A/N: You wouldn't believe what I went through to dig out the jot notes for this story so I could remember the sequence of events...!

It's short, and I'm sorry. n.n;

Fall To Pieces
Chapter 3
by Shimegami-chan

"Don't feel bad about it," Meiru tried to comfort, picking up the PET. Rockman's eyes were listless and blank. "He's been acting so strangely over the past few days. I wonder what could be wrong."

"Over the past few days? What's happened?" This sparked his interest immediately. Did Netto have some kind of problem that had escaped Rockman's attention? Other than the incident with the bully that morning, he really hadn't noticed his twin acting strangely in the least.

"Er, well..." Meiru held the blue PET in her left hand, tilted up towards her face as she walked along the beach, away from Yaito and Dekao, footfalls silent in the white sand. "To be honest, he kind of seems like he's been...angry. I thought he was mad at me, but he says that he isn't…so…"

"Oh." So this was perhaps something related to Netto and Meiru's private conversations, and not something Rockman would have been privy to. Guilty relief rushed through the Navi that he had not missed any public signs.

Meiru was still speaking, now standing still, with her chin tilted so Rockman couldn't quite see the troubled expression on her face. "Like when I asked him a question about how his father was doing, he snapped at me and said that Hikari-hakase never comes home, so how would he know? I thought that was weird. Netto's so used to him being away - when he wants to see him, he just goes over to the Ministry of Science, right?"

Rockman nodded. "Right. But he hasn't lately."

"I figured that." Meiru shook her head. "I don't know what's gotten into him; he always seems to be in a crabby mood. It might have something to do with this whole...getting targeted by just about every bad guy around, you know? Of course, you seem to be doing okay, and you're the one doing most of the fighting."

Rockman blushed slightly. "I guess...but I'm a Navi, so that's kind of different--"

"Oh, so you're the one doing all the suffering, is that right?" Netto's voice interrupted him in mid-sentence, and Meiru jumped at the proximity of the sound. "Well, I suppose now I know where your loyalties lay. Not much of a surprise, I guess."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rockman demanded, anger flaring up in him. Where did Netto get off accusing him of such things?

Netto, who was standing with his arms crossed and still wearing Saito's black hoodie, sported a frown that even took his twin aback. "I was going to say I was sorry for getting mad, but since you're off here trying to get sympathy for it, I won't bother."

Meiru was starting to get angry as well, her hands clenched into tight fists and eyes flashing. "Just what has gotten into you, Hikari Netto? Of course I have more sympathy for Rock-kun, he's the one you keep dumping on--!"

The boy scowled. "I can't help it if he does stupid things! He hurt me!"

"Oh, it was just a burn, you big baby," Meiru snapped. "Get over it. You've gone through worse for him before."

"Yeah, well, excuse me if I'm not interested in repeating the experience." Netto turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving Rockman and Meiru gaping after him, speechless. Rockman opened his mouth to call out to Netto's retreating back, but thought better of it, snapping his jaw shut as quickly as the words threatened to come out.

Together they looked until Netto's figure had disappeared, and then after a long moment, Meiru sat down in the sand, looking apologetic. "Listen, I'm sorry, I should have gone after him."

"No," Rock said quietly. "It's not your fault. I kind of expected him to be mad."

"That doesn't mean that you should take all the blame for it."

"I guess not." Rockman fell silent as Meiru climbed to her feet and started to walk back to the spot where they'd left Dekao and Yaito. He thought that maybe he should feel guilty for making his Netto so angry, but instead he was more concerned with why. It wasn't like his twin to get worked up over a silly thing like that, it wasn't even like him to react the way he did about the burn from the hot marshmallow. The Navi was starting to become very worried about something being seriously wrong with Netto. Is there something he's not telling me? Maybe he's been sick, or doing worse than usual in school...but no, I'd notice those kinds of things, wouldn't I?

He's been having a lot of bad dreams lately, but I can't blame him, after all the stuff he goes through...if Navis could dream, I'm sure I'd be having the worst of nightmares seven times a week.

Maybe the dreams did have something to do with it, Rockman thought, perhaps related to why Netto was so tired-looking and cranky these days. He resolved to keep a closer eye on his Operator, watching him during the night instead of going through his regular standby routine. It wouldn't hurt to have someone looking out for Netto.

