Rockman.EXE:The College Years-3-82:Great Battle of Light(sp)

[Anime Master ZERO]

Rating: T (PG-13)
Genre: General

*****BEWARE OF SPOILERS FROM ALL SERIES AND GAMES*****

Rockman.EXE: The College Years (Seasons 1 and 2)
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1753484/1/
http://www.kishuku.com/reo/viewtopic.php?t=118

And thus begins season 3.
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[Anime Master ZERO]

CHAPTER 3-1
New Beginnings

Lan hauled his last suitcase downstairs as the movers finished piling the last of his furniture into one of the two moving trucks waiting outside on the street. He made his way out to his car and loaded it into the trunk.

“That’s the last of it,” he sighed.

“Lan!” The brown-haired NetBattler turned his head next door and saw Maylu coming towards him with several of her suitcases.

“Maylu!” he called as he waved his arms. The redhead soon reached him and they shared a kiss before Lan helped his girlfriend load her luggage into his car.

“Is that everything?” Lan asked once he had finished placing Maylu’s bags next to his.

“We just need to wait for Sean,” she answered. No sooner had those words left her mouth, the grey-haired teen came over from across the street with his own luggage.

“Since all three of us will be travelling together, two moving trucks were necessary to transport all of our belongings to the university,” he said matter-of-factly as he loaded his suitcases into whatever room was left in the trunk of Lan’s car before stuffing the rest into whatever room he could make in the backseat and still leave room for himself. Lan surveyed his two neighbours and himself and made a few mental notes. All three of them had changed quite a bit over the past four months, especially in terms of taste in clothes. While Maylu still wore her icon barrette, she was also wearing a pair of light blue pants, a pink long-sleeved shirt, and a blue vest similar to her old one. Sean’s overall color scheme hadn’t changed by much. His outfit consisted of a red T-shirt, a pair of black cargo pants, a matching pair of Nike sneakers, and a blue and white short-sleeved hoodie that he kept unzipped. As for Lan himself, his taste in clothes had fairly much gone back to the way it had been when he was a kid. His headband aside, he wore a white long-sleeved shirt with black patches on the elbows, his orange vest except he still kept it unzipped, black socks, and bright orange sneakers. The only thing that was different from his old outfit was that he wore a pair of blue carpenter jeans as opposed to a pair of black shorts.

“We’re all finally packed and ready to move out.” Lan called out as he slammed his trunk shut and the movers closed and locked up the trucks.

“So, I guess this is finally it,” Sean pondered out loud, “We’re finally moving out from home.”

“Apparently so,” Maylu noted. The three companions stood in silence amongst each other before Lan finally spoke up.

“We should go say bye to our parents one last time.” Sean and Maylu nodded and went back to their respective houses. At the Hikari residence, both Haruka and Yuuichiro were standing at the front door as Lan came up the walk. They stood in silence looking at each other for a few minutes.

“Well Lan, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later,” Yuuichiro finally said.

“Yeah, I guess,” Lan replied.

“I’ll miss you, Lan,” Haruka sniffed, “It’ll be so lonely in the house now.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it, Mom. I’ll still come visit you and Dad whenever I have the chance,” Lan assured his mother.

“Come on, Haruka. Lan’s not a little boy, anymore,” Yuuichiro said to his wife, “He’s not going to rely on us for the rest of his life.”

“It’s just hard for a mother, that’s all.”

“Mom, I’m twenty years old now. I’ll be okay.” Lan paused for a moment as he looked at his mother directly in the eyes, “But I’m glad that you and Dad have been with me all these years. You raised me and I don’t know how I can repay you.”

“You don’t need to, Lan,” Yuuichiro assured him, “You’re family.” Lan smiled and the Hikaris embraced one another in a family hug. When they pulled away, Haruka took out a lunch bag and handed it to Lan.

“I packed you some of last night’s curry for lunch,” she told him. Lan smiled as he took it from her.

“Thanks, Mom.” He turned around and headed back to his car, but stopped and looked at his parents one last time before getting in, “I promise I’ll try to keep in touch with you!” And with that, he slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door. He set the bag down next to his park brake and waited as Maylu and Sean returned from their houses and got into the car.

“We’re ready, Lan,” Maylu informed him.

“There’s no turning back now,” Sean added, “Let’s go.” Lan nodded and started the car. He cast one final glance at his house before driving off. The moving trucks followed closely behind him.

* * *

Two hours later, Lan finally pulled up in front of the house and he, Maylu, and Sean got out. Tory was sitting outside on the front steps talking on the phone. His outfit hadn’t changed except that he now wore a brown leather jacket as opposed to a black one. He had just turned off his phone when the three came up to him.

“Hey Tory,” Lan greeted.

“Oh, hey guys,” Tory greeted back.

“Who was that?” asked Maylu.

“The landlord. He’s upped the rent to thirty-five thousand zenny because Yai’s living with us now, which means there’s seven of us instead of six in this house.”

“That’s a rip!” Sean exclaimed.

“Is that even legal?” Lan asked.

“If he’s charging per person, then yes,” Chaud interjected as he came up the walk.

“Hey Tory, I really like your new jacket,” Maylu complimented, “I think the color suits you more than your old one.”

“Thanks,” Tory replied as he stood up, “And everyone, no cracks about me looking like Fonzie. I got enough of that from my family.”

“I actually hadn’t noticed the resemblance until you mentioned it,” Lan responded, “You know, when I saw you sitting out here, I was kind of expecting to see you with another cigarette.”

“Actually, Lan, I managed to quit smoking over the summer. Anyway, let’s get you guys moved in.” Right on cue, the movers started to unload the trucks and placed everything on the lawn. Meanwhile, Tory was taking the others through the house and leading them to their rooms.

“So where’s Dex?” asked Lan, “Weren’t you three living here for the past month before the rest of us came along?”

“Dex is out back looking for something in the shed,” answered Tory as they went upstairs, “He should be back later. Anyway, Lan, you’ll be in the room right next to the hall window with Chaud. Sean, we’ll be sharing my room next to the stairs. Maylu, you’ve got the master bedroom, which you’ll be sharing with Yai once she gets here.”

“Where’s Dex been sleeping all this time?” Sean inquired.

“He’s got the basement bedroom.”

“So basically out of all of us, Dex is the only one who gets his own room.”

“Essentially,” Chaud replied, “Now that you know where you’ll be rooming, go tell the movers where you put your things.” As the group of friends went back downstairs, they ran into Dex, who was trying to bring in what appeared to be a large black table.

“Hey guys,” he greeted, “Hey Tory, I think I found a table big enough for all six of us.”

“Nice work, Dex,” Tory commented, “Now let’s get this thing cleaned up and bring it into the kitchen. Set it on the lawn.” He went inside to fetch a cloth and some cleaner and came back out shortly after. Dex had just finished setting the table down on the grass and he came up to it. He gave the spray bottle of cleaner a squeeze and wiped the cloth on the surface. To his amazement, the rag wiped off part of the black, revealing white.

“Huh, this table’s not black after all. It’s white!” he exclaimed, “It was just covered in soot.” He gave it another wipe and revealed some green.

“No, wait. It’s green,” he corrected himself, “That white stuff was lard.” He gave it yet another wipe, this time exposing some brown.

“Okay, so it’s brown. That green stuff must have been some kind of algae.”

“Please tell me that brown stuff is wood,” Lan pleaded.

“I’d better get the hose.” Tory put down his cleaning supplies and went around to the backyard. Meanwhile, Sean and Maylu were directing the movers upstairs to their rooms and giving them instructions on where to place their belongings. Before long, everything had been brought inside and the moving trucks left. Lan headed up to his room and started to arrange his things. After pushing his bed against the corner opposite from where Chaud’s was, he started to heave the mattress on.

“Need a hand?” Chaud offered as he entered the room.

“Please.” Together, the two of them succeeded in getting Lan’s mattress on his bed and arranged his furniture in a way that gave them plenty of space to move around in the room. Once finished, they headed downstairs.

“Have we got any food?” Lan asked as he walked into the kitchen.

