Disclaminer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.
-IS- Place
(Flashback)Time Skip/flashback
"Hm…. It`s rare to have a visitor" Non human talk
Infinite Stratos : The Dark Sky Re
Chapter 1 : End of Summer
Squall Meusel, the leader of the underground organization, Phantom Task sat quietly in passenger seat while her car moving towards her destination. Right now, she was in bad mood and not amused by her mission. Why you ask? That was because the 'real' leader of Phantom Task have gave her a mission, a mission that was so beneath her ability that she found it hard to believe the 'real' leader was sane enough when gave her this order. Though many not know it, she was more like a public face of Phantom Task while the 'real' leader hid in the shadow, pulling the string from behind the scene. She wondered why she obeyed him.
'That damn man' She thought begrudgingly. This was the golden age where the women rule, there was no need for that man to lead the organization that almost composed with female.
Even so, she must admitted that man was a genius and not to mention sadistic, evil, cunning and borderline insane, a very dangerous combination. She resisted the urge to shiver as she remembered what the man had done to her predecessor. Her predecessor was one hell of woman, proud, smart, cunning, and beautiful though she would not admit it, she was a woman too after all. Well, to put it simply, her predecessor tried to rebelled against him because the appearance of IS that boots woman status. That did not end well for her predecessor at all. The last time she saw her predecessor was before he appointed her as the next leader. That time her predecessor was in complete mess, she was not beautiful anymore and completely insane, blabbering incoherent words before he put a bullet in her predecessor head to make a point to her.
She understood clearly the point that man tried to make, cross him and you dead.
'Simple yet effective'
Since then, no one has an idea or even dare to think to betray him because they were all damn afraid of that man. However, they were also respected that man. After all, he was the one that made Phantom Task became great and feared underground organization. Since he took the leadership from the previous leader, Phantom Task never failed their task. If it were not for him, Phantom Task would be still some small fry organization that the other underground organization could mess around and pressured.
However, a few years back an accident happened. She did not know the details but that accident made the elite squad of Phantom Squad, four seasons divided. Two of the original member of four seasons was death, one gone rogue without anyone knew where she/he was, leaving only one original member, Spring. Though they finally got a replacement for Autumn but that didn't mean anything when there were still two empty spot.
Speaking of Autumn, she was with her in this mission.
"Hey leader, we almost arrived" Autumn said from the driver seat.
Squall frowned, that why she hate her. Autumn always rubbed the fact that she was a figurehead to her face. If only that he did not decide autumn was talented enough to become four season members. Squall would arrange some 'accident' for that damn woman.
Squall sighed; there was no need to listen to autumn taunt, nothing good would happen. She better debriefed herself about the mission. She opened the paper about the mission and read it.
'Okay, he wanted me to get some goods that he requested from local yakuza' Squall snorted at this. She knew that when he means 'requested' it means threat, blackmail, or anything that close to that.
'And collected their debt…. It seem I`m right after all' She thought. This yakuza should knew better than made a debt with Phantom Task because he would milked them for all their worth and leaved them dry without anything. That when he was in good mood, when he was in bad mood…..well, you did not want to know about it.
"Okay, we arrive" Autumn said while turned her head to Squall, "So, should I waited here or guard you leader?"
"Do whatever you want" Squall said as Autumn smirked at her, "But I will tell him that you are slacking around"
The smirk fell from Autumn face. She was after all knew what he did to the one who slacked around.
"Fine!" Autumn said begrudgingly. She did not like Squall but for him, she would did almost anything.
They came out from the car and saw an unused warehouse.
"Why they didn't arrange the meeting place in a hotel or somewhere else but here?" Autumn asked, this place was beneath her. She was the member of four seasons, the elite squad of Phantom Task; there should be a better place than this.
"And bring out unwanted attention?" Squall sneered, "How low is your intelligent level?"
"Shut up, unlike you I have a sense of style" Autumn retorted back and smiled in stratification at the enraged face of Squall.
