As-yet unnamed REO fanfic '09

Saito-kun · Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:45 pm Post subject: As-yet unnamed REO fanfic '09

Sorry it took so long, I just now had enough time to sit down and write something really quickly. It's not so great and the end is a bit ambiguous, but that just means the next author has some leeway. Wink

Okey dokey, here's how it works. We all take turns writing a section of the fic. The order we go in will be the order that was posted in the other thread. Which is so far:

Ryouko
Marisa
Nenji
SeijinKage13
Linkfreak131
itoshinojjp
Malik
Izumi
Midnight
HeatShadow

I didn't bother to pay attention to whether or not each of you actually wanted to do this, so if you're next, you can pass if you'd like. (If you still want to write a section but want to do it later, your name will be put at the bottom of the list.) This could be most interesting... For this fic, unless anyone objects, let's stick closer to the game's storyline. E.g., Netto-Saito link and no crossfusion. :D (Except, Net City is ok.) If we decide to do another one, we can do crossfusion in that one if you want. Razz

I'll go first. ^_^

Rockman stepped out onto the patio. The calm blue navi kept his composure as he sat on a narrow ledge overhanging a quiet street, anticipating Roll's call. It had been three months since he had seen his pink friend, and the estrangement had not gone unnoticed. Rockman subconsciously drummed his fingers on the ledge of the porch, not even thinking twice about the danger of sitting so carelessly on such a high precipice. Ameroupe's Net City sure was a sight to behold. The buildings were all the same drab grey color that populated his own familiar Net City Japan, but the Ameroupians had gone a step further and bothered to waste the bandwidth involved in streaming images of the actual sky into the virtual metropolis. The breathtaking sunset was a striking orange with contrasting purple wisps of cloud attempting to blot out the sun. Rockman sucked in a breath and didn't exhale, choosing instead to puff his cheeks and bounce his legs against the wall. Something weird was bubbling in his stomach. He didn't know why he was so nervous about a call from good old Roll-chan. A few minutes staggered by as Rockman waited impatiently. The sights and sounds of Net City preparing to sleep would normally have been relaxing, but in his jittery mood, all it did was serve to irritate Rockman. He ducked back into the small apartment. It had been lonely these past few months and he wanted someone to talk to. Netto was there, but he was often busy participating in the research that they had come to Ameroupe for. Besides, talking to a brother is all well and good, but sometimes you need a friend instead. Even Rockman, who was normally someone who kept to himself, wished for a loud party or an evildoer to defeat or some kind of dinner with Roll-chan... something. Rockman had never been one for such whimsical moods, and decided that his anticipation and nerves were getting to him, and making him think in a way he would normally not. Rockman sighed and did a curl-stretch (as he always did when nervous) and walked over to the sofa, the lone piece of furniture in his plain and empty apartment. He started to think about how his ladyfriend's sensibility could easily make the humble abode a pleasant and cozy one. Rockman's mind trailed and he automatically stretched out on the couch. Not too long afterwards, he fell asleep.

The first thing that interrupted Rockman's sleep was a rumbling noise. He slowly opened his eyes. It was dark, and the only light visible was the strip of moonlight cutting in through the screen door onto the wall, and a few pinpricks of light out the window. At first Rockman thought he was dreaming, until another rumble and a loud boom echoed through the room. Rockman jumped to his feet. He heard something crash in the adjacent apartment, and dashed out to the patio. His hands sought the edge of the ledge of their own will, since his mind was preoccupied with what he saw. The beautiful fog-covered moon went unnoticed as flying objects of some sort stole Rockman's attention. It was hard to tell if they were something in the cyberworld or a projection from the real world. The city was surprisingly quiet, probably because everyone else was observing in the same bewildered state. Dark shadows flitted about the sky, creating a racket that Rockman recognized as jet engines as they soared overhead. He thought they might have been projections as he thought he noticed almost imperceptible errors in the graphics due to the overlapping images from the network of skycams in the real world being updated too quickly for the servers to edit correctly. (AN: Yea, I know that's confusing. Just read it a few times.) Rockman wondered how far the Ameroupians had gone to recreate the effects of the real world in Net City, and if he should be worried as to whether they were attacking. A shrill whistle screamed far off and a subsequent tumbling explosion noise confirmed Rockman's fears. A bright orange ball of flame erupted from the side of one of the skyscrapers, spreading a wave of heat that tussed his hair even from afar. The top of the building leaned and collapsed into itself sluggishly. There was no way the explosion was caused by projections, but all the same Rockman's stomach fell as he realized where his brother was at that moment.

**Ryouko** · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:52 pm Post subject:

A snot bubble ballooned from Netto's nose as he slumbered at his desk, a slew of papers underneath his head. Sweet dreams of Japan and curry kept him at peace, combined with the quietness of the lab. It was late, and everyone else had already bustled home for the day. Netto, as usual, had opted to stay late and finish tweaking a few last glitches in their latest program, but also as usual, he just ended up snoozing instead. That's what tended to happen when his brother wasn't there to yell him awake, like when they were in class.

Such peaceful thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a low rumble trembled throughout the lab's floors, and rattled the instruments and equipment like twinkling chimes of plastic and metal. Netto's eyes fluttered open just in time to witness a burst of light and fire crash through the far wall, spraying an enormous amount of debris. Netto instinctively ducked to the ground, and rolled as a printer crash landed where he just been. He suddenly knew he was in serious trouble when he felt the very floor beneath him begin to shift.

The building was falling.
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Marisa · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:04 pm Post subject:

Netto's heart stopped for a moment as he felt himself begin to panic. All his thoughts froze for a moment and he felt his veins fill with adrenaline. "Rock, the building--" he grabbed his PET off the nightstand, staring down at the screen. He was in NetCity. No time to wait for him to come back -- Netto heard another loud rumble and felt his stomach in his throat. It was the same feeling he got coming down on a rollercoaster... and that was when he realized he was falling.

