NE::Megaman NT Warrior: Memories

by Litintha

Dr. Hikari has invented a way to have Navis appear in the real world. Megaman is the first successful test, but Lan gets Amnesia! Can Megaman's love help Lan get his memories back? LanxMegaman yaoi. Chapter 17 is up. Please R & R and vote in the poll!

14. Chapter 14: The Week Ahead

Hey everyone!

Chapter 14 is here! That's right! 14 chapters into the story, and it is still going strong!

Lan has Amnesia, and it is up to his family and friends to help him in his recovery. With any hope, it won't take too long. This chapter and the next 2 will be divided into different "days" as it will take place over a week. Additionally, these chapters will also be "lyrical chapters," where I will be featuring the song "Winner at a Losing Game" by Rascal Flatts.

Let's get this chapter started!

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Chapter 14 – The Week Ahead

-Saturday-

Megaman slowly opened his eyes, trying to stir himself into a more conscious state. Even though he did go to bed earlier than he normally word on a Friday night, seeing as in the past, Lan would stay up past his own bedtime, the Navi still felt tired for some reason. The only explanation that he could come up with was, in his mind, he didn't get as much sleep as he had thought.

The layer of thin, fleshy shutters, lifted more to reveal the emerald green orbs beneath. He looked around his surroundings, only to be slightly disappointed that he was still inside his PET. Megaman remembered that the night before he snapped at Lan, he had left the device to sleep in Lan's bed, only to wake up to the boy's attempts to get him out of bed. The Navi remembered that he had never slept so good in his life as when he was sleeping in Lan's bed. It was just something that he couldn't explain.

'I guess I better see if Lan is up.' Megaman stood on his feet inside the PET's Cyberworld, gaining his balance before straightening his back completely. He was thankful that he wasn't like Gutsman and had a hunched back. That would have looked bad on him. But, that is the way that Gutsman was programmed. And, apparently, it worked for Dex, as well.

"Hey, Lan. It's time to wake up. You don't want to be late for breakfast!"
No answer.
"Come on, Lan. Wake up. I think mom is making waffles."
Still no answer.
"Lan? Are you still asleep?"

Getting no answer again, Megaman laughed a little to himself. 'I guess his laziness transcends Amnesia.' Knowing now that yelling in Lan's ears was probably the only thing that was going to wake the boy up, Megaman started up the PET's holo-projector. In only a second, he appeared on top of the PET's viewscreen. Megaman turned towards Lan's bed to find something a little shocking, but quite pleasing; Lan was not in bed.

'Where is he? Did he actually get up on his own for once?' The Navi sat down to ponder the situation. Did Lan really wake up without his assistance? Did one of the boy's parents come to wake him up? Is it even humanly possible for Lan to wake up on his own? These were all questions that Megaman had no answers for.

That was, until...

Megaman heard the doorknob start to turn. He was brought out of his thoughts and turned towards the source of the new sound. He expected to see either Lan's mother or father to walk in and see if Lan was awake yet. It was, after all, 10:21 in the morning. However, it was neither one of Lan's parents that came into the room. It was, surprisingly, Lan himself, who walked in.

Lan looked around the room briefly until he spotted Megaman's hologram by the bed. "Morning, Megaman. Did you sleep well?" The Navi simply looked on with minuscule amazement. He knew that Lan was able to get up on his own...he was just too lazy most of the time to get up on his own. 'I guess this isn't one of those times.'

"Megaman? Are you ok?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, Lan. Just thinking about a few things."
"Like what?"
"Like...where we should go today."
"We're going somewhere?"
"Yeah. I talked with your mom and dad last night before you went to bed. They suggested that you should meet up with Maylu, Dex, and Tory at Yai's mansion."
"I don't know...I barely know them. Are you sure I should?"
"Positive. They are your closest friends. Getting to know then again will be fun."
"...Promise?"
"I promise. Let's get ready."

With a quick nod, Lan began to change out of his pajamas, which he was still wearing when he walked into the room. Not to raise any suspicion, Megaman deactivated the holographic projector on the PET, causing his translucent hologram to disappear from the room. When Lan and him were a "couple," they didn't mind undressing in front of each other. However, with Lan in the current state that he is, Megaman didn't want to start giving off the wrong impression, thereby jeopardizing what progress had already been achieved in Lan's recovery, however small it might be.

Megaman went back into the PET's Cyberworld, which was the color green, for the most part.. Flicking his wrist in front of him, Megaman opened up a Video communication to Roll, Gutsman, Iceman, and Glide's PETs. 'I should let the others know. I'm sure they'll make time,' Megaman thought as he started to connect to the other devices via the net.

"Hi, Megaman. How's Lan doing?" Roll was the first to respond.
"Hello, Megaman. How is Lan's recovery?" Glide picked up only a second later.
"Hey, Megaman! How are things with Lan?" Iceman responded immediately after Glide.
"Megaman! Is Lan ok, guts, guts?" Gutsman was the last to pick up.

"Hey, everyone. Lan's doing ok. He is still trying to figure things out right now. However, it's still going slowly. It might take a little while." Megaman tried his best to hide what worry he had, masking his true feelings under a false face of smiles and glimmering eyes. To Megaman, it seemed to be working.

However, his friends saw through the mask. Fortunately, they didn't want to comment on it. "Anyway. Since it would be best for Lan to get exposure to familiar surroundings, I thought it would be a good idea if we all met at Yai's house for some NetBattling, if that's ok with Yai, that is."

Megaman's suggestion seemed to be what everyone was thinking, as nothing but positive comments came from the other Navis on Megaman's screen.

"That sounds like a great idea, Megaman. Maylu and I will be there."
"Count on Gutsman and Dex to be there, guts guts."
"Miss Yai would be honored to have her friends as company today."
"Sounds like a cool way to help Lan out."

Megaman could only smile and nod his head. "Thanks, guys. I'm sure Lan will enjoy everything." The other Navis said their goodbyes as they closed their video links to Megaman's PET. The Navi waved his hand over the screen in front of him, closing it down.

"Hey, Megaman. I'm ready to go when you are." Lan's voice came into Megaman's ears. The Navi instinctively activated the holographic projector and appeared on top of the PET's viewscreen. Megaman looked around and saw that Lan was fully dressed, although he wasn't wearing his normal attire. Instead of the white undershirt, orange vest, blue bandanna with his Navi mark, and black shorts, Lan was wearing blue jeans, an orange t-shirt, no bandanna, but still the same black shoes.

Megaman was a little perplex at what Lan was wearing and decided to address it. "Hey, Lan. You're not going to wear what you wore yesterday?" The boy looked at the talking hologram, not sure on how to answer the Navi's question. "Well...I really don't like how it looks. I guess I don't think it's...well...me."

The Navi laughed a little at Lan's comments.

"Well, it is what you normally wear, if that is any good of an argument for you."
"I'll wear it tomorrow. But..."
"But what? Is there something wrong, Lan?"
"Do I have to wear that bandanna? It's really tight around my head."
"Of course you do. It has my Navi mark on it. It shows everyone that you are my NetOp."
"...It's really uncomfortable."
"I'll help you the next time you put it on so that it isn't so tight."

"..." Lan didn't talk after that. Instead, he simply nodded his head to show that he would let Megaman "help" him next time. However, the boy wasn't sure how the Navi would actually be able to "help" him put it on when he can't even leave the PET. To Lan, it was a rather perplexing statement from the Navi. But, nonetheless, he grabbed the device, strapped the arm holster on, and continued downstairs.

"Oh, Lan. Are you going somewhere today?"
"Yeah, mom. Megaman said that I should go and see...umm...what were their names?"
"Do you mean Maylu, Dex, Tory, and Yai?"
"Yeah, them. So, I am going to Yai's mansion."
"Well, have fun over there. I know you normally have a good time with your friends. Just make sure you don't get lost on the way there."

Lan blushed a little out of embarrassment, as he couldn't even remember how to get there. But, luckily for him, Megaman was ready to lend his assistance, activating the PET's projector once again, appearing on Lan's shoulder. "Don't worry, mom. I'll make sure Lan gets there without a problem."

"Thank you, Megaman. Have a good time, you two!"

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"WOW! This place is HUGE!"

Lan was in utter amazement after looking at the size of Yai's mansion. It didn't even occur to him that it was a "mansion" for a reason. However, he never thought that the building was going to be as large as it was. By his estimations, Yai's mansion was most likely the size of 15 football fields, all combined onto a single piece of property. And, that was just the building. He couldn't even begin to estimate, or even imagine for that matter, how large the actual property was.

"Yeah, it is really big. Yai is the daughter of the president of AyanoTech, the multi-billion dollar game company."
"I actually have a friend like her? How did that happen?"
"Well, it happened rather quickly. But, to sum it up, you helped her get to a bathroom before she had an accident."
"That's it? That's all I did?"
"Well, aside from that, you have also saved her NetNavi, Glide, quite a few times."

The boy looked around the area, looking for the way in. Megaman wasn't sure what Lan was looking for, but could take a guess as to what. "Are you looking for the front gate?"

"Yeah. It's so huge, I'm not sure I can find it."
"I can help you with that. Just keep going down the sidewalk. You'll get to the front gate in less than a minute."
"Thanks, Megaman. I'll do that."

Heeding the advice from his NetNavi, Lan started to walk down the sidewalk, hoping that, at some point, he would run across something that resembled a gate to him. He wasn't even sure if such a mansion would have just a "front gate." But, sure enough, not too long after he started walking, he came across the front gate. It seemed like the one he was at was for pedestrians, as he looked further down and saw a larger gate, probably used for vehicles that entered.

Lan stood in front of the gate, still in awe at how large his "friend's" mansion was. Even now, he was still unsure if he should walk inside or not. For all he knew, his friends might not want to talk to him.

"Are you ok, Lan?"
"Ummm...how do I get inside?"
"Oh, that's easy. Ring the bell next to the gate, and one of the staff will answer. Just state your name and that you came to see Yai."
"You sure they will let me in?"
"Positive."

Without another word, Lan rang the bell.

"Welcome to the Ayano Mansion. Can I help you?"
"Yeah. I'm Lan Hikari. I came to see Yai."
"Ah. Mr. Lan. We have been expecting you."
"You have?"
"Of course we have. You will find Miss Yai in her tree house in the back acre. Would you like an escort?"
"Sure. That would be great."
"An excellent choice. Someone will be out shortly."

The elderly sounding voice faded from the intercom on the bell. The gates started to open as Lan saw what appeared to be a maid come out of the house on a motorized scooter, heading for the front gate. He walked slowly through the now open gate, slowly enough that he was completely past the gate as the maid came to a screeching halt in front of him. Such a stop scared the boy a little.

"Hop on. I'll take you to Miss Yai's tree house."

Still a little shaken up by the near impact, Lan obediently climbed onto the back of the scooter. Not wasting a second, the maid quickly hit the gas on the scooter, causing it to move forward at a rapid pace. It actually started to move so fast that it almost tossed Lan off. That in itself caused Lan to blurt out the first thing that came to his mind, at the top of his lungs, no less. "Do we have to go so fast?"

"We were instructed by Miss Yai to get you to her tree house in a prompt manner. This is such a manner." The maid kept on the gas as the scooter moved around the mansion in no time at all, rounding the final corner and heading past the back of the mansion. Lan was left holding on for dear life. He never thought that a motorized scooter would go this fast, let alone be used to transport guests to a simple tree house.

