AN: -Pokes head in- Er… Hi guys! I'm back! Time to get this old boulder rolling again!

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own the characters or universe.

Chapter 8: The Will to Protect! Diverging Paths!

"Over here." Yuriko motioned Subaru and Solo to enter the bustling hotel lobby. There were many seats for guests to lounge and enjoy the atmosphere. With the traffic of people coming in and out constantly, Subaru felt a little bit more at ease. He had honestly expected the meeting place to be a more remote or secret location. "Stay here. He will be right with you."

Solo still showed great distaste for the woman. Even as she left, he continued to glare at her retreating form. "She stinks of deceit. But if what she says is true…"

"Then we can probably find our way back, right?" Subaru finished off Solo's conclusion. "I don't think we really have any other options or any other leads."

"Tch… I don't like it." Solo folded his arms. He had to acknowledge that they had little choice, given their current status. Rather then sit on one of the couches in the hotel lobby; he resigned to simply lean against the wall. His reasoning being that it would be easier to react in the case of an ambush.

The two boys waited silently for a few minutes until they saw a tall dark haired man dressed in a long coat walking towards them. What was most notable about him was the glass monocle over his right eye.

"I'm glad to finally get the chance to meet you, Ryuusei." The man looked at Subaru with a glint in his eyes. "Or should I say, Hoshikawa Subaru-kun. I've heard a lot about you from my colleagues. I hope Yuriko has been treating you nicely."

Subaru didn't like the stare that the man gave him. It was as if he was being studied. Though hesitant, Subaru guessed that the man wouldn't try anything funny with all the people in the hotel lobby. "U-Um… it's nice to meet you…"

"I don't like this guy." Warrock growled under his breath as he floated to the side outside of the PET. Both the AMian and Murian with just a glance had immediately judged him to be untrustworthy. There was something devious that emanated from him. "Everything about him seems fishy."

"Lets just see what he has to say." Subaru whispered back. Noticing that minute detail, Yuriko glanced at the boy curiously.

"Oh how rude of me. I haven't even introduced myself." The man chuckled as if laughing at the boy's unwarranted caution. He gave a warm smile, gesturing to one of the sofas for the boys to sit down on. "I am Dr. Regal. You can say I'm a friend of Dr. Hikari. Though I guess you're more acquainted with his son, Hikari Netto."

"You know Netto's dad?" Subaru asked in surprise from hearing a familiar name.

"Yes, he told me a lot about you… or rather of Ryuusei. Imagine my surprise to find out that 'Ryuusei' was just a young boy." Regal shook his head in dismay. "But I have to say, after the events from last night, you're in quite a tough spot with the Net Saviors."

"… What do you mean?" Subaru had a feeling he knew what the man was talking about, but didn't want his fears confirmed. Solo's eyes narrowed as he tried to see through to the man's intentions.

"The Net Saviors see you as a danger. You're an anomaly that they cannot understand. And it's because of that they cannot leave you to your own devices."

"Netto and Enzan wouldn't…"

"You must take into account that those two aren't the only Net Saviors around. I'm willing to guess that the majority of the officers don't exactly trust a young boy with that kind of power." Regal took a sidelong glance, appearing to empathize with the boy's situation. "And with the two of them in the minority… well it wouldn't be all too surprising if their hands are forced into doing something unpleasant."

Subaru shook his head, not wanting to believe the man's words. But deep down, he knew that there was evidence of it being a very possible situation. After what he had done that night, it was no surprise people would be anxious. "Why exactly are you telling me this?"

"I'm worried on what those Net Savers would be willing to do to ensure 'public safety'. You may never see the light of day again." The man clapped a hand on Subaru's shoulder. "I however, have no intention of hiding you away as some experimental lab rat."

Subaru grimaced at the thought, unsure on how to respond to the man's words.

"All you have to do is let me help you." Regal gave a reassuring smile. "Will you cooperate with me?"

"Kid, you know better then him that those two wouldn't let something like that happen." Warrock tried to ease the boy's mind. "What does this guy know anyways?"

Subaru looked at Regal with conviction. The spark in his eyes already gave a clear indication as to what his answer would be. "I'm sorry Dr. Regal. But, I trust Netto and Enzan, so I can't accept your offer. I'm going to figure this out with their help."

"You…!" Yuriko was about to speak up, but was halted by Regal.

"Yuriko, that's no way to talk to our guest." Regal commanded in a harsh voice, completely unlike how he was talking before to Subaru.

"My apologies." Yuriko bowed slightly, shrinking away from Regal's glare.

Despite Subaru's answer, Regal didn't show a bit of dismay as he turned back to face him. Rather, he looked thoughtful, as if in understanding. "I know this must be a lot for you to take in right now, Hoshikawa-kun. But I just wanted you to know that I'm here to help." Regal stressed the concern in his voice, as he leaned a bit closer. "I'm the only one you can trust right now. You can take as long as you want to decide. I'm sure you know, the power of Black Ace is something only to be feared left uncontrolled."

"And what proof do you have that you understand a damn thing about us?" Solo spoke for the first time since the man's introduction. He still remained leaning against the pillar, his arms folded. "You're just like the rest of the humans here: ignorant of what you're truly dealing with. What can you hope to offer us?"

Regal simply smiled. "I'm glad you asked that, though I don't believe I caught your name. Are you perhaps, similar to Hoshikawa-kun here?"

Solo simply replied with a grunt, not wanting to give any more information then was necessary to the man.

"Ah well, it's of no matter." Regal shrugged his shoulders at the cold response from the other boy before returning to the topic at hand. "Noise is what you call it, am I right? It's the energy that Black Ace draws upon."

"So, you know about Noise?" Solo smirked as he replied sarcastically. "I guess that's a start."

The man shook his head. "I don't know much about it other then its general composition. Except, I've recently discovered its origin. Maybe that might be of interest to you?"

"Its origin?" Subaru asked, curious now to have the man go on.

