The First Folly

"Phew! Glad that's over with! Now the cafe's going to be safe and we can sit back relax and tell everyone the whole heroic story!" Torrent rattled off as she strode purposefully back the way she'd come. "Guess we're all done here! No need to stick around! Nope! All done! Task comple-"



Her feet caught on the rocky floor, catapulting her into a collision course with a stalagmite. Close, dear Torrent, but no simulated cigar.

<<Are you kidding!?>> Hippie's incensed squealing was not pleasing to the ears of the bedraggled navi. <<This is a real, bona-fide, one-hundred perCENT genuine adventure cave! Can you imagine what sort of treasure's just waiting for us to grab in here? Doesn't it just boil you up inside imagining the endless possibilities, the secret weapons, the delicious mysteries, the horded riches...>>

Torrent left the sweet girl (really!) to natter on to herself. She trudged reluctantly forward through the dark cavern, longing for the sweet safety of her PET. Suddenly she had a thought. Balling up a small ball of liquid electricity, she manipulated the inherent static to extreme clingy-ness before attaching it to her forehead. A burst of energy lit up the bubble like a headlamp, giving her a little more light to see by.

<<Plus,>> Hippie abated from the endless ranting to focus on the issue at hand, <<we need to be super duper sure that this place has been completely de-virusized! Otherwise we'd have so much egg on our faces, you could hit us with a frying pan and call it breakfast!>>

Well, there was only one way that this was going end. Either with a solid, safe, barren wall... or something you wouldn't want to meet alone in a dark alley.


--VIRUS BUSTING, BATTLE 5, READY--

Torrent's journey to the end of the cave network brings her into a cavernous room, lit dimly by several glowing fragments buried within the rock. And what's this? Something in the phosphorescence moves; her searching nets her a discovery of...three Metools?!

But wait, something isn't right; none of them are turned to face her. Instead, the three of them have their backs turned, firing shockwaves into the gloom towards the back of the cavern. Something...or someone very noisy bellows incomprehensibly back at the Metools, finally destroying the viruses with a series of blasts that vaguely resembled standard Battlechip attacks.

"HA HA, CRUSHING PUNY VIRUSES HAS NEVER FELT SO GOOD!" came a sudden voice, emanating from the strange figure. It steps forward into the light, revealing the speaker as a black and grey NormalNavi, clad in a tattered red cloak that was flapping in the...nonexistent breeze.

The strange Navi points a dramatic finger at Torrent. "AHA, YOU MUST BE A RARE HEELNAVI! I WILL DEFEAT YOU AND CLAIM MY REWARD AS THE STRONGEST NETBATTLER IN THE NET WORLD, DARKSPIRITZERO.EXE! QUICKLY, JORDAN QUICKSILVER, SEND ME A BATTLECHIP!" The verbal regurgitation makes Torrent's ears ring as the so-called DarkSpiritZero rolls...and then jumps....and finally springs into a battle stance.

-Foe-
DarkSpiritZero.EXE: 100HP

-Terrain-
100% Normal

-Navi-
Torrent.EXE: 100HP

-THE NOT-SO-FATED DUEL-
-BATTLE #5: BEGIN!-

Torrent's trudging led to the end of the long, dark, probably-full-of-navi-eating-monsters cavern. Glowing packets of data gave lit the surroundings, revealing a room seemingly absent of the rocky outcroppings that plagued the rest of the cave. The ground was mostly broken rock which, on closer inspection, did not seem natural at all.

Suddenly, the sounds of carnage and shouting startled Torrent and she failed to dive behind any substantial cover. Eventually the dust settled, revealing not another awful creature but another navi.

Finally. Someone she didn't have to fight.

"AHA! YOU MUST BE A RARE HEELNAVI!"

"'Heelnavi?'" Torrent stood up, waving her hands in an assuaging manner. "Oh, no no no! Far from it! I am the hero of the nearby realm, a protector of the weak (including myself) and a generally awesome person to kno- WOAH!"

Torrent tumbled into a stuttered scramble to avoid an incoming attack, scrabbling along the strewn rocks.

"H-hold on! I'm not your enemy!" Torrent cried, backpedaling away from the deranged navi. "Hippie, we should get out of here!"

Hippie, however, was inclined to the opposite.

<<Hey, I know about this Quicksilver guy!>> Hippie claimed with energetic revulsion. <<They say he's so fast and mean that he could steal a hundred candies from a hundred babies in the time it takes for you to walk an old lady across the street!>>

Torrent balked at the almost tangible ire being broadcast from her PET.

