Yay Netopia!

"We can't keep dancing around like this." Deuce said, "We should bunker down and crush them."

Tennisman was inclined to agree. He found it incredibly difficult to evade his attackers as they hunted him persistently. It was time to turn the tables.

"Are you able to use Overwrap?" Tennisman asked.

The racket answered by quickly setting up the barrier around himself.

"MarkCannon." requested Tennisman as he took aim at the last Spooky.

As the chip loaded, his aim was amplified with various detailed statistics of his target including their distance apart and the optimal timing to fire. The green reticle that formed flashed red, prompting Tennisman to discharge the weapon on reflex.

"Can you take out the rest with the Magnum?" Deuce asked, "I'll cover."

Tennisman nodded and Desmond was quick to slot in the chip with a chipper, "Fine, let's see what this can do."

Tennisman aimed for the Melodies furthest away from him to take advantage of the range of his attack since much of his arsenal was suited for close range combat. The Magnum took form, overwriting his buster's model and replacing it with a short barreled rifle with an exposed and spinning chamber. One round was already filled with a large brass round that gave off a dull glow. Tennisman focussed and willed the bullet to split and fill up the adjacent chamber as Deuce repaired some of his own minor nicks and scratches. After the third round was filled, the data was spread too thin to continue further.

"Three is the limit." Tennisman noted.

"Huh?" Desmond asked.

Tennisman shook his head and braced himself to fire. He remembered the recoil from firing two rounds and wasn't entirely sure of what to expect with three. But he didn't hesitate when he found a clear shot. Unleashing all three was almost enough to overwhelm him if he didn't already overcompensate for the kick. The trio of Magnum rounds blazed trails that spiralled around one another before forking off into the targetted Melodies.

Tennisman was about to move when Deuce stopped him, "Hold on. Stay here and let them come to us. Home court advantage."

Looking down at his feet, Tennisman understood and requested another chip, "Firehit."

A wreath of flames ignited around his free hand as he waited for the viruses to come to him as they were so willing to do so before. He clenched his open palm into a tight fist and watched as the fire only grew brighter and more intense at his action.

"Yo! See if can you throw two punches before it wears out like with the Ringlog and Magnum." Desmond suggested at the last minute.

Tennisman nodded and pulled back his arm for a fierce jab.



Deuce - Overwrap Deuce (40 HP barrier)
1 - MarkCannon SpookyEXE (70 damage + lockon)
Deuce - Brace (block 1 attack for half damage)
2 - Magnum Charge
Deuce - Restring Deuce (heal 30)
3 - Magnum Charge
4 - Magnum MelodyEXA, MelodyEXB, MelodyEXC (120 damage)
5 - Firehit MelodyEXD (60 damage) x2?
6 - Firehit MelodyEXE (60 damage) x2?
As his havi braced himself up for enemy attacks, TennisMan got to work eliminating the remaining viruses. Markcannon was an effective choice against the Spooky virus, as its quick movements did nothing to save it from the lock-on attack. The field was still covered in bouncing Melodies, which TennisMan attempted to obliterate with his magnum. Two died, but the third jumped to avoid the attack as it smashed a tremendous crater into the ground. One melody came in for an attack, smashing into TennisMan's shield. As he deflected it, he countered with a blazing firehit, ripping through the virus and sending its data flying in a burst away from his fist. The other melody was also hit, but never closed in to attack, so it did not suffer from the burning grass and more so just took the punch.

CloudyEX A: DELETED
CloudyEX B: DELETED
CloudyEX C: DELETED
MelodyEX A: DELETED
MelodyEX B: DELETED
MelodyEX C: 110 HP
MelodyEX D: DELETED
MelodyEX E: 50 HP
SpookyEX A: DELETED
SpookyEX B: DELETED
SpookyEX C: DELETED
SpookyEX D: DELETED
SpookyEX E: DELETED

40% Grass
45% Normal
15% Cracked

TennisMan: 257 HP
Deuce: 72 HP (40 HP barrier)
The aftermath of his barrage proved fruitful as most of the viruses were wiped out, save for two lucky survivors. Tennisman felt a breath of relief and confidence that the rest could be easily taken care of.

