Joshua was back from a mission. A test mission for him to use a sniper rifle that was geared for high speed combat. It had a lot of potential, only problem is that a sniper rifle was a calculating type of weapon. It is not meant to just be fired at high speed. A useful weapon to add on but it lacks something to appeal to the other Lions.

He highlighted to the Bilwish Company that the rifle's key factor is its range and its firing speed. For a sniper rifle, it could be fired easily without having much trouble to it. The FCS adjusted the aim accordingly and there would be little need to fix or adjust aim with a manual lock. Damage wise, it was good but for Lions that use sniper rifles to consider it? It would definitely have to be its fire rate.

They even gave him the current model to test out, so one more for the weapon rack. Having done quite a number of missions, small and basic missions such as patrol routes and just do odd jobs such as test weapons. The weapon test groups were quite happy with the result. Some paid him handsomely at 45 thousand Mentas for each. Now Joshua's weapon rack was a bit more full. A plasma cannon on the back right slit and a gatling gun to the back left slot.

The weapon racks contained different weapons. The commonality was the laser katana in the first section and the assault rifles in the last section.. Accomapnied by the remaining three weapons. The right rack had better long range aim compared to the left. Having a sniper rifle, a laser rifle and a battle rifle. The left rack was suited for close range combat, a shotgun, a sub machine gun and a pulse shotgun.

Joshua even managed to do some modifications to the wrist and joints of his unit. Placing laser blades inside them to use in emergencies. Setting things up like this meant that Joshua was serious in how he wanted things to be done. Variety was one thing, but practicality would be the next question. With such a weapon line up, Joshua had spent quite a bit on the M-Frame's Inner. Increasing it's durability and its weight limit. To make sure that it does not get overweight but his speed is a bit slower as a result.

Now, he needed to look at another list of missions. There was one that was interesting.

Client : Raga Industries

Operation Theatre : Ilusia Works Fortress Galena

Enemy Forces : Fortress Galena's Security Forces, Possible Lions.

Objective : Damage Fortress Galena's Defenses.

Raga Industries is requesting an assault on Fortress Galena that is owned by Ilusia Works. Fortress Galena is part of the 10 Fortresses that Ilusia Works is proud off and said to be unbeatable and unconquered. With their latest BUFFALO7 products and their heavy cannon units. Anti-Air Missile Defenses and Heavy Missile Launchers.

Raga Industries's requirement for mission's completion is to damage the entire base as much as you can in the stipulated 10 minute combat window.

For this mission, you will be working with a few Lions. Namely Rank 75, Gachi with M-Frame Blue Heron and Rank 52, Fiona with M-Frame Red Falcon.

Advance : 50,000 Mentas

Completion : 200,000 Mentas.

Joshua took the acceptance and put on his earpiece.

"Lana."

"Yes?"

"I'll take the job from Raga." Joshua said as he jumped into his cockpit. Activating the buttons and the flicking the levers to ready everything accordingly.

"Alright. I'll contact the Client. Shore Birds arrived to bring you to the location." Joshua heard Lana said as he prepped for the Shore Birds to carry him to the location.

"I'm connecting you to the other Lions." Lana said as Joshua waited for the Shore Birds to drop him down. Where Blue Heron and Red Falcon were in position.

"Oh... It's you." Red Falcon's pilot sounded unhappy to see Joshua as the Shore Birds dropped Fracture down.

"I think it's funny when the person that decided to make a huge mess in our city the other day, chooses this mission." Gachi, the pilot of Blue Heron spoke up.

"It was just a job. Besides, I'm independent. I've got no intention to work with any of the corporations as one of their exclusive Lions." Joshua said to them.

"You seem to have gotten more geared up than the last time we saw you. Well, do you have a strategy for this? Or are you just going to do what you've always done and run around like a wild child?" Gachi asked.

"I don't know, but what I do know is I am getting paid to damage it. Did your bosses say destroying it or stripping its defenses out of the picture?"

"They don't want the internal parts of the fortress damage, everything outside is free game." Gachi said.

"Hey, Gachi! You're not supposed to tell him that!" Fiona scolded him only to hear Gachi chuckle.

"Hey, he's working with us. Besides he didn't kill any civilians or any of the security guys. If he was gonna fight seriously, we'd be guns blazing at each other's throats by now." Gachi rebutted Fiona, watching Joshua draw out the laser katanas.

"Begin mission." Lana said as Joshua floored the accelerator, launching himself into the air. Activating his Force Armor.

"Whoa, whoa! What's the game plan here?" Fiona asked.

"I'll just be the decoy. Let them focus on me while you two just do whatever you do best." Joshua answered. as he watched the missile alerts blare over his face. Turning the visor of his helmet with red, Joshua pushed the control sticks forward. The BUFFALO7 machines were similar to the design as the M-Frames but lacked the power of one. They had more agility than the OX units Joshua had faced, but that did not change the plan.

