Rockman had waited for as long as he could while Neko tried to locate Kichi. When that had failed, Rockman had insisted that she locate where the demon-navi was instead, so that he could go look for Netto. That had been a bit easier than looking for Kichi, and while the radio station that was the source of the black fog (and the most obvious place for Nomde to be), Rockman had dealt with viruses before, and nothing was going to keep him from helping his brother.

That was easier said than done, though. Viruses seemed to be everywhere, more than Rockman could deal with on his own. If he'd had battlechips to fight with, it would have been easier, but all he had was his default weapon, and Neko had a sword she'd found in her house. Even though the viruses would vanish the moment they were hit, there were just so many of them that Rockman and Neko hadn't even made it to the end of the street after nearly 20 minutes, and more viruses were showing up by the minute.

We'll never get past them like this! S-chan shouted. We need a different way through!

"She's right," Neko growled as another virus met up with the end of her sword. "We'll never get to Netto like this."

"Do you know any other ways?" Rockman asked as they dropped back another few feet.

"I know of one possible way. Follow me."

Neko turned and ran back the way they had come, and Rockman and S-chan followed. So did the viruses, until a falling powerline stopped them. That the snow was still falling was both good and bad luck, because it was both helping and hindering their progress in reaching Netto, but right now Rockman was willing to accept anything that would stop the viruses for even a few moments.

They ran past the door that opened up to Neko's home, instead going further into the alley and through an even more hidden door than the one that lead to Neko's home. If Neko hadn't opened it Rockman would have never seen it. It led to a very small room that was empty, save for another door situated into the floor. Neko pulled this one open to reveal a set of stairs.

"This is one of the doors that leads to an old tunnel system that runs throughout the entire city. We should be able to reach the radio station with less trouble through here. I hope," Neko explained.

"So do I," Rockman said softly, climbing down the stairs. He walked carefully, the stairs were covered with a thin layer of ice, and so were the walls. It was colder down here than it was above ground, and Rockman was slightly worried for Neko because of it. He was fairly certain he would be able to last longer in the cold, but Neko might have trouble doing so.

"Neko, are you sure about this? Its very cold down here, and it might be safer for you to stay up top if you lock yourself into your home," Rockman suggested, his tone worried. "It was bad enough that he hadn't been able to protect Netto, he didn't want Neko to get hurt because of him too.

"Like hell," Neko replied with a grin. "If you go, I go. Besides, you have no idea how to navigate these tunnels, and without me you'll be lost in a matter of minutes. So lets go before things get any worse around here."

Driving through the fog had been hell. Kichi could barely stand being surrounded by the aura of evil that had descended over the city. And it blocked out her ability to See into the future. So she was basically flying blind. The snow didn't help either, and the roads were as icy as when she had left. And while she did get some pleasure out of running viruses over with her truck, her fear that Netto had come to harm was growing greater by the minute. She had been trying to contact Neko, but the either the storm or the dark fog was blocking the signal. She was guessing that it was the latter one that was causing the problem.

((This is annoying. Those things outside are slowing us down.)) Tainn growled as the truck rammed through yet another group of viruses.

"You're more than welcome to get out and hunt them, if you want," Kichi said through clenched teeth. "I plan on staying in my truck for now, thank you very much."

Tainn didn't say anything, which was perhaps the best thing at the moment. When Kichi was worried about something she tended to have a short temper, and though Tainn was stronger than her, right then she was driving the truck that he was riding in, and he didn't want her to swerve into a streetlight or something. There weren't any people out to hit that they could see, the viruses were stupid enough not to get out of the way of the truck, and the navis that they had seen got out of the way faster than a normal person would have.

Kichi felt just a bit sorry for those navis that were stuck wandering around this world. She had to wonder just how many of them knew what was going on, and just how worried their NetOps had to be. Certainly she would have been been worried if she had a navi and it had suddenly vanished from the net. That was another reason Kichi was glad she didn't have a pet or a navi. She couldn't deal with worrying about another person right now. She'd've gone insane if she had.

((Kichi, there is someone up ahead, I think.)) Anuzu said, pressing her nose against the window. ((Make that four someones...two humans and two navis!))

