As Axl warped into the Primrose base, he took in its rather bare hallways. He knew it was an anti-gravity laboratory, so he fully expected gravity to go wonky at any time, making his usual reliance on his pistols possibly problematic. Close range combat would be the better strategy, so he holstered his guns and pulled out the Red Scythe. Even with it being his own now, he still thought of it that way. Feeling his amplified A-Trans abilities interacting with the weapon, he knew Shadow's upgrade had been successful. With that done, he dashed forward.
At first, he only encountered smaller Mechanaloids, each of which were split down the middle with a single slash. The chamber dead ended at a teleporter, which took him to a smaller chamber with large blocks and pressure switches on the floor and ceiling. Triggering the floor switch caused gravity to reverse itself in the chamber, making the blocks fall and reveal another teleporter. This led to a similar chamber with several gravity switches and spikes on floor and ceiling. Axl dealt with it easily by using his boosted hover-boots to glide across the entire room, slashing any Mechanaloid that got too close.
This pattern continued as Axl teleported from chamber to chamber, making his way forward through the base. The only major obstacle occurred towards the middle of the lab, where spiked blocks repeatedly tried to crush Axl as he dodged around them until the mechanism eventually ground to a halt, allowing him to move on. This left only minor obstacles preventing him from reaching the 'Maverick' that was causing problems.
Gravity Antonion was an ant-based New-Gen Reploid, whose body was a brightly colored mix of purple, pink, red, and green. He had a bulging thorax, two legs, two arms, two large pincers, and two antenna with sharp prongs at the front. He seemed absolutely calm as he faced Axl down.
"Gravity Antonion," Axl greeted bluntly, "you have broken the laws made by the people of this world, and your endeavors threaten the world as it is. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
"I feel it is this world that needs to defend itself, not I my actions," Antonion countered calmly. "It is what is in the wrong. Can you not see that?"
"All I see is that my family is on your hit list," Axl growled. "To my eyes, that means we're part of the 'problem' you're trying to fix."
"An unfortunate but accurate conclusion, if you can't let yourself see beyond it," Antonion allowed. "Is this where you tell me to surrender or die?"
"Surely you're intelligent enough to realize you're outmatched," Axl pointed out, focusing energy into the scythe. "The only logical action on your part is to surrender."
"Assuming the only way I can achieve my objectives is to defeat you, you mean," Antonion countered. "If, on the other hand, my own defeat will do as much-" Breaking off mid sentence, he rushed forward, drawing in gravitational energy for an attack.
Axl reacted, swinging his scythe up and across defensively...neatly quartering Gravity Antonion, dispersing the energy and destroying the 'Maverick'. He stared in confusion, wondering just what Antonion could have been trying to do.
As Octavia warped into Metal Valley, she took in the dusty dunes surrounding her and the few structures. "Reports said a large Mechanaloid had gone Maverick here," she muttered to herself.
A large bipedal Mechanaloid dropped down right in front of heer, smashing a mining machine that had been there to smithereens. A quick look showed no readily available way to damage it.
"There it is," she murmured to herself as she activated her Nova Dash to take her as fast as she could in the other direction, the Mechanaloid in hot pursuit.
She dashed in a corona of fire over crates, machinery, and what looked like dinosaur fossils as the Mechanaloid pursued her until she eventually reached a massive magnetized crane at the top of a cliff. "Hmm...could be useful..." Landing by the controls, she waited until the Mechanaloid was close enough before pulling the lever...after making sure to read the labels so she got the right lever.
The magnetized grip of the crane swung into the Mechanaloid's head, smashing into the superstructure. After three such hits, the head unit was destroyed and the entire machine began to overheat.
"Great, self destruct," Octavia grumbled, quickly following along behind it and blasting away in an attempt to destroy it before it blew up the mine. The chase eventually led to inside a warehouse, and Octaiva followed inside.