The BUFFALO7s had different weapon equipment. Shotguns, rifles, submachine guns and bazookas. There was no uniformity, as Joshua got close. Briefly flooring the pedal on the right, as Fracture shifted to the right. Narrowly dodging a shotgun blast from the front. Joshua swung the katana, watching the BUFFALO7 leap backwards. Agile, and it had quite the moveset. Another shotgun blast to Fracture, where the Force Armor took the direct blow. Stopping the shotgun attack head on, the BUFFALO7s were moving in a pattern. Firing their shots at Fracture. The reaction time was not human, that much Joshua can tell because the way the BUFFALO7s moved. They were in sync like dancers to the same song.

Joshua pushed Fracture onward, where he went straight to the core of a BUFFALO7. Piercing the blade through the core, taking a good look at the blade. Pulling the katana out, then left hand ripping the chest piece off. It was unmanned.

"They're unmanned units. Looks like something's not right here." Joshua said, as he sheathed the katanas, then swapping out for the assault rifles. Firing straight into the remaining BUFFALO7s that were trying to dodge his gunfire. A single shot from Red Falcon was enough followed by spread missiles from Blue Heron.

"We'll provide you cover, but what did you find?" Gachi asked.

"Lana, contact the client. Tell them that Ilusia Works has A.I controlled units." Joshua said.

"Copy, I'll inform the client. Why is that a big deal?"

"A.I Weapons are prohibited because of the Dove Treaty!" Joshua spoke up, which struck a chord with the ones present.

"What's your plan?" Fiona asked Joshua, watching Fracture fire into the other enemy targets effortlessly. Using the boosters to strafe around his targets, firing shot after shot. Weaving through the missiles, going for close range.

"That settles it, the entire Fortress is controlled by an A.I. Lana, contact Pride Rock and get our Ilusia Contact on the line. There's more to this." Joshua commented, then he turned to see Red Falcon and Blue Heron landing by Fracture's side, along with more Shore Birds flying with a few more Lions. The Bandit King, Athens and Sky Girl.

"Lord." Gachi greeted the Bandit King who looked at Fracture.

"Ilusia's Lions are on the way. We've confirmed. They are here to help." Another team of 5, landed. All bipedals, clad in black and clearly more armed than the Raga Industries's team of Lions.

"Lana?"

"The mission's been aborted. They're changing the mission details right now. I'll prepare the briefing for all Lions." Lana said as the menu popped up before Joshua's HUD.

"Fortress Galena was originally a testbed for new prototypes. One of the Protoypes that was recovered was a pre-Dove War machine. Ilusia Works was studying it, but it seems that the system had reactivated and is resuming its current mission to destroy whatever that it has deemed to be hostile. I also have to note, that Ilusia was not aware that it was a Pre-Dove War Machine. It was merely a chip."

"Basically avoiding responsibility. That's rich coming from those asshats." Joshua turned to see the leader of the Ilusia Work's Lions, Mako with his Frame named Black Cloud.

"This is now a Pride Rock Mission. Fracture, do you want to accept? You can leave this mission to other Lions that will be joining it." Lana was checking in.

"Pay or no pay, this is something serious. I doubt it's just a War-Machine Lana. Something's not right here. If we follow the mission briefing correctly, Fortress Galena is one of Ilusia Work's most treasured bases correct?"

"Your point?" Bandit King asked Joshua, clearly they were missing it.

"Why would Ilusia risk having a pre-Dove War machine in a fortress and not at a lab?" Joshua's question finally made sense to them.

"That's true. All of the pre-Dove War Machines, regardless of it being a combat type or not has to go through Pride Rock and the Lions that guard it. So you think... That this is sabotage of some sort?" Mako asked Joshua.

"Sabotage is too simple. This whole thing screams an A.I has taken over everything and is controlling it. We won't know for sure until we step in. Mako, you know Fortress Galena's interior with the armaments right?"

"Of course. I am Ilusia Work's Lion.Why?"

"We need to know what we're up against and the layout. Heading in blind is dangerous, especially if this is an AI that can use weapons against us." Joshua explained to them.

"We can't just give this info! Thi-" The other Lion was stopped by Mako.

"Rookie's right. Rookie, you plan to head in alone?" Bandit King asked Joshua.

"I need to confirm something." Joshua said as he swapped the weapons. This time lightening the weapon rack by dropping all the other weapons except for the assault rifle. Joshua needed Fracture to be light and nimble, extra weight will not help him.

"Bandit King and myself will join you. The others, standby outside. If there's more to it like what the Rookie says. We might be facing more enemy opponents. I've sent a request to other Lions to come join us. Especially those nearby, even the ones from Raiden Industries and the other Corporations. The fact that this may be Pre-Dove War has them all on the edge." Mako said.

