"Well, as long as we have to wait for pickup," Twilight grumbled as she stepped up to the comm rig, "we might as well keep moving. I certainly don't want to get snatched up by that facility again for termination or probing. Let's see what new weapons are available...ooh, Arc Lashers! Those sound fun!"
"How are you able to afford throwing so much money around like this?" Alister demanded as they were each handed an Arc Lasher. "I mean, I got the impression you're rich, but-"
"Just about every weapon or gadget to come out of Gadgetron or Grummel-net in the past decade and a half has my name somewhere in the production," Twilight replied. "Whether in concept, finishing, or if it was just my own design start to finish. And it wasn't until a couple years after I started inventing for Gadgetron that I actually spent any appreciable amount. Between that, all the money I made with Daddy in saving the galaxy over and over again and...all the prize money I won in Dreadzone..." She shook her head to dispel those last thoughts. "Well, interest adds up. That and when it came time to renegotiate my contract with Mr. Fixit...well, he's retired and I'm CEO of Gadgetron now. And since Grummel-net's part of Gadgetron..." Her voice trailed off as she noticed Alister and Nefarious staring at her. "...what?"
"Sorry," Alister replied. "I just found out my great-niece is one of the richest sophonts in the known universe. That's going to take some getting used to."
"You're making it really hard not to kidnap you," Nefarious added. "As a villain, you're making yourself out to be an ideal target for me. Brilliant, wealthy, well connected?"
"I'd like to see you try," Twilight teased back jokingly. She then tapped her hoof against her chin. "...actually, in all seriousness, I think I would, if only to see what you came up with to pull it off and neutralize the various resources I have to turn against you. You're pretty creative, after all."
"I'll be sure to come up with a plan to meet your expectations!" Nefarious promised, grinning wickedly as he rubbed his metal hands together.
"And I'll be sure to rescue you if he succeeds!" Qwark proclaimed happily.
Giggling, Twilight turned to lead the way over the floating, broken stone islands, her wings easily enabling her to fly from one to the other safely. Nefarious, Alister, and Qwark quickly followed, using their Vac-U's to grab bolts and critters as they went.
Not far along, Susie approached them on a one-person technological zeppelin. "I wouldn't stay here if I were you all!" she called out. "The gravity machines are pulling the plains apart!"
"Which way should we go?" Qwark called back.
"Follow me!" Susie responded. "I'll lead you out of here!"
The zeppelin tacked away, and the group followed, smashing their way through the robots that popped up to block their path. Twilight sighed sadly as they moved. "The terrain's...not much to look at, is it?" she mused. "I mean, the view is breathtaking, but...where's the landmarks?"
"Looks like they've been torn apart," Alister murmured sorrowfully.
"That's what happens when villains don't care about the worlds they land on," Nefarious replied quietly. "I've never really understood the logic. Sure, build up the fortification and enslave the populace if you must, but what's the point in tearing apart good environments? They're half pleasant views out the office windows, half fortifications!"
"Ooh, look! Swinglaunchers!" Qwark called out, pointing to the object he'd noticed, latching onto one with his swingshot to propel himself high in the air. "Yahoo!"
Twilight rolled her eyes as the trio followed. "At least one of us isn't feeling down about this." She paused as she noticed another strange teleporter nearby. "What's this?" she inquired, leading the others onto it.
As they stepped on, the teleporter scanned them. "12 Critters detected stored in Vac-U's. Clearance granted."
"Wait, what?" Nefarious gasped out as they vanished in a flash of light.
The group appeared in a barren seeming lab, the Critters from their Vac-U's now in a glass passage inside the bare wall, plainly visible. "Welcome explorers!" a friendly voice greeted from all around. "I am Dr. Frumpus Croy, and you've discovered my secret weapons laboratory, ground zero for the power port war against Nevos Collectus. Volunteers who complete my rigorous usability tests will be rewarded with bolts, and access to my secret project code named...Last Resort. Prove yourself by guiding the critters through the tube maze in the wall safely to the opposite side. When you are ready to begin, activate the Power Plunger to release them into the maze."
