Notes: Another Megaman/Rockman fanfiction. This one is one that I originally started writing months ago - in fact the first section was completely copied from that first draft of this idea. That draft had a couple of storytelling problems which lead to me writing myself into a wall (basically, I was having trouble getting the plot to work). Then, while in class one day, I started drafting this story where Hub was the one at school with his navi, Megaman. I blended the two ideas together because they fit so well.
I use the English and Japanese names for this one. For reference:
RockmanEXE is Saito Hub Hikari (commonly called 'Hub') in the physical world and Rockman (sometimes known as Rock) in the digital world. He is a blue coloured navi and wears blue while in the copyroid/copybot.
MegamanEXE is Netto Lan Hikari (known as 'Netto' by his old friends and 'Lan' in this new place) in the physical world and Megaman in the digital world. He is an orange coloured navi and wears orange while in the copyroid/copybot.
Their English names became their middle names because 1) I loved that in 'The Laws of Robotics AU' by Darkspace7 and 2) it explains where the names came from as Netto and Saito go by Lan and Hub in this new place their father moved them to.
Chapter 1
"Rockbuster!" Rockman said as he fired upon the little yellow, hard hat wearing mettaur. The virus was deleted and he grinned.
"Nice!" Netto said with a laugh. He was standing right behind Rockman because the blue navi wouldn't let him fight any of the viruses. "Now what? More virus busting?"
"It's not like we can hang out with the others while you're like that," Rockman pointed out. Netto looked down at himself. He was tinted blue to show how he was just a consciousness uploaded to the net.
Netto would normally be synced with Rockman instead of running around as person data. However, their father had said that full synchro while Netto's body was being operated on would be dangerous.
"I want to explore," Netto decided. Rockman nodded, reminding his brother and Netop that they weren't to leave the Scilab computer. "I know that. It's fine. There's plenty to look at here."
Above them, their father chuckled to himself as he watched his two children roam around. It was the lightest he felt in days, although it could be worry making him lightheaded. This was one of the safeguards he had in place so that he would not lose Netto should the worst happen.
Suddenly Netto was hit by an invisible force, like a large rubber band snapping against the back of his head. He stumbled to his knees, head stinging. He didn't hear Rockman calling his name or when his brother called for their father. He felt like he needed to throw up but couldn't. He retched and whimpered.
Netto slumped in Rockman's arms. Rockman looked up at their father. He had followed their father's instructions, transferring the shutdown protocol sent to him into Netto.
"What's going on?" he said. Netto was still as a statue. Megaman still picked up warmth from him, his brother still processing, still online.
Their father's expression was hidden. His hair fell over his eyes as he kept his gaze on what he was typing.
"Papa! What's going on?" Rockman called again.
He received no answer. The data which made up his brother seemed to shudder and fuzz at the edges. "Papa!" he bellowed.
A panel in front of him opened up, a pod coming out of it.
"Put Netto in there," Dr Hikari said.
Rockman glared up at his father as he lifted his brother's unconscious data body and placed it upright in the pod. The pod grasped the data, holding it upright as the door closed.
Now Dr Hikari could work on the data which made up his youngest son. Rockman looked from his father to the pod and back again.
A couple of weeks ago, Netto had been diagnosed with HBD, just like Saito had been as a baby. But there was a cure for HDB. The cure was why Netto was currently in surgery. It was supposed to work. Netto was supposed to live.
"Papa," Rockman said, his voice quiet. Dr Hikari didn't hear it. Rockman wasn't sure he wanted the answer to his unspoken question just yet. As if to spite him, an email came through for his father at the very moment. It was a summons from the hospital.
The language was written to be sympathetic, 'we know this must be a shock,' 'going through a tough time,' 'support of family,' 'support from our caring staff,' and all requesting that Dr Hikari come down because his son, Netto Hikari, had just died on the operating table.
Rockman's legs gave way. Tears dripped from his eyes to the ground, vanishing into data bits the moment they landed. Finally, he let out a sob and wail. He didn't care if his father heard him. He didn't care that his father was currently working to save Netto's consciousness.
Everything was going to change. Netto Hikari was dead.
Hub distantly heard someone calling for him. He yawned and opened his eyes just enough to focus on the world outside.
