Armored Core: Lunar Battle
Chapter 6: Storm
A beeping sound was heard in team doom's room just before the crack of dawn. Nick groggily woke up to the sound, his head pounding. 'Dammit, my head. What the hell..' He looked at his computer, noticing he was getting a communication from the shop. 'Ol' Greg? What's he...oh yeah...my new AC.' He shifted himself up and looked at the screen close to his bed. "Accept communication." The screen turned white, then revealed the face of Greg, the shopkeeper in his shop.
"Mornin' Reaper." He then notices the way he looked. "Apologies, did I wake ya?"
"Yeah, with a major headache." He rubbed his temples. "What's goin on?"
"Jest lettin ya kno that yer AC, Deathsythe VIII, is all ready fer combat. Pick 'er up when yer ready." He then looked at the screen and his eyes widened. "Holy shit! Seems ya wer busy last night. Jest come down wen yer done f(#n' around." He turned to the side to turn the screen off, muttering something about a couple. Nick lifted an eyebrow, a little too groggy to figure out what the hell he meant. All he knew was that he never drops F bombs under normal circumstances.
' "When your done f(#n' around?"' he thought, turning to the other side of his bed to get out. 'What did he mean by...eh?' He stopped turning over and looked at his bed side, which was obstructed by someone. This someone had blue hair and currently was content with sleep. He looked at the person, trying to figure out who it was and what they were doing in his bed. He groggily moved to get a better look at the person's face, finally recognizing who it was. 'Tanja....' His mind kicked into high gear within twenty seconds as he processed what he was seeing, with the end result being that his eyes widened with pure surprise and shock. "HOLY SHIT!!!!!"
"WHA....." Tanja woke up to his racket, looking at him square in the eye. Her eyes widened as well, and both ravens moved to their 'sides' of the bed.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" they yelled at the same time. Both realized the situation easily after they had yelled at each other. They were both in Nick's room and in the same bed. Both of them were in only their underwear, although Tanja was missing her bra at the moment. She covered her front instinctively with his blankets, both of them blushing. Nick stuck up a hand in a stop like position while his other touched his head, fighting off a sudden urge and a sudden blast of pain.
"Nick..."
"Tanja, what the hell happened?"
She blinked several times. "You don't remember?" Nick shook his head. "All I remember is that we ate together after leaving the shop and had a few drinks. Apparently, you aren't able to hold your liquor all too well."
"I was drinking?"
"Yup. You started to go all whoozy and stuff before I decided you should go back to your room." She stopped to think a second. "I brought you back here, but the door wouldn't let me leave."
"What?!?" Nick jumped out of bed and hopped to the door as he grabbed and tried to put on a pair of pants on the move. He got to the door and pressed the control to open it. It didn't respond. He tried again, but it responded the same way as before. He glared at the console, noticing a message on the door. 'Locked from outside??' He looked up and scanned his room. Tanja walked into the room a few seconds later, already getting her shirt on while her pants had yet to be put on properly. "Where's Chris and Eddy?"
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'They should be waking up anytime now,' Chris thought to himself. 'They've had the room all to themselves for the entire night. There's no way he could have passed up this opportunity, that sex starved stooge.' He looked around him. 'Pity my plan had one fatal flaw...'
flashback: Last night
Eddy was already out like a light. 'Man, that guy can't hold his liquor,' Chris thought as he waited at the dark corner of the hall for Nick to return. 'I know that was him with Tanja at that restaurant, and they never let a raven out of there without them having at least one cup of booze. Knowing her, they probably drank that strong stuff.' Just upon finishing that thought, he saw the duo on their way back. Nick was supported by Tanja due to his drunken state, having been able to walk on his own again only minutes before entering the restaurant. 'Speak of the reaper, there they are.' He watched as she opened the door to his room and entered with the wasted raven. When the door closed, he rushed to the outer console and activated the outer lock mechanism, sealing the door and preventing anyone from being able to exit. 'He he he. He won't be able to resist at all,' he thought, then returned to the corner to retrieve Eddy.
He hoisted his buddy up and supported his weight and prepared to call it a night, when a thought suddenly struck him. 'Shit, we all sleep in that room! Dammit, now where are we gonna rest?' He heard the giggling from down the hall, recognizing it as Sara. She and Linda were walking down the hall and were about to enter their room when they noticed Chris standing dumbfounded in front of his door.
"Hey Devil," she said above a whisper, for it was rather late at night and she wasn't about to wake the sleepy neighbors. "What are you doing out here?"
