X and Octavia decided to immediately go after the cadre of X Hunters in an attempt to recover Zero's parts. All scan data indicated that they were mobile, and unlikely to stay in one place for long, so they would need to be taken down sooner rather than later. Since one was detected in the Dinosaur Tank, they went there first.
As they beamed in, Octavia's eyes popped open. "What...this is actually a giant tank?" she gasped in shock.
"Yup," X confirmed. "A giant dinosaur themed tank."
"Who would build something like this?" Octavia demanded.
"No idea," X replied. "It's a pre End Times relic that was still in good condition, upgraded with modern weapons tech. Most of the interior hasn't even been fully explored due to the still functioning control and defense systems. We'll have to be careful, since once we're inside, Wheel Gator won't be controlling all the things trying to kill us."
"Oh joy," Octavia groaned.
The pair made their way into the tank, blasting away at the mechanaloid defense systems. In addition to dinosaur themed robots, there were also numerous wall mounted guns. Oddly enough, while the guns shot at X when he moved first - leaving holes in the floor where the strange, humming blue energy passed - the moment they locked onto Octavia they shut down.
"Why aren't they shooting at me?" Octavia asked in confusion, staring at the disengaged weapon in confusion.
"Don't count your teeth," X replied quickly.
"...excuse me?" Octavia asked incredulously.
"...it's a joke," X explained. "The saying 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth' is because the classic way to tell if a horse is healthy is to examine its teeth, and since you're a pony..."
Octavia stared at X, one eyebrow raised.
"...never mind..." X replied sadly, moving on.
As they continued, they noticed a barely reachable path heading upward. "So...we going to try and use the Strike Chain to get up there?" Octavia asked.
"I was going to just throw you again," X pointed out, "but firing the Strike Chain at an upward angle after leaping off that far wall should work, too..."
As the stratagem worked flawlessly, both of them were able to make their way up the narrow path to a Light Capsule. The hologram appeared. "X," the Light hologram stated, "the modification in this capsule will enable you to store a charged shot in a buster on each arm, letting you fire two at once."
Octavia lifted her forelegs. "Not much for me and Varia," she muttered.
"Where do you think I got the idea?" the Light hologram countered.
"Wait...these are recent designs?" X demanded, shocked.
"With the exception of certain systems created for you once you reach certain levels - such as the Hadouken - these armor units are designed based on modern events, to give you the advantage you need," the hologram explained. "This upgrade will also update your sub-weapon charge system, allowing you to charge your new sub weapons."
"That will be more useful for me," Octavia pointed out happily.
Stepping into the capsule, X received the upgrade, changing the blue armor of his busters and gauntlets to white and red. Octavia's own armor mirrored the change. "Buster upgrade acquired," Varia pointed out.
Further along in the tank, the next obstacle was floating platforms over spike floors. X took the platform. Octavia reveled in her spike immunity by walking between the spikes on the floor. Not long after that, they found a large Ride Armor with spikes for hands.
"Dibs!" Octavia shouted out, leaping into the pilot's seat.
X rolled his eyes, letting Octavia take the lead, clearing a path further into the Tank. When they encountered a robot controlling another Ride Armor, Octavia leapt out of hers to knock that robot out, taking control of that Ride Armor and leaving the first one for X to pilot.
When they were forced to ditch the Ride Armors to climb a ladder, Octavia climbed up a nearby spike wall to collect another Heart Tank. Further on, the pair rode more platforms through spiked passages. At one point, the path split, one path visibly more dangerous. Continuing along that path, the pair reached a chamber where Violen was waiting for them.
"X...Octavia..." Violen grinned widely. "I'll crush you both like tin cans!"
"Not if we crush you first!" X shouted back.
Octavia started charging her busters, ready to fight.
Violen leapt into battle, alternating between swinging his morning star topknot randomly and firing the mini-cannons in his hands. X and Octavia did their best to fight back against him, but Octavia found herself taking more damage than she expected, as she couldn't predict the movements of the morning star.
"Tavi, watch out!"
Octavia blinked, looking up just in time to dodge taking the morning star to her skull, dodging back out of the way. "What...that was Zero's voice..." As the spiked ball came towards her again, she decided to gamble on something. Firing a marker shot at the chain, she shouted, "Classic, come!"
Classic - the wolf support unit she'd domesticated from Sigma - beamed in, locking his fangs on the marked spot of the chain, shearing through it and making the spiked ball bounce away.
"Eeeyagh!" Violen shouted out. "Can...not...be!" Clutching the broken chain, Violen beamed out.
The morning star fell open, revealing Zero's missing buster, which X quickly acquired.
"Good job, Classic!" Octavia complimented, scratching the wolf's head. Classic howled happily.
Without warning, several beams of light locked onto Octavia and Classic. They both froze, getting into defensive stances...only for upbeat music to start playing, along with brief words from a voice that was unknown but achingly familiar to Octavia.
A capsule erupted out of the floor, the top decorated with a large, upside down horseshoe pulsing to an unknown beat with the lights going up and down its frame. When the capsule opened, a hologram of a pony wearing a helmet like X's with a horn poking through where the crystal should have been and magenta sunglasses appeared. She smiled at Octavia, gestured to her and Classic, and then pointed at the bottom of the capsule. She then pumped her hoof before the hologram vanished.
Unsure why she was doing this, Octavia climbed into the capsule, Classic behind her. Light and sound flowed into both of them before there was a massive crash and flash.
X uncovered his eyes and took in Octavia's changed form. Her armor had turned purple, with wing like projections on her back, several jets visible. Spiked armor plates extended back off of the outside of each buster, the sides of her helmet, and the outsides of her dash boosters on her hind legs. Classic, however, was nowhere in sight.
Varia piped up. "Classic adapter acquired. Support Unit Classic can now be equipped as power armor. This enables flight, auto charged shots, aerial dash, and halves all damage taken. Activating the Classic Adapter also fully recharges Armor Energy. Flight fuel is currently limited."
Octavia looked over herself. "That's...wow..."
"Whoever that pony was who designed this," X pointed out, "she sure knew what she was doing. She was wearing a helmet like mine, so she must have worked with Dr. Light at some point."
Octavia stared at her new armor for a time. "...can we ask him about her at the next capsule?" she pleaded.
"I intend to," X confirmed.
Not long after, the pair reached the final chamber of the Dinosaur Tank. Wheel Gator arrived, leaping out of a pool of oil. "Ooh...snack time!" he shouted out, licking his lips and snapping his jaws.
"Wheel Gator," X began. "Under my authority as a Maverick Hunter, I hereby place you under arrest for-"
"Over my dead body!" Wheel Gator shouted out, lunging forward. X leapt out of the oil to get out of the way.
"If you insist," Octavia allowed, sweeping low over the oil. The jet flame ignited it, turning it into a lake of flame. Octavia blinked as all sound was cut off. "What happened?"
"Safety measures in the Classic Adapter have blocked some of your senses," Varia explained as Octavia's visor went down.
"What sort of safety would make it so I can't see, hear..." Octavia wrinkled her nose. "Or smell anything?"
Varia was silent. Before long, Varia followed X's orders to return to base.
