All Anime World

* After a while of driving, they got to Level Zero's facilities. Kelly got them in and the two of them walked to the elevator. *

Kelly: Hideki should be training with Samuel right now. Let's get you ready beforehand, ok?

* Kelly guided him to a locker room, gave him his gloves and a change of clothes and waited for him to get ready. After a few minutes they were entering the training room. Hideki stopped suddenly and looked at Kelly and Michael. *

Hideki: ... What's he doing here?

Mike: Looks like your little nanny thinks you need some training. *Mike walked over and looked down into Hideki's helmet.* And I'm here to teach you a lesson.

Hideki: You couldn't teach a tomato, you stupid bastard.

Mike: Easier a tomato than a damned sh**head like you, always gotta have Kelly bail you out.

Hideki: Shut up a**hole.

*Hideki forgot all about technique and took a hard swing at Mike. Mike easily blocked it and sent a crashing right hand into Hideki's helmet. The blow spun Hideki to the floor.*

Mike: Lesson one, fool.

*Hideki cursed and jumped up, Mike blocked his spinning kick, but the force sent Mike rolling across the room. Mike got up cursing and attacked, the two slammed together in the middle of the room like two Sumo wrestlers.

Samuel stood by Kelly: Damn, what's wrong with them? Kelly, do you think this is a good idea?

Kelly: Yes, it is.

Samuel: But Mike doesn't have armor, what if Hideki.....

Kelly: No, he has something else.

*Kelly noticed the glow under Mike's shirt, she'd seen it at the gang raid, and at the lab.*

*Seiryu opened one eye and looked at Rina as she stood on the roof oblivious to her surroundings, including himself. He let her hum for a while then he gently spoke.*

Seiryu: That's a pretty song.

*Rina whirled around eyes wide in surprise, her body tensing for a fight, but she remember she was at school and when she recognized Seiryu she relaxed again.*

Rina: Oh its only you, you scared me Sei.

Seiryu: You know, being lost isn't as bad as you might think. I once spent a month lost with my parents. We didn't know if we were going to find our way or if the next day would be the last. It was frightening but at the same time it was kinda exciting.

*Seiryu noticed the confused reaction Rina gave to his attempt to make her feel better. He smiled slightly and tried again.*

Seiryu: Sorry it's a pretty new experience, talking to people who aren't trying to kill me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter how bad things seem, there's always some good. And even if you can't find it, you can talk to me if you want. I may not be a talking companion, but I do listen.

* Hideki and Michael pushed away at about the same time. Hideki jumped ahead and tried to kick Michael again but he deflected it and punched Hideki, sending him against a wall. The wall cracked and Hideki fell on the ground. He got up quickly as Michael ran forward to tackle him. Hideki moved aside at the last moment, spinning and hitting Michael on his side with his elbow. Michael flew to another wall and fell to his knees. *

Hideki: You'll have to try harder, brainless grunt.

*Mike launched off the wall and tackled Hideki, Hideki's helmet moved just in time, Mikes metal fist shattered the floor tile. Hideki's hard swing caught Mike on the side of the head and they rolled over, mike caught Hidekis wrists as Hideki tried to pummel him. Mike got a foot under Hideki and launched him up, he bounced off the ceiling. Mike caught Hiceki on the way down and pounded the armor against the floor, using it to punctuate his words.*

Mike: If she hadn't been in such a hurry to save your sorry ass, Shouko would be alive. *Mike grabbed the armor and sprinted toward Kelly.* You want him, here!!

*Samuel yanked Kelly out of the way, just as Hideki smashed head first through the wall. In seconds Hideki was back, carrying a big chunk of concrete.*

Hideki: It's not like that you s***head.

*The concrete exploded into shards on Mikes fist, Hideki shoved Mike against the far wall, just missing Mike's face with a hard punch, Mike shoved Hideki away.*

Hideki: We had to save Rina.

Mike: Like hell.... she was in a damned rush to get you. *Mike launched himself at Hideki.

*Samuel was covering Kelly, protecting her from the flying concrete.*

Samuel: Damn, you gotta stop this, they're gonna kill each other.

Kelly: No! just wait. So that's what this is all about.

