"ROCKBUSTER!"
BLAM!
The purple burst of light blasted its way from the blue buster towards the flaming blue ball of DarkPower. Nebula Grey struggled to overwhelm Colonel and escape its current predicament. Unfortuneately, it doesn't seem to be able to get past the large, yellow blade that has stopped Nebula Grey mere centimeters from its target and freedom. In a final, desperate attempt, Nebula Grey let out a humongous pulse of anger and despair and pushed the military navi backwards in an attempt to at least use him as a makeshift shield. Colonel smiled and shoved/slashed the burning orb of evil, resulting in a Counter Hit which paralyzed Nebula Grey. It could only scream as Colonel, still smiling, jumped out of the way and the powerful ball of destruction neared its target.
"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!"
BOOM!
Hikari Netto watched Nebula Grey's destruction from his PET's holographic display. The lovechild of Regal and DarkPower let out a yell of pain and dismay which resonated throughout the entire room. Netto cringed as the beast's last wails echoed through the entire SoulNet network and nearly knocked him out. Netto almost doubled over but he managed to regain control over his body before something bad happened. He looked up to see Dr. Regal stand at his computer with a face absolute shock and disbelief while the eery green mesh that was representative of SoulNet started to blink first slowly, then faster and faster, and with a big KABOOM, flash out of sight. Netto, relieved, noticed that his fellow Team Blues members have regained their senses and are now looking around wondering what in the world has happened.
"It's all gone..."
"It's over, Regal."
Surprised, Netto turned around and Regal looked up. A scruffy looking man walked past the amazed Team Blues members and Dr. Hikari and came up the ramp beside Netto.
"W-who are you...?" Netto asked, to which the scruffy man answered, "I am Barrel...AKA, Colonel's operator."
"Barrel...! Supreme Commander of Netopia's Network Corps! What are you doing..."
Supreme Commander of Netopia's Network Corps! Netto whirled around to look at the man standing beside him. The six foot tall man stood there looking in Regal's direction. Blackish-blue hair, strong, set face, an unshaven stubble, grey shirt, sweat pants...The only military traits that Netto could find in the man was in the face, yellow camoflauge coat, and the boots. He didn't seem to be older than Netto's father, and yet, he was the Supreme Commander of Netopia's Network Corps! Netto stared in awe as Barrel proceeded to reply to Regal.
"A certain someone asked me to destroy SoulServer...But it seems that the job's already done...The annihilation of Nebula Grey is making the plant self-destruct, and the explosions are bringing the volcano to life. SoulServer will be inundated by lava in about 10 minutes."
"Heh heh heh...So my grand plan have come to this..."
"It's dangerous here. Get out as fast as you can."
Netto nodded and turned around to leave when the floor started shaking under him. "Yikes!" Netto yelled, and he tried to maintain balance on his roller blades. When the shaking stopped, Netto and Barrel ran down the ramp, towards Enzan and the others. Netto immediately glomps Enzan err...ahem his dad.
"Netto! ACK!" Yuuichirou falls down and nearly slipped into comatose again. "Great job, Netto, Rockman." Yuuichirou said, with nods and cheers of agreement from the rest of Team Blues.
"Thanks Papa! Everybody! Let's get out of here!"
"You go on ahead. I promise that I'll be right behind you."
"What! No!"
"As a scientist and my Dad's son, I must speak with Regal."
"Ok...Hurry then!"
"I promise." An large explosion rocked the room. "Time's short, go!"
"Roger!" And with that, Netto and everybody else ran out of the room.
Netto followed Supreme Commander Barrel and the rest of his team members outside of the room. Netto paused outside the door and looked back towards his father. Yuuichirou looked his son in the eyes, nodded to remind Netto to escape, and turned around, walking towards Regal.
"Come on Netto!"
"Coming!"
Netto turned to take one last look at his father before leaving and screamed. His father was still visible, but not clearly for there was a torrent of debris falling from the ceiling of SoulServer's room and falling everywhere; crashing onto the floor near Yuuichirou, splashing into the lava, or exploding in mid-air.
"PAPA!" Netto screamed as he chased after his father's disappearing figure to no avail for his teammates have come back and held him.
"PAPA! PAPA! NOO! LET GO OF ME!" Netto screamed, struggled, and strangled poor Nenji, futilely, who had grabbed Netto by the collar. "Papa's in danger! He's in danger! Let me go! I have to save him!"
"Netto! There is nothing you can do! We can only trust that Dr. Hikari will make it out fine. Quick! Let's go!"
