Disclaimer: Do not own Bullet for my Valentine or the song "Tears Don't Fall".

Chapter V:
Aimi

Part I: Overload

Let's go!
With blood shot eyes, I watch you sleeping…
The warmth I feel beside me is slowly fading…
Would she hear me, if I called her name?
Would she hold me, if she knew my shame?

There's always something different going wrong!!!!
The path I walk is in the wrong direction!!!!!
There's always someone fcking hanging on!!!!!
Can anybody help me makes things better?

Your tears don't fall, they crash around me!
Her conscience calls, the guilty to come home!
Your tears don't fall, they crash around me!
Her conscience calls, the guilty to come home!

The moments died, I hear no screaming…
The visions left inside me are slowly fading…
Would she hear me, if I called her name?
Would she hold me, if she knew my shame?

There's always something different going wrong!!!
The path I walk is in the wrong direction!!
There's always someone fcking hanging on!!!
Can anybody help me makes things better!?

Your tears don't fall, they crash around me!
Her conscience calls, the guilty to come home!
Your tears don't fall, they crash around me!
Her conscience calls, the guilty to come home!

This battered room I've seen before…
These broken bones they heal no more, no more!
With my last breath I'm choking,
Will this ever end? I'm hoping!
My world is over one more time!!

LET'S GO!

Would she hear me, if I called her name?
Would she hold me, if she knew my shame?

There's always something different going wrong!!!
The path I walk is in the wrong direction!!
There's always someone fcking hanging on!!!
Can anybody help me makes things better?
Your tears don't fall, they crash around me!
Her conscience calls, the guilty to come home!
Your tears don't fall, they crash around me!
Her conscience calls, the guilty to come home!

BETTER!!!!!!

Your tears don't fall, they crash around me!
Her conscience calls, the guilty to come home!

… … … … …

The rain pounded heavily on the broken streets of Hong Kong. Smoke rose from every manhole, and electricity jumped across the streets. Underground wiring pulled up, cars flipped, bodies lying in the streets slowly drifting away in the inch of water… and Protoman thought he'd get some peace here. Lucky him. From behind him, he thought heard the clanking of metal feet against the water and concrete… unfortunately, he was right. Hundreds of Elecmen, steel blade over their right shoulder, marching in unison. The fact that such cloning power existed was amazing… and frightening. He quickly tried to escape, but to no avail… he was spotted, and hundreds of electric beams rushed toward him. It was beyond curfew.

… … … … …

Takeshi sighed. Another attack? Why couldn't he get some rest? He saw what Elecman could do… personally… this wasn't going to be easy. He reluctantly called Rush and took off.

… … … … …

Protoman would twist, turn, jump, and flip over slashes, plasma blasts, bullets, and electric beams. Every time he tried firing at the annoyances, an electric barrier would make his blasts faze out of existence. Being without a voice system, Elecman could not speak… so it was only natural his clones couldn't, either. Lightning flashed, as well as the street signs, flashing on and off, on and off… the only illumination. Protoman began charging his blasts, yet still, they fazed on contact with their barrier… Trying something new, he took his shield and dashed forward, head, er, shield first into them, sending one into another, and another, and another… until they began exploding of being overloaded. This should be easy now… Alas, Elecman wasn't going to allow it. Floating above, Elecman sent bolts of electricity so strong that they broke eight feet into the ground at the red one. A clone slashed from the left with an electrically charged metal blade, which made contact with his back and sent him flying through a nearby building.

… … … … …

When Takeshi arrived, it was chaos. Bodies widely scattered about, earth lowered thirty feet at a time, subways revealed to open air, rain pouring relentlessly, fires breaking out… a truly horrible sight. Cautiously, seeing no other way into the city, he walked into the nearest subway. It too was a wreck. Cars thrown about, electricity flowing openly into the three inches of water on the floor, bodies trapped in, flung over, and shoved through railing and cars. Sparks flying everywhere, Takeshi had to be careful not to get shocked to death. Scattered about, he saw green and red eyes watching him, pick axes in hand as they began tearing away at the tunnel. Mettaur. And some nasty looking ones at that. They quickly mobilized and began their attack.

… … … … …

High above, overlooking Ameroupe City, the teenage woman sat in her frozen throne, bored. Her head resting on her left hand, she pressed a button on her chair, and in response, a large holographic screen popped up. From behind Takeshi, a hidden, flying, bat-like robot was giving live feed to all of Wily's warriors. Such an interesting picture… Such a young, inexperience teen fighting his way through hordes of Mettaur and Elecman clones. "Who's this…?" She smiled. "How powerful... and he's cute, to boot." She chuckled. A full human walked in, wearing an outfit you'd expect Eskimos to be wearing.

"You called, madam?"

