Tifa & Yuffie

[Tifa Lockhart]

((Guess you can start))

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

((mmk as we both know Alphaman dun' exist yet so for now, just play as Chod and Protoman ^^))

Lan crept through the scattered machinery -dust-covered and evidently not activated in years- brushing aside cob-webs and broken pieces of metal and plastic. It was hard to believe that there was actually suspected Darkloid activity in a dusty old wreck of a place like this; but all the same, as Net-Savers it was his and Chaud's duty to check ANY suspicious locations...not that there was really anything suspicious in here...
"Hey, Chaud," Lan called to the white-and-black-haired boy behind him, "do you really think there'll be anything here? I mean look at this place, there's not so much as a footprint or something recently used here...what're the chances of there being a Darkloid somewhere without any people nearby to terrorize!" he asked, his voice a low whisper, at the chance that if there was any Darkloids, they wouldn't hear them.
"Who's to say, Lan" a familiar, somewhat digital voice from the P.E.T at Lan's belt "I haven't picked up any movement or anything, but the Darkloids may just want us to let our guard down, let's not give up the search too early!" the Net-Navi suggested.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Megaman...still, I have my doubts" Lan replied, continuing forward.

The place seemed completely deserted, the most recent signs in the old factory were the input terminals, rather than the old plug-style, they were infa-red -a fairly recent change- but all were covered with the same dust that caked the conveyor belts and various machines which had once busily produced glassware and other novelty items. The only dust that had been disturbed was that behind them, where they had walked and brushed away cob-webs or been forced to crawl to check each little nook and cranny for any signs of activity. They had been sent here to investigate supposed Darkloid activity in an old Glassware and novelty production plant, under the belief that the plant's machines might be used to manufacture Dark-chips, however, so far there was nothing to go on and Chaud and Lan had found no evidence to prove that the Darkloids were, had been or would be, here. Even Megaman and Protoman hadn't turned anything up yet to show any Net-space activity.

So far this was looking like a dead lead.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Chaud would normally be feeling irritable and impatient in a place that was a dead-lead, he hated to waste his time. Especially when he could be at home programming a new management system for his company...
But today was different, he had a terrible feeling, and his infallible partner Proto-man seconded the anxiety.
"Strange things tend to crop up in unlikely places Lan." he replied to his human companion. "Your talent as a Net-op for instance." A crooked grin quirked the corner of his usually straight-laced mouth.
"Stay alert." Proto-man's authoritative voice rung out from the red PET on Chaud's belt. "This feels like a trap."[/i]
"I agree." Chaud said solemnly as he moved around the side of a large computer that had once run the conveyor belts.

In the shadows a camera turned to follow them as something watched, remaining hidden within the net-world waiting for the perfect time to strike. The subjects weren't as unguarded as he'd planned, and there were two of them rather than just the target, but that would not matter, in a factory where he made the rules they had no chance of staying together if he wanted to separate them.

((Have Lan go through an old door or something))

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Lan stopped dead, practically falling flat on his face at Chaud's insult. "Wh-what!?"
Laughter burst out from the P.E.T at Lan's hip.
"OH!! That one's gonna leave a mark! BURNED Lan!" Megaman cackled from the P.E.T "Want some ice, Lan?"[/i]
"Hey!! You're supposed to be on MY side, Megaman!!" Lan complained, pulling the P.E.T from it's pouch and pouting at the digital figure dressed in bright blue that was on it's screen. "Come on! Meany!"
"Aww, I'm just teasin' Lan! Can't you take a joke?" Megaman replied, still trying to stifle his fit of laughter. "I agree with Chaud and Protoman though, something just doesn't feel right about this place, so settle down and let's keep looking."[/i]

Lan moved on to look around, he pointed to a rust-covered door "Let's check the next room, Chaud" he said, heading over to the door. "Can you open the door for us, Megaman?"
"Sure thing, just jack me in and I'll have it open in no time!"[/i] the Navi replied.
Lan pointed the laser on his P.E.T at the jack-in point on the door, and Megaman entered the system. After a short moment's wait, the door opened with a 'thunk' and weakly slid sideways to open, Megaman retured to the P.E.T as Lan pressed the button decorated like Megaman's symbol.
"Let's go!" he said, stepping past the door and looking around the dark room. At that moment, the door behind him slammed shut and the snap of locks clicking into place signalled that -once again- Chaud's instincts were right...

