Warning, Mansion of child abuse, suicide and dangling corpses
They flew in cyberspace at a speed that went beyond what a human could grasp...and even after then what most binary-bound computers could clock. X and his adopted son were silent as they prayed not to be too late.
Forte was...sadly well known in the cyberworld. His quest for human eradication had garnered him more enemies than friends, and his hatred for a certain doctor cossack approaching legendary. And for X...
He was the saddest, most wounded soul he had heard about. And that was against the absolute garbage of an early life Prometheus had.
"Dad?" said the young man asked. "do you know where were going?"
"Deep-net, sector seventeen." He informed Prometheus. The reaper-like Cyber-fae's eyes widened to seemingly normal size. "Deep-net?! Dad...are you sure it's wise?"
"Not really, but my friend in my hearts Tell's me that's were Saito and Forte's are." He informed his eldest. Tapping his heart meaningfully.
Ever since his childhood, he had been trained to listen to Paramatma, the plenary portion of God in the hearts of all. And so far, He had never been wrong.
Really, if he would have listened to the heart-dwelling God, he would've never been kidnapped and...
Moving one.
"Alright, I trust you," Prometheus stated. "Sir, I'm willing and ready to go to hell for you."
"Same here." X affectionately went above his adopted son to pat his back. He could still remember how scared and broken he had been three years ago when he and his wife managed to rescue him and make the poor soul their son.
Prometheus... father...a certain Mister Albert Vile, had kept him and his little sister locked up in his condo in a high-rise apartment. Collared and half-starved as he used and abused them...
The reasons?
Because he could...and because neither of those children were, to his eyes, humans. Both were Cyber-fae...of Agni-jan. Their bodies could turn into subtle fire, electricity and sound... and enter the layer of flames that covered the world as photons.
Vile...never recorded their birth for this reason, and the raving lunatic had spilled his plan to have those two destroy the world to make a better one...one in which he was the sole king and master...
His wife was nowhere to be seen, but it had not been had to imagine what had happened to her.
Vile spun a web of lies about how this was for their own good and how the world was dying, and he needed the two to be the herald of the new God. Omega Zero VV.
Obliviously, this plan had spectacularly failed...simply put, no one could become a demi-god like that...and the only God of destruction was Shiva-Ji and Kalki, the last Avatar of Krishna. Still, the demon had done an incredible amount of damage in his madness...and he would've started doing worst if not for Pandora's action.
She managed to phase through the web without the help of a screen.
Phasing in the web without training was nearly impossible, and only a little easier with it...put Pandora did. And once there, she had met the couple during one of their hunting trips.
Some viruses could not be let fester for too long.
X could still remember her wild red eyes...and the despair that shone through. And he could still clearly remember his wife's fury when she heard the complete and utter garbage the demon had stuffed down this poor girl's gullet. Regurgitated as a cold and bitter sludge.
After he and his wife had managed to befriend the scared and traumatized young girl... after weeks and weeks of trying to break through the demoniac conditioning her warden had inflicted on her, she had opened up to them and had been willing to listen to the absolute truth.
Eventually, they began to see little Pandora as one of their own. And by extension, her big brother too.
It was not hard...especially for the born Mother he had for a wife.
But there was one problem...Pandora was still being abused by her warden...and she didn't want the vile person to unleash his fury upon her brother. And thus, she would return home... and act like a lightning rod.
Moiya and Eka had tried to follow her, but since she came in wirelessly...and vile never let her out save when he would force her to sleep on the balcony. Pandora had no idea where she was.
That was until...she sacrificed herself to save Prometheus.
Vile's favourite way to torture her was to leave her on the information balcony, for he had managed to remove all types of protection against the deadly fall.
Pandora...was afraid of height...
But it didn't stop her from jumping...to save her dying brother from further abuse at the hands of her progenitor... and to get him the medical attention he so desperately needed. Thankfully, her collar had been strong enough to hold her body up until she had died from the lack of oxygen...
It had taken some time for the few that walked under the apartment to notice the emaciated corpse of the twelve-year-old girl swinging in the wind, a feast for the crows and flies.
Pandora's gamble had paid off... and soon, the police and child protection services were on site, and Prometheus whisked away to the hospital for malnutrition and a slew of other health and mental problems.
Vile had been quickly arrested, and his trial had been quick and conclusive; not even his lawyer had attempted to save this refuse of a so-called human being.
After that, Ekachakra and his wife had hacked into Paix-Interieur's governmental database and had adopted Prometheus, having heard unending horror stories about the foster system.