Netto screamed, but even he could barely hear it over the sound of the building collapsing. The room heaved to one side and he was thrown from the bed. He was still clutching the PET as his head smacked against the nearby armoire, and everything went black.

The sound of sirens was the first thing Netto heard, and he opened his eyes slowly. Everything was dark around him, but he could still feel the carpet underneath his prone form. It felt grainy, though, like it was covered in sand. As Netto moved his hand, the smell of paint and sawdust assaulted his nose and he began to cough uncontrollably. He shifted a little, when a lightning strike of pain ran through his legs and left hand. Netto cried out, realizing he couldn't move them -- they were pinned under rubble.

He reached forward with his good hand, ignoring the throb the movement caused in his other limbs. Netto's heart leapt when he felt the cold plastic of the PET. "R-Rockman," he whispered coarsely, "help..." His hand moved over the buttons, then the screen -- and froze. There were cracks in it, those shouldn't be there... No! Further investigation revealed something coarse and heavy laying on the rest of the PET.. it was under more rubble, most likely crushed.

Netto's heart sank. Rockman, are you all right? He knew Rockman was in NetCity. Even if he weren't, Rockman could escape to there rather quickly. But if the PET was offline, he couldn't even be tracked. Netto wondered how long he'd been out cold. Hours? A day? Rockman must be worried sick. And by now, he'd have told Mama and Papa. His heart lurched at the thought of his family worried sick.

A dog was barking somewhere. Netto blinked and craned his neck, but the debris all around blocked his view of anything but darkness. He couldn't help but wonder what a dog was doing so close by to a disaster site.

"What is it, girl?" A female voice, older, probably someone with authority. "Is there someone down there?"

Netto gasped. A rescue dog! "D-down here," he tried to shout, but with the dust cluttering his lungs he could barely whisper. "Help..."

"Bring some of the crew over here, I think Hana's found another survivor!" The female voice called.

Netto gathered his strength, wondering how far down he was buried. "Help," he said, a little stronger this time, but still not loud enough.

Time passed. Netto wasn't sure how long it was, but he suddenly felt a rush of wind as some of the rubble was cleared. He gasped, loving the taste of the fresh air, and suddenly the world was a mass of voices and hands gently freeing him from where he'd been trapped. As he was placed onto a stretcher, Netto wondered again how long he'd been down there. It was pitch-black outside. He couldn't even see an inch in front of his face, much less the people around him.

...No, that couldn't be right. He felt warm -- not a warm breeze in the night, but the intense warmth from sunlight on a summer day. Yet for some reason, it was too dark to see anything. What in the world was going on?
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Nenji · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:13 am Post subject:

( Sorry for the delay! It's been hot, hot HOT! over here for a bit. :/ )

Netto grasped over his face. He couldn't see his hands but he found a strange fabric covering his eyes. This sent twin jolts of relief and dread running through him. Relief that he might not be blind, dread for what reason the bandages. He had gotten no further than touching the bandages when a familiar voice stopped him.

"You musn't do that, the bandages need to stay on for now...Proffesor... Proffesor! He's awake!" Meiru's voice says, somewhere beside him. Netto was glad to hear the friendly voice but wondered how long he had been out so far. Meiru and his family had been far away...they would have rushed to his side as soon as he was found; but it still would have taken some time.

Netto hears footsteps. He can't make out how many people, but its more than one. He tries to speak, his voice croaking and sounding completely unlike himself.

"What...happened?"

His fathers voice returns to him in the darkness. "There was a bomb. We don't know who is responsible yet or why. The building was mostly empty because it was so late, although that didn't save you." He says and Netto can hear the grief and worry in his voice. His mothers voice sounds even worse as she replies. "How could they do this...why?"

Suddenly the voices of his parents aren't so comforting. He's scared and their grief only makes him even more so. Netto wished he could just escape, fly into the Net just like Rockman and be free of his troubles. But he's trapped in a world of darkness that seems like a prison.

"Will...I see...again?" Netto's croaky asks again. He realises he's thirsty but suddenly it seems unimportant.

Yuuichiro's voice is hesitant.

"You...we...should talk to the doctors about that."

Netto's heart sinks even deeper than before.
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SeijinKage13 · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:29 pm Post subject: continuation

(My first time, so take it easy. Also, I'm adding an OC to help develop a plot. Be creative)
Suddenly, Netto hears another set of footsteps and a very familiar voice. "Hakase, I need to speak with you. It's regarding Netto and another important matter."

"Ah, what's happened now, Meijin?", Yuuichiro groaned.

"I apologize for burdening you now, but these require your full attention and...", the person added.

"Meijin-san, is that you?", Netto whispered.

Netto expected that person to say 'san waiirai', but he didn't for some reason. Is my condition that serious?, he morbidly thought. Also, what did he mean by 'important matter'? Netto just laid quietly, trying to make sense of the conversation that seems awfully vague to him.

"...but we must talk about this somewhere else. This must remain confidential between us. Come with me.", he ended.

Netto heard them leave, but this only added more trouble for him to think about. All he could do now is wait for what may come.

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Meanwhile, Meijin and Yuuichiro walk towards the back doors of a nearby ambulance. Both of them entered the vehicle, also asking the staff to leave them alone for a while. All but one person, a black-haired, light-tan boy of about sixteen years of age with dark brown eyes sitting near the front, left, which had puzzled Dr. Hikari. The two professors sat on the seats by the walls.

"Dr. Hikari, there is some disturbing news about Netto's condition. According to the first aid's autopsy, it would seem that his body is in critcal shape.", Meijin stated.

