A/N: With only a few more chapters till the end of the first arc, we are so excited to bring you Chapter 15! Enjoy! And before that, here is a term for the arc:
Time Space Bureau: The organization Nanoha and Fate worked for. Their job is to protect planets and Earth from any threat. So in a sense, they are like the Maverick Hunters.
Chapter 15: Armored Armadillo: The X Foundation Strikes! The Power of Quicksilver!
Three days has passed since the Maverick Hunters' victory over Sting Chameleon and receiving the final armor upgrade from the Light Capsule. With everything quiet for the time being, X, Jerry, Sophie, Jessie, Marino, the IS girls, the Arthurs, the Koi Koi 7, Nanoha and Fate all decided to visit one of Neo Tokyo's parks to pass the time while Zero and Storm Eagle search for the next Maverick General. So until then, our heroes takes a well-deserved break until they're called into action once again.
During this time, X, Houki, Cecilia, Jerry, Sophie, Jessie and Marino were all at a cafe in the park. While Jerry and Sophie had visited the cafe several times before, this is X's first time in a cafe and it's making him nervous. X was shifting around in his chair as he wasn't sure what to do or say while both girls were equally nervous as they haven't been on a date in a long time since Ichika had died and are trying to get back into it. But now, things are starting to get really awkward…
"Uh… Um…" X looked around nervously. "A-Are you two sure we should be in this cafe together? Everyone's looking directly at us and they might think we're dating. I'm not sure if I can handle it."
"Don't worry about it, X. I'm sure you'll do fine. I mean, it's not like they think you're dating one of us, right? So, you've got nothing to worry about." Cecilia closed her eyes and smiled, but in her thoughts. 'Soon, though… That might change… But why can't I also get that boy I met months ago out of my head…?' She started drooling with a perverted smiled on her face while Houki and X looked at her oddly.
"O…k then… Moving right along from that…" Houki muttered and shook her head in disapproval as she thought back to the day when Nanoha was giving her and Sophie some pointers on how to woo both X and Jerry over. And somehow, Jessie and Marino were dragged into this by sheer coincidence.
Flashback, three days ago after mission success
Just after returning to the base from destroying Sting Chameleon, Houki, Sophie and Nanoha were talking in the hallway where she was giving them some pointers on how to woo the boys.
"Okay, here's what you two need to do." Nanoha smiled softly and in excitement.
"Okay, go on?" Houki asked as she wanted to know if Nanoha can make it work for her and X.
"Again, how did I get myself into this mess?" Sophie, however, groaned in annoyance.
"C'mon, Sophie-chan. I'm sure it's not that bad. And who knows? You and Jerry-kun might be even closer together." Nanoha told her while the latter blushed madly "And to do that, I want you two take the boys to a cafe in a few days and choose what they like. Since Sophie-chan knows what Jerry-kun likes, then I'm sure you already knows what he likes. Bust since I know X is a Reploid who can't eat or sleep, why don't you give him some energy drinks for Reploids?" She then suggested to them.
"Are you sure this will work, Nanoha-chan? I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Houki was skeptical about the plan.
"Yeah, I don't think it's going to be as simple as you made it out to be." Sophie agrees with her.
"Of course, it'll work! I'm sure of it!" Nanoha beamed. "You two just do to do what I told you where you tell the boys about how they feel and say some encouraging words to them and before you know it, bam! You two and those boys will be kissing as the sun set! I just know it!"
"Uh-huh…" Sophie raised an eyebrow at her.
"I-I see where this is going… But I'm still not sure if it's going to work out…" Houki chuckled nervously as she sweat dropped. "Alright. If you say this plan of ours will work, then we'll try to put to use, Nanoha-chan."
"What plan, Houki?" A familiar voice asked as the trio turned around to see Jessie and Marino walking up to them. "What's going on here? And what's this plan you guys were talking about?"
"Ah, perfect timing! I was giving some pointers to both Houki-chan and Sophie-chan on how to woo both X-kun and Jerry-kun." Nanoha answered "And since you two are here, I think you should join them in wooing the boys!"
"Huh?" Both Jessie and Marino blinked as Nanoha tells them about the same plan she told to Houki and Sophie.
Present Day
"…ouki? Houki! Are you alright?!" X managed to wake Houki up from her daydream.
'Huh? What?" Houki shaped back to reality and noticed X and Cecilia staring at her in concern. "Oh, sorry about that. I must've been daydreaming, huh?" She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her hand anxiously.
"Yeah, you were. We were getting a little worried when you suddenly went quiet." Cecilia nodded as a Reploid waitress walked up to their table and asked for their orders.
"I'll have a strawberry cheesecake." Cecilia told her order.
"Cheese Danish for me, please." Houki answered for her order before looking at X. "What about you, X? Is there something you like?"
"Well… Let me see…" X looked through the menu for Reploids and saw the Super E-Tank Drink. "I think I'll have the Super E-Tank Drink if that's alright with everyone." Houki averted her gaze from him and saw Nanoha, Fate, the Arthurs, the Koi Koi 7 and Tetsuro hiding outside of the cafe, looking at her, Cecilia and X before hiding back into the bushes. She smiled slightly as the Reploid waitress finished taking their orders.
On the opposite side of the cafe, Jerry, Sophie, Jessie and Marino were watching this happening as they were also dragged into it by Nanoha. They've even saw Nanoha looking at them and gave them a thumbs up before ducking back into the bushes.
"I just can't believe how Nanoha is trying to make us go through this plan of hers." Sophie sighed. "I get that she wants X to choose which of the girls he likes the most, but why drag us into it? It's not long this is going to help him make his decision any faster."
"Maybe not, but it's more for him to get to know each of them better. That way it'll be a lot easier for him to choose which of the girls he likes the most." Jessie told her with a nod. "I know it's not really helping with how dense he is and those girls can be a handful at times, but you can't ignore the fact that they've been having some feelings for each other. The real question is that who will X choose and if there'll be no hard feelings between them."
"I guess, but what I don't get is why were you two were pulled into her plan?" Jerry asked them confusedly. "From what you told us, you saw Nanoha talking with Houki and Sophie the moment when you guys returned from your mission with Sting Chameleon. How is this going to help X choose which of the girls he likes?"
"Honestly, I don't mind this. I can get to know you two more than I do during our missions." Marino smiled "From what Jessie has told me, you two were the only people who has ever been kind to her when no one wanted to approach her because of her family being part of the original Emerald Spears back in 20XX. But when you two came into her life, she's been the happiest person I've ever seen her. So in a way, I thank Nanoha for letting us get together like this."
"I'll admit, we were a little worried about Jessie when we first met her back in middle school because of her reputation." Sophie said with a smile "But after getting to know her more, we now know that she's nothing like how everyone makes her out to be. Soon after that, we've been together until we've graduated from high school. Of course, it wasn't just the three of us during that time."
"Oh? And who else was there with you?" Marino asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I believe she means us." A familiar voice answered her. The group turned around to see Ross and Glynda walking up to their table.
"Hey, Ross. Glynda. Nice to see you two again. The last time we saw you was during the first Maverick incident." Jerry said with a smile.
"Oh yeah, that was when you two introduced us to X and those girls from the IS era." Glynda smiled before noticing Jessie and Marino with them. "Oh, Jess. We didn't even see you there. How are you doing? And who's your new friend?"
"This is Marino. I found her in an old lab while I was on a scouting mission in the Neo Tokyo Mines." Jessie answered "I wasn't sure who created her or why was she sealed away, but I felt like I had to wake her up and then, we've been together ever since."
"That's good to hear. And it's an honor to meet you in person, Marino." Ross greeted with a smile.
"The pleasure's all mine. It's nice to see more of Jerry, Sophie and Jessie's friends." Marino smiled back.
"So what are you guys doing here? Is there some kind of special occasion?" Glynda asked.
"Not exactly. We're here to help X find out which of the girls he likes the most." Jerry answered her as he explained. "Nanoha had organized this with Sophie and Houki three days ago right after the mission with Sting Chameleon and these two ended up being dragged into it as well." The girls all nodded in agreement.
