Chapter 4: "Siege Device"
Alia surprised herself with self loathing after the rush of relief at hearing X's voice finally return to the comm line. She'd hidden her panic from the crew on the ship, but when his line went silent, she'd nearly gone mad. At the time, she'd wondered if Signas saw it, and that was why he'd joined her at her station, keeping her focused on various data tasks with his patient, calm manner.
The self-loathing came from her own reaction to Cadis. The poor Reploid was rescued from a traumatic situation, and Alia had never felt such a violent spike of jealousy in her life. It was that warm smile Cadis gave X as they finally joined the task-force on the ship over the island. X had returned it happily.
Her respect and regard for X she'd convinced herself were purely professional, but the jealousy made her realize that was a lie. Seeing X share a smile like that with another Reploid made her want to tackle the poor survivor into the bulkhead.
And now worse news. Wire Sponge revealed as a Maverick was the tip of an iceberg she'd helped dig out, and one she knew from personal experience. Now painful history was tied to the revelation that had just come to life.
Alia was standing on the bridge with Dr. Cain, Signas, X, and Airstrike. As the acting captain, Airstrike had a temporary elevation in rank for this mission, and the Reploid was such a consummate professional, Alia had no concerns over it.
X was still scorched and cut from his fight, but had wanted to be present for her report, so had put off his repairs for the moment. Another reason she felt sick of herself.
"Thank you for joining me," she began, business-like and calm as she entered data on the holotable between them all. "Now that we know Wire Sponge was a Maverick involved in this attack, we've been given a vital clue. Wire Sponge was part of a long range recon team of Maverick Hunters just before Sigma went Maverick himself. It was a team of some of the best and brightest."
Profiles started to pop up in the display, giving data, records, and images as she listed them out.
"Crystal Snail, the commander and a strong scientific mind. He specialized in isolated time-distortion technology before joining the Hunters. Also gifted for tactics, which is why he became commander." He had pale blue armor for skin, a vented, golden faceplate, and tendrils like a mustache and long eyebrows running off his head.
"His second in command, Flame Stag, was a combat expert specializing in harsh terrain." Alia clenched her jaw for a moment, then explained, "He trained me at the academy, in fact. I don't know what could have driven him Maverick, but…" she shook her head, starting to continue.
X and Signas shared an empathetic glance, and X focused back on Alia. He'd never wanted to explain to her more the truth of the virus, the infection.
The Reploid himself had a smooth, orange and white stag-like head, and the image showed actual flames gushing out to form antlers.
Airstrike shared a private comm with Signas and X, /He trained under Flame Mammoth first, actually. I'll make sure Inferno is aware, so he's prepped./
X let Signas actually respond.
/Very good. Thank you, Airstrike./
Alia continued, "Beyond them, the rest of the team specialized in environmental infiltration. It was part of why they were dispatched to the island. Wire Sponge was the jungle/forest expert. There's also Bubble Crab," a red and blue, faceplate-covered Reploid's face filled the profile image, "for aquatic, Overdrive Ostrich for desert superiority," his head was very bird-like, save for the armored silver fins rushing back over it, "Wheel Gator, an urban pacification specialist," bright green armor along a massive, crushing jaw filled the profile image, "Morph Moth, for adaptive environment identification and aerial superiority, a first-scout expert," his profile showed a bulbous face mask, bright eyes, and large, frilled eyebrow-antennae, "and then Magna Centipede. Magna is an expert in digital infiltration and system compromise," his profile showed blades aimed down over a covered mask, dark color curving over the top of his head.
Alia looked up from her datapad. "He's our most likely suspect for the hacking attacks on the factory and the weather-control station."
Dr. Cain nodded. "I agree with your assessment, Alia. Thank you. X, do you have anything to add?"
X shook his head. "No, sir. I would like to go on record stating Cadis went above and beyond the call of duty, especially for a civilian sector Reploid. She saved my life."
Alia clenched one hand tightly. She wouldn't let that jealous flare actually burn anyone. Signas did catch her eyes burning into the table, however.
Dr. Cain smiled. "I'll make sure it's properly noted, X. She's quite the survivor. Is she going to be alright on this ship for the time being?"
Alia forced herself to speak up. "She reports so, Dr. Cain. I made sure the medics gave her a once-over for safety-sake, and despite the obvious trauma, she's in excellent condition." Giving X a little smile, she added, "She was thanking X for the rescue."
X flushed a bit, very awkward suddenly, but he just smiled it away. Focusing on the table, he asked, "Is that computer facility properly isolated still?"
Signas answered, "Yes, confirmed with Alia's data just a few minutes ago. That place is well locked down for now. I think we can spare focus elsewhere."
Alia tipped her head.