"How badly is it damaged?", the doctor calmly asked.

"As you probably know, he's lost plenty of blood, there are many lacerations to the chest and face, fractures to his arm and leg, slight head trauma, and trace amounts of harmful metal have been found within his system."

"If only I had known something like this would've happened, I..."

"Listen, I feel the same way, but now is not the time to self-pity. The first aid squad is doing its best to help him. All we can do now is prey that Netto will live through it. It was a miracle that he is still breathing despite the condition of his body right now.", Meijin retorted.

"You're right. Now, what is this 'important matter' you wanted to discuss?"

"I can explain," the boy suddenly said.

Dr. Hikari turned his attention to the black-haired boy. A bowl-shaped front cut with an elevated-trim backside, a black + blue hoodie, and white khakis were part of his unique appearance, but something else got his attention. A bar code on his left hand left Yuuichiro wondering who he is.

"Dr. Hikari, I would like you to meet one of the head researchers of the SoulNet V2 project: Nazo Cypher.", Meijin started.

"SoulNet V2?", Yuuichirou questioned.

"Yes, after the Nebula Crisis, me and a team of researchers under the name 'Enigma' looked into Tadashi's project and branched off the previous blueprint to create our current project, dubbed 'SoulNet V2'. The actual project is really a cluster of different projects that are using the original SoulNet blueprints as a reference. The project has been kept away from the public eye in order to prevent another crisis like before. This has also been kept away from Scilab for protection against information leaks.", Nazo explained.

"That's understandable, but what is the connection between that and the bombing of the complex?", the doctor asked.

"Theft and sabatoge, according to the fragmented pieces of data found in some mainframes from the wreckage. It appears that my part of the project data had been copied and then broken up by someone."

"I suspect that there is another crime syndicate behind this.", Dr. Hikari guessed.

"That's not all. According to the trace tests on my data, this was stolen not by a Navi, but by a human."

"What, but that's not possible!", Yuuichiro exclaimed. "I mean, our current technology can't send humans through cyberspace, let alone direct-uplink minds." The only time the doctor ever remembered such a thing ever occuring was during the events of the Alpha incident that Netto explained to him once.

"It would seem that they have found a way to duplicate a piece of my project.", Nazo stated.

"And what exactly is this project of yours?"

"An idea from fiction that was said to be crazy, Synaptic Net Diving, or SND for short. Otherwise, the ability to project a residual image of the user into the Cyberworld for means of interaction and collecting data."

Dr. Hikari was shocked. Such technology and research by a young boy of his age, yet this seemed suspicious. What is this 'Enigma' organization, and why was this technology being reused by them? A nostalgic feeling of foreboding terror began creeping his mind.
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Saito-kun · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 9:37 am Post subject:

Just a little interruption-- let's try to keep all the sections in the same tense. Smile

Preferably past. Wink

linkfreak131 · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:23 pm Post subject:

"Hello, everyone! This is Kero Midorikawa reporting live from the scene- Oh wait, heh heh. Force of habit; sorry everyone!" The famous reporter, Kero, was trying very hard not to laugh at her silly mistake. "I may not be reporting live just yet, but I am on my way there via one of DNN's helicopters! Pretty neat, huh? It'll take some time before I get there. To where, do you ask? Why, the beautiful country of Ameroupe, of course! Well, not so beautiful, anymore..."

"About a week ago, an assumed terrorist attack has hit Ameroupe in one of their most acclaimed states used for scientific research. They are only, just now, letting international reporters into the country for investigations, which is why I am here today!" Kero gave one of her signature smiles into the camera. "It will take a few more hours for me to arrive at the scene, but, I assure you, you are in for a story of a life time, so stay tuned!"

Then, the screen went black. Enzan slowly dropped the TV remote to his side, taking in what the reporter had just said. Enzan had been staying in Japan at the time of the attack, locking himself up in his office filling out numerous company business work papers for a new project he was working on. It was no where near completion, but he was still pressing hard to make it the best device possible. He walked over to his main desk, and held up a small hard drive to his face where he could see it clearly.

"Don't you think this all rather strange, Blues?" Enzan said. "Not long after I finish debugging my new partner's program, this happens. I thought his program looked rather... strange, but I didn't question it since he promised this would help develop our new project in ways we could never imagine." He set down the hardrive back on his desk. "Good thing I managed to make a copy of it, so I could look at it closer without him knowing."

"I agree, Enzan-sama," Blues replied from Enzan's computer. "It does seem quite odd, especially since he refused to give you his name when you first met."

"As if I could force him to tell me, though, Blues," Enzan said. "His product was so amazing. When he first showed it to me, I knew I needed it to help along with the NetNavi interaction program I've been working on; I couldn't refuse any of his offers, or else he could change his mind."

"True, Enzan-sama," Blues continued, "But I think we should travel to Ameroupe to see things out, especially since Netto was involved in the attack."

Enzan gave a sigh. "Yes, I agree, especially since now they're letting in foreigners into the country; you know how Ameroupe's security can be..." Enzan picked up his phone, dialed a quick number, and muttered something to the person on the other end of the line. "The chopper's ready, Blues, so let's go now." Blues nodded, and transferred himself over to Enzan's PET, ready to leave.

"By the way, Blues," Enzan added. "Any sign of Rockman yet?"
"None, Enzan-sama. I've been looking non stop, but it has become very difficult to trace him in Ameroupe's Net City since the incident..."

Enzan nodded. He was counting on Rockman being found by now, especially after a week had gone by. Where could he have possibly gone?
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**Malik** · Local Prinny Deity Age: 34 Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 1179

Rockman vaguely wondered how long he had been there, though he already knew the answer precisely to the second. He was among the lost data that was swallowed up by black when the server crashed.

