Roll: Hello, everyone.
Medi: Hi.
Roll: Before we get into the next chapter, the author wants us to start off by saying thank you for the many hits and the positive reviews this story has gotten.
Medi: Now that he has your support, he would also appreciate your assistance. You see, this story is going to be big, and very difficult for one writer to handle alone.
Roll: Therefore, he would like for us to point out two crucial areas in the Forum area for the Mega Man series under MegaMan Network Transmission. First, there is the Story FAQ Thread. I suppose so far, this story has some of you readers confused, especially with the plot… so if you have in questions or concerns, please fell free to let him know there.
Medi: The next area is the Enemy/Ally Request Thread. This one is very simple; all you have to do is say who you want the heroes' next enemy to be. It can be a Navi that already exists, based off the original series, a Maverick from the X series, or even your own fan-made Maverick or Navi. Now, your choice's fate will rest in the hands of the author, so expect anything.
Roll: But most importantly…
Medi: …and we can't stress this enough…
Both: …Don't hesitate to say anything! ...Thank you, and enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: I don't know MegaMan.EXE or any EXE character in this story. They all belong to CAPCOM, except for Kicker.EXE and Mayor Kiyuna… so BACK, you lawyers! BACK, I say!
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MegaMan Network Transmission Hunter
Chapter 7: Savage Beast, part 3
It had been a day since Lan and MegaMan Cross Fused and defeated BeastMan. Inukai took the Net Saviors to his home in a small village in the forest, called Toevlugsoord, so that Lan could rest. The battle didn't affect MegaMan at all; however, Lan had been seriously drained of energy and needed to recover – Jasmine made sure of it.
The natives of the village were very hospitable towards the new comers, most like from the fact that they were friends of Inukai, who was the 'village guardian' – their hero. The people were all but defenseless in the past; they felt fearful that they would soon lose their home perhaps even their lives; but when Inukai and BeastMan showed up with the intention of preserving their forest and their home, the people were in total jubilee.
Of course, it didn't take long for the word to get out that BeastMan had turned rogue on his own operator, and the people of Toevlugsoord were once again in terror. Ikukai, however, told them that the visitors, the Net Saviors, had brought warriors of their own to help protect the village. Of course, Lan wanting to help, went with the idea; and the others didn't object. So now the people were now hopeful once again. In the meantime, there were more immediate matters to attend to.
"So Inukai," Hinoken started, "How did you manage to get that Dark Chip?"
Inukai, however, was staring out the window and didn't seem to hear the other man at all.
"Hey! Inukai! Snap out of it!"
"Huh?" Takeo finally said, "Sorry, did you say something?"
"-sigh- I was asking how did you manage to get that Dark Chip?"
"…While BeastMan and I were going on some training rounds in the forest, I happened to drop the Dimensional Chip and it fell into the river. Naturally I followed it and, eventually, I found it stuck between a few rocks. When I found it, the chip was broken – probably from the pressure of the river and the impact with the rocks.
(Flashback)
Inukai picked up the broken Dimensional Chip, and out of frustration he punched a nearby tree.
"Great, just great!" Inukai groaned, "Of all the times for this to happen, SavageMan – five days before Kiyuna starts the demolition."
"This makes us all but defenseless," SavageMan added, apparently stressed by the situation. The forest gave him a great place to roam about and train, outside of his PET; so naturally he considered it his home as well. "Now what do we do?"
"I don't know." the heavyset man looked up. In front of him, a man was sitting at the foot of a tree. One would think he was sleeping; but he always wore sunglasses, so at the moment you couldn't tell. "Famous? What are you doing here?"
"I was passing by when happened to notice you Dimensional Chip floating by," said the man.
"Well, you wouldn't happen to have another one on you, would you?"
"Sure I do," Famous said as he took out a chip from his pocket, "This one works better than the one you had before; it will make SavageMan stronger than before."
Inukai looked skeptically at the chip after he took it and asked, "Why is that important?"
"You want to protect this forest, don't you?" Famous argued, "Of course you do! So this will help!
Inukai shrugged, "Okay.
(End Flashback)
Lan couldn't believe what he heard. If what Inukai said was true, then Mr. Famous was responsible for BeastMan's infection. It didn't make sense.
"Hey Lan, I know this is hard to swallow," Mayl said taking him out of his momentary trance, "but I think this does, merit an investigation."
"I guess you're right," he sighed, "Let's go guys."
The brown-haired boy tried to stand, but he started to fall forward; fortunately, Mayl and Jasmine were near him and caught him.
"Easy, Lan, you're not at full strength yet," Jasmine warned. Chaud nodded, "She's right. You need your rest."
"Okay. I guess it'll be a good idea to practice using Cross Fusion."
-----------------
Mayor Kiyuna entered his office and started up his PC. Afterwards he reopened the link with the mysterious old man from yesterday.
"Is everything now going according to plan?" said the old man.
"Everything should go back on schedule very shortly and you'll have the new laboratory that I promised," Kiyuna assures with a grin. The old man returns it with one of his own. "Inukai took the bait just as I planned. His Navi, SavageMan, was infected by a Dark Chip and then defeated by Lan Hikari and MegaMan. By now, SavageMan is somewhere wasting away."
That's what he thought… "I'll only say this one more time: MY NAME IS BEASTMAN!"
Taken completely by surprise, Kiyuna jump out of his chair and faced BeastMan with a mix of anger and fear, "YOU? What are doing still alive? That Dark Chip was supposed to cause your data to erode!"