“Not much. We haven’t gone grocery shopping in nearly two weeks,” Chaud answered. Just then, Tory knocked on the kitchen window and Lan, who happened to be right next to it at the time, opened it up.

“Hey guys, I just finished cleaning the table. You mind helping me bring it in?”

“Alright, I’ll be right there,” Lan called to him, “Chaud, can you hold the door open for us?”

“Yes,” was the older NetBattler’s only response. The two of them quickly slipped on their shoes and went outside. Lan and Tory each grabbed on end of the table and slowly moved it into the house and into the dining area of the kitchen. Once it was in place, they set eight chairs around it.

“What’s with the eighth chair?” asked Lan, “There’s only seven of us.”

“Yeah, but seven chairs around a table doesn’t really look that good,” Tory shrugged. As soon as they had finished, they walked back into the living room in time to see Sean and Dex working to move a couch in from the foyer.

“Watch it, Dex!” Sean yelled, “I almost fell down the steps!”

“Sorry, Sean,” Dex apologized. The two of them eventually managed to get the sofa into the living room and placed it in the center facing away from the front door.

“We can fix the position later,” the crimson-eyed teen said, “Now let’s get the coffee table and TV in here.”

“You guys have been living here for nearly a month and you haven’t even furnished the place yet?” Lan asked incredulously.

“We’ve been busy,” Tory replied, “Plus we’ve kinda been lacking the funds.”

“You’ve got Chaud to fall back on.”

“I am NOT everyone’s financial supporter,” Chaud muttered, “I’m only pulling through with what I need to pay for and that’s it.”

“Okay, okay. Jeez.” Lan sighed and rubbed his temple.

“Dex, you better go out and get some groceries,” Chaud instructed, “We’re all out. Leave the living room to us.”

“Sure thing.” And with that, Dex began to head out, “I’m going to need a car, though.”

“I’ll come with you,” Tory volunteered, “I’ll just go grab my keys.”

While those two were off, Lan and Chaud carried an oak coffee table into the living room and set it in front of the couch. Meanwhile, Sean carried the TV in and set it on top of the empty stand sitting against the wall.

“How are you guys doing?” Maylu asked as she came downstairs.

“Just getting everything together,” Lan replied as he and Chaud set the coffee table down. Maylu come out in front of the couch and looked at the setting that the boys had placed the furniture in.

“The coffee table needs to be centered more with the couch,” she suggested.

“Somehow, I just knew this was bound to happen,” Sean piped up from behind the TV as he hooked up the DVD player.

“Well what can we say?” Lan responded, “Our lives are a cliché.”

The morning ended a couple of hours later and Lan went into the kitchen with the lunch his mother had packed for him. He was glad that they at least had a working microwave and some cutlery. As he waited for his curry to warm up, he flipped through the newspaper that had been left on the counter. He looked up when Sean walked in and grabbed the phone.

“Yai said she’d be here this afternoon,” he thought aloud as he dialed her number, “I’m going to ring her up.”

“Good idea,” Lan agreed, “I wonder what’s keeping her. Even with all the things she usually does before leaving her mansion, she shouldn’t take this long to get here.” Sean placed the phone against his ear and listened. After six rings, still nothing. While he waited, he took out his PET.

“Axl, send Glyde and e-mail and ask him what’s taking Yai so long,” he ordered.

“I’m on it,” the redheaded Navi replied. He opened up an e-mail window and typed in a message before sealing it up in an envelope and logging on to deliver it to Glyde.

“Any luck?” asked Lan as he pulled out the sports section of the paper and flipped through it to the NetBattling scores.

“None.” Sean hung up and sighed. As he sat down at the table, the microwave beeped and Lan got up and took his lunch out from it. A few minutes later, Sean spoke again.

“Axl should have been back by now,” he said as he looked at his watch.

“Hey Lan,” MegaMan piped up from his PET, “Jack me in. Maybe I can go look into this.”

“Good idea, MegaMan,” Lan replied with his mouth full. He quickly finished off his curry and dumped the container into the sink.

“Lan, is your computer hooked up yet?” Sean asked.

“Not yet,” answered the older Net Savior, “Yours?”

“No.”

“Damn. Now what?”

“You can use mine,” Chaud volunteered as he walked into the kitchen.

“Alright, let’s go!” And with that, Lan and Sean dashed upstairs with Chaud walking behind them. Upon arriving in the room, Lan whipped out his PET and clicked on the handle.

“Jack in!! MegaMan, power up!”

Chaud arrived soon after and attached on his PET handle before taking aim at the jack-in sensor.

“Jack in!! ProtoMan, power up!”

Sean followed suit and succeeded in establishing a connection with Axl.

“Axl, what’s going on?” he asked. On the net, Axl was busy firing his Axl Gun at several viruses.

“We’re under a virus attack!” the scarred Navi yelled, “But I’ve never seen viruses like these before!”

“Just hold on. MegaMan and ProtoMan are on their way!” Sean assured his Navi.

* * *

A stream of blue light followed closely by a stream of red light streaked through the net until they reached the house system of the Ayano Mansion. They dropped down to the floor upon arrival and deposited MegaMan and ProtoMan right into the midst of a fierce battle. On one side were Axl and Glyde fighting alone against a pack of green wolves with a single orange eye in the center of each of their faces coming in from the other side. The two Navis quickly joined their friends.

“What’s going on?” asked ProtoMan.

“Tell them what you told me, Glyde,” Axl instructed as he continued firing.

“I’m not sure how it happened, but these viruses suddenly got into the system one day and now they’re on a rampage,” Glyde explained.

“Well who sent them?” asked MegaMan.

“We haven’t the slightest idea,” Axl answered, “But these aren’t any viruses that we’ve ever come across before. And I thought viruses couldn’t get any more unique than what VILE threw at us.”

“They must be viruses from some other region of the world,” ProtoMan thought aloud as he morphed his hand into his sword and fires a Sonic Boom at the viruses, “One that probably hasn’t connected to the rest of the net until recently.”

“Well to me, it doesn’t matter where these things came from,” MegaMan butted in, “A virus is a virus and I hate viruses!” He morphed his hand into his buster and joined in the fight.

“So where is Yai, anyway?” asked ProtoMan.

“Miss Yai was in her bedroom getting dressed to leave when the doors and windows were suddenly sealed up and air was being discharged from the room,” Glyde responded.

“How long ago did this start?” asked Axl.

“An hour and a half ago.”

“Then we might already be too late,” MegaMan replied.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Glyde begged to differ, “Miss Yai keeps an oxygen tank stored beneath her bed just for such emergencies.” MegaMan stopped firing and looked up at the butler-like Navi.

“You’re kidding,” he said flatly before he resumed shooting.

“There’s got to be a way to get rid of them all,” Lan hissed under his breath.

“I’ve thought of a way,” Sean announced, “StarDNA Battlechip in, download!” Inside the system, a golden light surrounded Axl as he made his transformation into StarMan. As soon as the change was complete, he held up his hands and a giant hole appeared in the air behind him.

“Meteor!” On his command, thousands of golden stars rained out onto the wolf-like viruses and took out several of them at once.

Meanwhile at the Ayano Mansion, Yai was sitting in her bedroom with her oxygen tank and her PET.

“Let’s get rid of them!” she yelled, “Meteor Battlechip in, download!” She slipped the chip into her PET and countless meteors began to rain down from above along with Axl’s stars.

“They’re still coming!” MegaMan exclaimed as the wolves resumed their advance.

“Don’t worry, MegaMan. I’ve just found a chip that can help us,” Lan declared, “BlackHole Battlechip in, download!” MegaMan’s buster changed back into his hand and he held it forward at the viruses with his palm open.

“Wind Tunnel!” Right on cue, a black hole opened up in front of his hand and began to suck in all the viruses.

“Even that won’t be enough,” Chaud mentioned, “There’s far too many viruses.”

“Well what do you suggest, then?” asked Lan.

“Sean, do you have your Gospel chips on you?” the skunk-haired Net Savior questioned.

“Yes, but I don’t use them unless it’s a big emergency,” Sean responded.

“This IS a big emergency!” Axl growled.

