Netto sat in bed, watching the snow fall outside. The hospital room he was in was quite, since it was night time, and visiting hours had ended awhile ago. His parents had gone home, or rather, his mother had gone home. His dad had been called back to work a few weeks ago, and had been out of the country since. Netto was still in the hospital, even though it had been a little over a month since the attack. For some reason the doctors couldn't figure out, the wound hadn't healed. No one could figure out why. Regardless, Netto was getting very tired of being in the hospital. He just wanted to get back to his normal life...well, as normal a life as he had, anyway.
"Netto-kun, you should try to sleep," Rockman said from the Pet that was sitting on a table next to the bed.
"Sleep? I haven't done anything to possibly make me tired," Netto complained. "The only thing I'm tired of is being stuck in here."
Rockman sighed but didn't answer. Netto was in a bad mood, and wouldn't listen to anything the navi said. Through the bond they shared Rockman knew that Netto was both tired and in pain, but the boy refused to admit to either, or to being in pain, at least. Rockman just wished that there was something he could do to help his brother, but at the moment he was completely useless.
"Well, why don't you walk for a little bit. The doctors said that was fine, as long as you don't strain yourself to much."
"I guess," Netto sighed, sounding resigned. He carefully got out of bed The movements tugged at the bandages covering the wound, and Netto paused for a moment before standing up. Grabbing his Pet, he moved out into the hall. One of the nurses spotted him and smiled, but otherwise remained quiet, going back to her chore of checking in on the other patients. Around him Netto could hear the sounds of machines, tvs and heaters in the other rooms. Most of the patients were asleep, and those that weren't were being very quiet.
Netto made it as far as the nurse's station when a small wave of exhaustion hit him. So did a twinge of pain in his shoulder. Groaning softly, Netto turned to return to his room when the same nurse he'd passed before came up next to him with a wheelchair.
"Here, I'll help you back," she said.
Feeling to exhausted to feel irritated, Netto let her help him. This wasn't the first time these waves of exhaustion had hit him, there had been several of them for the past month. The doctors knew about them, and shrugged them off as being his body's repsonse to trying to heal, and said it was normal. Netto was willing to go along with their answer, but Rockman wasn't so certain. But there wasn't anyone for him to ask, so all he had to go on was a bad feeling. The navi couldn't help but feel worried, especially when it was his brother that this was happening to. All he could do though was watch and wait.
*****
Nomde moved slowly through the Net City, taking in all of the sites. Around him other navis were walking past without noticing him. That would change soon, though. All of it would change. Very soon they would all be bowing down before his power, and he would make the world his. Just as soon as he found another human to be his pawn. Not an easy task when he was stuck inside the net.
Oh, he knew all about the net, even though no such thing had existed in his own time. Cesare's memories had become his own through the use of his servant, who had unfortunately been destroyed in battle. It served the creature right for messing up the ritual that brought Nomde back. If the creature had just struck the boy in the heart like he'd been supposed to do, Nomde wouldn't be stuck in the net, looking for another human to serve him.
At least he didn't have to worry about those stupid wolves, though. The majority of them had been killed in the fire, and the ones that had survived were severely injured and wouldn't be up to anything any time soon. Perfect for him, as he leeched away the lifeforce of the boy he was connected to. He had to be careful about that too, though. There was another bond within the boy, and it wasn't the one that connected him to that other human that was the reincarnated wolf. No, that was something Nomde could easily hide from. This bond was something...different. Something he had never dealt with before. It was wary of danger, and Nomde was having difficulty staying out of its sweeping eye. Soon though, it wouldn't matter. Soon he would have everything he needed, and then none would be able to stop him.
"Hey, are you okay there?"
A soft, chime-like voice brought Nomde out of his thoughts. He looked over to see a blue-eyes navi with green body-armor staring at him. The way she stood and the way her eyes kept darting around, Nomde could tell that she was one who was used to working in the shadows, a possible ally for Nomde. He would need some for the time being, to achieve his goal.
"I'm quite fine. What do you want?" Nomde snapped.
The other navi smirked. "You look like you need something. Perhaps I can help. Or maybe my human operator can."
It looked like the spirits were smiling at Nomde today. He wasn't about to get careless, but there was no harm in talking to this navi or her human. With luck, it would be someone willing to help him for the promise of immense power or wealth. All humans were the same, greedy little creatures that could be bought for the right price.
"Maybe you can. Would you care to introduce me to this operator of yours?"
"Certainly. Follow me."
The navi took a hold of Nomde's hand and linked out of the Net City. They reappeared in a Pet, and through the screen Nomde could see a young woman. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses, and a cigarette resting in an ashtrey next to her hand. Her dark hair was tied in a loose braid which had fallen over one of her shoulders. In her left hand was a lighter, which she flicked on and off every few seconds.
"Well, well, well, look what the navi dragged in. Chhaya, who is this?"
"My name is Nomde," Nomde replied, not bothering to let the other navi speak.
The woman took a puff of her cigarette before putting it out. She exhaled the smoke before speaking again.
"So what can I do for you, Nomde?"
