Two Halves (AU, PG-13, WIP, Collaboration with Neko)

**Sol**

The following is a collaboration written by myself and Neko, as we had planned this out months ago and we both found ourselves bored enough to write this out. This first chapter is a mixture of both our styles as we both wrote this together, but the later ones will probably be written individually.

As the topic says, this is an AU from Axess 47. It is a very heavy AU, and that means we get free reign over what happens afterwards. Ah, I can hear the canonverse being destroyed as we speak~

Anyway, enjoy!

-----

Netto waved to his friends as he went into the clear tube that connected the two space ships. He saw a small, scared smile on Meiru's lips but did not have enough time to ask if she was okay before he was completely cut off from them. The double door shut with a final thud and Netto gulped once before turning around and preparing to go towards the enemy ship.

"Are you all right?" Rockman asked Netto softly, his own voice giving away his immense concern.

Netto quickly grinned and shook his head, trying to show Rockman as well as himself that he was fine and ready to take on anything. "Of course I'm fine!" he announced with bravado as he entered the ship. "We're going to kick some darkloid butt, right?" he asked.

The brunette could hear Rockman's light laugh in his ear as his navi relaxed a little. "Of course," he assured his friend.

Netto floated forwards a little as the shield chip around him wavered under the immense pressure of the vaccuum of space. He gulped as the doors shut behind him and the air pressure became normal. "Well," he said solemnly as he turned around. "This is it."

Rockman felt bad that he was unable to do much more then give Netto small sounds of encouragement as he wandered through the empty ship. He wanted nothing more then to be right there, next to him, with him but he knew that he couldn't. He was frustrated at himself but kept his smile tight and his resolve strong for Netto's sake. "We're almost there," he said to Netto.

"Hey Rockman," Netto started as they approached, "Do you really think Regal is on that ship?" he asked, landing on one of the outer rims of the large platform.

"I don't know, Netto-kun," Rockman answered truthfully, a feeling of foreboding coming over him. "I have a feeling something isn't right here..."

Netto looked up and shivered involuntarily. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he said quietly. "Well...let's press on for now and see what we can find." he said as he began walking into the station itself.

"And if we meet Regal?" Rockman asked quietly.

Netto gulped but tried his very best not to let his anxiety show. "If we meet him, then we'll kick his butt too!" he said with zeal.

The boy could have sworn that he felt Rockman's skepticism, but shook that off as he bravely stepped forth, cautiously making his way around all the debris and through the corridors.

After a long minute of walking down the longest hallway Netto could ever remember going down, they came out into an open chamber that was transparent so that the person inside could see space in all its magnificance. Netto walked out into the center, looking around in apparent amazement. He was brought to his senses as he heard a slow clapping behind him.

Netto whipped around to see Regal on a screen, applauding him and giving him a coy smile that made the young boy's blood boil in anger. "Well, well, Hikari Netto, I'm very impressed that you've gotten this far," he drawled. The scientist then looked Netto straight in the eyes and his smile vanished, replaced by a cold, hard look. "But it ends here."

Netto took in a short breath as Regal nodded once behind him. The brunette only had time to whirl around and bring up a sword in defense before he felt himself being pushed backwards from the sheer force of whatever had attacked him.

"Heh, so you've finally shown yourself, brat." a cool voice smirked.

Netto looked up, his brown eyes widening. "Blues!" he gasped.

"And here I was, thinking I was going to be bored!" Blues smirked as Netto leapt to his feet, slotting in a Sword chip in the process, "Such battles don't come so often...I'll make sure to enjoy it." he said as he immediately leapt at the smaller boy, who did all he could to parry the blade with his own.

Netto took a few steps backwards as Blues' attack came at him on all sides. He brought up his sword in a defensive position and winced as he blocked each attack. "Rockman..." he hissed through clenched teeth.

The larger navi chuckled as he felt Netto start to buckle under the pressure of the blade, but then growled as he pushed back the blade with a burst of strength, leaping back and making him stumble.

"You've gotten better," he said lowly as he brought his blade up again, watching Netto catch his breath. "But it isn't enough."

Netto looked up and glared at Blues with a hatred he hadn't felt in a long time. "Careful," Rockman whispered. "He's baiting you."

"I know," Netto hissed. "But...we have to do something!"

"But it's obviously a trap!" Rockman hissed back.

Netto shook his head and summoned a longsword. "I don't care!" he yelled, swinging at the dark form of Blues wildly, anger clouding his vision.

Blues laughed and blocked the blade with his own. He brought his hand up and under and punched Netto in the stomach, sending the boy back several feet coughing and spluttering. Netto fell to his knees and began to gasp for breath, holding his stomach as Blues walked over slowly, savoring each step he took and gloated silently. "Still quite a bit to go, Rockman." he sneered.

Netto looked up, one eye shut in pain, but the other open and filled with anger and frustration. "Shut up," he whispered. "It's your fault for accepting the dark power."

"My fault?" Blues asked. Then he threw back his head and began to laugh. "My fault?" he asked again. He leaned down and grabbed Netto by the throat, pulling him to his feet and holding him a few inches above the ground, laughing as Netto fought for breath and Rockman shouted in panic. "I'm not at fault for anything, brat," he spat. "I chose this. I wanted power, and I got it."

Netto looked down at Blues with something akin to pity in his eyes. "Power?" he asked. "Is that all this means to you?"

Blues snorted and threw Netto to the ground a few feet away from him and watched as the child tried to sit up. He may have been acting cool and collected, but something in his eyes unnerved him. "Power is everything," he said with a twisted grin.

Netto stood up shakily and summoned a sword. He held it up and glared at Blues with a new resolve in his eyes. "No it's not," he said quietly and knelt down into a battle stance. "And I'll prove it to you."

Blues grinned and summoned his own sword. "All right," he laughed and stepped forward. "By all means."

Netto ran forward with a yell and brought his sword down upon Blues' own as hard as he could. He waited for Blues to push back before twisting to the side and letting Blues own momentum throw him off balance. Then he sidestepped and pushed Blues to the floor, the impact hard enough to make the dark navi tumble a short distance.

Netto smirked over the fallen navi. "See?" he asked with a cheerful grin that seemed out of place in the life and death battle. "Power isn't everything!"

Blues snarled and got up quickly, wheeling around to attack once again. Rockman yelled a warning, which Netto heeded and managed to get out of the way just in time. Netto then brought up his sword in order to parry Blues' own and managed to catch several more blows before Blues threw him into the ground.

The brunette forced himself to sit up, his small victory short lived. "Well then," Blues said with a small grin. "Let's take care of that idea, shall we?" he asked.

Netto stood up and parried several more blows before Blues pulled out a buster on his other hand and shot Netto point blank. The child flew backwards into the ground and landed painfully on his back. "Netto-kun!" Rockman gasped as Netto coughed and tried to regain his breath.

Blues grabbed Netto's icon and pulled Netto to his feet. Blues grinned and let his body fill with dark energy, watching as it radiated into his hand. "Let's see the perfect Rockman deal with this." he sneered as he clutched the symbol on Netto's chest, letting the dark energy flow into the boy's body.

Netto and Rockman began to yell out in pain as the dark energy flowed into the programs that made up crossfusion. Their bond was beginning to weaken and Netto could tell that if he lost the bond to the dark energy, he would lose Rockman to it as well. "No..." he gasped painfully, fighting against the invading force as hard as he could.

Blues merely continued to smirk as Netto and Rockman fought the energy with everything that they had. He knew that if he corrupted Rockman's files enough Rockman would become a dark navi as well, and that would help him immensely.

Netto refused to let that happen. He would do anything to make sure that Rockman came out safe, regardless of what may happen to him. Finally, as he felt the last of his strength start to give way, he made a decision. "Sorry, Rockman," he murmured softly, and cancelled crossfusion on his own, letting his own body take in the remnants of dark energy in the last few moments.

"Netto...kun..." Rockman gasped as his own PET went offline. The blue navi barely had time to understand what had happened before his own world went dark.

Blues frowned as the crossfusion disappeared and his aura hovered about Netto's body before vanishing. With nothing holding them up, both PET and operator fell to the ground, unconscious. Blues frowned and looked up at Regal on the screen. "That didn't work." he sniffed.

Regal shook his head and pointed at Netto. "Quite the contrary," the man purred. "I believe it worked better then either of us could have hoped for. I believe the net op has the energy." he explained, smiling darkly.

"What use is a brat to us?" Blues snapped, growing annoyed at the scientist. Was everything just one big game to him?

