Prior Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/18587497/
Archives: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Maverick%20Hunter%20Quest
Music: http://youtu.be/6FZ-8J_-YWE


You are Anode, maverick hunters Fourth Overland, off duty and on a bike.

On your left is Cathode, your sister (First Advance unit), and the two of you are cruising leisurely through the streets of Geneva.

"So what did you have in mind?" you ask.

"I dunno, this was your idea," she replies. "What is there to see in Geneva?"

You have to admit, you've got no idea. "Well, it's a city, that means stores and food."

"You hungry?" 'Hungry' of course being something neither of you are really capable of, but... you shake your head.

"There you go, then," she says. "Let's find the brightest, loudest street and hit their tourist traps."

Sounds like a plan. You ease your bike around a corner, taking the inside curve and smoothly rounding out the sharp turn.

"Smooth," Cath notes. "You been practicing?"

"Somethin' like that," you reply, "went for a ride around base."

"Okay, here's another question. You always carry like that?"

You look down at your hip and realize you brought your lance. "Look who's talking, your guns are grafted to your frigging arms."

"Exactly, but you could have thrown that in a bin somewhere."

"Slipped my mind. Won't be a problem, right?"

"Probably not," she assures you. "You're a hunter. Might get some funny looks, but nothing too bad."

It is what it is. You shrug, and continue on.

But where first?

[ ] Shopping! (What kind?)
[ ] Sightseeing!
[ ] Let Cathode pick.

[x] Sightseeing!

>>18709372

Take your haterade to another thread.

We're in business again? Great! I was worried about this quest dying.
[X] Sightseeing.
So long as one of us keeps an eye on shops while we're at it, we'll be able to go at shopping with a better eye for what's useful here.

[X] Sightseeing first, but we need to remember to pick up an entertainment centre capable of playing all our favourate old-timey movies at some point.

>>18709408
Safe to say that if I decide to stop running, I'll at least have the courtesy to let you guys know.
>>18709393
>>18709408
>>18709477
You set off towards the tourism attractions, keeping an eye out for signs, notices, advertisements, and anything else that might catch your eye.

"So you haven't been doing anything particularly risky, right?" Cathode asks inquisitively.

"Not since I got back in from mission, no," you reply. "And funny story there."

"Uh-oh."

"I just had a cheerful heart-to-heart with Em about making you worry."

"Oh man, you didn't."

"He NOPE'd off base so quick there's probably a green scorch on the floor."

Cathode giggles. "That was mean."

"My reign is harsh, but fair," you reply. "Plus, he's fine. And now he won't do it again."

"Maybe I want to be able to keep tabs on you," she teases.

"I can keep tabs on me," you grouse. "If I'm in particularly bad shape, I'm sure they'll let you know."

"You mean I'll get a notice if you die? That's cheerful."

"And what about you? I don't know a damn thing about you unless I call."

"Exactly," she replies. "We can at least try to keep tabs on each other." That's...huh.

Cont.

>>18709722
"...Oh hey," you point out a sign as you pass. "Century Drive."

"That was that mass driver they used for the mining colonies, right?"

"Yeah. That's a thing. You see anything?"

"There was a sign a ways back for a robot museum."

"There's always robot museums."

"True, but they've always got different stuff."

"Point. And I think I remember hearing they've got a cyberspace hub somewhere around here?"

"You better remember that, it's basically the only total integration site in existence yet."

[ ] So it's a railgun that shoots spaceships? Can't go wrong with that.
[ ] IN THE YEAR 20XX
[ ] Two reploids walk into the internet...
[ ] Other?

>>18709722
>Safe to say that if I decide to stop running, I'll at least have the courtesy to let you guys know.
Thank you.
>[X] IN THE YEAR 20XX
I want to know about Robot Master capabilities in this canon, at least compared to Reploids. It's arguable that the tech level regresses in certain ways as the series goes on. Look at teleportation, for instance. All over the place in MM and MMX, but bound to a machine in MMZ and MMZX. Doesn't exist in MML.

[ ] Two reploids walk into the internet...

>>18709725

>IN THE YEAR 20XX

You mull it over quickly.

"What's the time?"

"Barely 5:30," Cath says. "...And you know that, you have an internal clock just like I do."

"Yeah, but this way I got to annoy you," you reply with a sweet smile. She laughs.

"Go fuck yourself, 'Node."

"Maybe after we visit the museum."

Practically every big city has a robot museum, with some claim to fame or other. Still, you have to admit, Geneva's is impressive. The building is massive and ornate, with old-style steps up to older-style doors. It's almost like the reploid age passed this building by, though a sharp eye tells you the building's been modernized underneath the facade. All the better that way, you think.

The lobby has a variety of humans and reploids, young and old--but a quick glance tells you that it seems like you and Cath are the only hunters in here.

What wing do you want to visit first?

[ ] ROBOT MASTERS ROBOT MASTERS
[ ] The Birth of Robotics
[ ] The Wily Wars - a retrospective
[ ] Robotics and Warfare
[ ] Science Wing
[ ] Reploid Rights
[ ] The Modern Machine

[x] The Wily Wars - a retrospective

>>18710330

Seconding

Sorry, VACUUMING happened.

>>18710330
>>18710361
You head down the Wily Wars wing. Cathode follows just as quickly, likely having come to the same conclusion at about the same time.

You pass beneath a blue-and-yellow pod dangling from the roof, studded with bubble-like protrusion, and past a pair of banners with a wild-haired old man, gnarled fingers tensed, and a sneering grin.

An old-style, classic metal plaque stands on a podium before you, flanked by holographic displays with headphones for the human guests. A small indicator tells you a local comm frequency has the same indicator. You and Cathode switch over and hit the English button on the panel. A smooth, but stern, voice, intones ominously.

"For two decades, the world stood in the shadow of one man. Genius robotics expert, pioneer and groundbreaker, madman and would-be conqueror. Doctor Albert Wily was many things, but he will forever be remembered for the destruction caused in his gambits for power. Step inside, and gain insight into the most infamous man in modern history."

"Overplaying it much?" Cathode asks, looking over a replica of the man, coat and eyebrows and all.

"He was kind of a big deal," you shrug, moving to the first of a series of displays.

Cont.

>>18711128

Understandable.

>>18711128
A classic 'brilliant inventor' table, with two figures leaning over it, deep in thought, stands suspended in the bright overhead lights on the diorama. Wily is clearly younger here, and with him is another--an old, bushy-bearded man practically every reploid knows of.

"Doctor Wily had a long career of successes and prestige in the field of advanced, hypothetical robotics. It was not until he entered a partnership with his compatriot Thomas Light, now known as the Father of Robots, that his story truly begins. Wily's focus of study had been energy and its production--many of his early advances in electrodynamics are still in use in power plants of this day. His expertise paired naturally with Light's insights into efficient power management. Light's greater claim to fame, though, was his almost prodigious talent for programming. Through his career, he advanced cognitive computing in leaps and bounds, culminating in a single project they would only describe as Master Robotics."

Cont

>>18711423
"The project entered its infancy with Doctor Wily's first 'great' development--the so-called WEAPON system, allowing a templated construct to be replicated almost indefinitely, with incredible manufacturing, industrial, and military implications."


"Not five months later, Doctor Light released his own pet project--LIFE. Operating on different principles entirely, LIFE singlehandedly rewrote thermodynamics as they were understood, approaching near-100% energy efficiency. Historians would later suggest that while Wily produced replicator technology, Light solved the energy crisis. More than that, the Nobel committee determined that LIFE--being fundamentally required for WEAPON to be used on any large scale--was the superior achievement, and the greatest scientists of the day agreed. The insult to Wily's pride would not be forgotten in the years to come."

Cont.

>>18711423
I admit, I lol'd when I saw it.

You just had to start MHQ as I leave for a game of Shadowrun. I'll try to keep tabs and participate as best I can. These threads are a treat.

I was waiting for this!

>>18711559
Apparently my superpower is timing the thread such that someone has to miss it. And thank you very much.

Sorry for the slow-ass reply rate, we're getting all exterminatus on my room and I'm typing this between volleys of a steam cleaner.

>>18711433
"It was some time later before the project began formally, with the expressed intent of combining the LIFE and WEAPON systems to power an industrial labor unit. But as always, the Doctors kept the true intent of the project to themselves."

Lights flicker on over a skeletal frame resting on a slablike table. Computer displays wink on beside it, streaming pages of data faster than you can read.

"After the completion of LIFE, Light returned his focus to a theoretical project he had posited as a graduate student. It was a simple thought exercise, born as much of science fiction as scientific inquiry."

"'Could a sufficiently advanced machine truly feel?' Doctor Light had long been an advocate and trendsetter in the field of advanced computational programming, but the project he set out to complete was his most ambitious endeavor yet. He kept his work and his progress secret to all but his partner, and after two years, Light and Wily created the first true machine life."

>>18711740
The first project, unfortunately, was clumsy and despite initial promise, deemed a failure. The prototype android, however, taught the Doctors volumes of information, and with Light's programming mastery, in a matter of weeks the first eight truly living machines came online. The so-called Light Numbers combined the genius of the two greatest minds of their time. The six laborer models quickly outshone every challenger in their fields--everything from a clearcutter who could produce incredibly sharp blades on demand and do a year's work in a day, to an insulated electricity expert who was immune to the risks that threatened line crews, with the knowledge and experience to run a power plant alone. The Doctors' patented work quickly began taking off as the first robot boom began--Light, being the sole owner of his programming method, freely distributed his dissertations and findings, while he and Wily used the royalties from the use of LIFE and WEAPON in new machinery to advance their respective works."

"Did they really build a robot with scissors on its head?" marvels Cath as the lights strobe on with the narration, displaying those first six industrial models.

"It was a different time."

Unfortunately, quick break here--my partner's heading home and I don't want to post what comes next without vetting it with him first.

Plus I need to go attack my windowsills some more.

>>18711974
You know, I'm more amused at Bombman. And Fireman. He had FIRE FOR HAIR.

>>18711974
To the reploid era's credit, they made Crystal Snail. So we haven't gotten that much further than a robot master with scissors on his head.

>>18711974
"Unfortunately, Light's dreams of a golden age of robotics were quickly ground down by the sudden betrayal of his partner. Seizing the six laborers, Doctor Wily expertly reprogrammed them and used them at the forefront of an army, and began issuing demands to various world governments."