"I've only recently discovered it." Regal pointed upwards towards the ceiling. "You may not be able to see it now during the day sky, but no doubt you feel it. A red star in the sky. Do you perhaps know what that is?"

"Meteor G…" Both boys whispered under their breath in unison. They were all too familiar with the "red star" that threatened to crash into the earth not too long ago.

"If we were to control the source of Noise, the energy that Black Ace draws upon, then surely…"

"Let's go. We're done here." Solo abruptly pulled Subaru up by the arm. Not wanting the two adults to continue with their coercion, Solo took the initiative to have them make their exit. "We have all the information we need."

"Hey, you brats!" Yuriko was about to reach out to grab the boys. However, she was halted once more by Regal. "Regal-sama… they're…"

"It's okay. Leave them for now."

With a last glance at the man, the two left. That sly smile on Regal's face never left. It was as if he knew that all the pieces would inevitably fall into place.

"I'm sure I will be seeing them soon."

"Mom! Mom, I'm home!" Netto burst through the door. Immediately after hearing the news of Subaru's disappearance, he had looked around town for hours to find any clues to his whereabouts. After the sun had set, and his stomach now growling, he finally returned home. Though shockingly, as he turned into the kitchen where his mom was, he spotted the missing person in question casually cutting the skins of the potatoes. Netto screamed as if he had seen a ghost, startling Subaru enough to almost dropping the knife. "S-Subaru? What are you doing here? I thought you were missing!"

"Oh, Netto! You're home!" Unfazed by her son's overly dramatic behavior, Haruka Hikari turned to see Netto with his dumbfounded look. "We're cooking dinner, so sit tight, alright?"

"Ah... I just got back." Subaru turned to apologize. "Sorry for making you worry."

"Geez, where've you been? Of course everyone is going to freak out if you just disappeared so suddenly!" Netto breathed a sigh of relief. "What were you doing out for so long anyways?"

"Well, after Enzan got me out from the Net Police station… I sort of got lost in the city." Subaru tried to laugh it off casually. "That's it."

"And what about that other guy? The scary looking one with white hair and red eyes? And also about what happened last night-"

"Now Netto, don't be impolite." His mom scolded. "You two can discuss this all after we've finished preparing dinner."

"But mom!" Netto complained. He still had tons of questions he wanted answers to. "This is really important Net Saver business!"

"Haruka-san. He's right." Subaru set down the knife he was using and turned to Netto. "There's a lot we need to talk about. Right, Netto?"

"Subaru…?" Netto was taken aback by the unusual straightforwardness displayed by Subaru. "Is there something wrong?"

"This might be my last chance… there are some things I need to tell you, Netto. Do you mind if we talk outside somewhere?"

"As I said, you are being too hasty." Enzan returned the officer's even stare. The two of them have been arguing back and forth for some time. It was the same officer who had blurted out during the official Net Saver meeting that they held regarding Ryuusei. "Are you sure that your fear isn't blinding you to what help he's already given us, Officer Koyama?"

"Hmph. What would a kid like you know?" The man looked down at the boy in obvious abhorrence. The fact that someone as young as Enzan was of higher ranking then himself hurt his pride. He tried his best to keep his cool, not wanting to be made a fool of again. "Your own naivety is blinding you from the dangers that he poses. You are weighing the lives of thousands over just one. It is unfortunate, but it is a necessary precaution to ensure public safety."

"I'm not weighing lives nor am I not considering the dangers that he poses." Enzan sighed in frustration. The conversation was going around in circles due to the man's stubbornness. "I'm simply saying that treating him like a dangerous criminal isn't a 'precaution' that is exactly necessary."

"Well, Ijuuin-kun." Koyama raised a leveled hand as he proposed an all too familiar hypothetical situation. "If that friend of yours were to go berserk again, how would you handle the situation? Do you think that you and your Net Navi have the power to stop him?"

"When the time comes, I will do whatever is in my power to stop him." It was a question that Enzan could not give a satisfactory answer for. However, he remained steadfast. The dark chip that he had confiscated from Subaru was gripped tightly in his hand. "I'll make sure of it."

The officer sneered at the boy's lofty promise. "Hmph, let's see if you'll still be so confident once Dr. Regal arrives."

"Dr. Regal is coming here?" Enzan was shocked that the renowned yet reclusive scientist was paying them a visit. He bit his lip, having a foreboding feeling for what exactly the man was coming for.

"Of course." Koyama smirked, taking some amount of satisfaction of getting a reaction from the normally levelheaded boy. "We can't let Dr. Hikari's research be our only source of information. It will be nice to hear what suggestions Dr. Regal has to offer."

Already hearing earlier of Regal's conclusions on Ryuusei from Dr. Hikari, he could only assume that the anti-Ryuusei faction of Net Saviors would be gathering around Dr. Regal's advice to push for more aggressive measures to be taken.

"Well, speak of the devil. Look who's here." The officer offhandedly said as he glanced at an approaching figure down the hall. Enzan looked over, and sure enough it was the devil himself. The man with the glass monocle over one eye was walking straight towards them. Sure enough he had just arrived, stopping in front of the two after hearing his name being mentioned in their conversation. "If it isn't the famous Dr. Regal. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"You flatter me. It is rare I get the opportunity to visit here." Regal shook the officer's hand firmly. He glanced over at Enzan and gave him a polite nod of recognition. "And you must be Ijuuin-kun. I must say you are indeed quite young for a Net Savior. Though with your talents, it's to be expected."

Regal offered his hand to Enzan as well out of courtesy. Politely returning the greeting, Enzan was surprised with how cold the man's hand was.

"I couldn't help but notice your heated discussion." Regal said as he turned to the officer. "Might I guess it's about the one called 'Ryuusei'?"

"Yes, yes." The officer nodded his head. He gave a small smirk to Enzan as if gloating. "We will talk more about it in the next meeting. I'm excited to hear what suggestions you have to offer us, Dr. Regal."

"No doubt you must all be quite worried given Ryuusei's unknown nature. I'm glad that I can offer assistance."

