Rockman.EXE Link (G) [AA/SF] <WIP,OC>

[FusionDragon2099]

[Neko]

Nice, it's good to see Enzan's father showing concern for once. I think deep down inside he loves his son very much :D

Can't wait for the next chappie :D
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[FusionDragon2099]

I've already got half a season done? Wow.

Episode 26: Assault on INCISOR! The Blade of Darkness!

Angel was standing on a catwalk above a large assembly facility. Black Matrix personnel were putting together a ring of solar panels half a mile in diameter. Ken walked onto the catwalk.

"Look at it." Angel was grinning. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"I see you've already started construction of the flying fortess, Lady Black." Ken looked down on the workmen below.

"When this base is finished, nobody will be able to stand in our way. In the meantime, I need you to send a clear message to INCISOR that further interference in our work will not be tolerated."

"And what about Rockman?" Ken asked.

"I've found an... interesting weakness. The nature of Rockman's power links him to his operator. Wound one, and you wound the other. If you severely damage Rockman, you could injure his operator enough to keep him out of our way... indefinitely." Angel started laughing as she told him this. "We found the best Navi possible for your mission..."

An ominous black glow came from Ken's PET.

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Netto was in the INCISOR atrium on a sunny weekend. He watched as Reed carefully knelt down between rows of flowers and trees with a watering can.

"How long have you been gardening anyway, Reed?" Netto asked.

"Ten, twelve, maybe even fifteen years." Reed told him. "I lived out on a farm in Northwest Ameroppa. My dad and my brother tended to the fields. Me? I worked in a vegetable garden in front of our house. Lettuce, carrots, potatoes, I've grown it."

Netto took interest in Reed's explanation.

"I've always though that a Navi was like a plant. Much like you have to keep watering a flower for it to bloom, you have to show loving care to your Navi for it to show its true potential."

"I never thought of it like that." Netto was impressed with Reed's analogy.

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Ken was riding his motorcycle through the underwater tunnel that linked Black Island to Densan City.

"The time has come. The time has come for you to die, Rockman!"

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Blaze was busy stirring a pot of curry on a stove in the INCISOR cafeteria when Reed and Netto came in.

"We could smell lunch from the garden." Reed took off his gloves.

"Smells like beef curry." Netto told Blaze.

"Kid's pretty good." Blaze chuckled as she sprinkled more spices into the pot.

Azure walked in with a fishing pole over her shoulder and two tuna in a bucket.

"I brought some fish for supper," she told everyone as she put the bucket on the floor. "I'll get to work on it after lunch."

As everyone waited for the curry to finish cooking, Manny and Sparky came in.

"Three hours to fix a computer from the inside out." Manny sighed.

Everybody sat down as Blaze brought the curry to the table.

"It's been an easy day for us." Sparky thought.

"Too easy." Reed was nervous.

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Ken parked in front of INCISOR and leapt off his bike.

"Your judgement day has come."

Ken walked into the building, smiling.

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Netto and the Northwest Ameroppa Team were having lunch when the lights suddenly went out.

"If I have to replace that fuse one more time..." Sparky yelled up at the ceiling.

"Hmmm... everything else is out too." Reed looked into the next room. "It's not the fuse, it's the transformer on the roof."

"So..." Manny dug out a flashlight. "Who wants to climb twenty or so flights of stairs?"

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Ken was leaning against a railing on the roof of the INCISOR building when Reed and Netto came out.

"Ken..." Reed was aghast.

"Reed, how pleasant seeing you again. We haven't forgotten how you betrayed us. However..." Ken turned to Netto. "You're our real target. Do you think your Navi has the power to contend with me?"

Ken pointed his PET to a satellite dish on the corner of the roof.

"Plug-in, Enka! Transmission!"

"I'm not backing down." Netto pointed his PET towards the same dish. "Plug-in, Rockman! Transmission!"

"You're going to need my help." Reed quickly joined Netto. "Plug-in, FlowerMan! Transmission!"

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Manny, Blaze, Sparky, and Azure watched from the top of the staircase.

"Come on, Reed, Netto..." Azure was hoping for the victory of her allies.

"We're depending on you." Sparky was simple in his cheer.

"Don't let him win!" Blaze let out a heartfelt cry.

Manny stood there, saying nothing as he sipped his coffee.

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Rockman and FlowerMan were in the communications system of the INCISOR building. Running on backup power, the system was dimly lit.

Ken's Navi towered over the two Navis. He was a tall Navi in a golden suit of armor. Flowing over his shoulders was a magnificent blue cape. Covering his head was a bright golden helmet, a metal visor with several slits over his eyes. In his hands was an elegant golden sword with ornamental etchings.

"Behold... Enka!" Ken laughed.

"Enka..." Reed was shocked. "An experimental Navi created by IPC, that had to be sealed away because it was too powerful... the Black Matrix must have reactivated him. Look out, FlowerMan!"

FlowerMan failed to heed his operator's warning, and rushed straight at his opponent.

"Rose Stinger!"

Enka put up his sword and blocked the attack. FlowerMan could briefly see an aura of light around the sword as his arm bounced off of it.

"Flower Dart!" FlowerMan attempted to hit Enka from a distance, but he used his sword to deflect all of the attacks.

"I don't believe it. He's that powerful?" Reed was amazed. "We'll need more power, then. Gaia Sword, slot-in! Cannon, slot-in! Minibomb, slot-in! Bamboo Lance, slot-in! Saboten Ball 1, slot-in! Saboten Ball 2, slot-in! Saboten Ball 3, slot-in!"

FlowerMan's arm turned into a sword, which rapidly grew in size.

"Gaia Sword!" FlowerMan slammed his sword down on the ground, and a massive shockwave rolled out from the blade's tip.

Enka put his sword to the ground, and absorbed the shockwave with the tip of his sword.

"Now, you see Enka's true power." Ken laughed.

"Mirror Blade!" Enka swung out his sword, and a massive wave of energy came out.

FlowerMan's arm was cleanly sliced off by the wave.

"FlowerMan, log out!" Reed was screaming into his PET. "If you stay there any longer, you're going to be deleted!"

FlowerMan exited the system, clutching the stump of his shoulder.

"We need enough power to overwhelm him..." Rockman realized.

"I hear you, Rockman." Netto responded.

Rockman started glowing, and went into Full Synchro.

"Perfect." Ken chuckled to himself. "Now I'll be able to destroy them both."

"Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword, slot-in! Program Advance, Dream Sword!" Netto decided to try a Program Advance while in Full Synchro for as much power as possible.

"Dream Sword!" Rockman's arms turned into a glowing purple sword, which he swung at the ground. Enka absorbed the shockwave like he did with FlowerMan's last attack.

"Mirror Blade!" Enka got right in front of Rockman, and started cutting him up with his sword.

His data severely damaged, Rockman was forced to log out. Due to the effects of Full Synchro, Netto took the brunt of the hits his Navi took, and collapsed to the ground unconscious, bruised and battered with his PET on the ground beside him.

