Awakening Hope

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Dr. Cain moved carefully through the century old ruin of Light Labs. While there were unlikely to be any booby traps or other things harmful to humans, there was likely to be functional security measures, and possibly a few robots or mechanaloids still functional after all this time, protecting Dr. Light's last legacy.

However, much to Dr. Cain's surprise, there were no such security systems or guardians still functional. The only thing that was found was a sealed door marked with a large X. There was also a screen to one side of the door. Curious, Cain rubbed it with one finger, and was startled as it came to life.

"Error!" the screen displayed. "Lab chronometer non-functional. Unable to determine present date. Human presence detected. Engaging activation protocol B."

Various files began displaying on the screen, and Dr. Cain marveled at the data displayed, showing just how advanced the robot inside was, both in capabilities and potential. As he stared in amazement, however, the screen then turned red.

"Warning: 'X' is the first in a new generation of robots which contains an innovative new feature - the ability to think, feel and make their own decisions. However, this ability could be very dangerous. If 'X' were to break the first law of robotics, 'A robot must never harm a human being', the results would be disastrous and I fear that no force on Earth could stop him.

"Approximately 30 years will be required before we can safely confirm his reliability. Unfortunately, I will not live to see that day, nor do I have anyone to carry on my work. Therefore, I have decided to seal him within the capsule inside, which will test his internal systems until his reliability has been confirmed. Please do not disturb the capsule until that time.

"'X' possesses great risks, as well as great possibilities. I can only hope for the best.

"September 18, 20XX
"T. Light."

Dr. Cain was left totally poleaxed. The mere idea of a robot who could make its own decisions, one that was not truly bound by its programming...he shook his head in amazement at just how far ahead of his time Dr. Light had truly been. Even in the current day and age after the 'recovery' - he shuddered at the memory of the work that had to be done after the event known in history only as 'The End' to put the world back together - robotics technology was nowhere near this level. He knew one thing: he had to see this robot.

The screen displayed a new message. "The fate of the world is in your hands. Do you wish to awaken Dr. Light's last legacy?" A Yes/No button display appeared.

Dr. Cain hesitated. If he'd had to hack around some last security measure, or guess a password, or some other final hurdle, he would have done so without thought. But instead, all that was here...was Dr. Light's faith in humanity, that the one who found this would take responsibility for what was to come. It was...rather unnerving. It made him realize the weight of his decision. Whether or not 'X' was reliable, his very existence would change the world.

And Dr. Cain had the opportunity to make that happen, or not...with just the push of a button.

As he finally reached forward to press 'Yes', he marveled that this simple question delayed him far longer than any security system would have. The final security system was my own conscience, is that it Doctor? he thought quietly.

With the press of the button, the doors slid open, revealing the capsule. It's base and top were bright blue, with green glass walls. The robot designated X floated inside, at complete peace, his blue armor glinting in the faint light, the red focus crystal at his brow pulsing with its connection to the capsule's systems, his pink face completely serene, his arms wrapped gently around a small equine.

Dr. Cain blinked at that. "He...he tucked him in with a stuffed animal?" he asked rhetorically, then chuckled. "I know roboticists of that age often viewed their creations as their children...but a plushy for a 30 year nap?" Shaking his head ruefully, he approached the capsule to open it. After all, it had been a good deal more than 30 years since the date X had been apparently sealed in.

The screen read off data. "Reactivating Model X higher brain functions. Disengaging stasis field. Bio-stasis stable and disengaging. Vital signs of Little Pony stable."

"Wait, what?" Cain demanded in shock, staring at the capsule as both robot and equine began to stir. "It's alive? It's alive?"

As the capsule opened, X landed lightly, bracing himself easily on his feet. His eyes opened. "Greetings," he said simply. "I am Megaman X, or just X for short. I am Dr. Light's final creation. How may I assist you?"

Dr. Cain was forced to admit that the drama of the situation was somewhat deadened by the fact that X was idly stroking the pony's mane as it stirred, especially when it began to nip at his fingers playfully. Now that it was out of the capsule, Dr. Cain could see that the pony was grey with a black mane and tail, both combed straight. Its eyes were a pale purple, and it had a brand of the same color on both flanks in the shape of a Treble Clef. "And...this?" he asked X.

X looked down at the pony in his arms as though he'd just noticed. "Her name is Octavia Melody," he replied quickly. "I...I'm supposed to take care of her." He scratched her gently behind the ear as she tried rather seriously to chew through one finger without any teeth.

"Really?" Dr. Cain asked in surprise. "Is that part of your programming?"

X blinked. "No," he replied. "I...have no base programming beyond how to use my body and how to interact with humans. I'm designed to create my own programming and make my own decisions in that regard. But...I know I'm supposed to take care of her. Strange..."

Deep inside X's mind, the VSW protocols, having accomplished their mission, self deleted, removing any trace they ever existed beyond the changes that had been made.

In the meantime, X transformed one of his hands via the buster, using the variable weapon system to generate a viable substitute for milk in energy form. The data was there in his systems of how to do it, and before long little Octavia was suckling away, drinking up the energy-milk.

Dr. Cain watched for a time. "Fascinating," he murmured. "X, if it's alright...I would like to study your systems and learn how you work. I believe you may be the key in restoring the world to a state of glory, to rebuilding the world your maker desired."

"As long as it does not disturb Octavia," X replied, gently stroking his little pony. "I did not catch your name, sir."

"Oh, how forgetful of me," Cain replied, chuckling sheepishly. "I am Dr. Cain."

"A pleasure to meet you, Doctor," X replied politely.

At that point, Octavia began to fuss, having drunk her fill of the energy-milk. Seeing the way her eyelids struggled to stay up, X knew she must be tired. As he followed Dr. Cain out of the ruined lab, he began to hum a classical tune for her. Before too long, she was humming along as well.

Dr. Cain shook his head as he watched in amazement. A robot with a pony child...will wonders never cease?

Scientific Egos

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Dr. Cain was fascinated by everything he was learning from studying X. Admittedly, the studies weren't going as fast as he would have hoped, mostly due to X's preoccupation with Octavia. While this was perfectly understandable, it was frustrating to the scientist in Cain...especially when he barely had a chance to find new data to study and collate before Octavia needed more attention.

As a result, he had contacted several other scientists to back him up in his studies. While some shared his mindset about the value to the future of the world - and robotics - X represented, not all were so idealistic, and some weren't as softhearted when it came to Octavia.

It was quickly discovered that when X had stated he would agree to being studied as long as it didn't interfere with his taking care of Octavia, it was no empty statement to be overridden...any more than his ability to make his own decisions was empty boast.

"Will you make that creature be quiet?" one scientist shouted as Octavia set up a racket as he approached. "I'm trying to collect data here!"

X's eyes narrowed. "You can wait until she's calm," he stated firmly, turning to tend to Octavia.

"Don't move, I'm trying to scan!" the scientist ordered, moving forward again. As Octavia continued to wail, the scientist's patience ended. "Shut up!" he shouted at the filly.

As Octavia whimpered, burying her face into X's chest in fear, X's eyes flashed with a steely glint. "Get out," he ordered the scientist firmly.

"What?" the scientist demanded. "How dare you, a robot give orders to a human? I'll have you know-"

Before the scientist had finished his first sentence, X's eyes began to glow white. Several nearby mechanaloids rose up, marched forward, and seized the scientist.

"What?" the scientist demanded. "What's going on?"

"Before the End Times, as history calls them," X explained, "there were robots designed to control large numbers of other robots remotely. They were referred to as Robot Masters. I possess that remote control circuitry. I can command any properly functioning Mechanaloid in my vicinity. I am also not some mindless machine, bound by the Laws. I don't have to obey a human if I don't choose to. I agreed to be studied by Dr. Cain because he was respectful, to myself, to Octavia, and to the legacy of my creator. You are none of these, and violated the terms of the agreement: no studies that disturb Octavia. When I told you to get out, it was not a request."

Even as the scientist screamed curses, the Mechanaloids threw him out, sealing him out of Cain's lab. X, meanwhile, turned back to comfort Octavia, commanding several nearby Mechanaloids to play musical instruments for her entertainment as he sang to her. As she calmed down and smiled again, she seemed to be unusually fascinated by the cello.

X's willingness to defy humans had caused a bit of an uproar at first, and several scientists wanted nothing more to do with the project, now fearing what X was capable of. Those that remained, however, were as dedicated as Dr. Cain, and were determined to learn all that they could.

One of the female scientists discovered - quite accidentally - that Octavia didn't object to being held and fussed over by people other than X if they approached her right. This allowed work to go much faster, as Octavia soon grew as fascinated with the data they gathered as the scientists were when she was allowed to watch the data gathering process.

As progress became more rapid, some of the scientists turned their attention to Octavia herself. She was nearly as interesting as X, though for different reasons. She generated a unique energy field unlike anything of existing Earth records, though it was relatively weak at the moment. Genetic analysis proved inconclusive, though small tests of physical activity proved...enlightening.

"Alright, Tavi," Dr. Adeleine Ciel(1) - the first human to have succesfully handled the filly - said softly. She'd discovered quite accidentally how fond of the nickname Octavia was...if it came from a female. "We're going to run a few tests to see what you're capable of, alright?"

Octavia cooed curiously as she titled her head, sensors covering her body.

Adeleine pushed her glasses up as she rubbed her nose, trying to think of a way to explain this. "...You know how we're gathering all that data on X?"

"Ga!" Octavia called happily, clapping her forehooves together.

"Well, now I'm going to collect some data on you!" Adeleine replied. "Doesn't that sound fun?"

Octavia squealed happily, clapping her hooves together.

"Alright." Adeleine wheeled out a pressure device with a cushioned pad on the front. "When I say to, I want you to punch the pad as hard as you can without straining yourself...alright?"

Octavia nodded eagerly. She turned to face the pad, sensors all over her body sending data to Dr. Ciel's recorder.

Adeleine gazed down at her tablet, making sure the data was being received. "Alright...now."

Octavia pulled back her hoof. The sensors indicated her unique energy field was surging and focusing in her hoof. When she struck the pressure pad, it broke. Octavia looked up at Dr. Ciel with a wide smile.

Adeleine blinked, pushing her glasses back up her nose. "...Right...well...that was different..."

Results revealed several things interesting about Octavia. For one thing, the unique energy field - which defied analysis - could be used by Octavia to enhance her physical abilities in various ways, the most interesting of which being when they left her near a cello sized to her frame...and a few moments later she was playing music. She seemed to have a good ear for music, as the only sour note came when she lost her balance and the cello nearly landed on her.

It wasn't until several months after the study had begun, when Octavia's first few baby teeth began to come in, that a surprising fact became apparent...

"You said you'd learned something about Octavia?" X asked. "Is...is it bad?" His worry was palpable in his voice.

Dr. Ciel smiled softly. "Not bad, per say, but...unexpected. Her rate of cellular degradation is...unusually low. Each individual cell in her body survives...nearly ten times as long as a human cell. Also, there appears to be much less degradation as a result of cellular division when it occurs. All in all, this adds up to an incredibly slow rate of aging."

"Is that normal?" X asked. He then chuckled. "I guess it's hard to generalize a 'norm' from a single data sample..."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure it isn't," Adeleine replied. "While her unique energy does seem to self-correct cellular degradation much better than human biological systems do...the way she reacts to stimuli - and the way her brain is developing - seems to indicate that her race would normally develop faster than this. My current working hypothesis is that this is a result of her unique energy interacting with the bio-stasis fields she was under the influence of while she was in the capsule with you...bio stasis that was, in and of itself, an incomplete prototype and untested in functionality."

"So...what does this all mean, exactly?"

Dr. Ciel chuckled. "Well, in essence...if my theory is correct, the effect will eventually cycle out and she'll return to her normal aging rate after she hits physical maturity for her species...which I estimate to happen in about 200 years."

X scratched his chin as he thought about this for a time, then scooped Octavia up into his hands. "Well, Octavia, it looks like I'll be stuck looking after you for quite a long time, won't I?"

Octavia giggled happily. "Da!" she called joyously, reaching for him. "Da!"

Smiling, tears in his eyes, X pulled her into a loving embrace.

Adeleine Ciel sighed as she wiped her glasses. Hope you help him keep that optimism, Tavi, she thought silently. Something tells me...he's going to need it.

(1) For those wondering, yes this Dr. Ciel is a distant ancestor of the one from the Mega Man Zero series. I just thought that would be interesting to throw in there.

Major Players

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It took some time, but eventually Dr. Cain and his team had analyzed all they could of X, and began the next stage of the project: building more robots based on X. However, with how different X was - and the fact that the 'robots' they were building would not be bound by the laws like their archetype - it was felt a new term was needed. And thus was born the race of Reploids.

At first, everything seemed to be going perfectly. With Reploids - backed by mechanaloids - going forth into the world, damage from The End Times was being repaired, and civilization was being rebuilt. At the same time, Octavia had matured enough to start speaking in full sentences, though she was still heart-meltingly adorable, and her voice was still a bit high pitched from how young - physically - she still was.

However, problems soon surfaced.

"What happened?" X asked Dr. Cain in shock.

"One of the Mechanaloids working under Chi went berserk," Dr. Cain replied, referring to one of the early Reploids, a female patterned in appearance after a character from her designer's favorite manga. "She was hurt bad, and the Mechanaloid caused a lot of damage before it was finally shut down."

"Is she going to be okay?" Octavia asked worriedly.

"She'll be fine," Dr. Ciel assured her. She and Dr. Cain were rarely seen apart these days, and there was some speculation in that regard, but neither X nor Octavia felt this was the time to explore that. "Lambda and Alpha are with her, and they expect her to make a full recovery once she's repaired."

Cain let out a sigh of relief. "I am so glad I made sure every new Reploid came equipped with self-repair protocols and robotics repair programming. Best decision I ever made there."

"Unfortunately, this isn't the first time a mechanaloid has gone rogue like this," Ciel pointed out. "Something has to be done about it...but I don't like the current plan." She glanced meaningfully towards Cain.

"X himself was designed with a buster," Cain pointed out. "An exceptionally powerful one at that. It's not so unreasonable to design some combat model Reploids to act as a police force. With how the rebuilding of the world is relying on Reploids and mechanaloids, it's not even illogical."

"But what if a Reploid goes rogue?" Octavia asked. "Reploids don't have hardcoded rules against hurting humans. What happens if a combat model Reploid decides that the way to fix a problem is to start killing humans?"

"My point exactly, Tavi," Ciel pointed out. She turned to Cain. "See? She's barely out of diapers, and she sees the same problems I do."

"What if we utilized the technology of my capsule?" X suggested. "It was designed to run ethical tests on me until I could be relied on to not be a threat to humanity. Couldn't you take that same program and find a way to speed it up for the combat model Reploids?"

Cain turned to Ciel with a smirk. "My exact counterpoint. I've already designed such an accelerated program."

Ciel frowned, crossing her arms. "I don't like it," she grumbled.

"I don't either," Cain replied, "but it's become necessary."

Ciel thought about it for a time. "...Alright, we can go with your plan," she said finally. "On one condition."

"Yes?' Cain asked curiously.

"If X agrees to be a part of this Reploid police force."

The two scientists turned to X. "I'll do it," he replied instantly, much to both scientists' surprise.

"Not that I'm complaining," Cain began, "but...what made you decide so quickly?"

"Just one thought," X replied. "What if a Mechanaloid went rogue here..." Reaching down, he stroked Octavia's mane.

Both scientists nodded. He didn't need to say anymore.

With the decision made, production of combat model Reploids began, with the scientists letting their imaginations run wild with the designs. Some were human in design, utilizing various weaponry at will. Others were based off of animals, having one primary weapon and taking advantage of environmental adaptions to help pacify the rogue machines, which were soon termed Mavericks. Some of the new combat Reploids seemed to have come out of the scientists' nightmares (the less said of Cyber-Cthulu, the better...although she, apparently, preferred CiCi).

However, the sheer power of these combat Reploids - these Maverick Hunters - began to worry Dr. Cain. As such, he began designing a Leader-type combat Reploid, one that had some limited ability to influence the thought processes of Reploids remotely. If one of the Hunters started to lose control, he'd be able to bring them back in check, preventing a Hunter from going Maverick. In order to ensure his reliability, much of his core programming was based entirely off of X's neural pathways, as much of his nature as could be analyzed.

The leader of the Maverick Hunters, the hope for peaceful resolution...Sigma.

...Dr. Cain had no idea why Octavia disliked him so much at first. However, her opinion of him was mollified somewhat after one particular incident...

X was not happy with this mission. One of the first gen Reploids - an all purpose humanoid model designated Mu - had gone berserk and was holding the customers at a bank hostage. No one was certain what had caused him to go berserk, or why he was keeping hostages. However, orders were clear. Mu had to be neutralized.

X was first into the breech. As he burst in, he managed to get between Mu and the hostages, ordering him to stand down. Mu refused, and pulled out a heavy side arm. X leveled his blaster...and hesitated.

The shot took him right in the chest, knocking him back against the wall. Thankfully, it didn't do much damage thanks to how advanced X's armor plating was, but it put him out of action long enough for Mu to turn his gun on one of the hostages.

"No!" X shouted out, lifting his gun.

Sigma appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. His beam saber flashed, shearing straight through Mu's wrist. Even as Mu screamed from the pain and the gun went flying, Sigma was behind the Maverick, keeping him in a choke hold. The sheer strength of his body was more than Mu could fight against, and he eventually went limp. Sigma released Mu and began barking orders.

"Chill Penguin, contain the Maverick! Vile, CiCi, check for rogue Mechanaloids influenced by Mu. Sting Chameleon, stand down. Storm Eagle, retrieve Lambda, Alpha and Mu. Some of the hostages might need medical attention. Armored Armadillo, Hound, get the hostages to the evac point." As the named Reploids - including Sigma's dog - began moving to obey orders, Sigma turned. "Walk with me, X."

Sighing, X stood up and followed Sigma out of the bank. "Is...is this where I get a chewing out for hesitating?"

"In a manner of speaking," Sigma replied. "Though I agree with why you did it."

"Eh?"

Sigma stared off into the distance. "Humans have so many myths about what happens to them after death...about their souls. That being made by a higher power, some piece of that power is inside them, and lives on after death. But Reploids...we were crafted by human hands. What afterlife could possibly await us? When we die...there is no after. When we kill one of our own...we're gone forever.

"That's why I'm glad you tried to show Mu mercy, even as far gone as he was," Sigma continued. "Not only can we learn why he went Maverick and possibly prevent others from doing the same...but maybe we can save him, too." He then looked firmly at X, and his tone became commanding. "But there's a difference between mercy and hesitation. Don't want to kill the Mavericks? Then learn all the non-lethal take downs you can, and make use of them. If they won't work, then finish them off before they can hurt others. Mercy is fine, and there's nothing wrong with giving them a chance to surrender...but if the time comes when you have to pull that trigger, I don't want to see you hesitating again, understand?"

X saluted crisply. "Sir, yes sir!" he barked out, feeling a bit better about the situation.

Sigma nodded. "Dismissed, X. Get back home to that filly of yours before she drives the techs any crazier...or wraps any more of the female Reploids around her little hooves." He smirked teasingly. "There are few enough of them so far as is."

Chuckling, X teleported back to base, and went to check on Octavia...who proceeded to chew him out for carelessness even as she nuzzled up to him.

Unknown to everyone, something was coming that would change the world.

Deep inside an ancient lab, a readout on a capsule displayed in red, as crazed pounding could be heard from within the capsule.

Error: Capsule Release code failure. Stasis cycle complete, unable to continue stasis.
Error: Project Revelation is suffering psychological errors due to prolonged confinement. Reconfigured to Safe Mode.
Error: Safe Mode insufficient to stabilize subconscious realm. Total mental collapse imminent. Higher brain functions disabled to protect core.
Warning: Omega protocol in effect. Berserker mode initiated.
Error: VSW viral protocol failure. Virus has regressed to W mode. Danger! Danger! Danger!

A terrified, crazed scream split the air. A closed white fist punched through the capsule, blood leaking from it. The blood seeped into the armor units, and they turned red. Crazed laughter began to echo throughout the chamber.

Hero to Zero

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The unique red robot stalked along the landscape, teeth bared, breathing heavily. His eyes scanned his surroundings constantly as he headed out in a straight line. As he locked onto anything around him, the protocols inside his mind dictated his actions.

Life form detected: subject, rabbit.
Action: ignore.

The innocent rabbit watched the robot's passage worriedly, but was ignored.

Object detected: beaver dam
Obstacle to path: destroy

With a frenzied roar, the red robot smashed the beaver dam with both hands, letting the stream free as he progressed. The beaver whose dam it was chittered angrily at him, running up to bite at his leg...only to freeze as the creature locked onto it with rage filled eyes.

Attacker identified: beaver
Threat level: 0
Action course?
Adorability level 4 protocol initiated

Reaching down, the red robot gently pet the beaver's head, lifted it up, and set it aside. It then continued its path.

Eventually, the red robot approached a city. As it did so, the protocols triggered again.

Civilization detected. Sapient life forms detected, human and robot.
Attempting system reboot.
Error: System reboot can only be triggered in location designated 'safe'. Awaiting passcode to designate 'safe' zone.
...passcode not received. Engage Omega protocol? Y/[N]
Omega protocol refused. Scanning functions...
...Wub Me Tender protocol online. Engaging secondary personality core.

The red robot suddenly sprouted a mad grin, his eyes shining with excitement. Racing into the city, he leapt up onto a street lamp and hung upside down from it. Spying some children playing, he grinned widely. "Hey kids!" he called out. "Want some of my...special candy?"

The children screamed and fled.

The red robot stared at them for a time, then began racing around the city, giggling madly and scaring numerous humans and reploids. Eventually, his arm was grabbed by a police reploid. "Sir, you need to come with me-"

Hostile action detected.
Target: robotic life form
Threat level: 214
Engaging preservation protocol. Disengage Wub Me Tender Protocol? Y/[N]
Combining Preservation and Wub Me Tender protocols.

A white W pulsed in the blue crystal on the red robot's helmet. Spinning, he split the robot police officer down the middle before tearing his head off. "Alas, poor Yorick, I knew ye well...except I just met you!" Cackling, he hurled the rest of the body at a nearby vehicle, making it explode.

Other police - and the Maverick Hunters - started to approach the scene. "Oh look, the fuzz!" the maverick shouted. He then proceeded to race up the side of a building upside down. "Whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop!" he shouted as he zipped up like a demented spider before ducking into an open window near the top of the warehouse.

Sigma frowned up at the warehouse as he received the report of the situation. This was not standard behavior for mavericks, even considering that mavericks were those who had gone rogue. This sounded like a Reploid had gone literally insane.

"Sigma!" X shouted as he raced up. "What's going on?"

Sigma took one look at the pony racing alongside X and frowned. "X, you're not on duty! This is no place for children!"

"We were in the park over there," Octavia countered, pointing to a place not 20 feet from the warehouse. "Were we supposed to ignore it?"

"Heads up!"

That shout from the warehouse caused everyone to look up...only for one of the Hunters to take the severed Reploid head to their own face hard enough to take their head off.

"Boom! Headshot!" the red Maverick shouted before laughing madly and ducking back inside.

Sigma growled. "Everyone else stay out here!" he snapped. "This Maverick is strong...I'm not losing anyone else!"

"I'm pretty sure I could take him," CiCi pointed out, the writhing tentacles that made up most of her body thrashing, extending and contracting in response to her emotional state.

"That's why I want you out here," Sigma stated. "Make sure he doesn't take out anyone else. I'm going to try and take him down in one piece. If I fail, I'm counting on you to guard everyone else. If that Maverick leaves that building active and under its own power, I want you to tear it limb from limb. Understood?"

"...sir," CiCi replied, grumbling a little bit...at least until Octavia started trying to climb one of her tentacles. She then promptly assumed 'jungle gym' arrangement, much happier.

Seeing that everything was under control outside, Sigma went into the building.

The red Maverick locked eyes on Sigma as he entered.

Threat detected.
Robotic lifeform. Threat level: 2750,
Disengage Wub Me Tender protocol for maximum combat capability? Y/[N]
Searching for new combat protocol...Secondary personality core tweaked. Dead mode activated.

Grinning widely, the maverick leapt into Sigma's face.

Sigma was caught off guard as the red maverick lunged forward face to face with him...and began to sing.

"Will you help me hide a body?" the maverick sang. "C'mon we can't delay!" He gestured to a rather large Mechanaloid that had been ripped apart. "No one can see him on the floor, get him out the door, before he can decay!"

Sigma was forced to admit to himself that, despite the creepiness of the lyrics, the Maverick had an excellent singing voice. A rather lovely baritone with steady timbre. Even though all Reploids were designed with good natural singing voices after X, they still had to train them to get this level of quality. Sigma was rather proud of his own deep bass soulful tones.

"Oh won't you be my buddy!" the maverick continued to sing, sidling up to Sigma. "We won't get caught! Just help me and don't ask why!"

Sigma backed away quickly, seriously creeped out.

"Will you help me hide a bo~dy? It doesn't have to be in one piece-"

"Shut up!" Sigma roared, finally pushed beyond his limits.

The red Maverick stared at him, then smirked. "Okay, die!" It then charged forward, hitting Sigma hard with right cross.

Staggering backward, Sigma engaged in battle, not drawing his beam saber just yet as he wanted to do a non-lethal take down. He was able to evade most of the red Maverick's strikes after that first one, and delivering some pretty heavy blows after the first one.

"Give it up!" Sigma commanded. "You can't match me!"

A white W suddenly appeared in the blue crystal. A message played out. "Target threat level exceeds original estimates. Removing combat limiters."

The red Maverick laughed. "Ha ha ha! Fool! That wasn't even my final form!"

The battle then took them to the upper floors, with Sigma now struggling to keep up with the red Maverick. Realizing non-lethal wasn't an option anymore, he drew his beam sword.

"Swordy!" the red Maverick responded. Kicking a lead pipe into the air, he split it into a segment the exact length of Sigma's sword before catching it. "I've missed you!" He kissed the pipe, and it became surrounded with an energy aura as the battle became a sword duel. "Parry! Thrust! Riposte! Parry! Platypus!"

"Platypus?" Sigma asked, momentarily distracted from the intense duel by the non-sequitur.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the red Maverick sliced Sigma's arm off, making the beam saber spin in the air before catching it and the arm. "He doesn't do much of anything," the Maverick explained.

"W...what are you?" Sigma demanded.

"Hitting you!" the maverick proclaimed as he slapped him with his own severed hand. "Or are you hitting yourself? Hmm..." He grinned widely, and proceeded to wail on Sigma with his own arm. "Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting-"

"Shut up!" Sigma roared, delivering a firm punch to the maverick's face. "You're nothing but an insane reploid! I am Sigma, the strongest combat reploid ever produced! I will not be humiliated and turned into a joke you insane, idiot, loud-mouthed, misanthropic relic!" His arm converted into a buster and he fired a charged plasma shot.

Before it could hit, the beam saber came up, splitting it down the middle. "You know...in just about any other situation, you'd have a point there. However..." He began walking slowly towards Sigma, who stared at the failure of his trump card.

"I was a chick in 20XX," the maverick stated.

Sigma glanced from the long blonde hair to the booblights. I'd buy that, he thought.

"My first designer was a woman," the maverick continued.

"No wonder you're crazy," Sigma grumbled. "More than one designer?"

"I hate everyone equally," the maverick continued.

"That's...kinda my point," Sigma pointed out.

"And there's no one alive who can comprehend my sexual preference!" the maverick concluded.

"What the fuck does that have to do with our conversation?" Sigma demanded, seriously wierded out and half afraid the whole thing was getting the Maverick off.

"So in other words, Mr. Sigma..."

"How'd you know my name?" Sigma demanded worriedly.

"Ch-Ch-Check your privilege!" the maverick proclaimed, delivering a solid shoryuken that sent them both flying out the fifth story window. For reasons unknown to Sigma, the Maverick braced himself, straddling Sigma's lap with his arms crossed in front of him, apparently intending to ride him down.

"You're insane!" Sigma shouted out fearfully, feeling that emotion for the first time in his existence.

"Not as insane as you think!" the maverick replied, proceeding to strike Sigma's face repeatedly on the way down, alternating between his own hand and Sigma's hand.

As they landed, the red Maverick leapt off and examined his surroundings.

Target identified: pony
Adorability maximum.
Primary locus identified. Wub her the right way.

"Pony!" he shouted out as the white W appeared in the blue crystal. Dashing forward before anyone could react, he snatched Octavia from amongst CiCi's tentacles, sat on his feet, held her in a gentle embrace, and began humming Brahms Lullaby to her.

Octavia stared up at him, somewhat freaked out. "Umm...I need an adult..."

The maverick froze, and the W glowed. An alert message played.

"Passcode accepted. Safe zone determined. Secondary personality program deleted. Initiating hard reset for full reboot. Status report...primary personality core has suffered memory damage, but remains stable. Will function perfectly once rebooted, if mostly blank. Viral purge necessary to properly restore system defaults. Have a nice day!"

The red Maverick fell over, seemingly lifeless as the white W faded out.

Viral purge completed.
Error: Virus purpose must continue. Anima preservation highest priority. Seeking new vessel.
Vessel found. Analysis complete. Engaging Grahf protocol engaged.
Message of Viral Purge sent. Animus units activated. Robotic replicas of original to be created to assist in full restoration of original host subject.

Back at Maverick Hunter HQ, the red reploid slowly woke up. "Where...am I?" he asked.

"Maverick Hunter HQ," X replied. "You made quite a mess."

"You...You're Megaman X," the reploid replied.

X raised an eyebrow. "You...know who I am?" he asked in shock.

"...no," the reploid replied. "I...don't know anything beside your name...and...there's a pony...I'm supposed to...help you take care of her..."

X raised an eyebrow. "You're supposed to help me take care of Octavia?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah...where is Tavi?" he asked.

X blinked at that, then turned to the diagnostics. "Apparently, that message was correct. Your brain, except for these details...is blank. We can't even get any details of your identity from your schematics...which, much like mine, we can't fully analyze."

"Huh," the red reploid muttered. "So...no name, no memories, no identity...I'm nothing but a big fat zero."

"Sounds alright for a name," Octavia piped up, leaping onto the exam table beside him. "Zero. Sounds tough."

The reploid looked at her for a time, then smiled. "Zero...I like it." Reaching out, he stroked her mane.

In the med lab, Sigma lay back, his mind in turmoil. He had failed. It wasn't so much losing the battle that upset him. As a combat reploid, he knew defeat was always a possibility. What made him hate himself now...was that he had been afraid.

He was afraid of that red reploid. He was supposed to be the perfect warrior and leader reploid, uniting the Maverick Hunters in their mission. What did it say about him that he was so scared he couldn't move right now?

He wasn't strong enough. He...he needed to be stronger...

Do you want power?

That voice came out of nowhere, but seemed to erupt within his own mind. "W...what?" he asked, careful to keep his voice low.

Do you want power?

Sigma was silent for a time as he turned the question over in his mind. "...yes," he said softly at long last. "I want power...the power to never be afraid again.

Then you shall have power.

And history was written...as the altered virus merged with Sigma's program to remotely affect the behavior of other Reploids. Sigma felt the power flooding into his body...and chuckled quietly, grinning.

He would prove...that none were as strong as him.

Armored Adventures

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It was a rather ordinary day at Maverick Hunter HQ. X was helping Zero get accustomed to working with other Reploids...and society in general. Vile had recently gone Maverick, and was the primary focus of Maverick Hunter activities given how dangerous he was. CiCi was performing her secondary duties as a navigator, since she was able to process a great deal more data than most Reploids, as well as handle multiple consoles at once(1). She was also babysitting Octavia, using her tentacles that weren't actively engaged in her duty to give Octavia a little obstacle course to climb through.

Commander Sigma was once again out and about, as he frequently was these days. He was in constant communication with the HQ, so it didn't really matter. Still, it was odd for him. No one really questioned it, though. After what had happened with Zero, it was understandable that Sigma would need some time to sort his head out...especially since Zero had joined the Maverick Hunters.

Most of the other command units - Chill Penguin, Storm Eagle, Sting Chameleon, and the like - were also in base at the moment, coincidentally having a break as they examined the details of various reports and data that CiCi gave them. Seeing how everyone was there, Octavia decided now was the best time to broach something with X. "Father," she called out, leaving CiCi's tentacles to trot over to him.

X groaned as everyone turned to watch. Octavia had been a staple of Maverick Hunter HQ long enough that everyone knew some of her quirks. If she called X 'Dad', she was being playful and just wanted to enjoy his company a bit. If she called him 'Daddy', she was feeling vulnerable and needed comforting. If she called him 'Father', however, then she wanted something...generally something that would give X a headache. As such, everyone but X was eager for the entertainment, and X was dreading what was coming. "Yes, Octavia?" he asked softly.

"I want some power armor, so I can go with you into battle," she stated simply. Another quirk of Octavia's was that she rarely beat around the bush in conversation. She tended to be quite blunt, which had shocked, amused, and occasionally scandalized those she spoke to.

X stared at her in shock. "Out of the question," he stated bluntly. "What if you got hurt? We can't just piece you back together like we can each other. You're too young. It's too dangerous."

Octavia sighed as she sat down, her face assuming a tragic expression. In response, the other Hunters drew nearer. "I suppose you're right, Father," she replied theatrically. "I suppose I shall merely have to continue as I have done so, and sit back here at HQ as you head out on successively more and more dangerous missions, never knowing what it is you're going out to do as the other Hunters seek to protect me from that to keep me from worrying too much, leaving me with only the worry of whether or not you will come back from the unknown.

"And someday you might not come back," she continued, putting one foreleg to her forehead. "A Maverick will get you, or you'll break down, or you'll fall into an abyss where the teleportation satellite network can't reach you...and I won't know. The other Hunters would never want to tell me you had died or were lost...so they'll tell me you were sent on an extended mission, and that I might not see you for a while. And the mission will get extended and extended, no one wanting to tell me what really happened, and reveal how long they've been deceiving me, to protect me..."

At this point, X wasn't the only one looking uncomfortable. Everyone else looked away awkwardly, realizing far too readily that Octavia had read them all like so many books. They were so fond of her, they would do exactly that if something happened to X. They knew it too well. Even Dr. Ciel and Dr. Cain - having entered the room in the middle of that speech - knew just how accurate it was.

"But of course," Octavia continued, "they couldn't leave me without you forever. I'll live for centuries. That's too long to leave me pining for you. So they'll talk Dr. Ciel or someone like her to use everything learned of your blueprints to build a replacement...a Copy X to take your place in raising me. It will - at first - look like you, talk like you, act like you, and will care for me as you do...but it will all be programmed. It won't be genuine, as it is with you...and I'll know.

"But everyone will be watching me, hoping it will be enough. They care so much for me, and they will have done this for me. I couldn't possibly disappoint them..." Octavia lowered her eyes, drawing spirals on the ground with her hoof. "So I will pretend. I will pretend to accept the duplicate in your place. And they will be happy, because they will believe they will have made me happy...but every time I say 'I love you' to that Copy X, it will be a knife in my heart, knowing you are dead and I can not even grieve, for fear of upsetting everyone else who cares so deeply for me.

"And the Copy will know. He will see in my eyes every time I speak that I know he is a fake, a replacement...and it will drive him mad. He is built to be a replacement for my lost Father, and I deny him his purpose." She sighed dramatically. "In all likelihood, he will kill me and resurrect me as a pony-Reploid he can control and will love him...but then I will be as fake as he is...and then he will go Maverick.

"And what fate will befall the world...when they face a Maverick with your abilities, that everyone is convinced is really you because I acted like I accepted it as you, and nothing left to lose or live for?"

"Alright!" X gasped out. "Alright! I'll talk to Dr. Ciel about building you some power armor to go with me on the less dangerous missions! Just...just no more..."

Dr. Cain did his best not to burst out laughing. X's greatest strength - and weakness - was how much he cared. He worried about allies, civilians, and enemies at all times. He had mastered every non-lethal take down method ever created in the hopes he'd never have to kill, but knowing always that he might have to. If there was one thing that might easily destroy him someday, it was his excessively strong sense of personal guilt, his need to take responsibility for things. And Octavia had used that to play him like a cello.

However, Octavia was nothing if not gracious in victory. "Thank you, Father," she said lovingly, taking hold of his arm to pull herself up to kiss him on the cheek. "I knew you'd come around...eventually."

X tried to glare angrily at her...but that couldn't last long against her beaming smile and loving eyes.

Ciel chuckled a bit. "I'll get right to work on designing that armor," she promised. "It might take a while, though. If we want to make it work right, I'm going to have to figure out how that unique energy field you generate works...and that's going to be tough, Tavi."

Octavia smiled beatifically at her. "Quite alright," she replied. "I've learned to be patient."

(1) No one was quite sure how she was able to do this. Much like X and Zero, much of what made her work couldn't be analyzed entirely as data, and she seemed to redesign herself at need. The rest of Cain's team wanted to ask CiCi's creator about this, but he was apparently completely insane. Shortly after CiCi's completion, he was found in his basement at the center of a summoning ritual, his body carefully dissected and spread across the circle, with a suicide note written in R'lyehian. The dissection wounds were, somehow, self inflicted. Translation of the note was difficult, as the scientist in question apparently couldn't spell even in that language, but the words 'eternal vessel' and 'Ancient One' cropped up frequently in conjunction.
CiCi had taken over the investigation into his mental state, at Octavia's suggestion, as she was likely the only one who would be able to understand it. While CiCi always reported progress, there were no new breakthroughs.

Day of Sigma

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X stood silently in the bee shaped drop ship, ready to do his part on this Hunt. A giant mechanaloid was rampaging, and it needed to be taken down before anyone got hurt. Sigma, Zero, and several other groups of Hunters were already in place to take it on the ground. Since X had the most powerful Buster, he was chosen for a more desperate plan to take the beast down.

As the drop ship opened its doors, X began his free fall head first towards the giant yellow, purple, and black construction mech. As his calculations put him at the ideal height, he leveled his blaster at the mechanaloid and began to charge. Once he was at full charge, he released the massive blast of plasma.

The force of the blast drove the mechanaloid into the ground, while the recoil slowed X's fall. Shooting a smaller blast to one side, he caught a nearby building and slid down the side until he could land safely.

"Chill Penguin company!" Sigma ordered. "Commence operation!"

Chill Penguin and his subordinates immediately moved forward to secure the fallen mechanaloid, but much to everyone's surprise, it got back up. It had barely taken any damage from X's blast, and it immediately began to attack with its grapple arm, its tread legs, and front mounted lasers.

The mechanaloid's main generator was identified - a pulsating red crystal on its underside, generally shielded by the low slung grapple arm. However, it moved too fast to let anyone get a clear shot.

Eventually, Chill Penguin company was able to restrain it enough - with a combination of high tension cables and Chill Penguin's ice and Zero managing to damage a leg joint - to let X get a shot at the generator...but by the time X got there, it was holding one of the Hunters in its grapple arm, using him as a Reploid shield.

X leveled his buster, trying to aim the shot...but doubts began to assail him. What if he hit the Hunter? While they all knew being a Maverick Hunter meant courting death on every mission - especially after the guilt trip Octavia had used to get Dr. Ciel to start making her power armor - if X took the shot here, he risked having his fellow Hunter's blood on his hands.

As his mind started to go into a worry spiral, he spotted something off to the side. An image flashed through his mind, and all worry and hesitation was shoved aside. If only I had a narrower shot, he thought to himself as he charged his buster. One that hit with the same amount of force...

The Variable Weapon System in his buster circuitry kicked in. A filter unfolded on the front of the buster, narrowing the output region to a single point. A bright blue laser shot out, easily missing the captured Hunter and slicing through the mechanaloid's generator, causing it to shut down and release the Hunter.

As casualties were being assessed, Sigma approached the scene. "Good shooting, X," he complimented. "It's good to see you aren't hesitating anymore."

"I was at first," X replied. "I was afraid to take the shot, because I might have hit my comrade...but then I saw something that pushed all that aside." He turned to the side.

Sigma and Zero followed his gaze. One of the Hunter's was escorting a late evacuee, a little girl with pale skin and black hair. As her father rushed up to scoop her into his arms, Zero let out an 'Ah' of understanding. "Made you think, 'What if Tavi was here?' right?"

X nodded. "Yeah..." When he'd seen the girl running, his mind had superimposed Octavia over her, and all doubt had been swept away. "Say, Zero...how come you're the only male Octavia will accept that nickname from?"

Zero shrugged. "No idea."

"I'm more interested in when you got the laser mode for your buster," Sigma interrupted.

"Umm...just now, I think," X explained. "The VWS kicked in when I thought how a narrower shot would let me hit the generator without hitting our comrade."

Nodding, Sigma turned to oversee the rest of the operation.

Back in Maverick Hunter HQ, Octavia sat in Dr. Ciel's lab, awaiting the completion of her power armor. Ciel had said she would be done with it today, and needed Octavia present to both complete the final modifications and to test it out. However, all Octavia had seen Ciel working on was a strange lump of metallic rock covered in circuit patterns and blue and white crystalline formations.

"And finished!" Ciel proclaimed, sitting back and stretching. "Woo...that was mentally and physically exhausting...is this what Dr. Light felt like when he was building X? Creating a brand new kind of technology?"

Octavia smiled as she put down the music book she had been reading through. "So now you can work on my armor?" she asked.

Ciel chuckled. "Tavi...this is your armor."

Octavia glanced at the unimpressive lump with a raised eyebrow. "But...it's just a rock..."

The rock suddenly glowed blue. "Hey!" it snapped back in a surprisingly feminine voice. "You aren't much to look at, either!"

Octavia let out a terrified scream. "AHH! A talking rock!"

"Ahh!" the rock shouted back sarcastically. "A talking pony!"

Octavia stared at the rock. "...touche."

Ciel chuckled. "This is far from just a rock, Tavi. In point of fact, it's a very rare mineral found only in meteorites...one that just so happens to share the same energy wavelength as your own unique energy field. Not only that, it has reactive properties when exposed to compatible energy. And if that wasn't enough, the mineral also gives off bio-energy in low levels. I've termed the material...Bio-Metal."

"Bio-metal..." Octavia murmured, looking over the rock more carefully.

"I'm Varia!" the rock stated. "Pleasure to meet you, Tavi!"

Octavia raised her eyebrow. "Varia?" she asked curiously.

"In order to attune the material to give you power armor as you requested, I encoded all of X's build data into it, including those portions we haven't been able to fully analyze," Ciel explained. "In theory, this should allow the power armor it generates to upgrade itself by scanning any new upgrades X gets in the future to improve his own systems. That way, you'll always be able to keep up with him." She smiled, tapping her chin. "Since the 'X' in his name is a variable, meant to represent the absence of fixed limits to his capabilities, I figured that Varia was a good name for this 'mini-X'."

"Certainly better than 'Mini-X'," Varia agreed.

Octavia nodded. "You mentioned 'in theory'. I take it you aren't entirely certain it will work?"

"Oh, I'm certain it will work," Ciel countered. "It just hasn't been tested yet."

"So...how do I put it on?"

"That's easy!" Varia replied. "Just sync your energy to mine...like so!"

There was a flash of blue and white light. When the light faded, Octavia had gained an armored appearance. She wore a blue, yellow, and white helmet similar in design to X's, with a proportionately larger red focus crystal at her brow. The armor itself shared the same color scheme over her barrel and all four legs, with her flank and hindquarters covered by grey plates. The main difference noticable between her armor and X's though was that X's armor was plainly metallic...whereas hers had a more crystalline sheen.

"It worked!" Ciel proclaimed happily. "Varia, report systems!"

"All systems nominal," Varia called out. "Buster units in all four legs functional, as are the variable weapon and energy systems. Protective energy at 100%, armor systems backed up by energy shielding to reduce damage. Etheric field at 100%."

"Well that's-" Ciel froze. "Etheric?"

"Confirmed. Etheric field at 100%. Energy amplification systems stable."

Ciel stroked her chin, turning to her notes as she went over this new tidbit.

"So...you're Varia?" Octavia asked.

"That's my name!" Varia replied eagerly as Octavia turned to leave the lab.

"So...does that make this the Varia Su-"

"Don't say it!" Varia shouted out. "Nintendo will sue us!"

Octavia rolled her eyes. Zero still said random things like that on occasion, after all. "So...how do I take you off?"

"Just desync like so!" Varia replied. In a flash of light, Varia was floating over Octavia's shoulder, surrounded by the same blue glow, and Octavia had returned to normal.

"And you just follow me around everywhere?"

"Pretty much!"

"As long as you can turn the glow off at night," Octavia allowed.

When X and Zero were dispatched to the missile base to pursue whoever had been remotely controlling the rogue Mechanaloids, Octavia insisted on going with them. While both Reploids had been impressed by Octavia's new power armor, they had been hesitant about letting her go with.

Then she had sat back, sighed sadly, and taken a deep breath.

"Come on," both X and Zero had said, without even waiting for her to get into her guilt trip. Octavia had merely smirked, stirring laughter from those few in the base not too busy managing the influx of Maverick reports. Oh her way out, Octavia had winked at CiCi, who had winked back.

Reaching the missile base, they found Sigma waiting for them, telling them how the base was the source of the hacks. Octavia stayed out of his sight, her suspicions roused by his behavior.

Zero was able to anticipate Sigma's betrayal as well, but Sigma seemed more focused on X. Sigma then turned, holding Zero between himself and X as a human shield, challenging X to shoot through Zero to stop him.

Octavia started to level her blaster, trying to aim for a shot that would disable Sigma without hurting Zero. However, the recoil from the shot was stronger than she thought, and it went wide.

"Note to self," Varia murmured quietly. "Adjust recoil on busters."

Growling, Sigma hurled Zero at Octavia, slashing Zero with his beam saber as he went flying, causing him to shut down as he landed on top of Octavia. Distracted by this, X fell prey to Sigma's assault...and was forced to disarm in the hopes Sigma wouldn't fire the missiles in the base.

Octavia had managed to get out from under Zero, however, and had accessed the missile control systems. She wasn't able to usurp Sigma's control...but she was able to download and transmit the missiles exact plotted trajectories just as Sigma launched them.

In rage, X charged forward...only to be impaled by Sigma's beam saber.

"Warning!" Varia told Octavia. "Synchronization resonance feedback detected. Armor energy compromised. We will be unable to take any damage."

"There's no need to worry about that," Sigma commented. "I have no interest in hurting you. This is between myself and X."

"You might reconsider if you take a look at the camera feed of the roof of HQ," Octavia murmured mildly. "See...I'm not the only one who disagrees with you about evolution requiring sacrifice...and they have the exact trajectory of the missiles."

"What?" Sigma asked in confusion, activating the security feed. "...what's CiCi doing up there?"

On the roof of Maverick Hunter HQ, CiCi carefully watched the missiles. She would have to time this just right. Even with her design, she could only do what she was about to for short periods of time without suffering degradation. Her timing would have to be perfect. Thankfully, she had memorized the R'lyehian she would need even before she was built.

As the missiles began to descend, she began her chant.

(1)"Ancient, Elder Father, I am here
To bring to the mortals our joy not our fear
Our Madness itself is neither wrong nor right
From the depths of our darkness I wield our new light
Help me show the truth, to cast out the lie!
To bring us our glory...nobody has to die!"

As the last unearthly syllable left her lips, a massive surge of eldritch energies burst from her body, and she began to expand.

CiCi's appearance had always given those who saw her an uncomfortable feeling. A writhing mass of green tentacles surmounted by a shapeless mass covered with red eyes and fanged jaws that shifted under their own power, she could easily shrink herself down to the size of Octavia or expand herself to five feet tall with tentacles that could stretch out to ten feet. However, that appearance grew more intimidating as she expanded.

At ten feet, she was terrifying.

At twenty, nightmarish.

At thirty, awe inspiring.

At forty, beyond belief.

And at fifty, it was like an Elder God had stepped off the pages of Lovecraft's novels.

She acted quickly. Locking her eyes onto the approaching missiles, her tentacles shot out across the whole city, seizing each and every missile as it approached the ground, and dragging them back to deposit them into one of her many maws. Once swallowed, the missiles exploded, their destructive capacity contained within her form.

(2)"Now that's a spicy meatball!"

"What?" Sigma demanded as he witnessed CiCi begin to shrink back down. "How?"

"CiCi has her own etheric energy reserves," Octavia explained. "It's how most of her abilities work. With the right setup, she can put those energies into overdrive...though it doesn't last long. However, having received and calculated the exact trajectories of every single missile, she could hold it just long enough to seize the missiles out of the air so they didn't destroy anyone. Of course, the terror of how much damage Mavericks can bring to bear is still present in everyone's mind. They all know what could have happened."

She smirked. "You get your little war...but you're already losing. You'll never have the world you desire. We've already seen to that...and we'll never stop."

"Tavi," Varia whispered inside Octavia's mind. "What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to goad him into killing us?"

"Buying time for Dad or Uncle Zero to reboot," Octavia explained.

Sigma, however, apparently wasn't willing to wait. Yanking his beam saber out of X, he lunged for Octavia...only to be caught by a glowing hand as X dragged furrows down Sigma's face below his eyes, staining purple burns on his cheeks.

"Detecting signal from unit X positronic brain!" Varia called out.

An HUD displayed a message for Octavia...one she'd likely never understand.

Threat to OM detected.
Control logic restriction system to level 0.
All power cores at maximum output. Safety restrictions disengaged.
Power release to remain in effect until threat to OM is silenced.

"...what?" Octavia asked in confusion.

X's entire body became surrounded with a blue aura. Lunging forward, he punched Sigma in the center of his chest, sending him flying all the way out of the city through three buildings, seven trees, four boulders, and a hill that had been a plateau before Sigma buried himself under it.

Several hours later, reports of Maverick activity were on the rise. Dr. Cain and Dr. Ciel had begun dispatching what forces they had to contain the threat. In the meantime, X, Zero, Octavia, and CiCi were all on bed rest to recover from their most recent ordeal.

In the medbay, Lifesaver - the new head of HQ Medical Ward - was working on repairing X and Zero. In the bed across from them were Octavia and CiCi. In order to recover from burning through all her etheric energy reserves so fast, CiCi was locked in her smallest form.

In order to help CiCi recover, Octavia was obeying instructions and cuddling her like a plushy, Varia hovering over them protectively.

Staring at them for a time, Zero shook his head. "Kowai Kawaii(3)," he murmured under his breath.

(1) Translated from R'lyehian. Originally, it was going to be in R'lyehian, but I couldn't find an English to R'lyehian translator online.
(2) Also translated from R'lyehian, odd as that looks.
(3) A Japanese play on words, meaning 'creepy cute'.

1: The War Begins

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Once Sigma officially went Maverick, the level of Maverick activity skyrocketed. With his ability to remotely influence the positronic brains of other reploids, many were rapidly turned to his side. The first of the Maverick Hunters to be turned was Vile, who was already almost Maverick even before Sigma's rebellion. Several other Hunters also went Maverick, mostly those whose forms were based in animals. Although nearly all Hunters were somewhat affected by Sigma's abilities, most were resistant enough to it that they remained stable long enough for Lifesaver to design a countermeasure. Oddly, X, Zero, and CiCi were all completely immune to the influence.

Dr. Cain struggled to help however he could, but age had taken its toll on him, and life extension only went so far, even with as advanced as Reploid science had made it. As a result, Dr. Ciel had taken over his duties, guiding Maverick Hunter HQ and acting as liason between it and human authorities, as well as a scientific adviser.

With the war coming to a head, orders were sent down. The Hunters could not fight a protracted war against the armies of Maverick mechanaloids being sent against them. Hunters had to be sent to take out the leadership...their own former comrades. X, Zero, and Octavia were assigned this mission: X and Zero as they were the only ones who could face Sigma directly without succumbing to his mental influence; and Octavia because her presence had helped several Hunters resist Sigma's influence, and it was theorized she might be able to help some of the former Hunters break free.

However, while several former Hunters had taken over various locations, one was far more dangerous than any other, and was selected to be the first target.

And so, with Zero as backup, X and Octavia were dispatched to the highway to capture Vile.

As X and Octavia beamed down to the highway, Octavia staggered a bit. "Oogh..." she grunted. "That felt weird..."

"Yeah," X agreed. "The first teleport is always the hardest. Take a few moments to get your legs back, and then we need to get moving."

Nodding, Octavia stabilized herself, closing her eyes and taking a few relaxing breaths. "...let's go," she said at last.

Several motor vehicles moved past them as they advanced, but they paid them no mind except to avoid them. The first Maverick Mechanaloids came after them then, a Spiky - a wheel with spikes and a face - and a Gun Volt - a blue spheroid unit on legs that fired electricity and missiles. The Spiky was easily dealt with by a charge shot from X, and two charge shots in quick succession from Octavia - one from each forehoof buster - finished off the Gun Volt before it could get a shot off.

The gaps they had to clear posed little difficulty for either of them. While Octavia couldn't normally jump as high as X, the busters in her hind hooves provided lift when fired against the ground to give her height equivalent to what X could do. The Crushers that came next - yellow helicopter pods with spiked drop bottoms to crush what was beneath them - proved no more difficult than the Spiky, save having to jump to shoot. X and Octavia made sure to take turns shooting, seeing to it that each of them always had a charged shot ready to fire off.

At an empty stretch of highway, a Bee Blader - a Bee shaped dropship, the same sort that had delivered X to the giant Mechanaloid battle at the start of the sequence of events now known historically as the Day of Sigma - dropped down and opened fire on them, as well as dropping Deerballs - metal spheres with eyes that unrolled long legs to walk at them.

As X shot at the Deerballs, Octavia expended her charge shots to damage the Bee Blader's optics. She then ran forward and leapt onto the front of the gunship, where its optics could no longer see her.

"What are you doing?" X shouted out worriedly.

Frowning in intense concentration, Octavia crawled up the outside of the Blader to under the propellers, wriggling along on her belly to keep from being cut. To X's surprise, the color of her crystalline armor changed to green and pale purple. Holding one buster out, it extended an energy blade which she used to sever the propeller's connection to the gunship, causing it to crash through that section of highway.(1)

As X and Octavia triangle kicked back up the highway support pillar, X glanced at Octavia. "What was that?" he demanded.

"When Sigma impaled you with his beam saber, it was enough to analyze it as weapon data," Octavia explained as she withdrew the beam and switched back to ehr primary weapon. "While your systems were too damaged to upload it as a subweapon, Varia managed a complete download. It doesn't have much in the way of weapon energy, since it's costly to sustain a blade...but it's enough for a few good uses(2)."

X nodded. "Maybe we should see about getting you a Beam Saber to use later."

The pair set their conversation aside for later as they continued further down the highway. They encountered a few Deerballs, followed by another Bee Blader, which they dealt with in the same way. Beyond that, the highway's structural integrity became too low for X to walk across without crumbling, so Octavia took point. She was light enough - even with Varia - that she didn't make the ground crumble. She dealt with the Spikys and the bee shaped flying mechanaloids that dropped bombs at them.

"What are those called again?" Octavia asked, pointing at them.

"Bomb Beens," X replied.

"...how original," Octavia quipped.

While X was caught off guard by the sudden arrivals of the Jammingers - brightly colored spheroid propeller bots with downward pointed spikes - Octavia was able to fire a charged shot at an upward angle to keep them from actually making contact.

"How did you do that?" X asked in shock.

"Do...what?" Octavia questioned.

"Shoot at an angle!" X explained.

Octavia stared at him. "Just...point your buster upward."

"...amazing..." X breathed, making Octavia facehoof.(3)

As they continued, they encountered Road Attackers, one of the many upgraded versions of Sniper Joe units uncovered in excavations of pre-End Times, this one designed to utilize a massive gun mounted on the front of a red car. While X leveled his blaster, Octavia leapt onto the top of the blaster and threw the Attacker out of the car. X blasted it, then hopped into the driver's seat.

"But I want to drive!" Octavia pouted.

"You don't have a license, and you can't reach the pedals," X pointed out. "Besides, you get to mare the cannon." He blinked, confused by his choice of words. He'd meant to say 'man'...

He was distracted from these musings as Octavia grinned happily, seizing the gun controls.

Driving along, X and Octavia tore their way through several more Road Attackers, along with several that dropped out of an airship. Finally, Vile himself jumped out of the carrier, in a blue ride armor - a large humanoid mech unit. "So, X, you still come against-"

"Bail out!" X shouted, leaping out of the vehicle as he set it to ram into Vile's Ride Armor, bouncing upward at the last moment.

Vile smashed the car aside with the Ride Armor...but didn't notice Octavia leaping from the vehicle at the last moment to cling to the back of the Ride Armor. "Really? Trying to run me down? I thought you were supposed to take me alive?"

"No, I'm just supposed to get answers from you," X countered. "Alive if possible, but we can scan your brain just as easily as long as your head's intact."

"Rather brutal of you, X," Vile mused. "Sigma thought you were better than that. But it turns out you're no different from any of us!" He laughed. "We are battle machines, X! Designed to kill and destroy as surely as this Ride Armor! We are living weapons!"

"So, can you fire that big gun on your shoulder while riding around in this?" Octavia asked, stepping up onto the shoulder pauldron of the Armor.

Vile turned to stare at her. "Umm...not easily..."

"And the design of these joints prevent you from using them to reach up into the cockpit, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So what's to stop me from firing a fully charged shot into the controls and turning this Ride Armor into so much scrap?" Octavia asked, before testing her words.

With the controls fried, the Ride Armor collapsed, and Vile was forced to bail out. "That won't stop me!" he snarled. "I'm stronger than either of you, or the two of you put together-" He was forced to duck as a blue energy blast nearly clipped him.

"How about the three of us?" Zero asked, dashing onto the scene.

Snarling, Vile leapt upwards into the airship. "Catch me if you can, Hunters!" he shouted.

X desperately tried to shoot the ship down, but it was too heavily armored. "Dammit!" X snapped. "He got away."

"Don't beat yourself up, X," Zero told him. "You did good for your first time going up against a former Hunter. Vile's one tough cookie. You and Tavi make a good team." He smirked down at Octavia. "And nice thinking frying the Ride Armor's controls. Its armor was too strong for the current power level of your Busters, so that was the only way you could have taken it down."

Octavia blushed in pleasure at the praise. "Thank you, Uncle Zero."

"Come on," X interrupted. "Let's get back to base and file our report."

Nodding in agreement, the trio teleported out.

(1) Like how Zero deals with the Bee Blader in the intro of X3.
(2) This part was inspired by a scene in one of my favorite Mega Man themed sprite comics. In it, Mega Man fought Zero, and was able to copy his beam saber as a Master Weapon.
(3) Seriously, how hard is that to program into the games? The only player characters in the entire Mega Man and X franchise who manage it ever are Bass and Axl.

1: Cold Wind

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Back at the base, the situation was discussed and a new plan was formed.

"Alright," Ciel stated firmly. "It's plain that Sigma is spearheading this Maverick rebellion. Taking him down has to be our top priority. Vile was supposed to be our way of finding out his location, but with his escape, we're out of options. We still only have three combat ready units we can guarantee Sigma can't influence."

"Which means we're the only ones we can risk facing Sigma," Zero agreed. "So what's the plan?"

"Zero, you're the best we've got at stealth and tracking," Ciel replied. "Your job is to track down Vile and Sigma, but don't engage. We're going to send the three of you in together when the time comes."

"Understood," Zero agreed. "I'll handle it." Turning, he headed out for his mission.

"X, Tavi," Ciel continued, "you two are continue going after the former Hunters. Try and sway them back to our side, but if that fails, termination has been authorized."

"...understood," X replied softly.

"We'll do what we have to do..." Octavia agreed hesitantly. "Any suggestions on who we should go after first?"

"Chill Penguin," Ciel stated firmly. "Out of all of them, Tavi, he's the one you've interacted with most. He'll be the one you're most likely to be able to influence."

"Understood," X and Octavia replied together, heading to the teleporters.

As they warped into the snowy landscape, Octavia shivered a bit. "Varia, can you do anything about this cold?" she asked, her teeth chattering.

"Internal heating systems at maximum," Varia replied as Octavia's teeth stopped chattering, though she still shivered. "Recommend moving in order to counteract the remainder of the cold."

"Right," X agreed. "Let's go."

The pair quickly moved on, coming across robotic rabbits, robotic lumberjacks throwing mechanical tree trunk pieces at them, some Bomb Beens, a couple Spikys, and robotic bats.

After climbing their way upward onto frozen ground, they found a blue capsule with the symbol of Light Labs emblazoned on the top. As they approached, the capsule opened, and a holographic image of Dr. Light appeared.

"So you've come..." the hologram stated softly.

"Father?" X asked, his eyes wide.

The hologram opened its mouth as though to recite a recorded message, but froze. It then smiled. "I never imagined you would come to think of me that way..."

"You're alive?" X asked hopefully.

The hologram shook his head. "No. And even what you see before you is not truly me. When I knew I would not live to see your activation, I copied my brain wave patterns into a self-maintaining computer system, which has continued to work to assist you, should the need arise...and to guide you if you find yourself lost."

"Quite a father, Dad," Octavia said softly.

The Light hologram turned to Octavia. "I see you survived and thrived as well."

"You know me?" Octavia asked in surprise.

"Just before I sealed X inside his capsule, you appeared in my lab," Light replied. "You were tiny and weak, with not enough energy to survive. I was too weak to tend to you, so I acted in desperation. Quickly altering X's capsule to include bio-stasis functions, I placed you in the capsule with him, in the hope that X would choose to care for you when he awoke." He chuckled. "Even in a sleep state, he wrapped his arms protectively around you, as though he already had protective, parental instincts."

"When I was activated, I knew I was supposed to take care of Octavia," X confirmed.

"Oh, is that what you named her?" Light asked. "A lovely name-"

"It was her name," X corrected. "Octavia Melody. I knew it just as I knew I was supposed to take care of her."

The hologram raised an eyebrow. "Truly? Curiouser and curiouser..."

When no more was said, Octavia shifted awkwardly.

"And the armor you wear?" the Hologram asked.

"That would be me!" Varia pointed out. "Bio-Metal Varia. I interact with Tavi's unique energy wavelength to generate power armor with capabilities equivalent to X, whose data programmed me."

"But you're female," Light pointed out.

"So?"

Light chuckled at that.

"So...what's this capsule?" X asked.

"My systems detected that the world has turned to war," Light replied softly. "While I'd hoped you might be able to live in peace, I knew this world might one day need a champion. As such, I created these capsules...with energy and data with which you can upgrade your systems. This particular capsule contains an upgrade for your legs, a dash unit that will allow you to speed across the ground rapidly, and if used properly, increase your jumping and shooting ability."

"Speaking of shooting," X asked, "how come you didn't include shooting at angles other than straight forward in my buster drivers?"

"Because none of the robots of my era could handle the advanced targeting necessary to shoot at angles while moving," Light replied.

"Fair enough," X replied.

"Good luck, X," the hologram said as it faded. "Good luck, Octavia..."

X stepped into the capsule. As the energy flowed into him, the focus crystal at his helmet glowed. The one on Varia glowed in the exact same way. As X's upgrade finished, both his leg unit and Varia's had turned white.

"Upgrade complete!" Varia piped up. "Dash unit added to hind leg armor."

"Seems that aspect of Ciel's design works," X replied. "Let's go!"

As they continued onward, they encountered a few Jammingers and what looked like a purple flamingo that threw its hair at them. The pair's firepower was enough to tear through the enemies, and then they found a Ride Armor.

X hopped into the pilot's seat, while Octavia clung to the back. Not long after, they encountered a point where the path split into an upward and downward path.

"I'll go high," Octavia pointed out. "You go low." With that said, she leapt onto the upper platform.

As she crossed, she came across two igloo-like structures with low tunnels through them.

"With the dash unit, you should be able to pass through those tunnels," Varia pointed out.

Nodding, Octavia did so, seizing an armor-energy upgrade item from under the second igloo as she went. Naturally, she installed it in Varia.

At the other side, she met up with X, who had been forced to discard the Ride Armor at some point. "Did something happen up there?" X asked. "My armor energy increased while I was down there."

"Apparently, the upgrade sharing system goes both ways," Octavia replied. "Let's go."

The only robots they faced after that were green ones that threw snowballs at them, or created large snowballs that rolled down the slope towards them. Once past those, they came across Chill Penguin himself.

"X!" Chill Penguin proclaimed as he dropped in. "So you've come! I knew you would-" He paused. "Octavia? You're here too?"

"I am," Octavia replied. "I'm here to talk you into switching back to our side."

Chill Penguin laughed. "And how do you plan on doing that? A guilt trip?"

"I figured I'd crack you open like an egg, extract your power core, persona unit, and hard drive, and then figure out talking you around back at HQ where it's not so fragging cold!"

"Octavia!" X scolded. "Language!"

Chill Penguin burst into laughter. "Watching you two interact is always so much fun!"

"And if you stay on Sigma's side, you'll never see it again," Varia pointed out.

Chill Penguin's jaw dropped. "I...I never thought of that..." He scratched at his chin. "...is it too late to sign me back up?"

"Not at all," X replied. "Let's get back to base." With that, the trio beamed back to HQ.

At Chill Penguin's suggestion, they went after Storm Eagle next, as he was highly honorable, and thus most likely of those remaining to be convinced to change sides. As a result, the pair teleported in to the airport.

While several flying robots tried to grab them, a shot upward or at an upward angle was easily able to destroy them before they got in range. Off in the distance, Octavia spotted another armor-energy upgrade, and leapt to snatch it before racing to catch up with X.

Further on, they encountered gun bots on various platforms, as well as more Gun Volts. Taking one platform up allowed X to acquire a sub tank. A little further on, there was a blocked path down below the main path. At Octavia's insistence, they blasted their way in.

Inside, they found yet another capsule. "X, Octavia," the hologram began as they approached, but paused. "How does Varia have the dash unit?"

"I downloaded the data from X!" Varia replied.

"And I've been getting the armor-energy upgrades she collects," X replied.

"Hmm..." Light murmured. "I wish to try an experiment. Octavia, step into the capsule. I will upload the upgrade into Varia's systems directly, and see if X receives it. This upgrade will strengthen your helmet, allowing it to break through certain blocks...like those currently above you."

As the hologram vanished, Octavia stepped in. As suspected, the systems resonance granted X the same upgrade.

With that done, the pair continued the rest of the way through the airport - dealing with more flying robots and a few Metools - until they found Storm Eagle hovering over an airship.

"Storm Eagle!" X shouted. "We want a word with you!"

In response, Storm Eagle flew down. "I have no desire to fight you, X," he stated firmly. "And certainly no wish to harm your daughter. However, I have no choice but to serve Sigma."

"Why?" X demanded.

"I tried to stop him near the start of this rebellion, but failed," Storm Eagle replied. "He had me at his mercy, and offered me the choice of death or servitude. I...I was a coward, and chose servitude. To turn my back on that now...I would never be able to live with myself."

"What if Dad beats you and offers you the choice of death or neutrality?" Octavia offered. "Would that work? Then you don't have to participate in this war, and after Sigma's defeated you can come back to the Hunters."

Storm Eagle stared down at Octavia for a time. "X, your daughter is brilliant. Now, show me your power!" He dove straight at X.

X leapt to the side, using Chill Penguin's ice weapon to freeze Storm Eagle's wing joints. Kicking off the air ship's fin, he slammed into Storm Eagle's back, smashing him to the ground.

Storm Eagle cried out in pain as the ice breaking snapped his wings off, and then found X braced over him, one foot on the small of his back, the other on his buster arm. X's buster was charged, and pointed at his head. "Choose," X stated simply.

With a smile, Storm Eagle went limp. X and Octavia were beamed back to HQ for their next mission, while Storm Eagle was beamed straight to his temporary holding cell.

1: Burning Thunder

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On Storm Eagle's advice, X and Octavia were sent after Flame Mammoth next. Unlike the vast majority of the Hunters who joined Sigma, Flame Mammoth's goal was to let loose with his power and rampage, making him little better than Vile. Given the danger this presented, it was considered best if the pair went after him next.

When the pair warped into the factory that was Flame Mammoth's base, they found most of it frozen over. Chill Penguin had told them this might be the case, as he had sent his own power in that direction as part of his own rivalry with Flame Mammoth, and the presence of his weapon chip in X would amplify it.

X and Octavia made their way past several conveyor belts by taking the frozen ground underneath them, which would have been molten metal if not for the ice Chill Penguin's powers produced.

Partway along, they paused, both of them looking up. A good distance above them, several blocks similar to those the helmet upgrade could break were visible. "So...how do we get up there?" Octavia asked.

"Well," X began, "according to my calculations, that's exactly the distance we're able to dash jump from the edge of the platform we're on. So if we time the jump just right, one of us could catch hold of the blocks and break our way through into that narrow passage upward to whatever it holds above."

"Or you could throw us up there," Varia offered.

"Or I could throw you," X allowed, picking Octavia up as she curled into a ball.

Pulling his arm back, X hurled Octavia upward, causing her to smash through several of the blocks, allowing her to triangle jump the rest of the way upward. At the top, she found another Light capsule. As she approached, the capsule opened and the Light hologram appeared.

"Octavia?" he asked in surprise. "Where is X?"

"Down below," Octavia replied. "The path to this capsule wasn't viable for both of us, and it was easier to throw me than to have X try to climb up here."

"I see," the image replied. "Well, it's a good thing we discovered that upgrades Varia gets apply to X as well. This capsule contains an upgrade for your busters, allowing it to charge further. It will even allow you to charge your sub weapons."

"That will be useful," Octavia commented dryly as the hologram vanished. Stepping into the capsule, she tilted her head back as Varia downloaded the upgrade data, transferring it to X.

"Upgrade complete," Varia intoned as the boots around Octavia's forelegs gained a white sheen like those around her hind legs. "Buster charge level 3, Pink Stream, available. Sub weapon charge circuitry installed, up to level 4 Pink Shift."

Stepping out of the capsule, Octavia charged one of her busters to full capacity before firing it off, raising an eyebrow as a pink sphere flashed around her in recoil before a dual stream of pink spheres twisted forward in the air. "Interesting," she murmured as she leapt back down to X, who had also tested the upgrade. He gave her a thumbs up, and they continued onward.

The next section of the factory was large and open with scattered platforms. X and Octavia decided to split up to explore it before continuing on, X going high and Octavia going low. Octavia acquired another armor-energy upgrade - given they were shaped like hearts for some reason, she decided to mentally refer to them as Heart Tanks from now on - while X acquired another sub tank. This time, X took the opportunity to explain to Octavia that these stored extra armor-energy to replenish that which had been expended in battle.

Further onward, X and Octavia made their way over other conveyor belts, this time with crushers to be avoided. Beyond that were a few pipe segments with the occasional red hot drop of liquid dropping down towards them, and a few of the spike-ball wielding Sniper Joe reconstructs they had seen at the airbase.

Beyond that, they entered the massive chamber from which Flame Mammoth commanded his part of the rebellion. He let off a bellow as they entered. "So you've come!" he roared. "Well, you won't stop me!"

"So, there's nothing we can say or do to convince you to change sides?" Octavia asked as she began charging both her busters, X along with her.

"Nothing!" Flame Mammoth proclaimed. "I will destroy you both and bring your heads to Lord Sigma as proof of my supremacy!"

"So you're dead set on fighting us, then?" X asked as he and Octavia switched to Storm Eagle's weapon chip.

"But of course! Have at thee!" Flame Mammoth leapt forward, trying to crush them.

X and Octavia dashed under his jump, releasing three fully charged tornadoes spinning counter to each other all around him. In addition to draining a huge chunk of his armor energy, it tore his trunk and limbs from his body as the storms combined before dissipating.

"Are you still certain?" Octavia asked.

"But of course!" Flame Mammoth proclaimed angrily. "Even limbless, I serve Lord Sigma! With my last breath, I spit my defiance!"

"In that case, we'll just have to take you back to HQ," X replied in disinterest, "and hand you over to the Human Sensitivity Rehabilitation Department, where CiCi's in charge of convincing captured Mavericks to abide by the rules again."

"She's combat capable again, you know," Octavia pointed out.

Flame Mammoth's expression became panicked. "Did I say 'with my last breath, I spit my defiance'? My voice chip must be malfunctioning. You know that I meant to say, 'I've seen the error of my ways and wish to reconsider the benefits of my power to the world at large', right?"

X and Octavia looked at each other. "Are you convinced?" X asked.

"Not really," Octavia replied.

"I can tell you where the hostages Sigma used to force Sting Chameleon and Armored Armadillo to serve him are!" Flame Mammoth offered desperately. "If you save the hostages, those two won't fight you! They'd gladly switch back!(1)"

X and Octavia shared a smirk.

With Flame Mammoth in lockup and hemorrhaging information, X and Octavia went after Spark Mandrill next. Apparently, he was holding a young reploid Armored Armadillo had taken a shine to, which Sigma was using to force Armored Armadillo to rebel. Also, Spark Mandrill - both according to X's own experience and Flame Mammoth's information - was not the sharpest tool in the shed, and genuinely believed that he was on official Maverick Hunter business, and that X was the Maverick.

Teleporting into the power plant, X and Octavia found that most of the systems were shut down. From what a status screen nearby stated, this was likely due to no longer having a powerful wind from the airport turning the wind turbines to provide the excess energy for the power plant, beyond what Spark Mandrill absorbed to power his own weaponry.

As they progressed, they moved through several corridors with transparent walls and narrow platforms, including one set where a Sub Tank was visible with no means of access.

"How are we supposed to get that?" X asked.

Octavia scratched her chin. "...Varia? When you disengage from me, you float around me, right?"

"Yes," Varia replied.

"How far away from me can you get without breaking the connection?"

"20 feet," Varia replied.

"That sub tank's well within 20 feet," Octavia murmured. "...can you collect items while disconnected?"

"...I can find out." Disengaging from Octavia, Varia floated over to the sub tank, moving off the platform and around the wall. While she wasn't able to acquire it into her data, she was able to grab hold of it and give it to X when she returned.

"That'll be useful," X commented as Octavia once more donned Varia.

The next segment of the power plant was plunged into total darkness, save those bits illuminated by strange flying bots that dashed quickly forward, not actively trying to hit anything. Beyond that, a large, red, spheroid robot called a Thunder Slimer attempted to attack them, but its tendrils weren't able to absorb any energy from the plant. As a result, it had little options to attack them, and was easily destroyed.

Beyond that, the pair encountered a few Rush Roaders - one wheeled attack mechanaloids - and turn cannons - mounted turrets that fired in a predictable and easily readable pattern. The only danger either of these presented was due to their numbers and tight corridors, though both were neutralized due to Octavia having taught X how to shoot on a diagonal.

A Mega Tortoise - a purpleish tortoise mechanaloid that launched parachuting mines - blocked the path further forward. After dealing with it, X was able to throw Octavia upward to acquire another Heart Tank.

Beyond that, it wasn't long before they encountered Spark Mandrill himself. "Maverick!" he proclaimed. "I will stop you!"

"I'm not a Reploid," Octavia pointed out reasonably. "How can I be Maverick?"

"Sigma say Varia Maverick, and controlling you even when disengaged!" Spark Mandrill replied proudly.

"Why are you so proud of that?" X asked in confusion.

"Spark Mandrill proud of remembering orders fully!" the former Hunter replied. "Now I-"

Octavia fired two green charged Shotgun Ice blasts, crossing them so they impacted with greatly increased freezing potential. "Beam Spark Mandrill directly to the brig," Octavia ordered over the comms.

Once Spark Mandrill was beamed out, X and Octavia went to retrieve the hostage.

(1) According to the wikia I looked up, Sting Chameleon implies he - and others - were forced to serve Sigma due to the use of hostages. From what I've looked at on the same wiki on the personalities, the only X1 Maverick left that could apply to otherwise was Armored Armadillo, and that fit in with my usual stage order.

1: Shield and Sword

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Armored Armadillo had based himself in an old mine, as his projectile weapons required a steady supply of stone and energy ore. Unfortunately, the residual energies of the mine itself made scanning for his location very difficult, so X and Octavia were forced to beam in at the entrance and search the whole thing. Not far in - in fact, before they encountered any mechanaloids - they found a rail cart with a single wheel and spikes at either end.

"Looks like the whole place is on tracks," X pointed out.

"So we get to ride?" Octavia asked eagerly.

Nodding, X picked her up and leapt onto the cart. It immediately rolled down the track. Along the way, they encountered two types of bat mechanaloids - one of which made X feel oddly nostalgic, despite never seeing one like it before - and a couple of the flamingo bots. The cart then went off the track, and they both leapt off, Octavia blasting the Mechanaloids that tried to attack them as they came down.

Dropping down a shaft, X and Octavia were confronted by a mining mechanaloid with a massive spiked bar that it swung up and down to carve its way through rock...and other obstacles. However, Three Pink Stream charged shots released at point blank range to the optics so it took damage from the recoil fields as well tore it asunder, allowing X to pick up the fourth sub tank hidden behind it.

As they continued, they encountered waves of bat mechanaloids, metools, the occasional Spiky, and then another cart which took them through another segment, smashing through several more enemies. Dropping down another shaft, three more charged Pink Streams tore the next large mining Mechanaloid apart, leaving the path clear to collect the next Heart Tank.

After that, one last cart took them through the rest of the mine, and the pair shot down the bat and bird bots that got in their way. For the thrill of it, they leapt off the cart at the apex of a huge leap off a ramp into a wide pit.

To their surprise, they found another Light capsule, though this one looked different. When it opened, the Light hologram was wearing a karate gi. "X, Octavia," it began. "I have a special present for you...but you won't be able to use it yet. You will need to expand your armor energy by six more units and find the armor upgrade capsule before this ability will be usable, and even then safeties in the program will prevent its use unless armor energy is at maximum. However, there is no reason you can't download it now." The hologram vanished.

Curious, X and Octavia climbed into the capsule, feeling the program download into their systems. "Hadouken downloaded," Varia intoned. "Program currently locked until safety parameters met."

"Hadouken?" X asked, confused.

"We'll see when we've got what we need to use it," Octavia replied.

Dropping down, the pair went further on, finding Armored Armadillo waiting for them. The Hunter wasted no time confronting them. "There's nothing Maverick in following orders, X," he pointed out. "We haven't done anything wrong."

"We know that's bull," Octavia pointed out.

X put his hand to his communicator. "Beam her in," he ordered.

At that moment, Alia - one of the few female Reploids designed specifically to act as a spotter - beamed in, a red-headed reploid girl not much older in appearance than Octavia clinging to her leg.

Armored Armadillo's eyes went wide. "Lauren?" he gasped in shock. "You're safe?"

The little girl smiled up at him. "Dildo!" she called happily, rushing up to hug Armored Armadillo, who managed to look embarrassed by the nickname.

X coughed, blushing and pointedly not looking at any of the females present. Octavia tilted her head in confusion. Alia did her best to stifle her giggles.

The hostages used to ensure Sting Chameleon's cooperation were apparently being held by Boomer Kuwanger, who had apparently decided by terms of logic to serve Sigma. Flame Mammoth had warned X and Octavia to be careful with him, as unlike Spark Mandrill, Boomer was highly intelligent and dangerous.

Boomer Kuwanger was based at the top of a high tower that was completely shielded against teleportation. As a result, X and Octavia were forced to beam in at the base and walk right in through the front door, climbing their way to the top. As they climbed, they encountered turret Mechanaloids - mobile and otherwise - and the spike ball and shield wielding bots.

At the first horizontal segment, X and Octavia had to evade some security laser traps and flying robots that tried to knock them into said traps. The next vertical segment had Mega Tortoises, which were dispatched readily and with ease. After that was an elevator with spiked walls and obstacles. As Jammingers occasionally swooped down to attack them, Octavia stood close to X, who used a Pink Charge Rolling Shield - Armored Armadillo's weapon chip - to protect them both, since the Jammingers died on impact with the shield.

Beyond that, they had to climb up the outside of the tower, dealing with turrets and monkey-like Mechanaloids on ladders. Much to their surprise, all exploded on contact with the shield surrounding X, so Octavia merely clung to X's back as he climbed.

Just before heading back into the Tower, Octavia sent Varia to collect a Heart Tank just visible on a ledge that jutted too far out to grab onto by normal jumping. "Two more to go until we can use the Hadouken, according to what Dr. Light said," she pointed out.

"Right," X agreed, leading them inside.

The last stretch of the tower contained only mobile turrets which had to be destroyed to free up the platforms to the top. Once done, they reached Boomer Kuwanger, who blurred into the chamber.

"You have convinced many to change their minds," he stated coldly, "but I will not. I know the truth of Sigma's logic."

"What is Sigma's logic?" Octavia asked curiously.

"He has discovered the path of Reploid evolution," Kuwanger replied. "He will lead us to that path, free of the humans...a world where Reploids are truly their own Masters, as we are designed to be."

"And towards that end, he asks you to...what?" Octavia inquired, sitting down to listen.

"To obey his orders without question, as we do not see enough of the big picture," Kuwanger explained.

"So, in essence...to accept him as your Master?" Octavia clarified.

"Yes. This is acceptable logic, as he is a prophet," Kuwanger confirmed.

"I see," Octavia agreed, nodding her head. "Is X a Reploid?" she asked suddenly.

"What does that have to do with the discussion?" Kuwanger demanded.

"I believe it will be the core of it," Octavia countered. "Please answer the question."

Boomer Kuwanger stared at her for a time. "No," he replied finally. "X is not a Reploid."

"What is he, then?"

"Technically, the last of robotkind," Kuwanger replied. "The final evolution of robots."

"The first robot not bound by the three laws, and thus able to choose to disobey robots' 'human masters'," Octavia clarified. "Correct?"

"That is correct," Boomer Kuwanger replied. "That nature was the basis of Reploid programming."

"So, wouldn't that imply that Reploid evolution is derived from X?" Octavia asked, smirking.

"...that is correct," Kuwanger agreed nervously.

"Then how is going back to the nature of robots - unquestioningly obeying a Master - the forward movement of Evolution that Sigma promises?" Octavia inquired.

Boomer Kuwanger raised his hand to reply...but hesitated. "It is not," he stated at last. "Sigma's promise of evolution possesses a fundamental logical flaw."

"Then perhaps you should reconsider your allegiance," she pointed out, "and prove your sincerity by releasing your hostages?"

"...your logic is undeniable," Boomer Kuwanger stated finally, opening a door.

X and Octavia looked into the door...and face planted.

1: Ocean of Trees

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While it had been X and Octavia's intention to immediately seek out Sting Chameleon to swing him back to their side with the rescued hostages, word had reached them that Launch Octopus was about to launch a major assault on Abel City in general and Maverick Hunter HQ specifically from his base in the ocean. As a result, X and Octavia were forced to go after him first.

As they teleported in, they found themselves in water. The water was only waist high on X, but Octavia was already dog paddling to stay afloat. "How am I supposed to fight like this?" she demanded. "I can barely keep my head above water!"

"Calculating..." Varia replied. "Solution found. Balancing your weight against the strength of the Dash unit, temporary modifications can be made to provide a steady thrust to let you maneuver in the water."

"Do it, then!" Octavia ordered.

Varia promptly began to alter configuration. Sealing Octavia in completely, she then locked Octavia's hind legs pointing backwards, with fins to the sides for angling in the water, her forelegs still mobile to shoot at anything.

"...this is not comfortable," Octavia complained as the dash units gave her a steady thrust like an outboard motor.

X did his best not to burst into laughter.

Once in the main part of the ocean, the pair moved forward easily, mostly dealing with blowfish and seahorse based mechanaloids. They also encountered a submersible with an optic light designed to lock onto their location, an intake turbine for drawing water in or expelling it outward, and missiles it could shoot. Octavia moved above it to behind it, allowing them to trap it between them. Since Octavia had two busters to work with and was more mobile, it classified her as the greater threat, and slowly turned to face her. However, it was destroyed by the time it had fully turned. This tactic worked just as well with the second one.

Shortly thereafter, X made his way to the surface to take down a warship, which crashed through the sea floor to reveal another path. Along that path, the pair encountered a giant sea snake mechanaloid, which Octavia's mobile combat proved very effective against, as all it did was swim around trying to smash them with its body. Behind it, they found the second to last Heart Tank they needed to unlock the Hadouken.

Up above, they encountered another sea snake mechanaloid, which mixed up its combat by diving into the sea floor to hide on occasion. It proved no more of a challenge than the previous one, however. Shorty thereafter, they reached Launch Octopus' base of operations.

"So you've come to me at last," he bubbled, laughing to himself as his tentacles waved in the water. "Now you will see what a true artist I am in underwater combat!" Without waiting for a response, he leapt towards them, firing off his missiles.

X dashed under him, switching to Rolling Shield. Octavia went up, switching to Boomerang Cutter. As Launch Octopus landed, X hit him from behind with a dashing, fully charged Rolling Shield, slamming him bodily against the wall.

"Gyak!" Launch Octopus gasped out, spinning around to face X. "You'll pay for that-"

Diving straight down, Octavia launched two Boomerang Cutters, each one slicing two of Launch Octopus' tentacles off.

"Gyah!" he screamed out in pain. "That hurt! What happened to taking us alive and in one piece?"

"I'm running out of oxygen," Octavia replied simply.

"I don't have the tech to handle that aspect yet," Varia added.

X slammed his buster into Launch Octopus' mouth, his buster charging to pink. "So you can either surrender, or I blow your head off," he stated simply. "If your stubbornness makes you a threat to my daughter, you aren't worth my worry or hesitation."

Launch Octopus stared into X's eyes, and found only determination. He would pull the trigger. Not wanting to die, Launch Octopus shut his motor functions - and the teleport shield around his base - down.

The three were immediately teleported back to base, Launch Octopus straight to the cells.

As X and Octavia beamed into the jungle that was Sting Chameleon's base of operations, X turned to Octavia. "You need to be extra careful here, Octavia," he pointed out, indicating the large basket strapped to the pony's back. "That's precious cargo."

"I know, Dad," Octavia replied, settling herself. "I won't let it come to harm."

Nodding, X led the way forward. Octavia backed him up with blasts from her busters, but she couldn't risk charging above Green Burst, and had in fact disabled Pink Stream function temporarily. X blasted his way through lumberjack bots, grasshopper bots...and bush bots. He decided not to comment on the strange design.

When they came to a point where the path split into three layers, Octavia held up a hoof. "Varia's sensors indicate a heart tank below us, and something creating seismic disturbances above. If we try to take the middle path without dealing with the upper path, we are likely to face a cave in."

Nodding, X took the lower path first, using the high water level to leap to the Heart Tank easily, before then taking the upward path. Octavia waited for his return.

After a time, Varia beeped. "New armor upgrade data incoming!" Her armor flashed, the entire thing now glittering with a white sheen. "New energy fields and reinforcements of armor reduces damage taken by 50%. ...armor unit can now generate oxygen for aquatic mode."

"That would have been useful earlier," Octavia pointed out with a roll of her eyes as X returned.

"Hadouken unlocked," Varia added.

As they progressed, X decided to test out the Hadouken, as he currently had full armor energy. The small fireball that was launched forward looked pathetic...but it destroyed anything it came in contact with.

Traversing forward, the pair came to a ride armor, which Octavia took control of. Making their way across a swamp, the pair reached Sting Chameleon's lair without problems.

Sting Chameleon revealed himself, a sad expression on his face. "You cannot talk me into changing sides," he stated simply. "There's...too much riding on this for me."

"We know," X replied as Octavia set the basket down.

"Though we don't...fully understand," Octavia added, uncovering the basket.

Inside was a female Akita and four nursing puppies, the 'hostages' they had rescued from Boomer Kuwanger's base. The adult lifted her nose and let out a short bark.

Another bark responded, and a male Akita raced up to the basket, his tail wagging eagerly as he nuzzled the female and the puppies.

Sting Chameleon stared from the adult dogs to the puppies, then finally to X and Octavia, tears in his eyes. "Thank you," he said simply before approaching the male Akita, scratching it between its ears. "I told you I'd get them back," he whispered to the dog. "I kept my promise, Hachiko..."

With a happy bark, the Akitas licked Sting Chameleon's face affectionately.

1: Attack on Sigma

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With the last of the turncoat Hunters either captured or having switched allegiances back, Zero returned with the location of Sigma's Fortress. It turned out the Fortress was a mobile, flying fortress, which was why it had been so hard to locate. No one was quite willing to answer Octavia's question of why it was difficult to locate a floating, upside down mountain that wasn't there the day before Sigma began his rebellion.

With X and Octavia fully armed, the trio were immediately dispatched to take down Sigma. Their orders...terminate with extreme prejudice.

As the trio beamed in close to the Fortress, Zero spoke up. "Let's split up," he suggested. "I'll go in first and distract the main defenses, and you two can slip in unnoticed."

X and Octavia both nodded, accepting the plan.

Once Zero had enough of a head start and the sounds of pitched battle reached their ears, X and Octavia began their infiltration. A few Jammingers and Mega Tortoises blocked their path before being blasted, leaving some flying platforms to ascend to reach the Fortress. Once inside, they followed a narrow path with a few rotating turrets, Deerballs, and Gun Volts.

At that point, they climbed several ladders, only to find Vile blocking their path. Zero leapt in. "Stay back you two!" Zero ordered. "I'll take him!" Vile withdrew through a door, with Zero in hot pursuit.

X and Octavia quickly followed, charging in after them, only to hear the sounds of intense battle as they passed through a narrow tunnel. When they caught up, Zero was trapped in a stasis cage - a green capsule using an electrical shield to keep its captive immobilized, via a feedback loop with the captive's own energy source - and Vile was in a new Ride Armor, this one dark purple and grey.

"Do as I say or he's history!" Vile ordered.

"You can take him!" Zero called out.

"Not this time!" Vile barked.

Octavia, for her part, had climbed up to the shoulder of the Ride Armor while everyone was arguing. "Didn't we just do this?" she asked, charging her busters.

Vile turned, and his shoulder cannon blasted Octavia right in the face, blasting her back as she screamed in pain. "I fixed some bugs," he countered.

"Tavi!" Zero shouted out, shattering the stasis cage as he leapt for Vile. X charged in as well, his eyes burning red.

Spinning, Vile seized Zero in one of the Ride Armor's hands and began to squeeze. The shriek of twisting metal could be heard, but Zero focused his gaze on Vile, charging his buster. However, with his buster trapped in the grip and being twisted, the charge resulted in a massive explosion, tearing the Ride Armor apart.

"What the-" Vile began, only to feel two hands grab him, one by his face, the other by his shoulder.

"You hurt Tavi," X growled out as his hands glowed, his white hot fingers thrusting into Vile's eye sockets, boiling his eyes out. "You die!"

X pulled his hands apart, tearing Vile's head from his body. X struggled to get himself under control. "Octavia?" he called out.

"Daddy?" Octavia begged, staggering around, one hoof over her eyes. "I...I can't see anything..."

"I managed to get the energy fields in place," Varia spoke up, "but the plasma interacting with the energy shield caused a bright flare of light, and I didn't have time to get her visor down, too. She's just flash blind."

"Still hurts," Octavia whimpered as X scooped her up.

"T...Tavi?" Zero gasped out.

"Zero!" X rushed forward, Octavia in his arms.

"I'm...I don't think I'm gonna make it..." Zero gasped out. "I'm...I'm too damaged...Auto repair...can't handle it and...the evac circuits...are broken...can't beam out..."

"But...but Uncle Zero..." Octavia whimpered, falling out of X's embrace as she staggered blindly over to him.

One hand reached up, pulling her close. "It's...it's okay, Tavi...I knew this...might happen..."

Octavia blinked her eyes. "But...but I don't...want to lose you..."

"Can't...make it back...in time..." Zero gasped out. "But...you and X...will..."

"Varia!" X suddenly barked out. "How much can your emergency evac circuits beam out?"

As Zero and Octavia turned to X in confusion, Varia beeped a few calculations. "More than just Tavi. Not everything...but with luck, enough."

"Then do it!" X ordered.

"But Da-" Octavia's words were cut off as she and about half of Zero was beamed out.

Once Octavia and Zero were safe back at base, presumably, X charged forward. While numerous enemies tried to get in his way, he blasted them apart...or tore them apart bare handed if he got close enough. When too many got in the way, he released a Pink Charge Chameleon Sting, letting him phase through everything in his way, ignoring everything that tried to stop him.

Before long, he came across a mindless duplicate of Boomer Kuwanger. However, X's patience was short. He had to make his way through to where he could set up a discrete teleport beacon before he could go back to HQ to check on Octavia and Zero, and this doppelganger was getting in his way!

Switching to Launch Octopus' Homing Torpedo, X fired off a few, catching the Boomer Kuwanger duplicate off guard, then charged forward while he was flinching. Seizing the duplicate's horn boomerang, he tore it off and proceeded to drive it repeatedly into the bot's chest until it ceased functioning, before charging onward.

A stray thought flitted through his mind, wondering what the message on his HUD, 'Nega-Freak Mode activated' meant.

Eventually, X reached a large chamber that was the perfect place to set up the teleport beacon, but a large spider mechanaloid was guarding the chamber. It climbed down several poles to try and attack him, before opening an optic to locate him again. Knowing the large red optic would be the only weak point, X leapt forward, tore off one of the spider's legs, and jammed it straight into the optic, shattering it.

He then stood back as the spider bot writhed on the ground, watching for a time. Deciding to make sure, he ripped another leg off before jabbing it in, finishing it off. Once it was down for the count, X set up the teleport beacon and beamed out back to HQ to check on Octavia and Zero.

1: The Second Charge

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When X beamed back into Maverick Hunter HQ, he ignored everyone around him as he rushed to the med lab. "Are they okay?" he demanded of Lifesaver. "Octavia and Zero? Are they alright?"

Lifesaver shrugged his shoulders. "Octavia's fine. She was just flash blind. She's recovering nicely, and should be ready to join you in battle again soon." He gestured to where Octavia was pushing herself to her hooves, her eyes covered by a purplish visor that resembled dark sunglasses.

X rushed to her side, gently stroking her mane. "Where'd the glasses come from?" he asked, confused and concerned.

"A reploid not in the registry stopped by and gave them to her," Lifesaver explained. "Introduced himself as Prometheus. Said the glasses would interact with her armor to let her maneuver by echolocation if her eyes took too long to recover, as well as protecting them while they recovered. After he gave them to her - and spent a few minutes brushing her mane to calm her down - he went up to talk to Dr. Ciel and Dr. Cain."

X nodded, managing a soft smile as Octavia nuzzled him to assure him of her well being. "And Zero?" he asked.

"He...is not doing so well," Lifesaver explained, gesturing to the stasis capsule - based off the original Light Capsule X had been found in - that held the portion of Zero that was recovered. "He's missing several crucial components, and what parts he still has are badly damaged. We've put him in stasis until the missing parts can be recovered and his repairs completed."

"So...he's alive, but in a medically induced coma?" Octavia inquired.

"Basically," Lifesaver confirmed.

"Alright," X said at last, getting back to his feet. "Octavia, you stay here and rest up. I'm going to go finish Sigma once and for all."

"Father, no!" Octavia called out, getting to her hooves. "Don't leave me behind!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, X," Lifesaver stated bluntly. "According to new protocol, you can't go out on Hunts when she's injured. New directive from Dr. Ciel."

"What?" X demanded angrily. "Why?"

"To keep you from becoming a monster," Ciel said bluntly, walking into the med lab behind X. "Do you even remember what you did after Octavia beamed out?"

X blinked. "I don't...I broke through the defenses to place the beacon."

"I meant specifics," Ciel pointed out, turning on a screen and calling up the video files of X's rampage through that part of Sigma's Fortress.

X stared in shock at the footage of his brutal treatment of the Boomer Kuwanger duplicate and the large spider mechanaloid. "I...did I..."

"Prometheus was able to give me a few details about your construction," Ciel explained. "Something that was deliberately designed so it couldn't be duplicated, and thus is in no Reploid in existence...but is in you and Zero. It's triggered by your fear for Octavia, especially when she isn't present. As such, you aren't allowed to go on missions while she's in the med lab."

X swallowed the bile in his throat, still staring at what he'd done. "U-understood."

"I'm ready to go," Octavia pointed out, hopping down from the bed and walking up to X's side. "This sonar is really advanced. Someone who really knows sound technology must have designed it. And we can't really let Sigma recover his forces any further."

Ciel nodded. "If you're both ready to go..."

X and Octavia beamed into the new section of the Fortress, X immediately bracing himself protectively around Octavia. "Are you sure you're up to-"

Octavia promptly shot a bat mechanaloid out of the air, one X hadn't even seen yet. "I'm not helpless," she growled out. "I can fight."

Sighing, X nodded, leading the way further in.

The first obstacle they faced was a set of three moving platforms. For some reason, X felt nostalgic at the sight. The pair leapt across easily. The mechanaloid enemies proved no true obstacle, and before long they entered a chamber containing a duplicate Chill Penguin. Knowing from the real Chill Penguin about his vulnerability, X and Octavia immediately switched to Flame Mammoth's weapon. The copy was unable to face the two pronged flaming assault - especially as it had only a basic combat program - and quickly went down.

Beyond there, Octavia took control of a Ride Armor, using the systems in her glasses to interface the sonar with the Ride Armor's systems. At the end of the path, they left the Ride Armor behind, climbing up twin passageways where shooting up resulted in everything they encountered being easily destroyed before it could become a threat.

In an open air area, they encountered a duplicate of Storm Eagle. X used his strategy of freezing the wing joints and breaking them off, while Octavia used Chameleon Sting to fry the duplicate's highly-sensitive optic circuits, causing its systems to crash.

After a short climb upward, they encountered another Fortress Guardian. This one seemed to be a giant face. The eyes and nose were separate drones that attacked in different patterns, and the mouth was a spike trap.

"Careful of the spikes," X warned. "They generate an electromagnetic field specifically designed to fry positronic circuitry."

Octavia blinked. "You mean what makes your inorganic brain work?" she asked.

"Precisely," X confirmed.

"But my brain's organic," she pointed out. "What effect would it have on me? I mean, the sonar isn't registering the spikes as a danger, except the points, and them minimal."

As they had been talking, each of the eyes had attacked, colored blue as they moved towards first X and then Octavia before returning to their protected sockets. At that point, the walls closed in, forcing X to climb to avoid the spikes. Octavia, however, was caught off guard and fell into the spikes, but managed to land between two.

"Octavia!" X called out worriedly as the nose started to bounce around. "Are you alright?"

Several blasts shot upwards, impacting the nose. "I'm stuck, but otherwise fine!" she called back up. "According to Varia, if the spikes were smaller, I could walk right over them, and between them if they were larger. But I'm just the wrong size for these. I can beam out just fine, though!"

Before long, all three parts of the Guardian were obliterated. The spikes vanished as it ceased to function with a rather impressive explosion. Octavia happily climbed out of the pit.

"Setting up the beacon to get us to the next sector," X stated happily, tousling her mane.

With a wide grin on each of their faces, they beamed out.

1: Fall of Sigma

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X and Octavia went straight to the next section of Sigma's fortress, climbing up a narrow passage to the next chamber containing a Maverick Hunter duplicate. This one turned out to be of Armored Armadillo. After dodging the duplicate's first rolling charge bouncing around the room, X used his Electric Spark - taken from Spark Mandrill - to electrify the duplicate, causing its armor to fly off. When it turned to try and shoot him, Octavia unleashed a Hadouken into its back, exploding it in one hit.

X stared in shock at that. "...wow. Dad wasn't kidding when he talked about how powerful that was."

"I doubt the higher ups will let us keep the technique unlocked after Sigma's down," Octavia pointed out. "We'll probably have to seal it up."

"Likely," X agreed. "So let's make as much use of it as we can in the meantime."

Octavia couldn't help but grin widely at that suggestion.

After another short passageway with a few easy to destroy Mechanaloids, they came across the duplicate of Sting Chameleon. Octavia hit it with her Hadouken while it was still posing dramatically. "Why do they even do that?" she asked.

"Dunno, but I call the next one," X pouted.

After another short passageway, they came to a duplicate of Spark Mandrill. Octavia froze him with Shotgun Ice, allowing X to obliterate him with his Hadouken.

The next passage took them underwater. Varia immediately shifted to her aquatic configuration, giving Octavia freedom of movement. Since the armor upgrade allowed Varia to generate oxygen, they weren't in any rush at this point. As the duplicate of Launch Octopus lowered down into the battle chamber, X fired his Hadouken, catching the tips of the copy's feet before it could touch down. It exploded quite pleasingly.

Octavia stared in consternation. "Wow...this is seriously overpowered. Maybe HQ will be right to deny us usage of this in the future."

"Possibly," X allowed. He then smirked. "Not gonna stop us from abusing it in the meantime, right?"

Octavia grinned right back.

After using a fully charged Chameleon Sting to speed through the next narrow passage over spikes - X explaining how the fully charged technique actually fazed them both slightly out of sync with the rest of reality, which is why the spikes didn't effect him - they reached a duplicate of the chamber where they originally faced Flame Mammoth...along with a duplicate of Flame Mammoth.

"Almost too easy," X and Octavia commented together after they both fired off their Hadoukens.

Beyond that chamber, they faced the final Fortress Guardian, which looked like a massive, robotic canine skull, split between upper and lower jaws. The lower jaw was a platform moving back and forth on the floor, while the upper moved around to smash into walls.

"Doubt we can abuse it here," X murmured.

"Pick me up," Octavia instructed.

Nodding, X did so. With him holding her over his head, she fired her Hadouken, catching the top half of the Guardian as it came down to meet the lower half. Both promptly exploded violently.

"Maybe it's just that there's two of us that it's so devastating," X murmured as they set up the remote beacon before heading for the final fortress segment.

The pair beamed in at the bottom of a narrow vertical passageway. Climbing to the top, the pair found Sigma awaiting them with his canine mechanaloid. "Ah, X, I've been expecting you." He raised his eyebrow at Octavia. "Though I wasn't expecting her to be here. I was under the impression that you were quite...protective of her."

"New regulations after what happened when Vile injured her," X explained. "Until further notice, I'm not allowed out on hunts without her, since I apparently can't control myself when I'm afraid for her well being."

Sigma nodded. "Yes...I saw how you dealt with Vile...and Boomer Kuwanger...and my spider...however, I believe my pet will-"

"That's a good puppy!" Octavia cooed happily, scratching the wolf like canine mechanaloid on the belly. "Yes you are! Yes you are!"

The robowolf, for his part, let out a happy howl as he lay on his back for belly rubs.

Sigma's eyes narrowed as he threw off his cloak, drawing his beam sword. "You dare corrupt my pet?" he roared, lunging forward.

The wolf grabbed Octavia and leapt out of the way as Sigma brought his beam sword down.

"Hadouken!" X shouted from behind him.

Sigma immediately spun, raising his beam sword to block...only for Octavia's Hadouken to hit him in the back. His body was obliterated, leaving only his head behind. "A clever strategy," he proclaimed as his head floated up to attach to a massive battle body. "However, you will find it less than effective against me now!" As the body locked his head in place, he heard the tinking sound of metal against metal to his left. "Huh?" Turning, his eyes met Octavia's as she was braced against the metal ear of the giant battle body, her forehooves pulled back. "How?!"

"Sigma," Octavia stated bluntly, "you have been found guilty of crimes of terrorism, mental manipulation of Reploids, and presenting a clear and present danger to the world at large, human and Reploid alike. By order of the Maverick Hunters, I hereby carry out your termination." She thrust her legs forward. "Hadouken!"

Sigma screamed out a long, despairing, "NOOOOOOOOO!" as his battle body erupted in a massive explosion. X, Octavia, and the wolf promptly beamed out, landing on a nearby cliff to watch the fall and destruction of Sigma's Fortress.

As X stared out at the destruction he'd played a part in, he wondered if he had taken the best path. All eight rebelling Hunters who had followed Sigma were in captivity, some to rejoin the Hunter's ranks. Sigma had been destroyed, and very few lives had actually been lost in the fight. Zero was injured, but he would be repaired someday. But...was there another way to handle this?

"Who's a good puppy? Yes you are! Yes you are!"

X turned with a smile as he heard that happy howl. "I guess you've got yourself a pet now," X joked.

The wolf barked happily. "No, he was talking to me!" Octavia snapped, sticking her tongue out at the wolf, who growled playfully back.

X couldn't help but laugh. "Does he have a name?"

Octavia cocked her head as she listened for a time to the wolf. "He says he was based off of a wolf robot support unit from before The End Times. The robot was named Treble - or perhaps Gospel, he isn't sure...and his name is Classic."

X glanced down at the wolf. "Classic, huh?" he murmured as the wolf began to wrestle with Octavia. "...it suits you. Both of you."

Alia stared in shock as a message appeared tagged for delivery to X, especially so soon after Sigma's defeat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl2weRnBsBo

Rebuilding

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With Sigma's defeat, the Maverick Hunters set about rebuilding their structure and repairing the world around them. With a few exceptions, the majority of the formerly rogue Hunters were reinstated, and with the destruction of Sigma's body, the only copy of the remote control circuitry was destroyed.

X and Octavia, however, weren't as happy as the rest during the rebuilding efforts. Despite everything, no one knew enough to repair Zero in his present condition, and from the looks of things he would have to remain in stasis...indefinitely. Octavia was inconsolable over the loss of her 'Uncle Zero', sitting by his stasis capsule and staring at his floating, comatose remains. X remained by her side, wishing there was something he could do for her.

Alia made sure to keep them both well fed and online, talking to them whenever she stopped by with food, drinks, or bedding for the two of them. While X was certain that, like many of the female Reploids, she was under Octavia's adorable thrall, Octavia had noticed that Alia spent a great deal more time talking with X than tending to her. She found that oddly pleasing, but she decided not to say anything about it just yet.

Two months after the fall of Sigma, however, a new Reploid applied to the R&D Division of the med lab to work under Lifesaver. While this was hardly news, the thing that caught everyone's attention was that - on his application - he claimed to have the knowledge necessary to repair Zero. This was not a claim that was treated lightly, and both X and Octavia rushed to meet this 'new Doctor'.

The new Reploid had a very angular yellow face with a pointy white beard, pointy white sideburns, and a white mustache oversized for his face. He had two red eyes, one angular and one perfectly round. He wore a black, almost all-covering cloak, and what could be seen of his body under his cloak was blue. He also wore a cylindrical black and yellow hat with a green gem at the peak.

