Axl sat at the edge of the helipad on the roof of Central Tower, Tango curled up at his side and the Ancient Arm held lightly in his hand. He alternated between staring out at the sunset, staring up into the sky, and staring down at the gun. He remained thoughtful as he sat there, his stance as he'd gone up there being all the encouragement the others needed to let him have time alone.
Well, most of the others.
"Axl?" Cinnamon asked softly. "Can...can we join you?"
Looking up, Axl saw Cinnamon and Marino watching him carefully, concerned expressions on their faces. Sighing, Axl holstered his new gun and patted the edge to either side of him. Tango accommodatingly shifted to be curled against Axl's back, waiting until the two girls were sitting down before curling his head around to rest in Marino's lap while his tail rested in Cinnamon's...'coincidentally' forcing the three to sit quite close together. Axl shot the cat a look, which was dutifully ignored.
"That was quite a lot to take in," Marino spoke up quietly. "You handling it alright?"
Axl shrugged, staring up at the darkening sky. "More or less. I knew ever since Prometheus told me there was a capsule with the answers out there that I came from Pre-End times. I knew that meant whoever built me - my parents - would be dead. Between the way the Light hologram reacted to me and the fact Prometheus mentioned a capsule singular...I kinda figured all I'd get was a message." He leaned back against Tango. "I guess...I don't know. It was still a lot to take in."
"Like the fact you're technically the first Terran?" Cinnamon offered carefully. "I mean, you were made with a blending of human and robotic code to create your RDNA. The blending of organic and cybernetic life is what makes Terrans Terrans..."
"Yeah, there is that," Axl agreed. "Though really, that's the last thing on my mind right now. Learning my origins...it shook the core of my life, and not in the way I expected..."
"Don't you normally talk to Octavia about things like this?" Marino pointed out logically. "I mean, not to rag on you or anything, but you are a bit of a Mama's boy." Cinnamon did her best to stifle a giggle.
"...am I, though?" Axl asked thoughtfully. "I mean, Octavia adopted me, made me a member of her family...but I already was, even if I didn't know it. I'm her Uncle's son, her cousin. I've called X Grandpa, but he's actually my Uncle. Where...where do I stand with them now?"
All of them sat in silence for a time as the sun finished setting, the stars coming out and the moon rising. Finally, it was Cinnamon who broke the silence. "Well...where do you want to stand with them?"
"Come again?" Axl inquired, plainly lost.
"Well, technically that's the relationship," Cinnamon explained. "But...I mean, it's not like X built Octavia, or sired her...but he's still her Dad. Octavia might not be the one who built you...but why should that make her any less your Mom? The bond's still there. It's...just become complicated. So the question is...is she still Mom to you?"
Axl let his eyes trail over the constellations. "I want to say yes...but isn't that betraying my real Mom? To call someone else Mom?"
"I don't think so," Marino supplied readily. "I mean, based on what I got from the message, your parents loved you very much and wanted you to live happily. If that means having their niece be your Mom, I don't think they'd mind." She grinned cheekily. "Besides, with how often they mentioned 'Vinyl' - who I'm pretty sure was a pony?" She glanced at Axl for clarification.
"A unicorn, from what Zero says," Axl agreed.
"Well, I'm pretty sure they knew that ponies make everything crazy, so I doubt they'll judge just because you wound up with an Uncle-Grandpa," Marino concluded teasingly. "Besides, if we haven't seen Vinyl or any of her descendants around, I'm guessing she went to wherever she came from...and she's bound to have had parents there. Octavia will probably follow...and she'll have parents there, too. Do you really think that'll make X any less her Dad? Or do you think her calling X 'Dad' after everything he's done for her is a disservice to whatever stallion sired her?"
Axl let her words sink into his mind. Finally, he turned to the one silent face. "What do you think, Tango?" he asked curiously, doubting if he'd actually get an answer.
I think you have two smoking hot babes doing their darndest to comfort you over your stupid angst and you should get some pussy already, Tango's voice echoed in his mind. That's why I curled them up so close to you after all. And if you're not going to do that, you can at least make yourself useful and scratch me behind the ears.
Axl buried his face in both hands to hide his blush. "Why did I think asking the cat about something serious was a good idea?" he whimpered quietly.
If it were serious, I'd give serious answers, Tango replied through the link. But it's not. You, Rock, Kalinka, X, Octavia...you're all family. All those other terms you use - Mother, Father, Cousin - they don't matter. All that matters is Family. Cats are smart about that: in a colony, every breeding queen is Mom, every tom is Dad, your littermates are brothers and sisters, everyone else older than you is Uncle or Aunt, and everyone else your same age is cousins. Who bred who or who gave birth to who doesn't matter. Course, cats are lots smarter than bipeds that way.
Axl stared at Tango for a time, then chuckled softly. "...you're right, Tango," he allowed ruefully.
Yeah, I know. You really need to get some pussy . You wouldn't be so concerned with this existential nonsense if you just got laid already. And hey, after that musical performance, you really think either of these babes will say no to a threesome?
"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" Axl whispered quietly as he tried to hide his flaming face with his hands.
Cinnamon and Marino weren't sure what was causing this reaction in Axl, but from what they could tell he seemed to be better. At least he wasn't brooding anymore. When Tango curled tighter, nudging them closer to Axl, they took the hint and snuggled up to him from either side.
And this is why cats are best wingmen, Tango thought smugly. ...Axl, you can stop with the silent screaming in your mind already. Sheesh, do I need to bug Octavia into giving you the talk or something?
tango is sassy as fuck... i like it
... Yeah, Tango is definitely a cat.
