Chapter 8 - Long Walk Home
Lan and Megaman both left the courtyard of DenTech Academy. Lan wanted to reach down and hold Megaman's hand so much. He wanted to feel that contact with Megaman one more time before they got home. However, he didn't think that now was the best time for that. But...he didn't understand why this didn't feel like the right time. Megaman was ok. He would be able to keep the M-Program. He could still come to the human world. They could still be together. So...why did this moment not feel right for him? He just couldn't explain it.
"Lan? Are you ok? You seem a little distracted." Megaman's comment brought Lan out of his thoughts. He looked at his NetNavi, his facial expression still looking a little gloomy. Megaman took note of this and smiled, trying to see if it would help Lan snap out of this mood he was in. It didn't seem to help all that much, though. Lan's expression did not change.
"Well...I guess I can't stop thinking about the UnderNet Mafia. I just can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen soon."
"Don't worry about it, Lan. If anything happens, we can handle it. We have faced tougher situations before, and came out on top."
"It isn't that I am worried. It's that...well...Cannonman's comments...I just can't get them out of my head."
"Which ones?"
"He said that once he was rid of Chaud and me, there would be nothing in the way of the UnderNet Mafia taking over the human world. And, you saw how he got into SciLab."
Megaman remembered well. That was the first time in a month or two that he had seen a copyroid, let alone one that was functional. And, to make that situation worse, it was used by someone with an evil intent, and Megaman had to battle with him in order to same Lan and Chaud, not to mention the rest of SciLab, and maybe even DenTech City itself.
An awkward silence fell between them. Lan was lost in his own thoughts as well as Megaman. They didn't notice it at first, but it didn't take them long to realize it either. Their hands had met with the other and were now holding on tight. Megaman looked down at the contact sight and smiled inward. Lan did the same. It was just an amazing feeling for them both. They had made contact with each other in the past, such as during their incursion into Beyondard. However, this was something totally different. It was actual skin contact, something that they had never felt with each other before...at least, not before yesterday.
They were brought out of their thoughts when they saw Ms. Mari walk into Miyu's Antique Shop. The two boys looked at each other and decided to stop in and say hi. They walked through the front door of the shop, releasing their hands from the other. Miyu was behind the counter, her crystal ball in front of her, like always. Ms. Mari was about to take a seat in front of Miyu. Neither Miyu nor Ms. Mari noticed that Lan and Megaman had entered the shop...until they made their presence know.
"Hi, Ms. Mari," Lan and Megaman said, in unison.
Ms. Mari's face flushed a little as she turned around to see the two boys behind her. She immediately recognized Lan. However, she wasn't sure who the other boy was. Could it have been one of Lan's new friends? Maybe it was a new transfer student that she didn't know about. Or, could he have been from one of the private schools in the area? Ms. Mari was at a lost of words. But, she did find the courage to speak up.
"Well, hello Lan. What brings you here?"
"We just wanted to stop by and say hello."
"We? Oh, how silly of me. Who is your new friend, Lan?"
"It's Megaman." Miyu's voice made its presence known to her visitors. The three of them turned around and faced the fortuneteller sitting behind the counter. Her eyes were closed. She normally had her eyes closed or half-lidded when she was focusing on telling someone's fortune or predicting the future. Lan and Megaman both had shocked looks on their faces. However, Ms. Mari, on the other hand, had a very confused look on her face.
"Miyu...how did you know that..." Lan was cut off by Miyu, who knew exactly what he was going to say.
"I am a fortuneteller, Lan. I saw what happened yesterday before it even happened."
"You did?" Megaman became more curious than shocked now.
"I did. I also know what will happen in 2 days, and you both must watch your steps."
Lan and Megaman looked at each other. Their expressions now went from shocked to overly worried. But, it didn't take long for their expressions to change back to shocked, as Megaman came face to face with Ms, Mari, who was now looking at him very closely, trying to figure out if he was real or not.
