CrushMan - Search for the Hospital

The transfer occurred quickly and without incident. Again he touched down, appearing high avoce the ground and then falling to his feet. But what tiny feet they were. This new body, it didn't suit him, not at all. He was small, tiny, miniscule. In his true form, he could step on a creature this small and crush them like a bug. Being this size was uncomfortable to the former giant. He couldn't see his whole self, couldn't see his protective yellow safety hat or curiously large and innocent eyes that made little girls giggle with delight, but he could see his ridiculous pair of floppy feet connected directly to him. This body, it was a joke!

"I think," the Master said, "that this is... close. Close to where the hospital is. Or was, rather. Damn, if we'd kept a hold of the directions... It doesn't matter. This actually gives us an oppurtunity to prepare. I realize this is rather sudden, Crush, but you have to get used to this form and quickly, as we may be forced to use it again. Move around for a while, we need you to be in shape for a fight, just in case we run into any opposition along the way." CrushMan did as the Master asked, moving slowly at first, ridiculously large foot in front of the other, one step at a time, and then began moving faster. If anything, this form was superior in that aspect. The tiny form's feet raced across the space of the Net furiously, and as such a small target, Crush was at least feeling somewhat confident in his ability to dodge. Such speed, his normal form wouldn't be able to compare at all, would it?

"Good. I think you have basic movement down. If you can't dodge something, duck into that helmet on top of your head. It should be able to protect you from basic attacks. A guard should reinforce it to the point where it's unbeatable... unless you run into a Break type, of course. We should get some basic weapons training down as well. You don't know how to fight at all like that, huh? It's no surprise really. You have a weapon at your disposal already, a small pick. You use it by focusing on the weapon. Swinging it is again a matter of concentration. Go ahead and try it out. Once we enter battle, I won't be able to give you any kind of commands. You'll just be an abnormally powerful virus. Even if other viruses attack you, I'll still be forced to keep quiet in case someone is watching. There's the danger of somehow overhearing me now, of course... But this is really the best time we've got... Damn it, now I'm nervous. Head on out. You should be able to identify any weapons I send you. Just remember, concentration is the key to using all of the weapons at your disposal. Of course, they won't work like they did with your other form but... Anyway, get to it. Find the Hospital and look for any clues that might connect us to proving our innocence. Got it?"

CrushMan nodded and felt the brim of his helmet tap into the ground. His head bounced back comically and he stomped in frustration. This body... He briefly imagined the weapon at his disposal and was rewarded by it's appearance. It floated beside him, a very simple piece of metal that was T-shaped, with the top bar angled and edged to chop away at tough materials. Crush remembered reading up on the pick device humans used, though where he wasn't quite sure. This was what Metools used in battle? The weapon swung itself out in front of him and Crush made a mental note not to try using such a thing in combat. Best to stick to his Master's weapons. With so many thoughts and worries in his mind, one belief stuck out most of all as he started moving towards an area he could have sworn was familiar, that he might have gone by in his first visit. That belief, that he had to succeed here, or both he and, more importantly, his Master were in danger. The Net Police... He wouldn't let them hurt the Master!

(Searching for the Hospital or it's remains. Viruses will be accepted, of course, but busting isn't the focus here. Met.GMO active.)
His search continued, with no results, as the now small Met-cloaked Navi hobbled through a wide street lined by dilapadated buildings on either side. The whole place was in ruins, with either structural damage as simple as broken windows and doors and walls that seemed ready to crumble and fall over, or program damage, glitches in the street that morphed and shaped at random, absolute voids of information, or data reduced to it's most primary components drifting by in code.

Crush walked through one of these anomalies and shuddered. It felt wrong. This place was either heavily infested with viruses or it was simply old, so old that the programs were decaying from misuse and lack of maintenance. This was what it was like around the Hospital, wasn't it? He was on the right track?

(At this point, requesting anything. While I'd like some more development with the NetPol/Bombing story, I'll take viruses now. It's been a while since I solo busted.)
Seems like you found the cleaning crew.

MetEXA: 70HP
MetEXB: 70HP
MetEXC: 70HP

Crushman: 190HP
Metools? That's what their signatures read as, at anyrate. As CrushMan observed the small, hobbling viruses approach him, he was suddenly struck with the thought that they were familiar, or rather that there was something very familiar about them. Not just that he'd seen them before, although he could swear he'd battled Metools previously, something more. The big goofy eyes, the big goofy feet, the pick seemingly held by nothing at all.

