GT: Here we go! Next round of the N1! It'll be a pair of NetBattles! After this, there's one more chapter before stuff goes down!
Maylu mutedly sighed, looking around the Network she was in. She guessed it was another memory, but a more recent one. Her eyes widened as Roll A walked past her and, in a flash, became Buckfire. Her eyes widened further as she began recognizing the path she was walking alongside A-Buckfire. They stopped before a wall. A-Buckfire snorted and a screen of a younger Maylu appeared.
"Ready for this?" A-Buckfire asked.
"Uh-huh!" Memory Maylu beamed, the younger girl smiling in excitement.
"Then let's do this!" A-Buckfire whooped before walking through the wall, Maylu following 'him' through it to be welcomed to a cheering crowd of NetNavis with a stage set up, "MRRROOOOOOOO~!"
"?!" everyone looked out to A-Buckfire and erupted into cheers.
"Buckfire the Brave!"
"Whoo! Yeah! It's a Buckfire Brawl Night!"
"Oh shit! Glad I ain't going to brawl tonight!"
"This is gonna be epic~!"
"Buckfire!"
Maylu couldn't stop the smile on her face as A-Buckfire waved to the cheering crowds. Even if they were hiding behind an A-Trans, this had been something she really enjoyed. A recognition of their strength and how hard they trained after hanging out with friends. Her smile slipped as she remembered that she wasn't able to go back because of their developing FullSynchro at the time worrying the both of them. She wondered if they still had these with the N1 showing the need for a license was being pulled back. A-Buckfire stepped up to the queue and many immediately offered to let 'him' cut in line.
"Oh no, I couldn't," A-Buckfire chuckled in good nature, "I'm just a NetNavi looking for a good fight like anyone else here. Plus, it's first come, first serve. I ain't breaking that rule."
Maylu couldn't hold in the mute giggle. She was always so dang humble outside of the ring when she was using Buckfire. It was a part of why so many in the Pits respected them. They were humble out of the ring, honorable within, and always made sure to give a show while battling. Her eyes widened as she spotted a NetNavi nearby. They were humanoid in appearance, but donned in a stylized crimson and obsidian armor resembling a wyvern of sorts. On their back was a broadsword and a spiked shield on their left arm. Yet…the long yellow scarf around their neck caught her eye.
Maylu gasped, realizing that this was their last day. She blinked and jumped, realizing she suddenly jumped ahead as the roars of the crowd boomed as the referee Mr. Prog hovered in the center of the stage.
"And now, for the moment we've all been waiting for! First, the challenger! A newcomer, donned in mystery! The dragonic slayer! Give it up for Breakman!" The Mr. Prog announced as the armored NetNavi approached, music playing as the crowd cheered.
Maylu frowned as she realized that the N1 hadn't done something like this at all. No unique tune for NetNavi and NetOp, just declaring their names and even then it's mainly the NetOp's. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the music picked up pace and the crowd began to rise to a fever pitch of excitement.
"And now, here comes the home champion! The bucking broncho! The burning brawler! The Native Gazelle! Undefeated champion! BUCKFIRE~ THE~ BRA~VE!"
Several NetNavis with flamethrowers let them rip into the sky. Within an instant, they were dispersed as A-Buckfire shot through them with a flying side kick and landed perfectly at his corner. The crowd was in pure excitement as hoots and cheers ripped out. Maylu gave a muted snort of amusement as she watched her sister flexing and posing for the crowd. The two approached the Mr. Prog.
"Allright, I want a good, clean NetBattle. No illegal programs, keep your UnderShirt Program running at all times, and if I say 'stop,' you stop," Mr. Prog ordered.
"Understood," both replied.
"Then let's get ready to rumble~!" Mr. Prog declared as he got out of the ring, "Battle Routine, SET!"
"EXECUTE!" both declared.
Hoof met the flat end of a broadsword and spiked shield, sending up a ripple of air around the two. Maylu tilted her head, realizing she was looking at a NetBattle from an angle she never knew of and spotted how Breakman tensed. Guess he realized that Buckfire has two faces, the gazelle head…and the one on his neck with a grate acting as a guard for it. Breakman swung his sword and cut through the flaming arrows fired from both arms of A-Buckfire. He lunged only for an AreaSteal to allow Buckfire to avoid the strike and force Breakman to roll out of the way of the diving sidekick he let loose. A-Buckfire cried out as he swung his head, letting loose his 'ears' as a pair of spinning blades. Breakman's sword glowed before he swung it, letting loose four elemental slashes that collided with the two spinning attacks and creating an explosion. Breakman shot out of the smoke only to tense as A-Buckfire was nowhere to be seen. He barely turned around and used his shield to protect himself from the barrage of fire-engulfed arrows that came from the smoke. The Gazelleroid erupted from the smoke headfirst as the 'ears' glowed with energy. Breakman swung his sword and an explosion erupted from the collison. Maylu bit her lower lip as she watched the battle from the past, both sides unable to gain a clear advantage as it only made the audience go crazy from the intensity and excitement of someone finally rivaling Buckfire the Brave. She remembered how she had been feeling during this time all too well. It was…a rush. The challenge they were being given, the fact they were going on for longer than they had before… The battle soon reached a fevered pitch, roars bellowing as Sword BattleChip met broadsword and sending up sparks that illuminated the damaged armor of both fighters.
"You…are strong," A-Buckfire snorted.
"Same to you," Breakman grunted, "But…Why stay in these pits? You could do a lot more in other places like the Officials."
A-Buckfire snorted, "Sorry, but I'm doing these for fun and personal training. Got a friend I'm waitin' for. I've got a good clue when he'll show up, too."
"Care to share?"
"A kid I know is gonna be enterin' th' fifth grade soon. My friend is gonna be his NetNavi then," A-Buckfire replied, "He's a hell of a lot stronger than even me. It's why I'm here: ta train ta stand by him and not be a liability like I used to be."
"Interesting," Breakman noted, "Then let's see you deal with my best move. Del…"
"NETPOLICE!" A basic NetNavi shouted, "IT'S A RAID!"
As if on cue, the NetNavis scrambled, many logging out immediately as others took for bolt holes. A-Buckfire huffed at the bewildered expression on Breakman's lips and posture.
"Next time," A-Buckfire noted as he logged out.
Maylu yawned as she stepped out of the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day. She walked up to her computer and unplugged the PeT from its charger. Ashe smiled at her as she appeared on top of it in her normal hologram.
