Deadlocked: Indoctrination
Twilight curled up on her bed in her containment suite, sniffling. She hadn't made her own way back; a robot had been sent to collect her and deposit her back in her suite. She didn't really care, though. She was all alone here...and would likely remain that way, with only her thoughts and memories of happier times for company.
She idly wondered how long it would take her to snap and start talking to her wrench and guns?
A knock at the door to the bot lab where her bed was startled her, and she turned, surprised to see someone who was actually biological. He was roughly humanoid in shape, by appearance the same species type as Qwark. Narrow legs, broad shoulders, thinly muscled arms, garbed in red and black complimented by silver metal and glowing blue crystal. He wore no mask, but he did have a HUD visor pushed up towards the cowlick of his blond hair. A cape with what was obviously his symbol hung from his shoulders.
"Hear things are rough for ya, kid," he said without preamble, stepping in calmly.
Twilight backed up nervously. "W...who are you?"
"Ace Hardlight," the man replied.
"Oh," Twilight replied softly. "The champ..."
Ace nodded. "Yeah, that's me. Heard you just came in. First day's always the roughest."
"Does it really get easier?" Twilight asked, curling up in a tight ball, her wings folded around her as though trying to block out the world.
"Not alone, it doesn't," Ace replied. "You gotta have someone here to make things easier. Can't believe they stuck someone young as you in this alone. Whoever made that decision is gonna have to sing sweet to keep their job."
"Does...does that mean I'm going to be with Daddy?" Twilight asked hopefully.
Ace scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I'm afraid that's something I can't quite pull off. Even as the champ, I don't have that much influence..."
Twilight's face fell, and she turned to curl back up on herself.
"But..." Ace continued. "I did manage to pull a few strings to get you some company that might help you be a...little less lonesome. Something to help cheer you up." He stepped aside from the door.
Two battle robots floated into the room. Both looked rather old and beaten up, probably days - if not hours - away from being scrapped. One of them held a sniper rifle, and was somewhat scrunched in on himself. The other - a fembot - carried a pair of wrist mounted flamethrowers with a fuel tank strapped to her back.
"They don't get much use, since they're specialized," Ace explained. "But both their personality cores are quite unique, so they should provide good company." He gestured towards the flame wielding fembot. "From what I hear, she was actually a caretaker bot, before she got reconfigured for combat."
Twilight got to her hooves, taking a look at her new battle bots. She then smiled up at Ace Hardlight. "T-thanks," she stammered.
"Don't mention it, kid," he replied easily. "Seriously, don't. I've got a rep to maintain."
Stifling a giggle, Twilight turned to the sniper. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"
"Who?" the sniper responded.
Twilight blinked. "You. Your name."
"Who?"
"I'm talking to you."
"Who?"
"The sniper robot right in front of me!"
"Who?"
"The-"
The fembot held up one hand. "That's all he can say, Twilight," she pointed out. "He has a defective voice box, and refuses to let anyone replace it."
Twilight blinked at that for a bit, then giggled. Turning, she noticed that the bot's faceplate flared back in an avian manner. "...I'm gonna call you Owloiscius," she stated firmly. She then turned to the fembot, noticing a certain reptilian cast of her face plate. "And...can I call you Barb?"
The fembot shrugged. "It's the best name I've been called in years," she replied. "Ever since I was just called 'Nana'."
Twilight smiled as she curled back up on her bed, shivering slightly against the cold. She flinched in surprise as something was wrapped around her.
Ace stepped back with a smile as he finished tucking his cape around her like a blanket. "Wouldn't be good for ratings if a rising star caught a cold," he joked.
Twilight smiled gently. Leaning up, she gave him a light peck on his cheek. "Thanks," she whispered. She giggled as she saw him pull back quickly and rub at his cheek like he'd just gotten cooties. As he turned to leave, Twilight turned to Barb. "So...you were a caretaker bot?"