Squall gritted her teeth in anger and moved away to the warehouse leaving autumn, "Just focus on our task"
'Autumn one and Squall zero' Autumn thought happily as she followed Squall.
(Skip)
-Unused Warehouse-
"What the meaning of this?" Squall asked the three yakuza in front of her, "You only have the goods with you. Where is the money?"
The three yakuza stared each other before the one that seem was their leader took a step forward, "Well, we need more time to collect it"
"You know that we have let you go for two times" Squall said, her voice became dangerous, "There is no third time"
The yakuza gulped, "We promise to pay it two times more than we owe you"
Squall raised her eyebrow, "With interest?"
"Yes, with interest!" The man said in defeat.
"Boss!" one of the underling yelled but one glare from the man stopped him.
"We will discuss this later," Squall said while she stared the metal briefcase that the last man held, "Show me the goods"
The yakuza nodded and the man who held the briefcase walked towards them. He put it on the ground and opened it, revealing a black sphere inside it.
"Autumn, you turn" Squall ordered as Autumn moved away from Squall side to the brief case.
Autumn took out a device that look like a scanner from her pocket and kneeled down. She used the scanner to scan the sphere then the scanner made a bip sound. She let out a satisfy smile and closed the briefcase. She stood up with the briefcase on her hand and turned to Squall.
"It's real" Autumn said simply as she walked back to Squall side.
"You know, for a mere Yakuza to successfully steal a prototype of IS core is something to proud of" Squall said, mocking at the three yakuza.
"It's not easy" the leader said while gritted his teeth to held back his anger, "So about the money?"
"Tell me, how you will pay it two times more than before and with interest" Squall asked, she was interested with that as the money that they owed was not small.
"You" The man said to one of his underling, "Bring the boy out"
These made Squall and Autumn confused, were they kidnaped some boy and tried to make a ransom from the boy family. If it was true then they must dealt with them swiftly because to steal a prototype IS core has put the yakuza hot and added a kidnaping. The yakuza was beyond hot and became a liability.
Meantime the man that ordered to bring the boy has come back. The man held the unconscious boy roughly on his arms.
"So, what special about the boy?" Autumn sneered at them.
"This boy is Ichika Orimura, the younger brother of Chifuyu Orimura, the current Mondo Grosso finalist" The man explained with a smirk as if he done something smart, "We have threated her sister to lose in the final so we can get the money"
"I see" Squall said while a warning bell in her head ringing loudly because this unexpected turn of event.
"Excuse me but I will make a phone call" Squall took out her cellphone and turned her back from the yakuza as she pressed the speed dial. She needed to call him for this matter to decide what they should do.
"Squall, what you need?" a deep voice came out from the other line.
Squall could felt the undertone in that man voice, she whispered lowly, "Master we got problem"
"Problem? It seem I have overestimated your ability to deal with this mission"
"Not that kind of problem Master" Squall corrected him, it would be ugly for her if he thought her have outlived her use, "A new one"
"New? Amuse me"
"They kidnap Ichika Orimura" Squall told him simply, straight to the point just like he liked.
"….."
"….."
"Master?" Squall asked unsurely, when he did not responded back.
"Take Ichika with you, but kill the rest"
"Yes master" Squall replied. She wanted to ask why but she knew her place.
"And Squall, tell Autumn if he touch Ichika ….."
"I got it master" Squall said as she understood the undertone that he had.
"Good"
The line ended and Squall pocketed back her cellphone.
"Autumn" Squall called her and whispered her next order low enough so the yakuza didn't heard it, "Kill them but leave Ichika alive, master order"
Autumn nodded, she knew not disobeyed his order after all.
"So what do you think?" The yakuza asked with hope.
Squall turned back to him and smiled sweetly.
"No deal"
As soon as that word leave Squall lips, autumn materialized her IS partly, revealing eight claw that look like spider legs from her back while she smiled menacingly.
(Skip)
-Sky-
Chifuyu Orimura was anxious, no, she down right worried. Someone kidnapped her younger brother Ichika and threated her to throw her final match in Mondo Grosso tournament. To make it worse, she made a deal with the German government, in return for finding where the kidnapers held Ichika. She now owed a favor to the German government. Fortunately, the German government only wanted her to train there is pilot. Still, that leaved a bad taste in her mouth but for Ichika, she would do anything.