A screen winks on, with that same mad doctor, clad in an elegant suit and a hat tilted low, arms clasped behind his back, and the very barest trace of a smirk on the corners of his mouth.

"Wily's army was all but unstoppable. Armed forces were rallied to combat his, but no conventional tactics could account for the advent of bulletproof, fearless, heavily armored machine combatants. One sergeant famously described it as 'fighting a million tanks.' Wily's forces quickly seized crucial facilities across the world and entrenched, and no force of the day could drive them out."

"In his memoirs, Light defined this as the moment of his greatest pride and shame. His original project had made not six, but eight, robots--two meant to stay with himself and Wily. Rock, the first of these, volunteered himself to the Doctor to combat Wily's threat."

A hologram of the man himself springs up from the terminal, accompanied by a soft, almost mournful baritone.

"The unfortunate truth," Doctor Light says, "is that I could have told you what he would have done, had I looked in the code. He could think, feel, act. But all of his decisions were informed and influenced by the personality dictation in his programming. He had no free will, not truly, and yet here he was, standing in my doorway with a fire in his eyes. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to weep. I did both.

How could I say no to him?"

>>18712381
If X is the Father of all Reploids, then does that make Rock the Grandfather of all Reploids?

So... we've run into a bit of a snag.

It appears that Hunter Command's latest post had a banmonkey in it. He suspects that the use of "Mega man" without the space was somehow responsible. We're trying to figure out a workaround to keep things going. Stay tuned.

>>18712886
Dat wordfilter, man.

>>18712754
In a sense, but X was an intelligent machine who actually helped create the next generation, rather than just an earlier model.

Yeah, that Megaman X intro retconned Rock out of sentience.

Going to do it like this, until we can determine what went wrong.

>>18713106
>disiswockandwoll.avi
Like that didn't stick? Well, then again, Roll wasn't in the public eye as much, so I suppose it didn't matter much.
I wonder how this museum spins Bass and Treble.

>>18713228
I wonder why nobody connected the dots with Zero's sword battery recharge and Wily's mastery of energy and robotics.

>>18713255
Is it even public knowledge that Wily made Zero? Then again, people still wonder where X came from, I think. You'd think his origins would be more common knowledge.

>>18713228
I'll admit, I'm fairly curious as to the fate of Wily's less than obedient 'son' and his dog as well.

>>18713280
No it's not. It's either hushed up, or nobody knows. I'm just wondering why nobody really asks.

>>18713295
Sooner or later, Anode should just straight ask X and Zero.

Cain Labs here, filling in for Hunter Command.

Since eloquent prose requires, you know... BEING here... I've stepped in to turn this tour of Geneva's Robot Museum into more of a question-and-answer deal. I'll get to the already posted questions first; we can go from there.

>>18713255
Wily didn't build Zero with a sword battery recharge. Wily didn't build him for swording at all, really.

>>18713280
Oh it's most definitely not public knowledge that Wily was involved with Zero. X's origin is far more public.

>>18713430
So what did eventually happen to Bass and Treble?

>>18713464
Presumed destroyed. Evidence incomplete.

Were there any significant civilian casualties during Wily's various attempts at world domination? Did he suffer any kind of progressive mental instability?

>>18713705
Wily didn't plan on massive casualties; he figured destroying life on a significant scale would earn him several dozen nukes to the face. Nonetheless, there was destruction on an appreciable scale, a lot of people got badly injured and there was certainly some... collateral damage.

Wily is widely assumed to have gotten increasingly mad in his later years.

Did Time Man and Oil Man ever put in an appearance, or are they non-canon?

How did people keep falling for the old "TOTALLY COOL NOW/NAW IT WAS THIS GUY" bit that Wily was always pulling? How exactly did he manage to build a bunch of giant castles that looked like skulls without anyone noticing? Or a space elevator for that matter? Was he just that good?

>>18713910
I'm pretty sure he stole most of those castles. They were stuff like mobile weapons platforms and things like that. He just put skulls on them.

>>18713910
We're... going with "fuzzy canon" on Oil + Time until further notice.

Wily... didn't really pull that trick so often. When you think about it. He stole robots, then BUILT robots, then "reformed," then forced Cossack to work for him, then used a fake Proto Man as a distraction for his attacks... it was only ONCE that he actually showed up in a cheap disguise, and Wily had been using the X Foundation as a front for years.

As for his castles, Wily keeps them carefully shielded from sight much of the time using the best in countersurveillance technology. Him propagating the skull motif was his personal middle finger to those trying to capture him personally. Wily's counterintelligence efforts were so successful that even back-tracing as many as seven of his Robot Masters at a time couldn't get you the location. He only got away with the space elevator because he claimed it was a quarantine zone from Roboenza.

What was the deal with Dr. Cossack? What was his contribution to the world, why and how did he get mixed up in this Robot Master business?

So I'm at my friend's house, and that should give me access. I think the HC name will still be fiddly, and I don't want to muck around with it.

Not going to resume proper, that kinda took the wind out of my sails, but I can help Cain Labs with the museum curator act.

>>18714622
This is a fluff episode, basically, so no harm, no foul.

>>18714622
Well, since we're at the museum and they're talking about the Wily Wars, is there any public information about Duo and that whole Evil Energy thing that was going on, or does the exhibit stick to the hard facts? I imagine there was a decent bit of cover up when it came to extraterrestrial robots and things of that sort.

>>18714622
What would we have seen in the Science Wing?

>>18714722
More complete analysis of the WEAPON and LIFE systems--let me give you a hint, this is a WEAPON pod.

You'd also get a primer on some more of the principles of reploid and robot design, and a FUTURELAND-style exhibit of up and coming stuff--mostly conjecture about the applications of cyberspace and whatnot.

>>18714721
OOC: I have never read into this quest, even though I am a Megaman X junkie. I'm totally glad someone brought up Evil Energy, mostly because of my love for the theory that Evil Energy = Maverick Virus origins.

>>18714797
>applications of Cyberspace
>are you alluding to Battle Network Rockman.EXE?
>WIN

>>18714420
We're putting Cossack on hold for a bit--Cain Labs got kidnapped by pizza demons, and he said he had some ideas for the guy. Suffice to say he was a respected and esteemed member of the scientific community, for now.

>>18714721
Duo and the evil energy are probably up in the air/downplayed. Though there's been enough examination outside our solar system to pick up some energy signals that match the readings Wily's machines got around, say, his eighth attack.

>>18714838
While BN was indeed good stuff, cyberspace shenanigans have actually been hinted at here and there in Classic. X series outright comes to it, most notably with Peacock in X4.

>>18714838
After Maverick Hunter Quest, Command will run Battle Network Quest.
Calling it now.

>>18714913
>RE: BN
OOC: Yeah, I'm aware. Cyberspace is a very apparent environment in X4 onward, plus the very definite 'overlap into the REal World' in Rockman Zero. I just figured it was a neat little throwaway line to reference BN.

>>18714933
Actually, I was more thinking Neo Arcadia Quest...

>>18714974
Never got around to playing MMZ, so it wouldn't mean as much to me. I'll still be around for it.

>>18715033
Well, it wouldn't be for a while. I've got some shit planned.

Or, god, help me, I'd run two at once.

>>18715067
You seem a little tushtortured, brah.

>>18715067
You want to do something about it, complain to moot quests need their own board. Till then, quests and CYOA's get herded to /tg/ by the mods.


Polite sage for this being a non-thread related post.

>>18715055
But then I'd be frantically checking /tg/ twice as much to make sure I didn't miss a thread.

>>18715067
>>18715274
The second quests get moved to their own board they will have more trolls than actual participants.
Second between 4chanX and the catalog complaining about them is for newfags, dicks, and newfag dicks.
Polite sage for trollfeeding.

Bump Bump

Morning post, in the event someone decided to come back to the thread.

bump so I can read without it disappearing

bump?a

Okay! The ban has officially expired. Now I just need to get my groove back and hope I don't trip the damn wordfilter again.

>>18724386
yeeaaaayyy

>>18724386
Awesome.

>>18724386

Good to hear.

>>18724386
Today is a good day.

>>18724386
Good, good! How long until you plan on resuming?

>>18724967
Working on it now. Cain Labs is stuck at work, and I completely lost my momentum on where I was at. Sitting here trying to hash out a continuation without just resorting to describing the plot of the classic series.

>>18725061
You basically did the entire leadup into MM1. You could explain where Wily kept getting all his materials and resources for new Robot Masters over the years, how he kept evading capture, things like that.
Focus not so much on the games themselves but the in-betweens.

Anode, maverick hunters, 4th Overland, robot museum, Wily Wars, etc. Let's do this shit!

>>18713106
You and Cathode move to the next display. A blue robot (gee who could that be) is pulling a slightly burnt but otherwise unharmed Wily out of the flaming wreckage of a giant war machine. Cath hits the button again.

"Wily's first attack was localized mainly to one city. Once he was subdued and his foundries were located and shut down, the threat was over. For a time."

"Oooooo," Cath says dramatically. You shush her.

"Wily's second attack was far more effective. No repurposed working models, the eight robots he built were dedicated war machines."

The lights dim on Wily's first defeat, and another snaps on over a rogue's gallery of new machines. Well, "new."

"Historians still debate the specifics of how Wily funded and supplied himself. He was known to have at least one foundation under an alias, and the most likely case is that he had many. Using his skill in obfuscation, he maintained several factories and plants that cranked out endless war machines."

A light goes on a ... helmet with legs.

"Really?"

"Yeah, they say he built and buried those first, and that's why he kept using the damn things," Cathode says, pointing at the plaque near it.

>>18725669
Ah, Metools. Wonder if they still putter about today?

>>18725669
>helmet with legs

But... Metools still exist in megaman x, right?

>>18725761
They're in X1.

>>18725761
>>18725716
Yup!

>>18725669
You progress through the exhibits, watching Wily build up and be smacked down through the years. Each time, the tech looks a little closer to home (aside from the damn googly eyes. Who thought that was good design?).

"Wily's escapes became increasingly fantastic across his career," one display notes. "From faking his demise, to robots built in his image, to a daring and costly prison breakout."

"The hell of it is, Light's machine was the only one who could get there, and Light's machine couldn't kill. Couldn't or wouldn't," provides another period recording. "And hell, could you imagine if he did?"

"I've got a notion," you mutter.

