A/N: Hey everyone, with only a few more chapters till the end of Arc 1, we will go right to the OVA epilogue chapter, so here is chapter 17. Enjoy!
Chapter 17: Boomerang Kwauger: Gokoh Five's Last Stand! At War's End
"Come on, come on, just a little bit more…. Need to hold out just a little longer…" Ling whispered to herself as she was playing Super Smash Bros Ultimate on the Switch OLED with Yayoi, Nanoha, Hifumi, Dancho and Glynda. Ling was playing as Mario, Yayoi was playing as Shulk, Nanoha was playing as Lucina, Dancho was playing as Female Corrin, Hifumi was playing as Pit and Glynda was playing as Female Byleth. They were playing on the Garreg Mach Monastery where the stages switches locations as the fight goes on.
Ling was in the lead has she had already knocked both Yayoi and Hifumi out the stage several times before, but was having some trouble with Dancho, Nanoha and Glynda as they were playing more strategically while Yayoi mostly rushes in without much thought or just launches herself offscreen, much to the disbelief of everyone else. The time limit was just about up as the girls scrambled around to rank up more damage to the other players and send them flying off the stage until a Smash Ball appears as Ling noticed it and rushes over to break it.
"Yes, gotcha! If I can break the Smash Ball, I can definitely pull out a win!" Ling grinned as she controls Mario to break the Smash Ball and claim victory just before the timer runs out. But just before she can break it, Byleth extends her Sword of the Creator to break it and was now able to use her Final Smash.
"Nice try, Ling! But you're not getting the win that easily! I knew you were going for the Smash Ball and waited just for the right moment to break it before you could!" Glynda smirked as she activates Byleth's Final Smash and launched everyone else offscreen and managed to get the win just as time was up, giving her the win.
"Ahhh crud! I was so close to winning!" Yayoi crossed her arms and pouted as the results screen came up with Glynda as the winner.
"Tell me about it! I had that Smash Ball in my sights, but then Glynda just had to swipe it from me!" Ling agrees as she does the same.
"Don't worry, you two. I'm sure you'll get a win next time." Nanoha closed her eyes and smiled. "But I have to say, that was a good battle, Glynda-san. You knew that Ling would try to win with the Smash Ball, so you waited for the moment it appears and made your move to win the match."
"Yeah. You sure know how to play Smash Bros. I'm guessing that you and Ross-san have played it before whenever you're not working?" Hifumi acknowledged before asking.
"Whenever I got the chance, yeah. But because of our work, we don't always get the chance to have some time off." Glynda answered her "So whenever we do have a day off, we'll do whatever we can to unwind after a long day of work."
"And because of what's been going on with Sigma and the Mavericks, it's gotten a lot harder for you guys since you have to deal with Reploids going berserk and attacking humans, right?" Dancho guessed.
"Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it. You wouldn't believe how many cases there were of Reploids attacking humans." Glynda sighed and nodded "We had to decommission a lot of Reploids who has violated the laws of robotics and to make sure they don't hurt anyone else or themselves anymore. It still sucks to see them going out of control like this, but it had to be done before anyone gets hurt or worse."
"I guess that explains why we saw you guys at the cafe in the park yesterday. You were just enjoying your day, only to have it ruined by the X Foundation." Ling stated as Glynda nodded. "But enough about that, you wanna go again?" She offered as the character select appeared and this time, she chose Link.
"You know it! And this time, I'm going to win!" Yayoi giggled as she, Nanoha, Glynda and Hifumi selected their next characters and go at it again. Just outside of the living room, X and the rest of the gang were watching them play and just having a good time.
"Well, it looks like everyone is really starting to get along with each other. I'm really happy to see that." X smiled softly. "It's already been a couple of weeks since the start of this war, but we've really come a long way and we're nearing the end of this war. Once we've make it to the final Maverick General, we can finally end this war and save the omniverse from Sigma's clutches."
"Yeah… We've really come so far since arriving in this world abruptly, but it's good to hear that we're nearing the end of this war…" Fate nodded in agreement and with a happy smile. X then turned to face her and thought about what she said before about defeating her fake mother a few days ago.
"By the way, Fate. There's something I've been meaning to ask you, if you don't mind?" X asked. Fate turned to him, wondering what he wanted to ask her. "A while back, you mentioned something about having a fake mother and how you and Nanoha defeated her… What do you two mean by that? Did something happen with her?"
"Well… I suppose it's about time you know the truth. I'm not really human, I'm a genetic clone created by my evil fake mother who only used me for her own evil ends…" Fate lowered her head despondently as X, Ross, the four IS girls, the rest of the Arthurs and their fairies and the Koi Koi 7 all stared at her with widen eyes.
"Wait, you're not even human?! How is that even possible? You look human, but you're also saying that you're a clone?" Ross gasped in shock.
'So… she's just like me… a lab experiment used as a weapon…' Laura thought solemnly to herself.
"But if you're really a clone, then who was the original person you were cloned from? A clone can't be created without a sample from the original source of its creation." Nuckelavee pointed out to her.
"Yeah, she's right. If you're really a clone as you say, then who did your mother cloned you from?" Titania asked her.
"Alicia Testrossa, my mother's — or rather Presea's original daughter… When she was working on an experiment, there was an accident that killed her daughter and she was exiled from Midchilda for the incident. But she couldn't accept the fact that her daughter is gone and wanted to find a way to revive her. Her first attempt on reviving her daughter was creating a clone with all her memories and that was when I was born." Fate explained to them. "But while I look like Alicia and have all her memories, I'm nothing like her and she hated me for it…"
"I see… I'm sorry to hear that…" X apologized to her, feeling guilt for asking such a sad question. "I'm also assuming that after you were created, you eventually met Nanoha when you were a child, hunting down the Jewel Seeds in your dimension, correct? As a way for her to revive her daughter?" Fate nodded.
"She was hoping to use the Jewel Seeds to find a place called Al-Hazard. A lost civilization that's said to contain enormous scientific and magical achievements that predates the Ancient Belka. There's even rumors of it being able to create miracles, but it's considered a myth by many people in modern times and was disregard as such. Of course, there were also others who believed in its existence and made their life goals to find it. My mother included."
