Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay, I had a bit of writer's block. I did manage to get this one done later then I hoped, so I'm sorry.

Chapter 7: AI Transfer

Beldam gave an evil as she approached the portal's edge.

"…at long last…" she thought aloud. "I am finally able to return… and carry out my plans."

The very thought of others thinking she was forever gone made her laugh. Her… the most fabled shadow siren, the eldest and leading witch for the most powerful witch in millennia. How did anyone believe that she, of all people, could have perished after enduring 1,000 years by a pit of lava? Unthinkable…

She looked around Double D's workshop.

"Indeed…" she spoke. "A clever boy, but the should have known better then to lave a place this valuable unguarded. I think I shall deliver his just punishment.

She pointed at a nearby wall, and shouted:

"Ice!"

A huge ball of ice formed at her hand. She laughed and pointed at a computer. On the spot, the ball of ice soared into the air and smashing it apart, sending wires flying all about.

The destruction echoed in the chamber. She gave a laugh and pointed again, this time toward another machine.

"Ice!"

The same ball of ice fired and shot at the machine. Sparks flew about and the lights flickered throughout the entire house.

"Stop!" a voice shouted.

Beldam's sneer turned to into a scowl. "…who is there?"

As far as she could see, there was not a soul in the room to say these words.

"Nazz, you must be loosing your mind." the voice repeated.

Beldam smirked. "…you don't have a clue what's going on, so you?"

She could heard the sudden whirring. She looked behind her and saw the portal itself was pulsating brightly. Wires contented to it where shining intensely. Beldam realized that someone was going to come in. …but who?

There was a quick flash that illuminated the entire chamber. Beldam shielded her puppet's eyes as she watched.

From the portal's end, a hand emerged. A small hand, with a strange lighting looking yellow mark.

Beldam watched in amazement. "..that's a human hand, but there are no other humans in the other world. …who is this?"

The hand continued to come out, now with another hand coming out too. Then a face. This looked to be like a child, no more then 7 years old. His eyes where both covered with rectangular glasses that looked like miniature computer monitors. His hair was long and spiky, and his foremost bang zigzagged like a bolt of lightning would. And yet more of this person came out, a small body, with X-naut symbol on the white, long sleeve shirt. His pants where all black, as where his shoes.

Finally this child fell from the portal and landed on his feet.

"…who are you?" Beldam asked. "And what business do you have here?"

"Ah Beldam, don't you recognize me?" the kid asked with a dead-pan voice.

"The way this one talks…" she thought aloud. "…oh, of course. TEC, welcome to reality."

The little boy before her was indeed TEC. He straitened his glasses, with no emotion on his face. "I knew that I would become more useful if I escaped my metallic prison, so I used the portal to transfer my memory data into a new body." TEC looked down at himself. "Granted, this is not the kind of body I had in mind, but I have only been in existence for 7 years, so thus is the age I choose."

"Kid, move aside." Beldam ordered. She lifted a hand. It began to glow a light-blue color. She curled her hand into a fist and shifter to her left.

TEC lifted of the floor. His body was suddenly flying in the air. Without any scream or call of distress, he crashed into another machine, which exploded on the spot. Sparks shot everywhere.

"…that's one less fool to worry about." Beldam sneered. She brushed some of her blonde hair from her face and began to walk closer toward the portal. She gave a laugh as her hand reached through the portal itself.

Though to her dismay, there was a rattling sound behind her. Beldam groaned and turned around.

A bolt of lightning shot from the debris of the machines. TEC flew out of the ruins, hovered in the air while glowing yellow, then landed on his feet. All of the time, his expression never changed and he remained silent.

"Did you truly think I would have left into reality without leaving myself some abilities?" TEC asked. "I kept some of my power. Among those, is the ability to delete."

He lifted up his own hand. Sparks flew from them, to Beldams amazement. She knew instantly that danger was at her doorstep, and she had to act fast to end it away.

The sparks turned to blue lightning. Electricity surged through his hands, making his hair whip against the force of the attack, as if he where hit by a gale. The huge lighting strike flashed and headed directly for Beldam.

She held up a hand and shouted.

"Ice Shield!"

A frozen shield appeared. It stopped the electric attack on the spot, sending streaks of blue light in separate directions.

TEC gasped and took a step back.

"This doesn't compute." TEC thought. "Nazz is unnaturally durable and evil. I can't explain why. I would perform a scan, but I'm human now, so that power is beyond me."

"Give it up, TEC." Beldam said, smirking with her usual evil tone.

"I cannot give up. I was programmed that way." TEC said, in his childish, yet serious monotone voice.

"Wake up, you fool. You are alive now. You will feel things. You will feel emotion, and think for yourself, whether you like it or not. You will live your life, slowly discovering how painful it is too live…"

"So…" TEC said, raising a hand to adjust his glasses. "…you have decided to let me live now?"