"Ready for today?"
"You bet! …Um…Roll?"
"What's up?"
"I dreamt about our final battle as Buckfire the Brave last night."
"Oh? Man, that was intense and was left on a cliffhanger thanks to that raid," Ashe recalled before frowning, "I still wanna fight him again one day."
"Same here," Maylu agreed, "Who knows? Maybe he'll see the N1 and want to fight us as we are."
[I'd be happy for that! I didn't get a chance to copy his data in our original battle!] Axl chirped up.
"What?! We have to work with that jerk?!" Lan complained as he watched the screen announcing the teams.
"Sadly, yes," Vent sighed, "But…we just have to suck it up. After this are the semifinals and then the finals."
"Maylu and Ashe are gonna be the hardest if we fight them because they're good at working together and with Axl," Lan frowned before thinking back to the dream he shared with Maylu, "..."
"What's up, Lan?"
"Vent…Did…Did you and Ashe fight each other because of Model W?"
"...We did," Vent replied, "We didn't recognize one another at all since we both looked really different from when we saw one another before."
"Ouch," Lan winced, "So…she was stronger than you?"
"No, we'd honestly tie if it was just me using ZX and her using Model A," Vent replied, "I was already tired from fighting various enemies between me and destroying the Model W fragment. Plus, neither of us had you two, so it's going to be interesting if we do fight."
"Not reluctant to fight her?" Lan quirked a brow.
"Oh, I am. But I also know she'll kick my butt and Maylu will do the same to yours if we even consider holding back," Vent replied.
"Ack!" Lan flinched.
[They're announcing who you're fighting] Phantom informed, making the two look at the screen to see that they'll be fighting the Alpha Dome against a large NetNavi made of stone and a red, yellow, and black NetNavi with bombs on its shoulders while Maylu and Famous would be up against Masa and Raika.
"Yikes," Lan flinched, "We could barely beat Searchman on his own, but now Maylu and Ashe have to fight him and Sharkman at the same time."
"They also have Famous with them and he seems to be quite the capable NetBattler," Vent pointed out, "But it's Stoneman and Bombman that I'm more concerned about."
"The NetNavis that don't use NetOps," Lan recalled before laughter appeared on the screen and it changed to show the two, making Lan gulp as Bombman was around Vent's height…but one of Stoneman's legs were that same height as well, 'He's gigantic!'
"It's pointless, pointless," Stoneman spoke, his voice reverberating.
"Indeed. Whether it's just these two or two hundred of them, we who do not require Network Operators…we independent NetNavis are the ultimate force!" Bombman declared before the screen moved into a split on with Higsby and Ribitta.
"Mmm…What do they mean?" Ribitta pondered.
"It's a bit of a hot topic among NetNavis. Independent NetNavis don't have to worry about a delay between action and attack," Higsby explained, "In that I mean that a NetNavi with a NetOp wastes time between attacks as the NetOp picks a BattleChip for them to use."
"Yes, that's correct," Bombman agreed, his arms over his torso.
"This means that Lan and Chaud along with Vent and Protoman will be at a disadvantage in this round…but the same can be said for the independent NetNavis."
"Hm? Explain, explain," Stoneman ordered.
"The sheer variety of BattleChips and combinations that Lan and Chaud have pulled off with Vent and Protoman over the course of the tournament along with how unique their personal abilities are," Higsby replied, "This battle will be one that many NetNavis will be watching closely to see which is truly superior: Independent NetNavis or NetOp-NetNavi pairs."
"We'll be making adjustments to both domes, so the semi-final battles will begin in two hours," Ribitta informed.
"Is it really that important?" Tory pondered, the group all in a picnic area on the artificial island, "Independent or working with a NetOp?"
"A lot of NetNavis have it rough with their NetOps, some even abandoned by them for different reasons," Ashe noted, "They may even be kept, but abused by the NetOp, unable to leave for various reasons, such as not knowing where they would go or turn to if they left since their life with a NetOp is all they know."
Maylu grimaced, knowing fully well what she was referring to. The silverette looked at her and gave the redhead an assuring smile and pretending to rest her hand on Maylu's cheek in assurance.
"That's horrible," Dex growled, "What kinda jerk does that to a NetNavi?"
"It's something that just happens, hence why going independent has been a thing among NetNavi circles," Vent shrugged, "I've heard a few talks about it when I was working as a SciLab courier doing deliveries. And both sides have a point; there are many NetNavis who love being partnered with NetOps because of the connections that come from it, such as being able to experience things they couldn't in the Network alone, such as utilizing BattleChips or sharing experiences with their NetOps. But independents have free reign to do as they wish without being constrained by NetOps and the delay between BattleChip usages and not having to fear an abusive home."
"I tried to be independent myself, but it was really scary. Almost being Deleted from stronger Viruses…being ridiculed by other NetNavis…I had to resort to things that will haunt me for the rest of my life just to live another moment longer," Roze added from Alouette's PeT, "But, I'm…" he sniffled, "I'm truly grateful to Ciel and Alouette for letting me be Alouette's NetNavi and giving me a new home."
"Aw Roze…" Alouette whispered before hugging her PeT.
"This is quite a heavy topic for kids…" Ms. Mari noted in concern.
"Yet they seem to be handling themselves alright," Masa added, "They have some good mature NetNavis helping with it." he looked to the kids, "You all have some good points, much like how the fishing community has differing opinions on the best kinds of fish, best fishing spots, and even preferred bait to use. However…Lan, Vent, you two have an advantage that they don't understand, something that no computer can calculate for."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Lan asked.
"You have a strong friendship with one another," Masa stated, "They don't know how much power comes from that kind of bond and likely never experienced what it's like to have a bond like you two have."
Lan smiled at that, "Thanks, Masa."
"You're quite the inspirational sayer, Masa," Ms. Mari complimented with an enthusiastic pat to the back that caused Masa to yelp and fall over into his bento, "Ah! A-Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine, I'm fine!" Masa assured before a few pops went off, "Ah…"
"Don't worry, I know how to handle this," Jasmine assured as she made her way over.
"I swear, your teacher has to have cybernetics in her own body when she does things like that," Ashe muttered, a bead of sweat going down her head.
"It's still unfortunate you have to pair up with Chaud of all folks," Yai huffed.
"Oh, right," Maylu recalled, "Your family companies are rivals, right?"
