Rockman.exe Online Collaborative Fan Fic 2009

[Saito-kun]

Let's kick-start this thing back into gear! This has been heavily edited, (Semi-colon removals, tense corrections. Oi. -_-) I hope the contributors don't mind. It was absolutely necessary. To sign up for the new rotation, go here:

http://www.rockman-exe.com/online/viewtopic.php?t=8325&start=20

I'll contact you when it's your turn, you post your entry here: http://www.rockman-exe.com/online/viewtopic.php?t=8329&start=20

And I will edit it as needed and post in this, the final thread. (Mods, if having two threads is inappropriate, tell me. But I think it would be nice for everyone to see the entries before I edit them.) It took an endless amount of patience to remove the double line breaks notepad made while I was editing these.

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Rockman.exe Online Collaborative Fan Fic 2009
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-Saito-kun-

Rockman stepped out onto the patio. The calm blue navi kept his composure as he sat on a narrow ledge overhanging a quiet street, anticipating Roll's call. It had been three months since he had seen his pink friend, and the estrangement had not gone unnoticed. Rockman subconsciously drummed his fingers on the ledge of the porch, not even thinking twice about the danger of sitting so carelessly on such a high precipice. Ameroupe's Net City sure was a sight to behold. The buildings were all the same drab grey color that populated his own familiar Net City Japan, but the Ameroupians had gone a step further and bothered to waste the bandwidth involved in streaming images of the actual sky into the virtual metropolis. The breathtaking sunset was a striking orange with contrasting purple wisps of cloud attempting to blot out the sun.

Rockman sucked in a breath and didn't exhale, choosing instead to puff his cheeks and bounce his legs against the wall. Something weird was bubbling in his stomach. He didn't know why he was so nervous about a call from good old Roll-chan. A few minutes staggered by as Rockman waited impatiently. The sights and sounds of Net City preparing to sleep would normally have been relaxing, but in his jittery mood, all it did was serve to irritate Rockman. He ducked back into the small apartment. It had been lonely these past few months and he wanted someone to talk to. Netto was there, but he was often busy participating in the research that they had come to Ameroupe for. Besides, talking to a brother is all well and good, but sometimes you need a friend instead. Even Rockman, who was normally someone who kept to himself, wished for a loud party or an evildoer to defeat or some kind of dinner with Roll-chan... something.

Rockman had never been one for such whimsical moods, and decided that his anticipation and nerves were getting to him, and making him think in a way he would normally not. He sighed and curl-stretched and walked over to the sofa, the lone piece of furniture in his plain and empty apartment. He started to think about how Roll's sensibility could easily make the humble abode a pleasant and cozy one. Rockman's mind trailed and he automatically stretched out on the couch. Not too long afterwards, he fell asleep.

The first thing that interrupted Rockman's sleep was a rumbling noise. He slowly opened his eyes. It was dark, and the only light visible was the strip of moonlight cutting in through the screen door onto the wall, and a few pinpricks of light out the window. At first Rockman thought he was dreaming, until another rumble and a loud boom echoed through the room. Rockman jumped to his feet. He heard something crash in the adjacent apartment, and dashed out to the patio. His hands sought the edge of the ledge of their own will, since his mind was preoccupied with what he saw. The beautiful fog-covered moon went unnoticed as flying objects of some sort stole Rockman's attention. It was hard to tell if they were something in the cyberworld or a projection from the real world. The city was surprisingly quiet, probably because everyone else was observing in the same bewildered state.

Dark shadows flitted about the sky, creating a racket that Rockman recognized as jet engines as they soared overhead. He thought they might have been projections as he noticed almost imperceptible errors in the graphics due to the overlapping images from the network of skycams in the real world being updated too quickly for the servers to edit correctly. (AN: Yea, I know that's confusing. Just read it a few times.) Rockman wondered how far the Ameroupians had gone to recreate the effects of the real world in Net City, and if he should be worried as to whether they were attacking. A shrill whistle screamed far off and a subsequent tumbling explosion noise confirmed Rockman's fears. A bright orange ball of flame erupted from the side of one of the skyscrapers, spreading a wave of heat that tussed his hair even from afar. The top of the building leaned and collapsed into itself sluggishly. There was no way the explosion was caused by projections, but all the same Rockman's stomach fell as he realized where his brother was at that moment.

-Ryouko-

A snot bubble ballooned from Netto's nose as he slumbered at his desk, a slew of papers underneath his head. Sweet dreams of Japan and curry kept him at peace, combined with the quietness of the lab. It was late, and everyone else had already bustled home for the day. Netto, as usual, had opted to stay late and finish tweaking a few last glitches in their latest program, but also as usual, he just ended up snoozing instead. That's what tended to happen when his brother wasn't there to yell him awake, like when they were in class.

Such peaceful thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a low rumble trembled throughout the lab's floors, and rattled the instruments and equipment like twinkling chimes of plastic and metal. Netto's eyes fluttered open just in time to witness a burst of light and fire crash through the far wall, spraying an enormous amount of debris. Netto instinctively ducked to the ground, and rolled as a printer crash landed where he just been. He suddenly knew he was in serious trouble when he felt the very floor beneath him begin to shift.

The building was falling.

-Marisa-

Netto's heart stopped for a moment as he felt himself begin to panic. All his thoughts froze for a moment and he felt his veins fill with adrenaline. "Rock, the building--" he grabbed his PET off the nightstand, staring down at the screen. He was in NetCity. No time to wait for him to come back -- Netto heard another loud rumble and felt his stomach in his throat. It was the same feeling he got coming down on a rollercoaster... and that was when he realized he was falling.

Netto screamed, but even he could barely hear it over the sound of the building collapsing. The room heaved to one side and he was thrown from the bed. He was still clutching the PET as his head smacked against the nearby armoire, and everything went black.

The sound of sirens was the first thing Netto heard, and he opened his eyes slowly. Everything was dark around him, but he could still feel the carpet underneath his prone form. It felt grainy, though, like it was covered in sand. As Netto moved his hand, the smell of paint and sawdust assaulted his nose and he began to cough uncontrollably. He shifted a little, when a lightning strike of pain ran through his legs and left hand. Netto cried out, realizing he couldn't move them -- they were pinned under rubble.

He reached forward with his good hand, ignoring the throb the movement caused in his other limbs. Netto's heart leapt when he felt the cold plastic of the PET. "R-Rockman," he whispered coarsely, "help..." His hand moved over the buttons, then the screen -- and froze. There were cracks in it, those shouldn't be there... No! Further investigation revealed something coarse and heavy laying on the rest of the PET.. it was under more rubble, most likely crushed.

Netto's heart sank. Rockman, are you all right? He knew Rockman was in NetCity. Even if he weren't, Rockman could escape to there rather quickly. But if the PET was offline, he couldn't even be tracked. Netto wondered how long he'd been out cold. Hours? A day? Rockman must be worried sick. And by now, he'd have told Mama and Papa. His heart lurched at the thought of his family worried sick.

