Ch6
The Count's laugh echoed in Django's mind as his body lay in his coffin. I won't let you hurt anyone else. Determination swelled inside of him as he lay unconscious. Whether it be in my home world or this world I will stop them all. He didn't know how long he rested but when his eyes opened the coffin doors flung open.
Sitting up he stretched his sore arms. "Damn I haven't had a fight that bad in a while."
"Finally your up." Otenko-san sprouted up from the ground. "Netto came by to check on you this morning but you were still out."
He sighed as he got out of the coffin. "How long was I out?"
"A day in a half," Otenko-san said. "You have to be careful the Count, he has allies here."
"I know." He frowned at his PET on his desk. "Yet so do I." Walking over to the PET he saw Solaris on the screen. "Hey."
His navis' eyes widened. "Oh god Django you're up!"
"That I am. Come on lets go talk to Netto," He said as he strapped his PET to his side. Otenko-san disappeared into the ground as he exited the room.
He went over to Netto's room and knocked on the door. Immediately the door swung open and Netto came out and hugged him. "Django! Thank goodness you're up!"
"Y-Yeah I'm glad too," he said as he hugged Netto back. Deep down he felt relieved that Netto was safe, they were friends even if most of their interactions had been in the cyber world.
Netto pulled away his face half red. "So uh about that fight…"
"The Count was stronger than I anticipated," he said as Netto let him into their room.
He sat on the bed as Netto as in his chair. "Yeah Shademan was their too. Apparently the symbiote inside of me is weak against his sonic attacks," the brute rubbed his head. "We'll have to think of something to defeat them both."
"I've fought the count many times before," he said as he folded his arms. "I also helped Rockman defeat Shademan, but this time they are combining their power." Taking a deep breath he ran his hands through his hair. "I need to learn how to fight in this world if they are teaming up. Can you teach me how to cross fuse?"
Netto looked at him and nodded. "Sure! We can use the practice generators in Scilab."
"Good. We won't let them get away next time," he said as he got up.
The brunette smiled as he stood up and met his gaze as a familiar bond of camaraderie flickered in his eyes. "Don't worry I'm the best net battler around and you're the best vampire hunter."
He smiled. "Glad someone sees it. I train hard to kill those bastards."
The two shared a laugh before he excused himself. After a nice shower and a change of clothes they headed towards Scilab on his motorcycle.
Scilab was in impressive structure and he couldn't help but feel at awe at the various machines and technology that he saw. Damn this plays blows my world's technology out of the water.
"Come on the practice dimensional area is this way," Netto said as he let him to a small room with a glass chamber. "Here take this, it's a synchro chip."
The brunette handed him the chip and he looked it over. "Alright this will make me fuse with my navi like you and Rockman right?"
Netto nodded. "Yeah just say Synchro Chip slot in and plug it in. It may not be easy at first but I'm sure you can get a hang of it."
Clenching the chip he nodded and entered the chamber. It felt heavier than it should, its weight more symbolic than physical. Solaris' image appeared on the PET's screen at his side, the Navi's expression resolute.
"You ready for this?" came Netto's voice from the observation platform above.
He nodded and slipped the chip into the PET. "I am. Solaris are you?"
His netnavi looked up at him and nodded. "I am!"
The chamber around him flickered as the dimensional area generator roared to life. A faint glow emanated from the floor, lines of code swirling upwards in a mesmerizing pattern. A dimensional area a place where the cyber world and the real world can merge.
"Alright, synchro chip in place," Netto called. "Focus on your bond with Solaris. It's not about raw strength—it's about synchronicity."
Taking a deep breath he quickly put the chip into the PET. "Synchro Chip slot in! Cross fusion!"
Energy surged through him like an electric shock and a light briefly formed around him but quickly dissipated.
"Sorry it didn't work," Solaris said from his PET.
"It's fine! That was a good start," Netto encouraged. "Try again. Just focus on him—not as a tool, but as a partner."
Rising to his feet, he clenched his fists. "Don't worry we'll just keep practicing." Gripping his PET tightly he repeated the process. "Synchro Chip slot in! Cross fusion!"
He felt a familiar presence envelop him, stronger this time as he focused on his navi. Come on we can do this. For a moment he thought it would be successful; however, like before the light quickly disappeared. "Damn it," he swore.
"Hey," Netto said, leaning over the rail. "You're overthinking it. Stop focusing on the mechanics. Think about why you fight. Why you've come this far. That's where your strength is. Cross fusion is a two a street, it's the bond between you and your navi."
The words hit hard, cutting through the haze of frustration. Why he fought. Why he had survived battles against monsters like the Count. His thoughts drifted to the sun the source of all his power. It had always been there for him, constant and unyielding, even in the darkest moments. The light that burned away the shadows, giving him strength to stand.
His gaze shifted to Solaris. He has the power of the sun in him I can feel it. The Navi's golden form glowed faintly, the embodiment of that light. "Are you ready?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
Solaris' eyes met his. "Always."
Taking a deep breath he thought of the sun and it's almighty power. "Synchro chip slot in! Cross fusion!"
The chamber glowed brighter as a powerful burst of energy encompassed his body. Lines of code spiraled around his body, fusing with his form. It was as if he were being wrapped up in the power of the sun itself.
When the light faded, he stood in the center of the chamber, fully merged with Solaris. The armor felt like an extension of himself, sleek and radiant with golden accents that pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. His hands clenched and unclenched experimentally, feeling the raw power coursing through him.