A small chamber blocked her actually reaching the Mechanaloid right away, and crystalline columns shaped out of the ether rose from floor and ceiling at either end of the chamber before sliding across in an attempt to smash her against a wall. Quick movements on her part allowed her to evade.
"These are generated by a Reploid's weapon systems," Varia observed after deep scanning the attack.
"Then they've already attacked a properly identified Hunter," Octavia mused. "Guess I don't have to hold back."
Once the 'trap' ended, Octavia entered the warehouse proper, making her way up to the upper floor where she could target the head of the Mechanaloid with another crane, knocking it back and forth until the Mechanaloid eventually broke down. This allowed her to continue into the final chamber, where the 'Maverick' waited.
Earthrock Trilobyte was a trilobite based Reploid, with a golden shell and short stubby limbs. He arrived in crystal columns that arose from the ground just like the ones that had attacked her in the entryway. "Do you realize-" he began in a stalling, oddly pitched voice.
"Tatsumaki Senpukyaku!" Octavia interrupted, unleashing her devastating move before Earthrock was able to react, tearing the armor from his body as the electrical tornado ripped at his insides.
"B-but...you're supposed to..." he complained as his systems started to overload.
"You already attacked me before I got here," Octavia pointed out dryly. "I was properly identified as a Maverick Hunter when I teleported in, and I've been giving off my Hunter ID signal the entire time. As per regulations, the 'Hunt' began in that small entry chamber." She watched calmly as the Reploid exploded. "Now let's get this mission over with so I can get back to more important things."
"Like finding a girlfriend for Axl?" Varia asked teasingly.
"Precisely."
This needs to bite Octavia in the flank, hard. She is getting too cocky.
7776099 You know, like the other three that can one shot Mavericks in an instant....as well as blow up a mountain at the exact same time...but I see what you're talking about.
Emperor's New Groove reference?
Octavia and her priorities
Sigh... they're so blinded by "defend the family" that they can't see what's right in front of their eyes. They're not taking down Mavericks, they're creating martyrs.
The chase eventually lead to inside a warehouse
1. Led.
Axl clearly doesn't grasp the gravity of the situation quite yet.
Octavia must've been ant-ticipating for her boss to surrender.
Looks like our Hunters are gonna have to mine how they shoot their enemies.
7776170 I say Zero would be the turning point if video footage was shown because so far only he had a more 'peaceful' conversation before being blatantly provoked.
Well played, well played indeed. Their pulling a Project Cadmus. So who are you going to have play Amanda Waller Tats?
I will say this much in their defense. The question is NOT without reason. Zero can "End The World". X and Octavia are (nearly?) as powerful and Axel looks like he's starting to close that gap rather quickly. As the Justice Lords once proved, ruling the world is pretty damn easy for a mere handful of people to do, especially when they're absolutely the strongest/most powerful people on the planet. Even Batman felt the League was too powerful. That was EXACTLY why he had full work ups to kill/disable every single member, starting with Superman. And since this is Batman, he even had one to kill/disable himself/his toys. Because even he couldn't be trusted with absolute power. And right now that is EXACTLY what Zero, Axel, X, & Octavia have. Absolute Power. Batman didn't agree with HOW Cadmus did things, but he DID agree with Waller's point of view.
7776331 simple.
the group that murdered Rock and Kalinka, as well as anyone else killed by that terrorist. Except they seem to be working with Sigma...though HE could have been built by them.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
Wow, you actually made a robot too human. I wonder if they will be asked to stand down from their positions as hunters, or... oh wow... Sigma hasn't shown himself... all anyone knows is that these eight reploids have gone maverick, so there is no unifying cause or bigger evil that the hunters can use to justify their actions beyond: "They were a threat to our children..."
The hunters are getting through this so easily... I really hope they don't get caught off guard when they go after Sigma.
7776331 Wild guess...It's actually going to be the leader of the rebellion from Command Mission...and Shadow ends up being Shazam...