A dog was barking somewhere. Netto blinked and craned his neck, but the debris all around blocked his view of anything but darkness. He couldn't help but wonder what a dog was doing so close by a disaster site.

"What is it, girl?" A female voice, older, probably someone with authority. "Is there someone down there?"

Netto gasped. A rescue dog! "D-down here," he tried to shout, but with the dust cluttering his lungs he could barely whisper.

"Help..."

"Bring some of the crew over here, I think Hana's found another survivor!" The female voice called.

Netto gathered his strength, wondering how far down he was buried. "Help," he said, a little stronger this time, but still not loud enough.

Time passed. Netto wasn't sure how long it was, but he suddenly felt a rush of wind as some of the rubble was cleared. He gasped, loving the taste of the fresh air, and suddenly the world was a mass of voices and hands gently freeing him from where he'd been trapped. As he was placed onto a stretcher, Netto wondered again how long he'd been down there. It was pitch-black outside. He couldn't even see an inch in front of his face, much less the people around him.

...No, that couldn't be right. He felt warm -- not a warm breeze in the night, but the intense warmth from sunlight on a summer day. Yet for some reason, it was too dark to see anything. What in the world was going on? Netto fell unconcious.

-Nenji-

Netto gingerly touched his face. He couldn't see his hands but he found a strange fabric covering his eyes. This sent twin jolts of relief and dread running through him. Relief that he might not be blind, dread at the unknown reason for the bandages. He had gotten no further than touching the bandages when an unfamiliar voice stopped him.

"You musn't do that, the bandages need to stay on for now...Professor... Professor! He's awake!"

Netto was glad to hear the friendly voice but was preoccupied with how long he had been out. Surely his family would have rushed to his side as soon as he was found, but it still would have taken some time for them to
arrive.

Netto heard footsteps. He couldn't make out how many people there were, but it was more than one. He tried to speak, his voice croaked and sounded completely unlike himself.

"...Papa?"

"Yes, I'm here son."

A sense of security burgeoned in Netto's chest.

"Papa! What... what happened?"

The answer floated to him in the close darkness.

"There was a bomb. We don't know who is responsible yet or why. The building was mostly empty because it was so late, although that didn't save you."

Netto caught the grief and worry in his father's voice. Suddenly the security left. He was scared and Yuuichiro's uncertainty was unusual and disheartening. Netto wished he could escape into the Net just like Rockman and be free of his troubles. But no, instead he was trapped in a world of darkness that seemed like a prison.

"Will I... see... again?" Netto's croaky voice was barely more than a breath. He realised then that he needed water but it seemed unimportant. Yuuichiro hesitated.

"I don't know son, but don't be afraid. I will talk to the doctors about it."

Netto's heart sank even deeper than before.

-SeijinKage13-

Netto heard another set of footsteps and a very familiar voice.

"Hakase, I need to speak with you. It's regarding Netto and another important matter."

"Ah, what's happened now, Meijin?" Yuuichiro groaned.

"I apologize for burdening you now, but this requires your full attention and--"

"Meijin-san, is that you?" Netto whispered.

Netto expected him to say, 'san wa iranai,' but he didn't for some reason.

"Hai, Netto-kun. It's Meijin."

'Is my condition that serious?' Netto wondered. 'What does he mean by 'important matter?'' Netto lay quietly, trying to make sense of a semi-conversation that just didn't feel right. Meijin turned his attention back to Yuuichiro.

"We must talk about this somewhere else. It must remain confidential."

Netto heard them leave after his father gave a short "I'll be back in a bit," but this only added more for him to think about. All he could do now was wait.

-

Meijin and Yuuichiro walked toward the elevator that would take them to the hospital lobby.

"Dr. Hikari, there is some disturbing news about Netto's condition. According to the preliminary examination, it would seem that his body is in critcal shape," Meijin stated.

The doctor asked calmly, "How bad?"

"As you probably know, he's lost plenty of blood, there are many lacerations on his chest and face, a fractured arm and leg, head trauma, and trace amounts of harmful metal in his bloodstream."

Yuuichiro scolded himself with a rough sigh. "I should have kept a closer eye on him. I should have known something like this would happen!"

"Listen, I feel the same way, but now is not the time to blame anyone. The doctors are doing their best to help him. It's a miracle that he is still breathing after what he's been through, but he's in stable condition."

The sunlight outside made the two scientists feel extra uncomfortable in their heavy lab coats. They headed for the back doors of an ambulance parked haphazardly on the the curb of the emergency room entrance. Both men entered the vehicle, asking the attending staff to leave them alone for a while. All but one person left, a black-haired, lightly-tanned boy around sixteen, which puzzled Dr. Hikari. The two professors sat on the seats by the walls, Yuuichiro glancing at the boy occasionally in confusion.

"What is this 'important matter' you wanted to discuss, Meijin?"

"I can explain," the boy suddenly said.

Dr. Hikari turned his attention to the black-haired boy. A bowlcut and a stuffy black and blue hoodie with white khakis made up his unique appearance, but something else caught Yuuichiro's attention. A bar code on his left hand.

"Dr. Hikari, this is one of the head researchers of the SoulNet V2 project: Nazo Saipher."

"SoulNet V2?" Yuuichirou was alarmed.

"Yes. After the Nebula Crisis, A team of researchers and I, under the name 'Enigma,' looked into Hikari Tadashi's original project. We branched off the previous blueprint to create our current project, dubbed, quite uncreatively, 'SoulNet V2.' The actual project is really a cluster of different projects that are using the original SoulNet blueprints as a reference. The project has been kept away from the public eye in order to prevent another crisis like before. This has also been kept away from Scilab for protection against information leaks."

Nazo rolled the information off of his tongue smoothly, gazing coolly at his hands rather than the two he was addressing.

"Ok. What is the connection between that and the bombing of the complex?" Yuuichiro wanted to know.

"Theft and sabatoge, according to the fragmented pieces of data found in some mainframes from the wreckage. It appears that my part of the project data had been copied and then broken up by someone."

"You think a crime syndicate is behind this?" Dr. Hikari was shooting in the dark.

"That's not all. According to the trace tests on my data, this was stolen not by a Navi, but by a human."

"What? That's not possible!" Yuuichiro exclaimed. "Pulse chair interfaces have been banned and all internet terminal firmware has been upgraded to prevent connecting to any similar devices. Security checks have also been put in place around the whole substructure of government-subsidized research data."

"It would seem that they have found a way to duplicate a piece of my project." Nazo stated.

"And what exactly is this project of yours?"

"An idea from fiction that was said to be crazy. Synaptic Net Diving, or SND for short. The ability to project a residual image of a user into the Cyberworld for interaction and collection of data. Apparently you've encountered something similar with these 'pulse chairs.'"