"Nanoha? Who's this Nanoha you're talking about?" Ross asked confusedly.
"Look outside the cafe. You'll see her and everyone else behind the bushes." Sophie points to the bushes where the otherworlders are hiding and noticed they were looking at them.
"Okay then… I had no idea you've already met so many people after our last meeting." Ross said with a raised eyebrow.
"Trust us, you don't even know the half of it. But I think we'll save that for another time." Jerry nods "I'm guessing you guys have been working hard since the first Maverick attacked?"
"We have, but it's been one horrible case after another. You wouldn't believe how many Reploids were decommissioned because of their constant attacks on humans." Glynda told him with a sigh. "When we heard Dr. Cain was creating the Maverick Hunters, we were relieved to hear someone was going to pick up the slack in fighting these Mavericks and keeping everyone safe."
"But when we heard that Sigma has declared war on humanity, we just couldn't believe it…" Ross said with a serious frown "The Reploid that Dr. Cain created to be immune to this virus has now decided to wipe out all of humanity and create a world where Reploids are the dominant species. He even stated that he's planning to conquer not just this world, but several other worlds as well. We thought he was just making that up, there's no way that's even possible."
"I'm afraid Sigma's not lying. He really is planning to conquer the entire omniverse for his own insane plans." Marino told them, sharing their frown with her own. "From what Jerry and Sophie had told us, Dr. Cain created a device called Project Uni where he can travel to other worlds. He originally planned it to extend a hand of peace, but Sigma stole it at the start of the war and now he's planning to use it to conquer the other worlds. Nanoha and the others you see outside are all inhabitants of the worlds Sigma is trying to conquer by making them come to our world and make their worlds vulnerable for him army to take over."
"No way…" Glynda gasped.
"So it was true? Everything he said from the start of the war?" Ross gawked.
"I'm afraid so. So we've joined the Maverick Hunters to not only stop him, but take back Project Uni so that it won't be used for evil." Sophie nods "So far we've already taken out more than half of his Maverick Generals, so we're getting closer to finally stopping him from achieving his goals. Of course, one of his Maverick Generals, Storm Eagle, has joined up with the Maverick Hunters again and is now helping us in stopping Sigma while also redeeming himself."
"I see. That's good to hear. I'm glad to know that Storm Eagle has decided to join the Maverick Hunters and is able to redeem himself." Ross smiled "Still, it's a lot to take in and we're not sure if we can accept it as truth or not."
"It's alright, we know it's not something that happens a lot. But we can assure you that we're telling the truth." Jessie said with a nod. "Believe me, I didn't really believe it myself until we've joined the Maverick Hunters. After everything we've seen so far, we can definitely say that we're not lying."
"If you say that you're telling us the truth, then we'll take your word for it." Ross said as he and Glynda nodded. "In any case, it's about time we head for our apartment. We've been working so hard that our chief decided to let us take the day off today. So we'll be back on the case tomorrow morning, so we'll need to get some rest before heading back to work."
"Alright, we'll be seeing you guys again soon. It was nice to see you two again after so long." Sophie smiled as their friends take their leave.
But as they were heading for the entrance of the cafe, a woman comes walking in where she bumped into Ross and made him stumble backwards. Luckily, Glynda was there to catch him before he fell over as they turned to the woman who was dusting herself off.
"Excuse me, miss. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Are you alright? I didn't hurt you in any way, did I?" Ross asked the woman.
"It's quite alright. No harm done." The woman answered him. "I wasn't paying attention myself and didn't see you exiting the door. I hope you and your friend aren't hurt."
"Don't worry about us, ma'am. We're a lot tougher than we look." Glynda told her "Just be careful when you enter through the same entrance. Someone could be walking out the same way."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I apologize for keeping you two help up." The woman bowed as both Ross and Glynda took their leave.
But the moment they're out of sight, the woman brings her head back up to reveal a familiar face as she smirked at the unassuming agents. She pulls out a device from her pocket and activates it as a beeping was going off in Ross' pocket. Meaning the bump was staged so that she could place a tracker on him as the signal was being sent to the X Foundation soldiers who all followed the signal to their apartment.
"And you'd better be sure to take your own advice. You may never know when something bad will happen." Madam Y chuckled as she takes her leave to the agents apartment.
With the rest of the group
In the otherworlders' hiding space, Nanoha was smiling confidently as everyone watches X, Cecilia and Houki making some small talk with each other and even looked over at Sophie's table where they were doing the same. Nanoha was very pleased with herself in helping both Houki and Sophie woo the boys and have them express their feelings for them.
"Yes! So far, so good! Operation Woo the Boys is proceeding smoothly! Now all that's left is for Houki-chan and Sophie-chan to tell the boys how they feel and they'll be watching the sunset in no time!" Nanoha whispered to the group.
"Y-You really think this'll work, Nanoha-chan? I'm not sure if it'll go as you planned." Tetsuro stammered as he has doubts about this plan of hers.
"Yeah, I agree with Tetsuro. What makes you think that Charlotte, Ling and Laura wouldn't just arrive to interfere with this plan of yours? I doubt they'll be happy to see one of their friends trying to get ahead of them." Miyabi whispered harshly at this plan as she feared will fail.
"No need to worry, I'm sure they won't be mad. I'm pretty sure it'll work, just trust me on this." Nanoha reassured her.
"Incomprehensible…" Otome frowned.
"You say that, but I doubt that it's going to work as you say. Not if those three have anything to say about it." Yamaneko said, frowning.
"Yeah. And I bet they'll have a field day in this if they see X and Houki kissing. I can already see a massive catfight between them." Sakuya growled as the otherworlders peeked from the bushes and saw X, Houki and Cecilia getting their orders before looking over to the other table. "And then there's those guys. The ones who helped create the Reploids when their boss found X and then later found Houki and her friends. From what they've said, they've been working with this Dr. Cain guy ever since they've graduated from high school and moved to Japan. I'm guessing they've been together for a long time, then?"
"It's a possibility, but what I'm wondering is what's with this intense hatred I'm getting from Jerry?" Runo pointed out as he pondered about this. "He and Sophie may have helped X in finding Houki and her friends, but they don't seem to look at them eye to eye. It's almost like there's something else that seems to keeping them from interacting with them much."
"Yeah, you're right. Those two don't always seem to be talking with them unless it's about something important." Dancho agrees as she crossed her arms and began to think. "Other than that, they always seem to keep their distance from Houki and her friends for some reason. Jerry seems to have it worse as he's always giving them the cold shoulder and won't talk to them unless it's something important. Sophie does seem to be more-friendlier to them, but I can't help to feel that she's really hiding something from them. Like there's some kind of deep rooted grudge that runs deeper than we realized."
"Do you think something happened to them and they're taking it out on Houki and the others?" Renkin asked afraid.
"Maybe, but I'm not sure if they'll tell us or not. It's probably something really personal to them." Fate answered her as she worriedly added "I don't know what kind of grunge they have against Houki and the others, I just hope it doesn't lead them down the wrong path…" The otherworlders all felt worried for Jerry and Sophie and couldn't help but feel sorry for them of their grudges while hoping it doesn't be used against them as they continued watching them.
Back with X, Houki and Cecilia
Houki shifted nervously in her seat as she looked around the cafe. She can see everyone else just having a good time and she even noticed some couples that were on dates, which only made her even more nervous. But as she took a deep breath, she turned to X who was drinking his Super E-Tank and decided to go for broke and ask him about something.
"Hey, X… There's something I've been meaning to ask you about… So is it alright if I can ask you s question?" Houki got out.
"Hmm?" X shifted his gaze over to Houki with a confused expression while still drinking his Super E-Tank.
"What's up, Houki? Is there something important you want to know?" Cecilia asked confusedly as she finishes her cheesecake.
"I wonder what Houki's going to ask X about?" Jessie wondered as her group watches them from their table.
