Author's note:
After seeing so many FSN X IS crossovers I thought of re-making Target: Emiya Shirou's spiritual sucessor. However, I'm going for a different angle where everything Shirou starts from scrtach rather than having powerful from the beginning.
This is AU so expect differences from canon material we have seen for both sides.
Disclaimer
The characters from Type Moon and Infinite Stratos don't belong to me. If they do, me the person writing this story would be japanese. I assure you I;m not japanese. I hail from Southeast asia and damn proud of it.
Fate/White Knight Syndrome
Entrance Exam
The year is 20XX, five years after the famous White Knight Incident. The development of Infinite Stratos (IS) have raised the status of women in almost all parts of the world; especially in developing countries.
The person responsible for pioneering women only powered armor is a self-proclaimed professor Shinonono Tabane, a Japanese woman in her 20s missing from the world.
For the past five years, a lot has changed but conflicts around the world remain as the battle of the sexes continues.
Up in the sky, a squadron of Infinite Stratos units soared through the skies. The feeling of having wings was the first thought that came to mind for these second years. It is only a few more days until the main event will arrive in IS academy and there is so many things to do to woe the crowd.
As such, today's practice went smoothly as ever. The girls are pumped for the event that will be taking place in the next few days. They of course will be the opening ceremony for the entire festival before the school the year begins.
However, this story is not about the daily life of IS female students and their shenanigans over the school years NOR is this anything resembling a shoujou manga and all of its gimmicks attached.
Instead, this story is about the world's first male IS pilot and his misadventures. Like all great epics, a hero's journey begins by disturbing his daily routine, introducing him to another side of the world no man normally venture. The price will be steep and the dangers ahead are enough to make a man quit before proceeding forward. However, brave souls who continue this path will reap its rewards OR dies before reaching the end of the journey.
Coincidence? This sounds more like fate.
"Knock it off." My warning is simple to understand. Do not harass women. It's not a difficult concept to grasp but it seems that not every guy I know in this town seem to get the idea.
Three guys and one IS student. Ask anybody else they would have given an answer that the girl can take care of herself now that she has a personal IS or at least her status as a woman is enough to permit caution to an unsuspecting male trying to feel her up.
If you ask me, the student looks too timid to do any of those two options. She's tall I give you that but judging from her street clothes her breasts aside I don't think she's well versed enough with the town located near IS academy. For starters, the town has its own problems of young men trying to hook up with IS academy students. After all, this is the same spot where the students shop after school hours and during the weekends.
"What do you want Emiya? We ain't do nothing!" Right...because I caught you doing this twice and we got into a fist-fight over this with the police arriving at the scene of the crime. I have to ask, who ended up in a cell for the night afterwards? OK Technically I also ended up in a cell but that's besides the point.
"I thought I told you not to mess with the students." This is not the first time I have to face a situation like this. The students from IS Academy came from around the world and their perception of Japan is ruined because guys like you harassing them. "the last thing we need is the news coming here again." That's the last thing anybody needs. With the status elevation of women worldwide, reports of harassment against women are treated more seriously than how it used to be 5 years ago.
I seriously have no idea why there are still people committing such crimes despite all this.
"Wha?" There's no need to feel awkward student-san. Stay here in the academy long enough and you'll hear about me sooner or later. Come to think of it, shouldn't you be hearing about me by now? It's only a few days more until the new school semester kicks in.
"Oi are we really going to do this Emiya?" One of the guys look excited to kick my ass despite the clear loss last time. He still has that plaster on his face when I punched his cheek in.
"As long as it takes to make sure the students feel safe to come here." My own personal creed. As long as I am alive I will make sure that this town is safe for any IS student to come and shop without fearing for their lives against men like them.
"C'mon I know a place the cops haven't found yet." The third guy pointed his finger far from where we are now. I recognize that place because that's where the harbor is. The storehouses should be the ideal place to make sure nobody else but us gets hurt. The police might take a while to arrive at the scene but by the time they reach the place I'm sure that the problem is solved and I'll be testifying what I did in the station like I always do.
