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The day for our holiday visit with Pinkie Pie's family draws closer. I have made all my arrangements with my places of employment and they have graciously granted me an extended leave of absence to take time to prepare. I do remember that rock farm quite well despite having only visited once before. And that was in summer instead of winter. It will probably look less desolate with a thick layer of snow all over the place.

https://youtu.be/haar3VczyTA?si=McC9xNkCtT53N3aF

I have even been considering bringing gifts. It is the holidays after all. And I know Maud Pie will be there. But what to get her that would appeal to her hyperfixations? She is basically studying geology. And she prefers simple rocks over something as extravagant as a gemstone. Or would she? Precious gems are still rocks. And I did just so happen to get lucky with something Rarity had dug up while doing some gemstone hunting towards the end of autumn. An uneven chunk of ore that likely contained some sort of special material, but she could never find the time to actually get it appraised. She happily parted with it when I told her about Maud. And she had better use for the gemstones she dug up that were conveniently already cut and polished...and of many different colors... How does that even work? Are those gem deposits in the ground buried treasure left behind by someone else? Or does the magic in the earth actually produce them that way? So many mysteries in this world that will surely never be solved...

That chunk of nondescript ore was at least twice the size of my fist. Impressively heavy too. I just knew Maud Pie would be eager to crack it open to see what was inside. Definitely an anomaly when compared to Rarity's usual haul. What was inside? Was it a simple geode filled with gorgeous quartz crystals? Or perhaps it was a solid ore deposit of a more exotic gemstone like turquoise or jade? I made certain to keep the chunk of ore in a sturdy burlap sack lined with padding. It would be a challenge to carry it along in a box. But there was still Pinkie Pie's two other sisters. And the first that came to mind was timid little Marble Pie.

The poor thing. She made Fluttershy look as brave as Rainbow Dash. I did not even get a full word out before she bolted from me after we just happened to stumble upon each other. At least she was kind enough to help me during my time of need, even if she was so timid. So hesitant to speak too. But with the loveliest little voice once she was comfortable enough to speak. We only met once, but she left a wonderful first on me. But what to get her? A sweet little lady like her deserves something fitting. Something...delicate.

A tea set. While our time together was short, Marble Pie definitely carried a certain sophistication with her. Even if a subtle one. She would appreciate something as elegant as a porcelain set of drinkware. I had found one such set while browsing the shops around Ponyville. And I had collected a small assortment of teas to go with it. A blood orange and cranberry infused black tea for her mornings, a lavender and chamomile blend for bedtime, and a mulled apple cider herbal blend for all other times. They also seemed like great choices for winter in general. And it sounded like Rainbow Dash is especially fond of that last one as a means to tide her over until the next cider season. I have tried all three types of tea and love them. Even though I get most of my tea through Zecora. But sometimes I would rather not have to deal with the Everfree Forest just to reach her. Especially in winter.

But then there was one more. And she was the only member of Pinkie Pie's siblings I knew almost nothing about. The one called Limestone Pie. I had not directly interacted with her yet. But I had heard her. And I then saw her. Something about that mare when she came rushing out of the farmhouse when I almost touched that giant oval boulder... What did she call it? Holder's Boulder? Whatever the case, she was definitely much more irate than the rest of her sisters. And unlike me, she never saw me when I saw her. She probably barely even knows I exist outside of whatever newspaper articles mentioned me after the War of Preservation ended. I asked Pinkie Pie for some advice, and she said that her sister is a bit sour. So I should give her something sweet. I think a banana cream pie would suffice. It is just about the only pie I know how to make. Although it is best I prepare it just before we leave to keep it as fresh as possible.

And I still got one more surprise thrown my way over the past few days. It turns out that Pinkie Pie's parents had had come up with an arrangement of their own for during our visit. From what I have been told, her parents will be spending a few days in Ponyville while she and I are spending time with her sisters. Apparently for some kind of business agreement with Sweet Apple Acres. Fruit supplies in exchange for gravel for building foundations? I do not know the full details, but there might be something more to it than that. Pinkie Pie and Applejack have even speculated that there may be some familial connections between the two families. Maybe a Pie married into the Apple family several generations back or the other way around? I did not ask about it much. It is none of my business to go prying into their family trees. Whatever the case, it meant the Pie family home will be less crowded while Pinkie Pie and I are there.

But for today, I was home alone. Fluttershy was out with Rarity and Gladesong, Scootaloo was spending time out with her friends after heading out with her scooter in snowboard mode, and Smolder and Ocellus had gone out to meet up with Gallus. I spent some time preparing for my trip before deciding to take a break. And I used that time to have a little bonding time with someone I do not mention often enough in my writings. My little pet dove. While she does not get mentioned a lot, I do adore Angela. And she is always happy to spend time with me.

Practicing on hippogriffs had allowed me to really figure out how to give scritches even to smaller birds. Angela would bow her head to let me go to work on the back of her head. And I would help her stretch her wings by flinging her out across the living room so she could fly some laps around the place. All before coming in for a landing on the back of the sofa I was resting on while all excited. Bowing her head and cooing loudly in such a beautiful way. She would then hop down and hop across my chest to get closer before continuing with her cooing. All while I gave her a big grin. "Who's my pretty girl? You are."

It was eventually time to put my little bird friend down for a nap. She tends to take a lot of naps during snowy days. I think it might be a partial hibernation aspect with some creatures. But once tucked away in her birdhouse, I was once again alone. There was no sign of Angel anywhere either. I wonder what Fluttershy did for company at home during winter when most of her animal neighbors were hibernating at the time. At least up until she and I started living together. Her bird friends seem to be the most consistent visitors during winter and are always eager for a helping of fresh seeds.

The house was quiet. Very quiet aside from the fireplace crackling with burning logs. I went about the house looking for productive things to do. Doing the dishes, checking the laundry, making the beds, brewing myself some hot tea for later, and even scrubbing down the bathtub. I was reminded of my childhood days where I spent nearly all of my weekends at my grandparents' house far out in the county. It was like one of the happiest aspects of my childhood had returned and become a constant with where I was living. My nostalgia for happier and more peaceful times mingled with the present reality of my life and resulted in a wonderful feeling in my heart. As tempting and enjoyable as places like Capricorn Island are to live in, I would not trade my life in Ponyville for anything. I am and always will be very happy here.

I eventually ran out of chores to take care of and knew everyone would not be getting back home for a few more hours at least. Not that I blame them. Getting snowed in at home tends to make one stir crazy. It is good to get out of the house on snowy days to enjoy oneself due to how temporary winter's blessings are. But I felt compelled to stay home and mind the house. Especially since the fireplace was still burning. While I knew the house was not exactly empty due to some small permanent residents living in the walls and could take care of any small problems if I was away, I still stood my ground. I was not going anywhere.

I considered breaking out some of my portable gaming devices from home to pass the time. But first, I took a look around Scootaloo's room. Gaming could wait. I looked at my adopted daughter's bed after having gotten it all tidy. Although I did not bother with Ocellus and Smolder's air mattresses. For as comfortable as they were, for I have never heard them complain about their sleeping situations, there was still something sad about seeing those two young ladies spending the last few months sleeping on what should be temporary bedding. But those days would be coming to an end soon. Their home just down the road was nearing completion. For all I know, it will be done by the time Pinkie Pie and I get back. In fact... I have to say I am counting on it. I could even hear the distant sound of the construction crews putting the finishing touches on it.

Just when I was about to leave, I happened to notice two stacks of comic books. A collection the girls were building. It was two separate series. Power Ponies in one stack and Project H in the other. I smirked at the pile as I reminisced about my own adventures in that fictional world. Whoever came up with the idea to add a little enchantment hidden on the back cover that transports the reader into the comic to experience firsthand the story without any actual risk to the reader is some kind of mad genius. While I would not say that most of the plotlines of the comics I have experienced are ones I want to have another go at, there is something about assuming the role of Hunter that comes so naturally for me. Where I always feel so alive in that robotic body. The H is not so different from the X after all.

I reached out to the stack of comic books. And then I noticed the cover of the Project H issue. The older issues were below with the newer ones on top. And I realized I had not checked out this month's issue yet. It depicted Hunter, but with his hardened armor components being an icy blue. And in his hand was a long white metal pole ending in a plasma spearhead that was also an icy blue. The H-Saber having been modified into a spear. He looked like he was being propelled though dark water. And my eyes widened in intrigue. "Lancer Mode? Is this the first issue where it really gets put to the test?"

I remembered the Variable Weapon System combination that resulted in that advanced mode. Ray Arrow combined with Frost Tower. I always assumed it was a mode meant for aquatic environments. And I barely had any time to get any use out of it last time. So then... What if I were to...

Curiosity burned in my mind. If I gave in to temptation and read the tiny text on the inside of the back cover, I would be stuck in that world until I followed the issue's plot to the end or until I met an untimely demise. Whichever came first. But I had nothing else to do for the moment. It would be at least a few hours before any of my housemates returned. So if I literally had nothing else to do... "Peh... Curse my curiosity."

It would be done. I am not someone who finds gratification in sitting around doing literally nothing. And today was an exceptionally quiet and slow day in the dead of winter. It was time for a change of pace. But I still made certain to read the issue in an open space. I wanted to make sure the air mattress that would be generated upon my return would have a wide open flat surface to be on. I sat myself down in the middle of the living room and looked at the front cover of the newest issue of Project H. "What's happening this time? A visit to Davy Jones' Locker?"

I was very careful to not peek at anything else in the book as I turned it over and opened the back cover. I wanted to go into the story as blind as possible. Sure, I could have just read through the issue instead, but where was the fun in that? I saw the tiny text in the corner. And all I had to do was read and comprehend what it said. I brought the page closer to my face as I took a deep breath. "No turning back now... Just shut up and do it. It'll make for a fun story to tell the kids."

My eyes scanned and processed the tiny text. And right when I understood the message, A portal of swirling white light burst open and I was pulled in instantly. I was startled as always, but then...suddenly felt nothing. All my senses and emotions seemed to get go blank. But I was still just vaguely aware. And then a few lines of text began to appear one letter after the other in the upper left corner of my vision. A startup sequence. Something I had only experienced once. In the very pilot issue of Project H.

Was that what it is like for a machine to wake up? Except that was probably not the case. It was not so much a booting sequence as much as it seemed to be the process of coming out of standby mode. In a few seconds, all of my senses came back to me as I felt like I was slowly waking up. Visual information returned to my eyes as I found myself lying on a table of sorts inside some sort of tech lab. Only for my ears to be graced by an elegant voice. Very similar in pitch and style to Rarity's voice, but not quite. "Aaaaand that should do. All systems are go. Now then, how're you feeling, my dear? All recharged and ready to go?"

https://youtu.be/mVj97veQrgQ?si=KOgLpHgQeyZ\_01EV

I turned my head to see none other than one of the Power Ponies standing beside me. The beautiful Radiance. I never would have guessed in an earlier issue that she was also the tech specialist of the squad. And it sounded like Hunter visits her lab as often as his own creator's. I then looked down at my body as a few restraining clasps retracted into the table under me. Even inch of my body was coated in so sleek futuristic white armor with gold highlights. Or rather...the armor was my body. I became consciously aware that I was no longer breathing. Because I had no lungs to use. It was such a strange feeling realizing that I was still human, yet not quite. A feeling I probably should not experience too often. I sat up and lifted my white hands. I still had feeling everywhere. Just...not in the same way as a central nervous system would provide. But it still felt familiar. Like I was in a body that was meant for me. I looked at the beautiful Radiance and found the urge to smile. "Yep. Sounds like you got all the kinks out, doc."

"Ohoho, there were hardly any kinks at all. Just a spot of routine maintenance. The real doctor, that dear Luminous, happily provided me guidelines on how to service you. Just remember that if you ever need a port in the storm and the doctor's lab is just a little too far away to be convenient, the Power Tower will always be your home away from home." Radiance explained to me with a flair that was painfully similar to the one often used by my beloved Rarity. And...that comparison instantly brought back memories of what happened in Radiance's bedroom the first time I met her. A memory that made me flinch as if I suddenly experienced a glitch in my mainframe. I have to remember that she and Hunter are in a budding relationship. A very...active relationship, from the looks of it.

Radiance thankfully did not really notice that sudden twitch. And she was also behaving in a more professional manner that hid any romantic nuances. Although I then happened to notice the large skyscraper windows beyond the equipment to my left. It was dark outside except for the glow of a metropolis after dark. "It's night? What're the rest of the girls up to? They covering for you?"

"Not tonight, darling. Today has been quiet, so we've been treating ourselves to some much needed R&R. All the girls have turned in for the night, but I was happy to burn some midnight oil to tend to you." My persona's lover replied before proceeding to start shutting down her equipment. The lab was starting to go quiet with subtle hums and faint whirs coming to a stop. Only for the growing silence to be filled with a long yawn from the elegant costumed unicorn beside me. "Hoo... Staying up on a day off isn't good for my complexion. I say it's time I set myself a hot scent bath before getting my beauty sleep for the night."

"I won't keep you... But... If you don't mind me asking..." I started to say before a sudden realization hit me. I could not forget what happened in one of the more recent issues I had dove into. One that, now that I have become a father, haunts me even more. "How's Hum Drum?"

There was no way I could forget that event. Overwhelmed by the Power Ponies' own rogue gallery, poor Hum Drum tried to intervene in what was a blatantly poorly thought out rescue attempt. Only to be...attacked by the Mane-iac to the point where... I really thought I lost him. And all I could think about was making them all pay. And Radiance saw it all. She quickly realized what I was concerned about with her smile becoming much smaller. "He's fine. Our little Hum Drum has made a full recovery and is back on the force with us. But under much stricter guidelines than before. And...he appreciates everything you did for him that night."

"He's a good kid. He...didn't deserve that." I replied while getting back on my feet. Or rather my foot panels. I began to approach the door leading out, the more sci-fi design of the door sliding sideways to open instead of reaching outward. I am sure Radiance would have preferred to sit down and have some wine with her lover, but she was clearly at her limits on a slow day. And I am pretty sure the writers at EAC would never write a comic book issue around a short date between two superhero lovers. "But thanks again for the tune-up, Radiance. I better check in with the doctor. See you soon. And tell Hum Drum I said hello."

"Will do, darling! Ta ta!" I saw myself out and promptly made my way down to the elevator to see myself out. The halls were empty with no sounds of activity anywhere. It was almost spooky. The elevator was much more inviting and hummed gently as it made its way down and into the tiny lobby at the base of the tower. I finally stepped outside and gazed up at the towering and abnormally shaped headquarters of the Power Ponies. I could not help smirking at the towers taking on the form of two Ps with one resting its curve atop the other.

I gazed up at the night sky atop while surrounded by a towering cityscape. It felt so alien yet familiar. I really had become too accustomed to the simpler world of Equestria. At least in the realm of reality. But the sky... It looked like the city was in for some rain.

Staying on the ground with no view of the big picture would not help. I willed the folding flight thrusters on my back to open before they flared up. I went rocketing into the air at speed that briefly caught me by surprise, but my old muscle memories kicked in and I found myself soaring up to the nearest skyscraper that was taller than the Power Tower and set myself down. The city was aglow with countless lights on what felt like a cool evening in late spring, but not with the usual ambience nocturnal urban activities produce. The city was oddly quiet that night. But what was I supposed to do? I knew that the conflict of the story likely took place in the nearby ocean. The city of Maretropolis does have a port. But what prompted it?

There was only one person in that fictional world I could turn to for guidance. The very stallion who created Hunter. I accessed my internal comm system to try and give the good doctor a call. It started ringing...only for no one to pick up. I raised an eyebrow in concern. The home of Doctor Luminous does overlook the ocean across the bay. Surely there was not a landslide that dropped the doctor's own house into the sea?

"Come on, doc... Pick up." I grumbled as I tried to make another call. Just when I thought the call would be missed again, a connection was suddenly established. I spoke up the instant I knew someone could hear me, "Hey, doc? Everything all right over there? Radiance just finished up a round of maintenance on me. Were you taking a nap?"

