AN: Hello everyone! Happy Megaman Birthday ! I'm not really a big fan of Megaman for telling you the truth, I'm more a BN fan /

Here is the new chapter of the week for this birthday! Some people were sadden that Saito has eat a soap, well it's not his fault, he was just hungry, poor /

Tomorrow is my birthday guys, so if you could let a little review, it would be the best gift for me! Also, I saddened to tell you that next week, there will be no chapter, because it's christmas and I will be with my family x) There might have a new chapter in two weeks if my corrector isn't in a break too. If not, this one will be the last of the year. Enjoy this little chapter and we will continue after this chapter.

Chapter 5: My daily life is now a circle like these donuts.

It was daytime, the sun was shining on his closed eyes. Netto frowned and then had to wake up. He got up and remembered where he was. He was in the room of the inn that he had found shortly after being rescued by a boy his own age. He turned around, wanting to greet him, but the other side of the bed was empty.

"Saito?" he asked in a small voice.

No reply. He was all alone in the room. The child got up from the bed, looking for the other boy to hide somewhere, but he was nowhere to be found, not even in the bathroom. He sat back down on the bed, had Saito really left him alone? But why? He had left like yesterday at Ann's, he had told her that he had to do something important, right? But here what did he have to do? Netto finally sighed, this boy was probably a crook, maybe he stole something from him... No, how could he think that when he had mentioned something that nobody knew?

Duo. This godlike program almost destroyed the world, and during their last meeting, he made everyone lose their memories except for those he had chosen. Saito couldn't be a crook or a thief. Especially since when he went through his things, nothing was missing, the map was still there, his PET was still there, and his money had not been touched. Why did he leave?

Once he had all his things, he sauntered down from the room. What if Saito had just gone for a walk and was waiting for him outside? Once in the lobby, he noticed the woman who ran the inn calling out to him at the front desk. Netto approached, a little suspicious, but he observed that she was holding a paper in her hand.

"A note from the boy who was with you."

She handed it to him, and he grabbed it to open it, but first, he glanced at the woman and then began to read the letter.

"It's kind of funny though that he asked me to write a letter for you, I guess we don't all have the same education then," she commented as she inhaled her cigarette.

Netto frowned as he listened to her. What did she mean? That the writing was hers? He walked away muttering a weak thank you and regained his concentration to read the letter.

"Netto,
I'm sorry to leave so early, but I had to. I can't really explain why but know that tonight we will be together. Don't forget where you have to go, that's the most important, the best would be to take the main road. Don't try to make a detour, which could slow us down.
Even though I know you're afraid of Rockman from what I understand, I think he'll help you, just don't try to stay too close to him.
I'll see you again tonight,
Saito."

The child smiled warmly. He folded the letter and put it back in his bag. At least he knows he'll be back... if he keeps his word. Before he left for good, he had to at least buy some food so he could spend the lunch and probably the evening. He saw a bakery where he bought several things for lunch... But his eyes fell on a little treasure that made his eyes shine. He could afford it, his stomach told him that it was a golden opportunity, and his brain told him that it was not too expensive... Netto cracked and allowed himself to buy a box of ten different donuts.

He found a bench with which he took a break, enjoying the taste of the first donut. At least he had his breakfast. Netto looked around while enjoying his sweet little paradise, and noticed again that kind of temple with the statues of the two creatures. Having finished the only donut he had touched, he put the box back in his bag and headed toward this giant building. First, he looked at the statues and then approached the entrance of the giant building. Only the door was closed. He tried to push it open with all his might, but nothing moved.

"What are you doing, kid?" asked a man behind him, quite old and imposing.

Netto stepped back from the entrance and looked at the door.

"I just wanted to... come in..." he explained in a small voice.

"It's been a long time since these doors were closed. We haven't been praying to the Cybeast for a long time after all."

He started to walk away, but the child tried to hold him back.

"Wait!" Netto shouted. The man turned around. "Can you tell me what the... Cybeasts are?"

The man raised an eyebrow at this. "You must be young, I guess." He moved closer to one of the pillars where he could see a mural of some sort. "The Cybeasts are the cybernetic monsters that have terrorized us for over thirty years."

To the child, this story sounded like a fairy tale, he gawked at the man and blinked in response. It was too vague to understand, but he noticed the man hadn't finished yet.

"Every city that had a temple or prayed to the Cybeast had a chance of not being destroyed by them."

Netto looked at the temple, which was quite large. Yet it all seemed too supernatural.

"And those Cybeasts, are they still here?" He continued to ask.

The man turned to look at him again.

"They were destroyed five years ago now. Even though eternal calm has been brought, the world hasn't changed that much... Not at all."

