GT: Sorry, folks, for such a long wait. I have a lot of stuff I do in real life and also other fanfics that I work on both by myself and with others. But hey! Who's excited for the Battle Network Legacy Collection?! I'm so pumped for it! All the Event Chips, using the original Japanese games and translating everything in them INCLUDING the Boktai content, 499 Patch Cards which us folks in English countries didn't get to use due to the E-Reader not being all that popular out here, and BusterMAX Mode to help get through the games faster? I'm pumped!
Simulation 77:
"It's really an amazing view," Megaman noted, wearing a white button shirt, red overall straps, and formal black pants with black formal shoes.
"It is," Roll agreed, wearing a formal white dress with white gloves reaching up to her shoulders, while relaxing against him with his arm around her waist as they gazed out at the vast ocean upon a massive cruise ship, "...This is the Titanic, isn't it?"
"Yep," Megaman calmly replied.
"...Wanna keep the iceberg from destroying the ship so we can enjoy it more?"
"Yep."
"Okay. Let's blow it up when it's time," Roll agreed, "...Hey, Hub?"
"Hm?"
"Do you think we'll be strong enough for when it's all done?" Roll asked, looking at him.
"...I can only believe that we will," Megaman replied, "No matter what, we'll do all we can to liberate the Net, protect Lan and Maylu, save everyone kidnapped by them, and stop Regal's messed up plan with SoulNet."
Roll nodded, "Right. And we'll do it as husband and wife."
"Never going to not love hearing that," Megaman chuckled as the two shared a kiss before going back to watching the sea.
"You two sure seem to be enjoying this despite our situation," Yai deadpanned.
"Quite a few of our simulations were on the sea," Roll explained as she and Megaman were 'sitting' on the railing, looking out to sea as they approached a modestly large island, "It was always so exciting when we'd find land like now! Land ho~!"
"Gh!" Megaman looked around before sighing in relief, "No rubber captain doing a slingshot and grabbing me by accident…"
"Huh?" the four humans pondered as the ship docked on the pier.
"Simulation 72," both replied.
"I swear, you are going to tell us about those one day," Lan noted.
"It'll take several days or weeks," Megaman replied.
"And we refuse to share the more intimate moments until you're thirteen! And out of all of you, only Maylu is that age!" Roll declared.
"Why thirteen?" Megaman asked.
"Because that's Netopia's age for consent," Roll replied, causing Maylu to blush.
"Huh? Consent for what?" Lan tilted his head.
"It's not a secret thing for NetBattling, is it?" Dex pondered.
"Boys…" Yai sighed.
"You don't know either," both grumbled.
"Sh-Shut up!" Yai argued, blushing in embarrassment.
"Relax, Lan, I'll explain tomorrow," Megaman assured.
"Huh? Tomorrow?"
"Did you really forget tomorrow is June 10th, our birthday?" Megaman asked.
"...Seriously?!" Lan gawked.
"How did you forget your own birthday?" Yai asked in disbelief.
"We've been through a lot, so it's understandable," Megaman sighed.
"Still going through that 'lot' right now," Lan added as they got off.
"Lucky for us, Daddy built a safe house here that's just as good, if not better, than my treehouse," Yai noted.
"Is it in a tree again?" Dex asked.
"Yep!" Yai beamed.
"Lan!"
The group looked to see two older women approach. One dressed in a white blouse with her long blond hair pulled into a brown hat and wearing brown overalls and boots. The other was an older woman with her brown hair pulled into 'puffs' on the sides of the back of her head in a red business suit with a mole on her cheek.
"Hi, Princess Pride, Ms. Tesla!" Lan waved.
"No 'Ms.' please," the brunette sighed.
"We heard from Chaud and Baryl that Nebula attacked your town looking for Megaman and Roll," the blond noted.
"Glad to see you sought shelter with GABCOM's heiress and came here," Tesla noted, nodding to Yai.
"Hopefully, this lookout will die down before tomorrow," Lan noted.
"...Really?" Maylu asked, looking at him with wide eyes of disbelief.
"He's right. We need to get on the Queen Bohemia tomorrow," Roll pointed out.
"Yep! Oh! Um, do you two have tickets for that we could use to get on it?" Lan asked.
"Oh? By chance are you trying to go out with this little lady?" Tesla asked.
"Ack! U-uh-uh…"
"They li~ke one another~"
"R-r-r-r-Roll!" Maylu stammered, steam coming off the top of her head as she tried to mute her PeT.
"It's actually meant to be an initiation for the team for Maylu and Roll," Megaman explained, "They're meant to prevent Nebula from getting the booster program on that ship that's being auctioned off."
"Thanks, Megam…" Lan began while sighing in relief.
"But yes, they are doubling this as a first date."
"...Evil. You. are. Evil," Lan glowered as the two older women giggled.
"Alright, alright," Tesla noted as she and Pride took out a pair of tickets and gave them, "Baryl will let us know when Nebula leaves ACDC."
"You'll have to be careful while on the net," Pride warned, "They may be looking for your NetNavis on there as well."
"They can try, but we'll wipe them out if they try to separate us from Lan and Maylu," Megaman stated, a determined look on his face.
"We're total BAMFs now," Roll smirked.
"Still wanna know what that means," Lan noted.
"Same here," Dex added.
"...Uh…" Roll sweated a bit.
"We'll tell you and Lan tomorrow, Maylu," Megaman replied.
"Why tomorrow?" Tesla asked.
"Birthday," was the unanimous response.
"...Oof…" Tesla cringed, "Not the best you'll be having then."
"True. No Mama or phone call from Papa. Which also means…no Birthday Curry," Lan agreed, making nearly everyone facefault.
"An idiot leader with a food of choice…" Roll whispered.
"He's not made of rubber, Roll," Megaman deadpanned quietly, "And Chaud and Baryl are the team leaders."
"Oh right."
"We can always delay the actual celebration until after Nebula gets taken down by you guys," Yai offered.
"That'd probably be a good idea," Lan agreed, "Wouldn't be the same."
"We're sorry, sir, but we found no one," a Nebula agent informed, "All homes were abandoned and half of our forces deployed were taken down by the Ayano family's security system."
"Tch," Regal scowled, "Those kids are craftier than expected. More than likely, they've already relocated to a new place to stay without a trace thanks to Baryl and Chaud Blaze. Return to base and forget those who were caught." He pushed a button and a monitor showing outlines of people in full-body black jumpsuits and gasmasks suddenly had two rows of twelve suddenly sport a red 'X' on them, "Good help is so hard to find these days. It seems we'll need to wait for them to Liberate another area to recapture those two."
Lan yawned as he woke up in a bed with blue sheets, the window open to let the fresh sea breeze in. He felt heavier than normal and looked down and blinked a few times. Hugging him in her sleep was Maylu, wearing an orange nightgown with light-blue trim. He tilted his head and looked over at the modest desk where Megaman's PeT was set up with Roll's.
"She sleepwalks when afraid," Roll explained, sitting on a bed on the computer in a pink and navy blue version on Maylu's nightgown that showed off her impressive curves and the minute traces of muscle, "Happy Birthday, Lan!"
"Hey," Lan greeted, "...Um…Should I wake her up?"
"If you wanna," Roll shrugged as she tapped her nightgown and it changed into a pink sundress with navy blue circuit patterns along the bottom before Megaman walked on-screen in blue jeans, a light-blue shirt, and an orange bandana.
"You just missed Protoman, Lan. He came in person to explain the situation. Nebula left ACDC late last night. Dusk checked and destroyed any bugs they left in our homes while the grunts Yai's security caught were discovered…" Megaman trailed off.
