New Megaman Battle Network
A complete reimagining of the universe and stories of Megaman Battle Network.
Story 3: The Dimensional Core
Chapter 13: The Last Resort
Megaman clashed swords with Forte, who quickly wheeled around to deflect an additional blow from Protoman. The cloaked Navi moved with incredible speed, fighting off both of his attackers, as the others in the group prepared assaults of their own. Gateman had his chest cavity open, charging a powerful beam as he tried to get Forte properly in his sights.
"They're moving too fast," he muttered to himself, as his cloaked opponent whirled and strafed with incredible agility, almost too fast to see. "If I don't get this right, those other two Navis are going to be caught in the crossfire."
"That's their problem," Mr. Famous replied, watching the action through his PET screen. "We won't lose this battle, no matter what. They'll just have to make a heroic sacrifice." His confidence remained unshaken, even after seeing Serenade soundly defeated just moments ago.
"Understood." Gateman watched on as the three Navis battled, Megaman and Protoman desperately trying to land a blow on their opponent. After a minute, they both raised their swords on either side of him and brought them down in opposite directions. Forte quickly raised his sword to block Megaman's blow, then turned his head to see Protoman's blade bearing down on him.
Chaud's eyes narrowed, cautiously optimistic that his Navi might manage a damaging blow on his opponent. As the attack drew closer, Forte reached out his hand and grasped the sharp blade in his fist, grunting as the sword cut lightly into his hand. He smirked despite the pain, as he looked at Protoman's bewildered expression.
"You two are well coordinated," he remarked, as he lifted Protoman into the air by his sword. "If you're lucky, that might end up saving you." He turned his body and hurled the Navi mightily through the air, directly toward Gateman. The unsuspecting Navi had no time to react as Protoman's body crashed into his, and his Gate Cannon fired as he was knocked backward, shooting harmlessly upward.
Forte turned his attention back to Megaman, who jumped backward to create some distance. He immediately equipped a Shotgun and fired it in Forte's direction, but it was deftly sidestepped, and soon they were clashing swords again. Forte watched his opponent carefully, a less-than-amused expression on his face.
"There aren't many people who can claim to have survived a trip to the other side," he mentioned as they crossed swords. "Even a deleted Navi doesn't go through quite the same journey you did. What exactly does the digital afterlife look like?"
"How should I know?" Megaman replied, annoyed with the fact that his enemy could make small talk while he himself was fighting for his life. "One moment I was being deleted by you, and the next I'm being restored in SciLab. There was no digital afterlife for me to see."
Forte continued to swing away, trying to pierce his opponent's defenses. "Even after I've deleted you, you continue to pester me like a buzzing gnat. You, your brother, and your father… your entire damned family is a thorn in my side."
Megaman gritted his teeth, enraged. "I've been a thorn in your-" He thrusted his blade toward Forte's face as he spoke, but his enemy quickly ducked and punched him squarely in the jaw, knocking him back and to the ground. Forte jumped and swung his sword down at the blue Navi, who raised his own weapon to block it. Their blades met, and a battle of strength began, with each trying to push their sword toward the other.
"You're starting to lose your temper," Forte taunted, easily matching Megaman's strength with his own. "Have I struck a nerve, perhaps?" He raised his fist and brought it toward his opponent's face; Megaman reached out and caught the first in his spare hand.
"You're the one who's been a thorn in my side," Megaman shot back, his eyes lit up with rage. "You've been tormenting me even before I knew who you were."
"Is that so?" Forte replied curiously, as an odd, carefree feeling spread throughout his body for a moment. "And just how have I been tormenting you for so many years?"
"You know exactly what you did. We both know what you did." Megaman's eyes narrowed. "Don't act like you've forgotten."
Forte's eyebrows raised, but before he could inquire further, he was knocked away by a huge yellow-and-red object hitting him with the force of a train. Megaman watched him fly to another part of the arena, trying to stop himself before landing hard on the ground. He turned back to find Gutsman standing near him, his fist outstretched, with a grin on his face.