"He is still Rockman's operator," Regal continued, pretending that Blues had said nothing. "He is half of Rockman's power. Take him away and Rockman can't fight. Plus, he is Yuuichirou's son and I do enjoy seeing that man squirm," Regal finished with a grin. "I expect to see you here soon." he ordered as the screen went blank.

Blues snarled at the now empty space. He hated being ordered around and he hated taking orders. However, he knew he had to if he wanted to gain the power he needed to make his plans work. Reluctantly, he picked up Netto's motionless body and went into the escape pod on the side of Regal's ship. He set Netto down and logged into the computer that controlled the ship. Soon he would be the one giving orders. Very soon.

A few minutes later, Meiru and her friends ran into the very same room, looking for Netto. "Where is he?" she whispered, looking around. They heard signs of a battle earlier as they approached, and tried to come as fast as they could.

"Look!" Dekao cried as he pointed at an object on the ground. The four approached it and looked at it when Yaito gasped.

"That's Rockman's PET!" she said, looking around worriedly, "Where's Netto?!"

Meiru looked at the PET, with an unconscious Rockman within it. Looking shocked, she slumped to her knees. "No...Netto..." she whimpered as she realized what had happened. Her best friend would never leave Rockman behind willingly.

He had been kidnapped.

------

"Enzan?" Anetta asked, pushing forward one of her lunches as they sat beside a window, looking into the sky. "Aren't you hungry at all?"

The netbattler sighed and took one of Anetta's...'creative' lunches and setting it off to the side. "I'm sorry, I'm not hungry right now." he murmured.

The girl sighed. "It's about your friend going after Regal's satellite, isn't it?"

Enzan nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly it-" he was interrupted as the glass that was set next to him cracked a bit before completely shattering, water spilling everywhere. Anetta gasped and stood up.

"These glasses are so cheap..." she huffed, "I'll go get something to clean it up. I'll be right back!" she said cheerfully before running off.

Enzan, however, paid her no mind as he stared at where the glass was. He was by no means superstitious, but everything in the past few weeks had been beyond surreal, and an ill omen like this could only mean the worst.

"Netto, you better get back alright." he muttered softly as he looked outside the window again.

------

Blues piloted the escape pod silently, mulling over what had transpired only a few minutes ago. The pod would soon be entering the Earth's atmosphere, and he was making preparations for where they would impact.

He growled as he remembered how Regal treated him like nothing more than a mere peon. This was not the way to use his power! "Fool. He doesn't know that he brings upon his own end." he muttered darkly, clutching his fists.

Just then, he noticed the boy start to shift, groaning slightly. "Hmph, he's waking up." he scoffed as he turned back. He didn't know exactly why Regal wanted the boy; after all, wouldn't Rockman be more valuable to him?

Netto then groaned again and sat up, rubbing his head and opening his eyes. Blues couldn't help but stare at him.

"What the..." he muttered in surprise as Netto turned his head to look at the screen.

Instead of the boy's eyes being their normal color, they were now a deep, blood red.
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Midnight · Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 7:20 am Post subject:

It's certainly a scintillating piece--a rather nice jumping-off point for an exploration into uncharted territory.

I can definitely discern from within this chapter fragments of both of your styles, and I admit it is a novel method to write. This seems a lot more fluid than the alternative--letting the authors alternate between chapters--since there is a lot fewer breaks in tone--especially if writers have contrasting styles. While reading this, I am quite faithfully reminded of Neko's work into an episode like this--and dealing with the concept of the darkness as well. Here's hoping that this will be abreast or surpass that work.

Most of it flowed along rather smoothly and didn't skip or pause. I would recommend that you put a short synopsis of the episode that this jumps off of at the start, as the mere mention of a number had me scrambling to the summaries to recall what had happened then. In addition, I'm fairly sure that most if not all readers would have seen the last scene from a mile away, but there's not really much else you can do to express the infusion.

A collaboration between two of the best writers on the forums is sure to be a highlight and something to breathe life into a largely lifeless forum. I look forward to seeing the rest.
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Kitty-Chan · Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 7:40 pm Post subject:

Man, it's been a while since I last checked here. This is most intriguing; I keep getting images of Dark Netto crossfusing with Dark Blues.
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Neko · Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:38 pm Post subject:

Nah, we nixed that idea rather early on. We don't like the idea and think it cheapens what crossfusion stands for.

However, there will be plenty of fluff :D twisted fluff, but fluff, I assure you XD
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Pyroman.EXE · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:19 am Post subject:

Tense, dramatic, beautiful.

Just as expected from the two of you, this is just downright awesome. I have absolutely no criticism at all, this was very well done. Looking forward to more.

RollSoul · Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:58 pm Post subject:

Yay! Another story where Netto Gets possessed!

Another fan fic to be waiting for updates for!...None of the ones I like every get updates...sigh! Hopefully this one will be different since there are two people working on it.
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Aries the Fire Phoenix · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 3:56 pm Post subject:

Hmmm... This is quite... interesting... -.-

I must keep reading. Its starting to grow on me, even though its the first chapter. XD My, Sol you are so good at this... If only I could write fanfiction as good as you do...

Netto gets posessed! Yay!! >XD More evil- er, bad Netto! XD I love reading fanfics like these! Great *cough* Awsome job Sol!!! ( I only wish they did this in the anime... >_< )
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Neko · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject:

Heh, Sol and I literally wrote the first chapter together in a live chat. Now this is all me and the next one will be all him.

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Blues stared at Netto, his mouth slightly open. Netto stared back with a sort of child like wonder. He wasn’t noticeably evil or mean or any of the things that normally came with being infected with dark power. He looked like… Netto. The silly child that his old operator had befriended, who was quick to smile and laugh. Blues frowned and leaned forward, looking Netto in the eye. Netto leaned back a little but held Blues’ gaze steadily.

“Yes?” Netto asked finally.

Blues frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

Netto cocked his head to the side and shrugged. “I don’t know. Should something be wrong?”

Blues straightened up and looked straight ahead. “What is the last thing you remember?”

Netto put a finger to his lips and frowned. “Lesse… I remember going somewhere… and something happened…” he shrugged. “I don’t know, should I remember?”

Blues’ frown deepened. “How much do you remember?”

Netto leaned back into the seat he was currently sitting in, he closed his eyes and sighed. “I… don’t know. Is that bad?”

Blues’ frown became a smirk as he continued to pilot. “I don’t think there’s any worry.” He knew that dark power could mess with a human’s mind but this was amazing. He retained his personality completely but lost his memories.

Netto opened his eyes and grinned. “Wait, I know my name. Hikari Netto. And you’re Blues, right?”

Blues frowned again, thrown for a loop. Was it selective memory or what? “Yes…” he said slowly.

Netto giggled but this laugh sent a chill down Blues’ spine. “You’re pretty easy to trick, Blues,” Netto said in his usual tone but there was a menacing ring to it. “Of course I remember everything. You, Rockman, the battle. I know more then you think.”

Blues eyed the child next to him uneasily. Netto was completely under the influence of the dark energy but he could act as if he wasn’t. He and Enzan always knew Netto was no idiot. He was as smart as most children his age could come, he just wasn’t all that attentive to his surroundings. He acted slow and dense and sometimes he really was but he was smart, there was no denying his ability to use and manipulate technology. Now it was almost as if he was able to act dense or clever according to his will. He was a dangerous child but most certainly an asset.

Netto smirked and leaned forward, looking out of the escape pod into the atmosphere of the earth. “So?” he asked. “Where are we going?”

Blues looked at him and then out the window. “To where Regal is.”

“Why?” Netto asked.

Blues shrugged. “No place better to go.”

“Can’t live of your own?” Netto replied. “Or don’t want to.”

Blues growled and glared at Netto. “That is none of your concern, brat.”

Netto leaned back again and closed his eyes. “I guess not,” he said quietly. “But it doesn’t make much sense.”

“You’re human, you have no choice. No where else to go,” Blues told him shortly. “You can’t just run off.”

“I could go to papa,” Netto said to Blues in a happy voice. “And then I’ll be better!”

Blues narrowed his eyes at Netto, wondering if he was serious or not. He had no idea what to expect from Netto and he didn’t like it. “Better?”

Netto smirked and curled into the seat as if it were a bed. “Sure. Better. What do you care? I’m just the worthless operator of Rockman after all.”

Blues had no idea what to say to that. It almost seemed as if these were all things Netto had noticed before but had the mentality to keep quiet. Or he just didn’t notice it, it was just a subconscious observation. Whatever the reason, Netto’s changed personality was far more calculating and observant. The more time he spent talking with Netto, the more uneasy he became. “It doesn’t matter. This is what I was told to do.”

