GammaTron: Hi folks! Welcome to Day 5 of Mega May, the month about Megaman. I'm splitting it between doing art and fanfics and today is a fic involving Battle Network 5 with doing something that I've noticed no one else has tried: changing an event in the game specifically with the moment Megaman is going to be turned into DarkMegaman. As always, I don't own Megaman. It's owned by CAPCOM.
"Bring him this way!"
How long had they been there? A few days? Weeks? She didn't know anymore. She normally kept track with Maylu's PeT, but she had factory reset it to protect her information. She brought a hand to her emblem as her core squeezed at that name. Jade green eyes looked up at the two others sharing this cage negating their abilities. If not for that, Gutsman would've long since ripped the bars apart and let her dash out to escape and find someone to help them. The trio had also done all they could in their captivity to start gathering information. She hoped that someone could get them out sooner than later…before it was too late to stop Nebula.
"Now! It's all set! Call the doc!"
'Oh great…another 'experiment' aka 'Hey, let's shove in a ton of DarkChips into whatever we've strapped onto a table and see what happens. Oh, it's just the same thing as usual. They tear themselves apart from the Dark Power or make a Darkloid,'' Roll thought, not bothering to even look and settle on looking at the same repeating pattern in the sky of the emblem of Nebula spinning and a dark-red background.
She was snapped out of it by a banging on the cage's bars from the outside. She glanced over her shoulder to see one of the HeelNavis standing there, their eyes looking so smug to the pinkette that she wished she could rip their skull out and beat them to deletion with it.
"Surprise, surprise! I think we caught somebody you may know!" the HeelNavi noted.
"Who?" Gutsman asked.
The HeelNavi chuckled before moving to the side. Roll couldn't hold in her gasp. Strapped down to the medical bed, arms and legs spread wide, was a familiar visage. One she dreamt of coming to their rescue until she lost track of time and couldn't remember the last time she fell asleep.
"Mega!" Roll cried out.
"Sir Megaman!" Glyde called.
"C'mon, c'mon! Wake up! Wake up, guts!" Gutsman shouted.
"MEGA!-!-!" Roll screamed loudly.
"Scream all you want, he can't hear you. A sleep program has him knocked out cold," the HellNavi sneered, "You couldn't wake him with a sledgehammer."
"What're you gonna do with MegaMan?!-!-!" Gutsman demanded, banging a fist on the bars while glaring at the HeelNavi.
"Oh, we're just going to enslave him, that's all! Now, sit back and watch how we make new friends! Gyah hah hah hah hah!" the HeelNavi cackled.
"Nooooo! Mega!-!-!" Roll cried out, feeling weak in her knees as she collapsed to the floor as a gunmetal-colored HeelNavi appeared.
"I take it today's guinea pig is this kid? Regal tells me, he is a Navi of the highest caliber and was built based on human DNA data," the Master HeelNavi noted, looking over Megaman, "What a pity that we'll be tainting such perfection! Hee hee hee!"
"Doc, this time it'll work, I'm sure of it!"
"Oh, either way! Let the operation begin!" the Master HeelNavi declared.
'No! They're…They're going to shove a DarkChip into him!' Roll thought, her eyes wide in horror and worry, 'They might shove in multiple!'
"Use this DarkChip…"
'...No…I…I can't…I just can't…Mega…' Roll squeezed her eyes shut as she squeezed her hands tightly into fists that caused data to start leaking from them, '...Forgive me for what I'm about to do.'
"...and implant the DarkPower into this boy!" the Master HeelNavi held his hand up high, DarkChip in hand.
"WAAAAAAAIIIIIIT!-!-!-!" the Master HeelNavi stumbled and nearly dropped the DarkChip before spinning around to glare at Roll.
"You stupid bitch! I nearly dropped it!" he growled, "Forget it. De…"
"I'll take it!"
"...Hm?" the HeelNavis looked at her.
"If…If you're going to turn him into a Darkloid…th-then turn me into one as well!" Roll declared, putting a hand over her chest.
"Roll?!" Gutsman and Glyde gasped.
"...What in the world?" the Master HeelNavi pondered.
"Make me into a Darkloid with him! The two of us are stronger together! I'll be his healer or whatever you want me to be! Just…" she breathed in deeply before banging hard once on the bars of the cage and glaring right at them, "...Just let me stay by his side! If you make him a Darkloid, then I'll become one as well for Mega!"