Bip!
Chifuyu IS made a noise that indicated that she was now nearing her destination. She immediately made another boost. Soon after the German government told her where Ichika was, she took a flight with her IS. She flew from German, crossed the continent, and broke into several countries airspace to get into Japan as soon as she could. In addition, she has shot down a few fighter jets and some IS that tried to stop her. She would think about the mess she made later.
Bip! Bip!
Chifuyu IS showed a screen with the image of unused warehouse, the place Ichika was held.
'Hang on Ichika!' Chifuyu thought. She would make them who kidnapped Ichika pay dearly for this.
However, as Chifuyu neared the unused warehouse another warning appeared. Before she could think anything, she watched the unused warehouse engulfed by bright light.
Boom!
Chifuyu IS made an emergency stop and suspended in the air. Her eyes widen as she saw what happened. The unused warehouse been destroyed, leaving wreck that was on fire and black smoke that rose to the sky.
"No, no, no, NO!" She yelled as she moved her IS once more, "ICHIKA!"
(Skip)
-Unknown Place-
Ichika opened his eyes and stood up but fell down immediately because the sudden movement that he made. He nursed his throbbing head, he sure that he heard his older sister, Chifuyu calling him. He shook his head and observed his surroundings. He found himself in big room, much bigger than his living room with one king sized bed and the interior…. Well, it looked like one of the expensive room that he saw in some magazine. He wondered why he was here, as he did not remember when he got here. The last thing that he remembered was….
Ichika immediately stood up and looked around him cautiously, trying to find his kidnapers but found no one. He walked to the door and tried to open it but only to found it locked. Then he moved to the window and tried to open but stopped when he realized that the window was a fake one. He started to inspect the room to found something that would let him out and a weapon.
However, unknown to Ichika, someone was watching his move.
(Skip)
A man was watching a screen that showed Ichika moving around the room. The man wore a black phantom mask that hid his face except his mouth. The man was the true leader of Phantom Task.
He let out a dark chuckle as he was amused with what Ichika doing. Who ever thought the small mission that he gave to Squall and Autumn turned into something more. Ichika would be a great addition to the Phantom Task, it was in Ichika blood after all.
"Master" someone called him.
He turned around and saw a woman with long blonde white hair that styled shabby-chic braid, which swept over her left shoulder, kneeled down to him.
"Spring, did you bring her like I ordered?" He asked.
His voice was cold and low, which made Spring shivered even though she has heard it many times before.
"Of course, she waiting outside" Spring answered without delay.
"Good, good and what about her training?"
Soring gulped, he would not like this at all, "There is some complication"
The man frowned and narrowed his eyes, "Spring, are you saying that you, the, the remaining of the original four seasons squad cannot deal with one little girl?"
"Of course not master" Spring said hurriedly, "It's just the mental conditioning"
"Oh that" The man said in realization, "Abandon the plan, I got a new one"
"Master?"
"Raise your head Spring and tell me what you see" The man ordered as he stepped aside to show the screen that showed Ichika.
"That's…." Spring widen her eyes in disbelief, "But how?"
"Have you broken the deal?" Spring asked afraidly, if her master really has broken the deal…..
"No, I have not" The man said in distaste, "The deal with that old man Shinonono is to leave them alone and that's what I do"
"Then…."
"He was kidnapped by the yakuza that owed us" The man explained while smiled twistedly, "So…."
"We haven't violated any deal," Spring concluded as a realization struck her, "But, you just playing the words around"
"Spring" The man said sternly. His smile was gone and a dark glint entered his eyes.
"I`m sorry master" Spring apologized submissively, she didn't want to anger her master. It would do not good for her health.
"If he wanted to blame someone, he must blame himself. His old age finally caught him" The man smiled insanely, "Well, he in in death door right now, so it cannot be helped"
"But how about Tabane?" Spring asked, even the leader of Shinonono died, Tabane would replace him, "Or Chifuyu?"
