AN: I loved this chapter and I loved the way I wrote Ann, in the game she was really cool, though I really disliked what they have done with her in the anime. I made her close to Elecman, and Count Elec is still referenced here. This chapter also have the "character" that a lot of people were waiting for! Hope you like it, cause I really do. I hope you like my drawings with it. And again, thank you Tyno and Smoke (if you hear me Smoke :() for the correction!

Chapter 3: My first impression as my real self.

A light...

His body was shining...

And he fell to the ground.

Again, the smell. The smell intoxicated his nostrils, and it made him sick. Kneeling on the ground, one hand covered his mouth and nose. His eyes closed, trying to get used to what he was feeling. He felt like throwing up. His breathing was fast, his head was about to fall back. He couldn't control himself, this was all new to him. He tried to slow down. Breathe in... Breathe out… The smell was still there, but he managed to calm down. He put a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

His... heart?

Rockman finally opened his eyes. He no longer felt the violent urges he had during the day. The sky was dark, and the stars lit up with the markings of a dimensional zone. He lowered his head, looking at his hands. No blue gloves, just... skin, and blue veins on the back. He touched them to each other, feeling his cold skin. The boy looked at the rest of his body, a naked body in the wild. He ran a hand through his hair, looking at a strand he caught. Brown like his father's hair... Like Netto.

He wanted to laugh a little at the thought of being in a human body, but then remembered what had happened earlier. He ran into Netto, his operator, who became a little boy. What was it that Duo said? Half of his life, to make him half-human. He winced. It was all his fault. Now, where was the child? He abandoned him because he was afraid his bestial part would attack him. He felt it, he had wanted to kill him.

The boy stood up and felt the cold air caress him. His body shivered, his nose itched, and he sneezed with his mouth open. Rockman looked around, he had to find the child who was his operator. He walked slowly, his arms tightened against him, he was so cold.

"Netto!" He shouted without even using the honorific.

He couldn't wait to find him so that they could be reunited and continue their journey together... But at sunrise, he would become a Navi again... He repeated the name of his operator. He didn't know how he was supposed to find him, if they were separated it was his fault.

A strange layer of heat was behind him, but the heat was so hostile to him. Electric heat. Rockman slowly turned his head to see sparks glowing in the dark. He turned ahead again and began to run. If there was an enemy behind him, he was in no condition to face a Navi or even a virus. He ran so fast that he didn't realize he was on a hill, and before he could stop in time, his body tipped forward and he fell, his body rolling. He landed on his stomach in front of two people who were standing guard in front of a large wooden door, staring at him with mouths agape.

The newly human boy slowly raised his head as he looked at them, and he could feel the warmth in his cheeks. He forced himself to smile and spoke quietly.

"I... need help."

A large building stood before Rockman, and a warm coat rested on his shoulders to ease his weariness, but all of this left the former navi confused. Such kindness for a random stranger. One of the guards accompanied him inside while most of the other guards hurried past. He took the opportunity to look at all the details around him, although the mix of smells was still a bit nauseating. He bent his knees several times, looked at the furniture, and stared at the people walking near him. As he heard the voice of the guard, he heard something that interested him.

"—But the guy who took care of the other kid?"

The boy moved closer to him, wanting to hear the conversation as best he could.

"He's already been home for about an hour," replied a woman who was putting on her coat.

"I'm not keeping that kid with me for the night!" refuted the guard almost angrily.

The woman rolled her eyes. She sat back down and picked up her phone receiver. "I can always call the one who took care of the other kid," she said with a bored expression.

The guard answered with a nod and crossed his arms. Rockman moved closer to him, trying to hide his concern.

"You said 'another kid', who exactly was he?" he asked in a calm voice.

"A kid who must have hit his head, and his clothes were too big for him." The guard watched the boy as he realized what he had just said. "Ah, did that kid steal your clothes?"

Rockman gasped, blushed for a moment, and then searched for words to answer. He was cut off in his answer when the woman interjected after he hung up.

"Well, you're in luck, kid, Miss Elecitel is coming to take you in to stay."

"Ah, that nice Ann Elecitel! Always too much kindness to give!"

"That's why her husband is in the hospital." The woman commented sharply before getting up and taking her bag and leaving.

The guard saluted the woman and did the same for the boy next to him.