"I'm not sure. It must be really important if she's decided to ask him now." Sophie answered,
"Well… It's something that's been on my mind for a while now…" Houki began "X… If it's really possible for Reploids and humans to love each other, is it alright if you will be my soulmate?" When she said that, X spits out his drink all over Houki and caused her to winced. Jerry, Sophie, Jessie and Marino also winced at the sight of X doing a spit take from Houki's question.
"Oh… That didn't end well…" Jessie flinched at that.
"I just hope that Houki doesn't get angry at him for spitting his drink on her…" Marino agrees as she thought to herself. 'But if what she said is true about humans and Reploids loving each other, then that means I could…' She looked over to Jerry who was still watching the scene as X grabs a napkin and hands it over to Houki to clean herself up with it. She felt her face turning red as she gazes at Jerry before shaking her head and recomposes herself. 'No, you can't think about that. It's impossible for a humans and a Reploid to fall in love with each other. Besides, I'm not even human, so it would never work… But if what she said is true, then maybe…' She looked up at Jerry again who was now looking back at her and caused her to jump in surprise.
"Marino, you've been kinda quiet. Is something wrong?" Jerry asked her in concern that caused her to blush even more.
"N-No! T-There's nothing wrong! I'm perfectly fine!" Marino stuttered as she turned away to cover her face while Jerry looks at her in confusion.
"Okay…" Jerry blinked before turning back to X apologizing to Houki. Luckily for him, she didn't get mad at him.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Houki! I didn't mean to spit on you!" X apologizing as Houki cleans herself with the napkin. "Your question just took me by surprise and I couldn't hold back my reaction! Please don't be mad at me!"
"It's alright, X. I'm not mad at you. It was my fault for dropping that question onto you." Houki reassured him before adding "But I'm also really serious about what I just asked and I need an answer from you."
"Well… I'm not sure what to even say, Houki. I still haven't decided on that yet, but it has been on my mind for some time. So if I have to pick one of you, I would…" before X can pop the question, Charlotte, Ling and Laura arrived and interrupted him.
"X, it's time for our next mission. We've just got a call from Commander Zero about the location of the next Maverick General. So we'd better gather everyone here and meet up at Maverick Hunter HQ." Ling told him seriously. She then turned to Jerry's group who had also heard her and nodded at her.
"Right, we're on our way. Time to find out who are next target is." X nodded before turning to Houki and Cecilia where the latter was onto what the former was trying to say and was seething with fury. "I'm sorry, Houki. I really wished I could've given you my answer, but right now, duty calls. But the next time we've get a day off, I'm certain we'll finish our conversation another time." He smiled softly at her.
"Y-Yeah, you're right. We will finish this another time…" Houki smiled slightly as a small blush appears on her cheeks as she, X and Cecilia left with the other IS girls. Jerry, Sophie, Jessie and Marino got up from their table.
"Looks like it's time for us to get back to work. Another Maverick General has been located and now it's time to see if we'll have to fight him or Houki and the others could bring him to our side like they did with Storm Eagle." Sophie said seriously as they all joined with X and the IS girls.
"Oh shoot! We were so close! But now it looks like the operation will have to be put on hold." Nanoha sighed sadly.
"Don't worry, Nanoha-chan. It wasn't a total loss." Fate smiled as she patted her on the shoulder. "It was just a case of poor timing, that's all. But I'm positive we'll pull it off next time when we have a day off."
"Yes, she's right. We'll just have to wait until we have another day off. So for now, let's head back to Maverick Hunter HQ." Hifumi suggested as everyone joined with X and the others and made their way back to HQ for their next mission.
Maverick Hunter HQ: March 21, 21XX 1:15 PM
Not long after receiving the call from Zero about the location of the next Maverick General, our heroes returned to the Maverick Hunter HQ to receive a briefing from him on the next Maverick General. Upon arriving at the base, the X-Squad enters the Command Center where Zero and Storm Eagle were waiting for them as Jerry and Sophie returned to their positions close to the former.
"Commander Zero, we've arrived." X said as he and the squad saluted.
"At ease, everyone. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything important during your day off." Zero said with a smile.
"I… wouldn't say that, but we'll save that for another time." X said nervously as he glanced over to Houki who was still a little miffed from their conversation. "Anyway, from what Ling and the others told us, you've managed to locate the next Maverick General, right Zero?"
"Yes, that's correct. His name is Armored Armadillo and he's a more defensive Maverick. From what we've gathered, he used to be a Reploid designed to collect minerals from mines fast and easy. And thanks to his armor, he can handle any cave-ins that would occur during his mining operations." Zero stated before adding "However, ever since the war started, he's now one of Sigma's 8 Maverick Generals and his unit has taken control of a mine where crystals are excavated regularly. Those crystals can provide a powerful energy source for the Mavericks to use and gain an advantage over us in this war. So if we can take out Armored Armadillo, then it'll deliver a serious blow to Sigma's army. However…" He started to rethink about terminating Armored Armadillo and have him join them instead. "Getting him on our side would prove beneficial for the humans and Maverick Hunters."
"Hence why the Maverick Whisperers are needed, right? To convince him to join the Maverick Hunters and fight for the humans?" Charlotte smiled softly as she saw what Zero was going through with this plan.
"Correct, much like how you did with Storm Eagle. See if you can convince him to join the Hunters and fight for a better cause. Perhaps he can even provide information on the whereabouts of Sigma's fortress." Zero nodded.
"Roger that. We'll see if we can convince Armored Armadillo to join the Hunters and helps us fight Sigma." X saluted as he and his team stepped on the Telepoter to warp to the mine.
"Before you go, there's something else you should know about." Zero told them.
"What's up, Zero? Is there something else we need to hear?" Cecilia asked him.
"Yes. We're getting two unknown energy signatures from the same location where Armored Armadillo is stationed." Zero answered "From what we can tell, one of them is definitely a Light Capsule and it seems to be in close proximity to Armored Armadillo's lair."
"Wait, there's one more Light Capsule we didn't know about? Are you sure you're right?" Yamaneko asked in shock.
"I'm positive we're sure about it. There's no doubt it's another Light Capsule." Zero nods.
"So Dr. Light left one more capsule for us to find. And it's right near Armored Armadillo's lair." X said with a smile. "Thanks for the Information, Zero. We'll be sure to keep an eye out for it as we make our way to Armored Armadillo."
"Good. Glad to hear it." Zero nods.
"So what about the other signature? Is it another capsule for X as well?" Dancho asked with arms crossed.
"I'm not entirely sure, but from what we can gather, it's more closely related to Marino." Zero answered and points to Marino.
"To me? Are you sure, Zero?" Marino asked, confused.
"Again, we're not entirely sure, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out." Zero told her as he suggested "In any case, all of you have better head for the mines and find Armor Armadillo. If you can convince him to join our side, then we'll have another ally with us. If not, then do whatever you can to terminate him… Good luck, X-Squad." The group saluted as Jerry and Sophie activated the Teleporter and sent them to Armored Armadillo's location.
Neo Tokyo Mine, 1:19 PM
(Theme: Armored Armadillo's Stage Theme from Maverick Hunter X)
Not long after receiving the mission from Zero, the X-Squad appeared in the interior of the mine. From what they could see, the mine looked advanced and old at the same time as much of it was excavated over the years. Now the mine leads down from their location to the other side of mine where Armored Armadillo is said to be located.
"So this is where we'll have to find the Maverick General? In this old mine, huh?" Akiwo frowned and crossed her arms. "This isn't going to be easy for us to reach him… I'm not sure if he's really going to listen to us…"
"He will listen! Just quit complaining and move it! We don't have time to lose!" Laura ordered sharply as she walked forward.
"Yeesh… Touchy… Someone's go some serious issues..." Akiwo winced.
"Oh, don't say that. I'm sure Laura didn't mean anything like that. She's actually really nice one you get to know her better." Charlotte closed her eyes and smiled before following behind Laura.
"That sounds like someone else we know." Dancho smirked as she looked over to Yamaneko who turned away and blushed.
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about…" Yamaneko stuttered as the rest of the group followed them into the mine.
But as our heroes descend into the mine, another high ranked X Foundation agent was watching them from behind one of the heavy machines. She ducks down into her hiding spot and takes out a communicator to contact Madam Y.
