Chapter Two: The Maze

Faint blue light flickered and flashed with each passing frame. It encroached upon the darkness in the room and revealed hints of the writing on the walls. Kana and kanji melted together in the night; their lines swirled and blended. They were a testament to the writer's genius, for instead of mere words and phrases, he combined characters and symbols into a great mural—an artistic masterpiece.

But that night, he didn't write. He'd put to plaster his thoughts and ramblings long enough. That night, he watched. His eyes locked onto the screen, where the battle unfolded.

"Pocket Aces!"

He leaned forward. As Echo dealt Cardman a deathblow, the explosion illuminated the viewer's face, which bore a pattern of perpendicular lines. The creamy contours broadened; his lips parted, and his jaw hung open.

"It's quieter now."

"Who are you?" he asked the screen. "Why do you do this?"

"Soon it will all be silent again."

The screen faded to black, and yellow light flooded the room. Mazeman rose. A PET lay on the coffee table before him. He aligned the laser with the port on the copyroid's chest, and his robot body slumped on the sofa, lifeless.

1

These people, these navis—they have no appreciation for the mysteries of life.

Mazeman strolled along the main thoroughfare of Internet City. Many navis walked this path, but none were like him. They all had errands to do, humans to serve. Granted, most would not have an existence without human masters; Mazeman was no exception. In death, the generous puzzle master Satou Haruki had bestowed upon his navi the most profound gift of all: the gift of freedom, to roam not only the cyberworld but the human world as well. Mazeman became Haruki's successor as Lord of Satou Manor and ruled it through the body of a copyroid.

But this day, Mazeman had business in the cyberworld—a puzzle worthy of Satou-sama's interest, were he still alive.

Mazeman ducked under the caution tape and entered the ruins of the Treble Clef. This was not his first visit here. Indeed, since he'd heard of Cardman's deletion—of the identity of the white navi, Echo—he'd made investigating the site of the original incident a daily ritual. Over there, by the register, was a copy of Moonlight Sonata, shattered and displaced when Mazeman tripped over it three days prior.

He wasn't here to ponder the destruction of Beethoven's work, though. He was here to solve a mystery.

Who is Echo?

And the answer lay somewhere within the broken store. He waded down the aisles and stepped over loose debris from displays or files. In one area, near the midpoint of the store, the shelves had toppled over, and the floor bore scoring marks…

—

"Mach Burst!"

The waves distorted the air; they fractured the flying helmet and triggered the blast…

—

Mazeman fingered a scar on his hip—an artifact of the repair process, one easily eliminated, but he had opted to keep it. It reminded him of what happened that day. It reminded him of how much worse it could've been…had Echo not intervened.

She saved us. Some of us.

Mazeman walked behind the counter. This is where she stood. This is where Sonicman was when he died.

Why did she see fit not to save him? Why did she wait until the last possible moment?

—

"Dig out the wound," Grove said. "We need to get all the damaged data out of him before he can heal."

Mazeman slid his hands into the pick-shaped hole. He cupped his fingers and dumped the corrupted data on the floor.

—

It was where Pickman had died, too. Echo replicated his pick and slaughtered him with it.

How did she do that?

But there was no "blood." There was no evidence. A deleted navi is dust in the wind, and the wind carried Sonicman and Pickman far and away. Their bodies could not testify to Echo's methods or psyche. Their bodies were lost forever.

It'd almost be easier if they had been human.

"What are you doing?"

Hunched behind the register, Mazeman sprang up. A small navi in a white skirt, with a dunce cap for a hat, peered into the doorway.

"I'm just looking around," Mazeman said.

"It's dangerous here, isn't it?"

"Says the little girl navi."

"I'm just saying." The girl entered the store and stood across from Mazeman, on the other side of the counter.

"The structure is quite sound, I assure you. I've been here many times."

"You have? Why?"

"I'm looking for something."

"Something you lost?"

"No, I'm looking for—" He frowned. "Haven't I seen you before?"

"Have you?"

"You were here, weren't you? When all this happened?"

She nodded.

"What's your name?"

"Imi."

"Tell me, Imi: do you remember the navi that saved us?"

"What do you mean?"

"The tall navi. She had green hair and gloves. She attacked the bomb before it could delete those two navis, the blue one and the pink one."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Is that right. Well, I'm looking for her."

"Why?"

"So many reasons, my dear, so many reasons, but I can't seem to make any headway."

"Maybe she doesn't want to be found."

"I'm sure she doesn't, but there must be some way to—" Mazeman cocked his head and stroked his chin. "Hmm, that's a thought."

"What is?"

"Perhaps the answer isn't to look for Echo; perhaps the answer is to lure her to me."

"How would you do that?"

He chuckled. "So many questions! My, aren't you the precocious one! I hope you never stop asking these questions, little one, it's good for the mi—" He reached out to pat her shoulder, but she backpedaled. "Something wrong?"

"I don't like to be touched. I should go now."

"Wait!"

She dashed out.

Mazeman folded his arms. "Odd little girl."

It was no matter, though. He had an idea, and though Mazeman was loathe to let a mystery go unsolved, the question of Echo would take precedence over this little girl.

2

Bags. Packed bags, barren walls. A bed, perfect and pristine, for no one slept in it—not today, not yesterday, not the day before. Nakamura Hideki much preferred an armchair to a bed these days. He wasn't sleeping, not three hours past noon anyway, but he wished he could, for in a scientist's world, there is only one thing reviled more than all else:

Logistics.

Logistics meant ordering. Logistics meant billing, and billing meant paying. Ordering was bad enough: "Yes, I need to order some human egg cells. No, I'm not using them for in-vitro fertilization. No, I'm not using them for fertility treatments. What am I using them for? Uh, never mind, I'll try someplace else, thanks, bye."

And as a scientist, Hideki quickly realized that there was an inverse relationship between the number of questions a supplier asked and how much they charged. The more questions, the more reasonable the price. The fewer questions, the more exorbitant. Since Hideki desperately needed there to be as few questions as possible, he was forced to pay up. He had all but spent the rest of Yuuichirou's budget. Without some outside financing, neither of their children would see the light of day again.

