Chapter 14: Backstage deals
12:47 AM (Stockholm Time), Saturday October the 22nd…
"… Hey there. Seed."
"Spiral? Come to laugh at me at last?"
"What are you talking about?"
"What. You didn't know! Again with the toy?"
"It's no toy. It's my supreme masterpiece!"
"Like a Picasso?"
"HMPF!"
"I know your weakness. Someone needs to cool you off! Master Splinter always said that."
"I never question His teachings. Don't try to turn them into your blades to stab at me. So? What happened?"
"A lil experiment with a machine… The machine was caught. Since it used a lot of proxies and masks… They won't find me. Proof is that it's been over 24 hours and nothing's happened."
"Good point."
Spiral walked into a small rather unlit room that only had a desk with a PC screen atop it along with a keyboard and a mouse.
Someone was sitting in a wheeled chair in front of the computer, and they turned around.
The occupant of the room, Seed, was a woman who wore a red cap with the Cyrillic letters for "USSR" colored golden and set on its front.
She also wore a green uniform with jeans and a black boots.
Her eyes were covered by the same type of eye-mask Spiral wore, and the shadow projected by the cap hid most of her face yet her eyes irises were blue.
She and Spiral began to chat and she felt amused to provoke him.
"So? What was it, Seed?"
"A device that could emit a specific radio wave that would sync with someone's brain frequency and thus enable for live brainwashing! I was trying to use it to foment paranoia and break up the union but I got found out. Golden Star now has it."
"Golden Star? So you tried to do it on someone related to them?"
"That lil girl, the one that one of your Greeks impersonated a while ago… She struck as interesting and I decided to try it out taking profit of her fits of arrogance and pride."
"I see."
"Want to see something interesting?"
"What is it?"
As a response, she moved the mouse to get out of the screensaver (a Russian word spinning upon itself against a prairie background) and the screen now showed footage from no less than 24 cameras at the same time in different places, so Spiral gasped and walked closer.
"You're monitoring 24 places at the same time and live!?"
"Correct. This way I can figure out how much they know about us or if they've found something. Of course, I can't spy on Golden Star but at least I managed to set some wiretaps in some spots of the Shunoros base. That's handled by another app which runs as a background process! It's interesting to see their interactions and all. I set them up myself there and there. I also can listen into that Dr. Cossack's place as well."
"Dr. Cossack?"
"Used to be a genius of computers over 20 years ago but quit and recycled himself as a Math teacher. Teaches at Moscow College. I had an agent break into his college office but there was nothing interesting! Should've expected it, though…" She explained.
"And what makes that man so interesting?" Spiral questioned.
"He created Forte."
"Forte? You mean that rampaging kid."
"Used to be a rampaging kid but Golden Star managed to kick some sense back into him. Now he stays there with that Serenade guy. Slur of Golden Star also shows up from time to time. I'm hoping that one day they'll make a slip about XY's location because it's hinted that he dropped by there once."
"XY… That would please Lord Void. Lately His Grace is in a foul mood because he lacks enough data on that man to make a proper threat assessment." Spiral muttered.
"I thought His Grace was busy with His research 100% of the time."
"I thought so but His Grace told me yesterday that it's over 95% completed by now. He wants me to deploy Infinitus soon and this time make a public demonstration in Bangkok."
"Why Bangkok?"
"Some data hints at XY living there or close by. His Grace hopes to draw the man out and force him to show what he can actually do. His Grace believes he's not going to use those 7 idiots because our man's fed up with their idiocies." Spiral explained.
"I see. I could try ringing a couple agents on Bangkok so that they can select a fitting target…"
"The target's already been decided, His Grace said, but I don't know the where. Or when I am supposed to strike. His Grace is being careful, as usual. His Grace is the type that would ruin a plan by overthinking it."
"Indeed! Extremely careful… To great extents. Despite us 2 being His Grace's trusted agents… We've NEVER met His Grace in the flesh and we don't know WHERE His Grace is at. All of His Grace's orders come through secure channels… Be it encoded digital means or subtle physical systems… Like Zapp's micro-point…" Seed argued.
"I know. Hiding a microfilm in a picture! Like in a crown's dot."
