"...welcome to today's Classics Cheap Seat! I'm your host, Brady Rodriguez, and joining me is Radio LUNA and Voice of War's own, Rebeka Renata!"

"Glad to be here, Brady. We've got one of the strongest Ravens in the Alloy Gate here with us today - Rank 9, Shamir RaviRavi - the woman we all know and fear as Red Rum!"

Brady Rodriguez...what a man.

What a joke.

He's been here since the beginning, yet never once has he believed in anything. The announcer for the Arena, bearing impartiality, standing in support of Father's cause. Just another of the cogs in the grand design that is Father's machine - odi et amo, 'I hate and I love'.

Rebeka...well, she's a little better, at least.

But, your true enemy isn't in the announcer's booth...it's in the elevator opposite Ariel.

Red Rum.

Hair of cherry red, grey eyes crazed with violence. Rarely seen outside a plugsuit, or even out of her AC, for the past few years she's waged her own personal war against all things that claim to be stronger than her. Even the City Police fears her, more than one of their thirteen having nearly fallen to her hail of bullets, or even simply her legs.

If there is any Raven you truly fear in this City, it's her.

"Rank 9, Red Rum," you hear from Brady after you stop tuning out the sponsors, ♪ the Raven's entry theme coming on the radio. "Seems she's showed up this time."

"As has Rank 17, Akarui Akuma. She hasn't been in the Arena long, but she's making an impressive run through the D tier. Will she be the one to break Red Rum's streak? Let's head to the floor and find out!"

Finally, the ACs reached the top of the elevators, and walked out onto the field.

Your Ariel's Lilith stands proud, an edifice before an unfair world. Holding her snipper cannon in one arm, ready to deploy at a moment's notice, her array of weaponry allows for an impressive amount of firepower to be brought to bear - red 'eyes' staring from her AC's visor out toward the world, an extra weapon on a rack unit behind, just in case the cannon doesn't do the trick. In the colors of the Adversary, bearing the symbol of your faith...

A testament to her trust in you.

Shamir RaviRavi's AC, though...it's a monster.

Perhaps, in appearance, it doesn't look like much. Painted all-red, with four legs giving it a gait like a spider, violet glow from the helmet gazing into the world. One hand holds a shotgun, not dissimilar-looking to one used by City Police troopers save for the size, while the other holds a rifle...

And on the back, a cannon designed to deploy canister shot, like a further upsized shotgun compared to the one she holds in hand.

What she can do with these is rain down a wall of bullets, tearing through anything in its path, and whatever survives is merely kicked and damaged with her legs, and the full force of her frame. In combat she frenzies, ignoring any damage in favor of total elimination of the enemy...

The Port of Oakland is littered with 'corpses' of MTs, and even the occasional AC, as a message to anyone who would challenge her.

As the match countdown highlights a sign above the Arena, the relatively small crowd no doubt looking for another D-tier Raven to be crushed by Red Rum, you clutch your feather in your hand.

"What a fine little sheep you are, come straight to the wolf's den for slaughter. One of 'Mother's little pets, aren't you?"

Her voice is...seductive. Far from the violence she engages in...

(or maybe, to her, they're one and the same?)

"My heart does not belong to Mother," Ariel says, clearly choosing to fight for someone else...like for herself, or...

(for you, you secretly hope.)

...Red Rum stomps her feet forward, and you check the internal camera feed. Red Rum's leaning forward, a manic grin on her face as you clutch the feather tighter...

"You're still on someone's leash, girl. Do you think that 'Goddess' of yours is going to save you? I bet you can't even take a shit without someone or something to tell you what to do!"

Ariel is tense, and clutches her controls like you clutch the feather. Without a helmet on, you can clearly see the determination in her eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you," she declares, raising her cannon, ready to unfold it the minute the bell goes off.

"What hypocrites you Collared Ravens are...ahaha. You should be scared, girl...

"If this weren't the Arena, I would tear you limb from limb!"

"...hhh..."

Ariel seems like she's about to crack. And you're not far behind.

