The smoke filled winds gently blew through the former forest, the only light, and calm, coming from the moon and stars high above on this dark summer night… Not even a cricket's chirping was heard, it was so barren, so burnt. Even though the magma quickly cooled into volcanic rock, insects and mammals found it too hot, too barren, to even look at.

Movement.

Pebbles shook gently, on and off, as the ground warped. Slowly, it cracked and eventually broke, still soft. A burnt Protoman slowly arose, smoke and steam arising from him, and soot covering his body. Thankfully, his flesh could resist extreme heat, so he wasn't seriously injured. Thankfully, though his left shade had shattered, it shattered outward, and nothing hit his eyes. He panted, struggling to stay up, his shield white hot and soot-covered, ready to snap at the next blow. "Max…" He said, struggling to walk off into the city.

Chapter VII:
Aimi

Part III:
Ice

Three knocks.

Takeshi got up and answered his door, to find Dr. Light panting and worried at the hall, leaning against the doorway. Apparently he was running… "Takeshi… there's someone I think you should meet… he needs your help." Takeshi nodded and followed him down to the basement floor, Light's lab.

… … … … …

Protoman laid there on the examining table, the humming of florescent lights the only sound. The whitish light burned his face and armor… he was more sensitive to heat then even a human should be, now.

Footsteps.

Thomas and Takeshi walked in; Takeshi wide eyed, and Thomas working hard on something on the table. Was this…? "Takeshi, meet Satoshi Blek. He is your prototype… like a brother." Satoshi… Satoshi was alive? And helping him…?

"Can you just repair me and let me go already?" He asked. Thomas was silent.

"No… you know that I must keep you here… you shouldn't have run off like…"

"I don't care." Satoshi said, polishing his helmet, and putting it on. "All I care about is getting back out there, and not staying trapped in here like a lab rat!" Thomas sighed.

"You know that I can't!" Takeshi was silent… what was wrong with Satoshi? "…I'm done here. Just plug this into your arm. It should repair any circuit damage." Thomas said silently, walking out the door. Satoshi was silent and plugged it into a nearly invisible port in his shoulder.

… … … … …

Satoshi stood atop the lab, looking down on the neighboring forests, the battle with Max, er, Fireman haunting him at the sight of the trees… he closed his eyes beneath his sunglasses and exhaled. Temporary rest was always welcome… but not here… he couldn't stand this place… He noticed that the lights were off, so everyone must've been asleep… it was now or never… he jumped off the ledge of the roof and ran off… like he always did…

… … … … …

Aimi looked at her chess board. Another city conquered… she melted the country of Africa's piece with her mind, and looked back at Japan and Ameroupe. Was this worth it? No… she had to get these thoughts out of her head… it was too late for him and her… this was just a game, right? Right…? Right… just another game…

… … … … …

A cold chill passed by Takeshi as he stared at the stars… he knew who that was. "I'm not letting you sleep with me again, Aimi." The girl chuckled.

"Don't worry. I just came to visit…" Takeshi smiled and closed his eyes. "Besides, I thought you'd have liked it. Ah well." She slid up to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He blushed slightly, but ultimately pulled her closer with his left arm.

"Heh…" He opened his eyes, chuckling slightly. "Who would've guessed my girl friend would end up being the hot Mistress of Ice?" The two chuckled and sighed. Another beautiful night… it hadn't rained in days… and though Takeshi didn't mind, it struck him as odd… he ignored it and returned to his thoughts, and rest, with Aimi. "Heh… I never thought I'd actually say this… but I think…"

"No need to continue." Aimi said, pressing her finger against his lips. "I already know… and I feel the same…" She trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Takeshi asked.

"That's just the problem… I feel the same…" With that, she took off, back for Ameroupe at unbelievably high speed, leaving Takeshi to think… what did she mean?

… … … … …

She slashed through hordes of robots with a beam of ice, sending the upper halves into Elecman and Cutsman clones behind the front line. She had quit. She had had enough… and this for her is her reward. "You'll pay for disobeying me!!!" The old man screamed over the monitor behind her, hidden in shadows… Aimi spun through the air, sending blasts of ice into clones, having them explode for piercing of the core.

"I can't live a lie! I actually love him… I can't hurt him… I can't do this!"

