The first fact, is that this chapter is the first one to be voted for from , as well as Space Battles!
With this in mind, I find myself wondering if I should also post this story on Sufficient Velocity, where I go under the name VirgowithCheer. So, I'll do what I usually do and put it to a vote. Who knows, they could go down completely different paths from here onwards, depending on what you vote! So, look forward to that at the end of the chapter.
Next, the second bit of news is technically a bit old, but I feel needs to be reiterated. I am the ONLY Ongoing Xiaolin Showdown writer on this site! The reason I bring this up again now, you ask? Well, that'd be due to the recent necroing of another Jack based Xiaolin Showdown that has long since been stopped, and BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER WITH MY WHOPPING NEAR 70,000 WORDS COMPARED TO HIS 7.5!
Thus, I am suitably pumped.
Here are the winning votes, and get ready for snack time. Spoiler: Winning Votes [X] Let your Bots Search, and have some Rations. It's Lunch-time.: Gain an extra action during next encounter/ search attempt.
Now, let's sit back, relax, and watch our Bot's to as Nature intends.
As you reclined back in the cockpit of your jet and rested your feet just above and around where your monitor bank which showed the individual bot's views.
You took another bite out of one of the many granola bars you had packed, and felt you had made the right choice.
You had been watching the screens for MAYBE five minutes, and already at least one of your Bots had either, A) Been knocked over by large, swinging branches, B) Fallen of of a cliff or into a surprisingly deep river (Though in both cases the bots were okay due to a combination of Jet Boosters and Water-Proof Chassis, or C) Somehow become completely covered/constricted by snakes both of the poison and anaconda variety.
Considering how most of the things on that list either would have killed or severely injured or inconvenienced you, you simply stretched your back further into your chair and laughed around the bar in your mouth at the otherwise funny moments of your Bots, while still still taking note of the surroundings they were finding.
Honestly, sometimes you were tempted to just make a movie or TV series about what the Bot's did when you weren't looking, but you knew if you did, they would just take it as permission to do it more often.
And while things exploding and slapstick was funny with someone else, it WASN'T funny when it was your precious, and more importantly EXPENSIVE, Lab full of breakable things, like your beakers, chemicals, and your bones.
Didn't stop you from laughing as the Bot who was covered with Snakes met up with the one who was slashing through the forest, resulting in the 'startling' of the Forest one, which then quickly devolved into a slap-fight.
"Damn, who could have thought Nature could be so much fun..." You chuckled as you watched a third Bot come across the two 'fighting' and quickly joined them, dope-slapping them with its now still blade-arms.
You didn't know WHY your Bots tended to go...'weird' after a while, but so did your Grandparents too, after a fashion. Like Blaze the Genocider-Bot who one day decided to become the manor's head gardener with his Eye-Lasers and 5 Electromagnetic Plasma Blades.
He was really nice, but GOD help you if you step on his prize winning Southern Blue Grass, as that one poor mailman discovered.
But, you had actual things to accomplish today, so you quickly sent a message to the three Bot's, quickly breaking up their fight and getting them back on track.
Thus, with only two more repeats of the scene you had just scene, the hour of searching had passed, all of your Bot's had returned, albeit with some of them a bit dripping wet, and you had polished off a fair few granola bars. You were apparently hungrier than you had expected, but you guess that was to be expected what with skipping lunch and then heading to a completely different time zone.
So far that you could gather from what you had seen personally and from the Bots themselves, the bots had found a lot of interesting things.
Compiling a list of the places, you nodded your head and decided too...
[] Head towards the Abandoned Ruins one Bot found: It looked really old and might have something Useful.
[] Head towards the seemingly man-made structure one Bot found while searching the Deep Forest: Where there people out here?
[] Around the Giant Tree you parked under, it hasn't been explored fully.
[] Head towards the River, one of your Bots found a Cave when it fell in: Might be Interesting, and seems like the kind of place treasure would be?
[] Try to set some traps for your Jet while the Bots search he general area some more: Gain defenses to protect your Jet, and more importantly, your Healing Station, from harmful elements for your stay here.
[] Write-In
Choose One TWO of the Above, due to the added bonus of Eating Lunch!
This set, you got to work.
END OF CHAPTER
BONUS:
Should I post this Story on Sufficient Velocity as well, allowing it to possibly to take a different path from after this Wu Hunt onward?
[] Hell No, Keep it here, in ONE Timeline!
[] Hell Yeah, Multiple Timelines FTW!
Okay then people, there we go. Another chapter down, and another set of choices to make. Hope you all are enjoying this story so far, cause I know I am. In fact, I enjoy it SO much, that I'm gonna give ya'll a little omake at the end of this chapter. Isn't that GREAT~ Well, no point in stalling anymore, here we are, in
WHEN JACK'S AWAY, THE BOT SHALL PLAY, Part One
Jack: Age 9
"Okay Bot's! I'm going away to Grampa's for a bit to learn how to shoot guns better! Be Evil while I'm gone!" Young Jack shouted over his shoulder as he eagerly ran up the stairs two at a time, a giant grin growing on his face.
Looking forward as he was, he obviously missed how his Bot's snapped him salutes at his retreating backs, nor how they returned to their sides when the door to the basement finally snapped closed.
All was quiet for a moment, with only the minute sounds of metal shifting for a moment as the bots hovered or anchored in place for a moment, before the silence was broken.
"Query: Party?" Jackbot #447 said with a minute pause, as was his standard.
Ah, 447, the wildest of the bunch indeed. He was wild, he used his oil as both lubricant, AND a Power Source. Madness, that one. Regardless, you joined your brethren with the return.
"Compliance: PARTY." You and the rest replied in kind, hands, blades, and welders raised high as their servos would allow.
Thus, the plan was set.
Oil baths were set up in short order, set to a nice relaxing 800 degrees Fahrenheit, perfect to work out the kinds in those rusty gears.
Random Number Generator Roulette tables were set up in corners, with tables already filled with nuts, bolts, and even the occasional hand puppet. Even you weren't sure what was up with some of your brethren, but you were no Bot to judge.
Nothing would touch your Gunny Girl collection...
Regardless, the party was set, the irons were hot, and tonight was going to be the greatest night of Jackbot #349.
Even if he didn't know it yet...
END OF OMAKE
That tantalizing enough for ya? Well, that's all for me now, can't wait to see you all again soon! And don't forget to cast your votes!