.

"Of course Hub, who else would it be Dr. Wily? However, I must admit that I didn't think you'd catch on so quickly, looks like I didn't know you as well as I thought I did, either that or you're all very observant." Regal answered.

"Please you of all people should know you cant duplicate someone's life and make it seamless, you just like to tease, but since you've made your little introduction what are we here for?" Whisper asked starting to sound like her op.

"To test you of course, I told you six I found you intriguing." Regal replied, "Besides what else would you be here for?"

"You call it a test but all you're doing is playing games with us and I for one am fed up with it let us go!" Lan demanded. Regal was silent and seconds later crackling energy was channeled and coursed its way through Lan's body causing him to crumble to the floor in agony.

"Lam!" Mega exclaimed as he rushed to his younger brother's aid.

"I'm ok," Lan said slowly as he grimaced trying to reassure his brother as he set up.

"You, Lan Hikari, are in no position to be challenging me, I am in total control of you and I can end your life at any moment that I please. So if you don't want to become a member of the living dead like your brother I suggest that you shut up." Regal's voice boomed.

"Shut up?" Chaud asked, "I thought you were more refined.

"That goes for you as well Blaze," Regal replied as he caused Chaud to be smited knocking him to the nonexistent ground.

"Chaud!" Proto exclaimed as he rushed over to his fallen operator, "are you ok?" he asked.

"Yes, Proto," Chaud replied as Proto helped him from the floor, "that was nothing more than a love tap, it was no big deal." Chaud replied telling the half lie, in fact his head was still throbbing. As he looked up at his navi to give him a reassuring expression he saw something flash across his face. He couldn't see his eyes so he couldn't know for sure, but he knew his navi unlike Lan and Terra he and Protoman had been together a lot longer, it looked like concern but that wasn't what he found strange, this look of concern seemed different some how stronger…

"So now, that I have your attention and begrudged respect are you ready to fulfill my test?" Regal asked, "And don't even think of trying to escape, you're in a place where there is none. So what will it be?"

"You already know our answer Regal, its not like we have a choice." Terra said.

"Good decision, I just wanted to hear you say it," Regal replied, "this will be a mental test and not a physical one. Keep in mind that I could have killed you at any time but I find that a physical defeat to be less fulfilling. You can snuff a life out and you only receive a short lived pleasure, but a mental defeat last forever, there's nothing more desirable for a man like me to see my enemies have a mental breakdown and remain forever broken. Your test is in the form of a riddle, listen closely because it will only be said once: In a time none to far from here there souls fell asleep in death only to rise stronger thereafter, two are known one is yet to be found, one is in the light, one in shadow and the other had remained in deep darkness yet to be found. All three are tethered together by one factor one man. Find the answer and be free you can find the answers within yourselves, but use the city's scrolls to solve the puzzle. But be aware there is another soul a 4th to come, but watch yourselves my young warriors that the truth you find not divide you. I'd get to work if I were you." Regal finished as his voice faded way and the city as well as the mansion reappeared, the group found themselves in the courtyard.

"Ok who feels that they've fallen from reality and have landed in 'The Triangle?' Terra asked, all excluding Chaud and Proto raised their hand.

"Ok now that the fact that we're all completely under Regal's control has been concluded where are we?" Lan asked.

"Trapped," Mega replied as he held up a scopeblaster peering out of the system.

"We know that but…" Lan started when all of a sudden dizziness swept over him causing his head to swim. Once his head stopped spinning and he opened his eyes again he seemed to be in a dream state almost, and he found himself staring at… himself as well as the rest of the group all lying on metal slabs with wires connecting to them all over. As he looked over his unconscious body he soon felt himself being pulled away… "Ugh," Lan groaned as the lightheadedness seamed to take him over causing his knees to give from underneath him leaving Terra to catch him from behind.

"Lan?" Mega asked as he turned around when he sensed his brother drop.

"Don't worry he's ok," Terra said as she saw Lan's eye's slowly start to open, "Lan what happened to…" she started to say when she noticed, Lan and Mega sharing a odd look. "You just saw through Mega's eyes didn't you?" she asked. "Looks like my hypothosis was rite on the money."

"Yeah. Great." Lan choked out still trying to get use to the feeling; it was much more intense than the breif similar experiences he had when he was younger.

"What'd you see?" Proto asked, "How exactly are we under his control?"

"Mentaly." Mega replied, "he has us in a lab somewhere with wires connected all over us. My best guess is that he's completely immersed our consciousnesses in this virtual world."

"So we really are fully under his control?" Whisper said.

"Seams so." Mega replied.

TBC