Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic or Infinite Stratos. They belong to their respective creators and publishers.

Full I-S panic

Prologue

"If you cut off negotiations, it can only lead to war. Accept a truce, and I will listen to whatever you have to say. Let's work toward a compromise!" ~ Sousuke Sagara

July 14, 2010
5:05 p.m.
Somewhere in Japan
Shinonono Residence

Soft sniffles could be heard throughout the quite backyard. A small girl sat whimpering upon the stone steps leading to a small shrine. She was garbed in a white and black hakama and her black hair was tied into a ponytail by a large green ribbon.

She sniffed and continued to let out tears till someone approached her. It was a boy around her age with black hair and eyes. He was sweating underneath his clothes; Hakamas that were similar to her own. He appeared winded and it showed when he let out a relieving huff of breath.

"Houki… there you are."

The girl named Houki looked back for a quick second before viciously wiping her eyes with her sleeves. She didn't respond to the person who called her name and opted to face away.

"Whats wrong?" The boy asked while taking a seat beside her.

Houki turned her head in the opposite direction and muttered "Go away, Ichika…" warningly.

The newly named boy, Ichika, frowned and leaned in closer to her. He wasn't convinced or afraid of what she might do.

"I won't move until you tell me what made you cry." He said firmly.

"I-I wasn't crying! I-I just got something on my eye. Yea, that's right. Stupid wind got something in my eyes."

She rubbed the aforementioned subject with her sleeves once more.

Ichika folded his arms over his chest and raised a brow. "You're a bad liar, Houki…"

The girl stiffened, but did not respond. She kept her head down and hands clasped together on her lap.

"Fine, I'll start guessing then." The boy settled on a thinking posture and faced the setting sun before him. "Did Hiroshi bully you again?"

"…"

"Um, maybe it was Kai?"

"…No…"

"How about Takashi then?"

"No."

"Ren?" Ichika suggested.

"NO!" Houki spat out, angrily turning to face him. "I wasn't bullied by anyone at all! I was crying because…."

She stopped mid sentence and clamped up. She had nearly spilled her frustration. Her friend was staring at her concernedly and she felt slightly embarrassed from it for some reason.

"Because of what? What made you cry?"

When she didn't reply Ichika took another approach. Gently placing a hand over her shoulder, he turned her towards him. Houki's hair covered part of her face, shadowing her eyes. The only thing left visible was her cute button nose and her small trembling lips.

"I'm your friend, right Houki?" Ichika asked.

She nodded slowly but didn't say anything.

"Then tell me what's wrong… please?"

That was enough to draw her attention and she raised her head towards him. Fresh tears fell from the corner of eyes, startling the boy almost immediately. Distressed or worried couldn't be better words to describe his feelings. He was downright panicking like there was something far worse than he expected.

And that might just be so.

"W-whoa, Houki! W-why are you crying?" He asked while helping in drying her tears. "What's the re—"

"I'm moving…" His friend murmured in between sniffles.

It came out barely audible that Ichika wasn't able get the last part.

"Say that again?"

"I'm moving away."

Ichika sighed. "Speak up, Houki. I can't hear you."

"I SAID I WAS MOVING YOU IDIOT!"

The poor boy instantly shrank and held up his hands in a placating matter as Houki glared murderously at him. When a female was angry you do not want to get her angrier. Especially when you're sitting on the steps of a very steep hill. You never know what accidents might occur without you noticing.

"R-right, you're m-moving. Sorry, Houki-san." He apologized as sweat drifted down his face and neck. "Okay Houki-san? I'm sorry s-so calm down. Please?"

Houki did what she was told and took calming breaths. It took a minute or two before she finally reigned in her anger. Ichika was relieved that small danger has passed and turned to address the source of the problem.

It was something he needed time to think.

After a few minutes of silence he glanced at his friend who looked to be subdued and even more depressed.

"S-so when are you moving…?" He finally asked.

That was a terrible question to ask though. The cloud of depression hovering over his fellow kendo practitioner grew even darker. It would seem that that was not the best of subject to thread.

Stupid him.

Ichika mentally scolded himself after realizing this.

"I don't know…" Houki began a few minutes later. "I don't know when I'm supposed to move. My parents didn't tell me anything. I just found out about it this morning during my free time."

The boy quietly listened to her. By now the sun had set over the horizon, painting the sky with a hue of orange and yellow mixed with the coming evening. It was getting colder too, but the two kids did not move to show it as Houki continued to talk.

"I… I like it here. I don't want to move anywhere else." She said. "You don't want me to move away, right Ichika?"

The boy nodded in agreement and placed a hand over her head.

"Of course I don't want you to. We're friends so we have to stick together."

A small smile graced Houki's lips at his words. Feelings of comfort radiated from her friend in a way that gave her security and reassurance.

"Yea." She said more to herself. "I don't want to be away from my friend too."

They sat in silence once more, each pondering on what to say next.

"How about we talk to uncle and auntie?" Ichika suddenly proposed.

"What?"

"I'm sure they will listen to us if we tell them what we said." Ichika stood up and held up a hand. "Come on, Houki. Let's go try it!"