[Tifa Lockhart]

Chaud had just moved to follow Lan through the door when it literally closed in his face. He leaped back with a cry, pounding on the aging metal.
"Lan!" he yelled, knowing that his fears had been confirmed, this WAS a trap, and it had been set for Lan and Megaman.
"Jack me in Chaud!" Proto-man yelled, fearing for his friends, and rightly so, because just then the readings on his PET spiked, a dimensional area appearing somewhere in the building.
And Chaud could only assume, it was the room Lan had just entered.

As the strange hues of the dimensional area seeped to fill the room in which Lan stood with an eerie light, evil laughter rose up, cackling madly.
"Too Easy!" the voice announced. "Now you're mine!"[/i]
Before Lan a monstrosity would appear, a Darkloid more humanoid looking than many of its companions. One of its hands was strangely formed and filled with strange wires.
"Come and face me Mega-man!" it declared angrilly.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Lan was hardly surprised as a dimensional area flared up around him, a massive Darkloid appearing before him. It demanded battle from Lan and Megaman, who were only too happy to oblige, not that they had any other options.
"Bring it!" Lan challenged, pulling his synchro-chip from his pocket. "Ready, Megaman?"
"Synchro-chip in! Download!" the two shouted in unison, the P.E.T glowed and instantly separated into packets of data, which formed themselves over Lan's body, creating a replica of Megaman's armour on Lan, who instinctively activated his Mega-buster and aimed it at the Darkloid "Take this, Darkloid! Mega-buster!"
The loud bangs of the gun-shots seemed to echo around the room, dust and dirt flying up into clouds around the Darkloid and Lan, leaving him unable to see the results of the shots.
"Did we hit him?"[/i] Megaman's voice asked in Lan's mind. "I can't see a thing through all this dust!"[/i]
Lan had to just hope for the best but be ready for the worst, in case the Darkloid might have dodged the attack.

[Tifa Lockhart]

The Darkloid hadn't dodged, instead it had folded its wide arms over its face, an energy shield forming where they met in front of it. The mega-buster could not even dent the shield.
"Too bad Navi!" it mocked with a cackle as it leaped from the dust to surprise attack Mega-man and Lan. It lunged at them, no weapons in sight, it seemed to be toying with them.

Outside the room Chaud still hammered at the door with his fists, hearing the sounds of battle beyond.
"What's taking so long Proto-man!" he yelled.
"It's locked down tight, Chaud!"[/i] Proto-man called back in a frustrated voice. He'd been jacked into the doors systems and was trying to break the seal that had been put on the door.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

"Eh?! It survived!?" Lan exclaimed, narrowly diving away from the Darkloid as it lunged at them from the dust. He leaped on top of a large machine to get back and activated one of his battle-chips "Mini-boomer!" He threw the small explosives into the dust-cloud, unable to see where his opponent was, merely hoping the explosives' range would hit the strange Darkloid.

"I didn't see any form of weaponry on that guy, Lan, be careful. There's no telling what he's up to!"[/i] Megaman warned, performing a thorough scan of the opponent's image from what he observed when it initially faced them. The only unusual feature of this Darkloid was the cables that hung loosely on his one hand. They seemed like they were meant for the extraction and input of data...but what was it meant for? Was it intended to raid sci-lab and obtain their information? Or perhaps for the transfer of Dark-chip data into a Net Navi.
'Whatever it's for, it can't be good. We should destroy this guy quickly!' Megaman thought, inaudible to Lan in this particular case.

Lan scanned his surroundings for any sign of the Darkloid...his motion-tracker wasn't catching anything, there was to much interference from the dust.
"Can you see anything, Megaman?" Lan asked "Nothing, the dust is too thick,"[/i] he replied after a short silence.

[Tifa Lockhart]

The Darkloid lingered in the shadows of the dust, pleased at how well this atmosphere concealed him.
He'd worked his way around until he was off to the side of Mega-man and crept slowly... gently forward.
Then he sprang, legs propelling him like an animal out of the dust, clawed hands outstretched towards the Navi, the cords on its hand thirsting to complete his mission.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

"LAN!! WATCH OUT!!"[/i] Megaman suddenly yelled. Lan turned to look at what Megaman was warning him of, just too late. The Darkloid's attack hit him, he fell back off the machine, the Darkloid propelling him into the floor with incredible force.
"AHH!" he cried as he hit the floor, feeling his shoulder snap out of place. "Lan!"[/i] Megaman cried again, unable to help his friend, much to his regret.
"Gah...! Get off...!" Lan stuttered, wincing in pain.

