Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first sign that something has gone wrong are the lights flickering off.

Netto and Laika are taking a break in the cafeteria when it happens, steadily munching their way through some onion rings (ah, memories). They both pause and look up, and only when the backup generator kicks in and turns the lights back on do they exchange a glance.

"Odd," Laika remarks. "I don't recall any world-threatening emergencies scheduled today."

Netto snorts, trying to muffle his giggling. Laika half-smiles.

"Or it could just be a normal power outage," Rockman says, swinging his legs gently from where he's sitting on the salt.

"This is SciLab we're talking about."

"Top Ten Signs You've Saved The World Too Much," Netto says, and is rewarded for his efforts when Laika purses his lips together in a not-so-effective attempt to hide a smirk.

"Laika-sama," Searchman suddenly says, "you have a message from Hikari-hakase."

"Ah, you too, Netto-kun!" Rockman adds.

This is the second sign that something has gone wrong. Papa wouldn't contact them like this if it really was just a normal power outage.

"Read it," Laika orders.

"Yes, sir." Searchman pauses for a moment, probably opening the message. "Come back to the lab immediately."

Netto and Laika wait, but Searchman doesn't add anything else.

" . . . Something's definitely wrong if Papa only sent that," Netto comments, glancing at Laika.

"Hm. I suggest we make our way to the lab quickly, then."

So they get to their feet, abandoning their onion rings, though Netto makes sure to grab a few for the road, as it were. He's an expert at munching food even while he runs, and he's got the stamina and speed to keep up with Laika at the same time. Which is a cool and useful skill to have, no matter what anyone else says.

As they get closer to the Dimensional Area lab, the third sign that something has gone wrong makes itself known in the form of angry shouting.

Technically it's nothing new - the person shouting is Ijuuin, and considering his highly unpleasant personality, it's not unusual for him to snap at someone for the smallest of reasons. However, this time, Ijuuin doesn't just sound angry; there's something like panicked hysteria in his voice, which is why this is the third sign.

Netto and Laika brace themselves for whatever Ijuuin has done this time before bursting into the lab. The scene they discover is . . . not what they expected.

Ijuuin is nowhere to be seen, for one thing. There's only Papa and Meijin-san, along with an unknown boy with very long white hair. The boy is sitting on a chair, wrapped in Meijin-san's lab coat, and he doesn't seem to be wearing anything else. When Netto and Laika arrive, he jumps, staring at them with wide, blue eyes.

Meijin-san notices them next and gives Papa a nudge. Papa looks up from the PET in his hand - it looks like Ijuuin's PET, but where is he? - and looks insanely relieved to see them.

"Oh, thank goodness," he sighs.

"Papa, what's wrong?" Netto asks, stepping closer. "Did something happen? Why was Ijuuin yelling again?"

"More to the point, where is he?" Laika frowns as he inspects the lab. His eyes linger on the white-haired boy for a moment. "And who is that?"

"Well, er . . ."

"LET ME OUT, DAMMIT!" Ijuuin's angry shout comes from the PET.

Papa winces. Meijin-san pulls a face, looking like he'd rather be literally anywhere but here, and Netto and Laika stare.

"There was . . . a slight complication when Ijuuin-kun used the new Synchro Chip," Papa begins. A growl from the PET makes him pause, but he continues nonetheless. "Something went wrong, though we're not entirely sure what just yet. And, er, well . . ."

"Well, what?" Laika asks, now wary.

Papa purses his lips and turns the PET's screen to face them.

Rather than Blues looking out at them, it's a completely unknown NetNavi. They do kinda resemble Blues - they have red armour and sunglasses - but otherwise, they're not a Navi Netto has ever seen before. Judging by Laika's expression, neither has he.

"Tell your damn father to fix this right now!" the Navi snaps.

Netto gapes. Beside him, Laika stiffens.

"Please tell me this is just a poorly-executed prank," Laika says, voice just as stiff as his body.

"I wish it were," Meijin-san admits.

Papa gestures to the white-haired boy. "Come over here, please."

The boy slides off the chair and pads over, wrapping Meijin-san's lab coat tighter around himself. He only glances at Netto and Laika for a brief moment before turning his gaze to the floor.

"It seems that the new Synchro Chip caused, er, this to happen," Papa tells them. He puts a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"S-so that's-" Netto points at the boy, still stunned, and it doesn't help when Papa nods.

"And that NetNavi is . . ." Laika trails off, looking at the PET's screen.

Meijin-san nods this time.

Well . . . crap.

Character Design Below:

Chapter Text

The first order of business is getting Blues some clothes. It's not as though the weather is at all chilly at the moment, but it wouldn't be right to just leave him wrapped in Meijin's lab coat.

Netto, being Netto, is the first person to volunteer his own clothes - but luckily SciLab has some extra outfits packed away, so they're all spared the sight of Netto wandering around completely or mostly naked. Which likely would not have been a pleasant sight, for all that he seemed utterly unbothered by the indignity.

Laika assists Blues with getting the clothes on, which thankfully just consist of a black pair of pants, a white shirt, and a pair of plain shoes. So, not too difficult to get into, although considering Blues has never been able to do more than remove his helmet before, he still struggles. Hence the assistance.

The next order of business is getting both Blues and Ijuuin examined. Neither of them are happy about this, but they both show it in vastly different manners - Ijuuin complains and yells, whereas Blues simply stays quiet and gives the examination table a nervous look.

Netto is more used to dealing with Ijuuin's stubborn brattiness, so Laika once again takes it upon himself to assist Blues.

"Are you alright?" he asks, putting a hand on the Navi-turned-human's shoulder.

Blues jumps, giving him a wide-eyed look, then swallows thickly and nods. It looks more of a sharp jerk of his head than anything else, however.

"It's fine to be nervous," Laika tells him. "You've never been examined like this before. If it were me in this position, I'd be the same."

"Y- you would?"

Laika nods. "Of course. I imagine, in his own way, Ijuuin is just as nervous as you are."

Blues glances at the glass separating the examination room from the main console, where Netto is arguing with Ijuuin - who is, of course, still stuck inside his own PET. When Laika left the room, Ijuuin had been demanding that they just be switched back, ignoring the fact that they need to figure out how this happened in the first place. From the sound of it, he's still going at it now.

" . . . H-he just sound- s-sounds angry," Blues says quietly.

"He's always angry."

The attempt at a joke falls flat - Blues shies away, fiddling with a few strands of his hair.

Perhaps it would have been better if Netto were the one in here. That boy always seems to have the uncanny ability to put anyone at ease - well, except Ijuuin, but Ijuuin is the exception to most things anyway. He almost certainly would have been able to help Blues, at the very least.

"Listen," Laika says, squeezing Blues's shoulder, "you have nothing to worry about. You've seen the tests that we operators go through after Cross Fusion, yes?"

Blues hesitates, but eventually nods.

"It's just more of the same stuff. It never harmed any of us, so it'll be fine. I'll admit it may feel a bit odd, especially considering you only have experience with the Navi side of things, but it will not harm you. Understand?"

Another nod, a little less hesitant this time. Good.

"And if you do feel at all overwhelmed or uncomfortable-" Laika gestures to the scanner, or more specifically, at the red button to one side, exactly at waist length. "-you just have to press that button, and Hikari-hakase and Meijin will immediately stop."

" . . . Okay," Blues whispers. He swallows and shoots another glance into the console room, where Netto - looking utterly frustrated and fed up - is handing over Ijuuin's PET to his father. "Will- will Enzan-sama have a stop button too?"

Laika hesitates. Blues looks up at him, openly worried, and he forces what he hopes is a comforting smile on his face.

"He won't feel a thing," he assures. "Ijuuin will be put to sleep- er, put into sleep-mode for his side of the scan, just like how Navis are normally scanned during these types of tests. He may feel a bit disoriented when he wakes up, but he'll be just fine."

Blues relaxes a little bit, nodding.

Is Ijuuin fretting over Blues's well-being at all? Or is he so caught up in complaining and demanding to be switched back that he hasn't given any thought to his NetNavi? Even if that weren't the case, Laika seriously doubts Ijuuin would care anyway. He's just not the kind of person who cares for others, especially not his own Navi.

Hikari-hakase's voice comes through the intercom suddenly, startling Laika out of his thoughts.

"We're ready to begin the scanning now," the scientist announces. "Laika-kun, could you help Blues onto the table? We'll activate the machine when you're clear."

"Of course, Hikari-hakase."

Laika offers a hand, and Blues only hesitates a fraction of a second before taking it.

The results of the scans are both unexpected and not at all surprising.

It seems that, whatever happened to cause it, Blues and Ijuuin have indeed completely swapped species. There are no traces of any digital elements within Blues's flesh-and-blood body, while the reverse is true for Ijuuin. They may as well have been born as they are at the moment, a seemingly regular human and a completely ordinary NetNavi.

Except, of course, they're anything but.

"I have some theories on what could have caused this," Hikari-hakase says.

They're in his personal office, one of the few places in SciLab that offers true privacy. Word has spread throughout the building that there was some sort of incident and that Blues and Ijuuin were at the centre of it, so Blues had been getting more than a few stares - which made him visibly nervous. Laika's honed instincts as a soldier and a member of the Sharoan Net Police unit told him to protect this important civilian, so he's the one who suggested a private location.

Although it wasn't just because of Blues that he suggested this. Ijuuin, fresh out of his first sleep-mode and definitely not happy about the disorientation, had begun yet another tirade of complaints and demands. He also apparently decided to mix things up and added in numerous insults to anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot, so in order to prevent him from offending everyone in the building, keeping him out of the way was the best option.

Though they could all do without his grumbling as a background noise. Is he even paying any attention to the conversation at hand?

"The most obvious explanation is that this has to do with the new Synchro Chip," Hikari-hakase begins. "The moment Ijuuin-kun slotted it in, there was an intense surge of energy, which caused a massive reaction in both the Dimensional Area and the building itself."

"The lights went off and the backup generator had to come on, yeah," Netto recalls.

"Exactly. That surge of energy must have been from the switch itself - the intense energy was likely needed to turn Ijuuin-kun into a NetNavi and Blues into a human."

Laika frowns. "But why would the Synchro Chip cause something like that to happen? Netto and I used the new ones just fine earlier."

"Yeah, that's right!" Netto agrees. "Closest thing to a glitch I had was tripping over my own feet halfway through the test."

" . . . stupid moron tripping over thin air, what a joke . . ." Ijuuin grumbles.

Everyone ignores him.

"I believe the key may lie in their Synchro rate," Hikari-hakase says. He nods to Meijin, who brings up a holoscreen from his PET and flips it around to show everyone. "Do you all recognise this chart?"

"That's a Synchro chart!" Netto eagerly responds, as if this is his school and Hikari-hakase is his teacher. "Right?"

"Right." Hikari-hakase nods. "You and Rockman have the highest Synchro rate out of all the Cross Fusion members, while Laika-kun and Searchman are a very close second. Ijuuin-kun and Blues, on the other hand, have the lowest."

"Honestly, we're still surprised Cross Fusion even works for them," Meijin adds.

Blues winces, staring at his hands in his lap. Ijuuin's grumbling turns into a low growl.

"We've tested their Synchro rate more than everyone else's, purely because of this." Hikari-hakase picks up the explanation again, all business. Or would that be science? "From what we can tell, most of the Synchro appears to be on Blues's end - Ijuuin-kun has almost little to no synergy with him at all. This imbalance could have caused the odd reaction with the new Synchro Chip, thus creating the surge of energy that swapped their species."

"I'd say this is completely insane," Laika begins, sighing, "but we've fought a literal god, messed with time itself, and gotten trapped in an alternate reality. At this point, I think I'd be more shocked if something absurd didn't happen."

"Papa," Rockman says, "is there any way to change them back? Or are they stuck like this?"

And isn't that just the golden question? It's almost certainly been on everyone's minds since this incident first happened, but no one has yet been brave enough to put it into words. No one, of course, except for Rockman. Ijuuin's complaints don't count.

"Theoretically, the thing that caused the swap in the first place should be able to undo it," Hikari-hakase answers. "Unfortunately, the Synchro Chip Ijuuin-kun used vanished, and we haven't found any sign of it either in SciLab or in the cyberworld."

"Why would it be in the cyberworld?" Searchman asks, too curious to stay quiet and observe like normal.

"Ijuuin-kun was the one who used it, so it may have been transported into the cyberworld along with him when the swap occurred. We've already searched most of SciLab's network and came up empty, so we'll need to perform a deep scan of both Ijuuin-kun and his PET just in case it-"

"Hell no!" Ijuuin snaps, loud enough to make them all wince, especially poor Blues. "You're not taking me apart like some lab rat! Just make another Synchro Chip!"

"Ijuuin-kun, there's no guarantee that will work," Meijin says carefully.

Ijuuin, being Ijuuin, is having none of it. "It worked the first time!"

"Were you not paying any attention?" Laika demands sharply. "It may not work without the original Synchro Chip that you used, and said Synchro Chip may be in your PET or in you!"

"Just hurry up and fix this before I-"

Netto snatches the PET off the desk and mutes it. On the screen, Ijuuin keeps talking, and then stops after a few moments. He looks furious.

Everyone looks at Netto.

"What?" The boy smiles innocently, placing the PET back down. "We've all wanted to do that since we first met him anyway."

"Netto . . ." Hikari-hakase sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm not sorry."

Hikari-hakase only sighs again, shaking his head with exasperated fondness. "Well, anyway, I'll be keeping Ijuuin-kun here overnight in order to oversee the deep scan. Even if the Synchro Chip isn't within him or his PET, we'll have a better idea of how his programming is laid out."

"How come that's important?" Netto asks, blinking.

"He was turned into a fully-functional NetNavi," Meijin points out. "We have no idea what sort of abilities he may or may not have, or what his stats are like. We're not even sure what type of NetNavi he is. The deep scan can tell us all of this and more."

"And knowing how his programming and coding fits together will be important in case he needs maintenance or something along those lines," Hikari-hakase adds.

Ijuuin somehow manages to look even more furious. Considering his helmet covers most of his face, including his eyes, that's somewhat impressive. Then again, this is Ijuuin, so perhaps it's just standard.

"And what about Blues?" Laika asks.

Hikari-hakase frowns, putting a hand to his chin. Blues raises his eyes, betraying his worry.

"Considering he's human, there's not much point in keeping him here like Ijuuin-kun," Hikari-hakase muses. "I suppose we could always contact Ijuuin-kun's father and see if he'd be willing to accommodate him for the time being . . . ?"

"What!?" Netto looks almost offended. "No way, you can't just shove Blues off onto someone else like that, that's just mean!"

"Netto-"

"Even if this is only temporary, he deserves to experience being a human! That means snacks, a proper bed, video games, exploring the city . . ."

"Netto, I think you're dumping too much on him," Laika says, with a quick glance at the confused-looking Blues.

"Okay, fine, we'll do stuff one at a time. But he should still get to experience everything! It wouldn't be fair otherwise."

"You shouldn't force him, Netto-kun," Rockman tells his operator.

"I'm not gonna!"

"How about you ask Blues what he wants first, before deciding for him?"

Netto pauses. "Oh. That kinda forcing. Gotcha."

He turns to Blues, raising both eyebrows, and Blues winces at the sudden attention.

"I- I, um . . . It's- I-I . . ." Blues audibly swallows and drops his gaze again. "I- I'm fine with . . . whatever."

Laika isn't the only one who softens at the former Navi's nervous admission. The idea of having a choice is likely a foreign concept to Blues, no matter Netto's past efforts to show him otherwise. They have Ijuuin to thank for that. Or perhaps 'curse' would be more accurate.

"How about you just take him home for now?" Hikari-hakase suggests to his son. "Mama will be more than happy to look after him while we're busy with Ijuuin-kun."

"Sure!" Netto agrees easily enough, but then pauses. He looks at Blues again. "Is that okay?"

Blues blinks, hesitating, and then just shrugs.

Well, they can't undo years of conditioning in a single day. But perhaps this sudden swap is a godsend - Blues will get to experience some form of freedom for the first time in his entire existence, and Laika and Netto can assist him as best they can.

As for Ijuuin . . . Hopefully Hikari-hakase and Meijin can deal with him for the time being.

Meijin drives them to the Hikari residence in his car. On the way over, Netto calls his mother to let her know what's going on, and she reacts with an enthusiasm that very few could possibly hope to match. Haruka-san is just as odd as her husband and son at times.

The absolute second they walk into the house, she descends on them with almost terrifying speed. Thankfully, the majority of her focus is on Blues, fussing over him and marvelling at his long, soft hair and musing out loud about clothing sizes.

"I'm not sure that will be necessary, Haruka-san," Laika says, because Blues looks far too overwhelmed to say it himself. "This situation is likely temporary."

"Nonsense!" Haruka-san dismisses, batting a hand in his general direction. "It doesn't matter even if he only spends tonight as a human, he needs comfortable clothes!" She looks Blues up and down, humming thoughtfully. "You look around the same size as Netto . . ."

"No way!" Netto laughs. "C'mon, Mama, he's obviously taller than me."

"By about two inches, maybe," Laika mutters under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Netto raises an eyebrow, unimpressed, but doesn't press the issue.

"We can try some of your spares for now, at least," Haruka-san says, drawing their attention again. She smiles at Blues, gentle and kind. "If this ends up lasting longer than just tonight, we can go shopping for some clothes of your own, okay sweetie?"

Blues rubs his upper arm, visibly awkward, but he nods all the same. He doesn't seem as overwhelmed as before, at least.

There's always something about Haruka-san that just naturally sets people at ease. Perhaps this is where Netto gets it from - after all, Hikari-hakase has a tendency to be off in his own world too often to be a good source of comfort to anyone other than his family. Although the ability to take almost anything in stride certainly appears to be a trait shared by all members of the Hikari family.

"I've already gotten out the futon for you, too," Haruka-san says cheerfully.

Netto draws in a sharp gasp. "No way, he's not sleeping on the futon for his first night of being human!"

"F-first?" Blues repeats quietly, shrinking in on himself a little.

"Don't worry about it," Laika advises carefully, patting him between the shoulders. Blues swallows and nods slightly.

"He can have my bed for the night." Netto nods firmly. "I'll take the futon, I don't mind!"

"Oh, my kind, courageous boy!" Haruka-san coos, giving him a tight hug. Netto practically beams.

Laika smiles at the sight - how could he not? It's heartwarming to see such a display of love and affection - and then straightens in surprise when Haruka-san addresses him next.

"Laika-kun, would you like to take the sofa? I'm afraid we don't have a second futon."

"Oh, er, that's alright," he tells her. "I can go back to my hotel room, I wouldn't want to cause any trouble for you."

That appears to be the wrong thing to say.

Haruka-san's eyes gleam with sudden determination. She lets go of her son, though she keeps one hand on his shoulder, and fixes Laika with a firm look not too dissimilar to Hikari-hakase when he's focusing during a crisis.

It appears unflappability is not the only trait the Hikaris share.

"It's no trouble at all, I'd love to have you here," Haruka-san says. Her cheerful words do not match the looming promise in her eyes. It's not threatening in any way, and yet . . .

Laika can only stare, futilely working his mouth in an attempt to form a response.

After several moments of this, Searchman sighs from his PET and speaks up. "I'll cancel our hotel room for the foreseeable future, Laika-sama."

" . . . Sure," Laika manages. Somehow.

And just like that, Haruka-san's demeanour changes back to cheerful. It's like someone flipped a switch.

"Wonderful!" She claps her hands together happily. "Netto, could you help me get some blankets out? Oh, and the good spare pillows, too!"

"Okay, Mama!" Netto agrees, shooting Laika and Blues a mischievous grin.

Like mother like son.

True night creeps up on the Hikari household faster than anticipated, perhaps because Netto is an overexcited bundle of energy even in the comfort of his own home. Rockman, thoroughly amused, informs Laika that he normally isn't like this - it's more than likely the fact that he and Blues are staying at the house for the time being that has him so excited.

Dinner ends up bringing out an entirely different sort of excitement in Netto, and it appears to ignite something similar in Haruka-san as well. At least the reason why is obvious this time; Blues has never consumed human food before, so this will be his first true meal. Laika can't help but get somewhat invested in this as well.

Although there is a slight problem. Blues, after staring at his full plate for almost twenty seconds, finally makes a quiet confession.

"I- I don't know how to eat."

Laika frowns, and Netto pauses with his fork halfway to his open mouth. Haruka-san's brows furrow and she looks between Blues and the plate with open worry.

"That's okay!" Netto says, once the moment of shock has passed. "I'll show you how, it's really easy."

"Pardon me for asking, but why do you not know how to eat?" Laika can't quite manage to get rid of his frown, though he does soften it when Blues shies away. "It's not as though cyberfood doesn't exist - even Searchman enjoys it from time to time."

Searchman, perched on the table with Rockman, nods his agreement. Both Navis look just as puzzled as the humans.

But Blues somehow manages to look even more puzzled than all of them.

"What's cyberfood?" he asks, tilting his head.

"It's . . . food?" Netto blinks. "For NetNavis?"

"You've been to Internet City plenty of times," Rockman points out, with a worried look that mirrors Haruka-san's expression. "Haven't you ever been in any of the cybercafes or restaurants?"

Blues looks even more confused. "Aren't those just extensions of real world eateries? Navis just go inside and place an order for their operator, right . . . ?"

"Most offer that service, yes," Searchman says. "But a lot of them serve Navis as well, with menus that often reflect that of the real world's restaurant. Some are even entirely cyberworld-based, catering exclusively to NetNavis."

"Oh." Blues blinks. "Is . . . is it a new thing, then . . . ?"

"No, it's . . . been a thing since Internet City first came online," Rockman informs him.

Blues opens his mouth, pauses, and then closes it. He looks stunned.

Netto peers at him, frowning. After a few moments, his expression clears, and then falls into a combination of annoyance and pity.

"Ijuuin was the one who told you that 'extension' crap, wasn't he?" he asks, deadpan.

"Netto, language!" Haruka-san scolds.

"Sorry, Mama."

"I- well, um-" Blues verbally flails for a moment or two. "Y-yes? En- Enzan-sama s-said . . . I mean, he was . . . M-maybe he was just . . . mistaken . . . ?"

"He's the vice president of IPC," Laika reminds him carefully. "I sincerely doubt he would make that kind of mistake."

" . . . Oh," Blues says, in a small voice.

Yet another moment passes by, and then it's abruptly broken by Haruka-san tapping her fork on her plate. Everyone looks at her in varying stages of hopeless confusion and sad realisation.

"Never mind that for now," she tells them. "Let's focus on teaching Blues how to eat, so he can enjoy his first bite of food! Okay, boys?"

Netto smiles a little and nods, then turns to Blues. "Here, lemme show you what to do, it's super simple, don't worry . . ."

The atmosphere gradually relaxes into something more comfortable as dinner goes on. Laika finishes his food quicker than anyone else, while Blues understandably takes almost three times as long to finish his own.

It's worth it to watch his face light up upon taking his first successful bite.

Helping Blues change clothes is a simple enough task. Helping him with the buttons of one of Netto's pyjama sets is another matter entirely, one that Laika is both amused and exasperated by.

Somehow, and he genuinely has no idea how, Blues manages to get all of the buttons into the wrong holes. The poor Navi-turned-human is completely stuck for a full five minutes before he can figure out how to free him, and Netto is absolutely no help whatsoever, just merrily cackling away in the corner. Rockman, at least, takes pity and tries to provide an extra pair of eyes during the freeing process.

"Alright," Laika finally says, stepping back, "that should do it. Let's see . . ." He gives his work a quick once-over, nodding firmly. "Yes, there we go. All set and ready for bed."

Blues stares at him for a moment. Then he transfers that stare to Netto's bed.

" . . . You know how to get into a bed, right?" Laika checks.

"Um . . ."

Oh, dear god.

"It's the same as Enzan-sama sleeping on the sofa, right?" Blues asks, looking back at him. "He just, um, he lies down and pulls a blanket over himself and then . . . uh, goes to sleep."

"Ijuuin sleeps on a sofa?" Netto asks, incredulous.

"I-in his office, yeah."

" . . . That's just sad."

Blues purses his lips. If he were anyone else, he likely would have said something about that comment - but since he isn't, he keeps quiet.

Laika doesn't know if this is a fundamental part of the former Navi's personality, or if this is something more recent. He's only ever known Blues as a quiet and timid Navi, a result of Ijuuin's poor treatment of him. Perhaps he should ask Netto about this at some point - the boy once mentioned that Blues used to be completely different, after all.

Moving on from that, it's time to get Blues into bed. It honestly feels similar to tucking a small child in, albeit a very odd one who isn't used to the gentle springs of a mattress or the soft weight of a blanket.

Once Blues is finally settled, they're done. All that's left is to, well, leave him to sleep.

Netto darts out of the room after a cheerful 'goodnight!', and Laika is about to follow when he feels a tug on his sleeve. He glances down at Blues, raising an eyebrow, and Blues bites his lip and retreats.

"S-sorry, I just-" He cuts himself off, shrinking away. "Sorry."

Laika softens. He pulls over the chair from Netto's desk and sits down at the side of the bed.

"It's alright. What is it?"

" . . . Um, it's kinda stupid . . ."

"We're currently staying as guests in the house of Hikari Netto," Laika points out. "He is the paragon of 'stupid'."

This time, his attempted joke has the desired effect. Blues huffs a quiet laugh, smiling a little.

"Regardless, you're completely new at being a human, so if you have any questions or concerns, no matter how 'stupid' you think they are, I will be perfectly happy to help you. So, once again, what is it?"

" . . . How do I sleep?" Blues asks.

Laika blinks.

Blues winces, looking at the blanket he's bunching up in his fists. "I- I told you it was stupid . . ."

"No, no, I should have realised this would be an issue sooner," Laika sighs, shaking his head. "You only know how to activate sleep-mode, but humans don't have that. We fall asleep by relaxing our bodies and being comfortable."

"Um . . ."

"Sometimes it helps if there's a background noise of some sort," he goes on. "Here, why don't you lie down? I can . . . hm . . . I can tell you a story, if you'd like."

"A story?" Blues seems to perk up, even as he settles into the bed, lying on his side. "What kinda story?"

"An old folklore from my country. One of my favourites, actually. Would you like to hear it?"

Blues nods against the pillow, long white hair splayed out behind him.

"Very well." Laika clears his throat, making sure his voice is ready for a lengthy tale. "This is a story that takes place many, many years ago, when technology was little more than a dream in the most fantastic of minds. On the outskirts of a small village, there lived a fisherman and his wife. They made a living off the fish he caught in the lake nearby. Every day it was a simple but happy routine - in the morning, the fisherman would go to the lake and catch as much as he could, and in the afternoon, he and his wife would go into the village and sell his catch in the marketplace. One day, the fisherman didn't return home, so his wife went out to find him . . ."

Chapter Text

Blues goes into sleep-mode- er, goes to sleep partway through Laika-san's story.

He's ashamed of himself when he wakes up the next morning - Laika-san will surely be displeased with him for not listening to the whole thing, especially since he said it was one of his favourites. But when he goes downstairs to apologise, Laika-san says it . . . doesn't matter? That he expected Blues to fall asleep during the story.

Odd. If he had done this to Enzan-sama, he would have been scolded, perhaps even punished.

But regardless, he still feels bad, because he wants to know what happened to the fisherman's wife and whether or not she managed to get her husband back from the disgruntled spirits. He could simply ask Laika-san to repeat the story during breakfast, but he's not sure if that's allowed. Most humans eat at certain times of the day and aren't very happy when they're interrupted, no matter the reason.

Luckily, he doesn't need to dwell on this for long, because Netto-san overhears them talking as he arrives downstairs.

"Oooh, what's this about a story?" he asks, making a beeline for them.

"I was telling a folklore from my country last night, to help Blues sleep," Laika-san explains.

Netto-san gasps in delight. "You have to tell it to me, I wanna hear this!"

"I'd love to hear it too, Laika-kun!" Hikari-san calls from the kitchen. She's making more food, and from what Blues can tell, it smells delicious, same as it did yesterday.

He's found that his sense of smell is very, very different now. Of course it is - he's a human, not a NetNavi. In the cyberworld, sense of smell always came with an undercurrent of energy or electricity, regardless of your surroundings. The only times he was able to experience anything similar to real world smells were during Cross Fusion (which mixed an odd version of the real world's various scents with the energy from the cyberworld) and when he was, ah . . . lost during the Nebula incident.

As a human, there is no undercurrent of energy, nor is any of it muted. He experiences these new smells vividly, without any sort of barrier or filter. It's nearly overwhelming and he's not sure if he should bring this up to the humans currently caring for him in this state, but he's also quite fascinated by it.

He wonders if Enzan-sama has noticed the difference in smells yet, and what he thinks of it if he has. Knowing Enzan-sama, it's likely just one more thing to be frustrated by. It's not his fault, really, he's just a naturally angry person and he doesn't have a good outlet.

 . . . He also has to wonder if his operator is okay. Deep scans aren't pleasant for anyone - to have every inch of your data and programming and even your core opened up, leaving your unconscious body to the mercy of the human overseeing the scan, is a level of vulnerability even the most docile of Navis would hesitate to go through. He's been through it himself once or twice before, and it left him tender and shaken for hours afterwards.

Maybe when they switch back, he can suggest a day off for Enzan-sama? Just to recover from the experience. Or, if they end up being stuck like this for another day or two, he could suggest a few things that helped him after his own deep scans.

Of course, that's if Enzan-sama will be willing to take his suggestions. NetNavis aren't supposed to do that, nor are they supposed to have their own opinions, so whenever Blues makes the mistake of attempting to express his, he often gets yelled at. He should really learn to keep quiet.

But for now, he's happy to hear Laika-san's story properly. And eat some more nice food from Hikari-san.

Meijin-san comes in his car to take them back to SciLab. Blues is endlessly fascinated by the vehicle - it's so different getting to sit in one for himself, as opposed to simply just looking at it from inside the PET. There's all kinds of little vibrations he never knew about, adding to each sound and creating a sort of . . . rumble in his body. Almost like he's vibrating too.

Netto-san says those are his bones he can feel vibrating. How strange, to suddenly have them. NetNavis certainly don't, not in the same way as humans, and now he's fascinated by all the little cracks and pops he can feel when he presses his fingers together or wiggles his toes.

It's enough to keep him distracted for the entire ride. Yesterday he'd been staring out the window, taking in all the sights he normally only gets to see either through a screen or Enzan-sama's eyes. Even if he only gets to be human for this long, he thinks it'll be the best experience of his existence so far.

They arrive at SciLab and Meijin-san takes them straight to Hikari-hakase's office. Blues was kind of expecting the Dimensional Area lab so they could try and fix this as soon as possible, but maybe they need to be debriefed first. That's how the Net Police do things, and humans tend to like knowing what's going on before doing anything really important.

"Morning, Papa!" Netto-san calls cheerfully, wandering into the room with easy confidence. Sometimes Blues wishes he had that kind of confidence too.

"Hello, Netto." Hikari-hakase smiles at the group. "I take it last night went well?"

"He struggled a little with quite a few human things, but he picked them up quickly," Laika-san says, taking a seat.

Blues follows his lead, and smiles a little when Netto-san sits on his other side. His smile widens when Rockman and Searchman appear on their respective operators' shoulders. They're two of the strongest and coolest NetNavis in the entire cyberworld, and Netto-san and Laika-san are both really nice and smart humans. Sitting between the four of them is quite possibly the safest place in the entire world.

Like yesterday, Meijin-san takes his own seat at the side of Hikari-hakase's desk. Both scientists look no worse for wear despite staying up all night to perform the deep scan on Enzan-sama.

With everyone from yesterday accounted for, the only one missing is the aforementioned Enzan-sama. Blues turns his gaze to the surface of Hikari-hakase's desk, but the PET isn't there.

Something tightens in his chest. It's incredibly uncomfortable, but all he can think about is Enzan-sama.

"Wh-where's, um-" He swallows when everyone turns to look at him suddenly. The tightening in his chest is starting to feel sharp. "Where- where's Enzan-sama?"

"He's still under from the deep scan," Hikari-hakase answers, giving him a gentle smile. "No need to worry, he's perfectly safe and is being cared for until he wakes up."

Blues feels his chest loosening under the relief that washes over him.

"Speaking of which," Laika-san begins, "have you found anything of interest?"

Hikari-hakase's expression turns more serious. "Yes, we did."

He nods to Meijin-san, who places his PET on the desk and brings up a series of holoscreens. On those screens are a bunch of seemingly-random lines of letters, numbers, symbols, and words.

These are easily recognisable - lines of code and programming, everything that makes up the frame and core of a NetNavi. They're looking at the very being of a NetNavi.

At the very being of Enzan-sama.

" . . . That doesn't look like much," Netto-san comments, tilting his head as if he'll be able to see more that way.

"It doesn't?" Laika-san frowns. "I must be missing something, because that looks incredibly complex to me. Can someone explain?"

"Yes, of course, sorry." Hikari-hakase clears his throat. "You see, this is the data we got from the deep scan we performed on Ijuuin-kun last night. This is, in essence, Ijuuin-kun himself. Each line of code represents different parts of his current existence."

Laika-san hums. His frown doesn't lighten up in the slightest.

"Here, maybe it'll be easier like this," Meijin-san says, tapping at his PET for a moment.

The holoscreens change images. Where there were lines of code and programming, there are now detailed blueprints and various boxes labelled neatly. The blueprints show a translucent image of the Navi Enzan-sama currently is - one of them shows his frame, another his core, and so on.

"This looks more familiar," Laika-san muses, nodding slowly. "I've seen it when customising Searchman."

Blues doesn't know how he didn't recognise this even as lines of code. It's the exact same thing, just with pictures and stuff. Maybe some humans aren't good with coding? But Laika-san is really smart, so he's not sure how that fits in.

What an odd species humans are sometimes. If only more of them were like Enzan-sama, then he'd be able to understand them much easier.

"Netto-kun's right, there really isn't much there," Rockman says, brows furrowed. "I would've thought Ijuuin's programming would be really complicated, considering . . ."

Hikari-hakase nods. "Yes, that's what Meijin and I thought too. Even the most common, mass-produced NetNavis are more complex than this. Honestly, this type of coding brings to mind display-type Navis rather than anything else."

"So . . . Ijuuin is a display Navi?" Netto-san asks, pressing his lips together. Even Blues can tell he's not doing a good job of hiding his amusement.

"He's more of a blank slate, really," Meijin-san corrects. "It does make sense, in a way. He and Blues were switched so suddenly, and he came out of that as a fully-functional NetNavi. To go from human to NetNavi . . . It was almost certainly overwhelming for him. It's possible that if he'd been turned into a more complex Navi, he would have self-deleted on the spot."

Blues sucks in a sharp breath. On one side, Netto-san swallows thickly, and on the other, Laika-san sits up straighter as his eyes widen a fraction. Rockman and Searchman share similar reactions.

It was overwhelming enough suddenly going from being a NetNavi to being a human. But to learn that going from human to NetNavi could have very easily killed Enzan-sama . . .

It's a good thing he ended up with such basic programming, then.

"Aside from that," Hikari-hakase says, solemn with the change in atmosphere, "he has no abilities to speak of, nor does he have any Battle Data. As for his stats, they're so low they're practically non-existent. This is likely related to his basic programming, though I can't help but find it somewhat fascinating, to be honest. Technically speaking, he shouldn't be able to function as a sentient being with such little programming, yet he does."

Laika-san's frown returns. "So you're saying he's a paradox of sorts."

Hikari-hakase hums thoughtfully. "A Paradox Navi . . . I quite like the sound of that . . ."

"Papa," Rockman says, and Hikari-hakase blinks.

"Ah, right." The man smiles sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Er, as I was saying . . . There's actually something else interesting about him, too. His processing speed and perception level."

"Those are how Navis, uh . . ." Netto-san purses his lips. "What was it . . ."

"They're how we understand and perceive the world around us," Rockman supplies.

Netto-san perks up. "Yeah, that! Right, Papa?"

Hikari-hakase nods.

"What's so interesting about them?" Laika-san prompts, raising an eyebrow.

"Well . . . the strange thing is, his perception level is incredibly high, but his processing speed is very low. They're exact opposites."

"Normally a NetNavi's processing speed and perception level would be around about equal," Meijin-san explains. "Sometimes a Navi's programming or type will require one to be favoured over the other, but not drastically so. With Ijuuin-kun, it's like one has been cranked up to the highest setting, while the other has been turned down as low as possible without just switching it off entirely."

"With his perception so high, he'll be receiving almost ridiculous amounts of information each second," Hikari-hakase adds. "But since his processing speed is so low, that information can't be assessed properly, and he'll become overwhelmed and overstimulated very quickly."

"Do you have any idea why he's like that?" Laika-san asks.

Hikari-hakase sighs. "I don't, unfortunately. But I do think the drastic difference in processing and perception is another possible reason for his basic programming - like we said before, if he had been at all complicated or overwhelmed after the switch, he likely would have self-deleted."

"H-he's not in danger of that now, is he?" Blues blurts out, even though Navis are supposed to keep quiet when humans are talking.

He's relieved when Hikari-hakase shakes his head.

"That was only a danger when the switch first occurred, thankfully," the head scientist replies. "The surge of energy combined with overwhelmingly complex programming would have been something of an instant kill switch for him. Now that the energy is gone and he is, for all intents and purposes, a regular NetNavi, being overwhelmed won't cause self-deletion."

"It will cause intense discomfort and pain, though," Meijin-san warns.

"Yeesh." Netto-san winces. "I may not like him, but I kinda feel sorry for him right now . . ."

"It's for this reason that we've installed a lock system on his PET for now," Hikari-hakase says. "In order to prevent him from becoming overwhelmed should he leave it, and also to keep him safe from potential harm, considering both his low stats and lack of ability to defend himself."

Which means Enzan-sama is completely helpless.

Oh, they have to fix this quickly! Blues doesn't want his operator to be stuck in his PET like this, it's just mean.

"What about the Synchro Chip?" Laika-san asks, bringing him out of his spiral of worry. "Did you manage to find any trace of it?"

"Yes, we did." Hikari-hakase smiles a little. "Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult to find - it had been transported into a zipped folder when the switch occurred. Its data is being transferred into a new case as we speak, and once it's fully initialised, it can be used to switch Ijuuin-kun and Blues back to normal."

That's a relief. Once they're both back to their original species, everything can just go back to normal.

Though Blues will still cherish the short time he spent as a human. This has been a wonderful experience - he's sad it has to end so quickly, but in order to make sure Enzan-sama doesn't get hurt, it's for the best that it gets sorted out sooner rather than later.

Hikari-hakase takes them to where Enzan-sama is, and it takes a lot of self-control for Blues to keep himself still when he sees his operator's Navi body floating in the rings of a scanner program. Enzan-sama's PET is slotted into the machine, with a diagnostic program being run on it by a scientist Blues knows by face but not by name.

Their arrival is well-timed, because a few minutes later (he feels a little odd only having an approximate estimate of time rather than an accurate one), Enzan-sama comes out of the sleep-mode he was put into for the deep scan.

Blues is happy to see him awake, but a part of him is kinda dreading the inevitable anger and complaints Enzan-sama no doubt has - so when he only remains silent, it's understandable that he's a little confused. Yes, Enzan-sama is likely angry (judging by the faint twist to his mouth), but to not immediately start complaining or even shouting? It's strange and, somehow, even more nerve-wracking than the shouting would have been.

It gives Hikari-hakase the opportunity to explain everything he said in his office, though. Which is good. Blues wouldn't be okay with keeping his operator in the dark about all this stuff.

" . . . and the Synchro Chip should be ready for use by tomorrow afternoon at the latest," Hikari-hakase finishes. "In the meantime, you and Blues will have to bear with your current situations. We'll do what we can to ease the stress on both of you - Blues is currently staying at my house where my wife can help care for him, so if you'd like-"

Enzan-sama finally speaks, but the venom in his voice makes Blues want to huddle in the corner of his PET- the room just to avoid attracting his operator's rage.

"You expect me to just accept this?"

Hikari-hakase hesitates. "You . . . don't have much choice at the moment, I'm afraid."

"Don't have much choice?" Enzan-sama scowls, baring his teeth like he'll use them to bite. "I don't have any choice, with you locking me in this stupid PET!"

"It's for your own safety, Ijuuin," Laika-san says, voice hard. "Remember, Hikari-hakase said-"

"Oh, shut up already! It's that mad scientist's fault that I'm stuck like this in the first place! Why should I listen to anything he has to say?"

Netto-san's eyes blaze with rage. "Don't talk about my papa like that!"

"And you're just as bad, if not worse," Enzan-sama snaps, glowering at him. "Your entire damn family is full of insane freaks!"

"Ijuuin-kun!" Hikari-hakase exclaims sharply.

"You can't just say something like that-" Meijin-san begins.

Enzan-sama interrupts him this time. "I can say whatever the hell I want, considering what he's done to me! It's the truth anyway! It must be, considering what these two are like!"

"Um," Blues says.

The sudden silence is almost deafening.

"What," Enzan-sama demands flatly.

An odd sort of breathless, yet heavy, feeling almost prevents Blues from speaking. He swallows a gulp of air - which does very little to help - and forces the words out anyway.

"Th-they're actually, um, r-r-really nice?" he squeaks. His face feels too hot and somehow it's getting harder to breathe. "H-Hikari-san is- sh-she- she m-made me food and- uh- g-gave me some clothes to w-wear, and- a-and-"

Enzan-sama stiffens and Blues stops talking.

"Well," his operator says, in a soft but utterly vicious tone, "I'm so glad you were being pampered while I was having every inch of my being violated against my will!"

Blues flinches, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"I'm- I'm sorry," he whispers. "I-I was just-"

"Shut up."

Blues shuts up.

His eyes are wet. This, at least, is a familiar feeling, even if he's only experienced it as a Navi - but he does his best to hold it back, because Enzan-sama will only get angrier if he sees him crying.

NetNavis aren't supposed to cry. They exist to serve humans, not get upset and act like children.

Enzan-sama's angry gaze sweeps over the humans. Under his visor, he's no doubt glaring at each and every one of them. Only Netto-san and Laika-san glare back - Hikari-hakase and Meijin-san look as though they're at least attempting to keep their own expressions neutral.

"You think I'm just going to be fine with being locked in here?" Enzan-sama hisses. "Unlike you people, I have a life! I have a job!"

"It's only one more day-" Hikari-hakase tries to tell him.

"I'm the vice president of IPC! I have responsibilities and duties that only I can fulfil! Though I doubt you could understand that, given that you seem to have all the time in the world to screw me over-"

Netto-san marches over to the PET and mutes it.

Just like yesterday, Enzan-sama keeps talking for a few moments, until he abruptly becomes aware of what happened. He pauses for a second, apparently stunned, and then starts raging silently. Blues still trembles all the same.

"It's no use throwing a temper-tantrum," Laika-san says sharply. "You can't just insult people like that and not expect any consequences." Enzan-sama stomps his foot as best he can inside the floating rings. "And you call Netto a child. Who's acting immature now, Ijuuin?"

Enzan-sama stops, but still keeps his glare up.

Netto-san blows a raspberry at him. "Jerk."

Hikari-hakase sighs heavily, running a hand down his face. Meijin-san offers him a consoling pat on the shoulder.

"We'll keep him here until tomorrow," Meijin-san says, looking at Netto-san and Laika-san. "It's probably for the best anyway. Ijuuin-kun is . . . clearly not taking this well."

"Yeah, no kidding," Netto-san huffs.

While the humans talk, Blues keeps his eyes fixed on his operator. Enzan-sama doesn't even bother acknowledging him, too busy . . . well, sulking, for lack of better words. Honestly, Enzan-sama probably wouldn't bother acknowledging him even if he weren't.

" . . . Blues? You okay?"

He blinks, trying to clear his suddenly-blurry vision, and looks at Rockman. Both he and Searchman are standing on the air in front of him, giving him equally-worried looks. Well, Searchman's is more reserved than Rockman's, but it's still there, definitely.

"I- um-" Blues swallows, reaching up to wipe at his eyes with his sleeves. It doesn't help. "Y-yeah, I'm- good. I just- I- N-Net- NetNavis a-aren't su- supposed to- to cry. So, um. I'm. I-I'm f- f-fine."

"Even NetNavis need to cry sometimes," Searchman tells him.

All he can do is shake his head, frantically trying to calm himself down. The tears won't stop. Why won't they stop?

"Netto-kun," Rockman calls, turning to his operator.

"What's up?" Netto-san looks around, then spots Blues. His expression softens and he comes over, offering gentle hands and even gentler words. "Hey, hey, c'mon, don't cry, you're okay. Why don't we go back home for now, yeah? You can try some of Mama's cake - trust me, it'll be the best thing you've eaten so far!"

Blues's breath hitches on the way in. "O- okay. Thh-thank you, Net- N-Netto-s-san."

Netto-san herds him out of the room, and he risks a quick glance at his operator before the doors close behind them.

Enzan-sama still isn't looking at him.

Chapter Text

It's hard to have to take a back seat in comforting Blues. But that's the main issue between humans and Navis - they live in separate worlds, and only in certain circumstances can they share space.

So Rockman, as a Navi, can only offer a few gentle words to Blues while Netto-kun takes the lead.

He feels oddly put out by this. It's normally him who offers the poor red-armoured Navi physical comfort when he's crying or scared. Him who offers gentle hands and a safe place whenever Ijuuin locks him out of his own PET. To suddenly be unable to offer these things, to have to watch someone else do it instead, even if it's Netto-kun . . .

It's selfish, he knows, but he can't help how he feels. He's not so selfish that he can't be grateful for Blues having some form of comfort, at least.

"What do you think?" Netto-kun asks Blues, as they sit on the sofa at home and munch away on Mama's cake. "Like it?"

Blues hums quietly. He's still upset, but it looks like food is a good way to help him calm down, or at the very least to distract him.

Rockman's usual method of doing that is to invite Blues to play a peaceful farming sim he downloaded onto Netto-kun's PC. It's a Navi-exclusive game, simulating farm life such as caring for crops and animals, expanding your land, and so on. You can even use wireless communications to trade with other Navis' farms to get unique crops or animals. Blues loves playing it, even when he's not upset, and they have a fun, ongoing rivalry with Roll-chan's farm.

"This one's strawberry, if you're wondering," Netto-kun explains. "Mama loves making any kinda cake, so if you wanna try somethin' new, you can totally just ask!"

Blues swallows his current bite, but he looks a little nervous now. He's not the type to ask for things. That's Ijuuin's fault. A lot of things are Ijuuin's fault.

"Don't push him, Netto-kun," Rockman reminds his operator.

"Ah- right, sorry."

Rockman smiles as Blues's expression softens. They can't play the farming sim right now, but the cake is doing a good job, as is Netto-kun.

The quiet calm is interrupted when there's a sudden knock on the front door.

"Oh, I wonder who that could be?" Mama muses, curious. She leaves the dishes in the sink and heads out to the hall.

There's the sound of the front door opening, then a somewhat muffled conversation. Mama sounds happy and cheerful as always, and the person at the door sounds familiar enough that Rockman recognises the voice instantly.

He smiles and looks at Netto-kun and Blues. "Sounds like Meiru-chan came over."

Netto-kun perks up with a delighted grin. On the other hand, Blues looks to be fretting again.

"Sh-she doesn't know about . . . m-me, does she?" the former Navi asks, wincing.

"No, but that's okay," Rockman tells him gently. "We can just explain what happened, no need to worry."

"And I bet she and Roll'll wanna help out too!" Netto-kun adds eagerly.

Blues bites his lower lip, pressing the tips of his fingers together. He pushes them closer and closer until all of his fingers are touching, but his palms aren't. It seems to help him calm down a little, though it's unclear why. Maybe it's something to do with his new bones?

Mama comes back, this time with Meiru-chan trailing after her. The pink-haired human opens her mouth to greet Netto-kun, then spots Blues and stops, blinking.

"Um . . . hi?" She looks and sounds confused, which is fair. "I don't think I've seen you around before . . ."

"Actually, you have," Netto-kun corrects her, grinning like a cat.

Meiru-chan blinks again. Roll-chan appears on her shoulder, frowning at Blues.

"You know, Meiru-chan," the pink Navi says thoughtfully, "he does seem kinda familiar. I can't quite put my antenna on it, though . . ."

Rockman doesn't often join in Netto-kun's mischief, but occasionally he'll make exceptions. This is one of them.

"Why don't you say hi to them?" he prompts, turning his head to smile at Blues. "Give 'em a little clue."

Blues looks faintly puzzled, but he does it anyway. "H-hello, Roll-chan and Meiru-san."

There's a beat of silence.

And then-

"BLUES!?" Meiru-chan shrieks, comically high-pitched.

"Nope!" Roll-chan exclaims, shaking her head. "No, no way, that is not Blues, he's not a human!"

"It is Blues, and he is human," Netto-kun informs them, giggling. He pats the sofa next to him. "C'mon, sit down, I'll tell you what happened."

"You'd better!" Meiru-chan squeaks, making her way over. She passes Blues and pauses, giving him an odd look.

Blues offers a nervous wave. Roll-chan and Meiru-chan exchange glances.

"Definitely acts like Blues," Roll-chan muses. Her operator nods in agreement.

After Meiru-chan sits down, Netto-kun begins explaining. Both girls listen attentively and frequently interrupt to ask questions, and they both pull faces whenever Ijuuin gets mentioned. They don't like him any more than anyone else does, which is . . . basically not at all.

That reminds Rockman of something, actually. While Netto-kun's talking has the others distracted, he quietly calls Mama over.

"Are you alright?" Mama asks, leaning down so they can talk without disturbing the others.

"Yeah, I just . . . I wanted to talk to you about something. It's private. Um, kinda. Can we go outside or something?"

Mama frowns, worried, but she nods. Netto-kun is fine with handing over his PET when she asks, and Rockman hops up onto her shoulder.

They end up heading into the bathroom, where Netto-kun's voice is barely more than a quiet murmur. Here, they won't be overheard. Not unless one of the humans - Blues included - decides they need to come in for whatever reason, though what reason that could be is a mystery. It's not like anyone needs a shower or a bath right now.

"Tell me what's on your mind, sweetie," Mama prompts softly, holding the PET out.

Rockman jumps down and stands on its surface, turning around to face her.

"Last night, Netto-kun and Laika were discussing how they could use this situation to get Blues away from Ijuuin," he confesses.

The two had stayed up a little later - an oddity for Netto-kun, who normally goes to bed early and rises late - to speak quietly, in order to avoid disturbing the rest of the house's sleeping inhabitants. Rockman and Searchman hadn't participated in the conversation, but they'd listened, and neither of them were sure that this would be a good idea.

In theory, yes, getting Blues away from his abusive operator would be best. But Netto-kun and Laika were only concerned with the immediate consequences of such an action. It's understandable, of course, but still.

Mama watches him quietly for a few moments. She's never met Ijuuin for herself, but Rockman and Netto-kun have told her enough about him, and she's seen what Blues is like whenever he stays with them. She knows Ijuuin isn't a good person.

"And you don't think it's a good idea?" she guesses. If she has her own opinion on the discussion, she keeps it to herself.

"No," Rockman immediately says. He winces. "I mean, yes. It's- complicated?"

"Complicated how?"

"I- I want Blues to be safe. I do, I really, really do. Every time he comes here when Ijuuin locks him out, I always think, like, 'maybe this time he'll stay with us', and then he'll be okay. But . . . but that'd be Blues's choice, and he doesn't . . . h-he knows Ijuuin isn't nice, but he still . . ."

"He still loves him," Mama says, and Rockman nods helplessly.

"What Netto-kun and Laika were talking about . . . It wouldn't work. 'Cus Blues would only see it as being kidnapped, and he'd do everything he could to get back to Ijuuin, and then he'd never trust any of us ever again."

"You're worried because they're not thinking of the long-term consequences. And that they're not giving Blues a choice."

"Y-yeah. Exactly. And . . . that's not the only thing."

Mama nods, encouraging him.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Normally he only worries for poor Blues when it comes to things like this, but after listening to Netto-kun and Laika last night . . .

"I don't think either of them are considering what'll happen to Ijuuin," he admits softly. "What might happen, even. If . . . if we take Blues away from him, what then? Do we just stop interacting with him? Arrest him? What if he tries to get Blues back? I-I just . . . I don't know . . ."

"Saito."

Rockman's breath hitches. He looks up into the kind eyes of his mother, and bites his lip to try and stop himself from crying.

"I think this is something you need to bring up to Netto and Laika-kun," Mama tells him. "This whole situation has caused a lot of stress for everyone, especially Blues and, yes, Ijuuin-kun as well. Maybe Netto and Laika-kun are feeling it too, and you just need to get them to take a step back and think." She smiles. "Honestly, I think the fact that you're considering the consequences for both Blues and Ijuuin-kun shows what a kind and thoughtful boy you are. So they'll definitely listen to you."

The smile Rockman manages in response is wobbly, but it's there.

"Thanks, Mama," he says, and her smile brightens. "I'll- I think . . . I should talk to Searchman about this as well. He wasn't too sure about this either."

"You could try talking to him before Netto and Laika-kun. He seems like a reasonable sort, maybe he'll help you."

Rockman nods. His wobbly smile smoothes out a little when Mama leans down to give his hologram a gentle kiss on the head.

"I'm proud of you, you know that?" she tells him. "My brave, strong, thoughtful boy."

"Thank you, Mama," he says again, so soft that he may as well be whispering.

Searchman would rather be literally anywhere other than here right now.

On the other side of the locked PET, Ijuuin huddles against a wall and stares at the floor. Judging by the hateful twist to his mouth, he's likely glowering at it. No matter what his expression is doing, he's certainly doing his level best to pretend that he's alone.

But even if Searchman doesn't want to be here, he stays. Because someone needs to keep an eye on Ijuuin, and he keeps insulting the humans, so this was the next best thing. At least with Ijuuin sulking like this, he doesn't have to deal with the usual complaining. It's a small silver lining, however, and it's only his honed patience as the cyberworld's greatest sniper that stops him from growing bored.

 . . . Unfortunately for him, Ijuuin doesn't have that same patience.

"I don't need a babysitter," the human-turned-Navi mutters. "I don't want one."

Whether or not he actually intended for that to be heard is up for debate, but ignoring him usually leads to more temper-tantrums. Honestly - he pretends to be mature and above everyone else, but in reality, he's little more than a spoiled toddler in the body of a skinny teen.

What a joke.

"It's not about what you want," Searchman tells him, and Ijuuin's mouth contorts into a full scowl. "These are Hikari-hakase's orders. If you think I want to be here any more than you do-"

"Shut up," Ijuuin snaps. "I don't talk to NetNavis."

"You are a NetNavi."

"I'm a human!" Ijuuin practically bares his teeth.

Searchman raises an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't talk to NetNavis?"

Ijuuin is definitely glaring at him under that visor. Searchman remains unimpressed - he's seen worse expressions from worse Navis, and given how basic Ijuuin's programming is, he's hardly a threat. Barely even registers as a tiny blip, to be quite honest.

"As I was saying," Searchman says, "I don't want to be here any more than you do. But Hikari-hakase thought it best to have someone keep an eye on you until tomorrow, especially considering your programming, not to mention your low processing speed."

"What the hell is that even supposed to mean?" Ijuuin demands.

"It means you're an incredibly stupid NetNavi."

Ijuuin bristles.

"No different than you were as a human, I personally believe," Searchman goes on. He shouldn't be doing this, but something about Ijuuin just makes him want to argue. Maybe it's like how Laika-sama tends to bring back his old sharp tongue whenever he has to interact with the brat.

"You shut your damn mouth, computer program!"

He narrows his eyes. "And what exactly are you right now?"

"I'm human!"

"The deep scan says otherwise. So does the fact that you're standing in here with me."

Ijuuin's scowl deepens. "I'm supposed to be human, then. Is that better, you nitpicky pile of scrap data?"

"Yes."

"Hmph." Ijuuin turns his head away. "Your operator needs to fix you. NetNavis were made to serve humans, not talk back to them."

"NetNavis are AI companions," Searchman informs him, "not slaves."

"Well, then you were made wrong."

Searchman gives in and glares. "In that case, you're no better than me. In fact, if anything, you're worse than me, because not only are you as basic as a display Navi, but you're defective as well."

"I am not defective!" Ijuuin spits out.

"I told you, you have a low processing speed."

"And I told you that I don't even know what that means!"

This is going nowhere. Why is he even arguing with this brat anyway? Laika-sama would be disappointed in him for getting dragged into this ridiculousness.

"Just read the report," he tells Ijuuin, fed up.

"What report?" Ijuuin demands.

Searchman breathes in deep through his nose, letting it out in a faint growl. He pushes off the wall of the PET and crosses the space between them - Ijuuin doesn't so much as flinch at his restrained march, which he grudgingly admits is somewhat impressive. Bigger and more powerful Navis have cowered away when he does this kind of walk.

"It's in the folder you're leaning on," he says. He reaches out to nudge Ijuuin aside. "Let me-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Searchman stops, hand frozen where it almost comes into contact with Ijuuin's shoulder.

As for Ijuuin himself, he looks . . . angry. Or that's what most would assume upon a cursory glance, and indeed his expression is identical to the hateful scowl he was wearing before. But a second, more careful look tells a different story entirely.

Ijuuin is trembling.

It's just barely visible, to the point where it would have gone unnoticed had Searchman not been so close already. His whole body is tense, which could also be mistaken for anger, but when combined with the barely-perceptible trembling . . .

Hm. This is an odd development.

" . . . Alright," Searchman says, taking a step back. He slowly raises his hands to show he won't do anything. "No touching. That's fine."

Ijuuin just watches him, silent. The trembling has yet to stop.

So he keeps going, taking careful steps backward until he's returned to his original place leaning against the opposite wall. He can't tell whether or not Ijuuin is still trembling from this distance, but the silence, odd as it is, still persists.

He'll tell Laika-sama about this later. For now, he'll just have to try avoiding another argument.

Chapter Text

"Here, this is how you slot in a Battle Chip," Netto says, using his PET to demonstrate. "It's really easy, see?"

"And that- that's all I need to do?" Blues asks, watching with an attentiveness that's technically not really needed for such a simple action.

Then again, for someone who's only ever been on the opposite side of this, it probably seems pretty strange and therefore complicated by nature. Netto only thinks of it as 'easy' because he's used to it.

"That's all," he confirms, giving Blues a smile and a nod.

"Completely useless," Ijuuin scoffs from the nearby table. "You're trusting him to do this properly? He can't even deliver an email, never mind slot in a Battle Chip!"

Netto feels his face dropping into a flat scowl, and he turns to the desk where Papa and Meijin-san are finishing setting up the Dimensional system consoles.

"Papa," he calls, "are you sure we can't mute him again?"

"I'm sure, Netto," Papa replies, not looking up from his work. "We need this to go as smoothly as possible, and even something as simple as muting him could have negative effects."

Great, they're gonna have to deal with Ijuuin's complaining for even longer. Seriously, does he never stop? It's like every little thing in the world exists purely to offend him and he wants everyone to know it, insulting as many people as possible in the process.

"Is there any chance we could just undo this for Blues and keep Ijuuin as a Navi?" Netto wonders, turning back to his self-appointed task.

"Netto-kun," Rockman says disapprovingly.

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me being able to finally shut him up isn't the best thing that's come out of this whole situation!"

Rockman folds his arms and gives him a Look.

After a few moments, Netto sighs. "Fine, I get it. I'm gonna miss being able to do this when we switch 'em back, though. Is there any way to mute people in the real world?"

"There is," Laika says, "but it's highly illegal. It is permanent, however."

Netto raises an eyebrow. "Okay, you have my interest. What's this illegal way of muting someone?"

"Murder."

There's a beat of silence.

" . . . I can't tell if you're joking or not," Netto admits.

Laika smiles mysteriously. "Good."

Well, that's totally not nightmare fuel.

"Okay, moving on!" Netto declares with somewhat forced brightness. "Blues, do you wanna practice a little bit before we do it for real? To get a feel for the motion and stuff."

"Um." Blues blinks, tearing his eyes away from Laika, and gives a distracted nod. "Y-yeah. Yes. Okay."

"You can use our Synchro Chip," Rockman suggests, as Netto hands over his PET. "It only works for me and Netto-kun anyway, and even if that weren't the case, you'd need a Dimensional Area for it to activate."

"It'll just come up as an error message, so no need to worry about it doing anything to my PET, either," Netto adds, nodding.

"Are . . . a-are you sure?" Blues frets, even as he accepts the Synchro Chip. "This is . . . precious. What if I- um. Wh-what if I break it . . . ?"

"I trust you," Netto tells him, giving him another smile.

Blues's eyes widen and his breath hitches quietly. Netto's smile softens and he gives the former Navi an encouraging nod, as does Rockman.

"O-okay," Blues murmurs, swallowing. He holds up Netto's PET and the Synchro Chip.

"Yeah, there you go," Netto tells him, giving him another nod. "See the download slot there? We don't need anything fancy right now, just push it in until it clicks. Yeah, that's it, good job! Okay, now to take it out, there's a button on the side that'll eject it from the slot . . ."

This is actually kinda fun. He did that Net Battling lesson thingy with Meiru-chan for those old people that one time, and it was fun back then, too. Clearly he needs to be put in charge of a Net Battling class or even just a club, he'd totally be awesome at it.

Unfortunately, he and Rockman were banned from the only Net Battling club in school. Which is both unfair and rude. Honestly, just because Rockman is a powerful NetNavi and the two of them are literally the best Net Battling duo in the entire city, if not the whole country . . . They'd be happy to stick to basic Chips or even just the Rock Buster, but noooo, they're banned outright! The school Net Battling club is full of meanies. And cowards.

But maybe he could just make his own club. The club fair is coming up and it should be easy enough to make one, as long as he's got at least two other people. Meiru-chan would definitely join, not to mention Dekao, and Tohru-kun has been working on his and Iceman's skills lately, so he'd also come. It's a shame Yaito-chan doesn't go to the same school as them anymore, or she'd probably join too . . .

Then again, knowing Yaito-chan, she might just show up anyway. That'd be kinda funny if nothing else.

The idea settles firmly in the back of his mind and he resolves to talk it over with Rockman later, maybe after they get this whole swap situation sorted out.

Although that reminds him, Rockman said he wanted to talk to him and Laika after this, right? Hm. Wonder what that's about?

"That one was really smooth!" he praises Blues, because he hasn't been neglecting his sorta-student while he was thinking. "Hehe, we'll make a proper operator outta you yet!"

"Ah- um-" Blues's cheeks are faintly red and he's pressing his lips together, but his pleased smile is still very obvious. "Th-thank you, Netto-san. But, um, I'd r-rather not be an- an operator . . ."

"He was just joking, it's okay, Blues," Rockman says gently.

"About the operator part, yeah." Netto grins. "But the first bit definitely wasn't a joke. You picked it up real quick!"

"I'm not surprised he did," Laika remarks. "He was a NetNavi up until two days ago, I'd imagine he still has the ability to learn rapidly."

Blues is definitely blushing now. Aw, even the tips of his ears are red, that's just adorable!

"Praise him any more and his head won't fit in the cyberworld," Searchman says, half-smiling.

"This is Blues we're talking about here," Laika reminds him.

"Ah, good point. Feel free to continue, then."

Blues squeaks and covers his face with his hands.

Netto laughs softly and gives him a consoling pat on the shoulder. Even Ijuuin's bad-tempered complaining in the background can't ruin this nice little moment.

"We're ready!" Papa suddenly calls, getting everyone's attention. "How's Blues doing with slotting in a Chip?"

"He's awesome at it!" Netto replies, bouncing.

They all ignore Ijuuin's mutter of, "I doubt that very much."

From there, it's a simple matter of getting Blues into the experimental Dimensional Area. Meijin-san hands over Ijuuin in his PET and Blues looks . . . kinda weirded out to be holding his own operator like this, but it won't be for much longer. Even Ijuuin might feel weird with this, because he actually stops complaining on his own for once.

Netto stays next to Laika as Papa activates the Dimensional Area, and the multi-coloured barrier fades into existence on the walls of the box. Blues looks up and around as if he's never seen it before in his entire life, and it may as well be true - seeing it from a human's perspective must be way different than seeing it as a Navi.

"Barrier's stable," Meijin-san reports.

Papa nods and turns to Blues. "Alright, go ahead and slot in the Synchro Chip!"

"Um, o-okay." Blues takes a deep breath and starts murmuring to himself, holding up both the PET and the Synchro Chip. "Smooth slot-in . . . makes it easier for the data to register . . . Try not to force it-"

"Hurry up!" Ijuuin snaps, and Blues flinches.

"Don't rush him, Ijuuin," Laika calls sharply. "Unless you want to be stuck like that for even longer."

Ijuuin grumbles, but doesn't protest again. Sheesh, what a jerk.

"Go on, Blues," Netto encourages gently. "Remember what I said, okay? Make the slot-in as smooth as possible so the data registers easier . . ."

" . . . a-and try not to force it, or it- it might damage the Chip or the download slot itself," Blues finishes, nodding.

The former Navi tightens his grip on the PET and takes another deep breath, then raises the Synchro Chip a little higher. Netto wills Ijuuin to remain silent for once in his life as Blues slots it in.

Almost immediately, the PET begins to glow with the energy of Cross Fusion - and then it explodes.

Netto jerks forward a step, gasping sharply, and Laika stiffens beside him. He hears a high-pitched yelp from Blues and sees the PET come flying out of the small cloud of dust, bouncing off the barrier with a faint spark and a dull thud.

Blues comes staggering out of it a moment later, eyes wide, and he drops to his knees beside the PET.

"WHY DID YOU THROW ME!?" Ijuuin shrieks. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"I'm- I'm s-sorry, I didn't m-mean to- to-"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT HURT, YOU MORONIC PILE OF JUNK DATA!?"

"Enzan-sama, I'm sorry-"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"

"Papa," Netto says, and Papa immediately deactivates the Dimensional Area.

He runs straight into the box and snatches up the PET, muting it before Ijuuin can scream any more insults. He hands it over to Laika when the Sharoan appears, then kneels down beside Blues and pulls him into a hug.

"I-I d-don't know what- wh-what went wr-wrong-" Blues hiccups, burying his face in Netto's shoulder and gripping the back of his vest.

"It's okay, we'll figure it out," Netto soothes him. "Whatever it was, it wasn't your fault, okay?"

"B- but it- it e-e-exploded and- and-"

"This isn't the first time a failed Cross Fusion resulted in an explosion like that," Meijin-san tells them, coming over with Papa. "Remember when Dekao-kun tried it with the Rush Synchro Chip? He and Gutsman get along well enough, but their Synchro rate wasn't high enough for Cross Fusion."

Blues whimpers. Netto rubs his back, shooting Meijin-san a mildly-annoyed expression, and the man holds up his hands and winces apologetically.

"That was an odd reaction, though," Papa says thoughtfully, heading further into the box to pick up the Synchro Chip from where it was flung out of the PET. "Ijuuin-kun and Blues have the lowest Synchro rate, yes, but they were at least on or above the threshold required for Cross Fusion. So why did it fail now . . . ?"

"Maybe they're too different?" Laika suggests. "Their change in species could have interfered with their Synchro rate somehow."

Papa hums. "It's a distinct possibility. I'll need to run a few tests in order to be certain, though."

"We can do that while we get Blues and Ijuuin-kun patched up," Meijin-san says.

"Yes, of course. Blues, are you okay to stand?"

Blues makes a quiet, almost ragged sound. Netto pats his back and pulls them apart - feeling a twinge of guilt when Blues makes another sound and tries to grab at him weakly - then turns around and crouches so his back is on offer.

"C'mon," he says. "I'll give you your first-ever piggyback!"

"I gave him one already," Searchman points out, appearing on Laika's shoulder to give Netto a flat look. "Several months ago, actually."

"His first piggyback as a human, then," Netto retorts, sticking his tongue out. The green-armoured Navi rolls his eyes.

He manages to get Blues to climb onto his back - with a little bit of assistance from Laika - and straightens up. The sudden addition of weight, however slight it is, throws him a bit and he stumbles, listing to the side, but luckily Laika helps to keep him stable and within mere moments, he's regained his footing.

"Wow, you barely weigh a thing," he comments, glancing over his shoulder.

"I . . ." Blues blinks, eyes a little red from the tears. "Is . . . is that a good thing, or . . . ?"

"I mean, right now, yeah. I got some muscle, but even I'd struggle to carry someone who's bigger and weighs more than me."

"We've been over this, he's not that much bigger than you," Laika sighs.

"We should get an exact height measurement for medical records, just in case," Meijin-san muses.

"Maybe do one for Netto-kun too, he seems kinda hung up on this," Rockman says.

Netto laughs. The silly banter must help a little, because he feels Blues relaxing slightly.

"Exact height . . . five feet and three inches."

Relatively short, all things considered. Laika isn't really sure what he was expecting - as far as he knows, that height matches Blues's measurements in the cyberworld, so why would it be any different as a human?

"I told you he was only a couple of inches taller than you," he says to Netto, who blinks.

"Huh," the boy says. "But he feels way taller . . ."

"You're delusional."

"Says the walking tree."

"Those jokes are getting old, Netto."

"Not as old as you're gonna be in a thousand years-"

Laika plants his fist on Netto's head and gets a yelp as a reward. Little brat.

"Should we get Ijuuin's height measurements as well?" Searchman wonders.

"That's a good idea, actually," Meijin says, nodding. He falls into an office chair and rolls it over to the recovery machine, where Ijuuin is currently (and reluctantly) allowing the program to scan him for any injuries. "We'll need to compile a proper report on his body and programming at some point, we only have the raw data and a basic report so far . . ."

"If you put me through another deep scan," Ijuuin hisses, "you will regret it."

"And what exactly are you going to do from in there?" Laika challenges him, folding his arms.

Ijuuin gives him a sullen look and doesn't bother responding.

Laika huffs. That's what he thought - all bark and no bite, at least for as long as this situation lasts.

For a moment, he entertains the idea of only undoing the switch for Blues. Netto's not wrong; having a reliable method to finally keep Ijuuin quiet would be a relief considering what they have to put up with from him. Plus, keeping him inside that PET would render him completely harmless, because he has been known to get into physical fights with people from time-to-time - most commonly with Netto, or some of the other younger Cross Fusion members. On one notable occasion, he got into a one-sided brawl with Nenji, and it was only the intervention of some of the other adult members that stopped Ijuuin from getting pummelled any further.

But regardless of the relief it would bring everyone, it would also be unnecessarily cruel to Ijuuin, and no one wants to stoop to his level.

Laika's musings are interrupted by a sudden ringtone, and he blinks, wondering just who could be calling him right now. That list is very short, one half being in Sharo and the other half being all of the people currently in this room, and it's not likely that anyone from his home country would call while he's on an assignment in a foreign land. Not unless it's an emergency, of course.

And then Hikari-hakase takes out his own PET and he feels ridiculous. That doesn't even sound like his own ringtone, why did he think it was his?

"Ah, finally," Hikari-hakase says, smiling a little. "Ijuuin-san is calling. I'll be right back - Meijin, take care of everyone."

"Gotcha," Meijin agrees, throwing up a mock-salute as Hikari-hakase heads out of the room.

"Ijuuin-san?" Netto asks, looking puzzled.

"Ijuuin's father," Laika explains. "The head of IPC. Essentially, Ijuuin's boss."

"Whoa. He works for his own dad? Man, and he called my family a bunch of freaks . . ."

"That's because you are," Ijuuin says, but his words don't have their usual bite.

Which is . . . odd, to say the least. Laika frowns, peering at him, but Ijuuin only bares his teeth slightly and looks away.

"Hikari-hakase sent him a message not long after the incident first occurred," Meijin informs them. "Told him to call as soon as possible so he could explain what happened. Though why Ijuuin-san took two days to respond is beyond me . . ."

The only one who could answer that is Ijuuin himself, so Laika raises an eyebrow at him.

"He's busy," Ijuuin says flatly. And then, with some of his usual bite, "Stop pestering me, this stupid scan is annoying enough already."

Laika's frown deepens, for once not too bothered by the tone. Something about this does not sit well with him, but he can't put his finger on what it may be.

He's not sure if it has anything to do with the minor incident Searchman told him about yesterday. Ijuuin practically had some small form of a breakdown just because Searchman almost touched him.

This presents the beginnings of an interesting mystery, if nothing else.

"Netto-kun, Laika," Rockman suddenly says, getting their attention. "I need to talk to you about something. Can we go over into the corner, there?"

Now mystified for an entirely different reason, Laika and Netto head over to the aforementioned corner. Blues gives them a faintly worried glance as they go, but makes no move to get off the medical bed and follow. Ijuuin is too busy arguing with Meijin about getting another deep scan, or even just a surface-level one.

"Is this that thing you wanted to talk about earlier?" Netto asks, after they're settled and sure the room's other occupants won't overhear anything.

"Yes." Rockman looks at them both with an uncharacteristically-serious expression. "I don't think your idea to get Blues away from Ijuuin will work."

Laika stiffens. Netto gapes at his Navi.

"Wha- but- why?" he demands.

"Because neither of you are thinking about the consequences."

"The consequences?" Laika repeats, narrowing his eyes. "You mean finally getting Blues to safety, making sure he never has to put up with Ijuuin's abuse ever again? Those consequences?"

Rockman winces at his tone. "Look, I just don't think that-"

"We can't just let things go back to how they were before!" Netto protests, almost a little too loudly, because Blues glances over in their direction.

"Shhh!" Rockman hisses. He pauses for a moment, then sighs. "I know, okay? I don't want him to go back to that either, and I'd rather he stay with us instead. Trust me, I get it, I swear I do!"

"Then what's the problem?" Laika asks sharply.

"The problem is that you're not considering how Blues will feel about this," Searchman says, activating his hologram to stand next to Rockman.

"Wha-" Laika wastes a moment gaping at his Navi, but manages to compose himself quickly. "You too, Searchman?"

Searchman nods without hesitation.

"What do you mean, how Blues will feel?" Netto looks worried.

"He knows Ijuuin is a bad person, but he's loyal to him all the same," Searchman points out. "He cares too deeply for his operator to see this as anything other than a forceful kidnapping."

"He might hate us for it," Rockman says quietly. "At the very least, he'll never trust any of us again, and then he won't have anyone to turn to when things get bad."

 . . . Ah. Isn't that quite a sobering thought.

"And . . ." Apparently Rockman isn't done yet. "I know you probably don't wanna hear this, but we need to think about how this will affect Ijuuin, too."

"He won't have a punching bag anymore, for starters," Netto says, but he sounds uncertain.

"No, but . . . it'd be cruel. Not just to Blues, but to him, too."

"Ijuuin has been nothing but cruel since the moment I met him," Laika says cautiously.

"Is that really what we want?" Rockman asks. "To just . . . be cruel to him, because he's cruel to others? I thought we were better than this? That we were the good guys?"

"We'll be no better than Ijuuin if we force this," Searchman adds quietly. "We have to think carefully, act carefully. Rash actions in these kinds of situations almost always lead to disaster, you know that."

"I just wanna help Blues . . ." Netto whimpers, slumping.

"And we will," Rockman tells him softly. "But not like this. Please."

Laika heaves a sigh and glances at Netto, who looks up at him, eyes shining with unshed tears. He can see his own desire to protect Blues reflected in there, but he also sees the understanding.

Their Navis are right. They'll only do more harm than good if they go through with their plan.

"Alright," Laika reluctantly agrees. "We'll reconsider."

"But we've still gotta figure out some way to help him," Netto practically begs. "Okay? Promise me we will?"

Rockman nods. "I promise."

Netto relaxes. His smile is wobbly and looks as though it could fall apart at any moment, but it's there.

Rockman is glad Netto-kun and Laika saw sense. He wasn't sure what he would do if they had refused - or even what he could do. But it hasn't come to that, and now they can focus on the current issue.

Helping Blues will come later. He doesn't like such a thing having to take a backseat, but it's for the best right now.

Papa comes back a few minutes later, with a look on his face that suggests he was having both a mildly unpleasant and extremely confusing conversation. That alone is enough to raise Rockman's concern, along with that of everyone else's - except Ijuuin, who just sulks in the recovery program.

"Papa?" Netto-kun asks, stepping forward. "What'd, uh. What'd he say?"

Papa blinks. "He said . . . not to contact him until this has been fixed."

"What?" Meijin-san jerks back in shock. "But- you did tell him what happened, right?"

"I did. In detail."

"But then why . . ."

"I don't know." Papa shakes his head helplessly. "I tried calling him back, but he hung up and blocked my number immediately."

"Doesn't he care that his son could have been killed a couple of days ago?" Laika demands.

Blues whimpers quietly, and Ijuuin tenses, baring his teeth. Rockman finds it odd that he suddenly feels concern for both of them, rather than just Blues.

"I don't know," Papa repeats, now looking completely lost. "When I told him, he barely reacted. The most he said was telling me not to contact him."

"Ijuuin, what the heck is wrong with your dad!?" Netto exclaims, turning to face him.

"I told you, he's busy," Ijuuin snaps back. "He's the CEO of an international company! He has things to do, duties to fulfil! Same as me! God, I bet he's having a nightmare with the paperwork to find a replacement while I'm stuck like this . . ."

"Being busy isn't much of an excuse to not come see your child when something happens to them," Papa points out.

"And what the hell would be the point?" Ijuuin demands. "What would coming here do, aside from create another temporary void in IPC's leadership? Father is a businessman, not a mad scientist!"

"But he's still your-"

"I'm done talking about this."

Ijuuin folds his arms and looks away, glaring at the side of the screen. They all know better than to try and press him when he's like this - the only outcome that will come from that is more insults and screaming.

Rockman sees the humans exchanging glances, and all of them look just as puzzled - and just as concerned - as he feels. A quick glance at Searchman tells him that his fellow Navi is in deep thought, frowning at Ijuuin with his brows furrowed.

A glance at Blues tells a different story entirely.

While Searchman is calculating, Blues just seems . . . sad.

Chapter Text

It's decided that Ijuuin will be coming back home with Netto and the others.

"Meijin and I will analyse the Synchro tests and compile a proper report for all the information we currently have," Papa says, before they head home for the day. "We need to go over everything carefully, so it may take a good while. In the meantime, just continue caring for Blues as you have already, and do what you can to . . . try and get along with Ijuuin-kun."

"I make no promises," Netto replies, because he knows it'd be useless when dealing with Ijuuin, even if the jerk is a helpless Navi.

But anyway, now he has Ijuuin in his house. Something he never thought would be possible, even after all the impossible things he's been through.

He doesn't like this at all and makes his displeasure known to anyone who'll listen, but ultimately, he can't say no. Mostly because it's Papa who told him to, but also because he remembers that talk with Rockman, about being cruel to Ijuuin just because he's cruel to them. Plus . . . after Papa's weird chat with Ijuuin-san, he kinda feels bad for the jerk.

Imagine having a dad who cares more about work than his own kid. Sure, Papa was away for a lot of Netto's earlier life, but he came back when he was needed the most and he always sent emails and gifts as often as possible. The best gift he ever sent was Rockman, obviously.

But a dad like Ijuuin-san? Sheesh.

Like father like son, probably. Ijuuin had to have gotten his temper and unpleasant personality from somewhere.

The sudden inkling of pity isn't nearly enough to stop him from getting annoyed when Ijuuin inevitably starts complaining, though. You'd think the guy's never been in a house before - he scoffs at the 'small' hallway, makes cutting remarks about the main room, rolls his eyes at the fact that they only have one bathroom, and is utterly unimpressed when Mama starts cooking something for everyone to eat (well, the humans, at least).

And he does not shut up. God, does he complain this much when he's at IPC or even the Net Police HQ? How do other people deal with this? Even Mama is starting to look fed up, and she's literally the most patient person ever! Heck, Ijuuin was nowhere near this bad even when they got stuck in Beyondard. Maybe he's just more annoying than normal 'cus he's a Navi right now.

Thank god for the mute button, honestly. Though Rockman keeps giving him disapproving looks every time he uses it, and he doesn't let up until he reluctantly unmutes Ijuuin, to which the jerk starts shouting for being muted, and then goes back to complaining, which becomes unbearable very quickly, so Netto mutes him again, and . . .

Well, you get the point.

How can one person find this much to complain about, seriously? Doesn't help that he won't stop insulting everything in sight, or arguing with anyone unfortunate enough to get dragged into responding to him.

The next morning, Laika announces that he's heading to HQ to give Commissioner Kifune and Manabe-san a full report of the situation. Netto sees a golden opportunity.

"Take Ijuuin with you," he says, thrusting the PET into Laika's hands.

Laika, unimpressed, simply shoves it back at him. They both ignore Ijuuin snapping at them for doing so.

"Absolutely not," Laika says, deadpan.

"Why!?" Netto demands. He clears his throat and tries a different approach. "I mean, wouldn't it be easier to make a report about Ijuuin if you've got him with you?"

"First of all, it literally wouldn't matter either way. Second of all, do you really think it's a good idea to bring Ijuuin to HQ while he's like this?"

Laika gestures to Ijuuin, who's currently having a mini temper-tantrum on the PET's screen.

Netto drops any pretences and resorts to begging. "Pleeaase just take him with you, I can't stand this anymore, I'm gonna go insane!"

"I am currently staying in the same house as you. Which means I also need to deal with him constantly. I'll take any opportunity I can to get away from him, even if it's just for five minutes."

"But I need a break too!" Netto protests, as Laika nudges him out of the way. "Laika! Wait, come back! LAIKA!"

Too late. Laika is already out the front door and walking down the steps to his motorbike, which is now semi-permanently parked outside the house. Netto whines as the roar of the bike starts up and then flees down the street.

Traitor.

"You're trying to get rid of me already?" Ijuuin mocks, and Netto groans loudly. "Pathetic. Some hero you are, whining every time you don't get your way."

"Ijuuin. Please. Just shut up for five minutes."

"With you acting like a child, why the hell would I!?"

He wants to bang his head against a wall. Brick, not wood. Just so he can possibly brain himself into unconsciousness. Anything to make this stop.

He plods back into the main room and flops down on the sofa, uttering a despairing whimper. Blues, who's reading one of Mama's cookbooks, looks up and blinks at him.

"Why is your operator so annoying?" he asks tiredly.

Blues's expression falls into something of a vague mixture between discomfort and fear. The former Navi shrugs, burying himself back into the cookbook, and Netto silently curses himself for asking that kinda question to poor Blues of all people.

Luckily there's a distraction in the form of Meiru-chan coming over a few minutes later. He puts Ijuuin's PET down on the coffee table and gives her his full attention, because he would like to A) ignore the aggressive not-Navi and B) hopefully help Blues feel better after that dumb blunder.

And it looks like his luck is holding out, because Meiru-chan's first order of business appears to be a gift for Blues.

"I was going through some of my things and found this," she says, handing something to the former Navi.

Netto leans over to check it out. A pretty pink ribbon sits coiled up in Blues's palm - it's not shiny or sparkly, but it's a nice and soft shade of pink that brings to mind cherry blossoms in the spring.

"Your hair is really pretty and soft," Meiru-chan continues, "but there's so much of it that I thought it might get in the way a lot, and it'd be a shame to cut it or something, so . . . yeah! What do you think?"

Blues runs a finger over the ribbon, eyes wide and bright with awe. "It's so pretty . . ."

"It's pink," Ijuuin says, disgusted, and Netto bites his lip to stop himself from pulling a face.

"And what exactly is wrong with pink?" Meiru-chan demands, turning to face the PET and planting her hands on her hips.

"It's for girls."

Meiru-chan's expression turns completely deadpan. Netto gives in, pulling a face in total confusion.

"Everyone knows this, you idiot," Ijuuin goes on. He's got that 'holier than thou' tone again, great. "Boys don't wear pink. It's a feminine colour and boys are meant to be masculine."

"What sexist pig told you that?" Meiru-chan puffs her cheeks out angrily.

Ijuuin bares his teeth slightly. "My father is not a pig!"

He doesn't deny the 'sexist' part, though. Or maybe he just doesn't know what it means. Low processing speed and all that. Searchman described him as a 'stupid NetNavi', which seems pretty accurate so far.

"Of course it was your dad," Netto sighs.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

"It means I'm not surprised that the guy who apparently doesn't care about you almost dying in a freak accident told you something as stupid as that."

If Ijuuin were a dog or something, his hackles would be raised and he'd be snarling. He's got the whole 'baring his teeth' thing down, though. Where did he even get that from? He sure as heck didn't do it before. Maybe it's just a way to express any emotions he's feeling too much, since he can't process them properly?

Why does all that sound familiar? Netto suddenly wonders, frowning to himself.

"Guys," Rockman suddenly says. "Stop arguing, you're upsetting Blues."

Netto blinks and looks away from Ijuuin, catching sight of Rockman hovering to his right. Just past his Navi's hologram, he sees Blues with his shoulders hunched up, clutching the pink ribbon like it's the only thing that matters right now.

"Oh," Meiru-chan says softly, immediately losing any edge. "I'm so sorry, Blues, I didn't mean to . . ."

"Are you okay?" Netto asks, putting a gentle hand on Blues's upper arm.

Blues's hands are trembling and he's staring at his knees with a look that's almost too blank. Dammit, they shouldn't be doing this in front of him, he's already overwhelmed as it is.

"Don't ignore me!" Ijuuin's sharp voice is like nails on a chalkboard, and just as welcome. "If you think I'm going to stand for this-"

"Ahem."

Ijuuin falls silent, mostly out of surprise probably. Either way, it's a mercy to be grateful for.

Mama stands nearby, an eyebrow raised as she peers at Ijuuin's PET, and only once she's made sure that he's not gonna start again does she turn her attention to Netto and the others. Her expression softens when she catches sight of Blues.

"Oh, you poor thing," she murmurs. "It's alright, do you want a hug?"

Blues makes a ragged sound. He cuts himself off quickly, then tries again, this time managing some words - but they come out mangled and almost distorted.

"-I- m-mm- ff-fi- fi- ne- Na- v-vi- vis- d-do- don't- n-n-n- n-nee- need-"

Just as Netto is about to pull him into a hug anyway - because he clearly needs one - Meiru-chan settles herself on the sofa beside him. She places her hand over his, drawing his attention to it and back to the pink ribbon.

"Let me tie your hair back, okay?" she offers gently.

Blues settles a little, finally dragging his eyes up and nodding. It seems to help to just give him something to do, even if it's just a minor thing, when he gets particularly panicky or scared. That's something Netto and Rockman discovered not too long after they started caring for him whenever Ijuuin locked him out of his PET.

So with this in mind, Netto willingly shuffles back to give Blues room to shift, allowing Meiru-chan access to his hair. It really is long - he never realised just how long until now, seeing it like this. How much time would it have taken a normal human to grow this much hair? How much care would they need to give it in order to make it as soft as Blues's?

 . . . Actually, how much care are they gonna need to give Blues's hair? And for how long? The first attempt at undoing the switch was a disaster and they have no idea how long Blues and Ijuuin are gonna be stuck like this. It could be anywhere from days to months.

Oh, god, if he has to put up with Ijuuin's complaining for that long, he may actually go insane.

"There we go," Meiru-chan says a few minutes later, sitting back to admire her work. "Here, lemme take a picture of the back so you can see!"

She does so, and Roll helpfully brings it up as a holoscreen so everyone can see it.

Blues's hair is now tied into a very long, low ponytail, with his long fringe loose over his forehead. The pink ribbon is keeping his hair in place at the back, and it's tied into a neat bow that looks kinda like it'll bounce if it gets poked.

"What do you think?" Meiru-chan asks, giving Blues a gentle but encouraging smile.

Even if the former Navi can't manage the words at the moment, his own smile is answer enough. He hiccups out a slight giggle and runs his hand down the back of his head, feeling both his new ponytail and the ribbon.

"It suits you so well!" Mama claps her hands together, delighted.

Netto nods his own agreement. He's probably grinning like a dork right now, but he's allowed to - just look at how happy Blues is now!

"Oh, that reminds me!" Mama suddenly exclaims, straightening. They all look at her, puzzled. "We need to get you some clothes, don't we, Blues-kun? You shouldn't have to stay in those borrowed clothes forever, that's just mean."

"He needs more colour," Meiru-chan agrees, nodding wisely. "Shopping trip?"

"We'll go to the Kanbina Mall, it's not too far away with the Metroline."

Meiru-chan gasps in delight. "That's perfect, Haruka-san! Me and Yaito-chan go there all the time, we know all the best clothing stores!"

"Wonderful!"

Blues is watching them with a look of complete bafflement, so Netto leans over to him.

"You good?" he asks, nudging their shoulders together.

"Ah- um- whh- wh- hh-"

Netto frowns, then takes out his PET and presses it into Blues's hands. "Here, use this. Rockman, could you bring up the notes app for him?"

"Sure thing, Netto-kun."

It takes Blues a moment to work out how to use the app from this side of the screen, but he manages to type out his question relatively quickly.

'wHy do I nwED new cLOthss'

On second thought, maybe he needs a lesson in how to do that, too.

"'Cus you're gonna be staying here for a while," Netto replies.

"And it would be mean to expect you to wear borrowed clothes all the time," Rockman adds, pointing to the white shirt and black pants Blues is currently wearing.

" . . . Oh," Blues says, so quietly that it's almost inaudible. He works his mouth for a moment, clearly trying to get an actual word out, but gives up and just nods instead.

"If you don't feel comfortable with it, you're allowed to say so," Rockman tells him gently. "No one will get mad at you for it, promise."

Blues bites his lip and glances at Ijuuin, still silently seething in the PET.

"His opinion doesn't matter right now," Netto dismisses, waving a carefree hand.

"EXCUSE ME!?"

Dammit.

Ijuuin's look of fury is more animalistic than human. "He is my NetNavi, and therefore my property! I refuse to allow you people to dress him up some stupid doll-"

"Boop," Netto says, muting Ijuuin.

As expected, the response is more rage. But it's silent rage, where no one but Ijuuin will hear it. The mute button is literally the best thing on the planet right now.

"Netto-kun, you can't keep doing that," Rockman says, giving him a disapproving look.

"What?" Netto gets defensive. "You wanna hear him complain and scream and whatever else the whole time we're out? 'Cus I sure as heck don't."

"I think that'd make the whole shopping trip very unpleasant," Meiru-chan agrees, nodding.

"Rockman is right, though," Mama points out gently. "It's not fair to Ijuuin-kun if you keep doing that every time he . . . er, gets like this. At this rate, he'll spend more time muted than he will unmuted."

Netto glances at Blues and sees the worry in his eyes. That's enough to tip him over the edge, and he sighs.

"Okay, okay, I'll unmute him when we get back. Is that okay?"

Mama's expression relaxes into a fond smile. "I suppose that's the best deal we can get. But you have to keep your word, okay?"

"Okay, Mama."

"Good boy. Now then." Mama turns to Blues, who blinks up at her owlishly. "Are you up for a shopping trip? Remember, if you say 'no', it's perfectly fine. We can just take your measurements and pick out some clothes for you, if that's what you'd prefer."

"We have his measurements already, actually!" Rockman cheerfully announces. "Meijin-san gave them to us yesterday, after the checkup."

"Oh, wonderful! That makes this much easier."

Blues nervously tightens his grip on Netto's PET. "I- uh- hh-"

"Hey, if it's easier, just use the notes app again," Netto tells him.

There's no hesitation this time. That's good, they can just steadily make progress with things like this and maybe one day Blues will be able to find his confidence again.

