On the Net Part II

Gunner slowly stepped out of the white haze surrounding the link to ACDC. This place was different, all right... ACDC didn't have any of these billboard ads or Net stores... But the aura of hustle and bustle that surrounded this place was an atmosphere he and Swift had become accustomed to. He turned to face the link, waiting patiently for his partner to emerge.
Ergo was a little less graceful with his entrance to the Electown net. As he stumbled his way through the link, he noticed Gunner standing a bit off. "Note to self: Never go through a link in mid stride. Just stand on it..." he muttered as he walked over to the Navi.

"Sooo," he said, rubbing his hands together, "What's up?"
Gunner nodded to Ergo in a sort of half-greeting as the navi stepped -- no, tripped -- out of the link. "Well, I guess we just look for anything interesting. This isn't one of the really commercial areas of Electown Net, so there's not much traffic -- perfect for viruses." He raised one gloved fist in an enthusiastic manner. "Let's be off, then." He chose a random direction and began walking. This was more fun than he had expected... Battling with a partner added a new element of teamwork to the mix.

((Battle 5))
((Apparently when you switch areas, the battle count resets. Sorry guys. I'll reset your HP, at least.))

Virus Attack!

MagneakerA: 70
MagneakerB: 70
MagneakerC: 70
HanzA: 100
HanzB: 100
HanzC: 100

Gunner: 100
Ergo: 100

Battle 1 Start!
((Huh. Thought I remembered, on the old board, Militiaman or someone just continuing their battles as they passed through areas. Guess that changed. Don't see any reason for this rule, anyway.
Well, at any rate...
Damnit! DX
But I'll make a post after school.))
EDIT: ((Heresa-yousa-gosa))
"Well, here they are... I remember these guys!" Gunner's revolver was already in his left hand, and in his right was a complete inversion of the other revolver's dark steel: This pistol gleamed brighter than silver. However, as he shifted his hand on the grip one could see that it was the same dark red color as the grip of its twin. "But... The magnet dudes are clearly electric, but I don't think the Glover Trio there has any element at all. I'll have to change my strategy for this one... No more abusing elements for me. What a shame." His words sounded remorseful, but the madman's grin was still spread across his face. It shifted slightly, now carrying an air of determination to it. "Brute force this time around! Ergo, let's beat them back with all we have!"

The first three shots were ordinary enough. Since they were Shotgun rounds, though, the kickback was enormous, even for the user. By the time he had fired off three shots, he had been pushed back nearly a foot. One would expect another such retort when he pulled the triggers of both his pistols simultaneously, but no shots rang out. Instead, a golden light began to issue forth from the twin revolvers. He moved his arms in an arc, the guns leaving trails of golden light behind them until they met again behind Gunner's back. Now there was a ring of solid light encircling the navi... But with a sudden motion he swept both arms forward, sending the ring spinning at the group of viruses!

_____________________
1. Shotgun to HanzA (50+10, [A], splash to HanzB)
2. Shotgun to HanzB (50+10, [A], splash to HanzA)
3. Shotgun to MagneakerC (50+10, [A], splash to MagneakerB)
4. Zapring to HanzC (40+10, [A], Stun?)
"Brute force... gotcha." Ergo said, training a newly downloaded shotgun of his own at one of the Magneakers. The data rocketed out of the end of the barrel, each pellet a harbinger of upcoming doom. As the attack rained down upon the area around the virus, Ergo felt new data upload into his buster. Heat visibly poured out of the end of the weapon and Ergo, eager to unload this new attack upon the viruses, watched in fascination as twin fireballs screamed across the gap between the Navis and the viral constructs, one exploding after the other. He finished up with nothing near as flashy as Gunner. Just a lot more gruesome. Pulling his halberd out of nothingness, he strode over to the (stunned?) Hanz and jammed it straight into the middle of it. With a evil grin, he executed a Drilling Strike, the blade rotating as it stuck out of the virus and essentially liquifying the Hanz's internal data into an unrecognizable goo.