He thought of a response quickly. "That damned Reaper locked the door on us. I can't get in there without him opening it from the inside. Last I saw, he was pissed drunk before entering."
"Damn. Are you saying you don't have a place for the night?"
"Damn right. Can you help me and Eddy here out?"
The girls looked at each other, then looked inside. "Guess its all right. Tanja's still not in yet. Haven't seen her since the hospital."
"Yeah, I saw her out in the city," he hastily added. "Mentioned something about going on a mission for the night."
end flashback
His exaggerated truths had succeeded in granting both Eddy and himself a place to stay. He looked at Eddy, who was covered by Linda. She was worried when she found out he was passed out drunk. 'Those two probably would make as good a couple as Nick and Jen,' he thought, before he heard a ruckus out on the other side of the hall. That noise woke Sara up.
"What the hell...does anyone care that people are still trying to sleep!?!" She tried to block out the noise with her pillow, only to hear a person's voice instead.
"Nick, chill out will you?" Sara looked at the wall, swearing she heard the muffled voice of her team leader out there. "I'll get this damn door open in a minute."
"Tanja??" Another smash was heard as something connected with a door, followed by several more. Finally, a yell of rage was heard and an ear splitting crash resulted in the sound of severely bent metal. "What the...." That final sound woke up Linda and Eddy. The two stared at each other, blushed, then reacted the same way Nick and Tanja had only minutes before.
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"Jeese, Nick. Why not just wake up the whole nest." She looked at the remains of the door, another victim to his berserk state. His bad hand was still bandaged up, but it now was red around the knuckles.
"You were taking too long, and I would like to know where Eddy and Chris are! I've got a bone to pick with them." His eyes scanned the area, a stare that could kill checked every nook and cranny of the hall. Ravens poked their heads out to check, only to retreat if Nick looked their way.
"Whatever. I'm gonna wake the team, see if they saw those two." She opened the door to her room, only to pause in the doorway at the sight before her. Sara was just getting out of bed and was about to check the racket before the door was opened. Her eyes opened wide when she saw her leader barge in. Tanja saw in one corner of the room Chris, apparently cringing from the yelling he heard outside. Eddy and Linda were at another corner, both trying to keep a distance between them and too focused on trying to supress their embarassments to even notice Tanja's return. "Scratch that, Reaper. I think I found your team." Daggers were now shooting out of her eyes as well.
Nick arrived at the door and glared at his teammates. Eddy was just confused as to what was going on, while Chris knew full well that his excuse to the Breakers had just expired. "What the HELL are you two doing in here!!!" The tone of his voice made it clear that it wasn't a question, and he is royally pissed off.
Linda looked up and actually noticed Nick and Tanja finally, the color on her face drained immediately because of the identacle looks of sheer anger that they both wore. Sara cleared her throat. "They claimed that you locked them out in a drunken stupor." She then turned to Tanja. "So, how'd the mission go?"
"LOCKED THEM OUT IN A DRUNKED STUPOR!!!" they yelled at the same time.
"I WAS TOO DRUNK TO EVEN MOVE LAST NIGHT! TANJA HAD TO HELP ME INTO BED BECAUSE OF HOW DRUNK I WAS!!!"
"WHAT MISSION? I WAS LOCKED IN WITH NICK ALL NIGHT!!!!!" They yelled their sentences at the same time, but it was quite evident to Sara and Linda that they were had. Chris had already turned paler than a ghost and Eddy was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. All eyes turned to Eddy and Chris.
"Huh?" Eddy noticed four pissed off Ravens looking in his direction. "Don't look at me. I don't remember a thing past twenty hundred hours." He rubbed his head. "Feel like a damned wall hit my head," he muttered.
Linda turned to the side. "I'll vouch for him, guys. He was out like a light when we saw Chris and Eddy outside in the hall." She then looked back at him, a light blush starting to creep back. "Plus, the level of booze on his body was enough to knock me out just by being nearby trying to help."
"I WAS DRUNK???" Now all eyes were on Chris alone. Before another word was said, Pilan ran into the room. She stopped and surveyed the room for a second.
"Your all here already?" she asked, clearly out of breath.
Tanja turned around. "Pilan, where were you this time?"
"In Zeo Streak II's cockpit again, but now isn't the time to know what I was doing all night!" She dashed towards the tv and turned it on. She then took a disk out of her breast pocket and loaded it into the player system. All eyes turned to the screen, while Chris breathed a temporary sigh of relief. A reporter appeared on the screen and started to speak about a topic, but only Pilan understood what he was saying. "OOPS! Forgot it is in Martian." She tapped a few buttons and restarted the disk. The reporter returned and started speaking.
