Merry Christmas, everyone! I'm really sorry this (currently) doesn't have reviews, but I FINALLY got a break from my family, work (working Grocery Pickup is a demanding job for the holidays), and life long enough to finally get this chapter out! It'll be the last one for the year, but I think it'll be worth it to finally have this out. That said, let's get this party started.

Chapter 31: Choinese New Year Resolutions

-AE-

Cyber City, Sky Town, Electopia—22XX

"Acid," Ace groaned, eating yet another Mega Snack, "are you done sifting through the data, yet?"

"I understand that you're bored, Ace," Acid said, "but there is a lot of information here in terms of what repairs needed to be made to Mr. Wheather when he was damaged by Colonel and Baryl that we needed to download and convert, especially since it is a system that was made 200 years ago, and we're updating it to work with the Choinese Weather Control System. However, I have good news. We almost finished converting it into a simple Patch Pop-Up."

"Thank goodness," an equally tired Prairie moaned, holding her stuffed cat doll. "It's been half a day since you found the data we needed…."

"Why didn't you just go to sleep, Mayor Prairie?" Aile asked.

"Nowhere good to do so…" the mayor sleepily complained.

"Well, aren't you the picture of energy and grace?" Ace teased. "When I first saw you, Miss Mayor, you were passionately working that crowd. Now here you are, acting like a tired teenage girl. Where's this side of you coming from?"

"It takes a LOT of energy to run Cyber City, and keep order knowing that we're all trapped in the future," Prairie answered. "Once I just plug in and power down, I can build it all back up."

"Don't need coffee?" Tia asked, bringing a pair of cups in to offer Ace. Ace took his, and she sipped the other one. Baryl, meanwhile, drank his own flask of tea.

"Never was a fan when I was a little girl," Prairie said. "Daddy's energy always fired me up, especially after my surgeries."

"Surgeries?" Ace asked. "You?"

"Mayor Prairie may not look it," Vent said, "but when she was younger, she had a terrible heart condition. The medicine helped, but what she really needed was a life-saving surgery. Her father was helped with it. She eventually became the woman we see today, but she's a kid at heart."

"But that's beside the point," Prairie said. All of a sudden, the group each got a bing on their respective OS handhelds. They looked at them, seeing that the Repair Pop-Up Program was complete. "All right, it's done!" Prairie tiredly cheered. "Aile, jack out! I'm going to take a nap with Miss Meow."

"See, a kid at heart," Aile smiled. "But I can use a powering down, too." She jacked out, followed by her brother.

"Someone should make sure this gets to Choina right away," Baryl said while the mayor went off to finally nap. "Should we send an email?"

"No time," Tia said, pulsing Virgo out. "Harp Note and all of the Project Transcode Commandos are preoccupied helping evacuation efforts and are no doubt running ragged. If one of them tries to apply the repair in a sleep-deprived state, the odds say they may make things WORSE in the long run. Not to mention the current flooding makes Chonia a dangerous place to get between the evacuation sites and the Weather Control System. We have no choice but to send a relatively fresh amphibious Operative to Choina."

"So… we're getting Claud Pincer?" Ace asked.

"Claud Pincer would be a good pick," Tia answered, "but I have my doubts that he is mechanically inclined enough to perform the operation needed. No, I have a far simpler solution if it doesn't bother you, Arthur." She held out her Hunter-VG. "I… I wish to be registered to Project Transcode."

"...What?" Ace questioned.

"I never thought I'd say this, Tia," Virgo agreed, "but I'm with your future baby daddy on this one. Why would you ask to become a member?"

"Because that way, we can legally Wave Change, and make the journey to Choina to fix the machine. Not to mention while you and the mayor were busy watching data being crunched, I took the liberty of going to sleep," Tia answered. "I have a fresher set of eyes, I can navigate the Sky Wave to Choina, and you know my hacking abilities are top-notch. Not to mention that I have an Aqua-type Battle Wizard. I'm perfect for the job."

"...Are you sure about this?" Ace asked.

"Arthur, do you trust me?" Tia replied.

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then let me do this to show just how committed I am to making us work, this time," Tia said. "Let me atone for my sins. You said it yourself, your next Wave Change will most likely be your last. Only a Wave Changer can make this trip before things get worse. You know it. I know it. But you using that last Wave Change to save Choina, while certainly heroic and totally you, could put us at a disadvantage in the long run. Besides, someone needs to send a similar patch to Geo's team. Please, Arthur, let me do this, and you prepare to send the patch through time."

