GT: *wearing a long coat and fedora with sunglasses* … *looks around* Heads up, folks. Today we're going into the world of Battle Network's equivalent to the Dark Web. So, uh…be careful, ok?
Z0: Hmm…*pokes link I found down here* I'm-a stick my head in this! *sticks head in before screaming and jumping back* I've…seen…terrible things…
GT: Be careful! I do not want to be kidnapped by Russians in black masks and sacks like the computer game!
Z0: Yeah yeah I'll be careful *pokes head into another thing* what's oh….OH! Oh~ Well now…this one ain't so bad…hehehehe…*slap sound is heard* I hate this place…*pulls head with a giant red hand mark on my face* I hate this place, it sucks…everything sucks…!
GT: Yeah…Let's uh…well…We don't own Kamen Rider nor Megaman Battle Network. *sees Z0 approach a red door* AH! Not that one! Red Room!
A new day began in Japan, and its newest Kamen Rider was enjoying a peaceful morning, walking around town and taking pictures. Go missed Japan. It was a lot less hassle than America, mostly from people his age being jerks, but that was besides the point. He paused at a cafe as he took pictures of some girls, his smile creeping up as he kept taking pictures before stopping as he heard some idle gossip from a table of men he didn't notice before.
"No way, that's just a rumor, Tamaki," one sighed, "This Mystery Figure who attacks people in the Net…Yeah right. Sounds like a bad manga."
"Kaoru, I'm being serious here, man. I heard he's crazy strong and will give you some pretty sweet upgrade data for your NetNavi," another replied, "Me and my NetNavi have been scouring the Net for days now getting all the stuff we can on them!"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah! From what we got…they're known as the Messenger of Darkness."
"Sounds pretty ominous," the third male of the group noted.
"Oh, it is. We had to pay a lot to get intel from…the Undernet."
"?! Oi, oi, Tamaki…Ya got a death wish, man?" Kaoru asked, looking around in worry.
"Don't go talking about it so loud, man!" the other quickly squashed the man.
"It's the only place to find the info!" Tamaki declared, "I needed to know, so I risked it."
"Dude, you are stupid…Why would you do that?! If the cops find out, you're in hot water!"
"Oh-hoh…Messenger of Darkness?" Go pondered to himself under his breath, "I know a pair of kids that would be excited about this…" he rubbed the underside of his chin, "Now where were they going again today? …Oh, right."
"You were promoted, Oda-san?"
"Yep! Mainly thanks to you kids, actually," Oda noted as he entered a restaurant with Lan and Maylu following, "Even if they got away, taking down the WWW and destroying their plans with the Elemental Codes were a major victory before they remembered who invited you two into the CID."
"So what are you now?" Lan asked.
"Heh. Gone up from Inspector to Superintendent," Oda replied, "As such, thought I'd reward you kids with a treat."
"Oh, that's quite nice of you, In…er…Superintendent Oda, sir!" Roll complimented.
'I feel there's a 'but' in this,' Megaman thought.
"It's no trouble," Oda replied, "However…" he pointed at a poster, explaining of a buffet deal with a 90 minute time limit to eat, "This is all I can give ya kids. And don't even think of adding the high grade sushi since that's extra!"
"Eh?!" Lan gawked.
"Oh my…" Maylu covered her mouth in surprise before, a few minutes later, they were in line at the buffet.
"Save the world, and what do ya get? A normal priced buffet…" Lan sighed.
"It's honestly not a surprise. Even if he received a promotion, he may not have gotten a pay increase yet," Megaman noted.
"Still a bit of a letdown," Roll muttered.
"Hmph. More than a 'bit,'" Lan snorted.
"Some more cheese with that whine of yours, Hikari?"
"Gh!" Lan jumped and the two turned to see Chaud in the line, "Chaud? What are you…?"
"Needed a place that would be cheap, but also provide a lot of calories," Chaud replied.
"Lot of…Oh! You were practicing with CrossFusion?" Maylu quietly asked, earning a subtle nod.
"And as for your complaint, you need to remember that Oda is still on a public servant's salary," Chaud scolded, "Even this strains his finances."
"Mmm…Better make the most of it, then…" Lan mumbled.
"Hai, hai," Maylu agreed.
"Kids these days…no idea…" Oda grumbled from a booth nearby.
"You were a child yourself, Aibou," Japanman reminded, "They may have experience with fightin' crooks, they don't have all the life experiences adults have."
"Ah…I suppose that's true. I guess they'll learn at their own pace." Oda sighed, "...Any word from your brother?"
"Ah. He's staying in that place for a bit. Someone from the surface Network found a 'leak' and he needs to deal with plugging it."
Oda nodded, 'It amazes me a NetNavi like Yamatoman would willingly stay with a guy like Otta…'
"ACHOO!"
"...Bless you…" Kyu muttered, lowering the clipboard in his hands covered in spittle.
"Huh…Normally, Yamatoman-chan would be pardoning for you," Rinna noted, looking over some data on her backpack Pikopiko device before looking at Gen, "Where is the brave shogun?"
"Not a shogun," Gen rolled his eyes, "And right now, he's busy getting some maintenance."
"You don't do it?" Shinnosuke asked.
"Of course I don't! He's got a guy who does the stuff for him!" Gen replied.
"Mmm…Daihenda…" Jun muttered, looking at his phone at his desk, "I worry about our youngest member if he's in blues and oranges today."
"Why's that?" Shinnosuke asked.
"If you're wearing blue and orange today, you'll end up in a fight for your life," Jun explained, showing his color fortune of the day, "While creams and silver/gunmetal will lead to bad luck and a lot of heat today."
"Eh?" Gen raised a brow while adjusting his silver tie over his cream suit…before screaming as coffee from the coffee maker hit him in the face, "GAH! ATSUI~!"
"Oh not again!" Shinnosuke exclaimed, grabbing a desk to block another blast of ink.
"Why does the coffee maker do that!?" Kiriko asked in concern.
"It was on sale!" Jun replied, a tiny umbrella put to take the ink and hot coffee sprays.
"And us without a NetNavi!" Shinnosuke grunted before the machine settled down, "...Eh?"
Kyu sighed in relief…holding up a pale green PeT, "Good job, Natsu-kun…"
"I-It was crazy! So many hardhats and they were so a-adorable…"
"...Eh?" Everyone looked at Kyu.
"You have a NetNavi?" Rinna asked.
"Ah…well…y-yeah," Kyu replied, sheepishly holding it up to show the screen, showing a large intimidating NetNavi in a black bodysuit with bulky armor in various shades of green with silver metal hawk wings and a helmet shaped like an eagle…while he was shyly peeking out from the side of the screen, "This is Natsu. I became his friend during the New Year with all the craziness going on."
"H-Hello…" Natsu greeted.
Shinnosuke chuckled, "He kinda looks like Massimo from the anime Massimo the Brave."
"It's a good show!" Natsu noted, stars in his eyes, "Kyu-kun showed me it and it was so amazing! The way he always protects the innocent no matter what happens…Ohhh~! Saikyo da~!"
"Yep…That checks for what I'd think what he'd want in a NetNavi…" Gen muttered.
"Pretty fast. You must have been practicing on your days off," Shinnosuke noted.
"Th-Thank you," Natsu thanked, hiding once more to the side of the screen.
"Quite the shy guy, isn't he?" Rinna asked with a giggle, "I bet the kids will be happy to meet him."
"You've sparred with Go-san almost daily?" Maylu asked, the three pre-teens at a table with several plates.
"That honestly makes sense," Lan noted, "Training with Shinnosuke-nii has helped me and Megaman with CrossFusion, so you fighting another Kamen Rider a lot must've helped you, too. How is it fighting him, anyway?"
"A hassle," Chaud replied, "If it isn't the time limit exhausting him, it's his utilization of his Signal Bikes."
"...You keep getting frozen by the one that makes the stop sign, don't you?" Roll asked in amusement.
