Axess: Dark Secret

Plot Synopsis
DesertMan has been weakened from his use of Dark Chips, and has become dependent upon them for survival. Needing to restore missing data, he breaks into the NetPolice vault, where the confiscated Dark Chips are being held, and tries to steal some. Luckily, Chaud is at the station, and quickly apprehends the weakened DesertMan and takes him to SciLab for testing.

Running some tests, Dr. Hikari confirms that the Dark Chips slowly destroy NetNavi data, including the Darkloids, and that their dependence on them will eventually lead to their own deletion. He also puts forth a new theory that the Darkloids were not man made, but evolved out of chunks of data floating around the cyber network. There's a scary thought for you, 4chan memes becoming sentient and trying to take over the world... god help us all...

FlashMan tries to break DesertMan out, but SciLab's defenses combined with MegaMan and ProtoMan are too much for a Darkloid to handle, so they come up with a new scheme. They jack in to NetPolice Chief Keifer's limo, with him and his assistant Manwella inside it, taking them to a car crusher, and of course, since there is no security any where in the world, this puts them in grave danger... oh man, if this was last season I could have made a pun...

SpikeMan contacts SciLab and demands DesertMan's return for the lives of Chief Keifer and Manwella. With their backs against the wall, Lan and company agree, and take DesertMan to the car crusher to make the exchange. Mr. Famous jacks DesertMan into the terminal, but SpikeMan double crosses them and activates the car crusher anyway. Lan has merely precious seconds to get MegaMan to open the lock on the car doors before the passengers get smooshed.

FlashMan then meets with DesertMan and attacks him. He's going to delete DesertMan for his failures, and DesertMan just laughs, knowing that FlashMan will soon share his fate from the Dark Chips. FlashMan deletes DesertMan as a SearchSoul charged up MegaMan gets rid of SpikeMan to free Keifer and Manwella.

They aren't out of danger yet, as a dimensional area forms around them, with the generators sliding up out of the fucking ground again like the Earth pushing a turd out its ass. Why can't they just stick to the satellite animations? Lan has MegaMan try and blast one of the generators with his SearchSoul gun, but it merely bounces off, making Raika's super intelligent plan fucking worthless. Too bad Lan didn't cross-fuse, because FlashMan causes Lan to drop his PET, knocking it away from him.

Just as everyone is about to meet certain doom, Chaud shows up and Cross-Fuses with ProtoMan to save the day... uh... how exactly did Chaud break through dimensional area barrier? I mean, ignore the speed thing for a second, because how the fuck did he do it without Cross-Fusing first? NT Warrior doesn't ask any questions, and neither should you, as Chaud takes out FlashMan with a new program advance, Elemental Sword. See, the writers are asking you to look the other way for Program Advances kids!

FlashMan escapes and stumbles to ShadeMan, begging for Dark Chips. ShadeMan is horrified at FlashMan, who's data has deteriorated and decayed. ShadeMan wonders if the Dark Chips hold this fate for him too. Nebula's leader laughs to himself, knowing the Dark Chips will destroy the Darkloids after he's used them to his own ends.

Critique
This episode adds a bit of intrigue, and is perhaps a bit dark for the standard NT Warrior fare. I've always thought the way Dark Chips were used in this show, and the games, were pretty clever in their own, super contrived way. I mean, eventually you have to forget about putting out Cyber-Fires, and NetNavi's drowning in Cyber-Water, and just roll with it right?

I like ShadeMan's reaction at the end of the episode, and I really think the voice actor did a good job with his voice. ShadeMan I feel is the way to do a more serious villain right, by adding some personality to him, as opposed to the leader of Nebula, who is boring as shit.

As a whole, this episode is pretty bland, sprinkling tiny bits of more interesting plot points that serve for the whole arc of the series, rather than the plot of the individual episode. On that front, it's certainly worth watching, and it isn't boring, but its not even close to the level of entertainment of the last episode.

Rating: Thumbs up!