Chapter 3: The Crowd Goes Wild
"I'm shaking Jean" "That's natural Chris, everyone gets the jitters, look even I have it" she said showing her shaking hand "I don't know why your nervous, I'm the one who people are gonna be looking at, all their eyes, watching all of my mistakes, agghh I cant think!!!" It was funny, me a Raven who has stared death in the eyes more then the number of fingers on both of my hands and Jeans, and yet I was still afraid. I didn't like the idea of thousands of fans watching me. I didn't want to end up like Callus, he had a perfect mission rate and was feared in battle but whenever he tried to raise ranks in the arena he always lost his nerve. He told me that he was paranoid about looking like a fool, too bad for him, his AC always just sat there whenever the battle started, he was too scared to even make move. I had to shake this feeling away from me, I didn't want to look like a fool, I wanted to put up a show, and a good one at that. "Theres Steve" I told Jean as I pointed him out, "have fun with your boyfriend" "what? jealous?" she replied "you know it" I joked, "get ready for a battle you'll never forget" "I hope so" she responded as she sat down with Steve my mechanic, I knew they were perfect for each other, I hope they lead a good life
AC PILOTS DEFECT AND ARROWHEAD PLEASE REPORT TO THE LOADING BAY said an arena attendant thru the intercom system "coming." I said to myself, still shaking
My opponent was a quad by the name of Arrowhead. I had to be careful for the Grenade Launchers on his back, my Core didn't have much defense but then again neither did my old one, I had gotten used my new AC. It responded quicker and took more damage, I also had another back weapon, something I haven't had the liberty to put on my old AC. I was still getting used to aiming manually with the large rockets on my back, it was unlikely I was gonna use it in this battle since I had no experience with rockets, but still you never know.
I strapped into my AC quietly, I turned on the monitor screen which I was still getting used to, I always had to deal with monitors but now in this age its done by hologram instead and provided me with a more wider view. I had to get used to the new control scheme, I sometimes pressed the overboost button instead of the weapon select one. I had 3 weeks to get used to this AC and now it sorta feels like second nature. "Ok Chris, get a hold of yourself" I was hitting my head with my fist, "its just you and him, no one else, just you and him" it was feeble attempt to physic myself out
QUITE PLEASE.THIS IS A BATTLE BETWEEN 2 RAVENS LOOKING TO RAISE THEIR RANK IN THE ARENA, THE PARTICIPATANTS ARE DEFECT AND ARROWHEAD boomed the giant Arena Speakers. My AC shifted and began to rise, the sound of a giant crowd getting louder and louder as I rose ARE YOU READY ARROWHEAD? His AC had just risen to my level now, I was looking at his AC dead on "Ready to rock and roll" his voice was amplified by the giant speakers, the crowd cheered with more ferocity, it seems that he was the favorite ARE YOU READY DEFECT? I couldn't wait, I wanted to get this over with "R.r.r.ready" I stuttered, argh I made myself look like an idiot already
BOTH PARTICIPATANTS ARE READY
....
BEGIN!!!
I turned on my overboost and rocketed toward him, he replied with his own red flamed overboost, we were gonna collide in a second, one of us had to do something. And he did, he lifted his AC higher and did a devastating air blade on my left shoulder. My back missiles where destroyed instantly and I suffered 3000 total. The first move and he was already in the lead by 3000 AP, I acted instantly and switched to my back rocket and fired twice, it hit him in the chest and leg area as he boosted past me. I turn-boosted and switched to my machine gun. He also used his boost extension but it allowed him to do a boost upward out of the lock box of my FCS. "sh*t" I said the blood in my ears numbed out the cheers of the crowd "up here" he said in a cocky voice and let lose a volley of missiles I boosted back just as the first wave hit the ground I just was a second ago, the second volley closed in, I had to think, I pressed the firing trigger and blasted nearly all of the missiles with my energy assault, I dogged the remaining two and looked up. His AC was almost directly above me and I knew what was coming, quickly boosting to the right just as he used his extensions and boosted down with plasma blade drawn. If I hadn't boosted a split second before he woulda aired blade me and destroy my AC right then and there. "CR*P!!!" he shouted, he wasn't expecting me to have dogged and his AC creaked as it absorbed the impact of the ground, this was my chance, I took aim and let loose a halo of energy rounds on him. The crowd cheered even more and began to go wild. The quad quickly recovered and overboosted toward me, letting loose a Grenade round. It hit me full on and my screen flashed "OUTPUT DOWN" on the top of my monitor, my head was screaming for me to do something, I had just enough time to see that he had his blade ready to piece right thru me.
