Rockman.EXE is not mine. Don't sue.
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Us After This
Chapter 6
~by Shimegami-chan
http://www.shimegami.com/ichijouji
A/N: Please excuse any minor mistakes and the clashing between the EXE anime
and Battle Network. I just ep 25 of the EXE anime...it's gone totally AU
from the game. :P So, this fic will continue to follow the Battle Network
game storyline, and any mistakes in earlier chapters with anime references
will be fixed.
January 3, 2003 - Now they're fixed. ^_~
Minna-sama, thanks for your comments! :D Please keep reading!
Enjoy!
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"M-Meiru-chan!" Saito managed to choke out, since Netto seemed to be
mostly in shock.
"What are you doing out of the hospital?" she demanded, hands on hips.
Saito released his control so a flustered Netto could reply. "I went to see
Papa."
"In your pajamas?"
Before Netto could say anything, Saito was back in charge. "Where's
Roll-chan? Is she okay!?"
Meiru gave the boys a curious glance. "Of course she is. She transferred
back to my PET after you disconnected your dad's."
"How's Rockman?" Roll's voice emerged from the terminal at Meiru's side.
He hesitated suddenly, so Netto took over. "We're both fine now. The
transfer was successful."
Meiru handed Netto her PET so Roll could speak to the boy directly. "I'm so
glad you two are okay! Where did Rockman's data go after Gutsman and I
logged out?"
"Uh..." Netto hoped that his twin would answer, but Saito made no move. "The
drone program put it into my computer for safekeeping." He did not mention
that Rockman was tapped into his biotechnological networks.
"He gave us a scare," Roll said, and Saito quirked a slight smile.
"Anyway, it looks like I don't have to head to the Government Complex,"
Meiru declared. "I was going to your dad's office to ask about Rockman, but
now I've found you instead. How are you doing?"
"Much better, thanks," Netto replied.
Saito, thinking as always of his twin, gently led Meiru out of the train
station and out into the sunlight. "Actually, we were just going back to the
hospital."
"We?"
Netto made a face. I wonder if we should tell her. She is
my best friend after all.
Out loud he said, "Just me, sorry. I'm a little sleepy."
He wished he knew what Rockman was thinking about as the Navi led them
through the streets of Akihara. Saito mused to himself aloud, dropping
obvious hints for the brunette. "I want to get some normal clothes, and
shoes."
"Then I have to go to the hospital and get my PET," Netto added.
Meiru looked at Netto--who now had control of both movement and
speech--strangely. "You sound so odd."
"What?"
"Your voice keeps fluctuating," she said slowly. "I can't put my finger on
it. You're being very soft-spoken one moment, and then talking very fast the
next. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah," Netto said quietly, trying to modulate his voice. It was the same
difference he'd pointed out to Saito on the train.
Meiru and Netto entered the Hikari house, the latter calling a greeting as
they paused in the door.Getting no answer, the boy plodded upstairs to his
room. Saito spoke the moment they were alone. "Well, what do we do now?"
"I'm not sure," Netto confessed a moment later, pulling on a pair of shorts.
"Why aren't we telling Meiru-chan that you're here?"
"We're not? I was just expecting you to tell her."
"You had control of my voice!"
"I let it go every time I finished a sentence!"
"Well, I didn't know that!" Netto said sourly, slipping on his blue
bandanna.
"Fine, you handle it." Saito said lightly. He then fell silent.
"Aw, Rock...Rockman?" Netto scowled and jokingly rapped on the side of his
own head. "Rock?"
Saito replied only by shrugging.
"Oy." Netto grabbed his rollerblades and ran downstairs to where Meiru was
waiting. "Sorry about that, Meiru-ch--eh?" The room was empty. "Meiru-chan?"
A muffled thump came from the back room, and Netto instinctively followed
it. Meiru sat on the floor with a gag in her mouth as a tall man Netto
didn't recognize tied her hands together. He looked up with a smirk as Netto
entered the room. "Well. Hikari Netto. Just the person I wanted to see."
"Who are you?" Netto demanded.
"No one in particular," the stranger spat. "Just one of the faceless World
Three supporters whose life you and your Navi destroyed."
"Get away from her," Netto said sharply. Meiru's eyes were wide with fear.
"I don't think you're in a position to make demands, kid," the man laughed.
"I'm going to delete your Navi, and then I'm going to kill you!"
The voice that next came out of Netto was bitter and cold. "Delete? I think
I'm much too far gone for that now."
Even Netto was surprised by the vehemence in his twin's voice. "Rock..."
"Let me handle this, Netto-kun," Saito said quietly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Saito smiled tightly and shifted his weight, sinking into a battle
stance.
The intruder looked confused by the exchange. "Are you crazy or something,
kid? Where's your PET?"
"You want the Navi?" Saito said with a feral smile. "You've got him." With
that he sprung forward, launching himself at the ex-WWW member.
Every bit of fighting skill and instinct to protect himself and his partner
went into the attack, and Netto was carried along for the ride. Saito
tackled the loyalist and knocked him to the floor with a grunt. Meiru inched
away from the fight.
"What--what the hell!" the man gasped as soon as he regained his breath. He
grabbed "Netto's" arm tightly. "Kid...that was a bad idea."
"Oh no," Saito whispered, so quietly that Netto himself barely heard. "That
was a bad idea."
Though Netto's body didn't have half the strength Rockman's did, Saito still
possessed the fighting prowess and agility that his Navi body had. Saito's
hand shot out to grab the loyalist's arm and slipped under it, catching the
man so off-guard that he was unable to stop himself from being hurled to the
floor.
The loyalist wheezed and grabbed for Saito, who darted back in an instant.
The older man didn't even have time to move before Saito was on him again.
Two punches connected with the man's gut before he doubled over in pain,
unable to move.
"Well. That got out a little pent-up frustration." Saito grinned and
stretched sinuously, his voice once again mild.
"R-Rockman?" Netto breathed, realizing that the Navi had released his
control.
"Eh...sorry," his twin said with a blush. "I shouldn't have reacted like
that."
"No apologies needed. Actually...nice work."
Saito sighed and untied Meiru, wrapping the ropes around the loyalist, who
was still immobile with pain. "You're lucky he didn't have his Rockbuster,"
Netto admonished. Saito stifled a laugh.
Meiru stared at Netto in disbelief. "What just happened?"
Netto waited for Saito to answer, but he was beginning to realize that his
twin kept silent at the most inopportune times. "Meiru-chan...Rockman's
data...is inside of me. In my implant. He's linked to me...he's inside my
head."
~to be continued...