AN: Hello everyone! I'm back from my vacation! It was so great! It's also my bf's birthday today uwu, unfortunately, I can't celebrate his birthday in person with him :'(
Here's a chapter that might be quite "violent," I prefer to warn you, you will read about children being treated violently. It's sad, but we need to show violence to better despise it. In any case, those who do such things end up being punished, you'll see, and it might be even more violent. So, there you go, you've been warned (no, it's not at the level of chapter 20).
Chapter 26: Who is the Monster now ?
Someone held him firmly as he struggled desperately, his hands trying to grasp something, refusing to be separated from something that was important to him. He was being taken away from someone dear to him, forced to distance himself. Tears flowed abundantly like a torrent, while an unbearable pain invaded his chest, as if his heart was about to be torn apart.
And in a terrifying whirlwind, his screams engulfed him, and everything turned black. He no longer felt anyone holding him, finding himself alone in an abyssal void. Fear overwhelmed him, and he began to cry out, begging someone to come and pull him out of there. The markers of time and memories began to fade, leaving only blurred images of his parents, whom he still managed to call out to in vain. There was another name, a name that seemed stuck in his throat, impossible to pronounce. His mind was confused about its origin. Where had he heard it before?
"Saito-nii-san!" he screamed with all his might.
The ground began to shake violently, taking on a reddish hue as a geyser of lava erupted, heading straight towards him. A sinister sound, resembling the cry of an eagle, resonated in his ears. The lava reached him, but instead of feeling a burning heat, he felt wet, as if normal-temperature water was engulfing him. Netto slowly opened his eyes, spitting out the water that had been sent into his face.
"Come on, get up!" he heard a powerful voice echoing around him.
Gradually, he began to regain consciousness and realized that he was lying on the ground, his hands and legs chained. Fortunately, the chains were long enough to allow him some movement. As he got up slowly, Netto noticed two men wearing the emblem of Gregar on their jackets, which made him furrow his brow.
"Just because you've just arrived doesn't mean you shouldn't start working!" one of them yelled.
Netto stared at the two men with a defiant look, but a cough shook him; the smoke that had infiltrated his lungs was still present. He carefully surveyed his surroundings and realized he was in some kind of dusty cave. On the side, a few terrified children watched the scene with fearful eyes. He took a deep breath and examined the two men, but one of them, impatient, grabbed him by the hair, forcing him to stand up, which made him let out a muffled cry.
"Stand up! You're going to work too!" the man said sternly.
The young boy stepped back as soon as he was released, breathing heavily. He growled while gritting his teeth. One of the two men pointed to the wall where picks were stored, some already held by children. Netto bit his lip and looked away, having no choice but to take a pick without asking questions. His hands trembled as he firmly gripped it.
He and the other children were led outside, then directed to a kind of straight trench. He observed other children, all chained as well, tirelessly digging against walls. They guided him to a less crowded area and indicated that he should start digging at that specific spot. At first, Netto was confused. He looked at his pick and the reddish earth wall in front of him, but remained still. He had realized that he had been abducted by a cult, but was this how the fate of children ended? Were they condemned to be treated like slaves, forced to dig something? And what about children like Akane, Sota, Kohaku, Yusaku, and Shinobu? They had also been taken by the cults, but how had they ended up like this?
"What are you waiting for, kid?! Work!" the man behind him impatiently shouted, pushing him violently, nearly making him fall.
The child frowned and stared at the wall. He raised his pick and began to strike repeatedly against the semi-dusty surface, digging into the rock. The man behind him briefly praised him before moving away to reprimand another child for their lack of efficiency. Netto paused for a moment, lost in his thoughts, and looked down at the ground.
He heard a noise nearby. A little further away, he spotted a boy of about eight or nine years old, with darker skin, messy hair, and a scar on his cheek, digging into the rock with intense determination. Beside him was another boy, smaller and visibly younger, wearing round glasses and looking clearly out of breath.
Netto furrowed his brow as he observed the boy who seemed to be the only one carrying out the task effortlessly. He decided to get back to work, starting slowly. As he struck the rock, memories from the previous day came back to him. Saito, his behavior, his fear, Rockman, his wild nature, and the feeling of losing his Navi in an explosion. These thoughts made him grind his teeth, and he began to strike the rock with increasing intensity, almost frantically. Sobs mingled with his movements, for things had gone awry, and this is where he ended up.
