File: 1337767180692.png-(214 KB, 427x605, India rough.png)

You are on-mission to retire Lockon Bloodhound, alongside fellow 4th Overland member India. While she flew low, daring strafing runs (with a heavy-ass transport, no less), you not only captured three enemy combatants, but a valuable Rabbit Ride Armor as well.

With only minor damage that your repair systems are mending even now, you finish securing your perimeter as the second transport of your troops sets down. India catches up to you as you start directing them, twirling a mechnical bit around her finger.

"All done?" you ask as the plane offloads its Berets and Gun Volts.

"Mmhmm," she says, wiping her oily hand off on your armor. "That Ride's not going anywhere until we want it to--unless he calls in an airlift," she adds wryly.

"Great." You nonchalantly ignite your misericorde, the intense blade quickly heating the oil to flashpoint as you wave it near. India raises an eyebrow as you burn her handprint off. "Still got three more flights coming in, but we've got enough troops here to get started."

File: 1337767257775.jpg-(25 KB, 262x201, de_dust.jpg)

The entrance to the facility is a maintenance accessway near to the main silo doors. You'll have to go nearly single-file, and it's almost sure to be defended. That said, there's also a main entryway which would allow you hit with the full breadth of your strike force. The downside to that, of course, is that it cuts both ways. If the side paths are guarded, then the front will surely be fully entrenched.

Which approach do you want to take?
>Maintenance hallway
>Assault the front doors

>>19207787
Have a few people cause some commotion near the front, not a direct assault but enough to make the defenders nervous and to focus their efforts over there, have them try to seem like a larger force than they are. Then strike through the Maintenance hallway.

File: 1337769646076.jpg-(106 KB, 262x399, little bit of armless fun.jpg)

So first off, sorry, sorry, fucking sorry for the delay. I actually didn't want to post now, since there are a handful of quests active, but if I keep waiting for a time when I'm free and the board is mostly clear, I'd never start again.
>>19207897
"Two ways in," you note.

"Yeah. What're you thinking?"

"We send two thirds of what we've got now to camp the main entrance, rattle their cages a little. Rest follow us through the maintenance access. It's almost single file anyway, we'll get greater payoff from one of us being in front."

India nods. "Plus we'll want to lock that front entrance down anyway. Works for me." She turns and addresses the Berets. "Take some Gun Volts and put the fear of God in 'em at the main path. Make it look like you're gearing up for a push. Put the 'loids near to the front, they're bigger. Helps hide your numbers."

The Beret gives a sharp salute and starts separating the forces. India looks back to you. "Once we have more crew on the ground, we'll send them in after us for a linkup. Post checkpoints to keep our back clear."

First positions will probably be the most well-defended, so even with your relatively bare strike team, reinforcements should catch up by the time you break the enemy lines. "Okay then," you agree, "let's get a move on."

>>19208049
Once we're in the base we should be able to screw over their entrenchments from within meaning once we get in we can open the floodgates, the floodgates of mechanical death.

File: 1337770759274.jpg-(46 KB, 542x384, No it's not like this.jpg)

>>19208049
India unslings her buster rifle as she moves--she wasn't kidding when she said it was top-of-the-line, the barrel gleaming with unmarred chrome finish. She pulls a wire from behind the stock and runs it into her arm, linking her power core to bolster the weapon's output.

"Damn, you haven't even broken that thing in yet, have you?" you ask as you walk.

"Haven't had the chance yet. And besides, look who's talking, new guy."

"I'd say I'm plenty broken-in. Weasel, Wallaby, Jagwire..."

"Then thanks for volunteering to go in first, then, luv," she says cheerfully. "But seriously, you take point, I'll cover you. You can take a hit a damn sight better than I can."


"You and Cathode, man," you mock-grumble. "Always taking hits for pretty girls." The accessway door is angled slightly, flush with a hillside. India takes to one side of it, and you the other. The berets follow suit, as does the lone Head Gunner you took on your little sojourn.

You look at your partner. She adjusts her grip on her rifle, and nods. Busters primed, you elbow the hatch release.

Nothing happens.

You cautiously peer around the corner. Nothing. Just a long narrow approach, vanishing into the dark of the base, walls lined with pipes.

>IT'S A TRAP TAKE THE FRONT DOOR
>Something something Zhuge Liang. We got this.

>>19208159
>Something something Zhuge Liang. We got this.

We already have men on the front door which is entrenched. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Though we should arc some electricity down one of those pipes before we do anything else, see what happens.

Good to see Maverick Hunter Quest again.

We be genre-savvy, so it is trapped.

>>19208172
This, electrocute the pipes. But if nothing happens then we may as well throw ourselves into the trap and trust India to bail us out.

File: 1337776225119.png-(186 KB, 290x353, HE KNOWS.png)

>>19208489
Thanks. I'll try not to let it go so long in the future. Got reasons, of course, but I won't get into it.
>>19208172
>>19208603
You're all silent a moment, sweeping the corridor with your guns.

"So... Deathtrap?" India asks.

"As a rule. Though, maybe not... gotta assume it is, but given how much they threw at us first, maybe that was their best shot at repelling an attack."

"Maybe. No way he missed this passage, though."

"No, but maybe he wants us to think it's a trap so we'll throw ourselves at his strongpoint."

"Can't know for sure, but you're right."

"I'm gonna spend some juice and zap the pipes, see if we shake anything loose."

"Hold that thought," she says. "And cover me." Carefully, she slips inside the access, slinging her rifle again. She pulls her goggles down with one hand as she puts the other to the wall, running them along the pipes.

She's quiet for a moment, before she turns back, grinning, and pulls the eyepiece back up. "Activity a ways further down. Not much, but it's there."

"How the hell..." you start.

"Pilot's only as good as what she knows," India replies smoothly. "Sensor suite in the headgear, tactile feedback through tapping in the pipes. You got enough to fry 'em?"

You check your capacitors. "Sadly, no. Not transmitted through the pipes, anyway."

"How about you hit them right before we move in? Put 'em off guard with a zap tap, then we rush 'em?"

>Sounds like a plan.
>Screw, let's just go.
>Other?

>>19208738
>Sounds like a plan.

Good to see you back in action, Command.
>I actually didn't want to post now, since there are a handful of quests active, but if I keep waiting for a time when I'm free and the board is mostly clear, I'd never start again.
I don't blame you. Still, these threads have a habit of lasting longer than most, so I'm sure it'll be fine.

>>19208738
wait, what's in these pipes. Could she tell? Because if it's water under pressure we could hit the pipes they're standing near THEN light them up.

>>19208873
I think that's the idea (good call for bringing India along). Right before we engage, we arc some juice through the pipes, catching everyone inside with a good jolt. While they're stunned, we charge them and smash them.

>>19208948
No. Sorry, I wasn't clear. India rounds the corner and snipes the pipes with her new gun. The water sprays all over the enemy and hopefully leaves a big puddle on the floor. At that point, Anode goes in and fries the lot of them in one fell swoop.

>>19208972
Sounds like extra work. The pipes ought to rupture anyway with the power we're about to rout through them. Plus, it's all metal, so all the energy has to go through something, like those Mavs.

File: 1337778426947.jpg-(21 KB, 220x353, 220px-DirkNowitzki.jpg)

I know the thought has occurred to others before, but you know what would be hilarious?

A Maverick modeled after this guy.

>>19208994
Yeah, typing it out it does seem like to much.

>Sounds like a plan.

File: 1337779783010.gif-(925 KB, 256x256, ion.gif)

>>19208738
You move up beside India. "Water in these?" She shakes her head. "Okay, stand back. I get the feeling this is gonna be a bit messy."

She moves well back, out of the tunnel entrance, as you put a hand to the pipes.

The ensuing fireworks are something, to say the least. Bolts dance across each surface, some back to you, which you immediately feed back into your capacitors and unload back into the metal. Sparks and arcs crackle down the way, and before long you hear muffled pops and explosions, the rattle of the pipes wrenching at their weak points. It may not be the most powerful shock you've made, but it's certainly one of the most spectacular.

You let up after only a scant couple seconds, the last few jolts bounding back into you, as you take off at a sprint. You use that last bit of reclaimed juice to trigger your electrified dash, blazing down the tunnel all the faster. Behind you, you can hear India and the Berets hot on your heels.

Up ahead, smoking bumps along the walls reveal places mounted turrets stood. You hurry past, until you reach a wall of steam from breached pipes. As you blow through, the walls vanish out of your periphery, and you see a handful of enemy infantry pulling themselves out of a shocked (heh) stupor. Wreckage from more of those bat-loids is scattered throughout this wider room, with a few intact specimens on the farthest walls.