"Tabane didn't know anything about us. I doubt the old man will tell his precious granddaughter about the things he have done with us" The man chuckled darkly, "And she is not a threat to us. She is maybe one of the smartest people in earth but compared to the old man, she is nothing. In addition, compared to me, Tabane is just one foolish girl. Should I remind you who made the concept of IS?"
Spring shivered, knowing how true it was, her master was without equal, the man that stood in the top of the world. The world might knew that Tabane was the one that made IS but the concept for IS came from her master. Which later Tabane grandfather perfected before Tabane perfected it more and put it in practice.
"As for Chifuyu, she is a failure, and cannot do anything to us, nothing to worry" The man dismissed it of handedly like a trash.
Spring nodded her head, "So, is it safe for me to assume that project will continue again?"
"Yes!" The man yelled in happiness, "Now that we have Ichika, that project will continue. I knew that I made a correct decision to not scrape that project!"
"Spring!" The man barked at her, "Don't you think this is the time for Ichika to meet his long, long forgotten little sister?"
"Yes master, I`m sure Madoka will be thrilled to meet Ichika" Spring nodded, agreeing with him, "But do you think Ichika will join us voluntary?"
"Oh, we can try to do that" Phantom said as a mad gleam entered his eyes, "But, I hope he will refuse so we have a perfect test subject to test that"
Spring shivered badly, she hoped that Ichika would join them or he would face fate worse than death.
(Skip)
"Where are you taking me to?" Ichika asked to the woman that introduced herself as Spring.
"To my master" Spring answered simply, "And I suggest you keep your mouth in his presence. He is the one that save you after all"
Ichika stayed silent and followed Spring. He did not like this one bit but Spring excluded a familiar aura. It was like the aura that his sister, Chifuyu excluded but more dangerous. Not to mention how easily she subdued him when he attacked her before. He nursed his bruised hand, which hurt.
"Enter" Spring said simply when the stopped in front big wooden door and opened it.
Ichika gulped and entered the room. He expected some kind of dark room or something like that but what he found was a simple study room with books and large desk in the middle of it. There was a chair behind the desk but turned back, concealing the person who sat.
"Welcome Ichika, to my humble evil lair" The chair turned back to him and revealed a man wearing a black phantom mask.
Ichika stopped but Spring pushed him, making him stumbled. He turned back and saw her closing the door.
"Ichika" The man called him, "I will appreciate if you didn't move your attention away from me"
Ichika turned back to the man and resisted the urge to shiver. The man voice was pleasant but something was wrong with that.
"I`m sorry sir" Ichika said as he stared the man.
"Good, it seem Chifuyu have teach you some manners" The man said pleasantly but the disgust he said Ichika sister name was not lost to Ichika.
"Let me introduce myself" The man smiled a twisted smile, "You can call me Phantom, Master Phantom of the Phantom Task"
"Phantom?" Ichika repeated ridiculously, a man who named an organization by his name. That sounded narcissistic to Ichika.
"Boy" Spring called, her tone was dangerously low.
"It's okay Spring" Phantom said dismissively, "After all, Ichika is special to us"
Ichika felt cold shiver running on his back and urge to run away. But he resisted it, he would not show them that he was afraid. He would remain tall and brave, like his sister taught him to be.
"I`m thankful that you save me" Ichika started, staring directly to Phantom eyes, "But I want to ask when you will let me go?"
"Ichika have your sister told you about your parents?" Phantom asked as he dismissed Ichika question. Phantom smiled in stratification as Ichika widen his eyes.
"She didn't tell you anything? It seem Chifuyu have been a bad girl" Phantom said mockingly, "Or she just plain stupid to believe the past wont caught up to her"
"My sister is not stupid!" Ichika yelled, no one insult his sister in front of him.
"It seems you hold her in high regards" Phantom smirked before it turned into one ugly twisted smile, "But I doubt it you will after you know the truth"
"Tell me Ichika, do you want to know about your family?" Phantom said sweetly but with venom lacing his words.