"And, also… Using several kinds of cyphers, the Seraphs' favorite one included…"
"That method! Classical! By the way! Why was Master Splinter caught so easily?"
"Turns out that one of the Seraphs' big bosses wanted him to interrogate a civilian who might have information about Golden Star and thus be able to brag in front of Kuroban… Golden Star told the Net Police Cyber CID about him after having been looking for suspicious profiles entering the country… They caught him with the guard lowered! He didn't have a gun at hand either because he was to fetch it at the spot where he was supposed to interrogate the civilian. As a result that cypher system got found out." Seed fumed.
"Hmpf. Leave it to some idiotic politician to screw it up. Those rascals were but second-class politicians to begin with. They never appreciated our work and sacrifice. They just want to fill their pockets with pointless money to waste it like damned capitalists on vain stuff!" Spiral grumbled.
"I'll agree with you on that. Wait a minute… See, there! Camera 16: see that guy?"
"I see."
"That's gotta be our man!"
"XY, you mean? Interesting!"
"Looks similar to that Slur woman! Too similar to be a coincidence! Don't you think so?"
"Got a point…"
Seed called for Spiral to focus on one of the live feeds showing the outside of Dr. Cossack's firewall, where XY was walking towards it and he was speaking with someone.
"No audio?" Spiral asked, surprised.
"Odd. I'm sure it's on. Let me check…"
Seed adjusted the audio levels but only noise rang out through the PC's speakers in bursts of static, so she cursed in Russian under her breath and shut them down.
She tried again but the result was the same so she began to look back at the data.
"That XY rascal's emitting a ring of "noise" around him! The camera is outside that range but the microphones aren't. So that's how he moves around! By emitting noise and disturbing all surveillance around him! Maybe he uses it to interfere with perceptions too. That would explain why so few people have actually seen the man." She explained.
XY turned around to leave (he hadn't even entered the computer) and stopped as his glare focused on the camera, so both felt a shiver go down their spines from the cold and hostile glare.
Seed regained her cold blood and brought up a command input window, where she wrote "BOOM" on it, making the camera stop working.
"I blew it up. I'm going to erase all traces of the routers and pings it had established. By the time they analyze the remains the trail will be gone."
"Alright. You MUST be careful, Seed. Now they'll be on the lookout for those! Maybe you should relocate them."
"Sure. I'll switch their positions and their data routes! Guess it'll take about 3 to 4 hours but… Oh well."
"Alright! I should be going back to work! I don't know when Lord Void will order me to perform the attack so I need to have Infinitus ready and working by then! I won't disappoint His Grace. Remember what I told you, Seed. We don't need any bickering!"
"And you remember that you're not invincible and your toy isn't a masterpiece either. Master Splinter would say so. I'm the Big Sister instead of Orwell's Big Brother! HMPF! This is the power of Shadow Nova! There's no place to hide!"
08:48 AM (Japan Time)…
"Oriol. It's morning, man. Let's shake it up with a shakin' cocktail, how about it?"
"Netto – kun… That's a lame joke…"
"Tempting me?"
"No…"
"Had more than enough yesterday?"
"So gimme a break, will you…?"
"Summon Break Man."
"How funny…"
"Maybe you need something to fully wake up?"
"Oh come on… I'm on it… Give me a minute…"
"Reversal of roles?"
Netto was talking with a guy sharing a king-sized bed with him inside of Noir's room in Purgatory.
The guy, lying at his left, was about his age and height.
He had blonde hair and blue eye irises.
He was mumbling as he began to wake up as he'd been lying on his left side and looking towards the west wall.
He only had a couple of black briefs on while Netto sported blue boxers.
"A joke!"
"What joke…?"
"… "What time is it?"… "12 PM!"… "It's late!"… "Should've asked me earlier!"…" Netto quoted like laughing.
"Need a shower! Else I'll remain glued to the sheets the whole day…"
He lazily sat up on the bed and placed his feet on the ground.
"Really?"
"Ah no! Netto – kun! I said enough! Save it for later! Will you do me that favor?" He grumbled.
"Alright, Kurishiri!"
