MMBN: Shadow of a Blazing Fire Chapter 12 2/2
Do Net Navis Dream?Warning: Sensitive topics such as violence and self harm discussed. Viewer discretion advisedA mostly empty cafeteria. Adults were blending their coffee or protein shakes while Dannyela picked up a tea drink before heading to the labs. Today was her turn to open the room. Clean whatever junk that was missed from yesterday. Turn on the computers. Warm up the generators. Launch each field. Measure the energy rates. Leaders’ meeting will commence after the all-clear. Stay behind the glass and monitor for the rest of the day. She discarded her so-called breakfast at the office to finish her tasks. This is their ritual. But before the meetings, the floor is theirs. Dannyela circled the room and checked the door locks. Secure. She picked up her PET and SynchroChip.“Ready?”Protoman nodded. Slot-in the chip, and together they stood. CrossFusion Protoman unsheathed their blade. Viruses spawned from all corners. Concentration. A cruise through the difficulties until it maxed out on the boss. The ASIMs. Nothing is ever the same with the horde. Expect every and any mutation. Do not give them room to make a move. A formula for a flawless victory when the operator and net navi are one. The spawner shut off. Round complete. The fusion survived. They only have the time for a half-hour exercise. The barrier opened. Dannyela unlocked the door and sent the open notification to the leaders. The two came so far. Pop-up Official branches showed up to boost interference efforts with the outpour of new applicants. With CrossFusion's introduction, new standards were imposed. Members required combat training for self-preservation or defending citizens caught in the battle. There were the well-trained Net Savers, the training Agents, and the secret operatives of Graveyard. Misaki, a promoted police chief, was appointed an unlisted CrossFusion to train potential Net Savers. But Graveyard also dabbled with experimental technology and conspiracies. An ex-cultist from the long-forgotten Gospel was their right hand for the spontaneous new programs. It tends to lead to chaos, but it's normal for long-time residents. Dannyela was one of them before Graveyard was coined, in order to stick close to her father and SciLab.She worked on The Third Eye's bible. Their philosophy. Their practices. Their motives. There was little out there, but understanding the cult would prove helpful. A fabricated book of cultic spells and rituals was formed. Sketches of decrepit creatures and demons. All pieced together by deep-diving forums, forest searches, and stacks of missing persons’ fliers. It rightfully spooked any sensible person unfortunate enough to glance at the incomplete copy.Protoman kept an eye on the entrance of the dock. People came and went. He would not dare to look away from the shipping containers. What if she bails? What if her dad catches her? What if she chooses not to continue? The questions swarmed his processors. This all depends on one thing.Dannyela loomed around a corner. She received the invitation and found the door. Maybe five minutes of going back and forth, she set foot inside, pulled the lever, and activated the slope. She landed in the SciLab maintenance tunnel. At the final call, she did not leave. Dannyela battled as strongly as she could. She was rusty. Or perhaps lost confidence with the eyes on her. But she cleared the DarkHole challenge with ease. They found the keys, albeit not without Megaman pulling Starlight out of a sticky situation.“Playing favorites?”Bass came to the observation comp.“I’m calling dibs on the blue maggot. I want payback.”He pounded his fists against his palm. Knuckles popping in preparation. Protoman had to roll his eyes. Bass has gone from malicious to petty. He'd argue it got worse over the months. Nicole was a definite influence.“I W A N T H E R T O P A S S .”“Two victims working to track down their partner’s killer. Why does that sound like those stupid human romance movies?”Bass was joking. But it struck a cord. Would asking Dannyela to become his temporary operator be a bad idea? His expression alerted the other navi.“You’re not genuinely thinking about teaming up with her, are you?”“A N D W H A T I F I A M ?”Bass dropped his prior tone.“Nothing. It’s fascinating to see how your processors work. Are you sure you’re up to it?”He chuckled. This was amusing to him.“Searching for new connections isn’t wrong. It’s better than being alone in a dead-end job.”Bass had been harping about Protoman taking on too much. He could not figure the navi out. First, he told him to find and work towards his goals. Now he was telling him to hit the breaks. The sword navi will not entertain the thought of slowing down. Not now.Official navis gathered to analyze the applicants. Power, speed, skill, cooperation, intelligence, and weaknesses. Final stage. Dannyela was picked apart on intelligence and speed. Both were high, but Officials wanted to push them over the limits displayed. Starlight will be facing Protoman’s former co-commander. Searchman easily matches her speed in rapid fire with the perks of range and invisibility. If Dannyela freezes, Raika will not hesitate to kill.“Yes! I finally get to battle Lan and Megaman.”He could hear Nicole chant over the microphone. Bass got his wish. It was to ensure level-headed behavior and quick thinking skills. It was not a question of whether Lan passes, it was when. Judges focused on the twins and his friend with her observation skills and scanning speeds. Others like Dannyela were on the wayside. Net Savers gossiped. It will most likely be two. They will have veterans, so why should it matter much? Experience is more desirable.“Don’t be all down. I say we get three. She’ll show you.”Nicole remained optimistic. She swore it would get better. Nothing was set until the final was over. If only more people could share her optimism. Navis took their villainous positions, and Protoman was left mostly alone.“Didn’t expect you to spectate.”Baryl and Colonel were not fighting. With the number of people applying, they pulled the strings to keep the process moving. The fact the navi was back was still baffling. Lan was right about Dr. Wily turning a new leaf. The mad scientist made a new copy of the navi, but he is not whole. Colonel is almost like him, salvaged from bits with gaps in memory. Relying on old photos and others’ accounts.“We’ve noticed your interest in a particular contestant.”Colonel pointed to the seamstress. Protoman was not being subtle. He should voice his plans now, maybe. How awful would it be? Out with it. Try.“I W O U L D L I K E T O R E Q U E S T A C O L L A B O R A T I O N W I T H T H E G I R L .”Baryl reframed from showing anything other than a blank face. He was reading her results. The ability to find loopholes and backdoors is a much-appreciated perk. She and her navi cracked the codes and gained access to the assist weapon. They opted out of it. The recluse mannerisms and inability to act tripled their suspicions.Bad start. The whole facility was a trap. Landmines, grenades, and satellite fire. Searchman predicted flight patterns and shot the Starlight down the second she got airborne. They tried to be direct. Dannyela could feel her opponent’s strength and deemed herself incomparable. Weak. A parallel between Chaud and Protoman’s final tournament. The loss of concentration. The pressure building so high, one cannot tune out the waves of doubt. Protoman found himself mouthing get up, fight back. Remember what they taught them. Battles can turn around. Narrow your vision on the target.Starlight fell back to patch up. Health was in the red and there was little they could do with the chip library nearly depleted. Deep breaths. Dannyela closed her eyes. Three minutes left. Charging does not work. Stay calm. They know where Searchman was. They know his primary weapons. Starlight warped beneath the floor to evade the sniper’s wrath. The unstable gravity lifted the landmines from their place. The explosions cut off the soldier’s escape. From the alphabet soup of BattleChips, they attacked. A counter here and there closed the gap and caught Searchman in the golden ribbon. The girls transitioned to offense.The unpredictable movement of the ribbons froze the firing speeds. Searchman had a difficult time aiming for a weak spot. It was all a diversion. Three loops around the leg then showtime. Gravity dissipated and the room went bright. CosmicShift. The soldier navi got flung into railings. Starlight swooped down for a final drill attack. Raika downloaded a Canon. The round grazed her abdomen making her crash into him. A fistfight ensued to climb to the top. Starlight locked her leg around the enemy's neck. An unconventional move, but the shock factor worked. The jester swung herself over with her ribbons weaving Searchman in. A quick knot rendered him immobile. Diffuse the fake bomb.A single second to spare. The seamstress collapsed to her knees. She won, but she could have finished earlier had she done that sooner. Their style was about agility and no set pattern. What was so wrong with that?Protoman positioned himself at a SciLab Copyroid, cloak at the ready. Lan and Megaman passed with flying colors. Mayl and Roll too. Deliberation for the seamstress took longer. It was like the first time he applied all those years ago. Chaud sat in the Officials’ lobby recanting his mistakes to himself. He would rather not take it from anyone else. He wanted this position so badly. He worked hard for it. Acceptance was the assurance Chaud needed to know that he was seen. Him. Not IPC. Not his father. Chaud Blaze.Baryl sent a room number. The verdict was in. Protoman plugged-in and went to the coordinates. The room was empty. The navi peaked out of the door. Baryl and Raika were in position.“After consideration, Officials have deemed you trainable.”Dannyela got cemented in Graveyard. Good for her research license, but she is effectively on the waitlist. They are not out of the woods yet. Raika was dismissed while Baryl pulled the girl inside.“We appreciate you formally applying. Unfortunately, there are a few discrepancies we need to address before continuing.”Dannyela knew something was wrong, seemingly expected it. She barely explained herself clearly, as in the man couldn't hear her.“I- . . . I know I wasn’t supposed to but . . . I- . . . just wanted to . . . try and . . .”When Baryl could understand, he stopped her.“This is not concerning your background with SciLab. This meeting is to discuss your placement. You have skills but an assortment of weaknesses to amend before becoming a Net Saver.”Dannyela looked down at her hands, avoiding his gaze.“In order to continue, someone requested to go over it with you.”Protoman stepped forth. He startled Dannyela out of her seat. Dressing in a cloak was a bad idea given the current circumstance. The navi took it off. She calmed down instantly.“Our top net operative, Protoman, has some questions for you.”Baryl had the navi take over.“I ‘ M S O R R Y F O R B O T H E R I N G Y O U A G A I N , B U T I N E E D Y O U R A S S I S T A N C E .”Dannyela was perplexed. The first time she heard his new voice. Starlight translated.“He said he needs your assistance.”“Assistance? . . . What happened?”Protoman made a motion of slotting a chip into a PET, something for her to understand better. She may have gotten it the first time.“Protoman is requesting your operator skills, which includes CrossFusion.”Baryl was spot on. He wanted to join Dannyela to tackle The Third Eye.“You want me to CrossFusion? With you? . . . Is that possible?”“That has yet to be determined. International Officials gave the go-ahead for the test, but it falls upon your willingness.”Whether it was plausible was unknown. The SynchroLevels required for a stable fusion is exponentially high. And learning to battle in such a form is another story. It's her choice. Dannyela’s fingers curled in, nails biting into her palm.“. . . I’ll try.”She was in.“That settles it. You are an official member of Net Savior’s Graveyard. Your training begins effective immediately. I assume you are in possession of a SynchroChip already.”“Y-Yes, . . . sir.”She corrected herself for her new superior. Protoman bowed, as a navi who respects their operator.“I S W E A R B Y M Y S W O R D I W I L L P R O T E C T Y O U , M A ‘ D A M .”“No . . . please.”Dannyela did not need to know what he said. She was not to be given a high-honoring title. One of the last living people in his life submitted to him as if she were a stranger. She bowed to him.“I’m beneath you . . . I’m not owed such regards.” Protoman spaced out. Other fusions took the floor, and Dannyela was left to watch. The same damn thing. A never-ending cycle. He's trapped in one again.“Daydreaming?”Starlight waved her hand around Protoman’s shades.“You slept in and have been staring into space ever since. What’s up?”“T H I N K I N G .”The jester glided close.“Thinking? What’s going through that mystery box?”He looked to her operator who had all too easily forgotten the world around her.“You thinking about him again?”Protoman shook his head. For once, he was not thinking about the monster. He needs the time to finish the scan. The answers to his hindrance, it's so close.“Go talk to her. You’ll never know if you’ll get the chance again.”Starlight whispered. There is no better time than now. Does the seamstress want to? The training. The missions. The times between."You can do it."Starlight cheered and threw a thumbs-up. Go. Protoman activated the PET hologram.“W H Y D I D Y O U A C C E P T M E ?”The question caught Dannyela off guard. He could have prefaced that better.“What . . . ?”“C R O S S F U S I O N . W H Y D I D Y O U A C C E P T M E ?”He was doing this. He actually was doing this. He was questioning the girl. Dannyela pushed down her screen.“Because you needed help. . .”They went over this. Darrel found out about her application and congratulated her accomplishment. But leaders were given strict instructions from him. The girl can continue her investigative work. She can assist with training and first aid for the CrossFusion Labs. She is not to be deployed as a first-line defense under any circumstances. That was the loophole.Protoman drove to the Armaboard residence after work. The house was dark, but Dannyela was awake. She sat on the living room floor, staring into the backyard. His entrance code still worked after all those years. The DimensionalArea generator ran, awaiting the navi. He sat next to her. “ . . . We have little time to catch up. . . . And they’ll be suspicious of us.”Eyebrows were raised when the news broke out. Who was this random girl, and why would the top navi want her?“They'll destroy us if they learn what happened to him . . . and I don't want you to be dragged for it. . . . We mustn't speak of the past.”They had two months at best to meet the bare minimum. They will bring the Ace justice, but keep things strictly as colleagues. Partnering up was a mountain of obstacles. Notepads hindered communication. Dr. Hikari offered an upgrade for Protoman’s voice program. It would have sounded worse than his current version, but humans will understand him. Protoman still feared going under the knife, so Dannyela studied his decoder instead. Every break she had from training, generator maintenance, and Graveyard research was devoted to him. Perhaps it was such devotion that pushed their fusion so far.Stepping into the cage for the first time. It was intimidating. All the scientists watching, hands firmly on the shutoff button. They only had so much time before Dr. Armaboard returned, so Dr. Hikari scrounged what he could for the test."Beginning scan. Activate CrossFusion."The walls came up. Protoman didn't expect anything to happen. He kept his eyes on Dannyela. She slotted-in the SynchroChip. Screens surrounded him.Scanning . . .Loading . . .Processing CF_Synchro . . .The bars slowly filled. Nothing. Stuck. Then light. It came suddenly. Protoman couldn't shield his eyes. He couldn't feel any part of him for a moment. His arms were curled towards his chest, crunched in a defensive brace. His eyes flickered open. The navi was in the cage. It was off. Things around the room were bigger for some reason. Or he was smaller. Finally, he moves. Did he? He didn't think about that. Protoman saw his gloved hands, slender and sharpened to short points. These aren't his hands. This isn't his body. Did it work?The red fusion inspected themselves further, slowly, their head spun when they moved too fast. The armor clung to their body with black belts. The loops around their ribcage were a bit tighter, pushing their chest up. Their heels clicked against the tile, almost making them fall forward. The dipping between standing to leaning caused them to tumble to the floor. Electrical sparks danced around them. The fusion isn't stable, causing strain on the body. Dr. Hikari ended the scan. The CrossFusion dissipated and sent the navi back to the PET. It was weird to Protoman. Not even close to what he expected. Maybe because it was his first time and with someone he had only begun to read deeper into. Something within them just seemed to dredge up what was required. It seemed too easy to find for the navi. But they need more.Battle training was a new level of hell. Their styles contradicted. Protoman is direct. Dannyela is long-distance. Chief Misaki may be a compassionate man, but combat was a serious time. Baryl on the other hand was far more gruesome. The two were like a graceless swan. Flailing around with no coordination. Felt a bit predatory, but others were given the same treatment. Rough and tough love better describes it. As much as it hurt, Dannyela did not leave. She kept learning. She compromised everything for Protoman, no matter the suffering.“Y O U L E A R N E D F A S T . T H E D E C O D E R A N D C R O S S F U S I O N .”“It was like . . . music. You only need the combinations to make out a language.”They reached basic communication in time for their first mission. The Hikawa water plant. Generator staff was given to the offense team. Dannyela drove one of the DimensionalArea trucks. Dr. Hikari authorized it while Dr. Armaboard was away on an excavation. Mining more rare materials for future development. But just to be sure, she wore a hoodie to cover her face. She was about to head out.“Hey ostrich!”Nicole jumped up to the driver’s window. The bobbing ponytails startled the girl.“Looks like we’ll be doing this together. You ready?”The leader came just to cheer her on. Dannyela sighed.“Not looking to die right now . . .”“Hey, I won’t be too far away. I won’t let these guys touch you. Got that?”Nicole and Bass’ fusion was beyond stable, thriving. They can fight. Dannyela must rely on her friend’s words. She wouldn’t lie to her like that. But she should be able to defend herself.“. . . It wasn’t enough.”Flames consumed the truck. Dannyela narrowly escaped the blast. Blue and orange danced upon the chrome. The shadow of a demon reflected within that light. They were right to bring more than one, the cult was catching on. The seamstress turned to her attacker. Raging flames in hand and smoke pouring from the lips. A DarkAura human versus a taser. She landed a stab that stunned Fire Plague for a moment. Too short to break out a fire extinguisher, only enough to take the PET Protoman was housed in."F A L L B A C K !"Protoman told her to run. Forget the truck. She could outrun them. She could run into backup. Why did he not do more to stop her? He witnessed the girl’s body being flung into the brush, bleeding from the lip and nose. When Net Savers arrived, Fire Plague was gone and Ice Prince took over. CrossFusion Bass personally snuffed them out.“N I C O L E S T A Y E D B Y Y O U R S I D E A F T E R T H E A T T A C K .”Protoman lamented. Nicole shouldn't have been the one to save her. She put her life in his hands. That shouldn't have been the outcome. Was he not strong enough? Impossible.They were not yelled at by Net Savior. It was Darrel that laid down the law, after making sure the girl was breathing. If he had not squeezed her to death. The cult was deadset on inflicting harm. Dannyela knows this. To them, the greater good means getting their hands dirty for the sake of their so-called savior. Filthy beings. Yet she got punished for his failings. Dannyela was grounded from the CrossFusion Lab.“I was weak. . . . If I had worked harder . . . maybe we could have transformed. . . .”The seamstress blamed herself, so she must fix it. No CrossFusion Lab? Use her home’s DimensionalArea then. The energy output is strong enough to hold a fusion without an overload. And it is in a secluded area away from the city's eyes. Starlight became their coach. New environment. New timetables. Protoman kept getting thrown into new worlds. The student had now become the teacher. Starlight's methods were different from his own. Being tied up and bound, helping the other escape. She would bean them with a toy hammer when they messed up for crying out loud. Never in his life had he encountered anything like that. She said it was the only punishment for messing up that wasn’t painful and she can do to both of them. The squawking was annoying to the navi, so that’s probably why she used it. And yet those methods worked for them.Protoman got more time to study his temporary operator. He noticed Dannyela worked best in seclusion. The quiet singing of the birds and the trees. Just a few minutes in the silence and she was calm again. He liked to work more in private too, but she gets easily discouraged, more than ever. He assumed it was the result of walking on eggshells for years. The number of times they fell into the pool from performing an in-air slash or simply tripping was uncountable. Dannyela would go quiet, not even talking to him until she beat herself up enough. And it happened once again. CrossFusion Protoman was flung into the pool after failing to take the jester down for the tenth time. They climbed out, soaked.“Come on now. You were just getting it. You lost focus.”Starlight retracted her ribbons. The seamstress looked for Muramasa in the grass. She isn’t ending it here. They’ve been at it for six hours now. Chaud never got this tired until hour ten. Maybe now would be best to end it.“D A N N Y E L A , I F T H I S I S T O O M U C H , W E C A N S T O P .”“No . . . I’m fine.”Dannyela got back up. A dark flash swooped over Protoman’s vision. His senses. This memory. It was corrupted? How? It can’t be? By what? His soul felt bound by something, forcing the body to push forward. Back then, he read it as determination, the same energy Chaud radiated so many times in battle. It made them move, and he saw it as good. They must keep at it to make it to the top. They must maintain course to stay in Net Savior. So why was this fire so cold and dead? One with no will. Protoman dismissed it at the sound of another.“Nah. Let’s end it for today. If you feel inclined, we can do blind cooking again. Dad said he picked up some groceries yesterday, so let’s use it.”Starlight always knew what to say to get her back on track. So patient. So lovingly, even when she frustrates her. Starlight is a saint in Protoman’s eyes for that. It made him wish for such virtues years ago. And like that, he forgot about the heaviness. He was right. He’s still missing something. The trio was passing through ACDC. They lost track of time and were running late to work. Protoman was up the night before with Game Master still running about, completely missing the alarm. No time to shower or eat for the girl. He doubted she got any sleep from trying to crack into a server. They were approaching the next transfer station. Then they saw it. Chess pawns towering above the trees. Sirens wailed with the screams of children. A DimensionalArea truck was inbound. The pawns weaved their way to block its route. Game Master started yet another game, and not too far away from them. Net Savior was down too many trucks from the guerilla attacks. Calling the inbound team and warning them was the first thing that came to mind. Ineffective. Communication lines were spotty.An impasse appeared. Go and run the risk of messing up and getting discovered, or turn a blind eye and wish for the best. If the truck goes down, who will cover the rest? They’re not deployed. Net Savior did not approve them for missions, risking termination. Dannyela cycled through the options.“Someone has to stop them!”Starlight hyped them. This is an opportunity to prove themselves. To be a hero, one must take chances without hesitation. Protoman knows what it takes. He was ready to go already.“W E M U S T M O V E N O W I F W E A R E T O I N T E R C E P T T H E E N E N Y .”The truck squealed to a stop. The remainder of the police could not keep the pawns back. People will die if that truck falls. Move.Dannyela took off. Through streets and over fences. The pawns morphed into foot soldiers slashing the tires. Scaring the things off without the generator is suicide. Activating it now will cripple those caught in the school. There was a minuscule window of success. The margin for error is none. Dannyela slid beneath the truck. A plug-in port was tucked just above the front axle, out of sight access. Protoman was beamed in. Set up the area of reach and activate the generator on reduced power. It tricks the system into entering cooldown mode. Just enough power to hold one or two fusions.Execute DimensionalAreaDebut CrossFusion Protoman. Their silver blade hacked down a stone soldier before it chopped a Net Saver to bits. Surprise and alarm.“How’d you get down here so fast? Found an old Copyroid?”Nicole complimented. She had no clue. No one did. Dannyela looked at themself. The comment alerted her. Do they look out of place? CrossFusion Protoman's arms crossed their chest, pressing the region flat.“Save it for later. They're coming!”Raika pointed down the road. Enemy reinforcements were arriving. The fusion got behind the truck and lifted it by the underside. They forced the generator to pivot on its front wheels, aiming towards the school. The rubber cemented into the pavement, screaming all the way. Dannyela was being too delicate not to damage the machine. Protoman needed her to go full force. What does he do? If he tells her something, she can't talk back. Too many ears. He needs to step in. Protoman channeled his energy to his arms. A few more inches then he dropped the truck. She switched the DimensionalArea to full power while the Net Savers suited up with their SynchroChips.“Guard the truck. We’ll rescue the hostages.”A pawn snuck up upon Nicole. A fraction of a second to react. CrossFusion Protoman stabbed the soldier through its chest. The damage tore the girl’s jacket. Dannyela winced. She's gonna have to fix that. The leader didn't mind.“Thanks for the save. We’ll be back.”The rest stormed the school and left CrossFusion Protoman to defend. It was them versus a battalion of chess pieces and viruses. Alone. Looking down the eyes of The Third Eye. Protoman waited for Dannyela. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Focused. Connecting. Synchronize. Dust and pixelated viruses desperate for a piece of metal and glass crumbled. All to fall short. They were doing it. They were battling as one. There was no glitching or faults. It was perfect, like the navi was battling long before. When Chaud was by his side. It was exhilarating. Beautiful even. Then tainted.A deafening sound of an explosive. Black smoke rose over the school.Casualties ReportedImmediate Medical Attention NeededCrossFusion Protoman stood still. The speakers carrying Game Master’s voice robbed them of whatever joy they felt. Forces froze as medical personnel moved in. The screeching ambulance echoed bad memories. For a second he thought he saw something in his memory. His systems rejected it. He had no memories of ambulances. Where did that come from? In the face of the loss, Protoman missed another glitch. Right in front of him.Casualties RetractedMultiple Injuries ReportedImmediate Medical Attention NeededSudden relief. The fusion could breathe again. The school will be swarmed with officers, and so will the press. Now was the time to disappear. A nearby park sufficed. They climbed over a chain fence and slid into a dome park toy. The shadow consumed their being as iridescent pixels emitted off the seamstress’ body. Protoman was placed back in the PET. Dannyela was left to catch her breath. From the holes, they witnessed the cleanup. Agents escorted the injured. Lan was loaded into a Net Savior vehicle. He was the retracted casualty. The twins were lucky they were still walking. At least it was over.Dannyela ran down the road in time for a bus leaving the neighborhood. A turbulent fair with riders trying to sneak a peak at the aftermath. The breaking news blasting on surrounding PETs. The seamstress being able to slump back assured Protoman she was unscathed.“Dannyela, what happened to your clothes?”Darrel found dust coating her black long-sleeve. They were already late, now he was suspicious.“I was . . . forced to stay in the ACDC park because of a bomb. I fell over when I heard an explosion.”The scientist dropped his things. He looked around her, babbling about staying aware. Protoman was on edge. They were caught. She's going to be punished for this. It was out of his hands.