To say the least, the Navi didn't take that comment lightly; and in response he raised one of his clawed arms in front of the dark-skinned man, "Oh… that chip DID do what it was supposed to, and I would have been finished too… if it weren't for some help. Enough talk! I'm here to destroy the Dark Chips you have, and confiscate some Navis. Now hand them over!"
The wicked mayor simply grinned at BeastMan's threat, "Heh, you are wasting your time. I don't have any Dark Chip or Navis."
The look on his face told his assailant that he wasn't lying. Refusing to be denied, BeastMan turned his attention to the PC behind the human, "I noticed that you were talking to someone about a deal. Maybe he's the one who has what I seek."
Kiyuna's face became paled with horror, "Oh no. He may ruin everything now!" Although the wild Navi didn't hear his thoughts, the man's face once again proved to say enough, "Ah hah! I knew it!" he said as he raised his other claw.
"Kiyuna, you fool!" the old man shouted, "I'm closing the link NOW!"
With that, the window closed. This action did very little to deter BeastMan, "Humph, there's more than one way to get a job done."
BeastMan's eyes glowed red for second and then fired two small red laser beams at Kiyuna. At first the man thought they were aimed at him, but when he noticed them go past him and into the lens on the PC terminal, he figured out that BeastMan had other plans. BeastMan himself began to glow a bright red and followed the beams into the computer's network, thereby jacking himself in. Kiyuna watched as the Navi slipped away back into Cyberworld; and suddenly felt a little sick, "I've got a bad feeling in the back of my wallet."
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Once BeastMan entered the computer's Cyberworld, he followed the link which led him to the homepage of Kiyuna's client. The homepage itself looked like a laboratory; complete with console systems with Mr. Progs with white lab coats operating them, operating beds, etc. But that wasn't important to BeastMan right now; it was the two containment capsules, at the end of the Lab HP, which housed the two Navis he was searching for: CutMan and BubbleMan.
"Okay, ya green beans, BEAT IT!" he shouted to the Mr. Progs, who immediately ran away. BeastMan walked up to the consoles and looked for the capsule controls. Then, he thought for a moment – a really brief moment. "Screw it!" he uttered as he smash the controls. Fortunately for him, this caused the capsules to open and release BubbleMan and CutMan. A moment, the two Navis awoke and the first thing they saw BeastMan standing before them. CutMan raised his guard and prepared for a fight, but BubbleMan did no such thing. He recognized the Navi right away, "BeastMan! Haven't seen you in a while! Blub Blub!"
"Huh? You know him?" Cutman asked. BubbleMan nodded, "Blub. I used to work with him, under Dr. Wily, before I was deleted by MegaMan. So what brings you here, Beast?"
"I'm here to give you two a new job offer," the brutish Navi answered, "Of course you'll have to leave your current master behind."
"No problem," the scissor-headed Navi remarked with a smirk, "This old guy might have reconstructed us, but that doesn't mean he's the boss of us."
"That's fine with me," the scuba diver Navi added, "as long as we don't have to run into you-know-who."
"That's exactly what it means!"
CutMan and Bubble looked at each other, then looked at BeastMan, then back at each other, then back at BeastMan before they finally said, "Forget about it!"
"WHAT?"
"Sorry buddy, but there's no way I'm going back to get beat up by that blue dweeb again," CutMan argued.
"Yeah! When I thought I would be able to get away, ProtoMan came and turned me into cold cuts! Blub…" BubbleMan added, "And I bet those two are looking for us now! Blub Blub…"
"They are, and you two are going to face them too! I'm going to make killing machines out of you even if it kills me!"
"Do you want to be buried or cremated," the aquatic Navi said, timidly trying to wisecrack.
BeastMan glared at him, "What did you just say?"
"Uh… n-nothing. Blub…"
"That's what I thought… Hmm… perhaps you two need a little more persuasion. Come with me," BeastMan declared as he escorted the two out of the computer Cyberworld, and into the Undernet.
When they arrived, CutMan and were anxious as to why BeastMan brought them there, but decided not to ask. Silently, the wild Navi led them into even deeper reaches of the Undernet and then to the dreaded Chaos Area (). BubbleMan tried to remain as fearless as possible with little success. Finally, they reached a strange mountain-like fortress. Then had never seen this before – then again, a lot of time had passed since they were alive.
"My master has been making himself a place to run things with," BeastMan finally spoke up.
"What kind of things?" CutMan bluntly asked.
"You will be the first of my new army of Navis that will finally exterminate the human race and the human-loving Navis," said a dark voice. It was Dark Soul Bass, "Welcome… my Shadow Army!"
"B-B-BA-Ba-BASS?" CutMan and BubbleMan stammered in unison.
"That's right; although the Bass as you know me isn't here. The Bass you see before is the embodiment of darkness, death, and destruction." He turned his face towards BeastMan who was kneeling before him, "You have done well in bringing me these Navis."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Now, there is a matter concerning a warehouse of Dark Chips in the possession of you former master. I wish for you to destroy them."
"That we can do," said CutMan, "but if MegaMan's in that area, then we'll have some major trouble."
"You let me worry about him," Bass DS replied, "I know how to deal with him and his friends."
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Lan had regained his strength, and had set out with Chaud, Mayl, and Jasmine to search the area for any signs of the Navis they were looking for. Chaud, of course, lead the small group and Lan took up the rear. Mayl spoke up, "Hey Chaud, how will we know where to find CutMan and BubbleMan? I mean, we really don't have any leads."
