A man - about 20, with a strange haircut spiking out only at the top and right above each ear like three fins - stands next to an open window, trying to feel some ocean breeze as he talks with someone on the outdated-looking PC across the room.
Darren Selache: Found any requests over 60K Zenny?
Sorry, man, nothing rad's been showing up besides a couple of ReftileSP requests...
Darren Selache: Ugh...is it seriously that hard to just pick the Battle Chips that won't hit those thing's barriers? If people weren't so addicted to breaking and piercing I'd probably be doing some actual hunting right now...
You sure you don't wanna check out Yoka? Heard some wicked stuff's going on and the SP Virus hunters around there have their hands full-
Darren Selache: If I wanted to cave in and fight one of the wimpy Den City SPs*, I'd have done it a year-
An alarm suddenly goes on on Darren's computer and PET.

Darren Selache: ...me and my big mouth.
Darren closes the window (not that the neighbors didn't already hear the alarm blaring) and runs to the PC, picking up his PET off the desk.

---

*SP Viruses in the Battle Network series and in Shanghai.EXE are quite different; while they both tend to have some of the most difficult patterns of their Virus type, Battle Network still treats them closer to regular enemies (The most HP any such Virus has in Battle Network 6 is 300), while Shanghai.EXE treats them almost like mini-bosses, rarely having less than 1000 HP. (OOC: The reason why I treated the CloudySP Virus like the latter is because there is no pre-existing CloudySP Virus in Battle Network.)
†Reference: Pokémon Red/Green/Blue - Certain encounters are only possible in a glitched version of Route 1, which is north of Pallet Town.

Baldrez takes the damage, but then gets one of it's hands in a chopping position, causing it to get covered in flames, then chopping down on CentipedeWoman.EXE's row!

CentipedeWoman tries to activate a PopUp before Baldrez's chop can land, falling just short as she cycles around the field launching charged tail clamps and a CentiTrl170!

---

As SurfWave warps into the area, he and Darren are taken aback as they find just what kind of program they stand before: A giant, winged, dragon-like beast with a flaming tail, a bright glowing mouth...and near pitch-black skin with specks of green all over its body, almost like the whole thing was one giant BugFrag.
Darren Selache: Wait...hold on, no, this is just a Cybeast or something, I don't know the last time something even looked like-
The beast lets out a violent hiss, snapping Darren back to the present in a panic.
Darren Selache: Gah! BattleRoutine!Set!
Execute!(Big Battle Theme 1 - Elite Encounter) ♫ Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal - Vs. Champion Lance/Red (Remix) ♫

---

(Battle Network 1-2, Battle Network 4) PopUp: (Null, Guard) Temporarily turns the user invisible and intangible, the effect briefly stopping when an attack is used.
CentiTrl (1 = 70): (Ground) Summons a serpentine 4x1 projectile that slithers up and down, effectively being a trail of 4 1-panel projectiles that zig-zag between two rows. Only the "tail" inflicts proper i-frames, allowing a non-moving opponent to be hit twice.

Baldrez get's enraged and starts to rapidly chop on each of the rows on CentipedeWoman's side!

Jerry is struggling to stay awake.
PlugMan: Bored? Yeah, me too.
Jerry: ...Hey, we could show the thing to your pals.
PlugMan: Oh, yeah! We could! Alright, guys, come with me back to the PC, Jerry'll have the drive set up by the time we get there.
While Jerry fumbles around with stupid existing real physical things, PlugMan and the boys make their ways back to the PC's cyberspace, where a new warp has opened up by the time they get there. Plug goes in first.

...the "thing"...?
I dunno what that means, but it sounds great!
VoltMan begins to rev up his gear... before SonicMan catches him and slowly walks him to the warp, DynaMan still hugging his new DrgnFlm2180 as he steps in last.

---

As much as she tried to avoid it, the chops absolutely assault CentipedeWoman - helped in no part by her PopUp wearing off - leaving her down to a mere 100 HP!
Stupid...thing...I can't...lose...
Momoyo begins weighing her options...until she looks down at CentipedeWoman's Custom Screen.
Sensor3160
RosBloom80
BeetleMV3150
Hang in there, because you're darn right.
Momoyo gives CentipedeWoman the above Battle Chips in that order, with CentipedeWoman quickly catching on, placing the Sensor2, summoning the 4 roses of RosBloom as the beam locks onto Baldrez, then bringing out the BeetleMV3 chip, its power boosted by another 150 points from absorbing the KillerEye and roses!!

---

As SurfWave activates his FstGauge, the dragon beast starts firing small fireballs, SurfWave dodging with ease as he Counter Hits with a GiantWav200!