Ichika was thorn, one side of him wanted to know as his sister never spoke about their family as if a taboo. But another side of him, telling him to not trust this man in front of him.
"Do you know that you have a younger sister?"
That snapped Ichika attention. He did not know that, Chifuyu never told him anything like that. He reassured himself that the man in front of him was lying. Chifuyu would tell him if he had a sister.
"Judging by your face you didn't believe me Ichika" Phantom said in fake saddened tone,"But I`m sure that is true"
Phantom snapped his finger and a screen appeared in front of Ichika. The way Phantom did it made Ichika has a strange case of dejavu, because Phantom did it like Tabane do. However, he have no time to think it further as the screen showed an image of young girl that looked like Chifuyu. He looked up to Phantom and found him smiling sweetly.
"That is your sister, Madoka"
Ichika looked down to the screen again and studied Madoka face. He tried to tell himself that this just a picture of Chifuyu that have modified. Nevertheless, he noticed several differences in that picture and Chifuyu.
"I think this will assure you this image is not a fake" Phantom said and snapped his finger again while enjoying Ichika expression.
Another screen showed in front of Ichika. This screen showed not another picture but a video, a live feed video of one young girl in the picture. Ichika suddenly felt his world suddenly crushed down and twisted into one ugly thing. He tried to tell himself that this was just one bad dream as he tried to erase one treacherous thought that started to appear.
"Chifuyu have lying to you Ichika" Phantom said without mercy as he confirmed Ichika thought, "Poor, poor Madoka…. The unwanted child that Chifuyu nave threw away"
"No" Ichika whispered and gipped his hand hard then yelled at Phantom "You are lying to me!"
"A denial Ichika? And here I thought better of you" Phantom sneered at Ichika, enjoying every second the expression that Ichika gave him.
"Even its true that I have a little sister. My older sister won't do something like that!" Ichika said, feeling angry at Phantom, "She told me that family is important and…."
"Family is important?" Phantom cut Ichika and blinked several time before starting to laugh as if he heard the funniest thing in the world.
"Why you!" Ichika yelled and tried to punch Phantom but a strong grip on his shoulder by Spring stopped him, "Let me go! No one insult my older sister!"
"Chifuyu, you are a hypocrite" Phantom laughed as he found it funny, "Family is important? Hah! What a thing to say when you abandoned your family"
"What?" Ichika stopped struggling.
"You hear right Ichika. Chifuyu not only have lying to you but she also has abandoned her family" Phantom said as he finally calmed down.
"No that's not true!" Ichika yelled back. His older sister would not do something like that.
"Then tell me, why she didn't tell you about your family, parents and your younger sister" Phantom said smiling like a cat that caught the canary, "Tell me, why we have your little sister!"
Ichika tries to retort back but could not found any come back at that. He did not believe it, no, he tried to not believe it.
"She must have her own reason" Ichika retorted but his voice sound weak, "And you must kidnap my little sister!"
"Ichika, Phantom task is not some petty organization that deals with kidnaping, we are more than that" Phantom explained, a small white lie. They dealt with kidnaping of course but not directly, as they used another organization or some group of mercenary to do the job, "We are the noble and proud organization that dealt with things that no else can do"
Spring resisted the urge to snort, 'Proud and noble? Things that no else can do? Yeah right'
Phantom Task after all was not a noble and proud organization. They more like evil organization than noble and proud organization. They dealt with many things, from assassination, bribery, weapon, drugs, slave and many other things like any other underground organization. So they were indeed did things that no else could do.
"We save many war orphan when they didn't have home or orphanage that take them" Phantom said passionately.
'More like to train and brainwashed them to be a soldier, assassin or anything else that loyal to us' Spring rolled her eyes. No matter how long she have been with Phantom, she still have not used with that man behavior.
"We are the guardian; we destroy any threat that disturb peace and harmony from behind the scene" Phantom smiled triumphantly.