"Okay," Ace answered.

"...What?" Tia asked.

"Look, Tia, I trust you," Ace replied. "Heck, I LOVE you. My feelings for you never left even after I left Dealer. Case in point, we just were on opposite sides of a conflict that could have destroyed the world, and yet we're STILL getting married. Yes, it hurt that Jack and especially you didn't come with me when I jumped ship, but I understood your motives."

"Oh for the love of all things holy," Baryl groaned, drawing their attention to him. "Just kiss your fiancée, and let her go save present day Choina, already!"

"Oh, right," Ace nodded. With no further ado, he grabbed Tia by her waist, pulled her to him, and kissed her. Tia kissed back, popping her foot. When they broke it, Tia found her Hunter-VG glowing. "You've been approved. Welcome aboard, Transcode #021: Queen Virgo."

"Thank you, Ace," Tia smiled. She then raised her arm to the sky, and called forth, "Transcode #021! Queen Virgo!"

-LH-

Jing Bing Hotel—22XX-56

Lan and the rest of Luna's Time Travelers (save for Bud, still dealing with his cold, and Jack, who had stayed back in his room) stood in the lobby. Chaud stood in front of all of them. "Now that it's morning," he began, "I think we have no reason why we cannot return Miss Gelande to her proper time period."

"Right," Geo nodded. "I'll take her back to the Great Wall, just in case either Solo or Blackbeard show back up." Looking at Luna, who was silently handing Roll's SN-PET to Zack, he noticed her depression. "Prez? Are you okay?"

"...I'm just going to come back with you and Amy," Luna declared. "That way, I won't get in the way of the rest of this, and Amy has company back through the Time Waves." She then walked outside.

"I still think it's a good call," Chaud argued. "None of us should even BE in 21XX+44."

"You don't have to say it like that, Chaud," Lan argued. "We should at least get Jack and Luna to apologize to each other."

"That will be later," Chaud said. "For now, I'll go with them. However, your mission is a bit more important. You must head to the SS Yai and not only convince Yai to return with us before she has an even bigger impact on altering history, but also find a way to the Weather Control Machine and prevent it from being destroyed. That should, in theory, cause history to correct itself and save the lives of the people of Choina in the future."

"Right," Lan nodded. "Just like old times, eh, Chaud?"

"I suppose," Chaud answered. "But be careful: whomever the saboteur is will not appreciate their efforts being counteracted. They'll most likely be aboard the SS Yai, so watch your back once the four of you get on the ship."

It was at this moment Jack came into the lobby. He looked around, and asked, "Where's Luna?"

"You ought to know!" Zack scowled. "She's not taken what you said yesterday very well! Heck, none of us are okay with Corvus!"

"Least of all me," Omega-Xis added.

"We can sort this issue out later," Chaud chimed in. "For now, we all have our assignments. I suggest we take care of them and then get out of this time period as soon as possible."

"Right," Lan said. "Dex, Zack, and I will head to the SS Yai. We'll see you in about 56 years!"

"Right, time travel," Dex remembered. "Later, Chaud." The three boys then headed towards the docks.

Chaud then called after them, "Oh, and stay away from the marketplace, we don't know if the locals here will blame us for the damages!" He then sighed. "Alright, where's the bus stop?" He walked towards the entrance, only to bump into a woman. "Sorry, ma'am."

"It's quite alright," the woman smiled. She then walked out of the hotel, slipping something red into her pocket. Chaud raised an eyebrow, and felt in his pockets. When he didn't sense he was robbed, he shrugged and walked away… unaware of the now small hole in his vest.

-GS-

Bus to the Great Wall

The bus ride was a slow affair. Jack had fallen asleep almost immediately after starting. Amy had a pair of earphones in, listening to a digital music collection Bud had given her (thanks to Zack making it). Chaud sat upfront, not really one to take a part in the shenanigans of the future group. And then, there was Geo and Luna, who sat beside each other. Geo noticed Luna awkwardly looking out the window.

"Kid," Omega-Xis whispered. "Is it just me, or is Luna quieter than usual?"

"Mega, Prez has quite a bit on her mind," Geo chided.

"I know, and normally, I'm one to just let it go, but something is… off. Like, familiar off. And that's not a good thing." He then advised, "You may wanna confront her about it before it's too late to do anything about it?"