"What kind of 'assistance' are you talking about?" Enzan inquired.

"Ah well, after analyzing the data that Dr. Hikari sent, I believe I've made some good tools that can benefit our efforts in limiting the destruction that 'Noise' causes. I need be, they will be useful for detaining Ryuusei. As I've heard, you've been having difficulty due to his… composition."

"Don't you think those precautions are unnecessary? It's obvious that he isn't hostile."

"I agree with you Ijuuin-kun. He likely means no harm. But you've seen it first hand, haven't you? Just how uncontrollable he becomes when using 'Noise'." Regal paused a bit, as if thinking on how exactly to choose his words so as to not upset the boy. "The device that I've made isn't meant to hurt him, just restrain him. If anything, this will help him if he truly is out of control."

Enzan gritted his teeth. The scientist's reasoning was sound. There was little he could comment on or disagree with. Dr. Regal made his argument well.

"Now then, I must be off to see Dr. Hikari as well. I will see the two of you at the meeting. I have a good feeling that we can all come to some sort of understanding." Dr. Regal gave a last nod to the both of them before continuing down the hall.

"You're telling me that you and that other guy are from the future? And you guys are trying to find a way back to your own time period?"

Subaru slowly nodded. When presented to him flatly like that, it sounded all the more ridiculous.

"You idiot! Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Netto yelled as he knocked Subaru upside the head. "If you told us earlier, then we could have helped you out all the sooner."

"I'm sorry, I- Wait… you believe me?" Subaru was astonished by Netto's simple acceptance of his explanation.

"Well… with what's happened, and with you being Ryuusei and all, I guess I'm not too surprised." Rockman spoke up from the PET as well.

"You could tell me that you're an alien and I'd believe you!" Netto joked as he nudged Subaru in the side with an elbow.

"Well… saying that Ryuusai is an alien isn't too far off the mark…" Subaru rubbed his neck, looking slightly in Warrock's direction. The AMian returned the glance, and nodded as if giving his approval of what Subaru was about to do. Taking off his Visualizer, he handed it to Netto so that he could see for himself the 'alien' that was the key to transforming into "Ryuusei".

"W-Whooa! So you can see Net Navis with these glasses on?!" Netto stared through the green lenses to see a life-sized Warrock waving back at him to the side of Subaru.

"He's a… uh… alien." Subaru corrected Netto.

"An AMian to be specific." Warrock followed after, correcting Subaru's statement.

Handing the glasses back over to Subaru, there was only one more thing that Netto wanted to ask. "How about 'Black Ace'? What's the deal with that?"

Subaru looked silently up at the sky, pondering exactly how to explain it. "I'm… not really myself when I'm 'Black Ace.' At least that's how I feel."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain. I can't think straight, but I feel a lot of power well up inside of me… and information just starts pouring in my head." Subaru trailed off, not quite sure exactly how to explain the phenomenon. "It's a scary feeling. It's like I'm lost in darkness… not knowing who my enemy is anymore. I could end up hurting you guys again."

"But you're still in there, right Subaru? Both you and Warrock."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, what I'm trying to say is…" Netto scratched his cheek, trying to find the words. "I believe in you. And next time you go on a rampage, Rockman and I will be there to snap you out of it!"

"That's too dangerous! I don't want to end up hurting you…" Subaru argued against Netto's rashness. But he couldn't dissuade the hot-blooded youth.

"It's nothing that we can't handle. You may not know it, but we've had our share of tough battles! Right, Rockman?"

"Of course!" Rockman exclaimed. "There's no virus, darkloid, or anything that can beat the two of us!"

"If it's life threatening battles we're talking about…" Warrock folded his arms as he gloated. "We've saved the world… three times now isn't it?"

The four of them laughed. They talked quite a bit about the various adventures that they've been on. Netto described how he and Rockman foiled the Net Terrorist group World Three. Subaru told him about how he and Warrock prevented aliens from destroying their planet. They spent a good hour recounting their tales of heroism.

After all was said and done, Subaru smiled at the reassurance Netto's company gave. "Thanks Netto. I know you'll be a big help. If I'm able to control Black Ace, then there's a good chance I can find my way back home too."

"It's a lot to take in all at once." Rockman said. "But if there's anything we can do to help…"

"I got an idea! Why don't I tell dad about it? I'm sure he can be a big help in finding a way to control Black Ace." Netto suggested.

"I remember you said your dad was a scientist, right? Sure. Lets try that."

Netto gave a wide grin after hearing his answer. "Alright! I'm going to head back to shoot dad an email then. You coming?"

Subaru shook his head. "I'm going to stay here for a little while. I'll catch up in a bit."

"Okay, but you better not run off again, ya' hear?" Netto said jokingly before getting up. After brushing off the dust from his clothes, Netto gave a small wave before running off back towards the house.

"You sure about this, kid?" Warrock asked after Netto had disappeared in the distance.

"I think it's worth a shot. And it's not like they're strangers or anything." Subaru replied. "I know that it hasn't been too long since I've been here… and it's not that I don't miss home. But talking with Netto reminded me of all the lessons I've learned in the past."

"Getting home sick, eh?"

"Yeah, I'm always wondering how everyone is doing." Subaru looked up at the night sky. It was reminiscent of the times he spent back home looking up at the stars at Ridge Point. He closed his eyes, remembering all of his friend's faces. However in the midst of his reminiscing, he could hear a small buzz in his ear. It grew louder and louder until it evolved into a roar. Subaru's eyes shot open, the starry night sky greeting him again. However this time, he noticed the red glimmer amidst the many white sparkles. "That's…"

"Meteor G, eh?" Warrock looked up to see the red star as well. "So you can feel it too."

"Yeah…" Subaru clutched his throbbing head. In his chest, he could feel his heart begin to race as if he were coming face to face with the Crimson Dragon once again. "It's calling us. I can tell."

"I hear it loud and clear. To think that a human though would get this kind of reaction to Noise though…" Warrock looked at him with worried eyes. "It can't be good for you, kid."

