Last-Second Rush

"I do not comprehend why we are visiting this network, when the delivery mission is set to begin so soon," said the explosion of lightning as it shot down out of the sky and congealed into a Navi. Raiden straightened up, recognizing the network as one that he had already visited once before.

"Do you have to know everything?"

"No, but the knowledge would be beneficial to--"

"Just shut up and go find some viruses to bust."

"All right," he responded hesitantly as he headed off, still not quite understanding why Anti was so eager to go on a busting run at this point in time.

[Battle 1, please.]
Raiden comes across a smaller group of viruses.

BoomerA 60HP
BoomerB 60HP
ChampuA 60HP
ChampuB 60HP
MarkcannonA 60HP
MarkcannonB 60HP

Raiden 140HP

BATTLEROUTINE...SET>>>EXECUTE
"Here we go."

Raiden's eyes flicked over each of the viruses in turn. There was nothing foreign here, although those two boomerang-throwing viruses did pose quite the elemental hazard to him. He would have to go about eliminating those first off.

"Anti, please present me with a Fire-elemental weapon."

Before long, there was a small point of flame rising between his fingers. He ran his hands over it, teasing the outer layer further away from the core, forming a miniature sun in his grasp that slowly grew. In his mind, a path that led around the group, over a couple of advertisments, and to a spot where the two Boomers were lined up perfectly formed. If he could just get to that spot, then he would have an excellent chance of destroying both of them with the same shot. Two viruses with one Chip, he believed the saying went.

He brought his entire centre of gravity down and then lunged forward, taking off in a single long stride. The fireball still waited in his hands, the wind of his passage tugging at the flame and doing its best to put it out. He shielded the fragile sphere of fiery death with his fingers, hoping that the trip to the chosen spot didn't end in disaster as he put the Heatshot out. However, he made the hop over the spam that floated near ground level with no problem in sight, and skidded to a halt where the two Boomers were aligned in perfect formation.

He pulled his arm back, holding the fireball between his fingers, and executed an extremely uncomfortable-looking delivery in which he released the fastball of a Heatshot upon the back end of the first Boomer.

"Anti, it may not be a prudent decision, but I feel confident enough to take a risk!" Raiden called up. "I would like to turn my attention to the Champu next. Please send the--"

Before he could even ask for the chip he wanted, though, he found the Bubbler's data already in his system. It was impossible for him to keep even a small smile down. It seemed as though he and Anti were starting to get into one another's minds, and could almost tell what they were thinking.

Sort of.

Raiden brought his hands together, the palms facing up, and a small raincloud appeared above them. The blue faded from the world around him as a tiny deluge of rain poured down into his hands. Instead of flooding out through the nooks and crannies between his fingers, though, it was pulled together by some invisible force to form a single sphere of pure blue-white water. The raincloud broke apart and floated away on the digital breeze. He took one hand away, jiggling the water sphere slightly in his other, and leaned down. He snapped his wrist as he threw it, sending it skipping across the panels like a rock across a lake, straight toward one of the Champu.

[1. Line up shot
2. Heatshot on BoomerA, splash to BoomerB (40 x 2 = 80 damage each)
3. Bubbler on ChampuA (50 x 2 = 100 damage]
The boomers and champu are blasted to Cinders and Dregs as the markcannons target Raiden. He dives away from the first shot but has not the time to escape the second.


BoomerA DELETED
BoomerB DELETED
ChampuA DELETED
ChampuB DELETED
MarkcannonA 60HP
MarkcannonB 60HP

Raiden 130HP
Raiden took the shot in the middle of his chest, just under the emblem, and was sent stumbling backwards from the force of the attack. He caught his weight quickly once more and managed to keep from toppling over backwards. Only two of the viruses remained; all he needed to throw in was one good volley, and he would be done for this round.

In less than a second, the data for his trump chip was in his systems. He grabbed hold of it and dragged it out into the Internet proper, watching as the red drained from the network itself as he did so. The crimson colour went flooding through the panels below him like a great whirlpool that was centred on the two Markcannons that he hadn't deleted. The red collected in two circles underneath the viruses, and it seemed to shimmer ominously, as if foreshadowing what would inevitably happen next.

Raiden lowered one hand to his side. The red circles seem to bow as well. It seemed as though they were preparing to lunge upward and consume the two viruses. He found that odd; they had never done anything like that before. Regardless, he bent his knees slightly and then swung his arm up above his head. Right on cue, two pillars of flame roared upward, sucking in the air around them and throwing off rolls of heat that told of the massive combustion that was going on inside of them. Then they winked out, sending ash flying in all directions. Raiden remained where he stood, watching the soot fall, waiting to see what the results of his work were. If he had been off the mark, he was more than ready to fling himself out of the way.

[1. Flameline on MarkcannonA + MarkcannonB (70 damage each)
2. Dodge
3. Dodge]
The markcannons are toasted by the flames!


BoomerA DELETED
BoomerB DELETED
ChampuA DELETED
ChampuB DELETED
MarkcannonA DELETED
MarkcannonB DELETED

Raiden 130HP

VICTORY!

Rewards: 300z, Markcannon1
"Shoot. Raiden, we're moving.

He looked up questioningly. "May I inquire as to--"

"It's for homework."

"You've procrastinated on it again?"

She glared darkly at her PET. "Yeah. So what? It's never a problem. Shut up and move. We're going to ACDC, because I think the page I need is there."

"I understand," he muttered, taking off at a quick clip toward the NetSquare portal that was only a minute or two of a walk away.

[Done here. Please close.]