"..." Lan nodded, realizing the implications.
"Anyway, you guys can head home, but…We're not going to, are we?"
"Not until Nebula is gone for good," Lan confirmed.
"Count us in, Lan," Roll pumped a fist, "And today we're gonna be on two boats! One for heading back to shore and another for our initiation!"
"Right," Lan nodded before Maylu let out a soft yawn as she woke up.
"Mmmnnn…" Maylu mumbled as she let go of Lan to sit up and stretch, "Ahhh…" she opened her eyes and blinked a few times before blushing, "Ah. S-Sorry…"
"Ah, it's okay," Lan assured, "You haven't done this since we were eight and you learned about when I nearly got compacted in a metal crate."
"...I'm really sorry about that…"
"Hey, like I said before, it was my own fault," Lan shrugged, "...Were you worried last night?"
"...Yes," Maylu admitted before Lan patted her shoulder.
"Ah, it's fine!" Lan assured.
"We got a message from Baryl last night, you two," Megaman informed, "Nebula's pulled out of ACDC for now, but Chaud's having some Officials sweep your houses for any signs of bugs…and not the insect kind."
"I know a nice frequency that burns out those kinds," Roll offered, "You just let me do it in all three houses and we'll be right as rain!"
"That's a relief," Maylu noted with a sigh of relief, "Dex and Yai will be alright."
"Was worried Maylu and Roll's initiation was gonna get called off," Lan sighed in relief.
"I'd be even more furious with Nebula if they did!" Roll growled, bashing her fists together before Megaman moved behind her and began to gently kiss her neck, "Ah~N-No fair, Hub~!"
"..." both looked away from the screen.
"Sorry about that, you two," Megaman apologized, "But we're good to go for that assignment. Maylu…Roll…Lan and I will not be battling unless we need to…or if we're just gonna go and virus bust. It will be up to you two to deal with any Nebula agents."
"Huh?!" Maylu gawked, looking back at the computer.
"I promised Roll I wouldn't interfere unless it was necessary," Megaman explained.
"Aw…" Lan frowned.
"Lan, this is important for the initiation," Megaman spoke, "Like how we were on our own for our initiation, this one is for Maylu and Roll."
"Alright, alright," Lan sighed.
"But first, you two have something very very important to do," Roll informed.
"Huh?" both pondered.
"What a ship! These rich guys know how to throw a party!" Lan awed before grimacing as he looked at the formal outfit he was in, "But did you have to make me wear this, Megaman?"
"It's better to be in disguise than to stick out," Megaman replied…wearing a similar outfit in navy blue.
"Why are you dressed up?" Lan asked.
"Because Roll and I intend to enjoy a date on this cruise's network later," Megaman replied.
"Ready for this?" Maylu's voice asked.
"Not really, but we gotta do this so Nebula doesn't get that pro…gram…" Lan trailed off after he turned to her.
Maylu was dressed in a formal light-blue dress with black formal slip-on shoes, hugging her in ways Lan hadn't seen before. A cream open jacket accompanied and complimented the dress while she had a similar-colored purse. Her hair was pulled into a small bun, letting only two bangs frame her face, lightly touched up with makeup.
'Has…she always looked like this?' Lan pondered as Roll giggled, wearing a similar outfit with the blue navy blue and the cream her normal pink while her long hair was braided.
"You've left him speechless, Maylu," Roll whispered.
"R-Roll…" Maylu whispered back, blushing a little.
*Ding-dong, ding-dong… Ding-dong, ding-dong…*
=This is a passenger announcement. We are now departing. A further announcement will be made when the party is about to begin. We wish you all a pleasant voyage. The vessel is now leaving port=
*Buuuuuuuuuh!*
"Oh, l-looks like we're away!" Lan snapped out of it, "Wow! You can't feel it roll at all."
"Okay, so what's the plan?" Maylu asked.
"First we check if there's anyone suspicious on board," Megaman advised.
"But keep inconspicuous," Roll added, "Lan, let Maylu wrap her arm around yours and walk around like you're just looking around the ship."
"Wh-What?" the two squeaked.
"She's right. You two doing that would be for the best," Megaman advised.
"Mmm…" both blushed.
"Ah, I see...It'll be done before the part startsss…" the four paused on hearing a voice, "Yesss, of courssse. Thank you."
"How are you enjoying the cruise? Sorry, but the Engine Room's out of bounds for passengers."
The two teens peeked out around the corner to see a slender man in a black suit speaking with what looked to be a member of the liner's crew.
"Oh, sssorry. Which way is it to the Deck then?" the slender man asked.
"You need to go back along this corridor the other way."
"Oh, right...Thanksss."
"A-Already?! He's suspicious!" Lan whispered.
"Uh-oh! He's coming this way!" Maylu squeaked.
"Hurry, hurry! D-Do something!" Roll panicked.
"Uh…Uh…OH!" Lan grabbed Maylu's arm and quickly pulled her around to have her looking at him while he looked at her with his back to the man and her back against the wall.
The slender man walked by them, shaking his head at what he saw as two kids making out in the hallway, before going down it to the deck. The two stayed that way for another minute, their faces beet red from the close proximity.
"He's gone, you two," Megaman informed and both quickly moved away from each other and looked at the ceiling or floor.
"S…So what now?" Maylu asked.
"Let's just tread water for a while…" Roll advised.
"'Tread water?' So, there's a pool on board? Or d'you mean diving in the sea? That's dangerous!" Lan gawked.
"No, no, no. Lan, Roll means to let him carry on what he's doing for a bit. We'll wait and see if he does anything unusual," Megaman explained.
"Oh, right! Special crime-busting talk, huh...I'll remember that. Guess we'll just be treading in water, then!" Lan beamed.
"N-No, not in! Oh, never mind!" Roll threw her hands up in exasperation, "Look, just let Maylu wrap her arm around yours and look around, Lan."
"Huh…Um…Ok?" Lan replied before offering his arm to Maylu.
"...Th-Thanks," Maylu thanked as she wrapped her arm around his.
The two blushed before walking off in the direction the suspicious slender man went. As they did, they noticed the various portraits set up on the walls. Roll giggled as Megaman started to talk about the portraits. He always loved the more peaceful things like the arts. As the two listened to Megaman's lecture, Maylu laid her head on Lan's shoulder, Megaman's voice fading from her hearing as she closed her eyes and focusing on the warmth of Lan.
"Ah, you've collected all the stamps! Here's your prize then…" a slim man in a blue business suit smiled as he presented Lan and Maylu a case before opening it, "A Z-Saber BattleChip! Congratulations!"
"Oh neat!" Lan beamed before looking to Maylu, "You take it, Maylu."
"Huh?"
"I won one off the Number Trader in Higsby's shop before I went to the Eagle Tournament," Lan explained, "So you take this one."
"Ah…Um…O-Okay," Maylu agreed, blushing as she accepted the BattleChip.
"No way! I'm beat?!" the three looked to a nearby machine where a plump businessman was standing at a machine across from a bulky guy in a purple heavy shirt, cream pants, a thick apron, and his hair hidden beneath a white bandana with fire designs, "I-It's not possible! It cost me 10 million Zennys to customize my Navi. How can I be so outclassed?!"
"Tsk! NetBattles have to be fought from the gut! Spending money to make your Navi look tough on the outside doesn't mean it's got guts!"
"W-What did you say?! Who let this lowlife on the ship?!" the businessman huffed as he stomped off.
"Typical! All rich people are pathetic! Let's see someone with a bit more nerve!" the guy huffed.
"I invited him and one other to spice up the battle challenge a bit. His name's Fyrefox and the other's Dingo. No one's ever been able to defeat either of them. Why don't you give it a go with Fyrefox?"
