NE::Megaman NT Warrior: Memories

by Litintha

Dr. Hikari has invented a way to have Navis appear in the real world. Megaman is the first successful test, but Lan gets Amnesia! Can Megaman's love help Lan get his memories back? LanxMegaman yaoi. Chapter 17 is up. Please R & R and vote in the poll!

11. Chapter 11: Shocking Developments Pt 1

I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry that it took a long time to get this chapter out. Real Life has really kept me busy this past month. However, I finally got time here and there to complete this chapter.

So, here it is! Enjoy the long read!

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Chapter 11 – Shocking Developments, Pt. 1

There was no sunlight that morning. It was actually rather cloudy for the morning. Not a single ray of sunlight was even able to break through the heavy amount of clouds in the sky. This was the kind of day that would normally get Lan down. However, he wasn't going to let it depress him too much.

He opened his eyes to find that Megaman was still laying in front of him, still with his arms wrapped around the boy, as well as the boy's arms still wrapped around Megaman. Lan was normally a violent sleeper. He would toss and turn almost all night, trying to find a comfortable position so he could fall asleep. Most often, his blanket ended up on the floor during the course of the night.

However, last night was very different. The position he was in with Megaman felt far too comfortable for him to move at any point during the night. He figured that the Navi was probably feeling the same way, as Megaman did not move throughout the night as well. 'He looks so peaceful.' Lan couldn't help but smile inward at the sight.

He tried his best to get quietly out of the bed, hoping not to wake Megaman in the process. He figured that the Navi might want to sleep a little longer. He must have been exhausted after yesterday. It was quite an eventful day, to say the least. His mother had told him that Megaman had asked for some money to get Lan a present for his birthday party. Lan figured that Megaman had been looking around town for most of yesterday, probably right after school started to when he got out for the day. Apparently, he looked, but didn't find anything that Lan really wanted.

He slowly got out of the bed to find some clothes to wear. The last thing he needed was to go downstairs naked, thereby embarrassing himself beyond belief. He opened one of the drawers on his dresser, removing a pair of green boxers and dressing himself with them. He then opened the drawer below that one, removing a pair of plaid pajamas and putting them on.

Lan looked over at the clock above his bed. 10:32 am. 'Wow. It's already 10:32. I didn't realize it was this late.' Even for Lan, that was pretty late for a Saturday morning. He figured that his mother had already made and put away breakfast, but decided that he should go downstairs to make sure. 'Maybe she held off this morning. Guess I'll have to check it out.'

Lan looked over at Megaman, still asleep on the bed, and realize that he was naked as well. Thinking that his parents might see him like that, he slowly pulled the blanket off the floor and put it over the Navi. Deeming that blanket to be enough, he left the room and proceeded downstairs to see his mother.

"Good morning, Lan. I take it you slept well?"
"Yeah. I slept great."
"I can see that. You slept a lot later than you normally do. I actually got a call from Dex. He, Yai, Maylu, and Tory were wondering if you could all get together."
"Really?"
"Really. I told him you were still asleep, and he just laughed."
"That sounds like Dex, alright."
"Anyway, Lan. I can make something for you and Megaman before you head out. By the way, where is Megaman?"

Lan had to think of an answer that wouldn't prompt his mother to go upstairs and check on the Navi. Lan wasn't good at lying, but he decided that he had to give it a shot or else his mother would end up checking on Megaman anyway. A few excuses came to his mind, but none of them were buy-able. Finally, he realized all of his excuses revolved around Megaman being in the real world.

"Oh, him? Last night, he went back into my PET. He said something about getting together with Roll and the others early this morning. I didn't see him in my PET when I woke up."
"Well, that's nice. I'm sure they are having a really good time. So, what would you like to eat?"
"Oh, I'll pick something up on my way to meet Dex and the others."
"Ok, Lan. That will give me time to start getting dinner prepared."

They both exchanged smiles as Lan went back upstairs to change his clothes. He opened his bedroom door to find that Megaman had actually moved in his sleep. It wasn't much of a movement, though. He just switched the side he was laying on. 'Hmmm...I guess he finally got uncomfortable.' Lan snickered to himself. He could see the irony in the situation.

Megaman had not moved all night, and neither did he. However, the moment that they were separated, Megaman decided that the position he was in was not comfortable anymore and needed to shift his position in order to regain the comfort that was lost. Although he shifted sides, Megaman still did not wake up. Lan knew that the Navi was the punctual kind when it came to getting up on time, and he laughed to himself to see Megaman not being his usual, punctual self.

Still trying not to wake Megaman up, Lan crept over to his closet and started to silently sift through his clothing to find his normal attire. He was happy that he still had a shirt, vest, and pair of shorts that were clean. He started to undress himself, first removing his pajamas, which he would later place inside the drawer he took them from, and then he replaced those pajamas with the clothing he just removed from the closet.

"..." Lan turned around after hearing a sound that didn't come from him. As he looked, he found that Megaman was finally starting to wake up. The Navi was rustling around in the bed, trying to get some movement going so he could emerge from sleep. It proved to be effective, as he was able to open his eyes, if only a little bit. His eyes were still squinted as he tried to push himself up by placing his arms behind him.

Lan looked over at Megaman, now sitting upright on the bed, but still had his eyes slightly open, still squinting. Lan couldn't resist the urge as he walked over to the naked Navi and give him a good morning kiss. Megaman felt the contact and welcomed it. He figured that Lan was returning the favor from 2 days ago.

"Good morning, sleepy-head." Lan was just a little cocky in his voice. He knew that Megaman would always get up on time...well...on time so that he could wake Lan up on time, or close to it, which never really seemed to work.

"Morning, Lan...what time is it?"
"It's 10:40 am."
"What? It's that late in the morning already?"
"Yeah. We both slept like rocks."
"Ha-ha. I can believe that."
"Anyway. Dex and the others want to get together today. So, wake up, get dressed, and act like you were just with Roll and the others."
"Huh? Act like I was with Roll and the others? What did you tell Mom, Lan?"
"Well...she asked where you were. I didn't want to say you were upstairs, because she might have come to check on you. So, I told her you were with Roll and the others."

Megaman gave Lan a perplexed look. He couldn't quite figure out why he would tell his mother a lie like that. Maybe he was still upset over something? The thought of Lan still being upset about something made Megaman worry. If Lan was upset, he didn't have a clue as to what it was, or why he was holding onto his grudge for so long.

However, Megaman couldn't imagine that Lan would still be upset over something. He thought for several moments, still giving Lan the same perplexed look that he gave the boy a few moments. Although Megaman was great at figuring out riddles and the like without any troubles, he couldn't figure out what Lan's motive behind the lie were.

Sucking up his pride, he finally asked. "Lan, why did you tell Mom that? I wasn't with Roll or the others at all today." Hopefully, Lan would answer the question and Megaman would finally figure out why he had to go along with the boy's lie.

"Well...if she came up here to check on you with how you are now, then she might..." Lan was cut off by Megaman, who finally figured out why Lan made up that lie.

"Oh...I get it. If she came up here to check on me, then she would have saw me like this," Megaman said, obviously hinting at his current state, which happened to still be clothes-less. Lan simply nodded his head to confirm the Navi's hypothesis. Megaman then leaned forward and give Lan a soft kiss on the lips which lasted for several seconds.

Both of the boys were brought out of their moment by a voice from downstairs. "Lan. Make sure you get ready quickly. You don't want to make Dex and your other friends wait too long for you." Mrs. Hikari, as well as Megaman, seemed to try to get Lan to be much more punctual when it came to being on-time. Unfortunately for them, this never seemed to work all too well. Nevertheless, they were persistent. Sometimes Lan got the hint, other times...not so much.

Lan yelled down the stairs. "Alright, Mom. I'll be down soon."

Lan turned his head away from the door to only be greeted by another kiss from Megaman. He sank into the favorable contact, trying to make sure it lasted for a long as he could keep this passionate moment. Lan's attempts seemed to work, either by his own actions or by Megaman's, as the kiss lasted much longer than before they were interrupted.

Lan pulled away from Megaman, finally breaking the kiss to get a breath of air. "You sure are in a good mood, Megaman."

"Well, I had to finish what I started."
"You always have to have the last word, don't you?"
"Ha-ha. It's what I'm best at."
"You got that right."

The two boys shared in a joined laugh before Lan decided it was time to go downstairs before his mother started to wonder what he was taking him so long in his room. Megaman, too, decided that he should go downstairs with Lan, more or less to see if he could get any breakfast, even though it was late in the morning.

Lan left the room, which gave Megaman some time to dress before heading downstairs himself. He opened Lan's closet and found a small selection of clothing that he never wore. A few of them were a little dressier than others, which did catch Megaman's eye for a moment. 'Well...I guess I shouldn't get anything too dressy...' Megaman did like the look of some of the clothing, but they were "nice" clothing; clothing that you would wear to something important, not hang out in.

He sifted through the rest of the closet to find another green shirt. His other one was dirty and needed to be washed. 'This should work,' Megaman thought, as he placed the shirt on his torso and proceeded to the dresser to find a pair of boxers, pants, and socks. It didn't take much effort, as he did find the rest of the clothing he wanted. The only difference was that the pants he found had a button and zipper, instead of being an elastic waistband. However, that didn't bother Megaman. He was just happy that Lan actually had clean clothing that he could wear.

He left Lan's room and walked down the staircase and was greeting by Mrs. Hikari at the bottom. "Oh, Megaman. You're back. I take it your time with Roll and the others was enjoyable?"

The Navi quickly remembered what Lan had told him. He wasn't one for lying, but they still wanted to keep their relationship under wraps. "Yeah. We had a great time in NetCity. We saw Aki perform and watched some great battles at the Net Coliseum."