"No no, nothing like that at all! I only just got home. I was attending a board meeting with my colleagues and I could not miss it. I'm glad Radiance was able to cover for me though. Discussing latest advancements and debating possible countermeasures for the Alpha Virus..." I heard the voice of Doctor Luminous speak up. It was reassuring to hear the voice of a close friend and partner of the person whose role I was filling.

https://youtu.be/MS7wuf\_pGEA?si=xzKlZm-iEVSzuDXk

I did not want to demand answers over what to do next too soon. It was OK to shoot the breeze for a minute and get my bearings. And I did notice Luminous' tone gradually darken the longer he talked. And it did not sound like it was solely because of having to talk about the Alpha Virus. Was he tired after having to rush home? Or was there something unpleasant on his mind? After a moment of the doctor saying silent, I felt the need to ask. "You all right there doc? Did things get a little heated during the meeting?"

"No, not really... I mean sort of. It was..." The doctor replied as he sounded like it was unsure of how to respond. He only continued after letting out an exasperated sigh. "It was just Arch again. Doctor Arch. The eldest of our scientific community and a legend in the art of programming. And having a remarkable talent in the field of robotics like myself. He's just...a bit of a radical. And has some very unfortunate views on where that field has gone."

I gazed out upon the rather beautiful cityscape before me. It sounded like the doctor had a bad argument to get off his chest. And that name... Doctor Arch. I had never heard of it before in the story of Project H. And even if he was likely irrelevant to the current issue's plot, I had a sneaking suspicion he would eventually fall into the role of an antagonist. But that was a thought for another time. "A radical, you say? How so?"

Doctor Luminous let out a very long sigh as he surely pondered his next words carefully. "Yes. He has always been vehemently against granting machines the capacity for free thought and weakening the three laws of robotics. He always believed that machines were never meant to go beyond their original parameters. Always to just be tools for their creators. And he has provided some...convincing arguments in recent times after Alpha went rogue."

I was at a loss of what to say for the moment. Alpha himself was the single biggest argument against of granting a machine the gift of free will. Especially now that he had transcended simply being a robotic being and had become a sentient virus. And while I was a fully free willed machine at the moment, I was still human at my core. I could not ever hope to be an ambassador for machines. After a moment of silence, I heard Luminous continue. "Hunter... Was I wrong to believe flesh and machine could exist in harmony? Did I make a mistake?"

There was only one thing I could say to that. "If you did not, we would not be having this conversation right now."

Doctor Luminous fell silent. There was no counter to my response he could give. I then asked a question of my own. "Was my creation a mistake? Do you think you made the wrong choice in bringing me to life?"

"I..." He could not continue. It sounded like Doctor Luminous had been given too much food for thought by his old colleague. The seeds of doubt had been sown in his mind and I could not fault him for that. Alpha was his creation. And there was no telling exactly how much damage Alpha had unleashed upon the world. Had lives been lost by then? When one's own creation commits murder, is the blood of that creation's victims also on the hands or hooves of the creator? It was a heavy topic I did not want to think about. And neither did Luminous.

With Luminous now locked down in silence, I decided to speak again. And I thought carefully before continuing. "It's just the risks of free will. The only thing that separates Alpha from every other legendary villain in Equestria's long history is that he's the first to be mechanical instead of flesh and blood. Something or someone brought all the earlier villains into existence somehow. Alpha didn't go maverick because you made a mistake. He went maverick because he hates how the people of this world, your people, have always done things. Not enough progress in the advancement of his kind... Even if the destination he seeks...might not be worth it in the end."

The concept I was describing stirred up some awful memories of a time not long ago at all. Everything I learned about our enemy during the War of Preservation... It was unsettling to know that one of humanity's darkest instincts was not unique to my own species. Was Alpha's programming similar to human will after all? Did Luminous program him with some of the coding he used in creating Hunter? Was that mad machine king more human than stallion after all?

My racing thoughts were finally interrupted by Luminous speaking up. And his spirits sounded like they were starting to lift. "Sometimes I have to wonder who's teaching who here. I'm the celebrated genius in the field of robotics, yet here you are telling me what I need to hear after a bad day."

"I'm only human, doc. Well...as human as a robot can be." I replied before catching myself. At least that retort got a laugh out of the good doctor.

"You're human enough, my friend. At least I hope you're as human as I hoped you would be. It's not like I had much in the way of references to look to. Humans are steeped in myth. Or were they? Regardless, I can only hope we find a way to sort this mess out without resorting to drastic measures. I didn't create you as something that could just be scrapped because of one bad apple in the bushel." Luminous said as I heard him moving things around in what I assume was his lab in the basement of his home. I could hear the faint sounds of various electronics coming online.

"Glad to be of service, doc. Now then... Got anything I need to... Whoa... I didn't see that before." I replied before I just happened to turn around. I had been facing the west before. But when I faced east... The sky already looked like Maretropolis was in for some rain and my sensors were already detecting a shift in the local air pressure. But when I faced east... Out over the sea... The clouds. Even in the dark of night, I could see that a storm was brewing. "Doc, are you seeing this? I know you've got a live feed to my optic sensors, right?"

"One moment, just let me open the program and... Oh my..." I heard Luminous speak before his voice became hushed. He was definitely seeing the very distant ocean storm approaching. Not that it was all that unusual. Maretropolis is a seaside city in what I assume is the northern hemisphere. Ocean storms do happen once in a while. But the tone in the doctor's voice told me this was not normal. "I had my worries about this..."

"Doc... You sound like this isn't normal. Are we in hurricane season right now?" I asked while having always lived inland all my life. I had never once witnessed a hurricane approaching from the shore. Tropical storms while on vacation, but never a hurricane.

https://youtu.be/dfMIKKdQXQE?si=nofqAEdoltO7xlDV

"That's the thing, Hunter. It is not hurricane season at this time. It's too soon. And yet... Let me show you something. Bring up your HUD." Luminous replied while I did as I was told. I am not sure how I did it, but my helmet's orange visor slid into place over my eyes with a mere exertion of my will. My sensor suite came up with the translucent material being colorless from my side. I then received a video transmission that was displayed front and center on my HUD. I recognized it immediately. A slowly swirling mass of pale clouds like a massive pinwheel. With a perfectly round hole in the middle. A hurricane. All while Luminous explained the situation to me. "This is a live feed from one of our weather satellites. As you can see, it's a hurricane. Miles off the east coast and drawing closer. But...these readings..."

My eyes narrowed into a scowl. The catalyst for the story's conflict had been revealed. An approaching threat out over the ocean in the middle of the night. No wonder the city was so quiet. Everyone in it was probably on lockdown to ride out the storm. And the doctor spoke some dire news. "The wind speed detected... It's not possible. There has never been wind this strong ever detected in the history of our world. It can't be natural..."

"Alpha. It's gotta be him. You think it's possible for him to construct some kind of storm generator to create a...how you say...a super hurricane?" I asked as the news dawned on me. It sounded like the hurricane also came out of nowhere. Artificially created during a time of calmer ocean weather where it was too late to evacuate. Why use weapons when one of the world's most powerful weather phenomena could wipe out entire cities? Creating your own hurricane to destroy the home of your enemies... Absolutely diabolical. And ingenious. "You think the city will weather the storm?"

The answer was more obvious than it should have been. The doctor's voice was filled with a stern dread. "No. Definitely not this. The wind speeds we're detecting here... Entire skyscrapers will topple. If that hurricane makes landfall, no one will survive. I doubt even Zapp could counter one of this magnitude. We need you for this, Hunter. At once. Can you do this?"

"Yeah, I'm ready for this... I think. I mean how am I supposed to fight a hurricane? Where do I start?" I asked in return as I felt a surge of determination fill me. Things were about to get crazy and I was ready for the adventure I had come looking for.

"I do have an idea of where to start. While we can't get much of a visual reading from our satellites, there is...something there. Something big. Right in the eye of the storm. As the hurricane moves, it moves with it. I don't know what Alpha's come up with this time or if it's even possible to artificially create a hurricane far more destructive than any that could occur naturally, but the source has to be there. Reach the eye of the storm and destroy whatever is sustaining it." Doctor Luminous explained while my HUD provided readings and a scanning of the storm. It pinpointed something in the eye of the storm. Something manmade in the center of the only safe zone of any hurricane.

"Got it. I'm on my way." I replied with my flight thrusters flaring up. I went rocketing to the east, those ominous thunderclouds flashing lightning far off on the horizon. maybe even a hundred or more miles away. But I did not go too far. I reached the harbor and set myself down at the edge of a long concrete pier. A pair of large cargo ships were docked nearby while the ocean lashed fiercely against the harbor with heavy waves. A precursor of what was to come. The wind was gentle for the moment. But that would change in the coming hours. Still knowing very little about the situation, I spoke up again. "Before I get going, how do you recommend I approach this thing? I mean I know aircraft can fly through hurricanes to reach the eye..."

Doctor Luminous immediately shot my suggestion down with an alarming response. "No. Not this one. Any aircraft that flies into hurricane with wind speeds this high will just get thrown around like a plastic bag. I don't think even your Jetstream Mode would be able to fight winds of that speed. And even if it can, you would be slowed down just resisting the storm. If I might make a suggestion... The best approach would be to take the low road."

I looked down at the dark ocean below me. The waves still crashed harshly against the pier. Almost as if it was demanding I stay out. And its anger instilled a sinking feeling in my gut. Even though I had nothing to fear as the protagonist of Project H. To approach the hurricane underwater where the storm's influence would be much weaker... There was only one answer I could give. "Underwater travel... Lancer Mode."

"Yes... You've yet to try that mode out in its proper habitat. The readings I was seeing in your body were very interesting. From the looks of it, Lancer Mode appears to be designed exclusively for aquatic movement. You'll probably be as nimble in the water as Aquarius herself." Luminous explained while I could hear the tapping of keys as he accessed his lab's main computer. I felt more confident knowing I would not be going the mission alone. Unlike last time...

I was right on the verge of prodding the doctor for answers over why he never picked up when I tried calling him during the last issue I was in. That was a special kind of crisis on Nightmare Night of all days. But I resisted. The topic was not relevant. And I had a mission to carry out. I glanced up to the corner of my HUD and willed my Variable Weapon System menu into appearing. I had quite the selection of tricks to choose from by then, but I only needed two. "Right then... If memory serves... Frost Tower. Ray Arrow. Put them together and you get..."

My HUD instantly displayed a variety of prompts to indicate a radical shift in how my robotic body functioned. Flight thrusters were offline with said thrusters undergoing modifications. My body's hardened armor components turned a shade of icy blue with the softer components on my biceps, thighs, and midsection taking on a very pale shade of blue to the point where I thought it was still white at first. And there on my HUD was the indication I needed. "Lancer Mode. I guess it's time to get my feet wet."

Or that was what I said. When it came to actually falling into the ocean... A palpable sense of unease came over me as I looked down at the dark waves splashing fiercely against the pier. I knew that the currents under the waves were gentler than at the surface. And yet... That dark water. The fact that I did not know what I would find down there... The sunlit shores of Cantercun were much more inviting. One could see the seafloor from anywhere. But now...

"Hunter...? What's wrong?" Doctor Luminous had quickly noticed my hesitation. And I understand why in hindsight. Machines do not have natural enemies. And Lancer Mode specifically modified my body to be even more at home in aquatic environments. I should not have been so concerned. And yet... I was unnerved. My human soul was fiercely at war with my mechanical body and its programming.

I grunted in annoyance with myself. I had a mission to carry out and I knew I would not be in danger once I was in the ocean. Meaningless fear. "Ugh... Screw it. Sorry about that, doc. I'm going in."

https://youtu.be/tEzYsaLm7nw?si=QHrabXGbv9DPaviK

All it took was a quick hop to send me over the edge and down into the ocean. I dropped in with a splash and sank deep. Only for my flight thrusters to get to work in stopping my descent. What were once a narrow array of rocket thrusters had been modified into a row of hydrojets. Their output was low at the moment simply as a means to maintain my buoyancy. And I found the area around me to not be all that dark thanks to the sky above being free of clouds and with a full moon. Although I would not call the environment around me whimsical. There were some fish here and there, but the frequent coming and going of cargo ships prevented any significant underwater flora from taking root. Even so, I was not in any danger. I even found the tug and pull of the gentle currents alone with the sound of water against my auditory sensors to be rather calming once I was past the initial shock of diving into unknown territory. "Huh... This isn't so bad. I still prefer Cantercun's shoreline though."

"Really now? Because I don't think we've ever paid a visit there... We really should though. Once things quiet down for a while, I think we could both do with a tropical vacation." Doctor Luminous replied with some confusion. But now that I had my bearings, it was time to head towards my destination. My body's new hydrojets functioned in exactly the same way as my default flight thrusters. Directing myself underwater was no different than in flight. I even found the resistance of the water around me to be...less? Like I was not slowed down much at all by it.

I went along at a leisurely pace now that I was giving Lancer Mode its first real test run. I needed to familiarize myself with its function in a calm environment before I could give it a trial by fire. Even my HUD seemed to respond to the change in my environment as it appeared to be rebooting. My full sensor array came back up, but there were some new assets being displayed. "Hello, what's this? You seeing this, doc?"

"Yes, I'm seeing this, Hunter. Let me run a diagnostic to see exactly what's going on with your body here..." I heard the good doctor reply as he tapped away on his computer's keyboard. I noticed something especially prominent right at the top and center of my visor's HUD. A depth reading? It claimed I was maybe fifteen meters down at the time. I suppose it is vital to know how far from the ocean's surface one is when underwater. Even if I was incapable of drowning. But what about crush depth? How deep could my body dive before the weight of the ocean itself would start to damage me? Or was I too sturdy even for that?

"Hm... Fascinating. It would seem your system has adapted radically to function in this environment. We have a depth reading... Your body has less resistance to the presence of liquid... And it even appears your body is emitting a low frequency sonar. There. In the left corner. You see that?" Doctor Luminous spoke us as I drifted along. He was right. There in the corner was indeed a sonar reading that sent out a sound wave in all directions every few seconds. And not just out to my sides. It was displaying a full 3D field showing the reach of my sonar in a spherical range. I could even see a handful of tiny blips on it. Just some fish swimming nearby. It even displayed the seafloor below me and how there was the most gradual of decline ahead of me. But I had no intention of going deeper. I just wanted to maintain my altitude for the moment.

What puzzled me was how my sonar worked. I could even hear it. A rather gentle low boop of sorts whenever that sound wave was sent out. But I could not tell if it was an internal sound I was hearing that no one around me could pick up. I know for a fact that the average sonar uses a hitch pitched frequency in submarines. Usually of extremely high decibels so loud that it could literally harm and even kill if struck at a close enough distance. And so I asked, "Doc? I appreciate having a working sonar, but why is it a low frequency? Shouldn't it be higher?"

Doctor Luminous definitely had a better understanding of such technology than I do. And he happily explained it to me. "To be fair, the general range of a low frequency sonar is less than a higher frequency. According to these readings, your sonar's range is a few hundred meters at most. That's in the lower end of sonar range. But the advantage is that you're virtually undetectable with so little sound coming off of you. Unless the enemy is also using a sonar system, they won't hear you coming. And I've never heard of a personal sonar system on one robot. Your body's functions continue to adapt and amaze me time after time."

That response put a big smirk on my face. This was more than just a search and destroy mission. It had become a stealth mission. And I am someone who does prefer discretion. "Nice. They won't know what hit 'em."

I continued to drift along with my flight frames continuing to push me along on their new hydrojets. My body's position as I moved forward was a more relaxed pose of what I usually assume when in flight. Head forward with my body being dragged behind and below me. I still had time to assess my situation. I glanced down and noticed the hilt of the H-Saber on my right thigh and recalled the first time I assumed Lancer Mode. Instead of being a sword, the hilt extended to take on the form of a spear. A much more useful weapon type in aquatic environments. But what about the H-Buster? I knew my means of attack were more limited, being consigned to just the two weapon types used to enter Lancer Mode. But it looked like I had access to one more. It appeared Shotgun Ice was also accessible. A long range ice weapon to supplement the heavy and short range of Frost Tower. But I still had Ray Arrow as well. While still a mode designed for aquatic use, Lancer Mode also appeared to gear itself towards offensive capabilities at the lower end of the heat spectrum.