It had been a gamble, for an abused child would carry deep scars... heavy conditioning that could condemn them to further miseries. They would be terrors...causing pain to others, becoming pseudo-controllers as they tried to stop others from hurting them back... and enjoy what Sri-Druga Devi had to offer.
Prometheus...was not one of them.
Oh, he was still filled with rage and a deep resentment for this so-call man...not even fit to be called the urine of his father and had been deeply distrustful at the beginning. But...Moiya and the kids had broken through to him with their causeless love and saintly attitude.
And Pandora had not been forgotten either. Prometheus challenging God to bring his sister back was merely the Lord reminding the two cyber-fae that their duties as a couple were to bring pious souls on earth...and Pandora was one of those. Despite everything.
What they did not expect was to attract and inject a second soul into his wife's sanctified womb.
He gazed back at the most fortunate soul...Prometheus had come a long way from the scared and starved child. He still had a long way to go, but he was in the right place to heal.
"X-Prabhu." The cyber-grimrepear addressed the azure angel. "I'm getting a strong Bug reading." He warned his father.
"Yes...That would be Gospel's domain." X stated, his lips pressed in a thin line. "the biggest of those bugs is him."
He knew the wolf-like bug...it was hard not to after the utter chaos he had caused.
"Anyone else in there?" X asked.
"No...I don't think Forte would be foolish enough to go there; it's still not dangerous enough for him...and it's still relatively accessible. I'm sure he's somewhere deeper." The reaper like Cyber-fae concluded.
"Are you sure?" The azure bomber asked again...he had the feeling that...that he had to look...
"Yeah, I'm positive."
X worried his lips for a bit...and contacted his friend Sangita.
[Sangit...It's Ekachakra. Prometheus and I are looking for Forte. I'm sure you know why. We already checked out Deep-net 17... Pro couldn't sense him...but I have a feeling he may be in Gospel's lair. Could you please check it out?. And I know your not into breaking into other people's computer. Still, I need you to look whatever information you can of Hikari Yuishiro and Hikari Haruka...they may have a hand in Cyber-fae trafficking, Rockman... use to be called Hikari Saito. ]
As expected, he received no confirmation, For Sangita was caring for a young boy about to pass his final exam, only the ping that the message had been received.
X sighed and prayed to Vijaya-Chaitanya and Nitai-Pada-Kamala that Saito was still safe. And that Forte was no another Vile.
Inside the cave in Gospel's domain, Forte stood in front of the wolf-like multi-bug being. He was staring at the Navi quizzically.
"'Sup Gospel. Miss me?" He asked the beast with a smile. "Love what you did the place, buddy, especially all those bugs you spawned."
It growled. Making Roku attempt to fuse with Forte's legs as he whimpered with fear.
'OK...first of all, that's not how Rockman would usually react. Second.' "Oi, Bug bag, cut it out." He barked at the abomination. "You scaring my son, you jerk." He said as he reached being him, comforting the child-like god.
At the word 'son.' Gospel stopped growling and stared at Forte, clearly confused.
"Yeah, Got me a powerful son, his name's Roku." He managed to somewhat get said son out from behind him. "See?"
Once again, Gospel stared at Roku...and, with a very cautious step, approached the quivering child.
Quite instinctual, Forte brought his little Roku closer. Equally as cautious about how the multi-bug mutt would react to The god of...
Whatever Rockman turned into after his SHR.
"P...Papa!" Roku whimpered as he buried his face in his daddy's side.
"It's alright; He won't bite you." Forte gave a meaningful glance to his wolf.
Gospel kept staring at Roku... and took another tiny step closer, hunching town as to appear less fearsome.
"Good boy," Forte uttered from under his breath. "See Roku, Gospel's not a bad dog...he's a bit big and...made from thousand of bugs. But he won't bite you."
The blue God peered at the multi-bug organism. Still fearful.
Quite the contrast to the fearless NetNavi...
And then...he looked at Gospel and smiled. Reaching his wand put to him.
Gospel then did something Forte never thought the wolf-like bug would do, something so...lowly, it made the dark-Navi question everything he knew.
Gospel began to wag his tail enthusiastically.
Forte raised a brow...he'd never thought he'd seen the bug-wolf do that.
He felt the vice of his son's arms release his thighs, and a bit hesitantly approached Gospel, he could even see a small smile shining through.
Gospel approached the presented hand and gently smelled it... and then recoiled.