7776372 That was one guy with a bomb. Who got lucky because a suicide bomber causes a logic bomb in robots. Reploids are NOT robots. And while Octavia&Co are not reploids (barring Octavia they're actually robots) NONE of them are bound by the Three Laws. They CAN kill humans quite easily. Hell it would be easier than shooting reploids. So no dice there.
7776506 The rebellion leader in Command Mission is actually The Good Guy. The reason X & Co have to sneak in is because it's a foreign nation that does NOT acknowledge the authority of the Maverick Hunters. They are there ILLEGALLY. Yes they're right and if not for them BAD SHIT would happen, but it's still quite illegal. The 'rebels' are actually terrorists by definition. "People using violence to try and control/oppose the legitimate political authority". (Which also makes the Founding Fathers of US history ALSO terrorists. Isn't history fun?) Also, given that I was using the DCAU for my example, I'm not sure how Shazam factors in at all. He was never involved in the Cadmus plotline.
7776099 As much as I'm enjoying the curb stomping, I agree. However, I think I know what's going on.
This is a smear campaign, isn't it? Sigma's destroying their image by pushing them to choose murder over attempts at redemption. They are giving the Mavericks a choice, but only one, and taking loopholes that let them permanently end the threat, like Octavia did here.
This is gonna come back to bite them all in the ass spectacularly, Much like Wily's Wittle Wub.
7776099 Maybe, maybe not. Vinyl's cockiness already came back to bite her hard. Imagine the way their typical relationship would be inverted if Octavia were the cocky one while Vinyl was reserved.
i dont know why...but i kinda want you to make a custom enemy for the group to fight that could actually fight them at their level.a foe that could truly make the group push themselves right to the very limit of their abilities, now that would be an epic set of chapters.
7776535 Because he's the one who said that "You are no longer heroes." Which is a better MO that what he had in the game...
7776129 I choose to believe this.
An important lesson!
Skip to :30 for the part
7777255 That battle would CAUSE an Extinction Level Event. You have 4 "World Ending" powers, and you want to pit them against ANOTHER power on the same level? The collateral alone could be measured in Continents.
7777593 I don't recall Shazam speaking that line in the show. And even if he did, 'Shadow' would NOT be the one to give it. He's pretty much a junkie on a power trip. A smart as fuck addict, but an addict none the less. He doesn't exactly have a moral high ground to stand on.
7777630 Shazam name was Captain Marvel before Marvel managed to make Carol Danvers relevant to it's universe...that help?
Also why are still speaking in Spoilers?
7777630 i know it would be epic
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees what is going on.
7777177 There was a fic that revolved around that. It may have been before I got an account here, so it may not be even in my faves list....
The only part I really remember any detail was that it was after season 2, because the backstory was that Octavia got Discorded to not be able to hear or feel (in the meantime, the Mane 6 were fighting him in his first episodes), and Octavia almost killed herself as a result: she then gets PTSD'ed from that, set off from whenever it got too quiet: so, she ends up at one of Vinyl's parties, who in this case is more Great Gatsby, and shuns away from crowds once her sets are over.
7781087 i think you're thinking of the Pony POV stories...
I hate that I am stuck using an iPhone because I can't see spoilers! Thus, I am not clued in!
Are these guys going to be Worfed or not?!
Either these confrontations are being recorded to shame the Maverick Hunters, or the Mavericks are just gathering data on the ultimate attacks for Sigma to get his own.
This is one of those games I've never been able to play myself. The best I've been able to do was watch playthroughs of it.
Having said that, since I first saw it, I considered the behavior of that giant mechanaloid to be kind of childish. In it's battle outside that building, in the mining area, when it struck at and missed its target, then stomped three times, I always thought it must be thinking, "No, no, no!" And, seeing it with that kind of attitude, I considered it a kind of comic relief.
Yeah, we don't need a Kronk-ism, thank you very much.
Ha! From one Mom mode to another.
the last 2 mavericks are bested, and sigma's unseen goal seems to still be in motion... all taht remains is sigma himself... or so it seems.