"But if you were cloned from the daughter of this Presea woman of find the Jewel Seeds, where does Nanoha come into place?" Ross asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"I was sent to her home city of Uminari where the Jewel Seeds were located." Fate answered him "At first, I distrust Nanoha because she was interfering with my mission to collect the Jewel Seeds and we've fought for them several times. There was even a moment where I was trying to collect six Jewel Seeds at once, but it was too much for me to handle and I would've exhausted myself if Nanoha hadn't jumped in when she did. However, that was when my mother arrived and took half of the Jewel Seeds we've managed to seal away and I was taken back to the Garden of Time, my mother's base of operations at the time."
"So what happened to you after your mother brought you back to this Garden of Time place? What did she do to you?" Sakuya asked her in concern.
"From what my Familiar Alph told me, she tried to stop my mother from abusing me but was sent back to Nanoha's world while I was still recovering from trying to seal the Jewel Seeds and the whipping from my mother." Fate answered her sadly "During our last confrontation, we decided to wager all the Jewel Seeds we've collected so far and make a winner take all fight. I lost and just when Nanoha was about to receive the Jewel Seeds, my mother stole them and that was when I was taken into custody by the crew of the Arthra and taken to their ship where I learned the horrible truth about myself and why my fake mother wanted the Jewel Seeds. After learning the real truth about me and how my mother really felt about me, I fell into a state of shock and was taken to the ship's medical center to recover while Nanoha, Yuno, Chrono, Amy, Lindy and Alph stormed into the Garden of Time to stop my mother. After I recovered from my shock, I joined in to help them and we were able to stop her from nearly creating a Dimensional Tremor. After the final battle, I was arrested for helping my mother in collecting the Jewel Seeds and had to be on trial for six months. But overtime, she's become my closest friend and partner after I was found innocent." Fate smiled softly.
"Oh my gosh… You were on trial for helping your mother in collecting the Jewel Seeds? Were you able to be found innocent and set free?" Charlotte covered her mouth in shock when she heard that.
"Yes. The reason for that is because I helped Nanoha and the others defeat my fake mother and both of us joined the Time Space Administration Bureau afterwards, defending the universe from evil villains and meeting new friends who shared the same powers as us. I was also adopted by Lindy who helped me to move on from my fake mother's abuse and I gained not just a new mother, but also an older brother. Now I have a niece and nephew who are the children of my brother and sister-in-law, along with two more under my care."
"That's good to hear. I'm glad that everything worked out for you in the end. You deserve to have a better life with your new family." Houki smiled slightly, but also feeling a bit despondent from hearing Fate's sad tale. "Also, I understand what you went through. I was in a similar situation with my sister where I hated her for creating the IS and ruining my chances with Ichika. But after waking up in this time and knowing that she's no longer alive, I realized how much I took her for granted and I never got to apologize. Fate, friends are a wonderful thing to cherish. Don't make the same mistake I did and take them for granted."
"Indeed. Never take those around you for granted." X nodded in agreement. "Otherwise, you might regret it later on. But no matter how bad wars and life gets, just know that there are friends who has your back and will always be there to help you." X then looked up with determination. "And now that we have defeated or converted 7 of the 8 Maverick Generals, there's only one more left…"
"Indeed. Boomerang Kuwanger… The final Maverick General before Sigma…" Cecilia nodded with a serious frown. "We need to get him on our side if we're going to have any hope of locating Sigma's fortress and stopping his secret weapon."
"So this is it… This war is almost over…" Sakuya frowned deeper as she crossed her arms. "Hard to believe that we're already nearing the end of this war and one step closer to stopping Sigma. And once we find his fortress, you can bet that we'll find the only way of getting us back to our dimensions, Project Uni."
"But there's also no doubt that Sigma will be pulling out all the stops to prevent us from reaching him and finding Project Uni." Kakka stepped in "So we'll need to be able to give it everything we've got to get past his defenses and reach him to put a stop to his insane plans."
"Yes, that's true. But I'm positive that we'll be able to make it through in one piece." Charlotte said with a determined frown. "We'll need to get all three of your groups back to your own dimensions and put an end to Sigma's Project Wolf's Bane before he unleashes it upon the omniverse. If we don't, then everyone and everything we know will be gone forever." Suddenly, the holophone started ringing. Wondering who was calling them, X walked over to answer it as it showed a holodisplay of Zero.
"Commander Zero? What's up? Were you, Jerry and Sophie able to find out where the last Maverick General is? And how is Marty? Is she fully repaired?" X asked him.
"That we did, X. With the help of Storm Eagle and Armored Armadillo, we've managed to locate Kuwanger. Come to Maverick Hunter HQ whenever you're ready. We'll discuss it there. As for Marty, I believe it's best for you and your friends see for yourselves." Zero announced to them.
"Roger that, Zero. We'll be there ASAP." X acknowledged as he turned off the phone and turned to his friends. "Zero was able to find the location of Kuwanger and it seems that Marty has been repaired. Let's head to Hunter Base and go find Kuwanger. And see Marty as well."
"Roger." The gang nodded in response as they took the bus to Maverick Hunter HQ to see their new friend and for their second to last mission.
Meanwhile…
After being blasted away by the arrival of both Nanoha and Fate, the Gokoh Five were working on their latest mech to exact their revenge on the X-Squad. Miya was wearing safety goggles while using a blowtorch to put the finishing touches on their new weapon to not only destroy the Koi Koi 7 and make Tetsuro their slave, but to also get revenge on X. 10 seconds later, she removes her goggles and glances at her creation, a giant crab like robot with an evil smile. Her friends joins her in marveling at the mech before turning to her them and decided "My fellow Gokoh 5! This is it! This is the time where we're finally going to win against the Koi Koi 7 and that blue boy! Once we're through with them with our greatest creation, we'll grab Tetsuro and find a way back to our dimension! We can't hold back any longer now! This is our final battle, so let's crush them once and for all!" The other Gokoh Five members cheered, ready for their final battle against the X-Squad.
However, unbeknownst to them, an X Foundation soldier was hiding behind the hull of the robot and was watching the girls praise their leader for creating a new weapon to finally win against the X-Squad, he couldn't help but notice how petty they were as he moves back into his hiding spot and opens his comlink to contact Madam Y. "Madam Y, I've located the source of the debris that were recovered from the factory and around Hunter HQ. Turns out that they belong to these girls that seems to have a vendetta against X and his friends."
"I see. So, they're the ones who built these robots. While impressive as they are, they're not exactly what I'd expected to see from a group of children." Madam Y said with a dark frown. "Still, we could put these parts to good use in our war against the Hunters, so it wouldn't be a total waste of time. And what of the girls who built these? Is there anything else about them that stands out to you?"