"Hey you know what we haven't used in a long time?" Desmond asked, "Pickpocket."

Tennisman had no complaints considering the situation and committed himself to bolstering his potential rewards from this scuffle. With only two enemies on the field, it was infinitely easier to deflect their attacks with his racket.

"Zapring." Tennisman said.

"Right. Smart." Desmond added, slotting in the first chip.

A pair of charged loops sparked an electric halo into existence while Tennisman targetted the healthier of the two viruses. He tried to take into account its rhythmic bouncing and jumping patterns but ultimately, it was just a simple virus with a very limited set of responses. He simply waited for it to leap into the air before aiming directly at its landing point and launched the ring quickly before it could jump again.

Without asking for it, the Pickpocket chip was slotted in next, summoning the grey Bandacoon to Tennisman's side. It wagged its bushy tail and darted straight ahead towards the same virus that was just shot at. This left the other virus to deal with.

"Fireburn." Tennisman called out and directed his buster to the second of the two viruses.

A slow wave of his arm painted a swath of flame that threatened to wash over the damaged Melody like an incoming tide. The fire continuously poured out of the buster's barrel until abruptly running out of fuel and going out like a light. The air still carried the haze of heat but was whisked away by a light wisp of air.

"Hark, our messenger returns." Deuce announced, "What riches doth he carry?"

It was true that the Bandacoon was scampering back but so was the Melody virus. With the job complete and having no further use for the virus, Tennisman decided to dispatch it quickly with a salvo from his Ace Serve. A large cluster of tennis balls were tossed up and struck altogether at the virus like a shotgun blast. Tennisman then knelt to meet his enthusiatic little thief. It lapped at his face affectionately as he checked its paws for looted goods.

Desmond sounded like a little boy on Christmas, repeating the same line, "What'd we get? What'd we get? What'd we get?"



1 - Reflex Volley (80 HP barrier)
2 - Take Aim
3 - Zapring MelodyEXC (40 damage + stun)
4 - Pickpocket1 MelodyEXC (steal zenny/chip)
5 - Fireburn MelodyEXE (50 damage)
6 - Ace Serve MelodyEXC (4 x 30 damage)
Deuce - Attack MelodyEXC (20 damage)
Deuce - Attack MelodyEXC (20 damage)
Deuce - Attack MelodyEXC (20 damage)
TennisMan moved to end the battle, efficiently stunning one of the Melodys with his Zapring. His summoned ally simply strolled up to the stunned foe and nabbed something off of it. As it made its way back, TennisMan roasted the second Melody with little difficulty. A flurry of tennis balls soon deleted the final virus and left the Navi and thief alone in the Net. Said thief finally returned to TennisMan and handed over its loot: a Binder1 chip.

CloudyEX A: DELETED
CloudyEX B: DELETED
CloudyEX C: DELETED
MelodyEX A: DELETED
MelodyEX B: DELETED
MelodyEX C: DELETED
MelodyEX D: DELETED
MelodyEX E: DELETED
SpookyEX A: DELETED
SpookyEX B: DELETED
SpookyEX C: DELETED
SpookyEX D: DELETED
SpookyEX E: DELETED

40% Grass
45% Normal
15% Cracked

Battle 16 Complete!

TennisMan: 257HP GET: 1700z, Binder1
Deuce: 72HP GET: 63 BugFrags
((+63 bugfrags that I haven't added yet))
((derpedited))
Desmond was the first to react with a deafening cheer, "YESSSSS! A CHIP!"

The Bandacoon automatically decompiled itself with a smile on its face, having executed its purpose flawlessly. Tennisman seemed pleased with the data but didn't reveal his enthusiasm as readily as his operator did. He was much more content to simply analyze it and consider its applications in upcoming battles.

He identified it on the spot with a touch, "Binder."

"Oh, that's a virus chip." Deuce noted, "I suppose it summons a Melody virus."

There was a slight frown on Tennisman's face at the concept of employing more viruses, even if was a fake chip-based one. He was already uncomfortable with Pickpocket and only used it according to Desmond's wishes. He sighed heavily as he stared at it.

"Alright! Let's shove this into the folder and test it out." Desmond suggested.

"No." Tennisman snapped bluntly.

