"[Holoß.net] installed and fully operational"

With a jerk, Aelieth awoke from sleep, his glasses askew and a line of drool running from the corner of his mouth. He blearily searched for the cause of his untimely awakening, only to find a pair of blocky black rectangles staring at him from out of his computer monitor. Fatigue instantly left him when he realized what he was looking at. Excitement grabbed at his lower stomach as he reached over and fumbled to find his PET. Blurs were all he could read until he realized that his glasses weren't on his face. As the glasses went back over his eyes, the words came into focus: "[Holoß.net] installed and fully operational".

He looked back to the screen, the eyes still floating serenely on his monitor. Now that it came down to it, after all the time and effort he poured into creating the Navi, Aeleith couldn't think of what to say. After all, what do you say to something that just came into exisitance? he thought. He opened his mouth to say "How are you?", but what came out was "Where's the rest of you?"

The Navi looked nonplussed, as though saying "That's the best you could come up with?", then backed away from the monitor. As he stepped back, he came into view bit by bit. Floating rings of polished metal and circuitry, connected by dimly glowing projections, rested about where the arms and legs of a man would. On either side of his head a projector jutted out slight. His torso consisted of two horizontal projectors projecting a rectangular prism, the base slightly wider than the top, with a beta symbol emblazoned upon his chest.

Awestruck, Aeleith started to say something else when a series of pop-ups appeared upon the monitor and began multiplying rapidly. Though they were covered by another almost as soon as they appeared, he say that each had carried the same message: Virus Detected!

Reacting quickly, he reached for the chips he'd received when he bought his PET from the pawn shop. "It looks like it's time for a trial by fire," he said, forgetting his earlier difficulty with speaking, "You ready?" Holo looked nervous, but nodded. Though only activated for the lesser part of an hour, his programming was as battle ready as any other Navi's.

"Alright, here we go. Holoß.net, battle routine, set. Execute!"

((Battle 1, please))

Must be very exciting to play with your new navi! As soon as Holoß made his first step into the net, three metools appeared out of thin air infront of the navi, utterly confused for some reason. It must also be the first time in a fight for these virses. One of them bravely raises its pick axe and swings it wildly, encouraging the other two to fight on!!

MetoolA: 40
MetoolB: 40
MetoolC: 40

Terrain: 100% Normal

Holoß.net: 100

======
BATTLE ONE, START!
======

"Let's see..." Aelieth murmured, sorting through his meager pile of chips, "Which do you think we should use: the Cannon, Shotgun or RageClaw?" He waited a moment, but no response came. "Holo?" he asked, looking up from the chips. The navi had an odd expression in his eyes, straining with all his might to speak, but no sound came. Frustrated, Holoß leaned forward and cast his arms before his head. A bar of light rose from his feet, overwriting his body with something a bit... different.

A sixtieth of a second later, what looked like a double-barreled, civil war era cannon occupied the space where Holoß stood. The hatches at the rear opened, as though beckoning for something.

Taking the hint Aelieth slotted in two chips, which appeared with a glow in the loading area. The hatches shut with a spin, then the whole contraption turned to face the viruses. With a resounding blast both barrels fired, shoving the cannon back and knocking Holoß back into his usual form. A cluster of grapeshot, surrounding something a bit heftier, rained down upon the area the viruses occupied.

Standing up, wheels refreshed under Holoß's feet. He began to skate from side to side, ready to speed away in case the viruses retaliated.

--Summary--
1. Shotgun to Metools A and C (50 dmg)
2. Cannon right down the middle (Metool B, 40 dmg)
3. Dodge

The synchrony between the navigator and the operator didn't feel too strong, but it was some what expected from a brand new duo. The one-two gun shot from Holoß was more than enough to finish off the greenhorn viruses. One Metool tried to attack with its shockwave, but the cluster shot completely obliterated the poor virus.

MetoolA: DELETED
MetoolB: DELETED
MetoolC: DELETED

Terrain: 100% Normal

Holoß.net: 100

-BATTLE WON-
Holo: 150z

"Well, that seems to have done it," Aelieth said, surveying the display of the battle field. Holoß was still skating, sliding here and there with a blank expression on his face. "How did they manage to get in here, though..." the NetOp mused, running a quick systems diagnostic. Holo slid to a stop as he discovered the problem. A huge hole had been blown in the computer's firewall somehow.

"How the-- Crap... we're gonna have to sea if there's a patch on the net." Holoß glared at the screen, pointing to where a mouth would go. A black screen popped up beside the Navi, startling him. "Unfortunately, I have no idea why you can't talk.The code should be working fine... but until I have time to run a full debug, you'll have to make due with this."