Dr. Cain spoke up, "Very good then. X, go get yourself repaired. Alia, please continue to coordinate our information with Dex. If we can track any of the rest of this team, we need to."
The gathering saluted, and started to disperse.
Alia stopped and stared when X touched her shoulder on the way out. He smiled softly for her.
"Sorry about scaring you. I didn't expect the comm to die, but couldn't go back out to send a notice."
Alia eased, the jealous part calming under that smile of his. "It's okay. I appreciate the apology, but it's part of the job. I understand."
X tipped his head, and hurried off to the repair bay.
Alia touched her core for a moment, breathed, and continued on herself.
Alone in the repair chamber, X took a risk. He patched Wire Sponge's processor into his repair cell, and opened a connection. Shimmer had prepped it for him after a quick conversation. The X-Hunter team knew they couldn't go back to the bunker easily.
In a digital environment for both parties, X and Wire Sponge met face to face without aiming weapons at last.
Amid streaming data and particles of code, Wire Sponge gave X a grim look. "…You weren't kidding about the no killing part…"
X nodded. "I'll be getting you a body as soon as we can risk it. I know about the infection, Wire Sponge. I'm leading a secret team to try and defeat the virus itself while we fend off the infected Mavericks long enough to pull that off."
"…How many died?"
X looked down. "It wasn't your fault, Wire."
"I need to know."
"…Ninety-seven."
Wire's digital eyes closed, his imagined body shaking. "…Yes, I'll be helping. That's what I signed up for. As for this current business. I'm sorry, what we each knew was limited. Do you know about the team?"
"Now, yes. Crystal Snail's?"
"The same. All I know is that we've been deployed by three very reclusive Mavericks to keep YOU busy."
"…Me specifically?"
"Yes. I don't know where the others are stationed beyond assumptions. I'd bet Ostrich is in the desert hangar, Magna in the computer core… and so on."
X nodded. "We estimated the same. So they didn't have you coordinate at all?"
"Not so far. That may change now that you've beaten me. I do know you have that… triad shaking. They thought the storms would delay you much more than they did."
X smiled a bit. "Well that's at least something of a relief."
Wire seemed to glance off, and then focused on X again. "I just remembered something, X. Wheel Gator. He was obsessed with an experimental vehicle. It was being developed underwater, but was designed for siege warfare. If you haven't seen him yet, he'll be mobilizing soon."
X snapped to attention. "Where would he focus? Civilians?"
"As a Maverick? Probably."
"Thank you, Wire. I'm disconnecting. I have to finish repairing."
"Watch your back, X."
And the digital world faded away for each of them.
Water started to churn just off the Southern coast of the island. Massive whorls and lashing foam built into a crescendo of violence just before armored metal came bursting free of the depths. At first, the shape was hard to define, but after a moment the view would have been almost laughable if not for the gargantuan reality of the threat.
A massive tank was rolling out of the water. Easily large enough to be called a base or fortress, it was modeled to look like a giant reptile slung low to the ground, complete with massive yellow optics above the nose. Four building-sized treads were constantly grinding along beneath it, pulling it forward at astonishing speed for such a huge machine.
Cannons littered its hull, and aerial Mechaniloids were already swarming around it from launch bays along the hull and from internal passages.
Inside the control center for the massive siege weapon, Wheel Gator let a dark sneer peel open the left side of his elongated maw. His own yellowish optics were sharp with malice. From the faint jitter in his bladed, rotating shoulder armor, to the flooring shaking under his taloned boots, he could feel the power of his machine.
Squeezing his hands on the main control grips, he pushed the levers forward, and the machine started to increase speed. "Just a distraction, perhaps," his voice drifted out in a strange mixture of gravel and ice-smooth tones, "but a deeply cathartic one."
Mechaniloids manned the control consoles around the control center, and he addressed them next, "Set all weapons for frontal assault. We're charging Northhope City." To himself, he added, "And turning it into a glass parking lot."
Monotone affirmations replied, and various holoscreens and displays showed weapon systems powering up, power systems flowing, and engines revving.
X outright dashed down the last hall to the bridge, red alerts filling the air-ship as klaxons wailed. Alia, Signas, and Dex were already working at their stations, chatter filling the air with a stressed din of emergency.
"What's the situation?" X asked quickly, rushing to Dr. Cain and Airstrike at the command station near the front of the bridge.
Dr. Cain noted privately that Airstrike twisted and responded as if X was a high-ranked officer.
"Massive siege weapon, X. It just crawled out of the ocean, and is making a straight shot to Northhope. At a glance," Airstrike continued, tapping a control to change his console's screen as X came up beside him, "it's a mobile fortress, designed for direct combat."
Several things made X gawk at the view. The size, the armament, but more beyond… One of Dr. Light's Capsules!? On that!? How the… "I-it would take years to build something that massive!"