"Wily's final fate remains a mystery," says the final placard, "he vanished after his last defeat and was never seen again. Given his advanced age, decaying health, and his increasingly unstable mental state, it is likely he died in one of his secret facilities. But in the end, his legacy remains with us.

"Wily singlehandedly reversed years of advances in automated labor with his numerous methods of wresting control of their programming. Companies felt unsafe and unwilling to risk the liability to themselves or their shareholders. Stock shock led to several miniature recessions and the demise of many robotics futures investments. Automated labor was rolled back to the days of early robotics."

"So Wily revived the nine to five?" Cath asks. "Bastard."

"And just what the hell would you know about nine to five?" You grin, punching her lightly in the arm.

"Enough to appreciate how much it sucks," she replies. "Wanna hit the gift shop?"

>DO I
>There's perfectly good knickknacks everywhere in this city.
>Wat do now? Prior options remain.

>>18725911
We could do with some tchotchkies, come to think of it. Our dorm in the barracks is far too barren. We'll see if the gift shop has anything, then we'll go cruising around Geneva for extra swag before getting dinner.

>DO I

Hell yes, gift shop!

GIFT SHOOOOOOOP

Also maybe check out the futureland part before we skedadle.

"Why the hell not?" You shrug, and the two of you head into the gift shop.

Fortunately, it's designed with reploid customers in mind, but you still have to be careful wending between the shelves.

"Hey Anode, I heard you like helmets." You look up to see your sister wearing a blue helmet. ...over her own helmet, resting awkwardly on the tops of the ear-fins.

"Put it down, and wash your hands," you jibe, looking over the shelves.

Posters, tee-shirts, and then a small glass(?) case with small figures inside it. Little children's toys--a red robotic canine and a blue robotic bird. Paper masks of Wily's crazy facial hair, a plastic construction helmet like on the mets. The back wall is lined with blue cylinders, emblazoned with an "E." Another bubble-like pod hangs over a display labeled WILY UFO, and you see boxes of the infamous saucer.

Last, but definitely not least, are larger, more detailed and sculpted models--the first is a large, hulking model with mitten-like hands, armored in blocks of ice. The second is on a small magnetic tray, levitating off the stand on a cloud. Electrodes line its back, and its lack of legs and stubby arms give it a portly look. The third and final model is more like a cylinder with limbs than a humanoid--riveted and heavily armored, with a flat-topped helmeted head. A sign posted over them indicates that these are models of the three robot masters this museum owns the remains of. Kind of macabre, really.

A quick check tells you that you still have 32,288 zenny.

>Mega-helmet - Z45
>Met-helmet - Z20
>RUSH toy - Z25
>BEAT toy - Z15
>Wily UFO model - Z60
>E-can replica - Z25
>Frost Man figure - Z30
>Cloud Man figure - Z30
>Hard Man figure - Z30

>>18725911
Gift Shop!

>>18726421
As a master of self-deprecating humor, I say we take the E-Can. We could use one of them...

Get the UFO and the E-Can

>>18726421
Oh man, we have to get that Cloudman figure. After all, he's an earlier electric attack robot, you may as well be related. Also, one of those paper Wily masks!

>>18726421
A Met Helmet, just so we try to look professional to others. When Anode puts on the Met Helmet, everyone else has to back the fuck up.

>>18726421
It would be trivial to get everything.

So, there's bits of hard man, cloud man, and frost man at this museum?

Nifty.

That said, buy an E-can.

>>18726582
Correct! It's almost as if they pay you an absurd amount of money to risk your life every single day for a living.

>>18726582
Then again, it's a museum gift shop. EVERYONE has something from a museum gift shop. We'll save our money for the rest of Geneva.

Current shopping list:
E-Can
UFO
Cloud Man Figure
Met Helmet

Let's get a second Met Helmet for Cath.

>>18726421
We need a mettaur plushie
I don't care that's not an option

I want one in real life

>>18726421

Are the E-cans replicas viable cups? If so buy 6 of them.

>>18726611
>>18726636
>>18726615
>Cloud Man - Z30
>Wily UFO - Z60
>E-can (6) - Z150
>Met helmet (2) - Z40
>Met plushie (we're not even sure where they got that from, apparently he had some in back) - Z35
Total: Z315
GO FOR IT?

>>18726688
Sounds good. Ring us up. No Hunter discount, I take it.

>>18726702
Hunter Discount would be a bit ridiculous on top of the loads of cash they dumped on us. Besides, it's a museum, they could use the cash.

>>18726688
yes

>>18726774
Fair enough. Hunter hazard pay is pretty ridiculous.

"Can you drink out of those?" You ask, pointing to the shelf of E-cans.

"Yeah," the cashier says. He raises an eyebrow when you put a hand at the back of the line and push a half-dozen of them into a handcart. You quickly load up with your other selections and ring it all up.

"Hey, Cath," you call. She looks up, and you plunk a met helmet onto her head. "You're welcome."

She grins, tilting it at a jaunty angle. "How do I look?"

"Adorable."

"I'll take it," she says. "Thanks. Dinner's on me."

She picks up a few things of her own (you see another UFO, that mega-helmet, and the robot dog), and then the two of you head out and deposit your purchases in the storage on your respective bikes.

Where now?
>Back into the museum! (See above wings)
>I HUNGER
>Spend more money in the shopping district!

>>18726904

Shopping District! We need Movie Posters.

>>18726904
As much as I love the idea of the SCIENCE wing, I say we head to the shopping district. We still need stuff to decorate our quarters, after all, and I'm interested to know what they sell around the city. Also, find somewhere to watch movies, or at least buy some to watch later on.
And I'm pretty sure Cath is currently unaware that our Beam Lance turned pink... let's do our best not to let her find out.

>>18726904
"Who's Jean Reno?"
"Are you a fucking plebian, Em?"

>dizUSA Ichana

>>18726998
Meant to point to >>18726970

>Faure aryEuro

>Spend more money in the shopping district!

>>18726970
Exactly this. Shopping.

>>18726904
A quick check with Cathode confirms that she's as ready to waste her paycheck as you are, so the two of you mount up and head further down the road, entering the shops area.

You veer off to park, preferring to walk as you go. The two of you are a sight--maverick hunters armed, armored, and loaded for bear, talking and laughing and window-shopping in your met helmets.

"Ooh," you say, as you pass an electronics shop.

"What're you thinking?" Cath asks.

"You bought a terminal for your room, I was thinking of doing the same."

"Good idea."

The two of you head inside (you're careful to slowly discharge your capacitors outside before you do so. Juuuust in case), and you start to look through the screens.

Cathode looks with you. "I'd suggest a wall-mount. You've got the space for it, if your room is anything like mine."

"Yeah, bare-ass room for now." Now it's just a matter of size. You can afford pretty much everything in here, and easily. Your sister moves off while you start sizing up the differences.

>Get a terminal?
>Any particular kind?

>>18727354
Don't see why we shouldn't get one. I'd hate to have to replace it if we get moved out of our room, but that likely won't be for a long while.

>>18727354
Ask Cath what kind she got... and then buy one slightly better.

>>18727405
HAH, I like it. This.

>>18727405
Now that would be dickish.

Buy one that's TWICE as good as hers!

>>18727405
You look over the displays...and get a little, evil grin.
"Hey Cath? What kind did you get?"

"The one you're looking at," she replies.

The one in front of you is a pretty robust number--multiple feed options, ports to interface with several media devices at once, and secure encryption. It would fill about half your wall, leaving some space on either end to flank it with other things.

So, naturally, you take one long sidestep, sidle to the right and look at the next best.

A bit bigger all around--this one would leave only about a quarter of the wallspace free on either end. It has higher encryption and security protocols, an extra port, higher-fidelity audio. The screen isn't truly flat--it has a slight bubble to it, but that's due to its holometry function, producing a perfect 3D projection within a hundred and twenty degrees. The price tag is Z2,000.

You look up at Cathode, who's up at the counter, transferring some money for some purchase of her own. She glances up at you and sees your look... And quickly looks away.

She's up to something.
>Troll her softly
>Hey guise wats goin on?
>Hold off, for now...
>Other?

>Troll her softly

>>18727857

That sounds a little cheap for her. Ask her which one she really got.

>>18727857
>Troll her softly
"What--'cha dooooooin'?"

>Troll her softly

You grin wider. Cathode looks back up and sees this, and you see her mouth 'oh, hell' as you traipse over, hands clasped behind you.

She knows.

SHE FEARS.

"Heeeey~" you lilt. She leans over the counter, brow knit.

"Whatcha doooooin'~?" You crane your neck, trying to see what she's buying.

"Buying something."

"What kiiiinda something?"

"A secret something, ffff. Don't you have terminals to be looking at?"

"About that, actually, you sure that one was the one you got? Looked kinda weedy."

"Yeah, that was the one I got..."

"I'm just saying, seems a bit off for your tastes. I mean, there was that time you bought those speakers--"

"That was once! Once!"

"And you promised your first hunting check to paying off the balance back home, didn't you?" She groans and tugs your helmet down over your eyes.

"Go find someplace to be and be, I'm workin' on something," she grumbles.

>Hint status: Taken
>Nope
>Other?

>>18728280
Fiiiine. We'll bugger off for now. See if there's any other doodads we could use aside from our brand-spankin'-new terminal.

>>18728280
Don't be too nosy. She's probably got all kinds of hell she wants to raise back at her unit, and it'd just be rude to intrude on her plans. We're a team, after all!

>>18728280
Okay, fine, she's got stuff. We understand. What else is in here?

>Nope

>>18728312
>>18728314
>>18728379
"Fiiiiine," you mock-pout. "I just wanted to spend a little time with my dear sweet sister~"

"Ugh," she groans. "Just... just go."

"I'm goin', I'm goin'..."

Having had your fun, you resume browsing the store. Speakers, terminals, sound systems, entertainment systems...

You find your way back over to the wall of screens, looking at whatever movie is broadcasting on it. Something something explosion, whatever...

An employee sees you and sidles up. Looks human.

"Need help with anything, sir?"

>Disregard siblings, acquire terminal
>Eh, forget it.
>Other?

>>18728756
>Disregard siblings, acquire terminal

>Disregard siblings, acquire terminal

Lets let her do her thing while we talk to this sales rep. What can they tell us about this console?