"Whaddaya mean no?" Desmond asked back.

"We have not yet tested the Elecshock chip." Tennisman answered.

"Ohhhhhh yeah.... That's right." Desmond groaned.

Tennisman stood up and began to move on but suddenly paused. A feeling of dread filled him as he thought felt something dangerous up ahead, but couldn't readily identify it. He shrugged it off as a fluke and tried to ignore it but still walked toward it.

((Battle 17))
"Heh, heh, heh..." came from a dark corner of the Netopia network, two red flashing eyes leering out at the tennis racket-wielding Navi. The eyes walked out towards TennisMan, and a nasty sight was to be beheld. A purple HeelNavi stood in front of the tennis Navi, except its armor was cracked in places, and some black appendages sprang out from every place that the cracks revealed. Claws appeared from the Navi's arms and some of the black tentacles, sharpened to the edge, dripping black god-knows-what onto the ground.

"Come on... let's fight...." the Navi taunted.

Corrupted Navi: 700HP (Equip: RageClaw x6)

Terrain: 100% Normal

TennisMan: 257HP
Deuce: 72HP

-BATTLE SEVENTEEN, FIGHT!!-
"What is that?" Tennisman asked, bewildered by his opponent's appearance.

"A corrupted navi," Deuce answered with a serious but grim tone, "Tainted through various means, they are merely shells of their former selves. You would do well not think of this... 'Thing' as a navi at all."

This individual wasn't projecting that heavy feeling that drove Tennisman in this direction, but running into this anomoly was proof enough for him that he was going in the right direction. If he wanted to continue, he would have to defeat this thing standing in his way.

"Get some distance and watch out for those tendrils." Deuce added.

Tennisman darted backwards while his racket repaired himself and erected a barrier. There was a definite change in the way Deuce conducted himself. He was taking this battle far too seriously for his personality. Something was wrong.

"Yo, Deuce, why are you so serious business over this guy?" Desmond asked.

There was a lull before Deuce replied, "...Do you know how support programs such as myself integrate bugfrags to grow?"

"Sure." Desmond said.

Tennisman nodded as well, listening intently while constantly backstepping further away from his opponent's effective range.

Deuce continued, "With every bugfrag I absorb, there is the possibility of me turning into... That."

The battle stopped for a moment as a flash of horror overtook Desmond and Tennisman.

"FOCUS!" the racket shouted.

Tennisman immediately brought up a tennis net to cover himself as he made some chip requests, "MarkCannon and HiCannon."

His buster arm loaded the chip data without needing any major modifications. Tennisman's aim locked onto his target effortlessly with the help of the first chip and he quickly fired off the pair of shots, the heavy HiCannon shell following closely behind the precise MarkCannon round.

"How certain are you?" Tennisman asked.

"It's only a rumour," stated Deuce, "So I have no way to know for sure."



((team subtype shares damage))
1 - Equip Deuce (team junction)
Deuce - Overwrap (40 HP barrier)
2 - Reflex Volley (80 HP barrier)
Deuce - Restring Deuce (heal 30 HP)
3 - dodge
Deuce - Brace (block 1 attack for half damage)
4 - Netplay + Reinforce (3-hit shield + 60 heal)
5 - MarkCannon (70 damage + lockon)
6 - HiCannon (80 damage + knockback)
"Hehehe..." the 'Navi' sneered as he began to sprint around in a blur, moving around at incredible speed. Tennisman and Deuce both prepped their defenses, and attacked. The MarkCannon did manage to hit its target, but the other missed by a long shot as the blurs that were the corrupted Navi moved in for the kill, unleashing a barrage of claw-swipes. The swipes decimated most of the duo's defenses.

"Weakness... Do you not want the power...?"

Corrupted Navi: 630HP (Equip: RageClaw x6)

Terrain: 100% Normal

TennisMan: 290HP (80HP Barrier/Shields Broken)
Deuce: 102HP (Barrier Broken)
While Tennisman focussed on how fast his opponent was, Deuce could only focus on his words.

"Weakness... Do you not want the power...?"