Ding-dong!

Hideki opened the door and stared in the face of a man—no, a thing—covered in black with cream-colored lines all over his body.

He shut the door. "I'm not donating to the kidney foundation this year, sorry!"

"Nakamura-hakase! A moment of your time, please!"

Hideki froze. He went back to the door and flung it open. "How do you know who I am?"

"I pride myself on my ability to solve puzzles."

"You're a navi, a copyroid."

"Precisely."

"What do you want?"

"I'm very interested in your research."

"My research? I don't do research anymore."

"I'm speaking of your prior research into…what was it? 'Imitative algorithms'?"

Hideki's gut clenched. He staggered and held onto the doorknob to steady himself.

"Hakase?"

"I'm sorry," Hideki said. "I won't discuss any of my research into that area. Please leave."

"Isn't there some sort of arrangement we could work out?"

"No! There will be no arrangement! I put that work behind me long ago. Leave, now!" He slammed the door in the copyroid's face. He had no time for this; he had work to do. He walked back to his desk, and—

"I can pay!"

Hideki stopped mid-stride. "How much?"

"How much do you need?"

—

Mazeman left Nakamura Hideki-hakase's apartment a happy navi. "Just slot-in this chip," Nakamura had said, "and you'll be able to mimic the attacks and appearance of any navi you come across. Just be warned: there may be some side effects."

"What kind of side effects?"

"Why do you think I don't do research in 'imitative algorithms' anymore?"

Whatever the price, it was worth paying. Echo hadn't struck again since her attack on Cardman. That was a pity; her motivation was hard to determine without more information, more attacks, but it would be plausible to all involved if she were to strike again.

And Mazeman knew just the two navis for the job.

—

"I'm telling you, we didn't do it!"

A set of scales appeared on the table. "The scales tell us the power of the case for and against you," said the lawyer navi, Scaleman.

The scale tipped to one side.

"The case against you is very strong."

Plasticman shook his head. "You don't understand. I mean we didn't do it the first time!"

"The first time?"

"He told the cops that we trashed his store, but we didn't, did we, Helmetman?"

The scuba helmet nodded.

"What's your point?" said Scaleman.

"The only reason we went back there was to punish him for lying," said Plasticman. "He shouldn't have blamed his problem on us."

"If you three didn't trash Sonicman's store 'the first time,' then who did?"

The two handcuffed navis shrugged.

"I see. Either way, I don't see how that's going to help you win your case."

"Look, we didn't intend to hurt anybody!" Plasticman said. "We just defended ourselves."

"Thanks to you two, Sonicman is dead, Pickman is dead…the honest truth is that you're going to go down for both of those deaths."

"But we didn't kill Pickman! That navi—that Echo—she did it."

"Well, unless you can somehow get Echo in here to be charged—"

BAM! Virtual bricks scattered on the ground, and a cloud of smoke filled the room.

And through the breach in the wall stepped Echo.

"That's her!"

"What is the meaning of—"

"Mach Burst!" The wave propelled the lawyer and his scales into the far wall and knocked him out.

Helmetman and Plasticman stumbled from their chairs, their hands still bound. "What are you doing?" cried Plasticman.

Echo's hand morphed into a pickaxe. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

—

As police navis surrounded the scene, no one noticed a navi clad in silk escape from the jail. She hurried down an alley, where she glowed with a piercing light. She emerged from this transformation not as a she but a he—as Mazeman.

"Brilliant!" Mazeman said. "Absolutely brilliant! Now those two scum of the earth are gone (and good riddance to them, after all the trouble they caused), and everyone will think Echo did it. She won't be able to escape that kind of manhunt!"

But a voice rang out in the alley. It reverberated and stacked upon itself in one last scream.

'No! You can't delete me! You monster! I am Plasticman! I am—I am…'

Mazeman looked around. How was this possible? Plasticman was dead by his hand.

The scream faded out, though, and Mazeman went on his way.

3

"She just attacked," said Scaleman. "Before I even knew it, I was out cold."

Rockman ducked into the hole and knelt beside two pairs of handcuffs, the only remains of Plasticman and Helmetman. "And you're sure it was Echo?"

"Positive."

At that, Imi left Roll's side and marched down the street, back the way they came.

"Imi-chan, where are you going?"

How is this possible? I didn't do this. I wasn't there.

'Are you sure? Maybe you forgot. Maybe you did do it; maybe you're driven to kill.'

I'm not! I'm not I'm not I'm not!

' "Soon it will all be quiet." Aren't those your words?'

I didn't mean it.

'You did too! You want to, don't you?'

'You're unstable. You're broken, and you need to be fixed.'

I'm not!

'Don't say that to Imi. The four of you are just pushing her to insanity.'

'Oh boo-hoo, kid. Can't you make like the others and stay silent when you die?'

Stop it! Stop it! Be quiet!

'Come now, little one, can't you exert a little brainpower to decipher this puzzle?'

Imi stopped. It was you. It was you, wasn't it? You did this! You tried to frame me.

'I can't speak to the whereabouts or actions of my other self, you know that.'

He wants to find me. He wants to find Echo.

'Then perhaps it's time to meet the real me again.'

—

Echo materialized in Mazeman's network, but what awaited her was not at all what she expected.

"What…is this?"

Glowing, melting barriers blocked her way. Her hand sank into the wall like it was made of goo.

"Fine then. I'll just walk through it."

She dashed forward and waded through the goo, and after a moment of struggle, she emerged on the other side…

…right back where she started.

'You'll have to do better than that. Come on, use your head.'

"Mach Burst!" The wall swallowed the wave whole…and spat it back out at her, knocking her off her feet.

'I must say, my other self has been busy. This is something even I hadn't anticipated.'

She couldn't go through it, and she couldn't go around it. With no other options, Echo entered the maze. She dragged a finger through the green wall goo. Stick to one wall and follow it to the end—that was the cardinal rule of mazes. Not necessarily quick, but 100 effective.