"What?" he mumbled into his arm. His PET was sitting in it's holder on his school desk. Inside, a very frustrated orange and yellow navi was frowning at him.
"It's lunchtime!" Megaman huffed. "You should be getting something to eat and talking with friends! Not sleeping!"
"Maybe I like sleeping," Hub countered with another yawn. "Besides, Mick and the others don't mind."
Megaman huffed and crossed his arms. Hub wondered if the attitude was because Mick seemed to try and fight with Lan whenever they met, behaviour he didn't show towards Hub.
"When was the last time you spoke to someone aside from me? Just to talk and not because the situation called for it?"
"..." Or maybe his digitised brother just wanted him to have friends. He had been distancing himself from people and navis a lot lately. "Sorry. Do you know where they went for lunch?"
Megaman grinned smugly. "Of course. They're on their way back now. Mick's navi told me so."
Hub smiled fondly at his navi. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Not having to do school work? Yeah!"
That wasn't what Hub had meant but he guessed it didn't matter. When they had moved here, their parents had taken a little convincing to let Hub be the one to go to school. However, it was with the promise that Lan would study as well. Lan just did everything online now as a distance student. It actually seemed to be a model which suited Lan and left his days free to be Hub's navi, Megaman.
Hub paused as he spotted a flyer in a window. It was for a new store opening soon.
"Higsby's Battle Chip shop?" he mused to himself. "Tab's family won't be happy about the competition."
"Who cares?" Megaman commented snarkily from the PET. He pointed at another thing on the sign. "They're going to have a Netbattle Competition."
"I suppose you want to enter?" Hub wasn't against that. The only question was, "as Hub and Megaman or Lan and Rock?"
"Papa'll be mad if Rockman makes an appearance, even if it's at a local competition. We'll have to go in as Hub and Megaman."
"And that's not because you want to experience battle against other navis?"
"And it's not because you want to try your skills against other operators?" Megaman countered.
The twins smiled at each other and laughed. Hub punched the air. "Okay, let's do this!"
Hub dressed in a white long sleeved shirt and pulled on a blue vest. He had almost put on one of Lan's pairs of pants that morning but Megaman had quickly corrected him. He had put away the pair with the orange-yellow stripe and pulled out the pair with the light blue stripe.
"Nervous?" Megaman asked.
Hub nodded. He was so nervous, he could barely speak. This was going to be their first competition like this. He really wanted to win and he didn't want his brother to get hurt.
"It'll be fine," Megaman said with a smile. He was ready and willing. "We're going to destroy the competition!"
"Y-yeah," Hub responded nervously. He took a deep breath. It was almost time. He clipped on his roller-skates as, after six months, he was just as quick as Lan was. Going fast always made him feel better and he was down at the new shop in no time flat.
"Oi! Hikari!" a voice called out harshly.
Hub went as stiff as a board and he mechanically turned to see who had called him. Mick walked over, a light scar on the side of his face and messy hair across his forehead.
"What's up? You entering too?"
Hub stumbled over words for a moment before saying that he was.
"Hah! I don't know what competition you'll be! I'm sure my navi and I will beat you!"
Hub frowned. "I don't know about that. I think Megaman and I can take you." He smiled at Mick. "But I guess we're going to have a chance to find out, aren't we? Good luck."
Mick huffed. "I don't need luck. Good luck though, Hub."
"Why is he nice to you?" Megaman questioned in shock. As Lan, Megaman had almost gotten into a fight with Mick more than once.
"Maybe it's because I'm nice back and I don't start a fight."
"Sure," Megaman responded in a disbelieving tone, crossing his arms over his symbol.
Hub spotted the line to sign up and joined it. He wondered what kinds of navis would be in this competition. They could probably make a couple of new friends here. Maybe. Hub always felt a heavy weight in his chest whenever he thought about friends.
His missed Rockman's friends… he missed his girlfriend…
"HUB! Stop daydreaming! It's our turn!"
Hub blinked and jolted right out of his thoughts. He apologised to the young lady taking names and wrote his own down. She looked familiar but it could have just been the maid uniform reminding him of the people who had worked for one of Lan's old friends.
