After the snowball fight was over Netto, Enzan and Laika all headed into the warmth of the hotel that they were staying at. Manabe and Yui decided it was safe to come out of the plane now that there was no danger of being hit in the head with a barrage of snow.

As soon as they got inside the first thing Netto did was take off his now snow encrusted coat and plop on the couch. "Tired?" Enzan asked.

"No," Netto said, "Just in need of rest."

"Oh, I see," Enzan said mockingly as he hung up his and Netto's coats as Netto had carelessly discarded his on the floor.

"Well, we won't have long to rest," Laika said.

Netto propped his chin in his hand and looked at Laika. "Why not?" he asked.

"The weather service is calling for a snow storm by tomorrow afternoon so if we want to do any searching, we do it tonight," Laika said. "Sharro snow storms are no joke."

Manabe and Yui came in the room in time to hear the last statement. Manabe nodded, "That is very true. This time though, Yui and I will stay in here with monitoring equipment and we'll tell you if you're in any danger. It would be a hindrance to have five people and it's dangerous to go out there without someone guiding you."

Laika nodded seriously, "I was just about to suggest the same thing, Manabe-san."

Manabe smiled. "I've been trained for quite a few survival situations, you three don't need to worry about me."

"Can we rest a little bit?" Netto asked.

"Tired?" Enzan asked again.

"No…" Netto said slowly, but this time he gave no clever comeback.

Laika sighed but only Searchman could hear it. "We'll leave in two hours," he said and went into a separate room of the cabin they were in.

Netto flipped over onto his back and started at the wooden ceiling. He put his hands behind his head and gazed intently upwards. /Penny for your thoughts/ Rockman asked him.

/Think this time we'll catch him/ Netto asked.

/Not sure/ Rockman replied. /But I do know that we're very close so if we work hard enough I think we will./

Netto smiled and turned on his side. /You always know the right things to say/ Netto said.

/I'm your big brother, it's somewhat my job/ Rockman joked.

/Don't you mean big sister/ Netto teased.

/Fine then, little sister/ Rockman teased back.

Netto almost stuck his tongue out at the air but then he thought the better of it and just curled up and went to sleep. Enzan looked at Netto and sighed, he was tired regardless of any smart alec comments that Netto might use to tell him otherwise. Enzan grabbed a book out of his knapsack and sat down to read. Manabe and Yui got the equipment ready and Laika was nowhere to be seen for the next two hours.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Two hours later Netto felt himself being shaken awake. "What…" he asked sleepily.

"Time to go," Laika said.

Netto groaned and turned away from Laika. He curled up in a small ball and tried to ward off Laika with what he hoped was subconscious vibes. It didn't work.

"Netto," he said crossing his arms.

Netto groaned and flipped over to glare at Laika with tired eyes. "Go away," he muttered.

Laika at this point was used to Netto not having any tact what so ever when he woke up and just simply pulled the brunette off the couch. "Come on," he said.

Netto grumbled but let himself get pulled along somewhat unwillingly but not enough that Laika couldn't handle it. /You okay/ Rockman asked him.

/I'm fine, just a little tired/ Netto muttered.

/A little/ Rockman asked incredulously.

/Shut up/ Netto said and Rockman didn't reply.

Netto made sure to put on all of the clothes he possibly could. When he was done he looked something like an orange snowman but to his delight he didn't look like a girl. With his spirits somewhat lifted he went outside where the cold blast of wind woke him up in record time.

/Wow/ Rockman said.

/I told you/ Netto replied. /It's cold./

/I figured that/ Rockman said. /I can't believe Laika grew up in this weather./

Netto shrugged to the best of his abilities/I can/ he muttered.

Laika and Enzan came out and Laika immediately took command. "Follow me," he said.

Netto glanced at Enzan who shrugged and together they followed their friend out into the snow. It wasn't snowing but there was enough cold to compensate for that. Laika held a GPS in his hands and every five minutes he looked warily at the sky. /I wonder what's wrong/ Netto asked.

/I don't know, maybe you should ask him/ Rockman said.

Netto caught up with Laika and Enzan quickened his pace to catch up with Netto. "Anything wrong?" Netto asked.

Laika looked at Netto sharply as if he had been surprised. "No, why do you ask?"

"You keep on looking at the sky," Netto said. "Is something going to happen?"

Laika's gaze on Netto narrowed and he shifted uncomfortably. "I don't think the storm will wait for tomorrow to start," he said finally.

"What makes you say that?" Enzan asked.

"The sky is turning darker and it's too calm for my liking," Laika said. "I think something is going to happen."

"Should we head back, Laika-san?" Searchman asked.

Laika shook his head, "Not yet. Let's wait just a little bit longer, then if it does get any worse we can turn around."

