Netto lay in the hospital bed, his breaths shallow and weak.
Across the room, a PET was on, the Navi it contained not taking his eyes off the unconcious brunette.
"Why aren't I hurt?" Rockman asked himself. He glanced at Plague, also unconcious.
Dr. Hikari looked at Plague, helping repair the damage to his data. "Two links might be having an odd effect... it's never been tested before." He frowned, running another test... "It might be that what happens to Plague, affects Netto, but the feedback travels no farther." That was a bit odd. Theoretically, the DNA link should have bound the three together, but it seemed to be only binding both the Navi's to Netto."
Plague groaned, slowly opening his eyes. "Ow... that hurt..." Simultaniously, Netto began to stir and groan. Plague lifted his head... and his expression suddenly turned furious. "YOU!" He leaped to his feet in an amazingly quick move, and tackled Rockman, trying to throttle him.
Across the room, the now-concious Netto howled with pain.
"Netto-kun?!" Plague exclaimed.
"Don't you get it?!" Rockman hissed, "You can't hurt me without hurting Netto-kun! I'm linked to him the same way you are!"
Plague winced, and let go of Rockman as if he'd been burned. "I'm sorry, Netto-kun..."
"It's... okay." Netto gasped, rubbing his neck and wincing. "Would you too STOP hurting each other, though? You're both being terrible!" Plague looked away, embarrassed, and Rockman frowned, not quite certain what to say. He didn't want Plague around... but deleting him was out of the question, now. That might kill, or at least badly harm Netto. But...
"I am NOT being terrible, he is..." Rockman muttered, and Plague immediately took offense.
"I'M being terrible? You shot me!"
"Dear god, they're acting like brothers..." Dr. Hikari shook his head, amused and amazed...
"You set your viruses on me!"
"You were acting like a jerk!"
"I was acting like a jerk?!? Virus spawn!"
"Blueber! Blueber!"
"Fighting all the time..." Dr. Hikari smiled, as Netto started to giggle. It was very funny, really, especially when the insults started becoming bizarre.
"What the hell does Blueber mean?"
"Uh... you're a mincing ponce?"
"What? Oh, shut up, dork!"
Netto suddenly felt anger build up inside of him. He didn't understand why, but didn't seem to care. Every time Rockman insulted Plague, the negative emotions got stronger.
He had no idea the DNA link between him and Plague was unique compared to the one between him and Rockman. Not only did he feel all of Plague's pain, but it caused him to feel the same emotions that the Navi did as well.
And towards the same people, too.
"Will you two just shut up?!" Netto screamed, "This is stupid! Especially you, Rockman! Why don't you just learn to accept that you're not my only brother anymore? Sheesh!"
Everyone stared at Netto, startled... even Plague. He was aware that he wasn't entirely in the right, really.
And the startment made his anger evaporate.
"Netto-kun..." Rockman began, then stopped, bewildered and hurt. This was... very strange. Netto seemed to be almost rejecting him. "I don't appreciate being dropped for the first new toy to come along." That was how it felt, from his perspective...
"Rockman...I..." He blinked, as the anger disappeared as suddenly as it came, "...I don't know what happened...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, I just..." He grew dizzy again, and sat down in a nearby chair. Placing a hand over his eyes to try and subdue the sudden nausea, he added, "I don't know what's wrong with me."
Rockman was silent. He glanced over at Plague and whispered, "Netto was just fine before you came along."
Plague glared back. "That is not my fault." He hissed back. Rockman looked mutinous for a moment, but grudgingly nodded. It wasn't Plague's fault he existed.
"We have to get along." Rockman finally stated, looking at his red twin. Plague shifted, but nodded.
"... Yeah. I'll try if you will." He offered, then hesitently offered Rockman his hand. They needed to have peace between them, for Netto and themselves. Otherwise, with the DNA bonds, they'd tear each other to pieces.
"Truce?" Rockman held out a hand.
"Truce." Plague took the offer.
Plague smiled, watching Rockman for a moment... a strange thought was budding in his mind, one he'd have to examine more closely later. But for now...
"Can you show me around, Rockman?" He asked politely. If they were going to be friends, he'd need to get to know Rockman's friends, too.
Later, they were in NetCity, and Rockman was introducing Plague to some of his friends.
"Everyone, this is Plague. Plague, this is Gutsman," Rockman introduced,
"De Guts!" Gutsman greeted.
"And Glyde,"
"Pleased to meet you, Plague."
"And Roll." Rockman smiled.
"Hello, Plague!" Roll greeted happily.
Plague tilted his head, examining the Navies with a smile and a twinkle in his green eyes. "Hello, everyone." He guessed Rockman must have told them something about him ahead of time, or they'd be questioning him about his 'twin.' When Plague gazed at Roll, though, he was struck by something... Roll. She was familiar, somehow, and her eyes touched him in a way he'd never felt before...
"You have beautiful eyes." He murmured, catching her hands in a light grip.
"Eh...what?"
"Your eyes...they remind me of something." He smiled. "I'm not sure what, but it's nice." He smiled.
Rockman was fuming.