"Gospel?" Forte, asked greatly disturbed by his Mutt's reaction to Roku...but then, Roku...Roku was Rockman, and Rockman had practically destroyed the city-beast.
And now...Rockman was gone, and what was left was Roku, his pure and unadulterated essence, free from the influence of a human.
'Wait...hold that tough.' Forte stopped himself. 'Didn't he say that his mother was human? And apparently my imaginary waifu?'
Forte's eyes slid again to the sight of the glowing blue god... who seem to be indecisive bout whether he wanted to stay close to his papa or to the very dangerous, spooked oversized, wolf-shaped, multi-bug abomination...
Roku let go of Forte's cloak, and fearlessly ran to the cowering (Gospel, cowering...who would've tough.) abomination.
He then hugged the frightened cyber-animal, and Forte preemptively aimed his fully charged buster at his beast.
'Don't make me chose Gospel... you're not on the top of my list anymore.'
Gospel stared at his master and remained still as Roku threw his hands around his neck and hugged the oversized pile of bugs.
"Don't be scared...I don't wanna hurt you." Roku said, his face still buried in Gospel neck.
The cyber-abomination remained still...and then...when Precious little Roku looked at him...
Gospel gave the blue boy a gentle lick, his tail hitting the ground with pure joy.
This prompted Roku to produce a sound...a sound that Forte never heard in his life, a sound so pure, so sweet, so sacred that it made him forget all about how Roku was a bit too empty to be a Navi.
He laughed in pure joy!
Forte lowered his buster and just watched his dog and son played... It filled his core programming with...something...something pure and needed...
He crossed his arms as he leaned onto the cave wall, a content smile on his face. Gospel had turned himself on his back, and Roku, after climbing the beast, was happily rubbing his belly. 'Yes...I could grow used to this.' Forte thought.
He let Roku and Gospel play together, carefree...
The dark Navi's smile fell... remembering a time were and his...Doctor would also play.
He still hated the man and wanted him dead along with the entire human race!
But...He could not help but remember how...for as fake as it had been, Cossack had been caring and kind. And he had never once raised his voice. He was a rather busy man...and yet always made some time to talk to Forte whenever possible.
The dark Navi sneered. Banishing those thoughts far away. No, Cossack was an ass...a slaver...just like all the humans.
He turned his eyes to Roku... His latest mystery.
He had identified his imaginary waifu as his mother and had described a house that could only exist in the real world...
He sneered as he pushed away those thoughts...This was Roku, and Roku was not human; he was the purified form of Rockman, now free from his Net-Op.
Those memories...were probably him filling the gaps with information he had just gained, nothing more.
Fote hid his gruesome smile behind the collar of his cloak. Soon, he would train his son to fight, to kill...to delete each and every opponent he would face. He would teach him about humans' true nature and how all needed to be destroyed and finally see those mistakes of nature eradicated!
But...not now...maybe...not even today.
Today, Forte had to set up a living space for Roku with a soft surface to sleep on, a desk and...maybe a few toys?
Yes...let Roku remain free of the human taint and the burning hatred a little longer...
Forte's smile fell...
'I want him to hate...but...' He shook his head...now was not the moment for his so-called conscience to take over.
He had to remain strong... the goal was on hand.
'Soon.'
Back at Moiya's home. The time for school work was over, and now a Partha-Sharathi busied himself with cooking the noon offering.
On the menu was a yogourt preparation called Kadhi, a pan-fried bread called a Paratha (Now he got quite a few in-jokes between his friends.), a green-bean stew with home-made coconut milk. No sweets, tough, for the family had run out of sugar.
Oh, and Kitchari...for Moiya. Since she was in a cleansing period...whatever that meant.
While Partha was watching the pots and pans, Netto was cleaning the countertop; he had helped his red-head cook those vegetarian preparations...For Gaura-Nitai of course.
"So...if I get this straight, your family cook for God first." He asked as he put away the cutting board, now spotlessly clean. He missed helping his Mama cooking. "And you don't cook for yourself."
He missed a lot of things about his Mama...
"Yeah, that's the principle," Partha explained as he carefully mixed the Kadhi and flipped the Paratha. "Of course, cooking exclusively for Krishna, without any desires for one's own tongue, is not that easy at first. Especially if you're just starting your devotional practice."
"wait...you mean, you don't have to be born a Hare Krishna to...worship Krishna?" Netto asked, his eyes wide.
Partha turned to his friend and stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "No...why would you think that?"
