There was another knock, "Laika, come on, what's keeping you!" Leon sounded impatient. "I stayed up all night to track this thing down."
Netto sat up, "What did he say?"
"Shh," Laika said intently and looked around the room. He found a large winter hat and put it on Netto's head and said, "Hide your tail."
Netto did as he was told and Laika walked to the door. He opened it just a crack and glared at Leon, "Yes?" he asked coolly.
"Yeah, I love you too," Leon snapped. "Look, I found the last known whereabouts of the Neko Virus and I'd like to discuss a few things with you."
"All right," Laika said.
"You know you can be really cold sometimes. I just pulled an all nighter and you're not even inviting me in for coffee?" Leon asked.
Laika sighed, "I'm not really…"
Leon finally had enough, "Do you want the info or not?" he asked while holding up the envelope.
Laika looked inside where Netto was giving him a 'don't you dare say no' glare. Laika sighed, "Fine," he muttered and pulled open the door.
Leon came inside and saw Netto. "Who are you?"
Netto smiled nervously, "I'm a Net Savior from Electopia sent here on back up," he lied through his teeth.
"Oh! The Hikari kid? I've heard a lot about you and your navi. Is he infected?" Leon asked.
Netto nodded, "Yeah, unfortunately."
"Good then this info will help you too," Leon said with a grin as he walked to the kitchen. "But first I need coffee."
Laika walked over to the couch and sat next to Netto, "I can still see your tail," he muttered. Netto grinned sheepishly and pushed it under the pillow that was next to him.
"It won't stop moving," he whispered back.
Neil walked into the small living area and sat in a chair across from Netto and Laika with a steaming cup of coffee. "All right, here's what I got," he said putting the envelope on the table. "Good news, the Neko Virus is in Creamland, bad news, we think it may have split it's self in two to keep from getting captured."
"It can do that?" Netto gasped.
Leon shrugged, "Sure, all viruses can. It's actually a way to stay alive. They make copies of themselves so if anything happens the copy can live on. Only we think this copy may be the doppelganger here and that the real virus is hiding out and laughing at us."
Netto rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I can see that."
Leon grinned, "You helped to take down the Neko Virus originally didn't you."
Netto nodded, "Yeah, and it wasn't fun."
Leon laughed and took a long draught of coffee. "I bet, the thing is kind of scary." He took another drink and discovered it was gone. "Ah, excuse me for a second will you?" he asked and went back to the kitchen for more coffee.
"Leon," Silver hissed.
"Yeah?" Leon yawned while pouring himself another cup of the soothing brew.
"That kid," she said. "Something's not right about him."
"Who? The Electopian kid? He's all right, I've read his profile, he and his navi have saved the world a few times," Leon whistled, "Amazing."
"No, I mean he doesn't feel right," Silver said.
"Feel?"
"I mean I can scan files from him," Silver said bluntly. "The kid is infected with the Neko Virus some how."
Leon almost dropped his coffee cup. "What? When did you find that out?"
"When I ran a virus scan on the building to see how many infected navi's are here, as per protocol when you visit another tenant's home," she snapped. "The kid is infected…" she said slowly to get it through her operator's brain.
"All right, all right," Leon said. "I get it, what should I do about it?"
"Ask why? I don't know! He's a human and he's infected with a computer virus, there is something wrong with that," Silver noted.
Leon nodded and took a sip of coffee, "All right," he muttered and went back into the living space. "Ummm… hey," he said nervously.
Netto and Laika both looked at him blankly. Leon finally noted that Netto's eyes were slitted like a cat's; he blinked and said, "Why are you wearing a winter hat inside?"
Netto looked away from Leon's gaze, "Well I… umm…" he laughed nervously.
"Why do you care?" Laika snapped.
Leon glared at Laika, "So this is your idea, I take it."
"What is?" Netto asked, suddenly very confused.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Laika replied evenly.
"Huh?" Rockman asked, finally getting in on the conversation.
"Oh please, yes you do. What's going on here? Because I sure as hell would like to know," Leon snapped.
"Know what!" Netto and Rockman yelled suddenly.
Everyone turned to stare at them. Finally a voice came from Leon's waist. "Kid, I ran a virus scan on the building to make sure that there were no other viruses in here. Care to explain why you're infected with the Neko Virus?" she asked.
Netto blinked, everything coming together. "Oh!" he said. "Wait… what?"
Rockman face palmed while Laika resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We want to know a few things," Neil said.
Netto gulped nervously/Should we tell him/ he asked.
/Part of it, leave out the part about me being part human and we'll see if he buys it/ Rockman said.
/All right/ Netto agreed and opened his mouth. "Well, you see, my navi and I… uhh" he blinked. "Rockman and I have a bond, and it allows us pretty much to stay alive at this point. Everything he feels I feel and vice versa."
"Right," Rockman picked up. "And so if I was infected, then so was Netto-kun."
"Why?" Leon gasped.
"It was a decision I made…" Netto rubbed his arm nervously, "awhile ago."
Leon looked like he wanted to ask more questions but Laika cleared his throat. "Not now," he growled. "What else about the virus?"
Leon shook his head, "No, that was most of it. We should get more updates as time goes on."
"Really?" Laika and Netto asked together.
"Yeah but… you obviously can't go anywhere," Leon put a hand to his head. "Wow, no wonder Laika's been pulling so much vacation. Your grandfather was ecstatic about it you know," Leon noted. "He says you haven't taken a day off in years."
"Really?" Netto asked.
"Oh yeah, Laika doesn't get sick and nothing ever happens since his family… well," Leon blushed. "Never mind. Well, I guess I'll… I'm not really sure what the hell to say to this."
"Say you won't tell anyone," Laika growled.
"Why not?" Silver snapped.
Netto stood up suddenly, "Wait you can't tell anyone," he said.
Leon and Silver both stared at his tail. Netto turned a bright red and laughed nervously. "Ummm… yeah."
Rockman picked up Netto's plea, "Don't. The link needs to stay secret or it could be used against us. You have to understand this, if one of us dies, then the other does as well."
"What?" Leon and Silver asked.
Netto nodded and finally took off the hat, "Yeah, he's right. If someone found that out then they could kill me to get rid of Rockman, or vice versa. It's…"
Laika repressed a shiver, he knew of this plight, but hearing it out in the open added a new realism to the situation.
"We understand," Leon said. "Don't worry kid, I promise that nothing will be heard from us."
Silver nodded inside her PET, "I agree. Certainly an interesting way to fight though."
Netto smiled nervously, "Trust me, we didn't intend for this to happen. It kinda just… did."
Leon laughed, "That I totally believe."
"Well?" Laika asked.
"Well, I guess I'll keep you posted then," Leon said with a grin. "It's the least I owe you Laika. Don't worry, this thing will be found soon."
"Thanks," Laika said.
Leon patted Laika on the shoulder, "Any time. Just… stay out of trouble will ya?"
Netto blinked, Laika didn't seem to be much of a troublemaker. Laika brushed Leon's hand off his shoulder and said dryly, "I'll try my best."
Leon laughed, "All right, we'll come by later with some pizza and I'll tell you what happens, okay?"
"Sounds good," Netto said.
"Take care, kid," Leon said and nodded to Laika then he left the room.
Netto collapsed on the couch. "Whew…" he said.
"Agreed," Rockman muttered.
