"Sorry dude, I can't do it."
"What The FUCK do you mean you can't do it! You're the Fucking Mechanic and they're My Parts! So WHAT IS THE FUCKING PROBLEM!"
"Dude! Stop yelling. I can't do it 'cause Kisaragi designed those parts only one way. The only WhipLash part that's compatible with any other part is the core." Why the hell would Kisaragi do that? I'm tired of yelling anyway.
"Okay Marcos. So, why are there compatibility problems?"
"'Cause dude, Kisaragi has come up with a Fucked-Up bolting arrangement. The core is the only part that uses the standard arrangement as well as the new one."
"Then the VR core should've emulated that as well. Well, thanks anyway." I turn to leave.
"Hey, tell Zak I said nice way to lose!" I wave my hand in acknowledgment. I still can't believe Kisaragi would make such a big design flaw. I mean, even with the bad blood between corporations and all, that move is just counter-intuitive. Oh well.
~
"Incoming message, channel two."
Damn, right in the middle of making dinner. "Yeah?"
"Jake," I hear Lyn say, "Kisaragi has posted a new mission, and they've asked for you in particular."
"Can it wait? I'm cookin' dinner right now." I sure hope it can wait. This stuff is terrible when cold.
"Sorry, the say it's urgent. What'cha cookin' anyway?"
"My hot-pepper tuna."
"Oooh, sorry! Hey, I'll buy ya dinner after your mission."
"K! I'll be at missions in five. Any partners allowed?"
"Yeah, I'll call Zak. Just head straight for your AC." I grab my shirt and head for the Garage.
~
Once in the Garage, I head for the lift to Oblivion's cockpit. My AC really is a thing of darkness. The brightest area is a collection of three optic sensors on the head, all of which are a bright glowing green. The rest of Oblivion easily fades into the darkest of shadows. I hit the power as I climb into the cockpit.
'Computer… Online'
'Primary Systems… Online'
'Secondary Systems… Online'
"Oblivion Online. Switch to combat mode?"
"No. Open Vid-Link with Lyn."
"Beep… Beep… Yeah Jake? I guess you want the overview, huh?"
"Yeah Lyn, I'm leavin' the Garage now. So just pipe it through the comm. line." I pull out of the dock and guide Oblivion through the Garage as the overview starts.
"Raven," the Kisaragi VP starts, in his usual voice, "This is an extremely urgent request! Today we started a joint project with Union, in hopes of creating a better life for all of Layered. But as we started construction, a mysterious group of MTs appeared and started to reek havoc. Since then, more have been showing up. For every one we destroy, three more take its place. To make matters worse, a Band of ACs has now shown up bearing the same insignia as the mysterious MTs. We are hiring three Ravens, and whomever they wish as consorts, to eliminate this threat. Union is doing the same. Please help us, for the good of Layered!"
"Where's it at, Lyn?" This could get me some major creds along the way.
"Sector 5-1-6 of the Nature Layer. Zak'll be right behind you. Lyn out."
"Auto-pilot engage. Destination, Nature Layer… Sector 5-1-6."
"Confirmed." the computer says. I wonder what they're building there?
I ponder this, and what the mysterious forces might be doing there as well, as my AC walks through Layered.
"Destination Nature Layer Achieved. Sector 5-1-6, five kilometers due North. Must be piloted to manually due to a large body of water."
About time. I take up the controls and hit the overboosters.
"hey Jake! Wait up!"
"Hey Zak, took you long enough to get here!" I say as I kill the overboosters. "Let's get a move-on."
"I had Lyn arrange a transport for the both of us." He says.
We head for the transport over the ocean region in front of us.
"Ravens! Good,you're here! We need your h… AAAAAGGGHHH!" To my left I see an AC sized MT blow up.
"Beep Beep Beep!" A call from Lyn?
"Dark Vent, you need to escort the executive transports to safety! Nightwatch'll cover you!"
"Got it!" I'm looking around for the execs. There They Are! Fifty meters east! I hit my boosters.
As I approach, the transports are hit from behind. I spin around and fire in the general direction. Damn Fucking SHIT! My second round went straight into the barrel of the ACs rifle! A shot like THAT is pure Fucking LUCK!
"You Bastard, That was my favorite Rifle! You'll pay for it with your ASS!" Suddenly, the guy is hit from the side, it's Zak! I charge the guy.
On the approach, I raise my flamethrower, ready to fire, when I'm stopped cold from a blast. It came from the guys spread howitzer, and I see my AP drop. I'm still within range, so I pull the trigger and start strafing. Shit! What just hit me? I took a thousand AP.
"Dark Vent, Behind you!' Zak yells.
I turn around, firing my flamethrower all the way.
