AN: Hello! Another week for a new chapter, though next week you won't have a new chapter, the next will come in two week! I noticed that since the beginning I was writing "Roppu" instead of "Roppo", I will try to correct this error in chapter 6 and 12 but for this one, it's written Roppo. This chapter is also the last chapter of this little arc as I said, next arc (that will come in two weeks) will be the longest but also the last arc of this part. I hope you like this chapter as well.

Chapter 13: I prefer dying over this

Everything was happening slowly. As real-time returned, he felt he had been transported somewhere else. Netto screamed and thrashed around, fighting to not be taken away. His Navi, Rockman, was lying on the ground, almost motionless. Tenguman approached him, examining his body. The wounds that had been inflicted on him had miraculously disappeared, hidden behind the synthetic fabric of his suit, which had sewn itself back up. When the Tengu-masked Navi lifted the wild Navi by the arm, Netto noticed his hand moving involuntarily, a testimony to a still-active nerve. He understood that Rockman was probably asleep, which reassured him a little.

The child was exhausted. His cries begging to be released broke his voice. Saloma still held him firmly in her arms, but even her efforts to calm him were in vain. Paxi and Futenroshi were still focused on the creature, ignoring the child's cries. Tenguman took the Navi in two arms. Both were transported to the underground base, where Netto's screams woke up those who were still asleep. The young boy found himself separated from Rockman, probably taken to another cell. He, on the other hand, was put in an empty room with only a bench and a sink, and Saloma finally let go of him.

Once on the ground, Netto continued to scream, pleading to be with Rockman. He noticed that Paxi and Futenroshi had also entered the room. The old man kept his expression impassive, his thoughts impenetrable, while Paxi first glanced at Saloma, then fixed on the child with a bored look.

"How could you do this?! Why?! Let me go with Rockman!" Netto shouted, glaring at the adults.

The old man approached him without any expression, as usual. "My boy, you have put yourself in a terrible situation." He turned to Paxi. "I never thought you could make it here unscathed."

Even though Netto's screams had stopped, he blinked while still wearing a furious expression. "You're with them?!" he asked in a powerful voice filled with anger.

"In fact, my boy, I have been following you since I saw you in Yozora City," the old man replied, turning to him. "A child who emits something strange, and this other boy, who possesses a...particular Navi. I needed to see for myself."

The child backed away, teeth clenched, not realizing for a second that he had been followed for so long.

"You were...in contact?" he asked in a trembling voice, looking at the adults present in turn.

Paxi stepped forward, her face still closed. "Where is the boy who is with you? Where did he go?!" she asked more insistently.

Netto frowned and shook his head. "I don't know! He always does that! It's his habit!"

"Don't you find it strange that he disappears every time?" Futenroshi questioned, tilting his head.

"I… Yes! But that's not my problem!" Netto retorted, his voice trembling, annoyed by this interrogation.

The old man approached the child, imposing answers. "He leaves every time Rockman intervenes...I find that very suspicious."

"What do you mean?" Netto asked, calming his anger and becoming more confused.

"Your Navi could be an independent and very special Zoanoroid, but I have strong reasons to believe that this boy could have a connection to certain sects...perhaps even Variety..." explained Futenroshi, his eyes opening gradually.

Netto froze and Saloma gasped upon hearing Futenroshi's words. She had no idea what he was theorizing about Saito, and knowing the boy's secret, it made no sense. The child became even angrier.

"You can't talk like that! Saito can't be some sort of spy! I know who he is! And Rockman isn't a Zoanoroid!" he shouted forcefully.

Futenroshi did not respond. He shook his head with a sigh. He knew the child was too unstable for him to make him understand his thoughts. Saloma then approached to try to calm Netto and stand between him and the two adults. She gave him a look full of mercy. "Yes, he's telling the truth. They had a coherent discussion about it!"

But neither Futenroshi nor Paxi responded, except Paxi did approach Netto, towering over the child with her imposing height. "This Zoanoroid, where did he come from? Why was he bleeding?" she asked in a stronger voice.

"He's not a Zoanoroid! He's my best friend! I won't let you insult him like that!" Netto replied with as much anger.

"Answer, kid," Paxi said in a dark voice, keeping a certain venom in her throat.

"I don't know! And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!" Netto retorted, stepping back to address the adults better. "You're here trying to do good, but all you're doing is judging my Navi's appearance because he reminds you of the Navis you fight. What you're doing is just counterproductive!" He clenched his fists, his teeth grinding. "You're obsessed with your revenge and hurting innocents without taking care of those you should be helping!"

Paxi gritted her teeth and her face tightened. Her hand flew, and Saloma widened her eyes upon seeing it.

"Enough!"

In one quick motion...a dull thud. The child's head was now turned to the side, his cheek reddened, and the woman's hand was in the air, close to his head. His anger had disappeared, replaced by a shock that had etched itself on his face. He slowly turned his head to look at the woman again, a timid hand touching his still-red cheek.

"You don't understand what's happening! The world is not your little perfect bubble! Life is not like that; it's nuanced, not black or white! Look at where we are! This is a war that will cost every life around us!" She continued with a stronger voice.

She turned to walk away towards the door, only glancing at the child from the corner of her eye, her voice filled with bitterness. "You're just a child, so stay in your place. You have to obey the adults." She started to move away, approaching the door. "We have nothing else to ask of him, he won't bring us the answer." She announced firmly. Paxi opened the door and Futenroshi followed, giving Saloma one last dark look. "You're coming too."

"But..." Saloma started, but Paxi's look silenced her. She nodded and resigned herself to following them, leaving the frozen child behind. Once the door was closed, Netto backed away, the hand still on his cheek slipping, and he hit the wall behind him. He let himself fall to the ground and quickly folded his legs against him, his head on his knees, whimpering, tear after tear.

"Mama... Papa..." He sniffled several times. "Papa… Save me..."

Saloma felt sick. Her stomach was churning. She never wanted anything like this! She had mentioned to Paxi that the child's Navi resembled a Zoanoroid, but she didn't think Paxi would be so harsh with the child. Saloma could understand that a mother who saw her child being kidnapped by a Zoanoroid would still be angry with them. For the green-haired young woman, she couldn't rebel against her for a simple child. After all, his Zoanoroid could be a way for a new change.