"Ku-Kurishiri? That a joke? My name's Kuroshiro and you know it! Sheesh! You're such a prankster…!" Kuroshiro groaned.
"Blame the PLANKSTER!"
"I know that joke already. Sod off."
"Soda on!"
Kuroshiro walked towards the cupboard and picked some clothes while checking a basket having clothes to wash.
"Should drop by the laundry today… Else, I'm going to run out of boxers and socks… And I should place some shirts too…" He muttered as he checked it out.
"One of Purgatory's enigmas! It doesn't have a laundry! All members must go wash the clothes at the nearest city laundry!" Netto grinned.
"We didn't think it'd be that much of a fuss. Nobody's complained in all that time. Especially since some of the members come and go."
"Another enigma! How does it get the food?"
"Sheesh. That ain't an enigma. We simply have it delivered to a warehouse that's operated by a dummy company and then Dark Man and Burner Man load it into two boats to then bring it here… Sometimes one of the other guys helps out too…"
"Yet another! How do the toilets work like?"
"How? Just like in any ship… No mystery there. And we've got a small system that recycles sweat and humidity into showering water or water for the sinks… Just like the ISS…" He dully replied.
"As expected of my husband."
"W-what? Oh come on. That joke's old. We're lovers and that's it."
"Else I would be mad!"
"Why would you?"
"Because Oscar drops by from time to time and you have sex when either of you feels bored." Netto grinned.
"I know. You've never complained." Kuroshiro argued back.
"I don't care, anyway."
"I'm going in and I'm going to lock from the inside so that you can't pull a joke on me. You should be getting dressed too. I think Saito and Legato are already up and running."
"OK, VP – sama~… Marchando!"
Kuroshiro rolled his eyes as he picked a towel and a couple of clean white boxers and opened the left door.
He entered a connecting corridor that had two doors facing each other on each wall.
The southern one was labelled "TOILETS" and the northern one "SHOWERS & ONSEN".
He opened the north door and stepped intothe room, which was already hot because someone was using it.
"Morning, Saito."
"Oriol! Netto – kun didn't try to keep you glued to the bed?"
"Sure did."
"Thought as much. And I thought that you lacked enough sleeping time as of late too."
Saito was showering himself, so Kuroshiro locked the door from the inside and took off his briefs, which he left atop a stool in the SE corner.
He opened a shower (there were 4) and began to wash up.
"Can't avoid it… This affair is so murky and dangerous to begin with that I feel like sleeping is a sin." He admitted with a sigh.
"Don't push it or you'll get ill with the usual autumn colds and all: they've begun to spread already."
"Already? Thought it would by mid-November like other years. It'd seem someone's begun to accidentally spread it." Kuroshiro muttered.
"Legato was in the mood to tease me a lot. Guess he lacks someone to play with as of late. Since Alex isn't the type…"
"I know. Beta X isn't the type either. Even less Tom. It's not like he's against yaoi, he's civilized enough to respect it. It's just that his bad mood would spoil the fun the whole time. Speaking of moods and all… How's Raito – kun like?"
"He's fine. Today's he going to the theater with Leon – kun to watch a movie. He's getting stronger with every passing day."
"That's nice to know."
"But I can't avoid feeling the guilt nevertheless." Saito sighed.
"Guilt? What guilt, Saito? You didn't know he existed to begin with: how could you know about it? What could've you done? And you know that that aunt of yours did that in a legal club so there was no hard evidence of what she was up to." Kuroshiro reminded him.
"You're right. It's just that… Forget it. Talking about it will make me feel ill-humored."
"Maybe you could go watch some old anime clips?"
"Guess that."
"Or movie songs… I remember the ending songs of the first 5 Pokémon movies to be very good… Especially Movie 5 with the "You're not alone"… That melody still amazes me how it fits with the scenery…" Kuroshiro suggested as if he'd had an idea.
"How was it like…? I remember… Like the sea needs the wind, or the morning needs the sun, there is surely someone nearby who needs you… Like a forest needs water, or light is needed at night, someone is praying that your life will not be destroyed... No matter how long the journey, you will someday reach the end… But if you stay still, without setting off, your dreams will fade away… What was the rest?" Saito began to sing yet he stopped, frowning.