Netto heard a cry nearby. A man was yelling at a little girl who was collapsed on the ground, visibly exhausted.
"Hey, get up!" he shouted, while the poor girl seemed to barely have the strength to do so.
"She's thirsty! Please give her something to drink!" pleaded another girl who was slightly older. But she was quickly pushed away violently by the angry man.
"She'll have something to drink if she keeps working!" the same man continued, bending down to grab the hair of the poor girl still on the ground, forcing her to stand despite the pain on her face. "Get up!"
Netto grimaced, his eyebrows furrowing with anger. Clenching his pick tightly, he threw it violently at the man, but it didn't pierce through; instead, it gave a terrible blow to his shoulder. The man screamed in pain and let go of the girl, turning his attention to the boy who had committed this act. The other children all stared at the scene, shocked by Netto's action.
"You!" the man yelled, approaching with anger. "You did this!"
Netto wanted to reply with his usual speech, the one he used when he used to challenge World Three or other opponents, but he was unable to say a word as he received a violent blow to the face that made him fall to the ground, blood coming from his nose.
"I'll teach you to be disciplined!" the man vociferated, about to kick the young boy in the stomach.
Netto almost spat everything he had in his mouth when he was struck violently in the stomach. Before he could receive another blow, other people managed to restrain the man.
"Hey, get a grip! You know we shouldn't mistreat them! They'll be of no use to us afterward!" one of them intervened, gradually calming the angry man down.
"This kid threw his pick at me!" he replied, still angry. "He deserved a lesson!"
"Well, he won't have lunch today!" declared another man, finding a compromise.
The angry man gave up his hostile attitude and cast a disdainful look at the child who was recovering from the blows. Then, he turned away and walked off. One of the other men picked up the pick that Netto had thrown and placed it near him as he was still in pain.
"Come on, get up! Get back to work!" he heard.
Netto did his best to stand up, still groaning in pain. He turned his head to the right, refusing to look at the man. His gaze met the one of the scarred child, who was now glaring at him with contempt, while the other child seemed at least concerned. Netto finally lowered his head and laboriously got back on his feet.
It was mealtime, and after all the efforts he had put in, Netto's stomach was growling with hunger. Unfortunately, due to what had happened earlier in the day, he was deprived of a meal. He had already gone without eating the day before, and now he was forced to go without lunch. They had placed him in a secluded corner while the other children sat on the ground with their plates, eating. Netto leaned against the rock wall, almost hidden from the others, clutching his cape around him. The pain in his belly persisted from the blow he had received in his poor little stomach.
He heard something and saw someone approaching with a plate—it was the boy with glasses who came towards him. His plate was half-empty, and he brought it over to Netto.
"Here, it's for you-su! I've already had my share, I couldn't let you go hungry!" the boy said with a smile.
Netto first looked at the plate, then at the boy. Without saying a word, he quickly grabbed the plate, spoon in hand, and ate everything inside it. The boy who had shared his food with him continued to watch him with a smile, seeming to admire him.
"I can't believe you did that earlier! You have all my respect-su!" he declared.
Netto raised his head, mouth full, wanting to respond, but another voice interrupted, "He's just a fool."
The two boys turned their heads towards the voice that had interrupted them and found it was the boy with the scar. He was looking at the boy with glasses with a displeased expression.
"Why are you giving him your plate? He's being punished!" he continued.
"I couldn't let him starve! He might faint this afternoon!" the other boy explained.
The older boy let out a disgusted sigh and finally fixed his gaze on Netto, hands on his hips.
"Honestly, I don't see what's so heroic about what you did. You're just asking for trouble!" he stated.
Netto quickly swallowed what was in his mouth, then he looked at the boy with a frown.
"I couldn't just stand by and let it happen!" he replied firmly.
The same boy sighed once again, arms crossed. "It's pointless! If you don't do what they want, you'll end up just like crap! To survive here, you have to do what they want and only care about yourself!"
This time, Netto got angry, quickly standing up to confront the boy.
"Are you out of your mind?!" he exclaimed. "You just want to let others suffer?"
The boy with glasses looked behind them with a certain panic and also stood up to try to calm down the boy with the bandana.
"Please, calm down! Otherwise, they'll step in-su!" he said in a trembling voice.
Netto swallowed his saliva, took a deep breath, and eventually sat back down, ignoring the boy in front of him and continued to eat from his plate.