"Well, to be honest Mayl, I don't know," Chaud said, as if the thought just came to him, "With our luck, they'll probably come to us looking for a fight."
"I don't know, Chaud," said Lan, "CutMan might be another story, but BubbleMan doesn't seem like the type to look for a fight – in fact, he's more of the type to run away from one; especially with both MegaMan and ProtoMan here."
"We won't know that for sure. I do know that if by some twist of fate, they do come after us, we'll be away from any innocent people."
"GET DOWN!" Lan shouted pulling his friends down. As he did this a spinning pair of scissor blades flew over them and circled around, returning to its owner: CutMan. The orange Navi smirked at the team and ran away, as if he wanted them to follow him.
"I see what you mean, Chaud," Jasmine said as she got up, "Should we follow him?"
"I would recommend it," ProtoMan spoke from his PET, and getting the NetOps' attention. His operator nodded and motioned for his friends/teammates to follow him as they chased after the rogue Navi. "In his current path, Cutman is heading towards Tiena City! We need to stop him before he gets there!"
"How?" Mayl asked. The Red Raider didn't know the answer at the time. Someone needed to say something, or else they will be too late.
"The Dimensional Area!" Lan shouted causing the others to look at him, "Dr. Regal said that the Dimensional Area can keep anyone from getting out and causing damage!"
"But he also said that it uses a lot of energy and should only be used in an emergency," Chaud warned.
"Don't you think this would counts as an emergency?" He asked, although it was more like a command that a question. Chaud nodded again and activated the communication link on his PET, "Dr. Hikari! Dr. Regal! Do you read me?"
"Yes, Chaud, I read you," Yuichiro responded, "What is it?"
"We are in pursuit of CutMan, who is heading towards Tiena City!" the two-tone haired teen responded, "We need the Dimensional Area in order to stop him!"
----
"Understood, Chaud!" said Yuu, "Regal, did you get that?"
"I got it!" the monocle-eyed scientist. "…Initiating DA activation sequence!"
"All systems are at 100 percent power!"
"All four energy dishes are in working order!"
"The space satellite is ready!"
"Locating the Net Saviors' coordinates now…" said Regal, "Chaud, you kids are too far away from CutMan! You have to go faster! There's also an enemy on your tail! ...It's BubbleMan! He's two meters behind you!"
Chaud and Lan, who overheard the conversation, listened for any noises other than the girls that might be coming from behind. Indeed, the scuba diver Navi was hot on their trail as he leapt from tree to tree as if he were ShadowMan or some sort of shinobi. Lan wondered how CutMan could get so fast, and how BubbleMan could become so agile. In the end, it didn't matter. What mattered right now was keeping the Navis away from the city.
"Lan!" Chaud's voice snapped the brunette out his thoughts, "We're not going to make it at this rate!"
"What?" The scissor-headed Navi had already reached Tiena City. If they do something right then and there, countless people might get hurt. Seeing no other option, Lan took out his Battlechip Gate and motioned for Chaud to do same, "Chaud! We might not be able to stop them from reaching the city, but we might still have a chance to keep them from hurting any innocent people!"
Chaud nodded and took out his own Battlechip Gate and the needed Battlechip.
"Battlechip!" the boys shouted in unison, "Dash Condor, Slot in!"
Two Fishy viruses appeared beside the boys and they jumped on, telling the girls to get on as well – Jasmine jumped on with Lan, and Mayl jumped on with Chaud. As they sped up, the Net Saviors noticed the scissor-topped Navi looking behind as they closed in on him. They reached an open field a few miles away from Tiena City. That was when CutMan looked ahead, as if he sensed something; then he smiled and let the Net Saviors into the city where he turned and skidded to a halt.
Lan and Chaud were a bit startled by this action, so they tried a last-minute maneuver and jumped off the Fishy viruses with the girls. CutMan, however, was more then ready; so he threw a couple of Rolling Cutters at the Fishies and destroyed them. The people who saw this happening immediately ran away in fear. It was just what the Nat Saviors hoped for.
"CutMan, leave this city and its people alone!" Chaud yelled.
"Oh yeah! Why should I?" CutMan smirked, "You're only children."
"We're not children," Lan replied holding up his PET. On the screen a multihued hexagon appeared with the letters 'N.S' engraved. "We're Net Saviors, and we have what it takes to stop you! …But there's one thing I want to know… How did you become so fast? And how did BubbleMan get so agile? By the way," Lan looked behind him and shouted, "We know you're back there, BubbleMan!"
On cue, the scuba diver Navi arrived on the scene meters behind the Net Saviors.
"…Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag, isn't?" the said scissor-wielding CutMan, "Well, not quite… You still want to know where we got out new abilities from; right? Well, I'd tell you, but it looks like I don't need to…" he added, pointing behind the heroes, "Look behind you."
It was at that moment that Lan felt a powerful force radiating from behind him. When he and the others turned around, they nearly turned white with fear as the saw the figure.
"Dark Soul Bass!" They shouted in unison. DS Bass grinned, "That's right, although I would prefer to go different name. From now on, until I decide to kill you, you will know me only as…" he raised his arm revealing some of his white and violet armor.
"Forte… Shadow Forte, leader of the Shadow Army!"
There was no doubt that the Net Saviors were now afraid; but they still had a mission to complete, so they had to pull it together. Chaud, since he was in charge of the small group, appeared to be the calmest of the four. Lan has now starting to regret letting Jasmine come along with them. Of course, Jasmine herself was scared stiff by the Dark Shadow and so was Mayl, but they both knew that the boys couldn't handle all four Navis on their own.
