Shigeru was prone in bed, staring at the slight dent in the ceiling he'd made from absentmindedly tossing a tennis ball at it for hours on end. That last mission had been an unmitigated disaster, and they'd done nothing but fuck it up repeatedly in the simulations they'd looked at in the time since. Something about Voltman just wasn't right for the mission, that had to be it.
He tossed the tennis ball again, but missed the indentation by a fraction of an inch. It ricocheted off at an awkward angle, rolling to the corner of the room where a small hard drive sat, plugged into the wall and humming softly. His eyes focused briefly on it before he just laid his head down again. He'd moved the Watt subroutine into the drive after a while. A bit of a mercy, really, considering what they had gotten themselves into.
Shigeru's eyes closed, and he drifted into an uneasy sleep.
He awoke later, but how long he'd been out he wasn't entirely sure. His PET alarm function was going off, so it had to have been nearly three quarters of a day. He rubbed his eyes and rolled his legs off of the bed, slipping his feet into a ragged pair of slippers as he let out a yawn and stared at the PET. After a moment, he grabbed it and deactivated the alarm, staring at the screen. Voltman had been fully healed for almost a day and a half, now, but he'd not reactivated him in the meantime. He was missing... something. They were missing something.
He started fiddling with Voltman's attack programs. Maybe it was in there.
It was the next day that Shigeru finally stumbled upon the answer. Synchronicity, for lack of a better word. A bond. Sure, he and Voltman were friends, but for the most part he just gave him weapons and left him to his own devices. The sidekick, nothing more. And Voltman needed an equal, if they were to grow. Voltman needed him to step up.
He reactivated his Navi. Few words between them, mostly how much time had passed and what the plan was. It wasn't until a minute later that Voltman let out a small exclamation.
You sure about this, Shigeru? I mean, I know we're pretty strong, but... there's not a chance in hell, right now. He stared at the fang across from his image on the PET screen, a slight tinge of anxiety in his tone.
[/color=gray]It's just a goal, Voltman. I know we're not nearly strong enough to take it on alone now. Probably not ever. But it's something to start towards.[/color]
A few moments of silence followed, and then Voltman sighed. Well, we're going to need some better weapons. Rogue Net's been opened to higher level public like ourselves, I'm pretty sure.
Shigeru nodded. Not entirely sure what the Rogue networks will hold for us, though. We took care of Electown fairly well in the War, though, so we should start there before branching into the other Nets.
For the first time in days, Shigeru cracked a smile. They were back. Or at least, on their way to being back.
(Electown Rogue Net)
Jack In, Voltman.EXE!