"W-well, maybe Wickerman can deal with hi-"

<<GET HIM!>> Hippie shrieked, wild bloodlust boiling in her veins. <<MAKE HIM SUFFER!!!>>

Torrent's protests were interrupted by a furiously strummed Twang!

Her arm began to bubble, a cannon rising from the roiling, electric spheres.

Oh, bugger me.



---TORRENT'S TURN SUMMARY---


[1]: Woah, indeed! (Dodge)

[2]: {Sig, 2TCD} Hydro Power (50 HP Barrier + Counter (Melee Hit): Knockback) -> Torrent

[3]: Cannon (60 dmg + Knockback, A) -> DarkSpiritLOSER.EXE
[3+]: Marksmanship (+1 Shot Accuracy)


[Cooling] Hydro Power, 2 Turns Left

<(It should be noted, Roy, that while I can understand trying for a thematic writing style...you spent precisely one sentence prepping your Cannon (and not even firing it), and didn't even RP your Hydro Barrier in the slightest. There's minimalistic, and there's missing things; please take care to choose the former.)>

Torrent scrambles back as DarkSpiritZero takes a dramatic stance, raising his black buster and pointing it with wholly-unnecessary flair at the electric Navi. Clumsy as she is, Torrent trips backwards, landing flat on her butt and staring straight down the barrel, as a well of blackest energy announces the dark Navi's strongest attack in his repertoire. "TASTE THE POWER OF MY ULTIMATE ATTACK, NEGATIVE CRUSH ZONE ENDER! TAKE THIS!" he yells at a volume generally reserved for excited children, and fires the attack.

Thankfully, Torrent just manages to get her trusty shield up on time, and while the signature attack annihilates the defence, she herself is unharmed. "WHAT? THAT'S NOT FAIR, THAT WAS MY ULTIMATE ATTACK!" DarkSpiritZero whines, once again at unnecessary volume. His opponent simply replies with a Cannon blast aimed straight at his centre of mass, which he evades with an aerial backflip and a couple more superfluous rolls. "I DODGE YOU!" he cries out dramatically...simply announcing once more that his mental age could not be any higher than 12.

"I HAVE YOU NOW, RARE HEELNAVI! JORDAN QUICKSILVER, SEND ME A BATTLECHIP!" The voiceless Operator apparently comes through, as the so-called 'Most Powerful NetBattler' raises a standard-design Heatshot, that nonetheless does its job perfectly well in sending a fireball searing down the length of the cave, impacting against Torrent with considerable force.

-Foe-
DarkSpiritZero.EXE: 100HP

-Terrain-
100% Normal

-Navi-
Torrent.EXE: 60HP [Hydro Power broken!]

((Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I was trying to rush through it on a dwindling supply of motivation. Even after all this time I'm still learning how to play the game.

Thanks for sticking with me, and for being so patient. (^-^ )b ))




Light. Heat. Pain.

Fire blossomed across Torrent's torso as the black navi's Heatshot found its mark. She screamed as burning agony raced along her clothes and receptors.

For the first time that day Torrent had taken the full brunt of an attack. And it hurt.

The impact knocked her backward and she sprawled along the ground in a charred tumble. Her panicking arms flailed at the small flames smoldering on her torso, frantically beating them into submission.

She might have heard shocked exclamations from her otherworldly companion, but the sheer, unrelenting terror overwhelmed the senses. She was going to die. The viruses were one thing, scary yet alien, but this was another Navigator like herself. Obsessive to the point of dangerous, yes, but still a person. Torrent didn't know if she had the grit to actually... murder. If she couldn't convince him to stand down... then only one of them would be leaving this cave in one piece.

"P-please, you're mistaken!" Torrent begged, scrambling to her knees. The sincerity pouring out like a faucet of fear. "I'm a regular n-n-n-navi, just like y-you! Can't we t-t-t-talk about this?"

Torrent turned her grovelling, puppy dog eyes up at her opponent, watchful for any dangerous movements taken by the erratic navi that weren't simply immature showboating.

<<Torry! This guy's not going to listen!>> Hippie's insistent guidance breaking through the terror clouding her mind. <<Plus, he's a total jerk!>>

"I d-don't want to kill if I can h-h-help it, Hippie!" Torrent hissed quietly.

When the black navi made his move Torrent flinched, reflexively outstretching a hand. Bursting from her palm, a shell of solid froth coalesced between Torrent and her irrational assailant.

<<He's not backing down, Torrent!>> Hippie's desperation became evident with the absence of a nickname. <<Uh... Maybe you can scare him off? Here!>>

Torrent didn't have time to consider. She might not need to outright destroy the navi, but perhaps hurting him would force a retreat.