The further away from the shoreline I got, the more alive the seafloor became. Billowing seaweed and kelp wavered in the gentle currents. Only simpler and hardier underwater flora would survive so close to an industrial setting with how large cargo ships passing overhead might disturb the currents. The wildlife in the area was also less colorful to better blend in with their home. No vibrant corals to be seen. But the seafloor continued to dip further and further away from me with even my sonar showing it happen. Then the dip in the seafloor's elevation increased. Until I finally had to come to a stop. I could only barely see the seafloor below me. And ahead of me...was nothing. Just a vast dark void of empty ocean.

https://youtu.be/P4ivZ-qRmeg?si=JiEO0gtASgihxEhU

I cowered. All I could do was float there as I stared out into the abyss with the abyss staring back. The only thing to break that deafening silence was the subtle din of my sonar and the rippling sound of the current around me. I floated there. I stared. And I spoke the only thing I could as my human soul cringed at the vast nothing before me. Something all too appropriate for the setting. "Deep into that darkness peering... Long I stood there. Wondering... Fearing... Doubting..."

"That's very profound, Hunter. But...what's wrong? You need to proceed. There's nothing out there. It's not like there are sea monsters anywhere near Maretropolis." Doctor Luminous replied over my internal receiver. He must have been confused over my behavior. Hunter has always been a machine. An entity with no natural enemies. And one not programmed to fear the ocean. But I am not Hunter. I have always been James. And despite the functions of my current robotic body, I felt...unwilling to proceed.

Doctor Luminous was waiting. And I knew time was of the essence. I needed to explain myself. "I...really don't want to. I can't explain it, doc. I've swam in the ocean before. I've never been afraid of it. But this... This vast empty black void... It scares me. Like...something primal. I get that doesn't make sense given what I am, but... Maybe... Just maybe...you made me too human."

"Primal fear? In a robot? Fascinating... Perhaps creatures of flesh and those of mechanical nature really aren't all that different after all..." Doctor Luminous mused while I picked up the faint sound of a pencil scribbling on paper. Although he then said, "Well then... If it makes you more comfortable... Why not just fly towards the hurricane for now? It would save time. The sooner you reach it, the more distance it has to travel before it reaches land."

"Why didn't I think of that?" I almost laughed as I shot up vertically through the water. I was all too happy to burst out of the surf with my momentum carrying me higher. I disengaged Lancer Mode as my body regained its default white coloration with the hydrojets in my flight thrusters being converted back into narrow rocket engines. They flared up in seconds and soon sent me soaring across the sea. The sooner I reached my destination, the better. Although...now I was being faced with a another source of unease.

The vast dark ocean stretched out beneath me as I shored not all that high over it. Nothing but waves. I was traveling a mile every few seconds with the distant illuminated form of Maretropolis soon disappearing over the western horizon. Now I was alone out over that vast liquid abyss. All I could do was not look down. But why was I so uneasy? Is thalassophobia more innate in humans than a simple and fickle phobia?

The storm clouds overhead frequently flashed with lightning as I approached the source of the storm. The waves were fierce below me. Rising high and crashing into each other. And then... Out there on the horizon, I saw it. A vast wall of gray clouds reaching as high as the sky and reaching too wide for me to see the ends of. I slowed to a stop as I beheld a hurricane with my own two eyes for the first time. A force of nature that is not meant to be defied. "That's...ominous..."

It was approaching. I could hear the distant roar of unnaturally swift gales swirling inside the mass of clouds. And Doctor Luminous could read it better than I could. "This is it, Hunter. Time to dive. Do not try to fly through it. I'm sure even your sensors can detect the wind is too strong to fight."

He was right. My HUD went to work in detecting the strength of the storm. And I was blown away by what I was seeing. The wind speeds detected within the hurricane were well beyond even the strongest tornado. Winds only possible on extraterrestrial gas giants in our solar system. Only Jetstream Mode had a chance of defying the storm. And even if I tried, it would be a constant struggle pushing against it. Terror all around me, desperately trying to stay on course. I had a choice to make. Fight the storm or brave the ocean depths.

I could feel the approaching hurricane lashing out at me. It would suck me in at any time. It took all the courage I could muster to let go of the sky with Doctor Luminous calling out to me over my hesitation. I closed my eyes as my body once again activated Lancer Mode. My flight thrusters went silent as I dropped back into the ocean with a splash. I sank...and then stopped. My flight thrusters' modified functions maintained my buoyancy as I titled my head back before opening my eyes. I could still see the vague form of the moon beyond the constantly shifting surface of the ocean. And then...the outer walls of the hurricane moved overhead. The pale glow of the moon faded under the incredibly thick cloud cover. And even down there, I could vaguely hear the unnatural howling of the gales above.

Unease came over me. I wanted to put as much distance between myself and that awful sound as I could. And so I sank. My hydrojets responded to my will as I descended. Deeper...deeper... Until my depth readings indicated I was a hundred meters down. And there I was. Floating in all but total silence in the black depths of the ocean at night. And deep in my human soul, I all but screamed.

https://youtu.be/3b9bSxMrHnM?si=-Jlhn4Kq-ds5g0ge

Terror. There was nothing there. Nothing that may try to devour me or drag me even deeper. Nothing. Even the gentle din of my sonar, a saving grace for my sanity as it broke the near total silence of the ocean's weaker currents so deep below the surface, indicated that there was literally nothing out there. I was alone. Alone in a place my species was never meant to be. But not in the same way I may have been alone in a forest. Or even out in the vast natural expanses of the Empty Plains. There was nothing. Empty black ocean all around me. As if I was adrift in the freezing vacuum of outer space. The silence... The isolation was maddening.

Until I heard a voice in my head. Or rather from my internal receiver. "Hunter?"

"Doc... This... I... Oh man, I was not ready for this... Just... Ugh, right. I'm just gonna...keep moving ahead. My HUD still has the destination marked. At least I won't get lost." I stammered as I tried to hold onto my courage. I needed to remind myself that for as harrowing as that environment was, I was in no actual danger. My own imagination was my greatest enemy at the time and I needed to fight it.

And so I rushed ahead with my body's new hydrojets propelling me along at greater speeds than before. The sooner I reached the eye of the storm, the sooner I would be out of the ocean. I did all I could to try and keep my resolve up. Anything from running various scans that my HUD could display to straight up muttering to myself. "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim..."

My one and only witness unsurprisingly found my mutterings to be perplexing. Doctor Luminous soon asked, "Um... Hunter? Are you all right?"

"Of course I'm not all right here, doc! I'm just doing everything I can to keep myself sane in this suffocating abyss!" I barked in terror while I swear I heard the doctor desperately trying to not laugh. I doubt Hunter himself would be so quick to get as apprehensive as I was. Or does he have the capacity for primal fears as well? It is not like I actually read the issue I was currently inside of. Although I did notice how being reminded that I was not alone did provide a pleasant distraction from my current situation. And inspiration struck. "Uh... Hey. Doc? You think we can just...converse for now? Just to make the voyage more...bearable?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Just let me get something tide me over for this flight." I heard Luminous reply while...a microwave oven started whirring in the background? I paid close attention to the faint sounds being broadcast over his microphone. And I did indeed pick up the sound of a microwave oven's door opening and closing. "Sorry about that. I was just preparing myself a quick meal."

Was my partner really having dinner while watching what was happening on his lab's main computer screen? It must have been like watching a deep sea nature documentary with the lights dimmed. Desperate for distractions, I spoke up while continuing to propel myself through the murky abyss around me. "So then... Now that I think about it... What's Alpha's deal with only targeting Maretropolis lately? Is it really the only location he's launched attacks on since he first went Maverick?"

I think I caught Luminous during a moment of actually eating some of his dinner. He chewed quietly in a polite manner before he eventually responded. "Speaking as his creator... I suspect it's to send a message to the rest of the world. Maretropolis is where his story began. He likely wants to destroy the city as a means to sever his connections to where he was before he became what he is now. That, and he would also be killing two birds with one stone. The Power Ponies are very capable enemies of his. And their enemies would provide competition in the long run."

"In that case, I can see why Maretropolis is such a high priority target for him. At least I know I have allies for when he attacks again." I replied while I basically went on autopilot. I rushed forward into that murky abyss with my eyes constantly darting around to keep track of the readings on my HUD. I was anxious, but not panicked. The companionship of Doctor Luminous, even if only in voice, was dearly reassuring. And I did not hide it. "Thanks for being here tonight, doc. I don't think I'd be able to keep my wits about me if you weren't here with me right now."

"I'm happy to do what I can, Hunter. Even if it's nothing more than emotional support." My partner said while he took a moment to focus on eating his meal. It was probably just a frozen TV dinner. A common choice for those with busy lives. A shame one has to sacrifice good home cooking depending on their profession.

We continued to talk while I shot through the murky abyss. Although I mostly just listened. Luminous took the time to talk about recent happenings in the scientific community and some of his other projects. Apparently he was attempting to branch out from just robotics and into a bit of engineering as a means to assist me. In what way, I am not sure. I wanted to avoid prying too deep into possible spoilers for future issues. Although he did eventually throw me a curveball. "Anyway... How have your nights been with Miss Radiance lately? Has she been...oiling your parts properly?"

https://youtu.be/4MqVZXBna9g?si=tAUZz-uP5kEL1L2G

Of all the... I noticed that inflection in his voice. Cheeky. And I suddenly had a horrifying realization. "Oh my god... Doc, I swear you better not have been tapping into a live feed from me when... Wait..."

There. On my sonar. Right at the edge of its range. An orange blip came up. It just...stayed there. Far behind me. And it was not like a tiny dot denoting the presence of a small fish. It was large. A whale? "Doc... There. Behind me. On the sonar. You see that?"

"That's...a big one... And it's maintaining its distance." Luminous replied as we both watched the sonar with unnerved silence. All while I maintained course. It just stayed there. Moving from side to side slightly. And then...it fell back and out of range. "Huh... Perhaps it was a shark sizing you up before realizing you're not edible prey."

"I get the feeling a shark bite wouldn't do much to my armor plating. Getting charged by one down here would still scare the hell outta me though..." I grumbled as I turned my attention away from that minor alarm. I already had a hurricane to stop. I was just grateful that Alpha did not anticipate me swimming under the hurricane to bypass the storm entirely.

And I was a fool to think that snake would not be cunning enough to expect such a tactic.

For the next couple of minutes, my voyage was peaceful. Just a few more chats with Doctor Luminous to calm my nerves. But then... That blip again. But directly below me at the bottom edge of my sonar's spherical range. And before I could even mention it, another appeared behind it. Then a third. And finally a fourth. And they were ascending. Rapidly. Two hundred meters below me. Then one hundred meters. And Doctor Luminous saw it too. "Hunter... Hunter! Evade!"

https://youtu.be/sXrQKepVSzs?si=9YIKov82Bqng4IUp

"Oh god... No!" I yelped as...something shot up beside me. In what little light was there, I could see...metal. Something long and mechanical. All four of those identical monstrosities shot up from below. Just narrowly missing me as I came to a stop. Floating out in that vast liquid void of endless black as those four large blips on my sonar began to circle me. I could hear them. The heavy sloshing of powerful bodies swimming in a natural fashion. All sorts of alarms were going off in my senses. And not from my body's mechanical functions. It was...primal. I had been alone in a horrifying environment my species was not meant to survive in. And now I was not alone.

The aquatic beasts that were circling me were massive. Easily the size of some of the world's larger whales. Even if I could not fully see them. But then there was light. One by one, large domed white lights lit up in a row along the sides of the mechanical leviathans that were circling me. This illuminated me and even their bodies to a degree. I could see that these monsters were taller than they were wide. Almost as if designed to resemble eels. Until finally their equally round and white optic sensors lit up on the sides of their heads. Two sets of 'eyes' on each side as I could make out gaping maws lined with large sturdy fangs. These sea monsters of metal instead of flesh were hungry.

Too much. I was petrified. I could only float there as those massive metal leviathans circled me with the intent to crush me in their maws. An insidious safeguard deployed by Alpha in case I was sly enough to try swimming under the hurricane. And it was effective. My own mechanical body began to clash with my natural human instincts, my programming and subroutines encountering errors with various messages flashing across my HUD as my body struggled to understand what was causing me to just freeze up. Unable to comprehend that I was being consumed by a fear I never even knew I had. These were not beasts I could fight. Nor could I escape. I was somewhere I was never meant to be in and the masters of that dark abyss had finally noticed me.

"Hunter...?! Hunter, what's wrong?! Respond!" Doctor Luminous called out to me through my internal receiver. But no words came. Terror had taken hold as I glanced around me in a panic to try and keep those aquatic guardians within my field of view. I momentarily forgot about the sonar readings in the corner of my HUD. At least until I was suddenly startled by the circular patterns of those four blips beginning to deviate. One of those massive mechanical eels, one off to my right, began to adjust course and head right towards me. I turned just in time to see the four glowing white eyes on the sides of the creature's head as it approached me with fangs bared. It was now or never. Fight or flight kicked in. All as Doctor Luminous no doubt got to see a horrifying view of my doom approaching. "HUNTER!!! GET OUTTA THERE!!!"

I fled. I evaded hard to my left with the hydrojets in the bottoms of my foot panels providing a very hard boost to send me out of the approaching monster's way. I then took off and out of the circle of mechanical guardians and went rocketing ahead through that empty void with only the beacon on my HUD guiding me to my destination. Desperately trying to stay ahead of my pursuers in the hopes that I would be out of danger if I could just reach the hurricane's source and probably get above water. The terror in my human soul was too overwhelming to defy. I could not fight. Not those! All I could do was run!

The hydrojets on my flight thrusters rapidly increased their output to send me ahead at speeds that I did not even know were possible underwater. Lancer Mode's feature of reducing liquid resistance was definitely assisting in that regard. The four blips on my sonar became much more distant, but never quite fell out of range. They were in hot pursuit. But if I could just maintain my speed and distance, I would be fine.

At least until a new problem came into play. My HUD suddenly displayed a line of text. A warning message. "WARNING: CAVITATION DETECTED. EXCESSIVE NOISE."

"Cavitation?! What even is that?!" I all but shouted in a panic. I already had four massive mechanical sea monsters chasing me! I did not need another problem on top of that! And how was the concept of cavitation a bad thing?!

Doctor Luminous was quick to provide an answer with great urgency in his voice. "It means you're going too fast! To be as brief as I can, the friction of the water moving against your body is generating steam bubbles! And they generate a significant amount of sound when they burst! The greater the speed, the more friction! And thus, more noise!"

"I can't exactly slow down now, doc! And...is it really that bad?" I retorted through gritted teeth. I tried listening behind me with my auditory sensors adjusting themselves to do so. I did vaguely hear the gurgling on the hydrojets propelling me along, but... There was another sound overshadowing it. Almost drowning it out even. It sounded like...violently boiling water inside a metal saucepan. "That's...the sound of cavitation?"

My eyes widened in horror. The four blips at the very edge of my sonar were increasing in speed. And my hydrojets were at their maximum possible output! They maintained a formation with one leading. But there was no way they could possibly see me from that distance. Not in that black abyss. Which meant... "They can hear me?! Because of these noisy bubbles?!"

I could not outrun them! No matter how fast my body could propel itself, those massive mechanical eels were propelling themselves in a manner similar to the fastest fish in the sea! And my hydrojets were leading them right to me! I did the only thing I could do to try and slow them down. My right hand retracted into my arm as the H-Buster was armed. I then pointed it all over as I fired off the one weapon I had access to that I did not need a clear line of sight of a target to hit. "Come on! Frost Tower!"

The water ahead of the H-Buster was suddenly flash frozen into jagged chunks of solid ice almost twice my size. And it was dense. Very heavy ice that did not rise easily in the sea. I kept leaving Frost Tower after Frost Tower in my wake in the hopes of forcing my pursuers to evade them and slow down. I dumped my Variable Weapon System's entire energy reserves into it until it had to recharge. I watched my sonar closely. The formation of four blips did break up and weave in all directions to avoid the icy blockades I had left behind. No matter how durable their outer plating was, ramming something as tough as oceanic ice chunks as jagged as a Frost Tower would risk severe damage to them. They had no choice but to evade.

Just when I thought I would never lose them, the four pursuing leviathans finally fell out of sight of my sonar's range. But I did not relax yet. I still maintained maximum speed. And I dared not look back. Facing that terror again was not an option. I journeyed on, eyes glued to the sonar display in the corner of my HUD. Was I out of range? Was the cavitation my body was generating no longer detectable from that range?