"It sounds like you had a great time."
"Yeah. It was good to see everyone again."
"After such a time, you must be hungry. Can I make you anything?"

Megaman looked at Lan for some kind of answer, thinking that there was something more to the lie. Luckily though, he remembered Mrs. Hikari's earlier statement. "Nah. I'm just going to go with Lan today."

"Oh, ok. In that case, I'll just start dinner now. We're going to be having a roast tonight. If you two are going to stay out long, make sure you come back for dinner." Mrs. Hikari liked that Lan was getting out, like he always did. However, she wasn't really happy when he didn't get home in time for dinner. He and Megaman got lucky the past few days when it came to getting to dinner on time. Mrs. Hikari just wanted to make sure that it would remain as a consistency.

"Don't worry about us, Mom. I'll make sure Megaman makes it home on time."
"Oh, give me a break, Lan. You totally forgot about locking the house last night. I had to do that."
"Hey! I can't help it if I was too tired to remember that."
"Which is why I remembered for you. Ha-ha."

Lan bowed his head slightly in defeat. However, Megaman wasn't quite finished with his daily nagging. "But, Lan. You probably shouldn't leave the house, yet. You haven't done the weekend home Mr. Mari assigned yet."

"Megaman! That isn't due for a whole 2 days. I have plenty of time to do it."
"You say that now."
"I'll get it done. Don't worry about it."
"Alright...if you say so."

Megaman had this nagging feeling that Lan wouldn't finish his homework. 'I'll probably have to remind him when we get back after dinner.' Deciding that his plan was sufficient, he walked over to the boy, who was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the TV. Ribitta was giving a news report about another NetNavi in the real world. This report had caught Lan's attention, and subsequently, Megaman's.

"This is your news reporter, Ribitta, giving you all the news you need to know! Only a few hours ago, another NetNavi was spotted in our world! It was causing all kinds of havoc and destruction at the DenTech Natural History Museum. It did not take long for SciLab to initiate a Dimensional Area to contain the rogue NetNavi."

Lan and Megaman looked at each other. They both knew that Lan didn't get a call about a NetNavi in the real world. 'I wonder if Chaud was the one who took care of it. If it was, he probably told Chief Keifer not to call me,' Lan thought as he turned back towards the TV to listen to the rest of the news report. The boy already knew that someone had defeated the rogue NetNavi, because if they didn't, he would have gotten a call.

"Moments later, a Net Agent entered the Dimensional Area and dispatched the rogue NetNavi. It turned out to be nothing more than a copyroid. Unfortunately, just like last night, the NetNavi data escaped into the Cyberworld, and it's current whereabouts are unknown."

"Do you think Chaud took care of that NetNavi?"
"I'm not sure, Megaman. Then again, who else do we know that would be here?"
"You've got a good point there, Lan."
"Oh, damn! We better hurry so we aren't late to see Dex and the others."

Megaman laughed to himself. 'Maybe I should have been a little more nagging,' Megaman thought, as he did his best to suppress his laughter, trying not to let it reach his mouth. It seemed to have worked, as Lan didn't notice the smile across the Navi's face. However, that might have been due to the fact that Lan was now rushing to get his shoes on before heading out.

"Goodbye, boys. Make sure you don't get into any trouble!"

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"Yesterday was some day, right Megaman?"

Lan had broken a slight silence between the pair as they were walking towards SciLab. After they left the house, Lan had remembered that his new SynchroChip was going to be at SciLab earlier that day. He could only hope that his father remembered to put it in a safe place so that it wouldn't get lost by some stroke of bad luck.

"Well, that's one way of describing it."
"It was a great day. I haven't had that much fun in a long time."
"Yeah. I could tell. You tried to so hard to win the games, too."
"It was my birthday. I should have been able to wi..."

Lan stopped mid sentence as he looked ahead. He saw a person whom he recognized, and it turned out to be Ms. Yuri. "Hey, Megaman. It's Ms. Yuri." The Navi looked in the same direction as his NetOp did. Sure enough, Ms. Yuri was walking towards them, most likely doing some errands.

"Yeah...what do you suppose she is doing, Lan?"
"Probably just running her own errands. Do you think we should say hi?"
"Depends on whether or not she is busy."

Lan, who didn't like to take "no" for an answer most of the time, decided that Megaman's answer suggested that he should go and say "hi". If she was busy, he would leave. If not, then he wanted to ask her a few questions about what she knows about the UnderNet Mafia.

Ms. Yuri was wearing her usual attire: black trench coat with black pants, maroon shirt, black boots, and black sunglasses. The sunglasses were so dark that is was hard to see if she was looking at you or not. However, when she got close, you figured it out, as she would normally address you, or ignore you.

"Hey, Ms. Yuri," Lan and Megaman said, in unison. Ms. Yuri looked at the pair, and decided she could chat a little bit.

"Well, if it isn't Lan and Megaman. What brings you boys out into the city today?"
"Lan is getting his new SynchroChip today."
"New one? What happened to your original, Lan?"

Hearing Ms. Yuri's words, Lan unknowingly bowed his head a little in shame. It wasn't the fact that he was embarrassed about telling anyone, but he was embarrassed that he was going to tell one of the former CrossFusion Team members that he was careless with his precious SynchroChip.

Finally realizing which way his head was pointing, Lan sucked up his embarrassment and raised his eyes to meet Ms. Yuri's. "When Cannonman attacked SciLab a few days ago, he used a Program Advanced that knocked me out of CrossFusion. The SynchroChip got ejected from my PET, and Cannonman crushed it with his foot."

"Sounds like you've had a lot of bad luck lately, Lan."
"Yeah, Ms. Yuri. It sure seems that way."

The woman looked over at the other boy who was standing beside Lan. "And, what about you, Megaman?"

The Navi looked at the woman in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean how are you going to deal with today?"
"I still don't follow you."
"Listen, Megaman. I visited that fortuneteller, Miyu, a few days ago. I know what is going to happen. You and Lan are going to have to fight for your very lives, just like back in the day when we fought Duo. If you two don't keep your guard up, you may end up in a plot at the local cemetery."

The comment almost sounded like a threat from her to Lan and Megaman. It came close to making them upset with her. However, the boys did realize that she was only looking out for them...in her own, special way.

Megaman turned to Lan, as he figured out what Ms. Yuri was speaking of. "Remember, Lan. Miyu said that in 2 days, something would happen to us." He tried his best to emphasize his point to Lan, who did pick up on it, showing somewhat of an 'Oh, that's right' look on his face.

"That prediction was...2 days ago..."
"Exactly. That means what is going to happen will happen...TODAY."
"But, Megaman. We don't know what "it" will be."

The two boys kept looking at each other, then looked at Ms, Yuri for some kind of answer. However, she simply shook her head from side to side, signaling that she did not have any idea what was suppose to happen to them. This worried the duo, as they were now at a lose for ideas as to what might happen. An uncomfortable silence fell between Lan and Megaman.

The silence only lasted for a few moments, as Ms. Yuri decided something needed to be said... "Well, kids. I need to get going. My sister wants to give me the lesson plan for this coming week."...even though it was a goodbye.

"I expect to see you with your homework completed on Monday, Lan. Ms. Mari already told me about your chronic homework habits."
"Yes, Ms. Yuri. I'll make sure it is done."
"Good. Until then, keep a weathered eye on the horizon."

Lan and Megaman's eyes followed Ms. Yuri as she walked between them, past them, and rounded a corner, heading for DenTech Academy. Their eyes them fixated on each other, both trying to find an answer within the other. They both hoped that the other had a suggestion on what they should do, seeing that they were still in the dark about what was going to happen that day.

Suddenly, Megaman had an idea. "Lan. We should go see Miyu. She made the prediction. Maybe she can tell us what will happen." The Navi figured that it was their only option, as waiting around for something to happen certainly wasn't going to help the situation.

Lan simply nodded his head in agreement, and the two ran to Miyu's Antique Shop.

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"Miyu...how did you know that..." Lan was cut off by Miyu, who knew exactly what he was going to say.
"I am a fortuneteller, Lan. I saw what happened yesterday before it even happened."
"You did?" Megaman became more curious than shocked now.
"I did. I also know what will happen in 2 days, and you both must watch your steps."

...

"Megaman...Lan...you must tread lightly. Do not underestimate the UnderNet Mafia. They are the next biggest threat to our world."
"Miyu...what is going to happened in a few days? You said you saw the future."
"I saw you, Lan. However, you did not see anyone else."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Lan. I am saying that you need to be careful. Your future is uncertain, and that is even worse than knowing if something bad will happen."

...

"Miyu...what about me? What happens to me?"
"Megaman...I see you...in pain. But, it is not physical...it is emotional."
"Emotional? What do you mean?"
"That, I am not sure. Only time will tell. For your future, too, is not without uncertainty."

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Megaman just couldn't keep his mind focused on one thing. Now that him and Lan were going to Miyu's to see if they could get any information out of her, his mind was just filled with too many things to worry about, disabling his ability to focus on just one of them at a time.

They both picked up their pace, as the sky looked like it was ready to open up on them. The weather forecast given that morning called for rain to start falling around noon and go to around 8:30 pm at night. Lan didn't want to get caught in the rain. He never liked the rain. It made him, the great Lan Hikari, King of Optimism, depressed. He could never put his finger on it, but something about it just took away all of his normal cheery self.

"It's only a few more blocks until we are at Miyu's shop, Lan. Let's slow down a little bit."
"Only a little. I really don't want to spend more time than we need."

Megaman could see that Lan certainly was either worried that whatever was going to happen will happen before they got to the shop, or that he simply wanted to know before it happened. Whatever the case, the Navi knew that they needed to get to Miyu's shop as quickly as possible.