"Oh, wow! I never knew Megaman could be in our world!" Ms. Mari didn't hide one bit of excitement from her voice. Like most people, seeing a NetNavi in the human world was a rare occurrence.
"Ummm...Ms. Mari...you're a little too close..." Megaman, still in shock, was getting nervous, having Lan's teacher so close to his face.
"Oh, my. Sorry, Megaman. This is just something that you don't get to see very often."
"I understand, Ms. Mari. It just made me a little nervous having someone look at me like that. This is a whole new experience for me, as well."
"Oh, I apologize, Megaman."
"Sure, no problem."
Megaman and Ms. Mari exchanged smiles. Lan chuckled to himself. He never saw Megaman act like that before. It was actually very funny, seeing Megaman, who was always so calm and composed, get nervous over such a little thing. He didn't notice it, but he started to let his inward laughter out, and Megaman took notice. He shot Lan a look that seemed to say 'That's not funny,' but quickly saw the humor behind it.
"Ms. Mari. While I am aware that this is the time that you normally come in to have your fortune read, I would like to ask you to step outside. I want to speak with Lan and Megaman in private." Miyu's voice sounded rather commanding, even for her. Ms. Mari looked at the blue-haired girl, and nodded her head. As. Ms. Mari walked out the front door, Miyu turned her attention to the pair of boys in front of her. Both Lan and Megaman had worried looks on their faces. Miyu wasn't really one to talk to people in private.
"Megaman...Lan...you must tread lightly. Do not underestimate the UnderNet Mafia. They are the next biggest threat to our world."
"Miyu...what is going to happened in a few days? You said you saw the future."
"I saw you, Lan. However, you did not see anyone else."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Lan. I am saying that you need to be careful. Your future is uncertain, and that is even worse than knowing if something bad will happen."
Lan looked at the blue-haired woman in front of him. Now, instead of being nervous, he was scared down to his core. Miyu's predictions were always right. However, when something was uncertain, things never turned out for the better. However, Miyu has been wrong on one occasion, and that was back during the first N1 Grand Prix. She predicted Lan would lose, which he did not. The difference is that Miyu threw the match, as it was a test to see how he would handle the events following the N1.
Megaman looked at Lan, then at Miyu, then back to Lan, then back at Miyu. He had his own question he wanted Miyu to answer.
"Miyu...what about me? What happens to me?"
"Megaman...I see you...in pain. But, it is not physical...it is emotional."
"Emotional? What do you mean?"
"That, I am not sure. Only time will tell. For your future, too, is not without uncertainty."
Now, Megaman started to feel the same as Lan. They had never seen Miyu like this before. Normally, her predictions were just about simple things, like when Ms. Mari came in. Ms. Mari just wanted to know what her love life was in for; simple stuff that like. But, Lan and Megaman have never seen Miyu this serious before.
A knock came on the door of the shop, and Miyu let Ms. Mari back in. Ms. Mari took note of Lan and Megaman's expressions. She felt like it was her duty, not only as Lan's teacher, but as his friend, to cheer him up.
"Lan…Megaman. Whatever Miyu told you…don't worry about it. You two have impressed and made me proud of you all the time. Whatever it is, you will overcome it. You always do."
The two boys looked at Ms. Mari and smiled. Her words were very reassuring to them both.
"Now, if Lan could just get to school on time everyday, then there would never be any trouble at all!" Now, after that comment from Ms. Mari, Lan started to blush profusely. Megaman, on the other hand, laughed at the comment and his NetOp's reaction to it. Lan's face, still red, looked at Megaman and shot him a look. Megaman could only laugh more at this. Ms. Mari soon joined in. Lan's face turned red even more. However, he eventually gave him and had himself a light chuckle before him and Megaman left Miyu's shop.
