Chapter 11

Saito decided to go and get a drink from the vending machine. He was a little stressed with the news that the item around his wrist might expose his secret to his father.

Left alone with their father, Netto grinned and asked about the navi his father was giving him.

Zero was summoned to the computer, face as unreadable as ever. It looked like an angry mask. His blond hair spiked out of the red and blue helmet like a cape.

Zero nodded to Netto before jumping over to the PET.

"Do you really want to be my navi?" Netto asked him.

"For now," Zero responded softly. He glanced at Dr Hikari. "I have not been told what happened to Rockman. No matter how much I ask."

"Oh. I suppose we can tell you that. Right Papa?" Netto gave his father the big, puppy dog eyes. He knew that Papa was willing to give in when he acted like this. "I mean, Zero is going to be staying with us."

Dr Hikari hesitated before nodding. It seemed that he couldn't think of a counter to Netto.

"Rockman is Netto's brother," he said as an explanation. "Saito was sick and the only way we could give him a life was by syncing him with the navi shell which became Rockman. Now that Saito is better, the shell is no longer needed."

Zero was silent as he digested that. "...I see," he finally answered.

Netto didn't like the silence. It made him itch. "Okay! So, I'll take Zero and head home! Unless you have something for us to do?" he asked the last bit hopefully as he still enjoyed helping out in the labs.

"No, Netto. Go and get to know Zero. I'm sure you two will be inseparable partners soon."

Netto nodded and ducked out of the room.

"Is something wrong?" Saito asked when he found his brother outside the lab. He had a drink in his hand which was already half-empty.

Zero appeared on the PET screen. "You used to be Rockman?" he asked.

Saito gripped his drink a little tighter. It was better than accidentally dropping it like he was afraid of doing. "You're the first who's asked that," he responded.

"That's not an answer."

"I am. Is that a problem?"

"Not really. It's just strange to think that I'll not see you as a blue navi anymore. I guess we won't be able to netbattle again."

"I rather like it when we're not netbattling," Saito responded as their first netbattle had been because Zero was a virus. Dr Hikari has only just managed to find a way to convert him into a navi before Zero had to be deleted for the safety of the net.

"Being friends is better," Zero agreed with a nod.

"Besides, it's not like Rockman's completely gone," Netto responded with a grin. Zero gave him a confused look.

"Later," Saito said, glancing around at the cameras.

Saito and Netto agreed that it would be easier to show Zero. Sitting down on the floor of Netto's room, Saito closed his eyes. Netto was confused because Saito usually had to lie down and go to sleep.

"Ta-dah!" Rockman said, appearing on the computer. Netto glanced from the screen to the closed eyes of Saito's face.

"Wow," he said, poking Saito's cheek. Rockman shuddered as he could still feel that.

"Isn't that my line?" Zero questioned, dropping in behind Rockman. He looked the smaller, blue navi up and down. "Surely you have seen this before?"

"Not without Saito lying down and taking the time to fall asleep," Netto admitted. Although there was that one time in class.

"Anyway," Saito interrupted, distracting them from questioning him. "I'm still able to become Rockman, I just can't be Netto's navi during the school day."

"And having to leave your body alone to do it isn't very safe," Zero said thoughtfully. "Although it is good that you have not left us." Rockman grinned and Zero pulled his sword. "How about a warm up?"

Rockman's hand turned into his buster gun in response.

Saito's stomach was left back with Netto as he sped his bike down the hill on the way to school. He skimmed onto the road, keeping an eye out for cars as he dropped down towards the streets below.

Netto rushed up right behind him, his rollerblades not able to keep up with the bike during this part of the route to school.

"It seems you're feeling better," Netto commented once he finally caught up. Zero glanced between the two brothers. The twins hadn't missed the way Zero was taking note of their interactions. However, he had promised to keep Saito's secret, even from Dr Hikari.

"What do you mean?" Saito asked. He hadn't received any injuries while fighting with Zero last night. Plus, he had managed to keep his heart-rate down so he wouldn't trigger the bracelet.

"You've been strange since running into Blues a couple of days ago. Sure, you had a good fight with him but still, something was wrong. Did Enzan or Blues do something?"

"No," Saito responded. He was confused. Was something wrong? "Nothing's wrong either."

Netto didn't seem convinced but he shrugged it off for now.

As soon as they arrived, Netto was introducing Zero around. Roll seemed interested in getting to know Zero better now that he was joining them regularly. Meiru seemed annoyed that Rockman was being replaced. Netto, and Zero, both reassured her that Rockman knew about it and was okay with Zero looking after Netto.

"I guess he does need someone looking after him," Meiru commented, to Saito's amusement. "Do you know who your father is giving you as a navi?"

Saito shrugged.

"We have no idea," Netto answered for him. He looked to Zero. "Do you have any ideas?"

Zero shrugged. "I only know that, whoever it is, isn't currently on the SciLab network. Dr Hikari sent out a Mr. Prog and it still hadn't returned by the time I left."

"It still hadn't returned?" Netto and Meiru questioned in unison.

"Where does this navi hang out?" Netto wondered.

"Probably the UraNet," Saito said. "Unless it was incompetent and got caught in a firewall or something, it should have found the navi and come back by now. The UraNet is the most likely place for a Mr. Prog to get waylaid."

Meiru looked surprised. Whether it was because of what Saito said or that he knew it in the first place, they couldn't be sure.

"Incompetent? You don't like the Mr. Progs?"

"Do you?" Saito countered Zero's question.

Zero shrugged. "They harm no one and they can be helpful."

"Right. 'Helpful'." Saito couldn't help thinking of all the Mr. Progs that he'd had to help over the years. But, "even if most of them need help from a navi from time to time, I guess some are good. I like the one in my PET."

"Your PET?" Meiru questioned.

Saito froze, realising what he had just said. Thankfully, Zero thought faster on his feet than either of the twins.

"Dr Hikari has gifted Saito with a PET, in preparation for a navi."

Saito nodded enthusiastically at this.

"Does the PET give away any hints about the navi you'll get?"

Saito shook his head. To help with explaining, he took the PET out. It was black with yellow trimming.

"It's blank. Like Papa didn't want us figuring it out," Saito sighed.

Meiru commented that maybe he would know soon since Dr Hikari had handed Zero over the Netto. Saito hoped she was wrong and the PET would stay empty.