“You were told to infect my navi, not me,” Netto replied sleepily. “I just did what I thought was the right thing at the time. Not that I care but you just seem very unsure of yourself.”

Blues looked at Netto and realized that the human was asleep. He frowned and sighed heavily, not really sure of what to think. He wasn’t sure how much he liked being confused but at the very least it meant that Netto would be a powerful ally should he choose to stay. Then again, maybe he wouldn’t. It appeared that time would tell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blues landed within the confines of a dimensional area surrounding Regal’s building. He opened the pod and looked at the sleeping Netto. He frowned and reached down to shake his shoulder but a firm grasp on his elbow stopped him. Blues whirled around to face Regal who was standing behind him with a small grin. “Don’t. I don’t want the child to be awake yet. It appears that his personality change is a bit drastic, wouldn’t you say?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Blues murmured tightly.

Regal nodded calmly. “In any case, pick him up without waking him. We have much to plan.”

Blues knelt down and picked up Netto and turned to Regal. “Plan?” he asked.”

Regal nodded. “Yes. While I admittedly did not see this little twist coming I have figured it into the grand scheme. This will help immensely.”

Blues followed Regal silently. He felt Netto shift in his arms and knew instantly that Netto wasn’t asleep. He looked down and saw Netto grinning at him. The child gave him a small wink and then pretended to be asleep again.

Blues looked at Regal’s back and watched as he continued to talk, explaining everything he had planned. He then smiled himself, and began to agree and tell Regal the things he wanted to hear. He knew now what Netto was doing and he rather liked how it was turning out.

What an interesting day it was turning out to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enzan watched as Rockman was revived on the screen. He waited breathlessly with his hands braced against the frame of the window looking into the labs. Finally Dr. Hikari nodded and waved the boy in.

Enzan went into the room without a second thought and walked over to where Rockman was slowly beginning to wake up. “Mn… Netto-kun?” Rockman asked sleepily. Then his eyes widened and he looked out. “Netto-kun! Where is he?”

Dr. Hikari and Enzan both frowned. Enzan looked to Yuuichirou and noticed that he almost looked as if he was about to cry. Uncomfortable, he looked away and instead focused on Rockman.

Rockman understood almost immediately. “He’s…gone, isn’t he?”

There was a pregnant pause in the room as no one could find the words to use to reply to Rockman. Instead of breaking down the blue Navi understood and nodded. “All right, how…” Rockman swallowed and Enzan noticed his green eyes were overly bright. “All right, how do we get him back?”

Enzan looked at Yuuichirou again who still had a haunted look about his face. He frowned and then stepped forward. “Come with me. I’m on call 24 hours a day for the net police. When the first sign of trouble happens you’ll know. That is if you and Dr. Hikari don’t mind.”

Rockman looked at Enzan, slightly surprised. “This is very odd for you, Enzan-san.”

Enzan gave Rockman a wan smile and shrugged. “Let’s just say that having my navi taken has been a humbling experience.”

Rockman nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”

Yuuichirou nodded. “It’s all right. Please check in though, and tell me if you find anything.”

Enzan nodded, “I promise.”

Yuuichirou smiled at them, his lips trembling. “Excuse me. I’m going to go see Haruka now.”

Rockman and Enzan both nodded and Yuuichirou drifted out of the room quietly. Enzan turned back to Rockman and held out Rockman’s PET. “If you wish, we can begin investigation immediately.”

Rockman nodded and smiled. “I’d like that, I think,” he said and went into his PET. “Let’s go.”

Enzan left the building, concerned and upset, but he now had hope. He had a plan to reverse what happened, and ultimately, get his Navi and best friend back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whoooo~ fanfic~
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tuxdev · Net Savior Joined: 27 Dec 2005 Posts: 139

The plot thickens, Netto the spy

"pregnant pause"?
I shouldn't ask...
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Midnight · Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 7:05 am Post subject:

Hmm.

You've certainly taken a rather novel approach at how darkness can infuse into a person's soul--you actually threw me on a curve while reading it because I did not expect Netto to turn out the way he did. Becoming a lot more cold and calculating seems a bit strange at first, but I've accepted it. Very nice.

That being said, this uneasy alliance between Dark Blues and Netto is a bit strange. I have a feeling that this will be instrumental in retrieving Netto from his plight, but I obviously cannot say anything yet since there is nothing to base it on.

Good job.
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Kitty-Chan · Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:41 pm Post subject:

Yay! More Dark Blues & Netto interaction! *watches as everyone hides from the ideas her mind churns out at this turn of events* This is going to be quite interesting, I think.
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**Sol** · Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 6:31 am Post subject:

Random update for a random story after seven years. I was bored.

=========

"Ah, he is beginning to wake up. Dark Blues, observe him."

Blues frowned at the order, but nodded as he placed the child down and backed away. Truthfully, he still wasn't completely sure about what Hikari Netto had become; while the Dark Power's effects were now well-documented on other Navis, the boy before him was the first real human to have taken in the darkness so completely.

He couldn't help but scowl at the thought. The Dark Power had obviously done something to the boy, but exactly what remained to be seen. However, just a mere glimpse of it unnerved him, which annoyed him to no end. He was a Darkloid, one of the most powerful of them all, so something like a corrupted Netto just casually fooling him shouldn't have made him feel so uneasy. And yet, it felt like the boy was seeing right through him...

A groan interrupted his thoughts as he focused back onto the brunette on the floor. Netto was certainly moving like he was coming out of a deep slumber, stretching and flailing his limbs everywhere. However, to Blues, there was something more...controlled about it. It was like the boy was making each of his movements deliberate to feed the expectations of the man before him, to play the part that he had supposedly fallen into.

The uneasy feeling he had before now intensified, much to his frustration.

"Ungh..." Netto groaned, rubbing his head. "Where...am I...?"

Dr. Regal smiled. "It seems you have awakened, Hikari Netto," he started imperiously, watching as the boy looked up at him. Gleaming red eyes met his own sight, and he couldn't help but smile wider at the sight. "I suppose you must feel much better than before."

Netto stared at the scientist curiously as he stood up, dusting off his clothes. "You're...Dr. Regal?" he ventured warily, which was met with a nod. "Then that means...I'm in Nebula's base, right?"

The almost cheerful way he had phrased that question would have made anyone nervous, but Dr. Regal just continued smiling. "Correct. You have yet to answer my question, however."

The brunette scratched his chin in thought before grinning himself, his red eyes gleaming in wonder. "Oh, right! Blues energized me with the Dark Power. I feel...much better than before," he said in excitement, looking over his hands like he had been given a new toy. "I guess that means I'm a member of Nebula now, doesn't it?"

"You could look at it that way," Dr. Regal agreed, and Blues saw that he was actually trying not to grin in triumph. "Of course, that all really depends on if you're willing to fight against those who would attempt to stop us. You know full well the Science Labs will do anything to eradicate the power of the Dark Chips."

"Oh, them," Netto sneered, a frown crossing his face for the first time. "I'd be more than glad to destroy them, if that's what you want."

Dr. Regal couldn't help but grin widely at this point. "And your father?" he asked, holding Netto's gaze with his own.

"Consider me the first in line." This statement was said with such a bloodthirsty grin that it almost startled Blues to see it. Almost.

Dr. Regal turned away, chuckling to himself. "This is...brilliant! Beyond my expectations!" he exclaimed before beginning to laugh. "Oh, how I would love to see his face...Hikari Yuuichiro's face before his son ends his life with the power he sought to destroy! To think that the Dark Power would influence him to this extent...!"

Meanwhile, Blues frowned as he continued to observe the child. He couldn't help but feel like Netto was running circles around them—it was like he knew the exact words to bring out the reaction he was looking for. To make Dr. Regal react like this with such a short conversation...

To make matters worse, he couldn't even pick out what parts the boy was acting out and what parts were genuine. For the traits of cunning and deceit to run so strongly in this boy, this operator that had given him so much trouble in the past...

He blinked when he saw Netto quickly turn his head to glimpse at him, flashing him a smirk as his eyes gleamed dangerously before turning his gaze back to the scientist. He caught the hint as he fought down a smirk of his own, his mind racing over the countless changes to his own plans.

Dr. Regal might be fooled by this child, but that would give him the opening he needed. All he had to do was wait.

=====================================

To Rockman's credit, the blue navi adapted quickly to Enzan's battle tactics as they practiced deleting viruses. While he wasn't as proficient with sword-type chips like Blues was, his sheer versatility with many other types paired itself well with Enzan's quick thinking.

Still...

"Good job, Rockman," Enzan said as the navi lowered his buster. "I think I've got a good feel for your skillset now."