"Indeed," Yai nodded, "GABCOM and IPC."
'That still feels so weird…I'm used to them being Ayano-Tech and Blaze Quest…with the latter being a gaming company…' Ashe thought.
"There may be a rivalry between your companies, but that doesn't discredit Chaud's operating abilities," Tory spoke up, "Nor how fast and strong Protoman is. He currently has the record for fastest Deletion Time in the N1 for a good reason."
"Hmph. Vent, the Biometals, and me beat him once, we can do it again," Lan stated.
"Huh?! Ya did?!" Dex gawked.
"When we first met him, they had a NetBattle that got really intense and nearly broke the arcade system that they were using," Maylu noted, "It was the first time I ever saw Vent used Model Z and Model X together."
"The form that makes his hair blond and his armor red?" Tory recalled, "Yeah, that armor's really powerful."
[Aside from the failsafe in us that Zero can trigger if we fall into the wrong hands, Vent working together with Papa and Zero is capable of overcoming not only the four of us, but also…] Leviathan trailed off.
"I still wanna know about this Model…" Lan began.
[NOOO~!] the more vocal three of the Four Guardians and Model Z all shouted.
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," Maylu sighed.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Tory asked.
"Vent has one more Biometal, but Models Z, F, L, and H keep freaking out before we can learn anything about it," Maylu huffed.
"Considering he's why three of them are Biometals, it's not a shock," Vent admitted.
"Huh?" Tory pondered.
"My last partner has a lot of power, having needed both X and Zero to defeat him and render him into a Biometal himself," Vent explained, "I can do a Double MegaMerge with him, but I can't do that when a Biometal's 'asleep.'"
"Sir Vent…Biometals require rest?" Glyde pondered.
"At times, yes. But my friend is one who likes to sleep a lot until he feels like there's someone strong to challenge nearby or whenever he just wants to wake up," Vent explained, "He also speaks in a dead language and it took me over a year to learn it myself so I could understand what he was saying."
"Hah?! So then how come he doesn't pop out whenever we brawl, huh?" Ashe demanded.
"Most likely? He's in one of his deeper sleeps at the moment," Vent sighed.
"Do you think we can see him?" Iceman asked.
[Vent, please don't!] Leviathan begged.
"It's alright," Vent assured, "He's sleeping and can't hurt you anymore. Plus, I've been wanting to introduce him ever since you all started this shouting bit."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a dulled out Biometal. It had a 'face' similar to Model Z and Model X, but its casing was primarily a rusty red color and shaped to resemble the symbol for Omega. Ashe blinked and looked at her sides to see three of the Four Guardian Biometals had all zipped over to her PeT and were hiding behind her shoulders. Model P remained hovering by Vent, taking a better look at the Biometal. Aside from Ashe, all the other NetNavis there unknowingly took a step back as it felt like something shot through their systems.
"This is him," Vent spoke, "Model O. As you can see, he's sleeping. He'll wake up when he wants to." he put the Biometal away, "It's part of our agreement, after all."
"Agreement?" Lan tilted his head.
Vent nodded, "He doesn't go all destructive on the world and try to plunge into into chaos and obliteration by trying to take over my body and I let him sleep whenever he wants for how long he wants and only MegaMerge with him if he wants to fight someone he deems as strong enough to challenge him. It's rare that he comes out, but sometimes he'll wake up without wanting to fight and just watch something going on." he pointed at Ashe, "He was awake when we first met. Was hiding near the top of the place and watching. He commented that you were strong, so if he's awake the next time we spar, he may want to see what you're made of."
"Oh? Well, I hope he is awake then because I wanna go at him myself!" Ashe declared.
[We hid behind a suicidal chick!] Fafnir panicked.
[Do you have to point that out?] Harpuia sighed.
[Ashe, dear, please don't!] Leviathan begged [I'll have two less girls that can hear me that I enjoy conversing with!]
"Guts~" Gutsman shook before stomping a foot, "Gutsman wanna get stronger ta take you on in whatever that one makes, guts!"
"I'd honestly like to check you over to make sure there aren't any drawbacks to this power that sleeping Biometal has," Meddy noted, concern in her tone.
"If it helps you feel better about him, alright," Vent shrugged.
"I am unsure of how Model O is like, but I do trust in you, Sir Vent," Glyde spoke, "However, did you not feel the shift in the air when you had that Biometal out?"
"Shift?" Lan repeated, tilting his head.
"You guys wouldn't feel it out there, but in here it was as if something went…wrong…with everything, guts," Gutsman admitted.
"Hey, it's alright. He's a good guy once you get past his issues that his former 'master' shoved into him through some terrible programming," Vent assured, "...And not 'terrible' like villainous or the like. I mean 'terrible' as in I want to slap his entire family lineage for how messed up the coding was. So many conflicting triggers in the coding…"
"You know coding?" Lan asked.
"I was made in SciLab and was a courier for them for several years. There's something wrong if I didn't pick up things from overhearing scientists talk with one another, talk with NetNavis and Mr. Progs, or to themselves as they worked," Vent pointed out.
"O-Oh, right…"
"Hmm…Yai, are you still up in arms about that comment Chaud made about your company being 'third-rate?'" Ciel asked.
"Wouldn't you if he said the same about your papa?!" Yai fumed.
"Yes…but he knows what I'd do if he upsets me," Ciel replied.
"That and because I honestly respect Commissioner Oda is why I don't call him that," everyone looked to see Chaud approach.
"I sure wasn't expecting they'd change things up like this," Lan spoke, "Happy to delay how long it'll be before Vent and me take you on again?"
"Just don't get in my way in this match," Chaud replied.
"What'd ya say?!" Dex demanded.
"Let me say this: A NetBattle is not so easily won through friendship," Chaud stated.
"Hah?! What's that mean?! Vent and I smacked you around because of our bond!" Lan argued.
"Fueled by hatred and anger," Chaud pointed out, making him grimace, "When we fought, you were enraged. Your attempts to say otherwise are as useless as a third-party's playhouse games."
"Whaaaaaat?!" Yai hissed, her pigtails shooting straight up as she glared daggers at him.
"Just leave Stoneman and Bombman to me. You just stay in the corner if you want to avoid Vent's Deletion," Chaud warned.
