Thanks for the commets! After my other fic, Neta.EXE, Rockman's Counterpart didn't do too well on here, I wasn't too confident about uploading this here. All of my pure Rockman fics are on the forum EXE Headquarters (www (dot) exehq (dot) com/forum), but there's a link to it on another great forum which I am a member of, Rockman.EXE Online (www (dot) kishuku (dot) com), those of you who are very big Rockman fans, I urge you to join them! (I can't put in full web addresses for some reason, so guess when you're typing the addresses into your browser)
Because of this fact, I didn't upload the last two chapters that I wrote out for A New Cyberspace, and I had no backups of them and when RM.EXE Online went down a few weeks ago, I lost the chapters altogether. Just take note that A New Cyberspace is dead, and I don't plan to continue it. As with all my fics that I haven't finished, whoever wants to continue it for me, then email me for permission. Please make sure that the title of the fic you want to take over is in the subject, or just put fanfiction, or the chances are I won't read your email and I will just delete it.
For those of you who join the forums, and read the newer chapters to this, I may consider using suggestions from you. Now that's off my chest, on with the chapter!
(Chapter 2)
R-Neta and R-Dragoman dashed back towards the Nebula server, so they could get out of the internet. "Hey, Saratu, you up to going to get another?" Ademu asked.
R-Neta was panting, moreso than she should've been from running as far as they had. She shook her head "I'm reaching my limit, I'll need to rest when we get back out into the real world" Saratu answered.
R-Dragoman motioned to Meiru, whom was being carried over his shoulders, she still had the white glow that she had before they brought her into the internet. "I'll take her to your computer when we get back, you go back to the real world and rest" Ademu told her.
"Okay..." R-Neta replied.
(Back in Internet City)
"Dinner's ready, email me if Meiru-chan comes back" Netto said as he got up, leaving Rockman plugged in. He went downstairs.
"Roll-chan has been gone a long time, I didn't think they'd be this long..." Rockman stated.
"Meiru probably just plugged out because she had piano lessons Rockman, I don't think it's anything to worry about" Yaito replied.
(Elsewhere...)
"I thought the icons had all the data loaded into them Saratu" Ademu said as he sat down next to her. She was on her computer, typing away.
"My PET had nowhere near enough memory to hold the data for these Navis, so I just brought the icons to turn the ones we kidnap into data, kinda like our Data Sync Chips but it's harder to turn back to being human with this change" Saratu answered.
The Navi on the screen was out cold. Her bodysuit was a red color, and she was shorter than most Navis, about the same size as Iceman. Short red hair reached down to her shoulders from under her helmet. Her face looked like an exact replica of Meiru's when she was younger.
"Isn't she the Navi with the double element ability?" Ademu asked.
Saratu nodded as she continued to type "She's actually neither of the two elements that I've given her, but she has two elemented default attacks" she replied.
"What're you doing?" Ademu questioned.
"Setting up a cage so she can't get out of the server, I want to you leave Dragoman here to guard her" Saratu answered.
"You have something in mind Saratu?" Ademu asked.
"Not really, I just need some sleep" Saratu replied, as she got up, yawning as she walked out of the room. Ademu plugged in Dragoman, then left too.
(In the net...)
The small Navi woke up, her head was pounding. She hadn't lost any of her memory, but something just didn't seem right as she looked around. She looked down at herself, and gasped, she was a Navi!
"Something the matter, Heart?" a voice asked, outside of the cage she was being held in. A knight-like navi came into view, whom had a dragon's head fitted onto his right arm.
"Heart? My name is Meiru!" Meiru tried to defend herself.
"You are a Navi now, and you're going to help us" Dragoman said, entering the cage. Meiru backed up.
(Hikari home)
"Netto, I was looking through the lists of people who have gone missing, and I think you might want to see this" Enzan said over a phone call. He turned his PET around to the computer screen he was looking at. A name had been highlighted 'Sakurai Meiru'
"Meiru too? When did that get added?" Netto asked.
"I'm not sure, and I haven't heard about any leads from Meijin or the Comissioner, any leads on your end?" Enzan replied as he turned his PET back around to face him.
"None, any word from Laika?" Netto questioned.
