Flames of Deceit and Betrayal
By Koala (Plantman)

This chapter opens with the gang discussing how much they miss Dex, when Ms. Mari shows up to tell Lan he's receiving an award at SciLab. Well it's about damn time! Before heading over there, there's a bit of optional stuff you can look into. Right next to the school gates is the next part of the trade chain, an old lady that wants to give you a DynaWave V for the Recov120 S you got last time. In Yoka, Mr.Famous is finally ready to fight you with Punk's second version. It's not much to talk about though, just a minor power increase on his part and your reward money for beating him doesn't even go up. At the hospital things have gotten back to normal. Head down to the shore and around back where Lan returned to dry land after jumping out that window to find a little girl who's trying to hide for some reason. Talk to her to receive the SpinOrange item, which can let you rotate your orange BreakCharge and...one other NaviCust part. Well, every little bit helps. You can also go around the net reading the new message board posts, and meet a new mainstay navi in Beach Square who is looking for acting inspiration from a tough-talking villain. That'll come up again a little later.

When someone says this, it's usually pretty important.

Now head to SciLab. Check the trash can in the station for a RegUp1 that was just dropped there. Then talk to our mysterious PressData-modifyng friend who's just hanging out for no disclosed reason. He's pretty laid back about his role in the Bubbleman incident, and frustratingly obscure about his background. Further in the lobby there's an old scientist looking for a Shake1 S in return for his VarSword B. Hey, two new trades this chapter already.

You can also check the three new Request Board jobs this chapter. Might as well do them now while there's still a SciLab you can check into (spoiler alert!). Pay special attention to the "Help with rehab" job, as it rewards you with both the Humor program and the WWW-ID, which will allow you to clear a bunch of bonus spots throughout the net! See the previous maps for locations of the Purple Skull Gates throughout ACDC, SciLab, Yoka, and Beach Areas, but you're going to go on an internet-wide tour right after the ceremony so may as well wait on it for convenience's sake. As for Humour, install it in the NaviCust, jack in to the Inn bath's lion head waterspout, go through the comp to get to the isolated spot in Yoka2 where the Akindo Comedian is seemingly stranded, and talk to him to give him some joke ideas. He'll cough up a Team1 * in gratitude. That's the only practical use this NaviCust part has, but just for laughs you can get some more "hilarious" dialogue from MM by pressing L to talk to him while it's installed.

Enough stalling. Head into the Virus Lab where Lan will be presented with his cue card-sized commendation. Everything's coming up Hikari. We find out Mamoru is doing fine too and wants yet another visit from Lan...what a needy kid. However before Lan can even make it outside, he runs into the infamous Mr.Match. It seems the one-time WWW member has joined SciLab, which makes Lan somewhat uneasy. We've already seen a law-abiding Match in BN2 and Network Transmission, but this time the WWW is back in force, plus this guy is now in a position to do some real damage as SciLab personnel, so Lan is warranted to be a little suspicious.

At this point, another scientist rushes in and informs Lan that Yoka2 is under attack by viruses. Jack in from the Virus Lab and head to Yoka. To go after both WWW navis in the area, make sure your Press block is installed since you'll need to go over the compression rails. In the White Version, the one on the right is Yurt, HardHead, and StormBox and the one on the left is Met3, Met3, and StormBox. In the Blue Version, the one on the right is Met3, HardHead, and StormBox and the one on the left is Ratty2, Ratty2, and StormBox, and both battles have ice panels in the two leftmost and two rightmost columns. The common thread here is clearly the StormBoxes, which can effectively hold you back at the far side of the field unless you have a Barrier or other method of fighting the wind.

After both are deleted, Match informs you that the attack has moved to Beach Area, but before making your way there, now is a good time to get that WWW-ID to open the Skull Gate in Yoka1 for a Prism Q.

In this area, all the battles in the White Version put a StormBox in the far right column, and all the Blue Version battles put a Metrid instead and throw in a bunch of sand panels to make dodging meteors tougher. The other two viruses in two of the battles are the same in both Versions. The perpetrator right outside the Square entrance is Met3 and Gloomer. The Heel by the lower teleporter in Beach1 fights with Slimey and Fishy, and the one near the Security Cube has a couple Deetles for White and Shaker and TuffBunny for Blue.

I had no idea they were so close!

Match emails again saying SciLab1 is now under siege. There's only one this time and it's near the monitor in the center. On your way there, get the CustSword Z from behind the Skull Gate. Approach the Heel and fight Swordy2, Swordy3, and StormBox with White Version, or Yurt and two Cannodumb2s on a field smattered with holes in Blue Version. As this last guy is being deleted, he warns that more assassins will soon come to take his place, and I guess by "soon" he meant "right now" because three more Heels show up to even the odds against the Blue Bomber. Just when things look...well, not 'hopeless', but 'less easy', maybe? Match's new navi Flameman arrives just in time to clean them up and show off how awesome and totally not-evil Mr.Match is.