"Forte… so he's the one responsible for their new powers," Chaud thought, "And now we have to deal with him and his…Shadow Army?"
Just as the white haired Official was thinking this, Lan pulled out his PET, "Dad, are you getting all of this? Is the Dimensional Area ready?"
"Yes, I heard all of it, and the Dimensional Area is ready," Yuichiro replied, "but I can't activate it just yet."
"What! Why not!" The conversation was interrupted by an explosion that startled the kids.
"Where did that come?" Mayl yelled.
Forte simply grinned showing his teeth, "That would be my recruit finishing his first assignment," he said, then he looked up, "and here he comes now."
Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, the culprit made his way to the group and landed between Forte and the Net Saviors. It was BeastMan.
"You!" Jasmine gasped, "But Lan and MegaMan got rid of you!"
"I don't die so easily!" BeastMan replied. "Thanks to Master Forte, I have been reborn as a Shadow Navi; and now I can harness the power of the Dark Aura without suffering the consequences!" Above them the Dimensional Area started to form around them.
"Well, I'd love to stay and watch my soldiers destroy you," Forte said as he swept his acquired cape and turned around, "but I must take my leave. Farewell."
Forte logged out before the Dimensional Area could trap him.
The Shadow Navis now stared down at the Net Saviors. Mayl glared daggers at BubbleMan – she wanted payback for the washing machine incident. Chaud was focusing on CutMan since he knew sword attacks could counter the Navi's scissors. Lan and Jasmine were facing BeastMan, and during the staring match MegaMan informed his brother that the wild Navi had gotten even stronger since their last encounter and that he wouldn't be strong enough to defeat him. Lan figured that they would have to Cross-fuse to beat him, so Jasmine asked to use his Dimensional Chip so that Medi could fight.
A vulture had landed atop the cliff of one of the city's building and had glanced down to see the contenders getting for an intense battle. While the bird was up there, no one made a sound nor moved an inch; but moment the vulture had left its spot, they wasted no time in beginning the battle. BeastMan rushed towards the group with his claws arched, CutMan threw a Rolling Boomerang, and BubbleMan fired an Aqua Harpoon, but Mayl downloaded a Life Aura and negated the first two attacks and knocked BeastMan back a few meters.
Chaud: "Thanks Mayl! Here's what Mayl, you provide back-up with the Battlechip Gate; Jasmine and I will bring out ProtoMan and Medi; Lan, you know what to do!"
Even though they were in the city, there was still enough space for the Net Saviors to move freely in; so Chaud ran to one building up to the rooftop, Jasmine and Mayl went to another one and did the same thing, while Lan stayed out in the streets.
Lan: "Are you ready, MegaMan?"
MegaMan: "I'm ready, Lan! But you better slot-in some Battlechips first!"
Lan: "Gotcha. (He downloaded some Battlechips into the PET) Synchro Chip, slot in!"
Lan/MegaMan: "CROSS FUSION!"
Chaud and Jasmine: "Dimensional Chip, slot in!"
Two circles of light appeared beside R-MegaMan, and ProtoMan and Medi appeared in the real world.
Medi: "Wow! This is so cool! I'm in the real world!"
ProtoMan: "Calm down, Med. We've got work to do."
R-MegaMan: "So has everyone picked a partner?"
ProtoMan and Medi smiled and nodded.
R-MegaMan: "Then let's dance."
R-MegaMan armed himself with a Sword Battlechip and rushed towards BeastMan. He tried to slash the wild Navi, but the Shadow Navi simply blocked the attack with his sharp claw. R-MegaMan tried again… and again… and again, but no matter how hard the Blue Fusion tried, he couldn't gain the upper hand. BeastMan decided that it was now his turn to strike; and he did by shattering his opponent's blade with a single slash.
BeastMan: "What a pity. I broke your sword, didn't I?"
R-MegaMan jumped back.
Lan: (Uh-oh… Now what do I do?)
MegaMan: (Try using the Mega Buster!)
Lan: (Right!)
R-MegaMan: "Mega Buster!"
BeastMan: "Humph. Can't you try anything more original?"
R-MegaMan: "Shut it…"
R-MegaMan went back on the offensive fired multiple shots. BeastMan ran towards his opponent, strafing to dodge the shots, and tried to slash him, but the cross-fused Net Savior jumped out of the way. R-MegaMan might have to change his strategy this time around.
----
Meanwhile, Medi was busy trying to avoid getting hit by the arrows fired from a group of Arrow Fish viruses that were summoned by BubbleMan. She decided that enough was enough; it was time to put an end to this. Jasmine felt the same way and slotted in a Vulcan 3 Battlechip. Medi fired the Gatling gun and deleted the viruses leaving BubbleMan by himself; but the Shadow Navi merely grinned, and the nurse Navi scowled in return.
Medi: "I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face, lard-boy! Medi Capsule: Sting Capsule!"
She tossed the yellow and white pill at the Shadow Navi who stood in place. Medi heard BubbleMan grunt when the attack hit him and exploded, so she expected him to become paralyzed… no such luck – he stepped out unscratched. Medi gaped out surprise and confusion.
BubbleMan: "Good old Bubble Wrap. Blub blub… it always helps me in a pinch."
Medi: "Why that little-"
Mayl: "Be careful, Medi. BubbleMan likes to rely on cheap attacks to gain an advantage."
Medi: "Thanks for the tip.
BubbleMan: "Aqua Harpoon!" His shots made direct contact.
Medi "AAHHHH!"
