Melody of the Future

by Tatsurou

7: In the Jungle

With Vanishing Gungaroo back in lockup at HQ and scheduled for rehabilitation with CiCi just as soon as she wasn't required for Navigator duties, Axl and Octavia were free to pursue the next Red Alert Maverick. "So, how do we pick the next one?" Axl asked curiously.

"I feel like visiting the forest," Octavia requested idly. "I could use some fresh air that comes from actual plants, and the feeling of nature under my hooves."

"And exactly how much of that last part are you going to get from up there?" Axl demanded humorously as he turned to glare playfully at where she sat on his shoulders.

Octavia tossed her head haughtily. "I'm female," she chided disdainfully. "According to Uncle Zero, I'm not required to be logical."

The tableau held for exactly three seconds before they both burst into giggles. Axl then stepped up to be teleported to the Deep Forest area named in Red's message.

---

The forest itself proved to be rich and thriving with plant life, the few metal surfaces all but covered with plant life. Trees soared into the heavens, some seeming to be nearly a mile tall at first glance. The drones scattered about blended into the environment, being either covered in a rocky armor coating or shaped like lizards, monkeys, and mosquitoes. Axl raced forward in this calming environment with Octavia clinging tightly to his head.

"What's the matter?" he asked teasingly as they continued. "I thought you wanted some nature?"

"That was before I remembered that most of the wildlife in deep wilderness - even the insects - were bigger than me!" Octavia snapped back irritably. "Now mush! And watch for that giant stone boulder rolling slowly towards us filled with unknown circuitry."

Nodding, Axl dashed back, leaping onto a platform nearby so he could get over the boulder to make his way forward. They also encountered large stone monoliths that resembled Moai heads, some immobile, some shooting stones from their mouths in an attempt to damage the pair. After a time, they found themselves racing down twisting trunks of a massive tree to a lower level, where Axl was able to make use of his shape changing ability to help them. By copying the stone covered drones, he was able to walk safely along paths lined with thorns that had been enhanced with damaging fields that fried positronic circuitry. The stone coating offered protection from that energy field, allowing him to cross without danger. As they were the same size and shape as him, he was able to maintain the shape change indefinitely, or until he reversed it, once he acquired a RDNA core sample to trigger his change with by destroying the drones.

Partway through the forest, Octavia nudged Axl in the head. "Up there," she instructed, pointing. "I'm picking up a Light Capsule signal."

"Another armor part program?" Axl clarified as he clambered atop one of the moai heads to make the leap across to where the capsule was. "Think he'll tell us more about me this time?"

"Likely, and unlikely, respectively," Octavia replied regretfully. "When it comes to important information, the hologram has always been as forthright as it is capable of. If he didn't tell us when he first saw you, his program won't allow him to dispense that information."

As they reached the capsule, it opened in response to Octavia's signal. The hologram appeared conflicted as it addressed her. "Octavia, this armor part is for the boots, and will allow X to Glide in midair, much as you can with the wings of Varia's Ultimate configuration. This was the basis of this armor design, and I'm afraid will be of more use to X than to you."

"You seem upset," Octavia observed. "It's Axl, isn't it?"

"You are correct," the hologram responded. "Seeing him functional is both a great joy...and a great sorrow. And I cannot tell you more as to why, not even to confirm guesses."

Axl lowered his head. "Aw, man! You mean I'm never gonna find out where I come from? Or who made me? Or anything?"

"I did not say that," the hologram corrected.

Octavia pounced on the information. "Then there is something out there somewhere that can tell us about Axl? Just not you or your network?"

The Light hologram was silent for a time. "...that I can confirm," it finally stated before vanishing.

Octavia hopped into the capsule, downloading the armor program. "That's good news," Octavia offered to Axl. "There are answers out there for you. And once this crisis is dealt with, we can look for them."

Axl managed a smile as he let her hop back to his shoulders. "That's...that's good news," he agreed finally. He then proceeded to carry her through the forest towards where signals indicated the 'Maverick' had based himself.

---

Eventually, the pair found themselves at what looked like a power core chamber. A massive blue crystal floated in a containment cylinder, surrounded by a circular platform. Eight moai heads floated over the platform in pairs, dropping rocks towards the pair and occasionally dropping down in an attempt to crush them. Axl and Octavia focused their fire on the moai heads in self-defense, until they eventually dropped away, damaged to the point of explosion.