"Are you sure they'll listen?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course! They're your parents. They'll listen." He said resolutely.

Despite his assuring words, the two friends felt that deep down, things wouldn't turn out the way they hope it will. That nagging feeling in the pit of their stomach said as much.

Three weeks later, the moving vans arrived at Houki's door and the following morning that came after was a tearful one for both friends.

Ichika tried to see her off, but Houki refused to meet him.

And so the two friends went their separate ways without uttering a single word 'goodbye.'

2017 Hours, August 12, 2013 (Lima Time Zone)
Russky Island, Russia
Joint Mithril SRT and TF 141 Covert Operation
Sgt. Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara…

"Checkpoint reached. Thirty meters till Enemy AO."

A pair of figures, one tall and one short, moved swiftly under the cover of darkness like wolves prowling the forest. They travelled with light steps towards their destination as they made their way through thick brushes and tall pines. One of them veered off from their path and disappeared. The other didn't break pace and continued onwards.

"Two Tangos ahead. Take your pick."

With his gloved finger hovering over the trigger Mithril's soldier, Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, made his slow approach. He carefully stepped over a fallen branch and settled behind a chunk of brush near a tree. A little further ahead a pair of soldiers garbed in standard navy-blue fatigues and body armor stood guarding a rusted gate with their back to him. He paused and filtered one of them into scope.

The distance was eighteen-yards with no one else in sight. Easy kills.

"I got left." Sousuke murmured over the comm.

"Alright," His partner confirmed, "On 3."

Taking a soft deep-breath the pre-teen settled into a crouch and listened to the countdown. His silenced UMP45 submachine gun remained steady as he waited.

"1."

His target lit a cigarette and offered one to his buddy, unaware of the small red dot marking the back of his head.

"2."

The one wearing a blue cap laughed and dug out a lighter from his pocket.

"3."

They dropped after 2 short bursts of fire.

"All clear. Nice shot, kid."

Out of the woodworks nearby a tall figure slowly crept out, his weapon raised and eyes scanning the area. He was garbed in black cargo pants and a dark-greyish sweater. And like the young sergeant he was well equipped with both military grade weapons and gear. Lastly, he wore a unique head mask covering the lower parts of his face, just below his shades—a grinning skull of a grim reaper.

Sousuke followed soon after and made his way to the fallen bodies.

He policed their weapons and searched for other supplies that they might have while his partner watched over the area. This was the standard procedure they've been following for the past 3 hours since their mission began. They had no luxury for care-packages being dropped—not when they were so deep behind enemy lines. So for this purpose they scavenged the dead.

What few munitions they had left were kept in reserve just in case they needed it later. The enemy, thus far, were using weapons unsuited for taking out armored infantry like them.

"MP5Ks', a dozen mags, combat knife and one medkit." The young boy whispered softly. "No further supplies. They're all empty."

His partner cursed under his breath and motioned to him.

"Let's keep moving then. Leave the kit behind with the bodies. There's no time to hide them."

"Roger."

Once the additional weapons were secured the duo made their way past the gate and into the abandoned factory.

Well, previously abandoned factory…

There were still sources of light visible within the dead of night; some inside the factory while the rest were in the surrounding area. Buildings, flashlights, overhead lights, lamppost and the like.

Sousuke paused behind a chunk of scrapped car and activated his night vision goggles once more. The moon had skirted away from view and left a rather dark field for them to navigate. Their objective lay just 400 meters from their spot… amongst the area of buildings operated by the enemy.

And that's after they got through this maze of junk cars.

He could make out the manned guardhouse in the distance, but it was heavily guarded. Patrols ran in random intervals that made it difficult to coordinate a proper pathway across. Even more so when they were in large numbers and accompanied by trained K-9s.

Sousuke couldn't count how many times he held his breath and rub dirt over his person just so he wouldn't break cover when they started through. Having close calls is really bad for the heart.

Fortunately, the two made it to the factory without much incident.

They slipped passed a couple more patrols and guards, crawled over a fence, made their way around a couple buildings serving as barracks and HQ for the enemy, before making the decision to plant bombs on the few vehicles they came across. A few more minutes of sneaking around lead them to an unguarded door of one of the tallest buildings in the compound where they eventually stopped. Sousuke assumed this was the target building he had seen from earlier Intel reports.

The young soldier settled into a crouch behind his partner while he kept a look out. The skull-masked operative was busy picking the padlock on the door.

"Uh, give me a minute here…. I haven't used this skill in awhile. Now a day's I expect electronic locks not these primitive things."

Sousuke waited patiently and then almost instantly patted his partner's back just as he got the lock open.

"Contact, on our 3!" He whispered urgently.

"Move!"

The two broke for cover. Sousuke hid behind a cluster of boxes nearby while his partner slid into one of the large cemented pipes at the side. It was enshrouded in complete shadows; a perfect place to hide.

As the patrol neared Sousuke tightened his grip on his weapon. There were four of them, armed with assault-rifles this time and some pretty thick body armor. Not exactly the newer models, but still providing more than adequate protection against their weapons. He had no doubt that it'll take more than a number of shots to down 2 of them at the very least. Not a good odd, especially when ammo is scarce. There were only 2 magazines left for his silenced sub-machinegun.