Words appeared on the screen, sprawling out from the left corner: "txtbox.exe loading.... Ready to use." Holoß glanced at the simple program, unimpressed. "[[b]How is this supposed to he--...[/b]]" A flowing script scrawled across the board as he thought the words. "[[b]I'm not using this... It feels.. unnatural[/b]]" he 'said', pressing an X in the right corner of the screen. The window shrank and flew behind his head, floating serenely between the holo projectors.

"Fine, you don't have to use the box, but we still need to get this patched before another virus attack. You ready?" Aeleith asked. Holoß gave the thumbs up, then stepped through the hole and out into the 'Net proper. Now that he was actually out here, away from from the safety of the computer, he was feeling ever more nervous about encountering more viruses. Sure, Metools were of little consequence, but some of the nastier virus definitions he'd been programmed with began rising to mind. He had walked some way when he spotted shifty mass in the distance, closing the gap between them with impressive speed. With images of demonic furnaces and electrified oni running wild in his imagination, Holoß panicked. In desperation, he tried his best to hide. As the mass approached the glowing, green cardboard box, he got the feeling that whatever it was wasn't falling for the ruse.

((Battle Two, desu))

Holoß continued on to the net before encountering a group of Canodumbs staring straight towards him. Beneath the cannons was a metool angrily pointing Holoß out, possibly claiming that he destroyed his friends. Viruses acting out of revenge? This is certainly interesting.

CanodumbA: 50
CanodumbB: 50
CanodumbC: 50
Metool: 40

Terrain: 100% Normal

Holoß: 100

======
BATTLE TWO, START!
======

"I think they see you..." Aelieth commented, watching the Metool rally the other viruses to attack the box that was his Navi. The pile of cardboard disappeared, leaving a somewhat nervous Holoß in its place. "Here," the NetOp said, slotting in a chip, "this should help clear the viruses out."

Holoß received the data with a *ping*. Feeling the energy of the chip data coursing through his programming, waiting until he willed it into existence, had a bolstering effect on the Navi. Still caught in the rush of confidence, Holoß charged at the viruses, activating the data. A bear smashed through their ranks, swatting a menacing paw at the hapless Metool. Circling around, he barreled back into the cluster of virii. As he approached one Canodumb, he reared up on his hind legs, pounding on it with his claws. With each attack, uncertainty left him, reviling in the excitement of virus busting.

Back in the apartment, Aelieth watched the battle with an approval. Though he was the first NetNavi that he had successfully written, Holoß was performing as well as a store bought Navi... so far.

--Summary--
1. RageClaw to Metool (40)
2. and 3. RageClaw to CanodumbA (80 dmg, 40 per hit)

The claw attack from Holo was successful as the Metool and the Canodumb was destroyed into shreds in mere second. However, the navi was too focused in the battle, he didn't see the cannon fire from the turret. The shot was directly at the stomach, knocking the navi down to the ground...

CanodumbA: DELETED
CanodumbB: 50
CanodumbC: 50
CanodumbD: 50
Metool: DELETED

Terrain: 100% Normal

Holo: 80

The holographic Navi hit the ground... hard, the impact knocking him out of his current projection. "Beta!" Aelieth exclaimed, sympathetically wincing as his Navi rebounded and landed again. Gah... that was stupid of me... Holoß thought as he got back to his feet.

"Are you alright?" the NetOp asked, worried that his programming might not have been strong enough for Holoß to withstand combat. Holo nodded, his balance still a little unsteady, causing him to wobble. A rush of relief ran over Aelieth. It looked as though his delicate design for the Navi's frame could still take a hit or two. Now it was time to see if the same could be said for the viruses.

"Alright, sending chip data your way," Aeleith said, slotting in the Shotgun chip. Holo felt the chip enter his data stream, then felt it bump into something. Confused, the navi looked down and saw that, even though it wasn't manifesting itself, the RageClaw data was still intermingled with his own. Forming a plan, he eyed one of the cannon shaped viruses with a nasty gleam, a pixelated starburst literally appearing in the corner of one of his eyes.

He rushed towards the virus, reactivating the RageClaw. Instead of a full body change, he opted for simply activating it normally. Forming a piercing wedge with the claw tips, he tired to thrust his arm into the side of the cannon. At the end of the extension, he activated the Shotgun. A barrel slid out from between his claws and fired. With a flip, Holoß kicked off the Canodumb, staying mobile to try and avoid retaliation.