'id likE toGOtoo . if itSS ok.ay'

"Of course," Mama says, reaching out to give him a gentle pat on the head. "Alright, come on kids! We're off to the Kanbina Mall!"

Netto and Meiru-chan and their Navis cheer. After a slight hesitation, Blues offers up a much quieter, awkward cheer of his own.

The Kanbina Mall is incredibly loud and packed full of so many humans that Blues spends a minute just gaping at it as they enter.

He's never been to a mall before, even as a Navi. He never went to Internet City to just enjoy the scenery or browse the shops, and Enzan-sama hates malls, so he's never been to a real world one either.

On one hand, he can see why Enzan-sama hates these places. There are so many humans and so many voices and so many sounds that it's hard to keep track of everything, and the amount of activity happening is just as confusing. Humans shout to each other, some offering deals from little stalls or advertising nearby shops and stores, others simply calling out to friends or family, or maybe trying to find lost friends or family.

But on the other hand, it feels just like Internet City. So many colours, so many different people! The shops and stores don't quite look the same, but many of them are bright and lit up with neon even though it's morning, and he can't hear the faint humming of electricity but he can imagine it's there and it soothes him a little.

Although he does worry for his muted operator, in spite of his fascination. Enzan-sama gets more easily irritated in places like this, and once, way back when their relationship wasn't so . . . the way it is now, Blues asked why he actively avoided them. The answer had been something along the lines of 'it hurts'.

He hopes this doesn't hurt Enzan-sama now. When they stop to take a break, as humans often do, he'll ask Netto-san to check on his operator for him. Or maybe let him handle the PET for a little bit, just so he can help if necessary.

For the moment, he's happy to be distracted by absolutely everything.

They head up to one of the upper floors first. He wanders away for a moment to peer over the railing and look down at the humans on the first floor, and after a moment, Netto-san and Meiru-san join him on either side with near-identical grins. It feels like being on one of the viewing balconies in Internet City, or maybe one of the walkways high above street level. He decides he likes it.

Once he's had his fill of that, he remembers they're here for a reason, and offers a hurried apology to Hikari-san - who just pats him on the head and tells him not to worry about it. How odd. If he'd made Enzan-sama wait like that . . .

The thought goes out of his mind very quickly when they walk into one of the apparently many clothing stores in the mall. There's so much colour and variety and he wants to go see everything, but he forces himself to stay by Hikari-san's side because he doesn't want to slow everyone down again.

Netto-san and Meiru-san have no such worries, it seems. The two of them immediately race off, and once again, Hikari-san doesn't mind.

Even so, Blues stays with her. Just in case.

Several clothing stores and multiple purchases later, he's beginning to understand how these places work.

You don't need to buy an item of clothing in order to try it on, but walking out while wearing said item before purchasing it isn't allowed. He found that out when he absent-mindedly wandered out of the first store still wearing a pair of black shorts Netto-san found for him. He was afraid the humans who worked there would get angry at him, but Hikari-san explained it was a genuine mistake and everything was fine.

He also learns that there are different sizes for human clothing. Some are too small to fit him, and others hang off his body so much it feels like he's attempting to wear a blanket. Finding something in between those is the key to figuring out what will fit him, but not every item of clothing will come in his size.

There's also underwear, which for some reason he's not allowed to try on even in the changing rooms. Hikari-san says it's something to do with hygiene, but he's not really sure why that matters and is too nervous about annoying her to ask any further questions.

Netto-san and Meiru-san are incredibly excited to get him new clothes and always race off to find something for him to try on whenever they enter a new store. They also snatch up clothes for themselves and show them off in a mock fashion show, and he's confused as to why Netto-san seems perfectly fine with wearing skirts or even dresses even though he's not a girl. Maybe it has something to do with that, er, argument from earlier?

Hikari-san, in contrast to the two younger humans, is much calmer and thoughtful when she finds some clothes for Blues. She keeps asking him if he likes something when she holds it up, and the most he can offer is a shrug or occasionally a nervous nod. Sometimes he doesn't like what she holds up and hopes she doesn't see that, but she somehow always does and puts it back without a fuss.

It's . . . strange. But he can't deny it's nice.

By the time midday comes around, the humans decide it's time for a break, and Hikari-san takes them to the Food Court and buys them whatever they ask for. He's not really sure what most of the options are and can't decide, though it doesn't help that he can almost feel the impatience of the humans waiting in line behind them, so in the end Netto-san orders something for him.

The food is good. Not as amazing as Hikari-san's cooking, but he likes it. And the strawberry milk that comes with it tastes really nice, too. There was banana milk as an option, but Netto-san said it tastes weird, so maybe he shouldn't have that.

And once their break is over, they get back to shopping for clothes. The store they head to this time seems to be one that specialises in things like jackets and hats and various accessories rather than standard clothing. They even have shoes and boots for sale, which reminds Hikari-san that Blues also needs those, too.

"You know what else he needs?" Netto-san asks, looking Blues up and down with a thoughtful frown. "A vest. Like, a red vest."

"Oh!" Meiru-san claps her hands together, eyes sparkling. "Like his armour! Yeah, he totally needs one! Roll, can you find them for us?"

"Just plug me into the store's network and I'll direct you!" the pink Navi cheerfully replies.

As the two young humans race off for the umpteenth time, Hikari-san shakes her head, chuckling fondly.

"Sometimes I wonder where those two get so much energy from," she says. She chuckles again and turns to Blues. "Ah well, let's see if there's anything interesting in here, hm?"

"Okay," he agrees.

Truth be told, he's getting kinda tired, even after that break. But he trots by Hikari-san's side anyway.

All of the accessories and stuff are pretty and cool, but he can't really see anything he'd actually want to wear. Hikari-san, with her strange ability to tell when he doesn't like something, doesn't force anything on him and just leads him through different sections of the store with the same level of cheerfulness and patience she's had all day.

They're walking down a section that seems to be dedicated entirely to a variety of gloves when he spots something that finally catches his interest. A flash of solid red in the sea of sparkly sequins, flashy colours, fluffy materials, and so much more.

Forgetting about his nerves for a moment, he makes a beeline for it. The solid red turns out to be a pair of fingerless gloves, hung up with some others of the same type and colour. On the hangers closest to them are the same type of gloves, but in different colours.

He feels more than sees Hikari-san's presence at his shoulder and stiffens, half-expecting her to scold him for wandering off again. She hasn't so far, but there's always a chance. He shouldn't have been so stupid, he should've at least informed her of what he saw first, and then they could have come over together-

"You know," Hikari-san muses, "I don't think I've seen you pick out anything for yourself yet. Everything we've bought so far was picked out by me, Netto, or Meiru-chan."

Blues risks a look up at her. She has the same gentle, kind expression she always seems to have whenever she looks at him. Even when he was a Navi, she looked at him like that. As if he deserved that kindness, as if he were more than just a collection of data given solid form.

Hikari-san smiles at him. "Do you want those?"

He bites his lip and looks down, at the gloves in his hands. He runs a thumb over the material - it's soft, but firm. Reminds him of his armour, in a strange way.

" . . . Yes," he whispers.

Hikari-san's smile widens, and she takes another pair of the same colour off the hangers. "Alright then. We'll grab an extra pair so you can wear them when those need washing, okay?"

"O-okay. Thank you, H- Hikari-san."

He can't stop smiling as they continue through the store, nor can he stop holding onto the gloves.

It's late in the afternoon when they get back to the Hikari house, and Blues is exhausted enough to immediately drop onto the sofa and lay down. No one tells him off for it, and Netto-san even gives him a cold drink that does wonders for his dry throat.

He gets up when Hikari-san and the two younger humans start going through the clothes they bought, though. These are gonna be his clothes for as long as he's human, so he should help out, even if he's tired.

He helps sort the clothes into neat piles until he comes across his red gloves again, and Hikari-san gives him a pat on the head at his happy expression before telling him to go change into his new clothes. He takes the gloves into the bathroom with him and not one of the humans is surprised.

Everyone compliments him when he comes back out. Rockman and Roll-chan in particular are thrilled, because his outfit really does bring to mind his armour and bodysuit. To some extent, anyway.

It's only during a cheerful dinner of listening to Netto-san and Meiru-san argue about pineapples and pizza that he remembers he forgot to check on Enzan-sama while they were at the mall. But Netto-san unmuted him the moment they got back, just as he promised he would, and Enzan-sama doesn't seem any more irritated than normal.

So that means he's okay. Right?

Character Design Below:

Chapter Text

Netto decides that Blues needs to experience the wonderful taste of curry while he can. What better way to do that than to take him out to Maha Ichiban, the number one curry shop in the entire country?

"It is literally the only curry shop you go to," Meiru-chan says flatly, walking beside him. Blues follows behind them, head turning this way and that as he takes in all the city sights.

"Exactly!" Netto agrees, grinning. "So therefore it's the best!"

"That's not how it works."

"That's how it works for Netto-kun," Rockman jokes, and Meiru-chan giggles.

Netto pouts. "Mean to me."

"Can't deny it'll be a nice first experience, though," Meiru-chan admits, glancing over her shoulder. "Remember, Blues? Dekao-kun and Dingo work there, which means Gutsman and Tomahawkman will be there too!"

"And we invited Yaito-chan and Tohru-kun too," Netto adds. "The whole gang'll be there!"

"But . . . I-I won't be able to go into the cyberworld with the others . . ." Blues murmurs, tapping the tips of his fingers together.

"That's fine!" Roll cheerfully assures him. "We can hang out on the table and talk to you from there. The others have been fragmenting themselves to see you, they'll be so happy!"

Blues smiles a little. "O-okay then. Do you- do you think they'll like m-my outfit?"

"Oh, they'll love it, trust me!" Roll hops from Meiru-chan's shoulder to Blues's, and although he looks faintly stunned for a moment, he recovers quickly. "You look way too good for them not to love it. And if anyone doesn't, I'll just Roll Whip them until their eyes start functioning properly again."

That gets a short laugh out of Blues. Netto is happy to hear it, and even happier to see him beginning to relax a little. Roll's endless stream of chatter is enough to distract anyone.

And then he feels Ijuuin's PET rattling in his pocket and quickly turns back around so Blues can't see his expression dropping into an annoyed scowl. He clenches his hand into a fist and is about to hit the PET to make Ijuuin stop, but then catches sight of Rockman's stern look and sheepishly doesn't follow through.

The PET continues rattling, but eventually stops after a minute or two. Even muted, Ijuuin can still bother people.

"Whoa, he really is human!" Dekao exclaims, leaning over the table to gape at Blues.

Blues, for his part, looks distinctly uncomfortable. Luckily he's sitting in between Netto and Meiru-chan, with Meiru-chan on the end, so she's able to give Dekao a gentle shove to make him get out of Blues's face.

"Dekao-kun, don't be rude," she says firmly.

"Yeah, he's a customer now, same as everyone else," Dingo agrees. He turns back to Yaito-chan. "Okay, so, uh . . . you wanted . . ."

"Strawberry milk with seafood curry and a side dish of tempura-battered vegetables. Really now, do you have to ask again?"

"Do we even offer side dishes . . . ?" Dingo wonders, frowning.

"Uh, yeah," Dekao tells him, heading back behind the counter. "How else would people get to enjoy the taste of my expertly-prepared curry?"

"By eating it, duh."

As the two descend into a mildly-silly argument, the rest of the group - both humans and Navis - turn their attention back to their little gathering. There's no one else in the shop right now, which means they can talk freely, and Mahajarama was even kind enough to put up a 'reserved' sign on the entrance.

"I've run every kind of scan I'm capable of, and he most certainly is human," Glide says, eyes on Blues as he puts a hand on his chin. "How fascinating!"

"Can you eat like a human?" Tomahawkman asks curiously.

Blues nods. "Y-yeah. Food tastes really good! And- and it smells really good, too!"

"Oh, what does the real world smell like?" Iceman eagerly asks. "Is it any different to the cyberworld?"

Netto and the other humans pay close attention here. He hadn't realised the cyberworld had any sort of smell - if he had, he would've asked Rockman about it, but he supposes someone who's used to it wouldn't know how to describe it, especially without a comparison. There's someone who can offer that now, though. Pretty cool.

"Everything smells more, um, vivid here," Blues says thoughtfully. "L-like, it's- stronger? Kinda? There's no energy undercurrent either, though I can- I-I can kinda feel it if I get close to the TV."

"Whoa, de gutsu . . ." Gutsman breathes, eyes wide with awe.

"TV static does disrupt our holograms if we get too close to it," Rockman says, nodding. "Humans describe it as a sort of buzzing feeling."

"What, like that feeling we get when we lose a limb?" Tomahawkman asks, frowning.

"Something like that. Although I think it's a lot less intense? And it doesn't make humans feel numb."

"Oh, that happened earlier!" Blues exclaims, perking up. "I-I was on the sofa and my leg was suddenly all buzzy and it was- um- it was numb too!"

"Whoa, how is it still attached to your body!?" Tomahawkman yelps.

"I don't really know . . ."

Tohru-kun blinks at the Navis gathered on the table, then looks at Netto. "Exactly how much do our Navis actually know about human anatomy?"

"Probably the same amount we know about their anatomy."

" . . . I don't know anything but the basics."

Netto grins. "Same here!"

"Okay, so," Meiru-chan says, "mainly for Blues's sake, I think we should add human anatomy lessons to the list of stuff we're gonna do with him while he's like this."

"You'll do no such thing!"

"Oh, god," Netto sighs, while Meiru-chan's face falls into an annoyed look and Blues nervously stiffens.

"You're not gonna teach him anything!" Ijuuin snaps. "It'll be useless anyway, what good is knowing human anatomy to a NetNavi?"

"That's Ijuuin, right?" Yaito-chan asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup," Netto says tiredly. He reaches into his pocket and takes out the PET, placing it onto the table.

Yaito-chan and Tohru-kun half-stand to get a look at the screen. Ijuuin bares his teeth at them, no doubt glaring through his visor, and they both blink before sitting back down.

"Wow," Tohru-kun says, eyes wide. "He really is a NetNavi . . ."

"I know you told us, but I didn't really think it was real until now," Yaito-chan says, awed.

"Oh, this I gotta see!" Dekao rushes around the counter and reaches out to grab the PET, ignoring Ijuuin's offended squawk. "Hah! Look at him, he's so small! Betcha can't punch me now, huh, Ijuuin?"

"Why don't you find out, gorilla?" Ijuuin spits out.

Dekao sniggers and presses a finger to the screen. Ijuuin lets out a wordless shout of rage and the PET rattles, but Dekao just cackles.

"Oh, man, can we keep him like this?" he asks, grinning.

"I already asked, but Papa said the only way to turn Blues back is to turn Ijuuin back too," Netto replies.

"Aw."

"PUT ME DOWN, YOU STUPID APE!" Ijuuin yells. The PET rattles more violently this time.

That, combined with his sudden shout, startles Dekao into dropping it. It hits the floor with a clatter and Ijuuin shrieks.

"DON'T JUST DROP ME! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? DO YOU HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE OR SOMETHING!?"

"Becoming a NetNavi didn't make him any less of a jerk, huh?" Dingo deadpans.

"It was an accident!" Dekao snaps at Ijuuin, picking up the PET. "And stop shouting, you idiot, this is a restaurant!"

"YOU CALL ME AN IDIOT AGAIN AND THE FIRST THING I'LL DO WHEN I GET BACK TO NORMAL IS GONNA BE PUNCHING YOU RIGHT IN YOUR FACE!"

"Rockman, can I please mute him again?" Netto begs.

Rockman looks like he's seriously considering it, but to everyone's disappointment, he shakes his head. "You promised you'd unmute him while we're here. Even if he is shouting at everyone . . ."

"Um, Ijuuin, could you please stop shouting?" Tohru-kun tries.

"SHUT UP, WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS!"

"It- it's Tohru-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

"Here, give him to me," Yaito-chan says, hopping out of her seat and holding her hand out to Dekao. "I think I can shut him up."

"DON'T YOU DARE HAND ME OVER TO THAT GREASY-FOREHEADED BRAT-"

A vein bulges on Yaito-chan's ever-shiny forehead and she scowls.

"Oh, that does it," she hisses.

The moment Dekao hands over the PET - wincing at the bratty yelling from its current occupant - she tightens her grip on it to the point where her knuckles are white. She gives the screen a glare for all of two seconds before she starts violently shaking it, putting her entire arm into the movement.

Ijuuin immediately starts shrieking at her to stop. From what little flashes of the screen Netto manages to catch quick glimpses of, the not-Navi is being flung back and forth. It looks like the world's most nausea-inducing amusement park ride.

"You will never insult my beautiful forehead ever again!" Yaito-chan shouts over Ijuuin's shrieking. "It's my best feature and the whole world knows it! Its shine is so radiant I've won awards for it!"

"Awards that you made up," Netto mutters under his breath.

He spares a quick glance at Blues, only to see the poor guy watching his operator being shaken with horror. Ah, crud.

"Um, Yaito-chan, I think that's enough," Meiru-chan calls, wincing. She hasn't even looked at Blues's face yet - maybe she just doesn't like seeing a Navi treated so roughly, even if it is Ijuuin.

"Not until he apologises and repents for every single insult he's thrown at my beautiful, glimmering forehead!"

Tohru-kun is watching in silence, wincing every few moments as Ijuuin's shrieks occasionally break, and Dingo just stares like he doesn't know what he should be doing. The Navis are starting to bunch together, looking incredibly unsettled, although Glide is at least trying to stop his operator as well.

Even Dekao looks like he's regretting this. That's how you know things are bad.

"Yaito-chan, come on!" Netto exclaims, planting his hands on the table and half-standing. He'll climb over it if he has to. "Just put him down!"

Luckily, that seems to do the trick, because she finally stops. Ijuuin lies crumbled in one corner of his PET's screen, visibly dizzy and a little bruised. It's a good thing Papa managed to confirm that he has an Auto-regen like every other Navi.

Unluckily, Yaito-chan's vindictive expression has yet to settle. She brings the PET's screen level with her eyes, glaring at it.

"This thing is pretty durable, right?" she asks, giving Netto a quick glance without moving her head.

"Uh . . . yeah?" Netto blinks, confused enough to pause. "I mean, Blues accidentally chucked it at the Dimensional Area barrier and it's perfectly fine, so . . ."

"Then a regular wall shouldn't do anything either."

Netto's eyes widen. "Wait-"

Yaito-chan winds up, ignoring everyone trying to stop her-

"NO!"

-until Blues flings himself at her, accidentally shoving Meiru-chan onto the floor in the process, and snatches the PET before she has a chance to throw it. He backs away from her, toward the door, clutching it to his chest.

"Oww . . ." Meiru-chan groans, sitting up and rubbing her head. Looks like she hit the floor hard - she's probably gonna have a few bruises after this.

"Meiru-chan, are you okay?" Netto asks, slipping out of the booth to check on her.

"I'll be fine. Just gimme a second . . ."

"Oh no," Blues breathes. The terror in those two simple words is enough to make Netto and the others look at him. "I'm- I didn't- I didn't m-mean to, I'm sorry, I'm s-so sorry- I swear I didn't- I'm sorry- I'm- I- hh- ss-so- sorr- ah- hahh- a-ahhh-"

"Blues," Netto says, rising to his feet in alarm.

Blues utters a high-pitched noise of pure fear. He takes another step back before turning on his heel and bolting out of the door, scrambling out of sight with shocking speed. Or maybe not so shocking, considering how fast he is - was? - as a NetNavi.

Netto starts to go after him, but freezes after a single step, glancing down at Meiru-chan uncertainly.

"He needs you more right now," she says, and that's all it takes to make him move.

He's out the door in record time, looking in the direction he saw Blues go, and manages to catch sight of long white hair vanishing around the corner. He takes off in pursuit, briefly considering putting on his skates, but dismisses the idea quickly - he might be able to catch up to Blues faster with them, but he won't be able to stop as easily, especially not if he's in a hurry.

"The PET's signal has stopped," Rockman reports, appearing on his shoulder. He left the bunched-up Navis to help, good - Netto's not sure if he can deal with this on his own. "I think he just wanted to get out of sight of the restaurant, not run away."

Netto grunts, focusing on running, and he skids around the corner, coming to a quick stop. Blues shrinks away, pressing his back into the wall, but he doesn't loosen his grip on Ijuuin's PET.

"Hey," Netto says, keeping his voice soft. "It's okay, I'm not mad at you, no one is, it was just an accident."

He takes a step forward and Blues whimpers, so he stops. Dammit, how is he supposed to help Blues if he can't even get close to him?

"Blues," Rockman calls. "Name five things you can see."

Netto frowns and looks at his Navi. Rockman gestures for him to wait, keeping his eyes on Blues.

"Five things you can see, come on," he insists gently.

Blues swallows heavily. "Ff- fi- ve- th- thi- in- gs?"

"Yep, five things. You can do it, just take your time and think carefully."

For a few moments, the only sounds are the faint city noises and Blues's ragged, rapid breathing.

" . . . Y-you," Blues finally says. His voice breaks with audible fear. "I- I ss-see you."

"Good. Four more things."

"Ne- Netto-s-san. Um. The- the buildings. F-from- um- be-behind you."

His eyes dart around frantically for a second or two.

"The, um, the sky," he squeaks. "C-clouds."

"Good job. Now, name four things you can touch."

Blues's brows furrow at that.

"Um- En- E-Enzan-sa-sama's P-PET?" He swallows again. "The wall. A-at my back. My- m-my clothes."

At the mention of his clothes, he blinks slowly, and then reaches around the back of his head.

" . . . The- the ribbon M-Meiru-san gave me," he says quietly. He flinches. "I- I'm sorry-"

"Hey," Rockman interrupts softly. "Let's finish this first, okay? One thing at a time."

Blues hums, high-pitched and toneless.

"Name three things you can hear."

Another blink. "C-cars? Um, I think . . . I-is that a bird?"

Rockman pauses for a second to listen, then nods.

Blues takes a quick but deep breath, letting it out slowly. "O-okay. Um. A bird. And, uh, the- the wind? I think?"

"Okay, good. Now close your eyes and tell me two things you can smell."

"Hah-" Blues smiles for the briefest of moments, doing as he's told. "I- I smell- um- it's kinda . . . bleh? Stinky?"

"That'd be the pile of rubbish to your right."

"Oh, haha. Um. Okay. There's also- um. Smoke, m-maybe? Or gas . . . ?"

"Fumes from cars."

"Ah. Okay. I was- I was w-wondering what . . . that was . . ."

"You can open your eyes now," Rockman tells him, and he does so. "Tell me one thing you can taste."

Blues blinks. "I . . . I don't . . . Um . . . M-my tongue? It's kinda . . . dry . . ."

"I imagine it would be." Rockman smiles gently. "Feeling better?"

"K- kinda? I think? Why did that . . ."

"It's a technique to help with anxiety and panic attacks," Rockman explains. "It helps get you out of your head by making you focus on your surroundings and body."

"O-oh." Blues tilts his head. "That's . . . kinda neat."

"It is. Hey, is it okay if Netto-kun comes closer now?"

"Ah- um- y-yes, sorry."

"Aw, hey, it's okay," Netto soothes, smiling and moving forward carefully. "Just tell me if I'm too close and I'll stop, alright?"

Blues doesn't tell him to stop, and he suspects it's because the former Navi doesn't want to risk making him angry by doing so, even if he would never. Old habits die hard, and poor Blues is gonna need more than a few days to unlearn them.

Netto leans against the wall next to Blues. He glances at the PET still clutched in his hands - that'll probably be a safer topic right now, even if every instinct is telling him to make sure Blues is okay first.

"Is Ijuuin alright?" he asks.

"I- I don't- know," Blues admits, wincing. "I- I haven't . . . looked yet . . ."

"That's fine, I can do it for you. Can I have him?"

Blues swallows, hesitating. His eyes dart in the direction they came from, most likely thinking about Yaito-chan and her rage.

"I won't hurt him," Netto promises softly.

" . . . O-okay."

Blues hands it over, though he fidgets and taps his fingers together as soon as his hands are empty.

"Ijuuin," Netto begins, looking at the screen, "are you alri-"

"Like you care," Ijuuin bites out.

Netto sighs. "Why do I even bother . . ."

"E-Enzan-sama-" Blues tries.

"Shut up." Ijuuin stares at him, probably glaring under his visor. "Useless NetNavi."

Blues wilts as Ijuuin turns his back on them.

"His bruises should be healed within the hour," Rockman says, thankfully. "His Auto-regen is just as basic as the rest of him, but it still functions like any other one."

"Well, at least there's that," Netto mutters. He bites his lip, then mutes the PET. Ijuuin tenses, but doesn't turn around.

"Netto-kun-"

"I know, I promised," he sighs. "But we should probably go back when Blues is feeling better, and I don't want a repeat of . . . y'know. That. Easiest way to stop it from happening again is this."

Rockman sighs too. "Alright. Just . . . unmute him when we get home, okay?"

"Okay." Netto glances at Blues, who's watching them with an expression that's a mixture of sadness and nerves. "You ready to go back? Or do you wanna stay out here for a bit longer?"

"I- I'm- f-fine."

"Blues, it's okay if you aren't," Rockman tells him gently. "No one'll get mad at you, I promise."

A few moments pass by in silence.

" . . . Can we go home?" Blues whispers.

"That's fine too," Netto says calmly, and Blues relaxes so abruptly it's like he deflates. "I'll go get our orders for take-out, you should at least get to try curry after all this. You wanna stay out here and wait?"

Blues hesitates before nodding.

"Alright. Rockman, could you stay with him?"

"Sure," Rockman agrees, immediately hopping from Netto's shoulder to Blues's.

"I'll be back soon, promise," Netto says, offering Blues a quick, one-armed hug before stepping away.

They eat the curry at home, and Blues enjoys every bite of it, much to Netto's delight. It seems like good food and that technique thingy Rockman used is a good method to help the poor guy calm down when things get really bad for him.

If only there was such an easy method for stopping Ijuuin from snapping at everyone. Maybe if there had been, today would have gone way better.

Well, whatever. At least Blues is okay, and the others agreed to meeting him some other time, although it was suggested that Ijuuin be left at home or something. Just in case.

Chapter Text

" . . . and then I muted him, and we went home," Netto finishes.

Papa has been listening quietly the entire time, but now he sighs, shoulders slumping. "I see. And now?"

"Did I unmute him, you mean? I did when we got home, but I muted him before I came here. And before you say it, no, I'm not gonna unmute him, he'll just start screaming at us if I do."

Papa raises an eyebrow. Rockman, who's been sitting on Netto's shoulder and occasionally offering extra info or correcting some things, speaks up.

"I told him to unmute Ijuuin when we arrived, but he refused no matter what I said."

"Ah." Papa nods slowly. "He's causing quite a bit of strife, isn't he?"

"Strife?" Netto repeats.

"Trouble, basically."

"Oh. Yeah, that's an understatement, really." Netto huffs out an annoyed sigh. "It's like being turned into NetNavi has only made him worse. But Blues is still pretty much the same as ever, so . . . what gives? Is it something to do with that processing thingy?"

"Possibly," Papa muses. He frowns, thinking for a few moments. "I do have another theory."

Rockman tilts his head, and Netto perks up.

"Yeah?" he prompts.

"This one may be somewhat difficult to believe, given Ijuuin-kun's personality. But I think . . . maybe he's frightened."

Ijuuin's PET rattles in Netto's pocket, but he ignores it, focusing on his dad.

"Frightened?" he echoes, pulling a face. "This is Ijuuin we're talking about here."

"Yes, I know," Papa sighs. He places his hands on his thighs, sitting back in his chair. "But I've been thinking about this for a while now, even before the switch. Ijuuin-kun is aggressive and mean and rude - to an almost ridiculous extent. I kept thinking it was odd, and began to wonder if he wasn't just putting up a front. Or perhaps . . . Maybe he isn't. Maybe he just doesn't know any other way to express himself. So when he's frightened . . ."

"He lashes out," Rockman finishes quietly.

"That's hardly an excuse for what he did yesterday," Netto points out.

"It's not intended to excuse his behaviour, just explain it," Papa tells him. "The reason he seems to have gotten worse now may have something to do with his low processing speed."

"So basically he's too dumb to figure out his own emotions and we're the ones who've gotta deal with it."

Before Rockman or even Papa can respond to that, Ijuuin's PET starts rattling violently, to the point where it actually hurts. Netto has to yank it out of his pocket, fighting to keep his grip on it.

Papa blinks. "That's . . . unusual."

"It is?" Netto spares him a glance before being forced to focus on the PET again. "Will you just stop! Do you want me to drop you!?"

The PET immediately stops rattling. Huh. Go figure.

"It is unusual, yes," Papa says, making Netto look at him again. "A little bit of vibration can sometimes be expected, especially with powerful or boisterous NetNavis. However, I've never seen anything like this before. A NetNavi shouldn't be able to affect their PET so easily."

"We know another Navi who can do it," Rockman says.

"We do?" Netto blinks at him.

"Yeah. Remember Yaito-chan's award thing, when those Darkloids were freezing everything over?"

Netto sits up straight. "Oh, yeah! Napalmman got really mad and Nenji-san's PET started burning!"

"Interesting." Papa puts a hand to his chin. "Napalmman is an Asteroid Navi, correct?"

"Yeah," Rockman confirms. "We thought that might be why he made Nenji-san's PET burn."

"Hm . . . perhaps it's the same for Ijuuin-kun . . ."

Netto frowns. "Uh, Papa, I'm pretty sure Ijuuin's not an Asteroid Navi."

Papa laughs. "No, no, of course not, you're right. What I meant is, maybe their unique origins give them the ability to affect their PETs in unique ways. Asteroid Navis were created by Duo, while Ijuuin-kun was . . . created, let's say, during a failed Cross Fusion experiment. Plus, there's the fact that he's a Paradox Navi."

"That's official now, huh?" Netto asks, half-smiling. Much as he hates to admit it, mainly because it's Ijuuin, the term 'Paradox Navi' does sound pretty cool.

"Give me another word to describe the type of NetNavi Ijuuin-kun was turned into," Papa retorts good-naturedly. "But, yes, that's the official name for Ijuuin-kun's Navi type now. Although I'd advise the two of you - and anyone else who knows - not to advertise this anywhere. Some people might do terrible things to get their hands on a Navi like him, even if he wouldn't be much use functionally."

Ijuuin's PET rattles a little, but settles quickly. Probably doesn't wanna make Netto drop him or something. Seems like something has finally gotten through his thick head.

"Okay, Papa," Rockman agrees. Netto nods as well.

Papa nods back, then holds out his hand. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what he wants, so Netto hands over the PET without a fuss.

"I'll keep him here for now," Papa says. "I need to get some more data for the report anyway, so this works out."

"Is it almost done?" Netto asks curiously.

Papa smiles. "Yes, actually. It should be finished by this afternoon, early evening at best. Could you let Mama know I might be home in time for dinner?"

"Sure, Papa!"

"When I get back, I'll be able to give you a proper run-down of Ijuuin's stats and specifications. I figure this is something that Blues will likely want to hear too, as well as Laika-kun, so we'll wait for both of them if we need to."

"Gotcha."

Netto gets to his feet, gives his dad a quick hug, and then heads out of SciLab. He doesn't know whether or not he should feel bad for leaving Ijuuin behind. He certainly doesn't feel guilty about it.

The orders regarding Ijuuin's situation have finally come through. After Laika gave them the full report a few days ago, Commissioner Kifune and Superintendent Manabe have been deliberating on how to deal with the situation.

Now they've decided. And the orders are more or less to do what they've been doing already.

Care for Blues - and Ijuuin, if possible - for the duration of this switch and monitor both of them for any potential abnormalities, aside from the obvious. Keep Ijuuin out of trouble - which may as well be an impossible task, but the mute button is their saving grace here. Figure out whether or not this switch is permanent, and if it is, start making long-term preparations for it. And finally, report to Commissioner Kifune and Manabe whenever there's an update on the situation.

He heads to SciLab to relay these orders. Yes, he could have just asked Searchman to deliver them in an email, but Netto told him about an incident involving Ijuuin yesterday - when is Ijuuin not involved, if not the actual cause most of the time? - and he wants to see what Hikari-hakase's opinion on the matter is.

It doesn't take long to track down the head of SciLab. All he has to do is ask a couple of passing scientists and they point him in the direction of Lab Room 1, where they say they heard Ijuuin shouting. It really says something about how fed up everyone is with that boy when the two scientists are annoyed rather than alarmed.

Laika heads inside, opening his mouth to greet Hikari-hakase, but pauses when he sees the scene before him.

Hikari-hakase sits in a chair in front of the console, loosely holding his glasses with one hand and pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. Ijuuin's PET has been inserted into a slot on the console, and the big screen shows a view inside of it, of Ijuuin sulking in the corner.

" . . . Hikari-hakase," Laika says, after a few moments of silence.

The man raises his head. He looks . . . exhausted. Almost as fed up as most other people when they're forced to deal with Ijuuin. Considering how he generally seems to have endless patience for Ijuuin's aggression, it's unusual to see such an expression on him.

Hikari-hakase gives him a tired smile. "Hello, Laika-kun. Good to see you again."

"Er . . . same to you. I have orders from Commissioner Kifune and Superintendent Manabe regarding the current situation."

That seems to put a bit of life back into Hikari-hakase. He sits up, nodding at Laika to go ahead.

Laika repeats the orders professionally and calmly. The poor man looks like he could do with some of that right now, if Ijuuin's sulking is any indication. He has to wonder exactly what happened to make Hikari-hakase, of all people, look like that - but then again, no one has endless amounts of patience. No matter who or what you are, you will eventually reach your limit, and it seems Hikari-hakase is nearing his.

"That's more or less what we've been doing already," Hikari-hakase muses, when Laika is finished. "At least they seem to agree with us on this matter. Although the possibility of this being permanent . . . I admit I hadn't wanted to consider it, but it's starting to look like that may be possible."

Ijuuin looks up, his scowl briefly dropping for just a moment. There's no reading his expression when most of it is hidden by his helmet.

Hikari-hakase sighs and rubs his forehead. "I think I need a break, or at least something to eat. If you'd like to stay in here to keep an eye on him, feel free."

"Is he muted?" Laika asks, as Hikari-hakase gets to his feet.

"Yes. I did unmute him after Netto left him here, but . . ."

But he had to mute him again. Probably because of the shouting.

"I'll keep an eye on him, Hikari-hakase," Laika says. "Take as much time as you need."

Hikari-hakase claps him on the shoulder as he heads out. The moment the door slides shut, Laika moves forward, sitting himself in Hikari-hakase's vacant chair.

Ijuuin stares at him from the big screen. Laika stares right back, folding his arms.

"I hope you're satisfied with yourself," he says. Ijuuin bares his teeth a little. "Not only did you cause an absolute fiasco yesterday, but you've driven Hikari-hakase to the point of voluntarily taking a break."

He allows his words to hang in the air for a moment before continuing.

"One of these days, you're going to go too far. You'll say something or do something so terrible that everyone will leave you, even Blues. And then, when you finally realise you need help, no one will want anything to do with you."

Ijuuin scowls and turns his head away. His fingers twitch by his side, and he clenches them into tight fists.

"Is that what you want, Ijuuin?" Laika asks, fighting to keep his tone neutral. "There's a possibility that this could end up being permanent. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life muted and abandoned? Because that's what it looks like from here."

Ijuuin turns his back on him.

" . . . How did you even get to this point?" he can't help but wonder. "You can't have been like this from the start. You weren't, I know that. Netto told me what you used to be like. Strict and rude, yes, but talented and intelligent. And kind when it mattered."

No response. Of course not, Ijuuin is muted - but would he even respond if he weren't?

"So either you were hiding your true nature all along, or something happened that made you spiral out of control," Laika says. "What was it? A person? Your father, maybe?"

Ijuuin's entire body goes tense.

" . . . I see. You don't have a very good relationship with him, do you?"

By now, Ijuuin's fists are trembling. The rest of his body isn't too far behind.

Laika watches him. Studies him, if you will. He was taught to read body language like a second language, and right now, that knowledge is telling him that Ijuuin is a cornered beast, injured and angry. And perhaps afraid, too.

"Parents don't define their children, you know," Laika says. For the first time since he first met Ijuuin, he finds himself softening his words. "And none of this can ever really excuse your behaviour, but . . . if you really do need help, now is a good time to ask for it."

Ijuuin whips around and starts shouting. Or he would, if he weren't muted. As it is, Laika only sees his mouth moving, lips pulled back to reveal his teeth like he'll use them to bite and tear if necessary.

After a few moments of this, Ijuuin pauses. His head twitches to the side and he frowns, and then he slumps against the side of the screen, staring at the floor. He's not clenching his fists anymore and his body language speaks of nothing but defeat and misery.

"I'd advise you to think carefully, Ijuuin," Laika tells him. "Before it's too late."

Ijuuin doesn't respond.

Everyone's been really nice to Blues since yesterday. They're already nice to him - which he still finds immensely odd at times - but now it's like they're all being extra nice. He's not really sure why.

But he's not gonna point it out. Maybe they won't mind if he asks, but . . . there's always a chance they will. If they kick him out of the Hikari house, he doesn't know where he's supposed to go. As a Navi, he would either spend the night in Internet City or with Rockman and Netto-san, but as a human, it's different. Far too different for him to risk compromising his place as a guest.

He puts it to the back of his mind when Hikari-hakase comes back, because now it's finally time to hopefully learn more about the kind of NetNavi Enzan-sama currently is. Not a very strong one, they've already established that, but there has to be more to it than that. Specifics, even.

Although he has to wait until after dinner and until Laika-san is back too. Not that he's annoyed by having to wait, he's just really curious, that's all! Yep. Not annoyed at all, because getting annoyed is a human thing and he's-

He's not supposed to be human. So. Yeah. He's not annoyed.

"Where's Ijuuin, Papa?" Rockman asks, once dinner is over and they've all settled on the sofas or, in Netto-san's case, on the floor. Even though there's room on the sofa.

"Meijin took him home for the night," Hikari-hakase explains. "Just to give us all a break."

"We need more than a break from him," Netto-san mutters.

Blues shifts uncomfortably. He almost expects Laika to agree with Netto-san, but is surprised when that doesn't happen. He glances up at him and sees a calculating expression not too dissimilar from Searchman's when he's in deep thought.

Odd. But at least not everyone seems to be mad at Enzan-sama for yesterday. Or maybe they are and they're just hiding it. Oh. That makes more sense.

"I'll lay out the report here," Hikari-hakase says, placing his PET onto the coffee table and bringing up multiple holoscreens, each one packed with information and images. "It'll be easier to explain with a reference."

"Whoa, that's a lot," Netto-san comments in awe, leaning forward to inspect the nearest holoscreen.

Blues, too curious for his own good, slides down onto the floor next to him to read it as well. This one looks like basic information, the stuff you see on the surface, plus a few short notes. No doubt all of this is expanded upon in the rest of the report.

Name: Ijuuin Enzan

Navi type: Paradox (special, custom)

Element: Null (presumed)

Height: 4'7 (140 navicentimetres)

Hit Points: 40

Attack: 0

Defence: 0

Speed: 0

Weapon systems: N/A

Notes: created during failed Cross Fusion experiment, programming basic and technically non-functional, high perception level and low processing speed (needs further investigation)

"Just forty Hit Points?" Laika-san asks, having leaned closer to read over Blues and Netto-san's heads. "That's the same as most Mettaurs."

Otherwise known as the weakest virus in the entire cyberworld. Does that make Enzan-sama the weakest NetNavi?

Even as the thought crosses his mind, Blues shakes his head to banish it. He gets a worried look from Netto-san as a result, but he'd rather be stared at than betray his operator with such a horrible thought.

"Attack zero," Laika-san goes on, eyes moving down the screen as he reads aloud. "Defence, also zero."

"How come his Speed is listed as zero as well?" Netto-san wonders, finally looking away from Blues. "Wouldn't he be, like, slow as heck? Or not even able to move at all?"

"NetNavis have two different Speed stats," Hikari-hakase explains. "The first is their base Speed, which is determined by their frame type and weight. The second is sort of like a modifier, a stat that only Battle Navis have access to. As a Battle Navi grows stronger, this modifier will gradually increase, and so their base Speed will rise as well. Ijuuin-kun has no Battle Data at all, but for some reason, his programming still contains battle-related stats, even if they're all currently zero."

"Oohh, gotcha."

"He's not very strong, is he?" Rockman asks softly.

"Poor thing," Hikari-san sighs.

"Poor thing?" Netto-san repeats incredulously. "Mama, c'mon, you know what he's like! Serves him right that he got turned into the world's weakest NetNavi."

"It is rather ironic that he ended up like this when he usually calls Blues weak or useless," Laika-san says thoughtfully.

"If he had been any more complex than he is now, he could have self-deleted," Hikari-hakase reminds them.

"I know. Still, though."

Hikari-hakase sighs, shaking his head with a fond smile. "Fair enough. Moving on, Meijin and I have been investigating the potential cause of the failed Cross Fusion a few days ago. For the moment, our working theory is that Laika-kun's guess is correct - that Blues and Ijuuin-kun's bodies are too different now to perform Cross Fusion with any sort of stability."

"It was never stable for them to start off with anyway," Netto-san points out. "Ijuuin's Cross Fusion would sometimes come apart mid-battle and we'd always have to save him. Not that he ever thanked us . . ."

He certainly didn't thank Blues for saving him from Yaito-san.

Ah- wait, no, he didn't mean it! Why are his thoughts so terrible today? He needs to focus and stop being so mean toward his operator.

"That's true," Hikari-hakase says. "The instability led to Meijin and I running all sorts of tests, but we could never find any way to improve it. Now that their Synchro rate has dropped below the required level . . ." He looks at Blues. "I'm sorry, but it looks like this switch is permanent. For as long as the two of you remain incapable of Cross Fusion, at least."

Blues swallows hard.

"It'll be okay," Netto-san tells him gently, tucking him into his side with a one-armed hug. "If this is permanent, you can stay here as long as you wanna. Right Mama, Papa?"

"Of course," Hikari-hakase agrees, nodding.

"Absolutely!" Hikari-san smiles brightly. "We'd love to have you here, Blues-kun."

While he's grateful for their kind offer, he can't help but worry. If this does end up permanent, he'll be cut off from his own world forever, and he'll only get to speak to his NetNavi friends through holograms and screens. He'll never get his armour back, or see the lively hustle and bustle of Internet City with his own two eyes.

But even worse than that . . .

No one has said anything about what will happen to Enzan-sama.

Chapter Text

The mall was a pretty fun trip before, so that's where Netto and his friends decide to try hanging out this time. He managed to convince (read: beg) Laika to take Ijuuin for the day, so there's no danger of their outing being ruined once again. Unless anything outside of their control happens, but eh, what're you gonna do.

Anyway, the mall.

When Netto came here with Mama, Meiru-chan, and Blues, they only went into clothing stores. Now the group goes anywhere they please, just wandering around and checking out anything that catches their interest. Mostly this just amounts to (gently) dragging Blues in and out of various shops, checking out the stalls, and showing him the cool installations scattered throughout all five floors.

"Wow," Blues gasps in awe, craning his neck to look up to the top of a large lava lamp-like installation. It even moves like one, and it glows brightly even in broad daylight.

"Thought you might like this one," Netto says, totally not smug at all.

"Well, of course he likes it," Yaito-chan says airily. "It's red."

"How does it move like that?" Blues asks. "What- what kinda program does it- wait, no, um . . ."

Meiru-chan giggles. "No worries, it's technically a program that makes it move anyway. There's a sign over there that explains it, wanna see?"

Blues practically bounces in excitement, and with another giggle, Meiru-chan leads him over. Netto grins, then takes his PET out of its holder and brings up the holoscreen map of the mall.

"Okay, which one should we check out next?" he wonders, using his finger to move the map around.

Rockman helpfully lights up a nearby installation. "This one might be good. It's interactive, and there's a game shop nearby too."

"Oohh, yeah, we've gotta take him to one of those!" Dekao exclaims eagerly, leaning on Netto's shoulder to look at the map. Which is, y'know, rude - use your own map, dang it. "He likes that weird Navi sim game, right? Maybe we can get him a game just like it!"

"Aw, sometimes you really can be thoughtful," Yaito-chan coos teasingly.

"Thanks! . . . Wait, what do you mean, sometimes?"

"I can think of a few games similar to the farming one off the top of my head," Tohru-kun offers. "It looks like that game shop is a second-hand one, so if we can't find any in there, we can go to another place and see what they have."

"We need to get Blues a plushie," Yaito-chan declares.

"Wait, how does that even fit in-" Netto begins.

"Because normal game shops sell plushies! Duh!"

"Uhh . . ."

"She's not wrong, Netto-kun," Rockman points out, chuckling.

"I mean . . . I guess . . . ?"

The next installation they check out is smaller than the lava lamp one, but Rockman was right about it being interactive. Netto and his friends spend a fun fifteen or so minutes playing around in it, and he may or may not get Rockman to sneak a few pictures of Blues enjoying himself.

What? It's nice to see him having fun.

They head into the game shop next, which unfortunately doesn't have any of the games Tohru-kun was talking about. What it does have is a whole bunch of other cool games, plus a lot of consoles - including a second-hand Shift Lite, which is the smaller, more portable version of the regular Shift Netto has at home.

Blues seems fascinated by it. The guy behind the counter is nice enough to get it out of the display case and show it to him, and Netto is achingly tempted to get it for him as a gift. However, even second-hand it's way out of his price range, so he can't.

If only he had access to the money he makes as a Net Saver . . . But this is why Mama and Papa are putting it into an account for him, so he won't spend it impulsively. All that goes out the window once he turns 18 and gets access to it, but he's only 14 right now, so that's, like, forever away.

At least Blues gets to learn a bit about some of the newest gaming systems. Silver lining and all that.

Tracking down another game shop is easy enough, and this time, they're able to find a few of the farming sim-like games. One of them is literally the exact same game but for humans, and Blues gets all excited until he learns that he still won't be able to play with the Navis - because for some dumb reason, cross-play isn't a thing. Maybe it's got something to do with compatibility? It's still dumb, though.

And Blues is clearly crushed. He tries to hide it, but he's one of the worst liars Netto has ever met, and even the offer of getting him a similar game doesn't help cheer him up. The group is at a loss for what to do now.

Well, until Meiru-chan spots a whole basket full of plushies. It's not quite enough to provide a full distraction, but Blues is happier than before, and that's all that matters.

Dekao eventually gets bored of watching the two of them dig through the plushie basket and wanders off to check out some game merch, and Yaito-chan spots one of Gabcom's consoles in a display cabinet and proceeds to drag some poor employee into a very one-sided conversation about how great it is. Netto and Tohru-kun are the only ones who stick around - Netto because he likes seeing Blues happy, and Tohru-kun because . . .

"I wanna see if Blues picks anything out," he explains. "I'm kinda curious to find out what kind of plushies he likes."

"Ah," Netto says, nodding. Truth be told, he's curious himself.

The two of them turn their attention back to Blues and Meiru-chan. He's more energetic now, his earlier disappointment fading rapidly, and both Meiru-chan and Roll are gently encouraging him. It's really nice to see.

And then suddenly Blues pauses, eyes going wide. He's up to his elbows in plushies - literally - and he gasps in delight.

"Meiru-chan, Meiru-chan, look what I found!" he exclaims, pulling a plushie out of the basket. He ends up dragging a few others out as well, but for once is too excited to start worrying about the mess.

"Oh, wow, that is so cute!" Meiru-chan squeals, clapping her hands together. "Aww, look at the ears . . ."

" . . . Did you just hear what I heard?" Netto asks quietly, leaning over to Tohru-kun.

"I think so," Tohru-kun replies, blinking.

They exchange a glance, and then share a grin.

Of course, those grins vanish very quickly when they see the plushie Blues is holding. It's a rabbit, but why Meiru-chan said it was cute is an absolute mystery.

Sure, it looks soft and cuddly, and it has floppy ears that look like they'd be fun to play with, but it's more like something you'd see in a horror movie or even your own personal nightmares. It's white with big patches of pink, but those patches make it look more like one of those frankenstein-like creatures than anything cute, and it has huge staring eyes and a blank expression. It's mostly the latter that makes it so creepy and unsettling.

Honestly, it's a really good thing that Rockman is with the other Navis in the store's network right now. Poor guy probably would've screamed as soon as he saw it. Or just freaked out.

"I think this is from the Rabbit Nightmares series," Meiru-chan muses, checking the creepy rabbit's tag. "Ah, yeah, here it is - this one's the Dysphoria Rabbit, see?"

Blues hums curiously, eyes wide and bright. "It's so cute and pretty . . ."

"I know, right?" Meiru-chan grins, bouncing on the spot. "I've got the Phobia and Dread ones at home somewhere, I'll show you tomorrow!"

"Are they like this one?"

"Their designs are different, but they're part of the same series. It's all like one big theme, you know?"

"Oooh . . ."

Blues gives the rabbit a gentle squish, giggling a little. Meiru-chan watches him for a few moments, and then her grin softens and she tugs on his sleeve.

"Come on," she says. "Let's take it to the counter, I'll buy it for you."

"Wha-" Blues gapes at her. "B-but- um- y-y-you don't ha- have to-"

"I want to! I mean-" Meiru-chan pauses suddenly. "-unless you don't want it, that is. Sorry, I forgot to ask. Do you?"

Blues swallows heavily and looks down at the rabbit. There's clearly a war going on in his head, but you'd have to be blind (or Ijuuin) to not see how much he likes the thing. Even if it is, y'know, the creepiest 'cute' thing to exist and will probably make Rockman freak the moment he sees it.

"You should get it," Netto says, making Blues look at him. "You like it, right?"

" . . . I- I do, but . . ."

"Then it's no problem! It's like your gloves, yeah?"

Blues blinks. He transfers his look to his gloves now, those cool fingerless ones that Mama said he chose all by himself. He's quiet for a good while, and Netto, Meiru-chan, and Tohru-kun let him think it over carefully. Netto's just hoping he's not trying to talk himself out of it for any silly reasons like 'my operator wouldn't approve' or whatever. It's happened before.

Ten minutes later - because they had to wait for Yaito-chan to leave the poor employee alone - the group leaves to find the next place to check out. A small bookshop tucked away in a quiet corner of the mall is a good pick; it's nothing quite as exciting as an interactive installation or as cool as a game shop, but the group usually buys their manga from here, and there's a nice little table setup where people can relax and read for a while.

Blues hugs the creepy rabbit plushie to his chest the entire time. His smile is bright enough to rival the sun, as Mama sometimes says.

The Dysphoria Rabbit is adorable and Blues loves it already. He's so happy that he doesn't even care when he notices a few adult humans giving him odd looks, though he can't imagine why.

It's not until his curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to ask Netto-san that he finds out. Apparently some humans, adults especially, think it's childish and silly to carry around a plushie the way he is. Which is just silly in itself - why wouldn't he want to carry around his new friend? Meiru-chan was kind enough to buy it for him and he never wants to put it down, ever.

A small part of him balks at his behaviour. This is hardly befitting of a NetNavi, it scolds him, and he's not a human child, not really, so he shouldn't be acting like one.

I don't care, he tells it. I have a new friend and I love it.

It's easy to ignore that small part of him after that. It's even easier with Netto-san and the others taking him into all sorts of different shops and stores, providing a welcome and fun distraction. The installations they come across or hunt down are even more fun.

He's wandering around a fancy jewellery shop when a stray thought about his operator puts an abrupt end to his enjoyment.

The thought isn't a bad one, not necessarily - he just spots a pretty necklace of a cat head made from red gems and thinks Enzan-sama might like that, and that's when he stops. Netto-san, who's been following him almost lazily, gives him a worried look.

"You okay?"

Blues squeezes the Dysphoria Rabbit and puts his chin on its head, staring at the cat necklace. "I'm . . . having fun."

"That's good, right?" Netto-san asks. He sounds kinda wary. Gentle, too. Both of those are tones Blues is very familiar with.

"I-it's just that- I'm- I'm here, having fun a-and enjoying myself, and- and I've even got a new f-friend, but . . . Enzan-sama . . ."

Netto-san's expression closes off a little. Blues is familiar with that too - it seems every time he mentions his operator, everyone around him gets a little more tense than before. He wishes that didn't happen, but it's not like Enzan-sama ever tries to-

No. Stop that. Bad Blues.

"He's stuck in my- his PET," he says, mostly in an attempt to distract himself from his own blunder. "H-he doesn't even have the option of leaving, and- and- I-I know it's for his own safety, I know, but it's still not f-fair and, um, I just . . . kinda . . ."

"You feel guilty," Rockman guesses. He's always good at emotions and stuff.

"Y-yeah. Does this- does . . . A-am I bad NetNavi? 'Cus I'm having fun while he's- while he's b-basically trapped?"

"You're not a NetNavi right now," Netto-san reminds him.

"W-well, no, but . . . but . . ."

"Human or Navi, you're allowed to enjoy yourself," Rockman says gently. "Having fun doesn't make you a bad NetNavi, it just makes you a person. And worrying about Ijuuin shows you're a good one, too."

Blues hums quietly, fiddling with one of the Dysphoria Rabbit's ears. It's so long and floppy and soft.

Do plushies for NetNavi exist? Cyberfood exists, which he didn't know about, so maybe other things like that are a thing too and he just doesn't know about them either. Maybe he could go to Internet City and- ah, no, maybe he could ask Rockman or Searchman to go to Internet City and find one for Enzan-sama. Although he's not sure what kinda plushie Enzan-sama would like. A cat, maybe? Since the necklace made him think of him. Or a rabbit, so they can match.

Would Enzan-sama even want to match? Or would he just scoff at the plushie and call it childish and silly?

The latter is more likely. Even though Blues could always see the deeply-hidden longing in his operator's eyes whenever they came across something 'childish and silly'. Fluffy things especially, which is the reason why Enzan-sama has a fluffy blanket in his office as opposed to a normal one. It's the only 'childish' thing he was allowed to have.

"Blues?"

He squeaks, jolting, and blinks at Netto-san. "Um- y-yes? Sorry, I was . . . thinking. I didn't mean to, uh, i-ignore you."

"Hey, it's okay, I wasn't saying anything anyway," Netto-san dismisses easily, and Blues relaxes a little. "Zenny for your thoughts?"

"Zenny for- huh?"

Rockman hides a chuckle behind his hand. "He's asking what you were thinking about."

"Oh." That's a funny way of asking, but humans can be funny sometimes. "I was just thinking that, um . . . th-that . . . maybe I could g-get Enzan-sama something . . . I-I dunno what, but . . ."

Netto-san blinks. "He really doesn't deserve you."

"Um- wh-what?" Blues squeaks, tightening his grip on the Dysphoria Rabbit.

"Netto-kun!" Rockman hisses.

"Sorry, sorry, uh-" Netto-san clears his throat with a quick wince. "It's nice that you're thinking about him."

"Um . . . r-right . . ."

"I think I have an idea," Rockman says, apparently deciding to move on. "There's a D-Burger in the Food Court, we can go there."

Netto-san's expression lights up. "Ooh, yeah! That might be good!"

Blues bites his lip to keep his confusion quiet. Despite that, Netto-san and Rockman notice anyway, which is . . . unfair. Expected, but unfair.

"Don't worry, we'll explain when we get there," Rockman tells him.

"O-okay . . . ?"

"Hey, guys!" Netto-san calls out to the others, who are scattered around. Meiru-chan and Yaito-san are comparing bracelets it looks like, Tohru-san is showing Iceman some winter-themed jewellery, and Dekao-san is nowhere to be seen (apparently he doesn't care about jewellery). "Me and Blues're hungry, we're gonna head to the Food Court!"

"You're always hungry!" Yaito-san calls back, laughing.

"We'll meet you there when we're done!" Meiru-chan adds.

Netto-san acknowledges that with a wave, then takes Blues by the hand and darts out of the shop. Blues almost trips over his own feet before he manages to match Netto-san's pace, and thankfully he doesn't drop the Dysphoria Rabbit.

As soon as they arrive in the Food Court, Netto-san hunts down an empty table with enough chairs for everyone. It's impressive and a little bit scary how laser-focused he is on the task, but the way he cheers when he finds a suitable table is too silly to not laugh at regardless.

Netto-san sends Rockman to the cyberworld to place an order for them. He brings up the holoscreen on his PET and angles it so Blues can get a good look inside the Internet City version of the mall's Food Court, and he's in awe when he sees NetNavis sitting at tables and eating just like the humans are. Maybe he can try some cyberfood if - no, when - he and Enzan-sama switch back.

"Okay, so, D-Burger has this new promotion thing going on," Netto-san begins, as soon as Rockman has found the digital D-Burger. "If you buy a kid's meal, you get this really cool Battle Chip for free. Well, I say 'Battle Chip', but it's not really a Battle Chip 'cus it's not usable in a Net Battle, and it's disposable anyway, so it's only single-use."

"That . . . that doesn't seem like a very good Chip, then," Blues says, furrowing his brows.

"Yeah, but it's still pretty cool. I'll show you why when we get our food."

"You'd better order it first," Rockman teases, glancing at them through the holoscreen.

"I know, I know!" Netto-san laughs. "Blues, wanna go first?"

"Um . . ."

"Here, these are your options for the kid's meal," Rockman says, bringing up the menu. In the real world, it appears as a smaller holoscreen in front of Rockman's. "Pick whatever you want and it'll show up on the order screen in here, and then I can take it to the Navi at the counter."

"R-right."

He's still not quite . . . okay with this whole 'choices' thing. It's not as though he'll suddenly be completely fine with it, not when NetNavis are supposed to leave that kinda stuff up to their operators. It's the humans who have the option of choice, while NetNavis are supposed to follow orders.

 . . . But he's not a NetNavi right now. Netto-san said so.

Then does that make it okay?

Rather than let himself be lost in the maze of confusion, he just looks at the menu. Rockman said he can pick anything, so that's what he does - anything that looks interesting (which is all of it) or anything he doesn't think he's eaten before (which is a lot of it), along with banana milk.

" . . . Why," Netto-san says, staring at his choice of drink.

"I wanna try everything," Blues explains, smiling. Then he falters. "U-unless, um . . . I can change it if it's . . ."

"You can have banana milk if you want," Rockman soothes, though his tone doesn't match the half-exasperated look he shoots at his operator. "Okay, anything else?"

"Um . . . n-no. I think."

"Great, my turn!" Netto-san, instantly forgetting about the banana milk, turns the holoscreen menu toward himself and starts making his own selection. "Lessee . . . that, that . . . Ooh, that looks good . . . Hey, Rockman, want some ice cream?"

"Makers, yes."

Blues tilts his head. "N-Netto-san, why're you asking Rockman about ice cream . . . ?"

"You'll see," Netto-san says, smiling mysteriously. The image is ruined in an instant when he gets distracted by something on the menu. "Oh, I have to have that too, it was awesome last time!"

By the time Netto-san is done, his order is twice as big as Blues's. How one human can eat that much is beyond him, but he's seen Netto-san eat that All-Topping Curry from Maha Ichiban, so at this point he just assumes he has a black hole for a stomach and leaves it at that. It's easier for his sanity.

Rockman takes their orders to the counter in the cyberworld, and a few minutes later, a human wearing a D-Burger uniform comes over with a couple of trays balanced on their arms. Which is impressive given the amount of food on Netto-san's tray.

However, there's something extra with both of their orders. A little paper bag tucked to one side, which Blues definitely does not remember selecting. Are these napkins or tissues? They got some when Hikari-san ordered food for them last time they were here.

"Now this is why we got the kid's meal," Netto-san declares, picking up the little bag. He tears it open and tips the thing inside onto his palm, holding it up for Blues to see.

It's a Battle Chip, definitely. But it's clearly not a weapon-class Chip, nor is it any kind of Chip he recognises. It has a yellow background with a darker yellow symbol on it, one of a knife and fork crossed like an X. The universal symbol for 'food' or 'eat'.

"This," Netto-san says, "is what's called a Food Chip. Allow me to demonstrate."

He takes out his PET and slots in the so-called Food Chip. Rockman is on the table in his hologram, seemingly just relaxing, but now he holds out his hands - and then a tray full of food appears for him to grab hold of.

Blues gasps, clutching the Dysphoria Rabbit to his chest.

"The Food Chip gives NetNavis an exact copy of the kid's meal their operator ordered," Netto-san explains, taking the Chip out. The design is blank now. "Since it's a disposable Chip, the cyberfood data that was on it can't be restored even with a Chip Charger. Kinda sucks, but I guess even Navis would get bored of the same meal every single time."

"It's less to do with that and more to act as a copyright sort of thing," Rockman corrects him. "Plus it's a way for the company to make profit."

"I like my reason better."

Blues looks at the paper bag on his own tray, no doubt containing a Food Chip copy of his own order. "So . . . if I slot that into Enzan-sama's PET, he'll get the same meal I have right now?"

"That's right," Rockman confirms, nodding. "It's . . . probably strange for him to not need to eat anymore, and although cyberfood likely won't be able to replace or replicate it entirely, it might still help."

"Plus, it's fair, kinda," Netto-san points out. "You're eating human food, so let him try cyberfood."

"Ah . . . th-thank you, Rockman . . . Netto-san . . ."

"You're welcome!" Netto-san cheerfully replies.

"Now, how about we enjoy our food while we wait for the others?" Rockman suggests.

"Okay," Blues agrees, smiling.

It turns out banana milk is really nice, and he doesn't even mind when Netto-san starts fake-gagging and calls him weird for liking it. He's able to enjoy himself once again, mainly thanks to the slight weight of the Food Chip in his pocket.

They head back home later, and Hikari-san coos over Blues's new friend. Rockman mutters something about creepy rabbits and vanishes into his PET, much to Netto-san's amusement. Blues would normally feel bad - actually, he kinda does, a little bit - but he loves the Dysphoria Rabbit too much to be put out by Rockman's strange fear of ghosts and monsters and stuff. Besides, Rockman already said he'll just get used to it, so it's okay.

Once Laika-san gets back as well, Blues asks for Enzan-sama's PET. He won't handle it for long, because that's usually Netto-san's duty right now, but he wants to be the one to do this. It was technically his idea in the first place, and Enzan-sama is his operator.

When he looks at the little screen, he sees his operator huddled in one corner, knees drawn up to his chest. His back is facing the screen so his expression can't be read. It's . . . kinda worrying.

"Um . . . E-Enzan-sama?" Blues begins, swallowing his nerves. "I- I brought something back from the mall for you. Um, you don't- ha-have to- uh- i-if you don't want it, that's okay, I just- um. W-wanted to . . ."

Enzan-sama doesn't so much as twitch. He almost wilts, but a quick squeeze of the Dysphoria Rabbit gives him a bit of much-needed courage.

"H-here," he says, almost whispering, and he slots the Food Chip in.

A tray of food, an exact copy of his order from D-Burger, appears next to Enzan-sama. Now the not-Navi moves, but only a little bit - he turns his head ever-so-slightly and the edge of his visor comes into sight.

"It- it's cyberfood," Blues explains. Just in case. "R-Rockman and the others say you can, um, you can eat it just like human food, so . . . um . . . it . . . it should be okay, if- if you want it. I-if not, then, um, th-that's okay too."

This is probably the most he's ever said to his operator without being told to shut up. In recent years, anyway. There was once a time when he and Enzan-sama would converse easily, perhaps not quite in the same way that Netto-san and Rockman do, but the wall that exists between them now had yet to be built.

Maybe with this switch situation, he can find a way to tear it down. Or at least build something like a door or a window. Somewhere he can slip offerings through, little gifts to help Enzan-sama, though he's not really sure how.

But that won't go anywhere if Enzan-sama doesn't accept his gifts. It looks like that's what's happening now, because he hasn't moved to pick up any of the cyberfood. He hasn't moved beyond just looking at it.

Blues can almost feel a sort of hole in his chest. The more he looks at his unmoving operator and the untouched cyberfood, the bigger and more painful it gets, so he passes Enzan-sama over to Netto-san and buries his face in the Dysphoria Rabbit's stomach in an effort to fill it.

After a few moments, he feels a poke on his upper arm, and lifts his head to look at Netto-san.

"Look," Netto-san says, smiling a little and holding up the PET.

Enzan-sama is sitting with his back to the side of the screen now, legs tucked under himself. He's not looking at anyone, but he's slowly chewing on some fries from the tray.

Blues blinks, then begins to smile. The hole in his chest doesn't feel so big anymore.

Chapter Text

"Laika!" Netto calls, bouncing into the room. "Can you-"

Laika doesn't look up from his PET. "No."

"You didn't even let me finish," Netto whines.

With a sigh, he resigns himself to conversation and finally looks up. Netto is pulling an exaggerated grumpy face at him and it takes a small amount of willpower to not start laughing at it.

"I know what you're going to ask and the answer, as I just said, is no," he says. "I can't babysit Ijuuin every time you want to take Blues out somewhere."

They both pause for a second, but there's no interruption. No shouting, no muttered comments, not even the PET rattling in Netto's pocket. Hm.

" . . . Well, he's been pretty quiet lately, so . . ." Netto shrugs.

"I'm still not taking him again. Give him to your mother or something."

"Laika, no, c'mon, I'm not asking you to take Ijuuin this time!"

"Then just give him to your fa-" Laika pauses. "I'm sorry?"

Netto huffs good-naturedly. "Finally. If you'd let me finish before, I would've asked 'can you take Blues out for the day'."

" . . . Blues? Not Ijuuin?"

"Since when does 'Blues' sound even remotely like 'Ijuuin'?"

"Well, I . . ." Laika trails off, then shakes his head. "Never mind. Why Blues, though? Aren't you normally the one who takes him out?"

"Me and Mama need him distracted and outta the house for the day."

"That . . . doesn't really explain much. What's going on?"

Netto grins. "It's a secret!"

" . . . Are you going to let me in on it, or . . . ?"

"Nope!"

Laika sighs. "Since Haruka-san is involved, I'll assume it's not something completely ridiculous. Fine, what do you want me to do with him?"

"Uh . . ." Netto purses his lips, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I dunno? Was kinda hopin' you'd come up with something."

"I'm not the kind of person who goes out for fun, Netto."

"Boo, I thought I got you over that whole soldier act!"

Laika huffs out a laugh, feeling his shoulders shake with amusement. Netto's grin comes back full-force.

"The Sharoan Net Police is considered a part of the military, so technically, I am a soldier," Laika points out. "But alright, you win. I'll take Blues out and see if I can come up with something to do for- how long did you say?"

"The whole day," Netto says. "Until evening at least."

"Right. I'll see what I can do."

There is not a lot Laika can think of that would keep Blues distracted for an entire day. Not without explicitly telling him why he suddenly invited him out like this. Which he is not going to do - Blues is clearly happy, and knowing that there's something going on at the Hikari house (something that involves him, even) will just make him worry.

So instead of dwelling on his own inability to come up with fun ideas for day trips, he decides to help Blues with the concept of making choices and decisions. Haruka-san started this, Netto and his friends have furthered it, and now he'll be encouraging it as well.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go?" he asks, once they're in the city proper.

Blues looks at him, blinking.

"Somewhere, er, fun maybe?" he prompts. This feels more awkward than it should. "Or just somewhere you haven't been yet?"

That list is so long that Blues could probably just point in a direction and they'd be guaranteed to end up somewhere he hasn't been. Of course, that's assuming he'll actually pick something in the first place.

" . . . Netto-san usually chooses where we go," the former Navi eventually says.

Ah. Right. Hm.

Perhaps he's giving him too much choice? This is something called . . . choice paralysis, that's it. Where you have so many different options that you get overwhelmed and can't make a decision. In that case, a smaller choice may be better, especially if he wants to encourage Blues rather than do the opposite.

"I have a suggestion, if I may?" Searchman appears on his shoulder, one hand held up. "How about going somewhere that neither of you have been before?"

Laika hums, glancing at Blues. "Could be interesting. What do you think?"

"Um, okay," Blues agrees. He shifts his grip on the patchwork rabbit, hugging it to his chest like it's a security blanket.

"This will include a lot of places for Blues," Searchman muses, "but for you, Laika-sama, that list is considerably smaller."

"Yes, indeed. Obviously we can't go anywhere restricted, so . . . any ideas?"

Searchman narrows his eyes, putting a hand to his chin. "Perhaps . . . the arcade? I don't believe we've ever been there for anything other than missions."

"A good idea, but it will hardly take up the whole day," Laika points out. "This is a day trip, remember."

"Ah, yes, of course. Hm, let me think . . ."

A sudden high-pitched cry from above has the three of them looking up. Soaring across the clear blue sky, gliding between buildings on deceptively thin wings, is a seagull. Laika loses interest in it quickly - he's seen plenty of seagulls, after all - but when he looks back down, Blues is still watching it, eyes wide and bright with wonder.

 . . . Now there's an idea.

"I haven't been to the beach yet," Laika says, making both Searchman and Blues look at him. "Sharo doesn't really have them, and I've never had any reason to go near the seaside in this country."

"You've been to at least one beach, Laika-sama," Searchman argues.

"That was in the fishing village from Beyondard, and we weren't exactly there for fun."

Searchman concedes the point with a shrug.

"Seagulls live at beaches, right?" Blues asks, looking back up at the bird. It's almost out of sight now, only visible because its white feathers contrast the colour of the sky.

"They do." Laika nods. "We'll likely find lots of them there. And there's plenty of things to do, from what I've read."

Plenty of things to keep Blues busy, in other words. But he'd be a liar if he tried to deny his own curiosity about Densan's beach. Of all the missions he's been on in this country, not once have any of them put him near the ocean. If he'd ever mentioned this to Netto, he has no doubt that the boy would have immediately dragged him there for a day out.

"Th-that sounds kinda fun," Blues murmurs. He mulls it over quietly for a moment, then looks up with a slight smile. "Okay!"

Laika isn't the type of person to wear his heart on his sleeve, not like Netto, so his smiles don't come quite as easily. But for moments like these, for Blues especially, he always finds one.

"Lead the way, Searchman," he orders.

"Yes sir."

Densan's beach isn't too far away by vehicle. They could take Laika's bike, but he left it back at the Hikari house, and when he brought up the idea of using public transport, Blues practically bounced with excitement.

So they take the bus, and Blues proceeds to investigate absolutely everything within arms' reach. It's a good thing he understands common courtesy and social etiquette, otherwise he would probably be wandering up and down and prodding and poking at everything. A few people do give him strange looks or even look as though they want to say something (and not something nice), but Laika discourages all of them with a hard glare that conveys his silent message of 'if you upset him, you will regret it'.

Perhaps he's being a little overprotective, but then again, it is Blues. He needs protection, but most of all, he needs freedom. If that freedom comes in small doses such as investigating anything he can get his hands on, then so be it.

The beach itself is spacious and clean, and it's a surprise to see only a few people here and there. From the pictures Laika has seen on the internet, he expected it to be absolutely full of people - but perhaps it's better like this. Less people means less eyes, which means more freedom for Blues.

"I don't think you're supposed to be fully clothed at a beach," Searchman says, gesturing to them.

"It's not as though we planned to come here from the start," Laika replies, frowning. "We don't exactly have bathing suits. Or trunks. Or . . . whatever it is people wear at beaches."

"A-are we supposed to wear special clothes here . . . ?" Blues asks.

"Er . . ."

They probably should have done a bit more research before coming here. This is the most ridiculous problem to have, honestly.

"Hey, hello, excuse me!"

Laika whips his head up, tensing immediately, and Blues squeaks and tightens his grip on his rabbit.

A man jogs over to them, wearing bright trunks and what's unmistakably a swim-proof t-shirt. The word LIFEGUARD is plastered across the shirt's chest in bold, striking red. Ah, well, that explains the outfit.

"Oops, didn't mean to startle you," the lifeguard chuckles, slowing to a stop in front of them. "I just saw you from my post over there, you looked kind of lost. Need any help?"

Laika manages to force himself to relax. Blues isn't so lucky and quietly shuffles to the side so he's partially behind Laika, half-hiding his face with his rabbit. Upon seeing that, the lifeguard's expression softens.

"We're . . . new to the beach, I suppose," Laika admits.

"Ah, right." The lifeguard nods. "I thought you seemed, er, unprepared, haha. Well, even if you're just here to see what it's like, enjoy yourselves all you please! Just don't cause any trouble, we wouldn't want to spoil everyone's fun by calling the police or something."

"Fair enough. If I may ask . . ."

"Yeah?"

Laika clears his throat. "Are we required to wear special clothing at a beach, or is that merely a choice?"

"Required to . . ." The lifeguard blinks, then bursts out laughing. "You talk really formal and fancy, you know that, kid?"

"Kid?" Laika repeats. He's fairly certain 16 can't be considered a 'kid'.

"Er . . . not a kid, then? I mean, you're pretty tall, but your face still has some baby fat on it, so I thought-"

"Please just answer my question."

The lifeguard chuckles. "Sure, sure. It's not 'required', more just a social thing than anything else, but if you don't have your own swimwear, we can provide some for you. See that building over there, behind you? Those are the changing rooms. You can rent swimsuits or trunks for the day from the front desk."

"And those are . . . public?" Laika asks sceptically.

"They're given a thorough wash after every use, no worries!"

"Hm." Laika narrows his eyes thoughtfully, then glances at Blues. "What do you think?"

Blues bites his lip, shrugging. Damn, looks like the choices thing will have to wait until he's not so nervous.

"Thank you, sir," Laika says, turning back to the lifeguard. He offers a bow as well, because it's polite in Japan. "We'll go have a look."

"Sure thing, no problem!" The lifeguard offers them a wave before heading off. "Hope you enjoy yourselves!"

Once he's sure the lifeguard has gone back to his post, Laika turns his full attention to Blues, who finally seems to be relaxing a little bit. It's not as though Blues is particularly wary of strangers, so maybe it was being startled that had him so on edge suddenly. It was certainly that way for Laika, though he got over it much faster, evidently.

He offers a hand to Blues. "Come on, maybe they'll have some red trunks for you. Think you'd like that?"

Blues's smile is tiny and a little weak, but it's there. He takes Laika's hand with barely a hint of hesitation, keeping his rabbit tucked to his chest with his free arm.

"Y-yeah," he agrees. "That- that'd be c-cool."

Searchman is given the instruction to assist Blues with his clothes, since the staff in the building wouldn't allow Laika-sama into Blues's changing room. They explain that they've had . . . incidents in the past, mainly due to couples or other hormone-driven humans, so they only allow small children to have someone assist with changing now. Which is fair, but still somewhat annoying.

Luckily, Blues has mostly figured out how to put on and take off clothes by now. All Searchman has to do is give him reminders or gentle prompts.

Blues is in the middle of removing his short-sleeved shirt when Searchman notices something. On his skin, in the middle of his chest, is a strange-looking patch of discoloured skin. It could be considered a scar, but the discolouration is too neat, and the shape is too familiar.

It's a disc, with two spikes pointing down. The exact same shape as Blues's emblem, though it's missing the white-and-black design. Of course, it's not a tattoo - more like a birthmark like this, really.

"S-Searchman?"

Blues's worried voice makes him jolt back into reality. And realise he just spent approximately twenty-three seconds staring at his friend's chest. In his defence, he has a good reason.

"Apologies," he says, giving Blues what he hopes is a reassuring smile. "I was just . . . curious."

Blues tilts his head and blinks. Then he looks down at his chest, tracing the discoloured skin with his fingers.

" . . . Hikari-hakase said it m-might be a leftover from before the- the switch," he says quietly.

"Given the shape of it, it's likely," Searchman agrees. "I haven't seen it properly before now, though. It's . . . strange."

He almost kicks himself as soon as the words are out of his mouth, but Blues only nods slowly. The former Navi raises his head, looking into the mirror, and Searchman follows his gaze.

"It is strange," Blues murmurs.

" . . . Do you feel any different as a human?" Searchman asks, before his mind catches up with his mouth.

"I- well, um . . ." Blues bites his lip, hesitating. "It's . . . different, yeah. Um, physically. Like, I'm n-not . . . I get hungry so I need to eat, and I- I have to go to the toilet, change my clothes, drink water, and . . . a-and do all kinds of stuff Navis don't have to do. I get tired really easily, too."

"I suppose a human's energy levels are much lower compared to a Navi's."

"Y-yeah. And, well, um . . . I- I'm not the most powerful NetNavi, everyone knows that, but e-even I'd be considered stronger than the average human, r-right? But now I . . ."

Blues trails off into silence. His fingers twitch and he glances at his rabbit, which is propped up on the shelf nearby.

"I'm weaker than I ever was before," he says quietly.

"You were never weak."

Blues tenses. Searchman waits a moment, but when he doesn't respond, he continues.

"You're a Battle Navi," he says. "Or, you were. Right now you're just a regular human. But you were never weak, Blues. Rockman told me about the N1 - how you swept through your opponents like they were nothing. Does that sound weak to you?"

" . . . Th-that was a long time ago," Blues whispers. "I'm- I- I can't even fight a Mettaur without struggling now. I don't know what's wrong with me, I just . . . wish I was stronger . . ."

"It's not strength you lack," Searchman tells him, firm but gentle. "It's confidence. The only way you could lose your strength so suddenly is if Ijuuin himself reprogrammed you, and I highly doubt he knows enough about NetNavis to do that."

"But if I still have that same strength I had back at the N1, th-then-" Blues swallows, clenching his fists. His eyes are narrow but the tears in his eyes are perfectly visible. "-then . . . why can't I fight anymore? Why am I so useless?"

Searchman goes quiet for a moment, simply watching his friend.

"Is that you talking," he eventually begins, "or your operator?"

Blues flinches.

"He destroyed your confidence in your own abilities," Searchman goes on. "Your own self-doubt fed into that, and now you think you can't fight, which lowers your ability to function in battle. That's the definition of a vicious cycle."

" . . . I know that," Blues mumbles.

Hearing him admit it in his own words sends a jolt of shock through Searchman's core, but he forces himself not to react beyond a slight widening of his eyes.

"I'm a bad NetNavi," Blues sighs. "And- a-and- and Enzan-sama is . . ."

" . . . a bad operator?" Searchman carefully suggests.

Blues hesitates for the longest moment.

And then he nods.

Don't scare him off, Searchman tells himself, when his instincts try to make him push further. This kind of realisation is never easy, nor is it painless. And Blues looks overwhelmed enough as it is.

"Maybe this switch situation is a good opportunity," he says instead. Blues glances at him questioningly. "You can have time to reflect on yourself, to really think about who you are and what you want."

"But I'm a NetNavi. I'm not- I'm not supposed to want things. We- we exist to s-serve humans, nothing more."

"If that were true, both you and I would be no more than mindless programs. Yet we're not."

Blues's hands are trembling. He makes an aborted movement to reach out to his rabbit, but stops at the last second and pulls his hand back. Searchman decides to encourage him by making his hologram appear next to it, which gets a tiny, shaky smile out of Blues - and also gets him to take hold of it, hugging it and covering the discoloured skin.

" . . . Hikari-hakase said this might be permanent," Blues says quietly.

"It's . . . possible, yes."

"So I might be a human forever."

"Maybe."

"A-and Enzan-sama might be a NetNavi forever."

" . . . Maybe."

Blues takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. "I . . . I really do need to think about this, d-don't I?"

Searchman softens. "Yes. But you won't be alone, I can promise that. Laika-sama and I will help, as will Rockman and Netto, and all of our friends."

"Will you help Enzan-sama, too?"

Now it's Searchman's turn to hesitate.

"That . . . depends on whether or not he wants to be helped," he eventually says. It's all he can offer.

It seems Blues knows and understands that. The former Navi cuddles his rabbit to his chest, pressing his cheek into one of its ears.

"Right," he murmurs faintly.

Searchman blows out a quiet sigh. "I'm sorry this conversation turned so . . . gloomy. How about you finish getting changed and we can meet Laika-sama outside?"

"O-okay."

Blues seems a little depressed when he comes out, but when Laika glances at Searchman for an explanation, the only response his Navi will give is a shake of his head. Either it's something private between the Navis, or Searchman isn't willing to discuss this right now and will simply tell him later. Regardless of which it is, he trusts his Navi, so he leaves it be.

He and Blues head out onto the beach proper, and fairly soon, Blues is perking up once more. It helps that everything here is new to both of them - Laika can point out something that seems interesting and Blues can decide whether or not to go and investigate, and most of the time, they do. On the few occasions they don't, it's because Blues spots something else that catches his interest.

One thing that seems to hold Blues's attention are the seagulls. The birds are so used to humans that they only blink placidly when he approaches them, and he marvels at how large they are and awes at their webbed feet.

Laika may or may not snap a few pictures of this. He also may or may not send them to Netto. You can prove nothing.

He buys them both some ice cream after Searchman points out a nearby kiosk. Blues has had it before, but he's never had it like this - so Laika is perfectly happy to buy as many toppings as he wants, which turns out to be all of them. By the time Blues's ice cream is done, it looks like an absolute sweet tooth abomination, and Laika promptly orders the exact same thing.

"That honestly looks like it would give you diabetes just by looking at it," Searchman comments, watching them eat with an expression of horrified fascination.

"You're just jealous you can't have one," Laika retorts.

"Searchman is jealous," Blues sing-songs. He's using both hands to hold his ice cream, so for the moment, Laika is holding onto his rabbit.

"I'm disgusted, actually. You're both insane."

"Insubordination," Laika notes idly.

"If that's what it takes to make you stop eating such a- look out-"

Laika jolts, startled, and only notices the seagull diving for his ice cream when it's almost on top of him. It's too late to do anything and the bird's beak is stretched wide open to-

Blues darts forward and grabs the seagull out of the air mid-dive.

"Bad bird," he says, frowning at it as it struggles in confusion. "Ice cream isn't good for you, go eat- um . . ." He glances at Laika and Searchman. "What do seagulls eat?"

Laika just stares. Searchman's mouth gapes open.

" . . . What?" Blues asks, wilting a little. "Did- did I do something wrong . . . ?"

"Er-" Laika blinks, then gives himself a quick shake. "N-no, it's just . . ."

"I don't know what's more impressive," Searchman says faintly. "The fact that you just caught a seagull mid-dive or that you somehow didn't drop your abomination ice cream in the process."

"Can . . . can humans not do that . . . ?"

"Well . . ."

"I recall Netto once telling me about someone in his class," Laika muses. The shock is starting to wear off, though not the awe. "Apparently they once caught a large pigeon as it was diving for someone's food. I didn't believe him because it sounded impossible."

Blues tilts his head. "And, um, and now?"

"Netto said I would have to eat my words eventually. I suppose now is that time."

"Er, Blues, perhaps you should let the seagull go?" Searchman suggests delicately. "It looks distinctly unhappy."

Blues blinks, looking down at the seagull as if he'd forgotten about it. How is a complete mystery, considering it hasn't stopped struggling since the moment he grabbed it.

"Oops," he says. "Sorry, seagull."

He lets go and it flaps off with an indignant cry. And then he takes a bite out of his ice cream like nothing happened.

What is my life? Laika wonders.

After spending some more time at the beach, the gradually cooling evening air sends them back to the changing rooms and putting their clothes back on. Blues didn't catch any more seagulls, but he did hunt down several pretty shells, which he's excited to show off when he gets back home.

(When did he start thinking of it as 'home' rather than 'the Hikari house'?)

His shells will have to wait, however. Because when they do get back, Hikari-san is waiting for him, and even though she looks happy, he still worries that he did something wrong. Maybe Laika-san told her about that seagull and she's mad about it? He knows wild birds aren't considered sanitary for human hands, maybe that's it.

"We have something to show you, Blues-kun," Hikari-san says, and his increasingly-fretful thoughts grind to a halt.

"Wh-what is it?" he asks.

"It's upstairs," she replies. "But before I take you up, I want you to know that you don't have to accept it, okay? No one will be angry if you don't. I promise."

"Um . . ."

He glances up at Laika, who only offers a bemused shrug. Seems he doesn't know what's going on either - that's good, at least he's not alone in this.

"Blues-kun?" Hikari-san gently prompts.

"Oh, um-" He blinks and looks back at her. "O-okay. I . . . Okay."

Hikari-san gives him a soft smile, then leads him upstairs with Laika-san following.

Curiosity wars with wariness and growing unease in his core - or whatever it is humans have instead. There was no warning for this, not a single hint or anything, so he has absolutely no idea what he's supposed to be expecting. A million different ideas flash through his mind, each one dismissed as quickly as it comes, which predictably does very little to help.

They head toward Netto-san's room and he expects Hikari-san to lead them in there, but then she turns to the door opposite instead. This, he knows, is the spare room where the Hikaris store things like the futon (which Blues and Netto-san have been swapping turns on, because it's not fair to expect Netto-san to give up his bed entirely) and spare furniture and stuff. Netto-san showed him this room a few days ago and they spent a whole day going through it, delighting in finding random things to mess with.

He expects it to be the same, with things packed up in somewhat haphazard piles or just scattered about on the floor like they were put there and forgotten about. He has no reason to think it would be otherwise.

And yet, when he steps into the spare room, it's not.

It may as well be a completely different room - the stuff that was in here before is gone, and has instead been replaced with furniture that you would typically find in a standard human bedroom. A wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a desk, bookshelves . . . and, of course, an actual bed. It looks different to the one Netto-san has; it has no legs so it doesn't have a visible space underneath, though it does have what seem to be some drawers of its own.

In the middle of the room, setting down what looks to be a decently-sized rug that's almost the exact same shade of red as his armour, are Netto-san and Hikari-hakase. They both pause when Blues walks in, straightening up.

" . . . What is this?" he asks, not quite registering the sight before him.

Netto-san glances at his parents before stepping forward with a grin. "It's your new bedroom!"

"M-my . . . what?"

"If you want it to be," Hikari-hakase says. "There's . . . a very real possibility that your current situation is permanent, and we've already offered you a place in our home. But it wouldn't be fair to expect you and Netto to share his bedroom and the futon forever."

"So we've been clearing out the spare room bit-by-bit," Hikari-san picks up the explanation. "And I ordered a new bed for you - it has storage space underneath, so you can put whatever you want in there!"

Blues tightens his grip on the Dysphoria Rabbit, clutching it to his chest. "I- I didn't . . . think . . ."

"This is your choice, Blues," Rockman says, projecting himself onto his operator's shoulder. "And it's a pretty big and important one, so if you need time to think, that's totally fine."

"I-I don't know . . . what to . . ."

"It's fine," Netto-san echoes Rockman gently. "We're kinda springing this on you, and, uh, maybe it's a bit much all at once? So, yeah, just take your time. You don't have to decide right now or even today. You could decide tomorrow, in a couple of days, next week, or even next month!"

"And in the meantime, maybe you can stay in this room anyway?" Hikari-san suggests. "Then both you and Netto can have a bed, and we can let Laika-kun have the futon."

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine on the sofa," Laika-san says, shaking his head.

"Are you sure, Laika-kun?"

"It's quite comfortable, actually. And I can keep an eye on the doors, so it has a strategic advantage as well."

Hikari-san blinks. Hikari-hakase looks faintly amused, while Netto-san rolls his eyes and Rockman covers a giggle with his mouth.

But Blues's attention is drawn to the room - what could be his bedroom - rather than the silly antics of the humans caring for him. Now that he knows what it is, he finds himself looking closer, inspecting things with the same curiosity he has with every new thing he gets to experience.

The thing that catches his eyes the most is the colour scheme. The walls have been painted red and the ceiling is white (when and how did they manage this without him noticing?), while the bed is covered in red blankets with a soft-looking pillow that's a darker shade of red. Then there's the carpet, which is a muted sort of pink, and the round rug Netto-san and Hikari-hakase were putting down, which is, of course, red. The furniture is also various shades of the same colours.

He's not sure how to feel about the possibility of having a bedroom all to himself - somehow he never considered it even when he was invited to stay here - but he can't deny that the colours draw him in. If nothing else, sleeping in here would definitely be nice. It'd be comfortable, for sure.

NetNavis aren't supposed to be comfortable, a little voice that sounds a lot like Enzan-sama scolds him.

Normally it would be difficult to ignore it. Especially when he's been taught that it's the truth and has spent his entire existence living under it.

And yet . . . somehow, lately, that little voice has become quieter. Looking at this bedroom makes it sound almost like the faintest of whispers, barely noticeable except for the fact that he's too used to listening to it.

"I . . ."

The Hikaris and Laika-san stop, looking at him. For once, the sudden attention doesn't make his skin crawl.

"I- I don't know if I want this yet," he says, "but . . . I'd like to sleep in here. I think. The- the colours are really cool."

Netto-san cheers, throwing his arms into the air. "I knew you'd like them!"

"Of course you can sleep in here, sweetie," Hik- Haruka-san says, with a beaming smile.

And Hikari-hakase . . . no, maybe . . .

Yuuichirou-hakase relaxes, offering a small nod. "This room is yours to use for however long you need or want it."

Laika-san is smiling too - people often say that he doesn't smile much, but personally, Blues thinks that's false. Every time he sees Laika-san, he always smiles at least once or twice, even if it's just a small one.

Now, however, all this attention - positive though it is - makes his cheeks heat up. He buries his face in his rabbit's stomach, trying and failing to suppress a silly, happy grin.

"Th-thank you," he squeaks out.

Chapter Text

Haruka has already started thinking of Blues-kun as a third son. He may as well be, at this point - he's such a sweet boy, was a sweet NetNavi before that, and he gets excited and fascinated by everything in the most adorable way possible. And the way he carries his rabbit plushie with him everywhere! Oh, she just wants to squish his cheeks and hug him forever.

Her husband is of a similar opinion, she knows. He doesn't say it, but she's seen it in the way he looks at Blues-kun - it's almost identical to how he looks at Netto and Rockman. Even if he didn't, he threw himself into helping clear the spare bedroom (now Blues-kun's room) with such enthusiasm that it was obvious anyway.

And she doesn't even need to describe Netto and Rockman's opinions on the matter. They were caring for Blues-kun and welcoming him into the family long before this.

However . . . one small problem remains.

Or maybe 'big, glaring problem' would be a better description. And that problem is, of course, Ijuuin-kun.

Haruka personally wouldn't mind if he stayed here too, if only he wasn't so . . . cruel. Spoiled, even. For lack of kinder ways to describe him.

Ijuuin-kun sees everything as an insult, snapping and biting at anyone who tries to speak to him. More than once, she's had to step in and break up an argument between Netto and Ijuuin-kun, although on one occasion it was Laika-kun and Ijuuin-kun instead. He's argumentative and stubborn, and so far has found reason to complain about absolutely everything.

Although he has been rather quiet lately. Since Netto took him to Yuuichirou at SciLab after the incident at Maha Ichiban, in fact. If Haruka didn't know her human son and husband, she would think one of them had done something to him, but she knows that's not the case.

She can't help but worry for him, even if he does act like . . . well, like a spoiled brat. But he's currently in Netto's care, and while she could simply ask to take Ijuuin-kun for a day or two, she knows Netto wouldn't like it. Wouldn't want to risk Ijuuin-kun snapping at her.

Which is just silly. She's hardly fragile - she's watched both of her sons and her husband run straight into danger more times than she can count, and has hardened her worry for their safety into faith that they'll come back alive each time. She can take a few insults from a bratty teenager-turned-Navi.

Luckily for her, she's given an opportunity a few days after Blues-kun has moved into his new bedroom.

"Mama!"