Lan had tried to contact Miyu via Skullman. However, all of his PET calls were not answered by the shopkeeper's NetNavi. All of his attempts were to no avail. This disappointed him as he wasn't sure if Miyu's shop was even open at the time. After all, it was Saturday, and Miyu might not have even bothered to open for the day.

"We're almost there, Megaman. Only a little bit further." Even though it was about to rain, the tone in Lan's voice had a hint of optimism in it. The Navi had noticed this, seeing that the boy's mood was starting to improve. He actually started to think that Lan was right in rushing to Miyu's shop. He was believing that Lan had the right idea to get there before anything happened to them...

But, his beliefs were soon crushed as the two boys saw something fall from the sky and crashed a block away from the intersection they were running past.

"Did you see that, Lan?"
"Sure did. What do you think it..."

Lan stopped mid-sentence. He answered his own question in his head. 'No...it can't be...could it?' His head immediately turned towards the direction in which he saw the object crash. He could see a lot of smoke and other debris that was kicked up due to the impact of the object.

"Lan. What's wrong?"
"Megaman...remember the last time something fell from the sky and crashed?"
"You mean when Cannonman attacked SciLab?"
"Exactly."
"What are you getting..."

Now, Megaman understood what was wrong with Lan. 'He thinks that a copyroid just crashed.' And, just like Lan, Megaman turned his head and looked towards the direction in which the object had crashed. The smoke and debris was starting to clear up, but it was still relatively heavy.

"We better go check it out."
"Right, Lan. Let's go."

They changed the direction in which they were running, shifting their bodies to the right and headed down the closest street they could find. Both Lan and Megaman we're already starting to get tired from the running they did to try and get to Miyu's shop. However, they figured that another block wouldn't hurt them. Besides, if this was what they thought it was, then they didn't have the time to stop and talk to Miyu.

The crashed was already taking it's toll. People were running along the sidewalks in the opposite direction of the crash site. Cars, trucks, and other vehicles were either stopped in the road, or driving away from where the object had crashed. There was definitely much panic and chaos caused by the crash.

It was only a few moments later when Lan and Megaman arrived on the scene. They discovered that the object had created a medium sized crater, about the same size that Gravityman caused during Nebula's existence. The duo ran to the edge of the crater to discover that the pod had already been opened, and no copyroid was found inside. Lan looked at Megaman with a sense of perplex, while Megaman looked at Lan with a sense of worry.

"Megaman. There's no copyroid."
"That's strange...wait a minute. If it took us a minute to get here, then that means tha..."

Megaman was cut off mid-sentence as a small blade flew past his head. It made him flinch, but also instinctively dive and tackle Lan to the ground, making sure that he wasn't harmed by whatever threw the weapon. Lan, who was rarely tackled to the ground like that, became startled when it happened. He didn't notice why Megaman did it at first, but quickly saw the blade as it impacted the ground.

"Are you ok, Lan?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. What happened?"
"A blade flew past me. I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt."

Megaman climbed off Lan as they heard a voice. "Be thankful that I missed. The next time, you won't be so lucky!" Megaman stood up completely and looked around, trying to find the source of the voice which was talking to them. He looked to the right, only discovering rubble and debris. He looked to the left, only to see the same thing. 'Where did that voice come from!' Megaman was starting to get upset.

'Wait a minute!' A thought popped into his head. He turned to face the spot on the ground where the blade had impacted. Quickly spotting it, he figured out the direction in which it came from. Hoping that he was right, Megaman turned and faced the opposite direction the blade was laying. His emerald green eyes spotted a figure on top of a small pile of debris, obviously caused by the copyroid pod crashing.

"Who are you? Show yourself!"
"But, I have shown myself. Can you not see me?"
"I can only see your outline. Show your face!"
"Well...if you are THAT egger to see the face of your assassin, then I will comply."

The figure leaped from the hill of debris to the ground, about 10 feet away from Megaman. Even though there was no sun in the sky, it was still hard to see what this mysterious assassin looked like. As he landed, Megaman looked on with shock as the assassin resembled Shadowman.

"Sh...Shadowman...is that you?"
"I can say with confidence that I am NOT Shadowman."
"Then who are you? And, why are you attacking this city?"
"I am Blademan, one of the UnderNet Mafia's top agents. The reason I am attacking DenTech City...is to bring the two of you out of hiding. It seems to have worked."

Megaman was not sure what Blademan meant by his statement. Did Blademan really know he was face-to-face with Megaman and Lan? 'No. He couldn't know. We've been careful not to let anyone know.' Megaman just couldn't fathom that Blademan knew who they were. It just didn't seem possible.

However, the figure in front of Megaman started to laugh. "You have a look of confusion on your face. Perhaps I can help put that to ease...Megaman and Lan Hikari!" Both Lan and Megaman, now standing next to each other, felt a deep feeling of dread. Both of them had the same thought. 'How does he know? Who could have known?' Neither of them had an answer to that question. Neither of them were certain as to how Blademan knew what they looked like. Neither of them knew what was going to happen to them now that the UnderNet Mafia knows what they look like. This situation was a lot for the both of them to get a grip on. All they could do was attempt to play dumb.

"W...w...Who are Lan Hikari and Megaman? I've never heard of them!" Megaman stuttered as he spoke, which made his stance of 'playing dumb' seem utterly futile. Blademan took note of this stuttering, and didn't take long to figure out what the other Navi was attempting to do.

"Don't play dumb with me, Megaman. I know who you and the kid are. It's useless to try and hide it!"

'He's right. Lan and I can't keep a act like that up forever.' Megaman seemed to be doing the majority of the talking thus far. Lan had taken notice of this, and decided by himself that he should be the one to start talking. The difference was that he wouldn't be talking with Blademan. No. He was going to talk with Famous.

Lan pulled his PET off of his arm and hit a few buttons. "Mr. Famous! Mr. Famous! Come in! We need you!" Megaman looked over his shoulder, which was a big mistake on his part. Blademan took advantage of the other Navi being distracted, and proceeded to throw several more short-blade knives at the duo in front of him.

"!" Megaman saw as one just barely missed his head, and, once again, dove to the ground, dragging Lan with him. He didn't want to look up, but he had to, with hopes that the last of the blades had missed him and Lan. With great hesitation, Megaman twisted his neck so that his head was facing in the direction of Blademan, only for his eyes to see that the UnderNet Mafia operative was not in sight.

"Lan. Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"That's good. Hmmm...where did he go?"
"I don't know. This guy is starting to get on my nerves."
"Calm down, Lan. This isn't the time to get upset."

Suddenly, a voice was heard coming from Lan's PET. "Lan! What is going on? Respond!" The boy raised his PET so that his eyes could see who was calling him. He pushed a button on the device, resulting in an image of Famous appearing on his PET's monitor.

"Mr. Famous! We got trouble!"
"Just Famous! What kind of trouble?"
"Another UnderNet Mafia Navi got into a copyroid. We need a Dimensional Area."
"Roger. Dimensional Area, deploy!"

It only took a few seconds, but a Dimensional Area appeared over the area where the copyroid pod crashed, covering the crater, and 2 city blocks. However, Megaman noticed that Blademan was still nowhere in sight. He was beginning to wonder if Blademan had put some distance between himself and Megaman, thereby escaping the Dimensional Area.

Luckily for him and Lan, that wasn't the case. "So. You called for a Dimensional Area to trap me. How clever. That will be the last mistake of your life, Lan Hikari!" Perhaps it was both fortuitous and ill-fated. Blademan was trapped inside the Dimensional Area, but his comment made Lan feel nervous. He had been in situations before in which his life was in danger, so this predicament was nothing new to him. However, in those cases, he always had CrossFusion as a tool to help him. Unfortunately, him and Megaman didn't get to SciLab in time. Therefore, the boy was still down a SynchroChip, making CrossFusion impossible at the moment for him.

"What do you want with us, Blademan? What did we do you to?"
"Isn't it obvious, Lan Hikari? You stand between the UnderNet Mafia and world domination."
"Sorry for the inconvenience, but I can't just let you take over the world."
"You don't have a choice in the matter. Time to finish the job that Cannonman failed to: Assassinate Lan Hikari!"

With those final words, Blademan shot out from behind a large semi-truck and started his assault on the duo. However, he wasn't trying to take the both of them out. He was only after one of them.

"Lan! Get down," Megaman screamed as he attempted to push Lan down to the ground for the third time since they encountered Blademan. The sharp edge of one of Blademan's swords almost took Lan's arm off. Luckily for him, Megaman had dragged him to the ground quick enough to avoid most of the blade. However, the very tip of it nicked Lan's upper arm, just below his shoulder, cutting his shirt and causing a small wound to appear.

"Ahahaha! Your time on this planet is going to an end, Lan Hikari," Blademan said, not showing any restraint in his voice. He was getting overly-cocky, knowing that if he kept up his attacks, he would finally kill the famous Lan Hikari.

"Not today, Blademan. Megaman, let's do it!"
"I'm ready, Lan. Let's take him down!"

Blademan only laughed at their display. "You cannot be serious. You expect to be able to take me down when you can barely stay on your feet? Ha-ha! You truly know how to make someone laugh!"

Megaman and Lan stood side by side, ready and willing to battle with Blademan. The both of them were not sure as to what attacks Blademan could perform on his own, let alone if we could use a Program Advance like Cannonman could. To them, it felt like they were fighting the Darkloids all over again.

However, Lan wasted no time in reminiscing about the Darkloids. "Let's fight blades with swords, Megaman. WideSword, BattleChip in. Download!" Lan had removed the WideSword BattleChip from his pocket and slotted it into his PET.