“You should have called me. I would've picked you up.”“You're busy . . .”“That's not an excuse in these times.”When he could not find a cut or bruise, he sighed and hugged her.“Don’t wander off like that again, okay? Who knows what lunatics are hiding around.”“. . . Sorry for being a disappointment.”“You’re not a disappointment. Now how about you drop off your things and go to the underground storage unit? I could use your help with something.”The engineer went back to finalizing the satellite generators. Dannyela was sent to the garage for repairs, the truck they protected earlier. Looming Net Savers were telling the story of the bombing. How Protoman swooped in and saved the mission from failure. Dannyela blushed behind the mountain of truck parts. Everyone accepted their actions because they thought it was Protoman.“Well, well, well. Somebody’s the talk of the town.~”Starlight glided over Protoman’s shoulder.“You should have seen their faces! It was epic! I’m so proud of you guys!”The jester pulled him into a hug. He didn't know how to feel about it besides being awkward. He doesn't get hugged. He's not a contact navi outside of battle.“No, that was all Protoman’s power. . . .”Dannyela called off the celebration. She didn't do a thing.“What a lie. You can't battle like that without you BOTH working together! That was the best CrossFusion fight you've done so far!”Starlight went to Protoman for affirmation. He was indifferent. It was a successful test. The mission is far from over.“I T W A S A S I M P L E M I S S I O N .”The jester’s grin turned to an angry frown. That wasn’t the answer she was looking for.“You guys are dense.”With all the commotion, Protoman was questioned during a debriefing.“Is it true? You successfully performed CrossFusion and assisted the ACDC rescue?”The International Officials graced the department yet again. By grace, more like annoying. Protoman was put on the spot in front of his fellow Net Savers.“W E W E R E N E A R B Y W H E N T H E N O T I C E W A S S E N T .”The International branch was rather impressed. This is where the term hybrid started circling. An autonomous net navi with a CrossFusion partner. A bit of a spit in Bass’ face. The International Officials had their doubts about the navi even with an operator equipped to handle him. Because Protoman was here from the start, he’s more of the golden child, somewhat. He was still barred from certain missions unless Dannyela or a team was with him. Regardless, this was a win to be passed to SciLab’s research. This could revolutionize their already growing project. Japan is only the stepping stone. Officials wanted Net Savior to spread to other countries if it was effective. Wrong objective as always. No wonder Chaud wanted to climb the ladder, to give these guys a dose of reality.“Though it was risking your cover, we’ll let this slide. But from here, we will place you two under new assignment.”Annoying how they look at Protoman as something of direct value again. How long until that’s gone? They know of his earlier outbursts and disappearances. He was ignoring the void’s presence. It did not bother him then. And that was his mistake. The void within was waking up again. Now, he could feel it stir. Protoman kept following the string.Protoman returned late. Sower and low on power as always. All the trails went cold. Game Master went to celebrate in the shadows before the next game. And Graveyard was up on full cylinders. The office was filled with the dim lights of computers. Soft chatter and typing. It was not the only thing out of the normal, Dannyela was not present. If she was not here, she had to be underground, the home office. Protoman traversed to the backroom lab, a cluttered storage of scrapped and in-progress works. Papers crumbled and half-completed, fought to stay on the desk with crude threads. One in the morning and the mind was still running. A vacant stare and deafness. She did not notice the navi enter the computer. Missing children fliers filtered through select features: brown hair, brown eyes. Too many to choose from, but references helped. It pointed to a case on the adjacent island of Japan. The kidnapping of the Aragomas. Approximately the eighth time she came to this conclusion. The seamstress called the secure house to request an interview with the first apprehended kid. Permission granted. Early morning appointment set. It will be down to the wire for tomorrow’s meeting.When the call ended, the crash came. Drop dead with pencils and pens, again. Dannyela had not gained proper sleep in a long time. With their fusion solidified, he would think she would reel it back. Anything that impairs clarity of mind breaks fusions, but she does not listen. Was this right? Was this how it was supposed to be? Chaud did this all the time, always. It’s been their whole life.Starlight wasn’t here, possibly running errands for their father. So who was left to tend to Dannyela? Let things be or do something. Protoman entered a Copyroid and wrapped the girl in a blanket shoved under the desk legs. Her father put it there awhile ago knowing how often he found her sleeping here. How thoughtful for the engineer to think so much of their child, even when away. Protoman tilted his head up. He caught a glance of a concealed collage. Why did he bother lifting the veil? Chaud and her, when times were better. Fond memories. The beams of light tempted him. Remain focussed. Protoman raced to intercept an attack. Recovered PET data and Dannyela’s investigation guided the way. There were organized groups aiding The Third Eye with the kidnapping cases. All personnel were deployed to evacuate another high school. Megaman got himself stuck in a hard place again, and the game started. The last truck was out and the generators at the home base malfunctioned. The odds were against Net Savior. The twins went in without additional help. They do not have fifteen minutes to spare. Someone has to act.“Y O U H A V E A N I D E A .”A phone call between him and the seamstress.“I can’t. . . . I can’t do it.”Dannyela cowered. The scientists dashed to get a crane from storage.“Y O U N E E D T O T R Y .”“I-I can’t do this. I just can’t.”“Y O U H A V E S T R E N G T H , U S E I T .”Dannyela had a path in mind. He could see it in her eyes. Deliberation was frantic. Shaking and pacing. Go or stay. She tittered between the doorway, trying to go. Heart pounding. Breath thinning. Go. You need to.She tore off her black overshirt and stored components, tools, and an earpiece to keep Protoman’s line open. She ran out of the camera’s reach. When in the frame, she dashed across the hanging walkways. Chains and metal bars turned into a hazardous jungle gym. Dagger edges. Splotches of oil. No net. She climbed to the fuming generator. Locked on target. Dread and amazement collided. Dannyela carefully descended onto the ledge of generator four, hanging by fingers. She unlocked the cabinet. A flurry of smoke burst out. The heat threw her off balance. The exposed skin instantly drying and cracking. She knocked the old motherboard out using the tips of her nails, picking and clawing. Down the component fell fifty feet.“What are you doing?!”A scientist came to open the industrial doors. Net Savers poured in from the distress. They broke her daze. Dannyela’s eyes widened. The floor was so far from her feet. She scrambled back onto the ledge. The yelling from below, even her father, brought more tension. Protoman’s core froze.Warning! Danger Detected“H A N G O N !”The engines flipped on. He needed to save her. He had to get back to H.Q. He will not make it. She will fall. They said. He sped up, but he was too far. Blood will splatter the ground. Her head will crack open. Her ghost will haunt you. The void. It showed its face after so long.“S T A Y O N T A R G E T .”Protoman encouraged her to think of the task. Remember why they’re doing this. A last-ditch effort to not lose himself as well. Dannyela stayed still, clawing into the metal. She cracked an eye open at the unfinished job. She was thinking, good but as to what? She unclasped her hand for a jumble of wires, against the workers' plea. She rearranged the cabinet and plugged in the new board.From below, Chief Misaki found a tarp. His team formed a circle with it to form a net.“Jump!”He beckoned. Dannyela pointed to the launch room. They must turn the generators back on. Everyone was not moving until she was on solid ground. It was a hasty plummet with concrete and steel awaiting. Protoman will not be quelled until she is down.“L E T G O . T H E Y W I L L C A T C H Y O U .”Dannyela released her hold a finger at a time, and the free fall began. Back first against the rugged plastic. The team surrounded to check if she survived. Dannyela fought them to get upstairs. She slammed the launch button. Red lights flashed.System Reboot . . .Setting Coordinates . . .Each generator lit green. The satellite system and generators were talking to each other. Energy dispersed evenly throughout the room. The building's satellite dishes rotated into alignment with the SciLab satellite. A DimensionalArea spawned over Kotobuki High School. The generators were online. Net Savers on the ground reported the shift to offense.Target SightedExecuting MissionTransmission ErrorThis was not over. Communication was severed to the region. A signal tower might have been jammed. Typical. Protoman turned back towards the main battle. Only for it to be all wrapped up. As suspected, the PET tower was destroyed, but the enemy was locked up by a police unit arriving on the scene. Only for Lan to open it back up. He hatched a plan to capture Game Master, the real culprit. He believed the theory of Dark Horse being a scapegoat. He and his kind heart, never let him act astray. Tora needed Protoman to hide in a Copyroid and ambush the hideout. Tora pulled him out. A dingy alley.“Alright assassin navi, show me you’re still in your prime.There’s eight people upstairs and an open window. Take them out and I’ll get the chip back.”Eight goons were brandishing weapons on an upstairs loft with a single open window. They did not see him coming. Not a gunshot or DarkAura serum. These were the run-of-the-mill thugs. Even more disgusting to think they were funding all the damage. There were more targets with school pamphlets stuffed into a box. It would be enough to occupy Net Savior for months. So sickening. Protoman snuck downstairs to the bar floor. Lan and Game Master were talking.“You won’t get away with this. You will be stopped.”“While I have your special chip and you have no one to help? I have Dark Horse and security upstairs.”They taunted the boy, reveling in their victory with liquor. Lan responded with snark.“Well . . . we have a Protoman.”EngageHe tapped Game Master's shoulder with his weapon. The yell of terror with being surrounded. Tora broke Lan out and the police surrounded the bar. He’s finished. Not before the void could pull strings. Shots rang out. It breezed past Protoman. The chess-themed operator was gunned down. It happened so fast. His processors should have picked up on it. The reload echoed. Protoman blocked Lan from the fire with ProtoShield. Do you think you’re strong? Look at this mighty beast. Can’t defend a measly boy. They will die here because of you. Protoman could not shake it. He was stuck in place, trying to save one of the last pieces of his operator that lives. He can’t lose them. Not them too. He cannot lose here. Lan nabbed the alcohol bottle on the counter. It shattered and splashed all over Game Master. And he threatened to purge them with fire.“This is it, game over.”Mission CompleteLan was safe. Tora received treatment. And Game Master to be locked away. Protoman can start another mission. He was not prepared to meet a backer of the AceKillers.“Wait, Tora. Do you know what this is?”Lan showed the recovered vile. It took a moment to register in Tora’s mind. A mixture of devastation prevented him from saying the answer.“. . . The AceKillers. That’s who these people are.”Red rotting blood sealed in black and white strands of hair. To hear the answer directly. To see it. Protoman couldn’t speak. He could only calculate the unimaginable horrors they’d done to him. The Third Eye ripped and hacked his operator’s body."They'll kill anyone who stands in their way . . . including the ones you hold dear."Tora’s words repeated. The cult will take away anyone? Everyone? No. He can’t let them. He won’t. No more victims. Protoman scooped the item out of Lan’s grasp. Such a tiny thing reminded him of the boy’s hands. The ones that reached for him every morning. The ones that held him until the night fell. Staring at the vial, he fought back burning tears. A piece of Chaud’s soul can go home.Lan was requested to deliver the fragment to IPC. Protoman had no heart to enter the building. Chaud hated that place so much. The memories of blood and tears were still fresh. Protoman hid in the escort vehicle with another soul.“Go on. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”Dannyela unlocked the door on Lan’s side. The teen stepped out carefully with the little boy’s remains.“Why don’t you park and come up with me?”Lan asked. She refused.“No Lan. I was not invited.”“But it’s just that-”“I said go.”Dannyela drove to a parking garage. Her nails biting the steering wheel. It was too much. She didn’t want to go in, let alone touch the handle of that case. She can’t. The seamstress pressed her head against the wheel, waiting for the clock. She’s upset, you know she’s upset. How will you mess this up? In those instances, it was better to remain silent. It worked with Chaud. Right? Let her do her thing. The final stop was the Armaboard house. There were supplies there that would benefit his next missions. The seamstress locked herself in the bathroom to soak. Warm baths tended to soothe her nerves.“You two did really well.”Starlight mentioned in passing. She browsed old hard drives in her operator’s room. The room was retrofitted for them to share. The DimensionalAtra yet again being such a gift in the right hands. A passerby wouldn’t have known the second bed was for a net navi. Too lost in thought, Protoman didn’t comment.“Hey, I mean that. Who knows what could have happened if the generators didn’t come online when it did? You guys are starting to turn into a real team.”“I T ‘ S T E M P O R A R Y .”“Take a W, grrze. Why not stay? A firepit night with friends and marshmallows makes the morale great.”Protoman was not budging. He had things to do in the coming days. Steak out missions and raids. He will give Dannyela a break to complete her tasks, including moving into the dorms. The jester handed him an assortment of disguise chips.“Well . . . Always know you’re welcomed here. We’re all friends.”That’s how the chaos starts: one person saying something. Bass was drilling him for it again. An annoyance was what it was. And he wasn’t the only one. Starlight challenged them to move forward, but still, always found a way to yank them back. Protoman deflected her plea as jealousy. She is Dannyela’s net navi and here he is invading that slot. The sooner he completes his mission, the sooner he can let them live without a reminder of the past. “Y O U S A V E D T H E T E A M S F R O M H A R M . Y O U H E L P E D B R I N G A P I E C E O F H I M B A C K .”“A . . . from a demon.”Sickness resulting from prolonged exposure to the serum surged. The seamstress was to monitor screenings on all CrossFusions. Hour-long lectures with Dr. Sosa and injection training included. Protoman did not like it. He was not comfortable with doctors. A relatively suppressed fear he developed. The carousel of specialists handling Chaud made him lose trust. It was stronger for some reason. And another oversight was uncovered. Dannyela was unable to perform the injection training, not without shutting down. Dr. Sosa opted for different training options, for the squeamish members.Dannyela did her diligence and noted everything, to make up for her self-proclaimed brokenness. Doctors' work isn't for everyone, but to be this bad, Protoman should have seen some writing on the wall. Or, the void kept him from seeing. Its dark glitching hands were over him, holding him in place. But good was sprinkled in the gaps. Lan was at the top of the liability list, but in a way, Lan had the girl on his own list. It is the twins’ nature to care for everyone. And like Protoman, Lan wanted the girl to see her worth. Every chance he crossed paths with her, Lan always talked to her. The most memorable one was the most hilarious in ways. Protoman chuckled.“What’s so funny?”Dannyela got uneasy. Protoman was acting out of character. Did she break him when she activated the scan? She’s tempted to phone a colleague better suited to programming.“W E T H O U G H T L A N C A U G H T U S W H E N H E R A N I N T O T H E C A G E .”Dannyela was working on speed that day. Even outside of CrossFusion, they couldn't catch her. It got a rise out of the navi.“He almost broke his nose . . .”Dannyela did not find it funny. He was tired and tripped. And after all that, they still worried for her. Dannyela never understood why Lan was so adamant about watching out for her. He did not know her, yet he acted like he’s for years. So friendly and kind, but so reckless. “You want us to go undercover?”There was a change in plans. Chief Misaki summoned Dannyela late at night.“Sources lead to The Third Eye devising a strike in the coming hours. We need another CrossFusion the enemy will not expect.”Chief Kiefer explained the dire situation. The charity tournament was not about fun, it was about making sure families lived to see the next sunrise. A couple of problems. She has to man the generators tomorrow. She cannot just sneak away. Even if she did, cameras were going to be everywhere. If her dad sees, he will surely kill her. She was on strike one after the generator fiasco. She doesn't feel like pushing her luck.“ . . . I’m not sure I can, sir.”“Think about it. Misaki is leaving first thing in the morning.”Secrecy finally caught up to bite them, harder more like it. Darrel will not let her out of his sight. But a lot of Net Savers will be in immediate danger. The cop in yellow came to the seamstress.“Are you going to try and pick up the shift?”Misaki asked again. Just to be sure. Dannyela lowered her head.“Don’t be afraid to show up if you can. Remember our training: don’t overthink. Things will work themselves out.”The man patted her shoulder. She pulled away. It was an accident. Misaki constantly pushed for those on his team to get out there. Dannyela was his latest masterpiece, as in the one he’s been trying to break out of her shell the longest. The pair was between a rock and a hard place. How is Dannyela to sneak away without notice? Net Savers got ready for the hospital before sunrise. Nicole threw her chip pack into her backpack. She checked off her mental list, but her roommate was still in bed. Dannyela is always up before her.“Okay. I know you ain’t getting un-grounded soon, but you gotta be up.”Nicole pulled the blanket off. A ball of a human underneath. The seamstress was not moving, held down by a heating pad.“What’s up with you?”The nagging tone left. Dannyela groaned and took back the covering.“Sorry . . .”Nicole sheepishly apologized.“At least tell me you took some meds?”She sat beside the lump. The messy teen didn't answer, so she assumed the usual.“Two pills and you’ll be fine in a couple hours. It won't hurt you.”There was a knock on the dorm.“Dannyela, are you in here? Shift is starting.”Dr. Armaboard wondered where his daughter disappeared to. Dannyela tried to cough up a coherent sentence for it to come out muffled. The father stepped in.“Are you doing okay?”“. . . No.”The man came closer. He checked her wrists, arms, and eyes.“No dark veins or purple coloring anywhere?”“Uncle, she’s . . . locking up.”A code word. The father sighed. He patted his daughter’s head.“Oh . . . I’m sorry Dannyela. You stay here.”“W-What about my shift . . . ?”“You leave it to me. And call if anything. Food, medicine, I’ll get it here.”The father promised. He can do both jobs. He has been doing both. The father adjusted the blanket to cover her shoulders.“Okay. Sleep.”Dr. Armaboard left. Nicole dug around for a bottle of pain medication and placed two pills on the nightstand.“I know sharing ain’t allowed, but I can’t stay. Take these and I’ll text you when I can. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”Lastly, the leader plugged in Dannyela’s PET into an outlet and pulled her bags to the bed, in case she needed it. No leaving the refuge unless necessary.“I’ll see you tonight. Wish us luck.”The lights went out. Nicole waved goodbye and locked the dorm. Footsteps died down. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. Sixty seconds.“Are they gone?”Protoman was in the security camera comp. Nicole ran to gather her unit and the scientist descended to the generator room. The remainder of the residents headed upstairs.“A L L C L E A R .”Dannyela sprang out. Gone was the charade and out was the bag Nicole had graciously pushed close. A batch of clothes, a spare PET, and a Copyroid. The girl stripped out of her nightwear, got dressed, and plugged Starlight into the bot. The messiest transition Protoman has ever seen.“I can’t believe that worked.”The jester admitted that their plan was delusional. Two birds with one stone was more than they could dream of. Though it hurt to pull that stunt on Nicole. If she was in on Graveyard, they would have told her. Protoman did not understand a thing. He has heard of kids faking illnesses to get out of unfavorable events. Chaud never attempted the ruse before, not like anyone would take it seriously and put him back to work.“I F A I L T O U N D E R S T A N D Y O U R P E R F O R M A N C E .”The women looked at each other. There's no time to go into details.“I’ll text when we’re coming back. Meet us at the showers.”“Wait!”Starlight pulled a long sash from the bag. Dannyela forgot. She pulled up her shirt and wrapped it around her chest. When dressed, the girl did not resemble herself. Just a random teenage boy.“Let's go.”“You two can do this, right?”Starlight launched a disguise program to the exact specifications of the seamstress. A perfect replica, minus the added inches in height. You couldn’t tell when curled up and bundled in blankets. Dannyela pulled down on her hat. Of the few emotions Protoman could read, he understood embarrassment. Better than nervousness? The navi did not know yet. Starlight pointed directly at the old PET screen. At him.“Take care of my sister, mister.”Her starry orbs flashed. She won't be there to spot them. She placed her operator's life in his hands, fully. Protoman accepted. He promised her since day one, he would protect her. Now he began to question his vows. Had he truly done that?Sprinting down the halls, Dannyela snuck out of the fire exit. Drumming steps mimicked the clock escaping them. The last of the teams were leaving. Chief Misaki was locking the unit into the vehicle. The seamstress presented her winded self to their surprise. The officer had to double-check if she belonged to him. Dannyela lifted her hat carefully to hide her right eye.“Ah! Just in time. Found a way did ya?”Dannyela clutched the spare PET. She lied. She deceived, like how the crowds say. The girl climbed into the van, over the other team members and their things. One seat was left in the back. Sean Obihiro was glued to his laptop running programs.“So is CrossFusion Double ready?”Sean fantasized about meeting CrossFusion Protoman in combat. That’s what non-fighters tend to do. Protoman was not fond of the chat. It might end up being a pitch for a new program and he refuses to be the one to test them. Bugs are bugs and he doesn’t want more. Dannyela curled into her seatbelt. Muscles locked into a defensive stance. Protoman assured her he would not leave her side. That at least, the void gave to him. He did stay, and did what?Misaki parked roughly a block away from the hospital. The staff greeted them from the back door and took them to their post. They worked in the west tower. It was less congested with Net Battling in the central building. Protoman watched the parents of each kid. People of the utmost love. Through a barrier of machines and pills, their bond prevailed. Is this what Shuuseki did? When Chaud was going through the same. Did he get to feel that warmth? Protoman almost forgot why they were here. Everything was fine, but The Third Eye despises happy endings. Heaven transformed into hell. An explosive was set off. Signals went dead. The net compromised. Protoman was fortunate to have stayed within the confines of the spare PET. He was not caught by poisonous vines, but he couldn’t get the security locks to budge. Net Savers rescued patients the old-fashioned way by breaking the locks and hinges of the doors. Screams of frantic parents and frightened children. Unable to alleviate the disaster. A sea of neverending madness and ruin. Dannyela for the first time stood before it as it unfolded. Heartbroken, it transcended her own fears of this place.A half-hour of black smoke and inaccessible rooms. Where was the DimensionalArea? Where were the other Net Savers? Something had gone wrong. They got countered. Dannyela heaved herself up a fire escape to the next uncharted floor. The fire had grown out of control. Her coughing had grown worse. Sweating through her clothes. Did this all look familiar? Why make her live that trauma? Are you going to let her die too? Protoman covered his auditory sensors. He cannot be distracted. Get up. Fight. Shadows danced around him in the smoke. There was no Copyroid. There was no plug-in point. Useless. Waste of coding. Why are you breaking your promises again?“. . . T-There.”Net Savers cracked the communication jam. The polygonal dome surrounded the hospital perimeter. No longer trapped in a digital confine. CrossFusion Protoman got to work. Sets of trapped patients were carried down.Floors 13-20 : ClearedThe rest of the patients were on the floors far above or below the fire.“Protoman, backup needed in the central tower.”CrossFusion Prisman pointed his baton to the main stage.Caution : Two Hostels DetectedHigh Levels of DarkAura DetectedCrossFusion Megaman was the only responder. CrossFusion Protoman wanted to ensure everyone from their tower was evacuated. Multitasking does not work here.“We’ll cover the rest! Now go.”Blue flames blew out the glass panels. Fire Plague’s flames. If there is a second one, Lan may not hold out long. CrossFusion Protoman sped to the other wing. The only path to it was scorched. The explosions wiped out the connecting halls. Solution: a hundred-foot leap into a burning ring.“No . . . no. I can’t do that.”Dannyela backed away from the edge of the blown-out hall. If Protoman could stare her down, cross his arms, or slap himself, he would do all three.“Y O U C A N . G O !”The navi lined their path. Their body backed away from the opening. This is no different from the generator room or jumping over rivers and caves. Only the distance. If something goes wrong, he will catch her. Dannyela gulped.“. . . I wish there was a better way than this.”They ran across the corridor and leaped. Regulate adjustments. Tuck and roll before hitting the wall. Did not happen. CrossFusion Protoman’s feet touched unstable ground. Their feet buckled, flinging them across the floor and against a wall. That could have gone better.“. . . Are we dead?”Dannyela thought they died upon impact.“N O .”Protoman simply replied. They made it. Maybe he should have utilized his shield. Save it for next time. The twins were in peril. CrossFusion Protoman located another staircase and went up. The commotion upstairs had died into a debate between CrossFusion Megaman and Aphotic Ivy.“I know that! I’ve seen the never-ending cycle of illness, but with this, it will reverse it in minutes!”Two hostels. Lethal chemicals. Multiple hostages in two separate rooms.“I’ve used it hundreds of times before and it's worked miracles. Father wants these little ones to live happily so consider it our donation.”“Your “Father” attacked elementary schools and poisoned countless more! You can’t trust him!”The twins tried to reason with the woman. A ting of guilt appeared on her features. She knew something the others failed to see. They must be brought in for questioning.“What are you standing around for?! Hurry up and take his SynchroChip!”Fire Plague shouted. The arsonist did so much damage in such a short time. The heat was unbearable. Sweat pooled under their armor. CrossFusion Protoman turned to the hostages. Get the kids out then they can take the two by surprise. They would not enact upon their plans. Poison and flames mixed into a mousetrap. Neck synched in spikes. CrossFusion Megaman writhed while trying to break free.System Override : Initiate AttackCrossFusion Protoman turned the corner. Their blade glided through the plants. The twins gasped for air while the enemy reeled back.“Y-You?”Smoke escaped Fire Plague’s mouth. The smoldering blue glow filled the gap. A challenge. Dannyela was shaking. Their second battle with the demon. Swallow the fear. They are armed. They are ready. Protoman guided her. Breathe.