Dr. Cain cleared his throat, and both Reploids quickly turned to him apologetically, at attention. "It's likely one of the many projects this island was originally designed to work on, X. And with focused Mavericks, it was likely completed in record time, if not already prepared." Then he looked over to the other consoles, "Alia? Any luck hijacking the controls for that monstrosity?"
She was shaking her head even as her hands scrambled over her controls. "They sacrificed communication for security, it's completely LAN-connection-only inside its own structure. No remote access. We either get in and turn it around, or we blow it up."
Airstrike responded to the unspoken command, "I'm already on intercept course, but our weaponry may not be enough to turn it or drop it fast enough for the city. We'll reach Northhope in only a few minutes now."
X's face gained its stony battle-mask. "Both then. Airstrike, blow it to pieces. I'll drop on it and shut it down or turn it around."
Signas and Dex glanced over, but quickly kept working. Alia twisted in her chair, staring at X, however. "You want us to fire on it specifically with you on board, X?"
"They're not killing anymore civilians today," X replied, his voice hard and dark, his body already turned and marching away.
Dr. Cain's eyes narrowed, but he didn't speak against the plan at that moment. Alia started to rise up, but stopped herself when X vanished through the bridge entrance. If anyone could survive, it would be him, but… She shook her head, and sat back down, starting to help coordinate weapons, defense systems, and power in the ship.
The super-tank was charging forward even as the air-ship came sweeping down on its left. Both vehicles side weapons started angling and firing, shields buckling and warping in waves of lights amidst smoke and fire from the attacks.
Gator looked up at the ship from his command center, but was smiling faintly. "A real fight after all. Excellent."
On the airship, Dr. Cain was sitting at a separate console himself, and Alia was just glancing up at Airstrike as the ship started to pull an insane spin.
Airstrike himself was in control at this point, his console transformed into a standing harness with grips for his hands. His optics were lit with a kind of dark fire she'd never seen in them before, and the entire crew used magnetic harnesses or belts to stay in their stations as he pulled a battle-cruiser into a barrel-roll, while coordinating both flanks guns to fire in precise waves that only directed at the tank. The insane maneuver forced most of the tanks shots to deflect and sweep past the ship without hitting directly.
But the look on his face was disturbing. There was a focused fury in him that seemed almost Maverick. Alia had to speak out in a measured tone, "Airstrike, are you alright?"
It made Signas glance over as well, his own optics tightening.
Airstrike replied tightly as he kept the ship controlled and dancing despite its size. "Too much innocent blood is on my hands for this tank to reach that city. I'll drive it into the ground first."
Alia's brow creased. Innocent blood? Her optics danced over to Signas, whose jaw clenched as he focused back on his console. A power alert made Alia focus back on her work, but the experience lingered in her mind.
X came out of a splash of blue light that slammed down into the aft armor of the super-tank. Buster out, on one knee, his eyes looked up with a similar dark anger to Airstrike in that moment. With a shove and boost, he was rushing into a bay door he saw opening to let out more flyer Mechaniloids that moment.
With the air-ship rolling over the tank that same moment, cannons firing down at the whole time, X charged medium bolts of plasma as he went, blowing fliers apart and leaping through their wreckage that kept streaming forward from pure momentum.
Skidding into a dark hallway in the innards of the tank, X got his bearings for a core-pulse, and then kept dashing along. Roller-bots came surging along toward him, joined by fliers like little flying sharks from iris-bays in the bulkheads.
X danced and blasted through them. He flipped, leapt, fired, and dashed, weaving through wreckage and fire like a mad labyrinth of battle.
Hand-flipping over the collapsing body of a roller-bot, X dropped down into a ventilation chamber open to the air above. He risked a glance up, only because he felt the capsule. It was straight above him, above the center of the tall ceiling, possibly just beyond the exit of the vent itself.
Maybe it was in the cliffs below the water, and the tank just scraped it along? …Regardless, I can't get to it right now, too much is at stake. Sorry, Dr. Light. I'll be back for that one.
He kept going, dropping down further. His sensors gave him a vague concept of the tank's power core, and he'd reach it faster than the bridge.
"X!" Airstrike's violently tense voice called over the comm. "It'll reach the city in less than a minute!"
Growling at himself, X blitzed forward. His colors shifted, a dark purple flashing over his gaps in his armor, and the end of his buster turned into a strange, mechanical claw. "Let's see if I can use your trick, Wire," he muttered.
A chasm of serrated spikes was waiting for him as he shot forward, the flooring falling away to expose them as a last ditch defense for the power-core. With a grunt and leap, X went flying into the open air, punched a flier down into the spikes, and fired his buster at the ceiling further ahead. A bladed claw shot out on the end of a hydraulic tether-chord. It clamped on with amazing force to flat metal, and let X swing clean over the spikes, lashing himself over onto the clear flooring just in front of the massive, rotating power core.