"Madam Y, it seems that the Hunters are looking for Armored Armadillo. No doubt they're planning to recruit him to their side just like how they did with Storm Eagle." F. X Agent said with a frown "If they bring Armored Armadillo to their side, we'll lose our biggest supplier of crystals for Sigma's army."
"I see, that would be a huge loss if they bring Armored Armadillo to their side." Madam Y nodded as she was in a limo with some X Foundation troops "I'll have our troops speed up the process of gathering the crystals before those Hunters could end this operation. In the meantime, you'll follow them and make sure that he doesn't join them. Destroy him if you have to, but don't let them know of our operation in these mines."
"But how am I going to fight them? If our troops are busy mining for the crystals, then I won't have any reinforcements to help me." F. X Agent said with a stutter.
"Not to worry, I've got something special for you that's going to even the odds in your favor." Madam Y told her with a dark smirk. "Thanks to Sigma, we were able to create our own RepArmors from his memory banks as he was there when Dr. Cain first built them for those foolish girls. Not only that, we were able to modify it with some of Spark Mandrill's powers so that you could destroy Armored Armadillo easily."
"I see. Thank you, Madam Y. I'll be sure to put this new RepArmor to good use." F. X Agent said with a fiendish smile.
"See that you do. Right now, this is the only RepArmor we have and it's only a prototype." Madam Y told her darkly "Until we work out any problems, we'll be able to supply our entire army with RepArmors and help Sigma conquer the omniverse. Do not fail Mr. X or Sigma. In the meantime, I'll be visiting some "friends" with some of our troops. You can destroy Armored Armadillo and those Hunters if you want, but make sure those crystals are collected by the time you're done."
"I will not fail you, Madam Y. For Mr. X!" F. X Agent declared as she takes a different path towards Armored Armadillo.
With the X-Squad
As our heroes make their way through the mines, they were fighting off miner Mavericks and Bat-Bones that got in their way. Upon reaching the end of the first area of the mines, there was a pit leading down to the next area. As everyone nodded to each other, the gang jumped down into the pit and landed on solid ground. Some didn't really land gracefully as others, but they've managed to regain their balance.
"Okay, so far, so good. We're making some good progress." Houki said with a smile. "So far it's been those miner Mavericks and Bat-Bones, but they were easily dealt with. And since we're now in the second area of the mine, we're just about a quarter way through."
"Maybe, but we're not out of the woods just yet. We've still got a long way to go." Laura told her seriously. "We may have gotten past the first line of defenses, but there's no doubt that he's set up more traps for us. If we're going to reach him, then we'll have to make our way through whatever he has set up for us."
"And not to mention that we have to find those two capsules Zero told us about." Jessie agrees with a nod. "From what he said, one of them is definitely another Light Capsule but the other is supposed to be related to Marino. I didn't really find anything related to her, so how come we're just now hearing about it?"
"If I had to guess, I believe it's similar to how X's creator, Dr. Light, hid all of his Light Capsules around the world for X to find should he ever awaken." Marino answered her as she theorized "If that was the case, then it's possible that my creator could've done the same to this capsule and hid it away until I've awaken."
"Then we'll need to keep an eye out for both of them as we make our way to Armored Armadillo." X stated "If what Zero said was true, then we'll find it along the way. Hopefully, we'll learn more about Dr. Lalinde and her reason for sealing you away. Though I have a feeling that she was close to Dr. Light when he was still alive."
"You really think so, X? Our creators really were close to each other during their time together?" Marino asked with a gasp.
"It's a possibility, but we'll definitely know once we find it." X nodded to her "So we'll keep a close eye out for your capsule as we make our way through the mine. With any luck, we might be able to run into it soon enough." Marino smiled and nodded at this, knowing that she'll learn more about herself and her creator.
But as they were about to continue on, there as a loud rumbling being heard from around the cavern. Rocks were falling from the walls and ceiling and the ground was shaking beneath their feet. It wasn't an earthquake as it was contained in the mine, but the rumbling was getting louder and louder.
"W-What's that sound?! A-And why is the ground shaking?!" Tetsuro stammered.
Using her sharp hearing, Ling cups one of her ears with her hand and listens for the sound of the rumbling. From what she can hear, it was the sound of a large drill and treads of a heavy machine. She turned around behind them to see what was coming and she turned pale. A large Mechaniloid that was built for drilling bursts through the all and causes everyone to jump back to avoid the rocks.
"It's a Mechaniloid! Run!" Ling issued to her friends and they all heeded her words and ran as fast as they could.
The Mecnaniloid activates its drill and chases them down the mine as more rocks were falling from the ceiling. One of them falls in front of Hifumi who didn't see it and trips over it and causes her to fall over. Everyone else stopped running and turned back to see their friend on the ground as the Mechaniloid rolls towards her and she's not fast enough to get back up in time.
"Hifumi!" Everyone yelled at her until Tekken jumps into action.
"Hang on, Hifumi! I'm coming!" He yelled as he charges towards the Mechaniloid and holds out his gauntlets to grab the drill and hold it in place as the massive robot stops in its tracks.
"Tekken!" Hifumi gasped as she looked up at him.
"Go! Now! I can't hold it back for much longer!" Tekken shouted as he uses all his strength to hold back the Mechaniloid, but he was still being pushed back from robot as it gained speed.
Seeing this as her only chance, Hifumi gets back up on her feet and runs over to the rest of the group and they continued running while Tekken keeps slowing down the Mechaniloid as it pushes him back. Just ahead of them, there was a medium size bottomless pit and could be their only chance to escape from the drilling Mechaniloid. As everyone reaches the pit, they took a big jump over it and were able to make it safely to the other side, but Tekken was still being pushed back by the Mechaniloid until he looks behind him and saw the pit. Not wanting to fall in, Tekken lets go of the Mechaniloid's drill and jumps across the pit, only for him to come up short as he was about to fall until Hifumi grabs his hand and caused him to hit the ledge. She manages to pull him out of the pit just in time as the Mechaniloid's AI failed to stop the machine fast enough until it was too late and plunges into the pit. As it falls, the gang waited for a while until they heard a loud crash followed by an explosion, indicating that the Mechaniloid has reached the bottom and exploded. Now with the Mechaniloid no longer chasing them, our heroes breath a sigh of relief.
"Oh man! That was a close one!" X heaved as he kneeled down and lets out an exhausted pant.
"No kidding! I thought we were goners! An inch closer and we've would've been Swiss cheese!" Sakuya agrees with a sigh.
"But we were able to escape from that Mechaniloid and we're about a quarter mile towards Armored Armadillo. So we're definitely making some good progress, despite nearly being crushed." Charlotte smiled softly.
"Hey, Tekken, you okay over there? That Mechaniloid really did a number on you while you were holding it back. You think you can keep going?" Jessie asked him in concern.
A Friend on my Mind from Xenoblade Chronicles plays
"To be honest with you, that was something even I had trouble with. Not even most of the other Arthurs we've fought were this tough." Tekken answered her with a smile as he gave her a thumbs up. "But I wasn't going to let that thing hurt my friends, so when Hifumi fell, I had to give her a chance to get away. It may have taken a lot out of me, but at least I gave everyone a chance to escape safety." Hifumi blushed when he said that, but he still didn't notice it. However, everyone else does and it's going to take time for him to realize it.
"Since we're all safe and sound, how about we take a breather before we move on? After running for our lives, I can use a break." Ling suggested to everyone.
"Yes, that's a good idea. We'll need to regain our strength before we can press forward. Plus, Tekken did risked his life to save us, so it'd be best if we rest up." Fate nodded wearily.
And with that, everyone agrees to take a break for a few minutes before pressing on towards Armored Armadillo. The gang leaned up against the walls and rested with each other to keep them safe. Hifumi sat beside Tekken while Titania was tending to his wounds and leans against his shoulder. Takken noticed this, but lets her rest there while everyone rests up.
A short time later
After taking a well deserved break from their near death experience for 2 minutes, the gang pressed forward towards their goal. Eventually, they've entered into the third area of the mine where mine carts were stationed.