Plague couldn't know he was feeling a reaction from Rockman's memories... and buried feelings. But he did notice Rockman fuming, and finally let go of Roll's hands with an embarrassed blush. "Sorry. I didn't mean..." What he didn't mean, he wasn't certain. But now Guts was hovering over Roll, trying silently to warn him off, and Plague grinned. That felt familiar, too. "Hey, would you like to practice?" He asked Guts with a charming smile.
He was absolutely certain he could defeat the larger Navi.
"A net battle de gutsu?"
Outside of the PETs, Netto asked Dekao, "How about it?"
Dekao nodded. "You're on!"
Plague grinned. "This should be fun, my first net battle!" Then his grin turned a little sheepish. "Uh... is there any special etiquette involved?" Like a buzzer to wait for, things like that. He couldn't remember that part at all.
"Not really." Netto noted. "Nothing that I can think of, anyway. I'll let you know if you break a rule."
Plague nodded. "All right."
Plague stepped back, putting a respectable distance between him and Guts, as the others fanned out to watch. They were all curious and interested to see the new Navi fight, even Rockman. Rockman couldn't help but wonder how different his fighting style would be, and how the viral infection would influence it.
"Guts Hammer!" Gutsman started off with a powerful attack... but Plague leaped easily aside, and fired a few shots as he did. He was definitely as agile as Rockman.
Instinct took over for Plague. "Rockbuster!" he shouted, the attack he fired looking nothing like what the Rockbuster should be. It was larger, the color swirling with red and black. It hit Gutsman square in the chest, knocking the large Navi off his feet.
But Plague didn't give him a chance to get up. He vaulted himself over to the large Navi and fired another shot, this one bigger than the last.
This is so exhilarating! Plague thought happily.
"Plague," Rockman called, "Don't overdo it!"
"What's wrong?" Plague asked, "Isn't the point of a Netbattle to win? Or are you jealous that I'm stronger than you?"
"How the hell would you know? You've never seen me fight!"
"I could take you on right now!"
"You're fighting Gutsman right now!"
"I'll take you both on!"
"You're insane!"
"You're a blueber!"
"Not the Blueber again! That's not even a word!"
"It is no-UUMPH!" Plague, distracted by Rockman, was hit in the back by the Navi he was battling. "Ow! That wasn't fair! Interference!"
"That wasn't interference!" Rockman hissed.
"Yes it was! You distracted me on purpose!"
"I did not!"
"Rockman," Netto snapped, "shut up and let him fight!"
Rockman gasped at Netto's sudden mood swing, and obliged.
"Cannon, slot in!" Netto pushed in the chip, to send to Plague.
Or rather, he tried to. A crackle of electricity hit his hand, as the chip popped back out. "Ow!"
"Netto-kun, what is it?" Rockman and Plague both felt the twinge, but Rockman was the one who asked, although he was still ruffled over Netto's tone and Plague's accusations."
"I don't know... I couldn't send him a chip! It doesn't seem to work!" He picked another chip out at random, and pressed it in.
This one worked... sort of. An Elec Sword formed on Plague's arm, but... instead of the usual crackling yellow energy, this one was pure white, blazing with sparks of blue.
"Yeah, cool!" Plague pointed the Elec Sword at Gutsman... and electricity sprayed from the tip.
Not how an Elec Sword should behave.
"Hey!" Dekao exclaimed, "You're cheating somehow!"
"No, I'm not!" Netto shot back. "It's not my fault if Plague can make chips work better."
"Never mind! Gutsman, Plug out! I'm sick of this!"
"You're just mad because I was winning!" Netto snorted.
Plague blinked in surprise as Gutsman plugged out. "Hey... that wasn't much fun." He lowered the Elec Sword, then gazed at for a moment. "Isn't this how it's supposed to look?" He couldn't know better. And tiny streaks of black were starting to shoot through the white sword, as it changed further.
Plague smiled as he stared at the sword. "Hehe, it's so pretty!" he giggled.
"Plague!" Rockman called, "Stop playing around! It could be dangerous!"
"What's so dangerous about it?" Pouted the red, black and gold navi, waving it around a bit. A black lightning bolt shot from it and hit Rockman. He, in unison with Netto, screamed in agony.
"Oh, hell!" Plague dispelled the sword with a thought, running to Rockman and catching him before he could collapse. "Geez, I'm sorry... are you okay?" Rockman shook his head, dazed and hurt.
"Ow... I TOLD you not to..." He clung to Plague, though, using him to remain standing. Plague felt very strong, and gently wrapped his arms around Rockmans' chest...
"I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to do that..." Plague whispered, uncertain. He really hadn't meant to hurt Rockman, and that bothered him.
Plague held Rockman, an odd sensation coming over him...warm, and tingling. He sighed and rested his head on Rock's shoulder.
"Plague?"
"Mm..."
"Plague...you can let go of me now."
"What? Oh." He did so.
Plague blushed lightly, wishing he didn't have to... then he shook his head. "Uh..." He chewed his lip, trying to think of something to say. "I-is there anything else here? I mean... Netto said something about Netdealers, didn't he...?" He glanced over at Glyde and Roll, trying to see what they thought of him so far.
He was afraid he hadn't made a good impression.