stableparadox | Cyberformed Inbox; $outoftime

[ Quint gets a Rubber Duck... Patch! It's got sunglasses and the phrase 'Duck off!' on it. ]

[ ...Huh. Did he forget to lock the door? Maybe. Either way, what a fun little gift! Punk would probably get a kick out of it.

With a small laugh, he shrugs out of his jacket, and goes to look for his needle and thread. ]

Hey Quint, You up?
Listen, I've been staring at the walls of my quarters a little too long.
Might be a weird request, but I'm thinking about that sparring match we talked about.
If you wanna go a few rounds, I could do with working up a sweat.

Training room?

Training room.

I'll be there. Couple rounds with, or entirely without super adapter?

Wait, you haven't met Sakugarne yet. Ixnay on the super adapter then.

Whoa whoa whoa, hold up.

Super adaptor?

Bring it with. Whether we use it or not, I don't want you going easy on me.

Okay, okay! I'll bring him along.

Hope you like dogs, Saku's affectionate.

Zero sits in the training room, already tapping away at his comms.

[Wait, dogs? I'm not going to fight your dog, man. It was bad enough fighting velguarder way back when.]

He punches [send] and leans back against his locker. Last time he was here he got his ass kicked. He felt tense. Irritable. Restless. He tilts his head backwards and closes his eyes, breathing deep to get his head back in the game.

He is interrupted, suddenly and gloriously, with the door swishing open, a whistle lazily in the air... And getting a face full of robot dog slobber.

Sakugarne's nearly the size of a pony. He even has to lean a little to try and say hi to Zero.

"Geez, Saku. Don't smother the guy. I know you're doing that on purpose."

Quint is only a step behind. He's still in a green leather jacket, dark jeans, a toothpick worried at in the corner of his mouth... But there's still a lazy, casual sort of confidence.

Thankfully, Sakugarne actually listens, and the hulk of a dog rears back. Instead, he pads over to Quint and flops by his side, looking distinctly smug somehow.

"When you said Sakugarne. I pictured a pogo stick." He says, wiping slobber from his face and gathering to his feet.

He cricks his neck to one side, there's a satisfying clicking sound. He puts a hand to his shoulder and starts circling the joint, loosening up.

"If you want to go full contact, I hope you brought armour. Z-Sabre would make short work of your jacket. And..."

He slyly checks Quint out.

"..it'd be a shame to tear up those nice tight Jeans."

Something in that expression closes off, just a little. "...Surprised you know that. No, we got upgrades." He deftly pulls the toothpick from his mouth, slipping it into his breast pocket. Focusing on it, more than Zero. "Few years ago."

A click of tongue behind teeth, a burst of machine-language on a private channel, and Sakugarne reluctantly gets up. Slinking away to the sidelines where the support unit has left a well-chewed piece of rebar, laying down to watch.

And Quintet?

In one smooth motion, he brings his hand up, and snaps his fingers.

The flash it brings gold on green, armour well-equipped and well-maintained. It's no blue bomber's kit, streamlined and young; this one is built for more than just bouts against the latest Wily numbers, no matter how flexible it is for ease of movement.

The helmet still has that iconic crest, though. The visor that calls to mind red and a yellow scarf, just as much as it does SVN-001.

There's no fancy weapons, no sword. No variable weapon system. Quint's arm shifts to buster configuration, and he gestures to it all with it. "Ta-da."

Edited 2025-03-16 10:43 (UTC)

"I don't have your schematic, but we had someone like you"

Zero's eyes sharpen watching Quint work through his pre-battle routine. Following him unblinking as Saku hit's the sidelines and Quint armors up. Like a Lion watching a Gazelle.

"Trying to psyche me out huh?" There's no laughter this time. "I'm not buyin' it. Cut the theatrics."

Zero's left arm shoots over his shoulder and grips his Sabre, it pulses to life with a fulminating green glow.

"Come at me."

"Nah, I'm a MKN," Quint drawls. He's the one with a laugh threatening to edge into his voice. "We just like to show off for the hell of it."

But for all the lightness, there is a pause. Quintet, the weapon who even now usually never shoots first. But this is a spar, not a true fight, and though the second of stillness lingers...