However, the word "simple" was exactly a word to describe Yai's tree house.

After moving through what Lan could only think was 500 yards, he and the maid arrived at the tree house. "This is a tree house? It's as big as my house!" The site was more than Lan could ever believe. To think that a tree house was almost as large, if not, larger, than his own house on the ground, was a little hard for the boy to swallow. Still, comparing the mansion to the tree house, Lan was able to get a grip on the situation.

"You are expected inside. I'll take my leave now," the maid said, practically tossing Lan off of the scooter and onto the grass. Lan, who was still trying to recover from the shear speed of the scooter, landed on the ground butt-first. "Oww..."

Turning back into the direction that he came from, the boy discovered that the maid had already left, and was already near the mansion, to boot. Recovering from his sudden fall, Lan's eyes once again rested on the tree house...better yet...tree mansion, situated in front of him. Judging from the look of it, Lan could only guess that it had more than 1 floor inside. But, that was only his best guess. He honestly didn't know how large the tree mansion was on the inside, and could only imagine at this point.

"Are you going to go inside, Lan? The maid said your friends are waiting for you."
"I'm getting there, Megaman. It's just...a lot to take in."
"I understand. Take your time. There's no need to rush."
"You're the one who is rushing me."
"Only because your friends are really nice. I'm sure you will enjoy it."

"..." Finally getting the courage he needed, Lan climbed a small stairway to what he could safely assume was the front porch. 'It definitely is a big place. I wonder what is inside...' Lan's mind wandered off as he unconsciously went to the front door and knocked on it. The door was solid wood, not all that uncommon. However, for someone as rich as Yai was, Lan thought that there had to have been more to it than that.

A sound was heard by the boy, pulling him out of his thoughts. Looking forward once again, he noticed that the door was opening in front of him. "I hope it isn't another maid. That last one was scary." Lan's eyes were completely fixated on the object opening in front of him.

"You confuse me with one of my maids? How rude!" Yai's voice shrieked out as she opened the door completely, looking at Lan, with a rather unpleasant look on her face. The boy was taken aback by the outburst from the shorter girl, who he also noted as having a larger than normal forehead.

Megaman's hologram quickly appeared on Lan's shoulder, his goal to remind Yai about Lan's condition and that he wasn't quite himself. Thankfully, he didn't need to speak, as Glide spoke before Megaman did. "Miss Yai. Please remember why Lan came here today. I am sure he didn't mean to insult you."

"Glide! I know that! But, it doesn't excuse his rude comment!"
"Perhaps. However, given his current state, I just want to advise you that you try and remain calm if you think he is 'insulting' you."

Yai let out a light sigh before responding. "Alright, Glide. I'll forgive him this time." Finally over what seemed to have been one of the biggest insults she had ever gotten in her life, Yai's face turned to something a little more pleasant and welcoming. However, Lan was still a little put-off by her initial greeting.

"Come on in, Lan. We're going to hang out today." Maylu's inviting voice was just enough to get Lan out of his current state and into the wooden building. He walked inside and looked around the room. He spotted the other guests around the room, but it was everything else that caught his attention. "Wow! This is your tree house? It looks more like a command center for the entire city!" Needless to say, Yai had already opened up and prepared all of the equipment for the NetBattling arena in the tree house's computer system. Most of the walls were not wood from what Lan could see. Rather, they all seem to be covered in machines, screens, and other computer-related equipment.

The largest of the guests finally stepped forward. "Alright, Lan. Let's get this started with a NetBattle! What do ya say to that?" Dex was overly excited, knowing full well that, for the first time in a very long time, he might be able to beat Lan in a NetBattle. Dex knew that Lan probably had forgotten how to even battle with a NetNavi, and that gave him a great advantage. Lan, however, seemed to have forgotten more.

With a perplexed look on his face, Lan finally spoke up. "What's a NetBattle?" With just that comment, Dex, Yai, Maylu, and Tory, all fell to the ground. But, they quickly regained their composer, only to hear Lan speak again. "If I need a net for it, I guess I forgot to bring one. Hey, Megaman. Do I have a net to use during a NetBattle?"

The other 4 children almost burst into laughter. Never have they heard Lan say something like that. To them, it was the funniest thing that he had ever said, even though he had said some funny things in the past, either out of stupidity or ignorance on a subject. Luckily for Lan, Megaman was a bit more understanding of the situation.

"No, no, Lan. You don't need a net to have a NetBattle."
"Then what do I need?"
"All you need is me. See, a NetBattle is when NetOps send their Navis onto the Net to have them battle. Navis have default attacks, as well as attacks that are activated from BattleChips."
"BattleChips?"
"A BattleChip is data that can be uploaded to a Navi for his or her use, like weapons, armor, or other abilities."
"Wait...you didn't tell me to bring any BattleChips with me when we left!"
"Don't worry, Lan. You have BattleChip data stored on your PET that you can use. It should be enough. After all, this is Dex and Gutsman we are battling. It shouldn't be too hard."

Naturally, and just like clockwork, Dex spoke up. "What do you mean 'It shouldn't be too hard?' Gutsman and I will win the battle, ya know!" Normally, everyone else would have dismissed Dex's comment, as Dex never won a single battle against Lan after he got Megaman. However, no one objected to Dex this time around. They all knew that Lan most likely forgot how to NetBattle and operate a NetNavi. Needless to say, they were all interested to see if Megaman could hold his own, or if Lan's Amnesia would cause him to lose to battle.

"You two only stand a chance because Lan probably doesn't know how to NetBattle." Yai made the first remark.
"She is right. Lan's Amnesia gives you and Gutsman a huge advantage." Tory was next in the observations.
"And, you can be very over-dramatic, Dex. It's just a NetBattle." Maylu concluded the stream of comments.

"Well, if you all have so much faith in Lan, then let's see what he's got. Jack-in, Gutsman. Power up!" In one swift motion, Dex aimed the infrared iris of his PET at the console in front of him, thereby sending Gutsman's NetNavi data into the tree house's computer. Lan stared forward as a holographic screen of the computer's Cyberworld appeared in front of him, showing a yellow, and rather large, NetNavi standing on the digital field.

The boy looked down at his PET, which he had taken out of it's shoulder holster a few moments ago. Megaman looked at Lan from his hologram, seeing that the boy was examining the device. "It looks like Gutsman is ready, Lan. Jack me in and we can get this battle started."

"Alright...here goes nothing. Jack-in, Megaman. Power up!"

Mimicking almost the same movements as Dex, Lan aimed what he assumed was the same infrared iris of his PET at the same spot as Dex did. Sure enough, a beam of red light shot out of the device and made contact, effectively downloading Megaman into the computer, preparing him for his battle with Gutsman.

In no time at all, Lan looked at the holographic screen to see Megaman appear on the opposite side of the battlefield, waiting for the single to begin the fight. However, the Navi couldn't help but notice that Lan actually knew what to say at that moment. He wasn't sure if the boy caught on due to Dex's example, or if he remembered what to do. Needless to say, Megaman was hoping for the latter.

"I hope you're ready, Lan, because your Navi is going to be defeated by my Gutsman!"
"Whatever you say, Dex, but...how does this NetBattling thing work?"

Megaman felt like letting out a sigh of frustration. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, having to get Lan back into the swing of things, as well as helping him to remember and understand everything that he did, was, to some extent, frustrating to the Navi. Everyone else in the room was a little taken back by the boy's comment. But, nevertheless, helping Lan to understand NetBattling was something that had to be done, especially with where Megaman was planning on taking Lan tomorrow...

"Basically, you watch your PET monitor and let me know when something bad is going to happen and upload BattleChips when you feel I need them."
"Like if Gutsman is going to attack you from behind, right?"
"Exactly! In a situation like that, you tell me he is behind me, then I either move or you upload a BattleChip that will help."
"How exactly do I upload a BattleChip?"
"Drag and drop. Just put your index finger on the icon, drag it onto me, then release. It's that simple."

Lan smiled at his NetNavi, thankful that he had someone who was able to explain this kind of stuff to him. He was able to say something else, but Dex soon interrupted. "Less talk and more battling, unless you really do want to lose. Go, Gutsman!"

Both Megaman and Lan looked at the yellow ape-like Navi as he started to charge, commencing his attack. Megaman was taken slightly by surprise from the attack, but was easily about to avoid the onslaught, quickly jumping into the air above the yellow Navi.

Lan's eyes focused on Megaman. The boy was actually surprised at how easily his Navi was able to avoid the attack from Gutsman. He had to admit, when he first saw Megaman, Lan believed that he was a rather weak NetNavi, or was just used as a personal advisor or a computerized babysitter. To see the Navi move with such speed was a sight to behold for the boy.

Without skipping a beat, Gutsman looked up and started to open fire with Guts Machine Gun attack. Lan looked at the holographic PET screen, which indicated that an attack was coming. "Megaman! Below you!" However, Lan knew that the Navi wouldn't be able to avoid an attack while he was in the air. Thinking quickly on his feet, Lan looked at his BattleChips on the screen, and picked the first chip that looked like a defensive one.

"Here goes nothing...BattleChip, download!" Placing his finger on the icon, Lan moved the chip over Megaman on the screen, activating it. Almost instantly, Megaman was surrounded by a barrier, protecting and repelling the attack from Gutsman below.

Megaman looked around himself, surprised that Lan had actually picked the perfect BattleChip for the situation: Barrier. "Great choice, Lan! Barrier was exactly what I needed!"

There was no doubt that Megaman was happy that Lan picked the right chip in such a pinch. However, his celebration was cut short as he soon landed on the ground, and once more face an attack from Gutsman. This time, however, Gutsman began his second wave of attacks with his GutsHammer.

Seeing the wave heading his way, Megaman quickly jumped to the side, once again avoiding the attack. Lan looked at his Navi once again, still amazed as to how quick and agile the little blue-clad program was.

"Keep it up, Gutsman! As long as he is running, he can't attack back."
"Gutsman will win, guts guts."
"Let's get a little closer this time. Mega-Guts Punch, BattleChip in. Download!"

Instantly, Gutsman's right hand grew, almost triple in size. Megaman knew this attack all too well. It was Dex's favorite BattleChip for close-quarters combat. All of Gutsman's other attacks were either his GutsHammer, Guts Machine Gun, or Time Bomb. To put it simply, Megaman knew that the other Navi's battle patterns were quite predictable now, to say the least. However, Megaman knowing the battle pattern of Gutsman was only as good as Lan being able to download the right BattleChip when required. Needless to say, with Lan being in the condition he was in, that made things more difficult for Megaman than normal.

"Gutsman will pound Megaman, guts!"
"You have to get close to me, first!"
"That's what Gutsman plans to do, guts guts!"
"Then, bring it on!"

Lan looked at the holographic screen, not sure what he could do. 'Oh, man! What can I do? I don't know this stuff!' Lan's thoughts couldn't put themselves together, let alone come up with a plan to help his NetNavi.

Looking over to the side of his PET holo-screen, noticing that he still had a wide array of BattleChips to choose from. "This one looks promising..." The boy placed his index finger on the screen and moved the icon over Megaman. The Navi's hand transformed into a long, steel sword. Megaman quickly glanced at his arm, noticing that Lan had downloaded the Samurai Sword BattleChip.

Putting his surprise aside, seeing as Lan, once again, downloaded the perfect BattleChip for the situation, Megaman prepared to defend himself from the oncoming attack from Gutsman's Mega-Guts Punch.