"Hey, guys! Look over there! There's some mine carts!" Ling grinned cheerful as she hopped into the first mine cart. "They're probably left over from the mining operation before Armored Armadillo took over. We can use them to get to our destination faster!"
"A-Are you sure about that, Ling? I dunno about this, they don't look very safe to me…" X stammered uneasily.
"Ah, don't be such a worrywart, X! Try to loosen up, will ya?" Hifumi laughed and slapped him on the back. "Just trust us, it'll be fun! It's like those mine cart levels in Donkey Kong!" She then hopped into a mine cart.
"Why do we always get the riskier missions?" Tetsuro lamented as he hopped in with Yayoi.
"Well, if it's the fastest way to reach the end, I'm definitely taking this opportunity." Jessie agrees as she jumps into another cart. "And who knows? We might find the capsule that your creator left for you, Marino. It could be just along the way towards the end."
"I suppose that's true, but I'm still not sure if I really want to find it…" Marino said worriedly "I know Dr. Light had a reason for sealing X away and has hidden his Light Capsules for him to find, but I'm not sure what reason my creator had for sealing me away… It just feels like I'm some kind of mistake or a punishment for herself…"
"So you're worried about learning that you're some kind of failure or something like that?" Jessie asked her in concern.
"I don't know… I don't really have that much knowledge about my creator or even a connection to her like X has with Dr. Light…" Marino answered her as she looked down "Even though he's only heard about Dr. Light from Dr. Cain and all of his accomplishments, I never heard anything about my creator or even her accomplishments. I just don't know if I want to find anything related to her…" Everyone looked over at her and couldn't help but feel sorry for her as she doesn't want to learn more about her creator. X can even tell that while he knows Dr. Light thanks to Dr. Cain and all of his accomplishments, Marino's creator was all but forgotten and doesn't know if she wants to find anything that's connected to her.
"Marino, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. You don't have to be afraid of knowing of what Dr. Lalinde had left for you." X reassured her "Believe me, I've only heard of Dr. Light because of all of his accomplishments and from what Dr. Cain told me, but I can still feel him watching over me. I know you're worried about learning more about Dr. Lalinde, but I can assure you that she's not how you think. I'm certain she loves and cares for you just as much as Dr. Light for me. So whatever happens when we do find anything related to Dr. Lalinde, just know that we're all with you." Everyone all nodded in agreement as Marino looks at her friends and smiled.
"I really hope you're right, X. I'm still not sure if what she did left for me is going to help, but I'll take your word for it." Marino smiled and nodded.
"Good, then let's continue on with our mission. We've still got a long way to go before we can reach Armored Armadillo. So let's keep on moving." X issued as everyone got into the mine carts and took off down the tracks.
As the carts barrels down the tracks, Ling, Yayoi, and Nanoha cheered in excitement while Tetsuro, Cecilia, Charlotte and Fate screamed in terror at the top of their lungs during this roller coaster ride through the mines. Unknown to them, the same high ranking X Foundation agent was watching them from her location before continuing on down her pathway to Armored Armadillo. As the carts nears the end of the tracks, X noticed they were about to fall into a pit and issued everyone to jump out of the carts. Just as the carts reached the end of the tracks, the gang does so and managed to jump out of the carts just before the mine carts crashed into the spiky pits.
"Oh my gosh… We were really cutting it close… But something tells me that we'll be doing that again…" Cecilia shivered as she felt like her heart was beating faster than normal and was about to burst out of her chest.
"Yeah… So let's just hope that when we're done with this mission, we're never coming back here ever again." Houki sighed as the gang were about to press forward until Marino noticed something.
"What's up, Marino? Did you notice something?" Jessie asked in concern.
"Yes, I'm detecting something down this path." Marino answered her as she points to an opening in the wall. "I'm not sure, but something is telling me to find it. It's definitely similar to how X finds the Light Capsules."
"So you believe that whatever's down there is the capsule Zero mentioned? The one that was left behind by Dr. Lalinde for you?" Dancho asked.
"It's a possibility, but I'm still not sure if I really want to find it. I just don't know if I'm going to like Dr. Lalinde…" Marino lowers her head in hesitation until X places his hand on her shoulder.
"Marino, I know it's a lot to take in, but as I said before, you have nothing to worry about." X reassured her and smiled. "Even if you're still unsure of what you might find out from her, just know that we're all here for you. We'll be there to support you so that you won't have to face this alone." She looks at everyone who all nodded and smiled at her as she can see that she wasn't alone. Even Zero, Jerry and Sophie were listening in and felt the same as everyone else.
"Thank you, X. Everyone. I'm glad to have met all of you." Marino bows to everyone "I know it hasn't been very long since we've started working together in this war, but I feel like I've known you all of my life. Even though Jessie was the one who found me and awaken me, I feel like it was fate that brought us all together. So whatever happens from this point, I know I can keep going on as long as I have all of you as my friends."
"Then let's go! Time to find out what Dr. Lalinde had left for you!" Ling said energetically as everyone nodded and entered into the opening.
As the gang makes their way through the pathway, they've noticed that it was starting to open up more the closer they're reaching the end. Upon arriving at their destination, it was an open cavern where a lone capsule was placed in the center and the light from the sun shines down from the opening of the ceiling. The capsule was purple as a oppose to blue from the Light Capsules and had a heart shaped emblem that resembles Dr. Light's emblem.
"So is this it? The capsule that Zero mentioned was closely related to you?" Sakuya asked as she looked at the capsule.
"No doubt about it, this is it. The last remnants of my creator, Dr. Lalinde." Marino answered her. "And if Zero's hunch is right, then it should respond to me the moment I approach it." She was about to take a step closer, but hesitated to take another step until Jessie walks up beside her.
"Marino, remember what X told you. I know it's a lot for you to take in, but we're all here for you. So take a deep breath and don't let your fears get to you." Jessie said with a smile to her as Marino nodded and takes a deep breath and calms down.
"Okay, here I go. It's time for me to come face to face with my mother." Marino nodded as she walks over to the capsule. Just as she predicted, the capsule actives the moment she steps closer to it and opens up to reveal a hologram of a woman with purple hair tied in a bun, two fringes on both the center and side of her head, glasses, a yellow shirt with a black skirt tied with a black belt and yellow shoes and wearing a lab coat.
"Hello. My name is Dr. Noele Lalinde. I'm an old colleague of Dr. Thomas Light and a member of the Geoworks International." Dr. Lalinde greeted "I see that you've found a capsule I've left behind for you, Marino. Yes, I knew you'd be the one to find it and I'm very happy to hear that you have. I know you have a lot of questions, but I'm afraid I can't answer them at this moment. Much like Dr. Light, I had created you as a way to keep the world safe in case of any evil that might try to emerge. And if you have found my capsule, then I'm afraid my worst fears has been confirmed. I had hope you'd live a normal life, but I can see that's just wishful thinking and I'm sorry to have put you through this. Much like how Tom hid his capsules for his creation, X, I left this capsule for you to find and will help you in whatever evil force is threatening the world. Now Marino, step into the capsule and receive your upgrade." Dr. Lalinde's hologram vanished for a moment to let Marino enter the capsule.
Marino turns back to everyone who all motions her to step into the capsule and receive the upgrade Dr. Lalinde left for her. Nodding to this, Marino steps into the capsule and started to receive date. Suddenly, her armor started to change color from pink to black with only her gold and white accents remaining the same. Her hair had turned from pale green to blonde and the black leggings on her thighs vanished to reveal synthetic skin. Once she was complete, she steps out of the capsule as Dr. Lalinde's hologram reappears.