[Remind me again just who was curbstomped by who last time, hm?] Leviathan demanded [If anything, Protoman would be in Vent's way, especially as Model ZX]
"Okay, enough please," Ciel spoke up before Chaud could retort, "May I walk with you two, Lan, Eugene?"
"Eugene?" Lan repeated, trying to hide his amusement but winced at the harsh glare Ciel gave him, "Ulp…"
"Hoo boy…Chaud and Lan are in trouble~" Alouette winced as the two boys were practically dragged away by Ciel.
"How so?" Yai asked.
"I know the tone Ciel gave too well, mainly for the fact that I've dealt with it from my mother and then me giving it to the more troublemaking of my students," Ms. Mari noted.
"Okay, I am good with some healthy competition between co-workers, but not to this point," Ciel sternly spoke, giving the two a stern glare as they stood by the harbor of the artificial island, "Eugene, I know how this tournament is for you and how working with Lan will irritate you for several reasons, but cool it. You're strong, I get it. I know you're strong, but we are dealing with two WWW AutoNavis that were likely custom built by Dr. Wily himself." she spun around to look at Lan, "Lan, you're a kid, I understand it. I also know your first meeting with Eugene was far less than ideal and how I would've hoped for. But please just let. it. be. We are on the precipice of the ideal operation to take down WWW, but we need to push them deeper into a corner and show them we mean business." she inhaled deeply before looking at them both, "Eugene Chaud Blaze, Lan Netto Hikari, I am ordering you both to work together as equals in this operation. You are authorized to Delete Stoneman and Bombman and obtain their Memory Data. Chaud, you are to focus solely upon Bombman unless Stoneman interferes. Lan, you are to focus on Stoneman unless Bombman interferes." she looked at the two NetNavis, "I can trust you two, Vent and Protoman, to coordinate with one another better than your NetOps…right?"
"Yes, ma'am," Vent replied.
"Understood," Protoman confirmed.
Ciel nodded before sighing, "Look, guys, just…just do this, okay? You're both my friends, but I need to be your boss at the moment because of what this is leading up to. Today is what leads up to tomorrow's massive operation to stop WWW, but we can't do that unless our operatives are all good and ready and not demoralized by losing to WWW NetNavis."
"Mmm…Well…alright," Lan agreed, "We just focus on the WWW, right?"
Chaud sighed, "Very well, Ciel. I'll…try not to get infuriated with Hikari."
"That's all I ask."
It was then Chaud's PeT started to ring, "Lord Chaud."
"What is it, Protoman?" Chaud asked.
"An emergency request from the president."
"The old man?"
Bombman grunted as he did a few stretches. Nearby, Stoneman stood as still as his namesake, yellow eyes focused solely upon a single spot. He raised his arms up before slamming them down hard, producing three Rockcubes that crashed down hard and surrounded three sides of the spot. A strong kick from Bombman sent one of his namesakes rolling into it before an explosion went off a moment later, sending chunks of the three Rockcubes scattering and leaving behind a smoldering hole in the ground.
"Not bad…but it won't be enough."
"?!" Bombman turned around as Stoneman tilted his head towards the owner of the voice.
"It is you, you…" Stoneman noted.
"Indeed, big guy. And like I said…it won't be enough since you're up against Vent," the figure warned, "If he uses a form called FX, your strategy won't even bother him. He can shatter those cubes like they were LEGO bricks and his blasters can catch your bombs on fire and explode them before they even get close to him. And that's just him. There's also his buddy, Protoman. You're fast, Bombman, but his blade is faster."
"Tch…So yer sayin' we're gonna lose, right?" Bombman demanded.
"As you are now, yes. But, I have a little something for you both," the figure noted before a pair of purple orbs materialized, "Integrate these into yourselves and you will gain unimaginable power."
"What are these, these?" Stoneman asked.
"A sliver of power from what the good Doc is creating from the Four Elemental Codes along with what my associate and I are adding into it," they responded, "This should even the odds and grant you an upgraded form. I like to call it…"
"Mmm…What's taking Chaud so long?" Lan pondered, standing at the consol a bit later.
'Guess that event's still happening with Yai and Chaud stuck in the elevator,' Vent thought.
[They got stuck in an elevator?] X asked, isolating himself to just Vent.
'Yes. I learned it later from Glyde. They got stuck in the elevator and Chaud had to carry Yai out of it on the emergency escape ladder inside of the elevator shaft. Turns out he lost most of his BattleChips from that,' Vent recalled.
[Seriously? And you still lost to him?] Fafnir asked.
'A little bit after we met back up again after a lot of things went down, Protoman told me just how he got a sudden power boost in the final round of the tournament,' Vent replied, 'His Ultimate Program triggered.'
[Ultimate Program? Like your Hyper Adaptability?] Phantom questioned.
'Yes. Though, now I'm curious, does this Protoman still have his Ultimate Program…or is it something else entirely?' Vent pondered, narrowing his eyes.
"While Beta Dome is doing their countdown due to Chaud currently not there, let's turn to here in Alpha Dome where the teams of Raika and Commander Beef go head-to-head against the team of Maylu Sakurai and Famous!" Ribitta cheered.
"You ready to smack 'em silly, big guy?" Roll A asked, smirking at Punk.
Punk chuckled, "Oh, you are a real firespitter, gal." he slammed his fists together, a determined gleam in his eyes, "Let's do it!"
[Ashe, any chance you…]
'No, buddy. Famous didn't have a NetNavi in the old timeline I'm from, so this is uncharted waters,' Roll A replied.
[I'm starting to think that you should just throw out all that future stuff with how much it's all changed…]
"I'm quite curious about how you three will keep up with Punk and I," Famous noted, adjusting his sunglasses.
"We'll do our best," Maylu assured.
"Not even started yet and already things are intense! Let's get started!" Higsby cheered.
"Right! NetOps and NetNavis, ready? Battle Routine SET!"
"EXECUTE!" all four shouted.
In a flash, A-Chronoforce was hefted by Punk, utilizing him as a shield that bounced off the barrage of shots from Searchman. Punk spun around and threw A-Chronoforce into a slide, causing 'him' to dive underground as if it were water in time to ram into Sharkman, sending him into the air and out of the 'water.'
"You know…I keep forgetting I can do that," A-Chronoforce admitted.
[I'll say. Almost half a decade with you in here and I'm still forgetting that for Chronoforce so he's not just stuck in one spot unless underwater] Axl agreed.