"Thank you, Enzan-kun." The familiarity in that response made Enzan bite back a sigh, as it was only a reminder of their current situation. "But...do you think papa and the others will be able to materialize me in a Dimensional Area?"

The Net Savior shook his head. "I can't say for certain, but they recognize the danger of having no one to oppose Blues," he explained, even though he was certain that Rockman knew this already. "I don't think we'll be able to utilize Cross Fusion, so at the moment...you're the only one who can stand up to him."

Rockman nodded, his features set in grim determination. "I understand," he murmured. "But I will need your support, Enzan-kun."

"Right..." Enzan trailed off, his gaze distant. Even if they had only been working together for a short time, Rockman was already trusting him as his operator, however temporary he may be. The blue navi was much like Blues in that regard, even if he did question some uses of his strategies.

He could only hope that he didn't end up repeating his nightmare once again, where he lost Blues in a moment of panic and despair.

Rockman noticed his operator brooding and coughed politely. "Cheer up, Enzan-kun," he said, smiling in the same way whenever he tried to raise Netto's spirits. "We will get both of them back. If we work together, we'll be able to find a way, I'm sure of it!"

Enzan stared down at the navi before giving a small smile back. "Thank you, Rockman. Netto is truly lucky to have you to worry about him."

Rockman chuckled, but the recent mention of his kidnapped operator made his eyes clench in distress, however briefly. Enzan couldn't blame him, for it felt like his already strained emotions had taken another blow. With both of his best friends missing, would he now be left to fight alone?

...no, Rockman was with him, he reasoned. The blue navi would do everything within his power to make sure Netto was safe, and Enzan would use that determination to right himself and match that willpower. He couldn't give up, as now both Blues and Netto were relying on him to be saved.

But saved from what? part of him wondered. Blues is now a Darkloid, a victim of the Dark Power...but what about Netto?

Thinking about what happened sent chills down Enzan's spine. The only thing Rockman remembered when he woke up was excruciating pain before being unfused with Netto, which left many questions up in the air about his friend's fate.

Blues could have killed him right then and there, but I don't think Dr. Regal would do that—at least not immediately, his mind began to reason. Instead of the comfort brought about by his logic, each successive thought began to terrify him. He's in enemy hands right now, and we don't know what's going on. He could simply be captured...or he's being experimented on. Or...

His breath stopped. Or...or...he's been infected with a Dark Chip...

He shook his head so roughly at that thought that he could almost feel his blood hiss between his ears.

"Enzan-kun, are you alright?" Rockman called out in concern, having watched the Net Savior's expression go from worried to something akin to fear. "Did you think of something?"

"No, no, it's..." He trailed off, fumbling for something, anything to say. He did not want to panic the blue navi if he could avoid it. "It's something that can't possibly be true. Pay no heed to it."

"...you looked terrified earlier, though," Rockman pointed out, noticing Enzan wince at that. "If I may, I think it might be easier if we talked about it. I'm...We're still not used to each other, and if we're going to trust each other..."

Enzan sighed. He knew he had to trust Rockman, and he knew that said trust had to go both ways. But how could he say this without upsetting him? Even he couldn't bring himself to be so blunt, and yet...

Netto might be infected by the Dark Power.

He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. Losing Blues to that accursed Dark Chip was horrifying enough, but Netto? His best friend and the one he found he could count on against all odds? He didn't know how he would take it, but just the thought of it was enough to upset him.

But he had to remain objective. Even if his heart screamed at him that it couldn't be true, he had to listen to the practical part of his mind, even if it brought him more pain. Rockman would not like his thoughts, but if they were to succeed, they would have to open themselves up to the possibility that Netto might not be the same.

"Rockman, please listen to me," he began lowly, closing his eyes in preparation for something painful. "There's something you...should probably know..."

=================================

Blues didn't often materialize within the Nebula citadel, if only to avoid crossing paths with Dr. Regal. There was something about the scientist that disgusted him, but he couldn't describe it for the life of him. Laserman was no better, being nothing more than Regal's puppet within the cyberworld.

However, as powerful as he was, he had no conceivable way to oppose them. Even worse, he knew that either one of them was always watching him, waiting for him to turn traitor. To his disgust, he protected himself by feigning his loyalty, acting as Nebula's sword for the sake of their mission. Granted, he enjoyed many of these missions as they gave him the opportunity to relieve his stress. The bad part was that most of said missions ended in failure.

Gritting his teeth, he glanced at the boy standing alongside him, who was humming a tune under his breath. Hikari Netto was primarily responsible for most of those failures, and now that he was within their grasp, his soul should have been screaming for payback. For blood.

But there was something about him...something curious about the way he carried himself. Ever since he was empowered by the Dark Power, there was a change in him that he couldn't identify. Sure, he caught a glimpse of his real intelligence, as well as his cool and calculated movements, but there was something else.

Something dangerous.

He was shaken out of his thoughts as Regal clicked a button on his throne, a holographic display booting up before them. "The Science Labs have been undoubtedly reverse engineering the dimensional converters," he began, his voice cool and measured as he gazed upon the two before him. "They are taking great care in hiding their progress...too much so. The spies within the labs are unable to glean any more information, to my irritation. Therefore..."

"You want us to investigate the obvious places where they would have hid them, all the while rendering them useless should we find anything," Netto finished for him, looking bored as he held his hands behind his head. Blues shot a look at him, wondering if the boy was congratulating himself on figuring out something so simple when the brunette then continued. "You also want us to evaluate the danger that Ijuuin Enzan and Rockman pose, despite the fact that they cannot Cross Fuse."

Both Regal and Blues paused, both of them staring at the boy as he yawned loudly. "Very good, Hikari-kun," Regal praised, smiling down at him. "As you said, they are the only two left that are any threat to us. A minor threat, but one nonetheless. I will need information on them."

Netto nodded impatiently, almost as if he knew that part. "Then permission is denied then?" he asked in annoyance, sighing again when both of them stared at him once more.

Permission? Blues thought in slight confusion. What permission would he–

It then hit him about exactly what Netto was asking, and he had to fight very hard to not gape like an idiot. The kid was ice cold.

Regal caught on around the same time and couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "Regrettably, I believe injuring them to debilitation would be counter-intuitive to my purposes," he explained, chuckling as Netto pouted. "You will have your chance. For now, though, I believe...introductions are in order."

With that, Regal tossed something down to Netto, who picked it up curiously. "A PET?" he asked disdainfully. "My old one was better."

The scientist smiled coldly. "Regardless of that fact, this is no ordinary PET. This one is made to harness the power of a Darkloid...its power is several times beyond an ordinary PET."

At this point, Blues knew what Regal's intentions were. "Regal-sama, do you really intend for me to be operated by this brat?" he asked in irritation, frowning heavily as Regal chuckled at him. "I need no help, especially from him."

"And yet you've failed me several times already," Regal noted coolly, glaring down at the Darkloid. "You are powerful, yet that power has yet to yield results. Are you going to make me regret helping you obtain the power that was so graciously given you?"

Blues snarled under his breath, but bowed down on one knee in any case. "I apologize, Regal-sama. I spoke out of turn." He could almost feel the scientist's heavy stare upon him, as if it was searching for something before it was lifted.

"Then it is decided. Hikari-kun, you will take Dark Blues with you and investigate potential hiding spaces for their dimensional converters. I will have Yuriko provide you with an escape route should you enter battle." Left unspoken was the guarantee that it would happen, Blues recognized. "Additionally, you are to show off Nebula's new...acquisition. Do I make myself clear?"

Netto kneeled down, mimicking Blues's current pose. "Yes, Regal-sama."

Regal smiled again before the throne lowered from sight, leaving the brunette and Darkloid alone. Blues was about to dematerialize out of sight before a hand grasped his arm. He looked over to see Netto staring at him, his red eyes almost gleaming with triumph.

Keep calm. Will talk plans in battle. Don't give away anything, he mouthed before he raised his voice. "So, Blues...I think we'll make fine partners, won't we?" he asked as loudly as he dared, the smirk still on his face.

Blues surveyed him for a few moments, trying to see what the kid wanted from him. He was smart enough to know he was being watched, but to mouth such instructions...there was a plan there, he knew. But would Blues trust him enough to carry out that plan?
"I meant what I said before," he growled, turning away from the boy. "I work alone."

Naturally, Netto wasn't deterred. "I thought you might think that...it's too bad, though," he sighed in mock-sadness, tapping his new PET against his thigh. "I would have thought that you would be more open to showing Enzan and Rockman how well we work together. I mean, can you even imagine how they would react?"