As the smoke cleared, a Reploid became visible. This one was a large gorilla shaped Reploid, lightly armored with purple fur and a few gold bracers on arms and legs. A massive stone sword and shield were strapped to his back as he stared at them, his face unreadable.

Axl gasped at the sight of him. "Soldier Stonekong?" he called out, aghast. "Y...you're in this, too?"

Stonekong nodded simply, saying nothing.

"H...how could you?" Axl cried out, enraged and upset. "You...you were the one who told me that Red Alert was to pick up the slack for the Maverick Hunters, to protect people! You're the one who taught me non-lethal take downs, so I could avoid killing unless there was no other choice! How could you do this, follow Red now when he's gone against everything you believed in?"

"Who do you think instilled those beliefs in me?" Stonekong asked softly. "Long before you joined our ranks, I was a Maverick who respected only strength. I thought Red and the Maverick Hunters were weak for sparing lives, but Red showed me I was wrong. It takes true strength to take an enemy and turn them into an ally, to forbear killing in favor of mercy. I learned those ideals from him, and believe in them...and him. My loyalty remains to him. The path has changed, we have strayed...but my vow of loyalty is unchanged." He pulled the sword and shield from his back. "And now, it seems we are enemies. Let me see how well you have learned from me. The two of you against me, show me how strong you are!"

"Soldier Stonekong!" Octavia called out before the battle started. "Your words mark you as an honorable warrior. Do I interpret true that you consider yourself thus?"

Stonekong nodded. "I do. Thus has Red led me to be."

"I put forth from the evidence that Axl has witnessed with his senses that the Red who currently leads Red Alert either is not the same Red you are sworn to, or is not fully in control of himself," Octavia continued. "This is Axl's belief, and he fights through his former comrades to confront his former leader, in hopes of proving it true."

Stonekong looked at her impassively. "A noble sentiment. But what proof can he offer?"

"None yet," Octavia continued. "However, I have something else in mind. In this case, trial by combat."

Stonekong's eyebrow raised. "Explain."

"It sounds as though Red took you down himself when you were a Maverick, and chose to spare you," Octavia responded. "I propose the same challenge here. If Axl, on his own, can best you in combat and chooses to spare you, then he is logically strong enough to challenge Red for leadership of Red Alert, and find if he is still entirely himself. If this is the case, then your duty to Red Alert would be to stand aside and see the outcome of that challenge, and if Axl is victorious, support him in his choice to uphold the ideals Red Alert was founded on. Am I correct?"

Stonekong's impassive face slowly spread into a wide smile. "You are correct. If this is Axl's intentions, then if he is able to conquer me thusly, then I would be honor-bound to stand aside and allow the leadership challenge." He turned to Axl. "Is this your intention?"

"Yes!" Axl declared fiercely. "I want to know what changed in Red, what turned him into...this. And I'll get the answers even if I have to force them out of him at gunpoint!"

"Then let the challenge commence!" Stonekong bellowed. "Hunter, you will stand aside and allow this battle. I will direct no attacks in your direction, so long as you allow this to happen."

Nodding, Octavia leapt back off the platform to watch. "Do it, Axl," she stated bluntly.

Nodding, Axl rocked his head back and forward on his neck, flexing his arms. "I'm ready," he proclaimed firmly.

Stonekong raised up on his legs, banging his clenched fists against his chest as he let out a hooting bellow of a war cry. Lunging forward, he attempted to smash Axl into the ground with his sword, only for Axl to roll to the side before leaping up onto the blade. Once in position, he switched to the G-Launcher weapon he'd acquired through analysis of Gungaroo's RDNA, and fired it off straight into Stonekong's face, letting the recoil blast him off the blade before airdashing away.

Stonekong staggered back, shaking his head to clear it. "You have grown strong," he growled eagerly as he turned to search for Axl. "Now where did you-RAGH!" He leapt into the air as Axl fired another round straight into his rump.

"Fast, too!" Axl proclaimed as he dashed away around the ring.

"Do you really think you can take me down that easily?" Stonekong roared out, hurling his shield to fly around the platform after Axl.