Hippie's shield dissipated. If he liked fire, so be it. Two can play at that.

Twang!

Ruby-coloured bubbles erupted from the pores along Torrent's outstretched arm, frothing from her elbow to her fingertips. A long string of scarlet bubbles rushed out of her palm towards DarkSpiritZero, their insides boiling with emberous charges. Gritting her teeth, Torrent squeezed down on the first bubble within her grasp, popping it and unleashing its fiery contents. The small explosion caused a chain reaction that blazed down the line of red bubbles, discharging the heated power of her battlechip.

Flames still licking the stone floor, Torrent rose. "L-l-listen to me!" She squeaked, harnessing as much bravado as her dwindling supply could muster. "I'm not worth k-killing, and I d-d-don't want to f-f-f-fight you! I'm n-n-not going t-to drop a r-rare chip! S-s-so there's no p-point in battling!"

Torrent's diplomacy was put to the test. She readied to scurry out of danger if Dark's response was less gracious.



---TORRENT'S TURN SUMMARY---


[1]: Woah x2 (Shield)

[2]: FireBurn (50 dmg + LineAttack(3), Fire, A) -> DorkSpiritZero.EXE
[2+]: Marksmanship (+1 Shot Accuracy)

[3]: SWIFT SCAMPER! (Dodge)


[Cooling] Hydro Power, 1 Turn Left

((Bump))

"ARGH!" the cloaked Navi growled, an utterance clearly based more in childlike frustration than intimidation. "WHY DO ALL THESE STUPID HEELNAVIS ALWAYS TELL ME THEY'RE NOT HEELNAVIS? AND DON'T EVEN THINK YOU'RE THE SAME AS ME! I'M A VETERAN OF A THOUSAND BATTLES, STEEPED IN DARKNESS! REAL BATTLES, NOT JUST VIRUS BATTLES! I DON'T JUST FIGHT VIRUSES!"

DarkSpiritZero seemed to be keeping up his Unhearing Jerk routine pretty well, and for her part, Torrent kept up her usual bit of hiding behind a shield. She didn't have to be a psychic to predict what he was going to do next. "I'VE FINALLY GOT- I MEAN, I'VE USUALLY GOT THE HP ADVANTAGE! AND THIS TIME... I DO AGAIN!" The Navi punctuated that deep thought with dramatic fist pump. "JORDAN QUICKSILVER DON'T WASTE MY ADVANTAGE. CANNON!"

Not one to simply sit there and let her shield be hit, Torrent managed to scamper out of the way, causing the cannon to harmlessly shatter some of the rocks behind her.

"I SAID I'M NOT GOING TO WASTE THIS ADVANTAGE! AND I'M NOT! LOOK AROUND YOU CAREFULLY! SEE THIS CAVE?" DarkSpiritZero raised his arms to indicate the cave all around them. "A FEW MORE ATTACKS LIKE THAT AND I CAN BRING THIS CAVE DOWN ON YOUR HEAD AND THEN I'LL DIG YOUR ZENNY AND CHIPS OUT FROM THE RUBBLE!"

In spite of all his posturing, it was clear that DarkSpiritZero had ill intentions for his opponent. Thus, no one would fault her for launching an attack of her own in self-defense. No longer taking it lying down, Hippie finally convinced her Navi to launch a counteroffensive. DarkSpiritZero let out a gasp of surprise and tried to do a fancy backflip, which would have successfully dodged Torrent's red bubbles... if he hadn't been dodging straight back into their line.

Landing gracelessly on his back in a sea of red, boiling misery, the Navi let out a cry of pain. "AAAAAIIIIIII!! NO! I'M NOT GONNA LOSE THIS ONE! WHAT? NO, I'M NOT!" the Navi bellowed, apparently arguing with his operator as he clamored back to his feet. "NOW YOU'LL SEE ME LAUNCH MY COUNTERATTACK! YOUR RED BUBBLES ARE LIKE BUBBLY BLOOD FOR MY ULTIMATE REAPERBLADE! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH SUPER REAPERBLADE LEVEL ZERO!!"

It certainly sounded like the Navi intended for the level zero to imply a great deal of power, but to his opponent, it probably just looked like an ordinary Rageclaw. "MY REAPERBLADE WILL TEAR YOU AND THIS CAVE APART, LEAVING NOTHING BEHIND BUT YOUR BLOOD AND YOUR SPIRIT AND HOPEFULLY MONEY AND A CHIP! GET READY, HEELNAVI!" It was true that the Navi looked more intense than before. Perhaps Torrent really should be careful...

Then again, it seemed pretty doubtful he would actually be able to bring the cave down.

