Zero stared across the table at Colonel as the questioning came to an end. After thorough investigation, Zero was able to determine that Repliforce had nothing to do with the instigation of the Sky Lagoon incident, and in point of fact Colonel's unit was likely to be in for a commendation for their contribution to the event. With that done, however, Zero had one more line of inquiry to pursue...unofficially. "Colonel, while I'm done with the official questions...there's something I'd like to ask you personally."
"Oh?" Colonel asked carefully.
"What is your problem with me, personally?" Zero asked.
"I don't have a problem with you personally, Zero," Colonel replied. "You are an upstanding young man - relatively speaking, as far as Reploids can be considered 'young' - a skilled fighter, a loyal ally, and a dedicated friend. There's no one I'd rather have at my back if things got tough."
"Then why are you always trying to kill me?" Zero demanded. "Do you think I'm going to hurt Iris?"
"Oh, I knew you would treat Iris right after the first time I fought you," Colonel replied. "It's why I fought you the first time."
"...come again?" Zero asked, confused.
"I'm a military, combat Reploid," Colonel explained. "Fighting is the essence of my existence. It is through fighting that I gain the greatest understanding of my world. My sensors are specially designed to analyze my opponent's fighting style for weaknesses...but I've also studied psychology, and can gain an understanding of my opponent's motives and personality through fighting them and analyzing their fighting style."
Zero stared at him for a time, then shook his head. "Then why keep challenging me every time I take Iris out on a date?" he demanded.
"Because you're the greatest challenge I've ever faced in a one-on-one fight," Colonel replied. "And for a Reploid such as me, that challenge is one of life's greatest pleasures. But..." He glanced away. "Iris would be even more upset with me if I were challenging her possible boyfriend for selfish reasons. I get in enough trouble over doing it from being overprotective."
Zero could only stare at him in disbelief. "...you do know we have a training hall that can simulate damage with faux-weapons that don't actually hurt, right? It's used rather frequently to settle 'who's better' disputes. It even keeps score."
"...I did not know that," Colonel admitted. "...how do I go about requisitioning a time slot and opponent there?"
Zero's face hit the table.
Magma Dragoon stirred slowly as he woke from his stasis nap. The plan to force a confrontation between himself and X and Zero had fallen flat, due to the Sky Lagoon being kept from landing dangerously. He wondered if the one who'd suggested the plan would have another idea. He desperately wanted to battle against both S-Rank Hunters, but X flat out refused challenges in the simulator.
Opening his eyes, he was shocked to find himself in stasis lock, able to speak and little else. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded angrily.
"Magma Dragoon," Alia spoke up, "A-Rank Maverick Hunter. Forensic analysis of the Sky Lagoon power core and review of the surviving security footage leaves unequivocal evidence that you were the primary perpetrator of the Sky Lagoon incident. In depth scans of your positronic brain reveal no signs of tampering, viral or otherwise. On my authority as Chief Navigator, you are hereby under arrest, and reclassified as a Level 7 Maverick. All Hunter privileges have been stripped, and you will stand trial for your crimes."
Magma Dragoon growled, struggling against his bonds...but he knew he was beaten. And he didn't even have the satisfaction of it being by X and Zero...
When the old Bio Laboratory suddenly reactivated and began initiating hostile activity, CiCi had her suspicions about the cause. As such, she hid the report and made her own way there to investigate.
The obstacles proved no real challenge to her...mostly because she locked onto the primary Maverick Signature and slithered up the outside of the tower structure until she reached the level where the Maverick signature was. Bursting in through the wall, she found the Maverick...a humanoid mushroom. "...these designs get stranger everyday," she murmured.
"You can't stop us, Hunter!" the Maverick proclaimed. "I am Split Mushroom! You cannot stop us!"
"Which us?" CiCi asked curiously, slithering over as she flexed her tentacles.
"The rebellion shall succeed!" Split Mushroom proclaimed loudly, preparing to attack.
CiCi's tentacles lashed out, seizing the Maverick. "How curious of you to say that..." she murmured. "When there is no rebellion happening?"
"W...what?" Split Mushroom gasped in shock. "But...but he said it would-" He clammed up.
"I'm going to slowly, and very patiently, explore the full extent of your pain-based nervous system, Split Mushroom," CiCi said carefully. "I'll stop when you tell me who 'he' is, what his plan is, and what role you fill...and anything else I might want to know. See, when I came here, I thought I'd be dealing with another like me. I'm rather...disappointed to discover I'm mistaken. I wish to vent that disappointment, but I can only do that as long as you have information I need as a Maverick Hunter.
"So please...don't speak."
As Iris sat at the control of the Maverick Hunter HQ central computer, filling in for Alia while she addressed Magma Dragoon, she noticed something...odd. An AI designed to protect the system and keep it in peak condition was now attacking the system, altering code and crafting some sort of virtual space.
