"So...what do we know about this place?" Rainbow asked.
"Nothing about the bottleship in the database. It must be something kept off the record." Tails said.
"When something like off the record comes up, you know someone wants to keep something a secret." Connor said.
"This is the Future Universe. It can be practically anything." David said.
"Hmm...Okay. I think we're picking up the distress signal that Orlondi was talking about." Twilight said. "We must be getting...close." she said as they approached a massive space station.
"Whoa, fancy." Sectonia said.
"But… How are we going to operate here? Unless we have space suits, we're pretty much sitting ducks here." Jesse said.
"No worries. That's what these are for." Abby said producing patches from her body. "These are products in the Future Universe. They're used to breath in space and underwater. Just put them on your skin and they will immediately take effect."
"Wow, thanks Abby." Hope said putting his on.
"You've got an App for just about everything, do you?" David said.
"Yes. My storage app was holding a number of those in case this situation were to arise." Abby said.
"Wait, I see another ship approaching it too." Mona said as a small orange ship was entering the stations hanger.
"That ship...could it be?" David asked.
"You think its...her?" Pit asked.
"Yeah. No doubt about it." David said.
"Who are you guys talking about?" Skull asked.
"Samus Aran, one of the most renowned bounty hunters in the Future Universe. Though, she tends to specialize in alien extermination." Abby said. "I've seen her ship before and that looks just like it."
They soon docked inside too as out of the small orange ship was a figure in fullbody yellow and red armor with a blaster armed at the ready.
"What're the odds that you'd pick this signal up too, huh Aran?" Connor asked.
"You...I remember you. You were that guy who showed up late to a meeting." Samus said.
"Ouch… Always remembered for the worst of things." Connor said. "But what are you here for anyway?"
"A distress signal from this station." Samus said. "And it seems we aren't the only ones." she said pointing to a large green pig and a black shuttle by it.
"That's… The Boar's Hat. So they are here." Leonis said.
"And that other ship...the symbol on it is for the Galactic Federation." Rainbow said.
"Let me guess, you knew about it during your little outing with Fox and the crew?" David asked.
"Something like that." Rainbow said.
"That sword… You must be David Ishihara, correct?" Samus asked.
"Guess introductions aren't necessary after all." David said.
"Do you two know each other?" Teresa asked.
"Not personally, but us hunters like to keep tabs on each other." David said.
They then heard a loud crashing noise up ahead.
"That's worth looking into." Hope said as they went further into the ship to see a group of men in black armor as well as someone grabbing David by the neck and another person pointing a spear at Leonis. When things settled down, it was revealed to be Ban and King.
"Whoa! Hold it! Hold it!" Leonis said.
"You? Ban, stand down!" King said.
"Well, it's the icy guy. Sorry but we don't need a air conditioner in here." Ban said dropping him.
David was coughing as he regained his voice. "Laid-back as ever, I see."
"NIce to see you two again. Wait, it's just you guys?" Sunset asked.
"Yeah, we kinda got split off further in." Ban said.
"We were just wandering before running into the federation." King said.
"I take it these two are friends of yours?" Samus asked.
"In a way, yes. Though, most of us have only met them once." David said.
"Yeah, im sure youve heard of em. The Fox Sin of Greed, Ban the Immortal, and of course the King of the Fairies, the Grizzly Sin of Sloth, King." Connor said. "Didn't think you two would be running into the federation."
"Come on. Drop the cool bounty stuff. We're not outlaws anymore." Ban said.
"We were actually hoping you guys would have seen our teammates too." King said.
"You mean Ty and the others? Afraid not. You two are the first we've seen since we got here." Jack said.
"What the? What's he doing here?" King said.
"You two are acquainted?" Jexi asked.
"Sorta. I robbed the Ginova Mansion blind when they were trying to set up patrols." Jack said.
"Half-blind. What're you doing with these guys?" King asked.
"They're helping us with our...Hobbyist problem." Sectonia said.
"Wait… Sectonia? Is that you? You look so...nice." King said blushing a bit.
"You kidding? She ditched the bug look and went the normal human look. She looks hot." Ban said.
"Not exactly normal. I still have my wings." Sectonia said as she let them out.
"Oh." King said still blushing.
"Easy there, King. Ain't you got a bigger girl you're crushing on?" Connor asked.
"Literally. Diane." Hope said as King shuddered.
"Uh...what are you talking about? I was...just…" King said before Samus blasted the locked door open. "Look, Samus got the door open. Let's get going!" King said sighing in relief as he went on ahead.
"The heck is up with him?" Sectonia asked as she retracted her wings.
"Well it's either cause Fairies from his world have wings and his hasn't come yet...or it could be Hope's playing at King's secret crush on Diane." Indigo said.
"Most likely the latter." David said.
"So Ban, why'd you guys come out here to a ship like this? Merlin's familiar said you were off the radar for a solid month." Leonis asked.
"Well, we got a distress after we converted the Boar's hat into an actual ship. Ty's idea. Guy hates being stuck to just one world." Ban said.
"Hawk didn't like it. That pig really went crazy about us attaching ship parts to his mom." King said.
"Doesn't she fly on her own anyway?" Tails asked.
"No...but she does now." King said. "Now we can travel to other worlds. But before that, we got a distress signal from this ship. So we decided to investigate."
"Wait, wait. Let me take a guess here. But… Some time after you got here, something came at you guys and separated you?" David asked.