Just then his comm. crackled and Ghost, his partner, spoke through. "Gonna have to take them out. CQC only—try not to miss, alright? I got the two in the back."

Sousuke confirmed with a tap to his headset and silently withdrew his weapon. Pulling out a combat knife from his boots he melded into the shadows and waited.

The patrol was about four yards now with no signs of action from Ghost. The young operative felt slight anxiety build up briefly until movement from the side caught his eyes.

One of the soldiers suddenly fell forward with a knife to the back of his throat. He gurgled and went limp. At the same time another drop dead from a bullet wound to the side of his head. Sousuke reacted instantly and sprinted forward. The brief distraction by Ghost provided him enough time to sink his own knife at his target's neck all the while kicking the other enemy behind the knee as hard as he could.

The lone soldier let out a muffled cry from behind his mask and staggered to his knee. Ghost made a move to assist his much younger partner, but stopped abruptly as Sousuke delivered a vicious side-kick to the enemy's head. An audible snap rang out followed by the soldier dropping to the ground groaning. Sousuke then proceeded to mount him and delivered the killing blow.

"Hostiles neutralized." He announced in a haggard breath.

Ghost moved to his side to assess the kills. All four targets bled from the neck up.

"You got me worried for a second there, Kid." He said as he inspected the body. "Didn't think you'd be able to take those two on your own."

"It… It was a not a problem."

His senior regarded him silently. "Right… we should hurry. It's about time we end this mission and get ourselves some R&R."

Sousuke nodded and wiped the blade with his enemy's sleeves. He then followed procedures and grabbed the latest weapons and ammo. Off to the side he spotted Ghost securing the other bodies before dragging them into the pipe he hid in a minute ago. The young operative did the same.

Stacking up by the door they crouched down and made ready. Sousuke double checked his gear and fastened ammunition to the empty pouches of his vest. He then snapped a spare red-dot sight on his assault rifle, checked the aim, switched the safety off and smiled slightly. He was good to go.

Meanwhile, Ghost had just finished preparing and was in the process of searching for something from his pack. He pulled out a black hard-device from one of the pockets and began tapping in commands. Almost immediately a greenish screen popped into view. Sousuke scooted over for a closer look.

"Okay, satellite feed says we're just about 100 meters from our target. She's at the 2nd floor, last room to the right." The older operative said. "We still got 15 minutes left before our birds get here. Bravo Team and your colleagues, Urzu2 and 8, are in position so that just leaves us."

"What about Delta team? Don't they have the back door?"

"They'll be in position soon enough. It looked like they hit a small snag earlier—must be Roach's doing." Ghost chuckled lightly. "Trouble always seems to find him."

Although curious about his partner's teammate, the young operative didn't comment. They were still in a mission so absolute focus was necessary. There's always time for personal 'Q and A' later.

"Are there anymore Intel on enemy strength?" Sousuke questioned after a moment. "Last assessment was around 1700 hours. It's been awhile since then. There might be possible armor at this point."

"I got nothing on the radar… Let me check the other scanners."

There was some rapid typing as Ghost fiddled with his device. Sousuke took this time to glance around. No one was in sight so far. It'll probably be another couple minutes before the enemy sends another patrol to their position. He had expected the dead bodies from earlier to be discovered by now though. How very strange.

"Shite!" The accented curse by Ghost drew his attention. "You were right. I'm counting a massive amount of SAM turrets on the roofs and some modified Soviet BTRs all over the place. There's enough to keep Urzu2 and 8 dancing for quite a few. How did these bloody things escape our scans?"

"Hmm… it's possible they've obtained some of the older ECS devices." Sousuke murmured to himself. "That'll explain why Spy SATs couldn't track them at first."

"We gotta alert the others." Ghost announced before tapping his Comm. "Bravo Team this is Alpha One, we've got trouble. Multiple SAMs up top and enemy-armor spotted near your location. Be advised, they are a mixture of type-1 and type-3 BTRs. Warn the SRT immediately, over."

"Copy that, Alpha One. We see them." A voice replied. "We won't be able to contact Urzu team though… they've requested comm. silence a few minutes ago."

Ghost turned to his much shorter companion. Sousuke could almost feel the look of exasperation directed at him.

"Seriously, kid. What is it with your team? Are they part of this unit or not?"

Sousuke remained impassive as he spoke. "I'm unsure. The higher-ups might have given them a secondary objective to accomplish. I wasn't given details during our mission briefing, sir."

Ghost resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall at this. Those bloody leaders and their god damn agendas. Couldn't they follow a mission through without adding further complications to it?

"Can't you contact them?"

Sousuke switched his communicator on and tried. "This is Urzu7 to Urzu2, do you copy?"

Silence.

"I repeat. Urzu7 to Urzu2, do you copy?"

Ghost shifted beside him. "Anything?"

The young operative shook his head with a frown. "Negative. There's nothing, but static."

"Bah! I guess we'll have to start the party a little early then." The older operative returned to his communicator once more. "Alright mates, plan A is already heading south from here so switch to plan B."

"Roger that Alpha one, relocating to secondary breaching point. Out."

