"We're here, puku!" Bubbleman exclaimed, pulling Nomde through a link. They entered a dark space where there were a few other navis standing around. None of them looked very happy to see Bubbleman, and even fewer of them looked pleased to see Nomde. Not that the demon-navi cared one way or another. He just needed a way to get to that other boy so he could open that data.
"How dare you bring this stranger here!" a navi shaped similar to a vampire shouted at Bubbleman. "Are you stupid? He could be with the Net Saviors!"
Even as the vampire-like navi was shouting this, the others had formed a circle around Nomde. The black navi grinned. These foolish creatures had no idea the amount of power he held. Well, it was time for a demonstration. Before the other navis could begin to attack, Nomde simply called a bit of engery into his hand and waved it at the navis around him, sending them flying into the wall and holding them there.
"Net saviors?" Nomde sneered. "I? Don't insult me, fool. I have no need or desire to ally myself with weak humans. I simply use them for my plans, then dump them aside like bits of trash. That's all they're really good for, anyway."
"Who are you?" the vampire navi asked, looking at his fellow navis who were stuggling to pull themselves away from the wall. Nomde released the energy field, causing them all to fall to the floor. "And what do you want?"
"My name is of no concern to you, but what I want, perhaps you can help me with, and I can give you something in the process."
"I'm listening..."
"I need a certain human to open this data for me, as he is quite literally the key to its lock. My friend Bubbleman here has told me that you have a way of bringing the net and the human world together tempoarily that could make getting this meeting possible."
"And what's in it for us?" a red navi demanded.
Nomde smirked. "From what I have heard, you can only enter the real world temporarily. What if I were to tell you that I have the power, once I get this data cube open, to permanently bring the net and real world together. That you would have the power to enslave and destroy the human world as you wish."
"You truly have this power?" the vampire navi asked cautiously.
Nombe brought up a view screen of the hospital room where Netto was currently lying down. The brown-haired boy was truly looking worser by the hour. Nomde was amazed he had held out this long. Then again there was that bond between the boy and Rockman that was a factor in this, not to mention Netto's bond with Enzan.
"The net saviors!" the group of navis sneered. Nomde's smirk grew.
"Yes, the net saviors. I put Rockman's operator in the hospital, and have been doing an adequet job of keeping him there. It seems that none of you have been able to do nearly quite as much. I know, I did a bit of reseach on you over the past few seconds. Consider that one of my many gifts. I know that all of your are eager to kill off the net saviors, I can make that possible. All I need is that other boy to open the data cube, and then I shall merge our world with theirs. Think of all the damage you could do."
"And how will you get the other boy to agree to open the cube? He's more likely to delete you first, puku."
"You would think that, simply because the lot of you are simple-minded. I put Netto into the hospital, and I have the power to kill him off right now. I guarantee you that the boy will agree to my demands if it will save his precious Netto. So, do I have your cooperation or not?"
The vampire navi had a thoughtfull look on his face. He was clearly the one that was making the decisions for the group. Nomde waited patiently for the navi's answer.
"Very well," said the navi. "We shall help you. Just choose the place and time."
"Excellent..."
Kichi had returned to the SciLabs to talk to her uncle, finding it full of police officers. She'd heard that someone had broken into the lab and stolen a data chip of some sort. Whoever had broken into the labs had used sleeping gas to knock all of the scientists out while they did their job. The scientists had been fine, but the robber had left very few clues behind.
"Excuse me, Miss, but you can't be in here right now," said a tall man in a police uniform.
"Like hell I can't," Kichi said, trying stepping around him. "Where is Hikari Yuuichiro? I need to speak with him."
"Miss! You cannot come in here!" the man shouted. "That is a police order!"
Kichi turned her head and looked at the man. Looking closer at his face, Kichi placed a name to the man. His name was Martin, and he was a very inapt police officer. She'd had to put up with him when her greatgrandmother had volunteered Kichi's patrol group to help train some new officers. Kichi had no respect for the man then, and she didn't have any respect for him now, either.
"Your police order can kiss my ass. I need to speak with my uncle, now. So I suggest you step aside before I move you myself."
From inside her carrysack Skunk-chan hissed. Kichi was sorely tempted to let the little beast out to distract the man so Kichi could find her uncle. She needed to talk to him as soon as possible.
I wouldn't mind, Skunk-chan said. In fact, I would enjoy it. I think I shall play with this man for a few moments.
Before Kichi could say anything to the contrary, Skunk-chan was out of the bag and clinging to the man's face! Martin fell backwards, allowing Kichi to get around him and into one of the smaller offices where she had heard her uncle's voice a moment before. Sure enough he was inside, talking with Enzan and two other men, one sporting a lab coat and goggles, the other wearing a green and red uniform with a funny looking hat over his white hair. The second of the two glared at Kichi with cold eyes as she entered. Kichi promptly ignored him.
"Excuse me, but we are in the middle of a meeting," the white-haired military-type man snapped.
