Disclaimer: All official MegaMan characters and concepts are properties of Capcom.

Okay, I was originally going to have Sean's life living with his relatives and his journey to Kotobuki as two separate chapters, but the fic sort of had a mind of its own and so they've come together into this one chapter.

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MY LONELINESS

Starting a New Life

Sean awoke to the familiar banging, pounding, and shouting coming from down below. Moaning, he turned and glanced at his PET. The clock read 7:15. He stretched out his limbs and yawned before throwing aside his covers and getting out of bed. It had been about four years since he had learned about his parents' deaths in the plane crash. He was eight now and nearly turning nine, although he expected that no one would care. Ever since he had received the tragic news, he was forced to live with the relatives he had been staying with at the time and life was never easy. His cousins constantly harassed him and his aunt and uncle were no better.

Sean opened the door and walked downstairs to the second floor. About a year after he had heard the news, his aunt and uncle had another baby and he was forced to abandon his room and move up to possibly the coldest room in the whole house: the attic. Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, a pair of forms ran right past him, causing him to fall backwards onto the steps.

"Watch it, cousin!" one of the figures said as the two turned a corner down the hall. Sean groaned as he got back up and trudged over to the bathroom. Seeing that no one was in sight, he slipped in without being seen and locked the door behind him. Standing in front of the mirror, he looked into his reflection.

Looks like it's going to be another day of torment. Sean opened the cabinet and grabbed his toothbrush only to find the bristles covered in some sort of disgusting green gunk.

"Uncle's going to kill me for this. Again." Sean sighed as he tossed out the brush and got a new one from underneath the sink. "Note to self: not labeling own toothbrush doesn't work either." Breakfast wasn't any better. The milk had gone sour, the toast was burnt, and the Corn Pops had completely been cleaned out. Sean let out yet another sigh.

Man, I gotta have my Pops. (A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist) Grabbing the first piece of uneaten edible food, which happened to be a banana, Sean quickly ate and then went back upstairs to get changed. As he was just closing his backpack, he could here his aunt bidding his cousins a good time at school.

"She doesn't even know the half of what they're really like there," Sean muttered as he slung his bag over his shoulders and went downstairs. He quickly put on his shoes and then headed out to the bus stop.

"Well if it isn't orphan boy," one of the older kids at the stop jeered as Sean approached, "I'm surprised you'd show your face again after what we did to you yesterday."

Don't talk to them. Don't even look at them, Sean thought to himself over and over again. he failed to notice one of his cousins sneaking up on him from behind until he grabbed the waistband of his underwear and pulled upward.

"Look at the wittle baby cwy!" said another of the cousins as the one who was holding onto Sean's briefs continued to give him a wedgie. Sean stayed in that position until the bus arrived. He uncomfortably got onto the bus and slowly sat down in the front-most seat.

At least the bus driver can keep an eye out for me, he thought as he tried to re-straighten his underwear as best as he could. Everyday, Sean had to endure at least four wedgies. One time he tried going commando to avoid them. Unfortunately, his schoolmates decided to pants him that day for a change. He still remembered it as one of the most embarrassing days of his life.

As the bus waited at a red light, the driver turned to see Sean sitting in his usual front seat depressed as usual. She reached into the glove compartment and took out a sucker, which she gave to the boy. Smiling, Sean took the piece of candy, took off the wrapper, and popped it into his mouth. After thirty minutes, the bus arrived at the school and all the kids piled out. Sean took the wrapper and the now-bare stick of his sucker out and tossed them into the garbage before heading inside. He walked into his third grade classroom and placed his book bag on the hook labeled "Sean Obihiro" before walking over to his desk and sitting down. Despite the fact that sitting in the front row allowed the teacher to keep an eye on him, his position had one major disadvantage. Whenever the teacher had her back turned to the class while she wrote on the board, his classmates would take the opportunity to shoot spitballs, paper wasps, and elastic bands at his head.

"Good morning, class," the teacher greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning, Mrs. Noakes," the class greeted back. (A/N: I just picked a random name out of the phone book.)

"Now class, let's begin today with a review of our math." Mrs. Noakes turned around to write on the blackboard and Sean immediately pulled on his hood. Already he could feel spitballs bouncing off the back of his head.