With the released gripper retracting into his arm, X started to charge power, his body writhing with it as his colors reverted to normal.
That was when a mechaniloid pilot in a mech-suit crashed down directly in front of him. Instead of hands, it had massive, spiked pistons, and hover-thrusters shooting off the back. It was just starting to rush forward to ram X away.
His eyes narrowed, X rammed his buster forward, and fired. Plasma washed back around him, and a torrential surge burst ahead. Most of the mech-suit was erased, taking the lower half of the mechaniloid pilot with it, and continued on, ripping clear through the thick, spinning power core.
Chunks of energized metal from the core flew out as it blew apart. X flashed his charged rotary shield bubble over himself, and braced from the back-blast as the engine chamber trembled and roiled from the explosion.
The super-tank lurched, all but stopping its forward movement. In that moment, Airstrike took the airship and swung around the front of the tank. It filled the frighteningly small span between the tank's guns and the city, blasting away at the siege weapon and ground in front of it, creating a rift as much as pushing it back.
Gator ducked in the command center as the roof was blown clean open by a volley of fire from the airship, half of the bridge crew of mechaniloids flash-melted with their stations.
Staying in cover, Gator started shouting voice commands, "Engage emergency drive! Keep firing! Blow that ship out of the sky!"
Slowed, the tank started to crawl forward again, forcing the airship to ease out to the left to avoid backing into the first rows of buildings. It did, however, unleash a full frontal volley into the side of the tank's forward armor, which rammed the tank off at an angle at the cost of glass shattering along the first row of buildings.
Airstrike shouted, "Tell me that evacuation order got through in time!"
Dex answered, "Yes, sir, there shouldn't be any civilians for another four blocks at the moment, but the city is still mostly full beyond. They just didn't have enough time."
Alia risked a glance to see Airstrike's optics close from deep relief. They still had a chance to stop the tank from hurting civilians.
X leapt through the glowing remains of the power core, and found a waiting mech-suit on the far side of the chamber, along with a maintenance access to the catwalks running under the belly of the super-tank.
Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, he leapt into the mech-suit, powered it up, and dropped down into the maintenance walkways.
Other mechaniloid-piloted suits were already rushing toward him from the forward portion of the tank. X drove the suit forward, and sent it into a mad explosion of maneuvers. His spiked rams tore enemy suits apart or flung them away as he powered past them.
Airstrike's efforts finally forced the tank to turn to the right, along the city's border instead of into it. X saw buildings rolling by just as the airship filled the gap, guarding them with its body as the tank and ship continued to share fire.
Good job, Airstrike.
With one last suit in his way, past a gap in the catwalks, X pulled one ram back, let it spin up more power, and boosted across the gap, landing as he finally 'punched'.
The pieces of the last mech suit opposing him sheared into the wall beyond from the sheer force of their separation from their body.
Grinding his suit to a halt under the hatch back up into the tank, X leapt free, and into the true confines of the tank again.
Though the situation was extreme, many members of the crew couldn't help muttering about the skill Airstrike was demonstrating. Controlling a massive ship with such precision, with such high potential for disaster, yet even worse danger posed if they moved the ship away from the city was a feat worthy of recognition.
Alia had always noticed something about Airstrike. He'd seemed old despite being so young. He had the optics of a veteran from the first time she met him in training and recruitment. While his scores in training had been among the best, nothing had indicated this level of mastery. This was no green recruit… or at the very least, he was a savant if he was.
"Captain Airstrike," Dex called out suddenly, "our shields are red-lining. You're doing an amazing job, sir, but we just can't keep this up!"
"ETA on failure?" Airstrike growled back from his intense focus. His optics were locked on his sensors and his entire body was dedicated to keeping the ship perfectly in control.
"Less than a minute, sir!"
"Make them hold, divert power from weapons."
Signas raised an eye ridge. "From weapons?"
"We're a shield, Signas, not the spear."
"Sir!" Signas affirmed, his hands working quickly.
Dex and Alia shared a glance, but focused back on their consoles. Dr. Cain was watching the overall map at his console, harnessed safely to his chair. He didn't like the risk of Airstrike's command, but couldn't deny the need. If they pulled out, the city was wide open…
The spear was still fighting through the super-tank. X dashed through the still-flying remains of more fliers, and pulse-blasted a few more roller-bots as he traded legs. He finally shot out of a bay-opening, and leapt down to a lower level. He was now near the front of the tank, the airship hovering along beside, but noticeably firing less.
X spotted the torn-open command-center at last, and started to dash along the hull toward it. A flier-iris opened off to his right, but his buster blew it apart without X even looking back to aim.