"I know. Don't be afraid, don't lose heart: you are not alone. The star we chased together once is still shining. Even if we are sucked into a future where hatred flourishes, you must never lose your trusting, forgiving heart. Just like the sea needs wind, or morning needs the sun, there is someone nearby who needs you…"
"And I think the rest was something like this… No matter how long the slope, you will someday reach the top. But if you stay still, without setting off, your dreams will fade away. Don't be afraid, don't lose heart: you are not alone. The rainbow we followed together once is still shining. Even if we get lost in a world that cannot bear its conflicts, you must never forget your loving, sharing heart... I dunno why but it seems to fit with the atmosphere. I think we're taking too much time and we should allow Netto – kun to have his shower. Let's go."
Both turned off the showers and dried.
Kuroshiro put on the clean boxers and Saito put on lush green boxers before they exited the shower room and headed in opposite directions.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Netto – kun. I was chatting with Saito."
"OK! Gonna have my shower too. And another day we should have a dip into the onsen… Of love and madness."
"That was because I mixed the wrong vapors. And I know I once played a silly game with Hikawa – kun there but I won't do it again… It was a silly thing." He rolled his eyes.
"Onsen Man is busy! UBYS!"
"Netto – kun and his crazy humor. He never changes!"
12:42 PM (Latvia Time)…
"… Ernst? It's me. Freddy didn't up to his ancestor's title of Frederick the Grand."
"OK. Climb up, Alec."
"Sure."
"Been a while."
"About… 3 weeks? I think."
"Been a bit busy there and there…"
A teen guy approached a tree branch close to a dusty living room in a house somewhere.
The branch, inches away from the window, and he whispered to Ernst, who was hiding in the foliage.
The guy, Alec, was around his age, had brown combed hair and blue eye irises.
He wore a brownish coat, jeans, black wool socks and white sneakers.
"So? It'd seem our former invaders are involved. According to rumors spreading through the Internet."
"Two former KGB trainees… Both appeal as dangerous but we dunno where they're at."
Alec climbed up some branches and met up with Ernst, sitting in a thick, big one, so he sat to his right and they began to chat.
"Do they really think that just the 3 of them can rule the world?"
"Rule the world?"
"A manifesto signed by "Void" has been spreading like wildfire across Eastern Europe as of late, but only Eastern Europe. Sharo and the northern countries of Finland and all excluded." Alec explained, surprised.
"How odd. Why bother?" Ernst wondered.
"Maybe they want to make use of our behavior of always discussing rumors or being reluctant to talk about these topics…"
"Could be. It seems too clichéd. Reeks of red herring to begin with. I'll report it nevertheless."
"Alright."
"This is End Angel."
"This is Shunoros."
"They rumor in right-winged lands of old chunk of land."
"What rumor?"
"They rule world."
"Who signs?"
"The head."
"I see."
"Could be green herb."
"Seems like it. We'll investigate. Over."
"Over and out."
"… Why did you bother to speak like that?" Alec was surprised.
"Just in case! My PET uses satellite downlink and uplink to transmit overseas but since the mobile networks around here aren't very secure then…" Ernst replied.
"But… Even if one were to hack the mobile networks… It's easier to figure out the origin of a transmission than cracking the protection that the voice has, no?" Alec argued back.
"True. However, it's better to be prudent just in case. The government may be randomly peeking into calls for all we know."
"That wouldn't surprise me."
"So I make it sound like it's a silly exchange, a joke. To throw off anyone who might be eavesdropping into that."
"I see."
"When did that begin, anyway?"
"About a couple days ago…" Alec replied.
"Maybe it's a strategy by that Seed woman…"
"Could be anything at this stage, right?"
"Do you know the exact contents of the manifesto?"
"I do. "Me. Void. Rule. World."… That's it."
"Even a kid could write that. How do we know it's from them?"
"Rumor has it that a card having that written was found in the site of that slaughter in Sharo…" Alec replied.
"I see."
"But then again it could be someone's fabrication."