"Oh?" Kichi slowed down slightly and looked out her window as well. "Well now! Its Laika and Searchman! Imagine that. No clue who the other two are though..."

((Stop and see what they know. Perhaps they know where Netto is being held.)) Tainn ordered.

"Why would Laika know that?" Kichi growled, pushing on the brake pedal.

((Because he was in here when Nomde took over. He may know what we don't.))

"Fine..but only because you insisted."

The fact that she had to ask Laika for information at all irritated her, but she needed to find Netto as quickly as possible. And if Laika didn't know, perhaps Searchman did. And she wanted to know where they had been. She remembered Netto mentioning that neither one had checked in with the other Net Saviors when she had been in the hospital with him earlier...

"Hey, Laika! Searchman! Where have you two been?" Kichi shouted as she half ran, half slid over to them. She ignored the girl and her navi for the moment, focusing all of her attention on the Sharo Net Savior and his navi.

"W-who are you?" Laika asked, looking very confused.

"Don't even start playing around with me!" Kichi shouted, smacking Laika in the head as hard as she could. It was hard enough to send him sliding backward on the icy ground, and he fell over before anyone could steady him. He stared up at Kichi like a stunned fish, but Kichi wasn't feeling the least bit sympathetic. She had no time for games right now.

"Hey!" the little girl shouted. "Leave him alone! Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"Pyp, its alright," Laika growled, sitting up. He rubbed the back of his head and slowly stood up. "I remember her. I-I actually remember her!"

"Great, you remember me," Kichi growled. "Now you can stop being a jerk and try to answer my questions. Do you know where Netto is?"

"In the hospital, last I knew. Where have you been?"

Laika's tone was back to its superiorness again, though not quite as bad as it had been before.

"I went to get a weapon that was brought by the wolf pack that protects the mountains that's supposed to destroy the demon-navi that's merging the net and the realworld together. Said demon-navi trapped my soul outside of my body for a length of time until a net agent and said wolves pulled my spirit back into my body, and now we're looking for my cousin whom the demon-navi wants to destroy because my cousin apparently is keeping him from reaching his goal in some way," Kichi said in a single breath, her tone all but daring Laika to say he didn't believe her. She was in no mood for his superiority complex, and wouldn't mind sending him back down on the ice to teach him a lesson. But it was the girl, whom Laika had called Pyp, that answered first.

"And that's why you're truck is full of wolves?"

"Correct," Kichi said sharply.

"Pyp, you actually believe that story?" Laika asked in disbelief.

"Sure. Besides, there is a bunch of wolves in her truck, only a blind person could miss that. And I have heard stranger stories. Think of who I live with, and who you've spend the past few days with," Pyp said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Plus, unless you can prove without a doubt that it didn't happen, whose to say that she's not telling the truth?"

Kichi smiled. She just had to. Where had this girl been a few days earlier, when Kichi had gotten into her argument with Laika over the fact that she was a Seer. Not that it mattered. At least Laika seemed more willing to listen to this girl than he was to her. It looked to Kichi that Laika was slightly more willing to accept what Kichi said if Pyp was willing to accept it.

"So Netto was still in the hospital the last you knew? No one has contacted you to tell you otherwise?" Kichi asked.

"No one could contact us, Kichi-san," Searchman replied respectfully. "My Pet was damaged by the water and ice when the streets flooded. There was no way for anyone to reach us."

Kichi nodded slightly. "Then I guess I check the hospital first. Where is it you four are headed?"

"We were looking for the source of this...disturbance," Pyp's navi explained. "But I think it would be safer if we accompanied you to the hospital to look for your cousin, if indeed the navi behind this is after him."

((Then I guess that means we're walking. There's not enough room in this truck, and I smell more snow in the air. The roads will be worse the further in we go, anways. Not to mention I doubt even you could get your truck over those fallen powerlines.))

That made sense, even if Kichi didn't like it. And driving over the sparking cables in a metal truck did not sound like a good idea no matter how it was looked at. But at least the hospital wasn't far, though that wasn't much of a comfort when she though about the viruses that were running about. Then again, Searchman's default weapon was a rifle, and from what Kichi knew, the navi was a very good shot.

((We are no weaklings, either, Pack Sister. And neither are you. You have your daggers with you, we have our teeth and claws. All will be well.)) Anuzu assured Kichi.