"Well boy, I'll leave you with good luck!"

He walked away and left him there. Rockman watched him leave without saying a word, trying to understand what had just happened. He looked around again, touching every piece of furniture he saw. It was so strange for him, each object had such a different texture; for example, the coat he was wearing tickled him. In this room, he began to get used to his surroundings, and some smells were becoming more bearable to him than others. After a while, he heard the door open to see a tall woman in a yellow dress with a hat, looking at him with a sense of concern.

"Are you... The boy I'm supposed to be looking for?" she asked.

Hesitantly, he nodded. Soon after, he followed her out of the building, walking side by side. Rockman had no other thought in his mind than Netto, hoping it was the boy this woman was guarding.

"You didn't give me your name," she commented as she watched him snap out of his thoughts.

He blinked and his voice remained shy.

"My name is..." he began so that his voice would cease to exist. He couldn't say his name was Rockman, it wasn't a human name. Or did he have to...

"If you don't know it, it's okay. In time, you'll remember," she added with a knowing smile.

Not understanding her remark, Rockman nodded. Perhaps he should keep his real name to himself until he saw Netto again. Thinking of him, he looked at the woman, quite concerned.

"The little boy you're guarding..." he began.

"Oh? He's in bed now, you won't see him until tomorrow," she replied.

He lowered his head, in a way it suited him that he wouldn't meet him tonight and he was safe, but in another way...

"Did he take your clothes?" spoke Ann. "He came in with clothes much bigger than he is, besides, he thinks he's twelve. That kid must have a wild imagination, I can't blame him." She finished her sentence with a coquettish laugh.

The boy did not answer this. He did not want to say anything. He would have liked to say he was telling the truth, but he didn't want to arouse suspicion, in this world he preferred to not trust anyone.

"Indeed..." was all he answered as he stopped looking at her.

They arrived at the house. Inside, the woman removed her stuff and asked him to stay there, since she would get a shirt and some blankets for him. Ann told him that he would sleep on the couch, as the other child occupied her guest room. She went upstairs and left him alone in the large room. Rockman continued his exploration, still touching the surrounding objects, the leather of the sofa seemed strange, but fun. He turned to a piece of furniture with several pictures, and he opened his mouth when he recognized some people.

Elecman and Count Elec.

The former Navi frowned, so he was in their house. Were they good guys in this world or were they still terrorists in charge of the WWW? Rockman was cut off from his thoughts when Ann came down the stairs with blankets in her arms and laid them on the couch. She walked over to him and handed him a shirt.

"Here, this is for you."

He looked at the shirt while furrowing his eyebrows.

"You're not going to sleep in a coat!" she added, seeing him hesitate.

He made a loud noise and took the shirt in his hands, unfolding it and seeing that it was big enough. He answered her with a rather confused smile, accepting her "gift". Ann nodded and headed for the stairs again.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Good night! I'll wake you up at dawn!" She walked up the stairs while trying to make as little noise as possible.

Rockman watched her go upstairs, and then he headed for the couch. He took off the coat and put on the shirt. It was long enough, at least in hiding the most important part. Now he sat on the couch, thinking.

The new human remembered what Colonel had told him when he was in his new Navi form. Rockman knew what he was doing, but he couldn't control himself, the wild instinct was too strong. What was this form? He bit the inside of his cheek, he knew his new purpose, but the reason he was here was so... Stupid. An experiment? Duo was filled with mystery.

He turned his head to look at the stairs, Netto was probably up there. With a little determination, Rockman walked up the stairs without making a sound. He saw several doors, one of which had a light. He tried not to focus on that one, thinking it was the owner. He opened one by chance and found the room he wanted. There was a bed, and a child lying in it. He slowly moved closer, looking at the little one lying on his side, his eyes closed.

Emotions rose, Rockman could feel something coming out of his eyes. With a trembling hand, he reached for the boy's head but stopped before touching him. His operator, best friend... and brother, was no longer a preteen. He was a six-year-old kid. His memories of when he was a Navi were true, and he had wanted to attack this little being. A voice repeated in his head that it was all his fault, and who he was. He should never have come back to life as a Navi. Even though life seemed perfect and he was no longer a big brother to Netto, it would have been better if he had never existed. That he should have remained in the grave. Without him, Netto would never have had all these problems.