"TAKE THIS!" he roared, my AC was facing a completely different position, he was aiming at my blind spot, he let out a cheer of triumph and then he let loose his blade, I felt myself spinning.
My eyes where closed.I didn't want to open it.I knew that I had lost, I just knew it, there was no way I coulda survived that blade attack.I waited for my computer to tell me about the destruction of my AC.I waited and waited and then I heard it..the crowd.it was cheering.louder and louder.and then.and then I opened my eyes
THE WINNER OF THIS BOUT IS ADRENALINE PILOTED BY DEFECT
I couldn't believe it, I had won, I actually won the match. When I closed my eyes I pressed my turn-booster and laser blade at the same time, allowing my AC to perform a much larger slash and allowing me to catch him before his blade struck, his AC was a mess. I sliced off his front left leg and deep into his core, his AC leaning forward leaning to the left, his left arm locked in place ready to release the blade
THE WINNER SHALL RECIVE A PRIZE OF 1,000 CREDITS FOR THIS BATTLE, AND NOW TAKES ARROWHEADS PLACE IN THE ARENA AT RANK E-10, HE IS ALSO AWARDED AN AC PART SUPPLIED BY CREST FOR HIS VICTORY.
I didn't hear any of it, I was happy that I finally got into the arena, the ranked 50th person in the arena ladder always had to defend his or her rank with the hundreds amount of AC pilots wanting to join the arena ladder. Tomorrow I was gonna have to defend my rank and try to raise it as well. They only open the arena once every 3 months and lasts a week, this week was my chance to raise to show everyone what I got.
"oh my god Chris that was one hell of a battle" Jean was bouncing with joy when she came down to the garage, "don't you think so Steve?" "yeah but now I'm stuck fixing the AC now" I knew he enjoyed the battle, when my reputation raises so do theirs, so we all were happy that I won. I loved the feeling of the arena, I loved the excitement and I loved the battles, my desires to become the top ranking Raven intensified, this is what I've always loved when I became a Raven, and the arena kept my flame burning.
"I'm shaking Jean" "That's natural Chris, everyone gets the jitters, look even I have it" she said showing her shaking hand "I don't know why your nervous, I'm the one who people are gonna be looking at, all their eyes, watching all of my mistakes, agghh I cant think!!!" It was funny, me a Raven who has stared death in the eyes more then the number of fingers on both of my hands and Jeans, and yet I was still afraid. I didn't like the idea of thousands of fans watching me. I didn't want to end up like Callus, he had a perfect mission rate and was feared in battle but whenever he tried to raise ranks in the arena he always lost his nerve. He told me that he was paranoid about looking like a fool, too bad for him, his AC always just sat there whenever the battle started, he was too scared to even make move. I had to shake this feeling away from me, I didn't want to look like a fool, I wanted to put up a show, and a good one at that. "Theres Steve" I told Jean as I pointed him out, "have fun with your boyfriend" "what? jealous?" she replied "you know it" I joked, "get ready for a battle you'll never forget" "I hope so" she responded as she sat down with Steve my mechanic, I knew they were perfect for each other, I hope they lead a good life
AC PILOTS DEFECT AND ARROWHEAD PLEASE REPORT TO THE LOADING BAY said an arena attendant thru the intercom system "coming." I said to myself, still shaking
My opponent was a quad by the name of Arrowhead. I had to be careful for the Grenade Launchers on his back, my Core didn't have much defense but then again neither did my old one, I had gotten used my new AC. It responded quicker and took more damage, I also had another back weapon, something I haven't had the liberty to put on my old AC. I was still getting used to aiming manually with the large rockets on my back, it was unlikely I was gonna use it in this battle since I had no experience with rockets, but still you never know.
