AN: Hello, it's me again! I have abandonned as I said. I just take my time to write my story, I'm trying to write more then 3 chapters waiting. I hope you still like this story, I know it's a long story, it give me strength for a lot of reason.

The music used here is Send me on My way from Rusted Root.

Chapter 8: The Dark City night

I would like to reach out my hand

I may see you, I may tell you to run

Nobody safe, nobody on

If there was one thing Netto couldn't stand, it was patience.

For several days, the boy had been wandering in this strange world and had still not returned home. Despite this, his journey since leaving Akindo City had been "quiet". He hadn't crossed paths with any strange individuals claiming to be part of a sect, and he hadn't been bothered by wild viruses. Most of the viruses had been very calm and passive.

What about Rockman? Well, he was still there, following the child like his shadow, and as usual refusing to be approached by the young boy. Although last time Netto had overcome his fear of being shouted at, he liked to approach his Navi when he was calm. At the moment, the Navi's only reaction was to flee when his operator approached him, but it had happened that Rockman had raised his hand against him, threatening him. It was then that the child decided to stop bothering the wild Navi, only continuing to talk to him and hope for any kind of response from him.

There was a moment when Rockman was funny. Netto, having no food on him, decided to fish; a task that could be translated as "fishing in my own way". Armed with a small stick, the young child tried as best as he could to catch even a small fish with the end. The child almost gave up, the fish were swimming much too fast to be caught...

That's when Rockman intervened. The Navi, understanding what the boy was trying to do, also began trying to catch a fish with his clawed hand. The first few times were very amusing. Every time, the fish flew out of the water and landed back in the river to flee. This made Rockman so mad that he hit the water without reason, and without realizing it he had succeeded–despite himself–in making the fish come out. When it came time to cook them, Netto let the Navi kill them, the former not really having the heart for it. Their cooking method was on skewers; it was probably not the right method, but it was the best way for him to eat them. Rockman also had his share, but being greedy, he swallowed the fish in one bite and spent five minutes spitting it out. It was better to laugh than to cry, I think.

And as night came, Rockman retreated to a corner to sleep and Saito appeared. Netto had noticed that he always came when night fell. Although the child felt strange with the boy since Akindo City, he had started to get used to it. At first he would ask him where he was going, but the older boy would always answer that he had to get ahead and see where to go next. In the end, he stopped asking questions, Saito had his own way of doing things.

As mealtime approached, Netto continued to see it as a celebration for his new friend. He was passionate about the sincere reactions Saito made when he tasted something new. He loved seeing him discover life.

Once in a small town, the older boy passed by a store. He had only seen notebooks. Curious, the child wanted to know what he wanted. His friend simply replied that he would like to learn to write. Without saying another word, Netto went inside the store and bought him a simple school notebook and a pen. It wasn't much, but the gesture had a lot of value in the eyes of the neat-haired boy.

Every evening, Netto gave Saito a small writing lesson. Although Saito had been a Navi, he remembered almost all the Japanese characters, even the most difficult Kanji. However, he quickly realized that writing them was difficult. That's why the child helped him; when he had to write the character "A" in hiragana, he didn't know he had to start with the horizontal stroke first, and then put the vertical stroke. There were rules to learn, and he had never learned them because they had to be learned through practice. It was very messy, his hand hurt so much, but Saito was proud of his result.

Netto and Rockman traveled this way every day: Rockman was hungry and Netto arrived in a new city. At night, Saito appeared and they spent the evening together. And the next day Netto bought donuts for the greedy Navi. The only problem Saito encountered while visiting these cities was seeing how poorly Navis were treated in this world. It hit the former Navi's heart.

I would like to hold my little hand

How we will run, we will...

How we will crawl, we will…

Send me on my way

It had been over a week since Netto had left Akindo City. Today, he was heading to a certain city named Yozora City. With a map in hand, Netto was on a barren wasteland, not even a blade of grass in sight. The place was deserted; had he gotten lost? He turned the map in every direction, trying to see if he was going the right way but found nothing. He eventually sighed, mouth agape. He turned around and saw Rockman crawling on all fours, observing the insects on the ground.

"Rockman... I think we're lost," the child admitted with a small voice.

He looked at the map again, then around him. They were almost surrounded by a thin layer of fog that made it impossible to examine the landscape. The child glanced at his Navi, who was eyeing him from the corner as he sat on the ground.

"I don't know why Saito wanted us to go there just because it's on our way..." He started putting the map back in his bag. "I'm stuck, I can't find it."

Rockman, as usual, did not respond. He lay on the ground, rolling on it as a way to scratch his back. Netto frowned as he watched him get all the dust on him.

"Hey Rockman, don't do that or you'll have to take a bath."

