AN: This story takes place after episode 32 of Stream, and goes into a total AU, instead of being separated from his "evil" part, Rockman has to live with his dark part until he finally falls. Thanks Wren for letting me do a story on their idea! I use the Japanese Names as always and I decided for this one to use the honorific cause we are on the Anime side. I hope you guys will like it, it's my longest one shot. Also the title was based on an Arcane song, named the same of course. A big thank you to my buddy Lumsmoke who help me for the correction!
What could have been...
In the depths of the red ocean he was falling, sinking. He could never come to the surface again, the darkness of the deep was invading him and he let himself be caught by it. A few air bubbles reflected the faint glow of the surface, giving him a little light in this darkening world. The Navi half opened his eyes, looking at those bubbles and the light. He could see something reflecting in them, a smiling face.
His best friend, and secretly his brother.
He had probably managed to save the future. He had helped save the world he lived in, and destroyed all the Darkloid that had returned. Rockman was delighted. He had sacrificed himself for a noble cause. He raised his hand to the bubbles, on which he could still see the boy's face. He held them so that they would not continue to rise, keeping them against him. Unexpectedly, the bubbles slipped out of his hand and passed through him. He curled up into a ball, even though he was still sinking.
In the end, it didn't matter.
Netto was safe, as was everyone else, he had succeeded... Yet, a strange sensation passed through him. He wanted to keep feeling that he succeeded, but instead he felt all the water tightening around him, penetrating his insides. Every nerve in his body began to fight as his body tensed. He could feel the anger rising in his soul, fighting for survival.
Until a swift blow passed through him, and he was finally free of this liquid prison.
Several days had passed since the incident. Enzan had gone back to Amerope and Netto was still going to school, aswell as stopping Asteroids as usual.
And Rockman was beginning to hear a voice.
Right now they were just invasive whispers, saying negative things about what was happening to him. Although it annoyed him, he hadn't said a thing to anyone, not even to Netto.
Since that day, the event with all the Darkloids that had invaded the earth hadn't been mentioned much at all. Everyone had congratulated Netto and Enzan for their work, and especially Netto for managing to send the vaccine, but that was all. Megaman had only been mentioned because he had survived the dark aura that had passed through him. It wasn't really his concern whether people talked about his exploits, but the voice insisted on reminding him of how disgusting it was that they didn't talk about what he did at all. He tried to ignore it, he really didn't want to be concerned with it.
The Cross Fusion was starting to hurt. He didn't know why, but every time Netto used it Rockman almost gasped. A strange pain lurked in his mind, it made him want to vomit. He felt like his body was being butchered to pieces.
He couldn't worry about all that, because today, Meijin had called Netto about an Asteroid attack, it seemed that Beastman had attacked the north of Densan city. Netto rushed to the scene and shouted in the PET to Meijin to send the dimensional area. Then came the moment when he had to merge.
"Synchro Chip! Slot in!"
The transformation had already begun as Rockman groaned, all the sensations he had described were back, the feeling of being butchered again.
"Cross Fusion!" Netto shouted in his outfit that was similar to his Navi's.
He summoned a Custom Sword and, with another support chip, he moved fairly quickly towards the monstrous Navi. As he struck, the merged NetOp spotted the operator of the Asteroid not far away. The sooner he could get Beastman out of the way, the sooner he could deal with Inukai and put a member of the Neo WWW in jail.
"Netto-kun, I think you should use the vulcan cannon." Rockman suggested in his head.
"What for? Beastman fights hand to hand!" Netto chastised while talking with his mouth.
"That's just it, he won't be in any real shape to defend himself."
But the boy didn't listen to him, he continued to attack with his sword as he moved closer and closer to the beast.
"Netto-kun, please!"
Still no reaction from the boy, he was just going through the motions. He was far too busy defending himself and using his agility to get past the Asteroid's defenses.
"It seems he's ignoring you."
The voice in his own head came to him, this time it wasn't a whisper.
"After all, you're nothing to him now, just a magical suit."
"Shut up." He let out a little too loudly as he forgot the situation he was in.
Netto looked up, he had just heard what his Navi had just said, but he didn't stay frozen for long as he dodged an attack from Beastman.
"What is it Rockman?" He shouted, still in the middle of the fight.
"If you don't concentrate, he'll be angry at you, because he'll have lost his fusion."
"Shut up!" The blue Navi began again, much more forcefully.
"Hey, Rockman, I didn't say anything!" Netto replied rather angrily at what Rockman seemed to be saying to him, though he continued to avoid the Asteroid's blows.
"You're just a puppet, doomed to be manipulated by that child you'll never face."
"Shut up!"
Rockman's voice was so loud that Netto could not avoid the next blow from the wild Navi. As the attack came, the boy felt his strength drain away and his fusion dissipated, while his PET fell to the ground. Beastman's claws attacked the young Netsavior's arm, throwing him back against the ground.
On the ground, Netto felt the pain in his arm and noticed drops of blood running down the white fabric of his sleeve. The Asteroid sneered, thinking to finish him off, but not expecting to be attacked by a chip. Further away, there were the NetPolice officers and Manabe with his Battle Chip Gate in her hand. Feeling that it was no longer of any use, the Asteroid disconnected itself, and Inukai ran off without being caught.
The young boy with the bandana slowly got to his feet, grabbed his injured arm, and noticed three large scratches that had penetrated his flesh. Shocked at first sight, Netto frowned only to feel a wave of anger and dissatisfaction. He didn't want to go to hospital just for three big scratches like that. He picked up the PET and looked at his Navi on the small screen.
"Why did you do that?!"
The little blue Navi felt ashamed, but his face broke when he saw the wound on his NetOp's arm.
"I had..." Was all he could say with a trembling voice.
"I was handling it, why did you have to ruin it?!"
Rockman's eyes widened, and then he hid them under his helmet as he lowered his head. Tears formed but he quickly wiped them away. A new whisper came into his head as he put his hand on the helmet.
"I have to go see Papa." Was all he answered without looking at Netto and disappearing.
"Wait, Rockman!"
But the Navi was already out of his PET, leaving his operator looking at the blank screen. If the PET hadn't been something so important, Netto would have thrown it to the ground. He was angry, Rockman had left him there and he could have been killed. Manabe had gone over to him, examining his wound, and she called for an ambulance, despite the fact that the boy's grumbles.
At Scilabs, Rockman had tried to make Professor Hikari understand that something was wrong with him. At first, Yuuichiro had asked if Netto was okay, but the blue Navi never answered his questions. He wanted a quick analysis. He wanted to be sure that his system was really going off the rails so that it could be fixed. The professor felt he had no other choice and set about the task. It seemed to be urgent for him.
Meanwhile, Professor Hikari had received a call from Manabe. When Rockman heard it, he sighed in defeat, he couldn't really hide what had happened earlier, not even from his own family. Locked in a holographic cylinder, the blue Navi watched as the older man approached him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Asked the professor, arms crossed.
"Because I... It's my fault." He bit his lower lip. "It's because of this problem and I wanted to know if I can continue to be operable."
The professor blinked at the Navi's confident words in the cylinder, his green eyes looking determined.
