Ch31
Netto sighed as he read the email. "So this Laika guy really is here already?"
"Maybe he isn't as bad as his profile says," Rockman said.
"I doubt it. From the information we gathered he is known to be ruthless with his targets," Slur said folding her arms. "A man like him who is impeccable when it comes to executing orders doesn't just accidentally find the wrong target."
He had contacted Princess Pride about some information on this guy and so far he didn't like what he saw.
He nodded. "Don't worry we'll be prepared. Slur make sure you record every moment with this guy. Meijin-san wants me to demonstrate cross fusion, I'll do it with Rockman." Also Pride told me if things go south with him she'll pull strings with people on her end. He had sent an email to the princess who gladly told him if Sharo gave him trouble she'll give them trouble.
Rockman nodded. "Sounds good. We'll be careful around them."
With that he strapped on his PETs and left his house. It was a sunny day as he went to Scilab. As he headed towards the building he saw Masa on his cart. "Oi Netto let us know if you need anything," the man said with a knowing wink.
He waved back at him. "I will don't worry."
When he got to the building he saw Meijin-san talking with a tall man in a green suit.
"Ah Netto-kun there you are," Meijin said. "This is Laika a representative from Sharo."
He looked up at the man and could tell by his cold gaze he was anything but friendly. "Nice to meet you," he said with a quick bow before extending a hand. Laika just looked at his hand as if it were something dirty so he pulled it away.
"Laika," the soldier said curtly his voice barely hiding the dissatisfaction in it.
This is going to be a long day. The way Laika looked at him was nothing short of disdain in his eyes. Looks like he already made up his mind about me and we don't even know each other
"Anyway Netto lets show him cross fusion," Meijin said. "Will you be using Slur?"
He noticed Laika's posture turn rigid his eyes narrowing on him at the name of his navi. "Actually I wanted to use Rockman today," he said.
Meijin nodded. "Alright sounds good."
He walked over to the module and grabbed Rockman's PET. "I can already tell this guy is a piece of work," he muttered. His navis gave him a sympathetic look and nodded as the dimensional area around him started up. Taking a deep breath he held out his PET. "Synchro chip slot in!"
He felt the familiar sensation of cross fusion start along with his left hand glowing up as Rockman's energy enveloped him. He blinked and in flash he was cross fused with Rockman.
"Alright Netto-kun lets do some practice targets," Meijin said.
He nodded and noticed Laika roll his eyes and shake his head as if finding the entire process ridiculous. If he dislikes cross fusion that much why did he even bother coming? Yet deep down he knew the answer. If he thinks he can get to Slur then he has another thing coming.
He destroyed the targets with his blaster as Laika watched in a mixture of disappointment and disgust. Still this guy is a soldier who is known to follow the rules to a T, there was no mix up he wanted to kill Slur. I don't know if he is with Nebula or not but I have to be careful around him and if possible expose him.
After the little demonstration Meijin ended the dimensional area and ushered him and Laika to the cafeteria to eat lunch together.
He awkwardly poked at his food as Laika ate his gaze never changing from their cold stare. "So what did you think?" He asked awkwardly thinking he might as well try to talk to this guy even if the ending might not be the best.
Laika looked up at him his gaze cold. "You Japanese lack a lot of things. It's so embarrassing that you rely on cross fusion to defeat the darkloids."
Yet you worked with one. "How so?" he asked with mock politeness.
Laika tapped his head. "In Sharo we use our brains maybe if you used yours you wouldn't be so pathetic."
He frowned at the guy resisting the urge to get upset. Calm down we'll need to work carefully to expose him.. "Well by all means you don't have to be here and be jerk about it. Go home if you don't want to."
"Sadly I have to follow orders," Laika said coldly his gaze meeting his in an attempt to intimidate him. "Even if I have to be here in this place."
He resisted the urge to yell at this guy, the way he talked about Scilab and the condescension in his voice was really getting old. "Well does Sharo have better?"
Laika scoffed. "We have real scientists that use their brains to better humanity instead of working on a bunch of fancy parlor tricks."
Calm down Slur is recording everything. He resisted the urge to yell and defend his dad, he had to play it cool for now. "Oh really? I'm afraid my dad along with the others here work very hard to better humanity."
Laika rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Well if all you do is research useless things like cross fusion I really pity the people of Japan that their taxes go to nothing but useless toys. You Japanese really need to use your heads instead of wasting your time."
He glared at Laika whose gaze was cold and unnerving. Calm down this is a soldier if I have to take him down I have to be careful.
"What are you going to do cry to your daddy?" Laika mocked his gaze narrowing on him as he leaned forward. "I know you and your navi are up to. I allow you to get in our away again."
He gripped the edges of the table. "Stay the hell away from my navis or yours will end up beaten to pulp," he said coldly.
"I'd like to see you try," Laika said coldly. "Watch out before I put a bullet in their heads while you watch."
The two glared at each other, for a second he feared the soldier would pounce on him but luckily Meijin came running into the room.
"We have reports of a Darkloid attack," Meijin said as he ran up to their table. "Netto-kun why don't you take Laika with you."
"I could do it alone," he offered. "Really I can." The less I have to be with him the better.
"I agree I don't need this boy with me," Laika said folding his arms. "Us soldiers of Sharo use our brians."
"Ah come on now we don't have time to argue both of you go now!" Meijin said.
Laika nodded and got up saluting Meijin. "Fine. I will do as you order me to."
He nodded. "Yeah I'll be there. Just send us the coordinates."
"I will," Meijin said. "Will you both need a ride?"
"No need," Laika said as he walked out of the room.
Man he has a serious attitude problem. He shook his head as Meijin sent him the coordinates. Before leaving he found Misaki going over some data. "Misaki-san can I bother you for a moment?"