As the tiny chip downloaded it's data into the PET, Megaman's entire body started to glow. Lan found it to be strange, as with the WideSword, only his hand would glow before becoming the WideSword. The body glowing only lasted a few seconds. As it cleared, Megaman was no longer in his human world clothing. Instead, he was wearing his blue jumpsuit, helmet, backpack, shoulder pads, gloves, and boots. Lan couldn't put his finger on it, but it was like the BattleChip he inserted triggered some kind of clothing change.

But, Lan couldn't think about right now. Megaman needed his undivided attention so that nothing happened to him.

"Don't think that you will be able to use something as fragile as that against me!" Blademan charged forward with his own blade drawn. He and Megaman clashed, causing a small shockwave to emanate from the point of impact. The force from the shockwave almost threw Lan off of his feet, but he maintained his balance and stood ready to help Megaman when he needed it.

"A weapon is only a fragile as it's user, Blademan!"
"Is that so? Then you must be extremely fragile, being the NetNavi of a human."
"Our teamwork is what makes us as strong as we are! It's something you will never understand, Blademan!"
"Oh, I understand it quite well. Without him, YOU are nothing! I say we prove my theory...here and now!"

As Blademan finished his challenge, he quickly pulled out a small dagger-looking blade. Megaman wasn't quick enough to evade it completely as it grazed his side. He only noticed it for a split second, but Megaman saw that there was no mark, no indication that something had just hit his side. His jumpsuit was not torn, nor was his structure breaking up.

Snapping out of it, Megaman quickly turned his attention back to the battle at hand.

"Your dirty tricks won't work that easily, Blademan. I'm too fast for them."
"Are you, now? I find that...highly doubtful."

With a swift flick of his hand, Blademan freed himself from the deadlock he was in with Megaman, pushing the other Navi backwards, almost making him loose his balance and fall to the ground. However, Blademan was not done quite yet. He started to move his long blade around, almost as though he was making signs in the air.

Blademan smiled, the arrogance of his movements were painfully obvious to Megaman, who was not at all amused by the display. 'Is he taunting me? Is he waiting for me to make the next move?' Megaman couldn't make out exactly what Blademan was up to. 'Whatever it is, I have to stop it before he is done.'

"I don't know what you are planning to do with that, Blademan. But, I know I am going to stop you."
"You really think so? I beg to differ."
"I don't care what you think. I WILL end it now."
"No, you won't."

Without any further conversations, Blademan stop the movements of his blade, as though he has just completed some type of ritual. No sooner after he stopped, Megaman felt something inside him. It wasn't a good feeling at all. It felt like...

"Ahhhh!" Megaman screamed in pain. He slowly fell to the ground. His body was starting to become heavier and heavier. He wasn't able to stand for long, as he was soon forced to his hands and knees by whatever unknown force was crippling him. Lan couldn't do anything but watch in fear. He didn't know what was happening to Megaman, and that is what terrified him the most.

Faster and faster, Megaman starting to lose the strength in his legs and arms. They began to tremble, forcing Megaman to use up what little strength he had left to keep himself from falling face-first into the ground below him. However, it was all to no avail. The Navi tried his best, but his arms and legs finally gave way, causing him to fall to the ground.

All the while, Blademan couldn't stop himself from laughing at the situation. "Ha-ha. Like I said, you won't take care of me. If anything, I'll have to get rid of you." The UnderNet Mafia operative just continued to laugh at the seemingly paralyzed NetNavi in front of him.

"Allow me to explain what happened. That dagger didn't need to pierce you. All it needed to do was touch you so that its Paralysis Program would enter your Navi program, thereby paralyzing you from head to toe! You are completely helpless, Megaman!"

Megaman tried to lift his head up, but his body just seemed too heavy. It was as if large cement blocks were placed on all of his body parts, disabling his ability to move. 'No...that can't be. There must be...some way out of this.' Perhaps the Paralysis Program didn't take full effect yet, or it was the Navi's will to move, but he was able to lift his head up just enough so that his chin was on the ground, enabling him to see Blademan, as well as follow his movement, to an extent.

"And, now. Without your NetNavi to protect you, it's high time we end this game of Cat and Mouse, Lan Hikari." Blademan's comment sent a shiver down Lan's spine, but he ignored it.

"I've been through worse and came out on top, Blademan. Give me your best shot!"
"You will regret those words, Lan Hikari. Taste my blade!"
"Bring it on!"

Without hesitation, Blademan drew his blade, which was holstered on his back, and charged at Lan full force. He moved with blazing speed, almost what seemed to be 150 miles an hour. However, Lan was able to keep track of Blademan's movements. All of the time Lan spent CrossFused, as well as practicing at SciLab during CrossFusion, seemed to have sharpened his sense of sight, enabling him to see something when it is moving fast.

Unfortunately, Blademan's movements were too fast for him to evade completely. He swung his blade at Lan, who was able to dodge most of the blow. However, the very tip of the blade caught on his leg, causing a slight cut to form. Lan hissed at the pain he now felt, but knew deep down inside that he had to ignore it. With Megaman paralyzed, he was on his own.

"You're quick, Lan Hikari. Much more quicker than we gave you credit for."
"I guess I should thank you for the compliment. Sorry if I'm not in the mood for it."
"Your arrogance will be your undoing, Lan Hikari."

Blademan quickly went in for another attack. This time, however, he moved at an even quicker speed, probably 20 percent faster than his first attack. This caught Lan off-guard, but his reflexes helped to keep him alive, as the edge of Blademan's attack just barely impacted the boy's cheek. Just like his leg, it caused a cut to form and start bleeding. The difference between the two cuts were their depth. The cut on Lan's leg wasn't deep and, therefore, was not bleeding much. The cut on his face, however, was deeper, and bled more than that of the cut on his leg.

"Lan...just run away. You can't win...again him!" Megaman tried his best to call out to his NetOp. After seeing Lan get injured twice already, he had no doubt in his mind that something far more serious wasn't too far off. He wanted, at least, for Lan to survive this encounter, even if he didn't. That's the way Megaman was. He wanted everything for Lan, and would sacrifice himself if he had to.

As the Navi laid there on the ground, he could see that his words did not reach Lan, or he simply ignored them, as the boy continued to try his best to evade Blademan's attacks. Each attack brought about a new cut on the boy's body. A few more cuts on his legs, some on his arms, and another on his other cheek. Some of them were deep, others were shallow. Each time Blademan's blade sliced Lan's skin, Megaman couldn't do much but look on with fear...and even anger

After sustaining multiple wounds, Lan finally fell to the ground. He tried his best to ignore all of the pain that the wounds caused, but it finally became too much for him. His body simply would not allow him to remain standing after the onslaught of attacks. Lan finally fell to his hands and knees. He could feel his arms and legs starting to grow weak, most likely from the amount of pain that he felt from his numerous wounds.

"Your frail human body cannot stand up to me."
"You...you haven't won yet...Blademan."
"Such a persistent little human you are, Lan Hikari. Perhaps it is time I end this now."

Megaman heard Blademan's words and tried one more time to reach out to Lan. "Lan! Get out...of here, now!" However, just like last time, his warning seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Unfortunately, Blademan heard Megaman's words, and simply laughed. "Ha-ha. Do you think he can actually get away from me? You underestimate the power of the UnderNet Mafia. And, that mistake will be your ultimate demise!"

Blademan held his arms out to his sides, and finally said the words that neither Megaman nor Lan wanted to hear during this battle. "CyberSword, upload! WideBlade, upload! LongBlade, upload! Program Advance...Life Sword!" (A/N: This is a Program Advance from the Battle Network games) The Navi's arms quickly changed into their respective BattleChip data, only to start glowing as Blademan raised them above his head, thereby joining them to form the Program Advance.

"With just one swing of this sword, I can finally end your life, Lan Hikari, and the UnderNet Mafia will be one major step closer to taking over your world," Blademan said, with enough ego to fill the size of the crater where the Copyroid pod crashed. Lan was still kneeling on the ground, completely helpless.

'No...that can't happen. I have to do something!' However, Megaman couldn't do anything, it seemed. The Paralysis Program was still in effect, and he could barely move any of his body parts.

Suddenly, he felt something inside him. He couldn't quite sort it out in his head, but it felt like he was getting angry once again. But, it wasn't just anger. It felt like something else. It wasn't angry so much as it was...fury. Righteous fury.

To his surprise, he was able to slowly, but carefully, move his right arm. Knowing that there wasn't a lot of time left before Blademan used the Program Advance against Lan, Megaman quickly set an impulsive plan into action. He would only have one shot at this, so he needed to make it count. 'There isn't much time. I have to do this quickly.'

With the Life Sword almost fully charged, Megaman put his plan into motion. He dislodged his right arm from under his body, getting it to point in the direction of Blademan and Lan. The Paralysis Program was still taking it's toll on Megaman's body, and he found it hard to keep his arm steady. However, he needed to. Lan's life depended on Megaman's success.

He quickly turned his right hand into his MegaBuster. 'I only have one shot at this...I better not miss...I can't miss!' The Navi started to charge the MegaBuster, attempting to gather the energy for a Charged Shot. He knew a normal MegaBuster shot would do nothing against a solo NetNavi from the UnderNet. However, a Charged Shot might prove to be just enough to take Blademan's attention off of Lan and focus it onto Megaman. At least, that is what Megaman hoped for.

"This is where you say goodbye, Lan Hikari. The UnderNet Mafia prevails!"
"No...this isn't the end. I don't loose this easily to the likes of you!"
"You don't have a choice. Time to be torn apart, limb from limb, Lan Hikari!"

Blademan moved his arms back, ready to use the Life Sword. Lan closed his eyes and prepared for the worst possible outcome. The UnderNet Mafia agent started his swing of the weapon...