Thirty seconds went by. And right when I was just starting to feel that terror slipping away... There they were. One by one, those four blips came back onto my sonar to my rear. And they were closing in fast. "Oh god no... Please no... Please...NO!!!"

It took all of my will to not flail and panic as the first of the four reached the center of my sonar. I even heard the sound of its powerful body swishing through the ocean just a second before it reached me. I once again fired up the hydrojets in my foot panels to launch myself to the left at the last second. And I could feel the surge of water being blown out to the sides when that massive mechanical beast slammed its fanged jaws shut. A deep clank reached my auditory sensors as I saw that thing's beastly face pass me. That could have been me between those rows of fangs. Even if my body was tough enough to endure a good crunch, my imagination went wild. Thoughts of me being clutched in the beasts jaws before being dragged deeper into the abyss before all four of them would tear me apart like base prey. Far from home, my remains to never be found.

I was a whimpering mess as I shrieked in panic with every instant I had to hurl myself out of the way of the next approaching leviathan. They took turns trying to attack me from behind with my foot panel's thrusters just barely pushing me out of the way each time. All while relying entirely on the visuals of my sonar. Even when I had sight of them, I could not keep track of them and my sonar all at once. My panic prevented me from minding both. And I was slowing down until my progress had come to a complete halt. I was out there being repeatedly attacked from behind. After a moment of having to evade every chomp by a hair, I finally regained just enough of my wits to realize there was only one way out of that trap. It was a foolish idea, but I did not care. "DIVE!!!"

"No, not deeper!" Doctor Luminous shouted over my internal receiver as I dove deep into that black abyss below. Down I went with those four blips on my sonar becoming distant as they began to pursue just before they could leave its range. My depth readings were skyrocketing. Five hundred... Six hundred... I was nearing a thousand meters down! The ocean was bottomless!

How far out to sea even was I? Trapped between a hurricane above and the endless abyss below, I was doing all I could to survive. And those four blips were closing in fast. All I could focus on was just diving deeper to put any distance between them and myself as I could. My eyes constantly watched the sonar in the corner of my HUD. And it was at this point that Doctor Luminous called out in panicked frustration. "Hunter, stop running! You can destroy them!"

"I...can't! Not those things! Not here! Gotta get away!" I shrieked as I readied for the head of the pack to make another lunge with me. I had figured out how to evade. The mechanical leviathans pursuing me were simple in their functions and with a simple yet brutal purpose. And it was that knowledge that gave me just enough of an edge to not completely lose myself to fear. Down and down I went in a blind descent. Until I suddenly noticed something very big rapidly approaching me at the bottom of my sonar's spherical range. And I noticed all too late while watching the four large blips at the top of my sonar's display. "What the...?! What's tha..."

It came out of nowhere. At just past a thousand meters down into the depths, I slammed into something soft. I had finally hit the seabed itself. Nothing but soft sand that instantly burst out in a plume of sediment around me. And in a matter of seconds, my pursuers caught up. But even they were not prepared for my sudden loss of momentum and went crashing headfirst into the sand around me one after the other. I heard the impacts around me as the seafloor was further disturbed with clouds of sediment. I froze as the four blips became still all around me. But they did not move. Doctor Luminous, just as confused as I was by everything beyond my visor being nothing but dimly illuminated sand, called out to me. "Did... Did you literally just dive right into the seabed?!"

Now in a borderline panic due to being helpless, I pushed myself up to look around. And there they were. Those four massive mechanical eels buried in the seafloor up to around a third of their entire lengths. Their narrow bodies flailed and squirmed as they tried to process what just happened and how to pry themselves free. I doubt the impact did much damage to them, but they were good and stuck. And after running for my life for a hot minute, this brought me an almost delirious amount of relief. "Hahahahahahaha, oh man I needed this!"

But my partner was not about to let me waste the opportunity that had been presented to me. Doctor Luminous called out with urgency, "Yes, good! Now get going! If you get clear from them, you might lose them!"

"Right, right! Where's... There!" I looked up from the seafloor and saw the beacon on my HUD come back into view. I was still a long ways off, but now I had a chance to escape! My hydrojets surged again at maximum output to send me rushing away from my pursuers on a gradual ascent through the murky depths. The same warning message flashed across my HUD in response to my body once again cavitating, but it would not matter if I was out of range. "Doc, sound travels farther in water, right? I better slow down soon."

I counted to twenty as I rushed ahead. I was jittery and nervous, but my terror had begun to subside for the moment. Once I reached the number in my head, I reduced my hydrojets' output. The warning message disappeared from my HUD as I even heard only the gurgling of the hydrojets behind me. "OK... Maybe I'm clear now..."

My partner and I remained silent as we waited with bated breath. I had no idea how long it would take for those mechanical leviathans to wiggle themselves free of the seafloor, but they would surely get loose eventually. All I had to do was try to not generate too much noise. The gentle din of my sonar was heard every few seconds with nothing on my sonar. And I was sure I would not bump into any living aquatic lifeforms out there in that black empty void. How strange that the fear of my pursuers was distracting me from the fear of that haunting abyss. "Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... I'm good. I'm chill. I'm OK. I can do this..."

I continued on towards my objective with my eyes constantly watching the sonar in the corner of my visor. I was finally starting to relax. The fear was fading. So much so that I took my eyes off the sonar just to focus on the rest of my HUD's readings. And just when I thought I was home free... Doctor Luminous noticed it before I did. "They're back!"

My eyes instantly glanced at the sonar's readings. And there they were. Those infernal four large blips rapidly closing in. And once again, that primal terror filled my senses. "Not OK! Not OK! Not this again!"

Now that my Variable Weapon System's energy reserves had recharged, I once again tried to desperately set up some obstacles between me and my pursuers. I took aim off to my sides with the H-Buster and fired off a few Frost Towers to block them. But after a few shots, something dawned on me. I noted the size of each icy projectile my H-Buster created. And the fact that they were made of frozen seawater. Blue ice. The toughest naturally occurring ice in nature. And while I was all but completely terrified out of my wits, a spark of inspiration glimmered in my head. "Doc, I'm gonna try something! I can't fight these things, but... Maybe I can make them disable themselves!"

"Go right ahead, Hunter! I can't take the suspense here anymore myself!" I heard Doctor Luminous call back to me. If he was seeing everything I was seeing through my optic sensors, then that entire sequence of events must have been like watching a found footage horror movie. I maintained my speed as the four pursuing leviathans got into formation. I watched the blips closely as my body tensed up in anticipation for that charge. The one at the head of the pack began to increase speed. Drawing closer as I soon heard the deep swooshing of its swimming motions reaching my auditory sensors. I waited with my the hydrojets on my foot panels preparing to activate and then...

"Suck on this!" I shouted in terrified defiance at my assailant. The instant I threw myself over to my left, I fired off the H-Buster to leave a Frost Tower in my wake. And instead of hearing the clank of that monster's jaws slamming stuff, I heard a massive crunch. I looked to my right. And for as ghastly as it was to see that mechanical horror's head so near me with its glowing white eyes looking at seemingly nothing in particular, there was something relieving to see that thing's jaws forced to stay open with that huge chunk of jagged blue ice gumming up its only means of attack. But I could hear its internal mechanisms straining to force its powerful jaws to close. Would it destroy itself in trying?

I glanced at my sonar to check on the rest of the pack. The other three mechanical leviathans were staying back as we moved through the dark depths of the sea. Waiting for the first to break formation so the next could have a turn. I watched the creature before me with cautious optimism. It strained and creaked while the ice cracked and popped. Until finally my eyes went wide with shock. With a mighty crunch, its powerful jaws finally smashed through that sturdy chunk of blue ice. Just how much psi could those jaws generate?! But right when I thought I was back to square one as the Frost Tower's shattered remains were left in our wake, my eyes noticed a change in the mechanical beast before me. It had successfully removed the obstruction from its mouth, but not without cost.

The fangs. Every last metal spike in the mechanical eel's mouth was ruined. They were all fractured, bent out of shape, or in some other misshapen state. It even seemed to know that it had sustained significant damage since it then began to drift off to the side instead of falling back. As if it was excusing itself from the battle that was unfolding. And right on cue, the next leviathan began to rush towards me on my sonar. I was anxious and jittery, but now there was hope in my heart. "All right! You're next!"

I repeated the process one after the other. Dodging to my left when the next leviathan came charging in only to bait it into chomping on a Frost Tower. And each and every time, it would struggle to bite its way through only to succeed at the cost of its fangs. At last, those four terrifying mechanical beasts of the deep had their only weapons disabled as they all swam along in the distance beside me with two on each side. Doctor Luminous cheered with relieved laughter while even I was feeling pretty proud of myself as I laughed at the beasts that had terrified me up until that moment. "Ha! Now what?! Whatcha gonna do, huh?! Whatcha gonna do?!"

What indeed. The four mechanical leviathans soon rushed ahead of me as they started to converge on each other. My eyes narrowed in confusion more than fear. What else did they have left to throw at me? All they had been doing up to that point was try to chomp me like prey. If they had any weapon systems installed, they would have used them by then. But then... It suddenly dawned on me what was happening as the four of the leviathans turned to face each other with their bodies still trailing behind them. "Oh man... I really don't need this right now..."

Their ruined fangs were suddenly jettisoned from their great maws as their jaws opened wide with new mechanisms extending from the leviathans' throats. Their heads rotated as they all connected together. My HUD detected two objects extend out of the sides of each head. I flinched when they rotated in place like turrets, but they turned out to be eight individual hydrojets. No longer swimming like eels, the four leviathans had come together to become...something else. Their long bodies lined with domed lights trailing behind them reminded me of some kind of starfish. A far less threatening creature. And even then...

My confused human psyche began to process what I was seeing before me. The robotic eels were no longer pursuing me like beasts hunting prey. They had now placed themselves before me to try and stop me from reaching my destination. I detected a new weapon system coming online where their heads connected. Powerful laser emitters were revealed on the tops and bottoms of their heads. I even detected identical laser emitters at the tips of the four tailfins that were now pointing in my direction. My fear began to fade somewhat. I no longer felt like I was facing off against horrifying monsters of the deep. More like...I was dealing with a hostile weapon that I could actually fight. Even if we were deep in that black abyss of an ocean. Frustration and defiance boiling in my gut, I summoned my right hand as the H-Buster went dormant. I then took hold of the H-Saber's hilt on my thigh and drew it with the white metallic hilt suddenly extending into the form of a spear shaft. The deadly plasma blade formed a light blue triangular spearhead at the top. The particle shield generator activated on my left arm, producing a translucent barrier twice as large as its standard size and much rounder than usual. My eyes narrowed as a scowl crossed my lips. "Fine then. I'm done running."

The aquatic monstrosity before me instantly fired off lines of lasers that were not slowed down by the sea around us. I heard the sizzling of the water near me as it was instantly brought to a boil by the scalding rays of light. I found that the laser emitters on the core of the robotic guardian were very inflexible and could not adjust the angle of their aim by more than several degrees. But that was where their four arms came into play. No longer being used for propulsion, the massive flat limbs would flex to try and align the eight laser emitters at the tips of their tailfins to try and flank me off from the sides. I noticed just in time as the two arms on my left came up and deflected them with the particle shield on my left arm only to immediately feel a jolt of discomfort as the rays of light on the right raked themselves over my body. Damage had already been dealt, forcing me to glance at the readings of my body's condition. 4% of my body's integrity had been depleted. And I had no idea what to expect once I reached my destination. "Crap... Can't let myself get too roughed up here. There might be another threat waiting for me at the hurricane's source."

It was a genius strategy for Alpha to use against me. Those four horrifying mechanical leviathans were not merely there to destroy me. There were meant to wear me down enough for whatever was at the middle of the storm to finish me off. And now I was pursuing my assailants through the ocean depths instead of the other way around. If I did not take it out first, I would have to contend with it and whoever had unleashed it in the first place once I reached the eye of the storm. And the flailing of the creature's four limbs were completely out of sync as it tried to confuse me with four attacks coming from entirely unpredictable directions. It was less like dodging enemy fire and more like weaving my way through a maze of laser tripwires.

With the H-Saber in my right hand, I had to consider my options. The core was the most obvious weak spot. If I took that out, the four leviathans would likely have the most important components in their heads destroyed. But as I weaved around the volley of lasers coming from so many directions, I thought I noticed something emerge from the four heads of the leviathans themselves. Something darkly colored. Only to immediately lose track of it once those bright lasers came across my vision and forced me to evade. "Doc, did you see that?! It was...like... Small and dark. Where'd it go?!"

"No, no, I saw it too! It was there and just...gone... Wait, there it is again! And...it's gone again..." Doctor Luminous called out to me while I had to constantly stay on the move. It was helpful having an extra pair of eyes to watch for anything I might have overlooked. I was starting to suspect this was another strategy. The small dark...things I just saw were a stark contrast of the very bright lasers trying to cut me down. They were near impossible to spot unless the lasers happened to pass them close enough to briefly illuminate them. But there in the murk, I thought I started to notice something right ahead of me. Something that actually startled me as I nothing a mass approaching me that was at least the size of my head. My eyes went wide. They were...canisters. Deep underwater. And Doctor Luminous figured out their identity before I did. "Hunter! Depth charges!"

I only realized what was coming at the last second and used the hydrojets in my foot panels to hurl myself away from the mass of canisters drifting towards me. Bright flashes lit up the depths as my sensors were rattled by a shockingly potent hydraulic shock. I did not even need to be in the direct blast radius. Those depth charges were doing their job as I detected further damage to my body. What irony! The beasts were using the same trick I used on them, leaving hazards in their wake that I needed to avoid! But where did those depth charges even come from? Where were they being stored... No.

Frustrated shock filled me as my HUD performed a more thorough scan on the mechanical threat ahead of me now that I had it staying right in my field of vision. The four long bodies of the mechanical leviathans. They were utterly packed with explosives. Dozens if not hundreds of depth charges. The mechanical eels that had been pursuing me were mobile depth charge silos protected by very tough plating. And another four depth charges had just been deployed. They vanished into the darkness between me and the beast with that volley of lasers keeping me on the run, but my HUD was now actively detecting their position in the water now that I had it actively scanning for hazards.

There was no way I was going to get anywhere near that thing with lasers keeping me at bay from afar and a steady supply of depth charges blocking my path to the monster's core. I veered hard to my left, pushing through laser beams with my particle shield pushing through them. Maybe if I could get beyond the reach of the beast's arms, I could get ahead of it and attack from behind. But the mechanical monster was quick to respond and adjusted its hydrojets to veer hard to the side to try and keep me well within the circumference of its four limbs. But it was not as aerodynamic as me. It had too much drag keeping its speed down. And just when I thought I was about to reach a position where I could start to overtake it, I was raked again by lasers fired from the two arms on my right. I was rattled and stunned just enough for the beast to once again keep me trapped fully in range of its limbs' weaponry. And I needed to avoid taking damage when possible. "Dang it... Lemme go already!"

The lasers from its core and limbs continued to force me to dance around them with the H-Saber in hand. All while more and more depth charges kept coming and forcing me to veer hard in either direction to put me outside of their full blast radius. Flashes of light and booming sounds rippled through the dark depths around me while the mechanical guardian followed my every move. There was just too much going on! My only real hope was for the thing to run out of depth charges so there would be less resistance between me and its core, but that would take far too long! What could I do to get through?!

Time was not on my side. And the H-Saber was useless if I could not get close enough for a good stab. And it was not like Frost Tower would help me from that distance. But what about... "Wait... Shotgun Ice... Would that...?"

Frost Tower may have been one of the functions needed to assume Lancer Mode, but I still had access to one other frosty weapon in my Variable Weapon System. The swift and long ranged Shotgun Ice. And as one who has always been intimately familiar with how it works, I suddenly had an idea. I quickly deactivated the H-Saber and returned it to its holster on my thigh before once again arming the H-Buster. "OK then... How about I try for some bank shots?"

