BH: Damn, it's been a while, hsn't it, guys?
Rhane: No kidding...
BH: I gotta apologize for my very very long absence. Long story short, asshole insulted my little brother (only something I'm allowed to do,) little brother got mad, asshole pulled a kife on little brother, I beat the living shit out of asshole for trying to hurt little brother, asshole ended up in the hospital (two cracked ribs and a broken nose) and I ended up grounded.
Will: sweatdrop Well, anyway, you're ungrounded now, and that's what counts
BH: Be prepared for a big round of updates now that I've got acess to my computer again. L&D's just the first.
Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own Rockman in any form, yada yada, and Kusanagi Yume's mine, too.
Quote of the Chapter: "Thou shalt not beat the living shit out of people. Exceptions: 1) they touch your instrument. 2) they insult/hurt/cause problems for one of your bandmates/sibings (not that there's a difference.) 3) they don't get the F--- out of your way when you're marching."-Mr. Farr's Book of Band Laws, # 3 under Fighting & Defense
Life and Death, Light and Dark
Chapter 3
Yume and Enzan
VoicelessDreams: Pacifistic my ass
Avatar.exe: Dear God, child, where did you get that language from?
VoicelessDreams: Gimme a break
VoicelessDreams: When have you EVER known SHIN to be pacifistic?
Avatar.exe: His family was
VoicelessDreams: Avatar, the boy has a violent streak a mile wide
Avatar.exe: He got it from you, then
Avatar.exe: When are you getting here?
VoicelessDreams: Landing in a few minutes
VoicelessDreams: I'm heading straight to NS HQ from there
Avatar.exe: Then I'll meet you there
VoicelessDreams: Must you?
Avatar.exe: Someone needs to be your voice
VoicelessDreams: ...
VoicelessDreams has logged off
Avatar.exe: Welcome home, Yume
"You know, if I'd known that Shin was going to distract you this much..."
Blues sighs, "Don't bother, Enzan-sama. Everything's going in one ear and out the other."
Enzan glowers sideways at Netto, who is trotting along next to him with a sickeningly happy lovestruck look plastered on his face. For a moment Enzan seriously considers calling Shin and asking if the boy had drugged his partner. It wouldn't be the first time.
"How do you know Shin-chan, anyway?" Netto asks, suddenly turning full attention (and heart eyes) on Enzan.
Enzan shrugs haplessly, "We were friends when we were little. I haven't seen him in a few years, but it's impossible to miss those godforsaken eyes. I never expected him to show up here, though seeing him with you isn't much of a surprise. You're just enough like his cousin that I'd be surprised if he didn't get attached to you."
"Oh. So... it really doesn't bug you? Me and Shin, I mean."
Enzan rolls his eyes, "It bugs me when you're so damn lovestruck you don't hear a word I'm saying, but otherwise I really don't care. I haven't seen Shin smiling the way he does around you since Yume left." It was as close as he would ever come to admitting that he was happy (albeit grudgingly) for the two.
Netto's eyes lit up again and, all of Enzan's inbred reflexes failing him miserably, he threw his arms around the older boy, "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!! You'remybestfriendinthewholeworld!!!"
Enzan sighs, vaguely aware that he is losing circulation in his lower extremities under Netto's grip but too -insert word that is not content/happy/anything similar, because he is NOT dammit- to really bother to extricate himself from the vice grip. So he settles for patiently crossing his arms as best he can and waiting for the storm to pass, glaring acid death at any poor fool who bothers to look their way. Finally, in the middle of Netto's incessant chattering, he says, "We're going to be late for the meeting."
Netto screeches to a halt, going several shades paler.
"Last one there has to do Manabe's field report on Shinigami," Enzan voices.
Without another word, the two boys take off running down the hall, Enzan barely holding a slim lead. Just in sight of the door, Netto suddenly puts on a burst of speed and flies past Enzan, laughing manically. Netto bursts into the meeting room and too late realizes that the tiled floor is a little harder to stop on in roller blades than the hallway outside. He tries to stop, skids, and crashes headlong into an orange jacket with the BioTech symbol on it.
"Idiot," Enzan mutters, walking in behind him. He smirks despite himself when he sees Netto get backhanded and fall backwards on his butt.
"Enzan-kun?"
Enzan's head shoots up. A beautiful young woman with deep green hair tied in a tight bun at the base of her neck, clockwork glasses, and a long white dress with a matching jacket bearing the BioTech logo staring curiously at him. "Avatar?" He looks back at the figure standing over Netto and freezes. A boy with chopped red-orange hair and a white bandanna around his neck is leaning over Netto, arms crossed and blue-green eyes blazing, "Oh my God..."
"Ijuun Enzan is one of your NetSaviors?" Avatar asks disbelievingly, turning to where Manabe is sitting, "And Hikari Netto?"
"Yes, Yume-san, two of the best, in fact," Manabe replies, blushing slightly, "they're just a little late... a lot."