Afterwards an anonymous email will direct you to ACDC Square. Head to ACDC and while there, hit up the Skull Gate in ACDC1 right near Lan's homepage for a locked Panic C. Then proceed to the Square and talk to the Official navi near the boards. This guy warns our heroes to be wary of Mr.Match. Good advice. Though after the pervious sequence Lan and MM are more keen to trust the former villain than this no-name shady informant.

Now it's finally time to visit Mamoru in the hospital. As thanks for saving his life and everything he'll give Lan the Hospital Passcode. This will allow you to unlock that Security Cube in Beach1, allowing access to the purple mystery data housing the valuable SpinPink item, and a teleporter connecting to an isolated platform in HospComp2 where you can grab a yellow Atk+1 part.

Outside Lan runs into Match again. Seems he thinks Lan is all about doing other people's work for them. Probably have that mooch Tora to thank for letting everyone think that. Lan is rightfully defiant but Match suggests Lan's new certified hero status means he's obligated to help out. Knew there had to be a catch.

Rendezvous with Match at the Virus Lab. He'll instruct Lan to take "FireData" to a Prog in SciLab1, then "HeatData" to a Prog in the lobby Vending Machine, and finally "FlameData" to the Prog in Hikari's research computer. Fire, Heat, and Flame? Don't those sound familiar, not to mention suspicious? Once all three are installed, Match will reward Lan with a LavaStage T. As Lan leaves, Match makes it increasingly obvious he's up to something.

In times of great crisis, our fate rests with the courage of the scientists.

Head home and once Lan enters his room, the scene cuts to the situation back at SciLab which is into the frying pan and then into the fire as well. Watch as everything goes up in flames. Personnel evacuate, but Dr.Hikari stays behind in order to get the precious backup data. An emergency message informs Lan and Megaman that SciLab, and thus their father are in serious peril. Rush back to SciLab to find the entrance blocked. Talk to the scientist so Lan can find out just how much danger his dad is in. At that point Match calls, revealing his true intentions as well as Lan's unwitting hand in the disaster. He challenges Lan to extinguish Flameman's flames on the net for a shot at saving SciLab. Not much of a choice, is there?

Just like burning the trees in the previous mission, you'll need to install EnergyChange to extinguish the flames scattered throughout the net, this time using Aqua-elemental chips. If you still have OilBody installed, be sure to replace it with Fish. There are three flames in each area of ACDC, SciLab, Yoka, and Beach Areas that you can clear out in any order you please. Mr.Match will call you whenever you extinguish all the flames in one of the four regions, so at least you'll know you haven't missed any. When all four regions are cleared, your next target will be in the Undernet so for convenience's sake you might as well end off in Beach Area. We'll cover the areas in the generally expected order.

Return home and jack into ACDC area from there. Exit the home page to spot the first fire. The next is on Main Street near Mayl's HP. Head into ACDC2, take the first right for the next one. This fire has a random virus battle in it. The next fire is near Yai's HP, this fire contains two BubbleSide F chips. Another fire is blocking the path to the NetDealer. Once you're in ACDC3, go left and keep going forward to extinguish a fire, and another fire blocks where Flashman's ghost data lies. Go back up to the east side of the area for a fire that contains three BubbleSide F. On your way to the CyberMetro you'll spot one last flame, put it out and receive one more BubbleSide F. Match should call in to inform you that all the flames in ACDC Area are out.

Now head for SciLab. There is one flame in the lower area of SciLab1. Go back to SciLab2 and extinguish the flame behind the counter for 200Z. Extinguish the flame on the side road then put out the flame left of the conveyers. When you enter SciLab1 upper area, the first fire you see has a virus. On your path to the monitor go left at the fork and extinguish the last flame for 400Z. Match calls Lan again to tell him all the flames in SciLab are gone. If only that were true for the real world as well, our job would be done already.

Time for Yoka. Here you can fight the Shrimpy and Slimey viruses to replenish your Aqua chips. Install Press too because some of the flames are beyond the compression rails. At the compression fork, both the left and right roads lead to fires. The left has two BubbleSide F and the right has 100 Zenny. The BugFrag Dealer in Yoka1 has access blocked by fire with a virus in it. Before entering upper Yoka1, take out a fire near the circle before the entrance. Near the compression rail to Tamako's HP is another viral flame. The last flame is where you fought Bubbleman and it has two BubbleSide F. Now all the flames are gone in Yoka, all that's left is Beach Area. Head back to the metroline or take Tamako's shortcut.

Remove your Press, and extinguish the fire that's on the corner of the Square entrance. The next flame is near the compression maze entrance and it has a virus under it. Now go to Beach1. The upper conveyer warp will lead to another fire with a virus in it. Go down the stairs and extinguish the flame under it, the next flame was where the N1 rioting navis were and has three BubbleSide F in it. The final fire is where the skull gate in Beach1 is and has a virus in it.

