AN: Back when I was a kid I remember reading the Megaman NT Warrior manga but it wasn't until recently that I actually discovered that there was also an entire anime series AND set of games that were also set in the same universe.
Holy shit was I missing out.
So...um, yeah...I don't really have excuse for this thing. It's a sort of mixed universe featuring elements from both the anime and the Battle Network which I think I'm gonna call this the Law of Robotics AU.
So there's that...As for some disclaimers? Well aside from the usual 'I do not own this, people at Capcom do' thing that I think we all know by rote at this point there's not much else to say...um, there's some swearing and oh- a kid loses an arm. Yeah...
Here you go.
"A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm."
Fwoom!
A salvo of fire issued forth from the cannon's muzzle and soared on towards its intended target.
"Netto duck!"
And so he did. Allowing the blast to sail up and over him to crash into the wall behind him in what surely would have been a devastating blow if it had hit.
"Sheesh. What kind of guns is that thing packing?!"
"Netto-kun!"
His eyes widened and he did a quick hop-step back, just narrowly avoiding being nailed by the boy in red that had been flung past. He glanced between him and his attacker before finally deciding to just settle on him. "Um, you alright there Enzan?" He asked.
Even concealed behind darkened shades he could feel the weight of the look he was giving him. He winced slightly. "Right. Stupid question."
"Quite." The boy flipped himself up from his prone position and took a quick glance around at the mass of destruction that surrounded the two of them. Utterly unimpressed, he turned to look at the agent of chaos himself. "We're trying to avoid collateral damage." Turning away, he shifted into a low crouch, paused for only a fraction of a second, then launched himself forward to reengage. "Not make more of it!" Their blades met with a thunderous crash.
Somewhat indignant, his hand fizzled away to reform his buster cannon and he took aim. "Not my fault he keeps firing everywhere!"
"Well maybe if you'd be so kind as to stop dodging-" A third voice cut in as its owner effortlessly broke the block and stabbed forward.
CF Blues jumped away, allowing for the other's shot to zoom past first to then respond in kind. "Not a chance!" He danced away from a volley of bright blue flame of which his fellow Net Savior just missed being smacked in the face by.
"Hey! Are you trying to get me hit?!"
Deigning to acknowledge the other, the boy instead turned to last remaining member of their party. "Have you managed to get a lock on the target?"
"Not yet. Although maybe if you could keep them still then maybe I could."
He bit back the choice turn of phrase that lay on the tip of his tongue and sent a charged buster blast in its stead. 'What do you think we've been trying to do, Laika?' He couldn't help but think.
"Now, now Netto-kun. Don't let it get to you. They're just a bit frustrated right now is all."
'Argh, I know...' He huffed, brow furrowed. 'But still! How hard is it to get a single clear shot on a freaking copyroid of all things? The dang thing isn't even working right!'
It seemed, however, that they weren't the only ones currently frustrated with the recent turn of events.
"That's ENOUGH!"
The copyroid smashed their fist into the ground and up rose a massive conflagration. Brown eyes wide, he dove, a pained hiss slipped past as the fierce flames managed to clip his side. It stung, but thankfully didn't seem too bad. His companions, on the other hand, were not so fortunate.
"Enzan! Laika!" He forced himself to his feet and sent a worried look towards the other two. Were they okay? After a direct hit like that he doubted it. His lips thinned to a line, neither one of them seemed to be moving. Could they have-
"Netto-kun watch out!"
He snapped back to awareness just in time to spot that the copyroid had prepared yet another attack. He tucked and rolled, allowing the blast to hit the pavement harmlessly and dissipate. Popping back up, he quickly readied a shot and fired once, twice, and then a third. They, however, simply managed to weave their way around the consecutive blasts before finally stopping just out of range.
"It seems like it's just us now. Hm, you know I expected something a bit more from the illustrious Net Saviors but I suppose that's just humans for you."
His eyes narrowed. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"Oh?" They seemed to blink, "You still have some fight left in you boy? Even after you saw what happened to your little friends there too?" Canting their head to the side a bit, they hummed, "...Very well. I suppose this broken old body could handle another round or two." They rolled their shoulders a bit and slid into a ready stance. "So come at me, if you dare."
And so he did.
Having swapped the buster out for a sword, the boy in blue lunged, his blade flashing down in a forceful arc. Hastily, the copyroid brought up their own in an attempt to block and the two met with a harsh clang as the weapons slid off of one another. He bounced back, parrying a blow aimed at his chest and immediately responded with one of his own. He flashed the other a smirk and the dance carried on.