"You gotta be…" the Master HeelNavi began in disbelief before static went off and a screen appeared, showing the bearded visage of a man the three captives truly despised with all their data.
"I'll allow it," Dr. Regal stated.
"L-Lord Regal?!"
"I have heard some interesting rumors about these two. That phenomenon he has, DoubleSoul…It apparently unlocked with her at his side. If she were to be subjected to the process at the same time, what would happen?"
"I knew those antennae looked familiar! That pink form he took on when we were running about on the Net for Lord Regal to set up Megaman's deletion back then smacked me around! It even destroyed my DarkChip!" one HeelNavi recognized as a second DarkChip formed.
"Let her out," the Master HeelNavi ordered as another table formed right beside Megaman's, "Want that sleep program?"
"No," Roll shook her head as four HeelNavis opened the cage while keeping Glyde and Gutsman from charging out.
"Roll, wait!" Gutsman pleaded, "Gutsman knows what it's like from Megaman's DarkSoul, guts! You don't want this!"
"...I know I don't," Roll replied, pausing for a moment before lying down on the table, "But…I won't leave Mega to be in there alone." the tables were close enough that she was able to hold his hand even as she was strapped down to it, "If he goes in there, I won't leave him in it without someone else at his side."
"Aw~How sentimental," the Master HeelNavi sneered as he held the DarkChips over the two, "I cannot wait to see if and how this so-called sentimentality will be twisted by the Dark Power. Ready?" Roll squeezed Megaman's hand as she gulped, "Begin!"
With that, he placed the DarkChips directly over their emblems. The chips pulsed ominously before slowly phasing through the emblem. For a moment…all was still. But then…
"Eeyaaaahh! Hrggh...Rggghh...Arrgggrrrahh!" Megaman screeched as he started to struggle with the bindings.
"That was one of the most powerful sleep programs but the intense pain has cracked it!" one HeelNavi gawked.
"The agony is beyond comprehension, I'm sure! The DarkPower of the DarkChip implanted in him, is seeping into every pore in his body. Any other Navi, and he would've self-deleted by now."
"Hrrggraaah! Aieeeee!-!-!"
"I get goose bumps just thinking about it! Hee hee!" the Master HeelNavi laughed before the static returned.
"Doctor, how is our Megaman coming along?"
"Ah, Master Regal! Very well, indeed! He is all that you hoped for, Regal! His soul will soon be soaked with DarkPower! Along with this pink-wearing volunteer you approved of!"
"Yes, I see. Once the DarkPower stabilizes, boot them up. They'll be joint Darkloids for the End Area, protecting the entrance to the Undernet there so we will have no worries about anyone getting into it and to our link address there."
"As you say. O DarkPower, seep deeper! Cling stronger!"
"Aieeeeegggh! LAAAAAAN!-!-!" Megaman screeched.
"Savor the pain! Feel the anguish! And once it finally subsides, you shall be reborn, as the dark warriors, DarkMegaman and DarkRoll! Gyah hah hah hah hah!" the Master HeelNavi cackled.
"Uh…Boss?" a HeelNavi asked.
"Oh what now?! Can't you see I am taking pleasure in tainting these two?!" he demanded, spinning around to the HeelNavi and hefting a fist up to smack him.
"She ain't screamin'," the HeelNavi pointed out.
"...Huh?"
"Da girl ain't screamin'," the HeelNavi pointed out.
All of them looked at the two tables. While Megaman thrashed and howled, Roll was keeping her eyes squeezed shut and keeping her grasp on Megaman's hand. Yet…what was unusual was her emblem, the very spot of the injection, was glowing a soft pink.
"Could it be for the fact she willingly accepted this operation?" the Master HellNavi pondered.
'Mega…' Roll thought through the agony going through her, 'I won't let you go through this alone…You won't be alone in the darkness…Not now…not ever!'
The HeelNavis jumped back as the pink glow erupted into pink sparks and purple sparks. Slowly, the DarkChip was pushed out as it was generating the purple sparks while her emblem was making the pink sparks. Several hit Megaman with one going right on the spot his DarkChip entered, causing it to let loose purple and blue sparks. His body glowed before pink and gold armor formed over his torso. His light-blue stripes bled into magenta as pink and magenta coloration filled his gloves and boots with the fists turning black and gold cuffs covering his wrists, the back end of his gloves, and on the tops of his boots. Plugs resembling the one of Roll's behind extended from the rings on his boots just below the knees with more growing on the back of his hands and replaced his shoulder armor. His helmet turned pink and magenta with Roll's small gold pieces on the front that sprouted two antennae from each. His howls and shrieks of agony began to die down as his DarkChip was forced out.
