Begin Chapter
Protoman was waiting for Chaud when the door suddenly burst open, and Chaud came in, shut the door, and locked it. "Are you ok!"
"Protoman! You have to help me! My father is trying to kill me!" he said as he ran over to his desk and sat down on the floor behind it so no one could see him.
"Calm down and tell me what happened," said Protoman, trying to hide his own fear for his NetOp. Chaud calmed down enough to tell him exactly what happened.
"And then he threw that enormous paperweight at me, and I tried to duck, but I wasn't fast enough, and it hit me in the head. I blacked out until five minutes ago. When I woke up, I saw that I was on the couch, and that my old man wasn't there, so I ran for here," Chaud finished. He had begun to tremble in fear and was close to an emotional breakdown.
"Calm down while I send a few emails," said Protoman. "I need to contact Yai and Lan. They will need to know and they can possibly help." Protoman started the email to Yai first.
Yai:
Everything didn't go well when Chaud went to go and pitch the idea to his father. His father went berserk and threw a ten pound paper weight at him, and he caught it with his head. He is about to have a break down. Just a heads up about what is happening. I am going to see if Lan can have Chaud stay with him.
Protoman
When he was finished with the letter, he sent it and started on Lan's.
Lan:
Chaud went to pitch Jena's idea to his father, and his father didn't like the idea. He threw a ten pound paper weight at him and other things on his desk, and the weight caught him in the head. He needs a safe place to lay low for the next few days. Can he come and stay with you? If not, do you know a place where he could go? I don't want him to be in the same building as his father, for clear reasons.
Protoman
"There," he said as he sent the email to Lan. "Chaud, are you going to be ok?"
"I don't know," said the shaking boy, "I just don't know. Do I have to go home?"
"No, I am trying to see if you can stay with Lan. I don't know if he has an extra room, but I'm sure he will find a place for you to go," said Protoman, trying to calm Chaud down enough that he could stand up enough without shaking.
"Thank you," said Chaud as he looked at Protoman and smiled the best he could, "you're a life saver."
"Hey, that's what I'm here for. I have to protect you the best I can," said Protoman as he got the new mail message. "New message from Yai."
"What does it say?" asked Chaud as he looked at the computer screen. "You can just read it to me."
To Chaud and/or Protoman:
I'm so sorry. My father took the idea a little better; he actually looked like he sort of liked the idea. I think that Lan will be able to have you stay with him. I have a friend staying with me. Her name is Mary, and her Netnavi is Ring. Oh, and the Navi that you sent is ok. FYI.
Yai
"Ok," said Chaud, "What Navi did you send?"
"One of your father's standard Navi's. Your father was going to erase his memory, and he came to me to tell me what happened before you came here. I sent him to Yai's computer for safety," explained Protoman.
"Oh," said Chaud as he let his head fall back against his desk. Protoman just hoped that Lan would email back soon.
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"Lan, email," said Mega. Lan was eating lunch during school with Maylu, Tory, and a new girl that Yai introduced that morning, Mary, before she went to help her father at work.
"Ok, who's it from?" asked Lan as he finished his lunch.
"Protoman," said Mega as he opened the email and read it. "Oh my. That's horrible."
"What?" asked Maylu and Lan at the same time.
"Why don't you read the email," said Mega as he put the email up on the screen. Lan read the email, and paled as he finished. Maylu took the PET so that she, Tory, and Mary could read it.
"What!" said Maylu in a hushed voice. "That's horrible!"
"Yeah," replied Mary. "Ring, didn't you say that you met Protoman earlier on your way here?"
"Yeah," Ring replied from her PET, "he helped me when I was attacked by three Navi's."
"You were attacked!" Mary replied. "This morning? All you told me was that you ran into him on the way here!"
"Um, did I forget to tell you?" said Ring. Mary just rolled her eyes and looked at Lan.
"Can I have my PET back?" asked Lan. Maylu handed him his PET, and he addressed Mega. "Mega, can you email mom and dad and ask them if Chaud can stay with us?"
"Sure," said Mega as he got to work on the email. Just then, the end of class bell rang, and Lan, Maylu, Tory, and Mary went to their next class. They found their seats, and Ms. Mari waited for the bell to ring.
"Class, I have an announcement to make," she said as the door opened and Dex walked in. "Dex will be joining us for the rest of the year. Please take your seat." Dex nodded his head and looked at his feet as he walked to the desk behind Lan's.
"Sorry for what I did," he said as he passed Lan's desk and sat down in his desk.
"'S ok," replied Lan as he turned his attention to Ms. Mari as class begun.
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"Dr. Hikari," said one of Sci-Lab's standard Navi's that was working with the doctor, "You have a new email from your son. Do you wish for me to open it now, or should I wait?"
"Open it now, please," he replied as he looked to the screen where his son's email was up.
Dad,
Chaud needs a place to stay for a week or so. Can he stay with us? It's urgent. His father threw things from his desk at him, and knocked him out. Protoman doesn't want him to go home for obvious reasons.
Lan and Mega
"59," Dr. Hikari called the Navi that was helping him, "Can you reply to Lan and tell him that it is ok with me, and that he needs to come over to Sci-Labs after school and explain himself?"
"Sure thing," 59 replied as he began the email.