>>18728756
The terminal should be all we need, assuming they know where and how to install it at Hunter HQ. I'm sure we can run movie night on that thing or get some inter-divisional game tournaments within HQ.

"Was thinking about this one," you indicate the fancy 3D-y one.

"Not a bad model," he says. "The 3D projector is still kinda new. Works for calls best, but movies and shows need to be made for it. You can just switch it off easily enough."

"Fine by me," you say. Something about the flat images and black and white is magical, anyway. "How is the built-in sound?"

"Pretty good," the sales associate replies. "About as good as you find without buying speakers. Might have a problem if you put it in a big room."

"Nah, just my quarters. Speaking of, would you guys be able to deliver to Hunter base?"

"Yeah, wouldn't be a problem, you'll just have to let them know we're coming and vouch for us. I thought you looked the part, but you never know. ...Hey, listen, can I ask you something?"

You look down at him--a bit less than a head shorter than you.

"What's it like? Being a hunter, I mean."

>I'VE SEEN SOME SHIT
>HONOR AND GLORY
>DOSH, GRAB IT WHILE YA CAN LADS
>More nuanced write-ins welcome

...Oh, and purchase the terminal? Z2,000

>>18729284
Purchase the terminal.

"It's not all cupcakes and roses, not by a long shot. But it's worth it."

It's a mixed bag. Sometimes you see some things you'd rather not see, but if you can put a stop to it, that's all to the better. And there's a certain job satisfaction in knowing that you're doing your level best to make the world a slightly safer place. Honor and glory are alright, but that's not really what it's about. And you certainly do meet interesting people.

Also, LOADSA MONEY, and with that in mind buy it.

>>18729284
>File name made me choke on my drink
We're still new at it, and we might be a little biased since we were literally built for it, but it's been good. We're risking our lives pretty much every day, but we're doing good work, and considering the people we've met doing it? Worth it.

>I'VE SEEN SOME SHIT

>>18729284
Lodsemone with a hint of that its worth the pay.

>>18729284
"It's tough," you admit. You lean back to see Cathode still engaged in her business at the front counter. Good. "And I just started, but they've already had to put me back together a couple times," you add quietly.

"Damn."

"Yeah. But it's worth it. And not just the pay, though there's that--I can walk into a shop and buy a high-end system without blinking--but the rewards." The guy nods quietly, interested. "Like, when I get back home, I know I've done some good. Saved lives, and all that. It helps."

"Been anywhere I've heard of?" he asks. You shake your head.

"No, but my sister was at Vienna." He looks back at Cathode, whistling appreciatively. "Can't get into details, but..."

"Yeah, I understand," he nods.

"So I guess I'll take the terminal," you say, and he starts ringing you out. "Were you thinking of joining up?"

"My cousin," the guy says. "Wanted to know a bit more."

"Well, tell him the need's there, but if he's got family or obligations, no one'd hold it against him if he stayed out. Gotta admit that's one of the hardest parts for me." You look back up at Cathode again, shaking hands with the clerk at the front. How long until you hear about her getting half-slagged and worry? What if she already has, and just hid it better?

Enough heavy shit, you decide. You're here to blow gobs of zenny, not get all introspective. After the purchase, Z29,973 remain in your account.

"So," the human says. "Where are you two from? I don't recognize your accents."

>INPUT LOCATION OF HOME? (Default is Liberty Labs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but the entire world is open)
>Nah mang

>>18730037
I can picture the Diode Twins being from the US of A. Never thought about it much, but default is fine by me.

What better place?

>>18730037
Default, no reason not to.

>>18730088
Ha! Hadn't thought of it like that.

defaulta

This

>>18730037
Default works for me as well.

AMERICA: The reploid it is. Have this to celebrate, and go shoot a bullet through a ballot. http://youtu.be/TAaE7sJahiw

>>18730037
"We're from a place out of the US," you tell him. "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

"Ah!" he says. "That'd do it. Surprised you didn't end up staying over there."

You shrug. "Main base was here. I know I was replacing someone else, but I didn't get the story on that. Hunting's hunting, I guess."

"Yeah. Listen, thanks for entertaining my questions, I appreciate it, and enjoy your purchase." He extends a hand to shake.

You take it and nod. "No problem."

Meanwhile, Cathode's finished up whatever she was up to while the two employees go to talk. "All set?" she asks.

"Yup," you answer.

On your way out of the store, you decide to walk--with your purchases getting delivered, you've got no reason not to window shop some more.

You start to smell something savory on the air as the stores thin out, and the restaurants begin to flourish.

"Any idea what you want to eat?" Cath asks.

"Not yet, but I...was..." You trail off, slowing down as a display catches your eye.

"What?"

You point.

"A liquor store?"

"Want to have a look?"

"Since when are you interested in alcohol?" your sister asks.

"Since I started getting coached by a green bean and a dog," you reply. "Fourth has a bar that's turning into something of a hangout."

"Yeah? Take me there sometime."

"Under armed guard, maybe."

She laughs. "We checking this place out, or not?"

>DELICIOUS ALCOHOL NUMNUMNUM
>Eh, I'll survive.

Also, if only to expedite this, what do you guys want to look for/pick up?

>>18730726
We're no booze connoisseur, but we can at least show Cath a thing or two. Give her something mild, something that won't go down too harshly.

Sooner or later, we WILL have to show her to the rest of the Fourth. It seems inevitable.

>>18730726
Something that the bartender would be proud of, that's what.

>>18730880
We want her to like alcohol, not get killed by it.

>>18730726
I think we're ready to go looking for those posters... probably some classic movies/tv series for our new console as well.

We can always just get our booze on at the pond.

>DELICIOUS ALCOHOL NUMNUMNUM

>>18730880
Conversely, she may want to show us off to the First. Wonder if we've come up in any of her discussions.

So what's on our poster shopping list? Die Hard? Pulp Fiction? Hunt For Red October? Whatever they have in the store?

>>18731415
The entire Tarantino collection. Also, we should defiantly get Hot Fuzz. It just seems so right.

Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Prequels and Crystal Skull? Maybe.

>>18731415
Personally, I'd see if they didn't have a Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas poster, but that's me.

>>18731415
>>18731456
>>18731524
>>18731537
Assuming they still have posters of movies that old.

Also, some western posters. The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Wild Bunch...

>>18731592
If they don't, we'll use the internet. The internet has everything.

I wonder if Cathode and Anode ever watched Madoka? The parallels between the witch/magical girl and maverick/hunter situations should be downright eerie for a reploid.

>>18731616
Anode (and Cathode, by extension) are almost-confirmed cinephiles. Whether that extends to games and anime is debatable.
Anode still needs to shout "Your worst nightmare, butthorn!" at an enemy at least once.

>>18731696
We at the very least know he's watched Big O, so it may not be that much of a stretch.

>>18731696
If he's a cinephile then he would have at least seen Castle of Cagliostro.

>this discussion
I love you guys.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take a break for a while here. More tomorrow, if the thread survives.

If the thread's still here when you get back, here's a question for you, because I honestly am curious as to what your explanation is going to be for this...

Why isn't more stuff made of the material they use for Mettaur helmets?

Pic very related.

>>18731997
Short answer, weight. It's not an I Win button, and the process to make the material that strong isn't cheap. That's part of why they're (usually) so tiny.

>>18732016
I imagined it was something like this. Met alloy is a bitch-and-a-half to synthesize.

i would also assume the sheer invulnerability is because of the seamless construction and possibly the curvature but thats just this anons guess.

>>18732016
Okay. Too heavy for use in constructing reploids, and for anything that has no worries regarding weight, it's too costly to produce enough of it.

Why do Mettaurs have to be so damn adorable?

>>18732578
Defensive maneuver?

Any movie where a robot is in a heroic or positive role is a shoe in. Iron Giant is a MUST. Little Toaster that could... what else? I, Robot should make for some good conversation...


also, this
>>18730905

>>18734834
I think you mean the little engine that could & or the Brave little toaster.

>>18734834
>>18734908
PLEASE let one of the other reploids make that mistake.

>>18731997
Oh boy, that image brings back...memories. Ahem.

As for films, maybe we should get some of the Terminator films, you know to compare and contrast? I mean, Arnie was a good guy in most of them.

>>18732578
Mettaurs are a basic ambulatory tool dispenser. They're used in all sorts of applications and have been for decades; construction, emergency rescue, even as household helpers. Combat-capable versions are manufactured using a very quick retrofit process that leaves their basic look intact. They look cute because they're a consumer product.

>>18738042
What about those giant Mets? The hell is the point of those things?

Where in the world is (well, was) Light Labs based, for frame of reference?

>>18738203

I think the coordinates in one of the games (MM8 I think) put it in Texas if i remember right.

>>18738065
Same idea, larger-scale, and Wily's a bit of a loon. >_>

Consider the stored Giant Mets in the construction area of Needle Man's stage. The one in Wily's Castle... was him being a crazy man.

Because looking at the picture again this morning, I now have to ask.

How well/badly would X's idea from >>18731997 go if someone actually tried to implement it?


Also, I'm now imagining a Livesaver unit walking around with a Mettaur toddling behind him. Or a weapon-specialist Hunter who has their Mettaur carry their different weapons for him/her.

>>18738781
Uhh... well... they're heavy, so...

Um...

I think it would create a case of a common human female concern over time translating to Reploid females as well, if you... get... my... gist.

>>18738781
>>18738970
Congratulations, you've made Cain Labs feel awkward. I hope you're proud of yourself.

>>18739178
Apparently a proud MHQ tradition. Hi, guys.

>>18740689
At least they're not making you think about awkward gay grappling hook sex again.

>>18740921
The wires.
THE WIIIIIIRRRRES!

>>18740921
>>18741307

But seriously, actually, it's hot as balls, I can't concentrate, and I need to be on deck to try and fix an air conditioner and a window. Operation: Hyper Infrequent Updates is go.

>>18741359
Don't force yourself.

If anyone's up for it, I'm back, reasonably re-sanitied, and open for question period once again.

>>18742985
Question I had for a while, but why are the Simulations locked to not allow training against active Hunters? And along with that, why are X and Zero apparently exempt from that rule? The cynic in me says that Command doesn't want potential Mavericks able to train against the people who will most likely be hunting them, but X and Zero sims are allowed because of how dangerous they would be if they ever did switch sides.

