Hello Everyone, I hope you are enjoying your evening/ morning!
I hope you enjoy this chapter, I do not own anything except my OC Characters.
I gave you one job and you failed me
.
Forgive me master, I-I swear I didn't realise he would be this resilient
.
Is that so? Let me remind you, is it not true that you two were not neighborhood friends? That he did willingly left those two men who took him in just for your life to be spared?
.
… Master I miscalculated, I assumed that he would be vulnerable and took the chance
.
Now he's with that man-
.
But I saw him! He doesn't remember a thing! I watched him as he interacted with that man who he worked with. Mi-something, right now he's vulnerable-
.
As you assumed before, only now he's not alone in this. You made the grave error of letting him enter Cyberspace and the moment he remembers he will come after us
.
He killed her master! Isn't that something? In the end he achieved what you ordered him before he went rogue all those years ago?
.
At the cost he's now useless to me, with his memories intact or not. If I even attempt to break his mind once more it'll result in the other's interference. Neither will react without the other
.
But master! He doesn't know who he is, so for now since they work as one neither is aware of the other and if they suffer betrayal against humans. Not realizing that he is half human now-
.
… For once, you actually did something useful. If that is true either turn him or end him. I will not allow him to launch an attack on me, as for the girl… kill her on sight. She must not find him or else it'll be impossible to kill her if he is close.
.
Master why not use her to get to him?
.
He does not remember her, why should I bother with something that will not give me results?
.
True but if they start to bond it'll leave him vulnerable again to the point that if she- a human 'betrays' him, it'll leave him more likely to attack her
.
… Good, carry out the plan
.
Yes Master
"So you're telling me there's going to be something called a soiree in the Undernet?"
"Yes, it's taking place in a week. It'll the only chance we get to obtain the item"
"Who told you this though? It seems suspicious that you found this out so quickly"
"I… the thing is Anny received an invitation to the soiree"
"How can she even enter Cyberspace? That really sounds suspicious Lan, unless she has some sort of tech"
"You see… there was an accident and she- the point is that she knows someone who can help us and it's the only lead we have. She was adamant that we shouldn't enter there to begin with and given the risks, now we have no choice but to follow her there"
"Whoever it is must be someone important, keep an eye on her. I think she's up to something or worse-"
"Chaud, she's on our side! Why else would she help us?"
"For now, we don't know that for sure"
"I trust her, just let me handle this. She's been there for me and if she wants to come with Megaman then it must be a dangerous zone that even criminal Navis would be risking deletion. I believe in her Chaud, please trust her this one time. You've seen how she is, as secretive as she is. She's always had people's interests at heart"
"I… for now just keep me noted"
"Okay"
"Lan are you ready?" Anny called while folding her black scarf around her neck, looking around the area near the door she sighed knowing that they were going to be late.
"Coming!" Lan cried before yelping as he fell to the floor from the top of the stairs, Anny winced from the impact before regaining her composure.
"Lan… any longer and the soiree will be over. Please hurry up otherwise the secret link will expire"
"Y-Yeah, sorry. So which computer are we going to use?" Lan asked while grabbing his skates in order to put them on.
"One of Uncle Maeda's computers that I left in there has an access point, but we only have half an hour now" Anny said blandly to his shock.
"What are we waiting for let's go" Lan yelled as he made her go on his back, horrified Anny cried as Lan took of which resulted in her wrapping her arms tightly around his neck an her legs tightened on his sides.
"LAAAN!" Anny screamed as he dodged a man with blond hair wearing a green suit.
"Don't squeeze my neck like that! You'll make me choke" Lan cried out as he tried to skate without running into more people, sadly with how tight her grip was it was proving harder for him not to drop from the lack of oxygen. The blond haired man meanwhile blanched in shock as he saw the pair skating past him quickly.
"I wouldn't have to do that if you gave me time to adjust, turn right! LAN!" Anny screamed in the distance before they dodged a large van that honked at them angrily for going on the road when it was still green.
"Was that… Anny?" the man blinked not knowing what to make of the situation.
"Lan I hate you" Anny scowled as she tried to sort out her long windswept hair but was mindful of her right ear wasn't being seen, patting her black jacket and black trousers she shot him a cold look as Lan tried to regain his breath from having it almost squeezed out of him. Maeda who was staring at them with a mug in his hand was left speechless from the fact they flew straight in via the door and crashed into a reception desk which resulted in Anny landing on the floor after doing a flip thanks to the sudden impact.
"I said I was sorry, besides we only have ten minutes to spare thanks to me" Lan panted while shooting her a withered look.
"We have eight idiot, just let me get the computer running you crazy mad idiot" she snapped before going towards her computer room, turning it on she slumped on her chair and tried to regain what was left of her sanity before imputing the passcode while trying to keep her hands steady. Smiling wearily she watched as the computer was now fully operational, knowing that this would allow them to access the Undernet via a hidden passageway she spotted during her trips to and fro the network.
"Lan it's ready!" Anny called out before placing her hand on the screen, closing her eyes she felt a sharp pull and winced before a vacuum swallowed her through the glass. Feeling the smooth material as she passed through, Anny soon began to feel weightless and reenergized as she entered Cyberspace. Now dressed in a knee high black dress, she wore black ankle boots that had straps on the sides, her hair was now tied up and in a twisted plat that rested on the right side of her face covering her ear as she sorted her hair out in order to make it look presentable.
"It's a good thing that the queen will be wearing a mask, otherwise I'll be spotted in a heartbeat" Anny sighed before spotting Megaman appear.
"You look nice" Megaman commented with a smile, nodding Anny handed him a block of data that gave him a darker appearance once he used it. His eyes were now purple which made her nod with a satisfied look.
"Good, let's go before the gate closes" Anny said before taking out a small lantern shaped owl that revealed flames in it's eyes.