You crash down on the remaining enemy like a wave, using your momentum to carry your lance thrust clear through the first. You cut down a handful of batton bones with a sustained burst from your buster, just as India and the Berets arrive and do the same on the other side of the room. Coordinated fire scythes through mechaniloid and maverick alike.

It's over within moments.

>>19209179
"Clear!" one of the Berets calls as they finish their sweep of the room.

"Roger that, stand down." You snicker as your poor Head Gunner finally makes it down the access hallway, far, far too late to be of any use.

India's not laughing, though.

"What's up?" You ask.

"Why would these pipes be in use? This place is supposed to be decommissioned."

...Shit, she's right. "Ventilation? Maybe?" Your tone suggests that you don't believe it either. Wordlessly, both of you fall back in and move out again. You leave a checkpoint force behind you--that slow-ass head gunner and the handful of Berets who came with you. You leave them an okay to keep a Gun Volt when the next team makes it through.

Another jaunt through a small hallway--this one undefended, suddenly finds you in a massive cylinder, standing high on a catwalk some two or three hundred feet up.

And, far beneath you in the central silo facility, is an intercontinental ballistic missile.

File: 1337780376930.jpg-(55 KB, 636x545, awgeeznotthisscrapagain.jpg)

>>19209233
Brief delay while I go get myself breakfast, since I ruined mine. Stupid stove. Back shortly.
>>19209039
Sounds like there's a story there?

>>19209238
Dirk Nowitski.
Of the Dallas MAVERICKS.
imsowitty.gif

>>19209233
Suddenly, a pair of hunters doesn't seem like overkill for this one.

We should really be moving faster.

>>19209266
Now the only question is how they got away with getting an ICBM here with no one noticing.
Well, the other question is if it's live.

>>19209233

>Excuse me while I make a phone call. "Wellington do you have 'A Dummy's Guide to Nuclear Warhead defusion.'?"

I guess it'd be too much to ask to confront a sniper in confined corridors?

He's there on some balcony or something. We get onto the rail, he shoots. In fact, if he has any intelligence, he shoots the rail and we plummet onto the missile. How deep is that anyway?

>>19209285
Not a sniper, a guided weapons specialist. Expect not high-caliber bullets, but expect homing missiles.

>>19209238

this is why I live on cold cereal or leftover pizza in the mornings! haha! UP YOURS STOVE.

>>19209271
This is actually a good point to make. Ring up Command and let them know we just found a live ICBM here.

>>19209271
>>19209270
Seriously though, we should really call someone about this.

The Situation Has Changed.

>>19209294
That's worse, isn't it?

>>19209314
Depends on how fast the missiles move.

>>19209314
Depends on your perspective. That aside, Lockon is an expert tracker specializing in guerrilla warfare, which is why we brought India the self-aware pilot with us.

Okay, so, the delay here is because I've been setting up something a bit different. If you're interested, go ahead and hop over to #MHQ on suptg's IRC server.

Naturally, my connection is choosing now to spazz out, but come drop in just the same.

So what's going on?

>>19210082
Assuming I can stay connected long enough to post this, some kind of recurring DNS error. Driving me absolutely batty.

Is it too late to join #MHQ? The channel is empty, far as I can see.

>>19210490
Not too late, I just had the most catastrophically timed internet failure ever. I just flushed my DNS in ipconfig, maybe that'll help. I'm going to try to reconnect, though I may not be on long if I haven't fixed this goddamned thing.

>>19210526
Well, I'm sitting in here minding my own business, so I'll see if you come in.

>>19210490
how do you do that anyway?

>>19210587
Using an IRC client of your choice, join the server suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com (set port to either 6667 or 9999).
Alternately, you can connect directly through the online IRC client provided on sup/tg/ itself.
From there, join #MHQ

>>19210526
[12:44:55] <Hunter_Command> I hate everything!

>>19210526

well, if ya want, I can continue storytime with the bear. well, after work, I can.

>>19210653
Sounds like a plan, assuming Command still has trouble getting things back on track and Cain isn't around for Cain Q&A.

File: 1337792405946.gif-(931 KB, 210x118, stigflip.gif)

Okay, I've tried everything within my power and then some. I don't know what brought this on, but it's most likely nothing I can fix from my end. Cain Labs was about earlier--when he's back again, he'll be in on the IRC as well. If I get this thing sorted I'll be in there too. For more than two seconds at a time, anyway.

>>19210653
By all means, please do.

In the meantime, I had most of a post typed out, I'll go back to that. Sorry for the turbulence, though it seems like it's fated to happen every time I get this trainwreck rolling again, eh?

>>19210719
This is one of the better-rated quests out there, so I'd say it's not THAT much of a trainwreck.

File: 1337792864420.jpg-(196 KB, 600x600, EVERY TIME.jpg)

Music:
>>19209233
You and India slowly turn and look at each other.

Both of your hands fly up to your comm units at the same time.

"Requesting emergency Operator support, looking for Wellington," you say.

"Copy," comes a bored voice. "Is time a factor?"

You look down at the missile.

It seems to be rising.

"VERY YES."

Meanwhile, India is apparently having a magical conversation of her own.

"--in the name of batter-dipped fuck did they get a fucking missile?!"

"Anode," you hear a relieving voice from HQ. "Am I hearing this right?"

"If it starts with 'I' and ends with 'BCM,' yes," you reply. "I have no idea if this thing is live or not, but I have a guess."

"Indeed," he says gravely. "I'm working on placing the missile now."

"Got a map coming," India chimes in, not that she can hear your navigator (you think). "Based off the layout thus far, there's only one design in the archives that matches. Transferring that now."

Sure enough, you're treated to a simple overlay. It looks as though the interior goes two ways--one to a launch command bunker, and the other to a communication suite.

"There's no telling if he's actually IN that bunker," India notes. "He could easily have set up a launch console in communications."

"Or he could just bail on us," you note. Making sure the missile is never launched is your new priority one, but you don't want to let this guy slip away.

No two ways about it. You're going to have to split up.

>Take the command bunker.
>Take the communications array.

>>19210787
Whoops forgot my music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIp4fQGo7-8

>>19210787
Knowing Mavericks, they like to set up in any sort of central command room. Then again, knowing Lockon, he might bluff us and have set up in the communications room.
Is there any outlet that we can hook ourselves into and note where the most energy is coming from in the complex? Whichever is making more noise is likely where Lockon is.

>>19210787
Communications array. He was smart enough to trap the backway, he's smart enough to know the first place a hunter would look.

If we don't find anything we haul ass to India. The same goes for her.

>>19210852
I'd think the thing drawing the most power would be the missile.

Then again, I don't know much about ICBMs. I assume it takes power to launch one, right?

>>19210887
Still, one of those rooms has to be expending power to send the signal to launch this mofo.

Nothing convenient to tap into, unfortunately. You're not sure how much power it takes to run a launch control, either.

>>19210925
Well, in absence of any other evidence I say you put your spear on the ground, spin it, and head in the direction the blade points.

>>19210925
Either way, we should assume that even if he has a launch console set up in communications, the ICBM can still be controlled in the command room, which will likely be guarded.
Then again, Lockon isn't dumb, and like >>19210857 said, it might be a bluff.

...
Let's call the bluff and head for the communications array. There's more things that can be kept track of in that room, like overwatch of the island, and as India said, he could easily have moved launch control to there. With any luck, we'll find Lockon, the launch console AND a clear line out of here all in one room. The communications room has potential for more eggs in a single basket.

>>19210992
Counterpoint: India might be able to better utilize the sort of equipment you find in the communications suite. I don't know what being a pilot qualifies you for other than flying planes, but is seems that way at least.

>>19211141
Both of us have a line to Navigation. If Wellington can guide us to a warp scrambler in a power plant when our eyes are shattered, I'm sure he can explain how to work a communications console, assuming we don't already know ourselves. The issue right now is finding Lockon and the launch console, not how well we can push buttons.

When the word IBCM popped up 2 threads ago all I could think of was the prelude to the Overdrive Ostrich boss fight: Someone will be riding a missile.

>>19211231
Overdrive Ostrich crossed my mind, too.

>>19211231
>>19211256
Well, I think we know how well be almost dieing this mission.

>>19211285
What, riding an ICBM through the ozone layer?

>>19211312
Something to that effect.

>>19211285
>>19211256
>>19211231
Aw, give me a little credit.