The Samurai Sword and Gutsman's enlarged hand clashed, causing a lot of sparks to scatter and fall to the ground. The onslaught from Gutsman's Mega-Guts Punch was more than Megaman could counter, as he was forced to take a defensive position, using the blunt side of his Samurai Sword to block the incoming blows from the yellow Navi in front of him.

"You're a little stronger than I remember, Gutsman."
"Gutsman and Master Dex have gotten stronger. Gutsman will win this battle, guts guts."
"You'll have to defeat me, first!"

Using Gutsman's enlarged hand to his advantage, Megaman positioned his sword in just the right spot on the larger Navi's hand, allowing him to jump into the air and do a barrel-roll over Gutsman, all the while using his sword to slash at the yellow Navi's armor. The flurry of slashes caused several areas on Gutsman's back to be sliced off, mainly the twin cylinders that looked like some high-tech backpack.

Lan, once again, couldn't help but stare at his PET holo-screen, amazed that Megaman was able to get out of such a pinch, with only a metal sword and his own strength. He thought for sure that Gutsman, being a rather large and strong-looking Navi, would have a huge advantage over Megaman, seeing as how the blue Navi was much smaller in size. Lan was glad that his assumptions about Megaman were wrong. In fact, he was just glad that Megaman was his NetNavi, and not stuck with a Navi like Gutsman.

"Good job, Megaman. Keep it up!"
"I'm doing good. Just keep sending me the right BattleChips, and we got this down."

Without another word, the battle continued. Gutsman switched back to using his GutsHammer to attack Megaman from a distance. However, the smaller Navi still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Gutsman pounded the ground with his hammer, sending a shockwave in Megaman's direction. Aiming and timing his attack just right, Megaman used his still attached Samurai Sword and sliced the shockwave in half; one half going to his left, the other to his right.

Looking at the holographic screen in the tree house, Dex was in awe, seeing as his attack was simply split in two. "What? Gutsman! How could you let that happen? Attack him, Gutsman!"

"Megaman strong. But, Gutsman is stronger, guts," Gutsman shouted, getting ready for another attack on the smaller Navi.

"Megaman seems to be holding his own, even with Lan the way he is," Yai stated.
"His moves and attacks are as precise as ever," Maylu observed.
"I guess that's what happens when you are well-trained like he is," Tory concluded.

"Hey! How about a little more support for me and Gutsman, HUH?"

The other three children tried not to laugh out loud. They did, however, snicker under their breaths. "We're sorry, Dex. It's just that Megaman is still on top of things while Gutsman is...sloppy." Maylu was able to breath enough to make her statement, which only resulted in Dex making a face; a face that seemed to say 'I didn't want to hear that, but it's true.' Needless to say, Dex was not very happy to hear that come out of Maylu's mouth, the girl he had a crush on.

However, he continued to concentrate on the battle at hand. Unfortunately, he wasn't really pleased with the sight that he saw when he looked back at the holographic screen.

"GUTSMAN!"

Much to Dex's dismay, he found Gutsman to be at a major disadvantage, as Megaman was unleashing a flurry of full-frontal punches and kicks, leaving Gutsman disorientated and unable to mount a solid defense without Dex's help. "Alright, Megaman! Keep at him!"

"Not so fast, Lan. I still have a few surprises for you!"
"Really? Then why don't you use them, or are you just bluffing?"
"Alright! You asked for it!"

Lan smiled and stuck his tongue out slightly at Dex, which only served to anger him a little bit more. The other 3 children looked at Lan, surprised that he was taunting Dex like he normally would. All three of them pretty much thought the same thing, hoping that Lan was already getting better.

The fatter boy began sporting a grin across his face as he reached into his pocket, pulling out three BattleChips, from what it looked like. "This is the end of the road, Lan. Time to watch your Megaman get defeated! TimeBoomer, BattleChips in. Triple download!" Quickly inserting the three chips into his PET, Dex and Gutsman pulled out their ace in the hole. "Program Advance. Giga TimeBoomer!"

Megaman and Lan watched on as the three chips went into action, causing a substantial amount of light to emanate from Gutsman's hands, forming into the Program Advance. "Megaman...What's a Program Advance?" After witnessing what was happening right in front of his eyes, Lan couldn't stop the sense of worry and dread from creeping into his voice as he spoke to his NetNavi.

"It's the ultimate BattleChip attack."
"Dex can do something like that?"
"Him and Gutsman have used it before."
"Can we do something like that?"
"I'll let you know after I..."

Stopping in the middle of his sentence, Megaman realized that he had wasted valuable time in explaining the situation to Lan when he could have been preparing a defense against the oncoming Program Advance. Needless to say, Megaman was in a bad situation, and had very limited options in getting out of it.

The grin on Dex's face grew wider as the Program Advance finished powering itself up. "This is it, Gutsman. Take down Mr. Blue Boy!" Lan reacted to Dex's comment like anyone would have; with worry, fear, and anxiety. "Gutsman WINS!" Throwing the Giga TimeBoomer at Megaman, the yellow Navi and his NetOp were sure that they were the victors of this NetBattle.

"Lan! I'm gonna need some help!"
"But...What can I use?"
"Use something! Anything!"
'Oh, man! I don't know what to do!' Lan knew that, if he wanted to win, he needed to think of something before it was too late.

Looking quickly at the BattleChip slide on the left-side of his PET holo-screen, Lan picked the first chip he saw, something he seemed to be doing a lot since his accident, placed his index finger over the icon, then dragged and dropped it onto Megaman. "I hope this works. BattleChip, download!"

The Giga TimeBoomer was quickly approaching Megaman's position on the Battlefield, the number on the front slowing decreasing with each moment it drew closer and closer to it's destination. Gutsman and Dex watched on with anticipation. Megaman knew Lan downloaded a BattleChip, but was worried that it was something that would not provide any type of defense against the oncoming attack from the larger Navi. Time was starting to run out...the Giga TimeBoomer getting closer and closer...the worry inside Megaman was growing more and more as each second passed...

-BOOOOOOOOM-

The Giga TimeBoomer exploded as it impacted the spot where it was intended to land...right on top of Megaman. Maylu, Yai, and Tory were in shock that the blue-clad Navi didn't make a single attempt to get out of the way of the blast. Dex and Gutsman were ready to celebrate as they believed themselves to be the victors of the NetBattle.

"Well, Lan. I guess this means that Gutsman and I win."
"...I guess I didn't download the right chip..."
"...Of course you did, Lan!"

The smaller boy's eyes widened as the smoke cleared from the battlefield, revealing an unscathed Megaman in the center. The blue Navi radiated with a purple-ish aura, which seemed to have completely protected him from the blast of the Program Advance.

Dex nearly shouted at the top of his lungs. "NO WAY! How could you have known to use LifeAura?" The larger of the two boys was in complete disbelief that Lan was able to use just the right BattleChip at just the right time. Either Lan was really lucky in picking the BattleChips, or, as the case may very well be, NetBattling was in his blood, and something that could not easily be forgotten.

"LifeAura?"
"Lan, it's one of the most powerful defensive BattleChips ever created."
"Wow. I didn't know I had that. I'll have to remember that."

Even though he held back a snicker, Megaman was still amused by the irony of Lan's comment. But, even still, the Navi knew that there was still a NetBattle to win. "Lan, send me something good to finish this off with." Nodding his his holo-screen, Lan looked at the BattleChip slide, trying to decide what was up that looked like a strong, offensive-type BattleChip. One chip in particular caught his eye, it's icon resembled a NetNavi with a sword and what appeared to be slashes circling him.

'I'll use this one. It looks promising.' Lan grinned as he looked up from his screen to see that Dex was still in a state of shock...or anger. It was rather hard to tell. "I guess it's time to end this. BattleChip, download!" Placing his finger on the icon, Lan dragged and dropped the BattleChip data into Megaman.

Instantaneously, another sword appeared on the blue-colored Navi's hand. The chip's data registered in Megaman's Navi program, and he was quite pleased with the choice Lan made. "StepSword? That's perfect, Lan! It's just what we can use to win!" Sporting the same grin as Lan was, Megaman posed his sword in attack position, getting ready to make his final charge at Gutsman. The larger Navi started to sweat as he frantically tried to think of a way to avoid the winning blow. However, his "all brawn, no brain" programming preventing it.

"Wai...wait! Can't Gutsman and Megaman talk this over, guts, guts!"

The face-cover appeared over Megaman's mouth and nose, showing that he was on his way. In only a flash, his assault on Gutsman was made; the sword on his arm slashing through the yellow Navi's abdominal area, effectively slicing him in half.

"Talk to the sword..."

-Gutsman, Logging out-

"...because the 'blue boy's' not listening!"

"NO! Gutsman!" Dex stared and shouted haplessly at his PET, the feeling of defeating washing over him like a tidal wave of water. He thought for sure that him and Gutsman were the ones that would finally win against Lan and Megaman. However, much to his dismay, that did not happen to be the case.

"Alright, Megaman. You did it."
"WE did it, Lan. You helped, too."
"Yeah...but you did all the cool moves."
"But, you gave me the right BattleChips when I needed them. That's what working as a team is all about."
"You're really strong. I'm glad you're my NetNavi, Megaman."
"I'm glad you're my NetOp. We have always made a great team."

The two looked at each other and gave the other a smile. Sure enough, since Lan first got Megaman, they have been a nearly unbeatable team, save for a few defeats against Chaud and the occasional Darkloid. But, all in all, they made one of the best NetBattling teams in DenTech City.

The rest of Lan's friends, excluding Dex, were all giving off luminous smiles, as well; smiles that were a result of a combination of Lan's victory over Dex, but also that hope that Lan might already be getting some of his memories back, or that there were just somethings that not even Amnesia could make a person forget. In Lan's case, it seemed to be the ability to NetBattle.

Dex looked at the victors of the NetBattle. "You won this time, Lan. But, next time, you won't be so lucky!" Maylu, Yai, and Tory were waiting for this moment. It was always like Dex to throw in some kind of taunt when he would lose to Lan. To put it simply, it was like clockwork. The three of them snickered quietly to themselves, trying not to make Dex get any more angry than he probably always was. Dex hated losing in NetBattles, especially to Lan, who he use to beat all the time before he got Megaman.

"Calm down, Dex. It's only a NetBattle." Tory was the first to make a statement this time.
"Yeah. You don't need to get all worked up over it." Maylu was the next to voice her statement.
"Besides, I'm sure you can find some weak NetBattlers to challenge." Yai finished off the trio of comments, not letting up on the insults.

"..." Dex didn't seem to be in the mood to respond. He was still upset that he lost to an Amnesia-stricken Lan Hikari in a NetBattle.

"Oh, don't be so mopey, Dex. We have all day. You can practice with Glide, Roll, and Iceman. Then, have a rematch with Lan later on," Yai remarked, giving off a slight smirk as she spoke. True, it was early in the day, and, chances were that all 5 of them would be at Yai's house for a good portion of the day. Dex thought about it for a moment, and let a grin slip out and form on his mouth. "Alright. Let's do that, Gutsman. We'll practice a little, then beat Megaman."

Dex looked down at his PET screen to see Gutsman in the middle of it, eyes closed and smiling. "Good idea. Gutsman will beat Megaman today, guts guts!" As the sequential "guts guts" left his mouth, Gutsman pounded on his chest a few times. Lan wasn't sure why, but he started to get excited at the thought of battling Dex and Gutsman again.