"Why don't we introduce ourselves?" the same boy suggested, clasping his hands together. "I'm Asuta! And the boy who might seem tough is Kojiro!"
He looked behind him at the boy with the scar who furrowed his brow.
"I know you don't like his way of being-su, but being the son of the right-hand man of the rebel leader, I think he just wants to show that he's a fighter."
Netto spat out what he had in his mouth upon hearing Asuta's speech. He looked at the two boys, wide-eyed.
"Wait, what?!" he exclaimed, surprised.
On the other hand, Kojiro approached Asuta with even more anger.
"Hey, Asuta, why are you telling him that?! Are you really trying to get me into trouble?!" he said, gripping one of Asuta's shoulders with annoyance.
"I... I just wanted to reassure him..." Asuta timidly explained.
Netto stood up, trying to speak gently, and pointed at Kojiro. "You're the son of that woman... Paxi-san, right?"
Kojiro furrowed his brow upon hearing the name. Now that Netto looked at him more closely, he could perceive a certain resemblance between the two. He could also see the same coldness in Kojiro's eyes as in his mother, Paxi-san.
"How do you know her?" Kojiro asked in a dark tone.
Netto gasped and swallowed his saliva, curling up and tracing something on the ground.
"I... I met her when I visited a rebel base..." he began. He glanced to the side, touching his cheek as if recalling something. "I remember it very well."
Kojiro didn't say anything and walked away, turning his back, arms crossed. Finally, he asked in an almost forced voice, "Was she...okay?"
Netto took a deep breath, touched by Kojiro's concern.
"She seemed to be okay. Her Navi seems to help her with her tasks... They told me she became cold because of your...disappearance," he said, looking down at the ground.
From behind, the taller boy lowered his head as if disappointed.
"They're not doing anything to find us," he said with a resigned voice.
Netto opened his mouth wide, shocked by his words, while Asuta looked away with sadness.
"No, I think they're doing their best. They just don't know where to look!" Netto explained, trying to comfort Kojiro.
Kojiro spat with disgust, turning his gaze back to the young boy. "Tss, anyway, you're stuck here too!" he retorted. "You can give up all hope; no one escapes from here! That's why, to survive, you must rely only on yourself and ignore others!" he added, punching the rock.
This time, Netto didn't get angry at those words. Instead, he felt sadness seeing a young child like Kojiro lose all hope. It reminded him a little of Kohaku and Sota, one choosing to live in indifference and the other in constant fear.
"I don't think that's the solution," Netto replied. He looked around, surveying the surroundings before looking back at Kojiro with a certain sadness. "If we support each other, we can make it through."
Kojiro clenched his fists. "You're really naïve! It doesn't work like that! We're just kids, and those people are armed to the teeth!" He approached Netto, trying to drive his words into his mind. "We're just kids, and it's the adults' job to handle all this!"
The boy with the bandana swallowed a breath. Kojiro's words resonated with him as they reflected those spoken by Paxi when they had captured Rockman. He lowered his gaze, disappointed, but deep down, he refused to resign to this view of things.
"That's true... We're just kids," he finally admitted, then he raised his eyes. "But without adults, how could we defend ourselves? I've been in similar situations where I had to act without adult help, I thought I was going to die! But I believed in myself, and I wasn't alone!"
He spoke, reminiscing nostalgically about all the moments he had faced enemies, whether through Cross Fusion or not. A smile appeared on his face.
"It's not just about being small or big, it's about determination," he continued.
Kojiro said nothing, but he looked to the side with a certain shame. Asuta approached, quite impressed.
"Wow! You must have had real adventures for a kid like you-su! By the way, what's your name?" he asked with enthusiasm.
Netto blinked, realizing that he still hadn't introduced himself to the two boys. "I'm Netto. I'm traveling with my Navi and another friend of mine to get back home," he explained.
"Back home?" Asuta repeated, intrigued.
Kojiro blinked. "You have a Navi?" he asked.
Netto wanted to respond joyfully, but he remembered what had happened earlier. He looked down sadly. How exactly should he answer?
"His name is... Rockman... My best friend..." he began, but he felt tears welling up in him. "He... He wasn't there when I got kidnapped... In fact, I..." His voice choked in his throat.
"Hey! Are you okay, Netto?" Asuta asked gently, completely concerned.
