Once X and Octavia returned from collecting the upgrade to their dash units, they received the new report of the movements of the last member of the X Hunter cadre, Serges.
"From what we can tell, he's gone to the volcanic zone," CiCi explained. "According to our intel, that's where Flame Stag has made his base."
"I shall go with you," Boomer Kuwanger stated bluntly.
X blinked. "While I'm certain your abilities would be helpful, any particular reason why?"
"Flame Stag is my friend," Boomer Kuwanger explained. "His motivation for joining them is likely similar to Overdrive Ostrich's." He gave X a look. "You were quite brutal with my duplicate in Sigma's Fortress, as you might recall."
X winced. "Fair enough."
"How did the X Hunters get all that footage, anyway?" Octavia inquired.
"Probably Serges downloaded it while he was working on Zero here," Kuwanger explained logically.
Octavia scratched her chin. "...I suppose that makes sense."
"Good luck!" Alia called out from her post at the nav-comp.
Once the trio beamed in, they found themselves outside the volcano with a large mosquito shaped robot flying around. Boomer Kuwanger blurred out for a brief time before blurring back in. "Here," he stated, handing over a sub tank. "It was directly above us. You will need it more than I."
After making their way into the volcano, the magma started rising up, forcing them to climb quickly. Octavia called Classic and clung to his back, letting him triangle jump up the narrow walls, quickly pulling ahead of both of the others. Spying a Heart Tank as she went, she dashed off Classic to collect it before grabbing hold of him for the rest of the way out. Boomer Kuwanger exited next, followed by X. All three made it out unscathed.
Once the eruption died down, the trio continued onward. Utilizing another mosquito bot, they opened a path to where scans indicated Serges was based.
Serges stood atop a mobile platform. "You're performing much as I expected, X," he stated calmly. "A pity. I'd hoped there would be more progress. Still, it should be enough."
"Enough for what?" X demanded angrily. "Why did you steal Zero's parts?"
"I thought you were going to fix him!" Octavia demanded.
Serges smirked. "I'll make a deal with you, X. Fight me one on one. Beat me here, and I'll return Zero's part. Beat me a second time later, and I'll answer your questions. However, if Octavia or anyone else interferes, you get nothing."
X stared Serges down for a time, then nodded. "Octavia, Boomer Kuwanger, stand down. I'm handling him myself."
Nodding, Octavia stepped back. Boomer Kuwanger took longer, but eventually he did as well. "Where's a popcorn vendor when you need one?" he asked rhetorically.
Classic howled, and a compartment on his back opened, revealing a clear plastic tube. Loud popping sounds could be heard from within, and the tube slowly filled with fluffy whiteness.
"That addition came with the Classic Adapter, didn't it?" Serges asked, his voice somewhat different.
X paused. "How do you know about that?" he demanded.
Serges smirked. "I already told you what you have to do to get answers, X."
As X leapt into battle, Varia beeped an alert to Octavia. "Serges is correct. The popcorn maker was added to Classic's systems with the Classic Adapter. ...also a disco ball, dance lights, and a music player."
"Is he a war machine or a dance machine?" Boomer Kuwanger asked idly, chuckling.
After a time of battle, Serges handed over the stolen part...which was in his hat. "Better than I expected, X," he stated before beaming out.
X stared at the part nervously, confused about just what was going on.
Not long after that, the trio - Classic had returned to base on Octavia's instructions - reached Flame Stag's chambers.
As they came in, Flame Stag leapt down. "X!" he roared. "You'll pay for what you did to-"
"My brainless copy?" Boomer Kuwanger interrupted. He stepped forward calmly.
Flame Stag stared. "But...but you joined Sigma of your own will! You said it was logical!"
"I was mistaken," Kuwanger replied.
"No!" Flame Stag roared. "You're never wrong! You have to be the-"
Boomer Kuwanger blurred behind Flame Stag and backhanded him in the back of his head, laying him out face first in the dirt. "Calm down," he stated bluntly. Picking him up, he threw him over his shoulder. "Raspberry mint lemon frozen yogurt for you." He glanced at Flame Stag's hooves. "Then we get you a pedicure. When was the last time you got your hooves treated? They're close to splitting. You're unbearable when that happens. I have to gag you to stop your whining."
Flame Stag blinked in surprise...then hugged Boomer Kuwanger, crying his eyes out. "Boomy!" he bawled. "It is you!"
"Stop that," Kuwanger grumbled. "People will think we're dating or something." He promptly beamed the pair of them out.
X and Octavia just stared. "Well...that happened," X said finally.
Back at the base, X dropped the last of Zero's parts off with Dr. Ciel. "Can you fix Zero with these?" he asked hopefully.
"I can try," she replied. "To be perfectly honest, his tech uses systems that I just can't wrap my mind around. There are even some dormant systems that were the basis for how I designed Varia, since they seem built for that type of energy. I can put all the parts together and hope for the best, but that's really all I can do at this point."
X shrugged. "Do what you can, Doctor. If nothing else, I can beat some answers out of Serges next time I see him."
"Daddy!" Octavia whined. "I'm tired! Can I have a bedtime story?"
