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

Author: Nemesi.

Fandom: (MMBN/MMNTW)

Genre: Romance. Humour.

Word Count: 1574.

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.

"…and then, approximately two weeks ago, Rockman notified us that the file was about to be completed. We made the necessary arrangements, and connected Rockman's PET with a blank-slate device. When Rockman uploaded himself back to his PET, the temporary file became executable. It was transferred to the empty hard drive and… well, you know the rest."

Now that they'd tucked Axl to sleep (AND checked him all over, AND cuddled him, AND pampered him, AND read him a story AND let Rush cuddle against him AND promised him everything short of the moon itself AND, of course, disabled the DAMN INFRARED) Rockman and Blues linked themselves to Enzan's laptop, arriving just in time to catch the end of his speech.

The two crept inconspicuously into an empty corner of the screen, and surveyed the various degrees of shock playing over the faces of their friends. As odd as it may sound, the silence in there was absolutely deafening, and rushed and roared in Rockman's head like the howling of a pack of wolves. For a whole handful of minutes, the only noise in the laptop was Rockman's sharp intake of a breath, released when Blues took hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze.

After no small amount of embarrassed immobility from everyone, Enzan flicked his hair out of his eyes, and glanced questioningly at Netto. Netto shrugged, signalling he had nothing to add to Enzan's speech, and tilted his head towards the laptop. Enzan narrowed his eyes. Netto retaliated by raising both eyebrows. Enzan scowled. Netto pointed to the screen. Enzan pulled back his lips and frowned. Netto tilted his head once, twice. Enzan fought off the temptation to refuse (nice how they could communicate without words like that, eh?) and gave a reluctant nod.

"Questions?" he asked.

Roll raised her hand, the perfect student.

"I have one."

"Yes, Roll?"

Ignoring Enzan, she rounded on Rockman with a speed the likes of which would have made Blues envious, and pointed a menacing finger at him.

"…you got together with Blues and didn't tell me?"

A major sweat-drop moment later, Rockman said:

"Err… yes?"

With the question mark at the end.

"How COULD YOU! I thought I was your best-friend! You should have told me! And what about Axl? You had developing Navi in your PET – a DEVELOPING NAVI – and didn't confide in me! What if something had happened? What if you'd needed me and I couldn't be of any help BECAUSE YOU HADN'T TOLD ME THE TRUTH?" Rockman was so small by now, you had to squint to see him. "And you!" Roll added, turning sharply towards Blues, pointing finger and all. "Lower that eyebrow. Now."

Blues did as instructed, though how she'd managed to know about his eyebrow forever eluded him.

"Yes, ma'am."

He would have tried a mock-bow then, but he wasn't particularly interested in testing his limits as of now. He couldn't allow himself the luxury of being suicidal. Not when he'd just become a father.

"Good." The finger was lowered, and peace reasserted itself over the small group.

Enzan shook his head.

"…any other question?" he asked. "Glyde? Gutsman?"

"Well, I have some technical questions, but they can wait for a later time," confessed Glyde. Gutsman just scratched his head, eyes two dots of the utmost confusion.

"…how could Rockman have Blues's child, de gutsu? Isn't he a boy, de gutsu?"

"I'm afraid you're thinking in terms of human pregnancy, Gutsman." Enzan began, only to be interrupted by Netto.

"Yup. With Navis it's different. Your gender is only apparent, so it doesn't really matter much."

"Apparent…?"

"What he's trying to say," Enzan intervened smoothly. "Is that Navi are programmed to look either male or female; but being comprised of cybernetic data you are, in true essence, of neither gender."

"Yup." Ball's back I Netto's court. "For a long time, it was believed that you Navis were actually… what was the word again, Enzan?"

"Asexual."

"That one, yeah."

"Bu Hikari-hakase has put forth the theory that Navis are actually hermaphrodite."

"Meaning," Netto held up one finger with the air of someone who was about to repeat a often-listened, well-learned lecture. "That whichever partner you choose, you could have children."

"If the conditions that lead to Axl's conception can be recreated."

"Don't be a spoilsport Enzan. But yeah, if Axl isn't a one-of-a kind-miracle, then you-" finger-pointing the Navi as he mentioned them "-Glyde, could have a child with either Gutsman or Roll, no problem."

"At least in theory."

"Papa's still studying the whole thing. Trying to find out if any Navi can have kids and all."