"This is the Quicksilver Armor. It's a special armor I created for you just before my time was up." Dr. Lalinde explained with a smile. "With this armor, you speed and attack power are doubled, but at the cost of defense. Any attacks you'd take in this form will be much more powerful and could be fatal if you are caught off guard, so never let that happen." She then noticed that Marino has acquired a kodachi blade and the twin swords. "Oh, I see you've already received my special weapons I created for you. Just before I sealed you away, I created 20 different weapon data for you and hid them away to make sure no one other than you finds them. Once you have all 20, then something special will happen for you. What that means, I'm afraid you'll have to find that out for yourself. But I know you'll find them and use them to protect the world and those you hold dear to you. I know I haven't been the most nicest person ever, but I still felt responsible for what happened to your older sister. I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me and know that despite everything I've done, I still love you. So live on my daughter and know that I'm watching over you." Dr. Lalinde's hologram vanishes one final time as Marino looks at the capsule.
"You didn't really have to ask, I've already forgiven you. Much like how my sister had forgiven you." Marino smiled softly "I know you've did it to protect her, but that only caused you more pain and I know it really hurts you. So you don't have to worry about anything, Mom. I'll put this armor and your weapons to good use. And I love you too, Mom." Feeling better now, she turns to her friends who were waiting for her as she runs after them and they've pressed on forward to find Armored Armadillo.
Not long after finding Dr. Lalinde's capsule and receiving the Quicksilver armor, our heroes saw another pit which is safe to jump into, however, they were more wary of this one as they're remembering the last time where a massive Mechaniloid was waiting for them and it could be the same as with this pit.
"This is like the last pit we've jumped into… If we jump down into it, does that mean we'll encounter another of those mining Mechaniloids?" Charlotte shivered at the thought of running into one of them again.
"I'm afraid so, but it wouldn't hurt to try, would it? We'll just have to make the most of it." X smiled meekly when he said that. With no other choice than to continue on, the gang nodded in agreement as they jumped down into the pit. To their surprise, they were behind another of the mining Mechaniloids as it drilled away from them, not even knowing they're right behind it.
"Huh. Well, what do ya know… That sure was easy… It didn't even wait for us to jump down here…" Miyabi commented as they waited for the Mechaniloid to crash and burn. Once it was no longer blocking their path, they've pressed forward afterwards.
"Hey, Marino, about that armor you've gotten from Dr. Lalinde, what was it she called it again? Quick something?" Akiwo asked her.
"The Quicksilver armor." Marino corrected her.
"Yeah, that one. So what does that armor do?" Akiwo asked again.
"From what Dr. Lalinde said, this armor doubles my attacking strength and speed. But the downside is that I'm much more vulnerable to enemy attacks." Marino explained to her as she explained. "It's not like the armor X received from Dr. Light where he gains these special abilities from each part, but it does seems to be on par with it. Especially with the weapons I received from Spark Mandrill and Sting Chameleon. I'm not entirely sure what she meant about them, but if we can find the rest of them, then something special might happen."
"Then we'll keep an eye out for the remaining 18 weapons that Dr. Lalinde had left for you." Houki said with a smile. "If you received them from the defeated Maverick Generals, then the same could happen with any others down the line. But for now, let's focus on reaching the end and hopefully convince Armored Armadillo to join the Maverick Hunters." Everyone nodded in agreement as they continued on.
As they've reached the near the end, they've encountered more of the mine carts. But this time, it seems to be a straight shot towards their destination and was the only way to reach the Maverick General. However, not everyone was too thrilled to ride the mine carts again after the last time.
"Oh dear… Not these carts again…" X sighed as he and some of the group were feeling the same.
"This isn't the time to be hesitant now! We're almost near the end, people!" Laura ordered sharply to everyone. "This the final stretch before we can complete our mission, so we can't back down now! Let's press forward and find the Maverick General!"
"Right." Everyone nodded in agreement as they all jumped into the mine carts as they started to move down the tracks. Several enemies were on the tracks trying to stop our heroes, but the carts plowed through them and continues racing down the track. Eventually, the track leads to a huge canyon with a sheer drop as they were launched from the tracks. The gang were screaming in alarm from this while Yayoi spotted Neo Tokyo over the horizon as well as Old Tokyo.
"Guys, look! I can see Neo Tokyo from up here! This is a amazing view!" Yayoi beamed cheerfully.
"Seriously, Yayoi?! At a time like this?! This isn't the time to be sightseeing!" Sakuya snapped as the carts reached the other side of the canyon and were about to crash on the cliffside.
"Everyone, look out! We're about to crash! We need to jump off now!" X ordered as everyone followed his introductions and jumped out of the carts and landed safely on the other side. They turned around to see the carts fall into the abyss below until they've heard a crash.
"That was a close one… If we hadn't jumped off at the last minute…" Tetsuro gulped as they looked down the sheer drop.
"Then we would've gone to the afterlife… If that were to happen, Sigma would've won and the entire omniverse would be under his control…" Houki was still shaken by this and that thought of their home and other worlds under Sigma's control.
"Then we better make sure that doesn't become a reality. C'mon, the Maverick General is just up ahead. Let's try reasoning with him and get him on our side like Storm Eagle did." Cecilia encouraged everyone. Her friends all nodded in agreement and were about to go through the same doors as the last couple of times until X's helmet gem glowed again.
"Hold on, everyone. I'm detecting another Light Capsule around here. It's just as Zero said, there is one more close by at the end." X said with a serious expression.
"But where is the last Light Capsule? It doesn't look like it's around here. So where could it be located?" Dancho asked confusedly as everyone looked around until X looked up just above from where they're standing.
"What's up, X? You see the Light Capsule?" Jessie asked him curiously.
"Not exactly, but I believe I know where it's located." X points up to a higher level of the cliff.
"Up there? So it's above us?" Titania asked confusedly as everyone looks up.
"Unfortunately, yes. But it doesn't look like we can reach it from here." X answered her with a sigh. "We'll have to come back for it like we did with the one at the Reploid factory. And judging from where it's placed, I'm positive that we'll have to time our jumps just before reaching the other side of the canyon. But we'll save that for another time, we've got something else important to attend to." Everyone nodded in agreement as they entered the doors and down the hallway.
Upon exiting out the hallway, they've entered Armored Armadillo's hideout. On the other side of the room, they saw a purple humanoid armadillo with armor and two shields on his arms, both of them were crossed as he looked up at them. Needless to say, he was expecting them arrive and was waiting patiently for them.
"Well, I see that you've managed to make it past my defenses and reach me in one piece." Armored Armadillo said darkly "I'm under strict orders to protect this mine from anyone who dares to try and stop us. And since that's what you Hunters plan to do, then I must do what I'm ordered."
"Wait, you don't need to take orders from someone like Sigma! You know he's insane! Please, open your eyes, Armored Armadillo!" X pleaded to him.
"You say that, but what makes you any different, X? You claim to be a fighter for peace, yet you've already destroyed the other Maverick Generals before me." Armored Armadillo said to him snidely. "You tell me to open my eyes, yet you're acting as judge, jury and executioner to us." X didn't say anything else from that as he lowered his head. The IS girls will have to work fast in order to have him see the error of his ways. "Whether he's insane or not… It's not my place to judge him. Nor is it yours. I must obey him and that is what I intend to do!" As he gets into battle position, Charlotte stepped forward towards him with determination. "Oh? So you're one of the intruders I heard so much about. One of the five IS pilots that Lord Sigma wants captured for our side. I take it that you're planning to give yourself up to us?"
"No, that's not the reason why we're here. We're here for another reason and it involves you." She began "Armored Armadillo… Why do you serve an evil Reploid like Sigma? Don't you know he's going to kill off the human race just to fulfill his insane goal of an omniverse populated by Reploids? Is that the kind of world you really want to live in?"
Armored Armadillo just scoffed at this. "Of course, we do. We will gladly follow Lord Sigma to make his ideal omniverse a reality. You humans had your time in the limelight and now it's time for you to step down and pave the way for a new dominate species."
"You say that, but Sigma doesn't treat you with respect, does he…? To him, you're nothing more than his pawn that he can just use as he pleases and toss you away once he's done with you." Laura frowned at him. Armored Armadillo raised an eyebrow at her.
"What are you even talking about, little girl? I had figured you'd understand since you're just like us. Humans created you and wanted to use you as a weapon or need I remind you of how you were beforehand?" Everyone who didn't know all looked at Laura as she didn't say anything. The only ones who do know are her friends, X and Fate, but the latter didn't say anything as she knows what it's like to be treated as a weapon.