Netto wanted to ask him another question, but the man had walked away. Perhaps he had nothing more to say about it. He took one last look at the temple and the statues of the famous Cybeast, especially the one who called itself Gregar. What was its connection to Rockman's appearance? Why had Duo turned him into that?

The child finally left the city, the unfolded map in his hands, looking for the right way to at least go to another city that could accommodate him. He found the main road and took it, keeping it to the side in case any vehicles came by. He put his map away in his bag, placed his bag under his cloak, and put on his hood. Where was Rockman anyway?

He heard a car in the distance and went off the road to avoid having an accident with the vehicle, however, he heard it slow down. Netto noticed a very old car driving beside him, it had no roof and a handlebar to turn the wheels. He had seen similar models at the car museum, it was a style that existed at the beginning of the last century. However, he noticed the driver who was a man with long blond hair and a blue suit, smiling at him as he had his arm over the door.

"Hi, kid, are you lost? Want me to take you somewhere?"

The child frowned as he looked at him, he quickly noticed a necklace with a pendant that had wing shapes that could remind him of the other sect's emblem. He turned his head to look away from it. It was best to ignore rather than respond to this guy. Without Rockman with him, or anyone else for that matter, it was best to continue on his way without responding, plus he wasn't going to get out of the car to chase after him. On his way to the lawn, Netto heard him call out to him, shouting to him to come back. He continued to walk away, pretending that he didn't exist.

"Tss, you brat..." The man pulled out a PET and pointed in the direction of the child. "Plug In! Airman!"

Hearing this, Netto turned around, seeing a very imposing blue Navi right behind him. Netto started to run as he heard whirring fan sounds closing in on him. He briefly glanced back and saw Airman's built-in fans propelling him forward. The boy received an attack in the back, launching him forward on the ground. He groaned several times as he tried to get up while covering his mouth. He could not do more when he felt something catch him strongly by his clothes in the back, lifting him up.

"Well done Airman, I'm proud of your work," proclaimed the man who had approached with his car.

"Get off me!" Netto shouted while wriggling in the air.

The man wiped his forehead.

"At least it was a piece of cake."

Netto continued to move, noticing the emblem on the blue Navi's head that was the same as the one on the man's necklace. It didn't look like a personal emblem at all, it was a very similar symbol of a CyBeast. But if this Navi had the Beast Factor... why was he still allied with his operator? As Airman moved to get closer to his alleged operator with the child in his hand, he was pushed forward while dropping the boy. Netto rolled to the ground and saw his Navi standing on all fours on the big blue Navi.

"Huh?! What?!" shouted the same man who saw what had just happened.

Netto began to smile while raising his fist.

"Go, Rockman!"

The feral Navi jumped out of the way of the other Navi who had gained enough momentum in the air to land a kick. Airman turned his body to face it and then rolled to avoid the attack. As he fell to the ground, Rockman shook the earth with the impact. He looked up at the blue Navi, his eyes wide with fury. In a panic, the Air Navi launched an attack that sent three large cyclones flying. The opposing Navi picked up speed and charged toward the cyclones, only to succeed in slicing them in half with the force of its sharp claws. Airman noticed this and did not know what else to do, except to see the beastly Navi take his emblem from his head. Without saying a word, he pulled back his arm to remove it with force.

The man in the car let out a word, although the child was bewildered by this. Airman... had just disappeared into a thousand pieces of data that flew into the air. The man looked at the scene, he also looked with wide eyes at his PET telling him that his Navi had just been erased, and then with a frown, he shouted, "Traitor!"

And then he left in his car. Netto raised an eyebrow as he watched him drive away, and then he watched the data trails that flew in all directions. Raising a hand to one of them, he turned his head to his Navi who was starting to walk away.

"Rockman, you didn't have to delete it..."

But the Navi ignored him, preferring to return to where he came from. Netto took one last look at the lights dancing in all directions and turned to follow Rockman.

"Wait, we don't have to go here!"

They found themselves in the woods again. Rockman took the opportunity to climb a tree and watch the child from the top of the tree, looking at him with those round eyes. Netto took a breath first, at least his Navi was giving him attention.

"You know about yesterday... I wanted to say I'm sorry. After all, you want to protect me, putting yourself in harm's way, too."

He looked down, searching for more words, but when he looked up, he saw Rockman in front of him, crouching. Had he come closer? Netto reflexively backed away, but the Navi followed him and moved closer against him. The child gasped. He had apologized to him and now he was getting closer? No, there was something wrong with him letting himself get close to him. Noticing his eyes, Netto could see how they were still as round as an owl's. He was very slow in his gait, his hands on the ground, and yet he had caught up with the child. He froze as Rockman grabbed his shoulders.