Punk curled up into his shoulderguards and raced off towards Searchman, becoming a spiked wheel of sorts. Searchman narrowed his eyes as he took aim. With a mental command, Searchman fired a round and struck the floor inches ahead of Punk, causing an explosion. The smoke burst as Punk soared through the air and opened up, swinging his arms out and extending them on his cable-like limbs. Searchman turned transparent and then invisible, the two limbs missing him and shattering the ground instead. Nearby, Sharkman and A-Chronoforce raced about 'underwater' against one another, energy blades shaped like shark fins and icicle tail ends trading collisions and explosions. A-Chronoforce raced past him and headed for Punk, causing Sharkman to narrow his eyes and pursue 'him.' the fake Pseudoroid jumped out and, in a flash, A-Atlas grabbed the tossed up shoulderguards of Punk and threw them hard at Searchman. In another flash, Searchman sniped them out of the sky only to be slammed with an electrified sphere. A-Argoyle cheered, high-fiving the holographic A-Ugoyle, before dashing out of the way of the erupting Sharkman from below, attempting to chomp down on her. He was instead met with a massive enlarged 'fist' of Punk, smashing in his face and then sending him crashing into the ground, skidding across it to end up beside Searchman. The shark NetNavi grunted, pulling his snout out. He opened his mouth and felt his gums with his tongue, not a single tooth remaining. He huffed before, with a grunt, an entire new set of sharper fangs popped out.
"...What?" Searchman flatly asked.
"You think I would make a shark-based NetNavi and not include one of its best features?" Commander Beef questioned.
"Sharks can regrow their teeth?" Raika asked in surprise.
"Of course," Commander Beef nodded.
"But he also added and removed some stuff," Sharkman smirked, picking up his broken teeth before throwing them, causing them to glow and turn into shark-shaped missiles that rocketed at the two, "Like this!"
Famous and Maylu inserted BattleChips into their PeTs. A flash went off before the missiles struck, creating a smokescreen. A moment passed before Sharkman was rammed into by a side tackle by Punk as Searchman spun around, rifle replaced with hand and combat knife to parry A-Megaman ZX's ZX Saber. They glared at one another before they started moving once more.
"Whaaa~! It's like when Searchman and Megaman fought! A deadly dance of blades has graced us once more!" Ribitta awed.
"Only change the ninja for a swordsman, huh," Higsby adjusted his glasses, "In the meantime, Punk is not giving Sharkman a single opening to repeat that trick of his!"
True to his words, Punk was laying a beatdown upon Sharkman. He slammed his arms on the sides of Sharkman's head, causing his head to start ringing. He then slammed a foot into Sharkman's solar plexus, making him gag and go into an uppercut that sent the shark into the air. Famous inserted three BattleChips into his PeT and Punk glowed for a moment. His arms coiled, becoming spring-like in shape. He jumped and used them as actual springs to jump higher into the air above Sharkman. The shark spun around and fired off a barrage of energy fins at him along with several shark missiles from teeth he pulled out of his mouth. Punk's eyes shifted to look pleased before his left leg enlarged to twice the size of his body, shaping into a cylindrical weight with a menacing face on the side. He fell down, the 'blades' and missiles splashing off his leg harmlessly. He slammed into Sharkman and then crashed down hard into the ground, shattering the entire stage. A-Megaman ZX and Searchman's eyes went wide and began to use the shattered pieces to get onto a smaller platform while Punk bounced along several others to land on another platform, unfolding from his wheel mode to turn around and look at them.
"Sharkman has been Logged Out! Now all that remains is a two-on-one scenario! How will Searchman deal with this?"
In a flash, Searchman shot and missed A-Megaman ZX. He looked down only for A-Iceman to unleash a freezing blast of air at the ground, freezing it over. A-Iceman smirked only to scream as Searchman easily skated along the ice to deliver a swift kick to 'his' face, sending him into the air where, in a flash, A-Aeolus hovered and glared down at him.
"Much of Sharo's Network is covered in ice panels. Nice try," Searchman commented.
"Really?" Maylu asked in surprise.
"Yes," Raika replied, "Ice panels are a specialty in Sharoian NetBattling."
"Then this calls for a heavy hitter," Maylu sighed.
"Whoo! A-Trans! Bifrost!"
A flash went off and Searchman was engulfed in a shadow. He looked up and his eyes went wide in startelement at seeing the massive blue Pseudoroid falling down at him. An AreaSteal barely kept him from being crushed under the behemoth's size that cracked the entire ground around 'him' upon impact. The moment he reformed, Searchman spun around and blocked the charging spiked wheel that was Punk with the flat of his rifle. The orangette grit his teeth as sparks raced off the collision site. With a roar, Searchman managed to move and force Punk's rolling to head for A-Bifrost. A-Bifrost roared and swung 'his' tail around, slapping Punk back at Searchman. Punk unfolded and swung his extendable arms out to strike at Searchman, who turned into shadows and caused Punk to phase through him and started to fall into the void below, forcing Famous to log him out.
A flash and Roll A scowled at the shadowy Searchman, "Shadow BattleChip…I just hate those so much~!"
[I'll say! Now we can't blast him anymore!] Axl complained before, in a flash A-Aeolus was forced to zip about to avoid sniper shots [And we can't get close, either!]
Maylu grimaced as she checked her BattleChips. Hardly any would help in the current situation and she refused to use the GigaChip until they tested it out. She grit her teeth as she thought to the Pits and the battles there, trying to recall anything from those that could help.
'The last time this happened, our opponent's weaponry caused a ton of smokescreen to hide Ashe as that Siarnaq form, but none of Searchman's…' Maylu thought before looking at her BattleChips again, 'Wait…I don't need Searchman to be explosive. Axl!'
[What's up?]
'Tell Roll…' Maylu 'told' him her idea.
[Hah?! That's your idea! …Why didn't we think of this before?!] Axl pouted.
'Better late than never!' A-Aeolus thought before yelping as 'his' right wing finally took a hit and, in a flash, A-Hedgeshock bounced along the broken panels until landing on a larger one, "Let's go for it!"
"I may not have as many as Lan, but MiniBomb, multi-download!" Maylu called out, holding up several BattleChips.
One by one, MiniBombs materialized and were swiftly tossed all over by A-Hedgehog spinning around like a top. Searchman and Raika raised a brow in unison, not getting what they were doing by just randomly throwing explosives about…before some smoke hid the yellow Pseudoroid from sight. A muted light went off briefly and Searchman tensed and quickly took several shots into the massive smokescreen the girls had made. He jumped back while his sniper rifle was cleaved in two by a plasma oversized star-shaped shuriken.
