Sithking Zero: I don’t own Megaman or Code: Lyoko. The plot points and story are mine, Cadance and the Replicons are mine, and XANA’s design is mine (though it is based off of SylentNyte’s XANA designs), and I am me, so I am mine. But the copyrighted characters, such as XANA’s dad, XANA, Gospel, and other Megaman and Code: Lyoko concepts belong to their respective parental companies. Don’t sue, my aunt is a lawyer!

Well, things have taken a turn for the worse again. My parents have cracked down on me for a minor infraction, and I will not be able to update quite as often as I have been, due to the confiscation of my laptop. I can still use the main family computer and the computers at school, but… well…

So anyways, here’s the chapter!

Heart of a Warrior II:
Trials of the Warriors

Chapter III

Black Writings on the Wall

I see I hear no evil

Black writings on the wall

Unleashed a million faces

Then one by one they fall.

-I am all of me

-Crush 40

Forte.EXE was in trouble.

He was the last of his kind, for starters. A while ago, an internet mafia organization, Gospel, was created to make an army of Bass clones in the hopes of making an invincible army. The plan failed when Megaman.EXE and Lan Hikari, mere children, destroyed the prime copy from which all the clones were made. Worse yet, once the organization collapsed, the copies were hunted down and mercilessly annihilated by the real Bass, who happened to have a deep hatred for clones of himself.

Forte was the only one who had survived, and it was only because of the Darkchips that he was able to do so.

Darkchips, for those who don’t know, are battle chips that a net navi can use in order to acquire power quickly. They increase a navi’s power exponentially, but on the minus side, they also taint the soul of the Darkchip’s user with evil, hatred, and darkness, not to mention they had the addictive power of pure crack.

This last fact was one that Forte was experiencing first-hand, as his withdrawl symptoms got worse and worse by the minute.

And considering he had no money, the reason as to why he was groveling with a pathetic Heelnavi in an alleyway in Undernet City, ready to bargain his soul for a mere piece of data was considerably more clear.

“Come ON, Argon, I’m your best customer! Can’t you give me one on credit?”

The Heelnavi rolled his eyes as he tossed the Darkchip into the air, catching it again. He repeated this action several times, Forte’s eyes following the chip’s progress with a ravenous hunger in his eyes.

“If I had a nickel…” muttered the Heelnavi, staring at Forte, disdain evident in every syllable. “I’ve heard that one from too many navis to count, and I’m not taking it from you. You want this,” he waved the Darkchip in front of Forte’s eyes, and they followed it, the look positively feral now. He made a desperate snatch at his heart’s desire, but missed by several inches.

“… then you have to go to someone else.”

Forte was on the edge of total mental collapse. Tears began to seep down his face, as he was now almost weeping from the pain in the pit of his stomach.

Unseen to Forte, Argon smirked, his disc-shaped head looking pleased for a moment. It was quickly covered up with a well-practiced look of sincerity.

“Wellll…” he drawled, glancing down at the sobbing net navi. “I don’t usually do this, but I know a dealer who lets you work for your chips. You’d like her, and besides, she’s my supplier.”

Forte looked up at Argon’s face, a ray of hope shining from his face.

“Really?” he spoke softly, afraid that if he spoke louder, it would cause the offer to evaporate like magic.

“Really. Now, you have to go to the third alley down on Fullerton avenue, facing the park. The supplier should be there around now.”

Forte leapt up, shaking Argon’s hand vigerously, thanked him, and raced away towards Fullerton Avenue.

“Argon,” waited until Forte was out of earshot before speaking scornfully. “What a pathetic fool. If father didn’t need him, I would have handled this myself.”

With that, a plume of black smoke poured out of Argon, rocketing into the sky and off to a small alleyway.

Argon fell to the ground, clutching his chest. After a coughing fit, he slowly got to his feet, looked around, and decided that maybe it was time to get out of the Darkchip business if this was going to happen to him.

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Forte turned the corner, walking off of the clearly marked Fullerton Avenue and walked down the dark, dank, and disgusting alleyway.

“Hello? Argon told me I could get some work and Darkchips here?” he called out to the darkness. He was so intent he didn’t even notice the plume of smoke fly over the building and solidify into a young woman behind him.

“You rang?” she asked, a voice like poisoned honey.

“Ah, yes. I believe I heard that you provide Darkchips in exchange for jobs?” Forte asked, trying to keep his voice steady. “I believe I may be of some service to you.”

The woman, though hidden in the shadows, straightened slightly. “Oh?” she asked. “How so?”

“Well, for one, I am a clone of Bass himself!” he exclaimed proudly. “And thusly, I have all his powers and abilities.”

The woman didn’t move. The two digital beings stood there, staring at one another for a long time.

“… All right. I could see some use for you… but not as is.” she stated amusedly.

“…Not as is?” Forte said questioningly.

The dark woman held out a Darkchip. However, it was different somehow. It seemed to glow, but also seemed to absorb light at the same time. Forte could literally feel its power.

“This will prove your loyalty. It’s an omega Darkchip. If your body accepts this, you may work for me…” she held out another hand. “And receive this…”

The hand was filled to the brim with dark chips. They literally were spilling out of her hand, but they shattered upon contact with the ground.

Forte thought about it for a moment. A freaking huge pile of Darkchips, plus an omega Darkchip, would grant him incredible power. This could prove useful if he ever met the real Bass.

“…I accept.” he said finally, taking the omega Darkchip from the woman, and placing it on his crest, which was a black circle bisected with a massive scar that stretched from his right hip to his left shoulder.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a massive purple-black-and-red aura erupted around him, completely obscuring him from view.

“aaa… Aaaaa… AAAAUUAAAAA!!!!” he screamed. The Darkchip was too powerful. It was penetrating every aspect of his being, modifying his programming, his attacks, and even parts of his mind. This is not right… this is wrong… somebody…

It was the last thought before his mind was overrun by darkness.

The dark female watched, impassively, as the aura shrank around the Bass clone, the darkness finding its new home in the net navi.

After five minutes, Forte looked up at the dark woman. His eyes were pure red for a moment, then returned to their normal ruby coloring.

After a moment of sizing the dark woman up, he bent down on one knee, bowing to the woman.

“I am yours to command, my mistress.”

The woman stepped out of the shadows. A crimson-bulls eye with sticks coming out of it shone from the breastplate of the black samurai armor the woman was wearing.

XANA smirked.

“Excellent…”

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Sithking Zero: Well, Heart of a Warrior II is over. Next up: Heart of a Warrior III: Warrior’s Redemption.

So, what’s XANA’s plan? Why does it involve a clone of Bass? Who’s her father? When will I update next?

Only time will tell.

Please review!