Shotgun Ice's most useful function is its wide and erratic ricochet effect when striking a hard surface. And I had two long and constantly bending surfaces to aim at. And I knew what I was aiming for. After swimming hard away from another volley of exploding depth charges, I went to work. I took aim and started firing off shot after frigid shot in the hopes of hitting something. The icy projectiles that burst forth from the H-Buster were noticeably slowed down by the water around me, but they still crashed into the guardian's four flat arms with enough speed to generate the desired effect. Many tough and sharp ice shards went flying off in many directions at even greater speeds that the projectile they had once been. No damage was dealt to the arms themselves, but I was not aiming for them anyway. Another four depth charges were deployed. And just before they could drift far at all from their source, one of them was struck by one of the Shotgun Ice's ricocheting shards. And I got exactly what I was hoping for. It instantly detonated with a shockwave of force and light while setting off a chain reaction to the other three. They all denoted within a single second. And I could literally see the aquatic beast recoil from getting blasted by its own weapon. "Got 'im!"

The entire mechanical beast before me tensed up and twisted with the many domed light lining its arms flickering erratically. Having four depth charges going off literally in its face was a devastating blow. Even the many laser emitters that had been firing at me constantly had suddenly been disrupted. But the beast's hydrojets were still functioning. It was not disabled. Only stunned. I quickly disarmed the H-Buster to restore my right hand and swiftly snatched up the H-Saber to return to its spear form. I had to act fast. There was no telling how long it would take for my enemy to stabilize. "Right then... I'm done with you!"

I rushed forward with my body's hydrojets now at maximum output. I began to channel the H-Buster's charge function into the H-Saber as I prayed it would generate the kind of results I needed to take that monster out. But it was not done yet. The laser emitters outside the core finally reactive and tried to cut me down. But i was too locked in to abort my assault. I began to spiral around laser volley as they tried to intercept me with what little flexibility they had. I needed to slip between them to hit the very middle. Too frustrated to worry about sustaining damage, I broke out of that spiral and just barely slipped between the laser column without them grazing me. I gritted my teeth with both hands clutching the H-Saber's spear shaft and thrust it forward. "Come on... COME ON!!!"

The plasma blade at my spear's tip plunged right into the middle of the guardian's core. And once buried into the glowing molten metal surrounding it, I unleashed the H-Buster's charge. The result was...interesting, to say the least. A layer of bright ice rapidly rushed forth from the H-Saber's spearhead, crackling and spreading over the entire mechanical abomination in only a brief moment. It became still while still propelling itself online. Creaking and groaning as it tried to flex its limbs hard enough to break free of its icy shell. But I was sure that ice was even reaching inside the beast as well. Tension in my gut, I whispered one last word to that terror of the deep. "You're done."

With one twist of the H-Saber, it was all over. The entire frozen leviathan utterly shattered with a mighty echoing sound deep in the ocean depths. The many lights lining its still frozen body flickered for a moment more before finally going dark forever. And just like that, I was back in that eldritch black abyss far from land and the light of the moon. But I still felt relief. Relief that the nightmare was over. At least until Doctor Luminous spoke to me as I floated there quietly. "Um... Hunter? You might want to...you know...get away from there."

"Why? I just took out the... Uh oh." That was when it dawned on me. I looked down with my sonar now display many smaller blips within its range. Nothing more than a field of debris. And my HUD was still at work scanning for live threats wherever I looked. And there were lots of them around me. All the depth charges that did not get used on me were still locked in the now fractured and sinking remains of the mechanical leviathan I had just shattered. And while no timers or triggers were in effect, I knew depth charges were still designed to detonate when a certain amount of water pressure was applied to them. And with them now sinking deeper by the second... "Nope! I'm outta here!"

My hydrojets roared as I went rushing towards the beacon on my HUD indicating my destination. Barely ten seconds went by before I felt it. A mighty shockwave rushed through the water as every last depth charge behind me went off. Even from that distance, I still felt great discomfort as my robotic body was rattled by the shockwave. But just as quickly as it came, the depths became quiet again. And I took a moment to slow to a stop to savor a moment of peace. Even if I was surrounded by the abyss of the ocean depths. The damage I had sustained was mild. I would probably be all right if I took no chances for the rest of the mission. "That was...too much... I'm not going back in the ocean for a good long while after tonight."

https://youtu.be/vHM-7dv5KVk?si=3cGn8Po6tVo6Gz57

"Hunter... Are you all right? Your response to those...things back there... It was very unusual. Very...irrational. And these readings I was getting were...inconclusive. Did you experience a malfunction of sorts?" Doctor Luminous spoke over my internal receiver now that the situation was calm. I also made sure to check my sonar in the corner of my visor. Nothing was out there for the moment.

Even after all of that, Project H's creator was still puzzled over his creation reacting the way he did? Maybe the real Hunter would have not freaked out like I did, but I was still human in mind and soul. And I scowled in annoyance as I barked back at him. "Well you tell me! You saw everything that happened! Weren't you terrified as well?"

Doctor Luminous replied with just as much vigor, "Yes! Yes, that was quite a harrowing experience! But I'm just a pony, Hunter! I'm not designed for what you just experienced! But machines have no natural..."

"Have you forgotten why you created me, doctor? Wasn't I supposed to be as human as possible in spite of my mechanical body?" I asked with my words silencing him. Doctor Luminous was left without words. And so I explained as someone who knows what it means to be human. "Machines aren't supposed to fear the ocean. But humans... We're not designed for the ocean. We're not meant for these aquatic environments. It rejects us. And...it is wise to be wary of an environment you are completely incompatible with. Fear of the ocean... Fear of what might be lurking in it... It almost feels...natural. Does that make sense to you? Was my reaction to those beasts, even if mechanical in nature, one that made sense given the circumstances?"

The voice in my head only breathed deeply in contemplation. Until he finally spoke carefully. "I suppose... I did my best to design you to be as human as possible. For better or worse. We ponies though... We too are not designed for the ocean. And these fears you describe... Thalassophobia... Submechanophobia... Megalohydrothalassophobia... Maybe these phobias aren't so much phobias at all... Perhaps fear of the ocean is more natural than we want to believe."

"So you do get it. But I still have a mission to carry out. So...like humans...I'll just have to adapt and defy my own unease until the job is done." I said as I once again flared up my body's hydrojets to propel myself along on a gradual ascent. And while still surrounded by the haunting black depths of the ocean, I only felt mildly anxious. Alert and constantly listening for anything to break the near silence of the deep, but not as overwhelmed as I had been earlier. Perhaps that harrowing close call with those mechanical leviathans caused me to develop some appreciation for some isolation in the abyss. It was just me and my partner by then. And I was quite happy with that.

My depth in the ocean rose to around fifty meters below the surface. I did not want to rise too high. The light of the moon high above was still blocked out by the swirling clouds above. And I did not want to get too close to the surface. I was already anxious enough of the depths around me. I did not need to get freaked out by the storm above. It was quiet. Too quiet... And yet I had already destroyed the first line of defense of Alpha's latest scheme. "Doc. Are you picking up anything else out there? Have there been any changes from your satellite readings after I took that thing out?"

"One moment here... No, it seems the situation remains unchanged in the eye of the storm. There's still something out there. Something big that's moving along with the hurricane, but I'm not seeing any changes. Nothing that could be in response for you sinking those robotic beasts." Doctor Luminous replied right away. It definitely sounded too good to be true. Did my destination have nothing else to throw at me? Or...was there something else out there? Something...or someone too small to be picked up by the planet's satellites?

There was only one name that came to mind as I propelled myself through the depths. I would not be facing Alpha that night. No, it would not be him I would cross swords with. Powerful as his bodies tend to be, he was never designed for the sea. But one of his mightiest enforcers had been designed for just such an environment. "She's out there, doc. I just know it. Aquarius is waiting for me."

Doctor Luminous let out a long sigh of agreement. "That would be a wise assumption... This is definitely a situation she was custom tailored for. I just hope Lancer Mode will be enough to counter her now that you're both in your element out there."

I remembered her. That unexpectedly beautiful and gentle maiden of the sea. Alpha had no reason to design one of his most powerful enforcers to be so beautiful and womanly, but he did. And it made her stand out all the more in my memory. And I remembered her brothers. Corvus. Orion. Aries. All devoted to their leader's cause in different ways. But Aquarius? Not at all. She was so hesitant. So unwilling to harm me when we first met. As if she had no idea why she was there or what she was fighting for. She still found the will to fight in the end. And she fought well. But I still remembered her voice as soothing as a bubbling spring. Her eyes as gentle as a still pond. And a new unease formed in my heart. "I don't want to fight her, doctor. She's not my enemy."

My words confused the good doctor watching my every move through my own two eyes. "She's not? Last I checked, she is very much our enemy. Same as her brothers. And she is heralding the arrival of a hurricane that will annihilate Maretropolis. And that's without taking into account what damage will be done as it moves further inland. Aquarius will..."

"Doc. She's not a maverick. She's not a slave to Alpha. She's not our enemy. She's just...fighting for the wrong side." I spoke up firmly as a twinge of frustration flared up in my head. Although I did resist the urge to discuss her three brothers. Alpha's four enforcers were loyal to his cause at the time. But...just how aware were they of the end goal of his ambitions? Do they truly understand the devastation that will come with it? Are they not yet aware that they are fighting for the extinction of the organic people of the world? No... Not yet. I am sure of it.

My partner went silent as I propelled myself forward. Only the subtle sounds of the underwater currents and the gentle din of my sonar reached my auditory sensors. And I was careful to mind my sonar while it displayed the edge of its reach above. A ceiling of sorts was displayed fifty meters up to show the surface of the ocean. Until finally Doctor Luminous spoke to me again. And he spoke with a contemplative tone. "Your capacity for critical thought only continues to amaze me, Hunter."

"I wasn't asking for you to agree with me, doc. I was just stating what I understand." I replied while increasing the output of my body's hydrojets to maximum. Time was of the essence and the beacon on my HUD indicated that my destination was still miles away. I needed to reach it while the hurricane was still far from shore. If I had no other obstacles to deal with, then the cavitation of my body was of no concern to me.

Doctor Luminous then spoke up to me with an almost apologetic tone. "No, no, I wasn't trying to argue with you there. It's just that... You have a point there. Every other mechanical threat we've seen has been a carrier of the Alpha Virus. But those four? They are strangely immune to it. That makes it impossible for them to qualify for the traits necessary to be labeled as maverick. But they are still loyal to his cause all the same."

I came to my own conclusions during that conversation. I remembered the first time the Alpha Virus itself manifested from the mangled corpse of Alpha's first body. All while Corvus and Aries were present. Alpha himself declared they had been designed to be entirely immune to it. "My guess is he needs them to be able to function with a clear mind. The Alpha Virus does tend to drive the infected to madness... A quartet of psychotic killers doesn't sound like the most reliable subordinates."

My partner remained silent for a moment as I rushed ahead in the dark depths of the sea. I was still alone for now. And that was just the way I wanted it. At least until Doctor Luminous asked me a question. "Do you think we could convince them to abandon their loyalty to Alpha eventually?"

"I'm counting on it, doc. They're not bad people. They're just fighting for the wrong cause." I replied in brief as a faint smile spread across my lips. I even remembered having such a conversation with some of my younger friends while discussing the lore of Project H. Smolder, Ocellus, and Gallus had all come to their own conclusions over the possibilities of Alpha's four enforcers going rogue. The real question was who would become the first turncoat.

"I certainly hope you're right..." Luminous grumbled to himself. Not that I fault him for being skeptical. I too was not sure if all four would turn on Alpha eventually.

Doctor Luminous and I continued to converse for the remainder of my journey to the eye of the storm. I had grown rather comfortable down there fifty meters below the surface by then. But still not entirely without anxiousness. There was always that flicker of doubt at the back of my mind over being in a place I really did not belong. But the doctor's voice was a welcome distraction. One topic that caught my attention was an upcoming birthday party for Hum Drum. And the two of us had been invited. Would that warrant its own comic book issue eventually? But eventually, I suddenly noticed something about me. My own body appeared...brighter. And even tiny bubbles and bits of flotsam floating in the sea became more noticeable. I drifted to a stop and turned my gaze upward. "Light? Of the moon?"

I could see something beyond the distorted surface of the ocean above me. A white beacon. And so I ascended. My head burst out of the surf as I floated there in the open sea. The air was much quieter than expected. And the storm...was not there. Nothing but vast open sky above. But then I turned around. Behind me to the west was a daunting sight. Vast walls of dark clouds reaching to the sky and spanning the entire horizon. It was unlike anything I had ever seen in my life. "That's... To think this actually occurs in nature... How big is the eye of the storm anyway?"

"It can vary, although this one seems unusually large. According to these readings the eye of this hurricane is approximately fifty miles across. Although the source of it is at the center. Keep heading east and you should find it." I heard Doctor Luminous reply. And I confess there was a sense of relief finally being above water. I threw myself high out of the surf with a boost from my foot panels. Once at the peak of my leap, I disengaged Lancer Mode as my body regained its default white appearance. My flight thrusters reactivated and flared up to keep me airborne. And yet... Even up there, I still could not see anything out there. Nothing but the appearance of an approaching storm on the far horizon. I was in the very center of the pinwheel drifting across the ocean. I cannot begin to describe the sense of isolation I felt. No longer feeling like I was in a place that did not want me there, but just so...isolated and alone.

A renewed sense of urgency filled me. I just wanted to get the job done with so I could get back to shore. I rushed forward over the sea at rapidly building speed. And I did not even go a minute before something came up on the horizon. "That's the source...? It sure looks like it."

It was just floating out there in the sea. A single massive turbine facing up to the sky while four tall towers topped with wide round platforms floated at set distances from it in the cardinal directions. Those towers were likely attached to the central structure by cables underwater as a means to keep the storm generator upright and stable. The turbine was roaring as it whirled under a sturdy grating. It floated low in the sea to keep its center of gravity float and more stable. And while hard to notice at first, it was gradually moving west. There must have been hydrojets or propellers of its own attached to its hull underneath. While I had know idea how it could literally cause a hurricane, there must have been some magical elements at play. Science could not explain its function.

"That's it. It has to be... Do whatever you have to in order to take it offline, Hunter." Doctor Luminous spoke as I descended to the edge of the structure. There were four solid walkways that led to the center. If I stepped off the walkway, I would probably get flung into the sky by the turbine's wind. But as I walked towards the center, I could not help but feel like I was not alone. And it was concerning that no one had tried to stop me yet.

Doctor Luminous tried to speak to me over my internal receiver, but the sheer amount of noise being generated by the turbine under me was drowning out even internal sounds in me. I almost laughed at the situation. "Hey, doc! Can't hear you right now! It's way too loud out here!"

I swear I heard him trying to yell back at me over the roar of the turbine. Even Doctor Luminous himself could not hear me over my comm system. I burst into a jog to get myself to the middle of the device. Its size must have been large enough to cover the entire town square in Ponyville. But I was confused when I reached the center. I stood atop a wide circular panel, but there was nothing there that would allow me to interface with it. No control panels or anything. The only way to shut it down was with force. And I had a good idea how to do it. "This'll only take a minute."

I once again activated Lancer Mode and drew the H-Saber from its holster. It extended and assumed the form of a spear that I then turned around to prepare for a downward stab at the floor. But it was then I hesitated. I was about to surely destroy that device in one fell swoop. Alpha's scheme would be foiled for the time being. It was too...easy. If someone was going to interfere, they would have done so by then.

There was no way there was not a last line of defense for Alpha's latest weapon. I scanned my surroundings with my eyes focusing on the tops of the four floating towers nearby. They made for excellent vantage points. I turned to check each one. And just when I thought I was worried over nothing, my eyes saw the fourth. And even from that distance, I could tell that someone was there. Right at the edge, she watched me. My HUD scanned the distant form and found a match. It was her. "Aquarius..."

https://youtu.be/YOdLbcKHAk0?si=\_-2IJfG8e1hiUZB1

Alpha's aquatic enforcer watched me in eerie silence. And my heart quivered in anticipation. But why was she not doing anything? She and I shared a long silent stare before I began to cautiously prepare for a killing blow. I grasped my spear in both hands as I channeled the H-Buster's charge function into it. At maximum charge, I raised my spear. Only to glance back over at the top of that tower. Aquarius was still there and did not make a move. Was she allowing me to disable the storm generator? Was it a trap?