Protocols dictated that she call one of the high ranked Hunters or Navigators to deal with this, but Zero was handling her brother, Octavia was addressing an anomaly in the recruitment profiles, CiCi was currently off-duty out of the Base, and X was addressing a distress call from the Starport. No one was available...so Iris decided to handle it herself.
"There's a reason my brother's unit has never needed a software specialist, after all," she murmured, lowering a headset over her eyes as her hands flew over the keyboard. "Beginning virtual dive. Crafting network persona...crafted. Engaging dive protocols...locked in. Iris.EXE, transmit!"
Deep inside her mind, a reflection of her core persona awoke to her directives, diving into the virtual space.
...
Cyber Peacock leapt back in shock as a Hunter signal arrived in the virtual space right in front of him. "I haven't even had a chance to finish setting up the tests!" he snapped out, fanning his tail flukes. "How did you get here so-" He broke off as he saw a young girl with brown hair, green eyes, wearing a dark pink blouse, pale pink skirt, dark blue boots, and green and pink butterfly hair pins appeared. "You aren't X or Zero!" he snapped angrily.
Iris.EXE smiled. "You aren't worth their time. Engaging network purge protocol." Waving her arms out to her sides, massive data based cannons rose out of the virtual space, delivering massive blasts at the corrupted AI.
Cyber Peacock dodged back and forth as best as he could, but took a few bad hits. "This is impossible!" he snapped angrily. "How can a Hunter have such mastery of Cyberspace?"
"I'm not a Hunter," Iris.EXE replied as she raised her arms again. The whole virtual space began to rumble. "I'm not even a Navigator. I'm a digital alter-sona, designed to control the virtual space." From behind her, a massive wolf and firebird appeared. "You're out of your league, Peacock. It's time to clip your wings."
As the two beasts lunged, Cyber Peacock screamed.
...
Iris smiled as she returned her alter-sona to the core of her mind. "I don't get to do that nearly as often," she murmured softly.
Octavia smiled winsomely up at the fat yellow Reploid before her. "So you're Double, then?" she asked softly.
"That's right!" Double replied eagerly. "New recruit navigator, ready and willing to assist in any way possible."
"Yes, about that..." Octavia began. "You see, there's an...anomaly regarding your recruitment. It seems that it never actually passed acting-Commander X's approval. There was apparently some sort of hacking involved regarding the processing. I don't suppose you can tell me anything about that?"
Double gulped a bit nervously. "No...I'm afraid I wouldn't know anything about that..."
"Really now?" Octavia asked, surprise in her voice. "It's just that the paperwork mentioned you being accelerated through the screening procedures to 'assist with the crisis'...but there is no crisis. It almost seems as though someone was expecting a crisis, and wanted to place you in a position where you'd be relied upon during it...but without a crisis manifesting, what would have slipped under the radar is standing out like a sore thumb, because whoever's in charge doesn't realize that the crisis hasn't begun."
Double looked even more nervous. "Wow. That's...a really interesting theory..."
"Also Split Mushroom told us you're working for Sigma," Octavia concluded.
Double stared at her in consternation. "...there's no way I'm talking my way out of this, is there?"
"Nope."
"...any chance of escaping?"
Octavia scratched her chin. "Well, you could run. It would make it more fun for Classic and Timbre, certainly. Or you could stand and fight, which will either have me defeating you or the fight drawing the attention of Uncle Zero and Colonel...and as a provisional S-Rank Hunter I could decide to give him back his weapon's focus crystal for the battle as a temporary Hunter. So it would be myself merged with Classic, Zero merged with Timbre, and Colonel trying to kill you." She smirked widely. "Or you could surrender, and tell us everything you know of Sigma's plans in hopes of being rehabilitated instead of decommissioned."
Double's hands quickly flew into the air. "Oui oui, ma petite cheval!"
Sigma moved around the Starport carefully, wondering what was taking the conflict so long to escalate. He needed to be on the first shuttle to the Final Weapon if he was to carry out his plan completely, but Repliforce showed no sign of mobilizing in force. "What could possibly be keeping those idiots?" he grumbled as he pulled his cloak tighter around himself to stay hidden.
"SIGMA!"
Spinning in surprise, Sigma caught sight of X, already merged with Piano, charging towards him like a fluffy juggernaut. "X?" he shouted in surprise, only to grin. "I don't know how you found me so soon..." He tossed his cloak aside to reveal his new combat body. "But I can more than handle those overpowered blasters with my new body-"
"Puppy Pummel!"
"Wait, what-"
As X closed the distance, his massive paws clenched into fists and he proceeded to deliver an endless stream of punches and kicks to Sigma's body, choosing to deal with him this time with purely physical chastisement. Oddly, each punch and kick released a note of music...for some reason playing the 1812 overture.
The last note played as X finished with an uppercut, sending Sigma flying backwards to land on his back before his body exploded. Sigma's core program decided that - since everything had come a cropper - discretion was the better part of valor in this case, and fled to plan a more effective means of dealing with X and his little family.