"Well...you know...your mama call you her Brahmana...and...you know, your from Bharata-Varsa-"
"Let me stop you right there, Sakha. We may have a cast system, but with works with one's nature...not a birthright." Partha explained. "Besides, I'm a Vaishnava...or, I'm trying to be one. And being a Vaishnava has nothing to do with cast division. A sudra can't be a highly elevated and super educated Brahmana but can definitely be a pure devotee of Krishna. And the Brahmana can be a mayavadi, or an impersonalist... or a covered atheist."
"Oh."
"Not just that, but everyone is by nature a lover of God. Of Krishna, It doesn't matter who you are, where you were born, to whom and what you did before Krishna gives you his mercy." Partha declared as he rolled another Paratha. "Lord Gauranga, who is Krishna himself, came on this earth again to free everyone. Not just the so-called Brahmana's," he explained as he flipped the flatbread onto the griddle, covering the top with ghee. "'Grihe Thako, Vane Thako... Sadha 'Hari' Bole Thako.' You can be a householder or a renounced person living in the forest, a woman, a dumb man...even an animal. Everyone can and have to chant the holy names of Hari, Krishna." The redhead spoke with a passion that burned hotter than the stove's flame.
Netto laughed, probably for the first time since the whole debacle happened. "Yeah, OK. I believe you." He grinned. "That's why you made me bow down to Gaura-Nitai then."
"Yep!" Partha Grinned back as he flipped the last of the paratha on the serving tray. "Alright! Hey, Lavanga, the offering's ready!" He called out to his sister, who bounded up the stairs to the kitchen.
She wore a blue cotton sari, and her long hair was tied in a braid. "Nice, and you're five minutes early." She turned to Netto. "Thank you, Netto-Prabhu, for helping Paratha cook Raj-Bhoga."
"Hey! It's Partha...Not Paratha." Was Partha-Sharathi's mildly indignant reply.
"Well, your Paratha to me...ok, time to feed God now!" and with that, Lavanga bounded off to the altar and began the offering. Meanwhile, Netto began to clean the flour-covered table and rolling pin. To Partha's great chagrin.
"Netto! Don't! I'll do it!" He tried to remove the rolling pin from Netto's hands. "You've done enough; you can go and rest now." he finally managed to yank it out. "You are our guest; it's our duty to serve you."
Netto clenched his jaw. "But...I don't want to rest. I want to help!"
"And you helped way more than expected." Partha acquiesced. "But... you had had a terrible night yesterday, and you did all your homework today...you must feel tired." The redhead spoke warmly.
"No...I'm not tired...I'm..."
"Worried." Bhuta pipped from his perched on the railing. "You're very worried and angsty," he observed, his glasses catching in the light. "You want to help with the search effort; you worry about your mama and you're frustrated that you are stuck with us..."
"Bubu, stop doing the glass thingy, and Ayi doesn't want you to sit on the railing like that." Partha scolded. "And stop reading Netto's mind, your creeping him out!"
At those words, Bhuteshwara hopped down from his perch with a blush. Blatently ignoring his little brother.
Netto hugged his elbows and huffed. "No...He's right." He admitted. "I'm just not used sitting in the side-lines...Me and Rockman, we would always be in the heart of the action. Fighting strong and evil Navis, foiling Lord Wily's plans. You know, that sort of thing." He sat at a utility stool. "I...I'm just... I feel so helpless."
The moment those words left his mouth, Partha engulfed him in his very warm embrace. "It's alright; we're always helpless."
"Not helping." the brunette mumbled.
"It's true!" Partha declared as he held the older boy's shoulder. "We are helpless to time, place, circumstance, time and death...we think were doing stuff, but really, we're not the doers..."
Netto clenched his jaws.
"Who are we? Huh? Were just tiny souls, so small, we got covered with an illusion that makes us all belive that we're the doer and the enjoyer, but it takes just a little moment for us to lose control..."
"I...I don't like this." Netto mumbled.
"Why?" Partha asked. Still holding Netto.
"Because...I...I can't...I can't stop people from being hurt." He admitted, his sobs escaping the confinement of this throat.
"Netto-Prabhu." Bhuta rasped, embracing his friend. "You can't stop the pain in others... Not without God's help anyway."
"It's a very noble sentiment, tough," Partha added while his sister rang a small bell. " You don't want other people to get hurt...and you hate seeing the pain in others. Only elevated and pious souls feel that."
"But I can't...I can't..."