"What is the world…?!" the Master Navi freaked, "This isn't supposed to be happening!"
"Doctor…What is wrong?" Regal questioned, his tone saying 'nothing better be wrong.'
"They…They're fighting off the DarkPower!" he exclaimed in shock as Megaman managed to crack open his eyes having felt a pressure on his hand.
"G-GAAAARGH! R-Roll…!" Megaman choked out, spotting the pink-wearing Navi.
"M-Mega…" Roll hissed, their held hands squeezing the other's tight.
The blue sparks hit Roll and her armor changed. She gained navy blue torso armor along with bulky gold guards on her shoulders. His boots lost their rings as they turned navy blue with light blue detailing, the same happening to her gloves. Bulky light-blue armor formed on her back in the shape of Megaman's backpack as her helmet turned navy blue and light blue with silver bands emerging from her extra head pieces and wrapped around to the back of her helmet. Her antennae glowed before reshaping into spikes resembling Megaman's hair.
"That one…gained Double Soul?" Regal pondered, "...Get more DarkChips! Force more into them, hurry!"
The pink and blue electricity crackled before slamming into the two DarkChips, causing them to start flashing rapidly. Just as more DarkChips were being delivered, the original two shined brightly…
*KRA-KOOOOOOOM!-!-!*
…before exploding violently. The HeelNavis were sent away from the two as their restraints and tables broke from the force of the explosion. As smoke engulfed the area, Roll groaned as she fell against Megaman, who struggled to stay awake. He grabbed Roll's helmet and pulled it off her before throwing it just as it vanished via Jack Out. He reached into himself before a black pass with a stylized silver '1' emerged from his mark.
"T…Two to Secret Area 1…Access R-R-Rank 1. P…Passcode: M3GAR077…" Megaman whispered, his eyes nearly closing again.
The last thing he heard was Regal screaming in rage.
Warmth…When was it the last time she felt this kind of warmth? Even with the familiar hard sensation of sleeping on the ground…it was dulled by the warmth. She didn't want to open her eyes…to let sound back in…to see those bars once more…but something told her…something within…it was screaming for her to open her eyes. Slowly, she gave in and her eyes slid open, greeted by a familiar visage, sound asleep and still donned in the armor of her 'Soul.' The warmth was him, holding her close around her waist. Her hand shakily reached up, cupping his cheek.
'It's real…He…He's really here…' Roll thought, tears welling in her eyes, 'You really came…You…I…Oh god…We nearly turned into Darkloids…'
"Mmm…mnmn…" Megaman mumbled, shifting a little and pulling her closer.
"!?" Roll blinked past the tears before glancing up at the sky of the network, seeing clear blue 'skies' with bits of white monoliths 'emerging' from it, 'What is this place? …It's not an illusion caused by the DarkChips inside of us…is it?' a hand cupping her cheek made her look back to see Megaman waking up, "M…Mega…?"
"Roll…" Megaman whispered before he fully awoke from surprise and got up into a sitting position, pulling her up into his lap as a result, "Roll!"
"Mega!" Roll cheered, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck as she hugged him, "Oh Mega…Y-You came…you really came…"
"Roll…It…it is you, isn't it?" Megaman asked.
"A week after the N1, we spared and when my antennae chopped you, it triggered the Press program and you were stuck as a tiny boy for a few hours. You pretended to be a little doll that you 'made' while we got to your dad," Roll replied, making Megaman blush.
"Y-Yeah…it is you," Megaman noted before looking her over, "Is…Are you…using Double Soul?"
"Huh?" Roll looked down at herself, "I…I think so…But how?" she looked up at the sky, "And…where are we?"
"Secret Area," Megaman replied, "It…It's in the very center of the Undernet."