---

(Battle Network 3, Battle Network 6) Sensor(1 = 100, 2 = 130, 3 = 160): (Elec, Object/Cursor) Summons a KillerEye (or one of its stronger variants depending on the chip number) that uses a beam to detect opponents in front or diagonally, firing an electric laser a split second after finding something. Paralyzes opponents.
(Shanghai.EXE) BeetleM(1 = 90, 2 = 120, 3 = 150): (Ground) BeetleMan.EXE's Navi Chip. BeetleMan appears, absorbs any Objects on the field, then fires a ball of gravity energy straight forward, inflicting Heavy on contact. 30 damage is added to the attack for every object absorbed.
(All Battle Network games except WS and The Medal Operation; Shanghai.EXE) FstGauge: (Null) Doubles the speed at which the Custom Gague fills, allowing the user to restock Battle Chips faster.
(Shanghai.EXE) GiantWav200: (Ground, Terrain) The strongest known variant of the ShotWav chip. Summons a shockwave that quickly travels along the ground, passing through enemies and Objects, and turning any panels it touches into Sand panels. Will stop if it hits a Broken or Empty panel.

Warping in, the DOSNavis see a section of Cyberspace with varied geometry and long stretches of conveyor panels using a default, vaporwaveish theme with specks of crude placeholder graphics for devices you haven't seen yet. Some of them seem to project circular fields denoted by a grid like pattern of red crosses or baby blue circles that stays the same no matter your point of view. A square that can be accessed freely from one side while another is lead into by a line of conveyor panels is highlighted. PlugMan is nowhere to be seen.
Jerry: Hey, PlugMan wanted to test something, so does anyone mind standing on this panel here? ...Probably put up a barrier too, just in case. Any kind will do.

...Eh, guess we could hop on the net and see if there's anything going on.
Finally warmed up to the idea, huh?
Meh, I don't exactly have much to do, so let's go with that.
Tsuba heads over to his PC, and doesn't even bother with some overly flashy pose.
Just... Get in there already, Shion.EXE.
Tsuba jacks Shion in, and slumps into his swivel chair.


Now then, if I were an inciting incident, where would I be...?
Dunno. There's probably some juicy info on the Square's BBS.
...You DO remember where that is, right?
Nope!
Just keep following that gray road or whatever, you'll probably find where you gotta go.

Baldrez prepares to breathe fire after getting hit by that barrage of attacks but... a whistle sound attracts it's attention, causing it to fly away from battle, and Yoka Area 3...
Mugen Area 2
Curtiss waits more and more for the Gemini Sparks to finish customizing their folders.
Curtiss.EXE: Hm... this is taking longer than I expected. Maybe I can pass some time by fighting viruses?

With the GiantWav200 having turned a row into Sand Panels, SurfWave brings out a newly-equipped Static20 followed by a SuprVulc20!!
As he charges his buster, the dragon beast begins moving again, teleports along its side of the field well above the ground, when suddenly, SurfWave's field becomes filled with Grass panels...Grass panels that the beast absorbs one-by-one, striking SurfWave a couple times along the way and healing twice as much each time it happens!

---

The battle coming to a premature end, CentipedeWoman watches the beast fly away with dissatisfaction...turning around and remembering that several NetPolice saw her run in headfirst.

---

SonicMan doesn't say a word, but raises a BblWrap3 as he slowly steps up to the panel.

---

Static20: (Null, Wind) Summons a tornado 2 panels forward, hitting up to 8 times. The number of tornadoes increases the more Bugs the player has*, up to 6 in a 2x3 area (with the back column of the area still 2 panels ahead of the user). Deals double damage on Sand panels, turning them back into Normal panels afterwards.
SuprVulc20: (Null) Fires 10 hitscan shots in a row, hitting the nearest opponent/tangible object on the row as well as the panel behind them.
BblWrap: (Aqua, Guard) Surrounds the user with a bubble that protects them from 1 attack, respawning after a short period of time (the speed at which it respawns depending on the Chip number). Elec-type attacks will both pierce the bubble and prevent it from respawning.

W-Absrb50: (Wood, Terrain) The user creates a ball of energy 3 panels forward. If the ball appears over an opponent, they will take damage, the user being healed by the same amount. If it appears over a Grass panel, it will turn back into a Normal panel and the user will be healed by 50 HP. The effects will stack if the ball appears over an opponent on a Grass panel.