"Netto Prabhu... there's two reality, the spiritual reality were everything is perfect and we all serve God, and the material reality in which we try to become God, the controller," Bhuteshvara explained. "You're still a conditioned soul, and you want the pleasure of control."
"Bhu... you're being a bit too preachy there, bro," Partha warned his older brother.
"But... were not God, and we can't control everything... just some..." Bhuta spoke kindly, as if he was much older than the age his body was... and blatantly ignoring his little brother. " And Maya –Not my mama, but the illusory potency of Krishna- Will remind us that we were still very small and helpless. That is until we're humble enough to admit our tiny, fallen condition and seek the Help of Krishna."
"Problem is... we don't want either His perfect help or his perfect love." Bhuta finished sadly. "It's like... your mama let you go to the theme park and tells you to stay close, but because you think you know better, you wander away from her, and you get lost. And the only way to find her back is to get help and admit that your lost and scared."
Netto sniffed... he didn't want to hear that. It was... a very bitter pill to swallow for him. And yet...It felt needed.
"Shh...It's alright, Netto. We all feel like that. You want to help...but you can't...and you're not used to have qualified people who can-" Bhuta paused. And the bell's stop ringing...and the doorbell chimed. Waking the napping Moiya and her two babies.
There was the sound of running feet, and Hari-Priya all but flew down the second-floor stair and answered the door, revealing none other than Enzen.
"Hare Krishna, please remove your shoes and come in." She greeted cordially.
"No... I won't be very long; I'm just looking for Netto." Enzen informed the greenette, still standing on the threshold of the door.
"Yeah, he's been with us since yesterday." Moiya piped up from the couch after calming down the two new-born. "Please, come in."
As Enzen complied with Moiya's gentle request, the three young boys broke their hugs and walked out of the kitchen. Bhuta's cold hand never releasing Netto's own.
"Netto! That's were you are." The young man scowled. "A lost Navi's not a reason to skip school, you know."
Netto clenched his jaws and felt Bhuta squeeze his hand and Partha his shoulder.
"Iujin Prabhu. I'm sure you are aware how Netto saw Rockman?" Moiya began, her voice holding an edge. "His Brother's as good as kidnapped. How would you act if Netto had a stroke, then was taken away by a dangerous man?"
Her words hit their marks, and Enzen's eyes widened before he lowered his eyes to the floor. Clearly embarrassed.
"Still...he missed two days of school." The unfortunately precocious twelve-year-old protested. "He's already the lowest score in his class. He can't afford to miss anymore day."
Netto wince, he had no idea how Enzen knew of his abysmal score. the heir of the Iuji family was going to this super posh and prestigious private school, not this neighbourhood school in the middle of the suburb.
"It's alright; he finished all of his school work," Moiya explained. "I hope you didn;t come to my home to shame our esteemed guess over his need of support after a tragedy?" She asked with a raised brow and an imperial stance. "My, what a cold heart you have."
"whoa...and I tough my mama's scolding was bad," Netto whispered to Partha and Bhuta.
"You think that's bad?" Partha asked. "Sakha...she going easy on him."
"We have another sacred rule about how to threat unforeseen guests... and Mama already broke it," Partha whispered to Netto. "Mama would never do that unless..."
"Netto-Prabhu, your one of us now." A mild smile that his a bigger one light Bhuta's face.
But Moiya was not finished. "Unlike you, Netto has formed a strong brotherly bond with Rockman."
"But...he's just a Navi." Enzen weakly
The entire mood changed...and Moiya's face grew stormy. Same as Partha-Sharathi, Bhuteshvara, Lavanga and Hari-Priya.
It was then that it hit him...The Volnutt-Dei Family consisted of Net-navies living in the real world.
Bhuta gave a squeeze to Netto's hand and dragged him outside the house, he spoke no words, but it was clear he wanted to spare his best friend from seeing his mother's wrath. Behind him, Lavanga followed.
They lead Netto to their fort, and they sat him down, waiting for the older boy to speak.
"You...are NetNavis."
"Cyber-faes...but yeah, same difference," Lavanga admitted.
"and how about...how about the other Navis like and...Saito was my..." But before Netto could let his panic carry him away, Bhuta held him tight.
"...Netto Prabhu, do you remember when I told you there were some things I could not tell you because you were not ready?" Lavanga asked. And Netto nodded, holding the real-life Navi close.
"Well...I think Krishna think you need to hear this right now since...since your brother's one of us...maybe." The blunette spoke quietly.