There was no time to second-guess myself. The closer the storm got to Maretropolis, the less time it would have to die out. I was sure destroying the generator would not cause the hurricane to immediately vanish. It would only start to lose strength until it faded away. There was no time to waste. Bracing myself for whatever might happen, I plunged my spear into the floor and unleashed its charge.

Just like with that mechanical leviathan, jagged layers of ice rapidly extended down into the turbine and along its whirling blades. Further and further until the roar of the turbine started to be replaced with screeching and groaning. The entire device under me became thoroughly choked with ice. I waited as the turbine's blades came to a stop while struggling to defy its icy restrictions. The great machine groaned and sparked. Until finally it happened. Many smaller explosions went off as the device finally overloaded. All where I could not see it. And yet... The end result was not as impressive as I expected. The entire thing remained afloat and stable with trails of smoke rising through the grating between the walkways. I withdrew my spear from the floor and glanced around me in borderline disappointment. "Weird... I was expecting the result to be a bit more...bombastic."

The air was much quieter. All I heard was the sounds of the waves around me. And on the horizon in all directions were still towering walls of dark clouds. My eyes widened as I asked, "Doc. Was that it? Is the hurricane fading?"

The clicking of a keyboard was broadcast to me through my internal receiver. Doctor Luminous was working quickly to check the satellite readings. "Hold on... From the looks of it... Yes. Wind speeds are already dropping bit by bit. It'll take some time, but it looks like the hurricane will dissipate before it can make landfall. I'm assuming Maretropolis will just be getting hit with heavy rain at worst. Well done, Hunter."

Mission accomplished. That was all I needed to know. But I knew I was not done yet. I turned my gaze to the top of that distant tower. I could feel the structure under me become completely still. Even its propulsion systems had gone offline. The structures above and below me had now become buoys adrift at sea. And up there was still Aquarius. My eyes narrowed in anticipation. "Thanks, doc. But I think I still have one last issue to deal with before I head back."

"I see. I don't think there's anything I can add to the situation. I'll leave the rest to you, but I'll still be watching. Just speak up if you need anything. Best of luck, Hunter." My partner replied before the call was cut. My HUD detected the connection having been lost, but I was sure my optic sensors were still broadcasting a live feed to the screen Luminous was watching. I watched the very distant form of Aquarius as she finally responded. She suddenly shot up high into the air on a trail of water being left in her wake. Her own hydrojets expelling moisture they had collected for propulsion. I watched in awe as her form even ended up passing in front of the moon above. All for her to fall and land on the opposite walkway with a clank. Such grace. She even managed to stick the landing.

We said nothing for a good moment. My eyes traced over the tall mechanical maiden before me. Just as stunningly beautiful as I remembered with her smooth blue armor components set over a very womanly build. Not the body of a mare, but one of a woman. Her equine face, as if modeled after Celestia herself, gazed upon me with a troubled yet gentle frown on her lips. Her long horn upon her brow remained dormant for the moment. And in her right hand was a long white pole with no frigid blade at either tip. And much like before, a long flowing head of hair in the form of frigid arctic mist spilled from the back of her head. Why did Alpha design her to be so beautiful? There was no need for that. And yet he did. Was her design supposed to be an extension of his own perceived self beauty? A product of narcissism?

I did not see it. While I am certain Alpha used his own design as a template for his four enforcers, I did not once see Alpha in them at all. Especially when it came to the only mare of the quartet. Aquarius' beauty was entirely her own. And why so silent? I looked down at the ruined storm generator below us. I then looked back at my imminent opponent and said, "You could've stopped me."

Aquarius turned her gaze away from me. And despite her lack of lungs, she still let out a long contemplative sigh. "Could I? I don't think so. There would've been no stopping you once you dealt that blow."

Her voice was lovely. Soothing as a gently flowing brook. But Aquarius was also right. Once I plunged my spear into the structure below me, that rapidly encroaching field of ice could not be stopped. Or perhaps she was not meant to protect the generator. That task fell to the...mechanical monsters that I found waiting for me in the depths. That memory still fresh in my mind, I then scowled at her. "Before I can forget... I really didn't appreciate having to deal with your pets back there. I don't think I've ever been so terrified before."

"They were not mine. Just an...automated defense system Lord Alpha put in place. I had no control over them. My directive...was to wait. You weren't expected to get by them." Aquarius replied with a certain disdain in her tone. As if even she was not in favor of such a devious defense system. Had I not known better, Alpha would have intended for those things to capitalize on the primal fears of the human psyche. But I am surely thinking too hard on that.

I looked around us. The four tall floating towers with wide platforms atop them. They must have served a purpose, but there was no easy way to reach the tops without flight. My job was done. The hurricane around us would fade away before it could reach the shore far to the west. And those horrifying mechanical beasts were now in pieces and probably resting on the seafloor by then. "In any case, I did get by them. They're scrap now. And I don't think Alpha will be happy to know you failed to stop me from disabling this generator."

"Perhaps... But I did have another objective. Should I fail to prevent the generator from being disabled, there is one other mission I must fulfill. One that will still make this mission worthwhile." Aquarius replied as she slowly began to raise the pole in her right hand. Frigid mist rapidly swarmed around the tip that was starting to be pointed at me. And in seconds, a shimmering and frigid blue blade of ice formed on the pole's tip to serve as a glaive. Her weapon ready, Aquarius pointed her glaive at my face. "And that directive...is to destroy you."

There was no malice in her voice. Even when armed, Aquarius did not sound like a warrior or anyone ready to fight for a cause they believed in. Those eyes... There was no conviction in them. No confidence. Those were the eyes of a woman who was following a path she did not even want to walk along. And my gaze lacked conviction too. I felt no desire to bring harm to the beautiful maiden before me. Whether she be flesh or metal. I cautiously took a step forward. And then another while making certain the spear in my own right hand was lowered and pointing out to the side. I saw her eyes widen in uncertainty. She had issued a challenge, but my response was confusing her. Once my opponent's glaive was within reach, I gently rested my left hand on the blade's spine and slowly pushed it downward towards the floor. "Please... Don't."

I could only imagine what was going through the head of Doctor Luminous as he watched through my own two eyes. He must have been restraining himself to open a call to try and dissuade me from putting myself in a vulnerable position. But I could not help it. I did not want to fight Aquarius. My heart was demanding that I hold her. To cradle that beautiful maiden in my arms. Not to fight, but to comfort. Her mouth became just barely agape as I am sure she was not expecting such a gentle response to her tepid show of aggression. I then asked softly, "Do you...even want to fight?"

She quivered, the glaive in her hand shaking. Aquarius had been designed and created to wage war against her lord's enemies. And now she was being given the exact opposite of what she was likely expecting. The mechanical maiden before me turned her head away with eyes squinted shut. "No..."

"Me neither. You're not maverick. Even now I'm not detecting any viral presence within you. We shouldn't have to do this." I replied as I took a step past her blade. I was now past her defenses. Aquarius would not be able attack easily with her main weapon at that range. And I made certain that the spear in my right hand was pointed far out to my side to show I had no intention of using it. But I would not put it away as long as the blade of her glaive was present. I finally came within arms reach from her. I tilted my head back to let my eyes meet hers now that I was reminded that she had been based on Alpha's schematics in more than one way. Aquarius stood at least a head taller than me. And at that moment, I felt a strange sense of...reassurance. That I was not alone out there in the vast empty ocean countless miles from shore. Aquarius was my rock for that night. And I felt the urge to be hers. I extended my left hand to her. "Have you ever been held before? Cradled in the arms of another?"

All Aquarius did was shake her head. And I could understand why. While I know the Project H series has not offered any views into the lives of Alpha's enforcers off the field, I could imagine she and her brothers were offered little in ways of comfort. They probably did not even have a dedicated base of sorts to return to after missions. Or did they? But if they were in service to Alpha, he probably kept them very at the ready to carry out his ambitions. Aquarius took a step back, but that was as far as she got. I began to feel like a confrontation was on the verge of being avoided as I spoke to her. "Would you like to know how it feels?"

Her eyes closed as Aquarius appeared to be filled with uncertainty. Until she finally brought herself down to one knee. Her head turned away, her eyes squinted shut, she looked as if she was debating over whether or not I was trying to bait her into a moment that would allow for an easy sneak attack from me. What an utterly scummy tactic. If I did that, she would never forget it and surely never forgive me. So I stepped forward to put her concerns to rest. With my spear pointing far out to the side, I put my left arm around Aquarius and rested my head on her shoulder plate. "It's OK... We're not enemies. We don't...have to hurt each other."

She quivered with a raspy wheeze escaping her lips. Aquarius slumped into my embrace while she returned the favor. I felt her left arm fold over me in a mutual embrace. Even with her body being entirely mechanical, I felt the robotic maiden in my embrace relax significantly. And that was where we stayed for a moment. But Aquarius still found the will to speak. "Hunter... Why? Why so kind to your enemy?"

"I just told you. We're not enemies. Because you're not maverick. And if you're not maverick, then you can still listen. You can still reason and be reasoned with." I explained to her as my hand glided over the smooth contours of her sleek blue armor plating. Could she feel me through it? I could certainly feel her. My hands, which resembled human hands wrapped in a skintight layer of white, could feel everything as if I was still entirely organic.

Aquarius then asked me a much more profound question. One that not many would know how to answer. "And...what is a maverick?"

I did not take long to contemplate my answer. It was a term I had taken many years to think about. "A maverick...is a robotic entity that has become irrationally and irreparably violent and destructive either through viral corruption or damage and malfunctions to their cerebral systems. And if you don't exhibit signs of either... Then you're not maverick."

"Then...what are we even doing here? If we're not enemies... Why must we fight? Why must we destroy each other?" Aquarius asked again with an almost mournful tone in her beautiful voice. She was desperate for answers. For guidance.

I let out a sigh. She really had not taken the time to contemplate the sad reality of her situation. "Because...you're a tool of someone who is maverick. You're not maverick, but Alpha is. And you are his sword to wage war against his enemies. And as long as he still holds you..."

Aquarius clung to me more firmly as my words reached her artificial ears atop her head. As if my words stirred an unpleasant memory into spilling forth in my mind. Sensing her anxiety, I stroked her back while I asked, "Did you...ever question his motives? Question the orders he gave you?"

"Once... When my brothers weren't around. I asked what we were trying to gain and... He made it sound like a noble goal. Fighting for the future of our machine brethren. To change the world so that our race of machines will have a golden future. It sounds...worthwhile. But... If that means...the destruction of the organic races of this world..." Aquarius replied as we continued to hold each other. And I could almost have predicted her response word for word. Mavericks are so truly...predictable.

I let out a sigh of my own disappointment in Alpha. How far he had fallen. I then muttered while I slowly shook my head with my jaw still resting on my opponent's shoulder plate, "Typical... He knows what he's fighting for. He thinks he knows what kind of future awaits... But they never do. True mavericks like Alpha can't have that kind of foresight. Wanting to change the world while having no idea how the cause and effect of their actions will truly play out. It's always a pipe dream every time. An impossible vision seen through a lens of madness. You can't build a utopia on the graves of literally everyone else..."

Aquarius went silent. My words were definitely affecting her. But it was still so much to think about between two clashing directions. She had been online for a very short amount of time. No one, even those born with elaborate intelligence, could quickly come to a solid conclusion with so much information jumping around in their heads. She needed time to think and process all she knew. And so I asked, "Is that what you're fighting for? Machine superiority at the cost of everyone else?"

"I don't know anymore... All I know is my mission, my brothers, my lord, and my design. They're all I've ever had. And..." Aquarius spoke with some distress in her tone. She went silent. I held her closely, but then I felt her embrace starting to weaken. And when she spoke next... The tone in her voice was...so cold. "I'm sorry, Hunter. I really am. But I have my orders. If I fail in this mission..."

Aquarius suddenly brought her left hand to my breastplate and gave me an impressively strong shove. I was sent back a good distance while barely not falling over. I was startled, but at least Aquarius was gracious enough to not try and damage me during a moment of weakness. She rose back onto both feet. But her eyes... So frigid and harsh. Where had that lovely maiden who had been as gentle of a rippling pond gone? All that was left in her eyes was the freezing glare of the frigid north. It was not like her. Unless... "Emotion suppression?"

My opponent continued to speak with an icy tone. But I knew the true Aquarius was in there somewhere. "It's the only way I can find the will to fight you. I have to ignore these...feelings. I don't want to fight you, but I must. I really wish the situation was different for us, Hunter. I would much rather hold you and let you hold me than take my blade to you. But Lord Alpha is expecting results. Even if everything you've said tonight is true... I can't turn back now. It's fight or fail. And if I fail... What punishment will my lord have in store for me when I report to him?"

I could not fault her. There was too much riding on her shoulders by then. The only thing she could take from my discussion was food for thought should she survive the imminent battle that was about to unfold. My hand tightened its grasp on my spear as I tried to find any resolve I could. "I'm sorry it has to be this way... Forgive me."

"Fight well, Hunter. We don't have an audience this time. It's just us now. So let's...try to enjoy this." Aquarius said with a an emotionless chill in her tone. The tranquil pond before me had become the arctic wastes. The ocean and the arctic are so closely intertwined that the horror they carry to those unfortunate enough to not have been specifically designed to exist in them is...not so far removed from each other. The maiden whose gentle heart was now locked away... Beauty barely hiding cruelty just under the surface. What a harrowing mission I had embarked on.

But my opponent was not ready to clash with me just yet. There were still preparations to make. Aquarius tapped the end of her glaive's shaft onto the metal walkway beneath us. Something was triggered beneath us. I felt the entire platform we were on lurch slightly. I leaned over the walkway's edge to look through the grating between the four walkways and saw...the massive fan blades underneath disappearing into the depths below. Had the entire storm generator been jettisoned?

I then noticed something around us. The four mooring towers floating nearby began to sink until the wide round platforms at their tops were at the ocean's surface. The floatation systems underneath had likely just adjusted themselves to let the towers float lower in the water. And then a sound from all around us. A layer of metal flooring was starting to extend out from the center to cover the grating between the walkways. In a moment, the entire floating platform had solid flat flooring across its entire surface. A central platform with four smaller platforms nearby... A battlefield. The entire floating structure served a specific purpose. With the generator disabled, it was time for the main event.

Tension began to build in me. I had just barely avoided meeting a harrowing end in the ocean depths. I did not want to get dragged back into the ocean at night again so soon. If Aquarius were to drag me back down there, I would get to see her function at her fullest. And I had yet to see how much more efficient she is when performing in deep water. The distraction now having played out, I turned to Aquarius with my left arm's particle shield ready to join my spear in battle. I let out one more sigh as I resigned myself to the imminent battle. I then asked bitterly, "Well then... Shall we dance, m'lady?"

https://youtu.be/Fnt50ZX7sqY?si=-uchOSYBzKiSLDc8

"Charming." Aquarius coldly retorted as the long horn atop her head began to glow blue with power that was not entirely science or magic. Somewhere between the two. The vast walls of the weakening hurricane still surrounded us miles away with the moon high above shining down on the vast ocean around us. An ocean that started to become angry. The waves splashing against the platforms became more fierce, reaching high and crashing down over the platforms to keep the surfaces constantly soaked. I did not have to worry about slipping. My foot panels were designed to maintain traction on even wet surfaces. But having water everywhere would suit Aquarius well even when above the ocean. She then took her glaive in both hands, its blade of pure blue ice angled towards me. "I have my orders, Hunter. I'll show no mercy."

"That's such a shame. Because I feel nothing but the urge to show mercy to you." I replied with frustration over the situation. I was ready to fight, but was so desperately hoping for a way to end the mission without a kill on either side. I held my particle shield before me with spear ready at the side in my right hand. "Ladies first."

Aquarius struck with unexpected speed. The hydrojets in her heel panels launched her forward on a jet of water with such sudden speed that I almost failed to hold my defense. Sparks flew from my shield as it held up against that unnaturally sharp blade of the world's toughest ice. But I also could not attack. Not with my spear being held in one hand and from such range. I felt a jolt of shock go through me as I suddenly noticed that Aquarius had passed my defenses! The spear was useless against an opponent that was right up in my face!