>>18743067
Well, few reasons: first off, it's kind of a sign of bad faith in a world where, let's face it, what you're simulating COULD transpire. It's not tremendously comfortable. Along that same line, it can lead to bad blood, grudges, and the knowledge that the guy on base that hates you could run a sim to figure out how best to kick your ass. Even assuming no Maverick intent that's just a morale land mine.

Given how many Mavericks have come from Hunter ranks, giving out easily-accessible intel is indeed a no-no. And you raise a valid point about X and Zero. Moreover, X is... sort of a standard-maker for current Hunter technology. He's the testbed for everything. And as you saw in the simulation against him, second-generation X can kick your third-generation ass. Zero has specially authorized use of his simulation.

Did any interesting new species get discovered in the span between "now" and the "present"? Are there still horses and frogs?

>>18743433
Something called a "mijinion," whatever the fuck that is.

In all seriousness, new species, of course. Nothing significant enough not to be "Steffanson-Veeblefester's pink-mottled arrow toad" or some other pompously-named sub-line of a well-known beastie. New insects, new fish-things, new bacteria...


Animals are still kicking about; both frogs and horses continue to exist.

>>18743277
Are there any particularly popular sim targets? Any simulated Mavericks that hunters like to digitally battle more than others? Sigma is probably at the top (even if his pre-maverick sim can still frag most hunters), and Vile is close behind, but anyone else as popular? For that matter, how many Hunters use x and zero's programs? Any in particular?

>>18744000
That's just getting into obscure statistics that some R&D guy keeps in his head for no good reason. I should assume the X1 and X2 Mavericks are available for sims, among others. We should fight Flame Stag someday.

>>18744000
Sigma's... not too popular, generally. Fighting his sim is a one-hit lose for most Hunters, and although it's mandatory for S-Rank and above to face it (a Hunter Kobayashi Maru, if you will), most others don't bother. Sigma's rebellion is no joke in this universe; the Hunters lost a lot of companions to Sigma's coup on both sides.

Popular sim targets include the dangerous Inner Circle members (Vile, Agile and Violen) for that getting-your-ass-kicked buzz, Boomer Kuwanger (an expert killer and a good test of one's ability to predict multidirectional attacks), Magna Centipede (fighting with a handicap), Zero, X and several Mavericks retired during the first Maverick War. Rhodes also authorized his own sim data to be made available, and his modular capabilities have made him a popular test.

The most commonly fought sim is a C-Class Maverick known as Mr. Quick or "Blinky" or "That Bastard." The second most commonly fought is one of the standard gauntlet of sims: Chill Penguin, a capable threat and ex-Hunter.

>>18744270
How many Hunters have beaten the Sigma sim? X and Zero obviously can, but what about anyone else?

>>18745771
Only two Hunters have taken on the Sigma simulation and beaten it. One of them was Rhodes. Make of that what you will.

>>18745866
And the other one?

>>18746004
"Make of that what you will" wasn't ominously not-answery enough? :P

The other one was either X or Zero. I said only two Hunters, and they both qualify. So... interpret it however you will.

>>18746207
Are the Maverick Hunters separate from any branch of law enforcement? They can't go making arrests or anything of their own jurisdiction? What about Interpol and the sort?

tl;dr -- where do the Maverick Hunters stand in the realm of law enforcement?

>>18746207
Adding to this, is a Maverick Hunter authorized to apprehend a human criminal if it spots a crime in progress.

>>18746266
The Maverick Hunters are a global military force with specific jurisdiction limited to Maverick activity. They're not allowed to get involved in wars (even those involving Reploids) or police regular crime.

>>18746291
That said, Maverick Hunters ARE capable of making a citizen's arrest and putting considerable clout behind it. Hunters are required to receive operational permissions from both the local government and their governing council (through Hunter Command). Hunters also collaborate with INTERPOL, UN Peacekeeping and other intergovernmental organizations, who CAN authorize Hunters to act as temporary agents under their respective charters.

>>18746424
Something that bugs me about Sigmas rebellion; how many of the hunters who followed him were effected by the maverick virus, and what did he offer those that weren't effected by it?

>>18746424
So Hunters are impartial arbiters who specialize, unsurprisingly, in handling Mavericks, although they can be licensed out to anyone who asks nicely.

>>18746533
The scary thing is... they don't KNOW. Viral theory didn't even become mainstream until Centipede's attack, and witness debriefings of encounters with various rebels from the Maverick War suggests many of them were consensually aligned with Sigma.

>>18746533
If you're looking at canon, many of them followed Sigma out of a severe, SEVERE respect for him (Armored Armadillo). Or were beaten into submission and infected (Storm Eagle). Some left of their own accord (Flame Mammoth, Spark Mandrill) and some left after the First Riot and were later infected (essentially any X2 Maverick, since almost all of the X1 and X2 Mavericks were ex-Hunters).

>>18746605
So, no one has any idea what bullshit he fed them to make them betray the entire world? No rumors?

He had to have planning it and gaining followers for a good long while before he went to war.

>>18746707
It's been established Sigma is hella charismatic. Whatever he said was said smooth as silk.

>>18746707
May not have been bullshit. As the poster above pointed out, a lot of them followed him out of loyalty. Some turned out of rage or a natural violent streak (Ostrich, Crab, Gator). Some were designed as Mavericks (Sponge, Moth, Snail). Some just ARE that racist and despise fleshbags. Loyalty in a military structure to a charismatic and powerful commander is a strong factor.

And Sigma was an absolute dynamo. Wise. Perceptive. Strategy-minded. He could size up anyone he met in mere seconds - not just on combat capability, but also in terms of personality. He led from the vanguard, he led by example, he led the Hunters into what is STILL essentially their modern configuration. Sigma had ideas that might have in time brought world society into a Second Renaissance. He advanced Reploid rights and even reinstated "reclamation" - the process of capturing and attempting corrective engineering on Mavericks. If you've ever heard of a leader so engrossing that he could convert those he'd sworn to destroy, well: Sigma was such a one. At the time of his defection, many humans thought the LOYALISTS were the Mavericks and attempted to join up with Sigma as well.

Sigma was the Greek Division's greatest achievement, Dr. Cain's best design ever. And let's be fair to Cain: look what it took to corrupt Sigma.

>>18746982
What prevented them from making another Sigma-like Reploid once they realized what corrupted him?

>>18747160
1) You're assuming they did realize. Which they haven't yet in the timeline.

2) They DID make another one: Rhodes. Who is the current commanding officer of the Maverick Hunters. After having heavily distinguished himself in the second Maverick War.

What sets Dr. Doppler apart from Dr. Cain nowadays, aside from the fact that Doppler is getting his own city?

>>18750154
Unknown as of yet, but I'm sure we'll get there.

>>18750154
Well, he's the first (and most well-respected) Reploid scientist, going from the background info.

>>18745866
Hmmm...I'm going to say that it was Zero. He's the kind who'd want to do that (besides, X has fought and beaten the real thing twice already), going by the Day of Sigma OVA (when he tried to successfully make the shot X failed to take with the Mechaniloid). Granted that's presumably not canon, if only because Cain is presumably still alive here.

But is there anything from that OVA in common with the actual events as happened in this continuity?

>>18750518
What exactly happens in the OVA, for those of us who haven't had the pleasure of watching it?

>>18750539
well I'll start off with the disclaimer that you can find it on a certain tube that you're all aware of, and you should probably watch it yourself.

You can find a recap here: http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/The_Day_of_%CE%A3

that said, WOOP WOOP SPOILER ALERT
The main thing I'm thinking of is the fight at the missile base, namely Sigma nuking a city and X giving him his scars via Shining Finger.

>>18750539
the entirety of it is up on youtube, actually.

bumping for hunter goodness.

>>18750518
Fair bit. The spider Mechaniloid attack, for instance, although the OVA grossly overestimated the number of top-level Hunters that would be sent in; largely for character reasons. Vile was also taken in for "reclamation" just as in the OVA, rather than retired. Those are the big similarities there.

>>18751904
I see. how did Sigma get his scars, then, if not in combat with X and Zero? Were they self-inflicted?

>>18751919
Oh, one of them did it. You can choose your canon on that one, since MHX and MMX4 suggest two possibilities.

>>18752075
In that case I choose a third option-Zero did it first, but Sigma had it fixed, followed by X coincidentally doing it in the exact same place!

You know, did we ask if any of our teammates were actually in the 4th Overland back when the Fat Bastard-I mean, Flame Mammoth was in charge?

For that matter, is Red Alert a going concern right now? Axl probably isn't a member (for obvious reasons), but the organisation (and Red himself) were presumably around prior to X7.

>>18752212
Two of them were. Hammer Frog was one of them. The other I'll leave for Command to reveal during in-character dialogue.

Red Alert won't become a going concern for some time yet.

I remember reading about there being a 'Far-East' Maverick Hunter HQ in Command Mission. Are there world-wide hunter Bases? For that matter, are there organised Maverick groups independent of Sigma's rebellions?

>>18753009
There are bases worldwide, yes. Hunter Command is the central hub.

And yes, there are organized Maverick groups not involved with Sigma.

>>18753256
What are they like? Are there any particular prominent groups that we, as hunters, might know of?

>>18753332
Most of them have been retired. At present, the only Maverick force of significant concern is the Philosophers. A trio of G-Class threats, they've been proselytizing the Maverick message and doing major damage around the world. Most recently, they attacked a place called "Vienna" with a device called the "Skyjammer." You may have heard of it.

This may have been answered before, but who are the highest class hunters at the moment?

>>18753824
X would be the highest-ranked Hunter if he weren't, you know, who he is. That leaves Rhodes, Striker Cobra and Neutron Zebra at G-Rank as the formal highest-ranking officers. When comparing intrarank grades from there, Rhodes is the highest-rated Hunter. Zero is the highest-rated S-Rank. Karin is the highest-rated A-Rank, though she's got tough competition from Diamond and his siblings and the surviving members of SPECTRUM. X is basically the B-Rank Emeritus, since he'll always be the highest-graded B-Rank while holding said rank. Specialists hold outstanding grades in certain fields that put them in a league with a higher rank in said field; all in all, it's not exactly a cut-and-dried system.

>>18753991
How often do Hunters "rank up?" Is it a natural progression, or does one really have to distinguish himself in fantastic fashion?