"Charged Shot!" Megaman's words caused the release of the energy built up inside his MegaBuster. The powerful orb of purple energy exited the firing chamber of the buster and went soaring towards Blademan. The Navi was caught completely off-guard. His face filled with shock as the Charged Shot impacted him, creating a disruption in his right arm, thereby causing it to lose form and fall off of the rest of his body. This inevitably caused the Life Sword Program Advance to collapse on Blademan's head, damaging his helmet, as well.

"AHHH! How dare you attack me! Wait...you can move your arm? How is that possible! You should have been completely paralyzed!"
"You can't keep...this NetNavi down for...the count that easily...Blademan!"
"Hmmm...perhaps we are still underestimating the both of you. I must commend you on overpowering my Paralysis Program."
"Sorry if I don't seem very...appreciative of your compliment."
"I hate to admit it, but you have bested me. I retreat now, but leave you this warning: So long as you both shall live, so shall the UnderNet Mafia hunt you down."

Blademan began to walk away from Lan. "Wait! Answer my question before you leave." Lan's statement was rather bold, as he knew that Blademan could still kill him in his current state. The Navi, however, did not seem interested in completing his mission at the moment.

"I suppose I can, Lan Hikari."
"How many of you are after Megaman and I?"
"..." Blademan stook silent.
"Well? Aren't you going to answer me?"
"...enough to keep you busy for years to come."

Yet again, Blademan's words sent a chill down Lan's spine. 'YEARS to come? Just how many agents does the UnderNet Mafia have?' Due to the troubles with the Darkloids months ago, Lan came to know that Stoneman and Blasterman were not the only solo NetNavis in the Cyberworld. With Blademan's recent statement, the boy could only imagine how many agents the UnderNet Mafia had.

Blademan lifted his left arm, the only one that was still attached to his body, and aimed it at a stoplight pole. There was a box on that pole, and Blademan knew it had a jack-in port. Deciding that staying in the real world was not in his best interest right now, he jacked into the Traffic Control System, leaving the copyroid to fall to the ground with a soft thud. The Navi figured leaving the copyroid there wasn't a bad thing. It was already damaged by Megaman thanks to his Charged Buster Shot. The damage made the copyroid practically unusable. It would have been a waste of resources to send for something to retrieve what remained of the machine.

"Lan! Are you...ok?" Megaman's voice was laced with worry, as he tried his best to move. The Paralysis Program seemed to be starting to wear off, but it still had Megaman partially immobilized. He could move his arms and legs, but he still didn't have the strength to stand on his own power. "Yeah...I'm fine, Megaman." Lan tried not to sound injured, but Megaman knew better. All of the wounds he got were more than likely causing untold pain.

"Megaman...are you still having trouble moving?"
"Just a little. I'm sure it will...pass with time."
"Maybe it would be best if you came back into the PET."
"Lan? Are you sure?"
"If you are having trouble moving...then going back into the PET will help, because you won't have to move. I can...carry you instead."

Megaman saw the logic behind Lan's thinking. The Paralysis Program still had a hold over the majority of his body, and trying to walk was most certainly out of the question. The Navi had serious doubts that, even if he could walk, he would be able to make it to SciLab under his own power. 'It's probably for the best.' With a nod of his head, Megaman's structure started to become pixilated. Only a split second later, his being vanished, re-appearing in Lan's PET.

While inside the device, Megaman attempted to move his body around. To his surprise, he was able to move his arms, legs, and other body parts around a little easier than a few moments ago. He still felt drained of his strength, and could only manage to sit on the floor inside the PET's Cyberworld. But, it was better than being stuck on his back or stomach and having to crawl around like a military private doing an obstacle course during Boot Camp.

"See? You look better already," Lan said, looking at his PET, which was laying on the ground next to him. The final blow from Blademan had knocked the device out of Lan's grip. Luckily, it wasn't damage at all during the fight. "I'm sure I look worse than I feel." Megaman's words brought about a smile on Lan's face. Megaman returned the smile as Lan finally mustered up the strength to stand on his feet.

With Blademan defeated, the Dimensional Area collapsed, allowing the duo to continue to SciLab.

~~!~~
~~!~~

"Lan! What happened to you!"

Dr. Hikari took one look at his son, only to see that he had multiple cuts all over his arms, legs, and a few on his face. Needless to say, Yuichiro was worried beyond belief. He had never seen Lan so beat up like this. He recalled that his son requested a Dimensional Area 30 minutes ago, but figured that Megaman would be the one doing all the fighting.

"It's kinda hard to explain."
"I have time right now, Lan."
"...Well..."
"I'm listening."

Lan took in a deep breath. He knew this was going to be a long story. "Well, Megaman and I were on our way here to pick up my new SynchroChip from you," Lan said, starting his story off. "We were at Miyu's shop 2 days ago, and she said that Megaman and I would be in danger 2 days from then, which was today. We weren't sure what she meant. So today, we decided to stop and ask her."

Lan paused during his story. His father's face showed a look of interest. The boy figured that his father wanted to know every little detail he could give him. He knew by now that when his father gave a look of interest, it wasn't so much that the topic was interesting, but that he wanted or needed to know the little details that were almost always left out.

Lan continued to speak. "On our way there, a copyroid pod crashed in the city. Megaman and I decided visiting Miyu could wait, and we went to the crash site. We met a new UnderNet Mafia agent, Blademan. They seem to be bent on killing me, because Blademan knew who I was, and what Megaman looked like in the real world."

"Wait, it isn't just Megaman? They want to KILL you, as well?"
"Yeah. Apparently, just Megaman isn't enough for them."
"Why didn't you tell me this, Lan?"
"Well, I...I..."

Lan couldn't answer. Truthfully, he didn't want anyone to worry about him. He was normally the one that worried about everyone else. Truthfully, Lan hated it when people worried about him. He got enough of that from Megaman, worrying that he won't finish his homework on time, get to school on time, and all of the normal things the nagged Lan about.

Dr. Hikari looked at Lan's face, and saw his answer. "Nevermind. Continue on."

"Megaman was ready to fight. Blademan looked like Shadowman, but he wasn't the same. I sent Megaman a WideSword BattleChip to battle him. When I send him the chip data, it suddenly changed his clothing back to his Navi armor. It was the strangest thing."

Dr. Hikari's face now showed signs of intrigue. "His clothing changed?"

"Yeah, it did, Dr. Hikari. When Lan sent the chip, my body shimmered, and changed."
"Megaman. Has this happened before?"
"No. We've never had to fight anyone besides Cannonman up until now."
"I guess that is something we can look into later. Let's let Lan continue."

"Anyway. They starting to battle. Blademan took out a small dagger and tried to stab Megaman with it. He missed, but it was never his intention to fully hit Megaman. He just needed the dagger to touch Megaman so that some kind of Paralysis Program would be downloaded. It worked, and Megaman fell to the ground. Then Blademan came after me, which is where I got all my cuts."

Dr. Hikari nodded his head understandingly.

"But, Megaman kept trying to move. I think he told me he got his right arm free, enough to form the MegaBuster and use a Charged Shot. He fired and it shot off Blademan's right arm. He said that he was beaten. Before he left, he told us..." Lan paused. He didn't like to think about what Blademan had told him. "...he told us that there are enough UnderNet Mafia agents to keep us busy..." Another pause. "...for years to come."

Yuichiro looked at Lan, then shifted his attention to the PET on his shoulder. It looked as if he was trying to see through the device and make eye contact with Megaman somehow. The look on his face changed, which wasn't all that hard to believe after such a story. His expression changed from one of interest to one of reassurance.

"That is quite a story."
"It is, isn't it?"
"About what Blademan said. I wouldn't worry too much about it, Lan. You and Megaman make a great team, along with your friends. You all work extremely well together. I have no doubt in my mind that no matter what the UnderNet Mafia has in store for you, the both of you will overcome it."

Lan felt like a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Just like the expression on his father's face, Lan felt reassured that nothing bad will happen. He now felt like he could take on the world and still manage to beat it.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Lan. Let's go get your new SynchroChip."

~~!~~
~~!~~

The lobby of SciLab was just as quiet as ever. There weren't that many people around. Most of them were probably inside SciLab working on who knows what. Lan sat on one of the chairs, waiting patiently, which was a rare sight in it's own. He had just gotten his new SynchroChip from his father, which made him ecstatic. However, his father also took his PET into the NetNavi Recovery Room. He wanted to analyze Megaman to see how much longer the Paralysis Program would last, or if it could be removed. Lan wasn't worried at all about it. He knew that his father knew what he was doing, and was completely sure that Megaman would be better.

'He sure is taking his time. I wonder what's up.' Lan wasn't worried at all. However, he wasn't a fan of waiting long for stuff to happen. He was impatient, and that was finally starting to show. No longer able to take the waiting, he started to fidget around in his seat. For something that probably should have only taken a half-hour, his dad sure was taking his time with Megaman.

However, his movement started to cause him a little pain. After Lan got his new SynchroChip, his father took his PET to examine Megaman, then told Lan to go to the Medical Lab to get bandaged up, thereby making sure that his cuts didn't get infected.

"If you move around too much, you might undo those bandages." Lan, who was still fidgeting, jumped slightly at the familiar voice. He turned around to look behind him, his eyes meeting those of Chaud.

"When did you get here, Chaud?"
"I've been here for a few hours now."
"Really, that long?"
"That's right. I was actually here when you requested the Dimensional Area."
"Yeah. Megaman and I ran into a little trouble on our way here."

Chaud stared at Lan. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Lan saw something in Chaud's eyes that seemed to say that Chaud was...envious. He wasn't sure exactly what Chaud's eyes told him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Chaud was envious of him somehow.