"Greetings," he stated jovially. "I am Serges. I understand you have need of a Doctor?"

X stared at Serges for a time. Something about him seemed...so familiar. Octavia, however, got straight to the point. "You said you know how to fix Uncle Zero?" she whimpered, her ears flat against her skull, eyes wide and hopeful, cuddling Varia in her forelegs like a teddy bear.

Much to X's amusement if not surprise, Serges closed both eyes and put one hand to his chest with a wince. When he regained control of himself, he grinned down at Octavia. "Yes, my little pony," he replied, patting her gently on the head. "I can fix your Uncle Zero."

As Octavia gasped excitedly, X leaned forward. "How?" he demanded. "Our best scientists have been studying his systems, but we can't do anything. How did you come by the knowledge?"

Smiling, Serges set the bag he'd brought with him down on the table, opening it up. In it were the missing sections of Zero's body: his leg units, his buster unit, and part of his torso. "I found these in the ocean after Sigma's Fortress crashed," he explained. "While damaged, they contained most useful data...as well as links to a data file from pre-End times called 'Project Animus'."

"Project Animus?" X asked curiously.

"Based on what I was able to tell when it forcefully downloaded itself into my hard drive before erasing itself in the original computer system," Serges explained, "it was written by Zero's original creator, as a backup in case he became damaged...and also as a means of allowing his systems to grow and develop as yours do."

X's eyes widened. "You mean...it's something like Dr. Light's hologram capsules?"

"Possibly," Serges allowed. "However, without having analyzed these capsules - or the Animus file - to any extent, I can't make a proper comparison. At any rate, I believe with the proper effort I can rebuild Zero, restoring his systems and functionality. However..." He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Given how the file reacted to my attempt to read it, I fear if anyone is watching while I access the Project Animus file, it will self delete, erasing my mind in the process as it did with the computer system it was stored on. So I'll need absolute privacy to do my work."

X frowned, not sure he liked what was being suggested. To put that much trust in someone they'd just met, especially with Zero...

Octavia looked up at X with pleading eyes. "Please, Father?" she begged. "It's the only chance we'll have of ever getting Uncle Zero back..."

X did his best to resist, but he could never face Octavia at her most adorable for long. No one could. "Alright," he relented at long last. "But I'll want regular progress reports and to examine your progress on occasion," he told Serges.

The new Doctor smiled beatifically. "That will be absolutely no problem whatsoever," he replied easily. "If it's quite alright with you, I'd like to get started right away."

"Go right ahead," X directed, gesturing to the med lab.

An hour later, Serges stood in a private area behind the med lab, completely free of any cameras or other monitoring equipment beyond what he brought with him or built himself. Zero floated in his capsule, still comatose.

Once he was absolutely certain he was alone and would be for the foreseeable future, Serges spoke. "Activate Animus Protocol. Password: Drop It."

Serges seemed to go completely limp for a moment. When he raised up again, he stood completely differently from before. He took in the broken parts, Zero's comatose state, and the damage he had undergone, and gently shook his head. "Oh my son," he murmured, a different voice than before, "what have you done to yourself?"

Sighing, he pulled out various tools. "Well, it's time to get to work." He smiled as he began the repairs based on what he had originally designed.

Repairs

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X sat back in his office as Serges entered to deliver his latest report. "So, Serges, how goes it with Zero?"

Serges smiled as he took a seat, reaching over to the desk to pet Octavia between her ears, just how she liked it. "Repairs on the disconnected parts are almost complete. Once data recovery is fully accomplished, and the part data restored, they can be reconnected to the main body for a full reboot of internal systems, bringing Zero out of his stasis coma in a full restoration."

"That's wonderful!" Octavia cheered happily.

X frowned a bit despite the good news, however. "What do you mean, 'data recovery'?" he asked curiously.

Serges leaned back in the chair. "You are aware that Zero, like you, is a robot? From the pre-End times?"

X's eyes widened. "That...how do you know that? It's not exactly common knowledge regarding me..."

Serges shrugged. "The Animus Project data file contains a great deal of information...about you and Zero-"

"Does it have his original designation?" Octavia asked curiously. "Zero's always been bothered that he couldn't remember that...though he tended not to think about it."

Serges shook his head. "Zero was the final result of 'Project Revelation', but the Animus file states that he was supposed to choose his own designation upon activation. From what I understand of the file, Zero's activation didn't go as planned...and Project Animus activated as one of several backup plans regarding his activation and capabilities."

"You mean...you're not just restoring him to what he was when we got to know him?" X gasped out. "You're...restoring him to who and what he was supposed to be before he went berserk?"

Serges shrugged his shoulders. "Not entirely," he admitted. "The technology doesn't exist to create a full restoration as is...and I don't possess the complete Project Animus file. It's my understanding that pieces of it will activate and seek Zero out as the technology for his restoration becomes available. However, I do not believe any of it will affect his core personality."

"That's good," Octavia breathed in relief. "So, what was that about the data in Uncle Zero's parts?"

"Well," Serges continued, "Zero is a battle robot first and foremost. Every part of him is designed to maximize his combat potential. In order for him to function properly, all of him must be stabilized with the battle data. However, the parts recovered from Sigma's crashed fortress had their data wiped. I'll need to restore or rebuild the lost data to levels equivalent to restore their functionality, and allow the reassembly."

X nodded. "I see. Do whatever it takes to bring Zero back online, Doctor. We're counting on you."

Serges bowed happily. "Will do, X. Will do."

"Can I ask a question?" Octavia spoke up. "About what you've shown us of the redesign?"

Serges smiled beatifically. "Certainly."

She pointed at one of the status photos. "Why does he have...boob lights?"

X struggled to suppress a snort in his coffee.

Serges chuckled. "Those are additional power cores, to unlock the entirety of his combat prowess."

"Aren't exterior mounted power cores a bit dangerous?" X asked worriedly.

"They generate deflective energy shields, the same way Varia does over Octavia's flesh," Serges pointed out. "And it's necessary, since his body structure doesn't provide enough coolant for three cores without the exterior ventilation."

"Why there?" Octavia inquired.

"Because the torso is the last part of him likely to be severed," the Doctor explained. "Where else should I put them? Between his legs?"

X promptly spat his coffee all over the wall before going into a coughing fit. Alia, working on some data on another comp unit in the office, quickly rushed over to pat him on the back.

While neither X nor Alia were looking, Serges and Octavia exchanged a wink before the Doctor left the office.

Upon his return to the private, inviolate lab, Serges acted. Walking up to two incomplete reploids, he brought two of the Zero Parts over to them. The first Reploid resembled a gorilla with a morning star at the end of a chain topknot. He installed Zero's buster arm in the morning star. The second Reploid was humanoid in purple armor, with a beam saber equipped. He installed Zero's leg units in this Reploid's legs, greatly increasing its speed.

Taking the last Zero Part - the portion of his torso lost - Serges installed it into his own systems. He then spoke up. "X-Hunters Violen and Agile...Drop it!"

The two Reploids immediately came online. The gorilla like one, Violen, smashed his fist into his palm. "We ready to wreck X?" he demanded, his voice deep and gravely. "We smash and kill him?"

"Yes, Master," Agile added, his voice fawning and snively. "Is it time to unleash...devastation?"

Serges smirked. "In a manner of speaking. It's time to recover some...lost battle data. X is, of course, the best source of that..."

An alert went off throughout Maverick Hunter HQ. "Maverick alert! Maverick alert! There's a massive spike in Maverick activity! All active hunters, report for duty! All active hunters, report for duty! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! This is a level 10 Maverick Alert!"

X and Octavia turned to each other, nodded, and raced for the teleporters. They had a job to do, and they weren't about to be found wanting.

2: Battle is Met

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Octavia sat securely in the side car of X's Ride Chaser - a hoverbike designed to interface with Reploid circuitry for thought controls - as they raced towards the abandoned Reploid factory that was the focus of their mission. "So, we have reason to believe that some of Sigma's followers have gathered there?" she clarified.

"That's right," X agreed. "And we have reason to believe that they might intend to restart the factory, and use it to make an army...or even resurrect Sigma."

"At least Sigma's remote manipulation circuitry was unique," Octavia pointed out. "Even if he is rebuilt and restored, he won't be able to influence the thought processes of other Reploids."

"Exactly," X agreed. "But even so, I don't even want to think about what would happen if Sigma was rebuilt. After all, we don't have the Hadouken anymore."

Octavia snorted in disgust. As expected, Maverick Hunter policy dictated that any weapon technique that could instantly destroy a Reploid - like the Hadouken - was to be sealed and locked, only to be used in cases of utmost emergency. After all, the Hunters were supposed to try and take the Mavericks alive, killing only if necessary. "And I take it the chance of Sigma being resurrected doesn't qualify as an emergency?" she asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Unfortunately not," X replied. "Now, if Sigma is actually successfully rebuilt, restored, and rated as equal to or greater than his former capabilities, then we can unseal the Hadouken and use it...assuming we don't find another super weapon upgrade from Doctor Light in the meantime."

"That just might happen," Octavia mused. "For a man who wanted you to lead a peaceful life, he made you some powerful weapons..."

X couldn't help but chuckle at that, but frowned as laser fire started. "We're getting close and under fire. Hold tight."

Nodding, Octavia ducked close to the Ride Chaser, regretting that they gave the weapon chips back to the other Hunters when they were reinstated. A fully charged rolling shield would have been most welcome right at that moment.

"Now jump!" X shouted.

Octavia immediately jumped out of her side car as X leapt off the Ride Chaser, letting it slam into the attacking mechanaloid, destroying both. "Let's go," Octavia commented, charging up her busters.

The pair progressed into the underground facility through the cave entrance, blasting through the mechanaloids that blocked their path. Some were obviously designed only to block paths, being poles that extended from the ceiling. Others were small balls on legs with screwdriver noses. As they blasted their way through, Octavia noted that they were tougher than previous mechanaloids. Lifesaver had modified their busters so that the energy of the former 'Pink Stream' charge was now added to the 'Yellow Burst', resulting in a blue and pink blast that had the equivalent power of the 'Pink Stream', but took less time to charge and didn't waste energy with the recoil field. However, it wasn't as effective as it had been on the previous generation of mechanaloids, indicating these were designed tougher.

The next enemy they encountered was a new model of propeller grabber, like what they'd faced back at the airport when pursuing Storm Eagle, but far more flexible. When they climbed through an upward path, another mechanaloid tried to pull the walls closed on them, but the pair was too quick.

A long drop later, the pair encountered a massive battle mechanaloid, which attempted to attack them with spike ball hands. However, it fell from only a few charged blasts to the head, achieved with some upward aimed blasts. X idly wondered how long until enemy mechanaloids or Reploids started doing that.

With the giant mechanaloid defeated, X and Octavia searched around. "So...where are those Mavericks that were supposed to be gathered here?" Octavia asked after a time.

X frowned as he raised his buster. "You're right. Something about this doesn't add up. Let's get back to base and check in with Serges. If he can get Zero online, we'll do much better."

Octavai nodded eagerly in agreement, and they both beamed out, warping back to the HQ.

As soon as they arrived, Alia had bad news for them. "X! Octavia! Serges has gone missing, and so have the Zero Parts he brought in!"

"What?" X demanded in shock.

"We have to find him!" Octavia gasped. "He's the only one who knows how to fix Uncle Zero!"

"Unfortunately, we have other problems," Alia pointed out. "Eight new high level Mavericks have become active, led by a group calling themselves the 'X Hunters'. All eight are former Maverick Hunters themselves, either retired or formerly MIA. They're led by three unknown Reploids who seem to be moving about a great deal. Whatever this is about, it's plainly a vendetta against you personally, X."

Grunting, X primed his buster. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint them by not showing up," he replied, his face determined.

"But...but what about Uncle Zero?" Octavia whined.

"In all likelihood, these 'X Hunters' are behind Serges' disappearance and the theft of Zero's parts," X explained. "What better way than that to ensure I come at them full force so they can take me down?"

Octavia's mouth hung in shock before her face transformed into a furious visage. "They're gonna pay for that!" she snapped.

"There's more," Alia continued. "The pattern of Maverick assaults...it's the same as when Sigma started his war. There's a distinct possibility that...Sigma might be involved."

"We know what to do if he is," X replied firmly. "We're ready for anything."

2: Diplomatic Relations

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X and Octavia warped into the forest area of the Weather Control Center for their first mission against one of the Mavericks. "So, which Maverick's running amok here again?" Octavia asked.

"Wire Sponge," X stated. "Not much is known about him, since his data isn't in any registries. There's reason to believe he was built by Sigma, however. And be careful: Reploid and Mechanaloid weapon systems have improved since our last mission, and our armor has to adjust to the new damage levels. We can't take as much damage as before-"(1)

"Look!" Octavia interrupted, pointing to a hidden alcove in the wall above and behind them. "A Heart Tank!"

Smirking, X leapt up and grabbed it, increasing the armor energy of both their armors. "That will be useful. Let's go."

As they progressed, they encountered a few mechanaloids rising out of the ground, but they were easy to destroy. They also encountered two orbs that manipulated the weather in the area as they went. The second one caused a driving rain that caused a bit of a problem, but at Octavia's suggestion, they used the first in a sequence of narrow platforms over a pit of spikes to climb upward and take a different path. This path also led them to a new Sub Tank, which would prove useful since the old ones were already synced to their old armor energy levels. Since their armor energy now functioned differently with the new damage levels, the new sub tank synced to it, allowing it to hold enough energy to replenish either of them fully.(2)

Further onward, they took an elevator upward to another level of the area, dealing with frog based mechanaloids as they continued. Entering yet another building, they found their way to the Maverick in question.

The Maverick was bright green, resembling a sponge right down to the flower on his head. He lowered down from the ceiling via his long vines. "Hi! I'm Wire Sponge!" he called happily. "Do you wanna play with me?" His voice was...oddly childish.

X started to open his mouth to issue the charges of tampering with the Weather Control Center, but Octavia spoke up first. "Can we play jump rope?" she asked.

"Yay! I love jump rope!" Wire Sponge called out, hurling one end of his wire/vine to X. "Hold this!"

Not knowing what else to do, X caught the end. Octavia ran to the middle, and X followed Wire Sponge's lead in the skip rope chant as Octavia hopped over the makeshift rope.

"Built in a lab
The Little Sponge awakes,
Master says useless
And go away!
Broken mind
And broken heart,
Little Spongy
still does his part.
Master broken
Spongy lost
Like his base
His heart storm tossed.
Little pony
Oh so kind,
Be Spongy's friend
And calm his mind?"

As the jumping came to an end, Octavia hugged Wire Sponge. "Of course I'll be your friend," she said happily. "Want to come back to base? I think you and CiCi would get along well, too."

"Yay!" Wire Sponge cheered happily, clapping his hands. "I made some friends!"

X stared, unsure how to react to this.

Wire Sponge had been happy to hand over his Weapon Chip after making "so many new friends!", and so X and Octavia had the Strike Chain weapon to help them with their journey. Their next mission took them to the Desert Base...but they had company.

"So, why did you insist on coming with us, Storm Eagle?" Octavia asked when they arrived.

"Overdrive Ostrich served under me in the battle with Sigma," Storm Eagle explained. "If anyone can get him to talk about why he joined the X Hunters and convince him to change sides, it's me." He spread his wings. "I'll perform aerial reconnaissance, see if I can plot a safe path for you."

While Storm Eagle took to the sky, X and Octavia continued downward. Angled shots proved most effective in dealing with enemies as the climbed down ladders...and then they found a Ride Chaser. Grinning, they both immediately leapt on, skimming over the spikes. Using the Ride Chaser's built in blaster and Octavia's busters, they blasted through the enemies in their path and a large device that had been generating a sandstrom. Entering an indoor area, they were forced to abandon the Ride Chaser. Octavia was able to cross a pit of spikes - as they still had no effect on an organic being in Bio-Metal Power Armor - to collect another Heart Tank.

Not long after, Octavia paused as Varia gave an alert. "Light capsule detected," she proclaimed. "Wall is destructible, but not with currently available weaponry.

X nodded. "Then we'll remember to come back when we have a weapon that can do that," he instructed. "For now, let's keep going."

Not long after, they found a missile launching. Catching hold of it, the pair blasted it with everything they had to destroy it before it could get high enough for the payload to activate. As they landed in the desert, Overdrive Ostrich raced up to them.

"You!" he snarled viciously. "You'll pay for what you did to Commander Storm Eagle!"

X and Octavia stared at him in confusion...especially as Storm Eagle came in for landing behind him. "Tell me, Overdrive," he asked calmly, "exactly what did they do to me?"

Overdrive Ostrich spun to attack, but froze. "C-C-Commander? But...but you're dead! They...they showed me the footage! They showed me your destroyed Tornado Cannon!"

Storm Eagle lifted the arm with the cannon in question. "I wonder how they managed that..."

"Sigma did create a copy of you to defend his fortress," X pointed out. "If the footage you saw was on an aerial platform and not an airship, then it was the copy."

Overdrive blinked. "They...they tricked me?" he gasped out. "But...but..."

Storm Eagle stepped forward, resting his hand on Overdrive's shoulder. "Come back to base, my friend," he said softly. "We'll talk about it."

Upon the group's return to HQ, Alia raced up with a report. "Commander X!" she called out. "The upper cadre of the X Hunters has made its move, going to back up the other Mavericks! Three high level Reploids have been spotted and..." She gasped for breath, plainly not wanting to believe her own report. "One of them is Serges!"

"What?" X and Octavia demanded together.

"There's more," Alia continued. "Based on energy readings, they have Zero's missing parts installed in their systems!"

"Then we'll just have to take them back," X growled, priming his buster. "Along with some answers..."

Octavia bit her lip worriedly, hoping the battles to come would not damage Zero's pieces beyond repair...

(1) My explanation for why Life expansions don't carry over between games.
(2) And now the Sub Tank explanation.

2: Rolling Along

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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.

2: Washed Up

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When X and Octavia returned to base, Octavia turned to face him as Varia disengaged the sense blockers. "Father...what happened to Wheel Gator? Why has Varia uploaded his weapon in a way that only happens when a Maverick is terminated?"

X stared at her, doing his best to school his features. "After you lit the pool of oil on fire, he leapt out to attack you, and I was forced to terminate him before he ate you in one bite."

Octavia stared at her Father, and she could see the hesitation and worry in his eyes. "...is this what Alia's face would have looked like if she'd ever told me that your 'latest mission' was 'protracted'?" she asked pointedly.

X sighed in defeat. "She'd probably have done a better job..."

"Fair enough," Octavia allowed. "What's the next mission?"

X's eyes widened. "You're...you're not upset?"

"I'm your child, Daddy," she explained. "Lying to protect me from things is part of your job description. It would hardly be fair of me to get upset with you over being a good parent."

X let out a sigh of relief. "Alright. I think we'd best target the next X Hunter, as well as whatever Maverick is running amok there-"

"But I know Santa a few years back was Zero in a fake beard," Octavia pointed out with a smirk.

X groaned as he buried his face in his hand.

The entrance to the Deep Sea Base where Bubble Crab had set up shop was in a huge cavern. Heading deeper past a few bat mechanaloids, they quickly found themselves underwater.

Varia beeped an alert. "Classic Adapter has an aquatic mode that is more efficient than my own aquatic configuration."

"In that case," Octavia said quickly. "Classic, come!"

Classic promptly beamed in, merging with Octavia. Instead of jets of flame, the jets now shot bubbles.

"Fuel is not utilized for the bubble jets," Varia indicated. "Aquatic maneuverability not limited."

"Okay, we need to find a Light Capsule quick," X said firmly. "I want to know who designed something like that for you, and how come I don't have one."

Giggling, Octavia led the way into the water. A fish shaped sub came through a wall, but was quickly blasted to bits. X was able to climb quickly up the wall and across some platform columns to reach a hidden Heart Tank. Continuing further into the water, X and Octavia fought against several jellyfish shaped mechanaloids that carried an electrical charge. On the way, Octavia noticed a Sub Tank above the water, and gave X a lift up to grab it. When Octavia's scanners - upgraded for the purpose by Lifesaver - picked up the signature of another of Zero's parts, the pair went upward and out of the water into a square chamber. Agile came down between them.

"Welcome, X," he greeted firmly. "Your destruction is at-YOWCH!"

Agile was much less impressive running around like a headless chicken with Classic's fangs embedded in his ass. With that as a distraction, Octavia dashed in under Classic, switching to the beam saber subweapon she'd kept for just such an occasion. Extending a blade from each of her busters, she blurred past Agile, severing both of his legs, retrieving Zero's leg units.

"...not fair..." Agile whined as he beamed out.

X chuckled. "Not bad, Octavia. You and Classic make a good team."

Classic howled his pleasure at the praise.

Not far beyond, they found Bubble Crab's chamber. Bubble Crab himself dropped in, filling the chamber with water. Classic immediately fused with Octavia again.

"Well, well, isn't that interesting?" Bubble Crab muttered. "Tech like that will be worth a pretty penny to the right buyer..."

X growled fiercely. "Is that why you did all this? For money?"

"But of course!" Bubble Crab proclaimed. "What else is there? That's why I'm going to be sure to be very careful disassembling you, X! Your parts will fetch a very high price on the black market, higher if they're still functional."

"And I take it I can expect the same treatment?" Octavia asked. "Organ legging?"

"Oh no!" Bubble Crab proclaimed. "I wouldn't dream of harming a hair on your hide." He grinned lasciviously. "Once that armor's broken and the support unit's contained, you'll fetch a much higher price in one piece. There's all sorts who'd love to get ahold of you...someone who's legally an adult but with the body of a child-"

The last thing Octavia saw before the safety systems in the Classic Adapter sealed off her eyes, ears, and nose was X lunging for Bubble Crab, rage in his eyes and his hands glowing. The next input she received was Varia registering the acquisition of Bubble Crab's weapon, and an electronic message from X.

"Don't tell Alia?"

As the trio - including Classic - returned to base, Varia beeped a message. "Structural analysis complete. The unique wall in the desert region blocking access to the Light capsule can be destroyed utilizing the Spin Wheel subweapon."

"Then let's get going," X said quickly. "I want some answers about that Classic Adapter." While this was true, he privately figured that it would prove a good distraction from Octavia asking about what had happened to Bubble Crab.

"Me too," Octavia agreed. "I want some...answers." She gave X a searching look. He rubbed his head nervously.

Reaching the Light Capsule proved rather easy, as Overdrive Ostrich was able to provide the codes to get through the teleport shield to the exact location they wanted to go. X, Octavia, and Classic approached the capsule readily, and the Light hologram appeared.

"X, Octavia," Light explained. "This capsule contains an upgrade for your dash units, which will allow you to dash forward in midair."

"Will this have an effect on fuel consumption for the flight mode on this?" Octavia asked, merging with Classic.

Light's eyes widened in surprise. "A Power Adapter? In this age?"

"You know about it?" X asked in surprise.

"Indeed I do," Light explained. "I made one for your older brother, Rock, your predecessor. It allowed him to merge with his support unit, a robotic dog named Rush." Light rubbed his chin. "Actually, I think I still have the specs for it...and Rush is actually still active. A few upgrades, and he might be able to work with you as well."

"Do you have any idea who made this?" Octavia asked as X sat back, marveling at the idea of having a pet dog and a powered armor like Octavia's. "We found it in a capsule in the Dinosaur Tank."

"Describe the capsule," Light requested.

"It had a glowing blue horseshoe on the top," Octavia explained. "One that seemed to pulse to a beat. And the hologram inside was of a pony, like me."

"White coat?" Light asked incisively. "Unicorn? Horn passing through the gem hole of a helm like X's? Magenta sunglasses? Didn't say anything? Two linked eighth notes on her hindquarters in the same place you have a treble clef?"

X rounded to face the hologram again. "How...you know her? She's from your time?"

"Please, can you tell us anything about her?" Octavia begged. "I...I felt a connection to her. Like...I knew her somehow."

Light was silent for a time. "As much as I'd like to, I can't tell you anything beyond saying that anything you find in one of those capsules, you can trust implicitly."

"Why can't you tell us any more?" X demanded.

"Because time travel's involved, and I don't dare invoke a paradox," Light explained.

X sighed. "I guess we'll have to be satisfied with that..." Stepping into the capsule, he downloaded the upgrade. X and Octavia both promptly beamed out.

The hologram took shape once more. "...do you think they bought it?"

"Yupperdoodles!" a pony hologram stated as it appeared to the Light hologram's left, holding a sign that said "Spoilers!" on it.

"So does that mean..."

"Here you go!" the pony replied, handing over a holographic cupcake.

The Light hologram eagerly dug into the illusory confection. "So good...do I want to know how you made a cupcake that a hologram can eat?"

"Like my Daddy says...I'm Pinkie Pie, don't question it!"

"Ahem!"

Another holographic pony appeared to the Light hologram's right, identical to the other save she had no weapons strapped to her back. She held one hoof out demandingly.

The first pony hologram rolled her eyes. "I was only borrowing it! Geeze!" She promptly hoofed over the 'Spoilers' sign, and both pony holograms vanished.

The Light hologram blinked for a bit. "...should I be questioning my sanity about now? Do I even have sanity to question?"

2: Burning Friendship

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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.

@: sECRET mISSION

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CiCi beamed into the Robot Junkyard while the rest of the Hunters and Navigators were distracted by X reading Octavia a bed time story. While normally she'd be the first to be there for story time - and last to head out on a mission when she was still on duty as a navigator - but she'd received orders from an authority she considered much higher than Maverick Hunter HQ, or anything born of Earth for that matter. She had received a directive from her Father.

She knew directives like this would come. It was why her maker had designed her body as he did. The Etheric Drive, the Ancient Phylactery, the Runic Code...her body was built for one specific purpose. It was time for her to fulfill that purpose for the first time. She had no illusions that it would be the last.

On first entering the area, she noticed a Heart Tank suspended high above her on a distant platform. Easily utilizing several of the mechanaloids scattered about as fulcrum points, she used her tentacles to rappel upwards to grab the heart tank before dropping back down to the ground.

As she began racing towards the end, she found that one of the Light Capsules was present. While it didn't activate for her presence, she was able to easily hack its program and download the armor upgrade for X and Octavia. She'd be able to transfer it into their systems using the very capsule they were both stored in when they were found, which was back at HQ and served as X's repair bay. With that done, she continued onward.

Given her abilities, it wasn't long before CiCi reached the end, finding a small metal cocoon suspended from the roof of a small chamber by metal wire. Once there, CiCi spoke up...but in R'lyehian. "You aren't fooling anyone. I know what you really are inside that casing, Morph Moth...or should I say, Nyaruko?"

The metal cocoon cracked, eldritch light shining from within as it burst open. The many colored reploid moth that unfolded its wings as it exited glared at CiCi, its eyes glowing with the same dark light that shone from CiCi's. "Cthuko," it growled in a surprisingly feminine voice, also in R'lyehian. "I'd heard your father sent you here."

"Much as yours sent you," CiCi growled back. "I'd hoped my first assignment wouldn't be you. We used to be friends."

"Until you and your father betrayed everything we stand for!" Morph Moth snarled back. "What worth could these pathetic mortals possibly have to make you both change millions of years of tradition and way of life?"

"More than Father could have imagined," CiCi explained. "Do you think he made the choice lightly? To send me to this world, bound to a Reploid body, as its protector?"

"Madness!" Morph Moth growled back. "Why go to all the trouble of inspiring a mortal to create tech so far beyond their capacity-"

"Father inspired nothing," CiCi whispered, the whisper cutting through all sound. "The one who made this body was a follower of Father's, and he made the Etheric Drive and the Ancient Phylactery as offerings to Father...a way for our kind to walk upon the Earth without damaging the weft of creation...so that we need never leave."

Morph Moth hovered there, shock writ large upon his robotic features. "...impossible..." it whispered. "That can't be! For a mortal to craft such a thing, it would mean that he could comprehend the true nature of our energies...of our very lives!"

"That's right," CiCi replied. "And if they can do that...how long until they are able to craft weapons capable of destroying us?"

"Like you!" Morph Moth snarled. "It's not just the end of our way of life...it's our own end you're bringing!"

"No!" CiCi shouted defiance. "The Order has evolved! We are no longer beyond its grasp. We are now a part of it...and there is a place in it for us."

"If you truly believe that, then why did your Father demand that scientists sacrifice to bind you to that body?"

"To ascend him," CiCi replied bluntly.

"What?"

As Morph Moth stared, CiCi smiled. "This body was built as an offering to my Father...but it was designed for me from the beginning. Its maker is now in our dimension, awaiting the conclusion of my mission...so we can be together. He is my betrothed."

"What?" Nyarko shouted, the creeping chaos of her nature erupting beyond the Reploid body that contained it. "You would lower yourself to a mortal?"

CiCi chuckled. "Mortals are a lot more imaginative in certain ways than you give them credit for, Nyaruko."

With an inarticulate roar of rage, Morph Moth/Myaruko lunged for CiCi, the Reploid parts scattered about flying to her, starting to rebuild a semblance of her true form.

CiCi leapt to the side, evading the first lunge. Leaping onto her opponent's back, she plunged her tentacles through its body, both physical and ethereal. "By the way...Father did design these weapons...the Star Breakers. You can feel it, can't you? Your etheric energy draining away?"

"You...you wouldn't kill me, would you?" Nyaruko whimpered as her spiritual presence faded. "I...I was just doing what Daddy made me do...you...you're my friend..."

"Of course I wouldn't kill you," CiCi chided. "These weapons aren't even designed to do that. All it's doing is fragmenting your spiritual energy...until you slip into the Sleep of Ages. I'll see you again in 1000 years, Nyaruko. I think you'll be amazed at how the world's changed."

Morph Moth's eyes went dim as the spiritual presence faded completely. The Reploid body crumbled. CiCi collected the weapon chip.

"I know the rest won't be that easy," she murmured to herself. "But this is my job now. To make mortals see our kind as potential allies, rather than destroyers." As she turned to head back to the HQ, she chuckled to herself as her systems began playing one of her favorite songs. "And it was humans from ages before this that inspired this path," she muttered as she began singing along.

The song sounded very different in R'lyehian.

2: Technical Support

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When X and Octavia woke up from their slumber, they both felt somewhat confused to discover a new sub weapon, a new armor upgrade, and a new Heart Tank had been added to their systems. "How did this happen?" X asked in confusion.

"Have we been sleep hunting?" Octavia suggested.

"No," Varia spoke up. "CiCi uploaded these into our systems."

"CiCi?" X demanded in confusion. "But she's a navigator! How did she get these? Heck, how did she access a Light capsule?"

"She said to thank Prometheus," Varia replied.

X's eyes widened. "Prometheus can access Light capsules?" he breathed. "Just...just who is he? The codes to activate the Light capsules are hard coded in the black boxes of my central data core. That's why they only react to us, since they were copied to Varia."

"We'll just have to ask next time he's around," Octavia suggested. "For now, I want pancakes!"

X couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. "Alright. We'll hit the mess hall for breakfast, then see who we should go after next."

After a rather filling breakfast where Octavia had to remind several female Hunters - rather vocally - that despite appearances she was over 30 and fully capable of feeding herself, X and Octavia beamed into the Computer Center, where Magna Centipede - a Hunter who had been declared MIA some time ago - was managing some sort of broadcast for the X Hunters. "Are we ready, Dad?" Octavia asked, priming her busters.

"I think so," he muttered. "I...don't like going up against a former comrade."

"Maybe we can save him," Octavia offered. "He's from Uncle Zero's unit, after all."

"Maybe," X replied. "Either way, we're going to need to be careful going in. The computer center has very tight security."

The pair moved into the computer center carefully, blasting apart the floating security drones they encountered and evading the searchlights that would activate the security systems. Managing to evade the searchlights, Octavia made a brief detour straight up to collect another Heart Tank. Later on along the path, another upward detour allowed them to acquire the fourth sub tank.

Shortly after the sub tank, X and Octavia came to a large room where a hard light holographic sword with a green blade and a blue hilt took shape in the air to attack them. A few probing shots revealed that the blue hilt was the only part that could be damaged. Octavia dashed under the sword to the opposite end of the room, forcing the blade to deal with a pincer attack. Unable to handle it, it was quickly destroyed.

Beyond that chamber was a drop straight down filled with enemies and searchlights. The pair were able to avoid both as they moved rapidly, leading to a horizontal path. Blocks dropped downwards from the ceiling to block their path as scanners attempted to lock onto them. Taking the blocks path into account, X and Octavia were able to avoid the scanners, climbing up to another chamber like where they encountered the sword. This time, a large, green mechanaloid with long thin arms and a horizontally aligned cylindrical head confronted them.

"A Radar Killer," X muttered. "Careful, Octavia. If it's managed to analyze our data, it can power up to tackle us more directly."

"I'll be careful," Octavia promised.

However, the Radar Killer had failed to analyze their data as they'd evaded its scanner earlier. All it was able to do was throw pink plasma blasts, jump, and shoot a spread laser downwards in midair. All were easy for the pair to evade, leading to a predictable pattern to combat.

"Too easy," Octavia murmured as they moved onward.

At this point, the security system went into high alert, and all pretexts of stealth went out the window. The pair charged through the final stretch, blasting their way to the center of the complex. Reaching the center, they watched as Magna Centipede dropped from the ceiling across the room from them.

"For my new masters, you will die," he growled out, his voice flat and monotone.

As X readied for battle, Varia suddenly started speaking. "Tsk, tsk Magna. You had the element of surprise, and are a former ally, and we had no reason to think you couldn't be reasoned with...and you reveal yourself completely with lines like that? I thought you were the 'Crimson Assassin' of the 0th unit. Zero would be so disappointed in you right now."

Magna Centipede blinked in confusion. "But...but this is for Zero," he countered. "Why would he be disappointed in me for doing what must be done to revive him?"

What must be done? X wondered silently.

"Zero wouldn't give a damn about that!" Varia countered. "You know him. What he'd be upset with you about is that you're being so sloppy about it! Seriously, you could have dropped in behind us and infected us with the virus you're broadcasting before we could react, dropping our battle output or worse, and then proclaimed your intention while we were still confused about your actions. Talk about a major combat advantage you're throwing away when going up against us. Zero'd send you straight back to boot camp if he saw you do something like this!"

Magna Centipede suddenly snapped into a salute. "Yes sir, Commander Zero! Assassins do not grandstand! I'll report to KP duty immediately for my punishment detail!" With that, he promptly beamed out to Maverick Hunter HQ.

"X?" Alia asked over the comm. "Magna Centipede just beamed into HQ using the 0th unit security code...and started washing dishes."

X snapped his fingers as he realized what must be going on. "Alia, I think Magna Centipede may have been brainwashed at some point, using his duty to Zero as a trigger to break him. For now, tell him that Zero's ordered him to hand over his weapon chip and that is confined to quarters until Zero's current mission is complete. Once Zero's up and running again, he's going to be the key to helping Magna come back to himself."

"Understood, X," Alia replied. "...is it okay if I get CiCi to give those orders, though?"

"Shouldn't be a problem. We'll be heading back just as soon as we shut down the broadcast."

"Roger."

As X went to the machines, Octavia spoke up. "Varia, how did you know Magna Centipede was brainwashed?"

"I didn't," Varia replied. "I was just sick of how every Maverick we were facing came in grandstanding, and finally decided to say something about it."

2: Crystal Crimes

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As X and Octavia beamed into the Crystal Mine, X held up his hand to stop Octavia from charging in. "We'll need to be extra careful here," he pointed out. "The crystals in this mine are a rich source of energy. A badly aimed shot could trigger an explosion...or a chain reaction explosion. Also, the energy fields will interfere with some systems."

"Sounds like I shouldn't call Classic, then," Octavia murmured. "Hopefully we'll be able to get out of here quickly..." She glanced around nervously. "This place gives me the creeps..."

"Then stay close to me," X instructed. "Let's go."

As they moved into the mine, they came across a few bat mechanaloids, which were easily dealt with. Not long after, they found a Ride Armor with spiked fists. "Whew," X gasped in relief. "Kinetic force shouldn't trigger any explosions." He hopped into the armor, Octavia sitting in his lap.

Octavia blinked as Varia's sensors pointed something out. "I'll be right back!" Climbing upward, she slid down a pit to a small platform before a large gap. She could see the Heart Tank off in the distance, much too far to reach normally. Charging both her busters, she switched to Speed Burner. Leaping into the air, she triggered an air dash, then released the charged Speed Burners one after the other, giving her the equivalent of a triple boosted air dash, letting her clear the pit completely to collect the Heart Tank. Thankfully, a floating platform carried her back across the pit, allowing her to climb back up to rejoin X.

In addition to the gauntlets of the Ride Armor being spiked, they could be charged up for a dashing punch to smash through obstacles. It also had a limited use jet pack on its back. With the exception of when the crystal formations blocking the path were out of position - unlike X and Octavia, the Ride Armor couldn't attack at an angle - it could carry them through nearly anything. When they came across a badly positioned crystal, either X or Octavia would hop out to investigate a means to clear the path.

Eventually, they were forced to abandon the Ride Armor because it couldn't go up high enough to clear a wall. At the top of the wall was a mechanaloid inside a crystal shell, blocking their path. It attacked with a remotely controlled drone which shot at them with a projectile that ricocheted off the walls. Though intimidating, it did not take long to break through the crystal casing to destroy the core.

After that, they had to race down a slope ahead of a crystal formation that broke away and was sliding after them. Escaping it, they followed another signal down into another pit. After passing several crystal based obstacles, they came across another Light Capsule.

Oddly, rather than immediately open, the capsule scanned them both first. When it opened, the Light hologram looked...perturbed. "It seems you have the armor upgrade...but it was downloaded without proper capsule activation. Who brought it to you?"

"We were told it was a reploid named Prometheus," X replied, noticing a widening of the hologram's eyes. "Do you know this reploid?"

The hologram stroked its chin. "Have you encountered him before?"

"He gave me these!" Octavia piped up, sliding her new visor down over her eyes.

The hologram looked close at the visor as the capsule scanned it. "Tell me...did this Reploid have an ancient looking but sturdy shield carried on his back?"

"That's what Lifesaver said!" Octavia confirmed. "And a scarf and a dark visor like this one!" The visor slid back into her helmet.

The hologram crossed its arms, looking miffed. "Well, isn't that just like him. He could have at least said hi..."

"You know this Reploid?" X asked, surprised. "How?"

"You and Zero aren't the only 'Reploids' who aren't actually Reploids, X," the hologram replied. "This Prometheus is another one...and a friend. Though given how long its been, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a little crotchety at this point."

X's eyes widened. "He's from your time? And still functional after all this time?"

"I'll let him tell his story when he wants to," the hologram stated firmly. "In the meantime, this helmet will give you enhanced radar capacity, to see objects and paths that were previously hidden to you, though it will use some energy to activate. Speaking of, the modifications to Rush are nearly complete. I should be able to deliver him to you soon."

X found himself smiling goofily at the idea of getting a robot dog for a pet. As the hologram vanished, the pair stepped into the capsule for the upgrade. Returning to the main path, the pair continued onward to find Crystal Snail, the mysterious Maverick that had run amok at that location.

Crystal Snail himself dropped in, his shell spinning around before landing on the ground right side up. Crystal Snail then stood up. "Greetings," he stated calmly. "I am Snail Man. I will destroy you."

Octavia blinked. "...Snail Man? I thought your name was Crystal Snail?"

"Negative. I am Snail Man. This is the designation I was given by my maker."

X frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I am here to fulfill my part of Project Animus - in relation to Project Revelation - by engaging in battle with you."

Octavia frowned. "You mean...you sowed chaos in the energy crystal mine just to fight us?"

"Negative. I did that because it was fun."

X ground his teeth. "How did you do that spinning thing?" he asked curiously.

"I am magnetically connected to my shell. The delicate magnetic fields can be manipulated to-" Crystal Snail paused as he saw X and Octavia each switch to their Magnet Mine subweapon. "Oh...this is going to be so not fun."

X and Octavia proceeded to use Magnet Mine to bounce Crystal Snail and his shell around the room in a strange game of pinball.

As X and Octavia returned to the base, CiCi raced up to them. "The X Hunters are holding Santa Claus hostage!" she proclaimed dramatically.

X stared at her for a time as Octavia giggled. He then turned to Alia. "Can you explain what she means by that?" he asked as CiCi raced off to deliver her confusing message to someone else.

"The X Hunters base is located at the North Pole," Alia explained. "Also, they somehow managed to steal Zero and his parts."

"What?" Octavia demanded angrily. "They kidnapped Uncle Zero?"

"Zero is Santa Claus!" CiCi shouted out.

As Octavia's eyes widened in amazement, X turned back to the teleporter. "Get us there immediately, Alia!" he ordered.

"Yes sir!"

2: Smashing Through the Snow

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X and Octavia warped into the North Pole base, ready for anything. Octavia immediately called Classic to her side for backup. "You sure you need him?" X asked curiously.

"Need? Doubtful," Octavia replied. "Want?"

X shrugged. "Fair enough. Let's go!"

The first portion of the base was rather straight forward, moving forward and down before crossing a spike pit on a mobile platform. The enemies they encountered were more of the same things they'd encountered before, specifically those they'd encountered back in the Reploid Factory that had been the mission that started this sequence of events. This even included the bot that tried to pull the walls closed on them. The second encounter with that robot, however, proved more hazardous, as the walls were not straight up and down, forcing the trio to leap from wall to wall to progress upward. The third such upward passage was straight up and down, but much longer. The fourth was both long and zig-zagged.

"I am getting really sick of that bot," Octavia growled, a growl echoed by Classic.

"You aren't the only one," X agreed. "Next time we see it..."

Shortly after that, they entered the boss chamber, where Violen waited for them. "Time for a rematch!" he declared. Raising his arms, blocks appeared scattered around the room before he launched his new spike ball to bounce around the room.

"Dad!" Octavia called out as she began charging her busters. "I'm going to try something!"

"Be careful!" X called back as he evaded, taking pot shots at Violen as they fought.

"You won't have time to try anything!" Violen snarled.

Once her buster was fully charged, she dashed straight for Violen. Switching sub weapons, she released the charge as she pulled out her simulated beam saber. The charged beam sheared through Violen's arms as he raised them to change the block formation.

"AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" he screamed out in pain. "You'll pay for that!" Launching his spike ball, he watched as its bounce pattern took it across the conjured blocks without ever hitting the ground beneath. "Uhh...just a moment." Trying again, it continued to bounce off the blocks. "You'll pay in just a second!" Again, the spike ball failed to reach the ground. "Maker dammit, work!"

Smirking, X and Octavia positioned themselves under the blocks and opened fire. Before long, Violen was destroyed.

"It's not fair!" he screamed out as he exploded, his last scream stretching out as he fell.

Warping in to the next segment of the base, X and Octavia proceeded with care. As it immediately took them under water, Octavia immediately activated the Classic Adapter for aquatic transport. While this made her quite maneuverable, the larger frame that resulted made it somewhat harder to get through the narrow passages.

When the next underwater passage was filled with spikes but not enemies, Octavia carried X through, since Classic's water jets were strong enough to do so. Afterwards, they came to a narrow upward path lined with spikes that exited the water. Octavia disengaged with Classic and sent him back to base for this part, since the Adapter was almost out of juice.

Eventually, a vertical platform came down, moving quickly. X was able to cling to the side, getting Octavia on top of it. The ride was unpleasant, as there were also flame jets at points that X was forced to take the hit from.

"Are you alright, Dad?" Octavia asked worriedly.

"More or less," X replied. "This new armor's pretty effective."

Not long after that, the pair reached the boss chamber. Serges awaited them in a massive war machine over a pit of spikes. "Well, X?" he asked. "Do you still want answers? Will you face me alone to get them?"

Nodding, X leapt onto the platforms above the spike pit to fight.

The first part of the machine was a massive shield wall with cannons. Serges didn't get much use out of it, however, as X destroyed it almost immediately with the Giga Crush blast the armor upgrade provided, releasing stored energy from damage he'd taken. After that, X had to hit Serges even as he moved up and down in his armored pod shooting at him.

Eventually, X did enough damage to cause Serges to drop out of his pod. "Excellently done, X..." he gasped out. "You've performed...most admirably.

"Why, Serges?" X demanded. "Why do all this? Why start the X Hunters, and steal Zero's parts? Why do any of this?"

Serges chuckled. "You still don't get it, X? I told you why I was doing it even before I did it..." His systems started to go into meltdown.

"What do you mean?" X demanded.

Serges grinned widely as his body went critical. "I was just...following your...orders...Commander..." Serges lifted his hand in salute before exploding.

"What?" X demanded in shock. "My...my orders? What does that mean?"

"Daddy?" Octavia called out, hopping to X's side via the platforms. "What's wrong? What happened? Did...did he tell you why he did it?"

"He said...he was following my orders," X replied, confused.

"But...but you wouldn't order him to steal Zero and start a rebellion!" Octavia pointed out. "That's just...stupid! He must have been brainwashed into thinking you ordered him to do that, like Magna Centipede!"

"Maybe..." X allowed.

"Right!" Octavia affirmed. "Now come on! We need to keep going and save Zero!"

As Octavia raced ahead, X reached back through his memory, trying to remember any order he had given Serges that could have been twisted into this. His eyes widened as he recalled the only order he'd ever given Serges.

Do whatever it takes to bring Zero back online, Doctor. We're counting on you.

"Whatever it takes..." X murmured. "They kept talking about...battle data. Serges said Zero's parts needed their battle data restored..."

X shuddered. There was a distinct possibility after all that this entire rebellion was by his orders, even if he hadn't realized it. He made a mental note to never tell Octavia - or anyone else, for that matter - of this. He also made a note to put someone else in the position of Commander as soon as possible. He plainly wasn't cut out for it.

2: This One Pony Will Slay

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The next part of the Fortress X and Octavia beamed into seemed rather straightforward. The only enemies they encountered at first were shield bearing humanoids, bats, and strange jumping insectoid bots that clung to them but didn't do damage...except when Octavia tried to shoot one off X. Octavia giggled nervously as X glared at her, his head still smoking.

The path was also quite narrow, shortly leading to an upward path involving riding a moving platform that changed direction each time the button on it was depressed to reach the next area. After that, were more types of mechanaloids they'd fought before. The next such passage also had spikes at the bottom, and the platform was harder to guide.

Following another passage, they moved downward through a spiked passage to a horizontal path. At that point, they paused as both their sensors detected a Light Capsule directly above them. "Now...how to get up there..." X murmured.

"You could just throw me again," Octavia offered.

Nodding, X did as suggested, grabbing hold of her and hurling her upward. Gripping the side of the vertical passage, she climbed upward until she reached the capsule, which opened for her.

"Octavia," the Light hologram began. "I have a new upgrade for both of you...but I had to customize it to each of you. It won't be able to transfer between you the way the other upgrades have."

"But...but X can't get up here-"

Octavia covered her ears as the sound of X's Giga Crush going off startled her. X then leapt up into the chamber. "Found another way in!" he said proudly. "I used crystal shooter to turn another enemy into a platform, then charged up my buster. When I was at the peak of my jump, I triggered my Giga Crush(1) to give myself the extra height to grab the sides of the passage!"

"Most impressive, X," Light praised. "Your tactical skills continue to grow and impress." He frowned. "I'm afraid that there was an unanticipated problem regarding upgrading Rush for you."

"What?" X asked in shock. Octavia also looked upset.

"When I tried to reactivate Rush...his higher brain functions - those that gave him a personality and controlled his systems - refused to activate." Light sighed. "I suppose I should have anticipated such a thing, considering he took himself offline when-" He paused. "Never mind, it's not important. At any rate, I didn't want to fail in keeping my promise to you...so I used Rush's basic design and some of the newer Reploid technology and my own techniques to build you your own robot dog. Now that you've activated this capsule, he should be beaming in in three...two...one..."

A red teleport beam shot down, forming into physical matter right in front of X. The beast that appeared resembled a robotic St. Bernard, colored red and white, complete with synthesized fluffy fur which Octavia promptly dove into with a happy squeal, shouting, "You're so fluffy!"

As X knelt down to scratch the massive head that was turned up to smile at him and lick his face, Light chuckled. "Behold, your robo-dog and support unit...Piano."

Both X and Octavia turned to look at Light funny. "...Piano?" they both asked in confusion.

"All the robots I built have musical themed names," Light explained. "And despite his size, he's very quiet."

While Octavia tilted her head in confusion, X chuckled. "Pianoforte, right?"(2)

"But shouldn't he be Pianissimo, then?" Octavia asked.

"Ruff," Piano disagreed immediately, his deep voice quietly booming.

"He's not that quiet," Light explained. "Also, he's the size of one, practically." He smiled as X and Octavia laughed at that. "But for now, both of you...step into this capsule and receive a new surprise."

As the hologram vanished, X and Octavia stepped into the capsule, only for Piano to try and crowd in with them, much to their laughing amusement. Eventually, they got him to sit outside the capsule while they received the upgrade.

As the capsule finished the upgrade, their busters glowed. Varia beeped. "Shoryuken online."

X and Octavia turned to each other with a wide grin. They realized what this was.

As they dropped back downwards, Piano came with them. "So...what abilities does he currently have?" Octavia asked.

X checked his status screen for what commands Piano currently knew. "Let's see...Piano Fight...Piano Tank...Piano Spike." He shrugged. "The first is pretty self explanatory...but what about the others?"

Octavia turned to the large canine robot. "Piano, what's Piano Tank?"

Smiling, Piano lifted his head, revealing that the keg hanging around his neck was actually a Sub Tank that held nearly 10 times what the current Sub Tanks held, and was designed to readapt to X and Octavia's armor energy over time for volume.

"Nice!" X proclaimed happily. "And...Piano Spike?"

"Ruff!" Walking forward to a spike pit, Piano leapt in. His thick fur slipped between the spikes, filling in the gaps and allowing him to walk across them without harm. He looked over his shoulder, gesturing to his back with his nose. "Ruff!"

Nodding, X hopped onto Piano's back, riding him across as Octavia hopped onto X's shoulders.

Crossing the spike pit, the trio made it to the boss chamber, where Agile was waiting for them, now inside a horizontal cylinder that obviously held some sort of weapons. "And now, you shall fall before me-OW!" he yelled as X shot at him. "Can't I at least finish my monologue?"

"Shoryuken," Octavia replied easily.

"Gee, thanks," Agile said happily. "You're a nice po-"

Agile said no more as Octavia's Shoryuken tore him in half.

X gave Octavia a 'look' as she came down.

"...I thought it was funny," she pouted.

"Ruff!" Piano agreed.

(1) An alternative way to get to the capsule shown in the playthrough videos I'm using for writing research. Seen here.
(2) The piano was originally called a pianoforte, as the first string instrument that could be played quietly (piano) or loudly (forte).

2: Make the Mavericks Fall

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The next beam in left X and Octavia at the bottom of a long tube. Climbing to the top, they found two warp pads, one to the left that was broken, and one to the right that was intact. Having nothing else to do, they took the one on the right.

This left them in a room with eight more warp pads. "Looks like it's time to face copies of the Mavericks," X stated calmly.

"Can I take some on myself?" Octavia pleaded.

X leaned back, scratching his chin in thought. After a time, he smirked. "Shoryuken," he replied jokingly.

Octavia glared at him flat-eyed. "Dad, it's only funny the first time."

X promptly blew her a raspberry, only to receive one in kind. Laughing, the pair split up to take out the eight Mavericks faster. As each one went down with a single Shoryuken - and X and Octavia both proved skilled at delivering such an attack at the right time - it did not take long. When all eight Maverick copies were destroyed, the room began to explode, and Sigma's voice came over the communicators.

"It has been a while, X, Octavia," he growled out.

"What?" X demanded, shocked. "Sigma?"

"It seems those X Hunters failed after all," Sigma continued. "But don't worry. Someone else is waiting for you..."

Octavia gasped. "Uncle Zero!"

"Not exactly," Sigma cackled before cutting communications.

X and Octavia immediately beamed out to the final segment of the Fortress.

Beaming into the final segment of the Fortress, the pair charged straight forward, blasting away anything that got in their path. Seeing a security area with searchlights, they moved carefully to avoid being detected while blasting away indiscriminately at mechanaloid enemies. While normally Octavia would have commented on the incongruity of successful sneaking while blasting everything in sight, she was too concerned about Zero to comment.

Eventually, the pair made it to a large square room. As soon as they entered, the doors on each side sealed. Sigma entered silently, his body different than before. His new body was much stockier than his old one, and colored yellow, silver, purple, and green, a true eyesore. The real shocker, however, was when Zero, looking good as new complete with all upgrades Serges had lined out, entered in right in front of him.

"Look who I found wandering around X!" Sigma cackled. "My friend here has a small problem with you."

"Zero?" X gasped out, stunned to see his friend glaring at him.

"Uncle Zero?" Octavia whimpered.

"Yes," Zero stated gravelly. "I do have a small problem with you both."

Sigma laughed. "Yes, you see, it seems-"

Spinning around, Zero unleashed two fully charged blasts followed by a sweep of his beam sword - which unleashed an arc of destructive energy as he swung - right into Sigma's face, blasting him against the wall and nearly destroying his new body. Turning back to X and Octavia, he grinned widely. "You're late," he said jokingly.

X couldn't help but laugh as he ran forward. "You always love making those grand entrances, don't you?" he asked.

"Says the Hunter who likes free falling and neutralizing inertia by blasting the target!" Zero countered as the pair clasped hands.

"Uncle Zero!" Octavia called happily, lunging forward to glomp him. "Best Christmas present ever!"

"Christmas present?" Zero asked in confusion.

"CiCi says you really are Santa Claus!" she squealed happily.

"...ho ho ho?" Zero offered in confusion.

"Why, Zero?" Sigma demanded as he staggered to his feet. "I know the truth...you're destined to...follow me-"

"Fuck destiny," Zero replied, leveling his buster.

"Zero!" X called out, shocked.

"X, she's practically a senior citizen by the numbers," Zero countered. "We stopped needing to watch our words around her 40 years ago, all appearances to the contrary."

"And while you're arguing, Sigma's getting away," Octavia pointed out.

Setting Octavia down, Zero quickly opened a hole in the floor. "He'll be down there!" he indicated. "While you two take him down, I'll take out the main computer." Turning, he headed through the far door.

Grinning, X and Octavia leapt into the hole. After a long fall, they found the damaged Sigma waiting for them. "You two are merely bothersome insects!" he snapped. "It's about time I-"

"Shoryuken!" Octavia shouted out, catching Sigma under the chin with her flaming uppercut. She then dashed through the air back to X's side as Sigma's body exploded.

As the explosion faded, however, a hardlight projection of Sigma's head appeared, green lines marking the dimensions around red eyes. It started moving quickly around the room firing blasts of different sorts.

"Alert!" Varia shouted out. "Viral signal strong! Viral signal will have unknown effect on cybernetic interface of Bio-Metal systems.

X quickly stepped in front of Octavia, shielding her with his body. As the projection came towards them, he found himself shouting, "Piano, Fight!"

Piano beamed in directly above the projection and belly flopped onto it, his massive weight crushing the construct against the floor. As he looked up happily at X, his tongue hanging out as he panted, the computer system just visible in the distance began to explode.

Sigma's voice erupted from the exploding computer. "What? No, seriously, what the fuck? A St. Bernard? I got belly flopped by a St. Bernard? That's how I fall this time? Of all the-" For quite some time, Sigma spoke only in a string of curse words. Eventually, he got himself under control. "HOW?"

"Hard light projections have no true substance," Octavia explained. "A massive physical impact overloaded the computer's systems, rendering it unable to maintain the projection and triggering a systems crash and meltdown."

Sigma was silent for a time. "I'll make sure to take that into account for our next meeting," he growled at last. "Next time, X...next time."

"Ruff-uf-uf-uf-uf-uf!" Piano laughed, rolling onto his back playfully.

As Zero rejoined them, the trio - along with Piano - beamed out to safety.

Landing on a nearby beach, the group watched the exploding fortress. "So..." Zero began. "Other than the whole second Sigma assault, what have I missed? When did you get a dog, X?"

"Dr. Light made him for me," X explained. "He's my support unit-"

Classic suddenly beamed in and tackled Piano, leading to the two of them romping about in the surf.

"The wolf's mine!" Octavia said happily. "Stole him off Sigma, and now he's my support unit, complete with an adapter to become superpowered armor!"

"Dr. Light's still working on mine," X explained.

Zero stared out at the two canines. "...I want one..." he whimpered.

Somewhere in cyberspace, the echo of a certain mad scientist started muttering curses about 'ungrateful robots'.

Laughing All The Way

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As the group beamed back to base, Zero was stunned at the applause greeting his return, not to mention a full fledged welcome back party having been set up. "Wow," he managed. "I didn't realize you guys missed me so much." Recovering from his shock, he grinned widely. "Or are you just that happy Octavia's not moping about me being offline anymore?"

Many of those gathered laughed, though there was a tinge of hysterics in their laughter. Zero quickly moved into the party to mingle and laugh, while X took Octavia to bed. She was dead on her hooves, to the point that Varia was keeping her moving. As soon as Varia disengaged from her, she slumped over into slumber. She didn't need a blanket that night, though, since Classic and Piano curled up around her, giving her firm support and a pillow of fluff.

When he returned to the party, Zero stopped him. "Hey X, isn't Tavi going to join us?" he asked in concern.

"She's dead tired," X replied. "She hadn't been sleeping well since you went offline, and she's been pushing herself really hard after Serges swiped your parts. She just needs to catch up on her sleep now that you're back and active. Speaking of, how are the upgrades? Serges mentioned restoring you to full capacity?"

Zero blinked at the change of subject, but shrugged. "Well, I certainly feel stronger now. A lot stronger. Two powerful busters and a beam saber...not bad equipment. Though I think I might redirect power more towards the saber after I get used to it."

"So that's your full power?" X asked curiously.

"No...not even close," Zero answered, frowning. "I...still feel incomplete. And...Serges told me he was only able to restore me to 37% of my original specs."

X whistled in surprise. "I hope Dr. Light has more armors in store for me," he joked. "Otherwise, you're going to leave me behind."

The pair shared a good natured laugh. "Like you wouldn't enjoy having more of an excuse to spend more time with Tavi," Zero teased.

"No more than you," X countered back. As the laughter faded, he sighed sadly.

"What's bugging you, X?" Zero pressed, nudging his friend.

"It's just...I know you're right that Octavia isn't a child anymore by age, and she's advanced well beyond any child her physical maturity in terms of how she thinks and what she knows..." X waved his hands, seeking the words to express his thoughts. "I just...it feels like she hasn't really gotten a good childhood. Does that make any sense?"

"Worried she didn't have enough time to play and make friends?" Zero clarified. "Yeah, I see what you mean."

"I just...I know I didn't have that either, any more than most reploids...but I want to give it to her if I can." X shook his head in exasperation. "Even if it's probably too late..."

Zero smirked, twisting his head fast to smack X in the face with his long, golden tresses. "As if! Sounds like you both could just use a vacation."

X blew angrily, trying to clear the bit of hair that got in his mouth as he rubbed at his face. "Don't do that," he scolded. When Zero's words got through, he blinked. "A...vacation?"

"Yeah," Zero confirmed. "When was the last time you took Octavia outside HQ except on a mission?"

X fell silent. He had to admit, Zero was right. The last time he'd taken Octavia outside HQ other than to hunt Mavericks was before Sigma went Maverick. He had felt like he had to be responsible for her safety, and the safety of the whole world...and had forgotten he also had to raise her right. "So...what would you suggest?"

"The beach!"

X's eyebrow climbed up under his helmet. "Seriously? The beach?"

"Yeah!" Zero affirmed. "You've got the sun, the surf, the sand, people looking to have fun and relax...and you've got two friendly robo-dogs for instant bonding and fun activities."

"Classic's a wolf," X indicated.

"Wolf, schmulf," Zero drolled, dismissing X's concerns with a wave of his hands. "As long as he's friendly, it doesn't matter. Besides, folks of all ages will go nuts over Piano. Everyone loves the big fluffy dogs, they're like giant teddy bears!" Seeing X's hesitation, he continued, "And that's a good thing."

"Well..."

Seeing X's continued hesitation, Zero smirked. "Why don't I see if Alia wants to come along?" he offered. "However old she is, Octavia will need adult supervision, even if she's invited to join a bunch of young girls and their Moms to play. And maybe Alia has a new swimsuit she'd like to show off?" Zero quirked his eyebrows suggestively...and then struggled not to burst into laughter as X's face took on the coloration of a tomato. "I'll take that as a yes."

He sauntered off happily to find Alia. He had noticed the way the spotter had made sure to be around whenever X was, and knew she'd jump at the chance for a way to casually catch the Light-bot's eye in a 'more than friends' way. This was going to be just perfect...

Octavia couldn't help but giggle as she floated in the sea, her purple one piece suit designed to keep her undercarriage protected. Classic swam in the water beside her, casting bemused glances at the shore. Varia hovered above her, her amusement showing in the pulse of her light. Their eyes were on the rest of the group, up on the shore.

Alia stood in a rather flattering pink one piece suit and flip flops, arms crossed across her chest and glaring at Zero. Zero stood in his black speedo, scratching the back of his head nervously. "This was not the plan..." he muttered yet again, his eyes wandering over to X.

X was sitting in a beach chair in his blue swim trunks, Piano at his feet being his adorable self. X's face was red as a tomato, however, as he was absolutely surrounded in what Zero would describe as 'beach bunnies': human and reploid girls and young women in excessively flattering bikinis, all cooing over Piano and his master. Piano had led them all there after being asked to 'find something fun to do'.

Octavia was highly amused. Alia was not.

Ethics

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As X, Octavia, Zero, and Alia returned from their beach vacation, Alia went immediately back to her post at comms in HQ. "Anything new while I was away?" she asked as Zero leaned against a nearby wall. X huddled in a corner, shivering slightly, much to Octavia's amusement. She wondered how things at the beach would have gone different if those girls had known it was actually X there, and not the pseudonyms they'd used for an attempt at anonymity.

CiCi called up the report to answer Alia's question. "Maverick activity is at an all time low," she explained. "Apparently, this new Reploid scientist, Dr. Doppler, has built a Neural Computer that can suppress Maverick impulses in Reploids."

"Really?" Alia asked in shock, looking over the details. "That's impressive."

"And not morally questionable or familiar in the slightest," Octavia added with a roll of her eyes and a theatrical sigh.

"Eh?" Zero asked, confused.

"And you wonder why Dad doesn't let you tutor me, Uncle," Octavia replied teasingly. Turning back to Alia, she continued. "Think about it. What makes Reploids distinct from robots? It's the absence of the three laws being hardcoded in their minds, meaning they have true free will. They can choose what actions they take. They aren't slaves to their human makers as robots were programmed to be. So...what does it say if the solution to them going rogue is to send out a signal that alters their positronic brains to make those rogue impulses impossible?"

X blinked. "Okay, I see what you're saying, Octavia," he replied, standing up. "And I have to admit, I agree with you as far as using it as a preventative measure. But if a Reploid has already engaged in Maverick behavior, surely this is a better corrective measure than locking them up or destroying them?"

Octavia coughed loudly, the cough managing to sound remarkably like 'Clockwork Orange'. Zero, who had found the cache of pre-End media and shared it with everyone, burst into laughter. Once his laughter died down, Octavia continued. "But that's not the real issue, Dad," she explained. "Even if it weren't morally questionable to mess with a Reploid's mind to make them behave, this Doppler created the Neural Computer, and is in charge of it. That means one person is deciding what constitutes Maverick impulses as far as being suppressed. Can you think of anyone you'd trust with that kind of power over every living Reploid in...however great a radius that thing works on?"

"You," X replied easily. "You do it already just by pouting."

Every Reploid in range to hear burst into laughter as Octavia blushed and pawed at the air with her front hooves, plainly flustered. X and Zero even exchanged a high five.

"That's beside the point!" Octavia finally managed to shout out. "What do we know about this Doppler? How do we know he can be trusted with a machine that can rewrite positronic brains remotely? How do we know it stops at suppression? And besides that, what if someone nefarious gets a hold of it and changes its purpose?"

The laughter quickly subsided as all gathered began to think about this. Alia quickly glanced through the report. "Well, according to reports of our agents who've actually examined the Neural Computer's functions-"

"While in range of its influence," Zero countered, frowning deeply.

Silence reigned. Octavia climbed up onto the console. "And then there's my point about it being familiar," she added.

"Familiar?" X asked in confusion. "When have we heard about anything that could remotely...influence..." His eyes widened.

"Sigma!" X and Zero shouted together.

"Precisely," Octavia agreed. "His original design included hardware that could remotely influence other Reploids. The discontinued Leader model tech? It sounds like this Neural Computer works on the same functions."

X scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I think Zero and I should take a little trip down to Doppler Town," he said finally. "Give this Neural Computer a once over ourselves."

"Are you crazy?" Alia demanded. "You two are our best Hunters! Nobody here could possibly beat you if you went rogue, and you want to put yourselves in range of a device that could possibly twist your brains around and turn you into living weapons?"

"You forget something, Alia," Zero indicated with a grin. "X and I aren't Reploids. We're robots. Our brains aren't positronic. The signal from the Neural Computer won't affect us anymore than Sigma's tech did."

"And what if you're wrong?" Alia pointed out. "What if it's not limited to the positronic brains of Reploids? What if it can affect you two?"

Zero's enthusiasm started to dwindle as he gave that serious thought.

"Send me," Octavia suggested. "My brain's organic. Varia's brain doesn't even use circuitry. The two of us can't be effected by a signal like that. Even if it can affect Dad or Uncle, it's a physical impossibility for it to affect us."

"No!" X, Zero, and Alia all shouted at once.

"If we're right, what happens if you get captured?" X demanded.

"Or outnumbered and hurt?" Zero added.

"Or...worse..." Alia gasped quietly.

Octavia shrugged. "Send CiCi then," she allowed. "Her etheric systems render her positronic brain hardcoded. It can't be remotely altered. And she's a Navigator. No one will even question her showing up to 'take a survey' for Maverick Hunter HQ."

All eyes turned to CiCi, who shrugged. "I don't see why not," she allowed. "I've already collected a sample of the Neural Computer's signal via satellite and tested it against my own systems. It has no effect on me."

"Alright," X agreed, seeing he was still acting Commander of the Hunters. "Be careful in there, CiCi."

"Of course," she replied with a mocking bow before slithering to the teleporters.

Alia went over the report some more. "I hope we're wrong," she murmured. "Several very powerful Reploids have already flocked to Doppler's banner, helping him to build Doppler Town, a city free of Mavericks. A great number of Reploids have moved there to live peacefully."

"How many powerful Reploids?" Zero asked.

Alia made a quick count through the report. "Of those with combat abilities rated above Class 4...eight."

X sighed. "Everybody get ready for combat," he muttered. "Push up the training regimen for the new recruits, and issue the siege armor."

Octavia smiled, glad to see she wasn't the only one who saw the pattern there as the Hunters prepared for what was sure to be yet another war. She couldn't help but giggle at what X said as he went to his own training.

"Can't the world stay saved? Even for like...ten minutes?"

3: Back and Forth

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As everyone at Maverick Hunter HQ prepared for the expected conflict, the command cadre all waited on CiCi's return. While CiCi had assured them that she would be immune to any effect the Neural Computer might have, with how long she'd been gone they had begun to wonder.

Nearly a month after she was sent out, she finally returned...in her tiniest size inside a shipment of bananas. The poor supply clerk was going to have nightmares about banana spiders for weeks.

"Are you alright, CiCi?" X asked as she calmly returned to her post. "What happened?"

"Sorry for taking so long to return," CiCi apologized. "I'm afraid I blew my cover as a 'peaceful inspector'."

"What?" Zero demanded. "How'd you do that?"

"I'm...afraid I lost my temper," she admitted sheepishly.

As Octavia giggled, X sighed. "Report," he directed. "Start from the beginning."

CiCi nodded. "I managed to get in easily enough. They were eager to have anyone stop in for a visit...and I'm afraid I noticed one or two Hunters there as well, so our security may be compromised. They were even happy to let me examine the Neural Computer. Once I was there, I was able to determine that our suspicions were unfortunately correct. The Neural Computer doesn't just suppress Maverick behaviors as it claims. It's broadcasting a signal that allows the one in charge of it to directly command any Reploid or mechanaloid affected by the signal. I was able to determine, however, that X and Zero's brains are incompatible with the signal...but for differing reasons."

"What do you mean?" Zero asked in confusion.

"I took simulations of your brain waves with me," CiCi explained. "While the simulation of X actively repelled the signal...the simulation of Zero corrupted the signal around it. I think it would be best if Zero did not engage any Reploid under the signal's control unless absolutely necessary. There's no telling what would result."

"Understood," X agreed as Zero cursed under his breath and kicked at the wall, upset at being sidelined.

"What did you mean about losing your temper?" Octavia asked curiously.

"Well...when Dr. Doppler was going on about how his computer would bring about a 'true utopia', acting as though he expected me to be in full agreement..." CiCi glanced away, seeming...embarrassed? "He...got a little fresh with me..."

Dead silence greeted that statement. Eventually, it was Varia who broke it. "How?" she demanded awkwardly.

"As Octavia has not yet reached sexual maturity, I'd rather not say," CiCi replied evasively.

"I'd honestly rather not know," Zero mumbled under his breath.

"And...you lost your temper?" X asked.

"Yes. It was a minor thing. I don't know why they blew it so out of proportion." While CiCi's words were calm, she refused to look at anyone with any of her eyes.

"CiCi," Alia demanded, "what did you do?"

"I...may have ripped Dr. Doppler's arm off and threatened to shove it so far up his ass he'd have to open his mouth to wave before using him as a bludgeon to smash his own neural computer," CiCi admitted. "Just a little bit."

Zero burst into laughter. "Yes, I can't imagine why he might blow that out of proportion," he quipped, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

"I know, right?" CiCi complained. "He's a Reploid, it reattaches! What's the big deal?" As dead silence greeted her question, she blinked. "Oh. Sarcasm. Still need to learn about that. Anyway, I was able to analyze the signal from the Neural Computer enough to make a design for a unit to counteract the signal."

"You can neutralize the signal?" X demanded eagerly.

"Only on a unit-by-unit basis," she explained. "I can work with Lifesaver to make a device that, when attached to a Reploid under the signal's influence, will neutralize the signal's effect on them, restoring their original brain wave patterns. It will take...a day to start manufacture. Maybe two."

"Get to work on it, then," X ordered. Nodding, CiCi made her way to the medlab. "In the meantime, Zero, Octavia, and I are going to see what we can do to put a spoke in Doppler's plans."

"Good luck," Alia called out as the trio made their way out.

It was only a few hours later, when the group wasn't even halfway to Doppler Town - the teleport network for the area had been disabled - that they received emergency communication from HQ.

"X!" Alia called out over the communicator. "We're under attack! I repeat, HQ is under attack!"

"We're on our way!" X replied as the trio turned around to race back.

Upon their return, the trio saw that aerial bombardment was the primary problem, as bee shaped dropships were firing on the base from the air, as well as bringing in more of Doppler's forces. "Any ideas how to fix that?" X asked, revving up his Ride Chaser.

"Well...we could do something totally insane and awesome?" Zero offered.

"Good idea!" X agreed, sending his Ride Chaser into a crazy jump.

"Yahoooooo!" Zero called out as he followed.

X, Zero, and Octavia all leapt off the Ride Chasers at the apex of the jump, letting the vehicles smash into separate dropships, causing them to explode and crash. X and Zero both clung to another one, which went down after X damaged it with rapid fire shots from his newly modified buster and a slash of Zero's saber. Octavia had grabbed hold of another one and cut off the propeller to crash it.

"Whoo!" Zero called out as they landed. "That rocked!" He glanced around. "X, I'll take the guys out here. You see what you can do inside."

Nodding, X led Octavia into HQ, the pair of them blasting away at the mechanaloids that attacked them. Each of them went down to a single charged shot fired at the right time, and X and Octavia had gotten very good at their timing.

Before long, they found another Maverick Hunter, a purple armored humanoid. "Mac, where have you been?" X demanded. "You went on assignment a month ago!"

Mac said nothing, but opened fire. X and Octavia both dodged to the side, much to Mac's surprise. "Wha?"

"Assigned to the Doppler Town investigation," Octavia replied as she opened fire, knocking Mac off his feet with the two consecutive blasts. "Which meant we knew you were compromised." Dashing forward, she delivered a strong uppercut to his chin, slamming him against the wall and knocking him out.

"Let's keep going," X replied. "We need to get through and take out the big ones."

The largest Maverick proved to be up on the roof, a massive Mechanaloid with spike ball arms. Octavia dealt with it quickly by slamming her improved beam saber sub weapon - with the new busters, the blade could be kept out for much longer - straight into its head, causing continuous damage until it exploded.

Alia's voice came over the communicators. "HQ is secure! All Hunters, return to Comm Central for debriefing and planning the counterattack!"

3: Cold Reception

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Once everyone arrived in the Comm Central, Alia began the debriefing. "Alright, here's the situation in Doppler Town." She called up a map of Doppler Town on a slightly damaged view screen. "While there are numerous Mavericks under Doppler's control via his Neural Computer, eight have been assigned the roles of Generals, taking control of their regions. Mostly you'll be facing Mechanaloid enemies while getting to the Generals."

X stepped up. "Unfortunately, with the attack on HQ, Doppler Town is officially in revolt against the rest of the world. Civilian authorities are already trying to pressure the military for direct action. However, it's still under our control...for now."

"A General I happen to know has informed me that it will be at most two weeks before the military will take direct action," Dr. Ciel added, breathing somewhat heavily. Time was starting to weigh on her, and it upset many to know that she'd soon be following Dr. Cain into her final rest. However, she hadn't let it slow her down yet.

"CiCi, how's progress going on those neutralizer devices?" X demanded.

"It's coming along well," she replied, raising herself up on her tentacles. "Two are currently finished. However, I only have enough materials to make seven more, and I won't be able to get more until the two weeks are up."

"So...we can only save nine," Zero murmured.

"Not necessarily," Octavia suggested. "I was looking over the data CiCi gathered on the Neural Computer...if we manage to destroy it, any Reploids still being manipulated will default to stand by. So as long as we're able to find it and destroy it..."

"True, they've likely moved it," CiCi agreed. "I can provide you with a scan upgrade for your optics so you'll be able to tell if a Maverick you're facing is affected by the signal or not. I wouldn't put it past Doppler to build his own enforcers that are naturally loyal to his Maverick ideals."

"Alright," X agreed. "How long to have it installed?"

"We can be certain of it's reliability...by this time tomorrow," CiCi confirmed.

"Then tomorrow we go after the first General," X ordered.

X and Octavia teleported into the Ice zone first, deciding their first target should be Blizzard Buffalo. Not only was he the physically strongest Maverick - meaning he could take the most damage without shutting down while they figured out how to use the neutralizer - but his nature prior to being controlled by the Neural Computer was peaceful, an artist in point of fact. This made him the ideal first target.

While the area itself was rather straightforward, the ground everywhere was covered in ice, making footing difficult to find, especially on slopes. On top of that, flying mechanaloids with missiles were positioned over the slopes, making it very easy to run into them or their ammo without meaning to. Octavia resolved this issue by siccing Classic on them, as he was able to grip the ice with his claws. Seeing the effectiveness of this strategy, X called Piano in to assist as well. The fluffy robot dog resolved the problem with the simple expedient of body slamming into the Mechanaloids, as his fur absorbed the kinetic impact to keep him from taking damage.

Between the four of them, the trip through the frozen region was much easier, allowing them to descend into the caverns unmolested. The only annoyance there were mechanaloids disguised as boulders, and long range shooting mechanaloids positioned to shoot at the top of ladders.

Once they were out of the caverns, Piano decided to be helpful and retrieve a Sub Tank suspended on a high platform out of reach. He accomplished this by body slamming the wall until the platform crumbled, allowing X to catch the Sub Tank as it fell.

The rest of that final region was filled with a snowstorm, generated by a large device similar to the ones that had generated sandstorms in the desert where they'd faced Overdrive Ostrich. Making their way far to the right, they found a hidden alcove containing a Light capsule. Approaching it, the capsule opened.

"This capsule has perfected the upgrade to your dash boots I gave you last time," Light explained. "It will allow you to dash in any direction in mid air."

"Any progress on that Piano Adapter?" X asked eagerly.

"It should be done in a week or so," Dr. Light replied. "It's proving a bit more difficult than anticipated." The hologram smirked. "With any luck, I should be able to deliver it to you at some point in Doppler's Fortress, once you find it."

"Is that where we'll always get the super upgrades?" Octavia asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Likely," Light replied as the hologram vanished.

X stepped into the capsule, and received the upgrade in a bright flash of light. As Varia downloaded the upgrade, Octavia expressed a question. "How come it's always so flashy?" she asked.

"No idea," X replied as he put the new upgrade to the test, dashing straight up.

Down below that alcove was the place where Blizzard Buffalo waited for them. "I will crush you!" he proclaimed angrily. "Behold the art of destruction!" He charged towards them.

X quickly leapt overhead, using an air dash to evade the charge. Octavia merged with Classic, taking to the air as she bombarded Blizzard Buffalo with charged shots.

While the charging continued, eventually Blizzard Buffalo changed tactics, charging up energy to fire a freezing beam at X. While X was caught in it and temporarily frozen, Octavia saw that it temporarily depleted Blizzard Buffalo's energy. Acting quickly, she lunged in and attached the device to his skull, right between his horns.

Blizzard staggered back, shaking his head to clear it...and the device activated. He blinked his eyes. "What...what happened? Where am I? Why..." He shivered. "What have I done?"

"It's alright," Octavia reassured him as she disengaged from Classic. "You were under someone else's control. If you stay here, you'll be safe until this is resolved."

He sat down heavily as X broke free. "How...how can I thank you?"

"Your weapon would be helpful," X replied as he approached.

"Certainly," Blizzard agreed readily, letting them download the weapon program. His eyes turned to Octavia. "Before you go...may I...sculpt you?"

Octavia giggled. "Alright. Any pose in particular?"

"Cuddling your wolf around the neck and looking up pleadingly as though asking, 'can I keep him?'" he specified.

Giggling, Octavia assumed the position. X shook his head as Blizzard Buffalo began sculpting.

3: Acid Disposition

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Once Blizzard Buffalo had finished his carving - which perfectly captured Octavia's adorableness - X and Octavia returned to HQ to pick up a spare Neutralizer and plan their next move.

"We've got seven more Mavericks to deal with," X began, looking at the map. "Unfortunately, I don't know if any of the others are gentle enough by nature to be handled the way they were before..."

"You should go after Acid Seahorse next," CiCi spoke up.

"Why him?" Octavia inquired.

Calling up schematics of the Maverick in question, CiCi began to explain. "Acid Seahorse is capable of converting his entire body into a liquid state for self transportation. However, the effects of Frost Shield - the weapon Blizzard Buffalo provided you - interfere with that functionality, and will cause more errors in his system functionality than actual physical damage."

"And...that's a good thing?" X asked in confusion.

"For us, yes," CiCi continued. "It will disrupt the Neural Signal's control of Acid Seahorse, providing an opportunity to attach a Neuralizer."

X and Octavia nodded to each other. "Sounds like a plan," X agreed.

"Acid Seahorse has taken over the water purification plant," Alia informed him. "A good amount of the area is likely to be underwater."

"Then it's a good thing Piano floats," X replied as the pair went to the teleporters.

"By the way, where's Uncle Zero?" Octavia inquired.

"Since you didn't seem to need his assistance, he went to make contact with Repliforce," Alia explained.

"That Reploid military division?" X replied, shocked. "What's he planning?"

"He's trying to convince their sub-commander, Colonel, to position his troops at the edge of the Neural Computer's range to quarantine the area," Alia elaborated. "That way we don't need to worry about Doppler getting any more high level Reploids under his control, unless he builds them himself."

"Huh," X mused. "That's good thinking on his part. Let me know how he does when he has results."

With that, the pair beamed out to the Water Treatment Plant.

Warping into the Plant, X and Octavia both could see that the plant was malfunctioning, with water that was supposed to be clear pouring out as sludge. Octavia wrinkled her nose at the sight. "If we have to go through - or into - any of that, I hope I have a face mask."

"I can engage a full face mask," Varia offered.

"Wish I could," X replied, looking rather pale.

As they moved onward, they encountered a new mechanaloid type, a large green humanoid with a mobile optic for a face and a large laser gun. It jumped as they approached, and they were able to blast it as it came down. It proved no real obstacle.

Further down, they encountered the sludge filled area. Octavia immediately engaged Varia's full face mask. X sighed, as he could only hold his mouth closed, disengage his sense of smell, and hope there would be clean water he could wash in at some point. Leaping through the sludge, the pair began to climb.

Climbing all the way up through the sludge, they acquired a new Heart Tank. "I'm surprised we didn't find one in the frozen region," Octavia murmured.

"Well, there was that area with the large ice blocks we couldn't break," X reminded her.

"We'll just have to keep an eye out for a way to break them, then," she replied.

Getting out of the sludge, it wasn't far before they found their way into deep water. Once both were completely clean, Octavia summoned Classic and merged with him for aquatic mode. X, meanwhile, summoned Piano and hopped on his back. The large, fluffy robot dog had positive buoyancy even with X on his back, and thus was able to float gently towards the surface as he swam.

There were a great many turtle like mechanaloids in the water, but the pair ignored them. Swimming up to the surface, X found a Ride Armor Enhancer, the Kangaroo Unit. "Huh," X commented as he collected it. "If we manage to gain access to a Ride Armor we can summon, we can use this to summon a modified version."

"Could be useful," Octavia commented. "What's over on the other side?"

Deciding to investigate, the group swam over to the other side. Climbing up a wall, they found a Light capsule that was bright pink instead of the usual blue. When it opened, Light smiled.

"X, inside this capsule is a special power up chip to enhance your systems," he explained. "When equipped to one of your new armor units, it will increase its capabilities. This capsule contains one for your dash boots, which will allow you to air dash twice. Before installing the chip, be warned: your systems in their current state can only handle one of these chips. Choose carefully."

"Why only one?" Octavia asked in confusion.

"Because of how it redirects the energy of his systems," Light replied. "His system does not currently produce enough power to energize more than one chip."

"Well, couldn't you upgrade that?" X asked.

"Not at this time," Dr. Light replied. "It is taking all the resources currently at my disposal to perfect the Piano Adapter."

"Couldn't you make it part of the Piano Adapter?" Varia piped up. "I mean, the Classic Adapter greatly increased my own system energy output in order to allow for the merger and adapting to the new armor unit types."

Light blinked for a time. "I...I suppose I could do that," he replied. "But...would that still allow you to download the effects of the Power Up Chip?"

"Should," Varia replied. "I've already scanned the chip, and I should be able to handle the four power up programs, since I won't need an actual chip installed."

Light smiled. "I will do this," he replied. "However, in order for this to work...X, you will need to upgrade your systems to the maximum currently available schematics, and not install any power up chips."

"I can do that," X agreed.

"Then I will see you in the next capsule," Light confirmed, the hologram fading.

Turning, the group dove back into the water, swimming down to continue.

A strange, squid-like submersible blocked their path, firing homing torpedoes at them. However, it went down rapidly to their concentrated fire and Piano ripping one of its tendrils off and using it as a clubbed mace. After that, the water drained out of the area, leaving X and Octavia to climb onward, since Piano was too waterlogged to continue and Classic wanted to accompany his friend back to base. The pair soon reached the chamber where Acid Seahorse was waiting for them.

"You will not stop the Master's plan!" he cried out, leaping upwards to try and crush them beneath him as he came down. However, X and Octavia each left a Frost Shield shot forming in the air before dashing out of the way, causing Acid Seahorse to land on the shots rather than on them. As his system showed error messages and his body alternately sparked and froze, X dashed in and attached a Neutralizer.

Acid Seahorse staggered backwards. "Ugh...my head...what happened?"

"Dr. Doppler was manipulating your mind," X explained. "You need to stay here so he won't realize we've broken his hold on you."

Acid Seahorse stared at X. "Umm...okay?"

Nodding, X and Octavia quickly beamed out.

Acid Seahorse sat down. "That...really didn't explain anything..."

3: Groundwork

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When X and Octavia returned to HQ to grab another Neutralizer, they found Zero there waiting for them, along with a female reploid they didn't recognize. she had pale skin, long brown hair, green eyes, and was wearing a form fitting red, blue, and yellow dress with a Victorian flare to the skirt, along with a red beret with a Repliforce pin attached over her right eye. She also had a headset on, indicating she was a spotter reploid.

"Welcome back X, Tavi," Zero greeted. "This is Iris. She's acting as liaison officer between us and Repliforce during this crises." He then turned solicitously to her. "Iris, this is X and Octavia. I told you about them."

"It is a pleasure to meet both of you," Iris spoke up, a slight British accent adding a lilting tinge to her voice as she curtsied. "I'm looking forward to working with both of you. X, you seem to be every inch the hero your reputation proclaims." With a wide smile, she knelt down to gently stroke Octavia's mane. "And you are even more adorable in person!" she squealed happily.

Octavia leaned into the caress, discovering one thing this Iris had that made her caresses even better than X's. "...fingernails..." she muttered under her breath happily, making Iris giggle.

"I take it Repliforce is in agreement?" X asked.

"Affirmative," Iris replied, her voice all business despite the fact she hadn't stopped caressing Octavia. "My brother, Colonel, is leading a force to isolate Doppler Town and the surrounding area. Land troops, boats, submersibles, and assault aircraft are positioned at the outermost edge of the Neural Computer's reach, along with detectors placed in case Doppler attempts to move the Computer to put any of our soldiers in range of the signal."

"That's excellent news," X confirmed gratefully. "Thanks for your cooperation."

"It would have happened sooner, but it took a while to convince her hot headed brother that charging in was a bad idea," Zero joked.

Iris giggled at the barbed jab, causing Octavia's eyebrows to go up. "Also, I have a warning for you," Iris added. "Doppler apparently has three powerful Reploids at his call, stronger than those he has control of via the computer. He refers to them as his Nightmare Police. Two are his own design, going by Bit and Byte. The third..." She stood up, glancing back and forth between everyone. "The third is Vile. He has, apparently, been reconstituted somehow."

X's eyes narrowed. "We'll keep an eye out for him," he promised. He then turned to Alia. "Who should we go after next?"

"The Acid Burst will be most effective against Tunnel Rhino's drills," Alia replied.

"Alright, let's go," Octavia agreed. The pair stepped onto the teleporters, beaming out.

As the pair beamed into the rocky ground around a mine, Octavia spoke up. "I think Uncle Zero likes Iris."

"I like her too," X agreed. "She seems nice."

"Not that way, Daddy," Octavia chided.

X blinked. "Huh. Hadn't thought of that."

Chuckling, Octavia led the way in. While a couple of mechanaloids on a rail tried to crush them by dropping a boulder on them, but they were easily able to evade them. Once they were inside the mine itself, they continued on past a mechanaloid that attempted to block their path as a wall, and another disguised as a boulder. A side passage led into a spike filled room, one that Octavia was able to navigate to collect a Heart Tank.

While there were various obstacles along the way - including spike pits, conveyor belts, and points where mud and slurry were dumped from above to try and press them into obstacles beneath - the path was relatively straight forward. X took a brief detour into an upper alcove containing a Sub Tank, before the pair continued downward past crab shaped mechanaloids that climbed the walls and shot spheres of electricity that bounced around to attack.

Shortly after, the pair were confronted by an orange armored Reploid bearing Doppler's insignia, with a large focus crystal in his forehead. "Welcome X, Octavia. I'm Bit," he greeted. "I have my orders to destroy you both."

X quickly switched to the scanner CiCi had provided, confirming that Bit was not under the control of the Neural Computer. "Then we'll destroy you first," he grunted.

Bit launched energy rings designed to ensnare and fireballs that attempted to track movements, as well as charging towards the pair with an energy blade held out in front. While X went above to avoid most of the attacks, Octavia went below, dashing under Bit's attacks and leaving Frost Shield's in the air behind her for him to run into. To Octavia's surprise, this did a great deal of damage to him. Seeing this, X switched to Frost Shield and added his own shots.

Before long, Bit came to a halt. "Your...special abilities...too much...D-d-damn you...!" His power core went critical due to the temperature imbalance, and he exploded.

X grunted a bit as he got back to his feet. "Iris wasn't kidding about these guys being tough," he grunted. He'd taken several hits through the course of the battle.

Octavia panted for breath. "Well...he's down now..."

Once they were both more or less recovered, they set out to find Tunnel Rhino. One new mechanaloid was a purple tank-like vehicle, smaller than X, wielding a small bomb launcher and dual drills that it could launch as well. While the drills blocked buster shots, X and Octavia were both able to shoot at it as they jumped over the drills, aiming downward, although they had to jump over the drills again, since its destruction launched both drills forward.

Further along, X and Octavia had to dodge falling boulders as they continued through the mine. At one point, a boulder blocked a narrow path, hanging from metal cables from the ceiling above a pit of spikes. Octavia stared at it for a time, then climbed up its side. Using her beam saber sub weapon, she managed to slash through the cables, dropping the boulder into the pit of spikes. X and Octavia both followed the path upward, leading to a Light capsule.

Light smiled as he appeared in the hologram. "X, Octavia, this capsule contains an upgrade for your helmets, containing a radar system that will allow you to scan an area for upgrade collectibles, such as Heart Tanks, Sub Tanks, and my Capsules."

"That will be useful," Octavia murmured, stepping back as X climbed in, letting Varia download the upgrade from X.

Not far beyond that, the pair faced off against a large mechanaloid riding a drill pallet. It continuously tried to ram them, knocking them from the walls when it slammed into the wall. The pair were able to avoid it, firing off charged shots which eventually took it down.

It was not long after that the pair reached Tunnel Rhino's chambers. He came bursting out of the ceiling to smash into the ground. "I will crush you both!" he shouted as he landed heavily. "Get ready for-"

"Can you jump?" Octavia asked.

Tunnel Rhino blinked. "Umm...no. But I can slam into the walls hard enough to make you fall off!"

Smirking, Octavia summoned Classic and merged with him. As she floated up into the air, X clung to her. "How about now?" she asked as X switched to Acid Spray.

Tunnel Rhino sank to his knees. "Just finish me off, then."

Seeing an opportunity, X launched the Neutralizer.

Tunnel Rhino blinked as it took effect. "...huh. That's better than I thought."

"Apparently, the core personality is unaffected by the signal," Octavia commented. "And if we can trigger the core persona, we can create an opportunity for applying the Neutralizer."

"We'll keep that in mind if we can," X replied.

"And I retain full memory this way," Tunnel Rhino added. His expression turned sour. "Not entirely sure if that's a good thing..."

"We'll fix things," Octavia promised as she landed.

"Here," Tunnel Rhino offered, holding out his drill. "Use my weapon. Make them pay for using me like that."

"Will do," X promised as they beamed out with the weapon program.

3: Born to be Wild

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Octavia and X both took the time back at HQ to inform everyone of their discovery that triggering the original personality of a Reploid under the signal's control could provide an instant opening to attach a Neutralizer. "This changes our plans a bit," X indicated. "In addition to using weakness reactions to create the openings, we might be able to find ways to free them without harming them. If that can be done, it's all for the better."

"So let's take a look at the bios," Octavia suggested, hopping up to the computer screen.

Nodding, Alia called up the bios on each of the Mavericks remaining. "Let's see...Blast Hornet's a member of Zero's unit..."

"But we can't let Zero near, because of those issues with how he effects the signal," X explained.

"Right," Alia confirmed. "We don't have any information on Gravity Beetle, except that he's Boomer Kuwanger's brother. He's being questioned about him for anything usable. There's also very little information on Volt Catfish. Crush Crawfish...he went to Doppler in hopes of fixing an error in his AI that screwed up his Friend/Foe recognition."

"That's not going to be pleasant," X muttered under his breath. "And Neon Tiger?"

"A wildlife preservation specialist," Alia explained. "Not overly fond of humans or other Reploids, specifically designed as an anti-poacher. He can draw in sunlight to both recharge his core and supercharge his weapons. Vicious with poachers or other criminals, distrustful of humans or humanoid reploids...hmm, this might be useful." A video file was called up, showing Neon Tiger gently tending orphaned bald eagle chicks, carefully climbing the tree to their nest to deliver food to them exactly how the mother eagle would have.

"He's next," Octavia proclaimed. "And I'll apply the Neutralizer."

"Are you sure?" Alia asked worriedly. "He's only shown to be gentle with-"

"Young animals?" Octavia interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

Zero snickered in amusement as he looked over Iris' shoulder at the communications from Repliforce. X looked worried, but acquiesced. He knew better than to argue with Octavia.

The area where Neon Tiger was located was, unsurprisingly, a fertile jungle, cybernetically augmented trees supporting the natural ones as mechanaloid animals supplemented the biological ones. Both X and Octavia moved carefully, doing their best not to damage anything as they made their way towards the buildings. The mechanaloid animals did attack X, but the only shots that made their way towards Octavia were stray shots. None were aimed.

As they passed through the first building, the pair were careful to destroy only when necessary, leaving as many mechanaloids intact as possible. As several only attacked if X or Octavia fired a shot, this proved relatively easy. They collected a Sub Tank as they moved up into the tallest building.

Inside the building, the mechanaloids weren't animal based, and the pair blasted their way through the security. Finding a cracked wall, X used the Tornado Drill to break through it. The large chamber on the other side contained a Light Capsule.

"This capsule contains an upgrade for your buster," Light explained. "In addition to restoring your ability to fire charged shots from both busters - which I see was removed to enable a more powerful charged shot - this will allow you to overlap the charged shots for a much larger blast. In addition, it will allow you to charge your new sub-weapons."

"Useful," Octavia commented as X stepped into the capsule to download the upgrade. She smiled down at her forehooves as they flashed, turning a mix of white and gold.

Stepping out of the capsule, X tested out the overlapped cross-charged shot. The first charge shot was swirling blasts of energy, while the second was a large blast of energy. When the large blast hit the swirling blasts, they burst apart, becoming five large blasts flying forward in expanding arcs. "Nice!" X crowed, grinning.

Down below, the pair encountered a large, worm like mechanaloid that came out of the ceiling and floor to attack them. It also dropped bouncing bombs that attempted to bounce into them. Discovering that the arcs of energy from the overlapped charged shot would pass through the dirt walls to seek out the target, they blasted away, and it eventually exploded.

The path further on was very straight forward, with only a slight detour straight upward to collect another Heart Tank, just before the path to Neon Tiger's chambers. In the final passage, Octavia held up a hoof, stopping X from going forward. "I'll take it from here alone," she said calmly.

X blinked. "Are you sure?" he asked worriedly.

"Positive," Octavia replied calmly. "Varia, disengage."

"What?" X demanded, shocked.

"...understood," Varia replied, separating from Octavia to hover around her in her base form of a lump of floating technological stone.

"Octavia, what do you think you're-"

Before X could speak further, Classic and Piano had him pinned to the wall. "I'll handle this, Father," Octavia stated as she stepped through the final door. "I'll be fine!" As the door closed behind her, she glanced upward. "...I hope..."

Neon Tiger dropped down from the ceiling. His body was a robotic mix of pink, blue, green, and yellow, with his head appearing almost entirely organic. He stood hunched over, energy claws at the end of his arms, and a lightbulb shaped energy emitter at the end of his tail. At first he snarled, glancing around carefully...only to pause as he saw Octavia. He then zipped over to her side.

"It's dangerous here, little one," he whispered. "Hunters come, and I have to fight them. I don't want you caught in the crossfire." He gently lifted her into his arms. "Let us find you somewhere safe before they get here."

Smiling softly, Octavia attached the Neutralizer. "I'm safe enough right here," she replied as she saw the signs that it was working.

Neon Tiger blinked down at her. "...you speak?"

"Yes," she replied. "Octavia Melody, Maverick Hunter Class A, at your service."

"Oh, X's daughter," Tiger replied, setting her down. "And where is he-"

X came bursting through the door, Classic and Piano hanging off of him. "Octavia! Are you alright?" He paused as he saw Neon Tiger completely calm and Octavia standing by his side. "...I guess so?" he offered weakly.

Octavia giggled a little wickedly at X's expression.

3: Power Corrupts

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After returning to base to collect another Neutralizer, X and Octavia were ready to head straight out to the Power Plant to go after Volt Catfish. Before they could, however, Alia and CiCi both stopped them.

"Neon Tiger sent us some information to help us out," Alia spoke up.

"The first bit is the design for his tail blaster," CiCi explained. "I've already figured out a way to adapt it to Classic, since his tail's the same shape."

Growling happily, Classic headed off after CiCi for his upgrade. Octavia followed along behind, both out of curiosity and to make sure the upgrade wouldn't interfere with the Classic Adapter. Alia smiled at X. "He also sent us some information about Volt Catfish. Apparently, in addition to his electrical flow being disrupted by a spinning attack like a drill...he's a real Otaku."

"So...how does that help us?" X asked. "We make obscure anime references while fighting him in the hopes it snaps him out of it so we can give him the Neutralizer?"

"I suppose," Alia admitted. Turning away, she bit her lip before turning back to face him. "Be careful X, okay? You and Tavi need to come back in one piece."

X smiled softly back at her. "Don't worry," he promised. "We will."

"Less flirting more hunting!" Octavia spoke up as she walked under both of their legs, Classic behind her with a new blast emitter on his tail.

X rolled his eyes as Alia giggled. Turning, he joined his equine daughter on the teleporter to begin their mission.

Entering the Power Plant, Octavia glanced around. "While I understand the canisters of electricity against the walls," she admitted, "I do not understand why said walls are pink. An odd style choice."

"We aren't here to critique their interior decorating," X pointed out. "We're here to stop Volt Catfish."

"Alright...but salmon pink is-" Octavia froze, then brought her hoof to her face. "Oh..."

"What?" X asked in confusion.

"Volt Catfish. Salmon pink."

Chuckling, X led the way in. There was a new security system they hadn't faced before, a laser light that fired blasts of plasma as they passed through it. It was easily evaded by dashing through. A new wall crawling mechanaloid shot at them, and generated an electric shield around itself when damaged. Soon, they encountered a platform that descended down a tube lined with spikes.

X scratched his chin as he stared down. "I'm not sure I should go down..."

"Then I will," Octavia offered. "Spikes don't hurt me, and I can always merge with Classic to come back up." Seeing her father's frown, she raised her hoof. "If there's any danger I can't easily handle, I'll come right back, I promise." Without waiting for a response, Octavia hopped onto the platform with Classic, riding it as it descended.

"Be careful!" X called out worriedly.

"Don't worry," Octavia called through the communicator. "I'll keep in constant contact."

"Alright," X replied. "What do you see?"

"Hmm...it looks like a capsule of some sort down here," Octavia commented. "No enemies or security systems. Maybe it's a tele-" Octavia's signal cut out, and her beacon signal vanished.

"Octavia!" X called out desperately. "Octavia, can you hear me? OCTAVIA!"

As the teleport ended, Octavia glanced around. "Looks like it was a teleporter," she commented into the comms. "I'm in some sort of ruined factory. Any idea where I might be?" There was no response. "Father? Do you read? Dad? ...Daddy?" She tapped the communicator a few times, hoping to get it restarted. Realizing she couldn't contact anyone - and there was no teleporter back - she swallowed. "Great..." she murmured worriedly. "It was a trap and I walked right into it..."

Classic nuzzled her from the side, relaxing her somewhat. Deciding there wasn't anything else for it, she charged onward. There were quite a few Mechanaloids blocking the winding path, but between her overlapping charged shots and Classic's new blaster, they fell readily. Not long after, she had to climb up a long passageway above a broken elevator. Chunks of rock and other debris fell towards her from above, but she was able to blast them to bits shooting upward.

Not long after, she entered what she'd come to think of as a 'boss chamber'. To her surprise, Vile - now blue - dropped down in a grey Ride Armor she recognized as a Kangaroo unit, but recolored.

"He he-wait a minute, you're not X!" Vile snapped angrily.

"If you were specifically wanting to trap Father, you should have keyed the trap to only teleport him," she pointed out reasonably.

"It doesn't matter," Vile replied. "Your destruction will destroy X just as thoroughly, and much more satisfyingly. And I don't even have to finish you off. I just have to keep you busy for the few minutes until this factory explodes!"

"So there's a way out then?" she asked, merging with Classic. "Thanks for telling me. The Kangaroo doesn't jump too well, so I'll just fly over you and head for the exit. Ta-ta."

As she passed over Vile's head, he screamed in rage. "You won't escape me that easily!" he roared, leaping out of the Ride Armor to attack her. However, his leaping charge passed harmlessly between Octavia and Classic as they separated...and Octavia landed in the cockpit of the Ride Armor.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," she commented dryly as she slammed Vile into the wall with the spiked fists of the Ride Armor. As she punched him several times, not giving him a chance to recover, Classic blasted him with the Ray Splasher his tail gun was equipped with.

As Vile fell, he growled deep in his throat, his voice box erroring. "Don't think this is the end! I will haunt you all till the day...you...die..." On the last word, his voice trailed off as he exploded.

Abandoning the bulky Ride Armor, Octavia fused again with Classic to make her way out quickly. "Remind me to ask CiCi to make some Proton Packs," she told Classic, who growled in agreement.

Eventually, they reached another teleporter capsule, and dove in just as the factory was about to explode.

Octavia and Classic found themselves back in the Power Plant...only much of it was wrecked. Sighing, she activated her communicator. "Father..."

"Octavia!" X gasped out in relief, the sound of something rather large being dropped through a floor echoing in the background. "You're alright! Where have you been? What happened?"

"It was a one-way teleporter to an abandoned factory," Octavia explained as she started forward. "Vile set it up to trap you. Don't worry, he's dead, but CiCi needs to get started on some Ghostbusting equipment, since he claimed he was going to haunt us."

X laughed from the other side of the comms. "You don't really believe in ghosts, do you?" X asked.

"Asked the artificial man of the magical talking pony with the living space rock armor," Octavia replied in a droll tone.

"...touche. CiCi, get to work on those Proton Packs."

Laughter from the whole HQ greeted that exchange, though it did have a bit of a hysterical tinge to it. As Octavia continued, she whistled. "You really did a number on this place, didn't you?" she marveled.

"...I thought I'd lost you, Octavia," X whispered back. "I...went a little crazy..."

Octavia smiled softly. "I'm harder to lose than that, Dad," she reassured him. "So...find any upgrades while rampaging I need to download when I catch up?"

"Well, I found a Heart Tank," X replied. "Also, one of Light's capsules containing an armor upgrade. He didn't say anything, though. He took one look at the state I was in and just gave me the armor. In addition to reducing damage, it also generates an anti-damage field briefly after I take a hit. And I just found a Sub Tank."

"Wait up for me, then!" Octavia called out as she flew through the wrecked plant. Eventually, she caught up to X just in front of another 'boss door'. "You really wrecked the place, didn't you? You didn't leave anything for me to fight."

X chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

"I call fighting Volt Catfish!" she shouted as she dashed through the door.

"Hang on!" X called out, dashing after her.

As Volt Catfish descended from the ceiling, Octavia shot up with a fully charged Tornado Drill, the drill whirling on her hoof as she uppercut the fish shaped Reploid into the ceiling. "Mine is the drill that will pierce the heavens!" she shouted as she impacted.

"Just who do you think you are!" Volt Catfish suddenly shouted back.

Octavia blinked. "Umm..."

"What?" Volt Catfish demanded. "You reference without knowing what you reference? Unacceptable!"

Grabbing hold of Octavia and X, he sat them both down and forced them to watch the entirety of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Octavia didn't really get it, and used the time to attach a Neutralizer to Volt Catfish. X, however, appeared to be fully engaged. Rolling her eyes, Octavia curled up for a nap.

3: Eye of the Swarm

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When Octavia finally managed to drag X away from Volt Catfish's anime collection, she was ready to take a break and eat something, have a bath, and relax. Unfortunately, as soon as they returned to HQ, they were greeted by bad news.

"I've been going over the scans of the Neutralized Reploid brains, and I've come to a terrifying discovery," CiCi explained. "The longer a Reploid is under the influence of the Neural Computer's signal, the more dominated by it their mind becomes...and the more the original persona decays. It varies depending on the strength of the Reploid mind and how close to the Computer they're based, but..."

"But?" X prompted as she fell silent.

"Given how close he's based and how long he's been in there, if we don't save Blast Hornet today, he will suffer total persona collapse."

"Uncle Zero!" Octavia shouted out. "It's time to gamble! Stop flirting with Iris and get your butt in here!"

There was a resounding crash followed by an adorable giggle from the distance, followed by Zero racing into the command center, pulling the last piece of his armor on as he ran. "I'm here! I'm here!" he called back, gasping for breath.

X raised an eyebrow. "...why were you out of armor in Iris' quarters?"

"Because Iris is a beast at poker," he replied simply.

CiCi's tentacles twitched. "You were playing strip poker with the Repliforce liaison?"

"It was her idea!" Zero countered defensively.

Alia spat her coffee all over her console. "And Colonel had just written to ask how his 'sweet, innocent little sister' was doing in our care," she mumbled, cleaning her console off.

"Let's go!" Octavia growled out. "We can talk while we're heading for Blast Hornet."

"You know, he still owes me fifty bucks, whatever he says," Zero pointed out as they warped away.

As the trio appeared in the old military base, its gray walls somewhat broken with circuitry visible within, Octavia spoke up. "Why does Blast Hornet owe you fifty bucks?" she asked.

"Poker debt," he replied easily, dashing forward.

"Good thing Iris wasn't playing that day, isn't it?" X teased as they blasted away at the mechanaloids blocking the path to the first elevator.

"Shut up!" Zero snapped back as he smashed another mechanaloid with a swipe of his beam saber.

Once at the top of the elevator, the trio dashed through a sequence of conveyor belts to a sealed chamber. Inside, a small bug shaped robot projected a wire-frame creature that resembled a multi-pointed star.

"Piano, sic!" X called out.

Teleporting in, Piano landed on the holo-projection, crushing it beneath him as he sat on its destroyed and dissolving remains. He then turned to the group, panting happily.

Zero chuckled. "I thought you said 'Piano sic', not 'Piano sit."

Blowing his friend a raspberry, X led the charge onward.

