It wasn't too long before Rogan found himself pondering, once again, the strange twists of fortune that seemed to surround his navi and her wardrobe; despite assurances of how isolated she was, and the low chances of coming across anyone else while she was wandering through the network in her underwear, sure enough another navigator came into range of the PET's readings and Rogan spent several moments looking at the reading with a flat expression. His rational mind said there as no such thing as bad luck and misfortune in the tangible, mystical sense... and there was surely and certainly no way that the girl could be orchestrating repeated decency-threatening situations, even if she sometimes seemed to respond in ways that invited further distress. And yet. And yet here it was again. He sighed and shook his head to himself.

“Looks like you've got another incoming, Lyntael. One signal, navigator signature.” He didn't mention that the surface layer scan showed the navi to be at least masculine presenting, for however much that meant amongst navigators – because of course it was. Before he noticed it, his hand had slipped across the controls towards the button needed to immediately pull Lyntael from the situation, just in case.

Lyntael didn't respond to his murmured warning, but subtle as it was he saw her steps slow, and other small shifts in her stance and movement that gave tell to caution and wariness. He kept quiet, but the thought that wouldn't be still in his mind reflected on the change – remembered a time when she might have rushed towards a potential new friend with guileless open excitement. The cause was more than justified, and he knew – even if she was questioning it – that Lyntael was no less gentle and no less kind, for the loss of her naïvety. But even so... His caution grew as the navi made his dramatic entrance in front of Lyntael and challenged her; that he knew her name and was looking for her was more worrisome still, no matter the excuse he gave.

Despite misgivings Rogan help his silence while they talked, using the time to examine the other figure more carefully with what little scanning information the PET itself could retrieve without the extra functions of his probe being online. The suggestion of a 'friendly' duel, however was another red flag that he could not approve of. He told her so in a silent message but his navi seemed determined to push on with the challenge.

Seconds passed as Rogan watched the pair face off then begin to spar; there ought to have been nothing too concerning about it, really, but he could feel a tension and a discomfort all the same. He checked her link again and reassured himself that she was correctly jacked into the network and that the PET's emergency system was online and listening correctly. How had he ever dared to send her into spaces via an unstable emulation before, where a flicker at the wrong time might cost terribly? How had he simple accepted the times that she slipped out onto the net on her own, completely disconnected, where any slip might lead to disaster?

Lyntael... danced. His eyes watched her slight form twist and weave, graceful and in perfect balance as she flowed around the battle, evading and striking out in rapid succession. She seemed... calm, despite the growing ferocity of her charge... almost like she was enjoying herself. The words of her conversation with the other navi washed over him and Rogan pushed down another small wince. She was carefully playing the role of an unoperated navi, for their security, but some of the comments cut at him all the same.

The readings on her PET showed the strain of energy starting to wear painfully on her body, but on screen, Lyntael herself was barely showing any sign of the discomfort it said she was feeling. He wondered if he should be glad, or sorry for that. It was good of course, that she could deal with the pain so much better now, but... His thought was interrupted as he watched Lyntael strike then weave away, twisting her body, but just a fraction too slowly as the other navi landed his first real strike of the match. Her shriek of sudden agony filled his ears and drowned out other thoughts, just as physical damage warnings, fought their way onto the screen.

“Lyntael!” He had shouted across the line before rational thought caught up. “That's enough!!” He barely registered her suddenly denuded form, beneath the violently bleeding cut down her front; her shriek was followed by a more directed, angry shout from the girl – fear, pain and fury, and words that sent a fresh shudder through him. Of course that was where her mind would go, sliced open in violence, by a man with a blade – Rogan's minds quickly filled in the blanks while Lyntael exploded with light and wild electrical surges amidst the suddenly breaking storm. His first call had been to stop the other navi, but he now saw the figure backing off, a look of sudden horror and worry on what he could make out of the navi's features. He hadn't been expecting to case harm like this... and why should he? It wasn't how navis normally worked, after all. Lyntael, on the other hand... in a moment Rogan knew that she wasn't seeing this unfortunate stranger in a friendly match any more, and all unnoticed, the girl had grown far stronger and more dangerous than she really knew.

The sudden fury of her retaliation masked the rising panic he could see she was stuck in, and the brutality with which she battered her opponent wasn't helping it. Rogan swallowed, trying to work his own dry throat and spoke again, clearly, but with a firm and steady voice that he kept from rising.

“Lyntael, listen to me. My voice, Lyntael. You can hear me, listen.” He saw the other navi go down amidst a storm of electricity flaring bright enough to interfere with the PET's visualisation. “Lyntael, Stop. You are not There. That is not Him.” He paused for just a moment, then pressed on. “Calm down, and breath, Lyntael.”

Her form burst into sight again in the middle of the area, and he could see the tension making her limbs tremble, the blood on her body while lightning danced in the wounds and across her skin. Clenched teeth, wide eyes; short, rapid panting.

“Breathe, Lyntael. Just breathe. You are okay. You are not in danger.” And judging from her reaction, she may never really have been so from this warrior. His words seemed to pass over her unheeded for a moment, before he saw her squeeze her eyes shut and draw a deeper, heaving breath while her body sagged and folded in on itself for a moment. All around, Rogan noticed the sudden thunderstorm dissipating as swiftly as it had arrived.

In the moments that followed he made sure the other navi was at least reading stable, even though his main focus was on Lyntael herself. It puzzled him still, the way her own nerves and trepidation seemed to vanish the moment she thought someone else was in more trouble than her, though perhaps that said more about him, that such an ideal seemed so alien. He didn't know whether to be exasperated or resigned when the girl announced that she intended to continue, regardless of the – in his opinion – very many and obvious reasons to stop for the day. She wouldn't brook his objections either, despite the fact that she was actively having to use one arm to cover her decency while dealing with the other navigator.