"Gutsman!" Megaman exclaimed, getting to his feet. "How did you do that?" Dex's Navi gestured downward and tapped his foot; glancing down, Megaman saw a pair of metallic grey boots on his feet, with jets of air hissing steam out of the back.
"AirShoes! Borrowed 'em from Glyde. Let me jet around at light speed!" He turned his attention back toward his cloaked enemy, who was rising to his feet, and he buckled down like a linebacker, as huge bursts of steam started to issue forth from the boots. "Check this out!" With a massive steam blast, Gutsman shot off like a rocket in Forte's direction.
"Blasted... careless…" Forte muttered as he began hovering above the ground again, righting himself. Hearing the burst of steam, he looked over to see a red and yellow blur coming toward him at high speed. He moved to dodge, but yelped when he found something closing around his body; looking down, he found a monstrous purple hand had grasped him around his midsection, originating from a strange metal object that looked like the gate from Gateman's chest. He managed to pry himself free, but not quick enough to get out of the way of Gutsman's attack, and he found himself thrown far again.
"Grah! I'm tired of this!" He righted himself in midair, focusing for a moment, and a small, crackling, black barrier formed around his body. He turned himself toward his opponent, as Gutsman readied himself to ram Forte a third time. "I'm up for a game of chicken if you are..." He flew himself down close to the ground, speeding in Gutsman's direction, as Dex's Navi prepared himself for another go.
"Wait! Stop!" Protoman called out, running over to try and stop the impending collision. "Get away from him!" His words were too late to stop Gutsman's charge, as he flew forward into the oncoming enemy. The two didn't meet head-on, but half of Gutsman's body sped directly into the Dark Aura and immediately disintegrated. As Forte flew past, Gutsman's left half fell forward, tumbling limply across the arena before slowly coming to a stop.
"No! Gutsman!" Dex cried out, grabbing his PET with both hands. He watched helplessly as the remains of his Navi dissolved into deletion, his participation in this battle finished. He clenched his fist and teeth tightly and angrily; Gutsman was far from doomed, as he always kept a backup on his home computer, but this battle was going to continue without him. He slammed his fist on the console in front of him, causing the girls beside him to jump, before turning his eyes to the main screen in the center of the auditorium.
Back in the Cyberworld, Forte slowly rose in the air, watching Gutsman's body fizzle away. He turned his eyes back down to the remaining Navis, who simply stared in shock at what they had witnessed.
"How are we supposed to deal with that?" Roll wondered aloud, as Glyde looked on in amazement next to her. "If that barrier can disintegrate things on contact... he's invincible!" She meeped as the cloaked Navi looked down at her, his eyes drawn by her voice. She shoved Glyde away reflexively, pushing him out of danger, and quickly dashed off at top speed as the cloaked Navi chased after her. Forte's eyebrows raised, as he found himself having trouble keeping track of her movements.
"Speedy little pest..." Remembering her ability to heal the other Navis, he pursued her as fast as he could, as the others searched for the most powerful attacks they could muster. Megaman did the same, racking his brain for anything that could stop such a powerful force, his mind landing on something that he had seen a few weeks back.
Gateman, however, had a different plan in mind. He had once again, on Mr. Famous's orders, prepared his Gate Cannon, and was aiming it for Forte as best he could. He pointed the cannon in front of him, waiting for his adversary to cross his line of fire. Soon enough, Roll ran right through his aiming sight, with the cloaked Navi close behind.
"Now!" Gateman began to fire his blast, just as Roll took a sharp turn back toward the cannon's path, in an attempt to lose her pursuer. Gateman's eyes widened in surprise, but it was too late to stop the cannon from firing at both of the Navis. Roll yelped and dove to the ground, but part of her torso was still caught in the blast, which knocked Forte back a bit, but did nothing to crack his Dark Aura.
"Ahh!" Roll tumbled and rolled across the ground, landing at Gateman's feet and knocking him over like a bowling pin. The two collapsed on top of each other, groaning in pain, as Forte got his bearings and turned toward his attacker. He sped toward the two of them, expanding his Dark Aura a bit to make sure both were caught up in the destructive charge, before a red blast from a Life Sword 2 crossed his path, striking his aura right before his eyes. He screeched to a stop and looked up toward the source of the attack, where he found Protoman standing on top of a flying Glyde.