"I'll accept your challenge when you are ready, Dex!"

~~!~~
~~!~~

"That sure was a fun day, right Lan?"

The boy looked at his shoulder as the hologram of Megaman finished talking. Both of them had stayed at Yai's house for almost the entire day. As a matter of fact, they had stayed much later than Megaman wanted to. So much later, that it was already dark outside, and it was nearing time for Lan to go to sleep.

"Yeah. It was a lot of fun."
"Told you that it would be."
"Hehe. I guess you're right, Megaman. I'll have to listen to you more often."
"That would be a first."

Megaman laughed a little bit, but took immediate noticed that his comment seemed to have struck a nerve in Lan somewhere. He wasn't exactly sure why it would have, but the boy abruptly stop walking just outside the front steps. Megaman quieted his laughter and took a good, hard look at his NetOp, trying to find an indication as to why he hit a nerve with his comment. However, after a moment or two of studying Lan's eyes, face, and body language, he couldn't figure out why.

"Megaman...some of the things you say about me...it's makes me sound like I wasn't a good NetOp."
"You were a great NetOp, and you still are."
"Then why do you keep making comments like that? Do you hate me or something?"
"How could you think that? You're my best friend. There's no way I can hate you."
"Then answer my question. Why do you keep making comments like that?"

Lan turned to Megaman's hologram and stared firmly at the NetNavi. Megaman wasn't sure how to explain it to Lan. Back when Lan was...Lan...he would always make comments like that because he knew how the boy would react. It would always be a reaction that involved Lan blaming him or brushing it off. However, now...now was different. Lan was actually taking offense to the comments, and even getting hurt by them.

Still, the Navi tried his best to explain it to the boy. "Well..." How could he word it just the right way? 'This isn't going to be easy,' Megaman thought to himself, staring back at Lan, who was still firmly staring back. "Well...it's not meant to hurt your feelings. It's just that...before, you were a little too carefree, and you brushed off doing menial tasks." Was that the right way to say it? Megaman didn't know. But, he opened this can of worms. Now, he had to seal it.

"But, that doesn't mean you were a bad person. You still went to school, had a great relationship with your friends, and you always did the right thing. With me, I always pointed out those flaws, because I wanted you to be the best person you can. And...I do tend to nag you about it, which you point out to me." The Navi could still see that Lan was staring directly at him. He wasn't sure if the boy was believing what he was hearing, or if he wasn't going to listen at all.

Still, Megaman continued to talk. "And, that's our thing. We point out each other's flaws with comments like that, because..." Megaman was cut-off in the middle of his sentence as Lan decided to make his thoughts known, even before the Navi could finish his own thoughts. "...because we are best friends in spite of our flaws."

"Exactly. We know our own and each others, and when we make comments like that, it's just our way of playfully teasing each other about them." The Navi wasn't sure if his response would be sufficient for Lan, but all he could do was hope that it would be.

Thankfully, Lan's firm staring turned into a more relaxed look, all the while letting a smile run across his face. Megaman noticed the smile, and felt himself relax, as well, feeling as thought yet another weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was happy that his explanation was good enough for Lan to realize that the comments were not meant to hurt his feelings, but to just tease him about his faults.

"Ok. I get it. I guess doing those things and not getting mad about it is what makes us such good friends."
"That's right. We like the other for who they are and what they are good at, not what they are bad at."

Lan nodded to Megaman's hologram and continued to go up the sidewalk to the front door. He didn't even get a chance to knock on the door when Mrs. Hikari opened it up, ready to welcome her son home. "Welcome home, Lan. How was your day with your friends?"

Trying not to laugh, Megaman just kept a smile on his face. Mrs. Hikari ushered Lan inside towards the Living Room couch. "I had a great time. They are all really nice, and we had a lot of fun." Lan's mother simply smiled and nodded her head, showing that she knew about their behavior. "I figured it would be fun. You always have a good time when you are with your friends."

Mrs. Hikari got up to walk into the kitchen, but stopped and turned to Lan, who was still sitting down. "Oh, I got a call today from Mr. Ayano. He let me know that you already had dinner."

Megaman looked at Mrs. Hikari, somewhat embarrassed. "Oh, sorry. I should have phoned ahead to let you know, mom." The older woman looked at the hologram, now standing on the coffee table. "No need to apologize, Megaman. If you were having a lot of fun, sometimes you forget things. Don't worry about it." Looking downward, Megaman blushed slightly. Mrs. Hikari was always good to him, and just as carefree as Lan was.

Speaking of which, Megaman looked up to see that sleep was slowly creeping into Lan's eyes. Taking quick note of this, the Navi made his suggestion to the boy. "You look tired, Lan. Maybe we should go to bed."

The boy let out a yawn, confirming Megaman's hypothesis that the boy was, indeed, getting tired. "Yeah...I am a little sleepy. We did do a lot of stuff today." Megaman nodded in agreement with Lan before making another statement, which helped to put a little humor into the atmosphere of the house before they went to bed. "Yeah. Even with all that practice, Gutsman still wasn't able to defeat us."

The two looked at each other and snickered. And, it was the truth. Dex had practiced for almost 3 hours straight before he re-challenged Lan and Megaman to a rematch NetBattle. However, all the practice was for nothing, as Lan and Megaman also did some practice of their own. Said practice consisted of Megaman helping Lan decipher which BattleChip was which, and what each of their effects were. Their practice proved to be invaluable, as they were able to defeat Gutsman and Dex in almost half the time as the first NetBattle that day.

Lan picked up the PET and started to go up the stairs when his mother spoke. "Are you going to bed, Lan?" The boy turned around slightly and looked at his mother, who seemed to have been preparing food for whatever they were going to have for dinner tomorrow. "Yeah. I had so much fun that it tired me out."

Mrs. Hikari smiled at her son. "Well, then. Have yourself a good night. I'll see you in the morning." Lan nodded, saying good night before heading upstairs to his bedroom. He opened the door and placed the PET on his desk. Afterwards, he sluggishly went over to his dresser drawers, searching for the correct drawer which contained his pajamas. Finally finding the correct drawer, he changed out of his clothes and into his pajamas. Megaman wanted to watch and be there with Lan, but knew that he couldn't Not yet, at least. He had to have patience.

"Oh, Lan. I almost forgot to tell you. I want to take you somewhere else tomorrow."
"Another place? I hope it isn't tiring."
"It can be at times. However, they probably won't have you do anything too serious."
"Is it somewhere important, or just another friend's house?"
"It's really important to you. I'll let you know in the morning."
"Alright. Good night, Megaman."
"Good night, Lan."

The boy dragged his feet over to his bed and pulled the covers back, allowing himself to slide onto the mattress and rest his head on the pillow at the top of the bed. Not a moment later, he pulled the covers over himself.

One last thought crossed his mind before falling asleep. 'I wonder what is so important..."

~~!~~
~~!~~

Baby, look here at me,
Have you ever seen me this way?
I've been fumblin' for words,
Through the tears and the hurt and the pain.
I'm gonna lay it all out
On the line tonight.
And, I think that it's time,
To tell this uphill fight goodbye.

~~!~~
~~!~~

-Sunday-

There wasn't a single ray of sunshine in the sky. A storm front was starting to move through the area, and the clouds were making it impossible for the sun to shine through and fully illuminate the world below. The meteorologist on the morning news predicted a chance of rain for later in the day.

Giving off a soft yawn, Lan moved around under the covers, either trying to get comfortable or wake himself up. He couldn't decided yet. He was still thinking about what Megaman meant yesterday when he was going to take him somewhere that was "really important" to him. The boy didn't even know what the Navi meant by that, and that fact that it was somewhere that was important to him made him nervous.

Finally coming to the decision to wake up and get the day over with, Lan opened his eyes, revealing that his room wasn't as brightly illuminated as it was the day before. This made it easier for him to wake up, since there wasn't any blinding light coming into the room, forcing his eyes to squint to keep it out. Putting his arms behind his body, Lan slowly pushed himself upward, hoping to get some movement going to wake himself up quicker. He scanned around the room, finding that his bedroom door was still open from last night, and that his PET was still sitting on his desk. He took a quick look outside. "Hmmm...it's really cloudy."

"The forecast calls for it to rain sometime today." Lan jumped a bit at the sudden appearance of a voice. However, he quickly came to the realization that it was Megaman who had spoken. "Good morning, Lan. Did you sleep well?"

Lan sighed, trying to slow his heartbeat, which has been hastened thanks to Megaman's sudden appearance. "Yeah. I slept fine. Probably because I was so tired after everything we did yesterday at Yai's house." The boy swung his legs around and placed his feet on the floor next to his bed, getting ready to walk around. It didn't take long for him to notice the time on the clock next to his bed. 9:58am. "Glad to hear that. You always have fun with them."

"By the way, Megaman. Where are we going today?"
"Oh, yeah. It's somewhere downtown."
"Why is it somewhere important to me?"
"It's something you have been involved in for almost a year. And, it's also something you really enjoy doing. Trust me on this."

Megaman activated the holographic projector on the PET, appearing next to the device on the desk. Lan looked over at the hologram of his NetNavi, who was smiling at him, and simply returned the favor before picking the device up and heading downstairs.

Mrs. Hikari was in the kitchen, her usual room of attendance, and seemed to be making what looked like breakfast. She heard footsteps and turned to see her son.

"Good morning, Lan"
"Morning, Mom."
"How many pancakes do you want for breakfast today?"
"Hmmm...how about four?"
"Alright. I'll get them ready."

Lan nodded in thanks as he took a seat at the table. He could smell the wonderful aroma as Mrs. Hikari poured the pancake batter into the skillet. It was a somewhat buttery smell, with a hint of strawberries in it. Lan took another sniff of the air, catching the smell of the pancake batter once again. The aroma filled his nostrils, making him feeling comfortable and at ease. However, he was still on the tired side, and gave off a yawn soon after.

It was silent in the kitchen for a moment or two before Mrs. Hikari broke the silence. "So Lan, Megaman. Are you two going anywhere today? Or, are you just going to stay home?" Megaman was ready to answer the question, but Lan jumped in before he could. "Yeah. Megaman said he was going to take me downtown somewhere."

"Downtown? Hmmm. I guess he's taking you to one of the shops there."
"What kind of shops?"
"Well, A few of your friends own shops downtown, like Mr. Higsby. He has a BattleChip shop, if I remember."
"Oh, I see."

Mrs. Hikari turned around with a plate, which had a stack of 4 pancakes on it. She caught a quick glimpse of Lan's face and could see the confusion in it as he probably didn't even remember who Higsby was. "Well, here you go! Four fresh and pipping hot strawberry pancakes." The older woman placed the plate in front of Lan, as well as a bottle of blueberry-flavor syrup.

Lan thanked his mother as he drizzled some of the syrup on the pancakes, taking a bite not too long after.

"Delicious!"

~~!~~
~~!~~

Lan was sitting in the Living Room with his mother, watching the last hour of the morning news. Ribitta was giving one last news report before the program switched to the daytime soap operas.

"And, our last report for the day. Cleanup and repairs are almost complete after a NetSaver's battle with a materialized NetNavi this past week." Ribitta's opening statement made Megaman's hologram swallow hard. He knew that Ribitta was talking about Lan's second fight with Cannonman. He looked up from the TV to see that Lan was interested in the story, although, thankfully, it was clear that he was unaware of the fact that the NetSaver in question was him.

