FREUDIAN AMBUSH V.I Freud x C4-621 Raven
—Raven wasn’t amused by how V.I Freud ambushed her just because he was interested in her ability. She also wasn’t amused at how he said he’d be waiting for their next fight, especially because he saw her out of her AC the next time he did it again.
; takes place around early chapter 4 ; canon divergent ; #fren
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woooogh unhinged battle-obsessed cogil freud my beloved
***
It wasn’t usual for a more or less ordinary mercenary to be contacted—well, ambushed—by the top of the Vespers, so when 621 sensed a red blip on the radar as she was waiting to get picked up, she never expected it to be Freud.
‘Raven.’ Ayre’s voice echoed within her mind.
The Rubiconian has kept syncing her brainwave with her since her match with Balteus and she appreciated it greatly. When Raven hung out in the garage, they often just had a girl talk about random things, and in battle, Ayre even helped with identifying unknown crafts, just like now.
‘Unknown AC is approaching at a rapid rate. It’s not clear if it’s another hostile, but please be careful.’
“Mhm, I can see it too,” Raven hummed, her fingers running through her hair for a second before settling down on the control again. “On my 7 o’clock—”
Right as she prepared her quick turn, a laser blade grazed her behind, fortunately not close enough to stagger her. She breathed a sigh of relief for a second, her eyes analyzing the dark blue and black AC slowly descending.
V.I Freud. The leader of the Vespers, the number one.
She had never seen him before but had heard of him from the Arena database and off-handedly mentioned by V.II Snail. Unlike the second-in-command, Freud is just a normal human with no augmentation whatsoever, and yet, he’s strong. Quite strong, in fact, that she struggled fighting him in the simulation and spent a few days mulling over PLUME’s loadout before finally beating his simulated AC on the brink of her 67th retry.
“I can’t catch you off-guard, huh?” His voice crackled through the comm. “Now I see why he talked about you.”
He didn’t need to know what she went through to get to this level with him.
Ayre gasped. ‘Based on his AC, he’s V.I Freud of the Vespers. What is he doing here?’
Before Raven could answer, Walter’s comms came in.
“621, are you engaging with V.I? I thought Arquebus gave the infiltration mission to us.”
“Beats me,” she said to both of them. She unleashed her moonlight blade twice, which he dodged easily, before patching into the Vesper’s comm. “I didn’t think I would see the top of Vespers hanging out near a PCA-occupied base.”
“I’d rather hang out back in the garage.” He laughed. “No, I searched out for you since I was curious.”
“Oh.” Lacking any reason to be surprised, Raven quick boosted out of his attack and prepared a counter with her Zimmerman. “You sound like a stalker.”
“Not surprised?”
“Should I?” She tilted her head, piloting her AC backward to dodge his turrets. “I have read your Arena’s bio.”
He sighed, but it wasn’t tinged with disappointment.
“And I’ve seen the footage from Operation Wallclimber and the Ice Worm mission,” he said, “your movements are graceful, to say the least. That kind of emphasis on verticality is fascinating. Especially the way you float and control your AC’s thrust midair just to fall back…” She could hear the grin in his voice. “Raven, is that why you call your AC PLUME?”
She didn’t appreciate her sense of naming getting interrogated. She lightly frowned, raining her laser rifle upon him. It was one of the only things she could see as her ‘hobby’ in her new life.
“Do you not have better things to do?”
“For the moment, no,” he said, even though she could hear the echoing sound of incoming comms from his side.
Raven was starting to get annoyed by Freud’s insistence. “Walter,” she said to the handler, “if his AC got destroyed here, will he bill you as Michigan did?”
Not able to dodge fast enough, Freud’s bazooka hit her, staggering the white AC for a few seconds in the air as she took the time to think over her next movements.
“I didn’t know you can be cocky too,” he said as she finally recovered.
“No, I’m just prepared.” This time she dodged right and avoided his turret’s lasers before shooting them down. “So, Walter?” She asked again.
“He won’t,” Walter answered. “It’s better just to disengage and go back, 621. He’s the top of the Vesper. It won’t do you much good if you need to repair your AC because of this fight.”
‘Raven, V.I Freud is the top of the Arena, so taking him on might be risky…’
“I know,” she whispered, responding to Ayre before sighing and talking louder. “But that wouldn’t shake him off us.” She descended and switched to her lance again, her voice going far lower than her collar was accustomed to. “I’ll finish him here.”
“That’s more like it.” She could hear him smiling through the comm. “Come now, Raven! Show me how fun you can be!”
She sighed, pushing her AC into a quick boost and aiming her shotgun at the remaining turrets. Her AC’s reverse jointed leg grazed the ground and threw snow all around, almost masking her fully.
But Freud looked through her attempt to fool him and shot his bazooka at her.
Raven barely dodged and pulled back, using her second repair kit. She then composed another plan and flew up to regain her footing while switching to her moonlight blade.