"Are you sure this will work, Master Protoman?" Glyde inquired, as his rider prepared another Program Advance, and Forte took off in their direction.
"With enough powerful blows, any Aura should break eventually," Protoman replied, two swords in hand, as the enemy drew closer. "Speaking of which, get ready." Glyde nodded in response, as the Dark Aura zoomed threateningly closer. Right before the attack connected, a powerful Life Aura surrounded both of them, and the two shields collided heavily with each other, Forte bouncing off and backward.
Shaking his head, he looked back at the two, only for his eyes to be met with the bright green flash of a Life Sword 3. He braced himself, covering his face with his arms and assuming a defensive stance, as the attack collided with his Dark Aura and dissipated. The Aura remained, but it crackled more weakly, and appeared more thin than before. His eyes zeroed in on Protoman, giving him a derisive look, as the Official Navi caught his breath, needing a bit of time for the next attack.
"It seems you're not invincible after all!" he called out, forming a Fire Blade on his arm, in preparation for one last Life Sword 3. "How much longer can that Dark Aura last?"
Forte snorted angrily, raising his arm above his head. "That's a question you should ask yourself." A large, purple energy wheel formed above his head, and swinging his arm down, he hurled it directly at the Life Aura separating him from his assailants. Glyde jolted upward, away from the attack, and Protoman was barely able to cling to his ride. Forte glared and prepared another assault, and the chase continued.
Back on the ground, Megaman raced over to Roll and Gateman, as they got sorely to their feet. "Are you two alright?"
"I'm fine," Roll reassured him, as Gateman nodded in response. All three of them looked up, watching as Forte chased after Protoman and Glyde.
"Good," Megaman answered. "I've got a crazy idea that just might work. But I'm going to need the two of you to help me out." The other two Navis turned to him curiously, as he began to explain his plan.
Above them, Forte had generated another energy wheel, flinging it at his flying prey, where it finally connected with Glyde's Life Aura. He forced it forward into the barrier, as Protoman gritted his teeth and formed an Aqua Blade on his other arm.
Chaud, standing next to the central console of the stadium, clenched his fist lightly, trying not to get his impatience get the better of him. If he waited too long, Forte would destroy the Life Aura and Protoman, but if he lost his sync with his Navi, the attack would fail. He closed his eyes and focused, keeping his breathing in check while Protoman recovered, hoping the time given would be enough.
Forte continued to push his energy wheel into the Life Aura, as Glyde tried to pump a bit more energy into it. Protoman held onto his two blades as he felt a bit of strength return, and decided this was the time to try his hand. He raised both blades above his head, summoning the final Battlechip, and a bright green energy blade formed above his head. He gritted his teeth and started to swing downward.
With one final push from Forte, the wheel shattered the Life Aura, knocking both Navis back and sending them falling to the ground. Protoman tried to send his attack in Forte's direction, but the sudden trip groundward had broken both his and Chaud's concentration, and the energy quickly died away. He cursed under his breath as his frame fell back toward the others.
Glyde's frame hit the ground first, landing hard and flat on his back. Forte's frame landed on top of Glyde's a moment later, plunging his sword downward into Glyde's chest. Yai gasped and cried out as her Navi's eyes went wide, before the body fizzled and turned to cyberdust in deletion, flying upward and away.
Forte smirked as he stood up, turning his attention toward Chaud's Navi, who was trying to get to his damaged feet. "That's two down... and now I can rid myself of the troublesome Official." He brandished his sword and started walking forward, his weakened Dark Aura still crackling around him, when a bright and colorful light caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He turned toward it curiously, halting immediately as he discovered its source.
The other three Navis were standing in a tight circle, each one with their hands above their heads; Roll held a blue Life Sword, Megaman held a red Life Sword 2, and Gateman was wielding a green Life Sword 3. The three of them carefully brought their energy blades together, and a massive pillar of white light formed between them, with bolts of red, blue and green energy crackling around it. Forte stared in shock and amazement, able to feel the enormous amounts of energy radiating from it, as Megaman's voice called out.