“Okay, here goes. FireGospel Battlechip in, download!” Sean’s PET registered the chip and Axl’s hand morphed into Gospel’s head. Meanwhile, MegaMan’s BlackHole had finally faded. Coincidentally, he had succeeded and dragging the rest of the pack of viruses close to them.

“Hit them now, Axl!” he yelled.

“Fire Gospel Breath!” A powerful red beam shot out from the Gospel head and Axl swept his arm around so that it struck every single virus. Eventually, not one single wolf remained.

“Now to reset the system,” Glyde announced as he opened up several windows. A few minutes later, Yai’s door and windows opened back up and air returned to the room.

“She’s safe.” Sean gave a big sigh of relief and sat down on Chaud’s desk chair.

“Thank God.”

“Sean, what’s going on?” asked Yai as she spoke to her boyfriend via the PET com.

“Glyde will explain everything,” Sean told her, “In the meantime, you should get over here as soon as possible.”

“No problem!” Yai winked, “I’ll just take the plane.”

“Oh Lord…” Lan groaned.

Within a few minutes, a pink airplane had landed right in front of the house and several of Yai’s maids got out and started moving her things in. Before long, Yai herself emerged from the plane. She was wearing a lime-green tank top, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of sandals. A handbag hung from her right shoulder as she took off her sunglasses and smiled at everybody.

“Hi, everyone!” she greeted.

“Uh, Yai, I don’t mean to sound offensive but what’s with the major wardrobe overhaul?” asked Sean.

“Spending our first year living in a dorm told me that it just won’t work to wear a dress every day when you’re living away from home,” Yai explained, “So I’ve decided to opt for something more casual.”

“Casual?” Chaud scoffed, “Yai, you’re wearing designer jeans and you’re carrying a Prada handbag. You’re still going to stick out.”

“Who was asking you anyway, Chaud?” she demanded.

“Take it easy, Yai!” Sean said as he tried to calm down his girlfriend, “Maylu, why don’t you take Yai upstairs to the room you’ll be sharing.”

“Good idea,” Maylu agreed, “Come on, Yai.” Just before the girls went inside, Yai’s maids suddenly filed out of the house and into the plane, which took off as soon as Sakurako was on board.

“She’s going to have to learn to pull through for herself this year,” Chaud said bluntly as he, Lan, and Sean headed back inside.

“I know,” Sean sighed, “Hopefully, she’ll realize that f act, too. The last thing we need is to have all of us act as her servants.”

--------------------------
End of chapter 3-1.

CHAPTER PREVIEW
Lan: We’ve settled in, MegaMan.
MegaMan: You’re finally on your own now, Lan.
Lan: I just pray that this year is going to be a peaceful one.
MegaMan: I hope so, too. But don’t count on it.
Lan & MegaMan: Next time on Rockman.EXE: The College Years, “The Gentleman Fighter!”
Lan: I swear someone’s placed a curse on us.
MegaMan: Here we go again.
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[TheWebbuilder]

Axess episode #1, anyone?

That was my major problem with this chapter, the plot was a repeat of the Axess premeire. And just a little more detail is needed in the attacks and such. (I sound like a broken record... )
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[Midnight]

Well, well...it's back. I didn't think it would be so soon.

[Drake Nightshade]

Awonderful beggining. I'm interested to see how this will turn out.
Just some hypothezizing (sp?)
Yai and Maylu, no big whoop
Lan and Chaud, I sense a set up for something
Sean and Tory, again no big whoop
Dex, alone? That'll be interesting.

I really think that you'll get something good out of this. (COUGHFAMILYFEUDCOUGH) Anyhow, great begging
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I am the remembrancer of old, one who abandoned, then returned, smiten with boredom and guilt.

[Anime Master ZERO]

The Q&A session will be taking place on Memorial Day in the afternoon. It'd be sooner, but a number of people who read my fic still have to attend school in May.

As for the Axess 1 thing, that was pure coincidence. My first thought was to pour gas into the room, but then you'd all say i was taking the BN2 scene and there's not a lot of scenarios you can choose from for locked room situations.
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[Starone]

[Mari]

I said ok for Memorial Day, but I have no idea of what day that is. XD; Malik got to pick the channel this time, though.
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Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Mari]

I said ok for Memorial Day, but I have no idea of what day that is. XD; Malik got to pick the channel this time, though.
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Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Anime Master ZERO]

Starone: I don't watch the Simpsons. The time is inconvenient for me.

Mari: Memorial Day is on the 30th of May. And which channel is it on, BTW?
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[SonicNigma212]

I must say that all that rest and vacation that you've taken must've paid off. This first chapter of the third season is as good as the rest of the chapters from Season 1 and 2. As for Yai being able to live with the rest of the gang, I only got this to say, "Oh, joy." That's exactly what I said for when I've read that she still rides in her pink jet. I can't wait to see what you have planned for the rest of the season. What would you have Yai do? Nearly set the house on fire just because she was trying to make a sandwich? And no, I'm not being sarcastic. It's just a thought. Well, I hope to see the rest of your work. Later!

Maurice A. Nigma :grr:

[Mari]

AMZ - Malik's channel, apparently. All I know is that channel's on ZiRC as well. PM her to get the address.
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Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Mari]

AMZ - Malik's channel, apparently. All I know is that channel's on ZiRC as well. PM her to get the address.
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Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Yoshiman]

Interesting chapter, the whole table scenario was pretty funny. This plot seems to be pretty interesting. Good job.
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Current story-Elemental Maiden

[Starone]

[Malik]

#boktai on ZiRC . It's technically Sketch's XD
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[Malik]

#boktai on ZiRC . It's technically Sketch's XD
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[Anime Master ZERO]

I experienced some writer’s block during the scene at the hardware store.

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CHAPTER 3-2
The Gentleman Fighter!

Lan twisted the screwdriver in his hand as he installed the new coat rack onto the wall.

“That should finish it,” he said to himself as he finished tightening the last screw and stood back. He grabbed everyone’s jackets off the stair rail and hung them on the hooks.

“I’m back!” Tory called as he walked in through the front door.

“Hey Tory,” Lan greeted, “How’d the lawnmower thing go?”

“I managed to get our old one from my house,” the chestnut-haired NetBattler replied, “I’m just going to need some help getting it out of my car. Is that the new coat rack?”

“Yep.”

“Sweet.” Tory shed his leather jacket and hung it up along with the rest, “Now come outside and give me a hand.”

“Okay.” Lan quickly put down the screwdriver and tied on his shoes before following Tory out to his car. Meanwhile, Sean was busy discussing something with Yai as they came down the stairs.

“I’m just saying, Yai, that since there’s seven of us and only three cars, we’ll need as many drivers as possible,” the crimson-eyed teenager explained.

“Well you have your license,” Yai argued.

“Yeah, but I don’t have a car.”

“Fine, I’ll go and take the driver’s test,” Yai sighed, “First I’ll need to get that learner’s license.” Sean fell over backwards. Meanwhile in the kitchen, Chaud, Maylu, and Dex were sitting at the table discussing several issues regarding the house.

“There’s plenty of room in the furnace room in the basement for storage,” Chaud explained as he showed the others a floor plan of the house, “And the closet under the stairs really doesn’t have a purpose for storing clothes, so we can put some stuff in there, too. Besides that, the only other room that’s not in use by us is the attic.”

“Maybe we could clear out the furniture in there and sell it,” Dex suggested.

“We should keep the bookshelf, though,” Chaud countered, “But everything else we can sell. That way, we’ll have some extra storage space upstairs.” A loud bang coming from the backyard suddenly interrupted their meeting and Maylu went to the window to see what was going on.

“Lan, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Sorry, Maylu,” Lan apologized, “We just had a bit of trouble getting the lawnmower in from the front.”

“Remind me to make that gate wider,” Tory’s voice called.

“Gotta get back to work, Maylu,” Lan quickly said, “Be right in as soon as I’m finished.”

“Okay, Lan, “Maylu replied smiling, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” And with that, Lan returned to the task at hand, “Tory, where should be bring the mower?”

“We’ll put it in the shed.”