X chuckled as he scooped the unarmored filly into his arms, Varia orbiting around them both as Classic walked to heel. "Alright, Octavia. Now...what story shall I read you tonight?"
Dr. Ciel chuckled as she watched the odd group walk off...almost complete.
Yay, can't wait for updates to these stories. They always make me smile! Except for Trixie's story, I simply can't bring myself to complete it for some reason.
I thought that this was a G Gundam reference.
6550074 That one is hilarious, though. And actually stays true to but the fandom and cannon portrayals of her.
6550132 I guess, I read about half of it, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Vinyl's customs. LOL Who here bets that Classic has a Bass Cannon somewhere on him?
Octavia: "War and Peace?"
6550187 Chances are if he doesn't, he will within the next upgrade or two...
6550078 Where is there a G Gundam reference? No, seriously, where? I actually liked G Gundam, but I see no subtle or overt reference to it. The closest I can get is Boomer Kuwanger and Flame Stag's relationship, and that is a tenuous and leap of logic based connection due to them actually becoming a couple at the end of the series.
Raspberry mint lemon? Knock off the mint and maybe I'm sold.
Wait a second...
The reason Zero exists is because Dr. Wily (in the canon) discovered Bassnium, the most powerful energy source at that time. If this version's Zero was made using a similar method, then that would mean that the reason Bio-Metal exists in the first place is because of Dr. Wily... wow, even from beyond the grave, he performs countless miracles. Or... maybe it's like "Ben and Me" and things aren't as they appear...
6550263 I was thinking about the title.
Umm...about that last part...what do you mean by it?
6550263 Probobly the flowing hand.
6550326 Ah, fair enough. That is a small nod to G Gundam then.
6550543 Then it would of been a reference to the fight with the fake Boomer Kuwanger, when X was going crazy and brutally killing everything, though that'd be a different reference. Specifically, the Dark Gundam.
6550584 The Dark Gundam IS pretty awesome, but I can't think of toany places where a reference would work and not feel to forced 8n the X series. Mainly X6 and X8 comes to mind.
You know what? When I played the game as a kid and Zero made his appearance...I did really think he was X's big sister. What are the chances of him being repaired as a female?
Zero: What the heck did you guys do to me?!
Tavi: I have an aunt! *hugz*
Zero: ...Eh, whatever.
Another enjoyable chapter. Well done.
6550716 Especially since, after he's repaired, he has the light up tits. And now I'm regretting having that thought process.
6550785 I agree with you, but at least I can ignore the boob lights. I wonder if Zero will be mistaken for trans...
6550637 True, but X goes crazy without Octavia around. Sounds similar to what the Dark Gundam does, doesn't it?
6550864 So your comparing Octavia to Rain? I suppose that might be a fair analysis. I don't agree with it personally, but I can see it.
6550078 Though, since X is TECHNICALLY voiced by Domon Kasshu's VA, that reference is there too.
6551025 So that would make X, Domon. The question is, who would Zero be?
Odd combo, but it works as a way of proving he's the genuine deal.
And here he's channeling Rarity of all ponies.
Interesting chapter, can't wait to see how the rest of the Mavericks fare. I'm eager to see more upgrades for Classic that Vinyl left behind.
Did CiCi wander into an alternate universe or something? Or did she sacrifice herself in an earlier chapter? I can't tell.
6554302
What do you mean? She's been there all along.
6554349 She just hasn't been mentioned in a while, so I was curious.
6554357
Well, she does have her own mission independent of Maverick Hunter Business.
That, and for some reason Alia was always jumping at the chance to act as Navigator for X and Octavia. No skin off CiCi's nose. She doesn't have one, after all.
6554398 Might we be getting a CiCi chapter later down the line detailing some of her own adventures?
6557721
Possibly, during one of the between-game portions.
6553177
Left behind? My money says that she is using the pan-dimensional Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimieness inharent in the PWNyverse to check in on Octavia periodically, and dropping tech in as needed. And by periodically, I mean from Octavia's perspective. Vinyl is probably dropping these things off one after another rapid fire on her end.
6550149
I got to about the same point... and then the last chapter of Order and Chaos came out and suddenly my brain finally registered that everything was suddenly Relevant and I set upon my current quest to blaze through the rest of the PWNY stories.
Straight and Narrow was the first one I finished of the ones I previously hadn't already read to their conclusion or been actively following. It was... weird... though not as much so a Merc with the Moth...
8098723 For me, seeing they all tie in like that convinced me to look at the stories from franchises I didn't care for... which normally would include that one, but Tats replying to a comment I made concerning which story to Super Fave (as I only do that for the first entry in a series) took care of that.
First, this is friggin hilarious. Second, curse you and bless you for inspiring my next custom vape juice, cos that sounds incredible.
Yanno, that sounds like way too many conversations with my friends and I, with each of us swapping between being Boomy and the Flame.
Classic is BOTH!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
This! After coming back to this fic from reading PitViperofDOOM's Yesterday upon the Stairs, I know for a fact now that Flame Stag and Boomer Kuwanger are Queerplatonic, and it's AMAZING!
more mavericks beaten, a friendship reborn, x's struggle for answer... and a popcorn option installed into classic, all in all, just another normal day in the lives of the x cast...