"I'm ashamed to admit that one is most difficult…He doesn't need to shoot it to activate it," Protoman sighed.
"Wait…Go-san can use the powers through the wheel punch thingy, too?" Lan asked.
"His Zenrin Shooter, yes," Chaud confirmed.
"How does Turn work with a punch?" Maylu asked.
"Make them spin around?" Lan guessed as she nodded in agreement.
"Though I guess I understand. Mach has a time limit for how long he can fight. Even with Go-san's enhanced physiology, it still seems like it taxes him as Tomari-san needed to cary him after he beat the Roidmudes." Megaman noted, "I'll be honest…I find it hard to see it as an improvement over Drive if that's a key thing. Drive can stay active for long periods of time like when he fought Heart. He was using mostly stamina to overwhelm him."
"Ahh…I'm really excited when we can get that kinda strong," Lan noted, "Then maybe we can see what the big deal is with the Undernet."
"Lan…" Maylu grimaced, "We were told to not go there for a reason."
"I know, I know," Lan sighed before the two looked over at Chaud as he chuckled, taking a bite of some pasta.
"So…you're interested in the Undernet…" Chaud noted, his sleeve falling a bit to reveal faint scars littering bits of his arm, "...and all the challenges within."
'Scars?' Lan pondered, narrowing his eyes as he noticed several faint ones barely visible on more of Chaud's exposed skin, 'Why didn't I see them before?'
"Oh…Chaud-kun is showing off the scars from being in the US's Undernet to his friends, trying to look cool in front of the girl?" Go spoke up, appearing in the booth behind Chaud, causing the dual-haired preteen to start choking on some salad, "Look at you, ya little charmer you~"
"Huh?! Those are…" Megaman began.
"...from them fighting NetNavis in the Undernet while in FullSynchro?!" Roll gawked, her antennae sticking up in shock.
"Eh? Ano…I'm not interested, Blaze-san," Maylu informed as Lan quickly helped Chaud with a heimlich maneuver.
"Oh swing and a miss…" Go sighed, "Don't worry, buddy, I know for a fact a good bit of girls go for the brooding lone wolf bit!" he chuckled, "Just keep on trying little buddy!"
"Is this normal as well?" Megaman couldn't help but ask.
"Hai," Protoman simply nodded with no more to be said.
"What a chaotic partnership…Not at all like the brotherly bond between Tomari-san and Lan," Roll noted.
"Wait, wait, wait! Chaud's been in the Undernet before?" Lan asked.
"The US one a lot," Go replied, "Lotta criminal NetNavis down there he's had to catch…or Delete and bring back their Memory Data for evidence."
"We were just talking about that," Maylu pointed out.
"Oh good, then I made good time! I heard an interesting rumor about the Japanese Undernet!" Go smiled.
"A rumor?" Megaman and Roll pondered.
"Japan's Undernet has a figure known as the 'Messenger of Darkness'~" he whispered, "He's a big taboo among folks who tread down there. They say he shows up to pick a fight. Interesting, isn't it? Right? Right?" he asked excitedly.
"Messenger of Darkness?" Lan repeated.
"Why do I get the feeling you boys are more interested than you should be…" Maylu sighed.
"What are you planning, Go?" Chaud demanded.
"Me? I just wanted to share this awesome rumor," Go replied, "Plus, you know you've been wanting ta check the Japanese Undernet's SBS here."
"They have an SBS, too?" Lan asked.
"Hey, just because they're criminals, don't mean they don't wanna have chat boards," Go shrugged, "Really surprised me when I caught Chaud and Proto lookin' at one. Least it gave me some fun places to look at which may or may not have led to arrests."
"Well this all sounds rather interesting." Maylu spoke up, "But maybe we should tell an adult?"
"But I'm…" Go began.
"No…no…" Maylu shook her head.
"Just…no." Roll added to this denial of Go trying to pass himself off as an adult.
"Awww…you're no fun. You've hung out too much with my nee-san," Go pouted.
"What's wrong with learning from Kiriko-san?" Roll asked, doing a kick on the screen, "Some of her kicks are pretty neat to learn."
"Uh-oh…" Go muttered, "I feel so sorry for Mega."
"Hey! Only I get to call him Mega!" Roll fumed.
"Aww…But what about if you're not there? Who's gonna be calling him Mega?"
"Still just me, bub!"
"Okay…" Lan muttered, unsure how to react to that as Megaman blushed a little.
"Are you trying to get their NetNavis deleted, Go?" Chaud questioned, "The Undernet's no place for the untrained. You need to be ready."
"Ain't you even a little bit curious 'bout this Messenger of Darkness guy?" Go asked, "Could be related to that guy on the American Undernet's SBS that you were interested in."
"Huh?" Lan looked at Go.
"In the US, there's a myth about a NetNavi called the Black Shadow. If they're the same guy…then it means they're known as the ultimate undefeated NetNavi!" Go grinned.
"The Ultimate…Undefeated NetNavi?" Lan repeated, an excited look appearing on his face.
"Don't you dare," Chaud warned.
"Who me? I'd do nothing of the sort," Lan assured, holding a hand up.
"...Lan, keep your hand away from the PeT," Maylu warned.
"My work here's done then," Go chuckled, "Oh, uh…one more thing?"
"Before I strangle you?" Chaud questioned with an eye twitching.
"What's with the number on the posters talking about the buffet?" Go asked, "Is that the price or something?"
"...Ah! Nertz!" Lan panicked.
"We forgot about the time limit!" Maylu panicked as the trio started to eat quickly.
"Careful, eat too fast and you'll get stomach aches~" Go laughed.
'What is he planning?' Chaud thought between bites.
"Heart!" Brain called out as he searched their abandoned building base number…whatever number they are on, "Where did that lumbering brute run off to this time?" he looked around a corner before spotting a folded paper taped to a recliner with his name on it, "Hm? A note?" he walked over and opened it, "'Brain, went with Chase and Zero to go fight that fun NetNavi again. Heart. PS: Don't tell Medic, please.' Fun NetNavi? …He went to the Undernet again. Why must he do this?" he facepalmed, "Oh right…His evolution comes from battle…"
"Brain," Medic spoke, appearing behind him in a flurry of black rose pedals, "Where is he?" she demanded simply.
"...Mmm!" he grunted, shoving the paper into his mouth, "Mmm…mmm!" he spoke while chewing as he walked away.
"...He knows," Medic frowned, "I must break him to get the information."
"I sure hope Brain eats that note. Medic is sneaky," Heart mused as he led Chase and Zero through the Net, the former two earning more than a few stares due to their appearing as normal humans with clothing, and not humanoid NetNavis in armor..
"And you did not wish for Medic-sama to come because…?" Zero questioned.
"Because she wouldn't want me to go," Heart pouted, "I'm perfectly fine, dang it! All healed up thanks to her. Plus…I don't want her to meet the guy since he's a bit of a wild one."
"Hm?"
"I went with Heart when he first learned of the Undernet," Chase explained, "We encountered the one he spoke of and left Heart heavily injured."
An excited smile formed on Heart's face, "The NetNavi is insanely powerful! It's going to be so great to meet him again and get into another battle now that I've become stronger."
"...Do you mean the Kamen Rider?"
"No, no, no. This is a NetNavi who doesn't need a human to fight at his full power," Heart replied, spinning around to Zero while walking backwards, "The guy is so strong, too!"
"He is an anomaly," Chase added, "He was designed to be powerful beyond comprehension for a simple NetNavi."
"Soka…" Zero nodded, "Though…why go through here?"
"The only entry I know of to where we need to go is where the good doc's Network is," Heart explained.
"We could have entered from a closer area." Chase sighed.
"Nonsense, it's just a short walk!" Heart laughed, "I need to walk. Medic won't let me out and about!"
"Considering how damaged you were from fighting the Kamen Rider…" Chase noted.
"Ahh…I'm fine, I'm fine~"
Zero chuckled, "It excites me as well to meet a NetNavi that Heart-sama is giving such praise to."
