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>>46562093

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>>46562093
"Impossible," Rosé repeats. "Wren does not retreat."

"It would seem she does," Blanc observes.

You're back at camp, now, the maverick having winged off, rapidly outflying the damaged air wing and disappearing somewhere within the airspace. Satellites and perimeter teams have confirmed she's still somewhere within the perimeter, likely having gone low. With nothing left to do, you returned to the field command post for emergency repairs.

A sharp twinge through your deadened arm tells you that it works again, fighting down the urge to twitch your fingers with a tool buried in your shoulder.

"Buster is working, no errors," a human engineer tells you. "You've got some blackboxed stuff that's throwing errors, probably your lightning gun."

"That's fine," you reply, double-checking your own internal readings to confirm. "It isolated itself from the circuit, I can use the other side just fine."

"Okay, so, Wren retreated. Why?" Rouge asks.

"We've never hit her like this before," Blanc observes.

You nod, looking up into the conversation. "The damage is really piling up."

"We've thrown far worse odds at her. I don't like it." Rosé re-rechecks the mapscreens, so far empty of any contacts.

"Okay, I'm done here," the engineer tells you. "That's as much as I can do without offlining something for a fews hours."

"What's the damage?" you ask.

"Don't go to any eating competitions any time soon," he replies, prodding your midsection. "The plating held, only minor damage beneath, but it could go if I coughed too hard on it. Not much left between you and a bad day down there. Your shields are topped up, but you don't exactly have much going for you there."

"Yeah, I've noticed," you reply dryly. "Not that Wren seems to care about them too much. So what do we have left?"

"Eriador, for as long as I can keep stalling," Rosé says. "They're already talking about recalling him with Erebor lost."

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>>46562116
"The air force just recalled the jets to CAP only," Rouge adds. "Between the refuels, the casualties, and the dragons, they're pulling out. Too much heat."

"We still have the Bee Bladers, for whatever that's worth," Blanc says. "Too slow to make it in before Wren was gone. We've got them sweeping low."

"Whichever one explodes first is where she is?" You ask.

Blanc snorts. "Something like that, yes."

"We've received word that Stillwater Phasian was successfully recalled and is, currently, recoverable. No word on the prognosis."

"So piecemeal and potmetal?" you ask. Your trap worked--sort of--but only because you had a whole hell of a lot to throw in at once.

"We do have more infantry," Rosé says softly.

Blanc stands up. "And ourselves."

“We still need--”

You’re interrupted by a ping in your comms that, a moment later, winks onscreen.

“Captain Anode?” Comes a voice--almost whispered, a little growly. “2nd Recon. You need to see this.”

A feed from what looks like the officer’s own eyes filters in, revealing a clearing of burning wrecks and cold bodies. It focuses as the lens zooms in, shaking a little as it retakes focus.

In the center, Hurricane Wren is standing ramrod straight, head craned up to stare at the sky. She teeters in place, swaying a little, but otherwise standing stock still.

Rosé leans in. “What the hell…”

“There’s more.” The Recon hunter slowly pans the camera--turns his head, you suppose--and zooms in on a distant spot, amplifying until you’re presented with…

“I count four enemy contacts,” he whispers. “They’re carrying heavy equipment.”

“Weapons?” Blanc asks.

“Repairs.”

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>>46562129
Your eyes widen at that. You pick it out now--a field charger, an extended toolkit slung across one’s back.

“And--oh, this is bad.” The camera pans out to the edge of the treeline, where you see a blurry, indistinct form. A moment later the view crystallizes, showing a Link Rider--another Recon model. “He’s too close. She’s going to--”

She notices. Wren is suddenly in motion again, a blur as she streaks towards the interloper, already gunning his ride chaser too late.

“Going dark,” says the Recon soldier hurriedly. “Uploading my coordinates.”

“We’ve got reports, she’s attacking again,” Rouge warns. “There’s a recovery team trying to salvage men and operable vehicles. She’s moving straight for them.”

“You have your ride chaser--it’s fastest,” Rosé says, as you stand and secure your weapons. “We can make for both, but--”

>Hit the maverick field team--we can’t let them undo the damage.
>Intercept Wren--those guns can have your back for the final confrontation.

>>46562140
>Hit the maverick field team--we can’t let them undo the damage.

>>46562129
>“Repairs.”
Oh fuck.

>>46562140
How durable is the repair team/their supplies? If we can do a quick driveby to neutralize that problem, I say hit them first, but if it would be an extended engagement, probably best to hit Wren first to protect the recovery teams.

>>46562181
They're never going to be able to stand a chance against an A-rank on a tear, but in the time it takes you to get to and retire them, Wren is going to have a field day, even if you just go for mission-killed and take out their equipment.

>>46562193
How does our EAS/Jetpack compare speedwise with a chaser? Could we theoretically foolishly split the team to hit both?

>>46562238
Ride chaser is hands down your best option for sustained speed. Dash can match it for short bursts with cooldown, jetpack could possibly outstrip it but only for little bounds with 30 seconds between.

>>46562256
How about the remaining dragon, is it fast enough to go nuke the repair team and still make it back in time to assist, even if not at the start?

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>>46562238
Oh yessssss. Yesssss let's split the party. That always ends well. I encourage this course of action.

>>46562140
>Intercept Wren--those guns can have your back for the final confrontation.

Stopping the repair teams is taking time to Do It Absolutely Certainly, but I don't think I'm willing to let more people die just so we can say our tactics were nice and neat. Intercept her and end it.

>>46562140
>>Hit the maverick field team--we can’t let them undo the damage.
We cannot let her shield refill along with her energy. She was a right bastard to deal with when we are full strength and most of our support is gone. Still, we have the 4ths supplies as well to shore up our attack so the field weapons are not so much a issue.

>>46562281
If we can drop the dragon to nuke the repair team it'd be ideal. Wren has to be AT them to repair so stalling her also keeps her lacking repairs.

>>46562333
Yeah, I'm wondering if the Dragon could kill the repair team by itself while we keep Wren busy.

>>46562281
>>46562333
Yes and no. The team isn't going to be setting up someplace vulnerable, and ultimately the dragon is still a mechaniloid.

Plus, if you leave it alone, Wren can go after it as well on her way back. If you don't have it with you for the intercept it will also be that much harder to pin her down again.

The short version is I'll let you do it, but it's a gamble.

>>46562333
I'd recommend against it. If she's going for targets of interest, the dragon will be a big one, which will lead her to the repair team. Even with the ride chaser she is likely faster than us.

As is, her energy is likely running lowish. If she can't refuel then her movements may get sluggish along with her having no shields or repairs. While the artillery was helpful, it mostly just brought her shields down to acceptable levels. If they go back up, we are back to square one.

Remember, we have fresh weapons ourselves that we can use. Along with heavy weapons and artillery. We can still sustain a strong artillery force. So let her waste energy for repairs and refueling she won't get. That helps us.

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>>46562140
>Hit the maverick field team--we can’t let them undo the damage.

Don't underestimate Wren, last thing we can afford is her to walk back any damage. Also, see if we can obtain any of the maverick repair tools, might come in handy.

>>46562281
I'm not a fan of splitting up against an enemy that can outpace us, if she decides to break off and murder the dragon, we won't be able to keep up in order to stop her.

>>46562367

How about the bees, they're basically useless against wren because slow, do we have enough to mob the fuck out of the support team?

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>>46562140
>Hit the maverick field team--we can’t let them undo the damage.
Fuuuuuuuuck that shit. Ostensibly they shouldn't be able to do much without, as our repairman said, taking shit offline for hours, but as we all know mavs are bullshittingly OP so let's nip this in the bud.

>>46562404
If they had no cover, maybe, but the bees will be relatively slow to get to their position anyway.

>>46562422
Is the general infantry we still have carrying anything notably useful against wren? Could send them to support the bees, as long as we make sure they don't get too close to Wren along the way.

>>46562404
The bees I can see being useful for mobility with our coils. Serve as latch points for us to maneuver along with building momentum.

>>46562465
They have some heavy weapons you requisitioned, but those are still on the bottom end of what Wren registers as damage. They'd need to go by land in a Chariot Skimmer, which is even slower.

>>46562474
The problem with that plan is that the bees are far slower than our ride chaser. If we wait for them, we're wasting time.

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>>46562140
>>46562333
Intercept Wren with the guns at your back and sic at least the Bee Bladers on the Maverick repair team.