BubbleMan: "Hahaha! It's no use, no use at all! Blub, blub… You can't beat me now that I've been powered up by the Dark Aura! Bubble Lead!"
As he called out the attack, he spread his arms out and a bubble formed around him. The bubble hardened into a sphere and it started to roll towards Medi. She tried throwing a Capsule Bomb to stop it, but the attack came too fast and the pill merely scratched the surface of the light-blue metal sphere.
Medi: "Way to use your time, Medi. I don't have time to move out of the way now! This is going to hurt!"
The rolling sphere was now barely a yard away from her…
----
ProtoMan was having trouble holding his own against CutMan. The Red Raider leapt for the Shadow Navi with a Neo Variable Sword armed and ready to slice him in half. CutMan took out two Rolling Cutters and used them to block the blade. They quickly entered into a struggled for control, and it seemed like CutMan was gaining the upper hand; he begin pushing the red Navi hoping to make him drop his guard or trip over himself, but ProtoMan keep his resolve to keep his balance.
Chaud: "He's not letting up. I got to think of something… Let's see, ProtoMan still has one free hand; I might as well help him make good use of it. Battlechip, Z-Saber! Slot in!"
A short hilt appeared at the Red Raider's side, and he wasted no time in grabbing it and using it to slash CutMan across his chest three. Afterwards, ProtoMan somersaulted back landed on the street, yards away from the Shadow Navi. He looked up at his operator who simply nodded and slotted in another Battlechip. ProtoMan felt the Battlechip's power enter him. He knelt down and got into ready position. Before the scissor-wielding could attempt a counterattack, his opponent activated the Battlechip and dashed forward in lightning speed and slashed him with both the Neo Variable Sword and Z-Saber.
What happened next came as a blur to ProtoMan…
While CutMan was still flying back in the air from the assault, he recovered and quickly delivered the two mouth-like scissors onto ProtoMan's backside while his back was turned.
Chaud: "ProtoMan, are you alright?"
ProtoMan: "Kuh…that attack took a lot out of me. Sir, I don't think I'll be able to beat him at this rate."
CutMan: "It'll take more than that to take me out now, Red."
The white haired Net-Op frowned and thought for a moment as he looked at R-MegaMan during his fight to see that the fusion Navi was holding his own despite BeastMan's increase in power. Chaud made his decision.
Chaud: "I don't know how this is going to affect my body, but… worrying about it isn't worth losing ProtoMan over. Dimensional Chip, eject."
ProtoMan, logging out.
He took out a certain chip from his pack and stared at it for a moment before looking at his PET.
ProtoMan: "I know what you have in mind, Master Chaud. Are you sure you're ready?"
Chaud: "Yeah."
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Meanwhile, in the heart of Tiena City, Mayor Kiyuna was fuming over the events that had occurred earlier; and he wasn't going to let the rogue BeastMan get away with ruining his deal with his mysterious client, and completely humiliating him. Kiyuna had now assembled his own army, and is now giving them their new orders.
"Troops, a great catastrophe has now befalling our great city. A Navi has entered the real world. Many of you may have heard of this Navi, as he resided in the forest in the city's outskirts. Many of you known him by the name of SavageMan; however, his true name is BeastMan, the Navi of a criminal from Japan! This Navi seeks to harm our people without mercy or remorse! Will we let this menace harm our people?
"No, sir!"
"Will we administer swift force on this threat and rid him from the city and protect the people?"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers shouted in unison.
"I can't hear you!"
"SIR YES, SIR!"
"Sir," a soldier spoke, "Sources inform us that there are currently other Navis fighting BeastMan as we speak! What about them?"
"They are not allowed on Afrikkan soil and are just as much of a threat to the peace as the rogue Navi. They must be exterminated as well. Now, move out!"
"Yes, sir!"
------------
R-MegaMan: "Battlechip! Long Blade!"
BeastMan: "You just don't learn! Jumping Claw!"
R-MegaMan charged towards BeastMan, while the wild Navi in turn jumped prepped his claws. BeastMan expected his claw to shatter the sword like before; and when the attacks met, a blind flash erupted…
BeastMan: What?
R-MegaMan: "Oh, I do learn! If you knew about Battlechips, then you would've known that Long Blade is stronger than Long Sword…"
BeastMan growled at his foe. The Blue Bomber's sword managed to stop the claws and still remain intact, and now the two were struggling for control of the battle; but Lan was already two steps ahead…
R-MegaMan: "…but I guess you didn't know that, so my free hand can do this! Charge Shot! FIRE!"
BeastMan's eyes widen in shock as his opponent unleashed his signature attack, and sent him crashing into a building. But the Cross Fuser wasn't done yet. He continued firing his Mega Buster on the Shadow Navi while he was still down, and caused smoke to form from the shots small booms. When the smoke cleared, BeastMan was holding his stomach area in pain while he was laughing.
BeastMan: "Well, I gotta hand it to you, kid. Even with my increased strength, you still manage to hurt me. Heh heh heh. But your winning streak won't last for long…"
R-MegaMan lowered his buster.
R-MegaMan: "?"
------------
BubbleMan's Bubble Lead attack rolled on towards Medi with tremendous force. Medi couldn't move out of the way in time, so Jasmine improvised, "Battlechip! Anti-Aqua, Slot in!"
Just as the attack reached Medi, she raised her feet to catch the sphere and stopped it effortlessly. Then, she got up and swiftly kicked it away where it rolled a bit before it dispersed, causing BubbleMan to tumble along the ground and knocking him unconscious. She looked up towards her operator and Roll's, and gave them a peace sign. Jasmine smiled as did Mayl who turned towards CutMan who was looking around for his opponent.