Spring sweat dropped, 'Guardian? Yeah right. We destroy the threat that disturb our peace and harmony and pulled string from behind the scene'
"We are the unsung hero! We bring stability!" Phantom finished while laughing madly.
Now Spring looked ridiculously at Phantom, 'Hero? More like villain. Bring stability? Did you forget that not long ago you ordered us to throw a certain country into chaos and war, which ended with a genocide that killed many people? So we can make a profit from it'
"I don't believe it"
That stopped Phantom laugh. He narrowed his eyes at Ichika who was trembling.
"I refuse to believe it!" Ichika yelled loudly at Phantom. However, Phantom juts looked at him stoically.
"Then let me tell you something interesting" Phantom said sweetly and Ichika found himself would not like the next words that he would hear from Phantom.
"Chifuyu abandoned her family and her little sister because of you"
That struck Ichika hard.
"That's a lie!" Ichika yelled in anger.
"She didn't have to choose between you two but she did it!" Phantom said, lying smoothly through his lips. Ichika did not need to know what truly happened, "She choose you and let her younger sister, your little sister to rot!"
"What?"
"You are the one to blame" Phantom smirked evilly, "Because of you, Madoka see hell"
"No…."
"You stole Madoka live!" Phantom yelled accusingly, "You remain ignorant and happy with Chifuyu while you sacrificing Madoka, not a great brother are you?"
"I didn't know!" Ichika yelled back, "If I knew….."
"What you will do? You just a kid and if didn't tell you" Phantom said wickedly, "I wonder if you will ever find it out"
"It's not my fault that I don't know!" Ichika yelled but when he realized what he said, a look of horror adored his face.
Phantom smiled evilly, all according plan "So, you finally admit that it is Chifuyu fault"
"No! You are the one who made me say it" Ichika retorted back. It was not his fault or his older sister but some part of him said it was.
"If you say so," Phantom snapped his finger and another screen appeared in front Ichika, "Read it"
Ichika read it and widen his eyes.
"Chifuyu Orimura the first winner of Mondo Grosso and the current finalist Mondo Grosso. Broke into several countries airspace, shoot down the jet fighter, and IS that tried to stop her. The reason why she did that because she wanted to save her younger brother Ichika Orimura but unfortunately the kidnapers blew of the warehouse because they knew her coming and broke the deal. Ichika Orimura assumed died in the explosion. Chifuyu Orimura was disqualified from the tournament and will face a trial for her crimes" Phantom said loudly as he already read the news. It was only three hour since that and the media was already into it. It always amuse him how fast the media acted.
"So, how it feel? You are not only made Madoka suffer and Chifuyu abandoned her but you also have destroyed Chifuyu live" Phantom smiled as he made the final blow.
"I… I don't know…." Ichika said as he fell down to his knees. His whole world has successfully destroyed. He did not know what to think anymore. Madoka, Chifuyu, everything happened so fast that he did not have time to sort it out.
"You are death to the world Ichika" Phantom whispered softly, "And because of that I will give you a chance"
"A chance?" Ichika repeated weakly. It did not matter anymore; he was the one to blame, because of him, Chifuyu and Madoka have suffered.
"Join us" Phantom smiled a fake warm smile.
"No" Ichika said sternly, "I…."
"Ichika" Phantom said as he stopped Ichika for saying more, "Think about it carefully"
"Do you want to abandon Madoka just like what Chifuyu have done?"
Ichika breath hitched, "No, I wont!"
"Then join us and you will get your little sister" Phantom said simply.
"No! I will take her back with me out!" Ichika yelled angrily as his eyes blazing with fury. He would not this man get what he wanted.
Phantom sighed tiredly and looked disappointed, "And here I thought you are smart enough…."
"Well it didn't matter" Phantom said as cruel twisted smile appeared on his face, "I know this will happen"
"Then…." Before Ichika could ask what Phantom meant, Spring hit Ichika head hard and made him fell to the floor.
"But I`m sure that you will…."
Ichika tried to stay awake to hear Phantom next words but he gradually lost his conscious. The last thing Ichika saw was Phantom smiling like a mad man with his laugh echoed in his mind.
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