"Yes..." the boy with the bandana replied, wiping away a tear. "I'm fine... I just wish Rockman were here."
Netto thought about Saito for a moment, wondering if he would come to his rescue too. But what could Saito do alone in this situation? Of course, he could trust him, but how could he hope to find him?
Kojiro looked at him, his mouth slightly open, but he didn't really know how to respond. Their exchange was interrupted by the arrival of an imposing man who came to collect the children's plates.
"Break time's over! Let's continue!" he ordered in a loud voice.
Kojiro nodded and picked up his pickaxe, going back to work by striking the rock. Asuta handed the plates to the man who walked away, then he also resumed his work. Netto looked at both of them with confusion, taking his pickaxe to strike the rock.
"What exactly are we looking for?" he asked, not understanding the purpose of this search.
"Something..." Kojiro began between pickaxe strikes, "called orichalcum!"
Netto blinked; the word sounded familiar to him. "What is it?"
Asuta adjusted his glasses. "It's a metal that has the ability to disrupt creatures in the Net. They use it as a weapon against Navis-su."
The boy with the blue cape stopped, horrified, as he recalled what had happened, not only with the rebels but also with Variety. The hits that Rockman had taken were not ordinary bullets. It made no sense, so it must be because of this substance, orichalcum. His eyes widened as he looked at the hole he was digging, realizing that he might be contributing to the mistreatment or even "death" of Navis.
"That's really their weak point... But it can also be used to create things," Asuta continued. "I read that it's what the Atlampeans used to control their Net-su."
Netto listened with a certain fascination. So, here too, "fairy tales" like Atlampia existed. He was now curious about why no one in his world had thought of searching for this metal. Maybe they didn't know about it? Or perhaps it was considered a part of the Atlampia legend and didn't exist in their minds.
As they dug into the rock, they heard the sounds of cars and men's voices in the distance. Kojiro moved away to take a look, then quickly returned to work, displaying an expression of panic as he understood what he had heard.
"Let's keep it low, guys!" he began, looking straight ahead and striking with the pickaxe. "He's here."
Asuta took a deep breath, shocked by what he had just heard. Netto looked at the boy with the scar with confusion.
"Who's that?" Netto asked in a low voice, aware that they could be overheard.
"Darkman! He's a terrifying Navi!" explained Asuta.
Kojiro nodded. "This Navi is like the high priest of the sects. Thanks to him, they maintain some kind of armistice."
Netto gasped and resumed his pickaxe strikes, his face still showing a shocked expression. He was glad to know more, but judging from the fear felt by the two boys, he understood that Darkman was not a Navi to be taken lightly.
"He often comes here for inspections, and sometimes he takes a child to Unit 732," Kojiro continued, striking the rock.
"What?!" Netto almost exclaimed.
"They often take one randomly chosen child, but with Darkman, you can be sure someone will be taken!" added Asuta.
"That's why I do everything they ask!" Kojiro chimed in, focused on his digging work. "I don't want to go there!"
"Don't you get it's just random, Kojiro?" the boy with glasses interjected, slightly exasperated.
"What do they do at Unit 732?" Netto asked, shivering.
"I have no idea! Maybe satanic sacrifices! But once you go there, you never come back!" Kojiro continued, his panic growing.
Netto remained silent. What if it was there that they performed...what they had done to the children of Meiru...to those famous deformed children? A sob threatened to escape him, but he suppressed his tears as he struck the rock even harder. While a morbid curiosity stirred within him, eager to know what was going on there, he preferred to follow Kojiro's example and stay discreet.
As Netto struck the rock wall, he eventually unearthed something golden. Surprise filled him, urging him to persevere in his strikes, revealing more of this peculiar rock. Intrigued, Netto cautiously reached out his hand and lightly touched the object...only to snatch it back with a cry of pain, dropping his pickaxe. His fingers had turned red and were burning horribly.
"Hey!" A man had heard him and approached, visibly annoyed. "What are you doing?! Go back to..."
He didn't get to finish his sentence as he noticed the metal embedded in the rock. Astonished and overwhelmed, he quickly reached for it.
"Oh my God!" he exclaimed as he stood up, completely ignoring the child beside him. He called out to the others in a thunderous voice. "Come see! We found more!"