He found himself cut off, unable to respond as she called out the unfairly pointed fact that, when it really mattered, the people she might have to face again one day were not the sort to wait upon her decency. Rogan fought down another flare of angry nausea, unwillingly drawn to think of the way a certain navi had done the horrific opposite. He didn't have words to answer it. Lyntael probably didn't think she was being cruel – he could tell that it was simply a determined pragmatism in her voice – but reflecting on those events still made him feel ill and ashamed. He lapsed into silence and relented.

Roving further and deeper in search of more data to consume, Hex would soon happen upon a shallow depression in the network ground, with what seemed like a pair of small block forts built on either side. Atop the two small forts, a Gunner and a ColdHead virus perched respectively, while in between them, wearing a small white and black checked strip on its helmet, an electrically aligned Swordy seemed to be acting as some kind of referee to their game of fort wars.

On the far side of the area to where Hex was approaching from, a handy virus was also watching – though it was possibly a participant in the game as well; the forts seemed to have been built out of blocks that resembled inert versions of the Handy's bombs, and several bomb-like objects also seemed to litter the battleground between the two forts.

At the approach of the ever-hungering white, however, the Swordy in the middle blew a whistle and the other three viruses left off their game to face the newcomer. None of them appeared to immediately identify Hex as a navi of any sort, and their initial behaviour was cautious.

-=Viruses=-
GunnerGunner (Gunner)

Gunners attack every action, if able. They don't bother attacking enemies they can't hit or enemies they can't damage, but they can select Objects as targets. Their accuracy with the machinegun attack is bad because it scatters everywhere. They are aware of this. They are also aware of the fact that their Vulcan attack pierces objects.

Area: SciLab, Kotobuki Town, Dentech

HP: 60
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 5 Null + Spay Fire x 9 Shots
Primary Attack Accuracy: E
Primary Attack Description: Targets an enemy and sprays the area with twin machineguns.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 5 Null + Spread1 x 3 Shots
Secondary Attack Accuracy: A
Secondary Attack Description: Targets and enemy and attacks with Vulcan.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Vulcan1, MachineGun1, Zenny
Special: Immobile.: 60Hp [Normal] (On top of Rock Fort A)
HandyHandy (Handy)

Handy Viruses attack by opening a dimensional gate below themselves, and dropping into it. The exit gate opens next to their destination, and they will rise out of it holding an explosive. This explosive is placed on an unbroken panel, and the Handy is free to move after. The use of gates does not count as teleporting, but can be used as a means of dodging as they attack. Gates are only used when attacking, and at no other time. Handy viruses will not set a new explosive until either a turn has passed, or they pass one action without setting a new bomb, whichever comes first. For more info on the bombs Handy viruses use, see below.

Area: SciLab, Yoka, Okuden Valley, Netopia, Hades Isle

HP: 80
Primary Attack Damage: 50 Null to all enemies after 2 turns
Primary Attack Accuracy: S
Primary Attack Description: Places a 100HP TimeBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital timer on it. The bomb counts down for two turns, then explodes, dealing 50 damage to all enemies. If the bomb's HP is reduced to Zero before time expires, the bomb is harmlessly destroyed.
Secondary Attack Damage: 50 Null Counterattack + Blast2
Secondary Attack Accuracy: S
Secondary Attack Description: Places a 1HP DudBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital X displayed on the side. The bomb remains on the field until the end of the turn after it was summoned, then self destructs harmlessly. If the DudBomb is attacked, it detonates whatever attacked it for 50 Null damage in a Blast2 area. This counterattack is indescriminate, and will trigger against the attacker no matter who or what it may be, without exception.
Element: Null.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TimeBomb1, Zenny
Special: This virus cannot attack unless there is at least 1 unbroken and unoccupied panel on the field for it to place bombs on.: 80Hp [Metal] (Sidelines opposite Hex's position)
ColdHeadColdHead (ColdHead)

ColdHeads alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions ColdHeads may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. ColdHeads will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. ColdHeads cannot be lifted or thrown, even with Rageclaw.

Area: SciLab, Sharo, Hades Isle

HP: 60
Attack Damage/Effect: 30 Aqua + Break + Small Ice Terrain Change
Attack Accuracy: C
Attack Description: Fires Cannonball. Breaking. Creates Ice Terrain.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): IceBall1, Zenny
Special: Immobile.
- Iron Body when not attacking.: 60Hp [Normal] (On top of Rock Fort B)
Swordy-ESwordy-E (Swordy-E)

Area: SciLab, Electown, NAXA

HP: 80
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 15 Elec + Long Range Attack + Slashing
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: When this virus is 2 panels away from the target, or its enemies are 2-deep, it will attack with Elec Blade.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Elec + Wide Range Attack + Slashing
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: When this virus is standing directly adjacent to its target, or diagonally from it, it will attack with Elec Sword.
Element: Elec
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): ElecKnife, Zenny
Special: Swordy-E's are immune to Stun Status.
Special: Uses Area Grab to get into attack range.: 80Hp [Solar] (In the centre of the field)

-=Other Participating Entities=-
Hexadecimal.Exe: 150Hp [Metal] (Approaching from a point perpendicular to the two forts)
Ego.SP: 25Hp [Equipped to Hex]

-=Terrain=-
60% Metal

• Cannot be Broken or Cracked except with Geddon/PanelShot, cannot be Burrowed into.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Cracked.
• 100 Damage Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Furnace.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Break.

(Majority of the field)
25% Glass

• Slip Effect: -10% Accuracy, -10% Evasion to all.
• Non-Ice Aqua attacks causes it to be Wet, doubles slip effect for Non-Aqua Elementals for 1 turn. Wet can expire early with Fire attacks. Can cause slippage for poor RP or heavy impacts on Non-Aqua Elementals, 1-2 actions to recover.
• 200 Damage attacks: Change terrain hit to Broken. Damage threshold cut in half for Ground, Break, and Impact, to a minimum threshold of 25 when all 3 are present. Null 25 + Slashing + Nova 2 per panel broken, up to 200 (8 panels).
• Burrow: Change terrain to Broken, 50 Null + Slashing to burrower, Null 25 + Slashing + Nova2 to surroundings.
• PanelShot: Spread1.