That voice seeded a terrifying thought that shook Deuce to his core. His ultimate goal had always been to become more powerful and assisting Tennisman was merely a means to that end. But this was something different altogether. How much was he really willing to sacrifice for the sake of achieving power and to what end was his power for?

Outside Deuce's train of thought, Tennisman was having trouble evading his foe. Clearly, regular techniques weren't going to work. He altered his footing to accomodate a major backstep to get some distance and pushed off, disappearing to the far side of the field. It hadn't escaped his mind that the corrupted navi would be able to cover the expanse between them quickly so he had to move fast.

"Court Change" Tennisman uttered as he tapped Deuce to the ground.

The plain white panels surrounding him dried up as the gentle wind shredded away the top layer of the ground like dust, revealing a grainy dune below. The softened terrain would restrict the speedy movements of the corrupted navi. Tennisman had no intention of running and bunkered down in the center of his desert, holding Deuce defensively. However, he wasn't ready to engage in melee fighting just yet. Living up to his name, Tennisman tossed up a single tennis ball and served it with a smash at the corrupted navi. It was only the beginning as he tossed up another and another, serving them one after another in a chain of powerful smashes.

"Kunai." Tennisman ordered as he gave one final serve.

The chip materialized several small daggers in his hand. With an exaggerated swing of his arm, the cluster of blades sprayed out in a wide arc. None of these weak attacks would stop the navi but it was all to whittle him down before he got close.

Tennisman requested the next chip with some apprehension as he said, "Elecshock."

"Alright! Finally going to test it!" Desmond said, slotting in the chip with glee, "It looks like the Heatbreath chip except yellow so I guess it works the same way? I dunno."

The chip loaded like a surge of electricty building up inside his chest. He clutched the emblem in an attempt to contain the power. He didn't want to use it until the moment was right. If it was anything like Heatbreath, the range would be limited so he had to wait for the corrupted navi to enter his range. He inhaled and waited for it to approach. The energy cackled up his throat and burned as it filled his mouth. A few sparks managed to escape right before he exhaled raw lightning. Bolts of yellow arced in beams of light that struck down all over the sand, skipping and bounding through the air. The ground exploded, sending towers of sand shooting upwards, falling to the ground in thick clouds of silt. When he finished, a large pit lay in front of him with the surrounding sand bleeding into the gaping hole.

"...Holy crap." Desmond uttered, "Did we get him?"



((team subtype shares damage))
1 - Split Step (teleport far away)
Deuce - Split Step (teleport far away)
2 - Court Change - Clay (1/3 to 2/3 sand terrain)
3 - Rally Defence + Reinforce (6-hit shield)
Deuce - Attack (20 damage)
4 - Ace Serve (4 x 30 damage)
Deuce - Attack (20 damage)
5 - Kunai (3 x 30 damage)
6 - ElecShock (80 damage + cone + panel break)
As Tennisman and Deuce warped back quite far, the corrupted Navi followed suit, but was greeted quickly by an unwelcome sight: sand! "Grhhhh.... What is this?!" Then, as Tennisman bolstered his defenses and readied to attack, the corrupted Navi did so as well. His serves were met with claw swipes, which he easily defended himself from. The Navi could not evade any of the attacks, and most of them hit quite easily.

Seeing his imminent demise if he stayed any longer on the surface, he burrowed himself into the ground. However, his technique did not hamper his speech, and he continued to taunt the duo, especially Deuce.

"You, the racket... You use bugfrags, do you not...? Why restrict yourself to.... this fool....? Your potential... haaaahhh... is limitless..." the Navi coaxed, his drawl of a voice dragging out with long breaths.

Corrupted Navi: 360HP (Equip: RageClaw x6) (Burrowed)

Terrain: 50% Normal, 40% Sand, 10% Broken

TennisMan: 290HP (80HP Barrier/3-Hit Shield)
Deuce: 102HP
Neither Tennisman nor Deuce replied to the corrupted navi's taunts. It was a tense break in the battle that couldn't be taken lightly with pointless banter. A raised mound of shifting sand gave away the corrupted navi's position, but it didn't make him any easier to hit. Tennisman weighed his options and came up with an idea. If his opponent was so content on staying underground, he would lock him there. Deuce was still focussed enough to put up a small barrier before Tennisman tapped his racket to the ground again. He initiated another Court Change, this time converting the desolate wasteland into a lush and grassy plain. Where Deuce's glowing frame touched down, blades of grass sprang up and covered the pale auburn of the desert below. It spread out towards the sandy lump, transforming sand to soil and soil to vegetation. However, his plan to seal away his enemy failed when the transition simply forced him above ground like popping some kind of tainted earthen postule. Now they were both on equal footing and Tennisman knew he wouldn't be able to evade his assailant

"Spice!" Desmond said, slotting in the matching chip.