Wolves. It's going to be wolves. Not even robot ones.

Also, continued finagling with my internet problem has told me that the modem is repeatedly losing its shit and resetting back at the DSL connectivity stage. Pretty sure that clinches it being an out-of-house issue, meaning I can sit on it and swivel.

I'll try writing, but I might need to take an hour's break to rage, cry, weep, nap, and pray that it goes back to working properly in short order. At any rate, in the meantime, when last I looked Cain Labs was afoot in the IRC, meaning he'll probably be on deck. Feel free to hop in there if you like, maybe we can get a congregation of readers going.

As ever, sorry for the complications. Frigging DNS.

>>19211360
We don't need air, do we? So just kinda hop off once we won't fall and wait for india to pick us up.

...

If that happens anyway.

File: 1337799218462.jpg-(130 KB, 526x678, Needs more gun.jpg)

>>19210787
You decide quickly. "I'll take Communications."

"I've got the bunker, then. What are you going to do when you get there?"

"Kill Lockon if he's there, take a crash course in rocket science if he's not."

"Sounds about right. Though I might be able to knock the damn thing out, we'll see." She starts down the catwalk toward the command bunker. "Good luck, newbie."

"Same to you." You give her a last wave as you make for your own objective.

On you go, over the catwalks, back into a small hallway--no exposed pipes this time, instead presenting smooth walls, cast over by the eerie barred red of the caged emergency lights.

You're back on your own again--India's got her own thing. At least you can stay in communication. reinforcements are behind you, and they'll need to form more checkpoints.

And up ahead, you see the first of the ones your enemy left. A trio of disk boys at a fortified choke point, weapons raised, and behind them an Aclanda--the ridiculously sturdy scorpion weapons platform.

>Take it fast.
>Take it slow.

>>19211607
We don't have time to waste.

Let's go! Take'em by storm!

>>19211607
If we're too slow, that Aclanda will rain lasers and mortars on us, and those Disk Boys will shred us from their defensive position. Have our guys give us suppressive fire while we become a human -- sorry, reploid -- bunker buster and charge the encampment fast and hot.

>>19211684
Scratch the part about our reinforcements. I didn't catch that we're by ourselves. Still, charge them fast. Those lasers and disks will wreak havoc in tight spaces like this, so we have to be quick.

File: 1337802404150.jpg-(37 KB, 448x199, we need a reploid saint jiub.jpg)

>>19211673
>>19211684
Thinking back to your attack on the Enigma facility, you decide to come in fast and hot. Before they can react you're already on the move--their disks whizz uselessly past you, already inside their throw arcs and hopping the defenses. Your first target is that heavy gun 'loid--you've seen just what they can dish out and take when you used one yourself.

You use your momentum to slice through its first weak point--the links in the tail. Your charge carries you back and around as the bomb-slinger falls. The disk boys make their second throw, and instead of evading it, you hook around and crouch behind the scorpion, letting them further damage their own support. It turns to face you, but this close it's pitifully slow--you drive your lance into its head in one motion, planting it to the hilt and pinning the wretched thing to the floor. You release it and draw your misericorde out as you send one of the DBs diving for cover with a volley from your buster.

File: 1337802485830.jpg-(53 KB, 640x480, protogoddamn.jpg)

>>19212130
You dash, well away as the Aclanda starts to explode, charging into the first Disk Boy. Your misericorde punches clear through the chest with almost no resistance, and you actually wind up plunging your hand into him with it from sheer follow-through. Forcing down the shock, you turn and sling him in front of you, deflecting another disk as you throw his corpse into his fellows. The one who dove prone is bowled over again just as soon as he rises, and you quickly gun down the other, who collapses under a dozen plasma shots.

You move to subdue the third, but he hurls a disk at you from prone, and then switches to his buster. You twist aside, and before he fires, you quickly finish him with a deft stroke of the misericorde.

All done. Silence returns to the silo hallway. That...that was fantastic! Not a scratch on you! You pump a hand to the ceiling in victory, wishing India were around to see how hard you just rocked.

And then you get mauled by bats.

>>19212147
JESUS WHAT ARE THESE GODDAMN ANIMALS
Wait, India already made that joke. Dammit.

File: 1337803401852.gif-(34 KB, 312x240, Itoldyoudog.gif)

>>19212147
"ACKPTH," you note insightfully as you're dive-bombed by a bloody swarm of the things. They bite and rend and ram and screech as you flail ineffectually for a moment, before you ignite both your lance and your misericorde and start flailing much more effectively.

It's not long before the horde's thinned enough for you to actually see again and start cutting the stragglers down, though you're somewhat the worse for wear.

Fucking bats.

"Hey Indy," you call over comms. "If you see any entrenched positions, watch the ceilings. I just became Maverick Hunter S. Thompson over here."

She treats you to a hushed laugh through the comms. "All clear here so far, but I've been going it a little cautious anyway. Thanks for the warning. Out."

You receive word quickly after that another flight has landed, and suggest your team split at the silo catwalks. You direct one half to take up the position you just cleared, and move on, much more careful this time.

You keep going, and...

...And that is not supposed to be here at all.

The wall gives way, crudely cut through, revealing a tunnel bored through the rock. Looks like the mavericks, or someone at least, have been doing some renovating.

"Wellsley," you radio. "I've got a breach in the wall here. Any idea what's down there?"

"Scanning. Definitely mechaniloid and maverick presence. Doesn't seem to terminate above ground, though, so it's not an escape route."

>Take the carved path, no sense leaving your back open.
>Press on to the comms room.

>>19212289
Let's not get caught in any pincers, especially at this stage of the engagement. Investigate the secret passage.

Could be a trap. Could we just blow the entrance up somehow? If it's not an exit we can just come back later and smoke them out.

Let's give it a look.

INTO THE HOLE!

Priority would probably comms, if its possible to rig up some sort of tripline that'd make a godawful noise if someone were to exit... we still got Jagwires shit handy?

File: 1337804688153.jpg-(149 KB, 582x668, assume the position.jpg)

This hole.

It was made for you.

Or, well, you don't feel comfortable NOT checking it out.

You cautiously advance, eyes on the rough-hewn ceiling for more GODDAMN ANIMALS.

None to speak of, fortunately, but it's not long before you hear the sound of heavy machinery idling. Carefully looking around the corner, you end up almost walking into another ride armor.

"Sup," says the pilot, who punches you in the chest and sends you crashing back the way you came.

>?!

>>19212534
Start shooting, don't even wait to collide with anything.

>>19212534
Well, that explains that. As last time, attack the pilot and attempt to commandeer the ride armor for ourselves. Whether or not the pilot is alive or dead when we do is your choice.

Let's work on getting some kind of Ride Jacker achievement. Fuck that guy's shit and steal his ride!

File: 1337806031227.png-(1.43 MB, 640x1443, no no no no no no.png)

>>19212534
Well, you think. At least you know how they dug the tunnel.

Busters blazing before you even impact, the pilot is stalled in pursuing you as he raises a spiked fist to protect himself.

Which is good, because between that punch and slamming into the back wall, you're pretty sure your breastplate's been crushed in, front and back. Ow.

You don't have time to dwell on it, as he careens forward again, plowing through the cavern wall as you dive aside. You fire on him again, and once again he wheels and deflects the attacks. This one's clearly better trained than the operator on the surface.

And despite its size, you get the feeling it has the advantage in this confined tunnel.

So, being an enterprising hunter, you make the most astounding revolutions upon the vertical and deem it most judicious to recede.

You get the fuck out of there.

The Ride is hot on your heels, spinning up its fists and boosting, gaining on you...

Only you've got the headroom to jump, and it doesn't. You clear the dug tunnel.

And as you twist and fire a torsion cable into the tunnel, making a lethal tripline, you hear the pilot go "Oh, shi--!"

The ride crashes end over end, its own inertia tangling it in the wire and sending him sprawling out of the cockpit.

You advance on him, grinning smugly, as he pulls himself up at your feet.

He quickly aims behind him, and with a snap-shot, blasts the cockpit, frying the sensitive controls. With a grin, he then puts the weapon to his temple and blows his own head off.

Bastard.

>Well, that's done. Back into the tunnel.
>Once was enough. Ow. Fuck.

>>19212845
Coward. Besides, no one said we can't salvage the ride itself. Mark it for salvage later, then check for any other enemies before we make for the comms room.

>>19212896

This. If we can salvage it, we can pilot it later. Check for other enemies, make for comms.

WE MUST GO DEEPER.