His head was close... much too close. He could see every detail in his red eyes. His heart yawned in fear. Had Rockman lost himself to his wild side? Was he going to slaughter him? No, for the moment he had his head against his shoulder. Netto heard a noise: he was sniffing something. And that something was hidden under his cloak, in his bag. The child fidgeted as he felt the weight of his Navi climb on top of him, and his little body couldn't hold still. He fell on his buttocks with a groan, the beast still against him. He started to groan because he wanted to reach the part where the boy's bag was hidden.

"Stop Rockman, you're too heavy! Stop it!" Netto shouted several times hoping he would listen, but nothing worked, he didn't care if he was going to crush the child. "Rockman! Please! Stop!"

He felt the claws dig into his skin as the Navi clung to him. Netto winced one last time.

"Sit down!" he shouted in a louder voice.

And then, nothing. The Navi who had been on top of him had moved away very quickly to crouch in front of him. Netto took a breath and noticed it. He blinked for several reasons. First, why had he climbed on top of him and what was he looking for? And now... Since when did Rockman behave like a dog? He didn't know what his real behavior was. When he was in the trees, he thought he was a cat. He finally picked up his bag, looking for what the wild Navi wanted, after all, he had sniffed something.

And then he saw the box of donuts.

He pulled it out and watched Rockman's eyes widen. Was it... what he was looking for? What was he trying to do with a donut? He took one from the box and held it out to him, wanting to see if he would have another reaction.

"Here take it, it's not much, it's just a pastry I'm eating. Don't you recognize it?"

As fast as lightning, the wild Navi's hand took the pastry from his operator's hand so that his mask disappeared, and he bit... once, twice, three times inside to have devoured it whole. Netto was impressed, not that it was because Rockman had eaten at a phenomenal rate, but mostly because he... Had just eaten. A Navi had just eaten human food.

"How can you do that..." he asked even though he knew he would have no answer.

It was this form wasn't it? There had to be a connection. Rockman continued to look at the box, perhaps waiting for a second one. Netto picked up another, looking at the donut and then at the Navi.

"If you want this donut, you're going to need to talk to me!"

The only response he got was that Rockman was looking the other way, but he didn't make a sound. His Navi would not say anything, and this exasperated him. Netto tried another method, if deep down his best friend was still there, then there must be a way for him to communicate. For the moment, he didn't say anything, he was really reacting like an animal who was waiting for his master to reward him, but he didn't want that. But if Rockman listened to him, this was a new door for him to communicate.

"Paw," he ordered, holding out his hand.

Without any noise, Rockman placed his hand on Netto's, which surprised him. He really understood what he was saying. He looked at the donut and threw it in the air.

"Catch!"

The Navi grabbed the pastry, chomping it down. Netto was impressed, so Rockman could eat. He continued to look at him, waiting for another one, but the child pursed his lips. He couldn't go on like this. He began to put the box back in his bag, to which the beastly Navi gave an odd reaction. If Netto had trouble understanding his emotions, except for anger, he could see it in his eyes... A touch of sadness?

"Sorry Rockman, but I bought these donuts for myself! I'll give you one later."

With a grunt, the Navi walked back up a tree while looking away. Netto resumed his walk having raised his head to look at him, but he frowned as he realized that Rockman had completely stopped paying attention to him.

"I know you understand me now." He crossed his hands behind his head as he continued walking. "By the way, I have some new information!"

The Navi didn't react, he just kept jumping from branch to branch to continue his walk.

"I met a boy, his name is Saito," Netto began. "He's supposedly from a parallel world... Actually, so are we! We're on a parallel world to ours!"

The only reaction Rockman had was a simple grunt while looking straight ahead, but the child couldn't tell if it was a reaction to what he had just said.

"He told me that Duo sent us here, to this world. For what reasons? I don't know." He kicked a rock with his foot. "At least we're not alone, we have an ally. And we know where we need to go!"

He lifted his head to look at Rockman.

"I don't know what the name is anymore, but it would be to the north. I think it's going to take us a long time to walk."

Rockman paused, his attention gone astray elsewhere.

"Are you listening to me?!" the child snarled, hands on his hips. "We know how to get home, and you don't care!"

He puffed up his cheeks, frowned, and finally walked away without saying anything, only to notice that Rockman wasn't following him anymore. He understood why, his Navi was making him a little annoyed. Still with his cheeks puffed up, he put his bag on the ground and took out his box of donuts while taking one in his hand.

"Rockman!"