Grabbing an edge of jagged metal, X swung himself straight down into the control chamber, energy building over his frame.
It was abandoned beyond the rumble of the massive machine's movements. Wary, X panned the room quickly with his buster, and then ran to the obvious command console near the back of the room.
There, he grimaced. The controls were powered down or outright torn apart physically. "…Locked to previous command task. It'll just keep firing at the ship until it's mechanically unable to…"
"You catch on quick, Hunter!"
X's eyes flared, and twisted to his right, but not before a large hand clamped onto his right shoulder, and wrenched him back.
The bulkhead dented around X's back, the Maverick Hunter grunting from shock and pain.
Wheel Gator didn't pause. He immediately swung in his other fist to smash X's head into the wall. X ducked with a scrape of his armor down the wall, and kicked one of Gator's legs out.
The Maverick barely grunted, going to one knee, and snapped his tail around. It rebalanced him into a spin to his right, and snapped a strike at X again.
X dove out to his own right, and the two twisted to face each other at the back of the room, X's buster trained on the green Maverick.
"Stand down! Power this machine down, and surrender. You won't be harmed."
Wheel Gator just smirked again, his shoulders starting to rev violently and glow.
X growled and fired a regular blast.
Gator's arms snapped across his front. X's battle-heightened senses watched the Maverick pull blade-wheels of plasma fire out of his own shoulders, deflecting the plasma-bolt as they were thrown forward at X.
With a shout of alarm, X shoved himself into a floating twist, barely wrenching his body between the swirling plasma-saws.
As he twisted, his back toward the ground, X aimed up at Gator with energy rising over his form. The Maverick suddenly shot forward to meet him in that same moment.
X's shot burned into another plasma-saw-wheel Gator quickly flicked out, and the two collided, instantly wrestling and striking each other trying to get a solid control over the fight.
"Spry little brat, I'll grant you, but you don't have the TORQUE!" Gator shouted through several grapples of their arms before suddenly slamming both hands up, and snap-thumping his tail up into X's stomach.
It was a catastrophic blow. X actually made a sickened choke, his respirator kicking and sputtering inside his torso, and he was flung up, out of the bridge. Easily ten meters straight up in the air, only the forward momentum of the entire tank keeping him from slamming down into the roof, X clutched his stomach with a groan. His armor was dented, including a nasty crack down one flank, energy fluid dripping out.
"X, we'll be torn apart by those cannons in a few seconds! We've bought as much time as we could!" Airstrike's voice shouted over the comm.
X looked down at the bridge of the tank, and his eyes dilated under half-closed lids. His colors snapped again, power building over his body as purple painted his frame.
Gator was just starting to leave the bridge when he heard a strange sound of shearing metal. He twisted, arms out and ready, but his optics flared as he saw X come swinging in, attached to a massive, hydraulic gripper at the edge of the torn-out roof.
Like a thunder-bolt, X two-leg kicked Wheel Gator clear through the back wall as the hydraulic gripper finally retracted to his buster.
"Shut the tank down, now!" X roared as he slammed Gator into a wall further inside the machine, 'crouching' against the Maverick, gripping shards of bent metal to hold himself there. "You must have remote access."
Gator grinned despite a dent in his own chest. "You'd have to destroy the entire bridge."
X shoved off, ramming Gator further into the wall and rocket-boosting himself back to the bridge as more energy poured over his body. His body changed colors faintly, still purple, but lighter.
When his body hit the control console, his head plowing through it thanks to his helmet, X fired.
A storm-tornado the size of a building simply erased the bridge from the tank. It nearly decapitated the reptile shape, and barely dodged part of the airship.
The tank roared mechanically, sputtering to a halt and grinding its massive treads under its own momentum. The cannons were dying down at last.
The tank was stopped.
A cheer rushed through the airship, and Airstrike pulled the ship up and away from the city, starting to engage the hover systems.
Alia focused back on her console, and saw X just finishing his blast, floating over the tank, just starting to drop down from his floating explosion of an attack.
Her optics widened as she saw Wheel Gator come hurtling out after X. "X, watch out!"
The two Reploids collided again, swirling down into the wreckage of the tank's front. Punching, kicking, and trying to crush each other to cause some kind of shift in the fight, they crashed through layers of wrecked armor, and then splashed down into a thick vat of dark purple fluid.
X felt himself released in the water, and yanked himself up to the surface, blasting backward with arms out, gasping for his respirator to help cool his over-worked core down. His nose stung a bit from the smell.
"Sea water and… lubricant? Is this an improvised cooling system?"
"Among other things."
X twisted, buster aiming behind him, but Gator batted the weapon-arm aside, and head-butted X square between the shoulders in his back.
The Hunter tore through the water, and tried to turn around, but Gator was gone. "…Fighting an alligator in shallow water… great."