"Alright... Fine."
The man with the glasses returned to all his machines, making sure the scans could work properly. At the same time, Rockman closed his eyes as the images of Netto's injury replayed in his head. His mouth tightened, and he tried to hold back tears.
At the hospital, Netto was annoyed to be surrounded by nurses inspecting his arm. One of them suggested that he should have his arm stitched up, another said it was not necessary, none of them could come to an agreement. Finally, a much better doctor told him that he didn't need to have anything done, except that he should clean the wound every day. A big bandage was wrapped on his arm and he was finally free.
Netto set off towards SciLabs, it was there that he was to meet Rockman after all. He didn't understand why his Navi had left, let alone his behavior. He better have a good reason. Even though he knew Rockman would blame himself for the injury, there had to be something else that made his best friend behave that way.
Once there, the boy had to take off his rollerblades and run towards his father's office, only to find that he wasn't in. Meijin noticed him and told him that he was on the floor where the scans and other tests that could be done on Navi were kept. On the floor, he opened every door in every room trying to find the Professor and Rockman.
The boy finally entered one of the rooms and found his father confused, looking at a screen and Rockman lying in a holographic cylinder, his eyes closed. He had slowly opened one eye to see his operator at the door. Professor Hikari turned to see his son and asked him to wait outside. Netto did so, but with great bitterness, he at least wanted to at least stay there.
Sitting down in a chair, his father had followed him with a troubled look that was beginning to stress the young NetSavior. As he approached him, the older man noticed the blood on the boy's sleeve, which made him swallow his saliva rather disconcerted.
"Rockman has a little programming problem." He said in a fairly calm voice.
The boy's eyes widened as he looked at him, but he tilted his head to one side, trying to understand.
"What do you mean?"
"I found traces of a dark aura in his program."
His eyes widened again, and he let himself fall back into the seat, realizing what had just happened, and more importantly, understanding the reaction Rockman had earlier.
"I'll finish the scan to see how much dark aura he has, and then... I'll see what to do."
The professor returned to the room, closing the door. Netto lowered his head as he tightened his wounded arm, he felt useless now. Thinking back, he wouldn't have believed that Shademan's bite could have been this bad. The vaccine had worked with Rockman though, he thought it would have lasted longer, but he had to believe it wasn't like a dark chip anymore. It was now a curse. Why had his best friend screamed during his Cross Fusion, was it because this dark side was trying to take him over? He took a long breath and exhaled. He stood up as he saw the door open and his father walk out of the room, not closing the door behind him.
"What now?" Netto asked, trying to hide his concern.
His father scratched his head as he looked down at the ground, but soon after he had no trouble looking at his son.
"He's fine for now, he's just exhausted from the energy. He'll just have to be on medication for a while."
Netto swallowed his saliva, his Navi was now being treated like a hospital patient. He clenched his fists on either side and bit his inner cheek.
"I hope he recovers..."
Sensing that his child was stressed, the professor gently took his head and brought his back against him.
"It's okay Netto, he'll be fine."
The boy made no move, except to look at the ground while thinking.
"I want Rockman to get better. Without him, I'm nothing..."
With both arms, he hugged his father to him.
"What should I do if an Asteroid attacks the city?" His voice rose in panic as he looked at his father's face. "What are we going to do?"
"Come on, Netto..." He stroked the child's hair.
On the other side of the door, in the other room, enclosed in his holographic tube, Rockman had heard everything. He was grateful that his operator was obviously concerned about him, but something made him clutch his chest.
Without Rockman, Netto was nothing...
That was true... But it couldn't be entirely true, Netto didn't always have to rely on Rockman to get things done. But what about him?
"Are you doubting him?" A voice in his head, the same one for days, echoed.
"No... Leave me alone."
"Come on Rockman, how long are you going to stand there, living in his shadow?"
The blue Navi gritted his teeth. He was tired of this voice talking about his fears and many other things that made him angry. The voice wanted to dig deep inside him, finding a point that would surely drive him mad. He shook his head, trying not to worry about it.
"He's borrowing your power to be stronger... But how many times has he given it to you?"
He shook his head again, wanting it to stop.
"Aren't you tired of him using you all the time?"
"He's not using me! He's my operator! We're a team! He needs me to beat the Darkloid and Asteroid in the real world!"
"Then why hasn't anyone thought of a way to get you out there? You've always wanted to be with him, to touch him, to hold him. To see him smile beyond the screen. Isn't that unfair?"
The Navi did not answer, he just stopped moving. The voice was right. Reluctantly, Rockman agreed with it but he just didn't want to admit it, or he would fall into a hole he couldn't climb out of. Lying on his side, he clutched his head, and tightened his mouth, wanting to avoid screaming.
"Pitiful, look at you. If you were a Darkloid, today's accident would never have happened."
"Shut up!"
Rockman had no way of silencing the voice. Even though Professor Hikari had probably explained his problem to Netto, he hoped his operator didn't know too much about it, not wanting him to worry about it. The bespectacled man had told him that he shouldn't worry, with a daily Vaccine Chip, everything would be fine.
"Or you could take his power, right?"
"If by power you mean the program, it's no use, it's not activated, and it never will be." He said softly, trying to face away from the voice so it wouldn't respond.
"So, maybe it's time for your little brother to learn the truth, isn't it?"
Rockman's eyes widened at the mention of the word 'brother'. He hadn't heard that term in so long. It was rare when he was alone with his Father Dr. Hikari, and spoke of Netto as his brother. But he couldn't talk about it too often, his father didn't want him to learn the truth, so Rockman had promised not to say anything.
"Papa is really a coward, he really doesn't want you to be part of the world of the living."
Here we go again. This voice was reading his mind after all, reading through him and repeating fears he had long held. The fact that his father still hadn't said anything about who he was in Netto made him sad and angry. Didn't he want him to be part of the family again? No, that wasn't true, otherwise Rockman would never be with Netto. So... did Papa only see him as something other than his son?
"If he waits too long, what would Netto-kun say? He'd feel betrayed. He'd never want to operate you again, oh, but maybe that's okay, at least then he won't be using you."
His teeth gritted, enough was enough, this topic was far too sensitive. He finally began to shout, expressing his irritation at this intruding voice. Without turning around, the door opened and Netto with his father entered, panicked at hearing the Navi's screams. The young boy clasped both hands against the holographic tube, watching his best friend squirm, his head in his hands.
"Rockman!" Calling out to him was all he could do.
Yuuichiro looked at his monitors, noticing numbers increasing by the navi boy's agitation. Netto then began hitting the tube, desperate to draw Rockman's attention away from himself.
"Rockman, I'm here! I'm here! Look at me!"
The Navi began to calm down, which surprised the professor a little. He turned his head and stood on his back, looking at his father and Netto who were both looking at him from behind the glass.
"Netto-kun... Papa..."
He raised a hand towards Netto, and touched the edge of the glass. The young boy also raised his hand and touched the glass where Rockman's was.
"It's all right... I'm here..." he reassured.