"I'm in need of a human agent, one that won't ask questions about what they're doing."
"Oh yeah? And what's in it for me if I become you...agent?"
"Immense wealth and power. Interested yet?"
"Very. Maybe we can work something out."
"Yes, maybe we can."
"Netto-kun, you should try to sleep," Rockman said from the Pet that was sitting on a table next to the bed.
"Sleep? I haven't done anything to possibly make me tired," Netto complained. "The only thing I'm tired of is being stuck in here."
Rockman sighed but didn't answer. Netto was in a bad mood, and wouldn't listen to anything the navi said. Through the bond they shared Rockman knew that Netto was both tired and in pain, but the boy refused to admit to either, or to being in pain, at least. Rockman just wished that there was something he could do to help his brother, but at the moment he was completely useless.
"Well, why don't you walk for a little bit. The doctors said that was fine, as long as you don't strain yourself to much."
"I guess," Netto sighed, sounding resigned. He carefully got out of bed The movements tugged at the bandages covering the wound, and Netto paused for a moment before standing up. Grabbing his Pet, he moved out into the hall. One of the nurses spotted him and smiled, but otherwise remained quiet, going back to her chore of checking in on the other patients. Around him Netto could hear the sounds of machines, tvs and heaters in the other rooms. Most of the patients were asleep, and those that weren't were being very quiet.
Netto made it as far as the nurse's station when a small wave of exhaustion hit him. So did a twinge of pain in his shoulder. Groaning softly, Netto turned to return to his room when the same nurse he'd passed before came up next to him with a wheelchair.
"Here, I'll help you back," she said.
Feeling to exhausted to feel irritated, Netto let her help him. This wasn't the first time these waves of exhaustion had hit him, there had been several of them for the past month. The doctors knew about them, and shrugged them off as being his body's repsonse to trying to heal, and said it was normal. Netto was willing to go along with their answer, but Rockman wasn't so certain. But there wasn't anyone for him to ask, so all he had to go on was a bad feeling. The navi couldn't help but feel worried, especially when it was his brother that this was happening to. All he could do though was watch and wait.
*****
Nomde moved slowly through the Net City, taking in all of the sites. Around him other navis were walking past without noticing him. That would change soon, though. All of it would change. Very soon they would all be bowing down before his power, and he would make the world his. Just as soon as he found another human to be his pawn. Not an easy task when he was stuck inside the net.
Oh, he knew all about the net, even though no such thing had existed in his own time. Cesare's memories had become his own through the use of his servant, who had unfortunately been destroyed in battle. It served the creature right for messing up the ritual that brought Nomde back. If the creature had just struck the boy in the heart like he'd been supposed to do, Nomde wouldn't be stuck in the net, looking for another human to serve him.
At least he didn't have to worry about those stupid wolves, though. The majority of them had been killed in the fire, and the ones that had survived were severely injured and wouldn't be up to anything any time soon. Perfect for him, as he leeched away the lifeforce of the boy he was connected to. He had to be careful about that too, though. There was another bond within the boy, and it wasn't the one that connected him to that other human that was the reincarnated wolf. No, that was something Nomde could easily hide from. This bond was something...different. Something he had never dealt with before. It was wary of danger, and Nomde was having difficulty staying out of its sweeping eye. Soon though, it wouldn't matter. Soon he would have everything he needed, and then none would be able to stop him.
"Hey, are you okay there?"
A soft, chime-like voice brought Nomde out of his thoughts. He looked over to see a blue-eyes navi with green body-armor staring at him. The way she stood and the way her eyes kept darting around, Nomde could tell that she was one who was used to working in the shadows, a possible ally for Nomde. He would need some for the time being, to achieve his goal.
"I'm quite fine. What do you want?" Nomde snapped.
The other navi smirked. "You look like you need something. Perhaps I can help. Or maybe my human operator can."
It looked like the spirits were smiling at Nomde today. He wasn't about to get careless, but there was no harm in talking to this navi or her human. With luck, it would be someone willing to help him for the promise of immense power or wealth. All humans were the same, greedy little creatures that could be bought for the right price.
"Maybe you can. Would you care to introduce me to this operator of yours?"
"Certainly. Follow me."
The navi took a hold of Nomde's hand and linked out of the Net City. They reappeared in a Pet, and through the screen Nomde could see a young woman. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses, and a cigarette resting in an ashtrey next to her hand. Her dark hair was tied in a loose braid which had fallen over one of her shoulders. In her left hand was a lighter, which she flicked on and off every few seconds.
"Well, well, well, look what the navi dragged in. Chhaya, who is this?"
"My name is Nomde," Nomde replied, not bothering to let the other navi speak.
The woman took a puff of her cigarette before putting it out. She exhaled the smoke before speaking again.
"So what can I do for you, Nomde?"
"I'm in need of a human agent, one that won't ask questions about what they're doing."
"Oh yeah? And what's in it for me if I become you...agent?"
"Immense wealth and power. Interested yet?"
"Very. Maybe we can work something out."
"Yes, maybe we can."