((Turn Order: Shotgun (50 damage to MagneakerA, with possible splash to MagneakerB)
Heatshot (40 damage to MagneakerA, with possible splash to MagneakerC)
Drilling Strike (60 Damage to HanzC)
))

((I feel like a having a bit of bloodlust today ))
The first Hanz was caught square by Gunner's Shotgun, and the splash leaked over to nail the other Hanz as well. The Navi aimed his other revolver at the second Hanz and fired. It was deleted by the power of the chip, but the splash was skillfully avoided by the damaged Hanz. The third Shotgun dealt some serious hurt to one of the Magneakers, but didn't delete it. Its friend was also massively damaged by the attack, but like the other, it managed to keep itself together. The Zapring that Gunner fired nailed the last Hanz, and it locked up and fell to the panels below, stunned by the massive charge in the attack.

Ergo followed up with an equally punishing set of attacks. His Shotgun hit the selected Magneaker, and destroyed the one that Gunner had already done a number on. His Heatshot hit one of the Magneakers, but the splash just missed the other. As Ergo strode forward and made a total mess out of the last Hanz with his Drilling Strike, the surviving Magneaker fired a bomb at Ergo. It made contact, pinning Ergo down. The virus kicked off, charging toward the Navi to make painful contact. However, in a second of terrible communication, the last Hanz darted into the way to deal a pimpslap while Ergo was pinned down! Both of the viruses went flying off in separate directions, the Hanz taking the damage from the attack it had accidentally intercepted.

MagneakerA: DELETED!
MagneakerB: DELETED!
MagneakerC: 10
HanzA: 20
HanzB: DELETED!
HanzC: DELETED!

Gunner.EXE: 100 HP
Ergo.EXE: 70 HP
((Is Ergo stunned now, or what?))
"Ergo!" Gunner's concern for the navi shifted into laughter as the two viruses collided in a cacophony of grating metal. "These guys are really stupid... They could have dealt some serious pain." Twin orbs of white light tinged with red had begun to collect at the ends of Gunner's beloved revolvers. "Now they've made it so much easier for us to kill them." He brough the guns together, the two balls of coalesced energy connecting and merging with each other to become an orb roughly the size of Gunner's head. "And if they hadn't barreled into each ther, I wouldn't have been able to kill them with only this." Two simultaneous clicks broke the relative silence and heralded the virus' doom. The ball shrank momentarily before flaring out with unbelievable speed at the unfortunate Hanz. It only lasted for a moment, leaving only a dancing yellow streak in Gunner's vision. "You're well enough to handle the other one, right?" He called to his comrade as he slid his two weapons back into the Holster's dark cradle.

________________
1-3. Charge Shot to HanzA (36)
4. Dodge
((Ugh... sorry for posting so late. I was out all last night and had work until about an hour ago. Work on the weekend sucks...))

Ergo let out a small groan of annoyance as he tried to lift one of his feet, to no avail. "Eh, I've been hit worse," he called back to Gunner, failing at another attempt to liberate his legs. "Gimme a sec..." Nik told his Navi, slotting in a battle chip. Fractions of a second later, Ergo's arm dissolved and reformed into a gun barrel for the second time that fight. Targeting the Magneaker that had flown back after colliding with the Hanz, he let loose a mighty blast from the business end of the weapon. As a final precaution, Nik sent Ergo a guard. Better safe than sorry.

((Turn Order: Cannon to remaining Magneaker (40 damage)
Guard
))

The pair manages to delete the remaining viruses!

MagneakerA: DELETED!
MagneakerB: DELETED!
MagneakerC: DELETED
HanzA: DELETED
HanzB: DELETED!
HanzC: DELETED!

Gunner.EXE: 100 HP
Ergo.EXE: 70 HP

VICTORY!!

Rewards: 300z, Magbomb1 <Both>
"Well," Ergo commented as, with an almighty effort, he finally managed to break the bond the magnetic bomb had created between him and the ground, "that was fun." He ran a quick self diagnostic; he was hurt, but, as he had said before, he'd been hurt worse in the past. "So, ready to push on?" he asked Gunner, doing a quick set of stretches while he waited.
Gunner nodded in approval. Of course, there was no doubt in his mind that his comrade would be fine; he had already proven his strength. "Of course! These guys are way more fun than those ACDC pushovers!" He replied, already walking deeper into the Net.
Virus Attack!

