A dialog box popped up in front of him. Thinking it was the usual "All files downloaded" message box, he leaned forward, eager to finish his job and go to bed. He still had Chemistry to take the next day, and he didn't want to miss points. It was past 10 already. He really should get to sleep.

[Tsk tsk tsk. Don't u kno peeping @ other ppl's files s very bad?]

He was just about to click at the x on the upper righthand corner, as habitually as one was when one was used to hacking files, when he noticed the peculiar message. Omi's eyes widened in alarm, and he nearly knocked his juice over. "What the hell--?"

Omi began clicking in mad panic at the keys. Someone had discovered his phantom satellite feeder! Just this moment the talented counterpart would be typing just as furiously as he was, trying to decode his identity. He wouldn't have that. Both he and Suuichi-san put up the secret Weib server in the shadow of the community's largest Internet Service Provider and behind some anonymous server satellite ID's that ate into the host's motherboard and downloaded the sufficient data the parasite user requested.

Cold sweat trickled slowly down his face, icy fingers that sent his nerves into hyper mode. This shouldn't be happening!! He was only found out once before, and that was when he was trying to change the files of the Upper Security chamber of Reiji Takatori's estate house so the guys could easily slip in unnoticed as he had control over the master switches of the house. It was no big deal since they had no idea how to stop him--he had already hacked into the system and altered the needed files. This was different. Not only had the enemy hacker found him out, but also figured a way to send him a message. Omi only hoped he hadn't broken through the phantom identity guard he always put up whenever he was hacking.

There it was again. Pissed, Omi disregarded the new message. He had to secure the broken guard. He had to! And the guys should not find this out. If they did, especially Aya, he'd go into the "hyper-serious" mode he always does and it usually brought the blues down on every one of them for a couple of days.

A nerve on Omi's head. This guy was becoming more annoying. Still typing furiously, he was able to once again secure the momentary break down of the ghost satellite feed, which was OK, since now he was back in cloak mode, and no innocent InterPol would find him out red-handed like a deer in headlights. All he had to do was to get rid of the annoying peep who kept taunting him like crazy.

The nerve grew bigger. Now that he had the whole temporary breakdown under control and back on its feet, Omi turned his attention to the rival hacker. Pressing a few buttons, he typed in a few "hackers-only" command that would enable him to determine his rival's name. "That'd show you, craphole!", he cursed under his breath, both for his carelessness and for his opponent's wile. Instantly the command returned with the words

--------

Omi smiled sardonically, and shifted to IRC "chat" mode. So. 0d1n got himself lucky and caught Omi Tsukiyono of the secret society Weib Kreuz The White Knights!! Ha. And had the nerve to taunt, too!

Omi typed in his response. By activating the hidden IRC mode he was able to "converse" via Internet his hacker counterpart. Boy was he gonna get it.

There. Now it was 0d1n's turn to be surprised. He was just not playing with Omi as if he was a little kid. 0d1n had to know he was dealing with a force to be reckoned with, too.

That was it. A literal flame up his 'RC. 0d1n proved to be a very fiery verbalist in the Net world. Well. No bother. No immature kid could phase Omi out. If 0d1n wanted war, he had it.

Omi snickered on that one. He imagined 0d1n to be quite shocked… up to now he didn't know that Omi had lured him into his very own web-programmed IRC. He was just about to type in another flame in response to 0d1n's silent reproach when he heard the light, cat-like footsteps of Ran down the hallway. Omi quickly minimized the IRC window, thinking Ran was heading his way, and he knew how eerily inquisitive he was especially on assigned missions.

Instead Ran's footfalls swerved to the left, to the direction of the spare room where they kept the kitty box. Probably feeding the nekos, he thought, relieved. Just as he maximized the IRC window, and was once again about to type in his response, Youji came vaulting into the room. Frantically he hid the IRC screen behind the previous hacked dialog box. He just hoped Youji did not notice.

"Hey little buddy, you done with the hackin' yet?" Leaning on the doorframe, he lit a cigarette and cocked his Rayban at Omi. Japorms. Just as he always is. Omi rolled his eyes. His hacking encounter with 0d1n had changed his mood drastically and now he felt like tearing Youji's head off.

"Duh, Youji. Quit practicing your pimping on me," he snapped. Then, as cigarette smoke wafted his way, Omi turned and suddenly shot a dart aimed at Youji's cigarette. It hit the opposite wall, with the newly lit cigarette still burning neatly impaled in the middle, neatly whistling past Youji's lip. It also very nearly grazed Ran as he passed by with the kitty box. Glaring at both of them, he ducked the dart and replied tartly before going off, "Omi, quit throwing your needles and go back to your tech thing, and Youji, take a hike."

Youji, obviously ruffled, but still maintained his cool, replied, "Oh, and don't bite the cats, Ran. You're good at that." His remark was met by dangerous, deadly silence from the leader of the Weib . Pissed at having been ignored, he turned to Omi and lightened up. Here was another scapegoat. "Kid, Ran's right you know. You should quit throwing your needles around the house, neh? Chibi jin dou!"

