Wild Boot
by Rarstarr

Reboot and Ranma 1/2 are the property of Mainframe Entertainment and Rumiko
Takahashi respectively and used here (respectfully) without permission.

I'd like to thank my prereaders: Jin, David Johnston and Shane Burton

I welcome any Comments, Criticism or MSTs. All parts to this and other of my
stories may be found at:
	http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~djfarr/

-----

Kodachi:AHAHAHAHA!!!
	I come from the net,
	following a whim.
	I'm a virus, my function:
	to randomise and confuse. 
	Nothing escapes my touch.

v 1.6.2 :  The Masks We Wear

Previously on Wild Boot:

	Kasumi Tendo, the command.com of Mainframe, and her sister Nabiki decided
to test the system sprite Shampoo, the game sprite RyoGA and Ukyo the hacker
by sending them into a game. Mainframe's Guardian, Ranma Saotome,
accompanied them, to observe and if necessary, help.

	Unfortunately the random virus Kodachi struck before the group could enter
the game, capturing Ranma and trapping the others in their corrupted forms.
Despite this disadvantage, the three sprites managed to defeat the User and
win the game.

	Now the defenders of Mainframe must gather to rescue their Guardian from
the hands of a virus more powerful than all of them put together.

*****

	Mike the TV, Mainframe's most annoying talking appliance, walked slowly and
carefully through the streets of Lost Angles. It was a dangerous place to
go, but Mike was a sprite with a mission, and nothing, not even the threat
of deletion by an insane virus, could make him go back and face an angry
Akane Tendo.

	Lost Angles was a place as random as its mistress. The buildings were
warped and dark. Streets twisted away, looking as if they went one way, but
going another.

	"Find Kodachi, find Kodachi! How am I supposed do that?!" Mike demanded,
exasperated.

	"Looking for me?" a voice asked sweetly from behind him.

	Mike spun to find the black clad virus leaning over him, her mask innocent.
He looked up at her and gulped. "Kodachi, virus of Mainframe, it is my
pleasure to issue to you an invitation to the first cyclic Mainframe Martial
Algorithmics competition! You'll be competing against Mainframe's other
algorithmic greats for the title of Champion of Mainframe!"

	Kodachi's masked visage changed to a bright smile. "A competition, oh
goody!" she clapped her hands like a child. "I'll come, I'll come."

	"Login is at 2700, Kits Sector Gym," Mike informed her.

	The virus' mask changed once more, becoming one of worry. "Oh dear, I'd
better get ready." She immediately vanished in a shower of black rose
petals.

	Mike blinked in surprise. "It worked?!"

*****

	Ranma groaned and opened his eyes. He hung from the roof of one of the
strangest rooms he'd ever seen. The floor was bowl shaped and decorated
gothically, while the roof was a flat grey surface. Not far away a throne
sat on the ceiling, next to a floating mirror. A small triangle hovered
watching him.

	"Oh, my head," Ranma groaned.

	"You're awake!" The happy voice brought back memories of the black virus
that had grabbed him. Sure enough she paced into sight. Like the throne she
stood upside-down on the ceiling. No, wait, Ranma was upside-down. "While I
would love to spend some time with you, I have a competition to win.
Bye-bye."

	"Hey, wait!" Ranma yelled as the virus vanished, leaving behind a mess of
black rose petals. "Spamit!"

*****

	Ukyo looked over the Kits sector gym. A number of binomes were practising
Algorithmics exercises, and failing miserably. The hacker turned and paced
over to where Nabiki was organising some redecorating.

	"Nabiki suga',  this bunch ain't gonna keep that virus busy for long."

	Mainframe's Indexer turned to her. "Oh, that lot are just here to fill up
the numbers. You and Akane are the only real competition she'll find."

	"Me honey?! I wanted..."

	"To go with Shampoo and RyoGA to rescue Ranma?" Nabiki shook her head.
"Sorry, but Shampoo isn't very good at Algorithmics and RyoGA has no skill
at all. You on the other hand are just what we need."

	Ukyo pouted. "But Shampoo'll get Ran-chan."

	She was answered by a chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Ranma is told
the entire plan. After all, my interests are poorly served by a unbalancing
in the battle between you."

	Ukyo raised her eyebrow. "Really, why would that be suga'?"

	"You and Shampoo both came because of Ranma and I wouldn't want you to
leave because of a broken heart."

	"That's very... charitable of you." Ukyo glared at Nabiki.