"Oh, Chaud. I wanted to ask you something."
"And, that is?"
"Well...the copyroid incidents today and yesterday. Were you the one who handled them?"
"Yes, I was. Raika was actually in the country when the first one crashed yesterday. However, I was closer to the sight, and was called to take care of it."
"Raika was here? Why didn't you tell me?"
"You were busy with your friends yesterday. It was your birthday, right?"
"Oh, yeah."

It was a rare occurrence, but with everything that had happened today, Lan had briefly forgotten what happened the day before. 'Leave it to Chaud to remind me about when my own birthday was.' He snickered quietly to himself, thinking that whether Chaud knew it or not, he was more of a help than he let on.

"Oh. I wanted to thank you, Chaud."
"You don't have to. I only did those missions because I was asked to."
"No, not about that."
"Then what about, Lan?"

Lan really didn't want to mention it. He wanted to thank Chaud for telling his father about what happened to his SynchroChip the day Cannonman attacked. Even now, it was something Lan didn't want to talk about. He still felt embarrassed that he got his SynchroChip crushed by Cannonman. He was ashamed to admit that something happened to the chip and that someone else had to tell his father about it.

Sucking up his embarrassment, Lan continued. "I wanted to thank you for telling my dad about what happened to my SynchroChip. I got a new one today. I guess I was so caught up in Megaman getting the M-Program, I forgot to mention it to my dad 3 days ago."

"You don't have to mention it, Lan. I knew that was going to happen."
"Really?"
"Really. If I were in your position, the same probably would have happened to me. Well, hanging out with Protoman, not getting my SynchroChip smashed."

Lan let out a slow growl, not quite out of anger, but out of being annoyed. Even after everything that they have been through, from Grave to Beyondard, Chaud never could seem to pass up the chance to boast some kind of superiority to Lan, even in the smallest of ways.

"Don't be upset, Lan. To tell you the truth...well..." Chaud paused in the middle of his statement. If he was the blushing type, his face would have turned red at this point. However, he wasn't, and rarely, if ever, blushed at all.

"...Well...I'm actually..." A sigh escaped his mouth and makes its way into the middle of his sentence. "...jealous...of you and Megaman." There. He admitted it. Now, everything was right in the world...right?

"Jealous? Of Megaman and me? But...why?"
"It's just that...if what happened to Megaman when the M-Program was installed is exactly what would have happened to Protoman, and we knew about it, then Protoman would be the one here instead of Megaman."
"Oh, I see. You're jealous because Protoman could have gotten the M-Program if you didn't back out."
"Well, when you put it that way..."

Now, Lan wanted to laugh more than anything. Chaud always thought very highly of himself. He always thought of himself to be superior to Lan, in one form or another. But now, the tables were turned, Chaud Blaze, one of Japan's best NetSavers...was jealous of Lan Hikari.

Lan felt a laugh trying to force it's way out of his mouth, but manage to make sure that it stayed there. The last thing he wanted want to make Chaud upset. Even though the two of them sometimes got at each other's throats, they did care for the other. They didn't want to see the other get hurt in anyway. At most, their squabbles with each other were just horseplay, more or less.

Still, all of their joking and horseplay aside, they did look out for each other, which was evident, seeing that Lan was too caught up with Megaman being in the real world to have bothered telling his own father about what had happened to his SynchroChip. The two boys exchanged smiles, as Lan continued to wait for his father, or Megaman, to emerge from the interior rooms of SciLab.

It seemed they would both have to wait a little more. An hour had passed since Lan started to wait in the SciLab Lobby. Now, his impatience was starting to get the better of him, more so than before. Instead of just fidgeting in his seat, Lan finally stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of the row of seats his chair was a part of. 'What is taking so long back there? Was it really that serious?' If there was a time when Lan finally started to worry about Megaman during this whole ordeal, now was that time.

However, Lan's impatience was starting to wear on someone else's nerves. "Lan, could you not pace back and forth like that? It's becoming an annoyance." Chaud made sure he didn't hold back his feelings about the situation at hand. Lan's impatience never sat well with Chaud, as he found it to be an annoyance more than anything else.

"I'm just...worried. I'm worried because it is taking so long. Ugh!"
"Calm down, Lan. Would you rather your father look at Megaman quickly and miss something, or look at him over a lot of time and miss nothing?"
"...I guess you're right."

Lan let his head fall forward in a heavy sigh. 'This is taking too long. Where is Megaman?' Questions kept popping up in his mind. He started to wonder if the Paralysis Program was much more serious than they originally thought it was. Maybe it couldn't be removed? What if it will be with Megaman for the rest of his life? 'No! Stop thinking that! It won't happen!'

The sudden opening of sliding doors brought Lan out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see his father standing in the doorway that went to the interior rooms. He had a smile on his face. Lan knew that meant something went right, and if everything was right, that meant that Megaman was just fine.

"There you are, Lan. I was looking for you."
"Dad! How's Megaman? His he alright? Will he be ok?"
"Whoa there, son. Take it easy. All things in due time."
"I'm just really worried about him. You took forever to get out here."
"If you would just give me a few more moments, I can explain that."

This happened to be yet another time when Lan's impatience got the better of him, as he had waited a long time for his father to come out with news, and yet, he had to wait even longer before he would get the information he so desperately desired. However, given that he heard what Dr. Hikari said, Lan eased up a little bit, and allowed the time for his father to answer his questions.

"Well, first and foremost, Megaman will be just fine. I was able to remove the Paralysis Program from his NetNavi core," Dr. Hikari stated, obviously the beginning of a much longer speech. But, he continued. "However, he may experience some side effects every so often, but I don't think it is anything we need to worry about. The side effects won't last long, and will stop occurring over time."

"Well, that's a relief," Lan said, with a long sigh of relief. Things were finally starting to look up for Lan and Megaman. Now that whatever threat Miyu was talking about already happened, they could spend the rest of their day with Lan's friends and just hang out, probably at Yai's house, the normal get-together place.

"There is more, Lan. As a matter of fact, it has to deal with you." And, Lan's hope of a better day were just shot out of the sky.

"...What is it?"

"I know that you are probably excited that you got a new SynchroChip. You will be able to CrossFuse with Megaman. However, because Megaman is still suffering from the residual effects of the Paralysis Program, should you CrossFuse with him, you, too, may suffer from the residual effects of the program."

Lan looked up at his father, showing a little bit of disappointment, but understanding. "That's a bummer. I guess I'll have to wait until Megaman is all better, then." It was a disappointment. Truthfully, Lan couldn't wait for the next mission to come up that required the use of CrossFusion in order to close the case. He was really looking forward to it.

"In the meantime, you and Megaman should probably rest up. Here's your PET. It's in standby mode, right now. Just turn it back on and Megaman will be right there."
"Thanks, dad. You're the best."
"One more thing. He can still come to our world. The M-Program was not affected. So, once you turn the PET back on, he can leave it right away if he wants to.
"Alright, dad. I'll remember that."

Lan happily took the PET from his dad's hand and placed it into it's holder on his upper arm. The two of them exchanged smiles and said their goodbyes as Dr. Hikari went back through the sliding doors, walking past them into the interior of SciLab. All the while, Chaud was still in the Lobby, watching and eavesdropping on Lan and Dr. Hikari's conversation. Neither of the two had even noticed that Chaud was still around. However, when Dr. Hikari left, he made his presence known to Lan.

"I guess I'll have to take all of your cases during this downtime of yours." Chaud was clearly trying to be his usual, cocky self. Lan turned around with a grin on his face, knowing what Chaud was doing. His hypothesis was confirmed when he saw Chaud with the exact same grin on his face. Just another example of their horseplay, yet understanding and caring for the other.

"Once Megaman and I are back in action, we'll make sure to leave a few cases for you."
"I doubt that, but whatever you say, Lan."
"Lan, be a little nicer to Chaud. He is your friend, after all."

The sudden appearance of Megaman's voice filled Lan with happiness. It seemed that Megaman decided to take the PET off standby so he could interact with Lan, as well as Chaud. The white-haired boy simply smiled, looked down, and started to walk away.

Lan saw this, and felt the need to say something. "See you later, Chaud. Don't work too hard on your next case. I don't want to have to clean up after you." Chaud didn't look back. But, he wasn't going to leave Lan's remark unanswered.

"Just make sure you and Megaman get better before I finish all your cases."

Lan watched as Chaud went through the glass doors of the lobby, heading for SciLab's front gate. He laughed to himself, knowing full well that him and Chaud were just messing around, like they did during Nebula's existence.

"Ready to go meet Maylu and the others, Megaman?"
"I'm ready, Lan. Let's go."

~~!~~
~~!~~

The clouds were starting to break up a little bit. The blue of the sky above was starting to show through the puffy thickness. Lan was actually able to see a few rays of sunlight shine through the breaks in the clouds. To him, it seemed as though the day was going to be getting better and better from that moment on.

The boy was walking down the sidewalk in downtown DenTech City. Now that Megaman was going to be better and Blademan was defeated, Lan figured that nothing else could go wrong the rest of the day. He and Megaman was going to hang out with Maylu and the others for a while, then it would be dinner time, and then the day would be over.

"Hey, Lan. Mind if I walk with you?" Megaman's translucent hologram appeared on Lan's shoulder. By Lan's perspective, Megaman seemed to be feeling very well. He was able to stand on his own two feet, and even asked if he could walk with him. He know that Megaman wouldn't ask such a thing unless he was absolutely sure that he would be able to handle the situation.

"You don't have to ask me, Megaman. Just do it." Lan smiled while making his statement. The Navi looked at his NetOp's face and smiled back, disappearing from the shoulder he was on. Lan heard a few clicking sounds from his PET, looking to his left quickly to see pixilated boxes converge into a central spot, form into a person, then render themselves to show detail, making Megaman's materialization complete.