Netto comes bounding downstairs with his usual energy, and Blues-kun follows close behind, clutching his rabbit to his chest with one arm. Rockman isn't visible, but he's always around, keeping watch like a good big brother.

Haruka puts down her book and looks up with a smile. "Did you need something, sweetie?"

"The new Star Potter movie came out today!" Netto is almost bouncing on the spot. "Yaito-chan got us special seats so we can go watch it!"

"How kind of her!"

Haruka personally doesn't follow the Star Potter movies, but she knows Netto and Rockman absolutely love the series. She happily gave them some extra pocket money to buy the DVDs of the previous films, and when she bought them some Star Potter-themed costumes, they were both overjoyed.

"We gotta go meet the others at the cinema so we're not late," Netto explains. He suddenly pauses, grimacing. "But, um . . ."

"What is it?"

Netto glances at Blues-kun, who shuffles his feet and lowers his gaze to the floor. He's such a timid boy, but hopefully Haruka and her family can help him gain a little bit of confidence.

"I can't take Ijuuin," Netto sighs. "Normally I'd just give him to Laika, but he's not here, so . . ."

Ah. Well, that explains it. But this is a perfect opportunity to talk to Ijuuin-kun.

"I can take him for the day," Haruka says, softening her smile.

"Yeah, Rockman said you probably would, but . . . I mean, I don't know if this is a good idea. 'Cus it's Ijuuin, y'know?"

"Netto, really, it's no problem. I don't mind."

Netto still hesitates. Rockman appears on his shoulder, giving Haruka a quick wave before turning his attention to his brother.

"It'll be fine," he tells him. "This is Mama we're talking about, remember? If she can put up with us and Papa, she can put up with Ijuuin!"

Haruka can't help but chuckle at that. "See, Netto? Here, give him to me, the three of you should get going if you don't want to be late!"

Netto jolts. "Ah- right! Crap-"

"Language."

"-sorry, um, here!"

He shoves Ijuuin-kun's PET at her, and luckily she's used to this kind of thing by now, or else she might have dropped it. Then he grabs Blues's free hand and darts off.

"Bye Mama!" he shouts, Rockman echoing him a moment later.

"Um- b-bye, Haruka-san!" Blues-kun calls.

"Goodbye, have fun!" she replies.

She hears the front door opening and closing, then looks out the window to see her sons running down the path. At least they remember to close the gate after them - or perhaps that's only because Rockman reminds them. It wouldn't have been an issue even if they had forgotten, she's just happy to see them so excited.

And now she's alone, save for Ijuuin-kun in his PET.

A look at the screen shows that he's huddled in one corner, knees drawn to his chest with his mouth set into a blank line. She can't see the rest of his expression with his helmet covering it, but he's looking at the opposite side of the screen.

He's also not speaking. Which she knows is both a relief and a source of minor concern for everyone currently in this household, temporary or permanent.

Now, how to approach this . . . ?

Perhaps she could try being gentle first. That always works with Blues-kun, and while Ijuuin-kun is completely different, they have been partners for practically their whole lives. Like Netto and Rockman being both twins and partners, some overlap is to be expected.

"Ijuuin-kun?" She keeps her tone soft, holding his PET carefully. He doesn't like being jostled. "How are you doing?"

His head twitches to the side a little, but other than that, he doesn't respond.

Haruka quickly checks whether or not he's muted. Netto has developed a habit of doing that every time Ijuuin-kun starts complaining or insulting people, and while it is an easy way to stop a growing argument, it's not exactly fair to Ijuuin-kun. Nor is it kind.

Ijuuin-kun isn't muted, though. So that means he's staying quiet of his own free will.

That's . . . a little more concerning.

"Would you like to talk?" Haruka asks.

No response, again.

"Or maybe we can do something together, while everyone else is out?"

Still nothing.

Haruka holds back a sigh and rubs the side of the PET, even though Ijuuin-kun won't be able to feel it. Maybe he's just not up for talking or anything right now. She can try again later, it's fine.

Netto sends a message via Rockman to tell her that they're going to spend the rest of the day exploring the city after the movie, so she takes the opportunity to straighten out the house. She hums as she goes in and out of rooms, putting things back in order and taking out the rubbish.

Lately, Blues-kun has been volunteering himself to help with the cleaning, and it's sort of become their own little thing to talk and work together. Netto, being Netto, took that as a challenge and has since started doing his own laundry, which Haruka made sure to praise him for. Rockman's own brand of chores, which he's been doing for years already, consist of checking the house systems and helping make sure everything is running smoothly, letting her know if and when things need replacing and such.

Her boys are such good children.

While she cleans, she frequently checks on Ijuuin-kun, but he hardly seems to move. The most he's done so far is curl into a tight ball with his hands clamped over his ears - or audio receptors, since he's a Navi.

And that's a little worrying, to be quite honest. She tries asking if he's alright, but he doesn't respond - which she expected, but is still troubled by - and so she's forced to drop it for the time being.

But she does a little experimenting, because she wants to figure out what's wrong even if he refuses to engage with her.

His hands are clamped over his audio receptors, so maybe it's something to do with noise. In order to test this, she first does a quieter task in the form of straightening the bedding throughout the house, and when she checks on Ijuuin-kun, she finds him simply huddled in the corner again, hands tucked under his chin. Then she tries a noisier task, vacuuming the floors, and another check reveals that he's once again covering his audio receptors.

Just to be absolutely certain, she alternates between quiet and noisy tasks for a little while. Each time, the results are the same, though Ijuuin-kun seems to be getting more and more visibly frayed whenever she does a noisy task.

Oh, the poor thing. If only she'd figured this out sooner . . .

Haruka sits herself on a stool at the counter, propping the PET up against a container of sugar. She folds her arms on the countertop and leans on them, watching Ijuuin-kun slowly uncoil and remove his hands from his audio receptors.

"You didn't like all that noise, did you?" she asks gently. He twitches, but still keeps quiet. "Is it alright if I ask why?"

He grips his elbows, hunching his shoulders. The corners of his mouth twitch downwards, revealing a hint of teeth.

"Alright, I won't," she says, trying to soothe him. "I upset you, didn't I? I'm sorry."

That gets a big response. He turns his head toward her, and she can feel his stare through his visor.

It makes her slightly uneasy. Not because he's staring, but because of why he's staring. Is it the fact that she's not trying to pry? Or the fact that she apologised? His reaction has to mean he's not used to one or both of those things.

"Would it help if I try being quieter?" Haruka asks, forcing herself to put that aside for the moment.

Ijuuin-kun mutters something, turning away again.

She tries not to get excited. A response is better than no response, but startling or angering him will just make him go quiet again. Probably. He's an odd one, so she's not entirely certain how to handle him, nor can she predict how he'll react.

"Do you want me to be quieter, Ijuuin-kun?" she gently presses.

Another mutter, but this time, she catches a word or two.

" . . . me . . . -lone . . ."

"Ijuuin-kun-"

He snaps his head back to her, baring his teeth. "I said leave me alone!"

Haruka blinks, leaning away from the PET. He jumps to his feet, and she gets the absurd impression of a cat with its fur all bristled and bushy.

"Stop trying to talk to me!" he snaps. "Just go away!"

"I don't think that's a good idea right now," she says cautiously. "You're clearly upset."

Ijuuin-kun scoffs, fingers twitching. "Yeah? Well maybe I like being ignored for days on end, have you ever considered that, lady?"

Haruka feels her shoulders slumping.

Oh, dear. This poor boy. They've all been so focused on Blues-kun that they've been neglecting him - and she can hardly claim innocence in this, not when she's considering Blues-kun as her third son and only thinking of Ijuuin-kun as an odd riddle to try and solve.

No wonder he didn't want to talk.

"I'm not ignoring you right now," Haruka tells him. "I won't ignore you any more, either. I can't speak for Netto or Rockman, or Yuuichirou, or Laika-kun, or even anyone else, but I promise I'll try and speak to you more, okay?"

He gives her an odd look. "Who the hell is Yuuichirou?"

"My husband. Yuuichirou is his given name, but most people call him Hikari-hakase."

" . . . Oh." Ijuuin-kun turns his head away for a moment, then looks back at her, curling his lip. "Well, whatever, I don't care. Don't bother trying to talk to me, just go away and leave me alone!"

If it had been Netto sitting here, he would have snapped right back. This conversation would have turned into an argument quicker than anyone could've stopped it. But Netto isn't sitting here, and Haruka is.

"Is that what you really want?" she asks gently, the same way she does with Blues-kun.

Ijuuin-kun bristles. "Since when do you people care about what I want!?"

The sudden weight of silence is both deafening and oppressive.

Ijuuin-kun seems to abruptly lose all of his energy and just slumps. He turns his back on her, but not before she sees his mouth twisting unhappily.

They really have been neglecting him.

"I'm sorry," Haruka sighs. "I should take my own advice sometimes, shouldn't I?"

Ijuuin-kun turns his head a little, looking over his shoulder.

"What do you want, Ijuuin-kun?" she asks. "If it's something I can help you with, I'll do my best. Okay?"

He turns away again.

That's fine. She can be patient. He's upset and hurting, she can give him this much at least.

After what feels like an eternity of waiting, he finally answers.

"I wanted to see the movie too," he mutters.

"Star Potter?"

Ijuuin-kun jerks his head in a nod.

Haruka softens. "You like the series as well?"

" . . ."

Hm. Maybe . . .

"Anything you say now stays between us," she assures him.

He tenses, and then suddenly whips around, baring his teeth once again. "Yeah, okay, fine! I like Star Potter! You got a problem with that!?"

"Not at all."

"Well I don't care, so you-" Ijuuin-kun pauses. "-y-you . . . Huh?"

"I don't have a problem with it," she repeats. "I think it's nice that you have something you like."

He gapes for a few moments, apparently shocked into silence. And then, quite abruptly, she sees his cheeks turning red before he covers the lower half of his face with his hands.

"Tell you what," Haruka offers. "I'll take you to see the new Star Potter at some point. Hehe, I suppose becoming a Navi has some advantages - you can get in for free!"

" . . . I guess," he mutters, half-muffled through his hands.

"For now, I think I remember where Netto keeps his Star Potter DVDs. How about we watch the first one together? I don't remember much about it, you could help me understand if you'd like."

Ijuuin-kun slowly lowers his hands. The red on his cheeks is still there and he still looks distinctly unhappy, but he seems somewhat calmer now.

After a slight hesitation, he nods.

"Install your heart, install my heart! The movement of the application of love - hurry and notice it! I love you!"

It's an old song to be singing, but a catchy one. Aki-chan's classics are well-loved by both humans and NetNavis, and Haruka is no exception. Singing it while getting started on making dinner is a fun way to pass the time.

She pauses as she hears the front door opening, glancing over her shoulder. Netto and Blues-kun come into the room shortly after, Netto looking as energetic as always and Blues-kun looking quite tired but no less happy. Rockman is probably resting in his PET.

"We're home!" Netto exclaims, somewhat belatedly.

Haruka chuckles. "Welcome home, boys."

"Oh-" Blues-kun blinks, straightening. "Um, we're . . . uh . . . we're home . . . ?"

She can't help but chuckle again. "Welcome home, Blues-kun."

Blues-kun beams. Aw, how adorable!

"How was the movie?" Haruka asks, turning to face them properly.

"It was awesome!" Netto hops on the spot excitedly. "Luke stopped the Agents from erasing magic and digitising the whole galaxy, but his wand got broken and he couldn't cast magic safely anymore, so he had to go on a quest to find the materials for a new one!"

"He found an old mage who was super-good with a sword!" Blues-kun eagerly adds, bouncing on his heels and making his rabbit's ears flop up and down. "A-and the mage taught him how to control his magic without a wand and it was so cool!"

Rockman finishes off the recap from inside Netto's PET. "And then he went to find his friends but they'd all been captured by the Death Eaters' Empire, so he used his new skills to rescue them!"

"Oh my, that sounds so exciting! Did you have fun exploring the city afterwards, too?"

"We went to the arcade!" Blues-kun is the first to speak this time, something that makes Haruka's chest warm with pride. "Netto-san showed me how to play some of the games, and Rockman helped me with the Navi-assisted ones, and it was so much fun!"

"Oooh, hey, Blues!" Netto bounces. "Show Mama the rings you won!"

Blues-kun practically vibrates on the spot, holding up a small plastic bag. It clinks and clacks, and when Haruka takes a peek inside, she sees a bunch of rings - some of them metal, others plastic, many of them red, and all of them very pretty.

"They're wonderful!" she gasps softly. "Are you going to wear any?"

Blues-kun's cheeks turn a little red. It reminds her of Ijuuin-kun's earlier reaction. How cute.

"N-no, I'm not really . . . I don't think I wanna wear them?" Blues-kun shrugs. "I don't think I-I can, um, I can't wear my gloves and the rings, s-so . . . But they're really, really pretty, so I'm gonna put them in my- um- i-in- uh-"

"In your room?" Haruka guesses, and he bites his lip and nods shyly. "I'm sure they'll look beautiful. Make sure to clean them every so often, okay? You don't want dust gathering on them."

"Ah- r-right, of course, Haruka-san!"

Blues-kun tucks the bag back into his arm, smiling from ear to ear. Netto is watching him happily, but then turns to Haruka and suddenly looks more serious.

"How was it with Ijuuin?" he asks cautiously.

She wants to tell him everything she realised today, and everything she and Ijuuin-kun talked about. She almost does, but she promised Ijuuin-kun to keep things between them. He seems to have relaxed a little bit around her, and she doesn't want to ruin what little progress she's managed to make with him.

"Well . . . he was a little bit prickly, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle," she says.

Netto's expression hardens. "What did he do this time?"

Oh dear.

"It was fine, Netto," she insists, because it really was and she needs him to understand that. "He did yell a little bit, but-"

"Dammit!" Netto interrupts sharply, making her frown, but he's too worked up to notice. "I knew I should've just muted him or something! This is exactly why I didn't wanna leave him here, that jerk!"

"Netto-"

"Where is he?" Netto demands.

"In Blues-kun's room, but listen-"

Netto spins on his heel and marches for the hallway. Haruka takes a step forward, intending to stop him, but then she catches sight of Blues-kun huddling up like he's trying to avoid attention.

And indeed, as soon as her eyes fall on him, he flinches and shrinks away. He's holding onto his rabbit like it's both a comfort item and a shield.

Haruka forces her worry down and offers him a hug. After only a couple moments' worth of hesitation, he comes forward, burying his face in her chest. As she wraps her arms around him, she feels his body trembling and plants a soft kiss to the top of his head.

"Shh, it's alright," she whispers. "It'll be okay, sweetie."

She gently rocks him from side-to-side. His trembling almost begins to calm down before the yelling abruptly starts, which only makes him more tense no matter how much she tries to comfort him. All she can do now is offer what she hopes is safety, and hope that Netto and Ijuuin-kun don't argue for too long.

" . . . Ha- H-Haruka-s-san?"

"Hm?" She leans back a little to look at him. "What is it, Blues-kun?"

He swallows. "Wh- why did- um. Why . . . d-did y- you put E-E-Enzan-sama in- in m-my room?"

A wordless shriek of rage - from Ijuuin-kun, it sounds like - makes him flinch. Haruka pets his hair and it seems to help a little bit.

"He got a little overwhelmed while I was getting things out for dinner," she explains softly. "I think he said the noise was too . . . sharp? So I put him on your desk. He likes red too, right?"

"H-he once told m-me that- um- th-that- that it's his f-f-favourite colour."

"Aw, how sweet! I thought it might be nice for him to be surrounded by a colour he likes while he calms down."

The yelling upstairs suddenly stops. Haruka looks up at the ceiling, frowning in worry, but she doesn't dare leave Blues-kun alone.

These children need help in so many different ways, it sometimes feels like she's being pulled in multiple directions at once. Who does she prioritise? Who does she give space? Who needs kindness, or a firm hand? Figuratively speaking, of course. She wouldn't dream of hitting a child for any reason. Although she supposes any adult could claim such a thing, until something happens.

Not long after the yelling stops, she hears Netto's footsteps coming down the stairs. She also hears the sound of another argument, this one considerably less loud, but the participants are Netto and Rockman now. That's not unheard of - siblings will always argue, even if one isn't aware they're siblings - but the topic is concerning.

"-can't just mute him every single time something like this happens!" Rockman is exclaiming, as Netto comes back into the room. "You're just being mean at this point, Netto-kun!"

"Well, he should've thought of that before he yelled at Mama," Netto retorts, stubborn as ever.

"I said he only yelled a little bit," Haruka interrupts, because she can feel Blues-kun's trembling beginning to intensify. "There was no need for any of that, Netto. He was fine."

"He's a jerk."

"And you're acting like one yourself right now," she tells him bluntly. He sulks. "Let me have Ijuuin-kun again, I'll see if I can get him to calm down."

Netto kicks his foot, pursing his lips.

" . . . Netto," Haruka says, a little firmer this time.

"I don't have him," her human son mutters.

"Where is he?"

"In my room."

"Where in your room?"

Netto doesn't answer.

It's Rockman who finally speaks up, sighing in resignation. "He locked Ijuuin in his desk drawer."

"What?" Haruka gasps. "Netto, that's not just mean, that's cruel! You can't just lock him away like that!"

"He yelled at you!" Netto exclaims, as if that justifies any of this. "I'm sick of him thinking he can just insult everyone and make us all feel like- like- like we're nothing more than dirt under his feet every single day! Maybe I shouldn't lock him in my drawer after all, maybe I should just lock him away in SciLab forever!"

"Netto-kun!" Rockman scolds. "He can still hear you!"

"Good!" Netto raises his voice, looking up at the ceiling. "I hope he can, 'cus maybe now he'll see the consequences of being a spoiled brat all his life!"

"Netto," Haruka says sternly, finally letting go of Blues-kun in order to focus on this.

Her human son winces at her tone, biting his lip.

"Go upstairs and take Ijuuin-kun out of your desk, and then unmute him," she tells him. "Right now."

"I don't wanna," he grumbles.

Haruka folds her arms and looks at him.

A few moments pass by in silence. Netto refuses to look her in the eyes, Rockman's gaze switches between her and his twin, and Blues-kun trembles quietly at her side. She doesn't remember the house ever being this tense before. It's unsettling, to say the least.

" . . . Fine, I'll take him outta my drawer," Netto finally mutters, and Haruka begins to relax. "But I'm not unmuting him. Not yet."

She heaves a sigh. "Just . . . promise me you will soon? Please, Netto?"

" . . . Okay."

It's the best she'll get when he's being this stubborn. She can't blame him for acting like this, not after everything he's told her about Ijuuin-kun over the last few years, but she also can't just sit back and allow him to act so cruelly.

Netto turns and leaves once again, but he drags his feet, as if wanting to make his already-obvious reluctance even more obvious. She doesn't tell him to hurry up - that usually just results in him being even more stubborn - and simply just watches until he's trudging his way back upstairs.

Once she's sure he's on his way to his bedroom, she lets out another sigh and runs a hand down her face. She loves being a mother and she loves her children, honestly, but sometimes things can just get so exhausting . . .

"I- I'm sorry."

Haruka turns her head toward Blues-kun, whose gaze is fixed on the toes of his boots. He's still clutching his rabbit like it'll protect him from the lingering tension and anger in the house.

"You have nothing to apologise for, sweetie," she says, gently tugging him into another hug.

He presses his forehead into her chest. "B-but- but m-me and Enzan-sama . . . W-we're causing s-so much trouble a-and Netto-san is . . ."

"Hey." Haruka leans back and cups his cheek, getting him to look up at her. "Listen to me, Blues-kun. None of this is your fault, okay? It's not Ijuuin-kun's fault either."

Doubt flashes in Blues-kun's eyes, and then guilt.

"Well, not entirely his fault," she amends, giving him a quick squeeze. "Everyone's stressed and on edge, and sometimes these things just . . . explode. That's definitely no one's fault. We just need to work through it, together. Okay?"

" . . . Okay," he whispers.

Haruka pulls him closer again, pressing another kiss to the top of his head. He relaxes into her hold, but she still feels the tension and fear in his body.

What am I going to do with these boys? she wonders.

Chapter Text

Mama is being kinda weird about Ijuuin now. Netto's not really sure how to feel about it, so he just ends up defaulting to suspiciously keeping an eye on Ijuuin to make sure the jerk doesn't yell at her again.

It's . . . kinda odd. Ijuuin's yelled at plenty of people before, and yet Netto has never felt so protective of any of them - the sole exception being, of course, Blues. He knows Mama can handle herself perfectly fine, but he just lost it when she said Ijuuin yelled at her. Maybe it's because she's Mama. Or maybe he's the weird one, who knows.

But anyway, back to Mama being weird about Ijuuin.

She keeps asking to see him and most of the time doesn't take 'no' for an answer. She'll talk to him about stuff and ask him things, like she's just talking to any other normal person instead of Blues's abuser. Or, well, talking at him - not once does the jerk ever bother to respond, even when she asks him anything.

Which is just rude, in Netto's opinion. If he had been doing this, he would have given up pretty quick, because Ijuuin clearly doesn't want to engage. Yet Mama isn't discouraged and keeps trying.

It's currently his job to make sure Ijuuin doesn't do anything stupid, and he doesn't want the jerk to yell at his mama again, so whenever he hands him over, he just hovers nearby. He wants to make sure nothing happens and be close enough to step in if something does.

You can never be too careful with someone like Ijuuin.

"Personally, I have no objections to this," Laika says, annoyingly calm as always. "Maybe if Haruka-san can make some sort of connection with him, he'll actually cool down enough for us to switch him and Blues back."

"That's not the problem!" Netto protests.

"Then please enlighten me."

"I could do without the sarcasm."

Laika gives him a flat look and he rolls his eyes.

"Okay, fine, the problem is that he yelled at her!"

"He yells at everyone."

"Yeah, but it's Mama!" He doesn't get why Laika doesn't seem to understand. "No one yells at Mama!"

"Did you miss the fact that we're dealing with Ijuuin?"

"And it's not just that," he goes on, ignoring the deadpan interruption. "She keeps trying to talk to him, but he never bothers to say a word to her! He's just ignoring her! You'd think he'd have the basic decency to respond, but no! He can't even be bothered to do that much!"

Laika frowns. "Considering how much she's been trying, I'm surprised he hasn't at least told her to shut up or leave him alone."

Finally, he seems to get it. Although that frown looks a lot less angry than expected. More confused or even somewhat concerned than anything else. Which is not the response Netto was hoping for.

"He likely just doesn't want Netto-kun to mute him again," Rockman says, shooting him a stern look.

"What else am I supposed to do when he starts being a brat?" he retorts.

"It's not the fact that you're doing it, it's the fact that it's almost always the first thing you do! It should be a last resort, not the default response!"

"My default response is to punch him in the face, but I don't wanna break the PET, 'cus then Blues wouldn't have anywhere to go back to."

"Netto-kun . . ."

Laika interrupts, still frowning. "Give him to me for a moment."

"Why, you wanna try and talk to him too?" Netto raises an eyebrow at him.

"No, I want to check something. Just give him here, will you?"

Rolling his eyes and heaving a groan of a sigh, Netto takes out Ijuuin's PET and dutifully hands it over. Laika messes with it for a few moments, eyebrows furrowing and eyes narrowing in concentration.

And then he stops.

"Netto."

Netto kinda freezes at that tone.

Laika looks up slowly. "When did he yell at your mother."

"Uh . . . I dunno, a few days ago . . . ?"

"Three days ago, specifically," Rockman adds.

"He's still muted."

Netto jerks back. "What? But- What are you talking about? I totally unmuted him! I-"

He pauses, frantically searching for the memory of doing so. He swears he remembers it - or maybe he didn't? Maybe he's just done it so many times he only thought he did, when in reality he hadn't. But he had to have done it, otherwise Ijuuin would have been muted for-

For . . .

Oh.

Oh no.

Horror spreads through his body like a cold flash of ice, accompanied by an emotion he doesn't think he's ever directed toward Ijuuin - guilt.

"Oh my god," he says, "I didn't unmute him."

"No wonder he wasn't responding," Laika sighs. "He quite literally couldn't. I didn't think I'd ever say this in his defence, but you may have gone too far this time."

" . . . But . . . it's Ijuuin . . ."

His protest is as weak as his horror is strong. Both Rockman and Laika seem to understand that, because neither of them call him out for it.

"Should . . . should we unmute him?" he asks, looking up.

Laika hesitates.

"We can't just keep him muted forever," Rockman points out. "Besides, doing it by accident is one thing - but doing it on purpose is just beyond cruel. I don't think even Ijuuin muted Blues like this."

That only stabs the guilt further into Netto's chest.

"True, but he always starts yelling whenever we unmute him," Laika says, wincing. "And that's just when he was muted for a few hours at best. He'll likely be even worse after three whole days."

Netto shudders just thinking about it. "Y-yeah . . . But Rockman's right. We . . . we can't just leave him like this. Can we?"

"No, we can't," Rockman says firmly.

Laika sighs. "Alright. Whatever the consequences, we'll deal with them when they happen. Let's just hope your neighbours don't start complaining about the noise."

He holds up the PET and makes ready to unmute it. Before he does, he glances at Netto, and he manages a nod and braces himself for the incoming round of yelling.

In this case, it's . . . probably justified. Even if it was by accident, he did leave Ijuuin on mute for way too long. Just this once, he thinks he'll let Ijuuin yell as much as he wants, and then maybe he can hand him over to Mama and see if that'll help. She does keep insisting that they had a good day before. He's still not sure if he believes it, but maybe he should give Ijuuin the benefit of the doubt.

He watches Laika reach out, and he cringes away, squeezing his eyes shut, as Ijuuin is finally unmuted.

Silence.

Netto opens his eyes slowly and cautiously. When the silence persists, he begins to relax, but he stares at the PET. Laika is holding it at arm's length like it's a bomb, but he looks just as confused as Netto feels, and they both exchange a quick glance.

" . . . You did unmute him, right?" Rockman checks.

"I . . . think so," Laika says, blinking. He brings the PET closer, frowning as he checks it over. "Yes, I did. He's unmuted now."

Netto takes a couple of steps forward, putting a hand on Laika's arm to make him lower the PET so he can see the screen. Ijuuin is huddled on one side of it, which has become his default position lately, and he's just . . . looking at them.

Silently. Not yelling. Even though he was muted.

" . . . Did we break him?" Netto asks, feeling his heart sinking to his stomach.

"I'm not sure if any NetNavi has ever been muted for that long before," Searchman says, projecting himself onto the air just above Laika's wrist so he can peer at the screen too. "And considering his . . . unique programming, there's a chance it could have done something to him."

Crap.

"I'm gonna take him to Papa," Netto announces, snatching the PET and making for the hallway.

Laika doesn't stop him.

"You muted him for three days!?"

Netto winces. He can't decide if Papa is shocked or angry, but he's definitely not happy, that's for sure.

"I- it was an accident?" he tries.

"Netto . . ." Papa sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I understand you didn't mean for this to happen, but if there's any permanent damage done to him, I don't know if I can fix it."

"But- you're, like, the best Navi person around! Except maybe Meijin-san."

"It doesn't matter how good I am, not when Ijuuin-kun's programming is utterly unique. Basic, yes, but the fact that he started out as a human adds an unknown and precarious element to this, and even the smallest mistake could ruin him entirely."

Netto wilts under the horrifying reality of his actions, even if it was unintentional. He doesn't know what kinda consequences this might have. Will Ijuuin be permanently mute now? On one hand, that means they won't have to deal with him screaming or complaining anymore, but on the other . . .

Ijuuin won't be able to speak at all.

It doesn't matter how much he privately wished for Ijuuin to suddenly be unable to speak. He never actually wanted it to happen, and certainly not like this. He didn't mean for this to happen! He didn't know, he just forgot!

" . . . Papa? Will he be okay?"

He doesn't know what kind of face he's making right now, but it makes Papa's own expression soften.

"I'll do what I can," Papa assures him gently.

"I thought you people wanted me to shut up."

They freeze.

Slowly, they turn their attention to the screen above the console, which shows the inside of Ijuuin's PET. He's gotten to his feet and is curling his lip to show his teeth.

"What do you even want from me?" he demands. It's his usual snappy tone, but there's something off about it. "You tell me to shut up, you force me to shut up, and now suddenly you're acting like it's the end of the world when I actually do? Make up your damn minds!"

Netto is too shocked to respond. All he can do is stare. Both Rockman and Papa are the same.

"What?" Ijuuin snaps. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

" . . . We . . . thought you were broken," Papa manages.

"Obviously I'm not. Too bad for you, right?"

A little bit of anger pushes past the shock, and Netto feels his eye twitching.

"It's not like we wanted that to happen," he retorts.

"Could've fooled me."

Papa finally recovers from his own shock, running a hand down his face with a sigh. "Alright, well, evidently being muted for so long did not break him, but just to be safe, I'll give him a deep scan anyway."

Ijuuin's fingers twitch at his side, but he doesn't protest. Which is kinda weird, considering how vocal he was about the last one he had to have.

"Although . . ." Papa winces, giving Ijuuin a quick glance. "I'll have to ask you to please keep your voice down."

"So you want me to shut up, then."

"No, that's not what-"

"I said make up your mind!"

Papa sighs again. He looks so exhausted that Netto steps forward cautiously.

"I mean . . . we could always just mute him again-" he begins to offer.

"No, don't!"

He stops.

After a moment of silence, he turns to stare at Ijuuin, who's gone so tense he looks like he might snap in half at any moment. He's also visibly trembling.

"Don't," Ijuuin repeats. "Please. Don't mute me again."

It's a tone Netto has never heard from him. High-pitched yet soft, and the words trembling as much as his body. If it were anyone else, he'd say that tone is pleading, almost scared.

But it's Ijuuin. So that can't be right. Because Ijuuin doesn't get scared, because Ijuuin is an abusive jerk who fights with everyone and complains about everything. Because Ijuuin never begs. He never says 'please'.

Yet . . . he just did. And he does sound scared. He looks scared.

" . . . Alright," Papa eventually says, voice gentle. "We won't mute you. But you'll have to keep quiet, okay? Can you do that?"

" . . . Yes."

Ijuuin never does as he's told. He always argues and complains and even when he actually does something, he does it as poorly as possible and then insists it's not his fault because no one bothered to explain things properly even though they did.

Netto's beginning to think maybe he did break Ijuuin after all.

"We should head home now," Rockman murmurs. "Laika will wanna know what happened, and . . . we need to let Blues know, too."

"Uh- r-right." He swallows and takes a step back, though he can't take his eyes off Ijuuin. "Um . . . see you later, Papa."

"I'll see you boys at home," Papa replies, also keeping his eyes fixed on Ijuuin.

Netto somehow manages to force himself to turn and leave. But he can't get the image of Ijuuin trembling in fear out of his head, no matter how hard he tries.

Blues looks like he's about to throw up everything he had for lunch. He stares at Netto like the world is ending and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it this time. That only makes his guilt twist even more painfully into his chest, and he shuffles his feet, unable to meet the former Navi's eyes.

"He was muted this whole time?" Mama gasps, a hand partially covering her mouth.

"I, um . . . Y-yeah," Netto confirms. "I . . . thought he was ignoring you, but . . ."

"He wasn't." Mama's expression softens, but the shock is still there. "He never responded, but he was always listening. I thought maybe he just didn't want to talk while you were there . . ."

Netto winces. He's honestly not sure whether that would have been better. He doesn't like thinking about the implications of it, either.

"I think our next step is fairly clear," Laika announces. "No more muting Ijuuin. Even if we didn't intend for this to happen, we've definitely hurt him, and he's clearly afraid."

Rockman sighs sadly. "And I was the one who said we shouldn't be cruel to him . . . I should've realised what was going on sooner."

"N-no," Netto says, shaking his head. "This was- it's my fault. I'm the one who kept muting him all the time, so . . ."

"You weren't the only one who did it," Laika points out. "Regardless of whether or not you were the main source, I think most of us are guilty of contributing to this in some way. Except Haruka-san. And Blues."

Blues jolts when his name is mentioned. "E- En- z-za- hh-"

Oh, crap. First there was Ijuuin's fear, and now there's Blues's panic.

Netto would normally go right to him, but the moment he takes a step forward to do exactly that, Blues flinches away and utters a ragged, scared sound. That stabs right into his heart even more than seeing Ijuuin visibly afraid because of his dumb actions.

It's Laika who steps up this time, kneeling in front of Blues so their eyes are level. He places a hand on the former Navi's shoulder, making him jolt again.

"Blues, look at me," Laika orders gently. He waits until Blues has done so before continuing. "I'll count to five, and I want you to breathe in while I do so. When I start counting again, I want you to breathe out. Understand?"

Blues hums, high-pitched and toneless. He hesitates briefly, but then nods.

"Alright. Now, breathe in. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five. Hold it. Now breathe out. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . . six . . . seven. Again, breathe in. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five. Hold. Breathe out. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . . six . . . seven. And again."

Netto backs off, letting Laika handle this. He heads into the kitchen almost in a daze, not quite registering Rockman's voice trying to get his attention. The only thing he's really able to think of is how scared Ijuuin looked and Blues having a breakdown on the other side of the room, all because of him-

A hand falls onto his shoulder and the daze lifts from his mind. He looks up and sees Mama's worried expression.

"Netto?" she asks gently. "Sweetie, are you alright?"

It's like everything suddenly catches up with him at once, slamming into him with the force of an attack from a Gaia virus. He feels tears welling up in his eyes and does nothing to stop them from spilling over, though he at least tries to stifle his sobs. He doesn't want Blues to hear this and feel worse.

Mama pulls him into a hug immediately and he buries his face in her chest, clinging to her. She rubs his back and pets his hair, and he feels a slight buzz of static as Rockman presses into his cheek, also hugging him as best as he can.

God. He's just as bad as Ijuuin.

(And even that thought drives a sharp pang of guilt into his heart.)

Dinner that evening is a pretty subdued affair. Papa is still at SciLab, so it's just the four of them plus the two Navis.

It's hardly unusual for Papa to not be here, but not having Ijuuin's complaining as a mildly-annoying background noise is just . . . odd. Netto hadn't realised how much he'd gotten used to it. Mama carries a conversation with Rockman, but it's so half-hearted it's almost painful, and both Laika and Searchman are quiet and still.

Blues is the worst. He's still huddled up on the sofa, and Mama didn't want to force him to move, so she gave him his plate there. It sits on the coffee table, completely untouched for the first time since he learned how to eat.

Netto keeps as far away from him as he can. Just thinking about the way Blues flinched earlier hurts, so he's not keen on making it happen again.

Instead, he quietly offers to do the dishes once everyone (except Blues) is done. His hands are a bit twitchy and he just needs something to do, but most of the things he can think of require either going out or going upstairs - and despite wanting to keep his distance, he can't bring himself to leave Blues right now.

" . . . Netto-kun?"

He grunts, keeping his focus on scrubbing a little stain off Laika's plate.

Rockman's hologram appears on the draining board, right where he can see him. The Navi glances over at the sofa, where Mama has sat down next to Blues and is quietly murmuring to him. Laika is on Blues's other side, a silent watchman radiating a protective sort of calm, with Searchman sitting cross-legged on his knee.

"What are you gonna do now?" Rockman asks, turning his attention back to Netto.

It takes a second to work through his thoughts enough to respond.

"I'm gonna apologise to him," he says.

"To Ijuuin?"

"Y-yeah."

"That's good," Rockman says, smiling softly. "And maybe . . . you could try talking to him? Like Mama does?"

" . . . Maybe. I- I dunno if he'd want to, after this."

"But you won't force him, right?"

Netto swallows thickly. "No. I'll- I'll even give him to Mama so she can look after him instead if that'll make this better. I just- I- I don't like him, but- that's no excuse-"

"Netto-kun, it was an accident."

"That doesn't matter!" His voice rises despite his best efforts, and he forces himself to pause to get it under control. " . . . It shouldn't have- I should never have done that in the first place. Even- even Ijuuin never did that to Blues. I mean, yeah, he'd tell Blues to shut up and stuff, but he never actually forced him. Not- not the way I did with . . ."

"You can do better now," Rockman tells him, gentle and patient as always. Sometimes he swears his Navi takes after Mama, even though it was Papa who made him. "The fact that you're certain about wanting to apologise is a good start. Who knows, maybe Ijuuin will respond to that?"

"Maybe," Netto murmurs. He resumes cleaning the plate, having stopped partway through the conversation. "I just wish it didn't have to happen because of-"

His PET's ringtone suddenly goes off, making him jump. He's lucky he has a good grip on the plate, because he might've dropped it if he had, and while Mama wouldn't have minded, he'd rather not give Blues a heart attack.

Rockman's eyes take on a faraway look as he checks the PET. "Papa's calling you."

"Papa?" Netto frowns and puts the plate down, wiping his hands on his vest until they're dry enough to take out his PET. "Why would he call now?"

"Maybe he's letting us know the scan is done and he's coming back home?"

Netto hums, pressing the answer button. Papa appears on the little screen, and just one glance is enough to tell that something has gone wrong - his face is ashen, eyes wide and bright with barely-contained panic, and his breathing is way too fast.

"Papa?" Netto asks sharply, tightening his grip on his PET. "What's wrong?"

Papa's response makes his blood freeze in his veins.

"Ijuuin-kun is gone."

Chapter Text

Breaking through the lock program is surprisingly easy.

Although it's less 'breaking through' and more just simply 'walking through'. If he'd known it was just a placebo, he would have left way before this. The stupid program doesn't even react when he takes a protected file with him.

Now, for the first time since opening his eyes to see the interior of his own PET, he stands on a plane of light blue and white panels stretching as far as the eye can see. The sky looks like someone's desktop screensaver, dark with digital lines criss-crossing here and there in random patterns. It's so strange and fascinating that he stops and gawks at it for half a minute before forcing himself to continue.

Enzan keeps a firm grip on the protected file as he walks. He's in SciLab's servers according to his systems, though he sure as hell didn't ask. With every footstep comes the half-familiar clunk of digital boots. At least his glitchy Cross Fusion was good for something.

He has no idea where he's going, he just wants out. Out, away, anything but going back to being stuck inside his own PET doing nothing for days on end. If he goes back now, the next lock program won't just be a placebo. If he goes back now, he'll be trapped for real, and then he'll get muted again and again and again-

No. He can't do that. He can't take it anymore, he can't, he won't.

So he walks. The direction doesn't matter. No matter where he goes, he'll end up somewhere else, somewhere that's not here.

But what does he do now?

He's a human wandering the cyberworld. Much as he hates to admit it, he's too weak to fight. Even a Mettaur could kill him if it wanted to. Delete him. No. Kill. NetNavis get deleted, humans get killed. And he's a human. Not a NetNavi.

A huge curved wall looms up in front of him before he realises it. He stares blankly, then remembers what it is - a firewall. He's only ever seen it from a screen. It looks different in person.

Curiosity takes over before he can stop it and he reaches out. His hand meets a slight resistance, like trying to force two magnets to touch, and he pushes a little harder and his hand goes through.

Huh. So this firewall is a placebo as well?

No, that can't be right. His systems are telling him this is SciLab's outermost firewall, meaning the first line of defence against the outside net. Which means that, while it's certainly not as strong as the innermost wall, it's definitely strong.

That doesn't explain why he can just walk through it like he did with the lock program. Maybe the network is just glitching. Someone should probably fix it. Not him, though. He's out of here.

The cyberworld outside of SciLab's servers is both completely different and exactly the same.

He walks across more panels, keeping his eyes down and alternately stepping on the lines or on the panels, counting the number of times he does each and keeping them as equal as he can. Only when he realises what he's doing does he stop. Because it's dumb. A waste of time.

(He keeps counting anyway and the numbers are no longer equal. It bothers him. He ignores it.)

The sky is still dark, still has those digital lines all over the place, but now sometimes it changes. Sometimes he sees logos, little pictures, things that look like files, and a bunch of other stuff he sees but doesn't comprehend because he has no idea what to make of any of this. He feels like he should, but he doesn't.

"It means you're an incredibly stupid NetNavi."

Dammit. Stop thinking about that. He's not stupid, he's just . . .

Whatever. Doesn't matter.

At first there's not a whole lot and it feels like he's walking in Beyondard's wasteland all over again. The only difference is that he doesn't feel hungry or tired. Is that a good thing? He genuinely doesn't know.

But then he starts coming across things. Big dark blocks so tall he has to pause and tip his head back to see the tops. Panels with glowing discs on them. The ground falling away into an empty abyss. Walls that stretch far up and somehow touch the sky but don't at the same time. Pathways leading to large platforms or into what seem to be new servers.

And occasionally, he sees NetNavis. Viruses, too, but those are far less frequent, always in the distance, and he keeps well away from them. He keeps his distance from the NetNavis too. Mostly out of wariness. Any of them could attack him should their operators order it and that makes them far more dangerous and unpredictable than viruses.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

Step on a panel. On another panel. On the line this time. Another line. Panel. Panel. Line. Line. Keep it even. One-two, three-four, five-six-

-no. He needs to stop doing that. It's stupid and childish and weird.

He keeps going, walking down a random pathway, until he reaches a big glowing disc. It's so big it looks like it could take up four panels on its own, and it's separated from the ground by a strange capsule-like machine. Program. Whatever.

There's no indication of what it could be. This time, he allows his curiosity to take the lead, reaching out to poke at the thin glass barrier surrounding it.

His hand passes through with no resistance. That can't be right. He may not know exactly what this thing is, but he shouldn't just be able to access anything he touches. SciLab is one thing - this is the cyberworld. It should be different. It is different.

So why isn't it?

Enzan pulls his hand back, tilting his head at the program. He glances down at his feet, then looks back up.

He lifts his foot and steps into the program.

All at once, he's torn apart. Or that's what it feels like. He comes apart and feels himself falling, or is he being pulled? No, maybe pushed? Far too many sensations threaten to overwhelm him, both physical and visual, and he's wholly incapable of comprehending what's going on.

Red light streaks in his vision. There's a noise, a strange high-pitched sort of buzz that sounds like the rush of a waterfall or maybe a race car zooming past. Everything is moving too fast, he's moving too fast, and he can't tell what's up or down or even if there is an up or down anymore.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, it stops. He comes back together again, staggering on his feet, clutching the protected file to his chest.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

He flinches, unable to stop himself from uttering a low-pitched whine. It pauses as he breathes in, comes back when he breathes out, all too quickly. The damn error message keeps beeping at him, telling him there's something wrong - as if he doesn't know that already - but it doesn't bother telling him what that something is.

Where is he? He's not in the same place he was before. It's . . .

It's a tunnel. Kind of? It's too bright and the walls are moving and the ground only exists where he's standing and there's some sort of metal gate in front of him.

His breathing starts slowing down. He forces himself to stop whining, ignoring the pang in his chest that always comes with silencing himself when the need to vocalise tries to take over. Slowly, perhaps too slowly, he calms down and finally the damn error message shuts up.

Now he takes stock of his surroundings. They make as much sense as they did before, but at least he doesn't have ten things screaming for his attention at once.

Yes, this is definitely a tunnel. One with two shapes at the same time, somehow. The more solid of the shapes is angled, while the transparent one - the one that's making the walls move - is curved. It makes his head hurt just trying to work out how that's possible, so he turns his attention to something he can figure out.

The gate. It's big enough for two people to walk through side-by-side and doesn't seem to go anywhere, but there's a glowing arrow pointing toward and through it.

Well . . . he wanted away from SciLab. From his PET.

This seems as good as anything.

Stepping through the gate brings immediate regret, because he once again feels himself being pulled against his will. At least this time he isn't torn apart and put back together - no, he just gets the incredibly uncomfortable sensation of being squished between two very close walls. It's made worse by the fact that he can't move, not even to twitch his fingers.

Luckily it's over quickly, and he's spat out into a city.

No. Not just any city. He recognises this place easily, even if he is human.

Internet City.

It's both familiar and completely alien at the same time. Tall buildings stretch up into the blue sky, but a lot of them are blocky and look like they're made of metal. Advertisements for everything from clothes to TV shows are all over the place, but they're displayed on floating screens held up by strange bars. A walkway is visible up above, but it's transparent and looks like it's made of glass that shouldn't be strong enough to hold nearly as much as it does. There are alleys and paths leading off to who-knows-where, but they're too clean and uniform to be real.

People don't populate this city. Everywhere he looks, it's nothing but NetNavis. Small robotic ones that wouldn't look out of place in Star Potter, big ones with huge bodies and heavy armour, animalistic ones of all shapes and sizes, tiny ones that could pass as children if not for the armoured clothing, tall ones with spindly stick-thin limbs, even ones with wings or otherwise-impossible appendages.

And it's loud. There's an unholy cascade of sound, advertisements or shopkeepers shouting and demanding attention, Navis chattering or calling out to each other or their operators, all of them running or walking or skipping from place to place.

Enzan takes a step back, another whine building up in his throat. It's too much, he can't do this, there's too many people- too many- it's too loud-

ERROR.

-no, no, not again. Stop it. Stop it!

He takes another step back-

ERROR. ERROR.

-his breathing is too fast. He's human, he needs to breathe, everything's happening too fast, he can't make sense of anything, he can't-

ERROR. ERROR.

He bolts.

People- Navis cry out as he shoves past them, mostly surprised or alarmed but sounding angry to his overwhelmed mind. He doesn't pay attention to where he's going, he just runs, he keeps going and going and doesn't stop because everywhere he goes it's all the same, there's too much, it's too loud, he needs to get away from this, he needs to get away-

He trips. Crashes to the ground. It hurts. His systems force a message into his already-overworked brain, telling him that he just lost 1HP.

The noise is still unbearable, but the lingering pain gives him something else to focus on, so he squeezes his eyes shut and curls up and tries to pretend nothing else exists.

Something touches him.

"-no, no, NO, GET AWAY, DON'T TOUCH ME-" he shrieks, scrambling back. Involuntarily, his eyes open and he sees a crowd of Navis surrounding him. Some are closer than others, and there's one crouching down with its hand stretched out toward him.

He shrinks away, breath hitching and wheezing in and out of his lungs. Does he have lungs? Do NetNavis have lungs? No, he's human, humans have lungs. He's human.

"Hey, little guy, it's okay," the Navi that touched him says gently. It moves a step closer and he bares his teeth, and that makes it pause.

"Maybe they're glitching?" another suggests, exchanging a glance with its neighbour.

"Or they have a bug of some sort."

"I know a place that sells good bug fix programs," one of the crowd offers, stepping forward. "I can get my operator to-"

Enzan growls at it and it immediately backs off.

"Easy, we're just trying to help," the first Navi soothes. It moves its hand closer and his attention snaps to it, and it stops. "Is everything okay? I can-"

"Get the hell away from me!" Enzan snaps. It comes out breathless and ragged, nowhere near as threatening as he needs right now.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

"SHUT UP!" he screams, batting at his head.

"Hey, c'mon, don't do that, you're gonna hurt yourself-"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"

He grips his head and rocks back and forth. He can't hold it in anymore - he wails and shrieks wordlessly, trying to drown out the noise of the city and the error message, but no matter how loud he is, he can't make it go away.

This was a bad idea. A bad, bad, bad idea. He's an idiot, why did he come here, how does he get out, how does he leave-

Something soft and weighty falls over his head, blocking his vision. It feels like a blanket. Not one of the fluffy ones that he likes (loves), but soft enough that it makes him pause, his shrieking falling into quiet, repeated whines. He doesn't stop rocking, though. The motion is oddly soothing.

"Back off, back off, all of you! Give the kid some space!"

The new voice makes him flinch, but the soft weighty blanket shifts and covers him. Wraps itself around him. He grips it in response, and something like thick fingers grip back.

"Scarfy, can you get them up?"

He feels the blanket tugging on him and squeaks. It tugs again, gently, and he manages to uncurl enough to get to his feet. He's still gripping the blanket's- hand? Why does a blanket have a hand? But his other hand is empty.

The file. Where is it-

"Here, kid."

Something is pushed into his hand and he grips it by instinct. The protected file. Thank god.

"Come on, let's get 'em outta here."

The blanket tugs again and he stumbles a little, but just barely manages to keep his footing. Something else tugs this time, not the blanket but something tugging on the blanket, and he moves with it because he doesn't want it to be ripped off his head.

He doesn't like walking blind, but it's better than being assaulted with so much . . . everything all at once. The noise is slightly less unbearable because of the blanket muffling things. It's not like he can mute the world around him. He doesn't know how. He doesn't want to anyway; even the thought of muting something - himself or otherwise - sends cold, sharp fear stabbing into his chest.

Eventually he feels the blanket being tugged again, and turns to walk in the same direction until another tug - from the blanket itself this time - makes him stop. Things are quieter now. There's still noise, but it's not overwhelming. Just gentle and quiet.

The error message fades away. Finally.

"Here, get them to sit."

The blanket tugs him again, and he does as he's- sort of told? Because it's easier than trying to think right now.

He's now sitting on a bench of some sort. It feels like a normal bench. Is he back in the real world? Has all this just been some insane, elaborate dream?

"Uncover them slowly, okay? Don't freak the poor thing out."

The blanket carefully unwinds itself, gradually revealing light. Enzan blinks, and as his vision adjusts, he registers plant life.

But it's digital. He can tell. The texture is off. Plus, he can see Navis wandering around on the grass and among the trees.

"We're in a park," a gentle voice next to him explains. "I figured this'd be a better place than the middle of the city. Feeling any better, kid?"

Not a dream, then. He's still in the cyberworld. Still stuck. A human in a place he shouldn't be and can't make sense of half the time.

Disappointment opens a hollow pit in his stomach. It feels like hunger, but he hasn't felt hungry in weeks. The closest he got was when Blues put that digital food in front of him and a deep sense of longing and something that felt like relief made him eat it, even if it tasted off.

"Kid?"

He jolts, head snapping up.

On the bench next to him sits a green and white Navi with some yellow highlights. Its armour looks like clothing - a puffy-sleeved blouse and a skirt, specifically - and it has two blonde pigtails detached from its head that flow down its back. The pigtails and the rest of its hair look artificial.

The Navi's green eyes are bright, and its expression is nearly identical to the one Hikari-san gives him every time she talks to him. Even though it's not real, he finds himself beginning to relax.

"There we go," the Navi says, smiling gently. "You alright now?"

"Who are you?" Enzan asks.

The Navi blinks, leaning back a bit.

Something yellow moves in the bottom of his vision, and he looks down to see the blanket- no, it's not a blanket, it's more like a scarf. That explains why it wrapped around him so easily. It does not, however, explain why the scarf is moving on its own, nor why it's gripping his hand in its . . . tassels? Fingers? Hand?

What the hell kind of scarf is this?

"My name's Jazz," the Navi says, making him look up again. "And that there is Scarfy."

It gestures to the scarf. Which reaches up with its free hand to give him a gentle pat.

What.

"Yeah, it's a bit of a weird program," Jazz laughs. "But it's nice, trust me. Been with me for . . . what, a couple years now? Three?"

He doesn't talk to NetNavis. He shouldn't. They're just data made to serve humans. What's the point in talking to something that's not real and never was in the first place? But no one's talked to him for days. No one except Hikari-san, and he couldn't even respond to her when he wanted to. So just this once, he doesn't care that it's a NetNavi.

"It's soft," he mutters.

"Yep. Warm, too. Not that we need warmth, haha."

"I need it."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Humans need warmth. He's human. It doesn't matter that he can't feel temperature like this, he needs to be warm.

The scarf - Scarfy - pulls itself a little tighter around him, and that's when he realises it's somehow tied itself around his neck. He lets go of its weird, weird hand and gives its . . . body? An experimental tug, and it responds by patting him again. What a strange scarf, really.

"Cool, huh?" Jazz is watching him, still smiling. "I figured it might help you feel better."

"Why aren't you asking about what happened?"

Jazz raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Before. Just now. In the city. You aren't asking about it?"

"Do you want me to?"

He pauses for a second.

" . . . No," he eventually says.

Jazz shrugs and leans back, stretching its arms out. "Then I won't ask. It'd be kinda rude anyway, you were pretty upset and stuff."

"But . . ."

Why isn't this Navi demanding answers? Better yet, why is its operator not showing up to scold it for getting sidetracked from whatever it was doing? Because surely it couldn't have been wandering Internet City looking for some idiot having a-

Oh, god. He had a meltdown. Father told him not to do that anymore. He's so stupid.

Jazz watches him for another moment or two, and then turns its gaze to the digital sky above their heads. "I just kinda figured you're defective, like me."

Enzan looks up from Scarfy's hands.

"I got this . . . voice thing," Jazz says, gesturing to its throat. "My speech program sorta glitches when I raise my voice above a certain level. It sounds weird if I shout, but if I sing, it's pretty cool."

"You . . . sing?"

"Yep! I'm actually the lead singer of the Rhythm Beats, have you heard of us?"

" . . . No."

Jazz laughs. "That's fine, we're still kinda new. But it's really fun! We get to perform on this stage program that our drummer's operator made for us, and it has all these cool settings and effects. One of them shoots out these stars you can jump onto and hop around on."

"That sounds cool," Enzan says, before he can stop himself.

"It totally is! You should come see us perform sometime, you'll love it. Though I might be a little bit biased, hehe."

He hums noncommittally.

A NetNavi who sings. As part of a band, it sounds like. He didn't know NetNavis could make music - he thought those silly digital idols were the only cyberworld beings that could.

" . . . My perception level is apparently really high," he admits. Jazz looks back down at him. "But my processing speed is really low."

Jazz nods calmly. "Sounds about right. Must be tough on the net, huh?"

He hesitates. "I . . . don't know. Never been on the net before today."

Well, not in person. Not like this.

"You're newly-programmed, then?" Jazz guesses. It purses its lips. "Can't believe your operator just let you loose without at least making sure you had some sort of support program. Some humans, I swear . . ."

Enzan stares at it, eyes wide beneath his helmet's visor.

"What?" it asks.

" . . . NetNavis shouldn't talk about humans like that," he manages.

Jazz sighs. "Yep, you're definitely new. Look, most humans are good, but there are some who . . . kinda shouldn't be operating a NetNavi, if you get what I mean."

A lot of people say he shouldn't be an operator. Because of how he treats Blues.

But Blues is his NetNavi. His property. And Blues is honestly completely useless - he's timid and weak, can't even deliver an email without making a mistake, and doesn't do anything.

 . . . Then again, Enzan also doesn't do anything. He's just been sitting in his PET for the last few weeks, and he barely knows how to function as he is now. He wouldn't know how to deliver an email, and he knows what his stats are like. He's not timid, but he's not exactly a good NetNavi, is he?

Which doesn't matter. Because he's human. Not a NetNavi.

"I'm lucky my operator is one of the good ones," Jazz says quietly. "She listens to me, doesn't mind my vocal glitch, and even uses the right pronouns for me."

"Pronouns?" Enzan repeats, blinking.

"Makers, you don't even know about pronouns?" Jazz looks appalled. "Here, let's see if I can explain . . . I have a female frame, right? But I personally don't feel like a female NetNavi."

"Then just change your frame to a male one."

"I could, but I also don't feel like a male Navi."

Enzan stares.

"I like my frame the way it is, so I keep it like this," Jazz says, gesturing to itself. "However, I use they/them pronouns, because it's what I feel comfortable with. Does that make sense?"

"No."

Jazz snorts out a laugh. "You're pretty blunt, huh, kid? But it's fine if you don't understand, it takes a bit of getting used to even for us Navis. Let's try this - what would you use if you were talking about me to someone else? The answer can't be 'Jazz', by the way."

Enzan tilts his head. Scarfy's fingers tap the back of his hand, and he runs his own fingers over its soft material.

"It," he replies.

"Bzzt! Incorrect! You should use 'they' instead."

"But . . . you're a NetNavi . . . ?"

"So are you."

"No, I-" He stops himself just in time. " . . . Yeah."

"So what do you call yourself? Not your name, your pronouns."

His . . . pronouns. He still doesn't understand exactly what that means and he doubts any amount of explaining will help, but he has a vague idea of what Jazz is asking him.

"I'm male," he says.

"So you'd use he/him pronouns."

"Um . . . yes."

"Not 'it'."

" . . . Yes."

Jazz's smile widens. "So it's the same with me! Except, instead of using he/him, I use they/them. Does that make more sense?"

So Jazz is a . . . they, not an it.

He abruptly remembers coming across a human who did the same once. His father sneered behind their back and told him 'they' was actually a 'he', and that people shouldn't make up genders. Before that, Enzan hadn't really cared much and honestly didn't see what the issue was, but his father had said so, so it must have been true.

How strange. If both a human and a NetNavi use 'they' instead of 'he' or 'she', then why did Father say it was made up?

 . . . Maybe he needs to talk to him. And not just about this.

"Do you know where IPC is?" Enzan asks.

Jazz blinks. It- they? They. Their brows furrow.

"Uh . . . what does that have to do with . . ." They trail off. "You know what, never mind. I think I do? But why do you wanna know?"

"I need to talk to my father."

"Your . . . father?"

Oh. Right. NetNavis don't have parents. Hm.

"Oh, you mean your creator!" Jazz brightens up. "That's kinda cute, actually, not many Navis call their creators something like that. So your pops is at IPC, gotcha! Want me to take you there?"

"Yes."

Jazz hops to their feet, then turns to offer him a hand. He stares at it, idly fiddling with Scarfy's fingers.

" . . . Oh, right, no touching," Jazz realises, withdrawing their hand. "Think you're alright to get up? Scarfy can help if you want."

Why didn't they just grab him anyway? That's what most people would do. Humans, that is. A human would have just rolled their eyes and pulled him up, then gotten offended when he snapped at them. Are NetNavis different in that regard? Do they just . . . not question people when they don't like something?

What a weird concept.

Scarfy tugs him up - he's not even going to question how that works - and now he's on his feet next to Jazz. He blinks, taking a step back.

Jazz is . . . tall. Almost as tall as that green Navi. The other green Navi. Searchman, that's it. He hadn't realised when they were on the bench. They practically tower over him.

"What's up?" Jazz asks, raising an eyebrow.

"You're tall."

Jazz blinks, then lets out a bark of laughter. He twitches.

"I am!" they agree. "I get that a lot, surprisingly. At least it means I can see over the heads of teeny-tiny Navis like you, hehe."

"I'm not- tiny," he protests. He has no idea what 'teeny' means.

"Are you kidding? Look at you! You're like half my size! You must have been modelled to be, what, ten maybe? Eleven?"

"I'm fourteen."

Jazz snorts in amusement. "You're still tiny."

Enzan curls his lips and bares his teeth. The usual reaction he gets to that action is anger, so he expects it to spark an argument immediately.

What he gets instead is Jazz laughing again. How strange.

He's led back into the city, and before he can even begin to get overwhelmed again, Scarfy puts its hands over the sides of his head. It covers his- ears? Audio receptors? No, ears. It covers his ears and muffles all the noise to the point where it's not nearly as unbearable as it was before.

For some reason, that makes it easier to deal with looking around. There's still a lot visually, yeah, but it's not so bad now. He doesn't get it but he doesn't question it, just relieved to be able to focus enough to follow Jazz.

They take him on a winding path through smaller streets. He's not so stupid that he can't tell it's on purpose, and he's tempted to tell them to just hurry up and take a more direct route, but the memory of his earlier meltdown keeps his protest stuck in his throat and he just follows them quietly. It's better like this anyway.

Eventually, the two - three? - of them come to a stop in front of a huge, elaborate building. Enzan recognises it immediately - the cyberworld version of IPC. Why they needed such a fancy building, almost like the manor he technically lives in but hasn't seen in years, is beyond him, but it was the R&D department who designed it, not him.

He makes to head up the steps to the entrance, but then pauses.

"I don't think security will let you in," he says, turning to Jazz.

They shrug. "Eh, no biggie. I'll just wait out here, okay?"

" . . . Okay."

The idea of someone waiting for him - for seemingly no reason - is strangely comforting. He has to remind himself that Jazz is a NetNavi and is probably just programmed this way, but it's still . . . nice.

"Look after him, Scarfy," Jazz says.

Scarfy gives them a thumbs-up without removing its hands from Enzan's head. Interesting.

With that settled, he heads up the steps. He passes by a few business-model Navis who pause and stare, and is for once thankful that his visor hides most of his face.

The stares are expected, though still uncomfortable. From what he knows of IPC's employees, most of them have basic-model or business-model Navis. Even Father just has a business-model one. Blues is - was? - the only Custom Navi in the company, and Enzan often didn't bother letting him wander the servers. He supposes he's also technically a Custom Navi while he's stuck in the cyberworld.

Well . . . Paradox Navi. As Hikari-hakase said. Whatever the hell that means.

He's never seen the interior of IPC's cyberworld building, so he's not sure what to expect. It's kind of a surprise to see that it's pretty similar to the real world building, albeit modelled more after a 5-star hotel than a proper business.

It's a front, he thinks. A way to show off the wealth and high class of the company. Maybe? He's not really sure.

In any case, he heads right over to what he thinks is the front desk, behind which two basic-model Navis sit. One is talking to a business-model Navi, something to do with the briefcase on the desk between them, while the other is typing away on a holoscreen.

No, wait, it wouldn't be a holoscreen since this is the cyberworld. So . . . just a regular screen? This is confusing.

He decides to go for the Navi using the holo- the screen, since the other is deep in conversation. It looks up with a professional smile as he approaches.

"Welcome to IPC's Internet City server!" the Navi greets. "How may I help you?"

"I need to speak to Ijuuin Shuuseki," he says.

The Navi's smile falters. "Er . . ."

Enzan suddenly realises what he must look like. His chin is just barely a little above the surface of the desk, and he's still clutching the protected file in one hand. Then there's Scarfy, covering his ears and muffling sound for him. The Navi probably just sees him as some random child-model Navi who wandered in and demanded to speak to the president for no apparent reason.

"I'm afraid the president is too busy to speak with citizens," the Navi tells him.

Frustration flashes through his chest. "I'm not just some random person! I work directly under him!"

"Can I see your operator's work ID, then?"

"I don't have an operator," he snaps.

The Navi's expression turns stony. Crap, IPC doesn't allow Solo Navis on its servers - and he just stupidly made himself sound like one.

"I mean- I don't have one yet," he quickly amends. Pretend to be a Navi for now. Even if it makes his skin crawl. "My- uh- the president created me, he sent me on a . . . task . . . ?"

The Navi's expression doesn't change.

He wilts, eyes darting to and fro as he tries to come up with some sort of believable story. Scarfy brushes a finger against his cheek, and while the softness does soothe him a little, it does nothing to help him figure this out.

"Just- just let me in!" he demands, giving up. "I need to speak to him now, it's important."

"No," the Navi says.

And now it's anger that flashes through him, and he slams his hands on the desk - though it doesn't have much of an effect considering he's just barely taller than it - and bares his teeth. The Navi doesn't so much as blink.

"Let me in right now!" he snaps. "I'll have your operator fired if you don't, you useless pile of scrap data!"

The Navi sighs and actually rolls its eyes. "Makers, you sound like that brat of a vice president."

"What!?"

"Security!" the Navi calls lazily.

A yellow security-model Navi wanders over from a nearby pillar. "What seems to be the problem here?"

"This idiot won't let me in!" Enzan snaps.

"This kid keeps demanding to talk to the president," the basic Navi tells the security Navi, talking over him. "Could you escort them out?"

"Of course, ma'am," the security Navi says, nodding sharply. It turns to Enzan and reaches out to take hold of his arm. "Come on, kid, time to go."

"Don't you dare touch me!" he hisses, stepping back.

"Kid, don't make this more difficult than it has to be-"

Enzan turns and bolts.

"-HEY! GET BACK HERE!"

Yeah, right. As if he's gonna do what that stupid Navi says.

Unfortunately, there are more security Navis just like it, and they're all immediately alerted to the presence of an intruder - even though he's not. Three more show up seemingly out of nowhere and try to grab him, and it's only through pure luck (and a substantial amount of panic) that he dodges.

He keeps running, trying to ignore his mind descending into that all-too-familiar static that always comes when he gets angry and things get bad. His body moves mainly on autopilot, acting on the last true coherent thought he had.

Find Father.

He registers more security Navis coming, some of them blipping in through bursts of energy. There's a lot of shouting - most of it directed at him - and he veers away from it, deeper into the server. A few basic-model or business-model Navis try to grab him as well, but most of them just jump out of the way. Some of them don't, and a flash of yellow is all the warning he has before they suddenly vanish out of his sight.

There's no way he can avoid every Navi forever. He's slow. Too slow, compared to the speed he was granted with Cross Fusion. He's only evading capture through sheer dumb luck and the fact that he's smaller than every single Navi here. And also panic. Probably.

If he were still human, he would've tired out long before now. No, he is still human, he's just . . . misplaced?

He staggers as the thought trips him up, cutting through the static. A Navi reaches out to grab him and he shrieks, flailing back, and then chokes as something yanks on the scarf around his neck.

No - Scarfy yanks itself, dragging him out of the way. He takes off again, and this time he actually sees what it's doing.

A Navi tries to grab him as he runs past and Scarfy swipes at it, making it jump back. Another one doesn't get out of the way in time and Scarfy shoves it, clearing the way for him to keep going. He skids around a corner and almost falls, but Scarfy yanks him back up to his feet and pulls until he's moving again.

Well, Jazz did tell it to look after him.

He eventually comes to the end of the public server, finding himself skidding to a halt in front of the firewall. It's solid and completely opaque, but he knows this wall is the only thing between him and IPC's private server. If he can get into that, he'll just need to find his father's PC.

"THERE THEY ARE!"

"GRAB THEM!"

Enzan jolts, casting a quick glance over his shoulder. A ridiculous amount of security Navis are running through the server's hall toward him, and some of them have Busters activated or batons in their hands.

Weapons. He doesn't have the HP to survive more than a few of their attacks, they'll kill him.

He doesn't think. He just turns and runs through the firewall.

Abruptly, everything goes quiet. There isn't usually as much activity on the private server as there is on the public one, and although a few Navis glance up at his sudden entrance, none of them seem alarmed. Most just continue with their tasks.

This can't be a coincidence, he thinks, twisting around to peer up at the firewall.

The lock program and SciLab's firewall were one thing. But IPC's private server? How did he manage to just go right through? It has the best security systems and levels money can buy, some of them created by IPC's own software development team. He knows the firewall is strong.

There's no way. He had to have found some sort . . . glitch, maybe. A bug in the system. When he talks to his father, he'll bring it up.

He sees a gate forming on the firewall and stiffens, then takes off once again. It'll take at least twenty seconds for the security Navis' credentials to get them through, so he has a decent headstart this time.

Tracking down Father's PC turns out to be a difficult task. He has no idea how to navigate IPC's server from this end, and everything looks the same to him. He doesn't dare ask for directions in case he gives himself away as an 'intruder'.

In the end, he just gets lucky.

He's jumping between connections randomly, walking right through security programs and smaller firewalls - he still doesn't get how or why he can do that, but it's insanely useful right now, so he's not gonna complain. It's because of this that he manages to get into a PC with a very familiar view.

This is his own PC, in his office. There's no one here and everything is exactly the way he left it before the switch happened, which is something of a relief. He gets annoyed enough when the cleaners keep moving his things. Sometimes he swears they do it on purpose.

Scarfy helps him track down a connection to his father's PC from here. He's forced to fall apart and be pulled through just like that program thing from before Internet City's gate, and he staggers as he's abruptly pulled back together inside an almost-identical PC space.

The clunk of boots makes him look up, and he finds himself face-to-face (well, face-to-chest) with his father's Navi. He utters a squeak and jumps back, slamming into a wall.

"State your operator's name and business," his father's Navi orders. Its voice is flat, completely devoid of emotion. It always unnerved him, even though Navis don't have human emotions.

"Uh- I-Ijuuin Enzan. I need to speak to my fa- t-to the president. Now."

"One moment, please."

His father's Navi vanishes, leaving him alone in the PC.

No, not alone - Scarfy wraps one of its . . . arms? Around his waist, squeezing gently, and he pats it absent-mindedly. The soft, warm material calms his nerves a little.

He jumps when the Navi suddenly comes back, this time bringing with it a screen. Father peers at him, just as emotionless as the Navi itself, and he swallows thickly.

"Who are you?" Father demands flatly.

"It- it's me. E-Enzan."

Father's eyes narrow and he looks Enzan up and down. He tries not to squirm under the scrutiny. Father doesn't like it when he fidgets.

"Right," Father says. "You were turned into a NetNavi. What are you doing here? I told that mad scientist not to bother me until he fixed this mess."

Just the reminder of that brings a familiar hollow feeling back into Enzan's chest. He does his best to ignore it, standing straight and trying to look professional. Or as professional as he can get with one of Scarfy's arms wrapped around him.

"Hikari-hakase believes this may be permanent," he says. "So there's a chance I . . . th-that this can't be fixed. I might be stuck like this forever."

"And what do you expect me to do about it?"

He wilts. Then he swallows and straightens up again.

"I won't be able to return to my job as vice president, and for that, I deeply apologise. But- um. I thought, maybe, i-if you're okay with it-"

"Out with it, I don't have all day."

Enzan hides a flinch. "I was thinking maybe I could stay here and help you like this? As a second Navi. Maybe."

His father is silent.

"O-or you could do whatever you want with me!" he quickly amends, because he should never tell his father what to do. "I'm- H-Hikari-hakase said my programming is very basic, and- and it's unusual, but I could- I could be any kind of Navi you need. E-even a Display Navi. If that's . . . what you want."

The silence persists.

Now grasping at anything that could convince his father and trying desperately to avoid the growing static in his brain once again, he holds up the protected file. Father's eyes are drawn to it immediately, which he counts as a win.

"E-everything is in here," he explains. "This is the report that was made about me, my programming and stats and everything. Hikari-hakase called me a Paradox Navi, so I'm also completely unique, and-"

"Hand it over."

"-uh- y-yes sir."

He holds it out and the Navi steps forward to take it. Father spares the file a single glance before turning his attention back to Enzan.

"You say you have basic programming?" Father asks.

Enzan tries not to let his relief show on his face. It's easier with his visor.

"Yes sir," he confirms, nodding.

"And I can program you into whatever type of Navi I want."

" . . . Yes sir."

Father's eyes narrow. "You hesitated."

"Um- s-sorry, sir. Yes, I can be anything you want."

"Hm."

His father looks like he's actually considering it. That's good. It means he won't have to go back to his PET, he won't have to be muted every five seconds, and he won't have to watch Blues get pampered and coddled while he just gets ignored for days on end.

He sees yellow at the bottom of his vision and glances down at Scarfy's arm, still wrapped around him. The other trails down his back, feeling like a proper scarf and everything. He'll have to ask Father if he can leave for a minute to go and give it back to Jazz.

Oh. Right. This wasn't the only thing he wanted to talk to his father about.

"Um . . . Father?"

Father grunts. That's as good as getting actual permission.

"Why did you say the 'they' thing was made up?"

There's a moment of silence.

And then Father looks at him, expression stony. "What."

Enzan can't hide his flinch this time. "I-it's just- um- that one time, back when that person came and they said they were a they, y-you said they were actually a he and, um, and that they just made up the . . . they thing . . . ?"

"Speak properly, boy," Father snaps, and he stiffens. "What the hell are you trying to say?"

"I mean- um- i-it's hard to explain?"

"Then figure it out."

"I- I met a-" Not a good idea to say Jazz is a Navi. "-s-someone who told me about pronouns, and 'they' is a pronoun, and-"

"What the hell are you on about? Pronouns?"

"It's- hard to-"

"Shut up."

Enzan clamps his mouth shut.

Father's expression is twisted now. He recognises that look. It's one of the few expressions he can actually figure out, because he copies it himself and people always respond in kind.

Anger. He's made his father angry.

The need to apologise and beg for forgiveness burns inside him, but Father told him to shut up, and he hasn't been given permission to speak again. He doesn't dare disobey the order. The consequences were bad as a human, but as he is now, he has no doubt they'll be worse.

"NetNavis do not question their operators," Father tells him sharply. "They speak plainly and follow orders. They do not hesitate or stammer. They do not tell their operator what to do. You have done all of this."

Cold shock floods through Enzan, leaving him weak. He opens his mouth, momentarily forgetting the order to stay quiet.

"B-but I'm not a-"

"SILENCE!" Father roars, and he flinches badly, hands jerking up to cover his ears. "Put your hands down, you look like a retarded idiot!"

He does as he's told. It takes all of his willpower to silence the whine building up in his throat. He has to bite his lip and swears he feels cold blood leaking out, but it's just data.

"If you can't even manage to follow the single order I've given you already, what the hell makes you think you're good enough to be my NetNavi?" Father barks. "I already have one that does as it's told anyway! Get out of my sight and don't bother coming back!"

Enzan chokes. "N-no, I can- I'll be better, I swear-"

"GET OUT!"

"I-I'm sorry, please, Father-"

"Call security," Father orders his Navi, and it obeys immediately.

Unlike Enzan, who can't even follow a simple order to keep his damn mouth shut. He just had to ask, didn't he? Why couldn't he have waited? Why did he have to want to ask in the first place?

Security Navis show up within moments. Two of them reach out and grab him, and the touch feels like needles on his- his bodysuit, sending something like pain sparking through his body.

He doesn't dare shriek, no matter how much he wants to. He'll only make Father angrier.

The security Navis hurl him out of IPC's public server entrance. He trips and falls down the steps, and even Scarfy's attempt at cushioning him doesn't stop him from losing a total of 3HP.

ERROR.

"Whoa!" Jazz exclaims, voice oddly distorted as they jump up from a nearby bench. "What the hell!?"

They hurry over and reach down, but he flinches away, and they back off immediately.

"Right, sorry- makers, what happened in there?" Jazz asks. They crouch nearby instead, allowing him to sit up on his own. "Those guys just- yeeted you!"

Enzan's shock turns to anger like the flick of a switch, and he bares his teeth at Jazz. They blink and lean back a little.

"Shut up, you stupid NetNavi!" he snaps. "You don't get to question me, get lost!"

" . . . Kid-"

"SHUT UP!"

ERROR. ERROR-

Enzan screams and curls up, batting his head as hard as he can. It hurts, but it's not enough to make the error message shut up, and it does nothing to stop the static from taking over.

His next bat hits something soft and he pauses.

Scarfy. Why is Scarfy stopping him- what-

"Hey. Kid. Breathe, okay?"

"Mmmhh-"

"C'mon, trust me. Just follow my lead, alright? I'm gonna count to five and I want you to breathe in while I do. When I start counting again, breathe out. Got it?"

"Weehh-"

"Kid?"

He manages a nod.

"Okay. I'm gonna start counting now. One . . . two . . ."

He tries to breathe in, but it's too fast and he chokes on it. Scarfy pats his head and he whines.

"Hey, it's okay. Let's try again, slower this time. Ready?"

"Mmf."

"Okay. Now, one . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . and five. Hold it for a second."

He gasps out the air he took in, making a ragged noise. Jazz didn't say anything about holding his breath.

"Sorry, sorry, should've told you about that. Wanna try again? Yeah? Okay, c'mon, one more time. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five. Hold it. Good. Now breathe out. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . . six-"

What? Why is it suddenly six instead of five?

"-seven. And again. One-"

Wait, crap-

"You good, kid?"

"Keehhh-"

"I'll . . . take that as a no. I guess the breathing thing doesn't work for you, um . . . Scarfy, could you-"

Scarfy wraps itself around him, just like it did when he was having that meltdown earlier.  The darkness and warmth gives him some form of . . . peace, maybe? Comfort? Whatever, it's better than that dumb breathing thing, whatever the hell it was.

"Park's too far away right now . . . Can't carry him either . . . Oh! I got an idea. Scarfy, get him up."

He's tugged up, very gently, and once again finds himself walking blind. It's fine, he doesn't care, he just wants to not think about anything right now. Maybe if he focuses on the static, his thoughts will go away and he'll just be another mindless program wandering the cyberworld.

It works, to some extent. He's still aware of being made to move, but he doesn't register anything beyond that. Even the error message fades away into static, or maybe it just stops entirely.

Just focus on walking. And static.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

Are there panels? He has no idea. It was nice counting them before. Now he can only count his footsteps. Whatever, he's counting something; it'll do for now.

Too soon, he's made to stop. No more counting footsteps and the static stutters, forcing half-muffled noise into his head.

"We're gonna take a waypoint, kid. You ever used one before?"

He doesn't respond. Can't figure out how.

" . . . Scarfy, gimme your hand, keep hold of him. Okay, here we go."

He's tugged forward, onto something that glows faintly even through Scarfy's soft darkness. And then, for the third time today, he finds himself being pulled apart.

When he comes back together, the static is completely gone and he staggers away from the faint glow, gasping for air. Something tugs on Scarfy and he stumbles in that direction, then abruptly hits what feels like glass and squeaks.

"Sorry, sorry, hold on-"

Scarfy tugs him again and he steps back a little. And then, very slowly, Scarfy begins to unravel itself, gradually allowing light in.

"There we go," Jazz says, giving him a smile. They gesture toward something. "Hey, take a look out there."

Enzan blinks and turns to look. The three of them are in a small observatory of some sort - a circular room with floor-to-ceiling windows showing a view of Internet City from high up. There's a lot to take in, but there's no sound, and the view is spectacular. And . . . cool.

He steps closer to the glass, raising his hands, but then hesitates. He walked through every single firewall he came across today, and if he's right, then that lock program on his PET maybe wasn't a placebo after all. What happens if the same applies for this window?

He's too curious for his own good, so he places his hands against the glass, half-expecting to suddenly fall through it. It's a genuine surprise when he doesn't. The glass remains solid and he can put his weight on it. Huh. Okay then.

"This is the Skyview Observatory," Jazz explains, stepping up beside him. "It was programmed to allow Navis to sightsee, basically. Hey, check this out!"

They tap their finger on the glass and a screen appears on it. After a few more taps, they enlarge it, and Enzan backs up a little more as the screen shows a view of one of the city's streets from above.

"You can see anywhere in the city from here," Jazz tells him, grinning. They banish the screen. "Wanna give it a go? Just tap the glass like I did, I'll walk you through it."

Enzan follows their instructions, and fairly soon, he's looking at a view of a random street from ground-level. It's odd but incredibly fascinating to see Navis walking past, and it has the added benefit of there being no sound to overwhelm him.

"You can toggle sound if you want, and the volume control is right there," Jazz says, pointing it out. "What do you think? Cool, huh?"

"Yeah," he murmurs.

The two of them mess with the screen for a while. Scarfy has a go too, bringing up the Colosseum and showing them a battle taking place right now. It looks quite exciting, but Enzan's spark for Net Battling went out a long time ago, so he loses interest quickly and turns the viewpoint back to random streets and shops and businesses.

It really is cool. He's . . . glad? He's glad that Jazz took him here.

Eventually, the two of them sit on the floor. He watches Jazz bring up random viewpoints, narrating the Navis on-screen and doing silly voices for them. It's childish and ridiculous and Father would never approve of something as dumb as this, but for the moment, it's okay.

"Ah, I gotta go now," Jazz says, almost half an hour later.

Enzan looks up from where he's fiddling with Scarfy's fingers.

"Sorry, kid," they tell him, giving him a smile that doesn't quite look right but doesn't look bad either. "My operator needs some help with the store - she can't deal with everything on her own, haha. But hey, don't worry, uh-"

They bring up a random screen. Enzan watches, fascinated, because he's never seen this from a cyberworld perspective. He doesn't get how they do anything, but they type on it and suddenly there's a transparent card in their hand and they give it to him.

"Here," Jazz says, their smile smoothing out into a more normal version. "That has my contact details on it, and my PET address and the address of my operator's shop. I don't know what your living situation is like, but . . . if you ever need a place to stay, we won't mind having you."

" . . . Oh," Enzan says quietly.

He . . . doesn't know how to react to that.

There's no reason for Jazz to offer such a thing. No NetNavi is programmed to do that. That's just- there's no point. And what if it goes against their operator's orders? NetNavis are only supposed to serve humans and that's it, nothing more and nothing less. And yet. And yet.

"Alright," Jazz murmurs, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh. They hold out their hand and he leans away instinctively. "Oh- no, sorry, this isn't for you, it's okay. Scarfy, time to go, yeah?"

Scarfy shuffles and grips Enzan's hands.

Jazz tilts their head. Something passes between them and Scarfy, but he has no idea what.

" . . . You sure?" Jazz asks.

Scarfy lets go of one of Enzan's hands to give them a thumbs-up, then gently pets his head. He leans into it, half-closing his eyes.

Jazz's smile softens. "Alright then. Look after him, okay? And kid, look after Scarfy for me."

"Huh?" Enzan blinks. "But- what? Scarfy is- you said it- what?"

"It wants to stay with you," Jazz explains. "It kinda has a habit of latching onto Navis it finds interesting, but it also just wants to help you out. Honestly, I gotta agree - I think you need Scarfy more than I do."

" . . . You can . . . understand it?"

"Well, sort of." Jazz rotates their hand at the wrist. "After spending so much time with it, I kinda got a feel for its . . . language, I guess you could call it? But hey, you two look pretty good together, you know? And it's not like I'll never see you guys again."

They gesture to the transparent card they gave Enzan.

"Yeah," he murmurs, rubbing his thumb over it. It's blank, but he supposes he's meant to . . . read it, somehow? As data?

Jazz gives him another smile, then Scarfy reaches out to drape one of its arms over their shoulders. They hold it close, pressing their cheek into its soft material, and when they let go, it slides off and goes back to petting Enzan.

"I'll see you guys around, okay?" Jazz tells them, getting to their feet. They offer a wave. "Stay safe. Look after each other."

"Uh- bye," Enzan says. Scarfy waves back at them, so he quickly copies it.

Jazz heads over to the waypoint. Before they step onto it, they suddenly pause, and then turn back around with a grin.

"Can't believe I almost forgot," they laugh. "I never asked for your name, did I?"

"Oh," Enzan says. "No, you didn't."

" . . . This is usually the part where you offer it?"

But they didn't ask. They just . . . Never mind.

"I'm . . ."

He trails off, frowning to himself. He can't give them his actual name, that'd just be stupid. They think he's a regular, if defective, NetNavi.

"I'm guessing you don't have one?" Jazz asks.

He blinks and tilts his head.

Jazz shrugs. "Some Navis don't. It's totally fine - you could make one up for yourself, or let people give you a nickname or something."

"I can just . . . make one up?"

"Yeah, sure! Lots of Navis do it. I did it myself, actually. Hey, tell you what, next time we see each other, I'll help you with some name ideas - that'd be fun, huh?"

"Um. Sure."

There's a quiet beep and Jazz brings up a small screen, pursing their lips. "Oh, yikes, looks like we've got a Karen . . . I actually gotta go now, sorry about this. Bye kid, bye Scarfy!"

They're gone before either of them can so much as offer another wave.

And all of a sudden, this little room feels so empty.

Scarfy wraps itself around him. He hums quietly, gently rocking from side-to-side. Maybe Jazz is gone, but he's not completely alone. That's good. Better than before.

" . . . You're really gonna stay with me?" he asks.

Scarfy pets the side of his head. He leans into it once again. It feels too comfortable not too.

"Even though I'm-"

He stops. Scarfy pauses as well, giving him a gentle tug.

" . . . Can I tell you a secret?"

Scarfy waves its hand up and down. He frowns at it, trying to work out what that means. Jazz did say it has its own language or whatever.

"Is that . . . yes?" he hesitantly guesses. It does the same motion, so he assumes he's correct. "Okay, well . . ."

He bites his lip. Then he leans close, wrapping his arms around one of Scarfy's and pressing his cheek into the material.

"I'm- I'm not a real NetNavi," he admits. "I'm a human. Or I'm- supposed to be one."

Scarfy tugs him close, wrapping itself around him. It feels like his fluffy blanket, just minus the fluffiness.

"But you already knew that," he murmurs. "You- you heard what I said earlier. And you still . . . wanna stay?"

It pets him gently. This time he gets it quicker.

" . . . Okay," he whispers. "Tha- thh . . . a- . . . Hhh . . ."

The words stick in his throat. Why? He can't even say that much? Not to this- this thing, this thing that just exists and is sentient for no reason and wants to stay with him even though he's . . . like this?

But Scarfy doesn't seem to care. It just keeps petting him.

And eventually he relaxes, watching Internet City in content silence.

Updated Character Design Below:

Chapter Text

Searchman keeps his eyes closed, allowing him to concentrate on his Search Program. His sensors spread out, tracking, identifying, and discarding results as they're found, trying to get a read on his actual target.

He's only partially aware of Rockman speaking to the others nearby. Thanks to his programming, he's able to process their conversation even while his attention is elsewhere.

"Spread out," Rockman is saying. "He should be somewhere in this general area, and if you find him, be careful. We don't wanna spook him."

"Spook him?" Tomahawkman scoffs. "This is Ijuuin we're talking about, you know. If anything he's more likely to try and attack us."

"Even if he did," Searchman says without opening his eyes, "he's too weak to do any damage to you. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"It's the principle!"

"Gutsman'll pound him flat for leaving, de gutsu!" Gutsman declares, with the sound of knuckles slamming together.

Roll sighs. "And that's why I'm going with you."

"He ran away, Gutsman," Iceman says. "He's probably just . . . uh . . . scared?"

There's an awkward pause. Searchman sighs and opens his eyes, allowing his scan to continue in the back of his mind.

"There's a very high chance that he's scared, overwhelmed, and extremely stressed right now," he tells the group. "If he does attack, it won't be because he's angry."

"Right," Rockman agrees. "That's why I said to be careful. Okay, Roll-chan and Gutsman take the north-"

The two named Navis nod.

"-and Iceman and Tomahawkman can take the south."

More nods.

"Searchman and I will check this area," Rockman goes on. "If the Search Program gives us any updates, I'll send you guys a message. Okay, go!"

Everyone splits off, running to their assigned sectors. The only ones who don't move are Searchman and Rockman.

Once everyone else has gone, Rockman heaves a tired sigh and looks up.

"Are you sure you can't get a more accurate read?" he asks.

"I've been trying this whole time," Searchman answers. "The only precise pings I get are from you and the others, or random strangers. Even if I borrow processing power from my PET, I still can't track his exact location. This is really the best I can do."

"Why is it so hard to find him?" Rockman wonders, pursing his lips.

As they start walking, being as thorough as they can, Searchman responds. "Mine and Laika-sama's working theory is that his data is too unusual to track like any other Navi. If I'd gotten a decent scan of him, this likely wouldn't be an issue, but we never thought he'd leave."

"And that's another thing. How did he even get out? Papa made the lock program himself! It was still intact and everything!"

"That, we don't have a theory on. The best I can guess is that it has something to do with him being a Paradox Navi. Maybe."

"Papa chose that name way too well," Rockman grumbles.

Searchman glances down at him. Despite the complaints, he's visibly worried. It's no surprise given his personality, but Searchman has to admit that he feels the same way - Ijuuin being loose on the net as he is now is a code for disaster, especially if he angers the wrong person. That brat's stats are far too low to survive even just a few attacks from a Mettaur, for the makers' sakes.

At least they know he's still alive. The Search Program wouldn't react at all if he wasn't.

For Ijuuin to have gotten as far as Internet City is absurd. It does work to their advantage, however. Internet City is huge and it's unlikely that Ijuuin actually knows how to leave. It's likely that he found this place by accident anyway.

"We'll find him," Searchman assures his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And when we do, we'll bring him back."

"Will he even wanna come back?" Rockman murmurs. He looks almost like he's in pain.

" . . . He doesn't have much choice. It's not exactly safe out here for him. He knows that."

"But he still left anyway. Because we . . ."

"Because we treated him the same way he treats Blues?" Searchman suggests bluntly, and Rockman winces, shrugging off his hand. "I agree that we shouldn't be cruel just because he is, but he's done nothing but complain, shout, and be a general nuisance to everyone. Maybe a taste of his own medicine will do him some good."

"I don't think someone like him can change so quickly."

"Perhaps not. But it's a start. Right?"

Rockman doesn't respond for a few moments, seemingly occupied with peering down a dark alley. Searchman patiently waits until he gives up the charade - Ijuuin isn't down there anyway - and looks back at him.

"I guess so," Rockman agrees quietly.

Damn. Of course one little peptalk, bittersweet though it was, wouldn't be enough to cheer Rockman up. Not when there's still a missing human-turned-Navi to think of.

An idea flashes into Searchman's mind, and he grabs Rockman's upper arm and strides off purposefully.

"Whoa- hey! S-Searchman, what is it!? Did you see-"

"No," he interrupts. "But I think I know a place that may be of great help. Have you ever been to the Skyview Observatory?"

"Uh-" Rockman is having to half-jog to keep up with him. "No? What does that have to do with-"

"You can see anywhere in Internet City from there."

"Oh! Then-"

Searchman nods. "We have his general location, so it shouldn't be too difficult. We can check on the others' progress as well."

"Okay! Great idea, Searchman!"

That seems to have worked a little. Rockman has a bit more of a spring in his step now. Good - it was oddly discomforting to see him so forlorn and depressed.

The Skyview Observatory is a place Rockman has been wanting to visit since it was taken out of beta and released to the general public. He'd planned to visit with his friends, including Blues, but then of course the switch occurred, and those plans kinda got put on hold. For, you know, obvious reasons.

A small part of him is sad that he and his friends didn't get to come here for fun, but he's mostly just grateful this place exists. It'll make finding Ijuuin a lot easier, hopefully.

He and Searchman head into the lobby, then take a random waypoint to an empty room. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how to use the program, and soon they're both checking multiple different screens at once, changing viewpoints and streets and being carefully thorough.

"Any change in his location?" he asks, keeping his eyes on a streetview for a flash of red and black.

Searchman pauses in his own search - hah - to close his eyes. After a few moments, he opens them and shakes his head.

"He's either staying in this area, or he's not moving at all."

" . . . Do you think maybe he's-"

"If he were injured, we'd probably hear him screaming a mile off."

Rockman purses his lips and banishes his current screen, dragging over another viewpoint. This one is a top-down perspective of the main street to the south, and he can see Tomahawkman's feather headdress moving through the crowd. The fluffy hood of Iceman's parka is right next to him.

After almost ten minutes of this, they're both getting exasperated. It doesn't take much time to process and check each viewpoint, and they've already gone over some of them twice. Searchman is faster at this than Rockman, so he's even checked some three times.

"Dammit!" Searchman exclaims, throwing yet another screen away. "This is getting us nowhere. I thought for sure this place would work . . ."

Rockman thinks for a few moments.

" . . . Hey, Searchman?"

Searchman grunts.

"What if he's not outside?"

There's a beat of silence.

" . . . Makers, I'm an idiot," Searchman sighs, burying his face in his hands. He looks up and reaches out to open a few new screens. "I'll start checking the insides of shops and buildings. You can-"

"-no, I mean-" Rockman gestures to the room around them. "What if he's here?"

"That's-" Searchman pauses. " . . . Actually, that makes perfect sense. Hm."

"Is there any way we can check the other rooms?"

"We could try asking in the lobby, but . . . I doubt the staff would appreciate it. Besides, from what I know, they only keep track of which rooms are in use, not who's using them."

Rockman sighs and drags down a screen showing the north main street. "If only we could use this thing instead . . ."

" . . . That's not a bad idea."

"Uh." Rockman blinks and looks up at Searchman. "I'm sorry?"

Searchman peers at the screens with narrow eyes, one hand on his chin. Several moments later, he relaxes his stance, casts a swift glance over his shoulder, and then starts messing with the viewpoints.

