Heart of Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this fanfiction. All of this belongs to EXE.

Chapter 1: Left Out in the Rain

Prologue:

Chaud Blaze was just the vice president of Blaze Corp. also operating a net navi called Protoman. To the world, he was a extraordinary net savior and a very intelligent boy that watches over his father's company. But to himself, he thought that he was an isolated, alone and poor little kid whole has lost his soul. But he still had some of it left, thanks to his net navi. It began to rain and Chaud had to get back to his company so he wouldn't miss the important board meeting. Unfortunately, the rain had started to come down really fast and hard. Chaud felt the cold water drizzle down his face as he looked at his PET.

"P-p-protoman, a-are y-you there?" said Chaud shivering.

"You are catching a death out here Master Chaud, I will have your limousine to pick you up right now," said Protoman firmly.

"T-thank y-you Protoman. Don't k-know what could happen without you," said Chaud.

Protoman smiled and a moment later, Chaud's black limousine came cruising up from behind. Chaud went on and looked at the black tinted window. Drops of rain were flowing onto the window and then he saw street lights through the reflection. It was actually a beautiful angle to see the city in. Then Chaud noticed that his door was unlocked. He was about to lock it when he saw something in the reflection of his window. He was so stunned about the image that he couldn't move an inch. He just turned around and saw a dark blue car driving and spinning crazily.

Then the other car rammed itself into Chaud's limousine. The impact of the accident was very huge destructive that the front of the car had caught on fire. Chaud was badly hit and was easily thrown out by the impact. The unlocked door allowed Chaud to fall off onto the cold, wet street. The limo driver had jumped out a second earlier than when the other car had hit and was just unconscious. Chaud on the other hand was badly hurt.

"Master Chaud!" shouted Protoman through the rain.

Chaud stirred a little and then lay motionless on the pavement. Wet raindrops fell on top of him and Protoman noticed a trickle of blood was falling from his head. He knew that Chaud needed medical attention and fast.

"Master Chaud! Please stay awake! I will go for help!" said Protoman.

"Not…now…" said Chaud and then he was again immobile again. The rain was cold, the sky grew darker and darker…

Protoman left to contact the emergency medical ambulance to pick them up. Then Chaud was left alone in the rain with no one to hold his hand while he was dying. No one to help him get up. He had just laid there with his face on the ground and the raindrops had just kept falling onto him faster and faster…

Chaud woke up and looked at the surroundings. He was in the Den Tech Hospital and he groaned as he looked at his hands. They were heavily bandaged because he had slid on his hands as he left the limo. Chaud tried to find his PET but couldn't. He then stared at the clock. It was two o' clock in the morning. The board meeting had long passed and his father would be very upset for him…

"Protoman?" asked Chaud.

There was no answer. Chaud had felt alone and abandoned except now more than ever. Usually he wouldn't care if no one cared about him, but Protoman was different. Protoman had helped him out ever since his mother died. Protoman never disobeyed Chaud and he always saw him as an equal.

"Protoman?" asked Chaud a bit louder.

"Rest your voice, Mr. Blaze," said the doctor.

"Who are you?" asked Chaud bluntly.

"I am Dr. Wilson head of the diagnostics department although I knew I just had to treat you," said Wilson.

"That's nice, now where is my PET?" asked Chaud.

"I don't know," said Wilson shortly.

"Well find him-" said Chaud.

Then Chaud began to feel like he was coughing up blood. He actually was and this had caused a lot more stress to be on him. He panicked and then Dr. Wilson gave him an inhaler and put Chaud's mind at rest…

"So what happened?" asked Dex.

"For the last time, Chaud was in a car accident," said Maylu.

"And what am I doing here?" asked Dex.

"Because he is our friend," said Yai.

"Poor Lan. Distraught. He can't stand to hear about Chaud being this way…" said Maylu.

Sitting on a nearby bench was Lan. He was tired and sleepy but he knew that he would stay up the whole night to make sure that Chaud was going to be okay. There was no news yet from the doctors, so he decided to talk to Protoman. He figured that talking with him would set both of their minds at ease.