The concerned Navi finally raised his head to look at him and finally jumped to be in front of him at a certain distance. Netto's eyes were still frowning as he watched him, and he almost let him take the donut but folded his arms.

"That's the last one for you, Rockman! Now tell me you listened to what I just told you!" he ordered.

The only reaction Rockman offered him was a quick head movement that went forward, reminiscent of a nod. Netto sighed and handed him the donut, which he quickly picked up and dropped to the ground. The child continued to watch his Navi eat like an animal. It made him a little sad; he remembered the time he had been infected by the Neko virus. Except that here, he had been infected by a wild beast virus... The "Beast factor" wasn't it? Seeing him so close to him, he tried to raise his hand toward him, just wanting to touch his helmet, after all, he had clung to him earlier, why shouldn't Netto be allowed to do the same? As soon as Netto almost touched his helmet, Rockman turned his head quickly, looking as enraged as the times before, pushing him away with a loud grunt.

"Sorry, I..." The child took a few steps back, hiding his hand under his cloak. "I didn't mean to..." he replied in a guilty voice.

Rockman grunted again and turned back to his unfinished donut on the floor, he continued to eat it at the same speed. Netto looked at the ground, and then he noticed the Navi climb back up his tree when he was done. He didn't say anything more, his thoughts tried to find something he could say, then something crossed his mind.

"By the way Rockman, I may have figured out your problem." He raised his head toward him, but the Navi was still looking straight ahead. "Your form has been corrupted by something called the Beast Factor!"

Strangely, Rockman looked down.

"It's not just you, lots of Navis can be! You faced Elecman! He was corrupted!... But at least he could talk, and he still had his own appearance."

He studied his Navi, trying to understand the whole difference between the two.

"Elecman could go feral, but you are feral all the time yet you have nothing left of your original form... Except for the emblem. Only Elecman's emblem was different."

He thought aloud with his hand against his chin.

"I don't know if this has anything to do with it too, but your form is similar to these 'Cybeast', they are creatures that used to cause terror long ago. The one that looks like you is called Gregar!"

Rockman frowned as he heard this then looked at the child. He finally managed to capture his Navi's attention. He, too, wanted to understand what had happened to him.

"I don't know if this is all related, or if it makes sense...The Navi from earlier also had a different emblem except it didn't look like yours. But, it was from a PET..."

He scratched his head in all directions, messing up his hair. "I don't understand anything anymore!"

Netto sighed as he looked at his Navi again: he took on a slightly more saddened look.

"Rockman, please, if you have a problem, if you feel weird, tell me," he pleaded. "Talk to me..."

The child sauntered away, dragging his feet a little. He heard a noise behind him and turned around to see Rockman standing in front of him with his knees bent forward. This gave the boy a small, faint smile, although his eyes glinted with sadness. Netto wanted to take a step toward him, but he heard a grunt. It's true, they must at least keep a distance. Rockman raised his head, gazing out into the distance. Netto understood what that meant; they had to continue. The child nodded and continued walking, still being followed by the feral Navi.

They had probably been walking all day without anything special happening to them. No viruses attacked them and no shady guys tried to kidnap Netto. At least it was quiet. During the lunch break, Rockman acted weird again to point out his desire for a donut, but the child was against it. He had already eaten three of them, and at the moment, it was not known what could happen to him if he swallowed too much. Especially, how he could eat.

The continuous walk was not complicated for them, at least not for Netto, as he could see his Navi running around looking at several places. He had to let off steam like a dog after all. Afterward, he followed him without appearing rebellious. During the walk, they saw viruses, but some did not attack them, they were viruses lacking the strange form that Netto had seen in the past. One of them approached Rockman, it didn't want to do anything to him, but the reaction of the Navi probably shocked the child more than anything else.

He put his hand on the head of the virus, and with a strong blow, he flattened it, which resulted in the deletion of the virus.

Netto was at a loss for words. The virus hadn't done anything to deserve this, yet he was the first to let Rockman attack viruses, but on this occasion, he had done it to destroy it. He remembered the Navi that he had also deleted in the morning. Was it because Netto hadn't said anything? When he'd begged him not to delete Elecman, he'd refrained... No. He'd... Cured him. He blinked as he realized it. Another mystery to add to the list of strange things since they had been here. Netto couldn't find any answers, and trying to open a dialogue with Rockman again wouldn't change anything.

Later, the sun was slowly starting to set, and further on, they saw a mountain. No village in the vicinity; they will have to sleep under the stars. This time, Rockman was in front of Netto. He started to run, forcing the child to follow him in panic, but not wanting to be separated from him. At the foot of the mountain, they saw the entrance to a cave. The Navi went inside, leaving the child to regain his bearings. Looking around, the boy wanted to say something to the Navi... Only to find that he had disappeared.

