Virus of the Millenium
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Chobits.
Hideki sat slumped over in his chair, wondering how he was supposed to study in the middle of all the chaos. His apartment had been mysteriously ransacked and the damage to the walls and ceiling was being fixed now. Chi was with his trusted landlord, who had been extremely helpful about his predicament. She had sent him here to study for his upcoming test. Seriously, study?!?! In this noise?!?! He sighed wearily and tried to concentrate.
The only place in the entire mall that had had an open seat had been here, and he had only spotted the seat by a lucky chance. It really was unfortunate that it was right outside the International Convention for whatever. That stupid convention had attracted so much attention that the swarms trying to get in and see the exhibits were overwhelming. Hideki again tried to read his cram math book and immediately gave up. He snapped it shut , causing nearby people to cringe.
A male persocom guard started bleeping extremely loudly all of a sudden, saying, "Alert! Virus! Alert!" Hideki ignored the sound and kept struggling towards the doors of freedom, but was unable to make any more than two feet headway, so turned with the crowds to see what the ruckus was all about. A guy, who looked about Hideki's age, was being threatened by three of the persocom guards, who kept ceaselessly bleeping in mechanical voices, "Alert! Virus! Alert!" The boy tried to evade the androids and found himself surrounded.
"Hold it, people," a police officer said, attempting to get over to the androids and the boy. "It's alright, Officer Biroku," a female police officer said, already using her remote to turn off the machines.
Hideki decided that the officer was pretty hot looking. (The girl, of course.) She took a sweeping glance at the boy and dismissed him.
"Hey," the pretty officer said as the boy started walking quickly towards the doors with a little bubble of space around him as people gawked, "you wouldn't by any chance be carrying a powerful virus on you, would ya?" The guy spun around and looked incredulously at her.
"Are you kidding, or what?"
"That's what I thought," she mumbled. "Officer Biroku, would you mind getting a system checkup on these three 'coms? I think they're malfunctioning."
"Sure thing, Miss Ummei," Officer Biroku shouted, straining his voice over the restarted conversation in the mall.
Miss Ummei, Hideki thought. Nice name. He strolled out of the mall double doors and started running, wondering if he was late for his shift at Club Pleasure. One of his co-workers had called in sick, and Hideki was given the "honor" of taking his place. Ugh. I hope my boss doesn't notice that I'm late. That would be really, really, really, really bad. Hideki winced thinking about the one other time he had been considerably late. "I give you this wonderful job and you come in late? Come on! Shape up!" He started sprinting now. Just one more corner to go...... WHAM!
Hideki slammed right into someone running in the opposite direction. "Oh sorry, I..." he trailed off. It was the guy that had been accused of carrying a virus.
"Hey, aren't you..."
"Oh," the boy said, "you must have seen me at the mall. Yeah, it was me."
"So are you really carrying a virus on you?" Hideki asked, knowing he sounded nosy.
"Didn't you even listen? I said heck no!" the boy exclaimed.
"Hm. Hey, what's you're name?"
"Conrad. Conrad Viscio."
"Whoa, are you foreign or something?"
"Yeah. My family originated in Italy. We moved here a couple of years ago."
"So you live with your parents?"
"Nah; they died in an accident a while back. I lived at the orphanage for a few months and now I've started looking for work."
Hideki thought about that for a moment. Club Pleasure's owner had always been muttering about how he needed some more help around the place. This could be the chance he was waiting for(Not to mention that he'd been waiting for a really, really looong time.)Besides, this Conrad guy seemed pretty nice; he'd be a good co-worker.
"Um, hey," Hideki voiced, "I think I might know a place for you to get a job."
"Really?" asked Conrad," 'cause I've been looking all over the place and haven't found any vacancies, although it's probably because I'm foreign."
"Oh, don't be so glum; of course I can find you a job. I know just the place. Come with me!"
Hideki started running, and was almost hit by a car as he ran across the street. Conrad looked really worried as they bent over and panted in front of Club Pleasure. "What, ya don't like it?" Hideki questioned.
"Naw, it's just that you're a real risk-taker, and I don't know if I can be that sort of a person."
"Don't worry, you'll learn," Hideki said reassuringly, if reassuringly can even apply to this situation. "Let's go introduce you to your new master," he joked. Conrad looked kind of worried, then settled for a nervous grin. Man, this guy's jumpy, Hideki thought. I'd better watch out for him.
The two strolled in the front door of the building, and were greeted by a "ching" from the laptop on the front desk and a loud shout.
"WERE HAVE YOU BEEN, HIDEKI!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES! WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE THIS TI-... oh, hello. And who might you be?"
"He's looking for work, sir," Hideki started.
"Oh really? Well, you've come to the right place. We currently have one job open: busboy! Do you want it?"
What's going on here? I thought I was busboy, Hideki thought.
"Uh, sure, if it doesn't interfere with anyone else's job, sir," Conrad voiced uncertainly.
"Wonderful, simply wonderful. Now, Hideki, please show him around, as he will be your partner now."
Partner? Uh-oh. Does that mean I get half pay?
The manager went back to his work, acting as though they weren't here and never had been. Hideki pushed Conrad in the direction of the back of the store, where he got his work supplies.
"I'll show you around," Hideki said. Conrad nodded, looking as though he was determined not to give up on this job so as not to insult Hideki.