Rockman stepped back while keeping his gaze on the boy, and then he turned his head. He noticed the bag. First, his eyes looked at the child, making sure he didn't wake up, then he picked up the bag and looked inside. He found the PET, broken.

"Crap..." he whispered, making sure he wasn't heard.

He looked at the object in detail. Was this going to have an impact on him? Since he was human, would it even make a difference? He put the PET back in the bag and found Netto's clothes. Rockman looked at the child again with a sad look on his face, and then he took out all the clothes. He put the bag back in its place, keeping Netto's things against him. He mentally apologized for "stealing" his clothes, and that he would return them later, because in his condition, he needed them more than him right now. He left his room, returning to the second floor.

The boy removed his shirt, putting on the clothes he had found. He noticed that they fit him quite well, even a little too well. He could smell the clothes, the smell of Netto. And he dropped onto the couch, taking a blanket with him. The next step was to figure out what he was going to do in the morning. If the sun came up and he was still there, it was over, he would be out of control. Rockman had to find a way to wake up earlier or else leave now. But the fatigue was far too much, he couldn't stay up. His eyes slowly closed, and before he knew it, sleep overtook him.
A stomachache woke him up. Rockman opened his eyes sluggishly, looking around, no uncontrollable instinct, he was still human. He put his hand on his stomach, his stomach hurt so much. He got up from the couch and looked out the window. The sky was beginning to look orange, the day was about to begin. Swallowing his saliva in fear, the boy headed for the door and ran out of the house. Heading for the entrance to the city still guarded by guards. The two men stood in front of him, preventing him from continuing on his way.

"Kid, why do you want to leave?" one of them began.

"Yes, it's still early, plus you need a pass to get out," answered the second.

He looked at both of them and then looked at the sky. His lips trembled as he looked back at the two guards.

"Please I have to get out, otherwise something terrible will happen!" he tried to tell them.

The two didn't respond and remained frozen, preventing him from passing. Rockman had no choice but to frown and then turn around to pick up speed. He started to run towards them, which surprised both men, and without them having time to do anything, they were pushed back by shoulder blows. The boy made it to the other side. The two guards gritted their teeth as they looked at him. Rockman grinned back victoriously.

He ran into the forest without being caught as the guards shouted at him. Once hidden, Rockman looked around and saw the sun rising. He groaned sadly and noticed his emblem appearing on his chest. His body was absorbed into a dark layer, and some of his limbs changed shape. As he screamed while feeling all this, his voice changed to a much wilder voice that no longer sounded human.

"Netto?"

A voice called to him, while he was in a floating sensation.

"Netto?"

The voice started again, it was desperate for him to wake up.

"Mama..." he replied softly.

"Netto-kun!" the voice continued to call to him.

"Mama... I had a nightmare..."

He finally opened his eyes and looked around; he was not in his room. Netto got up from the bed, disappointed. He was still a little boy and still lost in a place he did not know. He got up with difficulty and yawned soberly. He put on his bandana and left his room, still barefoot. On the way down the stairs, he saw the couch with a blanket on it but paid no further attention to it. The child found Ann in her kitchen, in front of the stove.

"Ah Netto-kun!" she exclaimed when she saw him. "I'm making you breakfast, do you like pancakes like the ones in Kingsland?"

The very mention of pancakes made him wake up more easily and regain a good mood. Netto nodded his head very quickly as he looked on with sparkling eyes. He sat down at the table, and the old woman brought him a plate. With his tongue out of his mouth, he hurriedly cut a slice to put it under his teeth. Ann looked at him with a smile, a cup of coffee in her hands.

"I hope you like it?"

"It's so good!" he replied with his mouth full.

The little boy took another bite. The woman hadn't moved; she glanced at the couch, her smile faltering.

"We almost had another guest," she commented, her eyes vague.

Netto calmed down as he ate and looked at her with confusion.

"Another boy was lost, they called me in an emergency so I could house him as well."

He followed her gaze, towards the sofa. He didn't reply, except that he was waiting for an explanation.

"When I woke up, that boy was gone..."

She took a sip of her coffee, closing her eyes. Netto had turned his head to look at the sofa. Curious story.

"Luckily he didn't take anything from me, he could have been a thief. But when I got him back, he had no clothes on."