"Never defeated?! I'll teach him a thing or two!" Lan beamed.
"Lan?" Maylu looked at the brunette who leaned close to her.
"I'm checking if he's Nebula," Lan whispered, "A mystery guy undefeated…it may just be skill or DarkChips."
"What should we do?" Roll asked.
"Keep on standby," Megaman replied.
"Okay," Maylu nodded before Lan approached the NetBattle machine.
"I'm Lan! You want a challenge? Take me and Megaman on!" Lan declared.
"Someone with some guts at last! Mind you don't over-stretch yourself!"
"If you think you can, bring it on!" Lan declared before the ship shook, "W-What was that?!"
"Nebula's on the move," Megaman realized.
"What?!" Lan gasped.
"That shaking must mean the Engine Room's been hit...!"
"Okay! On my w…!"
"Nope. We're battling here. Roll and Maylu are meant to be on this."
"But…"
"Trust them."
"...Okay," Lan nodded before Maylu's PeT rang.
"EMail from Mega, Maylu," Roll spoke, "We're to check out the Engine Room."
"Huh?! Um…O-Okay," Maylu nodded, glancing up at Lan who gave her a thumbs up and smile, "..." Maylu nodded before running off.
"Sorry! Had to send a message real quick."
"Whatever! Let's see what ya got!" Fyrefox demanded.
"Okay!" Lan beamed as he aimed his PeT at the machine and sent Megaman into it, letting him appear before a lanky purple NetNavi with a pair of eyes in a solid purple body with an orange cannon on its forehead and machine guns for arms.
"So you're my opponent?" the NetNavi asked.
"Yes. Name's Megaman," Megaman replied.
"Napalmman," the NetNavi replied.
"Great! Let's have a great NetBattle," Megaman smirked.
"Let's see if you've got the explosive force to handle me then!" Napalmman declared.
=SECURITY CODE CHECK PASSED. DOOR UNLOCKED=
"Okay! It's open!" Maylu beamed, "Roll, how did you know the code?"
"It was kinda easy to figure out from the clues the man could remember, even if it was a bit confusing at first," Roll shrugged, "Now be careful of anything that could be in there."
"R-Right," Maylu nodded as she took in a deep breath and walked into the engine room, "So...this is the Engine Room…"
"First, we better find a place to jack in," Roll advised, "Looks like the last machine here is the only one we can access."
"Right," Maylu nodded as she made her way down and aimed her PeT at the panel, "Jack In, Roll!"
In a beam of light, Roll materialized within the engine's network…right in front of a HeelNavi that jumped in surprise from her materialization.
"Hello," Roll greeted.
"Wh-What?! Who the…?" the HeelNavi began before spotting her emblem, "What the…? You're…!"
"Sorry…but you won't get the Booster System," Roll informed.
"Heh. I can just grab you and…" the HeelNavi began before it gagged as Roll's arm was through his chest, "GACK!"
"You were saying?" Roll asked, still gently smiling as her hand squeezed the exposed core in her hand.
"Jack Out!"
"Y-You won't see the last of m-me…" the HeelNavi choked as he logged out.
"Let's get out of here, Maylu," Roll spoke.
"Right!" Maylu replied as she logged Roll out when a box fell nearby, "?!" she spun around to see the foreigner from before, "Ah!"
"Uh-oh!" the man panicked as he quickly fled.
"Wait!" Maylu called as she started to run after him.
"Hold on, Maylu!" Roll called, causing Malyu to skid to a halt, "We don't have to worry. That guy isn't going anywhere since he's stuck on the ship with us. We know what he's after, so don't act on impulse. He'll be at the party for sure, so let's just take our time and we can capture him there."
"...That's a good idea," Maylu nodded.
"Now let's go see our boys!" Roll cheered.
"Right," Maylu nodded as she made her way out and back on the deck.
"Gah! What the…?!" Fyrefox gawked, "You two snuffed out our flames?!"
"Yep. Ah, never introduced myself, huh?" Lan sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "My name's Lan, Lan Hikari. And this is Megaman."
"Ugh…N-No wonder youse could burn me…" Napalmman groaned, "Youse were the guys who saved us from dat asteroid from crashin' inta Earth a few months back."
"Yep!" Lan grinned, "But it wasn't just us. Everyone lent a hand in one way or another." he offered his hand, "Thanks for a great NetBattle! I hope we can fight again!"
"...Heh. Sure thing," Fyrefox grinned, accepting the handshake before walking off to repair Napalmman.
"Lan!" Maylu called as she walked over.
"Hey! You girls took care of the trouble?" Lan asked.
"Yep! It was Nebula, but we're going to try to catch him at the party," Maylu explained.
"Good thinking. Exposing him in the party would have more people there to help detain him," Megaman noted.
"It was Roll's idea," Maylu noted before PA went off.
=This is a passenger announcement. The party preparations are complete. Please make your way to the Fiesta Room=
"At last the party's going to start! Now we'll get that Nebula guy!" Lan pumped a fist.
Nearby, a boy that looked a few years older than the two kept his eyes on them, his skin richly tanned and hidden beneath a teal hoodie that had a bit of a Native American motif to it.
"Ladies & Gentlemen~! I would like to thank you all for attending this party today, where we at Ubercorp are proud to unveil our new booster system!" a man declared upon a stage with a strange device set up by him, "When added to any existing program, this booster system radically enhances the program's performance. Construction work, software R&D...It can be used with anything, including of course, NetNavis! We're offering it for just 300 million Zennys!-!-!"
"300 million?! That's...one, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, ten million, 100 million, 8 zeros! No way!" Lan gawked.
"300 million...? What a bargain! Let's see the device then!" a man near the seats Maylu and Lan occupied were at.
"Huh?! D-Did you just say it was a bargain?!" Lan gawked.
"Hey, Maylu," Roll whispered.
"Hm? What is it?" Maylu quietly asked.
"Stand in front of the mirror right there by the buffet," Roll advised, gesturing to a tall mirror set by the buffet table.
"Huh? Why?"
"Trust me. I got a funny feeling that it'll be safer for us if we do that," Roll replied.
"Um…If you're sure," Maylu noted.
"I can give you a reason for being there," Lan offered, "You just make it look like you're pointing out what you want and I'll grab stuff on a plate."
"OH! Good idea!" Maylu beamed.
"So! Without further delay...The booster system is currently inside this ViewComp. If everyone would care to take a look...Here it is!" the man declared as a hologram displayed twelve NetNavis surrounding a device containing a glowing sphere of data, "This is the Booster System our company has developed! Surrounding it are GuardNavis, reinforced with the booster system! They are 10 times more powerful than normal Navis!"
"Oooooh!" many in the audience awed.
"And now you will all witness the power of the booster system!" the announcer declared before the power cut out, "A-A power cut?! What's going on?!"
"Gwarrr!"
"Uwarrr!"
"GYAAARGH!-!-!"
"W-What's happening?! Is...is the booster system safe?! Turn the lights on! Quickly!" the announcer panicked.
"Gh…U-Uncle…Uncle…" Maylu looked at her PeT to see a teal-armored NetNavi that appeared to be based off a Native American chieftain with an axe for a right hand gagging as Roll had him in a chokehold.
"I had a feeling someone was going to use the mirror to bounce the Jack-In infrared about," Roll noted calmly, showing no signs of struggle with keeping the NetNavi in her grip.
"You are one strong lady…!"
"Of course I am. I am Rank 1.5 of the UnderNet Rankings, after all."
"Hah?!"
