The Hollow Warden

*Zeno is lying down in his room, with his PET leaning against the pillow next to him.*

Zeno: <Really hope they shut down the school...>

Protoman: <Don't count on it.>

*Edge is at his house watching the news report, his PET on the table next to him.*

Edge: <Wow, seems to be a problem goin' on... I wonder if it's related to what happened earlier?>

*Edge continues watching the news report*

*The news anchor then talks about an upcoming NetBattle tournament.*

Anchor: <...So NetOperators, don't miss the Annual Seabreeze NetBattling Tournament in 3 weeks! Sign up now by filling in the form you can request at the Seabreeze City Hall.>

*Kelphy is also watching the news, sitting on a semicircular blue couch on the yacht. She looks at Iceman on the top right corner of her screen.*

Kelphy: <Are we signing up this year?>

Iceman: <I still don't get why we didn't last year. Of course!>

Kelphy: <All right, then. We could go now and pay my dad a visit while we're there.>

Iceman: <Sure, I bet he'd like that.>

*She smiles and unplugs the PET from her laptop. As they are walking out of the docks she sees the new Biology teacher walk by.*

Iceman: <Hey, isn't that-->

Kelphy: <Yes. He's pretty nice.>

Iceman: <Speaking of teachers, aren't you curious about what happened at school earlier?>

Kelphy: <Well, yes, I guess so. It's probably nothing.>

Iceman: <Mhm.>

<"Are not!">

"You sure are. What was that earlier about swords not being cool?"

<"They aren't">

"Whatever... look..." Alto was going to say something but Axl heard the news and got excited.

Alto looked at him and laughed, "You want to join? Tough shit."

<"It'd be excellent for data! Cmon!">

"Not happening. You aren't ready to be unveiled at a public event like that. Forget about it Axl."

<"You suck!">

"Yeah yeah, cry me a damn river. I made you I can unmake you just as fast" Alto spun in his chair and faced away from the PET before standing up.

<"Is that all I am to you Alto? Just data?">

"Pretty much yeah" Alto yawned before walking away and turning off the lights.

"And defective data at that" he peeked his head back in just to add even more sting to his comment.

Axl was shocked into speechlessness.

*Edge's mouth a bit upon hearing this. He immediately picks up his PET to try turning it off before Spider could hear of the tournament. However, he failed and Spider heard every last word.*

Edge: <Pretend you didn't hear that. Please pretend you didn't.>

Spider: <I'm not pretending for crap all! I heard about that tournament thing, and by god I want to go to that.>

Edge: <It's not like you to be so motivated for something like this...>

Spider: <It's not that I want to go through the trouble, think of the fame we'll get if we win. Money, fame, power... sounds good to me.>

*Edge stops for a moment and thinks of the glory he could possess from winning it*

Edge: <Let's go sign up for that thing! Now!>

*Edge picks up the PET and bolts out of his house.*

*Zeno picks up his PET and walks out the door, silently after hearing the news.*

Protoman: <Signing up for the tournament?>

Zeno: <Yup.>

*They head off to Seabreeze Hall.*

*Lots of people of all ages are waiting around in the city hall's lobby. One of the three receptionists behind the semi-circular counter gets up and speaks to a microphone connected to several speakers across the large and packed room.*

Receptionist: <Please wait a minute, we will be opening to the doors to the registration booth room soon.>

*Kelphy makes her way over to the counter and arrives just as the receptionist is sitting back down.*

Kelphy: <Hello!>

Receptionist: <Ms.Colsun, it's so nice to see you. Are you here to see your father?>

Kelphy: <That too I guess, though the main reason is I want to sign up for the tournament. Can I see him?>

Receptionist: <Of course. You can take the door behind the counter just this once.>

*And so Kelphy exits the lobby. Meanwhile, somewhere else in the room, a super sexy and rather suspicious woman wearing a trench coat, skinny jeans, hiking boots and sun glasses, all of which are black, walks by Edge and Zeno, catching their attention. She has long brown hair tied in a ponytail and relatively light skin.*

"So many people~" Minato skates by then stops.

<"We should join">

"We should. It'll be fun~"

Minato enters the lobby after taking his skates off and putting his shoes back on.

*Zeno glances at the woman as he passes by her, but then continues walking up to the receptionist.*

Zeno: <Signing up for the tournament with my Navi Protoman.>

*As Edge walks by, he sees a woman walk by him, and she rather stands out amongst everyone else*

Edge: <What do you think about that, Spider?>

Spider: <She looks... suspicious. Very much so. We should follow her.>

Edge: <Yeah, I guess you're right... man, I just wanted to sign up, go home and rest for the duration of the day. But we can always sign up later. It'll have to wait until we see what this lady's up to.>

*Edge begins following the woman, hiding amongst the crowd as he does.*

*The woman walks up to a door at the right corner of the lobby and glances at the counter to make sure the receptionists aren't looking before opening it and going through.*

Receptionist: <Please be patient, sir. We will open the doors to the registration booth shortly.>

*Suddenly, the lights go out and the main entrance, an automatic sliding door, goes off, leaving everyone stuck inside. The receptionist takes the microphone again and gets up on her chair.*

Receptionist: <Everyone please stay calm as we try to fix the problem.>

*Edge stops for a moment to see the lights go out.*

Edge: <Ah, damn. First the school and now this... I can't help but feel as if something suspicious is going on.>

Spider: <Hurry up! After that lady already!>

Edge: <Oh! Uh, yeah, forgot about that for a second...>

*Edge runs after the lady, going through the same door she did.*

Axl was sulking in Alto's comp when a steam of data collected into the form of a cerulean blue armor clad navi. His armor was highly reminiscent of something elegant and noble. Like high class society from a bygone era. He had long flowing light blue, almost white, hair and a bishounen face with indigo colored eyes. At his side was some sort of thin bladed sword in its sheath.