Violent splashing gave X enough warning for him to blast his way to the far wall. Gator came ripping through as a living drill, blurring into the wall to X's new left and leaving a jagged crater there before vanishing into the fluid again.
X leapt onto the wall, and climbed up with some quick foot-digging into the plates. This is like fighting Sting Chameleon and Armor Armadillo at the same time. He's not just a hulk and fighter, he knows his talents.
A different splashing sound burst, and X dove off the wall, barely avoiding the plasma-saw-wheel that tore up through his previous spot on the wall.
Three more saws came ripping in at him from different parts of the water. X leapt up, and instinctively used his new gripper weapon to pull himself to the roof to avoid the strikes.
With a glance at the claw holding him to the roof, his eyes sharpened with intrigue.
"Hey, Gator?"
The Maverick came bursting out of the water, drilling straight up toward X. "YES!?"
X wrenched himself to one side, released his gripper, let Gator hit the ceiling there, and fired the gripper straight into the blurring Maverick. "You're a hard bot to reach."
Gator stopped spinning just as the claw slammed into his right shoulder, stopping his saw-generator with sputtering and sparks. "Clever!"
X let his gripper yank him to Gator, and the two slammed together again, spiraling down into the water with a massive splash.
In a flurry of twisting, flying water, punching, kicking, and a few saws flying loose, the two were locked in a tangle of X's gripper-chord, X on Gator's back, his other arm converted to a buster, and aiming in at the Maverick's head.
Rasping from a mixture of damage and exertion, X repeated, "Stand down."
Gator smirked, the pair able to lock eyes just enough over his shoulder. "What would you do, if I did?"
It would be complicated. He couldn't take the buffer and primary chip out with an excuse of the Maverick being dead. X's face strained as he realized the Maverick's point was strong… then he focused. "…You'll be detained, and given treatment."
Gator quirked an eyebrow. "You mean pulled apart and rebuilt?"
"No, help. This rage, this aggression isn't yours, Wheel. …I know that."
For one core-pulse, just the barest moment, Gator's optics softened. The haze faded for a blink, and the real Reploid gazed out. Was it relief? Fear?
But the virus reacted. The haze redoubled, and Gator was reduced to snarling rage in an instant, his body convulsing with an attempt to twist around and tear X's optics out.
X managed, "Don't give up," and cringed away before he fired point-blank into Gator's head.
Both of them were so damaged that Gator's armor couldn't withstand such a direct attack. Most of his head flew apart, splashing down into the liquid around them.
As both of their bodies sank beneath the surface, X gave himself a moment to grieve for the event. There had clearly been a chance, a hope for Gator to pull out of the haze without the trauma of being blown apart…
It was done. X modified his optics for submersion, and retrieved the buffer and processor from Gator's body while still submerged.
Hiding these away, X climbed out, and touched his comm. "Wheel Gator is down. I'm broadcasting a shut-down command to the mechaniloids in the tank now."
While the airship crew sagged with final relief, Alia touched her comm, "X, are you alright?"
"…Nothing a break in the repair chamber won't fix," he managed, but his voice was distorted.
Alia still felt a deep relief, then replied, "We'll have you out of there in a second, X, don't worry. …Well done, hero," she finished with a slight laugh.
"Hah. Airstrike's the hero today. …but thanks."
They were both smiling as Alia signaled the command to teleport him out of the muck, and back to safety.
With the virtual interface again, X stood with Wire Sponge and Wheel Gator's representations as he entered repair stasis.
Wheel looked down at himself. "You weren't kidding about trying to help, I see. Still, hell of a fight, kid. Where did you learn to bash like that?"
X rubbed the back of his virtual helmet, awkward. "Here and there… There's a lot to update you on, but we're also short on time. Wire can explain more, but I have to ask: do you know what the plan is by the other Mavericks on this island?"
For the moment, Wire seemed content to listen beyond a brief nod when X mentioned him.
Gator replied, "Sorry, no. I was kept mostly in the dark. Thanks to the… infection, I basically tunnel-visioned the super-tank project. I've always liked a good fight, but that was an insane level of aggression. I was almost aware of it even in the grip of the virus. Only advice I can give is that my plasma-saws tend to rip through armor and shields much faster than normal energy weapons. If you're going to track down Bubble Crab at some point, they might give you an edge. Need some schematics?"
X smiled a bit. "Already got that covered, but I'll keep that function in mind. Things are just getting busier and busier on this island. I'll handle the other Mavericks. For now, Wire Sponge, can you give Wheel the run-down on our long-term plan?"
Wire tipped his head. "No problem. Get fixed up. Even I can tell you got banged up good."
"Hey, he blew my head off," Wheel dryly retorted.