"!" Lan had just realized where he and Megaman were. Moreover, he realized what Megaman just did in the place they were at. With eyes wide, Lan whipped his head around, scanning the area to make sure no one took notice of what just happened. The last thing Lan needed was for Megaman to materialize in front of random people, thereby causing a scene, and probably a lot of panic. Luckily for the duo, no one seemed to have taken notice, or saw what happened, but dismissed it as nothing more than a hologram.

"Megaman! You need to watch where you do that!"
"What Lan? All I did was come here."
"I know that! But, look where we are."

Realizing what Lan was referring to, Megaman quickly felt ashamed and worried. Lan was right. The general public didn't need to see a NetNavi materialize in the real world. That notion in itself spelled out mass panic. Megaman looked around very slowly, only to come to the same conclusion as Lan.

"Sorry. I guess I wasn't really thinking about it."
"Hey, it's no big deal. You don't have to beat yourself up over it."
"I'm just use to moving between worlds when I want because no one is around to see it."
"It happens to the best of us, Megaman."

"The day is not yet over." Lan and Megaman turned about at the sudden appearance of a voice that did not belong to either of them. Standing behind the two boys, hair braided and crystal ball in hand, was Miyu the fortuneteller. Her surprise entrance caught both Lan and Megaman off-guard. She seemed to be good at making her appearances random.

"Miyu! What are you doing here?" Lan was either upset or shocked. He couldn't decide which it was.
"I'm here to make sure you don't forget."
"Forget what?"
"Forget about my prediction. I don't want to see you or Megaman get hurt."

The two boys looked at each other. What did she mean by that? They already faced Blademan and won. Wasn't her prediction fulfilled? Wasn't that attack the one in which they would have to fight for their lives? It sure seemed like it.

"Miyu...what exactly happens today?" Megaman's inquisitive voice showed hints of worry. If Miyu was still trying to warn them about her prediction, does that mean Blademan's attack wasn't the only one that was going to happen today?

"..." Miyu didn't answer right away. Her eyes set their sights on her crystal ball. She stared deep into the sphere. Her concentration was solely on the object in her hands. However, no matter how much she gazed into the ball, all she was Lan and Megaman being drawn into a dark void...an uncertain future.

"Come on, Miyu. Tell us already!" Lan finally decided on being upset at the situation. If Miyu's prediction was for something to happen today, and Blademan's attack was not that thing...then what was? Lan just had to know, especially since his fight with Blademan nearly cost him his life. If that wasn't the encounter where he was to fight for his life...then what was?

"There is a dark void. I see both of you being drawn into it. The void of uncertainty. All I can say is that you must use the utmost of caution."

The boys, once again, looked at each other, not letting their gazes move as Miyu slipped between them and continued to walk down the sidewalk, on her way to open her antique shop for the day. 'How I wish I could tell them. But, the void of uncertainty cannot be broken. They must find out on their own.' Miyu rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

"Man. I hate it when people just appear and disappear like that!"
"Calm down, Lan. Miyu is just looking out for us."
"If she was, then why can't she tell us what is REALLY suppose to happen?"
"She said that our future was uncertain. I guess that means she doesn't know."
"What good is seeing into the future if you can't even..."

Lan's sentence was cut off, as he and Megaman both heard a loud crash. Whatever it was that crashed, it had enough force in it to make the ground shake. This part of town was under construction, new buildings were being built each week. But, it did seem strange. What could have fallen that would have such force as to cause the earth to shake? Both Lan and Megaman did find that odd, as their faces said the same thing to each other. It was very unlikely that some heavy piece of machinery would have fallen and caused the situation.

Unless...

"Megaman...Are you thinking what I..."
"Yeah. I think I am."

The two looked around their surroundings. If they were right, that ground shaking could have only been caused by one thing: A copyroid pod.

If it was, in fact, a copyroid pod that crashed somewhere in the area, they needed to find it and get a hold on the situation before it escalated out of control. The only clear indication of where it crashed was the amount of smoke that would be created upon the copyroid pod crashing. The duo knew that the smoke is what they were looking for.

No sooner after they start their visual scanning of the area, Megaman spotted the smoke cloud.

"There it is, Lan. It's about 2 blocks west."
"Right. Let's go, Megaman."
"I'm right behind you, Lan."

Unfortunately for Megaman, his statement wasn't going to hold true for long. As they began their run to the crash site, Megaman started to fall behind. That in itself was very worrying, as he was able to keep up with Lan with little or no effort, most likely because he still retained some of his NetNavi strength in the human world.

He felt as if his legs were getting heavier and heavier the more he ran. The heavier they got, the further behind he fell. He tried to use all of his strength to press on and catch up with his NetOp. However, it all to no avail. The mystery weight finally got to be too much for the Navi, as he fell to his hands and knees.

Even though he was concentrating in getting to the crash site, Lan's ears told him something. Something was not right. Something was missing. He looked to his side to find that Megaman was not there. He stopped his legs from running and looked behind him. Sure enough, he saw Megaman on the ground.

"Megaman! What happened?"
"I...I don't know. My legs started to feel really heavy. I...I think it's the side-effect of the Paralysis Program from Blademan."
"Come back to my PET, then. That seemed to help last time."
"No, I'll be fine. It's starting to go away."

And, that was the truth. It was starting to diminish; he wasn't just trying to get Lan to believe something that wasn't true, as Megaman believed that he wasn't anyone to worry about.

More and more, the paralysis diminished from his being, granting him the ability to stand up on his feet once more. It seemed that the more he tried to move now, the more the paralysis diminished for him. It took a few moments, but Megaman was finally able to stand on his feet completely, and with balance.

"Are you SURE you are ok, Megaman?"
"I'm fine, Lan. Let's get going."

Putting their conversation on hold, the pair started to run towards the crash site once more. They still had another block to cover before they got to where the copyroid pod...well...what they think is a copyroid pod, crashed. Lan continued to look at Megaman intermittently, making sure that the side-effects of the Paralysis Program didn't kick in again, thereby forcing the Navi to drop to his hands and knees again...or worse.

However, it seemed that Megaman was right. He was starting to move more freely. He wasn't showing any signs of tiredness, as that is what Megaman would have shown if he felt like he was dragging cement blocks on his feet. Instead, he was able to keep up with the pace that Lan was running. It seemed as though the temporary paralysis finally wore off.

The two continued to run to the crash site. But, it did seem awkward. Everyone else that was in the area was running away or attempting to drive away from whatever impacted that earth. Lan and Megaman seemed to be the only ones trying to get to the crash site. Needless to say, it was something that they had been use to by now.

"Over there, Lan. That's where the object crashed."
"I see it. Let's go take a look."

Climbing over a small mound of asphalt, the two boys were able to get a look at what was in the center. Sure enough, just like they both had thought, it was a copyroid pod. The only problem was that there was no copyroid inside. Did the UnderNet Mafia send a dud? No, that can't be right. Unless...

A blast of energy came screaming at the duo. Megaman heard the noise and grabbed Lan, dragging him down and into the crater, just out of the impact site of the blast of energy. They rolled down the small hill and into the center where the copyroid pod rested. Another blast of energy came at them. Luckily, that shot was not aimed properly, and missed them both completely, by quite a margin.

"Lan! Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah. Only one NetNavi has that ability."

With their heads nodding with the other in agreement, Lan and Megaman stood up in the crater, gaining their balance and walking up the small hill and out of the pit. Oddly enough, there were no other blasts of energy while they walked out. It was as if whoever was behind the 2 attacks just wanted to use those attacks to get Lan and Megaman's attention, which seemed to have worked.

As they rounded the top of the hill, their hypotheses were confirmed, as Cannonman stood several feet away, seemingly waiting for the pair to emerge from the crater.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Lan Hikari. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"If only it lasted much longer."
"How I missed that cynical tone of voice."

A low growl escaped from Lan's throat. It was bad enough that he had to deal with a evil NetNavi, but to have to deal with one who also tries to break his concentration with insults meant that this fight would be much more difficult than it needed to be. Although Lan tried to keep his cool, he never really was able to stay calm when insults were flung at him.

Cannonman looked at at the pair. "And you. You picked the wrong time to be in this place. You better keep your distance if you wish to not share in the same fate as Lan Hikari." Cannonman was obviously referring to Megaman, who was the only other person present at the time. But, the UnderNet Mafia agent's statement was somewhat perplexing. Did he not know what Megaman looked like in the real world?

"Personally, I think I am in the right place at the right time."
"You talk tough...for a human."
"I'm not just a mere human to you."
"I don't care what you are to me. Don't make yourself regret your words."
"One thing you should know about me, is that I don't have regrets when it comes to the likes of you."

Cannonman just laughed at Megaman's statement. "Ha-ha! Well then. I guess it's never too late to learn!" Showing as much ego in his voice, Cannonman continued to laugh at the situation. Megaman was about ready to use a Charged Shot on the other Navi just to get him to shut up. However, Megaman tried to keep his emotions in check, lest he want to put Lan in any danger thanks to some reckless action.

Only a few moments later, Cannonman stifled his laughter. "So, you want to take me on, eh? I can assure you. That will be the last mistake you EVER make!" With lightning speed, Cannonman lifted his left arm and pointed a Cannon at Megaman, taking quick aim as he fired off a round. Megaman quickly pushed Lan aside, making him fall to his right, while the Navi jumped to his left to evade the shot. He dodged the energy with ease, much more ease than he wanted to.

By Cannonman's comments, Megaman had figured that the other Navi had no idea what he looked like in the human world. He came to this conclusion since Cannonman did not address Megaman by his name. It seemed as though Cannonman thought that Megaman was just one of Lan's human friends who happened to be hanging out with him. He wanted to use that misinformation to his advantage to hide his own identity. But, that wasn't all. He also found it strange that Blademan did not give the UnderNet Mafia a description of him, which would have made it much easier to track him down.