The two boys continued to walk down the street. Now, instead of their thoughts being on the UnderNet Mafia, they were now dwelling on Miyu's prediction. 'She did mention the UnderNet Mafia. Maybe they have something to do with what will happen to me and Megaman." Lan's thoughts were running through his head very rapidly. Megaman was no different. His thoughts on the situation were also making themselves known in his head.
"Hey, Lan. Do you think we should be worried about what is suppose to happen?"
"I'm not sure, Megaman. After hearing Miyu's predictions...I just can't think right now."
Megaman saw this as an opportunity to try and make light of the situation. He was always good at that. His random comments regarding situations in an attempt to make light of it were mostly effective.
"You? Thinking? Well, isn't that something new?"
Lan looked at Megaman, who was trying to suppress a chuckle under his breath. Lan, however, wasn't amused at first. His demeanor did not change, and Megaman took note of this, and stifled his laughter. However, it didn't take long for Lan to smile at the NetNavi, and give off a little bit of a laugh himself. This eased Megaman's mind, as he thought that his comment may have made things worse than what they already were.
Lan leaned over to Megaman's ear. "That is why I love you. You can always make me laugh," he whispered. Megaman felt a slight blush appear across his face. Even though Lan had suggested that they keep their relationship under wraps, Lan seemed to be getting more and more open about it, and this whisper in the Megaman's ear was the most recently occurrence. However, Megaman composed himself, as did Lan.
Without knowing it, they found themselves in front of Sal's Flower Shop. Since it was still mid-day, the shop was still open, at least for another hour or so. Lan decided that he and Megaman should stop in and say hello to Sal, both as a means of being nice, and to show off Megaman, which Lan had been doing practically all day thus far.
The both stepped through the door and a bell sounded. Sal, who knew the bell meant a customer or visitor had just come in, came out from behind her counter to greet the new comers.
"Hello. How can I help you? Oh, It's you, Lan."
"Hey, Sal. How're are you doing?"
"I'm doing great, Lan. Thanks for asking."
While Sal was talking she noticed the other boy standing by Lan. She looked at him, with her usually cheerful demeanor, and examined him. By looking at the face, she thought that he resembled Megaman, but she wasn't sure. The clothing was different, but he had the same hair style in the back of the head. She decided to go out on a limb (no pun intended).
"This must be Megaman. Am I right, Lan?"
Megaman and Lan looked at each other, both with surprised expressions on their faces. Did everyone know that Megaman was able to move between the real and Cyber worlds? Lan decided that he should ask the question that he knew Megaman was thinking.
"Sal…How did you know? Did Miyu tell you?"
"Nope. I just decided to take a guess. And, from your answer, I guess I was right."
"Well…umm…yeah…"
"Hehe. Don't be so nervous, Lan. And, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Megaman."
"You too, Sal."
Sal extended her hand, and Megaman accepted the handshake. They both then exchanged smiles, and released. Lan looked at the two of them, noticing how calm they both were. It was a far better situation to be in than when they said hello to Miyu. Hell, Miyu scared them stiff with her predictions for the coming days.
"So, what brings you two boys to my shop?"
Lan and Megaman looked at each other. "Well, we actually just stopped by to say hello." Megaman was the one who responded to Sal's question.
"Oh. Well then, hello to you, as well. There is some tea if you want some. It should still be warm. Help yourselves."
The two boys nodded their heads and headed over to the small table near the back of the shop. There were 4 seats at the small table, with a teapot in the middle, along with neatly stacked teacups. The teapot was decorated in a flower-type pattern, evident to Sal's love of nature. Lan went to touch the pot, and found it still to be warm. Both he and Megaman sat down at the table, as Lan poured himself and Megaman a small cup of the warm liquid. Lan took a sip of it, and tried to hold in a bit of disgust. Sal liked to make tea. However, whatever she made it out of, Lan wasn't sure. However, he didn't really like the taste. Megaman smiled at Lan's reaction to the tea and took a sip for himself.
"Mmmm…This is delicious. Thanks, Sal."
"You're quite welcome, Megaman."
