It didn't take long to get everything in order on Earth. With Sigma destroyed for good and the torch for protecting and leading the world officially passed to the next generation, it was time for past relics to retire and seek a new world to protect. X, Alia, Zero, Iris, Axl, Cinnamon, Marino, Prometheus, Armatige, and Dynamo would be going with Octavia back to her world, once they found a way. Massimo and Ferham were returning to Giga City, Massimo to take up his father's standard permanently, Ferham to keep him on track...amongst other things. Epsilon indeed followed Albert in studying Supra-Force Metal, while Scarface decided to take up Prometheus' mantle in watching over the world in secret alongside Spider.
The group gathered together in the ruins of Jakob Tower, with the eyes of the world elsewhere. "Are you sure about this?" Octavia asked Axl. "I know the plan was to get to Mars, but are you sure your A-Trans is up to it? You did push yourself rather hard in the final battle."
"I'm sure, Mom," Axl responded immediately, doing a few stretches. "I took plenty of time to relax and repair after the battle. Marino and Cinnamon were a big help there."
"I'll bet," Prometheus observed with a smirk, only to get an elbow in his side from Armatige.
"I'd say we're all ready to go," Dynamo observed softly, his head lowered to make one eye seem to glow blue.
Nodding, Axl focused his energy and activated his A-Trans, calling on the shape he received from his parents in his capsule.
When the light faded, Axl had assumed a shape that seemed to be made of pure light and ether. A narrow body ending in a tail, a flat head with antennae, arms ending in blades, and huge feathery wings glowing with light.
"Is he...an angel?" Cinnamon whispered breathlessly in awe.
Before anyone else could speak, Axl folded his wings around the entire group and shot straight up in a ray of light, carrying them all with him.
The ray of light shot straight from Earth to Mars, coming down on the red planet only to find it was not truly red. The soil teemed with green life as oceans flowed. Towers soared towards a violet sky, and settlements sprawled out, down, and up from the central towers. Arches in gold and silver were touched by snowy marble and black obsidian, an almost ostentatious cleanliness visible as the entire place shone with light. Beings who were neither human, robot, Reploid, or Terran flew around under their own power. All in all, the entire arriving group found themselves staring in awe as Axl reverted to his normal body.
"You're late."
The whole group spun in surprise. The woman who'd spoken had long blonde hair, bright green eyes, and a matronly figure. She smiled at the group, her eyes focused on X. "Then again, what should I expect, little brother? Last time I saw you, you were still asleep."
"It's been a long time, Roll," Prometheus spoke up softly. "What have you been up to?"
"Running Mars," Roll responded warmly. "Somebody who knew what Vinyl's dream was had to do it, and I'm the only one who knew her personally who's still around." She smirked somewhat wickedly. "Besides, I've got Gemini whipped. That goes a long way as far as political capital here." Her eyes turned to Octavia. "But you aren't here to stay, are you?"
"The message in Axl's capsule said Vinyl's legacy was here," Octavia observed softly.
Roll raised an eyebrow. "Axl, huh?" she murmured thoughtfully. Sighing, she gestured to the world around them. "This is her legacy...a world where the line between organic and synthetic has vanished, a world at peace, a world that has reached for the stars." Her gaze turned hard, and her voice bitter. "It was supposed to be Earth."
"Our children will ensure it will be yet," Zero offered comfortingly.
An eyebrow climbed up Roll's face. "So you achieved that as well?" she asked curiously. Shrugging, she turned. "However, if it's your intention to pursue Vinyl...you want that building over there." She pointed to an almost church-like building, the only one of that design. "That's where the tech Vinyl made to find her homeworld has been stored, repaired, and enhanced. We haven't activated it yet, because once we do it will create a temporal lock...and we didn't want to do that until you were ready."
"So we go in there...and I'll find Vinyl?" Octavia asked hopefully.
Roll nodded. "And you can come back. I'll be waiting." She turned to Prometheus. "I hope you'll come and visit, but I know you all are looking for her." With that, she turned and walked off.
Octavia moved for the building they'd been directed to, the others following her. The structure glowed with light as they entered, and a stream of light shot out into the void, a distant world its destination.
Back on Earth, Thomas, Mikhail, and Albert sat companionably around a council table as they plotted out what path Earth would take in the future. All signs pointed to a world that would achieve Utopia before too long, and then reach for the stars. This proved especially likely given that Albert's research into Supra-Force Metal had allowed him to craft Bio-Metal.
As they sat, Thomas spoke up. "So...anyone want to play secret games with the fate of the world to see what happens?"
"What?" Mikhail demanded, shocked.
"I'm in," Albert offered quickly.
"Seriously?"
"Two to one, Mike," Tom teased. "I call villain!"
"But I wanted to be the villain!" Albert complained.
"You were the villain last time around!"
"Check the records! Two out of ten is not a major villain! It was the pony more than me!"
"You can be the one everyone thinks is the bad guy but actually working towards stopping me."
Albert scratched his chin. "...okay, I'm good with that."
"And where does that leave me?" Mikhail demanded irritably.
"Pointing the heroes in the right direction," Tom stated bluntly.
"Oh, so I'm the straight man?" Mikhail snapped angrily. "Why? Just because I had a wife and kid last time around?" His angry expression turned suddenly tragic. "Oh...I made myself sad..."