>>19212845
Comms would be good, but we really need to make sure no more surprises are in the tunnel.

Hmm, a bump for a tiebreaker, and maybe a brief break. Been up since 2 in the morning. I'll probably eat dinner and fall into a coma, but hey, multi-day threads are apparently my thing anyway.

I doubt there can be many more ride armors there.
>Onward

File: 1337809083205.jpg-(48 KB, 418x410, lockon_bloodhound_g.jpg)

Whoops, misread that first vote. Tunnel it is.

A quick inspection tells you that the ride armor is well and truly junked--though you'll probably be able to salvage it for something, at least. With a sigh, you move back into the tunnel. The way seems relatively clear as you round the bend you got your chest punched in at. You look left, look right.

And then the entire thing shakes.

"Anode?" India calls.

"Yeah?" you answer, steadying yourself against the wall as you look ahead, and see that the tunnel has turned back into the facility...

"He just started the launch sequence."

"Fuck."

"Yeah, that. Move it, greenhorn."

You don't need telling twice. You cross back into the facility through this second breach, and find yourself overlooking what must be the communication array.

And, looking up at you with hard, narrowed eyes, is Lockon Bloodhound.

"Anode," India radios again, "I've got the launch console. Overriding it now."

"I've got my own problems," you reply.

"Yes," he answers in a voice that almost creaks, "you do."

>?

>>19213475
"You may be my problem, but I'm your worst nightmare, butthorn!

>>19213475
Wait, we're on top of the communications array? Is it, like a glass ceiling or something, or are we inside the room on a balcony of sorts?

>>19213513
Balcony. They dug a tunnel out and around.

>>19213522
So it's just rows of terminals, us on an elevated balcony, and Lockon on the ground floor?
Wash him with hot plasma, and once we can get a handle on his location, hit him with a Blackout Rocket. If ever there were an enemy that would be weak to a sensor-deadening cloud of black chaff, it's the master tracker who relies on guided weapons.

oh boy, I've been waiting for this!

looks like it's impossible to melee at this range, should we start destroying our surroundings for more cover?

File: 1337811055715.jpg-(192 KB, 600x600, the rebellion is here and they(...).jpg)

You look down at the old maverick. He doesn't look particularly nervous. A quick glance tells you he's packing more than just guided missiles--the barrel on his buster screams directed energy weapon, and his armor, old but well-kept, looks recently modified in places. Despite the worn appearance, his equipment and demeanor suggest he's in prime form.

"Anode," comes another comm call, this time from Wellington. "I'm reading an enemy signal."

"Yeah, I'm looking at him," you reply coolly, slowly preparing to make your move. You look down at your target again. He still hasn't moved from his spot, eyes locked on yours.

"No," Wellsley replies urgently. "A second signal."

File: 1337811170352.png-(140 KB, 298x338, 1265779748255.png)

>>19213805
>mfw

>>19213805
well, shit.

>>19213805
They're behind us, arent they?

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>>19213885

File: 1337812155266.png-(132 KB, 509x293, clevergirl.png)

>>19213936

File: 1337812494845.gif-(321 KB, 300x227, Protoswag.gif)

>>19214009
So this is what evil feels like. Feels...good.

On that note, though, I think I'm going to have to pull a bastard move and get a bit of rest. In the meantime, if Cain Labs or our friend wandering fa/tg/uy would like to contribute a bit, then by all means, feel free. Other than that, I will be back for this thread, and you will totally fight a bloodhound.

Well hello there Hunters! I'm available for Q&A if anyone is interested.

>>19214180
What are the general areas of advancement in overall reploid technology as time goes on? That fellow from IBM said transistors will become smaller and more powerful as time goes on. How does that apply to reploids? How often do these sweeping advancements come about?

>>19214213
Weapons and defensive technology are big areas of marked improvement. Mobility, weight and efficiency are also being improved. Virus protection, data buffering, those sorts of protections are important. A major rollover tends to come around every 1-2 years in most of these fields; with weapons and defense especially, it's usually related to whether X has discovered new work by Dr. Light.

>>19214241
But there's a turnover for non-combat/non-Hunter reploids as well, right?

>>19214180
In mega man Zero, Copy X's guardians have what can only be described as "battle forms", along with the bosses from... three, I think, where they start as humanoid reps and transform into beast repeloids for the boss fight.

Is this sort of technology in development now, or did it come about during the elf wars?

>>19214289
That would be 3, yeah. The Eight Gentle Judges.

Always liked Deathtanz's crazy pope hat.

>>19214268
Data protection improvements are valid for all Reploids, combat and civilian alike. The same is true for things like weight and mobility.

>>19214289
There's been a very small amount of work on that, but it's not going to be explored seriously for a long time.

>>19214325
Anything going on in Africa? You don't hear about a lot of stuff down there in the cradle of civilization.

>>19214455
Oh yes. Africa's under heavy development and has been a major war zone at times. Lot of resources to exploit.

>>19214609
Anything in particular we'd be up on?

>>19214325
So, what is it? Do they transform, or is it like a ride armor?

>>19214634
In terms of war activity? Not really. A few operatives in the 4th deal with desert activity, but it's mostly been the Air Cavalry down there.

>>19214666
There have been some early tests of transforming Reploids that can deploy a larger battle form, but nothing substantial. Mass conversion has been very poor so far. Generally, additional mass for the deployment of such a transformation has had to be supplied from a module, like Rhodes', or from a Mechaniloid that can interface with the transforming Reploid.

In short, it's not accomplishing much right now.

By the way guys, I think I figured out what happened to Dr. Wily.

youtube.com/watch?v=ri9hH4-VJZM

>>19214996
I can't get the plugins for suptg to work. can you give me a hand?

>>19215597
For the IRC? Try going to www.mibbit.com and entering the server information manually.

beer. Beer is good.

storytime on your say-so. well, that and me not being drunk within a few hours.

>>19216326
We've kinda been killing time until you would show up. You're welcome to take the thread over. Everyone's hanging out in the IRC, and Command's taking a nap.

>>19216326
Yes! Storytime!

Love that storytime from before

>>19216389
>>19216344

I'd go to the IRC, but I've got like, 4 conversations going on right now. Someone's wardecced us in Eve (A FUCKING GAIN), probably cos one of my retards decided it'd be a great idea to go suicide ganking or some shit. The girlfriend got a callback on her job, and is stressing about the interview tomorrow, and the server admin for minecraft is yelling at me because i fired off a test shot of 20 nukes to "see what would happen" (I totally knew what would happen)

anyway, yeah. lemme find my notes, then it's back to storytime. really wish I was a better author for those, haha.

ok, recapping from Where I was, We're in turn 4, our HVI is Dead/dying in a building, we're locked in a fight, we've lost one player, Tiger's about out of 88mm ammo, we're all armor-damaged, but the hostile Reploids (S ranked) are dropping like flies. Even with our losses, we're pretty sure the GM is playing really fast and lose with that ranking system.

then turn 4 rolls around... and two brand new units re-enter the combat area. Dead copys of the hostiles we're currently fighting. Both of them toting heavy beam weapons. The only thing going for us is they're going to go last this round, since they just entered combat.

Cobra, operating out on the hairy edge of the left end of the board blasts another LTB, effectively ending the 'not boss' hostiles. It's wroth nothing, he's still in full on stealth mode, at this point. Mantis Drops the last two units he was tangling with, then ducks behind the rubble pile, getting into mutual support range of cobra by doing so.

Our wolf EAS's over to the damaged hostile, and blasts his ass at point blank, slagging his head... literally. Turned it into a (highly radioactive) pile of molten metal. THEN she added a railgun slug "for good measure" This leaves her in medium range for the newly arrived hostiles, but partly obscured by the rubble.

I switch weapons over to the railguns, and engage at long range against one of the two newcomers. Switching is a free action, and since they can't be charged, I don't even bother moving- so I get all eight attacks. Half my weapons battery flashes away, but I score four hits- two of which go through-armor to score critical hits. while neither of those kills the target, one does get a weapon fault crit, and shut down the beam gun for a turn.

Tiger re-tasks, yells "Ja, I see heem!" and blasts the same guy I shot with her last round from her 88 and a railgun slug of her own. The 88 round, another HEI, hits solidly, getting a 'catastrophic reactor' crit and turning the target into a small star for a split second, causing some collateral damage, but nothing real major to any of the combatants. The railgun slug, at this point, is highly superfluous, but would have scored a solid head hit.