"The Undernet?!" Roll gasped as the two stood up, "That's where Nebula's base's address link is!" she covered her mouth, "Nebula…Oh god…Mega, you have to…we have to…oh no…"
"Whoa, whoa!" Megaman grabbed her shoulders, "Breathe, Roll. In and out. Nice and slow…" slowly, the erratic breaths gave way to calming ones, "There…It's alright…We're okay…Nebula can't access Secret Area without a direct link address or finding the server itself. We're safe for the moment."
"A-Are you sure?"
"Yes," Megaman assured, cupping her cheek with his hand once more and looking her in the eyes, "We're safe from Nebula for the moment. I have no idea how long we've been in here, but 'S' should have sent someone to find out who came into Secret Area sooner or later."
"'S'...Who?"
"The second-strongest NetNavi in the entire Network," Megaman replied, "They're really strong, so strong that they don't leave Secret Area because they don't like wearing limiters."
"O-Oh!"
"Yeah…but…we can talk about that later," Megaman noted.
"Huh?"
"Roll…when…when I opened my eyes when I felt this immense pain fading…I saw you on a table…with a DarkChip above you," Megaman stated, making her flinch.
"Ah…W-Well…"
"Roll…What happened?" Megaman asked, narrowing his eyes.
"...I…" Roll looked down, "I couldn't let you be trapped in the darkness without someone there by your side…to…to not be alone in there and help fight it…"
"I can't believe you'd willingly accept being corrupted by the DarkChip!" Megaman fumed, letting her go and putting his hands on her shoulders to glare at her in an anger born of worry and fear, "What were you thinking?! You could've gotten a Dark Soul and become a Darkloid!"
"Of course I knew! You shared your memories of your time in the meteor and when your Dark Soul took over Gutsman and Aquaman just to make sure Glyde and I knew how dangerous it was to even touch the things! I was even there for when you had to fight Gutsman and Aquaman after our battle, for crying out loud!"
"Then why?!"
"Because I refused to let you endure it alone! I'm sick and tired of you always being hurt because of something none of us expected!-!" Roll replied, poking his chest with her pointer finger, tears starting to form in her eyes, "Magicman getting that LifeVirus powerup, then everything with Zero and that upgraded LifeVirus R, then you and Lan staying in that building with the radiation going into overdrive that Gutsman, Glyde, Protoman, and I all came out in the real world while in there and had to carry the others because the radiation caused them to pass out…"
"Wait, what?"
"A-And then you overloaded yourself when Alpha trapped you and Lan! Y-You would've been gone forever if you didn't have that small area to hide in!" Roll went on, the tears starting to fall at that point, "W-We all thought you were dead! F-For six whole months! I-I couldn't even leave the PeT and actually learned how to turn it off from the inside just because I d-didn't want to…to…"
"Easy, easy!" Megaman quickly pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back as she broke down into sobs, "It's okay. I'm right here. D-Don't cry, Roll. Please?" Roll only began to cry harder, "Aw geez…"
"Well now…This is interesting…"
"?!" Roll froze up and hugged Megaman as she looked around frantically in worry.
"Darkman…" Megaman sighed as the cloaked NetNavi appeared from their shadows.
"Do forgive me, but I was quite curious as to why you two have Dark Souls."
"?! You can sense it?" Megaman asked.
"I am Darkman," the NetNavi deadpanned.
"M-Mega…who…who is he?" Roll whispered.
"He's 'S's' left hand," Megaman explained, "We came here to escape from Nebula before they could inject us with DarkChips. Wait…" He paused for a moment, "...Two?"
"That explains how you two have Dark Souls. You've been exposed to a large amount of the power in them," Darkman noted with a nod before making a panel of shadows that picked them up, "Come. 'S' told me to bring you if you ever came with a Dark Soul." A tendril of shadows then smacked Megaman in the back of his head, "And that's for bringing an OverNet Navi down here!"
"I panicked and did the first thing that came to mind!" Megaman argued.
"I will not be amused if you were planning to have sex with her here."
"WHAT?!" Megaman yelped, his face beet red.
"You're already wearing each other's clothes."
All Megaman could do was splutter. Roll simply chose to bury her face into Megaman's back, steaming coming off the top of her head as her covered face was a bright pink.
'This is 'S'?' Roll pondered twenty minutes later, sitting in a bubble beside one Megaman was in while looking at the androngynous Arabian-looking NetNavi that floated before them with multiple screens floating around the NetNavi.
"...Yes, she has one as well," Serenade confirmed before the screens and bubbles vanished, letting them land on their feet, "Looks to be as old as the one you have, Hub."