Still, he needed to keep his attention on the battle at hand. "I must say...for a human, you sure are quick on your feet. But, I will soon fix that, by making sure you don't have feet to be quick on!" Cannonman continued to shoot at Megaman with the Cannon BattleChip data he was still using on his left arm.

Shot after shot, Cannonman missed Megaman. Shot after shot, Megaman was able to easily avoid whatever the other Navi was able to dish out. Shot after shot, Lan watched Megaman narrowly escape the blasts from Cannonman's left arm cannon.

"You can't take me down that easily. Either I am too fast for you, or you are too slow for me."
"Big words from such a fragile being. I will make you regret your coming here."
"I don't see that happening, since you can't even hit me."
"I don't want to admit it, but you are right. Let's spice this up a bit!"

As if it was like clockwork, Cannonman uploaded the Hi-Cannon BattleChip onto his right arm and shot several rounds out into the city, hitting several buildings in the process. All the while, he was still shooting at Megaman, who was running circles around Cannonman, trying to avoid his vicious attacks.

Lan saw Cannonman's plan, and took his PET out of it's holder. "Mr. Famous! Come in, Mr. Famous!"

"Famous, just Famous!"
"I need another Dimensional Area!"
"Don't tell me..."
"Yeah. Another copyroid. It's Cannonman."
"Roger. Sending a Dimensional Area now."

Lan looked on in horror as Cannonman shot several more rounds from his Hi-Cannon into the city, striking several different buildings than the ones hit by the first wave of attacks. Luckily for Lan, Famous was on top of things and launched the Dimensional Area just in time to stop Cannonman's third wave of attacks.

Cannonman ceased his attacks momentarily. "I should have expected this. Lan Hikari had to called in for a Dimensional Area. I guess this is the part where you CrossFuse with Megaman. Well, we cannot have any of that, can we?" As quickly as he was firing, Cannonman moved both of his arms and aimed them at Lan, ready to fire at the boy standing 20 yards away. Lan almost froze in place as he stared down the barrels of both a Cannon and Hi-Cannon.

"Lan, move!" Megaman called out to Lan, hoping that it would release whatever trance had a hold of the boy. It worked, but it seemed to have been a hair too late. Cannon fired his weapons at Lan, with all the intent in the world to finally kill him. But, fate seemed to have smiled on him, as Megaman jumped into the path of both of the shots, trying to protect Lan anyway he could.

"No, Megaman!" Lan had to quickly think of something. Megaman would surely take a lot of damage from those 2 attacks combined. He had to think of something quickly if he didn't want to have to bring Megaman back to SciLab so that he could get repaired. 'No! I have to do something!'

"Barrier, BattleChip in. Download!" Lan quickly grabbed the Barrier BattleChip and put it into his PET, thereby downloading the data to Megaman. In the blink of an eye, the chip data went into effect, forming a barrier in front of Megaman, protecting him from the blasts of energy that Cannonman had launched towards him. Megaman's clothing had once again changed to that of his Navi armor.

Cannonman look on with shock. "That is not possible! No human can use BattleChip data like that! Unless..." Now, it finally came together for Cannonman. He finally figured out just who exactly he was dealing with. "Well, then. I guess I should kick this up a notch, right...Megaman!"

'Damnit. Cannonman knows that's Megaman now.' Lan wanted to beat himself up over what he just did, but also thank himself at the same time. He saved his NetNavi from certain harm, but he also just revealed what Megaman looks like to Cannonman.

"Now, I am intrigued. How is it that a NetNavi can be in the real world? Are you using a copyroid?"
"Thats for us to know, and you to find out!"
"Don't think I won't, Megaman. You're secrets will belong to the UnderNet Mafia!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
"You don't have a choice in the matter!"

Cannonman knew full well that he would have trouble trying to shoot through the barrier. So, instead, he decided to go with a different approach. With just as much speed as Blademan, Cannonman ran around to behind Megaman and aimed his Hi-Cannon arm at the Navi with just as much speed. Lan didn't have another Barrier BattleChip with him, and once placed, a barrier cannot be moved by the NetNavi who used the data. Megaman needed to come up with something and fast.

"Say goodbye, Megaman!" Cannonman charged up his Hi-Cannon, ready to released the energy building up inside. To Cannonman, this seemed to be the final moments for the NetNavi standing in his line of fire. He was going to get a high commendation from the Mafia for disposing of the great Megaman. This could have been the best moment in his entire life. If only...

"Area Steal, BattleChip in. Download!" No! He was so caught up in deleting Megaman that Cannonman had completely forgotten about Lan. Realizing this too late, he released the energy that had built up inside his Hi-cannon, only to see it hit the inside of the barrier before dispersing. Naturally, Megaman was not there to be on the receiving end of the attack.

"That was a close one, Lan."
"The job isn't done yet, Megaman."
"Right. Send me something good."
"ElectroSword, BattleChip in. Download!'

With his right arm shimmering every so lightly, Megaman's right hand turned into a small nub, from which a blade of electricity emerged. Noticing that Cannonman had no idea where Megaman had gone to using Area Steal, the Navi figured that now was the perfect time to strike if he wanted to get this fight over with before Lan got injured. Making sure he didn't lose this chance, Megaman decided that he should charge full force in an attempt to destroy the copyroid body and maybe...

But, something started to feel wrong. Something inside Megaman was starting to prevent him from moving. 'No...not now. Not yet. Not here.' His legs were starting to feel weak and heavy. His arms were feeling the same. He felt extremely light-headed, almost like he was going to pass out at any moment. He didn't need to be told what was happening to him. He already knew. More of the Paralysis Program's side effects were starting to take hold on his body. And, to top it all off, it couldn't have happened as a worse moment.

Lan looked at Megaman, trying to process why he was just standing there. "Megaman! Do something while you have the chance!" Cannonman was still distracted, but Lan's yelling might have given Megaman's position away. Luckily for the boy, Cannonman still scanned the area with his eyes, still oblivious to the fact that Megaman was only 20 yards behind it.

"Lan...I can't. I can't...move by body." Megaman finally lost what little strength he had left, falling down to his hands and knees, which wouldn't last long if his strength kept getting sapped from him. He tried his best to at least keep his head up and not look down at the ground. It didn't seem to work, as his light-headed feeling made him dizzy, seemingly forcing his head to look towards the ground with no hope of looking up until it passed.

"You have to move, Megaman. You can't pass this opportunity up!"
"Lan! I just...I...I can't move!"

And it finally happened. Megaman's arms and legs gave way to the weight of his body, falling to the ground with a loud thud. Cannonman heard the sound, and finally turned his being into the direction in which Megaman was laying on the ground. Cannon was actually confused as to why the other Navi was laying on the ground, apparently helpless and in a motionless state.

Until it finally hit him. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! I see that Blademan's Paralysis Program is still taking it's toll on you, Megaman. Maybe you should have stayed in your PET instead of challenging me once more."

He was right. Megaman knew that if he didn't leave his PET, then Lan would have used CrossFusion in order to take on Cannonman. But, that in itself also presented the rest of Lan becoming affected by the Paralysis Program side-effects. As far as Megaman could figure, this was turning into a lose-lose situation rather quickly, and that terrified him down to his core.

And, even more terrifying that him realizing the situation at hand was Lan's next comment. "Megaman, come back to the PET. We're going to CrossFuse and fight Cannonman."

"Lan, no! We can't. Not with me...like this."
"We don't have a choice, Megaman."
"Don't do it...Lan. It's way too Dangerous."
"I know it is, but we don't have any other options!"

Was Lan right? Was this really the ONLY way they could defeat Cannonman? Megaman's head was flooded with these thoughts, but he didn't have the concentration to focus on just one at a time. In fact, he couldn't concentrate at all. He felt completely drained of any strength, both physical and mental.

Without warning, Megaman felt a swift kick in his side, sending him into the air several feet. "Ahhhh!" He screamed out in pain from the sudden assault. As he was about to crest, he spotted Cannonman next to the spot where he just was, giving off a sinister grin. Megaman's limp body finally crested, plummeting to the ground, causing more pain than the initial kick from Cannonman caused.

"Ahhh!" Megaman was breathing heavily. He couldn't take much more of this. If he wasn't paralyzed, he wouldn't have so much trouble with the pain. However, the side-effects of the Paralysis Program were just too much for him.

"Megaman! Come back to the PET so we can CrossFuse!"
"No, Lan! I refuse...to put you at such...risk. I'll be fine."

"If only your NetOp could say the same. Goodbye, Lan Hikari. Time to die!" Cannonman quickly uploaded the Mega-Cannon BattleChip, causing his left arm to take form. However, instead of aiming at Lan, he aimed upward, towards a building. What purpose could that serve? Unless...

Lan looked on, now in shock, as Cannonman opened fire. The blast from the Mega-Cannon caused a large explosion on the building, blasting away what looked to be a story and a half of outer walls, as well as several areas inside. Lan covered his eyes as the smallest of particles fell down from the point of impact, making sure to protect his vision. However, it might have been better if he was looking as large pieces of debris began to fall right above him.

"Lan...move! Run!" Megaman screamed at his NetOp to move. At the rate the debris was falling, Lan didn't have much time to get out of the area where the debris was going to fall. He didn't have much time to leave before something seriously bad happened to him.

However, Lan was in shock, unable to move as the debris came tumbling down.

~~!~~
~~!~~

Oh, wow! That was one HUGE chapter to type out, over 16,000 words total! That's more than my research report I had to do for English 102. Talk about a LONG type, let alone a long read for you guys!