Something had gone wrong. Something had been terribly, overtly wrong for a month or two now- Rockman knew that now. What with Blues unable to see him, unable to calm this rush in his mind it grew, louder and louder. And it wasn't as if he could articulate it to anyone else- it was only understandable at the base level, down to his soul. Overwhelming thoughts and voices and some plague upon him. The sickness grew deeper. His body weaker. He slept more, waiting. Where had Laika gone again? Missing? Rockman felt missing, in some way. He had been, hadn't he? His memories were fuzzy. Maybe the NetPolice were right, and his testimony was false. Maybe this never happened, and his body was finally rejecting that soul, some errant memory- Tired eyes blinked at some warning on his visor. He needed to sleep? Yeah, okay... He did feel tired. More so now that he was aware of it. Slowly he rested down on the floor of his PET, waiting- waiting still for...something. His system said rescue. Rescue from what? A crackle. The world plunged into darkness. [MSG: RE:ALL] A HUM4N G0D 7HAT W4S M4N-MAD3 WH3RE 1S Y0UR SAViOR N0W?

Blues sat in meditation in the hospital's comp system. Anxiety had been swarming over him in waves, thanks to Rockman's silence. Ever since they had returned from the island, silence. And maybe even for longer-- they had not communicated during the search for Laika. It pained him. Blues knew they needed each other right now, but Rockman had isolated himself. The email was received in Blues' top priority inbox, along with several communiques with Ijuuin Shuuseki. Fear jolted him to his feet. Why this? After weeks of silence? Blues immediately knew his fears had been realized. "Enzan-sama. I need to go to Rockman. I need to go!" Enzan's head jerked up, startled. "Blues?"

"th1S...b0DY..." Its voice was not fully realized yet, so it jumped and hissed and crackled. The body had stood and begun to pace, begun to shed armor from this body. Speckles of healing wounds turned black and wept, as bloody hands messed with them. Face mangled, it had turned into a bouncing waveform with vacant eyes filled with static. It did not see like Rockman saw; it was no longer Rockman. "P47H3T1C 7H1NG..." A hiss and growl. A deep slash down its arm- it dripped down its fingertips. A thrust of the hand- and the locks on the doors were corrupted until they no longer functioned. C0M3 0N 1N.

"I need to go. Please rest. I will return shortly." Blues paused in front of the warp point. "I will remain in close communication, sir." "Go... go. It's alright." Enzan smiled weakly, "make sure he's alright." Finally seeing Rock was important. Both men missed him dearly. Blues raced through the warp, and all the way to Rockman's homepage. He knew he would be first to respond to the hail. No one else was as fast. He sent a quick message to Searchman that he would investigate-- there was no need for both of them to leave the hospital. Blues slashed open the corrupted doors, anticipating danger the more he saw. "Rockman? Rock!" The sight was disturbing. A falsification of Rockman's body was here. Blues summoned a sword, "Rockman, what has happened?"

"mmMMmmm..." A hum, body twisting and looking back at the new visitor. "Y0oo0u c4M3..." A laugh. Wheezing and crackling and making its shoulders shake, it laughed. "WH47 d03S...1T L00K L1K3?" Its bloody hand passed over the body. It smeared up the bodysuit. "1 4M H3. C4LL US SAViOR. " Its nails dug into its palms, and produced more blooming blood dripping down fingertips. The waveform seemed to grin. "Y0U W3R3 700 L473."

"You are not Rockman. What have you done to him?!" Blues advanced on the invader and activated his sword. "How did you get in here?!" Blues' voice was a rumble fitting of a klingon. Blues' hand launched out to grip the weaponized fingers, stopping them from their damage. He pulled its hand away from its chest, leaving it open. (edited)

A twist of the wrist with a sickening crack, corruption traced up Blues' arm like the tendrils of a beast. It turned into heavy concrete and ruined his momentum. "1 H4V3 B33N H3R3 F0R3V3R. Y0U H4V3 F41L3D 70 P4Y 477EN710N." Another twist, and it effortlessly tossed Blues to the side. "R0CKM4N 1S D34D. Y0U 4R3 70 L473 0NC3 M0R3, BLU3S." The corruption receded and barking, hyena laughter came out. Blood dripped down its hand, and it turned to face Blues. "1 4M PR3P4R1NG H1M F0R A H1GH3R PURP0S3!" The hand came to the navi symbol at the chest and it smeared blood over it until it was blacked out. "1F Y0U R3PL4C3 H1S BR0K3N H34R7...Y0U G37 A B3773R M4CH1N3."

"AUGH!" Blues' head jerked back. His arm split, and anger turned to fear. Blues rolled along the ground like a ragdoll. This was beyond Rockman's capabilities, beyond his speed and strength, especially now. He pushed himself to his feet the second he was released, and vanished from the fallen spot on the ground. Blues sped to a different spot in the space, analyzing his enemy. "You have come here and invaded!" Blues tapped his visor to contact Enzan. Capture was the mission.

The waveform split into a jagged mouth, tongue peeking out to lick at its raised hand, cleaning it off. It snapped back into a waveform. "C4LL1NG 3NZ4N~?" It tapped at the side of its helmet, "1'D L0V3 70 S33 H1M 4G41N..." It snapped its fingers and the world melted away into some hazy memory, of concrete walls and screaming, screaming- "1 M1SS H1S SCR34MS. " It stood above a figment of Enzan, who was curled up on the ground, hovering over a dead copyroid.

"What are you doing?!" Enzan's crumpled form looked too real. His flesh registered as warm, in Blues' visor. Blues blocked the connection with Enzan the second he felt contact. Their synchro fell apart immediately, and it hurt. "Enzan-sama--" Being alone here was horrid, but involving Enzan was so much worse. Blues recognized these walls he had picked Enzan up from. This was a violation-- no one should know about this, not really. It struck into his core.