"AAAUUGGGH!" Netto knee-hit Nenji in the stomach, back-hand slapped Barrel across the face, and landed on Laika and Enzan's feet with his rollerblades. Freed, Netto dashed towards the room hollering at the top of his lungs in search of his father. Just then, an explosion knocked Netto backwards and sent him crashing into Nenji, Laika, and Enzan. Dazed and unable to move, Netto could only watch as his father's form disappeared behind a couple of more explosions and a cave-in of rubble at the entrance of the room. His father was gone. Again. Just like that. After many days of fighting Nebula and finally, Nebula Grey, it was all for naught. For naught. It was all his fault. He should have taken his father with him instead of letting him follow. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid! What's the point of being the savior of the world if you can't save your own father!
"ARRRRRGGGGGHHH! WWWHHHYYY!" Netto cried in anguish and beat the floor in despair. Netto wiped his tears, and charged towards the rubble when suddenly, a large hand karate chopped him diagonally onto his right collarbone.
When Netto woke up, he was being grasped by a huge hand, namely Barrel's. Realizing that they're outside, Netto frantically looked for his father.
"Where's Dad!"
"He's not here."
"What are you doing then! We have to go look for him! LET ME GO! OOF!"
"Listen to me Hikari! Your father will make it out as he promised and if he doesn't, I don't think he would have wanted his only son to die searching for him! UNDERSTAND!"
Netto could only clench his fists and blink back tears as a frantic helicopter pilot flew the chopper towards the group. Barrel and the others jumped and grabbed onto the rope ladder and it was a good thing that they jumped when they did for the platform they were standing was engulfed in a fiery explosion. Netto couldn't hold back the tears. His father never made it...It was just impossible to believe...
Everybody climbed in except for Netto who was thrown into the chopper by Barrel. Reunited with their individual navis, the rest of Team Blues had their own private reunions with their respective navis. Netto, on the other hand, looked outside towards the factory. Parts of the factory was on fire, but not a lot; Dad could just be alive! They should turn back!
Just as Netto turned to talk to the pilot, his world turned green and he saw everybody around him but in the distance, he could sense three people inside the factory. He felt a faint person, an evil person, and a third person in the back. Then it dawned on him: Somebody had reactivated SoulNet and the first person is his father! He's alive! But what's this? His father seems to be slipping away! This cannot be! No! They should go back before something happens! Netto turned around and noticed that everybody else noticed this too.
"Let's go back! Father is still in there! And he's dying! We MUST go back!"
"It's too dangerous."
"What do you mean danger-"
Netto never got to finish his sentence for at that precise moment, a great display of fireworks erupted from the summit of Mount Belenus and engulfed the Dark Chip Factory. Red, molten lava shot out of the volcano as if somebody detonated an OmegaMissile and red, hot rocks flew around everywhere detroying in their path.As Nenji stood there drooling, Netto's heart just broke. His father was truly gone. Gone. Dead. Disappeared. Forever. Yuuichirou Hikari, one of the greatest scientists known to mankind next to his father, Wily, Cossack, and a couple of others. The kind father who used to play with him, be there to support him whenever needed, and the same father who brought to him Rockman.EXE, his navi and twin brother Hub.
"NOOOO!" Netto dropped down to his knees and started to cry. Everybody stood around Netto not knowing what to do - except Nenji because he's still drooling at Mount Belenus - when Netto suddenly doubled over.
"Netto!" Everyone, including Nenji (about time), rushed towards Netto.
The last thing Netto saw, well...sensed, was Regal's soul undergoing a lot of pain.
"Netto! Netto! Netto-kun!"
Looks like everybody is worried...heh...HEY, wait a second...
"Netto-kun! WAKE UP! You'll be late for Dad's global presentation!"
"Huh!"
"WAKE UP!"
"Waugh!" Netto, surprised, rolled off of his bed. "Ungh...Gasp! Rockman! Where's Dad!"
"At SciLab of course! Where else? And guess what, you're late. Again."
"Oh yeah! Dad's unveiling of his latest and possibly most greatest invention ever! Isn't it at 12:00am?"
"Yes, but right now, it's December 31, 11:35pm. New Year's is just around the corner."
"WHAT!"
A couple of minutes later, Netto blasted through the door, said goodbye to his mother, and dashed out of the front door. Haruka woke up and wondered what just happened and why the front door seemed to say goodbye to her for no reason. She blinked, shrugged, checked the time, and turned on the TV.
"I can't believe I'm late!"
"That's what you get for staying up all night NetBattling."
"Grr..." Netto was suddenly feeling all grumpy for no reason. That dream he had of Nebula's last and final attack on the world gave him an uneasy feeling. "I hope NetMurphy won't give me any reason to curse him..." Netto muttered as he speed down the street towards the SciLabs.
To be continued.
-
Author's Notes: Yay! First fic! And I made fun of Nenji:P Any comments would be appreciated. Really.
Author's Notes2: The storyline starts after the Team of Blues game. So, Team Colonel never existed. Just something to note as the fic progresses.
Author's Notes3: The anime elements will come soon. This fic is based more on the anime than the game and you'll see why. So, if you're upset about the lack of the anime's plot points, don't be upset. :P