---

*Bugs can be inflicted on the user in various ways, usually through certain criteria when customizing a Navi with the Navi Customizer (exclusive to BN; Shanghai.EXE's AddOn Manager functions in a way that prevents "bugs" from happening the same way). SurfWave has no Bugs; the only reason he has Static over a simpler Tornado/Storm variant is because it's the only variant to come in V-code (the same code as SuprVulc).

Apartment Complex - Room 209 - PennWood, Eurica
Looks like whoever's living here is under house arrest of all things. But who- wait what.
Ok, I still don't understand why of all things, they'd place me in, house arrest was the best answer? I mean, I worked for ROM of all things! What would they even accomplish with this?
???
Baldrez then stops in place in front of two navis Tackione, and another, bigger navi the size of GutsMan.EXE...
???.EXE: So, the thing really did it's job well huh?
Tackione.EXE: Oh yes, quite well in fact! But there remains one test more.
???.EXE: Ah yeah, that ghost data, right doc?
Tackione.EXE: Exactly. Test two...
Then, the big navi stomps his way into some tent, bringing out an unconscious v3 navi, short and blue...

A few silent moments pass, before...
PlugMan: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH
PlugMan races at SonicMan across the line of conveyor panels riding on some kind of weird hoverboard, but as the default denial buzzer sounds all his momentum is cut short inches away from SonicMan.
Jerry: Phew. The collision detection works, and we've tested everything else to death by now, so...
PlugMan kicks the board upright to pick it up over his head victoriously
PlugMan: You guys have just witnessed the first sort-of public demonstration of the--
Jerry: ...the uhhhhhhhh... C-Slider 2? Z-Slider? We'll come up with something. We were planning on pitching it to ol' doctor Regal sometime this month, but we wanted to make sure everything works beforehand. 'cept the graphics. Neither I nor PlugMan are good with those, so that'd probably be up to the team that we hope would be assigned to the project.
PlugMan: Like, the OG C-Slider could only move on rails, and yet it would've been revolutionary had the boards not been so expensive! We've optimized the data for it and added a bunch of other ways to use it! Like, you could ride it on usual Cyberspace geometry now, enabling the construction of virtual skate parks! Of course, some don't want surfers on their lawn, but we made low-cost area deniers for that, as well as similar thingies to allow you to ride on nothing, so you can quickly bridge areas of Cyberspace with next to zero construction costs!
Jerry: ...If the pitch works. Otherwise I will have wasted weeks of my life and will probably get fired for working on this secretly on the job.

SurfWave hurriedly removes the remaining Grass panels with a HotBody3150, making up for some of the dragon beast's regained damage in the process...only to leave himself open for a frigid, lustrous beam that halves his attack with the Melt status!

---

Momoyo's still sitting at her PC, slumped in her chair not out of boredom from inaction, but because...
Ms. Himemushi, there are experts who specialize in dealing with Cybeasts. You don't have that expertise, and had it not fled, CentipedeWoman very likely would have been deleted.
Hey, I ain't afraid to die once or twice. Momoyo's got backups, it's almost happened a few times before...
It should be happening much less. Irresponsibility between a NetOp and their Navi is one thing, but when they throw themselves into a crisis that even many NetAgents were injured in, we need to remind them that not everyone can just jump in and be a "hero".
We ain't tryin' to be heroes, we're tryin' to be fighters.
...well, I'm not here to discuss your specific intentions. Regardless of who you see yourself as, you and CentipedeWoman have your limits, even if you don't know it. If you want to risk yourselves or others going past them, then I'm sorry, but we need to step in.
Please don't do something like that again.
As the call ends, Momoyo and CentipedeWoman find themselves stewing in their thoughts...

---

SonicMan just blinks twice in reaction to the new Slider nearly hitting him, DynaMan and VoltMan both watching in awe.
Holy smokes, that's what those thingies were called*! I kept tryin' to ask around back then, but...well, y'know, that was when that tournament was†, and nobody'd shut their mouth 'bout that...
And you could ride it anywhere?! Whoah...
SonicMan turns to PlugMan, looking rather displeased.
"Anywhere" means "the Data Sea". That's a problem.

---

(Event Theme) ♫ Mega Man Battle Network 4 - The Quiet Darkness ♫
???.EXE: ...wait, we're usin' that one? Ya can't be serious, mate, the test'd be perfect for the Gospel fella or what we could get of the Sharo Navi‡, or...any of the other Aqua data, really.
???.EXE: Those Navis had skills in their own right. The point of the test is to improve on our more...incompetent finds. Which, of course, you'd agree this is the perfect example of.
???.EXE: I trust that you two will let Tackione see this through without hassle. In the meantime, I'm afraid I need to do some personal investigation regarding one of our more...impulsive colleagues.