"Yes… Who is this kid? Identify him."

"This is Rockman, my liege. He has been fighting your kind for a few days now…"

"…I see." She said, sighing. "I must meet him…"

… … … … …

Takeshi finished the last clone, and threw its fading body atop a pile of busted Mettaurs. He sighed and lowered his buster, hoping that the ambush was over… when something in the shadows caught his eye. "…Again?" He raised his buster and waited for it to step into the dim light. When it did, he noticed that this was the body of a female… a beautiful one, at that. She was clad in a dim blue Eskimo-like outfit, since she'd always be in freezing climates, with white fur around the hood, end of the coat, sleeves, and pant legs. She was Caucasian in appearance, and had ice-blue hair to match her ocean-blue eyes. She smiled seductively, her hood behind her, hanging loosely, her brown leather boots clicking against the concrete, and soon, ice. He looked down at his feet to see the water freezing on contact, creating an icy path… just for her. He gulped slightly and began charging his blaster; this was no normal girl…

"Don't be alarmed… I'm not like the others." She said, stopping and lifting his chin with her soft finger. "Unlike them, I never asked for these abilities… or to serve that old coot." Takeshi lowered his blaster and stepped back into the shadows, hoping to hide his blush. Never once had such a beautiful girl talked to him in that tone. "I can see you, you know. Infra red vision."

"S… so you're one of them…?"

"Not willingly. The old bag found me, offered me new life, and threw in these abilities and a contract behind my back. I have no choice but to serve him until I die… but that doesn't mean I haven't searched for help. There was another one like you… only red. He was quite the help… but failed when brother learned about what was going on."

"…" Takeshi was silent. "You don't have to serve him." He stepped forward.

"You don't get it, do you? He knows where my family is. He knows where I came from. He knows all I love… he also has control over if I should live or die. I would fight against him, if he didn't have such knowledge… otherwise, he'd send him out. He's big, ugly, and not the kindest fella… not the brightest bulb, either."

"Sounds like someone I knew…" Takeshi muttered.

"Takeshi, isn't it? I'm Aimi."

"H, hi…" He shook her hand, feeling like a moron.

"I can't help you directly… but I can tell you something… Sparky isn't so friendly with himself. He can stand his own abilities. If you could somehow reverse them, I'm sure he wouldn't be able to stand it…" Her body was sleek and she was the same height as Takeshi, and he found himself staring more than listening, but snapped out of it and nodded. A light flashing on her wrist, and she had to leave. "…He's wondering where I am… I've gotta go…" With that, she disappeared, fazing out of existence.

"Why can't I do that?!"

… … … … …

Protoman had finished off the clones… but it was just his luck to have the real one on his back, now. He quickly leapt away as three blasts of electricity zoomed by. He quickly landed and flipped about, delivering a powerful flying kick to his head. Unlike the copies, he had no barrier… but he did have Cutsman's regenerative ability. Quickly, he spun around, sending Protoman flying by disrupting his landing. Protoman was literally shocked as he flew into a bunch of live wires. With the rain pouring as heavily as it was, Elecman and all exposed electric were doubled in power. "Hey!" Elecman turned, to see Takeshi sending several of Cutsman's spinning blades at him. Attempting to destroy them, the pure robot zapped them with an electric blast… only to have its metal properties changed to electrical on collision. He began shaking and was sent flying into a nearby building. But Takeshi wasn't done yet. He sent thirteen more flying toward the electric based robot, followed by a large charged blast of plasma. As Elecman struggled to get up, he was completely destroyed by a large spike of pure, electrically charged ice shoving its way through his core. As he began to shake, the ice drenching itself in water, giving the sparks on his body even MORE power against him, he collapsed into himself and finally exploded outward like a dying star, in a miniature supernova. As Takeshi pulled Protoman from the wires, the red clad warrior couldn't help but stare at the feminine figure fleeing from the scene in a hurry… perhaps too much of a hurry. Was that blast meant for Elecman? Was it meant for him? Or even Takeshi? He may never know… but he did know she shouldn't have been there.

… … … … …

As he flew home on Rush, Takeshi began to wonder… why was Protoman there? Why did Aimi save him? Questions, questions… his thoughts were quickly interrupted, however, by a call from behind. "Takeshi! Omaesan!" He told rush to slow a bit, and found Aimi, skating by on a strip of ice.

"Wh…a?"

"I never got my thank you, you know!" She joked. He smiled.

"Why, though. Wily'll…"

"No. That old man doesn't watch anything… he relies on my brother to tell him the news. And I'm sure that he'll protect me… after all, he owes me."

"…" Takeshi was silent. "Gurache." He said. Aimi smiled and slowed down, allowing Takeshi to be on his way. But from behind, she began to wonder… was this all worth it?