Enzan looked around and couldn't tell the difference between the ground and the sky. "Where are we?" he asked.

"About a mile away from our destination," Laika said.

"The doctor?" Netto asked.

Laika shook his head, "No, where the radio waves are coming from. Which means him or maybe some kind of radio tower. Either way we're close to something," he said.

"Well, thank goodness," Netto muttered.

"Relax," Laika said. "I know what I'm doing."

Netto looked at Laika and gave him a broad smile that seemed to put the older boy at some kind of ease. "All right, so how far away from Dr. Cunningham are we?"

"Hard to say. The radio waves are bouncing all over the place. Bu we've got a fix on one definite location so that's where we're going."

Netto opened his mouth to reply but then he seemed to think the better of it and he just continued to follow Laika.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They came on an old snow covered building seemingly in the middle of nowhere. "I hope this is it," Netto muttered. "I'm freezing."

Laika nodded and he went up to the door of what seemed to be an old laboratory. "Searchman, plug in, transmission!" he yelled and Searchman went into the small computer. The door opened a bit unwillingly as it was caked with ice but it did open enough for the three boys to squeeze through.

They got inside and Searchman closed the door immediately so as to not let the cold in. They looked around and Netto sighed in disappointment. "This place hasn't been used in months," he said.

The monitor on his PET crackled to life, "Did you boys find anything?" Manabe asked.

Netto shook his head. "Nothing."

"Well, come back then, a storm is brewing and I don't want you three to get caught in it. We'll continue our search tomorrow."

"All right," Netto said and the screen went blank. He looked at the door, "Well you heard her."

"We're staying here," Laika said.

Enzan and Netto looked at him. "What?" the asked.

"We're staying here," Laika repeated. "Look, the storm is going to be here in two hours, that's nowhere near enough time to get back to Manabe-san."

Netto crossed his arms, "How do you know?" he asked.

Laika gave Netto a piercing gaze he had never seen before. "Just trust me, okay?" he asked.

Netto blinked then nodded. Laika plugged Searchman back into the computer. "Are there energy reserves?" he asked.

Searchman hacked into the lab's main operating system. "Yes, there is a generator outside, but it's old."

"See if you can use it to heat this place," Laika said.

"Yes, Laika-san."

Netto tapped some buttons on his PET in an effort to contact Manabe to tell them of their plan. "Are you getting a signal?" Laika asked.

"A really faint one, but not enough to send a video message," Netto replied.

"Just send her an e-mail then," Enzan said.

"O-oh, right, that's what I was going to do next," Netto laughed nervously and wrote the e-mail.

Enzan rolled his eyes and sat on a frozen chair. It was going to be a long snowstorm.

Searchman managed to get the old generator to give enough energy flow to heat the place and give them some light. There wasn't much heat, but it was enough that they knew without a doubt they wouldn't freeze to death, just get very cold. Netto curled into a ball around his PET and shivered. "Netto-kun?" Rockman asked.

"Yes?" Netto replied.

"I think I know what you meant about being cold," Rockman admitted.

"Yeah, no kidding," Netto muttered.

"Hm?" Rockman asked.

"Nothing," Netto said quickly.

"You okay?" Netto heard Enzan ask.

Netto looked up to see Enzan standing over him and looking at him with something Netto fancied as concern in his eyes. "I'm fine, why, worried?"

"A little," Enzan admitted.

Netto gave Enzan a startled glance. "Really?" he asked incredulously.

Enzan rolled his eyes and sat next to Netto. "Of course, I'm allowed to be worried about my friends, right?" he asked.

"O-oh!" Netto said laughing nervously and blushing. "Of course!" he said brightly.

Enzan gave him a strange look. "Are you really okay?" he asked again.

Netto crossed his arms and curled up a little tighter. "I'm fine. At least I'm not in a bathing suit."

Rockman laughed, "I thought you looked good," he teased.

Netto knew he couldn't glare at Rockman but he still looked pretty angry. "Say that again, I dare you," he hissed.

Rockman smiled and silently went into Blues' PET.

Laika walked over and sat down on the other side of Netto. "Well, that's all we can do for now. The storm will start soon," he said.

"How can you tell?" Netto asked again.

"I learned how to read weather signs while being trained to be military personnel. Sharro isn't a country where you can afford to take chances with Mother Nature," he said coolly.

"No kidding," Netto said, sinking into his coat.

"Are you okay?" Laika asked. He had completely missed the conversation between Netto and Enzan just a few minutes before.

"I'm fine!" Netto sighed. "Why the hell are you two so worried about me anyways? I can take care of myself perfectly fine, you know."

Rockman rolled his eyes but didn't say anything and Blues and Searchman both hid small smiles.