"Yeah. This place has a major infestation problem." Ban said. "Aliens everywhere."
"So we split off for the time being." King said.
"A month passed, lots of things can happen in a month. Who knows where the others are." Hope said.
"Relax, blue. They're probably still on this ship. Or maybe you're right, and maybe the aliens figured out how to take em to other planets. Fifty-fifty really." Ban said.
"Let's hope that's not the case." Sectonia said. "Anyway, thanks to the patches Abby got for us, we're able to breathe and fight like normal, so dealing with aliens shouldn't be too much of a problem."
"Best not jinx it. We don't know what's lurking in here." Zelos said before a pair of red glowing eyes flew in front of them, and an insect like creature came and spooked one of the soldiers as he fired at it, wasting ammo. It wasn't long before dozens of them came out of the walls.
"Holy crap! What are these things?!" King asked.
"They're coming out all over the place!" one of the soldiers said before they looked to the ceiling to see a mass of them converging with one big bug with an eyeball like design on its shell.
"Okay, I did not see that coming." Mustang said before the bugs fell to the ground as a massive being with one eye and two tentacles.
"What even is this thing?" Weiss asked.
"I'm thinking blast first, ask questions later." Connor said as he and the soldiers were firing normal rounds at the creature with little effect.
"Nothing's working." one of them said.
"Men! Freeze Guns authorized!" the commander said as they switched out.
"Well, in that case." David said as he took out his pistols as his eye glowed.
"Ban, we're gonna ice that thing over. After we wear it down, you probably know what to do next, right?" Connor asked switching ammo types.
"If by I know what i gotta do, you mean smash the frozen parts...than yeah." Ban said.
"Samus, I'm authorizing missile use for you. Follow that man's lead." the commander said.
Samus nodded and switched her blaster to missle mode. Getting the monster's attention, she dodged a tentacle as it slammed it into the ground and it got stuck.
"Now, freeze its arm while its stuck in the floor!" Connor said firing at the exposed tentacle and freezing it.
"You heard the man, concentrate on that spot!" one of them said.
Samus then fired a missile at the first frozen tentacle was Ban ran for the second frozen arm and smashed it bare handed.
"Jeez!" Skull said.
"He's strong, I'll give him that. To be able to hit that hard is amazing." Joker said.
"Is that also one of the perks of drinking from the Fountain of Youth?" Mona asked.
"I guess being immortal means no reason to care about your own life." Noir said as the bug mass was trying to smash them with its body.
"Oh no you don't!" David said passing one of his guns to Sectonia, both of them firing ice-charged bullets at it, causing the body to freeze over. "Now, Ban!"
"Don't gotta tell me." Ban said smashing the body as it broke apart revealing the eye bug. "Bye bye, bug!" Ban said crushing it with his hands as the other bugs scattered.
"Something tells me there's more of these bug brains spooking around this ship. And they're even stronger than that eyeball." Nana said.
"Yes. We'd best keep our guard up." Sectonia said.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, you used to be one of them, after all." David said.
"True, but I took a huge gamble to shed that skin. It'll be like fighting off remnants of my dark past." Sectonia said.
"That seems like a very cool way to put it." Leonora said.
"Listen. Samus, heroes. I'm going to have to ask for your cooperation on this mission. But that means following my orders. You don't move till I say so, you don't fire till I say so." the commander said.
"Fine with us, so long as we find the rest of our team." Ban said.
"Don't be certain they'll all still be on the Bottle Ship. For all we know, you two were the only ones still here as the month passed. Exactly what transpired here is uncertain, but here's what we do know. The equipment we thought destroyed is operational again, and casualties have been seen connected to an unidentified and lethal creature. The situation is critical. We need all the information we can, but our main priority is to find the other survivors and bring them to safety. This site is considered extremely dangerous. There's another problem, the wireless interference in this facility is all-pervasive. Comms are useless, so communication will be limited to Navigation booths or whatever skills you hero types are able to use. Well then, Lyle, investigate Sector One, and easy on the explosives." the commander said.
"Gotcha." Lyle said.
"Maurice, Sector Two. Repair any equipment you come across." the commander said.
"Affirmative." Maurice said.
"Anthony, Sector 3. Your call is plasma weapons are called for." the commander said.
"Alright." Anthony said.
"James, check the control bridge. Our communication issue might be due to electrical interference." the commander said.
"Yes, sir!" James said.
"And K.G. Run a full sweep of the residential quarters and check for any survivors." the commander finished.
"Got it." K.G. said.
"Each of you are authorized to use a freeze gun but don't forget to check in regularly. And you heroes...go to the system management room. See if you get the system running again." the commander said.
"Understood." Vera said.
"Samus, for this situation I'm authorizing the use of your Bombs. But, refrain from using Power Bombs in the company of so many living beings as they are known to vaporize living things, that includes humans. After you get power restored, report back here. All of you be careful. That's the end of the briefing." he said.
The soldiers saluted with a thumbs up and split up to their assigned parts.
"Geez, never thought I'd be takin orders from anyone ever again." Ban said.
"Get used to it, this is the Galactic Federation we're talking about here." Connor said.
"Bet you didn't expect to work with the government again, huh Connor?" David asked.
"Expect the unexpected. Still, this is a pretty big station. How do we know where to go?" Connor asked.'
"Don't worry, I can guide you through Necronomicon and provide communications too if we get split up." Futaba said. "But we'll need the system back up first so we'll start there."
"All right. Let's get going than!" Zexi said.