Later, she found herself in a large room surrounded by people she already knew. Paxi and Futenroshi joined her. Their leader, Windman, was in front of them, and on some screens were other members of the rebels who could not be physically present.

Windman approached the small man with the long beard that surrounded his face and asked him, "Do you have it with you?" The little man nodded and plugged a device that looked like a PET into a large screen. On the other side, a black and green Navi appeared, scared to be here.

"Where... Where am I?!" he exclaimed, looking through the screen. The people outside approached the screen to examine this strange Navi.

"Videoman EXE," Futenroshi finally began in a loud voice. "You were a Zoanoroid, but for some strange reason, you were saved. Now, you must answer everything you know."

The Navi backed away, grinding its teeth. "I don't know anything!"

"Don't play innocent, you were one of them, you must know something!" Paxi snapped.

But the Navi shook its head. "No! I swear, I don't know much! We're guided by this instinct, and then the Zoanoroid that infected us gives us instructions to follow!"

"Why kidnap children then?!" added Saloma, who was also getting angry.

"I don't really know! But it's said to be the will of the Cybeasts! They want children, and I know some are taken to research camps!"

Saloma widened her eyes upon hearing this.

"They're looking for orichalcum, aren't they?" Paxi asked in a cold voice. The room fell silent.

"This metal can have an effect on Navis..." commented Futenroshi.

Suddenly, Paxi burst out laughing sarcastically, which surprised everyone in the room, even the imprisoned Navi who broke out in a cold sweat. "And here I thought it was a Variety exclusive method!" she realized.

Saloma looked at her, blinking. Videoman stepped back and his eyes trembled.

"Listen!" he tried to say, attempting to give the little information he had. "I don't know what they're doing with them, I don't even know what the leader of the Gregar sect looks like!"

"Poor puppet..." commented Paxi disdainfully.

Futenroshi also approached, but did not change his attitude. "Do you know who the Zoanoroid that made you normal is?"

Videoman shook his head again. "I don't know who he is, I have no idea!"

"Incompetent, unable to know what is happening behind your back," Windman finally spoke, his arms crossed. "You are nothing but pawns on a chessboard in the eyes of your masters."

"Listen!" continued Videoman. "Now that I've told you everything, can I go? I want to find my operator!"

"Even though you were under the influence of the Beast Factor, we don't know if you didn't join the sects of your own free will. So we're going to keep you with us until we destroy these sects once and for all," explained Futenroshi, still in an alarming calm as he approached the computer.

"What?! No, please, let me go!" exclaimed Videoman.

Futenroshi finally unplugged the device, cutting off the communication. "I'm afraid we're running out of solutions," he commented.

Saloma lowered her head, speechless. She thought back to Netto and his Zoa...Navi. She wanted to believe what he said, but couldn't admit it.

"I want to see the boy's Zoanoroid," she finally declared.

Paxi turned her head towards her, raising an eyebrow. "Can he talk?"

Saloma slowly shook her head horizontally, which made the knife-wielding woman squint.

"Anyway, he won't wake up for a long time. He took several orichalcum bullets. Variety's weapons are quite satisfying, after all," commented Paxi with a sarcastic tone.

Saloma remained motionless, the comment only worsened her guilt. She was now trapped into having to agree with them.

Later on, she was allowed to see the child they had locked up. Before even reaching the door, Saloma heard noises, the door moving with several blows. She took her key and opened it, finding the child—red-eyed due to the tears he had shed—hitting the door with his feet. When his brain realized that the green-haired woman was in front of him, he began to scream and threw himself at her. In panic, Saloma had time to close the door and tried to hold him back.

"Netto-kun!" she exclaimed, a hand on his shoulder, trying to stabilize him.

"No! You betrayed me! You said nothing would happen to Rockman! You let them hurt him!"

"Listen to me..." Saloma struggled, the boy wriggling as she tried to control him by the shoulders, wanting him to just listen.

"Why did you do that?! I trusted you, Saloma-san!"

"I didn't know!" she almost screamed with a high-pitched voice. "I didn't know they were going to do that! I'm sorry!" She continued as she looked at him, her eyes pleading.

Netto stopped, but his eyes remained narrowed, wary of her.

"How could you not know... You should have known!"

The young woman with green hair shook her head again.

"I didn't know. I didn't know what they had in mind, but I suspected that Paxi-san would see it in a bad light," she replied, trying to calm down.

Netto clenched his teeth so hard in his mouth that he ended up looking at the floor with frustration. He was so angry at Saloma that he didn't know what else to say to her. She ended up tightening her grip on his shoulders, causing him to raise his head towards her.

"Listen to me, Netto-kun, I believe you." For the first time, Netto's surprise made all his anger disappear. "I believe that your Navi is a good person and has nothing to do with all this."

Netto slowly opened his mouth, feeling Saloma becoming more and more sincere with her gaze.

"So, I'm going to let you go... But I won't be able to help you, you'll have to do it on your own." She took something out of her pocket and put it in his hand, which turned out to be a magnetic card. "Leave this place with him. There's an emergency exit where he was placed, and you can escape from there. Rockman is in the lab, to the left of here."

The child looked at the card, feeling his hope rekindled. He held the object tightly against him and, unexpectedly, rushed towards Saloma and hugged her.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Saloma patted his back and looked at him again.

"You must never cross the rebels again, who knows what might happen," she murmured.

He nodded.

"Netto-kun... I hope you'll get home quickly." She stood up and opened the door to leave.

Netto scrutinized the door and waited a few minutes, making sure no one was there, and then he opened it. The door had indeed not been locked. He slipped out silently, keeping watch over his surroundings, and followed the instructions he had been given. He arrived in front of a large door and, as he thought of opening it, it suddenly opened. He hid behind the door, holding his breath as two men came out.

"This Zoanoroid is really weird!" said one of the men.

"Such a high Beast Factor rate, I've never seen anything like it," replied the other.

They left without noticing him, and Netto opened the door with the card. He entered a whiter corridor with several doors but only one was closed. He used the card again and entered inside. Rockman was there on the ground, his hands and feet tied with a strong rope. The child widened his eyes upon seeing him.