The other adults approached, drawn by the hole and the golden metal, their eyes gleaming with excitement like those of children. Two of them grabbed pickaxes and continued digging, trying to free the metal from its grip. Netto, on the other hand, stepped back, relieved to see that no one was paying attention to him anymore. Kojiro approached to examine the result, and his eyes fell on the reddened fingers of the boy next to him. He raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Are you having an allergic reaction?" he asked, showing some curiosity.
Netto looked at his fingers, unable to find an answer. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to the presence of someone else, someone who was not human. It was a Navi, dressed in black and purple, wearing a long cape, and his face had a strange bulbous shape. A wave of chills ran down Netto's spine, admitting that he felt fear towards this Navi. He also noticed the terror on the faces of Kojiro and Asuta, their mouths agape. The Navi's gaze was fixed on him, weighing down on the boy's heart under the cape.
"Darkman-sama! Look, we found another piece of orichalcum!" one of the men exclaimed.
"Good job," he replied, but his attention turned back to the same boy. His voice took on a sinister tone. "You're the one who found it, aren't you?"
Netto remained silent, timidly nodding. He heard a sinister laugh emanating from the Navi.
"Marvelous... I'm delighted to see you," he said with a pause, observing the perplexed expression on the child's face. "As a reward, I'm going to take you with me."
Asuta let out a small cry, covering his mouth with his hands. Kojiro stood frozen in shock as Netto slowly backed away, simply shaking his head in refusal. Darkman raised his arm, causing his cape to billow.
"Bring him to me," he ordered one of the adults present.
A man nodded and approached the boy who started shouting "no" while trying to escape, but the chains around his legs were too short to allow him to run. He fell to the ground. The man grabbed him and held him against him as Netto struggled. With his arms raised above his shoulder, he cried.
"Saito! Rockman!" he shouted repeatedly.
Kojiro felt a violent urge grip his heart. He had never truly appreciated the moment when children were taken to the unit, but with this boy, he felt his teeth clench. He tightened his grip on the pickaxe he still held and took a deep breath. Gathering all his energy, he charged forward and hurled the pickaxe towards the man holding Netto. Unlike what had happened earlier in the morning, this time one of the sharp sides of the pickaxe embedded into the man's shoulder, making him scream in pain and let go, causing the boy to fall to the ground.
Netto watched in horror as the scene unfolded before him. The man had begun cursing as one of the men who had been digging reacted first, grabbing Kojiro by the throat and striking him violently in the face. He was now covered in blood, while the attacker continued to insult him. Asuta remained paralyzed in his corner, filled with fear, not knowing what to do.
The boy with the bandana felt a presence approaching him. Darkman only had eyes for him, ignoring what was happening around him.
"Take this child with you and bring me that piece of orichalcum," he said simply.
A man nodded, leaving the other man to suffer in his pain, and grabbed Netto again, who screamed with all his might. The last thing the boy saw was Kojiro's bloodied face.
Kojiro was trying to recover from the blows he had received. Netto had been taken by Darkman, and he had failed to save him. Why did he suddenly have this realization that had driven him to act? Without a doubt, it was because of the words of that boy. He now knew that he was going to face the worst punishment. They had taken him away from the other children and placed him in the middle of the courtyard, where the major gatherings in the camp took place.
He was forced to lie on the ground, his head against the earth, his arms securely tied behind his back. Was he going to die? Would his parents be proud of him? His mother probably would be, knowing that her son had never submitted to those monsters. Perhaps she would be happy to know that her son died as a hero.
"What should we do with him?" one of the men behind him asked.
"This kid managed to injure one of Darkman's henchmen. I'm not sure he'll find any interest in him," another replied.
"So, you think we could...play with him?" another man suggested.
"You're disgusting! Go get the tools!" another one firmly retorted.
Kojiro groaned, not knowing what the men were going to do to him, but he was certain that he probably wouldn't survive. One of the men headed towards one of the many shelters where they stored their tools. Kojiro had heard rumors that they made the children who refused authority suffer, but he had never really known what they actually did to them. He could still hear small, malicious laughs, and whispers telling them that they were acting for the glory of their cybeast.
Then, the man who had gone to get the tools started screaming in unbearable pain. The other men turned towards the entrance, their brows furrowed, wondering what had happened. The screams grew more and more intense, going beyond the stage of pain caused by a blow to the head or a minor injury. The situation was worsening. Suddenly, a bloodied arm was violently thrown out from inside the shelter, landing on the courtyard floor.