"I'm fine." Subaru tried to laugh reassuringly. "How about you though, Warrock? Are you doing okay?"

"Heh, you don't need to worry about me kid." Warrock playfully ruffled Subaru's hair. "We're a team. Don't forget that, Subaru."

"Just like Netto and Rockman, right?" Subaru smiled up at his partner. "Anyways, we should probably head back. Dinner is probably ready by now."

"Heey! Subaru!" Netto came running towards him from the direction of the house.

"Netto? What are you doing here?" Subaru turned to see Netto panting from the sprint. It was strange to see him coming back to check up on them so soon. "Is something wrong?"

"No time to talk! You have to get out of—"

"Going somewhere?" A gruff voice called out to the boys. Suddenly, dozens of strong flashlights were pointed at them. Subaru squinted against the harsh light to see a group of men in heavy artillery armor begin to approach them.

"Netto! That's the Net Police special forces team!" Rockman exclaimed from the PET. "But why are they after Subaru?"

"It would do you kids well if you don't resist." One of the men stepped forward from the group to negotiate. "Under orders, we are to take Hoshikawa Subaru into custody. Immediately."

"What gives? He didn't do anything wrong!" Netto began to protest until he felt Subaru's hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, not wanting Netto to say another word.

"It's okay Netto. I don't want to cause you any trouble." Subaru said before walking forward towards the officer. There wasn't the least bit of fear on his face as he confronted the group.

"You're a brave kid." The officer commended as Subaru stopped right in front of him. There was a hint of sympathy in his voice. "Nothing like what the reports said you would be like."

"I'll come quietly." Subaru simply said as he looked up at the officer. He couldn't see the man's eyes behind the dark visor, but it was obvious he wasn't all too happy about taking a seemingly hapless kid under custody.

The scene indeed would look ridiculous from an outsider's point of view. A dozen heavily armored men escorting what appeared to be a single defenseless child. Some distance away, a pair of red eyes was watching the whole event unfold.

"Tch, I'm guessing he didn't listen to my advice…" Solo cursed as he saw Subaru leave with the group of men. However, he'd rather take this Subaru's straightforward attitude over the gloomy one earlier in the day. "Typical as always. He places too much trust in people. That soft heartedness will come to bite him later on."

"KrrzzzzZzzT?" Laplace floated to his side, its expression never changing. For a second, it looked as if Solo was smiling from the thought that his rival was back to his old self.

"Rockman can take care of himself." Solo replied to the ethereal creature. If he ever needed to find Subaru, all he had to do was follow the trail of Noise that the core left behind. They had intended to meet later that night, but it seems as if there was a change in plans. There was something else that had caught his attention earlier during his exploration of the city. "There are other things we need to investigate."

Solo took one last look up at the red star in the sky before turning his back on the scene, disappearing once more into the shadows.

"What exactly is this device?" Yuuichiro stared in awe at the machinery that was carted into the lab. It was a dome with a clear plastic shell that revealed the complex circuitry within. As he leaned in to get a closer look, Yuuichiro could hear a soft humming coming from the device.

"It's a wave device." Regal motioned towards the dome. "A device meant to distribute waves in the air. To be more specific, electromagnetic waves."

"Waves?" Yuuichiro couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the strange explanation.

"Yes. As you probably have noticed, 'Ryuusei' despite his appearance is nothing like a Net Navi. His composition is completely different from that of a simple program made up of 1s and 0s." Regal placed a hand on the dome as he calmly continued his explanation. "Though it's just a theory, I'm willing to guess that Ryuusei is composed of some form of electromagnetic wave."

"That's quite the conclusion you came to." Yuuichiro commended the brilliant scientist. It was a theory he would have never come to by himself. He looked down once more at the dome before asking, "So what purpose do you have in mind for this device?"

Before Regal could answer, an all too familiar officer entered into the lab, giving a small applause to the thoughtful explanation. "You live up to your reputation as a genius scientist, Dr. Regal."

"Ah, Officer Koyama. How nice of you to join us." Dr. Regal turned towards the doorway to see the man leading the anti-Ryuusei faction of the Net Saviors. Enzan followed suit, though he was looking less than happy in comparison to Koyama. "And if it isn't Ijuuin-kun. I'm guessing the meeting regarding Ryuusei has been concluded?"

"Yes. Its been concluded." Enzan begrudgingly answered. Regal didn't need to ask further to tell the results. It was plainly obvious by just reading the atmosphere.

"Then I guess I'll be seeing our guest of honor sooner then anticipated. Thank you for your hard work, gentleman." Regal gave a small bow to the two of them. "If you'll excuse me, I have some other business to attend to. I will be back shortly."

As he walked to the doorway, he didn't neglect to answer Yuuichiro's question before leaving. "As for that device, I'm sure you'll see it action sometime soon."

Regal made his exit from the lab, making his way down the empty corridor. Most of the usual day workers had already left for home, making the large facility seem almost eerie. He stopped just short of the corner where a large shadow was casted.

Though no one was visible, Regal already knew who was there. "Your report, Yuriko?"

"He's on his way. Hoshikawa Subaru as well." Yuriko stepped out from hiding. It was simple child's play for her to sneak in to the Net Police station. "But are you sure about this, Regal-sama? Putting yourself so easily in harms way?"

He waved his hand nonchalantly, dismissing her fears. "Everything is falling into place, just as planned."

The play was about to start. And Regal was going to have one of the best seats in the house.

"Enzan-sama…" Blues tried to console his operator on their current state of affairs, but the boy was clearly frustrated at his own powerlessness. He had retreated to one of the empty offices to escape Koyama's arrogant smile at his victory. The feeling of defeat was infuriating. Enzan couldn't help but slam a fist against the wall to release just a bit of steam.

"You don't need to say it Blues." Enzan responded between clenched teeth. In the world of adult politics, it was hard for a kid to get a good foothold. No matter how mature he may be, it was hard to break away from his image as a child. "There isn't much I can do at this point…"

The lights in the room suddenly blinked open as a familiar brunette poked his head in.