	With a smirk Nabiki turned back to her work, leaving Ukyo to her own
devices. The hacker wandered off and it didn't take her long to find
Mainframe's first defender practising with a long ribbon.

	"TESTING!" Mike's voice blared over the PA system. "TESTING! ONE! TWO!
THREE!"

	Akane, distracted by the sudden loud noise, wrapped the ribbon around her
ankles, tripped and crashed to the ground. "MIKE!" she yelled rolling over,
tearing the ribbon off.

	Mike, who was on the stage in front of a microphone stand, jumped,
startled, and dashed off. Moments later an enraged Akane stormed after him.
Ukyo shook her head. The Defender was too easy to anger, and she could
remember when she was like that, a time before she had met Ranma.

	The hacker picked up the discarded ribbon. It had been a long time since
she had last performed Algorithmics. Oh, she got lots of practise while
hacking, but she almost never performed simply for performances sake, not
like when she was young, not since the crash.

	Ukyo spun the ribbon about her, then arced it over her head. A tune came
back to her, a song she'd practised to when she was still oh-one. In time to
the music only she could hear, Ukyo started swaying, then her arms and feet
in steady motions. The ribbon swept through the air as Ukyo begin her dance.
Gracefully she moved, leaping and twisting, twirling and swaying, her ribbon
slicing through the air. Her vigorous dance continued, building momentum as
did the remembered  music. Finally as the music reached climax Ukyo drew
back, and then ran forward and leaped into a series of handstands punctuated
by midair spins. She landed after the final leap, having crossed the mat,
and stood, arms spread above her, head bowed.

	Applause exploded around her. In shock Ukyo looked around, all the binomes
who had been practising and working in gym were clustered around the arena
Ukyo had been dancing in. They were all clapping for all their worth, some
whistling and cheering.

	Ukyo bowed grandly a number of times before the applause died down. The
hacker abandoned the mat, and walked over to Nabiki, who has been watching
in undisguised amazement.

	"Where did you learn to do that?"

	Ukyo shrugged. "I was trainin' to be the Algorithmics champion of ma home
system when I was young."

	"Well, beautiful as it may be, it won't help you much in this competition."

	"What do ya mean?"

	Nabiki turned away. "This is a MARTIAL Algorithmics competition. You'll be
fighting Kodachi with the tools of Algorithmics."

	"FIGHTING?!" Ukyo exclaimed. "I thought you said she was too dangerous to
attack!"

	"In a straight up fight, yes, but she'll be limited by the rules of the
competition. Anyway we don't have to defeat her, just keep her busy."

	"Nabs-chan, you are so random."

*****

	"Game sprite needs leash," Shampoo muttered, having caught RyoGA about to
wander off again. She glanced up at the twisted bridge before them. The
entrance to Lost Angles had been badly warped, either by some ancient
accident or the twisted city's only resident.

	"Now what?" her companion demanded.

	"We contact sneaky Indexer and tell her we arrived." She pulled out the
thin rectangle and touched a button. In only moments Nabiki appeared on the
screen.

	"Ah, Shampoo, have you arrived yet?"

	"We here, despite almost losing game sprite."

	"Good, just in time, we're expecting Kodachi any moment. Just don't
forget--" Nabiki glanced to the side. "Oh spam, she's here." The screen went
dark.

	"What we not supposed to forget?!" Shampoo demanded of  the blank screen.

	"If she's there, we should move in," RyoGA suggested.

	Shampoo nodded. "Let's go!"

*****

	Akane, Nabiki and Ukyo watched as the virus stood before the table
scribbling with a stylus on her entry form. With a bright smile she handed
the doc over to the quivering binome behind the desk.

	"T-thank y-you, miss Kodachi. If you'll j-just w-wait, t-the tournament
w-will begin in a few h-hundred nanos," the binome stuttered.

	"Okay!!" The virus turned and paced towards the three data sprites.
"Indexer, Defender, are you competing too?"

	Nabiki held up her hand. "Oh, no, I'm simply here to watch over my
investment." She gave the virus a smile. "As one of the sponsors, I stand to
make a large profit from this tournament. My little sister, however is
joining in."

	Kodachi's mask changed suddenly to a frown and a frightening glare. "Then
she'd best hope not to face me." Before Akane could react the random virus
turned to Ukyo, her mask a picture on curiosity. "Have we met before?"

	"I don't think so darlin', I sure I'd  remember if we had. I've just
arrived in Mainframe, name's Ukyo." The hacker lazily offered her hand to
the virus.