"Rockman?" He dropped his bag. "Rockman?!"

He looked to either side and stepped outside, trying to find his Navi. Though the night was taking over the sky, he continued to yell his name in panic, even as he began to get a chill down his spine. If he had to stay out all night to find him, he would... At least if he didn't have that short stature.

"Netto-kun!"

A voice rang out without him expecting it. Hiding behind several trees, he saw Saito walking toward him, eyes bewildered.

"Saito!"

Without warning, Netto ran to him and wrapped his arms quickly around the older boy, catching the preteen off guard.

"Ah! Netto-kun?" Saito said, not knowing how to respond to the gesture.

The child pulled back and looked at him with worried eyes.

"Saito, why did you leave this morning?"

The former Navi winced, he knew he would not escape this question.

"I had to get a head start so I could see if we were headed in the right direction. Good thing I found you!"

Netto blinked and nodded, although he didn't really understand his reason. He stepped back and stood in a corner of the cave, as did the older boy.

"I lost Rockman, he was here, now he's gone."

Saito blinked, noticing the little boy's downcast gaze. He had to start thinking of a fake story.

"I think I ran into him. When I was walking, I saw a strange Navi with a weird outfit on a tree. He looked at me weirdly but he didn't do anything to me."

"It's Rockman! But how come he didn't do anything to you?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

The child didn't know what to say, he looked outside. Maybe Rockman had to move outside the cave to prevent him from attacking him at night? After all, that was why he was trying to stay away from the boy. Netto raised his head and stared at Saito. "Now what do we do?"

Again, the older boy shrugged. "There's no way out, we'll have to stay here for the night," Saito confirmed.

Netto sighed roughly. He placed his bag on his lap and looked at it, thinking back to the morning. The best thing would be to tell the other boy the events of the day.

"You know, I just had a strange day."

Saito tilted his head as he listened to him but said nothing.

"Rockman has been calm, but he's been kind of a headcase." He began to rummage through his bag. "He ate donuts and was at least a little more sympathetic to me."

He pulled out the famous donut box and placed it on his lap.

Saito recognized the smell which instantly made him react. Deep down he felt bad for treating Netto like that, but he couldn't help it, his instincts were speaking deep inside him. It was thanks to his own will and the words of his operator that he had managed to obey him.

"On the other hand, I just find it strange that Rockman ate a donut. I mean, he's a Navi! He shouldn't be eating!" protested the child in a worried tone.

Saito stopped focusing on the box and looked at the child. He was right. Even when he was a Navi, he still retained human characteristics so, like the sense of smell, he had also gained the sense of taste.

"This is a very curious case," expressed Saito in a flat tone, haphazardly examining his hand.

"Do you think it's this strange form he has?"

"Surely..."

Netto looked down, and then he resumed,

"I think I found out something with Rockman."

Saito turned his head toward him, curious.

"Ann-san explained to me that the Navi here can be corrupted by something called the 'Beast Factor', and Rockman would be too... Before I left her house, he fought another Navi named Elecman, who was also infected by the Beast Factor."

The older boy did not take his eyes off the child. He listened without interrupting.

"For some reason, he didn't delete him, healing him instead. I don't know how he did that... Besides, Elecman still kept his appearance despite his corruption, while Rockman did not. This morning, another Navi who tried to kidnap me also seemed to be infected with the Beast Factor but..." He cut himself off and finally sighed in annoyance as he thought too hard. "I don't know, I don't understand anything anymore!"

Saito put a hand on his shoulder, trying to soothe him. It was good that he was telling him what he knew and offering theories about it. Yes, the former Navi knew that the Navi from this morning had something very similar to Elecman. This energy that was in him, he was simply trying to get it back, he too had no clue as to how he had done this. Only when he tried to do the same thing with Airman. So to avoid the problem, his bestial part had no choice but to eliminate him.

"I don't know if any of this is related," Netto began again in a small voice, "but Rockman looks like one of those creatures called the 'Cybeast', and the one he looks most like is Gregar."

The older boy cocked his head to the side as he heard the name.

"What is a Cybeast?"

"They are some sort of... cyber monsters? They would have terrorized the population. Today, they are destroyed."

Saito frowned.

"Gregar... Wasn't that one of those names concerning the sect yesterday?"

Netto nodded.

"Gregar and Falzar. It's weird to start a sect about two monstrous creatures that nearly destroyed the world."

"What's the connection of all this... Why are followers of... 'Cybeast' who were destroyed, kidnapping children?" Saito looked away. "What does Duo want from me?" he muttered, hoping Netto hadn't heard him.