"Geez, Megaman. You are acting like Maylu when it comes to Sal's tea."
Megaman laughed at Lan's comment as he took another sip of the tea. This was the first taste of tea Megaman had had. The other times he drank something, it was either water, which got rid of the curry spice quickly, or milk, which he had with breakfast this morning. The tea seemed to help calm his body and mind, making him feel at ease. Sal finished watering a few plants and went over to Lan and Megaman to join them.
"So, you boys just came from Miyu's shop?"
"Yeah, she saw in her crystal ball that Megaman would get into the human world."
"Well, Lan. She is a fortuneteller. Did Megaman say hi to Skullman while he was there?"
"Oh, that slipped my mind. I didn't think of saying hello to Skullman. Is Woodman around?"
"He should be back, soon. I sent him to Net City to pick up a few things for the shop. Do you want to stick around and wait for him to come back?"
Lan and Megaman looked at each other. "Nah, we should actually be going, Sal. I need to make sure Lan actually does his homework once this week."
"Hey! I did my homework all by myself 3 days ago!"
"Ok, you did do your homework then, Lan. But, only 10 out of 30 math problems shouldn't really count."
Lan glared at Megaman, who was now trying to suppress his laughter. Sal let out a soft snicker at the situation. Now, instead of just being a little mad at Megaman, Lan was now starting to blush a little bit across his face.
However, He pulled himself together as he and Megaman said their goodbyes to Sal and left the shop.
~~!~~
~~!~~
"Dr. Hikari, we just finished analyzing the scanned data from Megaman."
One of the scientists took a few seconds to look up from his screen to inform Lan's father about the analysis completion. Dr. Hikari gave the other scientist a nod, and walked over to another screen, which was connected to the computer that analyzed the data. He looked at the screen, and a pleasant look came over his face.
"It looks like everything is as it should be. Good work, everyone."
All of the other scientists in the room nodded their heads and proceeded to shut off their terminals, getting ready to move onto other projects, or go home for a little rest and relaxation. Most of the terminals were turned off as the majority if the scientists, save Dr. Hikari, left the room to do what they needed to do. He was still examining the data that was collected from the testing earlier in the day.
"Hmmm…that's odd. I didn't notice this before."
Dr. Hikari noticed something in the analysis. It looked at though something was added to Megaman's original data. How it got there, the scientist didn't know. However, before he went and jumped to any conclusions as to what it was or what it did, he needed to examine it more thoroughly.
It had been an exhausting day of work, and Dr. Hikari was tired. He momentarily took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. All of the work that had been going on over the past 24 hours had caused him to develop a slight headache. It wasn't anything major, just a slight pain. This wouldn't have been the first time this happened, though. The same thing happened while was he developing the SynchroChip and first Dimensional Area Generator for SciLab. He had worked so hard and long that his mind finally decided to rebel a little and make his head hurt.
Seeing that he might need a little something to keep him awake, he replaced his glasses and went into the hallway. There, he found a vending machine that was specifically made for dispensing all kinds of drinks. He didn't want anything too strong, like one of those "High-energy" drinks the machine offered. No, he decided that a simple cup of coffee with cream and 2 sugars would be enough. He inserted his money, and the machine dispensed the beverage.
With his coffee in hand, he returned to the laboratory. He took a brief sip of the hot liquid in the cup and continued to examine the data. His attention was turned back to the information he found to be interesting. Once again, he lifted his glasses off his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The coffee wasn't going to kick in for a little while, and his headache still persisted. In a few seconds, he replaced his glasses and continued to look at the screen in front of him.
"Hmmm…this data…I don't recall this being here before." Dr. Hikari was a little perplexed at what he saw. He knew it wasn't something in Megaman's original Navi program, and he didn't think that it was something the M-Program added. He then started thinking a little bit more. 'It might have been added by the NetLine.'
He took another sip of coffee and continued his work.