"Right?" Heart laughed, "After fighting him, I was certain no one could challenge me. Then the Kamen Rider appeared, I must grow stronger or he will haunt us forever."
Zero and Chase nodded in agreement as they followed the leader of the Roidmudes. Several blocks ahead, Roll frowned as she gave Megaman and Protoman looks, Rush in her arms and being scratched on the top of his head.
"You know Lan would just get me to sneak in, Roll," Megaman sighed, "And going with Protoman will let you and I be prepared for when we might need to do this when we're ready to go on our own."
"Understand this: maintain FullSynchro the entire time we're down there. If I tell you to Jack Out, do it immediately," Protoman warned, "The Undernet isn't a game."
"I already knew this place was nothing but trouble," Roll sighed.
Rush sighed in content from the head scratching Roll was giving him. Such nice fingers hitting just the right sp-Hm? His ears rose up as he sniffed the air.
"What's wrong?" Roll asked, looking down at Rush.
"I've been meaning to ask…but what is with that dog?" Chaud asked.
"That's Rush! Rinna-nee made him!" Lan beamed, "He's really good at smelling even the oldest of scents, but he was made to find Roidmudes because the WWW messed with their hair at a salon. …Did Kiriko-nee ever arrest people at the salon?"
"She was tempted, but Maylu-chan and Rinna-Hakase convinced her otherwise to find hats," Roll replied as Rush sniffed the air more before yelping and jumped out of her arms, "What's wrong?" Rush mimicked holding up an object in one paw before 'pressing' the 'object' into his other paw then swung it out while barking out a tune, "...Oh no…"
"What?" Protoman asked.
"That's Rush for 'Mashin Chaser,'" Megaman replied, looking around, "Which means Zero, too."
"Awoo!" Rush pointed as they all followed his paw to see Heart laughing as he slapped a NetNavi on the back in greeting.
"Heart!" Megaman and Roll gasped.
"EH?! HEART!?" Lan and Maylu panicked.
"The Roidmudes leader…?" Chaud asked.
"Medic must have healed him up faster, 'cause the video Belt-San showed us, he was damaged badly after almost doing an orbital piledriver on Shinnosuke-nii!" Lan declared in concern, "Chaser is one thing, but Heart is probably the scariest monster we could have found."
"Invis before we're noticed," Protoman ordered before the trio of NetNavis vanished, leaving a worried Rush visible.
"Rush-chan, go find Belt-san," Roll's voice ordered where she had been standing.
"Arf!" Rush saluted, quickly jumping up and tunneling into the ground.
"Fast dog," Chaud noted.
"He's the best and he only listens to us girls and Jun-san since he's our superior in the office," Maylu replied.
"He's a particular dog…" Lan sighed.
"It seems we'll need to take a detour from the Undernet to investigate," Protoman noted, "Make sure to replenish your Invis so we don't get caught, you two."
"Come Friends! To the Undernet!" Heart shouted.
"...Irony…thy name is Heart…" Megaman muttered.
"Seriously, what are the chances?" Lan asked.
"Given our lives…50/50…" Maylu sighed, "Do you have your Roidmude notebook, Lan?"
"I've taken to keeping it on me," Lan replied.
"Anything about Heart?"
"For Shinnosuke-nii? Outlast him in stamina. For us? …Run away very fast if he transforms," Lan replied.
"That's all you could come up with?" Chaud asked.
"He gets stronger after every fight, gets stronger when he gets hurt…has an ability called Deadzone which boosts his power further at the cost of making him overhead and explode…and take a chunk of the city…" Lan read, "Literally too hot headed to stop fighting even if it means he will die. The two times he fought Shinnosuke-Nii…both of them nearly killed each other after fighting for give or take an hour." he paused, waiting for a response only to get none, "After the last fight where he nearly got exploded, it is likely this time he'll be even worse. Only let Shinnosuke-Nii fight him because A: He has a larger, stronger body then us…who are children; B: He knows how to fight better, has fought terrorist groups…and arrested them. I am probably barely able to beat up a kid two grades ahead of me and Maylu high schoolers with a broom…"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Ignore the last one. I don't know where they get this," Maylu sighed, "Just…Just please be careful, everyone."
"We'll be ninja for this," Roll assured, "Just keep the Invis BattleChips coming."
"Please…" Megaman gulped, remembering Heart's true form, "I really don't want to see that form again."
"It's that bad?" Protoman couldn't help but ask.
"It's haunting…He's like a living metal heart…the actual organ, with a demonic skull face and giant demon horns," Megaman explained.
"It was intimidating…even if his horns also make a heart, he is a case where we need to have Tomari-san and Belt-san," Roll agreed.
"Understood. Beginning silent pursuit," Protoman ordered.
Belt-san chuckled as he typed away on a digital keyboard, several screens before him, "I must admit…having a NetNavi body does help with letting me continue my projects. I feel without it, I would be faring a bit worse with just being inside of the Drive Driver." he heard digging, making him turn around and see a mound forming, "Oh not again! With Rush with Roll-chan, this is likely a Mole Virus…again." if he had a mouth, he would've been grimacing, "What infuriating creatures when Rush isn't around to hunt them down." the top popped, allowing Rush to poke out, "Ah. Not a Mole Virus, but Rush."
"Awoo?" Rush looked around before spotting Belt-san, "Arf!"
"Oh…it is Rush…" Belt-San muttered as he and Rush slowly moved their heads to the copy of the Door Ju in his hand, "...I wasn't expecting you."
"Ruff!" Rush barked as he pulled himself out of the hole and ran over to him, "Arf! Awoo~!"
"You seem distressed. Has something happened?"
"Arf!" Rush nodded before pulling out a paper and crayons from his outfit and drew a red heart, "Ruff!"
"...Oh, I see," Belt-san noted, making Rush smile and wag his tail, "Well, it's nice to see you can show humility and apologize for biting me there on our first meeting. It's rather sweet of you to make a drawing."
Rush blinked as he realized he gave it to him upside down…he groaned, slapping his snout before shaking his head.
"It's not an apology?" Belt-san asked before seeing Rush motion a twisting motion, "Oh…upside down…it's a heart. Oh that's sweet. We must print and hang this somewhere for others to see."
Rush nearly fell over at that, "Rrr…" he drew red lightning bolts around it and pointed at the heart, "Arf!"
"...Hmm…Ah, I believe I have it now," Belt-san noted, making Rush sigh in relief, "You've been sneaking peeks at the blueprints of the Signal Bikes and want to make one for Roll-chan."
"ARF?!" Rush exclaimed, finally falling over in disbelief and exasperation.
Heart sighed as the digital sky above bled from the black with constantly changing green data cubes to a dark navy with a slowly rotating cartoon skull with Wily's hairstyle, glitching at times, "Gotta admit…it's a bit sad to see the place falling apart."
"..." Zero looked around, a look of sadness in his eyes, 'Wily-sama…'
"..." Chase patted Zero's shoulder, making the taller NetNavi turn to look at his Roidmude partner.
"...Arigatou," Zero softly thanked.
"It's a shame…one of the rare good humans…and he up and leaves us behind…" Heart sighed, "I'll be sure to raise monuments to honor you, Hakase." he smiled, "Then I'll pour one out for you every day we rule this world." he rubbed his chin, "Now if I remember right…the link for the Undernet is that way…" he walked to the left…before going to the right, "Or was it this way?"
"H-Heart-sama…do you…get lost here often?" Zero asked, he and Chase moving their heads to follow Heart going from left to right.
"Nonsense…I just lost all my landmarks and signs!" Heart smiled, "So I need to guess work…now…I punched what used to be a wall there…so then that way was the path that links me to that fancy cafe that I took Medic to…or was it the Sushi place? No…Match ruined that place with one of his pranks…"
Nearby, Megaman and Roll peeked around a broken pillar as Protoman leaned against it, the blue NetNavi whispering, "Well…This is a surprise."