"My kind used to live in peace with humans; we would hide and sometimes help them. Some called us angels; others would call us orbs of light. They would live in cyberspace...until the new-age of the internet started." She spoke darkly. And Partha-Sharathi took the proverbial torch.
"We're lucky since we not born when it happened...but, Cyber-faes were hunted and kidnapped by humans less than fifty years ago," Partha spoke from his spot beside Netto. " We don't know much about it, except that all Navi's either are those Faes...or the descendent of them."
"Mom and dad have kidnapped Faes...but Mom dosen;t remember her old parent and Dad..." Lavanga grew quiet. And Partha was once again the speaker.
"Papa was experienced on...And he...He was left for dead in a slum in Gauranga-land to die. It's only because his Dad found him again, half-dead, that were here." Partha had a curious smile on his lips. "our Granddad's human...but he managed to find Dad and dad's twin sister... she was also fortunate since she managed to escapade by acting dumb and cat-like."
"Yeah... Aunty Madri's awesome... But... She won't go in the net anymore." Bhuta spoke sorrowfully.
"The reason why we don't have Navi's...that's because we don't want to enslave more our own kind." Lavanga mentioned from her seat. "But...I don't think that very important right now..."
Netto shook his head...sure, to hear what happened to mister Eka and Moiya was pretty bad...and the fact that they were looking for these bad guys was something he should probably warn general Craft about... there was one detail that absolutely terrified him.
"Lav...I'm...I'm a Navi." Netto whispered...it sounded ridiculous to the net-saver. And yet...
If Navis were a race and not just A.I, then it meant that they could multiply and have children, and... And if Saito was a Navi...
Then Netto had to be one also.
But then... "No, wait. I can't be a Navi!" The brunette denied. " Saito died when he was young! He's...Rockman's his Ghost!"
"No...He's not a ghost." Bhuta denied as he released his friend from his loving clutch. "Trust me, Netto, and If Saito were a Ghost, then I would've known the moment I saw him. Besides, a ghost can't become a Navi." The ghost-like child explained.
"But then...how?" In deep confusion, Netto was at loss for words. He felt like his entire world was falling apart.
This was not the aftermath of the alpha incident. This was...this hit even closer to home.
The four shrugged. "beat me." Partha grumbled helplessly. "But... I don't see how all this will help us to find your brother."
"And once we find him...and then what?" Lavanga asked. " could we face Forte? I mean, sure, they were more powerful than evrage slave-fae... it's Forte were talking about."
"It feels wrong," Partha mumbled. Then he turned his ruddy glance back to their friend. "Netto, you told us you would be... in Rockman when you synchronized with him..." The warmer than usual boy asked, trying to keep a straight face at the word synchronize. "How was it?"
The question brought Netto's frayed nerve down as he began to think deeper about it. "It's like... I'm in the web... I'm Rockman... like... I'm a Navi, and my Brother and I are one." He began to explain. "We become one in mind and action. We can still make our own choice, and I'm still me, but..."
"Your one in everything, your desires, tough, intelligence and will are the same as his." Hari-Priya resumed better than Netto could.
The pre-teen nodded. "Yeah! And... I don't know how to explain it, but... whatever happens to Saito will happen to me." he lowered his eyes...
How many times did he almost died because of a dumb mistake? Thankfully, any healing chip would work on him, too, when he was fused with his brother.
Silence fell on the children, deep in thought. Some interminable minutes passed as they waited for Moyia to call them to eat...and alternatively tried to elucidate this mystery.
"You know...maybe we could..." Bhuta began. "Check if Netto can go in our T.V?"
The other four looked at their older brother. Waiting for him to elaborate.
"You know, we can enter cyber-space through it. Even without our armours." he elaborated. "If Netto's right, then he can go in also."
"OK...after lunch, we need to check it out." Partha declared before his stomach gurgled. "After lunch."
Netto's stomach agreed...after lunch, he would perform his first real act of teenage rebellion. 'Dad's rules are silly anyway...and stupid.' A mischievous smirk formed on his face...only to be erased with the gurgling sound of his stomach.
"Papa! Papa Look!" little Six joyfully pointed at Forte, a metaur. "What is that?" He asked from his Papa's shoulder.
"That's a Metaur. It's a virus," he informed his little Godling.
As it turned out, little Roku had plenty of questions, and his favourite and most asked was 'why'...
Why was the floor made with lines, why was there no sun, why did Forte destroy those viruses, Why was Gospel a bug...but was also a wolf.