The first dragon did nonzero damage to her. Maybe it can assist with the intercept. The Bee Bladers are better spent on her support.

>>46562486
>>46562422
>>46562367
>>46562256
>>46562193

Hmm, so compiling my questions, a current hopefully good plan is us and frenchies on the chaser with the dragon heading for Wren, while the bees and infantry move on the support team.

Are there any assets we've overlooked?

>>46562488
For the chase? Sure, but This is for the boss fight proper. As is we must make sure the healers are dead. Thats important.

>>46562521
Chaser seats one.

>>46562542
Unless the chaser has a posted weight limit and we're a fatty, who cares about seats, they can ride piggyback or something.

Also what exactly does CAP only mean for our air support? I can understand them not wanting to make more strikes against wren herself, could we try asking for a flyby of the support team?

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Hello everyone! I took the liberty of recapping the entire quest up to this point.

I tried to be brief while hitting the high points and all the equipment picked up along the way.

>http://pastebin.com/wMtuXJM2

>>46562505
The beebladers are slow and won't make it in time and the dragon is going to be pretty vital in the next mission.We really should not split the party since it won't make things easier for us and a healthy bird is more dangerous than a lack of artillery. After all, those shields have managed to cock block the majority of non lockon hunter attacks. They are now gone if she doesn't top them off and she is likely going to full on murder us if she has a full tank of gas.

Treat her like a S. Don't let her fight at full strength.

>>46562570
CAP is Combat Air Patrol. They're going to hold perimeter and attack anything up high, but no more low strikes, Wren or otherwise.

As for the chaser, it's designed around a single occupant, and you're all Reploids--e.g., heavy. No ghostriding the Cheval.

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>>46562549

Nothing to do with the quest, unless you're referring to yourself.

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>>46562654
It's baiting copypasta, guys. Just report it and move on.

>>46562521
Your brains, Fezzik's strength, my steel...

Oh right, there was also the wheelbarrow. And the holocaust cloak.

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>>46562588
Big thanks to Scarab for doing this, incidentally. He also ran it all by me to make sure things looked good. It might help people who balk at the archive size get into the story, and if not, it's a handy reference just the same.

could we use the artillery to blow the hell out of Wren's support while we take one wren? I mean if we're going to protect those guys they might as well support our asses by blowing wren's support to hell.

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>>46562612
I suppose that with all assets massed on Wren, the intercept site itself would become a more defensible position.

Meaning, if the repair team gets too close and Wren's still not down, we could turn something around and punish them for approaching. Let the support close the distance themselves.

Or better yet...

The Maverick healers aren't carrying weapons so much as repair kits, are they? We could give the infantry something to do.

>>46562407
mavs bullshittingly op? we kill evry one of them we run into. we've got our double a game on

>>46562645
>As for the chaser, it's designed around a single occupant, and you're all Reploids--e.g., heavy. No ghostriding the Cheval.

So if we go in at max speed, we're going in alone. Assuming we redline it and worry about India later, what's the approximate delay between us wiping the support and then getting to wren compared to going straight for wren as a group? Could have the rest of the team start moving towards wren, but not engage until we're about to drop in.

>>46562722
The problem is wren will more than likely bail and our fastest won't catch up to her on a full withdrawal. We cannot afford splitting up and it defeats the purpose of rescuing the artillery if we lose more support in the process.

Let the murder bird do her thing while we curb stomp her supports, coffee, and health pick ups. Then we can turn in,, get better repairs ourselves and be ready to fight her properly with our whole team.

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>>46562774
>Then we can turn in,, get better repairs ourselves and be ready to fight her properly
M80 are you seriously suggesting we just piss off for a few hours for repair while Wren mulches more of france?

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>>46562703
I began it as a reference for myself but pretty quickly realized it would be handy for others.

Contents:

>Main Cast
Major recurring characters in order of appearance. Names to know.
>Missions
Anode's Maverick roster, the Season 1 finale and the Season 2 opener.
>Intermissions
EVERYTHING else, from Vienna to the Movie Nights to the hostage rescue to the non-canon Christmases.
>You Get
Every upgrade, calculated at mission's end.
>Current Roster
Your remaining Mavericks this season.

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>>46562740
You might make good time, but Wren is going to do some damage. Right now there's scattered survivors and assets being brought together.

One more hint, just in the interest of making sure I'm communicating the scenario effectively: You guys are picking the guarantee, not the nuance. "We will save more assets" versus "Wren will have no repairs." Trying for both in your force disposition is assumed.

>>46562140
>Intercept.

a) She can't be repaired if she's engaged and moving at combat speeds.

b) Now Or Never; we can't get her appreciably weaker or our sides appreciably stronger without a complete disengagement. Any more stalling and attrition, at her levels of ability, will favor her if we let it draw out.

c) SURPRISE LIMIT BREAK. Not a main point, but it's an unreliable tertiary point for re-engaging her. We've faced her and know her moves, at the least.

>>46562817
If she tries to mulch france now, she will have even less fuel to work with. Her goal is likely our artillery, something we don't need because her shields are down. Those shields have been our biggest problem and what a LOT of people gave their lives for along with damages.

You want to waste that progress for artillery that may or may nto be salvagable on a what if scenario. Do you want to risk a fully healed bird? With a full tank of energy and with nothing but hate coming for us while we are not at our best?

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>>46562877
>If we let her murder more people she'll be weaker for our fight
Jesus christ anon, you may be a sociopath that doesn't care about human lives, but last I checked, Anode isn't.

>>46562952
And what does that make you? This is a damn blender and you want to send more people directly to it on the chance that we can save a few more. How many people risked their lives to do what damage we have done to wren and you want to take their effort away because you want to feel good about yourself. How many lives do you want to risk on that?

I may be hardening my heart, but I at least appreciate their hard work and not letting it go to waste just to feel better. Remember when we rushed down to help our buddies in the saetos mission and ran itno a trap that killed us and a lot of good officers?

Treat wren like a damn S class. If she is already there many are likely dead already. Do not waste their lives or risk the lives of their comrades to be a hero.

>>46563107
I'm not talking about which target we focus on, I'm talking about the part where you literally suggested we go take a few hours for more extensive repairs. As in quit the field entirely and come back later.

I'm going to throw my vote in here to just attack wren well we get whatever we have left to harass her support since it isn't going to be that helpful to us anyways.

As long as we fight Wren she can't heal herself pulse, even thought this is based off a game this isn't a game. Yes we fight bosses and steal there shit to get stronger like the game but we also have to worry about the world around us and how our actions effect it. If we cripple France's army to much we risk setting France up to be the victim of more maverick attacks. And with Wren clearing house in France, Mole building a massive tunnel structor under Germany, What's his name building a navel fleet, and our mystery maverick do god knows what under the sea it does sound like this guys have a plan and are setting everything up to pull it off. Or in short, even if we beat Wren, if she can fuck up the French army she still wins.

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>>46563141
>what's his name
Broadside Yamatoad.

>>46563128
That will likely be the case either way. Even wren can't fight constantly 24/7. She likely takes breaks during the night to conserve energy/get repaired. Likewise a lot of our infantry and gear will need to sleep and repair as well. If she doesn't have energy, she will likely not attack during the night to conserve as much as she can.

>>46562588
>http://pastebin.com/wMtuXJM2
I need this

>Intercept Wren--those guns can have your back for the final confrontation.
what's our charge?

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>>46563141
Welcome to being part of a mainline Mega Man X game.

>>46563245
>Even wren can't fight constantly 24/7. She likely takes breaks during the night to conserve energy/get repaired.

This place has been an actively monitored warzone, if she's been getting repair breaks since her massacre started, someone would have noticed. This was the first time she's disengaged, and it was notable enough that one of the frenchies said it was impossible.

>>46563296
It's very noticeable when the humanoid blender suddenly turns off.

>>46563296
Ok then, let me reiterate. Why do you want them to undo that much damage that cost half the army for a few artillery and survivors? Do you plan to kill off the other half to get her back down again? Because she will be gunning us down this time and likely bringing her A-game.

>>46563264
You're very welcome. After reading the Memorial scene I knew I had to get into this game. I missed out on participating in the entire Soul Foxfire mission because I was busy reading every thread up to that point.

I hope that the recap saves people some time.

>>46563327
Who the fuck said anything about letting them undo damage? I am saying you are a literal retard for suggesting that /we/ fuck off for however many hours it takes for our shit to get repaired.