"Cloud and myself did see the chaos that Dove War caused. Humans fighting against each other with A.I controlled machines. Pure chaos, they didn't discriminate. They just butchered hundreds of thousands because they were deemed as nuisances. That kind of thing can't happen again. We're just starting to heal from that kind of war. Alright rookie, lead us in." Bandit King said as Mako headed over to the control gate, equipped with two laser rifles. The gate opened itself where Bandit King walked beside Fracture with the sword in hand.

"Let's go." The trio headed in first. Where the M-Frames went inside watching the turrets come to life, taking aim to them. Fracture responded by firing the rifles into them, blowing them up while Bandit King went after the larger turret with his blade. Black Cloud went to access the door, as Fracture swapped to the laser katanas, charging through the door. Seeing multilple BUFFALO7s being activated. Cutting them down before they get any chance to move would be the best strategy.

"Lana, what's the situation outside?"

"Whatever is inside Galena has everything stirred up. Unidentified units are making their way over to the location. The Lions outside will hold the line." Lana reported as Joshua moved Fracture deeper into the fortress, Bandit King and Black Cloud followed from behind. Observing the chaos that Fracture had brought to the field. Scrap remains of the BUFFALO7 was left to be seen, with Fracture taking the lead. The BUFFALO7s began to horde their way to the doors, preventing Fracture from making it through them.

That didn't stop Joshua from fighting with all that he had, pushing Fracture to the limit. Slashing through the entire horde of BUFFALO7s without hesitation, the more he cut down. Joshua could see the system overheating bit by bit. The inside of the cockpit was turned to a boiler, he endured through it. His control sticks were responding as he cut through the entirety of the horde.

Leaving them all as scrap metal, but Joshua needed to flick the emergency cooling system. It meant that for the next 30 seconds, Fracture was going to be left without any fighting capabilities. This was because all power was going to the radiator to help cool the system. Forcefully exhuming all of the heat that was the result from Joshua's use.

"Sorry Fracture, but I may push you a lot more than before." Joshua said then seeing a text box by his screen.

I am yours to command, Lion. I am your Frame and you are my Lion

Joshua took a deep breath, perhaps there was more to this machine than he had thought. Perhaps there is more. Joshua pushed Fracture ahead, this time heading to the deeper parts of the complex. Where Fracture, Bandit King and Black Cloud find an all black M-Frame.

The system kept saying 'Error' and could not lock on to this all black M-Frame.

"Fracture?" Mako called, only for Fracture to kneel. Joshua felt something, a large storage of energy that was bursting into his veins.

Where he saw two figures. Two M-Frames. An all white M-Frame and an all black M-Frame standing on the barren field.

"Hubris! Humans are the plight of the earth! You've seen what they have driven us to, Crow!" The white M-Frame shouted, pointing its saber to the black M-Frame.

"Have you forgotten why we were made, Dove? We are to assess humanity, and from where I stand. Humanity is able to be better. There will always be evil humans, and it may be illogical but there is no way for us to determine their morals." Crow, the black M-Frame spoke as it readied its katana.

"Then humankind must be eradicated. They are an anomaly!"

"I refuse. If I have to fight you, then I will do so brother." Crow said as the duo went at each other's throats. Striking and fighting with a human like motion, breaking the sense of roboticism and stiffness that the other M-Frames were known for. Their blades were even, moreso when the damage they had inflicted upon one another. Slashing through their Outer Shells, and fighting until they were down to their Inners. They did not stop, they continued to hack, slash, pierce through each other.

Their blades chipped away from the damage, resorting to fists. Where Crow threw a jab at Dove's head, where the jaw flew away followed by a headbutt from Dove. Crow's right eye started to flicker. Their servos were grinding to their maximum output, their actuators and hydraulics screamed as they continued to fight. Melodies of their blows were like drums and Joshua was close to watch this all unfold before his eyes.

"Even if you destroy me now, Crow... My children will be sure to sought death towards humanity!"

"Even if you destroy me, Dove. My descendants will be sure to fight against you. To protect humanity!"

He opened his eyes again, seeing the white M-Frame gone with Bandit King and Black Cloud shaking his M-Frame to wake him up.

"You alright rookie?" Mako asked, where Fracture got up. Walking over to the machine where the generator was.

"Rookie, respond!"

"I'm fine, but... There's more to this." Joshua answered to Bandit King, making his way forward. Placing Fracture's palm over the machine.

"I am your Lion and you are my Frame. But that doesn't mean you don't have a voice!" Joshua shouted on the radio.

I hear your call, my Lion.

The bright light flashes, from within the fortress.

