Ch18

Netto was roasting marshmallows by the fire when Ijuin Enzan came and sat on a log across from him. "Hey," he said as he rotated his marshmallow over the fire.

Enzan nodded. "Hey." They sat across from each other awkwardly neither of them knowing what to say.

He blew on his marshmallow and ate. "Glad you and Blues are well." It was weird talking to a guy who he considered his rival and enemy but he might as well try to make peace with him.

"Thank you. Your navis are doing fine as well I see," Enzan said looking at him with his blue eyes. "I heard your dad originally sent you Rockman."

He shifted in his seat and looked at his reflection in the flames. "Yeah but I don't care they both are my friends and partners."

"Well they both seem strong," Enzan said rubbing his head. "Me and Blues will catch up though. You know its strange I sometimes wonder how Blues came back to me."

He froze in his seat forcing himself to not freak out. Calm down just calm down and don't appear suspicious. "Oh really I thought you had a backup."

Enzan rubbed his head wincing as if recalling something painful. "It's strange I really didn't make that backup. To be honest some bits of my memory are blurry, I honestly don't know how he came back." His face darkened his eyes filling up with pain. "Blues, when he came back he was colder, I can't explain it but thinking about it now I wonder if it was really him.

"I see," he said rubbing his hand discreetly. I can't exactly tell him the truth not that I would. "Well I guess things happen."

Enzan sighed. "I know. But I still wonder at times how he came back. Anyway Meijin-san helped me get him back but I'm still under probation." The boy's blue eyes met his. "I know we had our differences, I'm really sorry for the things that transpired between and me and you along with your friends."

He nodded. A part of him was surprised by the sincerity in Enzan's words. By all means he thought he was a prick but a part of him felt sorry for him Not only did Slur kick Blues' ass Duo manipulated him and as a result he lost everything. "Thank you," he said. "My friends may take some convincing but I'll tell them to be nicer to you."

Enzan shrugged. "I don't blame them for not liking me. But Blues isn't evil and neither am I." The dual haired boy looked up at the sky. "Gospel has been causing a lot of problems, unfortunately I can't help at the moment. But I'll do my best to help when I can."

"Don't worry I have Slur and Rockman," he said looking into the flames. "Our teamwork will help us through whatever challenges come at us." Including whatever Duo throws at us.

"Anyway we worked well today," Enzan said as he got up. "I hope we can work well together in the future."

He nodded. "Me too."

Enzan nodded and left leaving him by the fire. Working with him won't be easy. He may not take the new to Slur being from an alien who wants to judge and potentially destroy the Earth well. Taking a deep breath he looked up at the sky. Still I'm glad he has his navi back. Despite our differences I wouldn't want someone to lose their net navi.

He got up and ate a few marshmallows before deciding to head back to his cabin. Walking under the starlit sky he saw his father talking with Meijin over some tea on the cabin's porch.

"Oh Netto off to bed?" His father asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Are you and Meijin-san doing work?"

"We are just talking," Meijin said. "Your father mentions you have a special net navi."

His posture stiffened. "Y-Yeah. Well I have two of them."

"Your navis fought well," Meijin said folding his arms. "Whoever designed her must be really talented."

His father nodded. "Yeah she seems really well built. Netto if you don't mind I would like to examine her one day."

"S-Sorry but she doesn't want to and I respect her privacy," he said forcing himself to remain calm. It wasn't easy standing up to his dad but Slur was his partner and he respected her desires.. Besides her programming might cause and inquiry into her origins and that wasn't something he wanted to happen.

"I see well that's a pity," his father sighed. "But if you insist I won't push it. Let me know if you need any help with her."

"Thank but I want to take responsibility for her," he said. She came to me if she needs help I'll do all I can to fix her.

"She is a curious navi," Meijin said. "Very powerful yet graceful. Whoever designed her had good tastes. I wonder who she was originally sent to?"

"Uh she didn't say," he said with a nervous laugh. "But I haven't heard from them." His heart was pounding in his chest and despite the cold night he was starting to sweat up from all the questions. "She is my navi though along with Rockman, we are all a team."

Meijin smiled at him. "That's good. In these times cooperation is necessary. Gospel has been causing all kinds of problems, the sooner we defeat them the better."

He nodded. "Yeah we'll stop them don't worry about it."

His father nodded. "This group is strong, the damage they inflicted on various networks is astonishing. Be careful son."

"Don't worry dad I have my navis," he said with a smile. "Together we'll stop anyone who tries to harm the world."

His father laughed. "Well good night son."

"Good night dad," he said before excusing himself.

Man that was close. He sighed as he closed the cabin door behind him. It's not that I don't trust you with her dad but they cannot know the truth about Slur. He knew there were people who would use her for nefarious things and he wouldn't allow that.

When he arrived at his room he looked out the window into the starry sky. Duo I'll show you humanity is worth saving.


Rockman used the sword to block Slur's attack. Man she is fast. "Wide sword slot in!" Netto said. Using the other sword he managed to block Slur's light swords. The female navi was quick and slowly pushed him into a corner.