"Pathetic. Utterly pathetic. I truly expected more from you, Hikari Netto." Ken took off his trenchcoat, revealing a dark gray muscle shirt and sweat pants, and threw it over Netto's body.

"That's all you have to say?" Reed was furious. "That's all you have to say after battering an innocent child half to death?"

"I hope you aren't planning to express your moral indignation by battling me again, given that your Navi only has one arm." Ken taunted.

"No. I plan to express my moral indignation... LIKE THIS!" Reed ran at Ken and punched him in the jaw.

"Cute." Ken barely flinched from the punch. "Now I'll show you how it's really done."

Ken punched Reed three times. Once in the chest, once in the teeth, and once in the forehead, knocking him out.

"Netto..." Reed was expressing his sorrow for his fallen comrade as he dropped to the ground.

"If nobody else plans to try and be a hero in vain, I'm not staying here." A Black Matrix helicopter hovered above the roof, and Ken leapt in.

Manny, Blaze, Sparky, and Azure ran out onto the roof.

"Reed! Come on, Reed, get up!" Manny was shaking Reed by the shoulder.

"I'm calling an ambulance!" Blaze was trying to stay as calm as possible.

"How could this have happened..." Sparky watched on in horror.

"Netto? Netto?! NETTO!" Azure looked down on Netto's injured body, crying.

END CHAPTER

Next time on Rockman.EXE Link!

As Netto and Reed recover from their injuries in hospital, Yuuichiro reflects on the circumstances that led to the creation of Rockman as he repairs his data.

Episode 27: Rockman's Origins! The Death and Rebirth of Hikari Saito

[Neko]

YES!

YESYESYESYES~

Can I say that enough? I don't think so. Saitooooo ah, how I love him :3

Keep it coming! Great chapter too.
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[FusionDragon2099]

[FusionDragon2099]

Since you're probably tired of waiting, I thought you should get to read this as soon as possible.

Episode 27: Rockman's Origins! The Death and Rebirth of Hikari Saito

Netto and Reed were in a recovery room of the local hospital.

Reed ran his finger through his mouth, and flinched from the pain of rubbing against his broken teeth.

Netto regained consciousness in the bed across the room.

"Rockman? Rockman?" Netto couldn't find his PET next to him.

"Your father has him." Reed told Netto. "Rockman took quite a beating from that battle, and his data needs to be repaired."

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Yuuichiro was in a dimly lit computer room under the Science Labs. He was overseeing Rockman's data in a cylindrical holographic projector as it repaired.

"This is the third time I've had to come here. Now, when Rockman was deleted by PharaohMan, and that fateful day..."

Yuuichiro started to reflect.

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It was ten years ago, and the Hikari couple had just had two twins. Being an expert on computer technology, Yuuichiro decided to name his sons after technological terms. The younger son would be named Netto, and the older one would be named Saito.

However, things had not turned out has perfect as the Hikaris had dreamed. Compared to his brother, Saito was very weak. Haruka had urged her husband to take him to a doctor.

Yuuichiro and Haruka were sitting in the doctor's office when the pediatrician came in.

"I have terrible news, Hikari-san." The doctor was distraught. "Your son's tested positive for a birth defect known as HBD."

"Can it be fixed?" Yuuichiro was worried.

"I'm sorry to say that it can't." The doctor looked down, ashamed he had to tell two parents what he had to say. "Your son, Saito... he only has a year to live."

Haruka started weeping at the news.

"Please, Doctor! There's got to be a way!" Yuuichiro was desperate. "Some procedure, some surgery!"

"I'm sorry, Yuuichiro. There's nothing we can do to save your son."

Yuuichiro started crying.

"Our son is going to die, and there's nothing we can do. I feel so helpless..."

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Yuuichiro shuddered at the flashback.

"Saito... it's a shame you were taken from us so early."

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A year had passed, and HBD had claimed Saito's life. Haruka and Yuuichiro were attending his funeral, standing in front of a white coffin.

"Why... why did this have to happen to us?" Haruka was struggling for answers.

"I don't know, Haruka." Yuuichiro couldn't answer. "I just don't know."

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"It was this lab... this lab where I created Rockman..." Yuuichiro contemplated the past again, trying not to break into tears.

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Three months after Saito's untimely passing, Yuuichiro forced himself to return to a project he was working on. He was attempting to convert DNA samples taken from human hair into digital data, but had trouble with the hairs he took from himself.

Realizing he could use this project to bring Saito back to life, Yuuichiro became obsessed with making the project successful. Haruka had always kept her children's hair clippings. Yuuichiro took every piece of Saito's hair he could find.

The project was eventually successful, and Yuuichiro extrapolated the DNA data to create an entire Navi.

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"Was what I did right, though? I created life from death..." Yuuichiro was deciding whether his work was a good idea in retrospect.

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Yuuichiro dubbed the Navi he created 'Rockman' due to his love of music as a youth. Because he did not know what to do with the Navi, Yuuichiro left Rockman inactive in the lab for several years until Netto would have the maturity to operate him. When Netto entered fifth grade, Yuuichiro gave him Rockman.

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"I gave my son a Navi made from his brother's DNA... and I never told him..." Yuuichiro was facing an ethical dilemma. "What have I done?"

Rockman's eyes opened.

"I have to tell my son about Saito."

"He has to learn the truth." Rockman responded from the projector.

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Netto was still in bed recovering.

"Hikari Netto, you have a guest." A voice came over the intercom.

Yuuichiro came into the room.

"Reed, do you mind waiting outside for a bit?" Yuuichiro asked.

"Not really." Reed told him. "I have to find a dentist anyway."

Reed flinched again, having hit a sensitive spot with his teeth. He got up, and left the room.

"Netto, I fixed Rockman for you." Yuuichiro was holding Netto's PET in his hands.

"Thanks, Papa." Netto responded.

"But first, I have something very important to tell you." Netto's father took on a solemn tone. "Rockman... is your brother."

"My brother?" Netto was shocked. "But I thought I was an only child!"

"You were one of two twins, Netto. You had a brother... named Saito." Tears started forming in Yuuichiro's eyes. "However, he was born with a weak heart... and he passed away at a young age."

Yuuichiro started crying.

"I used Saito's genes to create a Navi... Rockman. Netto, listen to me. The bond between you is powerful, not just because you are friends, but because you are brothers, too. You have to use that bond to win!"

"Papa..." Netto was looking in his father's eyes. "I understand."

"I wish I could have told you this earlier..." Yuuichiro sighed. "But the important thing is that you know." Yuuichiro handed Netto is PET.

"Thank you, Papa."

Yuuichiro walked to the door of the room.

"Get better soon, son." Yuuichiro briefly looked at Netto, then left.

"Saito..." Netto looked at Rockman.

"Rockman will do." A reassuring voice came from Netto's PET.

"Rockman, we've been through so much together..." Netto thought back to various moments in their past. The battle with ShadeMan in the past, the fight with R LaserMan, their struggle against Gospel, the N1 Grand Prix and PharaohMan, and the first time Rockman met Netto. "So much together, and I never knew you were my brother..."

"I know it's hard to understand. But we've been through so much together, that we felt like brothers, even if you never actually knew."