The child looked at her again with a curious look, one eyebrow furrowed. He took a pancake slice back into his mouth and continued eating. Ann finished her coffee and put her cup down in the kitchen, moving closer to him.

"Well Netto, I'll leave you for a moment," she added with a smile. "I'll go find you some clothes."

He looked at her again, his eyes flashing.

"But first, could you please stand up? I'd like to take your measurements."

The little boy nodded and rose from the chair. He stood in front of her, his feet flat on the floor. Ann had a tape measure in her hands and used it along his body. She made a noise with her mouth when she saw the result.

"How much do I measure?" he asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

"One meter three!" she replied in one breath.

Netto made an absurd cry in response.

"What?!" He shook his head. "No, I'm one meter forty-two!"

"And yet that's what it says."

She showed him the result with her thumb on the number, and Netto gritted his teeth. Then she asked him to raise his arms, forming a T. She measured the length of his shoulders, which she also noted. Ann stood up while stroking the young child's head.

"Well, I'll see what I can get you."

She walked to the door and looked at the child before stepping out.

"I trust you, if you get bored, you can read a book! But definitely don't play in the kitchen!"

"Don't you have a TV?"

"No, sorry. I haven't watched TV in a long time!" she exclaimed with a smile, then lowered her voice. "I can't stand all the propaganda anymore."

She waved her hand and closed the door. Netto was now alone with himself. He quickly finished his pancakes and got up from the table. He noticed the phone and approached it. He saw that the box had the numbers in the form of a button. He picked up the receiver and dialed the house number again, there was no way it wouldn't work.

However, the same voice as yesterday picked up at the end of the wire...

Netto quickly hung up and called his father's office. Scilabs had no reason to be closed. But again, it was the same result as the day before. He looked at the phone, his eyes trembling. Why? That was all he could say. The child finally drew closer once again and stood looking at the ground thinking. What was he supposed to do all day?

The young boy decided to move, asking himself questions was useless, the best thing was to find the answers himself! He approached the library, taking several books and looking at what they might be about. Most of them were just very large novels that didn't interest him, so he put them back where he found them.

He came across a large book whose cover showed two large creatures, one of which must have been a bird and the other a kind of wolf. He opened the book and came across several pages which showed pictures or edits, but they were two gigantic creatures that were on earth fighting each other. Netto was quite impressed, was it an artist who wanted to represent two creatures that didn't exist in the real world? He closed the book and read the title: "The best pictures of Falzar and Gregar". The names gave him a shudder, but upon closer inspection, he noticed that the wolf, named Gregar, looked a lot like the new form of Rockman. He frowned as he looked at the other pages, other than pictures and the author's descriptions of what these "beasts" did, Netto found no real information about these creatures. He closed the book, still examining the cover. What was the connection between this "Gregar" and Rockman? Was this a creature created in a simulation? Yet the environment in which it was photographed was all too real.

The child put the book down, remembering the names, but disappointed that he hadn't really found anything. He turned his head when he heard the door open, Ann returned, smiling and clutching bags. She entrusted him with these things and asked him to try them on in her room, which he did. Later, he came back downstairs, dressed as a little boy, which made the woman happy.

He had on a white long-sleeve shirt and a turtleneck. His sleeves were thicker and had an orange bar in the middle with a sun on it. His shorts were like the ones he usually wore except smaller. Seeing him approach, Ann offered him black boots so he could at least have something on his feet. The newly dressed boy walked around the room, at least to get his feet used to the boots.

"Do you like it?" asked the old woman quite happy to see him like this.

He raised one arm and then another and spun around.

"It suits me! I don't feel like I'm changing my style."

Netto raised his arm as if he were going to throw a punch and then folded his arms. He began to smile, at least this will do until then. He noticed another bag next to Ann with a dark blue cloth inside.

"What's that?" He pointed.

Looking down at the bag, she put it back behind her with a mysterious smile.

"This? It's for later, I'm sure you'll like it too."

She walked over to a cabinet where she put something in her purse. She refocused her attention on the child and gave him a gentle wave.

"Let's go to the market, walking outside will make you feel good."

He tilted his head without thinking too much. Outside, the boy noticed more details of this city. Ann seemed to know many people and was very respected. At the market, Netto observed all the merchandise with his mouth open. There were fish, fruits, and meat, it made him hungry. He also noticed... A Navi? There was a Navi who bought something, thanked the person, and then left.

