Axl did his best to remain quiet as he watched Mikhail pace around his office space, the man's eyes glued to a data pad with footage of what had occurred just a few hours ago.

Though eventually… he broke his silence.

"Is it really him?" Axl asked.

Mikhail stopped in his tracks… nodding slowly, sighing.

"It is… What on Earth has happened to my precious creation?"

Axl paused the footage on a frame, studying the younger navi's form. He still couldn't believe it…

He didn't want to but it was right there.

"He's not the scared navi we thought he was."

He came in here, stabbed Megaman and ran off… and all that talk…

"Mikhail? What did Bass mean exactly by he was abandoned by Sci-Lab?"

Mikhail closed his eyes, letting out another sigh.

"When I first created Bass… he was supposed to be like Megaman. While not born of being the combination of coding and human DNA he was supposed to be a navi who could grow and mature. A navi that could think for himself. He would still have an operator but he would truly be close to… a digital human being by being a natural occurring navi… However... Many at Sci-Labs were worried he would become too strong with the way he was designed. That one day who would grow out of control and become the next threat on par with that of the Cybeasts or the Omega Virus. One day, there were massive disruptions - cyber terrorism, on a day I had simply sent him out for an errand. Due to his alibi being faulty according to them… he was ambushed." He growled. "Foolish net agents who didn't listen to the ones who came before them."

"And then what happened?"

"AUUGH!"

Bass skidded across the net floor, clutching at his navi emblem, bits of data flying off of it. He stared up in fear at the navi above him.

"No…"

His form began to glow as he transformed his arm into a buster.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

BANG!

"He… obliterated every single one of them beyond repair. Absorbed parts of their data at that… He didn't stand a chance in terms of gaining anyone's trust after that… I had to isolate him for his own safety or he'd be deleted."

"And X and the others' place in all this?"

"It all went under their radar."

"Then… how did we get here?"

"I don't know…" Mikhail ran a hand through his hair. "One day… Bass left the isolated system and I never saw him again… until now." Mikhail looked at the still of Bass again, narrowing his eyes. "And without a doubt in my mind, I will find a way to bring him home and set things right."

Axl sighed.

"I'll help as best as I can… I just hope this isn't going to mess up his chances."

oooooo

"Lord Albert Wiley sends his regards."

Yuichiro still couldn't wrap his mind around it. He had left the boys to rest, taking a moment in his lab by himself.

The lab that used to belong to the man who now hunted his family. He took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to fight off a headache.

Why? Why my sons? What… What did I do?

"Dad? What happened to Uncle Al and Beryl?"

"I think he's had enough of this place for a long time, my son…"

He up and disappeared with my friend, yet I never saw him again…

He had vivid memories of those years. Not being much older than his son was… no… younger, when the war truly began. Fighting on the frontlines in a similar fashion yet… he still couldn't believe it. He didn't want to.

The man who kept me and Alia distracted after Mom died is the same man who tried to drown my son… The same man who tried to kill both my children with his minions over and over. My boys could've died at any of those times and he… he wanted that!?

Haven't I been punished enough? I was a child…

My boys are the same age I was when the world asked so much of me and Zero…

"Yu?"

Yuichiro froze up, looking to the screen. Zero was present, concern in his eyes.

"You hanging in there?"

"No. I'm not." He leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "My own uncle… my father's best friend, just tried to murder Hub. It wasn't bad enough I lost him once before! It wasn't enough my son DIED but he had to take BOTH OF THEM!? How many times have they been in danger and I was powerless and… AND SOMEONE I TRUSTED DID THAT!"

"Hub! Hub?!

"We're so sorry for your loss…"

"Yu… What are we going to do!?"

No… No…

He growled, slamming his fist on his desk.

"HE'S GOING TO PAY FOR THAT-!"

"Yuichiro!"

Yuichiro glared at Zero.

"What!?"

Zero returned the glare.

"Lashing out in rage won't solve anything. You know that. We will stop him but we will not do it his way. Now… I'm only going to say this once. Take a deep breath and calm your senses. It won't do us any good strategy wise. I know I'm one to talk but… you know what Father always said in regards to attacking blindly in rage."

Yuichiro sighed, lowering his head.

"Attacking in blind rage only leads to more problems, not solutions."

"Exactly. Now is the time to plan… and prepare for whatever might be coming next. I've been analyzing all the attacks done in the past months and have found that what they all have in common is that during those attacks, elemental data was being gathered from viruses somewhere in the net. I am not sure what Dr. Wiley would do with such data but… it wouldn't just be for nothing."

Yuichiro slid his glasses back on, taking a look at the data Zero pulled up. His brows furrowed in thought, as he took it all in.

"He knows what kind of destructive power that can do." He looked closer at the data.

It reminded him eerily of the cybeast attacks and the omega virus at the same time. Some of the hardest days of his life related back to that time in particular.

"This one…" He pointed to one particular read out. "This… reminds me of your output when the…"

Zero grimaced, bringing a hand over his navi emblem.