Of course, finding the exit was not the hardest part. Getting there, on the other hand…

What should I expect?

'It seems the real me has been making improvements. I won't be able to tell you what exactly you might face.'

But…

'Just take what you want from my mind, why don't you.'

Always willing to oblige, Echo searched the cavities of Mazeman's memory. She indexed hundreds of entries on maze traps: some real and implemented, others hypothetical but possible, and others still that were speculative at best, downright intractable at worst.

You spend too much time on these mazes.

'It is what I'm designed to do. Isn't that what you're doing, too?'

Be quiet.

'That's the answer for everything, isn't it? If Echo tells you to be quiet, you'd better be quiet, or else she'll delete the real you; that's a promise.'

Be quiet.

'It's pathetic, really. Just can't handle a bit of a party, can you. Honestly, I don't see why the real me is so interested in finding you. If he knew half of what I know—'

"Be quiet!"

The goo dampened her voice, but it still echoed throughout the maze, as the walls turned it around and tossed it back at her.

'Careful, it's a trap.'

The walls fanned out, opening a large space in front of her. What trap was this? The cannon trap? The ball trap?

The floor rumbled.

'Nope, it's the spike trap.'

What could she do? How could she avoid the spikes?

'Personally? I would run.'

Run?

'RUN!'

Spikes sprang from the floor. Echo dashed across the gap. She spun and danced around the spikes, but their positions were random—she never knew when or where one was coming.

When one spike mangled her hand, it came as a big surprise. 'Careful, little one. They're sharp!'

But Echo cleared the spike room, leaving their bobbing points behind her. Despite the loss of her hand, she pressed onward.

'I guess you'll have to speak to Grove about getting that fixed later, huh?'

Be quiet.

She dragged the stub of her hand in the gooey maze wall; her data bled into the wall and seeped out as a faint mist.

More rumbling. What's this, more spikes?

'I'm guessing it's the ball trap.'

The wall hardened; Echo's stubby arm stuck in the solid goo. She pulled and yanked and tugged, to no avail.

And up ahead, at the corner, the ball slammed into a parallel wall, halting abruptly.

'All we have to do is give it a little push…'

The perpendicular wall reared back and kicked the ball forward, toward Echo, at lethal speed.

"Mach Burst!"

The wave sliced through the ball; it ripped and fragmented, but the pieces carried forward under the ball's momentum. Echo hugged the wall, but a chunk of debris slashed at her knees.

'That's a bit more serious.'

As the remaining pieces tumbled to a stop, the wall liquefied again, freeing her arm. With her one good, free hand, she channeled her energy into her severed legs. Soon enough, she could walk again, but she wished she could crawl instead.

But she did neither. She flew. Or rather, she floated, floated within the confines of a bubble. It carried her into the sky, far above the walls of the maze.

There! There was the exit, the end of the maze. And beyond those double doors…Mazeman's chambers.

But how to get down from here…

'Far be it for Echo to burst her own bubble.'

The Paladin Sword popped the bubble well enough. The fall nearly popped Echo. But she picked herself up and staggered through the remainder of the maze, knowing the way to the exit. With her good hand, she propped the steel door open long enough to slip through.

And Mazeman—the real Mazeman, resting comfortably in his swivel chair—applauded Echo's performance. "Very good, very good! Quite the effort for your first time, bravo!"

"I didn't come here for your amusement."

"Indeed? What does bring the great and powerful Echo to my abode?"

"You copied me. You killed those navis and made it look like I did it. How?"

"I assume you're referring to Plasticman and Helmetman? I must say, that was quite a shame, though they were such miscreants I can't say I mourn their demise. What makes you think I was responsible for that?"

"It's something you would do."

"It is? How do you know me so well?"

"How did you copy me?"

"Can't we trade a secret for a secret? Please?"

You're being cagey.

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

Mazeman rose from his chair and walked toward her. "I've been looking for you for so long now. You're a mystery to me, and I was made to solve mysteries. So if you want to know something about me, isn't it fair that I know something about you?"

'I think the only way you'll get your answer is if you touch him, Echo.'

Echo grimaced. That was the last thing Imi wanted to do, but it was also the most direct, the most effective. "Tell me how you copied me, or I'll take the secret from you myself."

"Oh? And just how would you do that?"

"Like this. Area Steal!"

Mazeman shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. Predictable. Dead End!"

A section of maze appeared behind him and slammed the emerging Echo into the wall. Mazeman strode calmly to her side and cocked his head in thought. "Just what did you think that would accomplish?"

Echo wiggled and squirmed in her bindings, but in her weakened state, they pinned her well.

"I don't think you're going to get out; you took quite a beating."

But she slid an arm free and swiped at Mazeman, who ducked. He stepped back, just beyond her outstretched arm, her fingers grasping for every last inch.

"Just what are you trying to do?"

Realizing the futility, Echo opted for a different tack. "Paladin Sword!" She sliced the maze wall from her body, but she collapsed to a knee, exhausted.

"Just one little secret. That's all I ask."

"No!" She lunged at him, but he sidestepped. Again and again she clawed and dove at him, but he evaded her attacks with ease.

"Maze Barrier!"

A panel of maze wall emerged from the floor, and Echo smashed into it head-on. Though she still held her footing, she couldn't shake the daze from the impact.

"You are so uncooperative."

"You want to know my secret?" she said. "Touch me."

Mazeman approached giddily, but he caught a glimpse of her intent gaze. He stopped. "No, I won't touch you."

"Touch me!"

He wagged a finger at her. "I'm smarter than that. You'll have to do better next time."

Echo growled. "I'll be back for you. You'll tell me, whether you want to or not."

"I look forward to it. It should be fun!"

With a parting glare, Echo plugged out.

—

"Imi-chan, where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Petite Imi lay on the floor. She hadn't the luxury to close her eyes; with Roll wide awake, she was far too likely to try to touch her again.

'Wouldn't want to have more company up here, now would we?'