"Enzan! There you are! I was looking all over for you!" Netto exclaimed as he ran over to him. He obviously could not sense the mood that the other boy was in. "Subaru, he's—"

"I know." Enzan's brief reply caught Netto off guard.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I've been taken off the investigation." Enzan explained calmly. His expression was hard to read, as if he were trying to conceal his true feelings behind an expressionless mask. "And you too Netto. As Net Saviors, we are to focus our full attention on taking care of the darkloid and dark chip problem. Therefore, we are to leave the handling of 'Ryuusei' to—"

"That's ridiculous!" Netto shouted. He found Enzan's suddenly heartless behavior odd. "How could you be so cold?! Subaru has been helping us all this time, yet—!"

"I know that!" Enzan exploded with emotion, meeting Netto's frustration with his own. His sudden outburst took Netto aback. Enzan paused, taking a deep breath to settle down. "I know that it's ridiculous. That Subaru has done nothing but help us. But there's nothing we can do."

"This isn't like you at all! How could we just give up?"

"Netto-kun. I think Enzan tried all he could." RockmanEXE tried to speak up. Hearing his partner's concerned voice cleared his mind a bit, but Netto still wanted answers.

"He's our friend, Enzan." Netto said, finally calming down enough so as not to yell. "And I want to do everything I can to help him out."

"A friend, huh?" Enzan let out a sigh. Dealing with the other boy was always an exhausting effort. But, he had to admire Netto's straightforwardness. Now that the conversation was less heated, he calmly explained the situation. "Dr. Regal came during our discussion on how to handle Ryuusei. His findings supported the other officials' approach, but if you can convince him otherwise that 'Ryuusei' isn't something to be feared, then maybe…"

"Alright! I got it! I'll go talk to him right now!" Netto quickly got the picture as he ran back to the doorway. "Thanks Enzan! I'll be back!"

"Wait! Netto—!" Enzan reached out to try and stop him from doing anything too rash, but the brunette was already out of earshot. "Geez, that guy…"

Despite his protest though, Netto gave him just a bit of hope that somehow there was a light at the end of the tunnel. He was about to follow after until he heard a small beeping from his PET.

"Enzan-sama." Blues called out. "There seems to be a situation."

"You must be Subaru-kun." Yuuichiro Hikari for the first time caught glimpse of the boy behind Ryuusei in person. Despite him staying at the Hikari household, Yuuichiro rarely paid a visit due to his heavy workload as a scientist. "I hope that they didn't treat you too roughly on your way here."

"Ah, you're Netto's dad…" Subaru recognized the man from the family portraits at Netto's house. He remembered that Dr. Regal had mentioned him as an acquaintance as well. By comparison, he seemed a lot friendlier. "Dr. Hikari, right?"

"Yes. I'm Yuuichiro Hikari. You can just call me Dr. Hikari, of course." He tried to make the boy feel more at ease after being escorted in such a manner to the station. "Oh, how about I get you a drink? Are you thirsty? Hungry?"

Subaru simply shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Kid, there's something here…" Warrock motioned over at the dome-like device. "Put your glasses on and look at that."

"What is it, Warrock?" Subaru asked while he shifted his Visualizer down. He had to hold back a gasp from what he saw. EM waves were pulsating out from the device. Of course, since there were no other similar devices to connect to, the waves simply bounced around erratically with no set destination.

"What's wrong, Subaru-kun?" Yuuichiro couldn't help but notice the surprise on the boy's face after he had put on those green lens glasses.

Subaru shifted up his glasses and pointed over at the strange dome. "That device. What is it?"

"A wave generator." Another voice answered. Subaru turned to see who had responded, and nearly jumped when he saw Dr. Regal standing directly behind him. The tall man chuckled at his shock. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Hoshikawa Subaru-kun."

"Have you two met before?" Yuuichiro asked, curious how the two made contact prior to their meeting now.

"We met earlier today. One of my associates introduced me to him." Regal answered before turning to Subaru again. "I had a feeling I'd meet you again."

"Were… you always working with the Net Police?" Subaru questioned. He was unnerved by the coincidence of meeting him again in such a place.

Warrock narrowed his eyes as he inspected the man again. "This guy is definitely fishy."

"I'm an independent researcher. But after hearing about you, I was fascinated by the vast potential that not only Ryuusei, but also what 'Noise' held for the future. I joined the Net Police knowing that they were doing the same research." Regal walked forward towards the device he had created. Placing a hand on it, he continued, "This is just one products of my inspiration that I wanted to share."

"Dr. Regal. Are you saying that—" Yuuichiro began to say until one of the large computer screens blinked on. There was a small bit of static before the image focused into that of the dark visage of a particularly vampiric looking navi.

"I've found you!" Shademan sneered as his eyes locked onto Regal. "You will pay for your treachery, human!"

As quickly as it came, the screen blinked off. There was a tense silence between the three of them before Yuuichiro spoke up. "Who was that?"

As if in response, there was a small rumbling underneath them as their surroundings took on a strange hue. Subaru had seen these occurrences enough to know what it meant.

Clumps of data began to materialize, and in a flash of blue light, the darkloid seen on the monitor had appeared before them. He towered over them, taking a few seconds to observe each individual present. The two scientists backed away slowly while Subaru stood his ground.

"Subaru-kun! It's dangerous!" Yuuichiro warned.

He ignored the protests from the back as he readied his PET. Without a moment's hesitation, Subaru yelled the words Warrock was waiting for. "Denpa Henkan, Hoshikawa Subaru, On Air!"

"Let's rock, kid!" Warrock roared out as a green light enveloped the both of them.

"A Dimensional Area?" Netto watched as everything began to take on a distorted look. "Is it a darkloid attack?"

"Blues just sent us an alert!" RockmanEXE reported. "There's a huge attack on the systems too! Viruses everywhere! If we don't do something soon…"

"Dad and Subaru are still here though! We have to make sure they're safe first!"

