Disclaimer: I don't own Amored Core or any of the corporations in AC Silent Line, nor do I own anything from the Gundam Wing series.
Author's Note: This takes place after Gundam Wing Endless Waltz and during AC Silent Line. The world of ACSL is on Mars for this fic, since no planet was specified in the game and most of life was in the underground Layered instead of the surface world, which is dry and arid save a few parts of the world.
Forbidden Weapon Reborn
"Louise, this is Dark Heart."
"Go ahead Dark Heart."
The pilot of the rugged AC glanced at his computer data screen, the gentle green glow of the console illuminating his cockpit. He glanced over his other displays while continuing his question.
"What's my objective again?" his controller on the line groaned.
"Dark Heart . . . again? That makes three times already! Do I need to send the information directly to your brain?"
The pilot apologized. Looking around him, he saw the remnants of his mission thus far. The armored core he was piloting was surrounded by decimated tanks and gun turrets. Several humanoid fighting machines also lay in ruin. Head units were missing alongside arms, legs, and guns which had been cast aside, the pilots fleeing for their lives. Counting, he added up seven of the human like units and twenty tanks. The pillboxes didn't really count as a threat to him, but were ten in all.
He frowned at his monitor readings.
One fourth of my armor's gone, half ammunition, EO is full though. Damn, I need practice back at the arena. Getting rusty.
"Dark Heart? Dark Heart! Are you listening to me?" The pilot jerked at her voice.
"I understand now. So I'm here to destroy or capture that strange prototype . . . mobile suit?" The last words came out slowly.
"That's right Dark Heart. Now get moving!"
The AC veteran grinned. The newcomers to Mars weren't exactly bright. Setting up a colony just inside the Silent Line, they just started to mine resources within Mirage's territory. They hadn't bothered to even check they're surroundings or explore first.
He remembered when he and his partner had first encountered the group on a mission for Mirage. They had no weapons that could damage an MT, much less an AC. They had panicked at the sight of the AC's. They had flanked the group and questioned their motives. That's when news got out that they weren't even from Layered, but another planet entirely.
They had wanted only to warn them, but a surprise attack from above had forced the two AC pilots to back off and cancel the mission. The craft that flew in had some kind of shielding and the mechs didn't have energy weaponry. Things had only rolled downhill from there. Now . . . war was raging while corporations tried to explore the Silent Line.
The weapons that they produced were sorely lacking compared to an AC, but they had mass numbers, and most of them appeared to be AI controlled. The battles had worn down to attrition.
Now this new suit was supposed to pose a threat to the AC units, and he was there to stop it.
A radar blip on his screens alerted him of a unit behind him. Shrugging, he turned to face the oncoming unit. Around the corner came a crimson red AC with lightweight legs and the MCL-SS/Ray Over Boost Core. The picture of a woman with a long samurai sword at attention was emblazoned across the left shoulder.
The rifle in its right hand lowered upon seeing Dark Heart's jet black paint job. The two units just stood there a moment.
"Well . . . no 'how're you doin' for me?'" A feminine, but confident voice ventured. The AC took its best impression of an annoyed stance. Dark Heart smirked, humoring himself.
"Well, now that you ask Sword Maiden, how are you doing?" The red machine came over to her partner and bopped the head unit with the barrel of the assault rifle, the dull clang of metal echoed in the large factory chambers.
"YOU . . .!" She taunted him in playful anger.
The ACs turned to continue their mission. It would be there last one before going on vacation; the credits earned from this one would pay for it. As they proceed down the huge corridors, Maiden Sword noticed that her partner wasn't using his usual armaments.
"Hey Dark Heart, where's the dual sniper units that you use?"
"We're indoors; long range solid shots are pointless. That and they're too damn slow for firefights."
He wasn't using his usual long range sniper rifles, but a HALBERD laser blade paired with the Mirage KARASAWA. A set of orbit launchers were his back weapons along side his Exceed Orbit. His mobility was slower without an OB unit and a slower pair of legs than she was used to.
He didn't seem to be bothered by it though. The boosters on his back were the FLEET class, which allowed him a lot more maneuverability than anyone first credited his AC with. His setup still worried her though. He was all energy and no solid ammo. If he lost power, she'd be on her own until his system rebooted.
