Rioni Riishu: If you've played BN4: Red Sun, you'll recognise it as the description of SearchMan.exe. The BN incarnations are excellent for remaking RMs into Reploids.
Chapter 10: Desperado
CONCIERGE, MAVERICK HUNTER HEADQUARTERS, 0721 HRS -
The young clerk Reploid was humming boredly to herself when a shiny, black-with-gold Reploid walked up to her. Casting a cautious eye over the newcomer, she observed that he had a helmet that covered his entire face, revealing only a pair of blue lights that she assumed served for eyes. He had a great many spikes over his armour, including one that protruded from the faceplate as a horn. What drew her attention, however, was the red circle with many red lines through it that was engraved slightly below the forehead and horn, as well as the scythe strapped to his back. Observing the Reploid's eyes on her, she blushed slightly and turned to face his eyes. "Yes, sir? How can I help you?"
"I would like to get to the Commander's Office, if you please."
The clerk Reploid an eyebrow at this request, then said, "Okay, sir. Please head to the Security Office, where you will be scanned for malicious objects before being escorted to the Commander's Office."
Grunting an approval, the shiny-armoured Reploid turned and headed in the general direction of the Security Office.
Turning slightly to look in the direction of the shiny-armoured
Reploid's path, the clerk Reploid then shrugged and returned to her
work.
INNER SANCTUM, CRIMSON PALACE, 0724 HRS -
Kardina knelt on one knee tersely in front of Diablos as he reported the bad news. "Master, I regret to inform you that Glockopolis and Koch City have been retaken by the Hunters. Furthermore, even as we speak, the other Hunter units are combating our forces in Browning and Heckler Cities. While they do not have the Legendary Hunters as leaders, they are nonetheless unyielding foes, unwilling to retreat in the face of our counterassaults."
Diablos narrowed his eyes in distaint, and his mouth curled in anger. He turned around, temporarily ignoring Kardina, and looked in the general direction of Accel's Yin energy prison. Now he spoke as though to the trapped Hunter, even though the shielding that separated the throne room from the gaol was soundproof. "Shadowsong Accelerando Wily. It appears that I have underestimated your brethren. No more, spawn of Wily, no more." Turning to Kardina, he said, "Kardina!" After observing Kardina twitch slightly in a show of attention-paying, he continued. "It appears as though the Hunters need to be reminded of our power. Gather our elites in the courtyard. We set off for Browning City at once!""Immediately, master!" Kardina acknowledged. Making a swift nod of his head, he rose to his feet, backed out of the throne room, and ran off. Diablos turned once more to consider the thick doors that led to the Crimson Palace's gaol, then resumed his usual facing and started making his way out.
NAVIGATION ROOM, MAVERICK HUNTER HEADQUARTERS, 0726 HRS -
"Okay, Glockopolis and Koch City have been retaken... Units 4, 6, 7, 9 and 14 are having great trouble in their battles,though... And Layer, will you stop swinging your rapier in the air!" Alia shouted.
The new purple-haired and -armoured navigator Reploid known as Layer twitched an eyebrow in anger and disgust, then sheathed the thin-bladed weapon, spouting only one word, "Fine."
A sandy-haired, green-armoured fellow Navigator chuckled in spite of herself from the other side of the navigation room.
"Methinks you should have joined the militant divisions, with your desire to wield your blade and all."
"Stuff it, Palette," Layer scowled at her fellow Navigator.
"Or...?" Palette quizzed with just a tiny glint in her eye.
"Now, now, stay calm, the two of you!" Alia urged from her vantage point in the centre of the room.
As she did so, the twin doors slid open to reveal the
shiny-armoured Reploid, escorted by two Hunters. "Ma'am, t'is 'ere
guvnor says 'e wants to see t'e Commander," one of them, evidently on
the verge of job retirement from his slightly-slowed actions, spouted
in his accent.
"Hmm... Okay, go ahead..." Alia said noncommittally. She watched
the newcomer out of the corner of her wary eye as he headed to the
double doors between her which led to Signas' office. The double doors
slid open to accommodate the newcomer and his two escorts, then closed
back after them.
COMMANDER'S OFFICE, MAVERICK HUNTER HEADQUARTERS, 0727 HRS -
Signas looked up from the paperwork he was handling to observe the arrivals... and immediately he scowled in disgust.