"You have a call, Netto-kun!" Rockman said before he opened up another window for the video call.

"Netto!" Enzan's voice could be heard from the other end. "The other officers and I are taking care of the viruses in the network. I'll catch up later. Hurry to the lab!"

"Got it!" Netto quickly answered before continuing his sprint down the halls. He didn't need to look far however before a familiar blue Rockman lookalike came crashing through, slamming against the opposite wall. "R-Ryuu—I mean, Subaru?! What's happening?"

"N-Netto? What are you doing here?" Subaru grimaced from the impact as he tried to get up. "You should get out of here! Its dangerous…"

"And leave you and dad here?" Netto ran over to help him up. "As if! Just you wait, Rockman and I will—"

Netto felt a hard shove, as 'Ryuusei' pushed him away from danger. From the hole that he came flying from, Shademan charged straight for him. Raising his hand, a light blue barrier formed around him. The impact of the darkloid's claws against the spherical shield caused sparks to appear. Though briefly surprised by the resistance, Shademan only applied just a bit more force before the barrier began to crack. Unable to react in time, Shademan caught the boy by the neck as soon as the barrier shattered like glass. He was pushed to the wall, trying to break the ruthless navi's hold.

"So this is the 'Ryuusei' that has slain so many of my brethren?" Shademan looked down at him in contempt, tightening his grip. "Who are you? A human? A navi?"

"A-Aaaugh!" Subaru could feel the intense pressure around his neck. His vision was becoming blurry from the pain.

As Shademan raised his other claw to finish the boy off, he was knocked aside by a strong cannon shot from the side. The blast sent him flying off of Subaru, allowing him to finally catch a breath of air.

R Rockman came rushing over, his cannon still smoking from the recently fired shot. He ran over once more to help Subaru back up. "Are you okay? Who the heck was that?"

"I don't know…" Subaru was wheezing still from nearly being choked to death. "He just suddenly appeared after the Dimensional Area came up. Your dad and Dr. Regal were—"

"Is that the best you can do, boy?" Shademan slowly got up, brushing the dust off. He looked completely unharmed by the attack. Though he was unamused by the sudden intrusion, it provided him a chance to kill two birds with one stone.

The two boys readied themselves for the attack. They both materialized a sword to be ready to parry another physical blow. To their surprise, Shademan instead simply spread both his wings as he let out a deafening screech. The sound was equivalent to nails on a chalkboard. Both of them fell to their knees from the terrible sound. With their guards down, he flew once more towards them, claws outstretched. R Rockman was the first to recover as he narrowly blocked the blow for the both of them.

"U-Ugh… he's strong!" Netto tried to hold Shademan back. But the darkloid seemed to push against him with unbelievable force. It was no wonder that a simple barrier couldn't hold him back. He looked to his side to see Subaru still disoriented, but for a seemingly different reason. "Hey Subaru, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" Subaru tried to stand back up, but he was overwhelmed with a sense of nausea. Though no one else could see them, Ryuusei could see scattered EM waves flowing erratically all around them. "How did the EM waves get in here?

"Something strange is happening here." Warrock's voice could be heard from the device on his arm. "The Noise levels are rising by themselves!"

"It's… It's that device!" Subaru remembered the dome from before. "But why is it—?"

"Resonating Noise Confirmed. Respond…?"

The occurrence now seemed almost natural with the rising levels of Noise. And the two of them were not about to complain for a much needed power boost. "We can think about it later, kid! Focus on the battle now!"

"Right!" Subaru said as he focused his mind on tuning with the Noise present. White colored Noise fragments formed around his armor, and disbursed to reveal a pair of short wings and a beak-like helmet. His normally blue armor changed to a darker cyan. "Noise Change! Cygnus!"

Upon seeing the change, Shademan quickly backed away from his clash with R Rockman. He was weary of the substance called "Noise" after he observed its program corrupting nature. Carefully observing the two, he noted that something was a bit off.

"A-Auuugh…" Subaru fell to one knee once more as sparks began to crackle along his body. He strained to get up again as every one of his muscles felt like they were about to give out. "W-Why is this…?"

"W-What's happening?" R Rockman watched as Ryuusei's body was beginning to phase in and out of visibility. His armor was becoming distorted in shape and color, as if in the midst of another transformation. When he reached out to touch him, a sharp shock was sent through his body.

"Netto-kun! Don't touch him!" RockmanEXE's voice sounded in his ears after the nasty jolt. "Something's wrong!"

"Dr. Regal! We have to evacuate immediately!" Yuuichiro tried to pry the other scientist away from the scene. "It's too dangerous to stay here!"

"Not yet." Regal said calmly, despite the hectic situation. "Dr. Hikari, don't you want to observe what's happening up close? This is a rare opportunity."

"Those kids are risking their lives out there! How could you—!" Yuuichiro's protests were cut short as he felt a cloth over his mouth and the smell of chloroform in his nose. He let out a stifled yell before slipping into unconsciousness.

"Ah, Yuriko." Regal acknowledged her presence as she slumped the man down against one of the desks. "I trust everything is going according to plan?"

"Yes, Regal-sama. He's taken the bait." Yuriko reported. "Right now, Ryuusei is directly synchronized with our Noise wave generator. But… he's refusing to transform completely."

"So he's resisting the effects of the large artificial Noise output. But for how long?"

"There's one other thing, Regal-sama. Along with Shademan, something else seems to have infiltrated the network."

Regal finally turned to meet Yuriko's gaze. His eyes narrowed as he prodded for more details on the anomaly. "Something else?"

Yuriko seemed to shrink under his stare, but continued her report. "We aren't sure what it is, but its something immensely powerful."

"I… I won't…access the Meteor Server. Not now…!" Ryuusei gripped his chest, feeling his heart pounding as he broke into a cold sweat trying to hold back the power welling up inside of him. He couldn't stand the feeling of being so helpless, but it took all his will power to concentrate in not losing control again.