Surprisingly, the other team reported in.

"Delta Copies. Switching to new directive. We'll be ready in 5."

"Double time it Delta, you guys are running late."

"Not our fault that Intel was a little off. Trying for 3 minutes then, see you in a bit. Delta out."

The skull-masked soldier shook his head before softly patting the door next to him.

"Let's head in." Ghost said, taking a step back.

Sousuke complied and slammed the door open with his shoulder. Not exactly the quietest way of entering a building, but thankfully it wasn't too noticeable.

"Good god… Can't you be more subtle?"

"My apologies, sir."

It was dark when Sousuke stepped in with no one around. Aside from the pipes lining the walls and some large hardware posted near the end of the hall, it looked like they were in some kind of supply room. Big boxes, square boxes, steel containers and bin, all of them littered the floor in stacks.

"All clear inside." Sousuke stated as he move further in with his assault-rifle sweeping from one side to the next.

Ghost nodded, but paused at the door. He held a hand to his ear as he listened closely to the sudden comm. chatter.

Something was happening with the other teams.

"…Change of plans, kid, I'm heading over to assist Delta team with those turrets." Ghost finally said as he checked the magazines of his stolen assault rifle. "Go on ahead as planned, you got 3 minutes till the fireworks starts."

"…Understood."

They quickly separated with Sousuke heading up the stairs and Ghost backtracking towards the other team.

The young sergeant wasn't at all fazed by the sudden shift in the mission. It was expected. Missions are commonly altered after all.

Unknown factors played dangerous games with soldiers very often in war. One may find them heading home from a successful mission at one instance and in the next they're suddenly pulled into a trap before they could put up a fight. That's why adapting to these unforeseen changes and continuing on accordingly was a requirement in his training as a soldier of Mithril.

He needed to be ready for anything.

Just as Sousuke neared the top of the stairs, his comm. blared out loudly causing him to stop in surprise. Although that was soon replaced by a pump of adrenaline as he bolted down the hall towards his objective. The message transmitted was something he had feared.

"This is Ghost to all teams! Enemy I-S spotted—execute the plan, NOW!"

The mission had just turned into a nightmare.

8:43 p.m.

That was what the old clock in the room read.

A young girl of 12 years sat huddled in a corner with a grey blanket wrapped around her. She was of Japanese heritage, black hair tide into a ponytail, soft cream colored skin and deep onyx eyes filled with weariness. The sleepless nights was taking its toll on her, slowly exhausting whatever energy she had left.

Around her, half a dozen masked-men armed with weapons of sorts crowded the room. They wore military outfits of a blue color and bore no insignias or signs that identified their group or affiliations. Most of them were occupied with activities; playing cards at a table, watching sports on a portable laptop or looking out the window and smoking. One of them made his way towards her with a tray of food on hand.

She couldn't tell at first, pressing herself against the corner as hard as she could, till the man was a few feet away. He was one she recognized, and unknowingly marked, as one of the friendlier and less intimidating soldier around. He went by the name of Nikolai and was by far the most kind to her. In fact, he was assigned as her caretaker days ago.

With her fear slightly beaten back, Shinonono Houki, silently watched him.

"Here, eat." He spoke in her native language albeit thick with Russian accent. "I brought you some tea."

The man offered the plate of food to her, but she made no move to take it. He sighed and placed the tray gently on the floor.

"You need your strength, Shinonono-san." He told her.

Houki looked at up him, hesitated then reached for the bread. She took a bite of it and realized how soft it was. The sweet taste accompanying the first bite restored some energy and she quickly took another chunk more hungrily. The man seemed to sigh in relief from behind his mask and she wondered why. She meant to ask, but decided against it.

"A-arigatou." She finally murmured out, partly frightened of what might happen if she raised her voice, but mostly due to her lack of courtesy.

She was always a serious and an unsocial girl after all. Even if her tough exterior have been withered away these past few days she remained defiant and spirited. It help that her caretaker seemed to support her for some reason.

Maybe to lower her guard down? Houki wasn't so sure yet.

"You're welcome. Get some rest when you're done."

The young girl was then left to her meal as the soldier was called over by one of his companions. Houki watched him walk away before focusing on her food. She ate quietly while questions roamed her mind.

Four days have passed since her abduction, perhaps more—she couldn't quite tell. The passing time had all been muddled since that day of their moving. It was one of many occasions that had happened since she left her hometown 3 years ago.

They were headed to their new house, her parents at her side, driving down the road after the rental truck that carried their furniture and belongings. A few cars followed closely behind them. An insurance of sorts her dad had once told her. Just another day of her life…

…Until they stopped by a grocery store for a quick break and right into a trap.

Houki could still remember the sound of shouting and gun fire as the store was turned into a battlefield. She, alongside a few other adults who accompanied them inside, was separated from her parents by an explosion. The man who had introduced himself as her distant uncle shouted orders to the others while he carried her away. One of the adults followed while the rest moved elsewhere.

The innocent bystanders were dragged in to this mess; torn to pieces by some unexplained force. Pretty soon only her and the adults she knew remained.