They fought for a while, and even though they were almost an even match, Freud managed to sneak in more and more hits onto her, causing her to sigh as the COM announced she had hit 30% AP remaining, forcing her to use her repair kit.
‘No repair kits remaining.’
She floated down to the ground, her gaze gliding over her remaining ammunition and counting how much she had spent so far. She didn’t want to spend too many credits, after all, undoing her surgery would cost quite a lot.
“Hesitating?” He perked up at her silence. “You’re not as aggressive as I thought you would be.”
“Because so far you’ve given me no reason to,” she said, “but now I have to make this quick.”
With an assault boost, she flew right at him and kicked his AC, staggering his movement before bombing him with Songbirds and lancing him through. Her movement turned much swifter, as in the next second, she aimed the Zimmerman point blank at him and kicked his AC down thudding backward onto the snowy ground before using assault armor followed by two slashes from the moonlight blade to finish him.
Freud’s AC—LOCKSMITH—fell into a wreck on the snowy ground, and Raven watched on as the man chuckled uncontrollably, savoring every bit of dopamine he got from their fight.
“Checking you up was the best decision I could’ve made.” He sighed. “I never expected you to be this good,” he paused, “is it because you’re Handler Walter’s hound or are you just really this good no matter who you are loyal to?”
His question went unanswered as she was too busy pondering why he knew she was under Walter’s care. Stalker, the word echoed in her mind again. But he didn’t seem to mind and continued talking.
“Fight me again another time?” he asked, the smile in his voice too apparent for her to ignore.
She went silent for a second before turning away at the sight of the helicopter picking her up. “I will have to see my schedule.”
“I’ll be waiting.” His voice echoed before his comm faded out with a blip.
621 scowled as she was getting picked up into the garage. What’s with the Vespers and their members? They’re all weird.
***
When Freud said he’d be waiting for her, she didn’t know it would be literally.
621 jumped out her AC and slid down the core before landing softly on the snow. Despite her weak constitution, her body ‘kept up with her augmentation quite well’ and she took advantage of that by going out once in a while. Out of the garage, out of her AC.
The snowy blanket welcomed her legs. The light armor on her pilot suit helped dampen the cold at times like this. She then started walking towards the cliff’s edge, lifting her legs with each step so she wouldn’t fall face first.
She often just came out here and hung out. With everything going on, she needed alone time, even from Ayre. She liked her, but sometimes you just need some alone time, and she could get it here. Standing over the snowy mountains of Belius, all she could see was white, calming, and isolating—the only home she ever knew.
She exhaled and closed her eyes.
Calm. Away from the corporates and the fight with the RLF. Calm. No responsibilities, jobs, or worrying fights against the Institute relics. Calm. Between the snowy mountains and the clear sky, she was all alone. Calm.
Until a masculine voice echoed behind her.
“I never expected to be able to look at the famous Raven without her AC.”
Raven froze in place. Without her AC, she was more than weaker, with no weapons in her hands, she definitely wouldn’t be able to win against someone in a fight. Her first instinct was to rush to her AC, but considering where that voice came from, she didn’t think she would make it in time.
So she needed to fight rather than flight.
She turned around, facing the tall brown-haired man, eyeing him up. He smiled, eyes narrowed with the intent of looking friendly, but even Raven who had lost all her memory could still tell that the smile masked something else. The two small silver hoops on his right ear glinted under the sun as the wind blew his small ponytail, tied so carelessly she was sure the small hair tie could snap at any moment.
“A scavenger bird, far from her turf,” he hummed, his hands inside his faded blue hoodie pockets, a small faded ‘Arquebus’ logo on its left chest. “Aren’t you afraid of getting lost?”
She then realized that she knew that voice.
“You’re starting to be a stalker,” Raven said. “Should I report you to Snail?”
Freud laughed, brushing off the snow stuck to his hair. “I don’t think that guy would care.”
He was right. That company-devoted man would never see her as more than a mutt and would never take anything she said seriously.
“Either way,” she said, “I’m not fighting you in hand-to-hand combat.”
“I’m not interested in that anyway.” He lifted his hand, rough with callouses and bandages, mostly covering his fingers. “It’s only fun when the fight involves AC.”
Raven wrapped her arms around her bomber jacket, pulling it closer, and her eyes fell onto his. Piercing, questioning. “Did you mean to ambush me?”
“Yes.” He didn’t seem to have any inclination to lie. “I was hoping for another fun fight.”
“Fun…”
She still didn’t understand him. She didn’t understand fun or joy on a deeper level, but this certainly wasn’t fun for most people. It’s not fun for her. It’s just a job.
He walked up, his stride long and confident, and she finally noticed how she fell quite short of him, unlike her with Iguazu. Freud was lankier, though a bit hunched. Just like her, he wore his pilot suit, but over it, he wore a dark blue hoodie. Even though it was branded with the Arquebus logo, it not only faded, but was also dirty with stains and dirt.
Freud stopped beside her and whistled as he fixed his hair tie. “The scenery here is breathtaking. Can’t believe this isn’t even the highest peak,” he said, “do you always come here?”