(Two circular sections part way across the depression, equal distance from their respective forts)
15% Solar

• Elec Elementals get +5 HP/action.
• Wood attacks: +100% Source Damage, change terrain hit to Cracked.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Stun1.

(Circular section in the centre of the depression)

-=Objects=-
RockFort A: 100Hp [HardBody][Metal] (Perching on object counts as Normal

• No effects.

)
RockFort B: 100Hp [HardBody][Metal] (Perching on object counts as Normal

• No effects.

)
FakeBomb: 60Hp [Glass] (On the glass circle near Rock Fort B)
FakeDudBomb: 40Hp [Metal] (Off centre, on Hex's side)
DudFakeBomb: 20Hp [Solar] (Near the centre of the depression)

-=Battle 3, Start!=-

Overwhelmed and engulfed by the seemingly inevitable corrupting white, the sledge thrashed and struggled against the relentless tide as the remnants of broken bodies clawed and chewed their way through its aura once again. It swung with its hammer, sinking the weapon into the flood of white mass with a splatter that seemed to have little impact – the entity, whatever it was, seemed to be done playing at defence as it tore, invaded and gnawed. The tide crashed over it, corroding and consuming, piece by piece.

From detached space where no part of herself was permitted hers to command, what remained of ego could observe what parts of a body she was still allowed to have absorb some of the impact of the blow, twitching with electrical discharge within the white, unheeding mass.

The once impressively large virus thrashed again, desperate now as it tried to rise up and away from the oncoming destruction but was dragged back by the broken clutches of its doom. It was hard for it swing to miss what was all around it, engulfing it now and from her disconnected place, Ego may have been aware of the forceful strike as the body that had once been hers was permitted to share in the pain, and the damage. The thunderous crash that followed became the tortured shriek of data being rent apart, form broken and essence consumed. A final flailing swing from the virus, now deep within the all-obscuring white lacked the power to strike properly. A last flare of electricity from the devoured data, and then the struggle was over.

What there was of Ego to watch, what was of them to listen, might perceive the damage wrought upon what remained of her form, passed to it by the red link. What remained might perceive the inevitability of the entity... but also the damage that touched not only their body, and the bodies of all the forms it had eaten, but also the whiteness itself. Overwhelming, all-consuming, but perhaps not quite invulnerable, not quite unstoppable... but for now, there was only consumption.

-=Virusectims=-
Sledge V1Sledge V1 (Sledge)

Sledge are a combination of the ElecOgre, Gaia, and Megalian-E viruses. A Sledge looks like a floating Gaia statue carved to look like the chip image of Zeus that holds a Zeus Hammer slung over one shoulder. The viruses use the Zeus Hammer in all of their attacks, and should they throw or lose theirs, they will generate a new one as a free action.

Area: All

HP: 350
Element: Elec

Primary Attack Damage/Effect: (30 Elec + Impact + Break + Panel Break) + (10 Elec + Nova2)
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Slams enemy with ZeusHammer for extreme damage. Calls down lightning upon nearby foes.

Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: (20 Elec + Impact + Break + Panel Break) + (10 Elec + Blast2)
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C
Secondary Attack Description: Hurls ZeusHammer at enemy. Calls down thunder upon nearby foes when it lands.

Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: (10 Elec + To-All-Ground) + (10 Elec + To-All-Clause)
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: C
Tertiary Attack Description: ZeusHammer sends thunder wave rolling across the ground and strikes enemies with lightning.

Special: SuperArmor: Immunity to Knockback, Microburst, Pull, Gravity, and similar effects.
Special: This virus has a 40 HP ElecAura that regenerates at the end of every turn.
Special: Floatshoes.

Possible Rewards (Per Virus): ElecReel1, Gaia1, BigHammer1, HammerToss1, ElecAura1, Hammer, Zenny: OVERWHELMED
TyphoonTyphoon (Typhoon)

This family is an upgrade to the viruses found in MMBN. Unlike their game version counterparts, these roll around on four wheels. They are thus able to move and dodge. All of their attacks have the Wind Type attribute, and thus deal extra damage and other added effects when used on Sand and Snow terrain. The viruses themselves are not able to summon this terrain, however. Their secondary attack is mainly used to counter Object chips or creatures that are closing in to attack them.

Area: SciLab, Yoka, Sharo, Netfrica

HP: 100
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: (10 Null x 3 Hits) + Homing
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Creates a tornado that chases the target. This attack is Wind Type.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Microburst
Secondary Attack Accuracy: A
Secondary Attack Description: Shoots a single target with a concentrated blast of air that is virtually guaranteed to send them flying. This attack is Wind Type.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Typhoon, AirShot1, Zenny
Special: Wind Type: This Attack counts as Wind Type for the purposes of Wind triggered effects, such as traps and terrain.: NOM
RattyRatty (Ratty)

Area: SciLab, Kotobuki Town

HP: 60
Attack Damage/Effect: 30 Null + Blast1 + Homing + Ground Attack
Attack Accuracy: C
Attack Description: Fires a ratton missile that scurries in a tricky pattern toward an opponent.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Ratton1, Zenny
Special: Gains one free dodge at 30 health, but this only activates if the virus remains alive at this value. Missile has object properties, as an object equal to the damage dealt: if a missile is fired and dodged, it will remain active at 30 HP and attack the opponent again before it is destroyed. Never comes alone, favors pack mentality.: CRUNCH (PING)

-=Naviscence=-
Hexadecimal.EXE: 150Hp (Metal)
Ego.SP: 25Hp (Equipped to Hex)

-=Terrainor Infirma=- (The area is checker-boarded, all combatants roughly have a 50/16/34 shot on being one or the other unless specified with a dodge/feint/movementruined)
50% Metal

• Cannot be Broken or Cracked except with Geddon/PanelShot, cannot be Burrowed into.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Cracked.
• 100 Damage Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Furnace.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Break.