"He said he's looking, but he can't find anything in Shaaro" Enzan answered.
"Could it be the Darkloids? We haven't seen anything of them for some time now" Netto wondered.
"Not even the Darkloids can just make this many people disappear without a trace, and we would've seen something if they'd emerged through a Dimensional Area" Enzan replied.
"Wait, maybe Neta and her operator have something to do with this Netto-kun" Rockman suggested.
Enzan raised a brow "Who?" he asked.
"They were the ones who caused the Dimensional Area at the Science Labs, I guess it's possible that they might be involved..." Netto answered.
"Netto look, there's nothing we can do tonight, so just get some sleep. I'll call you in the morning if I can dig anything up" Enzan told him as he hung up.
(Elsewhere, the next morning...)
"You think she's ready so soon?" Saratu asked.
Ademu nodded "I had Dragoman train her last night, and install a memory block into her program. Now she'll listen to us without question" he answered.
"Good thinking, I was dreading having to listen to her complaining" Saratu replied.
"So, what's the plan?" Dragoman asked from his PET.
"You and Ademu keep Hikari busy, I'm sure that now he knows one of his friends is missing he'll be protective of his other friends, and I'm going to see if I can get another" Saratu answered.
"I'll take Heart out to see if fighting him will spark any problems for the memory block" Ademu replied as he got up.
(Hikari home, at that time)
Roll was sobbing quietly, Netto had asked Meiru's parents if he could hold onto Meiru's PET while she was missing.
"One of them was a female? That was R-Neta alright. But what gets me is how did they get into the internet, and then be able to come out at any point they wanted?" Netto wondered.
"I'm not sure Netto-kun, but the fact is that Meiru is missing, and we need to find her" Rockman replied.
Netto looked out the window as he spoke "The only lead we have is Neta's operator, and I don't think she's just going to reveal herself whenever we want her to" he said. He jumped to his feet when he saw a familiar sight a far way away. A Dimensional Area.
(Downtown Akihara)
R-Rockman entered the Dimensional Area, keeping a look out for a Navi, possibly R-Neta.
He didn't have to look very hard. The Navi in question was Heart.EXE, she was standing in the center of the Dimensional Area, and she had noticed him. Yet she wasn't attacking him.
Neither part of R-Rockman had any clue what she was doing. Suddenly, Heart leapt up, with her hands held out in front of her, one was glowing orange, the other blue. "Double Shot!" she yelled, firing off the same attack as a Heat Shot and a Bubbler chip.
R-Rockman easily dodged the two shots, guessing she wasn't too experienced. But when he looked to see her again, she was already on another attack!
"Battlechip Sword!" Heart called as a sword formed over her left hand, instantly changing into a Fire Sword. She charged at R-Rockman with it.
"Battlechip Long Sword!" R-Rockman yelled as he formed the Long Sword. Heart's sword crossed with his, but she kept on attempting to slash him. She was better than he first thought.
Heart jumped back as she began make her hands glow again "Double Shot!" she cried as she fired the attack off again. They both hit R-Rockman and knocked him to the ground.
"Who is she? I think we'd know about a Navi like her" Netto whispered to Rockman.
"Something doesn't seem right Netto-kun, I feel like I've seen her someplace before" Rockman replied back.
"My name is Heart.EXE" Heart said cheerfully, letting up from attacking R-Rockman. It looked like she was enjoying herself, fighting R-Rockman.
"Battlechip Fire Blade!" a familiar voice called out, R-Rockman was surprised to see R-Blues here. But here he was, currently crossing swords with Heart. He leapt back, and raised his arm again.
"Battlechip Flame! Aqua! Elec! Bamboo Sword! Elemental Sword!" R-Blues called out, forming the advanced sword over his arm. He charged in Heart's direction. Something clicked in Rockman's mind.
R-Rockman got in the way of R-Blues, and caught his blade with his hands. This surprised both R-Blues and Netto.
"Netto! What're you doing!" Enzan yelled at him, R-Rockman let go of his blade.
"It wasn't me! Rockman defended her, I don't know why!" Netto yelled back.