"Tonight's topic: Neo Core against corporations. Neo Core, after decimating the Martian strike force from Lunar orbit, has actively made its first move known. The new corporation send over two hundred MT units to earth, intending to assult the earth based corporations of Mirage, Kiseragi, and Crest. Their attempt at an assult, however, was cut short when a mysterious weapon of unknown origion and mysterious ACs wiped out most of the force upon landing, and further taken out by hired Ravens of Global Cortex."
"Pause clip," Tanja said, freezing the report. "Neo Core MTs." She turned to Nick. "That's what Oblivion said we defeated before attacking us."
Nick nodded, looking at the screen. "And its no wonder they were almost wiped out. Their LZ was at the border of the Silent Line. You can't even expect a cat to go in there and leave undercooked. Is that all you wanted to show us?" Pilan shook her head and continued the disk.
"In light of these events, Neo Core is sending a larger strike force to earth. Among them is rumored to be the same Raven responsible for the Mars Colonial Massacre. Their intended target is anyone's guess." The clip ended, and most of the Ravens in that room were kind of speechless.
"MTs? They are no match for Ravens," Chris muttered, earning him stares from everyone in the room.
"Those MTs took alot out of Nick and me, and I bet that raven is the same one that damn near killed the two of us with ease." Tanja could easily recall the MT fight. They were as weak as any other, but sure as hell weren't pushovers.
"That's not all," Pilan said. The six ravens looked at the Martian, waiting for an explination. "That clip is two days old. Neo Core's forces are most likely on planet already. Considering the threats each corporation actually pose, I think that Global Cortex is the intended target of this attack." The ravens just glared at her.
"Unlikely," Eddy stated. "Global Cortex isn't plotted on any map and is impossible to locate without the proper gear..."
"Which that one Raven has. All the damned ACs can track the nests, its standard issue." Pilan was slightly irritated.
"Look, say that your right," Sara started. "The Cortex has all sorts of equipment that can stop an assulting enemy in its tracks, and we happen to be a distance underground. These measures help protect it and the nearby civilian population." She got up and walked out the door. "If you ask me, this means nothing." Linda, Eddy, and Chris looked at Pilan, then got up and left themselves. That left Tanja, Pilan, and Nick in the room. She looked at Nick, who got up himself as he made his leave.
"You don't believe me either?" She asked in a harsh tone.
"No," he responded, "I'm just getting my dirty clothes changed, then picking up my AC. I am NOT going to let a group like that catch me with my pants down."
Tanja looked at Pilan. "If you feel that we will be attacked, you should report it to Lians. I'll be with Nick, in case something does come up." With those words said, she went to her bathroom to change into her clothes.
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Nick was in the new cockpit of Deathsythe VIII within fifteen minutes. He had gone into his room to shower and change into his Raven uniform, then went straight for the shop. Greg was waiting for him and directed him into the new AC. He only bothered to mention the new functions that this Deathsythe had that Nick was unfamiliar with, otherwise it was the same as Deathsythe VII. He flipped the switches on his console, activating the varoious systems within the core. The generators kicked on, followed by the radiator's activation and the activation of the main system. The sub-systems followed suit, until the AC was powered up. He inserted his new optional part into the side console and activated it as the AC did a self diagnostic.
"AC ready. Normal Mode is currently engaged," the female voice of the AC said. It may be the Misteye variation, but it sounded almost identacle to the Skyeye. "Warning, Battle Mode cannot be engaged. Weapon systems cannot be located."
Nick frowned, then opened his speakers so Greg could hear. "Hey, old man. Where's the weapons?"
"Ah sheet. Don' tell meh yer gonna get 'er trashed already." He shook his head. "Hang on." He pressed a few controls, which activated the assembly system. He then selected the three weapons that Nick did purchase and attached them to his core. Nick checked his systems, noticing that his computer had reconized the weapons installed.
"Could I also purchase one of your light laser cannons and attach it to my AC."
"No problem," Greg replied, commanding his equipment to search for his requested piece and install it while he deducted a few more credits from Nick's account. The weapon was installed within a minute. "Okee, yer all set. Openin' the doors. Now get outta here." Once the doors were opened completely, the new AC boosted out and headed for the lift.
Once he got there, he was greeted by Hunter III. It now featured a newer and lighter arm part, the HADRO, and the new RVE legs that Deathsythe VIII now featured. Her boosters were exchanged and so were all of her weapons excluding her medium missiles. She now features a longer ranged blade called the HALBERT, her new KARASAWA, and a lighter small rocket launcher with thirty rounds. The Global Cortex emblem was still visible on her arm. "I like your new AC, Reaper."