"Rockman!" he exclaimed.

The child approached him, slowly reaching out his hand to him.

"Rockman?" he asked again.

Slowly but surely, Rockman opened his eyes with difficulty. His red eyes were hazy, and he managed to catch a glimpse of the child right in front of him. Netto tried to smile to reassure him.

"Rockman... Do you recognize me?" he asked him in a soft voice.

The weakened Navi made no sign, so the child gently placed his hand against his cheek with some shyness. He noticed that when his fingers touched the skin, it was warm like that of a human. He closed his eyes, trying to smile.

"We'll get out of here, trust me, Rockman!" he said with determination.

Netto withdrew his hand and began to focus on the ropes holding the Navi's feet, trying to cut them by any means necessary. But after trying for a while, he almost broke a nail. He decided to use his teeth, nibbling on the rope in several ways, but suddenly an alarm went off.

Everyone in the underground looked up, their faces marked by fear. The crowd started to move and shake, then people started running in all directions.

"Beast Viruses and a Zoanoroid are attacking us!" someone yelled, increasing the panic. Several members of the rebellion tried to calm people down and direct them towards the emergency exits. Saloma scanned the environment from all sides. Although she tried to keep a stoic expression, her heart was beating too fast. She did her best to help everyone around her. Paxi joined her, followed by her Navi Slashman.

"I'll take care of the exit. Gather the children and get that kid," ordered the cook.

"Netto-kun..." murmured Saloma, remembering what had happened. Her face deteriorated, not escaping Paxi's notice.

"What have you done?" she asked, suspecting something.

Saloma shook her head, her eyes betraying her pain. "I let him go."

"Do you realize what you've done?" Paxi retorted, accusingly.

The green-haired woman didn't answer. She simply looked at the ground, feeling guilty.

"If he's joined his Navi, then he's in the lab," the same woman supposed. She turned to her Navi. "Slashman, go get him immediately."

He nodded, immediately leaving. Paxi looked at Saloma again, who hadn't moved. "We'll talk about your punishment later."

Quickly, Slashman arrived at the laboratory door. However, a familiar figure stood in front of him, causing him to slow down.

"Boss?" he stopped in front of the light blue Navi.

The latter turned to the other surprised Navi.

"I'll take care of the Zoanoroid," he said calmly.

"You could be infected by the Beast Factor!" pleaded Slashman.

Windman stopped looking at him and opened the door. "A Zoanoroid that can heal others doesn't scare me. Could you fear it?" he asked, still in the same tone.

Slashman said nothing and both of them entered the room where the famous "Zoanoroid" was located. To their surprise, they saw the little boy with the bandana struggling and groaning as he tried to remove the ropes tied to his Navi. The young child jumped when he noticed them and hurried to move towards Rockman's head, holding him close to him.

"Don't come any closer!" he shouted.

Slashman gritted his teeth, showing his annoyance. "You..." he began, but was interrupted by Windman who raised his hand to stop him.

"Kid..." approached the same Navi, showing a much more benevolent tone as he knelt in front of Netto, who was holding his Navi close to him—like a teddy bear to cling to. "We don't mean any harm, we just want to understand... This Navi can heal the Beast Factor. We never thought a miracle like this could happen."

But Netto shook his head, refusing to take their side. "You just want to experiment on him! You don't even see him as a living being! He is my best friend!"

Rockman growled softly in Netto's arms, as if murmuring. Windman observed the little boy with admiration, commending his determination to protect his Navi. He then remembered a memory that was dear to him, closing his eyes to concentrate.

"Netto-kun," he began, making the boy's ears perk up upon hearing his name. "I can't trust your friend, but I can trust your bond. I promise you that if you let me take him with me, you will stay with him and you will always be there for him. Understand us, this suffering has lasted long enough."

Netto remained silent, unsure if he could believe those words. Rockman's tied hands slowly approached him until he could finally touch them with the child's fingertips. A shiver ran down his back as he could hear his Navi's weak growls.

"N..."

Netto squeezed his eyes shut tightly before finally lifting his head towards Windman and twisting his mouth. "O...okay," he finally said. "But like you said, I'm staying with him."

Windman nodded and turned to Slashman. "You'll stay on guard, they mustn't be separated."

"But..." started Slashman before he was interrupted.

"Please," insisted Windman.

He didn't answer except to reluctantly nod his head. He then cut the bonds that had been restraining Rockman's legs so that he could stand, but the Navi seemed too weak to stand on his own. Windman then picked him up on his back while the child watched with hopeful eyes.

They were the last to leave the base, the people having moved away. Windman knew he could count on his allies to take care of the civilians in case of delay. Exiting through the nearest emergency exit, the group found themselves surrounded by Beast Viruses, all sporting Falzar's wings. Windman had felt that Falzar's sect was attacking them, but he didn't know where the Zoanoroid in charge of the operation was. He then activated his two fans located on his shoulders, creating a storm that pushed back thousands of small viruses facing them.

"Let's go!" he shouted.

Slashman nodded in response, and Netto followed them while sticking close to Windman, but most importantly to Rockman. The blade-wielding Navi continued to protect them, preventing the viruses ahead from blocking their path. However, the child began to fall behind. The Wind Navi didn't realize it, but he was running too fast for Netto's little legs. He then felt a very fast gust of wind behind him, causing him to fall forward and slow down his pace even more. The other two Navis stopped upon hearing the child struggling.

Behind them, a Navi with dark blue wings and some red dots appeared. Netto immediately recognized him: it was Swallowman, an ally of Dark Rockman whom he had already met a long time ago. His emblem showed that he was part of the Falzar sect and therefore an enemy.

"Well... What do we have here?" exclaimed Swallowman with a cruel smile. "A new little potential?"

Before Netto could even respond, the Zoanoroid rushed towards them, his eyes wild with the idea of catching them. Windman prepared his fans to repel Swallowman, but he suddenly felt his back lighten.

Thinking he had caught the child, Swallowman was stopped by two still-bound hands that prevented him from getting any closer. Rockman was using his last bit of strength to push the winged Navi back while gritting his teeth. He pushed the Zoanoroid even harder and even managed to spit fire, forcing him to retreat violently.