That was something the Netto of old would have said, Blues remembered. But now, there was something malicious in it, something cruel in the way Netto had phrased it. Blues knew exactly what the reaction would be.

He grinned, his curiosity piqued. "You always know what to say, don't you?" he wondered offhandedly.

Netto caught the meaning in that statement without hesitation. "Of course. That's what partners do, right?" he responded, his smirk turning cold.

Blues chuckled lowly, stopping himself from laughing. Yes, this was working out much better than he could have dreamed of. "Well then, I trust you'll gain enjoyment out of this like I will." When Netto's smirk didn't drop, he grinned.

Yes, he found the perfect ally to trust.
_________________

<3 Planty~
Art in icon done by Raburabbit.

**Sol** · Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:02 am Post subject:

Enzan looked over the device in his hand, eyes curious as he fiddled with it. It was small and compact, meant to attach to the infrared light of the Advanced PET, but it was apparently able to calculate the frequency of a Dimensional Area to the point where a navi could be transmitted directly into it.

"Are we certain it's going to work?" he couldn't help but ask. The official really didn't want to be skeptical, especially of Dr. Hikari's work, but they had to be absolutely sure it would work properly. "It won't malfunction without warning?"

Dr. Hikari nodded, looking solemn. "We've tested it with various frequencies, and it worked with one hundred percent efficiency," he reported. "Naturally, we're not able to stress test it properly given the current limitations, but there should be no problem in any Dimensional Areas."

Enzan nodded, deciding to remain silent. Netto's father was composed, but he knew the scientist was working tirelessly to get his son back. He had to wonder if Dr. Hikari knew what happened to Netto, but some part of him said that the man didn't want to admit it.

As painful as it was, denial was the only way to cope, he had to admit.

"Given the forces arrayed against us, this will have to do," Commissioner Kifune acknowledged, nodding at Manabe in turn. "Enzan-kun, Rockman...I wish I did not have to send you both out there without the proper equipment, but we have no choice. Can we count on you?"

It was a silly question, he thought. It wasn't 'can we count on you?', it was 'we're relying on you'.

"Yes sir," he said, glancing at the blue navi in the PET in his hand. Rockman also looked determined, even if Enzan knew that the navi's emotions were in turmoil. "We will combat Blues wherever he shows up."

Manabe smiled at him, although Enzan could tell it was a little forced. "I will try to back you up with the Battle Chip Gate whenever I can," she added, glancing at the PET in his hand. "I have no doubt about your abilities, but we must be extremely careful now."

"I appreciate your assistance," Enzan said. Manabe's presence would be a small boon, given the fact that any firepower to make up for what they currently lacked would be appreciated.

"Commissioner, about Netto..." Dr. Hikari then spoke up, looking slightly anxious. "I realize it's only been about a day, but...do you have any leads on where he could be?"

"Unfortunately not, Dr. Hikari," Kifune said, giving the scientist a sympathetic look. "Rest assured, we are looking into places where Nebula could have taken him, but we have no new information."

Dr. Hikari nodded. "Thank you, Commissioner," he murmured. Enzan refrained from wincing at how pained the scientist sounded, but he realized that there wasn't really anything he could say to make him feel better.

"We'll find him, Papa," Rockman spoke up from the PET. "Netto-kun is strong. We'll get him back."

Enzan closed his eyes, idly wondering if Rockman was trying to convince himself of that fact rather than everyone else. The blue navi had taken his suspicions much better than he thought, but...he was still upset, to put it mildly.

Maybe some part of him wanted to believe that Netto was completely fine, but he couldn't afford to think like that. If he really wanted to save both him and Blues, he had to try and think realistically.

A sudden alarm startled him out of his thoughts as everyone looked at the gigantic screen, a picture of an unassuming warehouse popping up.

"Suspicious activity has been reported in the warehouse district!" one of the scientists in the room shouted, typing madly at his console. "There have been sightings of a figure in district seven, near warehouse forty four!"

Dr. Hikari looked alarmed. "That's where the converter prototypes are!" he gasped, whirling around to face Enzan. "Enzan-kun, Rockman! You need to hurry over there! If it's indeed Nebula, you need to stop them!"

The official nodded as Manabe motioned for him to follow her, both of them rushing toward her car. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach, but he had to remain calm.

He knew what awaited him, but he kept wishing it wouldn't come true.

---------

"So, I take it that the Net Police have already been alerted?" Blues asked as Netto walked into what seemed like an ordinary warehouse. "Good. It shouldn't take them that long to arrive."

Netto nodded, but didn't say anything. This perplexed the Darkloid; the boy was usually a regular chatterbox, so why was he suddenly so silent? Was this yet another of the boy's changes?

He didn't figure it out until Netto reached a dark corner of the warehouse, immediately unhooking the PET from his waist to stare directly at him. Once again, there was malicious intent in the boy's eyes, but it seemed there was something he was trying to get at.

"I'm going to put you into silent mode for the moment. I do not want the Science Labs picking up our conversation," Netto said, flicking the switch on the PET. Blues immediately felt the speaker functions die out, but he remained calm as the boy grinned. "Alright, sorry about that. I don't want certain people overhearing us."

Ah, so that was it. Regal must have programmed the PET to record whatever he said. Another devious trick from the human, but he was pleased to see that Netto saw right through it. While he couldn't speak to the boy at the moment, he couldn't really complain.

Netto grinned. "So, since Regal probably only set it so it picks up your voice, this is the safest way to talk at the moment. I'll work on removing it soon, but he'll get suspicious if I do it right now." Blues nodded at that, seeing the logic. He was already reassessing the boy's smarts, having been able to pick up on something like this so quickly.

"Anyway, you plan on killing him and Laserman, right?" Blues paused at Netto's casual mention of killing the scientist, but shrugged it off and nodded. "Then you know we have to do. We have to catch them off guard, when they are at their weakest. Not easy, I know, but they will slip up."

He had already noticed that, especially with how Netto had been acting exactly as how Regal expected him to. But even if the opportunity was there, how was he going to off the human?

"Don't worry about my end," the boy assured him, as if he was reading his thoughts. "I have something in mind. All you have to do is take care of that puppet of his. All that's left is finding the right time to do it."

It was strange, he thought, that the boy was doling out orders and he didn't seem to mind it that much. It was irritating, yes, but there something about the logic and the consideration of his strength that appealed to him. Still, he would remind the boy of his place when he had the opportunity.

Netto then switched the PET out of silent mode, the grin on his face almost predatory. "This should be the warehouse, if I remember right," he then said, moving out of the corner and making his way around several crates. The boy then grinned as he found what he was looking for, hidden under several dusty sheets. "I would have thought they would have hidden these better..."

Blues frowned. "Do you think this is a trap?" he asked. He wouldn't put it past his former operator to prepare something like this, but...it did seem a bit too simple, now that he thought about it. "Or..."

"Or these aren't the only ones," Netto concluded, frowning himself. "It seems that Papa is really cautious about these. Still, we found some, and we might as well destroy them."

Blues nodded as Netto took off the sheets, revealing the Dimensional Converter prototypes underneath. He couldn't help but sneer at the unfinished copies, knowing that these were nothing more than units to be used as a test run. "Do they really think they could make their own Dimensional Areas with these?" he asked in an offended manner.

Netto chuckled, a small smirk on his face. "Knowing Papa, he probably thought it'd be a good first step," he remarked, walking around the converters to admire them. "Too bad...it only serves to show how narrowly he thinks."

The last part was said with such contempt that Blues couldn't help but smile. The boy clearly had something against his father, and he could use that for his own purposes. All he had to do now was get rid of Regal and then things would fall into place after that.

A sudden noise from outside the warehouse rang out through the air, and Netto smiled. "Looks like it's showtime. Ready, Blues?"

Blues smirked as the Dimensional Area began to form. Just the thought of seeing Enzan's face in despair made him shiver in delight. "Of course," he nearly purred. "It'd be rude to keep them waiting."

-------------------

"Damn! We're too late!" Enzan cursed as he and Manabe rushed into the warehouse, grimacing as he caught sight of the smoke that billowed out from behind a stack of crates. He didn't need to be a genius to figure out what that was.

"Quite," came a familiar voice, causing him to freeze in place. He looked up to see Blues standing haughtily on top of a stack of crates. "I got bored of waiting for you, so I decided to destroy your prototypes. Too bad for you, Enzan."

He grit his teeth. It still hurt every time he heard the sneer in Blues's voice, his navi mocking him and his weakness. "How did you know they were here? For that matter, why are you still here if you've already destroyed them?" he asked, fighting the growing pit in his stomach. The fact Blues had not yet left meant something else was afoot, and he was desperately hoping that it wasn't what he thought it was.