Looks like it's going to be another long day, he thought. At around ten o'clock, the bell rang signaling the beginning of morning recess. As usual, Sean stayed indoors. It was bad enough that he got abused at home and in the school; he didn't need to endure even more punishment, especially since the teacher supervisors were never close enough whenever any real trouble started. As soon as everyone left the room, Sean walked over to his backpack and took out a few toys he had brought along.

"Sean?" The boy looked towards the door and saw a girl from another third grade class whom he knew.

"Alina." Sean stood up. Alina was the only one at the school who truly knew exactly how he felt, mainly because she had put up with pretty much the same things as Sean. The only friends either of them had were each other and even then they had only known one another for a couple of months. She was wearing blue jeans, a pink sweatshirt, and a small necklace that Sean had made for her and given to her on her birthday.

Alina grabbed a chair and sat down while Sean just took his own seat at his desk. The two of them played for a bit until the bell rang, signaling the end of recess.

"I'll see you later, Sean," Alina said as she got up. She put her chair back and left the classroom with Sean waving his hand behind her. He quickly stuffed his toys back into his backpack and returned to his seat just as everyone else walked back in.

"Well class, now that you're all settled back in it's time you got back your math tests," announced Mrs. Noakes. A lot of the students groaned. The teacher took a stack of papers from her desk and began walking around the room, placing each quiz on each student's respective desk facedown. Sean, upon receiving his test back, flipped the paper over and looked at his mark. A 100% stood out in the top right-hand corner in red ink.

At least it's comforting to know that I'm doing well grade-wise, he thought. At around twelve o'clock, lunchtime rolled around and everyone went to the lunchroom except for Sean. He always ate lunch in the classroom with his teacher, feeling that it was probably the safest thing to do during that one hour. There was no possibly way that no one would dare hurt him while he was under direct teacher supervision. Unfortunately, he realized a little too late that that didn't include indirect attacks when he tried to get up to put his lunch bag into the garbage and found that he couldn't get up. Someone had put glue on his seat and now Sean was stuck.

I'm running out of pants, he thought to himself as he gave his teacher the hand signal that he was stuck and she went to his bag to get the extra pair of pants he had brought along with him. When lunch was finally over, the janitor had moved Sean's old desk out and replaced it with a new one and Sean himself had changed his pants. The next hour or so was spent on social studies, which wasn't exactly Sean's forte but he was still able to maintain a fairly good mark. However, it was nothing compared to the class he had next. Sean hung near the back as his class moved from the classroom to the school gymnasium. Upon reaching the locker rooms, he went to his gym locker, which was located in a secluded corner, and took out his gym clothes. He changed as quickly as he could and then stepped into the cold gym. As he did, he failed to see the two larger students grab him from behind and give him his second wedgie of the day.

"Hey Obihiro, that's for…nothing at all!" one of the bullies mocked as Sean straightened out his sorts and underwear.

"Okay kids, listen up!" the gym teacher said upon entering, "Today, we're going to be continuing with baseball." The class went outside onto the diamond and teams were quickly selected. The other team was up to bat, first. As Sean stood in at first base, he thought back on the past four years and all that had happened since he first received news of his parents' death, which would have also accounted for the fact that his attention was elsewhere when the ball flew towards his direction and hit him between his legs. Sean fell to the ground, clutching his crotch in extreme pain.

"Time out!" The gym teacher ran over to Sean and slowly moved him over to the bench, "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Sean replied as he tried to relieve the pain, but to no avail.

"They didn't mean it," the teacher assured him, "It was just an accident. I'm sure they didn't hit you on purpose."

"Don't count on it," Sean muttered darkly. He ended up sitting out the rest of the game and hobbled back to the locker room to change back into his normal clothes. After changing back, he closed his locker and stuffed his gym clothes inside his bag. Third recess followed and he remaining in the classroom, as usual. He was busy doing some homework Mrs. Noakes had assigned them earlier that day when the PA system came on.

"Sean Obihiro, please report to the nurse's office. Sean Obihiro, to the nurse's office." Sean quickly closed up his book and them and his pencils away before getting up and walking down the hall to the nurse's office.

