//------------------------------// // CM: Secret of the Sands // Story: Melody of the Future // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// When the group returned to Central Tower, Gaudile and Nana were waiting for them alongside Chief R in the command center. "How's Axl doing?" Octavia asked as soon as they beamed in. "Noodles," Gaudile muttered under his breath, his face flushed and his eyes wide and unseeing. "...beg pardon?" Zero asked, trying to parse it. "Noodles," Gaudile repeated blankly. "He's been like that ever since he came back from checking on Axl, Cinnamon, and Marino," Chief R explained calmly. "They still haven't come down from the roof, though Tango did a while ago." He pointed to where the cat was curled up on an unused console, looking inordinately pleased with himself. Octavia tilted her head towards Tango. "...Classic, come!" When her support unit warped in, she gestured towards Tango. "Ask him what's going on." Classic nodded, moving to communicate with Tango. They exchanged a few growls and purrs, followed by a wicked feline laugh. Classic then communicated his news back to Octavia. The young mare blinked as she parsed it. "All Tango is saying is that Axl's going to be fine...that he gave him good advice that he decided to take." "Noodles," Gaudile muttered again, starting to rock back and forth on his webbed feet. "...and that he has no idea why Gaudile is saying that, because he can guarantee there were no noodles involved when he left," Octavia finished. "According to Classic, Tango is being deliberately vague." "That's a cat for you," Spider confirmed. "How about I go up and check on them?" "How about I do it?" Octavia countered. "I am family after all-" "Which might make you a little too close," Zero pointed out. "How about me? Axl looks up to me, I'm the 'cool uncle' - which hasn't changed from recent revelations - and I've been where he is. If anyone can get through to him and snap him out of whatever funk he might be in, it's me." Octavia sighed. "You have a valid point, I suppose," she allowed. "But...don't push him, okay?" "Trust me!" Zero offered with a wide grin. Turning, he headed up to the helipad. "While he's doing that, any luck getting through to Commander Redips?" X asked hopefully. "I'm afraid not," Nana answered apologetically. "Though I have determined that something is actively jamming our communications, and the jamming signal is coming from the Vanallia Desert, a testing area for high performance Reploids, FM or otherwise. It's filled with natural hazards and high level Mechanaloids, and the entire area is constantly enveloped in a sandstorm." "Sounds like our kind of place," Octavia offered with a chuckle. At that moment, Zero stepped back into the command center, looking a little shell shocked. "I...think Axl's going to be just fine," he stated levelly, before dropping into a chair. "He will?" Octavia demanded eagerly. "Yeah," Zero confirmed. "Marino and Cinnamon are...taking care of it." "Noodles..." Gaudile muttered again, rocking back and forth. Zero blinked. "No idea why he's saying that, no noodles involved..." Leaning back, he chuckled to himself. "...still gonna try some of that with Iris when we get back home..." he muttered under his breath. Octavia's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. "Oh. ...probably a good thing I wasn't the one to go check on him, then." "Just make sure the repair bay's self-serve," Zero offered in wonder. "Damn, always the quiet ones..." "NOODLES!" Gaudile screamed out, running out of the room. "...I don't get it..." Massimo offered finally. After a time, Axl, Marino, and Cinnamon rejoined them in the Command Center, all three looking very relaxed and happy. Octavia looked up at him as he entered. "Feeling better?" she asked worriedly. Axl looked at her for a time. "...yeah, Mom," he said at last. "I'm good." Smiling, Octavia clambered up to his head, gently petting his focus crystal as she always had. Axl happily leaned back to let it happen. The adorable scene was broken as Octavia's nose wrinkled. "You need a shower," she stated flatly before hopping down. "Badly." She glanced towards Marino and Cinnamon. "And so do you two." Noticing the girls' matching rosy blushes and speculative glances, she added, "Not together!" That brought a great deal of laughter from Zero, X, Spider, and Chief R. Nana did her best to ignore it all. "...I don't get it," Massimo pointed out in confusion. The others laughed harder. Once Axl, Marino, and Cinnamon were out of their showers, the group warped to Vanallia Desert. As they'd been briefed, jamming arrays stuck up out of the sands, with cables leading off into the sand-shrouded distance, hopefully pointing towards the main facility. There were innumerable wandering Mechanaloids...the most dangerous of which was the Meltdown, a massive grey bulk that triggered its self destruct the moment it engaged the group, with a very short countdown before it unleashed a destructive wave that could easily tear the entire group apart unless it was destroyed before the countdown ended. Thankfully, the alternative option of fleeing was available if they weren't able to damage it quickly enough, as it moved very slowly. After examining several jamming arrays, the group found their way to a small dome atop the sand with a door in one side that refused to open. They diverted out into the desert in an attempt to find another way in, but Octavia paused. "...could that dome really hold everything for such a strong jamming signal?" she asked curiously. "Doubtful," X offered. "It's probably the entrance to an underground facility." "And this is an artificial desert, right?" Octavia continued. "Not a natural one, but man-made?" "What about it?" Marino demanded, brushing sand out of her eyes and other areas. "Then I think I know another way in," she offered as she looked up, barely spotting a crimson-winged figure flying overhead. "Look for quicksand, and get sucked down."