"I like what you did to yours," Nick commented, "but your putting your energy reserves to their limit."
"I told you not to worry about it." The two ACs entered the lift and sat comfortably in their cockpits as the lift brought them up. "Want to know something?"
"What?"
"Your brother said the exact same thing when I went for this core model and my old laser rifle. That definately makes you both related." Nick frowned at his screen. "Sure as hell can't blame you. All of this stuff is hard to keep charged, even with my generator. Ah well, I'll just fight in ways that keep my levels charged anyway."
"Pray those items don't kill you." The door opened and the two ACs walked outside. Nick paused for a minute and scanned the area, using his sensors and his eyes to find the targets. Hunter III followed suit, the red lights on the RE/008 flashing as another radar pulse was emitted. Nick turned his attention from Tanja to his radar, which suddenly lit up with targets. He looked up, noticing the MTs shutting down their thrusters and coming down. "Shit! Heads up, use your missiles and rockets. I would save the laser for the Raven."
"No shit, sherlock!" The two ACs opened fire on the incoming battallion, missiles, bullets, and plasma rounds flying into the army. Several MTs blew up, but most of them flew to the left or right to avoid estensive damage. Once they landed, the two engaged their boosters and charged in, firing rockets and EOs into the ranks as they entered close quarters. Nick fired his machine gun at point blank range on several MTs, then lit up his Moonlight to slice several in half. He charged another one, which retaliated by flying over him and firing a missile from above. Nick got sprayed with dirt from the near miss of the missile and turned sharply, cutting several MTs down in an instant. He yelled in agitation as he fired bullets into its core, tearing it apart.
He paused for a second and noticed that there was no pilot in his kill, for the hole went through the cockpit and revealed a lack of flesh. "AI units??" His thoughts were shattered as another MT rammed him from the side, firing its rifle at point blank range. He activated his EO, which swiveled to his left and blasted the target with a fast stream of bullets as he tried to regain balance. "Thank god for solid EOs!" he yelled as he turned and fired some more missiles.
"Shit! There are so many of them. Not even we can hold them off forever!" Tanja yelled on her comm, firing rockets and EO bursts at anything hostile that got too close. She activated her HALBERT and took several enemies down at once with the long blade. But she was right, there are too many MTs to fight with only two ACs. Nick cut another one down when he recieved a missile warning.
"Get in the air if you want to live," a deep voice said. The two heeded those words and flew into the air. When they looked down, they witnessed as about fourty MTs were hit by the missiles, a good thirty percent taken down while the others shrugged it off with some damage. They turned in time to spot a green AC and a black one already on the field. The big green one was well armored and equipped with dual pursuit missiles with interlocking missile systems, further augmented with a howitzer and a shotgun. The other AC was lighter in design, but equipped with a rifle, gernade launcher, chain gun, and blade. "Neo Core's not getting away with attacking the Nest."
"Royal Mist?!?"
"ACE!!!!"
"Damn right," Ace replied, firing a gernade into the enemy ranks, taking a few out with an impressive explosions. "Now lets fight like the aces we really are." The two units charged in and fired any weapon they could as they advanced. After their arrival, several more ravens poured out and attacked the MTs. Among them were Devil's Painbringer tank, Demon's repaired Speed Demon, Sprint's now legged Quik Death, and a seriously overhauled legged Hell Bringer. They poured fire into the endless stream of enemies, taking them down in their most perferred battle styles. Even the Cortex MT and AC militia arrived and added to the firepower. Aside form all this, Ravens and fellow pilots were falling to Neo Core's forces, even as the assult force started to dwindle in numbers.
During the fighting, a blue AC with a sleek design overboosted throught the ranks, shooting both Neo Core forces and at the Cortex defenders. This unit passed them all, causing quite a number to the defenders to fall as it shot its way into the primary elevator. It destroyed the elevator and dropped down into the depths of Layered. "Defenders, an unidentified AC has penetrated your defence line."
Hunter III glanced back as she shot another MT's chest with a rocket, noticing the after effects of the AC's handiwork. "I'm on it." She jumped up to evade further battle with the MTs and made a mad dash for the elevator. A few MTs tried to stop the retreating AC, only to be engaged by her teammates and fellow ravens as they helped her. Nick thrusted in reverse and fired on a squad advancing on his position when his AC gave him a warning.