Swallowman screamed as he felt his wings catch fire and flapped them frantically, creating a violent wind that nearly wiped out the viruses around them. He looked at Rockman with hatred.

"Gregar..."

The Navi growled upon hearing that name and fell to all fours, feeling weak. Netto approached him and placed a hand on his back, worried. Meanwhile, Windman approached the Zoanoroid and used the same attack as before to push him further away. Swallowman had forgotten about the light blue Navi and charged towards him, almost emitting an inhuman cry. With his clawed hand, he grabbed his emblem and an electric shock ran through his body, sending him far away from them. Furious, Slashman then attacked the Zoanoroid, who managed to dodge by jumping backwards. Swallowman then kicked him from behind, sending the Navi with blades flying several meters away.

Taking advantage of having sent those two Navis flying away, Swallowman turned to the child and his Navi menacingly. Netto felt very bad for them. The Zoanoroid approached them like a serial killer while the child curled up against his Navi, his eyes filled with worry.

"You... You are that Zoanoroid of Gregar who destroyed one of my best allies!" announced Swallowman, his face filled with hatred. "With a little boy in a blue cape. We've been hearing about you since you eliminated Punk!"

Rockman did nothing but growl like a tiger, his eyes wide with pain. Swallowman chuckled. His emblem shone, his body changed, and his wings became much larger. His appearance had changed, looking much more like a giant bird, his wings nothing but halos of light that kept him in the air.

Thinking of charging forward first, Rockman was immediately hit in the center of his belly, his eyes wide with pain. Thrown back, Swallowman grabbed him by the arm and turned him towards the ground, the wild Navi gritting his teeth in pain. The Zoanoroid still held his arm and lifted him up while striking with a quick attack on his back. It looked like he was dancing with him.

"I find you quite weak for a Zoanoroid who eliminated a monster like Punk!" shouted Swallowman after each hit, until he finally flattened Rockman on the ground, making him groan in pain even harder.

Netto couldn't bear to see all of this anymore, but he couldn't do anything to help Rockman. He first thought of begging Swallowman, but he knew it wasn't something his Navi would want.

"Rockman!" he cried out with a voice that almost broke.

The Beast Viruses approached the child unnoticed. He managed to sense a presence behind him and turned around, only to be horrified by the sight of the numerous viruses. Netto stepped back, mouth agape, as one of the viruses jumped on him and violently pinned him to the ground. The other viruses surrounded him, some of them resting on him and preventing him from breathing properly. The boy struggled as much as he could, but he was trapped and could only express his insecurity-filled voice.

"Rockman!"

As usual, Rockman couldn't keep up with Swallowman's moves, taking all the hits without even having the strength to defend himself. The bullets he had taken that morning made him feel as if he had been drained of his energy. But his eyes widened when he heard Netto's sudden voice, shouting from somewhere he couldn't see. Searching for the source of the voice, he saw viruses piled on top of each other, trying to prevent something from getting out. He then realized that his precious operator was there.

For the first time since the beginning of the fight, Rockman avoided a blow from Swallowman, much to the latter's surprise. He turned around to give him a kick in the face. Not caring about his reaction, the wild Navi headed towards the group of viruses, finally roaring like a wild lion. His arm transformed into a buster and he fiercely struck every virus he encountered. The viruses closest to him were destroyed by Rockman's sheer strength. When the boy's body finally came into view, he jumped near him, putting a foot on each side of the boy.

Netto finally lifted his head when he felt no weight on him. He saw Rockman standing above him, back arched, an enraged look on everything around him and much more violent breathing. Taking a deep breath, the Navi fired a fire attack on the surrounding viruses, leaving them no chance to escape.

Swallowman suddenly appeared behind Rockman and attacked quickly, but the Navi managed to avoid the attack and retaliated with his buster, hitting him in the chest. It was the first time the Zoanoroid had been hit, but he smiled in response.

"I see, you have regained your strength," he said, looking at Netto on the ground. "It's this child, isn't it? Then I'll take this child and make you the true soldier you should be!" he added with a wide smile, showing his madness.

The words of the Winged Navi had a significant impact on Rockman, who roared with anger and jumped high into the air to reach the Zoanoroid. Swallowman used his speed to strike the wild Navi several times, but the latter managed to counterattack with claw strikes. Taking advantage of an opening, Swallowman approached Rockman too closely, who was able to charge his buster and strike his emblem. The Zoanoroid was almost paralyzed and fell forward. Rockman still held onto his emblem, waiting for something to happen...but nothing did.

Anger consumed him, forcing him to monstrously remove the Zoanoroid's emblem, who screamed as his data flew away, leaving Rockman to land on the ground with difficulty. Netto joined him and took his arm, a relieved expression on his face at the thought of seeing him again. The Navi breathed heavily, still enraged, but the child's hand calmed him gently. He stopped for a moment, closing his eyes, and placed his hand against Netto's.

"What was that?!" shouted someone in the distance.

"What Zoanoroid battle was that?!" a second person echoed.

Turning around, the Navi and operator saw almost an army of purple Navis and humans in military attire pointing weapons at Rockman. Netto, fearing it would escalate again, stood between the two, arms raised.

"Stop! He's not a Zoanoroid! He saved my life!" he tried, but no one seemed to care.

Everyone murmured among themselves, and one of the Navis declared, "There's a strong dose of Beast Factor in this thing."

"Should we eliminate it? He just took out Swallowman, one of the biggest generals of the Falzar sect!" added another Navi.

Netto's arms trembled as he wondered who all these people were, none of them had a Cybeast emblem on them. Only a mark in the shape of a V in a circle stood out on one side.

"Please!" he tried again.

"Kid, get out of there," replied a human man hidden in a suit and gas mask.

"No, this Navi is mine! I swear he's not bad!" cried Netto, determined to defend Rockman.

Rockman growled, his anger brewing inside him. Without thinking, he began to move quickly to try to take the child with him.

"He's going to do something!"

"Fire!"

Before he could lift Netto, Rockman felt hit by several bullets—like the ones he had received earlier in the morning—which struck him in the hips and made him fall forward. He felt even weaker than before, the sensation was the same, his eyes closed.

"Rockman, no!" Netto screamed as he crawled against him. He finally noticed the blood dripping from his body.

