-------
by Marisa and Aria
------
Yuuichirou paced back and forth in
front of Netto's bed. Hours earlier, the Policeman had dropped 'Netto' back at
the hospital.
Finally, Yuuichirou ceased his
pacing and faced the body of his son. "Whom am I speaking to?" He
queried.
"Netto." Lied Plague.
"I don't believe you."
Snapped Yuuichirou.
Plague scowled.
"I can tell when it's my son speaking to me." Continued the scientist.
"I wonder how." Plague
muttered, unconsciously dredging up the information that was most guaranteed to
hurt. "It's not like you're ever home with him."
Yuuichirou froze, then glared
fiercely at the young boy. The words did hurt... but other things were more
important, right now. "What are you planning to do, Plague."
That question made Plague
hesitate. He didn't know. He'd thought it would be so easy to cause havoc...
but it wasn't, not when he was trapped in the body of a child.
It left the question open on what he would do.
"I will do what I was
programmed to do." He stated bluntly.
Yuuichirou raised an eyebrow.
"Plague, you're in a human body now. Humans aren't programmed; they think
on their own."
"I am a program."
"Plague. you're a soul,
now."
A soul... Plague echoed mentally. He knew the term.
He didn't understand it.
"And you're in a stolen body." Dr. Hikari added.
"I'll put it to good use." Sneered Plague.
Then, a pain in his stomach
interrupted his thoughts.
"My stomach hurts..." He
muttered, wincing. Dr. Hikari frowned slightly.
"When was the last time you
ate?"
"Ate?" Plague frowned at
the unfamiliar word. "What is that?" The information was probably in
the Net... but he hadn't cared to know, before.
This human body had so many strange features.
Yuuichirou sighed and walked
towards the door. He turned and pointed at Plague. "Stay."
"I'm not a dog." Plague
snapped.
The scientist remained silent and
shut the door. Plague had no reason to run; perhaps he needed to know about
this...'eat', and many other human habits.
Yawning, he stretched out across the bed. Being human was harder than he had first thought. He rolled over on his side, and his eyelids drooped. Odd, why was it so hard to...keep...his eyes...
Yuuichirou reentered the room carrying a plate, only to find that Plague had fallen asleep.
Plague opened his eyes, peering
around alertly. For all his alertness, though, there was a dreamy quality to
the scenario he found himself in. But...
Plague looked down, and grinned toothily. His body was black and red, and held all the deadly grace of his virus nature. He idly flexed his hands, looking at his black, glistening claws...
"Plague?"
The virus whirled. There, behind
him, stood himself...
No! He shouted in his mind, It's that Netto
boy...you mustn't confuse the two!
"Plague...you..." Netto stopped. "You're the
virus."
"Yes."
Silence.
"What have you done?" Netto snapped.
"Taken your body."
"Well, that much was obvious..." The brunette
murmured, looking down at himself. "HOLY CRAP, I'M NAKED!" His face
turned red as he curled up and tried to cover himself.
Plague rolled his eyes. "Stupid little boy..."
"I'm not stupid, I'm
NAKED!" Netto looked around frantically, trying to find clothes... but
there was nothing.
"As if I care." Plague
snorted, running a claw along his armor. Netto winced at the horrible, scraping
sound.
"Stop that! How do you have
clothes?" He complained, and Plague tilted his head to one side, then
shrugged.
"I suppose I expected to." He said flatly. Netto blinked, wondering if he could create his own clothing, in this strange dream world.
Plague opened his mouth to insult
the boy once again when-
FLASH!
A bright white light. Yuuichirou
was looking down on him. "Have a nice nap?"
"Nap?" Echoed Plague.
"You were asleep."
"Asleep?" Plague
blinked. He knew the definition of so many terms, but didn't truly comprehend
them. "Is...is sitting in a dark void talking to Netto 'sleeping'?"
Yuuichirou's eyes widened.
"You spoke to Netto?! What did he say?!"
Plague thought a moment. "Not
much, except he made a big deal about him being naked." That
crazy little boy... PLAGUE YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW I'VE STILL GOT A
*LOT* TO SAY TO YOU!!
Blinking, Plague wondered, What just happened? Are
Netto's thoughts coming through? PAPA! ROCKMAN! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? HELP!
"Is something wrong?" Yuuichirou asked, handing
the ramen to Plague. "Here, eat, you need it..."
"I can hear Netto." Plague murmured, wondering why he bothered to tell them. PAPA! ROCK! WHERE ARE YOU?
"You...you can?" Dr.
Hikari gasped.
"Can you talk back?"
Rockman piped up.
"I'm trying.." Plague
murmured, "But it's not getting through...and most of Netto's thoughts
aren't, either...it seems he has to be shouting..."
