Author's Notes.

Maritta, Laika? Maybe, maybe not. Chaud? Of course, how could I forget about my favorite MMBN Character?

M. n. Tenshi, Chaud evil? Nope, I've just got other uses for him...

Begin Chapter.

Tuesday, 9:00 AM: ACDC International Airport (Third Person POV)

"And we're on our way." Lan grinned as the aircraft lifted off of the runway and took to the sky.

"It was pretty nice of Chaud to furnish this plane for your use during the tournament." MegaMan commented as he adjusted his P.E.T.'s signal reception to the higher altitudes. "At least this time we don't have to fly commercial, that got expensive."

"Tell me about it." The Op replied. "I spent that entire summer just working off the bills I'd run up, even though they were supposed to reimburse me for it."

"Well, that hot dog craze you had didn't help."

"Why don't you come out here and see how long you last without eating?" Lan snapped back.

"I bet I could go for more than seven point two minutes." The Bomber replied with a grin in his voice, "Hey, Lan, you wanted me to remind you to go check on Maylu when we got airborne."

"Right, I want to make sure that she learns the layout of the plane without any trouble."

"Who's 'she'?"

"Whoa!" Lan's eyes went wide as he spun around to see Maylu sitting in the seat behind him, and she was grinning smugly. As he desperately willed his heartbeat to slow down, he tried to figure out just how she had sneaked up behind him without his hearing her, the last he'd seen of her, she was still sitting back there near the door. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Lan, I appreciate your concern, but it's like I've been telling you." The redhead settled herself back in her seat; "I'm not helpless. You've stopped treating me like a baby, but every once in a while you just... forget."

"I know, I just can't help but worry about you." The brunette replied as he avoided looking into her blank eyes. "Sorry."

"You're forgiven."

"How'd you get up here anyway?"

"Well." Maylu held up her Personal Terminal to illustrate her point. "While you were checking out the snack bar, Roll and I were going over the plane, she filled me in on where everything was, and we've gotten a pretty good grasp on the layout."

"Oh."

"You never cease to amaze me." Chaud's voice drifted through the plane as he strode into the cabin. "Chaud?" Maylu turned in the direction of his voice.

"Who else would it be?" Lan commented.

The Official ignored the remark as he stepped forward and seated himself in a seat across from the other two Netbattlers. He'd grown accustomed to Lan's cocky remarks; they were his way of letting off steam, much like his own habit of making subtle insults.

"It must be hard on you." The redhead continued to face Chaud's previous position, since the Official hadn't said anything, she didn't know that he had moved, "not being able to compete in the tournament."

"I've done worse." The head of IPC shrugged, his voice causing Maylu to readjust her position.

"Famous asked you to sponsor this didn't he?"

"Slow down here a second." Lan broke into the conversation; "Chaud's doing this because they want him to?"

"You know, Lan, you might want to take some lessons from Maylu on seeing things," The Official couldn't resist the insult, "Yes, they did ask me to do this."

"Why?" Now Lan was getting into the conversation, evidently he didn't want to be left in the dark.

"I don't know myself." The Op replied, "All I know is that they tell me where the next stop is and that's where we have the next round of competition."

"So they're setting the schedule?" Maylu spoke up.

"No, they aren't pairing the matches," The bicolor-haired boy shook his head, "the only thing they control is where we go next. That's the only stipulation that they had."

"Odd." The redhead commented.

"I know." Chaud agreed, "I know that you've already given this place a brief once over, Maylu, but I want to give you and Lan a quick tour, that way you'll know where everything is."

"If you say so." The two battlers stood up.

"Then follow me."

"One quick question." Maylu followed the sound of Chaud's voice, prodding the area around her with her cane to feel out any obstacles. "Where are all of the other Netbattlers? If they're here then they must be awfully quiet, because I haven't heard a word out of anyone but you and Lan."

"They're flying commercial." The administrator replied as he shoved a nearby door open, "I'd rather the three of us stay together since we're all here at Famous' request."

"Makes sense."

"Now around here you've got the kitchen..." Chaud proceeded to explain where everything was in the aircraft.

A few hours later they touched down in Sharro, one of the colder areas of the world and home to Laika and SearchMan.

"ProtoMan, is there any last minute instructions from Famous?" Chaud exited his cabin, Personal Terminal in hand and winter coat at the ready.

"Nothing, I haven't received a word from them since the briefing."

"I wish I knew what we were getting ourselves into." The Op slid his coat on and headed down the hallway, first he had to get Lan and Maylu, and then they had to get down to the arena for the opening ceremony and an exhibition battle. The thought caused Chaud to grin slightly, he may not be allowed to compete, but that didn't mean he couldn't participate.

A short walk later, the administrator stopped and banged on a doorway.

"Hey, Lan! Get a move on!" Chaud shouted into the closed door.

"I'm ready." The door burst open, just barely missing Chaud's face, revealing Lan decked out in his usual attire... the only difference being the long coat thrown over his shoulders. "Bring it on!"

"Now I know you're crazy." The Official shook his head as he turned and continued down the hallway.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Lan, only you would go out into the freezing Sharro climate in a pair of biking shorts." Chaud hurled that last point over his shoulder as he turned a corner. Which conveniently cut off his ally's reply.

A few seconds later, he stopped in front of another door, this one going into Maylu's cabin. Considering the circumstances, Chaud decided against just banging on the door and instead elected to do something extreme.

He knocked politely.

"Yes?" The door slid open.

"I just wanted to let you know that we're here."

"O.K., give me just a moment..." The redhead turned and began to shuffle towards the closet set in the far wall.

"Uh," Chaud's manners kicked into gear. "Do you need any help?"

"Not you too." Maylu's called back to her friend as she felt her stick make contact with the wall, a split second later she had felt out the handle and pulled the closet door open, "Chaud, I'm not helpless. I can do just about anything you can, I just do it differently."

"Excuse me. I didn't mean it that way." The Official watched as Maylu felt through her wardrobe and finally pulled out a coat, causing him to blink in surprise, for one thing, Maylu had exchanged her skirt for a pair of jeans, and that coat went perfectly with her ensemble. "Did- did you know that-"

"The coat matches my shirt?" The redhead cut him off as she put it on and headed for the doorway. "I did."

"How?"

"See here?" Maylu raised her left arm so that the sleeve was plainly visible. "Yes," Chaud tried to figure out what she was showing him, it was just a coat sleeve, with a few buttons on the side down near the hem. "But I don't see what's so special about it..."

"How many buttons are there?" Maylu was clearly enjoying her companion's bewilderment, and didn't show any signs of letting the secret out.

"Three."

"And what shape are they?"

"What's that got to do with it?" Chaud could feel his patience reaching the limit, what was the big deal here anyway? They were just buttons- or were they? "There's just two round ones and a square- that's it... the two round ones and one square one tells you that that coat's blue doesn't it?"

"Yeah." The redhead exited her cabin and took off down the corridor, her cane feeling out the path ahead of her. "I always replace the buttons on new clothes so that I know what they are. For instance: round button, square button, round button tells me that this is blue in color. A square, round, round would be red, and round, round, square would be brown."

"Amazing."

"Just life."

At that precise moment, Lan showed up, apparently taking Chaud's advice as he now wore a pair of longer pants.

"So are we ready to go?" The brunette asked, evidently unaware of the exchange he had missed.

"We are." Chaud watched as one of the few attendants on the plane cranked the door open. "Next stop: the Netbattling arena."

End Chapter.

Next: Exhibition Battle!