"And we'll be through so much more, Rockman together, won't we?" Netto looked out the window to watch the beautiful sunset.

"You know we will, Netto-kun." Rockman responded.

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Yuuichiro was walking back to the Science Labs when he turned around and looked at the hospital window where Netto was.

"Saito, please watch over your brother. I don't want to lose my other son too..."

END CHAPTER

Next time on Rockman.EXE Link!

Netto continues his recovery in hospital. Meanwhile, a low-level Black Matrix operative finds the Matrix Drive, resulting in the creation of Matrix DrillMan, who goes out of control and rampages through Densan City. When he interrupts Reed's dentist appointment...

Episode 28: Painful Collision! DrillMan's Rampage

[Neko]

It seemed a bit awkward but nice emotional chater there. It was very comforting. Nice job :D
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[FusionDragon2099]

Episode 28: Painful Collision! DrillMan's Rampage

Netto was laying in his hospital bed.

"The doctor said you'll be able to leave tomorrow." Rockman told his operator.

"That's good. It would seem a lot faster with Reed here... where is he, anyway?"

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Reed was walking down the street, clutching his jaw.

"How much farther to the dentist's office?" he asked FlowerMan.

"Two blocks."

"Good. I can't take this any longer."

Reed flinched from the pain in his teeth again.

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The room with the Matrix Drive was silent. Without any orders from Angel, nobody was allowed into the lab.

Low-level Black Matrix operative Ichi Itanarai opened the door.

"So this is where they keep it." Ichi snickered. He pushed a button on the base of a cylindrical holographic projector. Nothing happened.

"I guess I need power." He went to a series of levers on the wall, and pulled them up. Blue electricity rolled through a tube above the handles.

The cylinder lit up, and Ichi hit the button again.

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In an instant, every bit of a deleted Navi's scattered data was pulled together.

Due to the intervention of the Matrix Drive, the Navi DrillMan had been revived.

"Where... where am I?" DrillMan was confused.

"You are reborn... the power of the Matrix Drive has revived you!" Ichi cackled.

"So it seems. Thank you for your effort, but I have things to do. Drill Drive!" DrillMan bored a hole in the system's firewall, and disappeared.

"Wait! You were meant to be my Navi!" Ichi was shocked.

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Reed entered the waiting room of the dentist's office and walked up to the secretary.

"I need to get my teeth filled in." Reed pointed to at least ten cracked or broken teeth, and that was just on one side of his mouth.

"Do you have an appointment?" the secretary asked.

"No."

"Then you'll have to wait."

Reed sighed and sat down in a chair in the side of the office and picked up a gardening magazine.

"Hmm... seed prices are going down. Maybe I should get some more after I finish here."

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DrillMan was tearing through the vault of a bank in Net City.

He tranformed out of his drill mode, and ran money through his hands, laughing.

"Lovely. Well, I have some more damage to do. Drill Drive!" DrillMan ripped another hole in the vault, and flew off.

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A dentist came out into the waiting room.

"Reed Green?" he asked.

Reed got up and walked into the dentist's office. He sat down in the chair.

"Open your mouth." the dentist asked.

Reed stretched his mouth open as far as it could go.

"Not good, not good at all. I'm going to need a while to fix this."

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DrillMan was ripping through the streets of Net City.

"Destroy, destroy, destroy!" DrillMan laughed.

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The dentist rubbed some gel on a cotton swab.

"This'll numb your gums so I can fill them." he explained.

"Works for me." Reed responded.

"Don't move your mouth."

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DrillMan wound up in the system of the dentist's office.

"This is a magnificent drill..."

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The dentist stepped out to get the fillings.

Reed looked at the equipment he had when the drill started spinning.

"That's not good." Reed's eyebrows shot up.

The dentist rushed back in.

"You didn't touch anything, did you?" he asked crossly.

"No, but I'm going to fix it! Plug-in, FlowerMan! Transmission!" Reed unholstered his PET and pointed it at the assortment of equipment.

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FlowerMan wound up in the dentist's computer, where DrillMan was tampering with the system.

"Do you mind? My operator's paying good money to get his teeth filled, and you're interfering." FlowerMan was understandably frustrated.

"I'm sorry. I'll stop. I have something new to play with now." DrillMan laughed. "Drill Drive!"

DrillMan changed into his drill form and rammed FlowerMan, knocking him back.

"Rose Stinger!" FlowerMan rushed DrillMan, and executed his counterattack.

"Triple Hole!" DrillMan bored three holes in the ground, and drill bits started rocketing out of the ground towards FlowerMan.

"Flower Dart!" FlowerMan countered with an equal number of projectiles.

"This is going nowhere, FlowerMan. We'll need more strength to take him out." Reed sighed.

"I'll grind you into dust before you even succeed!" DrillMan laughed.

"Listen up, you pinhead!" Reed was going into a rant. "I waited a whole hour to get these teeth fixed, and you're not stopping me now! Gaia Sword, slot-in!" Reed inserted a chip into his PET.

"Gaia Sword!" FlowerMan's arm turned into a sword.

"Drill Drive!" DrillMan prepared for his final attack.

The two Navis started rushing at each other.

"Mega Cannon, slot-in!" Reed put a chip into his PET to power up the Gaia Sword.

DrillMan collided with the tip of FlowerMan's sword and was instantly sliced in two. Both halves split open and rocketed past FlowerMan before exploding.

"A job well done, FlowerMan." Reed smiled as he sat back down in the chair.

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Netto was in his hospital bed, eating a supper of curry and rice. He didn't mind hospital food, and he liked curry, so it was a good meal for him.

"I wonder how Reed's doing."

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Reed came out of the dentist's office, clutching his jaw in worse pain than before.

"I don't believe it. He forgot the anesthetic."

"Can you blame him?" FlowerMan responded. "It was really confusing."

Reed walked up to his secretary and got his bill.

"Is this how much I owe or my account number?" Reed asked, pointing to a number.

"To be honest, I don't know." she replied.

Reed clutched his jaw again.

"I only hope somebody else is having a worse day than me." Reed sighed.

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Angel entered the lab with the Matrix Drive to see machines shooting sparks all over. Ken was clutching Ichi by the collar.

"What's this all about, Ichi?" Angel asked.

"I guess I accidentally turned the machine on..." Ichi chuckled.

"And accidentally turned on the power to the machine as well?" Ken asked as he put Ichi down.

"It was on when I got here." Ichi responded nervously.

"You're not a good liar." Angel scolded as she slapped Ichi. "If it was on earlier, this mess would have happened earlier. The power has to be shut off after a short while or the machine will overload, you idiot. Thanks to you, I'll have to waste valuable time and money fixing this. You're no longer a part of this organization. Ken, show him the exit."

Ken grabbed Ichi by the collar and dragged him off.

"Fortunately, the construction of my fortress has not been affected by this. Until its completion, I guess I can just sit back and relax."

END CHAPTER

Next time on Rockman.EXE Link!

Netto gets out of the hospital, and believing he's seen a Black Matrix operative, follows a man to an old shipyard. He unwittingly winds up on a smuggler's ship, and it's up to Azure to save him.