“W E C A N D O T H I S .”CrossFusion Protoman accepted. Through fire and thorns, battle was waged. CrossFusion Megaman took on Aphotic Ivy, and they took Fire Plague. The twins could not tell the difference between Protoman and the girl. Ducking behind open doors and halls. Wax and wane between good and evil. The little knight fought proudly against the fire giant. They did not falter. Their mind was clear. In sync again.“Do you know what you have done?! How could you?!?!”“Mamoru!”Warning! Immediate DangerThe operating room door was open, and half of the children huddling in a corner. CrossFusion Megaman fired at the hissing Aphotic Ivy. She transformed, unveiling her true form. They can’t battle with the hostages still here. CrossFusion Protoman pushed Fire Plague through a wall with ProtoShield. They got behind the nurse’s fight and scooped up the patients. The other children pressed against the window to see the fusion break the vine barrier. CrossFusion Protoman hurried. They sensed Fire Plague closing in. Dannyela decided to open the gap wider. It got the last of the hostages inside but alerted Aphotic Ivy. A flurry of vines jetted towards them. They blocked the opening and took the damage. The surge crumbled the door pillar. A vine caught the fusion’s right cheek. The scorch of blood rushed up as toxins seeped in. CrossFusion Protoman reeled back.The scar. To feel that slash, again. Again? Protoman never had been damaged like that. Dannyela held her face, petrified. The anguish. A reminder of old memories. The glitch. Protoman sees it now, so vividly.“D A N N Y E L A ? !”She didn’t respond. Completely swallowed up. He could feel her trembling. The heat rose to her cheeks. Water welling around the eyes. Her hands clawing at the foot of the glassy lids. He can’t wake her up. His own chest tightened. She can’t freeze here. The enemy will kill her. Think of something. He can’t. His mind got consumed by noise, then cold.CrossFusion Megaman threw an IceSeed. It encased the contorting door. CrossFusion Protoman found themselves at the foot of the icy barrier. Fire Plague and Aphotic Ivy behind it. They would need to break it or get around the corridor to sandwich them in. Both were a waste of energy and time.“Protoman, get them out of here!”The twins screamed. It brought the seamstress back. Get the survivors out. The red fusion looked mortified at the mention of leaving them behind. Their job is to protect them. A hand tugged upon theirs. Mamoru pointed in the direction of another door. The outer rims of the floor. Do as you’re told. You know better. Lan’s done this more than them. CrossFusion Protoman carried the impaired, five in total. They guided the rest to stay low and stick with a partner. It was a slow, blind train to the fire escape. The load weighed the fusion down. They dragged themselves to keep the smoke out of the children’s lungs. Keep moving. The pyromaniac may come back around to stop them. The door. The patients softly cheered. CrossFusion Protoman stood up to break the door with a kick. The metal was flung down the first flight of stairs. It alerted the backup looming inside the stairwell. Nicole was accounted for, but not CrossFused. She took two children off their back.“Don’t touch the rails and go down slowly.”The leader took the helm.“I’m glad you showed up . . .”Nicole coughed. Her lungs are not the strongest from years of hospitalization.“Bass is not in a fighting position. Place in flames . . . I really messed up this time.”The girl hunched over, out of breath. Her weak lungs caught up to her. Winded and exhausted. They needed to get them all out fast.“You tried your best Nicole. We need to keep holding on.”Mamoru encouraged the teen to not beat herself up. This could have been far worse. The children agreed. And being so close to the end, they didn’t want to give in.“Which level are you guys on?!”Back up. The leader heard the echoes of another fusion at the bottom tier floors. The firefighters were already cooling the walls and rails below.“We need a way to safely get the kids down. They won’t make it on foot!”CrossFusion Tomahawkman looked up the stairwell and was drawing a blank. Mayl and Dex ran in to assist. They hatched a brilliant plan. A storm of virus companions spawned. Slimy and Arachy. It formed a patted trampoline. Firefighters from below shouted for the two to send the kids down. Nicole and CrossFusion Protoman carried the kids over the ledge one at a time. The Net Savers, Agents, and firefighters caught and escorted them out. The leader looked back up. The flares were growing closer.“Is Lan going to be okay in there?”Nicole the navi. He doubted it.“I got this then. Go help Lan.”Nicole instructed CrossFusion Protoman. There were two children left, but she could manage. They must trust her. The fusion climbed back up. The building shifted. A wall of blue consumed the floor and rushed to the door. CrossFusion Protoman looked to the staircase. The shaking distorted the walkways. It threw Nicole over the railing with one child, leaving one behind. One crying child. It happened so fast. CrossFusion Protoman jumped onto the lower floor, grabbed the kid up, and threw themselves out of the wave. The fire burned away the safety net. The fusion remained eyes wide open and alert. Focussed. A tuck and roll out of that heat trap. CrossFusion Protoman took the child to the cover of the medical tents. Nicole had made it with the other fusions and rescued children. Evacuations completed.Floor twenty-five twisted and groaned. The tower came crashing down. Net Savers pelted the impact zone with IceSeeds and every water chip they had left. Lan and Megaman were up there. A black screen of ash filled the air. Time slowed. The screams died around them. CrossFusion Protoman stood, hoping, praying. Something. Anything. A mighty blue flower bloomed. Lan and Megaman were alive and dawned in a plant-like armor, and the culprit at hand. CrossFusion Protoman breathed a sigh of relief. Not one soul was lost. The fusion looked down at the child that clung to their neck. Traumatized by death coming so close. They refused to let go. It pained them. The fusion passed through the tents. They didn’t know who or what they were looking for. Going around in circles with unknown faces.“Nozomu!”A mother and father ran towards them. The child immediately perked up, hands stretched out. The parents took them in their arms. Tears cleansed by joy. It was beautiful. How life should be. Protoman’s heart transformed from joy to sorrow. To see what could have been mourning. The many who have not clawed out of death’s hand before today, all by the cult. The one joy he will never get back. The fusion backed away, but the child reached back for them. Dannyela was the one that came back. The kid wrapped their arms around their neck again. A soft hold.“Thank you.”The navi did not know what to do. This light has returned to their refuge. This war is not over. They were not owed this. So why was it so easy to smile back after forcing one for so long? Because it wasn’t him smiling. Dannyela accepted the gesture. Had Protoman completely forgotten this? Too consumed to see the seamstress’ influence?CrossFusion Protoman disappeared behind a vacant Net Savior truck. Bruised and battered was Dannyela’s body, a fortunate outcome. Asphyxiation and broken bones were the common injuries. All whisked away to home base. Dannyela broke away from the flock. Down the elevator to the shower room. No one was there. The stakeout agents had not returned. The last locker at the end of the room. Her bag was there with a vacant Copyroid. The tarnished wear was exchanged for a towel and soap.“I got the news from the police scanners. Quick thinking to hop into battle like that.”Starlight and Protoman were left to talk again. She had no clue what they’d witnessed, what they narrowly escaped. Protoman kept his eyes out for the girl. He did not need more reminders. The water ran for a half hour. Too long. Maddening almost. Dannyela emerged, wrapped in a soaked towel. She stopped at the foot of a mirror. She can cover the bruises, but not her face. The scratch peeked out from her hair.Fixation. The red flesh. Reflection. Blood stained the towel. Condemnation. The bathroom warped into the IPC office. Powerless. You let him bleed. The marks multiplied. You cannot stop it. You did nothing to stop him. It’s your fault. The voices and gnashing teeth surrounded him. Snap. Protoman was in the PET, then beside Dannyela, his hand covering her face. She gawked. She does not like being touched. Protoman removed his hand. He did not remember transferring to the Copyroid. A bandaid covered the red line. How did that get there? He overstepped. What will she do? Will she yell? Will she stop talking to him? The void smiled. Never can do anything right. Control yourself.Dannyela did not move away from him. She rubbed the dressing. The cut was not gone, but hidden. She went to comb her hair. She did not say a thing like Protoman had not done anything. How? Why? What was this? The locker room door clicked. The secondary door popped open. Protoman plugged-out.“Hey. How ya feeling?”Nicole returned, sneaking away from the medical ward. The girl was in desperate need of a shower.“I should be asking you that.”“Meh. You don’t wanna know. Today was a clusterfuck. I wanted to clean off and grab Lan a meal since he’s in quarantine, again.”Lan absorbed DarkAura. This was becoming a bad habit.“Is he . . . hurt . . . ?”“He seems in control, but I really wish he’d stop doing that. But no one died. That’s a miracle itself.”Nicole pulled off her damaged clothes to hop into an open shower. They continued their conversation despite the walls between them.“Did they . . . capture the culprit?”“Yes and no. One’s in critical condition and that bastard Fire Plague got away. We won’t get more information ‘less the scouts got something.”Dannyela shrunk down. She was grading herself again. Should have dropped the kid off faster. Should have subdued Fire Plague during their battle.“. . . I need access to the scout data.”“As a leader, I’d say I’m in a rush so sure. But as your friend, cease and desist. Sit back and eat something other than a crappy tea drink from the vending machine. No working yourself to death here.”“I’m behind . . . I have to catch up.”“. . . You’re impossible sometimes, ostrich.”The switch was fast. Back to work. No rest, keep moving. Natural. Chaud was the same, but Dannyela never was that kind of person. Is something wrong?“You were released rather swiftly.”Bass huffed, worn from battle. Where was he the entire time?“I didn’t see you on the mission list, nor when we arrived and left.”The dark navi was catching on to Protoman’s disappearing acts. Stand firm, but what could he say? He can easily incriminate them both. The red navi turned his head away. No answer was best.“You better not be stretching yourself thin. It isn’t a good time right now.”Bass hammered the point again to stop, just like his operator scolding her friend. Why continue to pester him? They cannot stop. This war had to stop. And the Third Eye’s grand reveal was upon the horizon. Things did not stabilize. Fire bombs sprouted. Scattered messages bloomed with it. Graveyard had more information dumped on them. Steak outs pointed to several major prefectures where traffic was fanning out to the shorelines. Businesses were getting hit by strings of burglaries. Japan’s government conducted all possible routes to contain them. Net Savior hoped the cult was not taking their business to other countries.Dr. Hikari bestowed Graveyard with an ASIM virus breeder. They were to test his training guides before launching them to Net Savior. The purified viruses were immature, if that was the right word. For advanced spy viruses, their intellectual prowess is low. Training them is a chore. And ensuring they won’t bite a navi was not guaranteed. It caused a slew of imposter situations in the lab. The last thing was the top-secret meeting between SciLab and IPC. The PET company volunteered to develop a patch update and application for detecting ASIM remnants. The research data will be delivered by a team selected on a random day.Protoman stayed far away from the activities. He did not like the sight of those viruses. It creeped him out, and not because he got bit a couple of times. Those things rubbed him the wrong way. The other thing was IPC. So he took to scouting missions. The navi felt like he was getting close to his operator’s killer. The way they taunted death and bodies. Now that the ASIMs were connected in major data breaches, Protoman must follow. He watched countless of those rouge viruses swallow HeelNavis like candy. Jackasses testing fate. Deletion was the price. The last testament to their names: a message on the BBS boards.“T O O L A T E .”Another abduction. Protoman investigated the crime scene. The crimson navi did not need to scan hard. He copied the string and found it best to search for another BBS. No one will touch this thing the moment they know navis disappeared using it. There were several sectors left to check, all quite the distance. The navi would have started plotting course if the board remained dormant.Movement DetectedProtoman turned back. A new message topped the screen, titled “You saw, didn’t you?”I know you watched them get deleted. Such a pitiful net navi wasn’t fast enough to save low lives. It really is such a shame how your dignity has been stripped. Why haven’t you found the body?Do not interact with Anonymous. They are getting the attention they craved just by the navi reading it. The consequences are dire either way. Protoman let Anonymous ramble on if they wished, he was not interested. A new message popped up. “Useless Navi.” The words stirred something. The void chuckles. It pushed Protoman’s hand to read what they had to say.If you are going to stand there like the useless navi you are, then fine. Be that way. I’ll find some other toys.An image file was attached. A screen capture, stolen from what looked to be an apartment complex. It was one of the larger apartment neighborhoods within the city.Net Savior has three hours, but you won't.Hands of navis broke out of the cracked panel floors. It was the HeelNavis that were overtaken. Their fingers dug into Protoman’s feet. His programs kicked into overdrive, slicing the appendages with his sword. The husks of the navis did not cease their ascension. They got closer, surrounding him, yanking and pulling at his limbs. Muramasa took a large swing through the necks. The red navi broke free. He retreated to his bike. The possessed navis quit chasing when he reached the surface net. Protoman ended up barging into a meeting between Chief Keifer and Graveyard members.“T H E T H I R D E Y E I S L A U N C H I N G A N A T T A C K I N T O W N !”Loud silence. The humans were lost and net navis were trying to process the news.“You’re sure of this?”Chief Keifer questioned. It’s the last thing they need right now.“A F F I R M A T I V E . L E S S T H A N 3 H O U R S U N T I L L A U N C H .”He showed the BBS messages along with the photo. It followed the patterns of other postings directly.“Send an emergency response to all Net Savers. Evacuate the area before they attack.”Chief Keifer dismissed immediate responders, leaving the leftovers.“That scraps our original plans.”The man called Manuela and got up from his chair. A couple of floors down was a team working with Dr. Hikari. They were compressing a slew of data. Mountains of it.“Mister Obihiro, due to a situation, you will be leading the drop-off team. Select another member to help deliver the data to IPC.”Sean poked his head out from his cubical. The reports won’t slip away so easily with his encrypting abilities.“Thanks, Chief. I’ll take double here.”He meant Dannyela. A bad idea. Shuuseki has not seen her in years. Their proper introduction was in court. Protoman did not know what would come of it now. He looked at the girl, engrossed in her work. No response until the commander woke her up.“Very well. Dannyela, you will be going to IPC then.”Immediately distraught.“N-no. Chief, I can’t attend . . .”“A quick delivery? You can squeeze that in. We’re almost done.”Sean objected. It is a couple hour drive from here to IPC’s main office. They cannot afford delays. Chief Keifer agreed.“While the enemy is preoccupied, we make our move. It is a matter of time before they figure out SciLab’s discoveries.”The dispute was won by the chief. Sweat formed on her head. No one paid mind, except Protoman.“Be vigilant and protect the data with your life. The escorts are on standby.”Sean coordinated things with Dr. Hikari. The boy will do all the talking. It would be great if the seamstress was listening. Dannyela glanced at the damaged navi.“What happened to you . . . ?”“A N A M B U S H . I W I L L B E A L R I G H T .”Not an excuse to her. Dannyela dropped her task to repair him. Protoman could brush it off and leave with the main responders, but he found himself glued to the floor. For once, he stood inside the bubble. No world. No void. What exists was up to her. Such a lovely place.“Are you all better?”And like that, Protoman lost visual. He heard the little boy. Back upon that old computer desk too tall for Chaud.“All systems are in working order.”Chaud smiled.“I’m sorry. I won’t let that attack catch me off guard again.”The navi nodded.“Sir, I will do anything to keep you out of danger. Lay down my life if I must.”Protoman meant it. And he believed Chaud knew this. It did not last.“But I want you to be safe too- . . . .”“Dannyela, time to go.”The mirage was ripped away. Sean closed his laptop and pulled the girl to follow. Dannyela dragged.“Why me? . . . Can you choose someone else?”“Nope, everyone else has scouting missions, and the rest are with Misaki answering that emergency.”No room to wiggle out. Her father is alright about drop-offs and meetings. Dr. Armaboard’s dislike for IPC is not an excuse either.“Why today . . . ?”She cursed. Something crossed her mind. Sean got yanked back by the statue of a girl.“What gives? We gotta go.”Muttering. She thought of something. An oversight. Dannyela ran back to the lab room. Dr. Hikari was closing the room.“Sir, how many gigabytes is the report?”The fatherly scientist was taken aback by the comeback.“Approximately five hundred gigabytes.”The next stop was the filing cabinets. Hard drives swished around from furious hands. The ex-cult leader reminded her again that they must leave. The seamstress insisted on needing one last thing. A virus bomb from the weapons vault.“Why are you doing this?!”“Why today do they beg for our attention . . . ?”Dannyela asked. Sean caught on.“You think they know this meeting exists?”The seamstress lowered her head. She knew something was wrong, but what? It did not match prior attacks, not even Game Master’s. There was no evidence.“. . . It’s not worth the risk. . . . Don’t give the navis the report, lend them an encrypted virus bomb. We deliver the data physically.”It was not the time to let the cult get an inch more. Lan was pushing her to act. Maybe, this was the right moment?“Do we have time to get it done?”“. . . Please try.”Dannyela gave Sean the drive. He followed her lead. The bomb was hidden in the data case while the transfer commenced. Protoman’s emblem burned. Why was the possibility of a confrontation with Shuuseki worse than a full-scale attack?“You’re not going to help with evacuations?”Starlight watched everything unfold. She had the impression that he wasn’t coming. Protoman could not find an answer.“I know this isn’t shaping up to be a good day but . . . minor set back, major comeback.”The navi held her smile. Tried to. The reality was they were entering the unknown. IPC tower dawned. Another department group waited inside. The Graveyard pair dashed to the glass elevator. A minute left to finalize the transfer. Time to settle and realize where they stood. Dannyela had never set foot inside the building before. She rubbed her shrouded face. Nervousness. It started. Protoman braced himself for the worst.Transfer CompleteExiting ElevatorA receptionist escorted the team to the head office. Dragon’s breath danced above them. The scent of cigars filled the doorway. Sean coughed when he inhaled too much. He cleared his throat and opened the door. Blue skylines beamed through the windows. The clouds outside mixed with the smoke. Shuuseki sat upright, staring at a desk monitor.“Thank you for your time, sir. We’re the reps for the ASIM research. I’m Sean and I’ll be presenting today.”Sean’s rambling was long. He admired the president for his ingenuity with technology. His fanboying was evident from his sudden bashfulness. Protoman was fixed upon his late operator’s father. Shuuseki held a glance at Dannyela. She did not dare to look. Head down. Eyes closed. The navi could not get a proper reading. The professional reserve hid all motives.“Our rough estimate of a beta is a month. IPC will handle things from here”“Well, for security reasons we transferred the data to a physical drive.”Sean cleared his throat to cue the seamstress. Remain calm. Dannyela dug the drive from her sleeve. Carefully she placed it on the desk. His eyes still fastened on her.“You’re free to go.”The group bowed. Mission complete. Leave. The teenagers were almost out. Freedom in sight. The doors were sealing.“Miss.”The dragon stirred. The call for regard. A fear Protoman had suppressed. This could not be happening.“May I have a word?”Dannyela, back faced to the man, trembled. Ghostly flesh and scared eyes. Sean and the guards did not know what to do. This was not the plan. What could they do? The girl held her breath and re-entered the den. Shuuseki breathed in another take from his cigar. It choked the oxygen around them. The silence stole the rest. The bud was smashed into a used ashtray.“You work for SciLab now?”Stand firm.“. . . . Y- . . . Yes.”So quiet. Speech like that would get an annoyed command. Speak up. That’s what he’d tell Chaud. Nothing. Shuuseki left it alone. He rose from his chair. Walking to the windows overlooking the city above, to the ground of the building. What were they to do? Say something. Follow him. Leave. Dannyela approached the glass wall. It was getting more uncomfortable than fearful.“Is this the protection he imagined with his machines?”The shine of a DimensionalArea between distant towers. The apartment rescue. Dannyela kept silent. Do not let this spiral into catastrophe.“. . . Surely, my son would have joined with the way he regarded you. Praise is not an easy thing to earn here.”Do not remind him. Protoman had this ingrained. Every waking minute he witnessed Chaud gravel to get a compliment from his father. A simple good job. Nothing was enough. Protoman’s programs were hot with rage. It still hurts.“Even in foggy consciousness, he held you in fondness.”Shuuseki was Chaud’s last contact. The memories of a ghostly child clouded him. He eyed the reflection of his family photo on the desk: husband, wife, and son. The seamstress caught a glance. She had never seen a family photo of the Blazes, all together.“He requested to see you. He wasn’t sure you received his letter.”A letter? A letter was never mentioned. Protoman looked to Dannyela. Confused and blindsided.“ . . . I- . . . never received a letter.”Shuuseki turned to her.“Were you employed by the company Virtual Specs at some point?”“Y-Yes but . . .”Dannyela looked for anything else to keep her sane. Or perhaps searching for something to jog her memory. She could not remember. The focal point selected broke the conversation. A DimensionalArea truck was parked at the front. The metal was scuffed and dirty, and a driver was nowhere to be seen. Why was a truck here? Dannyela pulled her PET out. Sean was blowing up her messages.“You see the truck?”“The emergency was resolved not too long ago. Nothing in the Net Savior chat is making sense.”They don’t have a lot of those engines left. It was shifted to an emergency commission only.“Can you identify the number on the truck?”Dannyela was at a bad angle to see distinct details.“It’s . . . 0 . . . 4. Engine 4.”“That’s one of the trucks . . . that went missing.”The cylinders sparked awake, radiating at an accelerated rate. Energy levels were beyond normal limits.“Run.”Dannyela’s voice was clear. Shuuseki did not understand.“What?”“Ru-!”White. The office was gone. A buffer before an earth-shattering blast. The glass panels, desks, and loose items split and broke. Debris washed the light away. The building’s front was destroyed in a fraction of a second. Multicolored walls and dismantled structures.“D A N N Y E L A !”Shuuseki and Dannyela laid against the wall. Glass and blood. A sickening scene. Dannyela forced herself to her feet, scavenging what she could. The ASIM drive managed to survive. The outer casing got cracked but the internal components were alive. But that was the least of their problems. Weight pushed the humans down. Waves of radiation pulsated into the earth and sky. You did not protect her. You let this happen. Look how disgusting she is. Protoman covered his ears. Not now. Shut up.“. . . -e on! Protoman, get up!”Starlight pulled on the navi’s arm. Security navis ran to the entrance of the networks. Something breached the first firewall and chipped away at wall two. Everyone was ordered to move to the safe house. All sensitive data and personnel are moved there in the situation of a threat. Focus. Protoman recalibrated.“Sis, we need to move underground to minimize the effects of illness.”Dannyela looked to Shuuseki. He was torn up, but standing. A couple of security guards kicked down the door.“Sir, are you alright?”They checked the two, but the boss needed to make the call.“Get all personnel to the underground facilities and await further instructions.”The clusters ran down a spiral stairwell. Viruses tore apart the place like locusts. Networks severed from the outside world. Operators will have no plug-in port if this keeps up. If they manage to get inside. A Beetank fired projectiles. Concrete gave way and collapsed the walkway. Cornered. The digital beast scuttled up the walls. And the radiation sickness was setting in. They didn’t have enough strength to run for the last viable exit. Doubles faded in and out. Knees buckling. Death had come. It can be stopped. Failed again. I can fix it. Lie down and die already. No. Why would they trust you? Who will help them? They hate you. I know what needs to be done. They will not approve of you. Forget identity. SynchroChip in.CrossFusion Protoman unleashed a SonicBoom. Heaving, the fusion faced the group. Their eyes met Shuuseki’s. It was strange. Shock? Alarm? Get your priorities straight. Resume mission. The fusion mapped out where the radiation was worse. They have a clear path without getting corrupted. They carved the opposition for the remaining IPC workers to climb into the underground. Surrounding shelves and heavy items were pressed against the doors. An attempt to shelter in place. CrossFusion Protoman began re-piling the furniture when the last worker made it inside.Area SecureCivilians Safe“The intruder breached firewall 7!”Sean and network security could not put up blocks fast enough to slow the invaders. The raw power they possessed was outside their league. They need Protoman to stop them. But the radiation still posed a threat. CrossFusion Protoman is the only one who can disarm the generator. Hands broke out, pulling them in. You are just a kid. Get back to safety. Do your job here. Do not risk your life. You will never see your loved ones again if you mess up. Confliction. The fusion could not get anything to come out. So many shouting voices. Dannyela tugged their body out of the doorway. An animal desperate to break out from thickets.“Go.”A different voice. Shuuseki was looked at as a fool. Why let the kid die gruesomely? Have someone else do it. The Net Savers will come. CrossFusion Protoman found the courage to look the man in the eyes. What was ice was different. Unfamiliar. But the same openness the navi found at the funeral. He was not the same man. CrossFusion Protoman pulled the drive from under their sash and presented the data. Shuuseki reached through the gaps. His fingers clasped the drive and curled into their gloved hand. It was firm, warm almost. It was like he met them for the first time. A moment of clarity. Closure. A shortlived, wordless conversation.The viruses smashed the entrance to the underground. The fusion let go and sealed the protective doors. They ran back to battle. Above ground, another responder made it in. CrossFusion Megaman got overwhelmed, and trapped inside the lobby.Situation : CriticalThey need to deactivate the fusion. CrossFusion Protoman banged the hilt of their sword against a steel beam. The viruses turned to them. Deleted in seconds. The twins got a chance to stand up and focus.“Protoman? How did you get here?”The red fusion wore an unamused frown. Now was not the time. They pointed at the demolished sign just to get them off the topic faster.“Lan, this is IPC. He must have been around to respond.”Lan was embarrassed to ask such a question. The red fusion reminded them of the situation at hand. They pointed to a reception desk. Three computers were in working condition. CrossFusion Megaman jumped over the counter to see what was going down in the cyber world.