~~!~~
~~!~~
"Hey, Megaman. Want to stop at #1 Curry?"
"I don't have to eat anything, right?"
Lan laughed at his NetNavi's comment. True. The night before when Megaman had his first taste of Curry Rice, it ended with him downing a glass of water because it was too spicy for him. Megaman didn't intend for his comment to make Lan laugh, but it did. He knew why Lan was laughing, and had himself a light snicker.
"I guess we can. I mean, we can see Dingo and Yahoot while we are there."
"That's the spirit, Megaman. Let's go!"
"Right on, Lan!"
The duo continued on with their walk. The streets had about the normal amount of people walking. It was about 5:30 pm, and a lot of people were getting off of work. Lan and Megaman could see several traffic jams as they continued on their path. DenTech City also had a lot of large television screens throughout the city. Most of them were used by companies to advertise new products, services, or announcements. Lan looked at a few of them hanging overhead, seeing what the most recent products were, and perhaps sparking his interest if they were something he needed or wanted.
"Hey, Lan! Wait up, buckaroo!" A familiar voice sounded from behind Lan and Megaman. They both turned around to see an older man on a bicycle with what appeared to be a type of mobile cooling chest on the back of it, probably used for keeping food fresh during transportation.
"Hey, Maysa. What brings you out here?"
"Well, I was gathering up these here fish to bring on down to the market. I saw you, and wanted to make sure you were getting your Calcium."
"You always have the same line, Maysa"
"By the way, Lan. Who is this here young fella?"
Maysa was obviously referring to Megaman. He was giving off his usual smile, and rather distinctive fish aroma. Since Lan was around Maysa a good amount of time, he didn't even notice the fish aroma that was emanating from the older man. Megaman, however, was never able to smell anything because he was always in his PET. The smell of raw fish filled his nostrils, and he didn't like it too much.
"This is Megaman, Maysa."
Maysa looked at Lan with a confused and perplexed look on his face. His mind was trying to process the comment from the boy. Lan had noticed that the entire day, when he introduced Megaman in the flesh, people found it extremely hard to believe. Finally, Maysa smiled and laughed. Now, it was Lan and Megaman who had the confused look on their faces.
"Ha-ha, ha-ha. That was a good one, buckaroo. I never knew you could be a funny guy."
"Uhhh…Maysa…I wasn't trying to be funny. This IS Megaman."
"Stop yanking my chain, Lan. There ain't no way a NetNavi can be in this here human world."
"But…it's true, Maysa. This is Megaman, outside his PET, and in the flesh."
"Ha-ha. Lan, you sure know how to make a person laugh. Anyways, I gotta get going. Don't want these fish here to go a spoiling on me!"
Maysa started to peddle his bicycle and went past Lan and Megaman. He then turned a corner and went out of sight. The two boys looked at each other.
"Well, that didn't go very well, Megaman."
"I guess we can't expect everyone to believe what we say, Lan."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
With those comments, Lan and Megaman continued on their walk to #1 Curry. Megaman actually couldn't wait to see Dingo and Tomahawkman. He knew that they would be taken by complete surprise by seeing him outside of the Cyberworld and in the flesh. Although, he wasn't sure how Yahoot would take to his being in the human world. The man never seemed to have any emotions.
"Megaman, here we are." Lan's words brought Megaman out of his train of thought. His eyes became aware of what they were looking at once again, and he focused on the building in front of them. The sign above the doorway had "#1 Curry" written on it.
"Oh. I didn't realize we were here already."
"Megaman…are you ok? You have been quiet for the past 5 minutes."
"Oh, sorry Lan. I was just thinking about how Dingo, Tomahawkman, and Yahoot would react."
"React to wha…oh, I see. React to you being in the human world."
"Yeah. I can imagine Dingo saying I am some evil spirit that has come for him."
The two had a laugh at the comment. Dingo hailed from a tribe of natives who inhabited Jawaii Island. He embraced his heritage a lot, and his belief in bad spirits was one of those aspects of his heritage.