"Not really, they seem to be just a bunch of idiots. They're not doing this to take over the omniverse, just to finally win against these Koi Koi 7 and the blue boy." M. X Soldier answered her as he paused to think. "I'm assuming that one of them they're referring to is X, but I'm not entirely sure who these Koi Koi 7 are. Though if I have to guess, they're most likely those brats who are with the Hunters. But I highly doubt that they're really serious about destroying them, they're more than likely doing this for petty reasons."
"In any case, we could still use their robot to our advantage should those Hunters ever try to convince Boomerang Kuwanger to their side." Madam Y said with an evil smile. "Even if those idiot girls fail in whatever they're doing, we'll still have the upper hand in using their own robot against them. Assuming that you have the transceiver for one of our high ranking members to use."
"Not to worry, Madam Y. I've got it right here and ready to plant it on the robot." M. X Soldier nodded as he takes a small device from his pack.
"Perfect. Now place it on the hull of the robot. Make sure those girls don't see you, though with how oblivious they are, that's more of a given. And once you've done that, return to HQ where one of our high ranking members will take over the moment those idiots are defeated by the Hunters." Madam Y ordered before cutting the channel.
"Yes, Madam Y. For Mr. X!" M. X Soldier saluted as he turns around and climbs up the exterior of the robot. Once he's in the cockpit, he opens it up to climb in and places the transceiver in one of the external ports on the controls. As soon as he was done, he immediately jumps out of the cockpit and makes a run to the rendezvous point before he's spotted.
(X Foundation Lab…) (Librion's Fate from MegaMan X Command Mission Plays)
Once the task was done, the high ranking X Soldier was receiving the connection of the Gokoh 5's robot and was in complete control over it. Though he made sure to keep it under their control for the time being until they're out of the way and he gets to use his new toy. As he turns around, he sees Madam Y approaching him.
"I see that you've received the signal from the transceiver. I take it that you've now gotten complete control over their robot?" Madam Y asked him.
"Of course, Madam Y. I have full control of their robot. Now all I have to do is wait for those idiots to be out of the picture and I can use it to destroy those Hunters." M. High Rank Member answered her.
"Then you've better head for Boomerang Kuwanger's location and wait for further instructions. The Hunters will be arriving there to either destroy or recruit him, so you'll have to be ready should that moment comes." Madam Y ordered.
"Yes, Madam Y. For Mr. X!" The High Ranking Member saluted as he boards a helicopter and takes off towards Boomerang Kuwanger's Tower.
(Back to X and the gang…)
"So from what you're saying is that Kuwanger is located in an abandoned tower near the fields of Neo Tokyo? And he's stationed at the very top of the tower?" Laura repeated from what Zero, Storm Eagle and Armored Armadillo told her and her friends.
"Yes. That's the gist of it." Zero nodded as he pinpointed the location on a digital map. "Much like the Reploid Factory, the tower was once owned by a well-known family before it was abandoned in recent years. We're not entirely sure what was the reason behind it, but that's not important right now. The tower is being used to interfere with radio frequencies, which jams all operations for the Hunters. If this were to keep up, it'll be difficult to locate Sigma's fortress even with the help from Kuwanger. So I want all of you to infiltrate the tower and see if you can convince him to join the Hunters and shut down the tower."
"So the las Maverick General is there waiting for us… We're nearing the end of this war…" Nanoha frowned seriously as she clenched a fist.
"And once we've managed to bring Kuwanger to our side, we'll have a clear path towards Sigma's fortress…" Fate agrees as she crossed her arms.
"That's correct. However, don't expect this last one will be easy. No doubt that they've beefed up security in the tower to prevent you from reaching Kuwanger." Storm Eagle told them.
"Maybe so, but we're not going to let that stop us. We've already come this far, so we're not backing out now." Jessie crossed her arms.
"Yes… We're almost there to reach our goal of ending this war. Once we've managed to bring Kuwanger to our side, we'll be able to find Sigma's fortress and put a stop to his plans." Ling nodded, arms crossed.
"In that case, you'll be needing some more help in your mission to bring him to our side. Luckily for you guys, our new friend has received her new upgrades from your last mission and is should be ready by now." Zero smiled softly.
"Really? So Marty has been fully repaired from being destroyed by Launch Octopus?" X asked him in relief just as Jerry and Sophie walked into the room.
"You better believe it, X. And she's better than ever before. Thanks to me and Sophie, we were able to repair a lot of the damage she's sustained from Launch Octopus and given her some new upgrades while we were at it." Jerry answered him with a smile.
"Of course, we did had to take some liberties with some of her repairs as most of her body was badly damaged but she was able to pull through. Luckily for us, Launch Octopus didn't destroy her central core, so we were able to replace her bottom half and work our way up from there." Sophie explained to them with a smile. "Once that was done, we've made some changes to her and now she's better than ever." Both she and Jerry stepped aside as Marty enters the command center with a new appearance. "Everyone, meet the new and improved Marty." Everyone looked in awe as she struts her way to the center of the room.
Marty was now sporting a purple bodysuit with red armor on her shoulders and neck area, four spikes that points upwards on her back, armor on her forearms and legs, green gems on her shoulders, a blue gem on her head piece, an armored bikini that covers her breasts and crotch, her hair has gotten noticeably longer as it reaches past her lower back and now has purple eyes instead of black. She was also wielding a trident as her new weapon in her left hand while her right hand is placed on her hip while tilting her hips to the side.
"Marty? Is that really you? You look so different than how you were before." Houki gasped in shock at her new appearance.
"You surprised? It's thanks to your friends that I was able to receive this new body and now I'm better than ever. I'm really liking this new me, but it'll take me some time to get used to walking on land." Marty said with a smile while looking at her legs. "Still, it's better than being just a torso, so I'm not complaining. Now I can pay Sigma back for trying to have one of his Generals take over my home!"
"And we're glad to have you join the Maverick Hunters, Marty-san. We'll need all the help we can get in order to put a stop to Sigma and his forces." Houki agrees with a brave smile. "Though our first meeting was not on the best of terms, we really appreciate you helping us in stopping Kuwanger from using the tower to keep us from locating Sigma's fortress. We're looking forward to working together in the coming future." She and Marty shook hands as everyone clapped for their newest member of the Maverick Hunters.
