On Storm Eagle's advice, X and Octavia were sent after Flame Mammoth next. Unlike the vast majority of the Hunters who joined Sigma, Flame Mammoth's goal was to let loose with his power and rampage, making him little better than Vile. Given the danger this presented, it was considered best if the pair went after him next.
When the pair warped into the factory that was Flame Mammoth's base, they found most of it frozen over. Chill Penguin had told them this might be the case, as he had sent his own power in that direction as part of his own rivalry with Flame Mammoth, and the presence of his weapon chip in X would amplify it.
X and Octavia made their way past several conveyor belts by taking the frozen ground underneath them, which would have been molten metal if not for the ice Chill Penguin's powers produced.
Partway along, they paused, both of them looking up. A good distance above them, several blocks similar to those the helmet upgrade could break were visible. "So...how do we get up there?" Octavia asked.
"Well," X began, "according to my calculations, that's exactly the distance we're able to dash jump from the edge of the platform we're on. So if we time the jump just right, one of us could catch hold of the blocks and break our way through into that narrow passage upward to whatever it holds above."
"Or you could throw us up there," Varia offered.
"Or I could throw you," X allowed, picking Octavia up as she curled into a ball.
Pulling his arm back, X hurled Octavia upward, causing her to smash through several of the blocks, allowing her to triangle jump the rest of the way upward. At the top, she found another Light capsule. As she approached, the capsule opened and the Light hologram appeared.
"Octavia?" he asked in surprise. "Where is X?"
"Down below," Octavia replied. "The path to this capsule wasn't viable for both of us, and it was easier to throw me than to have X try to climb up here."
"I see," the image replied. "Well, it's a good thing we discovered that upgrades Varia gets apply to X as well. This capsule contains an upgrade for your busters, allowing it to charge further. It will even allow you to charge your sub weapons."
"That will be useful," Octavia commented dryly as the hologram vanished. Stepping into the capsule, she tilted her head back as Varia downloaded the upgrade data, transferring it to X.
"Upgrade complete," Varia intoned as the boots around Octavia's forelegs gained a white sheen like those around her hind legs. "Buster charge level 3, Pink Stream, available. Sub weapon charge circuitry installed, up to level 4 Pink Shift."
Stepping out of the capsule, Octavia charged one of her busters to full capacity before firing it off, raising an eyebrow as a pink sphere flashed around her in recoil before a dual stream of pink spheres twisted forward in the air. "Interesting," she murmured as she leapt back down to X, who had also tested the upgrade. He gave her a thumbs up, and they continued onward.
The next section of the factory was large and open with scattered platforms. X and Octavia decided to split up to explore it before continuing on, X going high and Octavia going low. Octavia acquired another armor-energy upgrade - given they were shaped like hearts for some reason, she decided to mentally refer to them as Heart Tanks from now on - while X acquired another sub tank. This time, X took the opportunity to explain to Octavia that these stored extra armor-energy to replenish that which had been expended in battle.
Further onward, X and Octavia made their way over other conveyor belts, this time with crushers to be avoided. Beyond that were a few pipe segments with the occasional red hot drop of liquid dropping down towards them, and a few of the spike-ball wielding Sniper Joe reconstructs they had seen at the airbase.
Beyond that, they entered the massive chamber from which Flame Mammoth commanded his part of the rebellion. He let off a bellow as they entered. "So you've come!" he roared. "Well, you won't stop me!"
"So, there's nothing we can say or do to convince you to change sides?" Octavia asked as she began charging both her busters, X along with her.
"Nothing!" Flame Mammoth proclaimed. "I will destroy you both and bring your heads to Lord Sigma as proof of my supremacy!"
"So you're dead set on fighting us, then?" X asked as he and Octavia switched to Storm Eagle's weapon chip.
"But of course! Have at thee!" Flame Mammoth leapt forward, trying to crush them.
X and Octavia dashed under his jump, releasing three fully charged tornadoes spinning counter to each other all around him. In addition to draining a huge chunk of his armor energy, it tore his trunk and limbs from his body as the storms combined before dissipating.
"Are you still certain?" Octavia asked.
"But of course!" Flame Mammoth proclaimed angrily. "Even limbless, I serve Lord Sigma! With my last breath, I spit my defiance!"