Spinning, Axl fired at the shield, cracking it as he jumped over it. "Nope," Axl countered as he landed right where his shot had impacted the shield. "I'm going to fight like you taught me."

"Then show me!" Stonekong roared as he caught his shield, charging forward with it held out to ram Axl.

Axl waited until the last moment, then rolled onto his back, kicking up and catching Stonekong in the chest with both feet, flipping him over him. "As you taught me, use my opponent's strength against them!" Leaping up as Stonekong came down, he blazed with light, transforming into Stonekong and coming down on his opponent's back, grabbing the back of his head and slamming his face into the dirt. "Yield!" he bellowed out as he repeatedly slammed his foe face first into the ground.

Stonekong held firm for several moments, but his grip on his sword finally relaxed. "Axl, hold!" Octavia barked out.

Axl froze, and his energy reserves ran dry, forcing him to revert to his normal form. "Octavia?"

Octavia walked forward and checked Stonekong's state. "...you beat him into stasis lock," she explained. "He's unconscious. We'll beam him back to HQ, and inform him he lost to you honorably, and you chose to spare him. He'll stick to his word and wait patiently in his cell until the conflict is resolved."

Axl let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. I didn't want to have to kill him..."

"You won't have to," Octavia reassured him. "HQ, three to beam home."

Comments

[creonman]

i wounder if there is any mavericks that would stop what there are doing just to get a chance to brush octy...

[Fire Flyer]

7589796 Given how PWNY stories tend to go? I could totally see it happening. Brushie brushie!

[F14m3rz]

“They use everything about the hog except the squeal.”

"Likely, and unlikely, respectively," Octavia replied regretfully. "When it comes to important information, the hologram has always been as forthright as it is capable of. If he didn't tell us when he first saw you, his program won't allow him to dispense that information."

Considering that they haven't told them, that means there's something that we, the audience, don't know about Axl. After all, you can't get much of a reveal out of this world.
{Light: Axl... you are the son of the original Mega Man.
Axl: Wait, how could I be his son if technology wasn't advanced enough?
Light: Oh, I was talking about in spirit.
Axl: Oh... okay?
Light:... Huh, I was expecting a bigger reaction than that.
Axl: Well, it's cool that I'm his son and all, but I don't know the guy personally. It's not like I can pay him a visit at some grave marker and say "Hey, so apparently I'm your son, I'll try not to screw up." or something like that.
Light: Huh, when you put it like that... why was I designed not to tell you again?
Octavia: I don't know, why do half of the events happen the way they do?
Pinkie Pie: You don't want to know.}
Clearly, there's information that hasn't been revealed yet that will have us reevaluate our stance on the situations at hand, circumstantial simultaneity and all that.

Axl gasped at the sight of him. "Soldier Stonekong?" he called out, aghast. "Y...you're in this, too?"
Stonekong nodded simply, saying nothing.
"H...how could you?" Axl cried out, enraged and upset. "You...you were the one who told me that Red Alert was to pick up the slack for the Maverick Hunters, to protect people! You're the one who taught me non-lethal take downs, so I could avoid killing unless there was no other choice! How could you do this, follow Red now when he's gone against everything you believed in?"

Wait, you mean... the good guys who went bad are... BAD?!?!? Oh my gosh, you guys, that is such a crazy reveal! It's almost as soul-crushing as the revelation that Dynamo is actually a mercenary!
Also, Bass, in case you still exist... this guy's first name is "Soldier". "Man" is not the weirdest word to be christened (makered?) with.

"Who do you think instilled those beliefs in me?" Stonekong asked softly. "Long before you joined our ranks, I was a Maverick who respected only strength. I thought Red and the Maverick Hunters were weak for sparing lives, but Red showed me I was wrong. It takes true strength to take an enemy and turn them into an ally, to forbear killing in favor of mercy. I learned those ideals from him, and believe in them...and him. My loyalty remains to him. The path has changed, we have strayed...but my vow of loyalty is unchanged." He pulled the sword and shield from his back. "And now, it seems we are enemies. Let me see how well you have learned from me. The two of you against me, show me how strong you are!"