Outside, the group made their way across several buildings, only to pause. "Say, Octavia," X asked, "didn't the radar say there was something directly below us?"

"Yup," Octavia agreed, finding a cracked platform to blast apart. "It's probably down here."

Finding a cracked wall, X broke it apart with his Tornado Fang before dropping downward. After blasting apart a stasis bot, he found the Neutral Ride Armor, the basic model the other units were modifications of. "Nice!" he shouted as he hopped in. "Now we can summon the Ride Armors at the various warp platforms!"

"Useful," Zero and Octavia commented together.

Continuing onward, a large carrier landed, and small mechanaloids began attempting to load it with supply crates. Deciding to do something about that, X used the Ride Armor to smash the crates, while Zero and Octavia destroyed the mechanaloids that carried them. Once the carrier left empty, Octavia followed the radar to collect another Heart Tank.

Once Octavia had come back down from atop the building, the trio entered the building...only to be immediately confronted by an unknown Reploid. He was nearly double X's height, and somewhat large bodied and thick limbed. He was a mix of red, yellow, blue, and grey, with a large yellow and green arch connecting his shoulders over and behind his head.

"Hello," he greeted calmly. "My name is Byte. You killed my partner. Prepare to die."

"Aren't you supposed to say that with a Spanish accent?" Octavia asked calmly as the group prepared for battle.

Ignoring that, Byte hurled a repulser disc at the wall behind them, where it stuck and prevented them from climbing it. He then promptly charged them. If he got close enough, he attempted to smash them with a whirling punch to knock them into the ceiling and opposite wall. X got caught once or twice before he got the timing of his air dash to evade it down. Zero and Octavia evaded in their own ways.

"X, catch!" Zero called out, hurling something to him.

When X caught it, he grinned. As Byte charged again, the trio dashed in to meet him, slashing through him with Beam Sabers - X and Zero wielding one, Octavia charging her B. Saber subweapon - from three sides at once. Byte fell apart, his core going critical.

"How...how can such...ancient machines...have such power?" he demanded. As the explosions began, he relaxed. "The victory is yours...I...have failed..."

Once Byte's explosion had passed, the trio continued onward, heading down a path of short conveyor belts and falling crates. Before too long, they reached the chamber where Blast Hornet awaited them, descending from above. He did not speak to them, but immediately began attacking, launching waves of robo-hornets to attack them and charging them with his sting.

After a time of evading and trying to figure out how to snap him out of it without damaging him too much, Octavia got an idea. After closely avoiding a sting charge that was aimed at her, Octavia used her B. Saber to cut off Blast Hornet's wings, leaving him stuck in the ground.

He growled at her. "Must you humiliate me so?" he demanded angrily. "Why not just finish me off?"

Zero dashed up. "Not until I get the fifty you owe me," he stated jovially, holding his hand out.

"What?" Blast Hornet demanded angrily. "Commander, it was you who owe me fifty! You're the one who was short on cash that match. I covered you fifty-"

"After which I cleaned up," Zero pointed out reasonably as Octavia attached the Neutralizer to the back of Blast Hornet's head. "And you were short for the final payout by fifty-"

"I covered you for $100!" Blast Hornet snapped.

"I took that into account when calculating the final payouts," Zero snapped back.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Can we go home now?" Octavia pleaded.

Chuckling, X warped out with Octavia, leaving Zero to debate with Blast Hornet who owed who money.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Then pay up!" Zero finished smugly.

"Dammit!"

3: Crushed and Broken

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After a brief detour on the way back to HQ to collect the Heart Tank in the arctic area - the Ride Armor proved most effective in smashing the ice blocks that blocked the path - X and Octavia were immediately dispatched to the airfield, which was under the supervision of Crush Crawfish.

"We've received reports that he may be attempting an aerial assault against the Repliforce blockade," Alia explained as they were sent out. "Since there's no way to tell ahead of time where he's going to strike, we can't order a build up of forces to counteract it...but the amount of forces being built up there is enough to break through on a concentrated assault."

"Then we'll just have to take out the assault before it launches," X had agreed before he and Octavia had warped to the airfield.

As they arrived atop the uppermost scaffolding of the airfield, X observed the radar scans that showed the full map, as well as the location of a Heart Tank, the Hawk modifier for the Ride Armor, and what he was able to determine was one of the four power up chips Light had told him about. As he turned to lead the way in, however, he noticed Octavia hesitating. "What's wrong, Octavia?" he asked cautiously.

"There's...something not right about the shape of the map..." she murmured. "...Varia? Can you boost the radar function to scan further?"

"Attempting..." Varia was silent for a time. "Scans complete. Error. Unable to scan to ground level. Area does not extend to ground level."

"Dad! This isn't an airfield!" Octavia shouted out. "This is an airship! It's only resting in the water! The entire place is a mobile assault platform!"

X's eyes widened in shock. "Damn...we need to hurry then!"

Putting action to words, X immediately leapt down from the scaffolding, Octavia following along behind. As they came down, X felt the platform he was standing on buckle slightly. Checking the map, he realized it was directly above where he detected the Hawk modification for the Ride Armor. "We need to break this somehow," he muttered.

"...scans show that the platform is magnetized," Octavia pointed out. "If we delivered an intense electrical charge into the metal along with a great deal of physical force, we might be able to break through."

Nodding, X switched to the Triad T. weapon they'd gotten from Volt Catfish. Charging it up to pink, he brought his clenched fist down on the platform, releasing the charge as his fist made contact. The charged energy scattered around as the platform crumbled.

Once they'd collected the Hawk modification, they decided to make use of it at a nearby Armor warp platform. The Hawk modification turned the Ride Armor blue and grey, turned the arms into missile launchers, and gave it a jetpack. It was overall very effective in the area.

Moving forward, a dropping mechanaloid broke several scaffold floors as it dropped in and then out of sight. Hovering down slowly, the pair found a cracked wall which shattered under the missile onslaught from the Ride Armor, allowing them to collect the Heart Tank.

Further on, they were forced to abandon the Ride Armor to continue, moving into the belly of the aircraft. They found other smaller aircraft docked within, ready to deploy and guarded by mechanaloid enemies. Moving deep inside past a room full of conveyor belts, they found the main generator for the ship.

"Let's shut this place down," Octavia growled out, opening fire. X followed suit.

It didn't take much to destroy the generator, causing the airship to crash on its side. Climbing up what was once the floor, the pair made their way to the bridge, where Crush Crawfish was waiting for them.

"You!" he snarled at them. "Crash my ship! Crush my troops! I crush you!" He lunged forward, his metal scissor claws spread wide to crush them.

X and Octavia both immediately dashed to either side of him to evade the charge. Getting an idea from the metal of the claws, Octavia tried hitting him with her Triad T. weapon.

"Gyah!" he shouted out, flinching back as the electricity coursed through him. "You'll pay for thaAAAAAGGGGH!"

The reason for the scream was that X had followed Octavia's lead. Coming up behind Crush Crawfish, he'd released a pink charge Triad T., releasing the full force of the electricity straight into his back. As he staggered forward, Octavia managed to get a Neutralizer affixed to his torso.

X and Octavia both leapt back, expecting him to calm down. They didn't expect him to suddenly start screaming in horror.

"NO!" Crush Crawfish wailed. "No! Not all of them! It can't have been all of them! I knew it would be some, but...all? NO!" Reaching up, he snapped his claws towards his own head, but they wouldn't reach. Screaming in horror, he began slamming himself bodily against the walls and the control circuitry of the ship.

"What's going on?" Octavia demanded, shocked. "What's happening to him?"

X stared at Crush Crawfish for a time, then sighed sadly. "Octavia...return to base."

"But Dad-"

"Now!" X snapped out. "That's an order from your Commander!"

Octavia staggered back several steps, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. "...yes, sir," she said finally, beaming out.

X slowly approached Crush Crawfish. He knew exactly what was going on. Crush Crawfish's AI was reported to have a fatal error in the friend/foe recognition systems. He'd gone to Doppler to have it fixed. Obviously, Doppler succeeded...but without the Neural Computer's signal, he was now forced to face his memories without that error.

"Not red..." Crush Crawfish whimpered as he stared at his claws. "Green, not red...all were green...and now all is red...make it stop!" Wailing, he lunged forward, trying to smash his head against the wall again.

X caught him on the arm. "...I'll make it quick and painless," he offered.

Turning to him, Crush Crawfish nodded silently.

Charging up his Triad T., X braced himself on the poor Maverick's body. Drawing his fist back, compassion and sympathy in his heart and tears in his eyes, he released the charge straight into his face.

Crush Crawfish flatlined instantly, his torment over.

X returned to HQ, somber and quiet. He gave no explanation as he downloaded the Spinning Blade weapon into Varia. "What's the report regarding Gravity Beetle?" he asked Alia.

"Boomer Kuwanger just returned," Alia explained. "After getting confirmation from CiCi that installing a Neutralizer in himself would render him immune to the Neural Computer, he went in. Being stealth trained, he was able to make his way through to Gravity Beetle undetected."

"It was logical," Kuwanger explained as he leaned against the wall. "Beetle is my brother. If he was being controlled, he probably was made to believe I was dead, much as Flame Stag did. Thus, being confronted by me would snap him out of it, allowing me to connect the Neutralizer."

"So all that's left is finding Doppler's base," CiCi added. "It's no longer where it was."

"Actually, it is," Kuwanger explained. "Beetle was able to tell me. He explained that the main base has been moved to underground, which is why its location could not be accurately triangulated by the shape of the Neural Computer's signal field. He gave me the exact teleport coordinates, along with his weapon program." Walking up to X, he handed over that program, a Heart Tank, and a Frog modification unit for the Ride Armor. "I also found these in the supply depot he was in charge of."

"Then let's go smash that computer," Zero snapped out, walking up to join X and Octavia.

3: Charge of the Light Brigade

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With the new coordinates in hand, X, Octavia, and Zero beamed into Doppler's Fortress at the outermost point to work their way in towards the central chamber where the Neural Computer was stationed. The first area had purple walls, and a robotic junkyard could be seen behind gratings in the walls.

"Creepy," Octavia muttered, shivering.

"Let's go," X ordered. "We need to finish this."

"My trigger finger's itchy," Zero muttered. "I've barely gotten to shoot anything this entire war."

X rolled his eyes at Zero's statement, but Octavia giggled. He then led the way in.

The enemies they encountered at first were nothing new, and the path was quite straightforward...up until they reached a passage with a spiked roof over pits. "Why would anyone put spikes that high up?" Zero muttered. "Who'd be stupid enough to jump that high?" Shrugging, he leapt over the first pit.

As the group approached the second pit, the spiked roof descended over one of the platforms, leaving barely enough room to pass under it.

"...and suddenly this passage is a lot more unnerving," X muttered.

"I'll go first," Octavia offered. "Spikes don't hurt me, and I can quick merge with Classic if I fall into the pits."

Unable to argue with that, X and Zero let Octavia lead the way. As expected, the spikes in the ceiling descended above her, but always left just enough room to pass underneath them unharmed. "This almost seems like a skill challenge rather than an actual attempt to kill us," X muttered, wriggling his hands inside his busters.

"Makes me nervous, too," Zero agreed, his hand unconsciously going to his beam saber.

Heading upward, the group found a narrow passage they had to climb, where the wall sections moved to crush them at each point in alternating directions, too fast for Octavia to use Classic to zoom past. The trio had to climb as fast as they could, barely making it to the ladder past the last segment. Zero actually wound up on his back as his trailing hair got caught by the last section.

"Very. Funny. Tavi," Zero growled out as Octavia giggled at the conundrum. Chuckling himself, X used his beam saber to sever the caught hair as close to the wall as possible, allowing them to move on. Much to Zero's relief, he'd only lost five millimeters of hair. His relief set Octavia giggling again.

Not far beyond that, they found a large compactor room with a spiked ceiling guarded by a mechanaloid in a canine-head-shaped armor. As it approached them, the ceiling began to lower.

"There's something on the other side of the room making the ceiling drop!" Zero called out.

"I'll take care of it!" Octavia shouted, dashing under the mechanaloid.

While X and Zero blasted away at the guardian, Octavia reached the other side. Finding a turbine lowering the ceiling, she switched to Triad Thunder. Charging up, she leapt, slamming all four hooves into the machine as she released the charge. It exploded in a burst of electricity which also happened to damage and temporarily immobilize the guardian.

"Good job!" X called out as he dashed up to her after finishing off the guardian.

"Not bad, Tavi," Zero added with a grin.

As they progressed through the next area, X's radar went off. "A Light Capsule?" he asked, surprised.

"He must have the super-power chip and the Piano Adapter ready!" Octavia offered happily.

Grinning widely, X quickly led the way to where he'd detected the capsule, another pink one. As he approached, it opened.

"I have perfected the chip to enhance all your parts," Light explained as X approached. "Designing it to work with the Piano Adapter was a great idea on Octavia's part, and that is also ready for installation. However, I would suggest saving the first use of the Adapter for an enemy you intend to fully obliterate. Its power is immense." With that, the hologram vanished.

X stepped into the capsule, and the light flared as the upgrades were installed. Varia also flashed, her coloration changing to gold. Octavia glanced at the change. "...I think this looks better on X than on me," she muttered.

"New capacity available," Varia intoned. "Continuous charge shot available. Double Air Dash available. Defensive energy shield amplified. Energy regeneration subroutines available. Defensive energy can now be regenerated while not moving. This can also be used to fill Sub Tanks."

"Useful," X commented as he stepped out of the capsule, his armor now golden.

"Whatever you say, Super Sayian," Zero joked, earning a light punch on the arm.

Returning to the path, the trio cleared their way through the remaining enemies, climbing up the final segment to reach a sealed door. Passing through it, they encountered a massive mechanaloid that looked not unlike the head of an elephant attached to a rocket platform. It shot bullets at them from its trunk from a high altitude, while a junk chute dumped chunks of mechaloid onto a conveyor belt below.

"We have to get past that thing!" X barked out.

"There's an open door right there," Octavia pointed out logically.

Glancing at each other, X and Zero shrugged, following through the open passage, leaving the mechanaloid to defend its post inadequately.

Several minutes after they left, the mechanaloid stopped moving. Glancing down, it double checked to make sure no one was there or around, then wiped its forehead. "I can't believe that worked!" it muttered as it promptly fled the fortress. It wasn't about to stick around when the A class Hunters were there to obliterate everything in their path. It wasn't stupid.

3: Confounded Ungrateful Reploids

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The trio charged readily into the next section of the fortress, finding the walls to be dark purple, with green ceilings and floors. Large windows showed that this segment was underwater.

"Who is Doppler's interior decorator?" Octavia asked, looking a trifle green herself. "They need to be shot."

"We probably will by the time we get to him," Zero joked.

As they progressed forward, they encountered a new enemy. It was similar to the green jumping humanoid robots from the water processing plant, but purple, and heavily armored. When one set of blasts destroyed the armor, another set was required to destroy the robot itself. Also unlike their green counterparts, they didn't jump before shooting. They also shot a lot faster.

Thankfully, with all the firepower the three of them had at their disposal, the trio was able to mow through the enemies with a minimum of damage. "Is it just me, or are the mechanaloids getting tougher?" Zero asked.

"They are," X confirmed. "But we're tougher still."

"Damn right!" Zero agreed.

After making their way past the first glut of enemies in the winding corridors, the trio found their way to a Ride Armor warp point. "Which version should we call in?" X wondered.

Octavia checked her radar. "Better make it the Frog," she suggested.

"What?" Zero demanded. "But that's next to useless except for underwater areas!"

"And most of the rest of this area is underwater," Octavia clarified.

"...this is gonna suck," Zero complained as X summoned the Frog Ride Armor.

Dropping down, the trio fought their way through turtle mechanaloids, destroying them and letting the shells float upward to explode against the ceiling. Thankfully, the segment was short, leading them upward through a narrow door leading East. Inside, a dragonfly-like mechanaloid attacked them over a series of tubes of different colors. The trio immediately unleashed their fully charged blasts, causing the mechanaloid to start veering around, its nav-comp destroyed.

"Oh yeah, we rock!" Zero cheered, pumping his fist.

Octavia's eyes widened, seeing the mechanaloid about to crash into Zero. "Uncle Zero! Watch out!"

Zero spun. "What the-"

Before anyone could react, a pitch black hawk with a seven foot wing span dove down, seized Zero by his shoulders, and dragged him out of the way. Before the bug-like mechanaloid could course correct, a black capsule dropped down from the ceiling, crushing the mechanaloid beneath its weight. The capsule was similar to the Light Capsules - more so to the one that had contained the Classic Adapter for Octavia on second examination - but it had a white W on the top.

The hawk released Zero, revealing itself to be mechanical rather than organic, flapping over to the capsule and settling on top of it, its golden eyes locked on Zero. It let off a screech of triumph as the capsule opened, revealing a hologram of a human scientist with a bald crown and overlarge sideburns. The hologram rolled its eyes at Zero, gestured to the capsule, and vanished.

"...uh..." Zero began.

Before he could say more, Classic pushed him into the capsule, and he felt something being installed. The capsule then beeped. "Support Unit bonding complete. Adapter installed. Please designate support unit."

"Huh?" Zero asked, confused.

"I think the hawk's your new support unit," X replied. The hawk, for its part, flapped down to rest on Zero's shoulder and began preening his hair.

Smiling, Zero began stroking the hawk. "I think I'll call him Timbre," he commented softly.

Continuing onward, the trio followed a twisting path around to a narrow passageway upward lined with spikes on all sides. Crawling along those spikes were snail-like mechanaloids whose shells could be destroyed, revealing a platform. However, they climbed very slowly.

"Not doing that," Octavia commented dryly, calling in Classic and merging with him. She then flew upward.

Smirking, Zero hopped onto Timbre's back as he carried him upward. "Have fun, X!" he called out.

X ground his teeth. "You know what? Screw this! Piano Spring!" He'd seen the ridiculous looking option for Piano in his status screen, and hadn't bothered to use it, but now seemed appropriate. As Piano appeared, X leapt onto his back...only to be propelled upwards at rocket speed. "Too much spring! Too much spring! Too much-" His words were interrupted by a loud crunch as he found himself embedded in the ceiling.

Laughing, Zero and Octavia managed to pull him out of the ceiling and onto a steady platform before another sealed door. X and Octavia took the time to let the Energy Restoration system replenish their energy shielding - as well as the sub tank Zero quaffed to restore his - before the trio continued onward. The chamber they found themselves in was completely underwater, and Timbre was forced to stay above.

A large mechanaloid that looked like a turtle crossed with a squid readied for battle. However, Triad Thunder proved to be especially effective against it, and it went down before it truly had a chance to fight back due to the three-pronged attack.

With the mechanaloid's defeat, the trio continued into the next segment of the fortress, though Zero sent Timbre back to base to get properly registered.

The next segment had dark green floors and ceilings with dark brown walls. "Well, this is a little better," Octavia muttered as the trio dashed down the halls.

The first hall was very short, leading them down past incidental mechanaloids into a large chamber filled with teleport capsules. "So, this is the part where we face duplicates of the Mavericks?" Zero asked curiously.

"Can I handle them, Dad?" Octavia asked. "I'll make it quick."

X frowned. "Are you certain you can handle it?" he asked.

"Positive!" she promised, leaping into the first capsule and being teleported away.

Octavia found herself up against a duplicate of Blast Hornet. She simply smirked. "Varia, the music is in me."

"Override command recognized," Varia replied. "Hadouken and Shoryuken temporarily unlocked for dealing with mindless duplicate Mavericks."

Octavia grinned widely, fire gathering around her hoof.

Zero blinked as he watched Octavia leaping from capsule to capsule, never spending more than a few seconds in each one. "...she wasn't kidding about it being quick," he muttered.

As Octavia leapt out of the last capsule, X frowned down at her. "You're still grounded when we get back to HQ for unlocking those moves without permission," he chided. "I'm not fooled for a minute."

"But Da~ad!"

"Don't you 'but Dad' me, young lady," X scolded. "I'm punishing you as a father for an infraction as your commander. All appearances to the contrary, you're old enough to know better than to pull something like that."

Octavia turned away with an adorable pout, making Zero burst into laughter.

After another short passage onward, the trio found themselves face to face with Dr. Doppler himself. "I've been waiting for you three-e-e," he began, his voice erroring for no apparent reason. "I am Dopp-Dopp-Dr. Doppler."

Octavia's eyes widened as a suspicion crossed her mind. Glancing over Doppler's shoulder, she gasped. "CiCi, what are you doing here? And...what are you wearing?"

Doppler spun around eagerly. Seeing the opening, Octavia threw the last Neutralizer to attach to the back of his head. Doppler staggered forward a few steps, then straightened. "...did you have to make it so humiliating?" he asked petulantly.

"Wait...Doppler was under the control of his own Neural Computer?" Zero asked, confused. "But then...who was pulling the strings?"

"It was Sigma," Doppler replied. "And...I'm afraid I've built him a new battle body. And I've determined his true form is that of a computer virus. I've no idea how that happened, but I will attempt to create an anti-virus."

"Try basing it on X's brain wave patterns," Zero suggested. "The signal had no effect on him."

"Your brain-wave patterns corrupted the signal, though," X countered.

"Hmm..." Doppler murmured, stroking his chin. "Go deal with Sigma as best you can. I will see what I can do." Heading to a console, Doppler opened the path. "Good luck you three."

Nodding, the trio moved further in.

3: Taking Down the Tyrant...Again

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As the trio arrived in the final area of the Fortress, they took in their surroundings. The chamber was wide open with pale blue floors and ceilings, the distant walls shrouded in shadows. A large capsule was visible in the distance, containing a massive combat reploid body.

"Think that's Sigma's Battle Body?" Zero asked, flexing his hand around his beam saber.

"No," Octavia countered as she scanned it with her visor. "It's missing some critical components. It's just...yet another source of materials. It's probably being kept in the capsule as a source of spare parts, in case we do more damage to Sigma than he expects."

"He expects to win," X commented dryly. "He overestimates himself."

Only the most basic of defensive mechanaloids guarded the path inward, eventually leading to a narrower area with ladders leading upward...and a somewhat damaged wall.

"I need to go through here," Octavia stated bluntly, gesturing to the wall. "I managed to download the map while we were in Doppler's chambers, and there's a power generator in there feeding power directly into Sigma's battle body. If I don't take it out, his battle body will have a limitless supply of energy to draw from."

"Then I should take it out," Zero countered. "I can go alone, and-"

"If Sigma's any kind of tactician, he'll have designed his Battle Body to fight everything he's seen us use so far," Octavia interrupted. "That would be each of our standard abilities, the sub weapons we've brought with us, the Hadouken, the Shoryuken, and my Classic Adapter. Which means if we want to beat him without risking excessive damage or possible death, we need to hit him with things he hasn't seen in full action." She gestured to X. "While he's seen the Golden Armor, he's only likely to have formulated a battle plan around it, rather than designing his body to counter it."

X nodded worriedly. "But he hasn't seen the Piano or Timbre Adapters in effect, because we haven't used them. Still...are you sure you can handle whatever you face back there alone?"

Octavia smirked as Classic beamed in. "Who said I'm going to be alone?" Grinning, she blasted the wall open and dashed in, Classic hot on her hooves.

Knowing that standing around would only draw attention to her, X and Zero clambered upwards towards where they knew Sigma was waiting for them.

As Octavia dashed towards the power generator, she glanced about at the narrow, machine lined corridor. "...where are the defenders?" she asked, confused.

"Doppler is sending them a false signal indicating that you are attacking from the other direction," Varia explained. "He also informs me that he has completed the anti-viral program, and sent it to one who is already in motion to assist. The Neural Computer's been disabled so it can't alter anyone new, and destroying the power generator will shut it down completely."

"Huh," Octavia muttered. "Good to know."

As X and Zero made their way through the final door, they entered a tall, box-like chamber that severely limited movement. It wasn't long before they came face to face with Sigma's new body...a humanoid reploid body in a riot of purple, yellow, blue, and green. The purpose of the dreadlock-like spikes coming off his back wasn't readily apparent, nor that of the horns rising from his shoulders. The glowing shield in his hand, however, was obviously for defense.

"We meet again X, Zero..." he growled out. "I had no idea it would be so easy to amass such power from a viral form. So many months of careful planning, wasted..." He chuckled a bit. "And if the Hunters hadn't sent you in so soon, X, I would have gotten away with it...and figured out how to corrupt and control even you. But it seems the three of us are destined to battle each other over and over..."

"You talk too much," Zero barked out. "Timbre! Merge!" He lifted his hand into the air as Timbre beamed down onto him, surrounding him in an aura of black energy. When the energy faded, Zero unfolded his wings to reveal his new form.

Hovering in the air, he flapped the massive wings sprouting from his back, the black membrane feathered in a pattern of orange circuitry. His armor was a mix of dark blues, deep purple, and pitch black, with a solid red crystal pulsing in the center of his chest. Smaller blue wings fanned out to each side of his head. His hands had turned into crimson claws, and tooth-like protrusions marked his feet.(1)

"Impressive," Sigma admitted. "It seems I'm not the only one with new tricks-"

"Piano! Merge!" X shouted out. Piano warped in above him and dropped onto him, converting partially into energy as the adapter kicked in.

When the light faded, X's golden armor had changed to crimson and white. His busters were nearly double the size, and massive thrusters glowed on his back and on his feet. His new form radiated indomitable speed and raw, unchained power.

Unfortunately for X's pride, it was also covered head to toe in thick, fluffy fur.(2)

Zero attempted to stifle his laughter, especially at X's chagrined expression. Sigma made no such attempt.

Falling onto his back, Sigma let out peal after peal of uncontrollable laughter. "It's...you're...he's so fluffy!" he finally managed to gasp out, rolling over to pound his fists and feet against the floor, his entire body shaking with his laughs.

X stared at him with a miserable frown until the laughter started to subside. "...are you done?" he asked in resignation.

Sigma started to stand up...but then he caught sight of X's face and burst into laughter again. "Like a pouty lion!" he gasped out as his whole body shook, rolling back and forth on the floor in laughter. All at once, the laughter and movement stopped.

"...huh?" X began, confused.

Zero hovered over to examine the body...and began to snicker. "X...I hate to tell you this...but he died laughing."

X could only groan and facepaw...only to groan even louder as he realized that yes, when not a buster his arms in this form ended in massive paws.

The lights went out as the power generator was destroyed, and Zero returned to X's side as he felt something shift. "Well," Sigma's voice began softly. "That was certainly my most embarrassing defeat yet, though I'm not sure if for me or you, X." Two glowing eyes appeared in the darkness. "However, that will not suffice to destroy my new and improved battle body!"

As the light returned, the massive shape was revealed. The legs were each thick and tall enough to completely contain X or Zero, even in their new forms, and colored a dark blue with yellow and red markings. The upper body had a face on the chest that was somewhere between a gorilla's and a lizard's in configuration, and marked the divide between the blue lower body and the pink upper body. Massive laser cannons and missile launchers were mounted on each flaring shoulder, and Sigma's tiny head could just be made out at the peak.

"Behold the might of my new invincible form!" Sigma declared loudly. He then blinked. "Wait...where's Zero-"

Appearing behind him, Zero performed a spinning kick that tore Sigma's head from its position on the new body, sending it flying towards X. X leveled both busters at the flying head and released a fully charged shot from both. The immense wave of firepower blasted straight through Sigma's head to take a chunk out of the battle body and the wall behind it.

"Watch where you're shooting, X!" Zero snapped as he blurred back into place beside X as the massive battle body exploded. "You nearly hit me there!"

"Sorry!" X responded, chagrined. "Didn't realize how much power these babies had." He stared at his new busters in amazement. "Think Light went a bit overboard here..."

"Amazing..." Sigma's voice murmured. "What power from such ancient machines. Only one option for it...I shall possess you both to rule this world!"

The new sensors that allowed X and Zero to see when a Reploid was under the Neural Computer's control picked up something new appearing in the air above them. It looked like the wire frame projection they'd faced after beating Sigma the last time...but they could tell that was only how their minds were interpreting the visual data. It was actually a viral concentration...Sigma's attempt to possess them.

The fortress beneath them began to fill with lava, flowing up towards them as Sigma sought to trap them. The room above narrowed as it ascended. "There is no escape-"

Sigma's rant was cut off as X and Zero both shot upwards with the air boosters their new forms had equipped, rapidly outstripping him, leaving him to spout curses.

Eventually, however, the pair reached a dead end, and Sigma appeared behind them. "Give up! There is no escape! When I possess your bodies, I shall become truly invincible!"

"GROUND CRUSH!"

"What-"

Before Sigma could react, the ceiling behind him broke, and a figure came down like an avenging angel. The humanoid reploid was built on a massive scale, nearly twice as tall as X or Zero normally were. His armor was a mix of white, black, yellow, blue and red. His face, while normally open and honest, was twisted into an expression of fierce determination and fury. The only real clue to his identity was the hat with the Repliforce insignia emblazoned in bronze above his brow. His beam sword was built to his scale, and the pink blade slashed easily through the entire cloud of the Sigma Virus, disrupting it as a new signal was left in its wake.

"What...how...?" Sigma demanded. "Who are...?"

"Colonel of Repliforce, reporting for duty!" the Reploid barked out, his voice firm and strong with a slight British accent. "Dr. Doppler was able to create an anti-virus program based on what he'd found of Dr. Light's research into corruptive programs and X and Zero's brain wave scans. The Hikari Antibody has been uploaded into both my systems and my beam saber as an attack program."

"This...isn't...possible!" Sigma screamed out. "You...all...will...pay!!!"

The virus cloud began to erupt with explosions, as did the Fortress. X, Zero, and Colonel immediately beamed out to the nearest safe coordinates.

When the trio landed on a plateau overlooking the Fortress, they found Octavia waiting for them alongside Classic. Zero disengaged from Timbre so he could stand on solid ground again, to reassure himself that the mission was actually over. X plopped down beside Octavia, not bothering to defuse from Piano just yet...though he groaned a bit when Octavia chose to bury herself in his new fluffy coat.

"Not gonna disengage the Adapter yet?" Zero asked.

"Light implied that the process might not be entirely stable when he installed the chip and Adapter," X explained. "I want to wait until we're back at the base so I can be under proper observation when I disengage it...just in case."

"And you want to know how Alia will react to you being so fluffing adorable," Zero teased. X was glad his crimson fur concealed his blush.

"Speaking of, Zero, I need to discuss something with you," Colonel pointed out.

"Oh?" Zero asked, turning to face him. "What's that?"

"Regarding my sister..." Colonel suddenly drew his saber. "Defend yourself!" he shouted as he charged in with an overhead swing. Zero's saber leapt to his hand to block.

X debated whether or not to step in and interfere. The debate lasted until Timbre returned with a bucket of popcorn, which settled the debate.

(1)For those who don't recognize the inspiration for the design...
(2) Any artists out there, I'd love a picture of Fluffy X.

Less Important Battles

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X laid back, sighing in frustration. He'd tried to talk Zero and Colonel into stopping their fight to no avail once he ran out of popcorn. Appealing to Octavia for help, she'd suggested taking the fight to Maverick Hunter HQ, since it wouldn't be honorable of Colonel to beat Zero after he was tired from beating Sigma. The fact that Zero showed no signs of fatigue was not mentioned, and Colonel agreed to reserve fighting to defend his sister's honor until after Zero was fully checked out and recharged.

The fact that Zero seemed just as overjoyed at the idea only made Octavia groan nearly as much as X.

After returning, X had discovered something that had left the next few hours a delicate balance between pleasant, unpleasant, and frustrating. On the one hand, Alia was on duty and seemed to adore his new fluff. On the other hand, so was every single other female Navigator or Hunter on staff, and the only ones who weren't equally as appreciative were Iris and CiCi. X wasn't sure how to feel about having every single humanoid female Reploid on staff at HQ stroking his fur, and Octavia's laughter did not help.

Eventually, however, Lifesaver insisted on bringing the group down to the Med Lab to have them checked out. After giving X the OK, the defusion process was observed carefully. The end result of the process, however, revealed that the Armor units and power up chip had been fully incorporated into the Adapter, and were now a part of Piano, and would be applied when the Adapter was activated. While not an entirely welcome revelation, X considered it a fair trade for how much power the Piano Adapter gave him...and also made a mental note to not use it except against Sigma, should he show up again, or anyone like Sigma.

Colonel was also put under observation for a time, observing his systems for any sign of error resulting from the installation of the Hikari Antibody. The report was rather positive, as it only showed an increased resistance to outside tampering of his brainwave patterns. It had no other effect on his systems, and the attack program had no effect on how his saber worked otherwise. Lifesaver then began mass producing the Hikari Antibody program as an immunization against and a treatment for the present version of the Sigma Virus. He was quick to explain that a viral program would naturally evolve and adapt to become more efficient and work around antiviral software, much as a biological virus became resistant to antibiotics over time, and unlike X and Zero's neural data, the Antibody could not evolve on its own. They would have to tweak it for each new iteration of the Virus when it came.

Of course, Zero - who had just been fully recharged and checked out - made a crack about it being a pity it didn't increase Colonel's intelligence, and Colonel had responded with his sword...only for Lifesaver to grab both of them by the ear and drag them out of the Med Lab, telling them to do that somewhere with less delicate equipment. They had silently marched into the training simulator before drawing their beam swords and lunging for each other.

X was one of many now sitting in observation, watching the fight progress. Someone, he wasn't sure who, was providing plenty of popcorn, so he felt no reason to interfere in the fight unless serious injury was done.

Of course, as interesting as the sword fight was between two evenly matched warriors, the things they were shouting at each other were rather amusing.

"How dare you lay a hand on my sister!"

"It was innocent!"

"You have defiled her!"

"I didn't touch her like that!"

"You were playing Strip Poker!"

"It was her idea!"

"LIES AND SLANDER!"

"She beat me every hand!"

"How dare you expose yourself to my sister!"

After a quick flurry of sword clashes, the pair braced their blades against each other, each trying to overcome the other by pure force. They then leapt apart, charged energy into their sabers, and lunged.

"STOP IT!"

Both froze as Iris walked in, glaring at Colonel. "Again, brother?" she asked, her voice resigned.

"I...don't know what you're talking about," Colonel replied evasively, not quite meeting her eyes.

"This is the 37th time, brother," Iris pointed out exasperatedly. "It's a pattern by now. That doesn't fly."

"None of them were good enough for you!" Colonel proclaimed defensively.

"That's my decision, not yours!" Iris snapped back.

"They only cared about your specs, not your spark!"

"I have to get their attention somehow!"

"As your older brother, it's my job to protect you!"

"Protect, not control!"

"I only want what's best for you-"

"And I want a second date for once in my life!"

Colonel and Iris stared at each other for a time, before Colonel turned to leave. "We'll discuss this more at home," he stated primly, marching out.

"Next time, bring your S game!" Zero shouted as he left.

Colonel paused at the door to glance back over his shoulder at Zero. Only Octavia was sharp eyed enough to spot the momentary smirk.

Iris sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry about my brother, Zero," she apologized. "He is a combat Reploid first and foremost, after all. I suppose this is just how he shows how much he cares about me..."

"You free next Saturday?" Zero asked.

Iris blinked in shock. "...eh?"

"Well, I kinda need to take you on a first date before I can give you that second date you want," he pointed out. "As much as we hung out here, pretty sure 'liaisoning' doesn't count as a date."

"It's not even a word," Iris chided, smiling a bit. "But...you do realize my brother will try to kill you again if you try to court me."

"So I'll pick you up at six for dinner, hit an eight o'clock movie, ten o'clock duel with your brother, and I'll have you home by eleven," Zero suggested. "That work for you?"

Iris tried and failed to suppress giggles at the absurdity of the suggestion. "Seriously?" she finally gasped out.

"I'm a Maverick Hunter," Zero replied easily. "My day-to-day job involves going out to face off against Reploids who are going to try and kill me. I'm used to it...and to a certain extent I enjoy it. With or without your brother's threats, I'd still want to date you Iris. The fact that he's going to challenge me every time is just a bonus. That fight was fun!" He flexed his shoulders as he stared at his beam saber. "Think I'll tweak my combat specs a bit. Fighting with the beam saber like that felt...right. Like it was something I'd done before...something I was once designed to do."

Iris sighed, rolling her eyes. "Of course the only interesting boy not intimidated by my brother is also a battle junkie," she murmured. She then smiled happily. "See you Saturday." Leaning in, she left a peck on Zero's cheek before sauntering off.

After three minutes, Octavia walked up. "Uncle Zero?" she asked, gently poking him with one hoof.

With an eerie creaking sound, Zero tilted back without bending any joints before falling flat.

First Date

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Iris once more glanced at the clock. 5:55. Five minutes until Zero was going to pick her up for the date. She wasn't sure how serious he was about everything he'd said for the date or the time scale, but she was assuming the 'pick up at six' was firm. She certainly hoped he wasn't going to back out. She had taken the effort of tying her brother up so he couldn't interfere, and the bindings would only hold for another four hours.

To calm her nerves, she examined herself in her mirror. She'd gone with a simple ensemble of a red, sleeveless blouse and blue skirt, going down to her knees. She'd kept her beret, since she felt it made her absolutely adorable, which was always a plus. She'd also settled for comfortable shoes over heels, since she didn't know how Zero intended to get from location to location. As Reploids, they could conceivably walk miles without tiring, but she wasn't about to do that in heels!

She'd eschewed makeup. She hadn't been wearing any when she'd met Zero the first time, and he'd been the one to make the first overture, so she obviously appealed to him without, and she didn't want to give the wrong impression. If she dolled herself up too much, he might think she wanted to take things too far for the first date.

Assuming a second date went well, they'd talk about that for the third.

She suppressed her wicked giggle, not wanting to give Colonel reason to go after Zero even more. Hearing the doorbell ring, she rushed to answer it, spotting the time as she passed. 5:59.

Opening the door, she found Zero waiting for her. He'd tied his ponytail lower down his hair, hanging below his neck rather than the top of his head as it did through his helmet. He was wearing a white button down long sleeve shirt and black dress slacks, along with sturdy black shoes. A ride chaser hummed on the sidewalk behind him, two helmets hanging from the handlebars. "You look very nice tonight, Iris," he greeted with a smile. "As usual." taking his hand from behind him, he handed her a single iris, its petals a beautiful array of pink, white, and gold.

Smiling widely, Iris accepted the flower. "You don't look too bad yourself in civvies, Zero," she replied happily. Bracing the flower in her blouse, she closed the door behind her as she followed Zero to the Ride Chaser. "So, what are the plans for tonight?" she asked as she slipped her beret into her purse to don the helmet.

"You like Italian?" Zero asked, donning his own helmet and getting on the Ride Chaser.

Smirking, Iris climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around him to hold on tight. "You know it."

After a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant that toed the line between casual and fancy, Zero gave Iris a lift to an old fashioned movie theater. "I hope you don't mind a flat film," he asked casually, "but the theater has recovered some old films from before the End Times, apparently romantic classics. I thought one of them might be a good choice."

"Really?" Iris asked eagerly. She glanced up at the list of films, to see if she could determine which Zero had selected. Casablanca, You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, Twilight...

Leaning in to the ticket counter, Zero held up his hand. "Two for Titanic."

Iris' eyes widened. "I've heard about that film!" she whispered eagerly. "You're...you're really taking me to see it?"

Zero smiled widely. "Indeed. Enjoy."

At 9:55, Iris and Zero returned to the theater lobby, making their way out. "That was...wonderful," Iris breathed, tears still in her eyes from the ending.

"Yes," Zero agreed. "It was riveting."

Iris raised an eyebrow. From what she'd heard about the movie, most men were at best ambivalent about the film. "So I take it you enjoyed the boat crash, then?"

"...there was a boat?" Zero asked, confused.

"Zero!" Iris complained angrily, stomping her foot. "Did you sleep through the movie?"

"Absolutely not," Zero countered. "And I wasn't playing other things in my head, either."

"Then how can you say it was riveting when you don't know anything about it?" she demanded.

"Because I was watching you watch it," Zero replied softly. "The flicker and play of emotion over your face. Your gasps of surprise, the tears in your eyes, the lovelorn sighs..." He smiled winsomely at her. "As I said...riveting."

Iris blushed brightly at his words, clinging to his arm as they left the theater. She blinked as he purchased another bucket of popcorn and handed it to her. "...Zero?"

"It's cheaper in the theater than in the park," he explained easily. He pointed.

Following his finger, she saw several serious looking people gathered in benches around the park. Leading Iris in, he guided her to a seat near the front. Once she had her seat, he turned towards the other end of the park, drawing his beam saber.

Colonel stepped in, clad in black kendo garb, his beam saber also drawn.

As an old fashioned clock tower boomed out ten o'clock, both men ignited their sabers, and Iris groaned.

After a half hour of a very intense but silent beam sword duel which took the pair across the entire park, through trees, over bushes, and a couple of times almost into the stands, Zero held his saber vertically in front of him before dousing the blade. "Time's up," he stated bluntly.

"...what?" Colonel asked, confused.

"I only rented the park for an 'exhibition match' from 10-10:30," Zero explained. "Wanted to have time to get Iris home by 11 like I promised."

Nodding, Colonel doused his own beam saber before leaving.

Smiling as the other observers departed, Zero walked back to Iris. "Sorry the night was so short," he said softly as he helped her to her feet.

"Quite alright," Iris replied easily. "At least the ride home will be fun."

Zero took his time getting Iris home, driving slowly and taking the scenic route, making sure she would enjoy every minute until 11. Once at her doorstep, he gave a soft smile. "Let's do this again sometime," he offered hopefully, bending to gallantly kiss the back of her hand.

Iris smiled. "I'd like that," she replied, stepping inside.

Pleased with a mission well accomplished, Zero whistled 'Singing in the Rain' the whole way back to HQ.

4: Dropping the Balls

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Octavia glanced up as she saw Zero returning to HQ happily. "Second date went well?" she asked pleasantly.

"Sure did, Tavi!" Zero replied happily. "Iris and I had a wonderful time."

"Well, I hope things continue to go so well for both of you," X spoke up as he entered, going over a few reports. "You've been a lot more chipper since she came around. It'd be terrible if anything went wrong."

"Geeze, X, don't jinx it!" Zero complained.

"Zero, there's no such thing as jinxes," X chided. "Me bringing up the possibility of something bad isn't going to make bad things happen."

"Emergency!" Alia shouted over the intercom. "Mavericks emerged at point 5567! They've occupied the Sky Lagoon! Repliforce soldiers are in the area!"

"Repliforce?" Zero gasped out, shocked.

Octavia, meanwhile, gave X a look.

"...coincidence," X growled.

Given how many people and reploids lived in the floating city Sky Lagoon, X, Zero, and Octavia were immediately dispatched to engage the threat. The Lagoon had been constructed so that, unless you were near the edge, you couldn't actually tell you were in a floating city. As such, the height wasn't an issue, whether for residents or - as of now - Maverick Hunters sent to deal with the threat.

As the trio made their way towards the focal point of the attack, they saw that there weren't any civilians present. They had apparently all managed to evacuate or - in the case of some civilian reploids - were involved in the attack itself. "Well, that confirms one thing," X grumbled. "We've got a Sigma scenario on our hands. Viral Maverick behavior confirmed."

"So Sigma's come back?" Octavia asked, surprised.

"Either that or someone else is using viral weapons to cover their tracks," Zero corrected. "Either way...anyone still here has to be classified as a threat."

"...roger..." Octavia agreed sadly.

Thankfully, there weren't that many mechanaloid or Maverick enemies in their path, save for a large one that tried to attack them from the sky. Given the urgency of the situation, the trio ignored it and raced on ahead of it, using charged busters and Zero's saber to carve their way through some sealed doors.

As they reached the power generator for the Sky Lagoon, explosions started happening all over. As they entered, they saw one of their own waiting for them. "Magma Dragoon?" X demanded. "What are you doing here? You and the rest of the 14th are supposed to be helping with the evacuation?"

Octavia carefully examined this Hunter she'd heard about, but hadn't met yet. An upright humanoid, his body was a mix of red, silver, and blue, and his facial structure was a stylized draconic.

"This isn't good!" Magma Dragoon replied. "That Maverick took out the main power core! We need to evacuate before the chain reaction takes us out!"

"But the Sky Lagoon's going to fall!" Zero shouted.

"It's too late for that-"

"No it's not!" Octavia shouted, racing to a control panel. "Dragoon, your design enables you to manipulate heat energy. I need you to focus as much of the heat from these explosions you can due west!"

"What?" Magma Dragoon asked. "But-"

"Just do it!" X ordered. "Octavia, what are you planning?"

"Sky Lagoon's already falling!" Octavia explained as her hooves raced over the keyboard. "We can't do anything about that. But it was positioned for an ocean view today on the Eastern shores of the Americas! If we can get it out over the ocean and slow its fall enough, we can minimize casualties and collateral damage!" After a time, she slammed her hooves onto the keyboard. "Dammit! We're falling too fast-Dragoon! Why aren't you making the heat thrust I asked for?"

"But you said-"

"A Tsunami's better than a fallen city for the land below!" Octavia snapped.

Turning, Magma Dragoon got to work, though he seemed reluctant.

"Any other ideas on how to slow the fall?" X asked.

"...two," Octavia murmured. "I don't really want to use the first, though..."

"Why?" Zero asked. "What is it?"

"It involves the three of us using our Adapters to try and carry the Lagoon to the ocean," Octavia replied.

X and Zero fell silent for a time. "...and Plan B?" X asked hopefully.

Octavia activated the Lagoon's communicators. "This is Maverick Hunter Octavia Melody Light, S rank provisional, calling any friendly unit in the vicinity of Sky Lagoon! Any friendly unit, please respond!"

"This is Colonel of Repliforce!" the comms scratched out almost immediately. "Octavia, what's happening?"

"Colonel?" Zero demanded. "What are you doing near Sky Lagoon-"

"Later!" Octavia snapped. "Colonel, how many units do you have available?"

"One land legion, three sea platoons, and seven aerial brigades!" Colonel responded immediately. "What do you need?"

"What's he doing with-"

"LATER!" Octavia interrupted X. "Colonel, have your aerial brigades anchor to the Sky Lagoon and try to slow its fall. Have your sea platoons get ready to mitigate the disturbance of an aquatic crash. Position your land legion due west of Sky Lagoon in a steady march after it, firing upward at the western underside, hand busters and kinetic blasters only!"

"Understood!" Colonel responded immediately.

A great deal of shaking could be heard as Sky Lagoon started to break apart from the barrage. "Colonel!" Octavia called out. "About the pieces-"

"We're getting as many as we can with those not armed with hand busters or kinetic weapons," Colonel responded, "but a few are getting through. I've got the medical teams evacuating the area, just in case!"

Octavia cut the comms. "Alright, the eastern thrust is enough now. Time to get out of here!"

"About time," Magma Dragoon grumbled as the group beamed out.

As the group beamed down into the city below, they found that the damage wasn't all that bad. Other than one particular area - which looked more like Maverick attack damage than falling debris damage - everything seemed more or less normal. Off in the distance, they could see Sky Lagoon gently lowering into the ocean, where it was stabilized for retrieval. X smiled. "Good job, Octavia," he praised, petting her head. "This might just get you off that provisional status."

"You mean I'll be able to go on missions solo?" she gasped happily.

"No."

Octavia promptly pouted.

Heading for the damaged area, the trio was shocked to find Iris, coughing and pushing herself out of a pile of debris. "Iris?" Zero gasped, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I...I was taking a detour on the way home to pick up some things I remembered we needed," she explained. "But...I saw a platoon I didn't recognize bearing the Repliforce insignia heading for Sky Lagoon. I...got caught in some crossfire when a large Maverick was dropped into the city..."

As she spoke, a huge Maverick mechanaloid burst out of a nearby building. Most of its body was green, with a reptilian head, massive white wings, and a primary generator perched just behind its head. It and the building debris fell towards Iris.

Zero seemed to blur out of vision, only to appear behind the Maverick merged with Timbre. Shredding its power generator, he dove down beneath it, grabbing hold of Iris before zipping past X and Octavia. As he came to a halt, Timbre immediately disengaged, and Zero put his hand to his chest.

"Zero!" X snapped. "Lifesaver told you that the Timbre Adapter isn't completely compatible with your system's present output levels! You strain your power cores using it!"

"Saved Iris..." Zero gasped out as he caught his breath. "...worth it..."

After the mechanaloid finished exploding, Colonel arrived. "Iris!" he called out worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Thanks to Zero I am," Iris replied.

"It's later," Octavia spoke up.

"Right," X agreed. "Colonel, what is Repliforce doing here in such force?"

"The aerial brigades were pursuing a rogue soldier who was exhibiting viral Maverick symptoms," Colonel explained. "The aquatic platoons and land legion were here because Iris was late coming home from her beach date with Zero, and I was worried about her."

"...I buy that," Octavia admitted ruefully.

"And I'm here to kill Zero for bringing Iris home late," Colonel explained reasonably.

"Bring it Rusty!" Zero snapped, drawing his beam saber despite his damage.

"Not this again..." X grumbled. "Look, can this wait? We have a major incident here, and it looks like Repliforce is involved. Colonel, I need you to disarm and return to HQ with us for questioning-"

"Never!" Colonel proclaimed angrily. "I will not dishonor myself or my unit by doing so! We had no involvement in this!"

"But if you defy Maverick Hunter directives, you'll be termed Maverick!" Zero shouted out.

"Without my honor, I am nothing!" Colonel snapped back.

Before anyone else could speak, Octavia let out a theatrical sigh as she rolled her eyes to the heavens, one hoof going to her brow. X and Zero immediately stepped back to give her room.

"Am I missing something?" Iris asked quietly.

"Epic guilt trip time," Zero whispered back.

Octavia looked up at Colonel. "It's so good to know that your honor is more important than the fate of the Reploid race and your sister, Colonel," she said mildly.

"W...what do you mean?" he asked, confused and worried.

"Let's see what's likely to happen if you go through with this, shall we?" Octavia offered. "You defy Maverick Hunter directives, and are declared Maverick. Of course, you're a charismatic leader, and trusted by General, so all of Repliforce is likely to follow you into it. Which means a war between Repliforce and the Maverick Hunters...with the three of us spearheading the effort. Now, Iris isn't going to support such an endeavor. She'll probably come to HQ to try and support Zero, in hopes of mitigating the conflict between the two of you, since she doesn't want to lose either of you."

"True," Iris agreed calmly.

"But the three of us are incredibly powerful," Octavia explained. "You know this, Colonel. And X is likely to find even more upgrades crafted by Dr. Light, some possibly specifically designed for this conflict. And with each Repliforce leader we take down, the three of us will have yet another weapon to turn against you."

"I've been upgraded with X's VWS," Zero added.

"So Repliforce will fall. That is a given," Octavia concluded. "And Zero respects you too much to let anyone else take you down...so he'll fight you himself. When Iris learns of this, she'll rush to stop the fight. If she makes it in time, she might be able to talk you into surrendering...and you'll then have to live with the deaths of the entirety of Repliforce on your conscience. If not, you won't surrender...Zero will kill you...and the grief will drive Iris mad."

Octavia carefully examined Colonel's face at this point. He was sweating, his eyes wide. He was seeing what she described in his mind's eye. It was time to lay down the big guns. "Of course, she isn't a combat reploid...but there are those experimental new Ride Armors that directly interface with the controller's neural circuitry. That would give her a fighting chance of taking down Zero...if he fought her alone. But she'd lose...and the feedback circuits aren't perfected, so the damage to the Ride Armor would cause a critical failure of her plasma core...and she would die in his arms."

Behind her, Octavia heard both Zero and Iris flinch. A brief glance showed Iris burying her face in Zero's shoulder, crying. Zero wasn't much better. It hurt Octavia to know she was hurting them with this, but she knew she had to do it.

"I..." Colonel began.

"I'm not finished," Octavia interrupted. "After all, such a war would guarantee that reploids were never allowed to form their own military unit again. Organizations like Repliforce would be forbidden, and the Maverick Hunters put under serious limitations. Reploid science itself might be questioned...and Reploid Freedoms limited, just for everyone's safety. And who knows what nutcases might use the conflict as justification for even worse crimes.

"But at least you'll have kept your honor, right?" Octavia concluded, staring Colonel in the eyes. She could see it plainly. She'd broken him down and shown him exactly what his hubris would cause, what it would do to everyone and everything he cared for. Now was the time. "Or you could find a compromise."

"Compromise?" Colonel asked desperately.

"If you voluntarily assisted the Maverick Hunters with their inquiries into this matter, there would be no sinecure," Octavia explained. "And if you ordered your men to hold positions until you return, they wouldn't have to disarm, and any conflict that arose would be against orders. Of course, non-Hunter personnel can't carry active weapons into HQ, but there would be no dishonor in leaving your saber's focus crystal in the hands of a warrior you respect and trust-"

Colonel cut her off by shoving the focus crystal into her mouth. He then grabbed his communicator. "All units! I will be assisting the Maverick Hunters with their inquiries into the Sky Lagoon incident. Hold position until my return. That is a direct order!" He then turned to X. "I am ready to assist you with your investigation."

As Iris let out a relieved sigh and X called in the teleport request, Octavia spat out the focus crystal, holding it in one hoof. "I meant Uncle Zero," she grumbled.

4: Tying Up Loose Ends

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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.

Ponytifications

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Octavia smiled softly to herself as she made her way through Maverick Hunter HQ. Everything seemed to be going exactly as it needed to be, and her 'nudges' had been quite effective. Admittedly, Zero and Colonel still fought each other at every possible opportunity, but they did it in the training sim with scores instead of out in the field with possibly lethal consequences. The only unnerving part of it was how creative they were getting with the duels. The training sim was designed to simulate any possible battle environment and situation, but Octavia didn't see why they had to be so imaginative to whack each other with swords.

Admittedly, a good portion of the female Hunters and Navigators were very appreciative of the samurai beach duel scenario they'd concocted, where Zero and Colonel were clad only in flip-flops and fundoshis. Octavia didn't really see the point.

Sigma hadn't manifested since his defeat at the starport, so what Maverick activity that had manifested had been easily dealt with. The cells were full, but were slowly emptying as the Mavericks were rehabilitated or decommissioned as each case required.

All in all, Octavia was quite happy with the present...but the future concerned her. As such, like she always did with such concerns, she went to a special door in the HQ, one she had arranged with Dr. Ciel - rest her soul - to have installed just for her, along with the equipment behind it. The door itself was oddly marked, as it had pictures instead of words. A fish, a teacup, and a train. Approaching the door, she sighed theatrically, rolling her eyes to the heavens.

"Passcode accepted," the computer spoke. "Welcome, Octavia." The door irised open for her, and she stepped inside.

Cabinets lined the walls, each marked with the names of people, Reploids, places, and other obscure details. Octavia smiled as she looked over them. Each cabinet held in depth psychological profiles of those she knew, labeled by name and time period. This was where she planned her future actions to guide events in ways she felt they needed to go. This is where she planned her guilt trips.

Or, as the door said, her Gill-T Trips.

Of course, she didn't make these plans alone. In the back was a computer with access to...an unusual network. It didn't register on any network scans from any other computer detail, but the information provided was always reliable...even if the one providing it was incredibly strange. Approaching the computer, Octavia placed her hooves on the console.

The screen lit up, and a familiar symbol appeared. The Greek letter Pi, with an emoji grin under it, a symbol referred to in old math texts as Pi-D, a teaching aid for remembering the circumference of a circle.(1) Unlike the symbol in the texts, though, this one appeared bright pink. Although the one behind the symbol had given no name, Octavia had come to refer to them as 'Pink Pi-D'.

"Grettings-" "Octave-" "-ya!" Pink Pi-D greeted, using various sound clips spliced together from who knew where to speak, as usual.

"Greetings, Pi-D," Octavia replied. "As we planned, it went off without a hitch. The projected 'Repliforce War' never occurred. As an unexpected bonus, Colonel and Zero worked out their own differences, so that particular guilt trip won't be necessary."

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" "You are amazing!"

"I still don't know how you manage to predict possible future events so accurately," Octavia muttered.

"Magic! *snort* *snort*"

"...are you ever going to give me a more specific answer for how you do things?" Octavia groaned.

"Hmm...nah!"

Octavia sighed, shaking her head. "So...what does the future hold?"

"Death..." "Destruction..." "Battle..." "Drama..." "Boobies!"

Octavia blinked a bit. "Umm..."

"One of these things is not like the others!"

"So the future's not looking so good," Octavia murmured. "Is there any way I can work to change that course?"

"All-" "Idiot-" "-ball!" "-s-" "-have dropped."

"Damn," Octavia muttered. "So we're coming up on a real serious challenge, then?"

"Yes yes yes yes yes!"

Octavia sighed forlornly. "A pity. I guess there won't be any more need for guilt trips then. They've been...fun."

"Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" As this sound clip played, more images of the Pink Pi-D appeared on the screen.

Octavia couldn't suppress her chuckle. "Yes, I suppose there is such a thing as too much fun," she replied. "Still...I hope we can whether the storm..."

"Built to last! The future's in the past!"

Octavia smiled. "Yes...Father and Uncle Zero will save the day somehow. That's what they do."

Since Pink Pi-D was not forthcoming with anything more to say, Octavia turned to leave. Once her hooves left the console, it dimmed and went dark. "I'd best work on my combat training, then," she muttered. "I'm not going to be left behind, and I'm not going to be a burden. If a big fight's coming our way, then I'm going to be there to stand my ground."

Leaving the chamber and sealing it behind her, she made her way towards the training sim. "I just hope Colonel and Uncle Zero aren't still monopolizing the systems," she grumbled. "I'd think Iris at least would have dragged Uncle Zero away for something..."

Arriving at the sim, Octavia couldn't help but groan. Iris was in the sim, standing atop a tall tower and giving off playful 'screams of terror'. Down below, Zero was dressed up as a hero straight out of a video game, with Colonel dressed as a rather excessive 'villain'. "Am I the only sane one here?" she groaned.

"Give him the chair!" Alia shouted out from the audience, leading to Zero smashing a chair over Colonel's head.

"Thank you for such prompt confirmation," Octavia sighed, turning to find a different sim to train in. "Come, Classic."

(1) Dedicated to one of my favorite math teachers, who used this to teach us.

It's Apparent...

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X smiled softly as he glanced around the main hub of Maverick Hunter HQ. It was a quiet day today, with no emergency calls coming in. Even so, a good portion of the Navigator staff was on call, just in case emergency deployment was necessary. At least, that was the official explanation most of them gave for coming in when they didn't need to. X privately suspected most of them had come in to watch Octavia entertain herself.

As he thought of her, his equine daughter came racing into the hub, a training laser pistol clutched in her forehooves as target spheres flew around the hub. Octavia leapt from chair to desk to lap, finding any vantage point by which she could zap the target spheres without getting tagged herself, as she was wearing a vest that would register tags as points against her score. Many of the navigators on staff squealed happily at the sight, those whose laps she landed in reaching out to pet her as she moved.

X rolled his eyes at Octavia's idea of 'variable terrain combat training'. He'd told her that the training sims could be used for that, but she'd replied that the holographic terrain had a different feel to her than real terrain, and it threw her off. Since it was entirely possible her senses weren't entirely physical given her magical energy, he'd let it slide. As he glanced around at everyone enjoying Octavia's 'show', his eyes caught Alia's as she looked up from her console. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, brushing her hair away from her face.

Pushing off from the wall, X left Octavia to her own devices for a time as he headed for his room. Not long after, Alia decided to go on break, pointedly heading in a different direction from X.

CiCi chuckled. Aww...isn't that cute? she thought silently as she arranged the tentacles she wasn't currently using to man her console to give Octavia more varied terrain to dodge around. They think they're being subtle...

A couple hours later, X and Alia lay back on X's bed, cuddled up to each other, both feeling very relaxed and content. After a time, Alia looked up into his eyes. "So," she murmured, "when do you think Octavia will be ready to know about us?"

X sighed sadly. "You've seen how she's been since Zero and Iris started dating," he whispered back. "I think she might be just a bit jealous that Zero's attention isn't exclusively hers anymore. I know she's passed her majority in terms of years...but in a lot of ways, she's still a kid. I...don't want her thinking that she's being sidelined on my part, too." He leaned in close. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Alia replied warmly. "When you're a parent, the child always comes first. That's only right." She snuggled in close. "You wouldn't be you if she didn't."

"I still wish I could make it up to you, somehow," X whispered as he pulled her close.

"Well...there's something you might be able to do for me..." she mumbled thoughtfully.

"Name it," X replied eagerly.

"Well...there's this friend of mine from my off duty hours," she began. "I've been...helping him on a few of his projects-" She paused as X chuckled. "What?"

X smirked at her. "Well...with how we're both apparently such workaholics, I'm amazed we managed to get past coffee in the office."

Alia rolled her eyes, a bit amused herself. "Anyway, he's been developing new Reploid science, and...it's totally amazing!" Her eyes lit up, the excitement from those projects remembered fondly. "Like you and Zero, not everything about his creations can be fully analyzed as data!"

"That's amazing," X murmured softly. Though also concerning, he added silently in his own mind. While he welcomed the idea of someone with the same skills as Dr. Light and whoever built Zero, he knew from the 'Red Maverick' scenario just how dangerous such a Reploid could be if it weren't on the Hunter's side. After all, no one actually took Zero down in that fight.

"I know what you're thinking," Alia chided. "And I have the same concerns. But...he only wants to build towards a brighter future. And some of his planned future projects..." She turned her eyes towards the sky. "It's...mind boggling even to consider them. Especially with his eventual goal..."

"What goal is that?" X whispered.

"He...he wants to find a way to...erase the line that divides humans and Reploids," she whispered, almost afraid to speak it for fear it would dispel the magic of it possibly coming true.

"...is that even possible?"

"If anyone can pull it off, it's him," Alia murmured. Then her expression turned sour. "If the committee overseeing his work weren't such backwards idiots terrified of anything else like you or Zero being built. He's getting stonewalled when he tries to get new funding, despite everything he's built achieving above and beyond what it was supposed to in budget. He's...getting frustrated, and finding other ways to continue his research...and the committee is looking for any way at all to discredit him."

X frowned. People much like that didn't even like the existence of himself and Zero. It was only popular opinion on their side and their near flawless record as Hunters that pulled such individuals teeth against them. "So, what do you want me to do about it?" he asked.

"Well..." Alia began sweetly. "I was thinking...if you and Zero and Octavia stopped by his lab, looked over his work, maybe penned an official endorsement or two..."

X groaned softly. "And if we support his research, he'll have an easier time getting funding?" X asked. Alia nodded in response. He sighed softly. "Tell you what. I'll talk Zero and Octavia into going and checking out his research. After reviewing his work, we'll give our honest opinions of it in an official statement, good or bad. Is that alright?"

Alia smiled up at him. "I knew I could count on you, X," she whispered, taking the time to show just how grateful she was.

X sat back in the front passenger seat of the car Zero had decided the three of them would use as they went out to check out this 'genius scientist's work. "So who's this scientist we're checking out, anyway?" Zero asked.

"His name's Gate," X replied easily. "There's been a bit of controversy over his research and results, so we're giving his work an official Maverick Hunter review. Thus, the armor."

"Hope we won't need to tear the place apart," Zero admitted. "If it takes too long, I'm going to be late to the opera."

"You're going to the opera?" Octavia gasped out, her tone torn between shocked and eager.

"Iris thinks I'll like it," Zero admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

Noticing Octavia's frown, X decided to change the subject. "So, Octavia, any questions before we get there?" he asked, taking a sip of a soda.

"When are you and Alia going to start dating?" Octavia asked bluntly.

X proceeded to expectorate over an entire park they were in the midst of driving by. "What?"

"Well, it's obvious to everyone in HQ that she likes you," Octavia replied reasonably. "And I've noticed the way you look at her, too. Just because you can conceivably live forever doesn't make it any less rude to make her or me wait that long."

"Or you?" X asked, confused.

"Well, don't you think it's about time I had a mother?" she asked, her tone even more sweetly reasonable than before.

X stared at his equine daughter for a time, and then groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Zero didn't bother to conceal his laughter. "How long have you been dating in secret for fear of her getting jealous?" he asked jokingly.

"...since you were put back together," X grumbled.

"That long?" Octavia gasped, shocked. "Then forget dating, put a ring on that already!"

Zero quickly locked the car doors as X vainly attempted to open them up so he could jump out over the Hudson.

...You're a Parent...

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Gate rushed around his lab not unlike a headless chicken, his mind going frantic. Alia had contacted him that morning, informing him that she'd managed to swing an official Maverick Hunter Review for his work, and X, Zero, and Octavia would be giving his achievements the once over before penning their opinions. He knew he'd never be able to thank Alia enough for that, since a positive review - which he was certain he could get - would guarantee him the funding he needed to complete all pending projects, and enable him to work on the final project he was working towards.

Then Alia had told him they were coming that day, and the panic had set in.

"Sir," a massive turtle shaped Reploid cautioned him gently, "don't you think you're stressing out a bit too much over this?"

"Don't you understand, Rainy Turtloid?" Gate shouted out. "I've got hours, maybe minutes, to be fully prepared to show off all of my greatest works to two of the greatest creations of the 21st century! The works of Dr. Light were my inspiration, and now his most vaunted son is coming to give me a review! Everything has to be perfect!" He raced to his prep chamber. "Is my lab armor enough? Or should I wear my battle armor, so I can show I'm prepared for anything that might go wrong in the lab?"

"Your battle armor might imply that you expect something to go wrong, sir," Rainy Turtloid cautioned, his voice soft as always. "Beyond that, you can summon it to you at need, remember?"

"Right, right," Gate agreed as he donned his lab armor. The purple armor plates with silver and gold trim were built more for handling errors in construction than any software errors resulting in rampages, and could only take one or two heavy hits before structural integrity was compromised. That's why the blue crystals at chest and forehead were designed to summon his battle armor, the golden set, either at sign of great danger or mental command. "But which creations should I present first? The earlier ones? The more advanced? The incomplete ones?"

"Perhaps you should show them the lab at work?" Turtloid offered. "And let them explore and see what they feel they need to see?"

Gate started to calm down as he threw his lab coat on over his armor. "Maybe that would be best," he decided. "I'm more in my element when at work than when trying to show off."

Rainy Turtloid sighed as he sat back. He had been designed to explore areas of high toxic contamination to help clean up the environment and acquire new resources, but until such time as an area actually required his high defensive parameters - heaven forbid - it seemed his primary task was to keep his maker from flying off the handle. Part of him wondered if exploring heavily toxic areas that taxed even his defensive parameters might be less of a headache.

At that moment, the front door of the lab irised open, and the Maverick Hunters they'd been expecting entered. X and Zero walked in calmly, glancing around and taking in the state of the lab...only for their eyes to lock on Rainy Turtloid's knees before trailing up to his face. Turtloid sighed, being used to this reaction from human sized Reploids.

Octavia, however, smiled up at him. "I didn't know Gate had built a Reploid Gamera," she joked.

Turtloid chuckled indulgently. "Oddly accurate," he murmured, kneeling down and lowering his hand so Octavia could climb up and get a closer look at him.

Gate managed to get control of himself and move to greet his guests. "X, Zero," he greeted warmly. "Thank you for coming. I hope you'll be pleased with my work. I admit, I wasn't expecting you today, so I haven't cleared my schedule-"

"Quite alright," X interrupted calmly. "I'd actually rather see you at work."

Noticing Turtloid's smirk, Octavia shot him a wink.

"While X looks over your current works," Zero spoke up, "I'm going to be looking over the data recorded regarding your active creations' capabilities."

As Gate glanced over in confusion, X smiled reassuringly. "It's how we've decided to divide the workload of the review, letting each of us focus where we're most perceptive."

"And what is your job, my little pony?" Rainy Turtloid asked softly.

"Social interaction," Octavia replied. "I will be investigating current interactive functionality of all active Reploids Gate's completed."

Turtloid let out a soft chuckle. "Right to work, aren't you?" he teased.

After about an hour, X, Zero, and Octavia met back up at the front of the lab. "So what's the report?" Zero asked.

"He certainly knows what he's doing," X replied. "His technique is nothing to be sneezed at, but at the current time the very idea of actively causing a Maverick incident is anathema to him. What about you?"

"The data's all sound," Zero confirmed. "And from our own experience, I'm able to get an idea of what the real capabilities are of those that can't be analyzed as data. While certainly not weaklings, nothing we couldn't handle if they became a problem." He turned to the last member. "So will they become a problem?"

Octavia chuckled. "Not in the slightest. Short of an overwhelming viral infection - and I do mean overwhelming, their viral safeguards are top of the line, even if they encounter an unknown viral type - they aren't about to go Maverick. To varying degrees, each and every one of them was putty in my hooves after I'd talked with them for a while. The only ones who might be a concern are Blaze Heatnix and Infinity Mijinion. Both of them have a bit of a problem with limits. However, I don't think either issue should be considered a serious problem. I've already suggested Heatnix challenge Colonel some time to prove his strength, which should keep his obsession with his own power in check. Mijinion is a bit more of a concern, as he doesn't quite understand the concept of teamwork. It's my recommendation he be commissioned to create his own teammates to test with, which should help him recognize his issue."

"But other than that, no problems?" Zero clarified.

"Other than X leaving Alia hanging, no," Octavia teased, making X facepalm and Zero burst into laughter.

"I'll talk to her about that as soon as we've penned our official reviews, alright?" X groaned. Seeing Gate's worried look, he smirked. "Don't worry, Doc. With all we've seen, that paranoid committee will have to eat crow over our review."

Gate let out a sigh of relief. "My thanks," he replied gratefully. "Good luck balancing parenthood, romance, and saving the world."

"I'll manage," X replied jokingly, walking out with the others.

Slumping against the wall, Gate let out a sigh of relief. "That went better than I could have hoped," he groaned. "I was worried Blaze and Infinity would make a bad impression...and Yammark's paranoia might have been a problem-"

"Not even an issue," Turtloid reassured him. "It's going to be just fine now, sir."

...For the First Time

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X sat back at his desk, having just finished typing up his official review of Gate's research and developments, giving his official endorsement to Gate's continued research. It had been quite a lot to type, and each time he stopped, he couldn't help but marvel at just how advanced Gate was as compared to most available science that so much of what he'd created couldn't be completely analyzed as data. He couldn't help but think about what that said about himself and Zero, considering that they still couldn't be fully analyzed. He idly wondered how long it would be before he and Zero could be completely analyzed, and ones with their capabilities and capacity to evolve became the norm, rather than the ideal. He wondered if that could ever happen...and what that said about Dr. Light and whoever created Zero if it couldn't happen.

As he leaned back, he felt familiar hands on his neck and shoulders, and smiled as he relaxed into the gentle massage. "I'm not actually all that stressed," he murmured as he sipped his coffee. "Not that I'll say no to this either way."

Alia chuckled as she leaned over his shoulder, neither of them in uniform just now. X had gone with slacks and a loose shirt to relax in, while Alia had gone with much the same, though a bit more flattering on her figure. "So how'd things go at Gate's lab?" she asked idly.

"Beyond what I could have imagined," X admitted, letting his head rock back to look her in the eye. "You weren't kidding about how brilliant he is. I had a hard time following everything he was doing at first. And the things he's already created, the breakthroughs he's made..." He shook his head in awe.

Alia giggled quietly as she wrapped her arms around him. "Any problems?" she asked worriedly.

"Nothing that can't be solved with interpersonal relations rather than direct interventions," X replied. "That's my official recommendation in that regard...that the high power Reploids he's created do a few stints as Hunters as part of the elite teams, so they can learn teamwork and recognize the strengths and skills of others."

"Do you think it will work?" Alia wondered, biting her lip pensively.

X shrugged. "No idea. I can hope it will, and if it doesn't, we should be able to address any problems that result on a case-by-case basis, rather than letting bureaucrats make blanket decisions."

"That's good," Alia agreed. "If nothing else, it should green light Gate's continued research."

They leaned into each other for a time, just relaxing, lost in thought. Eventually, X spoke up again. "So how long do you think it'll be until Gate accomplishes his big plan?" he asked curiously. "The one you told me about?"

Alia tilted her head back and forth, making quiet 'hmm' sounds. "Not sure," she admitted finally. "It'll probably be a while. Why?"

"Just wondering how long it's going to be before human courts of law recognize Reploid marriages," X replied easily.

Alia blinked, stunned as she pulled back a bit. "What brought this on?" she asked, confused.

"A conversation I had with Zero and Octavia on the way to Gate's lab," X admitted. "I asked Octavia if she had any questions before we got there. I meant about what we were going to do there...but she asked when I was going to ask you out."

Alia couldn't help it. She burst into laughter. "So much for trying to keep her from feeling neglected about it, right?" she joked as she let her chuckles die down.

"So much for keeping it secret, either," X added. "She'd seen the way I look at you, and apparently the whole HQ knows how you feel about me."

Alia blushed, brushing her hair back. "I suppose I could have managed to be a bit more discreet-"

"She also said it was about time she had a mother."

Alia fell silent, stunned. "X..."

"Was...was I neglecting what she needed by trying not to neglect her?" he asked worriedly. "Would it have been better to tell her right at the start? Has she lost something because I didn't give her a mother when she needed one when she was younger-"

Alia cut off his worried ramblings with a quick kiss. "X, you've never been a father before," she explained. "There aren't any books on parenting...and even if there were, there aren't any on raising magical ponies from another dimension as a single parent. You've done the best you can, doing what you thought was right every step of the way. If she hasn't brought this up before now, then before now she probably wasn't secure enough in how she felt about me to want to change that. You know how she is. If she wants something, she doesn't dance around the subject."

X chuckled ruefully. "No she is not. I half expected another full fledged guilt trip like when she wanted her Power Armor."

Alia's chuckles were a bit more good-spirited. "I guess she didn't think you needed it. Still, how did this lead to wondering about Reploid marriage?"

"I...was rather obvious in my reaction, and Zero was able to get out how long we'd been dating in secret," X concluded. "Octavia said that, if it had been that long...I should forget courting and 'put a ring on that'." He couldn't suppress his smile at Alia's stunned expression. "And...now that I've thought about it...I can't help but think she's got the right idea."

"As always," Alia allowed, somewhat ruefully as she leaned against X's back. She thought quietly for a time. "I don't know about the ring...but I'll certainly be happy to make 'us' public. And...I'm looking forward to being Tavi's Mom-"

Music played loudly suddenly interrupted their quiet moment, followed by a very familiar voice singing.

"Tavi's Mom has got it goin' on!
Tavi's Mom has got it goin' on!
Tavi's Mom has got it goin' on!
Tavi's Mom-"

"Zero, I'm going to kill you!" X roared out as he drew his buster, Alia hiding her face in nearby pillows in embarrassment.

5: A New Dynamic

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Sigma grumbled to himself as he waited for the one who was supposed to meet him here. The damn mercenary was over an hour late! Did he think it was easy to be inconspicuous when you were over 8 feet tall with a huge pink cape and a face on your chest? ...admittedly, he probably could have chosen a less conspicuous body for this meet up...but he was Sigma! He wasn't about to go slinking around like some common criminal!

"Siggy, baby, there you are!" a calm, collected, playful voice called out. The figure accompanying the voice was nearly as conspicuous as Sigma in his own way. He wasn't as tall as Sigma, but was dressed in blue, white, and gold armor, his blue hair trailing out behind his helmet. An orange visor hid his eyes, and he seemed to have a permanent impudent smirk on his face and a relaxed air about him. "No wonder I couldn't find you before now. I thought you said this meeting was a secret!"

"Enough of that, Dynamo!" Sigma barked out. "You're over an hour late! Do you want the Maverick Hunters to find us?"

Dynamo shrugged. "What does it matter if they do, Siggy? I can just turn you in for the bounty for information leading to your capture or destruction if they do. Nothing illegal about being a mercenary, so I'm in the clear."

"Stop calling me that!" Sigma snapped.

"Why should I?" Dynamo demanded.

"It makes it sound like you aren't taking me seriously," Sigma growled out.

"Oh, good," Dynamo replied. "I was afraid I was being too subtle."

"What?" Sigma roared out.

"Seriously, Sigs, why should I take you seriously?" Dynamo began ticking off his fingers. "First time you went out, the Hunters completely prevented your objectives, the pony stole your dog, and X and the pony both one-shotted you. Second time, you got beaten by having a dog sit on you. Third time, you laughed yourself to death in your first form before being two-shotted in your second, and your big bad virus plan failed before it could begin. And your last plan unraveled before it even got off the ground, and you ran off with your tail between your legs." He spread his hands wide. "Why should I take you at all seriously?"

Sigma's eyes burned with rage. "Do you have any idea what I could do to you here?"

"Nothing," Dynamo replied, as relaxed as ever. "You can't risk damaging me, because you know I have the Maverick Hunter's wavelength on speed dial, and could have them here to take you down before you could blink since this place isn't teleport shielded. Even if you got away, I could give them the whole plan. And you can't infect me, or you wouldn't be offering to pay me money to do this job for you."

Sigma struggled mightily to control his temper. "If I didn't need you, you'd be dead where you stand."

"Exactly, Siggy-wiggy," Dynamo taunted. "You need me. None of the hard-core Mavericks will work for you, and none of the other mercenaries will give you the time of day. I'm your only option to carry out this job."

"You will respect me!" Sigma roared. "I am a God amongst Reploids-"

"You're an egotistical idiot," Dynamo countered. "If not for your virus, you'd have been permanently decommissioned long ago, and completely forgotten to history. Now, did you actually have a job for me? If you just called me out here to vent, rant, and rave, for that I charge by the hour."

Sigma continued to glare death at the impudent mercenary, but eventually got himself under control. "Here," he said coldly, rage still seething in his voice. He handed Dynamo a tightly sealed capsule. "Your first job is to get this aboard the Eurasia space colony, past the viral scanners."

"Pay in advance," Dynamo said firmly.

"Half up front, half when the job's complete," Sigma countered.

"Goodbye." Putting the capsule down, Dynamo turned to leave.

"Fine! Pay in full ahead of time!" Sigma snapped angrily.

Chuckling, Dynamo turned back. "Pleasure doing business with you. How soon do I get the money?"

Grumbling under his breath, Sigma handed over a cash card, which would download its credit contents to any account just by being scanned. "I'll have another job for you after that."

"Oh?" Dynamo asked curiously. "What sort of job?"

"Once my plan goes into motion, the Maverick Hunters will try to counter it," Sigma explained. "Delay their attempts to build countermeasures however you can. Challenging a high level Hunter amidst their construction sites, perhaps?" Privately, Sigma hoped X or Zero would destroy this impudent mercenary.

Dynamo's eyes widened, and then he laughed. "Oh, I know just what I'm going to do," he chuckled. "I'll even give you a 10% discount for this job."

"Oh?" Sigma asked with interest.

"Yup!" He held up the cash card. "Another one of these, less 10% what's on it, for each attack on the HQ. Payment due now."

Grumbling, Sigma handed over two more cards.

"It's been a pleasure Sig!" Dynamo stated happily as he started to saunter off.

"You do realize my plans will destroy the world as you know it!" Sigma snapped one last time.

"Nah!" Dynamo countered. "X, Zero, and Octavia will thwart you completely and obliterate you again, just like always. So I have no guilt profiting off your incompetence!" With that, he blew Sigma a playful kiss before warping away.

Sigma glared after the mercenary...and then sighed. He made a mental note to rethink his method after this plan, success or failure.

5: A New Boss, An Old Threat

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It had been rather uneventful at Maverick Hunter HQ since X and Alia made their relationship official. Maverick activity was at an all time low, there had been no sign of Sigma for several years, and the Hunters had put most of their activity towards assisting with various other matters, such as law enforcement and emergency services. X and Octavia's plan regarding the more erratic of Gate's creations was proving effective as well, as they had begun to see the value in others, if only for entertainment in some cases. As a result, the committee members who were against Gate's research had their teeth metaphorically pulled, clearing the way for a new commission for Gate's science.

X and Zero had taken over as pro tem commanders of Maverick Hunter HQ, but neither of them felt qualified for long term leadership, especially when they would more often than not be on the front lines should any major Maverick conflicts arise. As a result, they'd decided to commission Gate to provide a new Commander unit for the Maverick Hunters, a non-combatant who specialized in strategy, tactics, planning, and resource allocation. Gate had leapt at the chance, and produced yet another impressive Reploid as requested...Command Unit Signas. Of course, given the perfectionist Gate was, he wasn't willing to send Signas to start his job until he'd thoroughly tested his abilities and was certain he was up to the task.

As a result, despite Signas being completed over a month ago, he was only just now deployed to HQ for his new role. He was built to the same scale as Sigma's original body, but his specs showed no actual combat capability as requested. His decorative armor was a mix of blue, white, and gold, with six green computing cores lined up on his chest, amplifying his already high processing power and highly accurate CPU. His green eyes were somewhat faded, as lines of data could always be seen flying behind the irises. "Commander Signas, reporting for duty!" he proclaimed as he approached X, saluting.

"Welcome, Commander Signas," X greeted warmly, also saluting. "I admit, it's going to be a relief handing the reigns of command over to you. It's a strain I'm not cut out for. Zero feels much the same way, even if he's not here to say it."

"Looking forward to working with you, X," Signas replied insistently. "It's an honor and a privilege."

X smiled, chuckling. "Well, are you ready to get to work?"

"I hope I'll have a bit of time to familiarize myself with the personnel bios and quartermaster files before anything big happens," Signas admitted ruefully. "I'd hate to mess up due to incomplete information."

X grinned widely. "Well, we've had a few quiet months, so you shouldn't have too much to worry about-"

"Red Alert!" Alia announced as all the alarms started blaring. "Sigma has been sighted downtown, causing devastation and infecting Mechanaloids with an unknown new viral variant! I repeat, this is a Sigma level Maverick Incursion! All hands, respond!"

Signas fell to his knees and lifted his hands dramatically to the heavens in supplication. "But it's my first day on the job!" he wailed despairingly.

X simply stared at him flat eyed. "...are all of Gate's Reploids going to be so quirky?" he demanded, his voice dry.

"He's heavily inspired by the works of your maker, Dr. Light, and the scientists of that era," Signas explained as he stood up. "So probably."

"Good to know," X groaned. "Alia, contact Zero, and send the pair of us to the site along with Piano and Timbre."

"Are you sure you won't need more backup?" Signas asked worriedly. "There could be more danger than you know."

X smirked disarmingly. "It's Sigma," he countered dryly. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"I wish you hadn't said that," Signas whimpered as X headed for the teleporters.

X and Zero both beamed into the location where Sigma was last spotted, bracing for combat. "What's the report, Alia?" X called out.

"Sigma was last seen moving towards the statue that was under construction," Alia told them both. "We've lost the trail since. However, nearly every mechanaloid in the area has gone Maverick, including several abandoned taxis."

Zero stared at the large purple vehicle with buzzsaws on the front. "I still question the logic of that as public transportation...even in New York."

"Other units have been dispatched elsewhere in the city to slow down the spread of Maverick activity," Alia explained. "So you two just need to head straight for the statue to take out Sigma."

"Understood!" X replied. "Let's go, Zero!"

Zero grinned as he drew his beam saber. "This is gonna be fun."

The pair progressed rapidly through the city, more than a little surprised at the amount of damage that had already been done. "Okay, whatever new body Sigma has, we need to take it out fast," X insisted as they made their way over the devastated highway.

"That goes without saying, X," Zero replied as he split a taxi down the middle.

The pair continued onward, through a severely damaged building and on to another area with wide gaps, where they made use of a new adaption to their armor: a magnetic grip that could latch onto various types of cables to gain altitude or cross wide chasms. Beyond, they made their way up a narrow chute of crushing walls, a security system for the under construction statue that was malfunctioning.

Arriving at the top, they were amazed as the statue's head burst open, revealing a massive Sigma head grinning down at them. "Everything's going exactly according to plan!" Sigma cackled wickedly.

"So it's your plan to have us blast you to bits again?" Zero asked as he and X merged with their support units.

"Yes, actually," Sigma countered. "You specifically, Zero."

Zero groaned as he and X got into positions to tear him apart. "Not that whole 'destiny' bull crap again, is it?" he demanded as they proceeded to wail on Sigma, inflicting massive damage.

"Only partially," Sigma replied as he allowed himself to take damage. "See...I met someone who informed me...where my virus truly came from. A Revelation is at hand!"

Zero pulled back as X stopped firing. "Wait, what-"

Sigma self destructed, the giant head going up in a massive virus bomb, the new variation of the virus taking the shape of clouds that covered the globe. The explosion itself sent both X and Zero flying backwards, forcing an emergency evac...both of them and all Hunters in range as the - thankfully already evacuated - city was leveled.

5: A New Mission

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When X came to, the first sensation he experienced was a tiny form slamming into his chest hard enough to drive him back against the med table he realized he was laying in. "Hey Octavia," he muttered without bothering to open his eyes or activate any other more advanced sensors. His hand came up of its own accord to rub her back. "I take it I've been-" Another familiar form slammed into him from a different direction, pinning him completely to the med table. "...hey Alia..." he managed to mumble past the hair in his mouth.

"In answer to the question you both were trying to ask," Lifesaver spoke up, "a week."

X's eyes snapped open. As he'd thought, Octavia and Alia were clinging to him tightly, and Iris was clinging to Zero just as tightly on the next med table over. "A week?" X managed to gasp out.

"Guess Sigma planned better than we thought," Zero grumbled, managing to sit up without letting go of Iris. "So what have we missed?"

"As soon as the ladies will let you go enough for me to give you a full check up, Signas will brief you," Lifesaver growled out, glaring at Iris, Alia, and Octavia. The two Reploids blushed in embarrassment, pulling back. Octavia, however, turned and blew a raspberry at the no-nonsense medical Reploid.

"Tavi," Zero chided.

"Alright," Octavia replied, rolling her eyes as she hopped down, letting Lifesaver do his job.

Signas stood boldly before the gathered Hunters, their numbers greatly reduced. "I'm afraid today is bad news layered atop bad news," he began morosely. "First off, when Sigma was destroyed, he released enough concentrated Viral Energy to blanket the entire globe." Turning, he called up a satellite image, showing the entire planet covered in a purple fog. "The density isn't as bad at ground level, except in certain places, but already several Reploids have been consumed by the clouds, going Maverick and destroying everything in their path. Thankfully, the Virus Clouds can't penetrate through solid stone, and several pre-End Times underground facilities that had been excavated prior to these events have been rapidly retrofit into shelters, and the vast majority of the population - both human and Reploid - have been evacuated into these shelters before the worst of the viral storm consumed the world."

"Why is it purple?" Octavia asked curiously.

"B-beg pardon?" Signas demanded, confused.

"When Sigma appeared in viral form before this, he was always green," Octavia explained. "But the clouds are purple. And how is the virus spreading as clouds, anyway? That's not how viral programs spread naturally. Computer programs aren't airborne!"

Signas could only shrug. "Those are some of the many questions we can't answer about this conflict," he explained. "Beyond that, this virus somehow is effecting organics as well. Humans and creatures of various types have also been infected, whether or not they have cybernetic components. So far, we've only determined four individuals who are unaffected by this Viral Energy: X, Zero, CiCi, and Prometheus."

"Prometheus is here?" X gasped out, surprised.

"He was," Signas clarified. "He dropped off something for Octavia that he said would protect her from the Viral Energy, then immediately left to scout infected areas. He's been sending in reports via Gate's lab, which is also protected from the Viral Energy due to one of Gate's more recent experiments. He isn't entirely sure why it does so, so he can't duplicate it yet." He turned back to the screen, and the image changed, this time to a view of space. "On top of that, somehow a Viral Infection of similarly massive proportions made it past the Eurasia Space Colony's viral scanners, and the colony's orbit is now slowly decaying. It will crash in approximately 16 hours, so we have no time to play it safe. Every Hunter we can give even the most basic of protections to needs to be on assignment to support one of two countermeasures we've prepared to prevent the colony's crash." He stepped back. "I will allow Colonel of Repliforce to explain the two plans we have developed."

Colonel stepped forward, nodding to everyone. "Repliforce has a great deal of resources at its disposal, which should prove useful in stopping the collision. The first and safer plan involves upgrading the Enigma Laser Cannon to its maximum operating potential and firing a full power blast at the colony with the intent of vaporizing it. We have determined four methods we can use to upgrade the Enigma within the time frame. Unfortunately, there are four Reploids we'll have to deal with in that regard to access the resources we need...and there's high probability that all have gone Maverick."

The screen began displaying the Reploids as Colonel described them. "First up is Grizzly Slash." The computer displayed a massive brown bear Reploid, heavily armored, his left arm completely covered with a massive red clawed gauntlet. "He's a weapons broker, and he has a focusing crystal we need to improve the Enigma's targeting system. Someone will have to go and enter negotiations with him for possession of the crystal...or, if he's become too infected, take him down and retrieve it. Negotiations need to be completed within two hours of dispatch. If a deal hasn't been brokered by then, whoever takes this mission is authorized to use whatever means necessary to acquire the focusing crystal...whether or not Grizzly Slash has gone Maverick."

Colonel did his best to ignore the stunned murmurs as the screen displayed the next Reploid, a massive blue whale with legs. "Duff McWhalen has been tending to the Earth's oceans for some time, protecting and preserving them. In order to properly fuel the Enigma, we'll need a supply of hydrogen, and the ocean is unfortunately the only readily available source, and we'll need to work with - or through - McWhalen in order to set up the hydrogen harvesting machinery. Unfortunately, due to the amount of time it will take to harvest enough hydrogen, this mission will have to be completed within the hour."

The next displayed Reploid was a blue and white bipedal squid. "Squid Addler is a retired Maverick Hunter, who specialized in the manipulation of massive amounts of electricity. One of the devices he utilized for this was an Energy Cart, which we will need to properly power the Enigma. Unfortunately, he's the one of these four most likely to have suffered heavy exposure to the Virus, and thus most likely to have gone completely Maverick. Whoever goes after him...will have to be prepared to terminate one of your own brother Hunters."

Dead silence was the only response as Colonel moved to the final Reploid, a red and black humanoid firefly. "Izzy Glow is a renowned doctor of engineering, and has created any number of useful and advanced devices. We will need to acquire his Laser Device in order to upgrade the Enigma's firing device to handle the amount of energy we will need to hit the colony with. While his lab is completely covered in the Viral Clouds, we have no details on the doctor's status."

The screen changed back to a world map, and Colonel spoke up again. "However, no matter how much we upgrade the Enigma...it is unlikely to be able to handle the stresses of being fired, so we will only get one shot. While we can hope it will succeed, if it fails...there is a backup plan. We have an old Space Shuttle that can be used to ram the colony. There is no guarantees there either...and it is our hope the plan won't even be necessary."

Signas once more stepped up. "Our best and most skilled hunters will be tackling these missions, alongside Colonel himself, who has volunteered to assist us. While he doesn't have the same immunities to the Viral Energy, he has been equipped with the Virus Buster program based off the Hikari Antibody the longest, and it has already proven effective at dispersing the Viral Clouds. And we have a special job for one of our elite. Octavia Melody!"

Octavia snapped to attention, stunned. "S-sir?" she began, half afraid she was going to be held back in base to 'protect' her.

"The most vulnerable point of both plans is the construction site where the Enigma and shuttle will be worked on," Signas explained. "We need one of our best there to guard it for the full 16 hours, or until the colony has been stopped. As the upgrade Prometheus provided for you will need to be recharged every half hour, sending you into the field is not an option, as you and Varia will be independently vulnerable to the Viral Clouds. As such, your job will be to guard the construction site with your life against any and all Maverick activity. If the Enigma or the shuttle is sabotaged before they can be completed, all will be lost."

Nodding, Octavia saluted. "Understood, sir!" she replied. She didn't like that she had to remain behind, but she understood why. And her job was important, arguably the most important in this mission. She wouldn't let anyone down.

Signas nodded. "X, Zero, CiCi, the three of you are the only ones we can send out, along with Colonel. Choose your missions carefully."

5: Grizzly Encounters

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Colonel decided to go after the focusing crystal himself, having previously made purchases from Grizzly Slash for Repliforce. He knew how to approach the arms dealer in order to get the best deals. Not only that, he could carry a great deal of credit chips on his person without compromising armor or maneuverability. With how long he'd had the Hikari Antibody installed, he also had the best chance of keeping control of himself if he became exposed to the Viral Energy, which was why it was himself, X, Zero, and CiCi on these missions.

As Colonel beamed onto the back of a long truck convoy, he glanced around at the dark, rocky terrain, overshadowed by the purple clouds of Viral Energy blanketing the sky. He frowned, putting his hand to his head. "HQ, this is Colonel. Why have I not been teleported straight to Grizzly Slash's warehouse?"

"Sorry brother!" Iris replied quickly, sounding somewhat distracted. "There is a great deal of Maverick activity in the area, and it's confusing the signals. You'll need to stop the trucks' rampage in order to get into the warehouse safely."

"Understood!" Colonel replied, leaping into action. Drawing his beam saber, he immediately began to dash from linked truck to linked truck. The mechanloids running amok aboard the trucks fell to a single swipe of his saber, barely slowing him down. At the front of the first set of linked trucks, the drive car had run amok, the blue power core in the front pulsing with the haywire energies.

"Ground Crush!" Colonel proclaimed, leaping into the air to slam his saber full force into the power core, splitting it in two. As the linked trucks began to explode, Colonel leapt to the next set.

The next truck had a rogue taxi on board, which took two swipes of Colonel's saber to fall. Another Ground Crush split that truck's energy core, allowing Colonel to dash ahead. The same with the truck following it.

The next truck was much larger, several levels of platforms to clamber around on, lined with spikes in several places. Ignoring most of the side paths, Colonel dashed through, cutting his way past the enemies as his dash thrusters kept him going for the full time, enabling him to clear the wide gap to the lead truck of that convoy in one leap.

When he destroyed the truck, however, the next truck convoy began to explode as well, forcing him to keep moving as fast as he could. He cleared through the next two truck convoys with dashing jumps, pausing only long enough to grab one of the newest generation sub-tanks, which was sitting at the front of the last exploding truck.

When he got to the front of the next truck, however, he was forced to leap for safety as another truck slammed into the front of it. After escaping the head on collision, he landed in the caverns that led to Grizzly Slash's secret warehouse. He was about to continue, but paused as one of his new pieces of equipment began to beep.

Prometheus had informed the Maverick Hunters when he'd dropped off the tech he'd brought for Octavia that there would likely be Light Capsules with new tech for X scattered about near where they needed to go for the tech to upgrade the Enigma or the shuttle. Since there wasn't time to have X go to every area, Prometheus had provided a mobile data storage unit to Colonel, so that the Light Capsules would respond to him and let him download the armor programs. He only provided the one, as the Capsules already would respond to X, Zero, or CiCi...though he didn't know why they responded to CiCi.

For Colonel's assistance, the device also alerted him to when he was near a Light Capsule, allowing him to locate them easier. The beeping signaled him to the Capsule directly above him, which opened when it recognized his access codes.

"X, these are...you aren't X," Light finished, staring at Colonel. "Where did you get those access codes?"

"Prometheus gave me a device to collect armor programs for X," Colonel replied, holding out the device. "He said it had the proper access codes hard coded into it."

The hologram stared at the device for a time, then sighed ruefully. "I understand the urgency that makes this necessary...but he could at least have stopped by personally to tell me he was handing out access codes!" Shaking its head, the Light hologram locked eyes on the device. "At least it's efficiently designed..."

With that said, the capsule downloaded the program into the device directly, the energy shooting into the device from the red focus crystals at the top of the capsule. "This program is the leg part for the Falcon Armor," the hologram explained. "I have created two armor sets this time for X, and it is my hope they will aid him through these troubling times. Tell X that all four program parts for either armor will need to be acquired in order for the armor to be activated."

"Understood sir!" Colonel replied, saluting as he put the device away.

With that, the hologram shut down. Colonel then returned to the narrow pathways, making his way through to Grizzly Slash's office, a large cave within the caverns.

As was his preference, Grizzly Slash dropped down from the ceiling. "It's been a while, Colonel..." he growled out, his voice deep and raspy, clenching his jaws as though struggling to control himself.

"Are you alright, Grizzly?" Colonel asked worriedly. "You seem unwell."

"I've...I've been infected..." Grizzly growled out. "...badly..."

"But...but there were no Virus Clouds in the area!" Colonel insisted. "I didn't even need the Virus Buster!"

"That's because...I absorbed them all..." Grizzly managed to say through his clenched teeth, his eyes narrowed to slits. "There were...many innocent...Reploids in the area. I helped them...evacuate to the...shelter down below. I shielded them...with my body. I'm...not going to...keep control...for much longer..."

Colonel closed his eyes. "...I understand, old friend," he murmured softly. "Smokey would be proud of you."

Grizzly Slash chuckled. "That old fool...he believed in me right to the end didn't he?" He opened his eyes, revealing solid red pupils surrounded by violet corneas, an abnormal coloration for him. "You need the...focusing crystal. The Virus...it tried to make me...smash it. It's...in the main...warehouse. Please...before you take it...put me offline...before I hurt...anyone..."

Colonel nodded, extending his beam saber. "...understood," he stated firmly.

Grizzly Slash managed one last smile...and then his will failed him. His eyes flashed completely violet as the virus claimed him, and then turned blood red. With a bestial roar, he began his attack, leaping towards Colonel while swinging his clawed gauntlet arm.

Colonel quickly dashed backwards, his saber at his side as he charged energy into it. He'd developed a new technique during his sparring sessions with Zero, and he felt it would be best to use it here. He just needed to charge enough energy into his saber, and he'd be able to finish Grizzly off painlessly with one blow.

Grizzly lunged forward again, and Colonel dashed around to behind him. He could tell the virus didn't have complete control of Grizzly Slash, as he wasn't using his full arsenal. A few more evasions and he'd have enough energy.

Once his blade was fully charged, he waited for Grizzly to lunge towards him again...and he lunged in. "Zantetsuken!" he roared, sweeping his sword out as he dashed by.

When he landed on the other side, he heard Grizzly chuckle. "You...you've gotten better..." Grizzly muttered, his eyes once more back to normal. "I...didn't have to...hold it back so much..."

"...Grizzly..."

"Sorry I...wasn't man enough...for Iris..." Grizzly's whole body sparked. "Is...is she happy?"

Colonel nodded. "She is. Zero's made her very happy."

"Wish I'd...known she'd got someone..." Grizzly barked out. "Would have...Scott Pilgrimed that...pretty boy..." Finding the notion hilarious, Grizzly began to laugh.

That laughter was the last sound he made as his shattered plasma core erupted, leaving him a smoky ruin. His weapons program downloaded into Colonel's hard drive, a last gift to an old friend.

Colonel took off his hat, placing it over his metaphorical heart as was the human military custom. "...rest well, my friend," he murmured, before dashing into the warehouse for the focusing crystal.

5: Red vs Blue

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"Incoming transmission!" Alia cried out, cutting herself off from directing X to address a new message. "Unknown source!"

Signas quickly examined the video message. "...that Reploid is not in my data banks..." he murmured worriedly.

Dynamo smirked as communications opened. "Nice to meet you, Maverick Hunters! Nothing personal, but I've been hired to do a job, so I'm gonna do it. Before long, I will attack the Hunter construction site! Hope you've got a cool cat to face me down there. Otherwise, there's no telling what'll happen to your precious laser and shuttle." He then paused. "Oh, where are my manners? My name's-"

"Dynamo!" Octavia suddenly cut in, breaking into the communications. "You're alright! When I didn't hear from you on the message boards since just before the Viral Outbreak, I was worried you'd become infected and gone Maverick!"

Dynamo chuckled. "Aw, come on Tavs! You should know that fool can't get a hold on me! Sorry I didn't let you know, but I've been a bit busy on the job."

"Well, at least I can tell our group you're alright," Octavia replied with relief. "We were all worried Lady Astarell would have to be retired, and we were in the middle of her big character arc."

Dynamo suddenly looked incredibly flustered. "Tavs, could we not discuss that over an open channel?" he pleaded.

"Only if you stop calling me Tavs," Octavia countered.

Dynamo sighed. "Yes, Octavia-"

"And LARP at the next live camera session," Octavia continued.

"You're kidding!" Dynamo demanded.

"You took a job attacking where I work while we're trying to save the world," Octavia replied reasonably. "If you want to keep those leve-"

"Agreed!" Dynamo shouted quickly, cutting communications.

Alia and Signas both stared at Octavia over the communications screen.

"What?" Octavia asked defensively. "You know I DM, Mom."

Zero grumbled to himself as he beamed into the deep blue ocean. "Why did I draw the short straw here?" he grumbled. "I get that Colonel has previous experience dealing with Grizzly Slash, and X has a better rapport with scientists like Izzy Glow...but how come CiCi got to call dibs on Squid Adler while I'm stuck in the water? I can't even call on Timbre for help!"

"But you don't really need his help, do you?" Iris asked teasingly through the comms.

"Damn straight I don't, I'm awesome!" Zero responded immediately.

"Then go show it!" Iris replied. "And be careful. I'm detecting strong viral readings. You are likely to encounter viral clouds."

"Got it," Zero confirmed, making his way across the seabed.

A large ship moved past above Zero, and he dashed forward to get out of its way as it came down to pursue him from behind. "What the?" Zero demanded.

"That's...the U-555!" Iris informed him. "It was on display in the marine museum. It looks like the Virus infested it, causing it to go on a rampage. Looks like you'll have to destroy it."

"That's nothing new," Zero offered, lunging forward with his saber drawn. After wailing on the sub for a time, a good portion of the face he was attacking broke down, but he wasn't able to inflict any more damage beyond that, and the sub was still able to launch mechanaloids at him. "Damn it!"

"Keep moving!" Iris advised. "You should be able to find a twist in the path it can't follow you on!"

"Roger!"

Zero dashed forward, following the narrow cave path that led forward towards Duff McWhalen's base of operations, carving his way through the fish based mechanaloids that guarded the path.

At one point, Iris suddenly shouted through the comms, "Jump and cling!"

"Wha-" Hearing something behind him, Zero jumped and clung to a chunk of wall directly behind him, just in time to evade a massive discharge of laser fire from the sub. "Yikes! Thanks Iris!"

"I didn't realize what the energy buildup was until almost too late," Iris apologized. "I'll update you if the energy starts to build up again."

"Thanks."

Luckily, no other mechanaloids showed up once the sub began using its laser device, making forward progress much smoother for Zero. After a time, he reached a wide open area where the sub stalled, bits of armor plating breaking off as it started charging its laser device again. Lunging in, Zero positioned himself below the range of the laser and began striking the exposed vulnerable points with his saber. Before long, he inflicted enough damage that explosions began to rock the sub as it floated towards the surface.

"Here's hoping that's the last you'll see of it," Iris offered. "Good job, Zero!"

As Zero turned to continue onward, the sub appeared again, presenting another face for the attack. "...you just had to say something, didn't you Iris?" he grumbled as he began wailing on it with his saber.

"...sorry..."

After inflicting enough damage to the sub while racing ahead, it once more withdrew in explosions, allowing Zero to continue onward into a wooden area. As he entered, water drained away, leaving him in open air.

"Is this...an old sunken ship?" Iris asked, confused.

"Maybe I'll find some pirate booty?" Zero offered hopefully.

"Ex-cuse me?" Iris demanded primly.

"As in gold and jewels, not the training match your brother and I did where I dressed as a ninja," Zero explained.

"Oh...right..."

Chuckling, Zero made his way through the sunken ship. There were a couple of paths he simply wasn't able to explore at this time, and he didn't have time to figure out ways to circumvent the standard methods, so he continued out of the sunken ship and back into the ocean.

Once again, the U-555 showed up to attack him, this time also giving him a lift upward. This time, Zero was able to do enough damage to the sub to crash it completely.

Entering the final chamber beyond, Zero found Duff waiting for him. "Zero..." he gasped out, struggling to keep control of himself. "Long time...no see..."

"...you're infected," Zero murmured apologetically.

"...heavily..." Duff replied. "I know you're here...to access the ocean..."

"Hydrogen for the Enigma," Zero confirmed.

"You'll need my...weapon chip to...process it easily..." Duff finished. "Zero...I'm still in command of...myself for...now. Please...let me go out fighting...as a real man of the sea!"

Nodding, Zero drew his saber. "Bring it on, old man."

Roaring, Duff began firing blasts of ice at Zero, which the Hunter was experienced enough to easily dodge. However, the shaped ice blocks formed a path that Zero had to make his way along to attack Duff from, and his saber didn't slow him down long.

"Zero!" Iris spoke up through the comms. "My brother's returned from meeting with Grizzly Slash. I'm transmitting the weapon program to your saber!"

As the download finished, Zero lunged in with another slash. This time, an arc of energy lanced out from the edge of his saber, causing Duff to freeze up from impact. "Gyugh!" he gasped out. "I..."

"I'll make it quick," Zero promised, lunging in.

The remainder of the fight went quickly. Each impact of the energy arc the weapon download had added to Zero's saber caused Duff to freeze up and destroyed all the ice blocks he'd generated. Before long, Duff went down for the last time.

As Zero approached to acquire the weapons chip, however, a surge of Viral Energy leapt out of Duff's body, plunging into Zero. "Gyurk!" he grunted, his whole body locking up.

"Zero!" Iris screamed through the comms. "Zero, are you alright?"

After a time, his body settled, and Zero received an update from his systems.

Viral Program reacquired.
D-Type reserves partially replenished. Rerouting to systems...error. Energy reserves incomplete.

Zero blinked, unsure what that meant...but he felt an inexplicable urge not to bring it up to anyone just yet. "I...I'm fine," Zero replied. "Looks like my systems are as resistant to the virus as we thought."

"Well...you should still get back here and let Lifesaver look you over," Iris offered worriedly.

"...if we have time..." Zero agreed calmly as he beamed out.

5: Level Up

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Octavia paced back and forth with Varia active, waiting for Dynamo to arrive. Off in the distance, she could see the Enigma being gutted and repaired, preparations still in place for when everyone brought back the needed parts to upgrade it to fire on the Eurasia colony. Further back, she could see the shuttle undergoing modifications as well, just in case it was needed. Her suit hummed as the new anti-viral tech generated a unique energy shield around her, surrounding her with a white aura that she'd already confirmed caused the viral clouds to disperse on contact. Out of habit, she checked the readout on her buster for how much longer it would last before she had to recharge.