"Isn't that going to blow our cover?" Megaman asked looking at the lantern with a curious expression, smiling Anny looked at him as they walked in a semi brisk pace.
"This is the invite" Anny said before walking ahead of the now stunned Navi who stopped for a few seconds, "come along Hub or we're going to be late" Anny called out. Startled Megaman sprinted after Anny in order to catch up, as they walked through the dark terrain his eyes soon caught glimpses of flickering lights and quickly guessed that they were lanterns from other Navis.
"If anyone asks your name is Dyran, you were sent by the Under Queen to be one of the bouncers for the soiree. You were tasked in making sure no one acts up or they're kicked out for attacking or causing a scene" Anny explained as they crossed a path but kept their distance.
"Why would anyone not attack at the soiree? Why put so much effort into such an event?" Megaman asked looking at the path to see wolf viruses walking past them in packs, Anny watched them before allowing him to follow her but in a cautious manner.
"This is suppose to be the Autumn solstice, soon snow will fill the Undernet and I hear it'll be a spectacular sight to be seen. Ever since the Under Queen appeared snow filled the area for a brief time and as a result created some moments of peace… regardless of how mistrustful everyone is here the King and Queen host a soiree every season to try and find out any information that would either help or damage the Undernet. Basically the pair want to keep order and would create a false sense of security in order to make them lose their guards" Anny explained before gasping as Megaman pulled her back to avoid a rat virus, smiling her thanks she gestured him to follow on the right path.
"So really it's a trap for anyone acting out of line, that's really smart" Lan commented quietly.
"It is but there are rumors that the Warlords are also forming ties with the King and Queen, if it's true then the bad Navis are going to be on edge. I heard some might join the soiree but I can't be too sure since they are very secretive about their identities. They might create disguises to create a false sense of security, although it's good since WWW might end up hearing about this soiree and create panic which is the exact opposite of what the leaders want" Anny blinked as she examined the area and took a left. Megaman as he listened furrowed his brows as he contemplated her words.
"So the Warlords are on our sides for sure?" Megaman asked not knowing what to think, the Warlords sounded dangerous and yet with how Anny was talking about them. Compared to what Ballara told him, it left Megaman thinking on what would happen if he crossed a Warlord's path. Anny as she stared at him briefly gave him a blank look which took him completely by surprise.
"Of course, they might seem cold but they truly care about both worlds. They want peace and they will resort to means to keep it that way, they're not monsters or savages Hub. Some have families or things that they want to protect and if it means appearing to be bad people then so be it, unlike Gospel the Warlords want nothing more than to end the violence but sometimes defending and retaliating will most likely be the only option left. For years Warlords and Darkloids have been at war, Darkloids want freedom and would gladly destroy lives while the Warlords. Both ally Navis and Humans refuse to allow this to come about so they created their own network to counteract any activities, as a result the sides made a pact. If one crossed over to the other's turf. Even if it were one person's turf then there would be hell to pay, the moment they attack the person's turf. So far a few Darkloids have gotten cocky and were secretly deleted as punishment… funny thing is that Navis don't truly get deleted" Anny explained confusing Lan and Megaman.
"What do you mean?" Lan asked as he watched the area with interest but kept on guard.
"I remember hearing that anything deleted or the remains of data be it Navi always ends up in Sci Lab's network version of a garbage landfill site. Strange but it's true, I caught a few Navis or viruses popping up when I went there at one point when I was younger" Anny explained shocking the pair.
"That's not good, why haven't they dealt with this problem?" Megaman asked as they spotted a large amount of lanterns in the distance.
"They don't know, only one person did and that was my uncle Cossack. Apparently just after he took me in he found something there but it got away so he couldn't show me what it was" Anny commented before pausing to take a deep breath.
"Keep on guard, these Navis are dangerous" Anny whispered faintly before walking.
"How will we find the queen?" Megaman asked quietly as they approached the cluster of flickering lights.
"She wears a mask, but be careful otherwise you might attract the wrong Navi" Anny replied before approaching a black armored Navi, lifting the lantern the Navi inspected it before nodding sharply.
"Enter" it said in a baritone voice that sent shivers down Megaman's spine.
"Thank you" Anny said in a simplistic tone before leading Megaman inside.
"Didn't that scare you?" Lan asked sounding a little shaken up by the dead voice that entered his ears.
"No, why should he? He's one of the people watching the soiree, he lives here" Anny said before releasing the lantern which started to fly into the air, the pair watched it as it started to join the other lanterns which flickered in many coloured lights from green to yellow, blue to red and brown to black.
Nodding Anny waved for him to follow and stepped into a purple portal.
"Remember be discrete and no staring" Anny warned before looking at the new area, the platforms were covered in black marble like colours that sparkled thanks to the lanterns. Dark purplish pillars were located in various parts of the area while a night sky could be seen above their heads. Megaman spotted various parts of the area had stairs leading to three levels above their heads, swallowing thickly he saw that the area was packed with Navis of various shapes and sizes. Some in similar purple malicious armors, some wearing different armor or suits that gave them unwelcoming auras leaving him more unsettled.
"I heard the supposed God of Destruction never appears in any of the soirees so you're safe for now" Anny commented surprising Megaman and Lan deeply thanks to the news about who this God of Destruction that could be. "Okay, I'm going to scope out the area. Remember what I told you Dyran, you're keeping an eye for suspicious activity but in a discrete level"
"But what about you? Surely it'll be dangerous for you given how you were injured last week" Megaman asked looking at her with worried eyes. Anny smiled before playfully punching his shoulder.
"I'll be fine, for now no one will notice me. See you later Dyran" Anny winked before slipping through a group to find Serenade.
"So now we're in the Undernet, how are we going to find the Queen and get the program?" Lan asked.
