Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

Chapter 31: Orphans

Raven stared at the sunset in his AC. It shined on his mech's shiny white surface along with the reflective black weaponry. For a moment, he took in just how much different it was in comparison to his very first AC's look.

However, just recently, he got a message from his broker's surviving friend, Cinder Carla.

Last he heard she was getting taken care of by the RaD. Despite all she'd call him "dog," or "hound," he wanted to try and see if he could somehow... he didn't know how to say it. But if only he could've saved Walter. Despite him being so cold, Raven just knew that deep down, he had a heart.

Especially when it came to that one thing he said...

"Undo the surgery... be normal again..."

It seemed like he was willing to finally cut her off, willing to fix her up or something. Was it that Raven wanted out of the AC? Not really, despite him being promised a "new life." It's been far too long. He had forgotten just about everything about that, being "normal."

Back to Walter, Cinder Carla revealed that she was going to help fix him up, however, he'll never get the chance now.

Raven then heard his com coming over, saying that he had one message. The sender was from Carla himself.

"They're all ready, tourist," Carla explained, "They're waiting for you. Take your time."

Raven let out a shaky breath and looked at his mech's arms. Would this be his very last time riding in it? He didn't know. Maybe Carla would have another job for him very soon. He'd practically still be Walte's hound, or Carla's in this case.

Why did he feel like he was going to miss this? Guess being under the manipulation of the mercenary corporation was now the only kind of, for lack of a better word, "routine" he was used to by now.

"Your friends will be waiting for you, Raven." said Ayre, "It would be best if we leave now."

Friends. Friends. For a long time, Raven was so sure that the only things he had to do as friends were 619, 620, and 617, his old squadmates. Oh how she missed them. He was surprised that he actually did. Then again, Gen Four pilots have been known to have some empathy left.

It was amazing that Ayre, that Coral Intelligence, or "C.I" as some dub it apparently, was able to bring even more of his human side back out again. She was...quite determined to....whatever.

Raven nodded in reply and engaged his boosters, heading towards his destination. He could hear over the coms from Rusty, saying he can't wait to see what his "Buddy" looks like.

Ayre can recall when she found out something through Rusty...she could materialize her body.

Rusty had theorized that apparently that it had turned out that she could most possibly be able to solidify herself, by shifting to specific frequencies.

She was so surprised that Rusty could actually be so smart. Ayre felt a bit embarrassed when she asked Rusty to not look at her. It wasn't that she was nervous about spawning in with close to nothing on, it was just that she wanted Raven to see her first if it's successful.

It would be just like when she became the first to hear Raven's thought to be a long forgotten voice.

...

Rusty stood proudly, his hands to his hips. "Very well, comrade. I think Raven deserves to see what the voice in his head looks like."

Ayre breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the fellow Rubiconian soldier respected her wishes and privacy and stepped into another room. Then again, he's always been so nice to Raven, so why did she think he wouldn't respect her.