Mega man Battle Network: Virus mutations

Chapter 7: 201102 Virus

Lan had no problem sitting in his room all day, of course under normal circumstances it wouldn’t have been so easy. But he was getting out of school for a day, and after all that happened, he probably needed it. And he was with Megaman after going a whole week not knowing whether he would live or die, that was always a plus.

Lan really didn’t feel like doing anything anyway. It was wet outside, the storm yesterday had left every part of the city completely soaked. Today it was hot out, extremely hot, the kind of day that made you want to sit someplace cool and do nothing. The air in it self was also wet and muggy, but the wind was strong as if another rain would come soon. Gray clouds were scattered across the blue sky, seemingly the same ones from the day before.

There was no point in going out, it would rain again soon anyway, in fact it was starting right now as he thought. 'Wow, that was fast...' Lan sat at his desk with the goggles with tended green lenses, golden rims and a black strap that prevented blurring of vision over his eyes, something he'd taken from his father's study and never put back. Currently he was trying to fix his PET with no progress at all, while Megaman was sleeping peacefully behind him.

Lan stared at the console blankly, contrary to his expression he was thinking as hard as he could about any option he could take. This wasn't easy since he didn't have knowledge in this type of thing, and each time he looked at it he remembered what happened when he was escaping from the island with Megaman. How the PET showed this faded image that told him where to go, ’That had to be Zero, he's gotta be still in here... somewhere.’

It was the only reason he bothered to deal with the PET anymore was because of that image. It had to be something, if the PET stopped working before and Zero came back to help him, then maybe it could happen again.

‘Why am I still bothering with this, Megaman’s back, isn’t that what all of this was for?…’ Lan leaned over the edge of his chair and glanced over his shoulder at Megaman, he couldn’t help but smile lightly at the thought. ’Hn, that’s why.’ Some time after Zero died and before he found Megaman, his goals changed.

! - !- !

“My data will become corrupt, and when that happens, I’m as good as deleted.”

“What? But… you can’t….”

“I have to!”

“There has to be another way…..”

“There isn’t, this is the only way in to the room, this is your only chance.”

! - ! - !

‘He said good as deleted….that doesn’t mean he is, maybe there’s a chance that he’s still alive somewhere. Maybe I can bring him back.’ He had a better chance of getting it done with his Father’s help, but he wouldn’t press the issue with him now, he would have plenty of time later. His father was going to be home for 3 weeks, giving Lan more time to gather up more information.

‘It’s like Megaman all over again.’ Lan sighed, when he stopped thinking he noticed he was still looking at the former Navi. This time it seemed even more hopeless then before, but there was still a chance and Lan had to take it. He knew all of what happened was in a way Zero’s fault, but more good came from it then bad, and he did sacrifice himself for Megaman. Lan at lest had to try.

“This is pointless, I can’t do anything.” Lan said in aggravation, nearly tossing the console aside. With his hands planting on the desk he slowly pushed himself up, averting his eyes toward the window.

It was still sunny outside even though it was raining lightly, not a setting that usually came about. The boy only shrugged mentally at the rarity and looked away from the window at Megaman. The bed was looking very tempting right, even though it was about 8 in the morning.

A small yawn decided his fate, Lan laid down, curling up against Megaman, who moaned softly in his sleep and wrapped his arm around him.

! - ! - !

! - ! - !

He still couldn’t believe that he ended up here, all of this led to Lan of all people. Who better to go get answers then Enzan?

There where a million reasons why he was doing this, one because he was the head of the Project Zero Network a subsidiary to his father’s company IPC. His father had giving this Project to him as a test of his managing skills, and so far it had been a good so far, all was going as plan.

Imagine his surprise when he left for 2 days and when he returned, his systems were infected with an unknown virus. And the first created subject was missing, more importantly one that was created out of his account. The raised a lot of questions in it self, which he wanted to ask personally and on his own.

Enzan waited patiently at the door, he was so busy thinking that he'd forgotten that he even rung the doorbell, he was surprised to find Dr. Haikari on the other end.

“Oh, Hello Enzan.” Tadashi said warmly, “I guess you’re here to see Lan.”

Enzan nodded almost impatiently, he was really just anxious. “Yes.”

“Come on in, Lan’s upstairs.”

He was actually here? Wasn't he suppose to be in school?

! - ! - !

It was around noon, and by now Lan was fully awake, laying casually across the bed with is legs hanging over the side. Megaman was sitting at Lan’s desk looking over the PET with a sense of curiosity and fascination.

The door suddenly flew open so hard that it slammed against the wall, and an annoyed Enzan walked in abruptly.

Lan sat up abruptly at the sound. “Huh?”

“Netto!” In a second Enzan was standing over Lan before he could move, or even before he realized what was happening.

“Enzan!”

Enzan looked over his shoulder at Megaman for a moment, it was all starting to make sense now. “How did you mange to do this?

“D-Do what?”

“This?” Enzan asked, clearly meaning Megaman.

“Is that why your so mad? You wanted to ask me that?” Lan asked, standing up.

“You some how hacked in to Zero Divide, I wanna know how.” Enzan asked impatiently, he was strait to the point as always.

Lan rubbed the back of his head nervously, he wasn't expecting this. “How did you find that out?”

“What?” He couldn't believe he was being asked this question. “You left a trail of clues a mile long!” Enzan managed to keep his voice just below yelling.