That was the consequence of having to run a large server with such elaborate graphics.

By that time, all the navis and other programs caught in the crash calmed down or were quickly recovered by their operators. It was tough spot to be in for him; to play the sole level-headed Navi and worrying about Netto at the same time became taxing for Rockman. He had no doubts that his PET was crushed in the explosion.

'But what else was in that explosion?'

He shook off the sick feeling. No, Netto was a lot stronger than that. An explosion was nothing compared to what they've been through together. Then the worrying sunk back in.

He had no idea how close his operator was to the explosion. For all the navi knew, he could have been caught in the blast wave and completely incinerated.

He looked around at the other navis, trapped with him in the static-filled world. Half were delirious from being separated from their operators, most their programming corrupted by the server crash. There were a few scuffles, but they were nothing he couldn't handle. If worse came to worse, he could easily overpower the more haywire navis by himself. He hated it, but he had to survive. Rockman had to know where Netto was and how he was doing. He hoped this was all some sort of sick joke and that the darkness would go away. He wished he would be back in Netto's pet, nagging him for falling asleep on his projects, warning him that drool could damage the delicate machines he worked with. He wanted to be home in Japan, laughing with friends...

Then, at that moment, light pierced through the darkness.

----

ETA: Just for clarification, which canon are we using? I know Saito-kun said the game canon but then everyone else seems like they're using the anime canon. At this rate, I might end up throwing in part of the manga canon XD
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itoshinojjp · Age: 43 Joined: 24 Dec 2008 Posts: 8

The light had appeared and it caught Rockman's attention, however, the light was too bright for Rockman to make any distinction. Soon after the light had appeared, a voice boomed out.

"Perhaps I should thank you"

Rockman squinted his eyes, but could not make out anything.

"If it weren't for your ability, I would not have gained the power that I have now... and I wouldn't have taken my revenge."

Rockman, despite not being able to see anyone, called out.

"You... you were the one that crashed the server!"

A moment had passed before the reply came.

"No... although that what has happened in the real world is not my concern, but it affecting the cyberworld is... unpleasant."

With those words, Rockman's mind snapped into a state of memory recall. He recalls being in a dark lair of the net and there was a shadowy figure hidden away in the darkness

"A Calamity?", said Rockman

"The cyberworld being involved is most unpleasant", said the shadowed figure

The flashback ended and Rockman's eyes widened.

"You... you're..."

Rockman couldn't finish his sentence as he was cut off by the voice.

"So you figured it out."

"Why?", asked Rockman

"Because of you... I was able to become the god I was destined to be. Perhaps it is time I should thank you for that."

That same shadowed figure appeared in the light. The form was unmistakable. A hand reached out from beneath, what appeared to be, a cloak. The figure then came into recognizable vision.

"Forte!?", gasped Rockman

Rockman grabbed Forte's hand as Forte pulled him out of the darkness and into an area of the cyberworld. Forte and Rockman stared at each other for just a brief moment. Forte turned his back and began to walk away.

"Wait!", yelled Rockman. "Why? Why did you save me?"

Forte stopped and looked over his shoulder as Rockman stood back up to a vertical base.

"I told you... I owed you my thanks for my incredible power... but... this is the only thanks you will get. Should our paths cross again... the results will be different. "

"Can you tell me what happened?" asked Rockman.

Forte closed his eyes and started to walk away.

"What happened is even beyond my control. Just remember to heed my warning. That is all I will tell you", says Forte.

Forte then broke up into data and left the area. Rockman looked on with eyes widened.

"Forte...", muttered Rockman and then he soon realized... "NETTO-KUN!"

Rockman ran off into the cyberworld.

Saito-kun · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:05 pm Post subject:

Use whatever canon you wish. This is all jumbled together anyway. Just try to stay away from cross-fusion.

**Izumi** · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:57 pm Post subject:

He had barely taken a few steps when he had to stop dizzily and hold his head. Now that it was bright after being in the staticky black world, his vision seemed to be flickering and shaky, and there was a pounding behind his eyes. He hadn't been damaged by the explosion as far as he could gather, so the strange sensation of his sight jittering like a 20th century film shocked and worried him. It was less painful than frightening, though, so he tried to move on, resolving to handle it later when he was sure his friends were safe.

After a few moments of running without seeing any other Navis or even a stray Program-kun, however, Rockman slowed to a stop and took a long look around the deserted stretch of the cyberworld that Forte had brought him to. He turned around to glace back at the place he had come from, but Forte was no longer visible on the path. He was completely alone.

Uncertain where to go next or even what area of the enourmous cyberworld he could possibly have been deposited in, Rockman continued on, looking for something - a BBS, another Navi, any sort of clue. Without access to the PET, though, he had no maps or trackers to go by. He supposed it was better to be alone than to encounter swarms of enemies half-blind with only the Rockbuster at his disposal.

After running for about five minutes, he came to an Area entrance. Rockman entered and was very relieved to find life at last. Two odd-looking red-and-cream-coloured Program-kuns stood by the gate, rooted to the ground on pedestals, and he walked over to query them.

"WELCOME TO GREY AREA," one said without prompting.

"THIS IS THE WEST GATE OF GREY AREA," the other continued.

"Grey Area? I've never heard of it. Where is it located?"

"GREY AREA IS LOCATED 8 TERABYTES EAST OF AKIHARA AREA 3."

"Akihara 3?" Rockman repeated, puzzled. He had been exploring the Net Areas closest to his home, Akihara, since he had first been activated and he had never been to or even heard about a Grey Area anywhere near it. 8 terabytes was so close that he could not possibly have missed it before. "How do you get back to Akihara 3 from here, then?"

"ACCESS IS DENIED," said one.

"DENIED," the other repeated.

"What? Why?"