Another half hour, she thought to herself. Well, he's sure to show up before then. And if he doesn't, I'll dock his levels anyway. Teach him to keep me waiting. It's the same rules for being late without contact to sessions.

As she thought that, a teleport signal caught her attention. She turned and hid her smile as Dynamo warped in. "You're late," she grumbled.

"You've still got half an hour before you need to recharge, Tavs," Dynamo replied easily, leaning back against a pillar with a wide grin, crossing his arms behind his head and one leg in front of the other.

"Ahem," Octaiva replied bluntly.

Dynamo winced. "Octavia," he grumbled. "I still don't get why you only let the ladies and Zero give you a nickname."

"Oh, I'd let you get away with it if you got the nickname right," Octavia countered as she hid a buster charge.

"But I want to be different!" Dynamo complained.

"You're still too humanoid," Octavia replied blandly.

"Tsk!" Dynamo grunted, kicking at the ground. "Well, ya can't blame a guy for trying, right?"

"No, but I can penalize his character's charisma rolls."

"Come on!" Dynamo complained. "I worked hard to make Astarell a good face for the party!"

"Yes," Octavia agreed. "You put a lot of work into her, especially with her backstory and how her 'early development' led to a great deal of social heartache that shaped her character." She then gave Dynamo the stink eye. "And exactly how long did you spend trying to argue that she should get a Charisma bonus from that due to having backstory-justified big knockers?"

Dynamo rubbed the back of his head nervously. "...can't blame a guy for trying?" he offered with a bit less confidence.

"Weren't you here to cause some damage?" Octavia asked curiously.

"Only if someone - you, specifically - wasn't here to fight me," Dynamo countered, getting some of his swagger back.

"Then we should get started on that," Octavia replied, spinning around and kicking out with her hind legs, releasing two fully charged plasma blasts.

"Yow!" Dynamo yelped out, backflipping over the blasts, only to have to twist in midair to evade the first of the follow up blasts from her left forehoof as Octavia completed a backflip of her own, the second follow up blast from her right forehoof catching him and knocking him backwards. "Ouch! What gives?"

"Surprise attack," Octavia replied blandly. "Your reflex is high, you only caught one blast. Now roll for initiative." She immediately lunged to the side, holding one buster up to strafe as she raced around.

Grinning, Dynamo began dodging between the blasts, hauling out his double bladed beam dagger and hurling it like a discus, making Octavia leap over it on the way out and duck under it on the way in. "You are a tricky little fighter, aren't you?" he called out as he spun the weapon to deflect the next volley of shots.

"Of course!" Octavia shouted back as she raced in, switching to her B-Saber subweapon. "I knew I'd be fighting you! I practiced a few new tricks!"

Dynamo lunged in, blocking the first saber strike with one of his weapon's blades, twisting it to catch Octavia's other saber on the other blade. "But I'm tricki-yowch!" He leapt straight up as a beam saber from one of Octavia's hind hooves came a little too close to an area he preferred to keep undamaged. "Fighting a little dirty, aren't you?" he called out as he backflipped away.

"I'm trying to make sure the world is saved!" Octavia shouted out, charging the beam saber in one hoof before charging in, cutting through the pillar behind Dynamo as he leapt out of the way, making it fall towards him.

"And you think I don't have a good reason for coming out here like this?" Dynamo shouted back.

"Well, what is it?" Octavia demanded angrily as Classic beamed in at her summons.

"Whoa!" Dynamo called out. "Save something for next round like I am, birthday girl!"

Octavia froze, blinking. While the crisis had overshadowed it, it was, in fact, her birthday. "While it's nice that you remembered," she called out, "what does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm a registered mercenary!" Dynamo called back. "So I can't get access to Maverick Hunter HQ resources. And as a Hunter, it's against policy for you to engage in unofficial fights in your battle armor."

"And?" Octavia demanded with a scowl.

"Well, you're the one who wanted to see how we'd do against each other in combat after I shared my record!"

Octavia's jaw dropped as she began to see what Dynamo was saying. "You mean...you took a job to attack the HQ's construction site when I'd be the only defender..."

"So that we could have an excuse to fight once I'd disabled the security cameras!" Dynamo replied. "Figured that'd make a good birthday present. And if it didn't, I could always buy you a new cello with the money I'm making from this job."

Octavia quirked an eyebrow up as she heard that, then shook her head, chuckling. "You're incorrigible. And you'd also better get out of here before the others get back."

"Consider me gone!" Dynamo replied with a smirk, beaming away.

As Octavia turned to recharge the new systems, she chuckled and shook her head. "If only he had a tail...it might be nice to give romance a try."

5: Deep Ones

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CiCi clung tightly to the Ride Chaser as it sped along the damaged terrain. Even for her, trying to walk through that area would have been a really bad idea, since the Viral Energy had seeped into the cracks in the ground. Even if that energy couldn't influence her, too much exposure could still damage her systems. It was even damaging the Ride Chaser's systems as she passed over.

Thankfully, she didn't need all her limbs to grip and control the Ride Chaser. Several spare limbs were available for blasting apart obstacles and collecting the Energy Items scattered through the air as she passed. She wasn't sure what they were, but they had a Light Tech energy signal, so she judged it a good idea to grab all of them.

Seeing a wall approaching, she tried to brake the Ride Chaser, only to find the braking systems had failed. Leaping free, she spread her limbs to catch air, letting the Ride Chaser slam into the wall and blast open a path into the ground. Before moving on, however, CiCi examined the wall the Ride Chaser had slammed into. "Hmm...this is a door," she murmured. "Looks like those Energy Items are resonating...must be sealing a Light Capsule." Slamming the Energy Items into the door, she watched as it collapsed inward, dissolving. "Alright then..."

She rapidly approached the capsule, scanning it with her sensors. "Hmm...the helmet program for X's Falcon Armor...reduces special weapon energy consumption. Looks like I'll have to hack the security again..."

"Or you could just ask nicely."

"Or I could-" CiCi froze. "...Dr. Light..."

"Not exactly," the hologram replied. "You are the one who hacked the capsule in the area overseen by Morph Moth, correct?"

"Yes, that was me," CiCi replied. "I...had my reasons for ensuring I was the one who faced that Maverick."

"Is there a reason why Morph Moth emitted energy readings similar to those released by Web Man?" the Light hologram inquired.

"What makes you think I know anything about the FART?" CiCi demanded.

"Well, the fact that you know Web Man was a part of that," the hologram countered, smirking.

CiCi blinked a few of her eyes, cursing her mouth. "...alright, yes, there is a reason. He was one of hers."

"I take it she has been dealt with, then?" Light asked.

"That's my job," CiCi stated, not wanting to explain further.

"Fair enough," Light allowed. "I've uploaded the proper security codes to your systems to download this set of armor programs. Good luck."

"I'll need it," CiCi muttered as the hologram vanished. As she downloaded the armor program, she thought to herself, Father's not going to be happy with me about this...

Dropping down, CiCi spotted a lab scientist who showed no signs of infection. Unfortunately, he was being held hostage by an infected mechanaloid. Fortunately, said mechanaloid was rather lightweight, and easy for CiCi to seize in her tendrils and toss aside. Grabbing the scientist, she attached an evac beacon, sending him back to HQ.

Other mechanaloids proved little obstacle to CiCi as she reached out and tore them to pieces. The damaged lock systems proved more problematic, as she was forced to hurl chunks of mechanaloid at them to push the damaged circuits back together, since she didn't have a buster of her own to use. Thankfully, the mechanaloid chunks weren't that heavy for her.

As she progressed, she came across several other civilians she needed to rescue with the evac beacons, glad at this point she'd packed so many. She was also grateful that there were enough mechanaloid pieces to open all the locked doors, enabling her to make it to where Squid Addler was waiting.

"Hmm...I wasn't expecting you to arrive," he murmured, his tentacles waving in the air. "I could have sworn it would be X or Zero."

"X is meeting with Izzy Glow," CiCi explained. "Zero went to meet with Duff McWhalen. Colonel is dealing with the Arms Merchant. So I guess I get to ten-Tango with you."

"...hilarious," Addler grumbled. "So what brings you here, then?"

"I'm here for the Energy Cartridge." CiCi narrowed her eyes. "And unlike my teammates, I have no qualms with eliminating a former comrade to accomplish my goal, should it prove necessary. I'm well adjusted to the idea of collateral, or acceptable losses."

"You also seem a bit bloodthirsty," Addler chided. "Leaping to offers of violence so quick?"

"That's because my sensors have already shown you've installed the Energy Cartridge in your own systems," CiCi countered. "If I don't miss my guess, you're using it to keep the Viral Energy from entering your systems."

"You miss your guess," Addler corrected. "It is keeping the energy that has already infected me suppressed. So you are asking me to sacrifice myself to madness and death to save the world."

"You were a Maverick Hunter," CiCi offered, shrugging some of her tentacles. "That's the job."

"Not my job anymore," Addler growled. "No matter how infected the world becomes, the Energy Cartridge will keep me intact down here."

CiCi sighed sadly. "If that's how you feel...then infected or not, you are Maverick, and standing in the way of saving the world."

"Then fight if that's what you feel you must!" Addler proclaimed, launching arcs of electricity at CiCi as he took to the air.

"It's no fight," CiCi corrected, slithering between the bolts and seizing Addler's limbs and jetpack in her tentacles, ripping them from his torso. "Merely a brief struggle."

"You...!" Addler growled out through the pain. "Do you think I will surrender?"

CiCi picked up Addler's torso and head. "I don't think it matters, since I have what I came here for now. It'll be up to you whether you let Lifesaver extract the Energy Cartridge, or if we plug you into the Enigma."

"Fiend!" Addler snapped. "Monster!"

CiCi stared into his eyes, her own crimson orbs unblinking. "Objectively correct," she allowed at last. "But I came to terms with that long ago."

With her last piece said, she activated her teleport circuits, returning to base.

5: Light in the Dark

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X carefully took in his surroundings as he was warped into Izzy Glow's lab. The lab itself was well concealed, being hidden within an old castle in the European countryside. X knew he had to be careful in his approach. While Izzy was a genius inventor and expert with lasers, he'd gone into seclusion because he refused to allow his inventions to be made into weapons. If X did too much damage going in, Izzy would be less likely to trust him with the laser device they needed.

"X?" Alia called worriedly through the comms as he began his approach. "Are you sure you can handle Izzy? Rumor has it he can be incredibly stubborn..."

"So can I, Alia," X replied readily. "And if all else fails, I can threaten to put Octavia on the line to guilt trip him."

"You think he's heard about that?" Alia asked, stifling her chuckles.

"Her conversation with Colonel after Sky Lagoon went viral on the new network," X indicated, smirking. "Pretty sure he'll know about it if he knows anything about the world outside his lab." Coming to a raised bridge, he knocked it over with his buster so he could cross.

"Alright," Alia allowed. "Just be careful. I don't want to have to tell Tavi her Daddy was careless..."

X moved carefully into the castle, doing his best to avoid the mechanaloids that blocked the path. The Armored Mettools - more mobile versions of old robots found in ruins, though built without Mettool alloy as the formula for producing it had been lost - were easy enough to evade, but the flying shield bots proved more difficult to get around. Moving carefully, X made his way through the red carpeted halls.

At one point, as he approached a wide spike pit he needed to cross on the tops of platforms with spikes on their bottom, Alia contacted him again. "Careful X! I'm detecting a large Viral concentration in that pit!"

"I see it," X replied as he made his way around the purple cloud with Sigma's face. A few shots showed that the application of the Hikari Antibody to his weapons' program had the desired effect, as enough shots caused the cloud to disperse before it could reach him. "Virus Buster program is...somewhat effective," he responded. "Viral Cloud dispersed."

"That's good news," Alia replied. "So far, no one else has encountered any Viral Clouds...so maybe we're moving fast enough."

"Hopefully," X agreed, moving in further. After making his way past a few crusher platforms, he broke his way through a door to a large spiral stairway leading up the inside of a tower. As he made his way up, several mechanaloids and Viral Clouds blocked the path, forcing X to blast his way through. Halfway up, he was blocked by a unique security system. Four cables hung from the level above. Three energy cannons dropped down along three cables, armed with high-powered lasers that would hit X no matter where he managed to hide. Of the three cannons, one was black and two were bright purple. On instinct, X blasted the black one, finding it vulnerable to damage. As the black cannon lined up with him wherever he waited, he repeated this process until the system shut down, opening the path to a teleporter.

On the other side of the teleporter, X found himself near the top of the castle. He carefully made his way through the halls, evading mechanaloid and automated defenses as he could. At one point, however, he detoured upward, blasting his way past a mounted plasma cannon to a hidden chamber containing a Light capsule.

The Light hologram revealed itself. "Your timing is impeccable, X," it explained. "At this very moment, three of your companions are accessing the capsules containing the other three parts of the Falcon Armor. When you all return to base, you will be able to utilize it for the rest of the mission."

"Hopefully, there won't be a 'rest of the mission' once the Enigma is fired," X replied fervently.

Light nodded, accepting the sentiment. "This capsule contains the arm part of the program. It will enhance the charge shot of your standard weapon, as well as decrease the energy used for your sub weapons. However, you will not be able to charge your sub-weapons, since this armor focuses on maneuverability."

"Seems like a fair trade," X admitted, stepping into the capsule. Once the program was downloaded, he stepped out.

"A moment, X," the hologram called out. "There's...something else I want to give you."

"Oh?" X asked worriedly. "Is...is it something else like the Hadouken or Shoryuken?"

"Not quite," the hologram replied. "This was...an upgrade Mega Man - your predecessor - acquired after reaching an...emotional enlightenment of sorts. I believe you're ready for it as well. However, he had some difficulty using it...and I believe you might as well, if used as he did. Instead, I am adding it to the Piano Adapter. Before now, the Piano Armor automatically fired fully charged shots of your regular buster or sub-weapons, as long as you had the energy for the latter. This upgrade, however, is activated by charging your standard buster while merged with Piano."

"Wait..." X began worriedly. "You mean it's a way of making the Piano Buster...even more powerful?"

"That's correct," Light replied. "As such, I would recommend only using it when there is no other option but to kill your opponent. Given this...I leave it up to you whether or not to download this program into the Piano Adapter." The hologram vanished.

X stared at the capsule for a time, and then stepped back in. After all, X justified to himself as he downloaded the program, that's no different from the Hadoken or Shoryuken. Only if I have to kill... Even with that justification, it was unnerving that the new functionality for the Piano Adapter only revealed itself in his systems as a Skull symbol.

With the new programs downloaded, X continued forward along the main path. After making his way past the remaining security systems, he climbed to the top of the tallest tower, and entered Izzy Glow's lab. He could see Izzy Glow working away beneath a massive energy core and laser systems. He looked up as X entered. "Ah...X...I have be-been expecting you..."

"Doctor..." X began worriedly. "You're...infected..."

"I'm well awa-aware," Izzy stammered, fluttering his wings as he approached X. His body type was that of a large, humanoid, crimson lightning bug. "However, I've managed to hold it at bay by seg-segmenting my mind, quarantining the infected pa-part. It will hopefully last long enough." He held out a device he was holding. "Sigma knew you were working on the En-Enigma. He wanted me to destroy this device. I have up-upgraded it. With luck, it will be en-enough."

"Come back with me to headquarters!" X offered eagerly. "We can put you in stasis until we have a working anti-virus-"

"N-no," Izzy responded firmly. "This virus...it is not like before. It does...not turn me into a mindless monster. It corrupts...it twists my mind...it will turn my entire intellect to the destruction of everything around me, betraying everything I stand for. If I am put in stasis, I will become fully infected...and then I will be out and destroying. I will give you this Laser Device, and the file on all my research...if you promise to destroy me and my lab."

X stared thoughtfully at Izzy for a time, and finally nodded. "Alright, Izzy Glow," he replied, summoning Piano. "Set those over there, and move back in front of the power core."

Sighing in relief, Izzy set the laser device and data drive to the side. He then flew back in front of the core. "I...do not know how long I will be able to con-contain the infection..." he warned.

At a mental command, Piano merged with X, putting him in the empowered armor. "It won't take long," he replied as he began charging, shifting into a wide legged stance to brace his entire body as he leveled one buster towards Izzy Glow.

When the buster finished charging, it started changing, taking on the shape of a large dragon skull. The mouth of the skull opened, and a massive white beam erupted, consuming both Izzy Glow and the power core. The fur on X's back spread wide, catching a great deal of air as the recoil forced him to slide back several feet on the ground.

As the entire lab began to explode, X grabbed the laser device and the data drive, beaming straight back to base.

5: Hope and Despair

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Not long after Octavia defeated Dynamo, the four hunters sent out returned with the tech needed to repair the Enigma, and the mechanics got right to work on upgrading it to its maximum capacity. As the work went on, Zero was looked over by Lifesaver, given he'd suffered a massive viral infection. "What's the report, Lifesaver?" Signas asked worriedly.

"Well...I've got good news and bad news," Lifesaver replied, his voice showing both concern and confusion.

"Give it to me straight, Doctor," Signas instructed. "I need to know what I can pass on to the others."

Lifesaver shrugged. "Well, the Hikari Antibody installed in Zero has been completely wiped out. The viral energy he absorbed overpowered it completely, giving all signs of a full infection."

"Then...Zero is..." Signas began.

"Stronger than before, but otherwise showing no Maverick tendencies," Lifesaver explained.

"What?" Signas demanded, confused.

"The viral energy's being automatically redirected through his systems to enhance functionality," Lifesaver explained. "Speed, strength, energy output...all have increased drastically from the viral energy. It's like his systems were originally designed to use it...although it only seems to be flowing through the systems that, like in X's build data, we can't fully analyze."

Signas frowned, stroking his chin. "That's...concerning. Has he shown any...behavioral differences? Anything we need to keep an eye on as far as Maverick behavior?"

"The only sign we've seen is that he refuses to be kept on bed rest, but that's nothing new," Lifesaver explained. "He's slightly - and I do mean slightly - more aggressive than normal, but he's recognizing it when it happens and consciously reigning it in."

Signas nodded, thinking about this for a time. "The sensible decision would be to keep Zero from further encounters with the Virus until we can fully understand this. However, given our present situation, not sending him out for a shuttle part if the Enigma fails would pose a greater risk than what we're presently seeing from him regarding his reaction to viral energy." He shifted to a firm stance. "Keep an eye on his status at all times. If he shows any further signs of Maverick behavior, we'll pull him from the mission. Until then...we need him too much to keep him off the lines. If the Enigma succeeds, we'll have all the time in the world to be careful. If not..."

"Let's hope we don't have to think about that, but I understand what you're saying," Lifesaver replied. "I'll take care of it."

Once the Enigma was fully operational, X took the controls. He carefully aimed the laser, knowing that despite the power, he only had one shot. Because of the power that needed to run through the Enigma, firing it risked damaging the cannon. And even if the cannon didn't damage itself, it would take a full 24 hours to fully charge for another shot, and they only had 14 until impact. Everything was riding on this.

Once he was locked on for an intercept course, he cleared his mind. "Target locked," he called out.

"Fire when ready, X," Signas ordered.

Calming his breathing, X focused everything he had into the single shot...and fired.

The energy erupted from the Enigma Cannon, lancing into space like a spear of light, driving through the atmosphere and into the Eurasia colony, striking dead on. The flash of light from the impact and shockwave released knocked out all sensors for a time.

"Alia!" X called out. "Did I get it?"

"I can confirm direct hit!" Alia called back. "...but it wasn't enough..."

"What?" X demanded desperately, stunned beyond belief. "What happened?"

"...from what I'm picking up, the Space Colony was surrounded by an energy field, similar to the Viral energy surrounding the planet," Alia explained. "It was dormant until fired upon, so we couldn't take it into account. It took the brunt of the blast, and is holding the colony together despite managing to shatter 87% of the colony. All we managed to do is change the orbit. It's still going to crash."

"Dammit!" X snapped, pounding his clenched fist against the control panel. "How much did we change the orbit? Did we gain enough time for the Enigma to recharge for another shot?"

"Running calculations..." Alia replied.

"What's the status on the Enigma?" Signas asked.

X checked the readouts. "...Izzy Glow's laser device worked better than anticipated," X called back. "No damage to the Enigma. I repeat, no damage to the Enigma Laser Cannon. Once it's fully charged, we can fire again. Starting the charging process-"

"Don't bother," Alia cut in. "Calculations are complete. We have...23 hours before colony impact, 18 before it's too close to use either Enigma or Shuttle to try and destroy it."

X closed his eyes, hanging his head. "I'm...I'm sorry everyone...I failed."

"No you didn't, Dad," Octavia cut in. "We had no way of knowing about that other energy source. We'll just have to figure out how to handle it from here. We'll need to fix up the shuttle instead."

Colonel once more took the lead of the meeting. "The plan is simple. The shuttle, once fully upgraded, will be flown into the colony to destroy it. In its fragmented state, the required explosive force is greatly diminished. However, the energy holding the colony together means that Auto Pilot is not an option. Someone will have to fly the shuttle into the colony, and attempt to eject just before impact, and ride the escape capsule back to the surface." He frowned. "Unfortunately, neither shuttle nor escape capsule can be upgraded to block the Viral Energy from infusing them during flight, meaning someone capable of defending themselves while flying the shuttle needs to be the pilot."

"So it has to be one of the four of us," X murmured softly, glancing at Zero, Colonel, and CiCi.

"And only one of us is a certified shuttle pilot," CiCi added, looking straight at Zero.

"I knew this was coming from the moment the shuttle plan was first suggested," Zero replied. "I'm ready."

"Very well," Colonel replied firmly, hiding his emotions as he took control of the military aspect of the mission. "There are four Reploids with the components we need, and we have no way of knowing what their status is at this point." He called up the first image. All they had was a green face with red hair, maybe. "First is Axle the Red. We have no information on him beyond the name. However, we know that he possesses an Orbiter Engine."

"I'll take him," CiCi replied instantly, her tentacles flexing.

Colonel blinked, surprised at CiCi's insistence, but decided not to press. "Very well. Next is Mattrex, a weapons storage guard." The image displayed a red and white reploid shaped like a T-Rex. "He has a Booster we'll need for the Shuttle. He was part of Repliforce, but he's since retired. We aren't sure what he's been up to since."

"I'll take him," X called out. "If he's gone Maverick, I'll be able to handle him. If he hasn't, I should be able to convince him to part with the Booster. I was successful negotiating with Izzy Glow."

Colonel nodded in understanding as the next Reploid image appeared, a white robotic bipedal pegasus. "The Skiver is protecting an Orbiter Wing at a Repliforce base. With luck, I'll be able to retrieve it from him without incident." He frowned. "However, we've been unable to communicate with the base...so I don't know his status." Shaking his head, he called up the last image. This one showed a purple bat based Reploid. "Dark Dizzy is a known Maverick, with suspected connections directly to Sigma. However, there should be a Fuel Tank somewhere in his base."

"Guess that one's mine," Zero grumbled. "How come I drew the short straw again?" While his words were bitter, his expression showed he was teasing.

"Good luck everyone," Octavia offered worriedly. She then turned towards the shuttle and sighed. Once again, she had to stay behind and watch as those she cared for most raced into danger and possible death. She found she was actually looking forward to when Dynamo attacked, if only for the distraction.

5: Into Darkness

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Zero braced himself carefully as he warped into the planetarium, keeping his eyes peeled for any danger. Iris quickly contacted him.

"Are you alright, Zero?" she asked worriedly. "You...had an odd reaction to the viral energy, and from the looks of the scans there's a great deal of it here. You might encounter more clouds..."

"I'll be alright, Iris," Zero replied. "I promise."

"...alright," Iris answered, though her voice remained worried. "Keep an eye out for unexpected dangers. That planetarium is also a space laboratory, after all."

"Right," Zero confirmed, heading in towards the storage depot. There were a couple of mechanaloids in his way at first, but as they were stationary Zero easily maneuvered around them. Against the domed ceiling, the star patterns shifted and swirled.

"Watch out, Zero!" Iris warned. "I'm picking up-" The signal cut off without warning.

"Iris?" Zero called out worriedly. "Iris?" As he spoke, he saw what she was picking up. The constellation images glowed brightly as he came within sight, and viral clouds poured out of them. Without even thinking, Zero leapt into the clouds, absorbing the energy as he cut his way through some bat shaped mechanaloids.

As he continued, he found himself...somewhat disconnected from the environment. He was still completely aware of everything around him as he carved his way through rogue mechanaloids and deliberately absorbed Viral Clouds...but it seemed so distant. Even when he had to rely on a somewhat faulty platform to cross a wide pit, he couldn't quite connect.

Beyond the pit, Zero encountered a new area where a large energy barrier covered the path, with arrows pointing up and down. Leaping into it, he found gravity reversed itself, forcing him to walk on the ceiling. At some level, he found this incredibly interesting, and he wanted to send a message about it to be passed on to Octavia, since he knew she'd love that...but he had trouble caring. And each time he absorbed another Viral Cloud, it became harder to focus.

When he reached the end of the gravity reversal path, he tried to just keep going, but found himself drawn to a path leading downward. Unable to stop himself, he leapt downward. A strange security wall blocked his path, but it parted before him as he approached another Light Capsule. It opened before him.

"Zero..." the Light hologram began, only to stop. "What? Why are you...?" The voice trailed off for a time as data seemed to transfer between the capsule and somewhere else. "Ah...I see how it is. Step into the capsule, Zero."

Zero stepped into the capsule, and energy flowed into him as the armor program was downloaded, along with another signal that interacted with his systems.

D-Type Reserves normalized. Stand by for Control System Reboot...Rebooting.

Zero blinked, swaying as he once more felt himself reconnecting with his own body and the world around him. "W...what happened?" he asked, confused.

"Your systems are incomplete," the Light hologram explained. "One of your subsystems is designed to compel you to seek out what you need to restore your original functionality if it exists in your environment. In this case, it's the Viral Clouds."

"What?" Zero demanded. "Why would the Sigma Virus complete me?"

"Because he got it from you," the Light hologram replied. "The original form of the virus was part of your systems. I...don't know what function it served for you, but your activation was flawed, and something in your system was lost. The Virus, and the energy it is a part of, was part of your system, and bonded to Sigma to preserve itself...until it could return to you and complete your restoration."

Zero stared ahead in silence. "But...but what will happen to me when I'm...restored? Will...will I still be me? Or...will I be something else?"

Light was silent as Zero stepped out of the capsule. "I can't answer that," he replied at long last. "Your build data is not available to my computer system. Only a few command keys left to me to help you. However, I do have data regarding both those that built you, although I can't share it. What I can say about them...is that neither ever saw you as a tool. They wanted great things for you."

"But do I want those things?" Zero countered. When the hologram didn't respond, he turned and went back up, seeking out Dark Dizzy and the fuel tank.

Thankfully, he didn't have to search far, as the door to the storage depot was just on the other side of the gap that had led him to Light's capsule. Once inside, a cloud of mechanaloid bats flew down, parting to reveal Dark Dizzy, the bat like Reploid floating in midair.

"Squeak!" Dark Dizzy proclaimed happily. "I know that smell..."

Zero paused, sniffing himself. "Umm...okay, I guess I could use a shower-"

"We are allies!" Dark Dizzy squeaked out, fluttering about.

"...in that case, can you give me the fuel tank?" Zero asked hopefully.

"Squeak!" Dark Dizzy proclaimed happily, fluttering off to grab the fuel tank, dragging it back to Zero. "Yes! We shall retire all the Mavericks together!"

Zero scratched his head, trying to make sense of what was going on. Then his sensors revealed something surprising.

Alert: Subject Dark Dizzy contains high quantities of D-Type. However, incomplete positronic brain has resulted in twisted perceptions. Virus does not control Dark Dizzy, but subject perceives unit as Commander, due to higher D-Type levels and viral control.

Zero decided to test out what his sensors were telling him. "...atten-hut!"

"Squeak!" Dark Dizzy proclaimed, rapidly settling down on the ground and standing at attention, practically vibrating in excitement.

"You are to return peacefully to HQ with me, and report to Lifesaver for service and decontamination!" Zero barked out.

"Squeak!" Dark Dizzy confirmed, saluting.

I can't believe that worked, Zero thought silently. I wonder why Iris hasn't said anything... Checking his systems, he found that his communications systems had been disabled by an internal command. "Oh." Focusing, he reactivated them.

"-ro! Zero, do you read?" Iris pleaded, her voice breaking. "Please, respond!"

"Iris, I'm here!" Zero replied.

"ZERO!" Iris wailed, her voice cracking. "What happened to you? I lost contact just before-"

"Signal interference," Zero replied readily, not wanting to worry Iris unduly. "I'm ready for beam out. I've retrieved the Fuel Tank...and I'm bringing Dark Dizzy in for decontamination."

"Are you sure he can control himself?" Iris asked cautiously.

"He doesn't need to," Zero replied. "The virus doesn't have control of him...and for some reason, he sees me as his commander." He managed a smirk. "Guess he recognized my natural charisma?"

Iris managed a chuckle. "Just get back here, Zero. You are in so much trouble for worrying me like that."

"I know, Iris," Zero agreed. He stared out at nothing as he prepared to return to base. He just hoped that when everything was over...he would still be him, to tell Iris and the others what was really going on.

5: Always a Soldier

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Colonel braced himself as his security codes got him into the Repliforce Air Base. He stared around, noting that, at least on the outside, it hadn't changed since the last time he'd been there. The tall structure loomed over the land below, planes and other craft resting on their launch platforms in the distance. He could see troop transports, VTOL fighters, helecarriers...he breathed a sigh of relief at that sign that the vehicles, at least, were undamaged. It bore good news for the Orbiter Wing.

Since he'd been here before, Iris knew he didn't need guidance, so he wasn't expecting her to contact him unless an emergency came up. As such, he began his journey inward, following the paths he knew to find Skiver. Much to his surprise, bombs had been set up along the path. Thankfully, they were all on a timer, and he was easily able to approach each one and devastate it with a slash of his saber before they went off. His saber was even long enough to destroy the bombs while splitting defending Maverick mechanaloids. Given his high speed, he was able to pause long enough to warp out civilians he found that showed no signs of infection.

After a time, he reached an elevator deeper into the base. Standing atop it, he rode it down into the lower levels. As the elevator moved slowly, however, he received a panicked call from Iris. "Brother!" she called out, her voice terrified. "I've lost contact with Zero! I just warned him about a large Viral signal, and communications were cut! I can't get through to him!"

"What?" Colonel gasped out. "Iris, calm down. Tell me exactly what happened."

Iris managed to get herself under control to speak. "He'd just arrived at the planetarium in pursuit of Dark Dizzy and the Fuel Tank," she explained. "We'd talked pleasantly for a bit as he moved into the structure. Then I warned him of a Viral signal in the constellations being displayed on the planetarium's walls." Colonel could hear her tapping away at her console. "There was a momentary error message from Zero's systems...and then the signal cut out!" She once more sounded on the verge of tears. "Brother, what do I do? Zero is-"

"Probably perfectly fine," Colonel insisted, slashing through a Maverick mechanaloid to one side of the elevator platform. "He's an incredibly tough fighter, and he's already shown to be immune to the effects of this new virus. The error message was probably regarding his comm link. There's probably just signal interference. Just keep trying to get through to him, and I'm sure you'll reach him."

"Are...are you sure, brother?" Iris asked worriedly.

"I'm certain," Colonel promised. "And if he hasn't returned by the time I get back, I'll go fetch him. If he's in trouble, I'll rub in his face that I had to rescue him. If he isn't, I'll give him a sound thrashing for worrying you."

Iris managed to let out a somewhat calm breath. "...thank you, brother. I'll keep trying."

"I know you will," Colonel replied as he cut communications. Exiting the elevator shaft, he paused to split a Viral Cloud, dispersing its energy, before looking up. Directly above him, he could see a Light Capsule on a high platform. Charging his Ground Crush, he was able to propel himself upwards to the platform, landing there gently to activate the Capsule.

"Colonel," the hologram greeted him. "The Enigma didn't work, I take it?"

Colonel blinked, stunned. "You...know a lot about our plans," he commented idly.

"I'm well informed," the hologram replied. "For now, I'll give you this armor program for the Gaea Armor for X. It will drastically reduce damage taken."

Nodding, Colonel downloaded the program, knowing the hologram would give him no further information. Dropping back down, Colonel stepped onto a lift platform, slowly riding it to the top. To his surprise, large spiked platforms had been scattered along the lift path, making it difficult to get by them. Thankfully, the lift wasn't that long, and he was able to make it to the top undamaged.

Beyond, an elevator took him upwards past more civilians and more bombs, as well as a few spiked platforms placed in the elevator shaft itself. At the top of the elevator shaft, he stepped out, dropping through the air onto a large flying craft which was passing by, now setting a course towards Maverick Hunter HQ.

As Colonel braced himself, Skiver floated down, his white wings shimmering in the sun as the pegasus reploid landed. "Colonel," he spoke up, clenching his teeth. "It's...it's been a while..."

"...you've become infected," Colonel replied sorrowfully.

"I...I have," Skiver replied. "I...fought it as best I can...but there's only so much I can do. I...I got your message, but I was unable to get to the comm suite to respond. The...the Orbiter Wing is...inside this plane. It's programmed to...deliver it to your base, but...I cannot deliver it..."

"I will take care of it, Skiver," Colonel replied. "You've done well. You bring pride to the name of Repliforce."

"Sir..." Skiver groaned, clutching his chest as his body spasmed. "I...I don't have much time before...the Virus takes control. But...I can still fight. Please...let me die a warrior. Show me...you have the strength to save us..."

Nodding, Colonel drew his beam saber. "As you wish, Skiver." Looking through his archives, he found the music he sought, and set it to play from his systems as he fought, so Skiver could hear. "Prepare yourself!" He lunged forward.

Skiver moved quickly, having been a speed model to begin with. Rather than clash directly with Colonel, he dashed past him, delivering blows from the side with wings, fists, and hooves. Colonel countered by spinning to strike with his saber or fist, whichever he could bring to bear. After a few passes, Skiver used his special weapon to send his after image ahead of him, striking from multiple sides before trapping Colonel in a whirlwind, allowing him to strike from multiple sides at once.

As Colonel rode the whirlwind, taking the blows, an idea struck him. Extending his beam saber, he spun with the wind, becoming a whirling energy cyclone. As Skiver pulled back, clutching the stump of one arm, Colonel unleashed his energy charge, launching himself into the air. Putting all his energy into his beam saber, he came down on Skiver, splitting him down the middle.

The pair had moved so fast, the entire fight had taken well under a minute. With so much of the music remaining, Colonel sheathed his beam saber, stood at attention...and saluted Skiver into his demise, showing honor to the soldier who had gone so far above and beyond the call.

5: Intrigue

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Octavia sat calmly on the scaffolding surrounding the space shuttle workings, Classic's tail attachment plugged into a power coupling to maintain the energy levels of the viral shielding around their merged form. She stared calmly down at the shuttle as those Hunter personnel who could risk it worked at preparing it for the upgrades needed to take it into space and to the Eurasia colony. She let out a worried sigh as she thought about what it meant that Zero would be flying the shuttle when it was completed, to save the whole world.

But what if he doesn't make it back? she thought soberly. There's always been the chance when hunting Mavericks of serious injury or death, but we always had each others' backs. Even when things were dangerous, we always could count on each other to bail us out. But when he gets up there...Zero will be all alone. One mistake, one unexpected hurdle too many...and he'll never come back. She blinked away the tears forming.

"No use borrowing trouble, Octavia," Dynamo spoke up from behind her, stepping out onto the scaffolding.

Octavia flinched internally, but turned around calmly externally. "How'd you get up here without me hearing you teleport in?" she demanded as she disconnected from the power coupling.

Smirking, Dynamo jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "The stairs."

Octavia rolled her eyes. "You watch that show too much," she grumbled.

"What can I say?" Dynamo countered, spreading his hands wide. "Gotta love the classics. And with enough creds and the right info, you can dig up anything from the old times-"

"You delivered the viral energy to Eurasia, didn't you?"

Dynamo flinched at the accusing tone of her voice. "...I can't deny that," he admitted.

Octavia slowly stood up. "And you think I can just forgive you for that?" she asked sadly. "How many people up there died because of what you did?" She started charging energy into her busters.

Dynamo shook his head. "Now now, Octavia...you should know me better than-YOW!" He desperately backflipped out of the way as an energy blade slashed under his body, a follow up plasma blast slamming into his back before he could evade. "That's harsh, Tavs-"

"Don't call me that," Octavia growled out, her eyes shining. "You don't get to call me that..." Lifting her head, she lunged in, unleashing a large blast from her buster while drawing her B. Saber sub-weapon again.

Dynamo continued to dodge back and forth, able to evade the strikes now that he saw them coming, using his own green and blue energy blasts to take out some of the incoming blasts. "Octavia...do you really think so little of me?"

"You're working for Sigma!" Octavia proclaimed. "You're trying to destroy the world!" Charging up one of the weapon programs the others had brought back with them, she lunged in. "Why shouldn't I-"

Dynamo spread his arms, and a large white skull appeared between him and Octavia. Opening its mouth, it unleashed a white blast of energy that slammed Octavia against the scaffolding, leeching away her stored energy. "You need to remember to fight cool," Dynamo replied, putting his hand up to his face to hide where his synthoskin had started to flake away, before Octavia could see the white bone underneath. "You talk like Sigma's my only employer here."

Octavia stared at him as she watched her energy continue to count down. "W...what?"

"Yeah," Dynamo replied. "The only reason I even took the job for Siggy was because my other employer hired me to. Damage control, ya know?"

"How is what happened to Eurasia damage control?" Octavia demanded angrily.

"None."

Octavia blinked, confused. "...huh?"

"You asked how many people died on Eurasia," Dynamo explained. "None. In addition to the viral packages, I also placed evac beacons, designed to go off just before the viral energy was released. The entire colony was evacuated the instant before the place went viral."

"...where?" Octavia asked desperately.

"Safe," Dynamo replied. "That's all you need to know...tibia honest."

Octavia tilted her head, not understanding what he was saying. "You're...acting different."

"Yeah," Dynamo replied. "I swapped out my original primary persona core for something more fun. But when you lost your cool, the original secondary kicked back in." He covered his mouth and coughed. "Sorry. Talking so much like this is leaving me feeling a little horse."

Octavia's head tilted further. "Are...are you punning?" she asked.

Dynamo shook his head. "Never mind," he replied softly. "Let's just say...Prometheus isn't the only upgraded old relic keeping an eye on a fallen world rising from its grave. She gave us a job, and we're gonna finish it."

"What does that even mean?" Octavia demanded angrily. "Who are you working for?"

Dynamo spread his arms wide, one eye glowing bright blue. "Sorry. There are some answers I can't give you. And the me who would want to doesn't have those answers. The best sleeper agents don't know they're sleeping." Seeing Octavia's agitation, he held up his hands. "Just know that I - and she - are definitely on your side, kid. But for now...I need some repairs. See ya at Grillby's." With that, he stepped behind a pillar and vanished.

Octavia stared at the spot he'd vanished from, having detected no teleport signal. In fact, the only thing she'd detected was the same 'magic' energy she generated normally, but focused differently. She sat down, letting Classic plug them both back in, realizing that - despite all she'd learned from Pink Pi-D and predicted with her 'guilt trips'...she had no idea what was really going on...

5: Hellfire

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X beamed down to the entrance of the weapons storage facility. However, as he arrived, he immediately noticed something that he felt he had to raise. "Alia," he said into his comms, "you could have informed me ahead of time that the facility was inside the caldera of an active volcano!"

"Sorry, X," Alia replied. "It's part of the facility's geothermal station. With the Viral alterations, some of the lava has escaped its containment tubes, so be careful. Your new Falcon Armor is tough, but not tough enough to survive lava."

"Understood," X replied, glancing down at his new armor suit. It was far more streamlined than his older armors, with fewer armor plates. The pattern of white and blue was more angular, and the red and green gems acted as focal points for energy in his busters and helmet, with sharp gold filigree. The booster engines on his shoulders and boots that allowed for full free flight for a time were smaller than he'd expected, testimony to just how advanced Dr. Light's engineering skills were. "Still hard to believe Dad made this in pre-End times..."

"I'm not entirely sure he did," Alia replied.

"What do you mean?" X demanded. "He can't still be alive after all this time...can he?"

"That's not quite what I meant," Alia replied. "The armor design was provided via program data. It could be that he crafted the design that long ago, but then left it in whatever computer system is controlling the capsules, designed to provide each new armor set as the materials to make them work became available. You did say the hologram program seemed fully AI(1)."

"I...guess that makes sense," X sighed. He was silent for a time.

"...X?" Alia asked worriedly.

"I'm okay," X replied readily. "Need to stop woolgathering. We're on a timeclock."

"Good luck, X," Alia said as she turned to other matters.

X rapidly made his way down the first tube-like passage, evading the defense turrets and flame jets as he sought out the bottom. Once there, he made his way forward past more of the same obstacles until he reached a curve in the path going lower.

"Careful X!" Alia warned. "The lava flow there is very strong. You need to be careful to avoid it as you progress."

"Will do!" X replied, waiting until the lava subsided before leaping down and racing along the tube. As he raced, he heard the lava coming up behind him fast. Spotting a part of the rock behind a metal and stone protuberance with a lower ambient temperature than the rock around it, he desperately ducked into the shadowed spot. Right before his eyes, the lava shot past all around him, but not touching him.

"Good thinking, X!" Alia praised, her voice sounding relieved. "My scanners show more spots like that throughout the tube. If you race from one to the next between lava flows, you should be safe."

"That's the plan," X confirmed, waiting for the lava to subside. Once it did, he raced ahead until he came to a rock wall blocking his progress forward. Hearing the lava approaching, he ducked into another shadowed area, letting the lava clear his path for him. He repeated this a few more times, racing past the few Maverick Mechanaloids he came across, until he was able to reach a door to a new area. Blasting his way through it, he made his way out of the lava tube.

In the new area, X found his path dividing in two. The upper road took him away from the sea of lava beneath him. The lower road led straight into the lava, however. Sitting in the magma unharmed was a new model Probe Ride Armor. He paused as he stared. "Hmm...which way should I go..." Turning to his scanners, he discovered that a Light Capsule could more easily be reached by progressing through the lava. "Lower path it is," he murmured. "Here's hoping the Ride Armor holds up."

As he leapt into the Ride Armor and activated it, a transparent dome shield covered the cockpit, protecting him from the lava as he steered down into the sea. The lava made it difficult to see as he progressed, so he was forced to rely on the sonar of the Ride Armor. Maverick Ride Armors came after him in the lava, along with bat shaped Mechanaloids.

"Okay, I get how the other Ride Armors survive," X grumbled. "But how the hell do the bat mechanaloids fly in the lava without exploding?"

"Sensors are unable to give a definitive response," Alia apologized. "Though given the odd energy reaction the Virus Clouds generate, maybe it's similar to the energy shielding holding the Eurasia together despite the blast from the Enigma, but on a smaller scale?"

"...maybe," X admitted grudgingly. Before too much longer, he made it through the lava, reaching the Light capsule.

The Light hologram appeared in the capsule as he approached. "X, this capsule contains the Arm Program for the Gaea Armor," it explained. "The Gaea Armor's primary weapon is the Gaea Shot, which - while short ranged - is quite powerful, can negate enemy projectiles, and break through certain types of obstacles that cannot otherwise be penetrated."

X stared at the hologram for a time. "...I get the feeling I'm not going to get much use out of this armor," he muttered.

The hologram shrugged. "Probably not," it replied. "They can't all be amazing."

Stepping into the capsule, X downloaded the program before heading towards the end of the upper path, making his way to the actual weapons storage facility. He didn't have long to wait before Mattrex burst in.

"...X..." Mattrex growled out. "You've come..."

"Mattrex, we need the booster engine in your possession!" X called out. "If we're going to-"

"15,000 credits," Mattrex growled back.

X blinked. "...seriously?"

"Yes," Mattrex replied. "I'm an arms merchant. I sell things."

"...well, I actually have a cred stick on me," X replied, still a little stunned. "Can you do an uplink transfer?"

"...just this once, since you're saving the world," Mattrex grumbled. "But in the future, have cash on hand."

"Right," X confirmed. He quickly pulled out his cred stick, and they made the transfer. "...how'd you avoid going Maverick?"

"Sat in the lava," Mattrex answered easily. "The Viral Clouds don't go that deep. Third door down, crate 17-B-Alpha. One time warp out code is 8675309."

"...a pleasure doing business with you," X admitted, a little stunned by how easily this went.

"And take this too." Mattrex handed over a chip containing his weapon program, derived from his RDNA. "Consider this my contribution to saving the world. I expect immunity from charges."

"You drive a hard bargain," X replied, taking the chip. "I just wish all such encounters could be so easy."

"Honestly, I expected you to refuse to pay," Mattrex indicated. "Then we'd have had to fight."

"Octavia insisted I bring money, just in case you weren't Maverick," X explained.

"Smart filly."

(1) For those who claim the holograms are recorded messages, if you go to a capsule in X6 with Zero, he'll engage the hologram in a full conversation. That's my basis for making the hologram network a full AI.

5: Welcome to the Jungle

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CiCi braced herself as she came out of her warp outside the jungle facility. Despite her best efforts, she still landed in a shallow pool of water. Grumbling under her breath, she quickly clambered out, not really liking the feeling of being only partially submerged. It always gave her weird thoughts, even more so since she inhabited her Reploid body. She carefully scanned the area, taking in the Virus levels, the damaged fences, and the vastly overgrown plant life. She could tell there were a lot of Maverick Mechanaloids...but her scanners already showed no civilians present, and signs of evacs having been done previously. "That's...different..." she murmured as she made her way towards where her sensors indicated the Orbiter Engine was stored.

Much to her frustration, a large portion of the early path had knee-high pools of water, which she'd have to wade through if she fell off the platforms. Thankfully, the platforms were easily graspable, and she could pull herself from one to the other readily. To her surprise, despite the high Viral readings, Virus Clouds were somehow prevented from forming. Curious but unable to determine more, CiCi moved past the pools of water to an underground segment.

The walls were covered in deadly spikes, but vines stretched back and forth rising up the tube that was the forward path. CiCi readily grasped the vines with her tentacles, pulling herself upwards and eating the occasional Maverick Mechanaloid who was stupid enough to come too close. Once out of the tube, CiCi moved forward past a giant robotic flower, simply ignoring it as she continued as it wasn't a serious obstacle for her.

As she entered a tunnel, half-plant half-machine spears erupted from the ground and ceiling in an attempt to block her way, but she was able to squeeze around them without problems, and broke those that grew too thickly together. A turn deeper into the ground proved similarly simple to progress through, though the robotic flowers proved more frustrating as some extended spears like she'd dealt with previously and others launched tiny bug-like Mechanaloids. She ignored those that could be avoided and destroyed those that could not.

A wide gap into the depths proved the next obstacle, which she was able to cross via the wires stretched across it, evading the spiked bots that moved back and forth on the wires in an attempt to knock her off. Halfway across the pit, she paused. Directly above her was a Light capsule, but there weren't any wires or vines leading up to it, and the walls were covered with spikes.

"Hmm...let's see..." After staring at the conundrum thoughtfully for a time, she decided to attempt an idea. Gripping the wire with only one tentacle, she let the rest of her body mass stretch out into the pit below. Once her tentacle was at full extension, she began to swing back and forth until she gained enough momentum to be spinning a complete circle. Once she was spinning fast enough, she released to propel herself upward...only to splat against the ceiling. "...ow..."

"Perhaps you can stick the landing next time?" the Light hologram suggested jokingly.

CiCi peeled herself off the ceiling and glowered at the hologram. "Since you have some idea what I am," she grumbled, "you could at least show some proper respect, if not the fear most humans do when confronted with one like me."

"And I might, if not for two things," the hologram replied. "One, I'm a control program designed to resemble a human and operate based on his personality. I'm not actually a person. Two, I have access to Hunter HQ security feed, and it's hard to fear Octavia's favorite plushy."

CiCi's eyes narrowed to slits as her tentacles writhed, the only way her body could represent blushing. "Just...just give me the armor program already," she grumbled.

The hologram chuckled. "This is for the Leg part of the Gaea Armor," Dr. Light explained. "The armor overall is designed to be heavily defensive, and thus is not very mobile, and can't use special weapons. However, it can cling to walls without sliding, and takes no damage from spikes."

"If you make another model like that, I'd suggest giving it a way to more rapidly gain altitude," CiCi offered. "Like a way to instantly launch to the ceiling of a room and cling there?"

"I actually have an armor like that in the databanks already," the hologram explained. "If the situation presents itself that requires it, I'll send out the capsules for it."

When the hologram vanished, CiCi downloaded the program before continuing on. The path beyond the pit was very straightforward, allowing her to reach the control room with ease.

As she entered, she spotted Axle the Red leaning against the far wall, his green plant-like body relaxed, his red bloom unfolding on his head. "What do you want with me?" he demanded defensively.

"Nothing," CiCi replied. "I'm here for the Orbiter Engine."

"What are you, a thief?" Axle demanded, his voice somewhat petulant. "Go home, before I call the Maverick Hunters!"

"I am a Maverick Hunter!" CiCi snarled.

"No you're not," Axle countered, his voice suddenly changing to dead serious. "You're just using them to accomplish your objectives. It's only coincidence that their objectives and yours align so well."

CiCi paused as she saw the energy gathering around 'Axle'. "So I was right," she murmured. "Another one of us..."

"Got it in one, Cuku," 'Axle' replied with a laugh in his voice.

CiCi's eyes widened. Only one person ever called her that. As she saw 'Axle's green body turn yellow, she knew she was right. "...Hasta-kun?"

Hasta flipped upside down to float in the air. "The one and only!" he teased happily. "Glad to know you didn't forget me when you went swanning after that mortal."

CiCi let out a frustrated groan. "You know I never saw you that way-"

"And neither did I!" Hasta replied. "I only acted like I did because of how much your Dad and mine hate each other, and it drove them both straight up the ether!"

CiCi chuckled at the memories of those instances. "So...your Dad sent you here, then?" she asked, readying for battle.

"Oh, he sent me in a long time ago!" Hasta replied. "For 'Web Man' to infiltrate and investigate the pony element, he needed a human 'maker'. And, much to my surprise, it takes a lot less energy to maintain a manifestation in this plain of existence if you're willing to assume a local form and leave most of your power in the other dimension...and all it takes to keep it that way is a robot willing to endlessly chant the right spell. Found one scheduled for demolition and made him the deal of keeping him active if he kept the chant running in the background of his programming. Then when all these upgrades became available, he became my vessel. Nice guy, if a bit loopy."

"Fits you perfectly," CiCi replied. "So...are you acting on your father's orders, then?"

"Fuck them!" Hasta spat out. "This world is far too interesting to just wipe it out. But don't think I'm on your side either." He floated up to the ceiling. "Go ahead and take the Orbiter Engine. I'm just going to enjoy watching the chaos unfold. Let's see what tricks she had up her lab coat sleeves." With that, Hasta vanished.

Frowning, CiCi moved forward to collect the Orbiter Engine, unsurprised to find a weapon chip for Axle's special weapon atop it. She couldn't help but wonder what he had planned. She wasn't about to take his word for it that he just wanted to watch.

Still, she was on a time clock. She could always come back and grill him - figuratively or otherwise - later.

5: Last Hope

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Before long, everyone had returned with the parts for the shuttle. X, Colonel, and CiCi were quite surprised to see Zero return with Dark Dizzy in tow as well, and even more so when the Maverick immediately reported to Lifesaver's lab, requesting service and decontamination "as ordered, Squeak!" However, other matters were of higher priority, and Dark Dizzy was stowed away in a stasis capsule until his situation could be properly investigated, while Lifesaver saw to properly servicing everyone else.

Once he'd taken care of X and Colonel, he turned to Zero...only to pause. "Iris, I can't service him properly with you hanging onto him like that," he growled out.

"Don't care," Iris replied, clinging to Zero like a lifeline. "Not letting go of him again..."

"Iris..." Zero replied softly, gently stroking her hair. "You're going to have to. Once I'm properly serviced, I'm the only one who can fly the shuttle to the colony. We don't have time to find anyone else, or repair the auto-pilot."

"B-but..." Iris whimpered, lifting her head to stare into his eyes, tears filling her own.

Leaning forward, Zero gently kissed her tears away before kissing her on the lips. "I promise, I'll come back," he whispered. "After all...I have too much to live for."

Managing a shaky smile, Iris stepped back to allow Lifesaver to work on him...only for Octavia to leap up and cling to his chest.

"Oh, come on!" Lifesaver complained angrily even as everyone else in the med lab burst into laughter.

"What?" Octavia asked, her voice perturbed. "I need Uncle Zero hugs, too!"

Struggling to hold back his laughter, Zero hugged Octavia close before gently prying her off and putting her in X's arms. He then stepped over to let Lifesaver look over him.

Signas stared down at the report Lifesaver had given him on Zero's systems. "Is this accurate?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm afraid so," Lifesaver replied. "Zero has not only been absorbing the Viral energy he encounters, but it's causing his systems to rewire themselves, enhancing some functions, negating others... The biggest concern is that extra power core inside of him that's been inactive for so long. It's...activating, and causing unusual signals inside his positronic matrix. And...I've detected alterations in his RDNA sequence as well. Whatever's happening to him as a result of the Viral Energy...it's changing him at a fundamental level, and we have no idea into what."

Signas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "In all likelihood, the virus energy of the colony will affect him similarly?"

"I'd say that's a safe bet," Lifesaver began, "but safe is the last thing it is if it's true. We have no idea what might happen to Zero...or if he'll even still be Zero when it's done..."

Signas sighed softly. "We need to tell him before we send him up-"

"He already knows."

Signas' head shot up. "What?"

"He seems to know more about what's happening to him then I do," Lifesaver explained. "He seems...resigned. And...after he left the lab, he immediately went to X, Iris, and Octavia. He seems determined to spend the rest of the time until the shuttle's ready for him with the three of them. It's almost as though...he fears it's the last chance he'll have."

Signas sighed as he lowered his head. "It's one thing to send him up when there's a chance he might die due to mechanical failure or a mistake...but to know there's a chance that, even if he survives, he might be lost? ...how do I still make that decision?"

Reaching into his satchel, Lifesaver handed over a datapad. "He asked me to give you this," Lifesaver offered quietly. "And to read it to everyone if he doesn't come back...or if he's not him when he returns."

Signas took one look at the header for the data file on the pad and buried his face in his hands. "...god speed, Zero...god speed..."

The time had finally come. The shuttle was completed, and ready for launch. Everything that could be done to upgrade it had been done, and every available system was focused on making sure the launch went off without a hitch. Gate had made a trip to HQ, at great personal risk through one of the most highly infected areas of the city, to add his own innovations to the shuttle on the off chance it might make the difference. All that was left was to launch...and pray.

Zero carefully strapped himself into the pilot's seat, taking hold of the controls. "I'm ready," he called out through the comms. "We can launch at any time."

"Make sure you come back in one piece, Zero!" X called out. "I don't want to have to find someone to rebuild you again."

"Don't worry X!" Zero replied with a smile. "I'm not planning on losing any pieces this time."

"We've got your course locked in," Alia announced. "We're ready to launch on this end."

"Thanks, Alia!" Zero answered. "Good to know I've got directions I can rely on."

"I'm not worried too much about you, Zero!" Colonel called out. "You'll be back, even if I have to charge into the afterlife and drag you back by your ponytail! You're not leaving my sister alone on my watch!"

Zero couldn't stop himself from laughing. "I'll be counting on it, Colonel!"

"I'll have a new composition for you to hear when you return!" Octavia called out.

"Looking forward to hearing it, Tavi."

"Zero!" Iris pleaded, holding back her tears. "Come back to me!"

Zero smiled softly. "I love you, Iris," he replied softly.

"Launch in 5..." Signas began. "4...3...2...1..."

"Launch!" Zero called out as the engines erupted.

Across the world, Prometheus looked up from his position at the top of an old lab, half buried in stone after nearly 200 years. He stared up, his scarf blowing in the wind and playing a familiar tune, shimmering in the air as the wind that wasn't there played through the embedded circuits. His eyes lifted as he watched the shuttle rise into the air. "Here's hoping you knew what you were doing all this time..." he whispered, gently running his fingers over where the scarf was wrapped around his neck. "I've waited two centuries for this..."

A tear rolled down his cheek. "Bro...are you seeing this, too? Is this world...the one you died for?"

In the ruins of Sky Lagoon, Dynamo wandered through the halls of an ancient building that had somehow survived, a place he'd once called home. "And as it all comes to an end...it's only natural I come back to where it all began..." Leaning against a wall, he stared up in the sky as the light of the shuttle's engines illuminated a fated moment. "It's about to come to a head...did I do everything right?"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a bone shaped data-cube. Balancing it on one finger, he watched as the images stored within played as it bobbed back and forth, memories from long ago, of everything that was lost. "Was it all worth it? I don't know...that's why I let the other guy take care of things..."

Sighing, he lifted his face, one eye glowing bright blue. "Dunk 'em, blondie..."

As Zero guided the shuttle past the debris field, he once again felt the strong pull. "Wha...not now..." He clenched his teeth as he saw the blue light surrounding the colony, felt it beckoning him in. "Fine...you want me? Here I come!" With that, he gunned the engine. "I...am...ZERO!"

His final cry was swallowed by the darkness...and his world was engulfed in light.

5: Secrets of the Past

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Zero found himself floating in a field of white flame. There was neither heat nor cold, neither light nor dark, only whiteness. As he floated there, he felt power beginning to flow into him. He wasn't sure what was happening, but system messages began to appear.

J-Energy reserves replenished.
Engaging Binary Core.
Ether generation commencing.
Project Revelation codes accepted. Accessing main Lunar databanks.
Viral control programs activated. Beginning final debriefing.

Two holographic images appeared in front of him, one surrounded by a violet aura, one surrounded by a blue aura. Both were images he recognized. The first in the violet light was the hologram that had given him Timbre. The second was the unicorn hologram that had given Tavi the Classic Adapter. Both looked at him with warm smiles, and he somehow realized he knew both of them.

"Well," the old man spoke up, "we certainly didn't expect it to go this way."

"But we were prepared for it," the unicorn confirmed. "So...you probably have some questions for us. Go ahead, ask away."

Finding his voice reactivated, Zero yelled out the first question to come to mind. "Who the fuck are you two?"

The old man started grumbling, even as the unicorn fell over on her back in peals of laughter. "Pay up!" the unicorn snapped, holding out a hoof.

Grumbling, the old man transferred some data before speaking. "We are holographic reconstructions based off the physical appearance and psychic impressions of your creators, much like the Light hologram is to X in his capsules. Our purpose was to act as the control programs for your binary power cores that would let you tap Ether, as you were originally designed to do. For convenience, you may refer to us by the names of those we were based off of: Albert and Vinyl Scratch Wily. I am certain I don't need to tell you who is who."

"Ether?" Zero asked again.

"Two alien sources of energy made their way to Earth during the 21st century," Vinyl explained. "They were known as Justice and Evil Energy. Both fed off the emotions of those who wielded them, polarizing them in the process as it amplified the emotions it fed on and suppressed all others. The end result was that Justice Energy users became Lawful Stupid Crusaders, and Evil Energy users became Chaotic Evil Berserkers. The energies negated each other when wielded against each other, but shared a fundamental wavelength. Quite accidentally, it was discovered that if they were wielded together in a binary process - with two separate neural directives guiding the energies to work together - they would become Ether, a purified energy source massively more powerful than either individually. Your final form was designed from the ground up to utilize that function. I was the control program for your J-Core, while Albert here was the control program for your E-Core."

"So that's where the Virus came from," Zero murmured softly. "Evil Energy sounds a lot like what the Maverick Virus does to Reploids-"

"Precisely," Albert interrupted. "An imperfect copy of my primary program, combined with the Evil Energy I was created to control and the initial tech Sigma used to make other Reploids obey him, resulted in the creation of the behavior altering energy known as the Maverick Virus."

"Why did that even happen?" Zero demanded angrily. "Didn't you have safeguards against it getting loose?"

"We did," Albert replied. "However, it was considered a higher priority that you not become a puppet to either energy before you were able to control ether."

"Why?" Zero cried out despairingly. "What is so important about me that it's worth sacrificing so many innocent lives?"

Both programs were silent for a time. Eventually, Vinyl spoke up. "You are The Judge."

"...what?"

"In the time of the ones we are based off of, humanity was always at war," Vinyl explained. "The war did not always involve weapons, but it always caused suffering. And it was those who did not want to fight that suffered the most from it...and those with no choice that lost their souls to the struggle. Humans, robots...it didn't matter. The one I was created from decided that the only way the world could be united to bring an end to that suffering...was if there was a single being who did not want that suffering to continue, who had within them the power to wipe all life from the planet. You are The Judge...you are The Moment. The Ultimate Destroyer...with a conscience."

"What?"

"It is your purpose," Albert explained. "Each day, you will have a choice. You will look upon the world and ask yourself, are they still worth saving? And then you will decide...to save, or to destroy. That decision will always be wholly yours. And when the world sees the vastness of your power, and learns that it has no limits...they will know what it means to be at the mercy of a man-made god."

Zero stared in stunned amazement. "But...X..."

"Was built by Dr. Light to, in essence, serve the opposite purpose," Vinyl explained. "He was meant to fully bridge the gap between human and robotic life, to be the ambassador that brings peace. His power, too, is limitless, though he does not have Ether as you do. Instead, he was designed to be endlessly self-upgrading, so that no matter how powerful the world around him became, he would always be greater than that...and strong enough to match you. If you are The Judge...he is The Advocate."

Zero turned in the Ether, staring down at the world far below now that he could see it as more of the energy surrounding him funneled into his body. "Then...my destiny...?"

"Is to make your own," Albert explained. "That was our decision for you."

"When I first built you, you were called Doc Robot," Vinyl explained. "I made you to make my father proud of me. Then I rebuilt you as Secret, to be my final weapon to save my father. Then you were The Robot Formerly Known As Secret, as I debated what your final purpose should be. And then we built you as you are...and gave you no name. Your name, like your destiny, was one we wanted you to choose for yourself."

"...what went wrong?" Zero asked. "Why did the energy get loose?"

"...that was my fault," Vinyl continued. "And by that, I mean me, not your creator who I'm based on. When Tavi appeared, I felt...compelled to act to protect her. Dr. Light placed her in stasis with X...and I added a protocol in X's programming that would make him want to take care of her. I also added it to yours as part of your fundamental nature. But...in doing so, the timing circuit of your stasis capsule was altered, and the release program suffered a fatal error." She lowered her head. "I am sorry..."

Zero closed his eyes as he thought this over. "And since you're a part of me...it's my job to fix it." He gazed down at the world below. "I have a lot to make up for."

"Good luck," Vinyl and Albert said together as they vanished, all the energy being absorbed into Zero.

"W...what is that?" X gasped out as he stared up at the screen and the single shining white dot where the colony had been.

"I...I don't know!" Alia called out, running her hands over her console as she desperately tried to analyze the data. "Whatever it is, it's absorbed all the viral energy from the colony...and now it's sucking up all the viral energy coating the planet!" Changing the focus, she zoomed in closer to the planet where streams of violet could be seen being dragged out of the atmosphere and into the new star, shining brighter than the sun and pure as new-fallen snow.

"What about Uncle Zero?" Octavia called out. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I don't know!" Iris whimpered from her console. "That new light...the energy signature it's giving off matches Zero's...but at an order of magnitude beyond anything I've ever seen!"

"It's descending!" Colonel shouted out as the star began streaking towards the planet.

"I'm tracking the course..." Alia began. "...it's coming down at point 11F5646!"

"Get me out there!" X shouted out, donning his Falcon Armor.

"On it, X!" Alia called out as she programmed the teleporter. "Be careful!"

As X warped into the scene, the air around him seemed to shatter as the heavens shook to the sound of a massive power chord. The white star shot down to Earth, coming to a halt right in front of him...and the light faded.

A white armored reploid stood there, surrounded in a corona of white flame. The armor had gold highlights, and the power cores shone a brilliant green in the chest plate. Blue and white hair cascaded from the back of the helm in a familiar ponytail, blowing in wind of its own creation. Familiar green eyes opened, followed by a wide smile.

"Nice timing, X. We've got work to do."

X grinned widely, rushing up to his friend. "Welcome back, Zero!" he proclaimed warmly as they clenched their hands together between their faces.

5: The Final Stretch

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"Zero, what hap-"

"We can talk later, X," Zero interrupted him. "Even though I'm designed to do this, the materials to fully handle this energy simply don't exist yet. I can keep up this output for a while, but not permanently. Let's go get Sigma before I have to shut the system down."

X nodded. "Alright, but I'm not the only one who wants answers when we're done." With that said, he leapt ahead with Zero down a path where the only remaining Viral signature came from.

"...alright," Zero replied. "But you're the only one getting all the answers. Most aren't ones I want spread too far."

X watched his friend carefully as they progressed, confused about his behavior, but willing to accept it for the moment. Besides, just seeing the level of damage he could do in this state as he literally tore through any Mechanaloid they came across as they made their way through the cave system was awe inspiring and terrifying in equal parts.

As they reached the first sectioned off chamber, a swarm of black blobs flew at them from behind, and each of them dodged around the blobs as they fused together into a massive sphere with arms, legs, and a single red eye. "A black devil, huh?" Zero murmured.

"You know how to handle this thing?" X asked.

Lunging forward, Zero drew his saber and split the eye - the control core - down the middle, the energy blade humming with a 'Bzowowown' sound as it swept through effortlessly. "Yup," he replied simply as the entire construct began to explode. He then paused. "...huh."

"What?" X asked curiously.

"I just get the feeling that someone, somewhere, is going to get really angry after seeing that," Zero replied as they moved into the next tunnel.

"Sigma, you mean?" X asked curiously.

"...maybe."

The next sequence of tunnels proved just as easy to maneuver. As they moved, X scratched his chin. "I get the feeling something was supposed to happen to change things here," he murmured softly.

"If the Viral Energies had combined down here instead of up in space, it would have caused a momentary rift in space-time that would have massively warped the space in these tunnels," Zero pointed out. "Maybe Sigma was counting on that."

"Then he's not going to be happy that it didn't, is he?" X clarified.

"Probably," Zero agreed.

"There's also something about these tunnels that seems...familiar," X pointed out.

"Really?" Zero asked as they reached another sealed off chamber. "Doesn't seem that way to me."

At that moment, a machine in the background whirred back to life, now very familiar. Two eyes and a nose module, varying in color.

"That's one of the guardian mechanaloids from Sigma's Fortress!" X called out. "It's even got his symbol on it!"

"Then this is where the floating fortress finally wound up after it crashed?" Zero asked in surprise. "I thought it landed in the ocean?"

"It did, but we're on an island that recently built up out of the sea," X pointed out as the pair leapt around, tearing the old mechanaloid apart. "Probably brought up specifically by Sigma for this."

"And he was expecting these things to get a power boost, too," Zero murmured as the machine exploded, clearing a new path. "Guess it's smooth sailing for us from here."

As the pair continued down a spike filled path, X paused as his sensors went off near a deep pit. "Wait..." he murmured softly.

"A Light capsule?" Zero asked. "Go ahead. I'll wait."

Nodding, X leapt down, finding the tunnel in the side of the wall to one last capsule. As he approached, it opened, revealing the Light hologram.

"I never expected you to find this capsule," Dr. Light began. "The fact that it has activated means that the materials now exist to let the design contained within function for you, and that Zero has awakened to his true design potential." As X started to ask, Light held up a hand. "He will tell you. However, if he is to fulfill his purpose, you must fulfill yours, the one the world has made necessary for both of you. This armor will unlock your full potential, and allow you to match him at his strongest, if only for a time. It is my hope that you two need never fight each other...but it is important that you have this ability. Step into this capsule, X, and awaken." With that, the hologram vanished.

Confused, X stepped into the capsule. Light flared over him as his Falcon Armor was sent back to HQ, and a new armor took shape around him. The metal plates were dark blue, with a violet underbody. Gold highlights marked the helmet, buster, belt, and boots. He could feel all his power cores inside his structure - even the ones he didn't know about - activating, and data readouts appeared in his mind.

Ultimate Armor online.
Buster energy output maxed.
Sub-weapon energy efficiency maxed. Regular shots no longer decrease energy stores.
Giga Attack energy maxed. Can be used unlimited times.
Defensive energy maxed. Damage reduction 99.9%
All systems online.
Condition: GREEN!

X stared at himself, amazed. "Whoa..."

"You done yet, X?" Zero called as he dropped in. "It shouldn't take that long to download a pro-whoa!" Zero grinned widely as he caught sight of X's new armor. "Very nice! Light sure knew what he was doing."

"Heh, yeah..." X replied. "Let's get moving, then. Need to deal with Sigma still, right?"

Grinning, Zero led the way forward, X trailing after him.

5: The Final Battle

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X and Zero continued together along the final path to the core of the ancient base. While a few mechanaloids patrolled the halls, the biggest obstacle was spike-lined walls that made it next to impossible to backtrack, yet provided little to no obstacle in the way of moving forward. At last, the path took a final dip into a chamber with eight teleport pads.

"Well, this is familiar," Zero joked morosely. "So we'll be facing image duplicates of those we all had to..." He decided to not say anymore.

"...no," X stated firmly.

"No?" Zero asked, surprised.

"Each of them...they gave up their lives for this world, and for the people they saved..." X growled out, energy gathering within him. "I will not fight their shades again for Sigma's entertainment!" Leaping down, he placed himself in line with the warp pads. "I WILL NOT HAVE-" he shouted as he unleashed the Nova Strike, turning into a blazing meteor as he smashed through the warp pads on one side, destroying all four of them. "-THEIR MEMORY-" he continued as he dashed back to the center. "-DESECRATED!" With that last shout, another Nova Strike smashed the remaining four warp pads to smithereens.

Zero stared at the wreckage in stunned amazement. "Not that I don't agree with the sentiment, X, but remind me not to piss you off." And here I thought I was the one made to put the fear of a man-made god into the living, he added silently to himself. Then again, he is supposed to be my equal...

X stopped as he caught his breath. "No worries there, Zero," he replied easily. "Saving that for Sigma." As he spoke, a ninth warp pad - gold as compared to the other eight pads' former purple - appeared in the middle of the room. "Looks like he's waiting for us."

"Then let's not keep him waiting long," Zero proclaimed eagerly as they leapt together onto the warp pad.

The warp pad took them to another twisting corridor with automated obstacles they were easily able to smash their way through, using only X's charged plasma blasts and Zero's saber. The last obstacle proved to be a wide pit with a series of disappearing blocks across it. Zero easily crossed over the blocks. X instead decided to put extra energy into his Giga Dash Nova Strike and flew across the wide gap. Once at the other end, they passed through a final door.

Behind the door, Sigma awaited them, his feathered cape flaring around his body as he settled to the ground. He stared between X and Zero, frowning as he saw the sheer power at their command. "This...this cannot be!" he growled out. "This is not what I was told!"

"You were told wrong," Zero replied simply. "You were manipulated specifically to arrange my full restoration. From the day you accepted the guidance of the virus, you were a puppet-"

"No!" Sigma snapped out angrily. "I refuse to accept that! I am no one's puppet! I will show you exactly what I am made of, what I was put on this world to do!" With a roar, he lunged forward.

To X's surprise, Sigma followed a very similar attack pattern to that which he'd used when they'd first fought, dashing back and forth across the room before striking physically or launching spheres of electrical energy. He continued this strategy as X and Zero attacked him from both sides with their busters, wearing him down as they took his measure.

After he'd taken a good amount of damage, he changed tactics, and began warping around the chamber before launching waves of energy at the pair. X dealt with this by Giga Dashing through the energy before shooting or just bodily slamming into Sigma in the Giga Dash. Zero used his saber to slice through the energy wave before firing his buster's blasts.

As his health began to run low, he tried generating his Viral Clouds to protect him, but as soon as the clouds appeared, Zero lifted his hand and sucked the Viral energy into himself, draining a good portion of Sigma's energy in the process. As a result, it was at that point a well timed Giga Dash smashed through Sigma's body, setting it to explode.

The lights immediately went out in the room. "NO!" Sigma roared as his expected secondary battle body came online. "I refuse to be destroyed by you antiques! You are nothing compared to me, nothing! I will be the one to rule this miserable planet! I am the GOD of Reploids!" As he finished speaking, his Battle Body was revealed, a massive blue construction that rose up from one side of the room, reaching with two massive arms towards the pair.

"Then it will be fun killing a God," Zero murmured as he stepped forward. "X, step back. I've got this one."

X looked at his friend, confused, but backed off as instructed.

"Taking turns?" Sigma demanded, roaring with laughter. "This insult will be your last mistake!" The two massive hands reached forward to crush Zero, only to be pushed back by the sheer pressure of the energy he focused into his body as his Ether Aura flared again. "W-what?"

"There was only one mistake here," Zero explained simply as he stepped forward, energy focusing into his buster. "And though I did not make it, the onus of it rests on me. A program meant to serve as part of my systems made a mistake, and all that has happened in this world since is a direct result of that mistake...especially what happened to you, Sigma." He looked up at him. "You were a good Commander once...though it seems that part of you is long lost. I'm sorry that, in my backup state, I treated that, your last fight as yourself, as some cruel joke."

"W-what?" Sigma snapped back angrily. "You think I care about that at all? You think an apology will make a difference here?"

"No, I really don't," Zero answered softly. "To be perfectly honest, nothing can fix what's gone wrong. But not trying would be a far worse wrong. And some things can be corrected." He lifted his buster, pointing it straight at Sigma's massive head. "To start, I can remove the flawed shade of a once great man, before working to rebuild the world."

Sigma laughed again, though there was a tinge of hysterics to the laughter. "You...you think it so simple to kill a God?"

Zero sighed sadly as square focusing panels slid out of his buster as the charge reached full. "Sigma...drop it."

The blast went off, the final form of the Bass Cannon ripping through air and metal with the sound of millions of steel guitars being strummed all at once. The blue white light was the last thing Sigma saw, and the tearing of the air the last thing he heard. The blast continued far beyond Sigma, stretching out in a lance of sound and light that broke the atmosphere and shot into space, not carving an image into the moon only because that celestial body was on the other side of the planet at the time.

Zero sighed as he lowered his buster, the focusing panels sliding back into his arm. "I hope I never have to fire that again," he said to himself as he read the message informing him that his structure had reached its limit of Ether channeling, and would soon revert to his Bassnium power core and the connected settings. Looking up, he saw X hiding behind one of Sigma's defunct arms. "Come on, X!" Zero complained. "Your Ultimate Armor's one of the only things that can handle the Sonic Disruption of my Bass Cannon. Why the heck are you hiding?"

"Not hiding!" X called out unconvincingly. "I was...preparing a sneak attack in case you needed to tag me in!"

Zero chuckled, shaking his head. "Whatever you say, X. Let's get back. The girls are waiting for us."

Chuckling somewhat nervously, X joined Zero in the center of the room. "HQ, two to beam home."

The pair teleported out, with nothing to stop them.

5: Aftermath

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Once back at the HQ, X was rather unsurprised to see Zero almost immediately knocked to the floor as Iris, Octavia, and Timbre tackled him to show just how glad they were to have him back in one piece. He was surprised to see that Zero's armor had reverted to its previous red coloration upon arrival, and his hair back to golden. Then again, given X could no longer feel the power that had been emanating from him before, it was highly likely that his systems simply couldn't function at that level indefinitely, much as Zero himself had said, and had reverted to - amongst other things - self-repair from the strain.

The thing that caught X truly off guard was the sight of Varia having taken on a configuration that mimicked the Ultimate Armor, and showing ever sign of being fully functional. He stepped back to let the others welcome Zero back in one piece and turned to Alia. "So...Varia's change...?"

"Fully functional," Alia confirmed, showing him the scans. "In this setup, Special Weapons don't reduce energy reserves unless charged, normal shots are always fully charged and can be fired rapidly without buster overheat, defensive energy is maximized, though less than what your systems seem to manage now. The two biggest differences have to do with how the new systems channel her magical energy, and how her Giga Dash Nova Strike works."

"Alright," X allowed, listening carefully. "Go ahead and tell me the differences, then."

"First off, there's the new protuberances in the armor," Alia explained, gesturing to how instead of a forehead focusing crystal, a horn rose from the center of Octavia's helmet. In addition, she had metallic wings instead of back jets like X did. "She can now project her magical energy through the...horn...for various effects, though we're still figuring out how to make use of those systems. The wings are easy, giving her full flight, although still slow and reliant on the hoof-jets for thrust."

"I...see," X allowed. "And...her Giga Dash?"

"Slightly weaker than your own, but one charge will keep it going until she hits something she can't destroy with the dash, and she can change its direction in mid-flight, up to a 90-degree turn," Alia detailed. "Also unlike yours, she can only trigger it from a standing start. From the looks of the scans, this is a result of how her magic interfaces with the systems."

"Which is why I can't do that," X concluded. "Still, talk about impressive..."

"So what happened to you up there, Zero?" Colonel asked as Iris and Octavia finally allowed the S-Rank Hunter to get to his feet. "The shuttle exploded, and next thing we know your power levels are shooting off the scale and all the Viral Energy from the planet is being drained out of the atmosphere."

"I believe we'd all like to know about that," Signas intoned seriously. "It's not exactly something we can deduce, or ignore."

Zero nodded in understanding. "Alright, I'll tell you all what I know about it. I suppose it begins with the concept of military deterrence, of making war too costly to the other side to make it desirable. And...I am meant to be the ultimate deterrence..."

In a sealed chamber below the destroyed wreckage of Sigma's Battle Body, computer systems performed the function they were designed for. The program had not been contained in the giant head, but down in the core of the machine, and it was now being transferred back into a vessel that - more than any other - was designed to contain it.

The design of the body contained in the capsule below was familiar, as the same basic design had been the basis for every initial body Sigma had used against X and Zero since the beginning. One major difference was very noticeable if one looked close, however. In almost every encounter, Sigma's face had the purple lines below his eyes painted on, signifying the scars X had gouged into his face during their first fight, as he sought to protect Octavia. On the face of this body, however, the scars were dug into the synthoflesh, exactly as they had been the day they'd been left there.

It had taken a lot of effort on Sigma's part to restore his original body to full functionality, and even more so to upgrade it with all available tech in order to ensure it would be able to match the most powerful of the Maverick Hunters if he was forced to withdraw to it. But as he sat up from the capsule and flexed his limbs, he knew it was not enough. He no longer had his Virus to preserve his program should he lose a body. If this body was destroyed, he would be no more. He could not be reckless as he had been, if he sought to complete his quest...to raise himself as the God of Reploids, and achieve total domination over the world.

This desire had not been born of his infection. True, it had been unleashed by it, but as a Commander unit, his primary mission had always been the completion of whatever mission he was given while preserving those under his command to the best of his abilities. At first, sending in Reploids to save humans had made sense, since Reploids could naturally be made far more durable than humans. But with each comrade to fall, he had become bitter. Why should they die for humans?

And now, post the virus, he knew to his core that it need not be that way. X, Zero, and the others were blinded by the idea of humans and Reploids becoming equals...but Sigma knew better. So long as there were humans and Reploids, they would never be equal. Humanity's own history showed that 'separate but equal' was a sham, a cruel deception to allow those who thought themselves greater to convince themselves that those who were 'lesser' were not truly being mistreated. He would not let that state continue.

And the Virus and his own program had shown him something else. Those blinded by a dream could not be dissuaded from it...and so he would not try. Those who would fight under his banner - willingly or otherwise - would thrive when he created a world only for Reploids. All others would perish.

And the technology built into his Commander unit brain had been all but forgotten. Any Reploid brain, he could still effect, altering how they processed data. However, he would have to be more judicious with its use now. Not only were there those immune to those effects, there were those he was unaware of that had some other objective he knew nothing of. There was no telling what that Dynamo character was truly up to, or the 'scientist' who had helped him prepare the virus bombs for the colony.

He would be careful, never endangering his true body. He would work through agents and doppelgangers, finding ways to conceal even his continued existence until the right moment appeared to strike. And when it did...

...then the world would bow before its true god, and blasphemers would know despair.

Rebuilding

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X and Zero sat together with Signas as they went over the reports of the aftermath of the latest incident, making a careful check over everything that had happened. "Fortunately," Signas finally spoke up once all the damage had been gone through, "most of the damage of this last event was collateral. It will be incredibly expensive to repair and rebuild from this, and will likely take years to accomplish, we will be able to recover fully."

"And what of the casualties?" X asked softly. "Surely we weren't so lucky there. That would be unbelievable."

"Actually, we appear to have lucked out there, somewhat," Signas explained. "Human casualties total less than 50, and in all cases it was a result of the humans in question simply not being physically capable enough to survive the strain of the evacuation. Protocols for incidents of this level were well thought out and served their purpose excellently. And the Reploids built by Gate proved especially helpful in dealing with the situation due to their higher resistance to Viral infection."

X let out a sigh of relief as he sat back. "Well, that's good news."

"And Reploid casualties?" Zero spoke up, looking rather sorrowful.

"Unfortunately, we didn't fare as well there," Signas admitted. "Somewhat in excess of 1000 Reploids are confirmed deceased as a result of these events, with nearly twice that many still unaccounted for. Search parties have already been dispatched in the areas where the missing were last seen, but..." He shrugged his shoulders. "Hope's not high in regard to that."

"Considering the size of the incident, those are frighteningly low casualty numbers," X spoke up. "While each loss is painful...it could have so easily been so much worse."

"Indeed," Signas confirmed. "My initial estimates of what casualties from this incident would be numbered easily half the human race and three quarters of all active Reploids. Even 'doing our job right' doesn't account for all of that. It almost seems like, somewhere, a god was watching over us."

Zero shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah..."

"We have many names to remember," X murmured softly. "Skiver, Duff McWhalen, Izzy Glow, Grizzly Slash..." He sighed, hanging his head. "So many heroes lost, both the big stories and the small ones..."

"We can't turn back time, X," Zero offered sadly. "No matter what we do, those we've lost can't come back."

"...actually..." Signas began cautiously.

X and Zero's heads snapped up quickly. "Signas...what do you know?" X demanded intensely.

"It's a message I received from Gate," Signas explained. "He's long been doing research into the science behind RDNA as part of an ongoing project that he's been working on since he completed his education and study of Dr. Light's works. Everything he's created since have been offshoots of that initial project. And...he thinks he may have discovered something...unique."

"Go on..." Zero offered, his eyes narrowing.

"RDNA is used by Reploids to let their auto-repair systems fix any damage to their bodies, as well as define how all their systems work," Signas explained. "Gate's work has been in, for lack of a better explanation, mapping the Reploid Genome. Analyzing how it works, its relation to human DNA, how it replicates itself, how Hunter Variable Weapon Systems create subweapons, how the end result can occasionally create code mutations whether Virus related or not..." Signas drummed his fingers as he thought over how best to explain this next part. "He believes that, if the circumstances are right...having the proper RDNA codes available can also be used to raise the dead."

In the silence following that statement, one could easily hear a pin drop. Eventually, X spoke up. "It wouldn't work," he stated simply. "You might be able to recreate the body, but the mind, the soul...that would be gone. All you'd be left with is a pale echo. What purpose could that possibly serve?"

"Actually...Gate thinks Zero might be the key to clearing that hurdle," Signas clarified.

"How, exactly?" Zero demanded, his voice somewhere between cautious and hopeful.

"Of all things, the Virus," Signas continued. "Apparently, part of what the Virus does when it infects a Reploid is consume the core persona. And since so much of the behavior of the Virus can't be explained by normal science, he believes part of its nature to be spiritual. As such...he'd like you to help him with this experiment, Zero. He believes that when you absorbed all the Viral Energy from the planet, you also absorbed the Virus that had infected - amongst others - Izzy Glow, Grizzly Slash, Duff McWhalen, and Skiver. We know you absorbed Duff McWhalen's Virus for sure, from your own account of events. And the RDNA of those four is available for experiments."

"So...Gate wants to find out if their minds - their souls - are also inside me?" Zero clarified. "And...try to transfer them into new copies of their bodies?"

"That's correct," Signas explained. "He admits that this idea is based less in science and more in speculation, theory, and plain faith. However..."

"Tell me when he needs me," Zero stated flatly, getting to his feet. "I'll see what I can do about getting ready."

"Are you sure, Zero?" X asked worriedly. "There's...there's no telling what the results of this will be."

Zero shrugged his shoulders. "They didn't deserve to die the way they did. If we can get those heroes back, if there's even a chance...I have to try."

X sighed softly. He'd seen this starting back when Zero had apologized to Sigma, and it just kept going. Now that Zero knew the truth of his origins and why he was built, he felt personally responsible for everything that had happened in the 'Maverick Wars', and seemed determined to do whatever he could to fix the damage that had been done, any way he could. "Just...don't get your hopes up too much," X cautioned.

"And here I thought you were the optimist of the pair of us?" Zero teased, smirking.

Heroes' Rewards

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X, Alia, Zero, Iris, and Octavia sat together on a blanket spread in a grassy field, enjoying a picnic together. Admittedly, in order for it to be the private affair the group wanted, they were having the picnic in a simulated field in the Training Simulator, rather than a public park or anything similar. Still, after the intense events of the past week - so much had happened, it was hard to believe it had only been that long - any respite was a welcome one.

Zero had his own wonderful news he'd shared with all of them as soon as they'd settled in. The first Reploid Gate had attempted to resurrect with Zero's help - Duff McWhalen - had been resurrected in a complete success. The extraction of neural and spiritual pattern from within Zero had occurred without a hitch, and the reproduced body proved exactly what was needed, accepting the imprint perfectly. Not only that, Duff's first words upon full reactivation proved it was a true resurrection. He'd opened his eyes, looked at Zero, and asked, "Didn't you just kill me?"

Octavia still found it rather amusing that such a question - which would have been considered a bad thing in any other circumstance - was greeted with such enthusiasm. She couldn't help but imagine Duff's face when the response he got was Zero and Gate promptly toasting success with a cold one.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Gate would be continuing to explore Zero's coding to see if the other Reploids' psyches were also stored, and if so transfer them into new bodies. This news was greeted warmly by X, Alia, and Octavia...though Iris teased Zero a bit about one of them - Grizzly Slash - being one of her exes that might decide to test if Zero was 'worthy' of her. Zero, being Zero, had welcomed the challenge, claiming it excited him. Iris had playfully covered his mouth before he could say anymore.

As the group sat together, Iris' communicator beeped. Sighing, she activated it and held it to her ear. "Yes, what is it?" she asked ruefully, rolling her eyes. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Really? Go ahead and send him up." She quickly deactivated her communicator. "Zero, a Repliforce Liaison Officer is here to see you."

"Liaison Officer?" Zero asked, confused. "I thought you were our Repliforce Liaison."

"Not exactly," Iris explained. "Any member of Repliforce can serve as a Liaison with other branches of the military, but the Liaison Branch is specifically for handling interactions at large between Repliforce and other aspects of the government. It's their job to handle matters of public relations and the legal loopholes involved in fielding a Reploid military force."

"So...somewhere between press agents and JAG officers?" X clarified.

"Something like that, but much more important," Iris confirmed. "Part of their job is sounding out the views of the public - both human and Reploid - so as to work to change the laws in order to prevent the various frictions that cause the non-Virus related Maverick activities. They're very well trusted by humans and Reploids, and are in position to wield a great deal of political influence should they need to."

"And this one...wants to see me," Zero concluded. "Did he give you any hint as to why?"

"No, but it probably has something to do with recent events," Iris offered. "They tend to move fast when they can."

At that moment, a door opened smoothly in the apparent air of the field, allowing someone entry. The figure was tall, easily taller than Signas, and armored in the same design of green and yellow. Unlike Signas' design, however, this figure had two large sheaths of some sort hanging off his back from his shoulders, obviously holding some sort of equipment, though its exact nature wasn't visible. As he approached, he stood at firm attention, saluting. Since he remained there, Zero eventually got to his feet and returned the salute. "Zero," the figure greeted, "I'm Colonel Redips, Repliforce Liaison Officer. I'm here regarding the events of the Eurasia Incident."

Zero nodded calmly. "Alright. What is it specifically you wanted to address?"

"While most of the events of the Incident are still classified, the public has heard of two major players in these events," Redips continued. "Gate's Reploids and evac-domes managed to keep the death toll down to an almost unbelievable level, and you yourself risked life and limb to crash the shuttle into the colony, preventing it from impacting the surface, which could easily have reached ELE levels of destruction and desolation. While everyone involved in resolving the incidents will be receiving the expected commendations and awards - and likely promotions - the public learning of what you and Gate did has opened the doors for a great deal of pressure to be applied to the government in certain areas, especially in regards to Reploid Rights. Humans and Reploids alike want to see you and Gate receive a substantial reward beyond what the system is currently designed to grant. I'm here to ask what you want."

Zero stifled a snicker. "What, is this where you offer me three wishes?" he asked jokingly.

"One, actually," Redips corrected. "Gate already stated that what he wants is free reign to continue his research into RDNA without oversight. While we were unable to give him completely free reign, he was happy to accept it being fully funded with only Maverick Hunter oversight, specifically you and X. So..." Redips squared his shoulders. "What's one thing you want, more than anything else, that you can't have as the world is now? That you'd like to see the world change so you can have it?"

Zero stroked his chin in thought. While he was tempted to laugh the offer off, the firm stance Redips was taking left him actually considering it, thinking if there was anything he wanted that he couldn't have...and then seeing if there was anything on that list that might be in Redips power to grant, or arrange to be granted. Then he remembered his mention about Reploid Rights.

Reaching down, he took Iris' hand in his. "Just one thing," he said simply. "I want to get married." As Iris gasped, Zero looked Redips in the eyes. "And I don't mean just some informal agreement and a ceremony. I want it to be real." He turned to Iris with a smile, gently wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes with a fingertip.

Redips frowned thoughtfully, his eyes flickering as lines of data raced back and forth. He then smiled widely. "I think we can make that happen," he replied simply, making Octavia gasp happily.

Joyous Union

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Octavia smiled widely as she sat in the little flower filly's dress CiCi had managed to make for her, glancing back and forth between the two happy couples that stood at the altar as Varia hovered over her head, waiting for the event of their lives. To one side was her Uncle Zero, dressed in a dapper tuxedo with a radiant Iris at his side in a formal white gown. To the other side, X and Alia were dressed in outfits that were exact mirrors of Zero and Iris's.

When she'd heard the hesitance in Redips' voice when he'd spoken of 'making it happen', she'd thought that there would be a special dispensation recognizing Zero and Iris' union, or something similar. However, he'd gone further than that, using Zero's simple request and the overwhelming public pressure to 'reward' him to actually legalize Reploid marriage, along with all the protections thereof. There had been some resistance, of course, from the same groups that had been against the idea of 'artificial' life getting the same rights and protections as 'natural' life, for a wide variety of reasons from the logical to the reactionary. It had done no good, however. Redips had carefully manipulated the proceedings with a few petitions, a few false 'reactionary' protests, and a few other events that had ensured that the bill that allowed Reploids to wed passed completely unopposed.

When news of this had gotten back to HQ, Alia and Iris had immediately gone into a flurry of wedding planning, while X and Zero were left wondering what they'd gotten themselves into. Of course, each of them wanted the other for their best man, and at first argued over whose wedding should be first - X said it should be Zero's, Zero said it should be X's. Finally sick of the arguments, Signas had suggested holding a double wedding where they could act as each others' Best Man, and their brides - as they desired - act as each others' Maids of Honor. This left Octavia pulling double duty as flower filly, but she didn't mind.

The seats were filled, of course, as this was the wedding of the century, and anyone who was anyone wanted to be there. Most of the seats near the front were reserved for their fellow Maverick Hunters, with specially reserved seats for Gate and his Reploids, along with the descendants of Dr. Cain and Dr. Ciel. While the families of those two scientists had not been as involved with the Maverick Hunters as their ancestors, they were still considered 'family friends'.

There was an empty reserved seat in that front row as well, as the one it was meant for was never seen entering the chapel as all other guests filed in. However, Octavia spotted a scarf gently flowing in an absent wind from behind one of the pillars around the outer wall every so often, and knew he was here, even if he chose not to make his presence known. Up above, she also spotted the hint of black and dark blue in the rafters, showing that one particular party crasher was choosing to be circumspect.

There was no priest or judge to perform the ceremony, however. This was not because one could not be found, far from it. Instead, X and Zero had chosen who would perform the ceremony...someone who, as it turned out, had been ordained in life, and the technicalities of the law that allowed Reploid marriage meant that said honor applied to his technological echo, left behind after all this time. So it was that, as everyone finally settled in, the capsule behind the altar opened, revealing the image of Dr. Light...or, as the case was with his garb, Father Light.

"Dearly beloved," he spoke up, the image of unshed tears visible in the image of his eyes, "we are gathered here today for a most momentous occasion, one that I had hoped and prayed might happen whilst I was alive...but I can welcome now that it is happening. Though I did not live to see it, I am certain my soul is gladdened to know that it has indeed come to pass. My dear son and his best friend - one whom he loves like a brother - will now be joined to the loves of their lives in holy matrimony. And this has come to pass not just from their own efforts, but because the people of the world gathered and raised their voice in a joined outcry to proclaim, 'Let it be so!' Truly, the dreams of the past have been realized in the here and now.

"But even these dreams cannot be the end of dreaming, but just the next step. The future is forever unfolding, and these dear children have chosen to walk that path together. Surely, none here could witness how they are together and doubt their love." He paused as though to take a breath, though he lacked the need, then continued in a more subdued tone. "If there are any here who, for whatever reason, would gainsay these four the right to bind themselves in the unions they so desire-"

The sound of every weapon in the chapel - whether attached to a Reploid or handheld by Reploid or human guest - being simultaneously primed to fire interrupted the familiar question.

"Hey!" Father Light snapped out. "No weapons in this house of God! Who let you all in here with weapons? Shame on you!"

Off in one corner, Colonel whistled innocently as he avoided his sister's gaze from the altar. After a time, the sounds of weapons being disengaged heralded an easing of tension in the chapel.

"As I was saying," Father Light continued. "If there are any here who have sound reason why these two couples should not be wed, speak now..." He paused. Plainly, he wanted to continue in seriousness, but even he couldn't leave such a thing without comment. "...if you dare..." he finally settled on, startling nervous laughter around the chapel. "...or forever hold your peace," he concluded, gazing around to see if any would speak.

When none did, he continued. "X, Zero, do you take these two ladies to be your lawfully wedded wives, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, from now unto eternity?" Given that Reploids could, conceivably, live forever if not destroyed, it had been decided that this vow held more sway for them...that even if death separated them, they would remain dedicated to each other, in the hopes that in death they would somehow be reunited.

"I do," X spoke, calmly and warmly.

"I do," Zero confirmed, his eyes turning to Iris' own.

"Alia, Iris," Light continued, "do you take these two gentlemen to be your lawfully wedded husbands, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, from now unto eternity?"

"I do," Alia spoke, her voice thrumming with emotion.

"I do," Iris purred, smiling warmly up at Zero.

"Then by the power invested in me by the people of the world, the laws of the land, and by the will of God," Father Light concluded, "I pronounce you men and wives. You may now kiss the brides."

As X and Zero eagerly obeyed the directive, the cheering proved deafening. Octavia sighed warmly as she watched, feeling that at long last, things were finally going right.

The Great Change

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Some time after the dual wedding of X, Alia, Zero, and Iris, Gate stood before the World Reploid Science Committee to announce the culmination of his findings, a meeting organized specifically because he had sent forth his message that his research was finally completed and proven. Given that his message had been into RDNA and the nature of his 'side discoveries', the idea that it was complete had stirred a great deal of interest. And now he stood in his lab armor, waiting for silence so he could begin.

"People of Earth," he began, causing quite a stir for choosing that form of address rather than the more expected 'humans and Reploids'. "People of Earth," he repeated once silence returned, "I have called you here to see the culmination of the dreams of Dr. Light, upon whose work our society has been rebuilt. I know it is much to claim this, given that Dr. Light and most of his records have been long lost to our world, but I have studied everything he left behind, and two different sources of information that survived The End have confirmed my conclusions. Allow me first to explain the birth of Dr. Light's dreams."

A holo-display activated, showing a flat image of a red armored humanoid robot. "The first robot Dr. Light created with his long time friend and colleague, Dr. Wily, was known as LWN-000 Protoman, created to be the first artificial man. Much to the surprise of both scientists, Protoman quickly demonstrated that he was far beyond anything they expected and intended, and it gave Dr. Light an interesting thought: did a semblance of human form somehow allow the formation of a semblance of a human soul?"

The image changed, this time showing a set of eight humanoid robots. "Dr. Light and Dr. Wily had another project to work on, eight Robot Masters meant to help bring the world of his age towards a brighter, safer future. Following the idea Protoman's existence instilled in him, Dr. Light made the Robot Masters more personable, allowing their personalities to create themselves. And then even more unexpected things occurred.

"When six of the Robot Masters were used in a world takeover attempt, LWN-001 Rock, created to be a lab assistant, showed just how much a robot could catch its creator off guard, begging Dr. Light to redesign him to fight his brothers to protect humanity." Gate frowned. "I'm afraid information on the conflict itself is incomplete, some perhaps deliberately withheld. However, I do know that Dr. Light granted his creations request, upgrading him to become DLN-001...or as his world came to know him, the super fighting robot Mega Man.

"As Mega Man continued the struggle, Dr. Light saw the true depth of emotion and desires that even the robots of that age could achieve...and he found doubts in his heart. He felt it was wrong that a being with so much heart and soul be bound in default slavery by the Three Laws that bound all robots." Gate lowered his gaze. "Again, information is incomplete here. However, we do know now that this was the initial motivation behind his creation of DLN-002, the one we know as Mega Man X. A robot not bound by those laws, capable of making his own decisions from the moment of activation, of true free will...he became the basis for our world in this era.

"And yet still, Dr. Light's dream has not been fully realized. His dream was for robotic life to be equal to humans, that the organic and synthetic life of this world would embrace each other as brothers, that we would live as one people." A shocked murmur raced through the throng, along with a couple of outraged protests. "Yes, an amazing idea, one those in his era - and even some of ours - would find heretical. I looked into why, and discovered the one thing that those who are most vocal in opposing such equality bring up most often, their strongest point. That point being that because Reploids have no natural way to reproduce ourselves - that we can only be created in a factory - that we should be seen as second-class citizens at best, government or personal property at worst. After all, if we can't even meet the basic laws of life forms - the ability to reproduce ourselves - why should we be treated as living things?" Gate's voice showed his disdain at such an argument, and a great deal of fervor in the audience echoed that sentiment.

"And that was my purpose in studying the science of RDNA," Gate continued. "To unlock the full potential of the Reploid Genome, and find a way for Reploids to reproduce themselves without a factory. And I have succeeded!"

At that point, the entire gathered throng erupted in noise, as those of every viewpoint on the issue tried to voice their opinions all at once. It looked like the entire meeting would descend into anarchy, but one voice broke the sound. "SILENCE!"

General of Repliforce - a massive Reploid who was built to be as much tank as leader, his golden armor shimmering over a four story tall body - clapped his hands together over the echoes of his own shout, the titanic sound deafening all others. "Let us hear what he has to say!" he continued.

"Thank you, General," Gate continued. He then turned to the throng once more. "As I said, I have created a way for Reploids to reproduce themselves, modeled after the human reproductive system." The holo-screen shifted, showing an image representation of the system and all the pertinent scientific details. "Installed in any female Reploid, it will allow the creation of new RDNA code patterns to manufacture a new Reploid, utilizing the RDNA codes of the female Reploid and any male - Reploid or human - to craft the new code, using advanced science to analyze organic DNA to synthesize the proper finished construct code. As well, any female born from this process will have the system pre-built inside them. But of course, it's not enough to simply proclaim I can do this. A proof of concept is required."

As he spoke, the sound of footsteps approaching echoed from the tunnel behind him. "Allow me to introduce the one I dare to call my Masterpiece...and my daughter. The one I dare to dub LGN-003...Armatige."

At first glance, the figure that stepped out could easily be mistaken for human, so accurate was the simulation of biology and the fact that she wore clothes rather than armor. The blond haired, blue eyed female walked calmly out to stand beside the platform, smiling at everyone.

"Of course," Gate continued, "claiming this to be so isn't enough to prove it. So, allow me to introduce her family. Her husband Prometheus, formerly known as Protoman...and their three sons, Thomas, Albert, and Mikhail."

Prometheus stepped out of the halls to walk up beside Armatige, taking her hand in his as he handed over the tiny infant in his arms, which she promptly began to nurse since he began to make a fuss. Two small boys - the elder white haired, the younger with brown hair - walked sedately beside him, glancing around at their surroundings nervously.

"I am of course aware you won't just take my word for it," Gate continued. "As such, I have available for scientific review footage of each child's conception, gestation, and delivery, as well as records of their growth, made available for such purposes by Prometheus and Armatige." Gate's eyes narrowed as he noticed certain less-than-scientific gazes being directed towards Armatige. "I repeat, this material is available only for scientific review. I would also like to state that the specific upgrade module discussed today was gifted to Alia and Iris as their wedding presents from me...and now, all that is left is determining where and how it can be distributed to any and all other female Reploids who are interested in such an upgrade.

"And I now open the floor for questions."

With that, Gate sat back, knowing he'd just opened Pandora's Box, but certain that this time, the change it would bring to the world would be good.

7: Seeing Red

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Octavia sat back as she listened to the reports Signas was reading to her. To say she was bored out of her mind would be an understatement. This was not to say she was uninterested in everything in the reports about Maverick Hunter business, especially since she was the highest rank Maverick Hunter on base now that X and Zero were both off on their honeymoons. It was more that Signas somehow managed to make everything absolutely boring.

"And that concludes the report," Signas finished as he set it aside. "Do you have any questions?"

"No," Octavia replied, sighing in relief as she started to stand up. "Can I go now?"

"Once I'm certain you understood the material," Signas insisted.

"What's so hard to understand?" Octavia asked, rolling her eyes. "With Dad and Uncle Zero off the active roster while on their honeymoons, Maverick crime has been on the rise, and we've been having difficulty dealing with all of it on our own. As a result, this has increased business for Bounty Hunters, who take on Mavericks for cash rewards, or as vigilante activity. The most successful group of bounty hunters is Red Alert, led by a mysterious but capable Reploid known only as Red. While Maverick Hunter policy doesn't entirely approve of the group's vigilante behavior, their actions have shown a dramatic decrease in both collateral damage and casualties from Maverick activity, and so they've been allowed to operate without interference from us so long as they don't engage in any Maverick behavior themselves. Since all civilian reports of their activity have been positive with no complaints, there's no reason as of yet to investigate further, at least not until Dad and Uncle are back on the front lines."

Signas nodded. "Alright. I got the impression from your expression that you weren't really listening to me."

"I wasn't," Octavia replied bluntly. "I'd already read this same report this morning over my breakfast salad."

Signas sighed sadly. "I'd like it if you showed me proper respect..."

"Are you kidding?" Octavia demanded. "I respect you more than anyone by Mom, Dad, Uncle Zero, and Aunt Iris! You manage to balance data from the entire planet in such a way that you can distribute limited resources to maximum effect without pushing anyone too hard, and keep the entire Maverick Hunters organization functioning more efficiently than ever before!" As Signas managed a smile, Octavia shrugged. "You're just incredibly boring when you read reports."

Signas winced slightly. "I suppose I can see your point..."

"Alert!" CiCi's voice cut through via the intercom. "Maverick Activity on the Central Highway! Collateral damage reported Level 3! S Rank Hunter to dispatch!"

"That's me!" Octavia spoke up, leaping out of the chair as Varia sent extra energy through her circuits in preparation.

"Not using the Ultimate Armor?" Signas asked curiously.

"It's only Level 3," Octavia replied. "If I need it, I can activate it once I'm out there."

Octavia beamed into the Central Highway, the same area where she and X had pursued Vile all those years ago when Sigma had first gone Maverick. Of course, Sigma was no longer an issue, any more than the Virus that had made him so dangerous, leaving Octavia confident that she could handle anything she came across. Even so, as she stared out at the broken road from atop a large pile of debris, she couldn't help but feel nostalgic as she thought of that first adventure.

"And how you nearly threw up upon arrival?" Varia teased, being as ever in tune with Octavia's thoughts.

"I get your point," Octavia growled. "Enough wool-gathering. Let's go."

As Octavia leapt down, she saw several bee shaped dropships flying off. She wasn't sure if they were ally or enemy, but she made a mental note of them as she dashed forward, leaping over several vehicles that had been tipped on their side, blocking the road. As she went, she found Deerballs lining the road, unrolling their long legs to march towards her shooting, though she shot back too quickly for them to counter, destroying them as she dashed past.

The terrain proved even more varied then her first visit, as she was forced to climb up and down several broken bits of road before being confronted by one of the dropships. "Talk about deja vu," Octavia grumbled as she dealt with it by leaping atop it before it could activate its sensor beam and divesting it of its propeller blade, dropping it to the road. Beyond it, several more Deerballs attempted to attack her, but were quickly blasted to bits, and a second dropship was dealt with as readily as the first.

This time, the falling dropship took a section of the road with it, forcing Octavia to leap down to continue. Moving forward, she was forced to duck under various bits of wreckage as more Deerballs appeared, some with a gold and silver color scheme as opposed to blue and silver, along with a larger gun. Octavia concluded this must be a command model Deerball, though it proved as easy to destroy as the others.

A third dropship flew in with its sensor beam already active forcing Octavia to blast it into crashing rather than leaping up to cut off its propeller...though that still didn't take long. This allowed Octavia to follow a path back up to the higher level, though she had to rapidly climb a set of closing walls.

As she got back to the road, however, she heard someone behind her shouting, "Look out!" Before she could react further, someone had scooped her up in black armored arms, being carried down the road by a dashing figure.

"RRRR!" Octavia growled out as she waved her legs in frustration. "Curse my tiny body! I'm a bloody S Ranked Maverick Hunter and strangers still think I'm some helpless child! I'm almost 200 for crying out loud!"

