Mega Man Star Network

By Kingdom Rider92

A/N: I know that I'm a horrible person. I know you guys are going to hate me for this and think I should leave the Battle Network and Star Force games alone, since their overall stories are complete (Lan and defeating Wily, WWW, Gospel, Regal, Nebula, and the Cybeasts, the brothers permanently reuniting thanks to the Copy Bots, and Lan FINALLY getting with Mayl in the Battle Network era, Geo and Omega-Xis becoming worldwide known heroes, defeating Cepheus and the FM-ians, Vega and Mu, King and Dealer, and Geo finally able to bring his father home in the Star Force era), and not a lot of loose ends are left to tie up for either of them.

However, ever since the original announcement years ago of a Battle Network and Star Force crossover, I was ecstatic… and then disappointed when I found it was a Japan-exclusive updated re-release of Battle Network 1 with an additional Star Force scenario that more-or-less served as filler. Also, the Mega Man series has more or less had its plug pulled at this point, the cancellation of Legends 3 being the final nail in the series' coffin. I was kind of ticked off, and originally wrote out plans for a stand-alone crossover that would be an entire game-long one rather than just one scenario.

So, what happened to these plans? The computer that had them on its hard drive died horribly (most likely my fault, viruses and such), and I never put it on Cloud storage, so I completely lost the story. I gave up on it after that, deeming the idea to be a lost cause. This was years ago, by which I was already writing Sonic Chao Chronicles here on while I was working on other projects on deviantART. In short, I had left it behind and forgot the story ever existed and became too busy attempting to salvage my other projects.

So what inspired me to revive it? Well, after seeing that Mega Man's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. U/3DS was summoning the Mega Men from X, Legends, Battle Network, and Star Force to shoot lasers at the opponents, I had gotten into a conversation with someone about whether or not Nintendo should consider talking to Capcom about just buying the Mega Man franchise since they're not really doing anything with the Blue Bomber anymore since the original creator of Mega Man, Keiji Inafune, has left the company, and Mega Man technically made his debut on a Nintendo system.

And thus, I remembered the basics of the original story. Now, I've been watching old YouTube videos and even playing the games to remember the two different times in the Computer Tech Timeline, hoping to pull this off. This is an experiment that I can no longer ignore, so may as well put it somewhere. Who knows? This could be my best work. Or it could suck and we all get a laugh out of it anyway. Heck, the only way I could get away with this in canon is because Battle Network's epilogue is twenty years after the events of 6 (and a lot can happen in one year, so multiple adventures can be in twenty, including this one) and Geo is still technically a superhero (and his life as a hero has never been easy).

Anyway, the reason I'm using the English names for… well, this is not because I hate the Japanese names, but the fact that I've been exposed to the English ones a heck of a lot longer and I can't help but automatically think of Battle Network's human protagonist as "Lan Hikari" rather than "Hikari Netto". It's a personal preference, really.

With that all out of the way, let's get started.

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A FAN FICTION. MEGA MAN AND ALL OF HIS INCARNATIONS BELONG TO CAPCOM. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE SO WE CAN GET MORE MEGA MAN GAMES! THIS DISCLAIMER GOES FOR ALL CHAPTERS SO I DON'T HAVE TO WRITE IT OVER AGAIN.

Prologue: Two Times, One Crisis

In the Year 20XX, Net technology was continuing its rise. Net Navis, the central artificial intelligence programs of the time period, were continuing development, now being able to come into the real world with the help of Copy Bots, no longer bound by their Personal Terminals, or PETs for short. As Net Technology advanced, so did the people operating it… as did the cyber-crimes committed. The Net Police had their hands full fighting off threats these criminals had on everyday life, the Colonel Program and Iris Program soon in development.

Net technology could not dominate the world forever, however. By the year 22XX, two centuries later, Net technology gave way to electromagnetic wave technology, which society became dependent upon after rediscovering it from ancient civilizations. Net Navis and PETs soon became things of the past, giving way to EM Beings such as Wizards, artificial beings made from EM Waves that served similar purposes of Net Navis, and systems such as the Hunter VG which used EM Wave technology to hunt down and delete the re-rise of EM viruses. The Net Police, the Official Net Battlers, and NAXA had become the Satellia Police and WAZA, who had to deal with the new type of Wave crime.

Both times were eras of technological revolution. Both eras had their ups and downs… their heroes and villains… their adventures, their tragedies, and rescues. But these eras share one final thing… a crisis that spans over 200 years. One that if not fixed, one era's progress would seize violently, while the other's era would never exist.

And both times had a Mega Man to save it.

SciLab, Electopia—20XX

A group of scientists typed away at their stations, monitoring Net activity. "Things sure have been peaceful for nearly the past year."

"You mean with the Cybeasts?" another scientist asked. The first scientist turned to the second.