BillyA: 50
BillyB: 50
BillyC: 50
CactyA: 70
CactyB: 70
CactyC: 70
LarkA: 100
LarkB: 100
LarkC: 100

Gunner: 100
Ergo: 70

Battle 2 Start!
"It's time for a little gardening," Ergo chuckled, a madcap grin hidden beneath his face mask. He swung his halberd to bear at the Cacties and tensed his legs for a running start. "Wait, Ergo." Nik chimed in just as his Navi began his charge. Ergo, who had been focusing almost entirely on blitzing the viruses, started at Nik's voice and was caught Ergo off guard, causing him to misstep. He stumbled forward in an attempt to catch himself, failed, and ended up on his face.

"Warn me then next time you're about to do that..." he grumbled, getting back on his feet. "So, what do you want?"

"You can't seem to walk today," Nik commented. Ergo began tapping his foot impatiently. There were viruses to purge, and he was being forced to stop and listen to his operator make fun of him. "Anyway," Nik continued, "brute force isn't always the answer. Take a closer look at those viruses you were about to bum-rush."

Ergo faced the viruses and, picking one out at random, scanned it's data signature.
"Cacty: the cactus plant virus. Type: Wood. Hit Points: 70. Attack Power: Unknown." He recited as he read the data from the signature. "You're point?"

"That recklessly charging in isn't the most efficient method. We could maximize the damage we can do it we plan out our attack. They're wood viruses, which means that Heatshot makes for a better attack. The Billies have relatively low health, so using large, area encompassing attacks could mow right through them. The flying guys are, well... flying. Either attacking from above or finding a way to pin them down is the way to go. Going ballistic is fine and dandy when fighting solo, but a large group like this needs some strategy behind it," Nik finished. While it wasn't really his style, Ergo had to admit that Nik's argument did have some persuasive points behind it.

"...Fine. So what's the next move?" he asked, thinking that all this talking wasn't doing too much to help get rid of the viruses.

"Heatshot the Cacties, Shotgun the Billies. With any luck, we'll give Gunner a lot less work." Nik replied, slotting in aforementioned Heatshot and Shotgun. Ergo begrudgingly agreed. Sure, he understood the need for planning. When missing Navis were actually kidnapped, blindly rushing in put both his and the other's life in danger. But this was just virus busting for fun. Surely he didn't have to be as careful here?

Ergo activated the Heatshot and Shotgun simultaneously, a small magazine carrying the second shot appearing just south of the buster's barrel. Attempting to align it just right, he sidestepped then fired, sending twin balls of firey doom screaming across the gap between him and the viruses. Without breaking stride, he shifted his focus to the Billies, the spent data from the Heatshot chip flying out of the side of his buster as the magazine shifted to load the next shot. A similar blast, this one of bullets rather than fire, raced from the barrel to the viruses, a spray of bullet data creating little pock marks in everything they came in contact with.

"Now what?" Ergo asked. A shield on his arm was his answer, which he quickly brought between him and the viruses. It looked like Nik's plan might greatly reduce the viruses' ranks. Still wasn't as fun as going berserk, though...

((Turn order: After a lengthy and more likely than not unneeded conversation between NetOp and Navi, Heatshot to CactyB (40 damage + Elemental bonus, possible splash to either CactyA or C, depending on whichever one the Mod wants to take it.)
Shotgun to BillyB (50 damage, possible splash to BillyA or B, also depending on Mod)
Guard.
))
Gunner watched as Ergo efficiently tore through the virii, the beginnings of a smile across his face."Nice job... I'll handle the Larks, I guess, along with whatever's left over from your atacks."
"I have some chips picked out... We couldn't have asked for a better spread. With some luck, we can get rid of them before they can attack." Swift was reviewng the chips he had fanned between the fingers of his right hand. A Zapring, to ge rid of the first Lark. Two Shotguns, to decimate the other two. And finally, a Heatshot, to get rid of the two lone virii that Ergo's attacks had left behind.

The Cursor navi felt the chip data flood his systems, flipping through them in his head... He grinned as he realised what Swift had moments ago. "We might just be able to get them all..." But I have to make sure everything hits as planned. Three splash chips... That's pushing it, especially since they have to be lined up just so. But! Gunner's grip tightened around the handle of his favorite revolver. If I start to think I'll mess up, I probably will. Nothing to do now but to aim the gun, and pull the trigger... And, after all... Gunner smiled, his lighthearted attitde breaking past the nervous walls he had erected. If I mess up now, we'll kill them easy enough with our next attack.