Tennisman activated the chip on reflex, causing his fresh bed of grass to cough up an equally fresh mist of fungal spores. The large cloud expanded quickly, engulfing Tennisman and Deuce but leaving them unharmed. The grass didn't cover the entire field, but it was more than enough to either force the navi away or warp his perception.

Desmond was fired up, "Alright, let's use HeatBreath and Elecpulse and mess him up! Come on!"

Under these conditions, Tennisman was in no place to think of complex strategies. He left it up to his operator to cope with the fast-paced combat and simply nodded in agreement. Another surge of data welled in his chest as he recognized the Heatbreath charging inside of him. His buster reconfigured itself into a small satellite dish as the Elecpulse took effect as well. Tennisman shot his arm forward, unleashing magnetic waves that scrambled and distorted the air around him. Before he was finished, his Heatbreath reached its peak, forcing Tennisman to expel a torrent of flames from his mouth. The combined elemental attacks ravaged the landscape, scorching and warping the grass around him. When he was done, he quickly wiped away the dribbling embers from his mouth before he burned himself.

"Moonblade and Windracket." Desmond said, slotting in two chips in rapid succession, "Blow him away!"

The yellow tennis ball image on Tennisman's chest glowed a faint blue as conduits of data channeled across his shoulder and down his arm, flowing into his racket. Tendrils of air spiralled around Deuce's face as Tennisman pulled his arm back and prepared to strike. A flat blade extended out along the racket's edge as the Moonblade took form.

And that was when Deuce found his answer. The very wind was at his command and razored steel lined his body. He couldn't hope to achieve this on his own. Looking at the corrupted navi, Deuce saw what he would happen if he continued along his self indulgent path. He refused to let that happen.

"My potential..." Deuce blurted out while simultaneously bracing and restringing himself, "...Is mine alone!"

Tennisman executed a combination attack. Accelerating into a rapid spin with Deuce extended like an axe, he carved a jagged ring around himself that raked the air. Harnessing that momentum, he gave one powerful finishing blow of his racket that exploded in a diagonal burst of air that cleansed away what few remaining spores were still around.



((team subtype shares damage))
1 - Court Change - Grass (1/3 to 2/3 grass terrain) ((deals 50 unblockable null damage to burrowed targets))
Deuce - Overwrap (40 HP barrier)
2 - Spice1 (80 damage + confusion + to-all-on-grass)
3 - ElecPulse (100 damage + cone + glitch)
4 - HeatBreath (90 damage + cone + lava terrain) x2
Deuce - Brace (block 1 attack for half damage)
Deuce - Restring Deuce (heal 30)
5 - Moonblade (90 damge)
6 - Windracket (100 damage + Microburst)
Forced out of the ground, the Navi flinched slightly and started to move towards the duo, only to be intercepted by a Spice attack, which caused the corrupted program to stumble around rather comically. He tried to hack at Tennisman, only to hit Deuce a couple of times for near-to-none effect. He also started babbling some nonsense, but some of the nonsense did piece together to make sentences, like,

"Hahaha... Riri, ay don wan yuus th Cannn... i's big clunky..."

Weird. It seems that the Navi still had some uncorrupted data left, brought out by the confusion of the Spice attack. Tennisman quickly took advantage of the situation and unleashed a hail of attacks on the Navi, which stumbled along right into the face of death. Electricity, fire, metal, oh my!

As the Navi disintegrated into pieces of data, it managed to let out a few last words. "Ohhh, Riri.. I'm free... Free at last..." Then, the Navi broke up into its constituent parts, forever destined to roam in the big datastream in the sky.