"Is that a Navi?" he asked in a faint voice to Ann.
"Yes, but there are fewer and fewer of them these days."

Netto paused, looking at Ann's back as she continued walking. He lifted his head to the sky and looked at that strange dimensional area again. So Navis really could appear in the real world.

"Netto-kun?" Ann called out as she noticed him stop.

He looked at her again and moved closer to her. He had a lot of questions now, and she probably knew something.

"Ann-san, tell me..."

"I'm going to stand in a queue to buy some fish," she cut him off without having heard what he had just said. "I won't be long. You can look around, but don't go too far!"

The child grimaced and turned still looking around. There he saw a Navi further away, maybe he could ask them some questions. He walked away from the woman and then a man stood in front of him.

"Hey, kid."

He stopped and looked at this strange man, he crouched down to the child's height to better stare at him.

"Are you alone?" he asked, still with a voice that hid something.

At first quite disconcerted, he shook his head. "No, I'm not alone," he replied to him hoping that this might get him going.

"Are you sure? If you want I can take you home," the man insisted.

Netto noticed a necklace around the man's neck, it was a pendant with a strange six-pointed star. The man noticed it and put the object in his jacket.

At first, he bit his lower lip, but finally, Netto opened his mouth. "No, I don't need you," he declared, wanting to end this discussion.

Netto noticed the Navi he wanted to see was caught by several other children who had knocked him down and put him on the ground. The scene was terrible to see with the Navi on the ground and the children kicking him with their feet. He wanted to go to them, but his wrist was caught by the hand of the man who was quite determined to make him stay.

"Don't worry kid, I'll just take you home," continued the man as he gripped his wrist tight.
"Get off me!" he almost shouted.

He saw that the man had something in his pocket, and this gave him a new source of stress, his eyes narrowing.

"That's enough, get off that kid!" Ann's voice rang out behind him.

The man gritted his teeth and loosened his grip on the child's wrist. Netto took the opportunity to leave behind the woman while clutching her dress. The man got up, with a look of disgust towards the woman. But he forced himself to smile. "Come on lady, I only wanted to help this child!" He chuckled, raising his hands.

"I know who you are... And we don't want people like you here," she replied with a cold gaze.

The man sighed in annoyance and looked around at the people around him, noticing that they were all staring at him like Ann. He eyed the little boy again who frowned at him in response. The man waved his hand again, and without saying a word, went off in one direction. Ann turned back to the child and stroked his head.

"Is everything all right? More scared than hurt?"

Netto nodded weakly, and then he looked at the Navi who had been attacked by some children, and to his surprise, they were gone, only the Navi remained. He was on his knees, trying to pick up what he had dropped. Netto looked down while biting his lip, if that man hadn't been there, he would have arrived in time to help that poor Navi.

A little later, after buying everything they needed, Netto and Ann sauntered back to the house. The child was still in his thoughts, especially when he thought about what happened. He raised his head to look at the woman next to him.

"Say, when you said you knew who this man was, was he someone you knew?" he asked, glancing up toward her and blinking a couple of times.

Ann raised an eyebrow but understood. She hummed in thought as she looked at him.

"This man is part of one of those sects, it's not that hard to notice."

He blinked. "Sects?" He repeated the word.

"Your mother never told you about them?" Ann asked with confusion.

He nodded slowly.

She began to think, and then she didn't question his ignorance, after all.

"The sects of Falzar and Gregar. Their followers kidnap children. That's why you have to be careful, Netto-kun."

The child gasped as he heard the names. They were the names that were written in the book, but was she talking about the same thing?

"Falzar and Gregar?" he continued, hoping that might give him an answer.

"You must be too young to know their story after all." She gave a soft laugh. "It was the two Cybeasts."

He froze. Cybeast? He had no idea what it was or even where it came from. From the name, it had a connection to the Cyber world, but what did that have to do with kidnapping children? Was it a criminal organization like the WWW or Gospel? Netto could have asked something else, but an alarm sounded throughout the city. He noticed people rushing to get somewhere, and he looked at the woman who looked up in alarm.

"Netto-kun, go home!" Ann announced as she looked at him again.

"But..."

"Don't argue, go home, I'll be back!"