"Glad to hear that you're accepting our newest recruit despite your rocky start. Of course, I'm positive that she'll be a great help for us." Zero nodded in agreement. "On that note, she's not the only one who is joining you guys on this mission."
"Really? Who else is joining us?" Yayoi asked him confusedly.
"We are, of course. We're also joining you guys in your mission to stop Kuwanger from using the tower to prevent us from finding Sigma." Ross answered her with a smile.
"We couldn't before because we didn't have our own RepArmors like Houki and the others, so we couldn't help out with Launch Octopus." Glynda stated with a grin as she added "But thanks to Zero, he was able to request some from Dr. Cain while you guys were busy with your last mission. Now we're ready to join you guys on your mission to put an end to Sigma's plans."
"And we're really glad to have all three of you join us in our fight against Sigma. With all of us working together, no obstacles or enemies can stop us from saving the omniverse from Sigma's plans." X proclaimed as he turned to everyone else. "And now that we've got three more members of our team, we're more stronger than ever before. So, X-Squad. It's time to move out!"
"Yeah!" The gang acknowledged.
"If you're going to ascend the tower, you'll all need to be careful. I'm positive that it's filled with traps to keep anyone from reaching the top." Armored Armadillo advised to them.
"Thank you for the warning, Armadillo. We'll be sure to keep that in mind. Wish us luck." Houki assured him as the X-Squad went to the Teleporter and gave both Jerry and Sophie a thumbs up as they're warped to the tower.
(Later)
(Boomerang Kwuanger's Stage from Maverick Hunter X plays)
After a briefing from Zero, the gang arrived inside the tower. Despite the tower being old and rundown, it was still functional as it was sending jamming radio frequencies to hinder the Hunters from locating Sigma's base. So the only way to put a stop to the jamming and find Sigma's base, our heroes will have to make their way to the top of the tower and try to convince Boomerang Kuwanger to join the Maverick Hunters.
"So this is the tower? The place where that Kuwanger guy is stationed and keeping us from finding Sigma's base?" Sakuya asked as she looked around the tower.
"No doubt about it, this is the place. The abandoned tower that was once used to send radio frequencies of all kinds." X nodded "From music to the news, talk shows and the like, it's sad to see it in such a terrible shape. But it's also horrible to see it being used to block all communication from the base and keeping us from finding Sigma. I don't know what they plan to do with this tower, so we'll need to put a stop to them before they can do anything else with it." Marino walks up beside him and places her hand on his shoulder.
"Try not to push yourself too hard, X. I know Dr. Light made you to be more combat oriented than your predecessor, but you shouldn't let yourself be overconfident. That's exactly what happened to Rock during Dr. Wily's first attack when he reprogramed the first line of Robot Masters. I'm not saying this because our creators were old friends and colleagues, I'm saying this because I'm worried that you might go down the same path if you're not careful. They always say that power corrupts and that almost happened to Rock before, so don't act like you have to burden yourself with the omniverse's problems. Dr. Light gave you the ability to think like a human, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have to fight alone." X looked back at her as she gives him a worried expression before placing his hand onto hers.
"Thanks for the pep talk, Marino. I really appreciate it. And you're right, I shouldn't have to burden myself with the omniverse's problems." X smiled at her "It was already hard enough for my predecessor to fight because while even though he chose to fight, it was easier for him to become overconfident during his first war against Wily. He let all the weapons he copied from the other Robot Masters go to his head and almost became just as bad as Wily had it not been for Dr. Light making him see what he's become. I'll be sure to keep your advice in mind." Marino smiles and nodded as she pats his shoulder before turning his attention to Cecilia. "Cecilia, how's the communication with Hunter HQ? Were you able to get in contact with Commander Zero or anyone else?"
"Unfortunately, no. I can't seem to get in touch with anyone from HQ. It appears our comlinks won't work while we're in the tower…" Cecilia muttered as the gang looked around the tower.
"Wait, so we can't contact anyone from HQ? That means we're practically blind in here. How are we going to complete our mission without any help from the others?" Glynda asked.
"We'll just have to take the risk in order to reach Kuwanger without their help. It'll be difficult to not know what kinds of traps he's got set up for us, but we don't have a choice." X told her "If we're going to locate Sigma's hideout, then we'll need to convince him to join us and hopefully he can help us in finding it."
"Roger that. We'll follow you lead, X-san." Nanoha saluted as the gang pressed forward. Unknown to them, a camera was focused on them as the same high ranking agent was watching them from the control room of the tower.
"Yes, follow your leader, my friends. Because you'll be in for a big surprise as soon as you reach the top of the tower." M-X Agent smirked "And of course, we'll also have something extra special for you, Houki Shinonono. The little sister of the Demon of Neo Tokyo. Our leader has an offer for you that you'll never forget." He focuses the camera on Houki as the gang made their way to the top of the tower.
As the gang enters the first area, they were walking down the hallway of the tower while keeping their guard for whatever traps they'll might encounter until they've noticed a spike ball hurling towards them, focusing them to dodge it. As the spiked ball is headed back, it's revealed to be a knight Maverick as it spines the spiked ball over its head, ready to strike at them again.
"We really don't have time to deal with you right now! So just get out of our way!" Laura glared at the Maverick as she leaps up into the air. The Maverick launches its spike ball at her, but she managed to knock it out of her way before slamming her claymore down on the Maverick, causing it to explode. She then noticed some ledges and gestures to her friends to follow her as she jumps onto the first ledge. Soon enough, everyone else followed her moves and made it to the second area of the tower.
As the X-Squad walked down another hall, X noticed something about this hallway and held his hand out to stop his friends from taking another step. He then motions them to come closer towards him and they do as he instructed, but also has them move slowly as to not set off any alarms in the tower.
"What's wrong, X? Do you see something?" Tetsuo blinked.
"Yeah, look over there…" X pointed to a laser security system. "From what I can tell, that's a laser security system. Boomerang Kuwanger must be wary of intruders, so he set up a security system to alert him. If we trip those lasers, we'll be targeted by the lasers that are set to fire at anyone who passes through them." X explained to him.
"So we'll need to carefully navigate through this area, then. We don't want to alert him of our arrival." Houki frowned as the gang carefully navigated through the laser system, destroying Mavericks that got in their way until they've safely made it pass to the other side. Eventually, they've reached the third area which is an elevator and they rod it to the next area.
