Netto walked around the Sci Labs building, gazing at anything and really seeing nothing. Thoughts and questions ate at his mind. Mostly they revolved around the simplistic idea of what was he. Rockman had told him many times to must not think about it, but it wasn't something he could just push out of his mind. Absorbed in his thoughts he didn't watch where he was going until he ran straight into Blues. "Ah," Netto yelped as he fell backwards.
Blues looked down at the small child. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Netto rubbed the back of his head, "I'm fine," he muttered as he stood up.
Blues eyed him and watched as Netto made it to his feel. Netto felt the stare of the tall navi and blinked up at him. "Yes?" he asked.
Blues blinked behind his shades and then turned around, "Nothing."
Netto glared at him, "What's wrong?" he asked saucily.
"Nothing," Blues said again.
"Yeah right," Netto snorted. "You're a really bad liar," he added.
Blues raised an eyebrow and blinked at Netto. "How so?" he asked.
Netto crossed his arms, "Well for one thing, 'nothing' is a really bad answer to give to anything. If nothing wasn't wrong then I'd be 12 and you'd be with Enzan, am I right?"
Blues sighed, "Why do you care?" he asked.
Netto blinked, "I don't know, maybe because you and Searchman have done nothing but walk around for the past two days. Roll and Rockman are hanging out, I'm trying my best and you two won't talk or anything. I know you're anti-social but it doesn't take an idiot to realize you're upset."
Blues was taken aback at Netto's rather blunt attack. "We merely are trying to figure out what has happened."
Netto frowned, "You miss Enzan, don't you?"
Blues sighed, now he knew what Rockman meant when he said that Netto was being too introspective. It must be hard to not be able to keep any secrets to yourself. "Yes," he admitted.
Netto shrugged, "Well, I miss him too you know," he pointed out. "And Laika, and mama, and papa and pretty much everyone. But being unhappy doesn't do anything so what's the point?"
Blues stared blankly at Netto. "You have a very odd way of looking at things, Netto-san."
Netto blinked, "Do I?"
Blues looked into his childish face, and even though he looked like a little kid it then became clear that Netto wasn't as happy as he pretended to be. "You're upset too," he mused.
Netto snorted, "Hell yes I'm upset. I'm five!"
"Not that," Blues said. "You're upset about something else."
Netto raised an eyebrow, "Now who's being the pushy one."
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Blues said softly and turned around to walked down the hall.
"Wait!" Netto called out. Blues turned around to see Netto looking vaguely uncomfortable. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Blues said.
"And you won't tell Rockman?" Netto pressed.
Blues became uncomfortable, if Netto didn't want to tell Rockman then maybe it wasn't really his place to keep it from him. "Please, I don't want to worry him."
Blues sighed, "All right."
"Promise?" Netto asked.
Again the feeling of foreboding washed through Blues.
Netto saw him shift slightly, "I just want to ask you something that's all."
Blues sighed, "Fine, what's your question."
Netto opened his mouth then closed it, as if he was trying to think of what to say. "Do you think… I'm human?" he asked finally.
Blues let out a long breath. How on earth was he supposed to answer that? "That's an odd question," he noted.
Netto made a face, "Look, Rockman won't give me a straight answer. And I understand why, but I need to know."
Blues shook his head, "Netto-san, I can't even begin to start answering that question."
"Blues, please?" Netto asked. "I need to know. I can't answer my own question and like hell if Rockman and Roll are going to answer. I want to know."
Blues sighed, honesty was always said to be the best policy. "Netto-san, I…" He sighed. "No, I don't think you're entirely human anymore."
A brief look of sadness passed Netto's eyes then he gave Blues a large grin. "Thanks!" Netto said brightly and walked away.
"Netto-san," Blues said softly.
"Yes?" Netto asked.
"Don't be upset about it," Blues said. Then he looked uncomfortable, pep speeches really weren't his thing. "It doesn't matter."
Netto gave Blues a small genuine smile for his attempt at making him feel a little better, "Thanks," he said and walked down the hall.
Blues watched him until he turned a corner then sighed. Netto may not have been entirely human but he still was upset and he pitied Rockman for having to feel the emotions that Netto was probably experiencing at the time.
"Lividity-sama?" Ribbon asked the taller navi with big eyes.
"Yes, child?" Lividity asked.
"Can we do something?" Ribbon asked.
Lividity for the first time in a long time sighed. "Child, I need time to plan out the rest of the movement. We can play later."
"But I want to play now!" Ribbon whined.
"Then go play by yourself," Lividity said with a wave of its hand.
Ribbon looked slightly scandalized as she ran out of the room. "I wanna play," she whined to herself. "Where can I play? I wanna play with someone…" a thought came to her head. She giggled at her own brilliance and turned to a familiar link.
Netto wandered the empty halls on his own for a bit, pondering again. Blues' reply to his question was not surprising but that didn't keep it from hurting. Several times Rockman had tried to contact him and all those times Netto had done his best to block them out. He knew his troubled emotions were being felt by Rockman but he wasn't in the mood to explain why. He wanted his privacy and after the third attempt at mental contact Rockman realized this and left him alone.
There was a brief flash of light in the corner of his eye as he walked down the hallway. It came from a monitor that was on in the room to his left. It was a research facility on viruses. In spite of himself Netto went to investigate, just in case a virus got free or something was happening.
He walked over to the monitor and stared at it. It looked innocently blank while he glared at it. He sighed and turned around, but just as he did there was a small giggle behind him. He whirled around to see Ribbon's face on the monitor, "You're that boy…" she said with amusement in her voice.
"You!" Netto yelped.
Ribbon got a wonderful idea, "Catch me if you can!" she sing songed and zipped out of the computer.
Netto took in a breath, his mind whirling then he took off after the navi's data signature. She appeared in several monitors in front of him and he followed her trying to figure out a way to trap her before she materialized in the real world. 'I need to get help…' he thought. Then he remembered the cool way he had treated Rockman. 'No, I can handle this,' he told himself. 'I can.'
"You're slow!" her voice came from ahead of him and his breath came in short pants as he followed her.
Ribbon giggled as she continued to play her game with Netto. After chasing her for a couple of minutes, Netto realized something. "She's not trying to hurt me," he thought. 'She's playing.'
Ribbon laughed and Netto finally ducked under another monitor and when she went into it he pulled the plug, trapping her inside. "All right," Netto said.
"Wow, no one's ever caught me before!" a cheerful voice said behind him. "Not even Lividity-sama!"
Netto whirled around to face Ribbon who was standing right in front of him. "You!"
Ribbon looked at him with an amused expression in her eyes, "Didn't you used to be older?" she asked innocently.