>>18753991
I find it odd that zero isn't considered G-rank. He seems to have the capabilities to take on g-rank threats like sigma and his closer lackeys.a

>>18754025
Not often. Hunter Command uses serious metrics to gauge rank. Human Hunters rank up the most often (though there's a functional "glass ceiling" for them once they reach A-Rank). Hunters who significantly expand their capabilities and have a demonstrated record can rank up, but it's not tremendously common. Service in the 17th is most associated with ranking up, though of course it's not necessary. As already established, there's dramatic variation in threat level in a single threat class, so rank-ups are fairly significant. Being A-Rank doesn't mean you're considered capable of engaging just SOME A-Class threats; it means you can be sent against ANY A-Class threat. This is why they have Specialists.

>>18754109
Zero is a loose cannon. Many times da chief has asked for his badge and his gun wait that doesn't sound right.

>>18754109
G-Rank is very, VERY rarely handed out. Rhodes is the commander of the whole organization and also a Greek Division development. Neutron Zebra's been a member of the 17th since before Sigma and has kept a cool head when dealing with former allies. Striker Cobra has headed the 1st for just as long and IS the guy they call in to open the theater of war. Picture nearly any level X or Zero has ever entered and him having to go through its like FIRST. And take down lots of crap so you don't have to.

Zero's still got a lot of "unknown" to him. He was redesigned and upgraded while his parts were in Maverick hands, and he's a veritable fountain of collateral damage. These are the main reasons that Command has kept him limited to S-Rank, rather than automatically authorizing him to go after GA-Class threats.

In one of the earlier threads it was said that X handed in his armor for scientific progress, it seems at least for x5 and x6 he keeps aleast one form of armor from light. I believe it was the Falcon armor/ or Ultimate armor if you used the code. Did this particular armor have no merit for progressing Reploid war technology or was it because Earth was just hit by a space colony?

>>18755141
Well, the quest is set between X2 and X3, so that probably isn't a pertinent question. Far be it from me to stop Cain Labs from answering, though.

>>18755141
X really didn't catch a break after X4. There was little more than a breath between X5 and X6, too. After X6, you'll note he divested himself of all of those armors.

First of all, big thanks to you guys for being understanding, and big thanks to CL for stepping in to keep the thread alive.
>>18730726
Your quick run into the liquor store tells you that it's mostly wines--something you're woefully inexperienced with. Still, the clerk is friendly and helpful, and he even gives you a basic primer, and suggests that, if you're interested, you should start with a simple Merlot. You even get Cathode to pick up a bottle, though not a flask of nanites, oddly enough.

From there, you duck into a media outlet, and the two of you make a laser beeline for the back, into the "Classic" section.

Classic, by now, incorporates a lot of things. You have your preference, and it's usually things made before there were computers to edit them with. Usually.

"Bogart," Cath points out, indicating a poster display. "Maltese Falcon." You quickly snap it up with joy. She collects one from Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

"Eastwood," you reply back, pointing behind her. She does a little gleeful spin-turn and collects it, muttering about 'dat poncho.'

>>18755570
The two of you are a furious maelstrom of classic movie memorabilia, snatching poster after poster. Cath wanders over an aisle and comes back with a Miyazaki and a Big O poster. You hold up two of your own--Hunter S. Thompson, and Connery from that Submarine flick. She picks the Clancy, and you take the Big O. Cath liked Lupin more anyway.

You take almost an hour in there, quickly finding the good stuff, and each of you comes away with a solid handful.

TOTAL POSTER ACQUISITIONS:
Humphrey Bogart (The Maltese Falcon)
The Big O
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry)
Pulp Fiction
Hot Fuzz
The Godfather

And, on an afterthought, you pick up posters for Schwarz, Em and India. India gets Hot Shots!, of course. Schwarz is more up in the air, but if he doesn't like Indiana Jones, he has no soul. Plus, he can laugh at Nazis. Everyone digs that. And you figure Em could dig the Seven Samurai. And if not, hey, more posters for you.

Total: Z100, and money well spent at that.

>>18755585
Cathode comes away with her Bogart, the Hunt for Red October, Castle of Cagliostro, Spaceballs, Zombieland, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Anaconda ("a gift for my CO," she says), Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and something with Clive Owen. You're surprised she didn't find anything with Neeson on it, but you can't win them all.

You're on your way out with a hard case loaded full of cinema goodness, when Cath grabs you by the arm. "Hold up."

She heads over to their movie collection, and starts taking. And taking. And taking.

"Whoa, damn. You already get the First hooked on these?"

"Not for me," she says with a grin, arms loaded with dozens of discs. "For you."

"...Wat."

She giggles. "Did you forget? What's in two weeks?"

...Oh shit. Oh shit!

>>18755614
"Ah fuck!"

"Yup," she says with a grin. "Happy Activation, Anode."

You flounder for a moment, having completely forgotten. "...I didn't get anything for you, though."

"I know. You always sucked at remembering the date. Anyway, I just figured that since we probably won't be able to see each other again before the 29th, I'd go ahead and pick some stuff up."

"This is great, but I don't have an..." she just Chesire-smirks. ...Shit. That thing at the electronics store. "God damn you."

"Besides," she says cheerfully as she marches back up to the counter with her arms full of swag. "You haven't gotten anything for me -yet.-" Okay, that's true, at least. You have almost two weeks, and you can at least pay for... "Dinner's still on me." she adds.

"God DAMN you!"

She arranges to have the haul delivered, because like hell can your bike fit much more swag, and then the two of you head towards the restaurants. She even lets you pick what you want to eat, the fiend.

[ ] INPUT DINING ESTABLISHMENT THIS IS COMPLETELY INCONSEQUENTIAL

>>18755629
She will not live this down. Red Motherfucking Lobster. We will order one of everything.

>>18755629
let's go to a suitably classy-as-fuck establishment. Make sure to emphasise that fact.

I'm thinking Hot Dog Stand.

>>18755629
We have to be as AMERICAN as possible and find some manner of diner or burger joint.

>>18755629

We are in Vienna, Austria if I understand correctly. Beer Garden and Bratwurst.

>>18755629
She got us a shitton of movies that we can play on our new terminal, as well as dinner tonight. It can't be that hard to upstage her for a birthday--sorry, activation present. Maybe we can go to a jeweler and get a pendant of the diode symbol or something cheesy like that.

>>18756095
We're in Geneva, home of the main Maverick Hunter HQ.

>>18756095

Nevermind. Vienna is were the attack was.

>>18756114

Fondue then.

>>18756114
She also bought you an entertainment system. I like how your sibling rivalry has developed into friendly one-upsmanship.

Also, re: the activation date, would you believe I rolled that randomly and got 3/29?

>>18756205
I believe it.
How old would this make the Diode Twins?

>>18756235
Since activation? About two years old.

>>18756269
I always figured they were fresh out of the factory when they joined the Hunters. That shifts my perspective a bit on the timeline.

>>18756291
Liberty Labs spent a good few years building them. After that, before they can be shuffled right into combat duty, they undergo a little bit of orientation and examination to make sure their heads are on straight. Also gave them time to build some bonds and develop some interests--in you and Cathode's case, movies. She's also got a thing for old comics. Particularly Batman, incidentally.

This is especially important (the testing, not the Batman thing) because you were literally built to be put into the hunters. Making sure you're dependable was pretty important.

You're honestly about as young as hunters come right now.

>>18756320
So we get her a diode pendant and commission one of the guys in R&D to make a working Bat Utility Belt or something.

So that's one for lobster (pretty sure Red Lobster isn't a thing in 21XX Geneva), one for hot dogs (I like the cut of your jib), one for AMERICA! (compatible with the above), and one for fondue.
Whatever you guys settle on I'll probably wind the thread down after the dinner and getting back on base.

>>18756654
You could roll the hot dogs into the AMERICA choice.

We've got to hit a bakery or something, get our chocolate on.

Maybe CHOCOLATE fondue?

WAIT NO, GUYS

I HAVE THE BEST IDEA

HOT DOG CHEESE FONDUE

>>18756758

>>18756758
I can't take you guys anywhere.

(Laughing my ass off over here)

So AMERICA!: The movie: The game: The book: The dinner?

Followed by chocolate fondue for dessert, because your evil sister hasn't claimjumped paying for it?

>>18756904
Go for it. It's probably been a while since we've had something familiar from home.

Right, give me a little bit, I've got dinner and friends wanting to do some shenanigans. THRILLING DAY OUT CONCLUSION TO COME

Also I hope you guys enjoy the downtime/low key stuff as much as maverick hunting and upgrade hashing.

>>18756904

>>18757034
This is a blast. Cathode is a hoot.

I like it

So from one friend bunch to another. Team Jerkass strikes again!
>>18755629
"Only you," Cath says some time later, "Would go all the way to Geneva for hot dogs."

"And hamburgers," you note, putting some of the excess chili from your hot dog onto your burger patty. Cathode shrugs, amused, as she liberally adds enough onions to kill God to hers.

"Nobody puts ketchup on a hot dog," she says critically as you reach for the bottle.

"D-d-deal with it," you reply. "I'm not adding much."

"You know in your heart the evil you've wrought," she says, grabbing the spicy mustard. "When you've gone bonkers and they send me in to put you down, we'll know why. Only you'd put ketchup on a hot dog."

"Yeah, well, only you would spend ludicrous amounts of pay on a gift right under my nose like that."

She grins wryly. "Does that mean I win this year's birthday-off?"

Your hand snakes out and nabs a waffle fry before she can get it. "Never. I'm gonna gift the shit outta you. Starting with dessert. My treat." You pop the fry into your mouth and make a show of enjoying it. "Bitch."

"Fine, it's a start," she laughs. "I'm glad we got out here."

"To Geneva, or to the Hunters?"

"Both," she admits. "It's nice to be doing something, even if it's getting shot at for pay. But seriously. Thanks for calling me."

"Thought we might both need it," you say. "And no problem."

Cont.

>>18758120
You continue eating your slow fast food with relish (sometimes literally), catching up, and otherwise enjoying your brief hours outside the military life. You have to puzzle out what you want to get her. Somewhere along the line, one-upsmanship has become your thing. In lieu of any real animosity, the two of you have turned to friendly competition.

Dessert is only Z35, practically an afterthought on everything else today.

"So, do you like it?" You ask Cath. She nods, chewing on her third enchocolated strawberry with gusto.

"Good," you say, immediately buying her a fondue set. Z100.

She chokes down her bite. "Bastard."