Blues smirked. "I don't feel the need to answer that," he remarked. "But in case you're wondering why I'm here..." With that, he leaped off of the crates with his sword extended, his smirk turning predatory.

Enzan didn't hesitate. "Rockman, transmission!" he cried, holding the PET up. In the next moment, the blue navi materialized, his buster hefted up and already pointing at the airborne Darkloid. "Battle chip, Neo Variable! Slot in!"

Rockman's buster shifted into a sword just in time for him to block Blues's attack, easily shoving the taller navi off of him. "Blues!" he shouted, frowning despite himself. The last time they had met, Blues had attempted to corrupt him with the Dark Aura, and then had spirited his operator away. He didn't want to believe the worst case scenario, but...

"Oh? Looks like the two of you have teamed up," the Darkloid noted in amusement. Both Rockman and Enzan watched him warily, even as he began to chuckle. "I suppose it's fitting. A former, worthless operator and a pathetic, powerless navi. Together at last, I can see."

Enzan grit his teeth angrily, and even Rockman seemed to tremble in rage. He felt Manabe's hand on his shoulder to prevent him from doing anything rash, and he forced himself to calm down. "Call us what you like. But we're not going to let you keep doing this."

"And you still don't see it. How sad," Blues lamented, rearing back his sword and letting off a sonic boom. Rockman easily dodged it and prepared for a counterattack, but was confused when Blues didn't pursue him like he usually did. "Then again, the weak never know what they are missing."

"And you're not the weak one?" Rockman challenged, narrowing his eyes. He knew something was up, but he couldn't figure out what. "Giving into the Dark Power, attacking all of your friends...what does that make you?"

When Blues grinned, both operator and navi froze, both of them confused at his lack of response.

"Battle chip," a voice rang out, and Enzan felt his blood turn to ice. "Ryuuseigun!"

Stunned as he was, he could not bring himself to move or even direct Rockman, who was similarly stunned. As the meteors began to fall on them, Manabe rushed right in front of them and brought out the Battle Chip Gate.

"Dream Aura!" she cried, the wondrous barrier materializing around them. The meteors slammed against it with great force, but they were not enough to even pierce it. She looked down at the stunned boy, who was staring straight ahead in shock. She followed his gaze and she couldn't help but gasp herself.

Hikari Netto was walking toward them, a small smirk on his lips. Even from their distance, they could all see his blood red eyes, radiating maliciousness.

"Huh. So they actually did team up. Color me surprised," the brunette remarked, looking at each of them. "I guess it doesn't matter too much, though."

"N-Netto..." Enzan gasped, and he felt himself take a step back. Even though he had prepared for something like this, the reality of it slammed into him and made him falter. This was even worse than he had imagined. Looking over, Rockman was just as shocked as he was, his face have gone pale at the obvious change in his best friend. Manabe was the most composed of them, but even she had a hand up to her mouth in shock.

Netto grinned, which made the three cringe further at how ferocious it seemed. "That's me," he said brightly, his eyes almost gleaming with amusement. "It's so good to see you both."

Blues snickered. "They don't seem too happy to see you though, Netto," he remarked. The Darkloid could hardly hold back his own grin when he saw Enzan pale further at the familiarity he addressed him with, savoring his former operator's pain. "Perhaps it's time for a reintroduction of sorts."

"I think you have the right idea," the boy responded. With another smirk, he looked at them again, holding up the dark red PET in his hand. "I'm Hikari Netto, Nebula's newest commander! It's nice to meet you all."

When all he got was horrified stares in return, his smirk turned cold. "And as its newest commander, Blues has deigned to grant me his assistance," he continued, watching both Enzan's and Rockman's expressions carefully. The expression of shock writ across their features made him grin further. "Since you've come all this way to welcome us, how about we give you an example of how well we work together? How about it, Blues?"

Blues laughed, his grin matching Netto's. "As you wish, Netto-sama," he said, hefting his sword up. "Let us show them their place."

Enzan and Rockman could only keep staring, both rooted to their places in shock. How had everything come to this?
_________________

<3 Planty~
Art in icon done by Raburabbit.

Neko · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 1:00 pm Post subject:

Damn, first update in years and it's a bloody battle scene XD thanks Sol.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enzan and Rockman seemed to be completely frozen on the spot. Manabe shot them a worried look then grabbed Enzan and pulled him behind the destroyed dimensional converter as the screen next to them cracked then exploded due to the force of the battle raging inside the network. She spared a glance at Netto who was sitting calmly on some crates ten feet away. She noticed he was perfectly positioned to stay safe from any real world effects while at the same time seeing everything that was going on. So that's it, she thought. Out loud she said "Enzan-kun, you have to help Rockman."

Enzan blinked then looked at the PET where Rockman was holding his side while breathing painfully as he held up a plain sword to try and parry Blues' customized one.

"Use your speed," Netto said simply. Blues blinked then understood. He grinned as he disappeared from everyone's view then reappeared in front of Rockman transferring his speed into power as he sheared Rockman's sword neatly in two.

Enzan blinked then quickly slotted in an area steal chip to allow Rockman to get out of the way as Blues' sword arced through the air, aiming at Rockman's icon.

"He...they..." Rockman gasped as he barely stayed away from the intense attack that Blues' was commencing at the moment.

"Do you want him to be deleted?" Enzan yelled angrily at the brunette who continued to lounge on the crates as if he was simply hanging out with everyone.

"Well, duh," Netto said with a smirk. "I said I was a Darkloid Commander didn't I? My goal right now is your destruction, which obviously includes Rockman's deletion," he pointed in a tone usually reserved for explaining counting to a three year old.

Manabe gritted her teeth as her mind raced. She always knew Netto was smarter than he let on but this was something else entirely. The dark aura had basically turned the boy into a sociopath. She wanted to help him, and Blues but she needed to get Enzan and Rockman to safety first.

Netto glanced at her and grinned. "If you think you can get out without getting hurt, be my guest. Still," he put a finger on his chin and glanced up as if deep in thought. "I mean the network in this warehouse can hardly handle a battle between the two strongest navis to ever exist, the bandwith just isn't up to it." As if to make his point another monitor exploded not five feet from where she and Enzan were crouching.

Manabe and Enzan stared at Netto. What had been a trap for them had been taken and turned against them with possibly devastating consequences. Clearly they had no concept of what Netto was really, truly capable of until now and it may end up costing them their lives.

"Suprised?" Netto asked them with another horrible grin.

In the net Blues smirked. "Having fun, Netto?" he asked as he finally managed to clip Rockman's right arm.

"You have no idea," Netto replied and then laughed. A child's laugh to be sure but something sinister in it made everyone shudder, including Blues.

Rockman noticed this and took the respite to hone in on Blues. Enzan noticed this and slotted in three minibomb chips. "Make a smokescreen," he yelled.

Rockman nodded and threw the small spheres into several different areas and disappeared into the resulting smoke. Enzan continued to slot in more mini bomb chips until the entire area had been covered.

Blues laughed. "Rather simple plan Enzan," he sneered.

Enzan gritted his teeth but didn't reply and just tried to make sure he, Rockman and Manabe-san got out alive. If he learned anything else today it was that Netto believed himself to be capable of murder, and that was enough for him to want time to plan his next move. Whether he really could... well he didn't want to be in a position to find out.

Netto cocked his head to the side and gave them a lopsided grin. Enzan realized too late that Netto had already planned on him making a smoke screen. "Area steal," he said, almost in a bored tone. "Electric sword," he added almost as an afterthought and pushed the two chips into his PET.

Blues used the opportunity to move in on the disturbed air next to him and grabbed Rockman's shoulder. "You have no idea how smart your Net Op is," he muttered into Rockman's ear. "He is brilliant and everyone was fooled, including me. However I am the one who can bring out his potential. Too bad you won't be there," he growled and pushed the sword forward.

"Log out!" Enzan yelled and cut off Rockman's connection with a manual input code. He winced as he realized he probably just did more damage to Rockman using that plan then Blues ever did up to that point. Still, anything was better than deletion.

Netto jumped off the crates and held up his PET. Blues smirked and logged out into his own device without the code damage Rockman just suffered. Netto then bowed and glanced up with his odd colored eyes. "Thank you," he said brightly. "You've helped so very much, Enzan."

Enzan gritted his teeth as he realized Netto had planned everything, every result from the very beginning. He knew that dark power didn't increase intelligence, so how in the hell...