Again and again their blades crashed as the two traded blows back and forth and this pattern went on for quite some time for neither side for seemed keen to fall to the other. The two adversaries bounded back from their most recent bout and took a moment to collect themselves. They each eyed the other in a silent standoff until-
"Hm...you're rather handy with a blade, boy."
He blinked, shifting a bit- "Thanks?" and sprung.
The swords connected once, twice, and then a third time before they broke even. He dove to the side and triggered an area steal. In the span of a heartbeat he reappeared behind the machine, arm poised for a downward slash.
Clang!
"It's such a shame."
He hopped back and shook his hand to regain some of the feeling in it. "What?" Glancing up, he clenched the now weaponless fist. "What is?"
"Your humanity boy." The copyroid took a step forward, and another, and then another. He braced himself. "For if you were truly-" They shifted into a run, "-one of us-" and slashed down, "-then maybe-" then to the left, "-you'd-" and the right."-understand!"
"Argh!" He cried out, skidding away a bit. His hand went up to grasp at the spot and he winced at the wetness that bloomed from the hit. Biting down a series of choice words he hissed, "What are you talking about? Understand what?!"
"What it's like," The machine uttered darkly, "to be seen as disposable."
"...What?"
For a second there he thought that they weren't going to answer but then, "To humans we digital beings are nothing more than simple tools."
Without warning, the mechanical being lashed out, barely leaving enough time for him to pull up a barrier to stave off the vicious attack. The blows began to come harder and faster than ever before and he could sense the change in the air. They were done playing.
"It doesn't matter what you've done for them..." He grit his teeth as a particularly hard blow jarred his shoulder, "Doesn't matter if you would give up your life- nay, your very existence- for them!" There came another hard hit and another still. He couldn't quite feel his arm anymore. "And as soon as the next new thing comes along-"
Wham!
"-you're FINISHED!"
The force of the blow was enough to knock him out of crossfusion and send both him and his PET flying. He hit the ground hard and skid, rolling bonelessly a number of times before both he and the device clattered to an uneasy stop.
"Netto-kun?!"
He twitched. "R-Rockman..." His hand shook as he clawed fruitlessly at the ground, unable to latch onto the source of the voice for it was out of reach. He twisted towards the sound of his navi, his best friend, his brother-
A metal foot stamped down on his wrist evoking a pained cry from the brunette's lips. "And just what do you think you're doing?"
With no answer forthcoming the foot rose a bit before it slammed back down. He thought he felt something snap. He screamed.
"Netto! Just stop it already, please! Leave him alone!" But the little blue navi's cries fell on deaf ears and as such went unheeded.
Dazedly, he could feel himself be slowly hefted up by his damaged arm and dangled limply before the copyroid. It took nearly every bit of his will not to let slip a shrill cry at the sheer waves of pain radiating through the limb at the moment with every added twitch and jostle. Well at least he could feel it again.
They opted to take their time scanning their captive prey from top to bottom but for some strange reason when they reached the bloodied arm they paused. The copyroid canted their head to the side but otherwise remained impassive and although the blank features revealed nothing, he got the sense that the being was studying him, seemingly perplexed, but by what he had no clue.
"Huh." They mumbled, so quietly that he almost missed it at first. "Maybe you might understand better than I thought..."
But before he could even get the chance to contemplate whatever that was about the being shifted their grip on him, sending a fresh wave of pain down his spine. This torture went on until they managed to maneuver him so that they had a firmer grasp on the damaged limb, his heart sputtered in uneasy anticipation as he wondered what the copyroid could have in mind for him when suddenly the grip tightened- (it was with a dawning sense of horror that he realized exactly what was about to take place)- and then they pulled.
He screamed.
Pain.
Complete and utter agony.
With it came a disjointed cacophony of sights- a limb tossed away as if it were mere trash (oh god, that was his arm. He was missing an arm oh god-), Laika as he tried to pull himself to his knees and ultimately failing, a familiar blue PET speckled with fresh crimson facedown on the pavement (I'm so sorry nii-san) -and sounds- screaming (lots and lots of screaming; from his friends, his brother, himself), garbled voices overlapped with words that could barely be made out (and man did Enzan know some good swears, holy shit...), and of course, mocking laughter- before the world tilted violently on its axis and he was thrown aside.
For a brief second he thought he could see a blur of red flash forward and proceed to drive something deep into the chest of another before the wave of darkness rushed up to meet him and he saw no more.