"If you tell anyone what I'm about to do," he says without looking away, "I will defrag you."

Um, wow.

"What are you doing?" Rockman asks, curious. He takes a closer look at the screens, and then his eyes widen. "You're- you're hacking it!?"

"No, I'm adjusting the program to suit our needs."

"What is the actual difference!?"

"One sounds considerably less illegal than the other."

"What happened to follow the rules and orders are absolute!?" Rockman demands, voice shrill with shock.

"You and Netto happened. Now shut up and keep watch. If we get caught, finding Ijuuin will be the least of our problems."

"Makers, why . . ."

He does as he's told, if only because he really doesn't wanna get caught. Not just because it would mean they can't find Ijuuin, but also because he really, really does not wanna explain to Netto-kun and Laika why he and Searchman got arrested for hacking a glorified search engine of all things.

"Alright, I'm in," Searchman eventually reports.

Rockman glances over his shoulder. The screens are now all showing views of different rooms within the Observatory - some are empty, which Searchman quickly swipes away and replaces with new ones, while others have small groups or pairs of Navis happily using the program as it was intended and not illegally hacking a single thing.

"I'm not seeing him anywhere," Searchman murmurs, eyes narrow as he swipes through various screens.

"Wait!" Rockman jumps forward, grabbing a screen before it can be discarded. "Look here, that helmet is familiar, isn't it?"

Searchman enlarges the screen to get a better look, inspecting it closely.

" . . . That's him," he eventually agrees. "Although I have no idea where he picked up that . . . noodle thing around his neck."

"I think it's a scarf, actually."

"Whatever it is, at least we've finally found him. Come on."

Searchman heads for the waypoint at the back of the room. Rockman blinks, looking between his friend and the viewpoints on the glass window.

"Uh- wait, you're- you're just gonna leave it like this?"

"It should go back to normal in a few minutes," Searchman dismisses.

"Should!?"

"Provided no one else uses this room in the meantime, yes."

Rockman stares. "Netto-kun and I have corrupted you."

"At this point, I think it's more Netto than you."

"Not helping!"

The waypoint takes them back down to the lobby, and there, they make their way over to the one that leads to Ijuuin's room. The trick, Searchman tells him, is to move purposefully enough that no one questions what you're doing, simply because you don't look out of place.

Rockman would still rather not commit minor crimes at all. But if it helps them find Ijuuin, then he supposes it's fine. Kinda. Okay, not really.

He only feels somewhat relieved when they finally step onto the waypoint. They're teleported straight from the lobby into a new room almost identical to the one they just left, with one key difference.

Ijuuin sits cross-legged in front of the glass window, fiddling with the tassels on one end of his new bright yellow scarf. The other end seems to be moving of its own free will, poking at the viewpoint screens on the glass with its tassels, almost like they're fingers.

As soon as Rockman and Searchman arrive, the scarf's . . . hand? Pauses and flaps in their general direction. Ijuuin tilts his head a little, then looks over his shoulder.

He stiffens immediately. It's a good thing the two of them are standing in front of the room's only exit - he might have bolted otherwise.

Rockman takes a step forward, but pauses when Searchman doesn't follow. He gives him a puzzled glance, but Searchman just shakes his head and gestures for him to go ahead. Maybe he doesn't wanna freak Ijuuin out any more than they already are? Or he doesn't wanna intimidate him or something. Either way, it's probably best that only one of them approaches anyway.

"Um, hey," Rockman says, trying a smile as he turns back to Ijuuin. "We've been looking all over for you-"

"I'm not going back," Ijuuin interrupts.

"Wh-"

"You can't make me!" Ijuuin jumps to his feet, stumbling a little, but the scarf gives him a tug to steady him. "I'm not going back, I'm not, I won't! You'll- you'll have to kill me first!"

Rockman balks. "W-wait, that's not- that's a little extreme-"

"YOU MUTED ME FOR THREE DAYS!"

This is already going bad.

"I know," Rockman tries to soothe Ijuuin. "Just- just listen to me, okay? It wasn't on purpose-"

"The hell it wasn't! You people have done nothing but mute me the moment I so much as open my damn mouth for the past month! You want me to go back to that? To be trapped in my own damn PET with nothing to do and no one to talk to!? I WON'T GO BACK AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

Ijuuin looks like he's gonna attack. So does that scarf of his - both ends are raised and curled into S-shapes, fingers spread like claws, ready to swipe the moment anyone comes within its range. Is it some sort of support program? Is Ijuuin controlling it?

"We don't wanna fight," Rockman says carefully.

"Too bad!" Ijuuin snaps, baring his teeth. The scarf's fingers twitch.

"You'd lose," Searchman says, surprising Rockman. "Even with that scarf thing, whatever it is. You barely have the Hit Points needed to survive a Mettaur's attack, never mind ours."

"So you'll just force me if I don't obey?" Ijuuin doesn't back down. "Might makes right, huh?"

"Considering that's exactly how you act-"

"Searchman," Rockman interrupts sharply, and thankfully his friend stops. He takes a deep breath and turns his attention back to Ijuuin. "Please, just listen to me. Just this once. I know you hate NetNavis and I know you hate this whole situation, but none of this is helping anyone."

"I don't care!" Ijuuin spits out. "Go away!"

"We can't do that."

"WHY NOT!?"

"Because everyone is worried about you."

"THE HELL YOU ARE!"

Rockman pauses. He opens his mouth, then closes it.

As much as he hates to admit it, he can see why Ijuuin would think that. They haven't exactly been kind to him since the switch. Ijuuin has never been kind to them anyway, but it seems 'don't be cruel just because he is' went out the window a while ago. Things need to change. No, things will change.

He just needs to convince Ijuuin to come home.

"It's dangerous out here for you," he says, keeping his voice as gentle as he does when speaking to Blues. "How about we all head back, and we can talk things over properly?"

"How about you head back and don't bother me ever again!" Ijuuin snaps. "Just leave me alone!"

" . . . Is that really what you want?"

"YES! GO AWAY!"

"Alright then."

Ijuuin pauses. The scarf around his neck twitches, one end drifting closer to him.

"Rockman," Searchman hisses, "what are you doing?"

He waves his friend off, keeping his eyes on Ijuuin. "If that's what you truly want, we'll go right now and we won't come back. But you have to be absolutely, one-hundred percent sure. So, I'll ask one more time - do you really want us to leave you alone?"

There's a long stretch of silence.

He can almost feel Searchman's stare burning into his back. He does his best to ignore it, core pulsing in his chest.

If Ijuuin really does want them to go . . . Obviously Rockman doesn't actually want to leave him here, but he can't go back on his word. Ijuuin is upset enough as it is, and if he gets angry enough to fight, he's the only one who would risk getting seriously injured. Even if they held back, he could still get deleted! And then where would they be?

Ijuuin, it seems, has been rendered speechless. The only thing that's been able to achieve that so far has been the mute button.

" . . . I-" Ijuuin begins, only to swiftly cut himself off. A moment later, he tries again. "You- I- hh-"

His fingers twitch at his side. His scarf seems to abandon its hostility in favour of wrapping itself around him - almost like a strange sort of hug. It leaves one 'hand' open and allows Ijuuin to take its fingers and start fiddling with them.

Rockman waits. He almost dreads the answer, but he waits.

Eventually, Ijuuin looks away, shoulders slumping.

" . . . No," he whispers, so quietly that it's almost inaudible.

He turns away from them, dropping back onto the floor and sitting there. The scarf remains wrapped around him, though now its other hand is . . . petting him? Huh. Maybe Ijuuin isn't controlling it after all, there's no way he'd make it do something like that.

Rockman gathers his courage and walks forward until he's next to Ijuuin. Then, very carefully, he sits down. Ijuuin moves his head a little before turning back to the window, but otherwise doesn't react.

"It's not nice being all alone, is it?" Rockman asks softly.

Ijuuin's shoulders tense, but he slowly shakes his head.

"And it's hard being a NetNavi."

"I'm not a NetNavi," Ijuuin mutters sullenly, drawing his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them. "I'm- I'm a human."

So was I.

Rockman pushes the thought away. This isn't about him.

"Not like you people care about that anyway," Ijuuin goes on, frowning. "You couldn't care less about me, you only care about him."

"Him . . . ?"

Ijuuin huffs and looks away. His scarf tugs on him, and some of the tension in his body seems to dissipate. Maybe that thing is the reason why he's being . . . somewhat civil. Certainly enough for this conversation to take place.

"You mean Blues, don't you?" Searchman asks. He still hasn't moved from his spot by the waypoint. At this point it doesn't look like Ijuuin is gonna run, but it still wouldn't be good to crowd him.

" . . . Yeah," Ijuuin mutters.

"Ah," Rockman murmurs, biting his lip. He sighs. "That's on us, I'll admit it. But . . . be honest with me - would you have accepted our help if we'd offered it?"

Silence.

"I don't think anyone is completely free of guilt here," he says, looking out the window. From here he can see the skyline, and what an impressive view it is. "We didn't offer you help like we did with Blues, but you certainly didn't make it easy to want to offer that help in the first place. In fact, even if we had offered it, you would have just refused."

More silence.

"Am I wrong?"

The silence continues to persist. Just when Rockman is beginning to think that he went too far, Ijuuin buries his face into his knees.

"No," comes the quiet, half-muffled response.

"You've been a loner since the moment we first met you," Rockman notes. "But there's no such thing as a person who can do everything all by themself. That's why we have friends."

" . . . I don't have any friends."

Rockman softens. "That sounds lonely."

"Doesn't matter anyway. You people don't even want me around." Ijuuin raises his head again, curling his lips and baring his teeth ever so slightly. "My father doesn't want me either. Hell, even my own damn NetNavi doesn't want me! No one does!"

There's far too much to unpack with that. Where do you even start with that kind of statement anyway?

Searchman speaks up once again. "I can't refute everything else, but I can at least tell you that you're wrong about Blues."

"Yeah, right," Ijuuin scoffs. "You people have been coddling and pampering that damn Navi since the moment we first switched."

"No, we've been treating him like a person," Searchman corrects him. "Which is far more than you've ever done in your entire life."

Ijuuin tenses again, baring his teeth properly. Rockman is about to tell Searchman to tone it down when the scarf once again gives Ijuuin a tug, and after a few moments of quiet petting and letting him mess with its fingers, he seems to calm a little.

"But despite how you treat him," Searchman goes on, "he still worries for you. Do you want to know how he reacted when we heard you ran away?"

Ijuuin ducks his head. The scarf grips his hand.

"He panicked. No one could calm him down - not even Haruka-san. He was completely inconsolable. He only stopped because he was exhausted and almost literally cried himself to sleep."

"He loves you," Rockman tells Ijuuin. "With every inch of his being. How can you say that he doesn't want you?"

"Because he's just a NetNavi!" Ijuuin snaps, whipping his head up. His glare isn't visible, but it's certainly felt. "You're all just NetNavis! Computer programs made to be loyal to their owners! You don't have emotions, there's nothing real about any of you!"

This time, it seems even the scarf's gentle petting can't calm him down.

But they've been through this song and dance many times before. Netto-kun and all the others have tried and argued and failed, all because Ijuuin is too stubborn and set in his ways to see the truth. Or perhaps because no one knew how to make him listen or understand.

Those were the efforts of the humans, however. No Navis have ever tried to change Ijuuin's mind, simply because he would never listen to them anyway. He wouldn't even talk to them unless it was absolutely necessary.

He's talking to them now. Which means maybe, just maybe, there's a chance.

"Are you real?" Rockman asks.

"Of course I am!"

"Why?"

"The hell kinda question is that!?"

"Ijuuin, please."

Ijuuin huffs and looks away. The scarf waves at him, getting his attention, and it offers him a little more petting. This time, it works.

" . . . I'm supposed to be human," he mutters. "I am human. I think, therefore I am."

"We think too," Rockman says.

"You're just programmed that way."

"So? That doesn't make it any less real."

"Is this why you treat Blues so terribly?" Searchman asks. "Because you don't think he's real?"

There's a slight pause.

" . . . No," Ijuuin eventually answers.

"Then why?"

"I don't have to justify myself to you."

"What does it matter?" Rockman challenges. "We're only computer programs, right? Anything you say won't hurt us because we can't feel human emotions anyway. That's what you think, isn't it?"

Ijuuin grits his teeth. "You know what? Fine, whatever! It's about control!"

That's . . . not an answer Rockman was expecting. A quick glance at Searchman tells him they're on the same page.

"It's easy to control someone if they're afraid of you," Ijuuin snaps. "They won't think about running, they won't think about talking back, all 'cus they're too scared to. You tell them what to do and they do it. Simple."

Rockman legitimately has no idea how to respond to that. He knows how Netto-kun might respond - he'd see it as the statement of a heartless monster and would instantly declare Ijuuin beyond hope. Something in him, the part that syncs with Netto-kun during battles, wants to do the same. He's in too much shock to do it, though.

Searchman doesn't seem to have that issue. "You've contradicted yourself."

" . . . What."

Rockman blinks, glancing over his shoulder. Searchman doesn't look at him - his eyes are fixed on Ijuuin.

"You believe NetNavis don't have emotions," he says. "You believe we're nothing more than a collection of unfeeling data given form to serve humanity. Correct?"

"It's not 'belief', it's 'truth'."

"And yet you say you're controlling Blues by making him fear you."

Rockman's eyes widen. "But fear is a type of emotion. That's right!"

"What," Ijuuin says again, stiffening. "No, you- that's not- n-not . . ."

"Think about it!" Rockman urges him, jumping on the opportunity. "For more than just a few seconds, think about what you just told us. If Navis don't have emotions, why are you using fear to control Blues?"

Ijuuin opens his mouth. He hesitates, then closes it. He doesn't react to the scarf tugging and petting him.

" . . . You're wrong," Ijuuin says. His voice wavers.

"Are we?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Y-yes. Yes, I am!"

"Are you?"

"Shut up!" Ijuuin snaps, suddenly scrambling away and gripping his head in his hands. "Shut up, shut up! E-even if you do have emotions, it doesn't matter! I-I treat everyone the same anyway!"

"Then why are you reacting like this?" Searchman demands, finally stepping closer.

"I DON'T KNOW!"

The silence is almost deafening.

Ijuuin slumps, arms hanging limp by his side. He practically collapses, the only thing stopping him from injuring himself being the scarf softening the fall. He presses his back to the wall, like he's trying to get as far away from them as he can, and trembles.

"I . . . don't know," he whispers. "I just- I'm- I- hhk- hic-"

He curls up, whining quietly. He grips his head again and rocks back and forth gently, and his scarf wraps itself around him.

 . . . Maybe they pushed too far. It might have been better if they'd had this conversation somewhere safer, not right after they tracked him down. Maybe if it had been someone else, like Mama, he wouldn't be so upset.

But it's too late to take anything back now. And . . . maybe this kind of shock is what he needed anyway. Hopefully it doesn't paralyse him entirely.

Rockman gets to his feet quietly, making his way over to Ijuuin. He sits next to him, watching him rock, and all he feels right now is pity and sadness. He reaches out-

Searchman clicks his tongue. Rockman pauses, looking at his friend, and frowns when he shakes his head.

What does he . . .

Oh. Right. Ijuuin doesn't like being touched. Searchman discovered that a while ago.

Rockman withdraws his hand. It would be cruel to upset Ijuuin any further than they already have. Though he wishes this weren't the case - Ijuuin looks like he desperately needs a hug, or at least something to help ground him.

Maybe that weird scarf of his will do the trick. They'll have to ask about it later. If Ijuuin is still willing to talk after this.

And eventually, he does.

" . . . What do you want from me?" he asks, voice weak and shaky. His rocking is gradually stopping now, but he doesn't uncurl just yet. "You- you want me to admit I was wrong? T-to say sorry?"

Searchman comes to kneel nearby, and when he speaks, his voice is gentle. "It's a start."

Ijuuin's breath hitches. "F-ffine. I was- I was wrong, okay? NetNavis are real. You- you feel things, a-and you can be nice or m-mean, just- just like people. Humans. S-so I'm . . . I'm . . . s-s-sor-sorry."

"Thank you," Rockman tells him softly. "But . . . I don't think it's us you need to be apologising to."

Ijuuin finally looks up. It's a shock to see tears running down his cheeks from under his visor. Has he ever shown much emotion aside from rage or annoyance before?

"Wh-what- what do you mean? Who else a-am I supposed to . . ."

"I think you know the answer to that one," Searchman says.

Ijuuin bites his lip, looking down. His scarf offers him a hand - literally - and he once again starts messing with its fingers, pressing the material between his hands and threading their fingers together.

" . . . Y-you- you mean . . . him, right?" Ijuuin asks.

Rockman exchanges a quick glance with Searchman. Neither of them respond, and Ijuuin winces, then whispers his next word so quietly it's almost inaudible.

"Blues."

The fact that he's crying was enough of a shock. Hearing him say Blues's name - for the first time in a long, long time - is even more of one. Some of the others had even believed that Ijuuin forgot Blues's name entirely, maybe out of some cruel bid to just hurt the poor Navi (well, former Navi) even more.

Evidently that's not the case. Maybe Ijuuin just didn't want to say it because using Blues's name would make him seem real. Maybe it was some sort of lingering guilt from before their relationship deteriorated into what it is now. Maybe it was something else entirely, and not even Ijuuin himself understands it.

"I don't know how," Ijuuin admits. "If he's- if he is real, then . . . how am I even meant to . . ."

"We could help you, if you want," Rockman offers, remembering what was said before. "All you have to do is ask."

"Laika said something like that."

Rockman blinks. "He did?"

"He said- s-something about . . . asking for help before it's too late. And . . . and that . . . I-I'd do something or- or say something that'd make everyone leave, and when I realise I do need help, no one would want anything to do with me. I'd just . . . be all alone . . ."

" . . . Laika said that? To you?"

Ijuuin nods.

"Is . . . that why you went quiet suddenly? Because you didn't want to risk that happening?"

"Didn't matter in the end," Ijuuin mutters. "You all ignored me anyway."

"Maybe it's time to change that, then," Searchman says. "Like Rockman said, you just need to ask for our help."

Ijuuin swallows, clutching the scarf close. " . . . I don't think I know how to do that either."

The fact that he's admitting as much is progress. Maybe forcing it is gonna work out for the better after all. Although true change doesn't occur so quickly, this isn't a bad start.

Rockman smiles. "That's okay. I can tell you. It's just four simple words, okay? 'Can you help me'."

"That- that's it?"

"Yep. Wanna try?"

Ijuuin hesitates, head twitching a little as he looks between Rockman and Searchman. After a few moments of this, he shrinks away.

"I- can't," he whispers.

"How about we try something else?" Rockman suggests patiently. "Just repeat after me. Can."

" . . . C-can."

"You."

"Y- . . . y-you."

"Help."

"Hh- he- h-help."

"Me."

"M- me."

"Good job," Rockman praises, and Ijuuin tilts his head slightly. "Now try saying it all together. Take as much time as you need, it's okay."

It feels like he's talking to Blues. Trying to get the poor former Navi to see that he's safe and cared for. That patience and kindness isn't earned, but given freely. It's a strange comparison.

Ijuuin makes a quiet noise, squeezing his scarf's hand. " . . . C-can- you. He . . . help . . . m-me."

Rockman smiles. "Of course we will."

"Absolutely," Searchman agrees.

"Hh-" Ijuuin squeaks. "O-okay. Um. Mm . . ."

"Let's head home first, okay?" Rockman suggests. "It's late and everyone's tired."

" . . . You're gonna put me back in my PET."

"You won't be trapped this time - I'll get Papa to remove the lock program. Though I don't think it matters anyway, since you just walked out."

"Oh . . . I . . . Yeah."

"We can talk about that tomorrow," Searchman decides, pushing himself to his feet.

"Right," Rockman agrees, doing the same. He glances down at Ijuuin- no, maybe . . . "Ready to go, Enzan?"

Enzan jerks his head up, mouth dropping open. After a few moments, he snaps it shut, then nods.

He gets to his feet and follows them out.

There's a lot of chaos when the two Navis bring him back. Everyone is talking at once, voices overlapping and frantic but hushed, and Enzan bares his teeth and does everything in his power to resist the urge to cover his . . . ears. Scarfy doesn't care and covers them for him anyway. He's too relieved to protest.

Eventually, a single voice cuts above the rest. Hikari-san scolds everyone for being so noisy and takes his PET, announcing that she's going to take him upstairs. Maybe she'll put him in the red room again, that place was nice (before Netto barged in and started yelling at him, anyway).

 . . . No. It's not the red room. It's . . . Blues's room.

Hikari-san sets him down on the desk, whispering a quiet 'goodnight' before heading out. Scarfy uncovers his ears and he's able to make out the faint sound of murmuring from downstairs, but the others seem to be heeding Hikari-san's words for now.

Relieved to not have to deal with any of those people for the moment, he turns his attention to the- to Blues's room. Thanks in part to sheer boredom over the last few weeks and his playing around at the Skyview Observatory, he's able to easily move the PET's viewpoint until he can see his Navi.

Blues is tucked into bed, white head just barely poking above the blanket. That silly rabbit toy he got from . . . wherever is clutched in his arms, like it's the only friend he has in the whole world and he wants to keep it as close as possible.

Enzan reaches up and gives Scarfy's body a gentle tug. Maybe he can kinda understand that now.

What he still doesn't understand is the emotions thing. He might be stupid after all, because it still doesn't make sense.

NetNavis were made to serve humans. They're a collection of ones and zeroes programmed to act like people in order to appeal to the soft-hearted public. People can customise them and battle with them. Navis don't exist outside of their purposes.

Yet everything that happened today proves the exact opposite.

Jazz, who escorted him and gave him Scarfy and even offered him a place to stay. Rockman, who argued with him and comforted him and helped him ask for help. Searchman, who did the same and even apparently hacked the Skyview Observatory just to find him.

Even those random Navis in the crowd. If they really are just emotionless pieces of data, then why did any of them bother trying to help him?

He doesn't understand. It's confusing.

It's . . . scary.

He tightens his grip on Scarfy, pressing his lips together. He can feel the tears building in his eyes again and curses himself for it. But the thought is gone quickly when Scarfy wraps itself around him, gently petting his head.

Enzan looks back at the PET's screen. At his Navi, fast asleep in the bed.

" . . . I'm sorry, Blues."

END OF ARC 1

Chapter Text

Blues feels exhausted when he wakes up.

His first instinct is to run a diagnostic and see what's wrong, but nothing happens. His head hurts and he can barely open his eyes and at first he doesn't understand why his systems refuse to cooperate - because surely his ability as a Navi couldn't have degraded that far? There's no such thing as a Navi who can't run a basic diagnostic on themselves; even Solo Navis can do it.

And then his mind catches up to his body and he remembers-

Enzan-sama is gone.

He bolts upright, shoving the blanket half off himself, but stops when his head throbs harder. He rubs it with one hand and spots the Dysphoria Rabbit lying discarded next to him, upside-down. It probably ended up like that when he sat up.

He moves to pick it up, but suddenly his vision blurs. He blinks but all that does is make the tears fall, and his breath hitches as he tries to wipe them away. Now he can feel the sharp sting of an all-too-familiar panic gradually building up inside him, gripping him with its terrible claws.

"Finally."

Blues chokes, freezing.

"God, do you always sleep this late? I would've been up hours ago."

He doesn't dare breathe. He's almost too afraid to move as well, but he forces himself to slowly look up, at the burgundy-coloured desk in his room.

A red PET is propped up against the small lamp. And on the screen of that PET . . .

Enzan-sama. Still a NetNavi, like Blues is still human, but he's here. Not gone.

His eyes fill with tears again and he scrambles off the bed. "E- Enza-"

Crash!

"Ow . . ." he groans from the floor, the blanket half-tangled in his legs. The Dysphoria Rabbit didn't escape either, now face-down on the floor nearby.

" . . . Are you oka-"

"BLUES!?"

The door slams open and Netto-san stands there, hair and pyjamas dishevelled like he just got up. Blues probably looks worse than he does right now. Oops.

"Did you fall out of bed?" Netto-san frets, descending on him with a speed that matches Haruka-san's. "Are you okay? Anything hurt? How did you-"

"E-Enzan-sama," Blues says breathlessly. "Enzan-sama is- h-h-he's- he's-"

The words won't come out, so he just points. Netto-san follows his finger and locks eyes with Enzan-sama - well, with the visor, at least - but doesn't seem surprised. More awkward than anything else.

" . . . Yeah. Rockman and the others found him and brought him back last night."

Blues stares. Netto-san avoids meeting his gaze and just helps to untangle him from the blanket, and finally he's sitting up. His body still kinda aches from his fall, though.

"Why . . . wh-why didn't anyone w-wake me up?" he asks.

This time it's Rockman who responds, appearing on Netto-san's shoulder. "You were exhausted, Blues. You needed to rest. Anything else could wait until morning."

"But Enzan-sama came back and- a-and-"

"Hey, it's okay," Netto-san soothes, pulling him into a hug. "You know now, right? So it's fine."

" . . . Y-yeah."

It doesn't feel fine, but there's absolutely no way he's gonna voice that opinion. He can feel Enzan-sama's stare boring into him. It makes his skin all hot and uncomfortable.

"Boys? Is everything okay up there?"

Suddenly hearing Haruka-san's voice calling up the stairs makes Blues jump. Netto-san raises his head, looking over his shoulder at the still-open door, but then pauses and glances back at Blues questioningly.

He manages a smile and shakes his head. Netto-san smiles back and half-twists around.

"We're fine, Mama!" he calls. "Is breakfast ready yet?"

Haruka-san's laughter floats up the stairs. "It'll be ready in a few minutes! Get dressed if you're not already, okay?"

"'Kay!" Netto-san turns back to Blues, lowering his voice. "Want some help getting dressed? That sounded like it hurt a lot."

"Ah- no- um- I-I'm fine, I just . . ." Blues casts a quick glance at his operator, who's watching them silently. "I . . . C-can I talk to Enzan-sama?"

Netto-san purses his lips, glancing between Blues and Enzan-sama. "I'm . . . not sure if that's a good idea right n-"

"Sure thing!" Rockman interrupts cheerfully.

"Wuh- R-Rockman!? Wha-"

"Netto-kun, how about you grab the PET for him?" Rockman suggests. "Then you can go back to our room and get dressed."

"But- but-"

"Come on, chop chop! You don't wanna miss breakfast, do you?"

"What the heck has gotten into you . . ." Netto-san sighs, shaking his head. He pushes himself to his feet and takes a few steps over to the desk, looking down at Enzan-sama.

Shockingly, it's Enzan-sama who looks away first. Netto-san is visibly surprised, but all he does is blink and pick up the PET, then bring it back to Blues.

"My room is right opposite, remember," he says, handing it over.

"Um . . . r-right. Th-thank you, Netto-san."

With only a single worried backward glance, Netto-san heads back to his own room. He only partially closes Blues's door - probably so he can make sure there's no yelling or anything.

Blues takes a deep breath and looks down at the PET in his hands. The first time he held it was . . . back when they tried to use the experimental Synchro Chip again. When their Cross Fusion failed so badly it exploded. The second time was when he saved Enzan-sama from Yaito-san. The third, when he slotted in the Food Chip.

Holding it still feels as strange as it did back then, but this time, something just seems different. He's not entirely sure what it is.

Though there's something visibly different about Enzan-sama.

"Um- what- what's that scarf?" Blues asks, and then clamps his mouth shut.

All the other humans are okay with him asking questions, but Enzan-sama hates it when he-

"Its name is Scarfy."

-huh?

"I . . . met someone who . . . gave it to me," Enzan-sama says. One end of the scarf rises up, waving its tassels like a hand. "It's nice. Wanted to stay with me. So. Yeah."

 . . . Enzan-sama just answered his question. And didn't get mad at him for asking it.

Did they bring back the right person? he wonders, and then shoves the thought away and locks it up in a secure, password-protected folder.

He can't be thinking that, not when Enzan-sama is right in front of him. He should just be happy his operator is back safe and sound after- after he . . . ran away.

The silence evidently becomes too much for Enzan-sama. He shifts, visibly uncomfortable, and only relaxes when the scarf - Scarfy, he said? - offers him a hand to mess with. He keeps his head down and doesn't look at Blues as he speaks.

"Navis . . . aren't just data. You- you all think and feel just like humans do. Like . . . like I do. And I've been hurting you this whole time. Trying to control you with fear even when it only made things worse. Made you worse."

Blues finally finds his voice. "It- it's okay-"

"No," Enzan-sama interrupts, "it isn't."

This is . . . this is an apology, isn't it? A real, true, proper apology, not just a half-hearted 'sorry I locked you out' or 'sorry I yelled'. There's no hint of sarcasm, no sneer, not even any of the usual sharpness in Enzan-sama's tone. Just sincerity.

Blues swallows back a flood of emotions. Trembling, he brings the PET close, hugging it to his chest.

"Okay," he whispers.

After getting dressed, he heads down to breakfast. Netto-san is already there and reaches out to take the PET, but Blues shrinks away, clutching both it and the Dysphoria Rabbit close. Yes, he knows Netto-san is supposed to be handling Enzan-sama's PET right now, but he just can't bring himself to let go of it. Of Enzan-sama.

Luckily Netto-san backs down quickly, though only after Rockman again speaks up and convinces him to. Something must have happened last night, but nothing has really been explained so far, and Blues doesn't (yet) care enough to ask. Maybe later, when the relief at having his operator back home has cooled down.

He carefully props the PET up against the Dysphoria Rabbit, adjusting it so Enzan-sama can see the rest of the table properly. It feels like he's fussing a little bit too much and Enzan-sama even starts looking annoyed, but Scarfy pets him and offers him a hand and he calms down almost instantly. Okay, so, if Enzan-sama is suddenly okay with questions, maybe Blues should ask about Scarfy. He's never seen anything like it before.

Although it'll have to wait. For now, it's breakfast time - and he feels kinda awkward with Enzan-sama watching him. The Hikaris and Laika-san look like they can feel the awkwardness as well, but they're not the targets of Enzan-sama's stare.

It's only after a few minutes of this that he abruptly realises what's going on.

Enzan-sama isn't looking at him - he's looking at the food. Watching Blues eat it. And now that he's figured that out, the awkwardness just feels like . . . longing.

"Are- are you okay, Enzan-sama?" he asks hesitantly.

" . . . I'm fine."

Blues opens his mouth to point out that he very clearly does not look fine, but stops at the last moment. Just because Enzan-sama is okay with questions doesn't mean he's gonna be okay with other stuff.

"Maybe it'll be better if you come out of there," Rockman suggests. He gestures to himself and Searchman, indicating their use of the holograms. "Like us. No one'll mind if you walk around on the table."

Enzan-sama is quiet for a moment. Then he turns his head away.

"I don't know how," he mutters.

Rockman smiles. "That's okay! Me and Searchman can help you, if you'd like."

Enzan-sama turns his head to look at Rockman, then Searchman. Something passes between the three of them in that moment, and then Enzan-sama just . . . seems to soften. Which is not a word Blues would ever have thought could be used to describe his operator.

"Fine. Can you- . . . help me?"

"Of course," Searchman agrees with a calm nod. "Rockman can go in and help you activate the hologram. I'll stay out here and help you with its functions. Is that alright?"

" . . . Sure."

The humans are watching this interaction with wide-eyed shock. Well, everyone except Haruka-san, that is. She looks like she's about to burst into data streams, hands pressed together and grinning behind them.

Rockman's hologram vanishes, and then he appears next to Enzan-sama on the PET's screen a moment later. Enzan-sama shuffles away a little and Rockman backs up a step.

Huh. That's odd. Enzan-sama doesn't like being touched, sure, but no one's ever cared about that before (not that he ever actually told anyone else).

Now Blues really wants to know what happened.

"It's pretty simple once you know what to do," Rockman begins. "There are two methods to activating the hologram, but one is easier than the other, so we'll go with that one for now. All you have to do is press your hand against the screen, and a prompt will come up that asks if you want to activate your hologram. Want me to show you?"

Enzan-sama hesitates for a second, then nods.

"Okay. Watch carefully." Rockman follows his own instructions, and within moments, a small window prompt appears on-screen. "There, see? You just have to tap 'yes' and then you'll be out there. Tapping 'no' gets rid of the prompt."

He does so, making the window vanish. Enzan-sama tilts his head.

"I can go over it as many times as you want," Rockman tells him patiently. "It's fine if you don't get it right away, it took me some getting used to as well."

" . . . Right," Enzan-sama mutters. He reaches out, pausing just before his hand touches the screen.

"Take as much time as you need," Searchman advises him.

"Mm."

Enzan-sama eventually presses his hand to the screen. The prompt comes up just like it did for Rockman, but it makes Enzan-sama jump, and Scarfy immediately presses 'no' to make it go away.

"The hell was-" Enzan-sama gasps, putting a hand to his blank emblem.

"It's okay, it's okay," Rockman quickly soothes him. His hands hover near him, but he's still keeping his distance. "I'm sorry, I should've warned you about that. The program partially activates in order to bring up that prompt. It's totally normal and you won't even feel it if you use the hologram enough."

" . . . Felt like someone punched me in the chest."

"It was similar for me too," Searchman says. "But like Rockman said, if you get used to using the hologram, you won't even feel it anymore."

"Wanna try again?" Rockman offers.

" . . . 'Kay."

This time, although he still jumps when it appears, Enzan-sama braces himself for the prompt and Scarfy doesn't immediately hit 'no'. Its hand does hover over the button though, and only when Enzan-sama gives it a gentle tug does it back off.

Enzan-sama presses 'yes' and vanishes from the PET's screen.

He reappears on the surface of the table swiftly, stumbling a little. Scarfy tugs itself, helping to steady him, and Searchman stays nearby but doesn't get too close.

For Blues, seeing Enzan-sama's Navi body using the hologram is kinda surreal. He was never allowed to use it himself - not when he was with Enzan-sama at least - so maybe that's a part of it, but . . . he imagines it'd still be strange even if that weren't the case. Hologram or not, wrong species or not, they're both sort of in the same world again.

Enzan-sama shakes his head, mouth twisting a little, then looks up and around. He goes still, taking everything in. Blues half-wishes his helmet didn't come with a visor like his did, just so he could see his operator's expression properly.

"Everything's big," Enzan-sama comments.

"We're just small, it's fine," Searchman replies.

Rockman hops out of the PET and expertly lands on Enzan-sama's other side. "So, what do you think? Is this any better?"

" . . . Dunno."

"Aha, right, I should give you a chance to actually experience it before asking that . . . Er, Searchman?"

"Moving around with the hologram is functionally the same as moving around in the cyberworld," Searchman promptly begins. He's not as gentle as Rockman, but is no less patient for it. "The only real difference is that our holograms can't interact with the real world very well. Raise your foot and bring it down."

Enzan-sama tilts his head up to stare at him.

Searchman just waits, and eventually Enzan-sama utters a quiet sigh and does as he's told. Which is . . . also kind of a shock.

" . . . I don't feel anything beneath my feet," Enzan-sama says.

"That's because we're technically not on the table. We're only using the hologram to project ourselves onto the table. It's an automatic function so you don't need to think about it too much, but you'll be able to 'walk' or 'stand' on most real world surfaces like this. Does that make sense so far?"

"I . . . think so?"

"If you need me to go over anything again, or even if you just need me to slow down, let me know. Understood?"

" . . . Sure."

"Good. Now, let's try walking around on the table so you can get used to it. We'll use the plates and food as a makeshift obstacle course."

"Uh-huh."

Blues watches, breakfast mostly forgotten in favour of this strange, strange sequence unfolding in front of him. Even Netto-san has stopped eating, too busy staring, and the only human who isn't is Haruka-san.

"Come on everyone, let's leave them to it!" she announces, clapping her hands together sharply.

Enzan-sama jumps, making a high-pitched 'peep' noise.

"Oh, oops, I'm so sorry," Haruka-san quickly says. "I didn't mean to startle you, are you alright sweetie?"

Netto-san jerks his head up to stare at his mother, and Yuuichirou-hakase raises an eyebrow. She doesn't seem to notice.

"M' fine," Enzan-sama mutters.

His hands twitch at his sides. He's clearly not 'fine', but pushing it has never worked out well for anyone - mostly Blues. Except now he has Scarfy, which wraps itself around him in an odd sort of hug and lets him fiddle with its tassel-fingers. That seems to help far better than any past attempts at talking him down.

Once Enzan-sama seems calm enough, Searchman waves to get his attention.

"Do you want to keep going?" he asks.

" . . . Y-yeah."

"If it gets too much, just let us know," Rockman says. "I'll show you how to deactivate the hologram, okay?"

"Okay."

And so the makeshift obstacle course continues.

Eventually, Blues is able to continue eating, but half of his attention is on Enzan-sama. Maybe it's a little strange, but he feels . . . kinda happy? That his operator is getting to experience this kinda thing. And while it's still weird, it's really nice that Rockman and Searchman are helping him.

It's back to SciLab after breakfast. Enzan bites down on a complaint - he's seen far too much of this place for his liking lately, but he'll just get muted again if he says anything. Then again, if Netto or anyone else does mute him, Hikari-san will probably make them undo it pretty quick. Unless she mutes him herself.

That's not a pleasant thought.

He keeps quiet even when he's plugged into the computer in Lab Room 1. Although that's mainly because being plugged in feels . . . different?

When he was going through connections and waypoints yesterday, he felt like he was torn apart, yanked in some random direction, and then put back together all in quick succession. Being plugged in is a similar experience, but it's less being torn apart and yanked and more simply sliding out in pieces and then sliding back into one piece. It's smoother, far less of a shock, and he only stumbles a little bit when his feet land on the ground.

Rockman and Searchman appear next to him in blips of light and data. They're both bigger than he is - Rockman only by a little bit, but Searchman towers well over a head taller. It's a somewhat unamusing parallel of how it was with Netto and Laika.

"Alright," Hikari-hakase says, "I think the first order of business is figuring out how Ijuuin-kun got through the lock program."

"Which you're gonna delete from his PET, right Papa?" Rockman instantly asks.

Enzan glances at the blue Navi. Sure, Rockman said he'd tell Hikari-hakase to get rid of it, but he hadn't actually expected him to keep his word.

"It's already been deactivated, but I'll fully delete it later, of course," Hikari-hakase agrees, nodding.

Something in Enzan settles at that. It doesn't matter whether or not he can somehow walk through it anyway - even just having the lock program there, staring him in the face, made his skin crawl. Scarfy had to drag some random files over to cover it up before he could relax.

"We checked security footage and data records," Meijin says. "From what we saw, Ijuuin-kun simply just walked through both the lock program and the Level 1 firewall. Records show there wasn't so much as a blip when he did so, either."

"Surely there should have been some sort of reaction?" Laika asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Not in the slightest," Hikari-hakase replies. "I'd say it's similar to when Iris got through firewalls, but even with her, there was some level of reaction. The firewalls themselves didn't react, but security systems inside the networks she got into did. With Ijuuin-kun, there was no reaction from anything, not even the security systems."

"How strange . . ."

"No, Laika, you said it wrong," Netto says. He grins. "It's a paradox."

Laika groans loudly. Searchman sighs, but Rockman and Hikari-san just giggle. Blues does too, though he's quieter.

Enzan doesn't get it. Why are they laughing? Netto may be an idiot, but for once, he's actually right. It is a paradox. How did he just walk through firewalls and security systems without so much as tripping a single alarm?

"Ijuuin-kun," Hikari-hakase says, startling him, "did you feel any sort of abnormalities in your systems when you walked through the lock system or the Level 1 firewall?"

" . . . How the hell am I supposed to answer that."

He bites his tongue and looks away. Dammit. They're gonna mute him again if he's not careful.

But to his surprise, Hikari-hakase just laughs weirdly. "Ah, right, I should have realised that. My bad. Er . . ."

Searchman speaks up. "Did you feel anything when you walked through either of those things? From yourself or the lock system or the firewall?"

Wait, is that what Hikari-hakase meant? Why didn't he just say that instead of that 'abnormalities' crap?

"There was this kinda . . . resistance?" he answers, shrugging. "When I tried to get through SciLab's firewall. You know when you put two ends of a magnet together and they try and resist?"

Hikari-hakase blinks, brows furrowing. "Er . . . yes . . . ?"

"It was like that. I just pushed harder and got through."

Should he mention the program thing that led him to Internet City? Or IPC's firewall? No one seems to know about either of those yet. But maybe they only want to know about the lock program and SciLab's firewall. Giving more information than they want could lead to being muted again. No, he won't risk it. Only if they ask.

"Interesting," Hikari-hakase muses, putting a hand to his chin. "The last time we performed a deep scan, the results showed you having no abilities whatsoever - and yet this is very clearly some sort of ability, perhaps unique to you alone."

"Maybe the systems treat him as a Solo Navi of sorts," Laika suggests. "I know that most Solo Navis can simply open security gates by exploiting their lack of PET ID."

"We still need to figure out a way to patch that," Meijin mutters.

"Even Solo Navis don't have the ability to completely bypass security systems and walk through firewalls," Hikari-hakase says.

"Forte can do it," Rockman points out.

Everyone looks at him. Enzan just blinks. Who the hell is Forte?

"Then maybe . . ." Hikari-hakase narrows his eyes, frowning. "Hm. Blues has an Ultimate Program, doesn't he?"

"He did," Netto confirms, glancing at Blues, who tilts his head. "But, I mean, he's human now, so obviously he doesn't anymore."

"True. But the Ultimate Programs are completely unique, and we only have the barest understanding of how they work. It's possible that Blues's Ultimate Program was transferred into Ijuuin-kun when the switch occurred."

"But we would have detected a program that complex before," Meijin argues. "His programming is too basic to contain something like that."

"And yet he's still fully sentient despite that. Maybe the Ultimate Program was just buried under layers of code, and the only way to find it is to specifically hunt for it?"

Oh god, they're gonna force another deep scan on him. Last time was horrible - he was unconscious for the whole thing, sure, but he still felt the sharp fingers poking and prodding through his entire body, pulling him apart and leaving him utterly exposed for the whole world to see. Even being put back together didn't bring any form of relief, because each piece of him being jerked back into place felt like an electric shock every single time.

He can't go through that again. Even the thought of it happening is what made him leave in the first place. Maybe if he starts running now, he'll get a headstart, and . . .

No. That won't work. Rockman and Searchman are undoubtedly faster than he is, and although he did manage to evade IPC's security Navis, those were just off-the-shelf models. Two Custom Navis who also happen to be Battle Navis - one of whom can shapeshift more or less at will - will catch him in an instant.

And then everyone will be mad at him. They'll start yelling and the static will descend on his mind and he'll yell back and then he'll get muted and-

ERROR-

Scarfy baps him on the cheek, and he blinks.

He's trembling. Scarfy has its other arm wrapped around him, but is offering him its free hand. He takes it in both of his, messing with its fingers, coiling the tassels around his palms and his own fingers, pressing his thumbs into Scarfy's palm, allowing the feel of the soft material to drive away the stupid error message.

He hates the error message. So, so much.

But he can make it go away with Scarfy's help.

"You okay?"

He blinks again, looking at Rockman. The blue Navi's brows are furrowed. Is he angry? No, that's not anger, he knows what that looks like. But he doesn't know this one. Dammit, why is this so hard?

Whatever expression it is, it seems to be getting more intense, and now Rockman turns to face him properly. "What's wrong, Enzan?"

Hearing his given name coming out of someone else's mouth is still so strange. The only one who uses that name is Blues. Everyone else calls him Ijuuin. Or 'boy', in his father's case. It's . . . nicer, he thinks, hearing his given name rather than his family name. Makes something inside him settle.

Rockman is still waiting for a response.

"I'm fine," Enzan says, mostly on autopilot.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

If he isn't, they'll force the deep scan on him sooner. He'd rather put it off as much as possible.

Searchman is looking at him too. As tall as he is, he has to tilt his head down in order to do so. There's no figuring out his expression; it's impossible to read, no matter how much effort Enzan tries to put into it.

"It's the way they're talking, isn't it?" Searchman guesses. "You don't like it because they're talking about you like you're not right in front of them."

 . . . He hadn't even thought about that. It wasn't even remotely on his mind. But maybe if he pretends Searchman is right, the topic of deep scans can be avoided, and he'll be safe for the time being.

But he's bad at lying, so he just shrugs instead.

"It's okay," Rockman says, voice softening. That weird expression is gone, replaced with a small smile. "They don't mean anything bad by it, they just wanna help you. Like Searchman and I did, yeah?"

" . . . Mm."

He tunes back into the conversation in the real world just in time to catch the end of Hikari-hakase's sentence.

"-go over the report again, just to be sure."

The report?

Oh no, the report. Crap, crap crap crap crap crap-

They're gonna lock him up again. He can apparently just walk through it, but this is SciLab - there's every chance they'll find some way to contain him. And when they do, he'll be locked away and muted and no one will ever talk to him, not even Hikari-san.

"Can one of you two go into his PET and get it for me?" Hikari-hakase asks Rockman and Searchman.

"I'll do it," Searchman offers, immediately vanishing in a flurry of data. It looks very different seeing it in person. More . . . real.

This does not change the fact that they're about to discover his crime. Well, his latest crime, he supposes he should say - he ran away from his own PET and SciLab, then proceeded to trespass into IPC's private server. Can he get arrested for those things? Will he get arrested for data theft, too?

Stealing data is a more serious crime than just stealing, say, a box of paper or something. Especially if that data is important. And the report was definitely important.

"It's not here," Searchman says.

Hikari-hakase frowns. "What?"

"Check again," Laika orders.

"Yes sir."

Enzan feels each second ticking by. He's only partially aware of Rockman looking at him, and only slightly less aware that he's clutching Scarfy's hand so tight that if it were anyone else, its hand would be broken.

"I still can't find it," Searchman eventually reports. "I've checked absolutely everywhere, even places that files don't normally go. It's just not here."

"That's odd . . ." Hikari-hakase murmurs.

"When was the last time we looked at it?" Meijin wonders.

"A few weeks ago, I believe."

"Hm . . ."

Enzan feels another set of eyes on him. He keeps his head down but lifts his eyes, using his visor to cover the movement, and sees Hikari-san looking at him. She has that same expression on her face that she's been giving him for the last few days, ever since they watched Star Potter together.

As Searchman reappears in the computer, she speaks up. "Ijuuin-kun? Do you know what happened to the report?"

Everyone pauses. They look at Hikari-san, then turn to him.

The urge to run starts to rise.

"N-no," he says. He doesn't know if his voice is as steady as he hopes it is.

"Sweetie . . ." Hikari-san softens, stepping forward until she's close enough to put her hands on the console, either side of his PET. "No one will be mad at you, alright? We just want to know where it is. Promise."

Promises are just words, his Father's voice echoes in his mind. Words mean nothing. Only actions count.

They'll mute him and lock him up. Forever.

Enzan stares down at Scarfy's hand. It grips his hands in its fingers, gently squeezing him with its other arm. Ultimately, it does nothing. But he'd thank it for trying if he knew how.

"Ijuuin."

He tenses. Anger flashes through him, and the urge to run is abruptly replaced with the urge to bite.

"What did you do with the report?" Netto asks, voice hard as stone.

"Nothing," he hisses back.

Netto's eyes narrow. "Try again."

"Netto-kun, leave him alone," Rockman breaks in. "This isn't helping."

"He did something to it! I bet he deleted it!"

"I did not!" Enzan snaps.

"Ah-hah!" Netto jumps on that immediately. "So you did do something! What was it? Where's the report?"

"Netto, stop it," Hikari-san says sternly.

"Tell us what you did with it or-"

"I STOLE IT, OKAY!?"

Silence.

"I stole it," Enzan repeats, baring his teeth. "There, I admitted it, are you happy now, you idiot? I took the stupid thing when I left yesterday and you're never gonna see it again!"

Netto blinks. His eyes are wide and his mouth is open like he's gonna say something, but he doesn't.

"What? You got what you wanted, go ahead and start yelling at me or whatever!"

"Why did you take it?" Laika asks, and for some reason he doesn't sound angry.

But that only serves to make Enzan angrier himself.

"Why do you care all of a sudden!?" he snaps. "Since when do my motives matter to you? You shouldn't even be surprised this happened, I'm already capable of so much worse, aren't I!?"

Blues flinches. Enzan does his best to ignore the way that claws into his chest. It's never happened before, so it's not easy.

"So fine, whatever, go ahead! Mute me, lock me up, do whatever you want to me! I can't fight back anyway, I'm just some weak, useless NetNavi!"

ERROR.

For god's sake-

"I-Ijuuin-" Netto begins.

"Don't tell me you suddenly give a damn! You're the one who wanted me to stay like this, just so you could keep me quiet! So you could control me!"

Rockman and Searchman stiffen at that. He ignores them.

"I didn't mean-"

"SHUT UP!"

ERROR. ERROR.

Enzan screeches wordlessly, batting his head and backing away. He can feel Scarfy trying to tug his hands away, trying to stop him, so he bats at it as well. It doesn't stop, and before he even realises what's happened, its arms are wrapped around his and the most he can do is stumble about blindly.

ERROR.

He bumps into something and it sends static pain sparking throughout his body. He whirls around and sees a blur of blue and tries to kick it, shouting words even he doesn't understand, but the blur moves out of the way.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

Shut up, shut up, shut up-

"ENZAN-SAMA!"

He stops. There's static in his brain, doing nothing to drown out the error messages, and hot rage floods his entire body.

"Y-you're okay."

He knows that voice. It's- someone? He knows them. Him. It's a him, his foggy mind supplies. A voice he knows, timid and trembling but familiar and . . .

"You're okay, I promise."

Safe.

He sits down hard. Stares at the dark blue panels beneath his feet.

"Um . . . y-you're breathing too fast. Do you- do you wanna try something? I-I learnt it from, um, f-from Rockman."

The error message doesn't seem so loud with that voice talking.

"F-first, um . . . Wh-what was it . . ."

Someone whispers and he flinches, growling, but then the voice speaks again and he stops.

"N-name five things you can see."

Why?

"It'll- it'll help. I promise. P-please?"

Fine. Whatever.

"F-ffloor," he manages. His own voice sounds odd to him. "Red. Ye- yellow? Blue. Green."

"Um . . . O-okay, I guess colours count . . . Now, um, name four things you can touch."

Touch sends pain sparking throughout his body. Not real pain, not in the same way that being nicked with an attack does, but some form of pain that makes his head buzz with static.

"Come on, it- it's okay, y-you can do it."

" . . . Floor," he says, again. "Static. Scarf. Feet."

"Okay. N-next, um . . . Three things you can h-hear."

"Static. Error. You."

He doesn't feel as hot now. And the error message is actually starting to fade. With both of those things, clarity is slowly coming back.

"T-two things you can smell."

This he has to concentrate on. He doesn't take much notice of smells. There's not a whole lot of point when there's barely any smells to begin with.

" . . . Electricity? And . . . static. Dunno."

"Th-that's fine. Now, um, one thing you can taste."

He sticks his tongue out. Chews a little. Swallows. Puts his tongue back in. He tastes nothing. How is he supposed to do this one?

And then something soft presses against his lips and he opens his mouth and it slips in. He bites down, mostly curious, and chews. It wriggles a bit and it feels odd, and he furrows his brows and looks down.

Scarfy waves its remaining three fingers. He instantly opens his mouth and it takes its finger out, petting his head gently. He leans into it, half-closing his eyes.

"Scarfy," he says.

"O-okay. Did that . . . Do you, um, feel any better . . . ?"

" . . . Dunno. What- what's-"

He looks up.

Everyone is staring at him. He suddenly feels hot all over again, but it's not rage this time. Instead it's deep, deep shame and something that makes him feel hollow inside. The hollowness is something he felt if he ever dared to have a meltdown like that in front of his father.

"Enzan-sama?"

He swallows hard and locks eyes with the owner of the voice.

To his shock, it turns out to be Blues. He's not sure why he's shocked, actually - only Blues calls him Enzan-sama. But he was just too busy throwing a stupid temper tantrum to recognise his own NetNavi's voice.

"Y-you . . ." he begins, only to trail off because he doesn't know what to say.

Blues shrinks away, clutching his rabbit toy to his chest. "I-I-I'm sorry, it's just- y-you were- n-no one c-could calm you d- down a-and I just- thought- um- S-sorry, I'm s-sorry, I won't do it again-"

"No!"

Blues squeaks, jumping.

"It's . . . fine," Enzan says. "Tha- uh . . . Yeah. It's fine."

" . . . Okay," Blues whispers, a faint hint of a smile appearing on his face.

Hikari-san steps forward, softly clapping her hands to get everyone's attention.

"I think it's best if we all take a break for the moment," she announces. "Just to unwind a little. We can keep going when everyone is feeling better, okay?"

Everyone else murmurs their agreement. Enzan keeps his eyes on Blues, whose smile grows a little.

Hm. That was . . . interesting.

Chapter Text

"I've never seen him do that before . . ."

"What, go crazy and attack people?" Netto raises an incredulous eyebrow at his Navi. "We've seen him do that plenty of times! Though it looks like that weird scarf of his'll at least try and stop him if he ever does it again . . ."

Rockman shakes his head. "Not that, Netto-kun. I meant when Blues talked him down. I've never seen him actually listen to Blues before."

" . . . Huh. You're right. That's . . . kinda weird for him."

"I wonder if Enzan's apologised yet . . ."

There's a beat of silence.

"What'd you just say?" Netto demands shrilly.

Rockman blinks. "Uh . . . I said 'I wonder if Enzan's apologised yet' . . . ?"

"Since when was he Enzan instead of Ijuuin?"

"Since last night."

"You mean . . . when you brought him back?"

"A bit before that, but yeah."

"Okay . . . And what was that about him apologising?"

"He said he's going to apologise to Blues."

Netto stares. He opens his mouth, but has no idea what to say, so he just ends up closing it. There's somehow a million thoughts bouncing around in his brain and yet at the same time his mind is completely blank.

"A lot happened last night," Rockman says, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah," Netto says faintly, "clearly."

"Ah, here you are."

They both look up as a newcomer walks into the break room. Laika has a serious look on his face, but that's his default expression most of the time, so there's not much cause for alarm there. What is interesting is that Searchman isn't standing to attention on his shoulder - rather, the green-armoured Navi is distracted by some small holoscreens, reading them intently.

"Searchman and I have been doing some research," Laika announces.

"Thought we were supposed to be taking a break?" Netto asks, blinking.

"Information is far more important. I think we've reached a conclusion that could explain Ijuuin's . . . everything."

"Yeah, I'm not really sure anything could explain him at this point . . ."

"And if I said you're wrong?"

Netto crosses his arms, pursing his lips. "Fine, I'll humour you. What's up with Ijuuin, then?"

"We believe there's a distinct possibility that Ijuuin may be autistic."

" . . . What," Netto says.

"Enzan may be autistic," Searchman repeats his operator's words, finally looking up from his screens.

"Guh- you're calling him that too?"

"That's what you're focusing on right now?" Laika frowns. "What name my Navi uses for Ijuuin?"

"Well- I mean- look, I'm trying to process like a whole buncha things at once here, like the fact that Ijuuin might be autistic and both of our Navis are suddenly calling him Enzan for some reason! Forgive me for focusing on the easier one!"

"We're calling him Enzan because he seems to respond to it better than his family name," Searchman explains.

"I suppose we're doing this one first," Laika mutters, a brief look of annoyance flashing across his face. He raises his voice back to normal volume. "How did the two of you figure this out?"

"I called him Enzan after we convinced him to come home," Rockman says. He winces, expression turning into something like a mixture of sadness and pity. "You should've seen the look he gave me when I did . . . It was like- you know when you save someone and they give you this look? Like you're their hero or something? It was like that. And it was just so . . . sad."

"Sad?" Netto echoes.

"I don't know how else to describe it. I . . . I don't think anyone calls him Enzan, aside from Blues."

"Is that why you two are calling him that now?" Laika asks.

"Well . . . kinda?"

"He also told us he has no friends," Searchman adds. "Blues certainly wouldn't count, even before the abuse began. And given his personality . . . Even if there was a possibility of someone using his given name, no one would even want to."

"I keep thinking about how lonely he must be," Rockman admits softly. "Imagine going your whole life without any friends. He- he probably doesn't even know how to make friends to begin with. Maybe if he had even just one, he wouldn't have spiralled so badly . . ."

The words 'Ijuuin' and 'lonely' aren't words that Netto considered going together. His image of him is a cold-hearted jerk who abuses his own NetNavi and bullies everyone around him because he's mean and selfish and spoiled. It's been that way for years. No way can someone like Ijuuin, who only spits out insults and ruins any kind of fun like it's a twisted sort of hobby, be anything but that.

And yet . . .

Lately, that image is being cracked and broken, bit by bit. There are little pieces that don't fit, behaviours and words that don't make sense.

Ijuuin shutting down any attempts to talk about his father. Going silent after the incident at Maha Ichiban. Mama having what was probably the only decent interaction with him that anyone's ever had so far. Ijuuin not going berserk after being muted for three days. The visible fear when Netto suggested muting him again. Running away. Coming back and actually listening to Rockman and Searchman. Literally everything he said before he went crazy and attacked.

Most of all, listening to Blues. Talking to him.

That image Netto built up is pretty close to shattering now. He's a little afraid of what he'll see underneath if it does.

"Netto-kun? Are you okay?"

He blinks hard, startled out of his thoughts. Rockman, Laika, and Searchman are all watching him with varying degrees of concern.

"Y-yeah, I just . . . I was just . . . thinking," he mutters, somewhat lamely.

Rockman softens. "About Enzan?"

" . . . Yeah."

Netto takes a deep breath, then blows it out in a noisy sigh. It doesn't do a whole lot to calm down his racing thoughts. He's pretty sure nothing could at this point.

"The name thing aside," Laika says, getting everyone's attention again, "we still have yet to discuss the possibility of Ijuuin being autistic."

"Does . . . does it matter if he is?"

"Yes. Because it may explain quite a lot about him. His behaviour and stubbornness, for one thing."

"I don't think being autistic gives him an excuse to be a jerk . . ."

"I said it could explain him, not excuse his actions."

"The fact of the matter is that Enzan doesn't seem to understand what people say to him most of the time," Searchman says. "You could just say it's him being a stubborn brat who thinks he knows better than anyone else, but what if he genuinely doesn't understand?"

"Like how Papa asked him about the firewall earlier," Rockman says, eyes widening. "He couldn't answer the question until you rephrased it for him!"

Searchman nods. "Exactly. There's also his perception level and processing speed. People with autism generally tend to get overwhelmed and overstimulated by, say, too much noise. You could say they perceive everything at once, but are unable to process it, which leads to becoming overwhelmed."

" . . . It's . . . the same," Netto says slowly.

"More or less."

"From what I've seen in the time I've known him," Laika says, "he also doesn't seem to understand how people work. Emotions, to be specific. It's entirely possible that he may not be able to recognise them in himself either."

"He knows anger, definitely," Rockman says. "And . . . and fear, too."

"Fear?" Netto repeats.

"He . . . mentioned it, when we were convincing him to come back. He said fear is how you control others. It's how he controls Blues. Or, um, controlled, I guess. I don't think he wants to do that anymore."

"We managed to get through to him somehow," Searchman agrees, nodding. "He likely wasn't aware that his behaviour was wrong before, simply because no one had ever explained it to him in a way he could understand. Now that he knows . . . I'm hoping he can get better, but we're going to have to help him figure out how. There's a very high chance that he won't be able to figure it out on his own."

"Okay, wait, that's great and all, but there's still one glaring issue," Netto breaks in. "Ijuuin went nuts earlier! He tried to attack you guys! He's done that exact same thing to us, too! You say you managed to get through to him, so what's up with that?"

"Change doesn't happen in an instant," Rockman tells him patiently. "He's been like this for so long that he probably doesn't know how to act any other way. We just need to figure out how to work with him instead of against him. Help him learn better behaviours."

"As for him going nuts . . ." Laika folds his arms, brows furrowing as he frowns. "I may be able to explain that. A person with autism generally has what are referred to as 'meltdowns' when they become overwhelmed, stressed, or overstimulated. What this entails is different depending on the person, of course, but Searchman and I found a basic description of what usually happens in a meltdown."

"Enzan's earlier behaviour fits the description almost perfectly," Searchman says. "He was screaming, wouldn't - or couldn't - listen to anyone, and lashed out at anyone or anything that got too close to him."

"Okay, fine, so he had a meltdown earlier, but it's not like this is the first time . . . he . . ."

Netto trails off.

Ijuuin has gone berserk like that before. He'd usually lash out at anyone unfortunate enough to be near him, screeching and punching and kicking and scratching. The usual response would be to fight back - who wouldn't? No one wants to be used as a punching bag.

 . . . But Ijuuin going crazy earlier was the same as any other time he went crazy.

Realisation hits like a speeding train. The image of Ijuuin being a spoiled brat shatters with it.

" . . . How many times was he having a meltdown and we never knew?" Netto wonders, horrified. "How many times did we cause them? Oh my god, have we just been hurting him this whole time? E-even before . . . ?"

"He's not entirely innocent in this, Netto," Laika reminds him, not unkindly. "We have a potential explanation for his behaviour, yes, but the fact remains that he still did all of those terrible things. Abuse, neglect, bullying . . . He will have to answer for it."

"But it would be unfair to make that happen if he doesn't understand it," Searchman adds. "Which is why Laika-sama and I have been researching how we can help him. Ways to work with him and such. If we want him to do better, we're going to have to put real effort into this."

"Right . . ."

"We should tell Papa and the others about this," Rockman suggests. "And maybe see if Blues or Enzan know anything, too."

Netto nods.

Once the break is over, Hikari-hakase calls everyone back to the lab. Laika is somewhat surprised when Blues walks in with Haruka-san, and even more surprised to see the former Navi still holding onto Ijuuin's PET along with his rabbit. Haruka-san has Ijuuin's hologram sitting in her hands, though it's impossible to discern his expression. His mouth is a blank line and his eyes are hidden beneath his helmet.

Perhaps the visor is a good thing. Laika read that some people with autism don't like eye contact. Given how many times fights have broken out because someone was unfortunate enough to lock eyes with Ijuuin for more than five seconds, it's possible he's one of those types.

"How's everyone doing?" Haruka-san asks, as they all settle down once again.

"I think that little break is just what we needed," Hikari-hakase replies, smiling at his wife. "Thank you, dear."

Haruka-san practically beams. Ijuuin tilts his head back to look up at her, and then his scarf pats him and his attention goes back to fiddling with its tassels. He also puts one of its tassels in his mouth, for some reason.

No, not 'some reason'. That's stimming, isn't it? Hm. Perhaps more research is required before a proper deduction can be made.

"Alright, let's get back to it," Hikari-hakase declares. "We were discussing . . . the report, I believe."

Ijuuin tenses immediately. Blues reaches out to him at the same time that Haruka-san goes to bring him closer to her chest, and they both pause, looking at each other.

A moment passes by, then Haruka-san softens and offers Ijuuin to Blues. "Here you go, sweetie. You know him best."

He smiles a little, then turns his attention to his operator. Ijuuin looks up at him and doesn't say a single word, but it seems just being in his hands is making the tension slowly bleed out. As Blues begins quietly whispering to him, he appears to relax entirely.

Laika files that away for future reference.

" . . . We aren't angry at you, Ijuuin-kun," Hikari-hakase says, a touch more gentle than normal. "We just want to know why you took the report, and what you did with it."

It takes several moments for Ijuuin to do anything. When he does, it's somewhat disappointing, but also slightly concerning - he looks at Hikari-hakase, looks away, then turns his attention back to his scarf. Like he's trying to avoid answering the implied question.

Normally Ijuuin would simply snap at them. And indeed he did, earlier. So this is definitely something else that's noteworthy.

"Um, Enzan-sama?" Blues asks hesitantly. "M-maybe if, um, if you're okay with it, you could . . . tell me? A-and then I can- I-I can tell them?"

Ijuuin twitches. Then he nods.

Blues swallows and brings him close to his ear. Ijuuin speaks so quietly that Laika only hears the faintest sound of whispering, but he's more interested in Blues's reaction to his operator's words. The former Navi's expression falls, revealing something akin to the look of horror on Netto's face in the break room, and he bites his lip like he's trying his best not to interrupt.

And some time later, it appears that Ijuuin is done. Blues brings him back down, cradling him to his chest, and doesn't look at anyone but him as he speaks.

"E-Enzan-sama said he took it 'cus h-he needed proof."

"What for?" Meijin asks.

"Th-that . . . that he can be useful. O-or at least unique enough to be of interest."

"Of interest?" Hikari-hakase repeats, raising an eyebrow. "To who?"

" . . . Ijuuin-sama."

Laika contains his reaction to simply narrowing his eyes. "His father, you mean."

Blues nods.

"Why would he need the report for that?" Netto asks. He's considerably more subdued than he was previously. Not much of a surprise.

"Because Enzan-sama is useless to Ijuuin-sama like this."

There's something hollow in Blues's voice as he says that. Hollow and familiar.

"But he's his son!" Haruka-san gasps, putting a hand over her mouth. "Why would he- what kind of parent considers their own child useless?"

Ijuuin looks up at her, a slight frown on his face. Is he confused? Angry? It could either, or maybe something else entirely. It's impossible to tell with him.

Blues just shrugs. "I- I dunno. It's just . . . normal. But, um . . . i-it didn't matter, 'cus . . . 'cus . . ."

"He doesn't want me anyway," Ijuuin says flatly, turning away from Haruka-san.

Laika again forces himself to contain his reaction. The only others who do so are Searchman and Meijin - both Hikari-hakase and his wife are equally shocked, while Rockman thins his lips and narrows his eyes like he's trying not to cry, and Netto simply looks as though he's about to throw up.

That seems to be all Ijuuin is willing to say, though. He falls silent once again, keeping most of his attention on his scarf.

After several moments, Hikari-hakase finally seems to find his voice. "A-and . . . where is the report now . . . ?"

"Ijuuin-sama still has it," Blues replies softly.

"I don't suppose he's the type to just give it back if we ask nicely?"

Blues bites his lip and shakes his head.

"Dammit," Hikari-hakase sighs, running a hand down his face. Not for the first time, he looks far older than he is.

There's a short pause of silence.

During it, Laika considers the facts laid out in front of him, bringing forth the theories and little clues he's already gathered. When he fits everything together, the result is . . . not pleasant, to put it lightly. It's not something any sane person would consider pleasant.

Perhaps Ijuuin needs help with more than just his potential autism.

"Can't you guys just, like, make another one?" Netto suddenly suggests.

Both his father and Meijin look at him. He shrugs.

"The report's about Ijuuin, isn't it?" He nods to said not-Navi. "And, I mean, he's right there, so . . ."

"That's . . . true," Hikari-hakase says slowly, putting a hand to his chin.

"Most of the data in the report is probably outdated by now anyway," Meijin muses. "And we'd need to add the new information we've found anyway."

"NO!"

For a moment, familiar annoyance makes Laika scowl. And then he catches himself, schooling his expression with a reminder of everything he's learned so far.

Ijuuin is on his feet, teeth bared and fingers twitching at his sides. His scarf wraps one end around his waist, like an odd sort of hug, while the other gently tugs on one of his hands until he eventually starts messing with its tassels again.

"Sweetie?" Haruka-san leans down a little to get a better look at him. "What's wrong? Can you tell us?"

Ijuuin mutters something.

"D-do you wanna tell me again?" Blues offers.

Ijuuin growls faintly and Blues winces.

"Hey, it's alright, he's just trying to help," Haruka-san says softly. "Do you want to tell me, instead?"

Ijuuin gives his head a single, almost violent shake.

"Enzan," Rockman calls, making Ijuuin jerk his head up. "We can't help you if we don't know what's wrong."

Laika watches curiously, remembering what Searchman and Rockman said about Ijuuin's name. From what he can tell, the two Navis are correct - Ijuuin appears to visibly settle a little bit, just enough to finally give them a proper answer.

"I don't want another deep scan," he says, just a hint of a hiss in his tone.

Searchman is next to speak. "I know they're unpleasant, but-"

"I hate them!" Ijuuin snaps, bristling. "I'm not letting you people force me into another one of those- those- krrr! I'm not doing it again! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

"Ijuuin-kun-" Hikari-hakase begins.

"NO! NO, NO, NO, NO!"

His scarf tugs him almost violently and he sits down hard. It wraps itself around his head and shoulders and he tugs it with his hands, but doesn't appear to be trying to pull it off. Instead he just starts gently rocking back and forth.

"Um," Blues says, wincing. "S-sorry, just- just give him a m-minute, uh . . ."

He turns away, cupping Ijuuin in his hands and out of sight.

" . . . He doesn't like being touched," Rockman says, in the tone of someone suddenly realising something very important.

Laika glances at him. He recalls Searchman describing a sort of odd incident, not long after the switch first occurred - Ijuuin had apparently freaked out the moment Searchman attempted to touch him.

Touch sensitivity. That's what it's called. It could explain that incident, though the fact that both Blues and Haruka-san appear to be able to handle Ijuuin just fine contradicts it. Navi holograms are capable of feeling human touch if one is very careful with it, so perhaps the sensitivity is circumstantial? Or maybe the hologram is different enough that Ijuuin doesn't mind?

But one thing still doesn't add up, in Laika's opinion.

"What does this have to do with the deep scan?" he asks.

"It's uncomfortable," Searchman answers him, surprisingly. "Deep scans are simply just a tool humans use to get data on NetNavis or other programs, but for us Navis . . . Our entire being is on display. You can poke around and look at anything you want and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

"No one really likes it," Rockman confesses quietly. "But we deal with it 'cus we need them done sometimes."

"Like going to the dentist?" Netto asks.

Rockman smiles a little. "More like being awake while someone is performing surgery on your insides."

 . . . Oh dear god. That's what a deep scan is like for NetNavis?

Laika knew it was unpleasant, but he didn't think . . . didn't know it was that bad. He can't imagine what it would feel like to have your entire being violated like that. He doesn't want to.

No wonder Ijuuin hates it.

"Hikari-hakase," he begins, "is . . . is there, perhaps, a way to make the deep scans feel less . . ."

" . . . less like total crap?" Netto finishes.

Haruka-san must be just as horrified as they are, because she doesn't even scold her son for his language.

"There isn't," Hikari-hakase replies, much to everyone's disappointment. "The process is already refined beyond what was originally planned for it anyway. Any further and it risks becoming little more than a standard-level scan."

"It's better than it used to be, at least," Meijin points out. Despite that, he still looks sickened. "Modern deep scans automatically put Navis into a deep sleep-mode, whereas earlier versions would simply just freeze the Navi in place and put them through it without even shutting them down."

Rockman makes a quiet noise similar to a whimper. Netto cups him in his hands, worried, and the two adult Hikaris give the little blue Navi looks nearly identical to the one Laika sees on his uncle's face whenever he gets injured. Interesting.

" . . . Rockman has had a few of them before," Hikari-hakase confesses quietly. "Back when I was- developing him. I usually plugged him into an isolated computer so he could recover in peace."

"I think perhaps I should consider myself lucky," Searchman says, subdued. "I was activated after deep scans became less . . . horrible."

Laika glances over at Blues. The former Navi is hunched over, cradling his rabbit in his arms. Ijuuin isn't visible at first, but then there's a flash of yellow as that weird scarf makes some sort of gesture with its tassels. Ijuuin must be sheltering on the rabbit, then.

"There's really no other way around it?" Laika asks, not taking his eyes off Blues.

Hikari-hakase follows his gaze. " . . . No. I'm afraid not. Surface-level and standard-level scans could only give us basic information such as stats or frame data. To make a more comprehensive report, we need to perform a deep scan - multiple, even. It's the only way we'll be able to find out whether or not Ijuuin-kun has Blues's Ultimate Program, too."

"I see . . ."

"Papa," Netto suddenly says, looking up from Rockman, "um, there's . . . there's something else you gotta know, first. About- about Ijuuin."

Ah. Right, Laika almost forgot about that.

"What is it?" Hikari-hakase asks. The look on his face is practically screaming 'god, what else is there?', and honestly, you can't blame the poor man.

"We believe Ijuuin may be autistic," Laika says bluntly. There really is no other way to say it.

Hikari-hakase stills, eyes widening slightly. Meijin blinks, then his brows furrow and he thoughtfully covers his mouth. Haruka-san, in stark contrast to her husband, merely nods slowly.

"I thought it might be something like that," she muses. "I know I only technically spent a few hours with him at best, but it was fairly obvious. He didn't like it when things got noisy and I swear he was stimming sometimes . . ."

"Stimming?" Netto repeats, looking puzzled.

Rockman speaks up, voice slightly weak but mostly steady. "It's- it's this kinda repetitive movement or vocalisation - er, sound - that someone does to . . . calm down or express themselves or something. It's self-stimulation. Hence the name."

"Like what Ijuuin's been doing with that scarf of his," Laika supplies.

"Scarfy."

Everyone pauses and glances at Blues. He's turned around now, and although Ijuuin is still hidden, things seem to have calmed down.

Blues gulps under their attention. "It's- um. It's called S-Scarfy. Th-that's what Enzan-sama told me."

"He named it?" Haruka-san gasps softly, clasping her hands together in delight. "Oh, how adorable!"

"I . . . don't think he's the one who named it? H-he said someone else gave it to him, um, I-I dunno who . . . B-but its name is Scarfy. So. Yeah."

"Scarfy, huh?" Searchman repeats thoughtfully. "It seems to move on its own. Do you know if it's sentient?"

"I . . . think so? Enzan-sama doesn't m-make it move, so, um, it p- probably is." Blues pauses for a second, biting his lip and looking down - presumably at his Navi-fied operator - before raising his head again. "Um . . . What- what were you all t-talking about . . . ? I wasn't . . . paying attention, s-sorry . . ."

"It's alright, sweetie," Haruka-san assures him, giving him a gentle pat on the head. "You were helping Ijuuin-kun, that's perfectly fine."

Hm . . . Rockman did say something along the lines of bringing this up to Blues and possibly Ijuuin as well. If anyone would know anything about this, it'd be the two people closest to it. Or at the very least, they would be able to give some answers to questions that could lead to some proper results.

"We were discussing the possibility of your operator having autism," Laika explains.

Blues blinks. "Autism . . . ? Oh, you mean the retarded thing?"

Laika very nearly chokes on air and Searchman grunts in shock. The others have similar, if somewhat more exaggerated, reactions.

Haruka-san gasps sharply, covering her mouth, while her husband actually recoils as though he was struck across the face. Meijin simply looks almost comically horrified, and Netto and Rockman have identical gobsmacked looks on their faces.

" . . . What?" Blues asks, wilting.

"B-Blues-kun," Haruka-san begins delicately, "that . . . that's not a nice thing to say about someone."

"It . . . isn't? Wh-why not?"

"Because the term 'retarded' is an outdated and very offensive term used to refer to people with mental disorders such as autism," Hikari-hakase explains.

" . . . Oh. But- but . . . Ijuuin-sama . . ."

Laika's heart sinks into his stomach. "What about him?"

"I-Ijuuin-sama, um . . ." Blues hesitates. "A-am I allowed to say it, or is it- is it like a curse word?"

"Generally it's best to avoid it," Meijin says, in a somewhat-strained tone, "but I think in this case, we really can't."

" . . . Ijuuin-sama calls Enzan-sama retarded all the time."

Haruka-san takes a deep breath through her nose, closing her eyes. She opens them and abruptly stands, then walks out of the lab. Blues looks after her, brows pinched together in worry and more than a little bit of fear.

"D-did I m-make Haruka-san mad?" he asks, practically squeaking the words out.

"She's not angry at you," Hikari-hakase assures him. "But, er, excuse me for a moment . . ."

Hikari-hakase gets up and follows his wife.

There's silence after the two adult Hikaris are gone. Only the quiet whirring of machines disturbs it - otherwise, it presses down on those left in the lab room like a physical weight. Each second passing by feels like a countdown to something terrible.

Eventually, it's Netto who breaks it.

"Blues?" he asks quietly. "Do- do you want a hug?"

"Um- n-no, I-" Blues bites his lip, wincing and holding his rabbit - and therefore Ijuuin - closer. "I-I don't think Enzan-sama would like that."

"You don't have to say 'no' just 'cus of him . . ."

"I-I know, but- but I just- I don't want him to get crowded right now . . ."

"Oh. Right, y-yeah."

The room lapses into silence once again. It's less oppressive than before, but no less heavy for the weight of the terrible things they've learned today.

It's beginning to look more and more as though Blues isn't the only victim here.

Mama doesn't come back. When Papa walks back in, he tells them she went home and that she needs some time alone right now. And, yeah, she can't really be blamed for it - Netto kinda feels like he needs some alone time as well. Maybe to scream. Or kick something. For the first time in the whole time he's known the guy, he thinks he can finally understand why Ijuuin tends to go berserk and attack people.

But he stays in the lab room because he doesn't wanna leave Blues, and now there's a not-so-insignificant part of him that kinda doesn't wanna leave Ijuuin either.

"Ijuuin-kun being autistic could certainly explain quite a lot about him," Papa muses, once they're all more or less okay to continue again. "His behaviour, for one thing. Not to mention his perception level and processing speed."

"Oh yeah," Meijin-san says, in a tone of sudden realisation. "It's the same thing, isn't it? There's too much information going into him and he can't process it, so he gets overwhelmed and . . ."

Papa nods. "Exactly. Now that we have this information, it should make figuring out his programming much easier - or at the very least, we'll be able to look over it with a more informed eye."

"You're gonna make me do that stupid deep scan thing again, aren't you."

Netto bites his lip, but a squeak still slips out. He looks over at Blues - or more specifically, at the creepy rabbit - and sees Ijuuin sitting on its head now, gently fiddling with his scarf's tassels. Er, Scarfy's tassels. Since it's apparently sentient and has a name. That's kinda cool, actually.

"We don't have much choice, Ijuuin-kun," Papa says. He's talking way more gentle now - no surprise after all that stuff. "I'm sorry, I truly am. If there were another way, one that wouldn't cause you so much distress, we would do it in a heartbeat."

Ijuuin mutters something that sounds suspiciously like 'yeah, sure you would'.

"He means it, Enzan," Rockman tells him. "He would if he could. Promise."

" . . . Promises are just words. They mean nothing."

"Did your dad tell you that?" Netto asks, deciding to take a chance.

Ijuuin looks at him, the corners of his mouth pulled down. After a moment or two, he turns away.

"He's wrong, you know," Netto goes on. "Your dad. And not just about the promises thing."

Ijuuin doesn't bother responding. Netto can't think of any way to convince him, so even though it goes against every single value and ideal he's picked up or been taught, he drops it. Mostly 'cus he doesn't wanna make Ijuuin have another freak out. Not now that he knows the real reason for them.

In the meantime, Papa and Meijin-san appear to be discussing something quietly. They're done by the time Netto notices, so he doesn't even get a chance to try listening in.

"Meijin and I have some ideas," Papa announces. "We want to see if there's some way we could help Ijuuin-kun with his perception level and processing speed. A way to even them out, perhaps, or to help filter the information he receives so it doesn't overwhelm him."

"We can run a few deep scans and use the results to help us," Meijin-san adds. Ijuuin growls faintly and his expression softens. "I know, I'm sorry. But try and think of it like this - the faster we get them done, the sooner it'll be over."

"I'd rather not have them done at all," Ijuuin huffs, "but none of you people are gonna listen to me, so why should I even bother at this point?"

"You're allowed to have an opinion in this, just as much as anyone else," Laika says.

"The hell I am. None of you ever bothered asking for my opinion when you forced me into that damn scan the first time! You never asked for my opinion on anything, not even before this stupid, stupid switch!"

Netto winces.

"E-Enzan-sama, please-" Blues begins.

"Oh, shut up! You're the only one they care about anyway, you don't get to-" Ijuuin stops. "-to . . . Never mind."

There's silence once again. It doesn't seem like anyone knows how to break it this time.

But then Ijuuin sighs and slumps. His scarf - Scarfy - wraps itself around him, gently petting the side of his head, and he leans into it. After a few moments of this, he speaks.

"Fine. Do the deep scan. Scans. Whatever. Do what you want. I don't care anymore."

"Ijuuin-kun . . ." Papa trails off.

"I don't care."

" . . . If you insist," Papa says, though he doesn't look particularly happy. "Alright then. Blues? May I have Ijuuin-kun?"

Blues hesitates. "Um . . . wh-when will . . ."

"It'll take a few days to gather and compile a comprehensive report," Meijin-san answers the semi-unspoken question. "Following that, it'll probably take a little longer to figure out a way to help Ijuuin-kun with his perception level and processing speed. So . . ."

"A week, at the earliest," Papa finishes. "Maybe a few extra days just so we can make sure everything is functioning properly."

" . . . Right," Blues murmurs. He bites his lip for a moment.

He takes a deep breath, opening his mouth again, but then pauses and looks down at Ijuuin.

"I-I'll come and visit every day, if . . . if that's okay?" he offers.

"Do what you want. You're a human now, I can't stop you anyway."

Ijuuin vanishes into his PET and Blues wilts a little. Netto bites down on a sharp retort, telling himself it's not totally Ijuuin's fault that he's acting like this. He's just upset. And . . . and he doesn't really know any other way to express it. But maybe they can help him with that.

Just because Ijuuin is a jerk doesn't mean he doesn't deserve help. Maybe that's what they were missing this whole time.

" . . . Please look after him," Blues half-whispers, reluctantly handing over Ijuuin's PET.

Papa handles it like the precious thing it is. "Of course. I promise."

And maybe they can show Ijuuin that promises are more than just words.

Chapter Text

The next week and half passes by at the pace of a lagging Cragger.

True to his word, Blues goes to visit Enzan every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Mama goes with him most of the time, helping him navigate the Metroline - or that's what she says, anyway. It's pretty obvious she wants to see Enzan as well, but no one calls her out on it. On the occasions when Mama doesn't go, it's Laika who takes Blues instead.

Netto-kun doesn't go to SciLab, not for lack of wanting on his part. The winter term has started at school, severely limiting the free time that Netto-kun and his friends have, and he's already bogged down with homework or working on his proposal for a new Net Battling club after school. Rockman helps him as much as possible with both.

This means most of the updates they get are via Papa sending frequent emails and Mama telling them how Enzan was that day. Laika doesn't give any on account of him not wanting to crowd Enzan too much, and Blues seems . . . a little awkward around Netto-kun now.

It's kinda sad to watch. Especially when Blues usually follows him around like a lost program.

"I'm not really surprised," Roll-chan says, when Rockman finally caves and lets the data flow. "He suddenly found out that Netto-san was kinda . . . well, being totally cruel to his operator. He probably doesn't know how to deal with that right now."

"Right . . ."

Roll-chan pats his upper arm. "Hey, it'll work out, no need to worry! This is Blues we're talking about here! That guy doesn't even hate Ijuuin, I'm sure he'll be back to worshipping the ground Netto-san walks on soon."

Rockman lets out a short laugh despite himself. "It's not quite 'worshipping', but . . . sure. Thanks, Roll-chan."

"Hehe, no problem! Oh, right, I almost forgot." Roll-chan links her hands behind her back, smiling coyly. "Meiru-chan and I heard a juicy rumour about a new Net Battling club. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Wha- but it hasn't even been approved yet!" Rockman gapes at her. "How did you . . ."

Roll-chan giggles and puts a finger to her lips. "I'm not telling! Besides, it's kinda obvious that you and Netto-san are behind this. Everyone knows the other Net Battling club rejected you guys 'cus you're too strong. Is that why you're making your own?"

He sighs, though he can't stop a smile from tugging at his lips. "More or less. Netto-kun thinks a school Net Battling club should allow any type of Net Battler, regardless of skill or strength. 'Everyone should get to have fun!' is what he said."

"Aw, that's really sweet. You know if you guys get the go-ahead from the principal, you're gonna have to get at least two other members at the club fair, right?"

"Yep. Actually, we were thinking of inviting you and Meiru-chan, plus Gutsman, Dekao, Iceman, and Tohru-kun."

Roll-chan hums thoughtfully. "Meiru-chan already has Net Chess club, plus piano club . . ."

"Ah . . ." Rockman winces. "Right, never mind, sorry-"

"Hey! When did I say 'no', Rock?" Roll-chan puffs her cheeks out, putting her hands on her hips. "She's still got two days free after school! I'll tell her after this class, she'll be thrilled."

Rockman laughs again. "Okay, okay, you win."

"Although I'm not sure if Gutsman will be able to join . . . Isn't he in the other Net Battling club already?"

" . . . Somehow, we completely forgot to consider that."

Roll-chan shrugs. "Well, maybe he and Dekao-kun will be willing to switch?"

"Does it have to be either or?"

"You're literally setting up a rival Net Battling club, Rock."

"Aha . . . Good point . . ."

"Since it's you and Netto-san, I think a lot of people may be willing to join up, actually," Roll-chan muses. "I mean, you guys have won every single Grand Prix since the N1. You're basically the best Net Battlers in the entire country at this point."

"The best out of those who sign up for the tournaments," Rockman corrects her.

Her shoulders shake with amusement. "You're so humble! Learn to brag a little!"

"Well, what about you and Meiru-chan sweeping through Net Chess competitions? I never hear you guys bragging about those!"

"Oho, you're playing dirty now, are you?"

"Hey, you started it."

"Heh, true."

The bell signalling the end of class suddenly rings, startling them both. They glance over to the screen showing them the classroom, where all the human students and their teacher are, and see everyone packing up their textbooks.

"I'd better go and tell Meiru-chan the rumours were true," Roll-chan says, giving him a quick wave. "And don't worry about Blues, remember!"

Rockman half-smiles, raising a hand in farewell as she vanishes from the classroom's server. Only when she's gone does he lower it, sighing faintly.

He has a lot of worries right now, not just about Blues. But at least finding people to join the new club won't be one of them anymore. Of course, they still have to get it approved, but if Roll-chan was right about the rumours, maybe the principal will approve it based on student demand? It's happened before - it's basically the entire reason the archery club exists, after all.

Oh well. Time to head back to Netto-kun.

The day finally comes when Papa sends an email announcing that the new report has been compiled and the program to help Enzan has been completed. It's a weekend day, luckily, so Rockman and Netto-kun are able to head to SciLab with the others.

Of all the things he was expecting, Enzan sitting cross-legged and helmetless on Papa's shoulder was definitely not one of them. The not-Navi looks surprisingly content, eyes half-lidded and mouth set in a relaxed line as he fiddles with Scarfy's tassel-fingers.

"Ah, hello!" Papa lights up as they all walk in. "You got here a lot faster than I expected."

"Laika-kun managed to convince Kifune-san to send a car to drive us here," Mama explains, giving Laika a smile and a pat on the arm.

Laika coughs quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes. Is Rockman imagining it, or is there a faint dusting of red on his cheeks? He's certainly not imagining the slight smirk on Searchman's face.

Netto-kun doesn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation though. Instead, he's looking at Enzan with an odd sort of expression.

"What's up?" Rockman asks quietly.

"Haven't seen him without that helmet for a while," Netto-kun replies, just as quietly. "It's kinda weird."

Rockman hums, taking a closer look at Enzan. Netto-kun isn't wrong, he supposes - seeing Enzan's Navi body without a helmet feels a little disconcerting, like there's a piece of him missing or he's somehow naked. Or maybe it's just that he's more used to seeing Enzan's face like this as a human, and seeing him with the bodysuit and audio receptors of a Navi is what's strange.

Kinda like seeing Blues's eyes for the first time. He honestly had no clue what colour the former Navi's eyes even were before the switch occurred, and the idea of asking Blues to remove his helmet had never really come up. Most Navis with helmets like that typically don't like removing them, if they even can.

"Enzan-sama!"

Speaking of Blues, he evidently isn't put off at all by Enzan's lack of helmet. He just bounds over to Papa and holds out a hand, and Enzan, in another unexpected surprise, vanishes off Papa's shoulder and reappears on Blues's palm.

Rockman covers his mouth to hide a smile. Surprising though it may be, this is very promising. And it's just nice to see in general.

"H-hi," Blues says, smiling brightly.

Enzan's expression remains unchanged, but he grunts softly, eyes flicking up to briefly meet Blues's before going back to Scarfy. Blues's smile widens and he looks almost ready to burst with joy.

So does Mama, actually. Did she help them get to this point over the past week or so? Or did she just gently encourage them in her usual subtle manner?

"Your email mentioned that you'd found Blues's Ultimate Program," Laika says, drawing everyone's attention away from the small reunion. "I take it this means it was in Ijuuin's programming, as you assumed?"

"Indeed it was," Papa agrees, nodding. "Why don't we all sit down? We have quite a bit to discuss."

Everyone settles into various chairs in the lab room. Rockman can't help but glance over at Blues, who has his rabbit (oh makers it's still so creepy) on his lap and his arms wrapped around it. Enzan sits on its head, seemingly uninterested in the current goings-on, but it would be unfair and silly to assume he's not actually paying attention.

Once they're all comfortable, Papa begins.

"We'll start with the Ultimate Program, since Laika-kun brought it up," he says. "As you already know, we still don't exactly know everything about them, and I suspect we never really will. We're able to at least recognise the coding making up an Ultimate Program, which is what we searched for using the deep scans."

A shudder runs through Rockman's body just at the mention of it. Similarly, Searchman tenses just a little bit, Blues winces, and Enzan bares his teeth, eyes narrowing.

Papa moves on swiftly. "Blues's Ultimate Program was definitely transferred into Enzan-kun-"

Netto-kun grunts, sitting straighter. Rockman briefly forgets his own discomfort and gives him a quick, concerned glance.

"-but as far as we can tell, it's currently deactivated," Papa goes on, oblivious.

"Can those things even be deactivated?" Laika asks, frowning.

"They can be activated, for sure," Meijin-san points out. He pauses, humming. "Although I suppose . . . it's more like they're always running in the background? But they're not completely active, if that makes sense. From what little information we've gathered on them so far, the Ultimate Programs only fully activate under specific circumstances."

"Like when Forte tried to steal Rockman's Ultimate Program," Netto-kun murmurs.

"Right. Coming into conflict with another Ultimate Program NetNavi is the main cause, though I think Rockman's ability makes his more active than Blues's or Forte's."

"It activates each time Soul Unison is used," Papa says. "It's why each of his Souls are often incredibly powerful and difficult to defeat - his Ultimate Program boosts his stats along with the power of the Soul he's using."

Mama lets out a delighted sound. "So he looks fantastic and gets stronger! How wonderful!"

"Mama . . ." Rockman laughs, embarrassed.

"Oh, don't be so humble, sweetie!"

"You know, Roll-chan said almost the exact same thing the other day . . ."

"Well, she's right."

"That's all well and good," Laika interrupts, somehow both amused and bored at the same time, "but it doesn't explain why Blues's Ultimate Program is currently deactivated. Meijin said the things are always running in the background, so why?"

"Right, yes, of course." Papa clears his throat. "We do have a theory on it. Some have speculated that the Ultimate Programs are actually sentient, to an extent. If we use that speculation as a baseline, then it could be that Blues's Ultimate Program went . . . dormant, let's say, when the switch occurred. It's unknown how or why the Ultimate Programs form in the first place, so maybe Blues's was confused about being in a completely different NetNavi and thus deactivated itself."

"Following on from that," Meijin adds, "it's possible that it could also reactivate itself as well. How, we don't know. All we can really do is just wait and see what happens."

"What if it explodes and I die."