The Navi stopped, his tail wagging as he remained lying on the ground. Netto sighed a second time and turned around. This Navi... He knew that since Rockman had this form he had animal characteristics. The most prominent were cat, dog, owl, fox, and even bear! He was no longer an animal, he was just a chimera.

The Navi got up and shook himself, getting rid of all the dirt on his body. Netto was losing hope, night was falling soon and he didn't want to sleep under the stars. Turning around one more time, he saw a kind of light shape through the mist. The lights began to twinkle as the sky darkened. The child smiled, he had finally found what he was looking for!

"Rockman!" He turned around with a smile.

But the place where the Navi was was empty. Rockman was gone. He looked around him, thinking that he was probably playing a prank on him.

"Rockman?"

He heard a noise coming from the direction of the city. He started running in its direction, although he heard footsteps behind him. Certainly Rockman was not far away. As he ventured into the mist, Netto realized how different this city was from what he knew. It did not resemble the traditional cities he had known and he would have thought it was an Amerope city.

Surrounded by a wall, protected like a fort, the entrance was locked by a huge gate. Netto stopped a few meters from the entrance; he could hear voices and music from inside, people seemed to be having fun. He turned around to see where Rockman was, he would have liked to say goodnight to him before entering the city. Not seeing him anywhere, he had no choice but to head towards the gate to understand how he could enter. On the right, he saw someone in a booth looking elsewhere, and he hadn't even noticed. The child approached but the window was too high, so he stood on his toes.

"Hey!"

The guard looked up and looked on either side. Disturbed that he saw nobody, he lowered his head and saw the young boy.

"What do you want, kid?" He asked while raising an eyebrow.

Netto let his little hands grip the windowsill.

"I want to come in!"

The man pulled his head back with an annoyed look.

"What are you talking about? In this city? Where are your parents?"

The child clenched his teeth.

"They're...not here. I have to meet a friend in this city!"

"Don't tell me lies, kid, this city is just a danger for kids like you."

"But...I really have to meet someone here!"

"Get lost you brat! Go find your mom and never come back here!"

Netto stepped back, holding his breath as his cheeks swelled. He had enough. He wanted to shout, but the familiar voice of someone soothed him.

"Netto!"

Saito was waiting on the other side of the gate, happy to see the child again. However, the guard's eyes widened when he saw him.

"What the...?"

"Mister! Can you let him in?" Saito pleaded while gripping the bars of the gate.

He clenched his teeth and leaned out of his window.

"How did you get here!"

Saito inclined his head.

"It was you who let me pass. I told you I was waiting for a friend."

Netto laughed, covering his mouth with his little hands.

"No, I couldn't have let you in! It's impossible! I don't remember a kid like you!"

"You did twenty minutes ago! And how am I here if you hadn't let me in?"

The man growled before pressing a button, opening the gate to the delight of both boys. He watched them enter with an ironically smiling face.

"Go ahead! But if anything happens to you, I'll laugh at your problems!"

Netto crossed the fence, joining Saito. He stuck his tongue out at the guard with a noise. The older boy called out to him, giving him a tap on the shoulder. They walked away from the gate and admired the city in front of them. The child was amazed, the view was magnificent and unique, not following local traditions. The city was in the shape of a circle, with a large lake in the middle, surrounded by various small rivers on which they had built small bridges. The architecture reminded him strongly of Amerope.

"I've never heard of this city!" Netto exclaimed, leaning on the wall overlooking the lake.

"That's because it only exists in this world," explained Saito, reading a sign. "There was another city before, but it was destroyed by a Cybeast. They rebuilt a new one."

Netto opened his mouth, looking at him. He turned back to the preteen and both of them continued walking. The city was rather dark, but busy with people. They saw several people playing card games, others partying, and others drinking unpleasant fragrant drinks.

"Ugh... I've never liked this smell," Netto complained, covering his nose. He looked up to see Saito and realized he was doing the same thing, except his face was almost green. Alarmed, Netto put his hands against his back. "Saito, are you okay?"

Saito shook his head and they went to a less crowded area. He took a deep breath to calm down.

"I'm sorry, Netto. I'm sensitive to smells, but that one... I don't like it at all," he said, putting a hand on his chest.

"It'll be okay, I know it'll be difficult, but we need to keep going," the child comforted him, patting his back.

Saito nodded his head and they continued their journey despite the foul odor. He needed to find a hotel; the population of this city didn't reassure him. There were homeless people, strange-looking people at every corner, and people who could be well-dressed. Keeping a hand against his nose, he brought the child against him by taking his shoulder.

They passed by a restaurant terrace filled with laughter and shouting. But what Saito noticed was that the customers were playing a strange game with a board and spheres. They passed just in front of a table where some men turned their heads to watch them.

"Hey kid! You're not from around here?" One of the men called out.

The two boys turned around, looking at the person who had called them. A group of men were staring at them around a table with wicked eyes. Saito, feeling a threat in the aura they gave off, pushed the child behind him.