"THE ENTRANCE TO AKIHARA 3 IS INOPERATIONAL."

"THE ENTRANCE TO AKIHARA 3 CLOSED IN 201X," one of the Program-kuns explained mechanically. "IT IS NOT DESIGNED FOR TRANSFER OF DATA PACKETS OR PROGRAMS WITH A COLLECTIVE SIZE OF 109,950,000,000,000 OR MORE BYTES."

Rockman's heart sank. This place had clearly been created before Navi technology had become what it was. He had heard that abandoned areas of the Net that had had their Entrance data erased would continue to exist somewhere in cyberspace, but he had never imagined that it would actually be possible to enter such a place. Grey Area was tantalizingly close to the Akihara Areas, so close that Netto's home PC and the relative safety of a temporary PET - not to mention the equipment necessary to investigate the whole matter - was probably less than fifteen minutes jog away...if only he could penetrate the barrier that separated this place from the modern Net!

But he had to make it somehow...he had to get back to Netto, make sure his brother was all right. "Is there any other exit? Isn't this place connected to a real world location?"

"GREY AREA'S REAL WORLD LOCATION IS THE PIONEER CYBERWORLD-TO-EARTH CONNECTION," the first program said, its monotone voice managing to sound boastful.

"GREY AREA IS A HISTORIC SITE," the other added.

Rockman frowned. Where had he heard something like that before? "Okay, what is the location?"

"GREY AREA BELONGS TO GREY LABS."

"I've never heard of that. Can you give me any more information about it?" To be honest, it did sound somewhat familiar, but it was rare for Rockman to forget information at all. He had to wonder if it was something from a very long time ago, before he had become fully developed.

The program obeyed without hesitation. "GREY LABS IS A DIVISION OF THE SCIENCE LABS, ESTABLISHED 200X, LOCATION DENSAN TOWN, JAPAN, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF DOCTOR TADASHI HIKARI."

Shocked, Rockman could only stand there with his mouth open. "Dr. Hikari's...?"

The Program-kun bobbed up and down, its eyes glittering. "GREY LABS - PIONEERING THE CYBERWORLD FOR A NEW TOMORROW."
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Midnight · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:39 am Post subject:

As many of the older members can tell you, I am more of a reviewer than a writer--I have produced few works, but my volume of reviews on works here is far greater. In addition to this, I am quite swamped with my internship and other jobs, so I'll need to bow out of this--please remove me from the rotation and proceed.

Nevertheless, I still will keep an eye on it, and will probably give it one of my classic reviews when it is finished. I haven't read it in depth yet, but it looks pretty good so far. *nod*
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HeatShadow · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:59 pm Post subject:

Taking a deep breath, Rockman stopped and thought about his situation. The gate in front of him was usable, but too small for him to use; he'd need the likes of a Press program in order to get through. The only other exit was a place that had likely been torn down years ago, and he'd need a PET in order to use it at all.

There was one other possibility that he'd only just thought of, however: Forte. While Rockman didn't want to risk approaching the dark-armored Navi, he had, after all, found some way of getting into Grey Area. It was only logical that if he had a way in, he had a way out.

Rockman shook his head; there could be any number of reasons why that wasn't right. Forte had so much power by now that it was entirely possible for him to move between Areas manually, or compress himself down to fit through this gate, or even use a Real-World access point to move from network to network without a PET.

Just as he was about to resign himself to just sitting and waiting, Rockman grit his teeth and frowned. He HAD to find a way back to Netto, he couldn't give up.

He glanced up at the Program-kuns who continued to stare at him with those blank smiles on their faces. If they'd been designed with any sort of personality, they would've likely thought that his behavior was very silly-looking. But then Rockman's eyes widened as his train of thought continued. It was a longshot, but he had to try.

"Excuse me." He said to the Program-kuns "But are there any Programs around here with Mail Delivery functions?"

"TO FURTHER EDUCATE OUR USERS ABOUT THE WONDERS OF THE CYBERWORLD, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO LEAVE A MESSAGE WITH OUR HELP AND SUPPORT PROGRAM." The one replied.

"A HELPFUL AND COURTEOUS CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU SHORTLY." The other added, proudly repeating its scripted line.

In response, a third Program-kun, this one yellow and blue, popped up and hovered in the area next to their pedestals. "PLEASE ENTER YOUR REQUEST. YOUR REPLY WILL BE E-MAILED TO YOU WITHIN ONE BUSINESS DAY."

"Actually," Rockman asked, somewhat sheepishly "I was wondering if I could get you to send an e-mail to SciLabs instead."

"USE OF THE OUTWARD BOX IS RESERVED FOR EMERGENCIES." The Support program said, somehow managing to add a feeling of authority to its monotone voice.

"But this is an-!" Rockman cried out before regaining control of himself. Getting upset wouldn't do him any good, and trying to explain the severity of his situation to the antique Programs would accomplish as much as explaining it to a brick wall; they just weren't designed to handle the needed thought processes.

"WE ARE SORRY, BUT GREY LABS IS NOT A PERSONAL E-MAIL SERVICE." The Program-kun added. "ONLY GREY LAB EMPLOYEES HAVE CLEARANCE TO USE OUR OUTWARD BOX, AND ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES."

"But I'm Dr. Hikari's grand...his grandson's Navi, and I need to send a message to his father as soon as possible."

The Support program paused as it processed the information. "...STATE THE NATURE OF THE EMERGENCY, PLEASE."

"Dr. Hikari's grandson has been seriously injured, and without his PET I have no other way to send out an E-Mail." Rockman said, refraining from mentioning that being trapped here was part of the emergency too.

The Support program paused again, and for several longer moments this time. Finally it said "PLEASE ENTER YOUR MESSAGE."