[Tifa Lockhart]

The Darkloid cackled maniacally as he plowed the human-navi into the floor, relishing the feel of something break under his hands.
"Now we'll have it." The Darkloid announced, raising its strange cord-coated arm. The claw like hand on the arm latched onto the Mega-man symbol on his chest plate and the cords snaked down to connect with the metal.
There was an electric buzz between the Darkloid's arm and Lan's chest and then after a few moments the Darkloid withdrew, and just in time too.
As the creature stepped back away from Lan he glanced to the door as it burst open and Chaud raced in.
"Stop right there!" he yelled. "Quickly Proto-man!" He reached into his pocket for his synchro chip, but he was too late.
The dimensional area evaporated, leaving Chaud with the vision of its evil grin and laughter.

The white haired boy dashed forward, coming to kneel beside Lan as Mega-man's presence retreated with the deactivation of the dimensional area.
"Lan!" he yelled, shaking his friend, scared by the small crater in which his friend lay.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

As the Darkloid connected the cords to Lan he felt Megaman's presence flicker for a second, then he shrieked "GAH!"[/i] Lan panicked for a second before he suddenly felt dizzy, as the Darkloid let him go, Lan lost consciousness, and Megaman was forced to temporarily shut down to prevent serious damage.

Lan was vaguely aware of the sound of a door opening, and the sound of Chaud's voice. Then everything went silent. Though Chaud tried to wake Lan, he didn't move..he remained out cold. The familiar sound of the synchronization terminating echoed in the room, and the P.E.T re-appeared, hitting the floor with a loud clatter, the synchro-chip sliding out of the battle-chip slot, automatically. The screen showed no signs of Megaman...

[Tifa Lockhart]

"God Dammit!" Chaud exclaimed as Lan slipped out of consciousness and Mega-man's PET clattered to the floor, its screen empty of the Navi's presence. "Proto-man, contact Sci-lab and have them get an ambulance for Lan. Also get Doctor Hikari, that Darkloid did something to Mega-man."
"Right away Chaud,"[/i] the net-navi replied, before disappearing to do as he was bid.

Chaud scooped up his unconscious partner and arranged him carefully in his arms, making straight for the exit.

((You might wanna play Dr. Hikari coming to get them, or perhaps just skip to Lan waking up.))

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

As soon as Protoman contacted Dr. Hikari at Sci-Lab he knew automatically that something had gone wrong. He ordered Famus to call for an ambulance.
"Protoman, is Megaman alright?" he asked, hoping Protoman would say 'yes' though not expecting him to.

((skip stuff here to get to the later part))

The large van pulled up outside the facility, and Dr. Hikari stepped out, briskly running to the door of the factory. He quickly found Lan and Chaud, and just as quickly picked up his son to carry him to the ambulance.
He left no time for Chaud to explain what happened. He gently laid Lan down in the ambulance, and climbed inside.
"Let's go, no delays!" he shouted to the driver, who nodded in reply. Only then did Dr. Hikari turn to Chaud
"Tell me what happened," he instructed, staring firmly at the young, white-haired boy, the stern look in his gaze commanding the FULL story, there was no margin for error, whatever was going on, the Darkloids had to be planning something BIG.
"And where is Lan's P.E.T?" he asked, noting that the device was not in it's holster and Lan's belt "I'll need to see if Megaman's alright...he might know what the Darkloid did..."

[Tifa Lockhart]

Chaud's expression was calm the whole time Lan's father assaulted him with questions. He then pulled Mega-man's PET out of one of the larger pockets in his green cargos and offered it to Dr. Hikari. Large blue words reading "CRASH" flashed across the screen repeatedly.
"Lan and I were separated and then a dimensional area materialized," he explained, reporting on the event as best he could. "I do not know what went on in the room, but when Proto-man broke in, the Darkloid was just getting off of Lan. It had some sort of Data storage device attached to its arm." He pressed his entwined fingers against his mouth in thought as the ambulance zoomed along. "Considering Mega-man's crash i'd say it interfered with the data using the device."