"I would destroy you, though like Edward and Vivian, I don't have the time for it." Beldam said.

"So you attacked them too?" TEC asked. "Appalling. I assumed you where kinder, Nazz."

"Appearances can be deceiving." Beldam said.

"Then you are not Nazz… I should have realized it." TEC said. He rose an arm.

"You have no idea what I have planned. I will do what no other has dared to do before." Beldam said.

TEC watched, unshaken, with no expression on his face.

"Are you not scared?" Beldam asked.

"I do not express emotion." TEC said. "I merely carry out my duties."

Beldam smirked. "Oh, you just wait. You will feel all sorts of emotions. Your very existence will in time revolve around them."

"You do not scare me with your threats. You never well." TEC said. His hands started to glow. "Whomever you may be, you have wasted enough time. I will delete you now."

Sparks began to shoot from his arms again.

"You claim to say I have a lot of things to learn of what you call "emotion." Now it is my turn to teach you a lesson." TEC said.

Beldam laughed. "You will rue the day."

They both shouted and shot out their power at once.

Electricity and ice struck against each other at once. The result was a huge explosion. Both fell backwards. Beldam's shoes make a screech as she skid across the floor.

TEC looked up at the gears. A metal beam, blown from it's place from the explosion, lodged itself within it. They where making a loud, grinding sound, as the lights began to dim.

The party-goers looked up.

"Hey, what the deal?" Eddy asked, watching the lights dimming.

"…I guess Double D's backup generator is wearing out." Jimmy said.

"…that's weird." Koops said. "…um, I don't know too much about electronics, but you would have to break those huge gears of his to do that."

"He's right." Eduardo jr said, stuffing his mouth with even more food.

"…it's probably fine." Goombirro said.

Eddy turned around. "No, it's not fine."

"Huh?" Goombirro asked.

"Nothin'." Eddy replied.

Eddy's brother, who was sitting beside him, gave a concerned look. "He is right. Something is defiantly wrong. I don't need broken lights to tell me that, I know things are wrong when my little bro is the one making the most sense."

TEC gripped his hands, forming fists.

"Ah, there it is…" Beldam said, with a contorted smirk. "I see you are experiencing your first emotion: rage!"

"What is this?" TEC thought. "I feel a strong desire to destroy her… I… this feeling is overcoming my normal thoughts… what is going on?"

TEC could feel his teeth gritting, his fists clutching at his sides, with sparks flying from them.

"That's right… let emotion consume you." Beldam said. "Just like it did with your little friends."

"That is not true, imposter." TEC said. "After all, they prevailed in that other world. I know it to be true, they are all stronger then they look."

"And so am I." Beldam explained.

"Let's not being them into this battle." TEC said.

"…what's this now? You want to protect them. Is this another emotion?" Beldam asked.

"Silence, your ranting is becoming bedlam." TEC said.

"Hm… bedlam… perhaps you mean Beldam?" Beldam asked.

"No, the word I mean is… what a moment… you are…" TEC came to the realization at last.

"It's you. Beldam, eldest of the shadow sirens." TEC said.

"Indeed, I am."

"You where reported dead almost four years ago. I see you have merely escaped to this world." TEC said.

"Yes, and if you will let me, I really must be returning home." Beldam said.

"To allow this would be allowing chaos and evil. I shall not let this come to pass…" TEC sighed.

"Does anyone know if Double D has flashlights?" Koopie Koo asked.

"Nonsense, Rolf shall provide light with the doo-jigger of energy!" Rolf exclaimed.

Everyone silenced.

"…excuse me?" Peach asked.

Rolf covered his face and sighed. "The doo-hickey that provides light."

"…uh oh…" Kevin said, with a small sweat drop. "You mean that generator of yours?"

"Yes." Rolf said. "Now that Kevin-boy mentions it, he should make a decent runner."

"…isn't that thing still in the sewer since we left it there?" Kevin asked.

"…you two have-a lost me." Mario said.

"There is no need for alarm." Punio said. He and his sister stood aside each other and shook the bulbs that hung from their antenna. Instantly, they began to glow.

"…why, how magnificent!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"Of course, how foolish of Rolf to have forgotten." Rolf said.

"…you seem over that strange fear you had before." Kevin said. "So, what was the deal before."

Rolf sighed. "Erm… Rolf has some very starling news. Rolf thinks that-"

He was quickly interrupted by the sound of the electricity slowing powering down. The lights flickered, then slowly faded out.

"…I don't believe it. What caused Double D's power to die? Why, you would have to have caused some serious damage to his workshop." Goombella said.

"Oh my word!" Rolf shouted, getting up. He rushed toward the stairs.

As his foot met the staircase, he instantly felt cold water on his feet, seeping into his shoes. He looked up and saw a small river of water coming from a room at the top of his stairs.

The others, who races after him, gasped.

