Mission 8: Operation Wallclimber

"You must be the Handler, I presume? For the independent mercenary Raven," the voice on the other end of the call greeted. The strange open-headed emblem identified them immediately.

"Honored to make your acquaintance, Snail," Handler Walter said.

"I understand you want to join Operation Wallclimber?" Snail asked. He sighed. "You do realize that disposing of a few Institute relics hardly qualifies you. Know your place, you meager dog sitter. The answer is no."

"I hear you're deploying V.I again," Handler Walter said. He smirked. "Must be rough only having one good pilot to rely on."

"Oh? Are you suggesting your dog can take Freud's place?" Snail asked.

"We've been through worse than this," Handler Walter said. Recalling what 621 had done when 'disposing of a few Institute relics', the conviction in his voice never faltered.

"… Very well, then," Snail said. "We're also deploying … who's been equally brazen of late. Let's see how they both perform."

"One new message," 621's computer said as she stepped into the cockpit for the first time today. She had just woken up after a long sleep following the job at the Galia Dam Complex and was about to start her usual morning system checks. Yawning, she hit the play button and immediately went about inspecting her AC's systems, letting the message play in the background.

"… Tch. You got lucky, merc," G5 Iguazu said, his emblem plastered in the corner of her display window. "So you got a nice punch in, meh. Go buy a lottery ticket. The Redguns are going to be first over the Wall. Have fun watching from the sidelines."

621 yawned again, finishing up her basic AC diagnostics and dismissing the basic text-only notifications that didn't warrant any messages. She stretched out in her seat, getting as comfortable as she could for a moment before her eyes snapped open. The message played in her mind again, and she quickly flipped on her comms to contact Handler Walter.

"621. I was about to contact you," Handler Walter answered. "Is something the matter?"

"… Rubicon… have lottery?" 621 asked.

"Lottery?" Handler Walter asked.

"Mmhm! Got told… lucky. Lottery ticket… win COAM," 621 said.

"… I'm sure there was a lottery before the Fires of Ibis," Handler Walter said. "Nowadays, I doubt you'll find anyone willing to give away COAM, much less make a game of it."

621 whined. "But… like game… like COAM," she said.

"Don't worry. Once we've made it rich here, you'll be rolling in enough COAM to play a lot more than just the lottery," Handler Walter.

621 yipped, tugging at her leash. "Then, next job?" she asked.

"That's why I was going to call," Handler Walter said. "I've managed to convince a few important figures in Arquebus to give you a chance. They've got a special job lined up for you – spearheading their next big move, Operation Wallclimber."

"Wallclimber… G5 mentioned Wall," 621 said.

"I heard," Handler Walter said. "Balam's going to try and take the Wall from the Liberation Front first. Arquebus intends to take it from whoever holds in the aftermath of that battle. They're betting on both sides wearing one another down before swooping in to take it all."

"So… waiting?" 621 asked.

"For now. In the meantime, you can build your personal brand," Handler Walter said. "You've pushed Loader4 to its limits with these last two missions. Luckily, you've got the COAM for some serious upgrades."

"Planned to," 621 said. "Saw notification… new parts available. New training… also give parts."

"Good. Just know that Operation Wallclimber will entail heavy combat, regardless of who Arquebus pits you against," Handler Walter said. At that, the comms cut out, leaving 621 in her cockpit once more.Deciding to try and maximize her available COAM first, she tackled the two new training exercises.

The first exercise had focused on introducing the concept of dual-trigger blitz combat and awarded her with three new parts: the ALULA/21E boosters, the FC-006 ABBOT FCS, and the VP-20S generator. She found the actual exercise a bit more fun than the previous ones, as it merely asked that she defeat enemies while testing out an approach to combat she already liked to experiment with. As for the parts she had gained, she decided that the FCS could probably be sold while the new boosters and generator were strong contenders for her revised AC build.

The second exercise was a test-run for reverse jointed legs, primarily to highlight the major differences between them and standard bipedal units. 621 found the enhanced quick boost and jump mobility rather useful but wasn't sure if raw mobility would always compensate for an inherent lack of stability and lowered armor. Completion of that exercise earned her an interesting weapon, the VP-66LH laser handgun. Though small, the weapon carried a surprisingly large charge that allowed for hundreds of shots, and each shot did significant damage for a weapon of that size. She considered it a powerful alternative to dual-wielding Ludlow machine guns.

Regardless of what she got from the training exercises, two much more important factors stood out to her – her account currently contained roughly 1,000,000 COAM and she had gotten a notification for new parts being released in the shop. Her first order of business was to itemize the new choices and make her decisions from there.

First came the potential new arm weapons, each of which had their own appeal:

The SG-026 Haldeman, a shotgun with limited range but quick reload speeds and devastating power and impact. This was by far her best option if she knew she was fighting in a highly constrained area, such as an underground tunnel.

The VP-66LR, a laser rifle with decent range and average power, but high ammo capacity and lethal charged shot potential that outperformed most linear rifles. Though initially unremarkable save for its charged shot potential, the overall reliability and longevity of the gun made it the best candidate for longer deployments.

The Vvc-760PR, a plasma rifle with relatively long range and incredibly high power due to each shot causing a small explosion, coupled with an even more devastating charged shot that enhanced the power and spread of the explosion. While the ammunition count could become a concern on longer deployments, it provided the highest damage output per shot.

She could also buy the left-arm variant of her new laser pistol for her dual-trigger alternative and did so. 98,000 COAM spent. 902,000 COAM remaining.