Rockman's heart leapt. He knew he had to keep the message short or even it wouldn't be able to fit through the gate, so he took a moment to think about it, then opened a window. He quickly wrote "To Yuuichiro Hikari. Netto is in trouble. I am stuck in Grey Area, 8 terabytes east of Akihara Area 3. Please send help. From Rockman.Exe"

Rockman closed the window and handed the resulting data to the Program-kun. "CONFIRM DESTINATION AS SCIENCE LABS, MAIN DIVISION."

"Confirmed. Just hurry."

"YOUR MESSAGE IS EN ROUTE." The Support program told him before disappearing. Rockman let out a heavy sigh and sat down; now all he could do was hope that the message got to someone who could help him.
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Saito-kun · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject:

(AN: I'm going to forget that Meiru was apparently at Netto's side, and pretend that Yuuichiro and Meijin flew over to Ameroupe rather than Netto being medevac'd to Nihon. Razz

Also, listening to sad orchestra music and/or sound navigation 01 helps with these sorts of fics. :3)

There wasn't much for Rockman to do except wait. His jittery vision was starting to get annoying, and he opted to close his eyes and rest his heavy head on his arms, which perched atop the knees brought up to his chest. The room was absolutely silent save for a deep, monotonous drone emanating from the cyberspace. A small "wip-wip-wip" noise could also be heard coming from the hovering ribald Program-kuns. Rockman knew he would just get confused if he tried to figure out Forte's actions, so he focused on anything and everything else. He absently wondered just how complicated the the program-kuns' "consciousness" programs were, and if they ever got bored. He removed his face from his palms and glanced at one of them tiredly. Nope. The rather unintelligent being sat there staring into space, apparently not taking notice of any program that wasn't addressing him directly. The blue navi reasoned that it was just a scripted batch file with a primitive mesh overlayed to make it look pleasant.

He sighed and dropped his face into his hands once again. The long weeks in the lab with Netto had taken a toll on him, and not knowing what the petaflop was going on didn't help either. Yuuichiro usually checked his email often due to various outsourced projects he kept tabs on, but there was no telling how long it would take for the message to be tracked and a rescue team sent. It was more important that he know of the danger Netto was in anyway.

The bandwidth for this particular network was noticeably smaller. Rockman felt light-headed and unable to think clearly. In a fit of frustration, he burst out and fell flat on his back, staring at the abyss above and breathing rapidly. The program-kuns wip-wip-wipped away without making any movements. Rockman turned his face toward the nearest one.

"How long have you been here?"

The program turned mechanically and the texture on its face blipped as it turned into a smile.

"THE SERVER HAS ENCOUNTERED A CMOS BATTERY ERROR. CURRENT DATE IS UNKNOWN." Rockman sat up and leaned back on his elbows.

"Wow, the server has a CMOS battery?
This place is old... I wonder why it's still even running."

"THERE IS INSUFFICIENT DATA AVAILABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUERY. PLEASE REWORD THE QUESTION OR ASK ANOTHER."

Rockman wasn't able to extract any more interesting information from the program. A tinge of a headache was creeping around his temples, his fuzzy vision got worse, his limbs ached, and his chest burned a little. Rockman was starting to wonder if he had been damaged after all... Or was it the link?

Was it... Netto?

--

Netto was worried about Rockman. His link with his brother had weakened, as though a large distance had appeared between them. His father and Meijin had disappeared somewhere outside of the room ages ago, and all he had to keep him company was the whirring air conditioning
and the steady beeping of the heart monitor next to him. It was difficult not to focus on the pain in his injuries, since the senses with which he could distract himself were blocked or had nothing to sense. Netto starting humming one of Rockman's favorite songs, a composition by some German he had never heard of. He soon gave up though, because he became self-conscious even though there was nobody there. The silence was deafening.

He called out, "Ano... Hello? Is anyone here?" Netto heard light footsteps clopping into the room.

"Is there something I can do for you, my dear?" The elderly almost-scottish sounding female voice comforted Netto.

"Hai..." He was surprised at the shakiness of his own voice, but made no effort to change it. "Do you know if my Papa is around? He's probably wearing a white lab coat and he's tall and wears glasses and--"

The woman cut him off. "Oh sure now, don't get up in a tizzy." Netto felt her move closer as she proceeded to straighten the bed sheets underneath and on top of him. She squeezed his shoulder lightly. "Don't fret your little head, darling. I'll find him." Something clattered and Netto felt the bedframe vibrate. She was reading his medical records on a clipboard at the end of the bed.

"Professor Hikari, right?"

"Uh, Hai. Arigato..." Netto's voice trailed off as the lady left the room. He was sure that his loneliness and boredom was enough for two people at that moment. He wished Rockman were there with him.

The wait wasn't long. Netto felt two people enter the room. One approached the bedside. The other waited a bit in the doorway and then continued down the hallway outside. Netto was amazed by how well he could tell what was going on just by listening.

"Netto, my son. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I was just... lonely." Netto felt his father's hand on his bandaged brow.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to be away for so long." Netto relaxed visibly, hesitating for a moment as he brought in a deep breath.

"Papa, have you found Rockman yet?"

"No, we haven't, but we're looking for him. Don't worry." Yuuichiro grasped his son's hand firmly, still stroking the young boy's hair.

(I'm starting to wonder about that entry, SeijinKage... I'm not sure how keen I am on the OC and explanation of the explosion... It wasn't a mystery for a long enough time. Just, POOM and we know where it's from... I dunno, that probably doesn't make sense. We'll see. Smile

)

SeijinKage13 · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:04 pm Post subject: well...

just try. You guys can fiddle around my character's actions. If you want to, that is.o
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HeatShadow · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:20 am Post subject:

Heh, we could always make the OC the/a villain and the whole story he gave just a cover-up. Wink

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Stuck In The Middle With You; a Metroid and Halo crossover
Devil May Cry: Renegades

Marisa · Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject:

Eeee sorry this is so late. Also, sorry, I added a few new characters :X If it's any consolation, though, three of them currently have no identity, and could maybe possibly be combined with previous OCs or canon characters? Maybe?