Episode 29: Ship of the Sea Scoundrels!

[Neko]

Poor Netto XD

Oh, this chapter showed some improvement in your writing. The dentist drill was a clever plot. Can't wait to see the next chapter.
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[FusionDragon2099]

A quick filler-ish episode then I'll get back to the main plot.

Chapter 29: Ship of the Sea Scoundrels!

Netto was sitting up in his hospital bed.

"You've made a full recovery, it seems." A doctor was looking at Netto. "You're free to go."

Netto got up, thanked the doctor, and walked out of the hospital.

"We're back, and we're ready to fight!" Netto was looking up at the sky with courage.

He wandered through the crowd, watching for suspicious people.

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Reed had returned to his office at INCISOR.

"So I'm not supposed to eat anything more solid than rubber or the fillings might break, pretty much." Reed summed up the results of his dental appointment in one sentence as he ran some blueberries through a blender.

"I hope you like the blueberries." Azure told her collegue. "I had them shipped over all the way from home."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Reed responded as he downed a glass of his mixture. "I got a call saying Netto just got out of hospital, so I want you to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't wind up returning."

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Netto was still walking around, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. He spotted a man in a blue jacket, red bandana and sunglasses. He started following him.

The suspicious man turned around and saw Netto, then started running, while his pursuer started running to keep up.

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Azure was walking along the docks when she saw Netto run by.

"Doesn't he know who he's chasing?" Azure started running after him, uneasy.

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The man tried to escape Netto by ducking into an alley, but neither he nor Azure were held up in their pursuit.

Eventually, Netto caught up to the man in an old shipyard.

"Who are you? Are you working for the Black Matrix?" Netto asked.

"Don't equate me with those incompetent fools." The man laughed. "My name is Mitsuyusen Oyakata, the master smuggler! You're out of your league, little boy."

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Azure was tracking Netto's PET using his GPS signal.

"Perfect. Just perfect. First day he's out of the hospital and he wanders into the hideout of a smuggler."

She started running as fast as she could.

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Several men in similar outfits to Oyakata walked up on the deck of a ship behind him.

"This boy knows too much. Get him!"

Several smugglers ran at Netto and grabbed him, dragging him up to the ship.

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Azure arrived at the entrance to the shipyard to see Netto being dragged onto the ship.

"Well, I wasn't expecting things to be easy." Azure told herself as she put on a wet suit.

She leapt into the water and started swimming toward the ship from the outside.

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"Who sent you?" Oyakata was talking to Netto on the ship's deck.

"I came here on my own." Netto responded.

"That just can't be right. There are so many people wanting to stop us. Again, who sent you?"

At that moment, Azure leapt up onto the boat and showed her badge.

"Under the authority of INCISOR, I order you to let him go."

"So you're both working for INCISOR, I see." Oyakata laughed. "And you, you're a feisty young lass. You have a lot of courage to face me like that. I could use a bride like you."

Azure stepped toward Oyakata and slapped him.

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Azure and Netto were sitting in a makeshift brig on the lower deck of the ship.

"From where I was standing, I didn't see everybody else." Azure shrugged.

"Please tell me you have a plan to get out of here." Netto was staring at Azure.

"Fortunately, I do. Mostly because these idiots forgot to put a good firewall on the lock." Azure took her PET out of a waterproof satchel. "Plug-in, WaveMan! Transmission!"

"Plug-in, Rockman! Transmission!"

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WaveMan and Rockman were in the computerized lock.

"This is too easy." WaveMan chuckled as he pulled a switch, opening the cell door.

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"There we go." Azure chuckled as the door opened. "So, do we want to go out through the door or the window?"

Netto looked at the porthole.

"Can we just go out the door? I'm not a good swimmer."

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Oyakata was on the bridge of the ship when one of his minions came in.

"We've got a problem. The prisoners... they've kind of... escaped."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Lock down the lower decks!"

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Azure and Netto were running through the lower decks of the ship, searching for an exit.

"Okay, we're going to the top deck, and we're going to hope nobody sees us when we get off the ship." Azure explained her plan.

"And if anybody does?" Netto was poking holes in the idea.

"We run. Very fast."

Suddenly, metal bars slammed down around Azure and Netto.

"The security system. Like the last one, they didn't think to keep us from shutting it down. WaveMan?"

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WaveMan and Rockman were in the security system.

"We've found the controls, we're shutting it down." Rockman pulled a switch.

"Not so fast!" a voice yelled as a bubble of ink shot past Rockman.

Rockman and WaveMan turned around to see a Navi with a black body suit complimented by a cobalt blue chestplate, boots. His helmet had a pointed tip like an arrowhead. Four cobalt blue extensions resembling tentacles with guns on the tips coming from the back.

"I see you've met my Navi KrakenMan, the scourge of the cyberworld's seven seas." Oyakata laughed.

"I've reeled in things scarier than that on fishing trips." Azure taunted.

"You're one to laugh, considering your Navi's about to be deleted." KrakenMan laughed. "Ink Blot!"

The guns on the tentacles fired bubbles of ink, hitting WaveMan in the face.

He wiped the black liquid off his goggles and prepared his counterattack.

"Water Wave!" WaveMan fired a burst of water from his arm, knocking KrakenMan back.

"You'll learn to fear me in due time..." KrakenMan cackled. "Sea Storm!"

Water started spinning around KrakenMan, and a massive tornado shot from his body, hitting Rockman.

WaveMan watched as Rockman lay on the ground injured.

"If that's what one hit will do, I wonder what another will do. Sea Storm!" KrakenMan started another attack.

"I'm not going to let any harm come to your Navi, Netto." Azure turned to face her colleague. "I promised Reed I'd protect you today, and I'm not going to be answering to him over why I failed a mission."

"You're not going to leave me with any guilt, Rockman!" WaveMan prepared to intercept KrakenMan's attack.

Rockman's body started glowing. His armor and helmet were replaced with a wet suit of a slightly brighter shade of
blue. His boots were replaced with bright yellow flippers. The unit on his back turned into a yellow air tank connecting to a breathing mask on his face. Yellow-framed goggles formed over his eyes. A harpoon launcher took the place of the arm cannon.

"Amazing!" Rockman looked at his newfound appearance as he got up. He turned to KrakenMan.

"This... this can't be!" KrakenMan was shocked.

"You've caused enough trouble. Harpoon Launcher!" Rockman fired a spear, which went straight through KrakenMan, deleting him in one shot.

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

The door in front of Azure and Netto opened.

"Come on, let's go." Azure led Netto off the ship.

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

Oyakata was looking at his PET blankly.

"I was defeated... by a girl and a little boy?"

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

Police cars started assembling around the shipyard, and Oyakata and his crew were arrested.

"Do you even know who he was, Netto?" Azure asked.

"No, not really."

"Mitsuyusen Oyakata is an infamous smuggler. You just caught a man that several countries have been pursuing for years. How do you do it?"

"Luck, I guess." Netto shrugged.

"Same thing Reed always says." Azure chuckled.