"Their battle waged across several city blocks, and caused thousands of Zenny in damage. However, according to our reports from earlier this past week, the NetSaver in question was victorious, and the rogue NetNavi returned to the Cyberworld. The rogue NetNavi's current whereabouts is unknown."

Megaman looked at Lan, who still seemed interested in the news report. "That does it for today's Morning News. This is Ribitta, signing off!" The ending credits began to roll on a split screen, which also showed the line-up of shows for the remainder of the daytime program slots. Lan was still staring at the TV screen, until he decided to finally speak. "NetNavis in the real world? Wow.." Megaman knew he had to say something before Lan got the wrong idea.

"Yeah. NetNavis can get to the real world...but not in a legal way."
"Legal way?"
"The only way a NetNavi can get to the real world is through what is called a 'copyroid,' which is essentially a robot that can take on the form of the NetNavi who gets downloaded into the copyroid's computer system."
"So, that's how that NetNavi got into DenTech City?"
"Yeah. He used a copyroid and started to terrorize the city with it..."

Lan look at Megaman's hologram, giving off a curious look. The Navi saw this, and realized that the boy might be thinking that Megaman knew too much about what happened. He had to think of something before Lan started to get a little too suspicious. Besides, telling him now would ruin the surprise later. "...whoever or whatever that rogue NetNavi was." Luckily for Megaman, Lan seemed satisfied with the response.

"Hey, Lan. You should probably get ready for where we are going."
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that. I'll go take a quick shower, then get dress."

Lan was about to grab the PET and bring it back upstairs, but Megaman needed to do something first before he went to help Lan put his bandanna on, something he promised he would help him with the day before. "Wait, Lan. Leave the PET down here while you are in the shower. I want to talk with Mom for a few minutes." The boy was a little confused by the request, but decided that it would not do any harm.

Nodding his head, Lan placed the PET back on the coffee table and went upstairs. He wasn't sure what Megaman and his mother were going to talk about, but he figured that it was something that needed to be talked about, seeing as Megaman made it sound like something important. Still, putting aside what he was thinking, Lan went up to his bedroom, got his normal change of clothing, and went into the bathroom.

Listening as best as he could, Megaman waited for the shower water to start running before he started to do what he was going to do. However, Mrs. Hikari was not aware of Megaman's plan. "So, Megaman. You wanted to talk to me about something? Is it about Lan or where you are going today?" And, just like always, she was observant and was able to figure out what was going through the NetNavi's mind.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I was going to take Lan down to the NetPolice headquarters today."
"I see. You are going to tell him about his job as a NetSaver."
"Yeah. But, I needed to make a call to Commissioner Keifer first and let him know that Lan and I are coming."
"That's why you wanted Lan to leave the PET down here. So, you could call him without Lan knowing."
"Exactly. And...well..."

Mrs. Hikari raised and eyebrow and expressed a look of curiosity as she waited for Megaman to finish his sentence. Her look of curiosity grew more as Megaman disappeared from the PET screen, but not without a clue as to what happened.

Taking a quick look at the screen, Mrs. Hikari saw the phrase "Program Executed: M-Program" on the screen. She looked around the room, and not a moment too soon, as Megaman materialized just a few feet away from where she was standing, wearing the same green shirt, blue pants, and black shoes as he would normally wear in the human world.

"...I wanted to get a little fresh air. It gets a little crammed in the PET after being out here for so long. Hehe."
"I can understand that."

They both exchanged smiles as shared in a small laugh, with Megaman still listening to the shower sound emitting from upstairs. They both took a short stroll into the kitchen, where Megaman picked up the telephone and began to dial a number into the keypad.

It took about 3 or 4 rings before the phone was answered on the other end. Megaman looked at the small telephone monitor to see Manuela on the other end. "Hello. This is the NetPolice."

"Oh, hello Ms. Manuela."
"Who am I speaking to? Wait a minute..."
"It's Megaman."
"Ah, yes. I should have recognized your voice. How can I help you, Megaman?"
"Actually, Lan is finally out and about, and I was planning on taking him to the NetPolice today, to let him know he is a NetSaver."
"Hmmm...are you sure that is a good idea? We shouldn't try to overwhelm him too early."
"He seemed to grasp the concept of NetBattling yesterday. We can start him out slow, then work our way from there. We don't have to throw everything at him in one day."
"That does sound like a plan. Megaman. I'll inform Chief Keifer and let him know you are coming."
"Ok. Lan and I will be there in about half an hour."
"Until then, Megaman."

Manuela was about to hang up the phone before Megaman quickly made one last remark. "Oh, wait. Before you hang up..." The chief's assistant looked at the monitor.

"Yes? Was there something else?"
"Well, Lan doesn't know about the M-Program at all. We think telling him about it will be too big of a shock and probably set his recovery back. So..."
"You'll want us to make sure that we don't mention it, correct?"
"Yeah. That would be a big help."
"That's no problem, Megaman. I'll let the staff and chief know."
"Thanks."

Manuela smiled at the Navi as she hung up the phone on her end. Megaman did the same, and not a moment too soon. As he put the phone back on the base, he heard the shower upstairs stop. He looked briefly at Mrs. Hikari, who nodded, signaling that Lan was most likely on his way out, and that Megaman needed to get back to his PET before Lan came downstairs.

Knowing full well what would happen, Megaman concentrated on the NetLine and attempted to return to his PET. However, as he was concentrating, he noticed that something wasn't quite right. He noticed that it was taking much more concentration than usual to get from the human world back to the real world. What should have taken him only a second to accomplish, ended up taking almost 5 seconds. Mrs. Hikari was actually worried when she saw that Megaman didn't return when he should have.

And, he accomplished it not a moment too soon. As Megaman exploded into pixilated boxes, Lan walked down the stairway, wearing nothing more than a towel around his waist. Luckily for the Navi, Lan did not see anything, and did not suspect a thing, or for that matter, hear anything that was said.

"Lan, make sure you get dressed soon. Megaman said he wanted to leave in a few minutes."
"Alright. I'm just getting my PET."

The boy moved quickly as he grabbed the PET off of the coffee table and went back upstairs. Not wanting to waste anymore time in delaying the surprise that his NetNavi had in store for him, Lan opened and closed his bedroom door and made haste in getting changed. He dropped the towel, put on a pair of boxers, then proceeded to put on the normal white undershirt, then black shorts, and finally, orange vest.

After putting his shoes on, Lan looked over at his desk, spotting both his PET and headband. He wasn't exactly looking forward to putting it on, seeing as he didn't like it first time around.

Megaman's hologram appeared next to the PET, studying Lan's face. "I'm right here, Lan. I'll help you put it on." The boy looked at the holographic image with an inquisitive look. He was still perplexed by the Navi's comment. "So...how exactly will you help me put it on?" The Navi knew how to do it, even while staying inside the PET.

"It's easy. I'll just give you verbal instructions so that it won't be uncomfortable when you wear it."
"...I guess we can give that a try. Alright. I'm ready when you are."
"Ok, Lan. First, you don't want to put it on level. Angle the back of it downward so that it ties just above the base of your neck."

Listening to what his NetNavi was telling him, Lan picked up the headband and started to work. He had already figured out that the symbol on the front was suppose to be centered on his forehead. He knew, at least, that much.

After tying the back of the headband, Lan looked at himself in the mirror, and wasn't too happy with the outcome. Megaman took one look and tried his best to not laugh, which was to no avail. Lan had tied it on correctly and positioned the symbol properly...but the front of the headband was over the front of his hair, pushing it down and making him look funny, as well as covering half of his ears.

"Megaman...I can hear that. It's not funny!"
"Hehe. Sorry, Lan. It's just that it's not your normal look."
"Well, you told me to put it on like this. It's your fault."

Megaman's laughter faded quickly as he suddenly felt his eyes trying to tear up. Lan blaming him for something was one of the qualities that Megaman missed the most, so much that he caused the emotional response it did.

Quickly getting a hold of himself, Megaman continued to talk. "You're right. I'm sorry, Lan. But, that isn't your normal look. Just put the sides of the headband behind your ears and push the front under your hair, but still letting it rest on your forehead." Reluctantly, Lan listened to Megaman and adjusted the headband. He swiftly made the changes and looked at himself in the mirror again. However, unlike his first attempt, Lan was actually pleased with the results the second time around.

"Hey. This actually looks good. It's not uncomfortable, either."
"Yeah. It's how you normally would wear it. I always thought it looked great."

Lan turned around to look at Megaman's hologram and give him a smile of thanks. The Navi, however, kept on looking at Lan. The clothing and fashion that he had come to love about the boy was back in style, and he couldn't pull his eyes away from the sight. He stared at Lan, blankly, until he caught realized what he was doing and, once again, regain his composer. "Oh, we better get going. I asked Mom to call ahead and let the place we are going know that we are coming."

"So, that's why you wanted to talk to her. You wanted to her call ahead to...wherever we are going."
"Yeah. I can't spoil the surprise."
"You sure like doing that...keeping things a surprise."
"It's what I do best. Hehe."

Lan smiled at Megaman briefly before picking up the PET, placed it in it's arm strap holster, then walked out of his room and downstairs, all the while with Megaman's hologram on his shoulder.

Before they went out the front door, Mrs. Hikari spotted them. "You two have a good time, And make sure you are home for dinner today." Lan turned around after hearing his mother's statement and gave a response. "We will, Mom. Goodbye."

With a wave of his arm and hand, Lan walked out the front door.

~~!~~
~~!~~

"Hey, Megaman. Where exactly are you taking me?"

There wasn't a lot of silence during their walk, but Lan had been trying to avoid the subject of where they were going for too long. He was starting to get impatient about the whole situation, and thought that knowing exactly where they were going would help him to ease what worries and impatience he had. However, it seemed that Megaman wasn't going to budge on the subject, as the answer he was about to give wasn't what Lan was looking forward to.

"You'll see when we get there. It's not too far now."
"We've been walking for almost half an hour. Are you sure you know where you are going?"
"Positive. It's just up the block a little more. We'll be there soon."

Lan let out a sigh, continued to move forward. "...alright..." Megaman could tell that the boy was starting to get a little impatient, as well as annoyed, by all the secrecy of where they were going. Megaman was ready to spill the beans on the whole thing, but the knowledge that they were only a block or two from the NetPolice building was enough to keep the Navi's mouth closed.

He looked at Lan and saw that after the answer he gave the boy, that there wasn't going to much more conversation for the rest of the walking time. He wasn't sure, but Megaman felt like Lan just wanted to know so that he could get it over with and get on with life.

The Navi was so deep in his thoughts that Lan almost walked right past the NetPolice building. Luckily, he snapped out of it. "Wait, Lan! Stop here!" Lan, who was also thinking about something, abruptly stopped after hearing Megaman's voice. "What's wrong, Megaman?"

"We're here. This is where I am taking you today."
"This building here?"
"Yeah. This is it. Go ahead and go inside. They are expecting us."

Nodding his head, Lan turned the rest of his body and started to walk up to the front door. He looked around and noticed that there wasn't a clear indication of who the tenants of the building were. This caused him to feel a little uneasy, since he didn't know what he was walking into.

Still, he felt like he could trust Megaman 100 percent. He put a hand on the doorknob, hesitating a little at first before turning it and pulling the door open.