(Scattered across the area)
16% Normal

• No effects.

(Scattered across the area not near the epicentre of Hex's appetite...or where Hex was struck at.)
34% Broken

• Not bottomless.
• Reverts to Normal after a time, if no one is inside.
• Doubles dodge penalties for bad RP.
• 1-4 Movements actions to climb back out depending on method.

(Gnawed out pitfalls where Hex ate the normal panels and where Hex and the CorpseHeap was)

-= BAssmilationttle 2, ViCompletedtory!=-
Spoils: 1200z, 17 BugFrags, BigHammer1Damage: 160 + Impact + Break
Accuracy: B
Description: Summons a giant metal hammer to utterly crush one enemy that stands before you.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: D

One thing that he was sure about was that, all of its extended feelers aside, Lance's umbrella organisation had a massive amount of its value tied up in a single profit sink... what was unclear was whether this was a fixed facility, a specific project, or something else again. Hopefully his new information would help clear that up. If he could come up with a way to— Lyntael's sleepy voice washed across his senses, pulling him out of his focus.

“Hmm? Yes, Lyntael?” He flicked his eyes across to her screen, then regretted it immediately as his eyes were naturally drawn to her indecent sunbathing.
“So... Lance, and... and Vigilance...” In contrast to the relaxed tone, the focus of the words made him start and he looked towards her again, taking another unintentional eyeful of the girl's undress. His eyes took in the details, and the more keenly male parts of his brain noticed them, and she continued as he cursed himself internally and forced his eyes back to his own screen again.

The question was there again, coming up as he'd known it might. She tried to avoid asking, after he'd deflected and outright refused to answer numerous times, but here it was again and it was getting clearer and clearer to Rogan that he wasn't going to be able to keep burying his past for much longer. What had happened... back north? Normally he didn't think about it, but the past had been unceremoniously forced into his mind increasingly of late. Despite himself, he sighed and stalled by taking another long sip of his drink.

“Until recently, I did not know who Lance was...” That much was true... but he knew Lyntael wouldn't be happy with that much of a non-answer, not this time. “But I know his type, and I think I know how he fits into... the past.” As much as he hated doing it, Rogan let himself recall the things he tended to keep pressed far down. It wasn't a good time, and they weren't pleasant thoughts, but he had to give her something this time, something meaningful. He spoke slowly, picking words carefully and speaking in a quiet, low tone as he did his best to explain the things he'd rather no-one else ever know.

He knew Lance's type well enough, the kind of thinker and planner who says 'yes' to his masters and 'no' to his underlings, and always believes he is destined for the top of the ladder. The kind that 'knows' that any failure of stride is other people's faults, and other people must be the ones to suffer for such failings... oh he knew Lance's type alright. He would have fit right in... he probably had.

Glory of clan, honour of family; concepts that sound noble in stories and songs, but things that turned vicious when they meet the concept of freedom and individuality. Those were the first real lessons of his young life. It had just been expected, of course... expected of both of them, that they would be a credit to the clan, that they would do as their elders instructed, obey their father and mother, obey their aunts and uncles, and turn all of their work towards the betterment of the family, as instructed. It was what you did. It was what you were expected to do... and woe betide the bad son who was so selfish as to pursue thoughts of his own desire instead of the work he had been instructed to by those who knew better.

Movement from Lyntael's screen made him look her way again as his explanation paused. She was rubbing at a spot on her chest, He looked away once more in frustration, and fought down the urge to scold her. She wasn't taunting him, this time – he'd seen her nervous tick in the past, and the way she rubbed at the place where her navi emblem had once been was enough to make him wince. Instead of snapping, Rogan took a moment palm his eyes and drew a deeper breath.

“Lyntael, would you please put your top back on?” Her seemingly surprised response was almost enough to make him throw up his hands. “Anyway...” He did his best to push on through the unpleasant recollection, and found himself staring at the curling iron patterns of the cafe table, tracing them meticulously with his eyes as he tried to explain without plunging into the worst of a bad set of memories.

They couldn't live their lives like that. That was what he'd always told himself, at least, and they were the words he heard himself speak as Lyntael listened. If it had been just him, perhaps he would have just endured it... Made himself look like the family player they wanted, hidden himself from their eyes in other ways, pursued his wants in secret, and in silence... maybe he could have borne it, if it had just been him. But Eric... he had a heart prone to love first, and doubt second; a need to mediate and find peace; and a brilliant, brilliant mind... To smart to ignore what was wrong, too gentle to do what was necessary, and too valuable to the clan, for his talents, to ever be allowed to be anything else but what they needed. Eric would have tried, if it had just been him, and his soul would have died a quiet death.

They'd planned to leave, to get away and make a fresh start, far away and unknown... but things hadn't quite gone right. It had been his fault... speaking in anger, and too freely, before they were ready. All the worst moments in his life had been his own fault.

“Unfortunately, Lyntael, such matters are rarely that simple. It...” He paused, drawing a long, shaking breath and letting it out slowly as Lyntael tried to push for more. She was desperate to know, to understand, but... “It's not something I like to think about, Lyntael, and especially not something to talk about in a public setting.” The sorrow in her response made him hang his own head, looking away from the device. He owed her the truth, especially if they were going to the heart of it together... She deserved to know the full of it.

“Later, Lyntael. I mean that; this is something you should know now, just... not here, not now.” He was sure she'd just take it as another refusal, another deflection, but in his own mind Rogan forced the promise on himself. He would give her the whole story, soon. Just... just not now. When he glanced back, it was in time to see her nodding in acceptance and picking herself up from the sand. He would tell her. Soon, he would.