Houki wasn't sure where they were going. The next thing she knew the loud sounds of gunfire were suddenly joined by others, scattered sounding and far closer than the ones outside. Wrapped snacks and food of all sorts exploded in every direction as the ceiling above showered her and her uncle with debris. Hails of bullets sprayed the whole store, tearing through walls and just about anything that stood in their way.

Everything was in chaos.

Houki shivered at the memories she didn't want. Her food forgotten, she buried her head on her blanket and tried to block the nightmarish experience. No matter what though, they still kept coming, like a persistent fly that refused to leave her despite being swatted away.

It tormented her.

She recalled trembling uncontrollably by her uncle as he pulled out a handgun and began shooting away at the masked people approaching them. Her parents were gone from the store by then, ushered away by the people protecting them. The backdoor exit was blocked by debris and violent flames not soon after, leaving her, her uncle and what few adults remained, trapped and unable to escape.

"Keep your head down, Houki-chan!" Her uncle had told her.

He fired a few times and stumbled for an ammo clip from his belt.

"Sir, there's too many! We can't keep this up for long we gotta do something!"

Guns continued to blaze and the entire store was filled with the odor of gun powder and smoke. Houki remembered being driven back into the storage room after two more of her guardians fell, pools of blood becoming more apparent to her. As were the bodies scattered in the floor.

It was the first time she's seen the crimson liquid in such large amounts.

The fighting wore on for what seemed like an endless time. The only difference then was that no more shouting accompanied their deafening sound, only gun fire and the panting and cursing of her uncle. It made her feel lost and numb amongst the tragedy that occurred around her. Houki wasn't stupid, she knew what had happened at that time, the lives lost because of her and how shaken she had felt throughout the ordeal.

She didn't show it, but she had been afraid.

Eventually, everything stopped; the firefights had shimmered into nothing, movements ceased to exist, voices silenced and her uncle… was no longer among the living. She had taken a nearby mop and held it like one would wield a Bokken. A last source of defense in her mind, yet a futile attempt she knew. The room she was locked in with her uncle soon broke open and the demons she felt both fear and hatred for flooded in.

The rest… was history.

Houki awoke from her self-induced trance, and looked around wildly till her thoughts caught up with her. She was back in her prison. A room still filled with demons and one unknown. Nikolai glanced at her for a moment before coughing and turning his head away.

Taking deep breaths, Houki reached over for the tea on the tray and took thirsty gulps from it, all the while trembling from head to toe. The hot liquid washed down her throat like burning magma, forcing her mind away from those terrible memories.

You'll be okay, Houki-chan… the mantra repeated itself in her head—the very same last words of her dead uncle.

Houki clung to it despite being reminded of the memory each time. The words and the way it was spoken by him gave her hope. A hope she badly needed right now. Rescue would come soon enough. She was sure of it. If not from her sister, who disappeared without notice, then from her parents for sure.

She needed to wait a little longer.

"You'll be okay, Houki-chan…" She whispered quietly. "Everything we'll be okay."

The clock read 8:53 p.m. now and the room hadn't changed.

Same activities played among her kidnappers, one still stared out the windows while the person who had been the most kind to her fiddled with a gun on a table nearby. The laptop was closed and the sounds of the cheering fans from whatever sports they watched, no longer mingled with the mutterings and small laughs of the occupants of the room.

Just her silence and their voices.

Houki shifted around her spot and pulled her knees close to her chest. For now she'll just rest her eyes and prepare for another long night. She wouldn't dare sleep when these men were still around. Not when one of them kept leering at her when no one else was looking.

I'll just rest for a bit. 5 minutes… maybe. Houki mentally told herself, despite feeling heavy.

Her eyes drifted closed.

Then…

- "Bullshit!" -

Houki jolted awake. The loud cry was enough to draw everyone's attention.

A bearded man in his late twenty's glared at another man whose smirk revealed rows of jagged teeth and a pair of the scariest looking eyes that Houki had ever seen. This smirking man was by far the shortest of the group of men playing at the table. Compared to the rest, he was about around her height and just below Nikolai's.

The young girl watched with curious eyes as they argued in their language; Russian, she believed it was. This was not to say that the rest of these men were Russian, rather just the two arguing in front and Nikolai were of the same heritage. The other half were mixed, she learned after being in their custody for the past few days.

They didn't always keep their masks on… Well, except for the one by the table nearby. Nikolai had yet to reveal his face to her.

- "You must have cards in your sleeves. How else could you have gotten a royal flush?" -

The bearded man put emphasis by slamming his fist at the table where Houki presumed was something on top. The gestures alone gave her some ideas as to what's going on.

- "Fair is fair, my friend." - The little man replied casually with a shrug. - "I do not cheat. Ask Mr. Xing if you want proof." -

Another must have been dragged into the argument. Houki saw that person raise his hands in a placating matter while saying, "Don't drag me into this!" in plain English.

- "NO! I don't trust outsiders… much less you." - The taller man spat out.

- "Fine, suit yourself; just make sure to bring the money later. I do not like fools who don't pay." -

- "And I do not like pompous baboons who cheat!" -

Whatever arguments that followed must've been filled with insults because before Houki knew it the entire room was preoccupied with keeping the two from fighting. In fact, the little man was slugged squarely in the face not a moment later.

