Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

Chapter 30: You Found A Friend

...

"...Raven. That's one of the ramjet engines." said Ayre, "Please... destroy the target."

<<With pleasure, partner.>>

Raven then quickly used WING OF RESOLUTION's vertical missile launcher and normal missile launcher that he switched out to wreck them.

"Starboard is silent," said Ayre.

...

The fire from the heat at the front of the Xylem began to glow all around once it was beginning to fall.

"The Xylem is falling from orbit..." Ayre sighed in relief, "...the Coral's safe... Rubicon's safe-"

A sudden laser came out of nowhere and started going right for Raven, who dodged. He slowly looked up.

A familiar graveling voice came into the comms. "...621."

Raven then looked up to see a red and silvery AC. It had some kind of massive cannon on its right arm. There did also seem to be some kind of other weaponry that Raven could not recognize at the moment.

Walter Handler then continued to speak. "Is that... is that you?"

He could barely recognize the familiar AC he had seen his hound pilot so long ago. He could only recognize it merely through the frame's actual design and whatever was left of its original weaponry.

Ayre began to scan the AC while he jumped off of the large building and landed about a 100 yards away from WING OF RESOLUTION's current location, whose eyes widened. He didn't know why, but he began to feel tears threatening to come out, but once again shoved them right back down where they belong.

The Coral Intelligence was very confused. It was taking so long to identify the new enemy AC. But, at the same time, the energy signature... it was so familiar... more familiar than she thought at first.

All she could find out was more of its name, rather than its serial number: SOLE SURVIVOR.

The cannon disengaged as Walter got up.

"They... 621... I have to... dispose of you." Walter said slowly as the lights on his head glowed.

So... that was him? Raven couldn't believe that his common sense had taken so long to even realize this. It makes... it makes total sense. He's the one who attacked Rusty. He was the one who made him fight Ayre...

Ayre was just as shocked as he was. "Walter?! But that AC... Picking up a Coral response... watch out!"

Coral response? That would mean that he's somehow got his hands on Coral-based weaponry. Raven couldn't remember...if he had a contact. No. He didn't. Why was he thinking so randomly and stupidly?

Ayre continued to scan SOLE SURVIVOR's frame and weaponry. Now she finally got its serial number: IB-C03: HAL 826.

It was so far the only AC from the Ibis series that could be piloted by humans, Walter being definite proof of that very moment. The AC did seem to have a Coral cannon, a shield, a blade it seems, and another cannon for a mount weapon.

"The corporation's orders... no... my friends' mission... eliminate... all obstacles..." Walter grunted.

It's like... was he... manipulated by the corporation? It's like... he's trying to convince himself that he was doing this because it was for his friends. For Carla, for their mission.