Rockman nodded slowly while trying to control his "breathing". Through the glass he saw Netto smiling at him, reassured. Even though his smile was bright in his eyes, he would have loved to see it... Beyond a screen, as that voice had said. He withdrew his hand, letting it fall to his side. Netto felt a little confusion, especially over the fact that Rockman had stopped looking at him.
"I'm better." He replied, almost dryly.
Netto stood there for a moment looking at him as Yuuichiro looked at the numbers again, but they were stable at this point, confirming that Rockman wasn't lying. The young boy felt that he should at least say something about all of this, but if he did, it would surely irritate his Navi and perhaps bring back the dark aura. Instead, he looked at his wound and back at the hologram, closing his hand that was against the glass.
"About earlier... I'm sorry I yelled at you." Netto said with a rather sad and regretful voice.
Rockman turned his head towards him again, he gave him a weak smile.
"It's okay, you were right to be angry Netto-kun... I almost let you get killed..." Rockman's voice was weak, he was trying to keep it together so he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him.
"No Rockman! You mustn't blame yourself!"
The Navi said nothing in response. Netto turned his head to look at his father.
"Papa, what can we do?"
The professor put his glasses back on properly. He looked at Rockman with a small grimace, he didn't want him to stay there for the night... But he was afraid that something might go wrong if he came. He had to trust him at least, Netto would probably come back tomorrow with Rockman if something went wrong.
"We're all going home together, I think Rockman will feel much better."
The young boy looked at his PET and pressed the disconnect button, his Navi was back inside. He smiled as he looked at his much smaller form inside.
"You're home again, partner!"
Rockman's only reaction was to nod his head while looking away.
"Aww, come on, it'll all get better!"
Rockman wanted to believe him... He really wanted to believe, but the voice made him think that it wasn't.
The evening had gone pretty well, Rockman had only been a bit quiet since he was connected to his computer. Netto had spent his evening comforting him by trying to talk about more positive things, like what they could do tomorrow, whether they could go to the curry restaurant, see Dekao and Chisao. He had even started doing his homework to try to make his Navi smile (but didn't finish!). The boy had never asked him what was really going on with him, he didn't want to make his Navi think about bad experiences.
Sleep began creeping upon the child, and he soon went to bed. Once in his pajamas, he got under his blankets and said goodnight to the blue Navi who was watching him from the screen. As his breathing became slower and louder, Netto had fallen asleep. At the other side of the room, Rockman continued to watch him. He wasn't thinking about anything, he was trying to block out all his thoughts so that he wouldn't be read by that voice. But that was not enough, of course. In fact, that voice had been whispering in his head the whole evening. The blue Navi had remained very quiet for this reason. Hearing his best friend's voice helped him stay sane, but now that he was asleep, he was no longer safe.
The Navi-boy knew that he must not fall asleep, otherwise he would be embraced by nightmares. He wanted to keep his eyes on the sleeping body of his operator. But the voice did not stop.
"He doesn't care about your problem. Look at him..."
"No, he's been doing his best to make me feel better." Argued Rockman, annoyed by the voice.
"He'd rather take care of his own worries first like he always has. You, you're not his priority ."
"So what? It's only natural that his issues come first. And when he takes care of others, he knows how to help."
"if they're human friends, that is. Are you human? No...Not anymore."
Rockman tightened his shoulders as he lowered his head, the shadow of his helmet hiding his eyes.
"If you were still human, he would treat you as his equal."
"I am... His equal."
"You're not human, you're not his brother, you're just a tool to him."
Navi finally raised his head, looking again and again at the same boy, this time his eyes expressed a bitter sadness. Yes, he was sad, not because the words in that voice still hurt and as much, but because it was all true... Yet he knew that deep down, Netto still saw him as his best friend.
"Netto-kun..." He murmured simply, placing his hand on the screen.
"If you really love him don't want him to have any more problems, you owe it to yourself to become a Darkloid..."
The blue Navi didn't answer, he didn't want to answer. He let the minutes pass as he looked at the sleeping body of his best friend, and came to a conclusion.
"I can't do this."
"He keeps taking your power away! If you become a Darkloid, you'll become independent, Netto-kun will be back and safe. And he will finally see you as his equal!"
His teeth began to clench, a pain in his head overtook him. He froze for several seconds.
"You're already unique, but you're being treated like a worn-out doll. It's time for a rebirth."
Rockman remained frozen for some time, his head still aching. The words had seemed softer, and the last word sounded like an echo.
"A rebirth?"
"Yes. It's the only way for you to get what you want."
The headache continued to grip him, making him groan at first in pain. Rockman's body shuddered as an invisible, muddy sensation wrapped around him. He tried to resist it by looking at the sleeping body of his little brother. The sensation became more and more pleasant with him. Every time he realized that he had to be there for him, the pain fled.
"Let yourself go, after all, that's what you want."
Clenching his fists, Rockman said nothing, he let himself be gently carried away. The feeling he was experiencing was like drowning, as if he had returned to that red ocean he had been trapped in. The Navi struggled not to be swept to the bottom, not to have something foreign enter him. But he could no longer resist... He should not resist. So he let himself sink.
"You know it"
"I want... so much to protect him, I don't want to be behind him anymore."
Rockman lifted his arm, wanting to grab something. He gasped without his voice coming out. The eyes under his helmet glowed red.
"If all goes well, then I won't have to use the program." He muttered to himself as he gasped.
That morning Netto was in good spirit, for once he was up on time, it was undoubtedly an exceptional day. He skated quietly down the street to the school, and then he looked at his PET, seeing Rockman much more expressive than the last few days, he looked happy at last.
"Rockman, how are you feeling now?" Asked the boy still skating.
"Much better Netto-kun!" Replied the blue Navi with great enthusiasm.
Netto's smile grew wider and wider.
"I'm so glad to hear that!"
"Really Netto-kun, I think it's because of you."
"Eh?"
Rockman's words caught him off guard as he stopped on the pavement. He stood looking at his PET for a moment.
"Really?"
Rockman nodded, his cheeks a little red.
"It's because of you, and your smile."
"My smile?" He repeated in an almost loud tone.
"Yes! You have a smile that illuminates, Netto-kun, you're the light that brings me back to the path when I'm lost in the dark."
He closed his eyes, still wearing that same smile.
"Now that's really sweet!"
He finally laughed in delight, not noticing the Navi looking at him from under his helmet, his eyes darkened.
Once at school, Netto spent his day as he usually did... And as usual, he had fallen asleep on his desk. Mariko had woken him up, and her reaction was similar to a bull who just saw the color red. With fear, Netto had recovered normally. Taking his PET and hiding it under his table, he asked Rockman in a low voice.
"Why didn't you wake me up, Rockman?"
"You were so cute asleep. I wish it had stayed that way for a while longer." Rockman's voice sounded strange.
Netto hiccupped as he heard him. It was not usual for his Navi to talk like that.
After school, the boy walked down the street with the PET in his hand. He'd been finding it odd since earlier.
"Netto-kun? Is something wrong?"
The boy looked up at him.
"I should be asking you that." He replied.
"Netto-kun, I'm fine, I told you this morning!"
Netto's eyebrows remained furrowed, he was having some doubts.