"Hard to say where the border between lie and reality lies: especially in the network. Info mixes up, people start copying others and trying to sell their own conspiracy theory and all. Some who claim that the "official version" crumbles upon a closer inspection, some who claim being something they aren't… And so on." He sighed.
"You don't have anything to vent off this bad mood?"
"Some jokes of the blog! I'll try! The medic to a patient. "If you want to heal then you must have 15 drops of this medicine each morning."…"Man! I can't, Doctor. I can't count beyond 10!"… Excuses."
"Try something else."
"…"How do you feel?"… "That's what I pay you for, Doctor. So that you tell me."… Guess that. But the medic can't figure out what's wrong with you if you don't tell him."
"Of course."
"The medic to the new rich… "We'll use local anesthesia for your wife's surgery."… "No, doctor, I can't afford it! Use imported anesthesia!"… The stupid idiot who doesn't realize the meaning of "local anesthesia" and think it's a product of the country. Typical of a new rich! Wants to brag he can afford expensive and exotic stuff. Just to show off in front of the others…" He fumed next.
"That's…"
"… A man rides a train with a lit cigar, sits down and the employee calls for his attention. "Sir. Smoking is forbidden."… "I know."… "You've got a cigar on your hand."…"I also have shoes on my feet and I'm not walking!"… He's trying to pull a loophole: I've got a cigar but I'm not actually smoking."
"Thinks he's VERY clever."
"Sure! A lady to the train employee. "Will I be able to get down at the next station?"… The employee thinks about it… "Try it but be careful because the train doesn't stop at this next station."…It's an express train."
"Jokes over the phone… "Could I talk to Ms. Queen?"… "Maybe, but you'd have to ring the Royal Palace!"… I see."
"Simple."
"…"Hello? Am I talking to Mr. Lion?"…"Excuse me?"…"Mr. Lion?"…"No, here's Mr. Wolf."… "Sorry. Wrong… cage."… Wrong cage instead of number…" Ernst seemed to find it slightly amusing.
"…"Is this the Secret Service?"… "I'm sorry: I can't answer to that."… Of course he can't…" Alec read over Ernst's shoulder.
"A mad guy in a crazy house's acting the bike. The director complains. "This can't keep up: we must move this patient elsewhere!"… A medic adds his opinion. "I don't think the noise's that loud."… "What's annoying is the SMOKE!"…What? So he generates smoke wherever he goes? Odd crazy guy. Managed to shake off some bad mood. Let's go to the lake."
"Alright."
Both climbed down and headed down a ground path until they reached a small lake that had a wooden pier on the south end.
"Since winter will soon come…" Alec told Ernst.
"I know. By the way… Did anyone drop by to ask about me?" Ernst asked.
"A woman."
"Woman?"
"Smug type, new rich air… She said she wanted to offer you a role in her film titled "Sweet, Sweet Revenge"… I said you were in Panama and she's never dropped by again. Didn't even say who she was."
"HMPF! "Sweet, Sweet Revenge"? Sounds like an acid comedy. It's not like my fulfilled revenge was sweet. Some smug woman alright! Thinking she can make fun of others' sufferings…!" He got annoyed.
"Sorry."
"No. It's my fault. I said I wanted to discharge and I shouldn't have asked that. Then again I was expecting the typical idiot but…"
"That was about a couple weeks ago. Odd part is… I didn't find that name anywhere in the network…" He trailed off and frowned.
"Maybe she actually was a dominatrix! Go to Hell, you Satan incarnation. And never come back!"
"The Moscow Duck fought the St. Petersburg Duck in a Ducky Duel and won by Ducking under the wings! The loser said: "I'm Ducked for Ducks!"…"
"D-ducking under the wings? Ducky Duel? W-what's that?"
"A pal made it up! I told you a similar joke some time before, no?"
"Could patent that for some web game! Wait until those 3 get a hold of it… They're so gonna spread it like wildfire! It's so funny, man! I missed a real crazy joke for once in a while!"
"Don't forget about the Napes that gifted Snape with Panes!"
17:17 PM (Bangkok Time)…
"Why. Burai. You are quite early. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 o'clock."
"I know, XY. It's just that I wanted to talk with you about something I've been wondering about."