While his navi continued to meander on her casual way towards the apparent source of the viral upsurge – or at least the nearest such source – Rogan retreated to planning and research again. There were documents that he wasn't going to analyse in a public cafe, but that still left plenty of other variables that he could look into while Lyntael pushed forward with her soul-searching. He found himself trying, and failing, not to think about the conversation that had fallen now to silence. She didn't want him to blame himself or feel guilt for the things that had happened, that much he understood, but the reality didn't match up – how could he not, after all? That was what she was trying to say though, in the end... He gave her orders, and she followed them; she acted with loyalty, and he'd led her somewhere dark. She wanted him to believe that she hadn't needed to do as he said, that she'd made the choice on her own and was responsible for it, but it still felt like shifting responsibility that still belonged on his own shoulders.

To the side of his laptop, a cursory side-eye to the PET showed Lyntael approaching a new group of viral entities and he listed to her give another cautious overture. Sooner or later that was going to go poorly for her... he knew it would, and she would get hurt again. And now that he was finally willing to see what other people had been telling him to look at for years, and be a more responsible operator for her, the girl didn't want his help any more. He tried anyway, voicing a cautious word to her, but Lyntael's calm voice came back to him unconcerned as she appeared to settle down for a rest amidst the still potentially dangerous programs.

Against all sense, they seemed to abandon hostilities as well, but the PET screen showed the more subtle effects of some of the creatures hampering his navi's capabilities all the same. He made a token effort to warn her about the issue, but he had to admit that aside from slowing everything down, there wasn't any actual harm in the effect. Even so he keep his eye on the scene carefully as the cafe waitress brought him a fresh drink and he accepted it with a small nod.

He nearly choked on his first sip, holding back the instinct to splutter and cough as his navi decided that she wasn't done tormenting him yet, exposing her already borderline decency in the apparent name of sun-tanning.

“Lyntael!” He didn't think he needed to explain his objection any further, and received another candid, calm reassurance from the girl for his effort.
“It's okay, there's no-one around...” he turned his eyes back to his laptop again more firmly while she joked about her indecency.
“That's not— Lyntael, you can't just—!” He bit off the broken protest rather than continue to stumble for the right way to articulate himself. If this was what having a teenage daughter was like, then Eric was welcome to it. He just couldn't understand how someone who had been through what she had, had suffered as she had, in ways it made him feel physically ill to even think about... could just so calmly flaunt herself like this, in the name of fun. It just didn't make any sense. He knew she was extremely nervous around male navigators, understandably... it felt unnerving to see her act so... freely... in other contexts. When she decided that simply opening her top wasn't enough ,and she needed to take it off altogether, Rogan pressed his attention back to his work and tried not to grumble internally about it.

How best to properly take care of the issue of Lance and his organisation was a difficult question. The man had made his vendetta against Rogan very personal and clear, and while he was sure that he would come off the worse if he clashed more directly with the Sharroan family, he had a suspicion that he'd avoid that now that he had the scent of blood, as it were. There was also the possibility that his moonlight 'employer' might decide to change their minds, and consider Lance and his crew valuable assets, if he made them an appealing enough offer, and he didn't trust the situation not to end up providing Fitzpatrick with a new abundance of resources to pursue his grudge with. No, it needed to be taken care of before Varda's superiors got to him... and gracious as they were, in their own way, they'd permitted him the opportunity to do so. He needed to take it, and soon.

Calm steps and soft words went so far, but as she took cautious steps forward, moving between the viruses and trying to make her intention to pass by clear, Lyntael could see that the mix between properly sapient creatures, simple programs, and those that were potentially more hostile wasn't making for an easy passage.

Soft breezes continued to play and dart, circling about her form and the charge pulsing slowly within her, beneath the somewhat quicker beat of her heart, continued to rise and push its way to the edges of her skin; she held it back desperately as one of the watching viruses broke the delicate pause with a more violent dash towards her. She leapt aside, turning, then grit her teeth to keep her own charge from lashing out in response. Even so, the swift movement took her from walking steps to a light, high-stanced combat pose unconsciously, narrowing her body line and lifting her hands to a defensive forward position instead of the low and open placement she'd been holding onto before.

“Hey! If you're scared, I understand, and I'm sorry...” Her eyes flicked aside, from the hostile fishy towards the Met that had approached her, and the Shellnerd beyond, and she tried her her best to offer the pair a quick, grateful smile before turning her face back towards the more agitated viruses and resuming a more focused expression. “But if either of you are aware enough to make your own decisions, then please, please reconsider attacking.” She kept her stance up, ready to duck and weave again as much as she needed to, to prevent either of the angry viruses from actually making contact with her while her charge flooded her; she didn't want to hurt them, if they were actually self aware, but holding it back was so much harder if she actually got hurt herself. Instead, she continued to move past the group slowly with cautious steps that kept her raised guard facing the more violently inclined ones.

“If you're not endangering any innocent folks down here, or destroying any important network functions, or anything like that, then I really don't want to do harm that I don't need to.” Her glance moved back and forth between the fishy and the mosquito swarm again – the latter really gave no hint that she could tell, whether it was properly sentient or not, let alone taking in her words, but the fishy at least, seemed aware enough to be angry at others. “And if you can understand that, then please, calm down... I'm going, alright? I won't bother you.” Here she looked towards the more friendly Shellnerd again. “There are a whole lot of viruses nearby that are causing a real network danger... But I can see that that's not you. I'm only here to stop viruses that are doing real harm, and causing real instabilities.”

The first attack from the Fishy had taught her something, she realised as she continued to move cautiously past the group. She spared as much of a friendly and appreciative nod for the little metool as she could while still being ready to twist away from any further hostile actions of the others. It had taught her that, until a real and present problem confronted her, the real question was increasingly becoming... did she actually need to destroy these entities? And the answer was, increasingly alongside that, no. She would fight, if she had to, to protect others, to defend herself if there was no other choice... but really, even an irritable virus like the fishy wouldn't be harming anyone, if she was not here... and she could choose to not be here.