The laugher racked its whole body. "G3771NG N0S74LG1C." It responded, reaching down and touching the small, helpless boy... Telltale signs of synchro buzzed across his body, that pale blue light from his eyes. "1 KN0W S0 MUCH 0F H1M FR0M 0UR...3NC0UN73RS. H3 1S AS MUCH M1N3 AS R0CKM4N 1S N0W." Savior looked back at Blues, inspecting him up and down. "Y0U H4D Y0UR 0PP0RTUN1T13S. Y0U C0ULD H4V3 S4V3D P00R R0CKM4N. BU7 Y0U L37 H1M D13. L37 M3 K1LL." The emblem on its chest dripped with that corruption, that blood, onto Enzan's form. "D1D Y0U N07 S33 H1M W17H3R~? CRY F0R H3LP~?" The monster bled, but it did not falter. (edited)

"Do not TOUCH him!" Blues barreled into the fitment of Rockman, shoving him aside. Even a mere picture of Enzan meant Blues' life. "You will harm no one. You will be contained!" Blues' forearm pushed up against SAV10R's neck. Controls to the homepage... Blues knew where they were. But were they even there anymore? He overlayed what he knew of it with where they stood, and how he had moved within the space. Just an admin override, or even a complete shutdown would keep them here, away from Enzan. Break the exit.

"D0 Y0U N07 UND3RS74ND?!" It moved with the shove, barked over the arm, "1 H4V3 4LR34DY W0N! R0CKM4N 1S N0 M0R3! 1 4M 7H3 H0S7 0F 7H1S B0DY N0W! 1 H4V3 4LR34DY D0N3 7H3 GR3473S7 H4RM 0F 4LL!" Its hands dove into Blues' sides and into his programming in a fit of something. "4R3 Y0U D3747CH1NG 4LR34DY? 7URN1G 0FF 7H0S3 7R0UBL3S0M3 3M0710NS?" A force of deep corruption rigut where it wanted, it made an effort to destroy the function Blues used to turn on and off his emotion data. "C4N'7 H4V3 7H47. "

Blues let out another scream, as pain reverberated through all his coding. Some gross amalgamation of virus and bug data crawled within him. He could feel the tumor eating away at one of his base functions, turning emotions far too accute and forcing them to stay. Blues was not meant to exist like this. He yowled, and activated his sword pointed directly into Savior's arm. Then, with his free hand, he reached around on the walls to find the homepage controls. Where they should be if this was all hallucination.

The arm came away but it only fuled Savior further, the pain making it grow stronger and stronger- it tossed Blues away as soon as he reached for the controls. It raised the mangled arm and inspected it, then laughed. "H0W 34S1LY Y0U D1SP47CH TH3 One you love." Its face regulated down until it was Rockman's again. Eyes burning still static but clearly him, looking just as he did in this place they were in- blind, ruined. "Do you hate us because we're stronger than you now? Better than you?" He laughed; it was those golden bells of laughter that could brighten any room- but now they were taking the light away, dragging in the darkness. The mouth bounced back into a waveform. "G0 0N, 7H3N. HUR7 US PL3N7Y!"

Blues bounced on the ground, yanked away from the controls. He snarled. "No one will harm Enzan-sama again. I will keep us both in here to ensure it." He pushed to his feet again. Being kept from the panel made Blues all the more sure it was the right course of action. In his urgency to slam into the panel, Blues' eyes met Rockman's empty ones. "Do not use him!" Blues reminded himself he was dealing with a puppet-- the most dangerous puppet on the internet. Confinement! His only goal! The distraction had to be shoved aside-- so he spun and slammed his sword into the wall where the controls should be.

"US3 H1M? Y0U MUS7 S71LL TURN 4 BL1ND 3Y3 70 H1S CRY. " Savior lunged for Blues again, a wicked laughter following it wherever it went. Its hand grasped around Blues' wrist, and a force would overcome him- >RUN SOUL_UNION.BAT In the darkness of the union, light would slowly trickle in. Blues would find himself encased in stone up to his waist, arms trapped below what felt like concrete. Savior stood in front of him. Spotlights flashed on them both. "G00D M0RN1NG, W34KL1NG."

Blues' head snapped up. He stared at the light above him, before leveling his gaze on the monster. The buzzing energy that should have filled his limbs was cold and still. "What-- have you done?!" His shoulders wrenched, but he barely moved. There was a glowing-- that moment of warmth, and joining. But now... he just felt cold. Like his very S0UL had been taken away. There was a crawling feeling, a rumbling anger that resonated with the stone around him. He had been here before. Maybe in a dream.

"Y0U 4R3 DUMB3R 7H4N 1 7H0UGH7." Savior raised a hand and it shook as it seemed to force the stone to crawl up Blues' body. "1'V3 D3C1D3D 70 L37 Y0U W47CH R0CKM4N'S F1N4L M0M3N7S." It looked down at the frame it was in, which was marred greatly. "7H3N, 1 B3L3V3 1'LL 74K3 Y0U 4S MY 0WN." A wave of the wrist and a third spotlight appeared. Rockman was there; on his knees- chained down by his wrists. He looked up at Savior with empty eyes. "H3'S 4LR34DY M0S7LY G0N3..." Savior reached out and touched his cheek, like he had the figment of Enzan. Rockman's head rolled to the side and leaned into it. "1F 0NLY Y0U H4D D0N3 Y0UR J0B, BLU3S...1F 0NLY Y0U H4D S4V3D H1M S00N3R..."

"Rockman-- ROCKMAN!" Blues' didn't care what happened to him. His emotion data was seering his body, and the stone was swallowing him up in contrasting cold but all that mattered was Rockman. "Do not touch him!" Blues shook his head and thrashed with the little frame control he had. He was screaming. "Rockman! Look at me!" This was their double soul. They should have been strong here! He should feel Rockman's humanity and his warmth and they should be able to fight anything here.

Rockman didn't seem to hear him, his head rolling back into Savior's. The corrupted data marred his face, crawled down his cheeks much like tears- Savior's hand jerked, curling into Rockman's hair all of a sudden. A choking, glitched noise came from that waveform mouth and corrupted data bloomed from its chest. A...sword? Small, yet burning blue eyes stood behind Savior, lunging the sword into its chest- the containment was over, it was time to KILL. The wielder held their shaky defense. Enzan- or some figment of him, different from the previous one. Fight, Blues! This is child's play! "1NS0L3N7 BR47! " Savior jerked forward, releasing Rockman and in a fluid motion, turning and striking the newcomer. "D13!"

"En-zan?" Blues was so confused. The images before him made no sense. His loved ones mingling and interacting in such intensive ways shouldn't have been happening. And yet, he could see it all in his sensors, perfect in every detail. Those words made sense, even if the images didn't. Blues tried to feel his arms, or legs. The function to activate his sword was used. He felt a crack by his feet, and the rumbling warmth of anger flush down his sword arm. A start at freedom, at least. The weapon hummed under the rock. Like eggshells, it fell away from his arm. Suddenly, this scenario didn't seem all that familiar. Disconnecting this scene from his nightmares made the rest of the rock fall away. "Rockman--" Blues descended on Rock's frame while Savior was distracted. He slammed his sword down onto the chains, and then leaped back into the monster. He carved his sword up its back.