"What can I do for you?" Saito asked politely, while hiding a certain venom.

The man who had called them raised his arms. "Well, I was just wondering if you're from around here. It's the first time my friends and I have seen you here."

"We're just passing through, have a good evening." Saito responded coldly and turned to leave.

"Wait!" The man's voice echoed as Saito almost growled to a stop. "Since you're new here, don't you want to play our local game?"

The two children watched the man with confusion, although Netto was more attentive.

"A game?" Netto asked, his small voice betraying his interest.

Saito held the child back by gripping his arm tighter, causing the child to grimace in pain.

"We have to go."

"Come on! It's not an adult game! Anyone can play! You just have to be really good at math."

Netto made a disgusted face, sticking out his tongue.

"Erk... I hate math!"

Still, Saito stayed more attentive.

"Oh come on, this big guy should play with us! Since you're new and underage, we won't make you put any money in."

"That sounds fair..." Saito replied sarcastically.

"Yes, and you'll win money if you win a game, but if you lose, you'll have to give us something."

Saito hesitated, he understood there was a hidden trap. He didn't want to get involved with these men who didn't inspire trust. He felt his jacket pull and saw Netto, puzzled.

"I don't like math, and I don't think it's good..." Netto added uncertainly. "But if you play and win, we'll make money."

The former Navi really didn't want to play this thing, he knew that something would go against him if he happened to lose. But there was a point that could give him an advantage. Unlike Netto, Saito–with his former life as a Navi–was rather skilled in math. He remembered many complicated formulas. If the game was based on this, then he had a chance to win. He approached and reached out to the man.

"I'm good at math, I accept the challenge."

"So if you lose, you'll give anything?"

Saito hesitated before answering, first looking at the child and then the man.

"Anything."

Saito sat down at the table opposite the man. His friend opened a large plate revealing sixteen spheres forming a square, and inside was a sphere in the middle. The boy was rather confused by what he saw. What was the connection with math?

"I'll explain the principle of the game quickly," he began, indicating the plate. "You have sixteen spheres that will randomly display a number, and in the middle there will be another number. Your goal will be to press each sphere that gives the multiple of the middle number, and that, in a given time."

Saito gasped, listening carefully as the explanations turned out to be only mental calculations. He glanced at Netto, who seemed lost, then back at the plate while biting his lower lip.

"Can I do a test run? To understand how it works?" He asked with a pleading look.

The man hesitated and eventually nodded. Saito pressed a button and numbers appeared in each sphere. He saw the timer and looked at each number, but especially on the middle one which showed a five. He pressed on a sphere that contained the number four and one, validating his "answer". Again, numbers appeared, all increased by one point, except for the spheres that contained the nine, which became empty. The boy understood that he needed to take a strategy to get a better result without getting stuck. Once again, the answer was validated, he had just understood the principle of the game. The man stopped the board.

"Well, I see that you get it." The men around them had approached, with bills in their hands. "Now you're going to play fifteen rounds, thirty seconds per round."

Saito stiffened, thinking he was going to die of a heart attack. On the test timer, ten minutes were shown, and now he was only given thirty seconds to think. And without his ability to calculate like a calculator as a Navi, he wondered what he should do. A tap on his shoulder made him turn his head to see Netto looking at him with determination.

"You can do it, Saito! I believe in you!"

Even if he had doubts, the child's eyes gave him confidence again. Saito nodded and turned to the board. Even if he lost, it wasn't that big a deal... right? He took a deep breath and focused.

"Ready?" Asked the man.

"Ready." Responded Saito, confidently.

The timer started and the numbers appeared, Saito bit a part of his lip but refused to be intimidated. He had to complete fifteen rounds, and he would. He easily found the first combination and moved on to the second round as the timer reset. He managed to make several multiples of the middle number, earning him more points and betting money, to the great dismay of the men around him. Despite the stress he felt with each round as the numbers disappeared and reappeared with a higher value, he found it exhilarating. This is the kind of game he could play with other Navis, even if his human brain overheated.

Netto was enthusiastic as he continued to progress, while everyone–even the game master–was intimidated by the ease with which the boy completed the rounds, reaching the end. The pre-adolescent could feel a drop of sweat on his forehead, but thankfully, he managed to find a multiple larger than the indicated number, while eliminating the numbers in the right order. Saito had just won. The man quickly stood up, disappointed, slamming his hands against the table.

"How did you do that?! That game is used by Navis, a kid like you can't do something that fast!"

Saito blinked.

"I told you, I'm pretty good at math."

"To find good combinations of multiple multiples of a number, I find that inconceivable! You cheated!"

The boy twitched as Netto frowned.

"How do you think he cheated? He's just good!"

"This boy could very well be a disguised Navi!"