>>46562774
>Then we can turn in,, get better repairs ourselves and be ready to fight her properly with our whole team.
THIS is what I am taking offense to. Not your choice in primary target.

>>46563377
Very well, I have likely read the situation wrong on that point so I do apologize.

So what's our vote looking like?

>>46563741
this is me >>46563264

I'll back the allocation of Anode and Big Guns going for Wren while the slow Bees and infantry go for the med team.

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>>46563741
Okay, so, this one is a little chaotic. There's a lot of discussion and debate but not a lot of direct lock-in of votes.

As of now I have this tally:
Field team
>>46562171
>>46562311
>>46562398
>>46562407

Intercept
>>46562285
>>46562870
>>46563264
>>46562505
>>46563888

5-4 for intercept vs. field team. Does that jive with your intended votes, people? This one is hard to tally.

>>46563944
uhh, 2 of those 5 is me, same person.

>>46563960
Glad I asked. Which one do you want counted and which one removed?

>>46563984
this was the original vote: >>46563264

which here: >>46563888
I tried to change in order to agree with the write-in to send the slower troops to go for the med team.

>>46563944
None of the quoted posts are me, but I'm not sure if I support a heavy push on Wren while the slow stuff moves on the support (which I assume would be a vote for intercept) or Anode rushes to push in the support team's shit while the rest of the heavy gear prepares to hit Wren once you free up and reach her (a vote for field team)

>>46564014
Thanks. Sorry, kind of going on a week without adequate sleep and going crosseyed trying to tally and interpret. I might institute a > line before votes from now on.

>>46564028
For the purpose of this vote, all that really matters is where you send Anode.

>>46563944
IN THAT CASE
>Hit the maverick field team--we can’t let them undo the damage.
Wren is just altogether too goddamn tough for any one attack to be significant. We absolutely MUST stop her from repairing any of the damage we've already done, or we won't have enough assets to take her on.

>>46564062
I vote we hit the field team

>>46564062
Guess I'll put my vote for field team then, and if choices beyond that make any difference, the whole 'wait for me to get there before engaging wren' is still a thing I want noted, because if we're hitting her, we need to have all the damage there at the start because trickling in will murder us.

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>>46564067
VOTES THE HELL CALLED.

That only took...like... two and a half hours.

I mean, I can't complain, per se, I don't want all landslide votes for one choice or the other, and tense deadlocks for dire situations is a sign things are going well and neither choice looks "bad," but--

>>46564139
AAAAAA WHERE WERE YOU FUCK

OKAY WRITING

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>>46564141

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>>46564165
Pic related, I suspect.

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>>46564185
Back off man, I've got a bird and I'm not afraid to use it

>>46564224
Threatening people with weapons of mass destruction, are we? I'm so proud.

>>46564197
Not going to lie, with the Shit X3 pulls on you, Doppler's healing shield was one of the bigger dick moves.

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>>46564898
You ever notice how it looks like a field of electricity?

>>46564898
ANd now we know that, at least in this continuity, Doppler stole part of that shield tech from Anode himself.

>>46564898
We contributed to that!

>>46564428
There's a reason Volt Catfish is S-rank
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwlJO789k-A

>>46565018
That will always be a sore spot. Really, we need to work on our torso armor. Everyone seems to enjoy going right for the center of mass.

>>46565036
Shame we can't get his weapon. Volt Shield would be pretty damn useful in pumping our capacitors and serving as general defense.

I vote we relocate all essential components out of the torso entirely, and replace them with a margarita machine.

Then the next time someone rips a hole through Anode's chest, we can enjoy seeing the salt.

>>46565252
I dunno, I feel like we see plenty of salt whenever we rip a hole through Anode's chest.

Stand by, post going up shortly.

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>>46562171
>>46562311
>>46562398
>>46562407
>>46564067
>>46564139
>>46564141
It’s one of the hardest, most brutal decisions you’ve ever made, and even being sure you’re right, you regret it as soon as you say it. “We have to take out that team.”

“Agreed,” Rosé says. “Blanc, I want you--”

He nods, barely, his face almost gaunt. “Intercepting. Rouge will follow the Captain. You should stay here.”

Rouge chimes in. “You’ve been afield too long as it is. And we’ll need someone with the lay of the land in case...”

Rosé--who bears a similar design, only pink with white detailing, crested in gold--looks from face to face and nods. “I’ll route whatever we have left out.”

The ride chaser is warmed up and ready for you as you leave the command tent at a run, hopping aboard and making for the map coordinates left to you by the Recon officer. You try to tune out the comms as you gun the engine and tear off towards the field team’s last known coordinates.

“We’ve got inbound, she’s coming,” you hear, before it breaks off into tense, quickened German, then--”We need support, we’re still scattered all over. Is anything on the way?”

“Affirmative,” Rosé responds.

A pause, and then: “Anything that’s going to make it in time?”

Rosé is silent even longer, before she replies. “Stay low and quiet,”

“Copy,” the soldier replies grimly. “Out.”

You find yourself feeling simultaneously nauseated and vindicated as you approach the clearing--recognizing it firstmost by the bodies. The maverick field team is nowhere in sight when you approach, only coming into view when you bank and find a recessed cave nestled in partway up a short hill. If you weren’t looking for it, you might have never known it was there. As it stands, you only saw it because you got here so quickly, catching a glint of equipment as they hastily tried to cover it with a tarp.

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>>46565385
They shout, knowing you’ve seen them as you accelerate, spreading out to find whatever cover they can. One hand on the handlebars, you raise your buster and charge. Buster fire chases after you as you careen around at speed, fishtailing a little to keep up your acceleration. You send your own shot downrange and then mash the firing stud on the chaser, following it up with a storm of blue from the nose-mount blaster.

The first salvo takes out two of them, stray fire raking a small, camouflaged box and slagging it as you snap your lance out and charge straight up the hill, putting the bike to full. You socket the lance down into your arm as you engage the Arrest Buster for the first time in forever and gun the engine once more, swinging around to come in from the side.

The field team’s survivors never see it coming as you stitch a line of bolts across one and punch clean through the other with your lance, cutting him down as you pass. You bank around, coming to a stop as you release the lance and cycle both guns, pumping a small barrage into the cave and listening for more trouble.

Nothing but the cracks and pops of fires breaking out, twinned somewhere to your northwest by Wren tearing through those men.

“Fight’s moving again,” Rosé warns. “Move to intercept. Without the repair team, whoever is pulling her strings might just try to have her break the perimeter.”

“Copy, already moving,” you reply, swerving out back towards the distant thud of gunfire.

The Bladers orbit the battle site as you pass through it, sweeping uselessly for a target no longer there. All that’s left is wreckage. Wreckage, and Blanc.

“I tried,” he says, usual glibness long gone. “Nothing I have has enough firepower to get her attention. She just cleaned up and moved on.”

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>>46565404
Rouge comms in as you move through the smoldering battlefield. “Eriador was damaged severely. Still functional, but control has been revoked. They’re recovering him now.”

“Did he do any damage?”

“I think so, maybe,” Blanc says. “Too hard to tell. She has to be weak, by now.”

You almost don’t hear him murmur the follow-up. “Doesn’t she?”

“Focus,” Rosé says. “Arrange a detail, see who and what’s left. Wren is looking for wounded where we first encountered her this morning.”

You recognize the flamed-out wreckage of the Chariot you rode in with, just a few hours ago. A few bodies that were there are not, any longer--you hope that means they got out. As you pass, you find yourself tracking it, listening out for any weapons discharges.

You look back forward a split-second before Wren crashes into you.
>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.
>Veer off and dismount. No more damage races.

>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.

Lance her like a knight!

>>46565452
>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.

Dismount and she'll just break the chaser. Use that mobility while we have it.

>>46565452
>>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.

>>46565452
>Hit the thrusters.

Hit all of them, let's go turbo.

>>46565452
>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.

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>>46565452
>>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.

>>46565452
>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.
unleash pent up frustration, lance this boil

>>46565452
>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.
Fucking murder birds, I'll make a fancy hat out of you yet!

>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.
>Hit the jetpack. Fuck YOU!
>Hit the EAS. Fuck YOOOOOOOU!!!

>>46565667
>Upgrade Options
FANCY HAT: A green top hat with a pink beam feather in the brim.

>>46565776
>>46565667
I can't help but think turning our fellow Reploids into clothing is frowned upon, someone should call reploid Peta and check first

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>>46565864
Hey, ask Wolfspider! It'll be fine.