The men were filled with unspeakable terror as they saw the human limb, but when they looked up, they were confronted with the presence of a Navi...or a Zoanoroid that closely resembled Gregar. Its eyes were filled with black rage. One of the men murmured that it was Gregar's soldier, his "reincarnation." The group's leader, furious, pulled out his PET to threaten it.
"Back off!" he yelled, though his voice trembled.
Rockman was not in the least intimidated by the threats directed at him. His growl became even fiercer. The man pressed the button on his PET, and a Zoanoroid transformed into Beast Out rushed towards Rockman. In no time, the enraged Navi brought down the other Navi and tore off its emblem. The man's eyes widened in horror. He turned to his two accomplices, who were frozen with fear.
"Do something, damn it!" he shouted at them, panic evident in his voice.
They tried to take out their PETs as well, but Gregar's creature pounced on them, knocking their devices away. With his hands, he grabbed their heads and slammed them violently against the ground until blood spurted out. The group's leader, in a panic, ran off towards the mines, joining the other members. Rockman, on the other hand, paid them no more attention, but noticed that the two men were motionless. He slowly stood up, like a predator, and turned his gaze to the abandoned PETs. With a swift kick, he crushed them without the slightest remorse, roaring to assert his dominance.
Kojiro, filled with fear, crawled on the ground to distance himself from the scene, watching the Zoanoroid attentively. Suddenly, the wild Navi's eyes locked onto him, reflecting the same hatred. He accelerated abruptly, coming face to face with Kojiro, his claws ready to pierce the boy's skin. The young boy shook his head, on the verge of tears, and quickly noticed the emblem on the Navi's chest.
"W-wait!" he started in a panicked voice, but it only seemed to fuel the Navi's anger as he tightened his grip on Kojiro's chest. "You are Netto's Navi!"
Rockman blinked and stepped back, loosening his hold. He observed the crying boy, and it reminded him of the reality of the world around him. Despite the sobbing, the boy managed to say, "I... I know where he is," hoping that this information could spare his life.
At last, Kojiro felt the Navi release his hand from his chest, allowing him to breathe more freely. However, with some force, Rockman grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to turn on the ground, causing Kojiro to scream in panic, pleading with him not to kill him.
Kojiro felt his hands freed from the ropes that had held him. His eyes widened as he realized he could finally move freely. He sat up and saw that the Navi had also stood up, turning his gaze away to go find the other man whose life he hadn't taken.
Meanwhile, the group's leader arrived in front of the large group of children, who had stopped working. One of the men who had remained had chained the children together to prevent them from dispersing. He saw his superior approaching, surprised to see him so worried.
"Quick! We need to call for backup, anyone, it's an emergency!" he yelled, waving his arms to indicate a nearby vehicle.
The second man didn't understand immediately, but when he looked up to the side, he saw Rockman, his eyes red with anger. Filled with panic, he started screaming, while his leader ordered him to use his Navi to defend himself. However, being the closest, the wild Navi pounced towards him. With a swift motion, blood spurted out as Rockman sliced his throat with his sharp blades. Surrendering to a twisted pleasure, he licked one of his bloodied blades.
The last surviving man retreated, then fell to the ground. Rockman approached him like a monster, eager to see him suffer. With a swift motion, he sliced his chest, but the man remained alive, in agony. The monstrous Navi placed his foot on him, seeking to assert his superiority, while roaring wildly.
About to end the suffering man's life, Rockman then heard several whimpering sobs. He turned his head and saw the children, utterly horrified, their eyes filled with tears. They were all sitting, huddled together, forming a flock of frightened little lambs. They all looked at him with fear and anguish, well beyond their young age. Some of them were already crying as if their lives depended on it.
The wild Navi slowly stood up, his face losing its expression of anger as he observed all these children. He realized that they were just innocent children coming from all walks of life, with light or dark hair, brown or white skin, green or brown eyes. Each of them was a victim of the men he had killed. And yet, it was himself that was causing their fear at that moment. The wild Navi perceived a parallel between the current situation and Netto's expression he had seen on previous occasions, realizing why the boy had been so afraid of him.
"Please... Don't kill me..."
Rockman frowned and removed his leg from the man's chest. He shook his head while continuing to watch the children, who were screaming in fear at his approach. He noticed the central padlock of the chains that held them and realized it was the key to their liberation. He approached the object, but it did little to calm the children who continued trembling in fear.