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

Reed was drinking a cup of tea while working on a report in his office. He put it down for a brief moment, then sneezed.

"I could swear someone was talking about me just now."

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

Azure and Netto were walking back to INCISOR.

"So, have you ever gone fishing?" Azure asked.

"Not very often." Netto remembered that his father and Masa would take him on fishing trips sometimes.

"My father was a fisherman. Every weekend, we'd go out together on the ocean and see how many cod we could catch. Good times. Don't see my father much anymore, he startedf working on an oil rig when the fish stopped coming. He gave me WaveMan as something to remember him by. What I'm trying to say is, your Navi can have a sentimental meaning to you sometimes."

"I know what you mean, Azure." Netto thought about what he recently learned about Rockman's origins.

"Come on. I know this great seafood restaurant, I'll get you some takoyaki."

END CHAPTER

Next time on Rockman.EXE Link!

Robin, bitter with his treatment by the Ayanokouji family in the past, hijacks Yaito's plane and forces her into a Netbattle against him. Netto and Yaito's servants follow in quick pursuit, trying to save her.

Episode 30: Fury of the Skies! Robin's Anger

[Neko]

The sneeze joke! I love that joke XD

Nice job with Krakenman he was pretty cool. Though the delete in one shot was a bit of a strech. Good job though.
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[FusionDragon2099]

[Neko]

Yeah, but still it's something to avoid.

The sneeze joke is used in almost every anime at some point XD
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Roses are #FF0000, violets are #0000FF. All my base are belong to you.

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[FusionDragon2099]

Episode 30: Fury of the Skies! Robin's Anger

Robin was sitting in a hangar on the Black Matrix's airfield.

"Before the Black Matrix... I would spend my time in a hangar like this..." he sighed.

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

Ten years prior, Robin was a member of a skydiving team in Ameroppa. Their dropzone was a field in Ameroppa. While the team was not very successful in competitions, they were kept together by their common interest.

However, the land was eventually bought by Gabcom, who set up their Ameroppan headquarters on the site.

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

"My life wasn't perfect, but it was pleasant. Then Gabcom ruined it, and I tried to fight back."

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

Robin was trying to force Gabcom away through means of sabotage.

"TenguMan, destroy the server. If they're unable to work in peace, they'll have no choice but to leave and give our land back."

TenguMan divebombed through the connection and was in front of the server.

"Now, it's time to attack." Robin ordered. "Tornado, slot-in!"

TenguMan's arm turned into a fan, and a tornado formed around the server.

"Halt!" Several security Navis assembled in front of the server. "Identify yourself."

"I'm your worst enemy." TenguMan laughed.

"Plug out now. You have ten seconds to comply." the Navis ordered. "Ten... nine... eight..."

TenguMan intensified his attack on the server.

"...three... two..." the guards continued counting.

"Tengu Blade!" TenguMan slashed the server, but failed to destroy it.

"...one. Initiating intruder elimination protocols!"

The guards opened fire on TenguMan with intense ferocity, piercing through his body.

"I've... failed you..." TenguMan sighed to his operator with a last breath as he disintegrated.

"No... TenguMan..." Robin looked at his PET in horror. "They have taken away the only thing I have left..."

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

Robin shuddered.

"The Ayanokouji family ruined my life, and now... I shall ruin theirs!"

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

Netto, Meiru, Dekao, and Tohru were at Yaito's house for the afternoon.

"I'll be on a trip to Kingland for a little while, so I won't be available." Yaito explained.

"See you later then, Yaito." Netto wished his friend good luck.

Yaito snapped her fingers and was belted into her chair, which dropped through a tube through a floor which sent her to her plane. Netto, Meiru, and the others watched her plane take off through the window.

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

Yaito was looking down at the city through the window of the plane. She felt thirsty, so she snapped her fingers for the stewardess. Nothing happened.

Yaito snapped her fingers again. Still nothing happened.

"This is strange..." Yaito got up from her seat and prepared to walk towards the crew compartment.

She bumped into someone and fell over. When Yaito looked up, Robin was standing over her.

"Hello, Yaito..." Robin glared at the girl at his feet.

Yaito was rapidly tapping a message into her PET.

"Get up." Robin was impatient. "We have some matters to attend to."

Yaito sent the message, then got up.

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

Netto was walking back to his house when he got a message from Yaito.

"Yaito's in trouble!"

Netto rushed back to Yaito's house.

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

"You're going to pay for what your father's company did to me!" Robin yelled. "Plug-in, TenguMan! Transmission!"

Robin aimed his PET at a screen towards the front of the cabin.

"You are going to battle me here and now." Robin laughed.

"And if I don't?" Yaito snapped back.

"You go skydiving..." Robin pointed out the door of the airplane. "...without a parachute."

"I don't seem to have a choice, so... Plug-in, Glyde! Transmission!"

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

Netto was in the control center for the Ayanokouji air fleet.

"We have a hijacking, I repeat, we have a hijacking!" The pilot of Yaito's plane was coming in over the radio.

The air traffic controller turned around.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm a personal friend of Yaito, and right now, she's in danger!" Netto told the controller.

"I assure you, we're doing all we can to help Yaito-chan."

"Are you able to send a Navi to the plane?" Netto asked.

"Yes, but there will be a slight delay due to distance. Just send your Navi into the console and we'll direct it to the plane."

"Okay, then." Netto responded. "Plug-in, Rockman! Transmission!"

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

Glyde and TenguMan were face to face.

"I'm going to have a lot of fun tearing you limb from limb." TenguMan laughed.

"So be it." Glyde responded. "I will risk anything to protect Yaito-sama."

"Hero Sword, slot-in!" Yaito inserted a chip into her PET.

Glyde's arm turned into a massive sword, and he lunged at TenguMan.

"Blade Wing!" TenguMan flew over Glyde, then dived down to cut him up with his wings.

"Dream Aura, slot-in!" Yaito used another chip.

A glowing barrier formed around Glyde.

"A strong defense, but no match for my power!" TenguMan laughed. "Tornado Hold!"

A tornado formed around Glyde, pelting the aura with debris.

"I can't keep this up much longer!" Glyde yelled to his operator.

"You won't need to." TenguMan cackled. "Just give up, and go in peace."

Suddenly, a familiar ball of energy struck TenguMan and forced him out of his attack.

"That's not going to happen." Rockman told TenguMan as he logged into the plane's system.

"Rockman... I should have known you'd get in my way." TenguMan grumbled.

"What do you want with my friend?" Netto yelled through his PET.

"Funny you should ask..." Robin responded. "But the actual story isn't funny at all. Ten years ago, I was the member of a skydiving club in Ameroppa. We didn't have much, but we were happy. Then Gabcom came and bought out the land we had so they could build their offices. Ever since then, I've despised the Ayanokouji family..."

"My friend is not responsible for the actions of her father's company!" Netto pleaded.

"Enough! Both of you are simply pathetic. I'm going to delete your Navis! Dark Tornado, slot-in!"