Savior yelped, turning and growling at Blues. The monster was coming out more and more, the bloody form looking less like Rockman and more like virus. Whatever had stabbed Savior before disappeared. A flash and it grabbed Rockman up, holding him up by his hair. Rockman didn't react- didn't wince in pain, just rolled into Savior. "S74Y B4CK." It rumbled. A hand danced up to Rockman's chest. "1'LL M4K3 H1M SUFF3R. 17'LL B3 Y0UR F4UL7. S74Y B4CK! "

"Rockman--?" Blues disabled his sword, and put up his hands. How recently had it been that hostage situations didn't phase him? It must have been a lifetime ago. "Rock! I'm here! I'm here! Wake up!" He stepped forward. Blues wouldn't give up-- the fact that he was here was evidence enough... he refused to believe that a virus could use double soul without Rockman's S0UL to work with. Blues' hand moved to his chest. He touched his navi symbol, hoping for that glow and power. His hand came away with sludge dripping from his fingers. The room spun.

The tension drifted away, and Savior watched with rapt curiosity as Blues swayed. "Y0U...R34LLY B3L13V3 7H47 H3'S 4L1V3." And again that laughter, that damning wicked thing. Head trained back, it laughed and laughed. "H0P3L3SS 7H1NG." The room spun and spun and spun until it was black, gone, void. When it came back into view, it was the sandy shores- some beach, some place the virus could have never been and yet was. Blues stood in the ocean, the water lapping against his knees. The black sludge dripped from his fingers and faded into the ocean. Another form stood on the shore. Calling his name, but no sound- they were barely even seen over the heat daze of some summer day.

Blues slowly sat up. Water... real, pure water lapped over the corners of his helmet. He was weighed down by his hair and he was still so cold, but it felt more peaceful than the chaos of the cell they'd broken from. His hand reached up to his navi symbol again. Void. Even Blues' visor wasn't enough to block the blinding sun. He crawled through the sand and water. Blues felt like his voice was gone, just the same as the distant image. A memory data sprung to Blues. Enzan said he had dreams like this, where moving and speaking was all muted like cotton, and control drifted away with his mind. Blues tried to focus harder on the image in the sand. (edited)

Like lenses focusing and unfocusing, the figure came into view, sharpened against the haze of the day. It was...Blues, but not quite Blues. Some different idea of him; wholly red, an outline of his form. When Blues approached, the figment of him helped him to his feet. It was very featureless, save for a striking green eye. It displayed words where their mouth lacked: [YOU] [SHOULDN'T] [BE] [HERE]

Blues' head rose. Confusion blinked in his eyes. Nothing in this soul-scape was as it should be... this phantom was empty. Just a sign, like an advertisement on the net. Blues flexed his right arm, until his sword flicked out. "Maybe I shouldn't," he breathed, "but I am." So, while he was here, he would sure as hell fight. Rockman had to be here somewhere... all of this belonged to them. This beach, it had to mean something.

[YOU] [DON'T] [UNDERSTAND] The figment turned somewhat frantic. A hand came to his sword arm, the touch...soft. Real. Despite their otherworldly look, they were...real, in some capacity. They tried to look fierce, but failed- it was hard to without much feature. [WE] [AREN'T] [READY] When they let go, where they had touched was left with the same sludge Savior produced. The surprise of it was felt, rather than seen.

Blues felt a pang of... sorrow. His hand folded over the murk, and he spent a moment feeling its texture. Not ready... we, as in he? Blues? Or as in others that were here? There was nothing here to help him... "Rockman, where are you?" Blues had to keep moving. This stillness was becoming unbearable. He tried to remember this beach. The hospital? A door appeared below the tall concrete docks. He walked through the sand, and pushed the door open.

The spectre followed, but silent words fell on hearing ears: [NOT] [HERE] A rush of A/C followed the door's opening. The hospital was eerily empty, but clean and well maintained. The only sound that was heard was a soft heart monitor, which was beginning to slow...Each beat taking longer than the last. The spectre whirled around and faced Blues again. [DO] [NOT] [LOOK] They reached out and touched again. Again, that murk bubbled over their fingers. Intensity was a feeling, a push. [DANGER] [DANGER] [DANGER]

Blues' jaw threatened to crush his teeth under the pressure of his frustration. "I have to. I have to find him." Blues' free hand snapped up to grab the specter's wrist. "Do not stop me." The power he felt from contact held his feet in place. Their eyes met. Blues' own eye read, hidden [CONFUSED] [SCARED]. "Where would you have me go?!" This being didn't seem malevolent, but there shouldn't be anything more than memories. Nothing else with sentience should be here. The virus, Rock, and Blues... Perhaps it was a trick. He pushed past the specter and shoved it aside to walk deeper into the hospital.

The hallway stretched on forever, and for Blues, it would. The spectre made a frustrated gesture, seeming to try to shout at Blues' back. [NOT!] [HERE!!!] The spectre disappeared with a huff. - The final door at the end of the hallway was left slightly ajar. It had felt like ages had passed in walking here. Had it? Blues wouldn't be able to tell. What Blues didn't understand about Soul Union was made very clear- they had never, ever been alone here. Inside the room was Rockman, sitting up in the bed. He appeared less like a navi and more, soft. Human. Various devices were attached to his skin- most vital to his function. He appeared just as empty as when Savior was tossing him about. The heart monitor played a failing tone. He was dying.

Finally, the slow journey ended. Urgency returned to Blues' limbs. He rushed to Rockman's side, inspecting the equipment and placing his hands gently to his cheeks. Why couldn't he feel the warmth? He refused to believe what he saw. "Rockman, you can do it! One virus cannot bring you down--" Blues brought one hand down to Rock's chest. A heartbeat. Hub.bat had to be somewhere in here. Fear made Blues' hands shake. How had Rockman's mindscape deteriorated so far? It hadn't been this long, had it? Blues had been neglecting his duties. Guilty...

Rockman blinked, seemed to watch Blues touch and poke and prod- Finally, a reaction. But not the one Blues wanted. "B--Baack!" His hands rushed out to shove Blues away. The heart monitor spiked, the noise searing and painful. "G-G'back! Back!!!" In the reflection of Rockman's wide eyes, the figure looming at his bedside was not Blues, but a darker, more sinister form of him. "G-Get a-away!!! I've h-hhuurt- 'nough- hrk-" He moved to shuffle out of the bed, trying to get away from Blues. Wires and equipment tugged painfully at his skin. The spectre reappeared. Rockman didn't acknowledge. [I] [TOLD] [YOU] [SO.] The words, while carrying no tone, still sounded frustrated. But with a deep hint of sorrow.

