A/N: This is another story I've been periodically working on when I can't work on the other stories for some reason or another, and because of that, it doesn't get worked on very often.
It's based somewhere after the sixth Battle Network game, but before the bit in the end of the credits of 6 that gives sneak into Lan's future.
I'm having to invent a little bit of history for the series to make a bit of this work, but it should make sense.
Anyway. As usual, I'm rambling, so I'll shut up now and let you read.

---

"Homework, Lan? You're doing homework without being reminded?"
"Gotta do it sometime. It's about time I started being responsible about it, right?"
"Well... yes, but it's unexpected."
"New school year. I started getting up on time last year, so this year it's homework. Like new year's resolutions, but for school. I'm done, anyway. Math isn't so hard."
"I remember when you used to ask me to do it for you all the time," MegaMan commented with a sly grin from the PET.
"Hey! I got over that," he protested, pausing then adding, "Eventually."
"Took you long enough, huh?"
"Cut that out," Lan grumbled, stowing the homework in a folder, then that in his bag. "I should have done this sooner. It's nice to know it's out the way and no one's going to nag me about it."
"And there you were grumbling about it all the time."
"Yeah, yeah, alright, so I wasn't much good at it."
There was a short pause.
"You know, I'm surprised at you," MegaMan told him.
"Why's that?"
"You haven't mentioned going online yet."
"Me? Would I do that?" he asked, his face the picture of innocence. "It's not as if I'm online too much, after all," he continued.
"Of course not," he replied sceptically. "Planning on doing it anyway?"
"Naturally. We said we'd meet ProtoMan at the Scilab homepage, remember?"
"If you start remembering things any more, you'll put me out of a job."
"Nah, no chance. Even I'm not that perfect."
MegaMan shook his head as Lan connected up the PET to the computer, transmitting him to the net.
Their homepage was relatively quiet. That is, relatively quiet, given that they had collected banners for so many other homepages that people frequently used theirs as a short cut around the web.
The recent addition of some boards on the homepage meant that some people stopped by for longer, rather than just passing through.
MegaMan passed through, nodding to a few regulars as he made his way through to the net proper. Though he and Lan had a certain celebrity, other Navis seldom treated him all that differently. There were exceptions, of course, but they were usually little to no trouble.
It gave no indication of what they would find on the net, or what was going to happen.
ACDC area too was quiet. Unusually quiet. One might almost say dead quiet.
No Navis were in sight at all. Even the usually handful of Programs were down to just one at the exit to ACDC Area 2.
"Lan..."
"I see it too, MegaMan."
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Be careful." There was a long silence. "Sorry," Lan mumbled. "Habit."
"No viruses either," MegaMan commented as he made his way toward the other side of the area. He paused at the Program. "Hey, is something happening?" he asked it.
It didn't respond. In fact it didn't move at all.
He tapped it on the head. There was still no response.
"Maybe we should go on and see if there's something ahead causing it," Lan told him nervously.
ACDC 2 was exactly the same. One Program only, and no response. 3 was no better either.
It was eerie, going around the net without seeing a single Navi or virus, nothing but the single Program in each area. It was like walking through a ghost town.
Scilab's Homepage, like their own, was some small traffic, but also like their own, was hardly as busy as usual.
At least ProtoMan was there as they'd expected, though it looked like something was bothering him, his normally calm expression – or what could be seen of it – clearly troubled.
"You're early," he greeted them laconically.
"Is there something going on?"
"That's odd. I was about to ask you the same. Chaud and I can't get in touch with anyone. It's like the entire phone and mail networks are down."
"I think something strange is happening on the main net too. We didn't see anyone at all on the way here, just a few Programs, and even they made no response."
"That's impossible."
"See for yourself," MegaMan replied, pointing back at the link onto the net.
ProtoMan stood stunned when he saw it himself.
"Chaud, are you seeing this?"
"Of course I am," his voice replied tensely. "Something's wrong."