Thinking about how she fought before, her biggest issue arose when battling G4 Volta. She simply lacked ranged weapons that could deal significant damage to him and was forced to rely solely on her pulse blade. Noting the estimated power rating on each weapon, she decided to get a ranged weapon that could match her melee option. She purchased a right-arm variant of the Vvc-760PR, content with the knowledge that 90 shots should be more than enough for most deployments. 202,000 COAM spent. 700,000 COAM remaining.

Next came her back weapons, which she had quickly come to find lacked both power and ammunition. The strange C-weapons and Grinder Wheels she had fought during the STRIDER incident were clearly weak to explosives and had difficulty avoiding homing missiles, yet her current missiles often lacked the punch to deal with them in a single salvo. She needed more power and began examining the new options:

The VP-60LCS, a mounted laser cannon that boasted high power output and an even more devastatingly powerful charged shot, with the only notable weakness being a somewhat low ammo capacity. Considering the efficacy of each shot and the fact that it could be fired near instantly while not boosting, the strengths of the weapon easily overshadowed its few flaws.

The BML-G1/P03VTC-08, an eight-cell vertical missile launcher that bypassed frontal defenses and rained precision explosives down on the user's targets with a short lock-on time and full multi-lock capability. Being able to fire double the number of missiles per attack was appealing, but vertical missiles historically suffered the most when facing off against agile opponents, making these somewhat situational in 621's mind.

The Vvc-70PM, a five-cell vertical plasma missile launcher with similar functionality to the other vertical missile launcher though it was rated weaker in terms of maximum destructive output and impact. The major selling point of the weapon came from the inherent difference between conventional explosive missiles and plasma missiles – conventional explosive missiles tended to have a smaller blast radius and dealt much higher impact damage, while plasma missiles had a larger blast radius and generated plasma clouds that continuously fried anything caught inside. Finding the weapon to strike a good balance between overall reliability and power, 621 favored it over the more conventional vertical missiles.

After taking everything into account, 621 settled on a combination of the VP-60LCS and the Vvc-70PM. She could combine deadly direct fire with overhead area bombardment, effectively taking control of her enemy's movement options or simply destroying them outright given how deadly each weapon could be. She chose the cannon for her left and missile launcher for her right. 147,000 and 96,000 COAM spent. 457,000 COAM remaining.

Finally, a new set of legs had just become available for purchase – the KASUAR/42Z reverse-joints, the legs utilized for the dual-trigger training program. She considered the fact that increased mobility when attacking something called 'the Wall' would likely prove useful, but there were two major issues with them. The legs themselves drew more power than her current legs, which placed additional strain on her generator. They could support her AC with all of its new weapons equipped, but she'd likely only be able to add lighter, less durable frame parts if she settled on them.

There had been too many close calls with low AP in the past. She wasn't leaning towards one of the paperweight AC builds, because no pilot could reasonably expect to dodge every incoming attack.

Deciding against the new legs, she instead switched her focus to currently available frame parts. Something that immediately caught her eye was a replacement core unit, the VP-40S. Compared to her current RaD Orbiter core, the VP-40S outperformed it in every relevant area. It was more heavily armored, better designed to protect against all manner of attack, more stable and resistant to strain, and incorporated top-notch second gen AC electronics optimizations that improved generator and booster performance. Purchasing it was a no-brainer. 354,000 COAM spent. 103,000 COAM remaining.

During her look at the currently available frame parts, she found herself attracted to yet another Arquebus unit – the VP-44S head unit. In a similar manner to her new core part, this new head part vastly outperformed her current HC-2000 Finder Eye, sporting better overall defensive and scanning capabilities, boasting almost twice the range and an extended effective tracking period, albeit with about a second's longer delay between scans to account for more sophisticated recalibration.

The only issue here was that the head cost about 21,000 COAM more than she had available, but there was an easy solution to that. Selling the FC-006 Abbot FCS for 132,000 COAM, she more than covered the cost of the new head. 111,000 COAM remaining.

She was about to close out of the shop but found herself somewhat disappointed. One of the arm units, the AR-011 Melander, looked rather appealing given the price, though the actual statistical differences in performance between it and her current AC-2000 Tool Arm were lackluster. She had thought they were the same arms Head Bringer had used, given how well Iguazu had managed to keep up with her even when firing something as slow as a linear rifle, but they didn't appear to offer improved responsiveness in any way.

"… Hmm… special FCS, maybe?" 621 wondered.

"A custom part developed specifically for the Redguns."

621 froze.

Why was she beginning to appear more often?

"The improvements are rather simple – a crude armor reduction mixed with improved joint design. The modifications are supposedly proprietary to Balam, but I have data on all their parts. Would you like your arms tailored to match their specifications?"

Before 621 could respond, a new window showcasing a part not listed in the shop, the AR-012 Melander C3 arms, appeared in the center of her screen. Just like any other part she could buy, it showcased all relevant information she needed to judge whether or not the part was worth purchasing. Noting the comparisons to her current arms, this was also a direct upgrade that placed even less weight and energy strain on her suit than her head or core alteration.

"… Want it," 621 said. She finally glanced to her left, seeing ALLMIND's avatar peering down at her with an expectant smile. "What… cost?"

"For you? The same as standard Melander arms," ALLMIND said, lazily waving her finger to the side. The option to purchase the part appeared on screen, listing its price.

"95,000 COAM… good," 621 said. She shakily reached for her controls and completed the purchase, half-expecting something strange to happen as she watched her remaining balance drop to 16,000 COAM. With her order complete, she closed out of the Parts Shop. Looking to her left, ALLMIND's avatar still stood there, smiling down at her.

"… Were you expecting something more?" ALLMIND asked.

"You… not leaving?" 621 asked.

"I exist only to support you. Do you want me to leave?" ALLMIND asked.