Saito gasped and felt a twinge of pain in his chest, which he placed his hand on. He didn't really know what to say.

"How can he be a Navi given that he can do things that only humans can do!"

The man growled and another man placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't get upset, he just succeeded in this first step." Saito heard.

Around their necks, the preteen could quickly see a chain and a brand he had already seen. He recognized the seal, similar to the symbol of Falzar, remembering that Netto had shown him the two emblems of the Cybeast to mark the difference. Anger rose in him when he finally understood what these guys were. He stood up, pocketed the money on the table and grabbed the child's shoulder.

"Anyway, I won, whether you like it or not, and now we have to leave."

The group of men did not respond except that he heard only one sentence: "Yeah, watch out on the way out!" followed by laughter. Saito rolled his eyes. Netto looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"These guys... They're just bad losers." Declared the child, raising his eyes to his elder, regaining a smile. "You did very well!"

Saito looked at him and began to look towards the horizon, feeling a sense of pride inside. But he couldn't ignore what he had seen.

"It's mainly a cult-related group of shady guys." He added.

Netto stopped and almost looked shocked as he watched. Saito made a gesture close to his chest to indicate something.

"Didn't you notice? They had a hidden collar under their jackets. There was the symbol of Falzar on it."

The child instantly jumped, then he started to grind his teeth with anger.

"Those dirty bastards..." he muttered.

Reflexively, Saito reacted by slapping the back of Netto's head, causing him to whine.

"Language!" He growled.

"There's no other word to describe them..." retorted Netto, rubbing the back of his head while making a pout.

Saito sighed. Ever since their departure from Akindo City, Netto had taken to saying unsavory words. Since Rockman was "no longer" with him, he felt bold enough to utter words that would put his Navi into a fury. What he didn't realize was that Saito remained Rockman. Whether he was human or Navi, the older boy stayed true to himself and taught the child the consequences of his words. It was simply his instinct after all.

Now, they knew that this town harbored followers of the Falzar and Gregar sects. During their journey, they noticed that many people talked about these sects in total panic, and many adults didn't like seeing Netto wander alone until Saito arrived to continue accompanying him.

Still holding the bills in his hands, the preteen looked at them and smiled. There was a little bit of positivity.

"What if we go eat in a restaurant before going to the hotel?" he asked, showing the bills.

Netto finally smiled and nodded. A little further down, they found a restaurant with a menu that Saito had never seen before. He tried spaghetti for the first time and really liked it. The child "informed" him that his mother was a spaghetti specialist and liked to make all kinds of dishes with it. Although the older boy knew this, it gave him a pang in his heart that he had forgotten this detail. How he would have liked to eat Mama's cooking...

After the meal, they were able to save the money they had from the beginning. Saito wanted to immediately find a hotel, but Netto insisted on visiting the city, as it did not exist in their world. Reluctantly, the former Navi followed him, but only because he wanted the child to stay close to him. He gave him thirty minutes to wander and then they would go to a hotel.

People were still spending their evening as if they were celebrating something, but it was mostly for playing games. Like the game Saito had won earlier, many people were playing it along with many other different games. There were buildings with signs insisting that it was prohibited for those under 18. A little further on, they walked past a large building lit up with lights, the doors were wide open and there was no sign prohibiting anything. There was a crowd at every corner of the room that they could see from the outside. Netto, driven by curiosity, ventured inside, leaving Saito distressed. Inside, he saw the boy in the middle of the crowd. There was a man presenting items of a certain value and then he offered a price, and some people offered another price. They had stumbled upon an auction; he never would have believed to see one in reality other than on specialized sites.

Netto remained unnoticed, frozen in the middle of the room. Saito looked around, the well-maintained room had a very baroque appearance. He looked up and saw people on balconies, but one silhouette caught his attention, causing his heart to immediately race. On one of these balconies was the woman they had encountered a few days ago in that cave. Her black pigtails, a heart-shaped tattoo on her face. The preteen quickly reacted, grabbing the child's arm and forcing him to leave discreetly. If Netto had nearly made a noise, the older boy would put his hand over his mouth until they left. Once outside, the child almost started screaming.

"Why did you do that?!"

Saito crossed his arms and looked at him.

"There was that woman we saw last time, the one who wanted to catch us!"

The child wrinkled his nose and closed his eyes, trying to remember. After a few seconds, the memories came to him.

"Oh! That woman who allowed Miyabi to kill children?"

Saito made a face and nodded. Netto was almost angry, he was about to say another bad word but the older boy had sharp ears, he would have heard it.

"I hate her, how can she say those things...?"

Saito put his hands on his hips. He was just as frustrated as the younger one. It was clear that his conversation with Dark Miyabi had given him some chills, maybe she was part of one of the sects? Yet, she had clearly specified that she was looking for children in particular. Freaks.