X nervously laughed. "R-right, well I should… repair… Yes…" and disconnected while saying so.
Wire just chuckled, and Gator outright laughed.
Alia leaned back in her chair on the bridge, stretching her servos with a chorus of small, hydraulic hisses. Knowing X was safe and repairing let her relax more than she cared to admit. Idly, she glanced over, and saw Airstrike still standing at his console. The captain was calm, but serious.
"Airstrike, can I ask where you learned to fly like that?" Alia tested with warm humor in her voice. Seeing him during the battle near the city had worried her on several levels.
The other Reploid blinked at his console, and then turned to her with a faint smile. "Instincts for flying. Must've been buried in my code somewhere, I guess."
Alia gave him a playful look of disbelief. "Instinct, huh? Barrel-rolling a cruiser between a massive mobile fortress and a city border while taking heavy fire?"
Airstrike rubbed the back of his neck. The new body had come with a few very human motor-programs, and he found it got the message across in a socially acceptable way. Sigma showed it to me, before the war… he reminisced privately, but to Alia, he replied, "Luck and a bit of prayer, as the humans have it. I knew X and the city didn't have much time, so I wanted to get the job done."
More serious, Alia nodded. "Which I believe we all appreciate. It was just very remarkable. Nice flying."
He gave a fuller smile. "Thanks, ma'am."
"You can call me Alia, Airstrike."
"If you're sure, Alia. I've been allowed to cut a lot of corners with my own rank, don't want to seem pushy."
She giggled. "I think you earned it."
That was when her console flared with a notice. Airstrike was curious, so he walked over as she focused down on her console.
Alia's brow creased. "It's a communication request, but I don't recognize this encryption, and it's on a pretty secure channel. …Airstrike, get Dr. Cain, Signas, and Dex. X, if he's repaired."
"Aye, ma'am!"
X was repaired (Airstrike knew he'd want to be up, and X agreed as soon as he was conscious and aware of the reason). On the bridge, he joined the command crew around the information and communication array behind Airstrike's usual station.
Dr. Cain nodded to Alia, "Bring it online."
An audio-only screen popped up, displaying sound waves as a voice spoke, "Maverick Hunters, greetings. We have a deal to propose." Serges' voice was frigidly diplomatic.
Dr. Cain replied, "Identify yourself? This is a secure channel."
"Secure enough to get your attention, yes. We are the X-Hunters."
Everyone shared a glanced with X, who narrowed his eyes at the signal display. He chose not to speak yet.
Agile's voice went on, "It seems we're both in a bit of a race to bring back a certain hero."
Dr. Cain's face tightened, but the Reploids present just became confused.
Violen's voice came next. "We have Zero's parts."
X's eyes burned into the screen, his entire body tensing up, his face lighting with a deep, awful form of shock. The others were staring at Dr. Cain, who was conspicuously grave.
The human replied, "You have mechanical pieces, nothing more."
Serges' voice returned, "Ah, yes, to the point. We appreciate that, Dr. Cain. We know you have Zero's core processor and system buffer."
Now Dr. Cain was getting stunned stares from everyone except X, who was still rigidly focused on the screen itself.
Dr. Cain cleared his throat, and didn't look back at Alia, Dex, Signas, or Airstrike, yet. "And what is your point then?"
"It's quite simple," Agile answered. "If Megaman X confronts us each, and wins, he will gain the parts of Zero's body. Enough to resurrect your hero very quickly, I imagine. And if he fails… well…"
Violen finished, "We'll come take the components."
And then Serges' drove the nail in, "We know you've been working on bringing him back yourself, Dr. Cain. There were many reasons you could not."
Only at this did X suddenly stop and stare up at the human scientist.
Dr. Cain cut the sound on his end, "We'll discuss it later, X." For the X-Hunters, he said, "You're welcome to try, Maverick."
Serges chuckled, said, "We'll be waiting," and then the signal cut.
Alia was still shocked by the situation, but she quickly ran to her console, and punched up some data. "…They're making it obvious. Three signals, definitely Reploids, and they've just teleported down into different, Maverick-controlled areas."
X was still staring at Dr. Cain, and his expression was surprisingly dark.
The others eased away, unsure what to say. Even Signas was stoic and quiet, his eyes lit with busy thoughts.
Dr. Cain cleared his throat, and started to leave the bridge. "I'll… be in my quarters. Let's reconvene and discuss the situation in… an hour."
Once he left the bridge, Alia stood back up, and came closer to X.
"…You okay?"
X came out of a trance, and stared at her. "…No. Sorry, Alia. I need to speak with Dr. Cain."
"He just said we'll-!?"
"Privately," X rasped over his shoulder as he twisted away. Alia saw his eyes for a moment, both apologetic and disturbingly angry, but she knew it wasn't at her.