However, the X Agent was still watching them with the cameras as he sees them riding the elevator to the next level before switching camera feeds. "You may not want to alert Boomerang Kuwanger, but there's no escaping from my sights. I have eyes in every corner of this tower and you fools won't leave my sights!" He then noticed on one of the exterior cameras and sees a silhouette in the distance. "Ah, right on schedule. Looks like those idiot girls are on their way to settle their score with the Hunters. That's exactly what I'm counting on. Once those girls are dealt with, I can commandeer their robot for myself and use it to destroy those Hunters and Boomerang Kuwanger if he ever betrays us." He switches from one camera feed to another as the X-Squad continues riding the elevator.
As the gang continues on their way through the tower, they had to avoid spikes and Mavericks to reach the fourth floor of the tower. The next area they were in was outside of the tower and it showed a beautiful view of the ocean, fields and prefectures of Japan. The wind blows around them as they all gazed at the view of the surrounding area of the tower and the metropolis in the distance.
"Oh wow…" Renkin gasped in awe.
"Amazing…" Dancho does the same.
"Check out this awesome view! You can see everything from up here!" Nanoha gasped happily as the gang looked at the beauty they see before them.
"Yeah… It sure is beautiful… It really hasn't changed since we've been put into cryosleep…" Houki nodded in agreement as she sees Neo Tokyo over the horizon.
"That's right, you and your friends were still in suspended animation when the virus was ravaging Japan. But some places like these are one of the few safe havens that was outside of the virus's path." Ross said "People didn't want to leave their homes, but with the threat of the virus, they had no choice but to evacuate the more crowded areas into places like this that were just outside its path of destruction. Though while there was a lot of people that didn't make it, Japan was still able to come back even stronger than before."
"And it's all thanks to the help of everyone else from around the world who all pinched in to help Japan recover from the virus." Glynda agrees "It may have taken over half a century for Japan to get back on its feet, but after a lot of hard work and determination, Japan was able to fully recover and became the metropolis it is today. Of course, none of this wouldn't even be possible without the help of a generous benefactor who has donated much of their fortune to make Neo Tokyo possible. So if anything, it's thanks to them Japan was able to recover from the virus." That last part has gotten Cecilia's attention as she was wondering if the benefactor was someone from her family.
"This benefactor, what did they look like? Were they from the Alcott family?" Cecilia asked them.
"From what we've heard about, this person is from another family, so I highly doubt that he's from the Alcott family." Ross answered her "However, that doesn't mean that he's not from a famous family that has been around since the Alcott family had fallen when the virus was still ravaging Japan. I'm sorry, Cecilia, but I'm afraid that it's not someone from your family."
"It's alright… I already had a feeling that it wasn't the case to begin with… You don't have to apologize, Ross-san. I suppose I shouldn't have given my hopes up for believing that someone from my family would've survived the virus…" She lowers her head in sadness as X places his hand on her shoulder.
"I know it's hard to learn what happened to your family after being in cryosleep for half a century, but you don't have to feel alone anymore." X reassured her "I'm sure that you'll be able to restore your family's honor again. Plus, I did promise you that I'd help you in regaining your fortune in anyway I can and I do intend to keep it." This causes her to blush brightly as he smiles at her.
"Thank you, X-san… I really appreciate you going out of your way to help me with restoring my family's fortune. It truly means a lot to me." Cecilia said with a smile. "If you haven't volunteered to help me recover my family's fortune, I would still be depressed and not know what to do. You truly are a gentleman." X smiled at her and gives her a thumbs up and she returns the gesture.
"Say, guys… There's something I want to ask…" Hifumi piped up. "Do you guys think it will remain beautiful after we defeat Sigma and end his war on humanity?"
"Yeah, I'm sure it will. We have to defeat Sigma for everyone's sake…" X nodded as he clenched his hand with determination. "We'll make a world where there is no war and both Reploids and humans can live together in harmony. It's not going to be easy, but I know we can do it."
"No doubt about it, we will make it a reality. That is a promise." Cecilia nodded with a heroic smile.
"Then we better keep on heading up the tower before—" Glynda was about to say until...
"Hold it right there, you losers! You're not going anywhere!" The gang heard an annoying voice calling out to them.
"Wait, isn't that…?" X gasped in surprise.
"Don't tell me…" Yamaneko groaned in annoyance.
"Yeah, it is… The last people we'd want to see…" Sakuya moaned as the Gokoh Battle Crab landed on the huge platform they were on, ready for battle.
"That's right, we're back and better than ever! And this time, we'll take you losers down for good and make Tetsuro our slave!" Chuko said dangerously.
"The Koi Koi 7 and the blue boy… Huh? Hey, the blue boy doesn't look blue at all… Why is that?" Kazuko blinked as she eyed X's Light Armor.
"Whatever, it doesn't really matter. The point is, this is our final battle, you freaks! And this time, we'll be the ones victorious here!" Miya snapped as the Gokoh Crab snapped its pincers at the gang.
"Ugh! When will you guys just leave us alone?! We've already got enough on our plate without you idiots!" Akiwo moaned as she facepalmed.
"As I said before, they certainly are persistent. Even going this far just to come all the way out here to find us." Kakka stated as he crossed his arms.
"I think persistence is the understatement of the year. These girls are just flat out obsessive with defeating us and taking Tetsuro as their slave." Jessie said with an annoyed sigh with her hands on her hips.
"That may be the case, but perhaps we can convince them to join our side after we defeat them? It'll be better for us if we can have them help us instead of fighting us." Charlotte suggested as the Koi Koi 7 looked at her with wide eyes.
"Are you really sure about this? This is the Gokoh Five we're talking about… They're not exactly known for their brains…" Miyabi muttered.
"Not a snowball's chance in Hades! I will never work with the freaks who tried to make Tetsuro their slave on more than one occasion!" Sakuya protested.
"Look, we know that you guys have a lot of beef with them and I can definitely agree with that, but they'll never leave us alone if we don't convince them to join our cause." Ling reasoned with her "Before we can make any decisions, let's beat the snot of them and then convince them to help us stop Sigma, okay? What do you say?" The Koi Koi 7 all had their doubts about their willingness to work together with their enemies, but seeing as this was the only way for them to win the war, they've eventually nodded.
"A wise decision, girls. I can promise you that you won't regret it. Now let's do this." X charged up his X-Buster and fired at one of the pincers, damaging it in the process.