Apparently it wouldn't have hurt them to have started this process quite some time ago, Rockman realized as Meiru caught sight of Yaito's boat out on the water, about twenty meters from shore, and wordlessly held up the PET for the Navi to see. "I can't believe it, why would Netto-kun leave without us? Are the others still...?"

"Yaito-chan and Dekao-kun are over there," Meiru said grimly. Yaito too had noticed Netto's departure and was howling like a banshee, jumping up and down and waving her arms to draw his attention. The boy on the boat ignored her completely. "I don't think they're very happy."

It would be no trouble for Yaito to send for another boat, of course, but it was the principle of the thing that had Rockman irked at last. "I think we'd better get back home as soon as we can. I have a really bad feeling about all this."

----------------------------

"Dr. Regal." Netto strode into the office without announcement, still wearing the clothes he had donned for the beach, along with flip-flop sandals. A quick check at the front desk had assured him that Dr. Regal was clocked in and Hikari-hakase was not. It was better that way, Netto thought, because he wouldn't have to explain things to his father.

"Netto-kun." Regal looked, understandably, surprised to see him. "Come in, boy, have a seat. Yuuichirou's away--"

"I'm not here to see my father," Netto cut him off, accepting the invitation to sit across from the scientist. "I'd like to talk to you, actually."

Confused, Dr. Regal set down the clipboard in his hand. "Sure. What can I do for you...?"

"I've been having these strange dreams lately...more like fits." The expression on the teen's face was grim. "They always happen in the night time...and they're nearly always because of what I'm dreaming about. I think somehow they might be connected to Nebula."

Regal drew in a deep breath and let it out again, slowly. "That sounds dangerous, but I don't know what could possibly cause it. You know far more about Nebula than I do, Netto-kun...I don't really remember any of the things that happened back then."

"I know..." Netto said, trailing off. "I just thought that maybe you'd be able to offer something, anything. Don't you maybe have any files or old data from back then?"

"I do..." the scientist replied at length. "But I don't know how Yuuichirou would feel about me digging around in them. For my own good, you know."

"You won't even need to. I'm sure I'll recognize what I'm looking for when I see it, whatever it is," Netto promised. "I've worked with the Net Officials so many times, I know it's fine for me to look at this stuff, I just need someone to access it for me."

Regal frowned again, more deeply this time. He was having not just nightmares, but actual fits, like seizures? The problem sounded much more serious than the boy was making it out to be. "It'd probably be better if we asked your father. He knows more about this kind of thing, definitely, so he could help find what you need."

"No, you can't tell him!" Netto protested. "I need to fix this on my own! I don't want to worry Papa, because he's always so busy…please, Dr. Regal, just show me to the files--please--"

"Okay, okay." Something about the urgency in Netto's voice weakened his resolve. Would it really hurt for the boy to investigate this on his own, especially if Regal would be keeping an eye on him? Better for him to offer his limited help than later be concerned that Netto was looking into things on his own. Hesitantly the scientist sat down at his computer terminal and input the password to allow him access. He's probably just exhausted from this stuff happening at night. It's got to be scary, and he's a teenager, so of course he's reacting with anger. Doesn't mean I shouldn't go to Yuuichirou if the problem doesn't immediately clear up...but what kind of Nebula-related problem could possibly be causing seizures? It's been months since the organization went down. If this is something psychological, then the kid needs to go to a professional, not dig up stuff that's going to give him more nightmares…

Despite his misgivings, the doctor deposited the Nebula files onto a datacard and held it out to Netto. "You're involved with the Officials, so I know I can trust you with this. But you know what'll happen if it falls into the wrong hands; your head and mine, so be careful, okay? And…I want you to tell me what you find out. If you find trouble, call me or your father before you get in too deep."

"Okay. Thank you, Doctor." Accepting the card, Netto gratefully offered him a smile before departing.

Seating himself heavily in his swivel chair, the scientist put both hands over his face. I must be drinking too much coffee, I need to cut back. It was impossible, but as Netto had turned, Regal thought he imagined that the boy's eyes were a frightening shade of crimson.

-to be continued...