>>46565452
different anon, but this:
>>46565745

>>46565452
>Hit the thrusters. Fuck YOU.
gotta die fast

>>46565776
You made me choke on my Chinese food you hilarious motherfucker.

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>>46565864
>>46565961
>Emerald takes a long, appraising look at the feather.
"Dude, give me the rights to her data and I'll give you my next three."

>>46565452
>YOU'RE UNDER ARREST, BUSTER

God, I'm hilarious.

>>46565864
We made saetos into a backpack, wolfspider into a knife, and who knows how many beam sabers Em has that are made out of fallen mavericks. A fancy hat seems like a non lethal sort of shenanigan.

Though, the VWES data may be more my thing in the end. We need some good options for crowd clearing/pushing away the enemy.

>>46566060
We should get flight. BE the bird.

>>46566060
The VWES data will offer an alt mode attack where Anode reconfigures and kills half of France instead of whatever it was he was doing.

>>46566060
Making gear from the Data is one thing, but I meant more along the lines of coonskin hat, pluck her feathers and skin the bird

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>>46566107
YOU GOT: MAGINOT SABOT

>>46566018
You don't want his next three.

>>46566126
Jagwire pls go you are dead art class was dismissed.

>>46566144
How many times did X die to that thing in story canon anyways?

>>46566276
I think this was addressed in a relatively early thread. X died a couple times, but not to that.

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>>46565452
Ramming speed! FUUUUUUUUCK YOOOOOOOOU!

You know, I have to wonder.

Wren downgraded voluntarily. She seemed so lost, so...sad, in her interview. I have to wonder if she's really working for Doppler or if this is the outraged scream of a girl that reached her hand out to be saved only to get thrown off the cliff.

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>>46566276
>>46566326
Aha!
>http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/18587497/#18597701
Start there and scroll down for the X1 canon progression in MHQ.

>>46566811
At this point, she's killed too many for it to matter a whole lot. Putting her out of her misery is the kindest thing we can do either way.

>>46566811
pretty sure she was infected with the mav virus again and it broke her. Also does it scare anyone else that someone was able to actually capture wren in the first place seeing how tough this bitch is?

>>46566811
Ok, first off this 'little girl' has killed enough people to likely fill several of those bunkers like cans of sardines. Second, she came off as in worse shape the last time she came out of it, so if she does manage to regain some sort of non mav mindset, it would be broken as hell. Thats not a respectful fate for anyone.

Third, saving her life after sacrificing so many people JUST to get her into a killable state is a slap in the face of Blanc, Rose, Rouge, and every french and german soldier that partook in this battle.

>>46566947
Matters to our husbando.

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>>46565480
>>46565508
>>46565515
>>46565529
>>46565536
>>46565558
>>46565595
>>46565663
>>46565667
>>46565745
>>46565950
>>46565951
You have another world-in-an-eyeblink moment, seeing the onrushing bird, moving full tilt opposite you. In the time it would take you to swing your lance or ready your buster, you’ll have hit her twice. Your hand is on the throttle.

You thumb the little red button with your thumb as you twitch forwards.

In a wrenching second, you corkscrew end over end atop a burning, twisted wreck, blue fire spiralling out to describe your movement as Wren eats a faceful of burning ride chaser.

Your vision shifts back into view sideways, and you haul yourself up a good two hundred feet from where you landed, at the tail of a very, very long furrow. Your capacitors read 45% from the impact, and the world around you is engulfed in flame.

https://youtu.be/Pi_B3FXij2g

Among the glare, Wren rises again, one shoulder low, mangled scrap pouring off of her as plasma fires flicker and burn out on her armor, silhouetted momentarily in a cascading heat haze.

Wren’s wings snap out to either side, and then she lunges.

You dive to the side and roll, her second strike nearly taking your heel off as you spring away, firing a salvo behind you. She slaps a pair of shots away eye-level, neon beam blades shearing through the air without resistance. You fire a coil at the ground and yank yourself away as she moves again, digging into scorched French soil with a boot and blasting away on a dash before she can catch you.

Each move closes the gap, and she isn’t letting up. She’s damaged and visibly slowed, but she’s still outmoving you. Right now, she’s got the initiative.
>?

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>>46566954
Whoever it was likely had more support and specialization than we do.

>>46567024
We can't outrun Wren (even though we're one of the fastest things on two feet), and we can't stand and take her attacks either. If we take to the air, we're a mostly-stationary target for Wren to eviscerate as she pleases.

Can she outrun lightning?

>>46567024
Keep movements erratic and use high ball skipper to keep catching her blind side. She will be faster than us, but our mobility will allow us to juke her about.

Blackout won't work against her winds, wires just gives her a tug line straight to us. Keep the lock on hunter ready when there is a opening and a hand ready for our melee options if she closes the gaps.

>>46566849
Wonder if I should ever try doing that for the other two...

>>46567024
>>?
Ok, this sounds crazy as hell, but I'm gonna suggest it anyway.

To my knowledge, we haven't flameboosted yet in our fight with Wren. Used it for mobility yes, flaming tackle no.

I propose that we give her a flaming capacitor-assisted tackle while jamming our dagger into her chest.

>>46567024
Put some Highball Skippers her way, then when she gets close we ram her with our Jumpjet.

>>46567024

This:
>>46567176
We have lots of burst mobility and a fair amount of charge. Let's use our mobility game to limit our damage at this point.

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>>46567176
I second this. The Skippers are about as mobile as she is now.

>>46567024
can we hit her with a flaming charge to push her back, dash back before she can recover and use EAS, dash, and ziplines to dance around her and away and take small little jabs at her to slow her down until we can build up enough time to finish her.

>>46567201
Yes! Do it please. Lore stuff like that is my favorite.

>>46567216
>>46567223
I would recommend not charging into her, at least not yet. Our torso is still tender and we don't want to do what Weasle did on us. If we must go heavy damage, the hunter will do it's job just fine.

Remember, even damaged she is a melee powerhouse. We want to delay that from being used as long as we can.

>>46567314
>If we must go heavy damage, the hunter will do it's job just fine.
Except for the times it doesn't, like Saetos.

>>46566954
You don't fuck with Neutron Zebra.

Have we even used the skippers against her yet?

Their mobility might catch her off-guard.

>>46567370
Saetos was a heavyily armored mofo who had all the S class trademarks. Wren for the most part has taken a lot of damage with our lock on hunter. From boring right through her to leaving nasty wounds.

It might not be her true weakness(I would say thats glacier gibbon's beam weapon), but it's close to it and effective.

>>46567176
I support this plan. Our poor, sad midsection can't handle the melee anymore.

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>>46567024
>stay moble pepper her with skippers, nail her with lockon if the opening presents its self
we need a bottle neck, a narrow ally where she has no choice but to charge through our barrage

>>46567024
>>46567176
This seems least likely to result in our immediate death as anything that's been said so far, so I'm voting for it.

Tie one end of a coil to her, and the other end to a skipper. Can't go wrong, A+ Plan.

>>46567542
That would actually be bad for us. Her wind has good range and damage along with aoe. If it's a narrow corridor it's what we don't want to run into with wren.

If her wind is a problem, let's take the fight underwater.

>>46567656
all of our hi-speed movements are short ranged, with cool down or charge drain, being exposed in the open has never played well for us.
optimally we fight best in areas with 4 wall ceiling and roof, to make the best of our mobility but where would we find something like that out here on her killing field let alone lure he into it

>>46567312
Righto, guess I'll outline that then

>>46567677
No, no, see. We call India and have ourselves and Wren shot into space.

Then, we secretly don't get shot into space with her. We just shoot her into space and that's the end of it.

>>46567742
Oh I agree. In a good sized room with a solid ceiling we'd have an advantage, but it should not be too narrow when dealing with those sorts of attacks. We are area control, but she's got a lot of tricks to deny that. Really, the fact the stage has been helpful to us in general is likely why the mission feels like an easier mission even if she is in the top 3 of boss difficulty.

>>46567861
>easier

So I hear I have to up my game!

>>46567825
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib2JN0yb6Qg

>>46567926
Cain, don't lie. You'd make it harder even if I said it was hard, or so so. Hell, you'd probably throw in baby armor for the sake of it being there.

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>>46567980
>mavericks stepping up to the challenge

>>46567825
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ke87AhXxag

>>46567825
Blame wren for the ride chaser, it'll happen on its own.