A man approached behind him. "Oh! He bled!" he exclaimed as the fabric of Rockman's suit closed.

Netto widened his eyes. It was true, Rockman could bleed.

"Did he really do it?" A new, very different, yet not unfamiliar, voice rang in Netto's ears, who slowly turned his head.

"Yes, Prosecutor! He bled indeed!"

Netto widened his eyes even more. Approaching slowly was a man he had thought to be someone good, only to learn that it was quite the opposite. In a green suit, there he was, a twisted smile on his face. Prosecutor Roppo. The child twisted his mouth and grabbed his Navi's limp hand.

"Rockman..." he whispered, feeling tears beginning to well up in his eyes as he realized the trouble he had gotten himself into.

Saloma's head turned suddenly at the sound of a noise. She and the group of civilians were already far enough from what had been their old home. She looked at it with sadness; every time there was an attack, the best option was to flee to avoid further injuries or even child abductions. Behind her, Woodman looked at her with a firm face. "We have to keep going," he said.

Saloma continued to look at the place nostalgically, remembering her beginnings when she arrived here. She thought of how people had welcomed her and how she had managed to prove herself trustworthy. She had come here for her two best friends. She heard another noise and saw two silhouettes approaching them in the distance. Slashman carried Windman on his shoulder, and he seemed injured. The young woman with green hair gasped at the sight of them and immediately ran towards them, followed by the others.

"Windman-sama!" some people shouted upon seeing him.

Saloma helped Slashman lift Windman properly, noticing how weak he seemed. His hand was on his chest, on his emblem, and he grimaced even though he had no mouth.

"Windman-sama..." murmured Saloma.

"I... I'm okay," he replied.

The young woman with green hair gently noticed that his emblem was emitting a strange light. Even though his emblem had not changed, she was still worried. She looked around them, but was surprised to see no one else. "Where is Netto-kun and his Navi?!" she asked with more panic.

"Variety arrived, they got caught!" said Slashman, still keeping one arm around the light blue Navi. "There's nothing we can do."

"Tss..." murmured Paxi behind them. "All for nothing."

She approached, examining Windman's injuries closely, frowning but trying not to show any real emotion. "Someone needs to take care of Windman, I'll take care of the rest."

"But Netto—" Saloma began before being interrupted.

"What do you want us to do? Do you want to risk more people for them?" said Paxi.

"I... I thought you wanted to take care of his Navi..."

Paxi refrained from answering, Saloma's remark was relevant after all. She looked away and began to chew on her mouth, dropping the subject. Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching them, and Saloma saw Futenroshi approaching discreetly.

"I can find them," he announced softly.

"Can you save Netto-kun?" Saloma asked quickly with assurance.

"It's mostly the Navi that needs to be found. But without the child, it may become unstable... And yet, this boy..." he thought out loud.

Saloma blinked, perplexed. Futenroshi's reflections troubled her. He was a man of immeasurable wisdom and knowledge, after all.

"He's strange... I felt something abnormal about him, like his Navi. There is something between them," he continued to reflect in a low voice.

"It's just that they're friends, I've seen it. He seems to love his Navi more than anything!" Saloma tried to reassure him.

"No... There is something else. There is something abnormal. They are both creatures that should not exist."

The prosecutor rarely had the opportunity to contemplate a creature of such beauty at his feet. Earlier in the day, a battle between two Zoanoroids had erupted, and one of them stood out clearly from the others. While he generally despised all Cybeast soldiers, this one earned his admiration, largely thanks to its striking appearance.

When they had "captured" it, they had only needed to use their usual weapons to bring it down. Now it was locked in a chained room in the basement of a military area in Variety. Roppo had knelt before it to better admire its face. How could this creature look like a living portrait of Gregar? He had even hesitated to touch its face, as if it were forbidden by a natural law to touch a monster like him.

Finally, the prosecutor stood up, keeping his smile, and walked out of the room, leaving a thick door to close behind him. He found himself facing several people, including a man sitting at a desk who approached him, visibly worried.

"Roppo-sama, we have conducted research on the blood found on the creature. It is not registered, and we cannot find its source."

Roppo kept his menacing smile on his lips as he took a determined step forward. "In that case, it's an illegal case, or it doesn't come from this country," he announced calmly.

Another man approached him. "Sir, should we file a report?" he asked.

"Yes, please, and don't forget to notify the Mother Cell of this find," the Prosecutor replied in a satisfied voice.

"Right, Roppo-sama!" the man replied before hurrying off.

Roppo continued his walk, his hands crossed behind his back.

"What about the child?" asked a soldier walking beside him.

The prosecutor's smile slowly left his lips, but he made no other reaction. "I will take care of it. I'm not sure men like you can reassure him," he replied without looking at the man next to him before resuming his walk.

Netto wriggled in all directions. He was locked in a room, his foot tied to a chair nailed to the floor. He tried to hit the chain that held him, wanting at least the freedom to walk and perhaps knock on the door to attract attention. He shouted several times, hoping someone would come to free him.

He almost fell forward when he finally heard the door open. He saw someone enter the room and noticed that it was the prosecutor. Netto looked at him suspiciously and circled the chair to get behind it, all the while giving him a look of disdain. Roppo was not affected by his reaction, but rather amused.

"Come on, my boy, nothing will happen to you. Sit down," he said, approaching and taking a seat on the free chair in front of him.

Netto didn't flinch and remained behind his chair without saying anything.

"You don't have to be afraid, we're just going to talk," said Roppo calmly.

The child remained motionless, then finally decided to sit on his chair, keeping the same expression.

"Well..." began Roppo.

"Let me go!" growled Netto, not letting him speak.

The prosecutor tried to reason with him. "My boy..."

"And leave Rockman alone, he has nothing to do with this!" added the child angrily.

"Ah!" Roppo finally reacted. "Actually, I wanted to know about your Navi."

"I won't tell you anything!"

Roppo sighed. "Please, can you at least tell me how he was before? I don't think you received him in this form from the beginning, right?"

Netto froze, twisting his mouth and lowering his head. If it was just a small detail like this, maybe it would ease the tension.

"He was a normal Navi! But he's still my best friend, no matter what his form!"

"Oh..." reacted the prosecutor. "That gives me some good information at least."