She left him there alone as she went off in one direction. That was the last straw, Netto puffed up his cheeks, annoyed that he was being treated like a child. He was twelve, not six. He followed the woman while taking a different route without her seeing him. He could see other people going in the same direction as him. Something must have been going on. The child could see a crowd in front of the big city gate, guards preventing them from going any further.

"Go home!" they all repeated. But to no avail, people continued to scramble to see what was there.

Netto took advantage of the fact that he was smaller, he could pass between the people, especially under their legs. As a kind of obstacle course, he could get to the front row. Finally, he saw the show, but not the one he thought he would see. Guards were protecting the entrance against a certain stranger, a person he knew. Facing them was a dark gray Navi with some yellow parts, reminiscent of thunder. Elecman.

Sparks glowed behind the Navi, a smirk on his lips, looking at the people in front of him as if they were nothing but insects. The guards were armed with guns in their holsters, but they held out some sort of PET that he had never seen before instead at the electric navi.

"Plug in!" they all shouted.

Several Navis appeared, and all of them rushed toward him. But the dancing electricity around him began to surge, hitting all the surrounding Navis, all of which disappeared, most likely sent back into their PETs or... deleted. Netto watched the scene in horror, his eyes shaking with denial. Without paying attention to the people around him who were jostling each other, he managed to get away from the front, avoiding the guards to run toward the Navi.

"Kid, come back!" shouted several voices as they watched him walk away.

Elecman chuckled as he watched the guards try to aim their guns at him, but frowned when he saw the little boy standing between them, arms raised, face tight.

"Elecman stop it!" he shouted.

The electric Navi tilted his head, eyes wide as he looked at this child. He wanted to laugh.

"Kid, what are you doing here, go away!" shouted a guard behind him, but he ignored him.

"Elecman, please! Remember! You were always loyal to Count Elec, and you were always there for him, even when he had to face his brother!"

Elecman smiled as he slowly approached the child, quite amused to hear him. Netto felt his heart beating far too fast, especially when he noticed the Navi emblem in front of him. It was no longer his emblem, but a mark like the one on the man's collar he had seen earlier. His eyes trembled, his emotions taking over his body.

"Don't you remember?" he asked in a small voice. "Just like your operator, you wanted to face Rockman tens of times in the hope that he would lose..."

But Elecman didn't react, all he did was form a terrifying smile that made Netto wish he hadn't come.

"Look what we have here," he finally said, in a playful voice. "A little sheep that strayed from the flock."

The child felt too small in front of this Navi, at first he remained frozen for a few seconds, but as soon as he started to move, Elecman grabbed his arm to draw him in and lift him.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

Netto almost screamed when he was against the body of the gray Navi, but he could feel the sparks that if he ever dared to make a sound, he would probably be charred. Elecman took a step back, looking at all the guards around, still with that same smile, while holding the child. None of the humans dared to approach, only a figure he recognized coming toward him in terror.

"Elecman, please leave this child alone, I beg you!" Her voice trembled as she spoke, all the while keeping her hands against herself.

Elecman winced as he looked at her but returned the smile.

"There you are, you old hag!" He chuckled for a moment. "I may very well leave you alive, but I'll have to keep this child, he came to me, in spite of himself."

The old woman shook her head.

"Please leave that boy out of this! If you want someone to vent your anger on, then do it to me!"

Again, Elecman laughed as he tilted his head, his helmet rubbed against the child's head whose open mouth trembled.

"How sweet, fine, if you insist on being the target, but unfortunately I'm still going to keep the child!"

He raised an arm, and a sphere of electricity grew from his palm. As everyone around watched in horror, Netto's pupils shrunk. The sphere continued to grow. Something with phenomenal speed threw him to the ground, though, thereby dissipating the sphere and leaving the child rolling on the ground. Netto gritted his teeth as he felt the pain, Ann ran behind him and wrapped her arms around the boy.

"Netto-kun, are you okay?"

He nodded and then looked at Elecman who was also on the ground, gritting his teeth as he got up. He saw another person who shocked many, and yet it gave the child a hopeful smile. "Rockman!" he shouted when he saw him.

Rockman didn't turn around, he continued to stare with distorted eyes at the electric Navi who was getting up. Netto noticed that his Navi was almost shaking with anticipation.

