Tifa & Yuffie

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Dr. Hikari took the P.E.T from Chaud, looking at it a moment. "Hmmm, this could be more serious than I thought..." He put his hand into his pocket, and pulled out a small screw-driver. He gently removed the back of the P.E.T and accessed the manual control panel in the back. After a moment's fiddle, the P.E.T went black for a second and then the screen lit back up. Dr. Hikari put the cover back on and flipped the P.E.T over.
"Load program" he instructed the P.E.T
"Loading......done. Initializing program"[/i] the robotic voice of the P.E.T recited. A moment later, Megaman flashed up on screen, a somewhat dazed look on his face.
"Ugh...that was really weird...oh! Dr.Hikari!"[/i] Megaman jumped a bit on-screen from the surprise, shortly after falling over.
"Ooh, you alright there, Megaman?" Dr. Hikari asked.
"Woah...I feel a little funny...but other than that I think I'm alright, just perhaps a bit dizzy"[/i] Megaman replied, standing up again. suddenly his memory repeated to him "Ah! Lan! Is he alright?! What happened, was Lan hurt?"[/i]
"Yes, his shoulder was injured, but he'll be alright. He just needs some rest. Listen Megaman, I need to know what happened and exactly what the Darkloid looked like," Dr Hikari instructed.
"Umm...let's see..."[/i] Megaman looked thoughtful for a moment, and still rather dazed. "Well, when the Darkloid showed up, Lan didn't stop a moment to think before starting the Cross-fusion. After that we went into battle with the Darkloid, the battle kicked up a lot of dust and dirt, so we couldn't see much of what we were doing...we had to rely on blind luck, if you'll pardon the pun there..."[/i] Megaman recounted.

The Scene replayed itself through Megaman's memory database, the fight, the enemy, and the Darkloid's final lunging attack. Megaman described the Darkloid quite clearly, "he was really tall, something like three times as tall as Lan! and he didn't appear to have any weapons at all. However he had some kind of data input and extraction device attached to his hand, nothing like what I've seen from Darkloids before, that's for sure...[/i] Megaman stopped a moment to think. "When the Darkloid attacked Lan he forced him into the floor with quite a lot of force, he was definitely as strong as one would expect from a Darkloid...."[/i] he trailed off.
"Is something wrong?" Dr. Hikari asked.
"...Yeah actually, it's strange but I can't seem to recall what happened next...I remember the Darkloid placing his hand on Lan's Chest-piece -where the symbol is- and then after that....I don't know, it's all just not there!"[/i] Megaman seemed distressed by this, it wasn't like a net-navi could just forget something like a human could, their memories were data-files that were permanent unless corrupted. There should have been a memory file!
"Don't worry about it Megaman, you automatically shut down for some reason. I had to re-load the system, that would explain the lack of the memory. We'll find out soon enough what happened," professor Hikari stated. "So, were you damaged at all? I find it strange, you're not showing up on screen properly, the image file appears to be damaged or something." He fiddled with the screen adjustments for a moment, seeing if it was a setting problem...he found nothing.
"Hmmm...well I don't think so, but now that you mention it, I'm still feeling kinda dazed... that should have cleared up by now..."[/i] Megaman stopped dead, as he thought, the cords on the Darkloid's hand were for data extraction and input the imaging file wasn't responding properly... did the Darkloid extract some of his own files? "Professor Hikari, I think we need to get back to Sci-Lab...I think the Darkloids are up to something really bad!"[/i]

[Tifa Lockhart]

Chaud sat quietly beside Dr. Hikari, watching Lan as the nurses in the back of the ambulance began to bandage his shoulder. He felt responsible for what happened to his partner, he should have been keeping a closer eye on him.
"I'm sorry for letting this happen Professor," he apologised in his usual formal tone.

"I'm sorry too, Mega-man."[/i] Proto-man's voice rose from the PET at Chaud's belt. "I should have been able to hack the security on the door faster... but it was encrypted in a way i've never seen before. The Darkloids REALLY didn't want Chaud and I to interfere."[/i]

((I'll be doing the introduction for Luke (Alpha-man's net-op) next post, and i'll need you to do the bad guy who gives Alpha-man too him. But i wanna start off with them FINDING Luke and convincing him to cooperate.))