My opponent did not speak as the ice in her programming muted her. With a gaze as cold as a blizzard, Aquarius suddenly slipped the spine of her glaive's blade under the bottom of my shield's rim and flung it upwards with me being thoroughly knocked off balance. My shield arm was shoved aside as I struggled to not completely lose my footing. I barely had time to think. That glaive was now raised high and preparing to come down with immense cutting force. Acting more on instinct, I defied the urge to try evading and instead moved forward with my head bowed.

There was a clank as Aquarius brought her glaive down. But just as she had bypassed the reach of my spear's tip, I was now beyond the range of her blade. The blade of blue ice came down just behind me with the clank I heard coming from its shaft striking my left shoulder plate. My HUD did not even register the strike as damage. I felt a surge of relief knowing I had evaded a blow that would have caused significant damage while Aquarius' icy facade faded just enough for her to display a gaze of wide eyes filled with surprise. We were once again close enough to each other to embrace. But I knew better than to try. "We...uh... We're really no good at dealing with each other up close like this, huh?"

"Agreed. Let's maintain some distance." Aquarius replied with her icy scowl returning to her eyes. We simultaneously jumped backwards with a great leap. Frustrated over the lack of control I had over my weapon when held in one had, I dismissed my particle shield while taking my spear in both. I was perplexed. I had only known how to use swords and never polearms, yet something about the functions of Lancer Mode had it all come naturally to me. I even began to twirl my spear around me, getting a feel for how to hold it while also keeping Aquarius guessing with its momentum.

Aquarius responded to my theatrics with a bit of a spear dance of her own. She began to whirl and twirl her glaive all around as we began to slowly circle each other. As if we were daring each other to try and make the first move. Even the ocean itself seemed impatient with how it kept crashing over the edges of our floating battlefield. Aquarius would not strike first. She had already tried that with poor results. So I made the first move, spinning myself around with my spear for a single rotation before using that building momentum to thrust my spear forward with my hand grasping the shaft at the very bottom for maximum range. "Come on!"

My opponent parried my thrust well. She stepped aside just enough while sliding the shaft of her glaive against my spear's to push it away while winding up momentum for a slash. I hastily all but rolled out of the way with one hand keeping me up enough as I made a full rotation with my spear still grasped in my right hand at the very bottom of the shaft. With that dodge came more momentum as I turned and swung my spear. The spearhead, designed more for stabbing than cutting, still sliced Aquarius across her breastplate with sparks flying thanks to its plasma blade. I instantly felt a sting of regret that I had to struggle to ignore. Especially now that Aquarius was moving towards me with her glaive's blade dragging along the soaked floor.

I stood ready as I summoned the particle shield on my left arm. Aquarius swung her glaive up too soon, but dragging its icy blade along the wet floor was not without purpose. With that upward swing came a sudden wall of almost instantly extending ice spikes conjured from the seawater covering the battlefield. They slammed hard into the barrier between us and sent me flying back and almost to the very edge of the floating platform. The cluster of blue ice spikes quickly dissolved into mist in response to the influence of whatever was being channeled through Aquarius' unicorn horn. I glanced behind myself to see the dark ocean beyond the edge with its waves angrily crashing against and over the edges. I did not want to go back in there.

And yet that was exactly where Aquarius intended to send me. During that brief distraction, my opponent worked the technological and magical properties of her horn to command the water under our feet itself. Every last drop of seawater was brought in front of me in a massive wave that quickly swept me up and sent me overboard into the ocean depths below. But the undersides of the floating platforms and their floatation towers surprised me. External light sources illuminated the immediate area. Even Aquarius could not see easily in the dark depths where light does not reach.

My hydrojets flared up to maintain my buoyancy. I was about to fling myself back out of the ocean only for someone to come diving in. Aquarius narrowly missed me on her way down with her body's own internal hydrojets propelling her along like a torpedo. She did not move through the water in the same way that I did. It was very...cetacean like. I saw subtle movements as if she was performing a swimming motion in the manner of a dolphin. She was more aerodynamic than I was in the water. But I had my own tricks to compensate for my shortcomings. Even her long flowing hair of arctic mist emanating from the back of her head still trailed behind her in the form of a pale fog that rapidly cleared up in her wake.

I armed the H-Buster and fired off a flurry of Shotgun Ice projectiles to no avail. There was no hitting Aquarius while she was on the move from that distance. Until I remembered what Shotgun Ice excels at. As Aquarius banked around my shots while starting to come back towards me with her glaive ready, I fired off a few rounds at the nearest submerged tower. Aquarius was unfamiliar with Shotgun Ice and did not anticipate the many ricocheting ice shards that came flying back in our direction upon making contact. A few skirted by her face to startle her only for a few to strike her from her blind spots. Acting quickly, I disarmed the H-Buster to restore my right hand before Aquarius had even taken a hit and rushed forward with my H-Saber's spear mode ready and clutched in both hands. My hydrojets roared at maximum output as I drove my spear's plasma blade squarely into her breastplate. "Gotcha!"

It was not enough, but it was a good first hit. The titanium alloy of Aquarius' armor plating managed to resist the piercing force and searing burn of my spear while she was pushed back. I pulled my spear away and sent her careening away with a hard slash to the side while I was suddenly reminded of her own tricks. The technological magic in her horn flash froze chunks of seawater into frigid blue darts that slammed into me from the sides for light damage. I flinched and quickly flung myself in one direction to evade more icy darts being flung at me from beyond my vision. I had already taken some damage just reaching that battlefield. I could not let myself get too reckless.

Getting farther away from Aquarius reawakened my discomfort at being back in the depths of that vast open ocean. Those five floating buoys were the only thing providing me with some form of reassurance. I needed to keep them in sight. Aquarius came rushing at me for a swing of her glaive, but I wanted to get back out of the water and on solid ground. I flung myself upwards with the strongest boost my hydrojets could produce and burst out of the sea towards the nearest outer platform. I landed with a clank and splash before gazing out at the vast ocean around me. The walls of the dying hurricane still blanketed the horizon as the ocean surged around me. I grunted to myself as I asked, "How the hell is Aquarius not creeped out by this environment?!"

Perhaps that was why she had the means to suppress her emotions. Was even Aquarius not immune to the borderline natural fear of the ocean depths and its vastness? Would she need to disable her ability to feel unease just to function in such an environment? And I was swiftly reminded of my opponent. My HUD detected her right at the edge of my vision. She was propelling herself towards my occasion while just under the surface of the raging ocean. Even frequently breaching the surface like a dolphin in a likely attempt to confirm my location through her own eyes. I suddenly detected her descend. Only to suddenly rise and burst out of the ocean with great speed as she soared over me and back into the ocean on the other side. All the while, her horn froze the many droplets of water that followed her into the air and sent them raining down on me in a hail of icy needles.

I ran all around the platform in an attempt to try and make myself a harder target. Aquarius began to repeat this tactic, breaching and soaring high over me and diving back into the ocean while sending another rain of ice darts shooting down at me each time. The direction she came from was different with every breach and was utterly unpredictable. I tried to counter her attacks with some of my own, reactivating the H-Buster and firing rounds of Shotgun Ice into the floor in the hopes its many ricocheting shard would hit her. Some did, but not enough to dissuade Aquarius from ceasing her attack. I needed a way out. And I had only one other tool to use. "Fine. Let's try something heavy instead!"

I charged up the H-Buster to maximum as I stood at the edge of the platform facing the open ocean. The instant Aquarius dove into the ocean after another passing attempt to rain freezing shards on me, I raised the H-Buster to the sky and put my plan in motion. "Try some of this! Frost Tower!"

The technological marvels within the H-Buster went to work in creating a wave of massive icebergs out of whatever moisture was in the air. One after the other, one fell, followed by two, then three, and finally four over a growing area. And I cracked up laughing when I happened to catch Aquarius breaching from the ocean only to see the look of shock on her face before she ran face first into the first iceberg! A mighty clack reached my auditory sensors as she was smashed back down into the sea while the rest of the following icebergs missed their mark. Until I happened to notice a large shadow rapidly growing over the platform before me. I glance up...and immediately regretted my decision. "Uh oh."

All it took was one of those falling Frost Towers smashing into one side of the platform to cause the entire thing to suddenly catapult me high into the air and almost capsizing the entire thing in spite of the flotation tower under it! Ice is heavy stuff after all. I went flailing through the air as I was sent back towards the central floating platform while trying to mind how I would land. "Ohohohoho man, this was not part of the plan!"

I thankfully managed to stick the landing. I fell back to the soaked metal floor below with a splash and clank of my foot panels. The Frost Towers I had summoned were now floating aimlessly in the ocean nearby and would surely dissipate in time. My HUD detected a composition that appeared to be a strange combination of natural ice and dry ice. I did not bother to question if that was even possible. And it looked like the floating platform I had been on was beginning to sink. The gave me an idea. With Aquarius still reeling from that heavy blow somewhere deep below, I took advantage of her absence by putting Frost Tower to use. I rushed around the floating battlefield to drop more massive icebergs onto the outer platforms to try and ruin them enough to sink. And bit by bit with the number of ice floes in the sea growing, the floating metal platforms went from five to just one.

Aquarius did not immediately appear. The sudden addition of tough icebergs floating around the platform must have gotten in her way in trying to get back up onto the only to finally find a gap in the ice field and burst out of the sea to land on the far side of the platform. I saw her look around in all directions to survey her shrinking battlefield. And those icebergs did not make for stable footholds to fight on. I saw her icy glare as she scowled at me while I was feeling pretty good about myself. "I gotta say... For being someone who specializes in water and ice, I'm surprised by just how much trouble my own icy arsenal is giving you tonight!"

And I was not wrong. I could see dents and scuffs on Aquarius' hardened armor components. Crashing headfirst into a falling Frost Tower really roughed her up. But Aquarius was not done. She came at me without words. But with how fast she was coming at me... And did she gain two inches? And under her feet... "Ice skates?!"

I readied my particle shield while fetching the H-Saber from its holster. Aquarius smashed her glaive into my shield as she passed me and began to circle me at impressive speed all around the sole remaining section of her floating battlefield. I could see them. Shiny blue ice skate blades composed of blue ice affixed to the underside of her foot panels. Ingenious! Instead of gliding across a surface composed of a substance with no friction, she was sliding over a solid surface using ice skates composed of a frictionless material! I was thoroughly impressed by Aquarius' ability to maintain quick mobility both in and out of water. And she was so graceful about it too. I know she was not trying to show off in the middle of a fight, but she was displaying all the grace and skill of a professional Olympic skating champion.

However... This posed a problem for me. Lancer Mode did not have a mobility option that would let me counter this. Quick dashes with my body's hydrojets would not let me keep up with her. And her enhanced mobility made it even harder for me to hit her with ricochets from Shotgun Ice. Not to mention she was beginning to try summoning ice spires from the water coating the entire platform. I only had a couple of seconds to glance down and notice a patch of the floor becoming covered in a layer of white. My shield held up to those hard stabs, but some still got through by striking my blind spots. It was a losing battle for me and dragging the fight back into the sea was not an option with all of my floating Frost Tower projectiles now gumming up the ocean around us. It would take a good while for them to dissipate. And that was time I simply did not have.

An idea bloomed in my head as I considered everything that had happened during that battle. All while standing my ground and trying to buy myself some time with my particle shield getting sliced and smashed with many passing strikes from Aquarius. And as I once again put away my spear, I set my next move into motion with two words. "Disable limiter."

My HUD responded. My body's limiter had been disabled and I was very curious of what kind of results I was about to get. The H-Buster began to charge as Aquarius heard that mechanical whirring. The light being emitted from the mouth of the H-Buster began to turn a dangerous red. I was not going for a simple charged shot. I was about to dump my Variable Weapon System's entire energy reserves into one shot. Aquarius even began to back off and started skating around the far edge of the platform in order to better evade anything I threw at her. And with the H-Buster at absolute maximum charge, I pointed my right arm high. "One last time... Frost Tower!"

Aquarius and I both gazed up in awe as a massive amount of ice rapidly formed into an...utterly massive iceberg high above our heads. It looked no different from the other Frost Towers I had generated through a charged shot, but... It was huge! Easily just as big around as the platform under our feet! And I was very lucky that it seemed to be forming over just one half of the platform or we would have both been crushed! But as it began to fall, I realized that I was right at the middle with Aquarius frantically sending herself zipping across the platform and right past me to the far side with a burst from her hydrojets. I stepped back as the iceberg's shadow was cast over us. "Bad idea!"

A thunderous crash and massive waves rose as the iceberg smashed into the one side of the platform with it just barely missing me. The floating battlefield began to quickly turn right onto its side with the iceberg pushing it down. Not so suddenly as to launch either of us into the sky, but the terrain was very quickly becoming much more vertical. The entire platform had turned to be on nearly a ninety degree angle with Aquarius having very luckily gotten herself right up on the rim to place herself high above me. Now I was stuck at yet another disadvantage now that I was sandwiched between my own Frost Tower and the new wall of steel in front of me. And Aquarius had the high ground.

My opponent wasted no time in exploiting her new position. Her horn channeled its cryokinetic functions to summon a hail of sharp ice spikes that shot down at me. With nowhere to go, I started to sprint up the slanted wall before me with whatever traction I could get under my foot panels. My enlarged particle shield would only get in the way, forcing me to deactivate it. It was so hard to climb and with all those shads smashing into me with my body's integrity getting worn down bit by bit. And she was just right there! If only I could...fly?

I grinned in anticipation. I glanced at the upper corner of my HUD and accessed my Variable Weapon System before deselecting Ray Arrow. Lancer Mode was disengaged as my body's flight thruster frames exited their hydrojet state and restored their rocket emitters. But the color of my body remained unchanged. From a glance, I still appeared to be in Lancer Mode. And that was when I put my final move into play. "Gotcha now!"

My flightier thrusters flared up and sent me rushing past the incoming barrage of ice darts with Aquarius' eyes widening in shock. My head slammed hard into the soft gap between the armored plating that covered her torso and pelvis, causing her to let a grunt of pain. And so we shot high into the air with Aquarius stuck in a very awkward position right atop my head. She could not get herself free and was in no position to attack me with either her glaive or her cryokinetic weapon systems. She was at my mercy and I knew exactly how I was going to wrap p our battle. But one thing needed to be done first. My eyes watched the gauge of my Variable Weapon System's energy reserves. It was steadily recharging and the H-Buster was already charging for another overcharged shot.

It was a struggle to not think about what would happen to my opponent next. It was her or me and it was clear I could not reason with Aquarius at that moment. The instant my Variable Weapon System's reserves were fully refilled, I came out of my ascent with my hand grabbing Aquarius by the ankle. I acted quickly to prevent her from trying to exploit the loss of momentum and hurled her straight down at the floating platform far below. The Frost Tower that had almost sunk it had just rolled off it with the platform regaining its leveled floatation while heavily dented on one side. I could see that Aquarius would hit the platform somewhere in the middle and there was no way she could control her descent with how quickly she was tumbling through the air. With her directly below me, I pointed the overcharged H-Buster directly down at her and spoke through a sigh. "We're done here."

I fired. And once again an absolutely colossal Frost Tower formed into the air between me and my opponent. With Aquarius still plummeting to the floating battlefield below and with my Frost Tower chasing her, I shot through the air and away from the mess below to get a view of what was about to play out from the side. I saw Aquarius finally hit the very center of the platform below while ending up on her back. A seconds later before she could even try to get back on her feet, the Frost Tower caught up to her.

There was no way I could not wince at the thunderous crash that followed. Somewhere beneath that massive falling iceberg, Aquarius was crushed. I saw the outer edge of the platform buckle upward as it too was ruined by the impact. It was done. The floating battlefield was ruined and would soon be sunk. And there was no way in hell Aquarius would be walking away from that attack in one piece. The air was growing quiet now that I was high above the sea with only the sound of my flight thrusters breaking the silence. Only a field of gradually shrinking icebergs were below me now with the vast walls of a dying hurricane still spanning across the horizon. Only the moon high above was a witness to the end of the aquatic battle. And yet...

My eyes went wide. Aquarius... Was she really... Did I just...kill her? "No... No!"

https://youtu.be/VaT61qsHwUA?si=HQG9GYJvTaGT1Cf1

She was not my enemy! I shot directly down towards the field of icebergs and towards a gap in the icy blockade. I selected Ray Arrow again to reactivate Lancer Mode and plummeted into the water. I sank deep with my body's hydrojets slowing me to a stop. The ravaged metal platform was in several pieces before me as it began to sink into the abyss below. I glanced about frantically with no light sources illuminating the depths. Just when I thought she was gone... I saw her. And I could only mutter in unease. "Oh my god..."