Axl jumped up, "Who are you!?"

"So... the key still works..." he looked around and saw Axl. "Oh, my apologies I didn't see you there. My name is Duelman, I was Alto's navi once upon a time."

"Once upon a time?" Axl questioned.

"He gave me to his bestfriend Yuki when he moved away. We... were no longer compatible as netbattlers."

"Seems like we aren't ether... all he's been doing is telling me all he cares about is the data. All I am is data..." Axl sighed and hugged his knees.

Duelman paused as if in thought, "He always gets like that around this time. In a few days it'll be three years since his mother passed away. Try not to let it bother you?"

"Axl... so... Duelman why are you here?" Axl asked.

"Ah. I was leaving him a message that Yuki is in town and wants to see him again. I suppose you could tell him yes?" Duelman smiled. When he did he almost sparkled from the bishiness he was throwing off.

Axl sweat dropped, "Uh... sure."

"Very well then, I take my leave" and he vanished in a stream of data.

---

"Ooooh its daaaaark~" Minato singsonged.

<"Be serious will you!"> Starman yelled.

Zeno: <Wonderful.... Ugh, now I'll never get in.>

*He remains calm and leans against a wall away from everyone else.*

*Suddendly, they hear a blowing sound coming out of the air conditioner, and a white gas starts flowing out and spreading across the room. Only a few seconds go by until the receptionist falls down from her chair on to the counter, unconscious, and everyone starts screaming and tumbling around, the screams fading as they fall unconscious one by one.*

=====

*They hear screaming coming from the lobby.*

???: <(So everything is going as planned.)>

*Down a hallway she enters an elevator and presses the button to close doors and lift to the floor above. Edge sees a door next to the elevator with a sign that reads "Staiway - Emergency Only".*

"Night Night~" Minato passes out with a catsmile on his face.

---

Axl is browsing the net.

*Edge hears the screaming and turns back for a second, but then looks back and sees the woman take the elevator, and then notices a door that leads to an emergency staircase*

Edge:<...If this isn't an emergency, I don't know what would be.>

*Edge almost bursts down the door as he opens it and begins running up them after the woman*

*Zeno covers his nose and runs off towards the area that's not being gassed, the door behind the counter. He dives in and kicks the door shut behind him.*

Zeno: <Dang it... that was nerve-wracking...>

~Edge~

*He reaches the floor above just as the elevator doors open. The woman exits it and heads down the hall, reaching a large wooden door with a small metal box at its center where one can insert a code to open the door. She takes a dark red and silver PET out of her pocket, connects it to the lock, and starts pressing a few buttons.*

=====

~Zeno~

*Through the door is a long hall with several wooden doors along both side walls and a glass door leading to a large balcony at its end.*

=====

~Alto~

*As Axl is browsing around, he sees several Mettaurs walking down a path in the network and spreading off towards several different destinations. Two of them see him and approach running. They swing their pickaxes at the floor, sending shockwaves towards him.*

*Edge runs down the hall after the woman, beginning to close the distance between them. Eventually, he stands 5 feet behind her.*

Edge: <What do we do now, Spider...?>

Spider: <Uhhh... we didn't figure that out, did we? Whatever, just role with it.>

Edge:<But... oh fine, uhh.... hey, you there!>

*Edge points at the suspicious lady typing things in.*

Edge: <Are you responsible for what's going on down there?>

*Zeno gets up and runs towards the glass door and opens it.*

Two guns manifest in Axl's hands. "Trick Shot" he jumps backwards and fires two buster shots into the Mettaurs.

<"Stop fooling around Axl we've got a problem"> Alto's voice rings in Axl's head.

"What's going on?"

<"Town Hall's experiencing a power outage and people have fainted inside. Its on the news right now. Go check it out. That's an order">

"Tch" Axl heads that way.

~Edge~

*The lock beeps and she unplugs her PET before turning around with a grin on her face. She lets out a few laughs.*

???: <If I am?>

=====

~Zeno~

*The glass door leads to a terrace. A stone stairway leads to an another smaller terrace attached to the second floor. He can see a large window up there.*

=====

~Alto~

*The path to the Hall's network is the one the viruses are coming from. They swing their pickaxes at Axl as he waltzes across.*

<"I'm sending you a chip, get read. Spreader in, download">

Axl's guns changed into a shotgun which he fired at the viruses blasting multiple ones at once.

*Edge was beginning to grow nervous*

Edge: <Then I'll have to, uhhh...>

Spider: <Pssst. You'll have to stop her.>

Edge: <Then I'll have to stop you!>

*Edge starts to run at her, motioning as if to tackle her.*