The child tilted his head as he watched him in thought, though he wished he had the answer to the first question.

Saito reassured him by smiling and patting his head. "But hey, the best thing would be for us to focus on the way home."

The child nodded, and then this time, opened the box in his hands and offered a pink donut to the boy next to him.

"Here, Rockman already ate three of them."

Saito took it shyly, and looking at it with a blush, he remembered how he had devoured the other three. He couldn't help it: it was way too good. Netto took one also and scarfed it down, something the other boy enjoyed doing, too. It was a different taste than the others but better.

"This is so good..." he said with almost a thin tear. "What flavor is it?"

"It's strawberry, haven't you ever tasted it?" Netto asked.

The older boy began to blush, and upon hearing this, he continued to eat his donut while enjoying the taste. The child watched him with a raised eyebrow.

"You're acting like yesterday, with the onigiri."

"I... I'm sorry... I've never eaten a donut in my life..." Saito stammered as he just finished.

He quickly placed a hand against his mouth as he realized what he had said.

"What?!" Netto replied, his eyes bewildered.

"I..."

He turned his head, still with that shameful look.

"Tell me you've eaten curry before!" Netto replied with a louder tone.

He threw his head back, staring at the sky with whimsy in his eyes.

"No, I've never eaten it."

The child sprang up and stood in front of him, hands against his hips. Saito couldn't tell if he was angry or just disappointed.

"Well, listen to me, Saito, we'll eat curry together when we see a restaurant!"

Saito blinked and looked away, his expression stagnant.

"Alright... But I'm not sure you should use your money for that."

Netto didn't answer other than shrugging his shoulders and looking away. He stepped back unnoticed by the boy. Saito was definitely an enigma to him. He felt a draft, not from the outside, but from the inside. The cave must still be deep and maybe there was something there. He moved a little closer and then stopped while continuing to feel the air.

"What do you think there is deep down?"

Saito raised his head to focus on him.

"Uh... Probably not much."

Netto slowly turned back to him, a small mischievous smile on his lips.

"How about we go watch?"

The other boy lowered his eyebrows.

"Netto-kun, I don't think that's a good idea, it's better to stay here."

But the younger boy started to walk away.

"Come on! What are you afraid of?"

"There might be viruses!"

"It's not that bad! I know that if I'm in danger, Rockman will come and save me!"

Saito stood up and frowned as he heard him, he was right about the second point, but he wouldn't be able to count on Rockman for tonight. He moved closer, willing the child to walk away.

"Unless there are ghosts... Boo!" Netto pretended to shake as he clenched his hands, making it look like he might be some kind of zombie.

But that comment, while not serious, froze the former Navi and sent a bigger shiver down his spine. His biggest phobia was still there.

"Theoretically, ghosts don't exist... That's scientifically impossible!" Saito commented while hiding his trembling voice.

"Haha! You really do have the same words as Rockman!" Netto said as he started to walk away.

Saito quickly put his hands over his mouth as he realized that he really needed to stop looking too much like Rockman. What could he do, it was his personality after all. He almost jumped when he saw the child walking away into the darkness of the cave.

"Netto-kun, come back here!" he shouted after her.

"Nah! I want to visit!"

Saito gritted his teeth, he had no choice but to pick up Netto's bag that was on the ground and put it on his back to join the child.

"We don't even know where we're going!"

But the child didn't care, all he did was look straight at him with a big smile. He crossed his arms behind his head.

"Nothing is going to happen, for once we can have some fun!"

Saito grinned, maybe he should activate that serious, big-brotherly side he took when he was the original Rockman with Netto, the one who took care of him. Just as he could have said something, a sudden noise made him shudder as he let out a small scream. The child next to him started to giggle.

"It's nothing, it's just a rock that probably fell!"

But that didn't make the older boy laugh, he leaned forward to have his head face Netto's.

"Netto-kun, let's go back to the entrance! I really don't like this place!"

The younger boy grinned mischievously at him again.

"It's okay! Looks like you're afraid of ghosts, too!"

The man froze, and his head turned as red as a tomato. He pouted, but the child did not care, he continued to walk and giggled.

"Would you believe me if I told you that my Navi is afraid of ghosts?"

Saito nodded with difficulty, obviously, he knew this all too well. Netto didn't wait for his response.

"Honestly, how can an AI like him be afraid of something imaginary."

"Death... Maybe..." Saito muttered out of earshot.

"Did you say something?" Netto turned around.

A bead of sweat dripped down Saito's head as he shook it. The child just shrugged and went on his way. He had been afraid of ghosts for so long and the reason he was afraid of them was long before he met Netto, and that's why he had never explained it to him. After a while of walking, they came to a large space with various passages. This made the taller boy panic, if he had still been a Navi, he would surely have kept all his confidence.