Geo sighed. He then turned to Luna, and quietly asked, "Prez, is something about what Jack said—"

"I heard Ophicua last night."

Geo froze. "...What?"

"Okay, didn't see THAT coming," Omega-Xis admitted.

Luna turned to Geo, and said, "Yeah, I needed to get that off my chest, lest it fester and we have a bunch of misreading each other, and, well… I don't think you or Lan need THAT, now. Lan's mind is already flustered that Chromos is in this time period, and they have Mayl hostage. You are no doubt worried about Sonia, and, well, so am I. And the last thing we need is you worrying about me and not knowing WHY."

"Okay, but… you HEARD Ophicua?" Geo asked. "And you decided to tell me NOW?"

"Better than later!" Luna silently argued. "And the worst part is she agreed that THAT guy right there is RIGHT about our situation!" She scowled at Jack, still snoring away. Turning back to Geo, she continued, "That I have potential to be an EM-Wave Changer like you, Sonia, and Bud, joining you on the front lines, but I waste it by being your damsel in distress! That I'm a burden to you because I can probably, on paper, use this power, and therefore have a responsibility to use it, but I don't! That I'm being selfish!" She then sighed. "I remember the first time I became Queen Ophicua. I hurt people… a LOT of people. I nearly killed Sonia, my parents, countless mall-goers, even YOU. All because I was jealous of a former idol singer, sad that my Brothers were doing other things than paying attention to me, and angry that my parents didn't care about what I wanted. I am probably going to regret that moment of weakness for the rest of my life, Geo."

"Prez, why haven't you talked about this kind of stuff with the rest of us?" Geo questioned.

"Because, as your leader, as your Student Council President, and as a friend of Mega Man, I HAVE to be strong," Luna replied. "For me to show even the slightest bit of weakness would be detrimental to our Team's morale. The two times I have been Queen Ophicua, I have been even WORSE than I am as regular old Luna Platz. And Jack and even Ophicua think that is, at this particular moment, EXACTLY what we need. It's stupid, it's reckless, and I could quite possibly get you and everyone else hurt… but I see their arguments and know that they have a point." She sighed, and said, "I have gotten kidnapped too many times to count, and, technically, I DIED, once. All because I'm weak and human in a situation where you battle aliens, viruses, and EM-Wave Beings almost every single day."

"(…She's not wrong, we DO risk our necks in life-or-death situations on the regular, kid,)" Omega-Xis pointed out.

"(Mega, you're not helping,)" Geo harshly whispered.

"So I want YOUR opinion, Geo," Luna finished. "Should I take the risk that I'll go power-mad yet again, and once again become Queen Ophicua? Or do we find some way, somehow, to purge her… whatever her current state is from me, and get rid of her for good, and just be human, and risk holding you back?"

"Prez, this is YOU you're talking about," Geo replied. "Why do you want me to choose?"

"Because I don't trust myself to make the right call on my own, here," Luna replied. "Given my track record in Wave Form, I'm the LAST person I can trust to make this decision. And this kind of stuff isn't something I can go to Mom and Dad about. They're barely okay with their daughter hanging out with superheroes as is, no offense! Imagine them discovering that I could possibly BECOME an EM-Wave being!"

"…That makes sense," Geo said.

"Also, Bud's still sick," Luna added. "And I don't trust Jack, Zack has tried and failed to Wave Change, and Sonia and virtually anybody else who COULD give me an idea or two are still in the middle of providing disaster relief in 22XX. I don't have a whole lot of potential advisors. So that's why it HAS to be you. Am I capable of handling the responsibility of EM-Wave Changing?"

Geo looked down at his Hunter-VG. Omega-Xis was shooting him a look, worried that Geo's advice could hurt Luna. Geo finally looked up—

SCREEEEEEECH!

The bus stopped, jolting Jack awake, and making Amy, Chaud, Luna and Geo fall over. Before they could recover, a woman sitting behind the driver stood up, holding a straw doll with the driver's hair on it. "It's about time you caught up, captain," the woman said, looking outside.

"Captain…?" Chaud groaned, standing up. The woman then turned towards him, pulling out a second doll, one that had a coat that looked like his. She then squeezed it, and vines sprouted through the bus' floor and suddenly wrapped around him. "What the-!?"