"What the..." Elecman looked at him, his eyes wide but filled with anger. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The bestial Navi roared at him. Elecman clenched his fists as he examined his opponent's helmet.

"Whoever you are, you are a soldier in Gregar's charge! How can you betray us!" he shouted as his body changed shape. He too took on a wilder form like Rockman's, except he still looked like himself. He had a tail and claws. Elecman looked up, his eyes distorted by rage as well. But his opponent was hardly impressed, he only growled. Ann, on the other hand, still held the child close to her, using her body to protect him, although Netto reacted as if everything was unreal.

Without a sound, the two of them charged at each other, attacking each other like wild beasts. Elecman continued to use his usual attacks, but Rockman seemingly mocked him with normal attacks as well, showcasing that the electric navi proved no match for him. Netto noticed that he used a buster that didn't look anything like his usual buster. The attack, however, hit hard against the chest of the opponent Navi. As time went on, Rockman took over the fight, weakening Elecman while throwing backward with an attack to the face.

"Elecman!" Ann shouted in complete fear of her former Navi taking a beating.

Rockman slowly approached the weakened electric Navi. He raised his arm and pointed it at the dark gray Navi emblem.

"Rockman, no!" Netto shouted in turn, thinking he was about to do the worst.

Yet the call had no impact on the feral Navi, he grabbed Elecman's emblem and tried to pull it from his chest, the latter screaming. Ann seemed to be out of control, her tears flowing as she watched the Navi get slaughtered.

"Rockman, please! Don't do this!" Netto continued, still in Ann's arms.

But against all odds, the electric Navi changed shape, returning to its original appearance. The arm that held the emblem glowed, and so did the emblem, which glowed a turquoise color. He released the emblem, dropping the Navi to the ground as all that light merged into Rockman's body. Netto was confused, the Navi didn't disappear. He slipped out of the woman's arms and made his way to the still-standing Navi.

"Rockman!"

As he got closer, he could see in detail that Elecman was back to normal but knocked out. Rockman had not deleted him. Rockman turned toward Netto, his eyes still wild. He gave another howl, making the child fall backward, his mouth open in incomprehension.

"Oh my god, is he a monster too?"

"He's going to end up killing the kid!"

Voices rumbled through the crowd. Rockman sensed them. He looked again at the still bewildered child, and ran toward the forest, disappearing into the darkness. The child called his name again, but he did not return. His eyes shone with sadness, seeing his Navi like this hurt. Behind him, Ann had also moved closer but she was mostly focused on the Navi on the ground, dropping to her knees toward him while placing a hand on his cheek.

"Oh, Elecman..." she whispered.

Netto moved closer to her, placing a soothing hand against her back. He noticed again the Navi emblem that had reverted to its former self, causing him to blink in confusion. Behind him, other people approached, and some guards ordered Ann to lock the Navi in her PET and that it should be handed over to them. She reluctantly did so, Netto bit his lower lip as he watched her do so, the PET in their hands.

The gray Navi opened his eyes. He was enclosed in a holographic cylinder in a dark room. In front of him, he saw a person he liked very much.

"Hello, Elecman," welcomed Ann, hands clasped against her dress.

"Ann-san..." he whispered.

"I'm so happy to see you again."

He placed a hand against the glass while having his head down. "I've done things... That I didn't mean to do," Elecman began, his voice still weak.

She moved closer to him, waiting for him to continue.

"You weren't yourself."

"Everything was just an impulse, my head was only listening to one thing."

Ann rested her hand against the glass of the hologram, where Elecman's was.

"So Jack was telling the truth, you were still there in the end." Her voice began to tremble.

"Ann-san... I didn't mean to kill him," he replied, still in the same tone.

This comforted Ann, but silently amused her. All this time, he thought he had done the unforgivable.

"He's not dead, he's still here," she announced in a warm voice.

The Navi gasped as he heard her, his eyes finally starting to twitch.

"You managed to control yourself."

He nodded slowly, though he grimaced, pursing his lips.

"Unfortunately, he won't be back for a long time," she replied, averting her gaze.

"I know..."

"Elecman, from now on I won't be able to get you back, at least not yet."

The Navi looked up, understanding what she meant.

"The humans are still afraid of us, I know."

"You're going to have to stay here, and answer all the questions you're asked."