"Shh," Roll shushed before slapping a pair of handcuffs on him, "You are under arrest for the attempted theft of the booster program."
"HAH?! Aw crap…"
The lights turned on…revealing the broken container, the remains of the GuardNavis that were derezzing from Deletion, and the booster program gone.
"AH! The Booster program's been stolen!" the announcer exclaimed.
Lan looked around before spotting the guard at the doors, "Hey mister. When the power cut out, did anyone go in or out of this room?"
"No way! I was guarding this exit the whole time. A mouse couldn't have got past me!" the guard declared.
"Then the thief is still in this room…" Lan noted.
"Hey! This guy was hiding under the table!" another man called, causing everyone to turn to see the foreigner being pulled out form under a table, "What do you think you're doing?!"
" I-I don't know anything about this…" the foreigner began.
"Quit playing the innocent!" Maylu called as she walked up to him with Lan.
"Everyone, this guy's with Nebula!" Lan accused.
"What?!-!-!" the announcer screamed before jumping off and grabbing the foreigner and started to shaking him fiercely, "Hey! Where's the booster system?! Give it back! Now! Grrrgh!"
"I-It w-wasn't me!"
"Oh, come on! Do you expect us to believe that?! You're hiding it under your clothes!"
"Ah! Aaaaah!" the Nebula agent freaked as Lan and Maylu covered their eyes, "Oh, nooooo!"
"You can look now," Megaman informed after a few minutes, letting them look to see the agent tied up.
"It's not in his PET...not in his clothes...Where is it?!" the announcer demanded.
"I already told you, I don't know! I was just about to take it when the lights went down!"
"What?! S-So...there's another thief at work here?!" Lan gawked.
"Yeah! I'm not the only one!"
"What?! So we've got another criminal to find amongst these people?"
"Yep!" Roll replied from the ViewComp, showing the NetNavi, "But make that three criminals here! This one tried to use the mirrors to get into the ViewComp here."
"Ah! That's Tomahawkman!" the announcer recognized, "Dingo…Where's Dingo?!"
"I ain't the thief! I was chasin' Napalmman!" Tomahawkman argued, "His NetOp was by the fusebox and pulled a switch in it before shootin' him at a mirror!"
"Huh?" Lan asked, "Then that means…"
"Roll and Maylu were smart enough to use Maylu's body and Roll's PeT as ways to help, but he managed to get lucky and hit a spot on the mirrors to avoid them," Megaman realized.
"You said a mirror by a fusebox, right?" Maylu asked.
"Yeah! The one near the engine room!"
"Why is everyone so focused on that part?" Maylu sighed.
"...You were trying to stop Napalmman from stealing it, right?" Megaman asked.
"Of course I was! Dingo and I wanted ta buy it and then blow it up!"
"Huh?" Lan and Maylu looked at him.
"The company here used our home as a testing site," Tomahawkman scowled, "We got invited to this, so…Everyone back home put all their cash together to buy this thing so we could take it home and destroy it before everyone and post the video of us doing it online and explain why."
"...If you and this Dingo guy help us…We'll help destroy it," Maylu spoke.
"What?! No! You can't! It's a one in a million program! We can't make anymore!" The announcer panicked.
"Johannesburg Tobias, right?" Roll asked, eerily calm as she looked at a popup screen, "Ohh…Naughty, good sir. Quite naughty."
"? Wh…What are you…?" He began to ask.
"Aaand…I just bought your debts," Roll stated before his PeT buzzed, "Best check that."
"Roll?" Maylu asked as Tobias looked at his PeT…and grew pale.
"So Tobey-Imma call you that now-...You will let that be destroyed and take all blame for it," Roll commanded before adopting a dark glare, "Or I'm calling in all your debts. Could easily get it back from selling your corpse on the DarkNet."
"M…Monster…" Tobias wheezed in fright.
"Goddess, actually. Now move it, Slave."
"...F-Fine…" Tobias caved, gesturing to the guards to let them out.
"Roll…That was…" Lan gawked.
"Mega and I were busy last night and the night before while you kids snoozed," Roll explained.
"We did it at NetNavi speed in order to get everything done for an emergency like this," Megaman added as the two humans ran out to see the hoodie-wearing boy at the engine room door.
"You guys ready for this?" he asked.
"Yep. Dingo, right?" Lan asked, offering a hand that he accepted.
"Yep. And sorry for any mistakes," Dingo apologized, looking at Roll.
"No problem. We were just doing our job and you were trying to be a good guy in stopping the theft," Roll assured as the trio entered the engine room.
"...Tch. He's not here," Dingo scowled as they looked around.
"Hm...There's a draft…" Maylu whispered before looking up at a nearby ladder before a ventilation shaft, "Ah, it's a ventilation shaft...Maybe the thief went out that way!"
"Great find! Let's take a look!" Lan beamed.
"The ventilation system is weird," Dingo noted as Lan helped Maylu out of the vent and left them on the deck.
"Oogh…"
"Over there!" Maylu pointed to a man lying on the floor.
"Are you okay?!" Lan asked.
"Hold on," Dingo spoke as he knelt down and pulled out a smelling salt from his pocket, breaking it and waving it under the man's nose.
"Ugh…"
"Easy there, sir," Maylu spoke.
"...Qu-Quick! The Bridge is up ahead...They've hijacked...the ship…" the man groaned as he passed out again.
"What?!" the trio gasped.
"Lan, Dingo, help this guy get onto a bench and elevate his head," Megaman advised, "Maylu, head on to the bridge."
"Right!" Maylu nodded as she ran for the bridge, entering and spotting Fyrefox at the ship's controls, "Hand over the Booster system!"
"Aren't you the gal with that guy from before?" Fyrefox asked.
"I am, but…Fyrefox...what are you doing? Why steal the Booster system?" Maylu asked.
"What am I doing?! With the Booster system, my fireworks will be bigger and more spectacular than anyone else's!" Fyrefox declared.
"Fireworks?" Maylu repeated.
"That explains the attire," Roll noted.
"I make Cyber Fireworks. I'll do whatever it takes to make OldMine bigger! Got it?!" Fyrefox declared before pointing at a computer by Maylu, "If you really want the Booster system back, jack in there and take out my navi in the ShipComp!"
"It doesn't look like negotiations will work any longer. Maylu, send me in!"
"Right," Maylu nodded as she sent Roll into the Network, appearing before Napalmman.
"So you've come...I am Napalmman. You'll have to beat me if you want the Booster system back," the purple NetNavi declared.
"Mmm…Not really~" Roll replied…before holding up a sphere of data, "Lookie what I have~"
"What th-?!" Napalmman jumped as he checked himself, "Y…you stole it?! That fast?!"
"I am the fastest female NetNavi you'll ever meet," Roll winked.
"You...! You stole my fireworks dream!" FyreFox growled.
"Fireworks dream?" Roll pondered.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAH!-!-!" Tomahawkman roared as he tackled Napalmman, entering a fight cloud, "Take this, ya thief!"
"Oh, you wanna go?! Ya wanna go?!" Napalmman bellowed.
"..." Roll's eye twitched as she walked up to the fight cloud, reeled her arms back, and slammed her fists onto the heads of both, embedding their faces into the ground, "SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!"
"Gah! T-Tomahawkman…!"
"She…She just one-shot Napalmman…"
"Okay…Let's talk…okay?" Roll growled, her eye twitching.
"Okay…Let me get this straight…you want the program to make even greater fireworks with your NetOp," Maylu spoke after a few minutes as she pointed at Napalmman, who nodded, before pointing at Tomahawkman, "And I remember that you want the program to destroy it because it caused harm to your NetOp's village."