"For now we need clues on the Queen and King of the Undernet, then find out about the ranking system. If we're lucky no one will start a fight with anyone" Megaman replied before observing the Navis with a brief sweep of his eyes.
"Hopefully, do you think we will be able to spot the queen?" Lan asked as worry grew in his stomach.
"She said the queen would be here" Megaman said before dodging a few Navis having a playful scuffle.
"This might be trickier than we thought" Lan commented now growing worried about being discovered.
Anny meanwhile once no one was looking entered a portal behind a black statue and sighed in relief, taking out a small block of data she allowed it to activate and changed her appearance. Now wearing a long bell black dress with thin black sleeves and black flats, she arranged her hair to be in a messy bun while making sure that her ears were both covered completely. Her fringe contained wavy strands that rested against her chin, now summoning a black butterfly mask which had white dots on the wings she placed it on before composing herself with a deep breath. Smiling she turned to look at Serenade who wore her usual clothes.
"You look nice" Serenade commented.
"Thanks, sure you don't want to change?" Anny asked before Serenade shook her head.
"It's fine, however I sense that we have a powerful guest here" Serenade commented surprising Anny who blinked widely, a smile soon formed on her face before a giggle left her lips.
"I had a feeling he would, hearing both of us would be here was too much of an opportunity to waste" Anny commented before they approached the portal.
"WWW spies might be here as well, keep on your guard" Serenade commented to her amusement.
"Oh I know, I have a plan to deal with those pests" Anny winked before walking through the area to interact with Navis when needed to. Sensing that the Navi in question was close she almost smirked knowing that he sensed them enter the area.
"Let the fun times begin" Anny said as she walked in an airy manner, almost giving off the impression that she was gliding as she went past various Navis. Some who saw her started to whisper amongst themselves, some in fear and some had mixed emotions about her, not that she cared much for their gossips as she remained on guard for anyone dangerous. Soon Anny blinked in surprise as she spotted a hazel eyed female Navi in the distance to her left, the navi had a closed flower on her head with green hair in the form of ivy, she wore a dress made out of flower petals, her bottom sleeves were small creating a bell like appearance for her hands to be shown. She wore green boots with hazel laces on the sides of the boots.
"Looks like Hazel's here which means Tessa's on guard" Anny commented to herself. Frowning Anny braced herself in case any allies or foes would approach her. Keeping a brief eye she stood in the middle of the area and coughed into her fist while Serenade stood beside her with her arms crossed, her face composed as they stood side by side.
"Welcome to the Autumn Soiree, thank you all for coming to this special day" Anny called out with a serene smile knowing that she would be seen thanks to the screens located in various places. Every Navi in the area would be seeing them and would be aware that the party would now be taking place.
"As we have stated in the last Soiree, there will be no fighting that would risk endangerment. This day is a truce day for all Navis, Darkloids who are here are also welcome to attend but must remember to be respectful of others or else there will be consequences" Serenade explained with a firm voice that sent shivers down some Navis' spines. Megaman who had heard this almost went pale in fear knowing that this could get ugly and fast if he mixed with the wrong group, however his mind quickly went to Anny and wondered where she had gone to and if she was safe at all.
"We do hope you enjoy this brief evening, let us begin oh and before I forget there will be one fight today before the ranking system restarts tomorrow. Once again please enjoy this evening!" Anny waved her hands and with a smile vanished, replacing her were a stream of neon blue butterflies that soon fluttered into the air and started to twinkle in the lantern's light. Most Navis who watched this stared in awe while others were left not impressed at the cheap parlor trick.
A fin helmeted Navi who was watching this from a distance frowned at how she would even think to pull a stunt like that.
"Did you like my performance?" Anny asked startling the Navi enough to make him turn around "Hi Bass, how are you this fine evening? I'm surprised you accepted my invitation" she chirped with a wide smile while tilting her head to the right, twitching he glared at her.
"I only came because you said I can fight Serenade. I only fight the strongest Navis" Bass said bluntly, Anny's eyes went wide while her mouth turned into an o showing that she was surprised.
"Does that mean me?" Anny pointed at herself mentally smirking at how he was getting annoyed by her.
"You? I bet you only won by a fluke" Bass replied to her amusement, twirling she turned her back to him and grinned after moving her head to face him.
"Oh? You never know~" Anny said with a cheerful tone that grated on his nerves.
"If that's the case then you will prove it?" Bass challenged earning him a tut.
"Bass, Bass, Bass… you know there is no fighting in the soiree" Anny scolded playfully before looking over the edge, her eyes narrowed as she took in a few Darkloids. "Looks like the shows already begun, spies are here" Anny said now spotting what was suppose to be Beastman despite the fact he was in disguise.
"Spies?" Bass asked before he could stop himself and looked over the edge.
"WWW is here as expected, should have known they would be here up to no good. But it's their funeral" Anny shrugged while folding her arms, curious he looked at her from the corner of his eyes.
"What makes you say that?" Bass asked in a monotone voice, hearing this she smiled.
"If they show themselves Warlords, bad Navis and Darkloids will have their heads. It'll be a blood bath" Anny explained surprising Bass "don't think I don't know Wily contacted you" Anny said now leaving him curious to the fact she knew. Turning to look at him she folded her arms.
"So? What are you going to do about it?" Bass asked now keeping his guard up.
"I'm sending you a warning, something that will interest you deeply" Anny said now losing all amusement from her face leaving him unsettled at how quickly her mood changed.
"A warning? You dare threaten me?" Bass snarled quietly but she remained composed to his annoyance.
"Wily is going to backstab you" Anny explained shocking Bass once more. "I know what he's after and if you release it it'll be all over, you will die" Anny warned, she watched him as he took a step back and knew that despite his cold demeanor he was deeply unsettled.