"… Yes," 621 said, averting her eyes from the avatar. She didn't know how she sensed smug satisfaction on the avatar's face, but she somehow did.

"Very well. Call and I shall answer," ALLMIND said.

Hearing the sound of something flickering, 621 looked back just in time to see faint traces of green light vanish from her cockpit. She waited a few moments, watching the empty area before letting out a sigh.

She would not get used to the strange person in her head.

She would not long for her touch.

She would not reminisce on her taste.

No, this downtime would be filled with things that made her work. She would fight her awkwardness and go start a poll with the members of her maintenance crew to decide on more unique AC colors and a better name. She would receive her new parts and oversee the assembly and testing of her re-imagined AC's performance. She would maintain her physical conditioning, making sure to eat, sleep, and exercise as she awaited news regarding the upcoming Operation Wallclimber.

Two days later, she finally had her AC assembled and painted. The overall shape of the frame had been significantly altered, with the sleeker Arquebus core compacting the midsection of her AC, its bulk shifted closer to the shoulder joints rather than resting around the stomach. Despite lacking external bulk, the plethora of modernizations to the core section's armor and overall shaping made it even more resilient than her previous core. The Arquebus head followed a similar pattern, swapping the long security-camera inspired Finder Eye's shape for a sleeker humanoid head culminating in a sharp mono-eye, equipped with a head fin that doubled as a reinforced antenna. Contrasting the new sleekness were her custom Balam arms, shaped into sharp angular edges clearly designed without aesthetics in mind. All of this rested atop the same semi-bulky legs she had used previously, which stood strong despite the increased weight placed upon it.

As for the paint job, she felt rather proud of what the maintenance team came up with. A few of the technicians even smiled when they realized her intentions after she made her original request – make her AC look just as unique as her new clothing. She had asked for a bright look that stood out like her, and they delivered. The frame of her AC was primarily a blend of baby pink and white, with light purple joints and supports capped by golden frame parts of black connector units. They had even gone so far as to change her lights from the standard orange to a much sharper pink, making them clearly stand out from the softer colors that made up the bulk of her AC's frame. The weapons stood out slightly more, sharing the sharp pink lighting units but appearing much harsher. The new look was exemplified by her plasma rifle, a heavily saturated dark blue accented with deep purple support structures, its conductive units painted a deep maroon while the supports and joints remained the standard factory black and grey. The result was a hulking shadowy weapon that appeared to have a bloody maw, making it stand out even among the rest of her similarly colored armaments.

Finally, 621 had to choose the new name for her AC. She had originally asked for any suggestions, but the head of the maintenance crew had suggested all the names either work with her callsign, 'Raven', or be respectable. Once she received a file containing all of the suggested names, she took it with her into Handler Walter's office and began examining each over a meal.

The first idea, 'Poe', sounded kind of cute. She didn't know what that had to do with 'Raven', but she liked the sound of it.

The second idea, 'Nevermore', piqued her interest. It was a unique name, but she felt it didn't fit the actual appearance of her AC, as the images associated with an AC bearing that name tended towards darker colors. Perhaps if she decided to use her weapons' color scheme for her entire frame instead.

The third idea, 'Black Feather', had some merit. Her shoulder mounted weapons were primarily dark in nature, and while the vertical missile launcher's circular container didn't appear particularly bird-like, her laser cannon could certainly pass as a bent wing.

The fourth idea definitely wasn't chosen, but it made her laugh. What kind of name was 'Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way'?

The fifth was beautiful. 'CAWS of Death' really spoke to her on a spiritual level, but Handler Walter had told her she'd been gaining a reputation. Kissing the entry goodbye, she continued checking the others.

Returning to a more serious contender, the sixth idea checked multiple boxes. The name 'Unkindness' sounded official, had a bit of playfulness to it, and probably meant something when used in conjunction with the term 'Raven'. It was a strong contender.

The next two, 'Huginn' and 'Muninn', apparently referenced some mythological creatures that were classified as ravens. She liked how 'Huginn' sounded when applied to her AC but didn't really care for 'Muninn'. Still, it didn't stand out as much as she wanted it to.

Shifting her attention to the ninth idea, it sounded a little too pretentious for her. She was fairly certain 'Corvus Armatis' held some meaning that pertained to the name 'Raven' but didn't care to find out. She preferred simpler humor anyways.

'Black Wing' was basically a variant of 'Black Feather'. 'Night Wing' fell in the same category.

'Conspiracy' and 'Treachery' both sounded rather threatening, and she had a feeling those names were similar in nature to 'Unkindness'. Overall, she felt they were both slightly less appealing, but still appreciated their mention.

'Rave Master' caught her attention, mainly because it seemed completely unrelated to the callsign and appeared to have come out of nowhere. She doubted any of the crew would have just thrown in something completely out of the blue given what the leader had told them, so she only felt more confused as to what this name really meant.

The next two names didn't appeal to her. 'Hrabanz' was completely lost on her. 'Yatagarasu' at least sounded more interesting, but somehow felt like it lacked uniqueness.

Thankfully, another fun name, 'Carrion Carrier', came up next. Fitting for a death delivery service. She decided to keep this one in mind.

Idea sixteen sounded a little confusing. 'Obligate Omnivore' didn't really make that much sense, but 621 guessed it was some kind of commentary on the nature of independent mercenary work. Whatever the case, it wasn't to her taste.

'Surplus Killer' seemed rather playful. Or arrogant. She was fine with either interpretation. It wasn't a bad name, but it failed to stand out. Maybe it was because it felt a little too simple.

She really liked the sound of 'Psychopompos', but was at a loss for what it meant. Could she use a name just because it sounded interesting or provocative? She doubted Handler Walter would approve, even if he allowed it.