"Yeah, with those things gone, we're looking at a new age of Net technology," the first answered. "…Still… hard to believe Dr. Wily is now helping the scientific community again. What changed him?"

"No idea, but that's not important," the second scientist brushed off. "For now, we should focus on getting this analysis finished. Once it's done, we can go home. My wife's making her spaghetti."

"Mind if I come over?" the first asked.

"You're not touching a single noodle." He turned back to his station, and said, "Now come on... we're almost done."

BRRRRRT! BRRRRRRT!

"What's going on, here!?" Dr. Yuichiro Hikari asked as he walked into the conversation. He looked at the monitor to see that an entire section of the Net had begun to shake.

"We have a Class 9 quake in Cyber City's Central Area of the Net!" the first scientist said, getting back to work. "The quake has even spread to Central Town's… Real World!"

"What!?" Dr. Hikari asked. "With the Cybeasts gone, an earthquake originating from the Cyber World spreading into the Real World with that magnitude… that's just not possible! How is that happening!?"

"I don't know, Dr. Hikari," the second scientist said. "Every Navi that was in Central Area and survived the initial quake has been forced to jack out. But… there may be a high deletion toll before the quake stops. We've just sent a mail to the Net Police so any and all Real World casualties can be accounted for."

"I can't believe this happened…!" Dr. Hikari gritted his teeth. "Any signs of the quakes spreading to other areas of Cyber City!? We need to save as much of the town as possible!"

"I don't think we're going to be able to save ANY of Cyber City…" the first replied. The Net Areas of Cyber City continued to shake, only with far more aggression. "Seaside and Wood Towns were just hit! Their Cyber Worlds also suffered from the quakes…!"

"Same with Sky Town…!"

"No…!" Dr. Hikari breathed. "At this rate, all of Cyber City…!" The monitor's image then died. "…What just happened!?"

"…Sir… we just lost all communication with Cyber City," the second scientist said. "The quakes have stopped, but Cyber City... it's gone, sir."

"You mean, Cyber City was destroyed?" Dr. Hikari asked.

"No, sir," the scientist replied. "As far as we know, all communications just severed and the city vanished. It's almost like… Cyber City never existed."

"Oh no," Dr. Hikari breathed. "Lan… he had friends there. I hope they're all okay. The Net Police will hopefully respond with good news. Until then, we have to work around the clock to reestablish communications with someone, anyone in the city. Hopefully, Lan won't do anything risky this time…"

National WAZA HQ, Electopia—22XX

"Ace, you really should not be moving too much," Queen Tia said as she watched Ace punch the giant sandbag he had set up.

"I need to get back in the game, Queen Tia," Ace said. Throwing a few more punches, he explained, "I can't just sit around and do nothing all of the time! Eventually, something big will pop up and if I'm not back in shape, I won't be able to help anyone! Besides, don't pretend like you don't like the show." Tia's blush gave Ace all he needed before throwing two more quick jabs.

"Ace, didn't Dr. Goodall say that this strenuous training would do irreversible damage to your weakened body?" Acid said as he popped out of Ace's Hunter VG. "Besides, the Satellia Police and WAZA ordered Trans-Code 001 Acid Ace to be retired after your reconstruction. We are lucky to be alive, Ace, and we've earned our peace."

"The world's always going to need heroes, Acid," Ace insisted. "Like it or not, we're still heroes."

"Acid is right to be worried, Ace," Tia argued. "You don't have to keep pushing yourself like this, anymore. I'm here, now. Jack and I are safe, and we're done with that. Stop blaming yourself for what happened with Meteor G, Dealer, and Mr. King." Ace punched the bag once more. "You're only going to kill yourself again at this rate."

"She has a point, Arthur," Dr. Goodall spoke up. The old woman walked in, a sad smile on her face. "When reconstructing you, I noticed an incredible amount of damage done to your body. The Noise corruption, the unique damage done by Wave Changing with Acidina corroding your body… and add the wounds received on top of all of that. I had less of a chance at reviving you than I did with Luna: there was a five percent success chance. If you keep Wave Changing and overexerting yourself at this rate, your muscles and vital organs will shut down."

"…So, I guess it's over," Arthur "Ace" C. Eos sighed, stepping away from the sandbag. "Acid Ace is retiring. Well, may as well make it official."

"Official?" Tia asked.

"You know, a retirement party," Ace said with a grin. Pulling out a Mega Snack, he quickly munched it. "If I'm hanging up Trans-Code 001, I'm doing so in a way that's memorable. Acid, e-mail Geo, Bud, Sonia, and their friends and family. Tell them to come to WAZA HQ in a few days. We'll need to buy a few party supplies."

"It's official?" Acid said, surprised it was so easy. "Who will become Trans-Code 001 in your stead?"

"I thought it would be obvious," Ace answered. "Only one person could take over."