Netto didn't know if it was a good or bad thing.

"But...since he became like this...did you know he could bleed?" The man in front of him approached gently.

The child turned his head, biting his lips fiercely, not wanting to answer even if he just wanted to admit the truth.

"No..." he answered softly without looking at him.

"Do you know how he became like this?" Roppo added again without caring about his reaction.

Netto shook his head again, knowing the truth very well but refusing to reveal it. "I don't know," he said in a stronger tone.

Roppo sighed again. If his eyes were open, he would have probably rolled them. He then pulled out a device from his pocket and placed it on the table. It was Netto's PET, hidden in a cloth. Netto growled, they had searched through his belongings!

"This PET..." Roppo started, "has an unknown design. There's no official line that resembles it."

Netto looked at Prosecutor Roppo with suspicion, biting his lips as the latter leaned forward to ask him a question.

"Unless your PET was made by an individual, which is illegal, I would still like to know where it came from."

Netto's thoughts raced as he realized he was trapped. He didn't know that PETs like his didn't exist in this world, which meant something was wrong. Perhaps Enzan's company, IPC, didn't exist here or didn't provide PETs. Or maybe the Ijuuin family had met a fate similar to Yaito's. Netto was frustrated not to know the answer and not to know what had happened to his friend and rival in this world. However, he knew that it didn't matter for the consequences in this world. They probably wouldn't find Enzan here to condemn him.

"The family of one of my friends provided it to me," he said without caring about Roppo's reaction, his eyes closed.

Roppo was shocked to hear this and frowned. "You know that your friend and his family are at risk of serious trouble because of this?"

Netto opened his eyes and looked at Roppo defiantly. "Try it," he replied, taking a firm tone.

Roppo gasped at this radical change in the child's attitude. He knew he shouldn't be challenged by a kid, but he couldn't help feeling some apprehension. He glanced at Netto's PET and noticed a big crack, so he couldn't check the information inside as it was impossible to turn it on. He then observed the Navi emblem and noticed that it was identical to the one on the child's bandana.

"Who programmed your Navi?" he asked, more distinctly.

Netto traced his eyes back to Roppo, frowning defiantly. He couldn't give this answer. It would give them too much information, and if there was still a version of him in this world, it could endanger his father.

"I won't tell you anything," he replied sharply.

Roppo expected it, but he tried a softer approach this time. "Why don't you trust me?" he asked.

Netto opened his mouth to yell but thought better of it. "Because you sent innocent people to prison!"

Roppo raised an eyebrow. "Is that what the rebels told you?" he asked.

"You wanted to execute them!" exclaimed Netto.

The prosecutor slumped against the back of his chair. "Indeed. If they are to be executed, it is because they have committed an intolerable crime. That is my philosophy: a person who commits murder can commit more, and imprisoning them is just a wasted cell."

"But they are innocent!" retorted Netto.

"Really? Then where is the evidence of their innocence?"

Netto did not answer. He felt lost, unable to continue on this subject.

"You are a child. Justice must be complicated for you, it's normal. Unfortunately, we live in a still tormented country..." He approached again. "As long as you do not deviate from Variety's morality, everything will be fine, and you will always be protected."

Netto looked away, not knowing what else to say but to hold onto the word he had announced. "Variety..." this word resonated in his head as he remembered Glyde's words. "Why do you hate Navis?"

This time the child had managed to get a reaction from the prosecutor, who opened his mouth wide in surprise at hearing his question.

"What are you talking about? We don't hate Navis, only Zoanoroids, of course," he answered quickly.

Netto didn't respond, only his eyes challenged him as if he knew something that Roppo had forgotten. "Oh, you mean the scandalous Navis that were judged one day? They were Navis with a high exposure to Beast Factor, and they had become aggressive!" he continued.

The child still didn't respond. He simply lowered his head. "Really, my boy, we don't mean you any harm. We just want information on your Navi to see what we can do, but I can't guarantee that it won't be judged. After that, I could give you a good list of lawyers..."

"Variety..." Netto began slowly before picking up speed. "Rebel... Beast Factor... Zoanoroid... Cybeast... I don't care about any of that! I just want to go home!" he almost shouted, his eyes bursting, and he ended up crossing his arms over his head and putting it inside.

"Oh... But after all this, we can take you back home, but..." Roppo started, but Netto interrupted him immediately.

"No! I want to go home with Rockman!" He lifted his head, his gaze much more pleading. "I don't want to be here anymore! I want my old life back!"

Roppo raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. He understood that in the end, it was useless to talk to this child, but with the little information he had obtained, he already had enough. He put away the child's PET and took it with him before getting up from his chair and leaving the room without saying another word, knowing that it would be useless.

"So?" asked a person waiting outside the room.

"He's a kid, and I hate kids," he admitted, annoyed.

"We have to deal with it…" the person added.

He groaned in pain as his entire body convulsed in spasms. The sensation reminded him of the difficult moments following heart surgery. Time had become a blurry concept for him. Saito painfully opened his eyes and staggered to his feet, his vision still blurred and his skin soaked in sweat. His trembling hand reached up to wipe away the sweat that was pouring down his face. The events of the day came flooding back to him.

There was that strange boy who seemed to know his past, which had put Saito on edge. Saito had lost control of his anger, transforming into his Rockman form, and had received an injection that sent him into unconsciousness. Was it an animal tranquilizer that had been administered to him? Then, a Zoanoroid had attacked while he was helpless and disoriented... Until he realized that Netto was in danger. That thought had awakened his most primal instincts.

Netto... Where was he?

Saito inspected the dark room he was in, noticing the chains attached to the floor. His feet were chained, but his ankles were small enough to free themselves. The same was true for his wrists, which had been tied when Saito was in his Rockman form. The handcuffs had been adjusted to the minimum due to the thickness of his Navi armor. Now, as a human, he could escape more easily. He stood up and approached the thick door in front of him, placing his hands on it. He heard voices behind the door and felt a force pushing it from the other side. He quickly stepped to the side, hiding behind the door.

Several people entered, including a man with black hair that Saito vaguely recognized. The people in the room were surprised to find the chained Navi no longer on the floor. Without saying a word, Saito walked past them and left, slamming the door behind him. The others turned around, perplexed, before realizing that they were now locked in.