"You don't say?" Lan muttered. "Maybe it has to do with the suspicious lack of anyone around except us?"
Chaud ignored that. "Go to Scilab 2. There's some strange readings coming from there."
"Strange? Isn't this strange enough?"
"Stranger," he amended.
At first glance, there was nothing different. On closer inspection, it was noted that the only difference was a small, dark circle on the floor. It looked like a homepage link, but not like any seen before.
MegaMan shared a glance with ProtoMan, then shrugged, stepping onto it with the comment, "Someone's got to be brave enough to try it."
He vanished. For a few moments, the Lan's view remained the same, then changed to a new area, one he'd never seen before. It looked like a town. Shortly after, ProtoMan joined them.
"Another Vision Burst?" he asked.
"I don't think so," MegaMan replied. "It doesn't look the same. It resembles ACDC slightly, but it's not quite right."
There was a store by the park, similar to Higsby's, but it was owned by someone else who stood at the counter. Instead of chips, the woman behind the counter seemed to deal in odd looking cards instead.
The houses nearby looked relatively normal, though there were odd looking antenna atop each.
Even the school nearby had one. The school itself was also resemblant of the schools Lan knew, both the one in ACDC, and the one in Cyber City. Like everything else here though, it was clearly different.
None of the people around paid even the slightest bit of attention to them. It was as if they weren't even there.
Finally, they headed up some stairs beside the school, and the bus stop outside it. They led to an area above the rest, with a viewing platform and another park. In one corner was an old steam train.
Stood looking up at a starry sky was a human boy, dressed in red and black, and with hair spiked back. There was an odd device on one wrist, and he wore goggles that looked more like a visor with a light-blue sheen.
He didn't seem to notice them join him at all. Not at first, at least, as they drew close, he frowned slightly, looking around, but apparently not seeing them.
Then the boy pulled the goggles down from his head, looking through them. He definitely saw them now.
"Oh," he said. "You're here. I wasn't expecting you." They shared a puzzled look, to which he continued, "Well, I was expecting you. Just not now. I'm meant to give something to one of you." He searched himself, then from a pocket he pulled out a small dark sphere, only a couple of inches in diameter, and dark in the same way that the link they'd followed to get here. He handed it to MegaMan.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. I'm only human."
"If you're human, how can you see us?" ProtoMan asked.
"I'm not meant to talk about it. I am real, though, that I can assure you. I'm just not meant to explain anything around here. Only give him that, and tell you to go back. No one else will be able to see you here, so I wouldn't worry about being seen. Just don't get too curious on the way back. I don't want to have to do anything to either of you." He half turned back to his stargazing, the paused, glancing back and adding, "Nothing personal intended, by the way."
"That's it? The entire net just shut down to give you this?"
"There's probably a good reason behind it," MegaMan told him, already turning to leave.
"Wouldn't it be best to find out why first?"
"Of course. Just as soon as you tell me how to go about it."
"We could start by jacking out, and having Lan go to Scilab."
"Can't do that," Chaud broke in, ending his long silence. "There's something blocking us from doing that. You'll have to come back to the regular net first."
In the park, stood between them and the link back stood someone familiar. MegaMan found himself looking... at himself.
"Hand me the Orb," the second one told him. "I can prevent the trouble it will cause."
"I'm being confronted by me again," he sighed. "That's more than suspicious enough."
"You don't understand. You have to trust me."
"You've given me no reason to."
"I don't have time to."
"Tough luck then."
"Don't hold me responsible for what happens next."
"We won't," ProtoMan retorted.
The second MegaMan merely nodded, then left through the link.
"Well that was strange," Lan murmured. "Time to go back?"
ProtoMan left first. MegaMan glanced at the sphere he carried, then followed.
Lan's view flickered several times, then stabilized again, showing the link and ProtoMan. MegaMan was nowhere to be seen.
There followed several tense moments, then on his screen flicked up an error not seen by any operator since before even he'd been born.
'Terminal Transmission Error'