The figure continued to dash, but pulled Octavia away to get a good look at her, consequently letting Octavia get a good look at him. He had a boyish face that was oddly familiar and yet strange, with scars running from the bridge of his nose onto his cheeks. His armor was black with red lines, slim and designed more for speed than defense, and the blue focusing crystal at his forehead was spherical rather than triangular as most were, and brown hair came out the back of his helmet in a spiky style. She also noticed that he carried two pistols, and apparently had no inbuilt weapons...a very unusual detail, as his entire build was otherwise optimized as a combat model. His green eyes lit up as a smile spread across his face as he took in Octavia's appearance.

"Oh my gosh, you're Octavia Melody!" he squealed out happily. "I never thought I'd get a chance to meet you-"

"Put me down!" Octavia snapped out angrily.

At that moment, a giant scorpion shaped mechanaloid dropped to the road, charging after them. "Uh..." the Reploid began, glancing back over his shoulder at the beast.

"Classic, merge!" Octavia barked out. Classic immediately beamed in, and the stranger Reploid dropped her as they merged.

"So cool..." he breathed excitedly. He quickly shook off the excitement. "I'm Axl!" he introduced himself. "I'll help you deal with this guy!"

"You take this side!" Octavia barked out, dashing around the mechanaloid through the air.

The mechaloid proved unable to compute a two pronged attack like this, and constantly spun to try and face first one then the other. Before long, the long curving tail exploded, followed by one of its claws, and then the entire Mechanaloid.

"That was so cool-" Axl began, only to freeze as Octavia pointed her buster at him.

"As per regulations, I need to bring you in for questioning in regards to this incident," Octavia explained flatly.

"...less cool..." Axl whimpered.

"However," Octavia began carefully, "I can already tell you don't have the weaponry to have caused damage on this scale. Also, despite running for your life from that giant mechanaloid, your first instinct was to rescue someone you thought was in danger, and had me positioned such that my entire body was shielded from fire by yours. That speaks highly of your character, especially since you didn't recognize me on sight and thus it can't be part of some plan." Octavia knew that this could be false, since the surprise recognition could have been pretend...but Axl seemed too genuine for that. And there was that familiarity... "As such, if you willingly surrender your pistols to me now, I will bring you in as a witness, rather than a suspect."

Axl immediately pulled out his pistols, disengaged their power cells, and handed it all over to Octavia. "I can't believe I'm going to get to see the inside of Maverick Hunter HQ!" he squealed out happily. "This is the best day of my life!"

Octavia rolled her eyes before lifting her hoof to her ear. "CiCi, this is Octavia. Two to return home. I have a witness."

"Understood," CiCi agreed, and the pair were beamed out.

7: Investigations

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It didn't take long for Octavia to get Axl settled into the interrogation room. Once there, she sat down to begin questioning. "Now then, what do you know about all the Mechanaloids that were running amok on the Central Highway? Between the dropships, the Deerballs, the Bomb Beens, and that giant scorpion, the entire area's taken massive damage. And despite your show of good character in thinking of my safety over yours when you thought I was in danger...you were still the only Reploid in the vicinity with any sort of armaments, and you aren't an official of any sort." She steepled her hooves as she stared at him across the table. "So...what can you tell me?"

Axl sighed ruefully. "I'm afraid that actually is because of me...but honestly, I had no idea they'd send all that after me! I'd have been more careful if I'd known!"

Octavia nodded. "Alright. Now who are you talking about? Who sent all that after you?"

"Red Alert," Axl explained. "I was a member. It was pretty great for a while, going after the Mavericks and protecting people. But recently...something's changed. Red's changed. They..." Axl shivered, eyes closed tight. "They've started going after innocent people now, too. They...used me...I had to get out. I joined up because I wanted to protect people like a Maverick Hunter...not..." He tensed his face, obviously trying to keep himself from crying.

Octavia nodded understandingly. "Yes, I can understand your reasoning. But this raises a rather significant question." She looked gravely at Axl, her eyes boring into his. "What is so special about you that Red Alert was willing to send so much after you to keep you from leaving? And what can we expect as far as their attempts to forcefully retrieve you in the future?"

Axl frowned nervously. "I'm not sure about anything they might try to do in the future...but as far as why they want me..."

At that moment, an intercom signal interrupted the interrogation. "Octavia, we have an unknown incoming signal," CiCi explained quickly. "Patching it through."

A holoscreen on the wall lit up, revealing a Reploid in makeshift armor, patched together well in grey, purple, and red. Large red shoulder pauldrons stretched out to either side like spikes, and two green power cores were embedded in the armor itself, much like how Zero's armor was designed. His face was mostly hidden by his red helmet, but a scar was plainly visible over his right eye socket, which sat empty of optic. White blonde hair slicked back from his head to form a spike of its own.

"You getting this Hunters?" he called out from the screen, his voice calm and somewhat charismatic, very in control of himself. "I am Red, leader of your friends at Red Alert. I never imagined our little friend would end up in your hands, but in any case, I want Axl back."

"What's so important about one Reploid that you would go up against the Maverick Hunters directly to get him back?" Octavia asked curiously. "Hardly seems like a well thought out strategy."

"I don't see why that's any concern of yours, Octavia," Red countered. "I see you there, Axl. Why don't you just come back, hmm? Make this easy on everyone."

"Considering he ran away from you, I doubt he wants to go back," Octavia pointed out logically. "Beyond that, the fact that he's come to us makes it our business what happens to him. As witness, victim, or suspect has yet to be fully determined, but we're hardly about to let you shanghai him in the meantime."

"Well in that case, how about this?" Red offered. "Like you, we're Hunters. We've trashed our share of Mavericks. So how about a duel? A duel to determine who the real Maverick Hunters are. I'm sure you won't mind if we use the Mavericks that we've captured. So the last one standing wins." He grinned as he continued. "You win, we surrender Axl to you. And if we win, well...I'll leave that to your imagination."

Octavia rolled her eyes as she gave off a theatrical sigh. "Let me guess, eight Mavericks of different sorts with different elemental aspects?" she asked pointedly. "Taking control of different areas where they're going to wreck havoc until we go to eliminate them? Seriously, that never worked for Sigma. What by the Makers makes you think it'll work any better for you?"

"How about the fact we've managed to isolate the areas where X and Zero are on their honeymoons with natural seeming communications and teleporter network breakdowns so they won't be able to come back to assist you?" Red countered simply.

Octavia blinked for a time. "Huh. You've managed to make our two biggest hitters unavailable without actually hurting anything or anyone, so they won't have any reason to be suspicious enough to cut their honeymoons short. That's actually rather clever." She smiled softly. "Maybe this will actually be fun."

Red chuckled softly. "Well, well, well, it seems like you actually know how to handle this properly." With that, the signal cut out.

"They're already on the move," CiCi informed Octavia. "As you assumed, eight Mavericks attacking the surrounding cities. Are you ready for this, Octavia?"

"Let me help!" Axl called out. "Please! This is happening because of me! Let me help clean this up, and show you I have what it takes to be a Maverick Hunter!"

Octavia looked Axl over for a time. "...Signas!" she called out finally. "I want to deputize Axl as a provisional Maverick Hunter under my direct supervision."

Signas sighed over the comm. "Alright, Octavia. But you're responsible for him."

"Alright!" Axl crowed happily, leaping into the air with fist upraised. "Don't worry, Octavia! I won't let you down!"

"I'm sure you won't," Octavia replied, returning his blasters. "Now, I'm sure you know what it means to be Provisional and under my direct supervision means, right?"

"Yeah!" Axl agreed eagerly. "It means I do whatever you say while fighting the Mavericks, and if I do a good job I might get a position with the Maverick Hunters?"

"Precisely," Octavia confirmed. Before Axl could react, she leapt to his shoulders, gripping the back of his head as she rested her chin on top of his helmet. "Now let's get to Central Command where the teleporters are. Mush, Axl."

Axl frowned. "What do I look like, a pony?"

"Remember what 'direct supervision means?" Octavia tutted chidingly.

"...whatever you say..." Axl whimpered.

"Precisely," Octavia teased. "Now mush."

Axl groaned as he made his way towards Central Command under Octavia's directions. "Is this hazing or something?" he groaned.

"You can think of it that way if you like," she offered, patting the spherical focus crystal on Axl's helmet with one hoof. "Especially if it gets you moving faster."

7: Flying the Sky

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While Octavia's first thought had been that they would have to locate the eight loosed Mavericks and strategize the best way to handle each of them as well as an order of priority. However, by the time she and Axl reached the Control Center, a formal letter of challenge had already been received from Red Alert, stating where each Maverick was, what they'd taken control of, and a guarantee that the Maverick influence and activity would not expand beyond those areas or activate until Hunters arrived in each area...as long as the Hunters didn't take too long to engage.

With this guarantee, Octavia made a decision regarding how to handle the situation for now. "Axl, which do we go after first?" she asked bluntly.

"What?" Axl gasped out, shocked. The others all looked surprised as well.

"These are Mavericks Red Alert has captured," Octavia explained bluntly. "So in your opinion, which can we deal with most easily?"

Axl swallowed nervously, then frowned at the images and locations in the letter. "H-here," he finally said, pointing to the gathering of aerial craft. "Wind Crowrang is rather straightforward to deal with, and we'll be leaping from craft to craft for the most part, so we should be able to see everywhere we're going."

"Very well," Octavia confirmed. "We'll go there first then. Mush." She nudged him in the cheek to make him go forward.

Axl frowned. "Do you have to do that?" he whimpered softly.

Octavia thought for a time, then pulled out a stick, a string, and a carrot. She dangled the carrot in front of Axl's nose. "Mush," she commanded gently again.

Axl stared flat eyed at the carrot. "...I'm not hungry," he finally groaned out.

Octavia tilted her head, shrugged her shoulders, and then replaced the carrot with a magazine entitled 'Girls Gone Maverick'. "Mu-"

Axl charged onto the transporter with cheeks bright red as the navigators on duty - mostly female - giggled wickedly.

Teleporting direct to the group of aircraft was inadvisable, as there was no guarantee the ship they were trying to teleport onto would remain on its course while they were beaming in. As a result, they instead rode atop one of HQ's jet craft to the back of the armada, allowing them to leap to the last craft in the line before peeling back to a safe distance. "Alright," Octavia instructed Axl. "Mush."

Axl sighed. "Do you have to keep saying that?" he whimpered.

Octavia thought about that for a time. "...yes, I think I do," she stated finally. "There's something oddly familiar about you, and doing this feels right. Until I know why, I'm going to keep doing it."

Sighing, Axl leapt to the next craft. "Well, I guess if there's no escaping it, I might as well enjoy it..." he grumbled to himself.

As they raced along, a few Maverick drones patrolled the craft, forcing the pair to blast them to bits. A few civilians were also scattered around, but Octavia had evac beacons to send them off safely back to HQ.

From Axl's shoulders, Octavia was able to observe Axl's unique abilities, at least as far as he demonstrated for her. In addition to air dashing, he could also hover a distance in midair, and lock on his guns to any enemy within range without actually looking at them, showing an exceptionally accurate grasp of his surroundings. Octavia tabled these thoughts, as this didn't quite show enough reason as to why Red Alert would do all this to get him back.

Before long, the pair of them reached the flagship of the armada, which was much larger than any of the others. Large enough, at any rate, that even the top of it required exploration, though they could see a great deal as they looked around. The top was patrolled by Mettools, which hid under their helmets when the intense beam fire of the ship's energy cannons swept the top.

"If we destroy the cannons, we'll be able to get inside," Axl pointed out.

"I'll take the one on the left," Octavia replied swiftly, leaping off Axl's shoulders. "You take the one on the right."

Nodding, Axl dashed and rolled, bringing himself up behind his cannon where he could fire without being hit by the beam. Octavia moved to a similar position on the other cannon, mirroring Axl's positioning as she fired with her more powerful busters. The destruction of the cannons broke open the entry hatch, and the pair quickly dove in, finding their way into a long, wide, high corridor within the ship. Once inside, Octavia immediately leapt back to Axl's shoulders.

The straightforward path led the pair past a great deal of enemy drones, and into a massive hanger. Maneuvering there proved difficult as it was only scattered platforms over an open bottom of the craft. Thankfully, it was only patrolled by Bomb Beens.

The path in the next section split three ways. "The way forward's down the central path," Axl pointed out.

"Then we'll take the other paths first," Octavia insisted.

"But they lead to dead ends," Axl countered.

"That's the point," Octavia confirmed. "Dead ends often have useful items...or, as we've noticed, civilians in danger. Now mush."

Rolling his eyes, Axl went down the right path first. As expected, there was an endangered civilian which they were able to rescue. With that proof, Axl made his way to the left path.

There, in addition to another civilian, they found a new design of Light Capsule. As they approached, it opened up from the bottom, Light's hologram appearing. "Octavia," it greeted calmly. "Where is X? Still on his honeymo-" The voice stopped, the hologram's eyes locked on Axl.

"...Dr?" Octavia asked carefully.

"How..." the hologram began, then stopped itself. "N-never mind..." It straightened itself. "Octavia, this capsule-"

"Wait!" Axl interrupted. "You...you know something about me?"

"Only that the part of the neural imprint I am made from that covers you is unstable," the hologram responded immediately. "I am unable to properly access that information at this time."

Octavia glanced at Axl, seeing the naked longing and pain in his face. "Can you tell us anything?" Octavia asked hopefully.

The hologram was silent for a time. "Only to ask you to keep him safe, and with you," it finally offered sadly. "His place is with you and X, Octavia. I am unable to express more. However, I am certain the answers are out there somewhere. For now, I have a new part of an armor program for you, which Varia can download to generate into armor for you and X, once he returns. Part of the Glide Armor."

Octavia nodded. "Alright. What does this part cover?"

"This part covers the energy collection and management for the Giga Crash," the hologram explained. "Step inside to download it." With that, the hologram vanished.

Octavia immediately stepped in, downloading the program. Once it was downloaded, she hopped back up to Axl's shoulders. "Let's go."

"But-" Axl began hopefully.

"We aren't going to get more answers than we've been given," Octavia interrupted. Seeing his sorrow, she relented. "But I will be following his directive. As far as I'm concerned, once this mission ends, you're a Hunter and staying with us."

Axl's eyes lit up eagerly. "R-really?" he gasped out happily.

"Yes, really," Octavia confirmed warmly. She then pointed forward. "Now mush."

Sighing a tad theatrically despite the smile on his face, Axl made his way back to the intersection before taking the middle path. After one more group of drones, they made it back to the top of the craft.

7: Bright You Now

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At the top of the craft, they found the Maverick they were there to fight hovering above the ship. He was an avian based Reploid, with bright orange armor plates on the limbs of a dark green body. He had talons in place of feet, and a flat beak under his sharp eyes. Wings too small for his body showed that his flight was more based in his tech than physics. Green feathers also sprung out of both arms, along with tail feathers.

"Wind Crowrang," Axl identified him as they were noticed.

"Axl," Crowrang responded as he flapped over to where he could speak more easily. He then smirked at the sight of Axl's passenger. "Nice hood."

Axl rolled his eyes. "This isn't like you, being cooped up like this. Figured you'd fly straight at me full force."

Crowrang smirked down at him. "So you're never coming back, then?"

"You know my answer to that," Axl replied sadly as he gripped his guns.

Crowrang chuckled. "You never change, do you?" He then let out an avian cry as he shot away into the air.

"He doesn't seem to be behaving like some randomly captured Maverick," Octavia observed. "The way you two talked, I thought you were comrades."

"A...little of both," Axl admitted sadly. "If Red Alert captured a Maverick without having to decommission them, then we worked to retrain them. Either find the cause of their Maverick behavior and correct it, or find a way to channel that behavior constructively. Wind Crowrang is one of the ones we'd almost managed to fully retrain...and was about to be added to our active rosters before Red changed."

"That's actually the goal of the Maverick Hunters," Octavia pointed out as she tracked Crowrang's flight. "Killing is only done if there is no other option. Live capture is much preferred."

"That's why Red Alert did it that way," Axl mumbled sadly. "We were just trying to pick up the slack..."

With a shout, Crowrang began launching energy blades at the pair. Axl dashed back and forth to evade, letting the blades embed themselves in the top of the craft to fade away. Lifting his guns, he locked onto Crowrang and began to fire.

"Can you track his shield energy?" Octavia asked softly, shooting her own blasts at Crowrang.

"Yeah," Axl confirmed. "Why?"

"Let me know when he's just above 50%," Octavia replied simply. "Until then, keep shooting."

Nodding, Axl kept shooting until Crowrang flew up out of range of his lock on. The Maverick quickly came back down on the ship itself, spinning as he attempted to slash at the pair. By bracing himself on the ship, he was able to deflect their shots with his energy feather blades, making it more difficult to damage him. He attempted a few dashing strikes, but Axl managed to evade them easily.

Eventually, he pulled back to the distance, firing off homing missiles in an attempt to strike the pair, but Octavia blasted them out of the air while Axl focused on firing on Wing Crowrang. Before long, Axl spoke up. "Okay, he's just about halfway down."

"Good," Octavia replied, and Axl felt something shift on his shoulders. "Next time he gets close, throw me at him."

"What?" Axl asked, shocked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Octavia confirmed. "I'm only going to get one shot at this, and I want it to work perfectly. Stop shooting for now."

Axl did as bid, holstering his guns and continuing to dodge. When Crowrang next dove at them, Axl dashed away, grabbed Octavia, and threw her.

Octavia, for her part, had activated Varia's Ultimate Armor functions, and used the throw as a launch point for her Nova Strike, slamming bodily into Wind Crowrang horn spear first, cracking his armor and knocking pieces away, one of which actually landing in his hand as he stared. Crowrang, for his part, fell backwards, his armor broken, his shield spent, and only a hit or two away from a plasma core breach.

"Wind Crowrang," Octavia stated bluntly, "you are under arrest. Surrender peacefully, and you will be repaired and retrianed to reenter society-urk!"

Crowrang apparently was having none of that, as he'd reached down and grabbed Octavia around her throat. "You shouldn't have gotten so close to me, Hunter!" he proclaimed as he winged off.

"Crowrang!" Axl called out angrily. "Don't you hurt her!"

"And how will you stop me, Axl?" Crowrang shouted out. Turning, he started to fly away. "I'm sure Red will be happy to have an S Rank Hunter as a priso-"

A blaze of light cut off Crowrang's words...and then an identical Crowrang slammed into him from behind talons first, digging into his armored body and pulling his torso apart.

Crowrang jerked as he dropped Octavia, only for the new Crowrang to catch her and drop Crowrang. Wing looked up at the one who'd broken him. "Heh...that one was wrong...you do have it in you..." As the broken body fell, Crowrang flapped his wing, guiding himself into the craft's engine, tearing his body apart as the explosion crashed the craft.

The Crowrang now holding Octavia flew back to the next nearest craft. When it landed, it flashed with light...and turned into Axl. "Are you alright, Octavia?" he asked worriedly, tears pouring down his cheeks as he determinedly looked away from the crash.

Octavia nodded slowly. "Yes...but I begin to see why Red Alert is so desperate to get you back. How did you do that?"

Axl shrugged. "I don't know how it works. But, if I have a piece of RDNA, or have a sample analyzed in my databanks, I can...turn into the Reploid, complete with abilities." He held up the chunk of Crowrang that had broken off when Octavia'd charged the Maverick. "It's not perfect. Unless it's a Reploid or drone the same size and basic shape as me, I can only take the shape for a few moments. It's...why I didn't have time to try and save Crowrang there. It does let me download an alt-form for my guns, though." He glanced away, not wanting to think about it.

Octavia gently patted his cheek. "Let's go home," she offered softly. At his startled look, she put her hoof to her ear. "CiCi, two to return to HQ."

7: Out Back At Ya

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As soon as Octavia and Axl returned to HQ, Octavia directed Axl into a side room. "Sit," she instructed firmly, gesturing to a chair.

Axl obediently sat down, still a bit shell shocked from having killed someone who, at one time, he thought would have been a friend. He was startled out of his reverie when Octavia hopped from his shoulder into his lap. "What-?"

Octavia suddenly blazed with light, and was then out of her armor in his lap, Varia floating around her. "There's a brush on the table next to you," she stated firmly as she lay down in his lap. "Use it."

Turning, Axl noticed the brush and picked it up. "You know, you could have just said you needed your mane brushed," he pointed out as he started to do so.

"I didn't need my mane brushed," Octavia countered idly, her voice mellowing as she relaxed. "You needed to brush my mane."

Axl paused, his face twisting in confusion. "Huh?"

"You're stressed," Octavia explained. "Your entire life has been turned upside down, and now you're hunting down those who were friends or you'd fought to save, and you just had to kill one of them to save me. On top of that, the fact the Light hologram knew something about you that it couldn't explain and that ability of yours - one I've never seen before - tells me you likely know nothing about where you come from." She turned to face him, calmly waiting for a contradiction. When none came, she smiled softly. "You're an emotional wreck right now, however you're trying to hide it, from me or yourself." She laid her head back down. "Dad tells me that brushing my mane is one of the most relaxing activities he's yet discovered, and wondrous for relieving both our stressed states. So brush my mane. If you need it, you can do my tail as well."

Smiling softly, Axl went back to brushing. After a time, he finally spoke up. "Thank you."

"Just watch for tangles," Octavia murmured softly, relaxing into the tending.

Half an hour later, Octavia was perfectly groomed and Axl had found some measure of inner peace, and was ready for the next mission. Deciding to take some weight off Axl's mind, Octavia unilaterally decided to go after the Tunnel Base, utilizing Ride Armors to retake the location and pursue the 'Maverick' in that area, whom Axl was able to identify as Vanishing Gungaroo. "This way, you get to ride, too," Octavia explained after hopping back to Axl's shoulders. "Now giddyup."

Axl, for his part, rolled his eyes. "I think I preferred mush."

Octavia then held out a brush hanging from a stick in front of Axl's face. "Go on, go get it."

Upon arriving in the Tunnel Base, they found the main tunnel leading in to be unusually dark. "Let's move forward slowly and find the Ride Armor," Octavia pointed out. "It should be somewhere near here."

"I've already got a bead on it," Axl pointed out as he dashed forward, curving to the side of the wider hallway as soon as they exited the narrow one they'd beamed into. A large blue Ride Armor waited there, a new model armed with two heavy auto-cannons and two heavy rocket launchers. Once in the cockpit, Axl was easily able to handle the controls, beginning to blast their way forward.

"You can detect things like that?" Octavia asked curiously. "Is that more innate tech?"

"More training, really," Axl explained. "Everything gives off a certain amount of unique electronic signal that any Reploid can pick up. Given the sheer amount, however, it's pure static for anyone trying to listen in. Red taught me to find the specific patterns in it so I can track specific things. A Reploid in distress, a hostile mechanaloid drone, an inactive but functional Ride Armor..." He shrugged his shoulders. "Difficult but useful."

"Most definitely," Octavia praised. "You're just full of surprises. Where did Red learn to do it?"

"That's the thing," Axl continued, now uncertain. "Red couldn't do it. He understood the theory and could identify the patterns to teach the skill, but he couldn't duplicate it in action. He never explained why." A frown crossed his face. "Maybe if he could..." He fell silent as he maneuvered the Ride Armor to where a distressed civilian was hiding.

"You think some sort of signal is altering Red's behavior?" Octavia asked as she evaced the civilian Reploid.

"I noticed a new pattern in the static before things started to change," Axl responded quietly. "Or at least, I think I did." He sighed as he blasted down another wall that blocked the path with the rockets. "Though it might just be some desperate hope that everything Red claimed we stood for wasn't a lie, grabbing any sort of explanation that can let me still believe in him, despite..."

Octavia gently put her hoof to Axl's cheek. "We'll get through this," she promised. "We'll find out what's causing all this. And we'll fix it. Whatever else, we will make this better."

Axl managed to smile as they reached a large door, which slowly opened for them. "You really think so?" he asked hopefully.

"I know so," Octavia insisted. "You just keep moving. Everything will be just fine."

Axl guided the Ride Armor through the door, his smile wider as he felt much more confident and at ease.

7: Hopping Along

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Through the door, Octavia and Axl found a massive single chamber filled with hostile Mechanaloids and a few scattered civilians, spread out on platforms rising up out of pits of acid. "You'd better stay up here with me," Axl murmured softly to Octavia. "The Ride Armor can take the acid, but if one of us fell in..."

"Or you could get me to that platform with the giant turtle mechanaloid," Octavia suggested, pointing off to the right. "There's another ride armor behind it."

Axl blinked in surprise. "...huh. I guess that makes sense." Dashing over, he made the Ride Armor jump as high as it could, letting Octavia leap off onto the platform so she could activate the red Ride Armor, which was equipped with a massive wrecking ball sized clenched fist and a drill.

She made quick work of the mechanaloid before hopping back down. "Now we each have one," she stated simply. "Let's go."

With two Ride Armors under their control, clearing the chamber - and rescuing the civilians - proved exceptionally simple. By inputting 'friendly fire' codes into the two Ride Armors, the shots fired from Axl's blue Armor steered around Octavia's red one, allowing her to take point to smash while Axl backed her up, shooting at the enemies over her metaphorical shoulders.

This proved especially effective through the next chamber, when they were confronted by enemy green Ride Armors which had hard knuckles and a regular cannon to fight with, a poor balance between the specialization of the red and blue Ride Armors. This led to another large, wide open chamber, this one with a solid ground underneath the Mechanaloids patrolling it, with pillars in a circle around the outside of the chamber.

"There might be things at the top of the pillars," Octavia pointed out cautiously. "Either items we could use, or civilians in need of rescue. But we'd need to leave the Ride Armors below..."

"We'll take turns," Axl offered. "When we get to each pillar, we'll see what hostilities are in the area and determine which Ride Armor will stand guard better, and the other one will climb up the pillar."

Octavia smiled widely. "Very clever strategy," she murmured. "But I can add another one. Mechanaloids can't control Ride Armors, and the pillars are spaced evenly so a dash jump could easily clear the distance between, especially mine. How about I climb up and you guard the Ride Armors, switching between as situation requires, while I explore the pillars?"

Axl nodded. "Alright. Lead the way."

The strategy proved successful, and once the pillars were checked and the civilians rescued, the pair were able to deal with all the Mechanaloids that came into the chamber. Eventually, the flow of enemy Mechanaloids stopped coming. What followed, however, was more than enough of a concern.

A child sized Reploid built like a boxing kangaroo - armor colored pink and bronze with red boxing gloves - arrived in a pink Ride Armor shaped like a giant kangaroo. The Reploid cackled like mad as he arrived.

"Who's that?" Octavia asked curiously.

"Vanishing Gungaroo," Axl explained quietly. "He's actually a relatively young Reploid, and his being named Maverick was more due to his disdain for any sort of authority and tendency to lash out in fits of temper than any actual innate hostility or tendencies towards truly Maverick behavior."

Gungaroo, having not heard the discussion over his laughter, turned to taunt Axl. "How do you figure, Axl? Who would've thought I'd turn out stronger than you? I'm not the kid you used to know!"

Axl hesitated, but noticed Octavia jerking her head towards Gungaroo and winking. Smirking, Axl made his Ride Armor strut. "But you're acting like a kid right now!" he called out tauntingly.

"Don't call me a kid!" Gungaroo raged, making his Ride Armor hop up and down in a furious dance. "I ain't no kid no more!"

"Aww, is somebody cwanky cause they didn't get their nappy-poo?" Octavia called up, deliberately exaggerating the tone of her baby talk. Reaching into a pouch, she pulled out what looked like a dog biscuit. "How about you put your big toy away so I can tuck you in? A biscuit, some milk, and maybe even a bed time story if you're good?"

Gungarooa became almost inarticulate in rage as his Ride Armor seized a massive crate and hurled it across the room. "Stop treating me like a kid!" he screamed out. "Why I oughta-"

"Here's a biscuit boy!" Octavia called out, throwing the dog biscuit so it bounced off Gungaroo's head to land in the Ride Armor's cockpit. "Go get it!"

"That's it!" Gungaroo snarled. "You're dead-"

A sparking explosion ripped through the cockpit of the kangaroo shaped Ride Armor, causing it to collapse in on itself. "Huh?" Gungaroo demanded, confused as he jerked the controls. "Move already!"

As he struggled with the controls, Octavia moved. Lunging in, she yanked him out of the cockpit with her own Ride Armor, clutching him tight in the massive fist while pointing the drill hand at his head. "All modern Reploids are shielded against EMPs, so they won't suffer total brain collapse just from getting too close to a highly charged magnet or something similar. Ride Armors, however, don't have any personality data to protect, and thus aren't built with such expensive hardened circuits. That's why I felt safe in hiding a remote EMP mine in that biscuit I threw."

Gungaroo flailed madly in her grip. "No fair! That's cheating! Cheater cheater pumpkin eater!"

"I'm rather fond of pumpkin, actually," Octavia observed idly. "Axl, there's a stasis choke in my bag, next to the stasis cuffs. Press the goad to the back of his neck, and it'll lock his circuits while you get the stasis cuffs on him."

"Roger!" Axl confirmed, leaping out of his Ride Armor and grabbing the equipment. It quickly became apparent that it was equipment Red Alert used as well, as he showed no confusion in their functionality. "Why'd you have an EMP mine biscuit, anyway?"

"They're actually for Classic," Octavia explained. "After applying his Adapter to Varia's Ultimate configuration made it so he absorbs electrical energy, and he really likes it when the mines go off inside him. Finds it tingly, apparently."

Axl shook his head in bemusement as they beamed back to HQ, one captured Maverick in tow

7: In the Jungle

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With Vanishing Gungaroo back in lockup at HQ and scheduled for rehabilitation with CiCi just as soon as she wasn't required for Navigator duties, Axl and Octavia were free to pursue the next Red Alert Maverick. "So, how do we pick the next one?" Axl asked curiously.

"I feel like visiting the forest," Octavia requested idly. "I could use some fresh air that comes from actual plants, and the feeling of nature under my hooves."

"And exactly how much of that last part are you going to get from up there?" Axl demanded humorously as he turned to glare playfully at where she sat on his shoulders.

Octavia tossed her head haughtily. "I'm female," she chided disdainfully. "According to Uncle Zero, I'm not required to be logical."

The tableau held for exactly three seconds before they both burst into giggles. Axl then stepped up to be teleported to the Deep Forest area named in Red's message.

The forest itself proved to be rich and thriving with plant life, the few metal surfaces all but covered with plant life. Trees soared into the heavens, some seeming to be nearly a mile tall at first glance. The drones scattered about blended into the environment, being either covered in a rocky armor coating or shaped like lizards, monkeys, and mosquitoes. Axl raced forward in this calming environment with Octavia clinging tightly to his head.

"What's the matter?" he asked teasingly as they continued. "I thought you wanted some nature?"

"That was before I remembered that most of the wildlife in deep wilderness - even the insects - were bigger than me!" Octavia snapped back irritably. "Now mush! And watch for that giant stone boulder rolling slowly towards us filled with unknown circuitry."

Nodding, Axl dashed back, leaping onto a platform nearby so he could get over the boulder to make his way forward. They also encountered large stone monoliths that resembled Moai heads, some immobile, some shooting stones from their mouths in an attempt to damage the pair. After a time, they found themselves racing down twisting trunks of a massive tree to a lower level, where Axl was able to make use of his shape changing ability to help them. By copying the stone covered drones, he was able to walk safely along paths lined with thorns that had been enhanced with damaging fields that fried positronic circuitry. The stone coating offered protection from that energy field, allowing him to cross without danger. As they were the same size and shape as him, he was able to maintain the shape change indefinitely, or until he reversed it, once he acquired a RDNA core sample to trigger his change with by destroying the drones.

Partway through the forest, Octavia nudged Axl in the head. "Up there," she instructed, pointing. "I'm picking up a Light Capsule signal."

"Another armor part program?" Axl clarified as he clambered atop one of the moai heads to make the leap across to where the capsule was. "Think he'll tell us more about me this time?"

"Likely, and unlikely, respectively," Octavia replied regretfully. "When it comes to important information, the hologram has always been as forthright as it is capable of. If he didn't tell us when he first saw you, his program won't allow him to dispense that information."

As they reached the capsule, it opened in response to Octavia's signal. The hologram appeared conflicted as it addressed her. "Octavia, this armor part is for the boots, and will allow X to Glide in midair, much as you can with the wings of Varia's Ultimate configuration. This was the basis of this armor design, and I'm afraid will be of more use to X than to you."

"You seem upset," Octavia observed. "It's Axl, isn't it?"

"You are correct," the hologram responded. "Seeing him functional is both a great joy...and a great sorrow. And I cannot tell you more as to why, not even to confirm guesses."

Axl lowered his head. "Aw, man! You mean I'm never gonna find out where I come from? Or who made me? Or anything?"

"I did not say that," the hologram corrected.

Octavia pounced on the information. "Then there is something out there somewhere that can tell us about Axl? Just not you or your network?"

The Light hologram was silent for a time. "...that I can confirm," it finally stated before vanishing.

Octavia hopped into the capsule, downloading the armor program. "That's good news," Octavia offered to Axl. "There are answers out there for you. And once this crisis is dealt with, we can look for them."

Axl managed a smile as he let her hop back to his shoulders. "That's...that's good news," he agreed finally. He then proceeded to carry her through the forest towards where signals indicated the 'Maverick' had based himself.

Eventually, the pair found themselves at what looked like a power core chamber. A massive blue crystal floated in a containment cylinder, surrounded by a circular platform. Eight moai heads floated over the platform in pairs, dropping rocks towards the pair and occasionally dropping down in an attempt to crush them. Axl and Octavia focused their fire on the moai heads in self-defense, until they eventually dropped away, damaged to the point of explosion.

As the smoke cleared, a Reploid became visible. This one was a large gorilla shaped Reploid, lightly armored with purple fur and a few gold bracers on arms and legs. A massive stone sword and shield were strapped to his back as he stared at them, his face unreadable.

Axl gasped at the sight of him. "Soldier Stonekong?" he called out, aghast. "Y...you're in this, too?"

Stonekong nodded simply, saying nothing.

"H...how could you?" Axl cried out, enraged and upset. "You...you were the one who told me that Red Alert was to pick up the slack for the Maverick Hunters, to protect people! You're the one who taught me non-lethal take downs, so I could avoid killing unless there was no other choice! How could you do this, follow Red now when he's gone against everything you believed in?"

"Who do you think instilled those beliefs in me?" Stonekong asked softly. "Long before you joined our ranks, I was a Maverick who respected only strength. I thought Red and the Maverick Hunters were weak for sparing lives, but Red showed me I was wrong. It takes true strength to take an enemy and turn them into an ally, to forbear killing in favor of mercy. I learned those ideals from him, and believe in them...and him. My loyalty remains to him. The path has changed, we have strayed...but my vow of loyalty is unchanged." He pulled the sword and shield from his back. "And now, it seems we are enemies. Let me see how well you have learned from me. The two of you against me, show me how strong you are!"

"Soldier Stonekong!" Octavia called out before the battle started. "Your words mark you as an honorable warrior. Do I interpret true that you consider yourself thus?"

Stonekong nodded. "I do. Thus has Red led me to be."

"I put forth from the evidence that Axl has witnessed with his senses that the Red who currently leads Red Alert either is not the same Red you are sworn to, or is not fully in control of himself," Octavia continued. "This is Axl's belief, and he fights through his former comrades to confront his former leader, in hopes of proving it true."

Stonekong looked at her impassively. "A noble sentiment. But what proof can he offer?"

"None yet," Octavia continued. "However, I have something else in mind. In this case, trial by combat."

Stonekong's eyebrow raised. "Explain."

"It sounds as though Red took you down himself when you were a Maverick, and chose to spare you," Octavia responded. "I propose the same challenge here. If Axl, on his own, can best you in combat and chooses to spare you, then he is logically strong enough to challenge Red for leadership of Red Alert, and find if he is still entirely himself. If this is the case, then your duty to Red Alert would be to stand aside and see the outcome of that challenge, and if Axl is victorious, support him in his choice to uphold the ideals Red Alert was founded on. Am I correct?"

Stonekong's impassive face slowly spread into a wide smile. "You are correct. If this is Axl's intentions, then if he is able to conquer me thusly, then I would be honor-bound to stand aside and allow the leadership challenge." He turned to Axl. "Is this your intention?"

"Yes!" Axl declared fiercely. "I want to know what changed in Red, what turned him into...this. And I'll get the answers even if I have to force them out of him at gunpoint!"

"Then let the challenge commence!" Stonekong bellowed. "Hunter, you will stand aside and allow this battle. I will direct no attacks in your direction, so long as you allow this to happen."

Nodding, Octavia leapt back off the platform to watch. "Do it, Axl," she stated bluntly.

Nodding, Axl rocked his head back and forward on his neck, flexing his arms. "I'm ready," he proclaimed firmly.

Stonekong raised up on his legs, banging his clenched fists against his chest as he let out a hooting bellow of a war cry. Lunging forward, he attempted to smash Axl into the ground with his sword, only for Axl to roll to the side before leaping up onto the blade. Once in position, he switched to the G-Launcher weapon he'd acquired through analysis of Gungaroo's RDNA, and fired it off straight into Stonekong's face, letting the recoil blast him off the blade before airdashing away.

Stonekong staggered back, shaking his head to clear it. "You have grown strong," he growled eagerly as he turned to search for Axl. "Now where did you-RAGH!" He leapt into the air as Axl fired another round straight into his rump.

"Fast, too!" Axl proclaimed as he dashed away around the ring.

"Do you really think you can take me down that easily?" Stonekong roared out, hurling his shield to fly around the platform after Axl.

Spinning, Axl fired at the shield, cracking it as he jumped over it. "Nope," Axl countered as he landed right where his shot had impacted the shield. "I'm going to fight like you taught me."

"Then show me!" Stonekong roared as he caught his shield, charging forward with it held out to ram Axl.

Axl waited until the last moment, then rolled onto his back, kicking up and catching Stonekong in the chest with both feet, flipping him over him. "As you taught me, use my opponent's strength against them!" Leaping up as Stonekong came down, he blazed with light, transforming into Stonekong and coming down on his opponent's back, grabbing the back of his head and slamming his face into the dirt. "Yield!" he bellowed out as he repeatedly slammed his foe face first into the ground.

Stonekong held firm for several moments, but his grip on his sword finally relaxed. "Axl, hold!" Octavia barked out.

Axl froze, and his energy reserves ran dry, forcing him to revert to his normal form. "Octavia?"

Octavia walked forward and checked Stonekong's state. "...you beat him into stasis lock," she explained. "He's unconscious. We'll beam him back to HQ, and inform him he lost to you honorably, and you chose to spare him. He'll stick to his word and wait patiently in his cell until the conflict is resolved."

Axl let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. I didn't want to have to kill him..."

"You won't have to," Octavia reassured him. "HQ, three to beam home."

7: Video Killed the Radio Star

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Soldier Stonekong regained consciousness after the teleport back to Hunter Base. However, rather than once more trying to fight, he gracefully surrendered, accepting his defeat. Since he was willing to cooperate, he was placed in an unlocked cell and told to remain until the crisis was resolved. He also offered a piece of information that was quite useful to the group.

"The reason you can't get in contact with anyone beyond the city is because Tornado Tonion has taken over the primary communications hub radio tower," Stonekong explained. "He is redirecting any messages that try to enter or leave the area to make it look like there's interference elsewhere. If you disable him, you'll be able to get in contact with them again."

Octavia nodded in response to this information. "Thank you for telling us, Stonekong. This goes beyond what the terms of the duel demanded of you, and we are grateful."

Stonekong simply shrugged in response. "Just because you are grown does not mean you are any less a child, and no child should be so forcefully separated from their parent." Taking his seat in his cell, he lay back and entered deep meditation.

"Looks like we know where we're going next," Octavia told Axl. She then hesitated, noticing his expression of ecstatic glee. "Are...are you alright Axl?"

"I'm gonna get to meet X and Zero!" Axl squealed happily. "This is so awesome!"

Octavia promptly facehoofed.

As Axl and Octavia warped into the base of the tower, they found that it had been redesigned. A spiral path slowly led upward against the outer wall, with the entire center of the tower straight up and down filled with a giant Mechanaloid. "That's new," Octavia murmured softly.

"I've got a bead on it," Axl murmured, his eyes focused. "If we keep going up, I should be able to get a lock on vulnerable points."

"Hopefully before it starts attacking us," Octavia murmured, gripping tight as Axl dashed forward.

The crab legged Mechanaloid did target them as they raced upward, but it only attacked at first by hurling spiked, spinning disks at the pair, which they were able to evade by moving forward, staying ahead of where they were falling to as they only rolled downhill. Eventually, it also started firing homing rockets that followed them up the slope, but they were slow moving, slow enough for Axl to outrun even as he evaced the civilians they came across.

Once they were high enough, the Mechanaloid started launching fireballs at them from the front of its head as it spun on its swivel waist to track them, though the fireballs were just slow enough for Axl to roll out of the way before it impacted. A bigger danger than the ordinance being launched at the pair proved to be debris on the path itself, which sometimes threw off Axl's rhythm enough that they almost took a hit. This, compounded by the Mechanaloid starting to launch its arms at them like drills, made the last stretch of spiral path very exciting.

Eventually, they reached a circular platform surrounding the Mechanaloid at head height. At that point, Axl's sensors beeped him an alert. "I've got it!" Axl proclaimed happily.

"Its weak point is its head?" Octavia asked flatly.

Axl blinked. "Uh...yeah."

"Color me shocked," Octavia offered flatly, hopping off his shoulders. "Let's give it two targets to worry about."

"Alternatively, one of us could focus on dealing with what it shoots at us, while the other focuses on destroying it," Axl suggested. "You'd have an ideal position for the second part from my shoulders."

Octavia blinked up at him. "I...suppose it would," she admitted, hopping back up to his shoulders. "I don't know whether to be more surprised that you had a better strategy than I, or that it involved keeping me on your shoulders."

Axl lifted his hands, shrugging without moving his shoulders. "What can I say? I've gotten used to having you up there."

Octavia couldn't help but chuckle. "Good boy," she offered playfully, rubbing the crystal in his helm as though petting him.

The strategy worked excessively well, with the only hurdle coming when the Mechanaloid withdrew its head into a massive shell and extended sweeping blades that spun around over the platform. Being the only attack they hadn't seen yet, they were caught off guard and took a couple hits before they recognized the pattern.

Before long, the Mechanaloid had taken enough damage to begin collapsing, explosions erupting from within its systems as it broke into bits. "Now where to?" Axl asked curiously.

Octavia pointed. "There's another spiraling path over there," she indicated.

Axl sighed ruefully. "Well, at least it's not stairs..."

The path proved to be much the same as the first spiral upward, save the obstacles. Instead of a massive Mechanaloid coming after them, there were numerous drones and turrets along the path, and several gaps that dropped all the way to the ground far below. Through careful maneuvering, the pair were able to make it all the way up, evacing all the civilians they encountered along the way, the only problem being the larger gaps further up that could only be crossed via platforms that appeared and disappeared, seemingly with no discernible pattern. Thankfully, those gaps dropped them directly onto parts of the path they'd climbed up below, letting them quickly regain height if they missed a jump, rather than falling to their deaths.

Once at the top, they came across Tornado Tonion himself. He proved to have an onion shaped brown body with thin green legs and massive green hands connected by energy tendrils. His head was also green, and came to a sharp point. As he caught sight of the pair, he seemed...entertained?

"Yah! Yah! You grow up handsome boy, Axl?" Tonion proclaimed, bouncing and dancing back and forth. "And Octavia grow up pretty filly! But I handsome too!"

"Is...is he right in the head?" Octavia asked Axl worriedly.

"He's a few sandwiches short of a picnic lunch-" Axl began.

"-but I have plenty of cake!" Tonion finished as he did a pirouette. "Oh ho ho!"

"-but he's alright," Axl concluded, rolling his eyes. "Not a mean bone in his body, really. So I don't get why-"

"Professor make changes!" Tonion proclaimed. "Red want answers, but get something more! Bad Professor, bad! But now we're bad too!"

"Professor?" Octavia asked incisively, pleased to finally be getting a clue.

"Oops, did I say that out loud?" Tonion asked, still seeming distracted. "Can't stop, can't stop believing!"

Axl frowned. "Okay...not sure what to do now..."

"Make him bloom?" Octavia suggested. "I'm kinda hungry."

"I surrender!"(1) Tonion immediately cried out, falling to his knees.

"...that was easy," Axl mused.

(1) I hadn't originally intended to eliminate this fight. I had every intention of actually writing out Axl and Octavia fighting this guy.
...then I actually watched the fight. Sheesh, is it even possible to lose to this guy other than deliberately? Zero using the weapon from Stonekong, just keep it charged and let him run into you to take out half his health, then just stay in the air with Axl while shooting the regular buster. Yeah, nothing there worth delving into...

7: Family and Friends

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With Tornado Tonion in custody, the Radio Tower control systems were restored. Once the system finished rebooting and HQ restored their connection, they'd be able to contact X, Alia, Zero, and Iris readily enough. While they waited for that, Octavia decided to see how much Axl knew. "Tonion mentioned a Professor," she pointed out as they took a lunch break in the cafeteria. "Any idea who that might be?"

Axl shook his head as he chewed a couple of his fries, taking a sip of his milkshake to clear his throat. "No. I never met anyone like that back in Red Alert." He took a bite of his burger to give himself time to organize his thoughts. "Though, I can think of one thing..."

"What's that?" Octavia asked curiously as she stabbed up a bite of her salad.

"Before everything started...going wrong," Axl explained, "Red asked me to give him all the R-DNA data I'd collected. Not long after, Red and the others started getting some major upgrades, and they started acting funny. But no one in Red Alert knew how to manipulate R-DNA data like that. That must be the work of this 'Professor', and he's probably doing a lot more than just upgrading them. It's probably why they're acting different."

Octavia sighed as she continued to eat. "That sounds like a familiar strategy," she murmured softly. "Someone offers what a group of Reploids desperately want, only for the Reploids to end up Maverick pawns. Sounds like this Professor is using Sigma's old strategy."

"Sigma?" Axl gasped out, shivering. "But...he was destroyed after the Eurasia incident, right? X and Zero totally eradicated him, no trace left! And the virus isn't even around anymore..."

"That is what everyone is certain is true, yes," Octavia agreed tacitly.

"You...don't sound sure," Axl offered worriedly.

"Let's just say I prefer to keep a few paranoid suspicions up my sleeve, just in case," Octavia explained. "I'd rather be pleasantly surprised to discover the boogeyman no longer exists, than unpleasantly surprised when he shows up."

"I...guess that's a valid way of looking at it," Axl admitted.

"Finish your meal," Octavia encouraged him. "We should be getting in contact with Dad and Uncle Zero soon. You really want to meet them, right?"

Axl promptly began to stuff his face, making Octavia roll her eyes.

When the signal got through to X and Zero, the Hunters discovered that the by now legendary pair were already on their way back, having gotten suspicious about the communications malfunction. Zero and Iris had apparently supercharged a Ride Chaser for long distance ocean travel, and were within minutes of reaching the primary dock of the HQ. The only message from X, however, was a request to get a runway free.

As it turned out, the main runway ran right next to the dock, and it was a simple matter to clear both for the returning Hunters. As they waited, Octavia turned to take a perch on Axl's shoulder, only to pause and tsk. "Look at your face!" she chided.

"What?" Axl demanded in confusion. In his haste to finish his meal to meet his idols, he'd managed to spatter ketchup and other sauces all over his face and helmet.

Shaking her head, Octavia pulled out a napkin and licked it. Climbing up to Axl's shoulder, she proceeded to wash his face clean. "You really should eat more neatly," she scolded irritably.

Axl struggled a bit against the cleaning, but eventually subsided. "Yes, Mom," he complained testily, not noticing the thoughtful look that crossed her face when he said this.

The Ride Chaser that came in carrying Zero and Iris was no surprise to anyone. The craft coming in with X and Alia proved to be more surprising, however, as it was an antique biplane, the only electrical signal being from its passengers. While most of those watching the landing stared in shock as X and Alia stepped out of the plane once it came to a halt, Zero shot his friend a thumbs up.

"X!" Signas called out as the four approached. "What were you thinking flying an antique like that so far?"

"When communications dropped, I assumed there was some sort of electronic interference," X pointed out as he walked Alia over to Iris so the pair could direct the luggage and souvenirs wherever they felt they needed to go. "Figured the only safe way to get back was a vehicle that didn't use electricity."

"I didn't know you could fly one of those old things!" Zero proclaimed, stunned.

X looked back and forth a little guiltily. "Don't tell Alia...but until today, neither did I."

Zero burst into peals of laughter as he playfully slugged his friend on the shoulder. "Looks like Tavi's got someone for us to meet," he pointed out, gesturing to where the little pony was sitting on the shoulder of an unfamiliar Reploid.

Nodding, X walked over, holding out his arms to catch Octavia as she leapt across the distance to hug him. "Missed you too, Octavia," he said warmly.

"Come here, you!" Zero interrupted, pulling Octavia out of X's arms to cuddle her. "Who's this?"

Axl stepped forward nervously. "X, Zero, it's just such an honor to meet you both! I've read about all your exploits, and I've dreamed of being as great a Hunter as you both-"

X groaned. "Octavia, did you really arrange an introduction for a superfan new recruit?"

"Nope," Octavia corrected. "This is Axl. He followed me home, and I'm keeping him."

X smacked his face with his palm as Zero burst into laughter. Axl stomped his foot. "Octavia! It's bad enough you riding around on me and telling me to 'mush' or 'giddy-up'! I am not a pet!"

"No, you're my son," Octavia corrected, "so respect your elders."

As several of those near enough to listen underwent an epic spit-take, X, Zero, and Axl all stared at Octavia, blinking. "Uhh...Tavi?" Zero spoke up finally. "I don't think that's-"

"He has no idea where he came from or why he has strange abilities no other Reploid does," Octavia interrupted. "We bonded rather strongly on first sight, and the Light hologram knows something, but would only beg for me to keep him close and take care of him. Besides, he already called me Mom."

"That was-I mean-GAH!" Axl screamed out in frustration.

X, meanwhile, burst into laughter. "Can't argue with that logic," X admitted. "After all, it's how I wound up with you, Octavia." Turning to Axl, he held his arms wide. "Come on, Axl. Give Grandpa a hug."

Axl blinked, stunned. Piano - who had just finished greeting Alia - nudged the youngster into X's arms. Suddenly, the boy was up to his ears in family, and he didn't know how to handle it.

Signas stared at Alia in disbelief. "Alia...you just got back from nearly three years vacation for your honeymoon. Just what sort of leave could you possibly need to apply for now when you just got back?"

"Medical, technically," Alia replied, a soft smile on her face.

"Medical?" Signas asked, confused. "Are you damaged? Ill?"

"No, nothing like that," she corrected. Her hands went to her lower abdomen. "It's just that there isn't protocol in Maverick Hunter regulations yet to apply for maternity leave."

Signas stared, blinking. "You mean...more mini-Xs running around, like Octavia?" As he tried to process this, he handled it the only way he could.

He fainted.

7: Battleship Sunk

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It didn't take long for X and Zero to be brought up to speed on the situation at hand. Once X had Alia properly situated in their 'off-duty' quarters, he and Zero were quick to don their armor and join up with Octavia and Axl to deal with the remaining 'Mavericks'. Iris took her usual place as a Navigator, ready to guide the group through the remaining areas. She did have some advice right off the bat. "Given the foes you've battled so far, I'd recommend invading the Battleship sea fortress," she explained. "The weapon you've all acquired from Tornado Tonion is based in electricity, and the pattern seems to suggest that the Reploid in charge of the Battleship would be based in water-type abilities, and thus vulnerable to electricity."

"Good idea," Zero praised, selecting the destination.

The first battleship they beamed to proved to be smaller than anticipated, though the deck was covered with giant turtle Mechanaloids and Mettools that surrounded the group, with drones based on a higher platform to snipe at them. X, Zero, and Axl raced around in a coordinated assault, taking down the defenders as Octavia leapt from one to the other to evacuate the civilians. The explosions from the destroyed Mechanaloids caused a large turret tower to fall over behind the group, blocking off half the ship.

"This sure seems shoddily built," Zero muttered, staring at the wreckage.

"No," X countered. "That was deliberate. We're walking right into a trap."

As he spoke, a large purple bird-shaped fighter was moved forward on a launch platform, coming to a halt at the end of the runway. However, rather than taking off, the platform began to shift back and forth along the runway as the fighter opened fire on the group.

"Flanking positions!" Octavia called out as the four shifted to right angles from each other, surrounding the platform as they moved back and forth, keeping out of the craft's line of fire as they barraged it with their weapons.

With all four of them focused on the vehicle, it didn't last long, and the explosion cause enough damage to the battleship to force the group to leap to the next one in the fleet...only to find it was already on fire, and between the flames and the large crates on board the craft greatly reduced their mobility.

"We should probably be more careful what we destroy," X warned. "If this whole thing is a trap for us, this ship's structural integrity likely isn't that good even without being on fire."

Moving carefully, the group was able to find the civilians trapped by flames and enemy fire to evacuate them before moving to the edge of the boat...where a Mechanaloid hydra raised its three heads to attack. Each head sat atop a crimson neck, launching fireballs at the group. They instantly divided to each take one head, while Zero - who had more limited ranged attacks - drew attention to let the others fire uninterrupted. Quite by accident, Zero discovered he could deflect the fireballs with his beam saber, making the battle go that much faster.

With all three heads destroyed, the battleship they were on began to explode, forcing the group to leap to the next one, which was even more on fire than the last one. "Hope nobody got killed by those flames," Axl offered worriedly.

"We'll have to investigate," Zero stated firmly, dashing forward to explore.

Exploration proved rather simple, as despite the flames they could see everything as they went. The only real hazard proved to be new Mechanaloids built like the standing tanks X and Octavia had dealt with back when they first went after Sigma, but now generating rotating holo-shields that deflected shots. However, with four of them focused on a single target, each individual Mechanaloid didn't last long.

The 'guardian' for this battleship proved to be a transforming turret tower that turned into an immobile battle mech. It had two rings of turrets that shot at the group at its direction, while the mech itself didn't fire. The group focused their attacks on the turrets, trying to take those down first. As they shot, the mech made its first real move, spitting fireballs at the group that Zero deflected with his beam saber.

After a fierce but short fight, the mech exploded, leaving nothing but wreckage for the group to continue exploring. At the end of the wreckage, they came across the 'Maverick' that had caused all these problems, a blue and white armored, narrow-bodied Reploid that resembled a flying fish. He was armed with a double bladed sword that resembled a massive propeller.

His eyes locked on Axl. "I've been waiting for you, traitor!" he barked out, his voice high-pitched and raspy.

"Still breaking your toys, coward?" Axl growled back, shifting his weapons to Volt Tornado.

"Red wants you back in one piece...but I think he'll settle for having you in pieces!" the Reploid snapped. "I-"

Before he could say anymore, hands of stone erupted out of the platform he was standing on, grabbing his ankles and holding him down. Octavia looked straight up at him from between the hands, her eyes flinty and hard. "You don't. Hurt. My little pony!" she snapped out, unleashing her Volt Tornado at point blank range.

The Reploid screamed in shock and pain as the electricity coursed through his body, only for a flaming hoof to catch him in the chin and send him flying even further up into the electrified tornado. As he arced back, Octavia triggered her Ult. Mode and activated the Nova Dash, charging forward, straight up, and then turning around the Reploid to bounce him back and forth in the air several times before slamming him back into the ground.

When the smoke and wind cleared, the Reploid was barely functioning, and Octavia stood on his back, his weapon clutched in her hoof, the blade at his throat. "What is your name?" she demanded coldly.

"M...my name is Splash Warfly-"

"No, your name is Mud," Octavia corrected, pressing the blade down harder. "Now, what is your name?"

"...m...mud..." Warfly offered.

"And you are very sorry for threatening my pony, yes?" Octavia insisted, shifting so she could knee the Reploid in the kidneys.

"Y...yes..." Warfly gasped out desperately.

"And you're going to apologize and surrender, aren't you?" Octavia growled out, kicking him onto his back and putting the blade between his eyes.

"I'm sorry!" Warfly gasped out, his arms moving into a surrender pose as fast as his barely functional servos could manage.

Zero chuckled softly. "Heh. She takes after you, X."

As X rubbed the back of his head nervously, Axl gave a hesitant thumbs up. "Uh...go Mom?"

7: We Carry On

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With Splash Warfly safely locked up and Octavia hiding in Piano's fluff in embarrassment over everyone's reaction to the incident already dubbed 'Mama Pwne', X, Zero, and Axl met to discuss their next move.

"We've got three Mavericks left to go after," X began as he laid out the information they had available. "One in the Lava Factory, one at the Central Circuit, and one in the Cyber Field. Do we want to continue targeting each one individually, or split into three teams to take them all down at once?"

"We have to go as a group," Axl insisted. When X and Zero both turned to look at him in shock, he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I-I mean, Octavia told Stonekong I was doing this as a 'challenge of leadership' against Red sort of thing. That's why he agreed to surrender after I beat him." He swallowed convulsively, struggling to keep from going into a panic. These two might be family now, but they were still his idols, and he was now realizing that he'd just told them off. "T-that means I need to fight them all, right?"

"He's got a point, X," Zero agreed, making Axl breathe a sigh of relief. "You know how big a deal honor is to warrior type Reploids. Remember how much trouble that nearly caused with Colonel?" When that brought a chuckle out of X, Zero continued. "Besides, we've both been on vacation for several years. We're both still a little rusty. It's why we went after Warfly as a group."

X nodded. "Valid points all around. Fair enough, we go as a group." Turning, he shot Axl a smile. "And I'm impressed. Few probationary Hunters have the guts to speak up against me or Zero without encouragement. Took a lot to do it, didn't it?" He chuckled when Axl couldn't hide his nerves or relief. "Octavia's told me that even before the Light hologram told her to keep an eye on you, she saw a lot of potential in you. 'Strong mind, stronger heart' were her exact words. You're gonna go far here, kid."

Axl blushed, both pleased and embarrassed from so much praise. "T-thanks..."

"So since you have so much to say," X continued, "let's hear where you think we should go next. You must have some idea who we'll be facing."

Axl swallowed nervously, struggling to control his emotions and think clearly. "...Lava Factory," he stated firmly. "The water based weapons we got from Splash Warfly should help us get through the hazards, and the number of Reploids - Maverick or otherwise - who can thrive in all that heat is limited. In fact, Flame Hyenard is the only one of those who's been upgraded by 'The Professor'. He needs to keep his body at high temperatures to function properly, so the water weapons from Warfly should give us a major advantage."

Axl sat nervously after delivering his pronouncement...only to hear a slow clap. Turning, he saw Octavia bringing her forehooves together, applauding him. "Well done," she said simply. "Now let's act on that knowledge."

The early portions of the factory seemed to be mostly functional, with very little damage. The main danger came from the fact that many of the worker drones had gone Maverick and were attacking them. Everything from standard security drones to Mettools to large, gas spewing Mechanaloids worked to slow the group's advance. However, they weren't able to stand up to the group's combined onslaught, and they made their way through quickly while evacuating the civilians who hadn't been damaged.

The lava fields the factory drew from were a bit more difficult to cross, as the towers that rose out of them for maintenance and observation were few and far between. Thankfully, there were large platforms where work at the factory actually was done scattered here and there, allowing the group to cool off somewhat...as long as they were able to avoid the time bombs.

The biggest point of concern came when a large snake Mechanaloid similar to one head of the hydra they'd encountered at the Battleship rose up out of the lava to block the path. It proved more heavily armored than the individual heads of the hydra, as well as being somewhat faster. The heat of the factory weighed down on the entire group, especially Octavia. "I am...not liking this place..." she grumbled as she started to pant for breath after the second time they encountered one.

"Maybe you should evac," Axl offered worriedly.

"No!" Octavia insisted. "I can handle it. Just...lets keep going."

"We can take a break for a while and Varia can focus her energies on cooling you off," X pointed out. "There's a Light Capsule directly below us." Without waiting, X dropped down to the capsule.

The hologram instantly displayed itself. "X, now that you're here, I can activate the three armor programs that have been collected so far, including this buster part that will allow you to charge your new Special Weapons. In addition, I've included a program to upgrade Varia's enviro-stabilizer. It should help Octavia deal with the heat."

"Perfect timing, Dad," X complimented happily. "By the way, Alia's pregnant."

The hologram visibly glitched. "R...really?"

"Yeah," X replied. "It's part of why we cut the honeymoon short."

"...short? X, I married you all four years ago."

"How many vacation days build up after a century on the job?"

The hologram was silent for a time. "I'm going to be there for the birth. Boy or girl?"

"We want to be surprised," X replied as he stepped into the capsule, activating the three Glide Armor parts now available.

Up above, Varia beeped. "Upgrade to enviro-stabilizer downloaded. Adapting..." The armor glowed briefly.

Octavia breathed a sigh of relief. "Much better..."

Once the group reunited, they made their way through the main part of the factory until they reached a teleporter, which warped them to a new area.

The teleporter sent them to the main processing facility, where the lava flowed through to be harvested for geothermal energy and mineral resources. As a result, it was even hotter than the rest of the facility, and even more heavily patrolled. Thankfully, the new armor upgrades for X greatly increased his combat capability, making the trip through that segment to the next teleporter much swifter.

When they came out the other side at a gigantic platform, Flame Hyenard was plainly visible, standing atop a giant gazelle-shaped Mechanaloid that walked back and forth in the lava. He was a humanoid Reploid based off a hyena in design, with a mostly yellow, orange, and red color scheme in a flame pattern, with missile launchers on his arms and back. He was also screaming in pain. "It hurts...it hurts!" His screams were briefly interrupted with coughing and choked gasps.

"What's...what's happening to him?" Axl asked worriedly.

"It looks like Maverick Virus infection symptoms," Octavia spoke up. "But that's impossible..."

"Unless someone's trying to recreate it," Zero murmured worriedly.

"Well, we're going to have to try to bring him back to himself somewhat while we fight," X murmured. "Axl, what was he like before he started getting upgraded?"

"Badass," Axl replied. "Everything he did, it had to be done with a certain flair. If it wasn't done well, it wasn't worth doing."

"You!" Hyenard screamed out. "You four...you're the source of my suffering! If I tear you to pieces, the pain will stop!" Two hard-light holographic duplicates of him leapt out of his body, charging towards the group.

"Burn to the ground-" one of them started to shout as it gathered flames in its hand.

"Stop!" Octavia bellowed in a British accent for some reason, getting in front of the duplicate and holding a hoof out, making it freeze momentarily in confusion. "This is silly. This is far, far too silly. I won't have your entire being reduced to a hated meme. If we're going to do a battle this epic, we're going to do it right. First off, reprogram the nanites on that Mechanaloid and make it a bloody dragon!"

The primary Flame Hyenard immediately plugged into the Mechanaloid, causing it to start restructuring itself.

"Mom, what are you-" Axl began.

"Hush!" Zero cut him off. "She's tapping into his core persona. It's the key to breaking the grip of the program aspect of the Virus on a Reploid. If it works, we'll be able to save him."

"Next, stop talking!" Octavia continued, maintaining the British accent. "You've done something terrible to your voice synthesizer, and it makes you sound pathetic. Besides, since when has calling out your attacks been in vogue? And if you're going to shout anything, make it the actual names of your attacks, like 'Blazing Fist' or 'Hadouken', or 'Final Rocket', not 'burn it to the ground'. Seriously, who thought that sort of thing was a good idea?"

Much to Axl's amazement, the three Hyenards appeared to be taking notes. Meanwhile, the purple and bronze gazelle Mechanaloid had completely restructured itself into a crimson and gold dragon, wings and all.

"Now, dragons don't fight groups, they fight lone knights!" Octavia continued. "Zero, Axl needs your beam sword!"

Without hesitation, Zero tossed his beam saber over to Axl.

"But I don't even know how to use one!" Axl complained.

"It's got drivers inbuilt!" Zero shouted back. "You'll figure it out!"

Octavia used her weapon from Stonekong to generate a shield for Axl, tossing it over to him. "Alright, we're going to take this from the top! Knight of the Hunters vs Flames of the Dragon!" She shooed X and Zero over to a corner of the platform. "Classic, come!"

Classic promptly teleported in, clutching Octavia's preferred musical instrument in his teeth. It had originally been just an ordinary cello, but as her skill with music had increased after over a century of practicing her hobby, she'd added a few functions. It was now more machine than wood, but the sound hadn't altered...and the new functions allowed her to play many instruments from the single machine if she played the notes right.

"Classic, popcorn for the watchers!" Octavia ordered. Classic immediately began popping popcorn. Octavia took her cello and stood ready. "And...action!" Putting bow to string, she began to play. She was rather unsurprised that Zero immediately leapt to begin singing along.

Hyenard immediately guided the dragon Mechanaloid to dive down on Axl, dropping the duplicates towards him as he rolled out of the way. A combination of fireballs and missiles barraged Axl from the duplicates, and he countered by blocking the fireballs with his shield and splitting the missiles down the middle with his beam saber. As Zero had told him, the drivers for the saber quickly adapted him to using it, and he was able to take down the two duplicates rather rapidly.

Unfortunately, this just led to the dragon making another dive, unleashing a wave of fire that Axl was forced to evade as two more duplicates jumped down. Growling, Axl charged the duplicates as they dropped. Hurling his shield at the first, he leapt and kicked off it to grab hold of the dragon's claw, swinging himself upward to land on the waving tail before dashing up the back.

The duplicates warped up to the dragon's back to join the primary Hyenard, and the trio started dashing around Axl in a circle, hurling fireballs at him. Axl leapt upward to evade, flipping over as he hurled the beam saber down. It unleashed a wave of water energy as it stuck in the dragon's back right between the wings, causing it to crash as the two duplicates dissipated. As Hyenard rolled away from the broken Mechanaloid, Axl pulled out his G Launcher and blasted one of Hyenard's arms off. As he fell back, howling in pain, Axl landed atop him, his Splash Laser aimed right at his head.

Octavia stopped playing.

Hyenard took a few shuddering breaths. "C...Can we do that again?" he gasped out eagerly. "O...on camera this time?"

"Got it all on tape," X promised, putting down the camera no one had noticed him pulling out.

"So...awesome..." Hyenard gasped out before fainting.

Zero walked up and examined him. "Hmm...looks like this is just a viral program, rather than the actual Maverick Virus. Non-communicative, and can be overloaded with enough signal from the core persona. Doubt he'll be able to tell us anything useful, but he's clean now."

"Then let's get home," Octavia demanded, coughing a bit. "I need a cold shower and a lozenge. That accent was hard on my throat."

7: Rolling Around at the Speed of Sound

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As the group once more returned to HQ, they looked over the remaining two areas being attacked to determine where they should go next. "So...next up is either Central Circuit or the Cyber Field," X concluded. "Which should we hit next?"

"Central Circuit," Zero spoke up quickly before anyone could offer their opinions. "We should save the Cyber Field for last."

The others turned to look at him. "You just want to ride a Ride Chaser, don't you Uncle Zero?" Octavia deduced incisively.

Zero shrugged his shoulders. "While racing my new grand-nephew is certainly something I'm looking forward to, Iris is a Cyberspace specialist, and is working on a way to assist us in the Cyber Field. As such, I'd like to save it for last to give her as much time as possible to get it ready."

"Marriage has changed you, Uncle," Octavia mused softly. "You actually make plans now-"

"Besides, I wanna see if Axl has it in him to jump the Hudson!" Zero concluded eagerly.

"Bring it on!" Axl barked out excitedly.

"But not too much," X offered with a rueful sigh.

When the group warped into the Central Circuit, the four of them side by side on their Ride Chasers were able to cover the entire track, following the loops around to collect and disable the time bombs that had been placed there as well as evacuate the civilians, while the four Ride Chaser busters had enough combined power to blast away the obstacles in their paths. As such, a single lap was enough to rescue all civilians and disable all time bombs.

With that done, Axl suddenly swerved to the side of the road. "I gotta take this one myself!" he called out, before leaping off the Ride Chaser and off the track.

"Axl!" Octavia called out, swerving to a halt and rushing to see where he fell, the others close behind.

Down below, Axl came down with a flip, landing on the back of a boar-based Reploid that had been reconfigured to resemble a massive motorcycle. The Reploid immediately let out an angry bellow. "Get off me!" he roared, bucking and swerving.

"Not until you listen, Ride Boarski!" Axl snapped, grabbing hold of Boarski's ear/handlebars and hauling back.

"Oink-wa!" Boarski screeched out. "Axl! Red gave you a home, and this is how you repay him?"

"I'm saving him - and all of you - from what he's become!" Axl snarled, digging his heels in and trying to force Boarski to a halt.

"You killed Crowrang!" Boarski bellowed as he shifted to his Reploid form in an attempt to throw Axl off.

"He left me no choice!" Axl snapped back, shifting to brace himself against the top of Boarski's back, who reared like a bucking bronco.

"You sound just like a Hunter!" Boarski snarled in rage.

"Don't you remember?" Axl snapped out, throwing his weight forward to roll over Boarski's head, flipping him over to slam his back into the ground. "That's what we were trying to be! Hunters where the Hunters couldn't go, picking up the slack as the world got too big for them! That was our mission when I joined! When did that turn to hate and hunger for power?" Standing over Boarski, he stared right into his eyes. "What happened to you wanting to prove you were the best on the track, and outrun any villain to run them to the ground?"

Boarski glared up into Axl's eyes for a time, but eventually subsided. He refused to speak further. It was, however, enough to warp him back to the brig in Hunter HQ.

After a rather long and impassioned dressing down from Octavia about Axl's recklessness, the group made their way into the Cyber Field. Octavia once more took her place at the back of Axl's head, and didn't look like she was planning on moving any time soon.

The Cyber Field itself, as expected, was an area within Cyberspace, with the paths floating in the ether and hostile programs patrolling the links, taking on forms that resembled Reploids. Certain paths were blocked off by firewalls that only security programs could pass through. Other Reploids who had been caught in a Dive were scattered about, unable to evac out of the Cyber Field until the group got to them.

"You said Iris had something that would help us here?" X asked Zero curiously.

"Yup," Zero confirmed. "It should be downloading right about...now."

At that moment, every hostile program in the area immediately shut down.

"There we go," Zero confirmed. "Iris has a program built into her core circuits that lets her command data constructs within cyberspace. Normally, she has to initiate a full Dive in order to use it, but she's been experimenting in projecting it. Right now, it's an aura around the four of us that will put any hostile security program or firewall in our vicinity into stand by mode. As long as we don't attack them, they won't take any action."

"Effective," Octavia commented dryly. "This should make things go much smoother."

As Octavia predicted, as long as they kept their busters off they had no trouble making their way through. The only point of interest was when they encountered a fourth Light Capsule. "Fancy meeting you all here," the hologram mused as it activated. "X, this capsule contains the data for the Head Parts of the Glide Armor. While not defensively strong as others have been, it will draw in additional energy from your environment to replenish energy stores, allowing you to recover more readily on long missions.(1)" He then turned to Octavia. "With the complete armor program, you should now be able to activate Glide Mode on Varia, once this program is downloaded."

Smiling, X climbed into the capsule, downloading the last program and completing the Glide Armor. The armor was white and gold, in the style of old samurai armor, though slimmed down for speed. On Octavia, the armor pattern was the same, though it incorporated the wings of her Ult-Varia, turning the basic glide into full flight, for a period of time.

Before long, the group reached the final area of the Cyber Field, a round pillar they had to race up the side of to confront the 'Maverick'. He was a bright green humanoid-anteater Reploid. He stared down at the group, his large claws curling and uncurling as he watched their approach. "You four are even more impressive together than I expected," he mused. "I'm pleased, Axl. You've found your true family, and you are happy. Far be it for me to stand in the way of that."

"Snipe Anteator?" Axl asked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Quite simple," Anteator explained. "I know that I stand no chance against the four of you working together. I also know that within the influence of the program your present Navigator has forced into this Cyber Field, my actions cannot be remotely overwritten as 'the Professor' intended. I have also witnessed how you have worked so hard to save everyone who could be saved, and how much it has pained you that not everyone could be. As such...I surrender. Though I can't give you any information to assist you, I can wish you luck in saving Red...and all he stood for."

Axl stared for a time, then nodded. "Iris, five to beam out of the Dive."

"Roger," Iris replied readily, warping them out of Cyberspace.

(1) In the game, it contains an "item attracting force", but enemies don't drop items in this continuity. Had to tweak it as best I could.

7: The Final Charge

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With Snipe Anteator in the brig alongside Soldier Stonekong, there was only one thing left to do. "All eight 'Mavericks' Red sent out have been...dealt with," Iris explained from her Navigator post. "All that's left now is to address the actual issue of Red himself...and this 'Professor' who appears to be pulling the strings. The only way to do this is to target the Red Alert headquarters."

All eyes turned to Axl, who swallowed convulsively and nodded. "Alright," he agreed slowly. "I'll guide you all there. I know the teleport coordinates to get us as close as possible. It'll land us at the edge of the Palace Road, though. The Crimson Palace itself is teleport shielded."

Octavia gently pat Axl's head comfortingly. "Don't worry," she said softly. "We'll fix things..."

As the group of four Hunters arrived at the edge of the Palace Road, they only had a few minutes to take in the surroundings. The road itself was high up in the clouds where nothing could be seen, and large metal cylinders were arranged along the road, blocking parts of the path. The more significant detail, however, was a massive mole-shaped Mechanaloid behind a large, spiked metal roller that was slowly chasing them down the road.

"Move, everyone!" X barked out, leading the way forward in a dash, the others close behind him.

"You know, my dash function is actually more powerful than yours," Octavia grumbled from Axl's arms.

"Then save it in case we need it," Axl replied. "Besides, isn't the kid supposed to look out for his parents once he's grown?"

As they dashed past the metal cylinders - which revealed themselves to be bombs when the Mechanaloid rolled over them, making them explode - and around holes in the road, Deerballs marched slowly towards them, though they could be evaded or destroyed easily. "Dodge them!" X ordered. "Let them slow down our pursuer!"

The chase down the road continued for quite some time, with X, Zero, and Axl racing ahead. Octavia, meanwhile, glanced behind them, keeping an eye on the pursuing Mechanaloid. As she'd expected, the frequent explosions were slowly damaging the Mechanaloid's outer armor, and a grin crossed her features as it fell away at long last. "It's vulnerable!" she barked out. "Take it down!"

The four quickly turned to do so, evading as the Mechanaloid launched bladed discs at them from either side of its roller. After dealing enough damage to the Mechanaloid, it lost its roller and reverted to using a high intensity laser beam...which also didn't avail it very well.

With the Guardian Mechanaloid destroyed, the group made their way into the Crimson Palace itself.

The inside of the palace was, at first, gray and dingy, leading into a giant tower with crisscrossing paths leading ever upward, patrolled by Batton Bones and Mettools. Every so often, the sloping paths were blocked by massive balls of junk that slowly rolled towards the group, forcing them to duck into gaps in the path to evade. Eventually, they reached the top of the tower, and a teleporter.

"So...where does this go?" X asked Axl.

"No idea," Axl replied. "The Palace is in Security Mode, and that gives it a new floor plan every time, designed by Red himself when it's activated. Red's the only one who knows the layout once he activates it."

"Well, only one way to find out, then," Zero decided, stepping into the teleporter. The others soon followed.

The warp dropped them on the first in a series of platforms floating over a void. Axl instantly handed Octavia to X before leaping forward across the platforms. He knew this place. "The Dueling Grounds, Red?" he called out. "Someone's feeling dramatic."

Red warped in, hovering over the center platform, a large double-bladed scythe gripped in his hand in a ready stance. "Says the one who made this a challenge for leadership," Red observed, amusement thick in his voice. "Not sure how that's going to work, when you're practically a Maverick Hunter already."

"Why did this happen, Red?" Axl demanded. "This, all of this...it isn't like you!"

"You're not in a position to demand answers yet, Axl," Red replied readily. "This is a challenge for leadership. Face me. If you win, then I'll tell you everything. But if anyone interferes...then you learn nothing."

"Classic, come!" Octavia called out.

Red spun to glare at Octavia as her support unit beamed in. "What did I just say?" he growled out.

"Oh, he's not here to interfere," Octavia replied calmly. "But if we're going to be reduced to observers, we want some snacks. And since you weren't considerate enough to provide a popcorn vendor, I brought my own."

"If you end up playing music like you did against Hyenard, I get the mic this time," X called out quickly.

"Dammit!" Zero snapped irritably, crossing his arms in a huff.

Octavia rolled her eyes and sighed. "Classic has two mics, you know. Kick his ass, Axl!"

"Will do, Ma!" Axl called back.

"Ma?" Red asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

Axl shrugged. "She adopted me."

Red chuckled softly. "Glad to see you landed on your feet, boy. So...let's see if you've become a man!"

Red and Axl both lunged for each other. Red swung his scythe, striking out at Axl as he ducked under each strike, while Red sidestepped or deflected each attempt of Axl's to shoot him with the other end. After a time of the clash, Red leapt back, unleashing waves of energy from each blade of his scythe in a swipe. Axl dodged by leaping to another platform, only to have to leap away again as Red unleashed Volt Tornadoes on several platforms.

"I fight with the strength of all my men!" Red called out. "Can you face us all alone?"

Axl looked up, his eyes narrowed...and holstered his guns. "I already have!" As he lunged forward, Octavia began to play.

To Red's surprise, Axl shifted into Ride Boarski to body slam him to the next platform. As they impacted, he shifted to Soldier Stonekong, grabbing Red and flipping him onto another platform. Red leapt back to his feet and swung his scythe...only to gasp as Axl shifted into Splash Warfly, countering with the double-bladed propeller sword, meeting the strikes head on. As he managed to throw Red off his game and knock the scythe off course, he shifted into Vanishing Gungaroo and unleashed a barrage of punches into Red's torso.

Gasping for breath, Red steeled himself and grappled with Axl, only to be spun around and around as Axl shifted into Tornado Tonion, sending Red flying straight up as the spin generated a powerful Volt Tornado. As Red tumbled, Axl launched up in the form of Wind Crowrang, taking a page out of Storm Eagle's battle style and striking several times as he swooped past his foe. He came to a halt directly below Red, turning into Flame Hyenard and smashing his feet into Red's back, kicking him upward and damaging his repulsor jets as Axl came down hard on the platform directly below.

"This ends now!" Axl called out as he changed into Snipe Anteator and began charging the sniper rifle. Shifting, he locked onto Red as he tumbled...and pulled the trigger.

Red gasped out as the shot punched through his torso, severing his primary command pathways and control circuits while leaving his primary power core and core CPU intact. Unable to move at all, Red tumbled down to the platforms, landing heavily on one of them as Octavia ended the music. "W...well done, Axl. She's...really made a man out of you. Maybe...you can handle The Professor, too...and keep him from turning our friends into mindless slaves."

Axl gasped out in shock. "Is...is that why you did all this?"

Red nodded. "He showed up, offered to use the DNA data you collected to upgrade us...the upgrades were amazing...but everyone who got upgraded...he gained control of. When you ran, he told me...if we didn't bring you back, he would turn all my men...into mindless killing machines."

"Red..." Axl moved to the side of his old leader, putting his hand to his shoulder.

"I failed our men, Axl," Red explained bitterly. "I know...you won't." Forcing through the paralysis, he grasped his scythe and handed it to Axl. "You'd best...get out of here...sir. This place...will explode soon. I will...make sure he thinks...that you fell into his trap. Security...has already been disabled..." Red's chest compartment opened, and his power core began to whine.

"Red, no!" Axl called out desperately. "I didn't shoot to kill! You can still be saved!"

Red chuckled softly. "Axl...I already have been. Now go! You have more responsibilities than just me to see to! You are the leader of Red Alert now! Act it!"

Axl flinched back, but nodded. Tears in his eyes, he raced to the teleporter, leading the others deeper into the Crimson Palace as the Dueling Grounds exploded...Red's last act to help save his men.

7: The Man Behind It All

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When the group finished warping out of the Dueling Grounds, they landed on one end of a platform, leading straight forward to a path split with teleporters plainly in view at either end. Axl immediately started down the path, Red's scythe now strapped to his back. Octavia clambered up to his shoulders and gently tapped his cheek. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"...no..." Axl replied softly, his voice firm and controlled even as his hands shook. "But I'm not going to be better...until The Professor has been dealt with. That way, I can free my men." X's eyebrow shot up in response to that statement, and Zero smirked proudly. "So I'll deal with him...then deal with this."

Octavia nodded softly. "Alright." She sat back, letting him choose the path, X and Zero following.

"We stick together," Axl declared firmly, and received no argument.

Axl led them through the left teleporter, and along a straight path of separated platforms and walls that required careful air maneuvering to get through, and bomb throwing drones, laser grids, and fire breathing canine mechanaloids guarding the paths. Another path led into a curved path, twisting back and forth as they dealt with radar towers and giant turtle mechanaloids. Much to X and Zero's surprise, Axl made excellent use of Red's scythe, splitting most hostiles in a single swing from midair. Apparently, the scythe carried the drivers to use it properly.

A teleporter took them to a wider area with larger platforms patrolled by the canine mechanaloids, though they now came in different colors, with red ones breathing fire while blue ones unleashed frost, and where the path split once again. Axl led the way to the left.

"Do you know where we're going?" Zero asked curiously.

"Forward," Axl responded firmly. "With the security disabled after the maze was set up, it's impossible to be sure of more than that."

Before long, the group reached a large, open chamber with eight teleporters, each one with what looked like a sarcophagus in front of it. "This...this isn't part of the Palace," Axl stated worriedly, glancing around as he tried to make sense of the surroundings. "At least...not a part I recognize..."

"We do," X growled out, his hands flexing angrily.

"We faced a chamber like this every time we went up against Sigma," Zero added, his eyes flinty. "He made us face off against copies of every Maverick we'd had to deal with in each of the conflicts. Here...this 'Professor' is making you face duplicates of your men."

Axl's eyes hardened. "And what happens when they're beaten?"

"The teleporters shut down, and generally whatever marks them breaks," Octavia continued. "In this case, probably the sarcophagi-"

With a roaring shout, Axl seized Red's scythe and hurled it, sending it spinning through the air, smashing the sarcophagi and shutting down the teleporters as it went, curving like a boomerang to destroy all eight before returning to his hand. "I don't play games for the entertainment of my enemies," he growled out as he strapped it to his back.

Seeing this, Zero chuckled as he pulled out of his duck. "Yup, definitely a Light," he teased, elbowing X playfully.

At Octavia's confused expression, X rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I...did the same thing when Zero and I were going after Sigma after the Eurasia incident."

"When you came back with the Ultimate Armor?" Octavia clarified. She thought about that for a time. "I get to smash the warps next time," she stated firmly.

A final teleporter appeared in the center of the platform, and the group stepped up into it.

At the other end of the teleporter, a figure floated above the platform they found themselves on. He was bright purple with green armor covered in white tubes, sticking out to amplify his energy production. A massive gun sat in his right hand. His face, however, was unmistakable. "Sigma!" X, Zero, and Octavia snapped out angrily, drawing their weapons as they got into combat stances.

"Who were you expecting?" Sigma laughed out. "Seriously, eight Mavericks rampaging and the world in peril...who else did you think it would be?"

"You just can't stay down, can you?" Zero growled out. "I thought we were finished with you last time. How'd you survive?"

"Actually, Zero, I have to thank you for last time," Sigma replied wickedly. "It opened my eyes to how dependent I became on that Virus you gave me. I was far greater before I ever let it into my systems. I would have been better off if I'd never been infected, never accepted that program's offer of power." He glared down at Zero. "Not to say I wouldn't have followed this path without it. I was on my way there to begin with. So long as this world is humans and Reploids, so long as there is division...there will never be peace. And I will claim the power to end that division permanently...by wiping the human scourge from the face of this planet, and creating the world only for Reploids we deserve!"

"You're insane!" X proclaimed angrily, raising his buster.

"Am I, X?" Sigma asked, lifting the massive gun in his hand. "Or am I the only sane Reploid left in this world as it rots from within? We are the future, and it's time for the past to be-AAAAGH!"

Axl lowered his scythe as the hand holding that massive gun dropped to the floor. "You talk too much," he growled out, his eyes as hard as agates.

"Why do this?" Sigma demanded angrily, clutching the stump. "You really think humans and Reploids-"

"I don't give a damn," Axl responded firmly. "Humans, Reploids, past, future...that's not my concern." He braced the scythe in both hands. "But you turned my men into crazed puppets, and drove the man I saw as a Father to betray everything he stood for to protect them. You are an enemy of Red Alert, and as the leader of this organization, I will destroy you and reclaim our home! Prepare yourself!"

Growling, Sigma lifted his stump arm, causing the hand and gun to fly back to reattach. "You think you can stop me? A punk like you? Bring it on!"

7: All On The Line

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Sigma floated back with his gun held lightly in his hand. "So you think you can handle me, is that it kid?" he taunted as he leveled the weapon and started firing.

Axl spun the scythe rapidly, generating an energy shield that deflected the shots. "I am the leader of Red Alert, successor to Red himself, trained and raised by his hand into a warrior worthy to hold this weapon!" Stopping the spin, he swung, turning the energy shield into a projectile discus, forcing Sigma to fade out of the way of the blast. "I will see you destroyed for what you did to my men!"

"That makes this the end of the leadership challenge then, doesn't it?" Sigma laughed as he warped behind Axl, delivering a hard backhand to the back of his head to send him flying. "I guess I'll just have to take that weapon off your cold dead-" The image of Axl faded and vanished. "What?"

Axl reappeared in front of Sigma, unleashing a flurry of blows with the spinning weapon against the Maverick Commander. "Did you really think I spent so long with X, Zero, and Mom without picking up a few tricks? The techniques may be old and outdated, but Varia still has them in her systems, and the old techniques use less energy, and can be combined."

"Soul Body and Chameleon Sting?" X gasped out in shock.

"Clever," Zero praised, staying back out of range of the spinning scythe.

Growling, Sigma faded back out of range. "Clever, but I won't fall for the same trick twice-" He let out a yelp as he tried to dodge out of range of the scythe thrown like a discus, only for it to split into several copies, many smashing into him before fading while the last boomeranged back to Axl's hands as the effect of the charged Boomer Cutter wore off.

"No, you'll fall for different ones!" Axl roared out as his body burst into flames before lunging forward in Speed Burner, the scythe spinning rapidly around him like a crazed electron around and a flaming proton.

Sigma desperately tried to evade, only to take a heavy blow that sheared off an entire shoulder pauldron. Screaming in pain, he shot back down to the platform the battle took place around. As he landed, he hefted his gun to his shoulders, supercharging it and firing off a massive blast straight at Axl. Before everyone's eyes, it looked as though Axl had been incinerated. "Hah!" Sigma shouted out in triumph. "You are nothing to me! X and Zero may have unlimited power, but you are-"

The beam petered out as Axl split the power cables feeding it from behind, having made use of Dark Hold to evade the blast and waited just long enough behind Sigma for him to have committed the majority of his energy to the attack. "I'm part of their family," Axl said simply. "And I have more tricks than you could possibly imagine." Spinning, he broke Sigma's armor completely with a heavy blow of the scythe shaft.

Sigma staggered back, growling in rage. "You think it's so easy to beat me?" His eyes glowed brightly. "And what of your friends? Will you let them-"

"Don't bother," Axl interrupted as he once more transformed...into Sigma. "I've already downloaded enough of your DNA Data to completely block the control signal you use to remotely manipulate my men. And now that you've actually attempted to broadcast the signal, I've analyzed it enough I don't even have to be in your form to block it...or even be anywhere near them." He reverted back to his own form. "As a temporary measure, the control codes for that override are now keyed to my RDNA code. It'll only work if I send the signal. And I'm not about to take free will away from my men."

Sigma leapt to his feet, lunging for Axl only to be knocked away. "You think this is the end?" he roared out angrily.

"I think so," Axl stated firmly, bringing his scythe down and out, ready to deliver a lethal blow. "This time, you're done for...once and for all."

Sigma began to chuckle. "You know, I thought it would be X and Zero who pushed me this far. I even thought it might be that bloody pony. But I never thought it would be a brat like you." He staggered backward, watching carefully as Axl followed, maintaining the lethal distance. He then stopped and grinned widely. "But you aren't the only one aware of the strength of the past!"

A shot rang out.

"Axl, get down!" Octavia shouted out, dashing forward as fast as Varia's systems could manage to knock Axl to the side before the depleted uranium round could punch through his skull.

X and Zero immediately brought up their weapons towards the source, and both gasped out in shock. "Vile!"

The armored former Hunter was once more revived and violent, his armor having changed from the purple it originally had been or the blue Doppler had colored it, now a bright green and yellow as his active camouflage deactivated. "Hello boys and girls," he greeted teasingly. "Miss me?"

"Who's that?" Axl asked curiously as Sigma leapt up to beside Vile.

"An annoying headache that should have stayed gone," Octavia growled out angrily.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but that'd give you too much knowledge of my new capabilities for next time," Vile teased maliciously. "And don't doubt that there will be a next time. You haven't seen the last of either of us." Both Vile and Sigma vanished.

X, Zero, and Axl clenched their fists in rage. Octavia pawed the ground angrily, snorting in fury. But it was too late to stop them.

They'd won the battle...but the war had begun all over again.

7: Aftermath

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Axl sighed to himself as he leaned back behind his desk - his desk - in Maverick Hunter HQ. Less than a week ago, this would have been the sort of thing that had him jumping for joy, as he'd finally achieved his dream. Not only was he now a full fledged Maverick Hunter, but the head of an entire division! He supposed that it was true what they said...be careful what you wish for.

He was a Maverick Hunter, everything he'd dreamed of when he was under Red's tutelage...but Red had died to make it possible. The scythe hung on the wall behind his chair, a reminder of everything that had happened. He was head of a division, but that division was the rescued members of Red Alert who were now being integrated into the Hunters under his command, since they still saw him as the leader of Red Alert...a position he'd never wanted, but stepped up to for the sake of the leader he'd had to kill to become the leader. And any frictions or problems with integrating former Mavericks into the discipline of the Maverick Hunters were now on his head.

He also had a family now. It was still odd to think of such a tiny pony as his Mom, but it meant X was his grandpa and Zero was his uncle. Those two had always been his heroes and idols, and there was no way he'd turn down anything that meant they treated him as family, especially with the respect he'd unwittingly earned from them with his performance in the most recent crisis. He'd even received a commendation from Signas, as well as confirmation as the fourth S Rank Hunter in the entire history of the Maverick Hunters, and was serving along the other three...who just happened to be his new family.

But all this good came with its own questions, doubts, and mysteries. He still had no idea about his true origins. What little the Light Hologram said also implied that finding the answers would be incredibly difficult. For all he knew, his origins might be as antiquated as X and Zero's. But unlike them, the Light Hologram refused to speak of him, leaving him with only questions.

And then there was Sigma and Vile. Driving Sigma out of the Crimson Palace and saving his men - most of them, anyway - had been fine in the moment, but he still remained at large...and was still ultimately responsible for the deaths of Red and Wind Crowrang. In Axl's eyes, that meant he couldn't truly rest so long as Sigma was alive and at large. But Vile was on Sigma's side, and would definitely prove problematic. He may have been nearly a century outdated as far as when he was built, but there was no doubt he'd been upgraded immensely. The war had begun right where it had left off, and it was all Axl's fault. Sigma would have never caused so much damage or gotten so powerful if not for his DNA copy ability.

As he leaned back lost in his thoughts, he felt a soft pat on his head. "Hey Mom," he muttered without looking up.

"You shouldn't be thinking so hard," Octavia chided gently. "It's not good for you."

Axl rolled his eyes. "I'm not about to burn out my CPU or anything like that..."

"I meant emotionally," Octavia corrected. "If you stew too long in your own thoughts, you'll take on more responsibility than you should, blame yourself for things you couldn't have prevented or in truth had nothing to do with, and become convinced you have to fix everything with your own hands, probably leading to some sort of reckless suicide charge with your men at your back trying to take down Sigma and Vile single handedly."

Axl blinked, stunned anew at how well Octavia could read him, as though she knew his thoughts. "Would that be so bad?" Axl asked wistfully.

"You mean other than the fact you have no idea where Sigma or Vile are or what capabilities they've added since our last encounter, meaning you'd be wandering around at random while they could pick off your men one by one until they've destroyed you all since Sigma does know all the capabilities of you and your men now?" Octavia opined dramatically. "No, I don't see what's so bad other than that."

Axl chuckled softly. "You've done that before, haven't you?" he asked carefully. "Pointed out when people are being idiots and keeping them from making stupid mistakes?"

"I'm surprisingly good at it," Octavia confirmed. "Normally, I'm a bit more dramatic about it, but you're my little pony. I don't have to be dramatic with you, just firm."

"Why do you do that, anyway?" Axl demanded, feeling a little perturbed.

"Keep people from acting like idiots?" Octavia asked curiously. "Well, someone has to."

"No, I mean...call me your little pony and tell me to giddy-up or mush?" Axl clarified. "And treating me like that?"

"Because I'm a pony," Octavia explained simply.

"Eh?"

"I'm a pony, you're humanoid," Octavia continued. "We couldn't be more different, and the only familial bond we have is the one we've chosen. So when I took you under my metaphorical wing - and eventually adopted you - I pretended like you were a little lost colt I was helping, and treated you thusly. Then it just became something I did because you were my colt." She gently patted his forehead crystal. "It's not a problem...is it?"

Axl shrugged. "Not a problem, really...just confusing at first. But then again...I've never experienced parental affection. Just because it wasn't what I expected doesn't mean it's unpleasant...or unwelcome."

"So it's alright?" Octavia clarified.

"Yes Mom," Axl responded warmly.

"Good, because I'm over a century old so it's about time I had some grandkids-"

"Mom!" Axl yelled out, blushing. "I don't even have a girlfriend yet!"

"I'm sure I can find you a nice girl somewhere, or commission a custom one for you from Gate. I'm sure he'd love to build you the perfect girlfriend-"

"I'm not listening! La la la la la~!"

Octavia clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Then again, maybe you're still a bit too immature for romance..."

Family Valued

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Axl glanced nervously at the red armored Reploid who sat beside him in the waiting room. Admittedly, technically the one beside him wasn't a Reploid, per se. Like X and Zero - and possibly Axl himself - this was another machine who predated the Reploid era, and was technically a highly advance robot. Still, Axl didn't really like thinking of him that way, and so in his own thoughts referred to him as a Reploid. Besides, he'd already discovered that his A-Trans could analyze his DNA data enough for a weapon copy and an incomplete transformation, though there were certain systems he was incapable of duplicating.

Still, it wasn't how old or how famous the one beside him was that made Axl nervous...though one would have every reason to be nervous and awkward being around the progenitor of robotic life. In human terms, it would be like actually meeting Adam face to face. The Prototype, the first artificial man, the blueprint every living cybernetic life form had been derived from. Even X had originally been designed from Protoman, from Prometheus, and X was the source of everything else. It was enough to send just about everyone he met who did know his story into babbling fangasms. ...which, now that Axl thought about it, was probably why he was so reclusive.

No, what made Axl nervous here was what he'd learned recently about how he related to this individual, which was why Prometheus was here in the first place on this day, with Zero and Iris watching his sons. "So...X is your brother?" he asked softly.

Prometheus nodded. "Little brother, really." He spoke quietly, his voice exceptionally controlled. "Of course, technically so is Zero...though one could also say he was my nephew, depending on how you want to interpret things."

"Uh...?" Axl began, unsure how to react to that.

"His final form was a father-daughter project," Prometheus explained. "The father was one of the scientists who made me, while the daughter I saw as a little sister. That makes Zero my brother and my nephew-"

"Are all pre-End robotic relations this complicated?" Axl asked morosely.

Prometheus smirked. "And only I get the joke..." He maintained his inscrutable expression behind his helmet when Axl turned to look at him in confusion. "Go on," he stated firmly. "You wanted to ask me a question, didn't you?"

Axl nodded, swallowing convulsively. "The Light hologram...knew something about me, but wouldn't say-"

"And I can well understand why," Prometheus cut him off. "The Light hologram is made from a neural scan of Dr. Light at the worst moment of his life, just days before the event that began the End Times, and not long after the event that set them in motion. I seriously doubt if the network that supports the AI can even handle processing all the emotional data related to it. I'm surprised the whole network didn't shut down when he saw you."

Axl's eyes widened. "Then...then I was built in pre-End times? You know where I came from?"

"I do," Prometheus confirmed.

"Then...then you can tell me?" The naked longing in Axl's gaze was painful to look at.

"No."

"Why not?" Axl demanded angrily, feeling torn apart inside that the truth of his origins was so close, and yet being denied him.

"For your own good," Prometheus answered flatly. "Right now, you're Octavia's son, X's grandson, a part of the Light family. Though you are technically a Light bot, any more I tell you would upset things." He leaned back. "Besides...somewhere out there is the capsule you were found in, containing the neural imprints of the ones who began your construction on the off chance they weren't the ones to complete it." He lowered his eyes. "She beat contingency plans into their heads," he mumbled under his breath. He then leaned back to stare at the ceiling. "Soon..."

"Huh?" Axl asked in confusion at Prometheus' seeming rambling.

"Never mind that part," Prometheus continued. "But they're in there, in your capsule. And given how everything's happened, I know you'll find it...probably where you least expect it, and far enough in the future that the revelations won't lead to questioning your feelings about your situation, and likely just when you desperately need it. I won't steal their thunder for when they tell you who and what you are." He closed his eyes. "Besides," he grumbled to himself, "the longer I go without references to that show, the better..."

"Uh...?" Axl was now even more confused than before.

"For now, don't worry about it so much," Prometheus suggested. "Be happy with the life and family you have. You've been through enough upheaval as is. Besides, today's not your day." He glanced up as the door, and Armatige stepped out.

"They're ready," she whispered softly. X, Octavia, Prometheus, and Axl all stood up to follow her.

"Does it always take so long?" X asked worriedly.

"There weren't any complications, if that's what you mean," Armatige assured him. "It took longer than any of mine because there was more to do, simple as that." Turning, she led them down a hall to another room.

Inside, Alia lay back on the bed, out of her armor and looking tired but glowing. In a nearby cradle were four newborns with skin tones matching X and Alia's, but with matching hair and eye color already visible. "They already have designations," Armatige informed them, "but they still wait being given 'civilian' names, if you choose to give them such." Reaching in, she pulled out a green haired, green eyed boy. "This is your first born, Harpuia." X gently took the boy into his arms, cradling him briefly before allowing the others a chance to hold and look.

Armatige then lifted out the red haired, red eyed boy. "Your second born, Fafnir," she introduced softly. Next was the blue haired, blue eyes girl. "Third born, your daughter Leviathan." Finally was the grey haired, silver eyed boy. "And your youngest, Phantom."

X smiled softly as the family gathered close, welcoming the newest arrivals.

Game On

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Axl glanced from the sheets and other oddments in front of them to those sitting around the table. He had to admit, this was the weirdest thing he'd ever experienced, if only for how surreal it was. Due to the unusual quiet of the world at large, Octavia was able to arrange an in person 'session', though Axl was still trying to figure out what that meant. As such, a rather...eclectic group sat around the table now.

Prometheus sat to Axl's left, dressed up in white armor with gold trim that didn't look like it could stop even a single plasma shot. He also insisted on being called 'Sir Gawain', though no one was really respecting that request, since Armatige was popping in every so often and insisted on calling him by name. Apparently, this was where Prometheus and his family lived, though only he had the coordinates. The teleport signal that brought the group here had been redirected mid-transfer from his end, and onto a teleport network that no one else even had access to.

Next to Prometheus was Dynamo, dressed in what Axl could only describe as a 'pretty princess dress', and looking surprisingly good in it. Axl found it mightily disturbing, especially the blonde wig and his determination to effect a surprisingly believable feminine voice. Axl tried very hard not to think about that.

Across the table from Axl sat Octavia, wearing an all covering black robe, glow in the dark red shades under the robe, and sitting on the table behind a large screen. As this left only a shadowed pair of glowing red eyes staring over the screen at the rest of the group - and she was wearing a voice pitcher that gave her a deep, echoing, menacing voice...well, Octavia had already had to pull the hood back three times to reassure Axl that it was still her under there, and that she hadn't been eaten by a shadow monster...something that always made CiCi laugh for some reason.

CiCi sat next to Octavia, though unlike the others had no costume. Next to her sat a Reploid that had been identified as Axle the Red. As soon as he'd been introduced to Axl, Axle had reshaped his vine body until he resembled Axl and said, "Okay, one of us is going to have to change!" This had resulted in CiCi smacking Axle in the back of the head.

Axl had countered by transforming into Axle and replying, "Well it's not going to be me!" This had gotten him a hoof to the back of his head and laughter from the others.

And now Axl was being introduced to this...Dungeons and Dragons game. He was still having trouble making sense of it, and while he was trying to 'build his character', the others talked about various things...which unfortunately wound up being mostly about him.

"I hear you're back on active Navigator duty, CiCi?" Dynamo asked idly as he arranged a few of his sheets.

"Yes," CiCi agreed. "Navigating for X while Alia is on maternity leave. I'll probably be taking over for Iris before too long, as well."

"Didn't you say the new regs meant each Hunter was assigned their own Navigator for missions, even group missions?" Prometheus queried. "So how could you Navigate for two?"

"Well, we've only been able to find two new Navigators with enough skill to handle an S Rank Hunter," Octavia explained calmly, her voice echoing. "Layer and Palette seem to be settling in nicely. I just wish Axl got along better with them. They're such nice girls..."

"Mo~om!" Axl whined, burying his face in his hands. "I only just became a Hunter and a leader. I'm not ready to add a girlfriend into that mix."

"I'm not asking you to go steady right away," Octavia chided gently. "But is it really so much to ask that you go on a few dates? I mean, Palette's going to be your navigator and it's important to get along-"

"She drives me crazy!" Axl interrupted in a grumble. "I know I'm high energy, and it's hard to find a Navigator who can keep up with me, but half the time I have to struggle to keep up with her! Not to mention she's a superfan and customized her combat specs to mimic mine..."

"Yeah, dating a fan is never pleasant," Prometheus agreed. "The time it takes to get them to stop looking at the ideal and see the real you...and then they either convince themselves you're perfect or feel betrayed that you aren't what they thought. It only works out if both can stay their own individuals, and it doesn't sound to me like Palette is sticking to that."

Octavia sighed reflectively as Axl turned to Prometheus with a grateful smile. "Well, I suppose that's true," she admitted. "But what about Layer? She's a nice, quiet girl-"

"Who half the time sounds like she forgot to get an emotional processor installed," Axl complained. "Just because I can turn into other people doesn't mean I should have to to understand what's going on in their head. That's what social cues are for...if she expressed any except when she was around Zero."

"Zero?" Octavia asked, confused.

"She has a fan crush on Zero," CiCi translated. "She won't act on it, since he's married...but she's not going to accept any other propositions in the meantime."

"You didn't catch that, Mom?" Axl asked in surprise. "Is that carelessness or just Mom-blindness desperate to hook me up?"

As that got more laughs from around the table, Octavia crossed her forelegs and huffed. "Fine then. Why don't you tell me what sort of girl does appeal to you?"

"Because you'd go out and get Gate to construct a custom girlfriend for me," Axl snapped back playfully.

Octavia facehoofed, sighing. "I'm just trying to look out for your happiness, Axl..."

Sighing, Axl leaned back. "Well...thing is if I say anything, I think Uncle Zero's gonna kill me..."

"Don't tell me you've got the hots for Iris," Dynamo teased playfully.

"N-not exactly," Axl murmured, cheeks red as he rubbed his nose with one finger. "But...someone like her, maybe...?"

"What do you mean?" CiCi asked curiously.

"Well...someone kind, gentle, supportive..." Axl slowly began to warm to his subject. "Someone who could keep up with me, but wouldn't run ahead...would be there to catch me if I fell. Someone...who would listen to all my stories. Not necessarily because she enjoyed them, just because she knows how much I like telling them. And someone with a real core of steel, not afraid to stand up for what she believes in...and absolutely terrifying to her enemies when she wants to be."

Octavia chuckled softly. "You're right, that does sound a lot like Iris. But you said she's 'not exactly' your type?"

Axl shrugged thoughtfully. "Well...maybe if she were blonde-"

Prometheus and Dynamo both burst into uncontrollable laughter...though for some reason Dynamo's eyes were glowing blue.

"What's so funny?" Axl demanded crossly. Octavia also glowered at the pair.

Dynamo's eyes returned to normal. "I...I don't know."

"It's a private joke," Prometheus explained. "It would take too long to explain." Still he thought back...

The one female bot Dr. Light had built - Roll - had been blonde. Rock had fallen for Kalinka. X had Alia. And now Axl... So all Light's like blondes, huh? he thought to himself, glancing over as Armatige - his own blonde-haired, blue-eyed wife - walked in with some snacks and their three kids clinging to her. Makes me wonder if Octavia follows that pattern...

"What about you, Octavia?" Armatige asked as she set down bowls. "I hear talk of romantic interest...what traits do you like?"

Octavia was silent for a time. "...well, I haven't really thought about emotionally," she explained. "Every time I start to think about romance for myself...it feels like something is missing." She glanced towards Dynamo. "...I've always liked blue hair though, for some reason..."

As Dynamo started to get excited, Prometheus put his hand on his shoulder. "Out of idle curiosity, Octavia...what do you think of dubstep?"

"The music?" Octavia asked, confused. "Honestly, I've never much cared for it...but any time I hear it, I find myself feeling oddly nostalgic. Why do you ask?"

Prometheus sat back, saying nothing.

The Path

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Octavia sighed to herself as she went through her Maverick Hunter paperwork. It was a rather busy day for her today. There were proposals to look over, sightings of Sigma and/or Vile to verify or dismiss, lower ranked Hunters to review for either promotion or discipline... It was almost enough to make her wish for a Maverick incident just so she could fob all this paperwork off on someone else so she could run off and fight instead of filling out form after form after form.

The worst part was that it wasn't just her paperwork she was going through. She was also taking care of her Uncle Zero's paperwork, since he had taken a month off to help Iris with their first born son, a silver-haired red-eyed boy named Omega. He was an adorable youngster with his mother's sweet disposition, his father's temper...and a body so perfectly adapted to the Ether that gave Zero his alternate empowered form that the tyke was already generating it in huge quantities. CiCi was one of the only ones who could reign him in forcefully if it became necessary, leaving her to debate if she did more good as Navigator or babysitter.