"I thought this path was familiar," Roll noted softly, "It was the path Rush and I took after getting the scent from Fireman's Ghost Data."
"Seems the feedback of destroying the LifeVirus did a number here," Protoman observed, "If there's a chance, we could collect some data on any undercover or former WWW agents that may have been roped into Gospel."
"That depends on if the data hasn't degraded," Roll grimaced.
"...I know it's here!" Heart shouted, punching something.
"If it hasn't…it soon will."
"Heart," Chase spoke up.
"Hm?" Heart paused in picking up a broken pillar.
"The link to the Undernet is that way," Chase pointed…in the direction of the broken pillar the three were hiding behind.
"...Oh…I knew that…" Heart noted, "I was just…testing you two."
"Ah. Yabei…" Megaman whispered as the trio began to approach.
"Sending Invis," Lan quickly spoke as the trio faded from sight.
"I totally knew it was this way!" Heart chuckled.
"We need you for your strength, Heart, no one said you were the mind of our operation," Chase sighed.
"Of course not…that's Brain. Well I guess Medic now, too…boy, I hope they get along great!" Heart smiled, "I hear she even met the little Blue Boy…and now a Red one. With the Pink girl, it feels like they just need Green and Yellow and it's a full set!"
"A full set? Of what?" Zero asked as they walked by the broken pillar.
"Not sure…just feels like they need a green and yellow for something," Heart replied with a shrug, "Maybe a giant robot, too? …You think they have one?"
"Undernet, Heart."
"Oh right!" Heart grinned, "Undernet here we come!"
'Undernet?' Megaman pondered, 'What could they want down there?' he took a step to follow, unintentionally kicking a piece of rubble.
"!?" Zero deployed his Z-Saber as he spun around, "Who goes there?"
"Hm?" Heart paused in his walk as Chase pulled out his Break Gunner, "What's all this, Zero? I don't see nothin'."
"..." Chase shot the ground near the broken pillar, sending up digital smoke, "Three Invis users."
"That's the BattleChip from the fun ghosty Viruses, right?" Heart asked before grinning as he transformed, "So we got some sneaky folk, eh?"
"Damn, our cover's blown," Chaud cursed as the Invis ended, exposing the trio.
"Good going," Protoman scowled at an embarrassed Megaman.
"Hey…We were just talking about you three," Heart noted as Chase transformed into Mashin Chaser.
"Megaman, Roll, and…" Mashin Chaser paused on Protoman, "The New one…"
"It's Protoman," the red NetNavi stated before Zero was before Mashin Chaser, parrying Protoman's sword with his own.
"P-Protoman? Prototype for what?" Heart asked as he marched forward, ignoring Megaman's buster shots, he then reached out and grabbed him by the helmet, "It's not just me, right? It's a confusing name, right?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around Megaman to keep him in place.
"Ugh!" Megaman grunted, struggling to get out of the grip.
"Let him go!" Roll called before yelping as she avoided several shot from Mashin Chaser, "Aaaand I guess we're doing this…"
"Well you did sneak after us. That is rather naughty, children," Heart laughed as Megaman kept squirming to get free, "Oto…no, you don't! This will be too much trouble if you get out of that and begin doing fancy glowy nonsense like when you blew this place up." he added more pressure to keep Megaman from moving, "Or…no wait…do it! Hit me with that big power! Let me adapt to it!" he cheered as he began roughly shaking Megaman.
"G-Gah! L-Lan…" Megaman grunted.
"Guh! A-AreaSteal…" Lan winced as Megaman glowed before vanishing out of Heart's grip, appearing several meters away.
"...Oh, right. I forgot about that," Heart recalled, "See? This is why I liked WWW. NetNavis to see use this stuff so I wouldn't forget later."
"Gah…It…it was so crushing…"
"GAH I can finally breathe!" Lan gasped.
"Get over here!" Heart laughed rushing over and running through a pillar before using his horns…for what horns are for as he rammed into Megaman.
"HRK!" Megaman gagged…before puffing into smoke to reveal a doll of him.
"Huh? A doll?" Heart pondered, plucking it off his horns, "..." he held it up towards Mashin Chaser, using his Chaser Spider to block one of Roll's RollArrows, "Oi, guys! You think Medic would like this?" several oversized shuriken bounced off his back, "...Oh that tickled."
"No wonder Belt-san panics when Tomari-san fights him…" Megaman whispered, standing on one of the remaining intact pillars, "His armor is really durable. It's like hitting a HardHead Virus minus the times his weak spot gets exposed before attacking."
"Denjin/ElecSword!" Zero and Protoman roared as their blades erupted with electricity as they raced by as red blurs, repeatedly striking at one another, 'This NetNavi's speed…is impressive.'
"This is asinine…Why are children following us now?" Mashin Chaser groaned.
"Hey, we're part of the police force meant to fight you guys," Roll replied, twirling around and teleporting out of the way of a whip strike from his Cobra weapon, appearing behind him to fire a RollArrow only for the purple and silver enemy to quickly spin and grab the Arrow mid-flight.
"These things are bothersome," Mashin Chaser growled, crushing it in his grip.
"Ah!" Megaman shouted as a pillar was tossed at him like a javelin, "I'm fighting the wrong guy!" he panicked as Heart marched after him.
"I saw your power, Megaman…Fight me!" he snapped as he began glowing red, "Hit me! Give me everything you have! Let your power push me beyond my limits! FIGHT ME!"
"No thank you!" Megaman yelped, "Belt-san, where are you?!"
"Hmm…" Belt-san looked over the drawing, Rush having added wings to it, "...Okay, I think I'm starting to understand."
"Bow?" Rush raised an ear.
"You…need someone to take you on a walk since Roll-chan isn't here," Belt-san guessed.
Rush fell over in disbelief once more. How can this guy be so oblivious?! He slowly got back up as he contemplated…before grinning deviously. He quickly pulled out his leash and barked eagerly at Belt-san, his tai wagging.
"Oh, so I finally got it right! I'm so sorry for taking so long. A nice walk through the Net should be nice," Belt-san cheered, his 'eyes' changing to emote happiness, not at all like the actual optics of Drive's helmet.
"Ruff," Rush nodded, offering it to him to put on his collar.
"Still…You are an interesting creation of Rinna's," Belt-san noted, "You ability to track scents regardless of how old the scent is…your digging skills allowing you to traverse quickly…" he adopted an annoyed emotion through his 'eyes,' "...your biting…" Rush snickered deviously, "You were made with bits of data from the Shift Cars, weren't you?" Rush barked in confirmation, "Right. Monster for the bite, Dump for the digging, Hunter for his sense of loyalty to the police…What else did she install into you from their data?"
Rush grinned at that. He crouched down before jumping up, being caught by Belt-san. Rush's tail twirled clockwise…before a hole opened up under them. Belt-san looked down between the hole and Rush.
"...Bad dog," Belt-san scolded before yelping as he went through the hole.
"Gah!" Megaman shouted as he was slammed into Protoman.
"Gomen, Zero," Heart apologized as he was the one who did it, "But these boys are being cheeky and hiding their power from us." he raised his arm to block Protoman's sword before it could reach him, "If they want to play this game, then let's treat them to some real combat. Gattai Waza!"
With that, Heart grunted, releasing a red burst of energy that pushed Protoman back towards Megaman. The Roidmude opened his jaw before breathing out a stream of crimson fire, making them both grunt and roll out of the way…before Heart turned his head and aimed the flames at Zero's sword…coating it in the crimson flames and making the blade grow in size.
"That…is new…" Megaman spoke.
"I…now understand why the rule was not to fight him." Protoman nodded simply in awe, having never seen something like this.
"Don't listen to rules, Fight me!" Heart laughed.
"...Omoshiroi," Zero noted before nodding, "Koi, Megaman, Protoman."
"Hikari, do you have enough for a LifeSword?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Use it at the same time as me."
"Right!" Lan agreed.
"Sword, WideSword, LongSword! Program Advance!" The two shouted.