His buster snaps up, decades of experience in a single motion, and in the same fluid movement he darts to the side.

Zero isn't Enker. It's a sword, not a spear, and there would be no mirror buster to worry about. But Quint would be a fool to assume that there weren't some sort of ranged options with that sabre; deflection, a fired beam from the blade, he's seen it all (when did he see it?). Caution, for now, even as he keeps his distance.

Caution, and refusing to let Zero have a moment to breathe. They're just stun-level blasts, but as Quint moves he's sure to not keep to any pattern, not in movement nor in firing. A scatter here, an aimed shot there.

Focused, precise, measured. He knows exactly how most experienced melee users move towards a target, and he is watching to try and punish it.

"That's more like it" Quint's first volley zips towards him, Zero's sabre comes up across his body "Gokumonken!!" He commands, a green net of energy radiates out from the blade. One of his reflection techniques. The barrage of stun shots fizzle on contact. This tech could reflect back shots that were a little stronger, the fizzle gives this away, this was just a distraction. He's looking for an opening.

The green barrier dissapates a fraction of a second later, zero is hopping and flipping across, away from quint, looking for pattern. There isn't one. He's good. He'll be expecting a direct approach.

He cranks his sabre handle and hilt, causing the blade to change from green to a magenta hue, the purplish blade makes shot work of erasing the further stun bullets. Zero knows he has more up that plasma powered sleeve yet, but this works for now.

Ok. If he's trying a feint to get me in close, lets give him what he wants.

He punches the ground, sending a shower of dust sparks and debris upward, hiding himself from view breifly.

"Sougenmu!!"

Zero flies through the cloud, blade swinging down in an Arc towards quint...

Zero also dashes at ground level, positioning himself below quint, his sabre ignited with flame, arcing in an uppercut...

Zero's smirk was back.

Silver and mirrored sheens, busters raised, which one was real-

A flaming sword and the legs they were temporarily no longer attached to-

These images don't remain. All that's left is the muscle memory, and the will to carry those lessons through.

A sudden dash, Quint bolting TOWARDS the incoming blades- Tensing, jumping, up and through the gap. The arcs were aiming for when they would reach Quint, so Quint simply had to be there a lot faster.

It's a riskier move. The flames lick his armour, as he knew they would. But there's nothing more than a brief gritting of teeth; he hits the ground, spins around, and promptly unloads as many stun blasts as he can dish out before there's a response.

The Ryuenjin almost finds it's target, ballsy play from Quint. His reaction times are incredible, it's like he's moving without thinking. The overhead strike phantasm dissapates, and zero flames still lapping at the blade, turns in air attempting to capitalise on quint being on the back foot.

He engages dash thrusters, boosting himself downwards into an arcing slice. He's on target, but doesn't account for the volley of stun shots coming his way.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

The shots find their mark, knocking the blade off course, and Zero stunned careens forwards into Quint. Stunned, but pinning him, face to face, against the wall.

Eye to eye. Zero's heart is pounding. This is the release he's been looking for. "NNgh. You're pretty good."

Time to kick things up a notch.

"Yeah, well. Fighting for your life for decades will do that to you."

He's pretty sure Zero's going to win. Their experience... Well, Quint wasn't originally built to be a weapon, was he? Even if time changed that, too.

But that doesn't mean he's going to let Zero take it easily.

He gets up a leg between them, lightning fast, and tries to kick the reploid off.

Zero begins gathering energy into his gauntlet, as soon as the stun wears off

"Yeah? What makes you think you aren't fighting for your life right now."

He manages to raise his arms in a crossed guard, intercepting Quint's kick. Still charging. Sending him skidding backwards.

"Stun shots and and interference plays all you got under the hood? No chance. Stop holding back damnit!"

Something about Quint's face was really ticking him off, Stupid handsome familiar asshole, stop toying with me and make this exciting!

He looses a full power shot burst directly on Quint's position, The initial shot scatters and spreads in random pattern.

What the hell was this? He'd thought it'd been a spar. Stun shots and no lasting harm, but maybe you'd get punched around a bit in close quarters. Safe, even if maybe a Wilybot-leaning sort of safe (Punk could be absolutely brutal, covered in spikes like he was).