>>46567024

>>46567176
Fifthing(?) this

Another vote for staying mobile and using the highball skippers.

We have two tricks left that she hasn't seen: the Skippers and the Knife of Fuck All Your Shit. The knife relies on melee and thus should be a last resort against the whirling death bird.

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Stand by, working on dinner.

>>46568879
You can do it HC!

Is Maverick Hunter Quest currently the longest running quest on /tg/? Can't think of any that've lasted longer.

Yay, didn't miss murder birding!

Also, on live capture vs retirement, I don't think Wren has enough free will left to make any form of choice, and also will not let us. Always go for the kill with her in this case

>>46565404
>“Fight’s moving again,” Rosé warns. “Move to intercept. Without the repair team, whoever is pulling her strings might just try to have her break the perimeter.”

Calling it now, Seven is the puppet master for Wren's current mission.

>>46569503
If she's insane enough to not be responsible for this, isn't that an argument to try and bring her back? Let her be the test case she tried to be when she COULD make a choice?

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>>46569503
>>46569649
If there weren't a major war going on, and if she hadn't just carved her way through a major power's military, there might be a case for attempting capture.

As it is, though, she needs a rest.

>>46569503

We still have to ask her to surrender. It's part of our shtick, just like nearly dying every time.

Attempting a live capture is pure suicide. She wasn't captured the first time around, she surrendered after taking severe damage.

>>46569791
Wren lies broken beyond repair. We struggle with the value of even asking. Before we even can, she speaks up:

"I surrender," she says. "I don't want to be this way."

And then she starts exploding.

>>46569791
At this point, asking her to surrender is pointless unless its to kill her with mercy. Using her as a test case can end poorly, and at this point, there is really nothing to gain if her mind is this much shattered. Both in terms of understanding the virus and curing it.

Maybe if it was the first case and there was enough of a personality to do so, but as it is, she is more likely to be killed at base than anything else. Dedicate this fight to the french and german soldiers who fought valiantly, not to a broken songbird.

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>>46567176
>>46567255
>>46567257
>>46567314
>>46567412
>>46567497
>>46567542
>>46567560
By now, Wren has nearly had the better of you in two engagements. You’re not going to make it a third.

You’ve seen how she moves now--seen her juke and dodge without ever giving a step. Every step the maverick takes is forward.

Which is where you leave your skipper, bouncing into the air to almost eye-level as you shoot it straight down.

Wren twists around it, one shoulder sparking in protest as the shrapnel clips it, the fan in her pauldron grinding to a screeching halt. She doesn’t stop or slow, the shot only buying you a moment of extra breathing room.

You dive to the left and throw a cable, yanking yourself to the side--then immediately turn back, using a flame-wreathed dash to crisscross back the way you came. She slices the cable, turning and cutting another skipper out of the air, the grenade boiling away from inside as its payload burns out from the tip of her knife in two empty half-bursts.

In the haze, there’s nothing--you’re already moving, breaking away, when something lances out of the smoke, a ceratanium feather punches through your shields and embeds itself in your already-damaged shoulder.

Wren rockets upwards, out of the smoke, as you fire a grenade into it, and then plunges down on you, snapping those knives back to the ready.

>You know the momentum game. Lance up to meet her.
>Fall back and screen. Stay on the defense, wear her out.
>Move forward, past her descent. Offensive defense.

>>46570094
>Move forward, past her descent. Offensive defense.
There's only so many angles she can contort herself to cut down attacks.

>>46570094
>YOU'RE UNDER ARREST, BUSTER.

Throw some juice in it to make sure.

>>46570094
>Fall back and screen. Stay on the defense, wear her out.

>>46570094
>Move forward, past her descent. Offensive defense.

>>46570094
>>You know the momentum game. Lance up to meet her.
We've spent all our engagements trying to keep away, and she's probably learning our moves as much as we're learning hers. Lets show her something new, as well as what our capacitor can do when we don't reflexively dump it because she is mangling our shoulder.

>>46570094
>You know the momentum game. Lance up to meet her.
(But only if you can force through it, in flames preferred or with a nice burst of electricity, but I don't think we're up on cooldown yet.)

Barring that, then >>Fall back and screen. Stay on the defense, wear her out.
(We've got to keep at it.)

>>46570094
>Move forward, past her descent. Offensive defense.

We've met her enough times, lance or not. And pure defense here will get us in the gut.

>>46570207
Defensive play does not work on Wren at all, as she'll just blow past everything like the bullshit she is.

>>46570094
Offensive defense or pure momentum could work, but be ready for a wind storm to push us back. Getting a storm eagle vibe with this attack.

Incidentally, her one fan not working. Could it have a bigger meaning? Doesn't seem like a purely decoration sort of thing.

>>46570094
>You know the momentum game. Lance up to meet her.
our range game is falling apart

>>46570788
Yet we can't fall back on our melee game, because one false move, and Anode's guts spill out.

>>46570830
I think that applies to anything we do at this point.

HC? Buddy?

>>46572034
He's busily toiling away.

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>>46570194
>>46570386
>>46570400
>>46570788
You decide to push one more time, keeping your surplus charge in your back pocket if you need it. Your lance comes up as Wren comes down, the wider blade swinging for the fences as she plummets. You channel some of your zap into the blade in the final seconds, 5% vanishing as the lance lights up like Times Square--

And in an eyeblink, one of Wren’s daggers explodes, shorting out and overloading.

At the same time, your already-damaged arm falls to your side, fingers relaxing as it lands, neatly severed at the shoulder.

In that instant, you have a lance in your hand and a superior melee opponent at her ideal range, her good knife still at the ready. The follow-up swing she would have taken with her other hand foiled, she nonetheless rounds out the motion and brings it forward, as you jump aside, slapping it back with your lance slowly and awkwardly at the start of the windup. She’s already springing forward to press the attack as you backdash, trying to gain another few steps of distance.

This time, her blade hooks under your lance and spins it out and away, disarming you as it spirals out of your hand. You twist away from the slice aimed at your wrist, and immediately fire a point-blank grenade into her chest. You scramble away as she stumbles, plating buckled under the relentless days-long assault it’s withstood. Her eyes are still locked on you, all targeting, no reason.

>Flak at her feet, pepper her with fire.
>Coil away, come back in with lightning.

>>46573018
I AM AWAKE

please tell me she only has one dagger left.

>>46573018
>Flak at her feet, pepper her with fire.

Am I the only one who finds it kind of funny that there's at least one anon pushing to 'save' Wren when she's pretty much a slightly less burny Saetos? The only difference I can think of is that the blood on her hands is mostly literal human blood, whereas with Saetos it was mostly metaphorical Reploid blood.

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>>46573018
Flak and pepper. Season her to death.

>>46573018
>Coil away, come back in with lightning.

>>46573244
The main reason is that Wren is a relapse case.

>>46573018
Remember, she can blow our flak away and try to sensor blind us. However, said flak is also conductive if I recall.. along with our wire. Perhaps we could fry her with a bit of juice like that?

>>46573018
>Flak at her feet, pepper her with fire.

>>46573244
It's all in the backstory. The first time we saw her she was a sad captured medical case wanting to get better.

>>46573244
Emerald is trying to waifu her, do we want to let our bro down?

>>46573286
What I mean to say is, Flak and pepper, then ready for the electrical discharge.

>>46573244
Saetos was an arrogant murderer who glorified the destruction he wrought. As far as we can tell so far, Wren's DAMAGE might be similar, but she's not schlicking while she savages France. She's just...angry.

>>46573318
Yes. Bros don't let bros stick their beam sabers in the crazy.. unless its to kill them.

>>46573360
Doesn't change the fact that she's savaging France, or that her kill-count has to be APPROACHING Saetos' at the very least.

>>46573496
Her kill count is a function of her skill and threat, not her morality. She (and for that matter, Saetos) are, or are not, evil cockmongers without regard to the amount of dead people.

>>46573018
>Flak at her feet, pepper her with fire.

>>46573018
>>46573076
Assuming she's only got one left. Based on the recap, our misericode is keyed for cold shock? Considering how long Wren's been operating, I think we could short it out and leave here with just her long-range offense.

Granted, fan of knives bullshit is not going to be fun, but at least tackling her won't instantly slaughter us.

>Send another Blackout at her, and use the moment she blows them away to engage with misericode and short out her dagger.

>>46567257
>Someone saved my stupid image
I'm flattered

>Beat her up with Anode's severed arm, wield misericorde in teeth.