"And how would you know?" Bass challenged while both moved away from the edge to avoid being spotted. Anny relished in the soft glow that was above their heads, however she refused to smile given the situation.
"The Tetra Codes" Anny explained in a simple tone "my friend is a hacker and told me what they're for after he did a little digging. It's keeping Alpha in check and that thing was locked away to prevent everything from being absorbed. They only caught it because it bit more than it could chew" Anny now looked at him with a frown. Bass' fists clenched by his sides.
"There is only an empty promise of power, he is only sending you to your death once you absorb the guardian program" Anny added to his disgust.
"That… human!" Bass soon felt his power surge from within and crackle the air, his body soon jumped as he felt a hand on his elbow.
"Control your temper, you can't let him know you know" Anny hissed before leading the stunned Navi with her to a hidden spot to their right.
"Do not touch me" Bass hissed coldly.
"Shut it Bass" Anny spoke in such a stern tone that it stunned him into silence "I am on your side otherwise why would I tell you? I could have easily let you die and be swallowed by that monstrosity"
"And why didn't you?" Bass asked while folding his arms after getting out of her grip, sighing she folded arms.
"Bass come on now, not everyone is out to kill you" Anny said wearily as she placed a hand to her face and rubbed it slightly.
"As if I would believe that" Bass commented darkly.
"Bass… I haven't killed you nor have I attacked you, I could hurt you at anytime but I haven't. I have friends who would put a serious dent on you but we haven't"
"And why haven't you?!" he snapped loudly now losing his cool.
"Because I care, as hard as it is to believe like Megaman and Serenade I care about your wellbeing" Bass' eyes went wide in disbelief at how she could say such a thing "you may have caused a lot of problems and endangered lives but I believe deep down you are not bad, you're hurt and in pain… I can relate to that" Anny said with a heavy look despite the sad smile that formed on her face, Bass as he looked at her felt like he swallowed acidic bile from her words. "Feeling like you will never be accepted because of who you are, what you can do or who you are connected to… it becomes a nightmare trying to live up to expectations but no matter what you do it's never enough" Anny said feeling a bitter smile form on her face. Looking at him with a frown appearing she pushed her hair from her right ear to show a large mechanical headpiece covering her right ear, seeing this surprised Bass as it looked like his purple earpiece that covered his ear. Anny smiled faintly despite the fact the corners of her mouth twitched showing that her smile was fake.
"What…?" Bass was at a loss for words as he watched the dull piece twinkle in the light.
"Happened?" Anny asked for him "quite simple really, my father did this to me all because my headaches were so painful. I could hear people's hearts and minds when I was four, it was so painful I had to leave school for a bit and I stayed with my uncle only when I went to visit my father in the past… he took things too far" Anny said in a brittle tone, Bass as he heard this froze.
"Father?" Bass tensed up as he saw her cover her ear once more.
"I am human but I somehow can enter Cyberspace at will, I don't know how I do it but all I know is that I can do it. That is my secret to you… the difference between your father and mine… is that my father used me as a lab rat. Your father loved you deeply enough to try and save you" Anny spoke before sighing heavily and looked up with dull eyes "in a way I envy you, although… I think in my father's own way he just wanted to 'cure' me of my headaches but went as far as to fuse the components to my eardrums" Bass's eyes widened in horror as he took in her words, this had to be a joke.
"I knew humans were cruel but never this cruel" Bass commented his voice almost trembled in anger and disgust.
"Which is why I can relate humans, Navis they're the same to me. I often hate both because they can be cruel in their own ways and yet… seeing this" Anny looked at the area with a calm smile "it's nice to see brief moments of respites, some are actually getting along with each other but are too scared to do so. I think having these events are helpful" Anny commented before turning to look at him with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry I had to trouble you with my sob story, but I had to make you see that there are some be them humans or Navis do suffer just as much. What happened back then was not your fault. It was corruption, power corrupts everyone and there are few who may falter but do strike against the hearts of the wicked" Anny said before taking a step towards him. "Wily is… complicated, I resent him and yet I owe him. I don't want you both to die when Alpha gets released. If anything I would be happy to be rid of the thing, Dr. Light was filled with regret since that day… torn him to pieces knowing his and Wily's creation caused pain. He wanted to help people and it went out of control"
"How do you owe him?" Bass asked now curious about this part, Anny rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head slightly.
"Honestly? Wily and Dr. Light adopted my father, they took him under their wing and trained him to be an Engineering Technician Specialist. Some called father a progeny because of how quickly he took things but really it was to help father deal with his pain. You see when my father was nine his parents and baby sister were killed by someone unknown, someone took his case despite all evidence pointing to him being the only one at the scene and won. However the killer got away and it left a huge sting on my father" Anny explained with a frown now huffing crossly. "All I know is that father grew paranoid because people stole his work despite the fact he was being careful with hiding it, in the end he stopped coming to the lab and worked at home only that made him more edgy. Father saw my headaches as a chance to help but overdid it" Anny said looking away with a weary look. Frowning Bass sighed heavily.
"So you want to save Wily because he helped your father?" Bass asked bluntly.
"I don't expect you to" Anny said with a surprised look "but I would be grateful! In exchange I will try to reopen your case in regards to Alpha Revolt and get an acquittal, not just for you but for Dr. Cossack. I owe it to both of you" Anny said with a determined look that left him more stunned at how a human would do such a thing.
"How do I know you're trustworthy?" Bass asked now looking at her with suspicious eyes, it seemed too good to be true. What were the odds of her being honest? Anny seeing this sighed.
"Dr. Cossack was my father's friend" Anny explained stunning him to silence "you may not remember but uncle Cossack took me in after I was found with a girl name Tessa Earth, Tessa stayed with a man who was also a friend of my father but remained on guard in case I needed her help. During that time I met you even before the Alpha Revolt took place"
"No… No I do not remember" Bass said now feeling on edge, his right eye twitched as an itch formed inside his mind but he paid it no heed.