Some questions, Forte could answer, to other, he didn't have a clue...but never the less, even if it was somewhat annoying, the dark Navi took great pleasure in answering his little charge unending streams of questions.
He never had that...he never had someone who looked up to him. He never had someone who trusted him implicitly.
And this person just so happens to be the reborn god of the Net.
Really, it was as if a powerful something had dropped the solutions of all of his problems right onto his lap.
Still, Roku needed to be retrained. He needed to be taught how to kill...otherwise, he would never be able to enact Forte's vengeance upon humankind.
Of course, before Forte would pin sweet little Roku on any human...or navis, just yet. Those would come later.
No...better he kills a metaur; those things were weakling anyway.
"Say...Roku. Do you want to play a game?" Forte asked, glad that his son could not see the predatory grin that would make Wily extremely wary.
Roku gasped, his excitement clear to the dark Navi.
Forte felt something niggling at his core, but he ignored it. His little Roku was delightfully innocent...but this innocence would not work in his causes' favour. He needed Roku to know about how dangerous and unneeded humans were.
Well...not so unneeded. But most of the population was useless and detrimental to the very climate of the earth.
"Papa! What type of Game?" Roku asked as Forte took him off from his shoulder and to the ground. "Is it...is it hide a seek? Like what we played with Gospel?" He asked guilelessly, his green eyes filled with childlike trust.
"A bit." Forte did his best to hide his fangs. "It's called virus busting."
"Virus busting?" Roku asked with an innocent tilt of his head. " What's busting?"
"Busting means that you delete them," Forte explained.
"What's deleting? Once again, his little Godling asked.
"you make it go ...' poof!" Forte tried to explain. "Those viruses cause problems on the internet...and they have to be exterminated. We have to kill them."
"Why?" Roku asked again... not entirely sold on the whole killing thing.
"Because that's what we do," Forte answered, hoping his little Godling would not ask for further questions.
"Why?"
Aaaand he could feel a headache coming. " because they cause ah..." Forte paused... "it's to get stronger!" he declared.
"Why? Aren't you already strong enough?" Roku asked with a tilt of his head.
"Of course I am!" Forte scoffed. "No one stronger than me here!" He crossed his arms over his chest.
"So...why do you still bust viruses?" Roku asked as he turned his innocent eyes towards the group of under-net Metaur.
Forte almost said to make the net more enjoyable, but then he realised the net was only more enjoyable for humans. And he realised that to tell his Godling that it would do so to get even stronger implied that he was not the strongest.
"Huh...because it's fun." There...this was probably the real reason why he kept doing this! Of course, destroying Navi's and taking their data was actually more rewarding...
'hey...when was the last time I did that?' Forte wondered... he could no remember the last time he grabbed abilities from another Navi...save Rockman, of course. 'hey...wait a minute, what did I manage to grab?'
After he inspected the unknown element, he concluded that there had been nothing to grab...and no, even the full-synchro ability was unavailable. The only thing he managed to get out of the deal was Roku. A semi-amnesiac and regressed Rockman who was now playing with the Metaur. Imitating its cry.
"Metaur!" He addressed the very confused Metaur.
"M...Metaur?" The Metaur asked, clearly confused as to why this Godling did not smith him where he stood.
"Metaur!" Roku piped back, raising his spindly arms above his head.
"Metaur!"
"Metaur Metaur!"
Forte just looked on at the little display; he had never taken the time to inspect those weak little viruses, seeing them as target practice at best and as annoying. Still, this was getting nowhere fast, and he needed his little Godling to learn how to kill...not to make friends with his prey. "Roku...just kill it." He barked, not even bothering to hide his discontent.
Roku, surprised by his father's harsh tone, whirled around to face him, his eyes as big and startled, reminding Forte of a doe.
Roku turned back to the Metaur...clenched his little fist, and...
"I don't wanna..."
Taken aback, Forte could not help but let his mouth fall open at his little Godling's bold statement.
"what do you mean, you don't wanna?" Forte asked dangerously. "You used to delete viruses in trove; you never cared for any one of them!"
Horror replaces Roku's stubborn frown.
'aw, crap...'
More determination entered in Roku's green gaze; it was very familiar to Forte, for it was the usual leer he would bestow on any enemies that had the great misfortune of facing the Godling.
Himself included.
"Well...I don't...I don't remember being bad! So I'm not gonna do it!" He declared, and with a huff, crossing his little arms over his little chest.