"I am not a chibi. And YOU should quit smoking!"

"Aw shucks, I didn't know you cared, little guy! You mean you don't want my lungs to rot, huh, little fellow?" He looked all glassy-eyed at Omi, mockingly.

"Not yours, Youji. Mine."

"Selfish, huh, little Chibi?"

If this was anime, thought Omi furiously, there'd be a GREAT BIG nerve on my head right now. He thought it over. Oh yeah. Wait a moment. This IS anime! So that means--

"Hey, the hell that nerve's doing on your head? You pissed?"

"You put it there." The nerve was getting bigger. He was in the middle of a flame chat with 0d1n and Youji had to interfere. He didn't need another one, too! He wished Youji would just vanish into thin air.

"Scat, chibi. I need to chat." He made to enter the room and drive Omi out. Omi stood his ground and stuck his tongue out.

"Not until I'm done. Ran wants the files downloaded and messed with as quickly as possible. You're in the way." He didn't want Youji to see what he was hiding. "Ferusia-san would be upset if we delayed this mission. And to start it off, I need to use the PC. Got a problem with that?"

Youji shrugged and backed off. "Whoa, easy, Chibi. You're usually so happy. Why so snappy?" The rap-pun sounded so corny Omi wanted to throw another dart at Youji. Instead, he calmly answered, "Because I am tired and I hate Chemistry. We'll be having a quiz tomorrow, and I'm getting a damn headache. OK?"

He seemed to buy it, because Youji strode out and said, "Well, if that's the case. I can always chat tomorrow. Go ahead and finish your little assignment, Chibi, so Sourpuss Ran won't get either of us." Turning, he plucked the dart from the wall and detached his still smoking cigarette from the sharp end. "I'll close the door so your needles won't have to fly around the house no more, Omi-chan. And keep the nerves on. You look like those cute little anime guys that--" He looked upward thoughtfully. "Oh yeah. This IS anime! Yeah, you know, you--" He shut the door just in time to parry the three darts Omi hurled at him.

[0d1n: Hallo, where have U been? U scared, little punk?]

[b0mb4y: No, just thinking how to screw U up, 0d1n.]

[0d1n: yeah? Well whatever. I need those chancellor's files, u know, so hand it over.]

[b0mb4y: wat makes u think I'd du that?]

[0d1n: because you're stupid. =p ]

[b0mb4y: yeah? Go hack a bank instead. These here chancellor's files r mine!]

[0d1n: HACK A BANK? What makes u think I'd stoop so low?]

[b0mb4y: U don't have 2. U already R. ^o^]

[0d1n: ha. I have half of the copy though. While u were busy downloading, I was silently sneaking some of the half-copies into my server ]

[b0mb4y: NANI O!?!?! gimme the rest! U lousy cheater!!]

[0d1n: I quote, "Wat makes u think I'd du that?"]

[b0mb4y: . . . .Uh, because ur stupid?]

[0d1n: …]

[b0mb4y: …]

[0d1n: Sooo….ur not giving me half of wat I want]

[b0mb4y: I guess that's fair. Why don't we have a little contest to see who would get both copies and get away with it? Here and now!!]

[0d1n: OK then, I'm up for it! Wat'll it be?]

[b0mb4y: A hacking contest. We'll vie for the chancellor's files by holding our hacking contest.]

[0d1n: ^.^ sounds like a good idea. Who'll we hack?]

[b0mb4y: The level-5 security of the Russian Kreshadov Federation. I hear they hold very juicy files. And hacking L-5 security isn't going to be easy, you know. Whoever hacks in the most number of their 100,000 or something like that files wins and gets half the Chancellor's.]

[0d1n: Deal. This should be no problem. Just get ready to hand over half of those files you stole, bombay boy, and watch me kick cyber ass! *_*] ----------

[b0mb4y: Oh, go to hell!] -------

****
Breaking into the RKF was not easy, it can be accurately said. For the Russians, it is known, have the tendency to become quite paranoid especially when it came to matters of conquest and danger. So it is well-known that even their databanks hold "nuclear weapons", that is, security levels reaching up to the 6^th scale, wherein only but one person could open with a very complicated, highly extensive password.

It can also be said that Omi had definitely no fun, and neither was his counterpart, for, as the RKF cyberwatchers chased them through and around the countless matrices of the Web, and through countless other ghost satellites, they also needed to swipe at whatever documents they were able to to outmatch each other. Each was in his own little corner of the world, straining eyes in front of the computer screen.

By the time they were finished and they had tripped the RKF guards confused in their own computer system, both boys had collapsed in exhaustion.