* * *

In another part of the net, several viruses, all resembling Cyclopic green wolves, ran across the field to a mysterious figure standing in the shadows. Even though all they could see what a silhouette, they could clearly make out that the figure was holding a long sword in its hand, which it was using like a cane.

“What news do you bring me?” it asked. One of the viruses stepped forward and something fell from its mouth into the figure’s hand.

“Well done, my Garum viruses. You have served me well. With this, we will be able to accomplish our next task. Let us go.” The figure stood up, turned around, and began to walk away with the viruses following closely behind it.

* * *

“Hey, everyone! Lunch is ready!” Dex called from the kitchen.

“What are we having?” Sean asked as he looked up from his novel from his place at the table.

“Well there wasn’t much time to make anything fancy, so I made toasted sandwiches and soup,” Dex answered, “What are you reading, anyway?”

“Since when have you ever been interested in my reading material?” the grey-haired teen replied as he bookmarked his place and set his book aside.

“I’m not. You just happen to be reading it at the table. Do you want any mayo on your sandwich?”

“I hate mayonnaise.”

“Hey guys,” Lan greeted as he walked into the kitchen, “What’s for lunch?”

“Soup and sandwich,” Sean answered as he got out spoons and napkins and started setting the table. Lan reached into the cabinet on the side and pulled out a bunch of placemats and helped Sean.

“You know, we still have to decide on who’s going to do which chores,” Sean suddenly said.

“We’ll have a meeting on it when none of us has any work on that day,” responded Lan.

“That’s the problem,” Dex piped in, “Our work schedules are completely different.”

“Actually,” Sean interjected, “All seven of us are free every Monday night. At least until the university’s club meeting start up again.”

“Today’s Tuesday,” Dex noted, “so we’ll have to wait until next week.”

“At least we’ve still got about another two weeks before the term starts,” said Lan in a rather casual tone, “We’ll be fine.” Soon after their conversation ended, everyone else came into the kitchen and sat down at the table to eat.

“Hey Dex, this is a really good lunch,” Tory complimented after he had swallowed a mouthful of his sandwich.

“Looks like we can put down Dex for cooking,” commented Chaud as he took another spoonful of soup.

“Since we’re all here together at this very moment, why can’t we just discuss chore division now?” asked Yai.

“Because we’re eating and we’re still settling in. And don’t expect to have everyone else work, Yai. You’re going to have to do your share of chores, too.”

“WHAT!?”

“Chaud’s right,” Lan interjected, “Everybody has to do their part.” Yai slumped back in her chair and fumed.

After lunch, everyone went back to work on trying to settle down in the house. Tory took his care out and went to buy some extra cleaning supplies. Dex behind stayed in the kitchen to wash the dishes. Lan went upstairs to the hall bathroom with a measuring tape so he could measure the window in order to replace the pain with frosted glass. Yai just sat in the living room and continued to huff while Sean and Maylu were in the basement organizing the furnace room for storage. Meanwhile, Chaud had gone out to Electown to look for more electronic appliances.

“Honestly, do we really need to buy a washer and a dryer?” asked Sean, “It would cost us a lot less money just to go to the laudromat each week to wash our clothes.”

“That’s true enough,” Maylu agreed. She and Sean went back up to the main floor just as Lan came down from upstairs scribbling something down on a pad of paper.

“I’ve got the measurements for the bathroom window,” he announced, “I’m just gonna pop over to the hardware store and see if I can get it replaced with frosted glass. Anyone need anything while I’m out?”

“How about a hammer so I can hit Chaud with it?” asked Yai.

“She still mad?” Lan whispered to Sean.

“Better believe it,” the nineteen-year-old teen replied, “Get some light bulbs while you’re out.” Lan nodded and grabbed his jacket off its hook before he walked out the front door.

* * *

The drive to the hardware store wasn’t long nor was it difficult. Getting what he needed, though, Lan found to be rather problematic. The windows department was tucked away at the back of the store and there was barely anyone around for him to ask for service. He was eventually able to get some help and finally managed to put in the order for frosted glass.

“That was certainly a pain,” Lan groaned as he walked out of the hardware store.

“I’ll say,” MegaMan concurred, “But at least we got what we needed. They’ll call us when our order comes in, so let’s go home.”

* * *

On a tall hilltop just outside DenTech City, a lone figure stepped out from a helicopter and looked down at the city. It was a man somewhere in his mid-thirties. His long black hair reached down to the center of his back as his bangs covered the right half his face, which showed clear indications that he hadn’t shaved in a while. He wore heavy black pants, heavy black boots, a dirty white shirt, a pair of black leather gloves, and a heavy grey jacket. He stared from the ledge down at the city as he puffed on a cigarette. Taking out a pair of electronic binoculars, he brought them up to his eyes and looked through them for a closer look at the city.

“Such a peaceful city,” he said to himself as he moved his gaze across the scenery, “Aha! There’s our target!” The man had just spotted a bank. Without removing his eyes from his target, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a magenta and yellow PET. He brought it up to his binoculars and beamed his Navi into them. A set of crosshairs suddenly appeared in his line of vision and he zoomed in closer on the bank until he targeted a jack-in sensor.

“Jack in, Elpizo.” A thin red laser shot out from his binoculars right between the lenses and shot down until it struck the sensor.

Inside the bank’s systems, a tall Navi wearing a long magenta dress coat entered. Long blond hair covered part of his face and his head was topped with a beret matching his coat. He was also dressed in a blue waistcoat, purple pants, magenta shoes, and white gloves. His belt buckle also served as his icon, which was a rapier. In his left hand, he carried a fine-crafted sword sheathed within its scabbard.

“It’s time to begin,” he said in a gentleman-like voice and tapped the end of his sword against the floor. Right on cue, several green Cyclopic wolves and blue mechanical eagles appeared. Elpizo pointed forward with his free hand.

“Garums and Condoroids, Attack!” he commanded. Immediately, the viruses launched themselves forward. The security Navis found themselves completely overrun.

“Security! We need backup!” one of them desperately yelled into his com before he was torn limb from limb by a pack of Garum viruses. Elpizo smirked as he walked past the floating traces of data that remained of the deleted Navis and approached his target: the bank’s central program.

“Bank robbery seems like such a petty crime, but we have to get money somehow.” The regal Navi stamped his sword against the floor and placed both hands on top of the hilt, “But we must obtain funds from somewhere if we hope to achieve our goal.” He watched as the Condoroids latched themselves onto the program by their talons and started draining it through their beaks while the Garums dug around the base with their paws and snapped up whatever they could unearth.

* * *

Chaud and Lan were sitting at the dinner table locked in an arm wrestle and Sean was sitting on the opposite end reading a book when their PETs rang for them.

“You answer it,” Lan managed out as he struggled against Chaud.

“And let you win?” the cobalt-eyed president of IPC asked, “Not a chance.” Sean sighed and put down his book before taking out his PET.

“Hello, Net Saviors,” a brown-haired woman greeted.

“Oh, hello Miss Manabe,” Sean returned the greeting, “Where’s Mr. Famous? Isn’t he the one who usually calls us with mission assignments?”

“Mr. Famous is away at a conference, so I’m filling in for him,” explained Manabe, “Anyway, listen carefully. The Bank of Electopia…”

“Which one?” the crimson-eyed teen interrupted.

“The one on 109th street. Anyway, it’s being robbed.”

“Can’t the Net Police do anything about it on their own?” asked Lan as he continued to struggle against Chaud.

“They could if the viruses that were being used could be recognized.” Lan suddenly lost all strength in his arm as soon as those words hit him and his hand slammed against the table. He immediately ran over to where Sean was sitting and Chaud joined them.

“Here’s an image from the system surveillance,” Manabe informed them. Her image was pushed aside and the Net Saviors were shown an image of the hordes of viruses within the system.

“It’s those one-eyed wolves again!” exclaimed MegaMan.

“And they’re accompanied by more viruses that we haven’t seen before,” ProtoMan added emotionlessly.

“Then we shouldn’t waste any more time,” Axl said to his two comrades, “Let’s get to that bank!”

“If you can, try to bring back a live specimen of each virus,” Manabe ordered, “It would benefit us if we knew more about these unknown viruses.”