Dr. Hikari was shocked. Such technology and research by a young boy of his age? What is this 'Enigma' organization, and when did they get authorization to continue Tadashi's work? A familiar suspicion and expectancy of trouble began creeping into both Yuuichiro and Meijin.

-LinkFreak131-

"Hello, everyone! This is Midorikawa Kero reporting live from the scene--Oh wait, heheh. Force of habit; sorry everyone!"

The famous reporter, Kero, was trying very hard not to laugh at her silly mistake.

"I may not be reporting live just yet, but I am on my way there via one of DNN's helicopters! Pretty neat, huh? It'll take some time before I get there. To where, do you ask? Why, the beautiful country of Ameroupe, of course! Well, not so beautiful, anymore... About a week ago, an assumed terrorist attack struck Ameroupe soil in one of their most acclaimed states--used for scientific research. They are only, just now, letting international reporters into the country for investigations, which is why I am here today!"

Kero gave one of her signature smiles to the camera.

"It will take a few more hours for me to arrive at the scene, but, I assure you, you are in for a doozy of a story, so stay tuned!"

The screen went black. Enzan slowly dropped the TV remote to his side, taking in what the reporter had just said. Enzan had been staying in Japan at the time of the attack, locking himself up in his office, filling out numerous company business work papers for a new project he was working on. It was nowhere near completion, but he was still pressing hard to make it the best device possible. He walked over to his main desk, and held up a small hard drive to his face where he could see it clearly.

"Don't you think this all rather strange, Blues?" Enzan said.

"Not long after I finish debugging my new partner's program, this happens. I thought his program looked rather... strange, but I didn't question it since he promised this would help develop our new project in ways we could never imagine."

He set down the hard drive back on his desk.

"Good thing I managed to make a copy of it, so I could look at it closer without him knowing."

"I agree, Enzan-sama," Blues replied from Enzan's computer. "It does seem quite odd, especially since he refused to give you his name when you first met."

"As if I could force him to tell me, though, Blues," Enzan said. "His product was so amazing. When he first showed it to me, I knew I needed it to help along with the NetNavi interaction program I've been working on. I couldn't refuse any of his offers, or else he could change his mind."

"True, Enzan-sama," Blues continued, "But I think we should travel to Ameroupe to see things out, especially since Netto-san was involved in the attack."

Enzan gave a sigh. "Yes, I agree, especially since now they're letting in foreigners into the country; you know how Ameroupe's security can be..."

Enzan picked up his phone, dialed a quick number, and muttered something to the person on the other end of the line.

"The chopper's ready, Blues, so let's go now."

Blues nodded, and transferred himself over to Enzan's PET, ready to leave.

"By the way, Blues," Enzan added. "Any sign of Rockman yet?"

"None, Enzan-sama. I've been looking nonstop, but it has become very difficult to trace him in Ameroupe's Net City since the incident..."

Enzan nodded. He was counting on Rockman being found by now, especially after a week had gone by. Where could he have possibly gone?

-Malik-

Rockman vaguely wondered how long he had been there, though he already knew the answer precisely to the second. He was among the lost data that was swallowed up by black when the server crashed.

That was the consequence of having to run a large server with such elaborate graphics.

By that time, all the navis and other programs caught in the crash calmed down or were quickly recovered by their operators. It was tough spot to be in for him; to play the sole level-headed Navi and worry about Netto at the same time became taxing for Rockman. He had no doubts that his PET was crushed in the explosion.

'But what else was in that explosion?'

He shook off the sick feeling. No, Netto was a lot stronger than that. An explosion was nothing compared to what they'd been through together. Then the worrying sunk back in.

He had no idea how close his operator was to the explosion. For all the navi knew, he could have been caught in the blast wave and completely incinerated. He looked around at the other navis, trapped with him in the static-filled world. Half were delirious from being separated from their operators, most of their programming corrupted by the server crash. There were a few scuffles, but they were nothing he couldn't handle. If worse came to worse, he could easily overpower the more haywire navis by himself. He hated it, but he had to survive.

Rockman had to know where Netto was and how he was doing. He hoped this was all some sort of sick joke and that the darkness would go away. He wished he would be back in Netto's pet, nagging him for falling asleep on his projects, warning him that drool could damage the delicate machines he worked with. He wanted to be home in Japan, laughing with friends...

Then, at that moment, light pierced through the darkness.

-Itoshinojjp-

The light had appeared and it caught Rockman's attention. However, the light was too bright for Rockman to see anything. Soon after the light had appeared, a voice boomed across the desolate empty space.

"Perhaps I should thank you."

Rockman squinted his eyes, but could not make out anything.

"If it weren't for your ability, I would not have gained the power that I have now... and I wouldn't have taken my revenge."

Rockman, despite not being able to see anyone, called out.

"You... you were the one that crashed the server!"

A moment passed before the reply came.

"No... although what has happened in the real world is not my concern, the fact that it affected the cyberworld is... unfortunate."

With those words, Rockman's mind snapped into a state of memory recall. He remembered being in a dark lair of the net. There was a shadowy figure hidden away in the darkness.

"A Calamity?" Rockman asked.

"The cyberworld being involved is most unfortunate," said the shadowed figure.

The flashback ended and Rockman's eyes widened.

"You... you're..."

"You've just now figured it out? How slow."

"Why?"

"Because of you... I was able to become the god I was destined

to be. Perhaps it is time I should thank you for that."

That same shadowed figure appeared in the light. The form was unmistakable. A hand reached out from beneath what appeared to be a cloak. The figure then came into recognizable vision.

"Forte!" gasped Rockman.

Forte grabbed Rockman's hand and pulled him out of the darkness into another area of the cyberworld. Forte and Rockman stared at each other for just a brief moment. Forte turned his back and began to walk away.

"Wait!" yelled Rockman. "Why? Why did you save me?"

Forte stopped and looked over his shoulder as Rockman stood back up to his full height.

"I told you... I owed you my thanks for my incredible power... but... this is the only thanks you will get. Should our paths cross again... the results will be different. "

"Can you tell me what happened?" asked Rockman.

Forte closed his eyes and started to walk away.

"What happened is even beyond my control. Just remember to heed my warning. That is all I will tell you."

Forte then broke up into data and left the area. Rockman looked on with eyes widened.

"Forte..." Rockman muttered.

He suddenly realized... "NETTO-KUN!"

Rockman ran off into the cyberworld.

-Izumi-

He had barely taken a few steps when he had to stop dizzily and hold his head. Now that it was bright after being in the staticky black world, his vision seemed to be flickering and shaky, and there was a pounding behind his eyes. He hadn't been damaged by the explosion as far as he could gather, so the strange sensation of his sight jittering like a 20th century film shocked and worried him. It was less painful than frightening, though, so he tried to move on, resolving to handle it later when he was sure his friends were safe.