The flat question startles Rockman, and he glances over at Enzan, who's now looking up from Scarfy. His expression still hasn't changed. Huh. Is he normally like this when he's not, er, 'being a brat', as Netto-kun would say?

Papa looks faintly disturbed, but he answers anyway. "I doubt that will happen. If the Ultimate Program were going to do that, it would have done so already. Rather, I think perhaps it's simply just waiting."

"For what?" Laika asks.

"Who knows." Meijin-san shrugs. "Maybe it wants to see what Enzan-kun does. Maybe it's trying to get used to being in him rather than Blues. Or maybe it's just waiting for us to switch them back. It could be anything."

"At the very least, we know where it is," Papa points out. "And it doesn't seem to be causing any bugs or glitches, so it should be safe to just leave it in Enzan-kun."

"Sh- should?" Blues looks worried. "Are you sure . . . ?"

"It's not clashing with his programming," Papa gently assures him. "A deactivated program won't cause any issues. Even if it does activate, it's extremely unlikely to harm him - after all, it never harmed you, did it?"

" . . . N-no."

"Then it'll be fine. Alright?"

" . . . Okay."

"We'll monitor it anyway, just as a precaution," Meijin-san says. "Plus, we're curious to see if it will change in any way now that it's in a new NetNavi, so to speak."

"I'm not a damn lab rat," Enzan hisses.

"Er- yes, of course, I didn't mean to imply that. It's just part of keeping an eye on it, you know?"

Enzan's brows furrow slightly and his eyes narrow. Despite that, he nods slightly.

It's pretty clear he doesn't quite understand. Maybe Rockman and Searchman can try explaining it to him later. They managed to get through to him before, after all, and he's definitely more willing to listen to them now. The fact that he's using the hologram with ease more or less confirms that.

"Moving on," Papa says, "Meijin and I think we have an idea about Enzan-kun's ability to apparently ignore firewalls and security systems."

"Is it related to the Ultimate Program?" Laika asks curiously.

"We considered that, but given that it's completely deactivated, it's unlikely. We managed to dig a little further with the deep scans this time and used some dummy Navis to compare the results."

Meijin-san spins in his chair, rapidly typing away at the console behind him and Papa. A few moments later, two holoscreens flicker into existence side-by-side. They both show lines of coding and programming - the one on the right is recognisable as Enzan's coding, though there's more depth to it than the last time.

Enzan doesn't look particularly happy to be seeing it. Rockman doesn't blame him; having your coding on display is a level of vulnerability that's only second to deep scans. The closest human equivalent he can think of for this would be walking around in public with no clothes or underwear.

"We already knew his programming is incredibly basic," Papa begins, gesturing to Enzan's coding. "And we also already knew that he's quite unusual compared to other Navis, even without taking into consideration how he was . . . made. However-" Now he gestures to the second holoscreen. "-when we directly compared his programming to that of a typical Navi, we discovered that he's actually built with a completely different code."

"It's no surprise given that he's a human fully converted into a sentient AI program," Meijin-san adds. "We thought maybe the reason his programming looks so basic is because we've been trying to examine him like we would any other Navi."

"So, what, the basic stuff is just a front or something?" Netto-kun asks, raising an eyebrow.

"We honestly have no idea," Papa replies, shrugging. "We even attempted to modify him-"

"What!?" Enzan demands sharply. "You never said anything about modifying me-"

"-wait, no, it's alright, we couldn't do it anyway!" Papa waves his hands frantically. "Any modifications or programs we tried to add were immediately rejected. Your systems won't accept programs that other Navis can install with ease."

"I admit it's good to know this," Laika says, frowning, "but you really should have asked him for permission. You can't just modify a NetNavi without at least telling them what you're going to do first."

Enzan pauses, looking at him with his head tilted. Rockman has to wonder what's going through his mind right now - up until recently, he didn't even see Navis as people, so it's likely he made modifications to Blues without asking for permission first as well. He's probably only protesting now because it's him.

This is good, then. Maybe Laika's words will have a positive effect on him, and that'll be reflected in how he treats Blues from now on.

"Yes, I know," Papa sighs, looking suitably abashed. "Meijin and I were simply too eager to test a new theory, although that's hardly an excuse for our thoughtlessness. Enzan-kun?"

Enzan twitches, locking eyes with him for a moment before turning his gaze back down to Scarfy. His fiddling is a little clumsier than usual and he's tugging and twisting its tassel-fingers. It pokes at his mouth and he proceeds to bite it, chewing slowly. Scarfy doesn't seem to mind.

"I apologise for attempting to modify you without telling you," Papa says.

"I'm sorry too," Meijin-san adds. "If we ever want to try anything like that again, we'll ask first, alright?"

A moment passes by, and then Enzan grunts, jerking his head in a nod.

"Maybe you two can find some way to make it up to him?" Mama suggests. "Just to show him that you really mean it."

"We'll think of something," Meijin-san agrees.

"Hey, uh . . ." Netto-kun puts his hand up halfway. "Can we, like, get back to the whole 'Ijuuin is built different to other Navis' thing? And what it's gotta do with the whole 'he can walk through firewalls and stuff' thing?"

Papa blinks, then laughs. "Right, yes, of course! I almost forgot, thank you Netto. You see, the fact that Enzan-kun is built on a completely different code means that no security system or firewall can recognise his data. He's an anomaly, let's say-"

"Paradox," Netto-kun corrects him. For the first time since they arrived, there's a little smile on his face. Rockman is glad to see it.

Papa laughs again. "He's a paradox, yes. And security systems such as firewalls, or even the lock program, aren't made to consider paradoxes in the cyberworld. The reason for this is because the cyberworld in itself is a world built entirely on logic - there are some blips and unexplained phenomena, yes, but true paradoxes shouldn't and technically can't exist. Since Enzan-kun is a paradox, security systems are incapable of recognising him, so he's allowed through by default."

"You really did name his type well, didn't you?" Laika muses. "A paradoxical NetNavi. A Paradox Navi."

"Our world isn't built on logic, so you could call that a sixth sense!" Meijin-san cheerfully declares.

Mama giggles and Papa looks faintly embarrassed, though pleased.

"We've put all of this into the new report," he says, coughing into his fist a couple of times. "And this time, it's in my PC in my office, so if any of you want to read it, you'll have to ask first."

No one so much as looks at Enzan, yet he bristles anyway, dropping Scarfy's tassel out of his mouth. "I'm not gonna steal it again! No point anyway . . ."

"That is partially why it's in my PC," Papa admits. "But the main reason is that a PET is hardly the best place to store such an important document. It was fine with the first one since it was, by all rights, a first draft of sorts - but this one contains much more sensitive information, including details on the Ultimate Programs."

" . . . Oh. Well-" Enzan squeezes Scarfy's tassel-fingers, looking away. "Whatever."

Papa softens, smiling a little. It's probably a good thing Enzan likely doesn't understand emotions, because the faint trace of pity in that smile might set him off again.

Meijin-san suddenly claps his hands together - too sharply, because Enzan flinches and bares his teeth. It looks like the not-Navi is about to snap, but luckily Scarfy is already on it, offering a tassel-finger for him to bite again.

Rockman is abruptly gifted with the absurd image of a blue-eyed, white and black dog with a chew toy. He beats it away with a mental stick, then almost laughs out loud when he realises how absurdly appropriate that is.

"Now we can move on to the main event!" Meijin-san announces. He hops to his feet, heading over to another part of the console, and then comes back with Enzan's PET. "While we were working on the report, Hikari-hakase and I were also trying to find some way to help Enzan-kun with his perception levels and processing speed. There are a few existing modifications and programs that can change them when active, so that's what we tried first."

"But we already explained that Enzan-kun's systems won't accept programs made for other Navis," Papa says. "This is the main reason we attempted to modify him, actually. Since we couldn't do that, the solution was obvious!"

There's a slight pause.

" . . . Are you gonna tell us, or . . . ?" Netto-kun trails off.

Papa looks slightly disappointed. "Er . . . yes. It was, in all honesty, a rather simple fix - programs made for other NetNavis can't be installed into him, so instead we just created an entirely new program from scratch, one based on Enzan-kun's programming. But we didn't want to cause him any distress if it didn't work properly, so . . ."

" . . . we installed it into his helmet instead!" Meijin-san finishes, throwing his arms out wide.

Enzan makes a quiet noise, again dropping Scarfy from his mouth. "So that's why you took it. I thought you were just being weird again."

Meijin-san laughs awkwardly.

"The program we made helps to filter the amount of information you receive," Papa tells Enzan. "Anything deemed as unimportant or not immediately urgent is shifted to the background, so you can focus more on relevant information - like conversations you're participating in, for example. It also filters noise, since Haruka told me you struggle with loud or sharp sounds-"

"I don't struggle with anything!" Enzan snaps. Scarfy baps his cheek and he growls faintly, batting at it.

"Everyone struggles with something, sweetie," Mama explains gently. "It doesn't matter if you're a human or a Navi. There's no shame in it. We wouldn't be people if we were perfect, would we?"

Enzan's eyes flick over to her, then he mutters something and goes back to fiddling with Scarfy's tassel-fingers. Crisis kinda averted?

Papa glances between Mama and Enzan, as if checking whether it's okay to continue, before speaking again. "We've also modified your helmet's visor to display information such as body language and facial expressions. You'll be able to adjust the settings to your own preferences, so I suggest experimenting with different levels to see what works best."

"We've pretty much finished the program," Meijin-san says. "All we need to do now is run a live trial for it. Though we were having trouble coming up with ideas for that . . ."

Rockman's systems ding with an idea of his own. "Oh! How about we go to Internet City?"

"Hm." Papa looks impressed. "That's not a bad idea, Rockman. Enzan-kun has already been there, so he could compare it to his previous experience."

Grinning, Rockman turns to Enzan. "How about it? It's up to you, of course, but I think it'd be a pretty good place for a trial!"

Enzan, however, doesn't seem too enthusiastic. It honestly looks as though he's about to refuse.

But then Scarfy taps him, getting his attention. It pats his throat, right where his voice program is located. Enzan looks blank for a few moments, and then all of a sudden, he perks up.

"Internet City is fine," he says.

Before anyone can question the apparent random change in opinion, Blues speaks up.

"Um, a-actually, if you're gonna go to Internet City, I-I had a . . . question, if it's okay?"

"Of course, Blues." Papa nods, smiling gently. "What is it?"

"It's . . . I wanted to ask Rockman and, um, and Searchman, actually . . ."

"Sure, go ahead," Rockman invites him. Searchman nods encouragingly.

Blues glances down at Enzan, who blinks back at him placidly. He squeezes his rabbit (ah, yep, it still exists and is still very much creepy) and then looks up at Rockman and Searchman.

"Cyberfood exists, right?" he checks, and they both nod, curious as to where this is going. "Um, I-I was thinking, back when Meiru-chan bought me the Dysphoria Rabbit . . . I wondered if, maybe, um . . . D-do plushies for Navis exist? And- and could you m-maybe find them in Internet City . . . ?"

"Er . . ." Searchman frowns, visibly stumped. "I . . . don't know, I'm afraid. I don't often go to Internet City for recreational purposes, unless Rockman and the others invite me for food or something."

Blues starts to wilt.

"They do exist, actually!" Rockman brightly exclaims, because he doesn't like seeing the former Navi sad. "Roll-chan knows more about them than I do, but I know there's a square near Rush's favourite park, and there's a store selling plushies for Navis there. I've never been in, but I'm sure we could find something for you."

"Ah, um, it's- it's not for me." Blues swallows and looks down at Enzan again, who blinks. "E-Enzan-sama? Do you, um. Th-that is, I don't know if you'd b-be interested, but I thought maybe we could, um, we could match? I-if they have rabbits there. Or, I mean, if you don't want a rabbit, th-then anything! But- er, I-I know it's . . . childish and stuff, but, um . . ."

" . . . I could get something like what you have?" Enzan asks slowly.

Blues nods, biting his lip.

Enzan goes quiet for a good while, though his hands are never still. He appears to be thinking hard. Does he always fidget this much? How did anyone miss it when it's this obvious? Or maybe he was hiding it. Blues did say his dad calls him a . . . bad word. Maybe Ijuuin-san doesn't like it when he fidgets.

"I wanna see the plushies," Enzan eventually says.

"You wanna get something?" Rockman asks, just to be sure.

"Maybe."

Rockman smiles. "Alright then. We can make it . . . a mission, maybe!"

"A mission," Searchman repeats, deadpan.

"Oh, shush, no one said we couldn't enjoy ourselves!"

This is the most ridiculous thing Searchman has ever done, but he'll treat it with the same amount of respect he does with any other mission.

At least this time their arrival into Internet City isn't tainted with frantic energy. It probably helps that it's just the three of them - four, including Scarfy. Both Blues and Enzan seem to count it, so he supposes he should as well. Regardless, the much calmer arrival is definitely more preferable, as it allows them to take stock of their surroundings first.

The access point they chose to use took them to one of the quieter walkways, right near the mouth of a small alley. Searchman and Rockman keep Enzan between them, just as a precaution, though hopefully the program installed into his helmet will make this visit much more bearable than his first. It took quite a bit of effort and an absurd amount of backtracking to find quieter routes back to their access point last time.

Immediately upon arrival, Enzan - now wearing his helmet again - utters a quiet sound almost like a growl, shaking his head and taking a step back. Before either Searchman or Rockman can react, Scarfy wraps itself around him, and after several moments of focusing on it, he finally looks up.

" . . . Notice any difference yet?" Rockman asks, after a few more moments pass by.

Enzan tilts his head, absently tugging on Scarfy. "It's . . . not so loud now? Or it's less . . . uh . . ."

"Sharp?" Searchman supplies.

" . . . Yeah. Sure."

"Do you wanna try walking around, or do you need a minute?" Rockman offers. "It's okay if you do, remember. We can take as much time as you need."

Enzan mutters something that sounds vaguely like 'gimme a second', so Searchman and Rockman nod and give him some space.

The primary goal of this mission is to make it to the plushie store and possibly buy something for Enzan. The secondary goal is to make sure he doesn't get overwhelmed or stressed on the way there. This is the optimal strategy to make sure both goals can be achieved.

Once Enzan is ready, they get moving. Rockman leads the way, being much more familiar with the location, while Searchman stays by Enzan's side, though he makes sure to keep a decent gap between them. There isn't a whole lot he can do about other Navis, but it looks as though Scarfy has that covered - it gently tugs Enzan out of the way any time he comes too close to brushing up against another Navi, and Searchman takes care not to accidentally bump into him when this happens.

Again, it's the optimal strategy. Ridiculous though this mission may be, it is important.

Their odd little group pauses frequently on the way, taking short breaks so Enzan can decompress. It seems stress still builds up even with the helmet program, though it's definitely helping him. He doesn't seem to be as frayed as he was last time, although admittedly he did spend several hours here before.

Perhaps some things are best done in moderation with Enzan? Searchman makes a quick mental note to add this to the folder he and Laika-sama have created specifically for this purpose. Its title is 'Ijuuin Enzan Autism Research'. It mostly contains links to various useful forums or articles, but some documents contain strategies and observations based on Enzan himself. They have yet to put most of these into action, though it largely depends on Enzan's needs, really.

Thirty-three minutes later, the group arrives in the square near Rush's favourite park. It's clearly a minor shopping centre of sorts - there are at least four eateries here, along with various recreational shops. Searchman spies a decent selection of sweets on offer in one of the eateries and makes a mental note to inform Laika-sama later. His operator loves sweets. Perhaps the establishment has a real world equivalent.

For now, he focuses on the mission at hand. Rockman points out the plushie shop and they head inside, and Searchman tenses immediately.

"Why are there so many viruses in here!?" he demands, readying himself to activate his Scope Gun if necessary.

Rockman gives him a strange look. "Um. What are you talking about?"

"Are your eyes glitching? Look!"

Rockman looks.

There are viruses piled up everywhere. Some in large boxes, others on shelves, and more still in transparent basket-like containers. Other Navis wander around the store, seemingly oblivious to the danger. There are even small child-model Navis giggling to each other and squeezing them, and the viruses are just letting it happen.

"Searchman," Rockman says, completely deadpan, "those are plushies."

"What? No, they're-"

He pauses, taking a moment to actually look. When he does, he abruptly notices that none of the viruses are actually moving, some of them are clearly much smaller or larger than their typical sizes, and they register as fabric data rather than virus data.

" . . . Oh," he says. His cheeks feel warm all of a sudden.

Enzan scoffs, twirling one of Scarfy's tassel-fingers between his own. "And you said I'm stupid."

"Urk."

Rockman's eyes widen. "What!? Searchman, you didn't!"

"I- I was annoyed!"

"That's hardly an excuse!"

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"Then how did you mean it?"

" . . ."

"See?"

"In my defence," Searchman sighs, "it was just a few days after the switch."

Rockman sighs too. "Again, it's hardly an excuse, but . . . I guess I get it. We didn't really understand him back then . . . But you should apologise, at least."

Searchman nods, then turns to Enzan. He stops.

"Oh no."

"What?" Rockman looks as well. " . . . Um. Where did Enzan go?"

Searchman curses. "We've been here for less than a minute and we lost him already!"

"Can you use your Search Program to-"

"At this point, I highly doubt I can track him like I can a regular NetNavi."

"Right, Paradox Navi," Rockman groans, burying his face in his hands.

Searchman gives the store a quick scan with his eyes, using the superior vision afforded to him by his sniper abilities. At first all he sees are virus plushies and other Navis who very much are not Enzan, but then he spots a flash of a yellow scarf deeper into the store. As weird as that thing may be, at least it's noticeable.

He starts moving immediately, and Rockman follows after a short exclamation of surprise.

They find Enzan in an aisle full of what look to be farm-based animals. It appears this store sells more than just virus plushies, then. He's the only one in the aisle, thankfully, which means they can go straight over to him and hopefully there will be no eavesdroppers listening in.

"Hi," Enzan says, without looking up from the animal he's holding. A fluffy black and white cow with short, knubby horns on its head.

"Don't 'hi' us," Searchman retorts, ignoring Rockman's 'calm down' gestures. He is perfectly calm, thank you very much. "Why in the name of the makers did you wander off like that!?"

"You were talking. I got bored."

"You should have at least said something!"

Enzan's mouth twists into a scowl. "What, so I gotta ask for permission before I do anything now? I thought you people were better than that."

"That's not what he meant," Rockman quickly breaks in, before Searchman can respond. "You didn't tell us you were going to explore, so when we noticed you were gone, we got worried. What if something bad had happened to you? We wouldn't have known or been able to help because we didn't know where you were."

" . . . Oh." Enzan drops the scowl. "I didn't think about that. Uh. Sorry. I guess."

Searchman takes a deep breath, allowing it to spread through his systems and calm down the heat of mixed worry and anger. "Apology accepted. Just . . . don't wander off like that again, okay? Let us know first. Please."

"Okay. I'll. Try."

"Thank you."

"So," Rockman begins, looking at the plushie in Enzan's hands, "who's your new friend?"

Enzan looks down at it. "It's . . . a cow?"

"I know, but, um . . . Ah, never mind. Do you like it?"

" . . . It's fluffy," Enzan mutters. He gives it a gentle squeeze, and Scarfy tickles and ruffles its fluff. The corner of his mouth twitches a little.

Searchman raises an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Rockman. They share a slight smile.

Mission accomplished.

Enzan, it seems, doesn't want to put down his new plushie. Rockman says that Blues was the same with his rabbit, and Searchman privately finds it amusing how similar the two of them are turning out to be. It's like that with most Navi and operator pairings, yes, but no one would have expected it from Blues and Enzan of all people.

Perhaps it's a sign. A good one, even.

"Maybe we could get some stuff to make the PET more comfortable," Rockman muses, as they head back to their access point.

They could easily just log out from where they are right now, but Enzan doesn't yet know how to do that, and neither of them want to cause him any distress by dragging him with them. So the long way it is. It gives them a chance to discuss things, at least, and although Enzan is trailing behind them, he seems content enough.

"Like a bed program?" Searchman suggests. "I've heard those aren't actually as comfortable as they look. Besides that, would he even be able to download or use it?"

Rockman hums, frowning. "Maybe I could ask Papa to make some stuff instead. Hey, do you think this applies to cyberfood, too?"

"He's eaten cyberfood before."

"Wha- oh, right, the D-Burger Food Chip! Huh, maybe he might be able to use a normal bed program after all."

"Perhaps, but if it's uncomfortable, he won't enjoy it."

"Ah, darn, you're right . . . I'll ask Papa then. He'll probably jump at the chance, he loves making funny stuff like this, hehe."

"If you ask Meijin, he'll probably make it shoot lasers or give it some other unnecessary feature."

"A bed with wings, maybe," Rockman suggests.

"Or a hovercraft bed."

"A bed shaped like a car that actually functions as a car."

"What about a boat bed?"

"That actually sounds kinda cool."

"Not if it rocks like it's at sea."

"Oh, makers, that would be so ridiculous . . ."

"How about a jet plane bed?"

"Stop!" Rockman groans, laughing. "You're terrible!"

Searchman half-smiles, then glances over his shoulder to check on Enzan. "Are you alright back there- oh not again."

They both stop. Enzan has vanished, because of course he has. Didn't Rockman explain this earlier? It seemed like he understood too, so why is he gone now?

Rockman is already starting to fret. "Oh makers, now we've lost him in Internet City! It's gonna be so much harder to find him this time! Did he get separated or did he just wander off again? No, that doesn't matter, we need to find him before he gets hurt or-"

"Heya Rock, hi Searchman!"

They turn around. Roll, oblivious to their current (and apparently recurring) predicament, looks quite cheerful and happy to see them. The dog-virus Rush is window-shopping nearby, drooling over what appears to be a set of nunchucks shaped like bones.

"H-hi Roll," Rockman replies.

She frowns. "You sound . . . not okay. Is something the matter? Oh, wait! You guys are on a mission, aren't you!? I'm so sorry, I'll leave you to it-"

"No, wait, um-" Rockman takes a frantic step forward, stopping her from leaving. "Have- have you seen Enzan anywhere?"

" . . . I thought you guys sorted that stuff out?" Roll asks, frown deepening.

"We did," Searchman tells her. "We actually came here with him today. But . . . we lost him. Or he wandered off. And now we have no idea where he is."

Roll glances to the side, raising an eyebrow. "Well . . . I mean, you could just use your eyes. He's literally right over there."

Searchman and Rockman follow her gaze.

And she isn't wrong - Enzan is just on the other side of the street, plainly in view. He's sitting at a table outside a cybercafé, and shockingly, another Navi is there too; tall with blonde, floating-pigtail hair, and green armoured clothing. Scarfy holds one of the Navi's hands and both they and Enzan appear to be talking quite easily.

" . . . We're both idiots," Searchman sighs, resisting the urge to bury his face in his hands.

"At least we found him," Rockman points out. The exhausted exasperation on his face tells a different story, however. "Thanks, Roll-chan. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you sometimes."

"Work yourself into an error loop and crash, probably," Roll jokes, laughing. She gives them a wave and continues on her way. "See you around, boys! Rush, come on, you can't use those anyway!"

Rush bounds after her with a yap of complaint.

Searchman heads over to the cybercafé, managing to clear a path for Rockman, who's much smaller than him. They head for Enzan and the green Navi's table the moment they're inside the barrier.

"-didn't want you to do it, it wouldn't let you," the green Navi is saying as they approach. "Besides, if you were hurting it, it'd tell you. Right, Scarfy?"

Scarfy uses its free end to form a thumbs-up. Enzan grunts.

"See, kid?" The green Navi grins. "It's all good! And Scarfy's pretty durable anyway, I doubt a little bit of chewing will fragment it at all."

" . . . Alright," Enzan says quietly.

Rockman steps forward. "Uh, hi?"

Both Enzan and the green Navi look up. The Navi looks surprised, but Enzan frowns, and after a few moments, he bares his teeth in a slight wince.

"Dammit, I did it again . . ." he mutters.

"You stayed in sight, at least," Searchman offers. He motions to the table. "Mind if we sit?"

Enzan glances at the Navi, who shrugs carelessly and gestures for them to go ahead.

The café's chairs are very comfortable, surprisingly. Maybe they're using the latest fabric programs. Most places like this tend to do that, though there are the occasional odd one or two who decide to create their own style of seating, just to suit their aesthetic better.

"You know these guys, kid?" the green Navi asks.

"Rockman and Searchman," Enzan supplies, nodding. "They're- looking after me? Or something. They got me this thing." He holds up the cow. "So they're okay."

That's high praise coming from him. Not something Searchman expected to hear today, and nor did Rockman, judging by his expression.

The green Navi smiles at them. "Well, if the kid says you're good, then you're good! Hey there, I'm Jazz!"

"Wait, aren't you the lead singer of the Rhythm Beats?" Rockman asks, squinting at them.

"Yay, someone recognised me! And I certainly recognise you, little blue. You and your operator have won every single Grand Prix there ever was! That's pretty sweet."

Rockman's cheeks turn faintly red. "Ah, well, me and Netto-kun just do our best to have fun . . ."

"If I'd known the Champ was so adorable and humble, I would've said hi a long time ago," Jazz laughs. They look at Searchman next. "Now, you . . . Never seen you around before, but I swear you're familiar. Have you been on TV before?"

"No, never," Searchman replies.

The true answer is 'yes', because some of their cases end up getting televised, especially if they involve Cross Fusion. His and Laika-sama's Cross Fused form looks almost identical to him, but it's thankfully different enough that most people don't make the connection immediately.

"Eh." Jazz shrugs, unbothered. "Maybe you just have one of those faces. Or maybe I just can't think of a green sibling as a stranger, haha!"

Searchman blinks at the odd glitch in their voice. How strange. Most Navis would just get something like that fixed, but perhaps they haven't noticed it yet?

"Oh, speaking of friends," Jazz says, turning to Enzan. "I've been meaning to ask, who's your little fluffy buddy?"

"It's a cow."

Jazz grins, apparently not put off by his bluntness. "I can see that! Does it have a name?"

Enzan tilts his head. "Does it . . . need a name?"

"It can have one if you want it to," Jazz points out.

Enzan looks down at his cow, running his fingers through its fluff. Scarfy partially wraps its free end around his arm while he's quiet, though the tassel-fingers of its other end are threaded through Jazz's fingers.

Hm. Blues did say that Enzan got Scarfy from someone else. Maybe he got it from Jazz. That would certainly explain the familiarity.

" . . . Moomoo," Enzan finally declares.

Searchman stares at him. Enzan doesn't even seem to notice, entirely focused on his cow.

That . . . is a ridiculously childish name. It's not something he would have expected from someone like Enzan. But then again, he, Laika-sama, and everyone else are still dealing with the fact that none of them knew Enzan as well as they thought they did. Perhaps this kind of thing is normal for him, in that case.

"Nice to meet you, Moomoo," Jazz says, reaching out to shake one of the cow's front legs as if it's a sentient program.

"That's such a cute name!" Rockman giggles. He sounds eerily similar to Haruka-san when he does that.

Enzan hums, then raises his head and looks at Searchman. He holds the cow up, clearly expectant.

Searchman holds in a sigh. "Hello, Moomoo."

The corner of Enzan's mouth twitches again.

Chapter Text

Blues takes forever to get up in the morning.

Until he does, Enzan is left almost entirely on his own (aside from Scarfy and now Moomoo), and all he can do is sit and wait. It's boring. Not nearly as boring as the past several weeks have been, but enough to annoy him. He's torn between waking Blues up or just waiting and ignoring the frustration clawing at his stomach. Or whatever it is he has right now.

Only two other people are awake. Everyone else is still fast asleep. He hears them shuffling in their beds or snoring quietly. He also hears near-silent movement downstairs as Laika walks around, which means Searchman is also awake. It's still a mystery as to what the hell those two are even doing. Aside from the obvious.

He could go and join them, he supposes. Searchman turned out to not be as bad as he thought he was. But Laika hates him, same as Netto, and he's sick of being forced to subject himself to their lectures and judgemental stares.

So he stays in Blues's room, bored out of his mind.

This is stupid. Why does Blues take so long to get up? It's already past 6am, he should have been up at least an hour ago! He usually wakes up when Enzan does. He should wake up when Enzan does.

Yet he isn't. Instead of waking up at 4am like a normal person, he wakes up at half-past 7, or even 8!

It'd be understandable from Netto. That idiot is lazy and complains about every tiny thing, and Rockman has to shout him awake before he even bothers getting out of bed. The shouting was ridiculous. Enzan had to cover his ears- audio receptors every single morning, after waiting three or four hours for Rockman to wake up.

God. Why does everyone get up so stupidly late? Even Laika and Searchman don't get up until half-past 5! Hikari-hakase gets up at 7am, as does Hikari-san, which is even worse because they're adults, so they should know better.

The temptation to just wake Blues up now is rising steadily. The only thing stopping him is Scarfy covering his mouth every time he goes to do it. It's kind of annoying, but it also makes something in his chest loosen. He's not really sure why. It does alleviate the boredom a little bit, though.

At quarter to 7, Enzan gets sick of waiting. He's been projecting himself onto the bed since he woke up, occasionally wandering up and down the length for lack of anything else to do - now he moves locations, making his hologram appear on the bookshelf on the other side of the room. It's a neat trick and feels kinda like using an Area Steal, and he gets a kinda warm feeling whenever he thinks about Rockman and Searchman teaching him how to do it. He doesn't get it, but it's not unpleasant.

The shelf he's on is empty, but he walks from one end to the other, counting the steps. It takes fourteen steps the first time, thirteen the second, fourteen again the fourth, and then finally sixteen because he notices a faint pattern in the reddish-coloured wood and some strange impulse makes him walk on it instead.

He does the same for every empty shelf he moves onto, up until he finds one that actually has some stuff on it.

A bunch of seashells, plus a neatly-arranged collection of plastic and metal rings. He promptly forgets all about his boredom and his focus shifts to examining these new things.

The rings are a variety of colours. Red and green and blue and black and pink and some even multiple colours, or just two. The multi-coloured ones have a variety of patterns - swirls and hues and zigzags and so on. A lot of them have fake gems embedded in them, far too vibrant and plastic-y to be natural, with their colours either complimenting or contrasting the rings' in a way that's oddly satisfying.

The seashells are mostly pale in colour, but it's their shape and texture that brings forth the most fascination. Some have odd bumps and patterns, others are solid with uneven surfaces, and more still have little flecks or discolourations that make them stand out. Some of them are smooth and soft, while others are sharp and edged. Some are small, others are big.

He has an idea of what these things are. These are Blues's things, the start of a little collection of random but pretty knick-knacks. He doesn't know where they came from or why Blues has them or even how he found them, but they belong to Blues.

A NetNavi doesn't own things because a NetNavi is a thing. That's what he was taught his entire life. It's a fact.

Or it's supposed to be. These things definitely belong to Blues, the same way this room belongs to Blues, and the same way that rabbit toy belongs to Blues. And Blues is a human right now, yes, but he started out as a NetNavi.

So that's something else Enzan was wrong about.

If he's been wrong about so much already, what else is he wrong about?

He's not sure why, but the thought of finding out makes his stomach flutter and his heart- his core beats just a little bit faster. Or . . . no, it pulses, kind of.

It's not an unpleasant feeling.

Everyone is calling Ijuuin by his given name now. Everyone except Netto and Laika.

He's not sure how he should feel about this. Heck, he's not even sure how he does feel about it. On one hand, it does kinda make sense - but on the other, it's still Ijuuin. And, yeah, there's been a few . . . revelations lately, not all of them pleasant, but it's like Laika said; while this stuff explains Ijuuin's whole deal, it doesn't excuse his actions.

Same way being annoyed and fed up doesn't excuse Netto's own actions. Which he still needs to apologise for.

It'd be easy if he still had Ijuuin's PET. But Blues seems to have taken over caring for it - and thus Ijuuin himself - ever since the new report and that helmet program were made. Somewhat shockingly, Ijuuin hasn't made a single complaint so far, nor has he so much as attempted to yell at Blues. The most he's done is start insulting someone and then suddenly stop midway through the sentence.

It's . . . weird. But Mama looks happy about it, and Rockman does too, so Netto doesn't voice his thoughts.

He still needs to apologise, though.

So after he gets back home from school (and after he's done working on his club proposal with Rockman), he tracks Blues down. It's not too difficult - the former Navi is sitting in the main room in the centre of the sofa, legs tucked under himself and hugging his creepy rabbit to his chest like usual. Ijuuin mirrors his position in mid-air, though his arms are loose and he's absently running his fingers through Moomoo's fluffy fur with one hand while the other just calmly holds Scarfy's.

"-man helped me win that one," Blues is saying as Netto approaches. "It was one of those, um . . . Navi-assisted machines, I-I think they're called . . . ? S-so humans can play with NetNavis. Rockman was really good at it, too! He didn't miss a single shot!"

Ijuuin grunts quietly. He seems fairly . . . content. Which is a weird word to use for him.

"There- there was this other one where you had to ride a-a virus, like with an avatar?" Blues goes on. "Netto-san said a Navi can play that too, but m-most people just play it themselves, which, um, I kinda liked it but I also . . . wanted to play it with Rockman? B-but it was only single player."

"Stupid," Ijuuin says flatly.

Netto bites his lip, forcing down his instinctive response. Blues deflates a little.

"Y-yeah, but I still-"

"No, not you," Ijuuin interrupts, and Blues blinks. "The machine. Not letting you play with Rockman."

"Oh . . . Oh! Um, r-right, sorry, I thought . . ." Blues laughs quietly, tightening his grip on his creepy rabbit. "N-never mind. Um. Yeah. It- it kinda was."

Watching them have something resembling a civil - if somewhat awkward - conversation is kinda surreal. A part of Netto is practically screaming to celebrate, but mostly he's just stunned. He never really thought Ijuuin was capable of this. Not with Blues, of all people.

He coughs into his fist, getting their attention. Ijuuin's reaction is sharper than Blues's, going stiff and twisting his upper half around. Right, the noise sensitivity thing, Laika said something about it the other day. Even with Ijuuin's new helmet program, they should still take care.

"Hey," Netto says, offering a short wave. "Uh . . . sorry to interrupt."

Blues shoots a quick glance at Ijuuin, who stays silent. After a slight pause, Ijuuin turns back around, head low and deliberately focusing his attention on Scarfy and Moomoo.

"Um . . ." Blues looks at Netto, half-smiling a little. "It- i-it's okay. Did you, um, n-need something, Netto-san?"

The nervous light in his eyes makes Netto's stomach twist. Maybe he should have waited until they were done talking. Too late now, though.

"I, uh . . . I just wanted to talk to Ijuuin," he explains. Blues starts to tense up and he scrambles to reassure him. "It's nothing bad, really! I promise!"

Ijuuin glances at him over his shoulder, and he abruptly recalls something the not-Navi said about promises just being words. It makes his chest feel hollow thinking about it and what could have led to such an opinion.

"I'll give him back as soon as I'm done," he says.

"I'd like to speak to him as well, if that's alright."

Netto chokes on a yelp and whirls around.

"When did you get back!?" he exclaims, gaping at Laika.

Laika's expression doesn't so much as twitch. "Half an hour ago. How did you not notice?"

" . . . I was busy!"

"Uh-huh," Laika deadpans. He turns his attention to Blues - no, Ijuuin. "If you'd rather we do this here, that's fine too. Whatever you're more comfortable with."

Ijuuin bares his teeth a little. "Why does my 'comfort' suddenly matter to you."

Netto winces and Blues tightens his grip on his creepy rabbit again, but Laika only nods slowly.

"That's a valid question, given our actions toward you over the past few weeks," he notes. "Incidentally, that's exactly why Netto and I wish to speak with you."

" . . . Fine. I don't need to be babysat by my own Navi, so just do whatever you want."

Looks like Rockman was right about the whole 'change' thing. Ijuuin is still overly aggressive, but there's something different about it this time. Not exactly softer, it's just less . . . hostile, maybe. Or something like that.

Blues very reluctantly hands Ijuuin's PET over. Netto makes sure to handle it carefully, especially when Ijuuin projects himself onto the top of it. As he heads out of the room with Laika following, he sees Ijuuin and Blues looking at each other and has to wonder what kind of relationship the two of them might forge going forward.

He doesn't go far. Just to the opposite end of the hallway, right outside the bathroom. There, he leans on the wall and holds Ijuuin and his PET up, with Laika standing just next to him.

"I haven't done anything," Ijuuin says, before either of them can speak. His lip is curled slightly and he'd probably be growling at them if it weren't for Scarfy's gentle petting. "I just wanted to know about the rings and the shells. I was listening to him, okay?"

"I-I know," Netto quickly interjects, before the not-Navi can get worked up. "I heard. But, uh . . ."

Laika comes to his rescue. "I already said why we want to speak to you. We're not accusing you of anything. In fact, from what I can tell, lately you've been relatively . . . tame, let's say, in comparison to how you usually are. Which is a good thing."

Ijuuin grunts. He still doesn't look happy and the suspicion in his expression is visible even with his helmet, but he doesn't argue.

"I wanted to-" Netto glances at Laika and rephrases. "We wanted to apologise to you, actually."

Ijuuin goes still, except for the fingers running through Moomoo's fur.

"We've been unkind to you these past few weeks," Laika adds. "We've been neglecting you, passing you around when we didn't want to deal with you, hurting you either intentionally or unintentionally, and muting you constantly."

"Forget 'unkind', we were totally being cruel," Netto admits, wincing. "I always told myself I was better than that, that I'd never treat anyone the same way-"

He stops, biting his lip.

"Just say it," Ijuuin says flatly.

He hesitates, but he can't avoid it forever. "That . . . that I'd never treat anyone the same way you treat Blues."

Ijuuin turns his head away.

"But I - we - ended up doing exactly that," Netto goes on. He has to, at this point. He started this and he needs to finish it. "S-so for that . . . I'm sorry."

"I also apologise," Laika says in a subdued tone. "The things I said to you before were . . . true, yes, but I was hardly kind about it. I will strive to do better in the future."

"Me too."

The air in the hallway becomes thick with silence. It feels like there's a pit in Netto's stomach, in which particularly aggressive butterflies are dancing around. He can't stop his fingertips from twitching, tapping Ijuuin's PET in a random sequence. Laika might be feeling the same, or he might not - it's impossible to tell with that expert poker face of his.

If Ijuuin doesn't accept their apology . . . That'll be fine, he thinks. As long as it's out there, no longer eating away at his insides like that caterpillar from that one Amerouppan kids' story.

Eventually, Ijuuin speaks. But not to say what either of them expected.

" . . . I was a jerk first. So. Not like I'm any better. I'm worse, really."

Netto swallows, suppressing a wince at his dry throat. "You're trying now, though. I mean . . . you are, right?"

"Probably?" Ijuuin looks down, focusing his visor on Moomoo rather than them. "I don't . . . really know. It's . . . it's . . ."

"Hard?" Laika carefully suggests.

Ijuuin grunts. Scarfy wraps itself around him and he gently tugs at it with his free hand.

"I think it's gonna be hard for everyone," Netto says, sighing. "It's- it's been hard for everyone. No one ever said trying to do better was gonna be easy."

"I don't want to do worse anymore," Ijuuin confesses quietly.

Netto breathes in sharply.

How long have they all waited for something like this to happen? For Ijuuin to finally have a change of heart? A lot of people have already given up a pretty long time ago - no surprise given how stubborn and mean Ijuuin can get. Even Netto was seriously starting to consider him a lost cause and had been fully prepared to just take Blues and never speak to him again.

But now things can change. Things will change. And they can start with this.

"We can try together," Netto offers. He hesitates for a second, then hardens his resolve. "If that's what you want, Enzan."

Ijuuin- no, Enzan jolts like someone shot electricity through him. He looks at Netto, mouth partially open.

"You'll . . . help me?" he asks slowly. He glances at Laika. "Both of you?"

Laika nods. "Of course, Enzan."

Enzan makes a quiet, odd sort of humming sound and pokes the tip of his tongue out between his lips. He draws it back in quickly, and when Scarfy offers a tassel-finger to chew on, he does so with little hesitation. He's rocking a little, too - a gentle sort of back-and-forth motion, rubbing circles into Moomoo's fluffy arms with his thumbs.

And for the first time since they met so long ago, Netto offers Enzan a smile.

It's like they've unlocked the secret to some ancient city. Netto would know, because it's happened before, so the comparison is easy to make.

Calling Enzan by his given name is by far the easiest - and kindest - way to silence his rage. Or at the very least, it makes him pause long enough for someone (usually Mama or Blues) to have a shot at talking him down. Because of that, they start figuring out triggers and are able to work out ways to avoid them.

If he can't be talked down and he works himself into a meltdown, Blues and Scarfy are the only ones who can help him. Scarfy stops him from hurting himself or anyone else, and Blues uses Rockman's 5-4-3-2-1 thingy to make him focus on stuff that's not making him angry.

A big part of Netto wonders if things could've improved sooner if they'd figured all this out a long time ago. Rockman says it's better late than never, but he can't really stop himself from thinking about it.

Still, it makes things better around the house. Before, no matter how much fun anyone was having or how relaxed things were, there was always this lingering tension. It grew more intense if Enzan started complaining or insulting anyone, which he did frequently, or if anyone got into an argument with him, which also happened frequently. Now that tension is mostly replaced with awkwardness, but they're all trying to do better, with Enzan obviously trying the hardest out of everyone.

Maybe he himself doesn't see it, but that's how it looks to Netto. The Enzan of before would never have even considered doing half of what he's doing now.

One problem still remains, though. And it's the biggest problem out of everything.

The switch. Specifically, figuring out how to change Enzan and Blues back to their original species. It had been written off as permanent, but now that the two of them are starting to work out how to get along - with a lot of help from Netto and everyone else - it doesn't seem so impossible anymore.

"The main issue is that Enzan-kun and Blues's bodies are still interfering with their Synchro rate," Papa says. "They're both used to approaching Cross Fusion from the opposite end, so they can't sync up at all."

"So how do we get them to a point where it won't explode?" Laika asks.

"I did consider raising their Synchro rate artificially, just enough to get it to the level it was before. I consulted Yuriko on the matter, but . . ."

"But?" Netto repeats.

Papa lets out a sigh and takes off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The only method she knows of is using Dark Chips to forcibly boost Synchro levels."

Blues squeezes his creepy rabbit so tight it looks like it's in danger of popping. His eyes are wide and dark with a haunted type of fear, and he's beginning to tremble.

"No," Enzan says forcefully, almost hissing the word out. "We're- not doing that."

"Definitely not," Papa agrees firmly.

Netto gives Blues a gentle poke to get his attention, then winces when the former Navi makes a ragged sound and shrinks away from him.

Damn. Right, even if they're working things out with Enzan, there's still the whole thing with Blues. He's gotta find some way to sort this out. But not right now. This kinda isn't the time for it. Actually it's the worst time for it, to be honest.

"Since we can't use artificial methods," Papa goes on, "that leaves us with one option - raising the Synchro rate naturally, through a bond."

"There's no telling how long that could take, though," Laika points out.

"And we no longer have Duo's Crest helping to boost Synchro rates for any of the Cross Fusion members, including Blues and Enzan," Searchman adds.

Papa perks up, smiling. "That's true, but remember - even if the Crest did initially help with the Synchro rates, everyone was still able to Cross Fuse even after that incident was over. There's also the fact that the Cross Fusion exploded on Enzan-kun and Blues. That means there's at least something there to build on. If there wasn't, the Synchro Chip wouldn't have reacted at all."

"Do you think we could try it right now?" Rockman asks, eager and hopeful. "They're getting along now, so their Synchro rate should be better, right?"

"It is, but again, the main issue is their bodies," Papa reminds him.

"Ah, right . . ."

"Hey, uh . . ." Netto half-raises his hand, getting everyone's attention. "What if, like . . . I mean, the problem is that they're still not really used to being the opposite species, right? So . . . what if we help them understand their new bodies better? Like, we teach Blues how to be human, and teach Enzan how to be a Navi?"

Papa hums thoughtfully. "That's a fairly decent idea . . ."

"Me and Searchman are already helping Enzan figure out how to do Navi stuff!" Rockman offers. "He's picking up the hologram really fast, he doesn't even need to use the screen method to activate it anymore."

Enzan tilts his head at Rockman. There's no indication of what he's thinking, but Netto hopes he's pleased with the praise.

"We could teach him other things, such as sorting files or navigating PCs," Searchman says.

"And about Navi anatomy!" Rockman gives an excited bounce. "Not many humans know much about our anatomy outside of the basics, except for people who make us. I bet that'd help him understand his new body too!"

A lightbulb dings in Netto's head. "Oooh, we could do the same with Blues! We've already been taking him out to experience stuff as a human, but we could, like, teach him other stuff too!"

"It shouldn't be difficult to find information on human anatomy," Laika muses. "He's intelligent, too, so he'll be easy to teach."

Blues ducks his head, but his red cheeks are still mostly visible. Enzan looks at him now, still with his head tilted.

Papa laughs cheerfully. "Well, it sounds as though you boys have worked out a plan already!"

"Heck yeah!" Netto grins, pumping his fists. "And y'know what? We could take 'em both out to, uh, I dunno, the arcade or something! Or let them explore the net!"

"Oh, good idea!" Rockman understands him immediately, which makes him feel warm inside. "If they interact with other humans and Navis, they could get a better understanding of them!"

Enzan and Blues exchange a glance. Blues looks fairly nervous but doesn't seem to dislike the idea, while Enzan is still mostly blank-faced. Hopefully that's positive on both their parts.

"Hm," Papa says, putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "If that's the case . . . I believe I may have an idea."

Netto perks up. "Yeah?"

Papa smiles and turns to Blues. "What's your opinion on school?"

Chapter Text

Blues has been to school with Netto-san a few times. Not recently, obviously, but as a Navi - sometimes when Enzan-sama locked him out of his PET, he'd end up staying with Rockman and Netto-san for more than a day, and occasionally that meant he was in Netto-san's PET when he went to school. And he enjoyed it, for all that he was always waiting for Enzan-sama to eventually call him back, sometimes halfway through the school day.

Never once did he consider actually taking part in classes himself. Certainly not as a human would, anyway. It must be even stranger for Enzan-sama - he's never even set foot in a school before.

But this could help them switch back, so . . . it'll be worth it. Probably. Hopefully.

Blues mentally shakes away his racing thoughts and focuses his attention on what's currently in front of him. The principal of Netto-san's school, Kanemoto-san, is seated behind his desk as always, while he sits on a chair between Haruka-san and Yuuichirou-hakase. He has Enzan-sama on his shoulder (which still feels kinda odd, but it's nice) and the Dysphoria Rabbit on his lap, letting the humans speak and sort things out.

"He's a foster child we're caring for temporarily," Yuuichirou-hakase explains. "We didn't want him to miss out on his education while he's staying with us, so we wanted to enroll him in class with Netto."

Kanemoto-san nods slowly. "I see. Do you have any idea how long he'll be with you?"

"A few months, more or less," Haruka-san replies easily. Neither she nor Yuuichirou-hakase are giving any indication that this stuff is a total lie.

It's kinda impressive.

"Right then . . ." Kanemoto-san makes a note of that. "And you said his name is . . . Akari Blues, correct?"

"That's right," Haruka-san confirms.

Kanemoto-san nods again, then turns his attention to Blues. Which is not what he was expecting, so he stiffens, afraid of giving away the lie even by accident. Haruka-san offers him a gentle pat on the head and he relaxes marginally.

"We'll be glad to have you for however long you're with us, Akari-kun," Kanemoto-san says, giving him a friendly smile. "I see that you also have a NetNavi. Would you mind telling me its name so I can add it to our records? That way we'll be able to register it to your student ID and it can access school facilities, such as the library database."

Enzan-sama bares his teeth a little upon being called an 'it'. Kanemoto-san's eyes widen slightly.

Blues tries to speak, but his throat is dry and his voice croaks out like he hasn't had water in at least two days. That happened once early on in this switch, because he didn't realise he needed both food and drink. But he doesn't get why it's happening now - he definitely remembers having a drink before they left home.

"Blues's Navi doesn't have a name yet," Yuuichirou-hakase says, smoothly coming to his rescue. "He's an experimental Support-type Navi, developed by SciLab in collaboration with IPC. So he may be a little odd at times. I apologise in advance for that."

Enzan-sama growls faintly. Scarfy offers him its tassel-fingers to chew on and he stops, thankfully.

"I . . . see." Kanemoto-san frowns at Enzan-sama for a moment or two before he decides to move on. "Very well then. Support Navis are typically exempt from Virus Busting classes due to their operators' needs, so Akari-kun will be required to use a School Navi when it becomes necessary. Is that alright?"

"That's perfectly fine!" Haruka-san agrees happily.

"Alright then!" Kanemoto-san brightens, smiling at Blues. "Welcome to Akihara Junior High, Akari-kun."

Blues can only offer a faint squeak. Kanemoto-san's smile falters a little.

"He's just a bit shy is all," Haruka-san tells the man, petting Blues's hair. He leans into it gratefully, tightening his grip on the Dysphoria Rabbit. "He's a very sweet boy, and very intelligent too. Please take care of him!"

Kanemoto-san softens, nodding. "Of course."

"We usually get plugged into the school's server during class," Rockman explains. "That way, we can access the database if and when our operators need help with schoolwork. Each classroom has its own area in the server for net-based lessons such as Virus Busting classes, and we have our own desks that link up with our operators' in the real world so we can send information to them quickly."

Enzan grunts.

"We don't do much outside of that, so we usually use that time to socialise with each other. We don't leave the classroom area in case our operators need us or in case the lesson shifts to the net for some reason, like if there's an interactive session maybe."

Enzan grunts.

"Sometimes we will be required to leave the area, though. Like if we need to deliver an email or a message, or if we need to go access the library's database. In that case, we ask the teacher's Navi for a datacard - that way, we can show it to security Navis or programs to prove that we're allowed to be outside of our designated classroom area during class."

Enzan grunts.

" . . . Are you even listening to me?"

Enzan grunts.

"Enzan. Are you listening to me?"

"Mm?" Enzan looks up from Moomoo. "What?"

Rockman swears he can feel a headache coming on. "Enzan, this is important. You should be paying attention."

"It's boring," Enzan mutters, mouth twisting.

For the love of . . . It's Netto-kun all over again.

"I'm telling you this stuff so you'll know what to do during class," Rockman says. He's trying to be patient, he really is. "Remember, the whole point of you and Blues going to school is so you can get a better understanding of-"

"It's still boring."

Rockman heaves a sigh.

"Why don't we stop here for now?" Searchman calmly suggests. "Blues won't be going to school until next week anyway, so there's no need to rush."

" . . . I guess," Rockman mutters. He'd still prefer it if Enzan would actually listen, but he supposes there's no forcing the not-Navi.

"How about you take a break, and I can show Enzan how to do some domestic tasks?" Searchman offers.

Enzan tilts his head up to look at him. That's far more interest than he was showing Rockman less than a minute ago.

"We can start with sorting files," Searchman says, and Enzan perks up. Yep, definitely interested. "Let's use some of Netto's homework files as practice. You're going to want to know how to do this in order to keep your PET clean anyway."

The two of them get to their feet and head over to where Netto-kun's homework is typically stored - it's usually a complete mess since he doesn't believe in organising his own folders, something about 'organised chaos'. Rockman has been meaning to sort it himself for a while now, but it's fine if it gets used for this instead.

As they get started, he settles himself on a block of data shaped like a chair. It's hardly the most comfortable piece of furniture and he much prefers actual chair programs, but it'll do for a perch while he watches the lesson.

It definitely looks like Enzan is much more interested in learning how to sort files rather than what Navis do in school. Which is just kinda silly, really. He could easily figure out the file stuff later - the school stuff is way more important right now, especially when he's apparently never been to one before. Enzan's priority right now should be gathering as much information as possible so he won't get blindsided or overwhelmed come Blues's first day as a proper student.

Yet he was basically ignoring everything Rockman was saying. Declared it as boring and immediately jumped to something else at the first available opportunity.

Looks like teaching Enzan isn't going to be as easy as he was hoping it would be.

He's suddenly alerted to an entrance request. Upon seeing the requestor, he smiles a little, then hits 'accept'.

Roll-chan appears in Netto-kun's PC homepage in a flurry of data, holding an email in one hand. She takes a quick look around - pausing for a moment upon seeing Searchman and Enzan near the homework files - before spotting him and jogging over with a bright smile.

"Email for Netto-san, direct from Meiru-chan," she says importantly, handing it over.

"Thanks, Roll-chan."

He puts it into the Unread box and makes a note to tell Netto-kun about it later.

"You seem kinda bummed," Roll-chan notes.

Rockman winces. "Ah, do I really look that bad . . . ?"

"Well, no, but Recovery-type Navis like myself tend to be more in-tune with others' emotional states, you know. What's up?"

Now he sighs, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "I'm just being silly, I think. I was trying to teach Enzan what Navis do in school, but he wasn't listening. I don't think he really cared . . ."

Roll-chan hums, looking over her shoulder at Searchman and Enzan. "Well, he is super stubborn. Even if you guys are working things out with him, that's not really gonna change. Not right away, anyway."

"I know, but . . ." Rockman sighs. It feels more like a groan. "It's important that he knows about school! I don't want him to get overwhelmed or stressed and have a meltdown! That wouldn't be good for anybody, and Blues might not be able to help if it happens, 'cus he'll be busy with classwork."

"Hm . . . true. But I don't think boring him to death with one of your lectures is gonna help much."

Rockman makes an offended noise. "I don't lecture people!"

Roll-chan gives him a flat look.

" . . . Okay, fine, I do, but they're not boring!"

"They kind of are, Rock."

He groans for real this time, burying his face in his hands. He feels Roll-chan giving him a sympathetic pat on the back.

"There, there," she tells him. "Maybe you could try, um . . . Oh, how about waiting until he wants to hear about it? I bet he'll be way more interested then, right?"

"I guess, but what if he doesn't wanna hear about it at all?"

"Then you just ease him into it at school, no big deal. He could even just stay in his PET and you can do it from in there if you want. It shouldn't be too hard to get an exception to be made - Blues's cover is that he's a foster kid and Ijuuin's- I mean, Enzan's cover is that he's an experimental Support Navi, right? Those Navis usually stay in their PETs, just in case their operator needs them quickly."

Rockman lifts his head, blinking at her. "You just called him Enzan?"

She shrugs. "That's what you guys are doing, aren't you? Me and Meiru-chan figured we should too. Thought it might help him."

"I think it will. It seems to be working so far. But, er, anyway, the school stuff."

"Just let him set the pace," Roll-chan advises. "Even without your oh-so-boring lectures-"

Rockman laughs and she smiles.

"-I think he'd get pretty stressed if you try and force him to learn something he's not interested in. Either that or he'd pretend to listen just to make you stop, and then he'd freak out later anyway."

" . . . True. Alright, I'll just let him come to me. Take things slow."

"That's the spirit! Besides, I think you might kinda teach him about school stuff by letting him do his own thing anyway. Is that what Searchman is doing?"

"He's teaching Enzan how to sort files. Y'know, domestic Navi tasks and stuff."

Roll-chan hums. "Well, that'll definitely be useful to know for school. At least he won't be as unprepared as you're afraid of."

"Huh," Rockman says, blinking. "You're right."

"Of course I am! I'm me!"

He has to laugh at that. "I kinda feel bad, getting all this advice from you all the time. I never do anything like this for you . . ."

"Oh, come on, Rock." Roll-chan rolls her eyes. "You've saved my life, like, how many times? This is the least I can do in return. Healing and advice - those are my specialties!"

"You're a really good friend, you know that? Thanks, Roll-chan."

"Aw, you're welcome!" She sways happily for a moment before stopping. "I'd better get back to Meiru-chan now. See you at school!"

"Bye-bye!"

She vanishes in another flurry of data, and he turns his attention back to Searchman and Enzan. Then he does a double-take.

Enzan appears to be sorting Netto-kun's homework files by colour, for some reason. Usually Navis sort files by alphabet or dates, so that's . . . quite an unusual system to see. Scarfy is helping as well, picking up files and folders and either slotting them into open spaces according to Enzan's sorting system or handing them to Enzan himself.

Huh. Okay.

It does look nice, though, Rockman admits. He might just keep it like this for a while.

The evening before Blues is meant to start school is spent in a state of fluctuating nerves, at least for him anyway. One moment he feels totally fine and calm, if a little bit restless, and then the next he feels like the walls are closing in on him and there's no air and something sharp and cold is stabbing him in the chest. He alternates between pacing his bedroom floor and huddling on his bed constantly.

Enzan-sama watches him from the desk. He's too busy drowning in his own thoughts to figure out his operator's expression, so that stare feels like pure judgement, which does nothing to help even if he tells himself it's not.

He wants to hold the Dysphoria Rabbit. He wants to squeeze it and flap its ears about and bury his face in its stomach and pretend he doesn't exist for a few minutes at the very least. But he'd probably drop it or pull it apart by accident if he picks it up now, so he leaves it on his bed where it's safe from his nervous energy.

"-a-and if I mess up- oh makers, they're all gonna know I'm not one of them!" he whimpers. He's pacing again, unable to contain himself. "I-I can barely act like a person, never- n-never mind a human! Wh-what're they gonna do when they find out I'm- that- that I'm n-not a human!? They s-seemed nice when I was a Navi, but it's gonna be different now, I-I-I'm different, I- I-I-"

Enzan-sama keeps watching him. His operator hasn't said a word so far and his lips are pressed together in a thin line.

"-I- I can't do this!" Blues blurts out, tugging at his hair. He didn't wanna tear the pretty ribbon Meiru-chan gave him, so he untied it and let his hair loose. "This was a t-terrible idea!"

He whirls on his operator, who jumps.

"Wh-why did I agree to this!?" he exclaims. His voice is shrill and it almost hurts to speak. "I-i-it would've b-been better if- if- i-if- arcade- um-"

"You should . . . sit down," Enzan-sama says stiffly. "Or. Something."

Blues does as he's told, but the order - was it an order? - doesn't settle him like it normally would. If anything, it just makes him feel worse. His leg bounces rapidly and the nervous energy within him is rising all too quickly. And was his bedroom always this hot?

He takes off his vest and his gloves, but he's still practically boiling, so he jumps to his feet and marches over to the window, throwing it open. The blast of cool air hitting him in the face feels like a glass of fresh water after an exhausting day out, and he almost collapses out of sheer relief.

" . . . Does that help?" Enzan-sama asks. He sounds utterly baffled.

"M-mm- k-kinda. I think. Just needed air . . ."

"Could get more if you actually go outside."

Blues winces, gripping the edge of the window. "I-I'm not sure I- I can m-make it that f-far right now . . ."

" . . . Right. Uh. Okay. Stay there then."

"Aha . . . ha . . . Th-thank you . . ."

He stays at the window for a few minutes, breathing in the fresh air and doing that 5-7 breathing thingy that Laika-san directed him through that one time. It helps a lot and his thoughts seem a bit clearer by the time he's cooled down.

A sudden knock on the door causes a spike in his core- heart, and he chokes a little.

"Get lost!" Enzan-sama shouts at the door. "We're busy!"

For some absurd reason, Blues finds that absolutely hilarious. He has to bite his hand to stop himself from laughing. Why does he feel lightheaded all of a sudden . . . ?

"Ah, I can come back later, if it's a bad time?"

That's Yuuichirou-hakase's voice. He's not usually back from SciLab this early. Unusual.

He notices Enzan-sama looking at him. That helmet program tells him about body language and facial expressions, doesn't it? He wonders what it's saying about him right now and if it has anything to do with the way Enzan-sama tilts his head.

" . . . Come in," Enzan-sama says.

The door opens and Yuuichirou-hakase stands there with a slightly baffled smile on his face. It immediately drops into concern when he sees Blues.

"Are you alright?" he asks, stepping into the room. "Your cheeks are flushed, you look like you're sweating . . . Don't tell me you're ill?"

"No, he's just freaking out," Enzan-sama bluntly says. "Like a weirdo."

Yuuichirou-hakase glances at him, blinking. Blues wheezes out something resembling a laugh.

" . . . Hm." Yuuichirou-hakase frowns for a moment, thinking, and then gestures to the bed. "How about we sit down, Blues?"

Blues only manages a faint grunt before moving away from the window. As he passes the desk, he holds out his hand, and Enzan-sama jumps onto it and lets him cradle him to his chest.

He doesn't realise just how weak his legs feel until he sits down. His whole body feels shaky and tender, in fact. What is wrong with him? Is he actually sick? Does that mean he won't be able to start school tomorrow? Will they have to delay his enrollment? He's causing so much trouble for so many people and he's not even there yet, oh makers . . .

Yuuichirou-hakase sits next to him and tucks him into his side, putting an arm around his shoulders. Having a solid, warm weight next to him settles him a little, and if he presses his audio- his ear against Yuuichirou-hakase's ribcage, he can hear the man's heart beating. It's fascinating and oddly calming, and he finds himself doing the 5-7 breathing thing while counting the heartbeats.

Okay. So maybe he needed fresh air and a hug.

" . . . Feeling any better?" Yuuichirou-hakase asks, after a minute or two.

"Little bit," Blues mumbles. He lowers his hands until they're cupped in his lap and watches Enzan-sama mess with Scarfy and Moomoo. Stimming? Is that the word Haruka-san used?

"You're nervous about school, huh?"

He winces.

"It's alright," Yuuichirou-hakase soothes him, rubbing his shoulder gently. "Everyone gets nervous about their first day of school. Netto did, too."

Blues blinks and looks up. "R-really? But he's so cool and confident . . ."

"Cool?" Enzan-sama mutters, pulling a slight face.

Yuuichirou-hakase laughs good-naturedly. "Granted, he was a lot younger back then, but the point still stands. Haruka told me he wouldn't let go of her hand, and he cried when she had to leave."

"I- I hope I don't cry," Blues says softly, wincing.

"It'll be fine even if you do. You already know a few of your classmates, and Netto will be with you the entire day. Enzan-kun too, remember."

"Right . . ."

Yuuichirou-hakase gives him a gentle squeeze before reaching into his pocket. "Now, ah, I actually came to give you two something. Think of it as a present for starting school. Though if you'd rather keep using the one you have now, that's perfectly fine. No pressure."

He holds out a PET. Blues straightens, staring at it with wide eyes, and Enzan-sama even stops stimming to stare as well.

It's a Link PET, just like Enzan-sama's current one. It has a red and yellow case rather than a red and black case, however, and the emblem is blank. Its features are also more clearly marked than a regular PET, with the lettering visibly standing out. It's completely clean and free of any blemishes, marking it as brand new.

"I thought it might help to sell the foster child and Support Navi story better if you had a new PET," Yuuichirou-hakase explains, as Blues takes it reverently. "Using Enzan-kun's PET does bring a little bit of risk as well - someone might recognise it, after all, or it could get cluttered with schoolwork and already-existing files. But as I said, if you'd rather keep using that one, that's fine. This is your choice entirely, both of you."

The PET feels . . . different. Softer than Enzan-sama's, somehow. Maybe because it's completely new and hasn't been thrown around or anything. It feels nice.

Enzan-sama inspects it too, climbing onto it from Blues's hand. Scarfy helps him stay steady as he walks on the top of it, and when he gets to the blank emblem, he pauses and tilts his head, hand going up to touch his own.

" . . . Turn it on," he says.

"Um- o-okay," Blues replies.

He doesn't even need to fiddle - the POWER button is just as clearly marked as everything else. The screen lights up and goes through the boot-up screen, and as soon as the homepage appears, Enzan-sama jumps into it.

There's a pause.

"The walls are pink."

Blues blinks and looks at the screen. It shows Enzan-sama looking at the background - though he knows to his operator it looks like an actual room - and indeed it actually is pink, a soft shade that compliments the red colouring of the case. Which is . . . odd, because aren't PET backgrounds normally green? Enzan-sama's PET background is green, definitely.

"Haruka was the one who did that," Yuuichirou-hakase explains. "She thought you two might like it better than the standard green. What do you think?"

Previously, Enzan-sama had almost gotten into an argument with Meiru-chan about the colour pink. Something about it being a girl colour. Meiru-chan hadn't liked that, of course, and the whole thing only started because she gave him the ribbon he still uses now. It's so pretty and soft and he loves it, but . . .

But if Enzan-sama doesn't like the colour, they'll just have to change it. The soft pink background does look really nice, but it'll be fine.

I wanna keep it pink.

Blues bites his lip and buries the thought. Or he tries to. It doesn't work very well and it keeps pushing its way to the forefront of his mind no matter how hard he tries.

" . . . It's nice," Enzan-sama says.

"What?" Blues blurts out.

Enzan-sama turns around to look at him.

"I mean, uh-" He winces. "Y-you . . . like it? Even though it's . . . pink?"

Enzan-sama lowers his head and fiddles with Scarfy's fingers. He's got Moomoo clutched in one arm, and seeing that reminds Blues of the Dysphoria Rabbit. He kinda wishes he was holding it right now.

"It's a nice colour," Enzan-sama mutters. "Soft and stuff. And. I mean. That girl said . . . Whatever. The colour is nice, we'll keep it like this." He pauses. "If . . . that's what you want."

Blues presses his lips together, trying to suppress a silly grin. "I-I think it looks nice too. So, um, y-yeah! I'd- I'd like to keep it like this."

" . . . 'Kay."

Yuuichirou-hakase is watching them with a smile. "I take it this means you want to use this PET?"

Blues blinks. Oh, right, that's why he's holding this one right now.

He glances over at Enzan-sama's PET on the desk. It feels weird handling it even now, when by all rights he should be used to it. And it still feels odd whenever Enzan-sama comes out of it. He keeps looking at it and thinking he should be going in and out of it, because he should be, but he can't and it's . . . it's just weird.

"I guess being in this one won't make me feel like I'm invading someone else's house," Enzan-sama says, twisting one of Scarfy's fingers around his own.

Blues can't help but giggle a little. "I-I don't mind you being in my, um . . . 'home', hehe. But this one's nice too. So, um . . . Do you wanna use this one . . . ?"

"Yes. But . . . only if you want to, too."

That makes a warm feeling spread through his chest. He stops suppressing his grin and bounces on his bed a little.

"Y-yeah!" he agrees. "That- um- yeah, this'll be fun! I-I think."

"Alright then. We'll use this one."

"Excellent," Yuuichirou-hakase says, visibly delighted. "Would you both like an explanation of your new PET's functions? I've modified some of the programs and apps to better suit your needs, make it more user-friendly and such."

Blues happily agrees, and Enzan-sama jumps out of the PET to settle on his shoulder. They both listen attentively and even get to try out some of the modified functions at Yuuichirou-hakase's gentle urging.

And it's not until much later, when he's lying in bed and cuddling the Dysphoria Rabbit, that Blues realises he completely forgot all about his nerves. When he reaches out to tug the new PET closer on his pillow, he smiles. Even just having it close is enough to settle any lingering fears.

He goes to sleep feeling calmer and happier than he ever has before.

Chapter Text

Blues wakes up to Enzan-sama's voice telling him it's 7:06am and for the love of god just get up already. He wants to bury his head back under the blankets, but his operator has given him an order (kinda?) so he reluctantly sits up, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

The human boot-up sequence is a lot slower than a NetNavi's and sometimes doesn't even work properly. It's kinda inconvenient.

"Finally," Enzan-sama grouses. "Maybe I should figure out how to set an alarm for you, you clearly need it . . ."

Blues hums absently and gets out of bed to begin his morning routine. First on the list is getting dressed - he doesn't even need help with it anymore, something he can be proud of even when he's still half-asleep. He heads straight over to the pale pink wardrobe, barely noticing the neatly-folded clothes on the desk-

"Hey! What are you doing?"

He blinks and looks over his shoulder, making a questioning noise. Enzan-sama points at the desk, mouth twisted in annoyance.

"Hikari-san said you'd need to put on your uniform today, remember?"

" . . . Uniform?" Blues repeats blankly.

Enzan-sama mutters something about 'crappy memory', then raises his voice. "For school, idiot."

Blues frowns, staring at his operator through half-lidded, sleepy eyes. It takes an embarrassingly long time to work out what that means.

When it finally registers, his eyes widen and he looks at the clothes on the desk. He suddenly remembers Haruka-san putting them there last evening so he wouldn't forget them. Looks like her efforts were in vain . . . It's a good thing Enzan-sama is here too.

"R-right," Blues says, swallowing. "I- I forgot."

"Obviously. Just put them on already."

Oddly enough, Enzan-sama's tone doesn't make him wanna cower and hide away like it normally does. It still causes a slight twinge of unease, but it's so weak he can just ignore it, which is fairly strange. It's not unwelcome, though. He didn't like being scared of his operator's wrath. It wasn't really fun and it made him feel small and icky all the time.

Considering the two of them are figuring out how to get along now . . . Maybe Enzan-sama isn't being as mean as usual with his words. Maybe Blues subconsciously knows that and is able to stay calm because of it. Maybe they're even working out how to just coexist with each other.

Or maybe, just maybe, Blues has found some confidence. Not much, but just enough to not be bothered by Enzan-sama being grouchy.

Those thoughts slide to the back of his mind when he finally has his new uniform on. It feels odd. He's used to the clothes he normally wears - these aren't as comfortable, the material isn't anywhere near as soft as he likes, and the jacket feels almost stiff.

" . . . I feel weird," he says.

"You look weird," Enzan-sama retorts.

Blues fiddles with the buttons on the jacket for a few moments, biting his lip. Then he grabs his gloves off the desk and puts them on, and he feels a bit better almost immediately.

As he rubs his palm with his other hand's thumb, a thought suddenly occurs to him. He looks at Enzan-sama.

"Will- will the school let me wear my gloves?" he wonders, furrowing his brows. "Th-they don't let Netto-san wear his bandana, s-so . . ."

"How should I know? I've never been to school. Ask Hikari-san or something. She'd probably know."

"Um. Right."

He goes to pick up Enzan-sama's PET from the desk as well-

"No," Enzan-sama calls, making him freeze. "Wrong PET. This one. On the bed."

Oh, that's right! Yuuichirou-hakase gave them a new PET last night!

Remembering it makes a giddy kind of warmth spread through Blues's chest, and he almost skips over to the bed and plucks the new PET - his PET, he supposes - off the pillow, along with the Dysphoria Rabbit.

He should probably give Enzan-sama's PET to Yuuichirou-hakase or something. Just to keep it safe while he and Enzan-sama are using this new one.

Maybe he could practice using it on the way to school. The camera app seems like it'd be fun. There's even some pre-downloaded music on it, courtesy of Meijin-san apparently, though he doesn't have any earphones or headphones. He could probably ask Haruka-san for a pair next time they go shopping. Maybe red and black ones, or yellow and black so he can match Enzan-sama's audio receptors. That'd be fun.

Haruka-san walks them to school, letting Blues cling to her hand the whole way there. Netto-san talks animatedly to Meiru-chan, who they met on the way, and from what Blues can tell, they're discussing something about a club. He's not sure why they're talking about a weapon, but maybe the school teaches self-defense? It would certainly be useful for humans like Netto-san, at least.

But Blues probably wouldn't be very good at it. Lack of confidence or not, he's just not really cut out for fighting. Which sounds weird given that he's - he was - a Battle Navi, but still.

Haruka-san leaves them at the school gates, giving first Netto-san and then Blues brief kisses on the heads, then offering Enzan-sama and Rockman gentle pats. She leaves them with a wish of good luck and a reminder to call her if any of them need or want to.

And then it's time to head into school.

When Blues and Enzan-sama came here with Haruka-san and Yuuichirou-hakase last week, the halls were quiet and empty. Now there are children everywhere, heading to classrooms and calling out to friends, some just leaning against the walls and chatting to each other. Adults are scattered about here and there too, some of them greeting the children while others walk with purposeful strides that have people scrambling to get out of the way.

It's nowhere near as busy and chaotic as Kanbina Mall, but it's such a contrast to last week that Blues stops and stares dumbly. He squeaks when Netto-san suddenly tugs him to the side - then a large student barrels past a moment later, shouting something about homework and looking quite unhinged.

"Don't want you to get squished on your first day," Netto-san jokes.

Blues manages an awkward smile. Netto-san falters a little and he immediately feels terrible, but can't bring himself to fix it.

"Maybe we should have asked Sensei if we could come a little later," Meiru-chan muses. She sighs. "Too late now, I guess. How's En- uh, how's your Navi doing, Blues?"

"My- my what?" He looks at her in shock for a moment, before abruptly remembering. "O-oh! Um, he's-"

He checks his shoulder, but Enzan-sama isn't there anymore.

"Oh no." He can already feel the walls closing in and his breath quickening. "No, no, h-he must have f-fallen off, how did I not notice, where- wh- aaahh-"

"Wait, no, hold on!" Rockman exclaims, waving his arms frantically. "The holograms are designed to be steady, remember! He won't have fallen off that easy. Just check your PET."

"Hhh-" Blues does as he's told, though his hands are shaking so much he can barely see the screen. He's able to make out his operator huddled in the corner, at least. "He's- he's there. H-hahh . . . I thought . . . Th-thank the makers . . ."

Netto-san leans over to get a look at the screen, lowering his voice. "Enzan? You okay in there?"

A faint growl emanates from the speakers. Even though the sound isn't at all loud, it still makes them glitch faintly, and the PET rattles a little in Blues's hand.

" . . . I'll take that as a 'no'," Netto-san says, backing up with a wince.

"Our classroom is on the top floor," Roll-chan says, looking worried. "Will he be alright with all this noise until then?"

The answer to that is probably also 'no'. Enzan-sama looks near his limit already, even with the helmet program. Blues should have warned him it'd be like this, but he didn't because he forgot, because his human brain can't retain information as easily as his NetNavi mind could. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Let's use the lifts," Netto-san suggests.

Meiru-chan gives him a stern look. "Netto, you have to stop abusing that privilege."

"What? I'm allowed! Besides, it's for a good cause this time!"

"Oh, fine. Just this once, okay?"

Netto-san hisses out a cheer and takes off, leaving Blues and Meiru-chan no choice but to follow.

He keeps his questions to himself, focusing on covering his PET's speakers in an attempt to help muffle the noise for Enzan-sama. It seems to help somewhat and Enzan-sama even uncurls a little bit, which is a relief. He resolves to apologise about this later. He really, really should have warned his operator about this.

Their little group reaches the lifts without incident - aside from Meiru-chan having to yank Blues out of the way of a group of very excited students - and Netto-san places his PET on the scanner. The doors slide open and he waves them in quickly, then presses the button to close the doors before anyone else can get in.

It becomes much quieter almost instantly. Blues slumps against the wall, letting out a relieved sigh, and he hears muffled complaining from inside his PET. Well, at least he knows Enzan-sama is better.

"What- what's wrong with using the lifts?" he asks, turning his attention to Netto-san and Meiru-chan.

"Oh, right, you were never here when he used them before," Meiru-chan realises. "They're supposed to be for staff or disabled students. But Netto got permission to use them 'cus he's a Net Saver, and sometimes that means he gets called out in the middle of school for an emergency case or something."

"Um . . . okay . . . ?"

"The lifts are faster than the stairs, especially if it's during lunch or something," Netto-san explains. "But, I mean, it's way easier to avoid the morning crowd like this, so I use 'em all the time!"

"Like I said, he abuses the privilege," Meiru-chan deadpans.

"Oh, come on, you weren't complaining that one time we had to lug a bunch of books all the way from the library!"

Meiru-chan's face reddens. "Oh- hush, you!"

"I will say one thing positive about this," Rockman says. "Netto-kun is almost never late thanks to the lift. Back in elementary school, it was a pretty big issue because he could never wake up on time, but he's gotten better now that he's in junior high."

"Oi!" Netto-san exclaims, puffing his cheeks out.

"It was a compliment! Anyway, he still ended up late a bunch of times because there's just so many students compared to elementary school. But with these lifts, he can just avoid the morning rush, and he's actually on time nine times out of ten!"

"You're really just enabling this, aren't you?" Meiru-chan sighs.

"Well . . . I mean, if it gets him into the classroom before the bell . . ."

The lift dings and the doors slide open, letting in a sudden blast of increased noise. Blues's PET rattles so much he has to tighten his grip on it to avoid dropping it, and he cringes away into a corner.

Netto-san frowns at him and the PET for a few moments before turning to the open doors with a determined expression.

"Right," he says. "Bulldozer time it is."

"Wait, Netto-kun-"

Netto-san starts swinging his arms in wide circles, barging out into the hallway and forcing other students to back off. "MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IIIIT! OUTTA THE WAY, OUTTA THE WAY!"

Meiru-chan sighs, facepalming. "Come on, Blues. At least he's clearing a path for us."

"Um . . . R-right . . ."

Blues's presence gets more than a few interested looks from the other students in the classroom, which puzzles him because he's at least been seen by them before. And then he abruptly remembers they've only ever seen him as a NetNavi, so to them, he may as well be someone completely new.

Well . . . it might be fun to interact with them as his own person rather than as the Navi who occasionally turns up with Netto-san.

But he's still too nervous to approach anyone, so he stays with Netto-san and the other humans as they crowd around Dekao-san's desk at the back. Rockman and the other Navis have yet to be plugged into the classroom's server area so they're just lounging together on the desk, though Enzan-sama isn't there because he refused to come out of the PET. Which is fair. The classroom isn't as loud as the hallways, but it is a bit much still.

For now, he should focus on the conversation at hand.

"It should be fine to wear them," Tohru-san is saying. "They're just gloves - it's not like you're wearing a hat or making any major modifications to your uniform."

"B-but the school wouldn't let Netto-san wear his bandana," Blues points out.

"Which I'm still salty about," Netto-san grumbles.

"Headwear is generally not allowed anyway," Meiru-chan says. "Hairpins and stuff are fine, but bandanas are a bit too much. Gloves, though . . . Tohru-kun's right, it should be fine. There's a kid in Class C who wears gloves, actually."

Dekao-san frowns. "Isn't that 'cus of, uh . . . something about his hands? Like the skin gets all prickly and stuff and it hurts him for some reason?"

"Yep. I asked a friend in that class about it once - apparently he got into a bike accident a few years ago and ended up stripping the skin off his palms, and when it grew back, it was really sensitive. The gloves help with that."

Netto-san winces. "Ouch. That sounds really painful . . ."

"Dude," Dekao-san says, giving him a flat look, "you've literally been stabbed, electrocuted, burnt, and a whole buncha other stuff that's probably way more painful."

"Never had my skin stripped off, even by accident."

" . . . Fair."

Blues doesn't want to interrupt humans, but he's a human now too, and no one's ever really minded him speaking up even before that. Besides, he's still worried about his own gloves - he doesn't have a legitimate reason to wear them in school like that Class C kid.

"But are you sure it'll be okay for me?" he asks.

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Netto-san replies, carefree as ever. "Y'know what? I bet you could even put your rabbit on your desk all day and no one'll care!"

"He doesn't have a desk yet," Meiru-chan reminds Netto-san.

"When he gets one, then."

"It'll be fine," Tohru-san tells Blues, giving him a reassuring smile. "Our teachers are pretty lax about most rules like this anyway, and I bet if we tell them your gloves are, um . . . a comfort item? Or something? They'd let you wear them."

"Comfort item . . . ?"

"Like the Dysphoria Rabbit," Meiru-chan explains. She glances at his hip, where his PET rests in his jacket pocket. "Or Enzan's cow. What'd he call it again?"

Blues smiles a little. "Moomoo."

Meiru-chan coos in delight. She either doesn't notice or is ignoring Dekao-san's open-mouthed, wide-eyed stare for using Enzan-sama's given name. Tohru-san looks surprised too, but he gets over it a lot quicker.

"That sounds cute," Tohru-san says. "Iju- hm . . . Enzan has good taste in names."

Now Dekao-san gapes at him. Tohru-san thins his lips and deliberately doesn't meet his eyes.

The morning bell rings, interrupting their conversation. The other students begin to disperse and head to their own seats, including Netto-san and the others (aside from Dekao-san, of course).

Blues has no idea what he's supposed to be doing yet, so he just follows Netto-san to his desk. It's directly behind Meiru-chan's, who sits at the front next to a window, while Tohru-san's is in the middle of the classroom. There are three empty desks and one of them will likely become his, but none of them are near the four humans he's comfortable with.

Well . . . at least he'll still have Enzan-sama. Assuming he'll be exempt from the 'plug your Navi into the server during class' rule.

Shortly after everyone except Blues has sat down, the class's homeroom teacher arrives. He's an easy-going human who looks as plain as they come, with short brown hair and dark eyes and a seemingly-endless supply of novelty sweaters. Blues has never once spoken to him, but he's seen how the man interacts with the students - both human and Navi - and always thought he was well-suited for his role.

The teacher sets his bag down on his desk at the front of the room, then sweeps his gaze across the seated students until his eyes come to rest on Blues.

"Aha, there you are!" he exclaims, smiling. "Hello, it's nice to meet you. Now, class, I'm sure you've already noticed, but we have a new student with us today! Why don't you come up here and introduce yourself?"

Blues's legs refuse to move. The stares of the entire class feel like they're burning into his skin and rattling the bones inside his human body.

Enzan-sama's hologram appears in front of him, teeth partially bared. It's easier to focus on him rather than the entire class, and some of the heat from the stares seems to be cooling off now, just enough to bring back some clarity to his overworked mind.

"What are you doing?" Enzan-sama demands, though the words don't have their usual bite to them. He points at the front. "Just go already."

Suddenly Blues's legs respond to his commands and he moves. He catches a glimpse of Enzan-sama's lips quirking to one side for a split second before his operator switches to sitting on his shoulder.

Did Enzan-sama just . . . ? No, surely not. Must've been his half-panicked brain playing tricks on him.

"There we go," the teacher says, when Blues is finally standing next to him. "Your Navi can introduce themself after you, if they want. They look quite interesting, don't they, class?"

A few of the students call out their agreement. Blues casts a quick glance at Enzan-sama and sees him thinning his lips, deliberately focusing his attention on fiddling with Scarfy's fingers and Moomoo's fur. He's not embarrassed by the attention, but he clearly isn't enjoying it. That's an easy fix, at least.

"U-um," Blues says, drawing the class's attention to himself. His throat tightens and it's almost a fight to get his next words out. "I- I-I'm- B-Blues. H-hhi. I m-mean- uh-"

"Akari," Enzan-sama hisses, barely audible.

"Wha- o-oh! Um, A-Akari Blues. That's. Me?"

Half the class is staring at him in bewilderment. The other half are in varying stages of amusement. He utters an embarrassingly high-pitched noise and covers his mouth with both hands, staring at his feet and trying his best to ignore his burning cheeks.

He can't even introduce himself properly. Forget figuring out he's not really one of them, they're just gonna think he's a complete freak!

"Psst!"

He squeaks and looks up, eyes darting around wildly before he spots Netto-san subtly waving to him. Netto-san looks quite concerned, and he has a hand partially extended palm-up - a gesture that Blues takes to mean 'do you need some help?'.

Except the morning after Enzan-sama came back is still fresh in his mind. No one woke him up to tell him his missing operator had been found. Netto-san had simply dismissed it, saying it didn't matter. That his feelings didn't matter, after years of telling him they do.

So even now, he can't bring himself to accept Netto-san's help more than he already has. It feels stupid and petty and mean, but no one ever said emotions made sense.

"His name is Akari Blues."

He startles, looking to his shoulder. Enzan-sama is on his feet, Scarfy's arms wrapped around his waist and Moomoo held loosely in his hands.

"And I don't have a name yet, so don't bother asking," Enzan-sama goes on. He looks at the teacher. "Are we done?"

The teacher blinks, looking somewhat surprised, but a smile breaks out quickly. "Sure thing! I can tell your operator is nervous, so let's just get him seated and we can get started with homeroom. Now, let's see . . ."

"Tensei-sensei!" Netto-san sticks his hand in the air. "Can he sit next to me?"

"Hikari-kun, there's no open seats next to you."

"Aw . . ."

"I don't mind moving," Meiru-chan offers, also raising her hand. "He's Netto's foster brother, so it makes sense to let them sit together, right sensei?"

That gets the class muttering. To Blues's relief, what he can make out seems to just be curiosity and quiet agreements with Meiru-chan's words.

"That's very kind of you, Sakurai-chan," the teacher praises her, and she beams. "Alright then, if you're sure-"

"Wait, sensei!" another student, the girl sitting directly to Netto-san's right, exclaims. "Can I move instead? One of the open seats is next to Momo!"

"Yessss, Ichi-chan!" the named Momo hisses in delight, giving her friend a thumbs-up.

Tensei-sensei laughs good-naturedly. "Alright, alright, you two, settle down. Sakurai-chan? Are you alright with this instead?"

Meiru-chan shrugs easily. "Sure! If Momo and Ichigo wanna sit next to each other, then Blues can sit next to Netto, and everyone's happy."

"Right then! This seems perfectly fair to me. Let's get moving then."

Once Ichigo has gathered up her things and moved over to the open seat, Tensei-sensei gives Blues a gentle pat on the back and gestures to the newly-empty desk next to Netto-san.

"There you go, Akari-kun," the teacher says. "Go ahead and get settled, then we can get started with homeroom, alright?"

"M-mhm."

Despite his . . . awkwardness around Netto-san now, it's still a relief to be seated next to him. He won't be surrounded by students he barely knows except for the little snippets he saw while staying in the classroom's server area with Rockman and the others, and there's not much danger of being pestered with curious questions with both Netto-san and Meiru-chan close enough to tell people off.

Although no one has brought up his gloves yet. Maybe Tohru-san is right and no one will mind?

Classes are . . . odd. Once the 'homeroom' lesson is over (which appeared to just be some sort of social-type thing, along with an announcement about a club fair, whatever that is), the teacher with the ridiculous name leaves the room, and then another one comes in and starts some other lesson that lasts way longer. There's a short break in between that lasts for about six minutes and thirty-seven seconds - according to the timetable it's only supposed to be five minutes, but the new teacher was late - and then there's another lesson, and so on.

Enzan watches from inside the- Blues's new PET and finds it all to be utterly stupid. The stuff these kids are learning is stuff he learned when he was six or seven years old, for god's sake. Are they seriously this behind in their education? Do all schools keep kids this dumb, or is it just this class in particular?

"This is the standard curriculum across the country," Rockman says, when he gets bored enough to ask. "Only really advanced kids learn this kinda stuff earlier. Like, um . . . like Yaito-chan, for example! She skipped a whole two grades because she's really smart."

" . . . Who the hell is Yaito."

"Er . . ."

"The girl with the 'greasy forehead'," the pink Navi, Roll, informs him. "Though, uh, could you not say that anymore? It's not very nice."

"What?" Enzan frowns, wrinkling his nose at her. "But it's true. She does have a greasy forehead."

"Actually, it's . . . not."

"Then why is it so shiny?"

"She specifically cleans it to be like that," Rockman says.

Enzan stares. " . . . Why?"

"She takes pride in it. Which is why Roll-chan asked you to stop being mean about it. So, um . . . could you?"

He thinks about it for a moment.

"Sure," he eventually says, and the two Navis smile. "Her forehead is still greasy, though."

The smiles drop and they both sigh, exchanging half-lidded glances. He has no idea what that's about and he tightens his jaw in response, but says nothing.

"Anyway," Rockman says, voice suspiciously brighter all of a sudden, "mind if I ask you something too, Enzan?"

The tightness in his jaw vanishes and he perks up, focusing on Rockman. Scarfy baps at him and he baps it back, lightly snapping his teeth at it, and then a giggle from Roll makes him remember she and Rockman are watching, so he quickly stops.

"Aw," Roll says, shoulders dropping. "Sorry, that was just so cute, hehe."

Enzan grunts and looks at Rockman. "Well?"

"It's about what you said earlier, when you helped Blues with his introduction," Rockman explains. "You said that you 'don't have a name yet'. I was just wondering what you meant by it."

"I can hardly use my human name, can I?"

"That's true," Roll muses, nodding slowly.

"Okay, fair, but why add the 'yet' part?" Rockman asks.

Is it worth it to tell them? He's not sure if they share the same opinions that Jazz has. It's been a while since he ran away to Internet City, but thinking of Navis as people is still a strange concept to him - and like people, Navis could have differing opinions from each other. Suppose Rockman and Roll think the idea of giving himself a Navi name is silly? There's a possibility this may not be permanent after all, so they'd likely assume it's pointless.

The idea of them dismissing it like that makes him feel . . . hollow, sort of. He doesn't like it.

Scarfy baps at his cheek, jolting him out of his thoughts, and he blinks at it. It pats him on the head, then places its other hand on his chest - right over his blank emblem - and gives him a thumbs-up, tilting it from side-to-side.

You okay? it seems to be asking.

Hm. Jazz did say it has its own language, sort of. Maybe he's starting to figure it out.

He thins his lips and half-turns away from Rockman and Roll, ignoring the way their brows furrow (and telling himself it's not anger he sees). He murmurs quietly to Scarfy, telling it what's wrong, and it wraps itself around him and squeezes gently.

Then it half-unwraps one of its arms, points at Rockman and Roll, and gives him a thumbs-up.

"You're sure?" he mumbles.

Yes, it replies, waving its hand up and down.

" . . . Okay."

Even so, he keeps a tight grip on both it and Moomoo as he turns back to Rockman and Roll. Their expressions haven't changed and for a second he only sees impatience and anger, but Scarfy gives him a gentle squeeze and another thumbs-up and that makes things a little bit  better.

"I want a Navi name," he declares.

The two Navis blink in unison. Did they practise that or something?

" . . . Huh," Rockman says. "I . . . wasn't really expecting that. What brought this on all of a sudden?"

It's not 'sudden' if he's been thinking about it since Jazz said he could do it. Though he hasn't really mentioned this to anyone else, not even Blues. He was tempted to when everyone was deciding on Blues's 'human' name, but Laika said experimental Navis often don't have names so 'at least they don't have to come up with two new names', and he couldn't bring it up after that.

"Jazz said I could make up my own name if I wanted," he says. It's a fight to keep his voice steady. He's lucky he no longer has to force himself to look anyone in the eyes thanks to his helmet.

"Oh!" Roll perks up, eyes widening and a smile spreading on her lips. "You mean your friend?"

"I don't have any friends."

Roll blinks, but then Scarfy starts poking Enzan in the cheek. It doesn't stop until he grabs its hand and growls at it.

"I think Scarfy would disagree," Rockman says, smiling.

" . . . I don't have any friends aside from Scarfy."

"What about Moomoo?" Roll asks, pointing to it.

"I don't have any friends aside from Scarfy and Moomoo."

"What about Blues?" Rockman asks.

Enzan bares his teeth. "Shut up."

Forget the whole 'bond' stuff, he can't be friends with Blues. Not after everything he put him through.

He plops himself down onto the floor, stretching his legs out and scowling at the yellow rings on his ankles. Scarfy squeezes him again, offering him Moomoo, and he softens and takes it. Right now he doesn't care who's watching - he just wants to squeeze Moomoo and feel its fluffy fur pressing into his cheek.

He senses more than sees Rockman settling down next to him, close enough to be within arm's length but far enough away that they're not in danger of touching. It's weird how the Navis are just . . . accommodating it. Him not liking being touched, that is. Even that yellow Navi with the big arms and the tiny blue-green one didn't try to touch him. It's a stark contrast to the humans.

"We can help you come up with a Navi name if that's what you want," Rockman offers gently.

"Jazz already said they'd help me," he mutters.