"I figured it out. Roll-chan explained to me what happened to Meiru, and something just clicked. I think that Neta's operator is somehow turning the kidnapped people into Navis! Netto-kun, take a close look at Heart" Rockman explained.
R-Rockman turned around to look at the Navi. Looking closely, a memory sparked from when he was younger. "Wait, Meiru-chan! Rockman, you're right!" Netto replied.
Heart tilted her head in confusion, having no clue what they were talking about. A transmission came to her 'Heart, log out. You're not skilled enough to defeat both R-Rockman and R-Blues yet' it was from Dragoman, she nodded.
Heart.EXE: Logging Out
"Damn, she left" Netto said, noticing Heart logged out.
"No matter, at least we know what's happening to the kidnapped people Netto" Enzan replied as the Dimensional Area disappeared. Their Cross Fusion forms broke.
(On the net...)
R-Neta was having trouble. 'She has a pansy for a Navi, yet one of the best security systems I've had to break into. How can someone pay for something like this?' Saratu wondered as she continued through the system, being as careful as she could, as one slip, and she would be killed.
'The data I got from her Navi, said her name was Ayano-Kouji Yaito, Where have I heard that surname before?' Saratu asked herself. The link to Yaito's computer was in sight. Just one problem, a huge laser wall prevented access to it. Attacking it would set off the alarm, and she'd bet anything that usng any chip would be useless.
'Saratu, the code we got from her Navi should work here, I don't think she would prevent access to her own Navi' Neta told her.
R-Neta nodded as she leapt down to a panel on the side of the firewall, and pressed her hand on it. It scanned her system, and the firewall disappeared, confirming that she had the code for it. She ran into the link.
Upon entering Yaito's computer, she quickly began the program to create a Dimensional Core. But as she started it, a powerful plasma shot fired over her shoulder, piercing a hole in the floor. She looked up, and saw no Navi there.
(Nearby...)
"Nice shot Searchman, but remember, we don't want to delete her" Rockman told him, he had turned into Search Soul himself, but Searchman had joined him in the operation to stop R-Neta.
"I don't see why, she is wanted and she should be deleted" Searchman replied, his rifle still aimed.
"You never did tell us why we shouldn't delete her Netto, care to explain?" Laika asked, he was still in Shaaro, but had sent Searchman to Akihara's internet.
"I don't know how, but Neta's operator, and whoever she's working with, has found a way to put herself into the internet while in Cross Fusion. Papa said that she's just confused, and none of this is her fault. I don't want to see her killed" Netto answered.
"I don't trust your decision. But if she does something drastic, then it's on your head Netto" Laika replied.
Netto nodded "Fine by me" he said.
(Back over with R-Neta...)
'They must've made quick work of Heart, we'd better get out of here Saratu' Neta advised.
"Not a chance, I haven't failed a mission yet and I don't plan to start now" Saratu whispered back. She attempted to create another Dimensional Core.
'Think about it, you could be killed here! We can always try again later' Neta replied.
"If we can get this Dimensional Core running, and get back into the internet with Yaito, then he wouldn't dare risk attacking us. Trust me" Saratu told her.
'AI Switch Program, execute' Neta simply replied, data formed and Neta's face formed over Saratu's, and her hair color changed to Neta's too.
"Wh-what're you doing!" Saratu called out.
'If you can't see that we can't get Yaito without getting deleted, then I have no choice but to take control. I care about you too much to see you killed!' Neta yelled at her, the change was then complete, and she headed out of Yaito's computer.
(Nearby...)
"That, was surprising..." Rockman commented.
"I wonder what happened?" Netto asked.
(Later...)
R-Neta was almost back to the Nebula server. It surprised her that Saratu hadn't said a word since they left Yaito's computer. She guessed that Saratu would smash the PET once she had control of her body again and she was back in the real world.
But once they got out of the net, and Saratu had control of her body again, she did no such thing. She merely went to her quarters, put her PET down on the desk, and dropped herself onto her bed.
Neta knew that Saratu would've been exhausted from the Cross Fusion. They had been doing it for the last month or so, but hadn't made any progress with getting used to it.
Neither had any idea how long passed, but after what seemed like hours, both Saratu and Neta heard someone struggling on the computer.