TenguMan's body started glowing black, then a transformation took place. His armor started darkening. The white on his body suit turned gray, the red turned to maroon, the gold turned brown, and the blue on his chestplate turned indigo.

"Look at the power the Black Matrix has given TenguMan!" Robin laughed. "He's invincible now!"

"Dark Tornado!" TenguMan put his arm out, and a massive cyclone built up around Rockman and Glyde.

"Hang in there, Glyde!" Rockman called out to his ally.

"We won't give in!" Glyde responded.

Rockman started glowing. His suit turned black and his gloves and boots turned brown. Gold bands formed around his ankles and wrists. He gained a brown chestplate, and a tall helmet formed on his head. White feathers sprung from his shoulders.

"I don't believe it! A Soul Unison with Glyde?" Rockman was amazed.

"It won't be enough." TenguMan laughed from outside the tornado.

"We'll see." Rockman flew through the tornado.

"That speed... I don't believe it!" TenguMan was shocked.

"Glyde Cannon!" Rockman fired a cannon at TenguMan.

"You think a simple cannon will defeat me?" TenguMan taunted as he reeled back.

"What about this?" Netto responded. "Fuujin Racket, slot-in!"

Rockman's arm turned into an extension similar to a tennis racket. He swung it, and a massive gust of wind came out, sending TenguMan into the air.

"Hero Sword, slot-in!" Yaito decided to finish the match.

Glyde swung his sword, leaving a gaping wound in TenguMan's chest and forcing him to log out.

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

"Robin, you can't blame me for the actions of my father's company. You've got to move on with your life..." Yaito was trying to calm Robin down.

"I... have had enough... of you!" Robin grabbed Yaito by the collar, opened the door, and threw her out of the plane as Netto protested.

"Do you really think this is going to change anything?" Netto told Robin. "Do you really expect your life to go back to the way it was? Can you live with yourself with what you just did?"

"No... what have I just done!" Robin realized he had just doomed an innocent girl. He leapt out the side of the plane.

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

Yaito was falling through the air at a rapid rate.

"I can't let anything happen to her..." Robin was diving after Yaito.

He caught up with Yaito, quickly slid her arms into his harness, and deployed his parachute.

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

Robin landed in the courtyard of Yaito's house, and let Yaito down on the ground.

"Why did you do it?" Yaito asked. "Why did you save me?"

"I couldn't live with myself if anything happened." Robin responded as he bunched up his canopy into a ball and walked away.

"Robin..." Yaito watched on as the Black Matrix member walked away.

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

Yaito walked into her mansion as Netto ran to greet her.

"Yaito-chan, are you okay?" Netto asked.

"I think so..." Yaito told him. "I really think there may be some good within Robin still, even if he is a part of the Black Matrix."

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

Robin was in the Black Matrix hangar.

"I couldn't do it... I just couldn't hurt her..."

"I see you're losing your nerve, Robin." Ken was at the entrance to the hangar. "You have one chance to redeem yourself after this blunder. I suggest you take it. We will not tolerate failure."

"I'm well aware of that." Robin responded as Ken walked away. "But I couldn't bring myself to hurt her..."

END CHAPTER

Next time on Rockman.EXE Link!

Lumina starts losing her self-confidence, and returns to her home in Kingland to reflect. However, BrightMan, seeking Dark Chips, goes on a rampage and causes blackouts. Netto goes to Kingland to stop the incidents, Count Elec goes to reason with his daughter, and Ken goes to bring her back to the organization.

Episode 31: Dimming Light! Lumina's Pilgrimage

[Neko]

This was one of your best chapters yet :D

Very nice, and GLYDE SOUL, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for that one. :3
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[FusionDragon2099]

Episode 31: Dimming Light! Lumina's Pilgrimage

Lumina was walking out of an airport terminal in Kingland, disguising her identity by removing the lights from her jacket, wearing a hat, and covering her face by turning the collar of her coat up.

"So here we are... home."

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

Lumina walked into her apartment in the downtown of the city and passed out on the couch, dropping her PET on the floor.

A faint purple glow came from the screen of the PET.

"Dark Chips... must... find... Dark... Chips..." BrightMan was weakly whispering.

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

BrightMan was wandering through the Net City of Kingland.

"I... need... Dark Chips!" BrightMan was wobbling and swaying as he walked.

Electricity started arcing from his eyes and hitting a neon sign near him, shorting it out.

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

Lumina was sound asleep as the light above her went out.

"Daddy... don't let her take me away..." she was mumbling in her sleep.

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

Ten years ago, Lumina was the proud daughter of Jack Electel and his wife, Electra. Jack loved his daughter, and she loved him. However, her parents constantly argued, and they eventually divorced. Electra took custody of Lumina, and the suffering Jack endured drove him to World Three.

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

Lumina woke up, and picked her PET up off the floor.

"Good morning, BrightMan... BrightMan?" Lumina was shocked at BrightMan's condition.

"Need... Dark... Chips..." A dark patch had formed on BrightMan's back.

"What's going on with you?" Lumina asked in horror.

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

Netto was at the INCISOR briefing room.

"We've got a problem, Netto." Meijin was looking over a map of Kingland's capital city.

"What is it, Meijin-san?"

"San wa iranai." Meijin responded. "I have to fill in for Reed today, so I was going over news reports. Apparently there have been suspicious blackouts over the course of the previous night in Kingland."

"And you think the Black Matrix is involved?" Netto asked.

"Yes." Meijin simply answered. "Netto, I need you to go to Kingland and investigate these incidents."

"All right."

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

Netto walked into the terminal at Densan Airport. He saw Count Elec nervously looking up at a schedule.

"Count Elec?" Netto asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I read about the incidents in Kingland... that's where my daughter Lumina grew up. I just know she's involved... I've got to go and talk some sense into her."

Netto was sympathetic with him.

"The Black Matrix is taking advantage of people..." Netto sighed. "And I'm not going to allow it!"

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

Ken was standing next to Angel in her office.

"Lumina Elec is absent without leave." Ken informed his boss.

"I already know where she is." Angel responded. "I have reason to believe that the blackouts in Kingland are related to her."

"How do we bring her back here?"

"Don't worry. Her Navi's already succumbing to the effects of the Dark Chips. He'll seek out more, and that will lead him to us, along with her. Take a Dark Chip to Kingland, and we'll see what happens."

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

Count Elec and Netto walked out of the airport terminal in Kingland.

"I'll look around for Lumina." Count Elec told Netto. "You should find out what's causing the blackouts."

"All right." Netto walked to a public terminal by the entrance. "Plug-in, Rockman! Transmission!"

"Good luck, Netto." Count Elec told him as he walked away.

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

Rockman was in Kingland's Net City. Old-fashioned brick buildings were on all sides, and a canal ran along the road.

"Quaint." he commented as he walked around.

Rockman looked up, and saw several lights broken from having overloaded.

"What happened here?" Rockman asked.

"There was a dark light..." one of the Navis shuddered.

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

Count Elec walked into an apartment building.

"This is the return address on the letters she sent me..." he thought as he walked up the stairs.

