Magna.exe: World's Biggest Bait

A few chunks of panel debris bounds off Magna's metallic body harmlessly in the aftermath of the blast, while Sunny, who didn't have nearly the same weight as Magna, tumbled to the ground with the attack's shockwave passing by. Magna's audio sensors were still ringing from the explosion, so he couldn't make out a single thing the assailant said. Thankfully, Mill had the foresight to filter out the blast noise from his PET so he could hear the new Navi talking.

"That thing...? Does he... not know what it is? This could work to our advantage, maybe..." muttered Mill over the PET's private channel, yet having a few doubts in is mind after noting just how powerful that blast was. Chances were pretty good that this guy was on a whole different level than the last one, so Mill had to tread very carefully. First off... This guy was far away. Really, really far away. He had never dealt with such a long-range enemy before. There was little to no chance that Magna would be able to span that distance quickly enough to not get hit. If there was only a way to draw him in... "Maybe... Can you try to get him to take the fake zenny first? It should still be trapped, so it's probably our best bet here. Just surrender, and either draw him to you or go to him. Make sure you key Sunny into this so he doesn't blab anything." Mill sighed after relaying his orders, because, quite frankly, he wasn't sure this was going to work...

Having understood the plan, Magna raised his large hands into the air as a sign of surrender and telling Sunny to do the same. Magna then beckoned the latest attack to them so they could "exchange the item". He then spoke quitely to Sunny, find a boon in the fact that his mouth didn't move when he talked. "Don't mention the Rockcube at all. If he questions you, trying to convince him that 'the thing' is my money. Other than that, don't talk, and we'll both walk away from this unharmed." Magna could have mentioned something about how Sunny was in this a lot deeper than he was admitted, but this wasn't really the time for that. All this time alloted for at this point was staring at the enemy off in the distance, hoping that this gamble would pay off...

Actions:
1. "Surrender".
2. Beckon other Navi over.
3. Explain plan to Sunny.
4. Wait.

'Sunny' mumbled something noncommittal as he realized that he had been taken for a ride. Attempting to steal from a ten foot golem probably wasn't the best idea he'd had in the first place, but now he was properly humbled. He stopped his murmuring, and nodded in a somewhat defeated way as he assumed a more abject position, bowing his head and acting... more as if he had been captured.

The other navi began to walk over, and it became more evident as to his features. He had an almost ridiculously aquiline appearance, to the point where if he smoked a pipe and wore a bathrobe, he might appear to be a famous detective. He wore a bulletproof vest, with loose rings that floated around his arms as sort of a strange form of gauntlets. His greaves were loosely floating rings as well, and his boots were economically designed, overall-- he seemed like a somewhat boring navi with some decently interesting parts.

"Well, what're you waiting for?!" He demanded, seeming somewhat agitated, possibly because he wasn't used to doing this sort of thing, and he apparently didn't know exactly what to say.

"Hand it over!"

Was it... really this easy? He's really just asking for it? Shaking these thoughts off, Mill realised that this wasn't the time to ask questions. If he wanted it, then he'd give it to him.

"I'm uploading it so you can hand it off, Magna." informed Mill, still on the private channel. He didn't want to overact by switching to public. Last thing he needed was this guy getting suspicious.

Soon enough, a rather large cluster of "zenny" data appeared in Magna's hand. He lowered his hand and brought it towards the Navi. "The 10000 zenny we're being chased for." explained Magna, hoping that such a number would excite him and cloud his judgment. In the end, though, all he could do is wait and see what this guy would do...

"Hahaha! You can't expect me to accept that!" He smiles conspiratorially and whispers to the two, "The favor they called me in for was worth over twenty thousand, y'know."

'Sunny' jerks a little at that last comment, and reluctantly reveals a much larger wad of zenny. "H-h-here. T-take it."


"Oh? And how much would this sum be?" The netmafia crony asks, glowering at the two menacingly.

"Thi-thirty five." The stuttered statement brings sudden silence, and a single word by the other navi.

"What." The other navi asks, blinking there for a moment.


"Thirty... thirty five thousand." 'Sunny' says, biting at his fingers nervously.

"Fourty Five thousand altogether. Well, well. Looks like you guys went the other way, then. Lemme just take thi-" He grabs the zenny from the two, and his complete form shimmers for a couple seconds, then he staggers back and forth, completely out of it.

"Ssssssss--Wwwwhaaa...---" His voice is weirdly elongated, confused, and monotone, as if his processes had frozen in place.

"----t. Youuu." He falls over like a tree, hitting the ground with a small crashing noise. Both zennies are already embedded in him, and probably have been sent back to his operator, but the fake zenny was obviously trapped quite badly.

"I- I would have been hit by that?" 'Sunny' asks, horrified.