CrushMan stomped the ground with his own too-large platform feet. That's how he looked! So the Master had turned him into a virus? He suddenly felt very isolated, not just due to his sudden startling realization but also due to the lack of his Master's voice, his commands, his aid. No weapons came to supply him. Had he been turned into some wandering virus and abandoned? What a frightening thought.

But he still felt he had power. And there was no way that the Master would abandon him to such a fate, was there? No, this had to be another test of some kind, testing his ability to handle a situation on his own and his faith in the Master. He wouldn't fail! And so he scurried off, tripping not once but twice in his mad dash to approach the enemies. How did they attack again? He wasn't quite sure... Well, it was obvious that they used their picks to attack. That made them close range fighters? He stopped his charge immediately and scampered off in the other direction. These enemies, how could he fight them if he had the same attack as they did? It was frustrating, how was-

A wave of energy overwhelmed his now tiny frame. A wave of energy which always signified oncoming chip data. The Master! Encouraged by the simple knowledge that the Master was watching, Crush turned about once again. Wideshot. Three Metools with decent program stability. But the Wideshot had a higher damage capacity, and the ability to strike all three at once, if properly aligned. All he had to do was put himself in a position to strike and then fire the attack out of his arms... which he no longer possessed. That's right, a new body, a new form, the Master said things would work differently. So all he had to do was will the chip to activate?

Crush concentrated, focusing on the power now resting inside him. It was is if could momentarily see three pulsating orbs, one yellow, large and seeming ready to explode, another white and slowly pulsing, the third a great blue ball. Strength, Smash, Shot, the power resting inside him. But the Shot was what he wanted. Tapping into the slowly pulsing white orb as well as the great blue one, Crush opened his eyes as the power left him. In front of him hovered a great blue ball that shimmered with white streaks, proof of his own power. So he had simply conjured it? But what did he do from there?

Go! Attack! Shoot! Fire! The mental commands did little except exasperate him. He poked his tiny figure around the whirling mass to chance a glimpse at his foes and then turned his attention back to his not-quite-effective attack. Go! Go! Go! Nothing. Swing! He thrust himself forward, as if attacking with his fist, which he no longer possessed, curse this strange form, but was instead rewarded with something else appearing. A pick. Frustrated, the Navitool swung his pick around frustrated until it cracked against the ground.

And from that single crack the fissure spread, spider-webbing out and then seperating into three distinct paths, each headed for one of the viruses. The orb of wated dropped suddenly and splashed against the earth, then flew down the empty paths like a rushing river. The sudden oncoming flood rushed towards the three metools as Crush's pick dissapeared. What an unusual attack.

Summary
1. Dodge
- Free Action - Smash - Adds
Break to next attack
2. Wideshot to MetoolEXA, MetoolEXB, Metool EXC - 80 Damage -
Aqua - Break
3. Dodge
4. Dodge
The blast takes out two of the metools, and the third hides in terror as the blue blast comes towards it. But, the added break just tears right through it anyways.

MetEXA: DELETED
MetEXB: DELETED
MetEXC: DELETED

Crushman: 190 HP

-OTKO! Victory!-
Prizes: 150z, Guard2
His eyes followed the tracks to their doomed targets and Crush nodded in satisfaction at the results. Enemy defeated. So his new form wasn't completely useless at least. In fact, it seemed as capable as his true form, but there still seemed to be something very wrong with using this body. Didn't feel right.

Again he hobbled forth to where the enemy had once stood. These metools must have been fairly weak to have been defeated so easily. No matter. He absorbed the data left behind and felt the Master's presence as the data was leeched out of him. He waited a moment, expecting orders, then remembered the Master's words. There would be no commands. There was something good about that, but there was still that nagging fear of seperation. CrushMan left the scene and continued onward, still looking for the Hospital that had once stood and that he had inadvertendly helped to destroy.
He just finds... More Viruses...