Summary

L*) Turbulence (Auto-deflect on shot or lobbed attack)
L*) Gust (Knock Back effects are Double Strength, and attacks with them gain Wind type)
L1) Dodge (More cautious and defensive now, ready to avoid further assaults if needed)
L2) Buster Charge
L3) Dodge (Moving slowly through the space towards her destination)
L4) Instinctive: My Pain is Real; it lingers after Counter (On Hit): (10Elec Nova2, Knockback, Time Delay (Start of next turn): Counter (On Hit): (10Elec Nova2, Knockback)), 15Hp Sacrifice, 2CD (Overcharge +1 per Counter Triggered)
RP: (Her skin is live and visibly charged, but if triggered by an attack, Lyntael will try to suppress it from actually going off; if the attack is stopped by her defences, she'll manage to suppress it and deny the counter (consider the ability voluntarily negated in that case), but if it gets through to deal Hp damage she'll fail to contain it, and it will activate as normal)
L*) Fast Armour: 20Hp Casing Refresh
L5) Dodge
L6) – No other actions for now

Cooldowns and Overcharge

My Pain is Real; it lingers after (2TCD)

Overcharge: Begin: +0, My Pain is Real (+1/+1 on trigger), End: +1/+2

As she walked, Lyntael let her senses spread out to feel the gentle motions of breezes and winds moving far out in every direction. Her eyes drifted mostly closed as she relaxed into the sensation and a quiet tune found a soft hum on her lips that flowed with the different curls and eddies of the air. Her body swayed in time and her steps began to pick out delicate skips and hops as the rhythm of it spoke to her. High up on the cliff, she felt closer to natural winds, as much as the rational part of her mind knew that didn't make much sense.

It was strange in its way though... Her thoughts turned the question over. There was no sense remaining now of the furious lighting and torrential storms that had converged on the site of her earlier conflicts; if they were even remotely any part of what was considered natural on these networks, there would still be traces in the air of their passing... but instead, nothing.

She continued along the raised cliff, a gentle twisting and turning dance guiding her steps to a tune that she could feel, rather than hear. Try as she might, it was hard to deny that it had to have been her own doing, somehow... but how, and why? When had it started?

Her musings were interrupted at a sound ahead of her, and the sudden attention of several viruses scattered about the area ahead of her. Her skipping steps halted as she took stock of the group between her and the path she was following. Across her body, a faint sheen passed over her new suit with a shiver and a ripple of sensation that made her fingers and toes clench for a moment. It seemed to have responded to her own awareness of the potential danger, but the sensation was... not an appropriate one to focus on in what might become a combat situation.

She did her best to set it aside opened her palms low to either side. Some of them looked like wild viruses that might just attack as soon as ignore her, and they didn't seem the sort of actually reason with, but some of the others seemed more alert and aware, possibly. She took a step forward and to the side slightly, moving slowly.

“Hey... Easy... I'm just passing through.” Her eye lingered on the Shellnerd for an extra second, but... She knew she was supposed to be here hunting this virus specifically because of some upsurge and overpopulation, but it was hard to turn that very legitimate and important community service into reality against individual critters that weren't being a threat. The destructive and violent ones, she could deal with... and if she found the source of the problem, that might count for something too... but she just didn't feel right going after one if it didn't pick a fight first.

As she took another cautious step, Lyntael reached out tentatively to the flow of the breeze around her, ready to pull it in to a deflecting spiral of wind if any of them did decide to attack her, but she held off on making any visible sign of readiness – she'd just have to hope she was quick enough if they were violent. The gentle pulse of her charge matched her heartbeat, calm for now but beginning to build in response to the situation. She took another step beginning to move around the mud pool to the cliff-side of it.

“See? No danger here.” The calculating part of her mind still assessed the viruses in terms of how dangerous they might be to her, if they forced a fight; she'd encountered violent members of most of their species' before, these ones seemed more weathered and powerful than others she'd seen... even the mosquito swarm looked like they could more than just nip if they had a mind to. Her eye drifted to the vacantly happy mudfeesh, and she guided her cautious steps to put a little more distance between them.

“As fun as it looks, I think I've had enough mud for today, little guy... none for me thanks!” She raised her hands with a smirk and small wink for the virus unsure whether it could understand her or not, and gently continued her edging around the pool towards the other side of the area. Despite her relaxed body posture, Lyntael herself was ready to throw herself out of the way or take cover behind whichever broken piece of ruin was closest, if she had to, but for now she did her best to avoid any sudden moves.

Summary

L*) Turbulence (Auto-deflect on shot or lobbed attack)
L*) Gust (Knock Back effects are Double Strength, and attacks with them gain Wind type)
L*) First Armour (20Hp Casing)
L1) Dodge (showing relaxed stance and non-threatening body language)
L2) Buster Charge
L3) Feint (Being moving forward slowly, to the cliff-ward side of the pond)
L4) Dodge (Ready to dart away or behind cover if something has a go at her)
L*) Fast Armour: 20Hp Casing Refresh
L5) –
L6) – No other actions for now

Cooldowns and Overcharge

(None Yet)

Overcharge: Begin: +0, No Charge Actions, End: +0

Flattery and compliments – especially phrased towards beauty, rather than cuteness – were not something she was really used to, and Lyntael let herself smile as she averted her eyes and shrugged. The realisation itself was perhaps worth thinking about, but it was somethings she could set aside for later... as far as it went, she wasn't entirely sure how she felt being looked closely at and complimented when she was wearing a suit that was desperately thin and detailed every curve, contour and groove of her body. The idea of actually modelling the material commercially was probably a non-starter, if Rogan had anything to say, but the first thought that came to her beyond that was that she'd definitely want to be wearing proper undergarments underneath it, next time, if there was a next time... But... a subtle thought wormed its way through her mind underneath everything else... as long as no-one else was around, being dressed securely but feeling nearly naked and distinctly, deliberately sexy was... kind of fun, kind of nice. A little exciting. She let the thought run its course as she waved to the other navi, and listened to Rogan reassuring that they'd make sure the suit got back to them in due course.