Saratu got up weakly, as she wasn't fully rested from the Cross Fusion. She looked at her computer, to see R-Dragoman with a glowing figure over his shoulders. He left the figure in the cage, then logged out. She tried to get up and to her computer, but she was too weak.
"Saratu, the customizing can wait, you need to rest!" Neta told her, noticing Saratu was attempting to get up.
Saratu smirked as she looked at her PET "And since when did you care Neta? Something you're not telling me?" she questioned her Navi.
"I can't keep on acting like this Saratu. Ever since I met you, you thought that since I'm a Navi, I don't care about you. But you have to understand why I've acted like this, it was to keep my secret. Regal-hasake was wrong about Hikari-hasake killing your mother, because I know that she was involved in an experiment that she volenteered to take part in, lead by Hikari-hasake. It was to be able to send human brainwaves into the net, and be able to sustain themselves without a connection to the body, and use them to create a Navi. That experiment created me" Neta explained.
"But if you were created in that experiment, that would make you..." Saratu asked, but Neta continued.
"I see you've figured it out Saratu-chan" Neta smiled, she took off her helmet, and her hair changed to the same shade of blonde as Saratu's. Without her helmet, her hair became loose.
Saratu laughed "You think I'd believe a story like that?" she asked, Neta pouted.
"It's the truth if you believe me or not Saratu, I'm sorry that I haven't been there to raise you, but it's something I wanted to do. Something went wrong..." Neta replied, looking off to the side with a sad look on her face.
"Go on" Saratu told her flatly, still not convinced her Navi was telling the truth.
"Not all of my mind could be transferred over to my Navi self, because a powerful virus broke into the server and destroyed the internet side of the transfer equipment, taking my human life with it because of the electricity that sparked off of it.. Most of my memories and my personality were transfered, but I'm not all together if you know what I mean. Whoever created that virus is responsible for all of this, if my body was still alive, I might've been able to return to it, but as it stands, I can't..." Neta explained.
(Internet City, early the next morning...)
Rockman was searching for any sort of clue as to where the missing people might be. That, and the fact someone had sent an email addressed to him asking him to come meet them in Internet City. It did bother him who it was though, and he intended to find out.
Upon reaching the place he was asked to come to, he was surprised to find Neta sat on the ground, curled up. Tears stained her face, seemed she'd been there a good while.
"Neta? What're you doing here?" Rockman questioned, Neta looked at him.
"I-I tried to explain to Saratu the truth about me, and she didn't believe a word of it. I tried, even though I knew how sensitive Saratu got about her mother, about me. Once she was rested up, she sent me here and got a call from Regal, saying that he'd created a better Navi for her than me. She took the offer and tossed my PET into the trash, I've been here all night..." Neta explained.
"Is she staying in Akihara? I can get Netto-kun to come find your PET" Rockman asked.
"He's up at this hour?" Neta replied, Rockman nodded, noticing the lack of Navis around in Internet City.
"He can't sleep, he just heard about Dekao going missing, and with Meiru missing too, it's driving him nuts" Rockman said.
"If there's anything I can do Rockman, I'll do it. I've already kidnapped one of your friends, and I'm sure my partner, Dragoman was the one who took Dekao, even after Saratu and me tried to get Yaito..." Neta told him.
"We can start by finding your PET Neta, tell me where you are exactly" Rockman replied, he brought up a map of the Akihara area.
Neta nodded, and pointed to an area. The location appeared on the map that Rockman had brought up.
"That is pretty far, but I'll try get Netto to come find you" Rockman replied.
"Thanks Rockman" Neta replied, then paused "What do you think will happen to me? I have been involved with the kidnapping of all of those people..." Neta asked.
Rockman put a hand on her shoulder, making her look up into his eyes "Don't worry Neta, Netto-kun and me are Net Saviors, I think we can keep you from being arrested for it for now. But I bet that Enzan and Laika won't be happy about that unless you're giving us information" he answered.
"Rockman, how much further is it to Neta's PET?" Netto asked over the PET link.
"Not much further, just keep following the map!" Rockman called back.
"Thanks, both of you. I just hope I can get Saratu to see I was telling the truth..." Neta said.
(End of Chapter)