The newcomer hostile responds with a beam, catching Tiger full on, and dropping her to deep red on her torso armor. While it holds, at this point it's about as effective as armor as waterlogged tissue paper- that is, not at all. He also shifts, putting himself between light cover and me, as well as leaving line of sight for the rest of the team except tiger. The other old hostile is still on board, but, like i said, his head took a GRB at some range, he's blind, deaf, and not going anywhere for a while.

File: 1337827368959.png-(34 KB, 300x305, piss.png)

>>19214077
aw, aww!

Good night.

At the top of 6, we're starting to really consider popping smoke and getting the fuck out of there. While teleport is scrambled, we figure we can drop the one current hostile, and disengage piecemeal, as we need to. However, to do so, we need to recover Coyote's remains, since we (read: I) won't leave them behind for mavericks, and we've gotta get the rabbit. dead or alive, we were sent in to bring him out, and by god, we're going to fucking bring him out.

We work out a plan first, With mantis moving next to the building the original hostile unit was on top of, and cobra, still in stealth mode, moving to almost directly behind me. While it kind of puts him at risk- anything shot at me that misses will have a chance of hitting him- between his ECM and optical camo, nothing's going to be able to him him cleanly.

.... and another hostile enters the board. this one toting a beam Spear and looking pointedly at me. It's worth noting that all the 'new' hostiles are A) complete clones, down to the paintjob of other units, and B) entering from the building. That pretty well tears it, we're going to get the fuck out of there. I Call up the 5th, and get a hyperactive female operator, who practically freaks when she's called.

She freaks worse when I tell her, calmly, I only called to report that the mission was a bust, and we were going to have to evacuate the AO.... and that I suggested nuking the site from orbit as soon as our transponders weren't in the immediate ground zero.

I turn, and burn off the other have of my S.Weap capacitor in a full attack on the new guy with the spear, cos fuck that guy. One catastrophic reactor crit later, and combat ends.... badly.

See, the building they were in had some old, tactical-scale warheads. few kT, not city busters, but still, ya know, nukes. turns out, the base had been abandoned in a bit of a hurry, back in the day, and these warheads got 'lost in the shuffle'. terrible, terrible weapons accountability, but hardly the issue. Long story short, Hundred + year old nuclear weapons are 1) unstable and 2) not happy about sharing their immediate vicinity with critical fusion reaction. They Go off- partial yeild, honestly mostly fizzles, and for the most part, contained by the building they were in but still. comms short out, Mantis is chucked 500 meters and looses an arm, as well as half his torso and the better part of his non-hardened systems. both hostiles are vaporized (Mantis got very, very lucky and the GM rolled very poorly on his damage. it still took him from effectively green to 'just this side of dead')

Cobra lost most of his electronics, I lost a couple redundant systems boxes, and most of my armor, but stayed standing (nuclear bear! fuck yeah) Tiger lost the last of her torso armor, and took a few crits, but nothing really life-threatening. Rabbit, still alive, ironically probably took the least damage, shielded as he was by the rubble pile on top of him. Wolf was covered, for the most part, by the rubble, and rode out the explosion pretty well, all considered. Lost a good deal of armor, but otherwise came out unscathed.

Cobra's electronics package comes back online first, well, the parts of it that will come back online without full overhaul. he regains comms, and starts calling for retrieval, as well as issuing a hazmat warning for biologicals. I regain comms and am greeted immediately by a near-frantic operator, who's quickly replaced by our boss, Firestorm Gopher. He asks what happened, and points out the Russian government is none too thrilled about the nukes going off. I notify him (as I watch Tiger and wolf dig rabbit out of the rubble) that we've accomplished our mission, and there were at least 7 dead mavs for the mission- and I had gun-camera footage to prove it. Lingering radiation prevented a beam-out.. or in.. of anything, though, so we had to wait for a pair of lifts, carrying some Steel Berets and a detachment of lifesavers, to arrive onsite. the Lifesavers went to our critical cases first, while the SBs secured the area. Mantis and Rabbit were on the first medevac out, while the rest of us waited till after they'd been lifted out to load up on the birds, making sure to recover coyote's wreck while we waited.

We all got to go through decontamination (again!) after that one, plus we didn't really recover any weapons data- the mavs didn't appear to have any weapons that were special, and their wrecks were pretty thoroughly destroyed- with damage consistent with internal 'scuttling' charges being noted by some of the onsite troops while they secured the area after the event.

>>19217998
>Sent in to rescue a stranded operative
advicereploid.jpg
>Set off Cold War-era nukes
Does this just come naturally to you?

>>19218019
Mavericks with deadman's triggers? That's new.

>>19218032

kind of?

My characters... all of them... have this bad habit of turning things into Michael Bay movies. go figure. haha

Our metalhead rerolls something more 'metal'

and thus, we're introduced to our first replacement member- Berserker

Built on a heavy grade chassis, he packed on as much armor as I did, and a very beefy EAS- almost maxed out. Traded in his buster completely for a big fucking beam axe. Tethered to him, It's got a power feed line that means it functions as a hi beam pretty much constantly. it also hits like a goddamned truck, out-damaging Tiger's 88s and my Vulcans on low charge. He's a humanoid frame, not based on an animal.

...and has a deep and abiding love for metal from 1990-current era (in game).

Rabbit survives, though he's out of commission for a while as repairs are being handled. Word around the base is he'd be rotated to Geneva for a while.

Mantis's rebuild is more comprehensive, seeings as to how most of his being alive was more owed to trauma systems that were tacked-on onsite by the lifesavers on the recovery lift than to his own systems, at that point. While under for repairs, he gets an upgrade, as well, acquiring a limited teleporter. running off his S.weapons capacitor, it allows for short jumps of a few hundred feet. Basically? it's a blink drive. Longer blinks eat up more cap, with a max distance of what amounts to one playing board.

Cobra uprates his sensor package, gaining the capability to detect hidden units, and cloaked ones with some difficulty. this didn't eat up all his upgrade allotment, so he also uprated his self-repair unit, so it can handle worse damage.

File: 1337835972957.png-(118 KB, 1300x1091, jollygood.png)

>>19216976
>>19217736
>>19217998
>>19218019
>>19218276
>>19218432

Sounds baller

Tiger swaps out her railgun for a second 88, upgrades her armor to match mine, and throws the rest of her upgrade points into armor hardening, becoming the most heavily-armored member of the team, with elemental resistances that are pretty solid. however, she still doesn't have the system redundancies.

Wolf drops the underslung railgun and gets a VWES buster in it's place. it's only a VWES-1, same as my guns, but it's got a charge capability, and other than being external, is pretty bog-standard, otherwise. She also upgrades her weapon, improving the beam focus, meaning it can melt shit at longer ranges.

Me... I pair up my weapons. Yeah, it burns all my upgrade to do it, but now I've got twice as much dakka.... which is really getting to the point of being an obscene amount of dakka. However, this also means my S.weap capacitor can only really handle one turn of shooting, so, in effect, i'm trading longevity for up-front damage. which I'm totally OK with.

and on that note, my pain meds and beer are starting to kick my ass, so if anyone wants, I'll continue storytime in the morning. we've got 3 more sessions worth of storytime, plus one tomorrow evening.

>>19217998
For what it's worth, old warheads are stored so they can not explode. You need a pretty specific set of circumstances for nukes to explode that a random explosion just wont do.

They would leak radiation in that situation though, so yeah. And I have no idea what physics the reactors run on in MMX verse anyway, so...

>>19219221
My guess: the kind of reactors that make nukes explode when they pop.

Alternate guess: Wizards did it.

>>19219236

Fucking Wizards.

I'm back. Thanks for waiting. And thank you for storytime.

So, shall we fight a bloodhound gang?

>>19219474
Oh yeah!

Bring the pain!

>>19219474

I'm down.

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>>19219474
Need sleep, but I'll leave this

>>19219474
We are ready to rock, sir.

>>19219474
Lets shank them for all the ride armor they're giving us

File: 1337844279690.png-(37 KB, 350x1050, AH FUCK.png)

>>19213805
Your eyes remain locked for a moment longer.

And then you rocket forward.

You hadn't had the chance to build up much charge, but you have enough for another good Raikousen, and good thing, too--an attack goes through where you were standing, so close you feel it more than hear it. Lockon himself fires, but he wasn't expecting that--his shot is a bright blur in your peripheral vision as he aims for where he thought you would be landing.

Instead, not according to their plan, you're propelled clear across the room. You hit the far wall hard, but catch yourself and dig in, sliding down slowly as you turn to see your assailant, dropping in from the ceiling directly above where you stood and landing on the balcony.