"Well, this is different," Alister murmured. "...who's Nevos Collectus?"
"Given the design of the ship we were on and the sound of the name, I'd say the one responsible for snatching us," Nefarious replied. "Even if it isn't, this place is fully automated. Finish the tests and we get the tech, and we can use it to do whatever we want."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Qwark called out, turning his Vac-U on the Power Plunger.
As the Critters made their way into the tubes, platforms rose in a bridge to allow the group to progress. They raced forward, staying just ahead of the Critters so they could make it to the next Power Plungers, shifting tube segments into the proper place to let the Critters continue rather than race out into the white void below.
With the Critter safely transported to the opposite end, a holodisplay revealed the nature of the weapon they were unlocking, from the looks of things a high-powered mech-suit.
Nefarious stared at the hologram as Twilight squealed happily. "Well," he murmured, "I hope someone picked up that phone."
"Phone?" Qwark asked, confused.
"Because I f*cking called it!" Nefarious screamed out.
Alister stared at him for a time. "How under the stars did you manage to pronounce that asterisk?" he asked as they were warped out of the hidden lab.
Love this, especially the Lampshade being hung by Alister.
Yeah, I would like to know too.
asterisk
And he's what, mostly robot at this point? (I never played the games.) That would probably be how.
7194019 full conversion a long time ago, before Twi and the gang even first ran into him...yeah, it was Quarks fault...
and the DBZ Abridged refs keep piling up...
7194040 And considering the redo of World's Strongest just came out a few hours ago... It's only going to get
worsebetter from here.Is it wrong for me to expect when Nefarious takes Twilight out on their date and one of the lines he says: "You're the Sparkle in my eyes"?
which brings to mind....
https://storage.googleapis.com/vidsums/28657170-f4b9-43cb-adff-84ae811563ec.mp4
7194104 I wasn't thinking of it, but now you have forced my expectations and I want that sappy line in there somewhere.
I tend to agree with the group here on total destruction of planets with perfectly good scenery, but there is something to be said for the value of completely destroying a planet:
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5b/5d/1f/5b5d1fb77feb19d5c5f0525ae5d99aa8.jpg
Minus the Necromorphs, of course...
When you have to supply an entire Galaxy with raw materials, and Recycling technology can't quite keep up with demand (if only because the galactic populations are continuing to increase) then sometimes ripping apart a planet that's for all practical purposes dead (without any prospects of that condition changing without an extremely expensive terraforming operation) might be the most cost-effective method of keeping up with the demand.
I foresee the likely possibility that Twilight regularly hires Nefarious as a way to test her defense measures against Galactic/Universal conquerers. Basically, a much larger scale version of hiring thieves to try and break into your banks to see what needs improving.
Just to be clear, is this a Mech or Power armor???? Regardless... I can't wait to see Twilight, Nefarious, and Alister work together to pimp it up!
7194259 Why not both?
7194297 Because a mecha is a vehicle while power armor is armor. One you pilot, one you wear.
I keep thinking about news headline: Nefarious kidnapped Twilight Sparkle.
Secondary headline : Twilight's interview on the subject of her kidnapping.
If that is possible, please make a chapter where she speaks with reporters about her kidnapping. If it will happen.
Gotta love that banter, and that whole 'Even Evil Has Standards' moment with Nefarious.
The last part of this chapter made me think of Cave Johnson.
7194053 That was so hilarious, that movie
...He does realise that Nefarious' voice is synthetically generated, what with him being a robot and all. pronouncing aan asterisk-sensor should not only be possible for him, but probable.
7194299 Do you doubt the prowess of Twilight Sparkle?
7194408 Only because you can wear Power Armor inside a Mecha.
7194177 more like a interesting way to start their dates, plus then she get to watch quark and nefarious fights after, so dinner and show?