“We’ll do what w can,” Lan affirmed her before turning off the com and looking at his teammates, “Let’s get to that bank.”

“We can use my car,” Chaud offered, “It’s faster than Lan’s and it’s got with ONBA-issued equipment.”

* * *

Elpizo’s operator sat in the backseat of his helicopter with a laptop watching the money being transferred from the bank to another source.

“The transfer is nearly complete,” Elpizo reported in.

“Excellent work, Elpizo. I’ll be there in just a moment.” Closing his laptop and sliding it under the seat in front of him, Elpizo’s operator got out from the helicopter and walked over to a motorcycle waiting on the side. He grabbed a helmet off the seat and slid it over his head before getting on and riding off.

* * *

The Net Saviors arrived at the bank and ran inside. They approached the nearest staff member and displayed their IDs.

“We need access to your system,” Chaud demanded.

“Uh, sure. Use my terminal.” The bank worker led them to his desk and left them with his computer. The three of them looked at each other and nodded.

“Jack in!! MegaMan, power up!”

“Jack in!! ProtoMan, power up!”

“Jack in!! Axl, power up!”

Three lasers shot forward and struck the jack-in sensors. Beams of blue, red, and yellow light respectively dropped into the system and deposited the Navis into it. Immediately, they saw that the entire place was overrun with viruses.

“Same routine as usual?” asked MegaMan.

“It’s worked many times before. Why not?” Axl replied, “Axl Gun!” His left hand quickly changed into his default weapon and he started shooting at the viruses.

“Mega Buster!” MegaMan’s right hand morphed into his buster and he fired.

“Proto Sword!” ProtoMan transformed his hand into his blade and he dashed into the pack of Garum viruses and started slashing away. While the fighting was going on, Elpizo watched from his place near the bank’s system through a pair of digital binoculars.

“So, those are the famed MegaMan, ProtoMan, and Axl,” he thought aloud, “They don’t look impressive, but perhaps their skills shall speak otherwise.” He turned to the viruses that were still draining the bank and ordered them to continue before he walked away. Elpizo decided that he should see for himself the power of the Net Saviors.

“Vincent,” the blond Navi reported in to his operator, “It appears the Net Saviors have arrived.”

“I’m nearly there,” Vincent replied, “but you may start attacking them if you please.”

“It would be my pleasure.” Grasping the hilt of his sword in one hand and the scabbard in the other, he unsheathed his weapon and let the protective casing fall to his feet before advancing.

“Looks like that’s all the viruses of this area,” MegaMan announced, “Let’s move on.”

“Not so fast!” Elpizo called out as he approached the Navis. MegaMan and Axl aimed their weapons towards him while ProtoMan brought his sword up next to his head.

“So you’re the one behind all this?” the red-armored Navi demanded.

“Correct. My name is Elpizo.”

“Elpizo, huh?” responded Axl, “That’s a weird name.”

“Why are you robbing the bank?” MegaMan asked.

Stupid question, he realized as soon as the words had left his mouth.

“Our organization simply needs the funds in order to advance our operations,” Elpizo answered, “But of course, you’re here to stop my plan. I can’t say I’m surprised, but I can’t say that you’ll succeed, either. En garde!” He held up his sword like a fencer and pointed it at the Net Savior Navis.

“You guys ready?” MegaMan asked his teammates.

“Let’s do it,” Axl and ProtoMan replied simultaneously. As they got into their battle stances, more Garums and Condoroids appeared and flanked Elpizo.

“Soul Unison: Zero Soul Battlechip in, download!” Upon Lan’s insertion of the chip, MegaMan’s body was engulfed in a red light as red armor covered his body and his bodysuit turned black. His helmet took on the shape of Zero’s as his hair grew out until it reached his waist. As soon as the transformation was complete, he clenched his right hand and morphed it into the Z-Saber.

“HeroSword Battlechip in, download!” Chaud armed his Navi with the long brown-hilted sword and ProtoMan brought it up and stood ready.

“ColonelDNA Battlechip in, download!” As soon as Sean’s PET registered the chip, Axl’s hand swiftly changed from his Axl Gun into Colonel’s sword.

With everyone now armed with a sword, all four Navis charged towards each other and their blades clashed in the center. Strangely, MegaMan, ProtoMan, and Axl found themselves struggling against Elpizo while the blond Navi seemed to have no trouble holding them back. They quickly pushed away and landed a good distance away from him.

“He’s stronger than he lets on,” ProtoMan muttered, “This won’t be easy.” Meanwhile, Elpizo had leapt back among his virus horde and pointed at his opponents with his sword.

“Strike them!” he commanded. Immediately, the Garums ran ahead with the Condoroids flying closely behind them.

“Condor Battlechip in, download!” A Fishy3 appeared next to MegaMan and he quickly leapt on. It immediately took off and flew towards the viruses. With the Z-Saber, he slashed at the Condoroids as he passed their frontlines and deleted them instantly. However, the Garums had slipped underneath him and were advancing towards his comrades.

“Don’t worry about this, ProtoMan,” Axl assured the silver-haired Navi.

“I’m not worried,” replied ProtoMan.

“This will be no problem.”

“Did I say I was worried?”

Axl took a step forward and swung Colonel’s sword. The attack dealt a powerful blow to the viruses and deleted a good number of them and left a V-shaped dent in their frontlines.

“Sword, WideSword, LongSword Battlechips in, download!” Chaud dragged all three chips from his custom menu onto ProtoMan and his Navi’s HeroSword disappeared only to be replaced by the Sword and WideSword, which he fused with the LongSword and created one powerful blade.

“LifeSword!” He grasped the hilt in both hands and swung the sword down until it struck the floor and sent out a powerful energy wave that wiped out even more Garums.

Meanwhile, MegaMan’s attack on the Condoroids eventually wore out his Zero Soul and Lan had to re-arm him with a CustomSword. He quickly steered his Fishy3 back to the others and rejoined them.

“There’s so many that it’s going to take us forever to delete them all,” he told his partners, “Let’s hit them all with a team attack.”

“Good idea, MegaMan,” Axl agreed.

“Fine by me,” ProtoMan added. The three Navis stood back-to-back as the Condoroids and Garums surrounded. Axl morphs his hand into his Axl Gun and held it out while MegaMan returned his hand back into his buster and ProtoMan called on his sword.

“TRIPLE WARRIOR!” They cried out in unison as they unleashed a vicious onslaught with the weapons. Within seconds, every single virus had been deleted and they turned their attention back to Elpizo.

“Not bad,” he commended, “But you still have yet before you can defeat me.” Right at that moment in the real world, a motorcycle burst through the doors of the bank and Lan, Chaud, and Sean turned and saw it skid to a halt just a short distance away from them. Its rider got off and removed his helmet.

“I assume you’re Elpizo’s operator,” Chaud said emotionlessly.

“Correct,” the man answered, “My name is Vincent. Skip the chatter. We’ve got business to deal with.”

“My sentiments exactly.”

Vincent took out his PET from its case and activated the holographic display.

“Supersaber Battlechip in, download!” Inside the system, Elpizo’s sword suddenly transformed into a red lightsaber-like weapon and its blade grew several times longer.

“Feel the power of my Supersaber!” he laughed. He swung his sword and knocked everyone away.

“That sword of his has increased its power tremendously!” Axl exclaimed as he and his teammates got back to their feet, “We have to get past it somehow.”

“I think I know a way,” MegaMan volunteered, “Lan, I need Axl Soul!”

“You got it, brother! Soul Unison: Axl Soul Battlechip in, download!” Data cubes surrounded and converged on MegaMan and encased him in his Axl Soul armor.

“Haven’t used this in a while,” MegaMan commented, “Alright Elpizo, prepare to taste your own power!”

“AreaGrab Battlechip in, download!” Lan dragged the chip onto his Navi and teleported him over to Elpizo. He placed his hand against his opponent and a blue light passed over his hand. An outline of the elegant Navi’s icon was absorbed into his own and he leapt back. MegaMan held up his hand and a Supersaber very similar to Elpizo’s except that its color was blue instead of red appeared. He grinned as he grabbed the hilt and brought it down in front of him.