"Netto, first of all, no, you can't," Enzan pointed out. Netto glared at him but Enzan continued on. "Second of all, you've been very jumpy lately, and it's not like you to go curl up in a corner when there's a problem."

"I'm cold," Netto muttered.

"Right," Enzan said.

Netto sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'm fine!" he said again.

/Netto-kun, they're just trying to help/ Rockman said.

Netto sighed mentally/I know. But this is going the way it should. Even worse we don't know where to go next and we're stuck in a Sharro snowstorm. Sorry if I'm a little touchy./

/No you're not/ Rockman said, but with a touch of humor.

Netto resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at Rockman as he wasn't in front of him. /Who asked you/

Enzan nudged Netto. "You there?" he asked.

"Hm? Yeah, what kind of question is that?" Netto asked pointedly.

"You know we can never tell when you're talking to Rockman or just being weird," Enzan said.

"Huh?" Netto asked.

"He means you're not one to just suddenly be quiet," Laika replied.

Before Netto could reply there was a strong gust of wind against the doors that shook the small building. "Searchman, can you find any weather tracks?" Laika asked.

"The storm is fairly large; there is no weather pattern that shows how big it is. The time it will take to end is undeterminable."

"Thank you Searchman," Laika said.

"So, we're here all night then?" Netto asked.

"Looks that way," Searchman admitted.

"Think you can handle it?" Enzan teased.

Netto glared at him then smiled coyly. "Of course," he replied.

"Looks like Netto-san is feeling better," Blues said quietly to Rockman.

"Thank god," Rockman said putting a hand on his chest and giving a sigh of relief. Then he quickly took his hand of and turned a bright shade of red.

Searchman and Blues smiled wanly at Rockman. Rockman laughed nervously and tried to brush it off. It was his body after all, wasn't it?

The storm increased in intensity but the small building held up its own in the storm's wake. "This building is very strong," Blues observed.

Laika nodded, "Yes, Sharro makes some of the best weather resistant material in the world."

Netto stretched and finally stood up. "Well, that's nice to know."

"It's keeping you alive," Laika said.

Netto didn't reply and collapsed onto a couch. "What is this place anyway?" he asked.

"I think it's an old observation building," Laika said.

"A what?" Netto asked.

"For weather and environmental observations, people would stay here for a few days or so and see how this area of Sharro was holding up."

"Why?" Netto asked.

"Because, Sharro needs to be monitored. You never know when something will happen and we might need this area of Sharro to build a hide away place or something like that," Laika answered.

"So…" Netto paused thinking over his reply. "You're all really paranoid?"

Enzan snorted and coughed to mask what suspiciously sounded like a laugh. Even Blues looked highly amused.

Laika and Searchman weren't quite so thrilled with the implication, "No!" they yelled at the same time.

Netto laughed and Rockman joined in. "Awww, you don't have to be so protective," Netto teased Laika.

Laika put his best stony face on and did his best to ignore Netto at that point.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A few hours later Netto had forgotten all previous misgivings about the place and just stared at the ceiling feeling very bored. He sighed and stretched.

"Bored?" Enzan asked without looking up from the novel he was reading.

"No, why?" Netto asked.

"That's the tenth time you've sighed in about a minute," Enzan replied.

"I'm…" Netto paused, "not bored," he said finally.

"That's a good argument," Enzan said sarcastically.

"Shut up," Netto muttered.

"The storm should be over in about 4 hours," Laika said, making sure to interrupt the argument before it became too big.

"Meaning?" Netto asked, without looking away from the ceiling.

"You might want to try and sleep," Laika said. "We're staying all night. Only an idiot would go into Sharro tundra after 11 pm."

Netto sighed again.

"Do you suppose Dr. Cunningham knows we're here?" Searchman asked.

Enzan shook his head. "Doubt it, even if he does, and he's around here, he's stuck same ask us. We still have a few more places to check, and hopefully no more snowstorms."

"That'd be nice," Rockman said.

"No kidding," Netto replied.

"Well, for now let's concentrate on just getting out of here in the morning," Laika said.

Netto slid from the couch and looked over Enzan's shoulder, "What are you reading?" he asked.

"A book about the end of the world," he replied.

"Lovely," Netto said dryly.

Enzan shrugged his shoulders. "To each his own," he said.

Netto sat next to Enzan and glanced at the book he was reading, trying to see if he was being sarcastic to make him go away or if he was serious. Ten minutes later he was asleep on Enzan's shoulder.

"That didn't take long," Laika noted.

Enzan shrugged but did it carefully. "Who cares, at least he's quiet."

"Aren't you going to move him?" Laika asked.

"Why?" Enzan replied without looking at his book.

Laika arched an eyebrow, "No reason," he said.

A little less then an hour later Enzan had fallen asleep as well, with his arms unknowingly around Netto.