Her mind might have been sluggish, but this was probably a good chance to sneak out. Yes, that's right. She should escape now.

"Don't try it, Shinonono-san."

The small whisper beside her stopped her cold. She turned to the only friendly soldier who knew her language so fluently. Houki found him staring through a pair of black shades.

"I can't guarantee you'll be protected at this point." He warned her as he checked his gun. This man was hard to read. "Be patient."

"W-what do you mean?" She asked with a stutter.

He didn't answer and instead pointed at the clock.

It read 8:55 p.m.

Houki blinked confusedly at it then back at him. What could he possibly be implying?

Just when she was about to ask, the lights suddenly went out and the room was covered in darkness.

- "What the fuck!" -

- "Hey! What happened to the lights?" -

- "Blackout? I thought those power generators were top of the line?" -

The cries of the confused men were followed by Nikolai's soft cursing…. In Japanese.

"Damn, they started too early…"

Questions rang loudly in Houki's mind before she felt herself pulled to the ground.

"What are you—"

She didn't get to finish.

An explosion erupted from the outside followed closely by the familiar sounds of gun fire. And before anyone could react, much less take a look, the door to the room burst open.

"Cover your eyes and ears, Shinono-san!"

The warning was well received for not a second later the room was lit like a Christmas tree. Bullets peppered the walls with holes and the bewildered soldiers were instantly mowed down. Houki now understood why her caretaker had pushed her down and protected her with his body.

When things finally settled into silence, Houki was able to breathe again and slowly sat up straight. The room was still pitch black despite the light explosions cast through the window. It was hard to tell things from beyond a few feet.

"Flames." A voice spoke calmly.

"Frost." Came the reply from beside her.

The young girl was bewildered by the exchange before she was suddenly pulled to her feet and came face to face with… another masked soldier?

"Shinonono Houki?"

She didn't reply at first. This stranger, who she assumed had come to rescue her, if his actions so far weren't a clear indication, was just about the same height as her if a little taller by a few centimeters. He sounded quite young too…

Houki looked him over to find him equipped much differently from her captors and far more armed. He wore a grey hood over his head, a black face mask and what appeared to be some kind of goggles over his eyes. Body armor encompassed his upper body with ammunition and tools poking out from it's numerous pouches. Furthermore, ammunition pouches dressed his cargo pants. In his hands was an AK-47 assault rifle that many of the guards here carried around. The barrel looked to be smoking still.

"Are you Shinonono Houki-san?" He repeated, drawing her attention once more.

"It's her." Her caretaker answered for her.

The young-sounding soldier turned to him. "Wraith, I presume?"

Houki glanced questioningly at her protector. Wraith? I thought he was called Nikolai…

"Yea… you're a bit early though aren't you?" Wraith looked around for a moment. "Where's the others?"

They were speaking in Japanese now, making Houki feel a bit welcome in a way and not out of the loop.

"Things happened so we decided to split. We'll talk later. Now is not the best time."

As if to make a point, an explosion from the outside shook the building they were on. The fighting going on was quickly intensifying it seems. The three of them stuck close to the walls and away from the windows with their heads ducked low.

"Our birds will be here shortly so let's move." The newcomer ordered.

He gave a silent gesture to Wraith who nodded.

"Right… Shinonono-san." Wraith said.

"H-hai?" She squeaked. "What is it?"

"Our apologies." The newcomer answered instead before pulling out a gun and pointing it at her.

Houki felt a brief pain shot up from her neck before everything started to spin. Her shock turned into confusion as her world slowly darkened even more. What did they do to her?

"Don't worry Shinonono-san, we'll get you home soon. Urzu7, keep her safe, I'll take point."

Strange, Wraith's Russian accent was gone and he sounded very feminine right then…

Houki stared at the silent soldier she was left with. At least, she tried to through her swimming vision.

"W-what did y-you do to me?" She weakly asked.

Her eyes blurred completely and she felt herself wobble then fall. Houki tried to find something to stop herself, but instead felt strong arms catch her.

"Just a tranquilizing shot. No harm done." The young voice of her shooter offered.

Houki wanted to say something in return, but found that she had no strength to do so. Instead, she leaned on his embrace in hopes that he wouldn't do anything to her. By now her eyes had already closed and she was staying conscious on just will power alone. She needed reassuring words—any at all that would help ease her troubled mind.

"Rest easy, Shinonono-san, you're safe now."

And when those words were spoken, Houki knew right then that everything was going to be just fine...

"Hm…you're still conscious? My apologies. I'll give you another dose."

- Snap. Ka-click. -

Eh…?

0415 Hours, August 13, 2013 (Time Zone Unknown)
Location Unknown
Dr. Shinonono Tabane

A young woman with beautiful pink hair and odd bunny-ear accessories sat on a comfy looking bean bag, diligently working on a blue holoscreen before her. Her large pink colored eyes scanned over rapid numbers and text as she pounded the near transparent keys with unrelenting fervor. To someone from the outside she appeared to be having fun with her work, smiling like she usually does, however, that was not the case today. The smile which she sported had a very, very small strain in it.