*********

"Omi!! Oi!! Omi-chan!!" Ken checked inside his room, looking for the littlest member of the White Knights. "Omi-chan, it's time for you to go to school! Oi!!" Looking around and finding nothing, Ken checked under the bed. "Hey!! You know you'll get into trouble if you stay out late again you little annoying--"

"Here, let me do it," offered Youji, lighting a cigarette and entering the room. Pushing Ken aside, he pulled back the covers and let out a mighty roar. "Aha!! There you are, you little Rat--!"

Nothing but pillows. And his Bombay cat. The neko laid a sleepy eye on Youji and yawned haughtily before curling back into a ball.

"Where the hell could the little Chibi be?" Turning about, he headed for his room, a mildly frantic look on him.. "I bet he's trashing my stuff for what I teased him last night and--"

"Youji, you're smoking."

"Oh, yeah, I know. Duh. Not you too, Ken." Shaking his head, Youji took a puff and turned the knob on the door. "One day you'll know how good a drag feels like when I stick a smoke , no make that 4 smokes, up your mouth one morning."

Ken made a face. "Yeah. As if I intend to hasten my last hour…"

Both were interrupted by Ran. Again walking on catlike feet that made the slivers of the wooden floor sigh, he wordlessly passed them by, heading for the den, their usual meeting place, the place where the 4 florists transformed into the 4 Knights of Weib . Eyeing them balefully from the curve of Ran's shoulder, his Abynissian echoed its master's glacial attitude with a haughty meow.

"Yeah, a good morning to you too, Aya," snorted Youji. "Sheesh, even your cat's acting a lot like you now! So why don't you quit with your indifference thing and help us find our Chibi, neh? The teacher'll call US next if she finds out he missed this exam, and she'll start babbling about how irresponsible we are to take care of a little kid like him yada yada and-- Omi? Chibi Omi? The hell!! Oi!! Wake up!!"

For Ran had opened the door to the den, and exposed a sleeping Omi, head resting on the keyboard of the computer. Obviously he had a long night. The 3 other Knights tiptoed behind him to see what the little Chibi had been so busy up last night.

" 'You have violated 5^th level security of RKF and are now charged with felony against Internet Security and Privacy code. Abort desired command now.' What the hell kind of crap is this?", Ken asked incredulously.

"The RKF? What would Chibi be up to now that he has hacked even the RKF? The little creep. If he has brought down the authorities upon us now, then I'm going to wring his little neck until…" Youji started forward to shake the sleeping boy roughly into wakefulness.

He clearly would be missing out on his Chemistry test that morning, since he probably wouldn't make it to school. And besides, Omi still had a lot of explaining to do to his 3 "Older Brothers." Aa. Oniisan komarete kudasai. ~_~

******

The blonde boy had searched all over the base in a futile attempt to find his friend. He knew that, without him, the current mission was useless. Searching for someone in a base as big as Fort Knox was no funny matter, considering that it was the peak time of the day, with soldiers practicing and running about in a drab array of camouflage colors. And the sun was getting hot in the sky.

Everybody was waiting. Oh, the others were searching for him too--of all the times to disappear, he thought to himself, Why now??!?

Snaking his way through the throng, he finally found himself at the bottom of the Technological Building. Certain that maybe he would find his friend inside, the weary blond raced up the escalators to the deserted room in the 8^th floor. Elevators required too much time, and that's what he was up against right now.

8 floors, 2 rights and a left later, he came across the most darkened part of the Control Tower Room--which also happened to be his friend's favorite spot. Not waiting to knock, he barged in through the door.

Looking around, he spotted a dimly-lit laptop monitor screen….surely his stern friend was nearby. The laptop was virtually a link to his entrails somehow. And there indeed, lying on his side beside the buzzing monitor, was the exhausted 0d1n. Quatre shook his head. Heero was sleeping. Of all the times--!!

Heero Yuy was definitely HARD to awaken. You'd have to wake the dead before his eyes pop open. "Not unless I intend to," he'd say, so not unless he intended to wake up…

To Hell with Heero. The mission had to start, and he was as crucial as the winning Rook would be in the case. He held the files that would finally open up a link to the corrupt Chancellor of Tokyo to the illegal-arms merchant shipping prohibited arms over the desert and into the OZ Federation base. To hell with him. To hell with the mission. To hell with Heero Yuy to be dozing like a cow at this point.

Kneeling down, he was about to shake his friend into groggy consciousness when his eye caught the screen.

Quatre balked. The RKF? They had a stage-4 scale assignment to do, and the leader of the Gundam horde was asleep and hacking at some other insignificant Russian Nuclear Power Weapons corps in the Bolshevik hills!! Dammit, Quatre thought. (For a cute boy, I want him to be a closet curser. ^o^) To hell with everything.

"Ahrsa Falati," he cursed in his native tongue. "You wake up now you %&#^@, or I'll have to toss you out the building!! Baka wa namakeru!!" A nerve popped out from his head.

Heero had a lot of explaining to do. Quatre just had to wake him up first.