"Lucifer."
The veteran Hunter asked in confusion, "Sir? You know t'is 'ere guvnor?"
Signas cringed slightly at the Hunter's accent, but made no public display of it. "Yes... Go out and leave me alone. Wait for him right outside."
As the two Hunters saluted and left, Signas turned his eyes to face Lucifer. "It has been some time, Lucifer... Ever since the presentation... What exactly have you been up too?"
"Curious, are you, Signas?" The shiny-armoured Reploid scientist countered. "That, however, is not my true purpose in coming here."
"What would that be, then?"
"I... have heard news about the war between the Hunters and the Yin Reploids."
"No surprise. It seems as though... Your field of research is proving to be most troublesome," Signas said, sitting up straight. While he did not mention it outright, the tone with which the Commander of the Maverick Hunters Central Division spoke bore an accusation. It was almost as if Signas was convinced that Lucifer was responsible for all this, and the astute scientist Reploid knew it.
"Ah, but then it is due to no fault of mine that these events of mine are occurring. After all, you once sent one of your Ultimate Hunter Hunters... I think his name was Accelerando, no?... To check out my research. I met with him, and going over my facilities, he found nothing wrong!" Lucifer made this last point with a triumphant tone.
Signas slumped back into his chair in defeat. He was right, after all... "So, get on with your purpose."
"At last we get there. I would like to offer my services to you..."
BROWNING CITY, UNITED KINGDOM, 0750 HRS -
"Gaaaaaaaah!"
A Hunter let out a last strangled cry as a katana severed his head from the rest of his body. As his nearby comrades began to deal with this new threat, a barrage of bullets tore through their bodies from above, leaving their lifeless remains to slump to the floor.
The white katana-wielding Reploid sheathed its weapon as a wolf-helmeted Reploid touched down beside him. "Kardina! Where is our Master?"
"There's been a change of orders... our Master shall retake Koch City by himself... I will lead troops to decimate the Hunters at Glockopolis. As for you, Nahamatsu... you will stay here and fend off any remaining Hunters. After our assault, their morale will undoubtedly be low... if they come again, they should not put up much of a fight."
The Reploid now identified as Nahamatsu casually stabbed his katana through the chest of a Hunter who had attempted to backstab him. "You will be leaving now?"
"It looks like we are done here anyhow..." Indeed, Kardina was right. Many of the Hunters had fled by now, besides a few stragglers who stood and fought. Kardina easily blew the brains of one such Reploid out with his trusty pistols, before dematerialising into a warp laser and shooting off.
KOCH CITY, RUSSIA, 0754 HRS -
Diablos moved through the streets of the city, dismembering Hunters left and right with his formidable claws as they opened fire on him with their weapons; they might as well have been hurling peas at a stone wall. Soon, many realised this fact and threw down their weapons to run.
"I tire of this!" Diablos' loud voice boomed throughout the city. The large Reploid then concentrated, holding out one claw, as a dark ball of Yin energy began to form in his palm. When he had deemed it large enough, he released it into the air, where it exploded with a burst of the obliterating energy, sending a powerful shockwave throughout the city, easily wrecking most, if not all, the Reploids, and damaging buildings, some of which nearly collapsed. A toothy grin formed on the evil behemoth's face as he surveyed the destruction he had caused. Just then, a familiar sound informed him to Kardina's arrival.
"My lord, the Hunter threat in Browning has been eliminated. Ryuugo is combating the Hunters in Heckler..."
Another sound alerted Diablos to another Reploid's arrival. This one was red and seemed to be clad in standard-issue armour, though he had Yin crystals at various points of his body. "Master, Heckler City is secured..."
Diablos nodded. "You have done well, Ryuugo..." The red Reploid nodded and left to guard the abovementioned city.
"My lord, I will take my leave now." Kardina too left for the city of Glockopolis.
"...Kryston, come to me!" Diablos telepathically called out for one of his elites. Immediately, this call was answered, and the Reploid in question arrived at his master's side, kneeling. "You will guard this city... I will return to our fortress now."
The Reploid named Kryston nodded an assent as Diablos left the city, laughing to himself. "Muahahaha! Soon, the world will be ours!..."