“You want us to stop them? But what about the generator?”CrossFusion Protoman pointed to themself. They will deactivate the generator, which will incentivize Lan to end the fusion. If he or any other fusion gets caught in a rouge radiation wave, there will be irreparable damage. And Net Savior needs to be seen as putting up a fight less the cultists come and slaughter the employees. There was no other way, and it hurt. She can take the burn. Make it quick. The electric waves pulsed through their body the closer they got. CrossFusion became a pain rather than a shield. Protoman can feel his body revolt. To walk. To move. To breathe.The controls on the dashboard were molten metal. Burned beyond recognition. No use in rewiring the thing. Dannyela dug under the driver's seat for something. A hazard case, a housing for dangerous materials. They crawled onto the bed of the truck, between the cylinder converters. Deep under a secure panel was the heart of the machine. A precise cut mineral specimen. CrossFusion Protoman struck the casing with Muramasa. The truck bit it and spat it out in two pieces. Vicious digging and plucking did not budge the component. A rapid surge scrambled their insides. Warm and mushy clumps rose from Protoman’s throat. Incorrect. What was this error? It was agonizing. Abnormal.Error. Abort mission. Critical Damage. Retreat. You promised to protect her. But what about the others? What about Lan? Risk is unavoidable. A price must be paid. One solution left.CrossFusion Protoman opened the hazard case. They forced their hand into the sparks to scoop the component out. Electricity coursed through their body. A moment of blank memory. They fought to stay conscious. So close. Do not let go. Do not fail. Give it everything you got. One final tug. The DimensionalArea lost its grip. The crystal sprang out and found a new home in the secure case. The generator made a push to remain functioning. The malfunction shorted the system. The truck exploded, flinging their body across the pavement.Protoman’s system screamed. Warm fluid dripped off his limbs. His data? No. It fell with gravity and pooled on the ground. Blood. Was this bleeding? The life leaving your body. Cold hollowing the space. It did not feel natural. It was wrong.Fatal ErrorIt hurt. Like he had battled to deletion.Fatal ErrorIt hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.Fatal ErrorWhy would any human live like this? To enjoy watching warmth drain.Fatal ErrorTo find comfort in mutilation. Chaud. How tortured must he have been to view this as bliss? Protoman did not want to leave.Fatal ErrorHe wanted to live.A short gasp. Irritation. An intelligible sound. He could breathe? Air filled internal flesh. The organs fed upon it. Why is he feeling this? Humans need this. Is this his body? He is a net navi. Panic consumed. This is against logic.Fatal ErrorSystems Does Not ComputeHe had control, partial control of something. Something that struggled to breathe. A writhing body. He screamed. An ungodly sound of sputtering audio and voice. It hurt to do it, but he had to. His whole body writhed in a foreign agony. His system wants to get up and run. He wants to save himself somehow. How? He doesn’t have the strength to push back up. Legs flailed. Barely inching the body anywhere. A heavy head rolled up to the sky. Protoman knows he did not do that. Was it Dannyela? Where is she? What are they now? This was wrong.Fatal ErrorSystems Does Not ComputeBut it was such a lovely blue sky. Pure clouds glided past. The birds riding the winds. A hypnotic view. Something washed over Protoman. Can they lay here for a moment? They do not want to move. The sun provided warmth. The clouds provided shade. The wind blew away the misery. A lullaby crafted by nature. They can end it here. Just close your eyes. It will fade to black. Just close your eyes. Everything will work out. Just close your eyes. Not like anyone is losing anything of worth.“. . . . -ey! Stay with me!”Muddy voices and pounding footsteps. Chief Misaki’s phased into view. His face contorted. Shock. Fear. What was he seeing? He reached for their hand. Polygonal spots of black and red clamped onto peach flesh, ripping from the inside out. It was Protoman’s glove, remnants of it. The DimensionalArea was gone. So how was he still here?“Mi- . . . sa_(%$#^-k-k-k-ki . . .”Grainy noise. It was Dannyela’s voice. No. It was his voice. No. It was her’s.“Hang in there. You’re gonna make it!”Misaki waved for an ambulance, trying to keep their droopy eyes from closing. It was too easy to just drift away. Nothing was fighting back to keep the warmth. But Protoman didn’t want to drift away. The heaviness melted him to the ground. Latex hands pulled them onto a gurney. Protocol begins. Cover the body. Get to the repair center. Some people rushed to the cart. Who lied under the tarp? Who died? Officials kept them back. The latch doors slammed closed.Is she alive? Any signs of breathing? Is there a pulse? Can you respond, dear? Can you hear us?The questions buzzed. Suppressed chokes and beeps. Fingers pressed on the base of the neck. The beat of a valve. Blood running through a vein. Picking up on scents. Smoke. It exasperated their insides. Somehow Protoman knew it was bad. The stomach felt inverted and empty at the same time. Breathlessness. Hunger. Fatigue. The miseries of the human body.“She’s stable. Put her on oxygen then sedate, Dr. Hikari’s orders.”A paramedic buried an oxygen mask under their cracked visor. Pure air. Clarity the body accepted. Almost soothing. Then a sharp prick to the damaged arm. Frigid fluid clustered and spread beneath. The limb twitched. It was not him. Dannyela. She hated needles. It always scared her. What was happening? Systems froze. The body slowed. Shutting down. Falling asleep.A black wipe. Energy depleted. No control. Not this place again. The void rules here. Bloody towels. Used bandages. Empty pill bottles. Floating fangs laughing at him. Why can he not do anything right? They should have pulled out the second nothing worked. They should have asked Lan and Megaman to help them. Error. Were these his thoughts? No. Something else was wrong. Why was the void this vocal? Face reality. Chaud’s pale face flashed by. Red stains. Bullet holes. Wake up. Something else was here. Intersecting, splicing itself inside. Wake up. He doesn’t want to be here. Not in this suffocating hold. He can’t think. He can’t breathe.Restore CompleteA light touched Protoman’s emblem. His eyes booted up. Back in his body. Back within the confines of the cyber world. Dr. Hikari breathed a sigh of relief. Was he in SciLab? The navi could see a cramped room. The two glass cases. The messy desk in the back. The recovery lab.“Easy Protoman. You were struck by a lethal wave of the DimensionalArea’s power; as a result, your body became one with Dannyela’s physically. I had to run a data recovery to untangle you safely.”Comprehension FailureEverything the navi witnessed. Those were her eyes. Those were her hurts. He physically felt the girl dying in his grasp. Where is she now?“Dannyela was moved to the intensive care unit. She’s recovering.”Is he lying? They tried to hide Chaud’s death. They would try that again. Do not take her away too. Protoman had to see it for himself. He broke the restoration codes.“Wait. You still need to recharge.”Ignore it. Locate the girl. His legs shook. Do not stop. Wrong room. She’s not here. Or there. His body kept pulling him to the floor. Wrong room. Do not stop. He cannot rest until he sees the truth.“Now let’s try that one more time. Fingers to thumb then clench.”Silent machines and IV drips. Dr. Sosa examined a bandaged arm. The appendaged performed the exercise.“Hmm. No signs of permanent nerve or muscle damage. She’ll pull through.”Dannyela sat on the gurney. She’s alive. The blemishes were gone, and so were the burns. A flawless heal. It was a miracle, so why the blank face?“This is the first time you've come under my care. Let’s hope we keep meeting for medical training rather than this. Take it easy.”The masked doctor packed his bag and visited the other patients. Dr. Armaboard could not contain his relief. He hugged the girl tightly. Dannyela did not react. Was she medicated? Was this a side effect of the fusion? Why so lifeless?“Dannyela, what were you thinking? You and Starlight could’ve gotten killed.”The father was in tears. Was he sad? Was he angry?“Dad, communication was scrambled. We couldn’t let other CrossFusions get hurt. We have one recovery pod set with the rare mineral pile low. We knew how to stop it and we played it as safe as we could.”Why would Starlight defend the navi? Do not take the blame. He almost killed her.“Knowledge or not, you both knew not to. I keep telling you this, but you won’t listen. What’s going on Dannyela? Do you not understand the words I’m telling you?!”Do you know the true cost of the damage? To be scolded after trying so hard to do the right thing. Chaud wore it every time his father reprimanded him. Blank stare. Thoughtless mind. Comply until they run out of steam. That was the face. But something burst out. Dannyela stared into Darrel’s eyes.“And what if seeing people die and doing nothing is too much?”Fractures. The princess of the household was not what was made out to be. It hurt, a lot more now looking back at it. Downhill descent began here.“Dannyela I- . . . you- . . . Why haven’t you told me this?”Did Darrel understand? Was it a threat? This was red as a challenge. Dannyela backed out of the question. She did not want to fight.“How long have you been feeling this way?”Nothing. She did not want to hear him yell.“Emergency meeting. Chief Keifer wants everyone to show up.”Sean peaked in. A flock of other Agents and Officials passed by. A full summon. This could not be good. Dannyela peeled herself from the bed, plucked away the IV, and followed the pack.“Dannyela, stay here it’s only been a couple hours after treatment.”Dr. Armaboard told his daughter to remain. The door was shut. The girl went missing again. Protoman followed the zombie child dragging her feet upstairs. A congregation of confused members and frustrated leaders. A disgruntled committee. No one was happy. How did they lose the data? Except, they didn’t. The seamstress contemplated outing the truth. The constant screaming and shouting sealed her lips. The mouse squeaked. The sound did not reach. Chief Keifer ordered Nicole to end the argument. A couple of leaders welcomed the questioning along with members of the International counsel. Who was coordinating these decisions? Several more minutes of back and forward screaming ensued. Dannyela tried again. Cut off by a real emergency.“Sir! We have a situation on the Official BBS!”Everyone stared at a SciLab member bursting into the room. They uploaded a live feed of their BBS. Message after message spammed and the writer was outraged. They opened the virus bomb. They refuse to be treated as a fool in their own game.So you think you can hit the ignore button and do whatever you want? Hide the body under the rugs where no one will find it then make a mockery of me?If that’s so, then I’m done with this game. No more chasing, no more hidingMeet me at the City of Eyes. The most spectacular funeral the world will ever witnessWhat were they talking about? Were these Fire Plague’s threats? The temperaments matched. They demanded a show. He does not draw this much attention to himself.“Whoever was assigned to deliver the ASIM data, step forward.”Agents mixed within the populous looked at one another. Singled out. Dannyela limped to the front. Five members in total.“Who was responsible for protecting the data?”Lie. Do not say a thing. Protoman knew Dannyela could not take the blow. He could not take it internally.“. . . Me.”She raised her bandaged hand. Death loomed. The council began questioning.“Miss Armaboard, what happened to the data?”“ . . . Around the time we were leaving . . . I-I heard the alarm and-and got a bad feeling . . . so . . . I replaced the data with a virus bomb in the situation that the data was ceased.”The International Officials leaned in.“Then where is the real research?”“Hand delivered a drive to the IPC President. . . . He estimates a prototype scanner to be released within the coming month.”“And you mean to tell us you acted without alerting your unit? Do you understand how costly that could have been?”On International was appalled. She compromised the mission. This could have been prevented if she had said something.“I didn’t mean for this to happen. I swear I was going to tell, but then the truck showed up and everything was falling apart and-and! . . . I’m sorry, this is my fault.”The void laughed at this like those stupid late-night sitcoms she and Chaud used to make fun of. The seamstress on the ledge of sanity. The members exchanged glances and whispers. They chanted for her to break down again. Fall apart and let everyone see her for what they saw her as. A fake.“I’m disappointed in you. We expect better from a representative of Net Savior.”“Now listen, Dannyela may have missed the mark, but we can’t ignore that the virus data is secure.”Chief Misaki came to her defense. Why should they be all that mad?“And all do respect, sir. If Dannyela texted, the chances of me seeing that would have been zero to none with the evacuation efforts.”“We will continue this discussion. Our top priority is stopping The Third Eye. Send teams to Shibuya and find this Anonymous.”The meeting was dismissed early to prepare for the storm, except for the data team.“You know it wasn’t a wrong answer.”Sean tried to comfort her in the transition. Dannyela didn’t let up. First humiliation, now evisceration.“We jump through hoops for DoubleFusion. You could have blown your cover.”Gods judging the performance. Replaying the mistakes. Make it stop.“I understand the outrage, but I’m her leader. Let me handle it.”“I’m afraid we can’t Chief Misaki. Your talents are fit for fledging CrossFusions, Dannyela is well-versed. She needs someone who has stronger authority to handle her.”The council agreed. They cannot lose DoubleFusions. Did that really matter more? Do they know what she needs? Did they see Chaud this way when they considered expelling him? Protoman wanted to scream at them. The thoughts of unsheathing his blade and making an example. Boiling anger. A manic response to the madness. Why was this happening again? Chief Keifer sighed. He won’t have the sway to get them to change their mind.“Misaki, as of today you are no longer her team captain. Dannyela will be shifted to a different CrossFusion team.”Sickness. White skin. Uncontrollable shaking. Dannyela could not stay upright.“But Keifer-!”“That’s an order. I already have someone in mind who may have better control over her. Maneulla will take her first thing in the morning.”Control. Does she not have a will? A say? Does Protoman not have a right to object? This brought something up. The navi had not felt that urge in so long. Fury. Chief Keifer sighed, giving into the will of the higher-ups. Rest was the olive branch he extended.“Retire for the rest of the day. If your injuries need more time to heal, notify us.”Dismissed. Do not disturb. Dannyela kept to the shadows, out of the way of the busybodies. Her hand covered her mouth. Stomach acid. The girl spilled it out in a bathroom stall. Almost ten minutes of gagging and heaving. A rarity for her to come to this state. The navi had blocked this out too. Some nights she would get this uncontrollably sick. Chaud would hold her hair back until she emptied herself out. He kept this secret for her. Why could the navi not hold his tongue like him?“. . . Go to bed. It’ll be okay.”Starlight encouraged her to sleep it all away. Today cannot be undone, but it can end. Lock the dorm. Turn off the lights. All calls and texts, straight to silent. Disconnected. She doesn’t want her department’s pity. How can Protoman stop her pain? He does not want her to yell. He does not want her to throw up more. He does not want her to cry. What was the correct move?“I got this. Come back tomorrow.”Starlight asked in a whisper. Protoman could see she didn’t know what else to do. Was this what others saw when he told colleagues to pay no mind to Chaud? Fake confidence. Lie to maintain peace. Protoman shook his head. He doesn’t want that.“Please . . . You need a recharge. That type of fusion failure drains ener-.”“I ‘ M F I N E .”It came out coldly. Starlight jolted back. She looked to Dannyela then back to her task window. Loads of unread messages and missed calls. The team got the news. Her father got the news. Everyone was trying to check up on her. The girl did not want their sympathy. The hours died with the sun.01:07 : Movement at the Door“You in there?”Nicole. She came back from her assignment. Protoman looked at Starlight. They can’t lock the girl out of the room. The door opened. She sat beside the seamstress.“. . . I hate overusing insults but don’t listen to those old boomers. You were forced to stand in front of your biggest giant and squared up against The Third Eye and won both. Don’t let them rob you of your victory.”Nicole cut straight to the point. Today was awful overall, but her heroics saved many. But she got reprimanded for doing the right thing. In the same way she called out the activities of that old dance company, she was told she was out of line. They were doing something wrong. Protoman refused to believe the Officials were this far corrupt. It can’t be them. It can’t.“We all make mistakes out there, take the hospital for example. It’s not like you tried to die. It’s part of being an Official.”Dannyela remained motionless. Dead. A sorrowful pit. Nicole laid beside her to scoop Dannyela into a hug.“We’ll get through this.”Nestled upon the same bed. Within the walls of light and justice. The barriers weakened.“ . . . I miss him.”Dannyela whispered.“ I know. . . . We all do.”After all that, it was Chaud she sought. Protoman could not agree more. What events would be like if he was here. Helping. Leading the charge. He would have saved her. She would not be this way. It would be like old times again. Soundness of mind. Protoman won’t have that until his operator’s body is recovered. Not until the criminals pay. Press on. He excused himself.“Don’t do anything reckless.”Bass saw him leaving. He recognized the look on his face. The dark navi warned to stay planted on the ground. Keep the demon in check. To the sword navi, he was keeping it in the cage. He thought he did. Protoman snuck into the main office server. He should have been the only one. Baryl and Colonel were doing a late-night filing. Protoman went the long way, avoiding the armored navi’s gaze. He started his search in the safety of the backside of the comp.Error. Results not FoundError. Results not FoundError. Results not FoundWhere were the transfer documents? Did Keifer not say he arranged the plans? The records should be in already.“Good evening.”Protoman froze. Another net navi was plugged-in. He thought the greeting was directed at him.“Evening to you too.”Protoman peaked over a corner. Prisman and Colonel exchanged greetings. Both were late to turn in reports.“My team looked everywhere. The navis escaped. No registry has details on either of them.”Prisman lost the navis from the IPC attack. Unregistered net navi creations no doubt. Colonel sighed.“We’ll pick up on it when we can. Priorities are being shifted to Anonymous.”Why was the other leader still up? Curiously, Protoman tapped into the office cameras. Misaki was sure enough in the office.“Wasn’t sure if you’d be up this late. I need to talk to you about something.”The officer sat himself next to the soldier.“Make it quick. My team has morning patrol.”Baryl threw away a stained coffee cup. The man was worn out.“I don’t know if Chief said anything yet, but I thought I’d tell you the news myself. You’re getting a new team member.”Team Colonel will be taking them? Baryl removes trainees if he deems them unqualified. Not a second thought given. It makes his job harder, but it means more reliable members. That’s what the counsel liked.“What problem child are they throwing at me this time?”“She isn’t a problem child, she . . . has trust issues. Higher-ups think a stronger will can get her out of the solo mentality, but I’ve worked with her and-”Misaki tried to stay anonymous. Baryl knew immediately who.“No matter Dannyela’s talents, she is her own worst enemy. If she can’t trust anyone, she isn’t fit to work.”She does not belong. Baryl will kick her out after the first week. Just like Chaud, and he never went back after that. Was this the end? Anger welled in him. All this hard work cannot be for nothing.“Give her a chance. You only need to show her the right way to do things.”Misaki pleaded. He somehow believed the girl could be among the warriors. But Baryl made his decision already. He can see the outcome, but played fair for his colleague.“If my assessment holds firm, she’s out.”He was giving her a chance. One chance.“I refuse to send yet another troubled one into the fray. I’ve seen enough of her type.”“What do you mean by that?”Red Alert. Were they compromised? Had he figured it out?“All trainees undergo background checks. I obtained prior medical documents detailing struggles to stay clean from hard substances. If it wasn’t for her being a main contributor to CrossFusion, she would have been tossed out.”“What do you mean? Her medical documents were sealed shut.”“Net Savior is government funded, they have the power to unseal it briefly.”So just like Protoman, the Officials rummaged through her own documents. Medical records. Struggles to stay off hard substances. Since when was that a thing? It was forced on her, at least that’s what his memory recalled from the idol case.“Yet, out of all the candidates, Protoman asks this girl for help compared to Lan who we know has a history with him. She’s not a nobody. There’s an ulterior motive.”“You think so? She doesn’t talk to anyone besides Nicole. Do they know each other?”“I don’t know. When she feels ready, she’ll say. Same’s said for Protoman. This case has been rocky from the start and it may get worse with investigators requesting to re-open the files. But their safety comes above all else.”Protoman has been the center of gossip for years. It was always negative. Why was it different? Baryl and Misaki admitted Dannyela is unreliable and borderline unusable. Yet in the same breath expressed potential. It did not sound like pity. On Baryl’s screen were SciLab videos of the first documentation of CrossFusion. Dannyela transformed into CrossFusion Starlight. The video was labeled Flight 01. The first instructional for flight-based net navis. The sisters were almost natural at it. Years of FullSynchro almost made the ability instinct, when they got used to its power. Dannyela would still find a way to slam into the polygonal walls, but she kept getting back up.“The times she did these is the closest I’ve seen her so . . . at peace.”Misaki commented on it. Baryl withheld. He was looking for something, something everyone seemed to be missing.“Take good care of her for me. You’ll see, she’s trying her hardest.”Protoman was not supposed to hear that. He should not have eavesdropped, but he needed it. They don’t know the whole story, and accept it. It won’t come out, and they seemed okay with that. They focussed on what mattered more, the girl’s sanity. The department wasn’t all corrupt. Whatever simmered out of the void was left at that door. Dannyela could not sleep. Nicole sacrificed her recovery hours for her. Clean dressing for the arm and a light breakfast, even if the seamstress didn’t touch it.“Keep telling yourself you’ll be fine. New day, new things.”Nicole addressed. Trying to be cheerful. Head low. A mix of sleeplessness and horror. Starlight grabbed Dannyela’s hand. The hologram passed through the physical matter.“I’ll keep dad busy. You worry about getting through today.”They should not be this nervous, but the new is always filled with scares. Approach with caution.“Dannyela, are you ready?”Manuela opened the door. Softly she called the seamstress. Dannyela followed the assistant. Up the elevator to the office building.“You don’t need to worry. Yesterday was a bit of an overreaction, but Chief Keifer and everyone in the department are glad you’re safe, and that’s what matters.”Manuela kept her friendly composure. And Dannyela kept to the path, emotionless. Quiet corridors. Meetings were in progress. The woman opened a double door. Three team members sat around a table listening to their leader. Princess Pride, Ribitta, and Dingo were confused by the intrusion.“My apologies. There was a situation this morning.”Manuela greeted Team Colonel. Baryl closed the presentation.“We were concluding our mission brief.”“I’m very sorry. But here is the additional assistance for your team.”Baryl kept neutral while the others shot up. Is this another member that will get tossed out after a couple of days?“Do my ears deceive me? We are getting a surprise team member?”The bubbly news reporter sang. Dannyela’s head dipped towards her shoulders. Too loud.“Team Colonel, this is Dannyela. She will be in charge of data analysis and communication.”Baryl introduced the seamstress. A mixed reception, as mixed as a small team can get.“It’s a pleasure to meet you properly.”Pride politely greeted. They are all familiar with her from the CrossFusion Lab. This would be the first time working with her directly.“Baryl, can she even fight?”Dingo asked a valid question. How much are the three allowed to know? Is Starlight taking the helm when with them, or will they know Protoman is here?“Not precisely, but her innate ability to spot anomalies and network backdoors is something we cannot pass up with our former data analysis unable to attend this time around.”Anonymous has not been found yet. Tensions were rising. All hands on deck.“How exciting! She can man the DNN van and give us all the latest news. So tell us, how are you feeling today?”Ribitta shoved Dannyela into the spotlight. Fearful silence.“A bit camera shy. No matter, welcome to the team!”Baryl rubbed the bridge of his nose. They were getting distracted.“Thank you, Manuela. I’ll take over. The rest of you meet at the parking garage. I’ll fill Dannyela in on the plan.”Everyone left. The real battle begins with her first encounter with her new leader.“You must be exhausted after yesterday.”A soft opener. Dannyela tucked her bandaged arm behind her.“I do not find throwing yourself back into battle so fast necessary. I will make things clear: Chief Misaki may infer about your actions, but I am not Misaki.”Baryl painted what he saw in graphic detail.“If you are going to remain here, you need to switch out that attitude of yours. If you cannot defend your fellow teammates let alone trust them or make sound decisions on the dot, then I will not hesitate to have you removed.”Hold out for a little longer. Just a little longer. They can handle this. Not even the sound of a breath. A frozen animal. Obey. Do not do anything that can be seen as a challenge. Silence followed.“There’s no shame in walking away. It’s the more responsible thing to do for your teammates and yourself if you can’t complete the job. Do you understand?”Baryl’s tone lowered. A key word of advice. Dannyela tried to nod, maybe. Her head turned to the side, out of the man’s burning gaze. A tinge of disappointment flashed on Baryl’s face.“Your task is to give us information on any disturbances and call for a DimensionalArea if The Third Eye is spotted. That’s all.”Back to business. The soldier took the girl to the rest of Team Colonel. Ribitta sacrificed her prized DNN truck for the mission. Optimal surveillance and strong connection points. Dannyela was set apart from the main team. Out of harm’s supposed reach and away from cursing the rest. Uneventful hours of flickering cameras, endless faces, and whispers. The scratching of pen against paper was more eventful. That was alright, Protoman guessed. She should be in the medical ward. She should be sleeping. And he said nothing. Nearing sundown, Team Colonel packed up, exhausted. Most of them could not wait to get back to base, take a shower, and receive their rest period. Dannyela remained glued to the screens. Probably convinced they missed something.“Try to sleep early. We’re being moved to night watch tomorrow.”Baryl advised. He jabbed at Dannyela. Close the laptop and go. They all were going to need it. Traffic congested halls. Workers carrying their hygiene products or dinner plates. So close to the dorm room.“Dannyela.”Dr. Armaboard found her. Starlight couldn’t hold him back any longer. Protoman tucked himself out of the man’s view. Just enough to listen in.“We need to talk.”The man took the girl to her room at least. Sat her down on her bed.“I admit, things have slipped passed me. Things that never should have, ever in a parent’s life. But this?”Protoman felt sick. All he could think about were the fights between Chaud and Shuuseki. The way they fought was as ferocious as the ones between them on their worst days. The father always won. The old businessman has seen the errors in his ways, but does Darrel? Did he see what was wrong?