There's a brief baring of teeth. "Rather not get sent to the 'bay just for a spar, thanks!"

A dash clears him of the first burst, but the spread? Now that's a bitch.

(A machine with a madman inside, scattered projectiles bounced over the ground-)

There's a hiss, audible when he misses a jump. A stumble, but not for long. It's too busy on the ground. Time to change tactics.

His own buster is charging at his side, now. He jumps - just like any other Wilybot, a leap that a blue bomber wasn't capable of - and in an entirely new trick, there's a click as boots briefly magnetize to the wall. Only briefly; on a dime Quint has used the position as ricochet, to bounce up off it, another jump.

Another aim at Zero. The charge shot sings in not just one burst of blue-white, either: a rapid-fire burst of three rockets out instead, an upgrade for this frame more fitting.

Zero hears the hiss as Quint narrowly evades the shots in a stumble. Good, he's awake.

He chuckles a little inwardly watching him kick from the walls. Atta boy, just like X, this is what I need. He eyes up as the rockets come screeching a burning towards him, a standing roundhouse clips the first with the tip of his toe, sending it screaming into the wall, "REKKYOUDAN!" an orange tinted blade follows up, reflecting the second back at Quint. The third arcs downwards, whistling towards him, the timing window was narrow, Zero leaps back, clearing the impact, but the blast wave propels him backwards, catching a hand and foot on the wall and skidding downwards safely.

You've done it now. That was too close. He's still warming up. You need me. Let me iiiin.

"Shut up! Hnn.." Squinting through the head-ache, he engages dash thrust to propel off the wall, Launching himself at where Quint is going to be after evading his own rocket.

"RAKUHOUHA!!"

Zero's fist strikes the floor in front of his opponent, there's an eruption of blue and white light as energy spheres blast in a dome outwards from the contact point.

"You really need to stop calling your moves!"

It's a split second warning, but it's a warning all the same. The reflected charged shot is a cinch: another ricochet, another scattered flurry of return fire- But then Zero pulls THAT and he's unpleasantly reminded of another mech he's sparred with recently.

It's another jump. Barely. He can feel the heat of one of the spheres lick his boots as he goes, leaving scorches and a flare of pain. Well, there went his hopes of not having to head to medbay after this...

All he's got is his buster, but Zero seems to have almost as much weaponry as- Well, maybe they're all over-achievers.

He lands light, spinning on a dime just as the eruption starts to fade. Another flare of buster fire, but this time it's a scattering flare of distraction, trying to force Zero briefly on the defensive. But instead of continuing to run rings around Zero? He executes a slide practically into the other mech, close quarters in a heartbeat.

Oh, he'll try a buster directly to the chest first off. No stun blasts now, if that's what Zero wanted. But it's not the only plan he's got.

He's got a point~

Nnghh, SHUT UP. You're silent for a week and then you choose now? I can do this without you.

The distraction from his dark half, gave way to suprise finding a buster canon slowly heating his ceratanium chest plate as it gathered power.

"Shit! Shitshit." He spat at the raucus giggling in his subconscious. He drops himself to his back "shitshitshit" popping his boot into Quint's stomach as the buster charge screeches louder "shitSHITSHIT" he kicks out sending Quint arcing over him, gripping his buster arm at the elbow, forcing it upwards "SHITSHITSHIT!"

There's a thud, as Quint lands on his back, head side-by-side with Zero's, inverted. Then a loud PPSSSHOOWWWW as the buster releases it's payload.

"SHIIIAAAAGHHH" it's no good, Zero can't push it high enough for a clean miss. The energy blast tears down the front of his chest, shattering his breastplate, taking a small amount of his undersuit along for the ride, the artificial skin down his sternum red raw and burning. Nothing Vital. Shields failing.

"Aghh.. [huff] just ugh, who [huff] the hell are you?. Why do you move like him? Why do you look like him? Why can't I pull data on your MKN file?"

He lay there panting, his chest seething, eyes beginning to water, head ringing.

