The dinner they shared was pleasant. They reminisced over old times and chatted while their navis joined in on the conversations with ease. After it was all over Netto dropped Laika off at his hotel and he returned home, falling into bed. "So, what's gonna happen?" Netto mused as he pulled the covers over himself.
"Who knows?" Rockman replied and mirrored Netto.
"Ah whatever, night Rockman."
"Night Netto-kun."
The next morning Netto woke up ready to finish off the security program and send in the first level of data to be inspected by the buyers. This would give him a three to four day window to do as he pleased and he knew it wouldn't be spent in leisurely activity. Not since Laika was there.
"Netto-kun, got the program?" Rockman asked as they headed to Nanako's office to drop it off.
Netto held up a disk between two fingers, "Stage one complete, we need approval before we can finish it off though."
Rockman nodded, "I know that."
Netto sighed, "That's one reason I don't like making security programs."
"Too bad," Rockman said matter of factly.
The two argued good naturedly as they walked into Nanako's office unannounced. "Here you go," Netto said handing her the disk.
She blinked at it and sighed, "Well, I see the first part is finished. You're free to go. I'll call you when it's approved for the final part."
Netto nodded and left the office. "I hate this part," he said while making a face.
"What the part where the people pick out every thing wrong with your program?" Rockman asked.
"Yes," Netto said. "I hate re-doing things."
"Yeah, but if there's a mistake then it needs to be fixed," Rockman pointed out.
"Says you," Netto teased.
Rockman rolled his eyes and didn't dignify the quip with a response. After walking in silence for a few moments, Netto's PET began to ring. "Yes?" Netto asked as the view screen came up.
"Netto-kun," Mejin greeted him.
"Hey!" Netto waved. "So, what now?"
"I'd like you to come to the my office, we're going to brief you on what's going on and introduce you to the Vigilante team in charge of it," Mejin explained.
Netto groaned, "I just got off work," he said.
"You agreed to this, be thankful your work is done," Mejin pointed out.
Rockman laughed and earned himself a glare from Netto. "I'll be there after I get ready."
"All right, we'll see you soon," Mejin said and hung up before Netto could chide him by saying 'Mejin-san.'
Netto sighed, "Ah well," he shrugged. "Looks like this is about to begin all over again."
Rockman laughed hollowly, "You sound so excited."
Netto rolled his eyes, "I hated Fujiko Yamato, the woman was a psychopath."
Rockman nodded his head, "True, but Mejin-san did say it was only reference work."
"And you really believed him?" Netto asked his navi disbelievingly.
"No," Rockman admitted slowly. "But you might."
"Aw, you be quiet," Netto said and got into his car.
Rockman laughed as he plugged himself into the car's navigation system.
An hour later Netto pulled into the parking lot of Sci Labs and headed back into the building. He rode the elevator all the way up to the fifth floor and went into Mejin's office. "Hey," he called out dully.
"You're late," Enzan remarked.
"Excuse me for eating after work," Netto said hotly.
Just then a bespecled girl with brown hair and eyes walked over to him and stuck out her hand, "Name's Andréa, nice to meet you!" she said cheerfully.
Netto looked her up and down then took her hand. "Hi, my name is Netto," he said unsure of what to say to the very outspoken girl.
She nodded, "Yeah, I know that, oh!" she gasped, as if remembering something. She walked over to the back of the room and pulled a boy slightly taller then her to his feet, "This is my younger brother, Edward."
The boy nodded a serious look in his eyes. "He hates to talk," Andréa said with a wicked grin.
"Shut up," he muttered in a low tone to his older sister.
She grinned broadly and sat down. "Younger brother?" Netto asked.
Andréa nodded, "Yeup!" she said cheerfully to the point of annoyance. "Ed here is 14, I'm 17."
Netto raised an eyebrow, "You're 17?" he asked slowly.
Andréa's eyebrow twitched, "Yes, I'm 17, I'm a senior in high school too, got a problem with that?" she snapped.
Netto held up his hands and merely sat down.
Mejin coughed, "Now that we're all acquainted, let's get some of the basic facts down."
Andréa twirled a piece of her short hair around her finger, "How about… Fujiko is insane? Ow!" she yelped from what Netto suspected was an elbow from her younger brother.
/She's right…/ Netto mused.
Rockman giggled in his PET.
Mejin coughed again and they all watched him. "All right, listen up people. Fujiko Yamato is out of prison and we have reason to believe that she's created a new ring of followers. Her last plan was to destroy the net with an energy overload equivalent to 20 nuclear bombs, now considering this almost worked; we believe this is her plan now."
"Joy…" Enzan said dryly, Laika's lips twisted and Netto sighed.
"Andréa and Edward are both special force operatives and Andréa is a programmer who had been over Fujiko's plans several times. They're the head team of the operation."
Andréa grinned and gave the boys a thumbs up while Edward just scowled. Netto nodded back while Enzan and Laika just gazed at her in an almost unbelieving stare.
"So, I'll leave these two to brief you guys on what they know then if you wish you can go on field duty."
"I thought you said this was purely research," Enzan pointed out.
Mejin shrugged, "Your choice, you choose."
Netto grinned/I called that one./
Rockman laughed mentally/That you did, Netto-kun./
Andréa walked to the front of the room as Mejin closed the door. "Okay, well really Mejin already said everything. She escaped from jail, she has lunatic followers and she's already attack four net bases, draining them of their energy. We managed to prevent one attack and stop another but our stats still suck."
"Blunt way off putting it," Laika murmured.
"Thank you!" Andréa grinned and sat down at Mejin's desk. Her expression became serious, "Listen to me, you already know this woman is dangerous and you three originally helped to bring her down. If you choose to go on field duty regardless of your current occupations, I can assure you you'll be targeted."
Netto shrugged, "Not like I have anything better to do."
Enzan coughed, "How about the security program?" he asked.
"Three day break while your dad tears it apart," Netto flashed Enzan a cool grin.
Enzan sighed, "All right," he muttered. "I'll help some too."
"I planned to be on field duty from the beginning," Laika said coolly.
Andréa shrugged, "Fine with me. Just know this," she stood up. "You may have led the first attack but this is our battle now. I say what goes, and Edward is the strategy person, okay?"
/She's kinda pushy, isn't she/ Rockman asked.
Netto laughed/Kinda/
The other two shrugged, although they looked a bit scandalized by being bossed around by a 17 year old.
Andréa nodded. "Okay, now that that's out of the way, I don't think you've met our navis," she said with a grin. She pulled out a cerulean blue PET and held it up, "This is Staccato," she said with a grin and showed them a pretty navi who looked to be about her operator's age with a blue hued costume. It had a short skirt with black leggings, ankle high boots and gloves, a blue shirt that looked like a t-shirt and between the t-shirt and the gloves was black. Her helmet was of simple design with ridges to make patterns, long blue hair trailed out from underneath and was pulled into two pony tails that fell to her waist.
She waved energetically at them. "Hey!" she said cheerfully.
Edward sighed and pulled out his PET, it was a pastel green. The navi inside was a tall male wearing a simple green jumpsuit with dark green elbow high gloves and dark green knee high boots. Lines of black outlined his costume and a dark bank of black encircled his waist. His helmet was green and black and spiky green hair stuck out from underneath it. He bowed politely, "Hello," he said quietly.
Netto nodded, "Nice to meet you two as well."
Andréa stood up, "Well, shall we get going?" she asked.
"What, now?" Enzan asked.
She winked, "No time like the present, come on, let's go!"
Her bother sighed and followed his energetic older sister out the door who was followed by a very confused Enzan, Laika and Netto.