“Let’s see how you like it, Elpizo!” he yelled.

“Is that a challenge?” Elpizo asked.

“You better believe it!”

“Then I accept! En garde!” MegaMan and Elpizo ran towards each other and their swords collided. Their blades crackled as they locked and the two duelists pushed hard against one another, both hoping to overpower his opponent. But Elpizo grinned craftily and kicked MegaMan in the gut before taking a leap back. The blue-haired Navi coughed and clutched his stomach as he stumbled back.

“MegaMan! You okay?” Axl asked.

“I’m fine!” MegaMan managed to gasp. He quickly regained his composure and dashed towards Elpizo and the two combatants resumed their duel. Meanwhile, their operators watched on their PET displays.

“Your Navi is most impressive,” Vincent commented.

“I don’t take compliments from scum like you,” Lan growled. Suddenly, Elpizo struck a program and an ATM machine exploded, causing debris to fly everywhere. As a piece of metal flew past Vincent, his hair was blown away from his face revealing a deep scar running from the side of his forehead, through his right eye, and down to his right cheek. An eye patch with a red V shaped like a serpent’s head covered the injured eye.

“Elpizo, finish him off!” Vincent commanded.

“I don’t think so!” Lan shot back, “Sword Battlechip in, download!” As MegaMan and Elpizo crossed swords again, MegaMan’s free hand changed into a Sword and he drew it back and thrust it forward. Elpizo’s eyes widened as the blade was stuck into his body and pulled right back out. He stumbled back and clutched his wound with one hand.

“I commend you and your operator, MegaMan,” he chuckled, “on using such an underhanded technique. You might even make a worthy asset to our cause. Leave these lowlifes behind and join us.”

“First of all, those ‘lowlifes’ are my friends!” MegaMan argued, “Secondly, I’ve been made the same kind of offer time and time again and I’ve turned it down every single time. So what makes you think I’m going to accept your offer?”

“Well then, MegaMan, we shall meet on the battlefield again,” Elpizo smirked, “Farewell.”

ELPIZO LOGGING OUT

Vincent returned his PET to its case and got back on his motorcycle and left. Meanwhile, ProtoMan and Axl walked over to the bank’s main program and examined it.

“The viruses are gone, but this thing is still being drained,” Axl noticed.

“Axl, there’s something stuck up there,” ProtoMan pointed out. The younger Navi craned his neck for a better look and saw what appeared to be a rapier stuck inside the program’s side.

“I see it. We just need to get it down.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Sean offered, “Magbolt1 Battlechip in, download!” Axl’s left hand morphed into a magnet and he aimed it at the rapier and activated his weapon. The magnetic pull yanked the blade out and it stuck to his magnet. Immediately, all the money started to flow back into the program.

“Just as I thought,” mumbled ProtoMan, “That rapier was placed inside the program’s retrieval system so that any money that was lost couldn’t be recovered.”

“But now that it’s out, all the money’s going back in!” Axl replied cheerfully as the rapier was erased. MegaMan walked over to his friends and changed back to his normal mode.

“We’re finished here,” he said to them, “Let’s go home.”

“That’s something I think we can all agree to,” Lan said with a smile and he, Chaud, and Sean logged out their Navis and left the bank.

Vincent and Elpizo may have escaped, but chances are we’ll see them again soon, Lan thought as he looked up at the sky.

------------------------------
End of chapter 3-2.

CHAPTER PREVIEW
Lan: That last battle was just a sample of what we’re about to face.
MegaMan: Vincent and Elpizo are aimed at robbing the DenTech Art Museum.
Lan: We have to stop them both.
MegaMan: Be careful, Lan. They’ve got a new weapon this time.
Lan & MegaMan: Next time on Rockman.EXE: The College Years, “Power of the Crest!”
Lan: This power. It’s like nothing we’ve ever faced before.
MegaMan: We may be in over our heads this time, Lan.
_________________

[Midnight]

Blah. That's all I have to say for this chapter. Blah. Nothing exemplary that grabbed my attention.

I have no idea what the basis is this time. None of the viruses or navis thus far have given me any hint.
_________________
Today, these three players are after Big Bucks! But they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives! From Television City in Hollywood! It's time to 'Press Your Luck!'--Rod Roddy

The Kingdom of Loathing: An Adventurer is You! // I ♣ Seals

Avatar by Spork. I very much appreciate it! <3

[SPDBlue]

Elpizo.....AHHHH!What's he from?
_________________
A wise man said "Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes."

This is the Greatist thing in the world!!!!! >>>[spoil:fc05fdbb8b]You Just Been Punk'd[/spoil:fc05fdbb8b]
[
Thanks Yami Doma GX for the Sig and Avi

YGO Epsiodes

[Viewtiful Starman]

He's from Megaman Zero 2.
I found both of these chapters pretty boring...
And it doesn't seem to be the intention, but I found Vincent absolutely hilarious XD (You did a good job of bashing it in to our skulls repeatedly how cool he was supposed to be, I'll give you that).

Otherwise, nothing much really seems to be happening...
Elpizo is boring (even though he uses a different type of sword, he doesn't seem much different from any other sword using navi really, or from any other mysterious super powerful villian) and the viruses even more so.
Dunno if you're still using betas or not (think you said you aren't), but the dialogue is better than your older stuff barring Elpizo's lines.

[Abiisan]

I just finished what you have so far earlier today and can finally review.

All i can say right now is that i hope that whomever vincent's leads or is working for isn't another bad guy who thinks he's good. In my opinion, though i don't mind noah; you should have him be an actual bad person.

Also, i know it has been asked, but please don't forget forte and his shuryou suit and if actual characters come back (ex.colonel) give them dialogue please.

Lastly, please say who has been winning the den 500.

[Anime Master ZERO]

CHAPTER 3-3
Power of the Crest!

“So you ran into some Net Saviors.”

“Yes, sir. That’s right,” Vincent replied, “And one of them was the famous MegaMan.”

“You were fortunate that was just your first encounter with him, Vincent. However, next time make sure you are prepared. Undoubtedly, he and his friends will by ready for you and Elpizo. Ensure that you are ready for them.”

“Sir,” Vincent began, “Does that mean…?”

“Yes. Use the chip.” There was a pause before Vincent spoke again.

“I understand, sir.” The transmission ended and Vincent sat back in his chair. Getting up, he walked over to where his jacket hung and took out a small white box. He released the locks and opened it. He reached in and took out a white Battlechip. The image on its surface was of a red gem surrounded by four white angel wings.

* * *

Lan moaned as he sat down at the kitchen table that morning and rubbed his head.

“I take it you didn’t sleep well last night,” Dex noted as he made breakfast.

“Ya think?” Lan groaned.

“Maybe some coffee will do you some good,” Sean offered as he helped Dex. He grabbed a mug from the cabinet and filled it with some coffee before handing it to Lan.

“Thanks, Sean.” Lan took a sip of his coffee and looked at his grey-haired friend, “Wait a sec. Sean, you’re already dressed?”

“Honestly, am I the only one who gets fully dressed before leaving his room?”

“Not really. Chaud apparently gets up every morning and goes out for a run around the block. He should be back any time now.”

“Hey Lan, how do you want your eggs?” asked Dex.

“Soft scrambled,” Lan replied, “I can’t stand dry eggs.”

“Got it.”

“Morning, guys,” Tory greeted as he came into the kitchen wearing a faded yellow tank top and a pair of white shorts. He ran a hand through his messy hair and sat down next to Lan.

“Tory, how do you want your eggs?” asked Dex.

“Fried.” Tory lazily got up and went to get himself some coffee before sitting back down.

“So how’d you sleep last night?” Lan inquired.

“Alright. Sean’s a pretty good roommate.”

“Thanks,” Sean answered from the other side of the counter, “I’ll give you some extra toast for that compliment.”

“I’m gonna watch some TV right now,” Lan informed everyone, “Call me once breakfast is ready.” Taking his coffee with him, he walked into the living room, sat down on the sofa, and switched on the television. As he leaned back against the cushions and relaxed, he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him. He smiled as he looked up into Maylu’s face.

“Good morning, Lan,” she greeted.