CutMan: "Where is that red-headed guy!"
: "Don't worry about him!"
CutMan: "What?"
Mayl: "Battlechip! Spreader, Slot in!"
A barrage of energy blasts hit him from above.
CutMan: "Oh! So the girl wants a piece, huh?"
Mayl: "Yeah, I do! Battlechip! Boomerang! Double Slot in!"
Two metal boomerangs appeared in the air, and Mayl and Jasmine grabbed them and threw them at CutMan, but the scissor-wielding Shadow Navi threw his own Rolling Cutters and negated the Boomerangs. The Rolling Cutters continued on their path towards the girls, until a lightning fast red streak cut through them.
CutMan was left confused since he didn't see who did it, and Mayl and Jasmine were shocked as well.
Jasmine: "D-Did you see that?"
Mayl: "N-No I didn't!"
CutMan: "Who did that?"
: "I did that!"
The Shadow Navi looked to his left to see ProtoMan crouched down and his back to the battlefield. But this one looked slightly different from before. This version of ProtoMan had the original purple and black bodysuit and the gloves and boots as well, except red from his boots are now above his knees up to his thighs. Golden triangles with black trim ran across the frontal sections of his gloves and boots. He had gold and white trim running across the top of his chest armor. His helmet visor was more transparent allowing someone to see his eyes, and a gold jewel (?) was on the forehead along the white area of the helmet. Finally his hair was long and white, but was black along the bottom.
Mayl: "Is that…Chaud?
Jasmine: "Yeah, I think so. He's Cross-fused with ProtoMan!"
Mayl: "…Be careful, Chaud."
R-ProtoMan stood and turned towards CutMan, and slowed walked towards him. CutMan had a blank expression on his face, mainly because he wondered why R-ProtoMan was walking to him. The Red Raider stopped when he was about three yards away.
CutMan: "?'
R-ProtoMan: "I'm not the kind of person who easily loses his temper…" he started walking again "…but I won't stand and watch you harm the girls…" stops right in front of CutMan (whispers) …especially Mayl."
CutMan: "Humph. And what would you do if I did harm her?"
R-ProtoMan: "This… Battlechip! Fire Hit!"
R-ProtoMan's right glove became engulfed in flames, and he punched CutMan in the gut, sending him flying back. R-ProtoMan wasn't going to let him recover this time, and he activated a Neo Variable Sword. He then jumped after the Shadow Navi and stabbed him in the chest before the Navi could hit the ground and finished him off with a Sonicboom attack.
CutMan: "AAAAHHHHHHH!" CutMan exploded.
Jasmine: "Way to go, Chaud!"
Mayl: "He's amazing…"
----------
R-MegaMan had entered a staring contest with BeastMan after the Navi told him he will lose. R-MegaMan had his Mega Buster ready just in case his opponent was trying to make him drop his guard.
R-MegaMan: "What did you mean by that?"
BeastMan: "By what?"
R-MegaMan: "When you said my winning streak won't last long."
BeastMan chucked inwardly and raised his claws. Lan's eyes widened.
BeastMan: "What I mean is… I haven't used my full power yet!"
MegaMan: "No way!"
Lan: "You're bluffing!"
The glint is BeastMan's bloodshot eyes told the Net Savior otherwise. It was at that moment that Lan and MegaMan felt a dark power rise from within the Shadow Navi. Chaud, ProtoMan, and Medi felt it as well, and Mayl and Jasmine could literally see a black power emulating from him.
BeastMan: "DARK AURA! RRRAAAAAARRRRRR!"
The ground on the battlefield shook violently as the wild Navi was powering up, and some of the buildings' windows shattered from the intense pressure. BeastMan glowing in a white light. The process itself had gone on for about half a minute.
MegaMan: "Lan, get back!"
When he was finished, he exploded in a wave of black energy, destroying much of the area around him. When the smoke around him cleared, he had changed. Many of his features grew bigger; such as the claws on both his hand and feet, the horn on his head, his fangs, and the hair on his back. His eyes had an eerie dullness to them. This was his Dark Soul's full power.
BeastMan DS: "Do you like what you see?"
Medi: "Uh, let me think about that… NO!"
BOOM!
The blast came from the Dimensional Area's outer wall behind BeastMan DS. Outside the energy dome, an army of at least a hundred soldiers armed with high-power machine guns and missile launchers had assemed. A large tank was also seen with the army – it was apparently the source of the blast, as it fired another shell from its barrel, and hit the same spot as before.
Lan: "Who are those guys?"
Medi: "The cavalry?"
Chaud: "I don't know, but they don't need to be here."
------------
"Sir, the barrier is not receiving any damage!" said one soldier.
"At this rate, a section of the city will be completely demolished!" said another
Kiyuna growled as he thought to himself, "Isn't there some way to break that dome?"
His cell phone rings and he answers it, "Hello...Yes…I see…Okay. Tank driver, open fire!"
He objected, "Sir, it doesn't have any effect."
"It will. Do it."
The driver of the tank fired shell after shell at the wall of the Dimension Area, and it looked like it didn't even phase it… that is, until the dome started sparking from where it was hit.
Lan: "Wha…What's going on?"
: "Lan, come in!"
Lan: "Dr. Regal!"
Dr. Regal: "Lan, the DA Generator's power is malfunctioning because the outside attacks! We have to shut it down now or else it will overload!"
Lan: "…alright."
