There's some hot NEXT on BETA action...
"Think a NEXT will save you from the BETA? Think again. "
A Crossover Fan Fic by Airship Canon that combines Muv-Luv Alternative and Armored Core. Set after the events of Muv Luv Alternative play into Armored Core (Actually, it's particularly after For Answer occurs (following the ORCA path))... Humanity won the first BETA war thanks to some heroes who got Ret-Gone'd, and eventually the TSF became the AC, which eventually became the NEXT. However, thanks to the Assault Cells, the 3.486784402x10^46 BETA in the universe were kept away... but with Strayed destroying the Assault Cells, the BETA could return to Earth, and return they do.
It features original characters for the most part, although canon characters, such as Takafumi Arisawa and May Greenfield show up. (And the Canon Immigrant, Victoria).
It hasn't been updated since November, 2013.
It can be found here
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Tropes featured in this story:
- Ace Custom: Actual NEXTs, NSS and Company Models exist, but amongst Ranked or otherwise Notable NEXTs, they're all Ace Customs.
- Ace Pilot: Adler, Llad, May... Just about any notable Lynx. STRAYED.
- After the End: Multiple Apocalypses have already occurred. It's a damn miracle Humanity is still around at this point.
- Alien Invasion: It happens TWICE, by the same Aliens, just a few hundred years apart.
- Alternate History: In regards to the Armored Core 4 timeline. It's how the blending of Muv Luv and Armored Core occurs. Also Armored Core 5 happened before 4.
- Always Save the Girl: Given the choice between protecting Selene and ANYTHING else (up to, and including a colony with several million people living in it), Adler will choose to save Selene, and nothing will make him think otherwise.
- Amazon Brigade: The Interior Union's Lynx are notably female badasses. Taking the cake for them though are the 'Three Valkyries'...
- Anime Hair: May Greenfield sports some. And it's green!
- Anti-Hero: Adler. He's a "hero" in name only. In fact, at one point, he laughed as he became responsible for the extremely painful deaths of millions.
- Apocalypse How: Starts as a Regional Class 4, and expands in terms of the BETA, but thanks to Kojima, there's already been a Planetary Class 1.
- Arm Cannon: NEXT Redeemer is equipped with heavy machine guns for arms.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Lynx have nearly absolute authority in military operations, simply because a NEXT is such a powerful weapon.
- Awesome, but Impractical: Any "large" weapon against the BETA. Sure it's impressive, and you're likely to get a kill, but killing one Ruitare doesn't mean much if there's 30000 more.
- Badass Creed:"Sacrifice everything to save what's most important to you. Be desperate to carry out your duty- achieve your mission with all your might. Despair not, until your final breath. Never die in vain: Make your death count!" It's not quite a creed yet, just Arc Words, but it's on its way to become one.
- Beam Spam: BETA's answer to flying things. Horrifyingly effective. The Interior Union uses a similar combat doctrine.
- Berserk Button: Adler is normally a Jerkass... Harm Selene in any way, shape, or form, and he'll kill you (unless she gets him to calm down, so you better hope, for your sake, she is perfectly alright if you press his button).
- BFG: Most Guns, which is given considering Humongous Mecha. For an non-mecha gun, the HL1-Anti MT Rifle, a BFF-made personnel weapon that fires .95 caliber armor-piercing explosive rounds, with virtually no recoil due to advanced technology. It can easily kill a Tank-class BETA in one shot, and has a 25 round clip.
- BFS: Hello, Blades.
- Bullfight Boss: Encounters with Ruitare.
- Canon Immigrant: Victoria, AKA Double Heart (from Armored Core A Brave New World).
- Chicken Walker: Mamluk... the standard MT.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Heavily hinted at between Adler and Selene. Although, they do deny it.
- Cold Sniper: BFF's Kroitchov.
- Common Tongue: Everyone speaks English. Other languages are mentioned, and some names are definitely foreign, but everyone speaks English.
- Corporate Samurai: Company Lynx. Independents are not examples.
- Crapsack World: Gee, let's see: It's been Invaded by Aliens, Taken over by Evil Dictators, Had large Scale wars, had a hostile Corporate Takeover on a National scale, more large scale wars, polluted by radiation, had terrorists wipe out the measures taken to escape said pollution, and gets invaded by aliens... again.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Played with. NEXTs have extreme kill potential against BETA... so any small-scale encounter between a NEXT and BETA will be this, but the BETA counter with sheer numbers, which averts this trope.