She was sporting a more flexible combination. True, her AST right arm rifle drilled through ammo, but she had a Moonlight laser blade to fall back on coupled with her exceptional mobility and piloting skills. A Sphere radar had helped her out of tough ECM infested areas like this one, and now was no exception. A linear gun finished her arsenal.
They were an odd, but charismatic couple. Two Ravens who at one time been rivals . . . no . . . were still rivals, but lovers as a husband and wife. She was older by three years, but he never let her say that in public. They didn't wear their rings on their fingers, but each on a gold necklace which they wore constantly unless they were asleep.
She was twenty-five and considered young for her experience; which made her respect her husband even more due to his age and skill level. In truth the two of them were too young for their level of skill.
A large set of double doors, reinforced by steel and alloyed armor plating marked with a large number one now stood before them.
"The remaining defense forces lie behind these doors. Be careful Ravens." Louise's voice hummed in their communication units.
Maiden Sword withdrew several yards and switched to the linear gun while kneeling. Dark Heart took his position next to the opening console, Karasawa at the ready. This was their standard opening procedure when together.
He would open the doors and she would send in one or two volleys to disorient whoever was stupid enough to just stand right at the door. Dark Heart would then enter while strafing right, scattering forces as she entered to cover his back and take out any other forces he didn't set his sights on first.
"(Sigh) . . . it's time to do this, let's go!" The massive armored double doors grinded open.
To be followed by an onslaught of lead and energy bolts. The sound was deafening, even through the external audio units. Ricocheting shells sparked against the blast doors, forcing Dark Heart to fall back several feet. Maiden Sword let loose a hellish fireball blindly to hear a devastating explosion confirming an accurate shot.
The rain of molten projectiles temporarily ceased. Dark Heart took that for his cue and dashed inside, unleashing a blinding volley from the high-class energy rifle.
Entering the large hangar, his crosshairs fell on tank after tank, each becoming a smoking pile of wreckage as each energy blast ripped from the emission barrel. Screams of fear, anger, and grief filled his communications earpiece.
He let a smile of satisfaction escape. He was one of the advocates of death, Dark Heart. A set of stationary guns aimed their barrels at him, and fired. Dark Heart ingnited the Fleet boosters and dashed the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding the volley. The howitzer fire now flew straight towards Sword Maiden's back.
Sword Maiden smiled a similar grin of sardonic pleasure. Sure, she was piloting Sword Maiden, her second AC, but her first one was back in their hangars. Together, their abilities had earned them the nickname of the Fallen Angels.
No one had beaten them in a mission yet, and no one would. Every one of the targets before her fell to the AST rifle. The sudden change in direction in Dark Heart's radar blip directly behind her caught her eye. The temporary disappearance of the green blip reappearing a split second later was all she needed.
Jamming the over boosters switch on and pulling back on her control sticks, the AC launched itself straight up.
"Why did that thing just stop and jump up like . . ." The tank officer never finished his question as a set of howitzer volleys drilled into the tank column she was facing off against.
The resulting explosion detonated the munitions canisters behind them; sending a catastrophic chain of explosions down the rest of the enemy forces. After the hellish fire wave died, all that was left of her opponents were cinders and slag.
"What a way to save my ammo Dark Heart."
"For you love; anything."
The other units were shocked; they had just slaughtered their own men.
"Shit! How are those two pulling these kinds of moves? It's like their demons!" A heavy thud to the howitzer's side brought their attention back to their original target. The strange, but powerful laser blaster aimed straight at them.
The cold red eye sensor in the head unit glowed darkly as a voice permeated the now quiet chambers.
"You're the last ones." The artillery team looked around them in horror. After the energy assault and fatal friendly fire, they really were the only ones left. The red AC landed and walked to the final double doors.
"For the record, don't use the word 'demon'. It's so disgusting. Fallen Angels sounds more . . . regal." The men gaped in dread as the rifle began drawing energy to the end of the barrel. He was going to fire at the men at point blank range.