...it's not just you and Ariel who are taken aback by the declaration. The whole maintenance team is, too, terrified for their princess.

Shamir RaviRavi...the Raven known as Red Rum...

To defeat her, you'll need nothing less than a miracle.

...but that's not what Ariel needs to hear, is it?

Aah, your hands are shaking a bit...you really need to remember to bring your gloves to the Arena. Ariel hasn't needed so much help in her previous matches in the D tier - you wonder if this isn't Delacroix or someone fucking with Mother's up and coming Raven on purpose.

You flex your hands, reviewing all the readouts of Ariel's body. She's holding on, but...

She needs you, right now.

"Don't let her get to you, Double-A," you say, using the short form of her callsign. ('Callsign' isn't really the right word - the names have personal and spiritual significance to Ravens, and often aren't that short.) "If this weren't the Arena, you wouldn't be engaging with her in a 'fair fight' in the first place. That's not what you're trained to do. That's not what Lilith is designed to do."

...after a few seconds, you see Ariel nod hesitantly from one of the internal cameras. "But...I still need to fight, Shadow. I still need to prove to her that I'm more than what Aspina made of me."

Red Rum hates Collared Ravens, after all. Hates Mother. Hates the very idea of order and structure. You're not sure what kind of vision she has for the City's future should her war escalate, but you know it's one you oppose with all your heart.

"...strategy," you hear from your Ariel, the bell counting down in the centre of the Arena.

And, well, as much conviction as the two of you might have, the odds are stacked against you.

Lilith is designed for fire support at extreme ranges, at the limits of the contamination - far beyond the limited range of this particular Arena. For Cheap Seats, they don't bother to set up structures, nor to arrange matches within City regions, so cover is completely out. If your Ariel uses her usual tactics, the only thing that will happen is Red Rum screaming across the battlefield, easily avoiding Lilith's fire, and unloading with a hail of bullets the moment she's in effective range.

The sports pages of the local papers all agree - based on numbers and designs alone, even without pilot skill being involved, Lilith is at an immense disadvantage.

But there's a weakness in that. A weakness in Red Rum's complacency, and in her design.

Her ballistic weapons have a very limited range, especially against other ACs. Even a lightly armored model like Lilith won't take much damage from an AC's shotgun except at extreme range. Red Rum's high speed will let her dodge that fire easily, but...

Her reaction time isn't anywhere near as fast as Ariel's.

And that gives you an opening.

"...Akarui Akuma. Your orders are to stand your ground and continue firing HEAT rounds as Red Rum approaches, until I give the signal."

Ariel seems visibly troubled about this - and you're not surprised. But, you're certain that even if you can't win, you can give the audience, and Red Rum, a match they'll never forget.

"It's okay," you whisper, smiling to yourself. "I have a plan...

"All you need to do is trust me."

---

The crowd roars, seeking blood.

The people who come to a Red Rum match don't come seeking a fair fight. They come seeking humiliation.

In the past couple of years, since her arrival in the City, Shamir RaviRavi's seemingly unstoppable power has seen her gain admirers throughout the Underground, seeking a blood price for the pain they've felt, not caring how it's exacted. Even some surfacers have begun to follow her, like those in Oakland allowed to live under her 'protection'.

A cult of violence and chaos.

Those bereft of hope who want nothing more than revenge.

You might be the same, without compassion. Without knowing that you survived by the grace of the people around you, when you chose to pursue your ideals. You can understand their desires, but that doesn't mean you agree with them.

You're no pacifist, of course. That would be the height of hypocrisy. But if you're going to fight...

It should be for something, not simply for blood.

"...and with those words from our sponsors, we're nearly ready to battle! Once more, Ravens fighting for your entertainment!" Brady's ever-present, unflappable showmanship simply belies the mockery this Arena has become. This isn't what Ravens are meant for, is it?

Is fighting simply what humans are meant to do?

"I want you to count it with me, folks! The bell is approaching!" Rebeka yells the same, cheering the few people here into a frenzy. Flags of Red Rum's emblem are waved, and no one wears Ariel's emblem.

That'll change, if you have anything to say about it.