He continued to nod his head.

"But I'll keep coming to see you, every day."

"Ann-san..."

The old woman wrapped her arms around the cylinder, a comforting hugging gesture to her Navi.

Outside the room, Netto waited. This was their time after all, and he had no business disturbing them. Sitting in a chair, he watched his legs sway and then raised his head to look at the sky outside. More completely abnormal events occurred. It was too much that even the questions in his head were abandoned. He got up from his chair and continued to look outside. before him, a view of the seemingly endless forest outside. Yet he noticed something. On a tree was a creature whose body was halfway out. He recognized Rockman who was looking in his direction.

He was waiting for him. Even though he wasn't normal, he was there, waiting for him outside the city.

Netto bit his lower lip again. Rockman wasn't his usual self, but he had saved him, twice. He had to get home, and they had to get home together. He lowered his head as he realized this, though he was a little afraid of Rockman with this form. Maybe if he tried to stay with him, he would be himself again? Who knows.

The door behind him opened. Ann's eyes were red from the tears she must have shed. Netto moved closer to her, wanting to make sure that she was all right. She whispered to him that they should go home.

On the way back, Netto held Ann's hand, and it was she who had taken it from him and he had not struggled to let go. He thought again about Rockman who was outside. He didn't belong here, he belonged at home, and he needed to stay with his Navi. He stopped walking, something Ann noticed when he didn't walk with her. She turned to look at him, his head down.

"Netto-kun, is everything okay?"

He didn't reply and only raised his head to look at her with bright eyes.

"I want to go home..."

Ann moved closer to him, a tender smile as she knew how.

"I know, but you have to wait for someone to show up to pick you up."

He shook his head several times. "No, I... I... I have to go! Please let me go!"

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, her mouth open.

"Netto-kun..." she tried to say.

"I have to go home with Rockman, he's waiting for me outside!" He cut her off as he looked at the ground, but he lifted his eyes to look at her with deep sadness. "I have to go."

Ann dropped to her knees as she looked at the little boy. She was already weakened by the conversation she had with Elecman, and now this child was making her more tired than she was.

"But Netto-kun, you..."

"I know Rockman will take care of me..."

The woman's face remained listening even though he repeated the same words in a whisper. She raised her hand to his cheek, and the child began to shed tears.

"Please... I know Rockman is here, he saved my life, you saw it for yourself, please..." He sniffed a few times. "I want to go home, I want Rockman back the way he was and I want my original body."

She knew this child was rambling, but she couldn't help but wipe away the tears with her thumbs.

"But who can guarantee me that you will succeed?" she asked, still not convinced of him.

"I don't have any guarantees... But I... We will make it! I'm sure of it."

Ann dropped her hands on his shoulders, peering into his eyes. She could see his determination through his tears. She wanted to protect him, but she also knew that if she forced him to stay, he wouldn't be any happier... She forced him to come against her, hugging him gently.

"Geez... You're just a kid..." she whispered in his ear.

"I promise you I'll get there," he replied in kind.

She finally nodded, although she was holding him tighter to herself.

At home, Ann packed his bag for him, telling him that she made him food. She packed him a map, showing him that the town he was in was the southwestern part of the country... The opposite of Densan City. She also gave him a small purse of money that could help him on his journey. Once outside, she guided him to an exit without going through the front door of the city to avoid the guards. She gave him the last thing she had bought for him. He was wearing a long dark blue cloak with golden patterns. He thought it was strange, but he got used to it.

In front of the city exit, Ann stood up to the child and readjusted her cloak, putting the hood over his head.

"Well, don't talk to strangers, stay hidden, and use the money wisely."

He nodded.

She touched his cheeks once more. "My dear boy..."

She offered him a final hug, which he also returned.

"I will never forget your kindness, Ann-san."

He walked away from her, looking at her one last time, and then he turned back to the outside. His legs started to run toward the forest. Ann watched him run away toward his next adventure, and she finally smiled.

"Little stars in the sky, hear my prayer. Watch over this child, may he never be lost in the darkness."

To be Continued...

AN: Smoke shared with me he liked this chapter, but feel weird that Ann let go a little child alone. I told him it was the only solution I had for that, or it was Netto running away from his own, and I didn't like that solution, cause after all Ann did for him, Netto would be a little ass to run like that.