[ X ]
He watched dispassionately as his blade slid from the machine, seconds ticked by as the life slowly dripped from its frame. The copyroid gave one last twitch before it finally fell still and he let out a breathy sigh. That was one problem taken care of at least.
He glanced back to see Laika had finally managed to right himself and that for the most part he was unscathed (although he did seem to be favouring his left leg a bit more than usual. It was probably just a twisted ankle or a remnant from that fire tower; nothing to be worried about.) So all that left was the other one. He closed his eyes and took a moment to center himself.
"Enzan-sama."
He nodded silently to show he understood. "Laika, can you get in touch with base? We need a medical team out here now." The soldier's head snapped up and for a moment he traced the other's line of sight. Lips thinned into a solemn line and he nodded his ascent, turning away to carry out the unspoken command.
He started forward at a brisk clip which soon faltered once he reached the spot where the...thing...lay. Quickly averting his gaze to the side he spotted the PET that rest not some distance away. He promptly diverted course and stooped down to retrieve the device. His gloved thumb trailed lightly over the speckles of red that marred the blue and white casing and he frowned softly to himself.
"W-who's there?! I swear I-"
Brow raised, he flipped the PET over and was graced with the sight of a rather haggard-looking Rockman.
"Ah-" The blue navi appeared to blink a bit before he realized just who his rescuer was and sagged in relief. "Oh, its you guys. Thank goodness. If you're here then Laika and Searchman are probably fine..." Was what he heard muttered before the other seemed to freeze as something apparently just occurred to him. He shifted an uncertain eye towards him. "Um, so hey, I heard quite the bit of commotion going on there earlier but...ah...from where I was I couldn't get a good look at what was going on so...what happened?" The little figure gazed worriedly up at him from behind the screen. "D-Did the one who hijacked that faulty copyroid get taken care of?"
"Yes."
"Oh...That's good." Rockman sighed. "So...where's Netto-kun then? Is he alright?"
"..."
"Guys..?" The navi's brow furrowed and he watched as the other stared back at him for a long second before his gaze slowly traveled down and he lost himself to thought. Green eyes flashed suddenly as the colour seemed to drain from his face. "No." For a moment there he thought he saw a shadow flicker across pallid features but in an instant it had been wiped clean, replaced with something...unreadable. With the utmost deliberation, the navi asked: "What happened to my little brother?"
His eyes slipped shut resignedly, it would be easier to just show him. Without preamble he turned the PET around so the other could see the object that rest on the ground there. It seemed to take the navi a moment to process what he was seeing...and then what could only be described as a leaking balloon mixed with a dying cat issued forth from the device's speakers.
Decidedly not looking at the one currently in the midst of a breakdown he wondered: if this was the blue navi's reaction to the thing before them then what would he do upon the discovery of the rest of his operator? Well, when they finally managed to find him that is.
"Enzan-sama."
"Hm, yes? What is it Blues?"
"I'm sure you've noticed by now but, there seems to be something...off...about that item on the ground there."
He stilled. Actually, no, he hadn't noticed. In all honesty, he'd been trying his damnedest not to acknowledge the presence of the thing there and what represented. But still, "Strange?"
"Yes. Near the point of severance there. It's...something...I can't quite make it out from here, do you think we could get a bit closer?" The voice in his head asked curiously.
Although the very idea of getting close enough to examine the former piece of his ally made him...distinctly uncomfortable, he had been with Blues long enough to trust the navi's observational skills so when he had said that he'd noticed something off then, well, he sucked it up and focused his attention on the spot in question. It took him a second before he managed to catch it and when he did he blinked. Was that...metal?
Perplexed, he crouched down to get a better look. It was!
Hard to spot at first but unmistakable in appearance, the crimson-stained grey cut a sharp contrast against the damp remnants of fabric and pale skin that sought to hide its sheen.
"What is this...?" He reached out, it still felt warm to the touch. A finger traced along the sharp metallic edge and trailed down a small cord of wires, their frayed copper tips could be felt even through the thick texture of his glove. At the footsteps approach he withdrew his hand. "Status?"
"They're en route now but it might take some time."
He nodded and turned back to the puzzle before him, "Laika, what do you make of this?"
The teenager followed his line of sight and, like him, it took a bit to spot the irregularity but when he did he seemed almost thrown for a second before his military training apparently decided to kick back in. "I think," Wintery eyes trailed upwards and scanned their surroundings with a thoughtful lilt. "That we need to find Netto."