"We're really going to get lost, we need to turn back!"

Despite his warning, Netto walked forward, but then had a look of confusion on his face. He tilted his head to the side, wanting to listen to something.

"I heard a voice," he affirmed, now hyper-focused.

"Netto-kun, there's no such thing as ghosts!" replied Saito, still panicking with his arms starting to shake.

"No, wait... I really hear a voice! It's coming from there!" He pointed to a passageway and quickly moved toward it.

"Netto-kun, wait!"

The two children began to run, one to go to the source, the other to catch up with the first. Saito could indeed hear a voice, a female voice, and clearly annoying. As he moved closer, he managed to grab the boy's arm and stop him, pulling him to his chest and covering his mouth. He forced him to remain hidden behind a large rock when he saw two figures in the distance.

"It is, however, not complicated what I ask you!" said the female voice to her colleague.

The two boys stood up when they heard her. They both saw a girl, maybe a young adult, with two long black pigtails and a heart design on her cheek. Her dress was red with white spots and she had a black jacket, her face showed no tenderness.

"These are the orders! They demand that we find these 'children', or just kill them if need be."

Saito noted the air quotes she made around "children". She turned toward her colleague. With a purple outfit and a scar on his face, Netto and Saito recognized with dread, Dark Miyabi, the assassin who was also Shadowman's operator and who had tried so many times to eliminate Rockman. Saito again forced the child to stay hidden as best he could, he would have to hold his breath. If Miyabi was there, and he was still getting paid to kill people, then Saito knew he absolutely could not rely on him.

"So, is this what today's missions are?" asked the assassin in a chilling tone. "To play babysitter for children who managed to escape?"

The girl in front of him frowned and put a hand on her hip.

"Look, if you don't want to bring them back alive, the best thing to do is kill them! Remember, they're not really children anymore, just freaks! They don't deserve to live anymore anyway."

Netto looked into Saito's eyes, both had a similar reaction. What were they talking about to say such horrible things? How could this girl afford to be so cruel? Miyabi didn't reply, he just observed her.

"Remember that we will be paid well! These kids are nothing anyway."

She started to walk away... closer to where the two children were hidden.

"It's a sad future, isn't it? But hey, that's the way it is. Either we bring them back or we take them out of their misery, there's only this!" She raised her hands in conclusion.

She walked away again, back toward the direction of the assassin. Netto became annoyed, he broke free from the other boy's grip, and rose from his hiding place to stick his tongue out at her, much to Saito's annoyance. Miyabi noticed them, and the young woman turned around when she heard him make a noise. Her eyes were wide as she saw those two kids. Without saying another word, Saito snatched Netto by the arm and started to run toward the place they came from. Watching them run away, the young woman turned to Miyabi, her teeth gritting.

"What are you waiting for? Bring them back!"

"That's not the deal," he refuted.

"You'll get paid double if you bring them back! They must have heard our conversation!"

Miyabi remained unmoved, but he disappeared in a blink of an eye. The children however ran on and on, and when they arrived at a place where there were various paths, Netto realized at that moment that he had been doing something stupid all along. Saito looked around with wide eyes. He took the child's hand and led him into one of the passages, mentally crossing his fingers it was correct. As they ran, they came to a dead end, and a few meters below, they could see a river. Netto bit his lip and continued to hold Saito's hand.

"We have to jump if you want us to lose them!" he declared.

But Saito stepped back and shook his head in fear.

"I... I can't swim..." he admitted, voice trembling.

"What?!"

Netto's eyes were even wider than they were before. This news was beyond what he could have thought. They heard a noise, and to their surprise, a Navi that Saito recognized very easily was there in front of them. Shadowman was glaring at them, arms crossed. Netto noticed that unlike the Navi from this morning, he still had his true emblem. Knowing this Navi all too well, the former Navi grabbed Netto tightly and squeezed him. He hid him, using his own back as a shield. The Navi ninja did nothing but look at them, he was joined by his operator who looked at them with a cold look. The preteen hugged the child even tighter.

"Please..." he begged, "We mean no harm..."

Miyabi looked at him, then at the child who was hidden against him. Shadowman brought his hand against the tsuka of his katana but did not move it further.

"One word, Miyabi-sama, and I can take care of this on my own."

Miyabi moved closer, his hands still hidden in his sleeves, and Saito's pupils shrunk in fear, but he furrowed his brows in defiance.

"We can leave them here."

"Miyabi-sama?"

He turned around without looking at them again.