"What's he saying?"
Yuuichirou asked urgently. "Can he see us? Can he see what you're seeing
and hearing?"
"No, I don't think he
can..." After a moment, Plague added, "He's calling for you. And
Rockman. And..." He paused, "He says he loves you."
There was a pause.
"Plague," Yuuichirou began, "Do you even know what that
means?"
"Yes." Snapped Plague,
"Of course I do; it's one of those stupid human emotions."
There was another growl in Plague's stomach."Uh...can you explain the 'eat' thing to me again?"
Dr. Hikari couldn't help but
smile, a bit sadly. In many ways, Plague was very... innocent.
"It's the way we humans fuel
our body. Here." Dr. Hikari picked up a sandwich, and demonstrated. He
wasn't particularly hungry, but he didn't think Plague would understand
otherwise.
Plague, meanwhile, was feeling
weirded out and slightly nauseated. He stared at Yuuichirou, then at the
sandwiches.
"Ick." He muttered, then
reached out to pick one up, trying it. He blinked as he bit in, and stopped.
"What's...?" He tried to
ask, but Rockman interrupted.
"Don't talk with your mouth
full." Plague gave Rockman a scathing glance, but swallowed.
"What WAS that?" He had
no idea what that strange sensation had been. Dr. Hikari frowned, then smiled.
"Oh, you mean the taste?
That's a human sense." Plague frowned, but he understood senses...
although taste hadn't been in his repertoire, until now. He cautiously bit into
the sandwich again, and chewed.
"Ugh, and close your mouth
when you eat." Rockman complained. Plague gave him an angry, but slightly
confused look, speaking with his mouth full again.
"How can I eat and keep my mouth closed?"
"Your jaw can still move
while your lips are closed." Yuuichirou explained.
Nodding, Plague tried that out. It
worked. "Mmm..." He nodded. He kept on chewing. And chewing. Finally,
he said with his mouth still full. "I don shink ish workin..."
"You're supposed to swallow."
Yuuichirou explained. "Use your tongue to push the food to the back of
your mouth and down your throat."
Plague did so. The food slid down
easily. "You stupid humans have to do so many stupid things to
survive." he noted, taking another bite of the sandwich. "Mm.."
After Plague had finished his
meal, Yuuichirou finally asked him, "Plague, who programmed you?"
Plague blinked. Silence enveloped the room. Finally, he admitted, "I don't know."
"What do you know?" Dr.
Hikari asked, slowly sitting down. From the very start, he had wondered if
Plague was a random thing, infecting Rockman's backup by chance... or if it had
been intended.
"I don't know." Plague
said again. "I was activated in your network." Yuuichirou immediately
tensed.
"You're sure of that?"
He asked urgently. Plague gave him a disdainful look.
"Of course. I couldn't be
mistaken about that!" Dr. Hikari fell silent, thinking. That meant Plague
had either been created by someone with access to his network, or somehow
transported there. He'd never heard of a virus like this on the net, so it was
unlikely someone had accidentally brought in an infected diskette.
It was alarming.
Plague
stared at the food. I
know next to nothing about myself... He realized, I only know my purpose...which I'm
determined to fulfill. LET ME OUT OF HERE! PAPA! ROCKMAN! CAN YOU
HEAR ME? Shut up boy. I'm trying to think.
Netto's
cries rang through his head. After a moment of mentally trying to answer him,
Netto showed no signs of answering or even acknowledging it, so they obviously
couldn't communicate back and forth. Why is he trying so hard? What drives
him to want to reach out to his family? What was it? It couldn't be Netto's
purpose; it didn't benefit him much...did it?
PAAAPAAA! ROOOCKMAAAN! SOMEBODY!
Plague's
head snapped up as a twang of...of something pulsed through him rapidly.
His throat tightened, his chest felt numb and heavy, and his eyes burned.
"Wh...what's happening?" His voice trembled, and as he talked, a
salty water rolled from his eyes to the sides of his mouth. "What did that
stupid boy do?"
Plague
tensed as warm arms suddenly enfolded him, and he fought away an urge to simply
relax into that comfort. It wasn't right. It wasn't what viruses did...
"It's
called crying, Plague. It's what humans do when we're sad." Dr. Hikari
said, his voice rough with pain. He stroked back a bit of Plague's hair, as
Plague tried to hold back the tears.
"Why?
What's the purpose of it?" He murmured, eyes glazing as more of Netto's
thoughts pounded into him, like surf on the beach.
ROCKMAN!
PAPA! Netto cried.
Finally, with rage, he called out, PLAAAAGUE!
Taking a
deep breath, Plague tried desperately to maintain control. He looked up at Dr.
Hikari, his face blank.
