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 10: Enemy
There it stood before the four remaining AC's where the fallen Knights laid. The red AC, armed with a pulse gun, a two-lock missile launcher and a grenade launcher... The infamous Nine-Ball: the top-ranked AC in the arena.
"I just got word that someone here was lookin' for me..." the pilot of Nine-Ball, Hustler One, informed. "...judging by those incompetent Knights, I guess that person wasn't in the blast."
Don't look at him... Kaze thought, attempting to loosen his grip on the controls. Keep calm...
"Speaking of incompetent," Hustler-One added. "I think see a familiar face..."
Shit, he remembers! Kaze gritted his teeth.
"'Familiar?'" Pyro asked.
"Must be talkin' about Lazy-Eye." Rebel guessed.
"It was on this very spot, two years ago..." the pilot of Nine-Ball said. "I encountered a certain black and red AC and a vengeful young man that was driven to kill me..."
"Huh?" Pyro said. "Black and red AC? Sounds like he's talkin' about-"
Mecha turned and faced Nine-Ball. "I'm that vengeful young man..." Kaze hissed. "I'm the one that you've been looking for!"
Hustler laughed. "Yeah, you're the one alright." Nine-Ball aimed the pulse gun at Mecha. "Thought I killed you off like the rest of 'em!"
"You didn't..." Mecha switched to the missile launcher, aiming for the red AC's cockpit. "and you never will!"
Before he could fire a missile, a beam of red came from behind, nearly grazing Mecha's left shoulder, accurately driving a hole through the barrel of Nine-Ball's pulse gun and severing its right arm from the rest of its metal body.
"What did you do that for?" Kaze asked, turning his glare at Lazy-Eye's AC and its powerful eye-beam cannon - an illegal weapon but a must-have for REDEYE members.
"Kid, you'd die before you fire that missile." Lazy-Eye informed. "He was already pulling the trigger..."
The quick Nine-Ball brought out one of its back weapons, the grenade launcher, and aimed at the now-oblivious Mecha... Not even knowing that he, too, was also oblivious as a rocket blew the barrel of the launcher and sharp sniper bullets pierced its head, destroying the camera that sent the pictures in the cockpit's monitor.
"Nice sniping!" Pyro commented to the sharp-shooting Rebel.
"Same with you!" Rebel called back. "Those rockets must be a real pain!"
"Yeah, but you feel grateful that you have them when you hit a difficult target."
Nine-Ball looked to Dust Devil and Firestorm, then to Mecha and Lazy-Eye's AC. "Damn..." he hissed. "Looks like I'm out numbered!" He then pointed to Mecha with the only hand he had left. "The next we meet, I will not lose!" He turned towards the ruined concrete forest and jetted off...
Mecha replied, giving the red AC the finger. "The next we meet, I'll kill you! Then, I'll finally have my closure!"
Silence then filled the stale air of the city ruins...
"Team, you okay over there?" the voice of Chief called over the radio.
"A little shaken up," Rebel responded. "but we're all here and in one piece."
"Why don't you all head back to base, then. And, Lazy-Eye, you're more than welcome to come along."
"Yeah, might as well..." Lazy-Eye replied. "I've given' y'all too much grief."
To be continued...