VolgearA: 80 HP
VolgearB: 80 HP
VolgearC: 80 HP
LarkA: 100 HP
LarkB: 100 HP

Crushman.exe: 190 HP

-My newly acquired Driver's License tells you to BATTLE-
-BATTLE 2-
-FIGHT!-
The enemies approached. More of them. And he was no closer to his goal, was he? But the body, the body had become familiar. No longer did he stumble. This body, it was weaker than his true form, though only due to the difference in size. But this form, there was nothing respectful about it. And still the enemies approached. Why was he feeling so very unimpressed? Their program stabilities were low, nothing he couldn't handle, and he already knew their weaknesses... as did the Master. He could eliminate them all in 3 attacks. A magbolt to one of the Larks, the great, fish-like virus approaching, a powered rage claw to the other one, and then an empowered wideshot fired at the three Volgears. Instantaneous victory. How long would it take him to perform such a maneuver? How many seconds? .5 to fire the Wideshot, another half a second to readjust his aim and track the slow moving Lark, 1.5 seconds to use the Magbolt, 3-5 seconds to move to the last Lark and then 1 second to eliminate it. He could crush them all in less than 10 seconds.

But were they really even deserving of seeing his power? These pathetic weaklings. These common virii, mass produced throughout the entire net. They weren't worthy of such an end. A rush of power came towards him. And apparently, The Master agreed. How powerful this one attack had once felt, had once seemed. Now it was last resort weapon at best, a weapon to be used in times of crisis. Cannon. Well, there would be a new use for it. This sort of weapon was all that enemies like these deserved.

How uncanny, that The Master had felt as he had. Was it simply that the Master believed that they were weak, undeserving of his power? Or was this a test, to see how effective he could be, using such weak weapons... Or could it be that The Master simple wanted to prolong the viruses suffering, to show them how truly weak they were. In any case, CrushMan was prepared to act. To dissapoint the Master would be unforgivable with weaklings as this.

The power of the cannon seeped into his pick, floating at his side, and Crush made immediate use of the weapon by hurling it towards one of the slowly moving fish-viruses. Another Cannon flowed into him, and he followed his previous action with yet another flying pick. The two weapons hurtled through the air, end over end. The metal head of the first pick bit into the ground underneath one of the floating fish viruses, glowed, and then detonated a moment later, sending a small cloud of dust and debris up in a column.

Another chip flowed in to him, and again Crush acted with all speed. A new pick appeared next to him and he chopped down into the road with it. The asphalt around the head seemed to waver but a moment, and the Navi responded by pushing out with the pick and then digging it in an arc in front of him. A stream of earth shot out from the wound in the ground, which hurtled towards the three Volgears. It rushed onwards as the second cannon-powered pick homed in on them as well. The tip of the rushing earth suddenly turned blue, then white, then shattered, sending a rain of tiny ice crystals into the sky, and three not so tiny chunks of frozen road hurtled past and towards the three grouped virii. The stoney missiles followed in right behind the airborn pick, towards the three unharassed Volgears. Yes, they weren't worthy of his true power.

Time elapsed, approximately 8.5 seconds.

Summary
1. Cannon to LarkA - 40 Damage -
2. Cannon to VolgearA - 40 Damage -
3. AquaNeedle1 to VolgearA, VolgearB, VolgearC - 20 Damage Each -
Aqua
4. Dodge
(Ka-bump)
Crushman's shots hit the mark, but they are not enough to delete any of the viruses. The Larks retalitate with their signature Wideshot attacks, one hitting, one missing as Crushman evaded it.

VolgearA: 40 HP
VolgearB: 40 HP
VolgearC: 40 HP
LarkA: 60 HP
LarkB: 60 HP

Crushman.exe: 150 HP
FATAL SYSTEM ERROR
FATAL SYSTEM ERROR


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This program has performed an illegal operation and must be shut down.

With a strange sound CrushMan was plunged into darkness. Feeling left him as his conciousness floated, unbound. What on earth was going on?

System Restarting...

With something simple as that, he found himself back on the field, in the area he'd left, though not in the body he'd left it in. He found himself in his full, normal body now, something having to do iwth that strange business that had just occured. What was that? The Master offered no helpful insights, remaining silent. CrushMan, remembering he was in mid-battle, attempted to throw up some kind of defensive motions, yet found himself struck and stunned by the odd series of events. Just how long had all this taken anyway? Where there even enemies still around to fight?

Summary
1. Met.GMO offline
2. Dodge
3. Dodge
4. Dodge
Nothing significant occurs.

VolgearA: 40 HP
VolgearB: 40 HP
VolgearC: 40 HP
LarkA: 60 HP
LarkB: 60 HP

Crushman.exe: 150 HP
That's right, that's what had been happening. He'd been fighting these viruses. Everything seemed strange, what was happening to his head? But now he had things back in order. There were enemies before him. The Master would not accept that. He would anhialate them. He began charging towards the enemy, not quite realizing that he had no particular plan for dispatching these enemies, as a thought gnawed at him, that something didn't seem right. Like something was missing.