	"And will you be competing?"

	Ukyo gave Kodachi a smug smile. "It'll be a pleasure to go up against you."

	Kodachi replied with a wicked grin.

	"Ladies, gentlenomes!" the Judge yelled, gaining everyone's attention.
"Login is now closed. The first round draw is ..." The zero binome paused
for a few seconds waving a file folder. Everyone lent forward. "Quik Tsort
vs Nap Sack. Kodachi Virus vs X Tinct Mallard. The Masked Penguin vs Akane
Tendo. Drew Plex vs Ukyo."

*****

	Shampoo scratched her head and glanced around in confusion. "Shampoo lost!"
she complained.

	RyoGA shrugged. "Don't look at me."

	The pair were standing at the intersection of a pair of streets in Lost
Angles. Large brightly graffitied buildings rose around them, blocking out
any distant landmarks that might have provided a reference point.

	"At least no nulls."

	RyoGA was looking past Shampoo. "Are nulls colourful little worms?"

	"Yes. Why game sprite want know?"

	"Dangerous are they?"

	"Very, eat all energy."

	"Then I suggest we run." RyoGA turned and started sprinting away from the
blue skinned sprite.

	"What game sprite talk about?" Shampoo asked, turning to look behind her.
Surging down the street towards her like a massive tsunami, were more nulls
than Shampoo had seen in her entire process. "Aiya!"

	RyoGA was surprised when Shampoo pulled up next to him. He was running hard
out and not only was she keeping pace with him, but she was catching up.
Maybe the strange speaking sprite was worthwhile.

	Behind the sprinting pair the wave of nulls rose and swelled gathering
above them, until it came to a sudden halt. Shampoo and RyoGA slowed down
and stopped.

	Shampoo looked over her shoulder at the nulls mulling about at the lip of
the pit. "Can game sprite fly?"

	RyoGA stared downwards. "Does falling count?"

	"No."

	"No."

	The pair screamed as they fell.

*****

	Akane dropped into the seat beside Ukyo. "I can't believe I was beaten by a
penguin."

	Ukyo watched the final bout of the first round with interest. Kodachi faced
off against the zero binome X Tinct Mallard. "He looked like a minimalist,"
Ukyo commented as Kodachi held up a hoop, her mask a wicked grin.

	"Yeah, he barely moved, embarrassing way to be defeated."

	"I'll say!" Ukyo grinned at Akane.

	Akane glared back. Behind them X Tinct Mallard crashed to the ground.

*****

	"Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Shampoo and RyoGA
exploded out of one of the monster heads adorning the walls of a large
gothically decorated chamber. The pair crashed into a pile on the floor.

	"Game sprite get off Shampoo!" the cute blue sprite exclaimed.

	"Alright, alright. I'm getting." RyoGA started to get off Shampoo, but lost
his balance. He threw out his hand to steady himself, and came in contact
with something soft and round.

	There was a pregnant pause. "Eeeeeeekkkk! Pervert!" TWACK! RyoGA once again
took flight.

	"Hmph. Pervert game sprite keep hands off Shampoo!"

	"You'd better hope Mousse doesn't hear about this," a familiar voice
laughed from across the room.

	Shampoo spun around to find Ranma hanging upside in midair wrapped in
warped threads. Ranma glanced around. "Watch it, Kodachi left her pet Turtle
to guard the place."

	Shampoo stepped forward confidently. "Shampoo no scared of turtle."

	"LOOK OUT!"

	Shampoo threw herself to the side, feeling the brush of a near miss. She
rolled across the ground and leapt to her feet. Before her, hovering in the
air, was a large triangluar sprite. The back of it hinged so that it could
snap angrily at her.

	"That turtle?"

	"Her pet apparently."

	Shampoo pulled out her bonbori and faced off against the triangular sprite.
Mr Turtle shot forward, a black line trailing behind him. Shampoo flipped
out of the way, swinging downwards as she spun, striking it. The sprite
leapt forward as her opponent suddenly stopped. As the bonbori arced down Mr
Turtle rolled over and bit the weapon.

	Shampoo held up the remains. "That Shampoo's favourite," she threw away the
shattered shaft, then pulled out a massive curved sword, "now you die!"

	Mr Turtle's jaw dropped and his eyes bugged out. He whimpered once as light
gleamed off her blade then turned and hurried away, yelping.

	"Heh, is Shampoo good or what?"