The following idea, 'Dhumavati', felt a little more referential, and likely tied into something she simply didn't know. She had a feeling that if she had any idea what it meant, she'd probably be drawn to it.

Her final two suggestions were a little more interesting. 'Rukh Lord' and 'Black Roc Shooter' skirted the line between sounding official and arrogant. She liked that idea, and decided to keep these two in reserve.

Mulling over the ideas a few more times in her head, she ultimately settled on the sixth idea. Making sure to thank her maintenance crew for their suggestions and inform them of her choice, she entered her AC and changed its name from 'Loader4' to 'Unkindness'. She was about to exit her AC when a notification popped-up on her screen.

A single message from Handler Walter that read: "Check the briefing."

Opening her jobs list, she saw the newly available 'Operation Wallclimber' and opened it with a grin. She'd soon have the chance to show Rubicon 'Unkindness'.

"This request comes straight from Arquebus headquarters," Handler Walter's recorded voice said. "They want you to assist with a mission the corporations are calling 'Operation Wallclimber'."

The Arquebus symbol briefly flashed on screen before a full-text logo replaced it, accompanied by a voice 621 had never heard before. "This is Snail, leader of the Vespers' second squad. I will chair the briefing for this mission."

The symbol for the Vespers, a golden shape that looked like it could have passed for a chess-piece, appeared alongside the Arquebus logo once more. 621 pinned them as operating in a similar manner to Balam and the Redguns.

"This is an operation of my own design - consider it a privilege to be called to participate," Snail said. "You will be attacking the Wall, a key trading outpost fortified by the Rubicon Liberation Front."

The image swapped to a wide shot of a large city in front of an immense wall. According to the captions, it was an image taken from the Central Belius region of Liberation Front Fortress 'The Wall'. Considering that the bulk of the image was just a massive wall, 621 found the name fitting.

"The rabble have formed a defensive line comprised of artillery and MT squads," Snail continued, the image shifting to a much more recent image of the area filled with destroyed mechs and damaged buildings. An overlay of a white line passing through three key areas quickly played out, indicating the intended line of attack.

"Break through the line and make your way to the top of the Wall," Snail continued, the image switching to a closer view of the actual Wall itself and highlighting both an external entrance point and upper level access area. "There you shall find the JUGGERNAUT, a mobile heavy artillery platform. Destroy it."

Blueprints of a large mobile weapon loaded with artillery flashed on screen before a long-range surveillance shot gave a clearer picture of the actual machine. It was a massive machine on treads with armor plating that appeared to be made out of the same sturdy material as the Wall itself attached to the front. 621 doubted her new weapons could break through it, but also noticed the top and back of the machine lacked the same protection.

" will also be participating in this mission, infiltrating through a separate route," Snail added. The screen swapped from the JUGGERNAUT surveillance photos to a full frontal view of a sleek blue AC with registration code listed. The pilot's callsign was listed as ' Rusty', AC name 'Steel Haze'.

Yeah, that was definitely one of the cooler sounding official names. Shame it went to such an odd looking frame.

"However…" Snail said, the image shifting to various shots of the destroyed city around the Wall. "Be aware that Balam has also taken a crack at the Wall, only for their vainglorious hopes to be dashed."

The images kept shifting until they ended on something that gave 621 pause.

Cannon Head was wrecked near a partially smashed building and missing its right arm. The image was blurry, but 621 could see the head unit had been all but demolished by repeated heavy fire and that the cockpit's front had been smashed by repeated explosive force. The left shoulder weapons had been seemingly broken or sliced off if the numerous Tetrapod MT wreckages she had seen in previous images were any indication of the RLF's forces. The image faded away before it could fully rotate around Cannon Head's wreck and show the full extent of damage.

621 huffed. She'd wanted to see if Volta managed to eject or not.

"They left quite a mess. A suitable bonus will be prepared based on how much of the remaining trash you dispose of," Snail said. "Do try not to die like a dog out there."

At that, the briefing ended. 621 accepted without a second thought and called Handler Walter. After a few moments, her comms came on.

"621. I see you just took the job," Handler Walter said.

"Handler… what happened… with Balam?" 621 asked.

"They failed. I don't know the specifics of how or why, but I can give you a quick summary of the damage to both sides," Handler Walter said.

"... Please," 621 said.

"According to reports, Balam launched an entirely frontal assault on the Wall," Handler Walter said. "Went in with a few dozen mass-produced MTs, some modified BAWS Tetrapods, and a single Redgun - G4 Volta."

"Only Volta?" 621 asked.

"No reports of any other active Balam Redguns during the battle. He was wiped out along with most of Balam's forces," Handler Walter said.

"... Dead, then," 621 said.

"If the damage reports are anything to go by, he must have put up one hell of a fight," Handler Walter said. "The Liberation Front lost an AC as well - Burn Pickaxe. It was piloted by one of their leaders, Index Dunham. The man who contacted us back at Galia Dam."

"So… revenge?" 621 asked.

"Possibly. But he wasn't the only AC fighting for the Liberation Front," Handler Walter said. "There was another AC, Shinobi, piloted by an independent mercenary. Took significant damage and withdrew. I'm willing to bet it encountered G4 as well."

"... Beat two ACs," 621 said.

"Cleared out almost a dozen BAWS Tetrapods and two-thirds of the Wall's primary defenses too," Handler Walter said. "The frontline's no longer a kill box, and the number of units left to defend the Wall has been significantly reduced. Arquebus is making the right choice, moving in now before the Liberation Front has a chance to properly recover."

"... Mmhm," 621 said. "... Thanks."