Once X was out of sight, Signas walked close enough to address Alia as well. "I think it's a conversation those two need to have, Alia. Don't feel too bad about it."
She sighed, resting her hands on her hips. "I know, I just worry about him. He seems to be pulling more and more into his shell, and I think it's starting to wear on him."
Signas glanced at the closed doors. More than you know… "Just be there for him, Alia. It's all anyone could ask. You're a good friend to him."
They shared a wan smile, and then slowly returned to their stations to try and figure out the best move.
Dr. Cain didn't bother asking who was barging into his quarters. He turned his chair around at his desk at the back of the room, and faced X on the other side. Though he kept his own face calm and serious, privately he noted how intimidating X's face had become when angry or upset. There was an edge behind those eyes he had never seen before. …So that's the Hunter… "…Say it," he cut the silence at last.
X's lips pressed into a line first, then he slowly spoke. "You've been working to resurrect Zero without telling anyone? Especially his friends?"
"Yes."
"…Why?" A cold wave of anger made X's eyes narrow for a moment, but his face eased back to the obvious displeasure in with which he'd walked.
"Because I was looking into it, not certain yet. I wouldn't dare give his friends that kind of false hope. I was deliberately private on the matters, so that if he turned out to be truly unrecoverable, no one would hurt worse than they already did. These… 'X-Hunters' clearly have talents for gathering information."
X slowly exhaled. Despite his anger at being kept in the dark about Zero's fate, Dr. Cain's response made too much sense. Calming enough, his eyes softened, and he nodded. "…Sorry, Doc. So we'll ignore this bait then?"
Dr. Cain glanced down to one side, grimacing reflexively.
X's brow creased. "You need the parts…?"
"Zero is… His body was unique, X. I'm not certain he could be brought back without his body. That was why I haven't made much progress in six months."
X raised an eyebrow. So he knows Zero wasn't made like a normal Reploid. Hm… can't be sure how much he's learned beyond that, though. Best to keep the virus secret still. "…Then I'll get the parts."
Dr. Cain blinked up at him. "What? Such an obvious trap is not something I had in mind, X!"
X shook his head. "An obvious trap has already lost half the battle. We know they have no intention of just handing those parts over. However, if they at least bring them, I can make sure I get them. Then we get Zero back, if possible, and the Maverick Hunters will finally have their real hero back."
Dr. Cain stood up, and walked around his desk with his cane. X met his eyes, and the human reached out, gripping X's shoulder. "…X… I know our relationship has been… strained since Sigma's war. With all that said… You know I would never ask this of you?"
"You didn't. I'm doing this for Zero. I owe him."
Dr. Cain let go, and nodded slowly. "…Approved. Just be careful, X."
"I will be as much as possible, Do-!?"
The airship was filled with red alerts and klaxons that very moment. Neither of them had to ask for a report, Alia's voice was booming into the room from a speaker the next core-pulse.
"Emergency alert! A missile-silo just activated in the desert area in the West. It could wipe out any city on the planet!"
"They're not pulling any punches," X muttered quickly, already dashing for the door as he touched his comm. "Alia! I'm heading out, patch me the data!"
Dr. Cain watched him vanish around the corner of the doorway, and just bowed his head, hands on his cane. Will this madness never end? he asked, finally looking up at the ceiling.
Author's Note:
I'm rather proud of this chapter, I must confess. The airship vs. tank battle was actually ad-libbed almost the moment the words starting getting written. Airstrike (Storm Eagle) has always been a character I wanted to give more page time, and this provided a golden opportunity. I had a snap-vision of the control harness around him as he controlled the ship, and had to add it in.
I specifically like how the fight between X and Wheel Gator went as well. I think it struck a good balance of situational danger and robot-bashing, brutal combat. This fight is specifically intended to be harsh, possibly even disturbing (X would agree). Making Wheel Gator's shoulder-launching saws work in a semi-realistic fight was an entertaining challenge, too. And sorry about the horrible one-liner, I just couldn't resist.
This chapter also afforded a chance to get the core plat moving forward in relation to the viral X-Hunters and rebuilding Zero. The various moments with Alia also add to a sub-arc I'm putting into the story, which is heavily foreshadowed in this chapter with the explanation of her tie to Flame Stag. I also just love her character, so I specifically try to find good moments for her to interact with others.
Ironically, I find Dr. Cain almost the hardest character to write for. I don't want to just shove him to the side, as the games appeared to do (seriously what happened to him by X 4?), but he also provides unique trouble to every scene he's in. I finally came to a certain set of conclusions about him, and intend to have them play-out throughout my planned series (five stories total, this is the second).
I hope you enjoyed! Thanks so much for the reviews, favs, and follows, they're greatly appreciated, and keep me going!