" You can go on with your business student-san." I assure the student that the situation is being taken care off. I'm already more than familiar with the look on her face because the previous students did the same when I came and help them to escape from this situation.
The storehouses at the harbor is perfect for occasions such as this. Hardly anybody except the dock workers come to this area and we can fight it out without getting anybody else hurt.
And the fight begins with the first fist thrown by me.
Another day another fight I tangled myself into. The reason I keep doing this is because I have to help people before the situation worsens. I swear I'm encountering more of these guys as the days go by.
Against three older boys, needless to say I have more than enough chance to make out of this situation alive without too many injuries.
"Think you're so tough aren't you Emiya? Well not this time..." The guy who punched me knew me well. This is not the first time we had a fight over girls. He and his friends have a habit of picking up girls with the usual retaliation from the IS academy students. Women may have raised their status above men ever since IS technology introduced 5 years ago but street crimes like sexual harassment towards girls remains until today.
"Hehe look at what I got..." One of his friends picked up a pipe; smacking me on the face. Luckily, I cover my face with my arm to avoid contact with my teeth and possibly kill me judging from the swinging speed. However, this does have an effect on my arm as I can still feel the stinging pain from the impact that could have shattered a bone should the batting swing have more power into it.
My work here is to make sure there is no outbreak between both sides apart from police IS units coming into the scene. News of IS academy students being sexually harassed outside campus will cause nothing but trouble, especially to us guys.
Like a lion, I yell out a battle cry as I tackle the leader of the group like an american football linebacker. I swore my spine felt strained from trying to lift someone clearly heavier than I am but I resist the pain like it was nothing. My effort pays of when the leader is taken down before I go ahead to the other two.
"is that all you got?" With enough force, my fist meets stomach belonged to the pipe wielder. The distance between us is close enough for me to make a quick sprint and attack without warning with my fists. A single blow to the stomach catches him off guard, enough for him to drop his weapon.
I immediately pick up the weapon; tossing it away from the three of us. I give him another set of punches, only to find myself kicked from the back. I felt a hand on my shoulder, only to see a flying fist towards my face at such close distance.
"Arghh!" The sensation of blood running from my nose came back. The taste has not changed from my last scuffle against these hoodlums. It's enough to tell me that nothing has changed from my usual tactic to help everybody.
The dark alley we're in should be enough to make sure that nobody else gets hurt. It's only a matter of time before the police IS units will arrive here. My arrival to intercept the sexual harassment from these three guys against a group of girls dressed in IS academy uniforms should be enough to show that they will call for help.
I'm counting on the police to arrive. Worst come to worst, I have to take down these three guys myself WITHOUT their help.
"Oh hell." I couldn't recognize which one them cursing their situation but a familiar police siren rings into my ears. A familiar sound of crackling electricity made my ears twitch.
"Hold it all of you!" Two IS pilots dressed in police standard color arrives at the scene. "You are under arrest! Don't even think of running off!" Electricity cackle from their batons; ready to take out anybody daring enough to resist arrest. Being IS machines, they are capable of flight so escaping is futile.
It's common knowledge for Uchigane IS have been refitted into several variations all over japan considering that the machine was made by Japanese technology. Apart from being the standardized weapons used by the JSDF, the IS units paved way for law enforcement across Japan.
Hence 2nd Gen IS Uchigane in japanese police patrol car colors is the end results for non-military purpose. The machines have smaller amount of firepower, opting towards arresting criminals via paralysis and capture.
"You again Emiya-kun?" One of the two pilots groan at the sight of me. I could have sworn her face scrunched up like a bad orange as our eyes meet each other as if I'm a cockroach pest that refuses to die no matter what is being done on me. " How many times have I told you not to aggravate the criminals?"
This is clearly not the first time she caught me picking fights with thugs so I suppose dealing with me for so long she develops less tolerance with me. Wait, why are you looking at me like you're going to take me down without breaking a sweat with your IS?