Yet more proof that Sigma was handled poorly; this guy has a much more believable relationship with his ex-cohort. No prior introductions, most likely no future explorations, and I've never even heard of Stonekong before today... But in four paragraphs, it sets up the dynamic between two characters better than than it took 100K+ words to set up the dynamic between four. Best part is, no out-of-place Hellsing Ultimate Abridged references, "best friends" abandoning him, cheap shots, "Hard-Light Projection" limitations, killing jokes, cheaper shots, or making apologies that should've happened over 90K words ago. Anyways, see ya.

[the other sans]

I think something might be bugging Octavia here but I don't think it'll be a big problem. Least she stopped Axl from going too ape on his opponent.

[Dark Monarch Sombra]

7589923
Still a bit bitter, huh?

[shinigamisparda]

Octavia tossed her head haughtily. "I'm female," she chided disdainfully. "According to Uncle Zero, I'm not required to be logical."

i.amz.mshcdn.com/PgA0KdstlirxcQL3LtPyRNO2Qx8=/fit-in/1200x9600/http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F06%2FAdventure-Time.gif

... I don't like that joke. It holds too many enraging memories for me.

... Anyway, continuing to read now.

[F14m3rz]

7589978 My bitterness is a torrent of saline that skirts the infinite and pervades eternity.
It is the lifeblood pumping through my veins and the very reasoning behind my existence.
It is the long-awaited crossover between The Sour Patch Kids and Lemonade.
I... am a harpy.
pm1.narvii.com/5893/5fe79cafafdd67d497be211b3b0993d458b41854_hq.jpg

[Kenshinryuu]

Very nice chapter, I wish they'd been able to subdue Crowrang given he apparently had a good relationship with Axl as well. Still, a nice fight, especially the ending.

7589796 I'd guess most female ones. Maybe any based on horses, or that were designed a caretakers.

[shinigamisparda]

"What's the matter?" he asked teasingly as they continued. "I thought you wanted some nature?"

"That was before I remembered that most of the wildlife in deep wilderness - even the insects - were bigger than me!" Octavia snapped back irritably. "Now mush! And watch for that giant stone boulder rolling slowly towards us filled with unknown circuitry."

Yeah, everyone tends to forget that there's something that eat you in the wilderness.

"It sounds as though Red took you down himself when you were a Maverick, and chose to spare you," Octavia responded. "I propose the same challenge here. If Axl, on his own, can best you in combat and chooses to spare you, then he is logically strong enough to challenge Red for leadership of Red Alert, and find if he is still entirely himself. If this is the case, then your duty to Red Alert would be to stand aside and see the outcome of that challenge, and if Axl is victorious, support him in his choice to uphold the ideals Red Alert was founded on. Am I correct?"

Nice job using that against him, Tavi.

[Dark Monarch Sombra]

7590013
...I'mma take that as a yes.

[KMCA]

7589796 Didn't we have something similar to this already happen way back?

[Dirty Bit]

I can't imagine Axl using his Explosion G-Launcher without him saying 'I'll rip you to shreds!'

Stonekong was one of the easier bosses, save for the occasional spike pits in his boss stage.

Octavia tossed her head haughtily. "I'm female," she chided disdainfully. "According to Uncle Zero, I'm not required to be logical."

I laughed. And for some reason, that line made me think of the butter robot from Rick and Morty.

[Vigriff]

To the fight with Soldier Stonekong:

[Pinklestia]

7590655

And now Tatsu will write a Pony cross with Rick and Morty...

[Dirty Bit]

7592249 With Discord as the child...

[TheFullCrumb]

7590013 Does that include the bird-brained forgetfulness? (Sorry, I'm a big fan of Monster Musume.)

[F14m3rz]

7592870 Nah, I haven't taken 3 steps yet.

[TheFullCrumb]

7593189 Don't get up from your chair, then.

[F14m3rz]

7593717 Hapi? Hapapipi?

[Jake Witt]

Harambe! I- I mean Donkey Kong! I mean Chim Chim! What I meant to say was Soldier Stonekong.

HARAMBE, NOOO!

[Level Dasher]

Octavia tossed her head haughtily. "I'm female," she chided disdainfully. "According to Uncle Zero, I'm not required to be logical."

Ain't that the truth.

[Dakingace]

7610030

[zacman2000]

this whole scenario really shows the growth axl is undergoing in a short amount of time, each foe he faces leading to him becoming more and more determined to set things right.