"We can all help!" Roll crouches nearby, crossing her arms over her knees. "It'll be fun! Maybe we can do, um . . . something like a study session, and we can invite Jazz over, and we can order some cyberfood too."

" . . . Can we get banana milk?"

"Sure, don't see why not! A nice cold drink will keep us fresh while we brainstorm ideas!"

Enzan hums. That doesn't sound too bad. And if Jazz, Rockman, and Searchman are all gonna be there, it might even be . . . okay.

Chapter Text

Roll-chan's PC homepage isn't the largest - that honour goes to Glide's, of course - but it's definitely the most comfortable. She has more furnishing programs than anyone else, even going as far as to create a whole separate space contained within its own walls, where soft lights dangle from the ceiling. Furniture lines the walls - shelves and tables and cute chairs and all sorts of things - and there's a large, circular pit in the centre of the room, lined with beanbag chairs, cushions, blankets, and various plushies.

It's in this pit that Rockman and his friends currently lounge in, Enzan included. The not-Navi had plopped himself onto the fluffiest beanbag chair as soon as he laid eyes on it, and everyone else spread out nearby, making sure to give him space but not isolate him from the group. Their cyberfood has already arrived and specific orders have been given to the ones who placed them, while the rest is spread out in the middle on a picnic blanket.

"Your friend is kinda late," Roll-chan idly remarks to Enzan.

His head twitches and he pauses in drinking his banana milk. " . . . Friend?"

"Jazz."

"Oh. Right. They'll come. They said they would."

"Jazz?" Iceman murmurs, pursing his lips thoughtfully. "That name sounds familiar . . ."

"We have so many friends with music-y names-pyu!" Aquaman giggles.

"When Searchman and I met them, they said they help their operator run a store," Rockman says. "Maybe they're just being held up there?"

Roll-chan perks up, making an interested sound. "What kinda store?"

"Antiques, I think they said. Like Skullman and Miyuki-san before they went overseas."

"I shall have to inform Yaito-sama about this," Glide muses. "She has been collecting antiques lately, as a hobby. She has quite a few rare artifacts already. Typically I assist her in perusing online auctions, but we have found that smaller antique stores occasionally have hidden gems that cannot be found anywhere else."

Gutsman's eyes are wide with awe. "That sounds so fancy, de gutsu . . ."

Rockman smiles, chuckling a little as Gutsman is drawn into a conversation with an enthusiastic Glide. However, his smile dims when he glances over at the door that leads out into the rest of the PC homepage.

"Speaking of Searchman," he says, "he's not here yet either. It's not like him to be late . . ."

"Maybe he got held up too," Roll-chan suggests. She takes a quick bite out of her Amerouppan pizza slice, swallowing it down before continuing. "He and Laika are full-time Net Savers, unlike you and Netto-san."

"True . . . I know I've heard Laika grumbling about paperwork more than once over the past few weeks."

"We could always just start without them-"

"No," Enzan interrupts, a slight growl in his voice.

"Ah . . ." Rockman winces, exchanging a quick glance with Roll-chan. "Well, um, if they're gonna be late anyway, it makes sense to-"

"No."

"Enzan-"

"No!"

Gutsman and Glide's conversation stops, as does the mini-discussion between Iceman and Aquaman attempting to figure out who Jazz is. Rockman is unfortunately at a loss for what to do, because this time the trigger for Enzan's sudden anger isn't at all obvious. If only Blues were here as well . . .

Although there is Scarfy, which wraps itself around Enzan in a hug. He doesn't quite settle down immediately, but he does curl his legs up to his chest, chewing on its offered tassel-finger while emitting a few faint, toneless noises.

Roll-chan stands up and slowly pads over to him. Rockman tenses, eyes widening, and he's about to remind her not to touch Enzan when she crouches down and picks up Moomoo - which Enzan put on its own little pillow beside his fluffy beanbag chair. However, that only seems to make things worse, because Enzan's attention snaps to her and he actually snarls, looking almost half-feral.

And then Roll-chan holds Moomoo out and he abruptly goes silent.

Several frozen moments pass by. The tension in Roll-chan's little homepage room is so thick it could probably be cut with a degraded Sword and the group waits with stuttering cores to see how Enzan reacts.

Very suddenly, with little to no warning, Enzan's hand whips out and he snatches Moomoo from Roll-chan, clutching it to his chest and tucking its head under his chin. Throughout all of this, not once has he stopped chewing on Scarfy, and now it begins to pet him, which seems to help further soothe him.

"Let's try again, okay?" Roll-chan offers, speaking in a calm, soft tone. "You don't want to start before Searchman and Jazz arrive. Is that right?"

It takes another few moments for Enzan to respond, but he eventually grunts, jerking his head in a sharp nod.

"Is it okay if I ask why?"

Enzan drops Scarfy out of his mouth. "They both said they'd be here."

"Ah." Roll-chan rocks back on her heels, smiling. "And you want them to be a part of this? Or . . . is it that you'll feel more comfortable with them here too?"

" . . . Second thing."

"Okay then," Roll-chan agrees easily, pushing herself to her feet. "We'll wait for them to arrive before we start."

" . . . Mm."

And with that, Roll-chan heads back to her own beanbag chair, which she covered in a pink-and-blue patchwork blanket. She flops down and settles back in, finishing off the rest of her pizza. And also deliberately ignoring the shocked stares of Gutsman, Glide, Iceman, and Aquaman.

Rockman is just happy to have avoided an argument, and more than a little proud of his friend. His best friend, he should say, aside from Netto-kun of course.

Slowly, and somewhat awkwardly, their friends gradually go back to their own conversations. They're not being very subtle with their occasional glances at either Enzan or Roll-chan, but at least they're not starting anything. The Navi group often has more patience - and tolerance - than the human group does, as down-putting as that sounds. It's a major part of why almost everyone came to this little meet-up. Except Tomahawkman, because Dingo is lost again and needs help.

Eventually, Searchman and Jazz do arrive - and together no less, which is a surprise.

"Apologies for being late," Searchman announces, holding the door open for Jazz, who steps inside and takes a delighted look around the room. "There was a minor incident in Internet City. I met Jazz on the way here after it was resolved, so we came together."

"This place is so cute!" Jazz gushes, clapping their hands together. "Whose homepage is this again?"

"Mine!" Roll-chan supplies, waving happily.

"You have such good taste. If I ever get one of these rooms, I'm asking you for tips on interior decorating."

Roll-chan giggles, a light blush on her cheeks. "Aw, thank you!"

Searchman and Jazz settle into the pit, with Jazz taking a seat on a small pile of cushions near Enzan. He hasn't stopped looking at them since they arrived, and they offer him a cheerful smile, not put off in the slightest.

"Heya, kiddo," they greet him. "How've you been since last time?"

"I went to school."

"Ooh, really? Did you like it?"

"It was boring."

Jazz laughs. "Yeah, my operator says the same thing about her own school experience. But it's necessary for humans to learn stuff, however mind-numbingly boring it happens to be."

"Mm."

Scarfy slithers one arm over to Jazz, and they grin and allow it to partially wrap itself around their forearm, threading its tassel-fingers between theirs. They bring it up to press their forehead into its material, then lower their arm and look at everyone else.

"Hi there," they say. "Sorry for being late - my operator needed help with a customer before I left. Sometimes I swear the difficult ones only show up when I have somewhere I wanna be . . . Anyway, I'm Jazz! Nice to meet you all!"

Rockman decides to take it upon himself to introduce everyone. "You already know Searchman and I, of course. That pink Navi over there is called Roll."

Roll-chan offers another wave. "You can call me Roll-chan if you like!"

"The golden Navi is Glide."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jazz," Glide says, bowing his head politely.

"The big orange Navi next to him is Gutsman."

"Gutsman is the strongest Navi here, de gutsu!" Gutsman declares, pounding a fist on his chest.

"No you're not," Roll-chan immediately refutes him. "That's Rockman, you goof."

Gutsman deflates comically.

Rockman can't help a little giggle. "He's not wrong, Roll-chan. In terms of physical strength, he is actually the strongest."

"I can believe it, with that size," Jazz comments, nodding approvingly.

And now Gutsman's pride is restored, puffing his chest out and looking quite smug indeed.

"The little Navi in the parka is Iceman," Rockman says, getting back to introductions. He waits a moment, but Iceman appears to be too busy staring at Jazz to speak, so he continues. "And the bubble-headed Navi is Aquaman."

"Hello-pyu!"

"Aww, they're so little and cute," Jazz coos. "I swear, I haven't met a child-model Navi who isn't absolutely adorable."

"I have," Searchman says, pulling a slight face.

Rockman blinks. "Really? When? I don't remember that happening . . ."

"You wouldn't. He lives in Sharo. He's also immensely annoying."

"So you're the grumpy Navi of the group, gotcha," Jazz says, nodding.

There's a fairly high chance that Searchman now shares that role with Enzan, but Rockman isn't gonna say that out loud. Enzan would probably take it the wrong way.

"Aahhh!"

Everyone jumps at Iceman's sudden cry. The little ice Navi jumps to his feet, pointing a gloved hand at Jazz.

"You're the lead singer of the Rhythm Beats!" he exclaims. "No wonder your name was familiar! No way, how come you're friends with En-"

Rockman's eyes widen and everyone else - aside from Jazz - looks to share his sudden panic. Luckily, Aquaman jumps up and slaps his hand over Iceman's mouth, dragging him back down onto their shared beanbag.

" . . . Does he mean the kid?" Jazz asks, jerking their head toward Enzan, who stiffens.

"Er," Rockman says.

Jazz looks at Enzan. "You chose a name already? Aw, and here I wanted to help you pick one out, haha!"

Enzan just stares at them silently. What little expression that's visible on his face is completely blank, and the programs in his mind can practically be seen trying to come up with a response.

"It's a temporary nickname we came up with until he finds a name he likes," Searchman smoothly lies, coming to the rescue.

Much to everyone's immense relief, Jazz buys it easily.

"That's cool!" they exclaim, voice glitching a tiny bit. That gets some startled looks from everyone who hasn't met them in person before. "Why the Amerouppan letter, though? Does it stand for anything, or . . . ?"

"Amerouppan . . ." Rockman trails off, suddenly realising what they mean. "Um, y-yeah! Kinda. It means, uh . . ."

"Name," Searchman supplies, and Rockman makes a mental note to let him take all the leftovers for this later. "Sort of like a name-goes-here type of deal. It'll be easier to leave behind a single-letter nickname rather than one that actually sounds like a name, after all."

"True, true." Jazz nods in agreement, then turns to Enzan with a smile. "Well, I'm glad you have something to call yourself for now, N. Speaking of, shall we get this little name-party started? I brought some links to websites that have some decent Navi-name suggestions, we can take a look through them if you want."

Now that they're thankfully back in (relatively) safe territory, Rockman feels himself relaxing. Hopefully they can prevent any more accidental blunders like that - not that Iceman is to blame anyway, he was just surprised.

Their little 'name-party', as Jazz called it, lasts for almost a full two hours. Searchman and the others spend a lot of that time perusing various websites, typing in different filters and seeing if anything of interest comes up while munching their way through the cyberfood.

Since they set the default filter to 'male Navi-names', a lot of the names that come up have the 'man' suffix attached to them. Enzan doesn't seem particularly fond of any of those, even going as far as to bare his teeth and get Scarfy to exit the current website when one of the suggestions ended up being Swordman of all things.

The closest anyone gets to a good suggestion is Jazz coming up with 'Protoman', mostly as a joke. That's after the group informed them of Enzan's status as an experimental Support Navi, even though it is by all rights a complete lie - although the fact that he's the first and possibly only Paradox Navi does technically make him a prototype anyway. However, Enzan ends up not liking that one either, though not as much as the other names that were put forward.

In the end, they come up with two possible names - Protoman, of course, and simply just Red. There's no rush to make a decision so no one puts any pressure on Enzan, and they all agree to meet up again next week for another name-party.

The others slowly begin to trickle out, Jazz being among the last to leave. They give Scarfy a hug and pat Moomoo on the head in lieu of Enzan, leaving him with a reminder to call or text sometime.

And finally, it's just Searchman, Rockman, Roll, and Enzan left.

"I guess N is a pretty good placeholder for now," Roll muses, sliding down her beanbag chair until she's practically lying on it. "What do you think, Enzan?"

"Don't wanna be a letter," Enzan mutters, curling his lips a little.

"It'll only be for when we're in public or around people who don't know the truth," Searchman tells him. "We will still refer to you as 'Enzan' otherwise."

" . . . Hm. Fine. As long as that doesn't actually become my name."

"It won't, don't worry-" Rockman begins, only to cut himself off when an alert sounds. "Mail? Now? Aw, I wanted to hang around some more . . ."

"If it's not urgent, you totally could," Roll points out.

"I guess." Rockman brings up his inbox and selects the newest one. "Hey, it's from Papa!"

"What is it?" Searchman asks, instantly on alert. Hikari-hakase generally only sends random emails when there's a problem.

"Ah, no, it's fine, it's not marked as 'urgent' or anything. Lemme read it real quick . . ."

They all wait a short while, and soon enough, Rockman nods and dismisses his inbox. He doesn't seem at all bothered, so Searchman takes that to mean there really isn't some new crisis.

Which is very good. If there was something happening on the net, he'd fear for the safety of his friends. Most of all, he'd fear for Enzan's safety - the others can hold their own fairly well, at least long enough to last until help arrives, but Enzan has no way to defend himself. He would not survive a genuine cyberworld crisis.

"Papa just wants to see Enzan at the lab," Rockman explains. "He said it's a check-up, to see how he's doing and stuff. We can head there whenever, as long as we arrive before Papa heads home."

"Just Enzan?" Searchman raises an eyebrow. "What about Blues?"

"Mama's pretty much got Blues covered. Besides, Papa probably wants to see if the helmet program is helping. 'Cus it's new and everything."

"Ah, of course."

Roll gasps suddenly.

"You guys are teaching Enzan how to be a Navi, right?" she checks, and they both nod. "Okay, so hear me out - this kinda seems like a good opportunity to teach him how to link himself into the cyberworld!"

"I'm already in the cyberworld," Enzan points out. It's hard to tell whether or not the sarcastic tone is intentional.

"Homepages are a little different," Searchman says. "PET homepages are the most obvious, since they're completely separate from the cyberworld. PC homepages are connected to the greater cyberworld, yes, but they're still technically isolated spaces, sealed off with security cubes. Unless you're plugged directly into the PC by a human, you won't be able to enter - not unless you either have a homepage link or the necessary P-code. You will, however, be able to leave and go out onto the net regardless of whether or not you have permission to pass the security cube. It's designed that way to allow-"

"I could just walk right through it," Enzan breaks in.

"-Navis to . . . kick out . . ." Searchman trails off, blinking. "Hm. That's . . . true."

"Is it?" Rockman frowns. "I mean, he can walk through firewalls and the lock program, but security cubes are for private networks. They're programmed differently."

"You can go try it if you want," Roll offers, gesturing to the door. "But if you break it, you guys are replacing it."

"That's fair," Searchman agrees. He pushes himself to his feet. "Come on, Rockman, Enzan. Let's go test this theory out, then we can work on linking."

"We can tell Papa about it too!" Rockman hops up, excited. "See you around, Roll-chan!"

He races out before she can even get her hand up to wave. Searchman shakes his head, sighing fondly - sometimes Rockman channels his operator's energy without even realising it. That's not to say it's a bad thing. Rather, it's the exact opposite. Quite endearing to be quite honest.

"Ready to go?" Searchman asks Enzan.

The not-Navi grunts his affirmation, but then suddenly frowns. Before Searchman can ask what's wrong, he turns to Roll.

"Bye, Roll," Enzan says.

Roll smiles, crinkling the corners of her eyes. "Bye-bye, Enzan!"

Searchman feels his mouth quirking to one side and doesn't bother hiding it. He's tempted to offer Enzan a 'well done' pat on the shoulder, but remembers just in time the no-touching rule, so he settles for nodding instead. Enzan gives him a look he can't dissect before leaving.

"He's getting better, huh?" Roll asks, making him pause.

"Little by little," he confirms. "It's a slow progress."

She chuckles. "Still progress though, right?"

His half-smile softens into a full one. "Right."

Enzan is learning how to be a Navi well, even going as far as starting to figure out some functions on his own, without being shown how. For example, neither Searchman nor Rockman taught him how to use the alarm clock, yet he managed to set one in the morning to get Blues to wake up on time for school. Very impressive, to be honest.

Similarly, they're able to teach Enzan how to link himself into the cyberworld - and then to SciLab, once they give him the link address - in almost no time at all. Navis are typically pre-programmed with this knowledge, so it's strange to be teaching someone how to do these things, although quite enjoyable nonetheless.

Once the three - four, he should not forget Scarfy - of them arrive in SciLab, a security Navi takes them into Hikari-hakase's PC, where a basic check-up system has already been set up. The human himself is waiting as well and greets them cheerfully, which appears to put Enzan somewhat at ease.

While the not-Navi settles himself into the check-up system - a horizontal pod similar to the more powerful version in the actual labs - Searchman takes it upon himself to inform Hikari-hakase of their new discovery.

"I see . . ." Hikari-hakase nods slowly, hand on his chin. "So it looks like he can bypass and ignore any type of security system, not just firewalls and lock programs. I'll add this to the report after we're done here. Thank you for letting me know."

"Of course, sir," Searchman replies, giving him a sharp salute.

"How long will this check-up last, Papa?" Rockman asks curiously.

"Just a few minutes. Mostly I want to check that his programming is running normally and ask a few things to see how he's doing."

There's a faint growl from Enzan, somewhat muffled by the glass of the pod. "I'm right here, you know."

"I know, I know," Hikari-hakase soothes. "I was just responding to Rockman since he asked the question, is all. Now then, shall we get started? The most you'll feel from the check-up is a slight tingling. If you feel anything more than that, such as pain or any sort of numbness, let me know immediately and I'll stop."

Enzan makes an odd noise that Searchman interprets as nervousness.

"It's alright, Enzan-kun, this is just a precaution. This check-up system was created specifically to scan your data, since regular ones can't give us accurate information. I just want to be sure that everything goes smoothly, and if anything does happen, I can calibrate and patch it until it's better. Okay?"

" . . . Okay."

Hikari-hakase nods, smiling. "Thank you. Alright, I'll activate the system now. I'll give you a minute to get used to it, then I'll ask you some questions if you're up for it. If not, I can always ask them afterwards, there's no rush."

He waits until Enzan has nodded before actually activating the check-up system. The pod rumbles quietly as it comes to life, screens and panels popping up all around it, and a soft red light slowly begins to travel the length of Enzan's body.

By Searchman's count, the light takes half a minute to go from Enzan's feet to his head, and then another half-minute to do the opposite. Enzan had cringed when it first appeared, but after the first pass, he gradually begins to relax. It probably helps that the system can filter out non-Navi programs, thus allowing him to have both Scarfy and Moomoo with him for the duration.

"How do you feel, Enzan-kun?" Hikari-hakase asks, voice soft to avoid startling the not-Navi.

" . . . Tingly."

"Anything else?"

"No."

Hikari-hakase looks relieved. "That's good. Do you think you'll be able to answer some questions, or would you rather wait until the scan is done?"

Enzan makes a somewhat high-pitched hum.

"You can wait if you want," Searchman tells him, before he can make a hasty decision. "Hikari-hakase already said there's no rush, remember?"

" . . . Wanna wait. Can't think much with this thing going off."

"That's perfectly fine," Hikari-hakase agrees. "I'll let you know when the scan is done, though you should be able to feel it anyway. From what I've been told by Rockman and other Navis, the tingling will fade relatively quickly."

"Right now?"

"Ah, no, I meant when the scan is done."

"Oh. Okay."

A few minutes pass by while the scan continues. Searchman and Rockman settle on small datablocks on one side of the pod, keeping up a casual and hopefully-pleasant conversation to provide Enzan with some sort of engagement. The topic drifts into Net Battling at one point and Enzan looks fairly disinterested, so they swiftly change it to something related but very different, such as viruses or practical uses of support-type Battle Chips.

The latter appears to interest Enzan more. He begins to ask questions about new support-type Chips and their functions, even going as far as to engage in a rather enthusiastic discussion about the possibility of applying Recovery data to non-Navi or non-virus programs. It's quite a fascinating discussion and he brings up some points that neither Searchman or Rockman would have considered, and it looks as though Hikari-hakase is even taking a few notes.

Eventually the scan is complete, and it's a strangely-talkative Enzan who pushes the glass lid open and sits up, swinging his legs over the side.

"If that kind of data could be applied to buildings in the cyberworld, re-construction and restoration would go considerably faster," the not-Navi is saying, moving his hands in tandem with his words. "It works almost instantly for NetNavis and viruses, after all. The problem would be adjusting it to be applied to static data since it's designed for sentient AI programs, and there could also be issues in configuration and memory if the Recovery data is applied incorrectly. Say there's a building that took a huge hit during a battle - if you managed to use Recovery data on it, the desired result would be the building looking as it did before it was hit. However, if you apply it incorrectly, it could cause any number of bugs, from minor ones such as visual glitches to major ones that might even cause crashes."

"So the Recovery data would likely need to be calibrated to the needs of individual buildings," Searchman muses.

"Exactly! And most people wouldn't want to use data that needs to be calibrated every single time, so it'd be difficult to sell the idea to the public. But if there's a way to make the Recovery data calibrate itself, it'd be much more useful."

"The repair programs in Net Battling machines pretty much do the same thing," Rockman points out. "What if we combined the two somehow?"

"That might work, but the Recovery data would still need to be calibrated, and it may not mesh well with the repair program. First, there's the issue that they're completely different things, so you might end up creating some kind of abomination program that collapses every time you try to use it. Second, the repair programs are specifically made to fix battlefield areas, which are built on a different type of code to the rest of the cyberworld in order to handle Net Battling. You'd essentially need to create a new repair program from scratch and code in the Recovery data in the process, but even then it still may not work."

Searchman nods slowly. "I see."

Hikari-hakase suddenly clears his throat. "As interesting and honestly insightful as this conversation happens to be, I do want to ask Enzan-kun those questions now . . ."

"Ah, yes, of course Hikari-hakase. My apologies."

"Aw, but we were having so much fun!" Rockman jokingly complains.

Enzan looks quite put-out by the interruption, but evidently not enough to snap at Hikari-hakase. Or perhaps he's learning to curb his temper. Roll was right, this is definitely progress.

"Now," Hikari-hakase begins, looking at Enzan with a smile, "the first thing I want to ask you is about your helmet program. How has it been so far?"

" . . . Uh . . . Good?"

Hikari-hakase taps his fingers on his keyboard awkwardly. "Could you be a little more specific . . . ?"

Enzan bares his teeth. "Why don't you?"

Scarfy tugs on him until he's paying attention to it rather than Hikari-hakase, and thankfully any irritation quickly vanishes from his expression. Especially when it pushes Moomoo into his face, letting him rub his cheek against its fur.

"Maybe you could ask more specific questions, Papa," Rockman suggests, looking up at his creator. "It'd probably be easier for him to answer like that."

"Ah, right, the wording," Hikari-hakase realises, eyes widening. His smile turns sheepish. "Sorry about that, Enzan-kun, I just completely forgot."

Enzan grunts, attention still mostly on Scarfy and Moomoo.

"Let's try again." Hikari-hakase pauses to think for a moment. " . . . Aha, I think I have it. Has the helmet program been helping you with your noise sensitivity?"

"My . . . what?"

"You don't like it when there's a lot of noise, right?" Rockman reminds him. "And you get stressed from, um, 'sharp' sounds and stuff."

"Oh. That kinda thing. Uh . . . I think it has? Still don't like it when there's too much, but it's easier to ignore some of it now. And sharp sounds aren't as, uh, sharp. I guess. Doesn't hurt as much."

Hikari-hakase nods, rapidly typing away. "I see, thank you. Do you think the noise filter needs any calibration? Or are you happy with it as it is?"

" . . . It seems fine. I think."

"Alright then. If you change your mind, you can always adjust it yourself, or if you'd rather I do it, all you have to do is ask."

" . . . 'Kay."

"Now, what about the information filter? Has it been helping you at all?"

"The . . . information filter . . ."

"It helps with your high perception level and low processing speed," Searchman prompts.

Enzan tilts his head. "Oh. Right. Stuff isn't really . . . everywhere, now? Like when we went to Internet City. There was all that stuff going on, but it wasn't as . . . uh . . ."

"In your face?" Rockman suggests.

"I guess? I dunno. The noise filter thing probably helped too."

"Both filters are designed to work in tandem with each other," Hikari-hakase says, nodding. "Do you think the information filter needs any changes?"

" . . ."

Hikari-hakase's expression is open and free of judgement. "If there's anything you want adjusting, I'll do my best. But you have to tell me what it is you want first. I can't read your mind."

"Mmrr . . ."

"Enzan-kun?"

Enzan presses his lips together, then growls faintly and practically hisses out his next words. "Neon stuff hurts. I hate it."

"Ah, I see. I think I should be able to calibrate the settings to make neon less striking for you - just take off your helmet and I'll see what I can do."

Enzan grunts, doing as he's told. As soon as he has it off, a program arm reaches out to pluck it from his grasp, and Hikari-hakase begins working on it immediately.

Searchman and Rockman quickly strike up another conversation with Enzan while that's happening, in the hopes of helping him calm down. That, combined with Scarfy's gentle efforts and the fluffiness of Moomoo, seems to do fairly well. Within less than a minute, Enzan's expression is back to its neutral blankness.

And then Hikari-hakase makes a puzzled hum.

" . . . Papa?" Rockman prompts, when the head scientist doesn't speak.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. I just found something odd in the program."

"It's not a bug of some sort, is it?" Searchman asks, just barely keeping himself from making it a demand. A not-so-insignificant part of him causes a rush of protective instincts to flood through his systems, all of it directed toward Enzan.

"No, nothing like that, the helmet program is perfectly functional. Except . . . it seems the emotion display has been deactivated."

Enzan's eyes widen a fraction, but other than that, he doesn't react. Searchman notes it quietly, but doesn't bring attention to him just yet.

"Deactivated?" Rockman repeats. "How?"

"That's the thing, I'm not really sure. Enzan-kun, did it stop working at some point? Or was it active when you handed it over?"

Enzan shrugs. He says absolutely nothing, eyes down and focused almost single-mindedly on Scarfy and Moomoo.

There's a beat of silence.

" . . . Enzan-kun," Hikari-hakase says.

It's either his tone or the silence that gets to Enzan, and he bristles with startling speed, baring his teeth at them and glaring.

"Fine, I turned the damn thing off!" he snaps. "Happy now?"

"Enzan-kun-"

"It was always in my face! Wasn't so bad if it was just one person, but then there'd be two or three or even more and it'd be telling me how all of them felt, with these stupid, stupid lists and pointing out bits of their faces or bodies and- and-"

"Enzan-kun-"

"-i-it just wouldn't shut up! I hate it, I hate it, I don't wanna use the stupid thing anymore, just get rid of it or whatever! I'll- I'll do it myself if I have to!"

"Enzan-kun!" Hikari-hakase shouts.

Enzan flinches, hands snapping up to cover his audio receptors. Then he apparently thinks better of it, lowering his arms and wrapping them around his torso instead.

Scarfy tugs on him until he makes a quiet, almost ragged noise, to which it responds by wrapping itself around him as well. It uses one hand to pet his head, gently threading its tassel-fingers through his hair and messing it up and then combing it flat again, while the other grabs Moomoo - which had been dropped to the floor when Enzan started yelling - and nudges his arms until he's clutching it instead of himself.

No one speaks. Searchman would rather not cause Enzan to spiral into a full meltdown, and he has no doubt that Rockman and Hikari-hakase feel the same way.

It takes just over five minutes for Enzan to calm down. He started gently rocking back and forth somewhere halfway through that time, and it appears to help him. The rocking thing is a type of stimming too.

Eventually, Enzan seems to be better. He looks up, but doesn't meet anyone's eyes - which Laika-sama believes may be normal for him anyway, so it's no cause for alarm or concern.

"Sorry," Enzan mutters.

"You don't need to apologise," Hikari-hakase tells him softly. "I'm the one who should be apologising to you, in fact. I should have realised that amount of information would be overwhelming. And . . . I'm sorry I shouted at you."

" . . . Wasn't listening."

"I know. But I'm still sorry. You don't like being shouted at and I'm fully aware of that."

Enzan grunts, looking down at his feet. He swings his legs gently, the tips of his boots just barely brushing the floor.

" . . . Enzan-kun?"

Enzan twitches.

"I'm not angry at you," Hikari-hakase quickly reassures him. "I just want to ask if you'd like me to calibrate the emotion display as well. I have an idea that may help."

" . . . 'Kay."

"Alright. I'll get started on it right now."

"Hey, while Papa does that, do you wanna talk more about the Recovery data stuff?" Rockman asks Enzan. "That was a really fun conversation! I'd love to hear more."

Enzan perks up, eyes brightening, and almost immediately launches into an extremely detailed and animated ramble. Rockman listens and engages at every opportunity, but Searchman decides to take a backseat this time, content to let the two smaller Navis have their back-and-forth.

He mostly keeps an eye on Enzan, making sure he really is okay after that almost-meltdown. They're lucky it didn't turn violent - the only one who could have properly calmed Enzan down from that is Blues, and he's not here.

Eventually, Hikari-hakase is finished with his calibrations, and Enzan is given back his helmet. The not-Navi hesitates before putting it back on, almost seeming to cringe, before he pauses.

"The . . . emotion stuff isn't there?" he asks. "I thought . . . Is the display thingy not active?"

"It is," Hikari-hakase replies. He smiles. "Press your left palm onto your audio receptor and then look at either Rockman or Searchman."

Frowning, Enzan does as he's told, and then jumps. Searchman raises an eyebrow, curious as to what he's seeing.

"I've adjusted the settings so it activates based on touch, rather than staying on at all times," Hikari-hakase explains. "The amount of information it displays has also been calibrated so it doesn't pick up on every tiny detail, just the most relevant ones. In addition, it's also been adjusted so that it will only list these things for the person you're looking at, rather than anyone who happens to be within sight. Is this any better?"

It takes a few moments for Enzan to respond.

" . . . Y-yeah. It's. Fine."

Searchman leans forward a little. "Are you alright?"

"Mhm," Enzan grunts, ducking his head. It looks like the corners of his lips are turned ever-so-slightly up.

Searchman smiles and sits back. Both Rockman and Hikari-hakase look quite pleased as well.

Chapter Text

When Netto and Blues get home after school one day, Mama is sitting at the dining table. She's pouring over a set of instructions and fiddling with a decently-sized disk-like robot. Netto recognises it instantly and feels a jolt of excitement, dumping his schoolbag on the sofa and bounding over to have a look.

"Oh, hello sweetie!" Mama looks up, smiling. "Sorry, I was so caught up in this, I didn't even hear you two come home. Hello, Blues-kun!"

"Um . . . I'm home?" Blues tries.

Mama giggles. "Welcome home."

Blues brightens immediately. It's kinda cute, and not even Enzan giving him a weird look seems to put him down.

But for once, Netto isn't really bothered about that. He's focused on the robot, bouncing on his toes because there's no other way for him to spend his excited energy.

"You got a roomba!?" he demands, delighted. "I always wanted one of those! Yaito-chan has like a small army of them, they're so much fun!"

"Oh, well, I don't think we'll have an army," Mama laughs. "Just this one is enough. I bought it to replace the vacuum cleaner."

Netto purses his lips, curious. "The vacuum cleaner? How come?"

"Enzan-kun doesn't like the noise. So I thought maybe this would be better - especially since it's one of the quiet ones."

" . . . You didn't need to," Enzan mutters. If Netto looks very carefully, he swears he can almost see the not-Navi blushing faintly.

"I wanted to," Mama says, smiling gently. "You deserve to be comfortable here too, Enzan-kun."

" . . . 'Kay."

"D'you need any help, Mama?" Netto offers, looking at the booklet of instructions and the roomba itself.

"No need, sweetheart! I'm already done with the hard parts, and the roomba is even fully-charged. I'm just looking up how to turn on Navi-assist mode."

Netto perks up. "Ooh! It's one of those types? Cool!"

"Navi-assist mode?" Blues repeats. He edges closer to the roomba, leaning over to get a better look at it. "I-is it like the Navi-assisted arcade machines?"

"That's right, Blues-kun!" Mama confirms. "According to these instructions, the roomba has two settings. The first is automated, which is the standard setting. The second is Navi-assist mode, which lets you plug in a NetNavi so they can control the roomba! It took a while to find one that had both settings and was quiet, but it's worth it."

"Wow!" Rockman gasps. He hops down from Netto's shoulder, landing onto the roomba. "You said it's fully charged, right Mama? Can we try it out now?"

"Of course! I think I know how to switch modes . . . Give me a moment."

Mama reaches out to turn the roomba on. It whirs to life, the control panel on its top lighting up, and Mama presses a button to make a small holoscreen appear above it. Looks like the operating menu.

"Let's see . . ." Mama presses her lips together, checking the instructions. "Settings . . . Modes . . . Aha, here we are!"

She switches the mode from 'auto' to 'Navi', then backs out of Settings. Now, in addition to the rest of the operating menu, there's big text saying PLUG IN at the top of the screen.

"There we go," Mama says, sitting back in satisfaction. "Rockman, Enzan-kun, would you boys like to go inside and see how it looks?"

"Sure, Mama!"

" . . . Okay."

They both deactivate their holograms.

"Plug in, Rockman.EXE, transmission!" Netto declares, aiming at the roomba's port.

"Um . . ." Blues hesitates, exchanging a glance with Enzan, who shrugs. "P-plug in, Enzan-sama . . . ?"

As the transmission beam flashes out from both PETs, Netto wonders if he should help Blues be more confident with plugging in. Maybe it eventually won't be an issue (if they really can get Blues and Enzan to switch back), but it might help with the former Navi's confidence.

"It's cosy in here!" Rockman cheerfully reports.

"What's this panel . . . ?" Enzan murmurs.

"Looks like the controls. Let me see."

There's a brief moment of silence, and then Rockman makes a pleased noise.

"Yep, I was right! Oh, these over here must be the sensors for auto-mode. I think we can still use them in Navi-mode, that'll probably make getting around easier."

Enzan grunts. "There's a screen here, though."

"It looks like it only shows what's directly in front of the roomba, so it's a fairly limited view. The sensors can pick up things underneath us too, so we'll know if we get stuck on anything."

"Oh. Okay."

"All good, boys?" Mama calls.

"Everything seems fine, Mama!" Rockman replies. "Can you put us on the floor so we can test it out?"

"Sure thing!"

Netto and Blues step back to allow Mama to set the roomba down. It rumbles quietly, ready to move at the command of the two Navis inside it.

"The controls are just for one person," Enzan comments.

Rockman hums. "In that case . . . How about you focus on that, and I can keep an eye on the sensors? Think you can handle the controls on your own?"

"What, you think I'm too stupid to do this?" Enzan hisses.

Netto winces, as does Blues, and Mama frowns and looks as though she's about to step in. But Rockman remains perfectly calm, which is frankly impressive. Netto probably wouldn't have been able to keep his cool if it were him Enzan was directing that at.

"No, not at all. It's just that this machine is completely new to both of us. Even if they're only meant for one Navi, it might not be a bad idea for us to both work on the controls, just in case. So, what do you wanna do?"

" . . . Oh. Uh. Well. It . . . looks simple enough. I'll do it myself."

"Alright, have at it! We'll switch once you've gotten the hang of it so we can both get experience, okay?"

"Uh . . . sure."

The roomba beeps quietly, then begins to move forward. Netto feels his worry over Enzan's temper melting away, his excitement at finally having a roomba in the house replacing it quickly. This is the absolute coolest thing ever. Aside from Net Battling. And curry. Okay, fine, it's the third coolest thing ever.

Laika parks his motorbike and chains it to the fence, then slips his helmet into the compartment under the seat, locking it up safe and sound. The neighbourhood the Hikaris - and Meiru - live in is a pleasant one, but one can never be too careful when it comes to personal possessions. He would rather be safe than sorry. Even if it does bring the occasional round of teasing from his younger friends.

He heads inside the house and takes his shoes off, slotting them onto the rack beside Blues's red boots. Then he puts on a pair of uwabaki, more his pair than anything else. They're a mint-green colour, almost matching his hair, and fit him perfectly. Haruka-san is scarily good at figuring out people's clothing sizes just from looks alone.

He calls out to the house in general, announcing his return - though it likely isn't necessary given they probably heard the roar of his bike anyway - and gets several responses from the main room. That's interesting; normally someone is upstairs at this time of day, typically Netto.

He walks into the main room and proceeds to almost get his toes crushed by a disk-like robot whirring past.

"What the-!?" he yelps, jumping back.

"Beep beep!" Rockman's cheerful voice calls from the robot.

"Outta the way, idiot!" Enzan's somewhat-harsher voice snaps.

Laika stares, watching the robot whir off in an apparently-random direction. Rockman and Enzan's voices continue to emit from it.

"Watch it, table leg!" Enzan warns.

The robot turns, just barely avoiding the obstacle.

"Woops!" Rockman laughs. "Almost hit it. Thanks, Enzan!"

" . . . What," Laika says.

"Heya, Laika!" Netto calls from the dining table, waving. Haruka-san sits next to him and they appear to be reading a book of some sort together.

"Good evening, Laika-kun!" Haruka-san offers a smile in greeting. "How was your day?"

"Er . . . it was fine? I just filed reports, mostly." He takes a few cautious steps into the room, keeping an eye out for the robot. "How . . . how was your day . . . ?"

Haruka-san giggles good-naturedly. "Go ahead and ask, I can tell you want to."

Oh, thank god.

"What is that thing?" he demands, jabbing his thumb at the robot. It bumps into the wall and Rockman's bubbly laughter mixes with Enzan's half-hearted cursing. "And why are Rockman and Enzan apparently inside it?"

"You act like you've never seen a roomba before!" Netto jokes.

Laika looks at him blankly.

" . . . Oh my god, you've never seen a roomba before. How."

"Netto, don't be like that," Haruka-san scolds her son gently. "Maybe Sharo just doesn't have them. Some places don't, it's perfectly fine."

"But they're roombas! Everyone needs a roomba!"

"It would be helpful if you could actually explain what a roomba is first," Laika deadpans.

"It's a cleaning robot," Blues says.

Laika half-twists around to look at him. The former Navi is sitting in the exact centre of the sofa, legs tucked under himself. He's cuddling his rabbit toy while doing something on his PET, and based on what's visible on the holoscreen, it appears to be homework.

"Haruka-san got it 'cus Enzan-sama doesn't like the vacuum cleaner," he goes on. "It's got a Navi-assist mode so Navis can go in and control it, so that's why Enzan-sama and Rockman are playing with it."

" . . . Huh," Laika says.

He's not sure what's more surprising - the fact that Japan has Navi-assisted cleaning robots this small, or that Blues got through that entire explanation without stammering even once. Both things are quite impressive, to be honest.

Something thumps into his ankles and he jolts, looking down. The robot - the roomba - bumps into him again, lights flashing on its top.

"Sorry, Laika!" Rockman giggles.

"Move your giant feet!" Enzan heckles him. "We're trying to clean stuff!"

Laika frowns and gives the roomba a gentle kick. It turns and whirs away, taking Rockman's laughter and Enzan's cursing with it.

He hears a snicker behind him and throws a glare over his shoulder. Netto just grins innocently.

Yuuichirou leans back in his chair, tilting his head toward the ceiling and pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes ache and he can feel something of a headache building up, but he's so, so close to finishing his latest project. He can't stop now, he has to keep going until-

He looks down and his eyes land on a framed image, sitting innocently on his desk. It's just a simple picture of his wife and sons - Netto holding onto his PET, the old plug-in style one, and Rockman beaming from the screen - but just seeing it almost instantly melts the drive to stay at SciLab.

He promised he wouldn't let his work consume him anymore. Occasionally it's unavoidable and his family is very understanding, but staying when there's no pressing or urgent matters that need attending to would mean breaking his word. And he really, truly wants to do better as a husband and father. Especially now that it looks like they're going to have two more boys to look after.

Alright then. Time to save his progress, note down his thoughts on where he could go from here, and then shut down his computer. He can continue this tomorrow, he has a family to get back home to.

Meijin bursts into the room before he can even get out of his chair.

"I've got another version ready for inspection!" the eccentric man announces, practically vibrating with visible excitement.

 . . . Surely his family will understand if he's a little bit late.

"Let's see it," Yuuichirou invites, gesturing to his desk.

Meijin grins and throws himself into a chair, rolling to the side a little before he manages to drag himself back over. He sets a laptop onto the desk, taking the screen out of standby mode and showing off the program he's been working on.

"This version is so much cooler than the previous one! See, look, these pieces slot together like a puzzle, and if you solve it, it makes a little pop sound! The solution resets every time, so it's always new! The chew part is pretty sturdy and I've added in a bunch of different cyberfood flavours, so that'll be different every single time too. There's also this part that lets the whole thing stretch out and be all squishy if you squeeze it, and-"

"Wait, wait, hold on," Yuuichirou interrupts, waving his hand. "I think maybe that's too much."

"Aw, come on, it's awesome! It'll be so much fun! There's so much to do with it!"

"Yes, and like I just said, that's the problem. He likes consistency, remember. If you make it change every time he does something with it, he's not going to enjoy it much."

Meijin deflates almost comically. "But hakase . . ."

Yuuichirou chuckles. Sometimes Meijin can be so immature, it's like dealing with an adult version of Netto.

"Just keep it simple," he advises. "I'd also suggest losing the flavours thing. He might end up with one he doesn't like and that would just ruin the whole thing for him. Or it might make him eat it by accident . . ."

"Oh . . . Right, I didn't think of that, oops." Meijin laughs sheepishly. "And the stretchy-squishy part?"

"That's good, but I don't necessarily think it needs to be a feature for this one. Maybe you can make a second one and have that be stretchy instead?"

Meijin enthusiastically drums his hands on the desk. "That's a brilliant idea, Hikari-hakase!"

"Thank you."

"So, what about the actual design of it?" Meijin asks. "Colours and shapes and such."

"The colours are good, I don't think there's any changes needed there. As for the shapes, rings are a solid pick - although perhaps you could add in a full disk or two, for a little bit of variety. He won't like it if it's got too much in it, but he'll likely get bored of it if it's all the same shape."

Meijin nods, listening intently.

"You'll probably need to add in some sort of auto-restoration feature too. No matter how sturdy the chew is, it'll get worn down eventually. Since it's a cyberworld program, it's likely to degrade and auto-delete once it's in bad enough condition."

"Should I have it restore after every time he uses it?"

"No, I think maybe . . . after a set period of time, say once or twice a month maybe. If he likes it enough, he may not want to put it down, so he'll probably be using it for a long time."

"Gotcha. I could maybe allow for manual restoration as well, just in case-"

Yuuichirou's desk phone suddenly goes off, startling both of them. Meijin frowns at it like it's personally offended him, which makes Yuuichirou have to hold back a laugh - an adult version of Netto indeed! - as he answers it.

"Hikari-hakase speaking."

"Ah, s-sir . . . ? This is the front desk."

He's immediately on alert. Meijin straightens, turning serious in an instant.

"Is something wrong?" Yuuichirou demands.

"Not- not necessarily, sir-"

The receptionist is interrupted by a faint voice demanding to have the phone.

Yuuichirou goes cold. He recognises that voice, for all that he hasn't interacted with its owner more than a handful of times. The receptionist's nervous tone turns into a more frantic one.

"I-I'm sorry, sir, but please wait for a moment- wait, you can't-"

"Hikari-hakase," Ijuuin-san's indifferent, almost callous, voice says, much clearer now. "I demand to speak with you immediately."

Yuuichirou exchanges an anxious glance with Meijin. This isn't a man who will react well to being told 'no' for any reason. Taking the phone from the receptionist only proves that. And after everything they've learned from Blues and Enzan-kun . . .

He doesn't know what this man wants, but it can't be good for anyone.

He swallows and puts on a neutral face, keeping his tone even. "Of course, Ijuuin-san. I'll send someone to escort you to my office."

"Good."

The phone line goes dead. Yuuichirou's hand slips off the button, and his heart sinks deep into his gut.

It looks like he won't be going home today.

Chapter Text

It's a nice, breezy day outside, and Netto is lounging on the sofa, arms folded across the back with his chin laying on top. There are some white fluffy clouds in the sky and birds flying past. All seems nice and calm, not a sign of trouble anywhere.

"Papa didn't come home last night," he comments.

"Maybe something important came up," Rockman suggests. "Or a new project. You know how he gets."

"Yeah, but he promised . . ."

"He'll come back eventually. Or he'll send an email or something. He won't forget his family."

Netto hums, still worried, and pushes himself up to twist around and look at Mama. She's on her laptop at the dining table - he's not entirely sure what she's doing, but she must be buying something else online, because he heard her muttering about prices and times a few minutes ago.

"Hey, Mama?"

"Hm?" Mama looks up. "Yes, Netto?"

"Has Papa sent us any messages? He didn't come home yesterday . . ."

Mama's expression softens. "I know, sweetie, I'm worried too. He hasn't sent anything yet, but I'm keeping an ear out for-"

The house phone suddenly rings.

"-that," Mama finishes, somewhat lamely. "Well, that was . . . awfully convenient . . ."

"It's probably not gonna be Papa," Rockman points out, as she gets up to answer it.

"It'd be kinda funny if it was though," Netto says.

"Hello, Hikari residence?" Mama waits, and then her voice brightens. "Oh, hi honey! We were just talking about you!"

Netto gives Rockman a smug look. His Navi rolls his eyes good-naturedly.

"No, no, nothing bad, don't be silly . . . Mhm . . . Okay . . . Oh . . ."

That doesn't sound good. Netto exchanges a worried glance with Rockman, then they both turn back to watch Mama. Her back is to them so they can't see her expression, but her tone and the slump of her shoulders says more than enough.

"I see," she says, sighing. "Alright, honey. I'll let the kids know. Come home when you can, okay? Love you."

She hangs up and covers her face with her hands, then lowers them and turns around. Her smile is tainted with sadness.

"It looks like Papa won't be back for a while," she explains. "He said something important came up."

" . . . Oh," Netto says.

"Did he say what it was?" Rockman asks.

Mama shakes her head. "He only told me it's very delicate in nature, so he has to personally oversee it."

"Oh," Netto says again.

"Netto, sweetie? Are you alright?"

He blinks, then forces a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine! It's not like this is the first time he- I mean- uh-"

"Netto . . ."

His smile wavers. He has to fight to keep it in place, ignoring the heavy pit in his stomach.

"I-it's fine, really," he says.

"Netto-kun, it's okay to be upset," Rockman gently tells him.

"I'm not! I'm totally fine!"

Mama crosses the room and sits next to him, opening her arms. His eyes feel like they're burning all of a sudden and he has to blink hard to make it stop, then he leans into his mama's side, hiding his face. He feels her slowly petting his hair, along with a faint buzz of static as Rockman curls up in the crook of his neck.

Eventually he feels . . . kinda better, so he insists he's actually fine until Mama reluctantly gives in and heads back to her laptop. He goes back to staring out the window with Rockman, neither of them speaking, but his Navi's little hand resting on his cheek is a nice reminder that he's not alone.

"-all kinds of pretty rocks there."

Netto blinks, sitting up, as Blues wanders into the main room with Enzan on his shoulder. The former Navi is talking with visible excitement, holding his creepy rabbit in one arm while his free hand gestures enthusiastically. Enzan isn't looking at him, but instead at Moomoo as he absently chews on one of Scarfy's tassel-fingers, but Netto has figured out enough about the not-Navi by now to know he's definitely still listening.

"I dunno if you're not meant to take them, but I saw some really nice-looking ones when we passed by on the way home from school. I kinda wanna go and get 'em . . ."

Enzan drops Scarfy from his mouth. "Didn't see a sign that says 'don't touch the damn rocks'."

"Mm . . . Maybe it's more of a common courtesy kinda thing? Like an unspoken rule or something?"

"And that matters why? You want the rocks, get the rocks. If they didn't want people taking the things, they should've put up a sign instead of assuming everyone cares about their stupid unspoken rule."

Blues giggles.

"You guys are stealing rocks?" Netto asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Blues says.

"No," Enzan says.

They both look at each other. Blues looks like he's holding back laughter, while Enzan just looks mildly irritated. Pretty standard at this point.

"Oh, Blues-kun, Enzan-kun!" Mama gets up from the dining table, heading over to them. "I've got a couple of things to tell you."

"I didn't do anything," Enzan immediately says.

"It's nothing like that, don't worry."

"Hm."

Mama smiles, the sadness from before still lingering in it. "Yuuichirou won't be coming home for a while, so it'll just be us, plus Laika-kun and Searchman. Something came up at SciLab, so he's very busy."

"Aw . . ." Blues's shoulders slump. "We won't see him at all?"

"I'm afraid not, sweetie."

"The fact that he comes back regularly is weird anyway," Enzan remarks. "So, what's the second thing?"

There's a brief moment of silence as everyone digests that. Netto has no idea what the not-Navi is talking about and is too confused to even think about getting upset over it, until it dawns on him what that must mean.

Going home after work is a strange concept to Enzan. So strange that he thinks Papa is the weird one for coming home every day. And Blues did once say that Enzan sleeps on the sofa in his office. That has . . . very unpleasant and very worrying implications.

They should probably sit down and have a proper talk with Enzan about his home life at some point. Or, uh, office life. Does he even go home at all? Does he just live in his office?

God. That's just sad.

"Hey!" Enzan snaps. "Hikari-san! What's the second thing?"

Mama blinks, visibly startled. "Uh- oh! R-right, sorry, I just . . . got lost in thought . . . Ahem. Enzan-kun, this is more for you than anything else."

Enzan tilts his head. Blues does too, almost in unison, and a part of Netto wonders if they're more in sync now. They're definitely getting along way better than before.

"Remember how I promised to take you to see the new Star Potter?" Mama asks.

Netto blinks. When did that happen? Also, why?

" . . . Thought you forgot about that," Enzan mutters.

"I wouldn't forget something as important as this," Mama assures him. "I've been checking the website every so often to book a ticket. They were sold out most of the time, but I managed to get lucky earlier, and I bought one for a showing tomorrow! What do you think?"

Enzan jumps to his feet, tapping his toes a few times. He's squeezing Moomoo tight and almost looks like he's vibrating, and Scarfy seems to be doing some kind of celebratory wiggle with its arms.

Mama giggles. "I take it that means you want to go?"

Enzan presses his lips together and nods rapidly.

"Wonderful! Blues-kun, may I have Enzan-kun tomorrow?"

"Um . . . s-sure? A-actually, I . . . kinda forgot that Enzan-sama likes Star Potter too . . ."

"Not surprised," Enzan says flatly. "Your memory is absolute crap now that you're a human."

Blues laughs sheepishly. "Y-yeah . . . I'm sorry I forgot . . ."

"Meh."

Netto keeps staring, not knowing what to make of the scene unfolding in front of him. And since when did Enzan like Star Potter? He doesn't seem like the type to care about movies and stuff like that. What other things does he like that they don't know about? Maybe they need to ask about that, too. It wouldn't be nice to keep him away from that kinda stuff just 'cus they don't know about it.

The next day, Blues hands his PET over to Mama and she takes Enzan out to the cinema. That leaves Netto alone with both Rockman and Blues - since Laika and Searchman are at the Net Police HQ as usual - and he decides to invite Blues to play some video games in the main room, but the former Navi just smiles awkwardly and politely refuses before heading up to his bedroom.

" . . . He's avoiding me," Netto realises, a few minutes later. "Like, before he was just being weird, but now he's actually avoiding me."

Rockman watches him quietly.

"What did I do wrong?" he laments, flopping down so he's lying on the sofa. "Was it something I said? I don't remember being mean to him, I'm always super-careful with him! Or I try to be. Does he not like that anymore? He's getting more confident and stuff, maybe he doesn't wanna be treated with kiddie-gloves . . ."

"That's . . . unlikely," Rockman says, apparently deciding to take pity on him.

"Then what is it!? Why is he avoiding me!?"

Rockman sighs. "I was kinda hoping this would sort itself out over time, but it looks like that won't be the case . . ."

Netto sits up and looks at him. "Wait. You know what's going on?"

"Maybe. I talked about it with Roll-chan before Blues started school - she thinks maybe Blues is upset that you were hurting Enzan so much. I mean . . . it makes sense, right?"

" . . . Oh," Netto says, shoulders slumping. "That- that's- . . . Y-yeah, it does. But I already apologised to Enzan, so . . . how come Blues is still . . . ?"

"He and Enzan are different people, remember. Even if Enzan doesn't care anymore, Blues obviously still does."

Netto purses his lips, humming. "Then . . . maybe I should say sorry to him, too."

Rockman smiles. "Yeah, that seems like a good idea. Just be gentle, okay?"

"Right. Don't wanna scare him into another panic attack, he hasn't had one lately."

"That, and it'd be mean to upset him again."

"Yeah."

Time to head upstairs and hopefully talk to Blues.

Netto is kinda worried about what'll happen if he refuses to accept this apology, or even if the former Navi refuses to talk to him at all. But they have to sort this out - hopefully before it gets any worse and creates any sort of actual conflict.

Upsetting Blues is just about one of the absolute worst things a person could ever do. It's worse than murder, even. Though the police would probably disagree.

Blues's bedroom door isn't open, so he knocks a couple of times. There's a startled yelp and a quiet thump from the other side and he winces. Dang, he didn't mean to do that. Add it to the list of stuff he's goofed up lately, he supposes.

The door opens and Blues looks out at him, blinking. His blankets are in a pile on the floor, along with a couple of pillows, the creepy rabbit, and a fluffy cushion that Mama bought mostly so Blues could put his PET on it at night, because apparently Enzan likes fluffy stuff. Which, again, doesn't seem like something a person like him would like, but whatever.

"Uh . . . whatcha doing?" Netto asks.

" . . . Making a nest?" Blues replies. He presses his lips together, tugging on his gloves. "Um . . . E-Enzan-sama mentioned it once, a long time ago, s-so I thought . . . it might be fun, for, um, when he . . . gets back . . ."

"Oh. Cool! Looks cosy!"

Rockman clears his throat and Netto abruptly remembers the reason he's here.

"Right, um . . ." He bites his lip, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Blues . . . I wanted to say I'm sorry. I know you're upset 'cus I was treating Enzan like dirt and you have every right to avoid me, but I just want things to be okay between us again. If that's okay?"

Blues stares at him.

" . . . Um, Blues?"

The former Navi makes an odd noise. "You- you think that's why I'm . . . upset?"

Netto blinks. "It's not?"

"N-no- no, that's not it at all! I mean, I am upset about it, b-but . . . that's not . . ."

"Then . . . what is it?" Netto is completely at a loss here. He apologised for the wrong thing and now Blues is even more upset. "How come you're avoiding me all of a sudden?"

"You don't know?"

Netto blinks, taken aback. Rockman looks just as startled as he feels - and small wonder why. They've never heard that kinda tone from Blues, like, ever. He sounds almost . . . angry.

"Y-you seriously-" Blues begins, before cutting himself off and burying his face in his hands.

He's shuddering. Practically shaking, even.

" . . . Blues?" Netto asks softly, lifting a hand to reach out.

Blues snaps his head up before he even gets halfway, and he freezes in place.

That's definitely anger. Blues is glaring at him, a look almost identical to Enzan's own moody glower. It's one thing to see it on him, but on Blues . . . It's so bizarre. Terrifying, almost. Blues doesn't get angry. He cries and panics and he's timid and nervous, but he's never been angry. Not that Netto ever recalls, at least.

"My feelings matter, don't they?" Blues demands. His voice trembles as much as his body. "That's what you and everyone else is always telling me?"

"Uh, y-yeah, of cou-"

Blues bares his teeth and Netto shuts his mouth.

"Then why did you dismiss them!?" the former Navi snaps.

" . . . Wha-"

"When Enzan-sama came back! Y-you said- I-I-"

"Blues, calm down," Rockman tries to soothe him. "You're not making any sense, just take a deep breath and-"

"NO!"

Netto and Rockman jump.

Blues clenches his fists. "I am not calming down this time! E- Enzan-sama came home after he ran away and no one bothered to tell me!"

"Y-you were asleep-" Netto tries to remind him.

"I don't care!" Blues shouts. There are tears in his eyes, threatening to fall. "You should have woken me up! But you didn't! A-and then- and then- in the morning- I said that, I told you, a-and you just-"

The tears spill over and Netto wants nothing more than to comfort him, but he's honestly afraid of getting punched in the face for trying.

"You said it was fine! Like it didn't even matter! Y-you just dismissed how I felt, after years of telling me that my feelings deserve to be acknowledged! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!?"

Netto flinches back. Blues takes the opportunity to shove past him, marching for the stairs.

"W-wait-" Netto yelps, taking a step after him.

"Don't follow me!" Blues snaps.

His feet freeze in place. He stares at the floor, listening to Blues's angry footsteps stomping down the stairs, and then there's silence for a few seconds before the front door slams, making him flinch.

The house suddenly feels so empty.

Netto sinks to his knees, staring bleakly at the floor. "R-Rockman . . . I think I messed up."

" . . . I think we both did," Rockman says quietly.

Blues heads to the park. He hopes Netto-san won't follow him, because he doesn't know what he might do if he does - and even though he's so angry it burns his insides, a part of him is scared of what damage he could do to a human, even in this body.

Makers. He wishes he'd thought to grab the Dysphoria Rabbit before he left. But he didn't and now his arms are empty and he doesn't even have Enzan-sama because Haruka-san has him instead. His operator would probably be insulting Netto-san non-stop right now, and even though it'd be mean, it'd kinda be funny, and he'd probably feel a bit better even if it was only temporary.

It's not fair. Why'd this have to happen now? He would've been fine with just pretending there wasn't a problem, even if he sometimes couldn't bring himself to be around Netto-san.

They won't let you back into the house after this.

He winces and kicks a pebble, watching it skitter across the path until it bounces into the grass. It shouldn't bother him, but a part of him feels hollow watching it vanish out of sight.

NetNavis aren't supposed to get angry like that. NetNavis aren't supposed to shout at humans.

"But I'm human too," he mumbles.

Are you?

Well, he is right now. But . . . he eventually won't be, will he? Once he and Enzan-sama get their Synchro rate up enough, they'll be able to use the experimental Synchro Chip, and then everything will go back to normal.

Except he likes how things are now. He gets to talk to Enzan-sama and Enzan-sama actually listens to him, asks him stuff, and talks back. Enzan-sama is more grumpy than angry nowadays and he can help him calm down when he's having a meltdown, and Enzan-sama helps him too, speaking up when he's too nervous and getting him up in the morning and reminding him about stuff that his human brain keeps forgetting.

And he . . . he likes being human. He likes trying new foods, he likes having a bedroom, he likes putting on his clothes, he likes helping Haruka-san clean the house. He likes all of it. Loves it, even.

He doesn't know if he wants to go back to being a Navi after this. But he also doesn't know if he'll be allowed to live with the Hikaris after shouting at Netto-san.

They'll lock you out of the house, just like how your operator used to lock you out of his PET.

Tears flow freely down his cheeks and his breath hitches. His vision is too blurry to see anymore, but he can just about make out a bench nearby, so he heads over and sits down, hunching up and digging his fingers into his hair.

Remember all those expensive hair products Haruka-san got for you? She'll regret buying them now that you're gone.

"Sh-shut up," he whispers.

"I haven't said anything."

He yelps, flailing, and snaps his head up. Laika-san stands about a foot or two away, Searchman perched on his shoulder. They both look worried, in their own subtle ways. When did they even get there? Have they been following him? Was he too wrapped up in his own misery that he didn't notice?

Laika-san gestures to the bench. "Room for one more?"

Blues hesitates a little before nodding.

"Thank you," Laika-san says, settling down. He's within arm's length, but far enough away that Blues doesn't feel . . . intimidated, for lack of better words.

" . . . Thought you were at HQ."

"We were," Searchman confirms. "But Netto contacted us. He said you were upset and you left the house on your own, so we came to find you."

Blues swallows, looking down at his hands. The fingerless gloves he picked out, the very first thing he chose all on his own, seem almost like they're accusing him. Of what, he's not sure.

"I don't have my PET," he mumbles. "How did you . . . ?"

"Pure luck," Laika-san replies. "This just happened to be the first place we decided to check."

"Oh. Okay."

A few moments pass by in silence. The park itself isn't quiet - there's the sound of children playing in the distance, the occasional bark of an energetic dog, and birds chirping to each other somewhere behind them. But it's a welcome type of noise. Peaceful. Calm.

Eventually, it's Laika-san who breaks the silence between them.

"Netto mentioned something about messing up," he says. "Said he's the reason you got upset and left."

Blues scowls, hugging himself tight. "Glad he finally acknowledged it."

Silence again. This time he makes himself look up, only to see the same shock he saw on Netto-san and Rockman's faces reflected on Laika-san and Searchman's.

The anger burns hotter.

"What?" he demands. "Did you people think I couldn't get mad?"

Searchman finds his voice first. "N-no, it's just . . . you're acting a lot like Enzan right now."

"Hmph." Blues looks away, pursing his lips. He's not pouting. "Well, he is my operator, in case you somehow forgot."

" . . . Blues . . ."

"What happened?" Laika-san gently prompts. "What did Netto do that made you so angry?"

"Wasn't just him," Blues mutters.

Laika-san exchanges a glance with Searchman.

"Was it . . . Rockman, too?" Laika-san eventually asks, sounding doubtful.

Blues clenches his fists and whips his head up to glare at them both. "It was all of you!"

Searchman blinks hard. "What?"

Makers, why doesn't anyone understand? Even Rockman didn't get it, and he's always good at stuff like this! How many more times is he gonna have to explain this because he's the only one who cares?

"No one told me when Enzan-sama came back! He ran away and I- I-I thought he'd never come home but he did and NO ONE BOTHERED TO TELL ME!"

Laika-san jerks away, wide-eyed. Searchman takes a step forward in mid-air, but Blues shoots a glare at him and he freezes.

"And worst of all, Netto-san acted like it didn't even matter!" Blues exclaims. His voice is shrill and scratches his throat painfully, but his anger forces him to keep going. "H-h-he wouldn't have even let me talk to Enzan-sama until Ro- Rockman t-told him to- t-to-"

"Blues-" Searchman begins, alarmed.

He interrupts. "N-no! Let- let me talk, for once just let me- let- hhh-"

"Blues, you're going to hurt yourself like this," Laika-san says firmly. "Here, let's try counting-"

"YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!"

They both flinch. Blues can't contain himself anymore and jumps up from the bench, pacing back and forth. His hands clench in and out of fists and he keeps hugging himself and he really, really wishes he had the Dysphoria Rabbit or Enzan-sama right now. Preferably both.

"N-no one ever listens! Y-y-you just- you think if you make me calm down it'll g-go away, but- but I'm not just upset, I'm mad, I'm angry, and I wanna punch something but I can't 'cus I wanna punch Netto-san or you or anyone a-and I could hurt you but I'm s-still so m-mad and- and-"

What happened to all the air in his lungs? What happened to the air outside, actually? It seems way too thin right now.

"-and I- I just- wh-why- why didn't a-anyone t-tell me? Enzan . . . sama . . . c-came back, a-and . . . ahh . . . hhh . . ."

A pair of arms wrap around him, squeezing tight. He buries his face in warm, soft material, breathing hard and gasping for air, and feels a firm pressure rubbing circles onto his back.

He's exhausted all of a sudden. Whatever was driving him before is just suddenly gone, and now even the anger isn't enough to keep him going, leaving him burnt out and cold. He wants Enzan-sama. He wants the Dysphoria Rabbit. He wants to go home and fall into his bed and go to sleep and not talk to anyone until the need to punch someone goes away.

" . . . You were asleep," Laika-san explains quietly. "We all agreed you needed rest, so telling you about Enzan could wait until the morning."

Blues tenses, anger beginning to burn again.

"But we were wrong to do that."

He pauses.

"It wasn't fair to you," Laika-san says, pulling him closer. "You were so scared and worried, we should have realised that not telling you as soon as possible would upset you so much. We didn't, and that's on us. I'd say we'll do better in the future, but hopefully nothing like this ever happens again."

Blues swallows hard, biting his suddenly-trembling lip.

"I'm sorry we didn't wake you up," Laika-san says.

Searchman speaks up as well. "I also agreed to not tell you, so . . . I must apologise too."

Blues's breath hitches, and that's all it takes for him to burst into tears. He doesn't bother keeping quiet - Laika-san will just glare away any random humans who might come over anyway. He just clutches Laika-san's coat and wails his heart out.

It's a relief.

Laika-san gives him a piggyback home, and it's comfortable despite exhaustion trying to drag him into sleep. He almost falls asleep once or twice on the way back, but somehow manages to find the will to keep his eyes open. Actually, Searchman probably helps a lot with that, engaging him in some conversation he barely understands. He's not sure if he responds in any sort of coherent manner.

Only when they're through the front door and Laika-san is helping him slip his boots off does he remember that Netto-san is still around, but he doesn't see him anywhere and he's honestly too tired to care right now anyway.

When they've both got their uwabaki on, Laika-san guides him into the bathroom and helps him wash his face. He catches sight of himself in the mirror and some delirious part of him almost laughs at what a mess he is, but then there's cold water being splashed on his face and suddenly all he can think about is how refreshing it is.

And then he's taken upstairs, half-dragging his feet. His bedroom door is still open and there's the nest he was trying to make earlier, and-

There's Netto-san, on his knees and adjusting a couple of pillows that were definitely not there before. In fact, the whole nest looks kinda different - bulkier underneath, with extra blankets and pillows and a plushie of Rockman of all things sitting next to the Dysphoria Rabbit.

Netto-san looks up and spots them, eyes widening. He jumps to his feet and scrambles over, but hovers uncertainly a foot or two away.

" . . . Wh-what . . ." Blues slowly tries to ask, but his voice seems to be failing him. He could probably do with some water to drink, actually.

Netto-san opens his mouth, hesitates, then closes it and glances over his shoulder at the nest. He audibly swallows and looks back at Blues before trying again.

"I . . . I know it doesn't make up for what I did, but . . ." He trails off, swallowing again. "I-I added some stuff to your, uh, nest. Rockman helped me figure out how to make it good and stuff. Spare pillows underneath so it's more comfy, a couple of extra blankets, some more pillows and stuff on top, and, uh . . . I don't really have any other plushies, so I hope my Rockman one is okay?"

Blues stares.

Netto-san looks uncomfortable almost immediately, shuffling his feet. "I-I can . . . I can take it all out if you don't like it, um-"

Blues launches himself at him, dragging him into a tight hug. He buries his face into Netto-san's shoulder.

"Th-thank you," he whispers.

He feels Netto-san relaxing, arms coming up to hug him back.

"Hey," Laika-san says, not unkindly. "As touching as this is, Blues is exhausted. Let him get some rest, Netto."

"Ah- right, sorry."

Netto-san lets go and Blues follows his lead, allowing himself to be led over to the nest. He doesn't bother being careful - he just flops down ungracefully, tucking himself into the blankets, and is finally able to grab the Dysphoria Rabbit and clutch it to his chest. The Rockman plushie topples over a moment later and he reaches out to sit it up again, letting it take silent watch. He giggles sleepily, curling up.

He's dimly aware of Netto-san and Laika-san carefully adjusting the blankets and pillows around him so he doesn't get uncomfortable or cold. He hears Rockman whisper something about a ribbon and feels his hair being tugged on before it abruptly loosens. Hopefully they put his ribbon on his desk or something. It wouldn't be fun to have to search for it tomorrow.

He drifts in and out of wakefulness for a good while. At some point he realises there's a glass of water on the floor next to the nest, and the coolness soothes his throat and chills the uncomfortable heat still lingering in his body.

And then eventually his PET is suddenly on the fluffy pillow next to his head. Enzan-sama sits on the edge, watching him quietly, chewing one of Scarfy's tassel-fingers and holding Moomoo in a loose grip.

Blues smiles, finally content, and slips away into proper sleep.

Chapter Text

Enzan may not be able to actually feel the fluffy pillow, but he can still appreciate it nonetheless. Sitting on it with Moomoo held loosely on his lap and Scarfy lazily trailing behind him gives it the added bonus of being comforting as well as comfortable.

And most importantly, he's with Blues. It's not that he didn't enjoy the movie yesterday - rather the exact opposite, because it brought up an odd energy that had him babbling away to Hikari-san afterwards, similar to when he was discussing the applications of Recovery data with Rockman and Searchman. However, in spite of that, there was a heavy sort of feeling in his chest, and it only went away when he was back with his Navi.

He never felt like that before. It's not as though he's never been separated from Blues, either. How strange.

He turns his attention to the subject of his thoughts. Blues is still sound asleep and it's almost 7am, but it's a weekend so Enzan silences the alarm before it goes off. There's no school over the weekend. Rockman said so.

Blues murmurs in his sleep, curling a little tighter around his rabbit toy. The nest of blankets bunches up around him and the pillows shift with them, and then he goes still again.

Curious, Enzan presses his palm to the side of his helmet. The emotion display activates at his touch and sparks of information and data flash across his visor before settling into something readable.

The softened facial features and steady heartbeat equate to being content and calm. Closed eyelids and a relaxed posture, including deep and even breathing, mean Blues is asleep - which he could tell anyway, but it's interesting to note how it looks on the display.

In addition, it picks up on the fading red marks and shadows under Blues's eyes. He cried yesterday, to the point where he exhausted himself, according to Laika.

When Enzan heard that, any thoughts of the new Star Potter movie went right out of his head. When he heard that Netto was the cause, the only thing that stopped him from verbally tearing the idiot apart was the knowledge that Blues would probably wake up and get even more upset if he heard him shouting.

He lowers his hand and the emotion display deactivates, taking the information with it. He draws his legs up to his chest and rests his chin on them, feeling Moomoo's fluffy fur and one of its knubby horns pressing into his cheek.

Things are a lot different now. He's a lot different now. Even he can tell that much, as useless as he is with this kinda stuff.

But it's not terrible, he thinks. He never quite realised just how empty everything was before, and the thought of going back to how things were makes him want to bare his teeth and bite something hard enough to destroy it. Not Scarfy, of course. Maybe cyberfood, since that's made to be destroyed. Eaten. Whatever.

Hm.

Being a NetNavi isn't so bad after all.

"So, why a nest, anyway?"

Blues looks up at Enzan-sama's question, halfway through zipping up his vest. "Huh?"

Enzan-sama jabs a thumb toward the mess of blankets and pillows on the floor. "That. Why'd you make it?"

"O-oh, um . . ." Blues pauses to collect his thoughts, taking the opportunity to finish dressing. "I just . . . thought it'd be fun? 'Cus, um, I remember you once said you wanted to try a nest at some point, so . . ."

" . . . I said that when I was six."

"R-right, you probably aren't interested now," Blues murmurs, doing his best to hide his disappointment. He had hoped it would be nice for his operator, but . . .

"When did I say that?" Enzan-sama pulls up one part of his lips in a partial, embarrassed scowl. "I was just . . . surprised you remembered. Especially since you forgot about the Star Potter thing."

Blues opens his mouth, then frowns as that sinks in. "Huh. You're right. How did I remember that but not Star Potter . . . ?"

"Human brains are absolute crap?" Enzan-sama dryly suggests.

Blues giggles and picks up his PET, pausing to allow his operator to jump up onto his shoulder. After so much practice with the hologram, Enzan-sama barely even wobbles, but Scarfy still helps him keep his balance anyway.

"That's definitely true," Blues remarks, heading out. "I almost forgot to brush my teeth the other day."

"Yes, I know. I'm the one who reminded you."

"And there was also that one time I forgot to drink anything . . ."

"Again, I reminded you to do that."

"Ah, I forgot to do my homework too."

"I'm gonna start setting reminders and alarms for every second of the day at this rate."

Blues giggles again.

He arrives downstairs to find that everyone else is already awake, and the table is being set for breakfast. Haruka-san greets him with a gentle hug and offers Enzan-sama an equally-gentle pat on the head, and Laika-san wordlessly brushes a hand over Blues's shoulder as he passes by to collect the cutlery.

Netto-san is just finishing setting down some plates. He doesn't look directly at Blues, but instead steals occasional quick glances, pressing his lips together and not pushing a greeting.

"He's nervous," Enzan-sama comments quietly.

Surprised, Blues glances at him - only to see that he has a hand pressed to the side of his helmet. Ah, right, the emotion display thingy tells him how people are feeling. Or something like that.

" . . . I did yell at him yesterday," Blues murmurs, wincing at the memory.

Now that it's not so fresh, he feels nothing but shame. Netto-san has been so, so kind to him, and that's how he repaid him? By getting mad and yelling at him?

And despite finishing the nest for him, Netto-san is clearly still uncertain of their standing with each other. In Blues's eyes, that kind gesture was more than enough of an apology, but Netto-san obviously thinks otherwise. Does Rockman think the same, too? Is that why he's not visible like usual? Searchman isn't either - maybe he's providing some comfort to the blue Navi.

Okay, so apologising like that doesn't mean everything is suddenly fine, but surely Netto-san and Rockman should know he isn't mad at them anymore? He's not mad at Laika-san or Searchman or Haruka-san.

"You could just eat upstairs," Enzan-sama says, dragging him out of his thoughts. "Deal with this stupidity later or something."

A part of Blues doesn't want to disobey his operator, but a much bigger part of him is aware that it wasn't an order, just a suggestion. He can either agree or refuse, and a calm sort of feeling gives him the confidence to know that Enzan-sama won't get mad at him for choosing the latter.

" . . . It'd be better to deal with it now, I think," he decides.

"Sure, whatever. Just eat something already, your stomach is making weird noises and I hate it."

Blues presses his lips together, hiding a smile, and starts helping to set the table. He and Netto-san work around each other with only a little bit of awkwardness - which makes Enzan-sama mutter under his breath - and soon the table is set and ready for Haruka-san's awesome food. If he could eat nothing else for the rest of his existence, it would be her cooking.

Netto-san sits down first, the promise of good food briefly overtaking his nerves, but he stiffens when Blues takes the seat next to him. He almost looks like he wants to move and that's honestly kinda silly, not to mention ironic considering he was talking about Blues avoiding him yesterday. Is he trying to give him space? There's a such thing as 'too much' and this probably qualifies.

Blues glances at Enzan-sama, who stares back for a moment before throwing his hands into the air and re-projecting himself onto the table in front of Netto-san.

"Guh-" Netto-san jumps, gripping the edge. "Uh- h-hi, Enzan."

"Don't even think about moving," Enzan-sama tells him. Blues almost winces at how blunt his operator is, but this is why he looked to him in the first place. "That's your seat, idiot. You always sit in it and Blues always sits next to you."

"Uhh . . ."

"If you move, I will literally scream."

"Okay, okay, I won't! Sheesh, it's too early for this . . ."

Enzan-sama, in a surprising display of childishness, sticks his tongue out and blows a raspberry. Netto-san blows one back.

"Boys, don't do that at the table," Haruka-san lightly scolds, though she looks amused nonetheless.

"He started it," Netto-san grumbles.

"Did not," Enzan-sama retorts.

"Did too-"

"Please don't," Laika-san interrupts.

Netto-san sticks his tongue out at him next, only to sheepishly put it back in when Haruka-san raises an eyebrow at him. Enzan-sama smugly jumps back onto Blues's shoulder, kicking his legs idly and ruffling Moomoo's fur, playfully snapping his teeth at Scarfy as it taunts him with its tassel-fingers.

Mission accomplished?

Except not really, because breakfast is still an unusually quiet and awkward affair. Netto-san is the only one who doesn't talk - at least not as much as normal - and Rockman and Searchman's absences feel like gaping holes. It doesn't help that Yuuichirou-hakase's absence is the same.

Eventually, Blues can't take it anymore. He leans to the side, careful of the gap between the chairs, and lays his head on Netto-san's shoulder. Netto-san goes impossibly stiff and he can practically feel the look of total panic from him. No, he can't have that. That's not what he wanted from this.

"Apology accepted," he quietly says.

For a second or two, the stiffness remains and he's afraid that it didn't work. But then Netto-san begins to relax, eventually resting his head on top of Blues's.

"Thanks," Netto-san replies, just as quietly.

The moment is sort of ruined when there's a sudden commotion from Netto-san's PET, and then Enzan-sama appears on the table (when did he vanish?) with Rockman's arm trapped in Scarfy's grasp. Searchman follows, looking torn between concern and exasperation.

"Just talk to him, you coward!" Enzan-sama snaps, yanking himself away so Scarfy lets go. "He's not gonna bite your head off!"

Rockman winces, then looks up at Blues. That nervous expression doesn't suit him at all. He's the confident and kind one, always ready with a gentle smile and helpful advice, strong and willing to defend his friends from any injustices.

"Hi Rockman," Blues says.

"H-hey."

" . . . That goes for you too, y'know?"

Rockman goes tense, eyes widening, so Blues offers him a smile. After a short pause, Rockman eventually smiles back. And if there're some tears in his eyes, well, Blues isn't gonna judge him.

Netto and Rockman spend the rest of the day hanging out with Blues and Enzan, playing games and watching TV and going out to collect rocks from the park (because Blues mentioned wanting some before). Meiru-chan finds them comparing patterns and promptly decides to help out, and when they get back home, they both help Blues arrange his new rock collection on one of his bookshelves.

And then Enzan insists that it be arranged by colour for some reason, so they rearrange it until he's satisfied. Rockman says he arranges the files in Blues's PET the same way too. Maybe it's just a thing with him.

Going to school without all that bad stuff hanging over them feels like a weight off Netto's chest. Blues is a lot more talkative now - in their little group of friends at least - and more willing to ask for help when something in class doesn't make sense. Which is pretty frequently. The fact that he came to school with Netto as a Navi sometimes doesn't automatically mean he's gonna know what to do while actively participating, after all.

They get back home after a decently productive day, and that's when everything starts going wrong.

Mama is on the phone when they get back, so they keep quiet as they slip into the main room. Netto catches a glimpse of the person on the little video screen and his heart skips a beat as he recognises Papa. Does this mean he's finally coming home? What was so important that it kept him at the lab for this long? Maybe it was something to do with Cross Fusion, or maybe specifically Blues and Enzan's Cross Fusion.

"-do that, but what's going on?" Mama is asking. Netto and Blues place their bags on the sofa and exchange puzzled glances. "Honey, you can't keep being so secretive after asking me to- . . . Honey. Honey. Yuuichirou."

There's a brief pause.

" . . . Just promise me it's nothing bad?" Mama asks softly. She waits, then sighs. "You know that only makes me think the worst, right? . . . Alright, alright. They should be getting back from school soon, we'll take the Metroline and be there as soon as we can. Will you tell us what's going on when we get there? . . . Okay. Thank you. Love you, honey. See you soon."

Mama puts the phone down with another quiet sigh, then turns around and yelps.

"Hi Mama," Netto says brightly.

"W-we're home?" Blues offers awkwardly.

"Is something wrong?" Rockman asks.

"You mean aside from giving her a heart attack?" Enzan deadpans.

"Oh, boys . . ." Mama laughs a little breathlessly. "I should have noticed you coming back, it's alright. Welcome home! And, er, honestly, I'm not really sure? Your papa wants us to go to SciLab as soon as possible. He . . . specifically mentioned bringing Blues-kun and Enzan-kun."

Blues and Enzan exchange glances. Netto has no idea why they both look kinda worried, nor why Mama seems worried either - this must be good news! If Papa asked specifically for them, that means there has to have been some kinda breakthrough with the experimental Synchro Chip. Maybe they'll even be able to switch them back today!

Though they're gonna have to come up with some kinda excuse for why Netto's 'foster brother' suddenly vanished. And why he was apparently replaced with Enzan, 'cus there's no way Netto is letting him go back to a guy who's so mean to him.

"Why don't you get changed, then we can head out?" Mama suggests.

"Okay!" Netto agrees happily.

"Um . . . y-yes, Haruka-san," Blues also agrees, but more hesitantly.

Papa is waiting for them in the lobby when they arrive. Netto can barely contain his excitement, although a part of him is confused as to why Papa doesn't look happy. You'd think he would be if there really has been a breakthrough! But maybe he just doesn't wanna spoil the surprise? Or he wants to keep them in suspense. Or . . . something. Whatever.

"Good, you're here," Papa says, stepping forward to greet them. He gently touches Mama's hand and they lace their fingers together.

"Now will you tell us what's going on?" Mama asks, squeezing his hand. "And what it has to do with Blues-kun and Enzan-kun?"

"I know!" Netto exclaims, before Papa can respond. "We can switch 'em back now, right? You figured out how to boost their Synchro level or had some kinda breakthrough with the Synchro Chip?"

He expects Papa's expression to crack, for him to laugh and jokingly complain that he ruined the surprise. What he doesn't expect is a look of pure agony to cross his papa's face, and his excitement quickly gives way to confusion and concern.

"I wish it were that," Papa says, voice shaking. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't bring myself to tell you over the phone, I . . ."

" . . . Papa?" Rockman makes his hologram float a little closer. "What's wrong?"

Papa swallows heavily and turns to Blues and Enzan. "Ijuuin-san is here."

They both freeze.

A heavy, cold weight drops in Netto's stomach. His eyes widen involuntarily, and he sees Rockman's mouth opening and closing, trying to form words but unable to do so. Mama, similarly to Blues and Enzan, has gone completely rigid.

The first one to break the silence is Enzan, surprising as that is.

"Why?" the not-Navi asks. His voice is faint and from what Netto can tell, his expression is completely blank. "He s-said . . . He doesn't want me anymore. Why is he here now?"

Papa hesitates. Netto almost wants to demand an answer, but he can't seem to find the words.

" . . . He changed his mind," Papa eventually says, with painfully obvious reluctance.

"What . . ."

"He wants you back. Even brought a whole team of lawyers with him to make us comply. We've been trying to hold them off long enough for the Net Police to gather enough legal assistance to help, but . . ."

"Wait," Netto breaks in, finally finding his voice, but it's so shaky he's half-certain no one can understand. "Is- is this what you've been busy with for the last few days?"

" . . . Yes," Papa admits, wincing. "I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you, I just didn't want you to worry. And I was hoping this could be resolved in a favourable manner."

The cold weight is spreading through Netto's body. It's like that ice he fell through when he was in preschool, freezing him to the core. The difference is that there's nothing thick blankets or warm bodies can do to help this time.

"But it wasn't," he says. "Was it?"

"No. We-" Papa pauses, bracing himself and squeezing Mama's hand. "We lost. And now, legally, Ijuuin-san has the right to demand Enzan-kun back-"

"He's not property!" Netto snaps, fire suddenly scorching through the ice.

"You're right, he isn't. But he's a NetNavi right now, so according to the law-"

"Forget about the law!" Rockman cries. "Papa, please, there has to be something we can do about this!"

Papa takes a deep, shuddering breath and covers his face with his hands. Mama appears to finally come out of her shock just in time to put her arms around him and try to offer some comfort, and Netto realises with a jolt that he's never seen his papa so close to breaking down like this.

It's been a few days since Papa came home. And he's spent that whole time trying to fight off Ijuuin-san and those lawyers, trying to protect Enzan and stop his cruel father from snatching him away. Papa must be beyond exhausted, both physically and mentally. Maybe that's what Ijuuin-san wanted. You can't fight the law if you're too tired. You can't fight anything.

God. He wishes he could go back to when he thought this was just about a breakthrough with the Synchro Chip.

It's a solemn and incredibly reluctant group - family, even - that makes their way to SciLab's Main Room. Netto drags his feet, staying beside Blues, who seems to be in complete shock and hasn't said a word or done anything beyond clutching his creepy rabbit to his chest, so tight that its head look like it's about to pop off its body. Rockman stands half a foot away from Enzan, closer than normal, but the not-Navi doesn't appear to be capable of registering that or anything else right now.

Why? Why now, of all times? Things were just starting to look up. Blues accepted his apology for his stupid blunder, Enzan was getting better, they could have gotten the two of them switched back sooner rather than later. But now this!

The thought of spitting in Ijuuin-san's face and making a run for it with Blues briefly crosses his mind before he forces himself to dismiss it. No matter how tempting it may be, it'll only make things worse. He's not so impulsive and reckless that he can't see that.

Protective rage fights with cold dread inside him as the Main Room doors come into sight, and he finds himself instinctively stepping in front of Blues as Papa leads them inside, shielding the former Navi from anything that could hurt him. Even without looking, he knows Rockman is doing the same for Enzan.

And there, in the centre of the room, stands Ijuuin Shuuseki with a small group of people. If you were to look at the two of them quickly, you wouldn't be able to guess that he and Enzan are father and son - he's tall, with short black hair and dark eyes, whereas Enzan is relatively small, with half-white half-black hair and bright blue eyes. There are some similarities though. The white streak in Ijuuin-san's hair. The way he looks down on everyone around him. The casual arrogance in his straight-backed posture.

But it's the aura he exudes that marks him as truly different from Enzan. While the not-Navi is grumpy and moody at the best of times and snappy and stubborn at the worst, Ijuuin-san puts out a quietly menacing air that feels almost like a genuine threat.

Netto has faced a lot of villains over the last few years. Being in Ijuuin-san's presence reminds him of every single one of them.

"Well?" Ijuuin-san looks at Papa, expression cold. "Do you have it with you now?"

" . . . Yes," Papa replies heavily. He gestures to Blues.

Ijuuin-san's gaze switches to him, and Blues takes a step back. He freezes when Ijuuin-san's eyes narrow and Netto puts an arm out in front of him, forcing himself to give the man a hard stare.

It does nothing. Ijuuin-san doesn't even look at him. He may as well not exist.

"That is the boy's NetNavi?" Ijuuin-san looks Blues up and down, wrinkling his nose. "I knew I shouldn't have allowed it to keep its hair that long, it looks ridiculous."

"Blues is a he!" Netto snaps. "And his hair is cool!"

Ijuuin-san ignores him.

"Come here, Navi," the man orders.

Blues trembles, lips clamped together and eyes wide. He doesn't move.

Ijuuin-san draws himself up taller - quite a feat considering he already towers over everyone in the room - and his expression hardens.

"Come. Here."

"Stop ordering him around," Netto says loudly.

Finally, Ijuuin-san looks at him. But he abruptly finds himself drained of any previous confidence or protective anger, leaving him feeling small and almost like nothing more than a tiny, annoying bug about to be crushed under a heel.

This guy is Enzan's dad? No wonder he's so prickly.

"Come here, now," Ijuuin-san orders, looking back at Blues.

As if Netto hadn't even spoken.

"Excuse me," Mama says sternly, stepping forward before Blues can move. Ijuuin-san's eye visibly twitches as he turns his attention to her. "I would very much appreciate it if you could stop using that tone and ask him to come to you instead."

"It's a NetNavi. You do not ask a NetNavi to do something, you order it."

"He is a human right now," Mama retorts. How she's keeping her cool under Ijuuin-san's cold stare is beyond Netto. "And even if he weren't, I'd be telling you the same thing. Have the decency to ask before you start making even more demands."

Ijuuin-san's expression turns thunderous. Mama's eyes widen and she takes a step back.

"Be quiet," he snaps. He's even harsher than Enzan used to be. That's honestly scary. "You have no reason to be here and therefore no reason to speak up, nor do you have the right to speak to me as though we are equals. Unless you would rather I sue SciLab out of existence and take away your husband's livelihood, I suggest you hold your tongue from now on, woman."

Mama looks shaken. Papa puts his arms around her, glaring at Ijuuin-san.

"Get over here, now!" Ijuuin-san barks, looking back to Blues. "Do not make me repeat this order again, Navi!"

Blues chokes out a terrified sound and shuffles out from behind Netto. He almost wants to reach out and stop him, but Ijuuin-san's threat still rings in the air and keeps his limbs frozen in place. Even Rockman can't move, staying standing in mid-air as Blues leaves him behind with Enzan huddled into the crook of his neck.

When Blues finally stops in front of Ijuuin-san, the man's towering size is made even more obvious. It doesn't help that Blues is shrinking in on himself, clutching his creepy rabbit and staring at the floor with blank, terrified eyes.

"You have a toy?" Ijuuin-san looks down on him with contempt. "Pathetic. Navis should not have those kinds of things, they are for humans."

"I am human," Blues whispers hoarsely.

"YOU ARE A NETNAVI!"

Blues flinches violently and Netto, suddenly unfrozen, jerks forward. A hand grabbing his shoulder stops him, and he looks up and sees Meijin-san, watching the scene unfold in front of them with a pained grimace.

"Clearly you've become delusional from your time in the real world," Ijuuin-san goes on. "I have no use for a NetNavi who thinks it is human. Hand over the PET."

Blues stiffens.

"I know you have it," Ijuuin-san snaps. "I am not blind, nor am I stupid. I can see the boy on your shoulder. Now hand it over."

The silence is thick and heavy with tension.

Slowly, trembling with visible terror, Blues reaches into his pocket and takes out his PET. Ijuuin-san snatches it away from him before he even gets a chance to offer it up and he flinches again, hunching his shoulders.

Ijuuin-san takes out a second PET from his own pocket, and with a jolt of cold shock, Netto recognises Enzan's PET. He must have forced Papa to give it to him.

After a moment of glaring at both PETs, Ijuuin-san plugs Blues's into Enzan's, and then Enzan suddenly vanishes off Blues's shoulder and appears on the screen of his own PET. His expression isn't visible from here but the way he's huddled to one side with Scarfy wrapped around him and Moomoo held tight in his arms says more than enough.

Ijuuin-san shoves the now-empty PET back at Blues, who staggers back with a squeak and fumbles before dropping it. He crouches down but makes no move to pick it up, curling in on himself.

"We're done here," Ijuuin-san says to his people.

They all leave, walking around Blues like he's just some obstacle to avoid. Papa tugs Mama out of the way, teeth clenched so hard that Netto swears he can hear them grinding.

As soon as the Main Room doors close, it's like the air suddenly returns.

The first thing Netto does is shake off Meijin-san's hand and dart over to Blues. He's just barely aware of Rockman re-projecting himself back onto his shoulder as he skids, almost slipping, to a stop beside the former Navi, falling to his knees and placing a hand on his back. He leans forward to check on him.

Blues's expression is hopeless and empty, eyes bleak as he stares at his PET, and tears stream down his cheeks. Yet he's making no sound.

Netto pulls him into a hug, squeezing tight. Blues doesn't react.

Chapter Text

Laika arrives at the Hikari house and walks into a solemn, despairing atmosphere. Upon a quick first glance, it's not immediately obvious what the problem is. But when he pauses to take in the scene before him, he can fill in some missing pieces.

Haruka-san sits on the sofa, an arm wrapped around Blues as she watches him worriedly, occasionally leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his head. Blues doesn't respond to her touch, instead staring blankly at the roomba in his lap, upon which his rabbit toy sits. Netto, seemingly unable to contain his energy, paces back and forth and argues with a harassed-looking Rockman about kidnapping someone. Hikari-hakase is slumped against the kitchen counter, staring bleakly into space.

Perhaps most tellingly, Enzan is nowhere to be seen.

As Laika steps further into the main room, he mentally runs through some possibilities as to what could have happened. His first thought is that Enzan had a relapse of sorts and has gone back to how he was before they figured out how to coexist with him. His second is that Enzan ran away again, though he can't think of a reason why. The third is most certainly the worst - the possibility that Enzan has been deleted. The not-Navi's data is too strange to be backed up properly yet, and besides that, he was a human. It's entirely possible he may not be recoverable at all.