"Eugene Chaud of the Official Net Battlers, I presume," the woman smirked. "And the Mega Man of my era, too. What a pleasure to meet you face-to-face."

"You're from 22XX!?" Geo groaned, trying to stand up.

"Yes," the woman said as the door opened. "I am Deka, Wavatian priestess and mistress of the art of Voodoo and medical prowess. You are a dangerous opponent, Geo Stelar, one that I do not wish to do battle with. So, instead, I must insist that you hand over Miss Gelande to me and my brutish associate."

"Are ya talkin' about me, lassie?" Blackbeard said, out of breath as he came onto the bus.

"Oh no! It's that Chromos guy we keep running into!" Amy gasped.

"Blackbeard…!?" Chaud growled, even though he was restrained.

"What took you so long?" Deka questioned her foul-smelling pirate colleague.

"Had to lose a very persistent tail," Blackbeard replied. "That Solo lad was ruthless in his pursuit."

"Maybe it was for the best he was here after all," Jack said. "Well, unfortunately for you bozos, you may have stopped the past Official, but it's two-on-two! Geo, let's Wave Change, and scorch these fools—"

CLUNK! THUD!

Jack fell over, out cold. Geo and Luna turned to him, and the new figure standing over him in a cloak. "Actually," the figure said in a monotone, female voice, "it is three-on-one."

"...Wait, that voice…!" Chaud breathed. The figure stepped forward over Jack, and walked towards Geo.

"Geo Stelar… Luna Platz… we meet again," the girl greeted. She then lowered her hood, and Geo and Luna both gasped in horror.

-LH-

SS Yai

Lan, Dex, and Zack all walked onto the boat, and observed the great Choniese New Year decor. "Wow, Yai's company really held NOTHING back when they were doing this," Dex observed. "I wonder where she is?"

"Ah, you must be the other three winners of the contest," a steward said as he walked over to meet them. "We will be having a tour shortly. Please join our other winner this way on the deck."

"Awesome!" Lan smirked. The three boys followed the steward, giving Lan time to reminisce. '(It's no secret, despite being younger than us, Yai was always the smartest of us. She was a grade skipper, after all, and her high marks proved it. If it wasn't for her more bratty moments, I'd swear it's almost as if it was fate that she would one day take a tech company. However, due to this time travel shenanigans, I don't think she'd have the chance. Unless, of course, we fix all of this. Still, I can't help but wonder how she's been since we last saw each other.)'

When they arrived at the deck, they saw a boy, somewhere about eight years old, starring at his PET. He wore a blue hooded jacket, zipped up because of the cold in Choina, black pants, red sneakers, and a pink scarf… with the Sakurai symbol on it. The boy had dark brown hair, almost red, in a short ponytail, and bright brown eyes.

"Whoa," Zack breathed. "So… that's the other time traveler, right? The guy who won the contest?"

"It has to be," Roll said.

"Is he friend or foe, guts?" Gutsman asked.

"He DID help save Cherri's life during our time in Creamland," Hub recalled. "And that was a friendly Net Battle we had yesterday… I don't think he's with Chromos."

When Lan approached the boy, he said, "So… you're…?"

"You can call me 'Patch'," the boy said. "And you guys have met Steam… or Megs, as I sometimes call him."

"Nice to meet you guys properly," Steam commented. "Pats and I have been… sort of dying to talk."

"I guess we can rip that bandage off as we wait for Yai," Dex said. "So, how do you have Guts Soul? Only Lan had access to Double Soul, as far as I could tell."

"Would you believe us if I said we… have met, before?" Steam asked.

"...We have?" Lan asked.

"Oh, yeah… it's YOUR guys' future," Patch said. "To me, it's my present… that's been messed up."

"Huh?" Lan said.

"I think I can interject, here," Zack said. "Recall, Lan and Dex, you guys got thrown from your time to different parts of time. Because of your importance to history, that caused a major ripple in time, and that possibly caused this guy's whole world to change. And because we're time travelers, we're immune to altered history. So since this kid is also a time traveler…."

"He knows the world's not right," a female voice said. "Long time no see, boys? It's been what, 156 years?" The group looked up to see Yai, now dressed in a yellow qipao, approaching them. "Thank goodness you guys are okay!"

"Yai!" Lan and Dex grinned, hugging her.