I'll do my best to win. I'll show her that I can be a reliable partner. He blocked her attacks and cut through some chains she summoned only to bring his Wide Sword to block her sword.

"Alright good job," Netto said as they both stood down. "Hey Rockman lets try practicing the program advance. I can already do it with Slur."

He looked up at his operator and nodded. "Yeah sounds good Netto-kun."

Slur leapt to the side and watched them as he assumed a fighting stance gripping the swords in his hand. "Alright Long Sword slot in!" Netto said.

He felt the program advance activate. His arms tingled as he raised them in the air the two swords merging as one to create a tall pillar of light. Bringing his arms down the program advance began to fizzle and disappeared.

"Sorry Netto-kun," he sighed.

"Don't worry you almost got it," Slur said reassuringly.

Netto nodded and smiled. "Yeah don't worry about it we are getting there."

He smiled at his operator. "Thank you. I feel like I can master it."

"Lets practice a few more times," Netto said. "We won't do it for too long since we are on a vacation."

Rockman nodded. With that he continued to train with the program advance for the next hour. Slur continued to give him some pointers and overall it was a fun experience despite him still not being able to master it.

"Well good job Rockman we'll eventually get there," Netto said looking at both of them. "Anyway come on both of you lets get some rest for tonight."

He and Slur both nodded. "Good night Netto-kun," Slur said.

Netto yawned. "Yeah night guys."

Once their operator turned off the camera he turned to his partner. "Hey Slur was the program advance easy for you?"

The female navi shook her head. "It wasn't. It took me a long time to master it." She avoided his gaze. "Don't worry though I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Thanks," he said. "I'm really glad to have you as a partner."

Slur smiled at him. "Likewise. You are a brave navi. Want to go by the cyber fire?"

He nodded and followed to the cyber fires where various navis were eating virtual smores. They sat at a lone fire away from the other navis. "Hey Slur if you don't mind me asking who was your original owner supposed to be?"

The female navi tensed up. "I don't know and it doesn't matter to me. Netto-kun is my operator and I will serve him."

He noticed a slightly cold tone to her voice, she was always guarded when the topic of her origin was mentioned. To be fair my own origin is rather different.

"I see well I'm glad to have you," he said scratching his head. Who could've made such a strong navi? Whoever it was must have been really talented even more so than Dr. Hikari. She is really strong and intelligent no ordinary person could've made her. Something deep inside of him told him that she wasn't normal.

"You can say I am a different net navi," Slur said at him with a calm gaze. "My origin is different from others net navis. Netto-kun and I are working on a task."

"A task?" he asked.

Slur nodded her posture rigid. "An important task that is important to everyone and it must be kept secret from the world." Her voice was low and firm her gaze sharp as a hawk.

"Wh-What do you mean?" He asked. A part of him new that there was something Slur wasn't telling him and their operator knew it too. However, he was always too polite to ask despite wanting to know. We all are partners we shouldn't hide things form others.

Slur came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder looking him in the eyes. "Don't get the wrong idea, its not that I don't trust you but my origin is something not everyone should know. Netto hasn't told you out of respect for me."

"Where exactly did you come from?" he asked looking into her calm gaze.

Slur's gaze hardened. "I'll let you know when we return home. This place can have many ears. Just remember there are certain things we know that not everyone should know do you understand."

He looked her firmly in the eyes and nodded. "I do." Whatever it is I trust you and Netto-kun. He wanted to trust and believe them, they were a team and he knew Netto was a good person who wouldn't do anything bad.

"I'll do whatever you guys need help with," he said firmly looking Slur in the eyes. "I want to prove myself to be your partner too so that the three of us can be a strong team."

Slur seemed surprised, she nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you. That means a lot. Just remember when we decide to tell you our secret it can only stay between us three, not even Netto-kun's family can know do you understand?"

He nodded. "I do." I wonder what it could be? If it's that serious that his family can't know about it. The intensity in Slur's eyes was strong enough for him to know that she was serious about it. "Don't worry I will keep all of Netto-kun's secrets if its necessary."

Frankly he wasn't mad that they had a secret. How would they react if they knew how I was really made? He shook his head and looked at Slur her eyes were calm yet looking into them he could feel their depth. Something inside of him was telling him she was very different from the other navis he knew.

Looking down into the fire he saw his own reflection. "My own origin is also complicated."

Slur raised an eyebrow. "Really? How so?"

He shifted on the virtual log. "Dr. Hikari made me because he loves his family a lot. It is the most important thing to him." Tracing his insignia he looked at his reflection. "I was made to be Netto's personal navi but our connection goes deeper than that."

"I see," Slur said a glint of curiosity in her eyes.

He looked at her with a calm gaze. One day though I would like you both about what I really am."

"Well I look forward to that," Slur said softly.

Looking into his reflection he nodded. He wanted to tell them but he wondered what Netto would think if he found out how his dad made him.