Getting To Know You~

Roll's face was frozen with a stunned expression as Soap looked around the empty city street as a dark portal opened behind him, a sickening greenish-black vine emerging out from deep within it, slithering its way towards Soap, stopping just by him. He sat himself atop the vine, crossing his legs and placing his arms out to either side of him, leaning back and slouching, his weight on his arms so as to not fall from the vine.

He shook his head at Roll.

"Not really, that's just what I call her. She saved me from the Under Net one time." He answered Roll's unspoken question.

"Oh, well. That makes sense, sorry." She smiled a sheepish grin, now feeling rather stupid, like she'd just made a complete fool of herself. But, in her defense, he did say 'Okaasan', so it was an easy enough mistake to make.

"It's fine, really. I get that reaction a lot." Soap held a non-chalant look about him. He wasn't bothered by the situation at all.

"I see," The sheepish grin she held now transformed into a polite smile.

"You know… even Forte gave me the same reaction." Soap laughed at the memory now in the front of his mind. "But, it really is very funny when he does it, though."

"Really? How come?"

"Well, he gets all red on the cheeks and blushing mad! It is so funny!" He smiled at his own amusement, Roll laughed a little, too, now picturing Forte's reaction and then she nodded.

"I know, but I'll bet it is nothing compared to when Rockman hugs him- then his face goes redder than Blues' armor." And, now it was her that laughed as a memory came to the front of her mind.

A devious look then took over Soap's features.

"Really? I really would like to see this for myself some time.." He chuckled a deviant sound as he tried to imagine Forte with such redness in his face. "I shall have to ask him about it one day." Roll giggled.

"I take it you like to make Forte's life a living hell, too?"

"Living hell?" Soap laughed one hard laugh and then shook his head. "Ha! I'd rather absorb him and be don't with it." He shook his head again, in disapproval with Roll's statement. But, then his expression changed to one of amusement. "But, whenever I show up around Forte, Okaasan is there."

"I see… So, you're one of those?" Roll was taken aback by this new piece of information. She'd have never guessed Soap to be the sort who longed to absorb others.

"Woah- 'One of those?'?" Soap sat up from his slouched position, bringing his arms across his chest. "And- what the sam hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh! No, it's nothing, sorry." She shook her head and pushed the thought to the back of her mind, and Soap shook it away completely. He didn't really care. "Well, Forte and Rockman are pretty much inseparable. Sometimes, I even think that they must be joint at the hip." Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Hm… well, I need to find a way to make them separable." Soap was silent for a few moments as he thought of ways that he could do such a task. "Maybe, if Netto would take Rockman else-where… Ugh! But their NetOps are inseparable, too! How annoying…"

His reaction caused Roll to laugh.

"You want them separated? But that's… near impossible…" She trailed off quietly and lowered herself to a seating position, folding her arms across her chest with her legs crossed in front of her, taking on the appearance of a young child. Her sub-conscious mind was deep in thought as Soap began to speak again.

"I don't want them separated." He corrected Roll, his tone now grave and a serious air about him. "I need them separated. I need to absorb Forte. To become the Ultimate Net Navi." He explained.

"But- I don't understand… How come? Forte's an extremely nice navi." She frowned at the truth of her own words. "Is your own strength not enough?"

Soap laughed.

"Ha! Forte! A nice Navi?! I think you're on about the wrong Forte. I'm speaking of the one nick-named 'The Black Shadow'. 'The Messenger of Darkness'. Not some push-over Navi that you seem to speak of." Soap rolled his eyes. He really disliked Navi's who were extremely 'nice' despite having the power and strength to rule the Net. That's why I branched away from Rockman, he thought to himself. That's why I went off to explore the undernet. "It's not about my own strength. I have a goal. A goal to become the most powerful navi in the net. And I aim to achieve that goal!"

Roll nodded with a frown.

"Yes, that Forte. That's the one I'm on about. But- I don't get it. What is it about power that draws you toward it at all lengths? I just- it-" This was a subject that always baffled her. She could never grasp the concept of it all, no matter how much she tried to.

"Something personal." Soap knew that talking of his old NetOp would only anger him, so he would leave the explanation at that, because it wasn't a good idea to anger a Dark Navi.

Roll could see that Soap was not going to explain any further, so she decided to let the subject drop. She decided it was best not to push him for any more information. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so nosey."