"Rockman-?" Blues stepped back the moment he was ordered to. "R-rock, no, you will hurt yourself! Please-- be calm." Blues raised his hands with open palms, and lowered to one knee. Blues tried to ignore the specter. He didn't need this, the patronizing tone... he needed Rock to see him! It was so tempting to lash out at the specter, that seemed to know something it would not foreclose. This was not how this should happen! How could he convince Rock it was him and not... Blues paused. He listened to the anger urging him to snap at the specter. He looked at his hands. Purple armor protruded along his forearms. Blues' chest grew colder.

[I] [WARNED] [YOU] The spectre advanced on Blues, the touch from before instead burning, deep from fingertips to false flesh. Rockman was left behind in a flash, as it dragged Blues out into a dark hallway. It had more features this time. Both eyes, a mouth. And anger- deep, deep anger. "You are tainted, DarkSoul!" The spectre threw Blues to the far wall. The door to Rockman's room slammed shut, and clicked with an unseen lock. "I will eject you from this place," a flick of the wrist, a VarSword protruding. "I will not allow harm to come to him! You did not heed my prior warnings- you face the consequences now!" While still simple, the voice the spectre had was booming, full. It was Blues'- as if suddenly it had gained back something it had lost.

Blues, the real Blues, fell back against the wall. The slamming around him was muffled by his hair-- unruly, and darker silver than it should be. Blues' sword came up to defend. Just a simple default weapon. It glowed pink. "Now you claim you want to protect him?!" Blues' tried to match the volume and force. He pushed himself up the wallside to stand, but did not engage. He was defense only. "Rockman will see I am the one here to help him! He has to see that--"

"I always have!" Swing, grinding against the darkness the spectre's var sword pushed. Grit teeth threatened to shatter just as Blues' did before. "You are an intruder! You are not the one he wants to see!" Drag down, attempt to disarm- "He will not see what you will. You cannot force him- I will not allow it!" Swing, down, opening- strike! "It is your neglect that brings us here! Your failure! Do you not see that now, monster?!"

The var sword was inherently better than Blues simple cybersword. That was simply true. The disarm worked-- his sword arm was forced up, exposing Blues' torso to the imposter. The sword grazed up from Blues' waist up to the center of his stomach. Blues groaned, but kept up his defenses. Cold seeped down into his limbs-- even the anger that should have gone along with such a wreched form was hard to find. "I will not fail! I will not deceive! I will protect him!" That final thought urged Blues to surge up and forward. His sword kept locked in with his enemy's. He shoved the imposter against the cold concrete wall on the other side of the alley.

The spectre shuddered with the push. The exposed green eye spelled out: [EVIL] [DANGER] [HURT] "You have already failed, monster! We have failed!" Push back, but strength was waning in their arms. "This tomb is a product of that!" The heart monitor suddenly came into their soundscape again. Burning, jarring. Slowing, the beats between slow. "You failed to protect him when it mattered most! Too preoccupied, neglecting what became core to you! What you chose!" Push, beep, push, beep- "What will it take for you to open your eyes?! What will it take for you to accept your folly, Blues?! "

"How dare you give up on him!" Blues bared down more, and his form began to return to him. Sleak silver hair ran down his back. Pure, red armor-- "no matter my mistakes! I will never! Never give up on Rockman!" The beeping validated Blues. He could hear it. His lover was not dead. He could not be! "I trust Rockman!" Blues let out a growl, and slashed down on the imposter. "Either tell me how to help, or get out of my way!"

The spectre choked on the slash, their free hand surging out and grabbing Blues' emblem at his chest. It was still dark, void. "Then make sure he doesn't give up on himself," a growl, and then they were gone again. The hospital grew quiet and still once more.

Blues' jolted and looked around again. The alley was gone, but so was Rockman. Stark white walls once again meant his isolation. Blues looked both ways, but everything looked the same. He chose a direction, and started walking.

As Blues walked, the hospital started to crack away- the dream fading, returning the dark, dark... What next came into view, was memory. This time, wholely Blues'- as if experiencing it all over again. Control was wrenched from Blues' limbs as he played out the memory again, as if a doll. Parting breath, separating from kiss, I love you. And the reply like lye: I love you too. The copy, the fake. Fluttering eyes and smile on his face fake, fake- there was no warmth in this shell. What will you do, then? Unidentifiable voice. Control returned. The copy laid against him just as it had before.

Blues felt his data recoil and twist. No! No more intimacy for the undeserving! No more deep probing into his own life! Blues' hand launched up, gripping the copy's throat. Searching, he still was searching, and wanted the same thing from the copy. His vision flashed red. "Where is he?!" Blues pushed the copy into the wall, and up, dangling in the air. "Where?!"

The copy wheezed in the same way it had before, frozen in time just as the rest. It was memory, not data, not a living thing in some way. The smile on its face turned sinister was just sepia toned reels of film. It couldn't tell him. But the fire, anger was just the same. "Can't- s-say I'm afraid-" Their hand came to his, delicate touch so much like the hero who'd long since passed... The memory shifted, slightly. Choking, grabbing at his hand- "B-Blues- pl-plea-hhse let me g-go-"

Terror split through the anger. This wasn't the same! This wasn't how this should go-- Blues dropped Rockman and backed away. Maybe he was the monster. "Rock-?" Blues was so confused. He didn't want any of this. Rockman's data was on his hands, even though he'd pulled away. There were pixels drifting up to the ceiling-- the tearing, that horrible tearing of the copy's body hadn't happened here, had it? "Rockman-? Please--"

Control was wrenched from Blues once more. His hands operated without his discretion, surging forward and grabbing at the memory, the image. Sword forming and slice, stab! You cannot change the things you've done, that damned spectre! It was making Blues move in these ways, to play out a memory despite the change. The poor figment screamed, begged for Blues to stop. Befitting of the fallen.

"This is not how it HAPPENED!" Blues couldn't even disable his sword. He was a helpless spectator. When he was finally able to stumble back, all that was left were a few arrant pixels. They quickly drifted away like mist. His sword was the only sound; its buzzing heat was gone when Blues was able to dispel it. He didn't want to fight anymore. Blues fell to his knees.