Charlotte placed her hand on Laura's shoulder and looked at her. "You're not wrong, we do remember how she once was when she first arrived at the IS Academy. Sure, humans are bad as you say, but deep down, they also have kindness in their hearts. Laura figured that out when a dear friend of ours saved her from herself. When the humans created you along with your fellow Reploids, they've given you love and compassion and treated you as equals." She told him while Laura places her hand onto Charlotte's.
"That's ridiculous! You're lying! There's no way that's true!" Armored Armadillo snarled at her. "Humans only built us to be their slaves! They never cared about us!"
"And yet, Sigma treats you like a slave… The same way you claim humans treat you as." Cecilia frowned as she crossed her arms. Armored Armadillo was silent for a moment as she continues on. "Humans and Reploids are created to be equals. They worked together to help build our world into what it is today. If you join the Maverick Hunters, you can help regain the humans' trust. It's not too late to revert back to a Reploid and fight for a better world!"
Armored Armadillo was unsure about this as he thought about it for 20 seconds before asking "Your words are convincing, but how do I know you like won't betray me if I do join forces with the Maverick Hunters? What makes you think that your words are nothing but lies?"
"Believe us, we're telling you the truth. You can trust their words." X reassured him with a smile. "I know this fives girls because they're my friends and our bond together proves that humans aren't as bad as Sigma said they were. So it's not too late, Armored Armadillo! Please help us stop Sigma and save the omniverse from his clutches!"
"X…" Houki whispered softly.
"X…" The other four IS girls all looked at him with soft happiness in their features.
Armored Armadillo thought about this for a minute as he crosses his arms. Their words seem to have a point. Sigma is just using him and the other Mavericks to make his selfish and sinister goal a reality and not only with humans suffer, but Reploids as well. But just as he was about to make a decision, he felt an electrical shock on his back as electricity surged all over his body and caused his armor to come off as he screamed in pain. Once the electrical shock was over, he falls to the ground.
"Armored Armadillo!" Everyone shouted as they all rushed over to him.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I interrupting this little meeting?" A female voice mocked "As much as I wanted this little thing to continue, I'm afraid that's not going to happen. Since you're planning on turning traitor like Storm Eagle, then it's time I put you out of your misery. Permanently." Out of the darkness comes the same high ranking X agent from before as she was wielding a modified shock baton with Spark Mandrill's power.
"Who are you?! And why did you do this to poor Armored Armadillo?!" Nanoha demanded as she readies Rising Heart.
"The X Foundation again!" Houki growled as she readies her katana. She then eyed the armored the Female X Foundation High Ranking soldier is wearing. "Wait… Is that… a RepArmor?!"
"Heh! You catch on quick. Sharp eyes for the baby sister of the Demon of Old Tokyo." F. X Agent smirked darkly. "This RepArmor is not perfect, but it has Spark Mandrill's powers. And before I finished you lot and the traitor off, I will let you in on something. Madam Y is on her way with her troops to destroy some friends of yours who are the grandchildren of two federal agents." X and the gang thought about it for 10 seconds before realizing what she meant.
"Ross and Glynda! You wouldn't…!" Jessie growled as she readies her dual revolvers.
"Try us! Lord Sigma and Mr. X are doing what is necessary to achieve their goals. Now time to die, kids!" She charged towards the gang, she tried to strike Fate, but she blocked the stun baton with Bardchie. "W-What?!" The Female X Agent gasped in shock.
"Attacking Armored Armadillo when he is about to realize the error of his ways and attacking two friends of X and the IS pilots… I won't let you, Sigma or this Mr. X person get away with this!" She and the Female X Agent clashed for about 5 minutes till Fate won the duel by slashing the X Agent three times with Bardchie.
"Ugh! Not bad for a girl from another universe. But can you handle this?!" The female X Agent snarled as she fired electric shots from her stun baton, forcing the gang to leap out of the while Akiwo and Hifumi grabbed Armored Armadillo and got him out of harm's way.
"Shotgun Ice!" X switched to Chill Penguin's weapon and fired it at the female X Agent, giving her massive damage.
"Crud! I didn't know it has the same weakness as Spark Mandrill!" The Female X Agent gawked. "But whatever! I won't leave till our mission is complete and you lot along with Armored Armadillo are dealt with!" She charged towards Charlotte who blocked each jab with her spear. Charlotte then jabbed her spear at the Female X Agent three times, giving her medium damage.
"Hang on, Char!" Houki yelled as she and Danchou charged towards the female X Agent and they clashed in a dance of blades and stun baton for 3 minutes till Houki and Danchou won the duel and slashed the female X Agent for bigger damage.
"Alright, let's see if Quicksilver can end this battle quickly! Ross and Glynda are counting on us to help them before Madam Y gets to them first!" Marino yelled as she switched to the Quicksilver Armor.
"Th-The heck?!" The Female X Agent gawked as she charged towards Marino and thrust her stun baton at her, but Marino's Quicksilver powers allowed her to dodge it and grabbed it. "W-What?!" The female X Agent gawked as Marino pulled the stun baton from her hands and snapped it in two, thus disabling it. "Hehehehe..." The female X Agent smiled nervously as she sweat dropped as Jessie walks up beside Marino. "C-Can't we at least talk this out?"
"How about no? First, we'll beat the Thanksgiving stuff out of you, then we will tend to Armored Armadillo's wounds and after that, we'll save Ross and Glynda from your goon squad lead by Madam Y." Jessie cracked her knuckles as a red aura appeared around her.
"H-Have mercy!" Female X Agent screamed as Jessie and Marino in her Quicksilver armor beat the stuffing out of her for about 50 seconds. After that, the Female X Agent was knocked out with the X Foundation's RepArmor badly damaged and the Female X Agent has anime swirly eyes.
"I didn't think the X Foundation would go this far…" X frowned as he clenched his fist "Attacking Armored Armadillo when he was about to see the error of his ways, but also attacking our friends as well… Whoever this Mr. X is, it's clear that he's no different from Sigma. He must be stopped at all cost."
"But how are we going to find this guy she mentioned? From the interrogation of those other members we've arrested after convicting Storm Eagle, none of them didn't budged or snitched." Houki said with a serious frown. "I don't know what he told them, but if they're willing to take out any of the Maverick Generals who decided to join us, then we'll have to be ready for them in case they attack." Everyone nodded in agreement as they turned to face Armored Armadillo who had awaken from his sneak attack and his armor had reattached to his body.
"Hey, how are you feeling, Armored Armadillo? You doing alright?" Charlotte asked him in cocern.
"I'll live… That attack did more than I thought since it was Spark Mandrill's power…" Armored Armadillo answered her with a smile. "However, it seems that you were right about how Sigma treats us a slaves… If I had known he's willing to assassinate me if I were to turn traitor, then I had made a wrong choice in joining him." He stands back up and looks at the X-Squad. "Everyone, thank you for rescuing me when I was down. I can now see that your words are true and I'd be a fool to not join you. However, if you ever betray me…"
"We won't. We're not like Sigma. You have our word." Houki placed her hand on her chest with a reassuring smile. Armored Armadillo nodded before walking over to X and Marino.
"X… Marino… Take my power. I know it will prove useful to you in this war against Sigma. Put it to good use." He held out his hand to them.
Both X and Marino turned to each other and nodded before touching his hand and gaining his ability. Wanting to test it out, X's armor changes to purple as he fires his X-Buster while shouting "Rolling Shield!" and fired a blue medium sized orb. X was pleased by this.
Marino decided to do the same as her kodachi blade was glowing purple. Wanting to test it out, she takes her stance and concentrates as the purple aura was emitting from the blade. A second later, Marino slams the made into the ground while shouting "Shinobi Art: Round Barrier!" as a barrier forms around her general area. A few seconds later, the barrier started to vanish and she stands back up.
"Now that we've got Armored Armadillo on our side, we'd better head back to base." Jessie said with a serious frown. "If what that X Agent said was true, then Madam Y is already waiting for Ross and Glynda! If she catches them, there's no telling what she'll do to them!"