- Deflector Shields: Primal Armor, not that it's very effective against BETA- as it does little against point attacks or Lasers. It does slow down Ruitares so a charging Ruitare won't do much damage, and it weakens the force of a Medium's swing. It does absolutely nothing to a Tank class though...
- Deus Exit Machina: Strayed is Missing in Action ever since the victory of ORCA. White Glint is presumed dead after his defeat in Line Ark.
- Energy Weapon:Lots. Also, why flying in BETA areas is bad.
- Eye Beams: Lux. They hurt as bad a Procyon shots, so it's best to just not get hit.
- Finagle's Law: Continues to exist from Muv Luv Alternative.
- Friendly Sniper: Valkyrie-03, Aerilynn, pilot of Hrist. Surprisingly bubbly and cheerful for a sniper... she's also a bonafide Klutz.
- Heroic BSoD: Cristoph suffers one almost immediately after he's introduced, Thanks to the death of May Greenfield.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: Well, Adler would rather use his dedicated blader, Zephiris than any other NEXT at least.
- Human Resources: Why the BETA are here.
- Jerkass: Adler.
- Nuke 'em: via Assault Armor. It WILL kill any BETA in the vicinity except Carrier class, and Fort Class.... Leaves you vulnerable as hell though.
- Nuclear Option: Assault Armor, Assault Cannons. Read: Really good Anti-BETA weapons.
- Macross Missile Massacre: Common Enough, hell a reminder that May Greenfield's Merrygate can unload 96 missiles at a target is given fairly early. Not that it helps that 32 of them are shot down by Lux.
- A Mech by Any Other Name: NEXTs, Normals, TSFs...
- Mission Control: Selene (but only for Adler), Maria Summers, Cristoph (aka: Raptor). As a note, those in this position get a first hand view when the Lynx that they're working for dies...
- Morality Chain: Selene for Adler. Hurt, harm, or otherwise cause discomfort to her at your own peril- Adler is a hero in name only, if even that, and isn't afraid to show it, but she does keep him from going full on villain.
- More Dakka: Highly Advised when dealing with BETA. I repeat, Highly Advised.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Strayed (the Hero of 4A) chose to side with ORCA and destroy the Assault Cells, which, notably, let the BETA return to Earth... oops.
- No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup: Averted, although, in the case of TYPE-SIONE, the plans, and the back up were destroyed when the prototypes were stolen.
- One-Hit Kill: Pretty easy to pull off in a NEXT. Too bad you need to do that 29,999 more times.
- Private Military Contractors: Welcome to the world of being an Independent.
- Psycho for Hire: Considering Adler's attitude and general disposition... it may just be the only thing keeping him in check is Selene.
- Psychic Powers: Selene may, or may not, have them.
- Redshirt Army: Ode to thee, Mamluk pilots. Or Giga Base crews. And the truth of the matter, the League sees everyone this way.
- Ret-Gone: Takeru. He never existed. Any records of a man piloting the XG-70d Susanoo IV are false.
- She Is Not My Girlfriend: Considering everyone sees Adler and Selene as a couple, and they themselves don't, this is common.
- Shipper on Deck: Llad, Lunaterisa, everyone: for Adler and Selene, much to Adler's annoyance.
- Shoot the Dog: Invoked: In Chapter 1, Day 3, Selene asks Adler to kill her if they fail. He refuses, insisting they won't fail instead.
- Smug Snake: Adler, Tadashiro... Adler... anyone from Omer, ADLER.
- Super Prototype:
- TYPE-SIONE, a NEXT so notable that Omer outright declared full on war against the Interior Union after it got stolen.
- XAF-Kushina, a prototype Arms Fort developed by Omer. Not based on the XG-70b.
- Subverted: Tadashrio's Zephyr Fudai. It's better than current NEXTs due to a new operating system and IR computer, but has absolutely nothing on a completed Fudai production model.
- Tank Goodness: RAI-DEN, although, he hasn't exactly shown up yet. Also AF Giga Base.
- The Greatest Story Never Told: Thank you, "Father", now humanity has no idea what happened in the early 2000s, so no one is prepared for BETA. Also, Takeru still got Ret-Gone'd, so no one knows much about the first Arms Fort, Susanoo IV. And Omer certainly doesn't have any information on the HI-MAERF project that they scuttled from "the Corporation".
- Utsuge: It's a Fanfic of one, and well, the main intent remains, despite no longer being a game or visual novel. Enjoy day two? There's more where that came from.
- Walking Wasteland: The NEXTs.
- Zerg Rush: Why the BETA are a threat.