>>46573018
Flak and Susan. I mean Pepper. Pepper and Susan.

>>46573776
It is accurate!

>>46573018
>Coil away, come back in with lightning.

Would rather not send in the flak and give her a reason to want to try to jump away if possible. If you can find a way to combine the two then go right ahead.

If we charge the flak and charge our body the same charge electric field will repel it if she tries another windstorm, right?

>>46573018
>all targeting, no reason.
So, if we
>Flak at her feet, pepper her with fire.
Then it'll be no targeting too.

>>46573018
Flak, but watch for her to do the move she did to clear it last time, and when she goes to do it, punish it.

So I believe I said I'd start talking about the "canon" version of X2. Let's kick that off!

In the wake of the capture and shutdown of the hidden Maverick CF-0 production facility, the group known as the X-Hunters launched several massive attacks intended to capitalize on the lack of Hunter capacity to engage them. Commander X assigned mission duties while supervising efforts to locate the current Maverick leadership.

Though several pressing threats were detected, the most serious was the hijacking of a weather control hub capable of creating severe atmospheric disturbances sufficient to disrupt air traffic and block satellite communications. Concerned about the potential consequences of bombing the facility, Hunters dispatched a special forces team to enter the station and restore control. They successfully removed the A-Class Maverick commanding the station but were unprepared for unlisted B-Class Threat Wire Sponge, who overpowered the remaining team and left them with severe casualties. X took it upon himself to finish the mission, taking advantage of the progress the strike team had already made to quickly reach the insane Maverick and retire him.

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>>46575077
Excellent.

>>46575077
With the skies open once more, Commander X decided against Oversight Council advice to personally mobilize against other ongoing critical threats to protect the lives of humans, Reploids and the Hunters under his charge. A stolen Ride Armor Carrier nicknamed the "Dinosaur Tank" had been made into a mobile destructive fortress by Maverick operatives under the command of the violent Wheel Gator, and under cover from civilian defense forces, 10th Unit Training Auxiliary and targeted air support from the 7th Air Cavalry, X was inserted via beam-in to a blasted-open dorsal corridor. Though he was able to defeat several Disk Boys and discovered a Ride Armor hangar, X hesitated in assaulting the power regulator, concerned that if he could not do sufficient damage to the Ride Armor supply beyond, the city would suffer. Retracing his path to search for computer access, X discovered a hidden shaft that provoked his curiosity, and with a tricky jump and the use of the Strike Chain, discovered a capsule placed by his creator, Dr. Light. The capsule amplified X's firepower, and he returned to the power regulator with new confidence, blowing it away using his new double charge and causing a cascade failure in the deployment room beyond. X took to the catwalk below the Dino Tank, seizing a fallen Ride Armor and using it to clear away Maverick pilots intent on descending to cause havoc. He destroyed several Tubamail deployment units on the front of the tank and then entered the heavily-armored head to challenge its commander, emerging victorious against the enraged and psychotic Gator.

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>>46573150
>>46573255
>>46573291
>>46573326
>>46573651
>>46573673
>>46573840
>>46573995
>>46574132
In a snap reaction, you switch over to your blackout rockets and fire one off, aimed low. You remember last time you chaffed her, she just kicked up a gale and blasted it--

Clear.

You’re only just away as a whirlwind of ceratanium blasts through the flak cloud, a shredding storm lancing through and blowing out the glittering chaff like a thousand candles. Wren’s feathers, launched in a barrage, embed in the ground, the hills, and at your feet as the salvo chases you for a second.

You realize just a moment too late she was herding you. You turn and fire again, but not before she buries her knife to the hilt in your only remaining shoulder.

Gritting your teeth, you grab her arm with your own and hold her there.

Her hand comes up to yours as she tries to pull the blade out, but you hold fast. She begins to overpower you, but not fast enough.

You unload your capacitors, blasting away and wreathing yourself in a crackling globe of electricity until the meter ticks 0.

Still on her feet, she finally pulls the blade out with a twist, your shields flickering again and dimming. She raises her free arm, the fan spinning up as she aims, center-mass.

And then you slam into her wreathed in a pillar of flame, the instant the jump-jet turnaround is done.

The two of you tumble end-over end, something exploding, Wren’s dagger still in her hand, slashing streaks through your vision. You come to an ungainly halt and drag yourself back up, arm dead and smoking from the rent in your armor.

Wren stumbles to her feet, before her knee buckles and she falls again.

...And then she speaks.

“It happened again,” she says quietly.

Wren looks up, eyes slowly into focus as she finally sees you for the first time.

>...

>>46575332
"Ffffuck."

>>46575332
>You're welcome, I guess
>stab throat with misericorde
>fail because can't even lift arm due to shoulder injury
>collapse onto floor and attempt to angle arm for one more shot of ANYTHING

>>46575332
"You still hostile?"
I don't really think handcuffs will matter, considering, but I'd like to at least try.

>>46575332
>"Do you surrender now?"

>>46575332
> "You've still got friends that care about you at home. Turn yourself in. Come home."

>>46575332
"Yeah."
Keep calm, keep her talking, call the others in, ask for removal of all weapons and standing down. Make the call to command as well.

I think we will be doing a execution rather than a arrest, though we'll need a hand either way.

>>46575332
kill it, kill it before it kills again, if our arms don't work curb stomp it till it doesn't move any more.
she killed thousands of innocents

>>46575332
>>.

>"Do you know how it happened?"
>Contact the rest of the fireteam, and open a line to Command.

>>46575538
Not our fucking place man.

>>46575332
>"Yeah, it did. Y'know, you'd be a real good training sim for the newbies.. you really know how to hand it to someone.... So, you know what I have to do now right?"

(man, I was afraid this'd happen.)

>>46575641
Nor is our place sparing her. We contact command and the firing team and we be on guard. Make sure her weapons are disabled and removed. No sudden rage or the like.

>>46575332
Can we text-comm forces nearby and have a final chat with her?

If so, ask her who kept sending her repairs.

>>46575332
>>46575526
This. I doubt we'd be in too much trouble for killing her if she was trying to surrender, but at the same time, she could be valuable for research. She's killed too much to be a person any more, in my book at any rate, but that doesn't mean she isn't still valuable in any way.

Finally caught MHQ again. I always get the worst luck in catching these threads.

>>46575777
I'd like to think they'd spare her, if only to gain any information they can on the Maverick virus's workings. How many mavericks have actively hated the change?

>>46575332
>"Yeah."

Explain who we are, offer request to disarm and surrender.

>>46575862
Sort of hard to say how many given how few virals get taken alive.

>>46575332
"Yeah, it did."

goddammit I saw something like this coming. The virus did actually release its hold on her so the hunters would be more willing to trust her.

the worst part is we are at war, and I don't really see taking her in alive being practical right now given we have seen that the virus is capable of going dormant to trick people into letting dropping their guard down.

>>46575862
Conda was mav built but fought it. There are likely many who dealt with this and went both ways. However, this is war time, and the risk to safety and lives are not worth the research potential right now.

>>46575808
By which I mean...

>WREN DOWN, GUYS, FIRE FIRE FIRE
"I'm sorry we couldn't make you well. Now I need to ask you something, it's very important..."
>LOCATION FOUR METERS IN FRONT OF ME, COME ON
"I need you to tell me who was helping you..."
>STALLING WITH CHAT, MY ARMS ARE OFF, 'TIS NOT A SCRATCH, GUYS
(etc.)

>>46575897
That's a good point, but it just makes her more valuable. Ending the Maverick virus, if it's a virus, would be the end of the war. I don't think Command would turn up that chance, even with the political shitstorm about to happen.

not to mention she already surrendered once, we know she can either fake being cured or her symptoms can go into temporary remission, I think the best we can do is ask her for her last words before making as painless as possible.

>>46575945
>>46575828
I'm this anon. you don't have to argue her value to me.

>>46575921
We can ask who killed Diamond

>>46575332
>Call it in.
Didn't Em want her alive if we could? So he could find out about diamond?

>>46575974
This is a very good point.

>>46575958
I'm not even sure we have the capacity to kill her right now. I mean, I don't think we have the capacity to brush our teeth right at the moment...

>>46575332
>Then you understand why I can't let it happen once more.

>>46575921
>>46575958
You're really just gonna condemn her to die? We offered filth like Wolfspider the chance to surrender. We were shocked and horrified when Tiger tore Skipjack apart.

I don't think it's a trick. Look at this:

> Wren looks up, eyes slowly into focus as she finally sees you for the first time.