If Forte would not be trying to appear as imposing as he was...he would shamelessly coo and melt at how adorable a very determined Roku swaddled in a cloak was.
Still, if he wanted to destroy all of humanity...save those who were actually useful, Forte would have to teach Little Roku that deleting incumbent elements was a prerequisite.
"Roku...Deleting Viruses is not a bad thing." Forte explained. "Viruses are bad."
"Why?" He challenged...he fearlessly challenged the much stronger Navi, the one even Serenade treated carefully around.
Roku was pouting, his eyes held defiance only the braves and the fools had any rights to have.
'Fearless little glitch, aren't you.' Forte got his buster out... only to realized his great mistake.
One...he had just pulled the most powerful buster on his son...and two...
Metals were reactive...
He only had the chance to move his aim toward the hard-hatted menace when the thing took his pick-axe out...
Roku was in the way...
If Forte shoots...Roku may get hurt...but if he did nothing...Roku would get hurt.
The Metaur made his own dumb move and passed between Roku's spindly legs, and by the slight wince of pain, it was clear the pick-axe had nicked his inner thigh.
Forte didn't think...he shot the virus.
He disappeared in a flash as he exploded from the excess energy, blowing Roku on his back...
And it was at this moment that Forte realized that he'd Fucked up...
There was a deafening silence that stretched too long... Roku sat up and stared at where the Metaur had been but a moment before, fearful, confused... horribly surprised.
No... Traumatized... Horrified, Mortified.
Then... he began to glow as he grabbed onto...something Forte couldn't see.
And then...the Metaur was back, even more confused than the herald of Darkness about this whole thing. It was held in Little Roku's arms as the Godling all but turned Forte into data-cinder by his furious and glance.
And...without a word but all of God's wrath, Roku turned his heel's and ran away from Forte.
Now...the Herald of Darkness was not a stranger to excruciating pain. But this...
The look of pure betrayal...on Roku's usually trusting face was...it was...
'What have I done?' Forte wondered as he began to doubt his actions. 'I... no, I was right...I was right...This was just a virus...viruses are dangerous and it would have hurt Roku...'
'but... weren't you the one about to shoot your own son?' A little voice asked.
'No...I wasn't about to...' And then he paused...no...he had entertained this thought...
He felt sick...
Why?... Why did he do that? Why would he... What possessed him to even...
No...No this... this was not how a father should act...this was not how...
He was...
The act he did... It made his worst then Cossack.
He ran after Roku...hoping to whatever was out there that he could catch his little Godling before something terrible could happen to him.
"DAD!" Mayl threw herself in her Father's arms. "Your back!"
The red-headed man, Aiol, joyfully laughed as he lifted his not-so-little girl in his arms and kissed her cheeks, his beard rough on the tender flesh. "Oh, G-Mayl! My baby girl...I missed you so much."
"I missed you to Dad." The redhead hugged her father even harder. "You were gone for too long this time."
"I know, I know... And it took forever for the Taxi to find the house." He sighed. "Bah... I'm home, I'm here, and nothing short of a disaster will take me away from you." He assured her. "Now tell me, how's your big sister?" He asked.
"Roll's fine."Mayl's smile fell. "She's in the web..."
"Maylou... What happened?" The Netopien asked his youngest daughter, lowering her to the ground and crouching to her height.
"Dad... You know, that boy I..."
"Netto?" His probable future in law.
His sweet Mayl's face fell. "He... His Navi... Rockman's as good as deleted." she sobbed a little.
"Oh, Sweetheart." The bear of a man hugged his sweet daughter. " And what about your sister?" He asked.
"The j... His data's were taken by Forte." Mayl choked out. " Roll's trying... she want to find those data's and..."
"And?" Aiol asked, worried about what his sweet daughters would do with the dangerous null data.
Mayl looked at her father's eyes, her own dark glances were filled with a determination only her mother had. "Me and Roll...we want to see if you could restore him."
Aiol closed his eyes and breathed out of his nose, he would have to break to her a gently as possible. "Mayl... Listen to me. You can't restore...you can't restore a Navi after a hard reset." he spoke gently and...sorrowfully. And as expected, his daughter's lips began to quiver. And her eyes filled with tears.
He hugged his daughter... He trusted Roll to return soon anyway; she never liked straying from the home server without Mayl.
The plot thikkens...
Also, We totally need a fanfiction about Elpizo having a change of heart as he was about to kill X to free mother Elf, it's one direction this scene didn't take.