"More to come," you add wryly.

She won't tell you how much she spent, of course, but you've guessed it as best you could--Probably something like 800-1000 zenny. 100 of that down, you guess. Unfortunately, more opportunities to get her stuff aren't forthcoming. Horror of horrors, you'll have to think about what else to get her.

But finally, with the night deepening, it's time for you and Cathode to go your separate ways again.

Any parting shots to get in on your way out?

>>18758135
"If you like the wine, warn me before you decide to pop over to check out the Pond. No way in hell I'm leaving you alone with the rest of the Fourth, especially when drunk."

>>18758135
"When are you gonna introduce me to the rest of the First?"

>>18758135
Not a parting shot, but what does the first do? Because, there's something that we can give her that could help with that, that she could always use, and would definitely cost more than a thousand zenny.

Weapons data. Maybe even split the data off into two separate weapons, one for each of us, that work well on their own, but have some synergy together.

>>18758135
Nah, let's make it an honest parting of the ways. It might be a while before we see each other again, and we can't spend every moment with our dear sis tormenting her. There will be plenty of that when we figure out what to get her as a present.

>>18758400
Let's get something that doesn't immediately have to do with work. No one wants a present like that.

First is the Advance group. They're the ones who launch the first strike against any opposing force. They're the ones who create the beachhead. It's the Fourth's job, by comparison, to actually hold said beachhead.

>>18758400
She digs Batman, so I thought about setting her up with the tension coil for dramatic grappling shenanigans, but considering it came from Jagwire I dunno if we wanna even mention him in her presence.

>>18758400
The First Advance Unit is the immediate response team of the hunters. When there's an attack, they're the first on site. When the hunters stage their own attacks on maverick-held locations, the First is the vanguard, setting up beamin locations and defensive positions. They have a lot of combat engineers and encourage their officers to pick up at least the basics.

They're a strong opening hit, but they lack the endurance for long-term combat without resupply. That's where the Fourth and other specialist units
come in.

Also, off to town for snacks, apparently. More delays for the delay god!

>>18758517
Nah, let's get something a bit more obvious, something to expose her inner comics nerd. Hence why I suggested the Bat Utility Belt. Plus, you don't give presents that have to do with work.

>>18758560
We'll imply to Em that he can be forgiven if he helps us build a proper utility belt.

>>18758718
The most endearing gifts are the ones that are homemade.

We should get her a copy of the Tension Coil so she can grab onto gargoyles and strike from the darkness.

>>18758718
yes
yes
yes
yes

>>18759241
>>18758718
I don't have a problem with this, but you guys confuse me.

>Em made our dear sister worry! And he could be harboring all kinds of unsavory thoughts about her! We must punish him for his insolence!
>Cathode needs a birthday present. Hey, she likes Batman, let's tell Em he's forgiven if he helps us build a working utility belt
>Hey, now that you've been punished for displaying something like interest in Cathode, make her a birthday present

>>18759331
Having Em make something for her wasn't my idea. Besides, having him make her a utility belt would involve him having some vague idea of her measurements, and we'd have to take his thumb for something like that.
We still have time. We can take a mission or two while we think about what to get her- maybe that Bloodhound could somehow be useful in making her a homing BATARANG or something! There's plenty of time, no need to decide right away.

I'd like to think our spook act was just friendly ribbin'. I don't see any problem if our BF is cool with our sis.

IF ANYTHING, Em should be given the heads-up on Cathode's Activation Day and work with us on some kind of awesome combo present.

>I don't see any problem if our BF is cool with our sis.

Hope you mean best friend and not the other meaning.

>>18759506
IT KEEPS HAPPENING

>>18759506
The thought never crossed my mind!

India is our potential future ex-wife.

That said, yes, utility belt.

>>18759643
BAT Utility Belt. You must clarify.
Then we give her a cape and the Tension Coil and let her loose.
This stuff writes itself.

You know, a utility belt using whatever magi bag of holding is used to keep zeros dozens of weapons* would be useful.

*in x8 he has like a beam sword, a beam hammer, a pair of beam FANS, beam naginata...

Though I don't know if that kind tech of exists right now or if it's only developed in the future.

>>18759331
We could always make the belt ourselves. We should be at least mildly technically savvy.

>>18759942
If I recall, he can only use them one at a time.
And at this point it's actually relatively feasible, because the blades are weightless and only there when activated.

Also, my updates have slowed to a crawl because Ian's playing X4 and I have to coach him through everything. He somehow had less trouble with Split Mushroom with Web Spider.

>>18760032
>because the blades are weightless
I talked specifically about x8 because of pic related.
Where does he keep that long and thick shaft?

Clearly he has some magical technology that allows him to switch weapons in a second. It's not like X weapons where it's just different stuff coming out of the same buster.

>>18760138
Telescopic, modular hilt?

>>18760153
Someone asked about that a while ago, if we could make our lance hilt telescoping and modular to fit different needs.

>>18760153
Huh...

>>18760176
Doable with time and investment. The finicky bit right now is the channels for your conduits.

A bit of an off-topic question, but something that's always bothered me is how do mavericks get along with one another? I know that there are obviously groups such as the X-Hunters, and partners like Bit and Byte, but do they have any sort of informal setting like we do? Or is the whole collective so devoted to the "Kill the meaties" plan that it's rare for friendship/alliances/whatever to form?

>>18761809
Common cause, I suppose. That and many of them realize that if they didn't get their shit on track and work together, the Hunters would wipe them out that much faster. That assumes the Maverick in question is lucid to begin with.

>>18761884

Makes sense. That makes me think of another question, though; What percentage of mavericks are "crazy" (as opposed to having rational thought).

>>18761940
I dunno.
What percentage of humans are "crazy?"

>>18761969

That's a fair enough response, except these are all criminals, exposed to outside contact. We've seen the difference between Wallaby and Jagwire alone in our hunts; there's no way that Command is keeping track of things like that--especially since the virus theory is so new.

>>18762174

*isn't keeping

>>18758191
>>18758361
"So busy or no, we should try to meet up again."

"Definitely," she says. "I still want to see this Pond."

"Maybe if I'm there, and I bribe Max to keep an eye on you." She raises an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm not saying sit with your ass to the wall..."

"Uh huh."

"...Just that you will be under armed guard at all time."

She thwaps you on the back of the head. "Only if I get to give you a chastity belt for your manties when you meet the First."

"Worried I'll introduce Striker Cobra to my trouser snake?" You jibe. She thwaps you again.

"Unless you paid for some endoconstruction, we both know that threat's as empty as your pants."

"Hey, the way I'm saving cash, you never know..."

"Yeah, that'll be the day," she laughs. "Vets neuter animals, not un-neuter them."

"Yeah, yeah."

Cont.

>>18762281
You banter back and forth a little as you ride, enjoying the spats while you can. But before long, the spires of hunter base rise up, and you reach the point where you have to part ways. Cathode leans over on her speeder to give you a parting hug.

"Take care of yourself, don't terrorize your squadmates, and for heaven's sake be safe," she says.

You return the hug, squeezing her tightly. "And same to you. Though if you wanted to raise a little hell, I might not complain."

She smiles again as you break away. "Maybe I will. Your presents should be waiting for you when you get home." As she starts off, she looks back over her shoulder. "Take care, Node."

"You too, Cath. Give 'em hell."

...And with that, you're on your own again, with a ride chaser full of swag and a bunch of electronics for your formerly bare room.
>Schwarz will probably be in the Pond still. Maybe Em.
>Go check out the room, put some stuff up.
>Other

>>18762299

We've got a lot of stuff, and we don't want to have to deal with it drunk, so let's set up the room.

>>18762299
Let's offload our swag and properly swagify our dorm.

>Go check out the room, put some stuff up.
Cause what's the point of a shopping trip if you don't destroy half of your purchases immediately once you get home?

Lets set our shit up. Our room is so drab and needs some color to it.

>Go check out the room, put some stuff up.

time to give at room some personality.

>>18762299
Deposit our swag.

Also, for a present, why don't we give her saber an upgrade?
First, the shot eraser data, second, the Buckler/handguard like Em mentioned for his rapier. It will give her more defence, which our big brother self is worried about most (are we the big brother? hows that work?)

>>18762545
We're twins.
And we're not giving her something that has to do with work. No one does that.

>>18762555
Oh I know, but even twins often have a older/younger distinction.
Anode certainly has the mentality, if anything.

I suppose you have a point for the gift not being work related, though I think we should give that to her sometime anyway

I think at some point we should make some sort of totally custom saber made to cut anything and everything open, pair it with an ornate battery scabbard, and call that bitch Excalibur.

We've already got a beam lance and mesericorde, so this would just add to the knight theme we seem to be running.

>>18761809
>>18761884
A really simplified version? Think like 40k Chaos. There are disorganized warbands that work together to cut it, there are infighting gangs, there are wild loners, there are roaming psychopaths. Then you've got terrorist or militia groups, small close-knit units that left together, and then the big threat is Sigma himself.
Before Sigma it was all disorganized rabble, each going their own way. Sigma brought the backbone of the hunters with him, and along with that, their discipline. Dozens of mavericks flocked to his cause and fell into line. Though dead--again--Sigma laid the groundwork for an organized maverick threat. By far the most devastation happens when they act with cold, military precision.

And like pretty much all figures on mavericks, the sane/insane count is likely kept, but also a closely-guarded secret. As far as they want the public to believe, no maverick is acting in their right mind.

>>18762545
>>18762555
>>18762587
By design, the two of you were worked on at the same time, and activated at the same time. Of course the work didn't finish in exact sync, but whomever they finished on first is purely academical.

That, and the bastards wouldn't tell you. You think you're the older, and Cathode thinks she is.

That reminds me, Command. You mentioned sabers being High beam and Low beam. Our new stabity knife is high beam, but what is our lance set at?

We need to make sure we're cool with Em. It doesn't do to bite the hand that arms us with sweet-ass weapons.