"We will probably never know," he said, taking Netto's hand. "But I prefer that we don't worry about that. We have to find a hotel, I'm liking this place less and less."

Before they left, a man emerged from the shadows to stand in front of them. The boys immediately recognized him as Dark Miyabi, the operator of Shadowman who had tried to catch them at their last encounter. Saito forced Netto to stand behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Miyabi asked in his dark voice.

Saito grimaced and furrowed his eyebrows.

"What do you want from us?" He stayed defensive.

With one eye open, Miyabi first looked at the young child hidden behind Saito, then at the older one.

"You shouldn't be here." He simply replied.

"We're just passing through..." Netto replied, trying to calm the tension.

Saito growled at the sound of his voice, he would have preferred the child not to do anything. Miyabi, arms crossed, began to advance without making any suspicious moves.

"This city is not for children like you. It's filled with ruffians who gather here. You should leave as soon as possible, before Chirol sees you."

The former Navi took into account the name he had just used, not realizing that "Chirol" was undoubtedly the name of the woman. He felt the grip of Netto's fingers tighten on him.

"We just have to go to sleep, and then we'll leave." Netto added once again.

"Shut up Netto..." grumbled Saito, annoyed by his former operator's chattiness.

The mercenary did not respond, he continued to stare at the vulnerable child while the pre-adolescent remained on guard.

"You have a hotel a little further behind me. I advise you to leave as early as possible tomorrow morning."

Netto nodded his head and Saito changed position. Miyabi started to move away.

"If Chirol sees you and orders me to catch you, I will do so without hesitation." He added, warning them.

The child trembled against the boy.

"And what will she do to us?" Netto asked in a rather trembling voice.

Miyabi turned around, only looking at them from the corner of his eye, his face remained darker.

"She'll probably cut out your tongue for having heard our conversation." Miyabi's voice was tinged with sarcasm.

Saito's tone grew even darker. "Your conversation... Even if I didn't understand, she asked you more terrifying things... But we'll say nothing." He grimaced as he spoke these words. Yes, he really didn't like it, but if they were to return safely, they had to close their eyes to it.

"Very well." The man agreed. "Because if you had told anyone, we would know... And we would have killed you."

The mercenary turned around and started to walk away. Netto stepped forward and called him one last time, distressed. "Please Miyabi-san, don't kill those children, whoever they are."

Miyaba stopped for a moment, didn't say anything, then he left. Netto didn't realize that he had heard him and hoped he had understood, even though he knew he wouldn't listen. Saito took the child's hand, pulling him with him without saying anything else. Netto's mind remained blurry, with questions he couldn't get answers to. He let go of his elder's hand and moved closer to the wall that separated him from the lake.

"If this town is known for having problems, why isn't the government or the police doing anything?"

Saito looked at him for a moment, then shook his head.

"I don't know..."

The child got up on the edge of the wall and, with his balance, began to walk on it.

"When I was a NetSavior, I worked for a commissioner and his assistant. If they knew a city like this existed, it would have been watched day and night!"

"Netto!" Saito approached him, afraid the child might fall.

But Netto continued, "However, the government in this world claims to do their best with this kidnapping and cult affair! And with this city, they have criminals right under their nose! So I don't understand why they do nothing!"

"Maybe they don't know!" Saito replied in panic, raising his hands towards Netto. "Get down from there, please!"

Netto stopped and sighed heavily as he jumped off the wall. "Okay Saito, nothing will happen to me."

"I don't want you to fall into the lake!" Saito pleaded.

"Don't worry, I can swim at least!" Netto replied with a wink.

Saito wanted to counter this argument, but he closed his mouth, his eyes feeling a certain pain as he looked elsewhere. Netto then realized his foolishness.

"I... I didn't mean it like that!" He lowered his eyes to the ground, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry..."

Feeling like he would have it on his conscience, Saito sighed, he didn't hold it against him. "It's okay, it's nothing. Come on, let's go to the hotel."

The child nodded shyly, keeping his head down during the walk, eyes following the ground, mind in turmoil. Once at the hotel and in the room, Netto lay directly on the bed, still in turmoil. The older boy sighed and took advantage of the bathroom to wash up. Since he was human, he liked to take this relaxation time for himself. The bath was his moment of relief. Once finished, he came out of the bathroom and saw the boy still lying on the bed, unchanged.

"Netto?" He approached him, shaking his shoulder gently. "It's your turn to wash up."

Netto finally raised his head, his face completely blank. The older boy raised an eyebrow.

"Hey Netto, if it's about earlier, I already told you it's not a big deal."

But the child shook his head slowly. He got down on his knees on the bed and sighed heavily.

"It's not that... I can't believe we're still here."

The preteen tilted his head to the side, trying to understand what was going on in the child's head.

"What do you mean?"

"With the conversation from earlier and all the problems this world has...it reinforces my desire to go back home."