[ X ]
It was Rockman who spotted him first. There, half-buried under a mound of dirt and debris with a pool of deep red tainting the earth beneath him, lay Netto Hikari. From the distance he appeared to be unconscious and still, a bit too still for his liking actually.
"Netto! Oh god is he-"
He clamored up and over a pile of loose rubble and knelt at the younger boy's side. From this vantage point he could see the faint rise and fall of his chest and the subtle shakes that rocked his frame every now and again. He sagged slightly in relief but then came a grimace.
"What is it?" Ah Enzan, ever perceptive that one was. He took a second to scan over his fallen comrade's form before he answered.
"He's alive but in really bad shape right now. Aside from the glaringly obvious one, there is a worrying number of other lacerations and contusions scattered along his body, perhaps from when he crashed into the wall there upon entry, plus you have to factor in the likelihood of internal damage that is, or will be, present. Not to mention all this dirt and god-knows-what poses a secondary risk for infection."
"So in short he looks like he's about to kick it." The boy in red commented blandly. "Wait, 'will be'?"
"Well, seeing as he somehow managed to land right on the side that sustained the most damage, yes." He pursed his lips, "I'm probably going to have to roll him over if I even want to start to administer first aid."
"B-But hold on, isn't it a bad idea to move a critically injured person though? We could be doing more harm than good." The blue navi fretted.
"Not like we have much of a choice. He'll bleed out before the medics even get a chance to set their foot down if we don't do something." Enzan leveled a look at the digital being. "You want the idiot to live don't you?"
Rockman's eyes narrowed dangerously at the Net Savior.
"Sorry, but he's right." He cut in as he sought to end the budding conflict between the two, well at least for now anyways. "Now can you get over here already? I'm going to need help lifting him." He gently slid his hands under prone form. "Ready? On three-!"
Their arms buckled under the deceptive mass of young man's frame which evoked a sharp cry from the pained brunette. "Alright down, down! Set him back down!" And so they did as soft as they could.
"Oh man, Netto! I tried to tell them this was a bad idea but does anyone ever listen? No." At this the navi shot Enzan a look and at least the Net Savior had the decency to look somewhat abashed.
The small figure shuddered, a harsh gust of air slipping past his lips, before glazed brown eyes slowly cracked open and stared up at them. Well at the very least he was awake now. "Sorry about that. You're...a bit heavier than you look, you know." It was faint but he thought he could see the ghost of a smirk before it morphed into a pained grimace, his eyes tightly screwed shut with a whimper. He winced sympathetically.
"Hey, can you hear me?" He asked softly. "Listen, I know you've been hurt pretty badly but if we're gonna treat you Enzan and I are going to have to turn you around so we could, okay? Now this might hurt quite a bit but do you think you could hold through it for us?"
Silence. For a second he worried that the boy had passed out again when those pained eyes eased open (appearing a bit clearer this time, he noted) and he gave a short nod of ascent.
He clapped his hands together, "Alright! Guys let's try and do it right this time, okay?"
"Right."
[ X ]
With a bit (read: a lot) of finagling along with Rockman's worried flustering and the occasional pained grunt of his own they actually successfully managed to maneuver him into a sort of lounging position with his back propped up against a large slab of concrete for support. He let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"T-Thanks guys...I owe you one. Or fifty." He winced slightly, "...Guys?" A quick glance up found the duo just sort of staring at him, or to put it more accurately, the place where his arm used to be. "W-what is..." His gaze drifted down as well and almost immediately he wished it hadn't.
The wound -once hidden- now stood on open display and man was it a sight to behold. From the shoulder on down everything was just gone, jagged metal glistened red-slick and twisted, warped from a force it was never meant to endue. Torn bundles of off-coloured wiring and braided cables dangled loosely at his side that -if touched- sparked with a faint electrical charge and sent a sharp zing up his spine. He gagged.
A shaking hand fell limply to the side as he just stared. His mind stalled as it frantically attempted to process the information had been given. His arm was gone. His arm was gone, and for some reason there was metal and electrical wires and blood(?) sticking out of the place where it used to be. He could actually feel the soft shower of sparks that seemed to pulse in time with the distressed thrum of his core. This...These things were actually a part of him. He was made of metal-
"Netto..." Enzan breathed, eyes wide.
He twitched, head jerking up.
"What the fuck."
He felt a slightly hysterical laugh bubble up within and then suddenly it became too much for his systems to handle and he felt himself begin to sway. The last thought as the darkness rose up to meet him for the second time that day was that he could hear his brother calling his name...