"What the heck's going on up there?" Eddy asked.

"Punio." Rolf said, lowing his hand. The little puni nodded and jumped onto his shoulder. With his glowing antenna pointed ahead, he guided Rolf up the stairs. As they group ran, lighting crashed in the skies over the cul-de-sac.

Rolf reached the top of the stairs first. He quickly rounded a corner to discover where the water flow was coming from.

"Oh dear Nana, Rolf was correct!" Rolf shouted.

"What is it?" Goombella asked. She looked into the bathroom doors and spotted two statues resembling her friends.

"Oh my word!" Jimmy shouted.

"No…" Mario gasped.

Peach covered her mouth with her hands. "…who did this?"

Rolf walked over toward Double D's shoulder. He gasped, and growled as he realized he was rock-solid.

"It's her!" he growled.

"…her?" Eddy's brother asked. Victor gave a confused bleat and took a step backwards.

"…he's right." Koops said. "Beldam's come back."

"…but what could she want have wanted?" Goombella asked.

"OH NO!" Kevin shouted. "Where's Nazz?"

"Guys!" Eddy shouted. "We left the portal unguarded! Come on!"

"I'm not leaving my dad alone." Eduardo jr said. "Someone may need to stay here and protect him, in case Beldam gets back in here."

TEC still refused to scream as he jettisoned across the chamber, before smashing into the gears. His small body, though not that massive, was able to smash through the metal. Poles and wires broke apart, sending sparks that flew everywhere.

The lights flashed once more, then went out in the entire house.

TEC, however, was not down yet. He sighed, then looked back up. The sparks reflected in his glasses. He got on his legs, then took off, running toward Beldam. As he ran, a streak of blue light formed behind him. All of the while, he continued to accelerate. For a little child, he was running very fast.

"TEC comes from a computer, so he came move at the speed of-"

She was cut off by a streak of light that smashed right into her. She gave a shout in surprise and slammed into the floor.

By now, the only light source left in the room was the glow of TEC's powers, which where surging around his body.

"…don't you give up?" Beldam asked.

TEC got back, and brushed himself off. "No, do you?"

"No." she replied.

"…then we have something in common." Beldam said.

TEC remained emotionless. "Agreed."

With that, he ran ahead, slow at first, but then speeding.

She watched the streak of light beam across the room at great speeds, again and again. Jumping from platform to platform, he continued to cross the room.

"…he's trying to confuse me." Beldam thought. She held up both hands, ready to cast a spell the second he would move.

However, she groaned slightly and reached down for her foot.

"That wound I got when I was fighting the legendary hero earlier… it never healed." she thought.

TEC found his time to strike. He rushed toward Beldam, and with a hand surging with electricity, gave her a hard blow. She gave a scream and flew up into the air. TEC jumped into the air to follow her, using the force of electrical power to make him jump higher then any human could. He gave a kick as she was falling, sending her screaming and falling toward a wall, where she crashed.

TEC landed on his feet, then stood there.

It was about then that the group barreled through the entrance way.

"STOP THIS!" Rolf shouted.

TEC looked over his shoulder and realized the others had arrived. Well, minus Vivian, Double D, and Eduardo jr.

"Hey kid, who the heck are you?" Eddy asked.

TEC realized he had never show the others his new form before. "I am TEC, the world's greatest computer."

"Alright, that's it." Eddy's brother said. "I think this qualifies as enough weirdness for one day."

"Aw, don't leave." Ms. Mowz said.

"What's with you?" he asked back.

"TEC?" Peach asked. "…are you human?"

"Indeed." TEC said, with a nod.

"Can we talk about that later?" Kevin asked. "Where are Nazz and Beldam?"

TEC was ready to reply, when he heard the sound of something barreling towards him. In the next second, a huge chunk of ice smashing into his small body. He flew a few feet, then fell down on the ground.

"Kid!" Eddy's brother shouted.

"There she is!" Rolf shouted, pointing at the menacing figure at the edge of the portal.

"Nazz!" Kevin shouted. He attempted to run to her, but Rolf took a step in front of him."

"What the deal, let me talk to Nazz!" Kevin shouted.

"That is not Nazz-girl. That is Beldam-witch… inside of her." he said.

"What?" Kevin asked. He gave a growl and arose a fist. "Beldam, leave Nazz out of whatever your planning! I swear, I'm warning you!"

"…please." Beldam said. "You can't hurt me. You have no powers, you can't even touch me. Though by some chance you manage to get to me… you should know. The body, the mind… they all belong to Nazz. Only she will feel the pain."

"You sickening wretch!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"…oh, what's this now?" Beldam asked. "I would love to continue this, but I have a plan to sort out." Just like that, she rushed through the portal and vanished.

"Come on, we have to go after her!" Kevin shouted.

"We can't." Jimmy said. "TEC needs to be brought to safety, and we need to revive Double D and Vivian."