"Be sure to get some rest tonight. The Front's forces may be weakened, but the Wall is still heavily defended," Handler Walter said.

With that, comms cut out, leaving 621 to her thoughts. She spent the rest of the day contemplating why Volta would have been sent against that much firepower with only MTs supporting him and couldn't come up with an answer. Ultimately, she slept it off, finally shifting her focus to something she could act upon.

The Liberation Front had ruined her date with Volta.

She'd make them pay for that.

The next day, 621 double-checked her AC's systems as Handler Walter's transport approached her deployment zone. Unkindness was loaded onto the hangar's lift, signaling the imminent start of the operation.

"Your objective is to take the Liberation Front fortress - the Wall," Handler Walter said.

621 took a deep breath. Any investigations and vendettas could wait. She had a job to do.

"Show them you're worth the credits, 621."

"... Understood," 621 said. At that, her AC dropped from Handler Walter's transport, descending onto a snowy mountain a slight distance away from the combat zone. The Wall's defenses made air-dropping into battle impossible, but their lackluster range made it easy to deploy anywhere throughout the surrounding hills. She could feel her new thinner boosters whirl around in their sockets, clicking and popping in and out of place as they made a number of rapid micro-adjustments that steadied her descent. Touching down on the precipice of the battlefield, 621 saw the Wall just in front of her, one of the Grids connected to the farside and forming a superstructure that bridged land and sky. She hummed, hitting a few switches in her cockpit.

"Main System: Activating Combat Mode," her computer said.

"Commence mission," Handler Walter said. "We'll start by clearing the way for Arquebus."

621 activated her assault boost, her AC taking off towards the Wall. Unkindness zoomed over a small hill, snow trailing after it as she got a good view of the freshly raging battle below. A squad of Arquebus MTs was currently engaged with RLF MTs in the outermost part of the city attached to the Wall. A long range explosive shell crashed into one of her allied MTs, a wispy trail of smoke leading back to the top of the Wall. The JUGGERNAUT overlooked the battlefield, focused solely on the small army of Arquebus MTs trying to force their way in.

"Take out the gatling cannons protecting the city and the BAWS Tetrapod MT further in," Handler Walter said.

621 said nothing, simply letting Unkindness land far from the Arquebus MTs and boost along the ground towards the Wall's first line, remaining clear of the main street entrance and instead approaching the larger trench-like area in front of the city. Shifting her attention to the right for a bit, she saw two RLF MTs firing their machine guns from a position of relative cover and fired off a shot with her plasma rifle.

Purple energy sparked in her gun's bloody maw as she took aim, coagulating into a globulous mass of destruction that launched towards her targets. The two MTs didn't even notice the attack until it was too late. The first took the bulk of the shot, metal warping and melting as the original mass of plasma crashed into its side, reacting wildly to create a destructive burst of energy. The rampant sparks consumed its nearby ally, bits and pieces of it sparking as a series of micro-explosions tore through its systems.

One shot, two kills.

"You'll never climb the Wall, corporate dog!" an RLF soldier yelled over open comms. "Coral, abide with Rubicon!"

621 smirked at that, activating her quick boost just in time to dodge a shot from one of the smaller artillery cannons lining the Wall's frontline. Unkindness whizzed backwards while turning, the ALULA boosters launching her AC faster and further into the fray. She noticed the JUGGERNAUT turning its attention to her, but she wouldn't give it a chance to fire. She activated her assault boost, narrowly avoiding a second artillery shot as she angled her AC for a nosedive, descending into the deep trench before the JUGGERNAUT had a chance to fire on her directly.

Falling down to one end of the large trench, 621 focused on a lone RLF MT below her. It peered upwards, trying to get a bead on her with its machine gun, but her new boosters allowed her to remain just over the area directly behind its head as she readied her pulse blade. Unkindness touched down with a charged flourish, launching the upper and lower portions of the MT away before quick boosting towards the other end of the ravine. Recalling her experience with artillery in the Contaminated City, 621 knew that if the RLF were going to track her movements, all she had to do was change locations faster than they could keep up.

Picking out two artillery MTs further down the path on elevated maintenance platforms, she pressed forward with her targets in sight. Alarms blared in her cockpit as they took aim at her and fired, but 621 merely zigzagged while maintaining her normal approach speed. The new boosters clicked and whirled as she rapidly changed direction, the speed of her AC now far beyond what conventional artillery could hope to hit.

Ignoring the explosions behind her, 621 jumped and boosted into the air. She fired off a quick shot at one MT standing near the end of the ravine before shifting her focus to a closer one to the side, locking in just long enough to fire her new shoulder missiles. The mollusk-like container on her right shoulder opened up, launching five streaks of blue light into the air. Thin plasma missiles peaked out of the ravine before rapidly looping back down, raining down onto the second MT's platform and exploding into a sparkling lightshow. 621 simply needed to see her computer register her missile's detonation as she landed to know the other MT had been eliminated, leaving her free to proceed without pausing for a moment.

Spotting one of the vertical catapults Handler Walter had taught her about when she first arrived on Rubicon, 621 loaded Unkindness onto it and prepared to jump, her improved generator already recharging what little energy she had spent. Launching herself into the air, 621 activated her assault boost at the apex of her jump, easily avoiding the few cannons that caught onto her new position and getting around them. Just like the artillery in the Contaminated City, they posed no threat to her once she got behind them. This time, however, she would dispose of them with two shots in quick succession, the blast of plasma crumpling the unprotected rear of the cannons while the burst of plasma fried anyone inside.