"I forgot you guys are still bigger than me!" the rich girl groaned. After the hug broke, she looked at Zack, and said, "So… you're from that dream boat Pat's time, huh?"

"D-D-Dreamboat?" Zack stammered. "Pat Sprigs?" He mused, "Well, yeah, we WERE classmates, but after the whole FM incident, we kind of fell out of touch… still, he's missing in time, too."

"That's another person we're going to have to find," Lan sighed. He then looked at Yai, and said, "Well, you're doing well for yourself, having become the mascot of your company."

"Not really," Yai sighed. She snagged a glass of punch from the nearby waiter, and explained, "I've been just a glorified meet and greet girl ever since ending up in 21XX+56. After our disappearance, apparently, Father was devastated… and without me or my ideas taking over like I've wanted to forEVER, Ayano Tech struggled, almost going bankrupt. Instead, the people in Chromos bought a majority of our company's shares, eventually owning it, and using it as their tech mogul." She took a sip of her drink.

Lan, Dex, and Zack's eyes widened. "Wait, Chromos!?" all three asked.

"Yeah, I know, Cain took full advantage of staging my disappearance to take over the company I was supposed to inherit," Yai scowled. "Now, it's Chromos' mouthpiece, and because I'm still too young to inherit the company, I can't do anything about it! I'm basically a trophy wife way too young for a ring, right now, with only my name keeping me somewhat important. Unforuntately, Glyde and I have been so swamped since Ayano Tech found me almost eight weeks ago, I've yet to figure a way back to 20XX."

"Well, it's a little complicated," Lan commented.

"Oh, right!" Yai remembered. "You guys HAD to have time traveled to find me, didn't you!? Unless you guys have been in this time period, too." The three and Patch all shook their heads "no". "Good! So, tell me how we do it!"

"Um… EM Wave portals?" Zack offered.

"Oh, right!" Yai said, dropping her glass in surprise, causing it to shatter. "Oh, darn it." Her forehead started shining. For Lan and Dex, the world turned yellow, and the glass and punch in it started shaking. The glass then began to reform, and the punch returned into it, eventually ending up back in Yai's hands unspilled as the world returned to normal.

"Um… EM Wave portals?" Zack offered, as if nothing happened.

"So, how do those work?" Yai asked.

"Wait, wait, wait," Dex said. "Yai, don't change the subject. What the heck was that!?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Yai said.

"Yai, did you just cause time to rewind a few seconds!?" Lan silently demanded.

"Wait, what!?" Zack whispered. Yai sighed.

"...Yes," she answered. "Ever since our little unwanted vacation through time, I discovered when I concentrate, I can rewind time for a short period. Unfortunately, it takes a lot out of me if I do it too much. Life is kind of strange, like that, but it gives me a few chances of a do-over with no penalty."

"We have time powers, too," Lan said, pointing to himself and Dex.

"...Huh," Patch said.

"So, when this whole little Choinese New Year party is done," Yai said, "we've got some serious catching up to do. Also, we need to get me out of here."

"Wait, Yai," Lan interjected. "Um… if it's not too much trouble, can we head near the Weather Control Machine with this boat?"

"Oh, right! Glyde did tell we you guys need to get over there!" Yai said. "Something about it being sabotaged in the future?"

"Wait, what?" Patch asked.

"Yeah, my time's Choina is currently dealing with a flood caused by this Weather Control Machine getting broken," Zack explained. "And a lot of our best people in 22XX are trying to help save lives. But there's only so much they can do, and they're probably running on empty. We need to help them by stopping the sabotage in the first place."

"...Well, that's going to be quite the mission," Yai said. "But I suppose we can do something once we get there." The boys looked at her. "I have a little pull, and the Captain was more than happy to let me see the island where the Weather Control Machine is. It's just that we're gonna have to be careful once we get there."

"Why?" Lan asked once the boat pulled out of dock.

"Well, it's just that this party, atop of having a LOT of VIPs," Yai said, "remember how I said Ayano Tech was bought by Chromos?"

"...There is probably a spy or two aboard this ship, isn't there?" Zack groaned.

"Yep," Yai said.

"Why is it that we can NEVER not walk into a trap?" Hub asked.

"Because it wouldn't be us, Mega," Roll said. "So, what are the odds one of Chromos' spies is the saboteur we're looking for?"

"Pretty high, knowing our luck," Steam said. "So, let's look around, pretend it's part of the tour."