Corrupted Navi: DELETED

Terrain: 50% Normal, 50% Grass

TennisMan: 280HP (80HP Barrier/3-Hit Shield)
Deuce: 120HP (Barrier Broken)

Battle Seventeen - Victory!!
Rewards:
- 1900z
- 35 BugFrags
Tennisman's long, deep breaths had become audible in the quiet aftermath of the fight. His opponent had been deleted rather than being forced to jack out, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Though irreversibly corrupted, that entity must still have been a normal navi at one point. The details of why it had fallen so far were forever lost now, but Tennisman still harboured fleeting feelings of sympathy for the poor creature.

"So like... What was that about your potential?" Desmond jeered.

Deuce, however, was in no mood for witty dialogue.

"What." Desmond said, "Not even going to say anything? Tch. Well, least we won, right Tennisman?"

After catching his breath, the navi simply continued heading in the same direction that he had been following before his encounter. There was something big at the end of this road and he was compelled to find it.

"...Whaaaat." moaned Desmond, desperate for attention, "Did I miss something? Frig. Fine, I'll just mess with the folder then..."

Unfortunately, Tennisman was far too absorbed in his search to care or notice what his operator was doing.


((Folder edit:
- LilBomb out
- Guard1 out
- Binder1 in
- HolyPanel in))

((Battle 18))
As Tennisman moved onwards, he started to notice that it was getting a lot darker than the usual normal lighting the networks had. The air seemed to be saturated with moisture, and it was getting a little humid. Puddles started to crop up everywhere, to the point that Tennisman was basically wading in a pool.

Then, the viruses came. Three large artillery cannons that had a motif of sharp teeth imprinted on their barrels, some Powies that looked more like jellyfish, and some blue NOs greeted the tennis-playing Navi.

ViciousBasherA: 180HP
ViciousBasherB: 180HP
ViciousBasherC: 180HP
JellyPowieEX A: 150HP
JellyPowieEX B: 150HP
JellyPowieEX C: 150HP
JellyPowieEX D: 150HP
BlueN.O. A: 135HP
BlueN.O. B: 135HP
BlueN.O. C: 135HP
BlueN.O. D: 135HP

Terrain: 60% Sea, 40% Normal (haphazard checkerboard-like pattern)

TennisMan: 280HP
Deuce: 120HP

-BATTLE EIGHTEEN, FIGHT!!-
The increased humidity was taking its toll on Tennisman as he waded through some shallow streams to the source of the ominous pressure. Each breath felt heavy and each step seemed to lag behind. It was hard to tell if it was just the environment or the the effects of the mysterious presence ahead. At this point, he was unsure if he would be able to deal with whatever it was when he arrived. Perhaps it would be better to quit while he was ahead.

"Yo, what are those?" Desmond asked, directing Tennisman's attention to a group of viruses ahead.

They were definitely not ones that he was used to and they seemed too far removed to be considered advanced EX versions. Tennisman was at a loss.

Deuce was equally baffled, "I can tell that they're from the Basher, Powie and N.O. families but aside from that..."

"...Yeah, I got nothing." Desmond added, "You ready to take em out?"

Something was off. These looked more or less like normal viruses but they seemed to exude the same aura that was being spread out over the network. The dim skies couldn't also just been a coincidence. They were all connected somehow and he knew he needed to be extra cautious.

"Plans?" Deuce asked as usual.

The Bashers looked to be the ideal first targets as they seemed just as immobile as their basic cousins. Beyond that, it was a toss up between the jellyfish-like Powies and N.O.s as either seemed to be viable as secondary targets.

"Windracket." Tennisman said and altered his stance to rush his opponents.

He mentally readied himself to parry incoming blows while Deuce set up a light barrier. With a single push to launch himself, he dashed across the water at impossible speeds before coming to an abrupt halt behind the row of heavy artillery. There was a large splash where he stopped, but something was wrong. Tennisman froze as the incredible concentrated feelings of primal data permeated his body. He fought to keep from losing consciousness simply from being in their presence. This was not right at all. He fell to one knee and propped himself up with his hands. It felt like he was being devoured by some kind of monster.

"Urghhh... What is this..." Deuce groaned as he too seemed to be affected.

"DUDE! What's going on!?" Desmond cried, powerless to help his navi.