It's some kind of Disk Boy variant. His left arm is ringed in the throwing weapons, none of which look "stock." His optics are cold and black, shining like a carapace. Oh, and there's six of them. His armor is reinforced, and his other hand stabilizes a shoulder-mounted cannon with a revolving chamber in the back--alternate ammo cases?

As you grind down the wall and touch down, Lockon vanishes among the communications buffers--tall pylon-like affairs that help boost the range and clarity of local signals.

At least you'll have cover, for a while. But that custom Disk Boy has you in a goddamned killzone. He's got the best seat in the house.

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>>19219534

>>19219603
Lets change that. GETOVERHERE.jpg related, yank and shank

>>19219632
Seconding YANK AND SHANK

>>19219603

I vote we pop him with a blackout rocket, and use that to zap him HARD.

Hopefully we'll either kill him, or stun him long nough for either a kill or to set up our next move, such as a yank and shank.

>>19219669
Id rather save missles for Bloodhound, fuck up his precious sensors. As is, he'll prolly nail them now out of standards and shit.

We probably got a bit of charge from hitting that wall. If he resists the yank, givehim a small shock.

I think I might be playing a bit too much Mega-Man today.

A friend gave me copies of the first two Mega-Man Zero games, and the first one I beat on a game-boy with a partially wrecked screen from memory.

I'm at the Neo Arcadia sequence in the second one, and I haven't yet died.

The tractically sound choice may be following bloodhound; that way we get out of the killzone of the disc guy and don't leave Hund any time to use his lockon stuff.

>>19219734
So, tether, shock, YANK AND SHANK, proceed to A)find new way to kill it or B)move on to Lock-On after we shove the corpse off us. Sound good?

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>>19219603
Music: http://youtu.be/JDIy4O3Ct7I

Leave it to him to supplement that B-class threat with a game-changer. Your angle on him is shit and he can shelter in that damn tunnel, but you know you can't leave that DB providing overwatch.

Your first thought is another Torsion Coil. You turn the corner and immediately launch a wire his way.

A trio of disks impact with it in midair, completely arresting the motion and then deflecting the wire back. You cut the link on your end and try to pepper him with cycler shots, but you can't do more than make him keep his head down while more of those disks whizz and spang off surfaces near your own. He levels that shoulder gun on you, a single click all the warning it gives.

You leap aside as a concussive blast ripples behind you, with a burst of static in your ears as one of the comm pylons falls. You dart back into cover as another volley of disks slice through the air.

"Prioritizes targets logically," you hear Bloodhound from somewhere in the thicket.

Shit. What now?

>>19219860

Try to bluff Bloodhound, offer him a fair chance to surrender.

While we're doing this, suck every fucking DROP of power out of the coms systems. Then we go Palpatine on him and his spider.

>>19219889

Well, I mean, unless he surrenders, but somehow that seems less than likely.

>>19219860
Rocket. That shithead has 6 eyes, he won't feel too great when they're all blind.

Let's aim a second one at where we think bloodhound is, as well.

>>19219893
>>19219889

Seconding this plan. Be sure to mention that with him cornered the only way out is in cuffs or in a box.

He's a survivor right? Maybe he'll want to survive the next five minutes.

>>19219860
>filename
It makes no sense! If he wanted a bigger one, he could just build it!

Also, we are getting profiled? Great. The longer we tangle with 6 eyes the more data he gets. So how to make it quick?

Cable did not work, buster did not work, that leaves us the chaff. OR we take cover among the towers and try to get Hound in the same swoop.

>>19219860
Oh fuck. Fuck all of this. We've got a homing weapons specialist with the unholy spawn of a Disk Boy and Vile as support. Inform team of custom fucker and prepare to duck, dive, dodge, and barrel roll. Weapons free, missles are in good taste, if an enery projectile comes at us, smack it with our phase lance, we can disupt charge shots with a direct hit if i remember that thread correctly.

Panicing seems a good idea. Personally, I like >>19219908
>>19219889
>>19219893

Giving him a chance to surrender seems to be our style. He might not take the olive branch, but I feel compelled to offer it.

Plus it would give us a chance to suck juice out of the computers and plan a way to take out that fucking spider.

>>19219962
Lets not drain the computer unless we know we very unlikely to be nailed by all sorts of nasty. And this an old, expeirienced, homing and directed weapons specialist. Lets NOT charge where we talk from, kay?

>>19220001

Mixing up our location seems like a good plan, maybe taunt, move, taunt again, and then try to circle around the other way?

Is there a way for us to throw our voice?

>>19220022
....yes

We must learn robo-ventriliquism if we dont already know it. Fuck combat, just think of how we can mess with Em at the Pond.

>>19220043

Also some form of semi-solid hologram system, and I know we can get one because an average of one villain per game since the first megaman.

Not even X, original series.

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>>19219860
"Don't suppose you're willing to come quietly, are you?" you call, repositioning after you speak.

"I think I'll pass," he calls.

"Come on, you know even if you get me, I have backup."

"I knew this base was lost as soon as you showed up," he answers from nearer. "After I'm done here, I'm leaving. Shame about the missile, but 'smoke 'em if you got 'em,' right?"

You round the corner on where he was--

Only to meet a bright flash and a ringing snap as you trigger some kind of trap, mooring you to the floor. The response is immediate and painful, as you're pelted with bladed disks, carving furrows into your battered armor.

Dammit.

Dammit.

DAMMIT.

As soon as your legs un-stick, you dive-roll back into cover. You grit your teeth, readying a chaff missile for the six eyed blade-throwing fuck up there.

You turn out, delaying for just a moment, then pop back around and fire from a different angle, your missile guarded by a barrage of plasma, warding off any more disks. It works, but the maverick falls back, ducking behind the corner as it detonates.

"What was...? Clear that out quickly," Bloodhound orders.

At least you have a brief window without that bastard up there. How do you want to use it?

>>19220073
The gear for that woud prolly slow us down. But if we copy Wallaby and use a combat specced drone, we can at least suppress them with a basic crossfire. Voice projecter in there, maybe add some phase tech, basic movement programs, we can seriously mess with heads on the crazier mavericks.

>>19220106

Get height, locate target, drop on him.

No way in HELL is he better than us in a melee, plus if we have him locked down up close, his spider can't shoot us without hurting him.

>>19220113

I think we should look into it, see how possible something like that would be.

I do like the idea of using drone like Guns did, and maybe even.... Wait, are you suggesting loading Ghosts onto them? Because that would be awesome as hell. Get a half dozen of them, use them as spotters, distractions, crossfire, and psychological warfare.

>>19220106
See if we can identify wher lockon is.

Dive Across that space guns blazing and spamming missles. If we get lucky, we fry the bastard with lightining. Whats our charge at?

I wonder if their world is ready for roughly half a dozen serious franchise fans using DECADES of knowledge to build the ultimate maverick hunter.

I mean, sure we're limited in SOME ways....

I wonder how hard it would be to get our hands on some sort of stealth system?

Could we use said system with the aforementioned decoy drones in some sort of a hellish shell-game? Why is this starting to sound like potentially the coolest bossfight in megaman history?

>>19220142
Not sure wat Ghosts are, but if your crazy, you gotta listen to all the voices, because who knows which ones are real? >:)

And yes, that is an evil face emote. My phone wont let me post pics. Nad that deserved an evil face

>>19220172
Yes! We will be the Three-Card Monty from hell!!

>>19220184

A ghost would basically be a hologram, projected around a small drone thing. If we rigged it right, we could make it look like the drone's blasts were us firing our pistol.

It wouldn't be hard to rig a sort of mo-cap suit functionality into our system, which would not only make it capable of mimicking our movements more accurately, but also realistically project current battle-damage so they couldn't do something like tag us, and then use that mark to identify the 'real' Anode.

It also has some other potential uses: We could use it to project ourselves for a debriefing while going in for repairs. If it was tethered to us, we could get a close-range, high bandwidth connection and actually basically 'posses' a hologram puppet of ourselves while we were out on the operating table.

Plus we could have it fetch tools and other small objects, and get into the places we never could.

Alright, experimenting with drones is next on our to-do list.

>>19220229
Good lord, i would hate to have to fight us as a boss. We are great in mellee, can suck your systems dry like a vampire, block shots, rapid fire the shit out of you, pull TCoil shenanagins, fire chaff missles that dick with you sensors and process you like a papershredder, and we can pour lightning into pretty much all of the above and our dash systems, which almost teleports us the speed we go at. And now drones. We are truly awsome, and i quiver in horror at our power.