“Morning, Maylu.” Lan drew his girlfriend closer and gave her a light kiss on the lips. She smiled and came around as he placed his mug down on the coffee table and sat down next to him.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could spend every morning together like this?” Maylu asked as she and Lan curled up with each other.

“Hopefully someday, Maylu.” Their faces inched closer once more, but their moment was interrupted when the front door slammed shut as Chaud came back in.

“I’m back from my run!” he announced.

“Breakfast will be ready in a few!” Dex replied.

“I’ll be right down after a quick shower!” Chaud wiped his forehead with his wristband and yanked off his black tank top as he headed upstairs.

After everybody had eaten breakfast and gotten dressed, Lan and Chaud went to the Official Center to talk to the other officials about the fight with Vincent the day before. Sean would meet up with them later after running some errands. The two Net Saviors made their way to Mr. Famous’ office and gave the man their complete report. When they finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair and thought about it.

“This situation is even more complicated than we originally thought,” he finally said, “Even with the footage from the bank and your report, we still can’t determine what’s really going on. On the bright side, we’ve added whatever information we could gather on the new viruses to the current database, but something still bothers me.”

“It’s that NetNavi Elpizo, isn’t it?” Lan asked.

“Correct.” Mr. Famous tapped a few commands into his computer and turned his monitor around. The screen displayed the mugshots of Vincent and Elpizo, but barely any information.

“The only information we’ve been able to come up is that Vincent hails from a distant country,” Mr. Famous continued, “Also, if you notice his eye patch, he also appears to be a fan of the Viral Internet Legion of Evil since that organization did not rely on humans to execute its plans.”

“I guess an appropriate name for him would be Vincent VILE,” Lan thought out loud.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Mr. Famous replied, “But that’s beside the point. We need to find out what this Vincent is up to and what his organization has planned.”

“Elpizo mentioned something about getting funds for their organization when they were robbing the bank,” MegaMan piped up, “Since we foiled the robbery, he and Vincent are bound to try another one elsewhere. The question is where.”

“Most likely another bank,” Lan guessed, but Chaud thought otherwise.

“No, it’s too obvious,” he said, “He’ll be expecting us to wait for him to strike another bank. His next target will probably be something more along the lines of a museum.”

“What about a jewelry store?” asked Lan.

“That’s possible, too, though not as likely.”

“Now the question remains which museum he’ll strike,” Mr. Famous said as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lan assured his boss, “We’ll figure it out, Mr. Famous.”

“For the last time, stop calling me MISTER Famous.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Famous!”

“What did I just tell you?”

“Sorry, Mr. Famous. Force of habit.”

“So basically, today we’re going to spend all our time here in the office,” Chaud summarized.

“Essentially, yes,” answered Mr. Famous.

“I better call the others and tell them that we won’t be home until much later this afternoon,” Lan sighed as he took out his phone.

* * *

Vincent took a look inside his guide pamphlet as he walked through the DenTech Art Museum.

These pieces aren’t worth the effort, he thought as he left the modern art section. As he travelled upstairs, he noticed a number of people gathered together. He made his way past the tourists and cast his eye upon what they were marvelling at.

This piece, on the other hand, will do nicely, thought Vincent. Brushing his hair away from his face, he took out a camera and started taking pictures of the painting that everybody was looking at. At the same time, a hidden camera on his eye patch recorded the security equipment in the room while Elpizo scouted the security system itself.

“This should prove to be no problem,” the blond Navi smirked.

* * *

It was nearly quitting time for Mr. Famous when Chaud finally came up with something.

“Take a look at this,” he called. Lan and Sean, who had joined up with them earlier that afternoon, got up from their computer terminals and went over to the older Net Savior and Mr. Famous joined them after putting on his coat.

“What’s up?” asked the grey-haired NetBattler.

“I think our man’s next target is the DenTech Art Museum,” Chaud informed everyone around him, “According to this article, the famous painting ‘Hope Shining’ is currently on tour around the world and is right now in DenTech City until the end of the summer before it moves on to Sharo.”

“So you think Vincent will try to steal it?” asked Lan.

“It’s the most likely target.”

“Looks like we may be working late tonight.”

“I’ll send Roll an e-mail letting her and Maylu know about it,” MegaMan volunteered.

“Thanks, MegaMan,” Lan said gratefully.

“Just listen to yourself,” Chaud said with a smirk, “You make it sound like you and her are married.” This comment caused Lan to blush.

“You’re not obliged to answer, Lan, so don’t,” Sean quickly butted in.

“Anyway, we should probably get going to the museum,” Lan finally announced, “If we’re going to catch Vincent, we have to act quickly.”

“Then let’s get going.” Chaud stood up and headed out with Lan and Sean in tow.

* * *

The three Officials arrived at the art museum and went straight to the security office. After explaining the situation, they were granted permission to stay inside the museum overnight.

“You’ll need to wear these, though.” The security chief reached into a locker and pulled out three uniforms for the boys.

“Are the uniforms really necessary?” Lan asked as he was handed one.

“Not every guard here is familiar with the Net Saviors,” the security chief explained, “These uniforms will help them identify you if they catch you on camera.”

“You know, these actually aren’t a bad idea,” Sean commented as he took his uniform with him to the back room to change, “They could actually disguise us. Vincent will be expecting to see three Official NetBattlers. But when he sees three security guards, he might be caught off until he recognizes our faces.”

“Good thinking, Sean,” Axl piped up from his PET.

By the time the museum reached closing time, the Net Saviors had already changed and had blended in wonderfully with the rest of the guards.

“Listen up,” Chaud told his teammates, “Today’s the last day that the painting is on display here. It’ll be moved out tonight. During that time, Vincent will most likely take the opportunity to steal it. We gotta make sure we’re on sentry duty when that happens.”

“Already got it covered.” Sean took out a schedule and placed it on the table for everyone to see. Chaud and Lan did a quick run-through and looked over at their younger friend.

“What? Have you never heard of forethought?”

“I guess everything is in place then,” Chaud sighed as he sat back in his chair.

“Then let’s get going,” Sean declared, “They’re moving the painting now.”

True to Sean’s words, when they arrived at the place where the painting was on display, they saw several security guards standing around two museum personnel as they took the painting down. The Officials joined them as the fine piece of art was taken into the back for cleaning before being sent away. Meanwhile, MegaMan, ProtoMan, and Axl were busy having their own little conference.

“Vincent definitely won’t try to disguise himself since he’s only got one eye,” MegaMan said to the others, who nodded in agreement.

“If anything, he might try something so bold as coming right in and stealing it,” ProtoMan muttered.

“Let’s make sure we’re ready for anything and everything.” Axl held out his fist and MegaMan and ProtoMan knocked theirs with his.

Back in the real world, the painting was quickly cleaned and placed inside its crate before being taking out to the truck to be delivered to the airport.

“We’ll go with the painting and make sure it gets to its plane safely,” Lan offered, “Two of us will sit in the cab while one of us stays with the painting. Not it!”

“Not it!” Sean called. Thus it was settled. The Net Saviors quickly changed their clothes and Chaud climbed into the back of the truck while Sean and Lan sat in the cab as it headed off to the airport.

A couple of hours passed before they finally arrived. The truck came to a stop just outside a cargo plane on the tarmac and Lan and Sean got out. They went around to the back and opened the cargo door.

“Next time, one of you ride in the back,” Chaud moaned as he got out from the truck. Together, the three boys and the truck driver unloaded the painting and brought it inside the plane.

“I’m glad you kids could bring the painting. Thanks.” Lan, Chaud, and Sean quickly looked up and saw Vincent standing at the doorway to the cockpit.

“We’re not kids!” Lan argued, “Legally, we’re all adults.”

“I don’t think it matter that much anymore,” Vincent laughed as he took out his PET, “Elpizo, time to take off!” Immediately, all the doors were closed and locked and the plane’s engine’s started up. The Net Saviors could feel themselves being jerked back as the aircraft began to taxi towards the runway.

“We’re not letting this plane leave the ground with the painting so long as you’re on board!” Lan declared, “Jack in!! MegaMan, power up!”