"Netto-kun, I have a surprise for you."
The boy tilted his head as he heard him, automatically, his usual smile returned.
"A surprise? What's that?" He finally gets excited.
"I can't tell you, or it won't be a surprise anymore."
Netto began to pout. But Rockman's expression worsened as he consulted something.
"Netto-kun! Traces of Asteroid have been detected!"
The boy with the bandana took on a serious expression.
"Where?!"
"Towards the construction site!"
The NetOp asked no more and quickly put on his wheels and drove quickly towards the location . He felt as if he had just left the city and entered a ghost town as he was no longer surrounded by people. Rockman pointed to one particular unfinished building. He entered it and removed his wheels.
"Hey! Where are you?!" shouted the Netsavior as he looked around.
Before he could get any response, he saw dimensional area generators appear. Shocked at first, Netto ran out of the building but realized that he could go no further. He repeatedly hit the zone dome but nothing happened.
"Shit." He shouted to himself.
The boy picked up his PET and subsequently called a number he knew well.
"Meijin-san! I'm trapped in a dimensional area, looks like a Darkloid survived!"
"No need for formalities!" Replied the man with glasses on the small screen as he began to type on a keyboard. "I don't know what to do in this situation, for now find that Darkloid and make him leave."
He nodded and the man logged off. He found his Navi was acting strangely calm.
"Right Rockman, we need to do a fusion, if the Darkloid ever attacks us..."
"I don't want to." The words were sharp as they came out of Navi's mouth.
Netto snapped his head back as he heard it, hiccuping.
"Rockman? No, we have to fuse, we have to find this Darkloid and fight him!"
"But I don't want to."
Netto tensed up while clenching his teeth, Rockman's behaviour was getting on his nerves.
"Oi, Rockman, you're not going to rebel now!"
But as he tried to argue with him, the Navi disappeared from his PET. The operator's eyes widened as he did so, Netto was left alone and in confusion.
"Ro.. Rockman?"
His stomach knotted, was Rockman angry with him? He shouted at his PET again but it was no use. He finally put it away, he'll have a serious talk with him after this, for now he had to get out of there...
Where to take cover until reinforcements arrive? Netto tried to stay against the walls. If he stayed in the middle of the room, he would have blind spots where he could be attacked. After a few seconds, the NetOp heard a buster sound. The boy was overcome with fear, but tried to remain calm. He hesitated to shout and find out who was there, but if Rockman had been there, he would surely have told him to keep quiet. The boy saw some stairs and went up them. He found a hidden cupboard and sat down in it. If a few minutes had passed in silence, he nearly had a heart attack when he heard his PET beep.
"Netto, is everything all right?" Asked another man on the other side of his screen, Netto recognized his father. "Meijin explained the situation to me, what's your status?"
"I.." The boy had started with a loud voice, and then he resumed by lowering his tone, "I'm stuck, Rockman has disappeared from the PET and I'm alone in a dimensional area, I don't know who the Darkloid is."
The boy could see that his father's face tensed.
"We're trying to figure it out on our end, try to stay hidden. I have a very bad feeling about this."
He nodded and the video faded out. Netto still looked inside his PET, Rockman had not returned. He had brought his knees-up against his body and placed his arms around them. He heard another buster noise but did nothing, his body began to shake. His hands were beginning to sweat, it wasn't that he was hot, it was just cold sweat.
And that buster sound struck again several times.
It felt like torture. Hearing the sounds of his potential enemy's attack while he was hiding in a cupboard. Of course this Darkloid must have been looking for him, but all those buster blows were just an attempt to scare him. Netto rested his head in his lap. Waiting for someone to come along was taking forever, and there was no other Netsavior in town. Enzan was back in Amerope, Laika is in Sharo, Meiru could only use Rush when he wanted to... Who in Scilabs could get him out of there?
"Netto-kun." Rockman's voice brought him back to reality.
With a newfound excitement, Netto picked up the PET quickly to stick it almost in front of his face.
"Rockman!" His voice shouted, but it was in a whisper. "Where have you been?! Why did you leave!"
"Netto-kun, you have to come up."
Something was wrong with Rockman, his head was down, his voice very neutral and emotionless, he couldn't see his eyes. Examining him a little more, Netto noticed that his suit was much darker.
"Rockman, what's going on?"
"Get on the roof Netto-kun."
And then he disappeared again from his PET. The boy gritted his teeth, he supposed he had no choice. He got up and walked out of his cupboard and headed up the stairs.
On the roof of the building, he was facing the city. There was nothing there yet, no sign of any Darkloid, or even Asteroid, or a Tesla that probably wanted to have fun. Netto looked around every side, at the empty place that was the roof. He took a long breath and shouted at his opponent to show himself, not to leave him in the dark.
"I'm here." A voice spoke from behind him, far behind him.
Netto froze, he could recognize the voice from a thousand miles away. He turned around slowly, afraid his expectations were true, and as he had expected, the mysterious person was at the door that led inside.
A black suit with gray stripes instead of sky blue, a black, and silver helmet, and above all, the emblem he knew so well in dark blue, and blood red eyes. Such a monotonous look was new for Rockman. And with that, the fact that he was physically present and facing him, it could only make his jaw drop in shock.
"Who are you?!" Netto finally managed to say.
This Rockman had a rather wicked smile on his face, he tilted his head, as if in confusion.
"Come on Netto-kun, it's me." His voice was calm, far too calm.
"No, you're not!" He pointed at him. "Rockman can't be there, and he doesn't look like that!"
This "impostor" didn't answer anything, it only watched him with glee, Netto raised his PET slowly towards him to be sure. It was what he expected, even if he didn't want to admit it himself, his Navi was still not in the object. He looked up at him, his teeth completely clamped together. Understanding his reaction, the dark Navi raised his hand.
"So, you see? Why aren't you happy to see me?"
Netto took a step back.
"It doesn't make sense, if you're here, in a dimensional area..." He cut himself off for a moment, looking into his Navi's red eyes. "It means you're..."
"Bingo!"
Netto didn't have time to finish. He could only look at this dark Navi, raising his arms to shoulder height, almost striking a pose.
"Ah, if you only knew how happy I am to be here Netto-kun..." He folded his arms inward, hugging himself. "I'm out, I can finally see you, I can finally fight."
The young boy had been frozen since he realized what had happened to his best friend, his heart racing.
"This is not good..." He muttered to himself. "This is really not good."
Rockman looked at him as he swung his body back and forth while holding himself. He was amused by his NetOP's reaction.
"Netto-kun, don't you think this is wonderful?"
Netto tried to stay calm, this was no time to get emotional, he had to get the situation under control.
"No Rockman, it's not at all." He replied with a much firmer tone. "You've become a Darkloid, that's really not a good thing!"
Rockman stopped swaying when he heard his words, but he did not stop smiling. He decided to move closer to him. The latter stepped back at least a little, the flashback of Dark Blues' behaviour coming back to him.
"Netto-kun, I'm not that threatening." His voice was so calm and much less naive than he had known it to be. "I am finally here, I have gained new strength and finally the power to appear in this world."