"You were right," Imi said. "I shouldn't have come; it was too much for me."

"Don't run away like that again, though, okay? If Echo is out there—"

"You don't have to tell me about Echo."

"I'm sorry. It's just that if Echo were to attack without Rockman or me around—"

Rockman? Yes, yes, Rockman would help, wouldn't he? "Where is Rockman-san?"

"I don't think '-san' is—"

"Where is he?"

Roll folded her arms and huffed. "Last I heard, he was seeing Grove. That's where we're going now."

4

"It's bad, Netto-kun. She destroyed everything; she deleted them without hesitation, without mercy."

"We will find her, Rockman. We'll stop her."

The blue bomber looked back on the destruction of the police station. Police navis lugged new data blocks to fill the hole Echo blasted out.

"We need to warn them," he said. "She attacked Cardman, and now Plasticman and Helmetman. They were all there, at the music store."

"You think she's after them?" asked his operator.

"I don't know, but we should warn them."

"What do we say?"

"We tell them Echo is here."

"End of the line!"

The subway train broke to a halt, and Netto disembarked. He waded through the crowd, sneaking into any open space he could find in this mass of bodies. It was bad enough that the station was packed; it was worse still that he had to swim against the current of people, most of whom were bound for the high-speed trains out of the city.

Netto wasn't going quite that far, but this was by no means a simple hike down the street on his skates. The boy with the blue bandana ascended the stairs and saw daylight once again. Though weary travelers stepped around him and obstructed his view, Netto picked out his destination, nestled among the hills of the outskirts of town. When pavement ran out under his feet, he hoofed it the old-fashioned way and trudged up the gravel roads. Soon enough, he stood atop a small cliff, overlooking a jagged, rectangular pit.

"Akihara Quarry," a sign read.

"Excuse me!" Netto cried. "Does anyone know Yukawa-san?"

The quarry workers below hammered and lugged the stone of the earth without interruption; if they heard Netto over the screech of the jackhammers or the blasts of dynamite, they showed no sign of it.

Undeterred, Netto called out to the workers again. "Oi! I need to talk to Yukawa-san! Doesn't anybody know Yukawa-san?"

"Keep that up, kid, and you'll get someone killed!" A burly, lumbering man with a white helmet and buttoned shirt shook a pencil at Netto. "If you distract the workers for even a second, you put their lives in danger. Do you understand me?"

"I'm sorry," Netto said. "I just need to speak to Yukawa-san."

"I'm responsible for all these miners. If you have something to say to one of them, you can say it to me."

"I need to warn him."

"About what?"

"We think a loose navi might try to delete his navi."

"I'm sure Yukawa and his navi can take care of themselves."

"This navi is powerful," Rockman said. "She can copy anything you use against her—even a program advance."

"Your concern is noted. Now I must ask that you leave. Unless you have a hard hat, you can't be within 100 meters of the quarry."

"But—"

"No buts. Leave, now!"

Defeated, Netto shuffled his feet on the gravel road, on the way back to the subway.

When the boy was out of sight, the overseer pulled his PET from his pocket. "Do you hear that, Slateman? A navi that can copy a program advance…"

—

"Netto, where are you? I already finished my piano lesson. Didn't you want to do our homework?"

"I still have a few errands to run, Meiru-chan. Can you wait a while?"

"Errands? You don't run errands."

"I do! I do…sometimes. Mama wanted me to buy some fish for tonight."

The redhead leaned forward, into the screen. "Oh? Is that why you're on Casino Row?"

Netto glanced over his shoulder. The billboards and advertisements for blackjack and roulette flashed and spun with nauseating speed.

"Gotta go, Meiru-chan!" The screen went blank, and Netto strapped the PET back to his shoulder with a sigh.

"It's rude to hang up on people in the middle of a call, Netto-kun."

"There was no other way, Rockman. If Meiru-chan found out what we were doing, she would be here in no time."

"It's still rude. Especially to Meiru-chan; she's your friend."

"She is my friend, but—"

"No buts. When we get back, you should apologize to her, face-to-face."

Is that everyone's favorite phrase today? "Okay, okay. When we get back." He stopped; he craned his neck, but the building before him extended to the clouds—no, to outer space. "Is this it?"

"The Victorian," Rockman read. "Yes, this is it."

Netto walked through a pair of glass doors and into a sea of blinking lights and musical chimes. It was an environment designed to dazzle the senses, to confound and perplex as long as possible.

After all, a disoriented gambler was much, much more likely to stay put and let the house swindle him.

But oh, the sights, the sounds! The lever cranks as you pull it; what will it be this time? Lucky 7s? Jackpot? Ping ping ping! The reels stop. Tingalingalingaling! The coins pour through the chute, and you're a winner.

"That's right; you could be a winner today!" And in the middle of it all, a man in a two-tone suit—one half black, one half red—enticed the newcomers to partake of the various and sundry vices. "Come right up, boys and girls! The slots are hot! The tables are smoking! Don't forget to go for a spin! You could be a winner today!"

"I could be a loser today, too," Netto said with a nervous chuckle.

"We're not here to gamble, Netto-kun," Rockman said.

"How can we find Ikeda-san with all this noise, these people?"

"Step right up and try your luck!" said the two-tone suit. "You could be a winner!"

"He's a little cheesy, isn't he?" Netto said.

"He's trying to get people to play," Rockman said.

"They're already in the casino; doesn't that mean they're playing?"

"You can't win if you don't play!"

Now the suit's navi was getting in on the fun. The digital roulette wheel danced atop the suit's red shoulder and waved his arms.

"Netto-kun, I think that's Rouletteman, which means…"

"That's Ikeda-san, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, kid, are you 18?" Two pairs of black sunglasses and earpieces took Netto by each arm.

"What? No, I'm not here to gamble! I just need to talk to Ikeda-san!"

"No one under 18 is allowed in the casino; rules are rules!"

"But I'm a Net—"

"NO BUTS!"