Wasting no time, 621 shifted her attention to the gatling cannons blocking the main entrance leading up to the Wall. Though larger and far more dangerous than the usual artillery, they shared the same weakness. She quick boosted off the side of the artillery's platform, firing off her shoulder missiles again at the closest gatling cannon before it could turn to her. Skidding along the snowy street, she singled out the MT between the two clearly serving as a spotter, boosting once more as she swung twice with her pulse blade. Carving through the MT before it had the chance to spot her, she shifted her focus, FCS snapping onto the only now reacting second gatling cannon as her left shoulder's laser cannon slid into position. A beam of blue energy erupted from it as her AC stabilized itself on the ground, blowing a hole clean through the back, the melted metal sparking vividly as the vertical missiles she originally fired crashed onto the back of the second cannon. Assault boosting upwards to wipe out the other set of artillery cannons, Unkindness departed as its first targets exploded simultaneously.

"Gatling cannons destroyed," Handler Walter confirmed. "The friendly MT squad will take care of the city. You take care of the BAWS Tetrapod MT, 621."

Erasing the next pair of artillery cannons with just as many plasma rifle shots to their backs, 621 quick boosted off of the raised platform and fell down to the main city just in time to avoid another shot from the JUGGERNAUT. As she expected, the RLF wasn't able to keep track of her as long as she kept on moving. Boosting into the city, she weaved around a few Tetrapod wrecks and kept to the outskirts. Her movements kept her just close enough to the larger buildings to prevent the JUGGERNAUT from tracking her.

Rushing forward, she noticed a small squad of RLF MTs investigating one near a partially destroyed warehouse. She wondered what they could possibly be doing before a small notification appeared on her screen.

[ Log Hunt Targets Acquired.

Units: 3x BAWS MT, Scout Variant

Pilots: Imhran Haise, Brea Verte, Sacrum Iliax

Log Type: Bronze ]

"G4 Volta's killers, lauding over their handiwork."

621 assault boosted forward and fired her plasma rifle, breath hitching as her eyes widened. Her first shot tore through one of the MTs before it could react, downing it instantly, before she pulled to a stop and fired her shoulder's laser cannon, eviscerating another. The third tried to boost away from Cannon Head's wreckage, barely making it onto the main street before 621 pounced on them with her pulse blade, chopping the MT into four pieces centered on the cockpit. They barely had time to realize they were dying.

"Nicely done. A little something for after the mission."

A data transfer notification appeared in her cockpit, similar to what she had previously extracted from other wrecked ACs. Unlike the previously recovered license data, the file from Cannon Head was clearly a video of some sort. She considered opening it for a moment before the alarms in her cockpit began blaring, prompting her to automatically jump and quick boost away from another attack coming from the JUGGERNAUT.

She'd have to wait.

Rushing down the street, she managed to reach the Wall itself before jumping and boosting up to the first outcropping on the left, which stood at roughly a quarter of the Wall's actual height. Landing near the edge of the area, she saw a row of easily dispatchable artillery cannons firing into the city and went to town. Boosting forward with well-timed single shots from her plasma rifle, she decimated them with ease.

Continuing to capitalize on the lack of close-ranged defenses, she boosted to the second level that rested at about a third of the Wall's height, striking with her pulse blade to take out the first cannon she touched down near to. Two more well-timed plasma rifle shots, and the artillery lining the left side of the wall was destroyed.

621 considered flying up to take a shot at the JUGGERNAUT and catch the machine off guard, but the Wall's outcroppings were too low for her to make it all the way up. She instead settled for boosting over to the right side of the wall and dealing with the three artillery cannons on the upper right in quick succession, firing her plasma rifle, laser cannon, and vertical missiles one after the other. Dropping down with only the slightest shift of her boosters to remain near the wall, she sliced into another artillery installation before turning to take out the other two with plasma rifle shots.

"There's an AC behind us!" one of the RLF soldiers near the base of the Wall shouted. "Wait… it's just one AC? Arquebus… They're mocking us!"

Ignoring the RLF MT that spotted her, 621 made her way back to the center of the Wall, targeting the final two artillery installations on the fortress's usual entrance. She fired her plasma rifle at the one opposite to her, destroying it with ease, before dropping down and cutting through the other one with her pulse blade. Standing near the exploding artillery, she shifted her attention to the actual target for her mission - the BAWS Tetrapod MT. Picking out machine guns on both arms and a spread bazooka in place of a high-powered artillery cannon, 621 made her move. She began charging up her shoulder-mounted laser cannon and fired her vertical missiles, waiting a few moments for the shots to arc back downwards. As the streaking blue missiles crashed down onto her target, she jumped off the platform.

"Forged in ash, we stand as one!" the Tetrapod pilot yelled, whirling around just in time for the plasma missiles to explode against its armor. The large machine boosted off to the side, opening fire with its machine guns as 621 descended to the ground. She fired twice with her plasma rifle while boosting around machine gun fire, both shots exploding against the larger machine's armor as it landed and leaving clear burn marks. Watching it touch down, she quick boosted through the dissipating plasma cloud of her missiles, closing the distance and getting in range for two pulse blade strikes as she began charging her plasma rifle.

"City defense squad! There's an AC behind us!" an RLF member said.

"Ngh… Another one?!" a different soldier asked.

This wasn't the time to follow that conversation.

Carving an 'X' onto the machine's armor, she watched as it skid backwards and locked up, a telltale sign of ACS overload. Focusing on the scar she made, 621 unleashed a charged shot from the laser cannon on her shoulder. The piercing blue beam almost tore off one of the Tetrapod's legs, armor flying off of the machine as it struggled to keep itself up. 621 pressed her attack, jumping towards the machine as it recovered and unleashing a charged shot from her plasma rifle.