>>19220286

It would be almost as bad as having to fight X or Zero.

>>19220316
Dont be silly.

It would be much worse, as we would have picked out the most annoying, soulcrushing, and pants-shitting lines in history, and addapted them for the fight. And just be babbling nonstop in general.

>>19220342

So basically, it would be like fighting Robo-Deadpool after he got his hands on a Grab-bag of random superpowers?

>>19220343
Yes. And it would be glorious.

>>19220343
Worse.

We can get on transmission waves.


The vacuum of space

will
Not
STOP
US.

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>>19220106
You hear gunfire from above as the custom Disk Boy tries to clear out the chaff. Speaking of, you should warn your forces.

"India, you read me?" you mutter, low and carefully.

"Barely, you've got some static." Probably something to do with the chaff and the damaged comm pylon.

"I'm engaging Lockon, he's got backup. I can't get a damn shot off."

"I'm almost done here. Sit tight and I'll come bail your ass out."

"Gee, thanks."

You don't wait around--with your luck and his design, the odds are good that the tracker has exceptional hearing. Sure enough, a noise warns you in time to dash out and away as a laser hits where you stood--and then forks into smaller ones. You leap up the wall and it splits again, chasing you right back off as it passes through where you were. Before you can even level your buster on him, he's retreating back into cover.

Fuck this. Time for a climb. You quickly re-scale the wall, keeping your eyes open, sweeping the room to find--there!

...Something's up. His weapon systems have taken on a blue color. A small red laser from his eyepiece paints you.

He's targeting you.

>Action. Make it fast.

Jump and fire some paired missiles at him.

>>19220363

Charge not-quite directly at him, lance out, after putting a couple missiles into his targeting suite.

Close to melee, I'll bet you dollars to Dildos that he's not as good as us in a melee. Plus that removes his back-up's artillery at him.

>>19220363
ROOOCKKKEET SPAAAAAAAM!

POP POP POP WATCH THE MUTHA-FUCKA DROP!!!

THEN UNLEASH THE GIFT OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN!

INTO!

HIS!

FACE!!!!!!
*ROOOOOAAAAAR*


....srry, FPS instincts took over. But yeah, see if we cant shred him with chaff. If nothing else, it'll fuck up this attack, and maybe put him in a position where we can dash in or YANK AND SHANK.

I am so proud of that phrase, even if it didnt work the first time we tried it

File: 1337851473406.jpg-(132 KB, 876x766, no country for old machines.jpg)

Brief breather while I go run to the store and get some milk and half and half. COFFEE FOR THE COFFEE GOD.

Something else I'd like us to look in to eventually: A single-fire HE rocket. Perhaps something in the size of a flare gun.

>>19220460
Hmmm.... I'll go for the launcher, maybe we acna also get some binoc-visor thing, see if we can stick a guidance suite in there, pull some loony tunes shit with rockets that will let calls through.

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>>19220106
Whatever he's up to, you don't feel like giving him the chance. You vault out at an angle, intent on spoiling his aim, as you fire a pair of missAUGH.

Your shoulder is speared through by a precise blue laser. It was angled. How the hell was it angled?! Your first missile, raked by the shot, spirals out of control and detonates far and away. The other is overwhelmed by his SECOND salvo--his shoulders pop open and a cascade of micro-missiles thud across the room.

You're lucky--they were tracking after you, but detonating your chaff missile in midair took out nearly the entire wave. You evade the scant handful left by landing (okay, falling) and rolling, pulling yourself back up into a run. You look up just as Lockon levels his buster again, and dive behind a pylon just in time.

It bent, it definitely bent--the angle of those shots should be impossible. You duck reflexively as the beam scythes through the pylon over your head and burns the one behind it.

Son of a bitch, he's slippery. You're not looking good, right now. The damage to your shoulder was relatively minor despite the piercing shot, but you're having trouble moving it. The damage is definitely starting to add up, and there's a real chance he could wear you out.

"Are you clear up there? Take out the cover."

And he knows it, too. They weren't kidding about his ability to measure his enemies.

>wat do?

>>19220675

We let him choose the battleground here.

Is there a place we could be between him and a potential escape? If he had to come to us, we would change the whole dynamic of the fight.

Also, exactly what is our status? Health, ammo, etc.

>>19220695
Health: Been better. Been a lot better.
Ammo: You've used a bit of everything. You've got about 12 or 13 units worth of the wire, and you've got enough missiles for another few tries, but if he keeps slipping away it's not going to do you any good.

Is there any way we can get to where the custom Disk Boy is and ruin his day up close with our misericord? Maybe throw up a cloud of chaff and Raikousen through it if we've got the juice, they probably won't expect it.

>>19220706

I was hoping for something slightly less vague on the health front.

What about trying to just contain him and cutting off his escape? Viable option?

>>19220726
Similar, but not cutting ouselves up. We have back up coming, id linke to be alive when it gets here. Charging through our chaff cloud doesnot equal healthy. We are capable of shooting lightning people, we need to bring some shock and awe to this fight. FRY FRISBY BOY's circuts

>>19220747
I don't know about CL, but I'm of a mind to make health a bit more abstract, rather than knowing if you get hit by a stiff breeze you'll explode. That said, you're definitely heavily injured. Nothing's crippling, though your left shoulder's sluggish and painful to move. It's definitely a good thing you're built sturdy.

>>19220675
That disk boy is in the tunnel?

The tunnel we used to get here?

You know, we cold call in some of our men at the nearest choke point to harass it.

>>19220806

I was suggesting something like a percentage, maybe. Abstract-ish, but at the same time it's something we could point at and say 'oh shit, we only have 25% health'.

Are you avoiding the containment question on purpose? It seems like we're slightly out of our league here, and I wanted to know how viable an option it is.

>>19220842
We're only out of our league until we introduce the disk jockey to our Tesladoken!

>>19220842
I'm not, sorry. Right now he's made no real move toward an exit, at least not yet. There's the rock tunnel and the door proper, along the far wall.
And health, let's call it 36%. Speaking of percentages, your Capacitor charge is in the 30s as well.

So, is the final plan trying to take out the Disk Jerkface again?

>>19220864

We will be gutted like a fish. He has been WAITING for us to come out of cover.

>>19220870

Seems to lean that way, though I'm advising against it. Personally, I'm for just trying to contain the situation until our back-up, which includes a walking artillery piece, shows up.

>>19220870
What ever we do, im voting we zap the motherboards out of one of them.

Couldnt we use our missiles to mess with HIS missiles targeting, and use them to take out the diskboy?

>>19220896

I think that's impossible, and even if it MIGHT work, it would require stepping between them, and getting both of them to shoot at us.

I think you can see why this is a terrible plan.

>>19220896
The missiles detonate into a cloud of chaff. Murder on the sensors and guidance systems, and then the flak itself can take out the ordnance, but scrambling or redirecting them, not so much.

>>19220896
Yeah, kinda taking a page out of India's book. And we do have a bit of a speed advantage...

>>19220921
HE CAN BEND HIS BUSTER SHOTS! HE IS AN EXTREMLEY EXPERIANCED COMBATANT! HE HAS DISK VILE! WHY DO YOU WAMT US IN A CROSSFIRE BETWEEN THOSE TWO?!?

>>19220975
Oh, Calm your tits Mr.Excitable, I thought it was worth suggesting, it's not like Anode hasnt done crazier things.

Either way, it's only a matter of time till we get killed waiting where we are since as you already yelled like a retard, he can bend his shots, and he has that diskboy, who can come after us while were pinned down. I dont think the cover will hold under a missile barrage either.

>>19221007

Which is why a better plan is being formulated.

A plan that doesn't involve deliberately getting ourselves killed.

It seems pretty obvious to me that in a ranged battle, we're just going to get shut down hard, so we need to close the distance and get into close combat with one of them. The question being how to do that without getting torn to pieces.
Cant help feeling we're overlooking some useful tactic in our surroundings but i cant think what it is. some kind of trap or snare we could set up with the coil maybe?

>>19221041

Or the abundance of electrical equipment that we can use to fuel a giant lightning storm people keep deliberately ignoring.

>>19221018
In relation to that, i propose we make a break for sturdier cover. Guns blazing of course.

And i apologize for my earlier outburst. But Blood hound is like Guns Wallaby: an experianced veteran combatant who will eat us for breakfast the moment we let him. Stuck between him and the custom will not end well. Also, we need to upgrad our busters with either hat bending shit, if at all possible, or get it in a rifle. Lets hope India gets here soon, and gives Diskboy up ther a Frank Exchang of Views.