Once open, he peered inside to see a lobby, relatively decorated, with what appeared to be a receptionist behind a desk in the middle of the room. He soon stepped inside and saw that there were a few chairs on either side of the lobby. What Lan found strange was that, side from him and the receptionist, there wasn't anything else inside the lobby. No matter how much trust he had in Megaman, Lan was starting to get worried that something bad was going to happen, and he was to be the center attraction.

"Hello, Lan. We have been expecting you today."
"Oh...hi."
"Let me call someone down to give you a look around the building."
"Thanks...I guess."

The receptionist picked the phone and punched in a few numbers. It didn't take her long to get connected to someone on the other end. "Hello...yes, he is here...I would you to come down and escort him around the building...I don't know. Let me check..." The receptionist looked at Lan, almost like she was studying him, then went back to her conversation. "Yeah, he does...Alright. See you down here, and thank you."

She hung up the phone and looked back at Lan again. "Your escort will be down in a moment. Please have a seat while we wait." Quietly nodding his head, Lan strolled over to a group of seats on the left side of the lobby, sitting in the first one that his feet stopped in front of.

Megaman's hologram looked at Lan's eyes, and he knew that there was a look of uncertainty in the brown orbs. "Lan, you look a little nervous. Are you ok?" The boy's eyes looked towards his shoulder, where Megaman's hologram was standing, like always. "Yeah...just a little worried."

After making his statement, Lan turned his head and faced the center if the lobby again. He still wasn't sure who the people in the building were, and he still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. "By the way, Megaman...what company works here?" The Navi turned to his NetOp, not sure how to answer the question. Sure, he could have said that the NetPolice were the ones who owned and operated the building, which would have ruined the surprise. On the other hand, he could still wait and let Chief Keifer tell Lan what was going on. However, the problem with that was Lan. He was starting to get impatient about the secrecy, and continuing with the secrecy would just make him more impatient, or even angry.

Just as Megaman was about to tell the entire thing to Lan, someone else spoke up, catching his and the boy's attention. "So, there you are." They both looked in the direction of the voice, only to find that it was Chaud who made the remark.

"Are you my tour guide?"
"Yeah...I guess you can say that."
"Wait a minute...I think I remember you..."

Megaman and Chaud looked at Lan, shocked that he would make such a remark. "You were at the hospital when I was released two days ago...you're Rod, right?" Megaman's hologram fell over onto it's side while Chaud just stared blankly at Lan. 'Rod? Wow...just when I thought he couldn't get anymore...' cutting his own thought short, realizing the situation.

"It's Chaud, not Rod."
"Oh, hehe. Sorry."
"Nevermind it. Come on. Let's get going."
"Wait, where are we going?"

Chaud turned around and faced Lan. "We're going to the NetPolice chief's office." Any footsteps that Lan was about to take did not occur.

"WHAT? The NetPolice? I haven't done anything!"

Lan quickly looked at Megaman, with a more than unpleasant look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me! I'm not going to the Police chief's office!" Megaman wasn't sure what to do. All he could do right now was try to calm Lan down and get him to realize that this wasn't a kind of punishment.

"Lan, relax. It isn't what you think?"
"Oh, yeah? Then what is it, huh?"
"It's...well..."
"Come on, Megaman. Spill it!"

Hearing Lan's demand for an answer, Megaman finally spilled the whole surprise. "...Because you are part of the Police Force!"

Any anger that was inside Lan suddenly disappeared. He wasn't sure how to react to the NetNavi's statement. 'I'm part of the NetPolice?' His mind wasn't able to comprehend how a 12-year old boy was part of a law enforcement agency. "...How am I part of the force?"

Megaman could have told the whole story, but he wanted to keep it short. "Well, to make this as short as possible, you and I did a lot of good in the past, fighting off crime organizations like World Three and Grave. Because of that, Commissioner Keifer offered you and me positions as NetSavers, which he both accepted."

"What is a NetSaver?"
"The NetPolice is a law enforcement agency, like regular police. However, we deal with crimes on the Net. A NetSaver is like a junior NetPolice agent, but, unlike adult NetPolice agents, our identities are kept secret."
"Wait...does that mean Chaud is a NetSaver too?"

Lan peered over at the white and black-haired boy, who had his hands in his front pockets. "It does, Lan. You and I are both NetSavers, sworn to protect the Net and keep the peace. It's our duty." Chaud's voice sounded stern to Lan's ears, who almost thought that Chaud was probably his superior as a NetSaver. However, he wanted to see if the other boy was his superior, or if he was always like this.

Turning to Megaman, Lan quietly whispered, hoping that Chaud would not hear him. "Megaman...is Chaud my superior or something? He sounds really stern." The Navi tried not to laugh, as this seemed to be something Lan should know. "Nah. He is a NetSaver just like you. Your only superiors are Mr. Famous, Chief Keifer, and Ms. Manuela."

"If you two are done talking, we should get to the chief's office. He is probably waiting for us." Chaud turned around once again, heading for a small staircase that seemed to lead to elevators. Lan looked at Megaman, who simply nodded, before following the other boy up the stairs. At the top were a set of 2 elevators, much like how most setups are. Chaud went over and pressed the button to send one of the down so that he and Lan would take a ride up to the floor Chief Keifer's office was located on.

It didn't take long for the elevator to response and begin coming down the shaft. Neither Chaud, Lan, or Megaman said anything during the wait. They were in complete silence the whole time. The only sound that was hear was the dinging sound normally heard when an elevator stops on a floor.

The doors opened, allowing for the two boys to step inside. Chaud went over to the inside panel, pressing the button with the number 8 on it. Lan looked at the digital viewscreen above the elevator door. It shows the letter "L" on it, signifying that they were on the lobby floor.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Chaud pressed the "door close" button, and the elevator started it's ascension. The sudden movement almost threw Lan off balance, but he was able to keep is balance while the elevator starting moving upward.

Unlike the wait for the elevator, the ride was not as quiet. "Hey, Chaud. What is Chief Keifer like?" Lan couldn't remember what the commissioner was like, but he knew that the other boy would most likely have a good idea, since he was also a NetSaver. "He's an older man, probably in his late 40s or early 50s. He understands a lot of what happens around town and around the Net, and normally has some of the best insight when it comes to Net crimes."

"Megaman mentioned someone named Ms. Manuela."
"She is the chief's assistant. She normally helps us out when the need arises."
"Hmmm...Megaman also mentioned someone named Mr. Famous."
"He works with your father at SciLab. We call him if we ever need a Dimensional Area."
"Dimensional Area?"

Megaman looked at Chaud, and could instantly tell that the other boy was getting annoyed by the consistent stream of questions coming from Lan. So, to ease Chaud's frustration, Megaman decided to jump in. "A Dimensional Area is a special area where the Cyberworld and the real world meet. It is one of the things SciLab uses in their experiments, as well as a tool used by the NetPolice during their investigations."

Lan thought about Megaman's explanation for a moment. "So...inside a Dimensional Area, NetNavi and humans can interact face to face?" The Navi was a little surprised that Lan was able to grasp the concept so quickly, but he knew that he should omit the Darkloid incident until they got to Chief Keifer's office. "Exactly. When an experiment or investigation requires a Dimensional Area, we simply call Mr. Famous at SciLab, and he will generate one for us."

"Wow...that sounds so cool!"
"Hehe. I thought you would find it interesting."

Chaud just stood there, listening to Lan and Megaman's conversation. He could have added in more information, but just decided to look down slightly and sport a small grin across his face.

The elevator slowed down and came to a stop. The number above the elevator doors read "8," the floor that Chaud had selected. A ding was heard as the door opened, revealing a well-lit hallway, with several doors on either side. Chaud stepped out of the elevator, and Lan followed. He looked around the hallway, noting that it had some modern décor, as well as what appeared to be some more contemporary light fixtures. Thankfully, the décor and light fixtures worked well together.

The last door on the left opened up, an older woman stepping out into the hallway. "Ah, Chaud. There you are. I see you brought Lan with you." The white and black haired boy simply nodded his head as the older woman went over to Lan, who still had Megaman on his shoulder.

"Hello, Lan. I'm Manuela, assistant to Commissioner Keifer of the NetPolice."
"Nice to meet you...again, I guess. Hehe."
"It's good to see that you are in high spirits, Lan. It's what was one of your better traits as a NetSaver."
"So...what did I do exactly, as a NetSaver, I mean."
"I'll let the chief inform you of that. Please, go inside. He is very anxious to see you."

Manuela motioned to the door. Lan, who was still a little nervous about the whole situation, silently nodded his head and walked inside.

The room was rather large, especially for an office. The light fixtures matched the ones in the hallway, and there was a large set of windows behind the deck. Lan walked slowly inside, taking in the design of the room, as well as eyeballing he man sitting at the desk. He was on the bigger side, bigger meaning fat, as well as balding on the top of his head. He didn't wear glasses, which Lan was actually expecting, but he was wearing a suit, which was also something the boy expected.

"Hello, Lan. How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing good. Just a little nervous."
"That's to be expected. I am Commissioner Keifer, General Superintendent of the NetPolice."
"Nice to meet you."

As soon as their introductions were done, Manuela walked into the room. "Excuse me, Lan. But, would it be too much trouble if Chaud and I could borrow your PET? We would like to talk with Megaman while you are in here with the Chief." Lan looked behind him, wondering why she and Chaud wanted to talk to Megaman alone. To the boy, it seemed like there was still a lot of secrecy going on, and it was a feeling that he didn't like. But still, the last time two times Megaman talked in private with someone, something good actually happened, considering that the day at Yai's house was fun, and the news about being a NetSaver was kinda cool.

Lan nodded his head as he handed off the PET to Manuela. "Sure. Here you go." Manuela took the device from Lan's hand, nodded, then left the room, leaving the boy and Chief Keifer to talk.

Outside the Chief's office, Megaman got the OK from Chaud and Manuela to use the M-Program while Lan wasn't around. "You wanted to talk to me about something?" Megaman was perplexed as to why they wanted to talk to just him. He was sure that anything they needed to talk to him about they could talk to Lan about, especially if it concerned his recovery.

Chaud looked at Megaman briefly, then back to Manuela, who gave the white and black-haired boy a simple nod. "Megaman...as Lan's NetNavi, you know more about his recovery than the rest of us..." Chaud paused. He wasn't sure if there was a delicate way of saying what he was about to say, but he came to the conclusion that it had to be said. "...and his rate of recovery is what we are concerned about."

"What do you mean? He is recovering really well."
"Even if he is recovering as well as you say, it will still take a lot of time. Typical Amnesia cases may take upwards of five months before the person completely recovers."
"You've known Lan for a while. He is anything but 'typical'."
"But, he may still take a long time before..."

Chaud paused again. He tried his best not to show any emotion. He wanted to make sure that Megaman was made fully aware of what he was implying. "...before he can be put on a case again, let alone take on UnderNet Mafia agents." Chaud's words hit Megaman's ears, and he already knew that this conversation wasn't going to end well. Nonetheless, he was still surprised that Chaud would be bringing this up, even now.

"Wait...are you saying that Lan...may be getting removed from the NetSavers?"
"Megaman...it was hard for us to even come to that conclusion..."
"No...no way! How can you turn your back on Lan at a time like this?"

The other NetSaver looked down at the ground. "Look, Megaman...it isn't as though we are going to remove him immediately. But...if he cannot recover to the point where he can execute his duties as a NetSaver, then he just becomes a liability and dead weight." Chaud could feel his eyes quiver, an automatic reaction to his normal persona of holding back tears. He really didn't want to do this, but it was necessary to keep anything bad from happening to both the Net Police and Lan himself.