"You have got to be kidding me…" Raika glowered at Maylu.
"Why is it that both times we've fought someone from your hometown…" Searchman grumbled, parrying the plasma kunai of a lanky figure donned in Model P's armor with the white parts of the helmet elongated enough to attach to one another a few inches ahead of the now shadowed face, hiding all detail except for a pair of glowing red eyes, with his combat knife, "...they have a ninja form?"
"RESPONSE: COINCIDENCE," 'he' responded in a cold, robotic tone.
Maylu shuddered, 'I've always felt Siarnaq was…off…'
[He pretty much was this super creepy guy the three times we encountered him] Axl replied.
"Here we go again with ninja vs sniper!" Ribitta gawked as another 'dance' broke out between the two.
"Oh! Just got word from Numberman, Chaud has finally arrived at the Alpha Dome!"
"Oh thank goodness…With just three seconds to spare, Challenger Chaud has arrived in time," Numberman sighed in relief, collapsing into the commentator's chair he had been in front of.
"We got super worried, kero!" Toadman exclaimed, sitting in his own.
"Glad you made it," Lan noted as Chaud walked over to the console.
"Sorry to make you wait," Chaud apologized.
"Hmph. Foolish humans. Come to get your NetNavis Deleted by us," Bombman declared, a hand on his hip.
"Guess whatever your dad needed help with took longer than ya thought," Lan noted.
"A little," Chaud replied.
Lan nodded, "These guys feel a lot stronger than the others we've fought in WWW. We're gonna have to avoid holding back anything."
"I've said it before…I don't need your help, Hikari," Chaud stated, "Just keep focused on Stoneman and Protoman will handle Bombman."
"Fine, fine," Lan huffed before tossing him a folder.
"?" Chaud caught it and opened it, seeing it filled with various Sword-Element BattleChips, "What's this?"
"Vent thought it'd be a good idea to give you all these," Lan huffed, "He went over the top last night and did a ton of Virus Busting without me."
"Sorry, Lan. But you really needed your sleep after the crazy day with Clockman and everything," Vent replied, "NetNavis don't really need to sleep like humans do, so…"
"Just warn me next time, alright? We're friends," Lan stated.
"Sure thing, Lan," Vent nodded.
'Did…Did Vent know I'd lose most of my Folder helping Ayano in that elevator?' Chaud thought, raising a brow.
'How did he know we wouldn't have most of our BattleChips?' Protoman pondered as the two were sent into the systems.
"Stoneman and Bombman…both call themselve the Ultimate NetNavis because they can battle without NetOps…" Toadman narrated, "Will they be able to prove that against the two candidates that people are predicting will make it all the way to the finals, Megaman and Protoman, kero?"
"Who will win this quarterfinal round? Which method will prevail today? Solo vs NetOp…Programming vs BattleChips…" Numberman added.
"The time in now!" both declared, "Battle Routine SET!"
"EXECUTE!" all four NetNavis shouted.
Bombman stomped on the ground before he swung his other leg out, unleashing a series of bombs soaring at them. Protoman became a red blur as, in a flash, FX swung his right gauntlet with buster covering it and shattered a massive Rockcube that came down on them while the bombs just bounced and rolled away, their wicks all sliced off. FX jumped back, avoiding another that had been hidden by the first, before swinging his other out and slammed it into the Rockcube, sending it right at Stoneman. Stoneman swung his upper left limb and shattered the Rockcube before both his upper limbs flipped around to let the small orbs on them face FX. A pair of green lasers shot out of them and, in a flash, HX was soaring over it towards him. Another flash went off and FX roared, swinging down a fire-engulfed LifeSword at Stoneman. The behemoth of a NetNavi looked up in time for the blade to go into his right eye, making him screech and flail his head about, forcing FX to lose his grip and be sent flying back a few yards. Bombman grunted as he caught Protoman's sword before slamming a bomb into the red NetNavi's face only for it to be revealed to be an afterimage. His eyes widened before crying out as several deep cuts formed on his body as Protoman appeared behind him, back to the WWW NetNavi.
"A-Amazing!" Numberman gawked.
"Despite the size difference, Megaman is giving Stoneman a truly difficult time! It's like a modern day David vs Goliath situation! And despite the destructive power of Bombman's namesakes, Protoman's speed is preventing even a single one from getting set off, kero!" Toadman added.
"The speed these two have are something else," Tory noted in surprise in the audience with Dex, the Oda family, and Yai.
'If it had been against anyone else, those two would've been outpacing their opponents,' Oda thought as Protoman and Megaman LX were upon their opponents, 'Yet, with the time between [Order] and [Delay] almost at a zero time difference thanks to FullSynchro, that advantage these Solo NetNavis have is rendered null.'
Miyu frowned, no longer focused upon Roll A and Searchman's battle, while she gazed down upon her crystal ball in her lap, "...A power that was not witnessed in the one before arrives too soon. Delivered by an unwilling judge of destruction and ruin."
"Hm?" Sal looked over at her, pausing in her cheering with Ms. Mari for the redhead.
"Another result of the overflowing waters," Miyu shook her head.
Sal gulped on hearing that. She looked back down to the battle, seeing the swift flashes of A-Trans going off at points. One moment Searchman was shooting at a charging A-Argoyle only to miss because A-Hedgeshock raced along in her curled ball state at him. Another shot and flash had A-Aeolus racing at him in the air before another flash and the shot missed because A-Colorman deflected the shot with 'his' thrown ball. An AreaSteal allowed Searchman to avoid electrocution from a grab by A-Elecman only for another flash to go off and let A-Vulturon to swing 'his' guitar and bat the sniper shot away only for the second to graze the side of 'his' face, blood being drawn from the same spot on Maylu's face. A flash went off and a barrage of fire-empowered Spreader attacks from A-Atlas roared out and headed for Searchman only to be sniped out of the sky and engulf it in a cloud of thick black smoke from a single round. A HiCannon was proven effective from avoiding being ensnared by A-Thetis's summoned ice dragon only to grunt as Roll A's homing shots finally getting a hit in.
[This guy's just too fast at points!] Model A panicked.
'Too fast? Too…wait. That's it! Axl, tell Roll to go to Chronoforce!' Maylu advised.
