Rockman paced back and forth inside the net, stopping every few minutes to check on Netto. Blues had showed up briefly to check on Netto, at Enzan's request, but hadn't stayed long. His other friends had stopped by as well, but they had left awhile ago. Roll had tried to get him to go to the Net City for awhile, but Rockman had declined. He felt that if he left Netto's side for even a minute, something bad was going to happen.
If only I could be with him in the real world instead of being stuck in here, the blue navi thought. I can't even help my own brother.
Like he had many times since Netto had entered the hospital, Rockman wondered if he would have been able to stop this if he had been there. Sure, he knew that Pets didn't work all the time on those mountains, his first trip there with Netto had been proof of that. But he couldn't help but feel that somehow he was responsible for this. If only he had been there he could have changed something, and Netto wouldn't be lying in that bed right now with all those machines hooked up to him, getting weaker every hour and the doctors not being able to do anything to help him!
Rockman didn't want to loose his brother, even if he could never be in the same world with him. He knew that Papa and Mama wouldn't be able to take it, either. It would break them as well as Rockman. Loosing one son had been hard enough, to loose the other one would be too much.
"Grrr! I should be able to do something! Why can't I help my brother?!" Rockman shouted, punching the wall, making a dent in it.
At that same moment he felt a thought of amusement flicker through his mind, a thought that was neither his nor Netto's.
"Who's there?" Rockman called out, scanning the area around him. It was empty. The moment he'd said something the strange feeling had vanished as well. Perhaps he did need to leave for a bit. Perhaps he would go visit Blues. If anything happened to Netto, he would know it immediately. Nodding to himself and telling himself that it would be fine to leave for a bit, the blue navi left to find Blues.
That was a close call Nomde thought, pulling his mind away from both Rockman's and Netto's, taking some energy from the boy as he did so. The boy's navi had nearly caught him. That navi was a problem for Nomde, especially with the bond the navi had for the boy. It was a strange bond without a doubt. Much deeper than anything he'd felt between Kyan and her navi. It was that bond that had nearly exposed Nomde a moment ago. He'd have to do something about that. He would not use Kyan and Chhaya though.
Their part in his plans had ended once Kyan had downloaded the data from the chip into the net for him. He'd paid her, as promised, and had promptly left. He had yet to open the data, he'd wanted a more secure place to do it in, without prying eyes. That had taken him to the back corners of the Net City. Making certain that no one else was around, Nomde took the data out and tried to open it. And quickly got a nasty surprise. An electrical field shot out of the bit of data, sending Nomde flying to the ground!
"Damn!" The navi cursed, getting to his feet. He should have known there'd be a lock on the codes. Of course there would be a lock, the spirits who had trapped him hadn't been stupid. He'd have to find the key if he wanted his full power restored. Unfortunately for him, the key he needed wasn't in the net, and he was. He knew which boy he needed, this time. It certainly wasn't Netto, or he would have known it by now. No, he needed that other brat to open the data to get the code.
"I should have known he still fit into this somehow! Damn it all!"
"Is something wrong, puku?" an annoying voice asked. Nomde turned to see an annoying-looking navi to match the annoying voice coming up behind him. Of all the rotten luck!
"That's none of your business," Nomde sneered.
"Okay, I was just trying to help, puku," the navi replied.
"Unless you can find a way for me to get out of the net for a few minutes, I suggest you move on!"
The navi's expression brightened when he heard Nomde's comment. "I know a way, puku!"
"What? How?"
"Will you be my friend if I help you, puku?" the navi asked.
Nomde looked like he would rather be fed to snapping turtles, but what choice did he have? If he wanted to get that other brat to open the data, he'd have to make a few sacrifices.
"Very well, I'll be your friend."
"Yay! I have a friend, puku! Follow me!"
If only I could be with him in the real world instead of being stuck in here, the blue navi thought. I can't even help my own brother.
Like he had many times since Netto had entered the hospital, Rockman wondered if he would have been able to stop this if he had been there. Sure, he knew that Pets didn't work all the time on those mountains, his first trip there with Netto had been proof of that. But he couldn't help but feel that somehow he was responsible for this. If only he had been there he could have changed something, and Netto wouldn't be lying in that bed right now with all those machines hooked up to him, getting weaker every hour and the doctors not being able to do anything to help him!
Rockman didn't want to loose his brother, even if he could never be in the same world with him. He knew that Papa and Mama wouldn't be able to take it, either. It would break them as well as Rockman. Loosing one son had been hard enough, to loose the other one would be too much.
"Grrr! I should be able to do something! Why can't I help my brother?!" Rockman shouted, punching the wall, making a dent in it.
At that same moment he felt a thought of amusement flicker through his mind, a thought that was neither his nor Netto's.
"Who's there?" Rockman called out, scanning the area around him. It was empty. The moment he'd said something the strange feeling had vanished as well. Perhaps he did need to leave for a bit. Perhaps he would go visit Blues. If anything happened to Netto, he would know it immediately. Nodding to himself and telling himself that it would be fine to leave for a bit, the blue navi left to find Blues.
That was a close call Nomde thought, pulling his mind away from both Rockman's and Netto's, taking some energy from the boy as he did so. The boy's navi had nearly caught him. That navi was a problem for Nomde, especially with the bond the navi had for the boy. It was a strange bond without a doubt. Much deeper than anything he'd felt between Kyan and her navi. It was that bond that had nearly exposed Nomde a moment ago. He'd have to do something about that. He would not use Kyan and Chhaya though.
Their part in his plans had ended once Kyan had downloaded the data from the chip into the net for him. He'd paid her, as promised, and had promptly left. He had yet to open the data, he'd wanted a more secure place to do it in, without prying eyes. That had taken him to the back corners of the Net City. Making certain that no one else was around, Nomde took the data out and tried to open it. And quickly got a nasty surprise. An electrical field shot out of the bit of data, sending Nomde flying to the ground!
"Damn!" The navi cursed, getting to his feet. He should have known there'd be a lock on the codes. Of course there would be a lock, the spirits who had trapped him hadn't been stupid. He'd have to find the key if he wanted his full power restored. Unfortunately for him, the key he needed wasn't in the net, and he was. He knew which boy he needed, this time. It certainly wasn't Netto, or he would have known it by now. No, he needed that other brat to open the data to get the code.
"I should have known he still fit into this somehow! Damn it all!"
"Is something wrong, puku?" an annoying voice asked. Nomde turned to see an annoying-looking navi to match the annoying voice coming up behind him. Of all the rotten luck!
"That's none of your business," Nomde sneered.
"Okay, I was just trying to help, puku," the navi replied.
"Unless you can find a way for me to get out of the net for a few minutes, I suggest you move on!"
The navi's expression brightened when he heard Nomde's comment. "I know a way, puku!"
"What? How?"
"Will you be my friend if I help you, puku?" the navi asked.
Nomde looked like he would rather be fed to snapping turtles, but what choice did he have? If he wanted to get that other brat to open the data, he'd have to make a few sacrifices.
"Very well, I'll be your friend."
"Yay! I have a friend, puku! Follow me!"