COMMANDER'S OFFICE, MAVERICK HUNTER HEADQUARTERS, 0804 HRS -
"So, you propose to lead a group of elite Hunters to infiltrate the fortress and assassinate Diablos..."
"...Indeed."
Jerking forward, Signas slammed his fists on the table. "This is ridiculous! You expect me to sacrifice my best Hunters on what is nothing more than a suicide mission!"
Lucifer smiled coldly, unmoved. "I assure you this mission will succeed."
Signas closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, trying to calm himself. "...You do not know the power of Diablos... You have not seen it..."
Lucifer looked almost on the verge of laughing. "Oh, but I-"
Signas' eyes snapped open. "You DO realise the fate of the world may very well hinge on this, do you not?"
Lucifer grinned. "If this plan fails, it may well mean the end of the world... but if you do not put this plan into motion, it may also mean the end of the world... Do you take the gamble, or do you not?"
Signas sighed. "I was never really one for gambling."
Lucifer got up from his seat, still smiling. "I doubt that. So that's a no... is it not?" The black Reploid scientist turned to leave.
Just as Lucifer was about to step out of the door, a voice from behind him stopped him in his tracks. "We'll take it."
The black Reploid turned to face the commander, who was now standing. "Do you have anyone in mind...?"
Signas nodded. "Out of all the Maverick Hunters, there are none who are more elite than these two..."
Signas looked out of the window, towards the training grounds, where two familiar Reploids were sparring.
"...X and Zero."
Some time later...
X, Zero, and a few other elite Hunters stood at attention within the commander's office. Lucifer and Signas were briefing them about the details of the mission. Finally, as the briefing ended and the Hunters left to get ready, Signas sighed again and turned to Lucifer.
"...I hope you know what you're doing..."
Lucifer grinned. "I assure you this mission will succeed..."
...it must...
CRIMSON PALACE, 0848 HRS -
A metal grating in the wall fell onto the floor with a clatter, though it did not generate enough noise to garner any attention. X poked his head out of the air duct and surveyed the deserted hallway. Crawling out of the cramped space, he muttered a soft "All Clear" to his comrades. One by one, the left the duct, their method of choice for sneaking into the base. The group made their way to a nearby door, weapons at the ready just in case. As X reached out to open the door, it opened before his hand could make contact with the knob as a Yin Reploid entered the hallway. Immediately, it was met by a charged X-Buster shot and a quick Z-Sabre slash, but in the instant the shot made contact, it had already sent out an "Intruder Alert!"
As the alarm blared throughout the fortress, the Hunters wasted no time. "Quickly!" Lucifer shouted, running through the door the Reploid had run out of and severing a similar nearby Reploid in two with a swipe from his scythe. The rest of the group followed as Lucifer swiftly broke down the doors in their way, quickly eliminating any resistance. However, as they approached the inner sanctum, the swarm of enemies grew larger, and their progress slowed. By the time they reached the door to the room where Diablos was, there was a huge swarm of enemies approaching them, surrounding them on all sides till their backs were forced against the door.
Lucifer quickly whispered his orders to the rest of the group. "I'll head in to fight Diablos, we can't afford getting swarmed in there! Hold them off!"
"What! Why you alone?" X questioned.
"Because I, alone, the researcher of Yin energy, knows how it works and how to combat it!" hissed Lucifer through his teeth. "We don't have much time!
One of the other Hunters said, "But the door is locked... we must enter the passcode into that keypad!"
"With any luck, Diablos hasn't changed the one Red set..." Zero inched over to the keypad and quickly punched in a long string of numbers. It worked and the door opened.
"Go, then! We can handle them!" X muttered to Lucifer, gesturing towards the door. Lucifer nodded and disappeared through the doorway as the door closed and automatically locked itself again.
"Just like old times, eh Zero?" X called in the Fusion Armour he had made earlier, beginning to charge his buster.
"Plowing through huge groups of Reploids..." Both elites took a moment to reminiscence about the past Maverick Uprisings. "...Yeah, definitely. So, you ready?"
"Born that way." X responded, as his buster charged to its maximum capacity.
"Then let's ROCK!" yelled Zero, eyes alight with the flame of battle once more, as the Yin Reploids closed in quickly...
Whoo. Evil, evil cliffy. P As usual, comments and suggestions are welcomed.