The group of kids wandered throughout the ship, Yai sticking close to Lan. After talking to several people, she eventually cornered him on the side. "So… how have you been?" she asked when she was sure nobody was listening.

"What are you talking about?" Lan asked.

"Ever since Miss Mayl's abduction," Glyde bluntly replied. "I'm afraid that I must confess that Miss Yai has not taken the news that Chromos has kidnapped Miss Mayl right in front of you very well. Considering how close the two of you have been, Lan, it could not have come easier for you."

"...It's my fault," Lan said. "I froze up in a moment of weakness to choose between keeping her safe but risking my new friends from the future, or sparing them by giving up Mayl. She made the decision for me. And now, I'm going crazy, thinking that Chromos will hurt her out of spite for my actions back in 20XX."

"No," Yai frowned. "Don't blame yourself for their petty choices. You and MegaMan just stopped them like any hero would. They CHOSE to be the bad guys, and try to hurt if not kill innocent people, and you were in the right place at the right time. And Mayl… she would NEVER blame you for being the hero. In fact, I bet that's what she likes most about you." Lan raised an eyebrow, but Yai changed subjects. "So… that Patch kid is cute. You said he helped you in 20XX+20?"

"It was really weird," Lan said. "One minute, Pride and Raika's daughter was in mortal danger, but the next, the bad guy holding her hostage was distracted and she was free to be rescued, and I think he was there."

"And his Navi looks like if MegaMan and Roll combined their codes," Yai added.

"Right," Hub said, blushing. "He DID have her ability to break Battle Chips before I could use them… and he seems just as fast as she is, too."

"You know," Yai said, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was from a future where you and Roll were a thing, MegaMan. Which would mean Patch is probably—"

BEEP-BA-BEEP! BEEP-BA-BEEP!

"I hate to interrupt this conversation," Hub lied, "but there's an email from… huh? There's no return address or subject, but an attachment."

"Really?" Lan asked. He opened the email, and he and Yai saw on the Pop-up from the SN-PET a selfie of Blackbeard, holding up a bound Amy in one hand, the necklace she had around his neck, and his PET to take the picture. Meanwhile, in the background, Chaud was bound, Jack was unconscious, and Geo and Luna were separated by a bunch of roots, Geo as Mega Man trying to deal with that problem (since everyone else who COULD was unable to). Meanwhile, a Wave-atian woman was rolling her eyes at Blackbeard's shenanigans, and a cloaked person was casually getting off the bus through the hole the roots made. "Oh no!"

"Is that Captain Blackbeard?" Yai asked. "That animal trainer from your time in Cyber City?"

"Yeah, but that's not the worst part," Lan said. "He has Amy, who he needs to find something in this time period!"

"Yeah, and Chaud's down," Yai frowned. "But what could be in this time period that he'd be here to look into? And what does it have to do with Chromos' plans to sabotage the Weather Control Machine?"

"...Wait," Lan realized. "What if Chromos needs the Weather Control Machine to GET what they're after?"

"Wait, what!?" Yai asked.

"That's actually pretty smart, Lan," Hub agreed. "So what, they plan to take over the Weather Control Machine to turn the weather to something that could alter the seas, but once they find what they're after, they sabotage the Machine to cover their tracks and wreck Choina?"

"I know, something weird and horrifying, but we've seen weirder and plenty of awful things bad guys like Chromos can do," Lan replied. "However, we still don't know the saboteur."

"Hmm, right," Yai frowned. "Well, we have until the ship docks at the island where the Weather Control Machine is to figure it out. By the way, who is that boy in blue? Is that the 22XX Mega Man?"

"Yeah," Lan admitted. "What happened to Geo?"

-LP-

Road to the Great Wall of Choina

"Beast Slap!" Omega-Xis roared, slicing through the last of the vines holding Chaud.

"You let them get away," the white-haired boy said, brushing himself off, and looking at the spot where Chromos was.

"You're welcome!" Luna scowled, looking over the still unconscious Jack. "Ugh… we should have seen this coming! Now, Chromos has Amy!"

"That's not all," Geo frowned, walking forward while Omega-Xis floated behind him. "...You all saw that too, right?"

"Yeah, and I don't like it," Luna frowned. "Eventually, we're going to have to tell Lan."