I wonder what this is about, he thought to himself as he arrived. He knocked on the door and the school nurse answered it.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Dimas?"

"Yes, Sean. Please, come in." Mr. Dimas opened the door wider and allowed Sean to step through. His eyes went wide at the sight before him. There on the bed as Alina covered with cuts, blood, and bruises. He ran over to her and immediately grabbed her hand.

"Alina! What happened?" he asked worriedly.

"She was caught in a corner near the basketball courts," Mr. Dimas answered, "She was trying to run away from some bullies who wanted her necklace."

"They…almost…got it," Alina gasped, "But…they didn't."

"What exactly happened?" Sean place his other hand on his friend's and looked into her gentle eyes.

"One of them…had a….knife…" Alina coughed and fresh blood spilled out of her mouth.

"Alina, hold on! I know you can make it. You've always been able to."

"I'm afraid they did some critical damage to her body," said Mr. Dimas, "I'm afraid she won't…"

"You mean?" Sean looked over at the school nurse, "You mean she'll…" Mr. Dimas nodded solemnly.

"First my parents. And now…my friend," Sean threw his head back and screamed, "NO!!!!"

"Sean…." Sean opened his eyes and looked at Alina.

"Here," she said weakly as she held out her hand. Sean opened up his own and Alina deposited the necklace that Sean had given her, except it was now ruined, undoubtedly from when the bullied tried to grab it from her.

"Please Sean, don't forget me."

"Alina, no! Don't talk like that! You're my best friend! My only friend! Please Alina, you can't die on me! I won't let it!"

"Sean, we've both had a bad life. Maybe…this is what's best for me." Sean could feel his friend's grip slackening. Gradually, her hand became limp and her eyes closed, never to open ever again. Sean shut his tear-filled eyes tightly and screamed at the top of his lungs.

* * *

A week after Alina had passed away, her funeral was being held. Sean stood in front of his bedroom mirror adjusting the black tie around his neck. He then grabbed his black suit jacket and put it on before going downstairs.

"And where do you think you're going?" his uncle asked.

"We're going to Alina's funeral," Sean answered, "remember?"

"Oh, that. We ain't going."

"WHAT?!?!"

"It's Jessica's birthday party today. We can't having you go off to some dead girl's thing when we've got more important things to deal with right here at home."

"But Alina was my friend! My ONLY friend! I gotta go and pay my last respects to her!" Sean protested.

"Well I don't see where that becomes my problem," his uncle replied before turning back to the TV, "Now go help your aunt set up for the party."

"That is IT! I have had it with this stupid family!" Sean shouted.

"Don't you shout at me, boy!"

"I can shout all I like! You don't care for me! You never have and you never will! You only took me in because you wanted my inheritance!"

"Now look here, Shane…" Sean's uncle said as he stood up.

"See? You don't care for me at all! You can't even say my name correctly! It's Sean!"

"SHUT UP, YOU MISERABLE KID!" A large hand came down on Sean's check and knocked him down to the floor. The boy reached up and touched where his uncle's ring had cut him. With eyes filled with anger and hatred, he looked up at his uncle one last time before running up to his room and slamming the door behind him.

Sean didn't receive any dinner that night and so he stayed locked in his room surfing the Net. He had managed to bandage the cut on his cheek, but it still stung incredibly.

"Sean."

"What is it, Andante?" Sean asked his standard NetNavi.

"You've got a message."

"Play it for me."

"Of course." Andante reached for a lower corner of the computer monitor and pulled up a video screen, displaying an unknown Navi that Sean had never seen in his life.

"I hear that you're unsatisfied with your life."

"That's the understatement of the millennium," Sean muttered.

"I can help you, Sean."

"How do you know my name?"

"There are many others like you out there in this world besides you and your deceased friend."

"How do you know about Alina?" Sean demanded, "Answer me!"

"Please, Sean. I'm a NetNavi. Information travels quickly across the Net. You want to leave this environment, do you not?"

"I do, but there's no possible way. My door is locked from the outside and the windows have all been barred."

"Poor child. For years, people have wronged you. They tormented you day in and day out. They even took away the one person who ever cared for you."

Sean opened up his desk drawer and took out the remains of Alina's necklace, which he was going to place into the casket at her funeral.