"Well, now that dear Rockman," Netto said with a sneer, "is out of commission for a bit, I think I might just move on. Take care, Enzan," he said brightly in an almost normal tone of voice and waved. He gave Enzan a bright wink and jumped down a service portal hidden by the crates and disappeared from view.

Enzan made a move to try and follow but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked back at Manabe. "We need to get out of here. This place is still dangerous," she said and nodded at the still crackling monitors. He glanced down at Rockman's PET and saw the red warning screen letting him know that he was the one who just hurt the poor navi. He sighed then nodded and stood up.

He would make Regal pay for this. Somehow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Netto walked into the base and Blues appeared at his side. "You didn't delete him," Blues murmured.

"No, you didn't," Netto said with a small smirk. "Besides, it's more fun this way, no?"

Blues looked at Netto and decided it was impossible to figure out what he was thinking. Perhaps it was better that way. Life certainly was more interesting since the brunette had been infected, that's for sure.

"Very well done," Regal said from Netto's left. Blues noted the flicker of annoyance that crossed Netto's face before he turned with a smile and greeted the man.

"Finally, some results," he said in a jovial tone while glancing at Blues while he said the last word. "Excellent work, child."

"Thank you, Regal-sama," Netto replied in such a genuinely happy tone that if Blues didn't know any better he'd swear it was real.

"Now, while I take advantage of this time, I suggest you take a rest. Humans still need to sleep you know," Regal nodded to a room. He worded it as if Netto had a choice but it was very clear that there was none. It was an order.

Netto saluted cheekily and entered the room. Blues glanced at Regal then followed behind quietly.

Netto pressed a few buttons on his PET then sat down on the small bed provided to him. Blues raised and eyebrow and Netto shrugged. "A block program," he said simply. "I wrote it on my way back, that way at least in here I'll have privacy."

"Won't Regal know?" Blues asked.

"Nah, it'll look like I'm sleeping on the sensors and even though he still clearly doesn't trust me," Netto paused for a small laugh, "he's more obsessed with defeating the Net Saviors and humiliating papa."

Blues nodded. It was part of why Regal disgusted him so much. The man had no imagination.

Netto leaned back on the bed with his hands behind his head and sighed happily. "It's all so easy when you don't care."

Blues glanced at the child sharply. It was the first admission by Netto of being fully aware of the situation. "So, do you have any plans?" he asked.

"Of course," Netto replied. "But you need to recharge and I need sleep. Don't worry, I've already put some parts in motion already. Still, we won't be able to do much and Rockman still managed to do some damage," he pointed at Blues' shoulder where to the navi's surprise a small shower of pixles showed.

Netto laughed at the navi's distress. "He's still powerful you know," he said with an odd grin.

Blues glanced at Netto and paused. Perhaps there was some latent attachment. "Is that why you let him live?" Blues asked.

Netto shook his head. "Nah, he's still got a part to play though. Everyone does, even Regal. I'll explain and you can help or not if you want," he said while pulling out Blues' PET and writing some code. "But it'll be more fun with someone who isn't an idiot."

"Fun?" Blues asked as the pain in his shoulder lessened.

Netto nodded and flopped onto the bed. "Yeah, otherwise what's the point."

Blues thought about it quietly and eventually nodded. "Indeed," he said but only heard even breathing. He realized with a start that Netto had fallen asleep. Fun, he thought. Well, he was after all a child. Dark aura or not, he still clearly had some of his old personality. Netto was in there, somewhere and for some odd reason Blues was comforted. He was also very, very confused.

He sighed and absent mindedly picked up Netto and pulled the covers down. He then covered up the child and glanced one more time to see if Netto was just messing with him. Netto turned over and muttered something about curry. He was really asleep...

Blues then realized what he just did and was almost immediately disgusted with himself. He quickly logged into his own PET and entered a re-energizing cycle. His last thoughts were a jumbled mix of nameless emotions and wondering what the hell Netto had planned.