The beast circled, yet unseen- only felt, only a deep pressure. Are you sure? It was still that spectre, it must be, but where was it? They? Where? Can you even trust yourself, monster? So willingly you turn off your emotions, so willingly you reject reality- so willingly, you've given up. Dark touch, dark hands at his neck, brushing the back of it. So willingly you ripped that copy apart. A copy perfect in nearly every way. Why would it be so absurd that you'd do it to the real deal?

Blues' jaw fell open, slack. His green eye showed only blank, occasionally repeating a word he heard here or there. [REJECT] [GIVEN] [UP] "I... wouldn't hurt Ro-ck--" His head rocked back into the gentle touch. "I know him. I won't." Then, perhaps the best way to do that was not to move? Cold came from that hand. He was being dragged, back down into the stone. Why was he here? If he was still, he couldn't hurt anyone. He wouldn't have these urges... to kill. His head bobbed forward, his chin struck his chest. That gaping hole was still there, black and unyielding.

That's right. Better to just- Wake up. The touch grew warmer until it was soft, gentle. Blues, it said softly, a different voice. Blues, it hummed again, as if his name was offering and mantra. You came for me.. Joy. The emotion ran high, joy, joy. Came to save me...Why are you sitting here, Blues? I miss you... Innocence reached down and touched his chest, and a sadder sound came, Ohh..It's hurting you too... A pause, gentle, before the warmth came and wrapped him up. Come on...On your feet, Blues...If you fall, you'll never wake up again...And I'll miss you too much.

Blues' head rolled back up. Warmth beat back the cold, bringing his eyes back to focus. He could feel his own hair roll down his back, and it felt... protective. He opened his mouth, but he had no voice yet. He lifted his arms, trying to receive the warmth and hold it-- maybe if he held it, he could keep it safe and protect it with his body. "Rock... Rockman..." Blues' head bobbed. He tried to keep it up. "Stay... with me. Together. We can." He placed his hands to the ground, and pushed up. It felt like a herculean effort to raise up. He planted his knees, and dug his feet into the ground.

Mmm.. His hum was soft- there was even a possible smile there. What felt like fingers ran through his hair. Come on now..Have to stand. If you can stand, you can move...You can find...me... He seemed to drift away for a moment, warmth waning before returning. I'm so tired, Blues...Please come...I want to go home...

"I will. I will save you Rockman, I promise. I promise." Blues' feet pushed off the ground, and he rose up. He squeezed his arms against his chest once he was standing. "We will go home. Show me where you are. I'll take you home."

Mmm...Thank you...Ah... Where was he? He didn't know. Too dark, too...scary. The hospital came back into view, the warm sunshine and the quiet crashing of the waves. I don't, know...I'm sorry... The warmth waned again. I'm...sorry.... And then he was gone again. The residual warmth tingled.

Blues pressed his hands to the warmth, as if that would keep it within him. He was dizzy, but rejuvenated. Rockman was here. He would not be swayed otherwise. He was truly here, and waiting for him. Blues began to run.

The sand kicked up around Blues' feet as he ran. The footprints of his previous time here had already been washed away for the most part, but the way into that hospital was all the same. When he entered this time, it was full of people. Doctors, nurses...None of them seemed to see him. Just acted as they would in the real world; moving, buzzing around. The spectre appeared at the end of the hall. [YOU'RE] [BACK.] They had gone back to having no features yet again.

Blues stood at the entrance of the hallway, analyzing movements. His scanner locked in on the phantom. "Stop sending proxys." Blues murmured it-- he knew Savior would know, if he was still within Rockman. Anger bid him louder. "Or are you so afraid of me?!" He stalked toward the spectre, but kept all his senses on the hunt for Rockman.

[YOU] [STILL] [DON'T] [UNDERSTAND] The spectre held their hand up in a peace offering. They stood strong against Blues- there was no fear. Why be afraid of yourself? [I] [CAN] [HELP]

"Then show me where he is!" Blues kept his distance, once he was close enough to see the eye. "You have not helped yet. I have no reason to trust!" The darkness in his chest was mingling with the warmth Rockman left behind. The hole in his chest was more solid, but still black. He felt so angry. He was trying so hard to hold it back. (edited)

The spectre had an annoyed look. [THAT'S] [IT!] They reached out and touched Blues, gripping his arm with a fierce touch they had not had before. It burned, but in a familiar way. Hot and searing and exactly what Blues needed. [ACCEPT] [US]

The contact sizzled. Blues gasped from the feeling of passion and light. Something that had seemed so foreign to look at was suddenly too familiar. He'd been missing. How had he not recognized that pieces of himself had fallen away? He blinked, and light began to flood his systems. It unbalanced him, making his body hotter than ever before. He was on fire. Blues inhaled sharply, drawn like a moth to it. There was no balance, he was simply burning.

The spectre disappeared, but was not gone. The bustling of people faded out until the hallway was empty again, and Savior stood at the other end. It stood strong, tall, chest puffed out. Stronger than before. "D0N3 Y37? 1 GR0W 71R3D W47CH1NG Y0UR P47H371C S34RCH1NG."

"Finally." Blues turned around and widened his stance. "Done with your little games? Are you ready to fight?" The heat from before glowed within Blues' navi symbol hole like an ore of metal left too long in the forge. He dashed forward without thought. There was no reliance on the dark aura anymore. Its weight had pulled away to the back of his mind. He felt lighter than air, but when he moved to attack, no sword presented itself. Only his bare hands met the monster.

Savior moved to duck but wasn't quick enough- Blues connected and they were driven into the wall. But it didn't miss a beat; its mouth split its face and sharp teeth were exposed- it lunged forward and sunk its teeth into Blues' shoulder with a deep growl. It turned its head and reared back, taking data with it. "Y0U W3R3 7H3 0N3 70 PL4Y 7H3M! D1DN'7 Y0U H4V3 FUN W4S71NG 71M3 WH1L3 1 F1N1SH3D R0CKM4N 0FF?"

"Grrah!!!" Blues' hands tightened on the Monster's arms. His sword wouldn't activate! Violence felt blocked, stunted. Everything about him felt hot, then cold, then empty. Suddenly, he was back in the empty building again, staring down Regal. Savior was Regal. Blues' sword buzzed and activated into Savoir's body again. This time, Blues recoiled in disgust. The sludge data looked like blood to him-- had he done that? Should he have done that?