"Now!" All three Navis brought their arms downward at the same time, trying to swing the blade toward their opponent. Gateman's greater height, however, caused the swing of the blade to fall out of sync, and their pillar of light twisted apart and collapsed in an instant, the moment of synchronization gone. All three of them looked upward in shock, trying to figure out what had gone wrong, before a large energy blast exploded between them, knocking all three Navis away.
Forte glared angrily at the three Navis, as they struggled to get to their feet. "This has gone on long enough. Time to end you three meddlers…" His eyes focused on the pink Navi, who was propped up on her elbows, her whole body sore. "…Starting with you."
His Dark Aura crackled weakly but threateningly as he started to rush toward Roll, when Megaman suddenly stepped forward to shield her. He held his hands out in front of him, focused hard on trying something he had never done before, almost entirely out of options at this point. Forte smirked and prepared himself for another charge.
"You can't protect her, Megaman!" he called out. "But if you intend to throw your newfound life away, be my guest!" He flew forward, expanding his Aura again, as Megaman gritted his teeth and focused as hard as he could.
"Come on... this has to work..." he told himself, as his hands started to glow. Forte paid the attack no mind and continued on at full speed, ready to delete both of them, when Megaman's hands began to transform and grow. In a matter of seconds, a huge object formed on the end of his hands, and Forte barely had time to slow down as he saw the hideous head of Gospel appear in front of him, its mouth agape and glowing with energy.
Forte's eyes widened, as his mind quickly flashed back to a few minutes ago, where he had briefly grappled with the blue Navi. Megaman's hand had grasped his own fist, and an odd sensation had spread throughout his body; Forte had never experienced it himself, but he had been told that it was the clear effect of the Get Ability program. His instant of bewilderment and hesitation betrayed him, and he had no time to get out of the way of the ensuing blast.
"You..." was all he managed to get out, before Lan's Navi let loose with the massive blast of a Gospel Cannon. The Dark Aura, stressed to its breaking point, shattered into pieces, and Forte's body bore the brunt of the attack head-on. His frame was thrown backward, suspended in the air by the force of the cannon. He was too bewildered to scream, despite the intense pain that engulfed him.
A few seconds later, the head of Gospel vanished from Megaman's hands, and the attack ceased. Forte's frame fell to the ground and lay motionless, his left arm and a large chunk of his torso missing. His eyes remained wide as they stared blankly off into the distance.
Megaman exhaled slowly as he sank to his knees, slightly drained from the energy the Gospel Cannon took from him. Roll slowly get up onto her knees behind him, while in another part of the arena, a humbled Gateman was moving forward to help Protoman. Inside DenDome itself, there was a mixture of cheering and confused conversation, as few people were really sure what had just happened. Some were convinced it was a stunt, while others believed that Gateman and his allies had defeated some cyber criminal who was seeking revenge. Either way, they were ecstatic at the battle's conclusion, thrilled that Gateman and his friends had prevailed.
"Hah!" Dex called out, thrusting his fist into the air. "Take that, you finheaded jerk!" Yai recoiled from his rising fist, while Mayl sighed in relief and watched Roll through her PET, as she struggled to stand. She fished through her folder for a recovery chip, as inside the arena, Protoman began walking in her direction.
"Whew... Roll, are you alright?" Megaman asked, kneeling down next to her just as Mayl got her a recovery chip; she got to her feet quickly, and he followed awkwardly.
"I'm okay now," she replied, moving her arms to feel for any more pain. "Thank goodness, it's finally over..."
"I can't believe we actually did it," he responded, touching his hand to his ear. "I had better phone Da- Dr. Hikari and tell him." Megaman heard a ringing sound in his head as Roll glanced over at Protoman, concerned for any injuries he may have received. Nobody in the room was looking over in Forte's direction for now, and neither did they notice the faint twitching of his hand as it reached toward the ground. As his fingers made contact with the floor of the Cyberworld, the area where he touched slowly turned grey, its color and energy drained. The grey spot continued to grow, surrounded by a small ring of light, until it extended a few feet in each direction around Forte, who began to stir, slowly opening his eyes and sitting up.