"Big mistake, buster! It'll take a lot more than that to take us down…" Hekusokazura taunted as the Gokoh Crab fired laser beams from its eyes, forcing the gang to dodge them.
(MegaMan X and the X-Squad VS Gokoh Crab Theme: Fight X from Command Mission)
"Eat this!" Cecilia yelled as she fired her assault rifle at the Gokoh Crab, giving it medium damage. The Gokoh Crab fired its lasers at her, but Marty got in the way and spins her trident to dispel it. "Thank you, Marty-chan." Cecilia smiled in gratitude.
"Hey, no problem. That's what friends are for." Marty smiled as she leaped up and slams her trident onto the Gokoh Crab.
"Hey! Get off!" Kazuko growled as the Gokoh Crab tried to shake her off, but she leaped out of the way and Yamaneko fired her rocket launcher at the Gokoh Crab, giving it large damage. Houki charged towards the Gokoh Crab with Marino by her side and they double teamed on it, giving it extra damage.
"Grrrr! We won't lose to you freaks!" Miya growled in fury as she pressed a button and it fired missiles at the gang, but like before, they dodged them.
"Hah!" Char yelled as she thrust her spear at the Gokoh Crab, giving it medium damage.
"Let's go, Rising Heart!" Nanoha yelled as she fired energy blasts from Rising Heart to give the Gokoh Crab even more damage.
"Bardchie, let's do this!" Fate nodded as she used Bardchie to slash the Gokoh Crab three times while dodging a swipe from the pincers.
"Nice one, Nanoha and Fate! Now it's my turn!" Ling grinned as she charged towards the Gokoh Crab and slams her fists into the Gokoh Crab's side. The Gokoh Crab tried to grab her with its pincers, but Laura slashed it three times with her greatsword, Ross and Glynda fired their weapons at the Gokoh Crab, giving it bigger damage. Danchou and Runo combined their attacks to give it bigger damage. The Gokoh Crab was sparking electricity.
The X-Foundation Agent saw his chance and smirked. "Now's my chance…" He got out a controller and began controlling the Gokoh Crab.
"W-What the heck?!" Miya gawked as she sees the Gokoh Crab's controls being unresponsive. "What's going on with our greatest creation?!" Suddenly, the Gokoh Five were ejected out of their machine. The Gokoh Crab's eyes turned red, still sparking electricity. The Gokoh Five landed near their machine and began hugging each other in fright as their machine turns its glaze towards them and our heroes.
"What in the world?!" Renkin gasped in shock. "The Stupid Five's machine just ejected them and is now acting on its own!"
"X! We need to take it down now! Charge up your X-Buster while we buy you some time!" Kakka yelled as he launched ice spells at it, giving it medium damage.
"Right! I'll let you know when I can give you the signal!" X nodded as he charged up his X-Buster.
The Gokoh Crab fired more missiles at the gang, but like before, they dodged it. Renkin charged towards the Gokoh Crab and bashed it with her hammer. Jessie also fired her guns at the Gokoh Crab, giving it medium damage.
Cecilia fired more assault rifle shots at the Gokoh Crab, giving it medium damage. The Gokoh Crab charged up a cannon.
"Uh X… anytime now…" Dancho laughed nervously as she sweat dropped.
"Just… a little… more…. Now!" X let out a righteous scream as he fired a fully charged X-Buster shot that destroyed the Gokoh Crab.
"Drat! That accursed relic destroyed those idiot girls' robot and the signal for my controller!" The X-Foundation Agent growled "No matter, I still got all the necessary data I need from their robot and send it back to HQ for my associates so they can build a new one with upgrades. However, they'll have to be quick if I want to prevent them from convincing Boomerang Kuwanger to their side. Those foolish Hunters won't even know what hit them before it's too late." He slips out of sight and makes his way to top of the tower as X approaches the Gokoh Five.
"Oh crud… Bested by the blue boy and his friends… For the third time…" Chuko moaned as X stood before them.
"And now he's going to finish us off… This is really it for us… It's been nice knowing you girls…" Kazuko gulped as she and her friends closed their eyes and braced themselves for the inevitable. However, much to their surprise, X extended his hand out to help them up. The Gokoh Five opened their eyes and saw X's hand before them.
"Wh-What are you doing? Why do you have your hand out towards us?" Isuzu muttered as she and her friends eyed his offer suspiciously.
"Listen, Gokoh Five, what I'm about to tell you is far bigger than you can possibly imagine…" X began. "There's a threat that not only endangers my world, but your dimension as well. His name is Sigma, leader of the Mavericks and he has stolen the only thing that can send you guys, the Koi Koi 7, the Arthurs and their fairies and Nanoha and Fate back home. He intends to use to conquer the entire omniverse by wiping out humanity and create a world for Reploids."
"And what does that have to do with us, exactly? Why are you telling us this?" Hekusokazura blinked, confused about this as well.
"It has everything to do with you five as well as everyone else. The point is that… We want you girls to put aside your differences with the Koi Koi 7 until you and them are back in your home dimension. You were all brought to this dimension for a reason and that is to help us stop Sigma from conquering the other dimensions." X smiled softly at them.
"That's right, big forehead! We were all brought to this world for a reason and it's to help them stop Sigma!" Akiwo nodded in agreement with X. "We're not going to let him take over our dimension for his own selfish actions without a fight. But if you idiots don't join us and stop him, then you'll be hated for all eternity."
"AGHHHHHHH!" Miya screamed as she hops up and down in anger. "You just know how to get me so PO'ed, don't you?! You goody two-shows make me sick to my stomach! But you know what, fine! We'll take you up on your offer and join your little group for now. But as soon as we stop this Sigma guy and save the omniverse, it's back to destroying the Koi Koi 7 for me!"
"If what you've told us is true, then we'll help you stop this Sigma guy. From the way you described him, he sounds like a serious threat to our dimensions if he's not stop." Hekusokazura agreed.
"Alright then, now with that settled, let's continue heading to Boomerang Kuwanger's lair. Once we've managed to convince him to join us, we'll be one step closer to stopping Sigma's plans." Houki smirked as the gang with the Gokoh Five added to their team pressed forward.
As the group climbs up the tower, taking out Mavericks along the way, they've reached the very top and entered into the interior of the tower again. With only not much farther to go, they've mustered all their courage and made their way to the top and entered Kuwanger's room. Inside the room is a humanoid Kuwanger Maverick, waiting for them as he turned around to face them with his arms crossed.
