Armored Core for Answer : Project X

by TheKon2000

Chapter 3: X Squared

The green NEXT stops in-front of X and Chaos, causing the others to do the same, encircling the 2. "Chaos, so glad to see you after our last bout. A shame Ying couldn't be here too. But, alas, you were too weak to save him." said the smooth tone of the trained killer on the other side of the mic. The words flowed off of her tongue with a slight Spanish accent. 7 voices laughed over the mic. The black and white stripped NEXT pilot didn't laugh.

"Thorn-Crown, what are you doing here?" Chaos said with venom filling his voice to the point where X's spine tingled.

"Oh oh oh, down boy. We're just here to do a little work, test out some weapons, finish what we started." Thorn said coolly.

"X, be careful, don't let them get a hit on you." Chaos said on a private channel. He switched back over,"You wanna fight? Let's fight."

X took this moment to measure up his enemies. 4 all had the same emblem, a creepy white smiley face. The other four had custom ones. Thorn-Crown had 2 different types of assault rifles in her hands, a vertical fire kojima missile on her back right shoulder, a laser cannon on her back left shoulder, and a small laser blade on her hip. The yellow and pink one had dual assault rifles of different make in both of her hands as well although not the same 2, 2 of the same small laser blades on her hips, and her back and shoulders were occupied by PA (primal armor(energy shields)) strengtheners. The white and orange NEXT had a rifle in her right hand, a Moonlight laser sword (most powerful and deadly one in armored core) in her left hand, a HI-Laser cannon on her back right shoulder, a small plasma rifle on her hip, and ECM (radar blockers) makers on her shoulders. Rounding off the 4 customs is a black and white striped NEXT with an assault rifle in her right hand and the same Moonlight laser blade on her left hand. According to the info Caleb had fed him while Thorn and Chaos were talking, The NEXTs were Bleeding Iris, Crescent Blade, and Corrosion respectively.

The other four unnamed craft was the next item of attention. (1) The blue and purple Type-Judith carried a shotgun in her right hand, a long bladed laser sword in her left hand, a radar on her back right shoulder, scatter missiles on her back left shoulder, and a laser shotgun on her right hip, of the same make as X's. (2) The next was a light orange and pink, reverse jointed NEXT, with laser weapon arms, a radar on her back right shoulder, and a HI-Laser cannon on her left back shoulder. (3) The gold and blue one has a configuration of weapons similar to Iris's, except for the matching machine guns instead of assault rifles, it also has a lighter head, arms, and legs and a heavy weight torso, making it look like a tortoise. (4) The last was also blue and gold, though the proportions switched, she had a GA rifle in her right hand, an extremely heavy weight grenade launcher in her left hand, and a small laser blade on her left hip.

By the time X finished these mental notes, the machines hadn't even moved an inch, and he thanked his implants for that. X dashed forward and activated his blade, slicing at one of the pairing. Iris and 3 had been paired together, and were now his target. Iris dashed away, but the pilot in the unnamed craft was not so lucky. It took a direct hit, lowering it's PA to nothing. X activated his NEXT's AA (assault armor(makes your shields explode, causing massive damage and lowering others shields with a constant drain for a few seconds)) and completely obliterated 3 before a single shot was fired. Chaos raised his Gatling gun and fired at Thorn Crown and 4, causing them to spread out to avoid damage, however the fire from Corrosion caused him to dodge and avoid the oncoming fire. Meanwhile X was battling Iris, Blade, 1, and 2, who had come to help, and fired his rifle at 1 while dodges fire from 2 and Blade, and firing lasers at Iris. The Enhancements had paid off, he was nearly untouchable, Chaos however, was not so lucky. He had taken around one third of the total damage capacity his craft could take. He boosted forward, grabed 4, and fired his machine guns last clip directly into her chest before taking out his blade and cutting the dazed NEXT down, then boosting back as Corrosion boosted forward and swung her sword. Chaos fired a laser blast at her, and she absorbed it using her sword to block. Chaos staggered as he was hit with a laser shot from his right and Corrosion boosted forward and slashed at Chaos. Chaos just managed to quick turn and boost out of the way, however his Gatling gun was not so lucky.

2 had just run out of ammo and was charging up her over-boost to try and impale him on her arms. "Just lay down and di..." 2 started before X quick boosted forward while she was distracted and cut her clean through the middle with his blade. Her over-boost activated and sent the two part colliding into 1, who was destroyed by the same method as 3 while she was staggered. Blade was caught in the blast and was grazed by a shot from X who had fired his laser at her. Her blade was completely melted, and so was the tip of her laser cannon. The girls were running out of ammo, but X still had plenty. Blade retreated, and was soon followed by Iris. "This isn't the last you've seen of us, boy." X turned to see Chaos in a losing battle. His armaments, excluding his blade and missile, were gone, and Corrosion was pressing him hard. X charged his over boost, and just as Corrosion was about to make a final swing, he rocketed forward, smashing into her at nearly mach two, and tossed her into the wall of a ruined building before smashing her through the entire building and stopping on the other side and watching her go flying.. Her right arm was completely torn of, and her left arms elbow joint was smashed, leaving it at and odd angle. The rest of her chassis was leaking kojima, and couldn't form her PA due to it's crumpled state. The Next managed to stand back up, and then Thorn landed in front of it.

"This isn't over, NEXT. We'll meet again, and when we do, you'll be going down." Thorn said. The two jetted off, Thorn supporting Corrosion.

"Wow, I didn't think we'd win that." Chaos said, pulling his hammered NEXT up next to X's pristine one. Chaos turned his NEXT's head away from their fleeing enemies, and looked at X. "Holy, they didn't even hit you, did they?" Chaos asked with surprise evident in his voice.

"Once, with the blast of some scatter missiles. Didn't do more than a hundred AP (armor points(Health))." X said turning towards his beaten down partner.

"Well hell, never gonna piss you off. Barely managed three of them." He said. "So, should we finish the mission?"

"Yeah, probably should." X said with a sigh. He turned towards the Arms Forts, and started to glide his craft over the sand as Chaos fell in next to him.

Author's Note:

Pics will be coming shortly. It's late and there are other things I need to do.

Comments

[TheKon2000]

Yay, craft are done, chapters out, and just in time for the weekend. Woohoo.