If the girls could understand him, he'd be a skinned cat, but he's definitely a cat.
Oh man...
These women have got Axl Beat.
First of ALL MY NOPE on the Uncle Grandpa thing we are not giving X an RV, Helicopter Beeny, Belly Bag, overalls, nope just nope nope nope.......
Secondly Silly Kitty you are a terrible influence....then again What do expect with a Kitty let alone a robotic one.
Seems Axl's cat is one damn good wingman
cats are arseholes but funny ones all the same
It's official, Tango is awesome.
I could almost hear the record scratching in my mind when Tango said he needed to get pussy. If ever there was a What-The-Fuck moment... that was it.
Though I am curious what you left on Mars for X and the family. We know it's habitable, that was the primary project Vinyl had going before everything went to hell. Will they find the Robot Masters that were in charge of the planet? Will they find perhaps the means to reach Equestria? Or will the find the start of one final adventure before we go to Equestria?
I am not sure if you are aware of this group or not but I thought your story might do very well in this group below is a link to the group in question. It is called Anime Crossover.
http://www.fimfiction.net/group/1021/anime-crossovers
Welp.... That happened.
Tango best wingman
8020444 Here, have another heaping helping of pure "Wat": Uncle Grandpa
8020459
...this isn't an anime it's crossed with.
For only appearing in one game and never in WWW, you've got a great personality for Tango. I can just see him swiping an 'occupied' sign from a door to make Axl walk in on Marino and Cinnamon changing or them walk in on him. I can also see him smacking Axl upside the head if he keeps angsting in private.
Cats are almost certainly smarter than people in all the ways. They literally train us to let them laze around while we tend to their every need and tolerate abuse from them we would never accept from another person.
Yup. That's pretty much 100% cat.
8020479
Nah. He'd wait until the group was taking a hot spring trip (with X and Zero with their wives in the couples spring, and Massimo and Spider in the sauna) and distract Cinnamon and Marino while Axl went (alone) into the men's hot spring. Once only Axl was in there, he'd switch the signs so Cinnamon and Marino followed him in unwittingly. Then he'd switch the labels back and mark the men's hot spring "Out of Order".
8020468 Sorry I thought it was I recalled watching the anime mega man tv show during the 1990's and thought your story was based on that. Thus why I felt your story would do well in that group I apologize for doing that.
8020496
Nope. It's based on the video game series "Mega Man X".
8020508 Well again I apologize. I didn't even realize it was based on the game and not the TV show. Any how I do hope to see more added to this story once you get another chapter up.
Says the species that will continue to breed even when there is not enough food to go around.
I'll be honest, I didn't expect Tango to act like that. Considering this story though, I really should have.
8020493 Are you sure Massimo and Spider wouldn't be helping Tango???? I can totally see them getting a laugh out of pranking Axl into such a situation.
Is it wrong to say my personality is like tango
Axl's new buddy is not one you should Tango with.
Women understanding cat body language doesn't seem to be such a stretch anymore.
I'm just surprised no one bother to ask Tango what's new pussycat cat*.
*Woah oh hoah ho.
8020493 um... can we actually have something like this happen though... sounds like a good idea to me
wow now even his cats trying to get him laid. Axl just cannot catch a break
I don't know why, but the first voice that popped into my head while reading Tango's lines was Sir Patrick Stewart.
And it's funny.
8020706 I was thinking Morgan Freeman but then it transitioned into Eddie Murphy... then back to Morgan... then back to Eddie.
8020444 if memory serves me Kalinka's dad is on mars or went to Mars. And he made set a Robot Masters it's a possibility no clue
Should've known that Tango would be a smug and cheeky smartass, just like most cats
8020416 Unintentional Homeward Bound reference?
Cats really are the best.
Ah now there's a cat adaptor. Welp, time for some appropriate music regarding cats...
8020706 Once they get to Equestria, there will be much face-pawing.
GOOD CALL!
NOPE! NUH-UH! NO CHANCE! That cartoon gives the creeps for some reason, probably because he's so stupid.
CATS are best pets!
Now when is TANGO getting pussy?
Yay, now the team has a dedicated deadpan snarker and it's a CAT! All of my kudos!!!
8020513 Technically I think that one was an american cartoon and not an anime since it was based around the american Megaman I think. The animes would be the NT Warrior and Starforce ones.
Will X start saying Good Morning now?
8021674 you know you might be right on that aspect of it.
8021716 Indeed and there should be a new Megaman cartoon coming soon too with a game as well.
8021224
Real One: In the words of Dario Rosso, a fat idiot from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, "NEVER".
8020582
True One: If you're the guy that helps your friends get laid, no sir, I might as well get to know you personally.
Tatsurou... please add a "S**" Tag on this story...
Cats.
They're really nice pets, but some days, they just don't give a f
Yeah, the capsule reveal could've wound up a lot more awkward...
78.media.tumblr.com/224dcd6ee85faac2f0e2dcfa8f70b814/tumblr_or16auv3RA1w8sytio1_500.jpg
Stupid cat. There was at least a pretense that they cared about his problems, and now you ruined the moment with your d-
... Well, I can't argue with that logic. *scritch* *scritch* *scritch* *scritch* *scritch*
Yes, Miley, but just because they can fuck doesn't mean they should. They've known each other for about two days, and there was already talk of sex before you showed up. It's a disservice to the concept of romance if they consummate their love for each other if it's not believable and rushed to high heaven as it is.
why do i have dont stop me now in my head
Tango is officially the best character in the story now.
Cats, what more can you say
oh dear god tango a sarcastic robo cat... I LOVE IT