Savior wrenched control from Blues. This was a memory that it did not know of- it had no control over it. The strike was hot, searing- It reached again and growled, a primal thing. It gripped Blues and forced him into a different space. Empty, formless. Like where they had been before. "D0N'7 7RY 70 PL4Y G4M3S W17H M3," it pressed, waveform bouncing into a harsh static. Nails dug into Blues' arms and tore parts of him away.

Blues would have had a concussion if any human or mortal rules applied to him. The force from being pulled away made his body feel like chalk. Parts of him chipped away into pixels. That didn't hurt so much as his shoulder. His sensors read nothing around them. Nothing. His sword was still active. He realized, belatedly that he could attack. Blues twisted his arm to try and do more damage to the creature.

Savior made a screeching noise, like a microphone that was feedbacking and echo, echo, echo- The place shifted again, and suddenly the breeze was ice shards and the air was dry. Blues would stand alone atop a hill facing a decrepit mansion, who's walls were showing signs of decay and ivy growing up the sides. Curling, winding, like tendrils of a monster taking it away into the earth. He would stand alone. The world would fall still, like a painting in sepia.

"No-- this isn't how it looked." Blues memories had not remained decrepit like this, Enzan and him had rebuilt it. "This is mine! Not Rockman's!" He looked around for the enemy, but only the wind existed. He was once again, violated. This was the place he had turned to stone. This would not happen here. Blues paced down the hill, letting the momentum of the slope take him. He reached the door, and flung it open. He knew every inch of this place. (edited)

Who else would be here? The figment expected, Dark Blues, stood in the main entrance. Just as decrepit the last time Blues had been here...Encased in stone. The statue stood, looming over Dark Blues, but was different. The beast's mouth was agape, threatening to swallow the darkloid whole. They stood, their chest puffed out and a sickly smile splitting their face in two. "Hello again." Their voice was venom, poison and it created hot air in the cold place. There were no windows here, just shattered glass where the ivy had forced its way in.

"Hello." Blues felt that cold from before, rushing through him in waves. "We're in quite deep, aren't we? You don't want to be here anymore than I do. I can feel that, at least." His hand came up to his navi symbol. The center was swirling with black and white that couldn't find balance. "So? Going to cause chaos here too?" His other hand through a gesture, "You've already done that, I think. Probably bored."

"You're in deep, boy." The darkloid waved their hand, "Only chaos that you've wrought. This is all a byproduct of you...And Enzan." They paced. A dark shadow followed behind them, somewhat formless until it came into focus. A...hound? It still seemed strange, like something across the heat on the pavement. "I got to see so much again, in that little...mind of his. That broken thing," they spread their hands. "Rockman allowed me so much when they were in full synchro...Because there's a bit of me, inside him, too..." They grew closer. "Doesn't that make your skin crawl? That you've tainted him so?"

"I see." Blues stood his ground, struggling not to step back. "It is not really you. That seems only fair." "I protect Enzan from you. Rockman as well. They do not need to see-- and they accept these aspects of me, regardless." Blues said it, but he wasn't sure. Wasn't it his worry, that if he told them all how much he desperately wanted to kill Regal-- how willing he had been to save Enzan and leave Laika to die--? He would surely be abandoned. A navi that so strictly adhered to his code like that, to the point of erasing his own identity... he wasn't sure what traits were more desired. He wasn't sure of anything. And in this space, all of those thoughts could surely be felt. His navi symbol was grey.

"Feh," Dark Blues shook his head. "You still don't get it. Idiot." Their hair swished, and the beast padded behind. "You are about as thick as it gets, aren't you?" A sudden shift, the wind picked up and whistled through the broken windows. Dark Blues' hand flicked out to the side, and a far wall crumbled away. This was familiar, something that Savior could not have ever accessed...Yet... "A part of you you've missed." The beast growled, hungry, at the darkloid's side. The young boy was there, innocent and wide eyed and far from these terrors.

Blues was suddenly unsteady, wavering. The child... and truely a child. Enzan of about four years old stood in a lavender sweater. Under a spotlight, because that had been all Blues could see at the time. Enzan's smiling face. He could suddenly remember the moment like it was yesterday, after years of blank space in that moment. He said... "I am Blues. I will be your netnavi. Happy to meet you, Enzan-sama. If you need anything at all, please ask me." "You can't have this. You destroyed it." Blues' voice was a whisper as he broke from the memory to look at Dark Blues.

"I can have anything I want. " Dark Blues turned and lunged, sword reaching out in an attempt to cut through him. "Anything! And that includes you! " That wild tenacity was back, that unhingedness about them. "This memory isn't even yours! You've forgotten it as soon as you'd seen it!"

"Gh-!" Blues jumped back, and his sword formed on instinct. Cold rushed his head. It was easy to fall into the rhythm of fight with Dark Blues. He remembered every swing, every blow against the dark vision. He couldn't fall into it, and forget the rest of why he was here... he had to find Rockman! Rockman! This whole scene was self indulgent! "My fight isn't with you! Fight me in my own head!" He aimed a swipe at Dark Blues.

"Who's mind has it always been?" Dark Blues clashed, their swords hot against one another- "Always been yours," swipe, "yours," stab, "YOURS!" Another lunge, aiming to stab Blues through the heart he would never obtain. "You selfish thing!'

Blues deflected the first attack, and succumbed to the second, a stab into his hip area. His sword quickly deflected up on the final jab, until the two of them were standing chest to chest with their swords crossed above them. No, not his-- Blues didn't want it. He didn't want all of it as his own! It was too much! "Ours! Ours! We face it together now, and forever after!" Blues felt his back strike the stone statue, and the open mouth of the goat struck his helmet.

"You've got it now!" Dark Blues grit his teeth, pushing down on him and forcing him into the beast's mouth, into the fray- "Took you too long!" Dueling sides, towering over another and suffocating, harsh in their own ways- but together, now. Dark Blues looked to the crumbled wall and that memory. "It's yours, now. Take it. "

Blues took the opportunity to reach out and grab the dark navis navi symbol. Netto had done it this way, hadn't he? The energy of this shadow swirled around Blues, and closed in on his navi symbol. Parts of him...all parts of him that Rockman had taken during double soul. How had this part of him slipped through the cracks? Blues shouldn't have underestimated how much was shared. Everything. It was always "we." Blues didn't want to be selfish. The memory of Enzan's first meeting with him had been taken during the first dark aura battle. It wouldn't be right to waste anymore time when he could be saving Rockman. Blues let out a deep breath, like Rockman had shown him. He walked past the broken wall, and Enzan's soft voice. He pushed the door open, and pictured a hospital. It appeared before him, sterile and white. Familiar to them. It wasn't like where Enzan was staying, it was unique to here. Blues couldn't block out any of his swarming emotions. It was a freeing feeling. Savior had meant it as torture, but he had accepted that he wanted to kill. Rockman had already known-- Enzan-sama, surely had as well. And they had not left him.