"Aaaagh!" Damn! That MT didn't even show up on radar. Back to the AC at hand.
I turn, and the guy's now a bit to my left. I walk up to him, and, using my gun, tap him on the shoulder. He turns his head to see what it is, and a hole appears in his optic sensor. The AC goes limp. Almost. He boosts back and fires off three shots from his howitzer. Two hitting me, and the third grazing Zaks AC. ZAK goes in for the kill, and plunges his blade straight into the center of the core. We're both blown back as the entire core explodes.
"Nightwatch, the transports! Let's move!" We both hit our overboosters to catch up.
We're halfway there when Zak says :three MTs, dead ahead! Orbit th fucks!"
"Can't lock on! Have to do hand to hand." These MTs are larger, and they move differently. Almost mechanically, like an AC on auto-pilot.
As we near, a high-pitched squealing, pulsng sound comes over the comm. "Dam…an I…'t…at soun…"
"Nightwatch! Nightwatch, you're breaking up!" He points to the side of his head. He obviously can't hear me either, so I point to the MTs. We go in for the attack.
After several minutes, we defeat them, though one took off a good chunk of my right shoulder, as well as my right extension.
"Guys, the Transports are almost to safety. Just keep with them a little longer!"
"Roger!" Zak and I glance at each other, then we take off.
They're a bit farther than I expected. They must've picked up speed after that last encounter, seeing as they're now at the edge of the Nature Layer. I can already see the heavy steel doors opening for them. Zak and I catch up in time to fend off three more of the strange MTs.
"Thank You Ravens! You will be compensated quite well." Must be an exec from Union. We watch as the doors close behind them.
"Shit! Behind us! Zak shouts. We both turn and fire.
"Aaagggh…" The last dying sound of the pilot comes over the comm.
KaBOOOOOM!
"What the? Where the fuck did that come from?" I ask.
Lyn comes on the comm, "Other side of the door. About fifteen meters guys."
We both turn and head for the door. What the Hell! It won't open. "Hack it!" I say over the comm. This means trouble, and Zak knows it too. So we take up positions on either side of the door.
"Door hacked." My computer says. I cross my ACs arms, signaling our signature move. No other AC team has pulled it off, 'cause usually one can't get low enough. He usually gets his head blown off by his partner in the process.
The door opens. I sink to one knee and boost in Zaks direction, and he boosts in mine. The moment we see inside the door, we fire our guns, and don't stop till we're on the other side. I wind up going in front, and under.
On the other side, I kick up and land on my feet.
Over the comm, a voice shouts "MOVE!" That's our cue to attack. We both turn into the door and charge. On the other side of a smoldering heap of metal, two light blue lightwieght ACs are boosting away from us.
Zak and I both fire our rifles at them. They're high power rifles, so the AC we hit in the leg folded like a tin can. The other had better boosters and more skill at evading, so he got away. For now.
"Who Do you Work For?" I ask the disabled pilot, as I walk up to him and aim my rifle at his generator. Zak aims there as well.
"These rifles can pierce your armor like butter. So tell us!" Zak sounds pissed.
"I'll never tell! The rightful ruler of Layered shall reclaim his throne soon anyway! Ha-Ha, Ha, Ha-Ha-Hahahahaaaa! You ca… Aaagh…" I couldn't stand his rambling anymore. Zak and I take off in separate directions in time to avoid the brunt of the explosion.
"We gotta go Nightwatch." I say, hitting my overboosters. He comes through the wreckage flames while my boosters whine to life.
The tunnel we're in suddenly whizzes y. I look left and see Zak keeping pace. My overboosters use more power than his, and, of course, my energy just ran out. I come to a halt as Zak blows by me, so I start running.
"Yo, Dark Vent! My computer alone won't cut it. Cme back my hack." Fool. Stopping at the door, I pull out my holokeyboard.
Ten seconds of hacking, and we're in. "Got it!" I call over the comm. Zak and I both step back, guns raised, as the door slowly opens.
"Dark Vent, you ready?"
"Yeah. Let's go…" I mentally count to three, "NOW!" and we fly through the doors, guns blazing.
Our first spread of shots just hit the buildings on either side of the street. Then my FCS locks onto the enemy as he runs out from behind a building.
"Let's pinch!" I say to Zak.
"Got it." I take the next street to my right in order to cut this guy off. To my surprise, I see the guy at the end of the street, just standin' there. I suddenly understand why as I'm hit from behind by something. I turn around to see a giant, twenty foot high bug shooting energy beams at me. Then I notice the rest of them, all around me.
"Yo Dark Vent, I need backup!" Zak calls over the comm.
"Li'l busy right now!" I say, firing my rifle at the damn thing. But my shots just bounce off hitting the building next to it. "What are these thi… Aagh! Fuck!"