"But we don't need to do this! If there's an external threat, we could just..."
"Fuse?" He continued in his seat to give a sarcastic sneer. "No... I've had enough of that." His voice was suddenly weaker, he had lowered his head, his helmet hiding his eyes.
Netto shook his head.
"But Rockman, that's the best way!"
His Navi didn't reply, he just stopped smiling. Biting a piece of his lower lip, Netto at least felt comforted that Rockman, despite being a Darkloid, had done him no harm for the moment. He still seemed to be sane, unlike Dark Blues. Warily, the boy moved closer to him, even though he could feel his heart pounding with fear.
"Rockman, please don't become a Darkloid... We can still save you." His voice was softer, trying to be more comforting.
Suddenly, the Dark Navi raised his head so quickly towards him that Netto almost fell backwards. His smile scared him so much.
"Save me? It's over, Netto-kun, there will be no more cross-fusions. From now on, I'm taking control."
The new Darkloid approached him, while Netto backed away, not seeing where he was going. Then he felt his foot leave the void, and he almost fell backwards. But Rockman's strong grip grabbed him by the collar of his orange jacket. He found himself hanging several feet off the ground, one foot still on the edge, and his Navi clutching him as his only means of survival. Fear was in his face and he couldn't take his eyes off the red one that could save or end his life.
"You will stay behind, Netto-kun." His face was so close to hims. "I will fight in your place, as it should be. I don't need to be saved."
He drew his head closer again and came to his ears, wanting to whisper to him.
"I have enough power that you don't have to be put in danger. With this, I could take on Duo by myself."
Though the words were very fatal to him, the boy grabbed his Navi's wrist, just hoping he wouldn't let go at least. It was one of those moments when he felt smart to understand what was going on. Rockman had let himself fall to the dark side, just to protect him.
"Please Rockman, this isn't the answer. And you know it!"
Without him expecting it, Rockman dropped his arm but didn't let go. He was now leaning well into the void and the boy hiccuped, grabbing the Navi's wrist with his second hand. Netto could feel his heart speeding up, that it could all easily end at any moment.
"If you want to make yourself useful, perhaps by activating the program, I could take your power to be much more powerful?" He had said the words as if he were making a joke, but it made no sense to Netto.
"Put him down!" A female voice shouted at him from behind his back, threatening.
Turning around, Rockman kept his smile as he saw Yuriko in her Cross Fusion, pointing her buster at him. Without saying a word, he took Netto's body and placed it against him, both facing her, he held him as if he were holding a hostage.
"Oh hello Yuriko-san." His voice was far too suave, Netto could hear nothing in it that belonged to Rockman. "I'm sure you'd understand me if I told you I had to fight by leaving my twin behind."
Netto's eyes widened as he heard him, and it seemed that Yuriko had to as well since her eyes were hidden under her helmet. The boy said nothing, he was far too shocked to say anything. And the young woman didn't let that distract her.
"Release him!"
Rockman bent his head so that it could touch Netto's.
"Very well." He said gently. "I don't need him now."
He threw the boy to the ground, and Yuriko shot towards him. Rockman had time to summon a sword to counter the attack and dropped to the ground. The young woman ran to the edge and noticed that he had disappeared. The dimensional area disappeared in turn. Her Cross Fusion gone, she moved closer to Netto who was sitting on the ground, his face still shocked.
"Is everything alright Netto?"
He didn't answer her, or at least he did not answer what she asked.
"Rockman is now a..." He didn't want to say that word, he didn't want to believe that it was true.
Understanding what the boy was trying to say, Yuriko helped him to his feet.
"If Rockman has gone over to the enemy, you must take cover Netto!"
Netto hiccuped and lowered his head, his fists clenched.
In the Scilabs building, Netto was sitting in his father's private office, his head looking at the floor. His father was sitting in his chair while Meijin was standing with his back against a wall. The boy had just spent the last few minutes telling them all about what had just happened. Yuuichiro's hands were flattened against themselves and he only reacted with exhausted sighs.
"You said he mentioned a program?" Meijin asked, still trying to understand the whole story.
Netto answered with nothing but a nod. Meijin turned his head towards the professor, still confused.
"What do you think, Professor? Do you have any idea what program Rockman was talking about?"
The one who was concerned said nothing, he instead got up to go to some drawers. He had pulled something out of one of them and looked at it with gentle nostalgia.
"I should have told you a long time ago..." Was all he could reveal.
Netto's eyes narrowed in confusion, he realized he was addressing him.
"Tell me what?"
His father took a long breath, his hands were shaking as he looked at the thing he held.
"Twelve years ago now, I had a son. A lovely little baby."
The young boy gasped, and felt his cheeks flush. He felt embarrassed, why was his father talking about him now? He opened his mouth to ask something about it but his father continued.
"His name was Saito."
Netto hiccuped in his seat, and Meijin concentrated more and more on what the professor wanted to reveal.
"That little baby boy didn't stay with us for long, he died of a heart disease that couldn't be cured. He was only eighteen months old."
Netto could only hear his father's voice beginning to break. Netto avoided asking a question, his father was still not finished.
"So, I used his DNA to bring him back to life, and use him in a project I had never finished. I had to create a Navi that was so close to a human being that its synchronicity rate would be perfect."
He paused.
"And I did it. I created Rockman by implanting Saito's DNA."
The professor turned around with a weak smile while holding a picture frame against him. He approached his son, still shocked by the story, and held the picture up to him.
"Saito was your twin brother, he is older than you by seventeen minutes."
Slowly the young boy took the frame and looked at it in detail. There were both his parents, younger, his mother had her hair longer. And both of them were holding a toddler who was dressed by a color. The blue one was in his father's arms, the orange one in his mother's. Netto felt small tears burning up in his eyes as he looked at the picture, his vision was starting to blur.
"As for the program..." The professor added as he walked away. "You and Rockman carry the same DNA, you come from the same egg. You both have a high rate of synchronization, so much so that your minds are easily connected."
Netto lifted his head as he looked at him, tears gently rolling down his cheeks.
"That's why they're perfect at Cross Fusion!" Meijin expressed with a better understanding.
Yuuichiro nodded his head.
"Yes, but it's not just that. You're connected, so to avoid hurting you Netto, I had to modify Rockman by 0.001% to prevent you from being totally reunited."
"What do you mean?" Netto finally managed to say, his voice malformed by a lump in his throat.
"Because if you didn't, you'd experience all the damage Rockman could receive, it's like your minds would become one."
The young boy chewed the inside of his mouth as he heard this.
"So I locked that 0.001% into a program. Keeping it in case Rockman ever faced a much more terrifying threat... But for now, thanks to the Cross Fusion I haven't had a need for it."
"Then why does Rockman need this program to take my... My 'power'?"
Professor Hikari began to think.
"I think he wants to perform a Perfect Synchro with you."
Meijin flinched at hearing this.
"But Professor, the Perfect Synchro has never been done by a living person! It is only a theory!"
Yuuichiro nodded.
"Yes, but Netto and Rockman can do it... As I told you, they have the same DNA, they are connected. The question is, how will Rockman achieve it..."