"These kids don't have to take punishment. At least not at the moment."

Saito had loosened Netto, the latter looked in detail at the assassin. The man had started by walking away while being followed by his Navi, and the child came out of the other boy's arms to approach the assassin, under the boy's panicked eyes.

"Miyabi-san! I know you don't know me here, but... Thanks!"

Saito grumbled, he really didn't know what he was doing. Yet the man froze and looked at the boy out of the corner of his eye.

"But if I'm ever asked for the same mission, I'll be obligated to carry it out."

He eventually walked away, and Shadowman disappeared into his PET. Netto wanted to say something else but Saito held him back by the wrist.

"Netto-kun!"

Netto turned to him with his mouth open, and when he wanted to see the man again, the assassin was gone. They said nothing more and waited, thinking it might be a trap. They heard another noise in the distance, again the voice of the girl they had met earlier.

"So where are they?"

"I lost sight of them."

"The Great Dark Miyabi who managed to lose sight of mere kids?! Anyway, if it wasn't us who took care of them, nature would kill them. Now back to the mission!"

Netto felt a shiver down his spine as he heard this; he clutched the older boy's body tight. They waited a little longer until everything became quiet. Saito finally stood up and put a hand behind Netto's shoulder.

"Come on, we need to get out of here."

Without saying a word, the child nodded. They went out of the path they had taken, only to be lost again in the same room with its different paths. This time it was Saito's turn to choose which path to take. He, too, had felt dread from one of these paths. At the end of this passage, they came to an entrance... But they did not recognize it. It was not the same entrance, there was no more forest. Netto walked toward the end and pointed to the horizon.

"Look! There's a light there! That means there's a city!"

"Indeed, but it's much too far..."

"We'll go tomorrow, I guess..."

He stepped back and returned to Saito who was sitting in a corner.

"Those two... what were they talking about?" Netto asked as he approached the preteen.

"I don't know..."

"I think they wanted to kill children?!" Netto said, trying to remember.

Saito didn't reply, Miyabi was an assassin, and he wasn't one of the most merciful of them all. It was lucky that he had spared them. When he had to help against Duo, they had to insist that he could join the team, and even if Shadowman belonged to him, he could not trust him. In this world, the assassin's mission was to capture or kill children. He bit his lower lip, feeling bad for the victims. He lifted his head as he heard the child sneeze.

"I'm cold..."

The older boy bent over him and tightened the blue cloak that was still around the boy, wrapping it snugly around him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm making sure you don't get cold anymore."

The child could barely stand.

"There you go!"

"You thought I was a maki roll?"

"If you were a maki, I would have eaten you by now!" he finished with a small laugh.

Netto lowered his head and ended up smiling as well. Saito helped place him against the wall, where he would be in a good position. He ended up stroking his head but frowned.

"Netto-kun, what you did earlier..."

The child lowered his head shamefully.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have ventured..."

Saito resumed a softer tone while continuing to stroke the child's head.

"That too... But don't talk to the people of this world like you know them!"

Netto's eyes widened as he realized what he meant.

"I knew this guy in our world! He helped us during our quest against Duo!"

"I believe you... But nobody knows us here! Unless our versions of this world know them... But we mustn't do that, or we might get in trouble!"

Netto nodded limply.

"It's best not to trust anyone here, it's not our world. So avoid getting noticed like that. Focus on getting home."

Again, Netto nodded his head in understanding. Saito knew him well, but Netto is too trusting, wanting to befriend anyone. Even though Rockman was also a person who was kind of like his operator, he couldn't afford in these conditions to trust anyone.

"You said there might be versions of us in this world?" Netto asked.

"Yes, and it's best if we avoid them."

He said this for several reasons; the first one was by meeting their own version, Netto would learn the truth easily about him, and the second, it would be a monstrous mess. He saw the child begin to close his eyes, fatigue getting the better of him.

"And Rockman... He knows where we are...?"

Saito stroked his cheek as he began to drift off to sleep.

"Don't worry, Rockman will find you tomorrow."

Netto couldn't answer him, he had quickly fallen asleep. Now, what was he going to do about tomorrow? He chose not to worry about it anymore, opting to stay close to the child, his arms surrounding his little body. He hugged him and fell asleep, as well.

To be Continued...

AN: Thank you so much for reading this chapter, and still continuing this fic, I'm really into this story, that's a rare time when I really take it seriously and write a chapter every week. (Right now, I've finished to write chapter 8). If you guys know, the donut scene is inspired from the Monogatari Series, where Shinobu eat for the first time a donut! I like this show a lot.

Thank you to supporting me, and Merry Christmas!

(Please let a little review :c)