"Yume?" Enzan echoes softly, looking between the boy and Avatar, a sudden bemused look crossing his face.
Avatar smiles brightly, "Wonderful! I had hopes Enzan-kun's NetBattling obsession might come in handy some day." She quickly grabs Enzan and ushers him to a seat, then does the same to Netto. Her hand stops on the shoulder of the red-haired boy, "By the way, Manabe-san, this is Yuichi, my son." The boy bows low, blushing profusely, and sits down next to Enzan.
"Son?" Enzan deadpans. Yuichi offers him a small, sheepish smile. One that is quite obviously fake.
"Now, I believe you're having some trouble with Shinigami?" Avatar asks, turning a knowing gaze on Netto, "I think I can help with that."
As it turned out, BioTech (or rather, the owner, Kusanagi Yume, aka Avatar) had an extensive file on Shinigami, one that left even Enzan dumbstruck. Stats, strengths, weakness, ones that could only come from firsthand fighting experience with the Navi. Through it all, Yuichi kept his eyes resolutely focused on Avatar, and Netto and Enzan never took their eyes off Yuichi. Two hours later, they left with Avatar and Yuichi. The moment they reach the door Enzan grabs Yuichi by the front of his jacket and asks, "Yuichi? You took your brother's name?"
"Enzan!"
Yuichi calmly meets Enzan's eyes, deep green ringed with icy blue, and places his hand on top of the one holding his jacket. Enzan releases him immediately.
"I used Yuichi's name, not her," Avatar interjects, "I know you're both superstitious about such a thing, but it was the first name I could come up with."
"I knew it!" Netto shouts, jumping up and down, "You ARE a girl! I wasn't imagining things!"
"Her name's Kusanagi Yume," Enzan sighs, "she's the owner of BioTech Labs, Avatar's Operator, Shin's cousin, and," he pauses, eyes locking on the orange BioTech jacket, "and what the hell are you wearing?"
She shrugs and the jacket vanishes, replaced by a black sleeveless shirt with the BioTech logo on the back and gives Enzan a look that plainly says 'Better?'
Enzan hugs her, "Much."
Netto, Blues, and Rockman would not have been surprised if pigs suddenly began flying, Hell froze over, and the moon turned neon pink and fell out of the sky at that moment. Indeed, the world seemed to have become a few degrees colder even as it happened. Ijuun Enzan is smiling. "The world's coming to an end," Blues mutters.
Yume smiles, returning the hug, then grabs Enzan by the ear and gives him a glare that could melt steel. He foot taps the ground angrily.
"Ow! Damn, Yume, that hurts!" Her glare hardens and she twists the ear a little. "Shit! Ow! I've been busy! It's not my-OW!" She begins dragging him off in the direction of a waiting limo with the BioTech logo on the door, then turns and offers a small 'Sorry I have to steal you partner, but I need to kick his sorry butt' smile to Netto.
"No problem," Netto replies, still stunned at Enzan smiling, and waves weakly as Yume shoves Enzan in the limo then climbs in after him, "Wow..."
"I forgot what a character she can be," Blues mutters bemusedly, "She's got Enzan-sama wrapped around her little finger."
"We better go with them," Avatar admonishes, "they'll start picking at each other and Yume will never get anything done."
Avatar disappears in a shower of pixels and Blues returns to Enzan's PET, leaving Netto to walk back to his house alone and pray Shinigami didn't try to kill him again.
////For a Second Chance////
For two days there is no sign of Enzan (Netto was starting to worry about him) and no sign of Shinigami (Rockman breathed a sigh of relief.) For two days, Netto spends every waking moment with Shin (and a few sleeping, while they were in class,) and quite happily reports Yume's reappearance to the boy.
"Are you sure that was a good idea, Netto-kun?" Rockman asks from Netto's PET as the boy waits for Shin after school, "I mean, didn't Enzan say that she didn't come back for a reason? She might not want Shin-kun to know she's here."
Netto shrugs, "Well, he knows now. And I think he deserves to, you saw how happy he was."
Rockman sighs, "Okay, Netto-kun, whatever you say."
As he says it, a white limo with the now familiar BioTech logo pulls up and a man with a long bleach blonde braid steps out. "You Netto?" he asks. Netto nods dumbly. "My boss wants to talk to you."
"You mean Yume-san?" Netto asks.
He nods, "She's waiting for you at the Jasmine Dragon, if you'd come with me."
"Jasmine Dragon?"
"It's one of the best restaurants in the city," Shin says, appearing at Netto's side, "they're famous for their tea, but their curry's also amazing." He smiles at the man, "You still working for the Kusanagis, Chuck?"
"Of course," he laughs, a loud, booming sound that rattles Netto's ribs, "someone's gotta make sure Yu-chan doesn't get herself into trouble."