"I should call Hakura and tell her that Chaud will be staying with us for a while," thought Dr. Hikari as he picked up the phone and called his wife. "Hi honey."
"Hi," came Mrs. Hikari's voice from the receiver, "What's the occasion? I don't usually get calls during the day."
"Chaud is going to be staying with us for a week or so. I called to give you a heads up," replied Dr. Hikari as Famous walked into the room and 59 finished the email and sent it.
"Ok, I will get the guest bedroom ready and make dinner for one more, bye sweetie," said Mrs. Hikari as she hung up the phone. Dr. Hikari set down the receiver and turned towards Famous.
"Hello, did you get bored in your office?" joked Dr. Hikari.
"No…Well, yes, I did," he replied with a smile, "What's this I hear about Chaud staying with you?"
"I don't know if it is my place to tell you, but I will if you don't tell anyone, including the Chief," said Dr. Hikari. "59, you can have the rest of the day off."
"Thank you sir!" he exclaimed as he ran out of the PC.
"Well, I think that it would be better if I let you read Lan's email," said Dr. Hikari as he motioned towards the screen.
"I see," said Famous as he finished the email. "Well, Chaud's secret is safe with me. I will tell Chief to go easy on him because someone in his family died."
"Thank you Famous," said Dr. Hikari. "I should get home and help my wife with dinner and getting the house clean." With that said, he left.
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"Lan, email from your dad," Mega whispered to Lan. There was thirty minutes left in class, and Lan was officially zoned out.
"What's it say?" he whispered backed. Mega opened the email and showed it to Lan. "K, email Protoman and tell him Chaud can come to my house. And what is Ms. Mari talking about?"
"Algebra. Pay attention!" scolded Mega as he started the email to Protoman.
Protoman
Sure, Chaud can come and stay with us. Everything will be fine, so don't worry. Lan will be home right after school. He is in his last class. You can go there now.
Megaman
"Lan," whispered Mega when he finished the email, "can you jack me into the school server so I can hang out now?"
"Sure," said Lan as he jacked Mega in. "Have fun."
Mega arrived in the net and went from Lan's desk to Maylu's. "Hey Roll," he said as he got there.
"Hey Mega, what's up?" she asked as Mega went over and stood next to her.
"Well, Chaud and Protoman are going to be staying with Lan and me for a few weeks, or until it is safe for him to go back home," Mega replied. "What's up with you?"
"Not much," she replied, "Maylu doesn't have too much stuff for the next few weeks. It's only piano lessons and homework. I have a feeling Yai is going to call her after school in the near future to get Maylu to come over and do her hair."
"Can she come over tonight and help Lan with his homework? I know that he has been spacing out all class period," Mega asked.
"I'll ask her after class," she said trying to keep herself from laughing. "Is that why you weren't in Lan's desk page today?"
"Yes and no," he replied, "I was waiting for the email from dad too."
"Oh, well, the bell is about to ring, so you had better get back to Lan's desk. I'll ask Maylu soon. Bye!"
"Bye," Mega replied as he went through the link to his desk and from there to his PET.
BBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG
"Finally!" exclaimed Lan, "School's out!"
"Well Lan," said Ms. Mari as everyone got their things together and left, "Don't forget about your homework. I hope you were paying attention today."
"Yes ma'am, I was," lied Lan as he left the room with Maylu, Dex, Tory, and Mary. As soon as they were out of earshot of Ms. Mari, Lan turned around. "I didn't pay a bit of attention in class today."
"Good job, you're better than me," joked Dex, "Gutsman made me pay attention."
"Dex need pay attention, guts," said Gutsman.
"Mega tried to get me to pay attention, but it didn't work," said Lan. Mega just rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Who wants to go and get ice-cream?" asked Tory.
"Me!" everyone exclaimed as they left for the ice-cream parlor.
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"Chaud, I just got an email back from Megaman," said Protoman as he read it quickly. He was in his PET and had been trying to cheer Chaud up for the past two hours. "He says that it is ok for you to stay as long as you need to."
"Should we go now, or wait until the old man leaves?" Chaud asked as he took a look around his desk.
"We should go now," said Protoman, "and go and get some clothes and other things for you at home."
"Ok," said Chaud as he stood up and walked out of the room.
"Are you going home, sir?" asked the secretary as he walked past her.
"Yes, I am exhausted from earlier. I will be taking a vacation for the next few weeks, so I won't be in tomorrow," said Chaud as he walked to the door. "Good bye."
"Goodbye then, sir," she replied as she returned to typing on her computer. Chaud left the building and walked to his home. When he arrived, he went straight to his room, set the PET in its charger, and pulled out a duffel bag. He packed a few shirts, pants, and other clothes. Continuing to his desk, he picked up laptop and put that in the bag too. When he was finished packing, he took the PET off the charger, and put the charger in the bag.
"I'm ready. Did Mega say when I could come over?" he asked as he headed towards the front door.
"Yes, he said that you could come over any time you wanted to," Protoman said as they left the house.
"Well, let's get over there now. What time is it?" asked Chaud.
"It's three, it's going to be ok?" asked Protoman as Chaud left the grounds and headed towards the Hikari's.
"I know," Chaud replied as he boarded the subway.
End Chapter