Saito smiled compassionately and stroked the head of the unresponsive child.

"Yet, I find it fascinating," Netto whispered hesitantly.

The other boy froze, trying to understand what the younger one meant.

"If there weren't all these problems, living in a world where Navis can be with us would be great! I've always wanted to see that!" Netto admitted, forcing a smile. "But with its history and those people..."

"This world is broken," Saito completed, understanding what he meant. "It could be idyllic, but unfortunately, with the history of the Cybeast tormenting them, rebuilding this world is slow."

Netto nodded but said nothing. Saito continued to stroke the child's head while keeping the same smile. "I know you miss home..."

"It's not just home," Netto added, looking blank. "My friends, coworkers, teacher, school... I even miss my homework!"

Saito raised an eyebrow, finding the last comment amusing. "If you miss homework, I can always give you some!"

The child jumped at his words, his spine vibrating. He clenched his teeth tightly. "No...that's okay. Thank you!"

"Yet you're missing school, who knows what you'll have to catch up on when you get back."

Netto clenched his teeth even tighter. It was true that in the other world, time was also passing by, and his friends were probably further in their school program. After all, they weren't going to wait for him. Saito couldn't help it; if he were the normal Rockman, he would have told him the same thing. It was for his own good.

"And you?" Netto asked timidly.

"Me?" He blinked his eyes several times. "Well, I have my little writing class which I have set as a goal."

But the child shook his head at that answer.

"I mean, do you miss your family too?"

Saito froze. He looked deeply into the child's eyes. When he was Rockman he missed the real world a lot. He dreamed that he could kiss his mother, be congratulated by his father with physical gestures. Touching his brother had become real. What he really missed was hearing him call him "Nii-san" as he used to. Even though he had always seen his family through a screen, being physically present with them was what he missed the most. He smiled sadly again, his eyes shining, and stopped stroking the child's head.

"Yes... I miss them terribly."

He added nothing else, and neither did Netto. Soon after, the child had the courage to take a shower, and Saito continued his calligraphy exercises. The evening went well, and finally, they went to bed, letting themselves be carried away into the world of dreams.

The child in the hospital bed raised his two hands connected by elastic bands and ordered another child, "Put your finger in it."

Timidly, the other boy slipped his finger inside. The first child then released some elastic bands, and the second child's finger was caught.

"I got you!" he exclaimed.

"Aaah! No, Nii-san! Let me go!" the other boy pleaded.

The boy on the bed made a gesture and the younger boy's finger was freed to his great relief. He continued to play with his elastic bands in silence.

"Say Nii-san, when are you going to get out?" asked the other child.

"Papa said I'll be out soon," he replied.

"Papa always says that! I want you to answer!" exclaimed the other.

The boy with the elastic bands hesitated before answering. "I don't know..."

The other child was beginning to be desperate. "Nii-san, I want to be with you! Please, I want you to come home!"

The boy on the bed, took back his elastic bands and showed them. "Don't worry, we'll be together. After all, as Mama likes to say, we're linked. We're like this elastic, always linked, and impossible to separate."

Saito opened his eyes and got out of bed. He had just had another dream about his past, but this time Netto was there. He rubbed his forehead as he thought about it. He cherished those memories, but recently those sweet memories seemed to haunt him more often since he was human. He glanced at the sleeping child in the bed next to him, his twin brother, and smiled. He got up and put on his orange jacket, socks and shoes, and put the things he had left on the desk in the child's bag.

"Saito?"

The boy jumped at Netto's voice almost in panic. He turned around and saw the child getting up, his hand wiping his eyes.

"Are you leaving?" His voice was still asleep.

Saito approached him while holding the bag. "Netto, it's still early, go back to sleep."

Why did he wake up so early? Netto never woke up early! He was even very difficult to wake up normally. But the child stretched and got out of bed, even though his eyes were still half-closed.

"No... I want to go with you..."

Saito felt his heart beating, he made an anxious expression.

"Netto, I prefer that you take your time, I don't think that..."

"Miyabi-san said we should leave as soon as possible..." Netto interrupted, putting on his boots, pullover, and bandana.

The pre-teen gritted his teeth and stifled a high-pitched cry. He was right. He couldn't leave Netto alone in this dangerous city, even though he could allow himself to be Rockman in the middle of these people to protect him. The best thing was for them to leave together, and once outside... Saito will have to abandon him to swap with the Navi. He didn't like doing this; every morning when he left, he still felt bad.

"Very well, hurry up, we're leaving now."

Netto quickly put on his cloak and grabbed his bag. Unlike the day before, the city streets were deserted, wrapped in a thick fog. Saito felt the stress rising, unable to see if the sun was up–which it wasn't considering he still wasn't Rockman.