After a few moments of running without seeing any other Navis or even a stray Program-kun, however, Rockman slowed to a stop and took a long look around the deserted stretch of the cyberworld that Forte had brought him to. He turned around to glance back at the place he had come from, but Forte was no longer visible on the path. He was completely alone. Uncertain where to go next or even what area of the enormous cyberworld he could possibly have been deposited in, Rockman continued on, looking for something - a BBS, another Navi, any sort of clue. Without access to the PET, though, he had no maps or trackers to go by. He supposed it was better to be alone than to encounter swarms of enemies while half-blind with only the Rockbuster at his disposal.

After running for about five minutes, he came to an Area entrance. Rockman entered and was very relieved to find life at last. Two odd-looking red-and-cream-coloured Program-kuns stood by the gate, seemingly rooted to the ground. He walked over to query them.

"WELCOME TO GREY AREA," one said without prompting.

"THIS IS THE WEST GATE OF GREY AREA," the other continued.

"Grey Area? I've never heard of it. Where is it located?"

"GREY AREA IS LOCATED 8 INTERNAL KAGAKU-CHO SERVER LINKS EAST OF AKIHARA AREA 3."

"Akihara 3?" Rockman repeated, puzzled. He had been exploring the Net Areas closest to his home, Akihara, since he had first been activated and he had never been to or even heard about a Grey Area anywhere near it. 8 servers was so close that he could not possibly have missed it before.

"How do you get back to Akihara 3 from here, then?"

"ACCESS IS DENIED," said one.

"DENIED," the other repeated.

"What? Why?"

"THE ENTRANCE TO AKIHARA 3 IS INOPERATIONAL."

"THE ENTRANCE TO AKIHARA 3 CLOSED IN 201X," one of the Program-kuns explained mechanically.

"IT IS NOT DESIGNED FOR TRANSFER OF DATA PACKETS OR PROGRAMS WITH A COLLECTIVE SIZE OF 109,950,000,000,000 OR MORE BYTES."

Rockman's heart sank. This place had clearly been created before Navi technology had become what it was. He had heard that abandoned areas of the Net that had had their Entrance data erased would continue to exist somewhere in cyberspace, but he had never imagined that it would actually be possible to enter such a place. Grey Area was tantalizingly close to the Akihara Areas, so close that Netto's home PC and the relative safety of a temporary PET - not to mention the equipment necessary to investigate the whole matter - was probably less than fifteen minutes jog away...if only he could penetrate the barrier that separated this place from the modern Net! But he had to make it somehow...he had to get back to Netto, make sure his brother was all right.

"Is there any other exit? Isn't this place connected to a real world location?"

"GREY AREA'S REAL WORLD LOCATION IS THE PIONEER CYBERWORLD-TO-EARTH CONNECTION," the first program said, its monotone voice managing to sound boastful.

"GREY AREA IS A HISTORIC SITE," the other added.

Rockman frowned. Where had he heard something like that before?

"Okay, what is the location?"

"GREY AREA BELONGS TO GREY LABS."

"I've never heard of that. Can you give me any more information about it?" To be honest, it did sound somewhat familiar, but it was rare for Rockman to forget information at all. He had to wonder if it was something from a very long time ago, before he had become fully developed.

The program obeyed without hesitation. "GREY LABS IS A DIVISION OF THE SCIENCE LABS, ESTABLISHED 200X, LOCATION DENSAN TOWN, JAPAN, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF DOCTOR TADASHI HIKARI."

Shocked, Rockman could only stand there with his mouth open.

"Dr. Hikari's...?"

The Program-kun bobbed up and down, its eyes glittering. "GREY LABS - PIONEERING THE CYBERWORLD FOR A NEW TOMORROW."

-HeatShadow-

Taking a deep breath, Rockman stopped and thought about his situation. The gate in front of him was usable, but too small for him to use; he'd need the likes of a Press program in order to get through. The only other exit was a place that had likely been torn down years ago, and he'd need a PET in order to use it at all.

There was one other possibility that he'd only just thought of, however: Forte. While Rockman didn't want to risk approaching the dark-armored Navi, he had, after all, found some way of getting into Grey Area. It was only logical that if he had a way in, he had a way out.

Rockman shook his head; there could be any number of reasons why that wasn't right. Forte had so much power by now that it was entirely possible for him to move between Areas manually, or compress himself down to fit through this gate, or even use a Real-World access point to move from network to network without a PET.

Just as he was about to resign himself to just sitting and waiting, Rockman grit his teeth and frowned. He HAD to find a way back to Netto, he couldn't give up. He glanced up at the Program-kuns who continued to stare at him with those blank smiles on their faces. If they'd been designed with any sort of personality, they would've likely thought that his behavior was very silly-looking. But then Rockman's eyes widened as his train of thought continued. It was a longshot, but he had to try.

"Excuse me." He said to the Program-kuns "But are there any Programs around here with Mail Delivery functions?"

"TO FURTHER EDUCATE OUR USERS ABOUT THE WONDERS OF THE CYBERWORLD, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO LEAVE A MESSAGE WITH OUR HELP AND SUPPORT PROGRAM." The one replied.

"A HELPFUL AND COURTEOUS CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU SHORTLY." The other added, proudly repeating its scripted line.

In response, a third Program-kun, this one yellow and blue, popped up and hovered in the area next to their pedestals.

"PLEASE ENTER YOUR REQUEST. YOUR REPLY WILL BE E-MAILED TO YOU WITHIN ONE BUSINESS DAY."

"Actually," Rockman asked, somewhat sheepishly "I was wondering if I could get you to send an e-mail to SciLabs instead."

"USE OF THE OUTWARD BOX IS RESERVED FOR EMERGENCIES." The Support program said, somehow managing to add a feeling of authority to its monotone voice.

"But this is an--!" Rockman cried out before regaining control of himself. Getting upset wouldn't do him any good, and trying to explain the severity of his situation to the antique Programs would accomplish as much as explaining it to a brick wall; they just weren't designed to handle the needed thought processes.

"WE ARE SORRY, BUT GREY LABS IS NOT A PERSONAL E-MAIL SERVICE."

The Program-kun added. "ONLY GREY LAB EMPLOYEES HAVE CLEARANCE TO USE OUR OUTWARD BOX, AND ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES."

"But I'm Dr. Hikari's grand...his grandson's Navi, and I need to send a message to his father as soon as possible."

The Support program paused as it processed the information.

"...STATE THE NATURE OF THE EMERGENCY, PLEASE."

"Dr. Hikari's grandson has been seriously injured, and without his PET I have no other way to send out an E-Mail." Rockman said, refraining from mentioning that being trapped here was part of the emergency too.

The Support program paused again, and for several longer moments this time. Finally it said, "PLEASE ENTER YOUR MESSAGE."