"So this is Program advance?" Heart asked, "Matte, Zero! I don't want you getting hurt, my friend!" he rushed forward as the red and blue NetNavis formed LifeSwords.
"Heart! You just want to grow stronger, don't you!?" Mashin Chaser snapped as Heart laughed.
Heart cheered as he ran right into the two swords as they slashed into his shoulders. He grunted, letting their damage fully wash over him. He roared before punching his fists up into the LifeSwords and shattered them. He laughed as his body sparked before the wounds on his body began healing with a loud hissing sound.
"So…this is LifeSword…Now I've felt its pain…and overcome it!" he cheered, "Zero…attack!" he ordered.
"Hai, Heart-sama."
"Matte Heart…the power of that attack could collapse this whole place!" Mashin Chaser called out.
"Say what?!" Roll gawked.
"Then he better not miss!" Heart laughed happily.
"He's an idiot!" the NetNavis all snapped.
"..." Belt-san slowly looked around at the static-filled skies flashing between red and black rapidly and the multitude of floating 'isles' scattered about, looking barren of any life, "..." he looked down at Rush, who was sniffing about, "Are you a hellhound?"
"Arf," Rush barked before pushing Belt-san several meters away.
"What are you doing now?!" Belt-san demanded in confusion.
"Woof!" Rush barked before pantomiming for Belt-sam to stick his arms out ahead.
"And we're doing this be…" Belt-san began before a hole in the sky exploded into existence…causing Roll to land in his arms as Megaman fell flat on his face to his left and Protoman to do a superhero landing on his right, "What?" He tensed as Heart crashed head-first into the ground across from them as Mashin Chaser and Zero mimicked Protoman, "?!" He looked at Megaman and Roll, "I thought I warned you repeatedly to not get into a battle with Heart!"
"We tried to not get into one!" Roll replied as Megaman pushed himself up.
"Wh…What is this place?" Megaman asked.
"The Undernet," Protoman replied.
"WHY ARE WE IN THE UNDERNET!?" Belt-san demanded, glaring at Rush.
"Hoh? Is that you, Krim?" Heart asked as he picked himself up.
"Heart!" he jumped to face him.
"So you made Drive not only your proxy body but a NetNavi like visage as well…Amusing!" Heart cheered.
"Um…Is it a bad time to mention he tanked two LifeSwords?" Megaman asked.
"...Is he aware of that?" Belt-san asked, gesturing to Protoman.
"He isn't," Megaman replied.
"...We are going to be talking about today later, young man," Belt-san informed, making Megaman wince and nod.
"That's if we can get away from these three and out of the Undernet," Protoman noted, his visor hiding the raised brow at whatever they meant by 'that.'
"Krim?" Zero pondered, looking to Mashin Chaser with a tilt to his head.
"An old man who just won't die already," Heart informed, cracking his knuckles, "I'm gonna enjoy this!"
"What's the plan?" Lan asked as the NetNavis readied themselves.
"We try to find an opening and retreat," Belt-san replied, pulling out the Handle-Ken and Door-Ju, "I swear I am telling Rinna about what you dragged me into, you hellhound, you."
"Awoo…" Rush whimpered, peeking out behind Roll's legs.
"Now you act cute!?" he snapped.
"Krim! Feel honored, you will be the first person in the world to experience dying as both a human and as an Artificial Intelligence!" Heart declared with a laugh, "Though if from what I can gleam…you may not be the last. Take that comfort as much as it offers. For seeing you…reawakens the anger…the hatred…and my disgust for humanity. Because seeing you…reminds me of Him,"he said 'him' with utmost venom and hatred, as if referring to someone he hated with every fiber of his being, every byte of data within him, a hatred that just seeing a glimpse of…felt frightening to imagine the depths of.
"Heart…" Belt-san spoke, knowing who he meant by that.
"Enough! Your false kindness was too little too late! Now I really can't hold back, I have to rampage to get this feeling of disgust out of my system. My disgust towards humanity, you blackhearted fakers and cruel beasts!"
Heart took a step towards them…before they all froze up. Rush grabbed his muzzle, trying to stifle the howl as his tail stuck up.
"Wh…What?" Maylu whispered.
"I'm…I'm sensing something…" Protoman noted.
"Where's it coming from?" Megaman asked, looking around.
"Heart-dono…i-is that you?" Zero asked before Heart began to chuckle.
"He's he~re…" Heart noted, his disgust replaced with a rising excitement.
"W-Who?" Roll asked.
As if to answer her, a massive blast slammed down between the two groups, knocking them away from the explosion. Heart laughed as he got back up first, looking towards the flames in the large gouge that now decorated where the blast struck, seeing within an aura of power within them.
"Oh-hoh-hoh~! This is just like when we first met a few months ago," Heart noted.
"S-Such destructive power…" Belt-san grunted, flakes of data falling off him as they slowly got up.
"What…What is this?" Zero asked.
"The Messenger of Darkness…the Black Shadow…" Mashin Chaser replied.
A white-gloved hand with a black and orange gauntlet over the lower arm to the wrist rose up before swinging out, dispersing the flames. Standing within the gouge in the ground, engulfed in a yellow blazing aura, was a NetNavi. The majority of his body was engulfed in a brown tattered cloak, bits of black visible beneath. His helmet was primarily pitch black with large fins emerging from the sides that wrapped around to touch the center of his forehead, nestling a blue four-pointed star on the middle of his helmet. Sharp red eyes glared upon them all, the sides of his face purple.
"Bass!" Heart cheered.
"Bass!?" many asked in shock, confusion, or any mix of the two.
"Masaka…that name?" Belt-san gasped, "But I thought that…all this time…"
"So they were the same NetNavi," Chaud noted.
"I've heard tell that on one occasion, a band of Undernet outlaws a hundred strong once surrounded him," Protoman recalled.
"Wh…What happened?" Roll asked.
"It took just 0.002 seconds," Chaud replied, "With just a single arm, he wiped them out."
"Things have grown worse…" Belt-san spoke, "If my little mental calculations, which now run like a computer, are right…this is a much more dangerous threat at this moment…" he then looked to Heart, "And soon…a greater threat could come."
"Hey~! Ready for Round 2?" Heart called to Bass.
"R-Round 2?!" Megaman gawked.
"Hahahahaha?! Why do you think I awakened the Dead Zone!?" Heart called out, "It was my body responding to the power of this man!"
"Then…when Drive faced you…he was already facing a version which was many times worse than what Proto-Drive faced?" Belt-san gasped.
"What do we do?" Roll asked.
"What else?" Lan replied before shouting, "Hey, Bat Ears! You here to pose or NetBattle?!"
"What are you thinking?!" Belt-san barked.
"What? From what I'm hearing, he's the biggest, baddest NetNavi of them all!" Lan argued.
"And you're trying to pick a fight with him?!" Maylu asked in disbelief.
"If it means Heart doesn't get to fight him and grow stronger from it…" Lan argued.
'I keep forgetting most days I'm dealing with children…' Belt-san thought, facepalming, before bringing up the Door-Ju to block the punch from Mashin Chaser as Roll rolled out of the way of Zero's stab, "!"
"Heart-dono wishes to battle this one," Zero informed, "Do not interfere."
"Not if we beat him first!" Lan declared as Megaman charged at Zero, sliding under his legs to avoid a swing of the taller red NetNavi's blade, before charging at Bass.
"Don't be fools!" Protoman barked, racing past a surprised Zero, "You're not ready for Bass!"
"Oi, oi, oi! I'm fighting the guy!" Heart barked.
"We called dibs first!" Lan barked.
"What?!"
"Lan, why are you trying to get me deleted~?!" Megaman groaned as Bass looked at them all…before the trio were barely able to stand up as the area trembled, the others nearly falling over with Zero grabbing Roll and Rush as a powerful wind erupted from around Bass, "Is he attacking?!"
"No…This isn't an attack," Protoman recognized.