"Child, why do you hesitate?" A voice rang in his ears, clear like a bell. It seemed to drown out all external noise, similar to a personal transmission. He couldn't recognize who was speaking to him, but it felt as if they were close. "Are you afraid of the power you possess?"

"Who... are you?" Subaru spoke to the disembodied voice. Time seemed to stand still, as if the conversation were taking place in his subconscious.

"If you do nothing now, your friends will perish."

"But if I…" He thought back on what Solo had said, about how he had to learn to control Black Ace. He remembered how the other boy scorned him for the same fear he had now. "I'm scared… that I'll end up hurting my friends."

"Do not be afraid child. You must remember that you aren't alone. As long as you have the will to protect the ones important to you…" Subaru felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. However, when he turned to see who it was, there was no one there. Before he knew it, he was back in the hallway of the Net Police station. The whole conversation was like a dream.

"Ooy, Sub—u! Can you—me?!" Warrock's voice was slowly coming through amidst the static. "Get a hold of yourself! I'm right here!"

"Warrock?" Subaru was happy to hear his partner's voice again.

"Subaru, you can here me now?" The AMian was relieved that he hadn't lost connection with the boy amidst the high Noise levels again. They were on the verge of transforming, but the two of them were fighting against the change until they reestablished a connection with each other. In their current state, they were a mix between Cygnus and Black Ace with the normally navy armor dyed black. "I thought I lost you there again. You feeling okay, kid?"

"Warrock, did you hear…?" Subaru was about to ask him about the voice from before until R Rockman unceremoniously slammed into him. They skidded some ways with Subaru just barely managing to stay on his feet to support the other boy. "Netto! Are you alright?"

"Oh? So you can stand now, boy?" Shademan loomed over the two. He didn't seem injured at all, despite R Rockman's best efforts. "Then you can die along with him!"

With his hands full holding onto the barely conscience Net Savior, he closed his eyes, bracing for the darkloids attack. When the impact never came, he peeked his eyes open again to see a familiar red swordsman holding back the sharp claws that had threatened to tear him apart. "Are you two alright?"

"Kuh… another meddling human. But it won't make a bit of difference!" Shademan stared R Blues down, pushing with the same force that had overpowered both R Rockman and Ryuusei.

"Enzan!" Subaru was glad to see another ally, but couldn't afford to let his guard down with the enemy in front of them. Leaning R Rockman on one shoulder, he quickly used his other arm to shoot Shademan with a heavy cannon shot. At such a close proximity, even the almighty leader of the darkloids was sent flying. The blow was immense, but it was more then just the firepower that was inflicted.

Shademan felt his left hand become stiff. Looking down to see the damage, his eyes widened at what he saw. His arm was slowly growing dark purple patches. It was an indication of his programming becoming corrupted from Noise. "This is…!" He turned up to see Ryuusei, who met his gaze straight on. "You—!"

"Give it up." R Blues shouted over to the injured darkloid. He had his blade ready for another attack.

R Rockman too had recovered and was standing on his own two feet with his buster pointed at him. "There's no chance that you'll win. Not against all three of us."

"They're right, Shademan. You're better off deleted." A low voice resounded in the hallway. The three of them looked around to see who was speaking, unsure of whether the speaker was a friend or foe. Suddenly, a small laser shot from behind the three boys, narrowly missing them. It was precisely aimed at the already wounded darkloid, causing him to howl in pain as he felt his corrupted arm become severed from his shoulder.

Quickly turning to see whom the culprit was, they saw a strange black giant trudging towards them. His face was hidden behind a black helmet. Subaru felt as if he looked familiar. His silhouette looked remarkably like Dread Joker.

"You… What are you doing here?" Shademan grimaced as he saw his fallen arm disintegrate into blue bits of data. He looked at the figure with the utmost disdain. "Did that man send you?!"

"You are no longer fit to lead the darkloids, Shademan." The navi's voice was even, void of emotion. He raised a hand towards the fallen darkloid as another laser began to charge up. "I, Laserman of Nebula, shall take your place"

The palm of Laserman's hand erupted in a flash of bright light as another thin laser pierced straight into Shademan's chest. A gaping hole was left from where the laser had struck. "AaaUuUUUuuuuugh!" Shademan let out a resounding cry as his entire being glowed a bright purple before exploding into a flock of bats. The vermin dispersed, disappearing back into the Net.

"So he got away." Laserman crossed his arms as he observed the phenomenon. "No matter, we will deal with him later."

"Did he just…?" Enzan quickly snapped back to the towering black navi. He was unsure what was happening. "Why would he take out his own comrade?"

"Comrade? That fool was nothing but a puppet for Nebula." Laserman scoffed at the mere thought. Though they couldn't see his eyes, his head turned slightly to look at the one standing between the two Net Saviors. "Boy. You are attuned to the Noise here, correct? Why do you not use the power of 'Black Ace'?"

Subaru was perplexed as to why the navi had asked such a strange question, but his look of confusion turned into conviction once more as he answered back. "I don't need its power to defeat someone like you. Not with Netto and Enzan here."

"So if your friends were not here, then you would transform?" With a snap of his fingers, something flew past Laserman and charged straight for R Rockman. Already prepared for the attack, R Rockman aimed his buster at the approaching figure. The shots however seemed to ricochet off as the new opponent slammed into him without losing a bit of momentum.

"Shi Shi Shi! I hope you don't mind me cutting in!" Needleman held one of his sharp appendages close to R Rockman's neck. He was clearly empowered by a dark chip as a purple aura seemed to be emanating from him. "Just sit back and enjoy the show."

"Netto!" R Blues attempted to hurry over to help his fellow Net Savior, but stopped after a warning laser nearly missed his foot by inches. He whirled around to face Laserman again, but found that the hulking navi had closed the distance in his mere second of distraction. Grabbing a hold of the boy's head, Laserman slammed R Blues into the ground. The weight pushing down on him was enormous as he strained to turn his neck. "D-Damn it! Why are you doing this?"