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

A black van parked in an alley a few blocks away from the apartment. Ken stepped out of the vehicle and put a small case of Dark Chips in his pocket.

"We can't allow you to reveal the secrets of our organization, young lady."

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

Lumina was hunched over her stove cooking bacon and eggs when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." she responded.

Count Elec opened the door and walked in the room.

"Father!" Lumina was shocked.

"Lumina, I came because I was worried about you. You don't seem to realize what you've gotten yourself into by working for the Black Matrix."

"You don't get it, Father. The Black Matrix is like family to me now."

"Who's your family, Lumina? Them, or me, your father?"

"You're not much of a father. You just let Mother take me away!"

"Lumina, is that what this is about? I love you, and nothing could change that."

"That's all you can say? Well, I don't want to listen."

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

Ken was plugged into a public terminal in the lobby of the apartment building.

"Dark Thunder, slot-in!"

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

A Dark Chip formed in Enka's hand. He threw it into the air.

"Now... we wait."

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

Lumina was looking at Count Elec with distress.

"Don't say anything else, because I'm simply going to ignore you."

Suddenly, BrightMan started malfunctioning.

"Dark... Chips..."

BrightMan suddenly vanished from the PET.

"Look what you've brought upon yourself, Lumina." Count Elec told her.

"I don't have time to listen to your bloody pap! You were never there for me, so why should I listen to you now!"

With that, Lumina ran out of the room.

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

BrightMan appeared in front of Enka.

"Dark... Chip..." BrightMan plucked the chip out of the air and inserted it into his wrist.

He started glowing, and changed color. The yellow of his armor turned a dark orange, the orange turned a dark red, and the glowing neon bits of his body turned a glowing purple.

"This... power..." BrightMan laughed.

Rockman ran at BrightMan.

"Rockbuster!" Rockman opened fire on BrightMan, who deflected it with a glowing purple aura.

"Pathetic, utterly pathetic." BrightMan laughed.

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

Lumina ran to the lobby of the apartment building and saw Ken.

"You..." Lumina was shocked.

"We've been looking for you, Lumina." Ken stated.

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

"Dark Thunder!" BrightMan fired black balls of electricity from his eyes, and Rockman was forced to jump to the side.

"Netto, he's too powerful! We've got to do something!"

"I know." Netto responded. "Soul Unison, Dynamo Soul!"

Rockman transformed, and prepared for attack.

"Lightning Bolt!" Rockman fired a lightning bolt from his arm.

BrightMan simply absorbed it with his aura.

"Check it out! My power is unstoppable!" BrightMan jeered.

"We'll see." Rockman responded.

"Elec Sword, slot-in!"

Rockman's arm turned into a sword, which he jabbed at BrightMan. It had just enough power to break through the aura.

"So you've broken through my aura. It's still not enough."

"Lightning Bolt!" Rockman fired a bolt of lightning from his other arm, and shocked BrightMan, incapacitating him.

"Try all you like..." BrightMan taunted. "You won't beat my power. Dark Thunder!"

BrightMan fired electricity from his eyes.

Rockman resisted the shock, and swung at BrightMan with his sword, cutting off the wires on the back of his head.

"No!" BrightMan yelled as he logged out.

Enka glared at Rockman as he plugged out.

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

Count Elec came into the lobby, and saw Ken and Lumina.

"Lumina? Lumina? I want to talk to you."

Ken saw Count Elec, and walked away, tightly holding Lumina's hand.

"Lumina? Lumina!"

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

Netto and Count Elec were in the airport terminal at Densan the next morning.

"Lumina... she didn't want to listen to me. They've brainwashed her." Count Elec told Netto.

"You have to keep trying. The Black Matrix can't control her forever..."

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

Ken and Lumina were standing in front of Angel.

"L-L-Lady Black..." Lumina was stuttering.

"We went to great effort to retrieve you." Angel was irritated. "And frankly, we only did it because you know too much about us for you to leave the organization."

"You mean..." Lumina gasped.

"Exactly. We can't have you telling people about our plans." Ken interrupted.

"You are dismissed. In the future, try not to wander off." Angel told Lumina.

Lumina left the room.

"So how is the plan progressing?" Angel asked.

"Construction is going as scheduled. At this rate, we'll be ready within the month."

"Excellent." Angel responded.

END CHAPTER

Next time on Rockman.EXE Link!

Subway passengers are suddenly committing crimes. The incidents are being caused by Slash and MusicMan, who are using an experimental technique to hypnotize people with subliminal messages. Netto and Lionel must work together to stop the crime wave as well as Slash.

Episode 32: Crazy Train

[Neko]

Squee!

I love Lumina now and Count Elec and Netto working together was a treat.

Keep it up :D
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Roses are #FF0000, violets are #0000FF. All my base are belong to you.

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[FusionDragon2099]

Episode 32: Crazy Train

A Black Matrix scientist was in front of Angel and Ken with a portable CD player hooked up to a pair of headphones.

"So you're saying that you can use subliminal messages to manipulate people?" Angel asked.

"Yes." the scientist responded. "Allow me to demonstrate."

He put the headphones around the ears of his test subject and played the CD. After about ten seconds, the volunteer got up and was throwing papers off Angel's desk. Ken knocked the test subject out and started picking up the documnets.

"I like what I see..." Angel responded. "I think I know exactly how this can be put to use..."

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

Slash was composing a guitar tab on his computer when Ken came in.

"We need you to field test one of our devices." Ken got straight to the point. "We thought you'd like the opportunity."

"I'll see what I can do." Slash responded.

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

A large group of people stepped onto the usual subway train.

As the train departed, loud metal came over the speakers.

When the train stopped at the next, the passengers had turned into maniacs. The ran out of the train, and started breaking everything they could find. Garbage cans, vending machines, and ATMs were tossed aside by the crowd among a collective screaming.

"All aboard!" Slash's voice cackled maniacally from the speakers.

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

"Not good, not good at all." Lionel was watching live video of the situation on Nero's television.

"I know. What maniac would do such a thing?" Pao responded.

"We're going to need Netto." Nero responded as he opened his PET's address book.

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

"Netto-kun... Netto-kun... NETTO-KUN!" Rockman was yelling at Netto to wake up. It was nearly nine in the morning.

"Rockman... there's no school today." Netto groaned from his bed.

"I know that, but Nero needs to talk to you." Rockman responded as he put the vigilante leader on the screen.

"Netto, we need your help." Nero told Netto. "And can you bring some instant ramen? It looks like I won't be able to get groceries today."

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

Netto came into Nero's shop with a small bag with cups of noodles.

"Thanks, Netto-kun." Nero took the bag and set it on his desk. "Anyway, we have a situation."

"Subway passengers have suddenly been acting violently." Lionel explained as he started a video feed.

Netto watched in horror as various men and women tore a block apart.

"We believe the Black Matrix is involved." Nero told Netto. "I want you and Lionel to investigate. For caution, take these."

Nero handed Netto and Lionel earplugs.

"It's just conjecture at this point, but I hypothesize the Black Matrix is utilizing subliminal messaging to subconsiously manipulate these people." Nero explained.