"Is that so? Wait a minute. I will ask for permission."
"Alright."
"Master Helios? Burai has come and would like to discuss something with me: do you approve of it?"
"Of course."
"Thank you very much."
Burai came into the "city" where XY lived at, surprising him by coming so early before the meeting.
"How many of you did come to Earth back then?"
"If I recall correctly, there was about 50 of us. Another 25 remained behind in Kyutora."
"Only?"
"We were the only ones who realized that conflict would only breed further conflict. Trying to stop Duo by force would bring tragic consequences! We were sure of it." XY sighed.
"Can you remember ALL you did in these 5 and something millennia?"
"Of course no. My data banks have a limit. Of about 3 centuries of everyday records. If we reached it, we spent some days going over them and selecting what memories of experiments, researches and things that could be useful in the present, and in the future, we would keep them! The rest would be compressed and stored in our servers, in a dedicated system partition." XY explained.
"3 centuries of everyday data…!" Burai muttered.
"I have had to do that several times already."
"And have you always stayed here ever since you returned from your century-long exile once Helios transformed himself into a cybernetic life-form?" Burai asked.
"At intervals. Master Helios wanted to continue his researches but he also wanted to keep an eye on the evolution of humans. We would go out and pretend to be travelers. Or whatever role suited the era, region, and society… It was easy to pretend we were either master and apprentice or father and son. I could easily re-shape my face to achieve the highest possible degree of resemblance to Master Helios."
"So you've lived important historical events?"
"I cannot be exacts for a long stretch of it but regarding the last 3 centuries… We always avoided stepping into wars or armed conflicts because we did not want to extinguish the lives of those we had chosen as our heirs. We did watch from the sidelines taking no sides and doing nothing. Because it was humans' wars, humans' problems, and it was not our place to interfere with them. You could argue that we could have tried to help those being systematically exterminated. We could not. Humans had to solve their own problems. Call it cold, distant, impersonal. I do not mind. It would have been arrogant from our part to think we, outsiders, could change humanity." XY sighed.
"… I see." Burai sighed as well.
"The history of nations and of people is written in the blood that is shed on battles. Most of the times those wars and battles were just the result of a few unbalanced humans who, unfortunately, had the means to order blood to be shed to please their unbalanced minds. But sometimes other parties' arrogance and ego planted the seeds of conflict."
"WWII began because the end of WWI planted seeds of remorse and grudge and frustration that would then bloom like that."
"As I was saying before… We could only look on, and can only do so…"
"But why have you become active as of late?"
"Because of the fast development of the Network…"
"I see. You want to closely keep an eye on that because it might lead to something like Duo?"
"Duo was the result of newfound arrogance, greed and sloth. And your tribe, Burai, did build something that came close to being a new Duo…"
"Ra Mu, you mean? But it had no intelligence per se."
"I know. However, it and the floating continent were designed as tools to ensure complete control of the lands surrounding those of your tribe. They meant to be able to lay waste to them, to steal their resources, to punish their peoples. The only thing that prevented that was the civil war that ensued and ended with the sealing of it."
"True! Some of my ancestors feared that having acquired too much power and building an artificial God was calling for the wrath of the real Gods so they fought the top brass, the Sages' Council, and their loyal soldiers to seal it and prevent the annihilation of the whole tribe via divine punishment. Chronicles say the recent years had been bad in terms of weather and production and most people began to see it as a long-term punishment that would eventually lead to our destruction. I'm sure that the real reason was because of the brutal amounts of EM waves and other waves the floating continent emitted: they messed up with the area's own magnetic field and caused for clouds' particles to start repelling each other and they hardly attracted each other. The result? Little to no rain even in the monsoon season. Seeing that then it's no wonder that the citizens were blaming that heap of rock and metal." Burai detailed.
"Indeed. Those were the conclusions we drew, I think. I keep a small "digest" file about the Mu Continent in ancient times." XY nodded.
"By the way… Those who approached Mu and the On'Setsu with the basis for their technology were members of your species. Was that after you'd exiled to Earth or before?"
"I think before. They probably were a scouting party."
"Thought as much."