Netto lowered his head, not knowing what else to say. He simply touched the picture with a finger, especially where the baby in blue was.
In the depths of this cyber world, Rockman was staring into space as he sat on a clock nut. He thought about what had just happened, it wouldn't leave him. Netto's reaction was not the one he wanted. Nor did he feel the presence behind him.
"Dark Rockman..." A voice said, making him look up.
Turning his head back, Rockman looked at him without really being shocked.
"Oh... Doctor Regal, how amazing." His voice was sarcastic.
The Doctor behind him moved closer to him, his hands behind his back.
"You look doubtful."
"I am not doubting. I'm thinking about what I'm going to do." Replied Rockman as he looked ahead again, his head in his hand.
"He rejected you from what I understand."
Rockman remained silent, his thoughts turning over and over what had happened. Indeed, Netto hadn't been very happy to see him like this... But maybe it was all just a surprise, and hopefully Netto would be able to understand that.
"No..."
"He was afraid of you Dark Rockman, you must get rid of him." Regal added, almost whispering in his ear.
The words made him grit his teeth, his anger rising, he stood up to face the man.
"I refuse!" he shouted.
The dark Navi breathed heavily, his arm trembling and his eyes bright and wide with anger. Regal had pierced a point that was far too sensitive. Surely, he was right, Netto would not accept it, but he finally shook his head.
"Take his power, it's the only thing left for you to do." Regal replied, looking down on him.
"I can try to activate the program and borrow it from him but..." Muttered the dark Navi, his eyes hidden behind his helmet.
"No, not 'borrow'... take it from him."
This time Rockman's eyes were raised to Regal in fear, frozen in time. He lowered his gaze, looking around a bit, and then let a slightly sadder expression mark his face.
"I don't want to do this..." He replied in a voice so low it could have been a whisper.
"You won't have a burden anymore." He reached behind him and put his hands on both his shoulders. "But I know he will always be with you. He will stay with you forever."
Rockman looked straight ahead, his eyes trembling, and clenched his fist against his chest.
"I'd like to first... give him one last chance."
"Do we really have to do this?" Netto's voice roared as his father dragged him out.
Outside Scilabs, Meijin was in his car in the driver's seat. Yuuichiro was holding his son by his arm, forcing him into the back seats.
"Netto, if Rockman wants to use the program, then you have to hide."
He closed the door and sat down in front of it, asking Meijin to go in.
"But the program, where is it?!" Netto continued in a loud voice as he grabbed onto his father's seat.
"It's in a safe place. If Rockman doesn't hack it, then everything will be fine." Yuuichiro sighed to himself, in reality he wasn't sure if the program would be safe.
The boy fell backwards, watching the landscape go by. He played with his fingers as he waited, wondering where they would take him. Did this mean he wouldn't be going home for a long time? He knew he had to wait for at least Enzan or Laika to return and make sure he was finally safe. But for now all he could do was wait.
Would Rockman ever be the same again? He wanted to believe it, his best friend, his brother, could not fall to the dark side, he was sure he had been manipulated. Afterwards, if Rockman absolutely wanted to do a Perfect Synchro with him, how would he succeed? He couldn't force him to sync, it was impossible.
Although he continued to think, dimensional area generators appeared, and they were now in a dome. Meijin panicked for a moment, but when he saw a figure ahead of them in the distance, he swerved off the road. He hit a tree and the car stopped running. Yuuichiro looked away and noticed Rockman's piercing red eyes. With panic, he turned around behind and noticed that his son had been unharmed.
"Netto, run!" he shouted at him.
At first he was quite stunned, but then he looked up for a moment and heard it again. Netto soon noticed Rockman outside. Initially frightened, he eventually got out of the car on the opposite side, leaving the two adults. Although he was trapped in a dimensional area, he had to get away quickly until help could come. His father and Meijin couldn't really help him at the moment. So he ran under the darkening sky. The boy was running for his life and was becoming short of breath, so he stopped on a path lit by a streetlamp. His arms tightened around himself. He looked around, wanting to make sure he was alone.
"Stop running."
Rockman's voice startled him to the point of screaming, and he turned towards him. If his face had been one of wicked joy when they met, here it showed that he wasn't nearly as happy to see him. He looked a little angry, but Netto could see that the Navi in front of him was keeping his cool.
"You can't hide Netto-kun, I'll find you every time." He said as he moved closer to him.
Netto stepped back even though he knew he could never escape. Looking down at the ground, he had to try something else so that Rockman could at least come to his senses.
"I know the truth." Netto's voice was low but he was able to keep it strong enough for Rockman to hear. "I know everything, Saito-nii-san."
The dark Navi paused, his expression now one of surprise, and terror when he had heard his name. He tried to force the behavior he had, but his eyes did not lie. Netto had expected it, Rockman had reacted, he felt like grinning, but it wasn't time yet.
"So..." Rockman began, in a tone more like the one he used to have. "What do you think?"
This was it, Netto was starting to find his best friend. Little by little, that dark cover was beginning to fall away. He was finally going to find him.
"I'm so glad to know it." Netto replied with a faint smile. "But I'm disappointed that I never learned it before."
Sensing the sincerity in his words and the sadness for the second sentence, the Navi looked down, almost ashamed at that.
"I had to obey Papa... I hate him for keeping it from you."
Netto shook his head quickly. He moved a little closer to him, and tried to shake off his negative feelings.
"Don't hate him, he had his reasons! Now I know, that's the most important thing."
Rockman looked at him again with a neutral expression, although Netto could see some melancholy in it.
"Rockman, let's go home." He held out his hand. "Please, I know we'll find a way for you to get back to normal."
But Rockman gritted his teeth, he jabbed the boy's outstretched hand, which made it pull away.
"No, I'm staying like this. How else do you want me to protect you?"
Netto shook his head, his body shaking from the quick breaths he had begun to take.
"Like you always have! We have to stick together!"
He could see in Rockman's gaze how disillusionment was creeping up on him, something was breaking inside him.
"Rockman, please! You have to go back to the way you were!" His voice was so desperate.
"I just want to get you out of the way. I don't want to use the Cross Fusion anymore, I don't want to be behind you." If Rockman had his eyes hidden behind his helmet again, his voice spat like poison.
"But you aren't behind, you're right with me!"
The dark Navi looked up quickly, his red eyes glowing with anger.
"Why don't you let me use that power then?! Why shouldn't I be allowed to fight instead of you!"
Though frightened by his attitude, Netto didn't let himself be intimidated, he too took on an angry expression.
"Because it's wrong! You saw what happened to Blues! I can't let you go down that road!"
Rockman calmed himself, only to feel saddened. He held up his hands as he looked at them and glared at his brother again.
"But Netto-kun, what if I can control it?" Rockman's voice was calmer again.
Netto looked at him softly, trying to think about the proposal, he finally shook his head and shouted louder.
"No Rockman! Please, come to your senses!"
The dark Navi, scary as he was, felt a tear fall down his cheek, something inside his chest began to break.
"Don't... leave me Netto... I'm doing this for you..." He whispered in a broken voice.