"Megaman..." Chaud knew that he had to keep calm and convey the decision in a stern manner. "...This wasn't a decision we took lightly. If Lan can't execute his duties as a NetSaver, then we can't keep him on. I'm sorry, Megaman."

The Navi looked at Chaud, an anger starting to flare up from within himself. He was both angry and sad that Chaud would do this, or the Chief for that matter. However, his anger, which he sometimes had trouble controlling, was starting to get the better of him. "How can you calmly say that? What kind of friend just turns his back on another friend when they need their help and support the most? How can you stand yourself?"

The boy could see that Megaman was not taking the news well, which in itself was strange, since the Navi normally took almost all news, good or bad, in a calm manner, always looking on the optimistic side. "The decision can't be helped, Megaman. If Lan doesn't improve, and cannot do his duty, then he will have to be discharged."

Another flare of anger from inside the Navi awoke. "His duty? This is about him not being able to do what he is suppose to do? All this...coming from you, Chaud. I can't believe that you would turn into a hypocrite!" The white-haired boy's eyes widened. 'What does he mean by that?' Now, Chaud was also getting angry, especially after being called a hypocrite for the first time by the Navi."

"What? You don't remember, Chaud? Well, maybe this will refresh your memory. When you used the DarkChip on Protoman, he became a Darkloid." The story Megaman was reciting started to make Chaud even more angry, seeing as the Navi was 'digging up bones,' so to speak.

"You had given up hope on ever getting him back. You gave up on your Navi when the chips were down. Everyone else tried their hardest to get Protoman back, but you. Lan and the Net Police never turned their backs on you! And now, when the chips are down for Lan, you are doing the exact same thing to him as you did with Protoman. That is what make you a hypocrite!"

Before things started escalating further, Manuela finally stepped in. "That's enough, Megaman!" The Navi looked at his superior, still with a sense and look of anger on his face. "No! It's not enough!" Megaman was almost screaming, something he rarely if ever did. Both Manuela and Chaud were taken aback by his sudden outburst, half-expecting Lan and the Chief to open the doors to his office to see what all the commotion was about.

Finally, the sadness and upset that had been building inside Megaman started to come out in the form of tears. "After everything Lan has done...all of the enemies he defeated...all of the times he put himself in danger to save everyone else...the one time he needs help from his closest friends and superiors, they turn their backs on him." The outburst still left Chaud and Manuela speechless.

And, it didn't take long for Megaman to make one more statement. "I guess it wouldn't be a bad thing if he was discharged because...if this is the way you are going to treat him, then you don't deserve to have him as a NetSaver!" The Navi's final statement put even more shock into Manuela and Chaud. However, Chaud was still upset over being called a hypocrite. He was just about to make his own statement when all three of them heard the door to Chief Keifer's office start to open.

Megaman pulled himself together just in time to disappear back into his PET before Lan and the Chief walked into the hallway. The two of them were apparently finished with their talk inside the office.

"So...we really helped to stop all them? World Three, Grave, Nebula, Neo World Three, and the Zoanoroids?"
"You were not just help, Lan. You and Megaman were instrumental in putting an end to those criminal organizations. You should be very proud of yourselves."
"I am, sir. Thanks for letting me know we did so much good for people."
"Ha-ha. It's no problem at all, Lan. Knowing your past can help make you a better person in the future."

Lan nodded his head as he looked towards Chaud and Manuela. He instantly noted that both of them had looks of frustration or anger on their faces. He wasn't sure what could have caused that, seeing that all they did was talk with Megaman. "What's wrong? You guys look like you just had a fight or something." Chaud didn't say anything as he quickly handed Lan his PET, all the while keeping on the same look he had when the other boy came out of the office.

Without missing a beat, Megaman yelled out from his PET.

"Let's go, Lan. We don't need to stay here."
"Really? I was having a good..."
"Lan. Let's just leave. We have to get home."
"...Alright."

~~!~~
~~!~~

"Why did we have to leave in such a rush, Megaman?"

Lan was already halfway home when he finally decided to break the silence that had befallen him and Megaman after they left the Net Police Headquarters. Megaman, whose hologram was sitting on Lan's shoulder, did not respond right away. 'Should I tell him? No...that would set his recovery back...and he doesn't need to know that right now.'

"It's not important."
"Are you sure? You made it sound important before we left."
"Trust me. It's not important."
"If you say so..."

Lan knew Megaman was lying. He could tell from the Navi's voice and tone that something happened during his talk with Chaud and Manuela. The tone said so many things, like there was a verbal fight that happened. However, Lan figured that Megaman was just too upset at the moment to talk about it, and decided not to push the issue anymore.

Thankfully, the walk home wasn't long at all. Megaman had told Lan that he was good with Roller-blades, which prompted the boy to bring his pair with him, figuring that he could give them a try on the way home instead of on the way to where they were going earlier that morning. At first, he couldn't quite get his balance right, and fell a few times when he tried to stand up. However, it didn't take him long to find the right balance to stand on the wheels, and only a little longer to keep his balance while moving. Needless to say, he was impressed with himself, as was Megaman.

They soon got to the front door of the house, where Lan sat down and removed his blades from his sneakers. He glanced at his shoulder to see Megaman was still staring off into the distance. He knew something was wrong, and figured he would ask one more time. "I know something is wrong, Megaman. Maybe I can help you, but you have to tell me, first."

"It's...well..." The Navi wasn't sure he could tell Lan the truth. He knew that the truth might even set Lan's recovery back. And, that was something that he had to avoid. "I got into an argument with Chaud and Manuela."

"I should have guessed. They both looked upset."
"Yeah...they were...not happy with my performance on the day you had your accident."
"What do you mean?"
"Well...they think that I could have done more to have helped prevent any harm to you. I told them that I did my best, but they really didn't have any of it."
"That's rude of them."

Great, now instead of telling Lan the truth, Megaman told a lie that might affect how Lan looks at Manuela and Chaud. He could only hope that he would be able to tell Lan the truth soon, and not have to wait until the boy saw Chaud or Manuela again, thereby letting the truth out, and making him look like the worst NetNavi around.

Standing up, Lan put his Roller-blades on the back of his shorts, where they would normally hang. Before he could even take out his key, Mrs. Hikari opened the front door. "Welcome home, Lan!" He usual smile and cheerful tone of voice resonated inside the house. "Did you enjoy your visit to the Net Police building?" Hearing his mother's word, Lan knew that Megaman had told his mother where they were going that day, but figured that the Navi must have wanted it to be a surprise, which explained the secrecy earlier that day.

"Yeah. It was nice. I didn't know I was a NetSaver."
"That you are. Your father and I are even more proud of you since you became a NetSaver. It's so nice that you do so much good."

Lan blushed a little bit, apparently a little embarrassed at his mother's praise. "Thanks, Mom." Mrs. Hikari only smiled back as she went into the Living Room to do some cleaning. Lan went into his room upstairs to relax after taking in so much from Chief Keifer.

"Hey, Megaman. Is everything that Chief Keifer said about me true?"
"Hmm? What did you tell you?"
"He said that you and I were instrumental in defeating World Three, Grave, Nebula, Neo World Three, and the Zoanoroids. Is that true?"
"It is. From the day you got me 2 years ago, you and I have been fighting off all kinds of criminals. And, we always end up winning."
"I guess we just make a great team."
"That we do, Lan."

They both smiled at each other, both feeling a little more at ease, more so for Megaman than Lan. The argument with Chaud frustrated Megaman more than he wanted to admit, and it really took it's toll on him. He just wanted to go to sleep and process everything that happened today.

A noise was heard by Megaman which pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked around to see that Lan had placed the PET on the desk and went over to the closet, seemingly getting a change of clothes. He was a little curious as to why Lan was already getting a change of clothing since it was only 3:21 in the afternoon, nowhere near his bedtime for a school night...

School night! Megaman almost forgot to mention that to Lan. "Hey, Lan. I almost forgot to tell you something." The boy peered out from the closet, looking at the hologram of Megaman on the desk.

"What is it?"
"Tomorrow is a school day. So, you'll have to wake up earlier than normal so you are not late."
"Do you think I should go to school tomorrow?"
"Of course! You can see your friends again, meet your teachers, and get back into your normal routine."
"Ok. I'll keep that in mind."

Going back to getting a change of clothing, Lan kept digging through his closet. He didn't know what he was looking for, exactly, but he was just looking for something.

Megaman, on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted to do. He really wanted to sleep for a little bit. And now, he would be able to do that, since he got done what he needed to get done before he forgot. Now, once he told Lan, he would simply go into sleep mode and leave Lan to surfing the Net or something else.

"Hey, Lan. I'm going to take a short nap."
"You're tired already?"
"Yeah. My argument with Chaud was really tiresome. I'll just be asleep for an hour or two."
"What should I do while you are asleep?"
"Well, you can surf the Net, talk to your Mom, or watch TV."

Lan pulled his head out of the closet, holding a pair of blue jeans in one hand and a blueish-gray shirt in the other. Setting them on his bed, Lan walked over to his desk and sat in his chair. He looked at Megaman and smiled. "Have a good nap. I'll try not to wake you."

"Hehe. No worries there, Lan. I'll sleep soundly."
"If the argument was as bad as you say, I'm sure you will."
"See you in an hour or two, Lan. Don't get into trouble."
"I won't. Night, Megaman."

With their conversation over, Megaman initiated his program's Sleep Mode and disappeared from the viewscreen. Lan couldn't help but notice that the Navi still had a bit of anger in him. He could see it in Megaman's eyes. Even if it was just an argument over something as simple as his performance during a crisis, Lan figured Megaman was the type to get over something like that and put it behind him.

'There's definitely something more to it.'

~~!~~
~~!~~

Have ever had to love someone,
That just don't feel the same?
Tryin' to make somebody care for you,
The way I do,
Is like tryin' to catch the rain.
And if love is really forever,
I'm a winner at a losin' game.

~~!~~
~~!~~

Another chapter is done! Woo!

Alright. Here's the deal. I know that I have been slacking off in getting the chapters out at a consistent rate. However, I got some terribad writer's block and it really hurt my creativity. But, the good news is that I finished this chapter up, and I believe that I am getting over my writer's block. So, with a little luck and A LOT of hope, I will be cranking out the next 2-3 chapters much more quickly than I did this one!

ALSO!

As promised, I said that I would post a special "Sneak Peak" for my sequel fanfic. Right now, the name is undecided. I'll probably come up with one once I finished this one off. The sequel fanfic is also going to be rated M, as there will be strong language and some sexual-related themes.

BUT, FIRST!

A little bit of background information before I jump into the sneak peak.

Kurosu Sukachi, or Suka for short, is a 14-year old high school student that lives in a place called Konihara Town, located in Japan. He is a little more intelligent than the rest of his classmates, and lives with his older brother, Richiro, who is 17, and his mother, Hanita, who is 40. His father died at the age of 41, and would have been 43 when Sukachi turned 14. Because Sukachi came out to his family at 12 years old (and, had a boyfriend, Yuichi), his mother and brother treat him coldly, so coldly that they break normal Japanese culture, forcing Sukachi to address them by first name and with the -sama suffix. Before his death, only Sukachi's father truly understood, accepted, and supported Sukachi and Yuichi's relationship.