Several children noticed his movement as he winced, grabbing the painful hole carved out of his body, and Megaman and the others quickly turned to look at him, alerted by the cries from outside. Instead of focusing on his adversaries, Forte glanced down at the ground, which had completely lost its color; his eyebrow raised involuntarily.
"Astounding," he muttered to himself, temporarily unaware of his surroundings. "Power directly from the Net itself…" He held up his remaining hand, inspecting it carefully, when he was drawn out of his musings by the call from across the arena.
"Forte!" Megaman called out, running over along with Protoman, swords out. DenDome was abuzz with this new development, as nearly everyone wondered aloud who this mysterious Navi was, and how he could still be standing after such a brutal onslaught. Megaman quickly reached his enemy, raising his sword, then quickly jumping back as a weak Barrier formed around the half-erased Navi.
Protoman began swinging his sword at the shield, while Megaman slammed on it once or twice with his fist. "Give it up, Forte! You're way too weak to fight us, and that Barrier can't hold out forever!"
Forte smirked. "I don't need it to hold out forever…" He extended his hand and showed it to the blue Navi tauntingly. "All I need is a few seconds." Megaman's eyebrows shot up, as he watched his adversary take his hand and place it on the ground.
A small ring of light formed on the ground around Forte, outlining the grey section of the Cyberworld that he had sucked dry; an instant later, the ring grew and shot out in every direction at an incredible speed, removing the color and energy from everything it touched. Megaman cried out briefly as the ring passed by, a light burning sensation passing through his feet, before turning around to watch the energy-absorbing line expand far off into the distance, far beyond the reaches of the Cyberarena.
Above the children in the real world, the lights of DenDome began to flash and burst one by one, each light bulb emitting a small explosion as the ring of energy passed by. The youngsters shrieked and covered their heads, and many of them stood up and started running for the doors in a panic; Mayl, Dex and Yai had to cling to their seats to avoid being swept along with the panicked crowd. The lights in the room slowly went dim, leaving only a few scattered ceiling lights, and the bright display of the central viewing column.
Megaman turned back to the black Navi, watching with horror as he saw his adversary morph before his eyes. He quickly grew back the arm and pieces of torso that he was missing, as his body started to glow from the immense energy he was receiving. Megaman ran forward to try and attack, but as he got close to his opponent, he felt himself pushed back by the radiating energy; Forte was gathering so much strength that it was forming a sort of protective barrier around his body. Lan's Navi gritted his teeth and steeled himself, trying to maintain his position and think of any sort of plan.
Outside of DenDome, the scenario was just as bad. As the lights of the colosseum went out, so too did traffic lights, nearby buildings, and other local electronics that were somehow wired into the Den City network. The blackout spread quickly, causing mass confusion among the citizens, and chaos in the traffic system. Eventually, the energy drain began to slow, and came to a stop, after six city blocks had nearly all of their power sapped, pumped into a single source.
The remaining DenDome occupants watched in horror as Forte finally stood, still giving off a white glow as the energy he collected settled into his body. He looked down at his hands, grinning ear to ear in disbelief at the immense power he now held.
"This is phenomenal…!" he exclaimed to himself. "So much raw power… raw energy…" He looked around at the remaining Navis, smirking at the horrified expressions on their faces. "Let's see what I can do with this..."
He suddenly took off like a rocket, flying in the direction of Roll and Gateman at a blinding speed, before anyone had time to react. An instant later, he stood before a surprised Gateman, staring at the expression on his face before turning his attention downward, where he had completely driven his arm through Gateman's chest.
"What?! No! Gateman!" Mr. Famous exclaimed, in complete shock. He stared at the gruesome scene for a moment, before Forte withdrew his arm, and the defeated Navi fell to the ground in a heap before dissolving away. Forte grinned in amusement, nearly giddy at the strength he had acquired, as Roll quickly tried to scramble away from behind him. Hearing her escape, he whirled around and cast his hand out; instantly, a wall of flame shot up around the edges of the arena, cutting off Roll's escape path. She had to quickly hit the brakes to avoid ramming into the firewall, letting her pursuer rush forward and grab her by the wrist, holding her up in the air.