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

((mmk))

Professor Hikari looked up at Chaud and smiled kindly.
"It's okay, Chaud. I don't blame you. Lan has a talent for trouble, I suppose it was bound to happen," he said, putting a hand on Chaud's shoulder, reassuringly.
"Awww, c'mon...no blame-pinning! If this was anyone's fault it was mine. I was the one who let Lan through the door in the first place. I should have thought before acting, rather than acting and not bothering to think later. Really, I don't blame you Protoman, OR Chaud!"[/i] Megaman said, looking somewhat embarrassed. "If the Darkloids wanted just me and Lan to get into that room... I'm thinking my suspicions might just be more than a theory..."[/i] He looked thoughtful for a moment the shook his head and folded him arms.
"Well, whatever the Darkloids wanted... something tells me for once their plans actually worked. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what... ah!"[/i] Megaman cut off, his image flickering on the P.E.T screen.
"Megaman!" Professor Hikari exclaimed, completely taken aback, he'd never seen a Navi just suddenly react like this for no reason. "Megaman, what's wrong?" he asked.
There was silence for a moment before Megaman replied "Sorry... guess I was right... I'm gonna... have to turn off for a while. We'll talk again back at Sci-Lab..."[/i] Megaman replied, his image still flickering.

MEANWHILE...

In a back-alley somewhere in Eastern Dentech city, only a few blocks from Sci-Lab:
"Did you collect the required files, Hackman?" a mysterious, cloaked figure asked the Darkloid on the communicator's screen.
"I think I can see our perfect candidate, he's across the street from me now...if you can promise that the data for the clone will be delivered to my lab's computers safely, I'll reward you handsomly..."
At this, the figure showed the Darkloid a handful of 4 Dark-chips. "Don't let me down..."
At that he closed the communication and put the communicator away in his jacket.

He stepped out across the street to the other side of the road, where he stood beside his 'candidate'...

[Tifa Lockhart]

Luke sat on the steps of his small apartment, staring into the blank screen of a cracked PET. He sniffed slightly, shaking the handheld device, as if willing the screen to light back up.
"D-Dragonman... w-why?" he whined shudderingly, fingering the crack on the glass screen longingly.
He looked up suddenly and hid the broken PET from view when he became aware of someone standing beside him. The figure was cloaked and hidden from view, it made him rather anxious.
"W-Who are you!?" he demanded, jumping to his feet so that he might better defend himself if this individual got nasty.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

"Be still boy, I have an offer for you." He grinned under the hood. "I see your dear friend -Dragonman was it?- has been destroyed. Wouldn't you like to take sweet revenge on the one who did this to him?" he asked, reaching out a hand to the boy, beckoning him. "I can create a new Navi just like your Dragonman. He will think the same... be your friend the same as your dear Dragonman. All I need you to do, is come with me and bring Dragonman's P.E.T with you." He smirked "What do you say? Your new Dragonman will be stronger than any Net-Navi ever created... wouldn't that be wonderful, to have your friend back; faster, stronger and better than ever before?" He beckoned the boy with his hand to come closer. "Do you accept?"

[Tifa Lockhart]

Luke looked a little hesitant, there was nothing in the world he wanted more than Dragonman back. He'd been an orphan all his life, and his only friend had always been his net-navi.
"W-What's the catch...?" he asked hesitantly. "What do I have to do for you?"

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

The man grinned again, preparing to tell a small lie.
"All you have to do is agree to help me with a little errand... just a little trade of sorts," he said, slyly.
'heh, yes, trade of Megaman for his clone!' he thought to himself...once Megaman was no more, his clone would be fully operational as a new and improved -and evil- Megaman.
"What do you say, kid? Shall we resurrect Dragonman?" he asked, leaving out the real detail of what the errand was... all that was left to the plan now, was to destroy Megaman.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Luke was still hesitant for a time, but then he glanced down at the blank screen of his PET and his heart began to ache with loneliness once more.
"I'll... I'll do anything," he said, moving forward to join the man. "I just want Dragonman back."