We know she can be contained. We know she wants to get better. Yes, she's caused death and devastation but are we going to be the second person in her shitty, pain-ridden life to seize her wrist and throw her over the edge instead of helping?

Don't be that guy. We're better than that.

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>>46575332
Yes. I'm sorry. And then we run her through with our lance because X and Zero never have to put up with this shit and neither should we. We don't have to be malicious about it but we need her to die now because she's hella infected by Sigma by this point. It's like putting down Old Yeller.

>>46576039
I like the cut of your jib.

Let her live. Cautiously call it in. Let her live. But be prepared, and be wary.

>>46576066
I, and Anode, shouldn't want to accept that. If it's a virus that all reploids are vulnerable to, what's the point of free will? Command might as well start wiring bomb collars to the Hunter units, in that case.

>>46575332

"Surrender."

>>46576039
Let's say we do take her in. Consider the new Maverick Hunter management.

Do you really think Halcyon would keep Wren confined on a rehabilitation track without her having a little Los Mortales accident?

We can spare her the tender mercies of Flash Rezador.

...Huh. I did not expect a moment of clarity here.

Anyway, random thought, S version Wren vs Saetos. Who would come out top bird?

>>46575958
>fake being cured
It's almost like Dr. Doppler, the guy spearheading research into the maverick virus, turned out to be an evil bastard.

>>46576066
And how exactly do you propose we run her through without working arms?

>>46576104
And the alternative is better? If it's a virus it can be scrubbed out of the system, if it's not, that's starting to sound like there's something fatally wrong with reploids As A Race. If there's a thing that destroys free will, then we need only figure out how to destroy the thing to regain the lost freedom. Virus theory is the best hope for reploids.

>>46576149
The thing about playing the politics game is you're vulnerable to getting politicked back. We can play that game if we absolutely have to.

Besides, an accident like that inside Mav Hunter holding cells, at a time when they need to be seen as one of the most secure places on Earth? Stupid move for Halc to make.

>>46575332
>I am so sorry. I'll make sure it can't happen again. Good night, fellow Hunter.

>>46576157
Saetos has huge radiation EMP, if she focused entirely on that then Wren's got problems.

But if BOTH of them are thinking, it would come down to who has better intel.

>>46576265
*he

call it in and let command decide.

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>>46576104
Yeah well get ready because we're in X3 when they discover that Sigma is the primary cause thanks to him being a virus. We work with the material we are given; the Sigma Virus was a dumb thing that actually happened in the X series. It is a major plot point and it would be stupid to just forget that it is a prime motivator for many of the Mavericks fought between now up until the Era right before the Elf wars. She is like a rabid dog and needs to be put down.
>>46576183
That was our previously injured arm that was fixed and subsequently re-broken. We still have one good arm. Also as stated above she's gone now. There won't be an actual antivirus program to the Sigma virus until like a century and a half from this point in time.

>>46576157
My money is on Saetos, unless pre-downgrade wren was packing some serious heat, Saetos was a brick fucking shithouse of armor, to the point where our Lockon Hunter couldn't penetrate.

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>>46576215
I disagree that Halcyon would be above it, or covering it up, but that's starting to digress.

We don't have any reason not to talk to her right this minute. Milliseconds have lasted minutes in this mission already. We have time to talk and call in to Command.

>>46576318
wait, I thought sigma was originally a hunter who the virus infected, and then used his personality as a nucleus to build a mind around?

>>46576318
>That was our previously injured arm that was fixed and subsequently re-broken.
Nnnno, our injured and repaired arm got lopped the fuck off, and now our remaining arm is nonfunctional. We are 'armless to Wren.

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Okay, gonna go do some exercise I was putting off all day. Thread sorta-hiatused, if I have energy after I'm done (unlikely) I'll continue. Otherwise, either tomorrow or NEXT TIME.jpg.

Suffice to say, the fight is over.

>>46576318
Sure the antivirus isn't coming for a long time, but Annode doesn't know that, and even if he did, I feel like he would take anything he could that might speed up such an antivirus being created. The bottom line (for me at any rate) is that Annode is not a cold-blooded killer. We kill Wren right now and we are.

>>46576318
We don't have to follow canon all the way here. Taking her alive may allow some research team in the Hunters to make progress on the Maverick virus. We could be passing up on shortening the war massively.
What risks are we taking by keeping her alive? Command will want to remove her limbs as soon as she's in a cell anyway, I'm not sure what danger she'll be.

It's thread tradition, so we have to do it

>Ask for Surrender

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPJfm_Xp-1g

I refuse to believe,
That I’m nothing more than a machine.
I refuse to believe,
That we can’t learn to see,
The truth was in a dream.
I will not kill.
No I will believe.

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>>46576401
Curses. Tomorrow then!

>>46576411
Well for starters, Neutron Zebra was the one who caught her before and he was apparently viral mav after. So.. a virus vector that has messed with a hunter before would be a good reason.

>>46576558
Does that mean we get to sit the rest of the war out? I might be okay with that, considering we've almost died in every fight we've fought.

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>>46576410
>>46576411
The biggest risk is that she will somehow get out again. We know that Magma Dragoon is going to pull a Benedict Arnold to fight with X or Zero. This means any Hunter who goes maverick who could access her cell would allow her to roam and kill free again once she was rerebrainwashed. And all the deaths she'll cause will be on our hands.
>>46576380
Yes and then he uses it to corrupt the minds and hearts of reploids for like a century and a half. He's basically robot Satan. X8 even states it since he's called Bellial Sigma and has demon horns.

>>46576689
I refuse to accept any fault for deaths that happen because we could've prevented it with OOC knowledge. If Hunter Command decides that our efforts were for nothing and people die, it's still not our goddamn fault and we did the right thing.

>>46576689
We've already changed canon. Who says this is still on the schedule, fucker?

>>46576689
Yes, she has the potential to cause a lot of harm if Command screws up again, but I think there comes a point at which we have to simply assume (or hope) that they won't. She has the potential to do a lot of good, by furthering research, if we take her alive. Given that we can take her alive, I don't think we should sacrifice that.

>>46576874
Don't be rude.

>>46576874
How much have we changed canon?

>>46576979
We prevented X's canonical start-of-game kidnapping, which kept him fighting and rallying the Hunters during their decapitation strike.

From there? That's on us.

>>46576774
see
>>46576558
She may not be attacking but she's still a threat based on what Anode has knowledge of now. Also she isn't going to live if she surrenders. The French People are going to want retribution and will cut MH funding if Command doesn't. She'll be quietly "retired" so the science teams can poke around in her corpse for answers. And in doing so might go Maverick themselves like Neutron Zebra.

>>46576909
Honestly, if it were any other situation and this was her first time then yes taking her in would be most likely. But, that is not the case here.

We just recovered from a massive betrayal that is considered on par to what Sigma did. We are down a lot of officers and are running short on manpower. That makes security pretty weak and trust weaker. Especially with virals.

Not only that, but Doppler, the lead of said research in of himself went Mav. Politically it could be a massive land mine to try that sort of research for any scientist since the threat of another doppler could happen. Just like how Halcyon used the threat of another Sigma to get the other Greek leader canidates off the voting form.

She will be killed but 'brought back home' to show respect to the heavily damaged air cav.

>>46577045
If just being around her was enough to risk turning mav, then everybody on the battlefield is at risk already, so that point is moot.
If the French demand her head, then the French can suck their suggestion down their baguette hole, I don't want to protect them anyway.
She's just as useful for research to the science team alive, if not moreso, the trouble is keeping her in a cell. If she's released again despite Command knowing the risk then its a showing of massive incompetence.

>>46577153
Honestly, now I just want Anode to spare her only to have Blanc, Rose,and/ or Rouge kill her immediately to see how booty blasted you get over her "tragic" death.
>Abloobloobloo we couldn't save this terrifying death machine who lost her mind. Oh woe is me.

>>46577445
>I just want Anode to spare her
We literally can't not spare her, we have no functioning arms.

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>>46577445
Its not like there isn't precedent for this.

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>>46577445
We're all terrifying death machines. That's one of the points of this argument, that if the Hunters don't take steps to solve the 'go crazy and kill people' virus, then there's not a lotta hope for any reploid. We kill her and we're admitting we're nothing more than a sophisticated battle toaster.

>>46577509
"Blanc, Rogue, hold my arms in place so I can stab her properly and give her peace."