---

(Battle Network 5) HotBody3(1 = 110, 2 = 130, 3 = 150): surrounds the user with a 3x3 radius of fire, and will ignite anything in that radius with its own 3x3 radius of fire. Only the user's fire radius can spread.

AurorBm: (Aqua) Fires a bright, cold beam forward that stops on contact with an opponent, dealing damage and inflicting them with the Melt status.

---

*It took a surprising amount of time for Mighty or I to find any proper online documentation on the C-Slider; maybe a day or two before we even knew its name.
†Reference: Mega Man Battle Network 4, the one game the original C-Slider appeared in.
‡References: FreezeMan.EXE, ColdMan.EXE

PlugMan: Well...
He gives himself some momentum on the flat area by the warp, then kickflips over the edge, being teleported back to the last place where he had solid footing after falling below ground level.
PlugMan: It'd be a shoddy vehicle if killed people!

After a Very long debate and discussion between the five Navis, the much taller navi raises a hand, causing the others to fall silent

???.exe: So what you're telling us Peony is that there's a navi whos just entered the Undernet a few days or so ago, and has been quickly climbing up the ranks with the intention of becoming the strongest navi out there?

Peony gives a nod, and a thumbs up

Peony.exe : Yep! he almost shot me in the face but it turns out he was just shooting a virus behind me, he seems like an absolute grumpy pants though!

The other four navis quietly whispered between each other

???.exe: Don't worry my allies, All is not lost, Peony, I'm going to need you to find this guy again, try and get more information out of him. Mirabilis, keep selling and trading chips, we're gonna need the strongest we can find, Plumeria, Go with Peony and find this Navi, and try and swap his chips to be weaker if you can. and finally, Triandra, Stay with me, I'll need my best Netbattler by my side incase we're ambushed.

Each of the navis Nods, before splitting off, Mirabilis going off on her own, Plumeria following Peony, and Triandra and the final navi heading in the opposite direction, deeper into the Undernet.

Triandra.exe : Miss Freyja, aren't you worried about the speed at which this Navi has been defeating the other ranks?

Freyja.exe shook her head, a devilish smile appearing on her face

Freyja.exe : Not at all, If anything I'm excited to see his strength outside of Peony's stories, especially when coming across opponents that need more than just brute strength to win...

You can't defeat us! Hit me with your best shot, and I'll just regenerate after a fixed period of time!

Two Antlions appear on the panels below Omega and BeastMan. BeastMan immediately jumps to another panel, while Omega stands still, leaving his Omega Scan to absorb any possible damage.

Curses... My Leaf-based attacks should be doing extra damage... but instead, they are so minimal in power they seem to have the opposite effect!
To withstand my attacks then regenerate from them almost effortlessly... there must be some sort of trickery here at play.
Hang on... opposite effect...
Whatever rubbish is located in your current state of mind had better be useful.
Not rubbish, mind you. Just that if Leaf and Aqua attacks barely do anything... then perhaps Flame and Electric attacks should have the opposite effect.
Hnh... and flames melt sand, thus turning them into glass.
Bingo. I'll send something your way.

A second voice speaks through the sand-like NetNavi, as it's mic is turned on.

You two are better off giving up against the likes of DesertMan. You might be stronger... but thanks to his glow-up, I doubt you'll survive the war of attrition.
Hahaheheheh...
You doubt my power!?

Omega teleports to the square in front of DesertMan... punching him, which seems to create a ripple effect, causing DesertMan to collapse into a heap of sand... but then come back.

Thank you, sir. May I have another?
(Has this fool lost his mind!?)

Omega makes no move, his fist staying where it was... but then he suddenly opens up his thumb, index and middle finger together, mimicking a gun.

What the heck is he doing? Some sorta Undernet gang sign?
...
...
...
You have wasted enough of my time with your underhanded stratagems. Very soon, you will learn to regret challenging me...
...Bang.

Omega shoots a Volcano directly at the off-guard DesertMan, which forces him to begin to melt!

HUUUUUH!?!??
(Crap.)

The burning sensation continues to melt away at DesertMan, who suddenly goes into a glass-like state... leaving him wide open for an Omega Beam!

Enemy Defeated!

---

Antlion (Earth/Poison, Terrain)- DesertMan.EXE summons vortexes which appear on panels, and will damage any targets which stand on them.
Volcano (Flame)- The user fires a stream of lava forward.

But our plan was foolproof!
It's proof you're a fool, yes.
DesertMan... he's alive, but... but why would you spare him?
(An answer that I myself don't even know. This seems against what he would do at all odds. So why...?)
I'm turning Mic on, Omega.
Speak as you please, I care not what. And for the record, let it be known that I did not do this for you.