"He just adjusted his power output!" Heart grinned as the ground around Bass began to break apart.
"All this…from a power adjustment!?" Megaman grunted, "Okay, I'm convinced! He's incredibly strong!"
"Last time, I didn't break that aura of yours…" Heart noted before charging at Bass, "But this time will be different! Here I come, Bass!"
"Heart!?" Mashin Chaser called out.
"This excitement in my chest, this feeling of joy!" he began glowing red as he unleashed a powerful burst of heat that pushed back against the wind coming from Bass, "Is my reason to live!" he laughed as he swung his arm and punched the aura around Bass, causing a horrible shockwave to make the entire area tremble, bursts of more shockwaves coming off the impact as Heart laughed, and Bass's eyes actually widened in surprise for a moment before a powerful explosion of darkness and red heat filled the area, Heart himself sent skidding back across their battlefield.
"Let's go, Megaman!" Lan shouted, sending several BattleChips.
"Program Advance: O-Cannon!" Megaman roared, firing off the Program Advance at the barrier from a spot at Bass's back, the attack rippling across the aura.
"DUCK!" Heart roared.
"Gyah!" Megaman yelped, an AreaSteal allowing him to avoid Heart throwing a large chunk of the ground at the cloak-wearing NetNavi, who responded with delivering a backhand that shattered the oncoming obstruction.
"Go easy, will ya?!" Lan barked.
"If ya can't take it, kiddo, then take off!" Heart laughed, "This is why I faced the Kamen Rider…the beating he gave me pushed me farther than the one I got from Bass!"
"Eh?!" Megaman shouted at that as he looked between Heart and Bass, "Tomari-san did worse than him!?"
"It's a difference of concept, but yes! So now I know I'm ready for Round 2! So if you're gonna get involved…" he picked Megaman up, "Don't slow me down. Kiddy time is over!" he tossed him into the air, "UTE!" he roared as he rushed forward, horns first once more.
Small blue sphered appeared in Megaman's hands that he quickly threw at Bass, each one going off with an explosion as another replaced its spot in Megaman's hands once they were thrown.
"I knew Heart-dono was one who truly relishes the heat of battle…but the boy as well?" Zero asked, the others not able to get close as the shockwaves of Heart hitting the aura along with the explosives Megaman was sending out.
"Why is Heart allowing him to remain?" Mashin Chaser pondered.
"They're…keeping Bass on a defensive?" Belt-san pondered, "But…how?"
A pulse of darkness from Bass sent Heart skidding back, stopping as Megaman dropped down beside him.
"This isn't working," Lan grit his teeth, "If we don't break that aura of his, we're just gonna keep hitting it 'till I've got no BattleChips."
"...Ah!" Megaman spun to Heart, "You empowered Zero's sword earlier."
"Yeah, I did that. It was awesome," Heart chuckled before Megaman held up his Buster.
"Can you do it for my MegaBuster?"
"WHAT?!" Belt-san exclaimed.
"Hoh? You sure ya want that? My Deadzone is spicy stuff, ya know~"
"You want to get him to take us seriously or not?" Lan replied.
"We only need to handle it long enough to get a shot in," Megaman replied as he started to glow softly from his synchronization with Lan.
"Oh-hoh~! This is it, isn't it? The power you used to rip into the LifeVirus!" Heart noted in growing excitement.
"What the…? Protoman, CAS,"Chaud ordered.
"Combat Assessment Scan," Protoman replied, a part of his right eye glowing at points, "Synchronization Levels at 97.5 percent."
"Fine, but don't be shocked if you find yourself feeling a little sick after, I'm proudly not compatible with human made systems!" Heart declared grunting as he grew his wings before opening his jaw and spewing crimson flames into the air, "Prepare yourself little boy blue! This one is amped up with extra Dead Zone power!"
Megaman grunted as the flames shot into his buster. As Megaman aimed the sparking buster at Bass, Heart tilted his head. For a brief moment, he swore he saw Megaman…in a copy of his armor? Megaman roared as he fired, unleashing a stream of crackling red and blue energy. The energy collided with Bass's aura, sending up an explosion. Megaman winced as sparks crackled off his Buster until it changed back into his glove as Heart gazed upon the dissipating smoke…revealing Bass's aura was gone.
"Gah! Ite…" Lan hissed, "Oof…My arm's all stingy! Guess we can call that the Dead Spread?"
"We'll work something out later," Megaman replied.
"They…broke the aura," Roll gasped.
'He did it again…' Zero thought, his eyes widening, 'What is this NetNavi?'
"Oh…You're pretty quiet over there, Bass," Heart noted.
"Guess he's stunned?" Megaman guessed.
"..." Bass glanced to the spectators then towards Megaman and Heart, "..." the wind blew at his cloak as he gazed down upon them, "Pathetic."
The area rumbled once more, far more violently than before. The other floating islands in the area began to crack as Megaman and Heart tried to move…only for their bodies to feel like they had been locked into place. Rush yelped, seeing his body starting to break apart.
"T-Too much power!" Zero exclaimed, holding an arm up before seeing it was starting to break apart as well.
"We need to evacuate immediately!" Belt-san shouted, seeing bits of him starting to break along with parts on Roll, 'His power alone is destabilizing our data! Is this…his true power?!'
"You…really are…one of a kind…!" Heart grunted out a laugh, his Deadzone flaring up as he started to force his body to move as Megaman grunted, pulling and tugging at his left leg.
Bass whipped out his left arm, the gauntlet and glove transforming into a triangular-shaped buster. Megaman yelped as he finally puled his leg up as Heart deployed his wings. One moment, there was a small island floating by behind Megaman and Heart. The next, Megaman held onto Heart's ankle as he flew over the air, the island nothing more than collapsing hole-ridden rubble.
"Here comes the real battle now, Bass!" Lan declared as Megaman released his grip to fall at Bass, a LifeSword in his…before the blade shattered alongside Heart's wings, sending the Roidmude falling down to land by a stunned Megaman.
"Oh boy…" Megaman gulped.
'What speed…' Belt-san thought, everyone managing to look to see Bass floating above them all on the other side of the island they were upon.
"That kind of speed wasn't in mach…it…it was light!" Roll gulped, holding onto Rush.
"Are you alright?" Megaman asked, looking at the rising Heart.
"Wasn't expecting that…" Heart grimaced before grinning, "Saikyou da~! This battle is gonna heat me up something fierce!"
"...I know we're enemies…but I really can't help but agree on this," Lan admitted, causing Megaman to want to facepalm if not for wanting to focus on the floating NetNavi.
"Hah…Heart is a damaged soul of passion and excitement. What is the boy's problem?" Mashin Chaser bluntly asked.
"Do you want it in alphabetical order or by date?" Roll muttered.
"R-Roll…" Maylu gulped.
"...Battle?" Bass questioned the two as he raised his right hand up…a sphere of purple energy with a black center forming inside of it, "What battle?!"
'This is far more than we can handle…' Chaud thought.
"Lord Chaud," Protoman spoke.
"Ah. FullSynchro Release!" Chaud ordered, "Sakurai, Hikari, drop FullSynchro and Log out!"
Megaman grit his teeth, seeing the sphere growing in size, 'If his attack speed is on par with how fast he can move…' "...We can't."
"What?" Roll asked before Megaman grabbed Heart.
"Huh?"
"You don't have your wings right now…so I'll be them for you!" Megaman replied, "Lan!"
"MegaBooster, Download!" Lan called, causing Megaman's backpack to grow bigger as thrusters emerged from the bottom half.
"You know if this don't kill me, I'm gonna get stronger. Why ya lettin' that happen?" Heart asked.
"Because Logging Out is slower than his attack speed," Megaman replied, "Even if it's going to hurt…if everyone else can get out, then I'm alright!"
"Wait, don't be an idiot!" Belt-san shouted, starting to run towards them before Megaman took off at Bass, carrying Heart, "Yamero! HUB!"
"Hub?" Mashin Chaser repeated.
"So what? You gonna throw me at it?"
