Title: "Infecten – stage 4 – Manifestation part C"

Author: Nemesi.

Fandom: (MMBN/MMNTW)

Genre: Romance. Humour.

Word Count: 1897.

Characters: Roll, Rush, Glyde, Gutsman, Netto, Enzan, Rockman, Blues and Axl.

Pairings: Blues/Rockman.

Rating: PG-13.

Disclaimer: , its characters, places and themes belong to Capcom, Shogakukan, ShoPro, TV Tokio, etc.. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warnings: Shounen-ai. Un-betaed. Navi-preg (and I claim ownership on this idea). OC.

A/N: At this stage, the disease becomes manifest, and a specific diagnosis can be made. I THINK I skipped a stage but… oh, well.

Summary: She would have very much liked a and highly-detailed explanation, possibly complete with pictures, of who the blinking heck Axl was.

"What if he's been kidnapped? What if he's been found by Wily? Or Forte? What if he wandered into the Uranet for that matter? What if Serenade found him? What if-"

"Netto?" Enzan pressed a hand to Netto's face, strategically placed to shut his mouth and keep his nostrils free. "Breathe."

"…he's been attacked by a virus?" Came from the desk. "Or fell into a loop error somewhere? Or got lost? Or met Gospel? Or-"

When the rest was muffled, Enzan released a grateful sigh and thanked his Navi. Blues looked up, hand firmly clamped over Rockman's mouth, and inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Any clues on Axl's whereabouts?" Enzan asked.

Blues drew in a harsh breath, pressed his lips together. Unbeknownst to everyone present, behind the cover of his visor his eyes were squeezed shut, his eyebrows drawn together in a look of pure agony.

"…no, Enzan-sama."

Rockman sagged against him at that moment, slipped his arms around Blues's waist and tucked his head underneath Blues's chin. Seeing this, Netto wrenched his mouth free from Enzan's hand, slipped from the couch and knelt down at eye-level with his PET.

"I'm sorry, Rockman! He was in his PET, and I looked away for just one second, I promise! I have no idea how he managed to link himself to the net!"

There was a muffled sound, some shuffling, then one of Rockman's green, green eyes became visible, as did the corner of his pained smile.

"He must have discovered the infrared. He's a clever kid, isn't he? And such a handful…"

Rockman trailed off into silence, and Blues enclosed his arms about him, slowly, gently.

There was a moment of vile, chocking silence, then Enzan knelt down as well. His hand squeezed Netto's shoulder for a brief moment, so brief it was almost imagined, before it slipped back into its pocket.

"We should've paid more attention to him," Enzan began. "You left him in our care, and we managed to lose him. What we did was inexcusable. However…" Enzan's eyes were flames. They were lakes. They were gems. Clear ad bright and fiery in their intensity. "…we won't give up. We'll keep looking. Until we find him."

And the quiet strength in his voice was reassurance enough for everyone. Suddenly, there was no doubt that Axl was all right, and that he would be found. Seeing that his words had done their intended job, Enzan nodded once, rose to his feet and went over to his PC. Netto watched him go, moved and more than a little impressed, then bounded after him with a smile and a cry of: "Wait! I'll help!"

Enzan slowed for a fraction of a second – more than enough time for Netto to catch up with him – and the boys continued together towards the desk and terminal, sharing ideas and inputs. Well, Netto doing the sharing, and Enzan lending half an ear.

There was a small fight over the chair, and a few minutes of getting settled before a hush fell over the room. In the heavy silence, the thrill of Netto's PET, heralding the arrival of a Navi or the other, should've been immediately noticeable. But with Netto and Enzan flirting – I mean, quarreling – no! I mean, searching the net at the other end of the room, and with Rockman and Blues reassuring one another in hushed whispers, none was the wiser.

Home – well, Rockman's home — at last!

Roll had never been happier to be in a PET that wasn't her own. She couldn't wait to hand Axl over to Rockman, in return for a full and highly-detailed explanation, possibly complete with pictures, of who

the

blinking

heck

Axl

was.

A secret IPC project? Intriguing, but very unlikely. IPC labs would never base one of their custom Navis on Rockman. Could Axl be one of Sci-Lab's projects instead? That would shed light on the buster and the uncanny resemblance with Rockman. But it failed to explain Axl's ability to use the Sonic Boom, as well as all those characteristic he shared with Blues. The third option was the scarier of all – Axl had been developed by neither IPC or Sci-Labs, bur by either Net Mafia or the WWW terrorists lead by Dr. Wily, by combining the data of the two most powerful Net-Saviours of all times.

Was Axl a future Net-Saviour? Or was he a threat, with his immensely destructive power, and easily gullible nature? Was he a friend, or a foe?

The one around which all of Roll's questions revolved around was currently as unaware as he could get. He'd been moved from under Glyde's armpit and hoisted to his back a while ago, and was in the middle of a long-craved nap. In sleep, his resemblance with Rockman seemed to magnify itself, and yet… that was Blues's mouth, wasn't it? And the proud line of his chin. And if Axl moved his head just so, Roll swore she could see Blues in his profile.

Glyde readjusted the weight on his back, snapping Roll out of her musing.

"He's out like a light." Whispered, as not to wake his charge.

"He must've used all his reserves of energy against that virus, de gutsu."

Roll nodded, distractedly. Axl mumbled something in a soft voice. His curled fist contracted once, as a shadow passed over his face, then relaxed.