"Uh-huh! That's right!" Tomahawkman replied.
"Like hell we'll let ya break it!" Napalmman snapped.
"You wanna go, tin can?!" Tomahawkman snapped.
*WHAM!*
"SHADDAP!" Roll barked, standing over the two downed NetNavis with smoking bumps on the tops of their heads, "AND YOU TWO!" both NetOps flinched on the screen, "You are going to use this for only fireworks, right?"
"Y-Yes'm," FyreFox replied.
"Take it and we'll all pretend that the program was completely and utterly destroyed, which will make the people who made it upset," Roll ordered, "That way, all can be happy! And if both of you don't get along, we have Chaud Blaze and Baryl on speed dial!"
"Ulp!" both gulped, sweating heavily.
"Whoa now, Roll! Easy there. I think we can let it slide…if they're willing to provide that power they've got into helping with liberating the Net," Lan offered.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" Roll exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.
"What? You two dealing with what's happened here shows you're more than qualified. Plus, you two did think to stop their original plans of using the mirrors to jack in," Lan pointed out.
"And you fought them off with great operating skills," Megaman added.
"These two were doin' a test?" Tomahawkman asked.
"So that's why you didn't join in?" Napalmman asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. This was meant to be a test for Maylu and Roll to join the team that's liberating the whole Net from Nebula's control," Megaman explained, "And thanks to you two pulling off the heist and letting us catch an actual Nebula member as well, it may be bonus credit."
"Yay!" Roll cheered, glomping Megaman and pecking his cheek.
"...Uh…" Dingo began.
"They shared Cyber Cores and ran consecutive Simulations together," Maylu summed up.
"Though…I gotta ask…Do you really need that program, Fyrefox? I mean…I don't think you'll impress people with new fireworks if they're made from something you stole."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Sure, stealing a way to make better fireworks works…but you lose something important: your creativity. If you rely too much on one thing, you'll go a fair distance, but you'll soon stagnate," Megaman explained, "You need to work smarter, not harder. Take your ideas out of the box."
"..." Fyrefox and Napalmman looked at one another, the former grimacing, "...You're right. I've been so fixated on making the best fireworks that…that I forgot what should be most important to a craftsman…"
"...I'll keep it for now, but…once we're done with the fireworks of battle against Nebula, I want to make a big ol' firework and load this into it…" Napalmman noted…before pointing at Tomahawkman, "And I wanna set it off in yer home town's network with you pullin' da trigger!"
"...Heh-heh. I'd be honored, Napalmman," Tomahawkman grinned, shaking his hand with Napalmman's limb, "Let's give Nebula a good pounding!"
"Yeah! With Napalmman and Tomahawkman on our side, we can kick those Nebula Navis out of
End Area! Welcome to the team, guys!"
"Lan…" Roll began.
"Don't worry, Roll! Like I'd forget what this was all about!" Lan assured, "You guys easily passed!"
"We'll head into the Network as soon as we get back to port," Megaman informed.
"You know…I've always wanted to come to End City's network," Roll noted, the team with a large purple knight-themed NetNavi and a large red NetNavi donned in magnet-themed armor moving through a large Network resembling a feudal Japan.
"It kinda reminds me of Wano in our three simulations there as Minks, members of the Red Scabbards, and as Mugiwara Kaizoku," Megaman admitted.
"One positive here? No terrible wanted poster of Luffy in his disguise," Roll grimaced.
"...Any idea what they're talkin' 'bout?" the magent NetNavi asked.
"They went through simulations to gain control of their DarkSouls, Magnetman," Protoman replied before they approached a bridge that separated to slightly stormy landscape to a far darker, bleaker one on the other side…with dozens of HeelNavis on the bridge.
"You never learn, do you...? You can't pass here!" the leader of them, his armor red instead of purple, declared, pointing at Protoman and Colonel.
"...Napalmman, Tomahawakman…" Colonel spoke as he and Protoman moved to the sides to let the two walk out.
"Tsk! Don't start bossing me around!" Napalamman snorted.
"Same here! …Er…aside from the scary lady in pink that can beat us up easily," Tomahawkman added, sweating a bit as he and Napalmman looked away from one another.
"You can't win on your own so you brought backup?! So there's one more at the part! You'll still lose!"
"Kinda wish Mahiru was here," Roll noted, "She'd have a perfect photo ready for the curbstomp."
Napalmman smirked as he aimed his barrels at the HeelNavis as Tomahawkman reeled his ax back. With a roar, Napalmman unleashed a series of large explosives, tearing apart several HellNavis in the explosions, as Tomahawkman swung his namesake, ripping through the remaining HeelNavis.
"That's it?! Talk about weak! There'll be some more challenging bad guys later, right?" Tomahawkman asked.
"For sure…" Protoman replied.
"It felt like a fire was lit in my heart with that strike. I wanna fire off a few more rounds! I'll be up ahead!" Napalmman hooted as he started to move across the bridge…before more HellNavis appeared, "Aw come on!"
"...Allow me," Megaman spoke as he walked past the two NetNavis.
"Well, well, well…Megaman, I take it?" the lead HeelNavi asked, "You've changed since your capture by us."
"I'll give you all one chance…" Megaman spoke before narrowing his eyes at them, "Move."
"Yeah, right. We're all souped up! What can you do?" The lead HeelNavi taunted.
"..." Megaman held his hand up, an icy aura wafting off it, "GigaFreeze."
For a moment, everything went still. Everyone blinked…and ice shattered ahead of them, none of the HeelNavis that were once there in sight with several dozen DarkChips hovering in clusters. Roll huffed as she moved in front of Megaman and kissed her fingertips and grabbed the heart that appeared. She swung her arm and a barrage of hearts erupted from the arc of her swipe, tearing through and destroying the DarkChips upon contact.
"...I am so glad he didn't join da fight…" Tomahawkman squeaked, he and Napalmman hiding behind Knightman with wide eyes.
"You have that level of control over the GigaFreeze?" Colonel asked in surprise.
"Yes," Megaman replied.
"Honey, boxers," Roll snickered as she gestured for him to look down.
"Hm?" Megaman looked down to see blue boxers, "Ah!"
"Your clothes," Roll handed him a bundle before waving a hand and making a curtain surround him.
"...What was that?" Magnetman asked.
"Mastering GigaFreeze was…convoluted," Roll explained, "It involved training in his boxers on a mountain under an eternal blizzard." She giggled, "It's so cute."
"So are you when you use GigaBurn," Megaman pointed out.
"Ack!" Roll froze, her cheeks going bright pink.
"I'm sorry. GigaBurn?" Maylu asked.
"...I'll explain later?"
"Are you asking or declaring?"
"It's the only counter to GigaFreeze, but Roll strips instead of me," Megaman explained as he dismissed the curtains, back in his clothes.
"Hubby~!" Roll whined, blushing.
"What? You're beautiful," Megaman defended.
"Mmm…" Roll fumed before turning to Protoman and Colonel, "So how does this work, anyway?"
"Areas under Nebula's control have developed unusual properties," Colonel explained, "The Dark Power in them causes enough interference that only one NetOp can operate the entire team."
"Lan is our NetOp during Liberation Missions," Protoman went on, "His Operating abilities are far greater than any of th either NetOps part of the team."
"I can attest to that," Fyrefox admitted, "Kid whupped Napalmman and I in no time flat."
"I blinked and it was over," Napalmman concurred.
"So Lan operates all of us at once?"
"No, no. One at a time," Megaman corrected, "In the areas Nebula controls, we can move around, but liberating it…"
"We only get one chance at liberating small parts of the Network before the Dark Power actually locks our bodies up for a bit," a helicopter-themed NetNavi informed.