They both walked into the curry restaurant. Dex was behind the counter, making the batch of curry that would be served to customers when they ordered it. Dingo seemed to not be inside the building, which meant that he was probably dumping garbage outside behind the building. Yahoot was probably in his office, doing who knows what.
"Hey, Dex!"
"Lan! I didn't expect to see you here. Oh! You brought Megaman, too."
"Yeah. We decided to stop by and let Yahoot and Dingo see Megaman."
"Yahoot is in his office, and I just sent Dingo out to get some more spices. He should be back soon."
"Oh…Did you tell him or Yahoot about Megaman?"
"Not a word, Lan."
"Thanks, Dex. Now, we can REALLY surprise them. Right, Megaman?"
"Definitely, Lan. It is gonna be such a shock for them."
The three boys looked at each other and nodded. While they were there, Lan decided to order some of Dex's House Curry. He and Megaman took a seat at one of the tables. It was rather quiet inside the restaurant for this time of day. Normally, there would be at least 8 people inside, having dinner for the day. However, there was no one. The place was a barren.
"Hey, Dex. Why is it so quiet here today? I'd have thought you would have a lot of customers."
"I was wondering that myself. It is strange."
"Maybe your curry isn't very popular today."
Dex ignored the comment and served Lan his curry. The boy looked at the food put in front of him and smelled the heavenly aroma. Megaman got a whiff of the food, and his senses started to tingle. While the taste of curry didn't quite agree with his mouth, his nose certainly enjoyed the smell of it. Megaman, without knowing it, leaned forward and took another sniff of the meal. Lan looked at Megaman and just smiled.
"You know, you can have a bite of you want."
"Hmmm…I guess one bite won't hurt. After all, Dex did make it."
"Ha-ha. That is why you should eat it with caution, Megaman."
"I heard that, Lan!" Dex remarked, as he heard Lan's comment, who just snickered at the larger boy's reaction. Lan then turned back to his curry to find that Megaman had taken a small spoonful of the meal.
"Are you sure about that, Megaman? I hope you didn't forget what happened yesterday."
"I figure I might as well have a little taste. One bite couldn't hurt, right?"
Lan simply nodded and watched as Megaman put the food into his mouth. The NetNavi closed his eyes and enjoyed the flavor. It was just as good as the Curry Rice that Mrs. Hikari had made the night before. He then opened his eyes and looked at Lan, who was still looking at him. They both looked at each other, waiting to see if Megaman would need any water to douse any feeling of spiciness.
"Everything ok, Megaman?" Lan broke the silence between them.
"Yeah. It isn't as spicy as the curry your mom made last night."
"Well, that's good. Normally, the House Curry is supposed to be spicier than Curry Rice."
"Maybe being able to handle the spiciness of the curry is an acquired taste?"
"Maybe. I guess only time will tell."
Megaman only took one little bit of the House Curry, seeing that Lan ordered it, it was only right that he be the one to eat the rest. Lan, who was never good at restraint, decided to take advantage of the moment and started to eat his meal. While he was enjoying the food, Dingo walked into the restaurant, coming back from his errand of getting the spices that Dex needed for the curry. Dingo looked around the building and saw only Lan and Megaman, who he didn't notice as Megaman at first.
"Lan! When did you get here? And, who's the new guy?"
Lan and Megaman looked at each other. Now was the best time to spring the news on Dingo, and Tomahawkman was probably listening as well.
"Hey, Dingo. You don't recognize him?"
"Not in the least."
"I don't either." Tomahawkman appeared on Dingo's shoulder, looking at the person they had never met before. Well, they thought they never met this person before. When in reality, they have known this person for several months.
"Well, I guess I have to tell you. It's Megaman."
Dingo and Tomahawkman looked at each other, wide-eyed. Those were some interesting words that just came out of Lan's mouth. Megaman, in the real world? Not possible. They both looked back at Lan and smiled.