"Or if that's a prerogative of Rockman, and of his human DNA."

Glyde, Gutsman and Roll blinked owlishly at the two humans for a while. A few seconds of this, and they snapped out of whatever musing they were having, ducked their heads, avoiding eye contact with one another and blushed. Enzan turned towards Netto, one eyebrow raised in enquiry.

"I thought you didn't want to explain this?" which was part of the silent conversation they'd had before.

"Yeah, well, you looked like you didn't want to do it alone." Also true.

Enzan dipped his head in thanks, and turned back towards the Navis.

"I'm sure you realize this must stay a secret?"

Glyde 'mmh'-ed. Gutsman nodded. Roll lost her embarrassed flush in favour of a narrow-eyed glare. She put her hands on her hips and frowned at the humans towering above her.

"Aren't you going to tell our Operators?"

Enzan shrugged.

"Why should we?" he began. But his cool act was ruined when Netto pushed him off-screen (and off the chair, as well), and looked earnestly down at Enzan's laptop.

"We will, Roll."

And then he was pushed by Enzan.

"We won't."

Push.

"We will."

Push.

"We won't."

Push.

"Yes."

Push.

"No."

And a glaring match ensued.

Roll rubbed her temples, fought off the temptation to remind the author of this fic that Navis weren't supposed to have migraines, and sighed.

"Fine. We won't tell. But…" and she whirled on Rockman at this point, poking him eloquently on the chest with each word she uttered. "You. Are. Going. To. Tell. Our. Operators. Is. That. Clear?"

"Err… yes, Roll-chan."

"Can we at lest know why you are so adamant about that?"

Blues pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against, and advanced towards the girl. Roll sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed nervously on it, eyebrows drawing together.

"It's just… it'd be safer, if more people knew about Axl, wouldn't it?" she shook her head, mildly frustrated at her sudden incapability to communicate. "Had we known about him from the start… you could've asked for our help today. We could've split up, and found him in no time. Besides…" how to explain the rest of her thoughts? "He's… he's unique, Blues-kun. He isn't just the only Navi who was ever born, instead of being programmed. He's also powerful – I told you about his Sonic Boom stunt, didn't I? – you said he's going to mature, and I suppose he'll learn to take care of himself just fine, but… his potential will always make him a target for just about anyone with evil intentions. I guess… it'd be… safer… if he had friends…in both the real world and Cyber world… who knew… the truth about him…and could… help?"

She ended with an hopeful note in her voice, all the while telling herself off for failing to make a good point. But right in the middle of her mental self-beating, Blues surprised her with a (le gasp!) smile and a nod.

"You are right. There's strength to be found in numbers. And we've been worried about the Net-mafia or Wily getting their hands on Axl from the very start. Informing your Operators might be the best course of action, after all."

"Thanks for your concern, Roll-chan." Rockman squeezed her hand gently, and with a smile that she couldn't help but mirror with one of her own.

"Anytime, Rock-kun."

What were friends for, after all?

Roll allowed herself a moment to feel all warm and fuzzy inside; then she tilted her head to a side, with an impish smirk spreading slowly across her face.

"And how exactly are you going to buy my silence, mh?" she sing-songed.

"What? But Roll-chan…!"

"Well, it's only fair! I saved your son-" she conveniently omitted the fact that it was Axl who'd saved them all, in the end, "-brought him safely back home, agreed not to divulge the biggest gossip of my lifetime… don't I get anything in return?"

Blues glared at her so intensely she felt the heat of his eyes moves across her skin.

"Name your price."

"Oh, I just…" she began, airily and innocently enough. "...want to touch that hair!"

And, before the red Navi could reply (or run) she had pounced, all but gluing herself to Blues and burying her hands in his hair.

The commotion that followed her hazardous move was hardly describable – what with Blues being outraged, Roll being awed and giggly, Rockman and Gutsman being jealous, Glyde and Netto being amused, and Enzan holding onto his quickly-slipping composure with teeth and nails – but frankly, Blues and Rockman should be grateful that Roll hadn't asked for their pictures, or some other random yaoi material involving them, instead.

Oh well, she figured she'd have other chances to ask for that…

- Stage cleared.

On to the next? (y/n)

Ahhh… so far, writing this has been SO fun. But I'd like the next stage to have a bit of action in it; I want to introduce more characters and elements from various Rockman sagas, and develop a little (LE GASP!) actual plot. What do you say? :]