But Netto did nothing about it, he still stood his ground. He was not to be carried away by soft emotions, a Darkloid is bad, Rockman was not.
"Rockman... If you want to do something for me, you have to become a Navi again." Netto didn't like taking that tone, a terribly hollow, loveless voice.
Rockman's breathing quickened, he lowered his head again. Regal's words, from the inner voice, struck deep within him. A whole emotion of rage gathered in his own body and he could not control it any longer. He raised his fist and with a swiftness he sent it against the cheek of the boy in front of him, knocking him to the ground.
"I just want to help you!" He shouted, hysterically.
The dark Navi, overcome with anger, grabbed his little brother's collar before the other could get up and straddled him, hitting him in the same way he had done. Netto's face turned red with blood.
"But of course, it always has to be you who does everything! You have to operate, you have to use my strength in the real world, and what am I? I am always behind you, in the shadows, but you are not the master, Netto!" He had shouted these words as they echoed with every punch he threw at him.
He finally stopped, seeing the boy on the ground with a bloody nose, and blood spitting from his mouth. Netto was still alive, but he was pretty beaten up. Noticing him weakened, Rockman in another burst of anger, grabbed his neck with both hands.
"I refuse to be led again! I refuse to be used!"
Netto was weak now, but he had grabbed the wrists of the strangling Navi to pull them off, but it was a lost cause, he was too weak and the Darkloid was far too strong. His breathing became slower, and the blood flowed back to his head with difficulty.
"I'm sorry..." He managed to sqeak out through choked breaths.
Hearing him manage to speak, Rockman began to loosen his grip slightly, but the anger on his face did not disappear.
"You're only apologizing because your life is at stake, don't you think I know that?"
Still weakened, Netto at least managed to shake his head slowly. Tears welled up in his eyes.
"No... I really am... I hurt you... And I didn't know it. I hurt you and you endured it all this time... I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner. I couldn't live with the idea of you being hurt by me..."
The tears continued to fall. Netto felt his breathing take control as Rockman finally loosened his grip. Despite the angry expression he had, the dark Navi let his eyes tremble, they too felt like dropping tears.
"Yet you refuse my help..." Was all he answered to that.
Netto did not answer, his tears continuing to flow, mixing with the blood on his face. In the distance, the voices of Yuuichiro and Meijin could be heard. In a way, the young boy felt relieved. Rockman looked first at the palms of his hands and then at the back where he saw his younger brother's blood on them. He clasped them together afterwards, stood up and looked at him.
"I'll be back Netto-kun, I won't be long." He said expressionlessly and disappeared.
Yuuichiro then ran to Netto, falling to the ground, cradling his son in his arms, shocked at the bloody face he had. He called out his name a few times, almost crying, as the young boy got to his feet. He noticed the dome of the dimensional area that was still present and still looked on in horror.
"He said he would come back..." Netto muttered.
His father went into a panic and pulled his son close to him.
"You must hide quickly!" He declared, his voice almost breaking.
The professor took the child in his arms, said nothing, he only had an expression of shock on his face.
"Professor Hikari, what are you going to do?" Meijin called behind him as he began to walk off in a direction.
"Anything, but I can't leave him here! Rockman went to get the program!"
Netto's eyes narrowed, he looked up at his father, trying to comfort himself.
"But Papa, he could never force me to do a Perfect Synchro... right?" He asked, his voice becoming meek.
Yuuichiro began to walk much faster, he couldn't stay there for long.
"He doesn't have to force you, he'll take it from you!" He replied without looking at him.
"How?"
This time Netto felt his father speed up. Behind him he could see that Meijin was equally confused, he didn't know the answer, but his father remained silent. Biting his lower lip, the boy began to fidget with his arms.
"Papa, what's he going to do to me?!" he shouted.
Still no answer, Yuuichiro remained silent, even though his child was now flailing in his arms, crying out for an answer. He finally gave up and let his bloody face fall against his father's shoulder, smearing him with blood.
That's when Meijin understood what Rockman would surely do.
They almost fell to the ground when they heard the sound of Rockman's buster behind them. Yuuichiro saw his other son's expression in the distance, his face showed he was clear-headed and yet he could see that he was hiding something. The professor took a deep breath and kept his eyes on him.
"Meijin." The concerned man moved closer. "Take Netto and hide him. In the meantime, I'll try to hold him back."
"But Papa-"
"I have to do it."
Netto, made to confide in the other man with glasses, had a terrified expression grow across his face.
"I beg you, Papa! Don't do this!"
"If I die, Netto... it means I've failed as a father."
He walked over to the older child, while Netto, still screaming, was pulled by Meijin who was trying to get him out. Yuuichiro first looked at the ground before confronting his son's. A faint smile on his face.
"Saito..." Was all he could say before continuing. "We're finally face to face, even though it's been eleven years now."
The Navi did not respond, he remained unmoved. The teacher hesitated to raise his hand to touch the boy's face, but instead he placed it on his shoulder.
"You know this is all for nothing."
Again, the Navi did not react. He just stared at him. And finally, Yuuichiro placed his hand on the boy's cheek.
"I wish this meeting could have gone differently."
As if he had pushed a button, Rockman's red eyes almost grew angry.
"Then why didn't you do anything to make it happen?"
Before Yuuichiro could say anything else, Rockman pushed his father's hand away as his own arm became a sword, which he then slashed. The professor fell backwards to the ground as a long line of blood formed across his chest. Although the wound was not deep, the man could feel the pain. He tried to get up but the Darkloid grabbed him by the hair and put his blade to his own father's throat.
Without saying a word, he prepared to deliver the fatal blow, but Netto ran towards him, his face horrified and tearful despite the various bruises.
"Stop, Rockman!"
Rockman looked at him even though he was still holding his father by the hair.
"No! Stop! Let Papa go!" Netto continued to shout, crying uncontrollably.
"Netto, run..." Yuuichiro said in a weak voice.
But Netto shook his head.
"I can't, it's me he wants. You have to stay alive so you can save him." He declared, looking at him.
"Netto..."
Netto faced his brother's dark gaze, and still tried to calm himself.
"Please Rockman, release him, let him go, I know you're angry with him, but don't kill him, he is our Father..." Netto pleaded as his voice was gripped by grief.
Against all expectations, Rockman let go of the father's hair, letting him fall to the ground. He finally ignored him and moved closer to Netto. He reached out his hand so that he could grab the boy by the jaw.
"I thought you would love me no matter what..." His voice was very quiet.
"Rockman..."
"Because I always do."
Netto heard his father yell his name and at the same time felt a blow in his stomach, knocking him into the dark.
Netto woke up feeling weak. His head still ached from the beating Rockman had given him, and his hands were cuffed behind him. He became agitated when he realized that he couldn't move his hands. The only thing he could do was scream. He didn't know where he was, but it scared him. Rockman had probably succeeded in teleporting him, he just hoped he hadn't found some dastardly way to have taken him into the cyberworld. The frightened boy continued to wave his hands behind his back, wanting to break free, but to no avail. He finally looked up and noticed that opposite tohim was his Navi, Rockman, and behind him was a large figure. He recognized him from sometime before, although something had changed.