* Hideki threw himself to the ground at the last second and punched upwards, sending Michael up and behind him, smashing part of the lights. A shower of sparks filled the room as Michael fell to the floor and stood up again. *

Hideki: That was because I have a f***** tracking device in my head and she had orders, you brute! Does Rina have something like that!? No! There was no way to know where she was! I was the more interested in rescuing her and you know that!

* Michael charged against him again. This time, though, he caught Hideki head on and the two of them crashed against a wall. The wall shattered like glass and the two of them ended in a large, garage-like space with several tanks, helicopters and other aircraft. The alarms went off as the two kept fighting, rampaging through the place. *

Samuel: We gotta stop them!

Kelly: Maybe, but... I'm not getting between those two.

* Mike's eye was swelling, he had a cut on his forehead and a bloody lip.Mike slammed Hideki against an APC and bent the machine gun barrel around his neck. Several hard blows caused pieces of Hideki's helmet to break off. Sensors broke cutting off some of Hideki's visual input. Hideki strained and ripped the gun barrel off the APC.*

Mike: But she rushed just cause of you. Now Shouko's dead..... she shouldn't have died.

*Mike blocked Hideki's kick and swung a kick of his own. Hideki caught Mike's leg and threw Mike down.*

Hideki: Get it through that thick scull, there was no time, they were destroying Rina. Kelly came to get Rina.

*Mike jumped up and tackled Hideki again. Mikes hard fist pounded Hideki's chest. the armor began to crack.*

Mike:Bull****.......... Bull****......... Bull****

* Hideki punched Michael and tried to get up but he quickly tackled him against a tank and kept pounding. Hideki then focused all his energy on his fists and punched down hard on Michael's back, slamming him against the ground. Hideki moved away, some kind of liquid pouring from the chest area of his armor. *

Hideki: You keep blaming Kelly for Shouko's death, but from what I heard... Kelly left her handcuffed in an bullet-proof car... it happened because it happened, there's nothing we can do about it now.

* Hideki leaned against an helicopter. The armor was becoming sluggish and hot, but with the visor destroyed he couldn't get any warnings. He couldn't stand the heat anymore and took of his helmet, then tried to take off the chest armor but it was stuck. He began punching on the releasing system until he broke it but the piece wouldn't come off. *

Hideki: God dammit! I'm tired of this! All of this!

* Hideki fell to his knees, sobbing. *

*Mike got up, He could hardly breath, it felt like his arms would hardly move. Mike gritted his teeth and slammed another blow to Hideki's helmet, shattering what was left of the sensors.*

Mike: No.....no, it wasn't me....... I just set her loose, I didn't kill her. *Mike backed off looking down.* No.... no, I didn't, I had to set her loose, I had to protect her.

Hideki: Didn't you think, she'd have been better off in the car.

Mike: NO!

*Mike raised up, he swung his fist with all his strength. Hideki had removed his helmet, the armor now a huge drag slowing him, he was defenseless against the blow. Mikes fist slammed a hole into the side of the armored vehicle Hideki was leaning against. Mike stood still, his head hanging down.*

Mike: No, I just tried to help. Why did it have to happen. *Mike felt a hand on his shoulder.*

Kelly: It isn't your fault, Mike. It's no ones fault, we did the best we knew how. If Shouko had stayed in that car, she would have died too. All of them would have, I was the only one with armor. Shouko could have left us, she had her elf magic. she could have saved herself, but she didn't, she chose to stay and protect us. Yes, I made mistakes, but who knew they had an army, cyborgs? Who knew they had a nuke reactor? I just knew they would destroy Rina. I never wanted anyone to die....... I'm the one who has to live with that.

*Mike slid down to his knees, Kelly was right, she did what had to be done. No one really expected it to be a war. But it still hurt, someone he knew had died.*

* Kelly called for a medic and helped Michael into a stretcher, then followed him to the infirmary. Samuel walked towards Hideki, who was immobile in the ground. *

Hideki: I can't move.

Samuel: The nanogel leaked. It's what takes the orders from your brain and moves the armor so without it your armor is completely locked. Lemme get you to the fitting room to help you take it off.

* Samuel lifted Hideki, who stayed in the same position since the armor couldn't move at all, and carried him over his shoulder to the fitting room. *