"What
now? What will you do with me?" Plague asked grimly. He was so unfamiliar
with humans, there was almost no chance of surviving on his own. He had to
depend on Yuuichirou's generosity, for now at least.
"We're
going to take care of you, Plague."
"'We'?" Echoed Rockman bitterly. "I
have no intention of helping that no-good, body snatching son of a-"
"Rockman."
The other navi, who had once been referred to as 'Plague', put his hand on his
brother's shoulder. "Come on, now, if anything, you have to do it for
Netto-kun. He's still in there, after all."
With a
blink, Rockman nodded. "All right. But only because he's in Netto-kun's
body."
"You
won't have to do much, anyway." Yuuichirou noted; "Just try to
convince the others there's nothing wrong. I'll take care of him from
here." His gaze fell back on Plague, who was choking back sobs. "Come
on, Plague, there's nothing wrong with crying..." He cooed, rubbing the
boy's back.
Plague
buried his face in Yuuichirou's chest and started to sob.
"I
don't..." Plague choked out. "I don't want to be here! I thought I
would be able to... to fulfill my programming, but I can't! I hate it!" In
his mind, he saw the digital landscape unfurling and felt a sharp pang of
longing for it. For the crisp, open spaces, the glittering data, the things he
KNEW how to deal with. Not all this alien space, things he knew nothing of and
cared less about, like this body and it's strange demands.
"Really?"
Rockman sounded excited. "Then why don't you go back to Plague!"
"Hey!"
Rockman's twin sounded slightly offended. But it didn't matter. Plague sniffed
into Yuuichirou's chest.
"I...
I don't know how anymore. I can't find the transmission trail..." At
first, he'd been aware of it, but gradually, that awareness had faded away.
It was a frightening admission.
"Plague...
until we can figure out how to reverse this, we'll have to work with what we
have." Yuichirou explained. "Now, it's late. You need sleep."
"Sleep?"
Plague questioned wearily, still trembling from his sobs.
"You
were sleeping not long ago. Just lay down, close your eyes, and try to relax,
okay?"
Plague
nodded, and stretched across the bed.
"Put
your head on the pillow. That white thing over there."
"Hm?"
Plague did so, not seeing the point...that is, until he found a comfortable
position. He yawned, and snuggled into the mattress. Yuuichirou gave a weak
smile and pulled the covers over the boy. Mere moments had passed before
Plague's breaths were slow and steady, his eyes closed.
Yuuichirou
picked up Rockman's PET, not wanting either of the navis to wake up Plague, and
slowly left the room.
"You're betraying Netto-kun." Rockman snapped the moment the door was
shut.
Yuichirou
frowned. "What makes you say that?"
Rockman
scowled. "You're being more of a father to Plague right now than you ever
were to Netto-kun. You held him when he cried, you even tucked him into
bed!"
"Rock,
Plague doesn't know anything about our world. He doesn't have anyone who cares
about him, no family, he doesn't even know who programmed him!" Yuichirou
explained, "Plague needs me."
"And
Netto doesn't?!" Rockman inquired, not using the "-kun" ending
to add effect.
Yuichirou
scowled and switched the PET off without another word.
The
second Rockman lurked in his PET, silent and worried. Then he sighed, deciding
to speak up.
"He
has a point... you're not around much..." He ventured tentatively, and
winced when Yuichirou glared at him.
"Don't
you start. There are reasons for that." 'Rockman' didn't say anything, but
his expression was eloquent. Whatever the reasons were, they probably didn't
matter much to Netto.
Yuichirou shut the second PET off, as well, before
walking out of the hospital. He would have to explain all this to Netto's
mother, before he could take Plague home. It was hard to say how she would cope
with the news...
"You
again!" Netto exclaimed.
Plague
blinked. "Oh, I seem to be back."
"I
want my body back." Netto stated bluntly.
"Take
it! I want to get out!" Plague exclaimed. "I...I don't know anything
about humans!"
"Good!
So give it back!"
"I don't
know how!"
Netto
winced. "Well, then, that sucks."
Silence
passed between them. Plague found it annoying. Finally, he murmured, "Your
dad's really nice."
"...Nice? What do you mean?" Netto stared
at Plague, and Plague shrugged.
"Oh,
tucking me into bed, holding me when you made me start crying... that sort of
thing." He said dismissively. He couldn't know it was anything strange.
Netto,
on the other hand, felt a sharp pang as he stared at the feral creature in
front of him. His father had done all that... for this? He never did that for me!
Plague watched Netto, eyes narrowed. The child was acting strangely, staring away... "What, did he never do that for you?" The virus didn't believe that for a moment. Why would Dr. Hikari do something for him he didn't do for his own son?