>Room full of electrical equipment.
>High, steady, easily accessed voltage.
>Energy vampire.
>Lots of extremely potent techniques with electricity including a near-teleport speed boost, giant lightning bolts, etc.

It's like you aren't even TRYING.

>>19221049
Well, simpler then that maybe? If we had something to block their shots, since dodging is unlikely, that would be ideal right?

>>19221091
....fuck he's right, we've been so focused on our new guns we forgot the Tesladoken.

New plan, get to better cover, start playing Zeus and throw lightning at whicever one were more likely to hit.

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>>19220675
The next few seconds are a chaotic flurry of movement. The thuds of ordnance chase you from place to place, as your cover is steadily blown away.

It's not all bad--with one hand along the ground, you dig into the scrap left from the comm pylons as you go, repeatedly juicing up your charge. You're building electricity just as quickly as you're running out of shelter. If Bloodhound's noticed, he hasn't said anything.

Your comms crackle uselessly, overwhelmed by the EM-interference and the loss of the pylons.

Finally, though, you're all but out of cover, and you can make out Lockon again from the far side of the room, weapon trained on you. He fires.

So do you, grabbing onto a far wall with a T. Coil and zipping out of his crosshairs. The laser shot bends, but not fast enough to catch you. With a grunt of annoyance, he switches back to that splitting laser, systems turning green to match. You look back up at the Disk Boy as he re-acquires you.

You can outmove them, between the improvised ziplines and careful use of your capacitors for Raikousen dashing, but when those run out, you're out of cover. You'll have to try to get close and take out Bloodhound while you still can. If you mess up... well. One thing at a time.

"Excuse me," you hear a familiar voice say primly. The Disk Boy doesn't have time to respond as a hand holds his head steady a split-second before it's blown off.

As his body crumples, India nonchalantly pushes it off the balcony, the barrel of her giant pistol smoking from where she pressed it to the back of his head.

The situation has changed.

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>>19221241
You lock eyes with Bloodhound again, from opposite corners of the room. Suddenly, his gambit to flush you out's turned on him. He levels his laser again, but you're already firing.

He re-angles and fires, taking out one of the missiles, but you staggered your fire. The first detonates, but the second passes within scant inches of the flak cloud and continues on, striking him full in the chest. The maverick HOWLS, stumbling backward and clutching at his head. His eyepiece sparks and blinks in and out, going dead as his guidance system is scrambled.

"What--what the hell is that?!" he roars, racked with pain and staggering blind.

You allow a ragged, manic grin to cross your features as you draw your lance, lean in, and engage a full Raikousen.

"YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, BUTTHORN!"

>>19221241
Unload.

Fucking.

EVERYTHING!

Ice him in a crossfire, see how he likes it.

>>19221268
PRAISE THE OMNISIAH AND INDIA, AND STAB THIS HOUNDNIN THE FACE! WE GOT TO USE THE LINE!

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>>19221268
Your hand disappears into your arm as you finally trigger that Arrest Buster, mounting your lance and putting all of your momentum down to a single, murderous point.

In less than an eyeblink, you're on him and through him. You slam into the far wall hard enough to send a shudder through the room, blasting an indentation into the wall with the sheer force of your impact. Lockon, caught through the torso, looks wildly around with grey, nonfunctioning eyes, as he goes limp. He tilts sideways and simply slides off your lance, systems going dark all at once.

You realize as he falls to the ground with a clatter that he left his legs behind him, instantly and totally bisected by your full-tilt charge. After all of that, it's finally done. Minutes? Hours? You can't tell, but fighting to survive felt like an eternity. And now, in less than a second, it's over.

Your pain and fatigue catches up with you all at once, as you fall against the wall, propping yourself up on your elbow. You let your lance go, and it simply stays where you left it, embedded deep into the wall. Exhausted, you turn and rest your back against it, sliding down as you release a long-held breath, the reality of how close this battle cut it washing over you. For a moment you're terrified, even though the danger is past, coming to grips with your mortality once again.

And to this moment of solemnity and introspection, India helpfully adds "Nice lance. Pink?"

>>19221315
Laugh. Just laughike a madman.

>>19221315
The missile, ask about the ICBM.

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>>19221315
"Fuschia," you reply, beginning to giggle. "The color is fuschia." You throw your head back and start laughing, then cackling, letting all the stress and anxiety out as you put a hand to your face.

India, despite her snarky entrance, apologizes for taking so long ("though I'd say stopping a nuclear missile launch is a valid excuse," she adds) and quickly checks you over. She's a bit damaged too, though not nearly so bad. As she pulls your lance out of the wall (with effort), she explains that the Berets are catching up, thoroughly clearing the facility, and occupying it. The missile never launched, though the targeting coordinates were a medium-sized city somewhere in mainland France. "Picked it because it had a low chance of being intercepted while still having a good-sized death toll," India notes. "Right bastard, he was."

Casualties on your side were mercifully low, in no small part because you chose to move in first and let the Berets hold what you already took. The only losses were 2 Gun Volts--the enemy chose to fire on the heavy mechaniloids first. Their last strongpoint, the main entrance, fell to a pincer attack as a Beret team moved in from behind. Rather than be surrounded, they chose to try to force their way out of the facility and escape. They failed, and aside from some injuries, your reploids are fine.

And with that, your mission is complete. India stays on site to make sure that missile stays unarmed, and sends you off back to base on one of your transports. Lifesavers are waiting when you touch down, as are a handful of guards to take away the enemies who surrendered to you. As you're guided back into HQ, you see another transport touching down, this one carrying the Rabbit Ride you captured slung under its belly. You grin wearily at that.

>>19221433
Woot! Ok, regular drill here, check in with the man in charge, debreif, Lifesaver, find buddy, Pond.

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>>19221433
The repairs aren't difficult, though they have to remove your battered chestplate to work it back into something resembling shape.

You're relaxing on one of the surgical tables during this, looking at your chassis without the major armoring to protect it, when Schwarzhund comes in.

"Hey," you greet.

"You're going to want to see this," he says by way of answer, and commandeers a medical terminal.

--VERICK VIRUS CONFIRMED, DOCTOR DOPPLER SA--
The scroll across the bottom of the feed catches your eye first. The news itself has a reploid journalist standing in front of a considerable crowd of people, hand to her ear to better make out her comm line to the studio over the din.

"--verick Hunters have confirmed this announcement, stating that collaborative and coordinated effort with the Doctor has produced these results. The press release--can we go back to that?--was hopeful and optimistic." The newswoman is replaced by footage of a wizened-looking man standing on a podium. "In Doppler's own words--"

"Yes," the famous reploid neuroscience expert says. "Yes, we can cure it. Efforts are already underway. The subject was one 'Chaff Weasel,' the Maverick Hunters released the files as a matter of public record. He was retired recently..."

Schwarz mutes the terminal, looking at you. Though he's as terse as ever, you swear you hear a hint of pride in him. "You did this," he says.

How do you feel about this?

>>19221486

>I don't know. Things are looking to get worse before they get better.

>>19221486
looks like we're going to have to start taking more prisoners.

>>19221486
Cure? I was hoping for a vaccination.

On one hand, any one of us could go psycho killer through no fault of their own. On the other hand...

Has Doppler released any info on the cure yet?

>>19221574

They are working on it.

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>>19221546
>>19221559
>>19221574
"I don't know," you admit. "It's not bad news, but I get the feeling it's not that easy."

He grunts in approval. "Figured you'd say that."

"We'll have to try to take more prisoners."

He nods. "Figured you'd say that, too." The old hunter ace folds his arms and looks at the silenced newsfeed. "On the one hand, hope. People thinking maybe friends, loved ones can be saved. On the other..."

"...People will be wondering if they killed mavs when there was another way," you finish.

"Some already are. Or always did."

This is about as much as you've ever gotten out of him.

"So, a cure? Any progress yet?"

"Reports are coming hot and heavy," a Lifesaver answers for him. "Projections are that it will be a nanite-based inoculation, based on what we're hearing."

"How's he doing?" Schwarz asks the medic.

"Nearly finished. Heavy damage, but most of it was mitigated."

He turns back and looks at you. "Ready for debrief?"

>Yes
>No

"Great. Do i get the first shot of the working vaccine?"

>>19221559
I'm actually curious about this. Is this going to lead to any changes in Hunter operations?

Another thing; is there going to be an increased tension between reps and humans because of this?