>>18762695
Your lance is Lo-Beam. That said, it's well designed to put the momentum of your charge behind it, so it hits like a motherfucker with proper speed. And as long as we're on the subject, have my notes on the matter:

Beam-blade weapons are typically divided into two categories: Low-output, high-endurance, and high-output, low-endurance. They're colloquially called Hi-Beams and Lo-Beams, like the headlights on vehicles. Hi-Beams draw a lot more power and produce a much stronger blade, but would drain quickly with continuous ignition, so users adopt a slash-and-stow style. This is basically Zero's saber--draw, make a high-damage attack, and then sheathe.
You can duel with it, but you rely on brief exchanges or toggling the beam on and off with each swing.
Lo-beams are like Anode's lance, able to stay ignited more or less indefinitely, but they do less immediate damage per hit. Better for defense and dueling, overall, but less damage potential. They're broad categories, not a toggle--you can have extremely well-made weapons with the endurance of a Lo and the hitting power of a Hi.
And of course, "Lo" is relative--it's still a blade made of energy.

>>18762713
I figured as much. Later, I was thinking we could get some sort of switch to go into high beam, if only temporarily, for when we want to give someone a specifically potent 'Fuck You'

>>18762766
It's a giant fuck-off lance. I think the point would already have been made by that point.

>>18762329
>>18762334
You park your chaser back where you found it, offload all your stuff, and sign it back in. With two armfuls of goodies, you make the long trip back to your bare-ass room.

You examine the wall where your new screen will go--the box was left in your room, along with another, smaller but wider box and then a crate loaded with the flicks Cath picked out. A small note tells you Em received them and put them in here, PS not the face please sir I have a family.

You grin at that. Once you've mentally boxed off the wall where your screen will go, you put up your posters around it. There's plenty of space, and your room feels cozier already.

From there you set up your museum goodies on the empty shelf on the left wall. Cloud Man bobs serenely on his little magnetic tray, fingertip raised to call down bolts of lightning. You suspend Wily on something like fishing line, dangling his saucer from the ceiling nearby. Your E-cans... well. You'll have to wash them out and then christen them with something to drink. Your met helmet goes next to them. ...Maybe you'll christen that, too.

Last is the met plush you found. Sizing up your opinion of your masculinity and comparing it to the adorableness of your little stuffed companion, you decide 'fuck it' and set him up opposite the door. Haters gonna hate, metools gonna met.

Stepping back, you look in satisfaction. You've got a little corner where you'll put your entertainment center (and god damn it, Cath did not cheap out), and you had shelf space for your new film collection. Now you just need to get the screen and media player set up, but for now they're fine in their boxes.

What now?

>>18762862
>PS not the face please sir I have a family.
Em has been sufficiently set in his place. NOW let's check out the watering hole.

>>18762862
Yeah get him to help us with this shit and invite anyone in the pond for movie night!

MOVIE NIGHT. Get Em, Indie and Schwarz if you can, maybe Crankshaft and Yuzuki to come and watch. Make sure to bring lots of alcohol and such.

>>18762889
>>18762922
>>18762931
Given the time, it's likely that Em and Schwarz, at least, are in the Pond.

So you kick the door in, met helmet on your head. Emerald makes a little squeak and dives behind the bar. Max whaps him upside the head.

"EMERALD," you boom, "YOUR CRIMES ARE PARDONED IF YOU HELP SET UP MY TOTALLY FUCKING SWEET ENTERTAINMENT CENTER. Oh, and movie night, I guess."

He peers out over the bar and his fingertips, like a groundhog scared to see its shadow. "...Yeah, okay," he says.

Schwarz just looks on, bemused. Max taps his glowbat.

"...You're invited too," you offer.

"Thanks," the barkeep says, "but someone has to run this mess."

"You seen Indy?" you ask, as Em adroitly flips over the counter.

"Nah, not since earlier. She found a length of hose and was beating Crankshaft around the head with it."

"...Nice." You kind of wish you'd been here for that.

"Anyway, she sulked off afterward to go yell at people about bringing her jet here sooner."

"Could put out basewide comm," Schwarz suggests.

"Good idea. I think I'll do that."

And so you do.

What movie do you advertise for the first Fourth Overland Movie Night?

>>18763168
Gotta start with Citizen Kane. These motherfuckers need some cinema culture.

>>18763201
How many will bug out when it's in black and white? Should we lure them in with something first?

>>18763168
We can't go right into hot fuzz, not without showing them some action flicks first.

Follow Kane with Pulp Fiction.

Start light, then go in with the culture. Ghostbusters.

Or, y'know what, have them put it to a vote.

>>18763226
"Are my oculars fucked up?"
"No."
"Is your entertainment center fucked up? Some knob out of place?"
"Nope."
"Is the 3D not working?"
"No 3D."
"Well then, where's all the bloody color?"
"There is none."
"What?"
"Citizen Kane is from 1941. It's in nothing but black and white."
"...Whaaaaaaaaat."
"Yep."
"Are you older than Cranky?"

Gotta show the terminator movies at some point. Except for 3, fuck that.

Did they ever get Lucas to stop dicking around with the original triology?

>>18763411
God, I hope so.

>>18763411
Brave men died to secure them, but there are sacred, pristine, undisturbed versions available. Best believe Cathode nabbed those.

Oh, and I think we's done for the night. It's been slow going, but we've been MHQing for four days now and we're deep into autosage.

Next time, a summary of movie night. As for now, I've got something else I've been meaning to do while we ride out the thread...

Here to answer your questions.

Go ahead.

>>18763531
How long have you been about?
When did you start hunting?
Has a dog every actually sniffed your ass before?

>>18763531
What's your taste in women?

>>18763551
A while.

Since before Sigma took command.

I've never even seen a dog.

>>18763574
Not interested, usually.

...Sometimes redheads.

>>18763575
>Schwarzhund the German Shepard Humanoid Reploid
>"I've never even seen a dog."
Well, that sounds like a hell of an existential crisis.

Where did you originate from?

>>18763531
What's the most badass thing you've ever done?
Why'd you join up?
What was your role is quelling Sigmas uprising?

Where were you built?

>>18763593
It is what it is. They built me to hunt, I hunt.

>>18763602
>>18763608
>>18763600
Germany. Major producer out of Berlin. Government funded.
>>18763602
Classified. I'm not badass.

Joined up because I was built to.

Helped coordinate the Fourth. Worked with the 10th. Tracked down some defectors. Coordinated with Zero some to try and find Sigma's fortress.

>>18763648
What's your impression of Zero, in that case, since you worked with him?
What of X himself, for that matter?

What do you think of the newbie, Anode?

>>18763662
Zero is driven. But headstrong. It'll get him in trouble.

X is earnest. Like that. Personally gave me the offer to join the 17th.

>>18763666
Young. Too young. Good head on his shoulders. Impressed with how he handled himself.

>>18763686
Any artistic pursuits, or is Jack a dull boy?

>>18763698
Beer is art.

Thought about home brewing. Too busy.

>>18763708
Would HQ complain about you setting up an official Fourth Overland Brewery?

>>18763731
Definitely.

>>18763733
What are you actually outfitted with? You don't seem like the buster or saber type, and that seems to rule out most of a Hunter's arsenal.

>>18763750
A lot.

>>18763758
For the sake of thoroughness, are busters and/or sabers among them?

>>18763766
Yes.

How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?

>>18763768
What would you say was your most memorable hunt? Humorous, heroic, whatever.

>>18763796
Good book.
>>18763797
My first.

>>18763813
Any details you're willing to divulge about that?

>>18763823
Maybe later. Apparently we'll be doing this again.

Torment of existence, or horror of non-being?

>>18763844

>>18763877
Oh, NOW you're a dog, but you've never seen one before.
Get your shit together, Schwarz.

What above all other things do you think is the greatest crime against your fellow man?
>To deceive someone
>To sacrafice someone
>To steal from someone

>>18763897
Allowed a sense of humor. Try it sometime.

>>18763899
Sacrifice suggests prior commitment. Betrayal. Wouldn't do it.

>>18763920
What are your thoughts on the rest of the Fourth?

>>18764004
Frog is tired. Can't blame him.

Tanker is too proud. Too impatient.

Dodo has a chip on his shoulder.

Crankshaft is insane. Maybe in a good way.

Em is reckless. Takes poor care of himself. Bad for him, bad for his unit.

India needs to remember her duty. She's here, not the 11th.

Conda is hard to get a read on. Think he'd rather be elsewhere. Not sure.

Seven is ... bitter. Don't judge him too harshly.

Gibbon is mostly quiet. Seen him the least. Usually busy with regional work.

What's the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?

What is your favorite smell?

How does it feel to kill?

Do you still hear the dead long after the fact?

Have you ever tasted ashes in your mouth?

>>18764056
Little human boy walking again after mavericks broke his legs.

The head on a good beer, aggressively poured.

Bad. Don't do it.

No.

Ate a cigarette to make that human boy laugh once.

>>18764075
Do you actually like being in the Fourth? Do you regret turning down X's offer(s) to join the 17th? What keeps you around?

>>18764120
What I like doesn't matter. What I want doesn't matter.

Duty keeps me in the Fourth.

No regrets about the 17th.

>>18764126
If they DID matter, what then?

>>18764150
They don't.

...

I don't know.

WHY regret the paST? yoU can't Make it any different, and even if you were aBLE to, you would make yourSelf a differenT person altogether. THOUgh you might be tempted to try anyway. don't waste time feeling SORRY for yourself. too many people get JADEd that way.

>>18764278
HERETEK DETECTED IN THIS SECTOR. PLEASE REMAIN CALM WHILE INFECTION IS PURGED.

>>18764278
...

I'll kill you.

>>18764313
Did you serve under Flame Mammoth, the former commander of the 4th? What was he like?

>>18764412
Served under Pulse Potamus.

He went maverick too.

Mammoth was an imbecile. Fortunately, it got him killed.

>>18764433
What do you think is the root of all this sedition, this seed of Maverickism? Is it racism, is it a sense of pride, is it post-officer-grade irritability?

>>18764446
Above my pay grade.

Personally? Don't think there's any one cause.

>>18764538
What separate division of the Hunters do you work most/best with?
Outside of X, Zero and anyone in the Fourth, who's your favorite (or at least most interesting) Hunter?
Even within the Fourth, who sticks out to you?

>>18764593
9th and 10th. Similar skillsets.

Human hunter. Goes by Laughing Man. A-rank. Best of the best.

Anode has a lot of promise. A lot of promise.

>>18764883
Is that just because Anode bought you booze, or is it your genuine appraisal of his abilities?

Also, last question from me: WHO WAS PHONE?

>>18764964
He can keep his cool. Right mindset. Still new.

What's a phone?

...Never mind. Good night.