This is going to be a long day...
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Chobits.
Hideki sat slumped over in his chair, wondering how he was supposed to study in the middle of all the chaos. His apartment had been mysteriously ransacked and the damage to the walls and ceiling was being fixed now. Chi was with his trusted landlord, who had been extremely helpful about his predicament. She had sent him here to study for his upcoming test. Seriously, study?!?! In this noise?!?! He sighed wearily and tried to concentrate.
The only place in the entire mall that had had an open seat had been here, and he had only spotted the seat by a lucky chance. It really was unfortunate that it was right outside the International Convention for whatever. That stupid convention had attracted so much attention that the swarms trying to get in and see the exhibits were overwhelming. Hideki again tried to read his cram math book and immediately gave up. He snapped it shut , causing nearby people to cringe.
A male persocom guard started bleeping extremely loudly all of a sudden, saying, "Alert! Virus! Alert!" Hideki ignored the sound and kept struggling towards the doors of freedom, but was unable to make any more than two feet headway, so turned with the crowds to see what the ruckus was all about. A guy, who looked about Hideki's age, was being threatened by three of the persocom guards, who kept ceaselessly bleeping in mechanical voices, "Alert! Virus! Alert!" The boy tried to evade the androids and found himself surrounded.
"Hold it, people," a police officer said, attempting to get over to the androids and the boy. "It's alright, Officer Biroku," a female police officer said, already using her remote to turn off the machines.
Hideki decided that the officer was pretty hot looking. (The girl, of course.) She took a sweeping glance at the boy and dismissed him.
"Hey," the pretty officer said as the boy started walking quickly towards the doors with a little bubble of space around him as people gawked, "you wouldn't by any chance be carrying a powerful virus on you, would ya?" The guy spun around and looked incredulously at her.
"Are you kidding, or what?"
"That's what I thought," she mumbled. "Officer Biroku, would you mind getting a system checkup on these three 'coms? I think they're malfunctioning."
"Sure thing, Miss Ummei," Officer Biroku shouted, straining his voice over the restarted conversation in the mall.
Miss Ummei, Hideki thought. Nice name. He strolled out of the mall double doors and started running, wondering if he was late for his shift at Club Pleasure. One of his co-workers had called in sick, and Hideki was given the "honor" of taking his place. Ugh. I hope my boss doesn't notice that I'm late. That would be really, really, really, really bad. Hideki winced thinking about the one other time he had been considerably late. "I give you this wonderful job and you come in late? Come on! Shape up!" He started sprinting now. Just one more corner to go...... WHAM!
Hideki slammed right into someone running in the opposite direction. "Oh sorry, I..." he trailed off. It was the guy that had been accused of carrying a virus.
"Hey, aren't you..."
"Oh," the boy said, "you must have seen me at the mall. Yeah, it was me."
"So are you really carrying a virus on you?" Hideki asked, knowing he sounded nosy.
"Didn't you even listen? I said heck no!" the boy exclaimed.
"Hm. Hey, what's you're name?"
"Conrad. Conrad Viscio."
"Whoa, are you foreign or something?"
"Yeah. My family originated in Italy. We moved here a couple of years ago."
"So you live with your parents?"
"Nah; they died in an accident a while back. I lived at the orphanage for a few months and now I've started looking for work."
Hideki thought about that for a moment. Club Pleasure's owner had always been muttering about how he needed some more help around the place. This could be the chance he was waiting for(Not to mention that he'd been waiting for a really, really looong time.)Besides, this Conrad guy seemed pretty nice; he'd be a good co-worker.
"Um, hey," Hideki voiced, "I think I might know a place for you to get a job."
"Really?" asked Conrad," 'cause I've been looking all over the place and haven't found any vacancies, although it's probably because I'm foreign."
"Oh, don't be so glum; of course I can find you a job. I know just the place. Come with me!"
Hideki started running, and was almost hit by a car as he ran across the street. Conrad looked really worried as they bent over and panted in front of Club Pleasure. "What, ya don't like it?" Hideki questioned.
"Naw, it's just that you're a real risk-taker, and I don't know if I can be that sort of a person."
"Don't worry, you'll learn," Hideki said reassuringly, if reassuringly can even apply to this situation. "Let's go introduce you to your new master," he joked. Conrad looked kind of worried, then settled for a nervous grin. Man, this guy's jumpy, Hideki thought. I'd better watch out for him.
The two strolled in the front door of the building, and were greeted by a "ching" from the laptop on the front desk and a loud shout.
"WERE HAVE YOU BEEN, HIDEKI!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES! WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE THIS TI-... oh, hello. And who might you be?"
"He's looking for work, sir," Hideki started.
"Oh really? Well, you've come to the right place. We currently have one job open: busboy! Do you want it?"
What's going on here? I thought I was busboy, Hideki thought.
"Uh, sure, if it doesn't interfere with anyone else's job, sir," Conrad voiced uncertainly.
"Wonderful, simply wonderful. Now, Hideki, please show him around, as he will be your partner now."
Partner? Uh-oh. Does that mean I get half pay?
The manager went back to his work, acting as though they weren't here and never had been. Hideki pushed Conrad in the direction of the back of the store, where he got his work supplies.
"I'll show you around," Hideki said. Conrad nodded, looking as though he was determined not to give up on this job so as not to insult Hideki.
This is going to be a long day...