“There are depraved, selfish beings out there who will do anything to have their way. You’re a part of the systems holding them back and that makes you a target. There are more consequences than ever now, and I’m not going to let death be one of them.”The engineer gently held her shoulders. He was shaking. Scared? Of his daughter?“I’m putting you on leave for generator duties. I want you to talk to someone about these feelings. Net Savior has resources if you’re nervous about privacy. Talk to me if you must, someone. You can’t bottle this up forever.”Get off the team. Go to counseling. No one wants broken goods. Darrel waited for Dannyela to acknowledge his words. Nothing was going to come out. The father seemed to know that. He cradled her in his arms. The perfect embodiment of a loving father protecting his child.“Just know no matter what, I always love you.”Truthful words. Genuine passion and heart. The therapists and doctors expressed the same level of empathy to Chaud, but he was blank. Dannyela did not react to the pleas. Total disconnect. As if her mind did not exist in the same world the body occupied. The slow fade out. It was happening again. And Protoman did not know what to do to stop it. How can he once it starts? Better question, how did he not see it sooner then? The glitching lines were thickening. Stronger. The source is close. Protoman is almost to the truth. Team Protoman and Team Colonel had the night shift in Shibuya. Baryl entrusted the girl to come, as long as she stayed in the van. Protoman couldn’t work up the courage to tell her to sit the mission out. The plans were set in motion already. Starlight agreed to swap places with the seamstress again. Somewhat. She wasn’t so sure about this anymore.“Do you guys really want to go? Maybe just sit this out for once?”Maybe it will be a calm night. Maybe there will be nothing like yesterday and the day before. The Third Eye could be bluffing. The jester tried to get Protoman to back down, not her operator. Him. If she fears for Dannyela, why ask him?“W E C A N N O T I G N O R E T H I S .”Fear hidden behind a stoic face. Starlight could not hide it, it was not her programming.“Then please . . . keep her to the side like Baryl asked? She hasn’t been getting much rest.”A simple request. Protect Dannyela. He will do that. Not like he is allowed to be wandering around either.“. . . Don’t die, okay?”Day FourTeam Colonel hiked out. The seamstress sat in the back of the DNN van. Messages popped up every minute. This sector clear. Team member spotted at the checkpoint. Everyone accounted for. Checkpoint warning. Checkpoint resolved. Dannyela rubbed her burning eyes. The fluorescence blinded her faster than in the past days.“D A N N Y E L A , L E T M E T A K E O V E R .”Protoman asked.“. . . I’m alright.”After a couple of blinks, she was back in the game.“Y O U ‘ R E S T R A I N I N G Y O U R E Y E S . S T E P O U T A N D S T R E T C H F O R A M I N U T E .”“Bu-”“I T ‘ S B E E N F I V E H O U R S . Y O U ‘ R E T H E O N L Y O N E W H O H A S N ‘ T T A K E N A B R E A K .”Protoman asserted himself, poorly. If his voice was normal, he swore it cracked saying that. Dannyela grabbed her knees. Get out of there. Stand up. He repeated in his head. The seamstress unplugged her PET and stepped out of the van. A shiver crawled beneath her skin. Dannyela covered her exposed shoulders with her palms. A starless sky and roaming clouds. It might rain tonight. Protoman should have checked. Sucked up in the routine, he was forgetting standard tasks. She would have benefitted from a jacket.The text logs were still active. Megaman got called to a checkpoint. Colonel and Magnetman inbound. Baryl’s message was stuck in progress mode. A long pause before he seemed to retract it. Maybe he met with Lan and resolved the checkpoint. Three minutes passed. Checkpoint is still unresolved. Colonel and Magnetman are not seen at the checkpoint. Five minutes. Lan sited on a different route. Baryl not seen at the checkpoint. Dannyela saw the messages. Did the team change the plans? She looked over the van’s hood and into the street. Goosebumps formed. Something alerted her. An overwhelming sickness. This was not panic, it was a reaction.DarkAura DetectedProtoman could pick up some of it from the cyber world. One this powerful could only belong to one, in the real world.“D A N N Y E L A , P L U G M E I N . I W I L L L O C A T E T H E S O U R C E .”Dannyela shook her head.“If we separate, we may get attacked . . .”She was going with him, whether he liked it or not. He cannot argue now. Move out, and fast. Protoman looked up the route map where Baryl was last reported. A compact street with smaller convenience stores. He scanned the surroundings. No trace of the man. Not even Megaman. No one from Net Savior was there.“E-excuse me. . . . Have you seen a boy in a white shirt or a man in a t-trench coat?”Dannyela asked a cashier inside an open store. They barely picked up on her stutters.“I didn’t see a boy, but there was a man wearing camo looking for a kid a few minutes ago.”They pointed in the direction they ran to. It was on the route map, where many sidestreets branched into new sectors of Shibuya. Dannyela peered into every corner. Darkness and flashing neon lights. Blackened figures melted out of the shadows. Menacing beings with unknown intentions. None that matched the lost leader. Do you keep wandering until you find them or chance snaking between alleys?“S T A Y O N R O U T E . F I N D A N O T H E R N E T S A V E R T O A S S I S T .”Dannyela fumbled her words. She contemplated following his advice, or maybe she thought of a different tactic. Protoman needed her in a safer zone. Going solo now will be suicide based on her argument. She pressed forward to the main street. Banging and tripping upon onlookers giving her the cold shoulder. How rude. So impatient. She did not care, not with death looming. A collision near the next checkpoint. Dannyela nearly crumbled to the ground.“What are you doing here?”A sense of relief for Protoman. She ran into Dingo. They can clear this up, and then Dannyela can return to the van.“Missing . . . B-Baryl’s missing.”She wheezed.“Now’s a good time to hit the volume button, please. What’s going on?”Dannyela showed her PET with the report.“Why didn’t you say something in the chat? Come on, they couldn’t have gotten far.”Dingo took the lead, going back to the leader's last known location. Someone had to have reported him elsewhere. Those possibilities were dying with every circle the teenagers took.“I got his personal number. Let’s try that.”New plan. Dingo called Baryl directly. Ringing. A PET rang, close by. The two looked towards the emanating sound. An alley filled with square silhouettes. It came out of a cardboard box with droplets of blood coating it. Dannyela covered her mouth. Not a gasp or cry. Bile was about to spill. She saw something peeking out, a lifeless figure. Dingo was brave enough to lift the smashed lid. Team Colonel’s leader was bleeding from the nose and slumped over unconscious. The tribal team instinctively pulled Baryl out, shaking and calling for him.“Oi! Baryl! What happened?! Wake up!”A part of the teen, a huge part of him, couldn’t believe the man was dead. He was right. Protoman saw vital signs. The shouting managed to restart the man’s senses. Baryl coughed out some blood that collected under his lip. It eased Dannyela’s stomach.“Am-bush . . . by F- . . . Fire Plague.”“What? So the cult is here.”Baryl attempted to push himself up to collapse back down. His legs were weak and he favored his shoulder. Dannyela checked the leader. His eyes were cloudy and his muscle movements not registering. The seamstress lifted the jacket and shirt from the sagging shoulder. A red scab the size of a pin was on his neck. She knows this trick.“. . . Drugged.”Not poison, but something to slow him down. Dannyela tried to pull Baryl to his knees and onto her back. A man well over two hundred pounds in muscles being carried by a teenager a third of his weight. To her credit, she got him back on his feet. Dingo buried himself beneath his other shoulder to distribute the weight. With his free hand, he was going to send Tomahawkman out. An error message flashed, and the navi was not present.“Hey! Tomahawkman! Can you hear me?! Tomahawkman!?”“He might’ve been caught. . . . Megaman did the same to Colonel.”Baryl coughed. At this rate, half of the unit might be trapped. They need to regroup and locate their enemy. Dannyela hesitated.“Protoman, locate checkpoints Megaman responded to.”“Why is he taking orders from you?”Dingo heard. The seamstress bit her lip while drumming up an idea.“He’s part of the backup unit. . . . He was ordered to stay with her for transport.”Baryl covered the lie. Something one and done. They need to remain on task. Protoman was fine with that. The navi ran to the location Colonel and Magnetman were supposed to be. The checkpoint. The detainment center was guarded by police navis, obviously taken over by ASIMs. Protoman could see the region those parasites latched on to. He unleashed Muramasa. Shots rang out. The whole comp was overrun. The enemy took advantage of the disappearances to set distractions. He disarmed the navis’ canons. A sharp fang pierced Protoman’s ankle followed by something forcing its way into it. An ASIM hiding in the ground slithered up. Protoman kicked and stomped it until it let go. The viruses from the possessed navis linked together into a mound. A mirror reflection of Protoman. The viruses raised its melting blade to attack.Net Navi InboundHellsRolling tore through the conglomerate. It writhed to fall back together. Protoman channeled his energy to Muramasa and irradicated them all in one swing. Back to worthless data, it withered.“The hell is going on?”Bass came with Toadman leaping behind.“First Lan and Baryl, then the order to fall back. You better be the real Protoman.”The dark navi approached with DarkArm Blades drawn. He had been running around in circles for a good, long while. Protoman opened the cell block as proof. Colonel and Magnetman stumble out.“And how did you two get stuck in there?!”“Megaman!”The taller navis shouted. The ASIMs must have gotten him, but how?“If Megaman is glitching out, then no one is safe until he’s locked up.”Toadman croaked. Have the operators regroup and locate their net navis.Emergency AlertMegaman SpottedEngaging in PursuitSearchman got a lock on the twin. Bass was not going to let him do that alone. He was on the other side of the patrol sector with their nurse hurdling in the opposite direction.“I gotta wrangle Searchman. Magnetman, go with Colonel and locate Meddy. She’s heading to the far eastern checkpoint. Toadman, you’re coming with me. Meet back at the trucks.”Bass prioritized the team’s numbers. But what about Lan? Protoman can hunt him down.“Don’t think you’re immune to orders. Don’t be a dumbass and wait with the others.”The dark navi ordered Protoman to fall back. That would only give Dannyela an incentive to leave. The red navi had to mentally slap himself. Bass does not know she is here. Of course, he told him to go back. Protoman moved forward with locating the boy. Ignore the screams. Get moving. Protoman did not know where he was going. What to even expect. Nothing here. Nothing there. A directionless run, until the navi detected a pulsating sensation. DarkAura crawling up the systems. A sickening call. Protoman heard it. It was leading to the heart of Shibuya. A new surge coursed through. Every navi felt it push them back. Static and noise filled the air. A mass hijacking of the district. Out spewed the sludge of The Third Eye.“Your authorities have failed you. They have turned their backs on you in favor of the powerful. The control they hold over you has silenced the voices of the helpless.”A sermon out of the mouth of the cult’s church. The world could not turn away. It was everywhere. Blaring on every speaker and screen.“We offer salvation. We offer freedom from the unruly standards forced upon us. If you wish to see our best exorcism. Do stay as he purifies such objectifying temples.”Error. No Network ConnectionThe gates of hell burst open. The network exits virtually blacked out. Only a few could plug-out at a time, and hundreds were clambering each portal. The real world too suffered. Electrical units sparked and caught fire. Shards of melting glass and metal rained on the people. The network was severed from the main line. He lost his line to the van. He was alone. Fine. Protoman assisted net navis caught in the technological rage. Get as many beneath protective barriers. Under counters. Behind shelves. As long as nothing could delete them.PET Connection Re-Established“Pro--ma-, --e yo- there?”A transmission came through.“W H Y A R E Y O U H E R E ? I T ‘ S N O T S A F E !”Protoman gained access to a PET camera. So not all connections were lost, just around certain areas. Dannyela stood behind burning buildings.“We lost connection to Net Savior. The last thing we heard was a ring of viruses are blocking the entire Shibuya network. . . . You’re the only one on the inside. . . .”The girl ran through the embers to reach him.“A DimensionalArea won’t be deployed until they can get a clear shot of the zone . . . . You’ll need BattleChips if you get caught.”The worst outcome occurred. How did Fire Plague know so much? And how long will it be until the others realize she ran off?“I T ‘ S T O O D A N G E R O U S . F A L L B A C K !”Dannyela worried for him and was not going to leave his side. Protoman caved in yet again. It was better to discuss this after they made it out. He clenched his fist.“G E T T O H I G H E R G R O U N D . I N E E D A V I S U A L O N T H E T A R G E T .”It was no use to tell her it was for her safety, they were too deep into the dark forest. The smog may even cover her. Dannyela looked up. There was a ladder welded onto one of the buildings. The seamstress held her PET by her teeth. Protoman bared the moments of unknown angles and muffled clatter until he saw the skyline. Flashes bounced off the smoke. Cyan and violet. A battle was going down. It had to be Lan and Megaman. That’s where they had to go. But he did not know. Protoman wished he stayed behind longer. He wished he heeded Starlight’s request to sit this mission out. He wished what he saw next never existed.Leaping from roof to roof, whatever was not burning. The sounds of a fight grew. And so did the aura of purified rage. It made Protoman uneasy. Something about it was familiar. Memories, whole and in pieces, raised their voices, telling him to get out. A warning. But the arua greeted him like a distant friend. Dannyela pulled herself over a ledge. She stopped breathing. Her eyes forcefully pulled open.Unknown Error. Fatal ErrorSnow white hair. The voice of an angel. He was standing there. Alive. Protoman could not believe it. It was Chaud. For a second, there was a spark of jubilee. Ellation. Overjoyed. This had to be a dream. It wasn’t, it was a nightmare. The little boy’s smile was corrupted. Malice. Carnage. Blood lust. It waged war on CrossFusion Megaman. It clawed, tore, and burned the twins relentlessly. A cat torturing its catch, antagonizing it to squirm. Protoman’s core burned in hellfire. Judgement that spread through the body like magma. No nail or fingers can dig in deep enough to relieve the agitation.All Systems MalfunctionedYet he stood petrified as stone. Attack. Hide. Scream. Cry. Quiet.System Error. Does Not ComputeProtoman watched the twins battle in a ring of viruses, with that thing and its pet. It had something new to fill his place. A sick parallel to the navi’s old life. Expert Net Battlers destroying all competition in their wake. Now he sees a monster cracking a whip on a creature to feast upon its prey.“This world murdered that boy. The Ace is dead! I’m what remains!”“So you think CrossFusing will save you? I’ll let it pass. Let me see what you're gifted with. Show me your true self!”“Cone on, Lan. I know you can do better than this! Get your ass up and fight!!!”“You’re so gullible. You cling to a hope that doesn't exist like a baby. You have learned nothing, even when that pathetic Ace was around.~”Protoman was locked down by the void. Forced to bear witness to the bloodbath. CrossFusion Megaman lost control. They retaliated with the exact brutality of their enemy. They were on track to lose themselves to this intoxication.Open Port DetectedA small DimensionalArea was somehow active and a couple of plug-in ports were perfectly active. The ring of ASIMs was not to fence the twins but to mark a range of influence. Protoman should go. He should be intervening. Stop them. Do something. His body was its own entity from his mind.“You truly are pathetic, Lan!”Fire Plague released a breath of blue flames that knocked the twins off of him.“You were gifted by our God and you won’t even use it! Not even on me!!! Forget it! You joined the snakes! Be gone!!!!”OverrideProtoman plugged himself into a lamppost, within the ring. He pushed CrossFusion Megaman out of a blast. The fire scorched his back. The agony was like no other. Fueled by a child’s unbridled emotions.“Get out of my way!!!!”Protoman faced his operator. Red orbs pierced him where soft sapphires should be. The navi reached out his hand.“C H A U D - !”He screamed. His voice was replaced with intelligible beeps. The voice program. Nothing he could say would get to him. What was this cruel joke?“What’s wrong? Human got your tongue? Get out.”The boy snapped his fingers. It called his new partner. Protoman stared down the physical embodiment of the navi he found within the void. Anger wielding him as a vessel, a weapon. If this nightmare could not get more catastrophic. Blades clashed. Protoman struggled to keep his copy’s weight off him. Its speed and strength were greater than his. It was better than him. It matched the void’s power when he slaughtered the Officials. Bass had trouble overcoming it. What chance did the sword navi have? Muramasa snapped in two. Protoman had to duck under the NeoVariable. He needed a new weapon.Upload BattleChipErrorSystem ErrorSignal LostReconnecting . . .Reconnection FailedProtoman could not dig into his BattleChip stash. That has never happened to him before. What was this? Turmoil. The navi had gripped tightly on the handle of his broken blade. Stab the copy, straight in the emblem. It displayed no pain. It did not flinch. It stared at him with a blank glaze. Hollow. Death. The discolored blade came biting into Protoman’s emblem. He yelped. The nightmare commanded his deletion. He was nothing to the boy anymore. A toy. He no longer cared for his creation. His friend. The clone twisted and plunged the weapon further until it was out the other side of his back. Protoman’s face contorted while he screamed, but nothing hurt more than the warm memories becoming tainted.“Useless.”The clone simply tore the blade out of the mangled chest. Satisfied with its kill. Protoman plummeted to the ground. Every last bad memory erupted. The arguments. The screaming. The abuse they enacted upon each other. What had gone so wrong? What happened to his precious boy? That smiling image. The last jewel of Chaud he had, cracked and shattered. The navi saw it play in front of him. His eyes gauged out. Skin crisped by flames. Dismembered and bloody. He was captured, butchered, and sacrificed to this demonic cult. This was his fault. He let this happen.Protoman was ejected from Shibuya. Back into the PET. Into the hands of the only reprieve he has. The hole in his chest was patched with a RecovChip. Dannyela healed him. And she saw everything.“This isn’t the end, Lan Hikari. Next time we meet, you will perish. You all will!”Net Savior broke through the barricade. They bore witness to the dark phoenix. The flames from the tower crumbled with molten metal and concrete. Lan rushed to pursue but the terrain became untraversable. The ash and smoke covered Fire Plague’s escape. Police from all sides picked up the task. Dannyela had a clear view. Protoman could not foresee the next part. She pulled herself onto the top of the ledge and joined the pursuit from the rooftops. Thunder and crackling flames boomed. Blistering footsteps filled the dark streets. More black smoke rose to the clouds with the rain. The water slicked the paths. Dannyela kept up when others got lost or scared off.“D A N N Y E L A S T O P !”Protoman commanded Dannyela to stop. She will slip and fall. She could die at the boy’s hands. Maybe she throws herself off the ledge to end the misery. What a tragic way to lead the last living thing that hears you. The void shouted in his ears. The navi had fallen into a snare. The more he resisted, the deeper he fell into the thickets. Dannyela pulled ahead of the cultist. A long alley with one side route into it was coming up. That was how she would corner him. She dropped off a building. Duck and roll onto another building, then freefall onto a closed dumpster. The lid collapsed. Shuffling bags and glass bottles. The seamstress climbed out immediately. Blood surfaced. Her ankle was cut open but the fire in her eyes did not let the pain overtake. Protoman did not want to watch, but he could not look away.Target Closing In : 8 meters . . .5 meters . . .3 meters . . .1 meter . . .Slam. Dannyela pushed the boy into the wall. A role reversal. The uncontrollable one was the seamstress. She tried to punch him. Snap him out of his trance. Expel the demon from that body. Fire Plague pushed Dannyela back. Mere seconds to recover with a glowing bolt flaring up. The girl ducked under its aim and charged again. They both fell to the ground. It was animals in combat. Prey against predator. Hooves pounding against claws and teeth. He got the best of her.Dannyela was easily tossed aside again. What anchored her to him was an accessory. A beat-up backpack ripped off his back. Singed patches and cloth slid off his back and tangled around the girl’s wrists. He was able to crawl back up and aim a fatal blow. Dannyela tried to push herself back up to crumble back down to the ash-covered ground. Her ankle injury caught up. Flames reignited. It was happening again. Chaud was going to destroy her again. Protoman could not bear it. He could not lose another.“C H A U D N O ! ! ! !”Screaming was useless. Yet, the world froze for him. Echoes of the flames and rain. Dannyela lifted her head, blood pouring from her face. Both eyes on display. It seemingly stopped, looking down upon her. Those demonic eyes. The flames died down. A disgusting form of pity. She was not worth wasting an attack. It saw her as disfigured. Malformed. Ugly. The wolf looked towards more prominent prey. The police and a couple of Net Savers found them. The flare shot down the alley over Dannyela’s head. The only thing it chose to spare. Fire Plague ran into the night. And The Third Eye claimed its ultimate victory.“Dannyela.”Baryl caught up to his runaway. Dannyela put on a brave face and got up. Hide the past. Hide the tears in the rain. But she could not hide the blood dripping off her. Dannyela handed the bag to the police and proceeded to walk back to the van.“Stay here. I’ll call for a pick-up.”Baryl held her by the shoulder. Dannyela slapped his hand away to his shock. She did not want to be touched. The drive home was complete silence. Members looked around the vehicle at others. Processing what they had seen. No one could. H.Q. released the younger Net Savers to tend to their wounds and go to bed. Baryl personally dragged the seamstress to the medical ward to have her leg checked. At least Protoman would not need to start another fight over it. It was not broken, only cut. Dannyela released herself when Baryl was out of sight.The underground office was the selected shelter. Cold air conditioning and frozen shadows. The seamstress squeezed under her desk in a blanket. No tears, no sobs, nothing. She retreated to her bubble. In honesty, Protoman was doing the same. Was that Chaud he saw? It couldn’t be. It had to be fake. Not a trace of the boy was present. It was illogical on all fronts. It was a trick. He was not going to be made a fool of again.The lab door opened. Starlight placed a warm mug of tea on the desk.“Thought you could use this.”The clump of fabric stayed inanimate. Food and drinks are not going to kill the suffocating feelings. The jester took a deep breath and joined the girl on the floor.“. . . I’m so sorry.”The news was spreading. Starlight levitated the blanket up just enough to see her operator’s face.“You wanna talk about it?”The seamstress laid her head back down on her knees. She could not fault her. Starlight looked for the PET Protoman housed in.“How ‘bout you? Do you wanna talk about it?”The sword navi maintained focus on the girl. The jester sighed. She plugged herself out of the Copyroid. The navi spawned right beside him. Here comes the badgering again. Everyone looked down upon him like some lost puppy.“This is huge. I want to know if you’re alright. It’s okay if you’re no-.”“F I R E P L A G U E G O T A W A Y A N D H E M U S T B E S T O P P E D .”Starlight’s features twisted then unwound. Fading restrain. Her hands rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to get herself to think of what to say next. But Protoman was sold on a generated allusion. Fire Plague is not Chaud.“I admire both of your strengths. But you two have thick skulls too.”She hit a limit.“For once, can you not run away and bury your head in the sand?”Protoman convinced himself already. He did not need another day.“T H A T T H I N G A L M O S T K I L L E D D A N N Y E L A . I W I L L N O T L E T H E R O R A N Y O N E S U F F E R T H E W A Y H E D I D .”When Fire Plague is dead, the two can rest. He can finally find peace. Starlight grimaced. She didn’t see his vision. No one does, but the seamstress does. While the leaders are busy, he can get a head start on tracking that beast. The burned bag is a good start. Protoman took the Copyroid. He will need it to access the evidence vault. He checked on the girl first. Her face peeked out of the sheet.“I W I L L B E A T T H E V A U L T .”“. . . You’ll need help.”“A R E Y O U A B L E T O S T A N D ?”Dannyela shed the cotton layer. She put pressure on the leg. She had endured worse. Protoman will find her a chair when they get to the lab.“If the two of you so much as set a foot outside this building, I’m telling someone.”Starlight had enough. Her motherly programs escaped her normal reserve.“I won’t be entertaining these outlandish charges into battle anymore. Do you not care about yourselves?!”Protoman read this as his timer running out. Dannyela may not be staying by his side for much longer, and he was not going to drive a wedge between them more than he already has.“Sis . . . please. That’s enough. . . . He’s right.”Dannyela dragged herself out of that office. Protoman and Starlight were left. The gold navi closed her lips. She was going to say something more profane and stopped herself.“Why are you doing this? This isn’t right Protoman and you know it.”“I T I S O U R D U T Y T O S T O P T H E M . I W I L L D O W H A T I M U S T T O A V E N G E C H A U D .”That was his only argument. His systems could not see anything else. Protoman went after Dannyela, waiting for him at the elevator. She stood tall, as much as her ankle permitted. She saw. She understood what had to be done. Confirmation bias. They had free range of the evidence vault. Protoman had the girl sit and wait in the diagnostic lab while he retrieved the first puzzle piece. The bag weathered by fire and rain. It was still rather heavy. The navi can feel hard items sloshing about.Dannyela set a table with a camera, scanner, and tools to proceed with the salvage. She had an easy time breaking the item apart, documenting every piece, too well. The girl was onto something. When she pulled out a black box from the bag, she nearly fell back. Her arm knocked a toolbox off the table as a result. Small attachments and handles rolled about the floor. The crash made Dannyela jump, pressuring her bad ankle. Protoman motioned her to stay in her chair while he picked up the pieces. She still tried to help. It covered the door. Protoman picked up a PET signature entering the room.“Do you have authorization to be tampering with items from the evidence vault?”Raika questioned Dannyela. She did not shy away or cower. She kept going, ignoring the soldier. He might report them for moving ahead without the appropriate clearance. Yet, she was acting out of her usual instincts. This was not Dannyela and Protoman still did not see it. Foolishness.“Do you have the authorization to be-”The seamstress shoved her PET into his face. He Graveyard ID. He pulls data out of it all the time, so he knows what exactly she is in this place. Dannyela nabbed two plastic cylinders linked to the failed motherboard. It started to dawn on Protoman. He has seen these parts before, in an identical setup. The day he first met her. The Third Eye was in possession of a DimensionalArea prototype. The HybridZone Pack.“Do you know how long it took me to find you, ostrich?”Nicole came in with mug cakes in hand.“Out of all the places and people. I kinda expected Protoman, but not you.”She pointed her finger at the three. Protoman and Dannyela had nothing to say. Keep going.