You want to know why we didn't rip your little friend to shreds when we had the chance? It's because neither of you are worth the experience points wasting your grimy little plans would put forward..
If this is the best other Navis have to offer? My Navigator here may as well just be given the status of UnderKing. You're wastes of time and space at worst, and completely inconsequential at best.
...
I want you to spread word to everyone you know. If you hate my associate here and want him gone forever, up your game before challenging us. Grind, datafarm, do whatever it takes for you to give us something worthy to face. That also goes to anyone watching this in case this somehow goes viral. Somehow.
...But whatever you do. Simply put. Don't. Waste. Our. Time. Is that clear?
...Crystal.
I'm glad. (Man, I sounded really mean back there... almost like Omega. But whatever puts less people headfirst into danger.)
(Mercy for the sake of a promising challenge... surely that mentality will backfire upon them one day.

Tackione.EXE: Now then my dear assistant, may the merging, commence!
???.EXE: Right boss. Throwin' the ROM navi!
Tackione.EXE: That's not how it'd wor-
The giant navi then throws the small one into Baldrez!
Baldrez: *ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH*!
Then, somehow, by an unholy miracle, the dragon get's assimilated by the small blue navi...
Tackione.EXE: ...ConFuse... you did consider you threw the subject onto somewhere outside our lair boundaries... non*?
ConFuse.EXE: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
Tackione.EXE: LACKWIT!
He then smacks ConFuse with a Raikoken!
Raikoken 20 - A personal chip exclusive for Tackione...? Places an electric sphere in front of the user, and deals continuous damage for at least 4 hits, dealing 80 damage in total.
*French for no

SonicMan's tensity fades. Slightly.
...Hm.
So, when's the pitch?

---

Just as SurfWave tries to fight through his Melt, striking the dragon beast with a DiveMan130 and a SurfRde100, a giant orb suddenly appears overhead...and the beast vanishes?

---

Wh-dude, what just...?!
Darren Selache: I don't know, that wasn't me, I still don't know what that-
SurfWave notices a Navi - hiding their head under a simple hood, but also having their face surrounded by a "scarf" - walking up to them.
???.EXE: Just you? Man, usually I have to explain this to like 8 different people.
???.EXE: Well, anyway, if they ask about paying for the damages, jsut give them half of this.
The scarfed Navi casually hands SurfWave 100000z, and lifts the glowing orb.
???.EXE: All right, M-FF, you've caused enough trouble for today, let's get you home.
Wait, you can't just-
The scarfed Navi warps out, leaving SurfWave and Darren dumbfounded.

---

A pale Navi with a flower-like "dress" is calmly exploring the area, her NetOp letting out an exhausted sigh as she watches from a Central City apartment.
It's nice to have some time just the two of us. I'm sorry I haven't been able to do this more often!
Don't worry, I'm not upset. I know your job can get busy, but if it means we at least have a place to call home, I'll give you the time you need.
...thanks, Medicine. I just hope we can find a job that lets us use our pharmacy research more than the time I spent in the Tech...Depart..ment...
Yamame's voice fades as she notices Medicine having stopped in her tracks...noticing loose objects - the kinds one'd collect from Mystery Data - just laying on the ground.
This...this wasn't here before. I don't think I've even seen data just...scattered like that.
Yeeeah, that's not normal. Who the heck did that?
As a confused Medicine picks up a Battle Chip off the ground with the name JudgeMnV2, she and Yamame look ahead and realize the trail of Zenny and Frags leads to Eien Area...

---

(Event Theme - Hmm) ♫ Mega Man Battle Network 2 - Suspicious Mood ♫
A tall, bulky figure is fristratedly trying to pick up a signal...well, two signals.
???.EXE: Rgh...those homunculi of Navi can't possibly be so far under the radar...
???.EXE: ...fine. I'm here to clean up what DisasterOil neglected, and if I'm going to make any progress, I'm going to search for someone I know I can find.
The figure successfully picks up a different signal...in the middle of Eien Area 2.
???.EXE: That boy might be able to run from his darkness...but he can't run from me.
The figure warps out.

---

(Battle Network 6) DiveMan130: (Aqua) DiveMan.EXE's Navi Chip. DiveMan appears and attacks with a 2x3 wave of water.
SurfRde100: (Aqua, Break) SurfWave.EXE's Special Chip. SurfWave assembles various parts of his body into a C-Slider-like board and surfs down the row on a wave of water. If the attack is stopped prematurely by a Broken/Empty panel, the last panel moved over turns into a Sea panel.