The Dimension Area disappeared from around the Net Saviors and Shadow Navis. R-MegaMan, R-ProtoMan, and Medi prepped themselves for anything else that could happen. The soldiers opened fire on the entire battlefield, not aiming for anyone in particular.
Medi: "Whoa-ho-ho! They're shooting at us!"
Lan: "HEY! We're on your side!"
Chaud: "They must think we're a threat too!"
The soldier carrying missile launchers fired their weapons, which were aimed for all of the fighting Net Saviors and Shadow Navis - except for Mayl and Jasmine who they didn't see.
MegaMan: "Medi! Get behind Lan!"
Lan: "Battlechip! Met Guard!"
Medi ran behind R-MegaMan as a Mettaur shield appeared in front of them, and R-ProtoMan followed suit by activating his Proto Shield, thereby protecting all of them. BubbleMan woke up just as some of the missiles came for him and, in a quick reaction, jumped out of the way. BeastMan simply took them without moving.
Lan: "Why would they think we're a threat?"
Chaud: "I don't know."
: "Yoo-hoo!"
Lan/Medi/Chaud: "Huh?"
The Net Saviors looked behind to see BubbleMan who had formed a field of bubbles station above him. Lan was confused as to why he's letting them stay there and not sending them as his team, but when he heard the sound of guns cocking, he gasped and knew why.
Lan: "Wait! Don't shoot!"
Kiyuna: "Prepare to fire! Shoot out those bubbles before he can use them!"
Lan: "I've fought him before! I know what there capable of!"
Kiyuna: "Ignore him, men! Fire!"
The soldier obediently and brashly opened fire on the bubbles, and not letting the bullets miss. BubbleMan grinned at this… the Shadow Navi was daring the army to shoot. As each and every bubble was popped, they reveal hidden piranha-shaped missile. The soldiers had realized too late that they were led into a trap, and the missiles fired hitting the ground they were standing on. Every last soldier in the area received injury from the explosions and were disabled.
R-MegaMan (to BubbleMan): "You MONSTER!"
BubbleMan: "You warned them. Blub Blub."
R-MegaMan/Mayl/Jasmine: "Program advance!"
R-MegaMan: "Hi-Cannon! Triple slot in!"
Mayl: "Cannon, Hi-Cannon, Mega Cannon! Triple slot in!"
Jasmine: "Spreader! Triple slot in!"
R-MegaMan: "GIGA CANNON!"
Mayl: "ZETA CANNON!"
Medi: "HYPER BURST!"
All: "FIRE!"
R-MegaMan and Medi let loose their Program Advance attacks from BubbleMan's front while Mayl fired from his left above him. The cowardly Navi back up just in time to avoid getting hit by the direct attack, but was still knocked high into the air by the resulting explosion.
BubbleMan: "Whooaa! He, who blubs and runs away, lives to blub another day!"
BubbleMan logged out of the battle, leaving only BeastMan to deal with.
Medi: "What'd he say?"
R-MegaMan: "I don't know…"
The only ones left standing after BubbleMan's attack trap were Kiyuna and the tank he was standing on. In a heated rage, he commanded the tank operator to fire at will. Since BeastMan was the closing and most stationary target, he was fired on the most. Like before, he remained still and took the blasts without even flinching, but the tank kept up the assault hoping to eventually take him down. 'Eventually' never came.
BeastMan: "Look at the little humans playing with their little toys…"
Building up energy, he drove his claw into the ground, creating a powerful shockwave.
BeastMan: "THIS IS A GROWN-UP'S GAME!"
The impact of the attack combined with the force of the shockwave knocked the Net Saviors onto the ground, and caused the ground in front of the remaining Shadow Navi to virtually cave in, thereby disabling the tank.
BeastMan: "So, MegaMan, are you and your friends ready to play some more?"
R-MegaMan: "No. I'm done 'playing', so I'll just end this! Chaud, Medi, Mayl! Are you guys ready?"
Chaud: "I'm ready."
Medi: "Me too."
Mayl: "So am I."
R-MegaMan: "Mega Buster!"
R-MegaMan charged at the Shadow Navi, stopped right in front of him and fired his buster at his face, knocking him down. Medi followed up with a Capsule Bomb and hit while he was down. R-ProtoMan went while BeastMan's guard was down and slashed him three times in a triangular formation. His lightning fast movements left behind a red triangle on the ground.
R-ProtoMan: "Delta Ray Edge!"
At his call, an energy pillar arose from the ground, inflicting great damage to BeastMan; and to the Navi's greater misfortune, he was standing over the hole that his claw made from the attack on the tank. Mayl saw that as an opportunity.
Mayl: "Battlechip, Aqua Tower! Slot in!"
A towering pillar shot up from the hole and blasted the Shadow Navi with a powerful torrent of water. The series of attacks left him too weak to return the assault. R-MegaMan faced his red ally who nodded.
R-ProtoMan (grinning): "You know, BeastMan, I am the only who hasn't used a Program Advance yet."
BeastMan: "What!"
R-ProtoMan: "Program Advance! Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Triple slot in!"
A glowing blue energy sword formed in his hands. He grabbed the hilt of it, and glanced at his opponent.
R-ProtoMan: "Dream Sword!" The energy sword wave made a direct hit.
BeastMan: "You lousy humans have only felt the tip of the Shadow Army's power; and you have not seen the last of me! I'll be back!"
With that, BeastMan logged out. Mayl and Jasmine came from the building they were on and ran up to their friends to congratulate them. The Net Saviors' victory was cut short by Kiyuna's soldiers who armed their guns.