The enemy AC had come up behind me and sliced off my left antimissile extension. I turn and fire at him, only to get hit some more by the bugs. I now notice a purple haze in the air. I hadn't noticed, but it had been wafting in for the past few minutes.
The other guy noticed the haze too. He's now looking at the bugs on either side of me. Seeing this, I point at the nearest one and fire. The bug literally blows up with that shot. Before I know it though, the AC and all the bugs start firing at me. All the shots cause my computer to freeze, turning me into a sitting duck.
I watch helplessly as my AP starts dropping like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the hits stop. I can still hear shots everywhere, but I can't see them through the haze, and I can't feel them hitting my AC. My AP slows to rest at 1800, and my computer recovers. I step forward, only to be knocked back by a massive explosion, only a few feet in front of my core.
"Are you okay?" It's the AC pilot that's been helping me lately. "I said, Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. I need to see if my consort is okay!" I say.
"Zak's okay. The gas will clear out in a minute or so."
As the gas clears, I can start to see Zak making his way towards me. "Nightwatch. Over here." I say, firing my rifle at the layer ceiling.
"What happened?" Zak asks. "One minute I'm fighting a whole fucking army of bugs that're shootin' back, then a purple fog appears and I can't see a damn fucking thing. Next thing I know, all the bugs stop attacking me."
"Dark Vent," It's Lyn, "What's going on? Sensors show that there is an unidentified AC just a few feet from you."
"Ah, Lyn." The unidentified pilot says. "I can still remember when you and Jake used to play together as kids. You sound so grown up! You were always a cute kid, and I bet you've turned into a gorgeous woman."
"OKAY," Lyn yells, now absolutely pissed, "WHO THE FUCK IS THIS!"
"I'm the Dark Hunter." He calmly tells Lyn. Then looking at me, adds "I'm your father Jake."
I don't believe him. It can't be true! He Can't be my father! "You LIE!" I shout at him, raising my rifle to his core. "Tell me who the FUCK you Really ARE!"
With a speed I've never seen, he rips the rifle out of my hands and points his own at my core. "I won't shoot you Jake. I just want to talk to you." He says, lowering his rifle, and handing back mine.
"Jake, it's happening again." He tells me. "Events are repe…" a small hole appears in his ACs chest.
"DAD!" I yell out, reaching to grab his AC as it falls forward.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" I hear over the comm. I look up to see a red heavyweight AC at the far end of a very long street. My rifle can't hit him from here. He turne and walks off.
"Give me your blade, Zak."
Why do you wa"
"GIVE IT TO ME!" I scream. Zak takes his blade off and gives it to me. I then stick it on my left arm, at the same time dropping my flamethrower.
"New weapon detected." My computer says. "part M-L-W-dash-heat-nine-A." It then prints the stats at the side of my HUD.
Next, I grab the rifle out of the hand of my fathers fallen AC.
"New weapon detected." The computer says again. "Location conflict encountered. Please remove part."
"Conflict override Omicron-nine-three-six-dash-Alpha-nine. Resolution, ignore conflict." I say, turning towards the place where the red AC was. Hitting my boosters, I take off after him.
Faster and faster I go, heading towards the guy. I reach the end of the street, turning as I stop. He hasn't gotten but a hundred-fifty yards from where I am now.
Over the comm, I yell "Hey you Bastard! Come Back Here!" He stops just long enough to turn slightly and look at me. Then he just continues walking away.
"Go home BOY! The Controllers last enemy has been destroyed. Layered will soon return to it's rightful ruler." The guy says as he walks.
"You BASTARD! THAT WAS MY FATHER!" I SCREAM, FIRING MY RIFLE AT HIS RIGHT SHOULDER. At this, he stops walking.
"You just don't learn, do you BOY!" He turns on his extensions, turning him 180° . He fires a shot that hits my rifle, blowing it to pieces. Now I'm pissed. I toss my fathers rifle to my right hand.
"YYAAAAAAAAAGH!" I scream, boosting towards him and firing round after round at his core. I'm now enraged to the limits of sanity. Try as this guy might, he can no longer hit me.
I'm now right on top of him. I bring my blade up as a glow emits from it, and I slice his gun in two. I bring it down, taking his right turn booster off.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR MY FATHERS DEATH!" I scream at him.
"Ha-ha-h" I fire my father's rifle at the one point in his chest armor that's the thinnest. I continue to fire the rifle until it's empty, even though he's dead already. With the rifle empty, I switch to the blade again. I hack at everything on his core. I must leave no trace of this guy! I continue to hack and slice until all that's left is a smoking pile of scrap metal.
"I have avenged you, father." I say to myself. Then everything goes black.