"They should pay for that they've done," the NetNavi continued.

"They should. But who am I to judge?" Sean asked.

"You are the most important," the Navi replied, "They have wronged you, so you have the right to punish them. I can help." Sean looked down at his feet for a moment.

"What must I do?"

"Just follow my instructions carefully."

Late that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Sean took out a metal file and began sawing his way through the bars that covered his window. After an hour, he was finally able to get free. As soon as he was done, he grabbed his backpack, which contained his toothbrush, some toothpaste, a bunch of clothes, and some other personal belongings, and slung it over his shoulders. He then grabbed his laptop and slid the strap over his head and onto one shoulder. Finally, he grabbed his PET from the charger and placed it into its case at his hip before pulling on a pair of gloves. Sean reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. He slid them on, squeezed on his baseball cap, and pulled his hood over his head, securing it in place with the drawstrings. Making sure no one was outside, he tied one end of a long rope he had made with his bed sheets and curtains to a single bar that he had left unsawed while tying the other around his waist. Using his chair for support, he managed to climb over the windowsill and onto the roof.

Okay, Sean. You can do this. Ever so carefully, he made his way to the drainpipe and grabbed onto it. Closing his eyes, he slid down it and landed on the ground with a soft thud. He quickly untied the sheet from around his waist and ran away. He caught a bus downtown with what little pocket change he had and rode it for a half-hour. Upon reaching his destination, he made his way over to the bank and jacked his PET into the terminal outside.

"Andante, withdraw all my money and close my account," Sean ordered.

"At once," his Navi replied. Numbers flashed across the screen and reflected off his sunglasses as he watched all the zenny in his account transfer out of the bank and into his PET.

"The transfer was successful," said Andante, "Your uncle and aunt have spent a fair twenty percent of the total ,but there's still plenty."

"I just hope it's enough," said Sean.

"So, where to now?"

"We'll stop by someplace for some food before we begin our long trip." Sean walked through the downtown district and stopped outside a small noodle restaurant. Walking over, he set his bags down and lifted himself onto one of the stools.

"Hey there, boy. What are you doing out this late at night?" the man behind the counter asked.

"I just came into town," Sean lied as the server handed him a menu.

"Oh. tough trip?"

"I've still got a way to go before I reach my destination." Sean scanned the menu for a moment before closing it and handing it back to the server, "I'll have the chicken."

"Coming up." While Sean waited, he took out his PET and began speaking with his Navi.

"Andante, where's the nearest metro station?"

"It's a good distance away from here," Andante replied, "Sean, are you sure about this?"

"Completely," said Sean as his food was placed before him, "I've had enough." He put his PET away and looked down at the bowl of noodles with pieces of chicken laid overtop. He thanked the server and split his chopsticks before eating his late-night dinner. After he had finished, the server took away his empty bowl and dumped out any soup he hadn't drunken.

"Is that all?"

"Yes," Sean answered.

"How will you be paying?"

"NetCash." Sean picked up his bags and accompanied the server over to the register. He jacked in and Andante paid for the meal.

"Do you know where the nearest grocery store is?" asked Sean.

"The closest one that's still open should be few blocks down that way and make a right on fifty-ninth."

"Thank you." Sean grabbed a toothpick and stuck it in his mouth before leaving the restaurant. He followed the server's directions and soon found himself at his intended destination. Grabbing a basket from the rack near the door, Sean walked up and down the aisles looking for any non-perishable food items. When he came out, he had bought two weeks' worth of ramen, three large bottles of water, several cans of fish, meat, and fruit, a small can opener, and a roll of toilet paper.

"Sean, are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Andante.

"Don't worry, Andante," Sean affirmed his Navi.

"I'm just not quite sure if we can trust this mysterious Navi."

"I don't trust him either, but he's currently my only means of getting away from here."

With his groceries now in hand, Sean walked to the nearest metro station and went to the long distance travel office.

"Excuse me," he said as he approached the woman behind the desk.

"How may I help you?" she asked when she heard Sean's voice.

"What's the farthest I can get for one million zenny?"

"Let me just run a quick check." The woman checked the files on her computer and turned to Sean a few minutes later. "One million zenny can get you as far either DenTech City or Kotobuki Town."