"The amount in them is pretty strong," Megaman admitted, "Even with how you and I are like right now, it will still manage to paralyze us."
"Shoot," Roll frowned.
"Hmph. You just gotta deal with it," the bulky magnet-themed NetNavi huffed.
"Indeed. Tis but one obstacle between us and the liberation of Netopia's Network from Nebula," the knight NetNavi declared.
"Alright, let's move out!" Colonel ordered as they entered the Darkloid-controlled part of the Network.
The moment Roll entered, she barely suppressed a freezing sensation shooting down her spine. The grounds were twisted, coated in a purple gunk of sorts that wriggled and moved in small, subtle ways. The skies above were nothing more than a purple haze, twisted and misshapen images appearing for instances at random intervals. At several points, large tainted gray walls stood, looking as if nothing could break through.
"Great…More keys to find," the helicopter-themed NetNavi groaned.
"Gyroman, we're counting on you and Shadowman to get the keys," Megaman noted.
"Keys?" Tomahawkman repeated.
"Those walls can only be bypassed if we find a key," Megaman explained.
"Just hope I don't run outta Order Points," Gyroman grimaced.
"Order Points?" Roll repeated before yelping as several glowing orange orbs appeared before each of them.
"They're a one-use item that generates in these areas. Almost like the Network itself wants to lend a hand," Megaman explained as he cupped one, "Huh…Mine changed, Lan. It's become GigaFreeze now. It will automatically wipe out the DarkHoles, but I'll need to recharge for a little while after using it. Maybe twice or thrice as long as if I was doing this normally."
"Huh?" Roll pondered.
"Grab one," Protoman spoke.
"..." Roll caught one and she blinked, "BigHeart…Oh! It lets out a big pulse of Recov, healing everyone around me to max and purifying the nearest panels infected with Dark Power!"
"Oh! That's a great Order!" Lan beamed, "We use that at the right time and it'll give us a big advantage!"
"I love my Recov Element!" Roll whooped.
"Hmm…Not bad. Napalm…letting me set off a massive T-Shaped explosion," Napalmman noted once he took a hold on his own.
"Ooh~! Tomahawk Swing! My tomahawk gets extra large for a massive sweeping attack!" Tomahawkman beamed, "...Huh…? What does it mean by destroying items?"
"Sometimes data is buried under the ground here that become exposed as we wipe out the Viruses," Protoman explained.
"Hopefully, your Order Point attacks don't destroy the keys for the gates," Lan noted.
"Do you have a visual on the Darkloid?" Protoman asked.
"I'm checking," Lan replied before gawking, "Huh?!"
"What's wrong, Lan?" Megaman asked.
"You…You may wanna see this," Lan grimaced as he pushed a button on his PeT and a screen popped up before the group.
The screen fizzled before clearing up, showing a pair of figures at the other side surrounded by steel panels that emitted a dark aura to them. The one on the left was a bulky humanoid NetNavi who looked like a man in his mid twenties with shoulder-length silver hair. He was donned in an armored red gi with the lower half of them black. On the left lapel of the gi…was Gutsman's emblem. The other…was Roll before her upgrade. Her boots now sported high heels while her long hair was gone, replaced with four generators on her back. Her fingers ended in sharp fingernails while a thorn-coated whip was held in her hands.
"What in the world?!" Magnetman exclaimed, looking between Roll and her duplicate on screen.
"Is that…Gutsman!?" Maylu gasped.
"Yeah…That's what he looks like underneath all that armor of his that doubles as a limiter," Megaman explained.
"Sure surprised us when he showed it off when someone was going through the Ranked and lost to him," Lan admitted before the other Roll spotted the feed and smirked.
=Well now…Seems we have a little eye on us, Gutsman=
=Hn…=
"Who are you?" Lan asked.
=Me? I am the real Roll. You may call me Empress= the other Roll sneered =The power of the DarkChips gave way to my new appearance! I hope you're ready…you and all those fools who dare try to fight against Nebula and our glorious leader Dr. Regal!= she giggled =And when we beat you, I'll claim my Megaman all. to. my. self~=
"YOU BITCH!" Roll snapped, glaring at Empress.
"Language," Megaman reminded, "But in this case, I can agree with that since she's a mockery of the former you."
"Lan, I am calling dibs on fighting her!" Roll declared.
"Roll, it doesn't work that way in Liber…" Megaman began before holding his hands up and slowly backed away from the look he received from her, "...Okay…You have dibs…"
"Megam…" Protoman began.
"No, no. Trust me…do not argue. You'll lose," Megaman advised quickly.
"..." Colonel shook his head, "So, a strategy where we can get through this and allow Roll to fight this copy of her. Understood."
"She flirted with my Hubby!" Roll growled, eye twitching as she sharpened two knives with one another.
"Um…Where did she get the…?" Magnetman began.
"Don't ask," Megaman quickly replied, comical tears going down his face, "Just know Simulation 666 was one of the weirdest, messed up ones I have ever gone through…"
The group shared raised brow looks with one another.
"...Right. Gyroman, Shadowman, you two go off and locate those keys. The rest of us will start Liberating the area and destroying the Dark Holes," Lan ordered.
"Right!"
"That kid's a natural," Fyrefox noted, watching from his PeT at how fast Lan was deploying BattleChips for the NetNavis.
"Oh! I never thought of that strategy with a RockCube and AirShot," Dingo gawked.
"People tend to not think much about Lan since he doesn't try gloating about his achievements," Maylu noted, "He won several tournaments, has beaten World Three twice along with Gospel…"
"Okay. We're nearing them," Lan noted.
"THAT FAST?!" Fyrefox and Dingo exclaimed in shock, slapping the air in disbelief.
"He tends to bust Viruses in less than ten seconds," Maylu noted, "It…It's not surprising he got through this in just a few minutes."
"Most of it was from keeping Napalmman and Tomahawkman's Order Points at the ready," Lan explained, "And before we get to them…Roll, we're using your Order Points."
"Okay!" Roll beamed as she summoned the orb and ate it.
She brought her hands together as a pink aura began to come off her. She swung his arms out and a pulse of the aura went off. The twisted and corrupted panels around the team hissed and dissolved, exposing purified panels beneath as the various bits of damage all of them had dissipated. She beamed before grimacing as purple sparks came off her as her body locked up. Empress sneered as she swung her whip at the pink NetNavi only for Knightman to quickly move and use himself as a shield, letting the attack bounce harmlessly off him. Roll shook off the sparks before patting Knightman's arm in thanks before approaching, narrowing her eyes at Empress.
"So…What's your story?" Roll asked.
"Is it not obvious? I am you if you had not fought such an enriching power as the Dark Power," Empress sneered, "I am what you would be; powerful, recognizable, able to do what you have always been frightened to do. Not frightened and unable to sleep in the hold of our enemies. I don't even need a pathetic little strumpet who can't even admit her feelings for an idiotic moron."
"HEY! Maylu is not pathetic or-or whatever a strumpet is!" Lan growled before Roll giggled, "Huh?"
Roll then snickered, "I…I'm sorry…but…" she inhaled before smiling at Empress, "You really think that would work on me? Am I supposed to be scared by your pretty little words? Everybody has doubts and fears... everybody worries that maybe they'll lose their friends, or screw something up...but you get up and you keep going and you take the chance." the Recov-Element NetNavi took a step forward…and, amazingly, her Darkloid self took a step back, "That's called being alive, Empress," she continued as relentlessly as a hammer against a boulder, "Something you wouldn't understand. I don't run from my fears — I use them to keep me going, keep me striving to achieve something more. You cannot scare me, spirit, because…" she pulled her into a hug, "You are me."
