Wow. Three reviews on just one chapter. Sweet. Anyway, here's chapter five. This might be the last one posted for a couple of days. Ya know, considering school is starting up for me again. But, eh, it doesn't take me that long to write these things so if I don't finish the next chapter today, it'll be either tomorrow or Wednesday.
There. That's enough info for you. Probably just wanna read the chapter, huh? And they just seem to be getting shorter and shorter...Oops, enough of my babbling. Enjoy the chapter!
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Chapter Five: To Begin A Play
Rockman's hands were shaking. Even after the shock had subsided, they trembled still. Netto watched him worriedly, so did Gabba.EXE, or so he figured the Navi was called.
"I-I don't know what's going on!" Rockman cried. "Netto-kun, where am I?" He swiftly turned to his operator, feeling more panicked than he ever had in his life
"You're at the resistance's infirmary." Netto answered.
What was wrong with his brother? Netto wondered. Had something happened when the debris fell?
There was only one way to find out. Netto took a deep breath and looked down at the sheets.
"Saito-kun, what was the day…what date was it when we went to Amerope?" Netto's face was shadowed by his bangs.
Rockman blinked, he didn't remember. It felt so long ago. "I-I don't know."
Netto's head shot up. "You-You don't remember?"
Rockman shook his head.
"Nothing at all?" Netto's face scrunched up.
"Well, I do remember getting kidnapped…" Rockman was startled to see Netto shake his head.
"That's it? Saito, that's the day that Tohru—Tohru…" Netto trailed off and pushed himself away from the bed, grabbing onto his PET as he did so. (Does everybody know how Tohru is? Tory in the English dub? Just makin' sure…ya know…didn't want to lose y'all.)
"I'm going to go get Papa!" he called, his voice sounding thick.
Rockman stared after the boy who was once his operator. "Tohru-kun…? What happened to…?"
"Saito-sama, did you bump your head?" It was his supposed Navi, Gabba. Rockman scooped the PET back up and stared at the screen.
"I don't think so…" Rockman frowned pensively. What had happened? That blast of light…had it sent him here? Was this an alternate dimension?
He'd heard of these, they were constantly discussed by intelligent Navis in Internet City. And the Eradicate was supposedly a first try at a time machine…maybe Dr. Mikuro hadn't gotten it fully right and, instead of time, he had created a portal to an alternate universe!
Rockman's eyes widened. So…he was in an alternate universe…he'd have to make due. Saying that he had amnesia seemed to be the safest bet.
"I-I might of…I mean…I remember Netto and some other people but then I don't really remember…" Rockman murmured, playing the confused act. Which really wasn't an act, he was still sort of confused, after all.
How long would he have to keep this up?
Gabba's eyes widened, and he begun to tear up, "So you-you don't remember me? Oh Saito-sama!"
Rockman swore that if the little Navi could, he would have hugged him.
-
Netto ran, panting, and tears flowed out the sides of his eyes. How could Saito not remember the day Tohru died? They hadn't been there, of course, too busy with their vacation at Amerope. Saito had been kidnapped and on the verge of losing his life, by time they'd rescued him they learned Tohru had been killed. The Water Plant suddenly exploded, and Tohru, his father, and even Iceman didn't make it out. Netto remembered the pain like it was yesterday, the boy's smiling face… Saito had been just as distraught. How could he not remember?
The messy haired boy swerved around a corner and paused in front of two metal doors, hurriedly pushing a button that would slide them open.
The room was filled with men in lab coats; Netto wormed his way through them until he reached his father. Hikari Yuuichirou.
The man was the only one not wearing a lab coat, his back was turned to Netto, and he seemed to be discussing something rather heatedly.
"Papa!" Netto cried, and the scientist turned around. "Oh, Netto! How's Sai?"
"That's just the thing…" he began but stopped, there were too many people around.
"Papa, can we go somewhere else and talk?"
Yuuichirou blinked and looked around before shrugging, "I don't see why not. Come on then. I'll be back in a minute, Takahashi!"
"All right, Hikari! Just don't take too long!"
Yuuichirou laughed and waved as Netto led him by the hand out of the room.
"We'll talk in here." Yuuichirou pointed to a door which led to a storage closet. Netto nodded, and they clambered in.
"What about Sai, Netto?" Yuuichirou questioned curiously.
"He doesn't…he doesn't…it's like he doesn't remember anything!" Netto cried, wringing his hands.
Yuuichirou was puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"Papa, he didn't remember the day Tohru died." Netto insisted, looking very upset.
Yuuichirou's features softened and he frowned slightly, "So you're saying that Saito might have amnesia?"
"He's got to, Papa! He doesn't remember Gabba or even Classic!"
"Okay, okay. I understand. I'll get the good doctors to go and check up on him." Yuuichirou placed a hand on his son's shoulder, trying to comfort the boy.
Netto sighed, "Okay."
"Oh, and while you're heading back to Saito's room, would you mind giving this to Enzan? It's from Laika, he said it was important." Yuuichirou dug into his pocket and took out a white envelope. He handed it to his son, and Netto accepted it, placing it in his pocket as well.