"Chuck's been working for the Kusanagis since before Yume-chan and I were born," Shin explains, "he was Riku Kusanagi's partner when he was in the Air Force and ended up becoming Yume-chan's personal babysitter when she was born. If it weren't for him me, Enzan-kun, and I would all be dead several times over. But you two should probably get going, Yume-chan's an impatient girl." He kisses twice, first on the cheek, then on the lips, "Say hi to her for me, Netto-kun." He pauses, thinking, "And she likes blue spice dragon rolls and Suzaku's white curry special."
"Will do," Netto replies then steals another kiss and climbs into the BioTech limo, "Bye, Shin-chan!"
As they drive off, Chuck rolls down the divider between the backseat and the driver seat, "So, you and Shin-kun, huh?"
Netto blushes profusely, "Yeah."
Chuck laughs again, "Yeah, Yu-chan's been smiling since Enzan-kun told her. She's been so worried about those two since we left. You've made her ten years younger, Netto-kun, knowing that her boys are happy. She's been talking about you nonstop for two days."
"I thought she was a mute," Netto blurts, to which Rockman sweatdrops.
"Oh, she is," Chuck waves absently, "She talks to you with her eyes. It takes a little while to get used to, but she can tell you everything with a look. It's the same way with the whole Yami family, even Shin."
Yume is waiting in front of the Jasmine Dragon when they arrive wearing a steady, mischievous smile. Indeed, something in her face seems somehow younger than when Netto saw her two days before. Chuck gives her a hug and says, "Just gimme a buzz when you want to leave, Yu-chan."
Yume nods and turns to Netto, giving her head a small jerk in the direction of the door, 'Shall we?' The moment the door opens, Netto is assaulted with the smell of at least ten different kinds of curry. His mouth starts watering and something in his face elicits a small, scratched sound like too much wind trying to slip through the cracks in the wall from Yume. She covers her mouth in surprise.
"Was that a laugh?" Netto asks, genuinely curious. Yume rolls her blue-green eyes sideways and give a sort-of shrug, 'I guess.' Netto stares at her for a moment before laughing himself, "Wow. You sound like Enzan that one time he lost his voice and he was trying to yell at me."
Yume's hands fall away, revealing a delighted smile, and she holds up two fingers to a young man, probably only a few years older than them, with a burn scar taking a large part of the right side of his face as he walks over. He nods and leads them to a small bar behind which a girl the same age is making a show of making a relatively simple sushi roll. "Toph, quit showing off," the boy scolds. She smiles wickedly at him and throws a knife in the air and catches it, "No thanks, Zuzu."
The boy glares, sets a pair of menus down in front of Netto and Yume, and stalks off. "So," Toph smiles over the bar at them. Only then does Netto realize she's blind, "So, what'll it be guys?"
"A blue spice dragon roll," Netto recites, "and two white curry specials."
Toph laughs, "I gues you two are friends of Shin's." The two nod. "Hey, Jing! Two white curries, and make 'em extra hot!"
"Got it!" another voice calls from somewhere in the back.
Toph smiles and goes back to her sushi rolls. Yume gives him an approving nod and, pulling a pen out of her pocket, scratches a note on a paper napkin. 'Enzan's fine. I had to replace his leg, and that means a lot of re-connecting nerves that think they're dead. It's a painful process, so he's been resting for the last two days.'
"Oh," Netto replies, then smiles, "Thanks. I was starting to worry."
'I know,' she writes, 'he said you would.'
"Is that why you wanted to meet me?" Netto asks.
She shakes her head, 'I wanted to thank you for taking care of my boys. Enzan hasn't smiled since my brother died, except when he talks to me about you, and Shin obviously likes you.'
"Enzan smiles?" Rockman pipes up from Netto's PET, "When he's talking about Netto?"
Yume looks down at the PET and nods, eyes twinkling. She scratches out, 'And he talks about you all the time.' Netto stares. 'I don't lie, Netto.' She pauses, thinking, then writes, 'That's the real reason I wanted to meet you. I wanted to meet the boy that's turning Enzan back into the En-kun I used to know.'
Netto stares at her for a moment and she meets his gaze, every thought and emotion bared for him to see. 'I've got nothing to hide.' He can see Shin in her eyes, and Enzan, and faces he's never seen before that all share the same blue and green eyes that she and Shin share. Love and hope and compassion and more age than any child should have shined back at him, but more than anything else, there was fear and pain.
"Are you afraid... for me?" Netto asks quietly.
'We all are,' her eyes answer. Something like lightning seems to arc across her eyes and she grabs Netto's hand, yanking him down as something swings through the air just above Netto's bowed head. Something flies past the side of Netto's head and a reverberating bang rattles his skull. Shinigami gives a startled scream and vanishes in a shower of pixels. Breathing hard and hands shaking, Yume pulls Netto to his feet and pulls a white PET out of her pocket and types something.
A moment later, Enzan's face appears on the screen. "What the hell do you mean 'No dimensional area'?!"