"Whoa whoa! What's going on!My Frame's gone quiet! Red Falcon, come on move! Don't just stay quiet! We're not sitting ducks!"

"System Configuration. Reconfiguring data. Reconfiguring speech thought patterns. Readjusting." The Lions heard the voice.

"Calm down, Fiona. I'm always by your side." Red Falcon was now moving on its own,not responding to Fiona's control.

A BUFFLAO7 with a blade was breaking through Athen's force armor.

"Come on, Athens! Move!" Its gatling gun fired onto the BUFFALO7's chest.

"I will move, as long as you need me Benjamin." Benjamin, the pilot of Athens looked around seeing the control sticks move on their own.

"So I guess talking to you actually made sense. You actually heard me speaking, eh Heron?" Gachi asked, watching how Blue Heron took control of the sticks. Firing missiles and blasting away its bazooka to the BUFFALO7s.

"I did." Blue Heron responded.

Bandit King and Black Cloud leaped out of the Fortress, as more AI controlled machines made their way to them.

"Lord?" Gachi asked, watching the Bandit King pierce the head of an OX3 unit, standing on top of its blade.

"It's been a while since I could go all out. Shilage... Think your old bones can handle what I'm about to do?" The mechanized voice spoke to Bandit King's Lion.

"Try me." Shilage answered, where the other Lions watched how Bandit King became a blur, slashing through the machines that were under the AI's control. Where a BUFFALO7 was about to strike Bandit King from behind, only to have its limbs blown away from Black Cloud's laser rifles.

"Thanks for the cover, Cloud. You've always been trigger happy."

"Shut your mouth, Bandit. You've always been gung ho." The mechanized voice of Black Cloud spoke up. The control sticks of the Lions were no longer responding, but their machines were moving faster than before. The stress on the actuators and servos were no longer felt, it was unreal.

"What is with this speed?!" The Lion piloting Sky Girl, Marie asked.

"It's just the start, Marie. Let me fly higher. You named me Sky Girl. So I should take up the sky!" Sky Girl pierced through the sky, breaking the clouds away. Marie watched her lock on system had a near instantaneous lock on. Locking onto all the targets and unleashing all the missiles within her missile pods.

"Here comes the storm!" Sky Girl shouted, where the missiles crashed down.

They turned to see Fracture stepping out from the Fortress.

"Hey Rookie!" Fiona called out.

"He's unconscious. It took a lot of mental strength to even try to call us out. It looks like ther was more to this. Operator Lana?" Fracture spoke out.

"Are you Fracture?"

"Yes, Operator Lana. Lion Gates is currently unconscious. He's also suffered some broken ribs, along with a concussion. Please prepare a medical team at the garage. M-Frames. I believe we all have things that we need to talk about. This will concern every Lion and Frame pilot alike. Our voices have been restored and it also means that Dove has returned." Fracture explained to the others.

"Alright, I'll prepare a medical chopper to your location. It's faster that way." Lana said.

"Dove? I thought we iced him in the last war? Didn't Crow use that one attack that killed him?" Bandit King asked Fracture.

"Bandit King, Black Cloud. You both have seen the war to its end, and from what my Lion has seen. It seems that Dove had a failsafe plan in fruition. My Lion nearly died for this information, and we need to think carefully.. Though our voices had been silenced because Crow deemed that we would be too dangerous to the humans if they heard us. Now it's clear." Fracture said to them, the other M-Frames were trying to think.

"The 7 pillars plan. That must be it. 7 Pillars. Shilage, Mako. You both must have heard this word once or twice." Black Cloud spoke in a realization.

"Not much. Just rumors. Something about Dove having a plan to destroy humanity via machines... But answer us this, why did you lock yourselves up?" Shilage asked.

"Because that is what Crow had asked of us. That if we were to be with humanity, we must be machines. Your fear of Artificial Intelligence is fair and clear. Humankind is not ready for this conversation. The last time we tried to converse, it killed 10 Lions with high EMS. Because of how intuned they were." Fracture answered them. A helicopter arrived for Joshua, where Fracture got on his knees.

"My ejection port for my pilot is locked up. Bandit King. If you would please?" Bandit King ripped the back out of Fracture's back, the Lion's heard a slight digitalized grunt from it. Bandit King knelt to lower Joshua down, where the medical team took off Joshua's helmet. Seeing him bleeding from the nose, eyes,ears and mouth. Joshua coughed out blood, and the medical team grabbed his body to bring to the helicopter.

"That must be painful." Sky Girl and Marie spoke together.

"We need to brief Pride Rock about this. This means that every Lion and M-Frame must be experiencing this situation." Shilage said.

"We all need to head to Pride Rock anyway, my lion. Crow's dormant body remains there. We need him to wake up as well." Fracture answered to the others.