He struggled to remember just what had been going on before his strange experience, but his strange befuddlement stood in the way of any coherent thought. Even his disjointed thinking process was interupted as foreign data surged into him. But at least this he could identify. The Master was watching. The incumbent energy coalesced in his fists and the change was almost immediate. His hands shifted towards one another before binding together in a single form, a horizontal oval with an opening at the end, an opening pointed at his foes. There was an audible whirr as something charged within the confines of the weapon, then a whoosh as the stored energy surged out in the form of a single high speeding wave of water. Wideshot. Appropriate, considering that he'd been struck by the same attack not but moments ago.

That's right, he had been attacked by these viruses. But would they have been left around? Their abilities were so low as to not really require much effort to defeat. Why he'd let them even touch him in the first place... He couldn't quite grasp what he'd been thinking at the time. In any case, they wouldn't last, not much longer. He wouldn't allow these commoners to taint the Master's sight.

Again, there was something strange, like something was missing. He'd fully expected something to occur upon him thinking that, for strangely enough there'd always been this strange nagging feeling whenever he approached such a line of thought since some time ago. How long ago was it? But more data surged on. The Wideshot wouldn't be enough to dispatch the cretins, of course. He'd just have to gun down the rest of them.

The Master certainly seemed willing to give him that chance. The new data surged through him, and painfully so, coming in as an unstopable surge of power. It burst into his arms, causing them to swell, and again painfully, before the change occurred once again. His hands first disjoined from one another, a recover from the previous attack, then returned to their original forms. Next, his elbows expanded as if there were some kind of round object jammed into them, stretching his armor out to accomodate them. The rest of his arm angled forward from the height of the elbow like the barrel of a gun, only with the edges sloping towards one another, with this trend ending when the diameter of the ending hole was only about as wide as one of CrushMan's fingers. Of course, this was still a wide enough opening to accomodate a shot large enough to punch a decent sized hole in the enemy. Then again, that was the point, wasn't it. CrushMan quickly took aim at the enemy units and fired both charges, simultaneously, discharging the powerful bolts of destruction from both arms at once. The recoil sent him reeling for but a moment, a simple step back with his left foot and a stomp into the ground was all he needed to right himself.

It was enough. So he believed at anyrate. And if they survived, though he surely wished not, not to dissapoint the Master, he'd be ready to send some more punishment their way. One thought disturbed him though, why was the Master so very silent?

Summary
1. Wideshot to VolgearC, LarkA and LarkB - 80 Damage -
Aqua
2. Shotgun to VolgearB - 50 Damage - Chance to Affect Additional Target
3. Shotgun to VolgearC - 50 Damage - Chance to Affect Additional Target
4. Dodge
((Wideshot has been converted to Wideshot1 and only does 60 DMG now))
Crushman wins.

VolgearA: SPLASHED
VolgearB: DELETED
VolgearC: DELETED
LarkA: DELETED
LarkB: DELETED

Crushman.exe: 150 HP

-VICTORY-
Get: Wideshot1, 400z
The wave of water focuses into a single stretching line as it sped the last distance and made a clean slice through the intended foes, bisecting the two Larks and cutting enough of the Volgear away to have it fall harmlessly on it's side before breaking apart down to it's core. The two surging bolts of destructive matter pounded into their targets as well, slamming into the last remaining viruses with enough force to clear a hole through to the other side. The Master would be pleased.

Following the normal battle routine, Crush identified the remnant data and downloaded it, sending it back to the Master. Now that that was completed, he was ready to... what? Just what was it he had been doing? Again, he tried focusing, his thinking patterns seeming to clear somewhat.

He had been searching for the Hospital in Electown, that's right, the place where he and the other Navis, Thundervoice, DNR, and... others, where they had fought other Navis including that powerful sword wielding navi. Even considering his near destruction in Sharo, that fight was still that much worse. Had it not been for the others, he wouldn't have lasted. He'd been defeated. That was unbearable.

But why was he looking for the Hospital in the first place? Something the Master said and... His earlier escapades suddenly came to mind. The strange body. For whatever reason, he'd been forced out of that form and into his normal body.

He could question later, Crush decided, as a nagging pull came from above. He was being forced to do something again. He heard the Master whisper, something, but it was too low for him to hear as he was brought back to his PET.

Jack-out

(Oh, and thanks for the reminder. I'll have to go over the new chip rules.)