[Chronoforce? …Oh yeah! That's it!] Model A cheered.
In a flash, the sniper round aimed to take out Roll A missed as Chronoforce 'dove' into the ground. Searchman frowned as he looked around, taking note of the moment any ripples materialized to shoot. His sniper rifle clicked as the red on it turned black with a red tip after Raika inserted a BattleChip into his PeT.
'Breaking Element installed. Now to…' Searchman began before snowflakes materialized in the air, "?"
"Should've been quicker, bub!" A-Chronoforce called out as 'he' shot out of the ground and turned back into Roll A, her guns aimed at Searchman's back.
Searchman tried to swiftly turn around…only to have his eyes slowly widen as everything had come to crawl for him.
"When Roll uses Chronoforce, she can temporarily slow down the entire area she's fighting in," Maylu explained, inserting a set of five BattleChips into her PeT, "Thank you for the battle, Raika, Searchman."
The two guns of Roll A's glowed before turning into a massive gunmetal, black, and red cannon hefted onto her shoulder, "Better luck next time, Searchman. It was an honor facing you today." the barrel shined brightly as a purple 'cube' spiraled into materialization around the two NetNavis, "Program Advance! PowerCannon! PLUS GIGA CRUSH!"
What came next was a brilliant burst of light and a barrage of gunshots and artillery fire erupted from all the speakers connected to the fight. Several tense moments passed once they stopped and the light dimmed down. Roll A panted, falling onto her behind, as she looked out at the large empty void before her while sirens went off.
"AND IT'S OVER~!" Ribitta cheered, "The team of Famous and Maylu move on to the Semifinals!"
The crowd erupted into roars of excitement and jubilee. Down on the field, Commander Beef smiled as he shook Famous and Maylu's hands. Raika, meanwhile, saluted the two, giving a small nod to Famous who returned it. Several beeps came from their PeTs and Commander Beef and Famous casually tapped the sides of their helmet/sunglasses and a faint glow momentarily shined from their visor/sunglasses before tensing. It was a message from Miyu: 'Danger in Alpha Dome caused by the river overflow. Report immediately to it at once.'
[Gotta admit, Vent…Your stories about these two being a hassle aren't really living up the hype] Fafnir noted, the two NetNavis standing across from their opponents, said opponents in far worse shape than when they began.
'I guess it's because they were some of the first tough enemies I fought when I was a kid,' Megaman FX admitted, 'They were just so strong back then and we barely won. But…after the lives I've lived…They're not as difficult.'
[Would probably be like X as he was in the Elf Wars being brought back to Sigma's first rebellion] Zero compared [What was a hard time back then would be a cakewalk due to your memories]
Bombman grunted, putting a hand over the deep gash along his chest, barely having missed his emblem, "Guess…we gotta use it, huh?"
"No other choice, choice, choice," Stoneman agreed.
"Huh? What are they…?" Lan began before an ominous green glow came off Stoneman as a matching red one came off Bombman.
Stoneman grunted and growled before his lower jaw jutted out a foot further than normal. The growls overcame Stoneman as his hind legs elongated with two parts stretching out of the sides while three stone claws grew from his front legs. More stones gathered to make a triangular 'tail' of sorts for him as two tiny 'pyramids' grew out atop his head. Meanwhile Bombman grunted and roared as parts of his back near his shoulders began to bubble. They bulged before exploding, exposing massive red, orange, and black wings, the 'feathers' of them resembling sticks of dynamite. The bombs that made up his shoulders bulged and bubbled before sharpening into spiked spheres. His mohawk jutted out into a line of spikes as the armor over his torso and mouth area elongated as another orange and yellow piece grew out of his head to make it look as if he had a pelican's beak. Two more white rings formed down both his legs as the orange parts of his boots piled up and widened out to engulf his feet, allowing yellow talons to grow out of them once they hid his feet. Both let out frenzied cries that shook the entire battlefield and caused sparks to come off the machine.
"Wh-wh-wh-WHAAAAAT?!" Numberman panicked, nearly falling out of his chair.
"EEK! Wh-What is this, kero!? They've become…become…" Toadman whimpered, jumping behind Numberman's chair.
"...Beasts," Protoman finished for them.
[...Vent…?] Fafnir warily asked in growing concern.
'This never happened in my old timeline,' FX replied with wide eyes, 'Nobody ever did this in that old timeline.'
In the audience, Oda narrowed his eyes and scowled, 'We're going to have to get a permit to examine the seal in Cyber City's Network. Somehow…either their power leaked out…or Wily made one with the Elemental Codes.'
Yahoot stepped back from the screen, "By the Buddha…What is this chaotic sensation?"
"Hmm…I've heard of this," Wily noted, "Just before Tadashi's death…a tale of two beasts tearing one another throughout the Network only to have perished, yet for months after, NetNavis that had been near the places they battled were infected by something and turned into mindless savage beasts only out to destroy everything and kill everyone." he narrowed his eye, "I take it one of you had a hand in this."
"Oh come now, Doc," the voice chuckled from another monitor, "...You are absolutely correct. I just borrowed a sliver of the energy of the Elemental Codes and from where that gift we gave to you for it came was mixed into it and this was the result."
"I see…" Wily nodded, "So it's not the Beast Factor, but something akin to it."
Both WWW NetNavis screeched and howled with unbridled fury, shaking the entire Network of the island, just as the others from the Beta Dome entered the audience.
"Are those…Bombman and Stoneman?" Maylu asked in shock.
"Holy cow! What happened to them?!" Ashe gawked.
"It's an old tale," Famous spoke, frowning, "Long ago, just after an incident known as the Alpha Revolt occurred, a mass of BugFrags clustered together creating a massive beast known as Cybeast Gregar. It rampaged through the Network, destroying everything and anything in its path. A scientist, long since discredited, created another Cybeast, Falzar, to do battle with it, but it only caused even greater damage. Eventually, the two were locked away deep underground in the Network, trapped in an isolated portion of it never to be reconnected. But…remnants of their power seeped into nearby NetNavis, altering them into nothing more than feral beasts that would slaughter everyone and everything around them until they burned out and self-terminated from all that power. What this 'infection' was called…was the Beast Factor."