-Foe-
DarkSpiritZero.EXE: 50HP

-Terrain-
100% Normal

-Navi-
Torrent.EXE: 60HP

Hippie whooped gaily as the blossoming flames struck the arrogant DarkSpiritZero, though it failed to silence his uproarious outbursts. Recalling the flaming pain she herself had experienced just moments ago, Torrent winced in sympathy. It didn't bring her any joy to see another navi suffer like that.

"Just s-stop, alright! C-c-cut it out!" Torrent begged, tears in her eyes. She flicked her wrist, igniting a crackling, electric-green froth that boiled out of her rubber gauntlets. The bubbles rolled together, boiling into a solid shield that was shakily interspersed between the two navis as Torrent blubbered, "No one n-needs to d-d-d-d... get r-really, really hurt!"

Unfortunately, Dark didn't appear discouraged in the least by the fiery blaze, instead his aggressive manner and temper ignited into a furious malice. Threats and boasts echoed around the cavern, and Torrent reluctantly concluded that he wouldn't quit until he was forcefully subdued.

"Q-quick! Hippie! Give me something that won't kill him!"

Over the PET's intercom, she could her a flustered Hippie fumbling with her battle chips. The sound of light, plastic rain clattered as the contents of Hippie's folder spilled over her diner table.

<<Ah... Uhh... A shotgun's not that strong... Right?>>

Torrent felt the battlechip energy flow into her right arm; in the rush, Hippie hadn't waited for confirmation before slashing the chip across her PET's frets.

"I d-don't know! Y-you're the one that's s-supposed to keep track of things like that!"

The shotgun bubbled into its functional shape, the wide-barrelled cylinder promising only pain to those on the receiving end. Hopefully this might make DarkSpiritZero think twice before continuing with his disillusioned rampage.

"Okay! I'm armed! I'm warning you!" Torrent waved the weapon in the air in what she hoped was a threatening display. "Why d-don't we just talk? Maybe we can sort this out so that everyone wins! O-okay? I know you're not a bad guy, so please stop trying to kill me!"

The cloaked navi responded by summoning a rageclaw, making his intentions clear as polished crystal. She doubted Dark's claims about burying her in rubble, but furious hysteria had unpredictable effects.

<<Careful, Torry! Here he comes!>>

The dark navi approached, rambling about his inherent, somewhat desperate need to obliterate her. What would make someone become like this? Pride? Greed? Some sort of personal failing? There had to be something more to it. Everyone had a reason for doing what they did. Perhaps if she wounded him just enough, he'd be unable to keep fighting. Then they could all sit down, put away the battle chips and discuss this as sane, mature, non-murderous adults.

"L-listen, please!" Torrent tried one last time to get the navi to come to his senses. Her boots flew a trembling tango as she circled sideways, keeping DarkSpirit in sight whilst preventing him from having an easy time cutting her to shreds. Her shoulders tensed, prepared for both a quick roll to avoid razor sharp claw blades and to resist the recoil from the shotgun. "If there's something r-really bothering you, we can help! Please!"

Torrent sighted DarkSpiritZero down the length of her trembling firearm, pulling the trigger when she could see the whites of his maddened eyes.

I sincerely hope you have an Undershirt...




[1]: Woah x3 (Shield)

[2]: TANGO TAKE OFF! (Dodge)

if(DarkSpirit attacks){
[3]: Shotgun (50 dmg + Spread 1) -> DarkSpiritHERO
[3+]: Marksmanship (+1 Shot Accuracy)
}

Torrent's unwillingness to spontaneously explode into a bounty of loot only seemed to be infuriating her assailant further, despite her pleas. A borderline insane zeal blazed in the other navi's eyes as he came at her 'reaperblade' in hand. His response to her continued attempts at diplomacy, rationality, and general sanity, were about as predicted:

"RAARRRGGHHH!! DIE NOW, RARE HEENAVI!!!" The bellow heralded another excessively flourishing, spinning jump strike that slowed the attack itself down considerably, and, along with his own shouted warning, made it very easy for Torrent to dance out of the way. Instead, his claw crushed another innocent lump of rock.

"HOLD STILL!! THAT'S NOT FAIR, HEELNAVIS DON'T DODGE! REAPERBLADE FINAL FINISHER COMBINATION STRIKE!! RARRGHH!!" Undaunted, the DeludedDarkSpirit sprang up into another series of unnecessary acrobatic motions, ending with him slamming the claw down towards Torrent a second time. In between he managed to obliterate another stalagmite of rock just off to her left; a swing and a miss, perhaps? Either way, the 'final' blow of his finishing move saw his claws colliding with torrent's own protective shield, leaving the navi herself unharmed and ready to retaliate against the needlessly violent attacker at point blank range.