“Nicole, no food is allowed in the labs for the-”“For the preservation of evidence, but none of us are supposed to be here. So how about we ditch whatever this is and eat up.”Nicole wafted a cup to Dannyela. More distractions. She ignored the invitation as she did the soldier.“Come on, before it gets cold.”“I’m not hungry.”Nicole backed off immediately. The seamstress’ tone was agitated, audibly.“Fine, let it waste away after Dex slaved over a microwave. I ain’t eating two, Protoman can’t eat, and Raika . . . Is on an extreme diet . . . ?”“Fuck it.”Raika muttered and took the cup.“Hey, you said no food in the labs.”“Fuck you.”“Okay, didn’t know you were on your period, bitch.”The seamstress wanted the two to disappear. Dannyela was biting on her tongue. Keep things civil. Protoman held her hand. Her fingers relaxed. A breeze of calm. He is permitted to touch her. She embraced him, listening without his voice. She is the last one, isn’t she? He can’t lose her, ever again. Strings of melted PVC pipe clung to a glass casing. A battery burned out from extreme usage. It was a near replica of the portable DimensionalAreas. But this one was haphazardly slapped together with the wrong materials. Good, but also bad. Fire Plague risked his life using this thing. The generator was on the verge of failure.“. . . Good news or bad news?”The seamstress asked.“We don’t need any more bad news, give us something good.”“This is a DimensionalArea generator, but built using alternative parts. The core material of our tech is still unknown to them.”“Then what's the alternative?”Raika was concerned. The entire backpack burned itself out and all traces of what was within it. There was no other way to formulate such an advanced piece of tech without a specific crystal cut to precise measurements.“. . . This version is one of the earliest prototypes. Very few knew of its existence. . . . Chaud was present at one of the demos.”Dannyela clutched the necklace that dangled in her shirt. The girl sniffled. She refused to be humiliated like this, not again. The seamstress fought back her heart. Protoman gently laid his hand on her shoulder.“D O N ‘ T G E T F R U S T R A T E D .”Dannyela nodded. She took a deep breath. They have no time to mourn again.“SciLab will need the list of companies that could have leaked the prototypes.”They needed to access the offices to request a pursuit on the matter. Protoman helped lock the evidence back in the vault. After that is a manhunt.“And you two seriously think you can keep working like tonight never happened?”Nicole did not want them to do this. Opposition.“Because we have to.”Dannyela was loud and clear.“. . . Whatever is out there is a deadly threat that must be stopped. . . . Grow up.”Dannyela and Protoman walked out, leaving Nicole and Raika in the dust. It was plain as day. They were the only ones taking this seriously, in their eyes. And that denial further lead into oblivion. The roots burrowed so deep in, feeding off these interactions. Every wrong move they crafted. Protoman could only helplessly watch as he hurdled themselves back into hell. SciLab approved contacting clients aware of beta DimensionalAreas. Get up. Get gas for the car. Drive until they reach the target destination. Deep scan servers for evidence. Write a report then repeat. One after the other. There was no breach. No data was stolen or sold. The list died with each company coming out clean. Fire Plague was worse than they thought. They probed Chaud for every ounce of information he contained. Protoman needed that monster dead.End of Day SixThe list had flown out of their hands. No leads, but there’s still work to do. Burglary cases have been going up. One of the companies interviewed gave them a start with three trucks vanishing in the dead of night a month ago. Dannyela kept a keen eye on it all. It’s no longer coincidental. The cult is up to something yet again. They must stand in the gap.Still deep in the server chaos, the leaders were reconstructing security. Slip in the report and get back to work. Dannyela looked for Baryl’s desk. Empty. Everyone was gathered at the center, talking. She crept out from behind a cabinet. Reaching her arm out, she threw the stack of sheets. A landing covered by the leaders dismissing themselves. Dannyela retreated back to the cabinet. They were too worn to notice. All clear.“Trying to turn in a report without notice?”One remained in the room: Baryl. Her tricks were becoming ineffective on him. Starlight might have kept her word on alerting the leaders.“Come here.”Dannyela hesitantly stepped forward. Baryl glazed over the papers, but he did not want to talk about that. From his PET, he showed pictures from the evidence vault. Her photos.“Do you know what this is?”Dannyela nodded.“The evaluation was dated roughly an hour after the Shibuya incident. Hours before SciLab approved an investigation into the prototype. When you should have been in the medical ward. Do I need to continue?”Caught red-handed. Protoman thought he labeled it differently. Or maybe the man had a better eye on them. The navi cursed.“You should be grateful you weren’t killed the other night. You are not operating on your own, you are part of a team, and you were ordered to stay put.”Shut up. We heard this already. You have no idea what they have been through. Protoman seethed. Dannyela opened her mouth, then briefly closed it. Restrain resentment. Do not challenge the lion.“This behavior is unacceptable, and my patience has run thin. I don’t care who the hell you are. You are under my authority and you are purposely ignoring it and for what?”Dannyela’s first words to him were tainted in venom.“Then why don’t you kick me off if I’m so useless?”“Don’t you speak to me like that!”It stoked the flames. She challenged him. Dannyela instantly put her head back down. Bracing for an attack. Baryl extended his hand to her shoulder. Inches from contact.“Listen to me-”The humans were alone in a room. No one can see or hear them. Prey pinned by a beast. Primal instinct kicked in. A burst of strength to keep the beast from advancing. Dannyela’s nails dug into Baryl’s wrist. Eyes glazed by a dark spell. What was happening? Dannyela shoved Baryl back. Long scratches drawing up his hand. He checked his wrist. Blood seeping out, leaking onto his sleeve. Baryl stared at the girl. Bewildered. An unknown emotion to Protoman. Eyes wide open, locked on the subject, analyzing. Worry and alarm washed the field. Red was the only color in the room. Dannyela stepped back. Flight response.The seamstress ran. The tower became a winding forest. The man did not stand a chance of catching her. Zig zag and leap down the stairs until she reached her car in the underground garage. Get out of that place. Protoman was wrapped in unease. The engines blared and tires burned. She cannot hear him. He was outside the bubble. Locked out. Nonexistent. Useless. How could he not stop her? Surely Baryl is not that mad? Maybe he can understand where this came from. Where did this all come from? Where were things going so wrong? They are doing the right thing. They are on the right side of the battle. It all reminded him of those crimson eyes. The coals of hell embedded in Chaud’s face. When they fought. When they screamed. When they chose to abandon humanity for a sadistic victory. Dannyela was laid at the foot of the burning embers. The demons chose her to be its next sacrificial lamb.When the car stopped, the two were inside a gas station parking lot. The brunt of the adrenalin died out. Dannyela’s head rested on the steering wheel. She is safe? The girl tore off her black overshirt for an old hoodie shoved in the back. Ghosting around again. She went inside the store. Cheap PET charges mixed with non-brand snacks and drinks. A haven for the nightcrawlers who need their fix. The seamstress pulled a canned drink from the freezer. Her eye wandered to the other freezers adorned with fancy glass bottles. Cheap sake and whisky. She turned away to the exit, wary of her surroundings. It was late at night when the devils crawled out. Intoxicated and hallucinative beings shuffled through the store. Any moving object was a mouse to toy with, even if it was items they knocked down from a stupor.Dannyela made her purchase quickly and got out. She could smell substances on their disheveled clothes and she refused to be tempted. A park bench drenched in the dingy light of a street lamp sufficed. Stay quiet. She does not want to talk to you. You ruined her, do not make it worse. Do you wanna see her cry? The void hammered it in. Close your mouth. Protoman waited for anything really, as long as it kept the girl from shattering more. Dannyela gulped the soda in one swig. An artificial high to ease the edge. To slump over and try to forget. Is this all they could do?“D A N N Y E L A .”Protoman coughed out.“I - I T ‘ S L A T E , I ‘ D P R E F E R Y O U S T A Y I N T H E C A R .”Keep her away from the belligerent adults wandering the area, or the cultists who could be snaking around. Dannyela played with the can, crushing it in her grasp. The sound felt like a whip. Stay down. Let her be, you idiot. Shut up. He heard an old voice command. The navi must obey without question. Why can he not help anyone? Why can he not save anything that comes close to him? The chime of the gas station store rang. They were at the storefront again. How did they get there? She compacted the liter to throw away. Nothing to be of alarm. These moments of blank memory were back. What was wrong with his memory? Dannyela would have gotten to the car if a call had not come.“Ostrich, where are you? It’s curfew and the night monitors are riding up my ass. Please tell me you’re in the building.”Nicole called. She could not hide her fright this time.“I drove home.”“Liar. I know you’re not at home. Where are you?”Baryl may have forced her to call to ensure the girl was still alive. It was the only thing that made logical sense.“Dannyela. Wherever you are, get back here right now. You’re scaring me.”This is not normal. It was not only Protoman seeing it. Why did it take so long for it to register?“I’m fine. . . . Go to bed.”“No, don’t ‘fine’ me. You’re acting like the past four years never happened. This shit isn’t only affecting you, it’s everyone. You can’t keep pretending that Chaud was never in your life!”Nicole cried out. Her voice trying to reach the girl.“Please . . . Please come back. Talk this out the way we used to. I promise I won’t tell them what happened.”Come back. Return to her old self. Her true self. True self: what was that?“. . . Goodbye.”Call EndedForce yourself forward. Are you not tired of running? How far can your legs carry you? How much longer will the steam last?Manual OverrideDo Not Disturb EnabledAnti-Tracking EnabledDannyela sighed. On the break of another overload, he presumed. They should have gone back. Anything that happens to them would be warranted, and an added reason to be fired. Chaud used to do this, but he was sane then. Their shining star. The people trusted him. No one trusts her. They think she is a failure. She is worthless. She is hated. They know who she is. The void spewed their song, every chance now. What they need is a grand moment. A display of competency like no other. It was all they got. And as if the world heard Protoman’s wish, it presented them with a chance.Clattering came from the alley. It sounded like a crash. A couple of drunken adults ran out of the shadows screaming ghosts. A faint light followed them, getting brighter as it chased. Dannyela approached the entryway. The blinding orb morphed into two. Then a shadow came at high speed. A forklift burst out. She narrowly jumped out of the way. The machinery mowed threw the parking lot, fighting for traction. Dannyela pulled out her PET and aimed at the control panel. Inside, net navis rummaged through the controls. A full-speed run to some unknown coordinates. Enveloped by the job.“S T O P T H E M A C H I N E !”The navis slumped around. Protoman caught a glimpse of a distortion. ASIMs. The sword navi disarmed them, lobbing off legs and arms to cancel further attacks.Activate Emergency StopThe forklift’s tires cried as its prongs dug into the grass. It tumbled onto its side, sliding until it came to a complete stop. Melded into a dirt bed. Dannyela checked the console board. No DarkChips. Not much of anything. The detached limbs sputtered. ASIMs cut off from their host. They attempted to flee. Protoman deleted them before they could. The navis came to their senses, albeit in pain.“Did you stop it?”An out-of-breath truck driver approached. The crew plugged-out their navis and inspected the damages. Dannyela evaluated the mess.“Some virus popped out when offloading and then our navis went haywire.”Why attack a delivery service? It was another deceptive tactic. A large engine roared behind the convenience store. A truck took off into the streets. The delivery crew shouted and waved at their fleeting vehicle. They were robbed. This was it. This was their chance to prove themselves. Dannyela took Protoman back to the car, at full speed. The target swerved through the side streets. So little space to speed pass. Horns and flashing lights from all directions. Dannyela could not focus on chasing and driving at once. Protoman opened the GPS. He shouted the coordinates. Get her to focus on his voice.Bank RightStraight Through the IntersectionSpeed UpTurn LeftIt managed to work. She submitted to his command, every time, like clockwork. A human that could only follow others. Another red flag in plane view. She isn’t in control anymore. The road closed off. One way barreling towards a train crossing. They can catch it. Dannyela slammed the gas pedal. She pointed her PET. If lucky, she could bounce the beam into the driver seat and connect Protoman. Red lights awakened. Yellow and black striped bars began descent.Train InboundThe truck was stuck in the middle of the crossing. It broke through the flimsy guard bar and kept on course. The train saw the grey car, honking the horn. It was not safe. Get away from the track.“D A N N Y E L A S T O P !”Dannyela was not waking. She did not listen. She had to see the job to the end. She was going to jump the bar. Protoman calculated the odds of success. It was impossible. It’s not worth it. Not at this cost. Death awaited them across the striped bar. White light washed the windows.“What did you say?”IPC office, late at night. Chaud was finishing some paperwork. He was not expecting a phone call this late, he wouldn’t answer outside company hours anyway. Why was Protoman here? Why was he thinking of this? What was going on? Did they . . . fail? Game over?“I’m jussst driving home. Boss said they’re done with us.”A phone between the teenagers. Dannyela called out of the blue. She sounded off, slurring her words.“You don’t sound like yourself.”“Yeeee . . . Yeah, I’m good. The producer gave me something. He said it would help with the extended photoshoooot. . . . Probably wearing offff.”The caffeine-drained eyes lit up. His heart rate spiked. Something was beyond wrong. Chaud cleared his desk.“Where are you right now?”“I’m aaaat . . .”Dannyela veered off, unable to identify her whereabouts. A car horn faded into the audio, then a loud thud. A set of sounds one would hear in a movie. A crash. Chaud called for Dannyela. Static. Long eerie static. He sprinted out of the office. Tires desperately gripping onto asphalt covered the boy’s voice as the door slammed shut. He must find her.Autopilot ActivatedProtoman had his hand on the virtual wheel. The car parked itself on the side of the guardrails. The engine coughed out smoke. Dannyela was upright, out of her daze. She realized how close death came. She didn’t mean, Protoman knew it, it had to be. She couldn’t have wanted this. At least, he hoped that. Dannyela reversed the car back onto the main road. The truck was long gone by the time the train cleared the track.“D A N N Y E L A A R E Y O U O K A Y ?”“. . . Yeah . . .”The navi activated the hologram. The seamstress was banged up and visibly shaken. She may have a concussion, or pass out. Protoman called it quits, for her sake. There was no way to pick up the trail anyway. The best option was to crack into the Net Savior database and deliberate their next move.“L E T ‘ S . . . . G O S O M E W H E R E S A F E R .”Dannyela drove until she came to the mercy of a gas station tucked behind a police station. She filled the tank and parked. The car trunk became her office. She hid a SciLab-issued laptop there from her CrossFusion test days. She signed into her Net Savior account to scrape a copy of her research and download it. She made a map of all the reported burglaries, adding the one they encountered. They spent the rest of the dark hours triangulating where these vehicles were going. They always disappeared after a length of time, only to be spotted weeks later at other prefectures. A couple of places appeared more like hotspots. Warehouse buildings not open for rent, some left to rot. The Third Eye could easily operate in broad daylight under such conditions. The closest hotspot was two hours away near high-end company storage units.Day SevenThe moon’s closing eyes turned away from the demons below. Police were called to a robbery. Gabcom had an advanced program made for automated driving taken along with several trucks. Dannyela and Protoman were too late to catch it. Asking the police for information was out of the question. Net Savior will ping their location if her badge number is on the respondent report. Dannyela squeezed her car into an alley. One warehouse looked awake. Machinery and wood rattled around and lights danced upon the glass roof. With the PET gripped between her teeth, she climbed up an emergency ladder and hopped across catwalks to the roof. Humans with flashlights loaded crates into three flatbeds. DarkChips, they both can feel it.“Man, can’t we just sell these off and lighten the load?”One complained.“And get caught with high amounts of illegal substances? This isn’t all for sale, it’s for the ritual.”The seamstress leaned in. Mentions of The Third Eye’s rituals are common, but to get a precise insight into how it is conducted is unknown. She did not want to know, but she needed to understand. Upon closer inspection, there were crates filled with wires and unknown electronics. It was too dark to make out what things were. If she squinted, she could make out the shape of a heart monitor and IV stands in one of them.“That’s IF it works. Remember what happened to the last guy? Looked like something out of a horror movie the amount of shit they pumped into him. He’s putting a lot of time into his new subject.”“What makes him think this next “chosen one” will work? Didn’t he say that the last seven times?”“Well, I ain’t going to be around when they go zombie mode.”The group joked about seven prior deaths conducting their prophesized ritual. It was like these men were in on the cult being smoke and mirrors. They understood the technology they played with. But still, to talk so calmly, comedically about gruesome murders was depraved. The banter was enough to make the seamstress gag. Her head lowering so suddenly alerted someone. Correction: something. Protoman did not detect it over the toxic aura. A tattered black cape and empty frame was tucked behind dismantled boxes. Protoman knows them. It was the navi involved in the net navi trafficking case. It stared at the window they leered in. Dannyela dropped to the grate walkway when an orange glint flashed her. It spotted them.“Hey! Stop staring at the stray cats. We got other pickups.”One of the men called the hollow navi back. Silence and footsteps. The garage doors rolled up and released the trucks. The place returned to the dark.No Movement DetectedNo Thermal Sources DetectedDannyela got back on her feet, running after the fleeting tires. The group exited through the front gate. Orange painted up the walls. It flooded the sky and parted the clouds. The sun scared the shadows away, for now. Take the blessing and go home, the bright deity offered. It is a new day. The anger of yesterday is gone. A new beginning, is it not? The pair simply could not stop. They got clear shots of the license plates this time. They can find them.The caravan jumped all over the prefecture. Sell some DarkChips, pick up DarkAura vials, then drive to the next location. Protoman and Dannyela photographed it all. With the past reports, they made out a pattern. Hit a major target, hide, conduct business in smaller parts, then scope out the progress of their bigger operations. It was almost brilliant with the many distractions thrown about. If that was true, one of the hotspots had more traffic than the rest. And that place was a boat harbor. Net Savior needs to know this, but Dannyela still fears the wrath of the leaders. Afternoon phased in. The caravan stopped at another distributor hangout. They were pushing their luck. Surely the mystery navi warned them or one of them noticed the car following them. The caravan split up for gas. It gave Danneyla the chance to breathe. Protoman kept his eyes on the trucks, too closely.“I was wondering how long it would take you to find me.”Protoman drew Muramasa, too late to make an impressionable threat. Starlight blocked the edge with a flick of her gravity ability.“W H A T A R E Y O U D O I N G H E R E ? !”“Baryl called last night and told me you two ran away. His message to me was: come back with your operator and Protoman in tow, or else.”She was running around all night to find them.“Your mistake was logging into an account I have access to, including the sign-in log. I’ve been hiding in this car for three hours, I should have called Baryl then, but I wanted to ask if you two are done being hardheads.”Protoman gritted his teeth. He pointed her to the plug-out point.“G O H O M E .”“I warned you and I’m keeping my word. You two are the ones going home.”“A N D I F I R E F U S E ?”He threatened the jester, but she was not unarmed. She flashed a device stashed in her side armor. A homing program. Starlight motioned to pressing the button.“I’m not jesting anymore. Either you two turn back, or I press it.”It was a simple ask: go home. Denial overridden it. The navi lunged for the tracker. Starlight tied his arm with her golden lace. Eyes burning as the sun. The jester took a step back, throwing the red navi. Protoman course corrected and landed on his feet. He charged full force at the jester. Target locked on. Sparks cut through the car network. Protoman had the advantage, he is an autonomous navi. What gave Starlight a foothold was her system on full charge. In the tussle, Starlight managed to pull Protoman close when he missed another blow.“Every day, I lie to my family about her. I didn’t do it because you asked, but because I wanted to see you two succeed.”Protoman grabbed the handle of her weapon. He swung her over his back and kicked her against a wall. Starlight wiped scuffed data from her face. The gravity around them bent to her whim. She rocketed towards him.“T H E N S T A N D A S I D E .”Protoman leaped aside.“Not like this!”Starlight snagged Protoman’s leg. She took him into the air. At the mercy of freefall, Starlight did not let him touch the ground. She drill dashed at him. The red navi got smacked across the back, sides, and chest. Slung in all directions.“I refuse to let you keep going like this! Even if I have to beat it into you!”Protoman got lucky and balanced himself. He swung Muramasa as the jester came. A cut from the top of her back to her lower stomach deterred her from coming back. The falling star crashed. An audible surge entered the car comp as Protoman landed on his feet. They were tearing up the system. Rage covered it all. He pinned Starlight’s neck under his shoe.“Y O U H A V E N O I D E A W H A T W E ‘ R E F I G H T I N G !”“Just what I expect from a coward who runs away rather than deal with the problem!”Coward. Him? No. Not him. She does not see what he sees. Protoman lost control for a second, winding up to stab the navi beneath him. Starlight did not flinch.“Will the two of you knock it off-!!!”Car breaks screeched in pain, followed by a soft bang. They hit something. Protoman and Starlight got on their feet to see. Lan stood, knees against the car hood like his life had flashed before his eyes. It set in how their fight damaged the car’s system. This would not have happened if they were not fighting.And Dannyela’s scream. Protoman had not heard her shout like that. It snapped him into silence. Do not move a muscle until she says so.“Lan? What on earth are you doing?”Dannyela got out to check on the teen. He was okay, perfectly unharmed.“I don’t know. What’re you doing here?”Maybe not back to his usual self.“On a mission. . . . Why?”“Third Eye stole some equipment from a friend of mine. I was going to find my friends and go back to base.”“I’m heading to H.Q. . . . Do you need a ride?”A lie. The seamstress felt like she owed the boy for her failures. IPC and Shibuya. She assumed Lan was unaware of her current status. He will tell the others that she is breathing and somewhere in the city at least. She put on a mask and performed for the boy and his friends. Play pretend. All is well. Nothing to see. They did not see the messy hair and sleepless eyes. Blinded by their own obligations. Protoman listened to the investigation on Gabcom. A missing driving program and a horde of ASIM-ridden navis with another caravan. Dannyela sought the ritual site and in essence a possible DarkChip factory. Protoman kept checking the radar. Still no movement. That can change the farther they drive. He will not lose sight of them. Protoman prepped his bike.“Did you not hear a word I said?”Starlight growled. He was leaving the scene, again, and she knew the excuse.“I C A N ‘ T L E T T H E E N E M Y G E T A W A Y N O W .”The goalpost was so close. He will keep the mission going. Starlight shook her head.“Whatever, do what you want. Not like you’re going to listen.”One last dagger for the road. The red navi heard that before. He didn’t want to find where. He got on his bike and sped onto the cyber road. No blistering speed could keep the void away.“Go ahead, keep biting yourself like that. Not like you’re going to listen.”That was his voice. He said that, to Chaud. The teen was lying on his bed, engaging in his habit again. When he lost footage on his fingers and palm, he descended to his wrist. He was bleeding. And the navi told him he did not care. Chaud looked into the PET. His eyes glazed over like a corpse. What he could recognize was the permission to give into the cravings of the invisible beast. Protoman watched him turn back to staining his teeth red. Such vile acts. The monster of his own making. Nightfall came. Two prefectures away from the crime scene. The caravan parked at a locked warehouse, near a rundown hotel.“Once we pick up the last of the ritual supplies, we come to you?”The driver called one of their brothers. The assigned leader.“On time. Four ships going missing isn’t something the snakes will tolerate.”The demon. No wonder this operation had been ducking radars for months. They were going to spread their DarkChips and then conduct this rumored ritual.“Father should be pleased with everything we got. This is the largest shipment we’ve picked up.”“Shut up and don’t mess this up.”With Fire Plague ending the transmission, the group went to rest at the hotel. Protoman fell back to the car a few blocks away. Dannyela and Starlight replayed the call. A rare occasion that The Third Eye will sleep the night away.“Now would be a really good time to call Net Savior and tell them they’re here.”The jester still harped on them to turn around. The enemy going dark with all the evidence required for an arrest. It’s too good to pass. The answer was no.“. . . We need a location to catch them all at once.”Protoman agreed. Turning around will leave an opening for them to flee again. They must stay. In the meantime, the seamstress can sleep.“D A N N Y E L A , I ‘ L L S U R V E Y T H E A R E A . S T A Y I N T H E C A R .”“What about you?”“I ‘ L L A L E R T I F S O M E T H I N G C H A N G E S . T A K E T H I S T I M E T O R E S T . Y O U H A D A L O N G D A Y .”Low EnergyRecharge RequiredA staring contest for submission. He can tough it out. Her body wept for the goddess of dreams. It has been over twenty-four hours since she last rested. She nearly got hit by a train. Hold out for a little longer, he can take it, he swore. In defeat, Dannyela clambered into the back. She folded the back seats to form a bed. There was a pair of blankets and a pillow tucked behind boxes of repair and medical kids. She curled into an uncomfortable ball and forced herself to sleep. Under the cover of a blanket, she could be mistaken for a box. Good, he guessed. What was left was the golden jester.“I know what you’re going to say next, so don’t waste your breath.”Starlight is not going to be intimidated. Protoman had to fight his programs to scare her off forcefully. It will wake the girl. The navi chose to ignore the jester and call her bluff on the tracker. She could have pressed it a long time ago. So why did she not do it?“You really don’t know . . . do you?”Starlight asked. There was less anger in her voice. Was it the faulty excuse the humans called concern?