A/N: So, this is my Armored Core For Answer fan fiction. As you can see from the previous chapter, I wanted to experiment and show what the suits should really be capable of, the amount of flexibility that just can't be allowed by a video game. As always, I'm dealing mostly with original characters.

I ask that if you enjoyed the last chapter, and after this one, if you enjoyed it as well, please leave me a review so that I can /know/ that you liked it. I'm always open to ideas, suggestions, questions, whatever; I may not answer them if they reveal too much about the story, or if I just don't… know yet. I am not a largely planning man; I do a lot of "when the idea strikes me" writing, and all of my stories tend to kind of just… go with the flow as I develop them while I write them.

Oh, and I don't own the Armored Core franchise, it's ideas or characters, and I probably never will, sadly.

I think that's about it. Enjoy?

The large transport plain come in low and slow for its landing, trundling down the short runway, disappearing deep within the mountain. As the metal beast rolled to a stop, massive lights flared above it, casting illumination into the hanger that occupied the hollowed out mountain. There was a light hum as the engines powered down completely, colossal turbines gliding to a stop.

Lisa turned and hopped out of the pilot seat, taking a moment to steady herself; she'd been flying for hours, she'd lost her land legs. With a long stretch the work the kinks out of her back and shoulders, the girl let out a bit of a squeak. She walked slowly through the interior of the massive plane, boots striking the metal floor and causing a resounding echo.

Gripping the wheel, the girl twisted it hard, wrenching open the door. With a push, she passed inside and looked around the residential cabin. She knew he was in here somewhere… Ah! There he was. Lisa walked over to the sleeping boy and reached down to ruffle his hair gently, rousing him gently from his sleep. "David, we're home."

The maroon haired boy groaned as he rolled onto his back, slowly blinking his eyes open, thankful for the dim interior lights. He pushed up to a half-sitting position and stretched, yawning softly. "Already?" The girl rolled her eyes and pointed out that they'd been flying for about six hours; he'd just been asleep through its entirety.

The LYNX resigned to his fate of consciousness with a sigh and waved his friend off so that he could push off the foldout couch and onto his feet. Another massive yawn made its way from his throat; he stretched and rolled his shoulders, twisting to usher a series of sharp cracks from his back, then his neck, and finally his knuckles.

The girl could only laugh at her friend's morning ritual. The poor lad only slept while she flew, going for days at a time without while at base or on a mission. She supposed it was sort of like making a block in the minivan to put your toddler to sleep; it was probably the same science.

David shook his head rapidly and looked around, his eyes still glazed over with sleep. Finally his vision came to rest on the girl and he shrugged slowly. "I guess we get to take it easy for a few days now, right?" he asked hopefully. The smirk he got in return told him differently.

"I'm gonna go get set up; you bring Asylum to the repair bay. That hole in his back isn't just going to patch itself, and you're sure as hell not going to do it." The girl winked, her amber locks of hair falling down her face and neck as she turned and pushed open the exterior door, resulting in a hiss as the hydraulics folded the door down, providing a stairway for her to descend down.

With his friend out of sight, David let out a long sigh and plopped back on the couch, staring up for just a moment. Scenes from the fight flashed through his head. That unexpected little hiccup had almost served to ruin his mission, but he wouldn't bend that easily. No, David was a LYNX, a soldier of fortune, and he didn't bow to anyone.

With a new resolution, the boy hopped up to his feet and made his way to the back of the transport plane, climbing up the latter to the catwalks. With a grunt, he hopped into the cockpit of the NEXT. He stretched himself a bit, flipping a series of switches and watching as life was breathed into the mech around him, lights flickering, systems booting up. There was a light mechanical whine as the suit recalibrated itself. Te boy let out a soft sigh at the familiar surroundings.

Reaching over to the small keyboard, David used his right hand to key in the command for the exit ramp of the plane to descend, getting the groan of metal on metal in response as the tail of the plane fell slowly, forming a slope. After keying in the restrictive commands for use around base that made piloting the thing carefully much easier.

With a push, the suit began to descend the exit ramp, leaving the plane behind for the larger underground hanger that surrounded it. The LYNX made his way slowly to the repair station that his friend was waiting at. Arriving, he flipped the switch for the external speakers, then asked which way he should face. The girl responded with a point. After twisting Asylum to face the correct direction, David powered him down, sliding out of the now open cockpit hatch.

David paused to glance around before hopping out onto the cat walk. He made his way to the back of the suit where Lisa was strapping into her harness. "How bad is it," he asked, leaning back against the metal railing of the cat walk.

His friend shrugged, slipping on a welding helmet before hopping over the edge where she swung from her harness until her feet landed firmly on the NEXT's back. "Asylum wasn't made to take hits, and those were some big-ass hits. It's gonna take a while; you might as well find something to do."

The pilot arched his brow, pushing off of his seat on the railing. "You don't want any help?"

The girl paused, then shot him an incredulous look from beneath her helmet before flipping it down and reaching for the equipment suspended next to her. "Like I said, go find something to do." David just shrugged and turned, grabbing onto the railing before hopping over it and sliding down the ladder to the concrete floor below.

What to do, what to do…

A/N: If you enjoyed it, please review! I know it was short and not that exciting, but the next chapter should make up for that. Oh, and if you like Zoids/robotic animal-mech combat, then you should check out my other story, Twisted Sunshine. If I get a bit of interest in it, I'll try to make it more active as well. 'Til next time.