"Obedience is the key to survival in my world… for disobedience, you shall die!" Shaking… oh God no… he couldn't have told him to come!

"Kakashi…" The ground exploded as the behemoth came blasting through with his fists, crushing the robot army as he appeared. Aimi had to leave… and quick! There was no way she could fight him! She created a 40 foot thick ice wall, strong enough to hold him back for a good ten seconds… which was all she needed to escape. With the creation of an ice disc, she flew off as the ice shattered… Kakashi couldn't get her now.

… … … … …

As Takeshi lay on the roof, looking at the sunset, he noticed something… no… someone… Aimi crashed into the roof full speed, making the building shake slightly. Takeshi quickly ran over to her, nearly slipping off the roof, and scooped her into her arms. She was hurt… icicles fell from the sky. Apparently, she was hit by something… she was covered in soot. He couldn't just leave her here… he held her close and jumped to the ground and ran in to tell Thomas.

… … … … …

"WHAT!? You brought one of Wily's Numbers to my lab!?" Takeshi snarled.

"She's not like them… she told me herself she didn't want to be a part of tha…"

"Hasn't it occurred to you that she could be lying?"

"I DON'T CARE! She needs help… and if you won't, I'll find someone else… there's no way you and Wily were the only ones working on such advanced robotics." Thomas sighed, defeated.

"Fine." He picked her up and put her on the examining table, scanning her skeletal system. As the results came back seconds later, Thomas stood stunned and breath taken. "Such advanced technology… far beyond what I ever dreamed of creating… Wily… just what have you created here…?"

… … … … …

"Playing with fire isn't a good idea…" A large robot said. His face was concealed by a steel bucket-like chin and the rest by a Mettaur helmet. His armor had to be a foot thick, and several weapons were hidden in it. He was clad in red and yellow mainly, but had two foot thick, black chest armor. He truly was a behemoth, standing at almost ten feet tall. He was the unstoppable one, and Conqueror of New Japan: Kakashi.

"Moron… haven't you heard? I'm the Fireman! I have full control over fire…" Max said, tossing a ball of fire up and down like a softball. "Meaning I cannot be harmed by its amusing properties."

"Your sister has deserted us… what do you intend to do, Maxwell?" Max crushed the ball in his hand.

"Don't you EVER call me Maxwell. I know what she did. And don't worry, family or not, she will pay… by my hands, of course."

"I doubt you of all people could kill her. Like it or not we have humanity left within somewhere… and its human nature to protect family."

… … … … …

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick tock… a bird flung from the lower center section of the clock, providing the only sound in the solitude of the small man's office. On his desk was a nameplate made of Red Wood and Marble, with the title: Royal Advisor: Goro M. X. An unusual last name, and he was usually referred to as 'Mr. X'. He snarled, hands folded before him and arms as the table, as the images of Rockman saving lives played and rewound in an endless loop. He pressed an orange button and spoke into a microphone to his left. "Mizuki… call Haru. Tell him its time to begin project Bombman."

"Yes sir." The strong, feminine voice responded. The man got to his feet, revealing himself to only be 4ft 3, and walked to the door. Slowly walking down the halls, he walked to a large steel door with caution marks on the bottom and pushed it open. He was greeted by a man in black jeans and a blue dress shirt and white lab coat. His eyes were blue and his hair blond, met with a full blond mustache, side burn, beard combo. He stood towering over Mr. X by over a foot and a half, and handed him papers.

"I've already prepared him. I've been waiting for this day to arrive, and leapt at the chance to activate him. He's through the door to your right."

"Thank you, Haru." He entered the doors and found a twelve foot robot clad in gold and red armor awaiting him, several robotic arms and men equipping him with more armor, supplies, and working on his 'brain'.

"Mr. Bombman is almost complete. We just need to program him and finish supplying him with the ingredients needed to create bombs. In the palms of his hands are holes which dispense bombs endlessly until a refill of ingredients is needed, after an exact total of 16,000 bombs have been created and used. He is equipped with diamond enforced steel and meteorite armor and space shuttle force jets, and the most advanced AI program available, rivaling that of Wily and Light, even."

"Excellent… program him to destroy all robots and cyborgs, ending with himself."

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

"Yes… have it eradicate Rockman first."

End Chapter

MAJOR update. Well, we're all caught up now here. I hope you enjoyed the cliffy!