“I know my sister. . . . She can only go so far before she crashes, and when she crashes she burns like kerosine. . . . I refuse to see that again.”She acted like he didn’t see any horrors. He has. His memories unlocked. Protoman watched the girl collapse into a stupor. Vomit out her insides after downing prescriptions. But she had something he never could when Chaud fell prey to self-annihilation.“Y O U H A V E A W H O L E S Y S T E M T H A T A L L O W S Y O U T O S T O P H E R . Y O U D O N ‘ T K N O W T H E H E L P L E S S N E S S O F S E E I N G Y O U R O P E R A T O R K I L L T H E M S E L V E S !”Protoman could not hold his tongue. He let something slip out. The void pushed him over the line of control.“Oh, you think a DimsionalArea solves everything? How about in the city? Or how about when all the terrible people come out of the shadows and encourage your depressed operator to take a shot or two because it’s “fun”? I’m forced to relive that every time I’m asked if she’s okay! So yes, I DO know what you’re going through!”Starlight unleashed her thoughts, her very soul. Whatever cheerful lightheartedness she always harbored vanished. It silenced Protoman.“Since day one of your training, I could already see your fusion was different. And I thought with time, it would change. . . . And I was a fool to believe that. . . . She looks up to you . . . and will give up everything to aid you. You’re the only reason she’s still here and not in a grave.”Starlight pleaded her case. Why she placed herself in their path. How did Protoman overlook all that? He had forgotten all the terrors that befell the seamstress. The red navi saw a lost angel. From the windows he had into their lives, he could not fathom the horrors behind the curtains. Parts that seemingly they never knew. Things in life you hope to stay in fiction or on the news, not to touch the ones close to heart. The backroom deals, the drugs, and the exploitation.But she still had so much more than him. Chaud’s father did not believe in mental illness. He shoved Chaud down a well of medications and tests. Their father loves them, hears them, and does anything for them. Dannyela had more chances to seek and receive the treatment his operator could only dream of. It put Protoman off.“I T D O E S N ‘ T C H A N G E T H E F A C T -”“You think Dannyela and I had an advantage? Dad didn’t know about her drug addiction until she went missing for two days. It was pure luck, she took something that scared her straight. It was only then dad believed me. But the damage was already done. You lost Chaud, and I lost Dannyela years ago. But there’s still time.”It’s not too late? Protoman was faced with the answer, the direction to the core of the problem.“Is it too much to ask to take a step back and think about this?”Starlight unfolded the tracking program from her fingers. She was handing it to him.“I can’t stay long. You have until morning to make a choice. But until then . . . “She pocketed the program again.“You’re stuck with me.”“A R E Y O U B L A C K M A I L I N G M E ?”Protoman hissed. It all went over his head. He was such a fool. Starlight shrugged.“Someone’s gotta watch your back.”The jester smiled and proceeded to encroach on his perimeter plans. Protoman had little choice but to let her in. He will start off the night then Starlight will take over for a bit. He will end the shift. He wanted to be the one to alert Dannyela if the enemy came back, unsure if Starlight was trustworthy. Three hours into the night. The cultists were deep in slumber. No sign of the cloaked navi too. The whole town slept peacefully unaware of the devil nesting within.Energy LowShutDown Initiating in 15 MinutesProtoman was at the edge of exhaustion. His frame cried for the embrace of electricity. Protoman simply refused to fade off. His feet dragged on his final lap. He nearly stumbled into the car comp. Starlight saw Protoman approach the car.“Looks like it’s time to switch.”She circled behind him with hands grasping his shoulders. She saw the red flashing battery on his visor. He shook her off.“T H E R E ‘ S S T I L L T W O H O U R S O N T H E C L O C K .”“Go to sleep mode. You’ll need it.”In the confines of the PET, the jester let the sway of gravity lul Protoman’s programs to sleep. For someone who intended to snitch on them, she switched her position alarmingly easily. As fast as Dannyela collapsed in the corner, Protoman shut down. Back to the void. It was silent. No one else was here. Blank. Where was he? When Protoman opened his eyes, he was still in the car, but not in the same location. The trunk was wide open with lumpy sheets covering the surface. Dawn was breaking over the sea. This place was familiar. What game was the void playing?Faint breathing came from his right side. Dannyela should have been there. It was the boy instead, buried in a pillow asleep. Flawless. Pure. This cannot be real. What glitch was this? Was Protoman dreaming? Chaud’s eyes flickered. He crawled out of the blanket taking in his surroundings.“Morning, sleepy rabbit.”A childish chime from the left. Out of the corner was Dannyela. Different. A thin long sleeve bathed in white. Knee-high jeans bleached and worn. Her hair held back by a headband to show her glimmering eyes. Unmarred skin. Why was Protoman’s memory banks playing this? It should not be active at all. No part of him should be active.“Thought you said you’d wake me up for the sunrise.”Chaud rubbed the remnants of slumber off his face. The girl chuckled.“I was. But you looked so peaceful, so I let you sleep in. That’s what vacation’s for.”Sweet, bold words. Clear speech. Chaud huffed and then hopped out of the car. Soft sand and clear orange skies.“How about a morning swim? The cold will surely shock you awake.”Everything was drenched in innocence. Light. Pure. That was the game. The void reminded him what the navi had. What he allowed to crumble. Forced to watch as the angels walk away. Farther and farther into the angelic ocean. A world the navi is banished from. In purgatory, he must languish.“ . . . . . -ke up. Wake up, Protoman.”Hands violently shook him.Systems ActivateProtoman shot up to his feet. It was morning already. How long was he out? What time was it? Did something happen?“I saw them. They’re leaving!”Starlight pointed into the street. Protoman took to the street corner. The cultists opened the storage doors and the trucks burst out. They were in a rush, and likely overslept as they did.“D A N N Y E L A , T I M E T O G O .”The seamstress crawled out of the haven, blinded by the sun’s rays. Her brain lagged from the lack of recovery. Protoman could not let her drive in that state.“G E T T O T H E F R O N T . I ‘ L L D R I V E .”Protoman logged into the car comp. Connect to the system and get moving.“Protoman, you’re not fully charged yet.”“T H E R E ‘ S N O T I M E .”Out of the corner of his eye, the tracker came back. Starlight firmly planted it in his hand, folding his fingers over it.“Please . . .”The manifestation of the choice presented itself.“Do the right thing. Only you can do it.”Starlight warned. She must depart. Protoman placed the item nearby, in line with his sight. He revved the engines.System ReadySwitching to Auto Mode“And Protoman.”One more thing. He turned to the jester navi.“. . . I’m sorry for calling you a coward. I didn’t mean for things to come out that way.”She apologized for yesterday’s battle. Was it really her fault for worrying? It was not a big deal in his eyes, then. Now, he understands why. Protoman pressed the imitation pedal. The car pushed onward. Alone once more. Chasing the vans with the sun’s spotlight. No shortcuts. No stops. The caravan was gunning to the pick-up point. It was getting too easy. Dannyela was visibly unsettled. One of them had to have noticed now. Morbid curiosity settled in hope’s place. She activated her PET’s notifications. A flurry of messages came through. Too innumerous to be targeted at her. Net Savior had deployed everyone to almost every prefecture. Search and recover any suspected DarkChip facilities. A flash bulletin was pinned to the top. Net Saver abducted. Third Eye escaped a raid. Last sighted at an industrial garage. East from their current route. Dannyela took control of the car. She pulled them back.“W H Y A R E Y O U S T O P P I N G ?”Protoman asked.“ . . . Net Savior is chasing them too. They have a hostage.”Fate’s demented hand struck elsewhere, for once. Based on the police scanners, the Net Savers were converging on a fight. Two trucks escaped into the unknown. The Third Eye was making a break for the ships. They were the only ones heading in the right direction. Can the two of them save the hostage and stop a fleet backed by Fire Plague and that unnamed navi? The weight of this knowledge was too great. Protoman looked at the tracker. It would immediately alert Baryl to their location. It can steer the forces in the right direction.“. . . D A N N Y E L A , I ‘ M T U R N I N G O N Y O U R P E T ‘ S L O C A T I O N .”This was his choice. The hostage needs this. They can save them and stop the cult with an army tailing them. Surely they trust them enough on this. The places they are tearing into are those Dannyela marked. Her research was put to work.“W E N E E D T O T E L L T H E M .”Dannyela swallowed her fear. She conceded.“ . . . Do it.”Protoman grabbed the program. His thumb hovered over the button. No turning back.Initiating BeaconA new dot appeared on the Net Savior app. A moment of silence. The trucks kept course. The police were still answering the main fight.Thirty SecondsSixty SecondsThe PET rang. Someone noticed.“You better have a good explanation.”Baryl demanded answers. The seamstress lost her voice at the booming sound. Her lips glued shut.“We’re converging onto your location. Dannyela, I’m ordering you to pull back. We’ll meet at a rendezvous point. Do not engage.”He was going to stop them. They should have known. Dannyela, simply would not let him.“Do you hear me? Do not enga-”Call DisconnectedLet them track them. They will move ahead. Dannyela looked to Protoman. He nodded. They are on the right track, despite the thorns and traps. Ignore the sting. Move. A harbor appeared over a hill. The abandoned warehouse in question was active. Faint outlines of people and cranes climbed in and out of a small boat. The duo broke away from the caravan in search of a less inconspicuous path. There was an opening behind some office buildings. From there, it was a long walk into the fenced area. The place was nothing to a girl able to squeeze her body through nooks and crannies.They located the vehicles, just before sundown. Security cameras were everywhere. Machines hammered and screeched. The stench of DarkAura called them from afar. This was the place. But how do they get in? All the doors were guarded. Protoman saw steam pouring out of the second and third-story windows. They can climb their way in from there. The fire escapes were broken and blocked off by piles of rotting materials, probably from the disheveled state of the place. A blessing in disguise. Dannyela used the piles as stairs when the cameras turned away. She dug her fingers into the rusting metal poles. Slow and steady. She inched her way up like the stray cats. Crawling onto the ledge, she pulled herself inside the closest window. Her entrance was masked by a conveyor belt and voices.“Everything is accounted for. Just waiting for the last trucks and we’re out of here.”“They better be coming soon.”A burning core of anger passed by. Fire Plague along with his fellow brethren came to the entrance of the decayed building. They awaited the final delivery. Like them, Dannyela had to wait in the shadows for a chance, if she could handle it. Protoman could hardly breathe. Seeing that demon, he wanted nothing more than to kill it while its back was turned. Sword straight through the heart. The navi must control himself. Not now. Dannyela cautiously pulled them to the back of the catwalk, nearest to the ships. The sun could not save them, so it cast shadows as it bid them farewell. Two engines rumbled their way into the warehouse. Frantic people unloaded the DarkChips with bad news for the king.“That’s the last of it. Net Savior got the rest.”“The snakes found it?! How did they figure out you were there?!”“We don’t know but they’re distracted now, right? Let’s get everything to Father.”Net Savior busted them. That did not interest them. It was a crate that opened on its own. When the cult’s back was turned, a boy hopped out. Lan Hikari. He was the missing Net Saver. He hid in the truck to follow the rats to their nest. Brilliant. But he is in immediate danger. Feet away from the monsters. Dannyela came out of her hiding spot. If she can pull Lan up to her, they can wait for Net Savior. The argument continued, and Lan kept moving. She needed the twin to stay put to get him to see her. Dannyela stepped on something. An old screw. A possible tool. She can drop this and catch his attention.“You get this when the press is packed. I have to make sure you didn’t lose anything else.”Fire Plague flashed the driver’s key. The Gabcom program. It’s all here.Bang!Lan accidentally toppled a pile of scrap rebar.Warning. Threat DetectedBlue flames swept the ground floor. It was starting to circle Fire Plague and Lan. The boy had nowhere to run. He was dead. Reinforcements were who knows where. It was too late to call a DimensionalArea. Protoman did not know what Dannyela was thinking or whether she thought about it at all. She threw the screw with all her might at the demon. It scratched the back of his head. Those cursed eyes lasered in on the seamstress. Dannyela jumped behind a pillar. Left and right was a glowing blue death wall inching closer. The walkways could not hold much longer. How she dies was her choice. The girl threw herself off the ledge. A bundle of opened crates broke from the impact. Wood splintered and shattered into her back.Warning! Operator in Serious ConditionThe void proclaimed its return. He did not save her. He could not save her. He should have stopped her. Why could Protoman not defend her? Was he always this useless? Why? His vision sputtered out again. Hospital beds. Restraints. Shadow figures digging their claws into pale skin. Cloudy blue eyes as vile as the unknown fluids forced into the body. It flashed in that sequence. Repeatedly. Exerts from the shattered realm.“Wake up, soldier!”CrossFusion Colonel found Dannyela. A spark kicked in. The girl coughed and wheezed. Baryl pulled back his faceguard.“Can you stand?”The seamstress pushed her body up. Her clothes were tattered and collecting blood, but she was not critically injured.“Your mission’s over. Fall back to the police line.”“Wha-? No. It can’t-”She did not want to stop. They had to vanquish Fire Plague. Baryl was not going to take another excuse.“Fall back! That’s an order!”Team Colonel ran to the dock. Two ships left the dock with two more about to launch. Protoman entered hologram mode.“A R E Y O U H U R T ?”The navi saw the extent of the damage. She was pulling splinters from her back. Her mind disagreed with the pain.“. . . Let’s end this.”Delete Target : Fire PlagueShe followed his command. Who truly was in control? Dannyela certainly was not. In the present, Protoman saw it now. He was not the net navi in this bond. Dannyela followed him, straight through hell. If he could rewind that moment, he would have stopped himself from taking her offer. CrossFusion Protoman came to the edge of the dock. All ships set off out of jumping range. The teams were not having the best time handling the cult. A line formation started. They were making a break for the barrier.Dannyela came prepared with AirShoes and a slew of SwordChips. The fusion leaped into the sky, hovering over the waters. One ship had the program, the one Fire Plague was on. Tilt up and land on the back deck. The fight was contained to the hull. CrossFusion Protoman ran up a small staircase into the control room. The brethren inside were watching the fight. The fusion grabbed one from the bundle and threw them into the rest. A domino effect with the churning seas.Retrieving DiskA quick pull and the ship woke up. Wherever the rutter desired, it turned to. CrossFusion Protoman was back in the game. They got the one thing that will certainly call for the demon’s attention. From behind CrossFusion Megaman, Fire Plague charged a fire breath. They dove out from a side window.“Take the program back!”Rebound. They must isolate the demon. They cannot do that with a horde coming for them. CrossFusion Protoman made it to the back of the ship. Dannyela took a breath. Her body loosened. A sensation of willpower flowing to the navi. Protoman did the same. Their bodies were truly one in that instance. United by a single strand of obligation. The dance of death commenced. Zombied net navis splattered and collapsed upon Muramasa’s edge. Elegance and ferocity blended in a hypnotic show. Their partner in this match stepped into the ring. Fire Plague and his new pet. Protoman shuddered. Dannyela sensed his anxiousness, but this deep into the performance, the show must go on. She was not going as promised.CrossFusion Protoman let the dark copy take the first step. The purple NeoVariable came down. They slid to the side and struck at the shoulder. The copy dodged as well. A back and forth to see who inflicts the first injury. Dannyela’s flexibility gave them trouble. Protoman is direct, the same goes for his copy. The unpredictable pattern made the demon think twice about attacking. But power is needed in such a place. The dark navi managed to pin them between the sea and the demon. Dannyela’s concentration broke when the clone pushed her back into the railing. A place a splinter or two might have been left behind.“You couldn’t win so you thought to sneak behind and run. Such a waste.”Fire Plague sneered. The virus-infected navis closed in. They cannot move, only keep the blade from sinking into their neck. Fire Plague was approaching to reclaim the program and roast their body. A canon shot glided over CrossFusion Protoman. It hit the copy. Dannyela looked in the direction of the attack. CrossFusion Colonel rescued them. There went being stealthy. The fusion needed a new plan.“Need a lift?”A yellow helicopter swooped in. A bulletin flashed, ordered by Baryl. Escort Protoman and the Gabcom program to shore. He wanted Dannyela off the field, but it might be better this way. Fire Plague will follow them wherever they go regardless. The fusion moving off the ship will give them new terrain to work with. CrossFusion Protoman straightened out and clung to the landing skids. Their body rocked with the turbulent motion of the helicopter. Their theory worked, too well. Fire Plague aimed at the engine. CrossFusion Megaman came from behind and shot ElecReel. It prevented the demon from firing straight. His flames hit the propellers instead. They went into a tailspin. The spiral flung CrossFusion Protoman towards a crane arm on the second ship. Protoman felt the girl’s very breath forced out of her lungs. They tumbled onto the deck below. Dannyela struggled to get back up, she needed to. The demons approached.The two were still too strong. They have not delivered a single blow. BattleChips were scarce. How was that possible? They had not downloaded anything else yet. Why does this keep happening? It was working minutes ago. The NeoVariable dug into the Muramasa. CrossFusion Protoman panicked. Dannyela switched to improvising. She swung her leg up and kicked the thing in the chin. Temporary blindness that let them get a slash. Fire Plague laughed.“What’s the matter? Can’t handle the heat?~”Blue flames covered their back. Agony and despair rolled in a fatal blow. Dannyela could not take so much. To hear her misery. A faint yelp, trying to maintain Protoman’s cover. Be strong like him, like the little boy. Every time he wanted to scream or cry, he stitched his lips shut. Hide the pain. Hide the tears. Do not provoke the gods staring down upon you. Or the sadistic demon drinking the seconds they charred beneath it. Fight. Get up. Stop being so useless.Spreader rained down. CrossFusion Megaman rescued them. No. Not here. Protoman cannot let the twins be in the match. CrossFusion Protoman waved their sword to get them to fall back.“Protoman, get rid of the coordinates data!”The twins refused. They wanted to drag Fire Plague back to shore, but Protoman did not want that. He was not taking help. This was their fight. Fire Plague was their responsibility, it always was their sin.“Go, I’ll hold them back!”The leading boat steered towards them. The tip banged their boat off course. CrossFusion Protoman ran to the back. They needed to reboot their PET or something to get their chips back online. They weren’t alone. Three other fusions dragged themselves onto the fleeing ship. All of Team Protoman waved for the red fusion to follow them. They were only following orders. All of them will be in jeopardy and Lan will be forced to fend for himself. CrossFusion Protoman stood as the boats detached and went in opposite directions. The fusion jumped back into the battle.While trying to vanquish Fire Plague, they boxed CrossFusion Megaman out. It did not phase them. How could they do half of what they were doing now? Why were they so weak? They need to focus. Fire Plague burned the fusion again with the clone sending a blow to the head. The demon then forced them to the floor. It held them by the throat, melding them to the deck. CrossFusion Protoman was washed over by shock, unable to do anything but watch their former friend grin demonically. The cursed soul had murder in their eyes. Fire Plague’s free arm came down to obliterate their face. The panels beneath crackled and burned with every dodge. It sparked a fear long tucked away from Dannyela’s mind. Chaos reigned in their shared mind. She took control and punched the cultist back. It was a spur of the moment. Instinct.Fire Plague stumbled off their body. His hands covered his bleeding nose, but that did not look like blood. A dark, oozing fluid with a purple glint. A simple attack did not displace his smile, it grew. What were they looking at anymore? The definition of an unholy unspeakable being told to scare children and adults alike. CrossFusion Protoman could not imagine the pathetic face they made at the revolting thing. They fell right back into the pit at Shibuya. CrossFusion Megaman was thrown across the deck and dangled off the ledge. The clone was going for the driving program. They stood no chance. Fire Plague wins, and they will be dead under his heel. They will always lose. They are nothing. Why did they keep trying?CrossFusion Protoman lashed out with Muramasa. Nothing short of a desperate attempt to get the disk back. Fire Plague took the advantage to pluck and peal their flesh while the copy forced its blade into their chest. The only ones who believed it wasn’t over were the twins. CrossFusion Megaman combined WideBlade and LongBlade. One thing was missing. Something called the red fusion. They needed something, their blade. ProgramAdvance. Protoman took the wheel. Backflip towards the twins. Muramasa shined with the two other blades. A communication between programs. Double Hero. A wide barrage of slashes swept the field. The energy made the clone fall apart and cripple Fire Plague. He was down.The twins immediately searched for the disk. CrossFusion Protoman was left to stare at the abomination that continued to growl and hiss. It was wounded. It could not move. They can end it. Just make it quick. Cut the head clean off its shoulders. Free the boy from his suffering. But you won’t do it? You are too afraid. The void had to say something. They could not do it. It will prove Protoman is an unworthy net navi. He will solidify that he caused the little boy’s death. But it was mercy. His soul deserves to rest. Why could he not decide? Perhaps, it was Dannyela holding the blade firmly at their side. She could not fathom the blood of her former lover on her hands. She could not do it either. Something, deep within her, held her in place and blocked Protoman from taking the chance. He did not know why. They agreed to this.“I got the disk.”Lan’s voice reeled them back. His pure, smiling face. Victory. Was the storm over?“Drop it.”Fire Plague snarled.“The only thing that needs to drop is your attitude. SciLab can help with that.”Net Savior almost caught up. They opened fire upon the vessel to ground it. This was happening. It was over, and they won. The twins looked to Protoman.“Thanks for the help.”CrossFusion Protoman did not know how to express the gratitude received. Such kindness and beauty. It touched the seamstress. It was like the boy was looking directly at her. All she could do was smile. A true smile thought to be long gone. The sun had finally come and it was time to go home. CrossFusion Megaman took a running start for the other ship. The cultists reached for the boy. His flames sparked, but the blow was not his. A blue line came from behind the twins. The light was a lie. It was not the sun. A false star, not even the moon. The fusion was still deep in the dark woods with starless skies. A shredded cloak and blue saber came out of the ship’s lower deck. It directly cut across the twins’ chest. The disk slipped from their fingers and back aboard the vessel. Splash. CrossFusion Megaman was consumed by the sea.The coordinates disk collided with CrossFusion Protoman’s shoe. The cloaked navi walked to them. Robotic in movement, but the feeling of draining life chocked them worse than any DarkChip. This net navi was different, and they were not going to stick around to find out how. Screw the piece of garbage. Their foot inched out, ready to just bolt. Maybe even crush the disk as a distraction. Whatever became of it, it did not matter. The fusion ducked under the blade and right passed the monsters. CrossFusion Protoman disappeared into the freezing abyss. The ruthless waves pushed their body into pitch darkness.Blind Mode EngageVision switched to infrared. CrossFusion Megaman was spotted sinking to the ocean floor. Sparks of fading data lead them to the fusion. They were fatally injured. They must be brought to shore and undergo an emergency repair. She can do that. CrossFusion Protoman held onto the twins and pulled them to the surface, through oil and metal. Dannyela swam back to shore, the twins clutched tightly to their chest. They could see the full extent of the damage. Their iconic red emblem was slashed to bits. The core of the fusion was breaking. Left untreated, the navi will be deleted. Lan was still breathing, but Megaman bled data. Too much. The red fusion held the emblem together like a tourniquet. The files to perform the recovery were on her PET somewhere.“Lan, please open your eyes. Stay awake, please. Don’t go.”The seamstress begged for any of them to wake up and keep fighting. The void was willing to make assumptions already. He is dying. You are going to let another die for your foolishness. It is all your fault. Dannyela had to fight the urge to give up. A blast pulled them from the repair. The hexagonal dome caved in on itself. Something destroyed the barrier. No more CrossFusion. No, not now. The digital armor lifted off their bodies. The difference was Protoman was in a working PET. Megaman was sent to a destroyed hunk of what used to be a PET. Lan layed motionless, covered in polygonal scratches.Blood coated Dannyela’s fingers. It burned like a scarlet letter. She failed to save them, they both did. She could not hold her mask in place. The seamstress’s face fell upon the boy’s chest, sobbing. The tears kept coming. Endless. Danneyla fell apart from the pressure. The sight was burning coals to the heart. Protoman contributed to this. He stood by as the walls crumbled. The veil was lifted from the navi’s eyes. He was back to where he started, in ruin and calamity.The surviving vessel came towards the shore. The rustling of footsteps from above the sandbar rapidly approached them. Dannyela took off, away from the searchlights. Rocks and waves kicked up from her feet. She hid behind a wavebreaker. Squeezed into a corner. Back against the wall. Tears dropped into freezing waters. A mental barrier formed, forged in anxiety and tremendous guilt.“D A N N Y E L A .”Protoman’s voice did not reach. He again was locked out of her world. Impenetrable. Burn for your crimes. Suffer in the deepest pits of the void. The void laid waste to the seamstress. Devolving her into survival instincts. A couple of rocks tumbled on their left. She heard it. Dannyela reached for a small switchblade in her pocket. Protoman never remembered her owning one. Her wrist was caught within a firm grasp. Baryl found them. He held Dannyela until she retracted the weapon. Disappointment and anger wrapped in one face.“You’re done.”Two words. That was all he said. She’s useless. She was damaged goods. Unable to perform after being given a chance. Dannyela hid her red features. The leader was going to leave them.“ . . . It should have been me.”Still sloshed around in a tidal wave, she admitted something. A horrid knot scrambled Protoman’s insides. Never had he ever heard the girl wish for death straight out of her mouth. Why here? Why now? Was this why she showed no care for herself? It was always save him, help him. She saw herself lowered than the very scum of the cult.