Rockman's heart leapt. He knew he had to keep the message short or even it wouldn't be able to fit through the gate, so he took a moment to think about it, then opened a window. He quickly wrote "To Yuuichiro Hikari. Netto is in trouble. I am stuck in Grey Area, 8 servers east of Akihara Area 3. Please send help. From Rockman.Exe"

Rockman closed the window and handed the resulting data to the Program-kun.

"CONFIRM DESTINATION AS SCIENCE LABS, MAIN DIVISION."

"Confirmed. Just hurry."

"YOUR MESSAGE IS EN ROUTE." The Support program told him before disappearing. Rockman let out a heavy sigh and sat down; now all he could do was hope that the message got to someone who could help him.

-Saito-kun-

There wasn't much for Rockman to do except wait. His jittery vision was starting to get annoying, and he opted to close his eyes and rest his heavy head on his arms, which perched atop the knees brought up to his chest. The room was absolutely silent save for a deep, monotonous drone emanating from the cyberspace. A small "wip-wip-wip" noise could also be heard coming from the hovering piebald Program-kuns. Rockman knew he would just get confused if he tried to figure out Forte's actions, so he focused on anything and everything else.

He absently wondered just how complicated the the program-kuns' "consciousness" programs were, and if they ever got bored. He removed his face from his palms and glanced at one of them tiredly. Nope. The rather unintelligent being sat there staring into space, apparently not taking notice of any program that wasn't addressing him directly. The blue navi reasoned that it was just a scripted batch file with a primitive mesh overlayed to make it look pleasant.

He sighed and dropped his face into his hands once again. The long weeks in the lab with Netto had taken a toll on him, and not knowing what the petaflop was going on didn't help either. Yuuichiro usually checked his email often due to various outsourced projects he kept tabs on, but there was no telling how long it would take for the message to be tracked and a rescue team sent. It was more important that he know of the danger Netto was in anyway. The bandwidth for this particular network was noticeably smaller. Rockman felt light-headed and unable to think clearly. In a fit of frustration, he burst out and fell flat on his back, staring at the abyss above and breathing rapidly. The program-kuns wip-wip-wipped away without making any movements.

Rockman turned his face toward the nearest one.

"How long have you been here?"

The program turned mechanically and the texture on its face blipped as it turned into a smile.

"THE SERVER HAS ENCOUNTERED A CMOS BATTERY ERROR. CURRENT DATE IS UNKNOWN."

Rockman sat up and leaned back on his elbows.

"Wow, the server has a CMOS battery? This place is old... I wonder why it's still even running."

"THERE IS INSUFFICIENT DATA AVAILABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUERY. PLEASE REWORD THE QUESTION OR ASK ANOTHER."

Rockman wasn't able to extract any more interesting information from the program. A tinge of a headache was creeping around his temples, his fuzzy vision got worse, his limbs ached, and his chest burned a little. Rockman was starting to wonder if he had been damaged after all... Or was it the link?

Was it... Netto?

--

Netto was worried about Rockman. His link with his brother had weakened, as though a large distance had appeared between them. His father and Meijin had disappeared somewhere outside of the room ages ago, and all he had to keep him company was the whirring air conditioning and the steady beeping of the heart monitor next to him. It was difficult not to focus on the pain in his injuries, since the senses with which he could distract himself were blocked or had nothing to sense. Netto starting humming one of Rockman's favorite songs, a composition by some German he had never heard of. He soon gave up though, because he became self-conscious even though there was nobody there. The silence was deafening.

He called out, "Ano... Hello? Is anyone here?"

Netto heard light footsteps clopping into the room.

"Is there something I can do for you, my dear?"

The elderly almost-scottish sounding female voice comforted Netto.

"Hai..." He was surprised at the shakiness of his own voice, but made no effort to change it.

"Do you know if my Papa is around? He's probably wearing a white lab coat and he's tall and wears glasses and--"

The woman cut him off. "Oh sure now, don't get up in a tizzy."

Netto felt her move closer as she proceeded to straighten the bed sheets underneath and on top of him. She squeezed his shoulder lightly.

"Don't fret your little head, darling. I'll find him."

Something clattered and Netto felt the bedframe vibrate. She was reading his medical records on a clipboard at the end of the bed.

"Professor Hikari, right?"

"Uh, Hai. Arigato..." Netto's voice trailed off as the lady left the room. He was sure that his loneliness, boredom and pain was enough for two people at that moment. He wished Rockman were there with him.

The wait wasn't long. Netto felt two people enter the room. One approached the bedside. The other waited a bit in the doorway and then continued down the hallway outside. Netto was amazed by how well he could tell what was going on just by listening.

"Netto, my son. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I was just... lonely." Netto felt his father's hand on his bandaged brow.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to be away for so long." Netto relaxed visibly, hesitating for a moment as he brought in a deep breath.

"Papa, have you found Rockman yet?"

"No, we haven't, but we're looking for him. Don't worry."

Yuuichiro grasped his son's hand firmly, still stroking the young boy's hair.

-Marisa-

Some time later, movement caught Rockman's eye. He looked up to see the yellow and blue program-kun had returned, and his heart soared. They got my message!

He was up on his feet in moments, bounding toward the Program-kun, who turned and smiled at him brightly.

"MAILER DAEMON ERROR!"

Rockman stopped, stumbling from inertia. "Excuse me?"

"USER GUEST: ERROR. CONNECTION COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED," he droned cheerfully. "PLEASE CHECK YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION. IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR--"

"But I got in here just fine!" Rockman snapped. "Forte came and left. I'm... working on that last part, anyway." He huffed, and glanced back at the two programs who'd been standing guard upon his arrival.

"This is ridiculous. You just told me I was close to Area 3. What's going on?"

One of the programs stared at him blankly. "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SHUT DOWN?"

"What? I never--"

Rockman's awareness cut off right there, as the entire Grey Area went black.

--

Kenta carefully disconnected the power wire as the system shut down. With a little bit of effort, and some creative crowbar maneuvers, he was able to loosen up the tower from its hiding place in the wall, and gently wedge it out from there. Carrying it was going to be difficult, but not impossible. Tucking a lock of black hair away from his face, he wrapped his arms around the computer.

With a grunt, he lifted the tower into his arms and stumbled forward -- it looked fairly unbalanced in his skinny child frame, but he was used to it, and quickly got the tower to a nearby desk. Years of dust kicked up into the air as he set it down, reminding Kenta just how old this building was. It was a strange hobby of his -- breaking into old office buildings, laboratories, University warehouses, any place he could access old data. Kenta fancied himself something of an archaeologist, studying the remains of decades-old data to uncover how work was done in the older days. Old research laboratories like this one were his favorite, breaking and entering laws be damned.

He made short work of the tower casing with continued Crowbar Magic, and quickly located the computer's hard drive, grinning as he worked it out of the computer's systems and scampered back into the darkness. Ooh, this one was gonna be fun! Maybe the old data would even have some secret access codes he could use to get into the real SciLabs!

--

My children, the voice crooned through the telephone, I have been awaiting your report. Have you retrieved the Abomination?

