Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Armored Core series. That belongs to Agetec and From Software. I only own the original characters. Thank you.

In TALON's Grasp

by: T.R. Fanatic

Chapter 9: Ambush

A few blocks before the AC trio reached the B-3 area, the pilot of Mecha came up with a question.

"So, what's with the bad blood between TALON and REDEYE?" Kaze asked, looking to the gliding Dust Devil. "Why is this Lazy-Eye character so important to our team?"

"REDEYE really doesn't play fair when it comes to AC customizing and battling." Rebel began. "The team uses weaponry that's strictly forbidden by the Nest."

"And what's TALON's part in all of this?"

"Chief and the leader of REDEYE have been fighting like this well before me and Rebel came on the team." Pyro replied. "He's trying to prove that you can unlock a pilot's true potential by using an AC that hasn't been illegally modified. He also thinks that having a former member of his rival's faction would give us an edge in this battle."

"As long as she doesn't use that illegal AC of hers..." Rebel warned.

"Don't start in on that!" Pyro whined as the three now entered the ravaged B-3 area.

Just don't look... Kaze thought, hoping the memories would keep at bay and not let him interfere with the mission. Don't let what you see bother you...

"Though, I'd really hate to admit it," Rebel said. "but I think you could've won that last time."

"Yeah," Pyro agreed. "but I lost! I lost to a coward, a wimp and a cheater!"

As if the last word echoed throughout the old district park... six strange explosions of earth surrounded the stunned pilots and their AC's, each with a dot of glowing red light.

"Ah, hell!" Rebel belted. "Not now!"

"Not the Knights!" Pyro whimpered as the silver-bluish AC's came into view, rifles drawn at the three. "Please not them!"

"Well, well, well..." a southern-accented voice of a middle-aged woman came over the radio. "if y'all got somthin' to say about me," The AC came into view, coming from the general direction of the operation area, covered in a giant shroud of burlap with a fearsome glowing red eye coming from the AC's head. "ya might as well say to my face!"

Firestorm quickly hid behind Mecha, hoping the red glare wouldn't hit him. "...I'll be good." Pyro muttered.

Unconsciously, Mecha aimed the machine gun at the enemy in front of it, only to have it knocked out of its hand in a fraction of a second!

"Don't ya try an' play 'hero' here!" the pilot of the cloth-clad AC said, revealing the golden rifle in its right hand, the barrel exhausting smoke after expending a round. "Y'all won't like how it ends..."

Kaze gritted his teeth and held back his words. Mecha freezing in its place.

"I'm guessin' that ya must be the newcomer that I heard about..." the pilot continued, adding a slight laugh at the end. "Come now, don't be shy, young'n."

"We're good as dead now..." Pyro whined.

A bullet from the gold gun grazed Firestorm's head. "Pipe down!" the southern pilot ordered. "I wasn't talkin' to you, was I?"

"...I am." Kaze hissed to the pilot. "I'm a newcomer! So what?"

"'So what?' That just means ya got lucky, that's all!"

"What do you mean?"

"Knights, drive th' other two AC's back to the area border. I'm gonna pick on this young'n for a while."

Doing as they were instructed, the six Knights made their moving barricade and shoved Firestorm and Dust Devil back to the edge of the B-4 sector.

"Kaze, be careful!" Rebel warned.

"If those two make any stupid moves," the head pilot called to the knights. "don't hesitate to kill 'em!" The strange AC turned its glare to Mecha. "So, your name is Kaze, huh? I reckon I should be polite and introduce myself, as well."

Kaze said nothing in return, hoping she would turn away for a second.

"Th' name's Laze-Eye. I was th' number two pilot on my former team and currently th' number seven in the arena!"

Crap, she's good! Kaze thought.

"Since you're a newcomer, y'all won't take it seriously if I challenge ya, hm?"

"What do you mean?" Kaze asked without fear.

"It's easy! All ya gotta do is pull this cloak off of my AC before I whittle your AC down to scrap!"

"Don't accept it!" Pyro called to Kaze. "You'll end up like I did!"

"Y'all have no other choice, kid!" Lazy-Eye countered. "If ya don't accept the challenge, then your friends will be given a bullet burial!"

Kaze hesitated, noticing something over the cloaked AC's shoulder: the color of blood, steel and darkness, in the form of a giant suit of armor. I-it can't be... he thought. Not here... not now... His mind brought back all the painful memories in full force, as though he was reliving that day.

"Well, c'mon, kid." Lazy-Eye beckoned. "Make your move-"

The sudden jolt from the AC startled her, now noticing that in front of her was Mecha, the tip of the laser blade drawn at her AC's red eye. "H-holy... shit!" she hissed, looking at Mecha's right hand, tightly holding the discarded cloak. "In all my years, I've never seen an AC move that fast!" She could almost feel Kaze's bitter glare upon her.

"This is no time for games!" Kaze hissed. "Leave while you still have the chance!"

"Leave? What the hell do ya mean? I'm not going to run from a kid like you!"

"Then I have no other choice..." While retracting the laser blade in its left hand, Mecha shoved the black, silver, and gold AC off to its left, just as a massive ball of fire flew by them, destroying two of the Knights from the barricade.

The four remaining Knights, as well as Dust Devil and Firestorm, flew back a street block in the B-4 area, avoiding the blast.

"I told you this place was a death-trap!" Pyro yelled to Rebel.

"Can it!" Rebel scolded back as she carefully zoomed in on the assailant: a red AC with the number 9 painted on the side of its left arm. "...You've got to be kidding me..." she hissed.

"Boss, incoming AC!" one of the Knight pilots yelled to Lazy-Eye... before he and the other three identical AC's were spilt in half by the speeding red AC's laser blade...

To be continued...