A familiar yelow light erupted from the barrel of his revolver as he summoned the data of thr first chip... This time, though, he only made a small circular motion with the gun, leaving a ring of hardened lightning no wider than a man's head. It was sent on its way wih a flick of the wrist, shattering into a jagged yellow lance on impact. The next two rounds, Shotguns, were fired at the doomed fish's companions. With luck, the kickback from these weapons would each hit the other fish, killing them both with relative ease.

"Hey, Swift." Gunner had noticed something odd about these 'fish.' " Those guys... Were those propellers? And glasses? Who the hell programmed those things?"

"What kind of question is that in the middle of a battle?"

"Heh heh. No idea."

"Well... I guess whoever makes viruses wants to make them a certain way. The reason why is beyond me. I mean, Mets are cute, too, and those Cannons just look like machines. It's all taste."

"Alright... Fair enough." Gunner had found his opening, a spot where the Shrubby's senseless cowering ironically placed right in front of the Billy, as it hadn't seemd to notice yet that Gunner had a clear line of fire straight at it. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do, and Gunner eagerly waited for the tendrils of smoke -- misfire or burning Shrubby? -- to clear.

________________
1. Zapring to LarkC ((40+10)x2, [A]) [Stun?]
2. Shotgun to LarkA (50+10, [A], Splash to LarkB)
3. Shotgun to LarkB (50+10, , Splash to LarkA)
4. Heatshot to whichever Shrubby Ergo doesn't kill ((40+10)x2, [A], Splash to whichever Billy Ergo doesn't kill)
When he did finally get around to the carnage, Ergo took out a number of enemies with his operator's help. Gunner nailed one Lark with a zapring and started on the others with a shotgun, but a spiny ball nailed him before he could fire the finishing blast. The next shotgun went off prematurely as a result, but the final well-placed Heatshot took down two more viruses.

BillyA: DELETED!
BillyB: DELETED!
BillyC: DELETED!
CactyA: DELETED!
CactyB: DELETED!
CactyC: DELETED!
LarkA: 40
LarkB: 40
LarkC: DELETED!

Gunner: 80
Ergo: 70
"Hah... Damnit." At a critical point, he had been bowled over by one of the stupid viruses. At first, he had mistaken it for a Shrubby, and as a result had thought it would attack differently than it had. The damned thing had launched its head at him shortly before it was blown to oblivion. Its head! He levelled the revolver at the two fish that remained... Sure, they hadn't thrown their heads at him, but he had to make up for his mistake. One short burst was fired, but it almost knocked the gun from his hand.

______________
1. Shotgun to LarkA (50+10, [A], Splash to LarkB)
2-4. NOTHING! Er, I mean Dodge.
While he still wanted to fight, Ergo saw that Gunner seemed to have things under control. He still had his Guard, after all, and Gunner had proved himself to be more than capable with a Shotgun chip. Yeah, there wasn't any need to waste excess energy on these guys. That honor went to the next bunch of baddies.

((Turn order: Wait, I didn't do anything... Never mind :D))
((Oh, as far as I can tell, the Guard didn't pop last turn, so I'm think it's still there. If it isn't, please correct me :lol:))
The shotgun hits them both, so they don't need to waste another turn. Rejoice!

BillyA: DELETED!
BillyB: DELETED!
BillyC: DELETED!
CactyA: DELETED!
CactyB: DELETED!
CactyC: DELETED!
LarkA: DELETED!
LarkB: DELETED!
LarkC: DELETED!

Gunner: 80
Ergo: 70

Rewards: 300z each, Wideshot to Gunner, Cactball1 to the other guy... I mean Ergo
"A Wideshot... Not bad!" Just from looking at it, Gunner could tell that chip was powerful. After a period of appraisal in which the navi stared at the tiny wave shape the chip had taken, he grudgingly sent it to Swift and addressed Ergo. "Looks like these guys are getting tougher... I love a good challenge, though. Shall we?" He made a mock bow as he gestured toward a cluster of virii in the distance.