"So I see. But I brought some news for my uncle, so if you don't mind, please sit down and shut up," Kichi snapped back.
"Its alright, Laika," Yuuichiro sighed. "I asked Kichi to help us with this. Kichi, this is Laika and Meijin. You already know Enzan. Meijin, Laika, this is my niece, Kichi."
That wasn't true, but Kichi wasn't going to argue. She'd done some investigating of her own when she'd heard about the robbery. She may not have had a Pet or navi of her own, but she was well connected to various hackers, and what she couldn't find, they could, once she had some hints to offer them. They had put together what information they could find about the navi she'd seen and sketched, but there wasn't to much, as of yet.
"This is the information I found out, Uncle," Kichi said, placing the small notebook onto the table. "Its not much to go on, yet. My contacts are still scouting around."
Meijin opened the notebook to a sketch of the navi Kichi had drawn as soon as she'd come back from the mountains. She had no intention of telling these people how she had gotten that sketch, they wouldn't believe her. Well, Yuuichiro and Enzan would, Meijin looked like he might, but the fourth, Laika, definitely would not. Around the sketch were the various notes her contacts had come up with.
"Where did you get this information from?" Laika asked suspiciously.
Kichi smiled, very slightly. This guy had an attidude problem even worse than Enzan's! Shame he hadn't been invited to the survival contest two years ago. She would have enjoyed tormenting him. She'd just have to work on that after they stopped the demon.
"My contacts have no desire to be named, sir," Kichi replied, her tone soft. Her brothers would have known that voice as a warning of her at her most dangerous. Certainly Yuuichiro recongnized it, because he intervened before Kichi could go at it with Laika.
"Laika, enough, please. She is trying to help us."
Laika went silent, but his glare got worse. This was going to be an amusing experience for Kichi. If she got stuck working with him... Enzan at least was somewhat used to her by now, so that wouldn't be a problem. And they both had a common goal, to help protect Netto. Laika had none of these qualities, so luck was against him already.
"Thank you for these notes," said Meijin. "They should be very helpful."
"No problem. If you need help with anything else, let me know. I'll be around," Kichi replied, hearing the dismissal in his words. Her words were directed at Enzan, who nodded, ever so slightly. If she hadn't been looking for it she would have missed it. She said good bye to Yuuichiro and Enzan, nodded to Meijin, and promptly ignored Laika as she walked out of the room. Back out in the main hall Skunk-chan rejoined her, hopping onto her shoulder. Martin was on the other side of the room, having some scratches looked at. Kichi didn't say anything to him, and he said nothing as she left.
Things are beginning to pick up, Skunk-chan observed quietly.
"That they are, my friend. That they are," Kichi agreed.
"How dare you bring this stranger here!" a navi shaped similar to a vampire shouted at Bubbleman. "Are you stupid? He could be with the Net Saviors!"
Even as the vampire-like navi was shouting this, the others had formed a circle around Nomde. The black navi grinned. These foolish creatures had no idea the amount of power he held. Well, it was time for a demonstration. Before the other navis could begin to attack, Nomde simply called a bit of engery into his hand and waved it at the navis around him, sending them flying into the wall and holding them there.
"Net saviors?" Nomde sneered. "I? Don't insult me, fool. I have no need or desire to ally myself with weak humans. I simply use them for my plans, then dump them aside like bits of trash. That's all they're really good for, anyway."
"Who are you?" the vampire navi asked, looking at his fellow navis who were stuggling to pull themselves away from the wall. Nomde released the energy field, causing them all to fall to the floor. "And what do you want?"
"My name is of no concern to you, but what I want, perhaps you can help me with, and I can give you something in the process."
"I'm listening..."
"I need a certain human to open this data for me, as he is quite literally the key to its lock. My friend Bubbleman here has told me that you have a way of bringing the net and the human world together tempoarily that could make getting this meeting possible."
"And what's in it for us?" a red navi demanded.
Nomde smirked. "From what I have heard, you can only enter the real world temporarily. What if I were to tell you that I have the power, once I get this data cube open, to permanently bring the net and real world together. That you would have the power to enslave and destroy the human world as you wish."
"You truly have this power?" the vampire navi asked cautiously.
Nombe brought up a view screen of the hospital room where Netto was currently lying down. The brown-haired boy was truly looking worser by the hour. Nomde was amazed he had held out this long. Then again there was that bond between the boy and Rockman that was a factor in this, not to mention Netto's bond with Enzan.
"The net saviors!" the group of navis sneered. Nomde's smirk grew.
"Yes, the net saviors. I put Rockman's operator in the hospital, and have been doing an adequet job of keeping him there. It seems that none of you have been able to do nearly quite as much. I know, I did a bit of reseach on you over the past few seconds. Consider that one of my many gifts. I know that all of your are eager to kill off the net saviors, I can make that possible. All I need is that other boy to open the data cube, and then I shall merge our world with theirs. Think of all the damage you could do."
"And how will you get the other boy to agree to open the cube? He's more likely to delete you first, puku."