"You gotta be kidding, Lan!"
"Dingo's right. There is no way Megaman can be here!"
Megaman, after hearing the same comment from Maysa, was a little upset. He didn't understand why, but he was just upset. Actually, a little more than upset. He was actually…angry…for the first time in his life. Sure, he got a little upset during NetBattles. But this…this was actual anger.
Megaman slammed his hands on the table and stood up, shouting at Dingo and his NetNavi. "And, what makes you think I can't be here? What makes you think that I can't be in the human world? Answer me!"
This was a complete and utter shock to Lan, not to mention Dingo, Tomahawkman, and Dex, who also heard the yelling. Megaman was NEVER like this. He had never actually yelled at someone before, unless it was to get a positive point across to them. No…this wasn't to get a point across…this anger was because…well...Megaman couldn't describe it.
"…Megaman? Are you…ok?" Lan was reluctant to speak to his NetNavi. He had never seen Megaman get THIS angry before. Come to think of it, Lan had never seen Megaman angry at all.
"Woah…Did I just…yell in anger?" Megaman's demeanor changed back to its usual state. However, he was utterly shocked by what just happened. He actually YELLED in anger. He had never done that before. Dingo, Tomahawkman, and Dex all looked at Megaman, still in shock. Dingo and Tomahawkman realized that Megaman responded to Lan calling him by his name, therefore proving their theory incorrect. However, they were still shocked at what just happened.
"Lan…let's go…" Megaman left his seat quickly and went out the front door. Lan finally snapped out of his shocked state of mind and looked at Dingo, Tomahawkman, and Dex. The three were all looking at Lan for some kind of explanation as to what just happened.
However, he couldn't give them on, and soon left, trailing behind Megaman.
~~!~~
~~!~~
Megaman wasted no time in getting back home. There were so many emotions and thoughts running through his mind that he needed to get somewhere to comprehend what had just happened at #1 Curry. Did he actually yell at Dingo and Tomahawkman? And, on top of that, was it really in anger? There were so many thoughts in his mind that he wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him. This was evident when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He instinctively turned around to see Lan standing behind him, with a painfully obvious look of worry in both his face and eyes.
"Lan…"
"Megaman...what happened back there?"
"I…I…I don't know, Lan. It was like I just…snapped…"
This had never happened to Megaman before. It was so sudden and, because of the fact that he might have hurt Dingo and Tomahawkman's feelings, he didn't feel like himself. Tears were starting to form under his eyes. Him actually yelling at his friends made him feel extremely hurt inside. He couldn't even imagine how the two he yelled at must be feeling right now. Lan took one of his fingers and wiped the tears away from Megaman's eyes, while placing his other hand on Megaman's shoulder.
"Megaman…don't worry about it too much. I'm sure tomorrow we can go back and apologize."
"What do you mean by 'we'? I was the one that yelled at them, not you, Lan."
"Hey, I try to blame you for stuff only I am responsible for. It's only fair that I take some of the blame this time around."
Megaman started to feel a little better inside. Lan's words were what he needed to hear right now. They were very reassuring to him, and he appreciated what Lan was doing for him right now. He actually smiled at Lan, knowing that the boy would always have his back if anything happened to him. Without another thought, Megaman leaned forward and gave Lan a hug. At the moment, he didn't know what else to do.
"Come on, Megaman. Let's go inside. I'm sure dinner is almost ready."
"You're right, Lan. It's only been 10 minutes since you last ate something."
They both looked at each other and laughed. True enough, Lan was the NetBattler with the bottomless stomach. This fact of nature was proven as a fact when he was on his world trip after becoming the Runner-up in the first N1 Grand Prix. It happened in Namaste, during what was called the "Namaste Curry Tour of Terror," which was just a plot by Yahoot to defeat Lan and Megaman.
The two of them walked inside to see Lan's mom in the kitchen. It looked like she was cooking up dinner for Lan and Megaman when they got home.