"So you've managed to make it up to the top of the tower after all…" The Maverick sneered at them. "If you were all able do that, then none of you are ordinary B-Class Hunters. Especially with all of the rookies you've managed to acquire over the course of this war. As most of you already know, I am Boomerang Kuwanger, the last of Sigma's Maverick Generals. If you managed to get past me, then the road to Lord Sigma will be open to you."
"Kuwanger… We don't have to do this… I don't want to fight an old friend like you." X pleaded to him. "You used to be one of the best Maverick Hunters before all this war started. How could you just betray all of those who looked up to you and the others?"
"Don't be so naïve, X. You know exactly what we were designed for, but it's still interesting, isn't it? You're a Maverick Hunter… And Maverick Hunters are Reploids designed for fighting. You can't ignore it, no matter how much you try. It's how we were built." Boomerang Kuwanger told him.
"So we really don't have a choice, huh? We'll have to fight you no matter what, right?" X frowned.
"Of course. A chance for a fight like this doesn't come along every day. Especially with your potential Sigma has mentioned about you. It looks like he was right." Boomerang Kuwanger said.
"Potential? What are you talking about? Tell me what you mean about my potential!" X demanded him.
"Despite you being a B-Class Hunter, you've already learned a lot quicker than before from all your past experiences in battle." Boomerang Kuwanger explained to him. "If you're able to keep fighting with the other Mavericks, then you'll become even more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
"Wait, Kuwanger. Before you fight us, there's something I need to ask you about." Houki stepped forward.
"Hold on… You're Houki Shinonono, right? One of the girls Lord Sigma wants for our team and the younger sister of the Demon of Neo Tokyo…" Kuwanger sneered as he got into a battle stance while Houki did not. "What do you want, human filth? Have you and your friends finally come to your senses and decided to join us?"
"No, we still don't plan on joining Sigma for his own selfish reasons. However, there's something I need to ask of you. Does Lord Sigma treat you with any sort of respect?" Houki glared at him with her arms crossed.
"What sort of question is that? Of course, he treats me with respect. He is a great leader for us Reploids and wishes to make us the dominant species in the omniverse, in place of you humans." Kuwanger nodded while still glaring at Houki.
"Is that so? Somehow I highly doubt that. I believe he doesn't even care about you or the other Reploids at all. He's just saying that so he could use you for his own selfish reasons." Houki reasoned with the Maverick. "And despite what he said humans are somewhat true, not all of us are as bad as you think we are."
"You can't be serious! You honestly expect me to believe that?!" Kuwanger snarled in anger. "You humans built us to be your slaves so that you can live comfortably while we work ourselves to the very core! Not only that, but you've never given us a proper thank you or compliment for doing the jobs that were more dangerous for them!"
"I don't know what Sigma is telling you, but what he's been saying are lies. I've seen many humans giving Reploids thank yous and compliments and some are even working together as a team to help each other. Even if what Sigma is saying is true, do you honestly think that everyone would agree with what you're doing? I highly doubt it." Houki stated as Kuwanger was unsure about this.
Now it was Cecilia's turn as she steps forward. "It's true that humans fight over trivial things and some are as bad as you say, but deep down they can redeem themselves for the mistakes they've made and improve. The very same humans have given you Reploids life and Sigma is trying to destroy the very same race that has created you with kindness in their hearts."
"Exactly what are you trying to say? That I should trust the humans again?" Kuwanger questioned.
"What we're trying to say is that not all humans are as evil or disgusting as Sigma led you to believe. Humans made mistakes throughout their lives and while some of them are as bad as you say, but they also have the power to fix their mistakes and make the world a better place for everyone. If you join the Maverick Hunters, not only will you help the humans, but you can also regain their trust in you. All you need to do is understand them a bit more to find out they're not as bad as Sigma made you believe. Humans have the power to make miracles and fix their mistakes in any way they could. If there were no humans left, who will make more Reploids in their place? Sure, Reploids can do it the same as humans, but they wouldn't have the same love only a human could give whenever they made a Reploid. To them, it's almost like giving birth to a child and any parent would be happy to have them. So please, Kuwanger, join us in the fight against Sigma and stop him from conquering the omniverse." Houki pleaded with a strong reasonable approach.
Kuwanger closed his eyes and went silent for a moment as he is contemplating his decision on whether he should leave Sigma's side and rejoin the Maverick Hunters or not. But before he could make a decision, he heard something coming from above them and he throws his Boomerang Cutter towards the ceiling, only for it to be knocked down and embedded into the floor. "Who's there?! Show yourself, coward!" Just then, a laugh was heard as a robot resembling Iron Gauss from Super Bomberman R drops down and lands right between him and the X-Squad.
"Coward? Now that's just down right rude. Especially from a now ex-colleague such as yourself, Kuwanger." A voice mocked as the cockpit opens up to reveal the X Agent. "But I expected nothing less from a soon to be traitor of Sigma's plan. So I'm taking the liberty of erasing you from the equation before you become a serious threat to Sigma and Mr. X's plans."
"The X Foundation! Figured you creeps would be here waiting for us. Especially since we're about to recruit Kuwanger to our side. Much like how you did with Storm Eagle and Armored Armadillo." Jessie said with a growl.
"Yes, we've seen how you brats were able to convince those traitors to your side, so now I'm here to make up for their past failures and this time, I'll be the one leaving victorious!" The M. X Agent said as the cockpit closes up and the robot started attacking.
"Everyone, keep Kuwanger safe while we deal with this X-Foundation Agent!" X issued as he fired rapid Buster shots at the robot, giving it medium damage.
"You'll have to do more than that, blue boy!" The X-Foundation agent smirked as it swipe at our heroes, some of them were hit by it, but they recovered.
"Why you!" Yameneko growled as she fired her bazooka at the robot, giving it medium damage.
"Eat ice!" Kakka yelled as he launched ice spells at the robot, giving it medium damage as well.
"X! Allow me to help you and your friends!" Kuwanger offered as he yelled out "Boomerang Cutter!" He launched his attack at the robot, giving it medium damage as well.
"Here I go! Thanks, Kuwanger!" Ling yelled as she charged towards the robot and gave it 10 rapid fire punches, giving it big damage.