The older boy breathed heavily, then turned to other people, equally shocked to see Saito leaving the room. Two of them wore military uniforms while the other two were civilians.

"What are you doing here?!" one of them exclaimed.

Saito opened his mouth, but said nothing as one of the soldiers charged at him.

"Come here, you brat!"

Despite the confusion in his mind, he managed to avoid the first soldier's attempt to grab him, causing him to hit the metal door behind him. He fell to the ground, knocked out by the impact against the door. The second soldier, initially surprised, punched Saito, but was quickly stopped by the boy's palm. With strength, Saito jumped and kicked the man in the head. Then he gave him another blow to the chest, making the man step back before he delivered a knee strike to his stomach, causing him to stagger and fall backwards. The boy glanced at the two other people, frightened to see a child defending himself so well.

"Where is Netto?!" Saito shouted, his voice filled with anger.

He approached one of the soldiers, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt while the other did not react.

"W-who?"

"The child who was with that Navi! A little boy with a blue cloak!"

"H-he's on the third floor in one of the cells!" the second soldier admitted.

Saito continued to glare at the man with anger, gritting his teeth. His gaze fell on the desk, where Netto's blue PET was located. Without a word, he grabbed it and gave the man a hateful look before seizing Netto's bag. He left the room running and quickly put the PET in the bag, which he then placed on his back. He avoided the people he encountered on his way and took the stairs, hoping not to be followed. When he arrived at a long, dilapidated corridor, he spotted a keychain hanging on a wall and took it with him. He noticed several empty cells and came across one that was locked. He hurried to unlock it and discovered Netto, arms crossed on a table, head bowed. Netto's face lit up when he saw Saito.

"Saito!" he exclaimed.

The older boy rushed towards him, falling to his knees in front of him and grabbing his trembling arms.

"Netto! Did they hurt you?" he asked, worried.

Netto shook his head from side to side with a smile, happy to see Saito.

"I'm just chained up," he said, pointing to his ankle.

Saito examined his keychain, which contained far too many keys, his eyes wide. He had no choice but to try them all one by one. Time passed without success in freeing Netto from his cell. Stress overwhelmed the former Navi as the child began to feel anxious, especially when he heard footsteps outside.

"They're coming..." he murmured, his voice trembling with fear.

Saito tried another key and finally, the cuff opened. He was finally free.

"Come on!" he said.

Netto jumped into Saito's arms, which he quickly picked up. He kept him close as he walked and made him jump so he could hold on tight. Finally, he began to run, going in all directions to find a way out of this base.

They arrived in a large room that led to a big door, possibly the exit, but a gunshot rang out, interrupting the boy's run. Slowly, he turned around and noticed that the room was filled with men and Navis ready to shoot at them. In the middle stood the same man he had seen earlier, and Netto noticed how filled with hatred Prosecutor Roppo was.

"At your place, I wouldn't go any further," spoke the prosecutor in a loud voice.

Saito bit his cheek inwardly while Netto only looked at that man with hatred.

"Who are you? And what have you done with Gregar's Zoanoroid!" He asked this time, looking at the boy who held the child.

Netto tried to answer, but Saito spoke up without giving him the chance. "I made him leave, so now he's free, and if he wants, he'll come back and destroy you if you insist."

Roppo chuckled at first but then shook his head. "Let him come back then, we're waiting for that! Even if he had the power of Gregar, I'm not sure he could survive our reserve of orichalcum!"

Saito blinked. "Orichalcum?" he repeated upon hearing that word.

"Know that Rockman is much more powerful than you imagine! He'll make mincemeat out of you!" shouted Netto, not at all intrigued by what he had just heard.

"Good! I want to see that! That's why you have to stay here if we want to see him again. After all, he seems very attached to his operator."

Netto froze upon realizing what he had just said, fear suddenly taking hold of him.

"Now, kid, give us the child!" Roppo's demand echoed in the room.

Saito held Netto tighter. "I'd rather die than leave him with you," declared Saito in a voice so dark that Netto could feel a shiver run down his spine. The preteen's tone had scared him.

Roppo furrowed his brow again and looked around him. Taking advantage of this moment of distraction, Saito tried to move, but an armed man, thinking he was about to do something terrible, shot at him. The dull sound of the gunshot echoed throughout the building like thunder. The pre-teen narrowly dodged the bullet, but slammed violently into the wall.

"Saito!" Netto cried out in his arms.

Roppo widened his eyes, looking around. "Who's the idiot who did that?!" he fumed.

The former Navi felt the pain in his left arm and the smell of blood that disgusted him. It went up his nose and gave him a headache.

"You could have killed the child, you imbecile!" the prosecutor shouted.

The man who had fired stammered, "I... I'm sorry, but this boy wouldn't surrender, I thought..."

"Shut up, fool!" Roppi interrupted sharply.

Saito opened his eyes fiercely, realizing that no one seemed to be focused on them anymore. He started running down a corridor.

"He's getting away!"

Saito had no solution, unable to find a way out of this situation. The pain in his arm and the smell of blood made him feel sick. He stopped, trying to catch his breath, feeling his legs give out under his weight.

"Saito..." Netto worried about him, but he shook his head. He looked up at the window beside them, which looked outside. Abruptly, he opened it and saw that they were at a considerable height, with the rain beating against the ground. He turned to the sound of approaching footsteps and realized they were cornered. Saito had no choice; they had to jump and try to escape, or they would be prisoners forever. He sat on the windowsill, taking a deep breath while holding Netto against him.

"Saito… We're not going to..." Netto started, his voice filled with panic.

"Nothing will happen to you," the other boy replied softly.

Then he let himself fall, holding the child tightly as they landed on the ground on his back. The pain was unbearable, thousands of needles seemed to be piercing his back, leaving him almost speechless. The rain had already soaked them completely, but it was a small price to pay to save his little brother. Netto looked at him with shining eyes as Saito shook his head, gritting his teeth.

"Saito, you...!" The child began slowly.

"It's okay," he managed to say. "I've had worse."

With difficulty, he stood up, still holding the child close to him. His hair, soaked by the rain, stuck to his face. He looked at the window, then quickly set off to leave the place.

