Netopian Royal Hotel, Penthouse

With a few beeps, Mill punched in the keycode to door lock, and opened the way into his father's penthouse. "Wow..." said Anyis, slightly stunned by the class of the place. "Your father has a penthouse suite?" asked Anyis, thrown by the difference between the father and the usually broke son.

"He's an executive board member for a Net security firm around here, so he makes a lot of money. He sends some to Lilia and me every month to get us by, but we don't talk much." explained Mill curtly, making it fairly obvious he didn't want to say any more.

"Whatever. It's not my place to pry into family matters, anyway." surrendered Anyis as Mill kicked his shoes off and walked over to the computer. A period of silence followed, until Anyis just had to speak up. "So, are you going to jack me in or not?"

"Just a minute... He has a million and a half passwords on this computer..." sighed Mill as he typed into one box after another. "There, finally." announced Mill as the desktop screen appeared on the monitor. "Where do you want to go, Anyis? Netopia Net?"

"Nah, that's too easy..." sighed Anyis, putting on her thinking face. "How about Sharo? I haven't fought in my own element for a while."

"Yeah, alright." agreed Mill, prompting him to link up his PET to the computer. "There we go. Go ahead and reroute yourself to Sharo. I just remembered that I still need to turn the TV on to the tournament."

Anyis nodded as Mill got up to look for the remote, and then left her PET for the computer. As she was in the computer looking for the link to the Net, she couldn't help but feel a slight sense of familiarity... And she didn't particularly like it. It was only for a second, though, and Anyis quickly brushed it off and found the link, proceeded out into the Net.

(Anyis.exe Jack In, Reroute to Sharo)
Mill dragged his feet back to the penthouse, having realized halfway to the airport that all his stuff was still at his father's place. He fought with the keypad on the door as usual, then sauntered off to the guest bedroom to pack the only set of spare clothes he brought, his toothbrush, and a few other meager things. While stuffing a backpack with those items, Mill asked, "How are you feeling, Anyis? Is the repair system done?"

"Yeah, I think I'm all patched up now." answered the Navi as she stood up and stretched a little. "So now what, Mr. Operator?"

"Well, my account has a good chuck of extra zenny for now... I was thinking, after we get back, we'd go around the shops and give you some upgrades." answered Mill as he shouldered his luggage and began walking through the penthouse.

"Oh ho, that sounds good~! It's been ages since I got any upgrades!" squealed Anyis in excitement. "Heck, right now I'm only running off the old stuff you had..."

"Yeah, all I could do at the time was transfer Magna's upgrades over to you." explained Mill as he reached the door. "Now that I finally have some extra mon-"

*beep*
*beep*
*click*


As Mill reached his hand out for the doorknob, the keypad on the other side made noise as a combination of numbers was put into it. The code registered correctly, and the door opened up from the other side right in front of Mill. "... Oh? You're still here, Mill." noted a gruff voice.

Mill took a step back in defense as his face contorted into a annoyed grimace. "... And you're back early, dad."

The father, standing a good half foot above his son and giving off a far more imposing presence, loosened the tie of his suit before answering, "Yes, the business I had went well, so I finished with a few days to spare. Lilia called and told me you'd be here for a little while, but I assumed you'd have been gone by now. I guess that tournament of yours went somewhat well?"

"Yeah, I guess." grunted Mill stubbornly.

"Very good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to enter my home and put down this heavy briefcase." he motioned to the aforementioned briefcase in his right hand before shuffling past Mill.

"This is your father?" asked Anyis out of curiosity, having never met the man before.

"Yeah, Oric Alidine." answered Mill curtly.

"I see..." answered Anyis flatly, being unable to do much else in the wake of Mill clamming up.

Oric overheard the conversation as he took his suit coat off and asked, "Ah, is that your new Navi? Your sister mentioned in the phone call that you had gotten one."

"Ahahahaha...!" cackled a voice from within Oric's pants pocket. "Little Mill finally scrapped that hunk of metal he made? Good for you, good for you!"

"Shut the hell up!" yelled Mill, getting a little indignant as his father's Navi. "Magna's deletion was beyond my control, Aecher!"

Anyis froze. Completely and utterly froze. That name... That name! There's no way! Him, of all Navis, was here?! He was being Operated by her Operator's father?! "Wha... What did you say, Mill...?" Anyis stuttered as she grappled with a state of near-shock.

"Oh...? Is that voice... Anyis? Ahahaha! What a perfect coincidence!" laughed Aecher even louder than before.

"... Do you know my father's Navi, Anyis?" asked Mill curiously.

"I'm a little curious about this, too. Aecher, you're familiar with Mill's Navi?" questioned Oric as he placed his PET on the table.

"Familiar? We're siblings! To think brother and sister Undertaker would find Operators in the same family... What a laugh!" announced Aecher, still shaking from laughter at this situation. He then appeared through his PET's projector, revealing a very tan-skinned Navi in a black leather jacket. "Come on Anyis, it's been so long! Come out and say hello to your dear brother!"

Anyis did appear through her projector after Mill lifted his PET up... to show her with one middle finger extended out in Aecher's direction. "You know damn well I hate your guts, Aecher. The fact that we found ourselves in the same family is nothing short of a tragedy."

"You have siblings?" questioned Mill. He didn't really ask about her hate for Aecher, since he had known the laughing Navi long enough to know he was a total ass.

"Yeah... I guess I'll explain this stuff on flight back. Let's just get out of here now so I don't have to deal with this guy." groaned Anyis.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." agreed Mill as he turned around and walked out of the door. He could still hear Aecher laughing back on the table...

"Say hello to your sister for me." said Oric to his son, seemingly unconcerned about the exchange that just happened between their Navis.

(Returning to Electopia)