"Omega virus overtook me. Yeah, I'm not shocked he took some sick twisted inspiration from that. He helped build me after all and the frame that Omega uses now too."

Yuichiro pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You sure we can't kill him, just a little?"

"Yu, I say this more for my sake than anything else." Zero smirked. "I don't feel like dealing with X getting angry."

Yuichiro shuddered, grabbing his PET, heading for the door.

"You know what? When you're right, you're right."

Zero chuckled, transferring to the PET.

"Life's so much simpler when I am." He narrowed his eyes. "Let's brief the kids and get ready."

"Right."

With that, he made his way to one of the briefing rooms… hearing sounds of yelling as he approached.

"OH THAT IS NOT FAIR!" Chaud shouted. "HE'S A MONSTER!"

"Ha. I told you so." Lan laughed. "About time someone else knows he's a filthy cheat!"

Yuichiro opened the door to find Protoman and Megaman locked in a battle against X and it was very clear… even while the eldest of the Megaman line wasn't even using an 8th of his power, he was winning very quickly.

With a few well aimed blasts, Megaman and Protoman were sent back to their PETs as X donned his lab coat once more, giving them both stern looks.

"Now, what did we learn?"

"New evasive techniques?" Chaud noted. "Along with making note of how fast we need to actually be."

"New updates for sure." Lan grimaced.

"And… don't pick a fight you can't win."

"Hard life lessons or did they just call you old?"

X perked up as Zero appeared beside him. He smiled, folding his arms behind his back.

"Why, I don't know what you're talking about… Besides, you'd be one to talk."

"... When this is all over-"

"Training arena, yes, yes."

Yuichiro shook his head, looking around, noting everyone was in the same vicinity.

"Is everyone good to end your break here? There's a lot we need to go over."

"Right."

A few moments later Zarek and Ciel came rushing back in, a little out of breath.

"Where were you two?"

"Alouette wouldn't take a nap without her big sis." Zarek nodded to Ciel. "You know how she is."

Ciel nodded, taking a seat beside her cousin as Zarek took the one next to her.

"Are we ready?" Yuichiro asked.

"Yes, Dr. Hikari."

"Bark!"

Yuichiro couldn't help but chuckle as Rush made his presence known, the robotic dog scrambling into Lan's lap.

"Ruuush!" Lan laughed, petting his head. "Be quiet now, we're in a very important meeting."

Rush nodded, sitting down, attentive to what was going on around him.

"Well, now that we're all settled." Yuichiro made his way to the front of the room, facing everyone. "With all the data I've gone over and what has happened within the past day… I now think I know exactly what is coming our way."

X crossed his arms.

"Explain."

Yuichiro turned to the screen, entering in a command, pulling up an image…

An image from a long time ago.

"We were warned by Bass of a Lord Albert Wiley - the same Dr. Wiley that used to be close to our family. He and my father parted ways long before I was even in college but it wasn't exactly a good note. Now, for whatever reason, he's out to kill us Hikaris and take the net for his own. Which brings up the data."

Zero slid the next set of files into place.

"This data," Yuichiro continued on. "Shows elemental energy is being used, similarly to the way the Cybeasts and the Omega Virus behaved. I firmly believe he's using this energy to create a weapon on par with them. Unfortunately, this time, we'll have to go in with different strategies." He narrowed his eyes. "Because quite frankly, I think if we go in guns blazing, we'll actually lose."

X heaved a sigh.

"That explains the attack. He helped create us, he knows what our biggest weaknesses are." He frowned. "Yu… I'm so sorry."

"Wait…" Lan looked at his father confused. "What did we do exactly to deserve that? I mean, if this is Grandpa's fault somehow and we inherited it."

"Lan… there was a lot that happened during the war. I don't fully understand it myself… but I do know the person I called my uncle is gone. Now, he's the enemy." Yuichiro's gaze was fierce as he looked at his son and back at the image on the screen of Dr. Wiley.

Lan looked at his PET as Megaman gave a nod.

"How about we go in then? We were supposed to help in the first place anyways… and Dr. Wiley doesn't know how I fight. Bass may have kept up with Megaman but he played dirty. We won't lose this time."

"Protoman wasn't created by Sci-Lab so while his fighting data is public - that was recreational. Missions will hold differently." Chaud added on. "Let us step in!"

"I want to help too." Zarek chimed in. "Mine and Omega's duty is to protect all around us. This would be no exception."

"Me too!" Ciel gave a fierce look. "With everything that's happened I can't stand by idly. Just tell us what to do Uncle Yuichiro!"

Yuichiro smiled, taking in a deep breath to compose himself.

Maybe they did have a chance.

"First order of action - X, I want the Guardians on the move with tracking the residual energy Bass and Magicman left, track all potential IP addresses and isolate the source."

"Sir yes sir!" He flickered out of view.

"Zero, go make sure nothing tries to ambush him. You two got some cruddy luck."

"Hah…" Zero rolled his eyes but followed suit all the same.

"And for us?" Lan asked.

"Who wants free navi updates and chips?"

All hands went up.

"Let's get a move on then, time is of the essence."