"Nope."
"...We're ramming it?!" Heart realized before cracking up laughing, "You and the Kamen Rider really are two peas in a pod!"
"Alright, Bass! This is the big finish!" Lan declared.
"Earth…" Bass intoned before throwing the sphere at them, now the size of a two-story house, "BREAKER!"
"We're coming for you, Bass!" Megaman roared as the sphere connected with them, Heart spreading his arms out wide as he took the brunt of the attack.
"DEAD ZONE!" Heart roared, his body turning pure red as a bright flash of light blinded everyone, an explosion coming shortly after.
Heart and Chase grunted as they shot out of a connection to a telephone pole, crashing into a dumpster that closed its lid on them. A few moments of silence passed before Chase pushed up on the lid before getting out. He reached in and pulled out Heart, the Roidmude groaning with a delirious smile on his face.
"Can we not do that…ever again…please?" Zero grunted, BugFrags already at work mending his damages.
"I wish I could say we could…" Chase sighed, "Now if only we could get away with not telling Medic."
"N-no…don't tell Medic…" Heart groaned, "She'll disable my Jack-In…and strap me into a bed…or a couch…o-or something I'm using to lie down on…"
"I hate you put me in these situations…" Chase deadpanned, "Kid Grave then." He began to help Heart to the monorail station, "With luck, Krim and those NetNavi are gone."
"Ugh…" Lan groaned, laying on the floor from how his back felt.
"L…Lan?"
"N-Not so loud, Hub…" Lan mumbled, cracking open his eyes…to see the digital skies of the ACDC Network, "!?" he sat up and looked to see a stunned Hub with his helmet at his side, "...H…How?"
"I…I don't know," Hub admitted, "I just woke up a few seconds before you did."
"O-Oh…" Lan nodded before a small silence fell as they sat beside the other, looking up at the sky.
"...Looks like we blew it in every way possible, huh?"
"Huh?"
"Following after Heart, Mashin Chaser, and Zero," Hub noted, "And then the whole thing with Bass."
"I…I guess," Lan admitted, scratching his cheek in thought, "Still…we know NetNavis can get even more powerful. That Bass guy was intense and we all got curb stomped!"
Hub nodded as he put his helmet back on, "I…I want to get up to that point." Lan looked at Megaman at that, "Getting that strong to protect everyone from threats that big."
"..." Lan chuckled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "Same here, really. Even with CrossFusion, I still wanna get stronger, too." a moment passed before he frowned, "Though we gotta figure out why I'm in the Network right now."
"It's because you were in FullSynchro when you both lost consciousness," the two jumped and spun around to see Yamatoman looking down at the two, an annoyed look in his eyes, "My brother Japanman and his partner Oda have had this happen before, especially in the early years of this ability being discovered. Just stay by your NetNavi, Hikari-san, and you will enter FullSynchro and be able to return to your body."
"Were you the one who brought us here?" Megaman asked.
"Thanks for saving us if you were!" Lan added.
"I am," Yamatoman replied, "The others all Logged Out before Bass's EarthBreaker collided with the one you were carrying overloaded himself. But…as for saving you two? No…More than likely, Bass let you live."
"Huh? Let us live?" Megaman tilted his head.
"But why?" Lan asked, mimicking his twin.
"I have no idea of what that one's actions are aside from his hatred of humanity," Yamatoman replied, "But…you two fought Bass…and lived. NetNavis all over will become interested in you two, wanting to challenge you to see why you lived. Stay on your toes, you two."
"..." the two shared looks before smiling and wrapping an arm over the shoulder of the other, "Bring it on!"
"I beg your pardon?" Yamatoman asked.
"We'll take on anyone at anytime!" Lan pumped a fist.
"We want to do it so we can get stronger for everyone!" Megaman added.
"...You two are unbelievable," Yamatoman sighed before pulling out a weathered roll of paper and offered it to Megaman, "If you two are that determined, then here."
"Huh? What's this?" Megaman asked.
"It is a map. One far older than anything I have seen in my time in this world," Yamatoman replied, "I do not understand it myself, but I am aware that the treasure at the end is said to be a reward beyond any." he turned away from the two, "I tried to find it and failed. Mayhaps the next generation will fare better."
"...Thank you, Yamatoman," Megaman thanked as Yamatoman began to walk away.
"Don't thank me yet, you two," Yamatoman warned, "You have some adults and Sakurai Maylu-san and Roll-san to deal with once Hikari-san returns to his body and logs you out, Megaman-san, de gozaru."
"Oh…I'm gonna get yelled at…Oh…They're gonna tell Mom!" Lan panicked, "Hub, what are we gonna do?!"
"...Make a will?" Megaman sheepishly scratched his cheek, dread and panic welling in him as well, "And you mean we are gonna get yelled at."
"...It…It won't be that bad…will it?" Lan asked.
"YOU IDIOTS!"
'It's that bad…' both thought, wincing inside of the Drive Pit before Belt-san on his stand with the Driver displaying an angry emoticon.
"Of all the pigheaded, idiotic, suicidal, irresponsible, reckless, incautious, STUPID THINGS!" he ranted, "NO SPEAKING!" he cut them off when they tried to speak, "You are banned from fighting! For 'till college!"
"For 'till college?!" Lan shouted in shock.
"Okay, that probably seems a bit harsh…" Shinnosuke muttered, "A month at least…"
"A MONTH!?" Lan gawked.
"Considering you two chose to fly head-first into a big attack while carrying Heart, we could make it two," Kiriko frowned, hands on her hips, "And you two aren't the only ones getting that punishment." she looked over at Maylu, "Though it's less for them and only a week." she shook her head, "What were you kids even thinking following them?"
"It wasn't our original idea. We were trying to find out about rumors in the Undernet about Bass," Roll explained, "We were even going to stay right by Protoman and log out immediately if he told us to…and then we saw Heart, Mashin Chaser, and Zero and followed them into the remnants of the WWW's Network."
"This doesn't sound like a Maylu-chan idea…or even a Lan-kun idea," Kiriko pointed out, "...Who's idea was it?" she leaned in towards the children, "It was Go…wasn't it?"
"Uh-huh," Lan and Maylu quickly nodded.
"I'm going to kick him in the kidney." Kiriko stomped off.
"Oh he's not gonna be good for a while," Shinnosuke muttered.
"Um…Does this also mean no sparring lessons?" Megaman asked.
"Absolutely not! Not until your grounding is over!" Belt-san replied, "There's also the fact you did something so reckless as to absorb the Deadzone Heart was releasing! Now we need to check you over for what that kind of input has caused in your data…which means Rinna is going to be annoyed at me for no reason once more!"
"Look…you kids tried to be brave, and for the most part…kinda smart," Shinnosuke sighed, "But, as strong as you are, or will be…You're still kids." he walked over and put his hand on Lan and Maylu heads to gently assure them, "You need to remember that it's the adults job to handle the scary things first. When we fail, then it's your turn. But, I'm still here, got it? Heart, Chaser, all of them are my responsibility first, okay?"
"Hai, Tomari-san," Maylu nodded.
"Uhn!" Lan agreed
"Now sadly, your Kaachan has already been told," Shinnosuke sighed to Lan, "I wanted to maybe tell her in a less…panic style, but Belt-san was angry."
"I TOLD HER EVERYTHING!"
"ACK!" Lan and Megaman tensed.
"Yeah…She asked if Hunter would be your…ahem…'joint parole officer' during your groundings on not fighting," Shinnosuke went on.
"Aw man…why do I get the worst…?" Lan groaned.
"Mmm…I wouldn't be too sure about that." Shinnosuke muttered, "Notice a certain edgy boy who's not here." he motioned, "Chances are for the first time in his life, he will get a talking to of angry authority figure proportions he never got from anyone…all while watching Go be tortured…"
"GO!"
"AH! My kidneys!" Go cried in pain from within the top floor of a fancy high rise apartment, "Run, Chaud! She can't get both of us! AH! My Pinkie toe!"