"Hah?!" Megaman gawked, "How? …Ah! Roll, when Shademan kidnapped you back at Jomon Electric…!"
"A Darkloid, yes?" Serenade guessed.
"Yeah," Megaman replied, 'That…honestly explains why I had to fight a DS version of her in that weird network…She was already exposed to the Dark Power through being kept hostage by Shademan…'
"Makes sense," Serenade nodded, "Mamoru will get in contact with Lan for you both to be picked up. But…I cannot in good conscience allow you to leave until we train you both to handle your Dark Souls."
"Do…we even have time to do that?" Roll asked.
"By the time he arrives, you'll have easily been through hundreds, if not thousands, of simulations," Serenade assured with a smile.
"Huh?" The two tilted their heads.
"Oh you poor dears," Serenade shook her head, "You've been spending too much time with humans." The two looked insulted by that comment, "What I mean is that we are digital beings. You're thinking at a human's speed when you can do far more than that. These simulations I am offering will feel as if lifetimes have gone by when it has merely been a few hours to humans." Serenade gestured to a warp panel nearby, "Over there will take you to them."
"...What are they meant to do exactly?" Megaman asked.
"Anything really. They even work with humans who come in via Pulse Transmission," Serenade replied, a gentle smile forming, "It made bonding with Mamoru such a fun time and letting him have more fun than ever now that his disease is cured."
"...So it can do simulations to help us with our Dark Souls?" Megaman questioned.
"Yes."
"Um…can it help us get stronger once we do get a handle of these Dark Souls?" Roll asked.
"Hm?" Serenade looked at her.
"I…I want to get stronger so I don't have to be the damsel in distress o-or be able to do more than just cheer Mega on," Roll explained, "I want to handle this Dark Soul that's inside of me, but…I also want to be able to do more to help and not be in the way."
"...Wait a moment…" Serenade noted before looking her over, "...Oh! You are Roll?" A smile formed, "Megaman has often talked about you when Lan comes to be with Mamoru. You say you need to be stronger, but why? Megaman told me you gave him his biggest challenge against a NetNavi since I or Bass."
"He said that? You said that?" Roll asked, turning to Megaman with a surprised face.
"Well…yeah. I still have times that I run into your Ghost data that give me trouble," Megaman admitted, "And you've probably gotten stronger since, too."
"Ah…" Roll squeaked with a blush.
"Aw…" Serenade cooed, "Mmm…Well, I don't mind if you use them to further strengthen yourselves after handling your Dark Souls. I say go for it!" they clapped their hands, "Yamatoman, escort them to the Simulation Area!"
"Yes, Lord Serenade," Yamatoman replied with a bow before turning to the two, "Come this way. It lies past the area you dealt with the trials set up at the time, Lord Hub."
Megaman nodded before looking to Serenade, "Thank you. For everything you're doing to help us."
"It is no worry. I'm honestly excited to see what comes from this with you lovers working as one through what comes," Serenade smiled, making them blush again, "Oh that is just so cute!"
"Lord Serenade, allow me to set up the simulations," Darkman requested.
"Mmm…Granted," Serenade nodded, "I'll go tell our adorable Mamoru to send that message as quickly as he can."
"...Mega…" Roll whispered as they followed after Yamatoman.
"Hm?"
"Will this…really help us?"
"If Serenade says it can, then I believe them," Megaman replied, earning a nod.
"...Oh! Mega, do you have a way to contact Protoman and Colonel?" Roll asked.
"How did you…?"
"Nebula knows everyone in your big team liberating Netopia's network," Roll replied before biting her lower lip for a moment, "...Mega…This takeover isn't what it seems. They did this to occupy the time of everyone so they can find a program called 'Gow.'"
"Gow?"
"It's in something called a VisionBurst and…" Roll went on to explain what she, Gutsman, and Glyde had been learning since their imprisonment as Megaman's eyes slowly widened in shock and horror, neither aware of Yamatoman's grip on his staff tightening with each thing she said.
GT: Considering how tight a schedule I have in trying to do this challenge I've put on myself, chapter may be shorter than my normal preference. Next chapter, we'll get to Lan and the aftermath of these simulations. Any questions you have, I'll gladly answer either by Private Message or in the author's note at the end of the next chapter. So please make sure to read and review, folks.