"Nursemaid bot, to be specific," Barb replied. "Took care of the children on an agro-colony while the adults were in the fields...at least, I did until the Thunder Soldiers broke my old body to bits and sold me for scrap."
Twilight gasped. "Oh my gosh! You're the nursemaid bot that raised Daddy! You remember him, right? Little Lombax named Ratchet?"
Barb blinked. "No way he can have a kid your age already! He can't be 20 yet!"
Twilight laughed eagerly as she started telling Barb about her Daddy, and hearing stories of Ratchet's childhood in return. It was almost as good as having him with her.
Vox raised an eyebrow as Ace Hardlight stepped into his office. "What was all that schmaltz about?" he demanded, gesturing at the feed from the cameras locked on Twilight's containment suite.
Ace smirked. "Hey, she's happy with a couple scraps, and she'll put on a good show when she fights. That's what you wanted, right?"
"But what was with that...bonding?" Gleeman demanded, gagging on the last word.
Hardlight chuckled. "You said the reason my merchandise wasn't selling was because I had no charisma, right? And if I couldn't sell it, you'd find someone who could?" He gestured to where Twilight was snuggling into the Ace Hardlight cape. "How are sales on that since this broadcast?"
Vox glanced at some of his figures. "...huh. All Ace Hardlight sales are up 10%...and the capes are up 45%." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that what all that was? Just using her to boost sales?"
"Course it was," Ace replied. "You didn't think I'd gone soft, did you?"
Vox threw his head back and laughed. "Not bad, champ! Not bad at all. How'd you know it would work?"
"All those complaints about her being sad when she wanted her Pops," Ace replied. "Knew she'd cling to anyone showing her any sort of consideration...and the fans would cling to anyone she clung to."
Vox rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Brilliant! It seems you have a brain in your head after all, champ! Keep this up, and I might actually start making money off you again!"
Ace waved his hand dismissively as he left the office. Halfway back to his own chambers, however, his walk slowed. When he'd told Twilight he 'pulled some strings' for her, he knew he had been lying through his teeth. When he'd been talking to Vox just now, he'd been saying what he genuinely believed to be the truth: using Twilight to boost his own rep.
So why was it the conversation with Vox that made him feel dirty?
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What is the true and what is the lie? Only deep down your answer rest.
Ace Hardlight = Quark-like Redemption, Round 2.
Now we have a story to hear: how Barb got all the way to the Shadow Sector.
Where did you get the name Barb from?
6257225 when Spike is genderbent his name is often changed to Barb
Keep the bots. Keep the bots. For the love of God, keep the bots after this story arc is finished.
6257233 Oh okay that makes sense
Wow, Twilight is starting to broaden her title yet again. First across Veldin, then across Artemis and Bogon, and now across the Shadow Sector. What's next? She becomes the only one able to save The Clock?
i can't believe that Alicorn Twilight Sparkle is alone with no one that she knows as family when i know for a fact that Ratchet said he will never leave her alone again in this story i just remeber what chapter he said that in, Tatsurou you lied about it how could you
6257257 'Artemis'? you mean Solana, right?
All it took was a kiss on Ace's cheek to touch his heart
6257261
Vox did it.
6257279 They haven't gone to Solana yet. That would be an impressive spread if she did though.
6257323 Solana is the galaxy they're in.
Mr. Harlight, you better earn your redempetion because if you don't, I'll make you feel Suffering the likes of you have never felt or seen before.
And that's a promise I intend to keep.
6257323
I think you mean Polaris.
6257319 ok and i hope that Twilight Sparkle, Daddy Ratchet and clank gets her back safely before Vox does something mean or hurtful to Twilight Sparkle that he/her will regrets
Ace, Ace, Ace...dont u know already? Twilight has the most deadly weapon in the universe against guys like u...no heart, no matter how hard, can fight Da Cutes!