"Right then, lets get moving, before we get attacked by something," Kichi said, opening to door of the truck so the wolves in the cab could get out.

"Too late, puku!" came the high-pitched reply. "You're not going anywhere, puku!"

"Wanna bet?" Kichi asked with a slightly evil grin. Her truck was still running, and her foot was right next to the gas pedal...Searchman was already preparing to fire his rifle, but Kichi liked her idea better, and slammed her foot on the gas while hanging from the side of the door.

"PUKU!" Bubbleman tried to run from the truck, but in the end, the truck was faster.

"Sorry, Bubbleman, but you just didn't run fast enough," Kichi growled, her eyes dancing as the annoying navi logged out.

She doubted that would be the last they saw of him, the spirits didn't love them that much at the moment.

"I could have shot him, Kichi-san," Searchman said.

"Yeah, but I need the stress relief right now, or I'm apt to take one of you out," Kichi replied, making certain that she had all of her daggers. "Besides, now he can tell that demon-navi I'm here and that I'm pissed off. I'd like to see his reaction to that."

((Let us just hope for Netto's sake that we find Netto first)) Tainn said soberly.

That was all it took for Kichi to get serious again. If Nomde did anything to her cousin, she was going to make certain that he regretted every second of it.

Nomde was furious. Kyan stood before him and had just reported that she had missed Enzan because some stupid scientist had gotten in the way. Enzan was still alive, and this incompent mercenary had the nerve to come back and report that she had failed! And that she seemed proud of that irritated Nomde even more.

"Why, human, do you think I would reward you for killing a worthless scientist instead of the Ijuuin boy like I had told you?" Nomde asked in a soft, dangerous voice.

"Because," Kyan smirked. "It wasn't just any scientist that I killed. It was Hikari Yuuichiro."

Nomde stopped his pacing and looked at the human through narrowed eyes. "Hikari Yuuichiro? Hmm...that does change things, doesn't it..." He tossed a small bag at Kyan's feet, and when it hit the floor it clanged with the sound of money hitting money. Kyan smiled and picked it up.

"That's for doing me a favor and getting rid of Hikari-hakase. Now go and kill the Ijuuin boy. I won't tolerate a second failure, even if you kill all of the leaders of the countries of this world. Its that brat that I want dead. Understand?"

"Perfectly," Kyan replied, leaving the room.

Nomde waited for her to leave before going into the room that held Netto Hikari. The boy was still putting up quite a fight that Nomde found amusing, but a bit boring as well. Once to body grew accustomed to pain it wasn't as interesting, and Netto seemed to be good at adapting to pain. It would be interesting to see how he adapted to this turn of events.

The demon navi slid through the glass cage that held Netto as though it wasn't even there. Netto stood rigid and still where the dark energy that flowed through him - thanks to Nombe - held him in place. Netto gave the demon-navi a look of pure hatred, but Nomde simply laughed.

"Now, now, why such a dour look when I've come to bring you some news of the outside world," Nomde hissed gleefully.

"No news you bring is good," Netto spat back, trying hard to move and being unable to do so.

"True enough, but that's why I like it so much. And besides, I thought you would like to know this news, since it pertains to your father."

Netto's eyes widened. "What about my father?" He asked in a low voice.

"That he's dead. One of my servants just killed him. Isn't that nice?"

Nomde grinned as he watched Netto digest that news. He watched as the boy's eyes grew wider, then filled with tears.

"You're lying! There's no way my father's dead!" Netto howled. "You're just making that up!"

"Hah! Why would I bother? I've got better things to do than to make up lies to tell you. Like taking over this pathetic world of yours and making it mine. When I say your father is dead, I mean it. Perhaps I shall have my servants bring me his body to show you? No? Some other time then. I must take my leave of you for now, I'm quite busy you know."

With an evil chuckled Nomde disappeared. Netto felt himself going numb. It couldn't be true. His father couldn't be dead. Nomde was capable of it, but Netto didn't want to believe it. Even though his heart told him that it was true... Tears began to fall down his face and his heart grew tight with pain.

"Damn you, Nomde! I'll make you pay! Just wait, you will pay!"