"Er, yeah, about that, boss... look, we trapped Hikari's navi in the old Grey Labs box like you said. But--"

"Dag, yo! Some ass done pwned that shit good! Straight up!"

A cough. "Like he said, someone got there first. Computer was out and the hard drive was gone -- and Rockman with it. Someone musta figured out where we were keepin' him and got there first."

"I see," their boss muttered, deep in thought. "No doubt whoever took that data is taking it straight to Dr. Hikari, or that boy of his. Shadow them both, and reclaim the hard drive the moment it is in your sight."

--

"He's gone, he's gone, he's gone!"

Netto was shaking, the words leaking from his mouth constantly between unintelligible sobbing, and the nursing staff was having a grand old time trying to keep him still in his sleep. It was only when Yuuichirou entered the room and was at Netto's side that the boy quieted some, his screams dying down into quiet sobs muffled by his father's chest.

"It's all right, Netto," Yuuichirou said softly, stroking his son's hair, "it's all right. We'll find him." He pulled Netto tighter, hoping the boy could cry out some of his frustration and fear. Yuuichirou certainly couldn't cry away his own, not when Netto needed him so badly.

But Netto was alive. Cut off and distressed, but alive. Which meant Rockman was alive -- maybe. Hopefully. Yuuichirou wouldn't allow himself to believe anything esle.

-SeijinKage13-

"I assure you, I will do all I can to find him. I know this is hard for you, but you just need to have faith in me."

Netto sniffed quietly in his sleep. He laid back his head in restful slumber once more. Dr. Hikari paused and stepped out of the room, only to be stopped in the hallway by Nazo.

"Dr. Hikari, since we are in Ameroupe, perhaps I can assist you. My lab is actually not far from here. We can start looking for Rockman from there." the boy stated.

"Why do you show concern about my son's navi? Aren't you here for other reasons?" Dr. Hikari asked.

"Rockman might be a target for all we know. He might know something that would be valuable to the investigation. Would you like to use my lab to help find your son's navi? Or, would you rather risk another attack by using a Scilab building? After all, that thief might just do the same thing here."

Yuuichiro muttered under his breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Ok, let's go."

Yuuichirou followed Nazo toward a vehicle parked next to the ambulance from before. The boy took out a key and pressed a button, unlocking the outlandish mobile lab with hidden devices and a complex cloaking system. Dr. Hikari was shocked at first, and then realized what the audiences of his past presentations felt like. He allowed himself a distracted smile.

"What about Meijin?"

"I sent him along with some of the authorities to search for the thief. I checked up on the data fragments before meeting you and found a valid data trail. I assume this will lead to whoever has my program. Meijin should be on his way to putting the suspect under arrest soon." Nazo stepped into the lab. "I forgot to ask, does this Rockman have DNA identical to that of your son?"

Yuuichiro was uncomfortable with the amount of information Nazo had on him and his family.

"How did you know that?"

"Well, I think I found the solution for you, and I know more about your 'project' than you think."

--

Meanwhile, in Nihon, Enzan was busy reading copied data. After reading just a portion of it, he decided to stand up and walk while he pondered.

"What brilliant technology. So many theories and thoughts must've been put into this data. IPC can really benefit from this."

"It's quite suspicious, though. Why would someone just leavesuch valuable data in front of us?" Blues spoke up from the PET.

After a few minutes, they heard footsteps approaching the door. Enzan didn't expect anyone coming to see him. The door opened and armed police led by Meijin poured into the room. All guns seemed to be pointing at Enzan.

"What's going on?" Enzan demanded.

"I'm sorry about this, Enzan-kun, but we must put you into police custody for possible theft and sabotage." Meijin replied.

This came as a shock.

-LinkFreak131-

In a fairly well-kept apartment complex, Kenta arrived and set down his newly acquired prize. This model was a lot older than he thought it was originally, but he was able to hook up a fairly new monitor to it, with a few extra cable connectors, of course.

"Hopefully this baby decides it wants to start up for me," he said in an annoyed tone. "These things do have a tendency to not want to start up for me, for some reason."

"Maybe that's because they're just old?" Kenta's older sister suddenly walked in on him talking to himself. She had an annoyed look on her face, and did not look very happy to see him home. She leaned her left shoulder
against the opening of the doorway she had come in through.

"S-Sheba, what are you doing home so early??" This definitely wasn't something he had been expecting. Sheba was usually at school at this time of day.

"Keeping an eye on you, what else? 'Sides, they let us out early today." She nodded her head towards the computer. "Please tell me you didn't steal another one of those things. You shouldn't keep doing that; it's wrong and you know it."

"Take it easy, alright? It's not like I actually stole it. No one wants these kinds of computers anymore, so I simply took it off their hands. To them, it was probably just a hunk of junk that they were bound to get rid of anyway sometime soon."

Sheba just stared at him blankly for awhile. "And... You really think I'm going to buy that story? 'Come on, I know just as well as you do what you're up to, and you need to stop it. Stealing is wrong! You're lucky I don't tell Mama and Papa about you. Or worse... The police! With all these other computers in here as evidence they'd have no trouble at all arresting you."

Kenta knew she was right, but he couldn't just let his sister get in the way of his important research, could he? But, what choice did he have? Sheba was known for always standing up for what she believed was right... If she intended to call the police, she'd do it!

"Alright alright, Sheba. How about this: just let me look at this last computer's data, and then I'll stop and get rid of all the rest of them, ok?"

She stared at him blankly, and then walked towards him quietly until she was next to the computer's tower. She said in a very cool and convincing voice,"You let me take a good look at this computer's hard drive data first tonight, and then you may look at it and keep to your promises. How's that?"

"What?! No way! Why would I agree to something like that? What if you mess it up or something so I can't read anything on it?!"

Sheba held up three fingers, and continued to talk in her cool and calm voice. "I promise not to mess anything up on it. I just want to see what's making you so obsessed over these things, and then I'll give it back to you tomorrow. You can wait one night, can't you?"

Kenta could stare at her, astonished that she would ask to do such a thing. But, he knew he could trust her; she was his sister, after all, and they were always very close to each other. Besides, if he didn't it, there was a good chance she'd tell mama or Papa, or worse--the police. With a heavy sigh he agreed.

Smiling, Sheba carried the heavy tower into her room close by, making Kenta carry his monitor behind. They set it on her desk, and Kenta reluctantly plodded out, shutting the door behind him. Sheba walked back and locked her door quietly. She didn't want Kenta sneaking in.

"What's that thing doing in here, Sheba-chan? It looks like it's pretty old..."

"I'm just going to do some research in it for awhile; see what's inside it. Do you think you'll be able to plug-in into it, Note-chan?"

Note looked at it carefully. "I'm pretty sure I can," she replied after awhile. "I'm just not sure if I'll be able to
perform as well as I normally do on other computer networks."

