In what seemed an eternity, Baritone's consciousness and senses began to register to new stimuli that seemed familiar, yet refreshingly new. Baritone felt his chest rise up and down rhythmically and his lungs breathe the cool yet plastic air. He also felt the quiet beating of his heart. All of these things were nonexistent in the cyber world, for they were unnecessary for an average Navi. Yet, Baritone wondered how his lungs and heart were able to function – much less exist. He tried to move his hands, but the attempt only resulted in the twitching of his fingers. He tried to open his heavy eyes and squinted as the white fluorescent light blinded him; thus, he closed his eyes shut once more.

It's so bright...

Baritone grunted as he sensed that he was laying on a platform that was inclined at an angle. Baritone struggled to get up. He managed to sit up, but his head was cast down and he supported himself by placing his hands on the platform. Baritone felt lethargic and another feeling seemed strange to him. His mind tried to form a phrase to describe the feeling. After a few seconds of musing while his eyes were closed, he remembered:

It's cold..

Baritone looked up and finally managed to open his eyes. His vision was blurry and couldn't focus initially, but his vision soon became sharper after a few blinks. Baritone realized he was in a large storage place full of Copybots. The mechanical skeletons were a white-washed color with transparent nodes on a few places on the body. Seeing all the silent, lifeless Copybots standing in neat rows was foreign to Baritone. He looked around to see if Megaman was around. He became nervous as he stepped down from the platform and his bare feet touched the cold, polished floor. Baritone then heard Megaman's voice somewhere some hundred yards away.

"...Baritone...? Where are you...?"

"Here! I'm here!" Baritone yelled in reply.

He was relieved to hear Megaman's voice, but he didn't want to be left alone in the cold place. Like a newborn foal that was able to walk a few hours after birth, Baritone immediately walked briskly to search Megaman. The pulsing sensation of his heartbeat made him even more nervous. His breathing quickened in fear.

Where are you...? Where are you Megaman...?

Just as Baritone turned at a corner, he encountered a familiar presence: Iris. The girl heard Baritone's approach and turned around, but she gasped in shock and quickly turned away.

"Iris...? How did you...? Which copy are...?"

"I'm... Iris... the Healing Unit System Navi..." Iris interrupted. Her face was still turned away from Baritone.

"What...? You mean your the real-"

"Please, wait here. I'll be right back." Iris said as she walked ahead.

"Wait, Iris! I..." Baritone didn't want to be left alone. He walked a few steps to follow Iris before he stopped as he saw Iris go towards the next aisle and grab hold of something white in her arms: a long lab coat. Her face was still turned away from Baritone. She unfurled the lab coat and held it out. When the coat was unfolded the hem reached down to the floor. Iris approached Baritone. She had closed her eyes at this point.

"Please wear this... You're... naked..." Iris uttered the last words and blushed in an awkward response.

"Naked...?" Baritone, in his fear and anxiety from his environment, hadn't looked at himself until now. He looked down at his body of a 12-year-old and blinked in surprise. Baritone lifted his pale arms and hands and marveled at them.

I'm... human... What happened to my body...?

In his confusion, he felt the white ab coat blanket his bare back. Baritone looked up and realized Iris was clothing him.

"Oh... Thank you..."

"...You're welcome..." Iris answered. She then took the flaps of the lab coat, covered Baritone and began to button the flaps of the coat together. She opened her eyes after she managed to place a few buttons together and finished the job. When she was done, she took each of Baritone's hands and folded the long sleeves to the correct length. Baritone's face flushed as he felt a refreshing feeling.

I wonder if Mother and Father had this... feeling... when they were together...?

When Iris was done, she looked at Baritone's face. Her grass green eyes met his sky blue eyes, and she calmed the last of Baritone's frazzled nerves. Iris smiled gently in quiet satisfaction.

"Where... am I...?" Baritone asked.

"You're in SciLab's Copybot reservation area. A Navi named Megaman has been looking for you." Iris then pointed straight down to a path. "If you go straight down here, you'll find him."

"Oh. Thank you, Iris."

"I must be on my way." Iris said as she passed Baritone and turned at a corner.

"Uhm, wait!" Baritone called out as he rushed to the corner. "Are you the-"

However, by the time he turned at the corner, Iris was nowhere to be seen. He looked ahead and saw 2 Copybots that were standing on a circular platform which was in the center of the entire storage place. One had grayish-black nodes and the other had light pink nodes. The 2 Copybots were attached to several wires. The Copybot with the pink nodes had the acronyms "IHUS" on the forehead and chest. The black-noded Copybot had the letters "CAUS" written on the same places.

"Where did she go...?" Baritone wondered. He then heard Megaman's voice nearby. Baritone looked for the exit and found Megaman standing nearby. The blue bomber couldn't help but gape in surprise.

"Baritone...? Is that... you...?"

"Yes."

"But, you're... human..."

"...I know. I don't know how I turned into a human."

"Are you... feeling OK? Are you feeling any pain?" Megaman asked.

"I think I'm alright. No, I don't feel any pain."

"I wonder if..." Megaman started to speak, but then stopped.

I wonder if Baritone's in his human form because of his mother's heritage...? Megaman thought to himself.

"What is it?" Baritone asked.

"Nevermind, we'll talk about it later. Who gave you the lab coat?"

"...Iris. I didn't... have any other... clothes on when I woke up..."

"Oh... I see..." Megaman muttered awkwardly and scratched his head. "You must have met the real Iris. She and Colonel sometimes come to the real world for security and maintenance reasons."

So she was the real one... Baritone thought to himself.

"Sorry about leaving you behind," Megaman apologized. "Navis are transported into the Copybots that are charged at most power so that the other Copybots that have been used can recharge. So, sometimes Navis often end up being in random parts of the reservation area. I was in this front row. Where were you?"

"I think I was in the back." Baritone replied.

"Oh, no wonder I couldn't find you. Well, now that we're here, let's go see Patch."

"Sure."

Megaman and Baritone headed for the exit. Baritone looked back at the monotonous scenery of the rows of Copybots he first saw in his birth to the real world. In the cold mausoleum of the Copybots reservation area, the scent of the beautiful flower who clothed his naked body lingered in his mind. Baritone could almost swear he could still smell the sweet scent of Iris as he walked out of the exit door...