--Summary--
1. RageClaw to CanodumbB (20 damage + Impacting)
2. Shotgun to CanodumbB, possible splash to CanodumbC (50 damage + Spread 1)
3. Dodge

Whatever Holo was doing, it seemed to work. Two Cannondumbs fell to the might of his attack, and the last one fired a shot at him, but missed due to the navi's quick dodging.

CanodumbA: DELETED
CanodumbB: DELETED
CanodumbC: DELETED
CanodumbD: 50
Metool: DELETED

Terrain: 100% Normal

Holo: 80 [Rageclaw]

"One left!" Aelieth cheered, getting swept up in the battle. "Take him out!"

Holoß obliged, leaping into the air and driving his claws down upon the cannon-like virus. With a tremendous effort, he sent his attack raking across his enemy, seeking to rend it open. Energy surged and, his eyes snapping wide, light exploded from Holoß with the intensity of a miniature sun.

"Holo!" Aelieth cried as the Navi came back into view. Holoß stood unsteadily for a moment, the fell to the ground, his projections dimming to a faint glow. With an effort, he turned on his stomach and struggled to stand. Once he was back on his feet, albeit unsteadily, he blearily looked around, trying to see what became of the virus. A faint buzz sounded from his projectors as they struggled to restore power to his weakened form.

--Summary--
1. RageClaw to CanodumbD (40 dmg + slashing)
2. Brightness Spike to CanodumbD (30 dmg + Elec + Blind)
3. Brightness Spike (1 action recovery)

The Rageclaw and Holoß's Brightness Spike completely destroyed the last Canodumb into nothing. When the brightness/contrast returned to normal, a piece of data was left sitting quietly on the ground.

CanodumbA: DELETED
CanodumbB: DELETED
CanodumbC: DELETED
CanodumbD: DELETED
Metool: DELETED

Holoß: 80

Terrain: 100% Normal

-BATTLE WON!-
Guard 1, 200z

((Squee~! I had way too much love for this chip in the games XD))

With the realization that his last battery of attacks had finished off the virus, Holoß stumbled over to the remaining data. Collecting it, he looked to Aelieth for where to head from here.

"If I'm remembering right, the firewall developer's site is somewhere over there," Aelieth said, signaling Holoß to head in an "northeastern" direction. "You're doing great," he said encouragingly. "Once we get the patch for the firewall, we can try virus busting for fun," the netOp chimed with a smile.

Holoß nodded in approval. Though the hit from the Canodumb still stung his pride, he was starting to enjoy the challenges the viruses were providing. He headed off in the direction Aelieth indicated, keeping an eye out for any more wandering packs of virii.

((Oooo-oo-eee~, it's battle number 3))

Holoß continued heading northeast, seeing no problems and virus encounters for a good distance. But, the navi stepped on a cracked panel and it changed into a broken one. Holoß instinctively backed away, finding that the area he was in had a bunch of the cracked panels, and the three virus suddenly coming out of nowhere isn't helping at all!

FishyA: 90 [Fishy Group: Omnishoe]
FishyB: 90
FishyC: 90

Holoß: 80

Terrain:
2% Broken [Just in front of Holoß!]
28% Cracked
70% Normal

-BATTLE THREE, START!-

"Wow... these guys look tough..." Aelieth commented as Holo surveyed his surroundings. All of these cracked panels were going to cause a large problem with trying to dodge these guys' attacks... he thought. Backing up where his footing was solid before, he took stock of the viruses in front of him.

"Kay..." Holoß's operator commented, slotting in two chips, "You're going to have to play this one defensively." A sawed-off shotgun materialized in the Navi's hands as another chip queued up behind it. Conscious of the unstable terrain, Holo tried to line up his shot to use it to the maximum effect. Framing two Fishies in his sights, he pulled the trigger, letting fly a volley of ammunition. Readying his next chip, he taunted the viruses to attack, transforming into a Fishy and a hammer, performing a decent enactment of the former being repeated smashed by the later. When he thought he drew the virii's ire, he switched back and quickly threw up a screen sporting a familiar looking cross in the middle, tensing to jump to the side should they manage to make it through his guard.

--Summary--
1. Shotgun to FishyA, possibly FishyB (50 damage + Spread 1)
2. Guard (Reflect 1 hit, max 60 damage)
3. Dodge

((I'm unsure on fighting with different terrain. Can I still chose which panels I step on, or is there some overruling mechanic that determines that?))

((Yes, you can choose to stand on where you want through an action. Your RP will decide if you're going to either fall helplessly into a cracked hole or breeze right through them~~))

Holoß's shotgun aim wasn't as perfect as he hoped for, when the shotgun blast only managed to hit full contact on one Fishy. The other Fishy the navi was aiming for was scared shut when the bullets almost got him, making him scared to fight for now. The remaining Fishy bravely dashed straight to Holoß, but he already prepared his Guard up and successfully countered the attack with a powerful shockwave.