"So, now that you're retiring from field work," Goodall asked, "what's next, Arthur? Do you plan to leave the Satellia Police and WAZA?"

"I couldn't stay away if I tried," Ace answered. "But, I have a few plans. For one, pro—"

BRRRRRT! BRRRRRRT!

"What the!?" Ace asked.

"Dr. Goodall! Ace!" a scientist spoke up as she ran into the room. "We just received word that an unexpected earthquake has just hit a nearby area!"

"What!?" Goodall asked. "What do you mean?"

"The Wave World of Wilshire Hills just went haywire with an EM earthquake!"

"What is the estimated damage report," Tia asked. The scientist looked at her. Silence filled the air. "I know I was the one responsible for much of the destruction of WAZA," Tia said, "but I still feel like we all need to know how bad Wilshire Hills suffered."

"Well, about that," the scientist said. "I wasn't reluctant to tell you because you were once our enemy, but because I don't the true damage caused. When the earthquake happened, the surrounding area of Wilshire Hills… the whole town just up and vanished! We lost all communications with it! We're still trying to trace the epicenter of the earthquake, but… this isn't natural!"

"How in the world…!?" Goodall breathed. "The amount of energy needed to cause an unnatural earthquake effecting both the Wave World and the Real World… that's off the scale!"

"Wait, how much of Wilshire Hills are we talking is now off the radar?" Ace demanded.

"Sir… all of it," the scientist answered.

"This is bad," Acid concluded. "If all of Wilshire Hills is gone, then that would naturally include the IFL Tower."

"Which is the civilian supplier of EM Waves throughout Electopia," Goodall recalled. "If that tower is lost… then the damage it would do to Electopia… an Electopia without EM Wave technology is almost unthinkable!"

"…In that case, it's not time for Acid Ace to retire just yet," Ace said, taking out a second Mega Snack. With a munch, he declared, "I'm going to investigate."

"Ace…!" Tia protested.

"I'm the only one here who can investigate this in case there's a big threat!" Ace reasoned. "I'm sorry, Queen Tia, but you lost Virgo, Jack lost Corvus, Harp Note is in Netopia doing a tour, Mega Man and Taurus Fire have their last day of class, and we're not getting in contact with Rogue. While we do have Cygnus Wing and Wolf Woods, they're busy with other problems! I'm literally all we have right now in case this is a huge emergency!"

"I hate to say it, but Ace is right," Acid said, looking at a Browse Screen to show those registered with Project-TC were all occupied. "None of our alternative Wave Changers can be spared right now… but we will take a unit of Satellia Police Commandos to assess the situation. We'll probably need it in case the situation has become even more complex."

"Arthur, this is extremely reckless," Goodall said. "You're not one-hundred percent healed yet. That said, I know there's no stopping you… but you and Acidina are to only Wave Change if given no other option. Now, go investigate what's happening, but be careful."

"…This is your last EM Wave Change, Arthur," Tia warned. "After this, you are never Wave Changing ever again! If you get hurt, I will find a way to reconstruct Virgo and delete you myself! Do you understand me?" Ace stood in shock. Not because of the threat by his girlfriend, but by said girlfriend actually using his real name.

"…Clear as crystal," Ace said. "Acid, let's go."

"Understood." The two ran out, a small box falling out of Ace's pocket. Tia, curious, bent down and picked it up. The woman opened it up… and gasped at the diamond ring with Q.T. engraved in the band.

"Dr. Goodall?" she asked. Showing the box, she asked, "Was Ace…?"

"He was going to propose to you, yes," Goodall smiled. "Congratulations, by the way."

"…I haven't said yes, yet."

"You haven't said no. Anyway, dear, I'll leave you to do some soul searching." Goodall began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Tia demanded from the older woman.

"I'm going to look into the incident myself," the old scientist smiled. "After all, I'm sure Mr. Stelar and Meggars will figure out something is amiss and investigate it, anyway. I want to give them as much help from HQ as I can."

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And thus, the prologue is finished. What do you all think? Is it awesome and something I should continue? Is this a story I should let die now? Does anyone have ANY suggestions (I still haven't finished Star Force 3, so I have no guarantee that I'll get the chracters like Ace and Solo/Rogue completely right, so I will probably need help)?

I know I didn't really show the panic and worry very well in the 22XX time… but I promise that I will show how devastating this all is soon. Now, you're probably wondering who I'll have enter the situation first, Lan and Hub (for instances that I'll have both Mega Men working together, I'll refer to the Navi as Hub) or Geo and Omega-Xis (who is ultimately easier to refer to by name).

Anyway, the answer: I'm sorry, Star Force fans, but the storyline would be easier to establish if we stick with 20XX and Lan for now. So, the first arc will follow Lan and for up to the first boss, and then switch to Geo and Omega-Xis.

Farewell, my subjects!