Sukachi lives in a Beyondard parallel to Hikari Netto's world. That Beyondard...is our world, our time. This is a play on the theory presented in the show "Sliders" that there are thousands of parallel worlds, each unique in their own right.

As the following Sneak Peak unfolds, you will see what Sukachi has to deal with, and how a shocking event turns his world upside down, testing his virtues, his beliefs, and his very soul.

With that out of the way, let's get this sneak peak underway!

~~!~~
~~!~~

-Konihara Town, Kurosu residence-

The previous day, the weatherman predicted that it would rain for the next 2 days, much harder in some areas as compared to others...and was he ever right. The rain in Konihara Town had been going on and off for the past 30 hours, unloading bucket after bucket of wet precipitation. The torrential downpour left no one dry. If you so much as went outside to even catch a breath of fresh air, you were more than likely to get, at the very least, half of your jeans and shirt soaked.

Sukachi was getting sick and tired of the rain. He really wanted to just get out of the house and hang out with his friends, Yuichi, Naomi, and Kohaku. He was getting very bored with being stuck inside, which also gave his brother and mother an excuse to get him to do their work around the house, mostly cleaning and minor fixing.

He could only be thankful that his bedroom ceiling didn't start leaking at all, since it was located in the basement. All he had for natural lighting in his room were rectangular windows, almost like privacy windows used in bathrooms. The only good thing about them was that they did open enough for him to crawl outside, which gave him a bit of an escape route in case he ever needed to leave, since his mother and brother thought him to be too big to fit through the windows themselves.

"Sukachi, what are you doing just sitting there?"
"I've been cleaning almost all day. I need a break."
"You still have chores to do. Once you get them done, you can rest, but not a minute before."

Letting out a sigh, Sukachi got up off the Living Room couch. "Yes, Hanita-sama." He knew that trying to argue with his mother was a loosing battle. Fortunately, it was different with his brother, Richiro. While arguing with him would sometimes end in Hanita getting involved and punishing Sukachi, there were times when the younger brother would have the upper hand, forcing the older sibling to yield and concede the argument, whatever it was.

Slowing leaving the Living Room, Sukachi walked into the bathroom, picked up the bowl cleaner brush, and started to work. A lot of the dirt, stains, and stuck-on crap were spread around the entire bowl, from the lower area inside the water itself, to just below the rim. He could only be thankful that his mother has bought a new style handle that dispense a cleaning solution into the brush itself, making his chore less tiresome and tedious.

A loud crack of thunder was heard throughout the house. The sudden sound made Sukachi whip his head up and look out the window inside the bathroom. The bolt of lightning was close. It nearly illuminated the outside completely. If the lightning has been far away, the light from the bolt would have not been as strong, nor would the thunder sound caused by it. And, to top it all off, Sukachi didn't remember the weatherman stating that this was going to be a thunderstorm of any kind. All he said was that it would produce a high amount of rain, with the possibility for hail.

Thinking that the weatherman was wrong about his prediction, Sukachi continued with his assigned chore and continued to clean the bowl of the toilet. He found himself pushing the solution release button a few times before some of the dirt started to loosen up, allowing him to finally clean the bowl. 'Damn them both. I guess it's rocket science to them to have to do stuff like this.' The only thing that kept Sukachi from going on a rampage was his sarcastic thoughts about his mother and brother.

Another loud crack of thunder. This time, it was even closer than the first, judging from the loudness of the sound. And, it seemed to have jarred a power line around, as the lights in the house flickered several times, as well as causing the TV in the Living Room to shut off due to the sudden loss of power.

Sukachi left the bathroom and went into the Living Room, where his mother and brother were sitting down, just getting the TV back on. "Did they say if we are in a Thunderstorm Warning yet?" Richiro looked up from the TV. "Does it look like we know yet? The TV just came back on." Richiro pushed a few buttons on the remote, changing the channel to the local news, who seemed to have an update on the storm.

"Channel 9 WeatherWatch with a storm update. Ticharu, Konihara, and Hirokuma have issued Severe Thunderstorm Warnings to their respective towns. Reports of golfball-size hail have already been reported in surrounding areas. Residents are advised to stay away from windows and to take shelter if the storms in your area worsen. And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming..."

"A severe thunderstorm warning...Richiro, go and get the flashlights in case the power goes out again."
"Where did we put them, mother?"
"They are in the kitchen, inside the drawer closest to the back door."
"Alright. I'll get them."

Sukachi watched as his brother went into the kitchen. "Hanita-sama...should I get anything?" Hanita looked at her youngest son, her expression changing from concerned to stern, in almost a heartbeat. Sukachi was use to that look. It was the normal look he got from her. "You continue cleaning the toilet. If the storm gets really bad, then you can stop and go downstairs until it passes."

Her voice was stern, yet cold at the same time. It was yet another attitude that Sukachi was use to. He had to deal with it for almost 2 years now. Anyone who had to deal with something for that amount of time would have gotten use to it. However, fighting was futile, and Sukachi knew that. Without another word, he went down the hallway and into the bathroom, continuing to clean the toilet.

'Maybe I should have never told them...' He was lost in his thoughts, mindlessly moving the brush around the bowl, completely passing over spots that needed to be cleaned, and moving over already clean spots more than once. 'No! I can't think like that. I made my choice. If they can't live with it, then it's their damn problem, not mine.'

Focusing on the bowl after pulling himself out of his thoughts, he noticed that most of it was already clean. All that was left was for him to clean a spot or 2, then wash the brush off before putting it back in it's caddy. 'That took a shorter amount of time than I thought.' He wasn't sure if he was because he got lost in his thoughts, or that it just wasn't as dirty as he thought it was. Needless to say, he was happy that he was done.

-thunder cracking-
-glass breaking-

Sukachi looked around the bathroom, only to find that one of the privacy windows inside the bath tube had been shattered. The glass fell from it's perch and into the tube below. Fortunately for Sukachi, the sliding doors were both closed, so none of the glass got into the bathroom itself. It was all contained to the tub.

"Shit!"He yelled louder than he wanted to, but was thankful that his yelling was dulled out by the sound of the heavy rain falling into the bath tube. 'I think it's time to head downstairs.' Tossing the toilet brush into it's caddy, Sukachi left the bathroom and went to the Living Room. He discovered that his mother and brother had already left and went downstairs.

Unknowingly, Sukachi started to think out loud. "Those sons of bitches..." Only after making his statement did he realize that he had just said he thought out loud. Quickly looking around to make sure they were actually downstairs, Sukachi took a breath of relief. 'Thank god...they are downstairs.'

Wasting no more time, he took the staircase to the basement. Peering past the basement doorway, be looked into the Family Room to see Hanita and Richiro sitting down and watching another weather update. He had to say something about the bathroom window, lest he run the risk of them thinking he broke it, and punish him accordingly. "A lightning bolt shattered the window in the bathroom."

"It doesn't matter. Just stay down here, but stay quiet. We are trying to watch the weather." Hanita was the first to speak.
"Yeah. Go into your room or something. Just don't bother us." Richiro spoke second.

Coldly. That was the only adjective Sukachi could think of to describe how is brother and mother treated him. Silently sighing, he went down a short hallway to a doorway that looked very aged. The only thing that looked new or refurbished was the doorknob, which Sukachi had purchased with his own money and installed on his own time. It was something that his mother was not happy with, since the doorknob locked from the inside, and Sukachi made sure only he had a key. That way, he had at least one place in the house that he would consider his personal sanctuary.

Soon after entering his room and closing the door, Sukachi locked it, as it was now a habit of his. Whenever he was doing something in his room, he always locked the door. Hell, it has gotten to the point where even when he was just sleeping, he would lock the door. But, mostly, he got the new doorknob because there were times when his now ex-boyfriend, Yuichi, would be over, and they would do stuff that required some privacy.

No sooner after plopping down on his bed, another crack of lightning and rumbling of thunder occurred. However, this time, it was almost as if it occurred right next to the house. Sukachi jumped off his bed, almost falling in the process, which would not have been good, since the last bolt of lightning completely knocked out power to the house.

"Great...no power." Sukachi sighed again, knowing that he would have to be the one who would check the circuit breaker and make a call to the electric company from a cell phone.

He started to walk towards his bedroom door, ready to check the circuit breaker, when another bolt of lightning was heard. He stopped in his tracks, before even opening the door. The sound of the thunder was...quieter. He saw the light generated from the bolt fill his room, and the time it took for the thunder to reach his ears after the lightning struck was instantaneous. That could only mean that it must have happened somewhere very close to his window.

Looking over at his bedroom window, Sukachi started to think about what just happened. 'It was different from a normal lightning bolt...what was it?' Turning his body around, the boy started to walk towards his window. As he got closer, he caught the smell of what seemed to be burned grass.

The blinds were closed, but the smell was still in the air, seeping into his room from the window. Sukachi pulled a string on the blinds to open up upward. He was greeted to a sight of heavy rain, and partially flooded grass. He couldn't remember the last time there was this much rainfall over a 30 hour timespan. The sky was also dark, allowing very little sunlight to reach the earth, even at 4:28pm during the summer.

With such a lack of nature light, Sukachi found it very difficult to look around to see if he could spot the area where the lightning bolt struck. 'It has to be very close. The smell couldn't travel so far in such a short time.' Being a little bit smarter than your average 14-year old, he quickly decided that the lightning must have struck close to the house, maybe even right next to it. The only way he could find out for sure was to go outside and scout the grassy areas for any signs of burned grass.

Grabbing a small flashlight on his desk, Sukachi went to the window and opened it. On the other side was a lift-able screen panel for when he just wanted some fresh air during the summer. However, it did very little to stop water from hitting the actual window.

Immediately realizing that it was still raining hard, Sukachi went over to his closet, flashlight on and in hand, and grabbed his raincoat. The last thing he wanted was to get soaked to the bone and have to explain that to his mother. Wasting no more time, he lifted the screen panel up and started to squeeze himself out the window. His body barely fit through the tight fixture, but he made it outside, nonetheless.

Shining his flashlight around, he found a small patch of burnt grass. It's shape was circular, but not a perfect circle. A few of the edges were rigid, indicating to the boy that lightning strikes don't always yield perfect circles like he thought they did. But, in the middle of the shape, he saw something that caught his eye.

Moving towards the spot more, he noticed a device in the middle, rectangular in shape. It looked somewhat like an iPod, but the textures and color were completely different. What he could guess was the top-right had a small slot in it, and the viewscreen was on the bottom center. The top-left side also had what looked like 2 buttons, while the top middle had something else on it.

Sukachi went to pick the device up. It looked to be turned off, and there wasn't a button anywhere on it that indicted that it was the 'On' button. The top middle had some symbol on it; a circle with a line through the middle, connecting 2 triangles on the top-right and bottom-left of the circle. The triangles and connecting line were colored black, while the remaining circle pieces were colored red.

Hoping that it was a button of some kind, Sukachi pressed it. It reacted just like any button, and started to boot up the device. "What is this? I've never seen anything like it." The screen started to light up, and a three-letter word appeared on the screen...

PET.

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SO! How did you like the sneak peak? A little bit on the mysterious side, but also with an element of suspense! I am REALLY looking forward to writing that story. I think it will be a GREAT experience to cross a real-life world with a fictional one. You can bet that it is gonna be a great read!

As always, reviews are ALWAYS appreciated, and any poles that you can vote in are found in my profile!

Hope to get 15 up soon!