"Ahh! Let me go!" Roll exclaimed, as she struggled and kicked her legs, trying to get free. Her body went limp a moment later, as a strange sensation spread quickly through her frame, numbing her limbs. Forte smirked and tossed her aside, and she landed in a crumpled heap on the ground. He scanned the arena, looking for one of the other two Navis, when he felt a sharp pain in his torso; glancing downward, he saw the red blade of a Long Sword jutting out of his chest. Protoman stood behind him, his arm transformed into the blade that he had stabbed through his enemy's frame.
"You let your guard down," he spoke, as Forte pondered this new development. He reached down and grasped the sword with his hand, breaking off half of it in one clean motion, before stepping forward off of Protoman's sword. Both Chaud and his Navi stared in amazement and horror at Forte's gaping wound, as it began to glow a bright white. When the glow faded, Forte's body was whole again, as if he had never been damaged at all. He smirked as he turned back to Chaud's Navi, still holding the broken-off Long Sword in his hand.
"Perfect… exactly what I was hoping for." He quickly dashed forward and plunged the blade through Protoman's shoulder, who stifled a cry of pain as he grabbed his enemy's shoulders, trying to push him off. Megaman ran toward the highly lopsided struggle, still processing what had just happened.
"How can... he's even stronger than before!" he exclaimed to Lan, whose mind was racing for possibilities. "How are we supposed to fight him?"
"Damn it... we had him, we had won…" Lan clenched his fist, squinting a tiny bit at the screen as it shone through the relative DenDome darkness. Forte was impossibly strong now, stronger than Megaman for certain, but the firewall he created prevented the two from backing out and regrouping elsewhere. Lan knew that only one of the two Navis would be leaving DenDome, and he had a sick feeling as to who it might be.
As Forte forced his opponent down to the ground, Megaman ran up to the two of them, bringing his blade down onto Forte's side while blasting him in the head. Glancing over without moving his head, or showing any pain at all, the cloaked Navi jerked his arm up and away while still holding the broken blade, completely severing Protoman's arm from his body. The official cried out and fell to the ground, holding the stump where his arm used to be, while Forte turned and swung the sword at Megaman's face. Megaman quickly bent backward to dodge, but was knocked away by a powerful kick.
He skidded along the ground before coming to a stop, lying on his back; Forte followed seconds later, landing hard with his foot pressing down on his opponent's stomach. Gritting his teeth, Megaman grabbed Forte's foot and tried to force him off, to no avail. His enemy smirked and watched at the futile display, wondering what to do next.
"Rrgh... I can't..." Megaman gasped. "Lan, I can't do anything... he's going to win... he's too strong..."
"No... there has to be something! But..." Lan racked his brain, desperate for a solution. One came to mind quickly, but the consequences would be severe. "We have to do it... we have to go HubStyle!"
"Lan, I can't go Hubstyle! The effects take way too much out of you!" Forte's eyebrow raised as he listened in, wondering what was going on, as Lan responded.
"If we don't, then you'll be deleted! This is the only chance we have!" Megaman began to respond to his operator, but was startled when he felt the pressure leave his stomach. He looked up at his attacker, who had a curious look on his face.
"What is this HubStyle effect you're talking about?" he inquired. "You think you have some ace in the hole that can defeat me? And by that name..."
"What do you..." Megaman began, before Forte leapt off and away, allowing him to get to his feet.
"All right then, show me." His eyes watched as Lan's Navi slowly and confusedly got to his feet. "You've piqued my scientific curiosity. Let me see this HubStyle of yours."
"Wha... but..." Megaman shook his head and looked upward, as Lan stared into his PET. "Lan, are you sure about this?"
"We don't have a choice now." He quickly navigated his PET menu, finding the style option that he hadn't thought he would be resorting to. "I'm activating it now! Get ready, Megaman!"
Megaman nodded, as his body started to glow brightly, and his adversary looked on curiously, eager to see this new transformation. A few seconds later, there was a bright flash, and Forte was forced to look away for a moment; when the light faded and he looked back, his eyes widened a bit at what he saw. Megaman's eyes did as well, as he looked down at himself.