*****

	"In the red corner, wearing basic black and white we have Kooooodaaaaaachi
Virus!" the MC announced, gesturing to the virus. "Aaaaaaand in the blue
corner, in white, black and with lilac skin we have Uuuuukyyyo." The hacker
waved to the applauding audience.

	"Ladies, ready your weapons!" Kodachi produced a long ribbon while Ukyo
pulled out a collection of clubs. "I'd like to see a good fight, but I'm out
of here." The binome dashed away.

	Immediately Ukyo reacted, ignoring Mike as he started his motormouth
commentating. "Ukyo tosses her clubs, but Kodachi snaps her ribbon to
intercept!" The crowd gasped as the projectiles were sliced in two. "A
monostring ribbon! Is this cheating?! Lets ask the judges!"

	The three binomes sitting jumped as the cameras turned to cluster around
them. All three immediately held up cards mark valid.

	Meanwhile, Mike continued his ringside blow-by-blow account of the action .
"Kodachi performs an amazing leap and attempts to entwine her opponent, but
Ukyo somersaults free... and throws her last club, knocking the ribbon from
Kodachi's hand.

	"Kodachi produces another weapon. Oh no, its her medicine ball, we saw this
earlier against X Tinct Mallard," Mike pulled aside, "who the diagnostics
say  is going to survive.

	"Sure enough Kodachi throws the medicine ball, and the explosion is
MASSIVE! Is this the end of Ukyo? No wait here she comes, vaulting out of
the smoke. She's holding up her hand, wanting a new weapon from her second,
the always ang..." Mike spotted Akane glaring at him, "ah, beautiful Akane
Tendo. Akane tosses her... a candy stripped HOOP! Let's see what kind of
tricks Ukyo has up her sleeves."

	Ukyo smiled. "If its tricks you want, its tricks you'll get. Lala loopy
teleport!" Ukyo skipped through the ring, vanishing.

	Mike's jaw dropped. "Amazing, Ukyo's vanished. Has she run away?! NO, she's
just reappeared behind Kodachi and looped her hoop around Kodachi's neck. A
yank... and she fails to pull the virus off balance. Kodachi's smiling, this
is a bad sign, she reaches up and twists the hoop, throwing Ukyo across the
ring.

	"Oh, wow, mainframe's local hacker just twisted in mid air and rebounded
off the ropes. She's pulled out her spatula and is flying towards her
opponent. My code, what a collision, and Ukyo's managed to knock down the
virus. No one's managed that before."

	"Kodachi's getting up, and she looks angry, but she's weaponless. Oh my
that's a long pole, where did she hide that? Is she going to hit Ukyo with
it? No, she's hooked one of the bleachers. Good Code!! That's one hell of a
finishing move, attacking with an entire stand of the audience, you can be
sure Ukyo's not gonna get up from that!"

	Thunder echoed through the room as a section of the stands exploded
upwards. A haggard, bruised Ukyo stood amongst the debris. "Must give
Ran-chan time," she gasped.

	"Ukyo's still standing, but she can't survive another attack like that (but
then, neither can the audience). Who'll attack next... *crash* apparently
its going to be a turtle from the audience."

	Mr Turtle made a beeline from the door to his mistress. He snapped at her
and she turned to look at the hacker. Rage took over Kodachi's mask, her
eyes glowing a evil red. "THIS IS A TRICK!!!!!" She stalked towards Ukyo.
"HOW DARE YOU?!"

	Akane hoisted herself over the ropes. "UKYO!!!!"

*****

	Shampoo's sword shattered as it struck the Ranma's bonds. She held it up
and stared at it in dismay. "Tough," she commented.

	"I'm kinda glad you failed," Ranma commented.

	"Why Ranma say that?"

	"'Cause if you'd gone through with that much force, I'd be half the sprite.
YOU'D HAVE CUT RIGHT THROUGH ME!"

	RyoGA stepped up beside Shampoo and examined the warped threads. "Why don't
you just do this?" he stabbed at the mess with a finger. The moment his
finger touched the surface the threads exploded outwards, sending him and
Shampoo flying away. Ranma, free of her bonds, squawked, flapped her arms,
and promptly fell on her head.

	"Where stupid game sprite learn that?" Shampoo demanded, getting to her
feet and dusting herself off.

	"This old man I met, he taught me it on the condition I never told anyone
the way to his store."

	"Which wasn't much of a problem," Ranma-chan commented, soothing the back 
of her head. "Come on, let's get out of here before--" Suddenly the lights
went out, leaving the trio standing in half darkness. "This is not good."