"I thought as much" Anny shrugged "I don't mind… it just means we can be reintroduced" Anny said as she smiled brightly leaving Bass looking perplexed. "I'm Anny Hina Rune, Also known here as Aria the Under Queen. It's a pleasure to meet you?" Anny paused as she lifted her hand up for him to shake.
"This is ridiculous! As if I can trust…" Bass paused as he looked at her sincere smile, to his shock he could feel as if he should trust her and his hand moved on it's own accord before he could stop it. As soon as Bass touched her hand he felt as if it felt familiar to him surprising him at how she could have an effect on him. Anny waited for him to speak with a patient look that left him feeling dare he admit it nerves.
"Bass" he said in a curt tone as she shook his hand slowly.
"Pleasure to meet you Bass, I hope we will be seeing more of each other" Anny said causing his face to almost go sour at her response.
"Likewise" he said tonelessly.
"So? I hear you want to challenge the Underking?" Anny asked with a teasing smile that caused a smirk to form on his face.
"Of course, why would I not want to challenge the best?" Bass asked with a cocky smile that had her almost snorting at his reply.
"There are many ways of becoming strong, just remember that power without control is meaningless" Anny said now examining the area once more.
"And what does that mean?" Bass asked only to pause as he saw her face go pale.
"What is he doing here?" Anny asked now feeling anger form within her.
"How did he even enter this place? Who told him?!" Anny now narrowed her eyes before looking at Bass with a false smile.
"I'm sorry Bass but we will have to cut our talks short, I have a private affair to sort out. Ring check?" Anny asked with a quick genuine smile. Startled Bass blinked rapidly before regaining his cold composure.
"How will I contact you?" Bass asked causing her to giggle.
"I have a friend who likes to surf the net, however he hacks for a living. You'll recognize him" Anny winked before teleporting, frowning Bass looks around the area to see what caused her attention. Soon he spots a faint flash and quickly recognizes it as Anny who's approaching a Navi, her face as he watches with narrowed eyes shows pure fury to his surprise.
"Who is that Navi?" he ponders but keeps hidden.
"What are you doing here?" Anny hisses coldly as she grabs a disguised Protoman's arm, turning to look at her his eyes despite being hidden go wide in horror as she shakes in fury. "Follow me now" she hisses now dragging him with her, not daring to cause a scene Protoman remained silent until he saw what looked like a dark version of Megaman run after them with worry forming on his face.
Once they were out of view and hearing she released Protoman, rounding at them she shook in anger.
"What are you doing here?! How did you get in here?" Anny asked now losing her temper.
"Are you the Under Queen?" Megaman asked before freezing as she glared at him.
"Shut it! I don't want to hear your voice at the moment Hub" Anny hissed startling the pair into silence including their Net ops who were frozen at the venom leaving her voice. "Who told you about this event Protoman?" Anny asked now getting more angrier than ever. Swallowing Megaman took a step forward.
"I… I told him" Anny's eyes widened in anger causing them to recoil in fear.
"Do you have any idea of what you both have done?! If WWW find out or anyone dangerous finds out you will never be safe, anyone you know will be a target. This is a criminal breeding ground and you entered it! Have you lost your minds? Who told you to tell him?" Anny snapped now pointing at Protoman.
"I told him to tell me if he gains any information about the program that is hidden here" Chaud said as a screen appeared beside Protoman.
"Oh even better! You stupid stupid boy! This is why I said you shouldn't be allowed to come! Bass is here as well you moron and if you want to die then you might as well put a signboard above your head telling him to come get you!" Anny hissed.
"Wait a minute, Anny told us that we could-" Lan paused as he saw her twitching.
"As long as you came with Anny, Anny told me you needed to speak to me. I didn't realise you would sneak filth in. How did you get in?" Anny asked coldly.
"I… I took someone's invitation" Chaud swallowed thickly as he saw her shake slightly.
"Great… stupid… if that guy you stole ever finds out it'll be all over. This is a tight knitted event"
"We know and we are sorry" Megaman said showing remorse "I didn't know he would try to enter the Undernet"
"Megaman you don't need to defend me, I chose to do so" Protoman said bluntly as he saw her eye them with a pursed lip.
"Unbelievable… I feel a migraine coming along. Look I said you could look around for answers not catch wandering eyes. For all I know WWW is now suspicious of you or the Darkloids-"
"What about the Warlords?" Protoman asked catching her brow go up.
"They are not your problem" Anny snapped dryly.
"Wait a minute! You didn't tell us to look around Anny did-"
"Lan!" Megaman cried despite being mindful of his voice went a little pale at how angry she was getting.
"Hold on, you said Anny told you to look around but I haven't seen her anywhere" Protoman commented, Anny as she watched them almost rolled her eyes even though she was wearing a mask.
"Have you seen her?" Chaud asked before seeing Lan shake his head.
"No, none of us have" Lan turned to look at Anny who slapped her face.
"Whether you have seen her or not is my business, she is safe for now until you stir up trouble" Anny said as she eyed Chaud who was now staring at her.
"Anny?" Megaman called out to her causing Anny to look at him instinctively, as soon as she realised what happened she almost kicked herself for the slip up.
"No way! Anny?!" Lan cried to her annoyance.
"Hush please…" Anny muttered now slapping her face. "This is why I didn't want you to get involved…" Anny whined weakly.
"Wait what?!" Protoman almost yelled before keeping his voice down.
"You're the Under Queen? How did you even get into Cyberspace?" Chaud demanded to her annoyance.
"Does that mean you're a Warlord?" Megaman asked now realizing why she was speaking positively about the group, sighing heavily she frowned at them.