The plasma rifle's bloody maw opened wider, three distinct streams of plasma spiraling outwards and coating the Tetrapod before it could attempt to fight back. Its arms practically melted, machine guns falling off and detonating as the clouds of plasma enveloping it intensified.

"Tch! Die, mercenary!" the Tetrapod pilot yelled as they fired the spread bazooka mounted atop their machine. 621 quick boosted backwards, allowing the upwards angled shot to fly just overhead as she fired her vertical plasma missiles yet again. Backing away as both her mounted cannon and rifle hissed as they needed to cool down after firing, she watched as the Tetrapod attempted to take aim at her again while more basic MTs from the city moved to reinforce them. They arrived just in time for her missiles to rain down on the Tetrapod, the series of explosions finishing both her primary target and its reinforcements. Bits and pieces of the reinforcing MTs flew past her, their boosters propelling what bits of them weren't consumed by plasma towards 621 as the RLF's radio came on.

"Corporate… scum…" the Tetrapod's pilot managed.

"BAWS Tetrapod MT eliminated," Handler Walter confirmed. "That significantly reduces the threat in the city. You've got a little time before you need to proceed, but don't spend too long playing with your food. Access the bulkhead and break into the Wall within the next three minutes."

"Will clear early," 621 replied. She boosted off into the city, certain of two things.

One - None of the RLF MTs stood a chance against Unkindness. She had crafted a monster of a machine that wouldn't lose to anything the RLF had deployed.

Two - Volta didn't die fighting three random MTs. He died assaulting the Wall, and the Wall was manned by an entire force. Every member was equally responsible for his death.

Two minutes later, Unkindness flew to one of the bulkheads marked by Handler Walter. Not a single RLF machine remained outside of the Wall, leaving the last of her targets within. Accessing the door and changing scenery from the icy mountains to a militaristic base, she made her way inside.

"Confirmed. You're inside the Wall. Be prepared for close-quarters combat," Handler Walter said.

"My range," 621 said. She opened another door and spotted two guard MTs waiting to fire at her. She quick boosted around their shots and easily dispatched both with a single shot from her plasma rifle, the explosive burst easily destroying both machines. She was about to proceed when her comms activated again, indicating a transmission from a source designated as friendly that she didn't recognize.

"Do you read me?" the new comms caller asked. "This is Rusty."

"Raven," 621 replied, boosting around the corner and using her pulse blade to cut down another two guard MTs one after the other. The door in front of her opened, revealing two MTs rushing into the room that she quickly dispatched with a shot from her plasma rifle and laser cannon in quick succession. "Inside the Wall."

"You're fast - guess you're sharper than they say," Rusty replied. "I'll have to step-up my own game."

The comms cut off as 621 proceeded through the newly opened door, picking out a single artillery MT on a raised platform near the back of the area along with a few MTs guarding the lower level in front of her. She wasted no time assault boosting straight to the artillery MT, firing her plasma rifle once to catch the lead ground MT before barrel rolling past the first artillery shot and cutting down her attacker with two quick pulse blade hits.

"A numbered Vesper - he's an elite," Handler Walter said. "But remember, even Balam couldn't crack the Wall. Don't count on him too much."

"Wasn't going to," 621 said, turning her AC around and firing her vertical missiles. She stepped back to avoid a bit of stray machine gun fire, watching as her missiles crashed down onto the enemies below her. The computer's confirmation of hits accompanied by the explosions below marked the end of those forces, allowing her to approach another sealed door. She accessed it with her AC's computer once more, the slab of metal slowly raising up to grant her passage.

"There should be a lift nearby. The target is close," Handler Walter said. 621 entered the new hallway and found a cargo platform just inside. She treated that as her lift, stepping on and activating it through her AC's computer once again.

Waiting on the slow platform to rise, 621 took a quick check of her AC's systems. Unkindness registered practically no damage to its armor, likely only having a few stray bullets ricochet off the armor at most. Her ammunition was also rather high, though her main ranged weapon, the right-hand plasma rifle, sat just below the 60% ammunition count. Depending on how durable the JUGGERNAUT actually was, she might need to be conservative with her shots or let the Vesper do some of the heavy lifting.

"621. I've dispatched a supply sherpa," Handler Walter said. "Make sure to resupply."

Smiling, 621 tugged at her leash. Handler Walter somehow always knew what she wanted. Stepping out of the elevator, 621 saw a massive door which likely led to the outside upper portion of the Wall and a small marked area in the hallway she now stood in.

Noting the marker in front of her, 621 approached it and activated her tracking beacon. Surely enough, a rocket-powered container flew in from further down the hallway, likely through some damaged portion of the Wall, and landed just in front of her. It opened up, revealing an unstable but fitting dock for her AC. Stepping in, her weapons were quickly scanned and either charged or loaded with ammunition before it released her, the entire process taking roughly a minute. Once she stepped out, the supply sherpa closed itself and flew back from whence it came. Re-armed and ready for anything, 621 approached the larger door and opened it via her computer.

Light crept inside the Wall first, followed swiftly by snow as the massive door slowly rose to the roof. 621 prepared to boost outside, only for another AC to suddenly fly in and skid to a halt just outside the door. Thin legs and dark blue coloration coupled with the primarily kinetic weaponry and strange looking melee weapon gave away its identity as Steel Haze. Rusty had arrived just in time for the last part of their mission. Stepping outside with her now snow-marked pink and white AC, she watched as Steel Haze's head slowly turned to her, its green visor flashing briefly as it scanned her.

"You must be Raven," Rusty said. "... One of the infamous Handler Walter's Hounds."