"Run and there is nowhere on Earth I won't find you! Come here and kneel while I tell you why you are never doing this again!" Kiriko snapped as the entire building trembled.
"That was the spine!" Go cried out.
"To be fair, I have been traversing the Undernet for a few years and our original plans were messed with due to the encounter of the leader of the Roidmudes," Chuad replied.
"Hah?" Kiriko asked with a glare, "Who asked you for excuses?"
"None. I honestly am aware of the escalation of the situation and why I advised Hikari and Sakurai-san to get into the ship."
"AH! You're making it worse!" Go cried as Kiriko stomped on his back and began grinding the heel of her boot deeper making a pop sound go off, "Ahh…" he groaned, passing out.
"It sounds like an excuse to me." Kiriko replied as the glare was stronger, making Chaud flinch.
"Lord Chaud?"
"And you!"
"Yes, officer?"
"You should've put an end to the nonsense earlier."
"Lan would have likely ignored the orders. I simply chose the way they would safely be introduced to a dangerous area of the Network."
"Now the NetNavi gives excuses…" Kiriko spoke slowly as both flinched at the tone, "You both sound like children in need of proper lessons in respect for your elders. Harsh lessons…"
"R-run boy…she will break your spirit…" Go croaked out.
"Go for the chip and you won't like what I do," Kiriko warned.
"Wasn't intending on that," Chaud replied, only to flinch as he was flicked on the head with enough force to knock him on his rear.
"Stay until I am done reading Go the last of the riot act," Kiriko ordered.
"AH!" Go screamed as he was dragged away, "SAVE YOURSELF! She's unforgiving, a horrible oni in the shape of a short pretty woman! She'll destroy you!"
'It's like dealing with a more competent female Go…but as an actual officer and knows how to skirt the line of the law to perform these acts,' Chaud thought.
"Wait, Nee-chan, that doesn't bend that way!" a snap filled the air, "AH! Now it does!"
"Oh relax, it's just dislocated, you baby," Kiriko replied, "Here…I'll snap it back in place." a loud pop filled the air as Go cried in pain before passing out again, "And I'm done." she turned to Chaud, "Now for you."
"For the record, I do not have the same tolerance for pain as Go," Chaud reminded.
"I'm not going to hurt a child," Kiriko replied, "Which is what you are." that seemingly impacted more, given the slight flinch, "Hah…You're the type who tries hard to show he has what it takes, and people calling you a child undercuts the work you put in, doesn't it?" she asked, earning silence, "Lan-kun told me of the scars, too. An elite natural wouldn't be willing to train and fight to the point they scar themselves. Those are born of endless hard work to get the skills you have, right?"
"..." Chaud nodded.
"Hah, you're nothing like Lan, or Maylu…or even like Tomari-san." Kiriko listed, "With them, they are honest about the stupid things they do. But even then you're still easy to understand in your own way, you're still a child after all, so don't go around expecting to be as complicated to understand as you think you are." she sighed, "You should be happy to still be a child who has his whole life ahead of him to become the best at what they want. It's also okay for you to want to be praised for doing our best, but also expect to be reprimanded for when you mess up." she held her finger up towards him to make a point, "Don't underestimate the wisdom of adults! We've lived at least twice as long as you, and felt all those same feelings."
"...Understood," Chaud replied.
"Still…those are a lot of them," Kiriko noted, giving him a look over to try to spot the faint marks, "They're from FullSynchro?"
"Yes, ma'am," Protoman confirmed.
"Hmm…Considering Lan-kun is going to not be able to NetBattle for a while, he doesn't need Mad Doctor to heal him up. Not sure if he can handle some of these older ones," Kiriko noted, "Just how long do you two train with FullSynchro anyway?"
"Ten."
"Minutes?"
"Ten hours daily."
"Eh? You train for ten hours every day?" Kiriko asked, "No matter how you look at it, that seems almost too long." she nodded, "Especially if the end result is these rather concerning scars. Which…well, given their locations would raise certain alarms in people…"
"She's saying they make you seem more emo!" Go laughed, only to yelp when he was punted into the bathroom.
"Hah…I guess the adage of opposites is somewhat true…" Kiriko sighed, "If you have to train, wouldn't it serve you better to train and challenge yourself with someone of a similar skill level?" she turned to Chaud, "And, yes, I mean Lan, and don't start with me." she stopped him from talking as he opened his mouth.
"I have to admit…aside from Heart, Megaman was the only one who wasn't breaking down when Bass chose to let out all that power after the aura was destroyed," Protoman spoke, "How did a Civilian NetNavi like him get that kind of power in a short period of time?"
"Megaman is a bit of a…complicated tale."
"Does it involve why Krim called him 'Hub?'" Chaud asked before wincing as Kiriko lightly poked where she had flicked him on the forehead.
"That's something Lan-kun and he will tell you when they feel like it," Kiriko replied, "Some things are just not yours to share. But if it will satisfy you, it is related to why they are so strong. But even in spite of that, most of that is part of some sort of natural talent on their part."
"I see…" Chaud noted.
"Though…it'll be a bit before you can spar with them," Kiriko stated, "Even if they're officers, they're children first so Haruka-san has them grounded from NetBattling for a few weeks."
"S-Seriously?" Chaud asked in disbelief.
"A kid does something stupid, they get punished," Kiriko explained, "Speaking of, since there is no parent to do the same…" she held her hand out, "Give up Protoman. You are grounded."
"...What?" Chaud questioned in a flat tone of disbelief.
"Officer Shijima, I am required to stay by Lord Chaud in order to assist with keeping track of his duties as the Vice President of IPC."
"I don't recall asking," Kiriko replied, holding up a SubPeT, "Don't think I won't find a way to beat you up, Protoman."
'The thing that scares me most…is that she sounds like she'll find a way,' Protoman thought, a drop of sweat going down the back of his helmet, "May I have a moment to make sure to automate important notifications for his duties to IPC during his 'grounding,' officer?"
"Hmm…" Kiriko pondered, "Nope. Grounded is grounded." she snatched the PeT and walked off, "Children sit and do nothing when punished."
"Give it up! She's unstoppable when motivated!" Go declared from the bathroom, "Chances are if anyone complains…she'll kick them so hard their stomach moves up into their chest…"
"N-Nani…?" Chaud gawked in disbelief, 'I can't believe this…This is that kid's fault!'
GT: *chuckles* Yeah…strong they may be, but they are still kids and, as such, do need to be punished when they done goof.
Z0: I mean was he ever treated as an actual kid in the games…no wait no one was in the games…they let a little boy fly by himself to a different country and get mugged…games are a bad example. The Anime!?
GT: They let Lan go on a world tour on his own, Yai got to take Dex and Maylu to Jawaii to see Lan on that world tour without parental supervision which led to nonsense with a ghost ship and a digital idol, Lan almost got killed several times on that world tour (Megaman even getting kidnapped once by kids Raoul was looking after once)...yeah, no. Adults are almost always useless in the Battle Network timeline.
Z0: I was afraid of such a thing. Well Kiriko…will change that. Mostly because she is much scarier and will likely do something to fix the kids unchecked nonsense.
GT: Indeed. And while Lan and Chaud are dealing with the shock of their grounding since Maylu has likely accepted that already…let's move to Preview!
Kamen Rider Drive: Battle Network!
Go: A Roidmude is…
Shinnosuke: …a stalker?
Jun: Special Cases Department, deploy~!
CF Megaman: GWAH! Mach and Mashin Chaser's bikes can gattai?!
Drive: Oi, oi…what kind of system is that?
Chase: I…am…who am I?!
Case 15: Who is the Black Shadow chasing her?
Kiriko: You're the Kamen Rider who saved my life!
GT: Oh we are getting into something juicy next time, it seems.
Z0: The big reveals! We are getting into it! Also one of the coolest and weirdest vehicle gimmicks.
GT: Indeed! So until next time, Readers, please Read and Review!