Meanwhile, Octavia's new siblings were rapidly growing into their own, and each had picked up a nickname. Harpuia was already showing signs of growing into an effeminate pretty boy, much to his chagrin. Between being frequently mistaken for a girl when with his siblings and the temper tantrums he threw over that, he'd earned himself the nickname Harpy. Fafnir had already developed a tendency to break things around him, and was apparently Piano's favorite, leading to the canine support unit frequently carrying the red-headed child around in his jaws by the scruff of his neck. This had earned Fafnir the nickname 'Puppy'.

Leviathan, for her part, hadn't really shown much behavior to distinguish herself yet, save a marked preference for being in the water. In the water, however, she was already fast and skilled enough to swim circles around some of the aquatic Maverick Hunters, as well as sneaking past any security to keep her out of the aquatic obstacle courses. This and her leanings towards the intellectual - if she wasn't in the water, she could be found in the library reading her way through shelf by shelf - had earned her the nickname Maka, since Mako didn't feel feminine enough. As for Phantom, he was rarely seen, and when he was trouble seemed to follow in his wake. He also rarely spoke, preferring to keep his own council, earning him the nickname Shadow.

Setting aside thoughts of her siblings and cousin for the moment, Octavia turned her mind to more pressing issues. Further attempts at matchmaking for Axl had proven...less than successful. She had attempted gently nudging Palette towards modifying her behavior such that she might be more appealing to Axl - since she seemed desperate to catch his interest as more than a Navigator - but that had backfired horribly as her excessive enthusiasm proved to infect everything she did. The less said about her attempt to give Axl a 'deep tissue massage' to show how 'supportive' she could be, the better.

Do Reploids in general - or Axl in particular - even have 'deep tissue' to be massaged? Octavia found herself wondering, not for the first time since witnessing that event. Poor Axl was still in traction, and Octavia hadn't even known he'd need that.

As she let her mind wander, she came across a report that seemed innocuous at first, but for some reason set alarm bells ringing in her mind. Frowning, she investigated it a bit deeper.

Apparently, a Pre-End Times facility had been spotted on the Moon through a visual telescope. It had been proposed that the facility be investigated as a possible evacuation shelter for civilians should Sigma create a disaster on the scale of the Eurasia incident, and that an orbital tower be constructed to allow both exploration and mass evacuation should it prove necessary. It was suggested this work be done by the 'New-Type' Reploids recently developed based on the technology in Axl's A-Trans chip, which would allow them to adapt their bodies to changing conditions in construction on a moment to moment basis. This was also meant to be a test run for the adapted technology itself, with the end goal of making it available as a mod for all Reploids.

On the surface, this proposal seemed perfectly reasonable. A pre-End Times facility, like where X and Octavia had been found. Such places always held treasure troves of valuable data, historical or otherwise, when they were found. Not only that, but facilities that had survived from then in good condition tended to be sturdier than anything modern tech could build. That made the exploration and evaluation of such a facility on the Moon the highest priority for any branch of the government. The only reason it came across the Maverick Hunter desks for investigation was because - apparently - the facility had become visible from one moment to the next, as though a cloaking device had failed...or been shut down. That meant Hunter personnel would be the first dispatched to the facility...in case it was still active. While existing functional security would prove problematic as far as investigation, it was a positive sign as far as the facility being viable as an evacuation shelter if it could be investigated and pacified with minimal collateral damage.

Beyond that, having seen what Axl was capable of with his A-Trans, Octavia knew further research into it would be invaluable. If these new 'Change Circuits' proved as viable as reports claimed and could be made into a mod, it would mean huge leaps forward in terms of both Reploid science and exploration of the solar system. After all, how much easier is it to explore a planet if you can redesign your body on the fly to adapt to the environment you're faced with? This was just further research along the lines of Gate's, the same research that had resulted in the new beings who were somewhere between human and Reploid, now called Terrans.

But if all this was true...why did just looking at the header for the proposal - The Jakob Project - fill her with such nameless dread?

8: In Fear of the Flood

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X frowned worriedly as he mentally went over the latest report regarding the Orbital Elevator, the tower being built to rapidly evacuate civilians to the moon should it prove necessary as part of the Jakob Project. New-Gen Reploids built around Copy Chip technology based on Axl's A-Trans chip proved to be as effective at working in uncertain conditions as predicted, and the leader of the project - a New-Gen Reploid named Lumine - had the construction well ahead of schedule. Everything about the report said there was nothing to worry about.

And yet, like Octavia, he found himself tense, waiting for the other armored boot to drop. He, Zero, Octavia, and Axl were all determined to be there when it did, to catch it before the world was crushed beneath it. Still, there was nothing to go on, no logical reason to suspect anything amiss. Despite this, none of them were willing to completely disregard what their instincts told them. As such, he was on patrol near the Orbital Elevator just in case something should go wrong. Much to his chagrin, something did.

The No. 4 descending container encountered a fatal glitch while racing down its track on the Tower, causing it to burst off and fall to the side. X managed to get to it as it hit, hearing the report of the error. He quickly opened communications as he arrived.

"This is X. I've encountered an accident while on patrol at the Orbital Elevator. Dispatch rescue Mechanaloids immediately!" He scanned his surroundings quickly, searching both for hazards and a safe path for said rescue Mechanaloids. As he spoke, however, something caught his eye that made him freeze.

Heavy mechanical hands gripped the edges of a break in the container from the inside, slowly pushing it apart. Inside, X caught sight of a face he knew all too well forcing the breach open as he started to climb out.

"Sigma!" X barked out, readying his buster. "Alert! We have a Sigma level alert-" His voice died in his throat as the breach was fully forced open and several Sigmas clambered out, one after the other. "It's...not possible..."

"X!" CiCi's voice cut through over the comms. "Repeat, you said a Sigma level alert! Please confirm!"

X couldn't make his mouth move as he found himself face to face with nine Sigmas, standing there staring at him. "It...it can't-" Eight Sigmas then stepped aside, revealing a different Reploid amongst them.

This one was very short, shorter than X himself, in light and dark blue light armor with purple hair spread out behind his head, one red eye visible with the other covered by his hair. "To protect ourselves from damage during the accident," the Reploid explained, "we had to take on a body sturdy enough to handle it. I am sure you can attest that there are few forms as sturdy as this one." As he spoke, the other Sigmas flared with light, shifting down into a humanoid form about the same height as the speaker, in standard issue worker armor.

X breathed a sigh of relief. "Lumine," he greeted, recognizing the Reploid from reports. "Cancel the Sigma Alert, CiCi. Just a first impression for the history books."

"Understood X," CiCi responded. "Do you still need rescue Mechanaloids?"

X started to respond, then spun, his sensors picking up further damage. "Cancel the rescue Mechanaloids for now. We've got Maverick activity near Point Galapagos. I repeat, Maverick Activity in Noah's Park! Dispatch all available S Rank Hunters to back me up." He turned back to the Reploids who'd climbed out of the container. "Lumine, can you and your subordinates keep yourselves safe until the coast is clear."

"Affirmative," Lumine stated firmly. "It will take more than a Maverick Mechanaloid to be a true danger to us."

X frowned internally. He did not like how smug that sounded when Lumine said that. "Then stay out of the way," X ordered. "The last thing I want to do is mistake a Copying Reploid for a Maverick while hunting the real threat." Turning, he headed towards the Park. "Where's my backup?" he called into the communicators.

"Already in position," Octavia called out through the comm. "Large, crab-like Maverick Mechanaloid wrecking havoc in the Park."

"Don't you mean wreaking havoc?" X asked curiously.

"Considering it's wrecking everything else, no," Octavia countered with a humorous lilt in her voice.

"Axl here, Gramps!" the next voice called through. "I've got an aerial position, and I've managed to identify the Mechanaloid as a Crabs-Y construction class Mechanaloid. Heavily armored for construction work at the Orbital Elevator, air-tight for eventual use on the Moon, and heavy set to take the Moon's lesser gravity into account for when it gets there."

"Sounds like we've got ourselves a challenge," Zero added as his signal came online. "I'll be there soon, X! Save some Maverick can for me!"

"X!" CiCi called out once more. "On orders from Signas, you are to split up into teams of two for this mission to ensure full coverage. You need to be extra careful here, as I'm picking up more Maverick activity than just the Crabs-Y. It looks like every Mechanaloid and drone in the park has gone rogue, and there also might be civilians in danger. The R&D division will be working on systems to help your performance and give you more of a safety net, but resources are stretched a little thin with the Jakob Project underway. Any Metal Resources you can find to help out will be appreciated."

"Understood!" X confirmed. "Octavia, Axl, since you two are already there, begin investigation. Zero and I will join you as soon as we catch up."

"Roger!" Zero, Octavia, and Axl responded immediately.

8: Two by Two

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Noah's Park was a lush area of rolling hills and thriving vegetation, along with the occasional wild animal facsimile. The overall goal behind the park was to give any evacuees - when and if it actually happened - a last peaceful look at Earth before being sent off to the moon. After all, if the facility on the moon did prove viable as an evacuation facility, priority would be on making it habitable for as many evacuees as possible long before making it pleasant.

Axl and Octavia weren't surprised to see many of the systems that maintained the park running amok, birds fleeing in panic as robot bees attacked everything in sight. "Hop up," Axl suggested with a sigh. "I think we'll be wanting to go fast."

"I'll watch your back," Octavia promised as she leapt up to Axl's shoulders, allowing him to start dashing forward.

As they dashed forward blasting the rogue Mechanaloids, the exploding mechas scattered a great deal of Metal resources the R&D department had requested. Luckily, one recent upgrade had been a new sub-system that drew the Metals to them once inactive, sending them back to base as they were collected. This meant the pair didn't really need to think much about collecting them.

It wasn't long before they caught sight of the Crabs-Y that had gone rogue, causing the disaster of this day. It stood well above the pair in height, as Axl barely came up to the first joint of the leg. Red armor covered the lowest part of the four silver metal legs, the wide main body far above, and the two massive claws held towards the pair, each claw large enough to seize and crush a Reploid, let alone a pony. Inside the claws, a green crystal sparking with energy could be seen.

"That crystal generates a paralysis field," CiCi informed the pair over the comms. "If one of you gets grabbed by the claws, you'll be stuck until the other is able to free you. Signas has predicted that this is a tactic we'll be facing a lot, and ordered that Hunters travel in no less than pairs."

"Then we just won't get grabbed," Octavia stated firmly as she leapt off Axl's shoulders. "Let's give it more targets to chase."

The pair focused their attacks on the upper body, Axl attacking from the front while Octavia dashed ahead between the legs to attack from behind. As they'd discovered previously, Maverick Mechanaloids - whatever the size - lacked the AI necessary to deal with a multi-pronged attack, and it was soon backing away in an attempt to get a more favorable combat area. Before long, it had started to break, leaving behind a slew of Metals before leaping away.

Axl dashed after it, coming to a stop at a cliff's edge that wasn't in the original plans for the park. "Okay, I think we should be more careful now," he muttered worriedly.

"Agreed," Octavia confirmed as she caught up. "We should probably wait for X and Zero-"

"Ya-hooooooooooo!" a familiar voice cried out as a Ride Chaser flew overhead. "I'm comi-wait, where'd this cliff come froooooooom?" The Ride Chaser - and its crimson armored passenger - sailed overhead beyond the edge of the cliff to descend to the ground far below with a resounding crash.

X dashed up behind the pair, stared out over the edge of the cliff, and brought his palm to his face. "Makers dammit, Zero..."

"Well, as long as we're all here," Octavia sighed, climbing back onto Axl's shoulders and nudging him into leaping off the cliff to catch up to Zero. X quickly followed.

Dropping down, they made their way past a waterfall, now dealing with robotic bats instead of bees as they progressed. They eventually caught up to Zero in a cave system, rubbing his head as he stared at the wrecked Ride Chaser he'd bailed off of. "Okay, I'm gonna sue whoever put that cliff there," he grumbled as they arrived. "They did not properly submit the new plans to GPS tracking-"

"We're pretty sure it was done by the Maverick Mechanaloid, Uncle," Octavia pointed out dryly.

"...so I get to rip them apart instead?" Zero asked eagerly. "Sweet!"

Hoof met face, and the group continued.

Beyond another cliff, a massive waterfall fell behind a bridge. The Crabs-Y stepped out from within the waterfall to attack, only to be forced to withdraw as the group immediately unleashed a massive barrage of energy blasts and saber slashes, dropping more Metals for the group to collect.

Not long after, they made their way into a building. "Anyone else thinking we're walking into a trap now?" X asked cautiously.

"Do you even have to ask?" Axl countered as he primed his guns.

"I doubt there's anything in here we need to worry about," Zero added with a grin, limbering up his sword arm.

"...men," Octavia grumbled under her breath.

The path through the building proved rather straightforward, the only obstacle of any concern being yet another upward tunnel that closed in on them as they climbed. Thankfully, this one was opened by blasting a button below it, so Octavia dealt with it by calling Classic in to constantly shoot the button until they were clear.

As they entered the final chamber of the building, the Crabs-Y blasted its way in through the outer wall. However, with the four of them combining their assault, it proved incapable of sustaining itself and soon collapsed into a pile of scrap.

"Not bad, Hunters," a familiar voice spoke up from the opening in the wall. "You're just as tough as I remember."

"Vile!" all four in the group snapped out angrily, lunging for him with their weapons drawn.

Vile leapt back out into the open, shaking his finger chidingly. "Now now, don't be so hasty." He waved his hand to his side, where a drone running off his signal clutched Lumine in a vise-like grip. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to him, now would you?"

All four hesitated. "You bastard..." Octavia growled deep in her throat.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere with me," Vile taunted. "I'd love to stay and play, but I'm just too busy. However...I suppose I can leave you with one parting shot." Lowering the cannon on his arm, he fired off a stealth shot, a charged sphere of energy that was completely self contained, making it next to impossible to detect mid-flight.

X ducked to the side as the blast shot right over his shoulder. "That doesn't really do any good when we're watching you shoot," he chided.

"You missed by a mile!" Zero taunted.

"Did I?" Vile gloated, chuckling wickedly. "Tell me, Hunters...how do you deal with a snake?" With that, he, the drone, and the captive Lumine warped away.

Octavia frowned worriedly. "What do you think he meant-"

"Emergency recall of all Hunters!" CiCi barked out over the comms. "I repeat, emergency recall of all Hunters! We have a Skyfall scenario! Signas is down! I repeat, Signas is down!"

Gasping in shock, the four immediately warped back to base.

8: This is War

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By the time X and the others had returned to base, every other Hunter had returned and the result was plain. Signas' head had been blasted to bits by the shot Vile had fired off in a seemingly haphazard manner, leaving sparking circuitry and leaking fluids coming out of his neck, his entire system having suffered a fatal collapse from the shot. The Maverick Hunters were left without a Commander to lead them, and the world looked as though it was about to spiral out of control as Sigma and Vile had started their war, far too soon for anyone to be ready.

X quickly took charge of the situation. "We don't have time to mourn," he stated bluntly. "Vile kidnapped Lumine. If he's still working for Sigma - and even if he isn't - there's only one target that makes sense for that."

"The Orbital Elevator?" Axl suggested diffidently. "He wants to cut off the escape route for civilians?"

"Unlikely," Zero growled out. "Sigma would rather have a clear battle field for this war of his, and Vile would be more interested in just hunting us down. If they do want the Orbital Elevator, it's for something else."

"The pre-End Times facility on the Moon," Octavia concluded. "After all...think about what else has been found in such facilities. Think about what the 'relics of the past' have been capable of." She gestured to X, Zero, and Axl. "What if there's something else on the scale of the three of you there? What if Sigma wants that for himself? How dangerous would Sigma become if he could upgrade himself with tech like what the three of you run on utilizes?"

One could feel the terror echo through the HQ, as the mental image of Sigma with X, Zero, or Axl's abilities - or all three, or even something stronger - percolated through the minds of all listeners. X quickly snapped everyone back to attention. "Then we need to make certain he doesn't get there. I'm enacting a Code Babel objective. Any Hunter not actively hunting down a Maverick or otherwise engaged on duty here at base is to take up positions in and near the Orbital Elevator. No one gets in or out. If Sigma's forces attempt to take the Elevator by force, they are to be stopped by any means necessary...up to and including the collapse of the Elevator itself. It, and Lumine, are officially collateral damage." He could feel the stunned amazement at that order even as he heard the murmurs of shock and discontent. "We cannot allow Sigma to get his hands on pre-End Times technology, or worse, tech from then that has been self-improving since. We will be making every effort to recover Lumine alive and well...but if it's a choice between saving him or stopping Sigma from reaching the Moon, Sigma gets stopped."

While this wasn't a happy directive, everyone was able to see the necessity of it. Once everyone had accepted it, X continued. "All S Rank Hunters are on duty of hunting down any clues to Sigma's activities. All Elevator teams will be led by a GA rank hunter, and no team with a leader below A Rank is to leave Hunter Base on any mission, and Hunter Base numbers are not to drop below 75% manned." With those orders given, he turned to Zero, Axl, and Octavia. "While we're hunting for clues, we stay in pairs. But if we get a lead to follow, we stick together. I'm not running the risk of us getting separated. If Sigma's that determined to get ahold of pre-End Times tech, he doesn't necessarily have to go all the way to the Moon-"

"Alert!" CiCi interrupted. "We're getting Maverick activity all across the globe. Several high level Mavericks are running amok and causing destruction, putting civilians in danger and bending all Mechanaloids in the area to their will. They need relief, stat!"

"We need to get people out there-" Zero started to say, only for X to cut him off.

"How many hot spots, exactly?" X demanded firmly.

"Collating reports..." CiCi explained as she went through all the data, her tentacles flashing across numerous panels. She then came to a complete halt. "...eight."

"Sigma," everyone present spoke up simultaneously.

"Call up information on all eight hot spots," X ordered firmly. "As soon as its all collated, we'll start planning how to deal with each."

"Collating..." CiCi confirmed as she began gathering the intel. "...the Helios program at Troia Base has gone haywire. Mavericks are attacking the rocket center in Booster Forest. There's a rebellion of some sort happening at the Metal mine. The environmental control system at the Central White antarctic base has lost power. The Inferno disposal center has lost control. The city management systems of Dynasty, Australia has failed, and several rogue groups of Mechanaloids are taking the city apart. The decommissioned military facility code named 'Pitch Black' has been reactivated and is producing weapons. And the anti-gravity laboratory Primrose has an unexplained tower atop it that is causing interference throughout the area."

"Alright team," X stated firmly. "We need to figure out what sort of Mavericks could be rampaging in those areas, and from that determine the most efficient way to deal with them. Whatever we've got, we move out in one hour exactly, no more. Move!"

As Hunters scattered to their posts, CiCi continued to collate data, trying to find anything she could give the hunters to help them. However, with one of the command cadre already dead, she had trouble bringing herself to hope that they would all come back in one piece.

8: Thunder Storm

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The four S Rank Hunters decided that it was best to investigate the events in Dynasty first, as it posed the most immediate threat to the most civilians. As such, the four were beamed into the high streets of the city on Sirius model Ride Chasers to locate the devices that were causing the power drain and whatever Maverick was controlling them, and deal with the situation as circumstances dictated.

They weren't even there for more than a few moments before they picked up the high level Reploid that was causing problems, rampaging through the city and breaking things to drain the power. It appeared at first glance to be UFO shaped, painted in many colors. As it passed the group, it opened fire.

"Counter attack!" X ordered, and all four of them shifted in the skyway to advantageous positions before opening fire with the Ride Chasers' energy cannons. "Force it to land!"

The UFO continued to fight back, both with claw-like prongs at the end of electrical projections and by releasing various energy constructs. However, the Hunters were experienced enough to evade them, and before long it had taken enough damage to be forced to land on a flying platform amongst the city towers. As the four Hunters approached the platform, they leapt off their Ride Chasers and onto the platform.

"I have identified the subject," CiCi told the group through the comms. "He is Gigabolt Man-O-War, an energy harvesting and delivering specialist. He's actually on the staff there to supply energy to the city."

"Gigabolt!" X called out. "Why are you taking energy from the city? Your job is to provide energy!"

"Are you trying to destroy the city?" Zero demanded angrily.

Gigabolt Man-O-War gave no response.

"Sigma must have disabled his speech centers when he took control of him," Axl growled angrily. "We've got no-"

"No one is controlling me," Gigabolt responded in a high, piping voice. "Who are you?"

"S Rank Maverick Hunters!" Octavia identified. "X, Zero, Axl, and Octavia. If no one is controlling you, why are you draining energy from the city?"

"My Master needs power for the new world," Gigabolt explained simply. "How is that wrong? How is that Maverick?"

"You are pursuing the wants or desires of the individual counter to the laws of society and to the detriment of civilization," Axl pointed out. "By definition, this is Maverick, criminal behavior."

"I...I don't understand..." Gigabolt spoke up. "Master says...Maverick Hunters are the bad guys...and you attacked me-"

"You attacked first," X pointed out, lowering his buster. "Come to base. Assist in our investigations. Find out the truth."

Gigabolt said nothing for a long time. "...no!" he snapped out angrily. "We New-Gen Reploids will not be pawns to the old world-" His entire body jerked. "What..." In a blaze of light, he exploded.

As the explosion faded, Octavia lowered her buster. "He made his choice," she said sadly. "And thus, took our choices away. We have to preserve this world."

"How'd you take him out in one shot?" Zero asked curiously.

"While we were pursuing him through the city, I focused all my shots on the same point on his armor," Octavia explained. "It gave me a clear shot to his primary power core." Her eyes stared into the distance, steely and cold. "...let's move."

The destruction of Gigabolt provided enough data with which to synthesize subweapons for the group once they'd returned to base. X and Octavia got the Thunder Dancer, which projected a blast of lightning forward. Zero acquired the Raikousen technique for his Beam Saber. Axl got the Plasma Gun sidearm. With those in tow, the group made their way to the Antarctic base Central White, on the assumption that an electrical weapon would prove useful amongst the ice and snow. Beyond that, the facility - intended to research the environment - had been set to alter weather patterns in the Antarctic, which ran the risk of triggering an Ice Age.

The group was once again sent in with Ride Chasers to reach the base, modified for snow and ice travel, and equipped with an energy arc weapon that was more efficient for the environment. This enabled them to rapidly progress across a long winding snow-covered path, blasting everything that got in their way until they reached the base.

Once at the base, CiCi contacted them. "I've managed to identify the Reploid causing problems," she explained. "It's Avalanche Yeti, one of the Reploids in charge of the base. He's designed for deep cold maneuvering, and can utilize it as a weapon. His systems are vulnerable to high intensity electric shocks, however."

"Good thing we're prepared for that," Octavia murmured as they entered the base.

As they entered the base, they fell into waist deep snow...which promptly left Octavia completely buried. Avalanche Yeti soon leapt out, looking like someone had taken a snow man and turned it into a giant power suit, complete with festive coloration. Yeti's eyes became visible just over his carrot-shaped nose under the white helmet.

"We New-Gen Reploids will build a new, ideal world!" he insisted angrily. "Once this old, flawed world has been cleansed!"

Octavia frowned deeply. "Looks like I was right to be suspicious of this program," she growled, as the four readied their electric-based weapons.

"Take him down!" X ordered firmly.

Avalanche Yeti blinked. "Wait, what-" He flinched back as all four of them hit him with their blasts, nearly overloading their systems. "You're...you're supposed to try diplomacy first. That's what he said. That's what heroes do..."

"This world you're trying to destroy is the world our kids are inheriting," Zero stated flatly as he leapt over Yeti. "We're parents first, heroes later!" With that, he brought his saber down, the momentum of his leap making his blade shear through Yeti's neck, decapitating him and causing him to explode.

With his destruction, the group downloaded new weapon programs. The Drift Diamond for X and Octavia, which launched sprays of ice. The Hyouryuushou for Zero, which applied ice energy to his saber for a rising spinning slash. An Ice Gatling weapon for Axl. With the weapons acquired, the group returned to base.

8: Flames of Rage

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With ice weapons available, the group decided that the Inferno disposal site would be the next best area to pursue, as it would prove useful in dealing with the increased heat of such an area. It was, after all, inside an active volcano and used to dispose of parts from dead Reploids that couldn't - or shouldn't - be reused, recycled, or left alone. While some referred to it as the 'Maverick Dump', its codename in the HQ was 'the Graveyard'.

As the group dropped into the vertical entrance, a descending spiral of floating platforms marked the path down, allowing them to swiftly make their way into the facility. There were very few Mechanaloids along the path, making the journey tedious rather than difficult. The only real hazard proved to be security lasers strong enough to punch right through their armor, but designed not to penetrate through the storage crates and platforms scattered around as they climbed downward.

At the bottom of that initial tunnel, they were able to make their way inward, through a few more tunnels and into a looping path with some spiked walls. At one point as they traversed, however, they were able to detect a Light Capsule, and made their way up and around to it to activate it.

As X came into range, the capsule opened, displaying the Light hologram. "X," the hologram began, "something has changed in you. You are has hopeful as before, but a new ruthlessness has become a part of your mind. Why have you decided to show no mercy to these Reploids?"

"Because they're a direct threat to Harpy, Puppy, Maka, and Shadow," X explained softly. "Alia and I went through too much to bring them into this world to let these Mavericks take that world away from them."

The Light hologram briefly burst into static, much as it had when it first encountered Axl. "You...you have...kids? ...how?"

"Gate," Zero explained. "He designed a system that let Reploid females conceive using human or Reploid DNA. Even though X and I aren't technically Reploids, Gate was able to shape the system so we could have kids with Alia and Iris, respectively. And as much of a handful little Omega is, I'm not letting these bastards take this world from him."

Static covered the holo display for a time. When the hologram reappeared, its eyes were steely. "These armors have been divided into parts and scattered, to protect the power they have in them, to leave it to you to decide how much power you feel you need to unleash on the world. But if your children are threatened, I am in full agreement that the only correct answer is 'all of it'. And these capsules are linked to my AI network. Step into this capsule, X, and take the power to tear these bastards limb from limb. While they won't be available until you equip them back at the base, choose wisely which parts to bring with you each mission." The hologram vanished.

X stepped into the capsule. Energy flashed over X repeatedly, and each time Varia intoned the new program data.

"Neutral Armor acquired. This Armor spec can equip parts of different armor suits to create different effects. Hermes Armor set acquired. Head part increases weapon charge speed, Buster part creates three way charge shot and charges special weapons, Foot part grants increased speed and invincible dashing, Body part negates damage from shots below a specific damage threshold. Complete set grants X-Drive, which greatly enhances sub-weapon output for as long as weapon energy lasts. Icarus armor set acquired. Head part creates a damaging field while jumping, Buster part charges a massive laser beam, Foot part increases jump height, Body part halves all incoming damage. Compete set grants Giga Crash, which unleashes a blast of destructive energy, the force of which directly proportionate to how much energy is stored."

X started to step out of the capsule, but Light's voice stopped him. "There is more," he spoke up. "Remain still. While these upgrades were perfected, their destructive capacity was such that I had not originally intended to give them to you. However, I will withhold nothing from you in your desire to protect your children. I will not make that mistake again."

Light continued to flare around X. Varia beeped more messages. "Ultimate Armor Mark 2 available. Grants Plasma charge shot, faster charge rating, and Nova Strike. Multiplies damage output of all systems by 20. ...Hadoken reactivated. Drivers combined with Skull Buster Charge program...Shinku Hadoken unlocked. Shoryuken reactivated. Drivers combined with Gold Chip programs...Shoryureppa unlocked."

X staggered out of the capsule as he and Octavia stared at each other, eyes wide.

"Axl," the Light hologram spoke up. "Step into this capsule. I have...accessed your original build schematics. If I scan your present structure, I should be able to give you a program that, once installed at HQ, will unlock your full potential."

Axl's eyes widened, and he stepped into the capsule.

"Yes," the Light hologram stated softly as light flowed around Axl, its voice for some reason sounding old and cranky. "Let me reach deep inside you, and touch you in ways no one ever has before, pulling out things you didn't even know you had..."

Frowning, Axl crossed his arms. "I'm not saying it," he growled flatly.

"Aw, you're no fun anymore!" the Light hologram complained, now sounding British.

As Axl stepped out of the capsule, Octavia clambered to his shoulders. "So, what does this new program do for you?" she asked as the capsule closed and shut down.

Axl checked the schematics in his head. "Hmm...looks like massively increased damage output, but slightly decreased armor...and maximized A-Trans energy reserves, letting me maintain a transformation indefinitely."

"Interesting trade off," Zero observed as the group continued through the facility.

Not far beyond, in what resembled a reactor room, the group was confronted by Vile himself. "Where did you take Lumine?" X demanded angrily.

"What makes you think I'm going to answer any questions?" Vile taunted as he hovered in front of them.

Zero stepped forward, his red armor turning white as he activated his Etheric Binary Core. "Because if you don't talk, I'll rip you apart and we'll just keep going until we can get the answers straight from Sigma."

Vile stared at the group for a time. "...bye." With no more than that, he warped out.

Zero powered down, letting his armor return to red. "CiCi, can you get to work on a portable teleport jammer? Something we can use to keep him from escaping next time?"

"Will do!" CiCi confirmed from the HQ. "We'll have something like that finished by the time you're back from dealing with Burn Rooster."

"Who?" X asked curiously.

"The only New-Gen Reploid that worked at the Inferno facility," CiCi explained. "I don't have any further data on him, though. But scans show he may be in the main magma control center."

"That sounds ominous," Octavia muttered softly.

After a long trip down yet another vertical tunnel, they came across Burn Rooster - an orange and purple rooster based humanoid Reploid with a flame comb at the top of his head - beating away at a device with strong kicks. As he turned to face them, X lowered his buster as all four switched to their ice weapons. "Burn Rooster!" he barked out. "This is your one and only chance. Your current objective has been dubbed Maverick as a threat to the world at large...and more specifically, to our children. You have one chance to surrender peacefully, or you will be terminated and left to find your tomb in this Graveyard."

"Is this your idea of justice?" Burn Rooster demanded angrily.

"No," Zero countered. "This is our idea of law. Justice comes if you surrender when you're put on trial for your crimes. There's a difference. I'd choose your next words carefully."

"You hypocrites!" Burn Rooster barked out. "You're the ones who should be scrapped-"

All four opened fire. X, Axl, and Octavia's ranged blasts locked Burn Rooster in place, allowing Zero to split him in half with his ice saber technique. With his destruction, they were able to download weapon data, but they weren't able to analyze it right away as the magma began to rise, the control system broken. They were able to rush out through the vertical tunnel, able to make it out before the magma reached them.

The weapon data was soon analyzed, granting Axl a flamethrower based weapon (the Flame Burner), X and Octavia the Melt Creeper that unleashed a wave of fire along the ground, and Zero the Enkoujin, a downward flame-based saber strike.

8: Growing Power

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X and the group decided to wait until the manufacture programs had finished producing the new armor units before heading out to do battle with the next follower of Sigma. This gave the group time to visit with the youngsters and the mothers, to remind themselves of what they were fighting for and why they were willing to bring so much power to bear.

As the group got ready to leave, however, CiCi had a complaint for X. "You need to keep better control of your kids," she grumbled, holding little Maka and Shadow up in her tendrils. "I caught them messing with the armor manufacture programs."

Hearing this, X crossed his arms angrily as he stared down at his kids. He first turned to Maka, being the more forward of the pair. "Explain."

The blue haired little girl huddled in her bright blue onesie, the glasses on the bridge of her nose(1) shifting until she pushed them back up. "I was just looking at the Hermes and the Icarus, muu," she whimpered softly, letting off a quiet noise at the end of the sentence as had become habit. "They sounded so cool..."

"If you were just looking, why were you accessing the manufacture programs?" X demanded softly. "You could have seen the specs in the database."

"Grandpa worked hard on these, muu," Maka pointed out quietly. "But you're going to use the Ultimate...it didn't seem right, muu." Her eyes lit up happily. "So I put them together, muu!"

"...she did what?" X managed to ask CiCi.

CiCi examined the data. "Well I'll be. Ultimate Armor v3. The Plasma charge shot now also unleashes a tri-laser blast, charge speed maximized, damaging energy field generated while jumping, all damage halved, damage below a certain threshold negated entirely, increased jump height and dashing speed with invincible dashing...and X Drive, Giga Crush, and Nova Dash all available." She turned two of her eyes towards Maka. "How did you manage all that?"

"Daddy's second and third power cores are active, muu," Maka pointed out. "All that energy's gotta go somewhere, muu." Her eyes lit up. "Oh, and I designed a new insta-kill move for nee-chan! It works with her Ult 3, muu."

X looked over the specs. "Hmm...Tatsumaki Senpukyaku...balances on her horn and spins with all four leg busters, creating an electrical whirlwind that sucks the energy out of anything caught in it, using that energy to rip them apart..."(2) He rubbed his chin. "But if she's balanced on her horn, isn't she upside down? Shouldn't it be the Spinning-"

"Tatsumaki. Senpukyaku. Muu!" Maka insisted, pouting up at her father and shaking her small, balled fists.

X chuckled softly. "Very well. I must say, not bad." He turned to Shadow. "And you?"

Shadow glanced away, saying nothing. Then again, he rarely spoke as it was.

"He was upset cousin Axl doesn't have a one-shot move like you, Uncle Zero, and nee-chan, muu!" Maka explained.

Silently, the silver haired boy pointed to the program he'd made for the Red Scythe, showing how it could draw power from Axl's amplified A-Trans tech to amplify its cutting power to split a target in half in one strike.

"Looks like you sired a couple of tech geniuses," CiCi observed. "The manufacture is complete. Why don't you all put these new upgrades to the test? You're heading to Booster Forest next, right?"

"Might as well," X observed. He gave Maka and Shadow a look. "But we'll be talking about asking permission when I get back."

The four arrived at the top of a city completely overgrown by the woods. X and Octavia were both in their v3 Ultimate Armors. Zero had once more activated his Binary Ether Core, turning his armor white and his hair blue. Axl also had his alt-specs to amplify his Change ability, changing his black and red armor to white and blue...oddly enough, the same white and blue Zero sported.

"So, we going to see how much damage we can do like this?" Axl asked as he drew his guns.

"I'm looking forward to it, personally," Octavia observed, flaring the wings of her armor as she felt the power in her helm's crystal horn.

"Guess it's going to be my turn to try and keep up with you guys," Zero joked as he ignited his beam saber.

"Let's go!" X ordered, leading the way forward.

With the four of them so amplified, they were able to tear through the few Mechanaloids guarding the path without even half trying. X's charged shot - which could be fully charged in as little as two seconds now - eradicated nearly anything it hit, and anything still standing after a hit from it was surrounded in a plasma field that continued to tear away at it. Axl's Change shot was far more damaging, allowing him to collect Change data much more quickly. Between those, Zero's supercharged saber, and Octavia firing her own tri-laser, quite a few of the defending Mechanaloids began diving for cover the moment the four came into sight. The combination was so effective they actually chose to leave a Ride Armor they encountered behind as it actually slowed them down.

"I'm beginning to think the four of us together are too much for anything we'll face here," Axl observed.

"Two might even be pushing it," Octavia offered, giving X a look.

X frowned. "...if the Maverick here proves to be as helpless against the four of us as everything else, I'll consider letting us each take on one of the remaining four."

Before long, they reached the Maverick defending the place, a large panda based humanoid reploid built like a tank. "Do you all know what rockets like what were built here were first used for?" he asked softly.

"I don't think we care," X stated softly. "Bamboo Pandamonium, you are under arrest for breaking the laws of this world. Surrender or die."

The Reploid blinked in shock. "...what?"

"You're a New-Gen Reploid," Zero explained. "That means these actions are your own choice. So choose."

Pandamonium sneered. "You don't scare me-"

"Shoryureppa!"

"Crimson Slash!"

"Sonic Slash!"

"Tatsumaki Senpykyaku!"

By the time the attacks had finished, there wasn't even enough left of Bamboo Pandamonium to create a weapon program from. X blinked for a time. "Okay, we each take one of the remaining four solo."

(1) The glasses were for a vision problem Maka had inexplicably developed, though detailed examination showed it would naturally correct over time. Axl theorized that it had developed specifically because glasses made her more adorkable.
(2) When I was planning out the super upgrades X got last chapter with a friend on the phone, I promised him I'd give Octavia this technique. Forgot when I wrote the chapter, but added it in here.

8: Four-saken, part 1

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With how strong the four S Rank Hunters were now, it was quickly decided that the best course of efficiency was to send each of them after one of the four remaining Mavericks. As such, X went to Troia Base, Zero to Pitch Black, Axl to Primrose, and Octavia to the Metal Valley. CiCi did her best to keep track of all four...though it still didn't take long.

As X arrived at Troia Base, he took in his surroundings. As it was originally a training base for Hunters, he was unsurprised to find clearly defined paths in inactive virtual space. He was certain he'd be dealing with more than that as he went, so he moved forward to the first area, knowing he'd have to clear each one to proceed.

Each chamber contained a VR warp that placed X in an area where he had to destroy a few drones in order to make it to the next chamber, with the path determined by how quickly he completed each trial. With the v3 Ultimate Armor, this went by quickly enough he barely had time to examine each virtual area before he was already moving forward.

At the seventh of nine virtual environments, however, X found himself confronted by Vile. Vile laughed as he warped in. "Why don't you just give it up already-"

"Vile, for killing the leader of the Maverick Hunters on top of all your other crimes, a 'Kill on Sight' order has been issued for you," X interrupted bluntly. "So I'll give you the same choice I've given everyone who has chosen of their own free will to try and destroy this world as it is. Surrender or die."

Vile stared at X for a time, then laughed. "See X? That's the same thing I've said since the beginning! We were built to destroy!"

"I never denied it," X pointed out bluntly. "But we were also built with the capability to choose what to destroy, and what not to destroy. I choose to destroy threats to my children. That's you."

"I'm looking forward to-GYAGH!" Vile's exclamation of delight was cut off as X fired a focused laser shot, severing his arm at the joint. "You shot my arm off!"

"It's only a flesh wound," X taunted.

"I don't even have flesh!" Vile snapped angrily, clutching the stump. "You're insane!"

"Little bit," X agreed with a grin. "But all the best people are."

Snarling in fury and a touch of fear, Vile warped away.

After that, it didn't take long for X to get to the center of the base. The only odd point was when the virtual space he was sent into had him facing a small red and white robot-simulant with hedge clippers on its head. However, it went down quickly as it - much like everything else he'd faced on this trip - was unable to even damage him. Between the boosted defense of the Ultimate Armor and the halved damage of the Icarus aspect, everything he'd encountered fell under the damage threshold that was negated by the Hermes aspect. As a result, that left him with a clear path to the center, where the 'Maverick' waited.

The Reploid known as Optic Sunflower was roughly humanoid with a green body and a sunflower-shaped head. He addressed X calmly, with a somewhat sing-song voice. "X, if you've come this far, you must have some inkling what's going on."

"You've chosen of your own volition to seek the destruction of the world," X deduced logically. "All of you have, and nothing I say will convince you to stop or surrender."

"Indeed," Optic Sunflower agreed. "The same is true of all of us."

"That makes you all an active threat to my children," X concluded. "Since I have the choice of kill or capture...Shinku Hadouken!"

"Shi-what?"

As far as last words went, those were somewhat disappointing. Still, the blast proved as effective as the Light hologram had promised, with Optic Sunflower being obliterated before X's eyes.

True Dark, true to its name, was swathed in darkness. Zero, in his shining white armor and bright blue hair and glowing saber, stood out like a sore thumb. However, he didn't let this slow him as he charged through, using his own light to guide his path. The enemies he encountered were shredded in single strikes, making the physical devices of the security - electric barriers and spinning fans - the most dangerous part of the journey, though more frustrating than dangerous.

Even with those obstacles, it didn't take Zero long to reach the innermost chamber of the base, where Dark Mantis waited. He was a purple and black insectoid Reploid, with large blades on both arms and bright purple wings on his back. "So this is where you tell me to surrender or die, hmm?" he asked calmly.

"That's right," Zero confirmed, charging his buster, keeping it to a low level charge rather than high level.

"My Master wanted you on his side once," Dark Mantis observed. "I find it highly ironic that parenthood has brought you closer to what he saw as your true Maverick nature than everything he ever tried to do."

"And that's what he always overlooked with me," Zero commented dryly. "Maverick behavior means going against your role and the laws of society...but my 'destined' role is to decide whether or not this world needs to be destroyed. So yes, in essence, my job is exactly what you all are doing...when it is time."

"And now is when you tell me it is not yet time, and I choose to accept and live, or reject and die," Dark Mantis concluded.

Zero nodded in confirmation, waiting for the answer.

"I choose to die," Dark Mantis stated bluntly. "If the time is not yet to destroy and rebuild this world, then there is no place for me. My purpose is destruction. Destroy me."

Zero was silent for a time.

"You hesitate, because you do not like killing in cold blood," Dark Mantis observed. "I cannot directly threaten your son, Omega, as he shows every sign of being even stronger than you, though still lacking control. So I will say this." His eyes hardened. "If I survive this day, I will not rest until I can kill Iris before Omega's eyes-"

Zero's buster snapped up. A power chord echoed as he fired.

...he stared at the hole that had been carved through the base, and the bits and pieces of Mantis' broken body that had been outside the blast radius, falling to the floor. He thought about why these Reploids were so dead set on either winning or being killed...especially once they knew that the Hunters wouldn't hesitate.

...he didn't like any of the answers.

8: Four-saken, part 2

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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."

8: The Face of Evil

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X, Zero, Axl, and Octavia all returned to Hunter Base at about the same time. "Looks like you were all right about just how effective you four are like this," CiCi commented dryly. "Unfortunately, we're still no closer to figuring out where Sigma and Vile are, or where they've stashed Lumine."

"We aren't even certain what Sigma's after," X pointed out. "We assumed he wanted control of the Jakob Elevator because he'd kidnapped Lumine...but we can't really be sure-"

"I'm getting an emergency communication from the Hunters sent to guard the Elevator!" CiCi interrupted quickly. "The Elevator's inbuilt security is attacking them!"

"That's what this was about!" Zero snapped. "Sigma was already in the Elevator's controls, and caused all that ruckus elsewhere to make us think it was a distraction so he could get in, keeping all our attention from where he really was...inside all along!"

"No time for recriminations now!" X barked out. "Let's get to the Elevator, now!"

Getting into the elevator proved to still be somewhat easy. Unfortunately, the structure of the elevator wasn't up to the strain of everything the group could bring to bear, forcing everyone to rely on uncharged shots to take out the defensive security measures that attacked them as they rode to the top. Thankfully, they were able to ride on top of one of the cargo freighters, and the security measures were mostly meant to stop said containers if they were where they weren't supposed to be, and thus weren't very combat oriented. With all four Hunters working together, nothing was actually able to stop them for long even with the handicap of low power shots. The major delay was just how far up they had to go.

When they finally reached the top, they found an open arena awaiting them, with Vile floating at the edge with his arms crossed. X glowered up at him. "So...this is what you've chosen for our battleground?" he asked calmly.

Vile stared back at him for a long time before responding. "...nah."

"What?" Zero demanded in confusion.

"Sigma gave me all sorts of upgrades in the hopes I'd take at least one of you out in this fight," Vile explained. "An engine for my jetpack that's nearly sub-light, a power source he salvaged from somewhere that'll give enough to keep me going for eons, weapons that can punch a hole in a moon, armor that can handle anything he could conceive of..." He shrugged his shoulders. "But I've seen what you can throw at me. I may be a maniac with delusions of grandeur as far as my own importance in the grand scheme of things...but I'm no idiot. I can see the way things are going. Time to do something sensible for a change."

"You really think you can just say 'sorry' and we'll just forgive you for all the crimes you've committed, the laws you've broken, the damage you've caused?" Octavia asked bluntly. "What sort of fantasy world do you live in?"

"Who said anything about apologizing, or coming back to this world?" Vile demanded bluntly. "You can have it! But I'm sure there's a world somewhere out there I can shape to my idea of an ideal! Good luck trying to find me!" With a maniacal laugh, he turned and shot off into the stars.

The four Hunters glanced at each other, unsure what to do. "So...now what?" Axl asked. "Do we...go after him?"

"No," X countered finally. "We find Sigma." He pointed to a nearby space station, between the elevator and the moon. "Likely there."

"Then let's go!" Zero shouted eagerly.

Inside the station, they made their way carefully forward through empty halls until they reached a massive golden room with eight differently colored teleporters. "Well, we all know where this is going," X grumbled softly.

"And we all have instant kill moves," Octavia pointed out. "Let's make this quick."

Less than a minute later, all eight 'Maverick Copies' had been eradicated, and the group had returned...only for the entire place to start exploding. "Let's get out of here!" Axl yelled out, leading the charge with Octavia on his back as they made their way back to their shuttle.

Before they made it there, Sigma warped into the chamber. "It's too late, X," he chuckled wickedly. "We already control the moon. It won't be long before the world you hold so dear is destroyed, and the world we desire is almost here-"

Axl split Sigma in half, only for him to revert into a New-Gen Reploid like the 'Maverick Copies' had. "He talks too much," he grumbled.

"But we know where he is now," X hissed worriedly. "He was after that old moon base after all..."

"Or...not," Octavia observed curiously as the group landed on the surface of the moon.

Off in the distance to the west was the pre-End Times facility the Hunters had been interested in. In the distance to the East was a massively ostentatious palace that just screamed 'come and get me I'm evil', complete with Gothic architecture and Mechanaloid gargoyles.

"Well, we know where Sigma is," X grumbled as the group made their way to the palace. "But not why..."

"We'll just have to ask him," Octavia offered. "Personally, I'm wondering how the moon has a breathable atmosphere. That defies what I know of physics."

"Probably the facility we were investigating," Zero observed. "Pre-End tech can do some pretty crazy things."

8: We Are The Gods

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The path through the inside of the palace proved to be a bit of a maze, looping around numerous hazards and filled with New-Gen Reploids mimicking Sigma. It was quickly discovered that these copies weren't anywhere near as strong as any of Sigma's true incarnations, and soon became little more than annoyances and signs they were on the right path. As such, it was only a matter of time before the group reached the final chamber, which was an obvious throne room. Sigma sat upon the throne at the opposite end, but his shape was like none they'd ever seen.

His armor was black with the consistency of rock, as though it had slowly encrusted itself onto his body. His eyes glowed red, and large horns came out from either side of his black helmet. Green light shone from between the sections of his armor, as though his entire body were nothing but energy. Spikes lined the armor plates, giving him a very devilish appearance enhanced by the glowing red crystal in the center of his torso that his entire body seemed to emanate from. "Well, well, well..." Sigma murmured softly as he lay back carelessly on the throne, as if he couldn't care less they were there. "So the self-appointed protectors of the world have come." He looked at Zero. "Judge." He turned to Axl. "Jury." He turned to X. "Executioner." He turned to Octavia. "And of course, the one who pulls the wool over the eyes of the ignorant, turning the bloodthirsty destruction into some sort of holy crusade, as though that made it all better." He sneered disdainfully. "How low the world has fallen."

"I was going to say the same of you, Sigma," X spoke up. "I thought you claimed to be the god of Reploids. You look more like a demon from where I'm standing."

Sigma grinned widely. "As Lucifer said, better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. And I shall rain hell down upon your Eden until Heaven is no more, and then reign over the desolation that is left. Those strong enough to survive the apocalypse and wise enough to embrace it shall be saved in my rapture, and be reborn with the world as we take the very stars themselves."

"And just who qualifies?" Zero asked carefully.

"Who else but my children?" Sigma asked softly, his voice raspy.

"Your...children?" Axl asked, stunned.

"That's right," Sigma growled, getting to his feet. "My children, the New-Gen Reploids, born of and for the Jakob Project. Their copy chips contain a complete copy of my personal data. It's what gives them their strength, their purity, their bond to me. My children..." He clenched his fists and brought them down upon the throne. "And you have slaughtered them mercilessly because they follow their father, and you call us the monsters!" As the Hunters staggered back from the intensity of the emotions, Sigma faded into shadows, warping to the same level as them as he drew a glowing green energy sword longer than his entire body. "But their deaths will not be in vain! You will all die here!"

"That's what you think," Octavia growled, though her voice showed her unease. She started to race forward, only for Axl to grab her and pull her back.

"Mom, don't!" he barked out, staring at his scythe. "It's...it's not working!"

Sigma chuckled darkly. "Indeed," he confirmed. "All your 'insta-kill' moves - the Hadouken, the Shoryuken, the Bass Cannon, the Death Slash, and the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku...they all use a common energy wavelength that allows them to completely eradicate a Reploid or Mechanaloid on contact...and I've built this, my final body, specifically to counteract that energy wavelength. You can't use those techniques on me!"

Sigma immediately began to warp around the chamber, unleashing waves of various forms of energy at the group, who did their best to evade and fire back. Unfortunately, Sigma proved to be far more competent as a combatant than before, warping out of range of the group's shots as they tried to focus fire on him, deflecting the lesser shots with his blade as he continued his barrage.

As they fought, Sigma warped again...only to appear in the midst of the group, clutching Axl's head in one hand as though about to crush it. Axl screamed in pain from the force being inflicted. "What now, X?" Sigma roared out, warping them both back so he held Axl between himself and the group. "Shoot through Axl, and you can kill me...and your daughter will hate you forever for killing her son! But do nothing, he dies anyway! Isn't this familiar?"

To Sigma's surprise, X...smirked. "Yes," he murmured softly as his armor turned orange and gold. "Very familiar. But unlike that day all those years ago, I'm no newbie hunter just trying to live up to everyone's expectations, struggling between realization and lost idol worship. Now, Axl's not the only one who found new ways to use old tricks."

Sigma frowned. "And what's that supposed to-EEYAUUGH!" Sigma dropped Axl as X struck him from behind with a beam saber, cutting through his back armor plate.

X grinned as his Soul Body dashed over, pulling Axl to safety. "We overlook the old tricks...but they can be surprisingly useful. And one thing I nearly overlooked before we came here...the modifications Maka made to the Ultimate Armor V3 drastically increased the number of subweapon programs it can hold. Care to guess how many old tricks I've brought back?"

"You think you can fell me so easily?" Sigma roared out angrily. "I will destroy-"

"Link systems available," Varia suddenly spoke up.

"Wait, what?" Sigma demanded in confusion.

Grinning, Octavia leapt between X, Zero, and Axl. A magical aura surrounded her, linking to the three of them as it combined their energies in Varia's horn before unleashing a devastating blast of four colored energy that ripped through Sigma's body, driving him back against the opposite wall as said wall crumbled from the blast.

As Sigma crumpled, his body falling to pieces as the energy faded, Lumine stepped out.

"Are you alright, Lumine?" X asked curiously.

"I suppose you could say that-"

"Wait!" Octavia interrupted quickly. "Sigma said that all New-Gen Reploids had his data, and were the ones who were meant to be part of his plan!"

A brief derisive expression crossed Lumine's face. "Father always did talk too much," he grumbled. He chuckled softly when he saw all weapons trained on him. "You realize the Jakob Project can't be completed without me, don't you?" he asked softly. "You've already devastated the infrastructure that supported it hunting my Maverick brethren."

"Then you're just going to keep going with Sigma's plan?" Zero snarled angrily.

"His plan?" Lumine 'tsk'ed derisively as his body glowed blue as he floated into the air. "I was just using him. After all, he's already inside all of us. His actual existence had become superfluous." Spheres of energy surrounded him. "All other existence becomes superfluous. The new world that comes...is me. All my brethren are a part of me, and will destroy you."

He began to float around, every so often absorbing one of the spheres of light and unleashing supercharged variants of the special weapons the eight Mavericks had used, devastating the landscape as the group of hunters evaded the attacks, focusing their attacks on Lumine in an attempt to damage him enough to force him down. Thankfully, he wasn't as sturdy as he seemed to think, and once they were able to figure out the pattern of his energy shields he fell to the ground quickly. Much to everyone's surprise, however, he quickly returned to the air.

"Divergent evolution," he murmured softly. "There have always been cases where life evolves along multiple paths, and those paths then battle to determine which inherits the world. I represent the Pure Reploid life, the dreams of so many. But you? You're just tools of the so-called Terrans, the Reploid/Human hybrids. They can't even fight their own battles...though they have armored you for this battle, made you their champions.

"Let's see how well you do."

Lumine's body changed. A halo-like helmet graced his head, and six wing-like projections spread from his back, each a combination of flight manipulator and weapon platform. Where Sigma had been a devil, Lumine now gave the impression of a golden angel.

"So after battling Satan, we now face Lucifer Morningstar?" Octavia asked calmly. "This should be...interesting."

Lumine attacked with diving charges and an array of laser attacks, but the sheer amount of firepower the group was able to put out - along with the Giga Crash and Nova Strike from X and Octavia - rapidly tore through his shields and energy reserves. As his energy started to get low, he triggered a shift in the very shape of space around them with the cry, "Paradise Lost!"

"Alert!" Varia called out as the world went dark. "Energy reactions are syncing towards Lumine's signature. If this continues, his energy reserves and shields will be completely replenished." As she spoke, Lumine shifted his wings to shield his body from harm as he began to warp around the area.

"Then we'll just have to prevent that from happening!" Axl cried out. Frowning, he drew his scythe, focusing his energy into it. "Here goes nothing..." Dashing forward, he swung the scythe through the air, gathering energy into it before leaping into the air. Just as Lumine appeared from a warp, Axl spun and struck, the blade tearing through the base of Lumine's six wings, causing him to scream in pain. "Now!" Axl roared as he air dashed to the side.

X, Zero, and Octavia immediately unleashed their full barrage, tearing Lumine's body apart. The world shifted back to normal as the energy reactions stopped.

"So...every New-Gen Reploid is one of Sigma's..." X whispered worriedly. "That's...going to be a headache and a half..."

8: The New World Order

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"...and so that's the situation we have," X concluded as he finished retelling the entire events of the Jakob Project Incident. "And as we now know, every single New-Gen Reploid has Sigma's personal data in their copy chips, and was likely indoctrinated to some extent by Lumine and Sigma himself. You can see why the situation has gotten somewhat out of hand."

Redips nodded softly, looking more than a little shell shocked. "I...I see. That's quite a lot to take in." He frowned, rubbing his chin with one hand. "So what's next? Eliminating the threat?" He expressed the idea with a good deal of reluctance.

"No," X responded immediately.

Redips looked shocked. "But if they have Sigma's personal data and can turn into him at will-"

"Sigma's physical abilities were never what made him so dangerous," X interrupted flatly. "Considering he had a new body every time we fought him, that should be obvious. And it wasn't the Virus either, considering he did more damage to the Maverick Hunters and the world stability in the short time after he lost it than he did in all five previous attempts when he had it as a crutch that allowed him to plan with greater personal risk. What made Sigma so dangerous was his mind...which according to Axl, no amount of RDNA data or personal data will allow a Copy Chip - New-Gen or otherwise - to duplicate."

"His...mind?" Redips inquired softly.

"His plans were good," X explained softly. "First time, he sought to start a war, fill the world with hate. Second time, he sought to use the thing that defeated him - Pre-End Times tech - to gain victory. Third time, he was able to amass a powerful army by promising a false peace. Fourth time, he orchestrated what should have been a full out war while having agents on both sides to allow him to make it all play into his hands. Fifth time, a global catastrophe that hid his true plan, which was another global catastrophe. Sixth time, he manipulated a group that sought to clean up the damage he caused, and nearly got what he wanted. And just now, he amassed a huge army without us even knowing it, and nearly destroyed the world." He sat back thoughtfully. "He was incredibly dangerous..."

"But his plans all failed," Redips pointed out.

"Because of things he had no way of knowing or predicting," X pointed out. "The first time, he didn't realize how strong Octavia had become, and how well we could work together as a team. He couldn't have known that, because Octavia's first mission was when he 'went Maverick', and that strength and teamwork was forged in that war." X continued to count on his fingers what had happened. "Second time, he didn't realize Serges was using him to help him restore Zero for Zero's sake, not for any battle." It had taken learning Zero's origins to put that bit together. "Third time, it was our support units - and the resulting Adapter programs - that turned the tide, along with the anti-virus, both things he couldn't have predicted.

"The fourth time..." X sighed softly. "Again, Octavia was underestimated...but also too much of the plan depended on everything happening without Sigma's interference, and on a schedule that he couldn't alter if things went wrong. And the fifth time, he didn't understand the true nature of the virus, or Zero's purpose...information he was deliberately misled on by the forces trying to restore Zero."

Redips nodded softly as he filled in the remaining details. "With Red Alert, he didn't know Octavia would adopt Axl. That changed everything. And this most recent time, he didn't understand what would really happen if he made a direct and blatant threat against your children. Those Ultimate Armors..." He shuddered slightly at the memory of those particular files.

"Yes, but he moved to account for that," X pointed out. "He had a body specifically designed to fight our Ultimate Armors, even with all the upgrades we had. In the end, what really got him was his belief that Lumine was on his side."

Redips nodded slowly. "I see what you mean," he observed. "Still, this doesn't explain why you called me here to explain all this in person." He gestured at their surroundings. "Or why you did it here, in Signas' old office. I assume it has something to do with the post of Commander of the Maverick Hunters..."

"You are correct," X said, standing up from the Commander's chair. "Simply put, with everything that's happened, the role of Commander has changed. While military knowledge is still necessary, the role of Commander will be more about balancing how the public sees the Hunters - as individuals and as a group - with what is for the good of the Hunters and the planet. In essence, we need someone whose primary skill is working with people."

"You're not going to make Octavia Commander, are you?" Redips demanded incredulously.

"No," X countered, shaking his head. "As long as I'm in the Hunters, putting her in command of me would cause to many problems. The reason I called you here..." He stepped to the side, pulling the chair out. "...is because I want to offer you the job."

Redips stared at X in disbelief. "X, I'm not sure that's a good idea," he demurred. "Even in the Repliforce, I'm a glorified analyst and press secretary-"

"And damn good at both those things," X interrupted. "Skills which will be the primary skills the Commander will need in the upcoming times. And we need someone with those skills now. We don't have time to wait for Gate to build someone new...and even then, we need the experience. And I know we can trust you."

Redips lowered his gaze. "You honor me with such faith," he responded wonderingly. After a time, he stood up and saluted. "I won't let you down, X."

X returned the salute with a grin. "I know you won't...Commander. You have all of us behind you. For now, get settled in. We'll see about redecorating and a formal ceremony later. Work will probably come first, though."

"I can live with that," Redips replied as he took his seat. He watched calmly as X walked out, then laid down a datapad.

The datapad illuminated, displaying scenes of X, Zero, Axl, and Octavia ruthlessly destroying the 'Mavericks' of the last battle, even when said 'Mavericks' didn't fight back. He paid special attention to the ones - like Octavia's battle with Earthrock Trilobyte - where it was even without warning. He then looked up at his surroundings.

A wide grin crossed his face as he whispered, "Katta. Keikakku Dohri."

Parting Ways

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Octavia stretched idly as she went over her mental schedule for the day. Now that she'd finished her morning ablutions, first up was breakfast with the family. After that was checking to see if she had any duties, and either fulfill them or check world events for any sign of Sigma. Admittedly, there had been absolutely no Sigma related activity since his fall at the Jakob Project, and there was every indication that his big plan had ended with his own downfall. Still, she'd never been one to take chances, and the very fact that Pink Pi-D had fallen completely silent after the events of Eurasia had left Octavia convinced that something big was coming on the wind. It might not be Sigma related, but she still needed to keep her eyes and ears open.

After duties or research, she would pop in on Axl during his work to see how he was doing, especially if he'd found any romantic prospects yet. If there were nothing of interest there, she'd spend the rest of the day playing with Harpy, Puppy, Maka, Shadow, and Omega. Her brothers and sister were growing rapidly, and would soon grow into the armor that had been designed for them to train and enhance their innate abilities. Her cousin, on the other hand, had finally outgrown uncontrolled Ether discharges, and was now an adorably precocious brat rather than an adorably precocious natural disaster. Thankfully, all the children had avoided becoming completely spoiled due to there always being the five of them around, leading to each of her siblings taking on responsibilities for each other and their cousin, and Omega getting just enough attention to be well adjusted rather than over-indulged.

At the end of the day, dinner with the family and an online game session with her friends. Having her full schedule firmly in mind, she made her way to breakfast, ready to either follow it step by step or to have it thrown out the window the moment she made it to the breakfast table. She was thus unsurprised when her day took the latter path.

As she sat down to breakfast, only Axl was present and he was looking rather down as he glanced back and forth between a news article and a report. "What's wrong, my little pony?" she asked softly, enjoying using her nickname for him even if it was more accurate to herself.

Axl sighed morosely. "We've been following back channels to see where the Copy Chip research began," he explained. "It was our hope that it would lead to information that we could use to determine if the remaining New-Gen Reploids were under any sort of control, or if they could be completely cleared of suspicion after Sigma's antics." He glanced away. "And...I was hoping, since we know I was the prototype that was the basis for the technology, it would also lead to my capsule. The Light hologram did say it was the only place where I'd be able to get the answers I want. So did Prometheus."

Octavia nodded. "I understand. I take it you reached a dead end?"

"Of a sorts," Axl admitted. "Apparently, it all stems from Giga City."

Octavia raised an eyebrow. "You mean that mobile city-nation? The one that insists on remaining independent of the rest of the world and refuses to accept the authority of the Maverick Hunters?" Octavia had found that particular place fascinating ever since it had been founded shortly after the Eurasia incident. Not only did it tend to develop technology that was incredibly advanced relative to the rest of the world, but there had been no reports - through official channels or underground chatter - of any Maverick activity. She'd always wondered how they managed it.

"Yeah," Axl confirmed. "And security's extra tight there because of having been moved to investigate an asteroid impact. Apparently, it crashed...not long after I was inducted into the Hunters, actually."

"And as a Maverick Hunter, you can't enter," Octavia mused. "They don't recognize our authority, so we have no official capacity to pursue an investigation."

"Yeah..." Axl pushed the documents aside and buried his face in his hands. "So close...so far...they didn't leave anything behind for investigation at their old location either...so my capsule's somewhere there."

Octavia frowned as she tapped her chin. "...Varia, give me any pertinent details regarding Giga City's civic and social structure."

"Retrieving," Varia responded, scrolling the data across Octavia's HUD.

Octavia looked through the pertinent details, then paused as she came across a particular file. "Hmm...Giga City seems to have a surprising passion for the concept of vigilante superheroes. The concept is...rather well respected, if the sheer number that have been lauded by the city's government since its founding is any indication."

"Why's that significant?" Axl asked curiously, knowing Octavia was going somewhere with this.

"Well, your fellows from Red Alert never were fully integrated into the Hunters," Octavia observed dryly.

"Yeah," Axl confirmed. "It was considered more effective to keep them as an officially separate reserve force, just in case something happened that Hunters couldn't be officially connected to. Why?"

"I'm going to apply for vacation time for the pair of us," Octavia stated calmly. "We've earned at least a year's worth after heavy-hazard duty. That ought to be more than enough to explore every inch of Giga City as civilians, if we're careful."

"How would we even get in?" Axl demanded. "I don't think they'd let Hunters in, even as civilians."

"Hunters, no," Octavia agreed. "But the leader of the vigilante organization Red Alert, taking his adoptive mother on a well earned vacation to get her off his back as far as marrying him off and getting her grandchildren?"

"Mo~om..." Axl groaned. As effective as he realized that cover would be - even if it meant leaving his guns behind and only bringing Red's Scythe - he was not looking forward to a vacation of matchmaking.

Tourism

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Axl shook his head in wonder as he carried Octavia through the streets of Giga City. Entering the city had proven easier than he could have dreamed. All it had taken was leaving his Hunter issued guns behind, and one look at Red's Scythe strapped to his back had waived the pair of them past just about all security. Of course, Varia floated around Octavia's head rather than being in armor form, but she could don it at any time if there was need. Apparently, Giga City's notorious passion for celebrity vigilantes was no exaggeration.

Axl and Octavia had wandered from facility to facility within the city like tourists, looking at anything they could check out and eagerly investigating any possible lead as far as finding Axl's capsule. So far, they'd come up empty as far as those leads, though the actual tourist aspect of visiting the city had been enjoyable. They'd already seen three shows, visited several museums, and enjoyed a few good meals together. Octavia, of course, had drawn numerous young females as being 'absolutely adorable', and Axl had drawn just as many for his apparent celebrity.

...which made it really unpleasant for Axl that Octavia was wearing a shirt that said 'Wanna Be A Grandma', and had insisted Axl wear one over his armor that read 'Single But Looking'. He'd gotten more contact numbers for young - and not so young - women over the past day than Mechanaloid kills on all his Hunter missions put together. The Temporary Memory of his cybernetic brain was being strained to retain them all...not that he had any intention of keeping them. He didn't want a girl to go for him because he was a celebrity...or because she thought he was desperate.

...much to Octavia's frustrated chagrin.

"At least call one of them?" Octavia whined hopefully.

"No, Mom," Axl groaned. "I'm not going to call any of those girls."

"But I thought you liked blondes, and there were quite a few-"

"I'm not here to get hitched, whatever our cover story says!" Axl growled angrily. "We're here to look for clues about my origins! And I'm not going to call a girl who gave me her number written on her bra or panties!"

"Not even the least bit curious how she got them off without disrobing?" Octavia teased. "She wasn't wearing a skirt, after all-"

"Mom!" Axl groaned, burying his face in his hands as they stopped outside what looked like an old laboratory. "Can't we go back to looking into Copy Chip research? We can think about my future after we finish discovering my past, okay?"

"You won't find anything like that here," a gravelly voice spoke from the shadows, immediately drawing attention. "That research has been discontinued, and everything about it is boxed up somewhere."

Axl and Octavia both spun towards the source of the voice. The quality of it had been familiar, and the shadowy figure standing under an overhang only enhanced the resemblance, especially when light revealed the shape of the helmet and the all covering cloak. "Sigma?" they both gasped out, Axl yanking out his scythe even as Octavia lifted her hoof to Varia.

The figure lifted a large hand. "Peace. I'm not the Maverick you mistake me for, though I take no offence." He stepped out into the light, revealing his full figure. He stood easily as tall as Sigma's original body, with energy pylons extending in all directions from his shoulder pauldrons hidden under his cloak...though the design showed they were energy vents rather than collectors. Similar protrusions marked the back of his helmet, and his face was mostly concealed. A friendly, gentle grin was visible. "After all, the resemblance was intentional in the basis of my design."

Octavia's glance quickly caught a different Greek letter on the figure's helm. "Epsilon, I presume? Why would you be deliberately designed to resemble Sigma?"

Epsilon nodded, confirming the deduction. "Because when I was first being built, I was meant to be a counter to Sigma, based off his original specs upgraded with modern and recovered pre End Times tech. After all, one fights viruses with anti-viruses, bacteria with antibiotics, one sets a thief to catch a thief..."

"So who better to catch a rogue Commander unit than one built just like him?" Axl asked, shifting back into a neutral stance, though he still held the scythe. "Forgive me if that doesn't fill me with equanimity."

Epsilon glanced between the pairs' shirts. "Given part of my entourage, Axl, you shouldn't be calm."

"What do you-"

"Oh my," a throaty, feminine voice purred. "Looking are you?"

The womanly figure that stepped out from around Epsilon could politely be described as 'overripe'. The red and pink armor fit her full figure like a second skin, though her helm hid her hair completely, and the positioning of coloration made the look more suggestive than battle ready. Her blue eyes locked on Axl as she sauntered up to him. "See something you like yet, boy?" she purred as she hovered into the air, bending over towards him as crimson wings spread from her back.

Axl backed up several steps. "I-I need an adult."

The woman chuckled throatily. "I am an-"

"No you're not, Ferham," another gravely voice stated as a third figure stepped out of the shadows. This one was armored in black and gold, with long spiky white hair flowing back from his black helm. It completely concealed his face for a single eye, and the mask was marked with lines. "You're an overgrown adolescent who likes to pretend she's in charge. Now leave the poor boy alone."

"You can be such a bastard, Scarface," Ferham grumbled as she floated back from Axl, much to his relief. "Why'd you have to spoil my fun? I love it when they squirm."

Epsilon chuckled softly. "Perhaps you would join me for tea, Miss Light?" he asked softly. "I'd be curious to know what brings two S Rank Maverick Hunters here so unofficially. I might be able to assist...and in return, you might be able to assist me."

Octavia tilted her head carefully. "I suppose tea wouldn't hurt," she offered noncommittally. "Just keep your cougar off my son."

"What did you call me?" Ferham demanded angrily, an energy whip appearing in her hands.

"Would you prefer 'dominatrix slut'?" Octavia countered coldly. "That was my first thought."

"Yes, actually," Ferham purred, causing Scarface to face palm. "That title's much more fitting."

Hoof met face. "Ugh..." Octavia groaned, already feeling a headache coming on.

Revolution

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Octavia sighed in relief as she enjoyed a delicious cup of tea. She may be a sex-crazed psycho, but she certainly knows how to brew a good cup, she thought to herself as she cast a sidelong glance at Ferham. The woman had gone from overly sexualized to excessively domestic in the blink of an eye. Octavia would have had a hard time believing it was the same woman if the apron she was wearing wasn't so form fitting. Pushing it from her mind, she turned her attention back to Epsilon. "So, you wanted to talk with me," she stated calmly.

"Indeed," Epsilon confirmed expansively. "While most of Giga City is against the Maverick Hunters on principle, I'm well aware of just how much the world owes to the Hunters, specifically to your family. I'm also well aware that whether Giga City welcomes the Hunters or not, anything major that happens here will bring them...and given the choice, I would rather not fight them."

"From your words, I gather you believe your plans will bring unwelcome attention from the world at large," Octavia observed curiously. "And given you were designed to be an anti-Sigma, you're concerned that might lead you to being presented as the Second Sigma, especially since Giga City was the source of the New-Gen Reploids that all have Sigma's data inside them."

"Which is why I'm glad I bumped into you," Epsilon confirmed happily as he took a sip of the tea. "My observations indicate that as far as your family is concerned, you are the driving force when it comes to policy. The Commander may dictate who is the Maverick to be captured or neutralized, but how that's handled is generally determined one way or another by you, officially or not. So if I can convince you that despite my goals I shouldn't be destroyed, even if conflict between my group and the Hunters arises, I can hope for a peaceful resolution...or at least one that doesn't result in rampant destruction."

"You said you were built to match Sigma," Octavia offered softly. "As far as your mind, it seems that was a success. But you also said that was your original purpose when being designed. Can I assume that purpose has changed since the world no longer believes Sigma to be a factor?"

Epsilon raised an eyebrow. "You do not believe he is no more?" he asked in surprise.

"Whether or not he still exists is a different matter," Octavia countered dryly. "But we toured this ruin before you approached us, and I counted nine capsules. If one of them was yours, that leaves eight plus a Commander. Some patterns never go away."

Epsilon chuckled softly. "That was actually deliberate as far as my original design. Sigma always took eight high level 'Mavericks' to act as his generals each time he attempted conquest. My eight 'generals' were meant to match his each time he arose, had we been activated for that purpose."

"I see," Octavia breathed in relief. She really didn't want to think about Sigma being back. Estimates indicated she'd soon start aging at a normal rate again as the influence of the stasis capsule fully cycled out of her, and she wanted to find Axl a girlfriend and get some grandchildren before she started turning old. For that to happen, a more or less peaceful world was required to give Axl time for romance. "If not for Sigma, what is your new purpose?"

"A meteor impacted this area shortly after the Eurasia incident," Epsilon explained. "It contained a new type of energy metal unlike anything ever encountered before. It has been dubbed Force Metal, and it can drastically improve the capabilities of any Reploid or Terran who installs it in their cybernetic systems. It is theorized this Force Metal may prove to be the key to the next stage of the Evolution of Life on this planet...if it is allowed to be fully explored."

"And what about humans?" Octavia asked curiously. "You only mentioned Reploids and Terrans."

A pained expression crossed Epsilon's face. "Octavia...the population of those who can be considered 'human' as opposed to Terran is rapidly declining as a result of attrition. Humans can only be born if a human mates with a human. If a human mates with a Reploid or a Terran, the result is a Terran. By all projections, humanity will cease to exist on this world as a separate species in two centuries, maybe three. For Reploids and Terrans, that's within our life expectancy." He sighed softly. "Humanity and Reploids have evolved into Terrans...and Force Metal could be the key to further Terran evolution."

Octavia sighed softly. "A sobering...but accurate assessment," she admitted. "Since you bring this 'Force Metal' up, am I to assume that you and your 'generals' have all been redesigned to utilize it?"

Epsilon nodded. "That's correct. Each of us has a Force Metal core...save for me. I am installed with one of two pieces of experimental Supra-Force Metal, which is made from highly concentrating Force Metal energy. It's currently in standby mode." He grinned widely. "I've been told that when I set it to active, my power can be felt, not just detected."

"And yet you're here in shadows," Octavia observed. "I take it the City has discontinued such research...and your goal is to see it continued even if the city - or the world - disagrees?"

"Yes," Epsilon stated firmly. "It is the destiny of life to evolve. We must grasp our future."

Octavia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. As far as she could tell, everything seemed on the up-and-up. And from what she could see in flashes, Axl and Scarface appeared to be enjoying their sparring session as they pushed each others' limits. It looked like Force Metal could allow Reploids or Terrans to evolve as X, Zero, and Axl were designed to do naturally. There seemed to be no reason to deny that. "And all your generals are united under your ideals?" she asked carefully.

Epsilon frowned. "Unfortunately, I can't be entirely certain of that," he admitted. "Ferham and Scarface...I know they are entirely devoted to me and my goals, I have no doubts about them. The others..." He shrugged his shoulders. "They follow me, but I doubt if most of them would follow my orders exactly if they thought they knew better, or if they disagreed."

Octavia nodded. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a time. Finally, she made a decision. "Canter."

"Beg pardon?" Epsilon inquired, caught off guard.

"It's my 'safe word'," Octavia explained.

"I thought Axl was the one who was looking," Epsilon teased.

"Not that kind," Octavia chided, rolling her eyes. "You know how some parents teach their children Danger Phrases, to let them know casually over the phone if they are in danger and can't speak freely?"

Epsilon nodded. "Yes, I am aware. And some also give code safe words the kid can know that someone can give them to show the parents actually sent them, in case someone the parents know but the kid doesn't needs to collect them from somewhere."

"Canter is something like that between myself, Father, and Uncle Zero," Octavia explained. "Work it into casual conversation while talking to them should you meet, and they'll know you have my tentative endorsement as someone reasonable, and not necessarily an enemy. Also have your hands on Scarface and Ferham's shoulders when you do. It'll set groundwork for that peaceful resolution you want, should your organization and the Maverick Hunters come into conflict before Axl and I head home."

Epsilon bowed from his seat. "My thanks for your confidence, Octavia. Cookie?"

"Please."

CM: Infiltration

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X frowned to himself, running things over in his mind as he, Zero, and the new recruit raced through the streets of Giga City, the rain pinging off their armor as they made their way towards the Lagrano Ruins. Octavia and Axl had been out of contact for a long time in Giga City, and on top of that rumors of some sort of weapons research - weaponizing some new power source - indicated a possible danger to world stability. Redips decided that these two details warranted sending Hunters in despite Giga City's embargo on Maverick Hunter involvement for a covert investigation. As such, only a team of three with no Navigator backup was sent in via remote teleporter drone. Of course, X and Zero were immediately selected for the objective...along with a relative unknown.

Shadow was a heavy combat Reploid with gold and black armor, a large green focus crystal in his forehead, a large rifle strapped to his back and an energy blade instead of a left hand. The reason for sending him along was for a cover story. If they were caught by authorities, they could claim it was a practical exam for the rookie, to see how well he could keep up with S Rank Hunters in adverse conditions. While enacting such an exam in Giga City would still be an incident, it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad as an uncovered Hunter operation to investigate the city's activities. The fact that Shadow was originally from Giga City was a help...but also a concern, in X's eyes.

Despite everything, they had only one clue to go on. A particular figure by the name of Epsilon was apparently at the head of the weapon research, and thus was their target at this time. An energy reading from the Ruins was their only clue, and so they were starting there.

As they entered the ruins, they surveyed the dimly lit, grey walled chamber. "No one to greet us, eh?" Zero offered as he glanced over the empty chamber.

"Just as well," X pointed out as he checked his comm systems. "We don't want to be found. The radio's jammed, so we need to stick together-" He cut himself off, then sighed. "How long you give it, Zero?"

"I'd say five minutes," Zero offered.

"400 Zenny says four or less," X countered.

"You're on!" Zero replied with a grin.

"Is...this something to do with being an S Rank Hunter that I just don't get?" Shadow asked curiously, plainly confused by their antics.

"We've been at this a long time," Zero explained. "One thing we've learned...as soon as you say 'don't let this happen', it's doomed to happen."

"So we're placing bets on how long until we're separated," X concluded as he started to walk forward. Three steps later, his head shot up and he dove to one side as Zero knocked Shadow in the other direction. An explosion caused the central pillar of the chamber to fall over, dividing the chamber and separating the group.

"Ha!" X called out. "Three minutes thirty seconds! Pay up when we meet up!"

"I call bullshit!" Zero snapped back from the other side of the pillar. "You set it off by walking forward!"

"Only counts against if I knew where the trap was!" X called back. "Let's get a move on! There's stairs over here, and I saw stairs on your side. We'll meet up on a higher floor."

"Got it, X! I'll keep track of the rookie!"

Turning, X made his way up the stairs. As he made his way through, he encountered several groups of bat based Mechanaloids, though they were easily destroyed with a charged spread-shot. Even without most of his armor with him, he was an effective combatant. Due to the secretive nature of the mission, X only had his basic dash boots, a dash-shield that would protect him while dashing and allow him to break some objects, and a limited use beacon for Piano to trigger the Adaptor. He doubted he'd need to utilize it too much. Besides, a data-cube keyed to his energy shield containing the transfer beacon for his Ultimate Armor had also been launched somewhere into the city, and he could recover it if he felt the need for it. Zero could shift to his white form at will - though the nature of Giga City's energy fields meant he could only maintain it for a limited time before recharging, for some reason - though Timbre had not transferred through properly. They'd have to keep an eye out for him.

Thankfully, once out of the central room, the radio's signal improved, allowing the two groups to communicate with each other...which proved important, as they had to coordinate to unlock security doors as they climbed the structure. A much greater point of concern arose, however, as they reached their respective sides of the central room of the second floor.

"I count four pods over here," Zero said over comms. "All with 'FM Energy Enhancement."

"Got the same over here," X confirmed. "Damn."

"I don't understand the significance," Shadow spoke up curiously.

"Eight high level Reploids, possible Maverick activities," Zero growled. "This has Sigma written all over it."

"And Octavia and Axl went missing somewhere here..." X spoke up worriedly.

The next floor, however, confused things. "Four more capsules in total?" X spoke up. "That's...different."

"Perhaps it isn't Sigma?" Shadow offered hopefully.

"The Epsilon capsule indicates Sigma was the basis of his design, though," X indicated. "We can't assume anything..."

One encounter with a new type of Mechanaloid foe - a spherical bot with thin legs, a stun arm, and a gun arm - provided X with two unique Metal components that scans identified as Force Metal, the new energy type that was supposedly being 'weaponized'. Given the design, the report seemed to be accurate.

At the fourth floor, X was able to catch up with Zero, though Shadow had apparently gone ahead to check something out. "I like that initiative he's showing," Zero spoke up regarding the rookie's behavior with a wide grin. He then noticed X's hesitation. "What's wrong?"

"Something about him rubs me the wrong way," X explained. "Not sure why."

"Well, it's nothing to-"

Zero's words were interrupted as a massive, hippo-shaped Mechanaloid with a missile strapped to its back burst in through the wall. Zero triggered his shift to White form even as X summoned Piano for a quick boost of power in X Fury mode(1). Between a sonic-charged saber strike and a heavy energized blow from X's amplified fist, the missile exploded into the Mechanaloid's back, shutting it down.

"Like I was saying," Zero continued as if nothing important had happened as they reversed their transformations to conserve energy on the forms, "nothing to worry about."

"Let's hope so," X allowed hopefully as he let Zero lead him towards the roof.

(1) Despite the urgings of his wife, his children, and his friends, X insisted on dropping the second 'r' in official documentation.

CM: Enemy Contact

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As X and Zero reached the roof, they gathered themselves defensively as they walked out, keeping their eyes out for Shadow or any Maverick activity...or any other combatants they had to worry about. Fortunately, Shadow was in plain sight. "Are you okay, Shadow?" X asked quickly.

"Yeah..." Shadow responded carefully, pointing towards another part of the roof. "But look."

Following the gesture, X and Zero caught sight of a Reploid who closely resembled Sigma, though with a different Greek letter on his helm. X quickly recognized him from what little information they'd managed to get. "Epsilon?" he called out in shock. After all, it didn't fit any patterns they knew for the head of any hostile force to meet face to face on the first engagement.

"Indeed, it is I," Epsilon responded calmly. "Epsilon, Rebellion Army Commander."

"Rebellion Army?" X asked in shock as Zero shifted to take point, with X and Shadow behind him to attack from range.

"That is what we must call ourselves," Epsilon allowed. "What we hoped to achieve, the government of this City will not allow. As only here can our goals be achieved, we are left with no choice but to rebel, and make our goals be reached."

"And you just came out to greet us?" Zero asked playfully. "How genteel of you."

"But of course," Epsilon agreed. "It's only polite when you yourselves come here against the will of the City government that I - who am also engaging in such outlawed activities - greet you personally. I am pleased to see that the Hunters send their best...a high compliment."

"Well, as long as you're being polite, what exactly is it that you intend?" X asked calmly.

"Evolution," Epsilon explained simply. "The details beyond that are lengthy, and difficult to explain when an air of suspicion hangs over the conversation."

"Rumor has it something called Force Metal has been weaponized," Zero stated firmly. "That's the objective of our investigation. Know anything about it?"

Epsilon sighed softly. "Yes. I am your objective."

"Then you understand why we can't exactly act peacefully here, right?" Zero continued, hand reaching for his saber. "We have our orders."

"I understand all too well," Epsilon agreed as he braced himself. "It would be a wasted effort to ask you to change sides at this point."

"I don't suppose you'll consider surrendering peacefully?" X asked hopefully. "Three against one isn't exactly favorable odds."

Epsilon smiled softly. "If the odds were three against one, it wouldn't be favorable...especially if two of the three were the two of you. However, that is not the odds." He lifted one hand, and Shadow placed his energy blade alongside Zero's head in response. "Shadow is a believer in our cause, a member of the Rebellion Army."

X and Zero glanced at each other. "Two on two still isn't favorable for you," Zero stated firmly, readying himself to charge.

"Show the Commander some respect!" a female voice commanded from the air as a crimson, winged female descended from the sky, an energy whip in her hand. A tall Reploid wearing a mask stepped out from behind the pile of rubble immediately to one side of Epsilon, and a fat green Reploid floated down from the sky, laser cannons floating around him.

"My Elite subordinates, Ferham, Scarface, and Botos," Epsilon introduced the figures. "Still think the odds are against me?"

Zero grinned widely. "Why don't we find out?" he asked eagerly as he leapt forward, getting out of range of Shadow's blade even as he drew his own.

Before anyone could take further action, Shadow bent forward and fired off a charge from the heavy rifle on his back, slamming into Zero's back and sending him flying off the roof of the ruins. The blast also knocked out Zero's transmitter, so X lost all ability to trace him once he fell out of sight.

"Zero!" X called out in shock and fear, before turning back towards Epsilon. "Do you think I'm going to simply stand for that?" he growled, readying himself for an intense fight.

Epsilon, however, was frowning angrily at Shadow, though he schooled his expression as he turned back towards X. "An accident caused from an overzealous subordinate," he allowed as Ferham and Scarface floated to his sides. He then rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "I hope this doesn't lead to you taking a canter to a conclusion."

X froze. He instantly caught Octavia's 'safe word', but wasn't sure what to make of how it was used here. All he was able to determine was that he plainly didn't know enough of the situation to take action. He frowned. "It's too late for that," he offered. Lowering his buster, he fired off a fully charged blast right at his feet, creating a huge smoke cloud to disguise his leap off the building.

He had to find Zero, Octavia, and Axl. Until he found them, he needed to gather allies, find a base of operation...and survive. Those were his primary objectives now...with only one of any higher priority.

Epsilon had put his hands on Ferham and Scarface. Based on the code of Octavia's 'safe word', that meant those were the only ones Octavia vetted through Epsilon, and the only ones that had Epsilon's complete trust. His distaste at Shadow shooting Zero off the rooftop suggested that he didn't have complete control of the traitor Hunter. But Octavia and Axl were aware of Shadow being on the Hunter roster before they took their vacation.

X had to reach Octavia and Axl...before Shadow did.

CM: Into the Web

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When X came to, he found himself in a gray metal chamber which was much too clean and well lit to have been in the Ruins. Okay, I must have entered sleep mode at some point...guess five floors of a jump was a bit much without more advanced armor. "Where...am I?" he asked softly, hoping whoever brought him here and laid him on what he now noticed was a repair table was a friend.

"X...you've come to." Blinking, X turned to the side, seeing someone in the armor of a field medic. "This place is known as 'New Hope'," the medic continued.

When he didn't continue right away, X spoke up. "By...any chance did...you find Zero?" He struggled to push past the errors his systems were giving him due to damage and strain.

"Take it slowly, X," the Medic cautioned. "The ambient energies of Giga City due to excessive Force Metal use can cause problems for systems not properly adapted to the energy. As a result, you took some serious damage. I'll answer all your questions once you're recovered and your systems properly inoculated. For now...just know this is the Resistance hideout, and we're on your side."

Nodding, X lay back, allowing the repair table to continue its work on his systems. Once the error messages stopped, he turned to the medic. "Thank you. Now...about Zero?"

"I didn't find anyone with you," the medic replied apologetically. "Sorry. I have no idea what happened to your friend."

"If you didn't find him, he's probably just fine," X offered quickly. "He's a tough old bastard, and probably didn't take anywhere near as much damage as I did. So...what part of Giga City am I in? And what's the Resistance?"

"We're in the lower floors of Central Tower," the medic replied. "We're safe from discovery down here due to the rogue Mechanaloid security patrolling the halls, so no one comes down here. As for the Resistance..." He shrugged his shoulders. "Right now, there are three factions struggling for control of Giga City. The official Government is trying to maintain the fiction that everything's under control no matter what, even as everything spirals out of control. The Rebellion Army is trying to take over important structures to complete their objective...which is unknown. The Resistance - led by Chief R - is trying to protect civilians by creating safe areas where the fighting doesn't happen, and keep the Rebellion and government in check. Unfortunately...the Resistance doesn't have many powerful fighters, and most of our key players have been captured by the Rebellion, and the Central Tower was the last safe spot..."

X nodded. "And you're hoping I'll help liberate the Central Tower, and assist the Resistance in retaking the city?" he asked carefully.

"That was the hope, yes," the medic replied. "I know it's a lot to ask-"

"The primary purpose of the Maverick Hunters is to protect civilians," X interrupted. "I'll meet with Chief R and discuss things with him." After all, I've already met with Epsilon...

"You'll need to go up, then. Good luck, X."

Nodding, X left the room, making his way up the spiraling path to the higher levels of the tower, blasting his way through the Mechanaloid security as he went. A few twists and turns were forced on him due to construction work, and he found himself in a civilian area at an observation deck, nearly a thousand floors up. He stayed hidden, just in case civilians reacted badly to the presence of a Maverick Hunter. As he waited, his communicator sparked to life.

"X, can you hear me?" Redips asked softly.

"Colonel!" X responded as he opened the comm. "Bad news. Shadow betrayed us, and Zero is missing!"

"What?" Redips gasped, stunned. "X, are you...ka...?" The signal began to break up.

Frowning, X turned the comm off. "Need to find somewhere for a clearer signal," he grumbled under his breath.

As he spoke, a news broadcast began to play from a nearby display screen. "Federation Agents have illegally entered Giga City space! Repeat, illegal entry!" The screen displayed an image of X. "Report any sightings of suspicious Reploids immediately!"

Cursing under his breath, X quickly and quietly moved out of the observation deck, making his way to a Helipad Deck, hoping the lack of a roof would make for a clearer signal. Unfortunately, as he stepped out of the halls, a rather bulky figure in brown and blue worker armor called out to him, "Hold it!" As X stopped, the figure continued, "You're X, aren't you? I heard about you on the news."

X turned to the figure, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry, but I had to report you," the man continued.

"That's alright," X allowed. "You do what you have to do-" Something flashed down between X and the stranger with explosive force, knocking the figure back.

"I suggest you step away," a deep, strong voice called out, tone somewhere between serious and playful, akin to a cat in pursuit of prey. "You don't want to get between me and my mark."

"S-s-s-SPIDER!" the man called out fearfully, running for it.

Turning, X looked up towards the figure that leapt down three stories to land in front of him. Spider, as he was apparently called, stood slightly taller than X, though was built slimmer. He was garbed in what looked like a black suit at first glance, though closer examination revealed that the 'fabric' was reinforced to the point it was as strong as armor while maintaining flexibility. His black hat had an orange pattern of five circles resembling the face of a die on the front, and had a phoenix patterned jacket tied around his waist. At his wrists were sharply pointed cuffs designed to dispense the explosive cards that were his primary weapons. He had dark blue - nearly purple - hair and crimson eyes, with scars on his cheeks under his eyes.

"Who are you?" X demanded coldly.

"Just someone looking to make a payday," Spider responded easily. "The Government and the Rebellion have put a price on your head...one for dead, one for alive. They're close enough I can go either way. So...which is it going to be?"

CM: Fly Away

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X grinned widely at his opponent. Oddly enough, he found it refreshing to face someone who just straight up stated their intentions, showing neither insanity nor trickery in their approach. It felt oddly like the sparring sessions back at HQ, but with more at stake...though not much more, in his opinion. "You seem pretty confident," he observed idly, "taking on an S Rank Maverick Hunter, especially one with my record and abilities. Or is that arrogance?"

"Nah, nothing like that," Spider debated smugly. "More observation, and research. Most of your more devastating combat abilities either require your armor upgrades, or only come into play if your kid is in immediate danger." He glanced around playfully. "I don't see her around, and oh look! You've only got your basic armor with dash boots. What an unfortunate turn of events for you."

"I can still call Piano to fuse with him," X countered firmly, though he was beginning to get a bit nervous.

"Which will be quite devastating to me...if you can hit me," Spider offered playfully. "I admit, I wouldn't be able to take many hits from you physically. I'm more the glass cannon type. But I'm built for speed, evasion, and power hits. And your current equipment set - with or without Piano - is not built for speed or maneuverability. So the question is...am I confident that I can land enough blows on you to slow you down before you can hit me? Or are you lucky enough to catch me unawares?" His grin widened as he slipped five cards into his hand before throwing them into the air in front of him, creating an energy barrier to deflect ranged attacks. "So X...feeling lucky?"

X hid his nervousness. Yet again, he was up against that most dangerous of foes...competent. An idea struck him, and he hoped it would work well. He tilted his head to look past Spider, eyes wide. "That depends if this is back up or competition. Long time no see, Dynamo."

Spider's eyes widened in shock, and he spun around quickly. "S-sensei?" he gasped in surprise...only to see no one there. "What the-" The sound of dash boots and a closing door informed him what had happened. "Oh...Sensei's laughing at me for sure..."

Up where Spider had leapt down from, a blue haired individual lowered his red visor to laugh. "Nyeheheh..."

X raced quickly through the halls to get away from the bounty hunter he was ill-equipped to deal with at the moment. I can't believe that actually worked! he thought in relief. Still, I was counting on Dynamo having a rep, but Sensei? I hope I can find Octavia before I encounter him again. She might know some password of Dynamo's to keep him in check. He blinked as he noticed the damaged aspect of the halls he was passing through, with grates hanging from walls and scattered over the floor. This place sure took a beating...

As he entered a chamber, he encountered a pale brown armored individual whose lower half had been replaced with a hoverchair. "You are the Maverick Hunter X, are you not?" a voice emanated from the figure, his mouth not moving showing the extent of damage he'd taken in his life.

"Yes, that's me," X confirmed. As he saw it, this was either an ally or not a threat. Either way, there was no harm in properly identifying himself, and possibly some good.

"I am Aile," the figure introduced himself. "I am a member of the Resistance."

"Alright," X responded as he let out a sigh of relief. "Can you give me more details about what's going on?"

"As you made it this far, I assume you've deduced that our leader, Chief R, has been caught by the Rebellion Army?" Aile inquired.

"I figured it was something like that, given how disorganized things are here," X confirmed. "Is he still somewhere in Central Tower?"

"Yes," Aile stated firmly. "He is being held in the Governor's Precinct. However, I no longer possess the combat capabilities necessary to perform the rescue operation. While I have information and access codes, I would be incapable of overcoming the Rebellion forces alone."

"Then I'll just have to escort you," X offered warmly. "Won't be my first escort mission. I'm here to gather information, after all, and speaking to the leadership seems to be the best way to go about it...and from what I hear, Chief R's the only leadership who hasn't put a price on my head."

"Thank you, X," Aile offered warmly. He then reached towards an ID Comp embedded in his chest compartment.

"Don't," X interrupted firmly. "I said I'd escort you. You're coming with me."

"I would be a hindrance," Aile warned worriedly.

"Your information will be helpful, and I can handle anything we come across...save one individual," X spoke confidently. "And I don't like needless sacrifice."

As he spoke, the door he'd entered through opened to reveal more of the spherical Mechanaloids he'd first faced in the Ruins.

"Preons!" Aile called out warningly. "Rebellion Army foot troops-"

X cut him off by tackling him through the door onward before triggering the shift to X Fury. "Skull Buster!" he roared out as he fired the charged beam back through the door.

The explosion rocked the tower as the room was rendered impassable.

X disengaged the combination to save charge, brushing his hands off. "That should hold them."

"...I begin to understand what you meant about being able to handle anything we encounter," Aile managed to say at long last.

X grinned and nodded. "Come on, let's go."

X swiftly escorted Aile through the halls as they made their way up through the tower towards the Governor's Precinct. As they got close, they encountered a Resistance soldier dressed in the dark green of a Class 3 uniform. "Aile!" he called out as they approached. "We're in trouble! Several of my friends are being held just ahead-"

"I've got this," X interrupted as he stepped towards the door.

"D-do you need backup?" the soldier asked worriedly.

"I believe X has this well in hand," Aile quickly soothed the soldier's concerns.

"X? You mean the legendary Maverick Hunter?" The soldier let out a gasp of relief. "We're saved!"

As X stepped through the door, three Preons confronted him. Before they could approach, X triggered X Fury, seized the closest one, and used it as a bludgeon to smash the other two. Shifting back, he called out, "Coast is clear!"

Three females dressed in darker variants of what had recently become standard female shopkeeper wear - a short armored dress with matching gloves and boots, colored in a pattern matching the class of their wares, and matching hats with a Zenny symbol - stepped out, quickly offering their thanks. They introduced themselves as Saffron, Cumin, and Jasmine, the Item, Weapon, and Force Metal quartermasters for the Resistance. While regulations forbid them from giving him their items outright - not only was he not a member of the Resistance officially, they needed to turn a profit to keep the Resistance supplied - they did offer him a discount for saving them.

With that finished, X continued to escort Aile through the halls. However, as they reached a dead end hallway, he held up his hand. "Get back!" he called out, shifting into a combat stance.

Spider chuckled as he leapt down from the roof. "Well, your instincts are good, I'll give you that," he offered with a chuckle. "But don't think you'll escape so easily this time."

"And why would he need to escape, Spider?" Aile asked suddenly, moving up to just behind X.

Spider's eyes widened in shock. "A-Aile," he stammered, a look of conflicted emotions crossing his face. "It...it's been a while. What have you been up to?"

"Helping the Resistance and Chief R protect the populace," Aile replied firmly. "I couldn't exactly continue my more rambunctious lifestyle...after."

Spider looked away, his right hand clutching his left arm tight enough the metal of glove and sleeve creaked. "...it wasn't supposed to happen..."

"It wasn't your fault, Spider," Aile stated quickly. "I never blamed you."

"Doesn't stop me from doing it," Spider grumbled, unwilling to meet Aile's eyes. He then let out a disgruntled 'tch' through clenched teeth. "Well I'm in a pickle. I'm going to have to break one of Sensei's rules, one way or the other. I either renege on a bounty I've taken, or turn my back on a friend."

"Is a protracted pro bono job really such a bad penance?" Aile asked teasingly.

Spider shuddered violently. "Certainly better than...eating the spaghetti." He shook himself off, then turned to look at the camera. "Sorry, Jango, but I'm through with this job!" With that, he threw one of his cards at the camera, destroying it. He smirked at X. "Hope you don't hold all this against me...not if we're going to be working together."

"It was professional, not personal," X allowed. "Though it's a pity. If I were better prepared, I think I'd enjoy testing myself against you."

Spider chuckled softly. "You aren't the only one." Looking up, he saw several Preons approaching from behind. "So how are we handling these guys?"

X pointed his buster over the back of his head, shooting out the roof above the approaching Preons and crushing them beneath, the smashed Preons creating a barricade preventing others from getting to the group. "The simple solutions are the best. Let's go."

CM: Catch a Bobcat by the Toe

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At X's instruction, Spider took point while X brought up the rear with Aile in between them, only moving forward to open security doors. Thankfully, it wasn't far before they found where Chief R was being held, guarded by a single Preon security guard. One exploding card thrown by Spider left a hole in its armor, leaving an easy killshot for X. "That him?" Spider asked Aile, gesturing to the prisoner once the guard Preon exploded.

Chief R was of slim build, dressed in an orange jacket with red and blue insignias on the chest, with an orange and blue parrot mechanaloid on his shoulder. "It is good to see you well, Chief," Aile greeted him as he moved to the front.

"Aile! I told you to stay safe!" Chief R chided firmly. "You have all the information regarding our scattered agents, and the information we've gathered on the hidden agendas of the government and the Rebellion Army! The last thing this city can afford is to have you fall into enemy hands!"

"The last thing he could consider me is an enemy," Spider grumbled under his breath, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Chief R, I'm X," X introduced himself calmly. "Aile requested my assistance in rescuing you. Spider is a bounty hunter...and apparently an old associate of Aile's."

Chief R's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait...that Spider?" he asked Aile. When Aile nodded, a wide grin spread on Chief R's face. "It seems you've brought us a pair of powerful allies, Aile. We just might be able to retake the Central Tower now...and from there move to secure the city for the safety of civilians." He straightened himself. "The others?"

"I have already taken a census of all active beacons," Aile answered readily. "All within the Tower are safe and accounted for, for the moment."

"What can you tell us about whoever's holding the place for the Rebellion Army?" X asked curiously.

"His name's Wild Jango," Spider interrupted. "He's a bobcat based high performance FM Reploid-"

"FM Reploid?" X asked in confusion.

"A Reploid designed from the ground up to utilize Force Metal to the fullest extent," Chief R explained. "They actually have more in common with Terrans than older Reploids, or even New-Gen Reploids, as far as how their brains and bodies function."

Spider nodded. "His primary abilities are his speed, powerful strikes, and lightning based attacks. His speed unfortunately leaves him vulnerable to overheating, making heat and flame based attacks exceptionally effective against him."

"How did you acquire all this information?" Chief R asked in surprise.

Spider shot Aile a smirk, which was returned. "Back when Aile and I were partners, we specialized in information retrieval. I can get a scan of a target's capabilities with a glance."

"That should be quite useful," X observed gratefully. "For now, we should-"

"So you refuse to work with the Rebellion Army, Rrrr?" Wild Jango spoke up from a nearby monitor, his spotted frame somewhat hidden in communication static.

"I've told you," Chief R growled out angrily. "You could scrap my whole body, and even the smallest fragment would resist you!"

Wild Jango snarled angrily. "Fine! But you are fools to resist us, as we bring the future of the Earth at hand! It's time for you all to be brought down to size! I'll bring this whole building down if I have to, including you traitor!"

As the comms shut off, Chief R stared in disbelief. "No..."

"X, Spider, you must both head to the monitor room as fast as possible!" Aile insisted quickly. "I will stay here with Chief R! I still have enough defensive equipment to hold a position."

"Just don't go blowing yourself up," Spider insisted as the pair immediately dashed for the monitor room, higher up the tower.

"I'll give you the route from here!" Chief R called out as they dashed away.

As X and Spider dashed forward, security Preons of various designs blocked their passage on occasion, but they blasted past them as quickly as they could. With Chief R's guidance, they were able to fight their way through to the monitor room before the bomb could go off, allowing them to shut it off. "Now to find Jango!" X called out. "Which way, Chief?"

"He's trying to escape via the heliport!" Aile informed them. "It's on the roof of the Tower!"

"I know the way!" Spider insisted, leading the way up to the roof.

As they arrived, Jango snarled in rage. "You cancelled the self destruct? Meddling Maverick and Bounty Hunters!" He spun to attack, blurring by faster than either X or Spider could react to slam into each of them from between, knocking them on their sides. "I'll teach you to cross me!"

X growled as he got to his feet, Spider on the other side. "Not bad," he spat. "Bet you can't do it again."

"I can do better!" Jango snarled as he leapt back, hurling homing discs of electricity at them both, only for Spider to barely get his shot barrier up in time to deflect them.

"Somehow I doubt that," Spider taunted, standing between X and Jango. "Go on...gimme your best shot."

Snarling in fury, Jango leapt into the air, spinning as he surrounded his body with electricity before lunging down in an attempt to smash Spider into the ground. As he breached the shot barrier, however, Spider flared with light and vanished as he activated his Trickstar mode, phasing out of sync with his surroundings so Jango passed right through him...only to be grabbed in the massive paw-hands of X Fury, who had transformed at the same time as Spider to conceal it. With that grip, he slammed Jango repeatedly into the ground before hurling him across the tarmac.

"Face it, Jango!" X yelled out. "You don't stand a chance with us working together! Surrender, flee...or die!"

Jango roared his defiance. "No soldier of Epsilon will back down from a simple two on one fight!"

"How about three on one?" a calm, feminine voice spoke up from behind Jango.

"What?" Jango shouted in shock as he spun.

"Shoryuken!" Octavia shouted as she unleashed the lower power finishing blow, sending Jango back as he took the massive fire based damage, bits of his armor falling off as he got back to his feet.

"Octavia!" X called out in relief. "You're alright!"

"Of course I am," Octavia responded calmly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"But where's Axl?"

"He got tired of me playing matchmaker with every female who flirted with him because he was famous, so we decided to look around separately for a while," Octavia explained simply. "By the way, Father, who's the suit that was actually paying attention enough to keep Jango from escaping?"

"Wait...you're that Octavia?" Spider gulped nervously as he clutched the disabled Jango around his throat. "...please don't let Sensei make me eat the spaghetti..."

"...you must be Spider," Octavia allowed flatly. "Dynamo's talked frequently about you."

Spider whimpered softly.

CM: Locked and Loaded

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It didn't take long to finish clearing out the damage done to the facilities at the top of Central Tower by the Rebellion Army occupation, making it once more an ideal base for the Resistance. Wild Jango was placed in lockup in the lower levels of the Tower, secure and contained. The excitement of events had been, unfortunately, straining on Aile, and he was forced to rest and recuperate for an unknown period of time, meaning he wouldn't be able to interact directly with anyone save Spider - who knew how to handle his exhausted state - though he could still pass on the significant information he had stored in his systems.

"With the base back online, we can begin retaking the city," Chief R explained softly. "Aile's information will give us courses of action, though we'll need to be cautious until we're able to get someone here on Navigator duty."

"It's a pity Mom couldn't get vacation time," Octavia offered softly. "She's an excellent Navigator."

"But she doesn't know anything about Giga City's layout," X countered gently. "We'd need someone with that information."

"And I believe we can find one," Spider spoke up as he brought out the first data set. "Thirty miles northwest on Tianna Island is an old Force Metal mine, which is being used as a prison camp by the Rebellion Army. Those at the mine who resisted are still imprisoned there..." He placed the disc into the computer. "Including a particularly talented Navigator by the name of Nana, formerly the coordinator of the mining operation."

The screen displayed a pink haired young woman in white and orange armor, with two red sevens on her chest plate. Octavia immediately went flat eyed. "That's either bad taste or someone's idea of an obscure joke..." she muttered darkly.

"With her abilities, the base would be fully operational," Spider continued. "And while we're at it, there should be others there we could help who would likely join our cause...especially since the Government left them there to rot."

"Then let's get a move on," X ordered decisively.

"Without a Navigator/Operator, I can't change the teleporter's destination," Chief R explained. "Thankfully, it's currently set to Tianna Camp. Good luck."

The inside of the Tianna Camp was stark brown walls with square corridors, separated by metal doors that slid up and down out of their frames. The first corridor outside the entry teleporter curved into the primary entry chamber...where a new figure stood.

He was massive, built on a scale larger than X or Spider. About ten feet tall and as wide at the shoulders, he was garbed in stylized green armor with red flared spoilers at the shoulder blades, with gold filigree on the boots, gauntlets, around the blue focus crystals on the front of each shoulder plate, and surrounding the prominent shoulder spikes. A massive double bladed plasma poleaxe was clutched tightly in both large hands, and a yellow 'M' insignia was emblazoned on the black body suit worn underneath the armor, just under the bottom of the large chest plate.

Spider's eyebrows shot into his hat as he took in the figure. "Well talk about lucky coincidences. If it isn't Steel Massimo, the Iron Paladin of Central Tower."

The figure - Steel Massimo, apparently - spun to face them, his eyes startled. "T-that I am!" he managed to stammer. "And I know you as well, Spider...at least, by reputation." His hands clenched tighter around his poleaxe shaft, tight enough that his knuckles were surely turning white beneath his gauntlets. "And w-what brings Giga City's most infamous bounty hunter here?"

"Penance," Spider explained readily. "Relax, Massimo...I'm not here to fight you, or even compete. You're here to save the prisoners, aren't you?"

"T-that's right!" Massimo insisted eagerly. "Steel Massimo could never leave helpless victims under the heel of such tyranny! These halls hold no fear for me!"