Switching to another screen that appeared above the first, Shinonono Tabane, Scientist and world renowned creator of I-S (Infinite Stratos), pursed her lips. The large display she had summoned was streaming a footage captured by Satellite feeds of a battle that took place many hours ago. To say she was interested in seeing humans kill each other would be considered offensive. No… what she was specifically watching for was a particular group of figures moving away from the chaotic warzone. They were only 3 of them with one carrying a very precious load over his back.

She watched the video with great interest until finally concluding it with the arrival of a certain I-S. The good Dr. already knew the outcome and thus closed the holoscreen without much thought. She then focused on the little window she had minimized on her first screen.

Bringing it up once more, she couldn't help but smile a she ran her eyes through the list of personnel from a certain Paramilitary Organization. One can even find the high ranking officials among it. As for how she got a hold of them… well, she had her ways.

And quite a few friends from high places.

A small red display suddenly blinked open, calling her urgent attention with a 'Priority Message' label blinking in bolded yellow letters.

She gave pause before swiping her hand over it.

The screen expanded and an aged man in his late 40's with grey hair and tanned skin appeared. He wore a grey military uniform adorned by breast pockets, patches and medal of a small silver eagle. He stood at attention like all military men did when facing their superiors.

"Good day to you, Dr. Shinonono." He greeted politely.

She smiled prettily and waved. "Hiya! Um… who are you again?"

The man gave a cough before replying. "Andrei Sergeivich Kalinin. Lieutenant Commander of Mithril's Western Pacific Battle Group: Tuatha de Danaan, and its' SRT forces. I'm currently acting as Mithril's Representative, Ma'am."

"Ah!" Tabane clapped her hands together and gave a smile. "Now I remember. Sorry about that, I sometimes forget people's names."

"It's alright Dr., I understand."

"So, what can I do for you Andrei-san?—is it okay if I speak Japanese? I'm still fixing my super duper universal translator."

"As you wish, Shinonono-sensei." Kalinin replied albeit with a hint of Russian accent. "I called to inform you that our mission was a success. Your little sister, Shinonono Houki-san, is safe and sound within our custody and is receiving medical attention as we speak."

Shinonono cheered at the news before suddenly bolting forward towards the screen. The abrupt action caused the aging Lieutenant to lean back ever so slightly.

"How's my Houki-chan? Was she badly hurt?" She asked worriedly, her big eyes intensely gazing at him.

"Erhm," Kalinin brought up a pad and looked over it for a moment. "She suffered a few minor injuries during the escape and was diagnosed with sleep deprivation upon first contact during the mission. One of our soldiers, Sgt. Sousuke Sagara, took immediate action and provided her with proper medical attention. She's currently recovering in our medical bay."

Satisfied with the explanation, the pink haired woman sat back on her seat. "Oh thank goodness… I really appreciate your organization's efforts, Andrei-san and please give my regards to Sou-kun for his help."

"Pardon me, Shinonono-sensei… by Sou-kun, do you mean Sgt. Sagara-san?"

Tabane nodded enthusiastically. "M-hm, that's right. Please give my thanks to him for helping my sister. Oh and tell him he's an awesome soldier! Tabane the genius loves awesome kids like him."

She finished with a smile and a heart formed by her fingers as emphasis.

"… I'll pass on your message when I see him." Kalinin nodded respectfully. "Now, regarding Shinono-san's safety and transfer to her home…

"Since you did not wish to be discovered, we've taken the liberty of contacting your parents as well as the Japanese Government and have scheduled a drop off near the port of Fukui, Japan. A small guard detail consisting elements from our SRT and that of Task Force 141 will escort your imouto there. The estimated time for this operation will be from 3:50pm to 4:30pm while the meeting arrangement is set at 4pm sharp. Is this acceptable?"

"Just one question." Tabane admitted.

Kalinin nodded for her to continue.

"I did my homework and now know quite a few things about Task Force 141, but I'm not exactly sure if I could trust them. Sure, they're professional and are the best of the best if their mission records are anything to go by. It's just that, I prefer it if only your group alone handles my Houki-chan's safety. I'm more accustomed to you guys than them, after all."

The aged lieutenant must've considered this for he didn't need to think twice before speaking. "I understand your suspicions and appreciate your utmost trust for our organization's abilities however; I ask that you would give them a chance. They may not be part of Mithril, but they are more than trustworthy in my book.

"As you have might have read from their records, as well as our own, we've spent quite a number of missions with them for the past 5 years. Although aligned with a separate faction of unknown agendas, their member's have proven themselves to be highly loyal and dedicated. This is from both my experience as well as a few of our operatives." He drew breath. "We'd like to continue to improve our relationship with this group of soldiers so please give this old man a benefit of a doubt and allow them to operate with us on this mission."

Tabane considered this for a moment. Her head swung back and forth in an odd rhythm before stopping.

"Okay… I'll allow it, but on one condition." She stated with an index finger held up. "You have to be one of the men to escort her. I won't take no for an answer."

Whatever thoughts or reaction that the lieutenant might have didn't show in his face. Instead, he stood stock still for a moment as if calculating her request. His eyes were narrowed in contemplation and angled away from her gaze.