"Sure, those other three scientists are dead, but who cares about them?"

Now that all the fires are gone, Match calls in to call Lan out. Flameman is waiting in Undernet3. You can remove EnergyChange and Fish from the NaviCust now and put Press back in. Show the Heel navi in Beach2 your Tally to enter the isolated part in north Hades Net. Go down the short compression rail to reach Undernet1.

You may have visited Undernet 1-3 already between now and when you got the Tally last chapter, but since this is the first time we've had to be here, we'll mention all the mystery data just in case. The third stair you see has 1200 Zenny in a mystery data. You want to head down the center staircase and then keep left to get to the long conveyor under the stairs that leads to the next area. In Undernet2, going up the rightmost stairs will earn a RegUp2. Ignore the first warp you see since it'll just lead to a big empty maze in the west and north (there's a postman in the center who'll give you directions about as good as these). Just past that warp is a second warp that you SHOULD take. Then taking a left will get you to Flashman's Security Cube. If you beat his V3, it will open and you can claim a BlackBomb2 S. Go back through the warp and go down the stairs to return briefly to Undernet1. While here use your WWW-ID one last time to get the HP+200 NaviCust part. From there go right and the next path in Under2 will lead straight to Under3.

Once you arrive Megaman will sense a bad, scary presence. No time to worry about it though so he keeps moving...with the Official navi that warned him of Match following close behind. From here, ignore the Heel standing in your way for now and keep going east. However, just before reaching the platform where Flame's waiting, an earthquake breaks that path off. Inconvenient!

While doubling back, take the first conveyer for an HPMemory then head back to the start of the area. Now when you talk to the Heel, you can fight him to get through. In the White Version you fight two Fishy2s and a Cannodumb3. In the Blue Version it's two Spikey3s and a Basher. Dangerous.

Head up the next conveyer. There's nothing for you across that wide conveyor belt going west, since the UnderSquare bouncer still won't let you through and you can't have beaten Plantman yet since his ghost is in also-blocked Undernet4. So continue east. After one more little cutscene to give us a glimpse of the mysterious Official guy, it's just a short jaunt to the big torchlit platform where Flameman stands ready to throw down. Prepare for battle.

WWW Navi Battle: Flameman.exe
HP= 1000
Speed= medium
Defense= barrier
Movement= random teleport, does not enter right column
Objects= Candle(8 HP, regenerates)
Attacks= Flame Tower(60), Flame Blast(60), FanFlare(invincible while candle flame is green), Demon's Candle(HP slowly recovers while candle flame is red), Changkey Fire(60, while candle flame is yellow)

Aqua chips will work very well here assuming you didn't use them all up dousing flames during the mission. You'll need to extinguish the candles first as they always start green for his invincibility mode. The candles will of course relight with other colors shortly after they go out, but you'll have an opening as long as it's not green. To render his Changkey's completely useless, just use an AreaGrab or MetaGel and hang out in the stolen column. When his health is down by half, he'll start hitting a wider area of effect with his Flame Breath, but it will always start as just a single panel directly in front of him, same as the straight-travelling line of flame. If you're in the third column from the right, and he can't enter the first, that means he can only attack you from the second. In other words all you have to do to dodge flawlessly is stay in the third column from the right and move up/down when he's about to attack. 3500Z awaits as your prize.

Oh but wait, he's still going somehow. No matter how easily the battle may have went for you, Lan and Megaman will believe they're in trouble. But just then, HE shows up. Bass, the real one. You know how the story has to keep reminding us that Chaud and Protoman are credible threats by having them do things lightning fast and delete a whole bunch of bad guys at once outside of an actual battle sequence? Well they're doing it with Bass now, having the air shake from his incredible power, and having him reduce Flameman to a smouldering crater like he was nothing. Only in this case they're not just establishing his badassery in the cutscene, they've arranged for a "battle" just in case you had any doubts.

Cheap Fixed Battle: Bass.exe
HP= 1000
Speed= fast
Defense= invincible
Movement= random teleport
Attacks= Air Burst(200), Explosion(200x15)

He starts with a couple easily-dodged Air Burst shots then just sends out wave after wave of Explosion at you. There's no way you can take down that aura and no way you can defeat him otherwise. Let yourself be deleted.

Bass is about to finish the job when that Official picks a nice time to rush in and threaten the guy. Seems Bass has some history with the "Alpha Rebellion" and SciLab. The navi uses DarkAura to withstand Bass' EarthBreak attack until Wily calls the cloaked powerhouse away. Megaman is saved.

After jacking out, return to Hikari's Lab. Dr. Hikari collapses and is taken to the hospital. Lan blames himself for everything, natch. Nothing to do now but head home and get some rest.

Meanwhile, Wily has gotten the last TetraCode. He summons Drillman to go retrieve Alpha from SciLab. The end is nigh.

~Koala and Raijin