Beast Stoneman howled, slamming his upper limbs down hard. Shadows overcame the two human-like NetNavis. They looked up and went pale. In a flash, HX swooped through the air, barely dodging the spiked Rockcubes that exploded upon impact with the ground that was ripping and tearing it apart from the impacts. Meanwhile, Protoman was rushing towards Beast Stoneman when Beast Bombman rammed into him, holding him by his neck. Chaud gagged as Protoman was slammed hard into another platform nearby. Beast Bombman shot up into the air and shot his wings down at Protoman, sending down a rain of feathers at him. The ends of them lit up the moment they struck the ground and, in an instant, exploded. Protoman appeared out of an AreaSteal beside HX as he landed on another platform, grimacing.
"Their output has gone up by a drastic amount," Protoman observed.
"This isn't natural," Chaud noted, trying to think of what to do while rubbing his neck, faint bruising forming from the feedback.
"This is terrifying," Iceman whimpered.
"Good heavens! What's become of those two?!" Glyde gasped.
Yai grimaced, 'I know Lan looked like he gave Chaud BattleChips, but will those be enough?'
Beast Stoneman let loose a howl as his front legs flipped around. The laser that came from their combined might was twice as large with the front resembling a jagged beast's head that came at the two with its 'jaws' wide open to devour them. The two quickly dodged it with AreaSteals before Protoman and Megaman ZX formed the LifeSword and swung them down, cleaving through Beast Stoneman. They jumped back from an attempted strike of Beast Bombman as a pulsating silver orb rose from the remains of Beast Stoneman. It flashed before the pieces of him reformed and repaired the destroyed feral NetNavi, who let loose another howl and swung a fist down. In a flash, FX grunted, falling to a knee as he struggled to keep the powerful blow from crushing them. The two humanoid NetNavis glowed and vanished, letting the limb smash down and shatter the ground around it. The two faded back into view across from the two feral NetNavis that howled and screeched at them, fury and madness in their eyes.
'Guys…' Megaman FX began.
[Zero] X spoke up.
[...Tch. I can't believe that this is making us use that] Zero grumbled as, in a flash, Megaman ZX stood.
"Stay behind me," Megaman ZX warned as L, H, P, and F floated around him in a ring.
"What are you…?" Protoman began before the four Biometals slammed into ZX…before the red turned gold and the white silver.
"OVERDRIVE ZX!" Megaman ZX roared as a blinding light filled the entire arena.
"Gh…C-Can't see!" Numberman exclaimed, holding an arm up to try and block the light.
"What's happening in there, kero?!" Toadman gawked, holding his own hands up and looking away.
Several machines on the island sparked and exploded as sparks came off the dueling terminal. Both boys grunted, holding an arm up and squinting to try and look through the light while exhaustion was suddenly slammed into Lan. Within the light, an undignified screech of howling agony pierced through before it fell silent. The light slowly died down and Megaman X panted with a stunned Protoman behind him. Before them…was nothing but utter devastation. Numerous 'slashes' filled the air, distorting it all. Beast Bombman trembled, missing a leg and an arm from the same side while the wing was regenerating. Where Beast Stoneman had been…was nothing more than a massive 'slice' torn into the very air where he and the destroyed platform had once been. Megaman X stumbled and, in a flash, Vent fell onto his back, still breathing heavily to try and catch his breath. Lan groaned, almost collapsing and barely managing to hold himself up by holding onto the front of the machine. Several alerts flashed through his cybernetic eye, notifying him of his body being strained heavily and trying to suggest immediate rest.
'Vent…Z-Zero…X…Wh…What was that…?' Lan thought, trying to stay awake and swearing he saw all but Model X in his PeT, dull and lifeless.
[Our final attack] X replied [It drains everyone to channel their powers through me to use it, so we can't use it if even one of the kids uses Overdrive with Vent and I. They'll wake up in about twelve hours exactly]
'T…Tired…' Lan admitted, managing to look at Chaud, "F…Finish it…"
Chaud flinched and shook his head, clearing his mind of the surprise and shock, "Protoman!"
"Understood!"
"Sword, WideSword, and LongSword!"
"PROGRAM ADVANCE!" both roared.
Beast Bombman shrieked as he saw Protoman heading for him. His shoulders hissed before he let loose a barrage of bombs from them along with his explosive feathers. Yet…Protoman's emblem glowed and he moved. What people saw one moment was Protoman at one point and then the next? He was behind Beast Bombman, LifeSword swung. The beast gurgled before his entire body was covered in thin lines…before his body collapsed into miniscule cubes that shattered.
=BOMBMAN - DELETED=
Protoman dismissed the blade and made his way over to Vent. The young man grunted as he slowly sat up…while Lan groaned and fell over, caught by a worried Maylu. As the siren went off for the end of the battle, nobody spoke up, no declaration, no applause, just…stunned silence. The last of the quarterfinals had come and gone…and nobody would ever get their mind off the brief moment that nobody could see just what Megaman ZX had performed.
"A double-edged final attack," Oda summed up as the on-island medical clinic had Lan sleeping on a bed in it, "The feedback from it wiped out even the stamina of a boy like Lan."
"What was that anyway?" Chaud asked.
"Something I didn't know they could do," Ciel noted, completely honest about it.
'I haven't seen that form since Serpent was defeated…' Alouette thought, 'X and Zero must have thought they needed to end the fight immediately once those two transformed like that.'
"It's something the Biometals have been able to do since I found all of them. When I use ZX and they're all ready, they channel everything into Model ZX for one big attack," Vent explained, "We've only used it once before, but given the strange situation…"
[It was safer to do that than let things unfold with an unknown threat] Zero stated, Ciel repeating it for those who couldn't hear the Biometal.
"What was that, anyway?" Dex asked.
"An old folktale from a long time ago," Oda replied, "It's not a good thing. Immense power at the cost of exponentially shortening the life of a NetNavi and destroying their sanity, leaving them as a feral berserker."
"S-Seriously? They went that far to try and prove a point?" Yai asked in disbelief.
"Sometimes, a person's pride goes too far to make rational choices," Ashe noted with a grimace, Maylu glancing at her NetNavi in concern.
"Too true," Oda nodded, "It's why it's important to have those you can bond with. They help keep you in-check and in turn you keep them in-check. Even when one is far away, you'll always be connected through that bond." he glanced over at Ciel and Alouette, who smiled up at him with sad looks in their eyes, "Even in death, that bond will always be cherished."
GT: Whew. This was intense. And we're not done yet, either. This was just the quarterfinals. Next up, the semifinals!