Red Rum stares out with a violet glow from its visor, stomping its front foot as the pilot within grins maniacally, a haze of heat from its rear rocket boosters. Lilith, across her, is steadfast, merely holding its cannon ready to deploy. Both of them, now extensions of their Ravens' body, that which grants them power in a world bereft of magic.

You've whispered your instructions into your Ariel's ear, now you need to trust her instincts as a Raven.

Five-metre metal effigies of humanity, standing before one another, ready to do battle.

"THREE!"

Red Rum grinning smugly, as though the outcome is predetermined.

"TWO!"

Your Ariel remembering her prayers, and her training, awaiting your instruction.

"ONE!"

The people cry out for blood.

And if you have any say in it, it won't be Lilith's.

"GO!"

...the moment you hear that word, hear that claxon...

The booster engines in Red Rum's body roar to life.

Powerful rockets push the Armored Core forward, the surface of the feet altering their properties to reduce friction with the ground, the glow of the exhaust a sickly green, quickly accelerating Red Rum far past what it could achieve with its legs alone.

Lilith kneels down, the barrel of her massive cannon, the size of an artillery piece but far more powerful than anything the Fallen world can produce, unfolding to be longer than the AC is tall.

Red Rum doesn't change its course. Directly forward, the red-painted arachnid charges straight into range.

Ariel, scoped in, uses her Aspina-trained instincts to fire the moment Red Rum is in the centre of her sights.

Engines on the side of Red Rum's body send the Armored Core lurching to the right well before it reaches its target, the HEAT round impacting on the wall of the Arena behind her. In anything but an Armored Core, that acceleration could never be withstood by a normal human, plugsuit or not.

But you can see it.

Shamir RaviRavi is complacent.

Ariel's doing just what she expects.

Lilith's aim shifts, and Red Rum's boosters roar once more before the round even leaves the cannon's barrel, sending her to the left.

Another round, and the plume of green sends her to the right.

The manic look on Red Rum's face says she's going for point-blank before she even tries to shoot. Just as she's done to D-tier Ravens countless times before, fearless in her dominance of all things violence.

You watch, waiting for the signs that Red Rum's about to fire. You know her movements - you've spent so many sleepless nights watching her battle, after all.

Analyzing, looking for your way to defeat her.

A mind full of questions.

...and you see it. The shift in the spider's gait, as it leans forward, readying its 'slug gun' - that artillery piece on its back, firing a wall of shot - for a point-blank shot right into Lilith's chest.

Not this time.

"Purge," you whisper in your Ariel's ear...

And she obeys.

The cannon is dropped, and her own boosters roar to life, as powerful as Red Rum's - and on a far lighter frame, to boot.

She charges into Red Rum, firing her handgun, the missile racks roaring to life on her back, the force of Lilith's mass waiting to impact with the spider, raising her fist for a high-speed strike...

And Shamir RaviRavi doesn't see it coming.

The missiles mostly miss their mark, but some of them impact Red Rum's forelegs, the dueling mode in the AC showing simulated damage and causing the machine to stagger. The handgun shots impact Red Rum's chest, and Lilith's punch reaches her head, the violet sensors flickering from the impact.

"...what a maneuver!" Brady Rodriguez says over the commentary feed, and you can't help but a smug smile as you notice genuine surprise in his voice. "Red Rum has taken the first blow!"

"Lilith is shifting out of the way," you hear from Rebeka as Ariel quickly shifts using her own boosters, sparks scraping across the Arena floor as she draws her rifle from a pylon on her backpack - like the sniper cannon, it fires HEAT rounds.

Shamir...

grins madly, a booster counter-maneuver roaring and pinning her Red Rum back into position, as it begins firing wildly with both its shotgun and rifle. A hail of bullets...

Ariel needs to keep moving, but she has the advantage!

...of course, fast as Lilith might be, it's not the fastest AC around. There's not much chance she could've escaped completely unscathed. Despite the roar of her boosters and a quick leap into the air to retreat as she finds her firing solution, the raging Red Rum, beginning to strafe and lean as it scrapes along the Arena's surface, catches her with plenty of bullets.