"I don't like you…" Anny muttered darkly to Megaman who winced from the comment "okay seriously you're getting on my nerves! Can I just get you out of here before you ruin the event with blood? I was having a good chat with a Navi as well before you showed up" Anny asked now wanting to leave the area.
"Now until we get our answers" Chaud demanded which made Anny want to hit the boy but refrained from doing so.
"How about I give you a tour of the area?" Anny asked bluntly shocking him.
"Why would you do that? I thought that revealing us would mean danger?" Lan asked looking puzzled. Anny hearing this smirked.
"I have a program from Surf Hacker that can condense data" Anny soon revealed a diamond block of data and pointed it at them, to their surprise they shrank to the size of tiny finger and were immediately picked up.
"What are you going to do to us?" Protoman demanded before being propped onto her shoulder.
"Hush now, I told you I'm giving you a tour. You want to see what I do then keep it a secret. Otherwise Warlords will not be so kind to you for snooping around" Anny hinted, startled Protoman bit his lip before looking at Megaman who went quiet. Fear filled the purple Navi as he watched Anny leave the area to see a Navi that Anny recognized as Hazel.
"It's good to see you Miss Aria" Hazel greeted, Chaud as he recognized her froze now recognizing the Navi and who she belonged to.
"Hazel" Anny greeted with a smile "how's the area?" Anny asked softly as she hugged the Navi briefly.
"Quiet but lively, Darkloids were joking around with a few Warlords but nothing bad has happened" Hazel assured Anny who nodded briefly. "Any news?" Hazel asked as they observed the area.
"I saw Beastman briefly, I think more WWW operatives are in the area but I want to keep an eye on them" Anny explained.
"Do you think they're after the Giga Freeze?" Hazel asked sounding slightly worried.
"Yes, I have a Navi who just confirmed it just before I caught a little mouse" Anny explained shocking Hazel, Chaud and Protoman.
"Who?" Hazel cried softly, her hazel eyes shining with worry.
"Chaud is past curfew" Anny hinted to Hazel's dismay.
"Oooh… Madam Tessa's going to be upset when she finds him" Hazel sighed softly before spotting a Navi on Anny's shoulder followed by another beside it. "Is that them?" Anny nodded causing Hazel to frown.
"You two are so naughty, why must you make things harder for Lady Aria?" Hazel asked sternly to Chaud and Protoman's horror.
"Believe me it was not our intention on getting caught" Protoman said causing Anny to roll her eyes.
"I'll be on look out, if you see Fin boy let me know I feel bad for cutting my talks with him short" Hazel's eyes went wide.
"You spoke to him?" Hazel asked sounding breathless from shock, Anny seeing this smiled.
"We might have a new mole, but I want Surf Hacker to see him to solidify the trust. By tomorrow morning they will meet but in secret" Anny explained, Hazel who looked troubled nodded shakily.
"I hope we can stop WWW, some of the others are growing worried and restless. A family had to leave the area and will be back once the threat has blown over" Hazel explained, Anny nodded with a troubled look.
"Terrance is a new parent, I can imagine it'll be hard for him to remain calm when Wily is causing problems again. He can take as much time as he would like I have no problems with that and he knows that he is always welcome to help if he can" Anny explained, Hazel smiled softly.
"That's why we trust you" Hazel commented before spotting a vampire like Navi. "It's Shademan" Anny frowned as she saw the Navi in question.
"Keep calm, he can't hurt anyone here" Anny assured Hazel who still remained on edge.
"I…I know but-"
"Let's keep the prejudicial mannerisms to a minimum until tomorrow. We set down this guideline and he knows better than to enter a snake's den, if he tries it he'll die" Anny replied bluntly sending shivers down not only Protoman and Megaman's spines but their Net ops as well. "For now keep your ladylike composure, it's a soiree after all" Anny said with a sly smile.
"Stay safe Aria, we will keep a look out" Hazel vowed with a determined smile, winking Anny began walking past a few Net Navis with a calm composure.
"That guy to my right who is boasting" Protoman spotted the purple Navi with green wristbands laughing loudly "he's known for embezzling but tomorrow he's going to be caught thanks to his wife, she tipped us off this morning with photos because he cheated on her" Anny explained to the stunned four.
"That woman with claws and a wolf coat, she's known as a bounty hunter and has been hunting down criminals for decades" Anny explained as she spotted the smirking female Navi wink at her, smirking Anny winked back.
"I take it she's a Warlord?" Megaman asked.
"Just last year actually, I know a guy named Marcus Flinchlan" Anny commented stunning Chaud.
"You cannot tell me he's a Warlord as well?! He's a serial killer" Chaud cried now growing concerned about the company she kept. Anny as she twirled to avoid a Navi laughed as he realised she caught him out on trying to dance with her, winking and wagging her finger some Navis laughed at his blunder causing him to blush violently.
"Marcus was abused by his father, at fifteen he got fed up with it and bashed is father in the head with a baseball bat. Smashed the man's brains in and shattered every bone in the body leaving a bloody mess. Only he didn't stop there, he continued until he was caught two years ago during his serial killing spree. He was on death row until I spoke to him. He sees a therapist but most of the time he hunts and smashes Darkloids if they get too close for comfort, that's the only time he relapses but other than that he's now quite tamed" Anny said before waving at what looked like a male Navi holding a bat that looked like it had flecks of blood on it. Seeing this Protoman tensed up while Megaman shivered in fear.
"Did he somehow get into Cyberspace as well?" Lan asked now looking a little green from the story.
"I heard a Pulse System can get a human into Cyberspace, he uses it but only when it's necessary" Anny explained as she saw the 'Navi' nod at her briefly. "He's a little cold but he's not so bad"
"Says you" Chaud muttered.