7194411 A mech-suit would be a motorised suit of armour with attached weaponry. I think in the game it's a suit with rocket pods on the shoulders and a gun of some kind. Can't remember properly. Could be completely wrong tbh
7194450
The RYNO 6 Protosuit
img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120308014118/ratchet/images/3/3e/Photo0211.jpg
7194104 Tat made some metta jokes and scenes before. What's going to stop him from saying those lines?
He pronounced the f*cking *!! Teach me thy secrets!!! XD great freakin job as usual!
Juuuuuuust because no one has yet:
Love that ending though.
7194638 *Stares with a twitching eye.*
All in favor of keeping Twilight out of it? *Raises hand.*
7195492
Oh no. I say we let Sparkle go nuts (and bolts) on it. She'll turn it into a real monster.
This story just gets better and better with each chapter
Well.. How exactly could Nefarious capture Twilight? First he need to take care of her Daddy and the others, seal her magic, her wings, put some chains maybe resistant enough to not be destroyed.
And a lackeys that could not take Twilight side just by her using puppy eyes, her money or her connections.
7196213 That's what Twilight wants to know
But in all seriousness, he managed to break into an ancient clock that manages all of time, something that no-one ever found before. so yeah, he can be pretty resourceful.
I've read all the chapters released already?
Now what am I going to read until 4 in the morning?
You'd be surprised what a machine can pronounce. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
7194638
It looks like a Big Daddy with flamethrowers instead of drills.
7196393
Forget pronouncing it, how did Alister hear it? What does an asterisk sound like?
7194259 Latest iteration of the R.Y.N.O at this point, actually.
7194638 Wow my memory was completely off. Thank you for correcting me
Quark just spoke with numbers... Damm, I just had a smashing idea involving a mobian double-reacharound, time-space shinanagans, and everyone's favorite red-blooded troll from homestuck being raised by fortressshy(amongst other things...)
Calling it now. This will end with a marriage proposal.
What the fuck does an asterisk even sound like? You know what you should do, Tat? Make a YouTube video on how to pronounce an asterisk. Hide your face if you're shy, but I wanna fucken know what sound an asterisk makes.
7194299 have you not seen ANY of Ironman's suits? Sure they all have the same AI... but a 'Mech-suit' is something similar... but, a LOT more tech and machinery. Like, just throwing this out there but... *grunts* cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MeBi7fYkutwp44nQhIKrZvwm51s=/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2387962/Hulkbuster_suit_up_660_12fps_256c.0.gif
THAT is a mech-suit.
and yes, I LITERALLY threw that...
EDIT: Wait... oh god, is THIS said mech-suit? If so then ohmygod that is A-FUCKING-MAZING
7201880 I view something as small as Iron Man's suit as armor while Hulk Buster is a mecha. Technically both armor, but I can picture Tony lounging in any of his suits but not the Hulk Buster. If you can wear it on the side walk without problem it's aromor, if you need to walk in the rode it's a mecha.
i just had a random thought: at this point our heroes would have picked up some Hero Bolts if this were the game. Hero Bolts unlock costumes, and each character has their own unique set of costumes.
What costumes would Twilight & Alister have?
7203697
The concept has been considered and set aside as not working well.
7201965
True... but technically it requires him to move his body inside of both his suit and the hulk buster in order for it to move or predict what weapon he wants to use, whether the melee close-range or guns long range.
7203715 Have you considered using Lyra for it? Her being confused for a pokemon, and her trying to catch all the different "types" of humans in turn?
7221524 lol
I can see that, given how exotic certain clothing and hairstyles have been in the anime.
Wait CEO, shit Twilight you're the youngest CEO in the galaxy.
No idea
8646285
because he's a ROBOT!
8837109
I am sorry to point this out and I am sorry to curse bbbbuuuuutttttt you forget the word bch it's supposed to be
. It makes for an epic one liner. Again sorry but I just felt it had to be pointed out