Roppo's eyes widened at seeing the open window. He quickly stuck his head out, but there was no sign of the two boys. The dark night made it even harder to see. Frustrated, he banged on the windowsill, which creaked in protest.

Suddenly, a panicked man approached him. "Sir!" he shouted.

Roppo turned around aggressively. "I don't have time for this!" he barked.

"But sir, it's...him!" the man stammered.

Roppo's anger vanished, replaced by anxiety and fear.

"He's waiting for you on the phone..." the man continued.

"Who... Who talked to him?" the prosecutor stammered.

"You asked us to file a report to headquarters. I guess he must have read the report," the man explained.

"You idiots!" Roppo shouted. "Did you really think this was the right time for our High Master to ask me about an unedited report?!"

"I... I was just doing my job, sir," the man humbly replied.

Roppo grunted and headed towards the phone. He picked up the receiver and looked at it for a moment. With a long sigh to calm himself, he held it up to his ear. "This is Roppo... I'm listening, Master."

"I heard you got your hands on a magnificent jewel, didn't you?" he heard from the other end of the line. Sweat was pouring down Roppo's back.

"Yes, indeed, I discovered a rare pearl. A Zoanoroid with the likeness of Gregar..." Roppo confirmed proudly.

"So, the other reports were true. Like that idiot in prison." There was a pause that almost made Roppo hold his breath. "I can't wait to see the beast."

"Master, I..." Roppo tried to find his words, trying to be brief. "I'm sorry, but the Zoanoroid has been released. Some kids managed to get it out of there, I don't know how..."

Roppo shuddered as the man on the other end of the phone didn't respond. A cold shiver ran down his spine, his breath catching once again. He could only catch his breath if the man answered him.

"Let's deal with it. I know we'll find it. Stay vigilant, this is a potential god."

Roppo nodded, relieved to be able to breathe normally again.

"Yes, sir... We will retrieve it for you."

"I have no doubt... Oh, and Roppo, please stop making a show of yourself during Rebel attacks. Variety is much more serious than that." The man hung up laughing.

Roppo lowered the receiver and took a deep breath. He always felt blessed when he was in contact with this man, as long as he didn't hold a grudge against him. He took on a more serious tone, aware that he now had a new mission to fulfill.

Saito walked with hurried steps, sometimes slowing down. The rain was falling so hard and the cold was intense. He didn't know how long they had been outside. Netto, nestled against him, coughed several times, revealing his extreme coldness. They were in a desolate region with no nearby town or house. The child continued to cough, his body frozen. Luckily, the pain in the boy's arm had diminished, and his urge to faint had passed. But the pain in his back did not go away. Saito bitterly regretted leaving Netto with those rebels in the first place. He should have taken him with him this morning and fled together as Rockman. They would never have fallen into this desperate situation.

Netto was getting weaker and weaker, coughing and trembling with cold in his arms. Saito tried to warm him up with his own body heat by holding him close, but it wasn't enough.

"Saito… Saito..." he heard from the little mouth of the child.

He looked at Netto's face and saw that his cheeks had turned red. It was really worrying. He had been the one to endure the most suffering during the day, and now it was Netto who had to fall ill? It was a cruel irony from Duo.

As he walked further, he saw some lights in the distance. He hoped it was a town, but as he approached, he realized it was streetlights along a road. There was only one visible house in the area. Saito swallowed hard, wishing for a hotel and not wanting to bother people. But Netto was sick, and staying outside all night would only make his condition worse. He had no choice but to run to the door and knock several times, scanning the surroundings. The lights inside turned on, and he was relieved that someone would come to open the door.

Saito expected to see anyone, but certainly not...her. Surprise froze his face for a few seconds. Her usual pink hair...but longer, and her pastel blue robe; she looked so much like the one he knew in his world, although he never really knew her on the other side of the screen.

Sakurai Meiru stared at Saito, her eyes a bit tired. She noticed the unconscious child in his arms, and her eyebrows furrowed. "What...?" she started, as a heavy silence settled between them.

Saito remained frozen for a moment, looking deeply into the girl's eyes. A feeling of hope grew within him, but he was overwhelmed with emotions. "I need help..." he said, noticing Netto's critical condition, his eyes closed and cheeks flushed. "My... My little brother needs help... We're lost, I need help!" he cried, becoming increasingly panicked.

Meiru observed Saito more closely, and he recognized the gentle look she often had towards him. She gestured for him to follow her and finally they were inside. "Come, follow me," she said.

They climbed the stairs, Saito following the young girl, and arrived in an empty room. Meiru opened the closet and took out a long futon which she laid on the floor. She then took two pillows and a blanket. She left the room and Saito waited a few moments, trying to remove the wet cape from the child. The girl returned with two towels, laid one on the floor, and handed the other to Saito.

"Let me take care of him, he needs to be dried off," she said, approaching Netto.

Biting his lower lip, Saito gently placed the child in the towel while Meiru wrapped him up, trying to rub him dry without waking him up. Saito was quite impressed, it looked like she had experience in the field. He removed the child's shoes and Meiru removed his socks and bandana. Finally, she placed him in the small bed on the floor, keeping the towel on him, and then tucked him in and placed the blanket over him, a smile on her lips. She then handed the second towel to Saito.

"I'll let you handle this. Tomorrow, you can explain your situation to me in more detail. I think you both need rest first." She got up and went to the door. "Goodnight." She left.

Saito remained speechless, holding the towel in his hands and using it to dry his hair. Meiru was here, in this world. But was Roll here too? He had no idea. Tomorrow, he would probably discover the truth. However, how would he actually explain their situation once the sun was up? He had no idea.

The boy looked at his arm, trying to see how much worse his injury had gotten, but he didn't notice anything through the hole in his T-shirt. The wound had now disappeared. He blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Saito stood up and approached the sleeping child, still worried despite his flushed cheeks. He gently placed his hand on Netto's forehead and rubbed it with his thumb. They had managed to escape and were now safe with a "friend." He lay down on the futon, taking off his shoes and socks. He tried to close his eyes and focus on something else, but he still hoped to be awakened in time tomorrow morning.

To be Continued...

AN: Something new is about to come haha, so are you happy to see Meiru again ?