The first person to notice Laika is Hikari-hakase. The scientist looks up, blinking slowly. Upon Netto's next pass, he too notices him, and subsequently so does Rockman, both of them going uncharacteristically silent as they stop. Haruka-san and Blues don't look up at all.

"What happened?" Laika asks. "Where is Enzan?"

Netto's expression twists with rage and he spits out his response with such venom that it's a wonder the floor doesn't melt.

"Ijuuin-san took him."

Laika's eyes widen.

Enzan is plugged in with none of the usual gentleness he's become accustomed to. He lets out an involuntary squeak and hops forward, teetering dangerously and flapping his arms for balance. Scarfy tugs him back so he doesn't fall flat on his face, and he manages to regain his footing, finally.

The ride back to IPC had been a silent one, for him anyway. He hadn't tried to speak to his father, mainly because he hadn't been given permission, but also because Father was busy talking on his own PET. And the thought of interrupting him and drawing his wrath made him feel so dizzy and weak he had to sit down, at least until it went away.

He hadn't enjoyed being back in his PET again, either. He was just starting to get used to Blues's pink homepage and had gotten all the files organised exactly how he wanted them. The standard green colouration of his own homepage was an unsettling difference, not to mention all of his files - most of them for work at IPC - were arranged by date. Humans can't organise files with the same freedom that Navis have and he hated looking at it, but he had to force himself to stay put in case he angered his father.

Now, at least, he's out of that thing. Though he has no idea why he was plugged in.

He recognises this place, at the very least. It's one of the servers the R&D department uses for its various projects. He's often witnessed product demonstrations in servers like this when overseeing progress or signing off on new or completed projects.

The people in this department were always pestering him for more budget, whining and complaining about every little thing, from how short their breaks were to how much work was being put on them. Any time he saw one of the developers, they always had shadows under their eyes and cringed away from him even if he wasn't snapping at them for not working hard enough or something.

There's none of that now. The developers in the lab room are chatty, voices light and giddy, and their eyes are wide and bright as they look at the screen - at him, even. They're smiling, grinning, and keep nudging each other. And they really won't stop talking. Voices overlap until it becomes little more than noise, frantic and incomprehensible even with the helmet program.

Enzan covers his audio receptors with his hands and immediately regrets it. The emotion display automatically activates at his touch and as his eyes dart from developer to developer, he's informed of their excitement and eagerness.

It makes him feel icky and he doesn't know why.

He snatches his hands away, wrapping them around himself instead, just to get rid of the display. Scarfy nudges him and offers Moomoo, and he gratefully takes the fluffy plushie as it covers his audio receptors with its hands. Thank god the display only activates at his touch, not anyone else's.

All he wants to do is bury his face in Moomoo's fluff and curl up in a corner somewhere, but he hears his father's voice rising above the noise and forces himself to look up.

"That's enough, quiet!"

The developers fall silent, though they remain excited and eager. One of them steps forward.

"Sir, is that really the original?" he asks, voice hushed.

The emotion display could probably tell Enzan what that tone means, but he'd rather hold Moomoo right now.

"It is," Father confirms, and some of the developers whisper among themselves. "It should be sufficient enough to speed up development. Do whatever you feel is necessary. Tear its code apart if you have to."

Temperature isn't much of a thing in the cyberworld, something he prefers honestly, but those words make him feel cold.

Father leaves the room without so much as a backward glance, and the developers get to work, bustling about and talking to the point of incomprehensible noise once again. Programs start up and appear all around him - some of them he recognises, most of them he doesn't, and those he does recognise he doesn't like.

One of them is a machine - program, whatever - that's used in performing a deep scan. It looks a little different to the one at SciLab, somehow more menacing, and he backs away involuntarily, only to collide with one of the unfamiliar programs.

It looks even worse than the deep scan program. All pointy bits with an examination table and things that're clearly deactivated restraints. He can't imagine what it's used for, but he doesn't like the images it brings to mind, so he backs away from that too.

" . . . so small . . ."

" . . . base code first . . ."

" . . . weird scarf? What . . ."

" . . . core programming . . ."

A small noise escapes his throat and he looks up at the screen again. He only catches bits and pieces of their noise thanks to the helmet program. He almost wishes he doesn't.

The head developer, who he only recognises due to being the man he's interacted with the most from this team, silences the others with a sharp order.

"We can't be too hasty with this," the head developer calls. "Ijuuin-san wants our prototype ready by next week, so we need to study this Navi and learn as much as possible. We'll start with a deep scan."

Sharp fear slams into Enzan and he speaks before he can think about it.

"N-no!"

He freezes when all eyes in the room turn to him.

" . . . No deep scans," he says. He tries for authoritative and stern, but all he gets is shaky and timid.

The developers just stare at him. After a moment or two, they exchange various glances and look to their leader.

"Well, he did say it was defective," the man says, shrugging. "We'll have to be careful not to emulate that. Understood? Then let's get to work!"

They're ignoring him. Him, of all people. He's their boss just as much as Father is! He could easily fire for them this, why are they ignoring him? Is it because he's a NetNavi? Do they not know who he is? Did Father not tell them?

Do they think he's just a normal NetNavi?

Somehow, that thought is even scarier than the deep scan.

The development team is aware that he isn't a normal NetNavi. He hears some of them toss around the term 'Paradox Navi' several times, so they know that much. What they aren't aware of, however, is the fact that he used to be human. As far as they know, he's a defective, experimental type of Navi.

And they keep forcing him into various scans and programs, ignoring his protests to the point where he's starting to think they've muted him.

Some of the programs force his body to defragment in places so they can get a look his frame and he clutches Scarfy and Moomoo while he hyperventilates, breath rasping in and out of his throat as he tries not to cry from the sharp agony of bits of him being in pieces. Other programs remove his armour - what little of it there is - and he huddles on the floor with Scarfy wrapped around his head and shoulders, frantically rocking back and forth, until he gets it back. More still seem to inject things into him, to what end he has no idea, but whatever any of it is, nothing seems to be . . . downloading? Because his systems reject it all.

Worst of all are the deep scans. He hates the ones at SciLab already, but at least those put him to sleep for the duration, so the sensation of sharp fingers reaching deep, deep inside is somewhat muted. But these ones don't do that.

He's forced to endure the whole thing while fully conscious. All the poking and prodding and being pulled apart for the developers to inspect and note down everything they find. He feels every bit of it and he hates it, he hates it so much, he screams at them to stop and when that doesn't work he switches to begging and when that doesn't work he just sobs and wails and cries for Blues or Hikari-san or anyone who'll at least give him five minutes of peace.

Father sometimes comes in to check on the team's progress and he directs his pleas to him, but not once does Father ever so much as turn to look at him. The only breaks he gets are the short snatches of time between scans and programs, wherein Scarfy wraps itself around him and dries his tears and lets him chew on it until its fingers start to look ragged and worn.

He doesn't think it can get any worse than this. He's wrong, because he always is.

Two days after Father took him from Blues, he's curled up on the floor with Moomoo in his arms and Scarfy blanketing him. He's too tired to cry or make much sound right now, so he just lies there and breathes, waiting for the prickling static pain to die down.

It won't, of course. It hasn't since this . . . this torture started. It just gets worse and then fades a little and then gets worse again and sometimes it stays worse.

"Progress report."

"Sir. We're, uh . . . we're trying our best, but-"

"What? Why have you made no progress on the prototype? You have the original to study right there!"

Enzan only has enough energy to move his head a little, resting his chin on the floor so he can look up at the screen.

Father is there, glaring at the head developer, who wrings his hands and cringes away. It's a familiar sight, but Enzan can't bring himself to care right now.

"It's very difficult to scan, sir," the head developer tries to explain. "Most of its programming is so basic I'm shocked it can even function at all. If we try to emulate its programming now, our prototype won't be able to-"

"Do I pay you to make excuses?"

"N-no sir, I just-"

"Figure it out, or I'll give this project to someone who won't disappoint me at every opportunity."

" . . . Yes sir."

Father turns to look at the screen, and Enzan locks eyes with him. He lowers his gaze immediately, for all that his father can't even see his eyes, because he doesn't want to get in trouble and the thought of that happening makes the static pain worse.

"What is it doing?" Father demands.

"Er . . . resting, sir. We're currently looking through the data we have at the moment to see if we've missed anything important."

"Hm." Father is silent for a moment, and then his voice takes on a slight growl. "What is that thing it's holding?"

"A cow, I think."

"Who gave it to it?"

"No one, sir. It already had it when you gave it to us."

"Hmph. NetNavis don't need toys. Get rid of it."

Enzan chokes on a gasp and sits bolt upright, disturbing Scarfy. He clutches Moomoo tight, but he can feel his arms and hands trembling.

ERROR.

"No," he whispers. "No, Father, don't-"

Father either doesn't hear him or completely ignores him. He just watches as the head developer taps away at a nearby console, seemingly oblivious to Enzan's increased begging.

"-please, don't- don't, Father, no-"

A program arm appears above him and he whimpers and curls around Moomoo, squeezing his eyes shut. He feels a slight bit of wind as Scarfy whips around in the air, instinctively knowing it's trying to fend off the arm, but then it goes taut and yanks and he chokes, pulled forward and forced to uncurl.

ERROR. ERROR.

The arm has Scarfy trapped in its grabber-hand. Technically Navis don't need air to breathe and that means neither does Enzan, but he cries out anyway, desperately trying to tug Scarfy free before the arm chokes him to death.

A second arm comes down and snatches Moomoo while he's occupied. He shrieks-

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

"NO! NO, NO, NO!"

He tries to take it back, reaching out as far as he can, but the first arm still has its grip on Scarfy and it's being pulled too tight for either of them to separate. The other arm rises up and away, taking Moomoo with it, until it's gone from sight.

ERR.R ERR. ERROR. ERROR. ERRRRRR. ER.ROR. ER.R.OR. ERROR.

The first arm abruptly vanishes. He thrashes as he's suddenly free, slamming his fists into the floor and cracking them with the force, screeching and wailing.

"GIVE IT BA-AAAH- GI-GIVE IT- MOO-M-MOO! MOOMOO! MOOMOO!"

ERRR. ERRORRR. ERRO.R.

"Now what is it doing?" Father demands.

"It . . . looks like it's having a tantrum, sir."

"Make it stop, then get back to work. I want positive results by tomorrow."

"Y-yes sir."

Fire suddenly burns through Enzan's entire body and his shrieking is for an entirely different reason now. He curls up, clutching at himself, at Scarfy, at anything that might stop his insides from being turned into charcoal and ashes.

Just as suddenly as it started, it stops. But the feeling still lingers and he's left gasping and whimpering on the floor, and not even Scarfy can make it go away.

ERR.OR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

Father leaves the room. The scans start again.

The development team is making a NetNavi based on him.

When he finally gets something resembling a proper break, he stumbles over to the furthest corner, intending to just flop down and mourn Moomoo, because he's pretty sure it's been deleted by now. But he stops when he comes across what looks to be some sort of NetNavi development module, a large glass cylinder standing upright with an unconscious Navi inside.

The Navi is huge. Easily two or maybe three times his size. Bulky armour covers most of its frame and it looks more like a robot than a NetNavi, and the emblem on its chest shows IPC's logo in red. Diagnostic screens float around the capsule, showing abilities and coding and programming. Most of it is blank and seem to be more focused on theories than fact. It looks like its frame has been completed, but the rest of it isn't.

Enzan stares blankly. His thoughts are muddled and he can't make sense of what he's seeing, but a part of him is focused enough to read the name on one of the screens.

Sigma.

Huh. So this is why Father wanted him back. Not because he changed his mind, but because IPC is making a Paradox Navi of their own and they can't complete the prototype without studying him first.

Is this his fault? He gave Father the original report, after all. So . . . he's the reason this is happening, which means it's his own fault that Moomoo is gone.

Scarfy nudges him gently, then wraps itself around him. He sits down heavily, clutching at it, but he can't tear his eyes away from the prototype Paradox Navi.

"Get away from there."

He jumps to his feet and spins around. The screen hovers above him, showing him Father's glaring face. He lowers his head and shuffles away, back to the programs and scanners, even though every footstep is weaker and weaker. Scarfy has to tug on him more than once, helping him to stumble in the right direction.

Father doesn't bother watching. He just turns to the head developer, as he always does. Like Enzan is just a NetNavi, not his son.

"Progress report. Now."

" . . . I'm afraid we still aren't getting anywhere."

SLAM.

Enzan flinches, choking down a yelp, and resists the urge to hide behind one of the programs. He half-expects to see that Father has hit the head developer, but instead, it looks like he just punched the console. That's . . . odd. Father normally hits people when he gets really angry.

"The prototype presentation is next week! You told me that development would go faster if you had the original to work from!"

"W-we didn't anticipate how strange its programming would be-"

"I TOLD YOU TO FIGURE IT OUT!"

The head developer ducks his head. "I-I'm sorry, sir, but we can't. Not with such little time. It . . . may be time to consider something else-"

"Like what?" Father barks out.

"L-like, well, we already have a working NetNavi, don't we? And it is a Paradox Navi."

Enzan stops resisting his urge and ducks behind one of the programs as Father looks over at him.

"Get back here," Father orders.

Scarfy tries to make him stay, tugging frantically, but Father gave him an order. So he goes out and stands there, wrapping his arms around himself and keeping his eyes on the floor. No need to make Father any angrier than he already is.

He feels Father's eyes on him and forces himself to keep still and not squirm or have another meltdown. He begs his systems to keep quiet for once. To not start screaming at him with that damn error message.

" . . . How much time do you estimate it will take to make this one presentable?" Father eventually asks.

"Given that we'll only be modifying it . . . I'd say a few days, maybe. Based on our current understanding of its programming. It's highly customisable, though its systems won't allow us to download anything to it, so we'll need to create some custom programs from scratch."

"Hm. That was originally part of the proposal anyway. Fine, modify this one instead. Once it's done, you can get back to the actual prototype. You'll have as much time as you need in order to make sure it's functional."

"Yes sir! Thank you sir!"

"And make sure you fix any defects this one has."

"Of course, sir."

Enzan raises his eyes and watches, numb, as his father walks out.

He lies on the floor, staring up at the skybox. A part of him wants to count the amount of digital lines he can see, to trace them with his fingers and murmur the numbers, but he can't muster the energy to do so.

The lingering static pain was nothing in comparison to this. If only the head developer hadn't suggested using him. If only the team had been given more time to work on the actual prototype. If only Father hadn't taken him in the first place.

If only, if only, if only.

ERROR.

His sense of time has been screwed. In order to 'fix' him, the developers often force him into sleep-mode or shut him down entirely, and his internal clock can't adjust without a PET to guide it. Another 'if only'. He'd even take his own PET's standard green homepage over this server right now. He'd take anything over this server.

Even being muted and ignored for days on end was better than this. He'd go back to that in a heartbeat if it meant erasing this pain. At least then he could see Blues.

The thought of his Navi makes a heavy weight settle in his chest. He doesn't bother stopping his tears - it's not like the development team will care, or his father. No one here cares if he cries.

ERROR.

Something soft and warm brushes against his cheek, wiping away his tears, and he corrects himself. Someone here does care.

He sits up with some difficulty. Scarfy helps him, tugging gently and supporting his back when he slumps. He grips it in shaking hands, rubbing its material between his thumbs and fingers.

You okay? Scarfy signs.

" . . . I wanna go home," he whispers. If he were still human, his voice would be raw from screaming. But it isn't.

Scarfy pets him softly. He can't even find the energy to react to it, but when it stops, he almost whines. And then Scarfy makes some weird shape with its hands, forming a V with its palms and curving its fingers together above it.

Enzan tilts his head, squinting a little. Scarfy pats his blank emblem, then repeats the odd shape.

Well, he recognises its unique sign for 'you', but he doesn't know that new one. There's something familiar about the shape, though. He should send Jazz a message later - they've been teaching him some of Scarfy's signs, mainly in the form of answering his random emails asking 'what does this mean', and it's been very helpful for communicating with it.

ERROR.

 . . . Wait. No, he can't message Jazz, can he? Or he can, but he'd probably get in big trouble with Father if he did.

The heavy weight in his chest suddenly feels hollow and cold. It brings forth a new wave of tears, which Scarfy tries to wipe away again.

He hears the lab doors opening and fear stabs through the hollow weight. Who else would the newcomer be but Father, here once again to check the progress of the development team's efforts. Never to check on him.

Blues would have. Blues did, actually, when he was stuck in SciLab for a week and a half. His Navi came to visit him every single day, bringing Hikari-san with him most of the time, and honestly it was the highlight of his day after the latest batch of tests and whatever else.

For a moment, the fantasy of Blues coming to see him here makes his lips tug upwards. Then he catches sight of his father looking at him and forces himself to stop.

"Progress report," Father orders, not taking his eyes away from Enzan.

"We're making good headway with this one, sir. We're currently developing custom Battle Data to download into it, since it rejected the standard data yesterday."

ERROR.

"Good. If we want to impress the general public, it'll need to be able to fight. What about its defects?"

"It's not possible to properly fix them given our timeframe, but we've managed to force some patches into its systems. The defects won't be a problem for the presentation, at least."

"I suppose that's the best I can ask for. Fine."

Enzan expects Father to leave after that, like he always does. But instead Father just stands there, still staring at him. He keeps still, slowly rubbing Scarfy's material, hoping it'll stop soon.

"That scarf seems to be moving on its own," Father notes.

"Ah- yes sir. From what we can gather, it appears to have its own separate AI program. It's quite fascinating, really-"

"NetNavis are not supposed to have clothes. Get rid of it."

Enzan tightens his grip on Scarfy, eyes widening under his visor. Scarfy clutches him back with its ragged fingers.

"A-actually, sir, I was thinking that maybe-"

Father's expression twists. Enzan doesn't need the emotion display to know that's anger. He huddles in on himself, hugging Scarfy to his chest, unable to stop himself from trembling.

"I'll do it my damn self, then," Father snaps.

There's the sound of rapid typing, and then a quiet beep.

Nothing immediately happens so Enzan chances a look up, just in time to see two program arms materialising in front of him. The arms reach out, mechanical fingers opening to snatch at him, and he tries to scramble away.

Pain sends fire shooting throughout his entire body and he collapses with a choked gasp. He shouldn't have moved. It's too much now, too much pain, but the arms are coming, he needs to move-

ERROR. ERROR.

One arm grabs Scarfy, wrenching it out of his arms. A wordless screech tears out of his throat and he lunges for it, ignoring the pain and the error message, grabbing onto Scarfy and trying to make the arm let go. The other one grabs his upper arm and yanks him back, but he manages to keep his grip on Scarfy.

He's being choked again. The pulling is forcing Scarfy tighter around his neck and it feels like his head is about to come right off his shoulders. Even so, he refuses to let go. He's already lost Blues and Moomoo and everyone else, he can't lose Scarfy too. He won't. He won't.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

And then suddenly he feels Scarfy loosening itself. His eyes widen a split second before they're pulled apart, the first arm sailing away with Scarfy while the other carelessly tosses him to the floor.

He sits there for a second, unable to comprehend what happened.

And then it hits him.

"NO!" he screams, gripping his neck, stomping his feet on the floor, rocking back and forth wildly. "NO- NO, NO! GIVE IT BACK- GIVE IT- GIVE- NO-"

ERROR. ERRRROR. ERROR.

"-SCARFY! SCARFY, SCARFY! WHY, WHY!? GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK!"

ERROR. ERO.OR. ERR..R.OR. ERRROR. ERROR.

"GIVE IT- GIVE- SCARFY-"

Father continues to ignore him, but a small part of him registers the slight twitch of the man's eye every time he screeches. He's not muted anymore. Or maybe he never was to begin with. Whatever it is, he doesn't care.

He just wants Scarfy back.

"Um, sir?" The head developer shuffles closer, shooting random wide-eyed glances at Enzan. "Maybe the Navi could keep the scarf. It-"

"If the screaming bothers you, just mute it. Or deactivate its speech program. In fact, why haven't you done that already?"

"Er, we haven't quite figured out how yet. B-but that's not what I meant, sir. I just thought that . . . Well, we are presenting a new type of NetNavi to the public, and having it wear some form of clothing would make it stand out. Especially a scarf like that. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before."

Father pauses. " . . . You believe it may make our new prototype stand out?"

"Yes sir. And that will make it more memorable, especially if we utilise, say . . . Fashion Chip data for a custom program option. Clothing for Navis has become more popular in recent years."

"Hm. You make a good case. Very well then."

Enzan claps his hands over his mouth, forcing himself to keep his noise down to a simple whine. Keep quiet. He has to keep quiet. Or else he might not get Scarfy back at all.

ERROR. ERROR.

Father is doing something at the console, typing away and messing with the controls. Whatever he's doing, he'd better hurry up. No, wait, it's Father, he'll get angry if anyone tries to tell him what to do, if Enzan tries to tell him what to do. Especially Enzan. So, patience. Wait.

But his patience is thin. He's trembling violently by the time a program arm appears nearby and there's too much in his head right now for him to immediately register what the arm is holding.

Then he spots yellow. His eyes widen and he scrambles to his feet, ignoring the pain even though it almost makes him collapse, and then the arm hurls Scarfy at him and he fumbles to catch it.

It flops in his arms, limp and lifeless. He shakes it, tugs it, even tries chewing on it, but it doesn't so much as twitch.

Cold spreads from his heart- his core.

He looks up. "What- what'd you do?"

Father's brows knit together. Anger, again, but the cold makes Enzan stupid.

"Wh-why isn't it moving?" he demands, wobbling forward a step or two. "Wha- what'd you do to it? It's not m-moving, it- why- wh-why isn't it- what did you DO!?"

He tightens his grip on Scarfy's limp body. Rage sears through the cold and he bares his teeth, ready to bite if necessary.

"FIX IT!" he screams. "FIX IT RIGHT NOW!"

Father narrows his eyes. "Be quiet, Navi-"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! IT'S- IT'S MY FRIEND, FIX IT, FIX IT, I WANT IT BACK, FIX IT NOW!"

His voice rings off the walls in the server and the suddenly-silent lab. All the developers are staring at him, open-mouthed, and then, one-by-one, they slowly turn to look at Father.

Who looks absolutely furious.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

"You dare interrupt me," Father says, voice rumbling with a dangerous threat even Enzan can hear. "You dare to yell at me, to make demands of me, to give me an order."

Enzan is frozen. His rage is suddenly gone, the cold is suddenly gone, and all that's left is the fear. The pain in his body may as well be a distant memory right now.

Father draws himself up to his full height and Enzan shrinks away, hugging Scarfy to his chest.

"YOU ARE A NETNAVI!" Father bellows, and he flinches. "Yet you have the audacity to act as though you're above me? A human? Have you forgotten your place? Perhaps you need reminding of it!"

"Wh-wha-"

"SILENCE!"

Enzan clamps his mouth shut.

Father begins typing at the console again. Each clack and beep sends sharp, cold fear shooting through Enzan's core. He's crying again and this time there's no Scarfy to comfort him, because Scarfy is still limp and dead in his arms.

Programs begin to activate around him. He doesn't have names for most of them but he knows what they do and each one causes no small amount of pain for him, so he backs away, only for two program arms to grab him and drag him over to the nearest one.

ERROR.

It's the program with the restraints on the table, with all the pointy bits. This is one of the worst outside of deep scans - every time he was strapped to it, the pointy bits would stab into him and make his limbs or parts of his body defragment and come apart.

He hates it so much and it terrifies him and now, as he's strapped to it once again, he has to bite his lip to stop himself from wailing. He tastes weird buzzy static and realises his lip is bleeding - or the Navi equivalent of it at least - but he'd rather do that than make his father any angrier.

"S-sir?" the head developer asks. "What are you doing?"

Father answers as he directs the program. "I'm reprogramming it."

ERROR. ERROR.

No. No, no, no. He can't. He wouldn't. Right?

But he is. And Enzan can't stop him. Even if he begged and begged and begged, he knows his father would never listen to him.

The pointy bits begin to stab into him and he stops trying to hold back his wails.

Chapter Text

"How's he doing?" Meiru-chan asks softly.

Netto shoots a quick glance up at the ceiling before answering. "He's . . . not good. He hasn't said a word in days and he won't leave his room . . ."

"Mama stays with him as much as she can, but he barely reacts to anything," Rockman adds quietly.

"Is he eating, at least?" Roll asks, visibly worried.

"Yeah. But it's like he doesn't care anymore, he just eats like it's a chore and leaves most of it on the plate."

"Poor Blues," Meiru-chan sighs, threading her fingers together. " . . . Isn't there anything we can do to help him?"

"We can get Enzan back-" Netto begins.

"Netto-kun, no," Rockman immediately interrupts. "We've already discussed this. Taking Enzan back by force will only make the situation worse."

Netto shoots him an angry look. "Ijuuin-san took him by force to start off with! What difference does it make?"

"The difference is that Ijuuin-san used lawyers to get his way, which means legally, he has the right of it. If you take Enzan back now, you'll be charged with theft at best. And then you won't be in any position to help either him or Blues."

"Well, we can't just leave him in Ijuuin-san's hands!" Netto pushes his chair back and starts pacing, the need to do something burning away inside him. "Who knows what that creep wants with him, but it can't be good! We have to do something, and not just for Blues's sake!"

Rockman heaves a tired sigh. "I know, I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying we need to consider our options carefully. If we make a wrong move, the fallout could be even worse than the current situation."

Netto huffs, annoyed, but he can see his Navi's logic. Much as he hates it, he knows Rockman is right. He can't make things worse for Blues or Enzan. He's already hurt them both, unintentionally perhaps, but he still needs to make good on his promise to do better. No, he will make good on it. He has to.

But for that to happen, they have to get Enzan back. They just need to figure out how.

His PET suddenly goes off, startling him so much he slips and almost falls on his face. Meiru-chan giggles - traitor - while Rockman answers it.

"It's Tohru-kun!" the blue Navi announces. "It's a video call, here, I'll pull it up on the holoscreen . . ."

Netto pads back over to the table as the holoscreen fizzles into existence, trying to plant a smile on his face that feels way too tight to be real. It turns out to be unnecessary, however, because Tohru-kun looks like he's about five seconds away from a complete panic attack.

"What's wrong?" Netto demands, dropping his attempted smile immediately.

"Turn on the TV," Tohru-kun frantically tells him. "The news channel. Hurry!"

"What-"

"Just do it!"

Netto exchanges a mystified glance with Meiru-chan, then heads over to the TV and turns it on. He switches it to the DNN news station - the only one anyone watches, to be honest - and sits on the sofa. Meiru-chan joins him a moment later, handing him his PET and Rockman.

Midorikawa Kero looks to be shooting live from some fancy conference room. She's in the middle of talking to someone who's just off-screen, asking something about new features, and then she holds out her mic and the person steps into view.

Netto inhales sharply, clenching his fists on his knees.

Ijuuin-san looks just as stern as he did back at SciLab, but the menacing aura he gave off isn't there anymore. Either it's because he's just on TV or he's toning it down for the sake of public appearances, but whatever it is, seeing him makes Netto's blood boil. All he can think about is Blues flinching and Enzan trying to hide and Ijuuin-san snatching the poor not-Navi away with no care for the mess he left behind.

"-highly customisable, coming with several default programs that can be uploaded and deactivated as the operator requires," Ijuuin-san is saying. Even his voice, previously harsh and cold, is completely different. More mellow and aloof. Lying creep. "We're also including a package that allows the operator to create his or her own programs."

"Won't that be difficult for people who only know the basics?" Midorikawa asks.

Ijuuin-san shakes his head. "Not at all. The package is designed to be used by both beginners and those with advanced programming skills. It's an intuitive design allowing for a more personalised Custom Navi, truly suited to its operator's needs or wants."

"Wow! That sounds amazing! What was the name of this new Navi type, again?"

"We are referring to them as Paradox Navis."

The world seems to come to a halt.

Tohru-kun, still on the call, looks at Netto. "That- that's what Enzan is now, right? I was watching this and he mentioned Paradox Navis and I just . . ."

Netto can only manage a faint grunt. Meiru-chan puts a finger to her lips and Tohru-kun goes quiet, letting them continue watching.

"Can we see the prototype?" Midorikawa eagerly asks. "Or is it still in development?"

"It has been completed. We're currently in the process of developing methods to mass produce others of such quality customisability, but I have brought it with me to give a demonstration of what the public can expect from the typical Paradox Navi."

"Oooh, this sounds like fun!" Midorikawa turns to the camera, smile wide. "Let's switch to Toadman inside the comp space, where we'll be able to see IPC's prototype in action!"

The image changes, showing an open network. Toadman, the adorable little frog Navi, waves to the camera before hopping over to-

Oh. Oh, god.

"What?" Meiru-chan whispers, hands over her mouth.

"No," Rockman breathes.

Netto remains silent, as does Roll. All four of them - and Tohru-kun, still watching from the holoscreen - stare in open-mouthed shock.

Enzan stands next to Toadman, still as a statue. There's a red mask covering the lower half of his face and he's completely silent. The fact that he's not fidgeting with Scarfy is bad enough, but also there's no sign of Moomoo, and Scarfy itself seems to be trailing limply down his back like it's dead or something.

But the worst part is that Enzan's emblem is no longer blank. Instead, it's a red version of IPC's logo on a black background.

"Say hi to the prototype, kero!" Toadman happily announces, bouncing into a funny pose.

Enzan doesn't so much as twitch.

"They look so cool with that ragged scarf," Midorikawa comments off-screen. "Do they have a name, Ijuuin-san?"

"Yes. Its name is Breakman."

Netto feels his heart sinking to his stomach.

"-and kept switching in all these different programs one after another without shutting him down!" Netto frantically exclaims. "There was even a custom Battle Program! He made Enzan fight a ton of viruses and- and he didn't bother giving him any Recovery data afterwards!"

"A Battle Program?" Papa repeats.

Meijin-san looks torn between rage and confusion. "But Enzan-kun doesn't even have Battle Data! How did he manage that?"

Papa starts pacing back and forth, tugging on his lips. "Existing programs can't be downloaded into Enzan-kun. His systems reject them if they aren't specifically made for his code, which means Ijuuin-san had to have made those programs from scratch. If there was even a Battle Program, it's entirely possible he did the same with Battle Data as well."

"But . . . Enzan's not even a Battle Navi," Rockman points out. "In order to download Battle Data in the first place, he'd need to be reprogrammed."

There's a beat of silence as that sinks in.

" . . . Oh my god," Papa breathes, stopping as a look of horror dawns on his face.

"He reprogrammed his own son!?" Meijin-san exclaims.

"No wonder Enzan was acting all weird," Netto grits out.

Papa runs his hands down his face, eyes haunted. "It's not just that. If Enzan-kun really was reprogrammed . . . Ijuuin-san could have done anything to him. Base code can't be changed, but data and systems can, and he could easily delete things if he wanted to. Like . . . like memory data."

"Oh no," Rockman whispers.

"H-he wouldn't have," Netto says, unable to keep his voice from trembling. "Right? I mean, he's a creep and even worse of a jerk than Enzan was, but even he wouldn't erase a Navi's memory data, would he? Especially if it's his own kid?"

Papa looks at him with such despair that what little hope he managed to dig up vanishes in an instant.

"If Ijuuin-san is willing to reprogram him," Papa says, "then he almost certainly wouldn't have any issues with erasing memory data."

"What else is that monster capable of?" Meijin-san wonders quietly.

"I don't know. I'm honestly afraid to find out."

"Then let's not!" Netto clenches his fists, narrowing his eyes as a flash of determination sends energy through his body. "We have to save Enzan, now! Before Ijuuin-san can do anything else to him!"

"Netto-kun, I told you, it's not that simple-" Rockman begins.

"I don't care! I'm a Net Saver, I have the authority to investigate something like this, don't I!?"

"He's right, Netto-kun," Meijin-san says. "We know what's going on, or we have an idea of it, but without any actual evidence, there's nothing we can do."

"But-"

"Even if there was, Enzan-kun is Ijuuin-san's property right now. He can do whatever he wants to him. We pretty much lost any right to have a say in what happens to Enzan-kun the moment Ijuuin-san walked into SciLab."

Netto, frustrated beyond belief, stomps his foot. "It's not fair! It's not like Ijuuin-san made him or anything!"

"Well, he is his son, so he kinda did make him in a way," Rockman points out.

"Oh, please. That guy acts like he doesn't even have a kid. Besides, Enzan was technically made here, so if anything that means we should have a say in what happens to him!"

Papa pauses. Slowly, he looks up.

"Say that again," he says.

Netto blinks. "Uh. What?"

"What you just said. That last part. Say it again."

"Um . . ."

"He said 'Enzan was technically made here, so if anything that means we should have a say in what happens to him'," Rockman helpfully supplies.

Papa's eyes widen. "THAT'S IT!"

Netto jumps and Rockman jerks back, blinking. Meijin-san simply just stares as Papa begins pacing all over again, this time with a much more excited air.

"If we can argue like that . . . there's a chance . . ." Papa mutters. "But we'll need help . . ."

A few moments pass by. Netto exchanges a puzzled glance with first Rockman and then Meijin-san, then all three of them get back to watching Papa. Eventually, he stops and looks up with a determined expression.

"I'm going to the Net Police," he announces, before marching out of the room.

" . . . Uh," Netto says, blinking, "what just happened?"

Meijin-san chuckles, pushing himself to his feet. "I have no idea, but when your dad gets like that, it usually has pretty decent results. Come on, I'll drive you - and we'd better catch up to him before he tries to run the whole way there."

"Um, okay."

Commissioner Kifune and Superintendent Manabe are both currently in a meeting. They've been in this meeting for the past two hours, even though there's only one subject of discussion. Laika knows this, because he's the one who called them to arrange it, and he's the one who's been arguing with them since it began.

"If we just get a warrant-" he tries.

"With what evidence?" Manabe-san demands. Her patience is clearly wearing thin by now, but so is his.

"We shouldn't need evidence for this! Who knows what that man is capable of!"

"We cannot just march into IPC and demand they hand over the prototype of Project Paradox," Commissioner Kifune says.

"To hell with Project Paradox!" Laika slams his fist onto the desk, ignoring the pounding in his ears. "You know as well as I do that's no prototype! I don't know what Ijuuin-san did to him, but that Navi is Enzan!"

"We're aware of that," the commissioner sternly tells him. "We've seen the pictures you and SciLab have sent us."

"Then why won't you let me do anything!?"

"Ijuuin-san is too protected," Manabe-san says sharply. "Believe me, if it were possible, we'd be marching through their front doors right now. But he has too much influence and power, not to mention IPC's own security is too high-level for even us to get past, not without a legitimate reason!"

"That monster may have been abusing his own son for years! He's probably hurting him right now! What other reason do we need!?"

"We-"

The commissioner's desk phone suddenly goes off. Laika grits his teeth, not breaking eye contact with Manabe-san as Commissioner Kifune answers it.

"Yes? . . . Ah, good. Send them up right away. Thank you."

Manabe-san breaks the staring contest first, looking to Commissioner Kifune. "Sir?"

"Hikari-hakase is here," the commissioner announces. Laika straightens his back, surprised. "He should arrive soon, so why don't you take a seat, Laika-kun?"

Unable to refuse a direct order, he nods sharply. "Yes sir."

He settles down on the sofa nearby, resting his elbows on his knees and threading his fingers together. Taking deep, even breaths, he attempts to regain his composure, though the mere thought of what Enzan could be going through right now is enough to make rage burn through him all over again.

Searchman projects himself onto the air just in front of him, making him look up.

" . . . I've only seen you get like this once before," his Navi notes. "When Morozov was in danger. And even then you were still able to make calm, calculated decisions."

"If you have a point to make, do so. I'm not in the mood right now."

"Apologies, Laika-sama. What I mean to say is, getting worked up and angry is not going to help the situation. You're emotionally compromised right now and it's affecting your judgement."

Laika narrows his eyes. "Do you want to leave Enzan in the hands of that monster?"

Searchman draws himself up, adopting a sharp look. "I would rather self-delete than allow any harm to come to him."

"Then why-"

"Rushing in without thinking will not help. You need to stay calm and consider your options carefully, like you always do. You cannot rescue Enzan by being rash."

The two of them keep their eyes locked for several moments. This time, Laika is the one to look away first, heaving a sigh.

"You're right, as always," he admits, albeit reluctantly. " . . . Thank you, Searchman."

Searchman softens a little. "Of course, sir."

They sit there in companionable silence until Hikari-hakase bursts into the office a few minutes later. Laika stands, startled at the abrupt entrance, and is confused by the head scientist's seemingly-giddy excitement. Rushing in after him are Netto and Meijin, the former of whom spots Laika and comes over to greet him almost immediately. Good, perhaps he can explain what's going on.

First, though . . .

"How is Blues doing?" Laika asks.

Netto's expression falls into a wince. "Not great. He still won't leave his room. And after that thing on the news . . ."

"You saw it too? The Project Paradox announcement?"

"Yeah. That's what Papa is here for, actually. I think he's got an idea for how we can save Enzan."

Laika straightens. "Good. Perhaps his idea, whatever it is, will make the commissioner and superintendent change their minds . . ."

"Laika-sama," Searchman says, in a warning tone.

" . . . Right. Sorry. Come on, let's go see what's happening."

"Uh, sure," Netto agrees. He mutters under his breath as they head over to the commissioner's desk. "Man, everyone's being cryptic today . . ."

Laika chooses not to react to that.

"-going to need as much help as you can give us," Hikari-hakase is saying. "We'll also need good lawyers - the best in the city, or even the whole country if we have to. We need to match Ijuuin-san if we want to get a favourable result."

"That's all well and good," Commissioner Kifune says cautiously, "but you have yet to tell us exactly what it is you need all this for."

Hikari-hakase grins. It's the same kind of grin Netto gets when he's about to pull off some insane, improbable, and illogical move that usually wins a battle. Whether it's a good thing that father and son apparently share such a trait remains to be seen.

"We're going to beat Ijuuin-san at his own game," Hikari-hakase proudly announces.

It takes just under two weeks to get everything together. Normally this kind of move, especially on this large of a scale, would take far longer - but thanks to the influence of both SciLab and the Net Police, the proverbial ball begins to roll much sooner. Laika helps where he can in between his duties as a Net Saver, occasionally checking in on Blues at the Hikari house and giving updates whenever possible. After the previous incident, no one wants to make the mistake of keeping Blues out of the loop, even if it would be kinder to let him be.

As for getting help, it becomes clear very quickly that they'll need more than what they already have if they're going to match Ijuuin-san.

Sharo doesn't typically interfere in the affairs of foreign countries, but Laika convinces his uncle to make an exception. It doesn't take as much effort as he thought it might - the fact that Netto once saved Sharo and that Laika himself has close ties with the Japanese Net Police is more than enough of a reason.

Netto himself calls in a favour from Princess Pride, who's more than happy to lend a hand, despite the fact that the person in need of saving is someone who has previously been nothing but hostile to everyone. Laika isn't sure what Netto said to convince her, but a part of him knows it didn't take much. It's quite heartening to know that the princess is ready and willing to help anyone in need.

With the efforts of three different countries backing them up, SciLab is finally able to gather more than enough strength to challenge Ijuuin-san. They make it public, being sure to carefully phrase everything in a way that doesn't allow Ijuuin-san any room to retreat or refuse.

Four days after the challenge was issued, they take IPC to court.

Laika and Netto go with Hikari-hakase and the others, but neither of them go into the actual courtroom. They wait outside in the lobby, seated on comfortable sofas.

Well, Laika is seated, at least. Netto paces back and forth on the other side of the low coffee table, visibly anxious and casting unsubtle glances toward the courtroom doors. Aside from their Navis on the table and a few members of staff, there's no one else around. The lobby is quiet, reporters and TV crews barred from entering by security guards.

"How long is this gonna take?" Netto frets, glancing at the doors again. "We've been here for ages already!"

"It's only been four hours, Netto," Laika says flatly.

"Only!?"

"Court cases like this can take anywhere between a few hours to a few days," Searchman explains, and Netto groans. "Given all the resources we've gathered, I'd say we're looking at a few hours."

"We could always go do something else in the meantime," Rockman suggests.

Netto stops pacing and stares at his Navi, appalled. "No way! If we leave, we might miss them coming out!"

"Then sit down and wait patiently," Laika tells him, perhaps with a little less patience of his own than he should have. "You're going to wear out your shoes if you don't stop pacing."

"I can't help it!" Netto whines, immediately getting back to it.

"Netto, for the love of whatever you hold dear, just sit down."

"Make me."

"I will if you don't-"

"Laika-sama," Searchman says.

Laika closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He's getting a headache from having to deal with Netto's restlessness for this long.

"How come we weren't allowed in the courtroom anyway?" Netto wonders, sounding annoyed.

Oh dear god, not this again.

"As I've already explained," Laika says through gritted teeth, opening his eyes, "you were not allowed in because your impulsive personality could ruin the plans we've carefully lain."

"I wouldn't-"

"Netto, look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn't lose your temper the moment Ijuuin-san opens his mouth."

Netto purses his lips and looks away.

"Exactly. I, however, chose to stay out here because I knew leaving you to your own devices would spell trouble."

"I don't need a babysitter," Netto grumbles.

"Yeah, that's what I'm here for," Rockman jokes.

Laika appreciates the attempt at lightening the mood, but he's too exhausted with Netto's . . . everything to want to allow that to happen just yet.

"I'm not babysitting you," he says. "I'm here to make sure you don't burst into that courtroom and take Enzan back by force."

"That's, like, literally the definition of a babysitter."

"I think we have very different definitions of the term, Netto."

"He's technically not wrong," Searchman points out, and Laika resists the urge to groan for eternity.

"Hah!" Netto grins. "See! Even Searchman agrees with me!"

"Just sit down before I break your kneecaps."

Netto balks. "Oh my god, Laika."

"Sit."

Netto sits.

"Thank you," Laika says.

" . . . You always say I'm crazy, but you're just as bad as I am sometimes, y'know that?"

"I'm aware."

Rockman giggles quietly, and even Searchman chuckles a little. From somewhere deep within, Laika manages to drag up a slight smile, which Netto returns without hesitation. Well, not much hesitation.

The four of them do eventually end up heading out for a while, just to get some fresh air. Netto insists on staying close to the court building so they can rush back just in case, to which Laika agrees mainly because it took far too much effort to convince him to leave in the first place.

They get something to eat at a nearby café. It's a genuine shock when Netto barely orders anything, but Laika keeps that thought to himself - no need to cause a scene over it, after all. Not when he knows the reason.

When they get back to the court building, sneaking in through a side door in order to avoid the crowd of reporters and TV crews, they discover everything as they left it. After asking a few members of staff, they learn that the court is still in session, so they settle down to once again begin the waiting game.

Just over two hours later, the doors finally open.

Laika and Netto scramble to their feet immediately, their Navis re-projecting themselves onto their shoulders. They're about to head over when Ijuuin-san marches out, expression twisted with fury.

The man who may or may not have been abusing Enzan stops upon spotting them. That seething rage being directed at them would be enough to make most people want to flee - but Laika stands his ground, meeting Ijuuin-san's gaze, and although Netto clutches his sleeve for support, he too stays put.

"You will regret this," Ijuuin-san spits out. "Mark my words."

Laika doesn't dignify that with a response, and neither does Netto. Ijuuin-san curls his upper lip, glaring at them with such hatred it almost feels like a physical force, then whips his head around and forces his expression into something neutral before leaving the court building entirely. The rest of his people file out behind him, silent and defeated.

Hope begins to blossom in Laika's chest. He has to force himself to keep it down, just in case, but it becomes increasingly difficult to do so when Hikari-hakase and the others come out, looking tired but triumphant.

"Papa!" Netto immediately lets go of Laika's sleeve and darts over to his father. "How did it go? Did you win? Did you get Enzan back? What happened?"

"Netto, Netto, slow down!" Hikari-hakase exclaims, putting his hands on his son's shoulders. "It went well, yes, also yes, and I'll give you the full details later. Okay?"

Netto practically vibrates on the spot. "Okay!"

"We really won this time?" Laika asks, stepping forward.

Meijin comes up just in time to hear that and grins. "Yeah! Ijuuin-san put up a fight, but with the Net Police, Sharo, and Creamland backing us up, SciLab was able to win the case."

"And it's all thanks to you, Netto," Hikari-hakase says, smiling at his son. "If you hadn't pointed out that Enzan-kun was technically made in SciLab . . ."

"Not that I'm not totally stoked it worked," Netto begins, "but how exactly did that help?"

"Since Enzan-kun was technically created at SciLab, that makes him a SciLab Navi," Hikari-hakase explains. "Ijuuin-san used something to that effect when he took Enzan-kun."

"He did?"

"Enzan-kun's PET was made by IPC, and he himself is an employee of IPC," Meijin says. "Since that PET belongs to Enzan-kun still, Ijuuin-san used that as a sort of loophole in order to claim that Enzan-kun, as a Navi, belongs to IPC."

"So you really did beat Ijuuin-san at his own game," Laika notes, smiling. The relief he feels is like a breath of fresh air after being stuck indoors from a snowstorm for an ungodly amount of time.

"That's right, we did!" Hikari-hakase agrees, nodding. His smile dims. "But now that we've gotten that out of the way . . . the real hard part is next."

He takes out a PET - Enzan's PET, thank god - and shows them the screen.

Enzan stares out at them. That red face mask covers the lower half of his face, and both he and Scarfy are completely still and silent, almost unnaturally so.

Chapter Text

They take Enzan straight to SciLab. On the way there, Rockman sends a message to Mama, knowing she'll pass it on to Blues - and then he focuses on Enzan, who's completely unresponsive no matter what anyone says or does.

(He recalls Enzan once being compared to a Display Navi. It's unsettling how accurate that is now.)

As soon as they arrive, Enzan is plugged into a diagnostic computer, and Rockman and Searchman with him. Maybe there isn't a whole lot the two of them can do right now, but there's a chance that having them with him might get some sort of reaction. No matter how small a chance it may be, it's still there, and right now they need any semblance of hope they can find.

"Enzan . . . ?" Rockman hovers near him, doing his best to resist the urge to reach out and touch him. "Come on, please, say something. Don't you recognise us?"

Enzan stays silent and still, staring ahead without so much as twitching. Scarfy doesn't move either.

Rockman shifts from one foot to the other, trying to ignore the chill creeping up his spinal data. This is just so, so wrong. Neither of them should be this still - Enzan is always fiddling with something, whether that be Scarfy or Moomoo, and Scarfy never stops moving in its strange but smooth manner. To have forced both of them to be like this now . . .

Netto-kun is right. Ijuuin-san is a creep.

"Enzan," Searchman says, stepping a little closer. "Can you hear me? Hello?"

Still no reaction. Rockman really hopes Enzan hasn't been deafened, but he's not sure if that's better or worse than him ignoring them.

"Papa, what do we do?" Netto-kun desperately asks.

"First things first, we need to stay calm," Papa replies. Despite that, his eyes are fixed on Enzan and the horror in them is plain to see. "We can't help him if we start panicking."

"We should run a diagnostic," Meijin-san suggests. He seems calm and collected, but the slight tremble in his hands gives him away.

"Right. Let's start with his PET - maybe Ijuuin-san put some notes in there or something."

As the two scientists get to work, Rockman and Searchman continue trying to get a reaction out of Enzan. Netto-kun tries too, and even Laika gives it a go, but they still get absolutely nothing. It's like they're trying to talk to a doll. Or . . . or a corpse.

That thought sends a shiver down Rockman's spinal data. He doesn't like that kinda stuff at the best of times. The idea of one of his friends - because, yes, Enzan is his friend - being reprogrammed into something similar is almost more than he can handle.

"Enzan, please," he begs. "Say something, anything!"

The complete lack of response very nearly brings him to tears.

Searchman moves closer, far closer than anyone's ever dared to get. The Sharoan Navi hesitates, looking conflicted and almost pained, before taking a deep breath and slowly reaching out.

"Searchman!" Laika's sharp voice makes him pause. "What are you doing? He doesn't like being touched, you're the one who told me that!"

"I'm aware," Searchman says tightly. "But if there's a chance he'll react to it . . ."

Enzan once told Rockman what touch felt like to him, and it sounded so uncomfortable, if not downright horrible. He made sure to be extra careful not to touch Enzan after that, and even made sure their friends knew not to touch him as well. So doing this with the intention of making him uncomfortable doesn't sit well with him at all.

But . . . Searchman is right.

"Do it," Rockman says, nodding. He presses his lips together and flicks his eyes to Enzan.

"Rockman . . ." Netto-kun trails off, worried.

Searchman moves his hand closer until it's hovering just above Enzan's shoulder. Another hesitation, and then he brings it down and grips hard.

Enzan doesn't react.

Tears begin to slide down Rockman's cheeks and he does nothing to stop them. There's a hard, uncomfortable pressure in his chest as his core pulses, and his breath hitches as he tries and almost fails to breathe in.

Searchman grits his teeth and gives Enzan a little shake. He doesn't react to that, either.

Oh, makers.

" . . . How are we supposed to fix this?" Netto-kun asks softly.

"I don't- I don't know," Laika replies.

"It'll take time," Papa says, looking up from Enzan's PET. "We'll need to study and understand exactly what Ijuuin-san has done to him in order to reverse it. Lucky for us, he seems to have switched out Enzan-kun's work files with patch notes and experiment reports."

"Experiment reports?" Searchman repeats, shocked. "That monster experimented on his own son?"

"If he's willing to do this to Enzan as a Navi," Laika begins, shaken, "what could he have been doing to him as a human?"

Netto-kun makes a small noise, almost like a choke, and darts out of the room. He looked like he was gonna be sick. A part of Rockman implores him to go after his operator (his brother), but he can't bring himself to leave Enzan like this. Papa is busy, so he looks to Laika instead.

"I'll look after him," the Sharoan promises, nodding, before following Netto-kun.

Assured that his operator is going to be cared for, Rockman turns his attention back to Enzan. They managed to deactivate that new mask on the way here, so the lower half of his face is once again visible. However, he's completely unfazed and unresponsive. Normally his expression is kinda blank when it's neutral anyway, but seeing it now only makes a heavy wave of desperation flood through Rockman's systems.

He can't hold himself back and steps closer, hooking his fingers under Enzan's helmet. He removes it carefully, holding it in trembling hands, and locks eyes with the not-Navi.

"Please," he begs, voice breaking. "Please, Enzan, just . . . just tell us if you're hurt or in pain or anything. At least do that. Please."

Enzan just stares through him. The blank expression is even worse now that his helmet has been removed.

" . . . I have another idea," Searchman says quietly, making Rockman look up. "But you might not like it."

"If it gets him to react, I don't care."

A slight hesitation, and then Searchman nods. He turns to Enzan and Rockman steps back, clutching the helmet to his chest.

"Breakman," Searchman says sharply, "diagnostic report. Now."

Enzan snaps to attention so abruptly that Rockman flinches.

The not-Navi brings up his hands and activates a screen, turning his head slightly to look at it. He types rapidly, without error, and a few moments later, several more screens pop up for Searchman to look at. Rockman shuffles to the side to get a look at them as well. The screens all show Enzan's status, including his HP, stats, and the custom programs currently loaded into him.

A diagnostic report, just as Searchman ordered. They hadn't gotten around to teaching Enzan how to do that yet.

Rockman exchanges a glance with Searchman and sees the same painful realisation reflected in his eyes.

" . . . So that's why he wasn't responding to us."

They both startle and look at the lab screen. Papa is watching them - or more accurately, Enzan - with a sad expression.

"Alright," Papa sighs, running a hand down his face. "We need to do this properly. Breakman!"

Enzan turns his head toward Papa. His expression remains completely blank.

"Shut your program down," Papa orders. His voice wavers halfway through.

Without even a verbal confirmation, Enzan shuts himself down, allowing Papa to capture him with a couple of program arms and gently deposit him into a proper diagnostic program. A moment later, a hologram of Enzan's body appears in the real world machine's glass tube, and Papa and Meijin-san move over to it and begin working.

" . . . Even if we can get him back, he won't be the same after this," Rockman murmurs, tucking Enzan's helmet under his chin.

He feels Searchman's arm around him and doesn't fight the taller Navi as he's pulled into his side.

"We'll help him," Searchman says firmly, with far more confidence than Rockman currently feels. "He's not alone anymore. He never will be again."

"Right," Rockman whispers.

Mama and Blues arrive an hour or so later. Laika comes in with them, explaining that he met them in the lobby, but Netto-kun is nowhere to be seen.

Rockman worries for him, but he still can't bring himself to leave Enzan. Laika tells him that Netto-kun wanted some time alone and is currently up on the roof, so hopefully the fresh air and space will help Netto-kun clear his head.

For now, he focuses on the would-be reunion between operator and Navi (though who's the operator and who's the Navi is a little muddled now). Enzan has no reaction and it's likely a good thing Rockman gave him back his helmet earlier, otherwise poor Blues, who looks bad enough already, might have a complete breakdown upon seeing his emotionless expression.

As it is, Blues just squeaks out something resembling Enzan's name and drops into a chair in front of the screen. He looks like he hasn't slept for days - maybe he hasn't - and his skin is an unhealthy pale colour, and his eyes just barely seem capable of focusing on Enzan. He's holding his creepy rabbit loosely, like he doesn't have the energy to do anything more, but even that much seems to be a strain.

Seeing Blues's condition just makes the whole situation even worse. It takes almost every ounce of self-control Rockman has to stop himself from running off like Netto-kun did.

"How is he?" Mama and Papa ask each other at the same time.

They both pause, then exchange tired smiles.

"You first," Papa offers.

Mama glances at Blues, smile dimming. "He's . . . still not good. Now that we have Enzan-kun back, I'm hoping he'll get better, but . . ."

"It all depends on whether or not we can actually get Enzan-kun back," Papa finishes. "On that note . . . Meijin and I have figured out what Ijuuin-san did to him."

Rockman looks up sharply, as do Searchman and Laika. Blues takes a moment to react, sluggishly dragging his eyes away from Enzan to rest on Papa instead.

Papa takes a deep breath. "That man . . . 'Monster' may be too kind for what he is. To put it in a way everyone can understand, he . . . he basically tore Enzan-kun's programming apart, then stitched it all back together with a bunch of custom programs wedged in."

Rockman bites his lip, Searchman breathes in sharply, and Mama puts her hands over her mouth in horror. Laika looks away, clenching his fists, and Blues slumps in his seat, eyes empty.

"We're lucky Ijuuin-san seemed to be more interested in adding things to Enzan-kun," Meijin-san sighs. "His core data has been patched and reprogrammed, but his personality and memory data have just been buried under layers of code. That's why he's-" He gestures to Enzan."-like this, right now. As for those custom programs, they seem to be a highly advanced form of the NaviCust program."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Laika asks cautiously.

"A regular NaviCust program shuts a Navi down so the operator can install or remove different programs, such as Attack-plus or Speed-plus," Papa explains. "But this new one . . . It doesn't shut the Navi down at all. From what we can tell, it allows the operator to open the custom screen and swap programs whenever they want."

"Ijuuin-san was doing that during the Project Paradox presentation," Searchman says, narrowing his eyes. "Even in the middle of that horrendous virus battle."

"Normally I'd be fascinated by such a program, especially since it has such high customisability." Papa heaves a shaky sigh and puts a hand over his eyes. "But considering how it came about, and what it was used for . . ."

"Can you remove it?" Laika asks.

"No. It's too deeply ingrained into Enzan-kun's systems now - there's no telling what damage we could do if we tried to take it out. The same goes for anything else Ijuuin-san forced into him, like the custom Battle Data."

"So . . . is he stuck like this?" Mama hesitantly asks. "Honey, please, tell me you can fix him. Please. He's- he's just a boy, he doesn't deserve this!"

"We can uninstall the programs in the advanced NaviCust, but I have no idea if that will be enough to get him back to normal," Papa admits.

"And there's the fact that his personality and memory data have been buried," Meijin-san adds, wincing. "Those aren't going to be easy to dig up, especially not with vital code in the way. We could screw up his programming even worse if we do anything."

"It's at times like these that I wish I had been assigned a gun," Laika mutters. He doesn't seem to be joking.

"The best we could do is replace the new data with something else, maybe," Papa muses. "Something similar that can coax his personality and memory data back to the surface. If we use Ijuuin-san's notes, we could-"

"We're not using anything that monster made."

Everyone - minus Enzan - startles. Rockman looks to the door with everyone else and straightens in surprise when he sees Netto-kun standing in the now-open doorway, eyebrows pinched together in either determination or anger.

"Netto . . ." Papa trails off.

"Netto-kun, why would you say that?" Rockman demands, horrified. "We- we have to, it may be the only way to bring Enzan back-"

"Lemme rephrase," Netto-kun says, stepping into the lab and letting the door slide shut behind him. "We don't have to use anything that monster made."

" . . . Huh?"

"Explain, now," Laika orders.

Netto-kun smiles grimly and holds up a Battle Chip. "Will the data on this do, Papa?"

Rockman shuffles a little closer to the screen to look at it. He stiffens when he realises what it is that his brother is holding, and a weak sort of hope begins to bloom in his core.

Blues Soul.

"Of course," Papa breathes, eyes widening. "Soul Data! If we can use it as a base to create a new program, that might just work!"

"Then here," Netto-kun says, stepping forward to hand the Chip over.

"Wait, Netto-kun," Meijin-san breaks in. "If we do this, we're going to need to use the original data. A copy won't be enough. That means you'll lose Blues Soul completely. Are you alright with that?"

Netto-kun doesn't even hesitate. "As long as it can save Enzan, I don't care."

Rockman closes his gaping mouth and, from somewhere deep inside, finds a smile. He's so, so proud of his brother right now.

"Netto-kun is right," he says, getting everyone's attention. "I'd rather lose Blues Soul and get Enzan back than keep it and lose him forever. Besides, I have plenty of other Soul Unisons - it's not like we're gonna be taking a major hit to our power pool."

Despite his conviction, a part of him feels saddened at the thought of losing even one of his Souls. Those Chips are proof of the bonds he made with so many Navis, and Blues Soul is the last piece of Blues's data left in the cyberworld now that he's a human.

But if it means they can bring Enzan back . . . If it means they can save him . . .

He'll take the loss without complaint.

A quiet tapping on the screen gets his attention. He looks at Blues, who stares back at him with a faint glimmer of life in his eyes.

"Sss- s-sa-av-e hh- hi- h-h-i-im," the former Navi rasps. "Ple- p-ple-eass-se."

Rockman nods firmly. "We will."

He'll make sure of it.

Papa and Meijin-san take no breaks, except to go to the bathroom. They eat while they work, completely focused and in sync with each other, barely needing words to communicate as they go through complex programming that would make even a Navi feel dizzy and overwhelmed.

To Rockman, it's impressive. And while normally he'd be worried for both of them pushing themselves like this, it's currently the only thing that could save Enzan. So he shoves his worry down for now, instead focusing on helping wherever he can. Searchman does the same, and while they're not nearly as in sync as Papa and Meijin-san, they manage well enough to provide assistance.

And then, finally, the new program is complete. Blues Soul has been fully converted as the core of the program and it's ready to be installed into Enzan, to replace what Ijuuin-san forced into him. They can't get rid of the advanced NaviCust, but maybe Blues's Navi soul will be enough to bring Enzan back.

Papa orders Enzan to shut himself down, and then he and Meijin-san get to work. It's nerve-wracking to watch, knowing that even a single mistake could be the end of the not-Navi, and perhaps Blues as well.

Eventually, it's done. Meijin-san staggers away to flop into a chair and proceeds to begin snoring almost immediately, and it looks like Papa wants to do the same, but sheer strength of will appears to keep him conscious.

"He should . . . wake up soon," Papa half-slurs.

"Honey, come on, you should rest too," Mama gently insists, tugging him away from the console.

"N-need to m- . . . ma-ake sure he . . . sss . . ."

"We can handle it. You've checked everything, it's okay. If there's any problems, we'll wake you up. Now go rest."

Papa is too exhausted to protest and just drops off into sleep the second Mama pushes him into a chair. The sound of both his and Meijin-san's gentle snoring fades into background noise as everyone turns their attention to Enzan.

The installation program continues to hold him for another minute or so, allowing Blues Soul to properly download into him. Rockman keeps an eye on the progress bar next to it, gripping his hands together to prevent himself from rushing over and doing everything he can to speed it up. They have to let it go at its own pace, just in case.

Even so, it takes what feels like an eternity before the bar is full. He perks up, holding his breath as the program begins to lower Enzan to the floor, and then-

There's a flash of red. Like electricity, but more . . . intense, sort of. It sparks across Enzan's body, trailing down to the tips of Scarfy's tassel-fingers.

Deep in his core, Rockman feels something stirring.

"What the . . ." Searchman murmurs, frowning.

"Is that supposed to happen?"

"I . . . don't know . . ."

A red light gleams from within Enzan's visor, and then lightning explodes out with a crackling ZZT-BANG.

Rockman yelps, instinctively covering his head, and just barely registers Searchman doing the same beside him. There are some cries from the real world before a loud buzz of static electricity cuts them off.

He squints out from under his arms. Blood-red lightning whips all over the place, scoring deep grooves into the floor and leaving trails of burn marks in strange patterns. Flashes of it come too close to hitting him and Searchman and they both flinch back.

"Communication with the real world has been cut," Searchman reports, after checking his mic. "I have no idea what's happening out there, but this lightning must be causing damage to both worlds."

"Where did it come from!?"

"If I had to guess? Enzan."

"But he doesn't have-" Rockman pauses. "Oh. Oh no."

Searchman looks at him and opens his mouth, and then a bolt of lightning crashes between them and they jump back to avoid the debris.

Rockman looks over at Enzan. The installation program has dropped him to the ground and he's on his feet now, Scarfy whipping madly around him and throwing out what look to be lightning-made Sonic Booms. From Enzan sparks more lightning, and a deep, unsettling red glow gleams from the right side of his visor.

And then Searchman barrels into Rockman and shoves them both behind a datablock, just in time to avoid a massive bolt that explodes a crater into the ground where they were just standing.

"What the hell is going on!?" Searchman spits out, shoving himself off Rockman and pressing his back to the datablock. "This was definitely not supposed to happen!"

Rockman risks a peek around the side of the datablock, only to duck back behind it as Enzan immediately spots him and hurls a bolt of lightning in his direction. It shoots past and explodes another datablock, but Enzan seems to lose interest quickly and gets back to zapping absolutely everything.

What happened? The program was meant to save Enzan and bring him back, not make him go berserk! Is Blues Soul's data somehow incompatible?

 . . . Wait. Blues Soul.

"The Ultimate Program!" Rockman gasps.

Searchman looks at him sharply. "What?"

"It- it activated! I felt something just before he went crazy, that must be it!"

"But it's dormant, why would it activate now?"

"We gave him Blues Soul's data!"

Searchman's eyes widen.

"It must have reacted to that," Rockman goes on frantically. "Or maybe it merged in a weird way and Enzan couldn't handle it. I don't know! But it made him go berserk, for sure!"

"Dammit," Searchman hisses. "Of all the things to . . . We have to stop this before he brings down the entire network."

Rockman stiffens. "What? No! W-we can't attack him, he doesn't have the Hit Points to survive!"

"Then we lower our power!" Searchman snaps back.

"What if we misfire!?"

"We don't have much of a choice, Rockman! He-"

The datablock they're hiding behind explodes above them. Rockman covers his head and feels Searchman throwing himself over him - probably pure instinct at this point - as bits of data rain down, dissolving as soon as they hit the ground.

And then there's a flash of red in front of them and suddenly Enzan is there.

"He can teleport!?" Searchman gasps.

Enzan raises his hand, fingers crackling with red lightning, and Scarfy copies him.

"Who cares, run!" Rockman cries, scrambling to his feet and dragging Searchman with him.

They're just barely fast enough to dodge, leaving the last of their cover to become little more than dissolving rubble. Rockman chances a glance over his shoulder and sees Enzan watching him, head tilted, and feels a shiver going down his spinal data before he forces himself to focus on running.

It takes far too long for them to find any sort of shelter from the lightning storm that is Enzan. Even so, they still hear it crackling and exploding nearby, along with periodic blasts from the electrical Sonic Booms that Scarfy keeps throwing around.

"Okay," Rockman pants, hands on his knees, "so Enzan now has Battle Data, which means he can actually fight. Low HP or not, he seems . . . pretty powerful."

"Considering Blues Soul has probably combined with his data, it's likely that he has Blues's stats now," Searchman remarks.

Rockman straightens up, frowning. "But . . . Blues wasn't all that strong . . ."

"No, he was. He just lacked the confidence to use that strength properly."

" . . . Oh. Oh, makers, we are so screwed."

"Not if we stop his rampage," Searchman points out. "If we can just knock him out or get him to calm down, we should be able to salvage this. We just need an opportunity."

"Between him flinging out lightning and Scarfy throwing Sonic Booms everywhere?" Rockman gives his friend an incredulous look. "Are you listening to yourself right now?"

Searchman raises an eyebrow. "Since when were you such a pessimist? The Rockman I know would be doing anything and everything to calm him down."

" . . . I'm having an off-day," Rockman mutters, looking away.

He hears Searchman sighing and feels a heavy but gentle hand drop onto his head.

"We all are," Searchman admits.

Rockman takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, trying to make his systems calm down. Aside from Enzan going berserk, he's also worried about what's happening in the real world - but they're probably gonna have to stop Enzan before they can check on the humans.

" . . . Hey, uh," Searchman begins, "I just had a thought . . ."

"Yeah . . . ?"

"If Enzan can teleport now, what was the point in running away?"

Rockman looks up sharply. "Why would you say that!?"

Searchman blinks. "What do you-"

There's a crackle of red lightning and Enzan appears a few feet away.

" . . . Oh," Searchman says.

Rockman shoots him a tired glare.

ZZT-

"SCATTER!" Searchman bellows, and they both dive to the side.

-BANG!

Enzan's lightning destroys their new shelter in an instant, not that it apparently matters. He throws his arms out and Scarfy copies him, both of them hurling more lightning and forcing Rockman and Searchman to run further apart in order to dodge.

It's fast. That should be expected given it's lightning and, apparently, it was created from Blues Soul's data, but it's not something to be admired while it's currently being directed at them.

Rockman manages to roll behind a short datablock and crouches there, breathing hard. He risks a glance over the top, looking for Searchman, and catches a quick glimpse of his friend's camo-patterned boot disappearing behind a wall. A moment or two later, Searchman peeks out, and their eyes meet across the distance.

Enzan is directly between them, and now that they're out of sight he's gone back to lashing out blindly. The odd thing about this is that not once has he made so much as a peep - in fact, he hasn't spoken or made a single sound since they rescued him, and when Rockman casts his mind back to the Project Paradox presentation, he abruptly realises Enzan hadn't made a sound back then either.

Why hasn't he spoken? Even the most basic of Navis have speech programs-

Rockman's eyes widen.

He discreetly waves to catch Searchman's attention again, then points to his throat. Searchman squints at him, visibly confused, but luckily he's more than smart enough to work it out and soon his eyes widen as well, then he nods.

Okay. They're on the same page, but now what? They can't get close to Enzan like this.

Searchman waves this time, and when Rockman looks at him, he mimes out a suggestion.

First pointing at Rockman. Then making a motion like he's grabbing something. Next, pointing to himself. And finally, pointing at his throat.

You hold him, I'll fix him.

Rockman swallows and nods. It plays to both their strengths - Searchman is way better at data manipulation and stuff like that than he is, and he's smaller and faster, plus he has more HP and can endure attacks for longer. It's a good plan. They just have to make sure not to get incinerated.

First, he has to get Enzan's attention. Since the not-Navi appears to be attacking anything within eyesight - until he decides to teleport, anyway - it shouldn't be too difficult.

So Rockman steadies himself, then jumps out of his hiding spot. "ENZAN! OVER HERE!"

Enzan's head snaps toward him and immediately he has to dodge a blast of lightning. He narrows his goals down, then takes off running directly for Enzan, dodging more and more blasts the closer he gets.

He takes a few hits, none of them more than glancing blows, but they leave a lingering burning sensation that tingles and makes him feel kinda weird and glitchy in the spot he got hit. When he fought Blues in the N1, he recalls having to speed up his processing just so he could keep up with him, and it left the tips of his fingers a little numb and tingly. This kinda reminds him of that.

He dives under a Sonic Boom from Scarfy, skidding and rolling up all in one fluid movement, and then he's right in front of Enzan and Enzan's body is lighting up with red sparks and-

Rockman yanks him into a hug. Enzan stiffens, sparks still flying, and although Rockman winces from the burning glitches, he doesn't let go.

"Let us help you," he says softly. "Please, Enzan."

Air rasps out of Enzan's mouth and he grips Rockman's arms so hard that it feels like he's about to rip them off. And then, very slowly, he loosens his hold and lets his arms go limp.

The lightning crackles and dies down. Scarfy, too, stops attacking - though it remains fully alert, tassel-fingers spread like claws and crackling with electricity. Looks like they managed to revive it somehow, or maybe the Soul Data did that on its own. Whichever it was, at least this worked. Sort of.

"There you go," Rockman says, keeping his soft tone. He glances over Enzan's shoulder and sees Searchman slowly making his way toward them. "It'll be okay. Searchman will give you your voice back. We can fix-"

Enzan tenses and begins to spark immediately.

"-ah, no, I mean help, we can help you, it's okay, shh . . ."

Slowly, Enzan relaxes.

Searchman, who had paused when the not-Navi began to look as though he'd go berserk again, continues on his path. Scarfy keeps one of its hands pointed toward him, but it doesn't stop him from advancing, and finally he's close enough to step into Enzan's line of sight.

"I'll need to touch your emblem and access your frame data," Searchman tells him gently. "Will that be alright?"

Enzan stares at him. The faint glow on the right side of his visor moving slightly is the only indication that he's not just staring through him.

Finally, he nods.

Rockman loosens his grip just enough for Enzan to bare his chest for Searchman. The Sharoan Navi bends down to his eye-level and reaches out, then pauses, blinking and making an interested noise.

" . . . What is it?" Rockman asks.

"His emblem changed," Searchman says. "Look."

Rockman looks down. Enzan's emblem, which had previously been blank and then marred with the IPC logo, is indeed different. It's a fairly simple one, all things considered - a red lightning bolt on a black background. Fitting, too.

"That looks pretty cool," Rockman says, giving Enzan a smile.

Enzan stares, then tilts his head.

" . . . Right, we need to give you your voice back. Okay, um, Searchman?"

Searchman nods and gets to work, being quick but careful. Despite that, Enzan tenses and begins to spark all over again, and Rockman shushes him and talks to him and does absolutely everything in his power to help the poor not-Navi stay calm long enough to be fixed.

Eventually it's done, and Searchman immediately backs off, cutting off his access to Enzan's frame. Rockman lets go of Enzan as well, holding his hands where the not-Navi can see them and trying his best to show he's not a threat.

" . . . C-can I-" Enzan begins, and then abruptly cuts himself off. He pats his chest, breathing in sharply.

"Enzan?" Rockman prompts. "Hey, are you-"

"Mmf."

"En-"

Enzan grips his head in his hands, uttering a noise that's halfway between a growl and a whimper. Then his entire body flashes red and he vanishes in a crackling whoosh of energy, only to reappear a few metres away.

Before Rockman or Searchman can react, he raises his head to the skybox, throws his arms down and curls his fingers into claws, and screams.

Lightning blasts out and Rockman flinches back, but it's all directed upwards this time. An immense pillar of pure red lightning with Enzan screaming incoherently in its centre, and Scarfy spread out to conduct the flow properly. It's a lot more controlled than the previously berserk and random attacks, but it's still a scary sight to witness, especially when Enzan didn't have this kind of power before. Or, well, any power.

Eventually the tirade of screaming dies down. Enzan appears to wear himself out and the lightning crackles until it's all gone, and then, sparking with lingering electricity, he collapses to the ground and curls up, sobbing quietly. Scarfy blankets him, gently petting his head.

Rockman exchanges a sad glance with Searchman, and they make their way over, keeping their footsteps heavy so Enzan knows they're coming. He only sobs harder as they sit near him.

"We're right here," Rockman says softly. "We'll help you."

"You're not alone," Searchman adds, just as soft.

To their shock, Enzan crawls closer. Physical contact was only initiated before because they had to, but now-

Enzan flops into Rockman's lap and curls up there, still crying his eyes out. He reaches out with a shaky hand and tugs on Searchman's finger until he gets the idea and scoots closer, giving him his hand to hold. Scarfy continues blanketing Enzan, but it pats Rockman and then Searchman, as if thanking them both.

Rockman swallows, then decides to just go with it. If this is what Enzan wants, then after everything he's been through, he can have it.

"It's okay now," Rockman whispers, putting a gentle hand on Enzan's back and rubbing up and down. "You're okay. You're safe."

The second he saw the sparks, Netto knew something bad was gonna happen. And then the lights went out and there was an explosion on the screen and suddenly everything was going crazy, with red electricity sparking and buzzing from all the machines in the room.

It was enough to wake up Papa and Meijin-san, but they were both too tired to do anything. No one could leave the room - the door had become stuck and coated in sparks - and Netto and Laika had been cut off from communicating with their Navis. Mama dragged Blues into a protective embrace when the red sparks almost zapped him, and all the group could do was huddle in the centre of the room and hope for it to be over quickly.

Eventually, it stopped.

And now they're looking at a scene that no one could have ever predicted, not even Blues, judging by the look on his face.

Enzan is curled up on Rockman's lap, gripping Searchman's hand like his life depends on it. Scarfy seems to have been revived somehow - thank god - and is petting him, and so is Rockman.

They're . . . touching him. They're touching Enzan, and he's not freaking out.

" . . . Rockman?" Netto calls, nervous.

His Navi looks up, blinking in surprise. "Oh. Communication is back, that's good. Um, sorry."

"Enzan did that," Searchman supplies, rubbing his thumb over the back of Enzan's hand. "But it's fine now, he just needed to . . . let it out, I suppose."

Netto opens his mouth, closes it, then tries again. "U-uh . . . okay."

Wait a second. If they're talking like that and Enzan is like this, then that means . . .

"Did the Soul Data work?" he asks, eyes widening. "Is- is Enzan-"

Rockman smiles. "He's back."

Netto feels his shoulders slumping in relief. Papa and Meijin-san exchange tired grins before promptly flopping back into their seats and dropping off to sleep once again. Hopefully nothing crazy happens to make them wake up again. That would kinda suck.

"E- En-z-za-"

Blues struggles out of Mama's hold, staggering over to the console, and plants his hands onto it to keep himself upright. Enzan shifts awkwardly until he's able to look at the screen, chin resting on Rockman's knee.

"Blues," Enzan says.

Blues looks him over, squeezing his creepy rabbit tight. "Hh- hu-hurt?"

Enzan hesitates before nodding.

" . . . B-ba- bad?"

Another nod.

Blues swallows. "Wh-whe-re- where-ss- M-Moo-m-moo?"

Enzan utters a faint whimper and hides his face in Rockman's thigh. "Gone. Deleted. Father took it."

"O-oh . . ." Blues looks down at his creepy rabbit, then holds it up. "Wa-want- want th-this? F-f-fo-r . . . n-n-no-w?"

" . . . Okay."

Enzan sits up slowly, with a bit of help from Rockman. He glances at both him and Searchman, then logs himself out and projects himself onto the creepy rabbit. Blues holds it and him close, sitting a little heavily onto the chair next to him.

Laika watches this quietly for a moment, and then looks at the screen. "Searchman. Plug out, we have a mission."

"What?" Netto looks at him incredulously. "Now, of all times? I didn't even hear your PET go off!"

"It's a personal mission. We'll be back."

As soon as Searchman has returned himself to Laika's PET, the Sharoan leaves.

Well, that was . . . cryptic. And totally unexpected. Also kinda rude, but that's just how Laika is sometimes.

Shaking his head, Netto decides to overlook it - for now anyway - and heads over to take a seat next to Blues. Mama follows him and a moment later, Rockman plugs himself out of the network as well and hovers near Enzan.

Enzan looks up, then glances at Scarfy. It reaches out and pulls Rockman over, allowing Enzan to tug him down and then climb onto his lap again. Which is . . . cute, actually.

Does this mean Enzan is over the no-touching thing? Or is this just temporary? The latter kinda seems more likely, but Netto kinda hopes it's the former. Enzan is the kinda guy who definitely needs a lot of hugs, but no one's been able to give them to him so far. No one except Blues, though whether or not hugging a half-there hologram counts is up for debate.

" . . . Rockman," Enzan mutters. "Need your help."

"Of course, what is it?"

Enzan presses his lips together, then tugs on Rockman until his audio receptor is close enough to whisper into. Netto almost wants to lean closer to find out what's going on now, but he holds himself back. It'd be cruel to invade Enzan's privacy after everything.

After a quiet and whispered conversation, during which Rockman looks oddly confused before his expression smooths out, Enzan sits up. He looks at everyone and opens his mouth, but hesitates.

"Go on," Rockman gently encourages. "You can do it. Take it slow if you need to."

"Mm."

Enzan takes a deep breath, fiddling with Scarfy's offered tassel-fingers.

"Th- tha- aa- k-" The not-Navi pauses, biting his lip, before trying again. "Tha . . . nk . . . You. For. Um. Tha-thank you f-for. Sa-ving me."

Netto blinks. Huh. That's the first time he's ever heard those words come out of Enzan's mouth.

It's . . . nice.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Mama says, not even bothering to hide her beaming smile. "We're happy you're back safe and sound."

"Mhm."

Enzan ducks his head and takes hold of Rockman's hand, switching to fiddling with his fingers instead of Scarfy's. Rockman looks kinda bemused but just lets it happen, half-smiling gently.

And then Enzan tugs Rockman's hand closer and bites his fingers.

"AH!" Rockman yelps, yanking his hand away.

Enzan flinches. "S-sorry."

"N-no, it's, uh, i-it's fine." Rockman laughs a little awkwardly. "It- it didn't hurt, I was just surprised. Uh . . . maybe a little warning next time?"

Blues is smiling faintly. Netto is overjoyed to see it, even if it came at the cost of Rockman having his fingers chomped on.

Scarfy taps Enzan to get his attention and then makes an odd variety of weird gestures. None of them appear to make sense, but somehow, it looks like Enzan can understand them just fine. Which is odd, but, whatever.

"No," the not-Navi says, baring his teeth a little. "I'm not- I won't bite you anymore."

Scarfy makes another gesture or two.

"No! Y- you're healed now, but you were in tatters before!"

More gestures.

"I said no! I don't wanna hurt you again!"

Scarfy throws its hands up, makes a random gesture, and then forms a heart-shape with its hands before patting Enzan's emblem.

" . . . I don't- I don't know what that means."

Rockman giggles. "I think I know. It's saying it loves you."

"It- it does?" Enzan's mouth drops open a little. "But . . ."

Scarfy takes the opportunity to shove a tassel-finger into his mouth. Enzan utters a muffled protest before instinct apparently takes over and he's once again chewing on his scarf-friend.

Netto grins. Everything is good again.

Enzan is leaning against Rockman on the fluffy beanbag chair.

He's been chasing physical contact from Rockman ever since Blues's old Soul Data was downloaded into him. A part of him aches for Searchman too, but the Sharoan Navi has yet to return, so he makes do with just Rockman for now. It's nice, all the same. Touch usually hurts, but this time, it's different. Comfortable. Like lying on that fluffy pillow Hikari-san got for him.

He tried this with Roll too, thinking maybe it wouldn't hurt, but apparently it's only Rockman and Searchman who are okay because he felt the usual off-brand pain sparking through his body when she touched him. He ended up teleporting through the wall of the homepage room and Rockman had to come out and hold him until he stopped shaking.

Why is it only Rockman and Searchman? What's so special about them?

Although, it's only a passing curiosity. He doesn't really care enough about the answer to push his luck. He's fine with things as they are.

But his hands feel empty. He holds Scarfy, and while it kinda helps, it's not the same.

He wants Moomoo so badly it hurts.

Instead of voicing this, he keeps quiet and presses his cheek to Rockman's shoulder. Again, it helps a little, but it's still not quite enough to chase away the hollow ache inside him.

He tunes back into the conversation between the Navis - the other Navis, he should say - just in time to hear someone mention 'Breakman'. His core pulses uncomfortably in his chest and he feels his new lightning stirring deep within him in response, but takes a steadying breath to force it down. He doesn't want to zap Rockman by accident.

"-doesn't count as a name, in my opinion," Roll is saying. "He didn't choose it himself, it got forced on him. And after everything that just happened, it kinda carries some really negative connotations . . ."

"Conno-what, gutsu?" Gutsman echoes, tilting his head.

Enzan presses a hand to the side of his helmet. It's kinda cool how the emotion display can read even Navis whose faces don't fully emulate humans, like Gutsman. This time it tells him that Gutsman is confused.

"What she means is that it carries bad memories," Glide explains.

Roll nods. "Exactly. So even if Breakman would be an option, I don't think it'd be very high on the list."

"Probably not," Rockman says, "but it's not really up to us." He looks at Enzan, smiling a little. "What do you think? It's your name, so you get final say."

Even just hearing the Navi name his father gave him makes him want to run and hide somewhere. His lightning stirs, readying itself to take him wherever he wants to go, and he forces it to settle before he ends up teleporting again.

He should probably figure out how to control it properly.

"I don't wanna be Breakman," he says quietly.

He remembers everything his father did to him and made him do when he was his 'property', as Breakman. He was fully conscious the whole time, but was forced to obey any orders given to him, especially by Father, and he couldn't speak or feel anything. And even now, the pain of being torn apart and reprogrammed still lingers in his memory, sometimes so intense that it makes him huddle into a ball and hyperventilate until it goes away.

If he takes Breakman as his Navi name, he'll be subjecting himself to those memories even more. He doesn't want that. At all.

"That's okay," Rockman says, putting an arm around his shoulders and squeezing gently. The contact and pressure is enough to chase away the phantom pain. "You don't have to take a name you don't want. Whatever you choose, it'll be your name, through and through."

" . . . 'Kay."

That makes his lightning finally settle.

The discussion continues, moving on from the subject of his name to more lighter topics, and although he doesn't participate, he listens. Mostly it seems to be about school - god, he missed more than three weeks of it, and so did Blues - and random gossip, but this feels normal. So . . . it's okay.

The others are just on the topic of school clubs (what, like the weapons?) when there's a knock on the homepage room door. Roll brings up the door program and opens it, allowing the latecomer to walk inside.

"Hey guys!" Jazz greets everyone brightly. "Sorry if I'm late, I went to go pick something up from Internet City."

"It's fine, we don't really have a set time for these parties anyway," Roll dismisses.

"Did you see Searchman anywhere?" Rockman asks.

"No, sorry. Something up?"

"Not really. We just haven't seen him since a couple of days ago . . ."

"Ah. I'll keep an eye out if he doesn't show up today, if you want," Jazz offers, and Rockman nods in response. Then they turn their attention to Enzan, giving him a smile. "Hey, N. How've you been?"

It's not his imagination that they've softened their tone. But he doesn't care about that right now.

His lightning stirs and surges, and he uses the energy to teleport over to them. They jerk back, losing their smile and blinking owlishly.

"Wow- uh, that's new," Jazz notes. "I think? Or could you always do that and just didn't for whatever reason?"

"No, it's new," Enzan confirms. "Hello. I . . . missed you." Scarfy curls into his line of sight and he corrects himself. "We missed you."

Jazz blinks again, and then their smile comes back. "I missed you two as well. Y'know I was really worried when I saw that Project Paradox thing on TV? Tempo had to lock her PET down just so I wouldn't run off to check on you. And then there was that legal thing and it turned out IPC stole you from SciLab and . . . Makers, are you two okay?"

Warmth spreads through his chest and he feels his lips quirking up at the corners, just a little bit.

"We're better now that we're home," he replies.

"That's good," Jazz says, sighing. They perk up suddenly. "Oh! N, I actually got you something, that's why I went to Internet City. Lemme get it outta my inventory data, hold on . . . Ah, actually, could you close your eyes? I want it to be a surprise!"

Enzan blinks under his visor, but does as he's told.

" . . . I probably should've thought that through, I can't actually see your eyes . . ."

"They're closed," he assures them.

"Alright then! Scarfy, lift yourself up, would you? Thanks buddy. Okay, one . . . two . . . There you go!"

He feels something warm and a little heavy being placed over his shoulders. Curious, he reaches up to touch it, and hums quietly when his fingers meet soft fluff.

"You can open your eyes now," Jazz tells him, and he does so.

There's a thick, fluffy blanket now draped over him. It's a sort of shaded-red colour, and it's so big it drags on the ground near his feet. Or maybe he's just small, whatever. And it's definitely much weightier than a normal blanket would be, but something about that feels . . . nice. Soothing. Kinda.

"It's one of those custom blanket programs," Jazz explains. "A weighted one - apparently they feel like a hug when you use them, and I thought you'd like the colour."

Enzan grunts faintly. He pulls the blanket tighter around himself. Jazz isn't wrong - its weight does make it feel like a hug.

 . . . Ignoring the fact that he didn't know what a hug was until yesterday. That had been an odd conversation. For some reason, Rockman and Hikari-san looked near tears, and Netto had muttered something about wanting to punch someone.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get you a cow, though," Jazz sighs, making him look up from the blanket. "Rockman sent me a message to invite me here and told me about that too, but . . . I couldn't find anything like Moomoo. I didn't know if you like any other real world animals, so I got you a blanket instead."

" . . . I don't want another cow anyway," Enzan murmurs. "I want M- Moomoo."

He's cried so much recently that it's a wonder he still has any tears left, but apparently he does, because he can feel his eyes filling with them. He blinks to try and make them go away, and also tries to calm his lightning for what feels like the millionth time today.

"Aw, N . . ."

Jazz crouches until they're eye-level with him, brows pinched together. He still doesn't quite understand that expression, but he doesn't want to take his hands out of the blanket to find out. It's not anger, that much he knows.

"I'm sure Moomoo would be happy to know you care so much for it."

"Moo- Moomoo was just a toy program," he mutters. "Didn't even have an AI."

"You still loved it though, didn't you?"

He bites his lip and nods.

"Then it doesn't matter that it didn't have an AI," Jazz says softly. "You can still mourn for it. You can still miss it."

" . . . 'K-kay," he whispers, then moves close enough to press his forehead into their shoulder.

He feels Jazz stiffening and for one terrifying moment he thinks he did something wrong, but then they relax and put their arms around him. A hug. Same thing that Scarfy does all the time, same thing that Rockman has started doing, and now the same thing this blanket can do.

Enzan decides hugs are nice.

He wants to stay like this for a while, at least until he can pretend to be composed, but fairly soon there's an odd sort of itching sensation where Jazz is touching him. It starts out as mildly uncomfortable and then quickly descends into off-brand pain territory, and his lightning immediately stirs.

He teleports out of Jazz's arms and stumbles next to the fluffy beanbag. Rockman reaches out to steady him and he expects that to hurt too, but it doesn't. It just feels . . . soothing.

So he flops back down and huddles into Rockman's side, peeking out at Jazz, who's slowly straightening up.

"S-sorry," he mutters. "I just- it was . . . I-I didn't mean to . . ."

"Hey, it's okay," Jazz says, offering a smile. "I wasn't expecting you to want to be touched at all, honestly. It's fine if you get overwhelmed from it, even if you're the one who initiates it."

" . . . Rockman's okay . . . ?"

"Yeah, that happens too." Jazz shrugs. "You got one or two people you're totally comfortable with, and a few people you're kinda okay with. I'm happy you're comfortable with Rockman and okay with me. Really."

He hesitantly reaches up and presses a hand to the side of his helmet. The emotion display tells him that Jazz doesn't appear to be hiding anything and is being completely honest, at least as far as their facial expression and body language goes. And since the emotion display has never been wrong before, he trusts it. He trusts Jazz.

"Okay," he says quietly. "Th- thank. You."

Jazz's smile grows wider. "You're welcome, N. Now then . . ."

They head over to a nearby beanbag chair, settling down and stretching their legs out.

"I know this is, like, meant to be a name-party and all," they begin, "but how about we just relax this time? Just do something nice and chill. We can always pick up again next week."

"I'm good with that," Roll agrees.

"Sure, we could do with something relaxing," Rockman says, nodding.

"Let's play a game, de gutsu!"

"Oh my, that sounds quite enjoyable. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

"Let's play Catch-pyu!"

"No, let's play Hide-and-Seek!"

Rockman chuckles at Aquaman and Iceman's suggestions. The sound vibrates deeply in his chest and Enzan presses his audio receptor to it, curious. He feels Rockman's hand gently rubbing his shoulder and hums quietly.

"I have an idea, if anyone's interested," Jazz says. "How about the Rhythm Game?"

"Rhythm Game?" Enzan repeats, raising his head a little.

"Yeah! Me and my bandmates play it all the time, it's pretty fun and it helps us stay in sync during rehearsals and concerts."

"Well, I'm curious," Glide says.

"Ooh, me too!" Roll bounces on her beanbag chair, making it crunch pleasantly. "How do you play?"

"You pick an instrument program - any will do, including vocals - and make up a rhythm or beat. After a few seconds, someone else joins in and adds to it, and if it sounds good, we continue. We usually keep it up for around a minute or so, but if we get out of sync or it sounds off, we have to start all over again. Our drummer usually goes first, since she's got the best sense of rhythm out of all of us."

"The only instrument programs I have are a piano and keyboard," Roll says, frowning.

"Eh, that's fine. We don't even need instrument programs to play anyway!"

"We don't?"

Jazz grins. "Nope. Any of you guys ever heard of acapella?"

The Rhythm Game is really fun, and Enzan has never used the word 'fun' to describe anything before. Well, not that he recalls at the moment. But that doesn't matter right now - what matters is that he's having fun and being loud and so is everyone else and for once he doesn't mind.

Eventually they stop, mainly because they're starting to run out of ideas for rhythms, and Jazz is grinning so much that he doesn't even need to use the emotion display to tell that they're happy.

"That was so good!" they exclaim. "Almost as good as me and my bandmates, actually. That's impressive, since we're basically professionals, hehe."

"Aw, thanks!" Roll giggles. "That acapella stuff was really fun, too."

"Heck yeah it is." Jazz turns to Enzan next, clapping softly. "And N! You have such a good sense of rhythm! Just like our drummer. Y'know, you should totally get a drumset and play around with it. Or I could take you to meet my bandmates one day, I bet they'd love to say hi . . ."

Enzan hums. A good sense of rhythm, huh?

Their fun is interrupted by a knock on the homepage room's door. Once again, Roll opens it, and the newcomer this time is Searchman. Something in Enzan's core settles upon finally seeing the other Navi he's 'comfortable' with.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

"Searchman!" Rockman exclaims, gaping. "Where've you been!? You and Laika just vanished and-"

"Apologies, we had an important mission to attend to."

"What was so important that you went dark on us for two whole days?" Roll asks.

"Well . . ."

To Enzan's surprise, Searchman approaches him. The sniper Navi crouches about a foot away and offers his hand, palm-up, so Enzan puts his on top. Searchman offers a smile, and then reaches into his inventory data and takes something out.

Enzan draws in a sharp breath.

Moomoo.