"Enemy AC detected. Designation: Oblivion." Upon hearing this latest intel, he looked at his short ranged radar and his visuals. He noticed several enemy MTs heading for Tanja had turned around and returned to the battleline, but it wasn't because they couldn't keep up. Nick looked up in horror as he saw Oblivion's AC hovering over the battlefield, his laser cannon repaired and targeting the blue AC of Hunter III.
"TANJA, LOOK OUT!"
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Pilan dashed to the garage to start up her AC. She had managed to warn Lians in time, just moments before Layered's sensors detected the two ACs battling the MTs, but after the ACs had gotten up there. She was one of a few Ravens who haven't gotten into battle yet because of her being stuck in the conference room for too long. The only other ravens that weren't up there were either asleep, wounded, having their ACs repaired, or are already out on a different mission. She turned a corner sharply and jumped into the cockpit of her AC. She flipped the switches that would activate the generator, radiator, and computer, then started to fasten herself in and put on her helmet as the system did the rest. The EGRET's visor glowed a bright red as energy flowed through its systems and started it up. "Zeo Streak II active. Normal mode engaged," the computer stated. Pilan briefly smiled at hearing her mother's voice again.
"Alright, Zeo Streak. Lets show those bastards what we're made of." She barely took a step outside the garage when her systems were giving her an immediate warning.
"ALERT!! Enemy AC detected. Switching systems to combat mode." The AC lifted its gun arm and the targeting system display activated on her screen. Pilan immediately checked her radar and her surroundings for the AC. "Scanning configuration....the AC is a standard Zeo Matrix mobile design equipped with plasma cannon, torpedos, blade, and laser rifle."
'Standard mobile model?' Pilan thought as she continued to scan her surroundings. 'And a Zeo model, no less. Its stats won't be much different from mine, but that configuration...'
"AC Zeo Streak Alpha confirmed." Pilan's eyes immediately widened. "Error: AC unit recorded destroyed in Martian Colony Massacre. Double checking configuration..."
"Abort double check," Pilan commanded. 'Mother's AC? But only she could command it.'
"Pilan," her speakers spoke up. She reconized the voice as that of Lians. "We have a situation. An Armored Core has infiltrated Layered and is.."
"I know, my AC picked it up. Where is it?"
Lians blinked. "Its in sector 216. MT defence units and Cortex ACs are already en route, but current forces there are being wiped out."
"Tell the reinforcements to arrive only if I am defeated. My AC identified it as a very dangerous one, one that I must stop alone."
Lians stared at her communicator system. "You have five minutes. If the target isn't destroyed or it manages to leave the area, the reinforcements will arrive."
"More than enough time." She cut the comm and overboosted to sector 216 to stop an AC.
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AC Zeo Streak Alpha dashed down the road, evading enemy fire with ease and slicing up the enemy with its blade. The AC charged down like this for several blocks before finally stopping in a clearing within sector 216. An identacle AC was already waiting, its red visor flashing menacingly at it. The two Streaks stared at each other, before Zeo Streak II broke the silence. "AC pilot!" Pilan yelled over her comm. "Identify yourself!"
A female voice responded, one that sounded just like the EGRET of Pilan's AC and in Martian. "I am Pilana, Nine Breaker of Mars." The AC dropped its gun arm down as it went into normal mode. "I have come for you, Pilan."
"You can't be who you say you are. Pilana died ten years ago," Pilan yelled in Martian. Zeo Streak II pointed its Karasawa MKII at the fellow Zeo Matrix machine. "Identify yourself!"
"I am Pilana, Nine Breaker of Mars," the AC said again. "Pilan, I have something importaint that I must do." The ACs stared at each other in the clearing as Pilan's precious time started to disappear.
Cliffie. And i noticed the three review that I recieved for the last chapter. apologies for the lateness of this chapter, but something locked down my AOL account. I had to get this on using other means.
Ryuushen: Thanks for the review, and you are hitting the nail right on the head about the purpose of a review. To me, it is a way to have the readers relay what they think about one's work. The truth doesn't hurt, but a lie will just piss me off. Don't worry, though. The title will make an appearance in this fan fic soon enough.
Bloody Kitsune: I guess you got a point with the new AC there, but new parts aren't always good. In fact, designing Hunter III in Silent Line was horrible, and Nexus made my favorite configuration pail in comparison to my new A class AC. Don't worry, my town isn't all that great either. I had to reserve my copy. And that FCS thing, that is what you meant from your other review, right? If so, I understand what you were getting at now.
Xardion: You noticed, eh? It seems to help show the character's personality and also helps in showing hidden sides of a character as well, as will be noted in the next chapter. Besides, there is a saying that love has people do strange things. You'll see what I mean in the next chapter.