"Let's hope I can catch up to them," Geo said. Looking ahead, he said, "I think I see an access point to the Wave Road. If I follow it back to Jing Bing, I should be able to follow Blackbeard to where he is taking Amy… and we can get some answers."

"By yourself?" Luna asked.

"I have to," Geo replied. "Let's go, Mega!"

"About time, kid!" Omega-Xis grinned. "We're going to go buck wild on Blackbeard, and get Bud's girlfriend back!" Omega-Xis returned to Geo's Hunter-VG, and Geo then headed towards the Wave Road Access Point he spotted. Luna, meanwhile, frowned, looking at where he was heading.

'You're letting him go, again, on his own,' Opihcua taunted her. 'This scene feels familiar… it's happened only dozens of times.'

"Not… now," Luna whispered to the voice in her head.

"Um… are you okay?" Chaud asked, looking at her shaking.

'Mega Man is once again throwing himself into danger to save lives, yet all you can do is sit back and watch it happen,' Ophicua mused. 'How many times has he done this song and dance? It gets stale after a while, don't you think?'

"We still have to get back to 22XX," Chaud said, trying to bring Luna back to reality. "Your friend could use medical attention."

'Even with his new power sets, he may not be able to defeat Chromos this time,' Ophicua pointed out. 'Look at your friend Bud. Look at your acquaintance, Jack. And you saw who is with Chromos, now… clearly controlled, but with them, nonetheless. You KNOW he's up against high odds, even for Mega Man.'

"I know," Luna growled, looking at her Hunter-VG.

"So, are we going to wait for another bus, or what?" Chaud asked.

Ophicua warned, 'And if he and Lan can't succeed… Amy, the Satella Police affiliated Wave Changers, your rival, countless innocent people… they'll all die.'

"Die…?" Luna questioned.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Chaud asked, realizing Luna had not been listening to him.

'Yes,' Ophicua said. 'There's only so much Project Trans-Code can do. They'll be overwhelmed by disaster relief. And with tsunamis, there's a risk of more and more flooding, high winds, buildings collapsing, people getting trapped… lots of bad things. And the longer it goes, the chances those responding to the threats will be overwhelmed. One mistake would be all it took, and bam… Sonia Strumm's final concert will be on the news. And it will be all YOUR fault.'

"My fault!?" Luna snapped.

"What will be your fault?" Chaud questioned, standing in front of Luna, causing her to look at him for the first time.

"...Nothing," she said. "Just… nerves."

"Kind of reminds me of Lan," Chaud said. "Did what Jack say last night really get to you?" Luna frowned. "Look, I'm NOT going to pretend that I'm the best at understanding people… the closest thing to a friend I have is Lan. But while I admit he had a point, earlier, that we'd be better off just taking Amy and her necklace home, it was because sometimes, even an Official like me would just be getting in the way of Lan recruiting Yai and foiling Chromos' other plot. And yet, I screwed up because I didn't flag that woman as a Chromos agent until it was too late. Still, we can at least help by making sure there's less to worry about."

"...Alright," Luna said. "But it's not going to stop HER from keeping yapping."

"Who's her?"

"...The devil on my shoulder," she replied.

'You're being a coward,' Ophicua taunted. 'Still… food for thought…' Luna looked at her Hunter-VG, and saw a symbol… Ophicua's symbol. 'When you want to get off the sidelines and play with the big boys and girls, let me know.'

-003-

Choina Wave Road

Geo ran down the Wave Road, a furrowed brow adorning his face. "So," Omega-Xis broke the ice, "you never really gave Luna an answer, back there."

"What would you have had me say?" Geo questioned. "Look, I want Prez to realize she can MAKE the choice, just like Bud did, but it is a great deal of responsibility. I'm not going to say 'No' if she wants to try to become an EM-Wave changer."

"That's not a decision I'd make so easily, given what the last two times she became Queen Ophicua," Omega-Xis said. "I mean, she DID try to delete us both times, and Ophicua was kind of in on the conspiracy that Gemini was cooking up causing the paranoia in King Cepheus that resulted in the deaths of MOST of my people. Personal grudge aside, Ophicua is a manipulator, and ultimately she's in this for herself. She probably doesn't even really CARE for Luna… just like how Corvus is inevitably going to probably betray Jack the second he gets, so I'm looking forward to THAT moment where we can delete him for good."

"Mega, you don't know that," Geo chided.