They reached the gate, the man guarding the door seemed to be sleeping soundly. The two boys looked each other in the eye, then Saito approached and tapped against the edge of the window.

"Hey!"

The man jumped up.

"What?" He noticed the two children. "Oh, it's you..."

"We want to go out," Saito quickly interjected.

"Tss... Good, get out of here, and I don't wish you good luck!"

He opened the gate under the weary gaze of the two boys. They left and Netto swore he heard Saito say a word to describe the man. They only heard a chuckle behind them but didn't care, they were finally outside. The pre-teen looked around, where should they go now and how to escape the child's surveillance? With this fog he could take advantage of it. He felt the cold touch him, his teeth started to chatter, then he heard a small sneeze. Turning around, he saw the child wiping his nose. He got down to his level and adjusted his cloak so he wouldn't be cold anymore.

He heard a noise followed by a tremor that stopped him in his gesture, looking without focusing on a point that the child imitated. Saito turned around and, through the mist, he saw a giant form. In front of them was a kind of Navi that he had never seen with the symbol of Flazar on its emblem: a Zoanoroid. Its main color was red with three orange crests on its head and huge spiked shoulder pads. Its metal arms were very long, and one of them was dragging on the ground without having a hand. The preteen placed himself in front of Netto, forcing him to stay hidden behind him.

"Here you are!" The voice of the giant Navi echoed, despite the absence of a visible mouth. "You're leaving? It would be impolite to leave without saying goodbye."

The red Navi then advanced as Saito backed up, pulling the child with him.

"Leave us alone!" Saito yelled at the top of his lungs.

"We haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Punk, the guardian of this city!"

Saito ignored this information, but the fact that he was a guardian made him realize how un-idyllic this city was.

"Netto..." The bigger boy started whispering as he held the child's cape. "When I tell you to run... You run..."

The child didn't answer, just clinging to the legs of his elder.

"Don't think of leaving." Punk laughed in a deep voice. "I'm taking care of this little one. You on the other hand, you humiliated my friends, didn't you?"

They heard another noise, the city gate that must have opened. In the mist, they could make out a group of men, those who had made them play that game the day before. Saito suspected what they wanted to do: to kidnap Netto and inflict something terrible upon him. He held back a growl and mentally implored the transformation to come quickly. As Punk approached, Saito pushed the child and his voice broke the silence.

"Run, Netto!"

The two boys took off, Saito staying behind. Although Punk raised his weight, he threw it against the pre-adolescent, sending him flying backwards, landing hidden in the mist. Netto stopped, desperately searching for the elder.

"Saito?" His voice trembled with fear.

In the distance, Saito lay on the ground, the pain piercing him. With a weak nod of his head, he managed to see the shadow of the child and the giant Navi in the mist.

"Run!" He cried out again, and his head fell forward.

The pain was unbearable, his bones could have fled his body. He felt too weak to stand up, to find Netto and get him out of there. Suddenly, he felt his emblem appear on his chest, and his body was covered in that familiar synthetic texture. Sharp claws came out of his fingers. Staring straight ahead, his eyes burned red.

The men searched for the pre-adolescent in the mist, no shadows on the ground appeared. They continued to search while Punk tried to get his hands on the fleeing Netto. Out of nowhere, the men were brutally pushed to the ground by something. The red Navi followed the child with disdain until he, too, was thrown aside with incredible force. He ended up on the ground and between him and the child, a strange four-legged green Navi.

Netto smiled with hope at seeing him again, but Rockman did not focus on him, his eyes burning with rage and hatred. Slowly, Punk stood up, amazed to see such a Navi facing him.

"A Gregar soldier..." Punk said, then stood up and sneered. "Oh I see, you want the kid for yourself!"

Rockman replied with a typical roar, his mask disappearing, revealing his pointed teeth that shone like those of a roaring lion.

"You're a strange Zoanoroid, the first I've met who resembles its master so much. I could believe you're some kind of puppet," Punk said mockingly.

Netto frowned and despite the fact that Rockman was probably going to shout at him, he tensed up against him, fists clenched.

"Rockman isn't a Zoanoroid!" he exclaimed, determined.

Punk started to laugh sarcastically.

"Poor little boy, you haven't even noticed your Navi reeks of Beast Factor?"

The child narrowed his eyes, his mouth trembling. He turned to the Navi, frightened by what he had just heard. Rockman did not pay attention to him and screamed again, planting his hands in the ground.

"Lost your voice?" Punk asked curiously.

Netto stepped back, fear on his face. He knew very well that Rockman was not a Zoanoroid due to their shared past, but for some unknown reason he doubted. The Navi looked at him from the corner of his eye as his jaw trembled with anger.

"Gregar soldier! Although a peace treaty exists between our two clans, I would like to avoid breaking it for the moment. This child is in the sights of the humans from Yozora City. Now give him back to me."

Rockman growled loudly.