Empress could barely struggle when her body dissolved into shadows and five DarkChips that clattered to the ground and shattered. The shadows hovered before seeping into Roll, doing nothing to her. Megaman walked over to her and hugged her from behind.
"Im…Impossible! How did you do that?!" Gutsman growled.
"Not impossible, really," Roll shrugged, "We've long accepted our inner darkness. This was just a part of me that needed to come back."
"DarkChips have no effect on either of us," Megaman explained, "That's because we've long since accepted who we are, both the light and the dark."
"Sorry, Gutsy, we're gonna have to smack you around; but I promise to heal you all up so you and Dex can have a happy reunion," Roll assured before grimacing as purple sparks came off her.
"Easy, Roll," Megaman gently spoke, "You've already fought. I haven't."
"Mmm…" Roll cringed before sighing and smiled at him, "Don't be too harsh, okay?"
"Of course," Megaman nodded, "Lan, I'm going to need a Recov to sacrifice for RollSoul."
"Gotcha, Megaman! Sacrificing Recov10 for RollSoul."
"DoubleSoul!" Megaman declared before his armor glowed and transformed, "RollSoul!"
"So…you and me once again, huh?" Gutsman asked as the two circled one another.
"It appears that way, Gutsman," Megaman replied, "Only difference is that you're without Dex."
"Tch. Who needs a wimp like that kid?" Gutsman snorted, "All I need is the Darkness."
Megaman shook his head, "No, Gutsman. You need more than that, just like anyone does. It is in unity that we find true strength, that we find a duty that leads to our destiny."
"My duty is to Nebula and your destiny is to die by my hands!" Gutsman snarled before the ground broke as he lunged at Megaman.
Megaman closed his eyes and began swaying. Blow after blow came for the pink-clad NetNavi…who just moved out of the way without any effort. He squeezed his hand and the back of his right arm glowed before a pink crossbow formed with an arrow loaded, the arrowhead shaped like a red heart. Gutsman reeled back for an uppercut only to cry out as the arrow fired and went through his chest, a DarkChip embedded in the tip before it shattered.
"Erk!" Gutsman grunted, stumbling back as he grabbed at his chest, "Y-You…"
"RollArrow breaks BattleChips," Megaman reminded, opening his eyes, "And DarkChips are still BattleChips."
"How did you dodge all those blows?! Last time we fought, you still got hit by at least five blows!" Gutsman demanded.
"That was almost a millennia ago, Gutsman," Megaman replied, "At least…for me."
"What?"
"987 simulations simultaneously," Megaman explained, making Gutsman's eyes widen, "And RollBlast."
With that, the four tassels on his helmet twitched before they became blurs, rapidly slamming and striking Gutsman at numerous angles. He fired another RollArrow and a second DarkChip emerged and shattered. Gutsman snarled before slamming his hands down in a hammerblow on the ground, unleashing a wave of energy that shattered the ground as it headed for Megaman.
"Invis, Slot In!"
Megaman turned transparent and the shockwave went through him. Another arrow and another DarkChip shattered. Megaman frowned as he looked at the data fading away.
"How many did they put into you, Gutsman?" Megaman asked.
"Rrr…Wh-Why should I tell you?!" Gutsman snarled, getting back up and charged at him, "DarkDrill!"
"Good range and power, but…" Megaman noted as he vanished before the drill could hit.
"?!" Gutsman's eyes widened.
"...you're too slow," Megaman whispered, his back to Gutsman as he fired another RollArrow, breaking another DarkChip inside of Gutsman.
"Is this…Megaman?" Gyroman pondered, seeing how effortlessly he was dealing with the enhanced Gutsman.
"Holy shit," Magnetman gulped, "Tesla…I am so glad he wasn't like this back in my days as a Gospel NetNavi with your pops."
"Indeed, my friend," Knightman nodded as Shadowman crossed his arms over his chest while he narrowed his eyes.
"Hmmm…Not quite explosive, but I get it," Napalmman noted.
"Huh?" Tomahawkman pondered.
"He's storing up the explosive force inside of him for the ones who did this to his friend," Napalmman explained.
"Has the Darkness really taken hold of you this deep?" Megaman asked, rolling around a punch and delivering a haymaker to Gutsman, "Not even when my DarkSoul was in you were you this delusional."
"SHUT UP!" Gutsman roared, a DarkSword in place of his hand only for the antennae to wrap around it and glowed with the Recov-Element, causing it to dissolve, "Gh?!"
"Okay…So that's how many are left in you," Megaman noted, "Magnetman, Knightman, there's one left! When it comes out, help pin him down!"
"Verily, good sir!" Knightman complied.
"I won't let you!" Gutsman roared, charing only for Megaman to vanish.
He quickly swung behind him, hitting nothing. He looked around frantically only for a sharp whistle to go off. He looked down and Megaman fired, tearing out the last DarkChip. A blue Magnetman appeared and quickly grabbed one arm as the original grabbed the other. Knightman grunted as he held Gutsman from behind as the muscular NetNavi struggled.
"What now?" Magnetman asked.
"This," Megaman replied as he put a hand to Gutsman's chest and the other to his forehead.
For a moment, everyone stopped. Megaman's eyes glowed softly as he began to channel Recov into Gutsman. Gutsman cried out, struggling harder against the three holding him. Megaman ignored it, keeping with his channeling. Slowly, the black veins began to recede and fade as black and purple smoke began to hiss off his body, shrieks of agony coming from it. He grunted and struggled as his long purple hair bled into blond with streaks of red and silver. It felt like an eternity when it had barely been five minutes until Gutsman collapsed to his knees the moment he was released, panting with drops of sweat falling off his body. The area glowed before the remaining Dark Panels faded away, the Darkloid presence no longer there to sustain it. Megaman exhaled slowly before dismissing RollSoul. Roll shook off the small sparks and ran over and gave Gutsman a small hug.
"So this is how you look under all that armor," Roll noted, "You remind me of someone we spared with in one of our Simulations who could turn into a female torpedo when enraged enough."
"Welcome back, Gutsman," Megaman spoke, patting his shoulder, "Dex will be excited to see you again."
"G-Guys…" Gutsman sniffled.
"Hey, it's not your fault. It was the DarkChips," Roll assured, "Though now we're gonna have to help you with any lingering darkness in you."
"S-Sorry…"
"Look out!" Protoman shouted before Megaman looked up to see a black storm cloud coming right down at them.
"Not this time," Megaman scowled, "Lan, a sword please."
"Sword, Slot In!" Lan quickly inserted.
Instead of summoning a normal Sword, the data swirled before Megaman and made a katana with a sheathe. He grabbed it and jumped up at the cloud, unsheathing the blade.
"Ittoryu…" Megaman intoned, grasping it in both hands.
The cloud nearly reached him before he swung. The cloud was cleaved in two. Within, Cloudman choked out a gasp as he split down the middle. The cloud dissipated and the two halves fell to the ground. Upon contact, shockwaves shot out and carved two lines through the ground until they reached the edges of the area. Megaman landed and swung his blade before sheathing it.
"...Daishinkan," Megaman finished as he finished sheathing it and letting it, the cloud halves, and Cloudman disperse into data.
"..." everyone looked at Roll with Tomahawkman, Gutsman, and Napalmman a solid white.
"We decided to learn some sword techniques," Roll shrugged, "I'm not as good at them like my husband is, but there are some things I'm better at than him so it all balances out."
"With our limiters on, we need mediums in order to use our bigger tricks," Megaman explained as he walked over and hefted up Gutsman, "Now I'll get Gutsman into a PeT before they try Jacking him out and get started on dealing with the lingering darkness in him."