The bodyguards promptly tossed Netto to the curb. Had he landed any harder, he wouldn't have had any butt left, either.

—

Ikeda Kousuke apologized profusely for the behavior of his security guards. He also took great concern for the threat of Echo; Cardman was a personal friend of Rouletteman, after all, and to hear of his deletion brought great sadness to both of them.

Netto never would have known that by the way Ikeda went back to extolling the virtues of the craps tables.

With two out of four operators behind him (along with an aching rear), Netto skated (somewhat gingerly) to a red-brick corner flower shop, one that served excellent tea.

The rosy-cheeked store owner glanced up from her watering duties. "Ah, Netto-kun, welcome!"

"Good afternoon, Saloma-san!"

"What brings you here today?"

"Actually, I was looking for Egami-san, and…" He winced. "…perhaps a cup of tea."

The florist set her watering pail on the floor and prepared a fresh kettle. "Are you in some pain?"

Netto eased himself into a chair, clenching his teeth. "No, no pain."

"I see. I'll get Egami-chan while this is brewing." Saloma disappeared into a back room.

"She could've put something in the tea for you if you'd said something, Netto-kun," said his navi.

"It doesn't hurt that much."

"Netto-kun, you're lying."

"I am not."

"There is no shame in admitting that you're hurt."

"IT'S NOT THAT I'M HURT! IT'S THAT I GOT BOUNCED OUT OF A CASINO ON MY A—"

"Netto-kun?"

Netto's head spun to the storage room door, where Egami Aya strode into the room, hopping over bags of fertilizer and boxes of potted plants. Having overcome the obstacle course, she landed in the empty chair, opposite Netto, and retied her azure braids.

"You don't look well, Netto-kun."

"That's what Rockman said, but I'm fine! Really! I'm really fine!"

"Rockman?" Her eyes flittered to Netto's shoulder, where Rockman stood. "Oh, hello Rockman!"

"Good afternoon, Egami-san."

"Grove told me all about what happened at the music store." Egami dug into her apron and planted her PET on the table. The eggplant navi appeared and bowed. "I was hoping you would come. I have something for you, something I grew. I tried to convince Grove to make something for Rockman—"

"I meant no disrespect," Grove said, "but I thought it best not to remind either of you of such a distressing ordeal."

"I understand, Grove," said Rockman.

Egami shrugged. "Well, that's Grove for you. It doesn't stop me from giving you a gift, though. In fact—" A sharp hiss. "Oh, that must be your tea. I'll be right back with your gift, too."

"Eheheh," Netto said; his eyes shifted back and forth. "I wonder what kind of gift…"

"She said it was something she grew," Rockman noted, "but that could be any number of things."

Egami poured four cups of tea and ducked into the back room.

Four cups? One for me, one for Egami-san, one for Saloma-san…who else?

But at the moment, he was alone in the shop, with the two ladies in the back room. Who else was there, unless they were expecting company, someone like—

"Netto!"

A fiery redhead fumed in the doorway.

Oh God, gods, or even divine pasta creatures, if any of you can help me now…

5

"Gotta go, Meiru-chan!"

Meiru gaped at the blank screen.

"Meiru-chan?" said her navi. "Meiru-chan!"

She slumped on the piano stool and gazed into the ceiling.

"Don't be mad at Netto-kun, he's—"

"Running errands." She righted herself, squared her shoulders, and tapped the ivory keys. An A for a beat, down to E for another, up to C for two. A, E, C beat; A, E, C beat. There was hidden meaning in that A-minor triad. Meiru pounded on the chord, pounded it into the dirt, pounded it until her fingers slipped off the keys altogether.

"Meiru-chan?"

"What is it, Roll?"

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Perfectly fine."

"Are you…finished?"

"I don't think so. I think there's more."

"I think you've played enough today, Meiru-chan."

"It's not finished yet."

"But Meiru-chan—" The ring-ring of a video call cut off the pink navi. "Oh, Meiru-chan, a call for you."

"Is it Netto? If it is, I don't want to talk to him."

"It's Egami-san."

"Egami-san? I wonder what she wants. Hello, Egami-san?"

Egami's pearly grin lit up the screen. "Meiru-chan, it's nice to talk to you again."

It is? "You seem really happy; what happened?"

"Can you come by Saloma's shop? We're having tea."

"We are?"

"Yes, Netto-kun and I. I'd like for you to come, too, if you have time."

She's having tea with Netto. That's not too bad, right? She's having TEA with NETTO?

"Oh, Egami-san, I'll be right over!"

"That's great! See you then!"

Meiru buried her PET in her pocket, slipped on her shoes, and jumped on her scooter. Passing pedestrians, old ladies on walkers, small children with balloons—they were all fair game to be shoved, clipped, or knocked out of her way. She whipped open the door to Saloma's flower parlor and caught Netto's gaze. The poor boy turned the color of death itself.

He knows he's done wrong. He knows!

"Meiru-chan? What are you doing here?"

"That's what I should be asking!" She stomped into the store and towered over her brunet classmate. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Egami-san."

"Oh, so you admit it!"

"Admit…what?"

"Ah, Meiru-chan!" Egami skipped toward them, one hand behind her back, oblivious to their argument. "I'm so glad you could make it, Meiru-chan! Oh, Netto-kun, this is for you!"

Her concealed hand came forward, revealing the ruby petals of a red rose.

YOU'RE GIVING HIM A—

"F-f-for me?"

"Well, if you want, I can give this one to Meiru-chan and give you hers. A rose is a rose, after all."

Netto wrapped his fingers around the stem and took the rose as his own, and Meiru, stupefied, sat frozen while Egami returned to the storage room and retrieved another rose, just for her.

"Maybe you could give it to someone special," Egami said. "That'd be nice, wouldn't it?"

Maybe I could if you hadn't done that already. Meiru snatched the rose from her hand. "Thanks, Aya-san."

"Meiru-chan, nobody calls me Aya. I hate that name."

"I know."