Kojiro approached, seeing the Navi facing the frightened children. He felt the need to intervene, hoping to achieve the impossible.
"Stop! Please!" he cried out, hoping his words would make a difference.
But as he raised his hand, Rockman firmly grasped the padlock and ripped it off. The handcuffs that restrained the children opened, causing them to stop screaming. Kojiro was equally surprised by what he had just witnessed. The Navi stood up, observing the wave of confusion that had taken over the children, although some still had that terrified look. He did nothing but watch each of them, hoping that the one he was looking for would be among them.
However, the man who was still alive, lying on the ground, wasn't staying still. Despite his weakness, he managed to pull out a revolver and pointed it at the motionless Navi. Kojiro saw the weapon and shouted at the Navi to run. Before Rockman had time to react, the man fired twice.
Rockman felt a sharp pain and his eyes widened. He fell to his knees, one hand on his wounds. He had been hit by those damn bullets again, reminiscent of the time he had been with the Rebels. This time, he struggled not to lose consciousness. It wasn't the right moment. The man prepared his weapon to shoot again, but Kojiro rushed towards him, holding a pickaxe, and struck him repeatedly with the flat of the tool. He hit with strength and hatred, not caring whether his actions were justified or not. He was a Rebel, and he couldn't let a criminal like him get away. Once the man stopped moving, Kojiro threw the pickaxe aside and approached the kneeling Navi, while the children still looked at him with horror.
"Hey! Are you okay?" he exclaimed, kneeling next to him. The Navi seemed to be breathing slowly, his hand still on his wound. Kojiro even noticed the blood flowing, which made his eyes widen in shock.
Rockman struggled to stand and still kept an eye on the children, but he staggered when he realized Netto was not there. Asuta, seeing Kojiro near him, gathered his courage and approached as well.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Kojiro looked at him first, then turned his attention to the Navi, who was huddled up.
"It's Netto's Navi," he replied without further explanation.
Rockman reacted once more, lowering his head to look at the child who had mentioned that name, his eyes wide open, wanting to know more.
"I..." Kojiro began, not scared but filled with apprehension. "Netto is no longer here... He was taken to Unit 732."
Rockman took a moment to react, grinding his teeth and growling. Kojiro felt some unease, fearing the impact it might have on him. A little girl who had been observing the scene also gathered her courage and stood up to address the boy with the scar.
"Is he kind...?" she asked.
"He seems to be," the same boy replied. "I think he's a very loyal Navi...which is cool, I guess."
Rockman looked up at Kojiro upon hearing his words. Kojiro noticed a pain in his eyes, a deep sense of dejection. Some empathy surged within him, and he gave a faint smile.
"Alright," he said. "Listen, you need to go save your operator! Unit 732 is to the east of here." He pointed in the direction of the exit. "If you follow that path and keep going east, you'll get there easily. But be careful, they might be armed over there."
With difficulty, Rockman stood up and began nodding. Then, surprisingly, he quickly nudged the scarred boy's head with his finger, as if in an affectionate gesture. It shocked the child momentarily. The Navi headed towards the exit but turned back one last time to look at the children, appearing concerned. Kojiro opened his mouth, realizing what he was waiting for.
"Don't worry about us," he replied as the children still looked at him with concern. "I'll find a way to contact the Rebels!"
Rockman growled at hearing that name, but Kojiro had a surprised expression.
"What? I'm the son of one of the Rebels, after all! They will save us and take us back home!" he said proudly.
"We're going home?" another little girl asked with hope.
"Yes!" Kojiro replied joyfully. "We're all going back home!"
Each of the children displayed a joyful expression and they started celebrating their "victory." Rockman smiled, and his mask reappeared on his face. He turned towards the road, determined to save his little brother.
To be Continued…
AN: So, do you feel somewhat satisfied? I do, they all paid (in a violent way, but well...), in the end, there's a little sense of realization in Rock's character. By the way, this chapter is very short, but you'll notice that Saito didn't appear at all, and Netto didn't speak much, to show you how much the monstrosity (of Rockman and these guys) prevailed over childish innocence, even though it comes back at the end. Also, yes, Kojiro is Paxi's son in this story, for some reason when I first played BN6, I actually thought she was his mother due to how they looked similar, but in the end they don't… So I made this little change, I hope you have nothing against ?