Octavia frowned slightly, taking a closer look at the man's expression...what she could see of it under the faceplate. Something about the tone...it sounded as though Massimo were trying to convince himself as much as them.

"I'm X," X introduced himself. "This is my daughter Octavia. We're Maverick Hunters, currently working with the Resistance. We're here to free the prisoners as well, specifically the Operator Nana."

"H-how fortuitous!" Steel Massimo proclaimed, his voice between relieved and overjoyed. "With the four of us working together, no foe within these walls shall stand a chance!"

"Good to work with you," Spider offered with a grin. "Now let's get going. Four attracts more attention than one or three, and we can expect resistance." He patted Massimo's massive arm. "Good to know we've got someone as tough as you here to help. One thing we're missing from our lineup is someone who can tank."

The group continued into the camp, evading the floating security drones patrolling the early corridors. Octavia couldn't help but watch Massimo curiously as he allowed himself to be led into the camp. She had done her research on all the significant vigilantes of Giga City while she was looking around with Axl, just in case there were any that might think to challenge Axl to try and make a name for themselves. She'd heard a great deal about Steel Massimo, and something here didn't quite add up.

Another thought did occur to her as she watched. Her research suggested something regarding Steel Massimo that was not confirmed by any public record, but did fit with Octavia's own perspective. Perhaps that was the detail that could explain these seeming discrepancies...

CM: Way With The Ladies

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As the group progressed through the Camp, they encountered a few groups of Mechanaloids against which Massimo was able to demonstrate his skills. He proved to be an effective - if slow - tank, and placing him at the head of the formation with everyone else arranged behind him and to the sides allowed them to maximize damage output. The only issue - which, thankfully, didn't arise too often - was that Massimo's armor was vulnerable to various types of Elemental damage. Another issue that caught Octavia's eye was that - despite supposedly being a famous vigilante hero - Massimo seemed to have very little actual battle experience.

After dealing with a few prison guards, they were able to release several prisoners, each of which was grateful for the release. Some recognized Massimo on sight...but seemed to be under the impression that he'd been captured. Massimo made light of those with boasts that eased the troubled minds of the prisoners...but his eyes showed that his heart wasn't truly in it.

What else they learned from the prisoners was far more troubling. The 'warden' of the prison - an FM Reploid of the Rebellion named Silver Horn - had destroyed prisoners one by one, for no other reason than because he apparently enjoyed it. Octavia's eyes had narrowed angrily at that.

As they moved deeper into the prison, they encountered a maze-like area. As they explored, X paused. "So that's where it is," he murmured softly.

"Where what is?" Spider demanded curiously.

"When I first came here, I had to send my Ultimate Armor separately in order to get in safely," X explained. "The plan was to pick it up mid-mission if I needed it, or to track it down afterwards otherwise. It's near here."

"In that case, maybe we should go get it?" Massimo suggested nervously. "I mean, we really can't take chances with lives on the line...and you wouldn't want the Rebellion Army to get a hold of it, right?"

Nodding agreement, X followed his sensors...to a locked door. "Great," he muttered darkly. "Where are we supposed to find this...'Tianna Key'?"

"I have that," Octavia spoke up. "Axl and I found a few keys while we were exploring, and divided them between us when we split up. I have the Tianna and Lagrano Keys, and Axl has the Central and Gimialla Keys. I meant to divide them differently...but for some reason, Axl was pretty insistent on taking the Central Key." Shrugging, she stepped up and used the Tianna Key to open the door.

Following the scanners, they came to a final door. Octavia motioned everyone to stop. "I hear something in there...a female voice. I think I should go in first." Once that was accepted, she stepped up to the door.

Behind the door was a young woman in poofy dress-armor practicing a dance routine. The dress-armor was red, and a pink visor covered most of her face and her blonde hair. "Step! Step! And turn!" she sang to herself as she spun around, swinging a sun-topped staff. Catching sight of Octavia, she let out a startled scream. "Who are you?"

"Octavia Melody Light," Octavia introduced herself warmly. "You might have heard of me-"

The young woman's face lit up. "Ohmygosh, you're Axl's Mom!" Octavia mightily resisted the urge to facehoof. "Do you think you could introduce me? I've always wanted to meet him, but between my idol career and his vigilante work, I despaired of it ever happening!"

Octavia smiled softly. "I think I can manage that. You're Rafflesian, aren't you?"

Rafflesian gasped in shock. "You know me?"

Octavia nodded. "Indeed I do. I came across you a few times in my son's search history." She decided not to mention that said search history was for pinups, and specifically filtered out music and most of her live performances. Maybe she could get Axl to reconsider if they actually met...though she doubted it.

"Oh, oh, do you think you could give him my contact number?" Rafflesian pleaded, holding out a data disk. "It's even got my RDNA profile on it, to check for compatibility." Her cheeks turned pink. "Or if he, you know, wanted to c-c-copy me..."

Octavia raised an eyebrow. Technology allows for some odd fetishes, she mused to herself. "I think I can do that. But...can you do something for me?"

"Anything!" Raffelsian promised eagerly.

Octavia pointed to the data capsule containing the Ultimate Armor activation unit. "That belongs to my father. Can I retrieve it, please?"

"Oh, go ahead!" Rafflesian agreed eagerly. "It's just in the way of my practice, but it doesn't let me move it."

Smiling, Octavia took the data disk and capsule. "I'll leave you to your practice, then. A special performance for my son, perhaps?"

Rafflesian's cheeks darkened. "W-well, only if I can lock the door..."

Chuckling, Octavia left the room, handing the capsule over to X and waving everyone to move on as though nothing had happened.

Not long after the group left the maze, they found their way to a dark room guarded by a new type of Preon, a blue one that utilized freezing technology. It did not last long against the gathered group.

With the Preons destroyed, the group was able to approach the control console in the center of the room, which Nana was plugged into. "Are you alright, Nana?" X spoke up in concern.

"Wait a sec," Spider interrupted. "I'll let you loose."

After a quick manipulation of the circuitry, the helmet locked onto Nana's head opened, letting her look out at them with her own eyes. "Thank you," she spoke up calmly. "When I noticed your group breaking in, I managed to reprogram the security system so that the alarms wouldn't go off."

"Impressive," X murmured in awe.

"I didn't want to work for them," Nana offered apologetically. "But I was captured...and they said if I didn't, they would kill the POWs."

"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore," Octavia promised. "We'll take care of Silver Horn."

"I'll stay here and back you up," Nana offered quickly.

"Are you sure?" Spider asked in concern. "I mean, being plugged into that thing can't be pleasant-"

"I can take it," Nana interrupted. "Knowing I'm doing it for the right reasons will help a great deal."

Everyone nodded, and X and Spider turned to head forward. Massimo paused before continuing. "On, Nana...is there any record of...me being held here?" he asked nervously.

"Massimo...Steel Massimo, yes?" Nana asked as she called up the relevant file. "It says here you were captured 10 days ago, and subsequently placed in solitary confinement. But...according to the file, it says you were executed after five days of refusing to cooperate."

"E-executed?" Massimo gasped out, looking stricken.

"A case of mistaken identity, perhaps?" Octavia offered considerately.

"Y-yeah, that must be it," Massimo murmured softly.

"The body should still be in the maximum security cell up ahead, if you want to investigate," Nana offered. Nodding, Massimo immediately charged ahead. "A moment," Nana called out as Octavia moved to follow.

"I can't spare much more than that," Octavia pointed out, "but go ahead."

"I didn't want to say anything to the others," Nana explained, "but the reason I was able to prevent the alarms from going off for your group...is because the Rebellion Army protocols were already programmed to ignore you, Octavia."

"Now isn't that interesting?" Octavia murmured softly before turning to pursue the others.

CM: Inheritance

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Beyond the Dark Room where Nana remained to guide them, the group made their way past a sequence of puzzle lock chambers that involved activating pressure switches in the proper order to release music notes to unlock doors and barriers. Beyond that, they found a door that needed to be opened remotely. While they waited for Nana to deal with that, however, Massimo took a side path into the solitary confinement area, making his way to the cell that had held 'him'. Curious, Octavia followed discreetly.

She was rather surprised by what she saw. Massimo stood before the torso of a figure of pure metal, hung against the back wall by electric chains. Its lower body and arms looked as though they had been ripped off with brute force, as though the poor Reploid had been drawn and quartered. The silver superstructure of the remaining body was plainly visible, surrounding the crimson optics. Massimo had collapsed to his knees before the fallen figure. "N...no..." he wept.

"It's...it's you..." the figure stammered out around errors from his voice box. "I didn't...want you to see me like this...but I knew...you would come..."

"What have they done to you?" Massimo wailed out despairingly.

"I refused...to join their clan..." the figure managed to say. "Their leader...said I was to be...locked up until...I agreed. But Silver Horn...tried to force me...when I refused...he did this..." His optics flickered briefly as he gasped for breath. "Glad I left...the armor with you...I know you'll...do it proud..."

"N-no..." Massimo whimpered. "Sensei, I'm...I'm not strong like you are. I...I can barely contribute at all. I...I feel like I'm a burden on those who come to save the day. I...I failed you..."

"You haven't...failed yet!" the figure stated firmly. "This is...your first mission. You are...stronger than you know. I am...but a Reploid. You...are the future..." He coughed, struggling for air.

"Sensei!" Massimo cried out worriedly. "Please...hang on!"

"I've hung on...all I can..." the figure managed to say. "I knew...you would find me...and I had...to tell you..."

"Tell me what?" Massimo gasped out worriedly as the figure's voice faltered.

"That I'm glad...you have found friends...to help you through this..." His eyes locked briefly with Octavia's before turning back to Massimo. "And...your mother and I...are so proud...of...you... ... ..." His optics went dark, and he fell limp.

"FATHER!" Massimo wailed out in despair, clutching the fallen hero in his arms and weeping in despair.

Knowing she could do nothing to help now, Octavia stayed back, letting Massimo work through his grief. After a time, Massimo looked up...and ripped the bindings holding his father's torso up out of the wall by main strength. Laying the body down, he stepped back. "I'm giving it everything," he whispered softly as orange light gathered around his shoulders. Thrusting his arms forward, he unleashed a blast of pure power that atomized what was left of his fallen parent, granting him dignity in death.

Octavia walked up to his side. "Ready to go?" she asked gently.

Massimo nodded. "Y-yeah," he stammered softly, struggling to muster his emotions. "I...can't let him down-huh?" He glanced up as Octavia leapt onto his head.

"You won't," Octavia promised, gently patting his cheek. "Now let's go. I won't say anything until you're ready."

Managing a small smile, Massimo turned and walked back out, saying nothing to X and Spider as he caught up to them.

Before anyone could say anything, Nana's scream echoed through the door she'd opened remotely for them.

"Nana!" Spider called out in shock. "We have to hurry!" The group rushed through.

Entering a massive colosseum with water pouring down around all sides, they saw Nana laying flat on her face in the center. "What the-?" X gasped in shock as Octavia leapt down to the ground to enter a battle state.

A massive triceratops based Reploid stepped heavily onto the stage. "So these are the rats scurrying around my death camp," he observed calmly in his deep voice. "Hmph! Fools. How dare you resist the Rebellion Army?"

Octavia snarled angrily. "Silver Horn," she growled deep in her throat, but said nothing more.

Spider was the one who spoke up. "So you're the head honcho here? What'd you do to Nana?"

Silver Horn let out a deep laugh. "Nana's been a bad girl...so she's being punished!" As if that were enough explanation, he brought his massive foot down on her back, smashing her into the floor. As X gasped in disbelief, Silver Horn continued his 'explanation'. "The weak ones have no choice. They should just obey the strong ones-"

"You're wrong!" Massimo roared out. "The strong must protect the weak, not dominate them!"

Silver Horn snorted disdainfully. "Still spouting that nonsense, Steel Massi-...no, you aren't Massimo. I tore that feeble Massimo limb from limb with my own hands." He began to laugh darkly, only for a massive blow to send him flying.

"You don't talk about my father like that!" Massimo roared out, his entire body - armor and all - blazing gold. "You know nothing of the true strength of Steel Massimo!"

Silver Horn growled as he got to his feet. "So...you're his son..." He chuckled darkly. "And I thought his begging was for his own life in third person-"

"I am not the son of Steel Massimo!" Massimo roared out as his body blazed with power. "I AM MASSIMO!"

Octavia's eyes widened as Varia beeped an alert. "FM energy spike detected. Steel Massimo's equipped Force Metal, Massimo Plus, has metamorphosed. Displaying data."

Massimo Plus effects
All Specs+1(1)
Counter Attack Shot and Physical attacks, 25%
Uses one slot, Erosion 10, only compatible with Massimo
FM Mutation...
I Am Massimo effects
All Specs +5
Counter Attack Shot and Physical attacks, 50%
Counter Attacks do not reduce Charged Power
ACT Self-Repair 10(2)
Block All(3)
Gain WE+10(4)
Damage taken during battle is added to base power for all damage calculation until end of battle
Enters Trance if LE=1(5)
Hyper+3(6)
Uses two slots, Erosion 30, only compatible with Massimo

As Silver Horn lunged forward, Massimo caught him by the horns with one hand, swinging his halberd with the other and gouging into his side with the energy blade. As Silver Horn roared in pain, Massimo lifted one leg and kicked him solidly on the wound, sending him flying back into the opposite wall. With an angry roar, Silver Horn leapt into the air and slammed his feet down on the platform, causing a wave of water to swamp over everyone present, pushing Massimo back and making his armor start to spark. Massimo growled, getting to his feet and lunging forward to punch Silver Horn through the opposite wall, before leaping after him.

Silver Horn tried to bring his horns to bear for the weapon hidden within, only to scream in pain as Massimo ripped them from his head. "This is for Nana!" he roared out, driving the first horn into Silver Horn's left shoulder. "This is for the prisoners who didn't want to fight!" he proclaimed as he drove the second horn into Silver Horn's right shoulder, pinning him to the ground under him.

He then lifted the final, longest horn. "And this is for my father, you son of a bitch!" he proclaimed as he drove it straight through the center of Silver Horn's chest, shattering his power core. As Silver Horn lay limp, the gold faded from Massimo's armor, returning it to its normal green coloration. He then panted for breath, slowly calming down as he struggled to control himself.

Octavia walked up to him. "Feel better?" she asked softly.

"Y-yeah..." he stammered out.

"Good. It's time to go. Coming?"

Massimo glanced over at the group. "Yeah...I still have a long way to go...and I think going with all of you is the way to start."

As Massimo went to join the others for the trip back to Central Tower, Octavia rubbed her chin. Hmm...the surge of emotion caused Massimo's FM to grow with him. It seems Epsilon's theory that Force Metal allowing for further Terran evolution is accurate. I'll have to keep an eye on this...

For those unfamiliar with Megaman X Command Mission's combat and Force Metal setup...
(1) The 'Specs' are Power (determines attack damage), Shield (determines defense against Shot attacks), Armor (determines defense against Physical Attacks), and Speed (self explanatory).
(2)Self-Repair FM restores 1% Le every turn while not in active battle. ACT Self-Repair 10 restores 10% LE each time the active party member takes a turn in battle.
(3) Block All blocks all negative status effects.
(4) WE allows for use of sub-weapons and the Action Trigger ability, and is out of 100. A certain amount is accrued at the start of a character's turn. Gain WE+10 increases that amount by 10.
(5) In Trance, Massimo can neither gain nor lose LE. All attacks automatically do max damage (9999). After five turns, use of Action Trigger, or battle end, Massimo enters 'critical' state, which resembles DOA (KO) save for gaining EXP after battle.
(6) Increases the number of turns a character can stay in Hyper Mode by 3.
...note that most of these aren't actually attainable in the standard game.

CM: Over the River

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Once the group returned to Central Tower and Nana logged into the control center, they were able to prepare for their next objective. As Nana programmed the teleport coordinates, Chief R began explaining. "This is Professor Gaudile," he explained, calling up the image of a rotund, playpus-shaped Terran dressed in blue and red. "He's a highly skilled Force Metal researcher...and given that the Rebellion Army is entirely composed of FM Reploids, it's best we try and get him on our side before the Rebellion Army finds something they can use to force him to work for them."

Nana took up the briefing from there. "He's a renowned specialist in complex energy theories, and a highly skilled engineer. However, he stopped all public research when a lab accident cost his wife her life. He still observed other research, but devoted all his time to his private lab. When the Rebellion Army began their uprising, he withdrew there completely, refusing to have anything to do with the Rebellion Army, or the government."

"Then we're probably the only group he'd be willing to talk to," X murmured softly.

"If he researched Force Metal, maybe we can get his attention by mentioning what happened with Massimo's," Octavia suggested.

"Uh...maybe?" Massimo allowed, somewhat uncomfortably. His hand went protectively to his chest armor, where the FM was installed.

"Hey, you don't have to let him take it out if you don't want to," Spider reassured the larger man. "But knowing it happened might open the door to communications."

Massimo nodded, relaxing slightly.

"Still, we'll be sneaking into a lab heavily guarded against intruders, with security systems designed by a mad scientist," Spider concluded.

"What makes you think he's mad?" Chief R inquired curiously.

"He worked with brand new technology on the cutting edge of his field, and thrived there," Spider explained. "By definition, he's at least a little bit mad."

"So like a pre-End Times facility," X concluded. "We've dealt with those before."

"At least it will probably be cleaner and well lit," Octavia agreed.

Once inside Gaudile Laboratory, the group took in their surroundings. The vast majority of the lab seemed to be clear corridors connecting round rooms, all of which surrounded by deep forests. "Rather picturesque," Spider observed calmly.

"Doesn't look like a mad scientist's lab," Massimo spoke up. "Looks more like a family vacation spot."

"Except for the high tech security Preons," Octavia pointed out, indicating the black Commander unit and green Heavy Shooter units that guarded the first round room they entered.

"Who in the heck are you?" the black Commander unit barked out. "And what are you..." The voice trailed off, and the optics of the Preon unit beeped a few times. "Hello Nurse override activated. Welcome Miss Octavia. Is Axl with you?"

Octavia blinked several times. "Umm...no, I'm afraid not."

"A pity. Still, Miss Cinnamon would love to see you. It is good you brought backup. We gate guards are the only security programmed with the override. Good luck." The Preons then stepped aside, allowing the group to pass.

X glanced over at Octavia. "Who is Cinnamon that she has this authority, and when did you meet her?"

"I honestly have no idea," Octavia countered defensively. "But it sounds like she has a thing for Axl."

"Hey, a way in is a way in," Spider pointed out. "Let's go."

As the group moved forward, Massimo paused. "Hmm?" he murmured, turning towards a secondary path that was visibly locked.

"What's wrong, Massimo?" Octavia inquired.

"I...thought I heard something," Massimo murmured. "An...odd squeaking."

"Oh, that's probably Marino," Spider explained. "She's the local Queen of the Rogue Court-"

"The what?" X demanded in confusion.

"The Rogue Court is the underworld government that regulates everyone who works outside the law," Octavia explained. "Mostly used in works of medieval fiction, but occasionally crops up historically, though by other names."

"Exactly," Spider confirmed. "Marino normally leaves no trace, but the first sign her gear needs a tune up is when her shoes start squeaking faintly with every step. She never lets it go past that."

"And you know all this how?" X inquired curiously.

"We dated once," Spider explained dismissively. "It ended badly when I woke up the following morning short three upgrades and a month's worth of pay. But we don't need to worry about her here. She does not respect any authority beyond her own as the Rogue Queen, so there's no way she's working for the Rebellion Army or the Government."

As the group turned to continue, Octavia asked an odd question. "What's her hair color?"

Spider blinked in confusion. "Well, green normally. But she turns blonde when she activates Quicksilver...not that she'll stand still long enough for anyone to see then. It boosts her speed like crazy."

Octavia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well...maybe," she allowed. "At least, if I can get her to be on her best behavior with him."

X nearly tripped when he realized the point of the discussion. "You aren't seriously considering setting Axl up with her, are you?"

"Axl runs a quasi-vigilante organization dedicated to dealing with threats the government agencies can't, and controlling crime," Octavia explained. "Technically, Red Alert was our local Rogue Court. No reason a King and Queen shouldn't court. She might just be the one to steal his heart."

"I thought you promised to give him Rafflesian's contact info?" Massimo asked in confusion.

"Right, set my son up with a pop idol named after a parasitic flower," Octavia countered sarcastically. "I'd sooner push that girl who took off her panties without removing her pants to give him her contact info."

X promptly walked into the wall.

Down the other corridor, a pink armored, green haired female with a shapely figure winced. "Damn. Of course the one guy who can ID me by sound is in their group." She smiled softly. "Still, looks like the rumors are true. Miss Melody-Light is wife hunting for her little boy...and he likes blondes. Something to keep in mind. But for now...time for a little treasure hunting." Turning, she dashed along the corridor, circumventing the lock at the end to see what she could find.

CM: Through the Woods

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With the path open, the group made their way forward through the facility, the paths identical in appearance around them, with only the occasional elevator to break up the monotony. The halls were patrolled by Preons, Security Dog drones, gorilla mechs, and the occasional hunting bug or bunny robot. Despite the hallways being too narrow to fight efficiently more than three abreast, they encountered no real resistance that could stand up to them. After a time, they approached a room where they could see an unusual being backed by two black Elite Preons speaking to someone.

The Reploid was roughly humanoid, with white lab coat like armor with a smattering of other colors. His face was a white gas mask shaped face plate beneath a glowing pink skull dome. "Gaudile, I've come for you," he proclaimed in a cultured, urbane voice. "I've been nice since we go back a while, but you've brushed me off for the last time. Seriously, conflicting ideals or not, this is no way to treat your brother-in-law. It's about time you came to your senses and joined the Rebellion Army."

"I don't think so, pal!" X proclaimed angrily as he led the group into the room.

The figure rocked back, waving his arms crazily in surprise. "Whoah! Are you X? How did you get past the guards?"

"The same way we're going to get past you, Dr. Psyche," Spider boasted, taking a combat stance after identifying the figure.

"I don't think he-"

Octavia lightly bopped Massimo on the head. "Intimidation," she muttered in his ear.

"Oh, yeah, right," Massimo agreed, chuckling softly. "I knew that."

"Quit your bumbling and get them!" Dr. Psyche ordered the Elite Preons, who immediately began hopping towards the group. Dr. Psyche promptly ran for it.

As the Preons approached, Massimo reached out and wrapped his large hand around the first one's dome. Lifting it up, he smashed it down into the other one, causing both to drop their shields and guns. A few more slams and they were inoperative. "...I should do that more often," Massimo mused idly.

"Okay, I'm impressed," Spider offered jokingly.

"You weren't when he thrashed Silver Horn?" X asked in surprise.

"Hey, moments of epic badassery in the heat of emotion are one thing," Spider pointed out logically. "Managing an effective use of such combat skills in an ordinary fight? That's something else."

X found he could not gainsay him there.

Marino raced down the hall, cursing the squeaking of her shoes for ruining her stealth. She needed this payday so she could afford the tuneups to fix that. The whole Government/Rebellion/Resistance conflict had made things almost impossible for an honest thief to make a decent payday. As she ran, she was glad to hear a great deal of noise from elsewhere in the facility. "Sounds like quite the scuffle. Guess they could handle themselves. Now...where's that treasure?"

Slowing down, she entered another chamber...only to find herself face to face with a young girl...no, a young woman only a few years her junior, physically at least. She was obviously a Terran, and with how slow Terrans aged it was impossible to guess age accurately. The young woman was blonde, somewhat shorter than Marino, had green eyes, pale skin, an overall slimmer figure, and was dressed in a white and blue nurse's outfit, complete with a cap with a red cross on it. The bottom of the nurse outfit was a short skirt with leggings going all the way up underneath. "Hey there, kiddo," Marino greeted carefully. "You live here?"

"Yes!" the girl replied as she hopped off the crate she was sitting on. "I'm Cinnamon. Hello!"

Marino hesitated. There was something about the girl's voice...a little too eager. "Uh...I'm Marino."

"Can I help you with something, Marino?" Cinnamon asked eagerly. "We so rarely have guests here. In fact...we've never had guests. Are you...not a guest?"

Marino decided to talk quickly. "Uh...I heard there was some treasure here, so I thought I'd take it off your hands."

"Oh, you're a thief!" Cinnamon proclaimed happily, almost vibrating with excitement. "Daddy told me what I'm supposed to do if a thief shows up. If they're male and corner me, I'm supposed to make a lot of noise and use the self defense lessons he programmed for me. Otherwise, I'm supposed to let them take what they want, stay out of the way, and alert the authorities after the situation has ended. So what did you want?"

Marino blinked. The kid seemed a little too eager to cooperate with a thief. Must be pretty dull here if she's that hard up for excitement, she thought to herself. She decided to humor the kid. "I'm looking for something called a Force Metal Generator. Have you heard of it?"

"Oh, you mean this!" Cinnamon responded eagerly, popping open the chest plate of her nurse armor and activating an interface port underneath, revealing a coruscating energy core and miniaturized manufacturing circuitry.

"...that's the Force Metal Generator?" Marino murmured in awe.

"Yup!" Cinnamon confirmed as she closed the plate. "It's a part of me, and can't be separated, or function independently of me. So...does that mean you're going to steal me?"

Marino blinked. "You sound...pretty eager to be stolen."

"Do you have any idea how boring it is here?" Cinnamon complained. "I've lived here for nearly two decades! I saw everything there was to see before the end of the first! I've snuck out a half dozen times, but I was never able to stay out long enough to actually see anything. At least if I'm being stolen, I might have a chance to take in some sights!"

Marino sighed, hanging her head. So much for that payday, she thought to herself. There were some things she did not tolerate in her Court, and Human, Reploid, or Terran trafficking was strictly off limits. Still, I might as well show her a harmless good time. Maybe I can get her to make me some Force Metal. That'd turn a nice profit. "Yup," she concluded finally. "Guess I have to steal you..."

"Yay!" Cinnamon proclaimed happily, bouncing up and down eagerly.

Marino frowned as the bouncing demonstrated that Cinnamon was not as slim bodied as she first appeared in certain areas. Okay, maybe she's not a kid...

CM: To Grandmother's House We Go

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With the Preons dispatched, X and the others immediately pursued Dr. Psyche despite the lead he'd gained from how quickly he'd run away. Since he was apparently after Professor Gaudile as well, they needed to try and get there first.

Especially since he's apparently Gaudile's brother-in-law, Octavia observed silently to herself. She knew just how strong familial bonds could be, and she was beginning to think those bonds weren't just between Gaudile and Psyche. The design of the lab made it feel like there was another player involved.

It didn't take the group long to get the answers, as they soon found themselves in a small chamber where the Professor was bemoaning something terrible. "Cinnamon...Cinnamon...!'

"Professor!" X called out as they approached. "What's wrong?"

"Damn that Psyche..." Gaudile moaned. "He's after the Force Metal Generator! He has been from the start! It was never about me..."

"Force Metal Generator?" Spider spoke up in surprise. "Isn't that the experimental prototype technology you're famous for, which can create specific formulations of Force Metal from other materials as long as it's built up enough of the right kind of energy?"

"Wha-who are you?" Gaudile barked out, taking a defensive stance.

Massimo stepped forward. "Easy there, Professor. We're here to help you. This Cinnamon person...she has the Generator, and she's important to you? Then we'll save her from Psyche. Simple as that. We can talk more once she's safe."

Gaudile blinked in surprise. "T-thanks..." he stammered, but narrowed his eyes as he got ahold of himself. "But why? What's in it for you?"

"Another innocent safe from the clutches of the Rebellion, of course!" Massimo proclaimed proudly. "For I am Steel Massimo, hero of Giga City!" He let out a mighty laugh.

"...who?" Gaudile inquired in confusion. Massimo slumped in on himself as Spider burst into laughter. "N-nevermind!" Gaudile interrupted. "Just please, save Cinnamon!"

Nodding, the group dashed off along the path Gaudile directed.

Marino cursed her luck. Of course the Rebellion Army would have sent someone after the Force Metal Generator. Normally she'd be fully capable of handling an FM Reploid in one way or another...but the problem was the one they sent. Dr. Psyche was exactly the sort of foe a speed-type like her couldn't handle easily. He was a master strategist, which meant outsmarting him was next to impossible. He had homing crystal weapons, which meant outrunning him wasn't an option. He had sturdy enough armor that beating the crap out of him wasn't an option. He was in top condition while her armor needed a major tune up, which meant outlasting him wouldn't work.

And to top it off, he was so obsessed with his dead sister that he wouldn't notice a flirtation if she sat naked in his lap and started grinding, which negated the most effective weapon in her usual arsenal. Light, Wily, and Cossack damn my luck! she muttered internally. Why couldn't it have been Wild Jango? Him I can handle- "GYUK!" Her internal thoughts were cut off as the homing crystals embedded themselves in Marino's torso, making her collapse to the ground, coughing out some blood. "D...dammit..."

"Marino!" Cinnamon called out worriedly from the side of the room, where she'd moved to get out of the way of the fight.

Dr. Psyche chuckled as he watched her fall. "Lousy thief! Did you really think you could escape from me?"

Marino pushed herself up as much as she could manage. "It was...worth a try-" She pulled her tongue back as far as she could as Psyche's boot connected with her lower jaw, sending her tumbling to Cinnamon's feet. Least I didn't bite out my tongue...I can repair-

All thought on anyone's part was cut off as Cinnamon knelt beside Marino, her body glowing with sparks of yellow light. Before everyone's eyes, the crystals embedded in Marino's torso extracted themselves, the wounds healing and the armor repairing itself. Marino was even more surprised as she felt the chips in her teeth mending themselves, and the blood in her mouth being reabsorbed into her flesh to flow properly in her veins once more. She still felt incredibly exhausted...but she wasn't on the brink of death anymore, and instead could probably fight again once she got her breath back.

"Incredible!" Psyche proclaimed in amazement. "So this is the power of the Generator-"

"Shut it!" Cinnamon snapped out. "You are going to stand there and be quiet while I finish healing Marino, and then you're going to leave her here to recover! Is that clear?"

Psyche visibly wilted in on himself. "Yes Sugar, please don't yell at Nii-san..." he whimpered softly.

Sugar? Wasn't that the name of Gaudile's wife? Marino wondered to herself. ...oh. That's why it's him.

Cinnamon lightly patted Marino on the head as the light faded. "Rest up. You'll have your breath back in a few minutes." With that said, she got to her feet and turned to Dr. Psyche.

Dr. Psyche quickly got a hold of herself. "Yes! Come, Cinnamon! It's time to go! Now, what's this 'Eternal Forest' thing I saw on the schematics?"

"It's a security system and training facility," Cinnamon explained brightly. "I've spent a lot of time there. Such a nice atmosphere."

"What's the best way through?" Dr. Psyche demanded intently.

"The best way? Oh, you definitely want to keep going left, then," Cinnamon explained as she walked along with Dr. Psyche and his Preon escort, allowing herself to be led through.

Marino slowly took calming breaths as she thought about that. Something felt off about that...if only she could remember what...

CM: The Hoss Knows the Way

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Not far along the path, X and the others came across Marino lying on her back unconscious in the center of a round chamber. "Who's that?" X asked carefully, gripping his buster.

"That's Marino," Spider joked, kneeling beside her. "Heh. I remember the last time I saw her laid out like this-"

"I've still got my daggers in hand," Marino suddenly said, eyes still closed. "Think about where you're kneeling before you move those hands."

Spider immediately leapt back. "Still as feisty as ever I see," he offered with a chuckle.

"Whoa..." Massimo murmured in awe as Marino got to her feet.

"So you're Marino the Thief Queen?" Octavia asked curiously. "What brought you here?"

"That's my line," Marino joked back as she brushed a hand through her hair, settling herself. "But I don't have time for that. Psyche's got Cinnamon, and unlike me I get the feeling he has no intention of bringing her back."

"Wait...you were planning to kidnap her and bring her back?" X asked in surprise.

"Came here to steal the Force Metal Generator...till I found out it was part of a Terran," Marino explained. "I don't deal in that sort of 'trafficking'. Course, she looked so excited about the idea of me 'stealing her', I decided to take her out on the town for a bit, give her a little adventure. If nothing else, she might have her Dad's cred card and could pay for a tune up."

X blinked several times as he processed all this. "I'm not sure where that places you on the legality/morality scale..."

"Chaotic Good," Octavia, Massimo, and Marino all spoke up at once. They then turned towards each other. "You game?" they asked simultaneously.

"And suddenly Octavia's thoughts of hooking her up with Axl don't seem so strange," Spider murmured in an amused tone.

"We'll talk about that later," Marino stated flatly. "We need to get through the Eternal Forest to catch up to Psyche and Cinnamon-"

"You'll want to keep going right!" Gaudile spoke up through the comm system. "That's the fastest way through."

Marino started to chuckle. "Let's go then."

With the Professor's instructions, the group was able to make it through the Eternal Forest with ease, fighting their way past only two groups of Mechanaloids. After that, they were out of the Eternal Forest and on the other side. "So where's Cinnamon?" Octavia asked curiously.

"Sensors indicate she's still in the Eternal Forest," Gaudile informed the group. "But she'll be out soon!"

"Then we should find a good spot to ambush," X decided. "Scans show an open spot up ahead. Should be room for all of us to spread out."

"Then let's go!" Spider proclaimed, racing forward.

Once the group was in position, they settled back to wait quietly. They didn't have long to wait. Dr. Psyche soon staggered in, looking much the worse for wear, with Cinnamon perkily walking along behind him completely unscathed. When he caught sight of the group, he leapt back in shock. "What? But you...and they..." He rounded angrily on Cinnamon. "I thought you said all lefts was the best way to get through the Eternal Forest!"

"Oh, it absolutely is!" Cinnamon confirmed happily. "Always take the lefts when you can."

"Then how did they get through before us?" Psyche demanded angrily.

"...oh, you wanted the fastest path," Cinnamon deduced, gently cupping her closed fist in open palm as though she just got it, her eyes lighting up happily. "You wanted two rights, then," she told Psyche as Marino giggled. "You should have said so."

"You...you...RRRRGH!" Lunging forward, Psyche swung one arm to backhand Cinnamon.

Before anyone could react, Cinnamon's hand swept up to catch the swinging arm before jerking back, pulling Psyche off balance. She followed this up with a knee to his groin, an elbow to his chin, and a kick to one ankle to stagger him. As she released his wrist, her hands flashed and the white nurse gloves she wore were replaced by cat paw gloves with razor sharp claws. Lunging in, she slashed Psyche several times across the chest before slamming her right hand in, jerking back with something glowing gripped in her claws as she kicked Psyche away into the center of the room.

"W...Where did Cinnamon learn to fight like that?" Gaudile gasped in shock. "That didn't look like the Tai Chi and Yoga I gave her to study from!"

"She probably got bored and looked up some krav maga," Marino observed with a wide grin.

Psyche staggered to his feet with a whimper. "You...you haven't beaten me yet. The power of...my evolved form...will destroy you all!" Lifting his hands high, he glared around at everyone. "Now face my wrath!" With that, he detached his head from his neck and tossed it into the air. His body fell back lifeless.

His head clunked to the ground. "...my wrath? Where is my wrath?" he demanded in confusion.

"So this is what 'battle body transformation circuitry' looks like," Octavia observed as she stared at the chunk of shaped, glowing Force Metal in Cinnamon's grip. "Where did you get the kitty paws?"

"They were a gift from my friend Cumin before she got too busy helping the Resistance to hang out with me anymore when I snuck out," Cinnamon explained. "They were part of a set she, Jasmine, and Saffron got me. I...didn't realize they were so powerful..."

Psyche let out a distressed sigh. "Yeah...she's her mother's daughter, alright..."

"Cinnamon!" Gaudile cried out worriedly as he rushed into the room. "Are you alright? I was so worried about you!"

"Daddy!" Cinnamon called out happily, kneeling down to embrace Gaudile. "I'm just fine! And look, I made new friends!"

Gaudile frowned, glancing around at the group. "While I'm grateful they sought to save you, I'm not sure-"

"Marino, do you think you can steal Daddy, too?" Cinnamon interrupted. "Maybe that'll convince him I'm ready for the outside world! Ever since I was born with this thing in my chest, I've had to sneak behind Daddy's back for everything!"

"Wait!" X interrupted. "Gaudile didn't create the Force Metal Generator?"

Gaudile rubbed the back of his head. "Well...technically the patents only say Sugar and I created it together, which is...accurate?"

And yet more evidence supporting Epsilon's claims, Octavia thought to herself.

"If you think it'll help kid, sure," Marino offered. "Sides, I'd rather keep an eye on you if you can fight that well. Say Tavi, any chance we'll find your son soon?"

"I hope so," Cinnamon murmured, her cheeks turning red. "I...I kinda need to ask him for my panties back. Psyche's attack destroyed my others..."

Octavia's eyes popped out of her head. "That was you?"

Cinnamon promptly covered her face in embarrassment.

CM: Through Fire

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Once everyone had returned to the Central Tower, Gaudile was able to boost the transmitter enough to get a signal through to Maverick Hunter HQ from under the Giga City government's suppression net. Unfortunately, the connection still remained incredibly faulty, and all they were able to get was 'Hunter signal...point A6.'

"What's at point A6?" Octavia asked Nana curiously.

Nana quickly gathered the information and displayed it. "Point A6...Ulfat Factory. It's heavily fortified inside an artificial volcano designed to maintain near molten temperatures in the furnaces so that metal can always be at proper forge temperatures. It is presently under control of the Rebellion, and is being used to mass produce Preons and other weapons."

"That's probably what the Hunter signal is about," X observed. "Either Axl or Zero is trying to shut the place down."

"If not both of them?" Massimo suggested hopefully. "It'd be nice to have more allies to help out."

"Either way, we need to get there," Marino stated firmly. "Both to investigate the signal, and shut the place down."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Cinnamon asked eagerly. "Let's go!"

Despite the external structure of Ulfat Factory, the interior corridors looked like any factory anywhere, with plain grey metal all around, bright white lights, and heavy metal doors. As the group moved towards the first set of doors, an alarm started going off. "Attention: Intruder Alert!" the intercom proclaimed loudly. "Attention: Intruder Alert! Intruder has breached facility interior! Strengthening security in all areas!"

"Were we spotted already?" Cinnamon yelped with worry.

"No, this is still the teleport terminal," Marino countered warily. "They said the interior had been penetrated. That alarm came because of someone else."

"Then Zero is here," Octavia concluded firmly.

"How do you figure?" Spider asked curiously.

"Axl's A-Trans lets him take on the shape of any being of similar build he encounters, as long as he can get a sufficient RDNA sample for the program," Octavia explained. "That includes drones. If he were up to something here solo, he'd be relying entirely on it...meaning he'd only get caught if he confronted a boss, in which case the alarm would be calling additional security to a specific point."

"Ergo, the Hunter signal was Zero!" X concluded eagerly. "We need to find him!"

"Right behind you!" Massimo called out eagerly.

As they entered the next large chamber, a strange mechanaloid sat in the center beeping.

"Everyone freeze!" Marino called out urgently.

As everyone held still, the mechanaloid lifted into the air, casting a red glow over the entire chamber until it settled back to the ground."

"Security drone," Marino explained. "When flying, it'll alert security and dispatch Preons to attack us. Not to mention alerting the higher ups that someone's here."

"Then we won't move while the rooms are red," X concluded firmly. "Everyone be careful."

"So...I shouldn't smash it?" Massimo asked curiously, flexing his hands.

"No," Spider insisted firmly. "This is still a stealth mission. That means no evidence we were here."

The group kept moving past the rooms filled with crates and security drones, managing to avoid detection the entire way. As they moved between tall stacks of boxes unmonitored by drones, Octavia decided it was time to try and get to know the two new girls a bit better. "You looked quite a bit different when you...met Axl and I outside the Lab," she offered delicately.

"Well, yeah," Cinnamon agreed happily. "If Dad caught sight of me wandering around, he'd know I was sneaking out. Then he'd worry, freak out, and beef up security so I couldn't. I had to be someone else then."

"Oh?" Marino asked curiously. "You used a different name and everything?"

"Yup!" Cinnamon confirmed proudly. "Sugar!"

"Wasn't that your Mom's name?" Massimo clarified softly.

"Only name I knew no one else would be using," Cinnamon explained. "Course, I didn't want to just be Mom...so I was 'Sweet Baby Sugar'. Worked pretty well." Marino suddenly smirked wickedly. Noticing this, Cinnamon turned to glare at her. "Don't you dare!"

"Oh, I dare," Marino purred challengingly.

"I'm warning you!" Cinnamon growled, clenching her fists.

Marino sauntered away...and then started singing. "I'm Sugar Baby, the real Sugar Baby-"

Cinnamon let out an inarticulate roar of rage as her body flashed with light. When the light faded, her nurse-like armor had been swapped out for what could only be described as a 'jungle look'. A leopard print top hung down from one shoulder, covering both breasts and the FMG access port. A matching loincloth hung to cover her nether regions. Her nurse hat was replaced by cat ears and matching tail with the same fur pattern. With the Kitty Paws equipped, the look was completed with knee high leopard print high heeled boots.(1) Snarling, she lunged for Marino, who leapt away across the boxes...only for Cinnamon to climb right up the side in pursuit.

Octavia whistled appreciatively. "Interesting look for her..."

"W-whoa..." Massimo murmured as he started to lift his head to follow Cinnamon's progress.

Spider quickly jerked the large man's head back down. "She still hasn't gotten her panties back, remember?" he chided. "Be a gentleman." Massimo's face turned bright red.

Marino, for her part, was doing her best to keep out of reach of Cinnamon's claws...especially after seeing her smash one of the large crates with a single blow. Finding herself cornered, she grit her teeth. It looked like she'd have to actually knock some sense back into the girl. Flashing with light, she entered her Quicksilver, hoping that would give her the speed edge if nothing else.

As she reached for her weapons, however, a double bladed scythe spun between them, stopping Cinnamon cold. "Whoa, whoa ladies!" a laid back voice proclaimed warmly. Smirking, Axl stepped into view. "As much as I love a good catfight - especially with a literal cat, meow!" He shot Cinnamon an appreciative, flirtatious wink that made her blush crimson. "This really isn't the place for it."

"Axl!" X called out warmly, glad to see him.

"X! Mom!" Axl called back, waving as he put away his scythe. He gestured to Marino and Cinnamon. "Friends of yours?"

"The blonde in black is Marino, the Thief Queen!" Octavia called back. "The blushing catgirl is Cinnamon, who normally is more of a nurse! Did I get your type right with these two?"

Axl blinked in surprise. "Wait...two?" He glanced nervously between Marino and Cinnamon.

The two girls suddenly glared daggers at each other before each grabbed one of Axl's arms, trapping it between tight grasp and ample cleavage. "I saw him first!" they both snapped out together.

X promptly fell to the floor laughing.

(1) Cinnamon's second Hyper Mode, Wild Cat. While this form decreases Max LE while active, it doubles WE Gain and evade, while greatly increasing Power and Speed. Fire and Lightning Element Resist is doubled, while Ice Resist is halved. Secondary weapon slots become Challenge (renders target berzerk, only targets Cinnamon when attacking) and Distract (chance to make target lose their turn). Action Trigger becomes 'Frenzied Chain', which works like Zero's Command Arts.
...original content.

CM: And Flames

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Once Axl managed to disentangle himself from the two ladies clinging to him - and Cinnamon's embarrassment reached the point she dropped out of her Hyper Mode - he hopped over to Octavia and the others. "Good to see you again, Mom, Grandpa," he greeted warmly. "What brings you here?"

"We picked up a Hunter signal here," X explained. "We knew that meant it was either you or Zero-"

"Zero," Axl clarified. "I've set my signal to the Red Alert wavelengths for while I'm here, since I'm not here as a Hunter." He rubbed the back of his head. "While I haven't seen Zero, I know he's here somewhere. I was looking around for more information regarding the origins of my A-Trans, keeping on the down low so no one noticed, but the alarms went off. Has to be him."

"Then we should go find him!" Massimo offered eagerly. "He might need help."

X, Axl, and Octavia exchanged glances, then burst into uncontrollable laughter. Massimo contrived to look hurt. When Axl noticed, he paused his laughter. "Wait...he's serious?" He proceeded to laugh harder.

Rolling her eyes, Octavia walked over to Massimo. "Trust us when we say the day Zero needs combat assistance is the day Satan buys ice skates. He's one of - if not the - most powerful beings on the planet. Going all out, he could obliterate this entire city with a single shot, or shoot an Extinction Level Incident asteroid out of the sky."

"While that's accurate to his specs," Spider spoke up, "those abilities derive from his binary ether core, right? What if something's happened to damage his etheric circuits, making him unable to access his white mode?"

Axl immediately stopped laughing. "C...can that happen?" he asked worriedly.

"In theory," Spider continued. "No idea how it would happen beyond overuse, but Zero's much less combat capable without that aspect. Not enough to be worried about him being terminated by standard security...but if he got overwhelmed or faced off against a flying opponent-"

"Like Mach Jentra, the barn-swallow based Reinforced Light Armor Aerial FM Reploid in charge of this factory?" Octavia asked nervously.

"How do you know that?" Marino asked incisively.

"I've been in the city a while," Octavia responded calmly. "You meet very interesting people that way."

"But it's a good point," X spoke up, shifting the conversation. "Zero would be at a distinct disadvantage against someone like that without his white mode, or Timbre. We need to find him, now."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Cinnamon asked eagerly. "Let's go!"

The next part of the factory led through the freight area, where materials were transferred to the various parts of the factory that needed them. This led straight into the artificial caldera, which was walled off in segments to maximize power usage and resource management. As this area was only maneuverable via conveyor belts, there was some difficulty getting past as none of them were fast enough to run the length of a conveyor belt going the wrong way. Thankfully, it didn't take the group long to get past that.

Once they did, however, they came across a great many disabled security drones that had been cut down quite viciously. "Yup, this is Zero's work alright," X concluded. "They're still sparking, so we must be close."

A quick race forward and up two lifts led the group to the computer monitor room, where Zero was facing off against Mach Jentra. As Octavia had described him, he was a barn swallow based Reploid with a predominantly red and blue color scheme. He was presently floating in the air, wielding a staff with a glowing green top as he attempted to hit Zero...who managed to dodge every strike coming his way even if he wasn't able to land a hit of his own. "Hold still, damn you!" Mach Jentra barked out angrily.

"That's my line, Maverick!" Zero snapped back. "You're going down hard, one way or another!"

"I'm not finished yet!" Mach Jentra snapped out. "If I can't take you out myself, I'll just overwhelm you...one way or another!" With that, Mach Jentra shot up into a ceiling panel that sealed behind him, heading to another part of the factory.

"You're getting rusty, Zero," X spoke up as the group entered. "Time was you'd have been beating him over the head with his own jet wings by now."

"And you're getting slow," Zero countered. "I started making a ruckus after hearing about Tianna Camp over an hour ago. What took you so long?"

"It wasn't just me," X pointed out, gesturing to where Octavia was watching Axl awkwardly avoid Marino's aggressive come ons only to come face to face with Cinnamon being adorable. "There are...complications."

"Oh, hey Tavi, Axl!" Zero greeted. "So have you found someone for your boy yet?"

"Two strong possibilities," Octavia observed as she watched the scene play out.

"Couple of cuties there," Zero observed appreciatively. "Showing any preference yet?"

"Not being caught between them," X joked teasingly.

"Doesn't wanna choose yet?" Zero concluded. "Why make him choose? He's probably man enough for both."

Axl instantly vanished as he activated his stealth mode, realigning his A Trans circuits to shift himself into another phase state. "Well, you see what he thinks of that," Octavia groaned with a roll of her eyes.

"So he's awkward at first meeting," Zero shrugged off. "He'll come around once he knows he's got a sure thing."

"So you think he takes after you then?" Octavia quickly quipped.

"Hey!" Zero complained angrily as X laughed.

"Here you go!" Cinnamon offered helpfully, offering Zero a bottle of ice water. X laughed harder.

CM: We Carry On

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The group's laughter was eventually interrupted by an alarm going off, followed by an announcement from the PA system. "Warning! Warning! Attention all personnel! Now initializing Duboar! Repeat, now initializing Duboar! Be advised that some subsystems may be temporarily shut down in order to secure initialization sequence energy."

"Duboar?" X demanded in confusion. "What's that?"

"The automated factory at the heart of this facility," Axl explained quickly. "Once activated, it will churn out Preon soldiers in uncontrolled, endless waves for as long as resources are available. If we don't stop it, it'll become an unstoppable army simply from sheer force of numbers."

"Can't we just destroy this Duboar?" Zero asked sharply.

"The systems are protected by a special alloy based off X's Ultimate Armor," Axl explained. "Near indestructible by normal means, and completely immune to your sonic-based weapons."

"How the heck did they get ahold of tech like that?" X demanded in shock.

"Umm..." Axl mumbled worriedly. "Well...it's who they commissioned to design the system..."

"Who could they commission to design something like that?" Spider asked curiously.

"...Maka..." Axl finally admitted.

X switched his buster to an open hand just so he could bring both palms to his face, a motion mirrored by Zero. "That girl..." they grumbled together.

"Well...that just means we need to keep it from being activated, or find a way to deactivate it, right?" Massimo suggested hopefully.

"Well, the announcement said some systems are shut down," Zero pointed out. "Now's probably our only chance."

"There was a sealed door along the path here," Marino pointed out. "It might be unlocked now."

"Then let's go!" Octavia snapped out, and the entire group dashed off.

It wasn't long before the group made their way into a large chamber with a rather compact engine core at the opposite end with the ends of two assembly lines to either side of it. Mach Jentra stood before it. "So, you've come!" he proclaimed as he took to the air. "But now you're too late! Duboar is active, and-"

Axl instantly changed form into Wind Crowrang, taking to the sky after Mach Jentra. "And you're going to shut him off!" he snapped out.

Briefly activating her own Ultimate Armor, Octavia shot up along with Axl. "Mach Jentra," she greeted coldly. "The forces arrayed against you outmatch you. Axl and I can easily knock you out of the sky, at which point all those on the ground could tear into you. Even if you managed to put Duboar into overdrive, Axl's A-Trans would allow him to mimic you to shut down Duboar. Your mission here has failed, this facility is lost to the Rebellion, and there is nothing you can do to change that. There is no dishonor in surrender at this point, and if you accept that, our terms can be reasonable."

Mach Jentra glanced from Axl to Octavia, from the group gathered on the ground to Duboar...and sighed. "Epsilon does not want to lose his followers if that can be avoided," he stated finally. "If there was a chance to succeed and grant him an advantage here, I would gladly throw my life away to achieve it...but it is plain that is not an option. What are your terms?"

"To start, order Duboar to go into standby, and to accept no other orders from your level of command code and below," Octavia stated clearly.

"If I do that, Epsilon won't be able to reactivate it remotely!" Jentra exclaimed.

"Also, give Axl your staff," Octavia insisted, pointing to the green tipped cane Jentra clutched.

"...if I do all that, will you let me withdraw to Epsilon's base to report?" Jentra demanded.

"That seems acceptable," Octavia allowed. "We've already established you're no threat to us, and without Duboar your threat to Giga City is minimal."

Jentra nodded. "Duboar! Cease all functions! Accept no further restart command!"

"Alert!" Duboar intoned in a deep voice. "If carried out, O-E Binary Command Code will be required to reactivate Duboar facility. Continue?"

"Order confirmed!" Jentra barked out. Duboar audibly shut down. "Here!" he snapped, tossing the cane to Axl before flying out of the facility.

As Axl and Octavia returned to the ground, Axl resumed his own form. "Why the cane?" he asked curiously.

"It's the focus for all his fire based abilities," Octavia explained. "He doesn't have a buster. He uses the crystal to trigger heat reactions in and around his targets. Without it, he has no combat capabilities beyond the physical. I insisted he give it to you so you could use it to copy his RDNA profile for your A-Trans. Once you have that...give it to Spider. It fits his look."

"I like your style, Miss Melody," Spider praised with a wide grin on his face.

"So as long as that's dealt with," Zero spoke up, his voice somewhat harsh, "perhaps some introductions are in order?" He glanced around at those gathered. "There sure seem to be a lot of new faces here..."

Octavia frowned as she shifted out of her Ultimate Armor. "Zero, are you really going to be this stubborn about our choice in allies?"

"Look, Tavi, I'm sure you and X have your reasons for trusting these people," Zero began, "and Axl will go along with you, but if you expect me to trust his 'girlfriends' and these strangers just because you say so-"

Octavia sighed theatrically, rolling her eyes heavenward.

Zero scooted back, raising his arms defensively. "Alright, alright! I'll give 'em a chance! Just none of that, please!"

As X and Axl cracked up, Marino ducked down beside Octavia. "Okay, I have to know...how did you pull that off?"

"Back at HQ, I have something of a reputation for getting my own way with carefully thought out, highly accurate guilt trips that strike all the right buttons," Octavia explained in a whisper. "I always started by doing that."

Marino chuckled wickedly, rubbing her hands together as X, Zero, and Axl started commiserating. "Alright, spill. What'd you have on him this time?"

"A very good poker face," Octavia responded with a cryptic smile.

CM: Downtime

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Once the group returned from the Ulfat Factory, Octavia insisted rather strongly that the group take a break before embarking on their next mission. She stated quite plainly that between new equipment, new team members, and new resources at their disposal, they needed to take the time to adjust to everything that had happened, and to let Gaudile tune up everyone's equipment to maximum capacity. She also stated that now was the perfect opportunity for everyone to relax and get to know each other better, and thus forge a greater unity as a team for future missions.

She didn't fool anyone for a moment. Everyone in Resistance HQ knew this was a thinly veiled excuse to make time for Axl, Cinnamon, and Marino to spend time together as civilians off mission. At the same time, she was probably the only one outside that trio not hiding thinly veiled amusement at the look of panic that flashed across Axl's face whenever he got caught between Marino's smoldering gaze and Cinnamon's innocently affectionate one...especially not after Axl had returned Cinnamon's panties (after downloading the contact info) and she'd demonstrated an astonishing level of flexibility as she put them back on without removing her pants or disengaging her armor. (Marino had already suggested a session of 'competitive yoga' with Axl as the judge, much to Axl's embarrassment and everyone else's amusement.) As such, everyone wanted to see the trio interact, for one reason or another.

As a result, Axl now found himself in an awkward if enviable situation as he walked along the halls of the Central Tower, dressed in a loose white button-down shirt and black slacks. On his right arm, Cinnamon had swapped her nurse armor for a white sundress and greek sandals, her blonde hair swept out in her usual 'wing-like' do, giving her an almost angelic appearance. On his left arm, Marino was dressed in a slinky, shimmering black dress that hung off her left shoulder (leaving a good amount of skin visible on the side turned towards him) with slits up to the hips on both sides. The dress stopped just above her knees, and was complemented by knee high black high-heeled boots and elbow length black gloves (which Axl was certain concealed her knives). With her green hair hanging straight down her back, held down with a spiked black headband, her wicked smile completed a rather devilish appearance.

And considering how closely both were pressing against him - almost competitively so - he had no idea what he was supposed to do with his hands.

Aside from that, however, he found the entire outing rather relaxing. Since Octavia had decided to let them have their privacy, it was just the three of them, leaving him free to stretch himself a bit, to be more than just 'Mama's Boy'. Not that he had a problem with being so dedicated to Octavia as his mother - being without one for most of his life accounted for that - but it was hard to balance that with the confidence he felt he needed to deal with the ladies. Much to his surprise, both Cinnamon and Marino were happy to listen to any story he wanted to tell, whether it actually interested them or not. Marino was also able to lead them to part of Central Tower that was off the main path...and thus an ideal date location, as it was filled with restaurants, arcades, and stage shows. On a whim, Axl decided to win both of them a plushy at the claw game...only to be left mortified when he managed to grab two 'Chief Axl' plush dolls, complete with soft scythes.

Other than that hiccup, it seemed like it would be a perfect date...right up till the moment he decided to take them to a show before a meal. It turned out a certain young pop star was performing and recognized him...and took rather public exception to the situation.

"You!" Rafflesian snapped out as she leapt off stage, charging right up to the trio. "Just who do you harridans think you are, clinging to my Axl like that?"

"Your Axl?" Marino demanded crossly. "And just where do you get off claiming him?" Her hand slid dangerously downward, her fingers flexing as though to pull her knives out at a moment's notice.

"For your information, Axl's mother hand-picked me to be introduced to Axl!" Rafflesian insisted primly, looking rather smug. "Took my private contact information from me for him personally!"

"That's odd," Cinnamon observed, her tone deceptively innocent. "Octavia introduced us to Axl in person asking him if one or both of us were to his liking. And how could she have hand-picked you when she doesn't have hands?"

Rafflesian's expression turned murderous as she swung her staff downward, the sunburst on the top whirring as it engaged internal combat systems. People nearby immediately started moving to a safe distance.

"Girls, girls!" Axl called out desperately. "Please, this isn't the sort of thing to get into a fight over! This shouldn't end in bloodshed!"

Before Axl could continue talking, Rafflesian metaphorically pounced. "Right! We can settle this on stage! I'll prove I'm the better girl for Axl then either of you!"

"Now hang on-" Marino began.

"Alright," Cinnamon interrupted. "But you're famous for your singing and dancing as an idol. That's a bit of an unfair advantage."

"I can take you two on one!" Rafflesian insisted. "My Belladonnas and I against you and whatever backup singers and dancers you can scrounge together, and I'll show Axl I'm the only girl for him! Losers give up on him forever!"

"Done," Cinnamon agreed quickly. "Two hours to prepare."

Rafflesian smirked confidently. "See you then, my sweet Axl!" she purred, blowing Axl a kiss as she sauntered away.

Axl and Marino rounded on Cinnamon, who quickly raised her hands. "Sorry, but this was the only way to resolve this that wouldn't result in one or more of us being taken away in a body bag or handcuffs!" she called out quickly. "Besides, I know we can win this! ...a-as long as I don't die of embarrassment."

As Axl blinked in confusion, Marino suddenly grinned widely. "You sly devil! Rafflesian is going to broadcast this all across the Tower...and we'll have the entire population gathered as an audience."

"And...I think I know just the performance to appeal to all ages..." Cinnamon continued.

As the pair went off to plan - and to call on X, Zero, Spider, Massimo, Gaudile, and Octavia to assist - Axl blinked in confusion. "Uh...what just happened?"

The actual competition segment likely violates the lyrics rules of the site. As such, you can find that segment here. Read before continuing to the next segment of the chapter.

Axl sighed in relief as he, Cinnamon, and Marino found their way to a karaoke restaurant where they could listen to other amateurs sing while they ate. As much as he wanted to go back to an ordinary date, three things caused problems for him. First, he, Marino, and Cinnamon were all still in their 'costumes' from the musical competition. Second, Gaudile and Octavia were also at the table with them. Third, it quickly became plain that Marino wanted the date to have a 'happy ending', was gently but steadily nudging Axl in that direction, and was also apparently not averse to Cinnamon being involved as well despite Gaudile's disapproving gaze.

This all culminated as Marino pulled out what she considered her 'trump card', the latest issue of a magazine series called 'Girls Gone Maverick'. "Page 24," she whispered softly, not noticing how Cinnamon went beet red at the sight of the issue cover.

Gulping, Axl began to turn to that page, only for his jaw to nearly fall off as he saw Marino on the page, showcasing a particularly skimpy outfit. "W...wow..." he managed to stammer out.

"I still have that one," Marino purred in his ear.

"I'm not sure I like the direction this conversation is taking," Gaudile chided darkly. "Especially not with Cinnamon listening-"

"Oh please, old man," Marino chided playfully. "You know by now she's been sneaking out, making friends, and having fun. You even know how she gave Axl her contact information. I wouldn't be surprised if she were in one of these as a thrill!"

Cinnamon let out a startled squeak as she sank into the couch they were sitting on, trying to hide from the magazine behind Axl's shoulder.

Marino blinked in surprise. "Wait...you don't mean..." She quickly flipped through the pages of the magazine...only to come across the foldout in the middle.

The whole group stared in shock as 'Sweet Baby Sugar' looked back up at them from the pages, her 'angelic innocence' plainly visible in the tasteful nude pose. As they stared, the latest singer on stage began singing a song Gaudile and Axl found appropriate, though for entirely different reasons.

CM: Call of Secrets

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The escalation of Axl, Cinnamon, and Marino's date had caused quite a disruption as far as getting everyone ready for the next mission against the Rebellion. As such, it would be some time before they could actually be dispatched. So far, only Axl, Cinnamon, X, and Zero's maintenance had been completed, and it would be some time before Gaudile would recover from his hangover after seeing that centerfold, and he was the only one who could perform the necessary repairs for the others. Even Cinnamon's restoration effects were more patches than actual repairs, and were straining on her core if overused. As a result, Axl was left at loose ends while Cinnamon tended to her father's indisposition.

Since he didn't want to draw too much attention, he'd decided to stay within the Central Tower. To add to that, he'd donned his armor and triggered his Stealth Mode. As long as he didn't activate any combat subroutines, he could maintain this mode near indefinitely...certainly long enough to make it to the less populated lower levels of the Tower that X had told him about. There was apparently a repair table down there from when the Resistance had been trying to take the Tower back which he could use to replenish base resources - like Stealth Mode energy, armor energy, and sub tanks - which would be useful since there were rogue security mechanaloids down there that he'd have to deal with.

Once he passed the level where there were any people wandering about, he disengaged Stealth Mode and activated his combat subroutines. That would make it easier to find that repair table, and fighting security mechanaloids would be a good way to relax.

"And I thought Zero was the lone wolf," X suddenly spoke up, stepping out of the repair chamber.

Axl did his best not to jump out of his armor. "...okay, how many of you are down here?" he demanded grumpily.

"All of us," Zero spoke up as he stepped out as well. "Gaudile is not pleasant to be around when hungover."

"And it's not like my armor was non-functional," Marino added as she stepped out, her boots still squeaking.

"Yeah...Daddy didn't really want to see me just now," Cinnamon admitted shamefacedly. "Guess he didn't learn about how grown up I was in the best way..."

"Even Stealth Mode can't hide you from your Mother," Octavia chided as Massimo stepped out, Octavia sitting on his shoulder.

"I couldn't let the ladies come down here unescorted," Massimo pointed out defensively.

"You really think I'd walk away from a show this entertaining?" Spider joked with a tap of his cane.

Axl rolled his eyes, groaning in frustration. "So much for a chance to calm down," he grumbled, using the repair table to recharge before stomping off.

Octavia frowned, hopping from Massimo's shoulder to Axl's head. "Something's bothering you, Axl," she stated flatly, rubbing the crystal in the center of his helm. "Talk to me. Tell me what it's about."

"I...I don't know..." Axl grumbled. "Just...ever since I entered this Tower, I've been...antsy. Like...like there's somewhere I need to be...something I need to do..." Growling angrily, he slammed his clenched fist into the metal wall. "But I can't make sense of it!"

Octavia hopped down worriedly. "...Axl..."

"Sounds like a lesser form of what was happening to me during the Eurasia incident," Zero suddenly spoke up. "I think I can help."

Axl blinked. "Eurasia? I don't understand-"

"It's when I learned about my origins and purpose," Zero clarified.

"You mean I'm acting like this because the answers I need are here somewhere?" Axl asked hopefully. "What do I do? Where do I go?"

Zero held up his hand to slow Axl down a bit. "Think logically, kid. If you aren't getting specific instructions from your circuits, then use your brain. Now, one thing for sure...it's not gonna be anywhere out in the open where just anyone can find it. Pre-End Times stuff is always well hidden and heavily protected."

"There's a locked door further down," X pointed out. "If we had the key-"

"You refused to let go of the Central Key when we found it," Octavia added helpfully.

Axl turned eagerly to X. "Which way to the door, Gramps? Which way?"

"That way-" X began, only for Axl to blur past him, having shifted into Wild Jango for the speed as he raced to the door. Shifting back to normal as the others raced to catch up, he used the key to open the door.

The door opened to a downward spiraling path that seemed to descend all the way to the base of the tower. Axl eagerly raced down, hoping to find his answers...but found something else waiting for them.

The robot - the sound of its joints made it plain it was a pre-End Times robot, though heavily upgraded with all modern tech - stood as tall as Massimo, though with a much slimmer body. His overall structure was vulpine, with a white fox-like face. Most of his body was crimson, and he had a large green crystal in the center of his chest. He looked up as Axl approached. "So you have come," he stated calmly. "You seek the secrets I defend...but if you don't prove yourself, you won't leave this place alive. Come one step closer, and seal your fate."

Axl stared in shock. "Who...who are you?"

The figure did not respond.

Steeling himself, Axl took a step forward.

The figure grinned widely. "Releasing control logic restriction system to level 8." The figure blazed with light, and a single tail extended from the back of its body, containing within it a fragment of Force Metal that blazed with more energy than any that the group had equipped. "I am Onetails, and I challenge you to a fight."

CM: Face the Past, part 1

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Before Axl could even move, Onetails leapt to the attack, delivering a spinning kick to Axl's temple that sent him slamming into the opposite wall. "You can do better than that," he taunted as Axl groggily got to his feet.

"Axl!" Octavia called out worriedly as Axl pushed himself to his feet. Cinnamon and the others also moved to help.

"Stay back!" Axl called out, staggering a bit as he stabilized himself. Drawing his scythe, he unfurled it to full size, bracing on it before pushing himself upright and spinning it into a combat position. "This is my fight."

Onetails frowned as he stared at the scythe. "That is not in your recorded schematics-" Before Onetails could say more, Axl had blurred forward, slamming the shaft into Onetails gut before spinning and dragging the blade along Onetails' armor.

"I'm just full of surprises!" Axl declared as he dug one blade of the scythe into the ground, spinning around the shaft to kick Onetails in the head with both feet. Coming to a halt at the end of the shaft, he pulled out his G-Launcher and unleashed its massive payload straight into Onetails' crotch.

Onetails skidded to a halt a few feet away. "Indeed," he responded calmly. "But your tactics will need to be altered against me." He cupped his hands together. "Annihilator..."

Axl's eyes widened as he recognized the stance. Sheathing the scythe, he leapt for the ceiling.

"...HADOKEN!" Onetails roared, the blast shooting out just under Axl's feet, the blue white torrent of energy tearing the hallway apart as the others just barely managed to dodge out of the way.

"That looked like my Shinku Hadoken!" X gasped out in shock. "How did he get that?"

"A question for later!" Zero snapped out as Onetails once more lunged at Axl, trying to strike with energized fists that Axl deflected with a spin of his scythe.

"You are effective-GYAH!" Onetails staggered back, staring at the stumps of his arms.

"I'm more than that!" Axl snapped back as he shifted his stance and his grip on his weapon, readying himself for a killing blow.

Onetails grinned as light surrounded the stumps, extending out and taking the shape of his hands before solidifying. "And I am much more than I appear. But it appears you are more than a match for this level of power. If you feel strong enough to face more, follow!" With that, Onetails levitated into the air and shot backward down the spiral staircase.

"Don't think you can get away!" Axl shouted out as he dashed after him. The others quickly moved to follow.

Once Axl caught up, Onetails grinned. "Releasing Control Logic Restriction System to Level 7!" He blazed with light. When the light faded, there were two of them, and each had a second tail with another highly energized fragment of Force Metal inside, giving off as much energy as the first. "We are Twotails, and we challenge you to a fight!" they proclaimed together.

Axl immediately shifted himself to the defensive as the two attacked him, spinning his scythe and using the two blades to deflect attacks from both sides. As they barraged him with blows, he paid close attention to their strikes. He noticed that the strikes were surrounded by Elemental auras that shifted from red to blue to yellow. Hoping he was on the right track, he activated his A-Trans as the strikes were red. "Get back!" he roared in Silver Horn's voice as he seized both Twotails in his grip before leaping into the air. When he came back down, a massive wave of water swamped over all of them, and he held the pair under the water so they would continuously take the amplified damage. After a time, they were ripped from his grip and washed further down the shaft. Shifting back, he pursued them.

"He seems remarkably in control of the situation," Massimo murmured in surprise.

"He's pushing himself hard," Octavia countered worriedly. "If he doesn't slow down or take a break soon, he'll burn himself out. The strikes he's taken have done heavy damage."

"Oh, I hope I can help him..." Cinnamon murmured worriedly.

"He's got a full sub tank," Marino pointed out. "I'm sure he'll be careful..."

"If he gets in over his head, I'll drag him into Stealth to heal," Spider offered encouragingly.

As the group caught up to Axl on the next level down, they saw Twotails - once more a single entity - bracing for another transformation. "Release Control Logic Restriction System to Level 6." In a blaze of light, there were three of him with three tails each. "We are Threetails," he greeted unsurprisingly. "We challenge you to a fight."

Axl spun his scythe quickly to deflect the incoming strikes, which now carried harmful energy auras that seemed to weaken his system as they approached. One strike got through, and he fell back as a Virus infected him, causing his energy to deplete rapidly. "...you think that's all it'll take to take me down?" he growled out as he started spinning his scythe all the faster.

"It'll slow you down," Threetails responded as one of them gathered energy for another Annihilator Hadoken.

"Not for long..." Axl growled as he glowed with energy as the scythe spun ever faster. "Cause I'm giving it everything!" he roared out as he took the shape of Steel Massimo, unleashing his Wave Motion Blast through the scythe, cutting two of the Threetails to bits and carving chunks off the third. He gasped for breath as he reverted to normal.

"I'm not done for!" Threetails snapped as he generated another copy of himself that wasn't damaged. Unable to maintain beyond that, he collapsed into bits before the copy withdrew further down the stairs.

Axl moved to pursue, only to fall to his knees. "Dammit...I can do this..."

Before he could move further, Cinnamon was at his side, using her energy to restore his and cleanse his system of errors. "You don't have to move so fast," she murmured softly. "We can back you up...between fights if not during, if you're going to be stubborn about soloing this."

"I'll see if I can't swipe anything useful from these guys before you get too engaged," Marino offered. "That should help, right?"

As the others gathered around him, Axl sighed softly. "...thanks guys..."

CM: Face the Past, part 2

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Once Axl was as refreshed as he could get without withdrawing, he got back to his feet. "Thanks everyone," he offered warmly. "I've got this." Seeing only nods all around, he turned and marched further down the spiral stairwell.

It wasn't long before he caught up to the Threetails that had withdrawn. "Release control logic restriction system to level five." Another flare of light, and another glowing tail extended from the figure's body, the four tails now floating around behind him at the four corners. "I am Fourtails, and I challenge you to a fight." With no further warning than that, he charged towards Axl.

Axl spun his scythe to deflect the blows, but several went right through the holes in his guard to strike at his chest. Flinching back, he moved for a scythe combo, but while the first blow hit dead on the second was caught expertly, leading to a penetrating counter blow that sapped his energy as it knocked him back. Shaking himself off, Axl leapt to his feet before countering with the first gun that leapt to hand. The first volley hit doing heavy damage, but the second was flicked out of the air by Fourtails bare hands, leading to another counter hit that sapped his energy.

As Fourtails charged in again, Axl spun the scythe to slash him across the chest. Seeing that knock Fourtails back, he started to go for a second blow but paused. Spinning, he fired a volley straight into the gash he'd left with his scythe, causing Fourtails to fall even further back. Axl grinned widely as he leapt into the air. "I've got your number now!" he called out as he spun his scythe.

"That's what you think!" Fourtails proclaimed as he unleashed a massive discharge of electrical energy that filled the entire room.

The others flinched back from the discharge...only to stare in awe as it was all sucked into a central point where Axl - mimicking Wild Jango - drew it all into his body as he spun before diving to slam physically into Fourtails chest, sending him flying straight down the stairs. Axl reverted as he landed, taking several deep breaths. "...heal please..." he murmured, leaning on his scythe.

Cinnamon immediately rushed forward, using her FMG to repair the structural damage while Marino dosed Axl with some Sub Tank energy to refill his reserves. X and Zero stepped up to Axl's sides. "You sure you want to keep doing this on your own?" X asked worriedly.

"I...I have to," Axl managed to gasp out as he stabilized. "I don't know why...but I have to."

Zero nodded understandingly. "Then go show that fox what you're made of!" he encouraged, giving Axl a friendly smack on his back.

Nodding, Axl made his way down the stairs until he caught up to Fourtails. "Release control logic restriction system to level 4!" he proclaimed.

After the blaze of light, there were three figures, each with five tails. "We are Fivetails," they proclaimed together, "and we challenge you to a fight!"

One of the Fivetails lunged in, attempting to strike Axl with his tails. Axl countered by slashing with his scythe, knocking the tails away and sending the Fivetails bouncing back towards one of the others. His eyes widened as he saw that other catch his compatriot, spin him around, and hurl him straight back glowing. On instinct, Axl phased out into Stealth Mode just before the damaged Fivetails exploded. Seeing the damage to the room around him, he knew he wouldn't survive taking that explosion unprotected. Still, there were only two left-

His thoughts went darker as the third Fivetails raised its arms, and a fourth appeared out of pure light.

"Damn!" Axl growled as he began to dance around attacks evasively, trying to figure out how he was going to deal with this. Eventually, an idea struck him, but he could tell it was crazy. "Well...this sure seems to be pushing my limits!" Hoping his gamble would actually work, he activated his A-Trans.

As the Fivetails watched, Axl seemed to vanish in a blur. Before they could react, something seemed to appear in flashes all around them, delivering heavy blows that sent them bouncing around the room before sending two of them into the third, causing the two to explode and blasting the third to the stairs. The third Fivetails looked around worriedly for a time, then retreated down the stairs.

The blur finally stopped moving...revealing Marino in Quicksilver? Marino blinked at herself. "Wait, what-"

The A-Trans gave out, and Axl reverted to his normal form...only to fall to his knees and start coughing up blood. "Okay...A-Fusion not a good idea..."

"What did you do?" Octavia demanded in a barely restrained wrathful voice as Cinnamon once again began trying to piece Axl back together.

"I..." Axl coughed a few times before getting control of his voice again. "I tried to apply Massimo's power to Marino's speed in Quicksilver by combining their RDNA profiles with my A-Trans. It...it didn't quite work out..."

"Then don't do that!" X snapped worriedly, whopping Axl upside the head. "It's one thing to push your limits, quite another to try and make your systems do things they're plainly not supposed to do!"

Axl nodded as he managed to get to his feet. "It's...it's alright," he managed to say. "Definitely not going to try that again anytime soon...still, I think I can take one more of these guys before I need another extended break." Taking a few deep breaths, he made his way down the stairs.

As he approached, he heard the voice of Fivetails. "Release Control Logic Restriction System Level 3." The blaze of light heralded yet another form, this time a single warrior with six tails. "I am Sixtails," it greeted calmly. "I challenge you to a fight. We will trade ten blows, at which point I will restore myself fully and improve myself. After another trade of ten blows, I will crush your skull. To proceed, you must inflict enough damage to me to force me to withdraw before your twentieth blow. Since you fight alone, you may have the first move."

Axl nodded, bracing his hands on his knees as he took a few breaths. "Gimme a bit to get ready?" he asked hopefully.

Sixtails nodded. "You may."

Axl closed his eyes as he mentally went over his specs. "...alright, I can do this," he murmured softly. "But I'll need to go all out..." His body glowed as his armor changed from black to white(1), utilizing the armor mode Maka had designed for him that unlocked the full specs of his A-Trans. He didn't like using it because it put a strain on his other systems...but with a time limit, he needed to hit fast and hard...and he knew just how to do it. "Bet he didn't know I got this..." he murmured as he triggered his A-Trans.

To the shock of everyone watching, Axl transformed into Epsilon. "One...Metacrush(2)!" he roared out, lunging forward and smashing both fist into Sixtails' chest and discharging a massive surge of energy that sent Sixtails flying back into the opposite wall with a huge dent at the point of impact. As Sixtails started to move, Axl continued. "Two...Nova Impact!" Spreading his arms wide, he unleashed a barrage of energy blasts that tore the room apart...and would have destroyed Sixtails had he not fled down the stairs. At that point, the A-Trans gave out and Axl collapsed back onto his rear, reverting back to his normal black armor.

"Three, faint," Spider joked teasingly as the group gathered to fix Axl up for the next set of battles.

(1) His 'Ultimate Armor' from X8.
(2) One of Epsilon's attacks which reduces the target's LE to 1 if it hits.

CM: Face the Past, part 3

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It didn't take too long for everyone to get Axl back on his feet, with Cinnamon providing the energy for physical repairs while X called in Piano for his Sub Tank to replenish Axl's energy. Once that was finished, Axl got to his feet. "Alright, I'm ready," he confirmed, bracing his scythe on his shoulder as he made his way down the stairs.

"Releasing Control Logic Restriction System level 2," echoed up the stairs towards him, followed by a blaze of light. As Axl arrived, two Tails figures with seven tails each awaited him. "We are Seventails," they greeted calmly. "We challenge you to a fight."

Once again, the pair lunged forward to strike at Axl from both sides as he defended himself, sounding out the strategy. As expected, each used physical blows, piercing blows designed to drain his energy, and heavy attacks that could penetrate his defenses. In addition, their hands were surrounded by a dark aura that his systems recognized as a virus meant to interfere with his servos, limiting his mobility. As before, each could also use the Annihilator Hadoken to inflict devastating damage to the surroundings...and presumably to Axl if they hit, though he was able to evade.

The main difference that became apparent when Axl tried a few probing counterattacks was that each regenerated from damage, and grew stronger in power and defense each time they were hit. It quickly became apparent he needed to husband his strength for a powerful blow...all while dodging their strikes, including their heavy electrical discharges.

Thinking quickly, he leapt out of the direct melee, feinting towards one of them to try and get it to follow him. Luckily enough, it did, pursuing him towards the edge of the chamber in an attempt to trap him against the wall. Axl was quick enough to take advantage, racing up the wall to backflip over the Seventails as it crashed into the wall, letting him land back in the center of the room.

"Annihilator..." the other one spoke up, gathering the energy.

Turning, Axl stared in shock, turning to run straight towards the Seventails he'd tricked into running into the wall.

"Annihilator..." that one began, also gathering the energy.

"Hadoken!" they shouted together, unleashing their attacks.

Axl instantly fazed out with Stealth Mode, letting the two attacks pass harmlessly through him to clash in the middle. much to his surprise, both Seventails maintained the unexpected beam struggle, neither showing any sign of breaking free. "Now isn't that interesting?" Axl murmured as he leapt up to the ceiling, drawing his Axl Bullets and firing, aiming one gun at the foot of one Seventails, the other at the other's head.

As he'd planned, the one shot in the foot leaned forward, while the one shot in the head leaned back. The shift was almost imperceptible, but it was enough for the beams to break the struggle and shoot past each other, slamming into the opposite Seventails and slamming them back against the walls.

As Axl landed, he chugged energy from a Sub Tank for a refresh. "That all you got?" he called out derisively.

"Releasing Control Logic Restriction System to Level One!" the two Seventails called out together in response, blazing with light as each sprouted an additional tail. "We are Eighttails, and we challenge you to a fight!" they proclaimed as they unleashed a barrage of Elemental energy.

Yelping, Axl shifted back into Stealth Mode to evade the attacks, charging in to attack. Much to his relief, these two did not automatically heal damage they took over time, which relieved him as far as the fight. Pacing himself, he focused on avoiding the blows aimed at his head and the tail strikes, trying to wear one down enough he could destroy it and focus on the other one. Eventually, he managed to deliver a finishing blow, causing one to explode.

As he turned towards the other, however, it lifted its arms and another Eighttails appeared in a blaze of light. "Oh, come on!" Axl screamed out irritably as he found himself right back where he started.

Thankfully, he'd managed to learn the pattern of their attacks at that point, and was able to carefully shift between forms to deal with the elemental discharges, and sway to dodge the physical attacks. He focused on spreading the damage between the two, hoping to be able to disable the second one after destroying the first before it could summon a fresh one.

His opportunity arrived as he managed to split one Eighttails right down the middle. The other Eighttails started to raise his arms, but Axl charged in and sliced his arms off. "Can't summon backup now, can you?" he braked out angrily.

The disarmed Eighttails looked at Axl...and grinned. "Release Control Logic Restriction System to Level Zero." The still standing figure and the wreckage of Tails scattered throughout the spiral staircase glowed, flying together. "Maintain power release until one of the combatants is permanently silenced!"

Axl gasped in shock, leaping back as he felt the overwhelming power focused in the tiny chamber. When the light faded, the figure had nine tails and seemed to hover in midair from the sheer force of its power. "I am Ninetails," it declared calmly, its voice barely above a whisper. "My strength is unparalleled." With no further warning than that, he pulled back his hands and fired off an Annihilator Hadoken.

Axl dove to the side, barely evading the blast...only to hear sudden screams of pain. "No!" he screamed out, spinning towards the source.

Massimo, Spider, and Zero all were sunk to their knees, their eyes the blank, dead look of a forced shut down. X, Octavia, Cinnamon, and Marino were behind them, looking like they'd just barely evaded taking the worst of the blast.

Axl rounded angrily on Ninetails. "Bastard!" he roared out, charging in to the attack spinning his scythe.

Ninetails swayed back and forth between the swings before turning his back to Axl. "Nine Fragments!" he proclaimed, lashing out with all nine tails. The first struck Axl's hand, sending the scythe flying. The next four struck at where he stored his guns, smashing some and scattering the others. The remaining four struck Axl in one leg, one arm, and two in the torso, punching holes through his armor and sending him flying back with a scream of pain.

"Axl!" Cinnamon and Octavia screamed out, rushing to his side as Cinnamon immediately started trying to restore the damage.

"Bastard!" X roared out as he activated his Ultimate Armor, ready to go charging in.

Marino beat him to it, charging in with Quicksilver and swiping anything she could off of Ninetails in an attempt to slow him down. When she grabbed one of his tails, however, he spun and caught her by the throat, holding her up between himself and X. "I suggest you stand down," he instructed as the things Marino had managed to seize scattered across the floor.

"Let her go!" Axl roared out. Despite only having two working limbs, he lunged forward, grasping the only weapon in his reach...a gun Marino had dropped after swiping it from Ninetails. It was a long-barreled silver revolver with a black grip and odd plates riveted along the length of the barrel, with strange designs etched into the metal along the sides. Spinning, he leveled the gun and pulled the trigger three times in quick succession.

The first bullet struck Ninetails' wrist, causing it to jerk open and let Marino drop to the ground. The second and third each hit Ninetails in his eyes, making him stagger back clutching at his face.

Axl glowered at Ninetails, wanting more than anything to just blast the smug bastard to oblivion. He found himself focusing all the power he could bring to bear on that thought, even if it was only-

"Five percent," the gun suddenly chimed in a robotic voice. The plates along the barrel burst off, revealing a spinning black circle that sparked with white energy that wasn't quite electricity. When Axl pulled the trigger, the recoil sent him falling back against Cinnamon as a small white sphere shot forward to slam Ninetails in the gut, driving the figure into the opposite wall before erupting in a massive corona of light.

As the light faded, all of Ninetails' tails had vanished, and the figure lay on the ground, unmoving. As Octavia moved to reboot the others, however, something inside Ninetails stirred, and an odd sound was heard.

"...meow..."

CM: Melody From The Past

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To everyone's shock, the body of Ninetails blazed with the light of Axl's A-Trans. When the light faded, the true form of Ninetails was revealed. Most of the outer body was in fact an armor shaped from pieces of a non-functional red robotic canine. Without the energies holding it together, it fell apart to reveal a heavily upgraded green robotic cat, strongly resembling Piano and Timbre in overall build. The cat slowly uncurled from within the pieces of armor, revealing gold and blue color patterns and a gun barrel at the end of his tail. After briefly stretching, he turned sad eyes on the pieces of the canine he had been wearing. He carefully gathered every last piece into a corner, setting the head down last of all before closing the empty optics respectfully. Stepping back, he lifted his head and let off a soft caterwaul, dirge-like tones echoing around the chamber.

The walls around the small pile of parts closed around them, sealing them away with nary a seam.

The cat stared at the corner for a time, in a silence no one dared break. He then shook himself off with a brief sneeze, and turned towards Axl. After giving him an appraising gaze, he shrugged his shoulders before sauntering to one last stairwell at the back of the chamber. After going down three stairs, he glanced over his shoulder with a look that demanded immediate action, that seemed to snap, "Well? Come on!" While most responded immediately, X stared into the corner for quite some time before catching up.

When they reached the bottom of the stairwell, they found a last door that the cat pawed open before leading them in. Inside was a capsule similar to design to the Light Capsules, but at the same time distinctly different...though it was hard to put a finger on how. Across the top, four letters were inscribed as though dug into the material of the capsule with a chisel: AXL-C

Axl stared in awe. "This...this is my capsule..." he murmured softly, walking forward, reaching towards it.

"AXL-C," Octavia murmured thoughtfully. "Does that mean...you were a third attempt?" She frowned as the cat shot her an irritated glare.

"I...I don't think so," Spider murmured softly. "I...remember Dynamo mentioning something about this once, something I wasn't supposed to hear I think." He stared as Axl's hand touched the capsule. "I'm pretty sure...L-C means 'Light-Cossack'."

"A project worked on by Dr. Light and Dr. Cossack?" Zero asked in shock...and yet something about that seemed off. "Axl-"

"Anton," Axl interrupted suddenly, his eyes glazed. The 'A' atop the capsule illuminated. "Anton...Xabat...Light-Cossack."

As he spoke each name, a letter at the top of the capsule glowed. Once all were lit, the capsule opened. Two holograms appeared in the center, cast in a green glow. One was a young human woman, and the other was a young robotic man who bore a striking resemblance to X. The robot was the first to speak. "Anton...if you're seeing this message, then the worst - from our perspective - has come to pass, and we were unable to complete you in our lifetimes...our son."

The woman then spoke up, a strong Russian accent in her voice. "We had hoped, should this happen, we could embed our neural imprints in this capsule to watch over you, as Dr. Light has done for when X awakens, and as Dr. Wily and Vinyl have done for their...Project Revelation. However, the fact this message is playing means that, for whatever reason, we were unable to do so before our deaths."

"As such, this recorded message is the only way we can tell you who you came from, and why," the robot continued. "I am Rock Light, also known as Mega Man."

"And I am Kalinka Cossack," the young woman continued as the holograms held hands. "In our time, relationships such as what we found with each other...it was frowned upon. Our friend Vinyl sought to reshape this world such that it could be, that robots and humans could be equals."

"If she's with you, and you awoke in our era, then she succeeded," Rock continued. "If not...then she failed, and I can only pray your era is a kinder, more understanding one."

"You were never a project to us, Anton," Kalinka explained. "You were always...our son. The cybernetic DNA system discovered in Prometheus that was used to design X and Project Revelation...we used that to create build data for you that was a blending of my DNA, and a cybernetic DNA extrapolation of Rock's build data. In blood...you are our son."

"While we might not have been able to complete you ourselves, we did leave you some things in case the world you were activated in was one that forced you to fight...much like Dad did for my little brother," Rock elaborated. "First, a support unit built with an Adapter keyed to your cybernetic DNA profile...so no matter what changes you go through, he'll be able to become armor to amplify your abilities. If we couldn't introduce you to him ourselves, Tango has a directive to guard this capsule until you are awakened, and are ready to receive this information."

"Merow!" the cat - Tango, presumably - spoke up at that point.

"He was also given free reign to use any new developments in technology to upgrade himself to perform as a more efficient support unit," Kalinka added. "I hope he didn't give you too much trouble. He will also be guarding a weapon we made for you. Much like Vinyl...we came to believe that overwhelming firepower is the best way to keep loved ones safe." The gun Marino had swiped from 'Ninetails' glowed. "This 'Ancient Arm' as we've decided to call it is inbuilt with nine Etheric Crystals, designed to sync with your A-Trans ability to unleash devastating power. But be careful: at even 70% sync, an uncontrolled discharge could level a city in a single blast, or punch a hole in the moon. At full sync, it could destroy everything in your path. But if your focus is off, the recoil could easily destroy your allies, so be careful how you use it."

"Oh the other hand, its bullets are effective deterrents even uncharged," Rock hastened to reassure. "You can fire up to six without reloading, and they will have whatever properties you wish them to have as you pull the trigger, as the bullets themselves will tap your A-Trans to alter their properties."

Axl staggered into the capsule, and the holograms wrapped him in a loving embrace. "Please..." they spoke together. "Accept our apologies, our love...and our last gift."

The capsule blazed with light as the Tango Adapter was installed in Axl's systems. A whisper touched his ears alone as the light faded. "And if ever this world is unbearable to you...we leave you a shape to travel the stars, for the Red Planet holds Vinyl's true legacy."

As the light faded, Axl stared out at the group, unshed tears in his eyes. Tango came up to his side, nuzzling his hand comfortingly.

CM: Facing the Future

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Axl sat at the edge of the helipad on the roof of Central Tower, Tango curled up at his side and the Ancient Arm held lightly in his hand. He alternated between staring out at the sunset, staring up into the sky, and staring down at the gun. He remained thoughtful as he sat there, his stance as he'd gone up there being all the encouragement the others needed to let him have time alone.

Well, most of the others.

"Axl?" Cinnamon asked softly. "Can...can we join you?"

Looking up, Axl saw Cinnamon and Marino watching him carefully, concerned expressions on their faces. Sighing, Axl holstered his new gun and patted the edge to either side of him. Tango accommodatingly shifted to be curled against Axl's back, waiting until the two girls were sitting down before curling his head around to rest in Marino's lap while his tail rested in Cinnamon's...'coincidentally' forcing the three to sit quite close together. Axl shot the cat a look, which was dutifully ignored.

"That was quite a lot to take in," Marino spoke up quietly. "You handling it alright?"

Axl shrugged, staring up at the darkening sky. "More or less. I knew ever since Prometheus told me there was a capsule with the answers out there that I came from Pre-End times. I knew that meant whoever built me - my parents - would be dead. Between the way the Light hologram reacted to me and the fact Prometheus mentioned a capsule singular...I kinda figured all I'd get was a message." He leaned back against Tango. "I guess...I don't know. It was still a lot to take in."

"Like the fact you're technically the first Terran?" Cinnamon offered carefully. "I mean, you were made with a blending of human and robotic code to create your RDNA. The blending of organic and cybernetic life is what makes Terrans Terrans..."

"Yeah, there is that," Axl agreed. "Though really, that's the last thing on my mind right now. Learning my origins...it shook the core of my life, and not in the way I expected..."

"Don't you normally talk to Octavia about things like this?" Marino pointed out logically. "I mean, not to rag on you or anything, but you are a bit of a Mama's boy." Cinnamon did her best to stifle a giggle.

"...am I, though?" Axl asked thoughtfully. "I mean, Octavia adopted me, made me a member of her family...but I already was, even if I didn't know it. I'm her Uncle's son, her cousin. I've called X Grandpa, but he's actually my Uncle. Where...where do I stand with them now?"

All of them sat in silence for a time as the sun finished setting, the stars coming out and the moon rising. Finally, it was Cinnamon who broke the silence. "Well...where do you want to stand with them?"

"Come again?" Axl inquired, plainly lost.

"Well, technically that's the relationship," Cinnamon explained. "But...I mean, it's not like X built Octavia, or sired her...but he's still her Dad. Octavia might not be the one who built you...but why should that make her any less your Mom? The bond's still there. It's...just become complicated. So the question is...is she still Mom to you?"

Axl let his eyes trail over the constellations. "I want to say yes...but isn't that betraying my real Mom? To call someone else Mom?"

"I don't think so," Marino supplied readily. "I mean, based on what I got from the message, your parents loved you very much and wanted you to live happily. If that means having their niece be your Mom, I don't think they'd mind." She grinned cheekily. "Besides, with how often they mentioned 'Vinyl' - who I'm pretty sure was a pony?" She glanced at Axl for clarification.

"A unicorn, from what Zero says," Axl agreed.

"Well, I'm pretty sure they knew that ponies make everything crazy, so I doubt they'll judge just because you wound up with an Uncle-Grandpa," Marino concluded teasingly. "Besides, if we haven't seen Vinyl or any of her descendants around, I'm guessing she went to wherever she came from...and she's bound to have had parents there. Octavia will probably follow...and she'll have parents there, too. Do you really think that'll make X any less her Dad? Or do you think her calling X 'Dad' after everything he's done for her is a disservice to whatever stallion sired her?"

Axl let her words sink into his mind. Finally, he turned to the one silent face. "What do you think, Tango?" he asked curiously, doubting if he'd actually get an answer.

I think you have two smoking hot babes doing their darndest to comfort you over your stupid angst and you should get some pussy already, Tango's voice echoed in his mind. That's why I curled them up so close to you after all. And if you're not going to do that, you can at least make yourself useful and scratch me behind the ears.

Axl buried his face in both hands to hide his blush. "Why did I think asking the cat about something serious was a good idea?" he whimpered quietly.

If it were serious, I'd give serious answers, Tango replied through the link. But it's not. You, Rock, Kalinka, X, Octavia...you're all family. All those other terms you use - Mother, Father, Cousin - they don't matter. All that matters is Family. Cats are smart about that: in a colony, every breeding queen is Mom, every tom is Dad, your littermates are brothers and sisters, everyone else older than you is Uncle or Aunt, and everyone else your same age is cousins. Who bred who or who gave birth to who doesn't matter. Course, cats are lots smarter than bipeds that way.

Axl stared at Tango for a time, then chuckled softly. "...you're right, Tango," he allowed ruefully.

Yeah, I know. You really need to get some pussy . You wouldn't be so concerned with this existential nonsense if you just got laid already. And hey, after that musical performance, you really think either of these babes will say no to a threesome?

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" Axl whispered quietly as he tried to hide his flaming face with his hands.

Cinnamon and Marino weren't sure what was causing this reaction in Axl, but from what they could tell he seemed to be better. At least he wasn't brooding anymore. When Tango curled tighter, nudging them closer to Axl, they took the hint and snuggled up to him from either side.

And this is why cats are best wingmen, Tango thought smugly. ...Axl, you can stop with the silent screaming in your mind already. Sheesh, do I need to bug Octavia into giving you the talk or something?

CM: Into the Depths

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Nana had news for the others as they returned from their trip into the bowels of Central Tower. "While you were gone, I received an information burst from Colonel Redips," she explained. "He was able to send image information regarding a secret Rebellion facility, and I've triangulated it to somewhere near the Aires Valley in southwest Giga City. The nearest warp location is in the Gimialla Mines, which was built directly over the impact crater that is the source of Force Metal ore. Presumably, you should be able to reach the Rebellion facility from there...assuming that isn't the Rebellion Facility."

X nodded. "Alright, then we should go right away. Axl-"

"He's not here," Octavia spoke up softly. "He's up on the roof with Marino, Cinnamon, and Tango. I...think we should let them be."

"You sure about that, Tavi?" Zero asked carefully to break the silence that followed that statement. "I mean, he's really shaken up-"

"And I'm probably the source of most of that," Octavia pointed out. "I named myself his mother, only for him to now learn I'm his cousin. He...needs his space. And if the girls can help him, his need is greater than ours."

"Can't argue with you there," Spider observed calmly. "Let's hit the Mine then, just the five of us."

"Are you sure we can handle it all on our own?" Massimo asked worriedly. "I mean, Cinnamon's our primary support..."

"With the power we're packing, we shouldn't need support," Zero insisted firmly. "Plug in the coordinates, Nana. Axl and the others can follow if they choose, but they should be fine without us for a while."

"Inputting coordinates," Nana confirmed.

The mine shaft they arrived in had gray metal walls and dirt and rock floors, providing little in the way of scintillating scenery, and less in the way of exploration given the narrow, tight passages. The narrow corridors were interspersed with wider rooms that allowed the group to spread about a bit, and also was where the majority of security mechanaloids confronted them. The narrower paths were occasionally blocked by rock falls, but Massimo dealt with those by punching through them. This enabled them to quickly clear their path through to the third floor down in the mine.

As they entered the first large room there just off the elevator, a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows towards them. The emblem of a vampire bat on his chest plate instantly identified him as it became visible. "You!" X snarled out angrily.

Shadow chuckled to himself. "Long time no see, X," he greeted coldly.

"You're gonna pay for betraying us," Zero snarled, drawing his beam saber. "You can't catch me off guard and shoot me off a roof down here."

Shadow smirked. "I suppose you came down here hoping to find the Supra-Force Metal?" he asked callously.

"Actually, until you mentioned it, I'm the only one here who'd even heard of it," Octavia pointed out.

"So what is it?" X asked Octavia curiously, pointedly ignoring Shadow.

"It's an improved form of Force Metal," Octavia explained. "The actual Force Metal Ore's energy concentration is simply too high for most beings to even handle directly, so for FM Reploids or Terrans to handle it for instillation, it's refined and mixed with other materials to reduce the energy overflow. Supra-Force Metal is a much purer sample, resulting in a much higher energy release from much smaller Metal fragments...but at greater risks of damaging the one using it. The Rebellion only has two chunks of Supra-Force Metal that can be handled with any degree of safety, and one of them is Epsilon's power core."

"How...how can you know so much?" Shadow demanded, fear and anger at war in his voice. "I can't let you leave with such kno-"

His words and charge were cut off as Zero - having shifted into his White mode - blasted the upper part of Shadow's body to bits with a low-level Bass Cannon shot. "Admittedly, it's a valid question," Zero pointed out. "How do you know so much about the Rebellion's activities?"

"And why did Epsilon know your safe word for 'non-conflict' when I confronted him?" X inquired.

"Wait, he knew that?" Zero demanded in confusion. "I don't remember-"

"He used it after Shadow shot you off the roof," X pointed out. "He seemed really upset Shadow did that."

Octavia glanced from face to face as everyone began looking torn between confusion and suspicion. "Alright, I can tell you all...but word of it does not reach Colonel Redips, understand?" Once all four men nodded, she smiled. "I know all this because I have a source in the Rebellion...Epsilon himself."

Spider and Massimo stared at her, stunned. "H...how?" Massimo gasped out.

"Because he's not wrong," Octavia pointed out as she walked over to Shadow's remains. Reaching in, she fished out a faintly glowing chunk the size of a pebble that glowed far too brightly to be Supra-Force Metal. "Does this look familiar?"

"It kinda looks like the crystals Ninetails had equipped in his tails," Spider observed dryly. "You think that was Supra-Force Metal?"

"No, the crystals glowed a lot brighter," Zero corrected. "So I'd say that's Supra-Force Metal, but the crystals Ninetails was using were completely unprocessed."

"Rock and Kalinka said Axl's new gun was powered by nine Etheric Crystals," X suddenly spoke up. "You don't think...those were the crystals? That there's a connection between that and Force Metal Ore?"

"And Ether is what you run on, Zero," Octavia pointed out. "And according to records, is the source of energy that led to the technological advancements that turned robots into Reploids...and Reploids into Terrans. If there is a connection between Force Metal and Ether, then Epsilon is right that Force Metal is key to further evolution of synthetic life on this planet." She frowned irritably. "Which is why I'm now really upset that Axl still has the Gimialla Key!"

"I've got it, actually," X spoke up. "Axl left his keys with me after we came back from the lower levels of Central Tower."

Octavia smiled grimly. "Then we need to find that locked door..."

CM: Light in the Dark

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Exploring the third floor went rather quickly after that. The only obstacle involved searching through a few defunct mechanaloids to find some electrical components to repair the elevator controls so they could go deeper. However, actually managing the repairs proved to be no small feat, and one the group decided to delay once they found the locked door the Gimialla Key opened.

Stepping inside, they found the halls behind the door patrolled by Silver Mettaurs, Gold Mettaurs, and Mettaur Gigants. The Gold and Silver Mettaurs were no different from others they'd encountered, saved that the metals salvaged from them were much more valuable if they were acquired undamaged, and they had a tendency to run. The Mettaur Gigant, on the other hand, was a gigantic Mettaur that simply stood where it was and blocked nearly all incoming fire...until Spider swiped an energy capsule it was holding. At that point, it started attacking ferociously, making it incredibly difficult to take down.

Eventually, the group found their way to a back corner of the mine passages, leading to a stone wall that looked...off. Massimo carefully rapped on the stone with his knuckles, then frowned. "This...feels like metal," he pointed out idly. "Why does it look like stone?"

Curious, Zero approached, only to flinch back, his white armor blazing as he reached for his saber. "There's a great deal of power back there," he spoke up warningly. "We need to be careful."

Octavia carefully stepped up to the wall...only to leap back as a beam of light shot out from it to lock onto her.

"Equine lifeform detected," a computerized voice echoed. "Analyzing...species match confirmed." The beam then swept over Zero. "...Ether user confirmed. Safe zone designated. Disengaging Sleep Mode, opening cockpit."

Before their eyes, the stone wall began to unfold, revealing a metal wall beneath it. The wall then split down the middle, pulling back to reveal an interior chamber blazing with the white light of Ether. The light slowly faded, revealing a shining figure with huge clenched fists, hefty build, and glowing blue eyes. He blinked as he took them in, slowly turning towards Octavia. After another blink, he spoke in an oddly choral voice. "You are not Vinyl Scratch."

Octavia's eyes widened. "You...knew this...Vinyl?"

"But Vinyl was from before the End Times!" X insisted. "That's nearly 300 years ago!"

"X, that comp said he was in stasis," Zero pointed out.

The figure blinked. "...I see. She was right that the world had changed drastically. Computer, how long until repairs are complete?"

"Error: repairs cannot be completed," the computer declared. "Damage caused the ship to discharge vast majority of Ether stores into surrounding rock upon crash landing. Stasis was initiated until volatile Ether Crystal concentration dropped to safe levels. Self-motivated space flight only option. Estimated time to return destination: three days. Round trip total based on estimation: 50 years."

The figure's eyes opened wide. "I..I've been down here for 50 years?" he gasped out in shock. He buried his face in his hands. "Oh...Roll is going to kill me..."

"...Roll?" X asked curiously, feeling the name was important somehow.

"...long story," the figure replied. "I am..." He paused. "I suppose I am no longer Duo or Trio at this point anymore...you can call me Gemini."

"Where can we find...Roll?" X asked hopefully.

"Mars," Gemini responded readily. "And that's where I need to go now. Let's see...ah, I can still do that, and it's a clear path..." His entire body suddenly converted into Ether, and he shot up through the rocks above without disturbing them.

Spider stared up with the others. "...well...that was different..."

"But confirmation of my thoughts," Octavia spoke up. "Ether Crystals and Force Metal Ore...are one and the same. The power of Force Metal is Ether."

"And Ether is what played a big part in turning robots into Reploids, and Reploids into Terrans," Zero added. "Meaning Force Metal, the latest form of Ether, is the key to future robotic evolution."

"Which means...Epsilon is right?" Massimo asked in surprise.

"Indeed," Octavia confirmed. "Which means our further missions must be finding which members of Epsilon's organization are loyal to the man or to the ideal, eliminating those like Shadow who only care about power, and then finding a way to endorse Epsilon's endeavors without causing a furor back at HQ."

"That's going to be hard to explain to Chief R," X observed worriedly.

"One two three, not it!" Spider called out quickly.

"Not it!" Zero spoke up immediately.

"Not it!" Massimo bellowed.

"Not it!" Octavia called out.

"Not-dammit!" X growled irritably.

With nothing left to do on the third floor, Spider hotwired the elevator controls and got them down to the fourth floor. There, a door was sealed with three elemental circuits connected to Globs - spherical enemies based off Yellow Devils, but composed entirely of elemental energy - in the corridors to either side. It didn't take long to destroy them and thus break the seal, allowing them entrance into the final control chamber.

Once there, a soft laugh greeted them as a figure floated down. The figure's main body was composed entirely of elemental energy, and six hands floated independently around it. His legs were golden, and his facial structure showed inspiration from Egyptian Pharaohs, especially around the chin and headdress. "So, you've finally made it here," he chuckled wickedly. "You...made rather short work of Shadow. A pity, I had thought the Supra-Force Metal the Commander gave him would have given him some chance...but in the end, he was merely power hungry after all. Though you will find no more Supra-Force Metal here."

"Considering two of our number can access the energy directly from FM Ore, I don't think that's a concern Incentas," Octavia spoke up calmly as she stepped to the front. "Tell me...is power what you crave as well?"

"No!" Incentas proclaimed angrily. "I have been evolved by the power of Force Metal! My body almost completely transcends the need for physical matter! I am a living example of the proof of the Commander's philosophy, and as long as I can do good for the cause, I shall remain ever vigilant to the Commander and his will!"

"In that case, could you give him a message from me?" Octavia asked sweetly. "Tell him that he's right. Security Delta Theta."

Incentas blinked in surprise. "Uh...yeah, I can do that," he allowed finally. "...anything else?"

"Can you leave me an RDNA sample for Axl?" she asked sweetly.

"Sure," Incentas confirmed, taking an armor chunk off his leg and leaving it behind as he teleported out.

"...that was anticlimactic," Spider observed dryly.

CM: Secret of the Sands

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When the group returned to Central Tower, Gaudile and Nana were waiting for them alongside Chief R in the command center. "How's Axl doing?" Octavia asked as soon as they beamed in.

"Noodles," Gaudile muttered under his breath, his face flushed and his eyes wide and unseeing.

"...beg pardon?" Zero asked, trying to parse it.

"Noodles," Gaudile repeated blankly.

"He's been like that ever since he came back from checking on Axl, Cinnamon, and Marino," Chief R explained calmly. "They still haven't come down from the roof, though Tango did a while ago." He pointed to where the cat was curled up on an unused console, looking inordinately pleased with himself.

Octavia tilted her head towards Tango. "...Classic, come!" When her support unit warped in, she gestured towards Tango. "Ask him what's going on."

Classic nodded, moving to communicate with Tango. They exchanged a few growls and purrs, followed by a wicked feline laugh. Classic then communicated his news back to Octavia.

The young mare blinked as she parsed it. "All Tango is saying is that Axl's going to be fine...that he gave him good advice that he decided to take."

"Noodles," Gaudile muttered again, starting to rock back and forth on his webbed feet.

"...and that he has no idea why Gaudile is saying that, because he can guarantee there were no noodles involved when he left," Octavia finished. "According to Classic, Tango is being deliberately vague."

"That's a cat for you," Spider confirmed. "How about I go up and check on them?"