Egami's brow wrinkled as she lifted the cup of tea to her lips. Netto did the same. Meiru observed a strict one-meter distance from the cup at all times, as much as she loved Saloma's tea.

"So, Netto-kun, what brought you here in the first place?"

"I was wondering if you'd heard about Cardman."

"Cardman? Who is Cardman?"

"He was one of the navis at the store," Grove said. "We tried to save Sonicman, but it proved futile."

"Cardman was deleted," Rockman said. "By Echo."

"The navi that saved us?"

"I'm not sure she was trying to save us at all. She deleted Cardman and now Plasticman and Helmetman."

"Do you think Grove is in danger?" Egami said.

"We don't know," Netto said. "I thought you should be warned, just in case."

"We still have one navi left, Netto-kun."

"Who is it?"

"It's Mazeman."

—

Imi drummed her fingers as Netto and Meiru went to Mazeman's estate. It's about time they got to him.

But the journey there was far from silent.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to see the operators?"

"You had a piano lesson!"

"You still should've told me!"

"I don't see what the big deal—"

"Of course you don't, Netto. You never do."

Netto and Rockman exchanged a glance, but Rockman shrugged, and Netto shook his head. Though the tea had eased one source of pain, it left a bitter aftertaste. Bickering with Meiru was always a risky proposition, more often than not because he seldom knew what he'd done to offend her.

But then, he also knew better than to try to fix something he didn't understand. The task at hand would have to take precedence.

An iron gate and a maze of hedges blocked the way to Satou Manor.

"Definitely the work of Mazeman," Netto said, scaling the gate. "Well, here goes!"

"Netto, be careful!"

An orange vest and blue bandana tumbled to the concrete, hindquarters first.

"Netto!"

"Why?" he moaned. "Why again?"

"Netto-kun, plug me in," said Rockman. "We can contact Mazeman through the net."

"Right!" Netto spotted the plug-in ports beside the gate. "There we go. Plug-in, Rockman.EXE! Transmission!"

"Us too!" said Meiru. "Plug-in, Roll! Transmission!"

Rockman and Roll materialized outside the maze. "Netto-kun…"

"He has a maze in the cyberworld, too?"

"I can help!" To their surprise, Imi scampered up to Rockman and Roll. "I'm good at mazes."

Rockman nodded. "Let's go."

Outside the iron gate, Netto grasped the square poles and secured his feet on the crossbars.

Meiru was not amused. "Again, Netto?"

He hopped over the fence and fled into the maze. "Come on!"

"Wait for me!"

—

In the cybermaze, Imi led the charge without hesitation or uncertainty.

"How does she know?" Roll hung back with Rockman as they navigated an intersection, but Rockman shook his head. How did she know?

Imi stopped short at a large room. "Careful."

"What's to be careful about?" Roll said. She stepped forward, and the earth shook under her feat.

"Run!"

The spikes erupted from below; Imi bounded across the gap, much to Rockman's dismay. "Imi-chan, wait!"

"Rockman!"

He spotted Roll—a set of spikes encircled her, trapping her with no escape. "Roll-chan, stay still, okay?"

"Okay!"

Rockman's buster enveloped his arm, and his shots ripped at the base of the spikes. They crumbled and fell, and Roll fled the scene as another spike shot up behind her. To clear their path, Rockman canvassed the area with buster fire, and soon enough, they stood on solid ground, free of the spike trap, where Imi waited for them.

"Are you all right, Roll-chan?"

"Yeah."

Rockman nodded. "Imi-chan, don't—"

There was a conspicuous void where Imi had been.

"Come on!" Her voice echoed from beyond a corner, and Rockman and Roll followed.

But just who or what were they following?

—

"Netto!"

"Meiru-chan!"

"Netto!"

The brunet boy gritted his teeth. He whirled and spun, but his gaze couldn't penetrate the hedgerows, and Meiru's voice died in the brush. Where was she?

"Netto!"

He leaned against the prickly bushes. "Meiru-chan?"

"Netto, I'm here!"

"Stay right there! I'm coming!"

He clawed and tore at the leaves, but for each one he snapped from the bush, another one laid in wait behind it, and their points scratched and cut his hands. It's no good. I can't go through the bush.

He held his hands out; liquid crimson seeped from the wounds and dripped on the grass.

It drips…down, by the roots.

He dropped to all fours and peered under the bushes. Sure enough, there was room beneath the hedges, between the roots. "Meiru-chan, down here!"

She knelt down and met his gaze. "Netto!"

"I'm coming!" He flattened himself out and crawled, elbows first, through the underbrush. His knees and shoulders crashed into the wooden roots, but he slid through and emerged on Meiru's side of the hedge in mostly one piece.

"Are you hurt?"

Netto panted, and when their eyes met, his shone dull with fatigue. "Let's keep going, huh?"

"Right."

—

"Imi-chan, how do you know where you're going?" asked Roll.

"I'm 'intuitive.' At least, I think that's what it's called."

"Your creator must've been very smart to program you."

Imi halted.

"What's wrong?" asked Rockman. "Is there another trap?"

"No, not yet."

Roll peeked around a corner. "Where is it then?"

Imi flinched. There was a low vibration in the distance.

"It was there?" Roll said.

A nod.

Roll poked her head around the corner again. "There's a big ball coming."

Another nod.

"Okay, everybody get back."

Rockman raised an eyebrow. "Roll-chan, what are you going to do?"

The bow and arrow engulfed her arm. She pulled the string taut and shut one eye as she aimed.

"Wait!" Imi said. "It's just going to break—"

The arrow flew. Boom!

And Roll's self-satisfied smile faded to shock.

"Roll-san, run!"

Roll sprinted back toward Rockman and Imi, and the fragments of the boulder whammed the maze wall.

And all was quiet.

"That was amazing, Roll-chan!"

A splash of pink tinged her cheeks. "Thank you, Rockman."

"Come on," Imi said. "There's one more trap."

—

After much bumbling and much stumbling, Netto and Meiru left the hedges behind them and ascended the steps to Satou Manor.