He isn't human . . . we're unarmored infantry! That's . . . A flash of light accompanied by horrendous death screams ended the soldier's thoughts . . . overkill . . . !
A blackened scorch mark was all that remained of the infantry and howitzer team.
"Dark Heart . . . was that really necessary?" Louise's voice had a touch of scorn to it. The spotter had a touchy side with unneeded destruction. She didn't make any sense to the Fallen Angels.
"Would you rather them run and get reinforcements and then overrun us?" Silence was the only answer he received in return.
"Um, Dark Heart . . . we've got company."
The dark AC turned to find Maiden Sword backing away from a now open set of reinforced blast doors. His eyes widened in surprise.
The humanoid Mobile Suit was white in its base color, blue at the joints, red in armor plating, and had a golden yellow adornment on the forehead. A large shield almost as large as the MS itself was locked onto the left arm while the right one had an impressive looking rifle in its hand and a strange forearm length pike on the lower arm piece. The eye sensors radiated an eerie green.
The pilot's voice hailed them.
"That's pretty impressive piloting. But this suit isn't a prototype. It's the ultimate weapon which was prohibited two years ago. We call it a Gundam."
The rifle in its right hand raised and released its payload, an energy blastthree times wider than the suit firing it. The two ACs barely avoided it; Dark Heart was grazed, but still standing, its side shielding extensions gone without a trace.
Gundam? Is this the prototype . . . no; he just said that they had forbidden them. That can't be good. If they know how effective they are to forbid them then . . . mass numbers . . . !
Sword Maiden swallowed hard at the thought of multiple units with a weapon like that. Looking behind her, it was her turn to gape. The factory walls and doors were gone; the outside sun could be seen in the distance.
The beam had shot through to the outside; even the particle cannons on heavy AC didn't have that much destructive force. She glanced at Dark Heart, his shields were no where to be seen. Her partner jettisoned his Karasawa and Orbiter launchers and ignited his laser blade, the vermilion energy sword crackled with excitement.
She knew what he was planning and followed his lead. Her hands moved by memory as switches were flipped followed by the heavy crash of her linear gun as it fell from its shoulder mount. The AST rifle followed suit.
The Moonlight ignited with a pale blue light, her blade was a third shorter than the Halberd, but it was also far more powerful too. Meaning she would be the real attacker, while Dark Heart would distract it with its longer reach.
It's a long range type to have such a rifle. Closing in on it is our advantage, eliminating the rifle's usefulness. Good thinking.
To their dismay, the rifle from the Gundam dropped to the floor as well and pulled a weapon from its back. A bright green blade appeared as the suit brought the shield up as well.
Her husband's voice came to her over their private frequency.
"You got to be kiddin' me . . . melee proficient too?"
Gritting her teeth, she had to agree. Their opponent was asking for melee combat against both of them simultaneously. So this was a forbidden weapon. She wasn't looking forward to this battle.
Dum Dum DUM! Gundam makes its return to do battle. How does an AC compare to a Gundam? Find out in the next chapter!
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Oh . . . want the stats on Dark Heart and Maiden Sword ACs? Well here you go!
Dark Heart,
Pilot Name: (You'll find out in later chapters)
Head:MCD-MM/007
Core: MCL-SS/ORCA
Arms:CAL-66-MACH
Legs:CLH-STIFF
Booster: CBT-FLEET
FCS:VREX-ND-2
Generator: CGP-ROZ
Radiator: RGI-KD99
Inside:N/A
Extension: CSS-IA-645
Back L: KWX-OC-22
Back R: KWX-OC-22
Right A: MWG-KARASAWA
Left A: MCB-HALBERD
Maiden Sword
Pilot Name: (Info later on)
Head:CHD-02-TIE
Core:MCL-SS-RAY
Arms:MAM-MX/MDD
Legs:CLM-02-SNSKAI
Booster: MBT-OX/E9
FCS:PLS-ROA
Generator: CGP-ROZ
Radiator: RMR-SA77
Inside: N/A
Extension: N/A
Back L: MWC-LIC/40
Back R: MRL-SS-SPHERE
Right A: CWG-ARF-120
Left A: MCB-MOONLIGHT