Before 621 could respond, an explosion went off a slight distance away from them. Both ACs turned their attention to the source, watching as the JUGGERNAUT hastily reversed and turned its armor-plated front towards them, massive thrusters flaring to manage the movements of a machine more than double either AC's height and width.

"Interesting," Rusty said, his AC turning its full attention to the JUGGERNAUT. 621 did the same. "You ready to climb the Wall?"

"Will win," 621 said.

The JUGGERNAUT acted first, its thrusters flaring as it prepared to ram into both Steel Haze and Unkindness. The two ACs jumped and boosted away in different directions, letting the large machine pass under them as they moved.

"That's the JUGGERNAUT, a heavy mobile cannon. I wouldn't recommend taking it head on," Rusty said.

621 already knew that, firing her plasma rifle and laser cannon at its exposed back. From what she could see, the burst of plasma and high-energy laser fire were already leaving noticeable marks on the area near its main thrusters. Taking that into account as she landed, she smirked. Unkindness was more than enough to tear the JUGGERNAUT apart on its own.

"It won't be able to keep up with Steel Haze - I'll distract it while you hit its blindspot," Rusty continued, moving to encircle the large machine as 621 fired another shot from her plasma rifle and her vertical missiles. The plasma rifle shot landed as the JUGGERNAUT fired up its thrusters and tried to turn towards her, clearly wary of attacks to its rear. It only managed to expose its back to Steel Haze, which flew in with its odd melee weapon and struck, twin plasma blades emitting from either side of the disk-like mount and spinning rapidly along with the AC itself, allowing Rusty to tear through some of the JUGGERNAUT's thrusters.

Clearly caught in a predicament as 621's vertical missiles slammed into its also unarmored top, the JUGGERNAUT turned its attention to 621 and tried to ram into her again, prompting another upwards boost over the incoming attack. Unlike last time, the JUGGERNAUT drifted as it slid under her, turning around and trying to quickly protect its back. She didn't give it the chance, assault boosting over the machine as it tried to take aim at her and coming to a quick stop just overhead. firing both her plasma rifle and laser cannon yet again as she fell down behind it.

The two consecutive shots caused a small explosion on the JUGGERNAUT's back, causing the machine to slump forward as smoke began to rise from one of its thrusters. Considering this strange stunned state to be no different from ACS overload, 621 went in with her pulse blade and struck twice, causing another set of explosions before quick boosting away and firing all of her ranged weapons at once, landing another plasma rifle and laser cannon shot while setting up another rain of plasma missiles.

"That's the stuff. Walter knows how to pick em'," Rusty said as Steel Haze assault boosted over, managing to land a few rifle shots just before the JUGGERNAUT began to recover. As it rose back up, plasma missiles rained down on it once more along with another combination of shots from the plasma rifle and laser cannon, the repeated strikes blowing off some of the large machine's thrusters.

Not to be outdone, Steel Haze fired its left shoulder weapon, a set of direct flying plasma missiles, while also going in with its melee weapon again, striking the lower section of the JUGGERNAUT and cutting into its primary joints. 621 assault boosted upwards the moment her generator recharged, flying over the JUGGERNAUT as it swiftly swiveled towards them and opened fire with as many weapons as it could. Heavy artillery fire flew under her while a spray of missiles chased after Steel Haze, all while mines were randomly scattered off to its sides and back. None of that mattered as 621 cut her boosters above it and let herself fall down behind the large machine, firing her plasma rifle and laser cannon again. The numerous shots in rapid succession caused both weapons to nearly overheat, but that simply meant she had to make full use of what she had.

"Command. This is Rusty."

Quickly firing her vertical missiles as she fell into range, 621 unleashed two quick slashes, before the JUGGERNAUT had the chance to try and turn. The flurry of attacks caught the JUGGERNAUT as its top shakily turned, clearly jostled by the repeated blade strikes in quick succession. She quick boosted to the right, narrowly avoiding a point-blank spray of shotgun missiles from its left side as Steel Haze's second set of plasma missiles struck its back. She strafed around it, watching as her own missiles rained down on the JUGGERNAUT's top once more.

As the final few thrusters on the massive machine tried to activate, 621 got just the angle for her plasma rifle and laser cannon to fire one last time, overheating both weapons as a plasma bolt and high-energy laser struck the struggling machine.

"... Understood."

Purple and blue clouds erupted off the back of the JUGGERNAUT, followed by a blinding yellow light. Whatever engine the JUGGERNAUT was using had gone critical, bits and pieces of the armor burning for a few moments before its entire upper body exploded. The heavy frontal armor on the machine bucked, barely managing to keep itself attached as the entire upper frame slumped over, metal clearly creaking as it fell over bit by bit.

"Confirmed. JUGGERNAUT destroyed," Handler Walter said. "Operation Wallclimber is a success."

621 took a few steps back with Unkindness, getting a good look at the crumbling remains of the JUGGERNAUT. Steel Haze stood a small distance away from her, its attention slowly shifting from the destruction it had witnessed to its cause.

"... So that's how a Hound fights," Rusty said.

Before 621 could say anything, a small message appeared on her screen. She had been sent a report of an incoming MT squad from the other side of the Wall, though they were still far away and well outside her designated combat area.

"I'll take care of mopping up the remaining hostiles. With luck, maybe we'll meet again," Rusty said.

"... Think we will," 621 said. She noticed that Rusty had slipped something else to her along with that map - his contact information.

"Heh. See ya, Buddy," Rusty said. At that, Steel Haze assault boosted off the back of the Wall, leaving 621 and the ruins of the JUGGERNAUT alone. She watched the AC fly off for a few moments before turning away.

The mission was over. It was time to return to base.

And see what Volta had left behind.