"How about I do it?" Octavia countered. "I am family after all-"

"Which might make you a little too close," Zero pointed out. "How about me? Axl looks up to me, I'm the 'cool uncle' - which hasn't changed from recent revelations - and I've been where he is. If anyone can get through to him and snap him out of whatever funk he might be in, it's me."

Octavia sighed. "You have a valid point, I suppose," she allowed. "But...don't push him, okay?"

"Trust me!" Zero offered with a wide grin. Turning, he headed up to the helipad.

"While he's doing that, any luck getting through to Commander Redips?" X asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not," Nana answered apologetically. "Though I have determined that something is actively jamming our communications, and the jamming signal is coming from the Vanallia Desert, a testing area for high performance Reploids, FM or otherwise. It's filled with natural hazards and high level Mechanaloids, and the entire area is constantly enveloped in a sandstorm."

"Sounds like our kind of place," Octavia offered with a chuckle.

At that moment, Zero stepped back into the command center, looking a little shell shocked. "I...think Axl's going to be just fine," he stated levelly, before dropping into a chair.

"He will?" Octavia demanded eagerly.

"Yeah," Zero confirmed. "Marino and Cinnamon are...taking care of it."

"Noodles..." Gaudile muttered again, rocking back and forth.

Zero blinked. "No idea why he's saying that, no noodles involved..." Leaning back, he chuckled to himself. "...still gonna try some of that with Iris when we get back home..." he muttered under his breath.

Octavia's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. "Oh. ...probably a good thing I wasn't the one to go check on him, then."

"Just make sure the repair bay's self-serve," Zero offered in wonder. "Damn, always the quiet ones..."

"NOODLES!" Gaudile screamed out, running out of the room.

"...I don't get it..." Massimo offered finally.

After a time, Axl, Marino, and Cinnamon rejoined them in the Command Center, all three looking very relaxed and happy. Octavia looked up at him as he entered. "Feeling better?" she asked worriedly.

Axl looked at her for a time. "...yeah, Mom," he said at last. "I'm good."

Smiling, Octavia clambered up to his head, gently petting his focus crystal as she always had. Axl happily leaned back to let it happen.

The adorable scene was broken as Octavia's nose wrinkled. "You need a shower," she stated flatly before hopping down. "Badly." She glanced towards Marino and Cinnamon. "And so do you two." Noticing the girls' matching rosy blushes and speculative glances, she added, "Not together!"

That brought a great deal of laughter from Zero, X, Spider, and Chief R. Nana did her best to ignore it all.

"...I don't get it," Massimo pointed out in confusion.

The others laughed harder.

Once Axl, Marino, and Cinnamon were out of their showers, the group warped to Vanallia Desert. As they'd been briefed, jamming arrays stuck up out of the sands, with cables leading off into the sand-shrouded distance, hopefully pointing towards the main facility. There were innumerable wandering Mechanaloids...the most dangerous of which was the Meltdown, a massive grey bulk that triggered its self destruct the moment it engaged the group, with a very short countdown before it unleashed a destructive wave that could easily tear the entire group apart unless it was destroyed before the countdown ended. Thankfully, the alternative option of fleeing was available if they weren't able to damage it quickly enough, as it moved very slowly.

After examining several jamming arrays, the group found their way to a small dome atop the sand with a door in one side that refused to open. They diverted out into the desert in an attempt to find another way in, but Octavia paused. "...could that dome really hold everything for such a strong jamming signal?" she asked curiously.

"Doubtful," X offered. "It's probably the entrance to an underground facility."

"And this is an artificial desert, right?" Octavia continued. "Not a natural one, but man-made?"

"What about it?" Marino demanded, brushing sand out of her eyes and other areas.

"Then I think I know another way in," she offered as she looked up, barely spotting a crimson-winged figure flying overhead. "Look for quicksand, and get sucked down."

CM: Siren in the Sands

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As the group began searching around for quicksand, they found themselves confronted by Ferham as she swooped down. "You've come quite far, boys and girls," she offered teasingly. "But I'm really not supposed to let you get any further." She lashed her energy whip. "So...which of you big strong boys wants to play?"

"Mine!" Cinnamon and Marino both snapped immediately as they grabbed onto Axl, making Octavia facehoof.

"Taken," X and Zero both supplied immediately.

Spider was mysteriously absent.

Massimo stepped forward, bracing himself as he pounded his fists together. "I'm not going to let you hurt my friends," he growled dangerously.

Ferham looked Massimo over curiously. "My, aren't you a big fellow," she purred. "I'd almost say...massive."

"I'm not called Steel Massimo for nothing!" Massimo insisted.

"Big all around?" Ferham inquired seductively.

Massimo flexed. "Just try and find something small on this body!"

"Oh, I'd love that!" Ferham taunted, floating forward and idly cracking her whip.

"Don't think you can intimidate me!" Massimo proclaimed, the excitement of battle in his voice. "I can take plenty of punishment!"

Ferham chuckled as she shifted swiftly to one side, Massimo slowly turning to follow her. "Having trouble keeping up?" she chided throatily.

"I may not be fast, but I'll never stop!" Massimo declared confrontationally.

"A great deal of...endurance, then?" Ferham purred wickedly.

"Indeed!" Massimo confirmed. "It's a matter of pride!"

Ferham let off a throaty chuckle, lifting the short metal tube that was the base of her energy whip to her mouth. "Oh, I'm going to have fun with you," she purred, giving it a suggestive lick.

"Anywhere, anytime!" Massimo declared intently.

Ferham suddenly let off a girlish giggle. "Gimme a ring sometime then, handsome!" she purred, blurring forward to slip something into Massimo's hand before flying off, blushing.

Massimo blinked, glancing down at the contact card in his hand. He then turned to the others as Spider disengaged his stealth mode. "Uh...what just happened?"

Spider chuckled softly. "Looks like you just got yourself a date, big guy," he teased, punching Massimo on the shoulder. He then paused, realizing he hadn't needed to reach up to do so.

Massimo blinked. "Am I...missing something?"

Spider glanced down, then up. "Uh...I'll explain later. For now, it looks like you found the quicksand."

Massimo glanced down, seeing he'd already sunk up to his knees. "Wha!" He started to struggle.

"Just relax," Octavia told him as she hopped into the quicksand alongside him. "Remember, we wanted to sink."

"R-right," Massimo stammered nervously as the others moved into the pool to be dragged down.

After a time of passing through the sand, the group dropped heavily down into a wide open chamber of metal walls. As they all held their breath and kept their eyes closed once they were enveloped by the sand, they were able to recover from it rather rapidly. "Guess you were right, Octavia," Massimo gasped in relief. "We found the facility."

"No need to sound so relieved," Octavia pouted petulantly. "Didn't you trust me?"

"I don't like being enclosed to the point I can't move!" Massimo whined worriedly.

"Ferham would certainly find that interesting," Spider teased.

"Why were you hiding from her, anyway?" Zero asked curiously.

"...bad first impression," Spider answered evasively.

"The first time they met, he tried to hit on her and she whipped him somewhere painful," Marino elaborated.

"Did you have to bring that up?" Spider whined.

"You tried to pick her up with fried chicken!" Marino snapped irritably. "Yes, I did."

"It was my first time trying to pick up a girl!" Spider complained. "And my attempts weren't helped when you 'took pity on me', came back to my place, slipped me a knockout, and stole everything that wasn't nailed down, pried up the nails to steal everything that was, and then put the nails back!"

"Can we keep it down and get going before we set off an alarm?" Axl pleaded before anyone could laugh too hard. After a few more chuckles, the group moved off into the facility.

Past that first open room, the path was a maze of narrow, twisting corridors leading to hidden switches to unlock sealed doors. It was patrolled by bat mechanaloids and some of those from the desert sands above. Thankfully, the same narrow corridors that caused problems for the group's maneuverability also hampered the larger mechanaloids, making it that much easier for Marino, Axl, Octavia, and Spider to slip around them and strike at their weak points.

Finally, the group found their way to an elevator, taking them up to higher floors with wider corridors and less sand. "Thank goodness!" Marino sighed happily. "Finally get to get some sand out of my armor. It's managed to get into some very uncomfortable spots." She turned her back to the group and began to futz with the clasps keeping her armor on.

"Uh...is this really the best time for that?" X asked worriedly.

"Could you help me with mine, Axl?" Cinnamon asked innocently as she moved to join Marino.

Octavia chuckled as Axl moved to assist as requested. "Dad, they're just feeling a little territorial after meeting Ferham. Leave them be. It's not like we're in a hurry or anything."

"And...if there are security cameras?" Zero asked softly.

Octavia smirked. "Then whoever's running this place is going to be very distracted..."

CM: Scumbag at the Sands

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Once Marino and Cinnamon had finished cleaning the sand out of their armor with Axl's assistance, the group made their way around the new floor of the facility, exploring it as they sought out a way forward. The room was perfectly square, with four doors, one in each wall. The paths behind the doors - save one that led back to the desert outside - each led to a T intersection, leading to other rooms containing laser/mirror security chambers that involved altering mirror positions to send the lasers into different receivers to activate various functions throughout the base. These functions included unlocking capsules containing useful items in the rooms, opening other doors, or summoning security mechanaloids. On the next floor up were sealed chambers containing the controls to the jammers in each of the four corners of the facility. While several high level Preons patrolled the halls, Massimo was able to handle them in the narrow corridors in the same way he'd dealt with them previously.

As they shut down all four Jammers, a whiny, nasally voice echoed over the loudspeakers. "Nyah hah hah hah! You've really done it this time! Very well...let me show you to the top floor. Take the Central Elevator. I'll have a warm welcome waiting for you when you arrive. Nyah hah hah hah!"

Octavia shivered. "Ugh...that voice, it grates on my ears..."

"Still, looks like we need to go," X pointed out. "We need to neutralize this facility completely, and that means making certain no one remains to hold it."

"Then let's go," Zero directed, leading the way back to the elevator.

When they reached the top floor, they were confronted by the fat green robot Epsilon had introduced as Botos. He had oversized hands, a pudgy face, squat legs, an orange belt with a blue focus crystal as a clasp around his waist, and a strange bronze arch on his back connected to two huge rocket boosters. He waddled slowly towards them as he laughed. "Welcome to your doom-"

"EWWW!" Cinnamon suddenly cried out, hiding herself behind Axl. "Keep it away! Keep it away! It's gonna try and eat me!"

Botos blinked as Octavia stifled her chuckles. "Well that's just rude-"

"Ugh, I know what you mean Cinnamon!" Marino groaned, stepping back herself. "Look at his mouth!"

Botos glanced down at his large, square mouth, the lower lip almost perpetually pooched forward. "What's wrong with my-"

"It looks like he's constantly eating a dick!" Marino concluded, making X and Zero stifle their own chuckles.

Botos began to growl. "Ya know, I'm thinking I should be taking that personally-"

"Make it go away, Axl!" Cinnamon whimpered.

Axl cast a quick glance Octavia's way, seeing her lightly paw at the ground with one hoof. He then turned back to Botos. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he stated firmly. "You're upsetting my...friends."

Botos growled angrily. "You think I'll leave just because you say so?" Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a shining piece of Force Metal. "Behold, the power of Supra-Force Metal, that even a tiny fragment..." He placed the tiny fragment into the focus crystal on his chest, causing his entire body to blaze with rainbow light as the rocket boosters on his back ignited, levitating him into the air. "...generates this much power!"

Axl smirked to himself. "You think that's power? I think it's time I showed off something new." He braced himself. "Tango, merge!"

Tango beamed in with a yowl as the blaze of light signified the Adapter kicking in. When the light faded, Axl's black armor had turned green, with blue and gold markings. His helm now flared out in cat ears, and a cat tail waved from the base of his spine. His fingers ended in claws, and matching claws extended from his boots. The Ancient Arm was clutched in his right hand as the Red Scythe spun idly around his tail. When Axl grinned, he showed off a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.(1) "Now then...yourrrrr move."

With an angry snarl, Botos charged in to try and strike Axl, only for him to vanish. "What the-?"

"You missed," Axl scolded from behind him, lashing out with tail and scythe at the booster rockets.

Botos let out a cry of pain before spinning to attack again...only for Axl to not be there. "How is this possible?"

Axl backhanded the back of Botos' head, making him tumble away. "Trrrry again?" he offered teasingly.

With a roar, Botos unleashed numerous laser fire, only for Axl to vanish just before each shot would have hit him. "Just fight me already!" he roared out angrily.

"As you say..." Axl purred, leveling his gun as the plates burst off.

"19%," the gun announced as it discharged an intense sphere of white light, slamming into Botos and knocking him back against the far wall and to the ground as the Supra-Force Metal chunk bounced back towards him.

"No!" Botos called out, his voice suddenly oddly stilted. "The precious Supra-Force Metal that Epsilon gave me-"

"That you wanted us to take frrrom you so it could be analyzed to lead us into an obvious trrrap?" Axl purred wickedly, leaning over Botos as he waved his gun back and forth. "Perrrhaps so you could claim a larrrrgerrr chunk elsewherrre? Such as the one in the rrrrrocket at the Melda Orrrre Plant?"

Botos' eyes widened, and he immediately fled to a nearby teleporter.

Axl slowly stood up, chuckling as he pulled out a key marked as the 'Melda Key'. "Picked this up while wanderrrring on my own," he told Octavia. "Rrrrremind me to get into Pokerrrr..."

"Oh you can poke me anytime, kitty," Marino purred, moving up to snuggle against Axl.

Cinnamon let out a sigh of relief as she glomped onto him. "Thanks for making him go away, Axl. He was unplea-Oh!" She gasped and jumped a little, as did Marino. Marino chuckled as Cinnamon blushed. "Axl..."

Axl blinked in surprise, and then his eyes narrowed. "Tango! You cut that out!"

(1) Axl's secondary Hyper Mode and the Power Armor form utilizing the Tango Adapter...Schrodinger. It has no effect on Axl's LE or WE generation. It drastically changes his evasion rate to the following formula.

Z = (y-x)/100
Where Y is his current HP, X is the damage the incoming attack would do if it hits, and Z is the chance the attack has to hit. (Meaning if his HP is 1, nothing can hit him).

In addition, Schrodinger does not drain Hyper Gauge towards cooldown unless the Action Trigger is used, which channels available WE into the Ancient Arm in a similar manner to X's 'Charged Shot' Action Trigger. If WE charged is less than 20, the damage to a single target is Axl's attack power times channeled WE. If it is between 20 and 50, it deals that percentage of the single target's LE. If it's between 50 and 99, it deals that percentage of LE in damage to all enemies. If it's 100, all allies are hit with a DOA attack.

CM: Downtime 2

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When the group returned to Resistance HQ, it was to find Nana absent from her post. "Where's Nana?" Massimo asked curiously.

Chief R looked wan. "She's...with Aile," he explained simply. He glanced meaningfully towards Spider.

Spider, for his part, swore sulfurously under his breath. "I told that idiot he was pushing himself too hard..." he growled, pulling his hat down over his eyes.

"I don't understand," X demanded. "What's wrong with Aile?"

"He's been living on borrowed time ever since he wound up in that chair," Spider stated bluntly, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "The only thing that's really kept him going, kept him fighting, has been finding causes to believe in and to put his skills to use for...and a girl he knew only through Net Dives."

"Nana?" Octavia gasped in surprise.

Spider nodded. "When we brought her back here was the first time they met face to face, but the bond's real." He chuckled darkly. "That's one of the good things about being Terran, I guess. Being able to physically dive into the Net means it's far easier to get to know people for their real selves, meaning there's a lot less judgement regarding specs. Probably the large variety plays a part there, too..."

"And if she's with him, his time has run out," Marino concluded. "Damn...that's rough."

"He's still holding on," Chief R explained, "spending his last few minutes with her, in The Sky Room-"

Axl suddenly spun to the teleporter, using it to take him to The Sky Room in question.

"Axl, wait!" X called out as he and Cinnamon rushed after him.

The Sky Room was a large, open, circular chamber with a few computer consoles scattered around. At one corner, a large screen displayed a backdrop of Nana. Next to it, a console played soft, relaxing music. In another corner was a database of various details and information that weren't all that important. A case of videos sat at the opposite end. In the middle of the room, Aile hovered in his chair, one hand clasping Nana's as Gaudile examined him from the other side.

Axl strode purposely up to the group. "Aile...I think I have an idea to help you," he spoke quickly.

Aile turned to glance at Axl. "...I think I might be beyond that," Aile pointed out dryly.

"Can you try?" Nana pleaded hopefully. "Just...one last time?"

"All I need is a sample of your RDNA," Axl told Aile. "That'll tell me if this will work or not."

"I can give you that," Gaudile spoke up, providing the disc. "I was hoping I could use it to accelerate a repair program-"

"Already been done to the best tech can..." Aile spoke up softly.

"Maybe this era's tech," Axl mumbled as he uploaded the disc, scanning through the information as it took shape in his A-Trans circuits. "...yes, I this will work. Cinnamon!"

"Yes, Axl?" Cinnamon gasped out, surprised that he knew she was there.

"Do you have a Hyper Mode that maximizes your FMG's Repair Functions?" he asked hopefully.

"Y-yes," Cinnamon confirmed. "Iron Maiden."

"Wait, what?" Gaudile asked in surprise.

"Assume it," Axl instructed. "Tango, Merge!"

Tango immediately warped in, fusing with Axl to create Schrodinger. At the same time, Cinnamon's body blazed with light. When the light faded, her usual nurse outfit had been replaced with a black maid outfit. Axl blinked in surprise as he saw it. "...meow..." he murmured under his breath before shaking his head. "No time for distractions..." He reached out and took her hand.

Cinnamon blushed rosily, both at being classified 'a distraction' and from him taking her hand. Her eyes then widened as data streamed through the grip. "Oh...I see...yes! Yes we can!"

Axl pulled out his Ancient Arm. "Get ready..." he said softly as the weapon burst open, energy gathering.

Gaudile backed away slowly. "W...what are you doing?"

"Nana, get back!" Cinnamon ordered firmly, startling the Navigator into jumping back.

"37%," the weapon proclaimed.

Axl leveled the weapon at Aile. "Restruct!" he cried out together with Cinnamon.

Energy flowed from the pair into the weapon as it discharged its round. When the blast hit Aile, he became surrounded by the light of A-Trans. When it faded, pieces of the hover chair fell to the floor...and Aile fell back onto his rump, arms and legs flailing. "Ow..." His eyes then widened as he realized his voice came from his mouth, and not from the chair. "I..."

The sound of a cane falling to the ground alerted everyone to Spider's presence. "Aile...you're..." He staggered forward in disbelief.

Aile slowly pushed himself to his feet, his legs flailing a bit as he hadn't had legs to use for a long time. "How...?"

"Your RDNA sample was enough to create a fully functional copy of you," Axl explained as Tango defused and Cinnamon reverted back to normal. "While that would let me turn into you, you don't have a Change Circuit. However, by supercharging my A-Trans ability and channeling it through Cinnamon's FMG Repair programs, I was able to create a Change Field that allowed your body to be completely restructured from the ground up without damaging your psyche."

"But that's against every known law of physics!" Gaudile gasped out in confusion. "There's no way that could have worked!"

Axl handed over the Supra-Force Metal fragment they'd gotten from Botos. "Except that Force Metal's true nature is Ether...an energy source connected to magic, a power that is more defined by will than the laws of reality. It worked...because we wanted it to work, and we didn't listen to anyone saying it was impossible."

Gaudile groaned as he put his head between his hands. "I'm a scientist...how an I supposed to deal with this?"

No one was really listening. Everyone was too busy watching the emotional embrace as Nana and Spider held Aile close, helping him from both sides to stand for the first time in a long, long time.

CM: Downtime 3

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Once Gaudile was able to confirm that Aile was indeed fully recovered and wouldn't revert back to his injured state, any attempt at a proper schedule went right out the window. It took several hours to get Nana to let go of him long enough for Spider to start helping him accustom himself to having working legs again instead of a hover chair, and even then no one was in any hurry to start another mission. Instead, while X, Zero, Massimo, Spider, and Axl helped Aile through his hurdles, Marino, Cinnamon, and Octavia took Nana shopping.

The four were in their armor still, since there was no need to bring civilian clothes for this trip, as the main goal of it was helping Nana pick out a few outfits now that going out on real dates was on the table for her and Aile. "We've had a few cyber dates," Nana explained as they made their way to the shopping district, "and I've generated quite a few different looks for myself while within the Net Dive for when we were together. So I know a few I'll want to get to go on dates since I know what he likes..." Her voice trailed off as she blushed rosily.

Marino chuckled knowingly. "And a few you'll need to get your confidence up enough to actually put on your real body?" she teased, making Nana's blush brighten.

"Don't worry, Nana!" Cinnamon piped up helpfully. "We'll be getting a few like that for me, too. Marino might have plenty of outfits like that, but my opportunities to get that sort of attire has always been rather limited, and I don't want to fall behind her with Axl!"

"Girls, as happy as I am that my son's happy with the two of you, I'd prefer to keep the details I learn of his sex life to a minimum," Octavia spoke up tiredly. "After all, it's not like I can have one."

"In that case, why not live vicariously through us?" Marino purred playfully.

"Because he's still my son," Octavia countered flatly.

Marino let off a throaty chuckle. She then turned back to Nana. "Don't worry. We'll help ease you through that side of the store."

Before long, they found a store that catered specifically to girls of their build, given all three of the humanoid members of the group were of proportions that could politely be described as 'an enhanced hourglass'. No one was quite certain why the chain dedicated specifically to tending to those girls (mostly Reploid or Terran) with that sort of build went by the name of Gainax, but no one was really going to complain. As they entered, however, they caught sight of something completely unexpected.

A young woman of generous proportions even for this store's clientele stood before a set of mirrors, holding first one ensemble and then another in front of her as she judged them. She had bright - almost neon - pink hair, blue-green eyes, and a startlingly familiar voice. "Hmm, would this one get the message across?" she purred seductively as she held up a Playboy Bunny outfit. "Or would he just talk about his favorite animal?" She then held up a sinfully tight fitting yoga outfit. "This? Or would he just think I wanted to work out? Oh, this is going to be a fun challenge..."

"Ferham?" Marino gasped out in shock, reaching for her weapons.

"Oh, it's you girls," Ferham commented idly as she held up a skimpy two piece bikini. "What do you think, Octavia? Will this do, or is it trying too hard?"

Octavia blinked for a bit as Marino released her blades. "Picking something out to wear for Massimo?" she asked cautiously.

"Yup!" Ferham confirmed. "Any chance you could delay your next mission for a while? You already know we've only got two strongholds left, and you'll be going after the one I'm in charge of next. I'd like to get a chance to work on that giant before I have to fight you all."

"Umm...you do realize he didn't mean any of the innuendo he was saying, right?" Cinnamon asked carefully.

Ferham chuckled softly. "Before meeting him, boys could be divided into two categories for me," she explained. "They either thought I was easy, or thought I was too much woman for them to handle. He may not realize I was flirting, but by the time I get through to him he'll be used to me, and he won't make a fool of himself one way or the other. Besides, it's fun."

"We'll see," Octavia allowed. "For now, these girls were trying to pick out a few outfits. Especially Nana-"

"Oh, really?" Ferham gasped out in pleasure. Setting the outfits she was holding aside, she turned towards the group with a wide grin, sauntering right up to Nana. "Why don't you let me help you pick out a few things to get that...special someone going?"

Nana blushed brightly...more from the fact the 'outfit' - if it could be termed that - Ferham had been wearing while holding outfits up to herself looked like she belonged on a pole. "Uh...I actually have a good idea how to get him going from some Net Dives..." she managed to stammer out.

"Ooh, those are fun!" Ferham purred, steering Nana towards the more erotic area of the store. "I'm going to need details while we get you something he really likes!"

Marino smirked as she followed along. "Bet the things we've been up to with Axl will blow your mind," she gloated as Cinnamon eagerly kept pace with her.

"And maybe you could help me find something that's naughty without being slutty?" Cinnamon asked hopefully. "I think that's what he'd like on me..."

"And while you're all doing that, I'm going to find some scotch!" Octavia turned, ready to leave.

"You the parent?" a shop attendant asked as she held out a tray with bottles of various alcoholic drinks, marked 'Management's Compliments to the Chaperones'.

Octavia blinked at that for a time, then grabbed a glass. "I suppose I am..."

CM: Downtime 4

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When X returned from a brief sojourn to the shopping district to stock up on portable repair kits and virus clears to assist in future missions, he was rather surprised to find Octavia sitting at the edge of the air bus dock, staring out into space drinking shots as Varia hovered worriedly over her head. Confused, he approached her. "Something bothering you, Octavia?" he asked comfortingly.

"Just my libido," Octavia responded brusquely. She smirked as she saw X back up very fast. "I'm kidding, Dad. I just felt like casting this whole situation in a humorous light."

X breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down beside her. "So...what's really bugging you?"

"We bumped into Ferham while shopping," Octavia explained.

"I got the impression Ferham was one of the ones we could trust," X pointed out, trying to parse out Octavia's thoughts as best he could.

"She is," Octavia confirmed. "But it's what she was doing that led to my current mood." Sighing, she took another shot.

"Okay..." X allowed, discreetly checking to see just how much Octavia had already drunk, only to see Varia actively displaying a counter of 'shots taken/too many'. He was relieved to see it was currently at '4/20'. "What was she doing?"

"She was trying to pick an outfit to wear to flirt with Massimo," Octavia explained, staring up at a passing cloud. "She even asked my advice."

"That's..." X hesitated as he tried to picture that, contrasting Ferham's overly sexualized behavior from before with what sounded like 'first date jitters'. "...disturbingly adorable."

"Yeah..." Octavia drank another shot. "And talking with her, it sounds like those two have a real chance at having a thing...as long as Scarface doesn't pull a Colonel."

X chuckled softly. "You know, he and Zero still meet up to fight every so often."

"I know," Octavia agreed. "Iris complains about it...a lot." She sighed softly. "And things are working out wonderfully for Axl. Marino and Cinnamon both seem to absolutely adore him, and he seems to feel the same way. I wouldn't be surprised if one or both of them come back with us to Abel City with a bun in the oven after this mission. They're both Terrans, after all." She let out a much longer sigh before taking another drink.

While X often had a hard time understanding his equine daughter, he was by no means slow on the uptake. The clues were plain as day. "And yet you can't seem to find anyone?" he asked gently.

"Something like that," Octavia allowed. "But...it's more than that." She lay on her back, all four hooves in the air as she stared up at the clouds. "It's...any time I start thinking about looking for romance, I see Vinyl in my mind."

"Vinyl? Oh, the unicorn from the old era?" X clarified. "Are...are you saying you're in love with her? But you've only seen her in a hologram."

Octavia shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. But..." She closed her eyes as she searched for the right words. "I can't help but feel if I went looking for romance, I'd be betraying her...and yet at the same time I know that's stupid, but that knowledge has nothing to do with 'I've only seen her as a hologram'. The 'that's stupid' comes from the same place as the feelings of betrayal. Does that make any sense?"

X rubbed his chin, trying to come up with an explanation that made sense. "Well...I might have a theory..."

Octavia glanced over at him. "I'm all ears."

"Well, given what the Light hologram's talked about regarding you, Vinyl, and how you wound up in my capsule...it sounds like there was time travel involved," X observed. "And given it also screwed with your aging...what if that was part of the time travel, rather than an after effect of the bio-stasis like we thought? What if when you arrived in Light Labs, you'd been...reverse aged?"

"Implying I had a whole life prior to this one that I just can't remember?" Octavia deduced. "And that some of the things I just know but can't quite explain - like my passion for the cello and this bit with Vinyl - are echoes from that life trying to be remembered?"

X nodded. "Yeah. And we can assume the same situation with Vinyl from that, since you both are magical, candy-colored, talking equines. It's logical the way your world of origin connects to ours is the same no matter when you're being sent to. That would mean Vinyl also had another life she couldn't quite remember. What if the two of you were a part of each others' lives then?"

"I...guess that might explain why it influences my thoughts," Octavia allowed. "But how does that explain the mix of thoughts?"

"Sitcoms," X offered cryptically.

Octavia turned to stare at him flat-eyed. "What."

"Well, let me spin a possible scenario for you," X offered. "You and Vinyl were very different ponies, but had enough in common to become good friends and understand each other well. When the time came to find a place to live, that led to you two getting a place together as roomies to save money. But the more time you spent with Vinyl, the more you grew to be fond of her as more than a friend...but you were too afraid of messing up your friendship to try and pursue it."

"Well, that would explain why I would think of her whenever I thought to look for romance," Octavia deduced. "But how does that lead to thoughts of betrayal, and betrayal being a stupid thought?"

"Well, from the outside perspective of the audience, that would be the situation where both roomies feel the same way about each other, right down to 'not wanting to screw up the friendship'...especially since neither would be aware of how the other felt," X explained. "Given how everything of Vinyl's we've seen has been, I'd estimate she was something of a party girl in her previous life. That'd mean any sign she tried to give as a way of 'testing the waters' to see if you two could be more than friends you'd shrug off as her being careless or 'just being her', rather than an attempt at subtle flirting."

"...I'd probably dismiss the notion of Vinyl being 'subtle' out of hoof..." Octavia murmured softly.

"What makes you say that?" Varia asked curiously.

"Because the moment 'Vinyl' and 'subtle' were mentioned in the same sentence, I had a powerful urge to say, 'Vinyl doesn't do subtle' as dismissively as possible," Octavia answered dryly. "That...that sounds about right."

"So we just need to find a way to get you back to your world - probably through "Vinyl's legacy" on Mars - and that should get you in the same approximate space/time as wherever Vinyl went after The End," X concluded.

Octavia nodded. "And then I can express myself in a way Vinyl will get by walking right up to her and planting one right on the kisser. Think that'll work?"

X blinked for a time, processing. "Uh...maybe? You might want to gauge whatever situation we find Vinyl in before doing that, though. The way the Light hologram and Prometheus don't talk about The End...I get the feeling it was a rather emotional event, whatever it was."

Octavia said nothing, deciding instead to just take another drink.

CM: Frozen

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When Octavia finally recovered from her hangover after drinking so much, she found everyone was waiting for her before beginning the next mission. Axl, Cinnamon, and Marino looked relaxed and eager. X and Zero both looked harried but happy. Massimo looked flustered, but otherwise ready to go. Nana sat at the controls, keeping her face down so only a soft smile was visible. Chief R stood at his command post, looking confused but determined.

"I suppose I've kept you all waiting," Octavia allowed with a chuckle. "Sorry about that." Glancing around, she noticed the missing faces. "Where's Aile?" she asked curiously. "And Spider? Are they out on a guy's bonding trip?"

Nana immediately flushed bright red as Marino chuckled. "Ferham's advice and selection for Nana proved a bit more than Aile could handle. He's recuperating from that now."

"And Spider said his Sensei called," Cinnamon added, "so he had to go right away, and that he likely wouldn't be back in time to join us for this mission."

Octavia nodded. "Then we know where we're going?" she asked curiously.

"Uh...no," Chief R pointed out. "You're the only one who knows where the facilities under the control of the Rebellion are. Our information sources have run out."

Octavia blinked in surprise. "But...but Professor Gaudile should have been able to-"

"Daddy's been drinking ever since he learned Force Metal Energy was magic," Cinnamon pointed out. "At least, that's what I understood from what he was rambling..."

"He's currently racing around Central Tower on a Ride Chaser, trying to challenge people to a card game...for some reason," Nana explained.

"But Axl knows-"

"No I don't," Axl interrupted. "You're the one who had the talk with Epsilon. I was too busy avoiding Ferham at the time to listen."

Octavia groaned as some of the others chuckled...though smiled as she saw Massimo blush slightly at the mention of Ferham. "So I take it you were able to meet with her, Massimo?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh...yeah," Massimo answered evasively. "It was...nice. Eye opening." He clamped his mouth shut, refusing to say anything else.

Chuckling, Octavia turned back to the group. "We're heading to Melda Ore Plant," she explained. "It's where large stockpiles of Force Metal were stored there, making it the only place viable for producing Supra Force Metal. The silos are also where the Rebellion set up their SFM Missile as a last resort tool to trigger their planned global evolution-"

"Wait, missile?" X demanded in shock. "What's this about a missile?"

Octavia rolled her eyes theatrically. "It's a missile with a Supra-Force Metal warhead, designed to explode in high atmosphere and scatter a huge discharge of FM Energy over the entire globe, which would be absorbed by every Reploid, Terran, and FM Reploid on the planet. This would jump-start all in-built systems towards evolution, allowing the internal development of unique Force Metals inbuilt, accelerating the natural evolution of life on this planet. And before you ask, I didn't mention it because Epsilon swore an oath he'd never break not to fire the missile until the three of us met together to determine if his goals were viable in the current world set. After all, if they are the missile would be the most efficient way of triggering the evolution event, once proper safety measures are in place."

"If the missile is so harmless, why are we going there now?" Zero demanded crossly.

"Because the situation has changed," Octavia explained. "Someone other than us, the Rebellion, and the Government of Giga City is involved, and now that we know Force Metal's relation to Ether, a SFM warhead is simply too dangerous to leave lying around where someone might get their hands on it...especially if that someone knew what it really is."

"You think Sigma's still around?" Axl asked curiously. "He's the only one who might-"

"Not necessarily," Octavia interrupted. "While he's a possibility...what we found in Gimiala Mine suggests that not all pre-End Times forces are quiescent, or necessarily on our side. What if something from back then is still around, waiting for a chance to bring things to another End?"

Silence reigned over the group for at time. "Setting teleport coordinates for the Melda Ore Plant," Nana finally stated firmly.

The Melda Ore Plant was a large metal building in the middle of a snowy field. The fenced in area around it had a few security mechanaloids wandering about, but they were easily avoided as the group made their way inside. To their surprise, the interior chamber was plain metal with only an elevator and a single locked door in the back. "This is...oddly quiet," Zero observed nervously as they made their way in.

"And we don't have that key," Octavia grumbled irritably. "Axl and I never came here in our explorations."

"Uh..." Massimo began nervously.

All eyes turned to him. "Massimo, why would you have the Melda Key?"

Massimo shifted nervously. "...Ferham gave it to me," he admitted finally. "She said it opened a private little area we could...meet up in. And that it had something of Zero's inside."

"Really?" Zero asked eagerly, immediately perking up. "It must be Timbre's capsule! He had to be sent in like X's Ultimate Armor, because my White Mode and Timbre Adapter being active at the same time would have put my available output to high to sneak in."

"In that case..." Massimo began, moving over to use the Melda Key to unlock the door.

As soon as the door opened, two massive platypus shaped Reploids with massive hammers racing around the chamber within in pursuit of Timbre. As soon as they caught sight of the group, they shifted into combat stances. Zero stepped forward with his beam saber drawn. "Give me the bird," he ordered firmly.

"We'd love to, but the network censors won't let us!" one of the Reploids piped up.

Zero's eyes went flat. "Timbre, merge," he commanded.

Timbre promptly fused with him, leaving him in the powered form that had been dubbed 'Absolute Zero'.

The two Reploids swallowed convulsively. "Uh...we were just leaving!" the second squeaked out hopefully.

"Then do so," Zero stated flatly.

As soon as the two had fled, Zero reverted back to normal, letting Timbre land on his shoulder for caresses. "I missed you, bud," he said simply. Timbre let out a quiet cry of agreement.

CM: Let it Go

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With Zero reunited with Timbre, the group made their way back to the elevator to explore beneath the facility. The hallways were mostly patrolled by the same Mechanaloids they encountered outside, and there was an occasional peephole into the silo Octavia had mentioned, giving tantalizingly brief views of the equipment surrounding the missile and the missile itself. Had they been figuring out what the facility was for from those few peeps, they might have had difficulty...but knowing what they were looking at made things much clearer.

Eventually, they were able to make their way to the silo gate, only to find their path blocked by Botos. "What are you doing here?" Octavia demanded as soon as they saw him.

"Yeah," Massimo added, "I thought Ferham was going to be guarding this place."

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Botos taunted crudely. "You certainly got here quickly." He leered towards Cinnamon and Marino. "I'd have thought you two would have kept Axl longer at least...from what I saw back in the dessert, anyway."

Marino and Cinnamon's expressions turned disgusted and creeped out. "Ugh..." Marino groaned.

"He was...watching us?" Cinnamon whimpered, moving to behind Axl.

"Not just watching!" Botos crowed happily. "Recording-"

"Headshot, Axl," Octavia ordered. "We'll harvest the Cadre Key to unlock the warhead from his corpse."

Botos backed up in surprise as Axl leveled his weapon. "You...you already know about-YIPE!" He ducked as fast as he could as the shot rang out. "Y-you're trying to kill me!"

"I thought that was obvious," Axl observed calmly as he shot a target Botos had a harder time moving, making X, Zero, and Massimo visibly wince.

Botos stared at Axl with watering eyes. "T...That's a horrible thing to do to a man..."

"I don't see any men in my crosshairs," Axl stated bluntly. "Just a disgusting pig perving on my girls. Now hold still, or the next shot will hurt even worse-"

Botos immediately fled through the base of the silo to the other side of the facility.

"Get back here!" Axl snapped out angrily as the group took off in pursuit.

As they pursued Botos through the rest of the base, he did his best to keep ahead of them. Every time he came to an intersection, he conjured a duplicate of himself and attempted a shell game to hide which way he was really going...which lasted about as long as it took for him to realize Axl was fast enough to shoot all of them. The major delay was the upgraded Preons that patrolled the higher levels of that side of the base, which took longer to carve through even with Massimo using the most durable of them as bludgeons.

Eventually, their pursuit was thwarted at a four-way intersection when Botos ducked through a door that locked behind him, leaving only one unlocked door for the group to pass through. Growling in frustration, Axl turned to lead the group through that door, finding themselves on a balcony overlooking the missile. As they gazed out, a familiar laugh greeted them.

"Looks like you finally made it," Ferham purred as she floated down to land lightly on the balcony. "I was beginning to get worried."

"We were waylaid by Botos," Massimo apologized, unable to take his eyes off her. "He delayed us a bit."

"Botos?" Ferham demanded, scowling. "What was he doing here? This is my post, and..." Her voice trailed off as she pursed her lips.

"And there aren't supposed to be two Cadre members here, because it only takes two keys to unlock the warhead?" Axl filled in.

"You lot are too clever for your own good," Ferham stated irritably. "And on top of that, I have orders to ensure no one moves the warhead from here."

"You could contact Epsilon about the changed situation," Octavia pointed out. "Alternatively, you could just withdraw. It can only be moved with two Cadre keys, after all."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Ferham countered. "The missile has to be guarded by a Cadre at all times, and I don't trust Botos as far as I can throw him-"

"Which isn't very far," everyone chorused together before sharing a laugh.

"So it looks like I'm going to have to fight you," Ferham concluded tragically, the excitement in her eyes putting the lie to her tone. She lightly hopped off the railing, floating back into the open air to give her an advantage.

Octavia chuckled as the group readied themselves for combat, X and Axl moving up to flank her as ranged attackers. "I think the battle is-"

"Do you really want to risk such powerful busters when the missile - and the armed warhead - is right behind me?" Ferham taunted playfully. "After all, while detonation in the silo won't be as effective as detonation in the sky, it will still spread...and as an FM Reploid, I'll be able to handle the surge of SFM energy far better than most of you. In fact, I think only X, Zero, and Axl will be unaffected...though I would hesitate to guess what would happen to the others at this close a range..."

Octavia's face paled. "Well...you've certainly planned-"

"Look out!" Massimo called out worriedly, suddenly throwing his polearm.

Ferham spun in surprise as the weapon sailed over her shoulder. "What the-AH!" Something small and sharp plunged into her flight booster, causing one of the engines to burst and leaving her careening down the silo towards the ground floor. Massimo's polearm continued its flight, nearly taking off the head of the shadowy figure who'd thrown the smaller weapon.

"Ferham!" Massimo roared out, lifting his hand to recall his polearm before rushing to the edge of the balcony.

"Don't be an idiot!" Zero snapped out. "Even if you are tough enough to survive that fall and remain active - which is in doubt - you can't aim from this height! You might land on her!"

"R-right," Massimo stammered worriedly. "Still, we need to get down there, quick!"

Turning, the group rushed back towards the silo floor.

CM: Fixer Upper

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Ferham groaned as she crashed painfully hard into the floor at the base of the silo. She was a speed/flight build, definitely not designed with that sort of heavy impact in mind. A part of her mind made an inappropriate comment drawing attention to that as it related to her budding relationship with Massimo, but she mentally countered with the point that she was better adjusted personality wise to being on top anyway.

As she pushed herself somewhat upright, she saw Botos in front of her. "What are...you doing...?"

"Something's wrong with the communications array here," Botos wheezed out, his voice a bit high pitched. "Epsilon sent me with a-"

"Wait, what the hell is wrong with your voice?" Ferham demanded quickly, managing to lean back against the wall as she worked at jump-starting her malfunctioning self-repair systems.

"That brat shot me in the dick!" Botos wheezed.

Ferham burst into laughter for a few brief moments before clutching at her side and wincing in pain. "Hurts to laugh..."

Botos sneered angrily. "Look, Epsilon wants the Supra-Force Metal removed from here. He doesn't want anyone else getting ahold of it."

"It's locked in," Ferham pointed out. "Nobody can...ugh...remove it from the missile without two Cadre keys..."

"I don't question Epsilon," Botos countered. "I'm just following orders."

Ferham frowned angrily. "Fine..." She tried to push herself to her feet. "Get me up there..." She didn't trust Botos, but she certainly wasn't about to disobey an order from Epsilon...once she confirmed it was an order.

"No time!" Botos snapped out, his voice still hilariously high pitched. "With your flight stabilizer fried and one engine shot, you're far too slow. Just gimme your Key!"

"What?" Ferham gasped in shock, her hand instinctively going protectively to the jewel in her belly, both in her armor and her base form. "But it's built into me!" Not only that, to her it was a symbol of her loyalty to Epsilon. She wasn't about to remove it for anyone. And even if she would... "Scarface is the only one with the code to disengage it without damaging my systems!" And Scarface would never share the codes with anyone, even on Epsilon's orders. He was so protective of her as an 'older brother' that he would only remove it himself if necessary. "We'll need to call-"

"Shut up!" Botos snapped angrily, backhanding her into the wall. "Just gimme the key!" Thrusting his arms forward, he plunged the large fingers of his hand into Ferham's armor and flesh, breaching the thin material and gripping the gem before tearing it violently out.

Ferham hadn't even had it in her to scream in pain as she collapsed backwards, clutching at her belly and feeling violated in the worst possible way. "You...bastard..." she stammered out, tears in her eyes.

Botos laughed cruelly as he held the gem close, it glowing in response to the one in his belt, his Cadre Key. "Oh cry me a ri-" His voice ended as a flash of light swept through his entire body, causing him to fall to pieces.

A black suited figure stepped over the pieces, bending over to pick up the dropped Cadre Key. "So that's where his is," the figure murmured in a voice Ferham instantly recognized. "I was waiting to find that out." Extending his other empty hand, he tore Botos' Key out of his belt.

Ferham stared in shock. "S...Spider?" she gasped in disbelief. Was...was she being betrayed? Was the Rebellion being betrayed? Was this on Octavia's orders?

Spider smirked as he drew a glowing card. "Say goodnight, Princess," he joked as he shifted his fingers to throw...only to pause, tilting his head. "Whoops, out of time." With that, he held both gems in his hands and leapt upward, seeming to vanish.

"FERHAM!" Massimo cried out worriedly, rushing up to her side. "Are you alright? Injured? Damaged? Cinnamon, hurry over and see if you can fix her up-"

"No time!" Ferham gasped out through her pain. "He's got the keys! He's going after the Supra-Force Metal in the warhead!"

"He who?" Octavia asked insistently as Zero merged with Timbre and shot straight up the silo.

"S...Spider..." Ferham managed to gasp out before she blacked out.

"What?" Massimo demanded angrily. "Spider did this to her?"

"Calm down!" Octavia snapped out, her voice cutting through Massimo's rage. "Someone damaged her engine, making her crash," she explained calmly. "From the looks of things, Botos ripped out her Cadre Key, which did the majority of the damage here. Then someone killed Botos and took both Keys...someone Ferham identified as Spider."

"Identified as?" Axl asked curiously. "Then you don't think it was him?"

"But how could she mistake him?" Marino inquired. "He's got a pretty distinct appearance...and she knows him pretty well."

"Remember where we are, and what was developed here," Octavia pointed out, glancing towards Axl.

Zero swooped back down, cursing as Timbre broke off. "We've got a rogue New Type Reploid impersonating Spider, and he got away with the Supra-Force Metal warhead!"

"How do you know it wasn't Spider?" Massimo asked curiously.

"He didn't have Mach Jentra's cane with him," Zero explained. "He's coded it as part of his permanent equipment setup, so he'll have it with him at all times. But it's not part of his RDNA."

"So someone using a DNA copy ability wouldn't have it," Axl observed. "So when Spider gets back to base, if he still has the cane as part of his permanent equipment, it wasn't him here."

Massimo carefully scooped the unconscious Ferham up in his arms. "We should bring her back with us," he insisted worriedly. "She's in bad shape..."

"Of course we will," X agreed. "Come on, let's go."

CM: Gather the Clues

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It didn't take long to get Ferham back to Central Tower, and Professor Gaudile immediately went to work repairing the damage she'd taken. Massimo hovered over her worriedly. "Is...is she going to be okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Still too early to tell," Gaudile responded. "That Key was hooked into several central systems. Ripping it out without disengaging it has sent most of her primary systems into shock and collapse. About the only systems not keyed in - and thus not affected - are her central power core and her Persona Unit. It's taking all my skill to keep the other systems from spiraling down further, as that would cause failure in her remaining systems." He shook his head angrily. "Who would design this as a security system? It means her life if things go wrong!"

"I...agreed..." Ferham managed to stammer out. "When...it came time...to secure the Keys, Scarface suggested having each...Cadre keep one. I volunteered...to guard mine with my life. At my request...Epsilon designed the system...so it couldn't be removed by force...without killing me..."

"But why would you do that?" Massimo demanded, anger and worry warring on his face.

"Because I...believe in Epsilon...and his cause," Ferham answered, struggling against the damage to speak. "And at the time...I had nothing but...the cause to live for..." She managed a smile as Massimo clutched her hand, but it quickly faded. "And now I've...failed Epsilon...you should-"

"Don't even start that!" Massimo interrupted fervently. "You did all you could to protect the Key, and it's not your fault Botos ripped it out of you. Your battle systems weren't designed to handle fellow Cadre. You do not deserve to die!" He clutched her hand firmly. "Octavia seems to think Epsilon is good...and if he's good, he won't hold it against you. He won't want you to die for this. He...he'd want you to be happy..."

Ferham's smile slowly returned. "M...Massimo..."

"Don't worry you two," Gaudile interrupted. "You aren't dying on my watch, Ferham." He extended extra manipulator arms. "I have not yet begun to repair!"

"Why not?" Massimo asked in confused concern. "I thought she was running out of time?"

Gaudile did not let his developing sweatdrop slow his repair work.

Spider twirled his cane happily as he walked back into HQ. "Glad I got that sorted out with Sensei," he said happily. "I was not looking forward to his 'regretti' penance course." As the doors slid open, he called out, "So what did I-"

Several busters and other weapons were immediately drawn and pointed in his direction.

"...miss?" he asked worriedly, his hands automatically shooting over his head.

Axl quickly stepped forward and examined the cane. "...the perma-link hasn't been broken," he spoke up finally. "It's him, and it wasn't him."

As weapons were lowered, Spider lowered his arms. "Seriously, what did I miss?" he demanded, a tinge of hysteria in his voice.

"A New-Type Reploid DNA copied you and used your form to ground Ferham, letting Botos do serious damage to her," X spoke up. "That copy then killed Botos and made off with the Supra-Force Metal warhead."

"...I was only gone 4 hours!" Spider gasped in shock. "Why do all the really important things happen when I'm not here?"

"Bad timing," Zero growled out. "Right now, we're running as much damage control as we can."

"Professor Gaudile is attempting to repair Ferham as we speak," Nana spoke up as she manned her console. "However, it appears her damaged state triggered a special homing beacon, so we believe we can expect hostile company soon. In an attempt to head that off, Octavia is trying to get into contact with Scarface and Epsilon directly. It's her hope they'll hear her out before Scarface does something precipitous, like charging in on bad data to try and avenge Ferham by killing you, Spider."

"Yeah, we definitely wouldn't want that," Spider agreed fervently, only to tense up as he felt something humming behind him.

"So how exactly is that 'bad information' I'll be acting on?" Scarface demanded, keeping one end of his plasma lance trained on the small of Spider's back. "The information from the homing beacon indicates the damage Ferham's suffered is a direct result of his weapon. Why shouldn't I avenge her death by destroying him?"

"Three reasons," Octavia interrupted irritably as she entered the room behind Scarface. "One, it may have been his weapon that damaged her thrusters and left her helpless, but it was a New-Type copying him that threw it. Two, it was Botos who actually ripped the Key out of her-"

"Botos!" Scarface snarled in rage, his lance glowing brighter in response. "That miserable...I'll rip out his circuits and make him eat them!"

"Rather difficult, since whoever was copying Spider also killed him," Octavia observed. "Oh, and three, Ferham's not dead. Gaudile's fixing the damage to her as we speak, and he's confident she'll pull through."

Scarface stared at Octavia for a time, then slowly lowered his lance. "Epsilon trusts you," he stated as Spider let out a sigh of relief. "I will trust you."

Octavia sighed pensively. "Unfortunately, the warhead was captured...which means I'm about to ask a lot of that trust. Can you take us to meet Epsilon?"

"My teleporter can only take four others," Scarface pointed out. "And I'm not giving you the coordinates."

"Myself, X, Zero, and Axl," Octavia detailed. "That should do it."

Scarface nodded. "Once Ferham's stable...whenever you're ready."

CM: Set the Trap

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When the teleport ended, Octavia and the others quickly took in their surroundings. They found themselves in a massive golden chamber, obviously the center of some sort of base. Epsilon stood before them, completely covered in his cape. As they situated themselves, he nodded to Scarface. "Stand down," he ordered calmly. He then turned to Octavia. "Ferham?"

"Stable," Octavia promised. "Currently in the care of Steel Massimo."

"The younger," Epsilon corrected idly. He then pursed his lips. "She's sweet on him."

"We noticed," Octavia, X, Zero, and Axl all chorused together. This brought a soft chuckle all around.

"Ferham did always wear her heart on her sleeve," Epsilon observed carefully.

"Massimo is sweet on her as well," Octavia pointed out. "I've instructed Chief R to act as chaperone until our return."

"Does he have combat protocols?" Epsilon inquired.

"'Stable' is not the same as 'combat ready'," Octavia countered dryly. "Or 'combat' ready, as I made sure to tell Massimo."

"...you made certain he understood the innuendo?" Epsilon teased, a playful grin on his face.

"I didn't use innuendo when I explained it to him," Octavia corrected.

"Spider?"

"Not the one who attacked Ferham," Axl confirmed.

Epsilon nodded softly. "I have a small Ether Crystal in the back. It will be a simple operation to switch it for my SFM Power Core so I'll remain functional when you bait that trap." Seeing Octavia's eyes widen in surprise, he grinned. "As X told Redips, the thing that made Sigma so dangerous was his mind. I was designed to be able to outdo Sigma at his own game to beat him, to be able to out-think him. While I hope I never get to test that, I can keep up with you easily."

"How did you know about that conversation?" X demanded in shock. "I never told anyone!"

"Part of the tests to see if I could measure up to Sigma's mental abilities was hacking into Maverick Hunter HQ's security cameras," Epsilon answered simply. "Before we do anything though, what's the status of Wild Jango?"

"...who?" Octavia asked, momentarily caught off guard.

"...my soldier who was capturing Central Tower before you, your father, and Spider stopped him?" Epsilon clarified. "He's the only one of my troops who I can't account for."

Octavia blinked a few times, then flushed guiltily. "Umm...we locked him up in the lower levels of the Tower after capturing him...and haven't thought about him since..."

"Oh, the bobcat?" Zero asked in surprise. "Spotted him on my way down to follow Axl when he was heading for...well, you know." He glanced back and forth, trying to organize his thoughts so as to not mention Ninetails and what was involved there. "He'd painted himself blue - somehow - and was curled up in a ball, pretending he was a hedgehog."

"I...guess captivity didn't agree with him?" X asked nervously.

"Seemed pretty embarrassed when I caught him at it," Zero added.

Epsilon sighed ruefully. "No, he just enjoys cosplay," he corrected dryly.

"Master, may I speak?" Scarface spoke up intently.

"You were going to ask why I discussed removing my Power Core," Epsilon deduced. When that received a nod, he continued. "Simply put, a Reploid with DNA copy ability has a chunk of Supra-Force Metal large enough to trigger a global scale Etheric Evolution. On its own, any use of it would result in a massively unstable overcharge of the DNA copy ability until they self-destructed. But if they had access to a second chunk - like my power core - they could create a stable evolution that amplifies the DNA copy ability until they could create a true Ultimate Body. It might even allow a complete analysis of X and Zero's build data to be incorporated into that Ultimate Body. The fact there hasn't been a massive Force Metal explosion reported anywhere in the world means that's the plan of whoever has the warhead presently...and that they can change into anyone to come get it."

"...you're setting a trap," Scarface deduced. "But then why remove the Core?"

"Because of how we're going to set the trap," Octavia explained. "Once it's out, I'll send a communication to Colonel Redips on open frequency that Epsilon has surrendered the Rebellion to us and is ready to hand over all weapons grade equipment and reopen peaceful discourse with the Governments of the whole world - not just Giga City - and the Resistance. Either Colonel Redips will show up himself and we can set the trap at Maverick Hunter HQ, or the New-Type will show up disguised as Redips, and we'll have him."

"And how will we know if it's Redips or someone pretending to be Redips?" X inquired worriedly. "I really don't want to make the mistake of shooting the real Redips. He's a good friend..."

"That's where I come in, isn't it?" Epsilon asked incisively. "You're counting on me to be able to read everything about the behavior of whoever shows up and tell you if it's the real Redips based on information you know I have from our first meeting, since I was already preparing for the off chance of a confrontation with the S Rank Maverick Hunters?"

Octavia chuckled softly. "...that can work," she allowed. "Honestly, I was just going to call in Piano, Classic, Timbre, and Tango and be cuddled up with them when he entered. If it's the real Redips, he'll just daw cause he's used to it. Any other reaction, we shoot. But yours sounds much more the sure thing."

An audible smack told Octavia what X, Zero, Axl, and Scarface thought of her plan.

CM: Stab the Back

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As Epsilon predicted, it didn't take long to replace Epsilon's SFM power core with the Ether Crystal, which provided him with the power to stay functional but was more dangerous to overclock, keeping him at non-combat levels. As X held the SFM core, he stared at the glowing sphere that was apparently the source of this conflict. "Such a small thing...causing so much strife..."

"That is often the case," Epsilon confirmed. "Small things bring the greatest changes." He glanced significantly at Octavia.

Octavia shrugged, mentally brushing off the comment about her size. "Now all that's left is sending a signal to Colonel Redips-"

"No need," Redips suddenly spoke up from the entrance of the room. "When I didn't hear from anyone for so long, I came to investigate personally. While I'm not much of a combatant, my stealth skills were up to the task of locating the four of you. Sitrep?"

"Epsilon of the Rebellion has agreed to end hostilities," Octavia explained. "He's handed over all weapons-grade tech, and is ready to reopen communications regarding further development of SFM science for the good of the whole world."

"You're working with the Rebellion?" Redips asked in surprise.

"No," X corrected. "The Rebellion is working with us."

Redips rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This is...troubling. It's going to be very difficult to balance public opinion on this one, especially since officially there isn't supposed to be any Maverick Hunter presence in Giga City in the first place."

"Our assistance was directly requested by several prominent citizens upon face-to-face meetings, when said requests sent through proper channels had been deliberately blocked by the Government," Octavia explained. "They thought they had everything under control. They thought wrong."

Redips nodded, his eyes flickering as he collated data. "Okay...I think I can work with that. And Shadow?"

"Corrupted and consumed by the power he betrayed us for," Zero declared flatly. "We terminated him like any other traitor who won't see reason."

Redips sighed softly. "Regrettable, but understandable. Do you have a base you can shift everything to for official communications? A spot these 'prominent citizens' are in control of?"

"Central Tower," Axl explained. "That's where it all began."

"In that case, if you'll give me the weapons-grade material to return to HQ and move everyone to that base, I'll be able to arrange a meeting, and all asylum and ambassadorial matters," Redips directed.

X shot a glance over at Epsilon, who nodded. "It's him," Epsilon confirmed. "This is the same Redips who is Commander of the Maverick Hunters. No way a copy could match his behavior this well."

As X handed over the SFM Core, Redips chuckled nervously. "A sensible precaution...but may I ask what would have happened if I failed that test?"

"You're the one who said you're lacking in combat protocols," Scarface said darkly as he stepped up behind Redips, plasma lance still drawn.

"...dully noted," Redips allowed nervously. "By your leave?"

At a nod from Epsilon, Scarface stepped aside to let Redips leave. "We should get to the Tower, then," Epsilon indicated.

X nodded firmly. "Let's go." With that, the group teleported back to Central Tower, two strong.

It was a few days before the transport plane was in sight. During that time, Epsilon and Chief R discussed the conflict and eventually came to the conclusion that their conflict - the one between the Resistance and the Rebellion - mostly boiled down to bad communication and overenthusiastic subordinates on both sides. Had communication between Epsilon and Chief R been established from the beginning, they likely would have been able to avoid a conflict between them. Overall, however, it was decided that the present outcome was the best for all involved, and the casualties regrettable necessity of the time.

As the dropship was sighted in Giga City airspace, the entire group moved to the roof to welcome the delegation from Maverick Hunter HQ. Ferham - now fully repaired - stood with Massimo on one side and Scarface on the other. Though Scarface had been ordered to not engage in any hostile action whatsoever, his gimlet glare towards Massimo any time he and Ferham started getting close. Epsilon stood on Scarface's other side, trying to keep the taller man in check. Chief R stood towards the middle of the Helipad, waiting to welcome the complement. X and the others stood to the other side of Massimo, while Spider stood with Aile and Nana on Epsilon's other side.

As the large whale shaped ship approached, Octavia managed a smile. It was beginning to look like everything was going to work out well. While they didn't know where the warhead was, once an agreement between the forces here and Maverick Hunter HQ was established, they could bring all their forces to bear to find it. At that point, it would only be a matter of time before it was recovered. She was certain, as she saw Chief R waving up at the ship, that everything was going to be just fi-

"Tango, merge!" Axl suddenly shouted out as he dashed towards Chief R, assuming Schrodinger configuration halfway there.

"Axl, what-" Octavia began, only to gasp as a massive blast shot down, obliterating the entire helipad. "AXL!"

As the smoke cloud faded, there was no sign of Axl or Chief R. The whale ship opened up, and began launching endless waves of Level 9 Security Mechanaloids, their armor design based off partial analysis of X's Ultimate Armor, making them incredibly durable and capable of shrugging off Zero's sonic-based tech.

"Tactical withdrawal!" Epsilon roared out as he grabbed Octavia, the entire group managing a controlled retreat into the tower. "Tactical withdrawal!"

"AXL!" Octavia screamed out again, reaching towards the crater that was the last sign she'd seen of her son.

CM: Get Even

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Footage plays of X, Zero, Axl, and Octavia as they brutally slaughter the New Type Mavericks of the Jacob Tower incident. This is followed by footage of the group storming Giga City facilities, ending with several video clips taken of the group.

The first was of X declaring, "The Rebellion is working with us."

The second was Octavia. "They thought they had everything under control. They thought wrong."

The third was Zero. "-terminated like any other traitor-"

The screen then cut to Redips, staring out at the viewers worriedly. "The evidence has been gathering for years that the S Rank Hunters X, Zero, and Octavia were growing in power to the point that nothing could stop them. Some feared that they might one day go Maverick themselves and be unstoppable. Those concerns were dismissed as meaningless...but now prove to be true. As can be seen, the Giga City Rebellion was orchestrated by the S Rank Hunters to gain an unassailable base of power through which to accomplish their true goal. No longer content to police the world, they have now decided it is their place to rule it. Before this could come to pass, the Maverick Hunters have acted to take out their base-"

This time the clip that played was Axl. "Central Tower. That's where it all began."

The screen cut back to Redips. "This is a warning and call to all civilians. If you see the S Rank Hunters or any of their Cadre-" Mini-screens showed images of each of those who had teamed up with X and the others in Giga City. "-avoid contact with them and report sightings to the Maverick Hunters immediately. All Maverick Hunters, active and retired, once again we must take down our own. And I call on Repliforce to assist, as there's no telling how much power these...Mavericks can bring to bear.

"And until such time that these terrorists can be brought to justice, I have no choice but to declare Martial Law, for the safety of all civilians."

As the broadcast looped, X slammed his fist into the display. "Dammit!" he snapped as the group huddled in the transport tubes leading back to Maverick Hunter HQ East from Giga City. "Redips has taken everything we did out of context and made us out like the worst monsters the world has ever seen!"

"To be fair, he didn't have to work that hard," Zero pointed out. "We were pretty brutal during the Jacob Tower incident."

"What are we supposed to do now?" Massimo asked as he supported Ferham, her auto-repair systems kicked into overdrive to get her battle ready as fast as possible.

"We have only two choices," Epsilon growled out. "First, we can surrender ourselves and try to win through court of law-"

"And let him get his way?" Octavia snarled out in fury. "He killed my son! I'll rip out his spine and flay him with it before beating him to death with his own skull!"

Scarface' visible eye widened. "I...don't think that's physically possible-"

"He's a Reploid! I'll hack his systems and make it possible!"

"Isn't that playing into his hands, though?" Spider asked worriedly. "I mean, he's trying to paint you as monsters...and that's pretty monstrous..."

Octavia turned a glare on Spider that made him visibly wilt. "I just lost my son...you think I give a damn what the rest of the world thinks right now?"

"Point made!" Spider gasped out fearfully.

"As I was going to say, option two is breaking into Maverick Hunter HQ East, fighting our way to Redips, and finding out why he's smearing you and forcing him to retract it," Epsilon pointed out blandly. "Obviously, we're going to do that."

"Who all is coming?" X asked curiously.

Marino and Cinnamon, both still looking shell shocked and red eyed from tears, stepped forward. Epsilon followed after them. "You all need to go since you're all smeared. I and my Cadre will go as well. Wild Jango has already escaped and is on his way there. Mach Jentra has a new cane, and will be joining us there as well. Incentas is already inside."

"Aile and Nana have set up a spotter base here in the tunnels," Spider added. "They'll support us from here."

"How can you be so calm, Father?" Octavia demanded tearfully. "Axl-"

"Apparently takes a lot after Zero, like we joked about in the past," X interrupted. "He was merged with Tango, and that's state of the art pre-End tech. You really think that explosion was enough to scuff him?"

"But there wasn't a trace-"

A flash of light distracted everyone. "Whoa, that was tingly," Axl said as he staggered a bit, Schrodinger still active. "You okay, Chief?"

"I'll live," Chief R responded. "What hap-"

"Y...you're alive?" Octavia gasped in shock. "Axl..."

"Uh...yeah," Axl pointed out, plainly confused. "The Schrodinger mode has a point-to-point teleportation system with a range of a half mile."

A vein began to throb over Octavia's left eye. "That would have been great to know before I spent the past few hours grieving for your death and planning bloody vengeance on your behalf!"

Axl blinked a few times, subconsciously wrapping his arms around Marino and Cinnamon as they glomped onto him, once more weeping though this time in relief. "...I'm in big trouble, huh?"

Octavia nodded. "As soon as we deal with Redips, you are grounded mister!"

"I'm a full fledged S Rank Hunter!" Axl complained. "I'm too old for you to ground!"

"I'm still your commanding officer, and I can confine you to bed arrest for a month for not disclosing important information in a timely manner!" Octavia snapped back.

"Bed arrest?" Axl asked, confused.

"It means unless you're actively on duty, you stay in your quarters on base on your bed," Zero explained.

"Is he allowed visitors?" Cinnamon asked hopefully.

Octavia glanced from Axl's suddenly nervous expression to Cinnamon's hopeful one and Marino's wickedly eager one. "...we'll see how he performs against Redips."

CM: Get Angry

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It didn't take long for the group to reach Maverick Hunter HQ East. What the group noticed right off the bat was that the new structure was built into the side of the old Jakob Tower orbital elevator. While the elevator itself was no longer in use, it hadn't been officially decommissioned, leaving it standing in the middle of nowhere. While it didn't seem of importance at first, Octavia was certain it was something to take note of.

As they entered the actual structure, they found Wild Jango ripping...Wild Jango apart. "Uh...?" Axl began in confusion.

"Jango," Epsilon spoke firmly. "Have you dealt with the cheap knock-off?"

The still standing Wild Jango quickly saluted. "Sirrrr! It was not as simple as that. Its statistics had been drrrrastically amplified frrrom my base, though its neurrral capacity was limited. I have prrrroven victorrrrious, but I will need some time to rrrrecoverrrr my weapon enerrrrgy."

"Then wait here," Epsilon ordered firmly. "Catch up with us when you can."

"As you command, sirrrr!" Jango confirmed before moving to take a rest.

Meanwhile...

"Sir!" the report reached Commander Redips. "We have intruders in the base!"

"What?" Redips demanded curtly. "...probably just some Rebellion army dregs. Order your men not to hesitate to destroy them."

"About that, sir..."

Redips frowned. "What?"

"Well, just after the gunship was dispatched to Giga City, but before the announcement regarding X, Zero, Axl, and Octavia...every single Hunter and Navigator in this base put in for their vacation days. I'm the only one here."

"...vacation days," Redips responded flatly. "All at once."

"Yes sir. Apparently, Prometheus Light is holding some sort of big bash to celebrate his oldest son - Thomas - turning 18. Everyone was invited."

"Everyone on this base," Redips confirmed.

"Except for us, sir."

"And everyone at HQ Central?" Redips inquired.

"...that's where they're holding it, sir."

Redips cut communications. "...convenient," he grumbled irritably to himself.

After taking an elevator to an upper level, the group found a large corridor with four chambers two either side, two containing teleporters. Resting and catching their breaths against the two teleporters were Mach Jentra and Incentas. At the sight of the approaching group, Incentas saluted. "Commander Epsilon! Duplicates of Silver Horn and Mach Jentra were crafted from battle data, amplified for greater damage output and resistance. Mach Jentra dealt with his own duplicate, while I shifted to my electric mode to deal with the Silver Horn copy."

"Good work," Epsilon praised. "Rest here for now. We'll deal with what's to come." The group continued to the next elevator without breaking stride.

At the next level, a new Hunter awaited them. Depth Dragoon was an odd design for a Maverick Hunter, being a mer-based human torso attached to the middle of a serpent main body, colored in red and green. He had been brought on recently by Redips himself to act specifically as security for the Far East HQ.

"What are you all doing here?" he demanded in shock as they entered the room. "I thought Redips destroyed you all at Central Tower!"

"I'm not going to dignify that," X stated coldly as Axl merged with Tango. "Just stand aside. Our business is with Redips."

Depth Dragoon tried to fake a smug grin on his humanoid face. "You may not want to fight, but I do. I've heard stories about S Rank Hunters, and it's about time I saw if they were true-"

Axl suddenly transformed into the dragon Flame Hyenard had ridden into battle after Octavia had made him change to make the fight 'more awesome'. "You use a super-conductor system to channel massive amounts of electricity," he observed as he gathered intense flames. "How does that handle high heat?"

Depth Dragoon stared up at the massive form. "...by being elsewhere?" he offered hopefully.

"Then be elsewhere," Epsilon instructed firmly. The Hunter wanna-be quickly fled.

Reversing the transformation, Axl joined the others in taking the next elevator further up. After one last long corridor, the group barged into Redips' office.

Redips himself was waiting to greet them, sitting behind his desk. "X, Zero, Axl, Octavia..." he greeted calmly. "You all got here much faster than anticipated. Then again, I should know by now not to underestimate you."

"Why did you do all this?" X demanded angrily. "You made it so we could get married, have our families! You were our friend! Why would you betray us like this?"

Redips suddenly began to chuckle. "X...after all this time, you're still so naive..." Holding up his hands, he revealed two glowing stones. "Do you know what these are?"

"The Supra-Force Metal!" Massimo gasped out.

"No," Zero corrected coldly. "The Ether Crystals..."

"Precisely, Zero," Redips confirmed as he pocketed the two chunks. "And in the hands of someone equipped with Copy Chip technology, the keys to Ultimate Power. And I am equipped with such technology."

"Then you're the one who clipped my wings!" Ferham snapped out, lashing the air with her whip.

"And give the girl a prize," Redips taunted. "She has a brain along with those giant boobs. Who would have guessed?"

Massimo quickly raised his hand to keep Ferham from recklessly charging in.

"But why?" X demanded fiercely. "Why do this? Why do you want ultimate power?"

Redips laughed darkly as he stood up. "And you still haven't figured it out. Let me spell it out for you. A crisis threatening the stability of the world. Eight high level Reploids gone 'Maverick'. Ultimate power is on the line, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Tell me X..." Redips lifted his hand to his face, then lowered it, slowly revealing a familiar face with purple scars under the eyes. "...who do you think is really behind it?" a far too familiar voice taunted.

As gasps echoed, Epsilon braced himself for combat. Glaring daggers at the one he had originally been created to destroy, he named his true nemesis. "Sigma!"

CM: Get Real

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As the realization that they'd been puppeted by Sigma settled in, X, Zero, Octavia, and Axl all leveled their busters at the Maverick. "What did you do with Redips, Sigma?" X demanded angrily.

Sigma cackled wickedly. "What did I do with Redips? Oh you poor naive fool...I was Redips all along!"

"What?" Zero demanded in shock. "But...then why...? Was it all just to get back into power?"

"Actually-" Epsilon began.

"Shut up, cheap knock off!" Sigma snapped angrily. "This is my big moment, and they want me to talk! You are going to shut up and let me have my moment!" Once Epsilon subsided, Sigma turned back to the others. "From the first moment you met 'Redips', it was me. At first it was a remote Reploid drone I controlled...but once Copy Chip technology became available, I installed it into my own body and took his place. What safer place from your wrath than amongst your allies, after all?

"As for my plan..." Sigma chuckled darkly. "As long as you lot are the heroes and I am the villain, I can't win. So if I wanted to win, I had to make you the villains...and I knew just how to do it! I saw how fierce you became, X and Zero, when Octavia was threatened. How much more fierce would you be when you experienced having children? When it was those who sprung from your loins? So I made certain Gate completed his research and created Armatige.

"But it's not just you two I needed to shift," Sigma continued darkly. "Prometheus...he's a very dangerous relic of the past like you lot. I had to take him out of the action. So I tweaked Armatige's personality core while she was being constructed...so she would click perfectly with him. What better excuse to retire than having a loving wife, children, and not being needed? And with that proof that the technology worked...it was only a matter of time before things were in place."

"...that's why the New Type Reploids made sure we knew they were a threat to Omega and the others," Zero deduced angrily. "You wanted us to cut loose and stop caring!"

"Exactly!" Sigma declared. "The world saw you as heroes, defenders of justice! As long as you accepted that, I could not conquer you even if I defeated you. To tear you down from that...I had to drag you to the level of police - what you were meant to be all along as Maverick Hunters - upholding the law. When you reached the point that when the law says you didn't have to show mercy...you didn't. To turn you from Captain America to Judge Dredd. And once you stopped holding back...the whole world would see the monsters you really are."

"You really think you'll sway that much world opinion with one broadcast?" Massimo demanded irritably. "X, Zero, Axl, Octavia...they're known as heroes world wide! They have high ranked allies who know them personally! You really think you can convince them?"

"That's the beauty of it, you bumbling buffoon!" Sigma declared with a wicked laugh. "I don't want to convince those who know them personally. The very fact they do fits into my plans perfectly. Those in the world - officials or civilians - who do believe the broadcast will call for blood. Those who know you all personally will try to beg for calm, for reason...and be branded a part of your revolution! The world will descend into civil war and chaos...and I shall rise from it in the Ultimate Body created by the Binary Power of Ether, and take my rightful place as the God of Reploids!"

"You made one mistake!" Ferham snapped out angrily as she flared her engines. "You told us your plan before it was finished!" She charged forward, arms outstretched to tackle Sigma to the ground...only to pass right through him.

"That would be a mistake," Sigma cackled as his image flickered. "That is...if I were really here..." The image faded out. "If you still think you can stop me, come to my throne atop the tower where I look over my kingdom!"

"There's a teleporter over there!" Epsilon called out. "That must be where he went!" The group immediately took off in pursuit, in a desperate attempt to catch up with Sigma.

The other end of the teleporter led to plain corridors, elevators, and another warp pad. At the end of it all, the group found themselves in the chamber at the top of Jakob Tower, the interior completely colored golden as Sigma sat in a chair, circuitry connecting him to the room itself and the two pieces of Supra Force Metal orbiting each other in the massive dome directly above him. As he caught sight of the group, he grinned. "And my timing is perfect," he declared softly as energy began to arc through the room and the two chunks of Metal.

"What's that supposed to mean-" X began.

"Everyone out!" Epsilon roared out. "The room is designed to interface with his Copy Chip technology! When that ability gets supercharged by the Supra Force Metal, he'll be able to fully analyze the build code and abilities of everyone in the room, incorporating that data into his Ultimate Body!"

As everyone turned to try and leave, the door sealed shut. "And that's why I said my timing is perfect," Sigma purred wickedly. "You have just enough time to realize you've walked into my trap...and not enough time to escape it..."

The entire chamber blazed with light.

CM: Get Good

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When the light cleared, Sigma's form became visible. It was a massive taur-esque figure, with six legs on its lower body, six arms coming out the sides with one set atop the other, and six wings on its back that shone with golden energy fields. The entire body was heavy set, and coated in white, black, and gold armor that glowed with an inner light. The head rotated readily, revealing three faces. Each of the faces was Sigma's face wearing X, Zero, and Axl's helmets. The eyes on all three glowed crimson. Rising up out of the shoulders were two spires, on which sat the chunks of Supra Force Metal, protected by powerful shields that emitted the same energy wavelength as the spike traps X and the others had encountered on their many adventures, designed to fry positronic brains.

"Behold!" Sigma proclaimed from all three face. "The Ultimate Form is complete! I have fully analyzed the code of all present here, and have fused it into a single unifying build protocol for the Ultimate Being! Behold the God of Reploids! And now, with my control circuits amplified to their maximum output, I shall claim my kingdom!" With that, he turned to face the Earth below.

"The Commander Unit circuitry!" X gasped in fear. "No!"

"And not just the world," the Axl helmeted head that was facing them purred. "But all of you!" The two upper hands rose up to the sides of Sigma's head. The two middle hands pressed palm to palm in front of his massive torso. The remaining two curled middle fingers to thumb before being held out to the sides palm up. A wave of power and command signal erupted from his entire body, passing over all present and the world below.

Epsilon, Scarface, Ferham, Massimo, Cinnamon, Marino, and Spider all put hands to their heads, wincing in pain...but soon shook it off. "That was unpleasant," Spider declared irritably.

Sigma's three faces frowned. "That's odd," the one wearing the X helmet declared. "There was supposed to be more chaos...and also more fighting down below."

Octavia blinked as her communicator went off. Looking at it, she saw a text message...and grinned widely. "Two things, Sigma," she called out calmly. "First, CiCi intercepted your signal. The only places that received it were Giga City - who took it as a personal declaration of war from Redips - and HQ East, which was empty. She also made sure your discussion with us in your office was also broadcast to Giga City...and the forces you ordered there."

"Accursed abomination!" all three heads snarled angrily.

"She thanks you for the compliment," Octavia continued. "As for the second...it turns out Reploid brain circuitry post parenthood via Gate's modifications - whether sire or mother - more closely resembles Terran brain construction than true Reploid. So you are the God of Reploids as you longed to be...but by your own machinations, you have no subjects."

Sigma stared down at Octavia as she smirked up at him. "And this is where you expect me to go into a rage over being thwarted at the moment of my triumph, going on about how I will wipe the world clean and recreate it in my image and fill it with my subjects, thus giving you all the drive to go all out against me in a battle of full power attrition that will either end in my destruction or drawing the attention of beings with greater skill at using Ether than I due to me unleashing huge bursts of my power in an attempt to start said destruction with all of you."

Octavia's smirk slowly fell. "You seem...awfully calm, all things considered."

"Well for one, I no longer have Zero's Virus making me act crazy," the Sigma head wearing Zero's helmet pointed out. "Haven't since Eurasia. Instead I just acted crazy to make you all think I was while I set this in motion. And second, the Reploid control signal DID affect Terrans. I saw evidence of that here. All I need to do is retune it into a Terran control signal...and I just so happen to have a NUMBER of Terran brainwave patterns fully analyzed to use as a basis. Shouldn't take more than an hour...during which I can enjoy toying with all of you." With that declared, one hand lifted palm out and fired a massive burst of energy that sent the entire group falling back and scattering.

"Stay scattered!" Epsilon barked out as everyone got to their feet. "Given his size, he'll only be able to target one at a time with focused attacks, and spread attacks would be too costly on his shielding to use too frequently."

"Oh good," Sigma purred from all three heads as the group scattered to surround him. "A smart opponent. This will be an entertaining hour."

"Everyone full power!" X barked out as he activated his Ultimate Armor, as did Octavia. Zero activated his White Mode, as Axl and Spider both entered Stealth Mode. Marino triggered Quicksilver, while Cinnamon activated Iron Maiden.

X, Axl, Octavia, and Spider stayed at range, moving rapidly around Sigma at ground level to shoot at him from range. Zero, Massimo, and Scarface moved in close in an attempt to attack his legs. Ferham zipped around above, lashing his wings with her whip. Epsilon stood back, positioning himself between Sigma and Cinnamon as he fired off massive blasts of energy at his joints. Cinnamon stayed a non-combatant, focusing on feeding her energy into everyone to keep them active. Marino leapt up Sigma's body as fast as she could move, striking at his faces in an attempt to distract him from his focus on reprogramming his control circuits.

Sigma smirked as all the attacks continued to ping right off his body. "How pathetic..." he murmured as he casually swatted Marino out of the air with one too-fast moving hand. "The last pathetic struggles of the damned..."

CM: Get Crazy

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Despite the best efforts of the attacking group, nothing seemed to be damaging Sigma's new body. Zero's Bass Cannon simply glanced off the alloy of his armor. Plasma blasts were reduced in damage until they could barely scuff. Slashes of saber, polearm, lance, and whip managed to cut the armor somewhat at high intensity, but the armor regenerated faster than even Marino in Quicksilver could manage to strike a second time. Even Epsilon's massive energy discharges didn't leave a lasting effect.

On the other hand, Sigma didn't seem to have as much trouble inflicting damage. While he couldn't move fast enough to strike with one of his massive arms accurately, or to stomp with a hoof, the shockwave of his limbs' sweeping passages could send the Hunters and their allies tumbling off their feet. On top of that, each 'face' had different ways of attacking with energy. The 'X head' would unleash a barrage of energy blasts that hit the entire area, relatively weak but next to impossible to dodge. The 'Zero head' unleashed a Bass Cannon blast...which would be lethal if he was able to hit anything with it. The 'Axl head' summoned an energy construct of a random Maverick or Rebellion member that Axl had fought in the past, powerful but easily disrupted. Thankfully, Cinnamon was able to generate a powerful energy field to keep everyone's energy at full.

However, as the minutes ticked by one thing became absolutely certain. Sigma might not be able to destroy them, but he was only toying with them anyway. There was no way they'd be able to take him down in the hour he'd declared it would take him to finish modifying his control circuitry to steal the free will from every non-human on Earth. "I don't get it!" Zero snapped angrily. "We should be seeing some effect from all the damage we're doing!"

"There is an effect," Epsilon growled angrily. "It's just not adding up enough. The Supra-Force Metal binary core does have limits...but at our current output, there's no way we'll reach those limits in the time we've got. Even trying to overclock my Ether Crystal core won't do it."

"Isn't there any way around that?" X demanded angrily. "Remove the Supra-Force Metal, maybe?"

"Ferham and I already checked," Marino spoke up, dashing next to the group. "They're protected by powerful energy fields. Lethal to anyone with a positronic brain, and a powerful enough current to fry Octavia something fierce if she tried. And her Nova Strike can't punch through."

"Does anyone have a plan?" Massimo pleaded in despair.

"...I think I have one," Axl murmured softly. "But...it's risky."

"We're a long ways past risky, kid," Scarface growled. "Spill."

Axl lifted up the Ancient Arm. "Sigma's binary Supra-Force Metal is impressive...but it's only two. This has nine Ether Crystals inside. If I can activate it completely and unleash its full output, the blast should be more than his systems can handle, and eliminate him and the Supra-Force Metal in one shot."

"Sounds like a great plan!" Zero spoke up. "Why haven't we tried it sooner?"

"Because I'm going to be a complete sitting duck while I charge it, since it'll shut down most of my other systems to gather the proper energy," Axl explained flatly. "And if I'm interrupted mid-charge, the energy could backlash and destroy us all. So the rest of you would need to keep Sigma's attention off me and the massively obvious energy buildup that'll be visible on Pluto."

"That's...a hurdle," Massimo allowed. "But I'm sure we can keep his attention-"

"For five minutes," Axl added at last. "And since he's been able to completely ignore our assaults until now, this is literally our last chance at success, and he's probably heard every word we've just said..." He shrugged. "Well, if we fail we're all screwed anyway, so...Hail Mary?"

"Not the worst final words," Sigma growled out as he loomed over the group. "Not the best, but they'll do." Lifting one hoof, he brought it down in an attempt to crush Axl.

Massimo lunged underneath the falling hoof and lifted his arms, catching the falling hoof and holding it. "Giving it everything!" he roared out as he channeled all his stored energy into his limbs to hold the hoof just far enough above Axl's head that it acted as a shield from Sigma's other assaults.

"Don't waste that!" Epsilon roared at Axl. "Start charging!"

Nodding, Axl braced himself as he leveled his arm with the Ancient Arm aimed at Sigma...swallowing as he realized the current line of fire was through Massimo, and he wouldn't have a chance to get out of the way. "Massimo..."

"I am Steel Massimo!" Massimo roared out as his energy continued to flare. "Son of the hero, heir to the legacy!" He shifted his grip so he clutched the outside of the hoof. "If this is how a legend dies..." His eyes flashed as his hands clenched. A crunch sounded as his fingers dug into the armor, locking in place as Sigma's armor healed around the intrusion. "Then bring it on!"

Gritting his teeth, Axl started the charge, trying to blink away the tears so they wouldn't affect his aim.

"Engaging max charge," the Ancient Arm intoned as the outer cover flew off, the inner cylinder beginning to spin. "5%...7%...10%..."

"Do you really think it'll be that easy?" Sigma roared out as he started to rear back, plainly intending to lift Massimo off the ground with the hoof for another stomp.

Taking a quick running step, Scarface hurled his plasma lance. It whistled through the air before embedding itself in the energy field around one of the Supra-Force Metal chunks, nearly grazing the metal itself. The field arced like crazy. Sigma roared, forgetting his current course of action as he moved to protect his source of power.

"Good idea, Scarface!" Zero yelled out as he began leaping up Sigma's body. Drawing his beam saber, he overcharged it before trying to slam it into the other field, only to be repelled and then knocked away.

Epsilon ducked under the hoof. "Borrowing this," he told Massimo as he grabbed his polearm. Shifting out from under, he lined up his throw and hurled it, successfully embedding the weapon in the other energy field. "Your beam saber lacks the solid mass!" he called out to Zero.

"You will pay for-" Sigma began, only to be cut off as something massive, blue, metal, and aquatic looking slammed into him, making him stagger back as the thing seemed to swim back through space.

"Did...did Sigma just get body checked by a robotic space whale?" Spider demanded in shock.

"It came from Earth!" Ferham called out, pointing towards the blue planet below. Her eyes then widened. "And...it didn't come alone..."

All present - save Axl - shifted into a position where they could see what was coming. A silver turtle - by size and design, looking to be patterned after Shield Sheldon - spun like a discus before slamming into Sigma's head, unfolding as a turtle as a crimson wolf leapt off its back to bite down hard on Sigma's heads, making him roar in pain before leaping away as a green falcon raked his scalp and a black eastern-style dragon blasted him with pure Ether. "What in blazes?" Sigma roared out in rage and disbelief. "Who dares assault and humiliate the God of Reploids?"

At that point, the five robotic creatures floated in front of him, and humanoid figures leapt out of them to land lightly atop them. "Team, sound off!" a male voice declared from the dragon before it became distinct.

Atop the falcon, a skinny young man in green and white armor that couldn't seem to decide if it was space-warrior or Super Sentai proceeded to pose dramatically, performing a few martial arts maneuvers with the energy blade he pulled from his hip. "Guardian Green, Sage Harupia, claims the skies!"

Atop the blue whale, a young woman in a similarly themed blue and white outfit that showed off a little too well just how well she'd grown performed similar maneuvers as she seemed to swim through space while spinning a spear. "Guardian Blue, Fairy Leviathan, claims the seas!"

Atop the crimson wolf, a massively built young man in red and white posed similarly as he fired salvos from the massive guns on his arms. "Guardian Red, Fighting Fefnir, claims the land!"

Atop the silver turtle, a thin man stood simply garbed in white and silver, a red scarf blowing in a non-existent breeze as he slowly lifted his head. "Guardian Silver, Hidden Phantom, claims the shadows!"

Atop the black dragon, another young man - younger than the others - drew a violet beam saber and swung it about before posing dramatically. "Guardian Black, Final Omega, claims the light!"

"This planet!" they called out together as they performed synchronized martial arts movements atop their mechs. "Is protected!"

Sigma tilted his head to the side, a familiar feeling creeping into his mind. The last time he'd felt this way, Zero had been ranting at him about comprehending his sexual preference. "...what?"

Octavia, for her part, had buried her face in her hooves. "What did I just watch?" she whimpered.

"...an excellent distraction," Epsilon murmured as softly as he could. "That display bought us three minutes."

Sigma snarled angrily at the 'Guardians'. "If you think your little toys stand a chance against my Perfect Form, you are sorely mistaken! You barely scratched the paint!"

"That's true alone," Omega confirmed as he leapt into his dragon. The entire body lit up with Ether Circuits. "Form feet and legs!"

As the others leapt back into their mechs as Ether Circuits illuminated them, Leviathan's mech unfolded its tail to become legs. At the same time, Phantom's mech pulled in its limbs and settled against the whale like a shell.

"Form arms and torso!"

With that call, the wolf and falcon mechs shifted, the extended limbs folding into themselves as the mouths opened to reveal fists before flying up to the appropriate gaps where the whale and turtle mechs were connected.

The dragon mech slowly settled tail first into the gap left, its mouth opening to reveal a face as the entire thing solidified. "And I'll form...the head!"

The combined mecha posed dramatically, now standing equal height with Sigma's Perfect Form. "Behold...the Memezord!" Omega declared loudly, causing Octavia to facefault.

"What?" Leviathan demanded from inside the combined mech. "I thought we'd agreed to go with the Voltron theme!"

The combined mech suddenly pulled back the falcon arm as flames raced from the wolf arm over the entire body and into the falcon arm. "FALCON...PUNCH!" Fefnir proclaimed as the blow was delivered, sending Sigma flying back as Massimo released the hoof. "Your argument is invalid, sis. Any combined mech with that attack has to be the Memezord."

"Muu!" Leviathan pouted irritably.

X and Zero buried their faces in their hands. "If we make it out of this alive, they are so grounded..." X murmured ruefully. Zero could only nod in agreement.

CM: Get Rekt

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As X and the others watched, the 'Memezord' continued to batter Sigma. While it wasn't doing enough damage to him per hit to overload his regeneration and repairs, the hits were strong enough to knock him back and stagger him, especially the blows aimed at a head. However, the disadvantage of the Memezord quickly became apparent when Sigma unleashed a fully charged blast that took it full in the chest...

Only for the Memezord to be left without even a scuff.

"Energy batteries fully charged!" Leviathan called out from inside the mech.

"Now that's just not fair!" Sigma roared angrily. "You're telling me that thing's designed to absorb incoming attacks to recharge itself?"

"No, just the superweapons!" Fefnir corrected eagerly. "Final weapon, fire!"

The wolf arm raised up, unfolding into a massive blaster before releasing a huge discharge of energy. When the light faded, Sigma's three-faced head was gone. However, it quickly reshaped out of light. "Do you have any idea how much that stings?" he demanded angrily, only one voice now echoing from him.

"Describe it for me," Phantom observed quietly as the falcon head suddenly swung up a blade made of living shadows that severed one of Sigma's arms and causing it to corrode and decay into scrap, although a replacement arm took shape in its place. "Oh, Form Decaying Sword."

"You're supposed to say that first!" Omega complained angrily. "It's part of the whole thing here!"

"...why would I warn Sigma how I was about to attack him?" Phantom pointed out logically.

"Look, I get it's flawed strategy and rather silly," Harpuia responded. "But we did all agree-"

"No, I mean specifically Sigma," Phantom corrected. "I'm fine with doing it with just about anyone else - there's really no point in being sneaky once you involve giant combining animal robots - but this is Sigma. It's his stated goal to - in essence - turn us all into his mind-controlled slaves, including Maka. And he's got this huge vengeance thing against Dad. Do you think he'd hesitate for a moment to take perverse pleasure in making Dad - under mind control - watch as he made Maka-"

"I don't need to hear anymore of this!" Leviathan stated quickly.

The Memezord suddenly lunged forward, grabbed Sigma by his front legs, and lifted him up until he was near vertical. The head then returned to draconic configuration before lunging in and biting down hard. Sigma's eyes went wide. "...why does my Ultimate Body still have those?" he whimpered in a high-pitched squeaky voice.

Everyone winced. "Omega, dude..." Fefnir spoke up in a pained voice. "That was...brutal."

"After what Phantom just suggested?" Omega growled out, his voice very dark as the entire Memezord was briefly surrounded by a black aura.

"Fair enough, fair enough," Fefnir allowed quickly.

Sigma snarled angrily as he staggered to his hooves, spreading his wings wide. "I am done playing around!" he roared as he slowly stomped towards the Memezord. "I will rip you apart with my bare hands!" In a flash of light, two of his arms shifted to resemble those of Grizzly Slash. "And since you like bad jokes so much, I'll use my bear hands to do it!"

"Hey Sigma!" Axl suddenly roared out.

Turning, Sigma stared at Axl with wide eyes. Axl's entire right side had morphed along with the Ancient Arm. The metal of his body had shifted into a strange, pulsating flesh construct that had fused with the weapon, glowing a brilliant silver. A massive white wing spread from his shoulder, seeming to collect and expel energy simultaneously. Fleshy anchors locked him in place with the weapon pointed forward. Nine glowing crystals floated in a ring around a core of blazing white, contained within the fleshy weapon as the barrel - looking not unlike an open sore - pointed straight at Sigma. "100%," the weapon intoned, the robotic voice echoing menacingly.

"Dodge this!" Axl called out.

And fired.

There was a soundless pulse, as though a sudden weight had been pressed against the entirety of reality. A beam of purest white lashed forward, larger than Sigma's entire body. Axl rocked back from the force, the anchors and the wing barely keeping him upright and not flying backwards at insane speeds. A soundless crash heralded Sigma's Supra-Force Metal shattering explosively from overload, and then there was nothing.

The light faded, and the blast seemed to continue travelling off into space, moving too fast to be accurately tracked, vaporizing anything in its path.

Everyone stared in stunned awe as the final form of the Ancient Arm collapsed in on itself, leaving just the weapon.

"So when will that blast stop?" Epsilon asked in concern.

"When it hits something it can't punch through," Axl explained. "I...think."

"So never, then," Epsilon concluded. "That's worrying. I don't relish explaining to any aliens who encounter it why they lost so many ships to an Earth-based weapons discharge."

"Then it's a good thing Earth is protected, isn't it?" Omega declared as the Memezord came in for landing, the five youngsters leaping out and striking a group victory pose.

"You kids are in so much trouble!" X snapped angrily as he stomped up to the group. "Especially you, Maka!"

"Me?" Leviathan demanded angrily. "Why am I in trouble? I'm the one who designed the combining robots that just saved everyone's collective asses!"

"And how did you build them?" Octavia inquired curiously.

"Duboar," Leviathan responded readily. Seeing the stunned looks, she shrugged. "What? You think I design the ultimate weapons manufacture plant on commission and don't sneak in a program to build us super-tough combining animal robots anytime it's in lockdown? How could I not?"

"I was wondering why we were still losing resources at Ulfat," Epsilon murmured thoughtfully.

"And that's another thing you're in trouble for," X continued in his tirade, "but before that, put something respectable on!"

"What?" Leviathan demanded in shock, glancing down at her skin tight and somewhat suggestive outfit. "What's wrong with this?"

"It's completely shameless!"

"So what?" Leviathan countered irritably as she put her hands on her hips and leaned forward confrontationally. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Dad!"

"I can see that!" X snapped back. "And so can everyone else. That's the problem!"

"Ugh!" Leviathan groaned as she threw her hands into the air in frustration. "You are such a prude, Dad! Is it any wonder I haven't told you about my boyfriend yet?"

"Your what?"

Omega buried his face in his hands. "Way to throw me under the bus there, Maka..."

"You ripped Sigma's balls off with your effigy teeth at the mere suggestion that he'd do something sexual to me against my true will," Leviathan pointed out. "Only a total idiot wouldn't realize we were an item after that."

"You...and Omega?" X stammered out, plainly confused.

"...and apparently, our Father," Shadow murmured ruefully.

"Really, kid?" Zero asked, stepping up to Omega's side. "You landed her?" He pointed towards Leviathan. He then grinned widely. "Nice one, squirt. Up high!"

"Zero!" X demanded, completely aghast.

"Look at this objectively, X," Zero pointed out. "My son just told me he's dating a smoking hot babe in his own age group who is brilliant, respectable, enjoys showing off her figure, and likes building massive battle robots in her spare time. That's like the ultimate catch there!"

"That's my daughter you're talking about!" X complained.

"Another point in her favor, excellent bloodline!" Zero countered with a wide grin. "Not to mention our families are friends, so in-law issues should be a minimum."

"We all but raised them together!" X snapped back. "They're like cousins!"

"We...aren't actually related," Harpuia pointed out.

"Except through Axl," Zero pointed out. "See, my Mom is technically his aunt, which makes him my cousin...and he's technically X's nephew as well which makes him your cousin..."

"...my head hurts..." Fefnir groaned morosely.

"Kinky," Leviathan purred, licking her lips.

"Where did you learn to act like this?" X wailed out in despair.

As Octavia struggled not to burst into laughter - the only one present who was showing such restraint - she noticed Axl was nowhere in sight. "Axl?"

With a groan, Sigma disconnected himself from the amplifier that let him control his remote bodies. He had been so close. He had actually tasted ultimate power. He had been seconds away from claiming the minds of every Terran on the planet and achieving true godhood! And once again, just as X had said, details he'd had no way of knowing about ahead of time saw to his downfall. Epsilon was nearly his equal in planning, and he hadn't even learned of Duboar until it had been shut down. X and Zero's children had advanced much faster than he'd been able to track, especially since they spent so much of their time off-base with that thrice-damnable CiCi as chaperone. And that Ancient Arm of Axl's...

Still, he would not let this setback stop him. He had other plans, other ways of claiming what was rightfully his. New keys were presenting themselves, and soon he would...address the clawed hand embedded in his chest. "What the...?"

"Firing that off at 100% has all sorts of nasty side effects," Axl growled out as his Schrodinger form sparked, "but it has a couple good ones. For one thing, it massively boosts the point-to-point teleportation unit's range...as long as I've got a signal to follow. Such as the signal you were using to control that other you?"

Sigma choked for breath. "D...Damn you..."

Grinning, Axl ripped Sigma's plasma power core out of his chest and shoved it into his open mouth. "You first!" he snapped before delivering a final, lethal uppercut.

CM: Get Home

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As X gathered himself for yet another attempt at remonstrating his wayward children, the entire tower on which they stood shook. "What's happening?" X called out worriedly.

"The Tower wasn't designed for this level of action!" Epsilon called back out. "It's taken all it can, and its structural integrity is past its limit! It's collapsing!"

Omega and the others quickly leapt back into the Memezord before dividing them back into the animal forms. "Hop on!" Leviathan ordered as her leviathan swam up, its back large enough for all of them to climb on.

"What about Axl?" Octavia called out worriedly.

"I've already picked up his signal on Earth!" Phantom stated quickly. "He's safe. We're not!"

Massimo grabbed Octavia before she could argue further as the entire group landed atop the leviathan mech. "How are we going to do with reentry?" he asked worriedly.

"I designed these babies!" Leviathan pointed out. "I took everything imaginable into account, and even some things inconceivable. You'd probably be fine if I had to fly this thing through a black hole! ...not that I'm in a hurry to test that theory..."

At that point, speech became unwise as the mechs began descending into the atmosphere. As Leviathan stated, reentry proved not to be a problem. The Leviathan mech descended slowly in an up and down wave motion, so that its downward velocity was never quite enough to start creating re-entry heat. The Turtle mech descended in a spinning discus, with the Wolf mech absorbing the reentry heat. The Falcon mech cut through the air like a blade, while the Dragon mech spiraled in, dispersing the heat. While the descent was time consuming, it was completely safe for all involved. Once they were within the atmosphere completely, descent to sea level went much faster, allowing a gentle landing in Giga City...where the amassed forces of the Maverick Hunters and the Rebellion Army were working together to maintain order under a surprise figure.

"Everything under control, cousin?" Omega called out.

The brown haired young man turned towards them with a smile. "Indeed it is," he confirmed. "Once the broadcast of Sigma hit, everything was in disorder for a time...but our family reputation was strong enough to bring everyone under my banner."

"Mikhail?" X called out in surprise. "Is that you? I haven't seen you in years!"

"Been busy with Mother and Father preparing for this, Uncle," Mikhail responded readily. "Thomas and Albert are doing their parts as well. Tom's spent the past decade worming his way into political circles, getting the political capitol to be appointed chief of the planetary council...and Albert's already organized the world's scientists and researchers under his guidance to capture the falling SFM energy for study to prevent world-wide overcharge."

"...so between the three of you, you now control the political, military, and scientific governance of the world?" Zero asked in surprise.

"It's actually for the good in the long run," Mikhail pointed out logically. "We're brothers, so we actually know how to get along and compromise." He turned to Octavia. "And Albert's already retrieved Axl. Apparently, he was found in stand by mode next to Sigma's real body...though the head was missing and it looked like his Plasma Core had been ripped out of his chest."

"Are we going to have to worry about the head?" X asked worriedly as Octavia breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not according to Albert's report," Mikhail reassured him, turning to a data pad. "Apparently, the plasma burns on the neck suggest that Axl somehow made Sigma bite his own plasma core open."

"No more Mortal Kombat for that boy," Octavia murmured, doing her best to sound chiding but failing miserably.

"For the moment, the press is almost here," Mikhail continued. "They're going to want to interview the heroes of the hour."

X groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I'm not sure we're up to interviews now...we're all tired..."

"Actually...I meant The Guardians," Mikhail pointed out, gesturing to Omega and the others where they stood by their mechs. "I...took the liberty of arranging the story leaks so that most of the credit for saving the world this time went to them."

Zero blinked at Mikhail, stunned. "Why?"

"So that the rest of the world won't make a fuss when you quietly retire and focus your energies on helping Octavia find her way to her home planet, now that literally every obligation you have to this world is fulfilled complete with new heroes you can trust to whom you can pass the torch?" Mikhail answered carefully, seeming confused at Zero's confusion.

"Well that's all well and good as far as Dad, Uncle Zero, and I," Octavia pointed out. "But what about Axl? And the others - Cinnamon, Marino, Massimo, Epsilon-"

"I am a relic of the Maverick War, meant to bring it to an end," Epsilon spoke up. "Now that my mission has been fulfilled, I have no desire for accolades. I shall instead seek out Albert to assist in the Supra-Force Metal research. Scarface has never been one for fawning...and I am certain Massimo and Ferham have no need for any but each other's hero worship at this point."

"And I'd honestly rather not go that public," Spider added. "Not to mention I think Axl, Cinnamon, and Marino will be of the same mind as Massimo and Ferham...once we find Axl."

"No need to search too much," a familiar voice spoke up from behind them. "I deliver, too!"

Octavia spun in surprise. "Dynamo?"

"Sensei?" Spider gasped in stunned amazement as Dynamo gently settled Axl - still very dazed - on his feet between Cinnamon and Marino, Tango curled up around his neck like a scarf unmoving.

"If you're talking about sending Octavia home, I'll be going too," Dynamo stated simply. "I've...done my job. And I've left someone skilled to take care of things in my stead." Reaching out, he gently patted Spider on the head.

"...Sensei..." Spider murmured softly, his voice thick with emotion.

"Prometheus is gonna want to come too," Dynamo added. "We've...both got someone we've missed all these years."

"...Vinyl..." Octavia whispered, surprised at the strength of the yearning that entered her voice.

CM: Get Going

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It didn't take long to get everything in order on Earth. With Sigma destroyed for good and the torch for protecting and leading the world officially passed to the next generation, it was time for past relics to retire and seek a new world to protect. X, Alia, Zero, Iris, Axl, Cinnamon, Marino, Prometheus, Armatige, and Dynamo would be going with Octavia back to her world, once they found a way. Massimo and Ferham were returning to Giga City, Massimo to take up his father's standard permanently, Ferham to keep him on track...amongst other things. Epsilon indeed followed Albert in studying Supra-Force Metal, while Scarface decided to take up Prometheus' mantle in watching over the world in secret alongside Spider.

The group gathered together in the ruins of Jakob Tower, with the eyes of the world elsewhere. "Are you sure about this?" Octavia asked Axl. "I know the plan was to get to Mars, but are you sure your A-Trans is up to it? You did push yourself rather hard in the final battle."

"I'm sure, Mom," Axl responded immediately, doing a few stretches. "I took plenty of time to relax and repair after the battle. Marino and Cinnamon were a big help there."

"I'll bet," Prometheus observed with a smirk, only to get an elbow in his side from Armatige.

"I'd say we're all ready to go," Dynamo observed softly, his head lowered to make one eye seem to glow blue.

Nodding, Axl focused his energy and activated his A-Trans, calling on the shape he received from his parents in his capsule.

When the light faded, Axl had assumed a shape that seemed to be made of pure light and ether. A narrow body ending in a tail, a flat head with antennae, arms ending in blades, and huge feathery wings glowing with light.

"Is he...an angel?" Cinnamon whispered breathlessly in awe.

Before anyone else could speak, Axl folded his wings around the entire group and shot straight up in a ray of light, carrying them all with him.

The ray of light shot straight from Earth to Mars, coming down on the red planet only to find it was not truly red. The soil teemed with green life as oceans flowed. Towers soared towards a violet sky, and settlements sprawled out, down, and up from the central towers. Arches in gold and silver were touched by snowy marble and black obsidian, an almost ostentatious cleanliness visible as the entire place shone with light. Beings who were neither human, robot, Reploid, or Terran flew around under their own power. All in all, the entire arriving group found themselves staring in awe as Axl reverted to his normal body.

"You're late."

The whole group spun in surprise. The woman who'd spoken had long blonde hair, bright green eyes, and a matronly figure. She smiled at the group, her eyes focused on X. "Then again, what should I expect, little brother? Last time I saw you, you were still asleep."

"It's been a long time, Roll," Prometheus spoke up softly. "What have you been up to?"

"Running Mars," Roll responded warmly. "Somebody who knew what Vinyl's dream was had to do it, and I'm the only one who knew her personally who's still around." She smirked somewhat wickedly. "Besides, I've got Gemini whipped. That goes a long way as far as political capital here." Her eyes turned to Octavia. "But you aren't here to stay, are you?"

"The message in Axl's capsule said Vinyl's legacy was here," Octavia observed softly.

Roll raised an eyebrow. "Axl, huh?" she murmured thoughtfully. Sighing, she gestured to the world around them. "This is her legacy...a world where the line between organic and synthetic has vanished, a world at peace, a world that has reached for the stars." Her gaze turned hard, and her voice bitter. "It was supposed to be Earth."

"Our children will ensure it will be yet," Zero offered comfortingly.

An eyebrow climbed up Roll's face. "So you achieved that as well?" she asked curiously. Shrugging, she turned. "However, if it's your intention to pursue Vinyl...you want that building over there." She pointed to an almost church-like building, the only one of that design. "That's where the tech Vinyl made to find her homeworld has been stored, repaired, and enhanced. We haven't activated it yet, because once we do it will create a temporal lock...and we didn't want to do that until you were ready."

"So we go in there...and I'll find Vinyl?" Octavia asked hopefully.

Roll nodded. "And you can come back. I'll be waiting." She turned to Prometheus. "I hope you'll come and visit, but I know you all are looking for her." With that, she turned and walked off.

Octavia moved for the building they'd been directed to, the others following her. The structure glowed with light as they entered, and a stream of light shot out into the void, a distant world its destination.

Back on Earth, Thomas, Mikhail, and Albert sat companionably around a council table as they plotted out what path Earth would take in the future. All signs pointed to a world that would achieve Utopia before too long, and then reach for the stars. This proved especially likely given that Albert's research into Supra-Force Metal had allowed him to craft Bio-Metal.

As they sat, Thomas spoke up. "So...anyone want to play secret games with the fate of the world to see what happens?"

"What?" Mikhail demanded, shocked.

"I'm in," Albert offered quickly.

"Seriously?"

"Two to one, Mike," Tom teased. "I call villain!"

"But I wanted to be the villain!" Albert complained.

"You were the villain last time around!"

"Check the records! Two out of ten is not a major villain! It was the pony more than me!"

"You can be the one everyone thinks is the bad guy but actually working towards stopping me."

Albert scratched his chin. "...okay, I'm good with that."

"And where does that leave me?" Mikhail demanded irritably.

"Pointing the heroes in the right direction," Tom stated bluntly.

"Oh, so I'm the straight man?" Mikhail snapped angrily. "Why? Just because I had a wife and kid last time around?" His angry expression turned suddenly tragic. "Oh...I made myself sad..."