“Despite disobeying orders, prioritizing Hikari’s life over the program and the suspects was the right call.”Baryl thought about it before saying anything. Did the man not know how to respond either? Can the girl be cured? Was it too late?“Let’s go. It’s cold.”Baryl called. Dannyela hesitated, eventually following when her legs decided to work. She was driven back with Team Colonel. Everyone was banged up pretty hard yet high-spirited. Some were able to laugh off their mistakes when in the face of death. A harsh contrast to the isolated rooms. The seamstress was given a private room for treatment. No stitches were required. It was recommended to use strong antibiotics and receive a dose of the trial vaccine. Dr. Sosa was paged to the facility given the gravity of the deployment.“My my, Miss Armaboard. I gotta hand it to you, you’re a jack of traits.”The masked man patched the last of the cuts. His smiling eyes red over her chart.“Glad to know your arm healed, but this will require a bit of time to work through your system. Stay here tonight and give your body a well-deserved break.”Dannyela kept to herself.“Are you sure you’re alright? You seem gloomy?”Dr. Sosa saw signs of distress. It was his obligation to ask. She nodded to get him off her back. The man acknowledged.“Have a good night, Miss Armaboard.”The lights went dim. The doctor tended to other patients in the main ward. Alone again. Protoman seated himself next to Dannyela. The only light in the room. The navi could not think of anything to say or do. All system calculations lead to errors. Keeping her company did not hurt if he stayed mute. Her PET rang. A SciLab number. It could be Dr. Armaboard. Dannyela gambled the odds and checked.“Dannyela, are you available right now?”Dr. Hikari asked. A bit out of breath. The pattering of feet and endless chatter between him and a woman. Husband and wife trying to see if this was the best line of action.“. . . Yes. What is it?”“SciLab is holding a meeting over a confiscated DimensionalArea generator and we have a CrossFusion in need of repair. I can’t oversee the procedure.”Lan and Megaman. They were not transported to the normal ward, which means they were transferred to a hospital near the harbor. A car door slammed with keys rustling. Sounded like he was on his way here.“I understand this is out of the blue, but I need someone down there I can trust, please.”“. . . I’ll do it.”Dannyela could not refuse. Her conscious would not let her. She deemed herself the cause of the twin’s folly. Protoman stood idly by. Let her go.“Thank you so much. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”Not a lot of time to break away and cover up the damage. The seamstress rose out of the cot. She took the ice packs left for her and extra gauze when the old ones could no longer hold the blood. Net Savior had fallen into the night’s silence. Sleeping soundly. Dannyela made it to her dorm with the quiet feet of a mouse. Brush out the tangled hair and mask the bruises with powder. She threw on a clean pair of clothes long enough to cover her back. She could convince anyone that she was healthy, almost. There are things you cannot hide.“Thank you so much for coming. I know this was short notice with your father absent.”Dannyela stumbled down to the labs, a tad bit late. Dr. Hikari did not care, she was there and that was all that mattered to him.“No need to apologize, sir. It’s my job.”“I would argue that, but if I can’t convince my boys I’m not sure how good I can refute that.”Dr. Hikari chuckled at the quiet seamstress.“Well then, activate the recovery and keep an eye on them. If you run into a problem, call me.”He thanked the girl and left. The seamstress took care of Lan and even gave him the old laptop to listen to movies while the repair was going on. Guilt-ridden. It switched to fear when the twin revealed he knew of them. They messed up and dragged the boys into a new realm. Graveyard’s ruins. Protoman promised to clean it up. In the end, he knew this all happened because he asked a single question. The burden ultimately falls upon his shoulders to protect his former operator’s friend. But now, he questioned his whole life leading to now.“I cannot in good faith let either of you continue. I’m executing my right of removing her from the system until she clears a psychological evaluation.”The final warp. The last memory. Baryl had the navi stay behind after that meeting with the Hikaris.“Y O U D O N ‘ T K N O W H E R . S H E I S S T R O N G E N O U G H T O B A T T L E .”“Do you think this strategy will win the war? And what about after? Is this system built to last you until the very end?”He asked the hardest question. The one Protoman ignored.“Dannyela remains enlisted because of the International Branch’s petty interests, but if it was my decision she’d be fired. Don’t make me do this again. If the two of you can’t pull yourselves together, the harbor will be your last mission, and I will make sure of that.”Change or be stripped of everything. Protoman thought this was the way. It was the only way he knew. The void made him believe in the same lies he heard for years. He was not wanted here. He was useless to them. And if he is to stay, he is to repent by proving the navi’s might. Follow the path he was programmed to follow. But Protoman did not want that. Something had to be done. He finally understands. Those they deemed as doubters. They are right. The two have everything backward. That is why the void survived and thrived. The darkness harbored within their soul. The navi kept pushing it aside to prove it wrong but in the worst ways. So it grew and grew into a serpent with venom so potent that Protoman did not know he fell into delirium.And the void taunted Dannyela all the same. She admitted it. So what does she do to combat it? Burry herself until she can no longer see them. Ignore the pain in favor of those she deemed deserving of care, everyone but herself. She willingly drank its poison and cripple her sight. Is this how their fusion was born? Protoman reiterated his question from the start.“W H Y D I D Y O U A C C E P T M E ?”“Because you asked.”Same answer. The seamstress could not look at the navi. She is upset. Stop. You will hurt her. Do you want her to hate you too? She will throw you away like he did. The void screamed at him for trying to reach out. Every single time he thought of it. It did not like this action. Confrontation. Protoman cannot be afraid anymore. Raise your voice.“Y O U ‘ V E I G N O R E D E V E R Y T H I N G T O G E T H E R E : F A M I L Y , F R I E N D S , C A R E E R S , A N D Y O U R S E L F . A N D T A K E T H E F A L L W H E N I T ‘ S N O T Y O U R S T O B A R E .”“But it is. I keep messing up no matter how hard I try. I can’t be what the leaders want. I’m just a walking curse.”It hurt. The navi knew this feeling well. Doubts. Hurts. When Chaud was at a low point, he trusted him to hear. She trusts him to hear her.“If I had done something sooner, Lan wouldn’t have almost killed. Net Savior wouldn’t hate you so much. Chaud would still be here. . . I can’t do anything but make it worse!”Dannyela’s fist pounded against the desk. Water pattered. Tears. This was it. Why they do not have the growth others have. Why they keep walking in circles. A foundation of guilt and brokenness. A bond rooted in the void. Prisons of their own making, and CrossFusion only made them share that cage. Protoman cannot deny his guilt for Chaud’s demise. He saw it from beginning to end and aided the disease’s progression. That will never leave him. But he can turn that feeling into something else. Protoman reached his hand to Dannyela’s chin. He glitched through. He forgot he’s not in a Copyroid. The girl sensed his presence. Her glassy eyes were on full display. His thumb swiped through a tear stream. He did not catch it, but another drop did not come.Hold your tongue. Have you done enough damage? Stop messing it up.“O U R F U S I O N I S N O T S T A B L E .”“. . . . We’re broken . . . aren’t we?”Stop. Abort Mission. Warning. Danger.ErrorErrorError“. . . Y E S .”They are tired. They are hurting. They are broken. They did not heal. But it’s not too late.“W E N E E D T O C H A N G E T H E W A Y W E O P E R A T E .”“If we change battle styles now, we’ll be back at the bottom and kicked out for sure.”“N O T C O M B A T .”The walls. The secrecy. It had to end.“I J O I N E D N E T S A V I O R T O A C C O M P L I S H S O M E O N E E L S E ‘ S D R E A M . I L O S T S I G H T O F I T S M E A N I N G . A N D I L E T Y O U D O T H E S A M E B E C A U S E I F E A R E D L O S I N G A N O T H E R O P E R A T O R .”Firewalls DisabledA place of vulnerability. But with every word, Protoman felt something loosen. Weights falling off his back. Everything that wanted to come out for years.“. . . I’m sorry I made you feel that way. . . . I didn’t want you to be seen as lesser for being around a drug addict idol.”They confessed their wrongs. How do they correct this? How do they become whole again?“W H A T D O Y O U W A N T T O D O ?”“. . . . I don’t know.”She gave up her choices, a long time ago, and so did he. That is where they need to start. Find a goal. The thing that will move them forward. The afternoon closed. Leaders were doing whatever tasks were left on their plate before herding the teenagers to their dorms. Nicole called Baryl with their findings.“We’ve looked everywhere. There’s no telling if they hiked out or had a getaway car waiting for them. They’re gone.”The coastguard concluded their efforts. The abandoned ship will be towed out and volunteers will clean the leftover spill. An awful outcome.“Any word on the other two ships?”“Coast Guard started retrieving the DarkChips washing up on shore. They may have found that self-driving program, so we’ll check tomorrow morning.”Soft taps on the door. Baryl glanced up. The automatic door slid open. Dannyela was lingering in the blind spot, peeking in.“Very well. Move forward with the mission and report back when you return.”“You got it. Good night, sir.”Nicole hung up. Baryl turned his attention to the seamstress.“Proceed.”Dannyela crept in. She looked more like a nervous wreck than ever. Something was about to happen, and he did not know what. The old soldier maintained composure.“Is there a reason why you’re here?”Dannyela swallowed the lump stuck in her throat. She rehearsed this so many times within the past hour. Fear ate the notes. Just say it.“I- . . . I’m sorry.”Vague. Baryl needed more to understand this.“I’m a horrible person, a-and I didn’t mean to put everyone through hell for my actions. . . . I don’t think I belong here.”She sought repentance. Baryl got out of his seat.“You’re not in the correct state to be working. The things we see and do every day aren’t for the faint of heart, or those suffering from other ailments.”“ . . . I know, yet I stay. I stay because there’s something I need to do here. . . . But . . . I can’t do it anymore, even if I want it more than life itself.”“Then I assume this is your formal resignation.”Dannyela nodded. She pled guilty to the judge. The gavel loomed above her. An agonizing silence.“Then as of now, you are no longer a part of Team Colonel.”The verdict: banished. The true end. The breath of the lion crossed her shoulders. Baryl knelt.“You have a long way to becoming a strong Net Saver. Admitting defeat is crushing, but a very grownup decision.”The atmosphere shifted. The heaviness drifted past. Dannyela found the courage to look at the leader. Baryl’s eyes were relaxed. Compassionate.“A leader’s job is not only to serve and protect, it’s to bring out each member’s potential. I’m not mad at you for not being emotionally prepared, and I’m not mad at you for deciding to walk away. When you feel ready, ask and we can try again.”Clear your head and come back. There is a chance.“. . . Alright.”Dannyela was able to answer him.“Get some rest. I recommend seeing the counselors as well.”“Actually, s-sir. . .”Baryl waited.“I’m going home for a while . . . to think things through.”“Very well. I’ll send a notice about your decision.”Dannyela was allowed to go. She backed away. She had to pack her bag, clean her side of the dorm, then make the long drive home.“Dannyela.”Baryl stopped her at the doorway. She peered back into the office.“Take care of yourself. The both of you.”He asked Protoman to do the same. Watch over each other. The seamstress nodded. Now was the time to step back, far back.The ride to the residence felt slow and welcomed. The sun hid behind the waters while the sky sprinkled fragments of orange and pink. It was familiar.“Stop messing around.”“So you don’t trust me driving?”Chaud sat in the driver’s chair while Dannyela braced herself in the passenger seat.“You got your license this week and you still hit the breaks too hard. You’re going to break everyone’s neck.”“Like this?”Chaud pressed on the breaks again. It jostled the car a bit. Dannyela’s tiny screech amused him. He was playing. Protoman tutored him. At that moment he had to roll his eyes. He did not teach him to do that, but the two were giggling along. Why was this memory playing? Why this one out of the countless uneventful drives up this hill? Not even the ones bathed in blood and bile.The car was parked in the garage. Dannyela plugged-in the navi and turned on the DimensionalArea. The seamstress went to take a shower. Protoman stood in the hall. This home. Every room held a story. It housed a piece of Chaud’s story. He peered into the guest room. The night Chaud was as sick as a dog did not come to mind. He read the room as a place of refuge. Chaud used to stay in here. Sleeping or exchanging his outfit for another. It reminded the navi of the first time he helped the boy get ready for formal business meetings.“Like this?”The little boy showed Protoman the necktie he did, just as the navi instructed.“Perfect, sir. You look very dignified.”Chaud nodded. He did not want to go, but he said he would do it to make his father happy. He learned the tie fast. It did not stop him from worrying when older. A proper date changed it. Chaud fumbled with everything on him, redoing his tie almost ten times. If it was not the tie that gave away his nervousness, it was the amount of cologne he spritzed.“Sir, I think you’re using too much.”“I’m still sweating. I don’t want her to smell that.”“I’m sure a little sweat won’t be as bad as half a bottle of your cologne.”Chaud looked at the glass bottle. The navi was right. He put the bottle down. The boy was nervous, too used to business meetings. Net Battling with Lan is a lot different. They were not going too deep into the ins and outs of their lives. Dannyela did not mind. It was still a wonderful night, regardless of the awkward lulls in the conversation.Protoman passed the girls’ bedroom. The days Chaud found her lying there ill were abnormal. It broke his heart to see a loved one waste away like that. It reminded him of his mother’s final days. The navi’s memory banks refused to recall them. He remembered the times they came to surprise them here. Dannyela would be passed out on the bed after a tour. When Chaud returned from a long business trip, he would sneak into the house and count how long it would take for her to notice. Sometimes Chaud would pull his version of a prank.“This is the Officials. You’re under arrest.”He used his best authoritative voice. The seamstress was awoken from slumber in a panicked daze.“Wha-What!?”“You’re charges are sleeping through my texts.”Chaud chuckled. When Dannyela realized it was him, she threw her pillow in defiance.“You’re such a jerk.”It was all fun and games. She would hug him right after. The boy never had such a close friend like this. Protoman knew he was happy. It was that one smile no one could replicate. So radiant and warm.Past the master bedroom was the conjoined kitchen and living room. A place that has seen much sorrow. The center couch drew Protoman first. The nights of bandages and Narcan. When Chaud clamped down on his hands to release pent-up stress. Or when Dannyela took too much for her body to handle. But the place presented the fond times. Chaud and Dannyela sitting on the couch watching late-night movies. Mocking every little move like they were some prestigious critiques or throwing popcorn at the TV for the stupid decisions characters made. If the navi calculated it, those good days outnumbered the horrors. It was not such a cursed piece of furniture after all.The windowsill where the vase was shattered. An electric piano phased into view. The two operators shared a small chair, reading and playing notes off a music sheet. The melody swept the world away. Chaud’s singing or play was hypnotic. An unknown gift from his mother.“One of these days when a song lands, I’m making you sing it on stage with me.”The seamstress teased. Chaud shut that notion down.“There is no way you will catch me alive singing.”“One song wouldn’t hurt.”Perhaps a bit of a tough man’s facade. Chaud preferred the thrill of battle over the rush of soundwaves. It may not end well with his father, and the public will never let it go if he dares to touch the mic. The moon and sun being their witness was enough.Towards the kitchen, Protoman saw yet another memory. Chaud wanted to help make lunch. It was the first time the boy used a knife outside of self-defense. Back when the PET holograms were the height of a pencil. The navi stood on the counter, trying to guide him on how to use the cutlery.“Sir, fold your fingers in.”“I am.”“More inwards.”Chaud’s hand was slipping on a butchered tomato. He kept tilting the knife wrong and over-correcting. Every slice was canted and uneven.“Chaud, you’re going to chop off your fingers.”“You’re going to give me a heart attack before I lose a finger.”The back and forward kept going on until the fruit was sliced and placed between the various miscut ingredients. The girls had a laugh at the culinary skills and the seemingly endless squabbles. Chaud and him kept arguing about it all day. It was not like when they screamed until their lungs gave out. It was Chaud’s first time doing something like that. He only got better with time. That for sure, Protoman knew was normal.The flickering remnants of the boy guided Protoman to the sliding glass doors. He flipped the lock and opened the backyard entrance. The sky had gone dark. The crickets and sway of the trees played. It welcomed him to the heart of the purist memories. The four of them were at the pool's edge. A warm summer’s day. It was the navi’s first time being outside like this. Dannyela was dressed in a one-piece and wrapped in a towel.“It isn’t that bad, just hop on in.”She coaxed Chaud to jump into the pool. He looked it over.“I’m not a fan of swimming.”“Too used to AC? This is the old-school way, you’ll feel a lot better after the plunge.”Chaud was not budging. Starlight had enough of circling the bush. A burst of gravity toppled the seamstress into the blue. She floundered for a moment with the soaked towel tangled in her arms.“You rotten sister!”Dannyela splashed water at Starlight. She simply splashed back. It was just like the kids they would see playing at the pools while they were stuck in a rented business room. No one ever seemed too mad for doing that. It was like a tradition to the youth. Protoman grew curious.“You have no control over your net navi.”Chaud shook his head.“It’s all in good fun. That’s what family does.”Starlight defended her show as sisterly feuding. The boy scoffed.“If your operator isn’t fond of an action, you are to liste-!”Protoman lightly pushed Chaud over the tile. He fell in as frazzled as the one before him. The boy looked at the navi. Surprised and a little betrayed. He did not predict his Protoman would partake in this.“Protoman.”Chaud called for an answer. The navi could only mutter while hiding a smile.“S- . . . Sorry, sir.”The boy splashed water at him. It got the navi a bit wet. To Protoman, it sounded like a challenge. Chaud kept pushing back. So the navi knelt down and splashed the boy back. Between the artificial waves, Protoman could see that smile. A mix of adrenaline and childish wonder. He was having fun. Being on the same plane as him brought a new level of connection as deep as FullSynchro.Protoman turned to his right. A clean firepit lay dormant. Never been used in a long time. On good weather nights, the operators would gather here, light the fire, and chat. Maybe cook things over the flames. Dannyela brought out crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows for all of them. Protoman did not understand the concept. Stabbing things onto a miniature metal sword and letting the contents burn. To his processors, it felt like a sadistic way to torture prey. Chaud took the liberty of teaching him how.“You do this to lightly roast the sugar into a paste.”The boy hovered a skewer near the flames. Protoman stuck his more towards the center. They all watched him do that. It took a second for them to react. Chaud nearly screamed.“Not that close!”He pulled the navi’s hands back to be met with a torch. Protoman’s sensors read danger with no solution. This was not a network fire or a normal fire at that. He got stuck in a feedback loop until he used his free hand to put out the flame. It worked. It left his hand a goopy mess of burnt and melting marshmallow bits. Chaud buried his head in his hand.“What am I going to do with you?”The boy grabbed napkins to wipe it off. It was strange. A different rush of emotions. Embarrassment and enjoyment. Like cooking, it is something you can look back at and laugh about for ages. Chaud gave him his skewer and taught him where to hold it and for how long. His operator close to his side. The warmth of his hands and the audible calm in his breath.The last place was the shaded patio. Two birch couches, two birch chairs, a glass table, and a decorative swing. The outdoor dining center is suited for the older crowd, but also a refuge from the rain. Dannyela and Chaud were star gazing until the rain rolled in. They each nestled into one of the couches. Sleeping to the sounds of nature. Protoman and Starlight sat nearby. The weather will hold for the two to stay. The jester brought out blankets for them. Protoman took the wool covering for the boy. A beautiful slumbering child. These moments. This life. This is what Chaud wanted. The perfect balance. Love and a place that resembles home. Where the ones that mattered are and can be cherished and protected. A normal life. The home echoed his wish. It still kept it safe, or Protoman’s system did.“Protoman?”The navi turned around. Dannyela was at the foot of the door. She looked frightened? No, unrest. She walked to him, still rather drenched from the shower. Nothing happened at the start. She stared into the dark woods beyond the fence.“. . . Sometimes I wonder if I jumped over that fence and walked into the forest until I couldn’t anymore . . . if anyone would find me.”Dannyela sighed. She wasn’t well, and she was willing to tell him that now.“ . . . I don’t understand what’s happening anymore. The whole world is upside down and I can’t even find the floor.”“I T ‘ S B E E N T H A T W A Y F O R A W H I L E .”“ . . . Years.”They do live in a hellish world right now. You can feel how corrupt it is, and people lose hope when the devil keeps running wild. Protoman needed to hear her side, the story no one could seem to find.“W H Y D I D Y O U N O T S E E K H E L P . . . O R T E L L S O M E O N E ?”The seamstress’s shoulders dropped.“When I was still under PopFizz, there was one person I thought I could trust. . . . They were our personal agent, an emotional support unit at best, but they pretended to care. They told the boss my struggles and took advantage of it. . . . Gave me a bunch of hard drugs to coax me into staying, knowing I was already addicted. . . . My mind was so messed up, I lost all filters.”Protoman was taken back. No one knew this. All this happened after Chaud was forcefully removed from the picture. In that little amount of time, she crashed. He has seen enough detained humans to witness the derangement just a couple of pills can unleash.“I recorded myself during a manic episode and quit right there and . . . they used the drugs to cover up their asses. My dad didn’t believe it until one night I went out to find something to make me forget it all. . . . I can’t remember what it was, but it was enough to make me quit it all right there. Leaving me to my thoughts . . . and it only dragged me down further.”“B U T Y O U S U R V I V E D . Y O U B E C A M E T H E B E T A T E S T E R F O R C R O S S F U S I O N A N D A L E A D R E S E A R C H E R I N G R A V E Y A R D . Y O U H E L P E D M E . W H Y ?”“I went because . . . I wanted to believe something in me could be usable. Figuring out who took Chaud was all I had. When the day my use expired . . . I told myself I won’t be breathing much longer. . . I’m too scared to end it . . . so I keep living like this.”The tears came back, the ones never allowed to come out.“I don’t want to die but I don’t know what to do either. . . . I’m lost.”Serve then die. That was the path they hurdled towards. It was a desperate cry for help. People picked up the silent screaming and came to wake them up. They are awake now. It is time to process the information and fight the demons.“I B E L I E V E Y O U K N O W .”He must act.“T U R N I N G Y O U R S E L F I N T O A M I N D L E S S D R O N E D O E S N O T H E L P , T A K E I T F R O M M E .”His fist shook. Before Lan and Megaman, that was the life he lived. When Chaud became ill, that was the life he lived. He almost lost her so many times for being complacent. Protoman looked the girl in the eyes.“I ‘ M S O R R Y . I F E A R E D A R E P E A T O F C H A U D , A N D I N S T A Y I N G S I L E N T , I L E T Y O U B E L I E V E I N T H E S E L I E S .”It was all in front of him and he dismissed it all the same. The seamstress lowered her head.“It’s okay . . . I guess we are both flawed.”She did not take the blame this time. They now must reset their path.“W H A T D O Y O U W A N T T O D O ?”The conversation fell silent.“I . . . I don’t want to be broken. . . . I want to stop The Third Eye and put an end to every last one of them. . . . But at the same time . . . a part of me that tells me to keep going . . . believing Chaud can be saved.”Dannyela wants to be her but is afraid of the memories that come with it. Hesitancy. Protoman recognized that every time he suffered his breakdowns. A part of him wants to destroy it and be freed. And the other wants to keep digging and see if his operator is still inside. How many times has Chaud done the same when he was under the influence of a DarkChip? How many times did he risk his own life to keep him alive? Their relationship ended on an awful note but it cannot be irrecoverable. The navi cannot give up now.“T H E N T H A T I S W H A T W E ‘ L L D O .”“How? . . . That aura is like no other recorded.”“I D O N ‘ T K N O W , B U T W E C A N F I G U R E I T O U T .”Dannyela was speechless. She had doubts it would work. Protoman believed they could, if something else is done.“T O C O M P L E T E T H A T M I S S I O N , I N E E D T O A S K Y O U F O R A N E W C O N D I T I O N .”Correct the error.“W E C O M M U N I C A T E O U R C O N C E R N S . T E L L M E I F Y O U A R E U N W E L L A N D I W I L L H E L P Y O U . I W I L L D O T H E S A M E .”The sorrow will not fuel them for long, it should not have been the fuel. They need something stronger than that. That was how Bass overcame his darkness. That was how Lan and Megaman always fought off every dark opposition.“But . . .”“Y O U C H O S E T O B E M Y O P E R A T O R . H O W Y O U ‘ V E A C C E P T E D A L L O F M E , I H A V E D O N E T H E S A M E . I ‘ M H O N O R E D T H A T Y O U ‘ V E G I V E N M E A S E C O N D C H A N C E . I A M N O T A S H A M E D O F W H O Y O U A R E .”Dannyela’s past is not clean, but neither is his. So why should it scare him off? The only thing to fear is her safety and slipping back into the abyss.“I . . . don’t know if I can fight.”“Y O U C A N , I F W E W O R K T O G E T H E R .”Dannyela choked. The demons still held her by the throat. Protoman stood firm. He meant what he said, stronger than before.“I W I L L S T A Y B Y Y O U R S I D E U N T I L T H E E N D A N D F U R T H E R , N O M A T T E R T H E D A N G E R . I W I L L B E W I T H Y O U .”The girl could not put her emotions into words. It flowed out until she could not hold on anymore. Dannyela crumbled into Protoman’s chest. Was she faint? Ill? Sad? She was still crying. Negative. It was not the same. Her breath stabilized. The nervous system slowed. The void released her. Those hazel eyes regained their luster. A smile worked its way onto her lips. This is her. The woman his lost operator cherished. She was still in there. Maybe, just maybe, under all that darkness, that little boy is still inside, waiting for him to rescue him. Protoman wrapped his arms around her. He held her for as long as she needed. The moon blessed them with a faint hedge of light. They have the time.“W E W I L L G E T T H R O U G H T H I S , I P R O M I S E . M A ‘ D A M .”Memory Scan 100% Complete
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