Misaki looked up and nodded. "Of course. What do you need."
He took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "I'm going to send you some coordinates can you follow me and this Laika guy, I have a bad feeling and could use some backup."
Gorou Misaki looked him in the eyes and nodded. "I'll be glad to help you out. I overheard that he can be difficult to work with."
He chuckled. "I can see that."
As soon as he got outside he skated towards the coordinates and sent an email to Masa telling him any assistance could be necessary but to wait till he was called upon. "This guys is getting on my nerves real fast," he said as he skated through town.
"Don't worry I recorded everything he said," Slur said softly. "Cross fuse with me just in case he tries to do something."
"Got it," he said as they arrived at the factory. "Rockman take care of the viruses in the network. Plug in!" As soon as he stepped foot inside a dimensional area went up. "Synchro chip slot in!"
He cross fused with Slur just as a group of viruses appeared along with a familiar darkloid. "Great Videoman," he said as the darkloid turned to him with a malicious look.
"My my what do we have here? You must be that boy with the navi we must delete?" Videoman said as a bunch of viruses appeared around him. "Finish them!"
With a swipe of his hands, he summoned a series of cords to delete the viruses. Videoman shot a series of black tape at him to counter his chords. Oh no you don't. He dodged the attack and snapped his fingers.
Videoman screamed as spears emerged from the ground and pierced him. Summoning a pair of lights swords he slashed through the viruses when noticed movement out of the corner of his eye.
Great what is he doing? He saw Laika with a rod trying to destroy a dimensional area. "Hey cut it out!" he yelled but the man of course didn't pay any attention to him. I don't know what your up to but I won't let you get away with it.
With a snap of his fingers chords enveloped Laika and it took all of his willpower to not electrocute him. "Stay down," he said firmly.
Laika glared at him and let loose a series of profanities in Russian. "Let me go you damned brat!"
"Just ignore him Netto-kun. He won't escape now," Slur said in his head.
"True that," he said as he turned to Videoman who had broken free from the spears.
He lunged at Videoman who shot a series of black tapes at him. He effortlessly cut through the tapes and slashed at the darkloid severing his arm. The darkloid swore just as he brought his other sword down on him right on his other arm severing completely.
Videoman screamed as he summoned chains to bind him and finally stabbed him right through the chest. The darkloid coughed up data as he was logged out.
"Well that does it," he said as he watched the dimensional area dissipate. Now we just have one more problem. He looked over at Laika who was glaring daggers at him.
"Netto-kun be careful," Slur warned. "This is dangerous. Watch your tongue and I'll make sure the PET is recording."
"Got it." He felt the transformation end and as the dimensional area disappeared. Laika finally stood up and cleaned the dust off of his hands. "You know I know you can't stand me but you don't have to get involved here."
Laika went up to him his face cold. "You know idea you are dealing kid. You are brainless brat."
"A brat eh?" He said folding his arms. "I think you are an asshole."
It happened in an instant. Laika punched him in the gut knocking him to the ground. Damn it. He swore as he heard his navis scream for you.
He tried to get up but Laika repeatedly kicked him on the ground. "You brainless Japanese don't know anything."
He coughed up blood as he tried to get up only to be met by Laika's fist. He fell to the ground coughing as Laika stomped on his fingers. He let out a scream as Laika kicked him in the gut. "Your navis may be somewhat respectable but I have no respect for you at all." His gaze was cold and sent a shiver down his spine, for a second he feared for the worse and considered going for the dimensional chip in his pocket.
"Enough!" Slur yelled from her PET. It was followed by the screaming of Searchman. "I sent the emails now leave our operator alone unless you want trouble."
Laika swore as he looked down at his PET. "Get out of there!"
"Slur," He said softly as he heard Searchman's cries of pain.
"Leave my operator alone less I dissect him here," Slur said coldly
Laika glared at his navi and back down at him as if he were a piece of dirt, one of his slowly reached for the pistol at his side. But then the door opened. "Hey what are you doing!"
Gorou Misaki along with Commander Beef entered the building. "You're a soldier and you dare hit a child?" Commander Beef said. "Who do you think you are?"
Laika swore and dropped him. "This isn't over." The soldier of Sharo left through another door ignoring
He breathed a sigh of relief as the soldier turned around and left. "Netto-kun are you alright?" Misaki asked his voice full of worry as he helped him up. "He took it too far we should tell Meijin-san."
He rubbed his injuries and slowly sat up. "I don't know if it will do anything, it's obvious they want to recruit him as a net savior," he said softly.
His navis looked at him with worry though Slur's eyes were furious. "Netto-kun perhaps you can report him. You have a friend who works in the news agency right?"
"You mean Kero-san yeah but would she believe me?" He said taking a deep breath as pain pierced through his body.
Commander Beef nodded. "Me and Misaki here will back you up. He committed assault against a minor, I would do a citizen's arrest but he may have diplomatic immunity."
"Slur recorded everything," Rockman said. "We can show her."
Slur nodded. "I did. Besides we are just reporting a crime." She smiled at him.
He looked at Misaki and Commmander beef, as a smile spread across his face. "You're right I do." Let's get rid of this asshole.
Slur had never seen Rockman shake so violently. "Are you ok? Don't worry our operator didn't break anything." He is lucky I wasn't in the real world then he would've gotten hurt really badly.
"He hurt him," Rockman said his voice low. The blue navi cleaned his face. "He hurt my brother and I couldn't do anything about it."
She stared at the navi in shock as Rockman fell to his knees. "Rockman what do you mean?" She asked softly.
Kneeling down she gently patted him. Rockman looked up at her his gaze firm. "We are brothers."
AN: For those that think I was too harsh in my portrayal of Laika please remember that in the anime he was pretty condescending and always talked down to Netto while in the game he punched Netto (unprovoked) when they first me