"…and the car sped out of control hitting Chaud's limo. His door was unlocked so he basically flew out. He landed on his hands and all I could remember was a watery red color. The rain started to fall faster and I went for help," said Protoman.

"Are you sure you are okay?" asked Megaman.

"Not really…"

"Protoman, Chaud is going to walk out of this hospital alive, okay?" said Lan.

"How are you so sure? You don't sound worried," said Protoman.

"How could you say that? We are totally worried! We very much care about Chaud!" said Megaman.

"I'm sorry…I just…" said Protoman.

Then he began to cry. Protoman was the strong and silent type of net navi and it was never in his nature to cry. He has mentioned to Chaud once before that he would die before he even lets a single tear hit the ground. Megaman and Lan felt his sorrow and could barely stand it themselves. Protoman's tears fell silently downward. Lan then remembered that this was like when Chaud thought that he had lost Protoman forever and that he destroyed his soul…

"Please Protoman, stay strong…" said Megaman.

"I can't…I just can't…" said Protoman.

Then Dr. Wilson came out through the doors. Dr. Hikari anxiously walked up to him and talked to the doctor. All Lan saw was Dr. Wilson shaking his head and his father saddened. Then Dr. Hikari talked to everyone.

"Dr. Wilson has just informed me that Chaud…is unstable…he could die at any moment…"

"No! It just can't be!" shouted Lan.

"I'm sorry son, Chaud doesn't deserve this. He's only thirteen. He doesn't deserve to die at this age," said Dr. Hikari.

"Are we allowed to see him?" asked Yai.

"I don't know. The doctor said it would make his internal bleeding to go faster," said Hikari.

"How?" asked Maylu.

"He would be so happy to see us and it could cause damages. So whatever we do, we must make sure that he says the least things necessary and the least movement possible," said Dr. Hikari.

Everyone walked through the doors and saw Chaud in the hospital bed. He was actually asleep and Lan placed Protoman's PET in the charger right next to Chaud's bed. They waited about two hours before Chaud opened his sapphire eyes.

"W-What are you all doing here?" asked Chaud.

"Please Chaud, save your energy. We've just come to say hello and goodbye," said Yai. She had emphasized the hello part and softened the goodbye part.

"Where's Protoman?" asked Chaud and looked wildly around.

"I'm here, Chaud. Rest yourself…" said Protoman and started to cry again.

"No, Protoman, don't," said Chaud.

"I'm sorry…I usually don't get all emotional like this…" said Protoman.

"Stop!" shouted Chaud.

Protoman looked up and saw Chaud. His head was bandaged and also were his hands. Then Chaud began to cough and sputter.

"Doctor!" shouted Maylu.

But Chaud was quick and drew the inhaler. The doctors rushed in and said they had taught Chaud what to do if that ever happened again. Then Chaud breathed again and felt an uneasiness in him.

"God, I hurt so badly," said Chaud painfully.

"Chaud, please rest. Get better we know you will," said Lan.

Protoman's tears did not stop falling. Chaud was deeply saddened by this and couldn't stand it any longer. He had a right to know what was going on. He was sure he was mature enough to handle it…

"Protoman? What's…wrong?" said Chaud finally.

"Nothing…" said Protoman.

"Tell me…Will I get better?" asked Chaud.

"Chaud, relax. You are going to be fine," said Yai slowly.

"Ow, if that were so…would he be crying? I told him not to, he obeys me," said Chaud.

Then Chaud took of the sheets covering him. He didn't have his black t-shirt on. What he saw stayed in his mind forever. His body was wrapped in a smooth amount of bandage. It were as though his ribs were broken. The pain was unbearable, but still, Chaud had the strength to fight on…

"Protoman…what is it?" breathed Chaud.

"We know you are going to get better as long as you have the will Chaud," said Dr. Hikari.

"Protoman…tell me!" shouted Chaud. Then he gasped for air.

"Okay, Master Chaud… Dr. Wilson says you are un-unstable and c-could die at any t-time," said Protoman stuttering.