"Do you really want to fight?" Punk scrutinized the child with his eyes. "For a kid?"

He only received another scream in response.

"Very well! I'm glad I can finally face one of those Gregar fools!" The voice of the red Navi seemed joyful.

Punk raised his arm, fiercely launching it against Rockman who avoided by moving to the side. With quickness, he managed to remove the child. He then charged directly towards the Zoanoroid who tried to flatten him to the ground with his other hand–something the bestial Navi managed to dodge by climbing on the cable of his other arm and jumping off his shoulder to land further away.

Punk attacked again, swinging his two arms towards Rockman. The latter, with agility, managed to jump high enough to land against the head of the red Navi, wrapping his neck with his legs. With his claws against his arms, he gave several blows to his face that the imposing Navi backed up. But with his shorter arm, he managed to whip the intruder's back against his head, making him jump back to face Punk.

Punk felt strange, noticing the scratches on his chest that had grazed the metal. He moved his shoulders and narrowed his eyes.

"Do you want to be wild with me? Very well! So will I!"

He spread his arms, and his shoulders extended to reveal a pair of wings. His legs took on the appearance of an animal–like a wild bird. Rockman remained impassive, only Netto observing the whole scene from a distance, reminding him of the fight with Elecman. Unlike Elecman, who had a transformation that was quite similar to Gregar, Punk looked much more like Falzar.

Punk tightened his claw-covered fist and let it hit the ground. He quickly straightened it and threw it straight at Rockman, who managed to dodge by jumping and rolling on himself. The arm of Falzar's Zoanoroid managed to destroy everything in its path nonetheless. Barely had Rockman fallen to the ground when he was hit by a form of Punk that looked like a wheel, sending him flying through the air.

"Rockman!" Netto shouted upon seeing the scene.

But Rockman did not surrender, he got up and ran towards him on all fours like a wolf, transforming his arm into a buster. Sliding on his knees, he passed between the legs of the Zoanoroid while hitting him with a buster shot to the head of Falzar's soldier. The imposing Navi's hand went in front of his head after receiving the buster impact that made him cough up smoke. He turned to face Rockman who jumped on him, landing against his chest, making him fall back.

Thinking to get up, Punk again received Rockman's force against him. Rockman had gotten back on him, preventing him from getting up. He could see the face filled with hate, his eyes distorted. His buster was still on his right arm, and he shot again at Punk's head. The Zoanoroid almost fainted and returned to his original form. Rockman firmly grasped the emblem of the Navi and squeezed it brutally. Punk's eyes widened in panic.

"No, stop! We are on the same side, all of us! We had the same goal! We want our two masters to return!"

Rockman did not respond, he pushed hard on his emblem... But nothing happened. The wild Navi's eyes widened, even Punk was surprised. Rockman looked at him again, but more severely, he tore off the emblem with a sharp tug. The Zoanoroid disappeared with a cry into thousands of pieces of data that scattered in the wind. The only remaining Navi watched them fly into the blue sky surrounded by the colorful dimensional zone, the mist had disappeared.

Netto approached slowly behind him; he had seen everything and his eyes were sad. Rockman turned to look at him, the mask was back on his mouth and there was a hint of remorse in his gaze. The group of men from the previous night approached, furious to see that their Zoanoroid had been deleted.

"What's this?!" began one of them in anger.

A man turned to another.

"Why is one of your Zoanoroids here?! He deleted one of our best soldiers!"

The designated man backed up, raising his two hands to calm down.

"I don't know! I didn't bring him here!"

"I thought we were in a truce and now you're messing everything up!"

"So let's catch that kid instead of yelling!"

The men stopped in their tracks upon hearing him and turned towards the child and his Navi, ready to approach. Rockman yelled at them, making them all back away in fear. He took Netto in his arms and started running in one direction, towards an unknown destination. The young boy blushed quietly, it was the second time he was this close to his Navi but the first time he could touch him without a problem. He buried his head against his neck, seeking comfort as Rockman quickened his pace.

Further ahead, Rockman dropped Netto without a word and jumped onto a tree branch as he was used to doing. The boy on the ground massaged his hip and looked at his Navi. If he was saved, nothing was stopping him from asking more questions than usual.

"Rockman, you're not a Zoanoroid, right?" Netto asked with a grimace.

Rockman didn't answer, he just kept looking at him.

"You're not one..." Netto tried to answer to reassure himself. "After all, it was Duo who transformed you like that, right?"

But as before, the Navi didn't answer. Netto lowered his head. What kind of world was it, where Navis were bad because of the Beast Factor, while Rockman had nothing. He wanted to know the answers, but the priority was to get back home.

Meanwhile, he realized they had forgotten about Saito.

To be Continued...

AN: You know, the first time I wrote this chapter, I was eating Spaghetti... Which explain why I made them eat some here.