"Pffft. It doesn't really matter." He allowed himself to fall back on the vine, looking at the cyber sky as he lay on his back. "Hm…" he mused for a moment before speaking his thoughts aloud. "I don't see the point in it, the Net Battles that the other navi's have. I mean, it's not like they try to delete each other. It makes no sense."

"Well… I guess it's just something for them to do?"

Roll answered Soap's thought with one of her own. She began to rock back and forth where she sat.

"It's annoying, that's what it is. Especially that blasted Blues… at least… he was annoying… until I shut him up, of course." Roll's eyes widened. Hadn't she just been with Blues? Had he not just gone off with Rockman to the Net Battles? She daren't say anything, though. She didn't want to anger Soap. H sounded a lot more dangerous than she had first thought. "He was always running around like her was so high and mighty. Heh… you win one fight and you think you rule the world. Pffft." He mused at the thought of the deletion. Enjoying the detail of what had happened as his memory played it back to him. And then there was the look on the crimson Navi's 'prodigy' NetOps' face. Soap found it somewhat hilarious.

"You… you… you deleted Blues?" She stopped rocking and looked up at Soap as he remained on his back facing the sky.

"Oh, no… not deleted. That would be a complete waste." He spoke casually, as though they were having a conversation on something trivial, like the weather. He paused, trying to find the proper term for what he had done, coming to a mental conclusion that the perfect word for the crimson Navi's… murder? Was 'Absorption'.

Whilst Soap was coming to his mental conclusion, Roll was already aware of the true fate that had befallen her dear friend, Blues. At least- that's what Soap seemed set on believing… Well… who was Roll to argue? So, she went along with it, though the shock in her voice was real.

"You absorbed Blues?!" She now felt somewhat uncomfortable upon hearing all of this. Soap was serious. He didn't appear to be kidding or regretful. Not if he was able to talk about it so casually.

"Of course I did. Why not?" Soap's eyes left the sky and then wandered in Roll's direction. He rolled over onto his stomach so as to get a better view of her. "If he's so powerful, then he'd come in handy when I fight against Forte."

Roll gave a small nod in mild understanding. "I- I guess… Forte is pretty powerful."

"Yeah, well. He'll be nothing but a bad dream when I'm through with him." The non-chalant expression Soap had been holding turned dark, almost evil, sick and twisted as Dark Rockman's signature smile. But then he remembered he was in the presence of a female, and possibly not a prize Net Battler, by the looks of it. Perhaps I should scare her… so much. He thought. "I'm sorry, do I frighten you?"

Roll's eyes remained set in place on the ground as she though carefully on how she would answer the question. Then, she figured that it would be best to tell Soap the truth. So she gave a swift nod of her head and looked back up at him, as she brought her knees up to her chest and wound her arms around them. "A- A little." A light, almost inaudible 'heh' escaped Soap. Roll got the impression that he accepted the idea of scaring her with pleasure. Though, she didn't feel offended by this. "I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't speak like that about those you're close to." Roll's eyes lowered to the ground once more. When she did speak, her voice was small.

"P-please…"

"Alright," Soap nodded once. "Fine, I won't." He rolled over and onto his back, once again, and hopped off from the vine then held his hand out, offering it to the pink navi.

At the sound of his movement, Roll looked up to Soap with a small smile and reached up, placing her hand in his.

He closed his fingers around the pink-gloved hand and pulled Roll up to her feet, gingerly, so as not to harm her. Wait- why would he do that?! He didn't care, did he? No, he thought. That's impossible. Not so soon after meeting her, surely. But- then again, she does seem almost completely helpless. No- this was wrong. Soap felt as if he needed to shelter and protect her. It wasn't right! Usually, he hated Navi's like that. Despised them, in fact. And, with such a deep passion, too! But- she seemed… different… abd he just couldn't understand why…

And there you have it. Chapter two =D I was going to upload it tomorrow- but I had a friend who was eager to see it and figured that it would be too cruel to make her wait another day. Also, I wasn't sure on where to end it, and decided that here would be a good place. Hopefully you guys are enjoying it so far~ I know that I'm enjoying writing it. Don't worry, if you read it for the sake of a couples thing.. It will get more … sappy and romantic as you read on, whether it takes a while or not. There is a lot more of this story to come so- subscribe- or what ever it is you do on this site XD - and keep an eye out for the upcoming chapters.

xXxKaytenxXx