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>>46577509
So you're saying the decision is…
Out of our hands.

>>46577554
Thats a pretty bad arguement considering there is stuff like Rabies and various human psychological disorders that can lead to the same issues. Just because a officer shoots a dude who has just bit a man's face off rather than capture him and find out the cause doesn't make us nothing more than killer meat bags.

We are a soldier, with rank and a chain of command coming out of a damn painful event. If they decide to kill her to shore up weak points and prevent issues due to the situation being fragile, then thats that.

How much shit do you guys think we're going to get about letting all the dudes get killed?

Imagine how bad it would've been if we took her on later.

>>46577697
Except the maverick virus is far /far/ /FAR/ more common than rabies. It spreads like the plague and instead of murdering the infected, it kills those who are immune (humans) in huge numbers.

>>46577697
The Maverick Virus is so much more than rabies. Her recapture and study could be critical to the war effort. It doesn't make sense to execute her out of hand. If they say they don't have a jail available to hold her, and that it's not an acceptable risk, I'll be angry but I'll deal with it.

>>46577741
if we had the lightshow powers to lead her into emp mines, I think it'd be a lot safer for everyone, overall.

>>46577741
The damage is probably less than what they expected honestly. We got here early and while half of the army here took a nasty hit, thats not the entire military. Likewise their airforce is pretty alright and because we came early, civilians have likely been saved.

And to put things in perspective, we slagged her a bunch thanks to her having no shields to soak the damage. Imagine if they were topped off.

Do we have anyone on our hitlist who has magnetic and fire capabilities. I still want something like the sword of +5 retardation even if it's not like the Solar Sword.

>>46577939
Maybe if we aggregate one or two EMP type DNAs, we can hook them up to Anode's capacitors. At 75% or more charge, we can release it as a wide-area EMP or a shaped charge to pierce medium-level EMP shielding over a straight line.

>>46576979
The MHQ version of the X3 intro stage (the attack on HQ) went MUCH better than it canonically did.

>>46577939
Foxfire had techno-flames. That's about as close as we'll get.

>>46578015
Nah. Something more constant, we rarely reach above 60% as it is unless we're fighting in someplace extremely power rich. And even then we use up the charge on EAS because whatever can build up our charge above half can usually hit hard enough that we definitely don't want to tank it often.

>>46577741
Pre-mission deaths: none, they left to our decision when to sortie, doesn't mean we're solely responsible for when the maverick actually dies

Mission deaths: I doubt the actual soldiers begrudge us too much, they'd all seen the level of fakery Wren was capable and are most likely glad it's over. Subject to change depending on if Wren is captured instead of retired, gonna be a lot of hurt feelings, doubt she gets to the teleporter without somebody taking a shot at her.

Command will mostly depend on how far upstairs this gets kicked. Gopher seems reasonable enough, I don't think he'll be kind in his assessment but should at least trust boots on the ground judgement over theory. Any higher up the chain of command and we'll probably get chewed out/pay docked/incarcerated on principle. Should this cross Halcyon's desk, he's going to politicize the fuck out of it, we'll either be the scapegoat for this disaster or made into a hero, and I can't help think it'd be so much worse if it was the latter.

tldr; not too bad, unless they make us a hero

>>46577939
Sabomole has an EMP side-effect, that's about it.

Alright, another update to X2 canon:

MHHQ was contacted by a group calling themselves the X-Hunters, who offered to trade Zero's parts in exchange for X coming to confront them directly. Oversight convened to discuss the new threat but ordered X not to engage. Despite this directive, X ordered that the tracking signals provided by the X-Hunters be analyzed and secured and determined to intercept them, mission circumstances permitting.

2nd Recon and 5th Communications intercepted information linking Maverick activity to the desert region formerly supervised by Flame Mammoth. A missile silo was discovered that contained a powerful and dangerous weapon, surrounded by heavy Maverick air presence. X landed at an outlying highway patrol facility, tracking the signal of the X-Hunter called Violen, hidden behind a barricade of hard stones that X cut through using the Spin Wheel. Despite the brutality of the X-Hunter, his tactics were lacking and predictable, and X narrowly survived the encounter and drove the Maverick away. Descending into the Ride Chaser hangars, X commandeered a bike and rushed out into the desert, discovering that Overdrive Ostrich's forces had prepared anti-approach defenses via a sandstorm generator. X threw a Ride Chaser at the giant machine to collapse it in order to secure an advance beam-in site. A second borrowed Ride Chaser carried him safely through the bombardment zone and into the Desert Base, where Ostrich's Mechaniloid defenses were no match for him. Deep within the base, X discovered a second upgrade from his creator, which he quickly put to good use as he located the silo just as the launch sequence initiated and boldly elected to attempt to disable it. The explosion of the missile threw X into the desert, where he was hunted by Overdrive Ostrich, a vengeful former Hunter. X was able to best the bird's speed and retire the Maverick.

Going by situation as it stands, I would say we ask her to surrender. Because frankly, damage done and not done, potential as villain or hero ignored, there is a very important piece of info being ignored, and that is that our remaining ability to take her on is basically headbutting her to death if she takes offense at dying

>>46576542
How can there be peace
while two sides stand
You're a machine
who calls himself a man
You fight for a dream
That can never be
Your arguments are noise
It's time to make your choice.

Honestly, a mercy kill is the best thing we can do for her, because if she's relapsed once, chances are she'll relapse again.

>>46578239
I have a few other ideas

Plug in a fire/EMP type VWES slot to the Saetos Dash, amping up the fire to extend past touch range and wear enemies down on a radiation level. Not QUITE constant since half minute cooldowns are pretty long, but it can wear multiple targets down in protracted battles.

Maybe Yamatoad has something to produce mini-minions that slowly increase radiation levels, but that doesn't really sound likely.

Between Foxfire's data and miss lightshow, we might be able to create a weapon that actively screws over cyberspace. Probably not quite as effective in the real world, but having a solar-sword like effect in cyberspace has uses.

>>46578677
we could likely just upgrade the jets themselves. It is possible.

The issue is time. From what I recall, we get a VWES and another upgrade or we get a mav themed upgrade. Wren's wind can be helpful so we may go that route and start working on the jetpack properly. Helps that the first upgrade is pretty simple and cheap.

I feel we should at least ask her what she wants to happen. I mean she's been kidnapped and driven mad by the mavericks until she wasn't anything more then a rabid animal. I feel like the least we can do is ask what she'd like to happen next. would she like for us just to end it here, would she like to try her luck being judge by hunter HQ, what. I feel like we should at least give her an option to have a say in what happens to her, as I feel we'd be no real different then the mavs that forced her into what she was when we fought her. That and we hold some of the blame for everyone that died here today as well since we're the ones who order them to there deaths.

>>46578665
Do see your point, but at the same time I just feel, being as busted as we are, we could not stop her if she tried to run from death or fought back again.

>>46578833
She's about the same level of busted.

Which is why she's going to sit there and look us in the eye while we jam a knife into her chest.

>>46578904
She is not nearly the same level of busted. She has working arms.

>>46578904
With our foot, i guess lol.

>>46577530
Yeah and that whole situation turned out wonderfully didn't it.

>>46578931
Zero turned out fucking great, what're you on about?

>>46578904
Her feathers are still active, she has working arms and one dagger.

>>46578956
Didn't end well for Sigma.

>>46578927
we have a mouth we can jam it i with still.

>>46579041
I'm now imagining Anode, arms at his sides, trying to shank a confused bird with a hi-beam in his mouth. Any drawfags in the thread?

>>46579090
>MRHGRGR
>Umm
>GRPHRHR
>Mister-
>Ah, damn I dropped it. Call me Anode, mam, please just hold still while I try to execute you with respect befitting a former Hunter.
>I'm really fine with gutting mys-
>Nono, just wait one sec I got this

>>46579242
It's just a flesh wound

>>46579285
>B-but we don't even have flesh.

>>46579090
I'm imagining something else. Something more like eating her out. But that would require endo.

>>46579494
hey now, save the birdfucking for Emerald. He's got first dibs.

>>46579494
>Fucking a bird

You never fuck a bird. Birds are for murder, both directed at, and coming from, Anode.

>>46578677
The cyberspace one sounds nice. Others not so much. I just want a sword of killy death. Maybe one of our future marks will have a monomolecule blade or some shit.
>>46578790
Upgrading the jets with a stronger magnetic field and heat output during dashes sounds nice for defensive and offensive boost.