"I haven't been challenged like this in D tier for a long time. What, is Mother so motivating that you can't help but want to cry out for her?!"

...okay, now you can't tell if Red Rum is angry or impressed.

"My heart does not belong to Mother," Ariel repeats, raising her HEAT rifle and handgun, trying to lead her aim, letting the fire control system within the Armored Core assist her in keeping track of the ever-erratic Red Rum, quick-boosting left and right...

Lilith lets forth a hail of bullets of her own, but...

How the hell can Red Rum move like that?

The weakness of a quad-leg design is poor air maneuverability...but on the ground, and with Red Rum's quick-boosters, even Ariel has trouble lining up her fire.

Her movements shift as her feet quickly jump and leap, trying to keep herself out of the way...

But as Red Rum charges, Lilith ends up faltering as she takes the full force of a slug cannon, her feet screeching backwards on the metal floor as Ariel hurriedly fires her boosters, steadying herself.

"...Lilith's taken massive damage! Can she keep up?" Brady says, and you find yourself chewing your lip.

"That AC's armor is very thin. But both machines are holding on...looks like Akarui Akuma's going for her missiles! But Red Rum is hard to get a lock on at the best of times..."

"You might be cocky, girl. You might be good, I'll give you that. Better than most of the trash I see around here." Shamir is leaning forward again, manic...

And a port in the back of her AC opens up, a stream of exhaust sending her roaring forward as Ariel struggles to keep up.

"But no one is stronger than me!"

...you've seen this before. She's going for a charge, the missiles going wide, her legs ready to rise...

You're getting what you need. Ariel's doing her duty, just as you've asked.

But...

If you could win...

If you could win...

Ariel cries out, and...

As Red Rum charges, she lets every bullet she has go. Wild abandon as Shamir's eyes go wide, and Red Rum leaps forward...

Simulated armor goes flying and Red Rum seems like it's about to stop moving, but...

The feet make contact.

Lilith is crushed by the impact, and the simulation systems...

Both machines stop functioning.

"...what?! Both of the ACs have stopped moving! Could this be a draw?!" Brady says the obvious, as you tense, both machines ceasing to function in the dueling mode.

Come on...

Come on...

"...it's a photo finish!" You can almost hear a faint bit of disgust in Rebeka's voice, but you know...you know what's coming. "But Red Rum continues her undefeated streak!"

You breathe out, tensing as you check on your Ariel. She...

She seems fine.

"You did well, Ariel," you whisper. And she did. That combat data...

Red Rum's been pushed harder than she ever has before. In the Arena, you've never seen anyone get this close. You're not even sure this isn't rigged - you can barely measure any difference on your instruments.

And Red Rum knows it.

"...haha. Hahaha. Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

As the comm system comes back in Red Rum, you see and hear Shamir RaviRavi laughing to the heavens, as her machine steps off the damaged Lilith.

"Whoever your heart belongs to, girl...whoever motivates you to fight like that...I want to see it. I want to see just what motivates you...

"And crush it like a bug."

...

...

The roar of the crowd is nothing to you before the look on Ariel's face as she trembles.

Red Rum knew what she did.

She knew Ariel's weakness.

And she went right for it, as Red Rum walks away, leaving Ariel struggling to keep moving.

...Red Rum...

The roar of the crowd may be crying for her.

But you're now determined, more than ever, to find a way to take her down for good, and end her desires to turn the City into a pit of formless violence and chaos.

And you're pretty sure you've got more information than you've managed through Collared in all your time there, right here in your hands.

Your Ariel has done well...

"...Akarui Akuma. Come home."

"Acknowledged," you hear, quietly, from the cockpit, as Lilith stands and begins to walk back to the elevator.

...and someone touches you on the shoulder. You look up, and remove the headset as you look toward Kobayashi.

"Goddamn was that impressive, Himeko. For some reason, she was fighting really hard today. Even if you didn't win, I know the Arena marks will be talking about this display." Kobayashi reaches into his jumpsuit for his cigarettes. "What's your secret?"