I strapped into my AC quietly, I turned on the monitor screen which I was still getting used to, I always had to deal with monitors but now in this age its done by hologram instead and provided me with a more wider view. I had to get used to the new control scheme, I sometimes pressed the overboost button instead of the weapon select one. I had 3 weeks to get used to this AC and now it sorta feels like second nature. "Ok Chris, get a hold of yourself" I was hitting my head with my fist, "its just you and him, no one else, just you and him" it was feeble attempt to physic myself out
QUITE PLEASE.THIS IS A BATTLE BETWEEN 2 RAVENS LOOKING TO RAISE THEIR RANK IN THE ARENA, THE PARTICIPATANTS ARE DEFECT AND ARROWHEAD boomed the giant Arena Speakers. My AC shifted and began to rise, the sound of a giant crowd getting louder and louder as I rose ARE YOU READY ARROWHEAD? His AC had just risen to my level now, I was looking at his AC dead on "Ready to rock and roll" his voice was amplified by the giant speakers, the crowd cheered with more ferocity, it seems that he was the favorite ARE YOU READY DEFECT? I couldn't wait, I wanted to get this over with "R.r.r.ready" I stuttered, argh I made myself look like an idiot already
BOTH PARTICIPATANTS ARE READY
....
BEGIN!!!
I turned on my overboost and rocketed toward him, he replied with his own red flamed overboost, we were gonna collide in a second, one of us had to do something. And he did, he lifted his AC higher and did a devastating air blade on my left shoulder. My back missiles where destroyed instantly and I suffered 3000 total. The first move and he was already in the lead by 3000 AP, I acted instantly and switched to my back rocket and fired twice, it hit him in the chest and leg area as he boosted past me. I turn-boosted and switched to my machine gun. He also used his boost extension but it allowed him to do a boost upward out of the lock box of my FCS. "sh*t" I said the blood in my ears numbed out the cheers of the crowd "up here" he said in a cocky voice and let lose a volley of missiles I boosted back just as the first wave hit the ground I just was a second ago, the second volley closed in, I had to think, I pressed the firing trigger and blasted nearly all of the missiles with my energy assault, I dogged the remaining two and looked up. His AC was almost directly above me and I knew what was coming, quickly boosting to the right just as he used his extensions and boosted down with plasma blade drawn. If I hadn't boosted a split second before he woulda aired blade me and destroy my AC right then and there. "CR*P!!!" he shouted, he wasn't expecting me to have dogged and his AC creaked as it absorbed the impact of the ground, this was my chance, I took aim and let loose a halo of energy rounds on him. The crowd cheered even more and began to go wild. The quad quickly recovered and overboosted toward me, letting loose a Grenade round. It hit me full on and my screen flashed "OUTPUT DOWN" on the top of my monitor, my head was screaming for me to do something, I had just enough time to see that he had his blade ready to piece right thru me.
"TAKE THIS!" he roared, my AC was facing a completely different position, he was aiming at my blind spot, he let out a cheer of triumph and then he let loose his blade, I felt myself spinning.
My eyes where closed.I didn't want to open it.I knew that I had lost, I just knew it, there was no way I coulda survived that blade attack.I waited for my computer to tell me about the destruction of my AC.I waited and waited and then I heard it..the crowd.it was cheering.louder and louder.and then.and then I opened my eyes
THE WINNER OF THIS BOUT IS ADRENALINE PILOTED BY DEFECT
I couldn't believe it, I had won, I actually won the match. When I closed my eyes I pressed my turn-booster and laser blade at the same time, allowing my AC to perform a much larger slash and allowing me to catch him before his blade struck, his AC was a mess. I sliced off his front left leg and deep into his core, his AC leaning forward leaning to the left, his left arm locked in place ready to release the blade
THE WINNER SHALL RECIVE A PRIZE OF 1,000 CREDITS FOR THIS BATTLE, AND NOW TAKES ARROWHEADS PLACE IN THE ARENA AT RANK E-10, HE IS ALSO AWARDED AN AC PART SUPPLIED BY CREST FOR HIS VICTORY.
I didn't hear any of it, I was happy that I finally got into the arena, the ranked 50th person in the arena ladder always had to defend his or her rank with the hundreds amount of AC pilots wanting to join the arena ladder. Tomorrow I was gonna have to defend my rank and try to raise it as well. They only open the arena once every 3 months and lasts a week, this week was my chance to raise to show everyone what I got.
"oh my god Chris that was one hell of a battle" Jean was bouncing with joy when she came down to the garage, "don't you think so Steve?" "yeah but now I'm stuck fixing the AC now" I knew he enjoyed the battle, when my reputation raises so do theirs, so we all were happy that I won. I loved the feeling of the arena, I loved the excitement and I loved the battles, my desires to become the top ranking Raven intensified, this is what I've always loved when I became a Raven, and the arena kept my flame burning.