Ch.1 Awakening

Zach had it good. Zach had it real good. Being a British transfer student in Tokyo's 'Hard Ground' (K) Academy, he was almost like an idol. Not that he ever noticed poor Nodoka and the rest of his ever-growing fan club. All Zach cared about was his friends, where he was going with his life, and his beloved Flying V Gibson electric guitar.

"Pssh... another love letter? I get that I'm quirky and all but geez, these girls don't let up.. Fuck it, I'll read it later." Muttering to himself in his native tongue, Zach closed his locker and peered around the hall. The only thing he didn't like about this place was how he couldn't mutter to himself in English, no matter how hard he conceals it. "No big deal, I've gotta go meet with Ichika soon anyway." This time he talked to himself in Japanese, and he noted how nobody stared at him for that. Besides, this was Tokyo after all, why his parents decided to just up and move from his hometown, Birmingham, he'll never know. Ok, maybe he did know. But he certainly didn't want anyone to know how big of an otaku his dad was, hell no. If word got out about that, all he'd have left was the die-hard fanclub that's been slowly growing over the past few months. He minced down the hall drowned in his thoughts, plugging in his headphones and hitting shuffle. His second favourite song blasted through his expensive headphones, and he slipped his phone back in his pocket.

Humming along to himself, he left the school campus and started down the cramped Tokyo streets. He was supposed to meet Ichika and his pals at that new crépe stand in the park a few blocks from where he was, near the centre of the city. Humming along to himself, he made his way down the grimy city streets in the afternoon summer sun, zoning out the world as he walked alone. 'Maybe I should join the music club next year, I've heard their bassist is pretty good. Beats having no club, I did transfer half way through the school year after all. Why did they have to leave half-way through my summer? Damn parents...' Zach's thoughts clouded his mind as he trudged his path, oblivious to the world. Shame on him, he was crossing the road, not looking.

Hibiki was on edge. This was her first job after saving the world, again. Despite everything that happened, the Noise were still at large, so her time under the Disaster Squad definitely wasn't through just yet. They were transporting some relics for testing across Tokyo, to a facility in the centre for testing. Even after what happened, they were still on track to produce general arms to fight the Noise on an Army level. It wouldn't exactly shorten her time with the 2nd, but it would make her job a bit more.. liveable. She was pretty happy to hear the news, all it meant was less casualties in the face of the Noise. And that was all she could care about.

"What the?! SHIT!"

The car suddenly jerked to the side, narrowly avoiding the kid crossing the street. The car tipped, chucking the case of relics out the open car window, hitting the latch as the 5 relics stored inside flew across the empty street. There was a sickening crunch as the car rammed into the nearest lamppost and came to a halting stop. Hibiki lost consciousness.

"B-Blood... that's my blood..."

Zach muttered to himself, looking at the pendant that just punched a hole in his belly. He immediately applied pressure to the wound with his left hand, his right quickly fishing for his phone. Pulling out the headphones from the jack, he jammed in the emergency number 119. "Hello, this is the Police Force Emergency line, what's the problem?"

"A.. a care just crashed... this pendant thing... it stabbed me in the gut. I need help! I'm b-bleeding..."

"Roger that. We have traced your call and have sent officers to investigate. We will call the Ambulance service soon. Officers will be on the scene in 10 minutes, ambulance 10-15. Hold on out son, we're coming to get you."

The call went dead. Zach smiled and put his phone back in his pocket. "Thank goodness.. looks like I'm not gonna die." He set his bag on the ground and knelt by it, holding his wound. He could hear sirens in the distance, but where he was it would still be another five minutes until they got here. 'I better check out the car, they could need help immediately.' Slowly inching his way up to standing, Zach left the safety of his bag to check out the crash. There was a dull pain for every step he took, but he probably wouldn't sleep if he didn't at least try. The guy in the front seat wasn't looking so hot, but the big guy in the red shirt and the girl looked all right, if unconscious. He stood there and watched as his shirt got bloodier, leaning back on the car. "Man.. what a fuck up. I'll be in hospital for at least three days for this.." Something in the car stirred.

"Damnit Kazanari.. what have you gotten yourself into this time..."

The boy leaning on the car turned around to greet him. Tall, blonde, muscular stature. This boy wasn't from Japan, Genjuro thought instantly. His hand covered his white shirt, which was stained with crimson. Genjuro visibly gasped.

"Hey man, sorry about all this... Ambulance is on the way, you ok?" The boy's Japanese was a bit off and he spoke in an unfamiliar accent, but he looked cheerful enough. Genjuro adjusted himself.

"You sure you should be asking me that...?"

"Zach. Zach Lowe."

"You sure you should be asking me that, Mr. Lowe?" Genjuro shifted again, attempting to break free of his seatbelt.

"I'm fine, I think..." His eyes dropped to the stain on his shirt, and he cursed in a foreign language.

"Wait a second, let me get out of this car. I know first-aid..." Breaking free of his seatbelt, hew swivelled around to kick the door open. That's when he saw them.

"Mr. Lowe watch out!"

Zach whipped around to face what was behind him.

"Shit! The Noise?!" Zach couldn't believe his eyes. He knew there was some huge business with Symphogear users and Noise a month ago, but hot damn did he never plan to see them in the... flesh? As he stared at the creatures encroaching on his position from down the street, a certain something started to glow in his belly. Even as the glow edged on his vision he stared hard at the Noise. 'Looks like I'm gonna die after all' Something welled up inside him, though whether is was sadness or something deeper he couldn't tell. His very minutes were numbered, so he almost didn't care, it would all be behind him soon...

"Zach!" It was the guy in the car. He didn't take his eyes off the Noise.

"Zach this is fucking crazy, but if you want to live, sing!"

"Bring forth the fury of Ysmir..."

Brilliant light flashed before Zach as the Relic awakened. He was lifted into the air, a bubble around him. His eyes were screwed shut as the transformation began. His chest ballooned out, his crotch sucked in. He shrank as a tight bodysuit covered him from head to toe, forming lines of grey black and white. Armguards clanked onto him from both sides, moving half-way up his now small bicep. Armour ran down his legs, stopping half-way up his thigh. Boots clamped onto his feet, and a headset emerged onto his head. His blonde hair exploded out to reach the bottom of his lower back, as his face reposisitoned and rearranged. He lost his five o' clock shadow immediately. His armour finished, he hefted a European broadsword-looking device and cried out.

"Now fight, Zach! Chop them to bits and save us!"

He jumped into the thick of it and started singing.

We're all hell bent on destruction

Trying to erase black spots on our souls

Hide from a violent eruption

Cataclysmic engulfing us all.

He slashed at the Noise, hacking them down with each deadly blow. They circled him, drawing ever nearer as he hacked their comrades into dust.

Lay down

Tonight

In front of the things

That conquer us all.

Fighting his way through a point in the circle, he flew to the outside and steadied his hands on the hefty blade. The Noise marched towards him, oblivious of his power. Letting out a scream, he ran towards the army of the Noise, lifting his sword high.

Children of the night.

Throw your hands up in the air.

We all know we've lost the fight.

Hope dies out and we can see the end.

Black days begin!

Smashing the oncoming onslaught, he fell to the ground, exhausted, The Symphogear armour peeled off him reverted back into his school uniform. A new pendant around his neck, Zach fell onto his new puffy chest and blacked out.