"What?" Kevin asked. "Right now?"

"Yes…" Mario said. "…we can-a go in as soon as we're sure."

"…it's getting kind of late." Lee said.

"Yeah." Marie said. "I just wanted to see the end of the play."

"My actress was pretty good at acting." May said.

"No way, mine was much better!" Marie shouted.

"Uh no, I think you meant mine!" Lee shouted.

"Who are you calling an actress?" a voice asked.

They all looked toward the stage.

"Uh oh, it's Doopliss!" Marie shouted.

"Relax, it's fine, slick." Doopliss said, jumping from the edge of the stage and walking toward them.

"Here we are." Sarah said, motioning Ed and Jonny to follow her.

"…hey there, kids." Doopliss said.

Just then, Bobbery and Flurrie approached them. "I hope we haven't missed out on too much." Flurrie said. "Bobbery came up and told me you returned as soon as the show ended. How splendid! Do you know where Mario is?"

"The others all went to my world." Jonny said.

"Our world." May corrected him.

"Whatever." Jonny said. "Let's get goin', I need to talk to Plank."

Lee led her sisters, Sarah, Doopliss, Bobbery, Ed, Jonny, and Flurrie towards the docks, where the portal was.

"…hm… there's the other part of the group." another voice said, standing at the end of the portal.

They all stopped, dead in their tracks.

"…Nazz?" Ed asked.

"My name is not Nazz." Beldam replied.

"…she's right." Sarah said, with her eyes widening. "Her voice is too different." Her facial expression turned into that of an angry scowl. "Who are you, and where's Nazz? I want answers, girl!"

"My name is… Beldam." She smirked and awaited their response.

"Beldam…" Ed said, rubbing his head. "Uh… don't tell me, I know I'll get this…"

Beldam tiled her head at the group. "I see two of my former apprentices are here."

"You witch!" May shouted. "It's payback time for what you did to me!"

The youngest blonde Kanker sister rushed ahead, with a fist.

Beldam laughed and rose her own arm. In a quick flash, May was struck with blue energy. She gave scream as she flew backwards and struck Lee.

Sarah tried to rush Beldam too, with both fists ready to hit her.

However, she Nazz puppet beat her too it. Sarah screamed as she got struck before falling.

"Baby sister!" Ed shouted. He ran ahead. "Nobody hurts Sarah, you-"

He was cut off too. His careless jump into the battle cost him his chance to strike, because a quick blow to his stomach sent him on the floor.

"HIIIIIYA!" She heard the battle cry. Beldam looked up and saw Jonny, falling toward her with a drop kick. She laughed and merely grabbed his foot. Before he even realized it, Jonny was flying into the water beside the docks.

Beldam looked at what was left of the group and saw that Bobbery was fuming, quite literally. He ran toward beldam and shouted as his body turned red. Beldam laughed and gave him a hard smack. He spiraled in the air, only to come into contact with Flurrie and explode on the spot.

"…just you and me." Marie said to Doopliss.

"I would love to end this…" Beldam said. She reached from behind her and showed them some items.

"…it's the crystal stars! She's got them!" Doopliss shouted.

"All of them." Marie corrected.

"Where did you get those so fast?" Doopliss asked. "It took over a month for the others to find it."

"You idiots. When that story ended, all of the stars where kept in the same place, all here in Rogueport. It took no time at all." Beldam said.

"…oh." Doopliss said.

Beldam put the stars away and walked toward the portal.

"Come on, she's getting away!" Marie shouted. She grabbed Doopliss's arm and pulled him with her.

"Hey, keep your mitts off!" Doopliss shouted, trying to free himself.

She slammed into Beldam, who fell right through the portal. Marie didn't think about her own inertia, and sent herself through the portal too. Doopliss, who remained linked to Marie, shouted as he was pulled through.

The others slowly got up, some charred, some soaking, some bruised, and some a combination of the three.

"…oh…what happened?" Ed asked.

"Come on, they will get away!" Sarah shouted. She ran ahead of everyone else and jumped for the portal. As she jumped, she suddenly noticed it fade. In a matter of seconds, the portal vanished, leaving nothing but air and water behind it.

Sarah screamed as she tumbled off the side of the dock, until she crashed into the water.

"Sister!" Ed shouted, before rushing into the water to her air.

"…the portal is gone?" Jonny asked.

"…what the heck's goin' on?" Lee asked.

"Oh no, I think we're stuck here!" Jonny shouted. "Plank!"

"Jimmy." Sarah sighed, after poking her head out of the water.

"Double D, Eddy!" Ed shouted after doing the same.

"Marie!" the Kankers shouted.

Author's Notes: This is merely part of a huge twist that I have in store for the next chapter. Sorry for the delay, but I will try the get the next one up as soon as possible. In the meantime, reviews would be appreciated.