"Mom, we're home!"
"Oh, welcome home, you two. Dinner will be ready soon."
"Great, Mom. I'm starving!"
Megaman laughed inward. Once again, Lan was overly exaggerating the situation. However, even in the light atmosphere, his mind was still on what happened back at #1 Curry. He was worried that this might be some kind of malfunction. He wasn't really programmed to feel anger, unless it was in an extreme circumstance. And, to him, having his friends refuse to believe it was actually him in the real world wasn't that big of a deal to him. Such a fact is a hard piece of information to swallow.
"Megaman, would you like to join us tonight? I made sure to make you some delicious salads."
"Ohh…thanks Mom. I guess I could."
"That's great, Megaman. Come and have a seat. The salads are already prepared."
"Thanks."
Megaman took a seat next to Lan. This way, if anything happened while they were eating dinner, such as Megaman getting angry again, Lan could easily deal with the situation, rather than having to each across the table. Like always, Mrs. Hikari sat at one of the heads of the table.
"Mmmm…this salad is delicious. Just like last night. Thanks, Mom."
"No trouble at all, Megaman. Go ahead and have some more. I made plenty."
Megaman smiled and took some more of the salad onto his plate. He was eating a slow pace…well…slow when compared to how Lan was eating. Lan's plate was nearly empty…for the second time that evening. However, he was slowing down in his eating, as it was starting to get full.
"By the way, Lan. Your father will be home for your birthday tomorrow. So, you won't be disappointed by him getting caught up with his work."
"That's great, Mom. I can't wait for tomorrow."
Megaman suddenly released something…He had completely forgotten tomorrow was Lan's birthday! This realization made him start to blush a little, not to mention change his facial expression. Had he remembered, he might have asked Mrs. Hikari for some money to go out and buy Lan a present. But now, it might be too late.
Realizing that he was still at the table with Lan and Mrs. Hikari, Megaman tried his best to hide his embarrassment of forgetting his best friend's birthday. He attempted to control the blush that was appearing across his face, which did help a little. Lan and Mrs. Hikari didn't notice it.
'I can't believe I didn't remember. Now, what am I going to do?'
~~!~~
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It was almost 9:30 pm. Lan, Megaman, and Mrs. Hikari were all in the living room watching the evening news on the TV. There were a few news reports about recent virus outbreaks on the Net, but the Net Police had taken care of them. There were also a few reports about solo NetNavis attacking other NetNavis in Net City. Lan and Megaman could only assume that those solo NetNavis were from the UnderNet Mafia.
"Oh, Megaman. Where will you be sleeping tonight?"
"I'll probably go back to my PET, Mom."
"Nonsense. I can pull out a mattress for you to sleep on."
"Nah, it's ok. I've been out of my PET all day, and it would be good to go back in."
"Are you sure, Megaman? It won't be any trouble at all."
"I'm sure."
Lan looked at Megaman with a slightly puzzled look on his face. He figured that he and Megaman might sleep in his room tonight. But, he did realize why Megaman wanted to go back to his PET for the night.
"Oh, I see, Megaman. You haven't seen Roll, Gutsman, or anyone else today."
"Yeah, I'll probably go and say hi to them before I go to sleep for the night."
"Lan, while tomorrow is your birthday, that doesn't mean you can be late for school. It's time for bed." Mrs. Hikari gave Lan her usual bedtime reminder. Lan, like always, said goodnight to his mother, and went upstairs. Megaman followed behind.
"Oh, Lan. I forgot to give this to you." Megaman took Lan's PET out of his pocket and handed it to Lan. Dr. Hikari and the other SciLab scientists figured out that the NetLine didn't have a minimum range and, therefore, Megaman could actually carry the PET, without anything happening to him.
"Thanks, Megaman. I guess I'll see you in the morning. Good night."
"Good night, Lan."
~~!~~
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This chapter took a bit of time as well! Wow!