With trembling hands, he reaches out. Searchman dutifully hands over the fluffy plushie, and as soon as he has it, he holds it close. Squeezes it. Tugs its fur and runs his fingers through it. Presses it to his cheek and squeezes it even more.

"You . . . got him a new one?" Rockman asks. His tone is a bit odd, but Enzan is too busy with Moomoo to care right now.

"No, that's the original Moomoo."

"But wasn't it deleted?" Roll asks.

"Yes, it was."

"Then how . . ."

Searchman chuckles. "Laika-sama and I tracked down the pieces of its raw data in the junkyard. It took us a good while and then we had to figure out how to put it back together, so that's why we haven't been around for the past couple of days."

"How noble of you," Glide says, smiling and putting a hand to his chest.

"I wouldn't exactly call digging through the junkyard 'noble', that place has to be the dirtiest network I've ever been in . . ." Searchman shudders, then glances at Enzan and softens. "But it was worth it. I'd do it again in a nanosecond if I needed to."

He pushes himself to his feet, then heads over to a pile of pillows to settle down, crossing his legs. Enzan waits until he looks like he's comfortable enough before allowing his lightning to flare up and teleport him over, blanket and all, and then plops himself down on Searchman's lap before anyone can react.

"Er . . . hello," Searchman says, looking down at him.

Enzan tilts his head back to look at him too. "Hi. Thank you."

That done, he gets back to cuddling Moomoo. Scarfy pets every inch of the fluffy cow it can get its fingers on as well, and he indulges it, though he refuses to let go of Moomoo even for a second. He'll never lose it ever again.

"That's so adorable," Roll whispers, high-pitched. She's got her hands pressed together in front of her face, though they're doing nothing to hide her ridiculous smile.

"Aww," Jazz coos.

Searchman clears his throat. "M-moving on. So. What were you all doing before I arrived?"

"Nothing much," Rockman replies. "Just playing this game that Jazz taught us."

"Oh?"

"It's called the Rhythm Game," Jazz supplies. "Me and my bandmates play it a lot, and I taught it to these guys too. N over there has a really good sense of rhythm, did you know that?"

"Hm, does he now?" Searchman gives Enzan a little pat on the head. "That sounds like it may be quite enjoyable. How do you play?"

"Wait, you wanna play too?" Rockman asks, staring with wide eyes. Most of the others are too.

"I can play games if I want to," Searchman retorts. He sounds a bit sharp, but when Enzan looks up, all he sees is a faint red to the Sharoan Navi's cheeks. Hm.

He activates the emotion display and it informs him that Searchman is embarrassed. Oh. Okay then.

Maybe the Rhythm Game will be more fun with Searchman playing too. Well, more fun than before. That acapella stuff was pretty good, he could just make noises and it was kinda . . . freeing, almost. Or something like that.

And Jazz keeps saying he has a good sense of rhythm. That's even more fun. Nice? Whatever.

 . . . He has a good sense of rhythm.

Hm.

"I think I just found my new name," Enzan announces, interrupting the conversation.

Everyone looks at him.

"That was . . . random," Rockman comments, blinking. Then he smiles. "But I'm happy you did! So, what's your new name?"

Enzan hums, hugging Scarfy and Moomoo close and rocking back and forth a little. He feels his back brushing against Searchman's chest armour and settles against it. It's solid and hard, but somehow comfortable at the same time.

He looks up and smiles. "My name is Rhythm."

Final Character Design:

Chapter Text

Blues stares up at the ceiling of his bedroom, rubbing his thumbs in circles on the Dysphoria Rabbit's ears. It's more of a mindless action, brought on by his deep thoughts, but it's soothing and works wonders for the occasional lull of anxiety trying to pool in his gut.

Eventually, his thoughts wander in far too many circles for him to get anywhere useful, so he turns on his side and looks at the fluffy pillow upon which his PET and operator lie on.

"Enzan-sama?" he asks softly. "Um. Rhythm-sama?"

His operator also rolls over, though unlike Blues he was curled up, and he apparently decides to stretch his legs out. He's holding Moomoo as close as ever (closer, probably, which is understandable) and Scarfy is forming a pillow under his head, still in what appears to be sleep. Can a scarf sleep? Who knows.

" . . . What'd you just call me?" his operator asks.

"U-um, well, you said you wanna be called Rhythm from now on, s-so . . ."

His operator pulls a slight face, somehow clutching Moomoo closer. "Yeah. Sure. 'Cus I chose the name, so it's mine. But you called me Rhythm-sama."

"I don't . . . see the problem . . . ?"

"I'm a NetNavi." It's still odd hearing him say that so easily, even now. "NetNavis generally don't have honorifics."

"Most people call Roll-chan, um, Roll-chan though."

"The -kun and -chan ones are whatever. But -sama is respect, meant for an operator. I'm not an operator right now. If anything, you are."

Blues's breath hitches. "I- y-you-"

"Just call me Rhythm. No honorific. Not even -sama. Actually, I should probably be calling you Blues-sama . . ."

This is going in a very strange direction already.

"I-I don't really wanna be Blues-sama," he stammers out, wincing.

"And I don't wanna be Rhythm-sama."

" . . . Th-then, um, how about a d-deal?"

"Mm?"

Blues manages a slight smile. "I-I don't use -sama for you, and- and you don't use -sama for me."

His operator considers that for a moment. And then he nods, as best as he can with his cheek pressed into Scarfy's material anyway.

"Deal. And while we're on the subject, you could probably drop honorifics for everyone else, too. It's kinda annoying hearing you use -san for every single human you talk to."

"Ah, b-but, you said . . . N-Navis are below humans, and . . ."

His operator - Rhythm-sa- Rhythm - frowns. "You're human now. And besides, uh . . . that . . . isn't true. I. Guess."

" . . . I'll . . . think about it. I-I might need to get used to, um, just calling you Rhythm first . . ."

Rhythm grunts. "Sure. Whatever. Do what you want. Need. Either or. So, what was it you wanted, anyway?"

"Huh? O-oh!" He forgot so quickly. Or it just slipped his mind. Human brains really are terrible for retaining information. "I, um, wanted to . . . talk to you about something. Important. Maybe."

"If you think it's important, it probably is."

Something warm settles inside Blues's heart at that.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, giving the Dysphoria Rabbit a gentle squeeze. "I . . . I like being human. Everything's so much more vivid like this. The smells, the air, the textures . . . a-and the food."

Rhythm snorts, one side of his lips quirking up in a half-smile. That's new, but it's a wonderful sight no matter how many times Blues sees it.

"I-I just like all of it," he says. "I . . . love it, even. And I-I . . . I think . . . I . . ."

He hasn't admitted this out loud before. Thinking it and saying it are two entirely different things. And one is much, much harder to do than the other, especially to the person who's essentially his other half. His . . . partner.

" . . . I wanna . . . stay human . . ."

He squeezes his eyes shut as soon as the words are out of his mouth. There. Now he's said it, there won't be any taking it back. Whatever happens, whether that be anger or shock, happens.

"Huh. You too?"

Blues's eyes fly open and he sits up, staring down at his operator's little hologram. Rhythm sits up as well but doesn't move from the fluffy pillow, so he eventually settles back down so they're more or less eye-level.

"What- what do you m-mean?" he asks, hardly daring to believe his ears.

Rhythm's head twitches to the side, a sure sign that he's averting his eyes.

"En- Rhythm-sa- ugh. R-Rhythm?"

A moment of silence, and then Rhythm utters a frustrated groan and flops back over onto his side. He buries his face in Moomoo's fur, only relaxing when Scarfy begins patting him consolingly.

"I kinda like being a Navi," Rhythm admits, partially muffled.

If Blues wasn't already lying down, that would have been enough to make him topple.

"Y-you . . . what?" he whispers.

Rhythm curls up until he resembles little more than an oddly-shaped black and red ball. Scarfy wraps itself around him as best as it can, though its quivering seems kinda amused.

"I like being a Navi," he mutters.

"I . . . I thought . . . you hated it . . ."

" . . . I did." Rhythm uncurls a little, revealing his visor. "At first. But . . . then Rockman and Searchman started helping me. I started talking to you. To everyone. And it wasn't so bad. I like doing Navi stuff. Organising files and whatever. Stuff's easier like this, too. The helmet program and . . . I have Scarfy. You. Moomoo. And . . ."

He stops for a second or two.

" . . . And no one hates me like this," he whispers quietly.

Blues feels something like pain in his chest and for a second he thinks he's having one of those 'heart attacks' Laika-san was telling him about a few weeks ago. And then he recognises what it actually is. What it means.

He cups his hand around Rhythm, being careful not to hurt the hologram as he shuffles closer. Once he's near enough, he nudges Rhythm a little, and then gives him a very, very gentle kiss on the head. He's seen Haruka-san do this with Rockman often enough and the blue Navi always seems to like it.

"I never hated you," he says, hoping it's enough.

It doesn't seem to be. If anything, it only seems to make things worse.

"You should," Rhythm mutters. "After everything I did to you . . . The way I treated you . . . You have every right to do the same to me."

"But I don't want to!"

"You should."

"I don't!"

Rhythm sighs. "Look. We both wanna stay like this. Right?"

" . . . Right," Blues agrees, cautious as to where this might be going.

"That means you're gonna be the operator from now on. And . . . I'm gonna be your NetNavi. So you can do whatever you want to me."

Blues puffs out his cheeks. "Well, I-I don't wanna be mean to you. Netto-san's always saying you shouldn't be cruel to Navis. And besides, um . . . you're- you're nicer now. You're doing way better than before and you're happier and- and- I just don't want you to go back to being lonely and angry all the time . . ."

Rhythm doesn't respond.

" . . . Hey. Rhythm." Blues picks him up, rolling onto his back and holding his- his Navi close to his chest. "Y-you say I can do whatever I want to you? Well . . . I'm gonna be nice to you. Okay? W-we're gonna be good partners, the best operator and Navi ever! . . . M-maybe. We can try. Um. Yeah."

Rhythm huffs. It takes Blues a second to work out that it's sort of laughter.

"You shouldn't want to, but . . ." Rhythm sighs. "Whatever. You're the operator. Do whatever you want."

Blues smiles. "Sure. And . . . we'll work together. Okay?"

" . . . 'Kay."

Rhythm watches Blues get dressed and contemplates things.

The fact that his Navi - well, his operator now, he supposes - doesn't want revenge or even any kind of payback for the way he treated him is not something he expected. If their positions had been reversed, he would have done exactly that. But maybe that's part of the problem.

Hm. He's not sure what to make of it.

But this isn't the only thing he's contemplating. There's something else - just as important, but considerably more urgent - that he and Blues need to discuss. Preferably before Blues gets it into his head to announce their decision to everyone else in the house, because he has a habit of blurting that kinda stuff out.

Just before Blues picks up his PET, Rhythm speaks up.

"We can't tell the others about this."

Blues blinks at him. "H-huh?"

"We wanna stay like this," he clarifies, burying a mild flash of annoyance. "But if we say anything, no one would accept it."

"But . . ."

"Think, Blues - the whole point of, well, everything has been so we could raise our Synchro level enough to switch us back. If we suddenly announce we don't wanna switch back anymore, they'd force us to . . . I dunno, do Cross Fusion tests every day until it works."

Blues clutches his rabbit toy closer, eyes narrowing. A quick check of the emotion display informs Rhythm that he's upset, not angry. The fact that he's causing it right now makes him feel icky inside, but he has to get his point across.

"In fact, that's probably why they rescued me in the first place. Can't make us switch back if it's just you, right?"

"N-no, they . . . they didn't save you just for that . . ."

Rhythm raises an eyebrow, not that Blues can see it. "Are you sure?"

Blues hesitates.

"You aren't. Are you?"

Blues swallows. "W- well. It's. It can't be the only reason. Right?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But it's definitely the main one. Either way, we have to keep quiet about this."

"B-but . . ."

"We have to," Rhythm insists, wishing Blues would see sense already. "Do you want to be forced back into the cyberworld? If we get switched back, everything will just go back to the way it was before!"

"But you're different now!" Blues argues.

Lightning stirs within, reacting to his anger.

"Yeah, sure, I'm different - but the moment I turn back into a human, I'll be Enzan again, and no one likes Enzan! They'll just go straight back to trying to separate us and-"

Scarfy yanks on him violently, cutting him off. He almost snaps at it, but pauses when it begins signing.

Would not. Are nice.

"The only reason they're nice to me now is because I'm a NetNavi!"

"R-Rhythm?" Blues asks. "What'd it say?"

Rhythm looks away. " . . . It says they wouldn't do that. And that they're nice."

"It's right."

"Whatever. They'd still try and force us to switch back if we told them about this."

Even Scarfy can't find a reason to protest that. It wraps itself around him and offers a finger for him to nibble on, and he feels the storm of unknown emotions whirling within him begin to settle. With that, his lightning also settles. Probably not a good idea to go crazy at home. It'd just give the others one more reason to speed up their attempts at undoing the switch.

" . . . So what do we do?" Blues asks quietly, and finally he seems to get it.

"Well . . . the only reason we switched in the first place was 'cus of some imbalance in our Synchro, right? And the way they're trying to fix it is to boost our current Synchro level until it's around the same or something."

Blues bites his lip. "But then . . . the easiest way to stop that from happening would be to keep it low enough that it doesn't work. Right?"

"Probably," Rhythm agrees. "But I don't really wanna do that. And neither do you."

"N-no. I don't wanna not get along with you, e-even for this . . ."

"Right. So that leaves us with one option."

Blues tilts his head, brows furrowing. Rhythm knows that one is confusion - he's learning from the emotion display, at least. And if they switch back, he won't have access to it anymore.

"We go in the opposite direction," he explains. "We improve our bond and Synchro level so much that we surpass where we were before. If we can get it up to the same level as the other Cross Fusion members, maybe even higher, we'd be able to perform Cross Fusion and we wouldn't be forced to switch back."

"A-are you sure that'll work?"

" . . . No," he's forced to admit. "But it's better than the alternatives, isn't it?"

"I . . . guess so . . ."

"I even know a good way we could make it happen."

Blues perks up. "Y-yeah?"

Rhythm pulls his lips back from his teeth and smiles. "We learn to Net Battle."

Class has been weirdly boring without Blues sitting next to him, but Netto can endure it for just one more day. Both the former Navi and Rhythm are having their final check-up at SciLab today, and if their results come back positive enough, they'll be given the okay to come back to school tomorrow.

He hopes, at that point, that the general buzz about IPC has died down. Or that his classmates won't try and pester Blues about it.

After all, it's not every day that you find out a classmate's experimental Support Navi is actually a completely different and entirely new type of Navi. Certainly not that said Navi was stolen from SciLab and used as a prototype in an attempt to make others just like it.

Even if, y'know, that's not really true. Though on a technicality it could probably be considered true, but whatever. Details.

When their teacher announces free study period, Netto is very nearly accosted by several of his classmates, which has become an annoyingly frequent occurrence ever since the court case was on the news. He's saved by his friends getting to him first, pushing a few of the nearby desks closer to his so they surround him, and they all flip open their textbooks to study.

"So what's been going on with IPC?" Dekao asks.

Or pretend to study, anyway. Really, what were you expecting from this group?

"Papa said SciLab managed to buy about half of it when Ijuuin-san was removed from his position," Netto says. "They didn't have the budget to get everything, but they've got their hands on a bunch of major projects, including Project Paradox."

"Enzan said there was a prototype other than him," Tohru-kun says. "Did SciLab get that, too?"

"Rhythm," Rockman says, projecting his hologram onto Netto's desk.

"Eh?"

"His name is Rhythm now," Rockman clarifies. "Enzan, I mean."

Tohru-kun looks blank for a moment, and then realisation dawns on his face. "Oh! Right, I forgot, sorry."

"As for the other prototype . . ." Netto purses his lips, trying to remember. "Er . . . was their name Ligma or something . . . ?"

Dekao grins. "Ligma b-"

"Their name is Sigma," Rockman loudly interrupts, talking over him.

"Right, that. Well, the Net Police checked the development lab Rhythm was held in, but they couldn't find any trace of Sigma anywhere. Not even a Navi development module or any scraps of documents. The only evidence we have that they even exist in the first place is what the development team have spilled so far."

"And some image data that Rhythm gave us," Rockman adds.

"And that."

"Do you think Ijuuin-san stole Sigma and all the other stuff when he left?" Meiru-chan wonders.

"It's possible," Tohru-kun says thoughtfully. "Though whether or not it would count as theft is up for debate. Like . . . when did he take Sigma? If it was after SciLab took over Project Paradox, it was definitely theft, since Sigma was developed as a part of it. But if it was before then, technically Sigma still belonged to him at that point, but it'd be up to SciLab if they wanna try and press further . . ."

Netto lowers his head to his desk with a quiet thunk. "The law hurts my brain sometimes."

"You're literally the Net equivalent of a special forces police officer, Netto," Meiru-chan deadpans.

"Doesn't mean I know about the law."

"It's okay, that's what I'm here for," Rockman assures.

"You said SciLab only bought half of IPC, right?" Tohru-kun checks. "Do you know what happened to the other half?"

Netto shrugs. "No idea. I guess someone else bought it up? I mean, they can't exactly function with half a company, and definitely not without Ijuuin-san or Rhythm . . ."

"Heh," Dekao says, grinning. "Imagine a NetNavi trying to run a company. No one'd take him seriously!"

"That would be kinda funny," Netto admits.

"It's because we didn't take Rhythm seriously that we ended up in that whole mess to start off with," Rockman chides them, not unkindly. "We never thought to look past his anger, we just took him at face value and no one knew - or even cared - that he was being hurt worse than Blues."

That sobers them both up pretty quick.

" . . . How is he doing, anyway?" Meiru-chan asks, considerably more gentle now. "En- Rhythm, I mean."

"He's . . . quiet," Netto replies, briefly pressing his lips together. "Mostly just sticks with Blues and doesn't talk unless anyone talks to him, first. Unless it's Blues."

"He and Blues have been having check-ups at SciLab for the last few days," Rockman says. "Their last one is today. It's been hard for Rhythm . . . He hated scans and stuff before, but now he's completely terrified of them . . ."

"He had a meltdown and wrecked an entire lab yesterday," Netto adds, wincing at the memory.

"He did?" Meiru-chan looks alarmed. "How?"

"It's that new lightning of his, from Blues Soul's data. He's nowhere near as strong as Rockman or Searchman, but he's powerful enough to affect the real world."

"The teleport-y thing, you mean?" Dekao asks, eyes wide with awe. "Gutsman told me about that! I didn't know that's where he got it from . . ."

"Yeah, the teleporting is an aspect of his new abilities, Papa said . . . Something about Blues's speed not being compatible with Rhythm's frame?"

"That's right," Rockman confirms. "But it was packed in with the rest of the Soul Data, so when it merged with Rhythm's data, the Ultimate Program reacted and the lightning was the result. But since Rhythm's frame isn't built for the kind of speed Blues had, it was translated as teleporting instead."

"That's kinda cool, actually," Meiru-chan says, impressed.

"Yeah," Netto says, with another wince, "but he can just barely keep a lid on it. It reacts to his emotions and stuff. He can kinda teleport at will, but Papa said it's mostly subconscious, and forget actually using his lightning as, like, an attack or anything. It just kinda explodes when he's upset right now."

His friends wince as well.

"That sounds . . . not fun," Tohru-kun comments.

"Yeah, it really isn't . . ."

"So, basically, what you're saying is . . ." Meiru-chan threads her fingers together, squeezing gently. "He's traumatised, has new powers he can just barely control, and was being horribly abused his entire life."

" . . . Pretty much."

"He needs therapy."

"I don't think there's a such thing as therapy for Navis . . . No matter how much he needs it."

"Well, he needs something!" Meiru-chan purses her lips, determined. "So does Blues. They both need help."

"We can give them that help now, at least," Roll points out, projecting herself onto the desk next to Rockman. "Speaking of Blues, how is he doing? Last we saw him he was sickly, mute, and wouldn't come out of his room. But you said he's had check-ups at SciLab?"

"I think the fresh air has been helping him," Rockman says, nodding. "He's still a little weak, but he's talking more, and he's starting to eat properly again. Probably helps that Rhythm nags him every time he doesn't, haha . . ."

"It's weird seeing another Navi nagging their operator," Netto says, putting his chin on his hand. He grins a little. "Funny, though. Especially En- Rhythm going 'you didn't drink yet! You need to eat more than that! Brush your teeth!', hehe."

"It's amazing how much Rhythm has changed," Tohru-kun remarks. "You never would've thought he could be like this, but now he is, and he and Blues are getting along and everything . . ."

"Papa wants to test their Synchro rate when they're up to it," Rockman informs the group. "There's a chance it might be high enough for them to switch back now."

"Does that mean Rhythm will be Enzan again, and he'll be coming to school with us instead of Blues?" Meiru-chan asks.

"If he wants, I guess." Netto shrugs. "We'd probably have to protect him from bullies though, a lot of people still don't like him . . ."

"Yeah, those comments on the internet . . ." Tohru-kun shudders. "He hasn't seen any of them, has he? That'd just be horrible for him."

"No, he's been sticking with Blues. Only time he's left so far was for that name-party thing the Navis have."

"It's not like he's responsible for IPC going downhill," Dekao scoffs. "Why can't people just leave him alone for once?"

"Same reason we were all against him before," Meiru-chan reminds him, and he pulls a face. "But . . . that's true, though. Ijuuin-san was the real culprit here, but most of the comments online are pointed at Enzan. Rhythm, even. 'Why hasn't he come back' or 'was he complicit in this too' or 'he should be put on trial as well'."

Netto sighs. Everyone is blaming Rhythm even though he's the victim in this.

Then again, no one else knows the full story like they do. As far as the general public is concerned, Ijuuin Enzan just kinda randomly vanished off to . . . wherever it was Ijuuin-san lied about, and hasn't bothered to come back yet. Papa even considered releasing a statement to try and get people to back off, but Commissioner Kifune was worried it'd just bring even more negative attention to the fact that 'Enzan' hasn't come back yet, so it was decided to just let things die down on their own.

It's been about a week since the court case, and maybe that's not enough time to let things 'die down', but the comments are still going strong. Netto can only hope Rhythm doesn't see them.

Rockman wants to go check on both Rhythm and Blues, so the moment he and Netto-kun arrive home, he hops into Blues's PET. He doesn't expect to find Rhythm inside the PET, but when he projects himself out, it's a surprise when he's not outside it either. Odd.

"Hey, Blues," Rockman greets, giving the former Navi a smile. "How was the check-up?"

"G-good," Blues replies quietly, flashing a quick and small smile of his own. "Yuuichirou-san and M-Meijin-san say me and Rhythm are okay to go back to school now."

"That's great! Ah, speaking of Rhythm, where is he? I thought he'd be out here with you."

"Um . . . he kinda is." Blues gestures to the dining area. "O-over there."

Rockman looks, and then chuckles when he sees the roomba whirring along under the table. He hears Rhythm's faint voice cackling from inside it and can't make out what he's saying, but at least he's enjoying himself.

" . . . The last round of scans and stuff scared him a lot," Blues admits quietly. "He wouldn't come out of my PET until we got home. H-Haruka-san let him into the roomba to play around and, um . . . de-stress? I think she said?"

"That makes sense," Rockman murmurs, nodding sadly. "And you?"

"I'm not really b-bothered by scans and stuff . . ."

"Ah, no, that's not what I meant, sorry. How are you?"

"Oh. Right. Um. I'm healthier now, and as long as I don't strain myself, I-I should be okay to do stuff. That's what Yuuichirou-san said, anyway."

Again, not quite what Rockman meant, but he'd rather not upset Blues by correcting him a second time. Instead he just nods.

"I'm glad," he says. "And . . . is there anything else? You seem a bit nervous. More so than usual."

Blues stiffens, just a tiny bit. Most people wouldn't notice, but when you know someone . . .

"Hey, it's okay," Rockman quickly soothes. Or he tries to. "You don't need to tell me anything if you don't want to. I'm just worried about you, that's all. Not mad. I promise."

Blues lowers his head, staring down at his lap, and squeezes his creepy rabbit. By this point, Rockman is more or less used to it - probably because Blues takes it with him literally everywhere, even school - so he barely even blinks upon noticing it.

" . . . Rockman?"

"Yeah?"

"If . . . if someone made a decision you didn't like, how would you react?"

Rockman keeps his frown light. "What do you mean?"

"L-like, um . . . if you want something to happen, but someone else decides they . . . don't want it to happen . . ."

"Hmm. Well . . . it would depend."

Blues tenses a little. "O-on what?"

"A lot of things. Like, what is it that I want to happen? Will the other person's decision hurt themselves or others? Is it even my choice in the first place?"

"I . . ."

"Things aren't always just black and white," Rockman tells his friend gently. "There's a lot that needs to be considered with this kinda stuff. But if I put it down to a simple answer, I suppose it's up to the person whose choice matters most in that situation. Does . . . that answer your question?"

"Maybe?" Blues winces. "I-I don't know. I . . . need to think about it . . ."

"That's okay." Rockman watches him for a moment, furrowing his brows. " . . . Blues, did something happen? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," his friend answers, a little bit too quickly.

He wants to press until he gets a proper answer, but Blues's hands are starting to tremble and he's getting that faraway look in his eyes that usually means he'll have a panic attack if they keep going. So even though he's worried, more so than before, he drops the topic. Hopefully Blues will talk to him when he's ready.

Luckily for them, Netto-kun chooses that moment to barge into the main room, and Rhythm promptly decides to use his ankles as target practice. That provides a decent enough distraction to lighten the mood.

"We're using the research and notes from IPC's development team to create a more ethical way of making Paradox Navis," Hikari-hakase says. "Additionally, we're already in the process of developing several HyperCust programs, though most of them at the moment are just basic ones like Attack-plus or HP-plus."

"HyperCust . . ." Commissioner Kifune echoes thoughtfully, shuffling through the paper report the head scientist brought with him. "That new advanced NaviCust made for Paradox Navis, correct?"

"Yes. Or, well, Paradox Navi, since as far as we know, Enzan-kun- I mean, Rhythm is still the only functional one out there."

"Hm. Are you certain you don't want to press charges against Ijuuin Shuuseki? This Sigma is a part of Project Paradox, so legally they should belong to SciLab."

Hikari-hakase shakes his head. "I believe that would just cause more trouble than it's worth. Besides, from what Rhythm told us, it's entirely possible that Sigma will never be able to function properly anyway. IPC is - was - primarily a PET-development company. They didn't have the resources or knowledge to create an entirely new type of Navi. Nor did they have the patience for it."

That much is true from the fact that Ijuuin-san stole Rhythm, Laika notes silently. He's standing to attention on the commissioner's left, while Manabe-san stands to his right as usual.

"We'll be keeping an eye out all the same," Manabe-san says. "Just as a precaution. Based on what he said to Netto-kun and Laika-kun after he lost the case, it's possible that Ijuuin-san may want revenge in some manner, and since he almost certainly took Sigma with him, it may involve them somehow."

"Laika-kun," Commissioner Kifune says, and he stands straighter. "Be sure to warn Blues-kun and Rhythm about this. They have been his focus before, and we need to keep them both safe this time."

"Yes sir."

The commissioner nods approvingly, then turns back to Hikari-hakase. "I'm told that you bought half of IPC and absorbed it into SciLab."

"That's right," Hikari-hakase confirms. "The international branches are being sold out as independent companies now, but the main branch here in Densan almost completely collapsed without the president or vice president to take charge. We didn't have the budget to buy up the whole thing, but fortunately for us, another company we're on relatively decent terms with bought the rest."

"Oh?"

Hikari-hakase smiles. "Gabcom."

"Ah." The commissioner smiles back. "I bet Ayanokouji-san is pleased about this turn of events."

"Not in how it came to be, perhaps, but certainly he is. We reached an agreement and split the resources and various projects and such between us - the people too, since we couldn't just leave hundreds of people without jobs all of a sudden."

"That would be quite unfair considering none of them were at fault," Manabe-san muses.

"Exactly. Although, speaking of projects, there is one we decided to share as a collaboration."

Laika steps a little closer, intrigued, as Hikari-hakase sets another paper report down on the commissioner's desk. He waits politely, knowing an explanation will come in time.

" . . . Hm," Commissioner Kifune says, raising his eyebrows. "A new PET model? I wasn't aware IPC was developing another one."

"I think they were going for a surprise announcement or something," Hikari-hakase guesses. "The project itself is very nearly complete and we have several prototypes being tested as we speak. Some of its new features include more advanced holographic technology and almost tripled memory space compared to the Link PET, along with a customisable snap-on case. Ayanokouji-san's people suggested utilising their Radical Projector idea to enhance the holograms, too."

"The Radical Projector is that solid holographic display, correct?" Manabe-san checks, and Hikari-hakase nods. She looks impressed. "Well now. It would certainly be revolutionary if you could make that technology fit into a PET."

"Another step forward for a better future between humans and Navis," Laika murmurs, nodding slowly. There are Copyroids, of course, along with Cross Fusion, but the former are scarce and heavily policed after the Beyondard incident, while the latter is currently only usable by a total of thirteen people on the entire planet.

Well, twelve, but hopefully they can get Blues and Rhythm using it again soon enough.

Searchman heads to Internet City to pick something up before heading back to the Hikari house with Laika-sama. His operator gives him a knowing smile upon seeing it, to which he simply maintains his poker face and stashes it away in his inventory data for the moment. Despite the silent teasing, he knows Laika-sama won't give him away.

He greets Blues and the other humans in the house - which consist of just Netto and Haruka-san at the moment - and then heads into the house network. It doesn't take long to track down Rockman and Rhythm (well, mostly Rockman) thanks to his Search Program; he finds the two of them sitting on the floor inside the control system, Rhythm practically flopped over and leaning on Rockman as the blue Navi explains something or other, gesturing to the control panel in front of them.

"I hope you're not planning any pranks with that," Searchman remarks, pausing a few feet away and folding his arms.

Rockman jolts, while Rhythm simply just looks up. The not-Navi seems far too content to be startled at the moment and looks at Searchman quietly while chewing on Scarfy as usual. A quick glance at his arms reveals Moomoo held in a loose but secure grip. Good.

"Ah- hi, Searchman!" Rockman exclaims, a little high-pitched. "Wait, pranks? Why would I plan a prank with the house system . . . ?"

" . . . I must have been thinking of Netto," Searchman mutters. He clears his throat and raises his voice. "Moving on. Hello."

Rhythm grunts something resembling a greeting and stretches out his arm, waving his hand in a clear 'come here' gesture. It appears he's also too content to get up himself. What a lazy little Navi.

Half-smiling in amusement, Searchman heads over and settles down on Rhythm's other side. He considers counting the seconds, but the thought barely has enough time to leave his mind before Rhythm is climbing into his lap with all the grace of a particularly clingy Jelly virus. Yep, there it is.

Rockman does nothing to stop this, only giggling quietly and - from the sound of it - taking a few pictures. Searchman endures it, keeping still until Rhythm has stopped moving around.

"Comfortable?" he asks.

Rhythm grunts again. He takes that as a yes.

"I bought you something from Internet City, if you're interested."

Rhythm looks up at him, tilting his head until his helmet gently bonks off his chest armour.

Searchman has to use all the self-control his training and programming afford him to not melt at the sight. Who knew Rhythm could be so . . . cute?

He reaches into his inventory data and takes out his gift. He can tell Rhythm is interested, because the not-Navi's slight movements stop as his attention focuses exclusively on the gift, even dropping Scarfy from his mouth.

"Have you ever had ice cream before?" Searchman asks, mostly out of curiosity. He lowers it a little and Rhythm gets the hint, thankfully, taking the cone in one hand while the other remains around Moomoo. "Blues seemed to enjoy it well enough. I wasn't certain if you would want everything like he did, so I just got you plain vanilla, if that's alright. We could go and try some more at some point if you like it."

" . . . No."

"No?"

"No to . . . what you asked," Rhythm clarifies. "Never had this before. It's cold."

"That's why it's called ice cream," Rockman points out, smiling like the dork he is.

Rhythm grunts, and then chomps down on the ice cream and promptly freezes. He makes an odd noise.

" . . . You're supposed to lick it," Searchman informs him, after a short pause.

"Would've been nice to know before," Rhythm mutters, before following the instructions and consuming it properly. He relaxes almost instantly.

"Better?"

"Mhm. It's nice."

Searchman relaxes too. "Good. I'm glad you like it."

"You know something, Searchman?" Rockman comments. "Next time someone says your core is frozen, I'm just gonna show 'em this."

"Er . . . Thank you, I suppose . . . ? So, what were you two doing here, anyway?"

Scarfy baps him on the cheek.

"My apologies. What were you three doing here?"

Rockman giggles again. "I was just showing Rhythm how the house system works. We're thinking of splitting the cyberworld chores between us, but he's never seen a house system before, so I guess he's kinda shadowing me for now."

"Interesting. I've been in plenty of house systems myself, but I confess I am not well-versed in how they work. Would you mind another student?"

"Sure! I can go over what we've already covered real quick. Rhythm, is that okay?"

Rhythm grunts his agreement. Scarfy whaps itself around in the air, producing faint red sparks that thankfully seem to be more for show than anything else.

There's a slight pause. Searchman and Rockman stare at Rhythm, who seems more or less unaware of their gazes as he continues consuming his almost-finished ice cream. Sort of.

" . . . Rhythm," Searchman begins, "may I ask why you're licking the cone?"

The not-Navi pauses and looks up at him. "You said I'm supposed to lick it."

"Er . . ."

"He's not wrong," Rockman points out, smiling, and Searchman shoots him an annoyed look that only makes the smile widen.

He's meant to warn Rhythm about his father, but . . . he supposes it can wait for now. No sense in disrupting such a calm, relaxed moment, after all.

Chapter Text

Meijin sent an email asking for Rhythm to go to SciLab when possible, but today is also his and Blues's first day back at school after their unintended month-long break. He doesn't want to be stuck in SciLab (again) and miss out (again), but he wants to know what it is Meijin wants.

It's not until Rockman reminds him about linking that he realises it's possible to do both, provided whatever Meijin wants doesn't take too long. He can always just leave if it does, he supposes.

So he links himself into the cyberworld and heads straight for SciLab. He has three links saved to the PET's memory, currently. The PET itself, which is default and can act as a 'quick exit' if he's on the net; Netto's PC homepage, in case it becomes necessary; and finally, of course, SciLab. Searchman also taught him how to follow email addresses, so he's able to use both the link and the email to go exactly where he wants.

Meijin's lab, to be specific. He's only been in here once or twice before, when he was being reprimanded for some misdemeanour during a mission. At the time he hadn't cared and was just annoyed to be called in and told off for, in his eyes at least, no reason. Now, though, he recalls exactly why he was reprimanded and silently admits he probably deserved worse.

"Hello?" he calls, putting his thoughts to one side for the moment. "Meijin? Where are you?"

"Ah!"

Something crashes off-screen and he's tempted to access the cameras in the room to see what happened.

A few moments later, Meijin hops into view, trying to shake off some sort of metallic device stuck to his foot. He manages it eventually and it falls with a dull clank, and he breathes a sigh of relief before turning to the screen, running a hand through his hair.

"Sorry about that," the eccentric scientist says. "I wasn't expecting you so soon, I thought you'd be going to school with Blues-kun."

"I am."

There's a slight pause.

" . . . Right!" Meijin claps his hands together, making Rhythm wince. "Ah- sorry. Ahem. I assume you're curious as to why I asked you here?"

Scarfy gently winds itself around Rhythm, and he tugs on it as he responds. "Yes."

"It's nothing bad, I promise!"

"I know. You said so in your email."

Meijin grins. "Just wanted to make sure. I have something to give you, actually! It's a kind of side-project type of thing, so I've only been working on it in my spare time, but I hope you like it all the same."

" . . . It would be useful if you could give it to me before the colour commentary."

That gets a laugh, for whatever reason.

"Very true!" Meijin agrees. He ducks under the console for a second, then comes back up with a laptop. "Let me just connect this to where you are right now, then I can transfer the program."

Rhythm tilts his head. A program, is it? Interesting. Perhaps it's something for the HyperCust within his systems. It's currently empty due to all the IPC-made programs being removed, and every time he checks on it, it feels . . . odd, knowing that there's nothing there. Like there's a hole of some kind, a hollow space where something should be, though he doesn't want those IPC programs back at all. Even the mere thought of them makes him feel ill.

"Set-up complete . . . and . . . transfer! Here you go, Rhythm!"

Data loads in front of him, a small flurry of cubes, and he reaches out to catch the program as it solidifies. It rattles a little, and he stares at it, blinking once or twice.

It's a bundle of rings. And a disc. They're all attached to a large central ring and each one is a solid colour - of the rings, one is red, one is blue, one pink, and one green, while the disc is yellow. The central ring is a dark, maroon-shade of red. When he shakes it, the rings and disc rattle together, and oddly enough, the whole thing feels like some sort of hard rubber-like material. 

He hands Moomoo to Scarfy, wanting to explore this strange ring-thing with both hands. He tugs on it, shakes it, moves the rings and disc around, and almost goes to bite it before he makes himself stop.

"What do you think?" Meijin is watching him, still grinning. "You like it?"

" . . . What is it?" Rhythm asks, mostly to try and distract himself from the urge to bite the ring-thing.

"I call it a Fidget Chew. You can mess with it however you want - and you can bite it, too! You don't need to worry about wearing it down since it'll automatically restore itself once a month, but if it's getting a bit ragged, you can manually restore it before then."

Rhythm narrows one eye, tilting his head. "You . . . made this program just for that."

"Yep!"

"You realise this is utterly useless, yes? There's no point in such a program existing, it doesn't do anything."

Meijin chuckles. "And yet you haven't stopped messing with it since you got it."

Rhythm pauses, then looks down at the ring-thing - the Fidget Chew, whatever. He hadn't noticed before now, but he's been mindlessly fiddling with the rings and disc as he was speaking. Normally he fiddles with Scarfy's fingers, so perhaps that's why he hadn't noticed.

He brings it up to his mouth and gives one of the rings an experimental bite.

A kind of warmth spreads through his core, and he feels his lightning almost purring. He bites harder, chewing, and tugs on one of the other rings at the same time.

"I take it that means you like it," Meijin says, and he freezes.

Right. He has an audience. Crap.

Rhythm looks up, letting the ring drop out of his mouth. He briefly meets Meijin's eyes before dropping his to the scientist's neck. As always, his visor hides the lack of eye contact. Though none of these people ever seem to mind that he doesn't always look directly at them.

" . . . I'm taking this," he announces.

Meijin's grin widens. "Sure thing."

"I mean it. You're not getting it back."

"Okay."

Rhythm hesitates for a moment or two, furrowing his brows. And then he curls his lips.

"Weirdo," he says.

Meijin just laughs.

Thoroughly confused, Rhythm links himself back to Blues's PET. Whatever the hell's wrong with Meijin, he has a new thing now. And this also solves the issue of him chewing on Scarfy quite nicely, actually.

They're almost at the school gates when Rhythm comes back. Blues pauses, wanting to welcome back his op- his . . . Navi . . . and Netto-san and Meiru-chan do the same. Except he pauses, blinking, because Rhythm isn't holding Moomoo - Scarfy is, while Rhythm himself has some sort of . . . toy thing in his hands and is fiddling with a couple of its rings.

" . . . What's that?" Blues asks.

Rhythm shrugs, attention mostly on the toy. "Ring-thing. Fidget Chew."

"Is that what Meijin-san wanted to give you?" Netto-san asks.

"Mm."

"Aw, that's really sweet of him," Meiru-chan coos. "Do you like it?"

" . . . Mm."

"Hehe, that's-"

"As cute as this is," Roll-chan interrupts, "you guys're gonna be late if you hang around any longer. You don't want that on Rhythm and Blues's first day back, right?"

"If you hurry, you'll make it before the bell!" Rockman adds.

Netto-san's expression sets. "Right. Time to use the lift!"

"Netto, I swear-" Meiru-chan begins, and then cuts herself off with a frustrated groan as Netto-san speeds off. "For the love of . . . C'mon, Blues, let's catch up before he abuses his privilege. Again."

Blues exchanges a glance with Rhythm, who appears to be largely unbothered, and giggles.

He isn't sure what to expect upon returning to the classroom. Maybe a few 'welcome back's, if his classmates are nice about it, or if not, possibly some passive-aggressive sarcasm. Or maybe he'll just get ignored completely, which would be a bit disappointing, but not wholly unwelcome. He doesn't like too much attention on him at the best of times anyway.

What he doesn't expect is for the entire class, plus Tensei-sensei, to already be there - along with a ribbon-banner strung up at the front saying 'Welcome Back, Akari!'. It takes him a second to remember that's his 'human' family name.

It's nerve-wracking to be the sudden centre of attention, and his stomach flutters to the point where he's almost afraid he'll throw up right here and now. Luckily only his immediate friendship circle surrounds him, while the rest of his classmates seem content to simply just wander over one or two at a time to welcome him back. Though there is a moment when he just wants to dissolve into pixels because Netto-san hops up to the front of the classroom and announces Rhythm's new name, much to the delight of everyone else.

Well, at least he didn't have to do it himself. He supposes he should go see the principal at some point, to get Rhythm's name registered to his school ID.

Still, it's heartwarming to know his classmates and teacher put together this little welcome-back party for him. And Rhythm too, technically, though Rhythm hasn't socialised much or even been in the school's network yet.

Even his other teachers greet him warmly, and none of them insist on giving him any homework he missed for the duration of his absence. It seems the general consensus was that he away due to illness, which was technically true, though he's not really sure why that matters.

And, even more unexpectedly, no one pesters him about Rhythm being the 'prototype' Paradox Navi of Project Paradox. The reason for that is more obvious - he catches Netto-san and the others sending a few suspicious, narrow-eyed looks to anyone who so much as glances at Rhythm, and whoever is unlucky enough to get caught sheepishly turns their attention away.

Which is nice. He'll have to thank his friends later. Neither he nor Rhythm are at all ready to deal with being pestered like that.

Even so, the day is draining, and he's guiltily grateful when the last period comes. And then surprised, because rather than their usual teacher for that period, Tensei-sensei walks in and announces - well, reminds, to everyone else - that the club fair is tomorrow. Which means no classes.

Huh. He's still not entirely sure what the big deal about giving human children a bunch of weapons is, but everyone else is excited, especially Netto-san and Rockman.

Swords are similar to clubs, right? He should be able to transfer his skills . . . Maybe.

Rockman almost wishes it were possible to change the time settings of the real world or something, just so he could make tomorrow come that much quicker.

He and Netto-kun have gotten everything sorted now. The club's name, the rules, joining and membership policies, approval from the principal . . . Even custom caps with their new logo on them, courtesy of a favour from Yaito-chan.

The Battle Network club is ready to accept new members.

Just to be absolutely safe, though, they go over everything one last time. The rules and policies are the most important parts, especially the 'anyone can join' one. Rockman sees his suggested addition of 'as long as you remain respectful to others members' with a note of approval. They can't let this turn into the Net Battling club, after all.

"I think we need to adjust the rule on sharing tips and advice," he suggests, scrolling through their documents to get to the relevant section. "Some people might take it a bit far and end up doing some backseat Net Battling, which could discourage new Net Battlers."

"Maybe . . . change it to 'ask' instead of 'offer'?" Netto-kun asks.

"I'll re-word it a little more too, just so there's less chance of it being misunderstood."

"Gotcha. I'll keep going through the membership policy thing, I wanna make sure there's no loopholes anyone can abuse."

"Sure thing, Netto-kun."

Barely a minute into their respective tasks, there's a quiet knock on the door. Rockman barely glances up, trusting Netto-kun to handle it, though he does feel a flicker of interest when Blues walks in with Rhythm sitting on his shoulder.

"Heya, Blues!" Netto-kun greets him cheerfully. "And Rhythm, too."

"Nice of you to remember I exist," Rhythm deadpans.

"Rhythm," Rockman scolds gently, turning away from his task to focus on the conversation.

The not-Navi glances at him, then turns his head away, squeezing Moomoo. " . . . Sorry."

"I didn't mind!" Netto-kun reassures him. "But thanks anyway. So, what's up, you guys?"

"Well, um-" Blues shoots an uncertain glance at Rhythm, who jerks his head encouragingly. "I- I mean, we- uh. It's about the club fair thing? We were . . . wondering about it?"

Netto-kun frowns, and then his eyes widen. "Oh, right! You guys have never been to school before this, so you wouldn't know about it!"

" . . . Huh," Rockman says, blinking. "You're right, how did I never consider that . . . ?"

He can't imagine how confused both Rhythm and Blues must be about all this. It's not as though anyone really explained anything about the clubs, but then again, most people know what they are anyway, so it largely just goes without saying. That's them told, he supposes - they should probably go over some other school-related stuff to see if there's anything else Rhythm and Blues don't know about, actually.

"Me and Rockman should be able to help out," Netto-kun offers. "What do you wanna know? Just what it is, or . . . ?"

Blues threads his fingers together, stretching and pressing them against each other. His fascination with his human bones probably wore off some time ago, so this is a nervous habit that hasn't been seen for a while.

"Um . . . why is the school giving its students weapons?" the former Navi eventually asks.

 . . . That's not what Rockman was expecting, to be quite honest.

Netto-kun looks uncertain. " . . . I mean, there's an archery club . . . ?"

"Wait, so it's not just clubs?"

"Uh . . ."

"How many different weapons are there?" Rhythm asks. "And why do you have to join them to get them?"

" . . . What."

Rockman scrunches his face a little. "Er . . . you may need to start from the beginning, Netto-kun and I have no idea what you guys are talking about."

Rhythm curls his lip. "How difficult is this to understand? Your teachers keep talking about clubs!"

"Uh . . . sure, but why are you- oh!" Netto-kun perks up, expression brightening in realisation. "I get it now! Right, okay, uh, the 'clubs' our teachers have been talking about aren't actually weapons."

Ah. Now it makes sense. And when he thinks about it, Rockman can kinda understand how Rhythm and Blues came to this . . . admittedly bizarre conclusion.

" . . . Then . . . what are they?" Blues asks hesitantly.

"A 'club', in this context, is a group that an individual can join in order to interact with others," Rockman explains. "This group usually has a specific sort of focus - for example, there's a club at school whose main purpose is for socialising, another with a focus on art, another for robotics, and so on. Another example is the one Netto-kun and I are setting up, which is for Net Battling."

"Oh," Blues says.

"So . . . there aren't any weapons involved," Rhythm says, frowning.

"Not always. There is the archery club, whose members practise, well, archery - they use bows and arrows, obviously. There's also a kendo club, which uses wooden swords, and a jujitsu club that doesn't use weapons but does teach you how to use various holds, throws, and paralysing blows in order to subdue opponents. A lot of those kinds of clubs participate in junior tournaments, actually . . ."

"Like the Net Battling club," Netto-kun adds, pulling a face. "Jerks."

"Why are you calling yourself a jerk?" Rhythm asks.

"Wha- oh, no, not me. The school already has a Net Battling club, those guys are the jerks. Or their leader is, anyway."

Both Blues and Rhythm seem puzzled by that. Oops, maybe they're getting a bit all over the place with this explanation . . .

"Netto-kun and I were banned from the Net Battling club," Rockman explains. "According to them, as the reigning Champions of the Grand Prix, we're too strong to be a fair fight."

"Which is just totally unfair!" Netto-kun complains. "We would've been fine sticking to, I dunno, the Rock Buster or something, or even just using basic Battle Chips, but noooo, they decided to just ban us from joining entirely . . . Not to mention their leader is the absolute worst."

"He refuses to allow anyone he views as 'weak' to join the club," Rockman supplies. "So he turns away and outright discourages a lot of students. Their joining and membership policies are especially harsh, according to what Gutsman and Dekao have told us."

Netto-kun nods. "Which is why we're making our own Net Battling club. Dekao already said that he'll switch to ours tomorrow, and both Meiru-chan and Tohru-kun have said they're joining as well. I've even had some of the other members of the Net Battling club come up and ask if they can switch too."

Blues hums, tilting his head. Rhythm just squeezes Moomoo and glances up at him, watching him quietly, and then turns back to Rockman and Netto-kun.

"We're joining too," the not-Navi announces.

Rockman stares. As does Netto-kun.

"En- Rhythm?" Blues blinks at him. "What are you . . ."

"We wanted to learn how to Net Battle anyway, right?"

"You do?" Netto-kun gasps, astonished.

Rhythm growls faintly. "What, you got a problem with that?"

"N-no, it's just . . ."

"We weren't expecting it, is all," Rockman says, and Netto-kun hastily nods.

"Hmph."

Blues swallows thickly. "W-well, um, he's not . . . wrong. We do wanna Net Battle. O-or at least learn how. Or something like that. It's so we can- uh- it . . . sounds fun . . . ?"

" . . . Huh," Netto-kun says, blinking. Then he brightens. "Sure thing! Me and Rockman can even help teach you ourselves! Though I guess we'll have to get you guys a basic Chip Folder or something . . ."

"Hey, this might even help to raise your Synchro level, too!" Rockman realises, grinning. "If that happens, we could get you switched back even sooner!"

"Um . . ." Blues smiles. "R-right. Sure."

Rhythm glances at him again, but with that visor and his normally-blank expression, it's hard to tell what he's thinking.

Today is the day of the club fair, and Netto manages to wake himself up without Rockman needing to set the alarm off like usual. He's excited, let him have this!

Mama and Papa wish them luck, as does an amused Laika, and they head out to meet up with Meiru-chan so they can walk to school together. Netto fits his cap onto his head - normally headwear isn't allowed, but the school makes an exception for club activities - and hands one each to Meiru-chan and Blues. Technically they're only supposed to get them when they officially join, but who cares.

When they arrive, Netto very nearly walks straight to the gymnasium, but luckily Rockman reminds him that they still have homeroom even if they don't have any other classes for the day. At least anyone with a stall is allowed to leave early so they can set it up properly.

Then, when homeroom is over, the club fair finally begins in earnest. Classes trickle in gradually, starting with the seventh graders, then the eighth graders, and finally the ninth graders. He gets a few interested students right off the bat and is very thankful that Yaito-chan went kinda overboard with the caps, 'cus otherwise he wouldn't have nearly enough for all the people wanting to sign up.

Just like he expected, he also gets a few people from the Net Battling club. Even without them explicitly mentioning it, he can tell - they seem shifty and kinda nervous, glancing over their shoulders every so often. He doesn't blame them and makes the process quick, and most of them opt to not take caps, likely afraid of giving themselves away to the Net Battling club so quickly.

Which, again, Netto doesn't blame them for.

Finally, his friends arrive. Dekao is the first to sign up, snagging a cap and wearing it proudly, and then it's Meiru-chan, who adds in a reminder that she can only do one or two days a week. Tohru-kun goes next, musing aloud about his ice skating lessons and schedules, and then finally it's Blues.

Netto writes that name down with a sense of pride. Maybe he'll have to switch it to Enzan at some point, but it's still awesome that Blues and Rhythm took the initiative like this. He can't wait to teach them how to battle.

And then there's a problem. Because of course there is.

He's in the middle of going through the newest applicants with Rockman when a shadow falls over him, and he looks up, smiling, about to greet the newest potential member.

That smile drops very quickly when he recognises the stuck-up elitist leader of the Net Battling club, with a couple of his 'seconds' (whatever the heck that means) standing at his shoulders. In all honesty, the guy kinda reminds him of how Rhythm used to be, at least in terms of personality - just without the whole, er . . . abusive-toward-his-own-Navi thing.

In terms of looks, the leader of the Net Battling club is completely different. He's almost as tall as Laika, which is something Netto doesn't think he'll ever get over, and has pitch-black hair pulled into a short, messy ponytail at the back of his neck, with some strands hanging free over his face. His eyes are almost as dark as his hair and he wears his school jacket open, even though that's kinda not allowed unless it's really hot.

Another difference between this guy and Rhythm is his expression. Even as a human, Rhythm was mostly blank-faced or kinda . . . well, kinda grumpy-looking. But this guy? He almost always seems to have a smirk on his face and looks down on practically everyone, even some of the teachers.

To put it bluntly, Jinja Masaru is an arrogant bully.

" . . . Hi," Netto says, fighting to keep a glare off his face.

"Netto-kun," Rockman whispers, a single-worded reminder to stay calm.

Right. Getting worked up isn't gonna help right now. And he doesn't wanna get into a fight, not with Blues just a few feet away - though thankfully it looks like the former Navi hasn't yet noticed anything is wrong. He's just listening to Tohru-kun talk about his ice skating lessons or something.

"Hey, Hikari," Jinja says, in a deceptively friendly tone. "I've been hearing some rumours flying around lately. I was thinking to myself, surely they can't be true? There's just no way. But then I remembered you're as petty as you are stubborn, and here we are."

"I'm not being petty," Netto retorts, instantly bristling. Rockman gives him a quick look and he forces himself to subside, with some difficulty.

"Really, now? Creating a new Net Battling club in order to directly oppose mine isn't petty?"

"I'm also not opposing you."

Jinja's smile is sharp enough to cut paper. "Sure you aren't. Look, I'll be honest with you - I don't really care what you do. Wanna make your own little club? Fine, go ahead. Wanna take in anyone who's not good enough for mine? Your loss. But taking almost a full quarter of my members?"

And now the smile drops and Jinja plants his hands on the stall, looming over Netto.

"That," he says in a low, almost threatening tone, "is not permitted."

"I don't remember needing your permission to do anything!" Netto hisses, clenching his fists. Don't shove him off, don't shove him off . . .

"Tear up the registration sheets of everyone you stole from me," Jinja orders.

"Why the heck would I do what you tell me!?"

"I'm sure my friends here could persuade you," Jinja says, inclining his head toward his seconds. One of them cracks his knuckles, grinning.

"Fighting other students like that is against the rules!" Rockman says sharply. "If you don't leave now, I'll send a message to the principal informing him of your threat."

"Threat?" Jinja raises his eyebrows, looking genuinely surprised. "I don't recall threatening anyone, I'm just giving some friendly advice. Right, guys?"

"Right, boss," the other second agrees.

"Look," Netto says, drawing their attention again, "if anyone from your club did sign up, which you can't prove-"

"Oyama is standing right there," Jinja deadpans, pointing.

Netto doesn't bother expending the energy to cringe. "-then it's their choice, not yours! You don't own them, they're allowed to change clubs if they want, it's in the school rules! I checked!"

"Yes, school rules do allow that. But those rules aren't my rules."

Netto gapes at him. "What kind of self-centred-"

"Shut up," Jinja snaps, fully dropping his act for a brief moment.

And then his eyes drift to the side and widen a fraction. Slowly, a smug, almost evil smirk begins to grow on his face.

With a sense of dread, Netto follows his gaze and sees Blues, who's now chatting to the student running the neighbouring stall. Some kinda robotics club, it looks like, and even Rhythm seems interested and is wandering around on the table to get a good look at all the stuff on display.

" . . . That white-haired kid is your foster brother, right?" Jinja asks. "What was his name . . . Akari something."

"Akari Blues," Netto supplies warily, watching for any sort of trick.

"Odd name. Unique, though. I see he's wearing that silly cap you've been giving out. I take it he joined your club too?"

"He did."

"Hm." Jinja straightens, still smirking, and finally looks back at Netto. "Alright then. I'll let you keep my members."

Netto blinks, then he and Rockman narrow their eyes in unison. Both of Jinja's seconds look startled.

"Boss?" one of them asks.

Jinja holds up a hand, stalling them. "However! You have to earn them, fair and square."

" . . . Huh?" Netto stares.

"I'm going to propose a bet, Hikari," Jinja says. "We're going to have a Net Battle to determine who keeps the people you stole from me, with some extra incentive of course."

"Like what?"

"If you win, you get to keep my members. However, if I win, not only do I get them all back, but you also have to disband your club."

It feels like someone just sucker punched the air out of Netto's lungs.

"What!?" Rockman exclaims. "You can't do that! The principal-"

"-can be persuaded to my side, since my mom is personal friends with him. He's practically my uncle, you know."

"You-"

"Rockman, wait," Netto says, stopping his Navi. He glares at Jinja. "You realise what you're getting into, right? You're the one who banned me and Rockman for being too strong in the first place."

"Oh, I'm aware." Jinja's smirk doesn't falter in the slightest. "Which brings me to the most important part of this little bet. We won't be the ones fighting."

"What? We won't?"

"Nope. A one-on-one Net Battle between both of our weakest members, fighting for the fate of our clubs."

"Our weakest . . . ?" Netto echoes, frowning.

Jinja's grin is practically predatory. He glances to the side and, once again, Netto follows his gaze.

Blues is playing with a small robotic dog now. Rhythm watches, hologram too small to make out his expression, but that new Fidget Chew thing is perfectly visible as he gnaws on the yellow disc.

Netto's eyes widen and he whips his head around to stare at Jinja. "No way! They don't have any battle experience, they're not ready for-"

"That's not my problem," Jinja interrupts. "I said our weakest members, and I meant it. Oh, and if you don't agree, I can just have your little club shut down right here and now. Who do you think the principal will listen to? The son of his close friend, or you?"

"That's not fair, you're basically blackmailing us!" Rockman protests.

"If that's how you want to interpret it. Tell you what, in the interest of fairness, I'll even give you a little time to get your foster brother ready. The day after tomorrow, after school, you can bring him to my club's room and we'll see who wins. Though I seriously doubt even you could train someone without 'any battle experience' in just two days, Champ."

"But-" Netto begins.

Jinja walks away, cool as ice. "Two days, Hikari. Don't forget."

Netto watches, heart in his throat, as Jinja and his seconds pause by Blues. The leader of the Net Battling club wishes the former Navi good luck, much to the poor guy's visible confusion, and then leaves.

" . . . Now what?" Rockman asks softly.

Chapter Text

"You don't have to do this, you know," Netto-san says, visibly fretting. "I'm pretty sure me and Rockman could just appeal to the principal or something."

Blues shakes his head, tightening his grip on his PET. "N-no, it's okay. Me and Rhythm joined your club so we could learn Net Battling anyway, so . . ."

"Still . . ."

"What I don't like about this is that he considers us to be the weakest members," Rhythm huffs. Scarfy offers him a consoling pat and he leans into it, but he's still practically pouting.

"Well, to be fair, you didn't even have Battle Data until very recently," Rockman points out. "It's possible Jinja just assumed you still don't have any."

"Does he not watch the damn news?"

"It's Jinja," Netto-san deadpans. "As far as I can tell, he's even more self-centred than you used to be, and that's saying something."

Rhythm curls his lip. "What is it saying, exactly?"

"Um . . ."

"No, please, do continue. I would love to hear your oh-so-insightful observations."

"Boys, don't argue," Yuuichirou-hakase calls, briefly glancing up from the console. Blues isn't sure exactly what he's doing over there, but when they came to him with the news of Jinja-san's challenge, he promptly started messing around with it.

"Sorry, Papa!"

Rhythm just grunts, putting the disc from his Fidget Chew into his mouth and gnawing on it. He's got Moomoo tucked into the crook of his elbow, absently rubbing one of its arms with his fingers, and then he utters a faint growl as Scarfy playfully tugs on one of the Fidget Chew's rings. The two of them proceed to get into a silly tug-of-war match.

Blues smiles a little. He's happy Rhythm is starting to get comfortable enough to play like this.

"Alright, there we go," Yuuichirou-hakase says, getting everyone's attention again.

"Papa?" Netto-san asks.

Yuuichirou-hakase takes a small memory drive out of the console, and then, much to Blues's surprise, walks right up to him and holds it out. After a slightly awkward pause, Blues takes it, giving it a curious look-over, and out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Rhythm abandoning his tug-of-war to do the same.

"Insert that into your PET," Yuuichirou-hakase instructs.

Blues almost does it out of pure, automatic instinct, but Rhythm's faint hiss makes him pause.

" . . . What exactly is it?" he asks.

Yuuichirou-hakase grins. "All of the Battle Programs we've managed to develop for the HyperCust so far! Well, the ones that work, anyway."

Blues blinks. Rhythm makes a quiet noise, taking the Fidget Chew's disc out of his mouth and looking at the memory drive with new interest.

"You made some already?" Netto-san steps forward to inspect it as well, as if he can see the programs on it. "Wow, that was fast, Papa!"

"It's technically a priority given its significance to Project Paradox," Yuuichirou-hakase points out. "Plus, now that Rhythm has Battle Data, I figured it would be a good idea."

"My stats are still crap though," Rhythm says, expression falling into a brief scowl.

"Hence the Battle Programs. At least four of them are HP-pluses, two are Defence Ups, and I think there should be three or four Attack-pluses in there, along with a new version of the original Battle Program that'll work in tandem with your helmet program so you don't get overwhelmed during a battle."

" . . . Hm."

Yuuichirou-hakase's expression softens. "None of them are IPC-made, I promise. Every single one of these new HyperCust Programs was developed right here in SciLab."

That seems to do the trick. Rhythm nods slowly, relaxing, although Scarfy offering him a gentle pat on the head doesn't seem to be unwelcome.

"Blues?" Yuuichirou-hakase asks, and Blues perks up curiously. "Just insert the drive into your PET's slot-in port like you would if it were a Battle Chip and the programs will download automatically. You'll need to activate the HyperCust and install them manually in order for them to take effect, however."

" . . . Ah," Blues says, frowning. He glances at Rhythm. "Is . . . W-will that be okay?"

Rhythm huddles in on himself, tucking Moomoo under his chin and letting Scarfy wrap itself around him. A few moments later, he growls quietly.

"As long it's just you," he mutters. "And- and don't screw me up. Please."

"I-I'll do my best."

"I can help too," Netto-san offers, with a sympathetic smile. "The HyperCust should work like the normal NaviCust, right, Papa?"

"It's fundamentally the same in terms of use, yes," Yuuichirou-hakase agrees, nodding. "The main difference between them is that the HyperCust doesn't require the Navi to be shut down while it's in use."

"Do you wanna be shut down anyway?" Rockman gently asks Rhythm. "It might make it easier to-"

Rhythm growls again. "No."

Netto-san, Rockman, and Yuuichirou-hakase seem puzzled and a little worried, but Blues takes a moment or two to think and quickly realises what the problem is.

"It's okay," he reassures his Navi. "If you don't want something installed, just tell me and, um, I'll leave it out. I- I can do that, right? I don't have to install everything at once?"

Yuuichirou-hakase's expression clears and he nods. "That's correct. The programs that aren't in use will just be stored inside the HyperCust's memory, and you'll be able to install or uninstall them whenever you want."

" . . . Right," Rhythm mutters.

"And there's no need to worry about installing stuff, either!" Netto-san adds cheerfully. "I'm a pro at customisation - I'll show Blues how to use your HyperCust and you'll be just fine!"

Rhythm looks at him for a long moment, then he hums quietly, smiling a little.

Blues smiles too. Rhythm is definitely more comfortable with everyone now, and he's glad to see it.

The first day of their preparation is spent figuring out how the HyperCust works and experimenting with different layouts for the programs. As Yuuichirou-hakase said, everything on the memory drive is a Battle Program, along with the actual Battle Program, which is . . . a little confusing when talking about them, but it's fine.

After some deliberation, Rhythm consents to having everything installed. They're lucky the HyperCust's memory map is big enough to accommodate all of them, even the larger Battle Program, which has to be installed on the command line. Netto-san says that Rhythm will get bugs if it isn't on the line, though Blues isn't really sure why that's the case. Something to do with program types, maybe?

The second day is spent on actual battle preparation. Blues's friends come together to loan him enough Battle Chips to make up a full folder, and they all help teach him and Rhythm what each one does, along with drilling some basic strategies into their heads. It's a bit overwhelming having so much pushed on him at once, but it can't be helped given the short timeframe they have.

And then the fated day of Blues and Rhythm's first official Net Battle arrives. He's restless and fidgety all day, hardly able to pay any attention in class, and whenever he glances at his PET, he sees Rhythm going through practice drills with Rockman and Roll.

Finally, after what feels like an almost literal eternity, the last bell rings and school is out - for anyone who doesn't have a club to go to, anyway. Netto-san, grim-faced, leads Blues and the others to the Net Battling club's room, and there they discover a surprisingly small group of students waiting for them.

There are a few Net Battling machines in the room, along with two Chip Chargers installed into one wall. Aside from that, the room is more or less bare, with only a small desk similar to that of a teacher's at the front.

And leaning on the desk is Jinja-san himself, cool and collected and seemingly unconcerned with the events about to unfold.

"Well, I owe you fifty zenny," he notes, glancing over at one of his seconds.

"What, you thought we wouldn't show?" Netto-san challenges.

"Nope," Jinja-san casually and bluntly replies. He pushes himself off the desk and saunters over, hands in his pockets. "I just assumed you'd use whatever brains you have and realise that your foster brother has no chance. Colour me surprised, I guess."

"What colour is surprise?" Rhythm mutters quietly.

"Yellow, I think," Blues murmurs, just as quiet.

"Let's get this over with, we've got stuff to do," Jinja-san announces to the room at large, and then gestures to one of his club members. "Ebisu! Show these wanna-bes who the real Net Battlers are."

The named student comes forward, casting a quick, nervous glance at Blues before swallowing. "Uh- right. I-I won't let you down, Jinja!"

"I know you won't," Jinja-san cheerfully says, clapping him on the shoulder and squeezing - perhaps a little too tightly, judging by Ebisu-san's wince.

By contrast, the look that Netto-san gives Blues is far kinder. "You didn't have to do this, but . . . thank you. It doesn't matter if you win or lose - just do your best, okay?"

That may be a little difficult with all this tension and the fate of the Battle Network club weighing down on his shoulders, but he manages a shaky smile and nods anyway.

He steps up to the nearest Net Battling machine and Ebisu-san gets into place on the opposite side. Everyone else in the room fans out so they all have a good view of the glass dome - and it's with a slight twinge of anxiety that Blues notices that there are more of Jinja-san's people than there are of he and his friends.

But they're here to Net Battle, not . . . human battle. And Rockman said fighting isn't allowed on school grounds anyway. So hopefully everyone follows the rules.

"Any special rules?" Netto-san asks, before they can plug in.

"Standard tournament rules," Jinja-san replies. "No time limit. I assume you've taught your foster brother that much, at least?"

Netto-san glares. "He already knows."

Blues feels his heart thudding almost painfully in his chest, and with it comes a heavy sense of dread. He's participated in tournaments before, but only as a Navi himself - and last time he did an actual tournament was nearly four years ago, at the N1 Grand Prix. He should know what the standard rules for a tournament are; everyone who participates should know.

Yet when he tries to remember, he only comes up blank.

"Psst."

He jolts and looks at Rhythm, who hovers closer.

"No Recovery Chips," Rhythm whispers into his ear. "No deletion. Start after the buzzer, not on or before. Win conditions: force your opponent to log out or yield. Got it?"

Blues swallows his nerves. "G-got it. Thanks."

Rhythm jerks his head in a nod and backs off, vanishing into the PET. Hopefully he's ready to be plugged in. Makers know Blues is doing everything in his power to not back down right now.

"Plug in and I'll start the countdown," Jinja-san announces, startling him.

Ebisu-san points his PET at the machine without hesitation. "Plug in, Lucky! Transmission!"

A grey-and-white standard-model Navi materialises on the digital battlefield a moment later. The only modification Lucky appears to have are a pair of silver streamers attached to their wrists that look vaguely like fish tails.

Blues swallows again, mouth drier than it's ever been before, and points his own PET at the machine.

"P-plug in, Rhythm!" he exclaims. "Transmission!"

Despite his nerves, he feels an odd rush of excitement upon saying those words for the first time. He sees a flash of a grin on Rhythm's face before he vanishes off the PET's screen, then materialises inside the Net Battling machine with the same grin fixed in place.

This is it. Their first-ever Net Battle together as Blues and Rhythm.

"Countdown started," Jinja-san reports, stepping back into the ring of students to watch.

A large number appears on the panels beneath Rhythm and Lucky's feet. This machine defaults to a countdown from 5, it seems - and with each beep, the number gets lower, and both Navis tense, ready for the buzzer.

Blues briefly locks eyes with his human opponent. Ebisu-san's hands are trembling ever-so-slightly, so he offers a small smile, which gets a look of surprise - and then, after a moment, a tiny smile in return.

It's nice to know the entire Net Battling club isn't full of jerks.

The countdown gets to 0. The number is instantly replaced with Kinglish letters spelling BATTLE, and the buzzer sounds out simultaneously.

"Elec Sword, slot-in!" Ebisu-san quickly announces, and Lucky immediately starts running to begin the battle.

Pure instinct makes Blues step to the side, before he pauses, confused. While he's grappling with the sudden strangeness of the situation, Rhythm half-crouches and Scarfy raises its arms, both crackling with red lightning.

"Sonic Boom!" Rhythm snaps.

Scarfy flings out two of them, one after another. The first is mostly blocked by Lucky's Elec Sword, but the second hits properly and explodes in a shower of sparks and digital dust, and Lucky yells and logs out.

There's a very, very long pause.

"That's it!?" Rhythm exclaims suddenly, visibly offended. Scarfy makes an odd, helpless sort of gesture.

" . . . What just happened," Netto-san says.

"I . . . think they just won?" Meiru-chan replies hesitantly. "But that was . . ."

"What the hell was that!?" Jinja-san demands. "Hikari! What did you do?"

"Wha-" Netto-san looks shocked. "N-nothing! That was just as much of a surprise to me as it was to you!"

"Don't lie to me! You have to have done something, there's no way a complete beginner could beat anyone in less than five seconds!"

"Maybe your guy is just weak!"

Ebisu-san cringes and Netto-san pauses, looking vaguely guilty, but Jinja-san is apparently on a warpath at the moment and storms right up to him.

"I wasn't born yesterday, Hikari," Jinja-san says harshly. "I know what that Navi is! I also know it did not fight like that in the presentation!"

"The- the presentation?" Netto-san's eyes are wide. "You watched that?"

"Of course I did! Anyone with half a brain would know to keep an eye on IPC's up-and-coming releases! Or knew, anyway. So tell me what you did to make that Paradox Navi stronger or I'm going straight to the principal and telling him you cheated!"

Rhythm scoffs. "Seriously? You're gonna tell on him? Grow up."

Jinja-san whirls on Blues, and it takes a lot of self-control to stay put as he marches up to him. Now that Jinja-san is looming over him instead, his height is much more intimidating, and Blues shrinks in on himself. Which, predictably, only makes the looming even worse.

"Tell that weak little Navi of yours to be quiet," Jinja-san snaps. "And while you're at it, tell me what programs are installed in it!"

Blues squeaks. He would do anything to have the Dysphoria Rabbit in his arms right now, if only so it could give him even just a little bit of false confidence, but he gave it to Meiru-chan so he could concentrate on operating Rhythm, though he . . . kinda ended up not doing that at all.

"Hey!" Netto-san shouts, taking an angry step forward. "Leave him alone, he didn't do anything!"

Jinja-san slams his hand down on the glass dome of the Net Battling machine, glaring over his shoulder. "So you admit that something was done?"

"No! I'm telling you to stop bullying Blues!"

"I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this ridiculous farce you're putting up!"

Blues takes a step back, terrified, but Jinja-san grabs the front of his jacket and yanks him closer. His friends gasp in not-quite-unison, both Netto-san and Meiru-chan coming forward as if they're ready to fight, and more than a few of Jinja-san's people do the same in response.

There's a sharp buzz of electricity and suddenly Jinja-san's body lights up with red sparks. He yells and jerks back, staggering away from the machine - letting go of Blues in the process - and the sparks immediately stop.

Everyone stares for a few shocked moments. Then, slowly, they turn their attention to Rhythm.

He shrugs. "What? He was gonna hurt Blues."

"R-Rhythm . . ." Blues trails off, swallowing. He's not sure if he should be expressing his gratitude or scolding his Navi for-

Oh makers. Rhythm zapped a human. Intentionally.

That's . . . probably not good.

"That does it," Jinja-san hisses, straightening himself up. "Ebisu!"

Ebisu-san jolts. "Um- y-yeah?"

"You're out of the club. Get lost."

"Wh-wha-"

Jinja-san narrows his eyes and Ebisu-san pales, then quickly flees the room. None of the Net Battler club members so much as bat an eyelid, but Blues and his friends are stunned.

"What was that for?" Meiru-chan demands, taking another step forward. "He did his best! It's not his fault Rhythm is stronger than we thought!"

Is Blues imagining it, or does Rhythm look faintly smug? No, couldn't be.

"It's his own fault for losing to a complete newbie," Jinja-san retorts. He marches over to take Ebisu-san's place on the other side of the Net Battling machine. "I'll take care of this myself."

"Wait a second!" Netto-san protests. "You said neither of us would be fighting! You can't go back on your word after we already agreed-"

"Shut it, Hikari! You broke our deal first!"

"I did not-"

Jinja-san ignores him and gives Blues a hard glare. "Allow me to teach you a lesson, newbie. A lesson in what happens to people who rely on modifications and pure dumb luck to get through a battle!"

"Um," Blues squeaks.

"Plug in, Tundraman! Transmission!"

Broken deal or not, at least now it looks like Rhythm may actually get a proper fight. He's still annoyed that his previous would-be opponent turned out to be so weak. Based on what Netto told him and Blues about this Jinja kid, he knows he's the strongest person in the Net Battling club. Which, while maybe not quite ideal for a real first battle, will almost certainly be a challenge.

His new opponent materialises some distance away, in a shower of shining datacubes. It's more theatrical than expected - the cubes rapidly whirl around like some kind of cyclone, and a few of them crash into each other, producing faint sounds not unlike glass shattering, accompanied by tiny but admittedly pretty explosions of glittering sparkles. A shape appears in the epicentre of all this, humanoid and dancing smoothly, and then it pauses and throws out its arms, causing the entire thing to burst out and shatter beautifully.

Tundraman stands in the middle of this, arms held up high above his head and one foot elegantly poised in front of the other. He's tall and slender, with a fancy blueish-purple armoured vest open at the front, revealing a snow-crystal emblem on his chest, and wears heavy boots in the same colour with golden blades on the bottom. Glittering ice-crystals decorate his armour and he has a long, thin braid made out of the same material, which sways and flows with every slight movement.

" . . . Wow," Rhythm says.

Pretty! Scarfy enthusiastically signs, gesturing toward Tundraman.

"Uh-huh."

He almost doesn't wanna fight this guy. He just kind of wants to watch him move and glitter instead.

"Now this is what a real Navi looks like," Jinja smugly declares. "If you wanna get anywhere in Net Battling, your Navi has to be strong and look good."

"Of course," Tundraman agrees, slowly lowering his arms into a more neutral position. He looks Rhythm up and down. "Hm . . . fairly basic, but the simplicity suits you, I think. Do we have time for civility, Masaru?"

"Nah, just beat them to a pulp."

Tundraman sighs, and his breath mists out in a glittering cloud. "A shame. It is not often I get to indulge in conversation with an opponent."

"Tundraman . . ."

"Yes, yes," the Navi says, rolling his bright pink eyes. He fluidly shifts into another pose, this one more ready for movement, and sweeps out an elegant bow. "Let our battle be glorious and beautiful."

"Uh . . . s-sure," Rhythm manages.

He somehow forces himself to tear his eyes away from his opponent - though very, very reluctantly - and looks over his shoulder at his operator's screen. Netto is there now too, muttering encouragement to Blues, who seems even more jumpy than normal. He activates the emotion display and it tells him that Blues is very nervous.

Well. He supposes he can't blame him. Tundraman is just so pretty.

Father was definitely wrong about this stuff.

"Are you ready yet?" Jinja impatiently asks. "I don't have all day, you know."

"You're the one who sprung this on us!" Netto retorts, giving him a glare.

"You're the one who cheated. Get on with it!"

"Fine, whatever!" Netto huffs and turns back to Blues, expression softening. "You good to go?"

Blues swallows. "I-I'll be fine."

Netto nods and steps back to rejoin the others. Rhythm briefly locks eyes with Blues, and he's not quite sure what happens, but for a moment it feels almost like they share some kind of emotion between each other. It's odd, certainly, but not entirely unwelcome. A kind of reminder, almost, that they're not alone.

He turns back to Tundraman and partially crouches, readying himself. Scarfy coils its arms into S-shapes on either side of him, fingers tense and crackling with red sparks. He can't quite manage consciously controlling his new abilities just yet, but it seems to have next to no trouble with Sonic Booms. He'll be relying on it.

"Countdown started!" one of the Net Battling club's members announces, and once again, large numbers appear on the ground, counting down from 5.

"May fortune and luck smile on you," Tundraman calls, surprising Rhythm.

He presses his lips together, though he can't quite suppress a smile. "Y-you too?"

 . . . Look, he's never really been 'courteous' to his opponents before, and it's been ages since he last had a proper Net Battle. Not to mention that last time, he was on the other side of the screen. You can't expect him to suddenly wax poetic about this.

The countdown seems to fly by and before he knows it, 0 flashes on the ground - and then BATTLE, a brief moment before the buzzer sounds.

Tundraman moves first, making an elegant gesture and almost instantly freezing most of the battlefield. Rhythm jumps out of the way, Scarfy lending some power by pushing off the ground with him, and just barely manages to avoid getting his feet frozen in place.

An ice-user, then. Makes sense.

"Sonic Boom!" he snaps, pointing, and Scarfy responds by flinging out a crackling red slice of energy toward their opponent.

Tundraman skates out of the way, moving so swiftly and gracefully that he almost seems to be gliding, and his ice-crystal braid whips around him like a ribbon. The Sonic Boom shatters a decent chunk of ice and carves a scar in the ground, leaving the edges sparking, and then Tundraman smoothly changes direction and comes skating toward Rhythm.

"Bubble Star, slot-in!" Jinja announces.

Rhythm narrows his eyes under his visor. What the hell kind of Battle Chip is-

"Bubble Star!" Tundraman confirms, abruptly changing direction a second time, pirouetting on one foot and extending a hand out toward Rhythm. His forearm shifts into a Buster of some kind and he shoots out a glittering bubble that moves a lot quicker than it should.

It doesn't seem like much of a threat and Rhythm just watches it for a second, blinking, and before he knows it, the bubble hits him - and then proceeds to trap him inside a much-bigger bubble, floating gently and forcing him off his feet. Oh, so that's what it does.

He half-expects Blues to do something about it, but a moment passes by and nothing happens. He glances up at Blues's screen and sees his Na- his operator fumbling through the loaned Chip folder. Hm. Looks like he's on his own for the moment, then.

"Crystal Sabre!" Tundraman suddenly exclaims, dragging his attention back to the battle.

Tundraman's arm switches from a Buster to a long, Sword-like weapon made of a sharpened ice-crystal. It's thin and looks like it would just shatter the moment it gets used for anything, let alone an attack, but this is the cyberworld and no matter how flimsy or weak a weapon may look, it's never a good idea to underestimate it. Rockman said as much earlier, when they were running through practice drills with Roll.

As Tundraman begins to close in for an attack, elegantly skating and adding in some probably-unnecessary movements that Rhythm certainly isn't gonna complain about, he tries to think of a way out. Scarfy has been pushing and jabbing at the Bubble Star this whole time and it's gotten nowhere, and it doesn't look like Blues is gonna be sending any Battle Chips soon, so it's time to put what little training he has into practice.

He curls in on himself, clenching his fists and squeezing his eyes shut. The Battle Program helps to block out anything else aside from Tundraman's rapid approach, giving him the opportunity to concentrate properly.

His lightning is there, deep in his core, coiling and crackling and ready to be let out. The main issue, Rockman said, is that he doesn't yet know how to consciously control it - at this point it's nothing but pure instinct, hence why he can only do anything with it when he's in the middle of a bad meltdown or something. Finesse is not his strong suit right now.

But he doesn't need any sort of finesse for this.

Instead of trying to shape his lightning, he simply lets it burst out in one big blast. Scarfy presses its hands against the Bubble Star, helping to direct it, and the bubble explodes in a shower of glittering droplets and his lightning lashes out randomly.

Tundraman breaks off his attack run, swerving and using his Crystal Sabre to turn a sharp 180. Given the random nature of the lightning, he obviously has no way of predicting where the attacks will go, and is forced to dodge and duck and swerve even more. Each movement is elegant and smooth, as if he planned the whole thing in advance.

Rhythm drops to the ground, cutting off his lightning, and relies on the Battle Program to sharpen his focus. Is Tundraman doing that on purpose? Or is Rhythm just being weird?

Well, he is a Paradox Navi. Being weird is probably a fundamental part of his existence at this point.

"First that thing is stronger than it should be," Jinja complains, "and now it's using some kind of weird lightning to attack Tundraman! Hikari, seriously, what did you do to it?"

He gave me Blues's Soul Data, Rhythm wants to say, but luckily for him he's too distracted by how damn pretty and mesmerising Tundraman's movements are to do so.

Although he could do without being called an 'it'. Jazz said some Navis use that as a pronoun, sure, but he certainly doesn't.

"U-um," Blues suddenly says, making Rhythm twitch. "Er . . . Th-Thunder! Slot-in!"

Wait, Thunder is a pretty slow-moving attack. That's not gonna help much against someone like Tundraman . . . Though he can still work with this, he supposes. He may not be as fast as his opponent, especially not on this icy ground, but there is one way he might be able to catch up.

He grins, unable to help himself, and allows his lightning to burst out once again. Tundraman dodges to the side, keeping low to the ground, but slows in visible shock when he teleports instead.

And it's mainly that shock that allows Rhythm to appear directly behind him and shoot the slow-moving Thunder at his back. Tundraman yelps and crashes, skidding on the ice, yet even now he's as elegant as ever, and he fights through the brief paralysis to dig his Sabre into the ice and stop his skid.

"It can teleport!?" Jinja exclaims, high-pitched. Rhythm is almost tempted to use the emotion display to see what it says about his expression, because his eyes are bugging out and it's kinda funny.

Tundraman pushes himself to his feet and Rhythm has Scarfy blast out a couple of Sonic Booms, forcing the (presumably) Aqua-element Navi to dodge further back. Maybe distance doesn't really matter much with that speed, but it's still something.

"Hey!" Rhythm calls, looking up at Blues's screen. "Gimme more Elec Chips!"

"L-like what?"

"Anything!"

While Blues is still registering that, Jinja shouts out, "Flash Bomb, slot-in!"

Flash Bomb, Flash Bomb . . . Oh! That's one of the Chips that Meiru loaned them, isn't it? He knows what that does-

Wait.

Realisation hits like a Hammer attack and Rhythm quickly closes his eyes, adding in a layer of extra protection by covering his visor. He feels Scarfy's soft material pressing down on his hands, adding to the cover, and a split second later there's a long ringing sound of an explosion.

And then something slams into him and he goes flying, landing hard on his back and skidding across the cold ice. Scarfy channels his lightning and digs its fingers into the ice, gradually stopping their skid, and he looks up just in time to see Tundraman's golden skates approaching rapidly and quickly shoves himself into a roll to avoid a stab from Crystal Sabre.

"Your skill is higher than expected of a novice," Tundraman says, backing off a little and dismissing his Sabre. "It is quite a pleasant surprise."

"Uhh . . . th-thank you?" Rhythm replies, not sure why his opponent is wasting time complimenting him in the middle of a fight. "Y-you're, uh . . . you're very pret- I mean, uh-"

"Aqua Sword, slot-in!" Jinja interrupts, and Rhythm briefly considers zapping him again.

"For what it may be worth," Tundraman begins, bringing up his new Sword, "I am quite enjoying this battle."

He slams it down, and Rhythm lets his lightning go wild and teleports halfway across the battlefield before it can hit. Tundraman immediately pivots and begins skating toward him, covering most of the distance in less than a few seconds, which is more than enough time for Rhythm to teleport a second time - this time on top of one of the floating datablocks nearby.

Blues has yet to give him another Battle Chip, so he looks to Scarfy instead. "Sonic Boom, barrage!"

Yes! Scarfy agrees, sharply waving its hand up and down.

Red lightning sparks along both of its arms and it begins flinging out attacks. Tundraman looks up and begins dodging, weaving between and around every Sonic Boom he can, but some are just too fast or too close together to be dodged and fairly soon he's gathered quite a few lightning-bruises that are visible even from up here, mainly because they spark for a short while after each hit.

There's a moment where Tundraman attempts to defend with his Aqua Sword, but abruptly discovers why that's a terrible idea when it instead conducts the electricity and causes the attack to zap his whole body at once. Rhythm immediately takes advantage, teleporting down right in front of him, and Scarfy begins alternating rapid punches with lightning-encased hands.

Speed doesn't mean a whole lot if you can't move, after all. Rhythm should know that - even if he sucked at being an operator, he was still used to utilising Blues's superior speed during Cross Fusion battles, for survival if nothing else. There were plenty of tactics that his opponents used then to keep him from moving. Disabling attacks like this one just so happened to be one of them.

"Timpani, slot-in!" Jinja snaps.

Rhythm frowns. That one wasn't among the loaned chips, so he's not sure what it does.

He abruptly finds out a moment later as a pink Tromby materialises nearby, and it begins screaming out a physical wave of noise. He yelps sharply, slapping his hands over his ears, and he sees the lightning on Scarfy crackling out as it wrenches and twists in silent agony.

Tundraman takes the opportunity to push himself back, still sparking with lingering energy and wincing in visible pain. He shakes it off after a bit of effort, then brings up his Aqua Sword - how has its durability not been spent by now? - and makes to do an attack run.

"Uh- Li- Life Aura, s-slot-in!" Blues frantically cries.

The Aura manifests itself around Rhythm, a dark dome crackling with darker energy. It forces Tundraman to abort his attack, and also has the added bonus of muffling the Tromby's noise, much to Rhythm's immense relief.

"There's no way a newbie would have something like Life Aura!" Jinja protests, glaring at Netto.

"He didn't have any Battle Chips! What, you expected me to send him into this without giving him some loaners?"

Rhythm takes the opportunity to crouch down, bending his knees and resting his arms on them, in order to get his breath back. Tundraman slowly skates in a wide circle around him, watching closely for any signs of weakness in the Aura's barrier, and thankfully the Tromby seems to have spent its own durability and vanishes quietly. If he ever makes a list of Battle Chips he doesn't want to use, Timpani and the rest of its family will be right at the top.

How much HP does he have left? Tundraman only managed to hit him a couple of times, though his energy levels are dropping a bit too quickly - maybe repeated use of his lightning is the cause? Or repeated teleports, at the very least.

 . . . Repeated teleports, huh?

"Get ready with Sonic Boom," he mutters to Scarfy, who waves its hand up and down in a nod. Then he raises his head and voice. "Meteors!"

There's a beat of silence as the humans stop arguing. Tundraman slows to a halt, blinking.

Rhythm waits another second, then sighs harshly.

"Meteors!" he repeats.

Blues suddenly squeaks. "O-oh! Right! M-Meteors, slot-in!"

Finally. This would be so much easier if he could slot-in the Chips himself.

A Meteor rod materialises in front of him and he grabs it as he pushes himself to his feet. The Life Aura barrier is still active, but there's enough room for him to hold the rod over his head and summon as many Meteors as he can. They could probably chain in multiple Meteors to get even more, but he only needs this one anyway.

"Look out!" Jinja shouts.

Tundraman begins dodging each randomly-dropped Meteor in a sort of re-enactment of the earlier Sonic Boom barrage. The Battle Program allows Rhythm to keep a close eye on his opponent even through this new chaos and he notices that Tundraman, no matter which way he dodges or how much he has to move around, almost always keeps the barrier within sight.

Eh, he can work with that. He doesn't need Tundraman completely distracted, after all.

Rhythm crouches as if he's about to jump, tensing his muscles and letting his lightning stir. Scarfy crackles in response and then he teleports out of the barrier right into the middle of the Meteor barrage, slipping on the ice a little before Scarfy digs its lightning-encased fingers in.

As soon as he's stable enough, he snaps, "Go!" and Scarfy hurls out twin Sonic Booms that cut through the air toward Tundraman.

Before his opponent has a chance to react, Rhythm teleports again, this time prepared for the slip and immediately crouching to improve his centre of gravity. Scarfy fires off two more Sonic Booms, and then he teleports again and they repeat the process.

Teleport, crouch, double Sonic Boom. Teleport, crouch, double Sonic Boom. After a few more, he doesn't need to crouch anymore, and so it just becomes a repeated cycle of teleport, double Sonic boom, teleport, double Sonic Boom. Even when the durability of the Meteor rod runs out and the Meteors cease falling from the sky, they don't let up. And not even when he can feel his lightning beginning to crackle at his fingertips and slowly spread up his fingers to his hands and then his arms.

It's nothing like the previous Sonic Boom barrage. Rhythm isn't having Scarfy fire from a fixed position - he's picking locations at random and teleporting there, even if it's not quite convenient for him, and the completely random nature of this strategy has Tundraman practically scrambling back and forth just to avoid the worst of it.

By the time Rhythm's energy is too low for another teleport, the ground is so torn up that the ice is nearly non-existent. Tundraman looks worse for wear as well, no longer elegant (but still ridiculously pretty) and partially bent over, panting heavily with various bruises visibly sparking all over his body.

Rhythm pulls his lips back from his teeth and grins. His core is pulsing in his chest, it feels like every inch of his body is vibrating, and he's never been more alert for all that he's almost out of energy.

Why did he decide to stop Net Battling, again?

"Tundraman," Jinja says, voice tense. "You okay?"

"Not . . . quite . . ." Tundraman wheezes out.

The only sound for several moments is the faint crackling of Rhythm's lightning, on both Scarfy's arms and his own. No more energy or not, he can still throw out one last blast, with Scarfy's help.

" . . . Fine," Jinja mutters.

"What?" Netto asks.

"I said 'fine'!" Jinja snaps. "You win, I concede, whatever. Have your victory and your club, you cheater."

"I said I didn't-"

"Shut up." Jinja turns his attention back to the Net Battling machine, pointing his PET at it. "Plug out, Tundraman. I'll get you healed up at home."

Tundraman nods, and Rhythm locks eyes with him for a brief moment before he vanishes, replaced with the blocky letters of the LOG OUT symbol before that too vanishes.

Jinja spares Blues and the others one last glare before marching out of the room. After a few moments of silence, his cronies begin to file out one or two at a time, until eventually the only people left in the room are Rhythm, Blues, and their friends.

Now that the battle is over, Rhythm's low energy level is suddenly much more of a problem. His lightning gradually dies down, taking with it the adrenaline that was keeping him on his feet, and his legs feel almost like jelly all of a sudden - and then he collapses.

Or he would have, if someone didn't catch him at the last second.

He half-expects it to be Scarfy, but it turns out to be Rockman instead. The Blue Navi gently lowers them both to the ground, allowing him to sprawl on his lap, and gives him a little half-smile.

"Well done, Rhythm," Rockman praises him, petting his head. "That was amazing, I'm so proud of you."

Rhythm manages a little smile of his own, tucking his head into Rockman's stomach, only to look up a moment later as something soft is suddenly pressed into his arms. Moomoo.

Roll waits until he's taken it, holding it close to his chest, before sitting down about half a foot away. Scarfy snakes up to hold her upper arm, doing the same to Rockman, and Roll slowly reaches out and holds her hands above Rhythm. He's too tired to get worried about being touched, but before he can muster the energy to ask what she's doing, her palms begin to glow a soft, gentle pink colour.

It's soothing. Like being wrapped up in that weighted blanket Jazz got him. And before he knows it, he's drifting off to sleep.