"And you all knew about this?" asked Chaud.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Chaud felt uneasy and dark. Then he put his hands up to his face. He knew that he was going to die, why hadn't this struck him sooner? Chaud didn't cry, there was no point in that now…

"Okay…well, then I thought I'd say good-bye," said Chaud finally.

"Don't say that! You can get better!" said Yai.

"What are the chances of that?" asked Chaud.

"One fifth chance that you will live…" said Manuela sadly.

"That doesn't seem to good. Well I'll say good-bye when I can…" said Chaud.

Yai now began to cry. It was unnatural of her to do this in front of Chaud for she really loved him. This was considered bad manners but no one seemed to care.

"Come here," said Chaud to Yai.

"Huh?" asked Yai.

Yai went to him and Chaud pulled her up so they met at eye level. She saw the most handsome blue sapphire eyes that anyone could see. Chaud then kissed her and Yai has never felt so happy and depressed in her life. In any case, she threw her arms around Chaud and hugged him.

"Thanks, Yai. I needed that," said Chaud.

"So you don't hate me after all?" asked Yai.

"I never have and I never will. I will miss you and everyone else most of all… Protoman, I also love you very much… I probably never treated you as an equal although I saw you as one. I never meant that Yai's company is third-rate or the fact that Lan has on net battling skills. I hope you will forgive me," said Chaud.

"Chaud, don't say things like that! This isn't the end!" shouted Maylu.

"What if it is?" asked Chaud.

Everyone grew silent and Protoman never knew that Chaud never treated him like an equal. Protoman always thought he did and this didn't change that fact. Chaud was dying… slowly fading away into the darkness. This time, his friends couldn't help him, Protoman couldn't help him…

"It's not your last chance," said Lan finally.

"Thank you Lan," said Chaud and smiled.

Then the sat monitor on his finger started to pick up some funny signals. Chaud's heartbeat was irregular and it was causing him disorder. The computer started to get really loud and the doctors rushed in. They gave him some medicine and went to tell everyone else what had happened.

"He has just slipped into a coma. There are only two things that can happen. One he will wake up and walk out of this hospital. Two, he will die…" said Dr. Wilson.

"And it's an 80 chance he will die?" asked Manuela.

"Correct," said Dr. Wilson. Then he walked away.

"Poor Chaud," said Maylu.

"It's not your job to be like this Maylu," said Dex.

Lan looked up and felt like punching him. How could Dex be so insensitive about these things? Surely Chaud wasn't all friendly with him, but he was dying. This was different than an insult now and then…

"When a good person dies, there should be an impact on the world. Someone should know, someone should be upset!" said Protoman from his PET.

"I didn't mean any offense," said Dex.

"Then what did you mean?" asked Dr. Hikari.

"If Chaud is going to die, there is nothing that can stop it. What happens will happen. Time to move on," said Dex.

"Flashback Dex. Chaud hasn't died yet," said Maylu.

Dex shrugged and walked out of the hospital. It wasn't that he didn't care about Chaud. Just not enough to make him cry…

Protoman just silently waited in his PET. He didn't speak a word. He was really scared for Chaud. He wanted him to live. The chances weren't so great but there still was something to look forward to…

"He'll make it Protoman, he wants to see you again," said Megman.

"Chaud will wake up, I know he wants to," said Lan.

"Chaud…don't ever give up the fight…" said Protoman softly.

Back in Chaud's room, all the doctors had left. He was still in a coma, but then he seemed to have mouthed out, 'I won't."

Author's Note: I know that this story is pretty sad right now. Chaud won't keep fighting until the very end but still, the inevitable can happen. Yai and Protoman will have a lot more to do with the next chapter, if you wanted to know. Also, tell me if Yai's name is really spelled Yaoi. Because some people do it that way and I have no clue. Please review. Thanks!

I shall preview the next chapter (just if you wanted to see)

"Please Chaud, don't die…" said Protoman.

Chaud's condition wasn't improving, in fact, now it was going the other way. Protoman looked out onto the tired and suffering Chaud Blaze. Then his eyes darted out the window. Dark and gloomy, just like the feeling in his heart.