You shrug. It doesn't feel like you have a 'secret', but...you think you became closer with your Ariel, somehow. And that you could more clearly see the battlefield.

But maybe...

Just maybe.

Maybe there's something to that dream after all?

...

...

"...that's the closest I've ever seen to you losing, boss."

As the cockpit of Red Rum opens up, the MTs and Sub-Arena ACs around giving a wide berth to Oakland's warlord, Red Rum hops out with a flourish, grinning madly toward one of her most trusted subordinates.

Nightingale, one of the Ravens in Red Rum's army, greets Shamir with a powerful embrace. What you feared is nothing for Red Rum, as she eagerly kisses Nightingale's cheek, as everyone around knows that Red Rum is a killer who cares nothing for what Father's society does and does not allow.

"That girl, that...'Akarui Akuma', was it?" Shamir says, as though she didn't remember her name until now. "She's strong on her own, but...I think there's something more than that. She really is someone's pet..."

"We were checking the footage earlier, boss. Ariel was talking to someone on the other end. An operator, probably. Heh, what kind of Raven needs an operator in the Arena?"

Shamir clucks her tongue at her blonde subordinate, shaking her head. "I see...an operator. What's the staff list look like? HEY! SOMEONE GRAB ME THE STAFF LIST!"

Hurriedly, some of Shamir's mechanics pull down the documentation. She's still got her arm around Nightingale as she looks down the list.

"...Himeko Okuda, huh. 'Shadow'...the operator for Akarui Akuma. That girl cares enough about this operator that she's able to fight me to a standstill..." Shamir grins, as this confirmed exactly what she believed. Akarui Akuma really is nothing more than a collared beast, but...

Her heart really does belong to someone other than Mother.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this...a Collared operator. I think I need to keep an eye on her..."

---

...once Ariel reenters the garage, Kobayashi gets out a stack of printouts for you.

"Listen, you should write up an incident report. We'll handle the rest. Ariel will be fine, she's in the cockpit right now."

...that's normal. During Arena matches, Ariel prefers to be in the cockpit as much as possible both before and after. She greets you, of course, but...hard as you've worked, you can't undo everything Aspina did to her. So you try and focus on what's most harmful, and let quirks like this one...

Wait.

Ariel is opening the hatch.

That's...not normal. Usually she keeps it closed unless you request it, but if she's doing this...

It can't be a good sign.

"...later," you say, pushing the papers back to Kobayashi as you let Ariel hop down, and get her into your waiting arms, as she trembles in her suit.

"Himeko...Himeko, I..."

Ariel is trembling...even though she's so strong. Even though she fought like that, Red Rum threatened what she holds dear...

You clasp Ariel's hand.

And you tug Ariel with you as you walk into the green room in the back, needing a quiet space to help her, Kobayashi's complaints falling on deaf ears.

"Hey. Hey! You can't just leave me here! This isn't in my job description! I swear to God I'll talk to HR about this! Hey, wait -"

...

You bring your Ariel into the room with you, sitting her down on the couch.

And she cries.

She cries, and you hold her.

Aspina killed Ariel's emotional expressions, for the most part. Crying was something forbidden to her. While you've told her she's allowed to cry, you've rarely seen it...

What Red Rum said took its toll.

You cling to her, tightly, as she cries...

You want to be there for her. You want to do so much. You want to say something to her that'll help her realize what she did for you. You want to be able to help her know she doesn't have to be afraid.

...you feel like telling yourself you don't know what to say, but...

You're pretty sure you have some idea.

What do you say, Himeko? What do you do? To comfort your Ariel, and accept her feelings? You're not stupid, after all...

Red Rum wasn't threatening just some random person.

She was threatening you.

"...Ariel," you say, and it's so hard not to say 'my Ariel'.

Ariel's still crying, but...you reach into your pocket and get out a handkerchief, drying her tears. Which she lets you, as she's let you do countless other things...

"Look at me."

And she does.

You stare into her dark, dusty eyes. So full of emotion. Of desire. She was granted hope by the Goddess, and by you, to be able to achieve her desires, should she find them one day. To be able to have a reason to fight, and to seek her answer, to be a Raven on her own terms.