"Well, no harm in trying, right?"

"Right!"

"All right then, I'll try sending you in. Just try to look around, and let me know if you find anything interesting in there, alright?"

"Gotcha, Sheba-chan. I'll do my best!" She gave her NetOp a sailor salute.

-Itoshinojjp-

Back at the labs in Ameroupe, Dr. Hikari had set up the terminal to search for Rockman.

"Let's see, the server would dump available data into the RAID cache on the backup server when it crashed. Rockman's signature will be hard to find in the chaos of a reboot, but there's nothing to do but try."

A door opened behind Yuuichiro as Nazo entered the room with Meijin.

"Dr. Hikari."

Yuuirchiro turned his head and looked at Nazo.

"I think you'll be happy to know that we have recovered my program."

"That's good news," replied Yuuichiro.

Meijin cleared his throat. "Well... not really."

"What do you mean, Meijin?" asked Yuuichiro.

Meijin closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if he didn't want to tell Dr. Hikari what he knew, but he knew he couldn't hesitate any longer.

"Well, instead of bringing him to a detention center, we decided to bring our suspect here. Talking to authorities may not be the best course of action. We feel that since you are a trusted friend, he could explain himself to you."

Yuuichiro stared at Meijin as he and Nazo stepped aside. Enzan entered the room in handcuffs. Dr. Hikari's eyes widened with disbelief at the look of sorrow and shame that had fallen over Enzan's face.

"ENZAN!?"


-HeatShadow-

Light immediately returned to Rockman's eyes and he looked around groggily; it had been awhile since he'd been in a system that had been completely shut off rather than put into sleep mode, and he wasn't used to the abrupt lack of consciousness. It didn't take long for him to wake up, however, as a hopeful thought crossed his mind. If the computer had been manually shut down, then turned back on, it meant there was someone who had physical access to this Area's computer. Specifically, someone who could help him.

Rockman quickly opened an alert window he could use to communicate with the local user and said, "Um...hello?"

--

Sheba sat up at her desk and looked around; if she hadn't known better, she would've thought that voice had come from the computer Kenta had dug up.

"Note, did you hear something?"

Sheba's Navi, herself having just arrived in the computer, looked up at her Operator.

"Sheba-chan? I didn't hear anything..."

"Hello? Is someone there?"

There wasn't any denying it this time, that voice HAD come from the computer. Sheba quickly located the alert window she hadn't noticed before and clicked on it.

"Hello?"

"Aah! Finally! I was worried there was no one there for a moment!" The young male voice was relieved.

"Who is this?" Sheba asked curiously.

"I'm Rockman, I've been trapped in here for hours. Please, I've been separated from my Operator and-"

"Sheba-chan."

Sheba's attention was drawn away from Rockman, though he kept talking, by her own Navi. Note looked grimly up at Sheba as she stood over a pit representing a Disk Recovery folder; there on the FAT were nearly two dozen icons representing Navis stuck within the pit. Sheba sat back in her chair and stared in silence at her computer screen. This had bad business written all over it. Not only was this likely a stolen computer, but it had a large number of Operator-less Navis trapped inside of it. That constituted multiple counts of theft, not to mention whatever Kenta had done to separate those Navis from their Operators and whatever he was planning to do with them now that he had them.

Though not one to back down from calling the police and reporting a crime, Sheba hesitated at the thought of her next move. This was her brother she was talking about...if nothing else, she HAD to give him the benefit of the doubt, or at least a chance to prove his innocence.

"....Hello? Are you still there?" Rockman asked when his previous request had gone unanswered.

"Note, jack out." Sheba said to her Navi before bringing the alert window back up. "Listen, Rockman, I'm sorry but I need to shut this down again."

--

"No, wait!!" Rockman cried out desperately. "I just need you to...!"

The so-far unnamed user interrupted him "Don't worry, I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. But I can't help you until I know what's going on, okay?"

Rockman hesitated to answer. What was she talking about? Before anything else could be said, one of the nearby Programs announced, "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SHUT DOWN?" again, and the Grey Area went black once more.

-Saito-kun-

Sheba flew out of the room like a swift tiger. Even though there was nobody nearby to draw attention from, she whispered Kenta's name loudly.

"Kenta! Kenta, where are you?" The sneaky teen had been sitting in the hall, innocently munching some chips.

"Kenta, tell me what's going on. Where did you--?"

Kenta interrupted Sheba calmly. "I did nothing but take the hard drive. Why didn't you listen to what that Rockman had to say?"

"You were listening, then."

"Yes." Kenta stood slowly and brushed crumbs from his lap, crumpling the empty chip bag into a ball and stuffing it in his pocket. "I'm not responsible for those navis. If anything, I should be praised for finding them!"

Sheba scoffed. "Yea, what would you say, 'Hey, I found these navis in a hard drive I stole.' That would go over well."

Kenta pushed past his sister into the room.

"Hey, come back here, I--!" Sheba gave up and followed. "What are you going to do?"

"Free the navis."

--

Again, that sluggish blurry feeling that happened whenever a computer was booted instead of awakened from sleep mode. Rockman sighed and cradled his head, fumbling at the interface he'd pulled up to initiate the chat again.

"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?"

There was no reply. The program-kun spoke up. "Are you sure you want to move the program 'Rockman.exe' and all related resources to the secondary partition?"

Rockman eyeballed the nutsy program. "What are you talking...?"

Rockman swooned for a moment as a blip in his consciousness occurred. The view of the plain cyberworld area before him swirled as his data was moved to the other partition. The program-kuns and the data port and the floor all melted and disappeared, and were replaced by shadows and darkness.

--

"Kenta, what the crap are you doing?"

"Moving Rockman to the recovery partition with the other navis so I can return them all to the primary partition."

"But the main system and logs--"

"The system will be restored to a fresh state anyway, and the logs are nothing more than asset request documentation. Nobody needs to know how many hours a day someone drew some pixelly crap for a long-gone project. They won't be missed."

Sheba scowled but let him continue.

--

Rockman tried to regain his bearings. All of these sudden transitions were starting to wear on his patience and stamina, and he fell to the ground on his bum. There was nothing visible to him at first except for what looked like a spot light originating from nowhere in what was probably the center of the large dark room. He soon became aware of whispers and the occasional cough around him. Movement, in the light...

"Dare da!?"

A worn green normal navi stepped into the light, his features hidden by the glaring reflections off of his visor.

"The question is, who are you?"

Rockman hesitated, glancing around him to try to find the sources of the whispering voices.

"B-Boku wa Rockman... Where am I? Who are you?"

"Does the name 'Enigma' mean anything to you?"

"No, why? Who are you?"

The green navi seemed to be able to see Rockman, because he glared at his face for a long time, as if he were determining if Rockman was to be trusted.

"As far as we know, we're buried on some forgotten server controlled by a nefarious crime syndicate known to some as 'enigma.' The only things we have found in common with each other are our brief encounters with this group."