"Hey most of these guys despite being reformed are good, they just came from rough backgrounds. Once you give them a chance they really prove they care" Anny defended quietly.
"Somehow I find it hard to believe you, what else have you been hiding?" Chaud asked coldly.
"Look I can send you home or you can watch and enjoy the night. Your choice Chaud Blaze" Anny muttered low enough for him to hear; twitching Chaud sighed before relenting.
"Fine" he muttered to her relief.
"Thank you-oh? Bass is challenging S nice! Oh and just to let you know the ranking system battles start tomorrow at three. Don't be late but please be careful it is very dangerous to be here and there are no rules" Anny explained to Megaman who nodded.
"Got it" Megaman said quietly before seeing Bass, he tensed up from feeling the power building up from the Solo Navi.
"I'm going to take a look, looks like fun" Anny said now walking towards the circle.
"So you want to challenge me?" Serenade asked softly as she spotted Anny from the corner of her eye, smiling faintly she kept her eyes on Bass.
"That's right! I want to prove to everyone here that I am the stronger Navi and then" Bass turned to look at Anny who was looking at him with a curious smile "I will take you down" hearing this Anny swooned causing a few to chuckle at how bold he was being.
"Somehow I had a feeling you would say that" Serenade muttered before sighing. With a gesture of her hand the Navis including Anny moved back to give them room. "I will give you ten minutes, if you fail to win then you must climb up the ranks that will reset tomorrow" Serenade said sternly.
"That will be fun" Anny muttered low enough for both Megaman and Protoman to hear "some try to cheat or lose because they don't take me seriously. It'll be their downfall plus it gives me a chance to see how S has grown" Anny commented with a hidden smile.
"Do you two spar often?" Megaman asked as he looked up at her with curious eyes.
"From time to time, once a week if we're lucky. Most times we just talk or observe the area. S has to monitor the place while I study and then help when I am able to" Anny explained as she watched the pair start fighting, using her barrier she blocks the strong gust of wind caused by one of their attacks.
"How do you find the time?" Chaud asked while observing the scene with disbelief.
"I manage, at times I have friends helping me out so I can chose when to do stuff and relax. It's not easy and I can really feel their concern" Anny explained.
"You sound like you are their leader" Chaud said as he raised a brow, Anny hearing this sighed.
"I am" Chaud froze at her blunt response.
"What?" Megaman and Protoman quietly cried out.
"Really?" Lan asked in disbelief.
"Not only that but there are a lot of Warlords in the area, I heard your mother was a member Chaud. She worried about the area just as much as my parents. My mother worked in Law Enforcement before going on maternity leave, at first it was a quiet small group that kept the peace before it multiplied years later. I want to help these people. I know what it's like to live in fear, to not have a voice and to see injustice but be powerless to do anything. Be them normal people or intelligent they work together. Some inform, some take action in the end we help each other like a neighborhood watch" Anny explained, Chaud meanwhile reeled over the fact his mother had actually gotten involved with such dangerous group. How had she gotten away with it? How had he not known she was doing things like this? Did his father know? If so for how long had he known? More importantly how and why did his mother get involved in such activities? She never showed signs of being in such dangerous situations.
"Just like what Ballara told me when you were at the scrap vendor with Lan" Megaman commented, Anny who whistled at the attack Bass gave Serenade who bounced the attack back at him smiled.
"He's getting better" Anny mused.
"Yup, we mean no ill will. We just want to protect our own be them Navi or human" Anny explained softly.
"That explains why S was talking about the Darkloids before the event started" Protoman commented which earned him a brief nod.
"Step on a turf and you're asking for blood" Anny muttered.
"Time!" Anny yelled stopping the fight altogether. Bass who heard her voice paused from getting up after landing on the ground. Approaching him she knelt down and offered her hand. "You got better well done" Anny said with a genuine smile, startled Bass looked at her while hearing whisperings from the other Navis. Hearing the negative comments he narrowed his eyes and forced himself up without her help.
"I will be hearing you soon" Bass commented quietly enough for her to hear before leaving.
"Bass I know a spot if you want to heal quickly" Anny told him telepathically, sensing his unwilling aura soon appear in a hidden spot that they were before she mentally smiled.
"Nice match S, do you want to tell them about the time the Ranking System starts?" Anny asks, nodding Serenade smiles catching what Anny is up to.
"Be careful" Serenade said to Anny who winks and teleports to the exit.
"Okay boys time to go" Anny said once they were at a safe distance.
"What about you?" Lan asked looking worried, Anny smiles after reverting the Navis back to their original sizes.
"I'll be fine, I have to do something before I go home. Besides you two are in trouble when I get out of the net so savor your last moments you two" Anny warned before going back inside.
"I don't think this is going to end well" Lan muttered, soon Chaud received a message.
"Master Chaud Blaze, please get home right now and log your Navi out of the Undernet this instant or else I will tell your father. Your bed time was due an hour ago. Tessa Earth" Swallowing Chaud almost felt his eyes drop in shock. This was not good.
"I take it you got busted" Megaman asked the now pale Protoman.
"The head Maid sent Master Chaud a message" Protoman commented.
"Protoman!" Chaud hissed feeling more disturbed that the maid would know Anny. This was going to be an interesting talk.
"Like it?" Anny asked with a bright smile as she relaxed in the water, it felt like she was on a fluffy cloud as she levitated in the lake containing crystals.
"It's… fine" Bass muttered bluntly while feeling the injuries he sustained leave him quickly, he was slightly impressed that the area even existed and had wondered how she even came across it. Being in the water he felt weightless and at ease which was worrying to say the least, the lights from the crystals left him feeling heavy lidded as he remained floating.
"Oh come on! It's nice! I can feel my troubles leave thanks to the special properties of the lake" Anny said while looking at him with a sly smile.
"How is that even possible?" Bass asked as she watched her swim about.