Tennisman was in serious trouble. In such close proximity, there was no way for him to avoid being attacked and if the Bashers turned, their combined damage would obliterate him. He struggled to activate something, anything to help his situation.

"Court... Change!" Tennisman muttered, spreading out a field of sand at his touch.

The water dried up in an instant and even the moisture from the air seemed to evaporate as his desert terrain spread out and under the viruses. It wasn't much but at least he knew he could still move. Whatever this was, it was only in his mind and he could overcome it if he tried. He slowly brought his left hand off the ground and Deuce along with it. The Windracket data from earlier channeled down his arm and into the frame of his racket. Air currents churned around the face as Tennisman mustered up all his strength to deliver a double-handed backhand serve across the Bashers in front of him.

"URRAAAAGHHHH!" He roared as the Windracket exploded in front of him, sending a veil of grit skywards.

He was still stuck and had very little room to move. Idle thoughts quickly turned to his last battle and how the corrupted navi tried to escape him before by submerging himself into the sand. Tennisman's legs were already sinking down into the soft, inviting earth. It was only a matter of finishing the job. He punched one hand deep into the floor and used the leverage to pull the rest of himself under. His body was engulfed by an overlapping dust as he sank under and tried to cope with his terrifying first encounter with this new breed of virus.



((team subtype shares damage))
1 - Equip Deuce (team junction)
Deuce - Overwrap (40 HP barrier)
2 - Rally Defence + Reinforce (6-hit shield)
3 - Split Step behind ViciousBasher (teleport)
Deuce - Split Step behind Bashers (teleport)
4 - Court Change - Clay (1/3 - 2/3 sand terrain)
Deuce - (All for one) Windracket ViciousBasherA, ViciousBasherB, ViciousBasherC (100 damage + wide + micromurst + blind) x2
5 - Submerge into sand (submerge)
6 - Generic speed up (movement)
As Tennisman readied himself to attack, the viruses did so as well. Some were impatient and started to attack Tennisman outright, with the Jellyfish Powies starting off the attack, raining blow upon blow on his location. Unfortunately, the blows were fruitless, as Tennisman had already shifted to another location and delivered two swift blows to the Bashers, deleting them instantly. He then ducked under the sand he created, dodging the NO beams fired incessantly at him. It sounded a lot like Armageddon was happening right over his head, with laser blasts and thumping weights, but for now, he was safe under the ground.

ViciousBasherA: DELETED
ViciousBasherB: DELETED
ViciousBasherC: DELETED
JellyPowieEX A: 150HP
JellyPowieEX B: 150HP
JellyPowieEX C: 150HP
JellyPowieEX D: 150HP
BlueN.O. A: 135HP
BlueN.O. B: 135HP
BlueN.O. C: 135HP
BlueN.O. D: 135HP

Terrain: 35% Sea, 40% Normal, 25% Sand

TennisMan: 280HP [6-Hit Shield] [Burrowed]
Deuce: 120HP [40HP Barrier] [Burrowed]
Feeling his way around the subterranean environment deprived him of almost all of his senses. He was blind and could only barely breathe between the lightly packed sand grains. The sounds coming from above seemed dulled while a uniform warmth insulated his entire body to the point of numbness. What bothered him the most was how he could still feel the viruses above him. The effect was lessened since he went underground but it was still extremely unsettling.

"Tennisman? TENNISMAN!" Desmond shouted.

The navi didn't dare open his mouth to reply prompting his racket to speak for him, "We're okay."

"What happened!?" Desmond asked.

"I'm not entirely sure but these viruses are definitely different. As soon as we got close, it felt like..." Deuce trailed off trying to find a proper description, "Hm, I'm not sure how to say this... It was like being presented with the concept of impossible odds."

Desmond blurted out a confused, "Huh?"

Tennisman thought that was one way to put it. He would have preferred to say it was like watching his own deletion. That was when he realized it was fear. It wasn't anything so complicated as Deuce put it. Fighting these viruses scared him for some reason; as if he was the one being hunted.

"Well it's not that bad, you took out three already." Desmond noted.

"How are the others looking?" Deuce asked back.

