The Healing of the Scarred One
Chapter 4
Images
appeared from his mind. He was in the mainframe of a laboratory. A
little girl who had long, white hair with light blue eyes and wore a
sky blue dress walked shyly toward the computer screen where he was.
Bass was surprised to find how the girl resembled Naomi.
"Um…excuse
me. Do you know where my father is?"
Bass
reluctantly spoke, "Who's your father?"
"Dr.
Cossack is my father."
"…What's
your name?"
"I
am Naomi," the girl replied.
Bass
gasped as he jerked upright. He was breathing heavily.
"It
was all just a dream…or is it?"
"Bass,
you okay?"
Bass
looked up and saw Megaman, Protoman, and Searchman next to him. Naomi
was nowhere in sight.
"Where
is Naomi?"
"Dr.
Hikari is helping her recover. She's been through so much."
Megaman replied.
"You
cruel, heartless freak!" Protoman shouted and punched Bass in the
face. "You just had to hurt the Navi like that after she wanted to
see you so badly!"
"She
wanted…to see me?" Bass said in a surprised voice.
"Even
though we told her that you were a dangerous Navi she desperately
wanted to see you! I've never seen anyone crazy enough to see a
wretched Navi like you!"
"Protoman!
That's enough!" Chaud ordered.
"Yes,
sir..."
"Bass,
if you want to see her, you're gonna have to ask Dr. Hikari. He's
taking care of her in his lab right now." Megaman explained.
Bass
was gone in a flash of light. He found the server where Navis were
being repaired. He saw Naomi recovering from her wound. Naomi woke
up. Her eyes met his. Her serene eyes made Bass feel he was being
engulfed in the blue sea, floating under the mystifying waters.
"Are…you
okay?" Bass finally said.
"I'll
be fine." She noticed his face and touched his bruised cheek. In an
instant, the quivering pain and bruise vanished from Bass's cheek.
"How
did you do that?"
"I
have the ability to heal." Naomi replied.
"Can
you heal your wounds?"
"The
bug corrupted part of my data. I can no longer heal myself, but I can
heal others."
"…Naomi,
tell me who you are. You told me your name, and I feel I've known
you before, but I can't remember."
"Maybe
this will help you remember." Naomi touched his forehead. Bass body
became relaxed and slumped to the floor.
…..
"Where's
my father?"
"He
went down the main laboratory."
"Thank
you. You've helped me so much."
…..
"Dr.
Cossack, your daughter spends too much time with the Navi. She's
hindering our research."
"She's
just making friends with Bass."
…..
"Father…
I'm nervous of how this will turn out."
"Don't
worry Naomi… I promise you'll make it."
…..
"Father,
I promise I'll find him…and we'll be together again."
"Be
careful. I want you to be safe and happy."
"I'll
do my best."
Many
scattered images filled Bass's mind with Naomi, Dr. Cossack, and
himself. One particular image caused him to wake up with shock.
"Something
wrong?" asked Naomi.
"I…I
saw Pharaohman."
"…..Your
data fused with his when you were on the verge of being deleted."
Bass
shuddered at the thought of how the humans betrayed him and
prosecuted him when he really was innocent.
"When
Dr. Wily captured Pharaohman and broke his data apart, you somehow
managed to break free. The rest of the data mutated into the Virus
Beast."
"Then
how did you contract the bug?" Bass asked.
"I
was searching for you when I almost got caught in the beast's
snare. I escaped–barely. I ended up being infected with the bug and
it has been slowly consuming me ever since."
"How
long have you been like this?"
"It's
been nearly 8 years since I became a Navi." Naomi sighed.
"You
were… a human?"
"I
was diagnosed with a fatal disease when I was 12. Dr. Cossack, my
father, found a way to upload not only my consciousness but my soul
as well."
"Where
is he now?" Bass questioned.
Naomi
lowered her head and said with hesitation, "…He's dead."
Naomi's
reply stabbed Bass in the heart.
"Because
he was blamed for the malfunction of the prototype of the Net, he was
sent to Prison Island."
"What…happened…there?"
"…His
death sentence was confirmed….He was executed there. He…wanted to
tell you how much he loved you. You were a son in his eyes. He wanted
you to be happy. He–"
Naomi's
words were muffled by Bass as he embraced her tightly. Tears streamed
down from Bass's eyes. In her ear, Bass whispered, "Forgive me…"
Naomi
answered back, "You are."