If Rockman had taken this part, was it not meant to be? Was he not accepting of it all already- how long ago had this been placed here? The darkloid did not fight. They had an unwanted master- they were pleased to be free of it. The hospital sprawled out in a dreamlike way, will walls that never found a ceiling and a floor that had no end. Savior stood at the end, almost appearing out of place- perplexed. Their reflections spread down into the ground endlessly. If it was not meant to be here, it gave nothing away. "G1V1NG UP Y37?"

Blues stalked towards the monster. He had deleted many a virus before, this one would be no different. The dark aura within him twitched around, surging for life. His own processors, his seething emotion data; everything thrummed with the will to survive. The darkness told him to give up, that the emotions were too much. But those emotions also held his hope. His love. His loyalty. "Get out of here, gnat." He lifted his sword, and a sonic boom flew for S4V10R's body.

Savior leaped at just the right moment, the strike missing it for a mile. It laughed some wicked thing, and landed into a tumble that closed the gap between Blues and it. "7H3 0NLY 1NS3C7 AR0UND H3R3 1S Y0U 1'M 4FR41D!" Hand cocked back and a slash, aiming for Blues' emblem on his chest.

Blues sidestepped, but the hallway was narrow, so his shoulder struck the wall, and Savior's clawed hand carved through the side of Blues' chest. "Grrgh--" He recovered quickly, and grabbed hold of Savior's arm. He gripped it tight, and brought his sword down on the figure's arm. Despite the pain Savior might be able to do in close quarters, Blues was confident he could do more.

Savior made a yipping noise, much like a dog when the sword came down. The rules were different, here- pain was felt by the beast and not the shell. It tore its arm away in time to keep it in tact, and whipped around to bite down on Blues' shoulder again. It clamped down, and sent a jolt of disruption through him.

"Ggrah!" Blues' pixels defragmented through his body, severing important connections and further damaging his shoulder. That half of his body was nearly unusable. He was forced to release Savior and try to struggle away once his body realigned. Thankfully, his swordarm was still usable. He hacked down on Savior over and over again. (edited)

Savior yelped again, and forced Blues away from it. A quick kick to his now useless side succeeded in that enough. "3N0UGH!" It bellowed. "1 GR0W T1R3D 0F Y0U." A flick of the wrist, and Rockman flickered into its hands. It gripped Rock by his hair, forcing him onto his knees. Blank expression, eyes rolled back, Rockman didn't react right away. "17'S 71M3 W3 F1N1SH 7H1S, 1SN'7 17?"

Blues stilled at the sight of Rockman. Real this time? Blues couldn't sense one way or another. He flexed his pixelating arm, put energy into holding onto it. He needed this hand. His peaceful hand. His sword didn't go away. "Rockman, I am here for you. You don't have to hold onto that demon any longer. You are stronger than it. We are stronger than it!" Sonic booms lashed out at S4V10R's head. At the same time, Blues' broken arm reached for Rockman's fallen body. Together, they should be together in here! (edited)

Savior ducked out of the way of the sonic waves and dragged Rockman with it. The sudden jerk caused a reaction in Rockman and he yelped, as if life suddenly surged into him through the pain of his hair being pulled. "H3 W4S N3V3R S7R0NG 3N0UGH!" Savior barked, "1F H3 H4D B33N-" The growl and static was cut off by Rock reaching around and giving Savior a hard uppercut. The crack of Rock's hand was audible, but the force made Savior let go. "Stop talking. " He wheezed, voice hoarse.

"Rockman!" Blues smiled, openly. There could no longer be any doubt. This was Blues' lover. Blues rushed forward to hold Rock with his broken side. Tears sprung forth uninhibited. The curse Savior had created to cause anguish now granted Blues a feeling of joy he had never fully experianced. Blues positioned himself with his sword pointed at Savior, and his arm around Rockman's waist.

Rock leaned against Blues' offered side, shaking his hand to mitigate the pain. "Hurt," he hissed. All of his attention and his anger was pointed at Savior. The virus whipped around, to grab up Rockman again. It stilled when it saw the...display in front of it. A pause, and it laughed again. "TW0 M1S74K3S D0N'7 M4K3 4 WH0L3." Rockman reached out and put his hand over Blues' sword. Silent communication, team member's code: Together.

The tension and discord in Blues released once more. He was not only whole here, but safe. Loved. Savior was nothing but a pitiable virus standing in front of the two strongest navis this side of the net. Blues and Rockman were no longer themselves. They were truely Double Soul Blues. Their head rose, looking down on the beast with immense pity. "Tiny thing, full of hate. Release your anger."

Savior eyed them up and down and never once did its pride waver. It did not consider itself a pitiable thing; it was strong, it had broken down the strongest navi in the world. That alone made it strong. "H4H. 74LK1NG 70 Y0URS3LF, 4S 4LW4YS." It rose up and lunged, grabbing the double soul and dragging them close. "7H1NK 7H1S F0RM C4N B3S7 M3?" Delete delete DELETE Rockman forced their hands to lunge, dig into the virus. He had a deep desire to see this virus gone.

"Poor, small thing." Their face was sorrowful, even as their sword carved up its body. Their hand tore away data. "Poison, cursed with consciousness and longing for a soul... you must die now." Pixels drifted around them like mist. "Goodbye. Be freed of your hate."

Savior's face seemed to twist in confusion, then something unidentifiable, then- Blues' amplified emotions melded with Rock's rapidly fluxuating ones, and their tearing became erratic until Savior was no more. The visions dancing around them faded away, like paint dripping away, away... Over, Rock's thoughts were whispy. Fading. Gone. Gone, it's g·ne..

Blues held tight to Rockman. His thoughts could grow wispy while they were in double soul. Blues would keep them together. Their physical body teetered where they stood, and collapsed. Blues breathed into the familiar fusion of souls. How long had it been since they properly did this? Maybe that had lead to some of the problems now... He never wanted to part from this double soul again, if that was the case. He had to do something right. There was still some hero in them left, and they couldn't let that go.