Netmafia Navi: 350 [Various and multiple debuffs]

'Sunny': 136
Manga: 120

"Yes, you would have been hit by that." answered Magna matter-of-factly as he watched the new thief collapse to the ground. Still, even Magna was suprised. He knew the data was trapped, but to this degree... Yikes. Mill as well shuddered at the strength of the trap, although he was definitely glad it was as powerful as it was. Still, this wasn't over yet...

"Should I attack him, Operator?" queried Magna.

"Well... The last one EJO'd before we could turn him in for a reward." thought Mill aloud. "Maybe it would be better to take this guy with us. That trap should last long enough to get to the NP station, I think..." He couldn't help but trail off that last line as uncertainty began creeping into the back of his head. This was a pretty big gamble. If he broke free too soon, Magna would be up against someone... well, that he probably couldn't beat. The sheer power of that warning shot made Mill almost sure of that. On the other hand... The trap didn't damage any of the guy's core systems. His EJO function shouldn't activate as is. Damaging him might be his best method of escape, really. In the end, Mill decided to take his chances. "Magna, grab him and Sunny and hurry to the NP station. Full speed."

The purple golem nodded and extended a hand to Sunny. "We're going. We need to hurry before he gets loose." explained Magna briefly, turning a look to the enemy for a moment. Once Sunny was hanging on tight, Magna reached for the new Navi to pick him up and sling him over his shoulder. Once he had everyone in hand, Magna would leap forward, rushing back to the station as fast as he could...

Actions:
1. ALL ABOARD (Pick up Sunny and Netmafia Navi)
2-4. FULL SPEED AHEAD (Movement towards NP Station)

Magna felt some clanks on his 'armor' as the netmafia agent made some ineffectual blows, trying to attack him with his fists as he kept apparently 'lagging', freezing, but not able to really do anything. He eventually slumped, apparently resigned to his fate. Sunny, on the other hand, had a slight smirk on his face, as he continued to simply hang onto his 'benefactor'.

Magna heard the Netmafia Navi feebly hitting his metallic back in resistance, but the fact that he couldn't actually feel the hit told Magna that he didn't need to worry about it. The captive eventually stopped fidgeting in resignation, easing Magna's worries about the trap wearing off. He readjusted the position of the Navi slumped over his shoulder after making a landing, and then had a thought. Something was bothering him...

"You've been unusually quiet, Sunny." remarked Magna as he made another leap into the air. "Is something the matter?" He figured Sunny was past the point of thinking of some crazy stunt, but... Well, Magna had already run into enough trouble today. Another mess wouldn't really surprise him at this point.

Actions:
1-4. Keep moving.

Ahead in the distance, a van with the netpolice logo zooms into view, on what appears to be repulsor lifts or some other weird technology allowing it to float in the air as it coasts to a halt in front of Magna.

"Oh, Hey!" A navi yells through a loudspeaker on top, her voice is recognizable as a cheery female through the staticky speaker. She brings the vehicle to a coasting halt in front of Magna and steps out, and her expression droops a little as she looks him up and down.

"...Wow, you're big. I was going to have you ride shotgun, but uh-- do you have a model override that'll let you fit?" the question, nervously asked is laid out for Magna as she looks at the two prisoners.

"Hm, uh, throw them both in the back. If that's the thief, he'll be out for a while." She points at the netmafia navi, and strides back to the van.

"Oh right. My name is Malady, my extension is .BAT, it's a pleasure to meatcha." Malady steps into the van, and the back springs open, ready for Magna to place his... acquaintances inside.

"This one is the third thief, actually." reported Magna as he lifted the Netmafia Navi off of his shoulder and placed him in the back of the van. "The second thief I defeated managed to jack out, and the original one is the him, Sunny." Magna pointed to the Navi in question with that last line. "He did assist me during the encounter with the second Navi, though, so I'd like to request that he receive a ligther punishment. He can explain the later details himself." With that explanation done, Magna gently set Sunny into the van, partially as a kind gesture and otherwise meant to make sure he didn't run away. With that done, Magna pushed the doors shut with his palms (which happened to be just about as big as the doors themselves). He then scooted over to the right side of the van, and looked at the passenger door.

"..."

"What, you don't want to carry the van back?" asked Mill.

"I'd rather not." responded Magna flatly. Mill just shook his head at his Navi's inability to take a joke and activated the Compressor GMO. He had to admit he was surprised that it, which he made spur of the moment, actually had some use.

A swath of data engulfed Magna and shrunk him down to sane proportions, allowing him to open the van door and saddle in besides Malady. "That... was more complicated that I expected it to be." sighed Magna as he buckled in.

"Well, not any more. You've done the community a service. Dunno why they didn't just send me in the first place, personally. Either way, next time you apply for a mission, I'll try to grab you, I could always use a meat shield." She gave him a little grin, then kicked the vehicle into what appeared to be its turbo.

Inertia caused everything to slam back into its seat, as the vehicle took off to netpolice headquarters.


[MISSION COMPLETE]