Anyway, here you are. :3

Edit: Oh my god was I high or something when I wrote this? XDD gahhh I am so sorry it's so crappy XDDD lol. Anything you guys want me to change? :B

---

Some time later -- Rockman couldn't be sure, as he hadn't been keeping track movement caught Rockman's eye. He looked up to see the yellow and blue program-kun had returned, and his heart soared. They got my message!

He was up on his feet in moments, bounding toward the Program-kun, who turned and smiled at him brightly. "FAILURE NOTICE!"

Rockman stopped, stumbling from inertia. "Excuse me?"

"USER GUEST: ERROR. CONNECTION COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED," he droned cheerfully. "PLEASE CHECK YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION. IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR-"

"But I got in here just fine!" Rockman snapped. "Forte came and left. I'm... working on that last part, anyway." He huffed, and glanced back at the two programs who'd been standing guard upon his arrival. "This is ridiculous. You just told me I was close to Area 3. What's going on?"

One of the programs stared at him blankly. "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SHUT DOWN?"

"What? I never--"

Rockman's awareness cut off right there, as the entire Grey Area went black.

--

Kenta carefully disconnected the power wire as the system shut down. With a little bit of effort, and some creative crowbar maneuvers, he was able to loosen up the tower from its hiding place in the wall, and gently wedge it out from there. Carrying it was going to be difficult, but not impossible. Tucking a lock of black hair away from his face, he wrapped his arms around the computer.

With a grunt, he lifted the tower into his arms and stumbled forward -- it looked fairly unbalanced in his skinny child frame, but he was used to it, and quickly got the tower to a nearby desk. Years of dust kicked up into the air as he set it down, reminding Kenta just how old this building was. It was a strange hobby of his -- breaking into old office buildings, laboratories, University warehouses, any place he could access old data. Kenta fancied himself something of an archaeologist, studying the remains of decades-old data to uncover how work was done in the older days. Old research laboratories like this one were his favorite, breaking and entering laws be damned.

He made short work of the tower casing with continued Crowbar Magic, and quickly located the computer's hard drive, grinning as he worked it out of the computer's systems and scampered back into the darkness. Ooh, this one was gonna be fun! Maybe the old data would even have some secret access codes he could use to get into the real SciLabs!

--

My children, the voice crooned through the telephone, I have been awaiting your report. Have you retrieved the Abomination?

"Er, yeah, about that, boss... look, we trapped Hikari's navi in the old Grey Labs box like you said. But--"

"Dag, yo! Some ass done pwned that shit good! Straight up!"

A cough. "Like he said, someone got there first. Computer was out and the hard drive was gone -- and Rockman with it. Someone musta figured out where we were keepin' him and got there first.

I see, their boss muttered, deep in thought. No doubt whoever took that data is taking it straight to Dr. Hikari, or that boy of his. Shadow them both, and reclaim the hard drive the moment it is in your sight.

--

"He's gone, he's gone, he's gone!"

Netto was hysterical. The words were spat form his mouth constantly between unintelligible shrieks, and the nursing staff was having a grand old time trying to keep him still. It was only when Yuuichirou entered the room and was at Netto's side that the boy quieted some, his screams dying down into quiet sobs muffled by his father's chest.

"It's all right, Netto," Yuuichirou said softly, stroking his son's hair, "it's all right. We'll find him." He pulled Netto tighter, hoping the boy could cry out some of his frustration and fear. Yuuichirou certainly couldn't cry away his own, not when Netto needed him so badly.

But Netto was alive. Cut off and distressed, but alvive. Which meant Rockman was alive -- maybe. Hopefully. Yuuichirou wouldn't allow himself to believe anything esle.
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Saito-kun · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:02 pm Post subject:

This is hilarious. I wrote:

"He thought they might have been projections as he thought he noticed almost imperceptible errors in the graphics due to the overlapping images from the network of skycams in the real world being updated too quickly for the servers to edit correctly. "

Apparently I'm not too far from a genius. (Or at least, the EXE universe that I think of is not too far off.):

http://i.gizmodo.com/5159939/realtime-mobile-video-stitching-is-so-crazy-it-just-might-work

NOTICE: From now on, when it's your turn on the fic, I'm going to PM you. If you don't respond in 3 days, I'll skip you this round. You don't have to write the next section in 3 days, just tell me you plan on it. :D I don't want interest to die in this because it's never finished... Don't start writing the next section until I've PM'd you, because it could easily get messed up. :D

SeijinKage13 · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:44 pm Post subject: next

Since Nenji wasn't able to put up a chapter, I decided to step in. So, here's more, and hopefully you guys will be able to add on.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I assure you, I will do all I can to find him. I know this is hard for you, but you just need to have faith in me.", Dr. Hikari said.

"*sniff* Okay, I'll try, Papa.", answered Netto.

That said, Netto laid back his head once more. Dr. Hikari was beginning to wonder where Rockman is, since his son brought up the subject. On top of that, how will he be able to trace him?

Dr. Hikari took this time to step out of the room, only to be stopped in the hallway by Nazo.

"Dr. Hikari, since we are in Ameroupe, perhaps I can assist you. My lab is actually not far from here. We can start looking for Rockman from there.", the boy stated.

"Why do you show concern about my son's navi? Aren't you here for other reasons?", Dr. Hikari asked.

"That's classified. Staying on the subject, would you like to use my lab to help find your son's navi? Or, would you rather risk another attack by using a Scilab building? After all, that thief might just do the same thing here.", Nazo replied.