"You people have caused nothing but trouble by being here," Kiyuna began, "You will be executed here today!"
"I think not," said another male's voice. The man was wearing a white lab coat and sunglasses.
"Mr. Famous!" Lan gasped, "Hey, why did you give Inukai a Dark Chip!"
"I didn't, Lan," Famous begin, "I was knocked out cold. Apparently, someone tried to trick me into using one as well by switching out my Dimensional Chip for a Dark Chip… and that someone is Kiyuna."
"You have no prove," Kiyuna chuckled.
"Oh, but I do. I've been working undercover for the Net Saviors for a long time now. I've been sent to investigate the source of the Navi's appearances into the real world."
"Then how come we were sent here?" Chaud asked, "We were sent to investigate the same thing."
"Probably because that Bass look-a-like is trying to make an army, and wanted to used Navi's that were already evil," Famous explained, "I tried to pinpoint the exact source of CutMan and BubbleMan's transition into the real world, but every time I would get different results. The results I did get all were around Tiena City's general area, and since to attempts were made to deal with the Navi appearances, I came to the conclusion that Kiyuna was somehow involved… but this was when I was starting out here and it only a hunch."
Famous' deduction was not generally accepted by the soldiers, as they pointed their guns at him instead. "LIES!" said a soldier, "Kiyuna is a great leader! He only wants what's best for the people!"
"I feel sorry for you guys," the enigmatic Net Battler said shaking his head, "He wants you to believe that. But I've learn of his true intentions. In a stroke of good fortune, I manage to sneak into you good-for-nothing mayor's office and taped his video-phone line. You wouldn't believe what he said to his frequent client."
The soldiers slowly lowered their guns and one of them said, "Try us." Mr. Famous pressed the play button on his tape recorder.
(On the tape)
Kiyuna: "Well, my good man, you certain have some good persuasion methods. If I build a laboratory for, you can guarantee me worldwide power?"
Mysterious Man: "Why yes, but… my technology is far from cheap, and according to you bank account, you don't have anywhere near enough money to pay for my services."
Kiyuna: "Not a problem. I'll just gouge every penny from the people as long as it takes."
Mysterious Man: "That's good to know. I don't want any Officials getting in the way, and if anyone else tries to be a hero. Use the Dark Chips I gave."
Kiyuna: "Will do."
(End tape)
Before Kiyuna could run or make a defense, the soldier pointed their rifles at him.
"Mayor Am'mir Kiyuna, you are under arrest for extortion and the possession and distribution or Dark Chip."
Kiyuna raised his hands in defeat, "Crap…"
------------
The scene was quiet inside the Net Savior HQ's mainframe. Bass was standing in the middle of the network with his eyes closed as he appeared to be focused on something. His period of solitude was interrupted when Slur entered the network.
"Bass, do you feel it?" she asked. He nodded, "Yes, my evil darkness has made himself known…… Shadow Forte…"
"The fate of mankind rests in the hands of Lan Hikari and MegaMan, as well as their friends. What will you do?"
"I'll help them, of course – but in due time. Right now, I won't be of any use to them, Slur. Plus, there are some things I want to take care of before I help them."
Slur logged out.
"… MegaMan… I never thought the day would come when we would help each other."
------------
"Thank you for your help, Lan," said Inukai, "If there is anything I can do to help, let me know."
"I'm glad we could help," the boy replied, "And don't worry about BeastMan; I'm sure we can get him back somehow."
After Kiyuna was taken to prison, Mr. Famous arranged for a helicopter to pick up Lan and his friends. Kiyuna's former army give the Net Saviors a unified salute as the heroes took off into sunset sky with Japan as the destination. Mr. Match rode behind them in his own plane, of course.
On the plane, Lan and Jasmine had sat across from Chaud and Mayl. Jasmine was exhausted from the days on the continent and had fallen asleep on her boyfriend's lap. Chaud was tired as well, but his fatigue was from using Cross Fusion. That left Lan and Mayl still awake, and the latter was looking out the window.
"You know Lan," Mayl began, "At first I thought Jasmine was just going to slow us down, but she really surprised me! She really helped us out, huh?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "I'm not surprised though. I mean, I always knew she was a strong Net Battler."
"…She's really lucky to have someone like you by her side."
"Thanks, Mayl," the brunette smile genuinely at his best friend, "That means a lot."
To be continued…
------------
Navi Profile
Name: Roll.EXE
Navi Gender: Female
Physical Age:
Operator: Mayl Sakurai
Element: Healing
Signature Chip: Heart Flash
Attacks: Roll Buster, Roll Whip, Heart Slash, Roll Arrow
------------
Bass: "WHAT! That's all I get!"
Lan: "Whoo-hoo! Look at me everybody! I'm flying!"
Bass: "Less than a minute of monologue?"
Mayl: "I see it, but I don't believe it."
Bass: "I don't believe this!"
Jasmine: "How is he able to do that?"
Bass: "This is really ticking me off!"
Chaud: "I don't know, but I'm feeling kind of light-headed."
ProtoMan: "Master Chaud, someone's messing with the Earth's gravitation."
MegaMan: "I figured as much."
Bass: "Is anyone listening to me?"
Everyone else: "SHUT UP!"
Lan/MegaMan: "Next time on MegaMan Network Transmission Hunter! To the Moon or Bust!"
Lan: "OWW!"
Jasmine: "Gravity really hurts doesn't it?"
Lan/MegaMan: "Battle routine, SET!"