“Well then, why are you here?” Lan retorted angrily, he couldn't help but get mad with Enzan yelling at him.

“I’m in charge of the network, and the account you got in to was mine.” Enzan told him,

“Oh man, you can’t be serous!” Lan was clearly surprised, he'd never imagined that out of everyone it could have been, it was his that he got into.

“Whatever, just tell me how you did it.”

“….Wait! If your in charge of that place, then this whole thing is your fault!” Lan yelled, tapping a finger against his Enzan’s head.

“What the hell are you talking about?” He shouted back.

Finally unable to just watch any long, Megaman came in-between them and pried them apart, “Calm down, and stop yelling.”

Lan and Enzan looked Megaman and then at each other, then both of them folded their arms and looked away. “A virus infected Megaman, one nobody could stop, and guess where it came from.” Lan snorted sarcastically, he sat down on the bed, waiting for Enzan to figure it out.

’Virus? What is he... Hmmm’ Maybe he did have more of an idea about what Lan was saying then he thought. “What virus?” Enzan asked, he wasn't sure if it was the same one he was thinking of.

“This one.” Lan stood up, brushing past the other boy to reach the PET on his desk and then handed it to Enzan.

Since Megaman had been examining it the PET was still on, the screen still displayed a streaming ‘201102’ in red numbers.

Apparently it was the same virus. Unfortunately. “…….How…?”

“That virus almost deleted Megaman, I say it was a fair trade.” Lan sounded satisfied with himself, peering over Enzan’s shoulder.

’How could it have gotten out? We isolated and destroyed the system it was created on…’ Enzan was sure that he had a much larger problem then Lan now. “How did you get in and get past security? Someone would have had to notice you.”

“A friend.” Lan replied carelessly.

This didn't speak well for his security system.“Whatever you did, you infected one of our main systems with the virus, Now we can’t stop it.”

“Huh? What do you mean you can’t stop it?”

“Just what I said, somehow that virus has been altered. I'm sure your not smart enough to program it to do what it's doing now.” He said. “It sealed off all of the server rooms and locked down all the independent systems on each of them, it can reach the Net at any time now.” Enzan forcefully handed him back the PET.

“You said could, it hasn’t gone on to the net yet?” Megaman asked, he didn’t make sense, a virus that powerful could get to almost any system, it could devastate the net in about 3 days at the lest. And it was just a mindless worm, it can't be selective on what to infect... Enzan did say it had been altered. And he did just realize Enzan had took a shot at him. “And I'm not stupid!”

“No it hasn't, it hasn’t moved since it infect my systems.” Enzan told him.

Lan started to wonder, was this Zero? That replicating program that the '201102' virus was, wasn't smart enough to do this. “What does it look like?”

“What do you mean?”

“Dose it look like a Net Navi?”

“Hmm…” Maybe he was right in taking the time to come here , Lan may have known more about this then he gave him credit for. “I have heard that it has taken some type of form.” He said thoughtfully, then he stopped thinking. “Why am I telling you this, unless you have a way to stop it then-”

Lan cut him off quickly “I might just have one!” Lan sounded more excited then the situation called for.

Was he serious? “What?”

“I’m not sure, but I need to get back to that Island.” This was his chance, if he went back, then he could see once and for all if Zero was alive or not.

“No way! You just don’t expect me to let you go after you caused this much damage already!” Enzan shouted angrily.

“It’s not my fault that you let the virus you made in the first place get out, how much damage do you think you caused already?” Lan said just as angrily.

He's was right, and if this new version got out... Enzan scowled to himself and folded his arms. “Fine, if you think you can stop it, Let’s go.” Enzan said, decidedly he began walking away. “But you better not be wasting my time.” He called back just as he passed the door.

‘I might just be able to save Zero after all…’ Lan thought happily.

“You think it’s him?” Megaman asked.

“I’m sure of it.” Lan said with a small smile... which quickly faded at another thought. “Oh man! I’m still grounded!”

! - ! - !

“Lan?” Tadashi was in the living room reading a newspaper, he lowered it just enough to see Lan and Megaman standing over him. He folded it neatly and set it aside on the table in front of him.

“You remember that virus Megaman had?” Lan had told him the specifics of it this morning, most of the details of Zero also.

“Yes?” He nodded.

“And you heard about the Zero Divide network opening right?”

Tadashi nodded again.

“Well that virus...” Lan paused nervously. “It took over the network, it’s going to spread over the whole net if something isn't done about it-”

“And you want to do something about it.” His father sighed, getting up from the chair.

“Of course…. and we’re going to need your help.” Lan said the last part reluctantly, it's probably what he'd been so nervous about.

“Hmm….Must be serous, is it?”

“Yeah, total net devastation in 3 days serous!”Lan told him, almost yelling.

“Ok Lan, tell me all of what happened yesterday.” Tadashi said in a serous tone. “Oh and Lan.”

“Yes Dad?”

“You and Megaman better learn to lock the door, Your lucky I came before your mother did.”

Lan looked away, a blush spreading across his and Megaman’s face.

! - ! - !

“What took you so long?” Enzan was waiting impatiently in door way.

“I had to get someone to help.” Lan told him as he walked outside, Megaman following loosely behind and Tadashi followed after him.

Enzan had no complaint, he thought Lan’s father had a better chance of helping the Lan did.

A strong gust of wind pushed through the rain lightly and a red and black helicopter dropped down from the sky landing on the lawn.