"Kid, let's not lie to ourselves," Omega-Xis said. "He and probably Virgo are going to figure a way out of that restraint Tia built into them, and then try to destroy either the planet or damage the timeline where we won out of SPITE. If Ophicua is back, we ought to be staying frosty about her."

"But right now, we have another, bigger problem," Geo replied. "Rescuing Amy."

RING! RING!

"Phone, kid," Omega-Xis said. "It's from… Ace!?"

Geo, curious, opened it, seeing Lan and Ace on the screen. "Morning, guys," Ace said. "Virgo's back."

"Yeah, we kind of figured that out," Omega-Xis said. "After all, Jack because Jack Corvus again, yesterday. Fought Solo… who teamed up with a powerful Navi from Lan's era named Bass."

"I thought the Undernet was eeriely quiet," Baryl said, coming onto Ace's screen.

"Baryl!" Lan grinned. "It's been too long!" With an awkward rub of his head, he asked, "So… are you on our side, again?"

"Yes, we're on the same side," Baryl assured him. "Anyway, long story short, Lan, Mr. Eos here has something he wants to share with you besides these other pressing updates. He's sending you both codes that can patch up the Weather Control Machine. It's some kind of… Matter Wave?"

"Awesome!" a young girl cheered in the background. Said blonde girl with a red dress then looked at the screen, spotting Geo. "So you're the Future Mega Man?"

"This is Yai, Geo," Lan said. "Anyway, send it to me, we're getting close to the island where the Weather Control Machine is, anyway."

"Yeah, I'm not in a position for that," Geo replied. "I'm on a pursuit because Chromos kidnapped Amy."

"Yeah, Blackbeard sent us a selfie mocking us," Yai frowned. "You save her, Future Mega Man! We'll handle the Weather Control Machine. In fact, if you give me a few minutes, I bet I could probably track her down for you!" She then started messing with her Hunter-VG. "Spending several months stuck in Choina kind of gave me a bit of free time to figure out how this tech works. I can, through my 'Brother Bands', check what 'Brothers' my friends have and just follow the trail."

"Wow, that's actually very smart!" Zack complimented.

"Best grades of my class, and I'm a grade skipper," Yai smirked. "...Hey, Lan, who the heck is Luna? Are you trying to cheat on Mayl?"

"Luna's been teaching me how this whole thing works," Lan replied. "She's also our 'Team's' Leader, keeping us on track. And what do you mean by cheating?"

"Oh Lan Hikari, I swear if your grades weren't already lackluster," Yai sighed. She then said, "Unfortunately, no connection there, but hey, Pride looks GOOD pregnant… hello, Bud Bison. You seem to have this connection to a girl named Amy Gelande… who happens to be the girl in the selfie! Tracking her down, and sending you their location, Future Mega Man!"

Geo got a blip on his radar. "Thanks!" He then looked at it, and groaned. "Oh, crud… please let this Wave Road stay ABOVE sea level!"

"You're going onto open waters, too?" Ace questioned. "Good luck, both of you. Anyway, sending you the patch, Lan, while Queen Virgo fixes Choina in our time!"

"Got it!" Lan said. "We'll see you when we get back! And then work on saving Mayl!" He then cut off.

"We're coming, Amy," Geo said.

-BB-

Grizzly Peak

Bud put on his jacket, tied his boots, donned his scarf, and held a thermos of chunky chicken noodle soup while looking over a passed out but turning Jasmine in the spare bud while Mick was slumped on the couch. "Taurus," he whispered with a slight sniffle, "where was that Time Wave?"

"In a cave nearby," Taurus said before manifesting in the real world. "You sure you're up for this?"

"Honestly, no," Bud said before drinking a bit of the soup. "But the gang's been gone for over a day, and Choina is STILL a mess, if Jasmine was in so much of a fit yesterday. I can't just wait, any longer." Looking at Jasmine's SN-PET, he asked, "Hey, Meddy… what did you say I had to do?"

"Okay, I'll tell you one more time, and I'm only allowing this because I'm worried about Jasmine, too," Meddy replied. "Go in the Time Wave, and when you get out, stay warm. If that means turning into Taurus Fire to keep your temperature up above cold-worsening conditions, so be it. That said, don't be reckless, and get yourself in fights if you can avoid it. And make sure that machine gets fixed, alright?"

"Alright," Bud nodded. He then opened the door, and left the room. "I'm coming, gang! You too, Amy!"