Whatever hero was left in them forced their head to rise and optics to properly boot, eyes scanning to determine where they were and if it was safe. This...Was no longer Rockman's homepage. A sickening wave fell over the duo- that means, while they were preoccupied...Savior had used their body, hadn't it? Oh no- "R...Rockman, Blues." A voice came. They struggled to turn to it, react. Who was that tired voice? "You two are damaged. You need to separate so that I may work on you..."

Blues didn't want to seperate. Instinct said he needed to stay and protect Rockman, even from this voice that promised help. Then he worried that his paranoia might hurt Rockman too. Maybe he still had to protect Rockman from himself? In this moment, his strong emotions were a hinderance. Blues broke off the double soul. It was like tearing off a limb. Blues' visor fragmented as soon as he left, and static filled his head. This time he had been the one taking back injuries from his partner. Inhuries Savior had instigated crackled up Blues's arms and legs.

As soon as they separated, Rockman was reaching for Blues with whatever strength he had left- A keystroke and he was gone, wisked away to his private, quaratined server. Doctor Hikari let out a held breath. Time to get to work, he thought bitterly. - Blues had been harder than Rockman to work on, surprisingly. Rockman had many an automated system to keep him functioning, but Blues was more hands on. He had neglected to send a message to Enzan, knowing that he was in the hospital and needed his rest. Though, something told him he was already somewhat aware of the situation... He attempted a reboot, and it was finally successful. "Good morning, Blues." It was technicallg morning- some awful hour in the night by now. "Give me a status report please."

"Doctor Hikari." It was a dry greeting. Blues was disoriented and his last memory was of Rockman being taken away from him again. Automatically, he went to reply. "Systems are operational. Functioning on lowest processor speed. Sections K, N, and R need complete rebuild. There is damage to internal systems. Emotional regulation is damaged--" There was still much more to list off, but he stopped. "I need to be with Rockman. Where is he?" Blues yanked at his right arm, freeing it from stasis. "I must."

"Be still." Doctor Hikari pushed the word with force, but with how tired he was it wasn't very convincing. "As you just stated you need to be rebuilt. Rockman is undergoing error checking and repairs in his r--own server." The doctor rubbed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't remember when he last ate. He picked up his PET, a quick message sent to Haruka. Safe and sound. "Your emotional regulation is off. How about I work on that first..." So that you may think more rationally. More bitter thoughts. He would feel guilty for them later.

"No, Doctor. I must see Rockman. He cannot be alone. You know better than anyone that I am not the priority." Blues ignored the order to keep still. His arm was out and searching for the disconnect options. "I can be revived with backup data. Bring me to Rockman! He was on his own for a month locked in your labratory! You've seen the results!"

"He is asleep and you are forbidden from seeing him!" Doctor Hikari grit his teeth, hating to raise his voice. He only ever did it when the situation was truly dire, in his eyes. He was strong, sure- but when it came to Rockman, when it came to his destiny child- he could become different so quickly. It was always this way, wasn't it? Another keystroke, and he returned Blues' arm to stasis. Admin controls lied with him. "He will be left alone until he wakes." He said slowly, quieter. Measured, as he had to be. "You know better than most it would hurt him more to see you revived than fixed." (edited)

Blues grunted when his arm went dead. This stiff body was of no use to him! "Doctor, fix my aesthetics then, and send me over! You will not be alone with him when you can't even tell what's wrong with your own son! You are supposed to protect him!" Blues' processers were straining over the emotional overload. The lowest functions for his systems were still good, but certainly couldn't handle this. "I won't let anything happen to him again! I need to make sure!"

Fire flashed, some electricity coursing through the doctor as he took a deep, attempting to be calming, breath. "Do not pretend to know whats best for my son." He said slowly, but each word was accented by the daggers falling from his tongue. "I entrusted much of his protection to you and you too have failed him! Do not act as if you're not a guilty party." He glanced at another monitor. Rockman laid within, in a dreamless sleep, letting Doctor Hikari's assistants work tirelessly at removing all the residue the monster left behind. He picked up his PET again, and sent a message to Enzan requesting the last restore point Blues had. Quick, terse. He had forgotten Enzan's position and keeping it from him. All he wanted now was quiet- no more talk, just the silence of his office. The only constant he really had. Maybe he'll wear himself out.

"I am not his keeper!" Blues was practically screaming. "I left to protect Enzan-sama, trusting you would help him! It seems I am foolish to trust anyone to do what I should do MYS3LF!" Horror carved a knife into Blues' anger the moment his shouting ended. "D-doctor-- please nh-- fix my emotional data first. Please, forgive me. I am not well."

Doctor Hikari went to reply, before his attention was drawn to the opposite end of the server Blues was in. A small squeak of surprise came from there. "Mister Rockman, you must-" came the voice of a clearly distressed assistant, trying to direct Rockman from this server back to his own. Locks hadn't worked in 15 years- and something had always possesed Doctor Hikari to never change them. Rockman hid behind a pillar, watching the two exchange. All the anger that Doctor Hikari had melted away when he saw him, and he exhaled it all in a weak sigh. "Ro-" -why was he playing appearances in front of Blues?- "...Saito, please go back to your se- room." Rock looked up at his father, inncocent eyes scanning over him, wondering when his fatherhood turned into fear. He did as he was told, and let the assistant take him back. Once they were alone again, Doctor Hikari removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "It's unfair of me to assume you can handle all of him. You are his...partner. Not his guardian. That role lies with me." He rolled his chair closer and opened up Blues' filesystem. "I forgive you. Please, forgive me as well. None of us are very well."

"Rock-- Rockman?" Blues called out for him, but it was several moments after Rock had left. Blues was lagging so poorly it was doubtful he even would have seen Rock. Sadness washed over him. Rockman shouldn't see him so angry, nor should he even be expressing himself like this. There were no filters. "...I appreciate your apology." Warmth overtook much of the bitterness he felt. "Thank you sir. I forgive you. Please help me be myself again. Enzan-sama will help. Maybe the work will do him good." Enzan always enjoyed working on his programming more than his IPC work. Perhaps he would feel better. It would be better if they were together. Blues was starting to take on Enzan's hate of the sterile and confined.

Doctor Hikari only then realized how damaged Blues really was. How focused he could be on Rockman, as always, and assume others need the minimal amount of care. He felt this wouldn't be the last time they had this conversation, but this wasn't a good time for it period. Blues was clearly damaged...He felt the need to give him the same care he'd given Rockman. "Yes," he said softly, and he started to feel more himself as well. "I think the work will do us all well."