"Well, I better get back, or they'll have my head. It'll be all right, Netto, I'm sure Saito will be okay." Yuuichirou nodded and unlocked the door, holding it open for Netto and following the boy out.
Netto's father turned and headed back towards the room while Netto himself began to trudge to Enzan's own. He shoved his hand in the pocket where the envelope was and watched the floor unhappily. Whatever the envelope was about, he'd force Enzan to tell him. He was apart of the resistance force, after all.
--
"Honestly, a man could starve down here! Does nobody care for my want or my needs? I'm the only one working on this!" Mikuro raved, scooting his chair back and kicking childishly at the dashboard.
"Quiet, you haven't done a thing. You've just sat there the entire time and typed." Enzan scowled, sitting on a chair across the room.
"Where are the others, anyway? Shouldn't they be done cleaning up my beautiful house by now? It's almost lunchtime, and I still haven't received my paycheck!" Mikuro continued to complain, ignoring Enzan's truthful comment.
"If you haven't noticed, doctor, your house is large, and there are only five people cleaning it." Enzan ground out irritably.
They'd arrived at Mikuro's "humble little abode" three hours ago. The place, truth be told, was a wreck. A few police still meandered about outside, just in case the criminals tried to come back as Enzan expected they would, and Mikuro constantly whined about the noise and how it was "muddling up his thinking process."
Dr. Hikari, Meiru, Yaito, Dekao, and Dingo—the two boys had arrived just an hour ago with the only excuse that the shop had been extremely busy—were currently cleaning up the not-so-good doctor's house.
"Yes, and there are seven here! Excluding me, who is doing the best I can with my wonderful, and amazing abilities. You should also be helping out as well!" Mikuro twisted around in his chair and pointed an accusing finger at Enzan, meeting the boy with an identical glare.
"I'm stationed for guard duty." Enzan told him simply, leaning back in the chair and placing his leg on his knee and arms behind his head.
"Well, then, your time is up. No need for a guard here, I'm getting paid, I won't skip out. As I've said before, Bubbles and Sweetie pine if I stay gone too long." Mikuro turned to the goldfish bowl on his right and lovingly stroked the glass. Two yellow goldfish swiftly swam in the other direction, startled by the sudden movement.
Enzan merely snorted; Bubbles and Sweetie indeed.
"Get back to work." Enzan commanded, and the scientist huffed, throwing his nose into the air and turning his attention back to the screen.
There was a tense silence in the room, just the click-clacking of the keys to fill the quiet.
Then, suddenly, Mikuro let out a startled gasp. Enzan shot up and hurried over. The window that popped up onto the screen read in big, yellow bubbled letters: "18k Gold Watch half off, get it today for the low price of 21,208,428.29 yen!"(About $180,000.00) Below it was a picture of a very nice looking gold watch.
"It's…beautiful…" Mikuro murmured, eyes shining.
Enzan felt his temper rise.
His hand moved so fast that the scientist never saw him reach for the mouse. The cursor quickly moved up and closed the window. Mikuro's mouth dropped open in shock.
"You-You…the-the…"
"Working hard, are you?" Enzan leaned against the table, smirking.
Mikuro snarled, "Fine. But you're going to get it boy, just you wait. That watch was a limited edition! I've never seen ANYONE advertising it."
Enzan merely raised a slender eyebrow, and the scientist pulled up a minimized window, grumbling something about stupid kids not knowing how to treat their elders.
--
Hikari Haruka washed the dishes, slowly and steadily, watching the cloth move smoothly over the bowl's ceramic surface.
Netto would have been here, normally, helping her as he always did.
And Rockman would be making comments or just chatting with her.
But it was quiet tonight. No loud yells punctuating the silence or even the slightest hint of other life.
Haruka sighed. She missed her Netto.
What had happened to him? Yuuichirou hadn't called her yet. Was it something bad? Was he afraid to tell her?
She sniffled. No, crying wouldn't help her now. She reached for a towel and begun drying the bowl off.
Meiru hadn't even come over to explain. Haruka often tried to stay out of Netto's business being a Net Savior. She didn't ask about the missions or even bring them up. But she worried. Every time he hurried out the door with that big, goofy smile on his face. She worried about him constantly.
And her fears had now been realized.
She knew Netto had disappeared, and so had Rockman. But no one had informed her to where or why.
Haruka placed the bowl in the cabinet and shut the door, just dinner for one tonight.
Only one set of dishes to clean.
Netto's mother strolled into the living room, not paying very much attention to where she was going. She flopped down onto a chair and sighed sadly, reaching over and picking up the picture of her, Netto, and Yuuichirou.
Haruka studied it nostalgically, placing her cheek in her hand.
A static sound silently popped into Haruka's hearing, and she looked around but noticed nothing out of the ordinary.
It happened again, this time though, her TV turned on.
Haruka watched with fascination as the screen fizzled and crackled.
"Ma…ma…" The voice was hoarse and mixed in with static so it was barely heard. Haruka shot up in surprise, dropping the picture frame onto the couch.
"Who-who's there?" she stammered, unable to back up any further.
"Ma…ma…" the voice said again.
The TV screen suddenly went blank. Haruka gulped in air, standing still and waiting.
Nothing happened for a moment.
And, then, it exploded.