"Mazeman-sama will see you when his business is finished," said the butler, who escorted them to a sitting room.

"But our navis are inside his maze!" Netto said.

"I'm afraid that's only for Mazeman-sama to remedy."

As soon as the butler left, Netto stomped out of the room.

Meiru protested. "Netto, where are you going? What about Rockman? Or Roll?"

"Everything all right, Rockman?"

"So far. We had some trouble with the traps, and there's one more a—"

"Rockman? Rockman!"

Rockman punched and kicked at the bubble that enclosed him, to no avail.

"Netto-kun, Air Shoes!"

"Right! Battle Chip: Air Shoes, slot-in!"

Rockman leaned back and pointed his buster as far away from himself as he could. In one shot, the bubble burst, and the Air Shoes lowered Rockman to safety.

"Meiru-chan! Rockman!"

Roll squirmed in her own bubble, unable to free herself.

"Roll-chan, pop it! I'll catch you!"

"Okay! Heart Slash!"

Rockman leapt high, aided by the Air Shoes, and Roll fell into his arms. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, and he lowered her to her feet. "Um…" She looked around. "Where's Imi-chan?"

Rockman scanned the sky, but there was no trace of her in the air, either. "Imi-chan? Imi-chan!"

But she was gone.

"We have to find Mazeman!" Netto said. "He can shut down this maze and find Imi."

"Look!" Rockman pointed down a passage, where light shone on the floor from a nearby turn. "That must be the exit!"

"Come on, Meiru-chan!" Netto said. "Mazeman's in this house somewhere, in his copyroid or on the net."

"Okay!"

—

Rockman grabbed a handle of the double steel doors. "You take that side; I'll get this one!"

Roll nodded and wrapped her hands around her handle. "Ready!"

"Pull!"

The doors creaked open, and the pair slipped inside.

But in Mazeman's chair, another figure sat.

"Echo!"

She rose. "It seems Mazeman has left us."

"What did you do to him?" Rockman demanded. "Tell me!"

"I did nothing. In fact, it's Mazeman that you're after."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roll said.

"I won't deny that I deleted Cardman or Pickman. You saw that for yourselves. But I had nothing to do with the murders of Plasticman or Helmetman. That was not my doing. That was Mazeman's."

"Why should we believe that?" said Rockman.

"He's obsessed—obsessed with me. He somehow copied my appearance; I don't know how."

"That's a lie if I ever heard it!" said Roll. "It's a pathetic story!"

"I met Mazeman today, and we fought. I didn't win. Rockman!" Echo spread her arms, inviting his attack. "Shoot me, Rockman. Fight me, if you must. You'd probably win."

"Shoot her, Rockman," said Roll. "Shoot her!"

"Rockbuster!" Rockman leveled his weapon on the white navi. "Come with us, Echo. I don't want to delete you."

"I won't."

Pew, pew! The buster bolts blasted Echo in the gut. She writhed in the chair, grunted and groaned, and squeezed the armrests.

"Give up!" Rockman yelled.

"I didn't kill them! You want Mazeman!"

Pew, pew! Another pair of blasts knocked her back in the seat, and damaged data streamed from the impact, but still she persisted.

"Mazeman! Find Mazeman!"

Rockman's aim wavered. "Netto-kun, what should I do? If I shoot her again, she could—"

"She deleted Cardman and Pickman. Do what you have to, Rockman. I'm with you!"

"Got it!" His hand steady, his eyes clear, Rockman had no doubt. This was what he had to do. Pink and purple energy collected at the tip of the buster and amassed for one spectacular burst. "Charge—"

"Rockman, wait!"

"—Shot!"

The beam incinerated all in its path, and a stream of smoke trailed from the crater, but as Meiru's voice echoed and faded, the debris cleared, and Echo still sat in Mazeman's chair.

"You missed," Echo said.

Relieved, Rockman lowered his buster, which reverted to his gloved hand. "I shot where I was supposed to shoot."

"Netto! Come look at this!"

He ran down a spiral stair, where Meiru stood at the foot of the steps.

"She was right," Meiru said. "It is Mazeman after all."

Netto pored over the walls, where kana and kanji blended together like a demented line drawing, and all over, there words and phrases were bound by one theme: who, what, where, when, and why. It was the who in particular, though. The one question that reared its confused head on every square inch of cream-colored paint.

"Who is Echo?"

5

She wanted to touch me. Why did she want to touch me?

"Nakamura-hakase! Nakamura-hakase, open up!"

The programmer and scientist cracked the door open. "You again? What more do you want?"

"I have a simple question. Is there a reason a navi with imitative algorithms would want to touch another navi?"

"Touch? I didn't write anything specific to touch. It's just another sense."

Mazeman's fingers crept along the doorframe. He could touch him right now, find out for himself. "Are you…quite sure, hakase?"

"Leave me be."

Mazeman lunged. "But hakase—"

Crunch! The door slammed shut on Mazeman's pinky and ring finger. He yanked the injured digits back through the door, which properly shut behind him.

"And don't come back!"

—

Mazeman favored his broken fingers as he walked back to his car. There had to be some way to figure this—

"Oof!" He collided with a yellow hooded sweatshirt.

"Pardon me," said the boy, and he bowed and went on his way.

Mazeman shook his head. "Kids."

'I wonder if Iceman is finished at the plant today.'

What was that?

'Huh? What's going on?'

"Are you talking to me?"

But the boy with the teal hood keep walking. And he didn't seem to be talking.

'How did you do this? Who are you?'

—

Mazeman strolled through town, on his way to nowhere. He rubbed elbows and brushed shoulders with the passers-by, and each one of them added a voice to his collection. Though the multitude of voices sometimes panicked him, every new addition emboldened him.

At last, Echo, I understand you. So many voices, all screaming at you to set them free. They call you a monster, a beast. Even though they share your mind, they don't understand, but I do. I'm the only one who ever could!

Despite the cacophonous chorus that colored his thoughts with discord, Mazeman knew what he had to do next. He returned to his car, drove home, and plugged himself into the net.