"Lan, what happened? Nothing changed!" He looked all around himself, confirming that there had been no transformation at all. Lan's eyes boggled, just as confused as anyone, when a message in red appeared on his PET screen:
Firewall error. HubStyle transformation will require 60 seconds.
"Gragh!" Lan cried out, exasperated. "Megaman, it's going to take a minute!"
"What?! I'm not sure we-" His Navi began, before he felt the air get knocked out of him. Forte dashed forward and elbowed him hard in the stomach, and he fell to his knees, eyes bugged out.
"A bluff... how disappointing. I expected more." He used his foot to knock the blue Navi onto his side, stepping onto his shoulder and raising a Elec Blade above his head. "It seems there is nothing more to see here. Goodbye, Megaman."
Megaman tried to tell his attacker the truth, that he just needed some time, but he couldn't make a sound as he gasped for air. Forte quickly began to bring the blade down toward his neck, but was knocked away at the last second by a large object flying into him. He quickly turned around to land on his feet and searched for his attacker; his eyes quickly identified Protoman, his feet and remaining hand on the ground, struggling him stand. Roll was getting to her feet as well, having helped propel Protoman toward his target.
"You all are getting on my last nerve!" He cast his hand toward Protoman, who felt himself knocked back by what felt like a powerful burst of air; seconds later, his body turned into a beam of light and shot upward, having been forcibly sent back into his PET by Forte's attack. He turned his sights toward Roll and attempted the same attack, but she darted off at top speed and managed to avoid it. He gritted his teeth and chased after her, as Megaman slowly got to his feet, his legs still shaky.
"Mega, are you alright?" Lan asked, not feeling the greatest himself. His legs were trembling, perhaps out of nervousness, perhaps out of fatigue.
"Ugh... it's like he knocked my stomach out of place... but I can stand, at least." Megaman held himself as he watched Forte and Roll's chase, hoping that her speed would keep her safe for long enough. "We only need a minute..." His legs gave way underneath him, and he fell to one knee; Lan did the same, at the same time. They fell to both knees soon after, the same intense pain starting to build in their arms, chests, and stomachs.
In the Cyberarena, Roll was firing arrows uselessly at her pursuer, who dodged them with little effort and only the slightest drop in speed, slowly gaining on her. Once he was close enough, he cast his hand at the ground, which turned to thick, tangled grass under Roll's feet. Not expecting the change in terrain, she had to pick her feet up more and soon ended up losing her footing, falling to the ground. Forte was on her in an instant, grabbing her by the ankle and holding her up, as she struggled.
"This is the third time we've been in this position," he commented, looking down at her panicked face. "And if I can help it, it will be the last." Before he could deliver the coup de grace, however, he was interrupted by a cry of pain from nearby. Both Navis quickly looked over, to see Megaman kneeling on the ground, grasping his forearms and trembling as he started to glow; inside DenDome, Lan was assuming the same position. The HubStyle process had linked their minds, and both of them were now sharing Megaman's pain, the pain of a body receiving far more energy than it was ready to contain.
As the remaining people watched, Megaman let out a terrible scream as a spherical wave of energy shot out of his body, leaking through every part of him. Lan let out the same scream, collapsing to the ground and startling everyone in the room, before he appeared to lose consciousness; Mayl and Yai quickly got out of their seats and ran down the stairs to check on him, as Dex looked down awkwardly, then grabbed Mayl's PET to check on Roll.
"A suicide attack?" Forte tossed Roll to the ground and moved back as the energy ball crept closer. It expanded in size and nearly filled the Cyberarena before it finally slowed, and then stopped. Both Forte and Roll had to look away from the powerful bright light, and neither could see if Megaman was still there in the center of it.
"Lan!" Mayl called out, kneeling next to his side and shaking him lightly. The boy was now lying on the floor, breathing but not responding. Yai nudged him more heavily, shaking his head, but elicited no response. Beside him, his PET lay ignored, flashing a message on screen:
Firewall breached. Transformation complete.