In the midst of pulling back his claws for another go, the blast from Torrent ripped through him, making him stagger back from her with a cry of overly melodramatic anguish.

"ARGGH, NO!! THIS IS NOT THE END!!" Being down to his undershirt apparently didn't put a damper on his volume as DarkSpiritZero rolled over and scrambled away from Torrent with, admittedly, impressive speed. He ducked behind one of the remaining stalagmites, apparently hiding in the shadows, though it was still pretty easy to spot him.

"NONE CAN CATCH THE STRONGEST NETBATTLER IN THE NET WORLD, DARKSPIRITZERO.EXE! NONE WILL SEE HIM BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! YOU ARE TOO SLOW, RARE HEELNAVI, YOU CAN NEVER DEFEAT ME!" From behind his 'hiding' spot, the navi pulled his ragged cloak about his face, though it was a little too small to create the wanted effect, and dashed over to hide between another, equally too small spire of rock.

"I MARK YOU AS MY NEMESIS!! WHEN WE MEET AGAIN, I WILL CLAIM ALL OF YOUR CHIPS AND MONEY!! JORDAN QUICKSILVER, DRAMATIC DARK HERO'S EXIT, NOW!" He stood still for a few moments, posed and only partially hidden by his cover, before an impressively generic and ordinary jack-out beam relieved Torrent of his presence.

The biggest reward was probably being spared DarkSpiritZero's continued presence, but if she was looking for something a little more tangible, there was a surprising amount of useful data to be found amongst the destroyed rubble in the area... and some not so useful data, too, left roughly where the navi in question had fled.


-=Foe=-
DarkSpiritZero.EXE: 1HP [Fled]

-=Terrain=-
100% Normal

-=Navi=-
Torrent.EXE: 60HP

-=Battle 5, The Ill-Fated Duel: Victory!=-

Rewards: 700z, UltimateZeroSpiritDarkChip3 [This is actually a crudely drawn picture of DarkSpiritZero, stuck to a vaguely square piece of plastic. It has no value.]

The damaged DarkSpiritZero's ranting only increased while he prepared his getaway. Although victorious, Torrent couldn't help feel a little guilt at causing the obviously deranged navi extreme amounts of pain. Granted, it had been an act of self-defence, but still...

"Dark, listen!" She called for the cloaked navi's attention as he posed dramatically, "If you ever need someone to talk to, just-"

But her unstable antagonist, still adamant about collecting her head, vanished back to his operator's care.

A chip clattered to the ground, ejected from the jack-out beam. Torrent approached, collecting the navi's dropped spoils, and picked up the unusual chip. A picture of DarkSpirit had been drawn onto what from a distance looked like a chip, but was merely an amateurish reproduction with crayons and a plastic coaster. Torrent studied it with weary eyes, then pocketed the craftwork in a bubbling flash of green light.

<<I'm so sorry, Torry...>> What was Hippie being sorry for? If it hadn't been for her, she would have been blasted into digital dust long ago. <<I got a bit carried away... When I heard it was Quicksilver operating that guy... Ugh. I just got so mad!>>

Torrent collapsed to the floor, spreading her limbs to give them space to rest. The last hour had been one of the most harrowing experiences in her life.

<<I need to be a better operator for you. I screwed up so many times it's not even funny. I was so stupid, thinking you were okay with fighting and killing...>> Torrent sat upright, much to her aching body's regret, when she heard her operator sniff wetly, <<You're a better person than me, Torry...>>

A harrowing and terrifying experience, true. Torrent had been unprepared, physically and mentally for the rigours of net battling. But to say the journey had been completely horrible would be... inaccurate.

A tiny smile worked its way into Torrent's tired lips. "There were some moments that really scared me. If I could I'd probably have wet myself." She looked up to where she knew her PET screen would be. "But... I really feel like this wasn't so bad. I feel, like, this is something I can actually do now. Not just dream about it and tell fake stories." Torrent flopped back down onto the ground, smiling up at her operator. "I'm living my dream, Hippie. And I wouldn't have been able to do it without you. Thanks for... pushing me. Maybe we could do this again sometime."

<<Oooh! You sap!>> Hippie coughed wetly, thick, happy tears marring her voice. <<If I could, I'd give you such a super big hug! C'mere you!>>

The cave glowed a welcoming green, and the no-longer-so-cowardly navi dissolved in a froth of happy, emerald bubbles.

---TORRENT.EXE JACK OUT!---