There's a swear of Quint's own, and a whistle that brings Sakugarne charging over. Even as he gets up, he's reaching for Zero.

"Hey, hey, careful. Fuck, that's why we don't use full power shots in a spar, okay? How bad's the damage?"

Sakugarne whines, and quickly and carefully Quint pulls what appears to be a robot first aid kid out of a compartment on his support unit. It's not a lot but... If he had to, he could do a battlefield patch. It's not like it's the first time.

But, with the burn gel in one hand, he pauses, and he sighs. "...Not even going to ask how you'd know that." Steady hands open the dressing package, focused entirely on that, instead of... Well. Looking at Zero. "My actual number is SVN-001. The MKNs kind of adopted me when I got chucked in with them."

"I.. I just.. I needed to feel..." he lay panting, wincing as Quint presses his chest to inspect the wound. "I've fought through worse, nngh, than this. Novelty kind of wears off dying after the second time."

Feel what? What did I need to feel? Do I even know? Catharsis? What was I thinking? Quint must think I'm a basket case.

'he said, trying to ignore the voices in his head'

"SVN.. it's not in my files. That must mean you came after me, which is impossible. I was the last one. He died before he even finished me. Either that or you're just from somewhere else altogether."

Those aren't the only solutions. Ask him.

"...Quint why do you look like my partner? Like you and him could be brothers?"

The burn gel smears across the bubbling skin, stinging and making him swoon.

Edited 2025-03-17 21:12 (UTC)

"...Buddy, take it from me: you really need some therapy."

His face twists, unhappy, uncomfortable. Zero was going to keep asking, huh. Well. It wasn't like it was a secret any more. Not with the little breakdown he'd had over the private Lightbot channels. But just cause it wasn't a secret...

"Stands for Special Variation Number. Chances are I'm from somewhere else, though. Different dimensions, remember? The timelines are probably different. They probably get... Weird, in comparison. I got yanked in from a future, to kill my past self."

He winces a little. Yeah, Zero would definitely need proper medical attention. "I'm gonna call medbay, okay? We're both going to get really yelled at, hope you know that."

"...But, yeah. My future doesn't even exist any more, if that helps any." His voice struggles, wavering between detachment and a tired acceptance. "It got obliterated when the past changed; Megaman was probably supposed to kill me, no matter what Wily thought. Complete loop, no paradoxes. Now, I just... Exist."

Edited 2025-03-17 21:39 (UTC)

"Hahahaha. Ironic. Another MegaMan, of Course. You're the one I ache to kill, yet the blue loser was supposed to kill you too."

Zero's arm reaches up in an instant, seizing Quint by the throat

"Yet here I am, my fate was sealed. Fated to die, whether he could cure me or it cost him his own life. Saved by the spacebridge. Hahaha. I'm a shadow with no future too."

Zero's face breaks out into a wide grin, teeth grinding wildly, his fingers shaking as his grip tightens.

"You won't be calling anybody until we figure out which one of us still deserves to exist, kindred."

He presses himself up from the floor with his free hand, pushing Quint back onto his knees. His face a wild collage of rage and glee.

"Show me your will to survive. I want to see you struggle."

Oh. Oh shit.

Quint doesn't understand the sudden switch, but in a way he does all the same: he's seen a system work before, seen different parts of a whole work together. This was different, sudden, wrong, but- In the same breath, Zero had already been demanding more than just a spar, too.

Thank god he doesn't need to breathe.

"I'm not," he gasps, teeth breaking into a snarl of his own, one hand to the one on his throat.

An immediate, instinctive, expected touch, but it might help (he hopes it helps) as distraction all it's own. He's on his knees. Flipping to get a leg between them and kick 'Zero' away would take too long. He's going to have to resort to less used means.

A click, the slide of smooth metal against metal. The kneeling position instead used to push himself up, headbutt his opponent- And with his free hand SHOVE the shaft of a previously collapsed spear against Zero's throat.

Two hands, now. Putting down more pressure. Two could play at the choking game.

"I am not," he hisses again, red flashing behind dark mirrored visor, struggling to force the reploid down and reverse their positions, "Megaman."