"He's amazing, isn't he?"

Stated more as a fact than a question. Roll felt an attachment to the child, something like fraternal or motherly love, and it would've been surprising, were it not that she was influenced by his obvious resemblance with her friends. She'd always felt a connection with Rockman – as thought they were siblings, but someone had forgotten to notify them – and now that connection was spreading slowly but surely onto Axl.

Axl, Axl, she thought. Who are you?

Shaking her head clear, Roll pressed her lips together and turned, determined to get answers, and to get them now.

Her eyes alighted almost immediately on Rockman and Blues, and Roll felt her cheeks warm up at the sight of them, though she couldn't really figure out why. It wasn't like she'd never seen them that close – they'd developed a habit of touching 24/7 as of late, not to mention that Blues had a tendency to always be around when Rockman was out like a light and needed to be carried – bridal style or not – to safety. Actually, their current position classified as one of The Least Compromising she'd ever caught them in.

Presently, Blues had his arms wrapped comfortingly around Rockman, and his cheek placed on top of the blue helmet. In turn, Rockman was clinging to him by the waist. As usual when she watched them, she had this feeling, as though they were two pieces of a puzzle that lo and behold! fit perfectly together, and formed a picture that made more than sense, and was more than just right.

Rockman pulled himself away after a moment or two – not much, but just enough to tilt his head up and gaze into Blues's face with an intensity that made Roll's inner fangirl go into hysterics. They looked so much like a couple right then, she was going to melt. Or cheer. Or cheer as she melted into a puddle of Roll-goo. Yeah, that was the most probable outcome.

You see, Roll usually didn't advertise it, but she was a closet yaoi enthusiast. And one of the rabid kind, too. It was all Meiru's fault, if Roll had contracted the yaoi-virus; hers and of her doujinshi scanlations.

Oh, if only she had that camcorder chip she'd been promised! Then Roll would put the Kodak moment down, lock it in a jar, put it under her pillow, and gaze at it every night before she went to sleep (yes, she was THAT obsessed with yaoi). The levels of cute those two could reach together went beyond her wildest dreams!

Even as she watched, half-mesmerized and half-melting, Blues cupped Rockman's face and began to trace circle with his thumb across the flushed cheek, so slow and tender in his ministration, so sweet, so loving. Turning, Rockman brushed Blues's thumb with his lips, kiss-like, and murmured something from around it.

Blues leaned down, silver hair spilling like a curtain around them, just as Rockman leaned up. Their lips were close, so close, Roll realized as she fought down a squeal. Close enough for them to feel the other's breath waft and move against their mouth. And then, closing his eyes, Rockman slipped his hand behind Blues's neck, buried it in his rich silvery hair…

…ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! The envy! Roll would've died to touch that hair – she would've died for it period. How come Blues got the superstar hair, while she was stuck with a plastic-like addition? – and here Rockman was, playing with it as if he owned it.

Life just wasn't fair.

Concept that was further proved when Axl chose that moment to wake up, shattering the pre-kiss, sweet-loaded Kodak moment into itsy-bitsy tiny pieces.

"…DADDY! PAPA!"

Rockman and Blues leaped away from one another as if burned, and spun around towards them.

Now give me one thousand words, and seven days to put them in the right order, and I might be able to convey the joy and relief that sprung to Rockman and Blues's faces.

'Might' being the keyword.

Axl scrambled off Glyde's back, hurried across the PET and pounced. Rockman and Blues caught him mid-air, and the young Navi somehow managed to wrap one leg about each of them, and to loop his arms around their necks, which made for the most awkward hug ever.

None of the three seemed to care, or notice.

Axl was currently chanting "Daddy" and "Papa" at top speed, inserting here and there random excerpts from his day, such as "I met a virus!" and "it went puff!" and "Rush let me pet him!".

Rockman was plain and simply overcome with emotion. So much so that Blues seemed like the only thing that kept the Navi pyramid from toppling over.

A window suddenly popped up above them, and Enzan and Netto, worried by the commotion, showed up. Two-seconds time, and the apprehensive look on their faces melted into ecstatic joy (Netto) and sombre relief (Enzan).

"AXL!"

"Netto-Ojichan! Enzan-Ojiisan!"

"…Axl, please, refrain from calling me that. Enzan-Ojichan is more than all right."

"But Netto-Ojichan says he likes it when I call you that, 'cause you get all red and flustered!"

"Does he, now?"

"So sue me for wanting you to show some kind of human emotion."

"Is anger human enough for you?"

"Enzan-sama, I'd appreciate if you kept the usage of violence at a minimum in front of Axl."

"And Netto-kun, you should know better than riling Enzan-kun up on purpose."

"But Rockman..."

It's amazing, how they'd slipped into their normal routine, worries forgotten, the moment the lost piece of their little family had been returned to them. However, they should've remembered that their routine had, as of now, an audience of four.

Roll cleared her throat loudly, which caused everyone to freeze. She waited until she had everyone's attention, then arched an eyebrow as pointedly as she knew how.

"…'daddy' and 'papa'?"

In her agenda, it meant: Explanations. Now.

And she wasn't going to accept a 'no' as an answer.

- NOW LOADING…

[1]: in the Classical Saga, Roll and Rockman are siblings for real, and I just couldn't resist the reference. 3