Inside the Cyberworld, the two Navis watched as the energy sphere began to recede, all the energy starting to sink in and focus on its origin point. The sphere eventually vanished completely, leaving a glowing frame lying on the ground. The glow faded soon as well, leaving a somewhat unfamiliar body behind.
"Mega...?" Roll spoke softly, as both Navis looked him over from a distance. His armor had disappeared completely, leaving him in a dark blue bodysuit, with his circular emblem printed on his chest. In place of his helmet, black, spiky hair lay scattered about, covering one of his eyes almost completely. He looked more defenseless than before, and more human as well. Many of the DenDome visitors watched on, puzzled at this turn of events.
Lan and Megaman's eyes snapped open at the same time, causing Mayl to jump a bit in surprise. Lan slowly got to his feet, grabbing his PET and looking at the main DenDome screen, not saying a word. As he got up, Megaman did the same, getting to his feet and looking over his body.
"Finally, it worked," he muttered. "That was not fun…"
"Mega! Are you alright?" He looked up as Roll got to her feet and headed toward him, snapping Forte out of his observations, and his head quickly turned in her direction.
"Hold it!" he called out, racing toward her, not interested in seeing her use her healing powers on him. Megaman's eyes narrowed and he dashed forward, between the two of them. He leaped into the air and kneed Forte powerfully in the face, and the force of the impact sent the cloaked Navi flying to the other side of the arena, crashing into his own firewall. The room watched in amazement as Megaman fell back down to the ground, in slight disbelief of what they had just witnessed.
"Urgh..." Forte stood slowly, holding his face and looking back at his adversary, taken aback by the display of power. "How did you do that? You couldn't hold a candle to me just minutes ago!" He gritted his teeth, and a familiar dark sphere formed around him, crackling with anger and strength. Megaman steeled himself, clenching his fist and motioning for Roll to get back.
Mayl and Yai weren't sure where to look, as they alternated their gazes. Megaman's display of strength was incredible, but Lan was just as amazing to look at. He seemed to be staring off into space, not even looking at the battle, yet he seemed incredibly focused, and his hands moved with precision as he operated his PET. It was as if he could see the battle without even looking at it.
Forte stared his foe down as his Dark Aura crackled around him, and Megaman stared right back determinedly. Roll in turn stared at Lan's Navi, wondering what kind of change had come over him and given him what appeared to be immense power. Her gaze was interrupted when Forte called out to his opponent.
"Let's see how strong you really are, Megaman!" he taunted, as the aura began to expand in every direction, threatening the existence of everything in its way. Megaman didn't move a muscle, continuing to stare down the cloaked Navi as the deadly sphere moved toward him. Right before it made contact with his body, he extended his hand, palm outstretched, and caught the aura in his hand, completely stopping its advance.
Half the room gasped at this, as Forte's eyes widened in abject disbelief. Outside of the Cyberworld, Lan reached into his pocket without looking and produced a Battlechip, slotting it in. Megaman clenched his fist and raised it up, where a golden, armored glove formed on it. Letting out a brief battle cry, he slammed the fist into the barrier, which shattered into a thousand pieces like glass and fell to the ground of the Cyberworld. This elicited another round of gasps from the audience.
"One punch..." Mr. Famous looked at the DenDome screen in astonishment, then down at Lan, who stared ahead with an unshaken focus. He tried to process what had just happened, his mind blown, before resigning himself to watching the battle like the others. What few children had remained in the audience were now glued to their seats, not willing to miss out on this incredible event. Everyone had their mouths closed in silence, and their eyes fixated on the screen.
Forte's gaze was fixed on Megaman, his fists clenched tightly in anger, not sure he believed what he had just seen. In the span of just about two minutes, his adversary's strength had more than doubled due to this HubStyle transformation, and was now threatening to rival his own, an unthinkable notion. He and Megaman looked into each other's eyes apprehensively, both waiting for the other to make their move. Finally, Forte dashed forward, ready to take on the offensive. Megaman ran forward in response, no longer afraid of his enemy. The two Navis clashed in the center of the arena, and the battle began anew.