I know who you are now, Echo. But the puzzle is not complete. I know who you are, but not why or where…

—

"Oi! Open up!" Netto yanked and tugged on the door to the coupe. Inside, Mazeman's copyroid was inanimate.

"It's no good, Netto-kun," said Rockman. "He must have gone back into the net."

"Follow him!"

"Right! Echo—"

Mazeman's chair—more recently Echo's last whereabouts—spun emptily.

"Rockman-san!"

"Imi-chan!" Rockman and Roll ran up to greet her, but she dodged their touches.

"What happened, Imi-chan?" asked Roll.

"I got stuck in a bubble," she said. "How did you beat me here?"

"Never mind that," Rockman said. "We're going after Mazeman! Go back to Meiru-chan's PET!"

"Ready, Rockman?" Netto said.

"Let's go!"

"You too, Roll!" said Meiru.

"Got it!"

Imi paused for a moment. "Well, I'm not staying here." She dematerialized and followed the others.

—

"Come out, Echo, come out!" Mach Bursts rippled in every direction. They slashed at buildings and cut down innocent navis who strayed in their path. Mazeman snatched nearby navis in his grasp and tossed them aside when he copied their power. All the elements were at his disposal now—fire, water, earth, and thunder.

"The puzzle must be finished!" Fire rained from the sky and melted data under its heat.

"Mazeman! Stop this!"

The dynamic duo of Rockman and Roll blocked his path.

"Stop this madness," Rockman said. "You don't need to cause death and destruction to satisfy curiosity."

"But death and destruction are what she understands! Don't you see?"

"I don't!" said Rockman. "Stop now! Stop before more navis are hurt!"

Mazeman huffed. "You'd make good additions to my choir. Binding Tether!"

Wrapped in the grip of the tether, Rockman and Roll struggled to free themselves, but Mazeman reeled them in. He choked them in his grasp, one in each arm, and absorbed their abilities, their thoughts.

"Oh, you two are so cute together, too. Such a pity you'll never know. Thunder Spike!"

Mazeman zapped the two navis with the power of the thunder god himself; pink and blue fell to the ground, charred and smoking.

"Mazeman."

Imi, little Imi, treaded toward him. She craned her neck to meet her gaze; she hardly rose above his waist, save for the tip of her coned hat.

"You shouldn't be here, little one," said Mazeman, and he flipped his wrist to pat her head.

She ducked and stepped back, but her eyes never left his.

"What—" He blinked. "Oh-ho. I see now. I see now! It's you, isn't it?"

A nod.

"I just…wanted to know why."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm as sure as I'll ever be."

She lifted her arm, and he snatched her by the wrist.

"Yes…" he mumbled. "Yes, yes! I understand! You couldn't save him. He was already dead, wasn't he?"

A nod.

"You hear me?"

"I hear you."

"What did I have to say?"

"You thought I was boring."

"I—oh!" His eyes darted to and fro as he assimilated new information. "Yes, him! I met him!"

Her pupils widened. "You…you met Papa?" Imi's teeth sank into her lip. He met Papa, and Papa…oh Papa, why?

'You were a side-effect. A broken piece of programming.'

No!

"No wonder he didn't want to talk about you…"

"Be quiet."

'Are you going to kill him? Are you going to kill me?'

"It was bad enough to lose one daughter—"

"Be quiet!"

"But to have to reject another—"

She wrenched her arm from his grasp, force gathering at her fingertips. "BE QUIET!"

"Huh?"

KA-PAM!

6

Witnesses differ on how Mazeman was deleted. Some say he landed, that it was the fall that killed him. Others insist he broke apart in the air, that he was dead even before he was sent flying.

Most accounts agree that all or part of Mazeman was airborne for 1 minute and 37 seconds.

Only a select few understood that the mysterious shockwave didn't kill him; rather, it was his obsession with Echo.

After the battle, Rockman, Roll, and Imi returned home. Roll, of course, asked Imi what transpired between her and Mazeman and who fired the blast that killed him, but Imi only said that his words made no sense…and that the blast seemed to come from below.

Rockman resisted the urge to fire a Charge Shot in her direction to test this theory, despite Netto's suspicions and fervent approval.

As for Nakamura Hideki, he paid no attention to the news. He had a daughter to revive, after all. But in the wee hours of the morning, as he slept in his armchair, a strange sound roused him to consciousness.

"Papa?"

Was that…was that Masuyo?

"Papa? Can you hear me?"

Eyes open, snapped to attention. "What…who?"

"Papa, it's me."

He knew that voice. That voice haunted his dreams. He nearly choked to say that name again. "Imi?"

"Yes, Papa. It's me!"

Her words resonated through the whole apartment, from everything that remotely called itself a speaker. Hideki hunched over and shielded his ears with his hands, but still her voice came through, loud and clear.

"Papa, please. I need your help. I can't get rid of them; I can't get rid of the voices unless…"

Hideki shook his head. "You are beyond help, Imi. I made you wrong." This was madness, no question about it. Where is the breaker? Got to find the breaker…

"Papa!" She yelped, like his words stabbed her. "Papa, just…just tell me, tell me please."

There's the box. "I'm sorry, Imi. This is goodbye, for good this time."

"No, Papa, wait, please!"

The box opened. There were the switches.

"WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME, PAPA? PAPA!"

Flick, flick, flick, flick. The lights cut out; the speakers died. He was alone again.

"Why did you abandon me, Papa?"

He slammed the box to the circuit breaker shut and fell back against the wall. His heart pounded; his brow was damp. He wiped his hand through his hair, and for a moment, all he could do was breathe. In and out, in and out.

I have to get out of here. I can't let her find me again.

He shut his laptop, tucked it under his arm. He picked up his bags, still packed, and marched out the door.

—

'You thought you weren't a killer.'

'And now you cannot be saved.'

'So what do you think you can do?'

I'm going to delete you. I'm going to delete you all.

'And then, Imi?'

Then it will all be quiet. Then Papa will take me back.