By the time the others had gone, Lyntael took an extra moment or two to look around and get her bearings again properly. Unconscious sensation made her realised she was absently running her fingers down her sides and over her hips... and instinctively thinking about what the contact might feel like in other places. She made herself stop before Rogan felt the need to pass comment.

“Alright. Which way for finding the source of these dangerous viruses?” There was a drawn out pause that she felt over the line – not the silence of Rogan checking details, but the more pronounced sensation of him hesitating more actively.

“It's fine, Rogan. Look, I'm dressed and decent now, I'm okay.”
“Lyntael, I'm really not sure I would call that...” He trailed off, and she heard a soft sigh. “Okay. According to the location we were pointed towards earlier, you just need to keep heading in the direction you're facing for now. Either path should be fine, but I suspect you'll need to make your way back towards the shoreline eventually.” The urge to run her hands over the material again was hard to put out of her head. Perhaps it was because she felt practically bare, but still couldn't really feel the movement of the air or the wind on her skin properly. She looked out over the water, turning her face towards the sea breeze; it was stronger up on the cliffs.

“I think I'll stay up here for a bit, take in the view a little more as I go. Even if these are the rogues, the weather is nice, for now. It smells like rain, but it feels like summer.” She began to walks along the upper path at a relaxed pace, strolling slowly and making small skipping jumps from one raised rock to the next as the mood took her. Rogan's voice followed her with a touch of dry humour.

“I'm not sure if you were paying attention, Lyntael, but I suspect that might actually have something to do with you. As far as I'm aware, even the more deprecated sections of the network aren't quite that prone to sudden dramatically timed storms.” His comment was droll, but it made Lyntael frown for a moment and glance towards the sky. She hadn't really thought about it at the time... or any time it happened, now that she focused on remembering. As she lined up the memories though, sure enough – the storms had come and gone as she grew more worked up in the middle of fights, or dangers, even when the weather wasn't supposed to be that way. That was... not something navigators were meant to be able to affect, she was fairly sure. Wind and breezes were one thing, and she could feel the motion of the air all around her, far out almost as far as she could see, if she concentrated... but the rain and the storms, that was something different.

“I don't know, Rogan. It just... seems to happen.”
“As with many of your mysteries, Lyntael.” He didn't sound bothered, or concerned, really... a part of her suspected that others, people more knowledgeable about the net world, might be. She just nodded and pressed onward.

((Ready for Battle 11))

As much as she was more or less prepared to continue on her own way, the last offer from the other navi's operator was enough to make her pause and glance back towards the new display presented. A soft, thoughtful frown brushed her features as she listened to the explanation and let her eyes take in the peculiar suit with a costume-designer's eye. It looked simple enough, and very thin, though she had to suppose that when it came to designs for material, her habit of following normal physical constraints was just that, really, and the thinness of this material didn't need to be any limitation on its other capabilities. She bit her lip softly as her feet carried her back to the mannequin and her spare hand lifted one of the sleeves, passing the material between her fingers. The inner side almost reminded her of the gel that covered her when her cross with Eternalis and Aurora was active; soft, slippery and hugging, almost like it should be wet or slimy, but it wasn't. It would glide over skin and cling firm to it, yet without undue friction on contact.

At first she caught herself about to voice the idea that she simply couldn't take this, with a half a dozen small explanations about how foreign clothing didn't play well with her crosses, and how she wouldn't be able to preserve it properly going home, either, and... but she closed her mouth again and bit the polite modesty back before giving any of it voice; there was politeness, and there was silly, and she was standing here in nothing but her knickers. Take the clothes.

“It's a fascinating material. I'll... I'll try it on. One minute...” She began slipping it off the mannequin with careful movements, putting her back to the other navi so she could use both hands more freely.

“A moment, Lyntael...” Rogan's voice was cool and serious again; she was actually a little surprised he hadn't objected outright to the idea of her taking on material data from an unknown source, but he was clearly put out by her on-going wardrobe malfunctions, so maybe he was letting himself make a concession or two. A small smirk touched her lip at the thought.

“Alright, it's clean. I hope your new friend does not mind, but they certainly won't be receiving any ongoing biometric data or feedback on you from this gift. I've quarantined and sterilised it for external links and trackers.” The other navi's operator had seemed to mention wanting to find someone to test it for them, and she guessed that having data from such a test probably mattered to them, but there was not going to be any arguing with Rogan on this matter. Instead, she glanced over her shoulder with a quick, apologetic smile.

“I... I can't have that kind of stuff, sorry, but I could send you a message later, let you know how it performed, if you want?” She only spared them a moment for the glance, then turned her focus back towards actually trying on the outfit. It seemed designed to be worn against the skin directly, and after an extra moment or two hesitation, and a second glance back over her shoulder to make sure no-one was peeking, she quickly stripped off her remaining undergarment and folded the scrap of cloth up in one hand before stepping into the suit and pulling it up past her hips. A few tugs and quick adjustments later and she was settling it over her shoulders and pulling the back zipper all the way up.

It really was... very snug. Lyntael felt a soft blush creep across her cheeks as she shifted in the new outfit, her hips unconsciously rolling side to side as she moved from one foot to the other and got used to the press of the material against her body, and the way the silky material really did press in and hug 'everywhere'. Maybe she should have left her panties on after all. Oh well. They weren't wrong about it feeling like she was barely wearing anything at all, either... only the lack of feeling the wind on her skin, and the press of the outfit in certain more sensitive places, were any clues that she was dressed at all, at least as far as physical sensation went. She shifted again, still not quite at home with how much detail and definition the suit traced her figure with. Somehow she felt almost more indecent dressed like this, than she had a minute ago.

She distracted herself by raising the arm that bore the small series of adjustment dials and beginning to fiddle with them, watching the change in hue and tone against her forearm as she tweaked the suit from its default black through towards a softer, more pastel pale yellow. At one point, Rogan cleared his throat and Lyntael blinked; she realised she was seeing the soft hairs on her forearm as she adjusted the colour, and had let it slide all the way through to near transparency in her quest for the right pastel shade. A hot blush plagued her as she pulled the dial back to something safer and cleared her own throat as though nothing untoward had occurred, confirming her selection and locking it to let the controls fade away.

