First of all a big thanks to everyone who reviewed, or just a big thanks to the one person who reviewed. Ah well, I tried not to make Chaud too obsessed over not showing weakness, but it is a point I wanted to emphasize. I'll try to tone it down a bit here. Enjoy chapter 2!

Disclaimer: The Megaman franchise is not in my possession, but it will be! Oh, it will be! Bwahahahaha!

Chapter 2

"Thank you sir, it's a pleasure to be finally working with you." Chaud shook the man's hand and walked out of the meeting room.

He stepped into the elevator and punched the 1 button. The doors shut in front of him and Chaud let out a sigh. The elevator lurched as it started on its way down. Chaud stood in silence as the typical cheese played over the elevator's speaker.

He thought. He had the rest of the day to do what he pleased. A rare occasion, but one he normally spent working ahead on his projects. Protoman, at that moment cleared his throat, which meant he was trying to communicate something to Chaud. Navis didn't need to clear their throats.

The elevator pinged as the elevator stopped with the number 1 displayed on the digital display. He stepped out and walked toward the door. If Chaud needed to know something, Protoman would tell him, and if Protoman didn't tell him something he wanted to, Chaud thought as he shoved open the door, that meant one of three things. One, Protoman was afraid to tell him something, two, Protoman didn't think the info was that important, or three, the info was very important to him and Protoman wanted to remind him of it.

Chaud glanced at his watch, 12:45 it told him. Time, it was always definite, but always changing. At least the watch never lied; at least he could read it easier than he could read people. He averted his thinking back, one, Protoman was never afraid to tell him something if he thought that Chaud needed to know. Two, if he thought the info wasn't important, he wouldn't have cleared his throat. That left option number three.

Chaud let out another small sigh. Fine. Perhaps it could do him some good, some relaxation time.

"Protoman," Chaud started, ready to ask a question he already knew the answer to.

"Sir?"

"Is my schedule open for this afternoon?"

Protoman let out a slight grin, "Yes sir"

"I think," Chaud said, knowing he might regret it later, "I should take some time off"

Of all the eccentric idiots, why him? Chaud had thought.

He had decided to try going to the museum of arts, to rest his eyes on works of beauty. NOT to meet with him and his friends to get even more stressed. It had been the some old routine, when those youthful, fiery eyes ran up to him.

"Hey Chaud!" Lan exclaimed excitedly, "You finally takin' a break, huh?"

It was at that moment Chaud mentally bashed himself for ever wanting to take a break.

"Well," Lan chuckled, "it's just about time you did if you ask me, I think-"

"No one asked you what you think Lan, and I'm not here to 'take a break', I'm here on official business." He had replied coolly, "And if you ask me, I think breaks are only for weaklings like yourself, hmph."

Chaud walked past Lan, pushing him to the side and walked ahead without taking his hands out of his pockets. He kept his pace, walking off to go about his official business he didn't have."

"Jeez, what's up with that guy!" Lan said from behind him, obviously ticked off.

Now Chaud sat in a fancy restaurant, shuffling around the various delicacies with his fork. It had stung the first time. When he had bashed Lan, and insulted the company of that little girl's father. Now, it was just a routine, but why of all the damned times and places did he have to meet him there?

He stabbed at a piece of meat. Last break he was going to be taking in a while. He had to meet Lan, right at the moment he was taking time off. He had to tell him he had official business, at the moment he didn't. He was like Chaud's worst enemy, knowing every weak point he had.

Chaud shook his head, as if to shake it all off, "Protoman we're leaving"

"Sir?" Protoman asked, concerned.

"You heard me," Chaud said back, perhaps a little too quickly and maybe a little too harshly.

"Yes Sir," Protoman said in a tone emotionless to the normal ear. But Chaud knew Protoman's voice, and he heard sadness and hurt.

Chaud walked in silence for a while. He sighed, "Protoman, I'm sorry, I just-"

"I know, its okay Chaud" Protoman said

A shadowed figure stood on a rooftop, watching them talk, "Now."

Chaud heard an explosion partway down the street, several screams, and yelling.

"Chaud!" Protoman called

"I know!" Chaud yelled back as he raced down the street toward the sound.

As he sprinted forward, he saw a hooded man walk out of a charred door in the side of a building. In one hand he spotted a sack filled with a material Chaud couldn't identify in the other, his eyes narrowed, a semi-automatic hand gun. The man spotted Chaud and ran in the down the street in the opposite direction of him.

"Jack in, ," said Chaud, jacking in Protoman at the next available port, a telephone pole.

With Protoman in the traffic system, Chaud vaulted after the man. He wasted no time in calling the local police and alerting them to his position as he noticed the model of gun, a .45 Smith and Wesson compact pistol. His eyes was narrowed, adrenaline pumping through his body, and the chase was on.

Eh, I tried to make this one a little longer than it is right now, but I'm a bit dry on ideas. I wrote this story with a beginning in mind and an end in mind, I just gotta figure out how to get my beginning to my end. Hopefully we'll get into some action in the next chapter. Again, please review.