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

The man grinned again. "Excellent..."
With that he led the boy away.

BACK AT SCI-LAB:

"Hmmmm..." Professor Hikari looked through Megaman's files, scouting every place, and frowning at what he found.
"What is it?" Famus asked, trying to peek over Dr. Hikari's shoulder at the computer.
"It looks like some of the files have, indeed, been stolen. What the Darkloids plan to use the data for, I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good," he replied, opening a new window... a data construction and writing program.
"You mean Megaman was functioning whilst missing data files?!" Famus exclaimed, most Navis would simply not re-load without all data files. Megaman really was the cream of the crop, the best Navi Dr. Hikari -or anyone- had ever made.
"That's right. I have backups of his data though, hence I've been able to re-build him before. So he'll be functioning again soon, but it will take a little while. Hopefully Lan won't worry too much about him. Famus can you keep an eye on my son for me, whilst I replace the missing files here?" Dr. Hikari asked
"Of course" Famus nodded and turned to leave. After a short walk down the hall he arrived at the exit, he found his van and opened the door, getting inside and starting it up.

AT THE HOSPITAL:

Lan opened his eyes, pain gripping his shoulder
"Ow..!" he groaned, looking around him. The hospital... great. It was about then Lan noted the lack of a certain digital voice greeting him and saying how good it was that he was awake.
"Ah! Where's Megaman?" Lan sat up, slowly and slightly painfully, looking around to see if he could find his P.E.T... it was nowhere to be seen.

[Tifa Lockhart]

"Megaman will be fine Lan," a voice said calmly from the other side of the room as Chaud moved forward to be in the view of the boy in the hospital bed. "Dr. Hikari is taking care of him back at sci-lab."
The white haired man's expression was apologetic in a strange way. After all the millionaire businessman was inclined to keeping his emotions pent up inside, especially if they showed that he actually did care.
"How are you feeling? Shall I fetch a nurse?"

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Lan was delighted to see his friend standing there before him, though seeing any readable expression on his face, let alone a worried or apologetic one, was a surprise to Lan.
"Phew... that's great. What happened exactly, I don't remember a thing..." Lan recalled the last thing he saw being the Darkloid grasping the crest on Lan's chest and Megaman crying out. That was it.
"I'm fine, just hurting a bit. Thanks for the offer but I'll be alright," Lan answered, gratefully. He was happy to have his friend here; other than Megaman, Chaud was Lan's best friend in the world, despite how cold he might seem sometimes. It was Like Megaman and Protoman.
"Oh!" Lan exclaimed 'Yeah, Protoman!' "Hey, how's Protoman? He wasn't damaged at all too was he?" Lan asked, hoping his blunder hadn't put his friends Navi in danger as it had his own.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Chaud nodded silently, acknowledging everything Lan was saying. He'd opened his mouth to explain what had happened and to clarify that Protoman was alright, but he was cut off by the digital voice at his side.
"I am fine, Lan,"[/i] Protoman said.
Knowing his Navi wanted to speak to Lan personally, Chaud removed the PET from his belt and handed it over to Lan.

Protoman looked up from the screen at Lan, his expression as unreadable as Chaud's from behind his visor.
"Megaman told me to tell you he will be alright. Dr. Hikari is repairing him as we speak."[/i]

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Lan took the P.E.T and looked at the figure on screen. He smiled gratefully to Protoman.
"Thanks, Protoman. Can I ask a favour?" he asked. "I wonder if you could tell my Dad to bring Megaman here when he's fixed up, I'd like to talk with him about before." He smiled at his best friend's partner as he asked his favour.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Protoman nodded in response to the bed-ridden Lan's request and glanced distractedly into the corner of the PET display for a moment before he vanished from the screen, obviously to convey the desired message.

"I suppose i ought to tell you what it is the Darkloid wanted, Lan," Chaud said solemnly. "Megaman has a theory himself, I only know the few exact details."

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Lan passed the empty P.E.T back to Chaud and listened to what he had to say, a puzzled look appearing on his face.
"Well... what was it that he wanted?" he asked, a serious tone in his voice, for once. "What does dad think they're up to? Has he said anything?"