Don't own Weiss or Schwarz, but like to torture them. ;) It's always better to break things that aren't yours. :D -Qbe

The Virus

Part 1 – Not again

Omi was hard at work on his computer. There were a few things he had to check for their next assignment and he was getting nothing but dead ends. He was frustrated, not to mention tired. He looked at the clock. Midnight already. School was going to be tough tomorrow, but he'd make it. He'd give it one more hour and then he would go to bed.

Maybe some music would get him motivated. He open the cd drive on the computer and popped his headphones on. He put one of Ken's punk cd's that he'd borrowed into the drive and plugged himself in. Ah, there we go...renewed energy.

He continued working away for about a half hour when the connection on his computer blipped slightly and the cd skipped before continuing with the song. He didn't lose his connection but he reminded himself to look into that problem tomorrow.

He was about ready to give it up for the night because he was aching with fatigue, when he felt slightly dizzy. He knew then that he had to call it quits. As he was shutting the computer down, he sneezed, then coughed. It finally turned into a splutter. That was when Omi fell off of his chair, rolling slightly next to the hard drive, out cold. The headphones unplugging from the drive and clattering to the floor.

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"Aya, Yohji? Oh here you are.." Ken said, rather loudly, as he entered the kitchen. Yohji waved a hand in the air in a motion for Ken to speak quietly while the other rubbed his forehead. The expression on his face suggested the throbbing pain of a hangover. Aya just looked disgusted from where he sat at the table.

"What is it?" Aya demanded.

"Have either of you seen Omi? I went to wake him for breakfast, but he isn't in his room." Ken asked.

"Maybe he skipped breakfast and went to school early." Yohji offered.

"I don't think so. His bag is still in his room and besides, since I was going to kick around the ball with some kids today, he was going to catch a ride to school with me." Ken said.

"Did you check the shop?" Aya asked.

"Yes and he isn't there." Ken whined.

"Did you check downstairs? He could be at the computer." Aya said.

"That was the first place I looked since I saw him there last night." Ken said.

"Well, maybe he left a note on it for you, Kenken." Yohji teased, batting his eyes in mock love.

"Hmm..." Ken thought. "Maybe."

"We have to check in with Persia before work, so we'll go down to look with you." Yohji offered for Aya as well.

Aya push back his chair, grumbling and said, "Fine. Let's go."

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The three assassins made their way down the stairs. When they reached the doorway to the computer, it was just as Ken had said....no Omi. Aya noted with suspicion that the chair was still in it's pulled out position and that the computer was not fully shut down.

"Something's not right." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Yohji. "Maybe he was just in a hurry to get to school or something."

"No, Aya's right." Ken sided with Aya. "Omi would never leave his precious computer area in such a state."

As Aya walked toward the computer to check everything out, Ken followed closely behind. Yohji lounged in the doorway. Suddenly Aya stopped, causing Ken to almost trip on him, as he looked toward the wall. Ken followed his gaze.

"Omi!" Ken exclaimed as he rushed to the younger assassin on the floor.

Yohji sauntered over. "He looks awful. I hope he's not sick. Coz, then you'll get sick and Aya will get sick and I will have to run the store myself, unless I get sick and that would be so much worse. I can't be sick. I have dates lined up all week!"

"Yohji!" Aya barked.

"What?" Yohji asked.

Aya chose to ignore him as he and Ken picked Omi up and laid him on the sofa in the adjoining room. Ken went to fetch a blanket and pillow to make Omi more comfortable while Aya checked his temperature. Yohji stood a safe distance away from the plagued one.

"That's odd." Aya said.

"What is?" Yohji asked.

"He's sweating profusely but he doesn't have a temperature. His eyes are dilated and he is drooling." Aya replied as Ken reentered the room.

"Yohji! Did you give him any of those weird drugs in your room?" Ken asked.

"What?!? No! And anyway, they aren't weird drugs. They are herbal supplements." Yohji replied, sounding both shocked and hurt.

"Whatever you want to call them." Ken said.

"I'll have you know..." Yohji began.

"Shut up!" Aya interrupted. "We have to concentrate on Omi. He's damned near catatonic."

Just then, from the adjoining room, the computer beeped. That was it's way of reminding everyone that it was not shut down properly. As the three weiss members turned their heads in the direction of the machine, Omi groaned and drooled again. Aya looked at the computer then at Omi. Then he looked at the computer again.

He stood, bringing his hand to his head. "Oh no," he said, "not again!"

Yohji and Ken both let out a gasp.

To Be Continued

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