"I'll join ya shortly, hubby," Roll waved as Megaman logged out with Gutsman.
"...We got trounced by you…while you were wearing limiters?" Tomahawkman asked.
"Eeyup. I get really scary when I take them off," Roll smiled, "And I'm only allowed to keep them off constantly without being on a five minute timer while in the Undernet."
"...Any chance you could demonstrate?" Protoman asked.
"Sure! But…I'd rather wait until I'm rested," Roll replied, "You'll want me in tiptop condition if you want an accurate demonstration."
"Could we have one for now to compare?" Colonel requested.
"Mmm…" Roll frowned, "Fine. But after this, I am leaving to help Gutsman get better so we can reunite him with Dex."
A soft click went off before bulkier versions of the rings on her body appeared on her. They fell off and the ground cratered under her upon impact. She held up a hand…and a tiny knife appeared in it. She lightly swung it…and everyone jumped as the entire Area split in two. She waved a hand and bridges formed, connecting the split halves. She took neither and simply walked over the empty void between them, golden clouds appearing under her feet as she walked. She then made a 'come here' gesture and her limiters shot out of the crater and snapped back into place on her.
"I don't like taking them off without good reason," Roll noted, "I enjoy being Maylu's NetNavi equal to being Megaman's wife after all. So if you threaten my adorable sister…" her gentle smile turned dark as she opened her eyes faintly, showing an ominous glow in them, "...you're going to have a bad day." everyone tensed before the glow vanished and she smiled brightly, "Okay! I'm off to go nurse my goofball of a friend up so my other goofball friend can be reunited with him! Bye-bye~!"
"...I don't think even with the Booster program in me I can do much to her if she ever really went all out…" Napalmman admitted.
"A-And they listen to you two?" Tomahawkman asked, looking at Colonel and Protoman.
"Megaman does," Lan replied, "Roll…I think she'll only listen to Megaman and Maylu."
"..." the two bowed repeatedly to Protoman and Colonel, "Please don't send her after us for discipline!"
"We won't if you behave," Protoman replied, a small smirk on his lips.
"What is this…?" Regal whispered, narrowing his sole eye as he constantly replayed the Liberation Mission, primarily the parts where Roll simply absorbed Empress and then Megaman using RollSoul to purify Gutsman of all the DarkChips he put into the Ranked NetNavi, "How did they become to powerful in just a matter of days?" he glared at Roll as it replayed her speech to Empress, "The way she spoke…it was as if she accepted the darkness, but why does it not have a hold on her? Why is she not a Darkloid?" he fast forwarded the feed to Megaman one-shotting Cloudman, "And that technique…" he scowled before turning to one of his grunts, "Inform all members of Nebula the following: cease all attempts at capturing Megaman and Roll. Observation only. Their NetOps will believe they're still in danger, so they'll likely be in hiding for the foreseeable future. At any chance you can get…capture Lan Hikari and Maylu Sakurai."
=I'm sorry I can be there, sweeties= Haruka apologized.
"It's alright, Mama," Lan assured, wearing blue pajamas, "Hub and I agreed to wait until after Nebula's gone before we celebrate our birthday."
"It wouldn't feel right unless our family was all there," Megaman explained.
=Oh boys…= Haruka spoke softly, a gentle smile on her lips that turned into concern =Please…stay safe, alright?=
"We're in a safe house, so Nebula can't find us," Lan assured.
"And if they do, we have a way to get away," Megaman added.
=Alright. I love you both=
"We love you, too, Mama."
"We'll make sure to call whenever we get a chance."
=I'll be waiting for it= Haruka noted before the call ended.
"Mama…" Lan whispered before he put the cleaned suit back into its bag and hangar, "I refuse to wear this unless I have to."
"Give it a few months until Nebula is taken down," Megaman noted.
"Huh? Why?"
"You'll find out," Megaman replied before the door was knocked on.
"I'm decent," Lan replied, looking down at his pajamas.
The door opened and Maylu walked in, wearing a pink nightgown, "H-Hi…"
"Hey," Lan greeted as she walked over, "So…long day, huh? We go on a cruise ship, you and Roll getting to join the team and bring in two more heavy hitters, us fighting Gutsman and an evil copy of Roll…" he sighed, "What is with that, huh?"
"I'm just glad Gutsman will be able to return to Dex tomorrow once he's done with the simulations Megaman and Roll are having him run," Maylu noted, "All we have left are your Papa and Glyde and everyone is back."
"Yeah…" Lan nodded, "From what Baryl and Chaud have said, there's one more place in End City's Network left that's under Nebula control. The last bit after that will be in the Undernet."
"Huh? But…" Roll spoke up.
"Other groups have managed to liberate other parts of the Network. Mamoru sent an EMail earlier that Yamatoman and Darkman left the Undernet for a bit to completely Liberate all of Yoka's Network along with Beach Street," Megaman explained.
"Chaud said a trio of Officials banded together to Liberate downtown ACDC," Lan added, "But our team has been the one who's been dealing with the strongest areas with the biggest infections of the Dark Power."
"Ohh~" Roll nodded before giving Maylu a look when Lan looked away to check on Gutsman's progress in the simulations he was being put under.
"..." Maylu looked at Roll, a concerned look.
"You've got this, Sis," Roll whispered encouragingly.
Maylu nodded before giving a small, nervous gulp, "R-Right…" she looked back at Lan as Roll entered the Network, "...Lan…There's one thing left I wanna do before your birthday's over," Maylu noted, fidgeting now.
"Hm?" Lan pondered, "Wh…" his eyes widened as his face lit up with a blush, 'St-Strawberries…?'
Maylu kept her eyes shut, a blush on her own face. Roll managed to convince her, but still…her eyes snapped open as she felt him holding her…and a pressure on her lips from his. She closed her eyes after a moment and they two stayed connected by the lips while holding one another. Slowly, the kiss ended and the two blushing teens looked at each other.
"Um…uh…" Lan tried to say something.
"Was it…a good present?"
"...T-The best," Lan replied, "So, um…d-does this mean…"
"Only if you want to," Maylu replied.
"I…I do," Lan nodded before kissing her again.
"I knew that dealing with those shared memories would kickstart his hormones," Hub sighed, he and his wife watching the two teens sound asleep in Lan's bed and holding one another close.
"I'm so happy for our little siblings," Roll noted, resting her head on his shoulder, "I was worried it'd be another year or two before he got it in his head that Maylu wanted to be more than just his best friend."
"I would have given it until the last year of high school," Hub admitted, "What a day, huh?"
"Yeah," Roll nodded, "But…" she traced a circle on his chest, "Your night isn't over just yet, Hub~"
"R-Roll?" Hub pondered as the blonde giggled and tugged him to the bed, her outfit glowing as it became a semi-transparent pink negligee, "?!"
"You have a present that wants you to open her up and fill her with whatever you want," Roll purred sensually.
Hub smiled as his own clothes dissipated into data as he got on the bed and held her close, "A beautiful bunny, huh? I'll make sure you get enough of my love for you to fill you up."
"I love you, Hub."
"And I love you, Roll."
GT: *lying facedown on the floor* Ugh…Life outside of Fanfiction writing was a hassle…and then life inside of it kept focus on other things…and the Liberation mission…oh Mata Nui above…I kept going through multiple ideas for it! Ultimately, I just settled on 'Oh forget it,' and just went with what you see before you. I love them in the games, but putting them to paper…well…digital paper…ugh…I'm sorry for how long you all were waiting for this. Really, I am…Please be gentle in the reviews. Really sorry for the long wait…