"You would think that, simply because the lot of you are simple-minded. I put Netto into the hospital, and I have the power to kill him off right now. I guarantee you that the boy will agree to my demands if it will save his precious Netto. So, do I have your cooperation or not?"
The vampire navi had a thoughtfull look on his face. He was clearly the one that was making the decisions for the group. Nomde waited patiently for the navi's answer.
"Very well," said the navi. "We shall help you. Just choose the place and time."
"Excellent..."
Kichi had returned to the SciLabs to talk to her uncle, finding it full of police officers. She'd heard that someone had broken into the lab and stolen a data chip of some sort. Whoever had broken into the labs had used sleeping gas to knock all of the scientists out while they did their job. The scientists had been fine, but the robber had left very few clues behind.
"Excuse me, Miss, but you can't be in here right now," said a tall man in a police uniform.
"Like hell I can't," Kichi said, trying stepping around him. "Where is Hikari Yuuichiro? I need to speak with him."
"Miss! You cannot come in here!" the man shouted. "That is a police order!"
Kichi turned her head and looked at the man. Looking closer at his face, Kichi placed a name to the man. His name was Martin, and he was a very inapt police officer. She'd had to put up with him when her greatgrandmother had volunteered Kichi's patrol group to help train some new officers. Kichi had no respect for the man then, and she didn't have any respect for him now, either.
"Your police order can kiss my ass. I need to speak with my uncle, now. So I suggest you step aside before I move you myself."
From inside her carrysack Skunk-chan hissed. Kichi was sorely tempted to let the little beast out to distract the man so Kichi could find her uncle. She needed to talk to him as soon as possible.
I wouldn't mind, Skunk-chan said. In fact, I would enjoy it. I think I shall play with this man for a few moments.
Before Kichi could say anything to the contrary, Skunk-chan was out of the bag and clinging to the man's face! Martin fell backwards, allowing Kichi to get around him and into one of the smaller offices where she had heard her uncle's voice a moment before. Sure enough he was inside, talking with Enzan and two other men, one sporting a lab coat and goggles, the other wearing a green and red uniform with a funny looking hat over his white hair. The second of the two glared at Kichi with cold eyes as she entered. Kichi promptly ignored him.
"Excuse me, but we are in the middle of a meeting," the white-haired military-type man snapped.
"So I see. But I brought some news for my uncle, so if you don't mind, please sit down and shut up," Kichi snapped back.
"Its alright, Laika," Yuuichiro sighed. "I asked Kichi to help us with this. Kichi, this is Laika and Meijin. You already know Enzan. Meijin, Laika, this is my niece, Kichi."
That wasn't true, but Kichi wasn't going to argue. She'd done some investigating of her own when she'd heard about the robbery. She may not have had a Pet or navi of her own, but she was well connected to various hackers, and what she couldn't find, they could, once she had some hints to offer them. They had put together what information they could find about the navi she'd seen and sketched, but there wasn't to much, as of yet.
"This is the information I found out, Uncle," Kichi said, placing the small notebook onto the table. "Its not much to go on, yet. My contacts are still scouting around."
Meijin opened the notebook to a sketch of the navi Kichi had drawn as soon as she'd come back from the mountains. She had no intention of telling these people how she had gotten that sketch, they wouldn't believe her. Well, Yuuichiro and Enzan would, Meijin looked like he might, but the fourth, Laika, definitely would not. Around the sketch were the various notes her contacts had come up with.
"Where did you get this information from?" Laika asked suspiciously.
Kichi smiled, very slightly. This guy had an attidude problem even worse than Enzan's! Shame he hadn't been invited to the survival contest two years ago. She would have enjoyed tormenting him. She'd just have to work on that after they stopped the demon.
"My contacts have no desire to be named, sir," Kichi replied, her tone soft. Her brothers would have known that voice as a warning of her at her most dangerous. Certainly Yuuichiro recongnized it, because he intervened before Kichi could go at it with Laika.
"Laika, enough, please. She is trying to help us."
Laika went silent, but his glare got worse. This was going to be an amusing experience for Kichi. If she got stuck working with him... Enzan at least was somewhat used to her by now, so that wouldn't be a problem. And they both had a common goal, to help protect Netto. Laika had none of these qualities, so luck was against him already.
"Thank you for these notes," said Meijin. "They should be very helpful."
"No problem. If you need help with anything else, let me know. I'll be around," Kichi replied, hearing the dismissal in his words. Her words were directed at Enzan, who nodded, ever so slightly. If she hadn't been looking for it she would have missed it. She said good bye to Yuuichiro and Enzan, nodded to Meijin, and promptly ignored Laika as she walked out of the room. Back out in the main hall Skunk-chan rejoined her, hopping onto her shoulder. Martin was on the other side of the room, having some scratches looked at. Kichi didn't say anything to him, and he said nothing as she left.
Things are beginning to pick up, Skunk-chan observed quietly.
"That they are, my friend. That they are," Kichi agreed.