“Yes. It’s my base.”
He laughed, glancing sideways at her. “Your second base, then. Garage is always the number one for us pilots.”
“Right.”
No need to remind her.
“If you don’t need anything else, can you just go?” She turned to face him. “It’s my base. I want some alone time.”
But he just looked down at her with that unchanging ‘friendly’ smile and he was starting to creep her out.
“Go away,” she repeated herself.
Freud still didn’t move, and Raven thought that she would rather face down Balteus than meet his unyielding emerald eyes ever again.
She clicked her tongue. “Did you he—”
Suddenly, Freud reached out for her collar. She gripped his wrist halfway through, her nails digging into his rough skin, her coral-red veins fading in with the force.
“What are you doing?” Raven gritted her teeth.
Of course, she knew he was much stronger than her in the physical aspect, considering how he was a normal human, but she still cocked her head up, glaring right at him. If she needed to kill him with bare hands, she would still do it.
“Your collar.” He chuckled lowly, a small fire amidst the snow. “You look even more like a dog with it on.”
“I know that already,” she barked. “And you can point that out without touching me.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” He tilted his hand and moved his hand to the side, bringing her hand with his. “I was just… getting even more curious.” He peered into her dark eyes, his green ones glinting under the peeking sunlight.
“You’re an old-gen, right? Your body felt cold, and your skin,” he raised his hand, glancing down at the back of hers still latching onto him, “your vein is filled with coral.”
She gritted her teeth. He was starting to get on her nerves.
“Fascinating. Just fascinating,” he mumbled, “you know, I’ve never fought someone from your gen before, and you’re great. Your moves are like nothing else. I couldn’t stop watching your records while I fixed LOCKSMITH.” He continued. “I read up, and most fourth gen is in a catatonic state. But you’re nothing like a hound on life support.”
There was a brief pause, then Freud nodded to himself. “Well, no matter what gen, augmented humans are still augmented, hm?” He laughed, seemingly impressed by his own… joke?
“I don’t have time for this,” Raven said, her voice starting to crackle and waver, “what are you getting at?”
“Just some minor assessment.” He smiled without elaborating more on that front. “I was planning to fight you, you know? I modified him today to fight against your annoying combo. Too bad you’re taking a break right now.” He gestured back with his head to the area behind him.
She looked behind the tall man and LOCKSMITH, his AC was nestled between some trees, not enough to fully mask it but enough to cover it up if PCA suddenly patrolled the area.
“I’m still wondering how you can be that good.” He put his hands inside his hoodie pocket, looking down at her with that… fake smile again. She hated that smile. She hated people who still put on a face even though they have an identity. A real one.
“Will you be even better if you join the Vespers? I can give you a recommendation if you want in.”
“No,” she replied without missing a beat. She once wondered if the Vespers would let her in, make her into the V.IX of theirs, but now, after watching the Rubiconians struggle against the corporations… the feeling in her stomach caused her to rethink that again.
“That’s too bad.” He shook his head. “If you’re part of the Vespers, then I would be able to spar with you every day,” he said, “but no matter. There’ll always be plenty of chances.”
Raven groaned. This guy… he planned to ambush her again, didn’t he?
“Why?” Her word was straight to the point as she craned her head and glared at him.
Freud tilted his head down to match her eye level, and she could see the remnants of oils sticking on his neck and collar. “Do I need a deep reason? I just find piloting and fighting against you fun. You didn’t bore me in our last battle, after all.”
His words were solemn, not one chuckle or grin slipped with them. And at that moment, she realized the Arena’s data wasn’t lying. Freud was just someone obsessed with fighting and improving his piloting—and his AC. He was just a normal human and a damn good pilot, and ambushing her was just another way of trying to better himself.
“You know you’re annoying, right?” She glared at him.
“Snail has told me that too many times to count.” And he looked proud about that, brushing his fingers on his ear piercings with a small smile. “But why should I care about strategy and other bullshit when I can just focus on LOCKSMITH and finding new opponents to fight?”
“Because you’re the top of the Vespers?”
“Pssh, it shouldn’t come with any responsibilities.” He waved his hand. “Battle prowess is battle prowess. Why does it have to do anything with managing troops?”
Raven stood in silence listening to his words. She couldn’t wait to collect enough money to undo her surgeries and regain her old identity again, so she could be far from this battle-obsessed weirdo.
Freud scoffed, looking up at the cloud passing over the sun. “Besides, once you find a worthy opponent, you’ll discover just how fun piloting an AC could be. It’ll give you extra motivation on pushing up those increments, more reason to get those parts just right.”
He turned towards her and tugged on her collar, moving too fast for her to intercept. Her eyes widened as she choked. He leaned forward and towered over her with his height, lifting her slightly off the ground with her collar.
“You’ve been a worthy opponent, Raven.” He grinned, his eyes glinting with passion. “So make sure you’ll always be one to me, okay?”