6257333 I thought in game it was just called the Shadow Sector. Guess you learn something new every day.
6257401 the Shadow Sector is a "lawless region of space on the fringe of the galaxy".
6257347 ... It has been about ten years, and I don't have my PS2 anymore, so I am a bit out of date on which Galaxy you start the series in.
6257411 I thought Solana was a separate galaxy. That phrasing puts it in the same Galaxy as Veldin, which they have already saved twice.
6257412
You start in Solana.
Then you go to Bogon.
Then you go back to Solana.
Then you go to Polaris in the Future games on PS3.
6257401 No solana is the original galaxy where veldin and metropolis are.
The shadow sector is a small area within the Solana galaxy
6257430 now they have to not only save themselves, but all the heroes trapped in Dreadzone. the saving is now far smaller.
6257492 6257451 I am thoroughly confused now. The phrasing in one of the early chapters had Ratchet and Veldin outside of the Solana Galaxy.
6257503 This is true.
6257523
Which chapter is that?
Poor Ace, it appears that his Heat is not a cold as he wants to believe.....
Given that the commentators really bad mouth Ratchet in the game, i wonder what it's like in the story...
6257526 Think it was the first chapter, but I might be off on that.
The touch of innocent of Twilight Sparkles effect everyone. There are no exceptions except for pure villains. Like Vox. So....when are you going to pop in the others that were on the Phoenix?
Yep the twilight sparkle effect has taken root ace hardlight will be consumed by it and turn good.
6257535
Veldin is a backwater planet on the outskirts of Solana, canonically.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good work.
Twilight will upgrade the bots.
During your absence, I missed this story more then any of your other ones.
Uhuu, Finaly another chapter. Thanks pal, continue the good work.
6257600 But according to this story, it's only thanks to the closeness of the Solana Galaxy that informs them that Ratchet is a lombax. You begin to see my confusion.
Must...resist...Abbot and Costello joke...
6257673
From the first chapter, first line of the second paragraph.
Can't get much clearer than that.
6257768 ... Either I am going insane, or I read a line that wasn't actually there. Neither of those is mutually exclusive though!
Oh, and you two, I'm sure that providing the gadgeteer genius with a pair of robots to tinker with can't possibly end up hurting you...
Nice names, though. :)
Indoctrination...of whom?
It feel like the indoctrination of Ace....Hehehehehehehe.
Soon... Soon all of the Universe will be corrupted by the Pone...
I have an idea for the next chapter if you want to hear it and it involves twilight finding out who she is from that one thing that ratchet didn't but at the store which was the MLP series. just think about it and let me know. also keep up the good work and I hope Twilight will talk to ratchet soon?
That callback with Barb. Man! And having an owlbot for her to rotate (for science) is rather sweet as well.
Ace Hardlight is treading some dangerous waters, right now. I'm eager to see which direction(s) his arc takes from here.
I wonder if we'll get to see what's going on in Ratchet's side of things at all, or if this will turn out more like Going Commando.
Now for some reason I am going to picture the real Owlalicious -most likely botched that name's spelling- with a sniper rifle....with Spike running away screaming "BIRD'S GOT A GUN!!"
Also good chap, been looking forward to seeing this update again.
That reminds me.
In Tools of Destruction, during the grind-rail part of Zordoom Prison, there's a loudspeaker announcement mentioning Ace Hardlight and Slim Cognito.
The sniper bot hoots. THE SNIPER BOT HOOTS!!!
god I'm good at being an owl
you have to have seen at least some tf2 game play, this is just too perfect
Go Twilight, convert another person to your side! She's got Naruto's Therapy no Jutsu down to an artform!!!!
wait wait wait WAIT did you seriously just give a hyper Intelligent prodigy who is the galaxy's leading robotics and weapons expert two robots to bond with and tinker and upgrade........
welp probably by the end of this that sniper robot is going to have a rail gun that can fire through planets
and that nurse maid will probably be able to heal twilight from the brink of death multiple times during a match