Still, perhaps in it's own way this was part of the 'fun' the child had mentioned. Maybe.

~~~~~~~

Hoooooo-leee shit Neko updated?! Wha? Yeah, sorry if it sucks, I honestly haven't written in years. I need to still plot some out with Sol but I figured I'd get to at least this point.

Hope you enjoyed! Have a good day friends o/
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**Sol** · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 8:05 am Post subject:

"He's coming to...Rockman, are you awake?"

Rockman groaned as he felt his systems boot back up, coming back online with a feeling of what might pass as nausea. "Ungh...Enzan-kun?" he groaned out, blinking wearily as his operator's face came into view. "Wh-Where...?"

"Back at the Science Labs," Enzan told him softly, the tense look on his face unwinding and becoming something more akin to relief. "It's been a few hours since the battle."

"Oh..." Rockman's face fell as he bit his lip, trying to push down the emotions that were rising inside him. He knew it would have been dangerous regardless, as Dark Blues was not one to hold back. But this time, even though he hadn't been seriously hurt physically, there was one thing that hurt more than anything else.

Netto-kun was trying to delete him.

His emotions must have been showing on his face, as Enzan's face grew somber almost immediately. "Rockman..." he began before he stopped himself, almost like he didn't know what to say. He finally sighed and shook his head to clear it, taking a deep breath. "It seems that...I was right. He's been infected with the dark power."

Rockman solemnly nodded, but he clenched his fists nevertheless. Despite the fact that Enzan had told him to be prepared for this outcome, that Netto might not be himself the next time they saw him, he had been holding out hope that nothing actually happened. Just the thought of him ending up like Blues was horrifying enough that he didn't even want to imagine it.

But his hopes were in vain. He should have taken Enzan's warning seriously, because all he could do when he saw Netto again was stare in complete shock. Those red eyes and that cold look of his, combined with his mocking tone, were completely unlike everything he knew about him. The fact that he had attacked them with a Ryuuseigun so deliberately should have been proof enough.

Netto-kun had tried to kill him. He was different...he was under the control of the dark power. It was making him do things he wouldn't! He knew that Netto would never try to do anything like this if he was normal, just like Blues wouldn't be trying to hunt Enzan down so intently!

Taking a shuddering breath, he tried to collect himself as best as possible, finally regaining his composure after a few moments. "I see..." he whispered, meeting Enzan's eyes. Though the boy was valiantly trying to hide it, he was clearly pained by what just happened, and the hurt lurking in the back of his eyes was all too clear.

Enzan cleared his throat, almost like he knew that the navi had seen how upset he was. "In light of that, we need to...to prepare ourselves." It took obvious effort for the boy to even say that, and both he and the navi knew it. "We need to start thinking of him as an enemy..."

"We can't do that!" Rockman immediately protested, shaking his head vehemently. "Netto-kun isn't our enemy, and Blues isn't either! They're just...we know they're being controlled! This isn't their fault--"

"We don't have a choice, Rockman!" Enzan snapped back, but his face softened again as the navi flinched, giving him a nod of apology. "I'm sorry...I don't like this any more than you do. Knowing that we have to fight against both of them...I hate it. I hate it!"

"Enzan-kun..." Rockman trailed off, watching as the usually composed official begin to break down into a frustrated mess. He bit his lip again and sighed, knowing that he wasn't the only one suffering through this; Enzan lost yet another thing precious to him, and he was struggling to cope. "...I apologize. I know we have to think of him as...as an enemy, and it's incredibly hard, but...if we want any shot of saving both of them, we need to do this."

The operator slowly nodded in agreement. "I couldn't have said it better myself," he murmured. "We can't give up, Rockman. They might have surprised us this time, but we'll be ready for them the next time we meet. Alright?"

"Yeah...we'll be ready," Rockman confirmed, doing his best to remain calm. The more he thought about Netto's disdainful look, the more horror he felt, so he did his best to push it out of his mind and concentrate on what needed to be done. Blues he could fight, as much as it pained him to admit it, but fighting Netto--his own operator--was almost too much to bear.

Enzan nodded again as he stood up, stretching as he did so. "We should let Dr. Hikari know you're alright," he then stated, deciding to change the topic. "He was worried about you when he saw the damage done." He then paused, frowning for a moment as he sighed. "And...about that, Rockman...I'm sorry. I panicked and did more damage to you than Blues would have."

"It's alright, Enzan-kun!" the blue navi assured him, holding his hands up to placate him as he smiled. "I know you were only thinking of getting me out safely, so I can't blame you at all! Even I didn't think I would have been able to avoid Blues's attack..."

Left unsaid was the fact that Netto had completely read their makeshift strategy, allowing Blues to come within a hair's width of deleting Rockman in the first place.

Enzan didn't seem satisified, but he didn't argue against it. "Regardless of that, I'll make sure it won't happen again," he promised the navi. "I won't let you get deleted because of my incompetence. If something happened to you too..."

Rockman watched as his operator fell silent, unable to find any words to try and cheer him up. As silence fell between them, a sudden thought came to the navi, and he felt queasy as he decided to ask the boy something else.

"Does Papa know about...?"

"...I couldn't do it..." Enzan stated in nothing more than a whisper. "I...I couldn't look him in the eye and tell him what happened to Netto. I just..." It took him several deep breaths to calm down, something that spoke volumes to Rockman about Enzan's current emotional state. "Manabe-san decided to stay back and let him know. I couldn't find anything to say...I couldn't bear telling him that Netto's an enemy. I'm...too weak..."

"That's not weakness at all," Rockman argued back. "Right now...I don't think I could face Papa either. Knowing that Netto is someone we have to consider an enemy, I wouldn't be able to tell him. I wouldn't be able to bear his reaction. You're not alone in feeling that way, Enzan-kun!"

Enzan took another shaky breath and nodded, although he certainly seemed a tad paler. "Alright...alright," he then said, trying to shake himself out of his stupor. "Thank you, Rockman. Your reassurance is truly helping me through this."

"No problem at all, Enzan-kun," Rockman said with a smile, although it was slightly strained.

Taking Rockman's PET and holding it in his hand, Enzan then walked out of the room and proceeded toward the exit of the labs. He wasn't going to go see Dr. Hikari, and for good reason; both he and Rockman didn't feel right seeing him at the moment, especially after what he probably was just told. Instead, they proceeded to the boy's limo, where his chauffeur was waiting.

"I got a report while you were recovering," Enzan said as he settled into his seat, staring directly at the navi. "Just over an hour ago, Oozono Yuriko was hit by a truck and killed, with Mariko-san and the detective Misaki witnessing it. They're taking her corpse in for investigation, but..."

"But given how resilient Yuriko has been, you're feeling uneasy," Rockman finished for him, summing up Enzan's current mood. When the boy glanced at him in surprise, he offered a small smile back. "I think I know you well enough to see when you're bothered by something."

Enzan gave a low chuckle, nodding at him in the process. "I suppose so," he agreed, bringing up the document on the PET so Rockman could read it. "Though I would like to see the autopsy myself, I think questioning the witness first is of more importance. For that, we need to go to the hospital, where she's currently recovering."

"You mean Mariko-sensei..." Rockman murmured, eyes reading over the lines of text. As he combed through it, one part of it stuck out in particular, but he couldn't figure out why. Yuriko usually wasn't the type to let go of hostages, but she did with Mariko. But what did that mean? "I agree, Enzan-kun. Asking her will probably answer some questions," he finally said, deciding to dismiss his doubts. He was probably overthinking it anyway.

Enzan smiled. "Glad we're on the same page," he said. "Anyway, let's talk about our battle strategies while we head there. We need a better plan if we're going to engage them in battle..."

=========================

"Ah, a most excellent job once again, my young Commander," Regal praised as Netto kneeled before him, a mad grin on his lips. "You truly are exceeding all of my expectations."

"Thank you, Regal-sama," Netto said obsequiously, bowing his head. "I'm glad I could be of use to you."

Regal chuckled darkly, giving a side glance at the PET held in Netto's grip. "More than the other one, at least," he sniffed disdainfully. "I trust that he was able to do his job?"

Netto nodded, trying not to smirk at the indignant snarl coming from Blues. "All of the devices have been placed exactly where you wanted them, Regal-sama," he reported, his tone becoming serious. "Blues has subverted all security firewalls around the area without being detected as well. With the Science Labs reeling over one of their prototypes being destroyed, no one is none the wiser."

"Excellent." Regal steepled his fingers as he observed the boy, his evil smile growing by the minute. "I must say, Hikari-kun...you truly are one for surprises. You were but a stupid little boy playing hero, and now you're much more than that. Efficient, ruthless...yes, you truly are a surprise indeed."

"It is thanks to your gift of the dark power, Regal-sama," Netto responded, bowing his head again. "I am forever grateful for your kindness!"

Regal smirked and stroked his goatee, exulting in the praise. "In any case, I have another job for you two," he then said, the pleased smile not leaving his face. "I'm quite sure both of you will like it."

"Hah. That remains to be seen," Blues snorted, his voice echoing in the empty chamber.

Regal didn't spare a glance at the PET, instead choosing to fix Netto with his stare. "It seems that my other dear commander, Yuriko-kun, has met with an unfortunate...accident," he drawled, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly. "She will be fine with some rest, of course, but I am very concerned about her mental state. She seems to have become more independent as of late."

"Ah, so you want us to kill her," Netto surmised, getting right to the point. Regal didn't even show any surprise at his statement, although he couldn't help but the smile on his face grow wider. "Well, I'm fine with that. I can head out right now, if you want."

"Don't be so hasty, Hikari-kun," Regal chuckled. "True, I do not believe she will come back here of her own will, so it's best to dispose of her lest the Net Saviors coerce her into surrendering." He paused there, mostly for dramatic effect before he continued. "However, I've given her one last order, and if she complies...well, it'll be another annoyance out of our hair, but it doesn't matter either way."

Netto whistled lowly. "Two for one? How cold," he commented, but there was an easy grin on his face. "Who's the target?"

"Only her twin sister, Oozono Mariko," the scientist answered, causing Netto to visibly freeze at that information. "Surprised, my young Commander? It is true, however. Mariko is the one causing her to doubt her path, and she must be eliminated to clear her of doubts."

"But you're planning to kill that woman anyway, so what's the point?" Blues asked in both curiosity and annoyance. "It's a waste of time."

Regal chuckled at that, almost mockingly. "Perhaps to you, Blues-kun, but it's best to squeeze all the worth out of her before she's taken care of. Her despair over killing her sister will empower my generators even more, as well."

"Huh, is that so?" Netto murmured to himself, lips twisting in amusement. Thankfully, Regal was unable to see him do so, which played into his plans perfectly. "So, you wish for us to observe and then crash the party?"

"Exactly, Hikari-kun," Regal purred. "While you are doing that, I will be preparing to activate Regal Tower, the base of our conquest. With the Net Savior's eyes on Yuriko, they will not notice what is happening in their very own city."

"Consider it done, Regal-sama," Netto intoned. "We won't fail you."

Nebula's leader smiled and nodded before his throne descended out of sight, leaving Netto and Blues alone in the citadel once again.

Netto discreetly pressed a button on the PET, glancing at a glowering Blues. "What a fool," the darkloid sneered, scowling at the space where the scientist had been. "All his power and he uses it to play worthless games with humans. Disgusting."

"Well, all the better for us," Netto replied cheerfully as he exited the citadel. "Didn't you hear what he just said? He's going to be preparing Regal Tower while we're out, ah, observing."

Blues smirked. "And while he's doing that, he'll be too busy to watch us," he realized. "Perfect."

"Heh...indeed. For all of his flair, he doesn't know he just handed us a golden opportunity," the boy chuckled, his red eyes gleaming sinisterly. Blues couldn't help but watch them, slightly unnerved at how expressive Netto was when he was contemplating such evil acts, but he shook it off. This wasn't a way for someone of his power to act! He had to remain in control here...

"Then I suppose we should move forward with your plans, Netto," Blues remarked casually, leaning against the frame of the PET. "We can't waste this chance."

"Of course not," Netto agreed as they entered their quarters, preparing to find a Dimensional Converter to use. "Before we start our observation mission, I suppose we should go stop by a few places first. I mean, it's not like our glorious leader is going to begrudge us going on a small shopping trip beforehand, right?"

Blues paused, and for a moment he thought the regular Netto had come back out with such an inane comment. But when he looked back up at him, there was a dark smile on his face, his eyes gleaming again. A shopping trip? What kind of fool was he--

It suddenly hit him right there and then, and he couldn't help but gape at the boy in surprise. The sheer simplicity of it was mindboggling, and he couldn't believe he didn't think of something like this before. So, that was Netto's grand plan, was it? How utterly ingenious.

"I don't think he will," Blues purred, eager to see something like what he had in mind pulled off. Such a straightforward method would be the ultimate irony, he thought. "Come then, Netto. We should go and make sure you pick out the very best one. Can't have you shopping without my advice, can we?"

"I would think not!" Netto agreed, snickering as Blues finally caught onto what his plans were. "Now, let's go while those pesky Net Agents are busy. No one will notice us!"

Blues couldn't help but grin viciously. Regal's time was nigh, and he would enjoy seeing his shocked and pained face as he bled out underneath him.
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