"We?"

"All of us. About 40 in all."

"How long have you all been here?" Rockman spoke quietly with a tinge of sorrow in his voice.

"Some of us up to four years, the rest anywhere from 6 months to a year. It appears enigma is on the move again, and is probably planning something disastrous."

"What... what does this 'enigma' group have to do with me?"

"Only time will tell, we aren't going anywhere, so we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other."

A gruff voice broke out from the darkness. "Thanks to you, old man! If we'd taken the opportunity to--"

"Silence. Now is not the time, Hayato." There was much muttering and grumbling in the shadows.

Rockman stood and walked toward the light. "I hate to break it to you, but you probably won't be here much longer."

Rockman ignored the surprised grunts and remarks and continued with his query. He had a feeling there was trickery afoot.

"Now quickly, before we leave, tell me all you know about 'Enigma.'"

-Nenji-

It had seemed like an eternity for Netto, stuck in an endless void. He could hear, smell, taste and feel the goings on around him; he knew he was in a hospital ward and being closely monitored but regardless of all this the deprivation of his sight seemed to dull the world. It was if he had become a spectre or a ghost and was living a sort of half-life. He had been withdrawing into himself increasingly more often, thinking about past adventures, faces of friends, his home...how he longed to be in his room and to see Rockman's smiling face on his monitor.

A voice brought him back to the surface of the world. It was the nurse.

"Yes obasan?" He replied quietly. It was still hard for him to speak and the continued weakness of his voice shocked him.

"The doctors say that they are ready to take off the bandages on your eyes. They have turned off the lights and blocked the window. Don't be surprised if it is dark at first. Slowly, they are going to raise the light over a few days so as not to blind you."

Netto's heart raced. He could see again? He didn't care how long it took, he had to escape this abyss he was falling into and find Rockman...somehow!

"Are you ready Netto-kun?" the nurse asked. Netto had the impression she was a large figure but her voice was compassionate. He was admittedly a little curious to see what she looked like.

"I am." Netto replied simply.

The nurse took off his bandages slowly and with great care. Netto slowly opened his eyes, it took a while because of the blood that had glued them together. The nurse slowly and gently applied a warm towel to soften the dried blood until eventually Netto could open them. It was still dark, but he had been warned and soon, soon...he would see.

"I am turning the light to 3% intensity. You will be unable to see much, try to see if you can see the outlines of your hand, or anything else in the room. Be patient, your eyes have been closed for a while and are damaged; they are sensitive and will take some time to readjust."

Netto listened to the bloops of a computer, presumably the nurse adjusting the light. It took a few minutes, but eventually he could make out the faint outline of the nurse.

"I can see! I can see you obasan!" He tried to shout but was wrapped in a coughing fit. The nurse attended to him, slowly helping him settle the rattle in his lungs. Netto knew that he'd be able to see again, even if he needed glasses or some other aid. This small revelation would give him the energy to fight, to recover. He was suddenly very tired and the world began to swim. But as he slipped from consciousness again he thought that perhaps he had seen the nurse's smile. Then he returned to the dreamless void.

-SeijinKage13-

Back in the portable lab, all eyes were on Enzan.

"How did you get your hands on that data? Who gave it to you?" asked Dr. Hikari.

"Wait, you're implying that someone gave it to me? Then, why did you arrest me?" Enzan was calm but clearly frustrated.

"You might have hired a thief to steal that data for your company. After all, your company is a giant competitor for other similar corporations." Nazo stated.

Enzan looked to Meijin and Yuuichiro imploringly. "That's nuts! You guys know me!"

"Well, that same thief blew up the Ameroupe Scilab R&D after stealing the data. You would not do such a thing for such small gain." Dr. Hikari relieved Enzan of his trepidation with a reassuring smile. The white-haired teen volunteered what he knew.

"I recieved that data from an anonymous source that didn't give any clue of their identity. Additionally, that source left on a whim."

"Hmm. Did that person, by any chance, leave any signature or trail?" Meijin asked.

"...No. It was a surprise to me as well."

"Looks like Nazo was right, a human did steal it." Dr. Hikari stated.

Enzan was baffled. "Wait, a human? How can that..."

Before he could complete his sentence, a computerized voice sounded off.

"SUBJECT FOUND. PLEASE REMAIN SEATED."

All of a sudden, the ignition started. The doors closed up, leaving all but Nazo startled.

"Do not worry. This lab features a lock-on function that drives it to almost any given location, which allows me to conduct computer research while moving from one place to another." Nazo explained. "I suggest you fasten yourselves to a seat."

[Saito-kun]

With that statement, the professor headed toward the front, buckling himself up while Meijin fastened himself and Enzan to a seat. They could feel the forward movement of the vehicle as they traveled to Rockman's supposed location.

--

The green navi took a deep breath. "Originally, it was a military organization that specialized in designing weapons and intelligence warfare and served as Netopia's shadow wing of information. Enigma conducted research in order to defeat opponents using advanced methods of data collection and the deployment of super soldiers."

"Matte, then why are they a criminal organization?" Rockman wondered.

"Decades ago, Enigma had surpassed expectations. Their research had resulted in many successes, such as their contribution to the 'Alpha' project for example. But, when the first net-terrorist group, WWW, went on the move, Enigma turned their attention to countering them. The Netopian Army, in turn, decided to help them, but once they began working together, the Netopian Army saw Enigma's true operations. Their experiments went beyond human decency. Mind alteration, surgical augmentation, cybernetic editing, and much more had led to the official disbanding of Enigma. Since then, Enigma went underground, conducting even more inhumane experiments and researching new methods of intercepting data. Many of their criminal dealings have been covered up by their agents, making it near impossible to detect their movements."

"I see."

"But, now they are moving again... and we need help."

Rockman blinked for a second, "Help? Why?"

"Well, they're likely coming for us."

--

Five minutes had passed since their departure. Enzan was uncuffed and talking to Meijin. Dr. Hikari decided to take another glance at Nazo, who was currently glued to a screen.

'He feels different, somehow,' Yuuichirou thought, 'When I first looked at his eyes, I saw no feeling. The way he talks seems monotone and without emotion. The barcode on his hand also makes me wonder. Why does he act like a machine?'

Turning around, Nazo asked, "Is something bothering you, Dr. Hikari?"

"No. I'm just thinking about something." he replied. He continued to think to himself, 'How come I never knew about Enigma or project Soulnet V2? Is Enigma hiding something?'

"We are halfway there. It would seem he is located in a district approximately 7 minutes from our current location." Nazo stated.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Dr. Hikari asked.

"Of course not."

"Do you feel anything right now?"

A pause. Nazo spoke. "Why ask such a question?"

"Don't you feel concerned, happy... anything?"

Nazo looked into Dr. Hikari's eyes hard for a few seconds, but soon turned away.

"I see."

"One minute left. Get ready." Nazo droned.