	A flash of light lit up the room, and the three spun to see Kodachi's mask
of anger floating in the air. A second flash accompanied the arrival of the
virus herself. In one hand she held the unconscious form of Mike the TV and
the other gripped the collars of a similarly slumped Akane and Ukyo.

	"Where's MY RANMA?!!!" the virus exclaimed.

	Ranma-chan looked down at herself, realising for the first time that
RyoGA's explosion had activated her corruption. "This is bad, this is very
bad."

	"HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY RANMA?!!!!" Kodachi struck out at Shampoo and
Ranma-chan with streams of viral energy. The pair arced through the air,
Shampoo's body twisting and morphing into a small kitten.

	"DIE!!!" RyoGA cried, diving forward, arm extended.

	"NNNNOOOOOO!!!!!" Ranma-chan screamed as the game sprite's finger struck
the edge of Kodachi's mask. There was no explosion, instead the white mask
slid off her face. The clock speed seemed to grind to a halt as it fell
through the air, spinning end over end. It struck the ground, bounced once,
then again.

	Kodachi let loose an inhuman scream of pain as white light flowed from the
hole where her face should have been. RyoGA and Ranma-chan dived to the
ground as the virus writhed in pain.

	"You IDIOT!" Ranma-chan yelled. "She has transfinite power parameters and
that mask was the only thing keeping her in check! Now she's going to
explode!!"

	"How was I supposed to know?!"

	"Attend the crashing briefings!"

	"So stick it back on!!"

	Ranma-chan glared at the game sprite, then looked around. Finding the mask
she held out her arm. "GLITCH! CUT'N'PASTE!"

	The small keytool flew from Ranma-chan's arm and affixed itself to
Kodachi's mask, then carried the object up to screaming virus and jammed the
white face covering into place. Darkness and silence fell.

*****

	Akane struggled back to consciousness. "Kodachi..." she murmured. "No..."

	"It's okay Akane," the kind voice of doctor Tofu assured her. "Kodachi's
been taken care of."

	Akane opened her eyes to find herself staring up at the roof of the
diagnosis bay. "Wha... what happened?"

	"Ranma, RyoGA and Shampoo returned with you and Ukyo. She's okay by the
way, but still sleeping off her injuries. According to Ranma, Kodachi
suffered some kind of terrible wound, but he left her in good hands..."

*****

	Kodachi sat curled up in her throne, the only light in her lair the
flickering of Mike's screen.

	"... only ninety nine ninety nine ninety nine, but wait, don't send any
money know. No, if you..."

	In the darkness Mr Turtle hovered, watching his mistress.

	"... these beautiful steak knives!"

	Quietly at first, but gaining in volume, Mainframe's most powerful virus
started to chuckle evilly.

*****

	The large golden doors swung open, revealing the shadowy hall beyond.
Nervously the armoured sprite advanced towards the dais at the far end.
Darkness sat where the throne should have stood. Reaching the foot of the
stairs the armour sprite knelt and bowed deeply before reaching up to reveal
his blue face.

	"Mistress, he has returned to the supercomputer."

	Within the darkness a small figure moved. "The other with him?" An old
female voice inquired.

	The armour sprite shook his head. "Was neither of the youths. He was an
older sprite and used to be the command.com of a system by the name of
Mainframe."

	"Then that is where he left him."

	"Do you wish us to retrieve the boy or the girl?"

	"No, I will take care of Ranma Saotome!" The figure in the darkness
laughed, a chilling sound that sent chills down her servants back.

-----

References:

	The episode is based upon the a ReBoot episode called "Painted WIndows" I
think, and the Martial Gymnastics Tournament from Ranma 1/2.

	Ukyo's hoop was originally used by Lala Loopy, the internet superhero  in
the comic "Reality Check" (she's not the main character.)

	RyoGA's new ability is based on the breaking point technique Ryoga learnt
in Ranma 1/2.

	Algorithmics is the study of algorithims. In Wild Boot its just gymnastics.

Author's Note:

	It occured to me while writing this that I only have two stories left to
write in Wild Boot, a single part story featuring Kuno and a three part end
story. Pity that it has to end, but at least I'm going to finish it, and
without expanding to "another part." Speaking of which, when are we getting
the next part of Hearts of Ice Krista?

-----------
Rarstarr,
David Farr
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~djfarr/
djfarr@ihug.co.nz