"Who does your heart belong to?"

...Ariel is taken aback. Her eyes go wide, as you ask the question you've held back. The question you've refused to ask. Out of fear of hurting her, or maybe...

fear of what others would think.

But, you can't. You just can't.

Here, in front of you, is a person that loves you, and needs your help. A person who needs your talents. A person who listens to you, in a way no one else does, and you want to answer that.

You need to answer that.

"...listen. I'm not afraid of Red Rum, you know. Because I have you to protect me. And because I'm here to protect you. Operator and Raven, two halves of a same whole, incomplete without one another."

"But, if she..."

"Ssh."

You kiss Ariel's cheek, as you have many times before. Hands on the smooth, slick material of her plugsuit. On that which is walking temptation...

But maybe temptation isn't so bad.

"You've done well. I'm proud of you, for fighting like that. If you get stronger, you'll be able to win next time. And if we should ever meet her on the battlefield, things will be different. We'll fight together, just as we always have." You smile, brushing some of Ariel's hair back...

"But if I fail you...I can't trust myself." Ariel sniffles, more emotional than you've ever seen her...

"Then trust in me."

Ariel shivers, as you stroke her body, hold her close...as you feel her trembling before you. As you feel your desire for her...

"You've done more than anyone else could against Red Rum. Your strength as a Raven is growing. When the time comes for us to confront her, I know you'll do it. We'll prepare. We'll have other Ravens, other allies. We'll be able to defeat her. The Arena will be just a distant memory, then."

...why is it you're talking like this?

Like you saw in your dreams...

Trusted Ravens, by your side, to help you. To create a better world. A world where Ravens can achieve their true purpose, under the light of the moon...

(under you.)

...

...you could...

You could approach Ariel. You don't have to hold back. If you want Ariel to truly be yours alone, and not Mother's, you can't allow yourself to hesitate anymore.

...or is that just an excuse? For doing something you shouldn't do, and can't take back?

No.

No, it's not.

You swallow down your hesitation.

This feeling...this hesitation. You won't let it cast you down, when you understand her so well.

When you've bonded together, become one, and you crave nothing more than to validate that. When you know Mother would never hurt you for it. When you know that this girl, before you, has decided these things of her own free will, long ago.

"...Ariel," you say, breathing as you reach up to stroke your Ariel's hair. "I...life in the Underground was hard. The Order isn't large. There are countless people who would hurt me if they knew of what I was, either that I loved girls, or that I didn't know I was one when I was born. Mother saved me, but...

"But through you, I've been able to to do so much more. Helping you become more human, helping guide you to find an answer, a reason to be a Raven. We've been together on missions, in the Arena, this whole time. You've always protected me. And you've accepted me, all that I am, and allowed yourself to open your heart...

"Would it be selfish, of me to be proud of that, for my own reasons? That you'd be able to return my feelings?"

Ariel stares into you...

As you've told her what she's always hoped for.

As though your face is the most radiant thing in existence...

And you smile.

"If you wish to do so...

"Kiss me, my Ariel."

...it doesn't take long for Ariel to decide.

After all, you have worked, so hard, to make Ariel her own person. To make her someone stronger. To make her someone you can be proud of. And one of those things is helping her want things.

And she wants you.

She's hesitant, of course. Quiet. Leaning in, but trembling with need. To express the feelings you've held for her for so long...

But her lips meet yours.

It's not your first kiss, of course. That belongs to Mother. (Even in the Underground with the Order, you could never draw that close, and you don't think anyone saw you that way.) But...

It's lovely.

You reach for her hand, and entwine it with yours.

Your soft lips against her own, her chest before you, your heart beating faster and faster...

It's slow. Quiet. Chaste.

But it's so full of love.

Incomparably full, as you feel Ariel thanking you for all you've done, and choosing to love you in return. Choosing. You've made her stronger after she's been hurt, and you will continue to do so, for as long as you can.

And you will fight, no matter what, for a world in which Ariel - in which all girls like the two of you - can be happy.