FishyA: 40 [Fishy Group: Omnishoe]
FishyB: 90
FishyC: 30

Holoß: 80

Terrain:
2% Broken [Just in front of Holoß!]
28% Cracked
70% Normal

Holo changed his stance yet again, adopting an offensive posture. "Almost out of chips..." Aelieth noted, their meager supply already halved. "Sending the Canon. Make the most of it." The chip clicked satisfyingly as it slid into the slot on the PET. A blip of data registered to Holoß as he surveyed the battlefield.

A wounded Fishy, its flight pattern seeming erratic to the Navi, caught his attention. He started towards the virus before he had to catch himself from stepping into the hole he almost stepped into earlier. Taking a few steps back, Holoß dashed forward, hurling himself over the pit in an attempt to land on the back of the damaged Fishy. Mid-jump, his chest transformed into a little replica of the virus his Cannon chip was modeled after. Angling the barrel down, the battle chip unloaded on the virus, trying to knock its target into one of the many damaged panels littering the field. The blast caused enough recoil to momentarily knock the holographic Navi's chest projector momentarily out of alignment.

As his leap continued to carry him after the attack, he transformed into a ball, ready to roll the landing and bounce away from incoming attacks.... hopefully

--Summary--
1. Tactical Movement to gain hight on FishyA
2. Cannon at FishyA (trying to knock into a cracked or broken panel. 40 damage + Knockback)
3. Dodge

((Made it better : D))

((lol, transforming into a ball XD))

The cannon fire knocked down the Fishy straight to the ground before it was completely deleted from existence. When the Fishy hit the ground, it caused a small shockwave that opened more cracked panels into broken panels. The other two Fishys tried to retaliate, but Holo's ball form easily bounced away from their attacks.

FishyA: DELETED [Fishy Group: Omnishoe]
FishyB: 90
FishyC: 30

Holoß: 80

Terrain:
12% Broken
18% Cracked
70% Normal

The ball that was Holoß bounced once more before the Navi slipped back into his normal form. Exasperation flushed over his face as he realized that he had landed right in the middle of a veritable minefield. Cracked and broken panels surrounded him on all sides, the relative safety of solid ground too far away for him to reach without attracting unwanted attention from the remaining viruses. Unable to think of an easy way out of this predicament, he looked to where the PET screen would be monitoring the fight, seeking guidance from his Operator.

Aelieth was at a loss for suggestions. Either Holo moved and provoked attacks, tired to circumvent the viruses and risked falling to the pits, or stood there and acted as easy prey for the malicious programs. He was about ready to pull the plug and Emergency Jack-Out the Navi when he noticed one of the damaged panels was sitting cocked in its setting, one corner rising higher than the others. "Quick," the NetOP said, slotting in his final chip, "make like a surfer!"

The odd comment threw Holoß completely off until he noticed the mismatched panel Aelieth had. A glowing bar rose from his feet as he activated the RageClaw. A backhoe with a strangely bear-like scoop dug into the cracked panel, prying the panel out of the ground in a solid whole. While still rising, the arm of the lift grew a free swinging weight at the opposite end, acting as a trebuchet. As the damaged panel made the change from being removed to flying through the air, the scoops claws sank into it and Holoß flowed onto the top of the now mobile platform. Unsteadily rising to his feet, he rode the panel over the damaged ground. When he was above the Fishys, he slammed his clawed fist into his ride, leaping from the panel as he sent it careening towards his enemies.

His landing was slightly less graceful than his attack. He hit the ground with unsteady footing and stumbled forward. Catching himself, he continued to run, zigging to the side to avoid the inevitable counter attacks from the viruses, zagging when also appropriate.

--Summary--
1. RageClaw (prying a cracked panel from the ground) (14 uses left)
2. RageClaw (sending the panel into the Fishys. FishyB if a direct target is needed. +10 damage from Untapped Powerl if applicable) (13 uses left)
3. Dodge

Holo and Aelieth's actions were certainly very unique. Using the pried panel as a sort of surfboard, the Fishys watched Holo fly as they were both in awe and confused. The panel smacked one of the Fishy right on the head, causing it to lose conscious for a second or two.

Before they knew it, the broken panels slowly turned back to normal panels.

FishyA: DELETED [Fishy Group: Omnishoe]
FishyB: 75
FishyC: 30

Holoß: 80 [On Normal Panels]

Terrain:
16% Broken
12% Cracked
72% Normal