"We don't have time for techno-babble, Nero." Lionel scoffed.

"Simply put, those earplugs will prevent you from going crazy like everybody else."

"Works for me." Netto responded as he put the earplugs in his pocket.

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

Netto and Lionel walked into the subway station where the incidents started.

"People only started acting up once they got on the trains..." Lionel told Netto.

"That's where we'll find our answer." Netto continued.

The next train stopped and opened its doors, and an angry crowd spilled out.

"We've got to get into that train!" Lionel yelled to Netto.

Netto managed to weave past part of the mob and duck into the train, where Lionel was waiting.

"We've got to find the source, and fast." Lionel was worried. "Plug-in, ChargeMan! Transmission!"

"Plug-in, Rockman! Transmission!"

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

Rockman and ChargeMan were in the train's computer.

"That's obviously the source of the problem." ChargeMan was looking at several La-La-Pa-Pa and La-La-Chyo-Pa viruses. "Charge Dash!"

ChargeMan tackled several of the viruses, deleting them.

"Rockbuster!" Rockman started firing on the remainder of the viruses.

The system, now clear of viruses, returned to normal.

"Very good..." Slash came on the screen of Netto's PET. "I expected you to get involved. But this is just a test. In one hour, when the sun goes down, every passenger on every train in Densan City will hear my music, and will dance to the symphony of destruction."

"You're going to start mass riots?" Lionel was shocked.

"Riot is such a negative term." Slash chuckled. "I prefer... party."

With that, he hung up.

"You heard him, Netto. We only have one hour." Lionel was worried. "They're probably coordinating this from the subway control center."

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

Lionel and Netto were running the subway control center.

"It's been ten minutes. We'd better hurry up." Lionel started running faster.

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

Slash was behind the control center, with a stereo hooked up to his PET.

"We've outdone ourselves this time." Slash laughed. "It's going to be like a rock concert out there! The glory days are coming back!"

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

Twenty minutes after Slash's ultimatum, Netto and Lionel were in front of the subway control office.

"Plug-in, Rockman! Transmission!"

"Plug-in, ChargeMan!" Transmission!"

Rockman and ChargeMan were in the control system for the subway train. A large disc-shaped program was surrounding the core.

"That's what's causing these incidents!" Rockman told ChargeMan as he aimed his buster.

Before Rockman could fire, his aim was thrown off when MusicMan struck him in the head with his guitar.

"The Man's here to ruin my party. Come on, won't you let me have any fun?" MusicMan's speech was a throwback to the early days of rock.

"Fun? You're going to destroy half of Densan City in one night." ChargeMan sighed.

"Okay, I'll tell you what. We'll have a battle. You and Rockman against me." MusicMan explained. "If you win, I'll shut down my system. If I win, I get to delete you."

"Considering you're not going to win, I don't mind one bit." ChargeMan responded.

"I agree." Rockman joined in.

"Okay, so we're decided. But let's take this somewhere... more open." MusicMan teleported away. "I'll see you in the Coliseum."

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

Rockman and ChargeMan immediately teleported with him, winding up in Net City's battle arena. MusicMan stood on the other end of the arena.

"A lot more fitting, don't you think?" MusicMan asked.

"That's enough stalling. Let's battle already!" ChargeMan yelled.

"Okay then." MusicMan played a guitar riff. "Guitar Smash!"

MusicMan leapt into the air and slammed his guitar on Rockman's head.

"Don't forget, you're battling both of us! Charge Dash!" ChargeMan ran at MusicMan, tackling him with the strength and ferocity of a football player.

"Ooh..." Rockman flinched. "Railroaded."

MusicMan got up off the ground and started playing his guitar.

"Have you ever heard of the Pied Piper, of any chance? How he lead rats with his song?" MusicMan asked.

"Yes... what does this have to do with our battle?" Rockman asked.

"Look behind you." MusicMan told Rockman.

"How stupid do you think I am? I'm not falling for that one." Rockman responded.

ChargeMan heard what sounded like a stampede.

"No, Rockman. I really think you should look behind you." ChargeMan warned.

"Okay, but..." Rockman turned around, and was trampled by dozens of Navis.

"When we were researching the process to control the mind, we not only did it for humans..." MusicMan explained. "...we did it for Navis too. Hope you're pleased with the results."

"I'm not pleased in the least." Rockman groaned as he pulled himself off the ground.

"I told you to look behind you. It's your fault if you didn't listen." MusicMan shrugged.

"That's just not fair." ChargeMan sighed.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" Rockman asked. "We can't just hurt innocent Navis!"

"We won't have to. It's obviously sound that controls them. If we can drown out that sound, we may be able to break MusicMan's control. And I have just the thing."

ChargeMan put his arms out, and set off his train whistle. A deafening noise filled the arena, drowning out MusicMan's guitar. Unable to hear the guitar and the subliminal messages within, the Navis returned to normal.

"Excellent work, ChargeMan!" Rockman complimented as he prepared to attack MusicMan. With his work done, ChargeMan stopped his whistle.

"I'm not done yet." Slash laughed. "Dark Sound, slot-in!"

MusicMan suddenly darkened. The gold turned a lustrous brown, and the purple became a dark indigo.

"Dark Sound!" MusicMan started playing his guitar, sending out sound waves and knocking the Navis in the arena back.

"How do we get out of this one?" Rockman asked.

"We hit him. Hard." ChargeMan's solution was simple, yet effective. "Rail Spike!"

ChargeMan started rapidly throwing metal stakes at MusicMan, who deflected them with the sound waves coming out.

"We're going to have to work together to win, Rockman!" ChargeMangave words of encoueragement to his partner. "I'm lending you my strength!"

Rockman suddenly transformed. His suit turned a rust red. Cowcatchers formed to shield his shoulders and toes, wheels formed along his feet, and his helmet transformed into a smokestack.

"I'll use this power well, ChargeMan." Rockman nodded. "Charge Dash!"

Rockman ran through the soundwaves and wound up right in front of MusicMan.

"This isn't good."

Rockman grabbed MusicMan's guitar and smashed it over his knee.

"No! My guitar!" MusicMan was weeping as he plugged out.

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In the subway control center, the disc around the core shattered.

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"We did a good job, Netto." Lionel complimented.

"Yeah. We make a great team." Netto responded as he looked at Charge Soul on his PET.

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"It seems the device is mostly successful." Angel was reviewing test results.

"I aim to please, Lady Black." the scientist responded.

"Now, if you don't mind, I must get back to work on the organization's master plan." Angel and Ken walked out of the room.

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Ken led Angel into a room above the construction facility for her fortress.

"It's turning out excellently." Angel smiled. "It won't be long now. Soon, we will control everything!"

END CHAPTER

Next time on Rockman.EXE Link!

Dissatisfied with the menial tasks he is assigned to and how they remind him of the degradation he suffered as a lab assistant, Newton starts breaking into laboratories and stealing prototype inventions. Netto and Enzan must stop the incidents.

Episode 33: A Scientist's Dreams and Ambitions

[Neko]

Nice job.

A filler but it was pretty cool. Keep it up :D
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