"Alright…" He spoke after a minute of silence. "I'll agree to your condition, Shinonono-sensei."

"Great!" Tabane chirped happily.

"Now that we've got that settled let us move on to the next subject." Kalinin said with a polite gesture of a hand.

"Of course, of course, Andrei-san. Go ahead; I'm all ears, tee-hee." The woman giggled at the end while pointing at the metallic bunny ears adorning her head.

"Regarding your request from our Research Division… the IS modifications you've given us had been proven successful from our own field tests. There have been some minor problems that require your expertise, however. The weapons system you've developed has already been considered and the division is thankful for helping them improve on their current experiments. They've gathered all the data acquired from the research and is compiled and ready for you as per our agreement."

"I'm glad I was helpful to you all, just don't expect further developments on my end, k?" She got a crisp nod in reply. "Okies, please forward them to the usual place. I'll send the new coordinates in my next report."

"Understood." There was a brief moment of taking notes before Kalinin resumed his talk. "Now for the last subject…"

He placed his pad aside and stared at her pointedly.

"I believe you've already read my men's dossiers, correct?"

The usually energetic scientist scratched her cheek in embarrassment as she nodded. "Yes sir, I've just finished reading the last one!"

"I see. Then is it alright to assume that you already have someone in mind for what we've discussed on our last meeting?"

"I do," Tabaned agreed without skipping a beat, "but I'm waiting to see something. So if you don't mind, I'd like to have some more time to think about this."

If it was possible, the lieutenant straightened his posture even more as he spoke. "Shinonono-sensei, if you'd like to know more about my men then please don't hesitate to ask me. I can provide further information about them as well as my opinion if they are more than qualified for this upcoming assignment."

"I know that, Andrei-san, and I'm pretty sure you know a lot more about the person I have in mind if I were to ask." She admitted. "I'd just like to observe him for myself for a little longer."

They stood staring at each other through the screen; one with a carefree smile and the other with a near expressionless face. None of them wanted to make a sound and so they played the silent staring game.

Time moved slowly.

Eventually, the older of the two gave out and sighed.

"Very well, I'll check back with you in a few days." He announced. "Please have your decision by then. Our organization is always busy and so cannot wait any further than that."

"Okies, I'll have my choice when you call back." Tabane reassured him with a thumb up. "I promise."

The Lieutenant nodded and gave a crisp salute. "It's been a pleasure speaking with you again, Shinonono-sensei. Goodbye for now."

"Bye-bye, Andrei-san!"

The screen closed and Tabane was once more alone in her world. Although that never dampened her mood nor erase that smile she continued to carry. In fact, she seemed happier about something.

She reached for her cell-phone and opened it. After clicking a few buttons a picture of her beloved sister filled the screen. Houki was smiling in this one albeit partly garbed in her kendo uniform and a bit dirty looking. The young woman smiled fondly at the picture. It was one of the few treasured moments of her life before all these IS business got in the way.

"If things go well, Houki-chan…" Tabane whispered while caressing her sister's portrait affectionately. "You'll have another friend to count on."

Beside her, a blue screen opened up and information of a certain young soldier filled it with data. A picture of him stood to one side while his name was highlighted next to it. And just as quickly as it started another smaller window winked into view over it.

The message printed was in bold white colors against a black background.

Sgt. Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara, B-3128… Accepted.

Prologue End
Transmission terminated...

A/N: Hey all. I'm still alive. I just got into this anime series is all. But anyways, the past number of weeks hasn't been the best for me. Both in terms of art and writing. I'm in what you call a slump. And to make it much more terrible is that my F'n Pen tablet is broken =/. I've been dying to complete one of my friend's works but I have to put it on hold for another week or so till I get a replacement OTL.

Initially, this wasn't the fanfic I intended to post. Rather the KHR x Negima crossover I had planned was scrapped. I lost the USB containing the final draft and THAT my friends... seriously pissed me off. So I decided to just work on this and do the whole fanfic over for that particular crossover all over again... ;A;. so sad. As for why I didn't have it saved on my computer... to put it simply. It keeps getting erased. Thats why. I still gotta fix my files and see whats doing it.

Anyways, for those who haven't noticed yet... I do have some fanart for crossovers posted in my DA account and a few links leading to a few of my works are in my profile. There's a few ISxNaruto art I drew if you guys haven't checked it out yet. It features sketches of Naruto and Rin. And for those eager to see my KHRxNaruto fanfic... I drew a scene of it. I'll have it up on my profile so please check it out. Comment if you can too lol. Your opinion and thoughts on it matter to me... unless its pure flames. Then I don't care lol.

Important: Yes, I think you've realized that I've played Modern Warfare 2 and 3. I love those games (and franchise.) For those who dislike the game... please kindly keep your opinion's to yourself. I don't want to hear them. As for further questions that may arise due to some key elements incorporated in this prologue... I'll answer them to the best I can. Pairing wise... I'll leave that for people to figure out.

Hope you all had a wonderful read. Here's my contribution to the IS crossover section.

P.S. Sousuke Sagara ties in first place beside Naruto in my ranking list. He's just awesome is why.