Doctor Regal stood right behind his own Navi, looking at him almost with pride. Netto felt anger sweep over him at the sight of this man here. He was the source of all his problems.
"Regal! It was you all along!" He shouted at him, as his arms flailed behind.
The two moved closer, Rockman's red eyes watching him like a viper.
"That's right... it was me." The man simply replied with his hands behind his back. "I took advantage of the Dark Aura Shademan was able to infect Rockman with, and then found an opening... Despite the vaccine you were able to send him."
Netto's hatred was such that if he had a gun, Regal would have been dead long ago. He continued to fidget his arms back and forth fiercely as he looked at his brother.
"Rockman, come to your senses! Can't you see he's manipulating you!?"
However, the dark Navi did not respond, he only tilted his head. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Regal looking at him with confidence. He finally nodded.
Rockman approached Netto, who was beginning to get frightened, but noticed that he had no expression on his face. He went behind him, releasing a hand, but gripped it so hard that it hurt. Regal pulled out a strange object that looked like a scanner. The Navi forced his hand to rest on the scanner for a short time, until he heard a beep. Then Rockman put his hand behind the boy's back and handcuffed him again. Netto shouted several times to let him go, but to no response as both seemed to ignore him. Regal stood up to the Navi with smile that could say so many words.
"It's time."
Still not saying a word, Rockman took out a strange little shiny square with the Hikari family symbol on it. Netto became horrified as he realized what it was. The dark Navi pressed it and the object disappeared. Every nerve in the human boy became excited as he shook his head trying to recover.
"Saito. Batch, activated." Said the Dark Navi in a robot-like voice.
Netto felt his eyes widen as that pain in his head continued to ring. Rockman moved closer to his twin, still emotionless. The child panicked as he saw him move closer and kneel before him. He grabbed his neck and forced him closer, and his right hand turned into a sword. The younger boy's eyes widened again as he realised what he was about to do, he shook his head as tears burnt his eyes.
"Rockman, don't do this! This isn't what you really want!"
"Netto, it's your power I want." He finished with a small smile as he brought the blade closer to his chest.
Netto's eyes widened even more, the tears continued to flow. He tried to free himself, but nothing could be done. He could only hear Regal's sniggering as he enjoyed the show. The boy finally closed his eyes, with the tears falling to the ground waiting for the fatal blow. But nothing came, no pain. The NetOp waited for several minutes until he opened his eyes to meet Rockman's. They had become soft eyes again, and he was able to see them. They were the soft, green eyes he had always known.
He was back.
Rockman lowered his sword, and Netto moved closer to him, a hopeful smile on his face.
"You're back! I knew you would be here!"
Rockman looked at him gently, the left hand that had been clutching his neck released him and he touched his little brother's cheek, wiping away his tears. Netto's head rested against that protective hand, tears of joy now fell from his eyes.
"Rockman..." Netto whispered as he looked at his Navi, filled with happiness.
"Netto-kun, I wanted to see you smile..." Rockman began, still wearing the same expression. "Before we get it over with."
Netto's eyes filled with confusion, but before he could ask anything, he felt a quick blow pierce his chest.
The blow was so quick and so quiet. Netto dropped his head, feeling himself losing strength, horrified at what he was feeling. He spat blood several times. His body fell forward, against his brother's shoulder. His tears flowed as he felt the fatigue creep into his head.
"Why Rockman..." His voice was so weak.
Rockman put his left hand against the boy's back, so that he could hold him close, a final embrace before death. The Navi could see the blade that had gone through the boy's body, completely drenched with his blood.
"There... there..." He stroked his back, making comforting whispers. "It's over Netto, it's over..."
Netto did nothing but continue to cry softly. His strength was leaving him, his last thoughts were of sadness at the betrayal of his own Navi. He could feel his elder's hands continuing to rub him on his back, he hated it. It had to be the first time they were together physically, the first time since he'd found out he was his brother, and it ended like this. His eyes began to close slowly and finally he let the fatigue take over.
Through the new link, Rockman could feel it deep inside him, his twin was finally leaving.
Netto's body glistened tenderly and evaporated like star dust, and finally it entered the other boy's body. Overcome by such strength, Rockman groaned with joy. He felt so good, softness and serenity had enveloped his entire being. It was far too pleasant. Once the sensation subsided, he heard the man behind clapping.
"Well done Dark Rockman, you've done the right thing." The doctor turned around, "Now come on, it's time to start the second phase of our plan."
Rockman stood up but didn't turn around, he just looked at the blade that still had Netto's blood on it. Then he noticed Netto's blue bandana on the ground at his feet, soaked in blood. He took it in his free hand and just stared at it. Regal turned to look at him, not understanding why he wasn't following him.
"Dark Rockman?" He asked almost impatiently.
The Navi lowered his blade, letting the blood flow. He raised his head, lowering his other arm as well, and turned it towards him.
"I'm not Rockman... and I'm certainly not Saito." The last sentence was a whisper to himself.
Regal frowned, the Navi's previously obedient behaviour was starting to annoy him.
"What exactly do you want?" Regal asked, wanting to at least understand what the Navi coveted.
He finally turned around, his red eyes filled with hatred.
"I don't need an operator, I don't need a friend, I don't need a family!" His voice rang louder with each word.
Before Regal could say anything else, the dark Navi charged straight at him at a speed he had never seen, driving his blade into the doctor's body. The force of the attack had knocked his body backwards, but Rockman held him firmly by his collar. A silvery liquid escaped from his body, as well as from his mouth. His eyes were filled with anger.
"What are... you doing?!" Regal spat several times as he tried to finish his sentence.
The Darkloid began to smile.
"I don't need Netto-kun anymore and I never needed you!" He thrust his blade further into the dark man's body as he screamed.
He dropped him, the man tried to move as he drained of the silvery liquid, and Rockman brought his blade closer to Regal's head.
"I am Omega, and I am my own Master!"
In one swift motion, a head rolled and Regal's body ceased to stir, then he melted into that same silver liquid. Rockman... No, Omega stood up and looked around, first touching his emblem and only smiling, ending in a euphoric laugh. He laughed at what had just happened, he laughed at what he was about to do, he laughed at the future of this world. He was going to find the other twelve chosen ones, take their hands if he had to in order to get the crests, and finally get to Duo to take his power. He would finally be the most powerful Navi on earth, maybe even in the universe with all the power he was about to gain.
"Rockman... No..."
A voice in his head made him stop laughing, it was a voice he knew so well. He breathed heavily, he looked at his blade which still had his younger brother's blood on it despite being covered by Regal's silver liquid. In the end he only chuckled at the irony. He moved closer to the throne that was not far away and sat on it, making himself comfortable, his smile still manic but his eyes... Twinkling with a strange sorrow.
"Well Netto-kun, it's good you're still here. Let's toast to my rebirth." His voice was slow and lucid, but contained no sarcasm, it was sincere.
Omega looked up at him, his expression was one of unmitigated anger. Earth was going to have to face its new enemy, the Devil's Messiah himself. He raised the hand that clutched the bandana.
"To us."