DenTech's a big city, Sean thought to himself, It might be easy to hide there for a while. But then again, sometimes they can have the nastiest people there. Kotobuki, on the other hand, is small. Small town mentality usually involves friendlier people.

"I'll take the ticket to Kotobuki Town."

"Alright then. How will you be paying?"

"NetCash," answered Sean as he took out his PET and jacked in to the port in front of him. Andante paid up and the woman handed him his ticket.

"May I ask as to why you're going?" she inquired, "Are you running away? People who run away usually ask what's the farthest they can go for a certain amount."

Damn! There goes my "visiting family" excuse, Sean thought to himself.

"I'm sorry, but I can't say," was his reply as he took his ticket and walked over to the gate. He slid it in through one and it popped out the other, opening the doors for him. Sean immediately walked over to a directory and looked up the platform for the train to Kotobuki.

Platform 7, bottommost level, he read mentally, Times are seven AM and six PM. Sean looked at the clock on his PET screen. It read 2:01 AM.

"It's going to be at least five hours," he grumbled to himself. Sean headed for the elevator, but found that it was undergoing repairs. So he took the stairs down to the bottommost level. Save for a homeless man asleep in a corner, nobody else was down there when he arrived.

"It's going to be a long wait," Sean thought out loud as he sat down on a bench. He put down his food supply and took off his backpack and laptop case. He took out his laptop and turned it on. As soon as it had finished booting up, the mysterious Navi appeared on the screen.

"How have things been?"

"I'm a few hours, I'll be out of this hellhole," Sean replied, "What do I do next?"

"Once you reach your destination, you'll need to set up a network," answered the Navi, "You've got all the money you need. Find a place and turn that into your headquarters. Set up servers wherever possible. Once you have control of the Net, you'll have the world in your grasp. However, you won't be able to do it alone."

"What do you mean?"

"The world is a big place and you're only one person. But don't get yourself down. There are many others who share the same pains as you. They'll be willing to lend a hand."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

A few more minutes passed and Sean finally shut off his laptop and put it away. For the rest of the time, he pondered about what the Navi had said to him.

Will people really help me fight for my cause?

***FOUR HOURS LATER***

"All passengers for the KotoLine, please stand behind the yellow line. All passengers for the KotoLine, please stand behind the yellow line."

Sean kept his hand on his cap as the train blew into the station. It soon came to a stop and the doors opened. Unlike most subway trains, this one had padded seats, all facing the front of the train. Storage spaces for luggage were located above the seats and at the ends of each car. Sean walked over to a nearby row and placed his belongings in the aisle seat before taking the one close to the window. After a few minutes had passed, the doors closed and he could feel the train moving forward.

"Andante, how long is the ride?"

"Approximately five hours." Sean sighed and shifted in his seat. He pulled his cap down over his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. He knew he could have slept while waiting for the train, but he didn't want to risk having anything stolen.

The train eventually arrived at its destination. Sean yawned as he disembarked. He walked up the steps out of the station and into town. The moment he exited into the street, he was hit with the bright sunlight.

I should find a place to stay, he thought as he walked through the streets. He checked out a few apartment buildings and eventually found one with a reasonable rate.

"Well, the only apartment I have available is the penthouse," the manager explained.

"It's alright. I don't mind," said Sean. He paid the manager and received his key. He walked over to the elevator and rode it to the thirtieth floor. He entered the apartment and looked around. The living room was spacious and completely furnished. A door on the side led to a large bedroom, which, unlike the living room, was completely devoid of any furniture.

"Plenty of space. This will do nicely." Sean walked back into the living room and set down his things. He placed all his food into storage and took his role of toilet paper into the bathroom. After hanging up his jacket and cap and putting away his sunglasses, he sat down at the table, turned on his laptop and connected his PET to it.

"Andante, I'm going to need equipment. Lots of equipment."

"Anything in particular?"

"I want to set up a network. Use up as much of my inheritance as possible."

"Right away." Andante logged out of Sean's computer and went straight to the Net.

"Now," Sean leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, "Time to start recruiting."

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Come to think of it, I think this works much better than my old idea of writing two separate chapters. It definitely turned out better than I had anticipated.

Anyway, please review my fic, people.