"In that case, we'll just have to take you back to HQ," X replied in disinterest, "and hand you over to the Human Sensitivity Rehabilitation Department, where CiCi's in charge of convincing captured Mavericks to abide by the rules again."
"She's combat capable again, you know," Octavia pointed out.
Flame Mammoth's expression became panicked. "Did I say 'with my last breath, I spit my defiance'? My voice chip must be malfunctioning. You know that I meant to say, 'I've seen the error of my ways and wish to reconsider the benefits of my power to the world at large', right?"
X and Octavia looked at each other. "Are you convinced?" X asked.
"Not really," Octavia replied.
"I can tell you where the hostages Sigma used to force Sting Chameleon and Armored Armadillo to serve him are!" Flame Mammoth offered desperately. "If you save the hostages, those two won't fight you! They'd gladly switch back!(1)"
X and Octavia shared a smirk.
With Flame Mammoth in lockup and hemorrhaging information, X and Octavia went after Spark Mandrill next. Apparently, he was holding a young reploid Armored Armadillo had taken a shine to, which Sigma was using to force Armored Armadillo to rebel. Also, Spark Mandrill - both according to X's own experience and Flame Mammoth's information - was not the sharpest tool in the shed, and genuinely believed that he was on official Maverick Hunter business, and that X was the Maverick.
Teleporting into the power plant, X and Octavia found that most of the systems were shut down. From what a status screen nearby stated, this was likely due to no longer having a powerful wind from the airport turning the wind turbines to provide the excess energy for the power plant, beyond what Spark Mandrill absorbed to power his own weaponry.
As they progressed, they moved through several corridors with transparent walls and narrow platforms, including one set where a Sub Tank was visible with no means of access.
"How are we supposed to get that?" X asked.
Octavia scratched her chin. "...Varia? When you disengage from me, you float around me, right?"
"Yes," Varia replied.
"How far away from me can you get without breaking the connection?"
"20 feet," Varia replied.
"That sub tank's well within 20 feet," Octavia murmured. "...can you collect items while disconnected?"
"...I can find out." Disengaging from Octavia, Varia floated over to the sub tank, moving off the platform and around the wall. While she wasn't able to acquire it into her data, she was able to grab hold of it and give it to X when she returned.
"That'll be useful," X commented as Octavia once more donned Varia.
The next segment of the power plant was plunged into total darkness, save those bits illuminated by strange flying bots that dashed quickly forward, not actively trying to hit anything. Beyond that, a large, red, spheroid robot called a Thunder Slimer attempted to attack them, but its tendrils weren't able to absorb any energy from the plant. As a result, it had little options to attack them, and was easily destroyed.
Beyond that, the pair encountered a few Rush Roaders - one wheeled attack mechanaloids - and turn cannons - mounted turrets that fired in a predictable and easily readable pattern. The only danger either of these presented was due to their numbers and tight corridors, though both were neutralized due to Octavia having taught X how to shoot on a diagonal.
A Mega Tortoise - a purpleish tortoise mechanaloid that launched parachuting mines - blocked the path further forward. After dealing with it, X was able to throw Octavia upward to acquire another Heart Tank.
Beyond that, it wasn't long before they encountered Spark Mandrill himself. "Maverick!" he proclaimed. "I will stop you!"
"I'm not a Reploid," Octavia pointed out reasonably. "How can I be Maverick?"
"Sigma say Varia Maverick, and controlling you even when disengaged!" Spark Mandrill replied proudly.
"Why are you so proud of that?" X asked in confusion.
"Spark Mandrill proud of remembering orders fully!" the former Hunter replied. "Now I-"
Octavia fired two green charged Shotgun Ice blasts, crossing them so they impacted with greatly increased freezing potential. "Beam Spark Mandrill directly to the brig," Octavia ordered over the comms.
Once Spark Mandrill was beamed out, X and Octavia went to retrieve the hostage.
(1) According to the wikia I looked up, Sting Chameleon implies he - and others - were forced to serve Sigma due to the use of hostages. From what I've looked at on the same wiki on the personalities, the only X1 Maverick left that could apply to otherwise was Armored Armadillo, and that fit in with my usual stage order.