Chapter 7- formal parties and culinary disasters

The day that followed seemed to pass far too quickly, because soon Nia was changing into the dress she chose for the party. It was a floor-length mid-blue dress with navy, gauzy sleeves.
"Enzan won't know what hit him."
"I just hope he isn't wearing camo, his father would kill him for it."
"Knowing him, he'll rebel somehow."
Nia smiled as she put the PET into a small handbag with a narrow strap, when there was a knock on the door, "Come in!" she called.
It was a bellboy, "There's an Ijuuin Enzan waiting for you in the main lobby."
"I'll be right there." Nia replied, grabbing her coat and putting it on before following him out.
Enzan leant casually against the desk as Nia came in, and looked at her when she arrived, "You really do dress for the occasion."
"I see you've made some effort too."
Enzan looked at his suit and smiled, "I only go so far as to embarrassing the old man."
"Well, you look great, like what you did to customise the suit a little."
"My old man insisted I arrived in a limo though, it's outside."
"Lead the way."
Enzan nodded and walked out to the sleek black car, and like a perfect gentleman, opened the door for her.
"Thank you." Nia said as she climbed in.
Enzan followed before signalling to the chauffeur to drive on.
"Very classy."
"Well, the glass is soundproof, another of the things the old man insists upon every single one is the same."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, given the choice I would've taken my car, a lot more functional."
"So function over form then?"
"Yeah, not that I don't like style, I just like my own."
"A lot of people are like that."

Netto drove his car to the front of the venue on the invitations and was greeted with news crews the moment he got out of the car. He passed the keys to the valet so that he would park it and whispered to Meiru, "Just don't make any eye contact and walk through."Meiru nodded and they walked passed them and through the door, much to the reporters' dismay.
"Geez, you must hate press conferences."
"I don't do them, the committee would like me out of uni first, Enzan has the honours."
"Makes me feel sorry for him, I mean, he does them already with his job as vice president of IPC."
"Speak of the devil." Netto replied as Enzan and a girl came in, looking irritated.
"If 963 let the location of this party slip I will find a way to make his life a living nightmare."
"No need to be harsh, maybe your father set them up for this."
"I wouldn't put it past him."
"So Enzan, who's your friend?"
"This is Liona Harmonia, better known as Nia, Nia, meet Hikari Netto and Sakurai Meiru."
"You must be Yuuichiro's son." Nia said to Netto, holding out her hand.
"You know my dad?"
"Yeah, he took me for work experience five years ago."
"Really? I didn't think they did work experience."
"Normally, they don't, but my Dad works at the Ameroupe counterpart, did Yuuichiro ever mention a Liona Algostino?"
"I think he did a couple of years back."
"I'm his daughter."
"There's a plug-in port over here, we can get our navis to chat together." Enzan said, gesturing to the small sensor and pulling out his PET, "Plug-in! Blues.EXE! Transmission!"
The others followed suit, and soon the navis were in a comfy looking lounge that opened out to a large hall full of posh-looking navis.
Blues sighed, "You can tell that we are in the right place."
Iris nodded, "That is so typical of Enzan's father."
"Let's sit over here."
They sat down on four large armchairs, "Very luxurious place Blues."
"I can tell the metool village has been here." Blues said, looking around, "It mimics the real world counterpart perfectly."
"Yeah, they're the only ones I know who do it this well."
"Well, I have to admit, they pressed me for pointers." Iris replied, cringing.
"You surely can't have given them the tips they needed to make things this good."
"I told them things, they gained some experience and improvised what they knew."
"Sounds about right."

As they talked everyone settled to dinner. The first course was haute sushi and sashimi, followed by a range of around-the-world dishes from which the guests selected, followed by cheesecake. Netto ordered a chicken curry, surprised that it was on the menu. When it arrived he took a bite and looked surprised."Is it too hot or something Netto?" Enzan asked, looking up from his grilled pork and rice.
"No, it tastes familiar, yet different at the same time." Netto replied, taking another bite, "The spice is ringing bells, but it seems, in a way, out of place."
"Take another bite and see if you recognise it." Meiru suggested.
Netto nodded and did so, "I've got it, it's Mahajorama's special spice, but this doesn't feel like his style."
"But you recognise it?"
"Yeah, it's like each cut for the ingredients was made with a tender care and to please the cust… got it!"
"Spill it out Netto!"
"It's Mum's style, she makes everything with tenderness."
"I knew that there was something funny about that cook list."
"Cook list?"
"Blues, hand over a copy to Rockman."
Blues nodded and complied, and the blue navi scanned it, "Yep, Mahajorama and your mum are on the list Netto."
Just then there was a scream from the kitchen and all the chefs came running out, panting and some were sounding hoarse. Enzan and Netto stood up, "Mum what is going on in there?"
Mahajorama answered, "Fireman came along to have a word with Magicman and all of a sudden he went berserk and setting random things on fire."
"Why would he do that?"
"He was being followed by mummies."
"MUMMIES?"
"He's a walking solution to those things!" Nia exclaimed, standing as well.
Hinoken came in, "He's been watching too many late night horror movies."
"Iris, go to the kitchen systems, and take Rockman and the others with you, they should be able to talk sense into them." Nia commanded.

The four navis nodded and took off, sure enough; Fireman was running from a group of mummies.
"Fireman, pop quiz!" Iris shouted.
"I HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS!" the candle-headed navi shouted back, "HELP ME!"
"The solution will help you!" Iris replied, "Mummies have been loaded with salt and drying fluids, what is the result?"
"THEY'RE SERIOUSLY DEHYDRATED?"
"So what happens if you set them on fire?"
"He's going to love this." Rockman muttered.
"YOU MEAN…I CAN BURN THEM? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?"
"I was trying to get you to think!"
"Well…BURN MUMMIES!" Fireman yelled, sending a flume of flames at the mummies, who were soon no more than a pile of dust that disappeared into data.
"To think, I was a walking solution to my own fear."
Just then a ghostly voice hung on the air, Rockman turned around to see a ghost, screamed and took cover behind a pillar.
Iris sighed, "Hey Nia, can you send some backup?"
"On the way Iris!" Nia replied, selecting two custom chips, "Battle chip! Katana! Silver Wonder! Double slot-in!"
Iris grabbed a hilt with both hands as a blade made with the same crystal-like structure as a regular sword erupted from it, which soon turned into silver. With fluid movements she cut through the ghosts as though they were made of paper.
"A-are th-they g-g-gone?" Rockman asked.
Iris shot an I'm-going-to-hate-myself-for-this look, before marching over to Rockman and slapping him in the face, hard.
Rockman took the blow, then looked at the other navi, "Thanks Iris, I needed that."
"Next time let me do it Iris." Roll muttered, folding her arms irritably.
Just then the temperature plummeted, and everyone except Fireman began shivering. A roar was heard, and a demonic figure appeared, Roll screamed and hid behind Rockman, who pointed his buster.
"Allow me!" Fireman said, "Burn!"
The figure melted into a black, sludgy mess.
"Three worst fears, all to do with the supernatural, but who, or what, are causing them?" Iris asked.
An earthquake answered her question.
"That was way too sudden to be an earthquake."
Another struck, accompanied by a loud thud.
"It's not an earthquake!" Iris yelled, "Something's coming, and whatever it is, it is going to be big."

Next time:

The party ends with a note of trouble, and the gang hit the Undernet for questioning an old 'friend' about some discoveries made by scans.

Stay tuned for chapter 8- Nightmares all round.