"I asked Serenade to help make a lake that can heal injuries and heavy hearts, the crystals influence it's power because of their properties and they release a nice glow don't you think?" Anny asked as she flipped underwater, her hair moved like a curtain and covered her face for a bit but allowed her ears to be seen. Bass as he saw the metal part bit the inside of his cheek, for some reason he almost felt like he had seen it somewhere before.
"How did it break?" Bass asked as he pointed to her ear, blinking Anny smiled faintly.
"A freak accident, originally it was a pair of headphones that I kept taking off. Father got made and fused them to my ears; somehow only the left one was sliced off but didn't cause any hearing loss. I don't remember what happened but all I know is that mother almost never spoke to him again" Anny explained before crossing her legs and moved down thanks to the water causing her hair to bobble like a jelly fish for a brief moment. "Unfortunately the plans of the headphones were stolen so I was hoping the that someone here would have them, that way I could try to remove them but alas no one had them" Anny said huffed before flipping once more and landed near Bass who remained puzzled at how a human could do that to one of their own.
"So have you thought about my offer?" Anny asked catching his attention; a glint appeared in his eye causing her to smirk.
"We shall see, for now I will observe what the good doctor has in store" Bass replied in a neutral tone "although correct me if I am wrong but you are in possession of one of the Tetra Codes, am I right?" Anny hearing this widened her smirk.
"Smart, I thought wearing it as an accessory would catch a few eyes" Anny winked as her hidden blue pendent started to twinkle from the crystals' lights, Bass seeing this smirked.
"The Doctor really has underestimated you to think you would let it go so easily" He commented, Anny shrugged in a nonchalant manner.
"I like to keep my cards close, right now they're chasing fake versions of myself in hopes of getting the code not knowing that they're walking into either dead ends or traps. Look I know you want revenge but think of this, justice a more healthy version of revenge and it dish best served cold" Anny winked as she watched him maul on her words.
"You really think that you can prove my innocence?" Bass asked, hearing this she nodded eagerly.
"I have ways and people who will be more than happy to help. Injustice is not something we tolerate be it towards humans or Navis. Warlords look out for each other and those close to them" Anny said sternly, her eyes showed she was being honest and it left him smirking to himself.
"I'll take you up on your offer, but only if you prove it" Bass eyed her before seeing her produce a small sphere.
"It works for two people, I am going to plant a copy of the Tetra Code in the Tree of Life. Inside it will be a virus that will damage Alpha from the inside allowing us to finish him off once and for all. As for the sphere it will get you and Wily out of the area" Anny explained as he observed it carefully.
"What about you?" Bass asks as he turned to look at her as she looked away and then back at him with a smile still forming on her face.
"I need to be there to finish it, I am staying with Megaman and my cousin. Just in case anything happens I will try to get them out, no one is being left behind" Anny said never looking away from Bass as he continued to maul on the plan.
"It's risky, you could get absorbed" Bass commented.
"I know, but considering how I brushed with death a few times already. Saving those closest to me makes it worth it. I think about those who risk their lives everyday to help those in need, why do they do it? Because it's the right thing to do. Sometimes we must swallow our pride in order to face the future head on. Fear can be an enemy but it can also drive you, not all of us are your enemy remember that. In the meantime I'll let you relax here, I have to get going" Anny said now stretching, watching her Bass remained silent as she waved at him.
"Take care of yourself Bass, see you soon" Anny called out as she swam towards the surface and within seconds vanished leaving him to his thoughts, spying the sphere his brows furrowed. As easy as it was to use it for his own benefits his mind pulled towards her words, was she being that naïve? Or was she pulling on an act? Somehow it felt like neither and it left him uncomfortable after all, who would want to trust or be friends with someone like him? He the God of Destruction worked and lived alone, why should anyone get in his way? If they did they would be deleted but for some reason he couldn't find it in himself to hurt her. No… for some reason she felt too valuable to delete or absorb.
"Hey mate! Enjoying the lake?" A male Navi called out, startled Bass looked up and felt something that took him by surprise.
"You have an Ultimate Program?" Bass called out in shock as the Navi laughed.
"Anny told me you would freak out!" the Navi commented leaving Bass more shocked that this was the Navi she was talking about before "The name's Surf Hacker, I'm here to talk to you oh and don't even think about trying to copy my powers" Surf Hacker commented with a grin that didn't sit well with Bass.
"And why is that?" Bass challenged while raising a brow at the Navi who folded his arms while levitating in the water.
"Because like you I have a Get Ability program, as fun as it would be for both of us to copy each other's abilities it would get old pretty quickly. Now on to business" Surf Hacker said mentally laughing at how stupefied Bass' face had become from the comment.
"Come on Bass, I don't have all day" Surf Hacker said snapping Bass out of his thoughts.
"What do you want to know?" Bass asked now losing all emotion so he could focus properly..
Why are you even bothering to help such a whelp who's kind has betrayed you? You could have been like us and resort back to your old ways! But you left me for a girl you scumbag! You liar! Claiming to be my friend, you swore we would always be friends and you turned your back on me! Now… I'll make sure you'll never remember her again, even if I have to alter your memories to hate humans. How fitting that the one you care for will be your greatest fear and I can imagine the hatred that will grow. The Chaos you'll bring, to be honest… I hate you but seeing you resort to your old ways in a way. An cold blooded assassin who cared not for who you hurt as long as you get the job done. The one who would make the bodies scream blood from each attack you unleashed… such a waste you can't be an ally of mine. But hey… if we can't get to you, no one can… I hope you and that pathetic project of yours rot in the bowls of this dark area.
I would say it was nice to see you, but I would be lying. Just seeing you makes me sick. Good luck trying to kill that brat of a daughter of yours with the very thing you created to save her. An irony if you ask me.