Edited (formatting) 2025-03-18 11:27 (UTC)

The Maverick's view darts sideways at Quint's protesting hand, The headbutt lands home across the front of his helmet and face. There's wet crack, a trickle of oil from Zero's nose, a fracture snakes upward from the brow ridge as the stressed armour begins to buckle from the impact. The pain is exquisite. The thrill overwhelming. His pupils dilate and seem to almost vibrate with excitement behind their crimson glow.

"Hahahha, oh yes, YES!!"

No!

He grips the spear, his hands bearing down in crushing grip on top of Quint's. He engages full strength, or attempts to, the terrified hunter inside him fighting his actions as best he can. There's a grind and a hissing screech as his damaged internal pistons and actuators fight amongst themselves. All he can achieve is to push back and lock static, shaking on quint's attempt to push him flat on his back. The horizontal bar rattling against his Larynx in the struggle

"You're as much MegaMan as I am, Zero, Quint. We're both something more. Killers. Neither of us should exist... Maybe then I should take a different name... something mathematical... a synonym perhaps."

Edited 2025-03-18 12:14 (UTC)

"I am a killer."

Whatever jab the Maverick was trying to make, whatever psychological attack? Doesn't land. What works on Zero does not work on Quint, all instead single-minded focus. Pushing down, and down, and not giving his opponent any ground. Rock wouldn't be so rough. Rock would have hesitated, and he would have agonized. But not Quintet.

"I'm no Megaman. You're right, that my name is Quint. Special Variation Number double-oh-one, one of the MKNs. You're right. Neither of us should exist."

And then he rears back, all at once. Oh, it's with one last shove, and oh, it's clearly calculated all the same. But he rears back, and stands there, Sakugarne growling and imposing behind his back.

Gesturing with that spear at the Maverick's throat, optics narrowed, he snaps, "But we do. We're both still here. Get it? It's a fucking privilege. Taking a new name is, too."

This reploid, this other Zero- Of course he's a threat. Of course Quint isn't stupid. Giving him an out? Isn't smart.

But Sakugarne and the promise of his super adapter is at his back, and he breathes in, and then out. He's no Megaman, no hero. A killer. But you tried to make the world better anyway, right?

"At least I'm doing something with this second chance. I might be a killer, but at least I can choose when to stop. Can you?"

He can give a mech a name. He knows which one this reploid would want, from him. But it's always going to be heavier than just syllables in the mouth.

He can feel how this teeters. Can he make it mean something?

~~Hope Defiant, let him make this mean something.~~

The grinding and whirring of servos and hiss hydraulics gives way to a dull tangle of clanking, as with Quint's final burst of strength, his endoskeleton gives way. He crumples to the floor, the keen tip of the spear wet at his throat. Quint and Sakugarne looming over him. Stoic. Incorruptible.

Quint was master of his own fate. He was unique. Beautiful

What now? The Maverick ponders. Maybe he did love killing. Maybe he did ache for battle. And as a result, he laid here, broken, toothless motors revving in place to move arms that could no longer respond beyond a strained limp.

He'd stopped killing and fighting by choice once before. Staring into the eyes of Optimus and seeing something there like himself, yet greater. His position now mirrored that. The spear nicking his skin reminds him that his only other option now is to die. Quint had once again offered him a chance at life he didn't deserve.

A fitting end it would be too. Deserved. Honourable. But what a waste of a life that he shouldn't even have. He could be so much more too.

He stares up at Quint, his eyes still smouldering red, but the grin is gone. He looks... sad. Humble. Ashamed even. He spoke softly, his usual manic tones drained of weight, his voice almost a whisper

"...Ok... ...I give."

He struggles to sit, sliding backwards on his thigh. Grinding his abdominals to manage a crunch. Arms limp at his sides unable to push himself up. Auto-repair systems were kicking in now, the adrenaline high fading into the ache of his damaged components.

"Just... ...please give me this. I want to walk to medical under my own steam. My legs are fine, but my torso... just... doesn't have anything to give. Please, help me stand."

Quint sags, just a little. The spear is pulled away, collapsing easily and stuffed away. He's not so ready to let his armour drop, though. He doesn't know this other-Zero well enough for THAT kind of trust, yet. But this was a start.