"N..no..!" Netto choked,
"He was always busy, he never had time for me... and then..." the
brunette's eyes grew narrow with hatered, "someone takes my body and dad's
all over him! I hate you!" Netto screamed. "I hate you,
I hate you, I hate you!"
Plague only stared. Hate? He wondered what it was. Though, somewhere
in the back of his mind, he started to realize that he would much prefer it if
Netto didn't say that.
"... He was probably just
worried about you." Plague finally said. It sounded lame, even to himself.
"And you were the one who made me cry." If it hadn't been for that,
Netto's father wouldn't have held him... but Netto just turned away, hugging
himself.
What am I supposed to do about this? Just doing
nothing sprang to mind, but somehow, that left a bitter taste in his mouth. He
didn't want Netto to hate him. Then...
Hesitantly, he tried to mimic what Dr. Hikari had done to him... he touched Netto's bare shoulders, keeping his claws carefully sheathed, then gently held the shivering, angry boy. The bare skin felt strange against his hard, virus body. "I'm not the one he cares about, Netto." A fact that didn't bother Plague in the slightest.
"Get away from me."
Netto spat, pushing the cold hands away. He didn't want that... that thing
to so much as touch him, much less hold him. "You're no comfort."
Plague sighed. Why was he trying so hard to keep the boy
happy, anyway? "Netto...I just…"
"Just go back to papa! He obviously cares for you
more!"
"That's not it at all, Netto-!"
"Why are you trying to comfort me?"
"I don't know!" Plague
hissed, making a sound like a teakettle about to boil over. He didn't know why
he was bothering with the boy, it was frustration. "It must be the stupid
emotions of this stupid body!" Growling, he turned away and tried to walk
off.
But he couldn't. Oh, he felt like
he was walking... but he wasn't going anywhere. The featureless void stayed the
same. And Netto...
"That looks stupid."
Plague whirled on the boy, eyes flashing.
"You're stupid!"
"You're-"
Plague? Plague, wake up.
Plague blinked. He was suddenly out of the void, staring up at Yuichirou's
face.
"Have a nice rest?" The scientist asked
cheerfully.
Hesitantly, Plague nodded.
"I explained everything to Haruka, so you're going to
come home with me today."
"Who's Haruka?" Plague asked.
"My wife. Your...Netto's mother."
Plague pondered that statement for
a moment. Mother... a human of the opposite gender. Although he was very vague
on the details of how males and females created little humans. Still, right
now, he didn't much care. "Okay." Plague slipped out of bed,
wrinkling his nose at the hospital gown he was wearing.
"Here, put these on..."
Yuichirou smiled cheerfully, handing Plague some clothes. It took Plague a few
minutes to figure them out, but when he got them on, they were far more
comfortable than the gown. Although...
"How do I use these
things?" Plague struggled with the shoelaces, frustrated.
PLAGUE! I HATE YOU! Plague winced at that mental shout. Netto was
obviously getting frustrated as well.
"Oh, shut up, stupid child." He muttered as he tried to get the shoelaces working again. It was far more difficult than it looked.
Yuichirou stifled a laugh. When
you get right down to it, Plague was almost just like a little child.
"Here, let me help you." He offered, kneeling down and tying the
laces for him. "Look, you make a loop here, and then you pull the end
through it... are you listening?"
"Mm?" Plague snapped back
into focus. "Sorry, Netto was yelling at me."
Yuichirou's face grew solemn.
"What's he saying?"
Plague didn't answer.
Dr. Hikari watched Plague for a
moment, then asked again, gently. "Plague, what's he saying?"
"... He's calling me
stupid." That was part of a long tirade. Plague wasn't about to tell
Yuichirou what Netto was saying about him, although he wasn't sure why. It
seemed... pointless, unnecessary.
Cruelty was a new concept for
Plague.
"Oh. Well, watch
carefully." Plague watched as he did the laces, then undid them again.
"There, you try."
Plague did his best, but bared his teeth with a growl. The best he could make was a very clumsy knot. "Stupid things! It's so much easier on the Net."
"This isn't the Net,
Plague."
Plague spat, "I know that! I
was just...just...oh I don't know."
"Come on." Yuichirou re-tied the shoes and led Netto towards the door. "Let's go, Haruka is waiting for us."
**
He stood over the computer,
staring at the screen, browsing through Dr. Hikari's computer files. He was
quite the hacker; this talent derived from his knowledge of computer
programming.
"Effin' hell, where is it?" He snarled, his fingers
dancing across the keyboard swiftly. "I worked on that virus for over a
year; took me weeks to plant it... no signs of deletion...!" Perhaps
Hikari had found it, and moved it? Made sense; the scientist would analyze it
and try to find out who programmed it. But where? Could it still do
damage?
If something went wrong, he could try and plant it once again...