"Enzan! Netto!" Subaru couldn't decide whom to help first. As he was about to activate a battle card, Laserman raised his free hand to stop him.

"Choose your actions wisely, boy. Nebula's business is only with you. If you cooperate, your friends will not be harmed."

"Don't trust them, Subaru!" Netto called out from where he was pinned, but was silenced as the sharp needle was pushed closer to his neck, threatening to puncture his skin if he said another word.

With the nuisance silenced, Laserman continued his proposition. "We are interested in your ability to manipulate 'Noise.' We can help you control 'Black Ace'. All you need to do is cooperate."

Something clicked in Subaru's mind. His words were oddly reminiscent of a particular scientist that he had only just met earlier today. "Wait, you're—?"

"Laserman, can't we just eliminate these two now?" Needleman interrupted as he tried to restrain the squirming R Rockman without hurting him too badly. "It will save us a lot of trouble in the future."

"Silence, Needleman." Laserman commanded before turning back to Subaru. "Boy, your decision. Will you cooperate with us, or will you let your friends perish?"

Subaru closed his eyes, trying to think of any possible alternatives. If he could borrow the power of Black Ace… but would calling upon the Meteor Server's power be okay? Could he control it this time?

"You have the will to protect those important to you. Concentrate on that feeling."

Subaru could hear the same soft voice that had spoken to him before in his mind. It wasn't the Meteor Server's voice, or anyone that he could identify. But he had the feelings that he could trust these words.

"Remember, you are not alone now.

Do not be afraid."

"Warrock! Are you ready?" Subaru shouted, as he concentrated on tuning in with the Noise once more. His voice was unflinching as he came to his decision.

"Lets rock, kid!" Warrock responded immediately as Noise in the air began to condense into a crimson color. "You can leave the Noise regulation to me. Just go buck wild out there!"

Laserman observed silently as the red stream of Noise began to form a red shell over the boy. The levels began to drop as the energy was absorbed into the Meteor Server's core. In a burst of light, the sphere exploded to reveal the manifestation of the Meteor itself once more.

Ryuusei's armor had once more become a deep black with green lining. His wings came to life, glowing with an ominous crimson light. As the Noise levels returned to zero, Subaru finally opened his eyes. Without another word, the lithe figure disappeared from view in a flash.

"Where the heck did he—!" Needleman began to say but was caught off guard when Black Ace had suddenly appeared above him with a dark blade in hand. Cursing under his breath, he let go of his hold on R Rockman to dodge the crashing blade. "Kuh, how can he be so fast?"

"Enough, Needleman. We're retreating." Laserman finally lifted his hold from R Blues. "Our mission has been fulfilled."

Both Needleman and Laserman pulled back, maintaining a distance from the Noise controlling warrior. They had already begun to dematerialize as the walls of the Dimensional Area began to recede.

"Wait! Are you guys running away?!" Netto yelled out, even as his cross fusion began to come undone.

"Shi Shi Shi!" Needleman snickered as his form glowed a bright blue. "You got lucky this time kid. But next time, you won't be so fortunate."

Before the two darkloids fully dematerialized back into the system, Laserman ominously gave his last remarks to Black Ace. "We will meet again on the other side, boy."

With the immediate crisis averted, the boy's looked to the now passive Black Ace. He was motionless, his expression unreadable.

"Uh… Subaru?" Netto cautiously approached him, careful to not make any sudden movements. "Are you… alright?"

It took a couple of seconds for Black Ace to register the question as his red eyes focused on the brunette in front of him. He retained a semblance of clarity, recognizing the boy in front of him. "Netto… I'm glad you're okay."

Netto made a wide grin when hearing his name. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing Subaru in control. "Subaru! You're—"

"Back away from Ryuusei, Hikari Netto!" A gruff voice called out, followed by the sound of many footsteps. Red eyes watched as the Net Police's Special Forces poured into the hallway and quickly surround him. Officer Koyama was the one to step forward, reaching out to Netto. "I repeat, stand down Hikari Netto. This is now under my jurisdiction."

"What's with you? Why are you all acting as if Subaru is a bad guy!?" Netto argued back. He stood in between Koyama and the silent Black Ace.

Whilst the two of them argued back and forth, Black Ace looked at his hands. His eyes widened upon a sudden realization. He looked himself over slowly, trying to figure out the cause of the problem. This was something he never could have expected to happen. "I… I can't 'Pulse Out'…?"

Warrock's voice came through from the device on his arm. "I'm not sure what it is, but something is jamming our frequency!"

Amidst the crowd of people surrounding him, he noticed the figure of Dr. Regal in the corner of his vision. He turned to look at the scientist, his eyes narrowed. The man was smiling knowingly at him, perfectly aware of the situation. Subaru could already draw the connection.

"Netto… I'm sorry, but…" Black Ace's calm voice cut through the argument, their attention now focused on him. His normally expressionless face for once showed just a bit of sadness. "It seems as if I can't stay here anymore. Thank you. For everything."

"Wait, Subaru! What are you—!" Netto reached out to grab Black Ace's arm, but felt his hand go right through him. His form glowed faintly as he changed frequencies. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared completely from visibility. "Subaru?!"

"Damn! He got away!" Koyama cursed as he directed the officers to scatter. "Look for him! He can't have gone far! Check the systems too!"

Amongst the chaos of shuffling feet, Netto saw Enzan motion him to come. He was standing to the side, avoiding the moving crowd. "Netto. Over here."

"What are you doing just standing around? We have to find—!"

"I think I know where he is." Enzan quickly said in a hushed voice. He didn't want anyone else overhearing the conversation. "Come on, before it's too late."

AN: Here's an especially long and eventful chapter. Everything is happening so fast, but hopefully not too fast! My apologies for the wait! Thank you again to returning fans. I hope you have it in your hearts to forgive me. And thank you to the new fans of this old fic for reading to this point! Hopefully you've enjoyed the long read.

For those who haven't noticed, I went back and proofed my older chapters a bit. Not much has changed besides wording. So don't worry about missing anything plot-relevant.