"Those two civilizations had begun to question the existence of Gods and were trying to understand natural phenomena through reason… They saw potential on them and handed them the information. I am sure I was still on the colony by then. Maybe I was still serving Master Helios' father."
"If one could access to your memories… Could you make the most detailed chronicle of ancient times until our days? Find details that we do not know?"
"Surely. I hope you are not planning on doing that, though."
"Of course not. Just wondering. Another thing… Why did you build the pyramid in the Reverse Internet and left that "Saito Style" program there?"
"It was a means to test the growth of Net Navis. Only one who could have a strong bond with its Operator could realize where their true potential lied. Although we underestimated the effects of our own program, seeing what happened later. Sadly enough… It is our fault that that began…"
"That that began?"
"We talked about…"
"I see. The fools who made that report stolen by Shadow Nova. Those dogs." Burai scowled.
"Indeed."
"But, on the other hand, it was thanks to you guys that he had enough power to stand up to Gospel and Forte." Burai tried to highlight the positive part of it.
"However, it was surprising… The "Dark Power" proved to be resistant to Saito Style… It allowed for Navis to materialize in the real world too… We have now realized that they used some of the power of the "Darkloid word" or "Dark Cyber World" we had created as an experiment on what could such a Cyber World generate given enough raw material and conditions. The results were Shade Man and Laser Man. And Laser Man then used its power to create Rock Man Dark Soul."
"I seem to remember that the Cybeasts were made by you as well."
"It was another trial of strength. We overdid them and they gained that horrific ability of being able to digitalize the whole world and assimilate it into its body! We managed to escape by fleeing into a satellite's Cyber World. At that point we thought it exceeded the capabilities of any Net Navi and we were about to take responsibility."
"How?"
"Simple. Each of them had had an "apoptosis" protocol built into them in case they went beyond control. They would break down from the inside at a fast speed. Even while fused that "apoptosis" protocol remained because it was a key component. We were about to infiltrate into the core and trigger it when that explosion happened and, before we knew it, Rock Man collided with us. He was damaged, and most of his body was broken. He was already unconscious as well. We warped him with us to shield him from the remaining explosion. We witnessed the world returning to normal too! We hurried back here and began to restore him. A quick scan of his memories showed us what had happened in that fierce battle. We were impressed so we decided to keep him under our custody for some time. Master Helios saw on him the child he had never had. We kept him here, in a child's room, surrounded by pure things a child would like…"
"But you eventually realized that you couldn't do that forever."
"Yes. Master Helios began to notice how, almost a year after the battle, he began to feel lonely and sad. Nothing we provided him with would make him change that mood. Master realized that he missed his kind. He could not bear the thought of being away from them forever. Master Helios released him after erasing his memories of his stay here for his safety. That was why he reappeared in such a "mysterious" manner when the opening of the New Internet City." XY finished his tale.
"And what did you think of his battle with Blues?" Burai asked.
"Impressive. I must admit it. To think it would become so fierce… It is no wonder they decided to leave that world soon after. They had grown bored of it and were no longer needed."
"Naturally."
"There was Forte but, fortunately enough, between Golden Star and Serenade… They managed to purge him from the evil possessing him…"
"Speaking of which! Slur and Kuroban should be about to arrive."
"True. Let us get ready to discuss the next steps to be undertaken."
"I know. I've got the feeling this is the calm before the storm."
"I feel the same too. The storm is imminent. No walls will be able to keep it at bay… By the stars! We must be ready for anything…!" XY muttered.
"Indeed we must."
"Master."
"And maybe you will need to show them a lesson."
"Understood. I shall do so if the need for that arises."
"Good. Show them how foolish and weak they really are."
"With pleasure, Master."
"Hmpf. Those bastards got it coming, anyway. Have at you, you lot!"
"However…"
"I know. Anger and hatred won't solve anything."
"I am not demanding to be perfect. Do what one can, of course."
"Obviously."
"I feel like they will target me next. That camera we intercepted was probably intended to seize footage of me."
"Very likely. Well then. It is a good opportunity to show those barbarians what science and engineering is really about."
"Delighted, Master Helios."
"Sure. They will have to flee, ashamed of their ego!"