"Ugh, darn! Guess I need to up my game!" The X Foundation Agent growled as he yelled out "How about this?!" He used the cannon on the robot to fire rapid fire shots at our heroes, but they dodged it.
"Eat this!" Danchou yelled as she slashed the robot with her sword, giving large damage.
"How about this?!" Runo yelled as he and Sakuya combined their fire power to give the robot even more damage. The X-Agent was getting desperate as he fired more shots from his robot's cannon, but like before, they dodged it.
"Empress Rebellion!" Marino yelled as she launched her attack at the robot, giving it medium damage.
"Why you!" The X-Agent growled as he tried to swipe his claw at her, but she leaped out of the way and Jessie attacked the robot with her revolvers, giving it medium damage.
"Ugh! No matter what we do, we're hardly putting a dent on this thing!" Renkin snarled as she dodged a swipe from the robot. Suddenly, she sees X charging up his X-Buster while glowing in the mysterious blue aura again. "Alright!" Renkin cheered.
"What the…" The X-Agent gawked as X was glowing in a blue aura. "Time to finish you off, blue boy!" The X-Agent snarled as he charged up his cannon.
"Everyone, keep this fiend busy while we give X time to stop him!" Cecilia yelled as she fired her assault rifle on the robot. Akiwo followed suit by landing a kick on the robot.
"With pleasure!" Tekken nodded as he and Hifumi charged towards the robot and gave it medium damage.
"Rising Heart!"
"Bardchie!" Nanoha and Fate yelled together as they combined their attacks to weaken the robot. Glynda, Ross and Marty combined their attacks with Houki, Ling, Char and Laura's help to weaken the robot.
"Now X-kun!" Char yelled out to our hero. X opened his eyes and nodded and fired his charged shot at the robot.
"No, no, no, no, nooooo!" The X-Agent screamed as the blast hit the robot, destroying it, only the X-Agent was left as he has anime swirly eyes and groaning in defeat with cartoon birds flying around his head. Ross and Glynda got close to him and handcuffed him.
"Consider this payback for ambushing us in our apartment. You'll be put away for a long time." Glynda smirked at the unconscious X Foundation Agent.
"Same with the rest of your organization. Once we find out the location of your base of operations, every single one of you will be put behind bars. That includes Madam Y." Ross agrees with a nod before returning to the rest of the team.
Kuwanger looks at the unconscious X-Agent and was now starting to see what Houki and Cecilia were talking about to him. "So Sigma was willing to have me destroyed if I were to step out line. Perhaps you were right about Sigma not showing me any respect if he was intending to destroy me." He turns to face our heroes. "It seems I have misjudged you and your intentions on convincing me to rejoin the Maverick Hunters. If I were to continue serving under Sigma, then I wouldn't be here had I questioned him."
"You're not the only one who thought about it. Storm Eagle and Armored Armadillo realized it as well and have joined the Maverick Hunters as well." Laura told him "When they realized that Sigma was willing to have them destroyed when we were convincing them to join us as well. Once they've realized it, they've gladly joined us and are now part of the Maverick Hunters once again."
"I see. Then it seems I've made a mistake in joining Sigma and help him conquer the omniverse." Kuwanger closed his eyes. "If Storm Eagle and Armored Armadillo came to the same realization, then it must be the truth." He opens his eyes as he turns back to face our heroes. "But how will I know that if I do join you, you won't stab me in the back? How can I be sure that you won't do the same as Sigma just tried to do?"
"You don't have to worry about it. I can promise you that we won't do such a thing to you." Nanoha smiled softly. "You have our word."
"…" Kuwanger again closed his eyes and thought about it for 20 seconds until he opened them again. "Very well, I will trust you on your word and join you in the fight against Sigma. However, if any you were to ever betray me…" He warned.
"We won't. We promise. We'd never do such a thing to you." X reassured him as Kuwanger walked over to him and Marino.
"X… Marino… Take my power. I'm positive it'll be useful to both of you. As you might already know, Sting Chameleon is weak to my attacks as it can track him, even when camouflaged. Even though he's already destroyed, I have a hunch you two may need my power to destroy Sigma." X and Marino both nodded as they touched Kurenai's hands and gained a new ability from him.
X aimed his X-Buster at the wall while shouting "Boomerang Cutter!" and fired a sharp boomerang from his Buster as he ricochets from the wall and rebounds back to X. X smiled as he has acquired all 8 Maverick Generals' powers.
As for Mario, she gain a pair of Beam Chakrams as her reward for receiving Kuwanger's power. Wanting to test them, she gets into position and shouts out "Wild Frenzy!" where she throws her Chakrams 6 times with the last one has her launching them towards the wall as they ricocheted back and into her hands.
"Now that you two have my power, you're more than ready to take on Sigma. In addition, I'll give you the location of his fortress." Kuwanger added as he transmitted the info to X.
X activated his comlink as soon as Kuwanger disabled the jamming machines and now have a clear path to Sigma's lair. "Zero, Jerry, Sophie, did you guys get all that?" He asked.
"Oh yeah, we sure did. Thanks to Kuwanger's cooperation, we now know where Sigma's fortress is. This is it… The final battle with Sigma is upon us. Well being the assault tomorrow, so come on back and rest up. You'll be needing all your strength for your final confrontation with him." Zero acknowledged.
X nodded and deactivated his comlink as he turned to his friends. "So… This is it… It's finally come to this…" Charlotte frowned seriously.
"The final showdown with Sigma… It's all coming together now…" Cecilia nodded with her own frown.
"We're almost there, we can feel it. Just a little bit more and we'll be facing Sigma in no time." Laura growled softly.
"No doubt there's going to be a lot more fighting when we enter his stronghold… He's not going to make it easier for us, but we won't let that stop us…" Ling looked down a bit despondently.
"X…" Houki looked at him with concern.
"I know… This is it, our final battle is upon us… Tomorrow, we end this war once and for all! For the sake all of those who are counting on us! We won't let them down!" X declared.
To be continued…
Next chapter: Before the Final Battle: Arc 1: Showdown with Mr. X! Operation Rescue Houki!
A/N: After a long delay, this chapter is finally completed. Next chapter is where Houki is kidnapped by the X-Foundation and our heroes rushing to rescue her and facing Mr. X and Madam Y in a final showdown with the X-Foundation. Not only that, we finally learn Mr. X's true identify. So stay tuned for Before the Final Battle: Arc 1! And happy holidays from Musashi the Master and Panther J!