"Then it's time we head over to base and tell Zero everything." X issued "Hopefully we'll make it to them in time, but we'll be cutting it close. Let's not waste any more time and save Ross and Glynda!" Everyone nodded in agreement as they warped back to Maverick Hunter HQ to save their friends from the X Foundation.
Meanwhile
Just as the sun was setting over the cityscape, Ross and Glynda parked their car in the parking lot and got out as they were heading into their apartment complex. They took the elevator to the top floor to relax after a hard day of work and were glad to have taken the day off today.
"It sure is nice to finally just kick back and relax. Ever since this whole thing with Sigma trying to take over the omniverse, it's been really stressful to keep the peace between both humans and Reploids." Glynda said with a smile. "I'm glad we took this day off today and even got to see Jessie again after so long. Hard to believe she dropped out of high school while the rest of us graduated."
"You can't really blame her. She wasn't sure what to do with her life and with all the constant shade she's been getting from everyone else because of her grandparents were once part of a cult that hated robots after the first attack of Dr. Wily." Ross told her "But it's good to hear that she's in good health and had even made a new friend in Marino. I'm hoping we'll see them again sooner or later." Glynda nods in agreement as they exited the elevator and headed for their penthouse.
But just as Ross was about to insert the key, he stopped and noticed something was wrong. He turned to Glynda who felt the same as they took out their guns and he unlocks the door. As the door opens slowly, the agents entered their apartment with caution while keeping their guns pointed in front of them. Glynda slides up to the wall while Ross rolls on the floor to the hide behind the sofa. As he peeks out from the sofa, he motions Glynda to turn on the lights and she complies while they've readied themselves for who or what is in their home. As Ross counts down to three with his fingers, Glynda flips on the lights and aimed their guns at the armchair facing away from them.
"We know you're there. You can't hide from us. Come out with your hands in the air." Ross ordered as the chair rotates around to face them, revealing Madam Y sitting on the chair and waiting for them.
(Maverick Confrontation Theme from Maverick Hunter X)
"Not bad, agents. I can see why you two are the grandchildren of Roslyn Krantz and Gilbert D. Stern." Madam Y smirked while clapping her hands. "I'd expect nothing less from the best in the business. You two really taking after them, in more ways than one."
"Drop the flattery, lady. You're not talking your way out of this one." Glynda said with a serious frown. "Now explain yourself, how did you break into our apartment and wait for us in our home? No one except a few knows about where we live. So how did you get into our penthouse without security knowing?"
"It's actually pretty simple. All I had to do was get closer to you and slip in a small tracker into your pocket. It's a simple task, but very effective in the long run." Madam Y answered her darkly"Of course, I had to time it just right to where I could bump into you without drawing attention to myself." Ross and Glynda started to realize what she was talking about as they thought back to the cafe after meeting with their friends and were just about to leave until they've bumped into a woman by accident. They now realized that woman was Madam Y making her move on them and she succeeded.
"That was you?! You were the woman at the cafe this afternoon?!" Ross gasped in shock.
"Guilty as charged. It really comes in handy where you need to get closer to your enemies." Madam Y answered her with a dark chuckle. "And now that I've got you right where I want you, it's time for you two to disappear. Permanently."
"And how do you intend to do that? In case you've forgotten, there's two of us and only one of you." Glynda countered. "So what can you do if you're here by your lonesome? You really didn't think this through, did you?"
"On the contrary, my dear, naive agent. I'm not alone at all. In fact, it's you fools who are outnumbered!" Madam Y snaps her fingers as, one by one, X Foundation soldiers bursts their way into the apartment from the doors, the windows and even the roof. All of the soldiers surrounded the agents and aimed their weapons at them while also protecting their second in command while the agents looked at their current situation.
"So this was your plan? Waiting for us at our home just so you can kill us?! Is that what this is about?!" Ross yelled as he and Glynda were back to back.
"I'm afraid I can't say much right now, but I can tell you is that this is payback from our leader to your grandparents." Madam Y answered him darkly. "Though I doubt it'll matter since both of you will be joining them soon enough. X Foundation, attack!"
"For Mr. X!" The X Foundation soldiers shouted in unison as they fired their guns at the agents.
The two agents ducked and hid behind the sofa while the X Foundation agents fired their guns above them.
"Shoot! What are we gonna do?! Should we call for back-up?!" Ross groaned as he stands up and fired his gun at the X Foundation agents, missing them.
"No need. I have a hunch that help should be here right about…" Glynda predicted as they heard a familiar voice.
"Dynamic rescue!" Yayoi's voice cheered as Madam Y and her soldiers looked for the source of the voice.
"What the-" A male X Foundation agent gawked as Tekken and Hifumi drop kicked him to the ground.
"Oh yeah! Now that's what I called an entrance!" Tekken grinned.
"You said it, Tekken!" Hifumi grinned as well as she and Tekken high fived each other. Soon, the X-Squad arrived on the scene.
"You!" Madam Y glared at Jessie, Marino and Ling who glared back.
"Well, looks like you didn't learned your lesson from our first meeting, Madam Y." Jessie retorted as she aims her dual revolvers at the X-Foundation agents. X glared at Madam Y.
"So you're Madam Y…" X frowned seriously as he switched to the Light Armor.
"Ah, MegaMan X… the last creation of Dr. Thomas Light and the father of all Reploids… We meet at last." Madam Y smirked darkly as she eyed Houki as well. "And Houki Shinonono, the baby sister of the Demon of Old Tokyo… A pleasure to meet your acquaintance as well."
Houki's eyes widen in shock. "H-How do you know my sister and Dr. Light?! Just who are you?!" She demanded as she aims her katana at her.
"Like I said, I serve Mr. X and also Sigma. Mr. X has big plans for you, Houki Shinonono. But enough talk, kill them.: Madam Y ordered as the X Foundation agents charged at our heroes.
"Rolling Shield!" X fired the attack at two X Foundation soldiers, knocking them.
"Let's do this, Fate!" Nanoha smirked as she and her best friend stood side by side.
"Right, Nanoha!" Fate nodded as she yelled out "Thunder Smasher!" She launched her favorite attack at three X Foundation soldiers, shocking them and knocking them out.
"Eat ice!" Kakka yelled as he launched ice spells at four X Foundation soldiers, freezing their upper bodies as they struggled to break free.
"What are you fools doing?! Get them!" Madam Y ordered fiercely as two more X Foundation soldiers charged towards our heroes, Houki and Laura combined their attacks to knock them out.
"Hmm!" Miyabi grunted as she stretched her hair to destroy the weapons of two X Foundation soldiers, the two in question sweat dropped as Miyabi used her hair to knock them into a wall, knocking them out.
"You're gonna pay for attacking Mister Ross and Miss Glynda!" Renkin yelled as she used her mallet to knock out two more X Foundation soldiers.
"Shinobi Art: Icicle Ice!" Marino yelled as she used her technique to freeze two more X Foundation soldiers.
"Four left to go!" Ling cheered as she charged towards the remaining X Foundation soldiers and used her martial arts to knock them out.
"Now that just leaves you, Madam Y…" Runo frowned as Madam Y growled and clenched her fists as our heroes aimed their weapons at her. Madam Y regain her composure as an X Foundation helicopter appeared behind a window.
"I'm afraid our confrontation will have to wait another day. But don't forget, Mr. X has big plans for you, Houki Shinonono…" Madam Y smirked evilly as she jumped through the window, breaking the glass and she grabbed onto the helicopter ladder as the X Foundation helicopter flew away. Houki was silent while X glared at the fleeing X Foundation helicopter. Just what is Mr. X's plans for Houki?
To be continued…
Next chapter: Launch Octopus: Enter Marty! Mission in the Deep Blue Sea! Never Give Up Hope!
A/n: Next time, our heroes face Launch Octopus and this marks the first appearance of a MegaMan X manga character who will be part of this story. And before the mission, the IS girls learned from Dr. Cain about Jerry and Sophie's hidden resentment of the IS girls. So stay tuned for more Mega action!