"Hmm, I guess I should. Alright.", Dr. Hikari hesitantly said.

Yuuichirou followed Nazo towards the ambulance. The boy took out a carkey and pressed a button, revealing the vehicle was actually a mobile lab with hidden devices and a complex cloaking system. Dr. Hikari was shocked at first, considering that he was sitting in it before.

"And what of Meijin?", he asks.

"I sent him along with some of the authorities to search for the thief. I checked up on the data fragments before meeting you and found a valid data trail. I assume this will lead to whoever has my program. Meijin should be on his way to putting the suspect under arrest soon.", Nazo explained. "I forgot to ask, does this Rockman have identical DNA that your son has?", he added

"Yes, why and how did you know?", the doctor wondered.

"Well, I think I found the solution for you, and I know more about your 'project' than you think.", Nazo replied.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in Nihon, Enzan was busy reading the newly acquired data. After reading just a portion of it, Enzan decided to stand up and walk in wonder.

"What brilliant technology. So many theories and thoughts must've been put into this data. IPC can really benefit from this.", Enzan stated.

"It's quite suspicious, though. Why would someone just leave us such valuble data in front of us?" Blues added.

After a few minutes, he heard footsteps approaching the door. Enzan didn't expect anyone coming to see him. The door opened and armed police plus Meijin poured into the room. All guns seemed to be pointing at Enzan.

"What's going on?", Enzan asked.

"I'm sorry about this, but we are putting you under custody for possible theft and sabotage.", Meijin replied.

This came to a shock to him. Not only did he not have any idea about the situation, but he also wanted to know who put the blame of the theft on him.
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As a Deviant, I work alone on my projects.
Soon to be completed: 'unnamed' series coming this August to my DA.

linkfreak131 · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:51 pm Post subject:

*Soooo sorry for taking for long on doing this guys. @_@ Won't happen again, I promise. T-T*

----

In a fairly well-kept apartment complex, Kenta arrived and set down his newly acquired prize. This model was a lot older than he thought it was originally, but he was able to hook up a fairly new monitor to it, with a few extra cable connectors, of course.

"Hopefully this baby decides it wants to start up for me," he said in an annoyed tone. "These things do have a tendency to not want to start up for me, for some reason."

"Maybe that's because they're just old?"
Kenta's older sister suddenly walked in on him talking to himself. She had an annoyed look on her face, and did not look very happy to see him home. She leaned her left shoulder against the opening of the doorway she had come in through.

"S-Sheba, what are you doing home so early??" This definitely wasn't something he had been expecting. Sheba was usually at school at this time of day.

"Keeping an eye on you, what else? 'Sides, they let us out early today." She nodded her head towards the computer. "Please tell me you didn't steal another one of those things. You shouldn't keep doing that; it's wrong and you know it."

"Take it easy, alright? It's not like I actually stole it. No one wants these kinds of computers anymore, so I simply took it off their hands. To them, it was probably just a hunk of junk that they were bound to get rid of anyway sometime soon."

Sheba just stared at him blankly for awhile. "And... You really think I'm going to buy that story? 'Come on, I know just as well as you do what you're up to, and you need to stop it. Stealing is wrong! You're lucky I don't tell Mama and Papa about you. Or worse... The police! With all these other computers in here as evidence they'd have no trouble at all arresting you."

Kenta knew she was right, but he couldn't just let his sister get in the way of his important research, could he? But, what choice did he have? Sheba was known for always standing up for what she believed was right... If she intended to call the police, she'd do it!

"Alright alright, Sheba. How about this: just let me look at this last computer's data, and then I'll stop and get rid of all the rest of them, ok?"

She stared at him blankly, and then walked towards him quietly until she was next to the computer's tower. She said in a very cool and convincing voice,"You let me take a good look at this computer's hard drive data first tonight, and then you may look at it and keep to your promises. How's that?"

"What?! No way! Why would I agree to something like that? What if you mess it up or something so I can't read anything on it?!"

Sheba held up three fingers, and continued to talk in her cool and calm voice. "I promises not to mess anything up on it. I just want to see what's making you so obsessed over these things, and then I'll give it back to you tomorrow. You can wait one night, can't you?"

Kenta could stare at her, astonished that she would ask to do such a thing. But, he knew he could trust her; she was his sister, after all, and they were always very close to each other. Besides, if he didn't it, there was a good chance she'd tell mama or Papa, or worse; the police.

With a heavy sigh he agreed. Smiling, Sheba carried the heavy tower into her room close by 9Making Kenta carry his monitor behind. They set it on her desk, and Kenta regrettably walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Sheba walked back and locked her door quietly. She didn't want Kenta sneaking in.

"What's that thing doing in here, Sheba-chan? It looks like pretty old..."
"I'm just going to do some research in it for awhile; see what's inside it. Do you think you'll be able to plug-in into it, Note-chan?"

Note looked at it carefully. "I'm pretty sure I can," she replied after awhile. "I'm just not sure if I'll be able to preform as well as I normally do on other computer networks."

"Well, no harm in trying, right?"
"Right!"
"I'll right then, I'll try sending you in. Just try to look around, and let me know if you find anything interesting in there, alright?"
"Got cha, Sheba-chan. I'll do my best!" She gave her NetOp a sailor salute.

----
*Just a side note Note is one of my OC's that I wasn't sure if I should put in or not; I didn't want the fic to be over burdened by OC's! T-T Anyway, though, for a character design of her, here's a layout of it: http://linkfreak131.deviantart.com/art/Concept-OC-Note-exe-111517257

Hopefully, with that, maybe you can come up with some other stuff for her. Feel more than free to play around with her, though. ^_^U*
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