"Angry? I dunno, they're just attacking and shooting lasers and stuff." relayed Desmond, "They look a lot faster than usual though. One of them just shot twice in a row. Never seen that before."

From Desmond's description, Tennisman surmised that their abilities were also greatly enhanced. His successful attack was probably only due to the element of surprise. Having used that up, it looked to be a real uphill battle.

"Binder." Desmond said.

Tennisman let out a muffled, "Hm?"

New chip data was sent through the network, materializing high above the battlefield. Tennisman couldn't see it, but he could feel it. Desmond must have swapped out a chip to put in the Binder they had recently acquired. He could feel it land on the sand in a heavy thump before leaping off. It seemed to sporadically hop around the battlefield in a series of crashes before dissipating.

"Oh snap," Desmond said, having witnessed the chip in action, "that's totally a keeper."

Tennisman felt that was enough of a break and decided it was time to come out of hiding. His defenses were optimized and he gave a tight squeeze on Deuce's grip to inform his partner.

"Alright, I believe we're about to come up for another pass." warned Deuce, "Send us some chips."

"Uhh... Elecshock and Boomerang?" suggested Desmond.

Tennisman gave a slow nod that Deuce managed to pick up, "Tennisman says yes."

Desmond inhaled sharply, a luxury that was not available to Tennisman at the moment, "Alright, ready in 3... 2..."

The navi readied every part of his body to escape his premature burial in one quick burst.

"1... GO!" Desmond blared like a horn and slotting in the two chips in a heartbeat.

The sand over Tennisman exploded up as he leapt into action, trailing windswept particles in his wake. Having no time to analyze his enemies for weaknesses, he simply expelled the Elecshock as it loaded and simultaneously sent the Boomerang data into Deuce. The thunderous breath tore apart the panels it touched down on, partially disrupting their data and partially just destroying them through sheer force. As the final bolts and flashes sputtered from his lips, he stopped and gave a wide swing of his racket. The long green arc it scratched through the air solidified and sliced its way into the N.O.s.

Wires crept up along Tennisman's arm as he dashed away, sealing small wounds along his chest. He could have dove back into the safety of the sand but if he couldn't face these viruses now, how could he possibly face what was yet to come?



((team subtype shares damage))
1 - Binder1 BlueN.O.A + 3 random targets (60 damage)
2 - Reflex Volley (80 HP barrier)
Deuce - Brace (block 1 hit for half damage)
3 - Rise out of sand
4 - dodge
5 - ElecShock BlueN.O.A, BlueN.O.B, BlueN.O.C (80 damage + cone + panel break)
Deuce - (All for one) Boomerang BlueN.O.B, BlueN.O.C, BlueN.O.D (60 damage)
6 - dodge
Deuce - Restring Tennisman (heal 30)
The Binder did some of Tennisman's work for him as it smashed around in resplendent glee and laughter, bouncing around three times before finally getting tired and returning to the chip data. Then, he rose out of the sand like the corrupted Navi earlier and unleashed horror. The viruses immediately retaliated with BEAM SPAM, blasting mighty laser beams of DEATH AND PAIN towards his direction. Then, he unleashed the shock treatment while Deuce released a Boomerang towards them. The double attack managed to catch them off-guard in their mad assault as it tore through three of them and left one still standing, but weak.

The Powies, meanwhile, made for Tennisman and slammed into the tennis player repeatedly. It was mayhem as Tennisman tried to dodge 'em all, but he just couldn't, and took a few hits to his body. (30x3) Luckily, Deuce was in charge, wiring some healing to his battered body. This looked to be a really tough one.

ViciousBasherA: DELETED
ViciousBasherB: DELETED
ViciousBasherC: DELETED
JellyPowieEX A: 150HP
JellyPowieEX B: 90HP
JellyPowieEX C: 150HP
JellyPowieEX D: 150HP
BlueN.O. A: DELETED
BlueN.O. B: DELETED
BlueN.O. C: DELETED
BlueN.O. D: 75HP

Terrain: 35% Sea, 35% Normal, 20% Sand, 10% Cracked

TennisMan: 265HP [Shield SMASH] [Barrier BEAMSPAM]
Deuce: 75HP [Barrier BEAMSPAM]