“Ah... right, okay... Umm... I think that's all taken care of? How do I look?” She grinned and glanced down at herself, doing a quick turn about to let others look properly at last. Her own downward glance reminded her again of just how much detail the skin-tight outfit preserved. She was fully covered and somehow felt more naked than before. The part of her that secretly craved more femininity that she had to offer internally bemoaned how slight her hips, behind and chest were, and how the extreme hugging of contours and curves mostly only emphasised how reserved those curves and grooves were. The rest of her fought off the instinct to blush instead.

“Let us hope that you don't encounter any cold breezes...” Rogan's voice sounded flatly unimpressed, though she'd come to think of his nonplussed remarks as compliments in their own right, at least after a fashion – he was only put out because his attention was being drawn to her femininity, and he wasn't comfortable with thinking of her that way... so... it was sort of a compliment, in that sense, wasn't it? She tried to think of it as such. Without thinking about what she was doing, Lyntael reached up to rub briefly at the left side of her chest just to make sure nothing was standing up or sticking out and she heard Rogan cough with a briefly mortified sound.

“If you're done, Lyntael, perhaps you should get moving again, if you're determined to continue.” She nodded, then looked towards BeastKnight once more.

“Thank you, for this. I'll look after it as best I can, I promise.” She grinned, bowing her head in gratitude to the other navi and his operator, then stepped back again and gave him a short wave before getting ready to continue her search.

As the other navi groaned and began to rouse himself and recover, Lyntael felt some of her tension relax and she focused on breathing deeply and letting her heart slow to a more reasonable pace. Her body continued to spark faintly in rhythmic pulses and she just watched from her kneeling position for a few extra moments while he sorted himself out.

At his first proper comment, Lyntael looked down at herself with a small start and immediately lifted one arm across her chest. She felt a flush of pink hit her cheeks and her gaze slid away to one side in momentary embarrassment. Covering herself barely made any sense at this point, all things considered, but the principle of the matter was still important, or so her immediate thoughts insisted now that the violence and tension were passed.

“Ah... yeah, um... It's not your fault, I'm sorry, I should have... I thought I had myself better under control than that, really. I can't go lashing out whenever something reminds me of... um... reminds me of other things.” She wasn't about to dive into everything that had happened with a stranger, as much as a part of her did feel like she owed him an explanation for her sudden assault. I'm okay now, I promise... Ah, a little sparky. Maybe keep a little distance.... but I'm okay. I'm glad you're alright.” After a moment, she took a longer breath, lifting her face towards the sky and the still lingering breezes, then sighed and rose smoothly to her feet in a graceful motion. She wanted to stretch out a bit and just loosen up again, but for now keeping one hand across her chest was more important. She glanced down at herself again briefly and offered the other navi a rueful grin.

“The clothing wasn't your fault either... you weren't to know. I know none of this is really a danger for most navis, especially not navis with proper combat systems and all of that... It's all visual overrides, and protection values, and getting to stay right a their best and strongest right until they're down...” She shrugged softly and began to pace, stretching out the parts of her body she could while still keeping herself as close to decent as she could manage. “I'm... I'm not like that. Wasn't made for fighting... My defences, near as I can tell... they're all just instinct, not anything that anyone ever designed or wrote or intended. I've learned to control them, mostly, but...” She shrugged and shook her head. Explaining something that she barely understood herself probably wasn't going to go anywhere meaningful.

“Are you going to be okay?” She glanced back over her shoulder towards the other navi, eyebrows arching with a soft expression. Her efforts to warm down and stretch out had become an unconscious series of graceful motions that seemed to move to their own unheard rhythm, stretching and flexing in ways that would be quite easy to appreciate, save for the arm around her chest. Unconsciously, she changed arms part way through her movements, working out the other arm instead while still keeping herself covered. She spared glances towards him whenever her movements allowed, trying to remain polite as she kept speaking.

“I'm supposed to be taking care of a virus issue in the area – a hostile upsurge, apparently... and I...” she paused with her back to BeastKnight, letting both her arms down so that she could examine the cut down her body more carefully. It didn't really seem that bad, truthfully – it stung, but it was barely skin deep and she'd felt far worse pain many times. “I'm going to keep on, and get to the bottom of it, I think.”

“No you will not, Lyntael. I don't care what follies of ill fortune seem to insist on doing this to you, but you are indecent. We're stopping.” Rogan's voice cut in with a weight of exasperation, but Lyntael paused in her steps, folding both of her arms across her chest how as she frowned.

“I'm okay, Rogan. And I really don't think that anyone we're going to be facing soon is going to stop and wait politely if my clothes gets ripped again.” The unspoken words – that actively cutting them off, purely for the torment of it, had been at least one navi's game of choice – drifted across the line in the silence that followed. Lyntael shook her head. “It's just another kind of training. I need to be ready.” It wasn't fair, she knew that, and she felt as though she could practically feel Rogan's indignant frustration at her making arguments like that. She did feel bad, pushing that particular button just to get her way.

“Look, if you've worked out how to fix the problem without pulling me out, then I'd love that, but you know I'm going to have to start over finding this trail again if I stop here. It will be fine, Rogan, I'm sure it will be.” A frustrated sigh was the only immediate answer and she turned her focus back to the other navi. She shifted her arms until she was covering what passed for her breasts with one arm again and glanced at her other hand carefully before extending it towards him.

“Thank you for being kind. And, um, sorry for getting carried away. It was nice meeting you.” Her charge had calmed enough now that, if he shook her hand the most he would feel would be a warmth and a gentle hum of latent charge. She offered him an encouraging grin before getting ready to continue on the trail again. Other navis were rare in this lower network, surely the chances of her running into anyone else was extremely slim at this point.