“As an Official NetBattler, I am hereby placing you under arrest!” announced Chaud, “Jack in!! ProtoMan, power up!”

“We beat Elpizo once and we can do it again!” Sean said as he joined in, “Jack in!! Axl, power up!”

Three thin red lasers hit the jack-in sensors on the control panel and MegaMan, ProtoMan, and Axl were deposited inside the plane’s system.

“Welcome,” Elpizo greeted upon their entry, “I’ve been expecting you.” The blond Navi picked up his sword and turned away from the control programs to face the newcomers, “Bombnets attack!” A large swarm of purple and blue striped hornets appeared overhead and buzzed over to the trio of Navis.

“SuperVulcan Battlechip in, download!” Sean poked the image of the SuperVulcan and dragged it over to his Navi before releasing his hold. Axl held up his hand as it transformed into the SuperVulcan and he fired a hailstorm of bullets at the incoming viruses.

“Spreader Battlechip in, download!” MegaMan held up his hand as it morphed into a spread gun. He pointed his weapon upward and fired a single energy burst that exploded into countless beams that struck down numerous Bombnets.

“FighterSword Battlechip in, download!” ProtoMan’s hand morphed into the long orange blade and he charged towards Elpizo. The coated Navi unsheathed his sword and blocked the red-armored Navi with his own blade.

“I have heard that you are among the best swordsmen on the net,” Elpizo said to his opponent as they locked swords, “Perhaps you would like to prove it to me in this duel.”

“It will be my pleasure.” ProtoMan pushed himself away and ran back towards Elpizo for another swing. The blond Navi smirked as they crossed swords again and continued to match each other blow for blow. ProtoMan took note of the way his opponent fought. Regardless of the odds, Elpizo always kept the same stance with one hand behind his back and keeping his feet spaced evenly apart.

“Blower Battlechip in, download!” MegaMan’s hand changed into a red fan and he fired a tornado of flames at the Bombnets, deleting them in a blazing flash. With the viruses now gone, he and Axl joined ProtoMan armed with CustomSword and LongBlade respectively.

“Three against one is nothing we can’t handle,” Vincent announced, “Battle Lance Battlechip in, download!” A long rod appeared in front of Elpizo and he brought his free hand out and grabbed it. As soon as his hand came in contact with the surface, two beams extended out from both ends and he used it to block MegaMan’s and Axl’s attacks while maintaining the use of his own sword on ProtoMan. He took a great leap back and threw his lance towards his enemies like a spear. They quickly dove out of the way and it struck the floor before disappearing.

“Sonic Boom Battlechip in, download!” Elpizo brought his sword out in front of him and swung it through the air, firing a wave of energy from his blade with each slash.

“Duck!” MegaMan yelled and everyone dropped to the floor as one of the Sonic Booms passed over their heads, “Jump!” They quickly pushed themselves up and another Sonic Boom passed right under them.

“We still have to take care of those other ones,” Axl gasped between breaths.

“Guardian Battlechip in, download!” Lan, Chaud, and Sean inserted their chips at the same time and three grey idols appeared before them and took the hits from the next three Sonic Booms. In retaliation, they disappeared in a flash and three Punisher bolts came crashing down on top of Elpizo. The blond swordsman slowly stood back up and charged forward.

“CurseShield3 Battlechip in, download!” A Dominerd3 appeared in front of MegaMan and Elpizo’s sword collided with it. Automatically, the slab-like virus opened its mouth and bit down on him.

“Your skills are admirable,” Vincent complimented.

“Then why don’t you just give up?” asked Lan as he stuck his head through his PET display.

“Because this battle is far from over.” Vincent reached into his pocket and pulled out the white Battlechip. He raised it over his head and it gleamed brightly.

“What chip is that?” asked Chaud.

“The very thing that will be your undoing!” Vincent laughed, “Crest of Arcadia Battlechip in, download!” He inserted the chip and a white light shone out from his PET display.

“What the? What’s going on?” Sean demanded.

“We’re about to find out,” Lan replied nervously.

“Inside the system, a holy white glow surrounded Elpizo as he levitated off the floor. His icon faded away until a black circle had replaced it. Suddenly, a shining red diamond appeared in the center of where his icon had once been and four shimmering white wings appeared around it.

“What in the net is that?” asked MegaMan. Elpizo’s feet slowly came back down to the floor and the white glow disappeared. He opened his eyes, which were now tinted slightly with red, and looked towards the three other Navis. There was a brief silence before MegaMan, Axl, and ProtoMan fired a volley of buster shots, plasma bullets, and Sonic Booms at Elpizo. The elegant swordsman swung his arm and deflected them all easily with his sword.

“Let’s try some Program Advances,” Lan suggested, “Yo-Yo3 Battlechip in, triple download!” MegaMan’s hands morphed into yo-yo launchers and he fused them together into a multi yo-yo launcher.

“StepCross Battlechip in, triple download!” Chaud inserted three chips into his PET and ProtoMan’s hands both morphed into WideSwords.

“Five Mega Cannon Battlechips in, download!” Axl raised his arms over his head until they had transformed into a giant red super cannon that he pointed at Elpizo.

“Zeta Yo-yo 3!”

“Zeta Step 2!”

“Omega Cannon 3!”

The mass assault hit Elpizo from every direction and covered the whole system in smoke.

“Did we get him?” MegaMan asked. A powerful wind seemed to hear his question as it blew away the smoke. Standing in the center of the crater created by the impact of all three Program Advances was Elpizo, completely unharmed from the attack.

“But…” Lan gaped, “…how?”

“The Crest of Arcadia grants me unfathomable powers,” Elpizo chortled as his clothes were engulfed in a white light and transformed into a white suit of armor. He swung his sword at his opponents and they were all blasted back.

MEGAMAN LOGGING OUT

PROTOMAN LOGGING OUT

AXL LOGGING OUT

“We’re ready to take off!” Vincent announced as the plane reached the runway and he took his in the pilot’s chair.

“Come on, guys!” Sean urged, “We gotta get out of here!”

“We can’t leave without the painting!” Lan argued.

“There’s no time to get the painting!” Sean shouted as he opened the door, “We gotta jump before this plane leaves the ground.” At that moment, the plane picked up speed and began to tear down the runway.

“Come on!”

“We can track the painting down later!” Chaud yelled over the roar of the wind. He slid a Sensor1 chip into his PET and beamed it into the plane’s system. Lan reluctantly walked over to his friends. Sean jumped out of the plane first, followed by Chaud and lastly by Lan. The three of then landed on the grass next to the runway and rolled along it to a stop. They slowly sat up and watched as the plane left the ground. After a few minutes, it disappeared beyond the clouds.

“Damn it!” Lan screamed as he punched the ground.

“Take it easy, Lan!” Sean grabbed his friend’s shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. Eventually, Lan stopped ranting and he slowly stood up.

“Like I said, we’ll track the painting down later,” Chaud repeated, “I planted a tracer. But what’s not what concerns me.”

“Then what does?” Lan asked.

“It’s that chip Vincent used. It boosted Elpizo’s power tremendously.”

“I’m curious about that chip, too,” Sean joined in, “It seems to pack even more power than a Dark Chip.”

“Now that you mention it, I’m kinda wondering about it myself,” Lan thought out loud, “What was it called again?”

“I believe Vincent called it the Crest of Arcadia,” answered Sean.

“We better tell Mr. Famous about this. And fast.”

“The truck’s still by the hangar,” Chaud brought up, “We’ll take it back to the art museum and then take Lan’s car back home.”

“Shotgun!” Sean and Lan yelled simultaneously, but Sean was a bit faster than Lan.

“****,” Lan cursed as they walked back to the truck.

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End of chapter 3-3.

CHAPTER PREVIEW
Lan: That Crest of Arcadia is one powerful chip.
MegaMan: We’re going to have to face its power again sooner or later, Lan.
Lan: I just hope we have some way of overcoming it.
MegaMan: Well, we’re about to find out, Lan.
Lan & MegaMan: Next time on Rockman.EXE: The College Years, “Elpizo’s Wrath!”
Lan: Can we really him?
MegaMan: With the Crest of Arcadia on his side, it’s hard to say.
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