"Saku, help me get him up."

Hands that could kill so easily now reach for the Maverick gently. An arm around his shoulders, under his own arm. Sakugarne is there on his other side, helping push him up. Take the weight a little.

Honestly, he'd been scared there that the Maverick would've refused. He likes Zero, but even if he did? He'd still neutralize the threat this other self presented. Not killed. But all the same. It's going to be one hell of an awkward discussion with the doctors as it is...

"Okay. I'm going to stay right here on this side, Saku on your other. You feel like you're gonna fall over, let us know. We'll catch you." It was also a perfect range for Sakugarne to bite if he tried anything funny, but Quint figured that was a fair trade off.

“Excuse me mister,” Frontier spoke, leaning to ask the smaller robot politely. “Does your doggy have a name?”

That was a sudden question Quint was bombarded with. A particularly curious baseball leaguer had only been discharged recently following a long, tense recovery process, and was walking around the R2 to try to get used to the whole walking thing again. Despite not being allowed to set pede into the training hall for a while (Gold Arm said so, saying he needed to recover even after being discharged), he tended to hang around there, especially when the Sports Club met to meet up with one of his Anikis after being in the library.

That’s when he noticed a very humanoid mech with a dog. He hadn’t seen one in person, so the newbuilt was instantly curious about the owner of such a creature. Hopefully such a stranger would be nice. Frontier idly did toss a baseball up and down, less for practice and more to stim. Maybe if the doggy was nice they could play fetch…that’s what dogs play right?

Robot dog ears prick, teeth pausing in their rebar chewing, and Quint looked up from his stretches. He blinks a little at the new face - this isn't a Leaguer he recognizes... He thinks? - only for his own to spread in a grin.

"Yeah, his name's Sakugarne. Saku! Come say hi."

The chew toy is immediately forgotten. Dropped with a clang, Sakugarne is up on all four paws, padding over with no hesitation. Nearly the size of a pony, Saku has NO trouble burying his face into the nearest hand, and then trying to get up to lick Frontier's nose.

Frontier had no idea dogs could be so big! The big mechanical canine just about knocked the leaguer over, but he managed to keep his footing as. Giggly beeping was what Frontier gave in response to Sakugarne licking his face.

“This is a very big puppy,” Frontier commented, scritching around the canine’s chin. Petting dogs was a thing people did, right?

“Does Saku like playing fetch? My biggest brother says I need time to recover my systems but I’m sure throwing a ball is fine,” Frontier asked, before being hit with realization. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Frontier, Gold Frontier if you want to be proper. I’m going to be a starting pitcher someday!”

"Gold Frontier, huh?" Interesting. "Nice to meet you, Frontier. I'm Quintet. Just Quint for short."

He laughs, unable to help himself. He's pretty sure Sakugarne is trying to knock the kid over, at this point. Good luck, Saku; a Leaguer's heavier than a robot master.

"Yeah, Saku's big. He was built to be really large, to help me out. Means he needs pretty big toys! Your Leaguer baseball will work perfectly. Why don't you try throwing it for him, and I'll make sure you're not over-exerting yourself for your aniki?"

“Oh! So he’s like those big brown and white dogs that rescue people trapped in the snow and stuff?” Frontier asked, still giving a few scritches to the very big good boy. He remembered in a snuggly pile of blankets and stuffed animals Gold Foot showing him a book that showed what different dogs looked like and what they typically did. It wasn’t too different from Leaguers.

The scritches and pets stopped, as Frontier got up to get ready to throw one of his many leaguer sized baseballs. For such a large dog, it was basically the same as a tennis ball as far as he could tell.

“Alright Saku, show me how good of an outfielder you are!” Frontier got the canine’s attention, moving the ball in the air to have Sakurgane track the movement of the ball.

And with a strong but not straining overhead throw, trying to mimic some pitches he saw, the ball was released, sent flying through the air. Well, as best as a newbuilt recovering from a major system failure could, anyways.

Cyberformed Inbox; $outoftime

Duckstribution

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[Text] Climbing the walls

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[Action]

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Action - Pet the Dog

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