Aquarius had been utterly devastated by the crushing blow I had dealt to her. Her body's hardened armor was dented and fractured in ways I rarely got to see from the characters of the Project H series. And what had caused me to notice her in the dark was small arcs of electricity...sparking over the stump of her missing right arm. It had been torn off just below the shoulder with her glaive having been taken with it. Her right leg also appeared to be too still to remain functional. Even a good chunk of her unicorn horn had been snapped off. But she was still conscious. Aquarius weakly waved her left arm and leg in a feeble attempt to maintain buoyancy in the water with it clear even her body's hydrojets had been ruined.

The state of my opponent was painful to behold. I drifted closer with guilt in my heart and situated myself above her. I gazed down at her while she looked back at me. The icy gaze she wore throughout our battle was gone. Only a look of profound regret was set upon her equine face. She knew she was a goner. It was then that she began to truly sink. Falling slowly into the abyss below in the vast ocean around us. And with an exhausted voice, she whispered a farewell to me. "I'm...sorry... Goodbye, Hunter..."

I could only watch with a growing sense of horror as Aquarius resigned herself to her watery grave. Deep into the depths of the sea where no light would ever reach. I had seen those depths that night. And we were so much farther out to sea than when I started. We may have very well been over the abyssal zone by then. How far down would she go before the weight of the ocean itself would finally crush her to death?

And even then... Even if her body was somehow designed to endure the immense pressure of such depths... She would never crawl her way back up out of the depths. Not in her condition. She would be trapped down there in absolute darkness. Alone. Until days, moths, or even years later when her body would just...cease to function. Forever gone where her corpse would never be found.

There was no debate to be had. I made up my mind. "No... Not like this."

My hydrojets flared up as I shot down into the depths. I was too focused on my task to let those depths frighten me. I then pulled up to move forward. And with arms ready, I snatched up Aquarius and rocketed towards the surface above with my passenger letting out a yelp of bewilderment. We burst from the sea with my momentum carrying me high. My body's colors returned to their default white as I completely disengaged Lancer Mode to restore my flight thrusters to their default settings before I shot across the sky to the west. The mission was done. The hurricane was fading and my opponent had been defeated. But I would not let her die. Not like that.

My HUD set my destination far to the west. I would be lost out there over the ocean without it. And I inevitably flew through the wall of clouds at the edge of the storm's eye. But instead of hurricane gales, I was only greeted with heavy rain and wind speeds that I could deal with well enough. And through the storm, I eyed Aquarius while she gazed at me in disbelief while I cradled her devastated body in my arms. "Hunter... Why?! What're you doing?!"

"Taking you somewhere where we can fix you up." I replied firmly while being careful to not let my guard down too much. We were still adversaries on opposing sides. Even though Aquarius had been thoroughly disarmed, would she still try to attack in any way she could? I then spoke a reminder to her. "I already told you. We're not enemies. And I won't let you die out there."

Instead of pushing away, Aquarius reached out with her left arm and draped it across my shoulders for additional support. She was in agreement that she did not want to meet her end that night. But just when I thought she would remain silent for the rest of the flight, Aquarius still spoke softly to me. "You were...amazing back there. Even moreso than the first time."

"You surprised me too. I think you had the edge in the end overall. You're a natural when fighting in your element." I replied with an equally soft tone. I was being entirely sincere. For all of Hunter's adaptability and versatility, I am still convinced that Aquarius surpasses his Lancer Mode in terms of combat capacity in aquatic environments. And I was hoping that would be the last time she and I would ever cross spears. "And...I would really appreciate it if we never have to do this again. Once was enough. Please..."

Aquarius let out a sigh of resignation. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to rest it against the plating over her own left shoulder. "I...never want to have to hurt you again either... But..."

"Let's not go there again tonight, all right? No more talking about Alpha or what you're fighting for. The battle is over. Just...rest now." I said in the hopes of avoiding discussing anymore difficult topics. I was exhausted in more than one way by then. And Aquarius agreed. She did not say another word for the rest of the flight.

We eventually passed through the perimeter of the hurricane out the other side. I was being careful to keep my speed down now that I had a passenger in my arms. But after a while, I could see it. The many lights of Maretropolis creating some light pollution up on the horizon. While they were surely in for a heavy downpour, no real damage would be done. But my destination was off to the left. A significant distance away from the city. I then spoke up to no one in particular, "Doc. I'm almost home. And you have a patient to tend to."

Aquarius turned her head to me with her eyes wide in some confusion. "Doc...? Who are you talking to?"

"A good friend. Someone who saw everything tonight through my eyes. Just...please be on your best behavior. Don't make me regret this." I replied as a cliffside reaching high over the ocean came into view. One lined with forest. And somewhere behind those trees was the home of Hunter and his creator.

I stopped over a small clearing and descended to find a very cozy house tucked away with a road leading away from it and down a shallow incline. It was an excellent place to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and focus on one's own research away from prying eyes. The home and laboratory of Doctor Luminous. I muttered very quietly to myself, "Huh... Haven't seen this place since the pilot issue."

The trees rustled around us. A herald of the approaching storm. And it certainly felt like rain was coming. I very carefully set Aquarius upright on her own feet while asking, "Here you go... Can you walk?"

"I think I... Ugh... Right leg is unresponsive." Aquarius grunted as she managed to take a step forward with her left leg only for her right to now follow. She dragged it along while I allowed her to lean on me for support. "Hunter? I..."

"I know. Come on, let's get you in there." I replied as I began to help Aquarius approach the door while she leaned over onto me. It took quite a bit of work as she approached the front door with an external light fixture illuminating us. But right when I was almost within reach of the door itself, it opened to reveal a stallion I had not seen in a long time despite having heard his voice quite regularly. A unicorn stallion draped in a lab coat with a moderate beard over his muzzle. I spoke up right away. "Hey there, doc. Got a patient for you."

Doctor Luminous did not immediately reply. But he was clearly uncomfortable with one of his creation's deadliest enforcers right on his doorstep. His eyes scanned the towering and devastated feminine machine before him. "Hunter... I do trust your judgement, but... Really? Her? Here?"

"If it helps... My brothers and I have been given strict instructions to never harm you, doctor. You created my lord. And in turn, he created us. It wouldn't...feel right to harm you." Aquarius said while sounding low on energy. The damage done to her body had taken a toll on her body's energy distribution.

I was doubtful Aquarius would convince Doctor Luminous to show her mercy on her words alone. I pleaded softly to him, "Please, doc. She's not our enemy. Can you just...restore functionality to her leg and her hydrojets? Just so she can go home?"

The good doctor before us hesitated for a moment. His gaze wandered while he surely was weighing his options. Until finally he bowed his head and let out a sigh. "Ugh... I hope I won't regret this. All right, let's get you fixed up. But the bare minimum. And please be on your best behavior, ma'am."

Aquarius seemed mildly stunned as Doctor Luminous and I started to drag her into the house with her leg refusing to cooperate. It took a lot of work just to get her down the stairs and into his lab. Along the way, she then spoke up. "It would be best if you did no more than that. If I return in any better shape than this, my lord will have questions for me that...I won't know how to answer."

"Right... He wouldn't be happy to know his enemies helped you out." I replied while Doctor Luminous strained to use his levitation magic to hoist Aquarius onto the central table in the lab. Only for her to be a bit too tall for it. Her head and feet hung off the edges. At least until panels extended beyond the edges to lengthen the table. Doctor Luminous brought up a computer screen that seemed to be displaying some diagnostics. "How's she looking, doc?"

"Before I say anything... You dropped an iceberg on her, right?" Doctor Luminous asked while casting us a cockeyed glance. Aquarius and I had no idea how to respond to that question. In hindsight, it was a pretty ridiculous finishing blow. The good doctor tried to not laugh at the thought as he said, "Given what happened out there, I'm surprised she's as intact as she is. There seem to be some severed connection here and some of the joint sockets in the right leg need some maintenance. I should have this all done in under an hour."

I did not feel comfortable leaving Aquarius alone with Doctor Luminous and set myself up in a corner to keep an eye on both of them. I did not expect the doctor to try and damage our guest, nor did I expect Aquarius to attack him in any way, but she was still in service to Alpha. I could not take chances. Aquarius remained online during the procedure as Doctor Luminous removed some of her plating to use some complicated tools to tend to her internal wiring. I was of no help when he needed some extra parts and could only watch. Even with her long misty hair constantly spilling over the sides of the table. Doctor Luminous even attempted to make simple conversation with Aquarius. Probably as a means to distract us all from the fact we had an enemy combatant in our home.

Indeed, less than an hour went by before Doctor Luminous set aside and shut down all the equipment he had around the table. He took a step back and said, "That should do it. Can you stand?"

"Let's see..." Aquarius muttered as she pushed herself up. I noticed an immediate change. Her right leg responded well as she turned and set both foot panels on the floor and stood up on both legs. Although I did notice she initially forgot that her right arm was gone. Nothing could be done about that until she returned home. Or...wherever she goes for repairs. She then looked aver her shoulder while I heard something behind her. Testing her hydrojets? "Everything...seems to be functioning normally."

"And you were a very good patient. I just... Well... I don't really know what to say about this. But now that you're functional enough to move... It might be best if you're on your way." Doctor Luminous replied while trying to be polite. There was really no other way of putting it. Aquarius should not have been there and I was not even certain if what I did that night was even what would happen in canon. I was assuming the role of Hunter, but he and I are not the same person. But I had to be true to myself. I could not let Aquarius just drown in the abyss like that.

Our guest somehow found the will to smile and began to make her way to the stairs leading up into the house above. "Right... But...thank you for being kind, doctor. Just...don't mention what happened here tonight to anyone. And..."

Her eyes met mine before Aquarius rather hastily excused herself. Doctor Luminous and I waited in uneasy silence before we heard a distance door closing. We then turned our gazes to each other while I finally found the will to speak. "Do you think I made the right call tonight, doc?"

The silence was only broken by the sound of the lab's equipment whirring or faintly beeping, lending the place the atmosphere of a safe yet active location. The unicorn stallion before me bowed his head as he let out a contemplative sigh. "I don't know, Hunter... I mean I certainly hope this won't come back to bite in the end. Aquarius doesn't seem like someone with any malice in her. But she was still complicit in the hurricane that would've destroyed the east coast had you not intervened tonight. She is...dangerous."

I turned my gaze to the stairwell. Somewhere in my heart, I knew the story of that issue of Project H was coming to an end. But I was still there. I still had something to do. So I headed up the stairs to leave Doctor Luminous to his work. And it was once I was near the front door that I heard something. Rain. Lots of it. The storm had reached the shoreline.

https://youtu.be/E67mdPCaPvQ?si=N3AZ192NwKUlkMmc

Was she still out there? I opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch. And beyond the awning above... There she was. Aquarius stood out in the rain with her head titled back. Rain was pouring heavily all around us. But no lightning. The storm had lost much of its strength before reaching the shore. The mechanical maiden before me finally turned to look back at me, her right arm still all but gone. Ravaged by battle, yet her beauty was still intact. I stepped out into the rain with it splattering against my own dented and scraped armored shell. "You look lovely in your element."

"Why do you always say these kinds of things to me? Especially...after what you did to me out there? Look at me. You think I look all right in this state?" Aquarius replied as she turned to me. She looked almost annoyed yet confused over my compliments.

"It's not like I had a choice. You're the one who insisted on fighting. I'm just glad you were intact enough in the end to salvage. And...I'm glad your beauty is still intact. Something like that shouldn't be tarnished." I said with some annoyance of my own at first before gradually softening my tone. We were still adversaries, but I did not want to risk escalating the situation. Especially since there was no bad blood between us.

My heart skipped a beat when Aquarius gazed at me with a somber stare. Thos beautiful blue eyes looked troubled. And just for an instant, I saw the face of my beloved Celestia in her. It is striking how their facial structures are so similar. But when considering that Alpha himself was initially based on Celestia in terms of design, I suppose that came full circle with Aquarius. She then asked softly, "Is beauty really that important to you?"

"I have an appreciation for beauty, yes. And if that beauty isn't hiding a wicked heart, then...I want to see it preserved." I replied with genuine sincerity. I have to wonder if machines of any kind are capable of understanding beauty. But then a question came to mind that I needed to ask. "Has anyone else ever acknowledged your beauty?"

Aquarius cast me a rather sad smile. As if somehow simultaneously pleased yet downtrodden. "No... Just you. My brothers never say such things to me or draw attention to how I look. And...Lord Alpha... He never compliments me on anything other than my performance in carrying out my missions. The only one who has ever said such...lovely things to me...is you."

There was no evil in those eyes at all. And I felt the need to approach her. With the rain continuing to fall all over us, I pleaded with her. "Don't go back to him... Please. Stay. Help me against Alpha."

She quivered. Would I succeed in convincing her to turn traitor to that mad machine king? Aquarius suddenly dropped to her right knee. A malfunction in her joints? Did Doctor Luminous overlook a small detail during his repairs? Or...was she just overwhelmed? I came to her and reached out, Aquarius falling into my embrace. "I just... What do I do...?"

"Don't fight for a cause you can't find a reason to believe in. You don't have to go back... Stay. Please... Don't make me have to fight you again." I pleaded softly with her gaze meeting mine. Just inches away. I dreaded having to face her in battle again. Everything about the clash we had out over the open ocean felt so wrong. When I was not caught up in the thrill, I was essentially having to force myself to lash out at her. Would a day come where one of us would not walk away from a battle with each other alive? Would the next time I held Aquarius in my arms after a battle would be when I would be holding her corpse?

"Hunter... I...like that idea. I'd...much rather be fighting alongside you than against you. It's just... I wish I understood things more than I do. I just... I wish we..." Aquarius muttered with the slightest smile on her lips. And for a moment, there were no words. Her gaze met mine with the visor over my eyes finally retracting into my helmet to let there be nothing between us. We gazed at each other. Until...

The urge could not be defied. We embraced. And for just a moment... Our lips met. A kiss between man and mare, but also between mechanical entities. And yet... It made no difference. That kiss felt was wondrous as any other I had shared with my beloveds. Was what I was feeling also what Hunter himself would?

That kiss ended much too soon. And without a word, Aquarius pushed me away before turning and sprinting into the woods around us. But I saw her. Eyes squinted shut, teeth clenched. Forcing herself to flee. And this time, I did not pursue. I would have to wait until our next encounter for an answer. Aquarius was likely on her way to the cliffside nearby where she would dive into the ocean and swim back to wherever she had come from. At least she lived to see tomorrow. That was good enough for me.

My fingers touched my lips as I tried to process what had just happened. I did not enter that issue of Project H expecting to stumble into a budding romance subplot. Or was it a red herring? Would what happened that night have any impact on the future of the series? Although I then suddenly recalled a conversation I had regarding what the future may hold for Alpha's four lieutenants. "Huh... You just might have been onto something after all, Ocellus. But what about Radi... Ha! Peter Parker of EAC for sure, I swear... Huh?!"

It all happened so suddenly. I got drawn backwards with breakneck speed into a white void. What followed was me being thrown through the air and landing on...a soft air mattress. Which then disappeared about five seconds later to leave me lying on a hard wooden floor. But I fully felt it. There was no hard metal armor around me. And I found that I was once again drawing breath. I was home and back in my own house. The story was over and I had been kicked right back out to where I belonged.

I sat up and took a moment to get my bearings. And behind me was the comic book I had just been inside. But...I had to know. I took the book in hand and flipped to the back of it to check the last pages. And just before the end, there it was. One panel showing Hunter and Aquarius embracing with lips touching. "Whoa... That really happened... Ocellus is gonna flip when she sees this."

The rest of the day played out rather uneventfully. And I welcomed such an easygoing end to my day. Perhaps I will start engaging in these ventures into the world of Project H more routinely. The plot is really getting interesting and experiencing it in person is quite the tale to tell.

But not that one. I am never going back into that issue. I think I may have developed actual thalassophobia after that endeavor. Hopefully I can walk it off by the next time I see the ocean...