"I did it," he said softly as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. I look pretty cool too if I say so myself.
"Good job!" Netto said from the other side.
How do you feel? Solaris' voice echoed in his mind, clearer and more present than ever before.
"Stronger," he said as he looked down at his armored hands. "Like I can take on anything."
Netto grinned. "Told you it was all about the bond. You're a natural, man."
He allowed himself a small smile but quickly turned his attention back to the PET. "This is just the first step. The Count and Shademan won't stop. Neither can we."
After moving around a bit and doing some exercises Netto summoned some targets for him to practice with. "Solar Flare!" A burst of solar energy incinerated the targets. Not bad. Not bad at all.
After a bit of practice Netto ended the dimensional area. "You were great!" The brunette said as the two high fived each other.
He smiled and put his PET back into his holster. "Thanks. Cross fusion seems interesting."
They made small talk as they exited Scilab and were greeted by a familiar dual haired guy in camo pants who was followed by a tall guy in a green outfit whose gaze was anything but friendly.
"So," Enzan said as he looked over them both, "Care to explain what happened at the warehouse? I assume you've both got a good reason for nearly getting yourselves killed."
Netto scratched the back of his head. "It was kind of a last-minute thing. Shademan showed up, and, uh, he wasn't exactly alone."
The man in green shook his head. "You're always so reckless, you really are still just a child to get yourself hurt."
"I'm not a child Laika!" Netto snapped. "We fought against Shademan and his allies
He placed a hand on Netto's shoulder and the brunette calmed down. Are all his friends here
"Shademan?" Enzan's eyes narrowed. "You mean the Navi we deleted? How is he back?"
"Apparently, he's got a 'benefactor,' or whatever he called it," Netto replied, his tone unusually serious. "And yeah, he's tougher this time."
Enzan raised an eyebrow, his gaze darting between them. "So, let me guess. You charged in without a plan, almost got yourself deleted, and now you're patting yourselves on the back for surviving?"
"That's not how it went down!" Netto shot back. "We handled it. Well, mostly."
"Mostly," Laika repeated dryly. "Do you even realize how reckless you're being? This isn't some neighborhood virus cleanup, god you're such a child.."
The condescension in their voice was like nails on a chalkboard. He could feel his temper rising but kept his expression neutral. Barely. Netto was his friend and even if he didn't know this world he didn't want to see him get stepped all over.
"Look," Netto started, "we—"
"Stop," Enzan interrupted, holding up a hand. "Let me guess. You're going to tell me you 'had no choice' or that you 'knew the risks.' Typical. Do either of you even understand the stakes here?"
He stepped forward before Netto could respond, his blood boiling. "Cut the crap you egg head. We don't need a lecture from you. Shademan and his allies are our problem, and we'll deal with him."
Netto stifled a laugh, earning a glare from Enzan. "You think this is funny?"
"Absolutely!" Netto shook his head. "You're still the same stick in the mud as always."
"You two are impossible," Enzan sighed as he shook his head. "Just try not to get yourselves killed."
Laika shook his head. "Children."
"Noted now leave us or alone," he replied curtly. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Netto by the arm and led him toward the exit.
"Hey, what's the rush?" Netto asked, half-laughing as he stumbled to keep up.
"We've got better things to do than stand around arguing with Mr. Perfect and Lieutenant Asshole," he muttered, pushing open the door to the parking lot.
Enzan stayed rooted to the spot, watching them leave with a mixture of irritation and disbelief. "Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath. "Is he always like that?"
Netto climbed onto the back of the motorcycle and chuckled. "Usually yeah. Think we got under his skin?"
He smirked as he started the engine. "More than the Count ever could." With a roar, the bike sped off into the streets. "Tell me are your friends always this way to you?"
Netto paused. "Yeah. Trust me though they were meaner in the past."
He frowned as they drove through the city. "They shouldn't treat you that way; that's not how friends treat each other."
The brunette remained silent. "Yeah I know but I can't change how they are. Besides I have other friends too."
"True." They continued to ride through the city passing through city. "But you should still not let others walk all over you."
The soft hum of the car's engine accompanied him as he drove through the city streets, the glow of neon lights casting long shadows across his face. Enzan frowned his insides simmering as he thought of Netto and his new friend.
He never thinks. For most of his time knowing Hikari Netto he knew him to be reckless and quick to do things without thinking of the consequences.
Still he couldn't help but feel something was off with Netto. For one it looked as if he were working out a lot and two his friend Django was odd. Something about him was off and the way he was close to Netto didn't sit well with him.
"Something's bothering you sir?" Blues asked.
"It's nothing," he replied curtly, though he knew better than to expect the response to be accepted at face value.
Blues looked at him calmly. "You know how Netto-san is, he may be reckless but he is still strong."
He let out a sharp breath, half a laugh, though there was no humor in it. "He doesn't take anything seriously. For goodness sake we aren't children anymore. Then that friend of his…so insufferable."
Blues looked at him calmly. "I see. What is your issue with him?"
He avoided his navis' gaze. "He's just an unknown."
He leaned back in his chair, he considered the question. Django. The guy was an enigma, no doubt about it. Focused, driven—qualities he respected. And yet... he frowned as he thought of how Django stood protectively with Netto.
He shook his head. "Whatever we have to find more about these new dark chips. Continue searching for new clues." His eyes scanned the reports on his computer. "Also check if there is anything in common with these murders."
Blues bowed. "Understood sir."
You better not get yourself hurt Hikari.