"I lost count?" To be fair, it sounds amusing in my head.
The arrest didn't take very long. One guy tried to make an escape only to have an IS hovering him like a predator against prey. The other two surrendered themselves without making a fuss.
As for myself, I just go along with the flow. I can't win against armed policemen in their Infinite Stratos (IS) units.
Of course, this doesn't stop the officer from trying to poke me with a baton for some reason. I guess even she her limits looking at my face almost every day. Her face reminds me of someone eating sour food and is not used to it.
As usual, I find myself inside the police station. The cells at the back are packed with the three thugs I fought earlier. I have my own private cell with not a care in the world how long I have been incarcerated.
"You're free to go." One of the officers in the station opened my cell, leading to the infirmary for check up and interrogation about what happened. "Someone wants to talk to you. It's a cutie again you heartbreaker..." Do you have to say it that way with that grin on your face?
"Wait I thought I have to stay here for 48 hours until prosecutor says so?"
"You really like this place don't you? Guess what? IS academy is bailing you out again so be grateful you're running home free."
I spotted the green haired IS academy student earlier with another woman making her leave the moment I walk into the room. I guess the other woman must be the prosecutor.
"Hoh? Are you smitten Emiya-kun?" The voice belonged to the same officer who arrested me earlier. She volunteered to apply first aid on me, seeing that she is most familiar with me for the past year.
"W-what? No don't be silly I was just helping her out." Having a crush? I don't know I don't think I have time for something like that.
"Right...I'll take your word for it. Not." Your giggles are not making me comfortable now. You're a police officer aren't you? Aren't you supposed to be stiff 24/7? "When I was your age I used to crush on my history teacher I don;t see why you can do the same." We have different gender I would think our perception of the opposite sex is different.
Hold on...
Wait what? "She's a teacher?" You're just messing with me right officer? There is no way she is a teacher. She looks too young to be one! She looks like one those tall first years foreign students from the states! Not to mention her choice of dressing looks like a student would wear I mean I have seen a lot of girl's fashion since elementary school I'm surprised
"New staff. Yamada Maya. Former IS japan representative candidate."Former candidate? Are you serious? She was so meek when I spotted her with those three guys earlier...Are you expecting me to believe that she can't handle herself against men outnumbering her in battle when she;s outside her IS? "And she's a former classmate isn't that right Maya-chan?"
"Still love to tease people as usual class rep..." You're laughing nervously sensei. " Eh? Orimura-sensei!" My thought diminish the moment a new arrival enters the station.
"Kya Orimura-sama!" Scream a little louder why don't you officer? I don;t think I've become deaf from all that squealing...Gah my eardrums.
Like everybody else, I took a glance of the famous Orimura Chifuyu. I've lived in this town long enough to recognize a celebrity like herself. She is after all Japan's Black Ace from the Mondo Grosso tournament twice in a row before she made headline news of quitting the major leagues.
"He's over there Orimura-san." Wait did that teacher just point at me? The police officer squealed louder as Orimura-san walk towards my direction with her arms folder across her chest.
"So you're the one who helped out Yamada-sensei earlier?" I look deep into her eyes. The scowl on her face is not a good sign things will go smoothly. Am I in trouble?
"Yeah I did." I answer her honestly. I don't think I said anything but I can't help but notice she;'s making a sigh.
"You don't have to look so afraid you know." Eh? What are you trying to say? " I'm not going to eat you. Stop being so tense."
"W-what? No of course not you wouldn't want to eat me!"
"Uh-huh. I'll keep that in mind." Woah she's an ice queen to dismiss me like that. "Anyway, I just want to say I appreciate you help my colleague out BUT I don't like you're doing this again and again. We're not made of money boy." I cringe hard at that. Normally, I would have just stay inside the cell for a night as punishment.
"You don't have to release me I'm fine staying here..." I argue back. For some reason, I am receiving eyes of death from almost everybody inside the room. Yamada sensei however, is looking at me as if she's looking at something out of this world.
"Are you that desperate to stay in a cell? Huh this is the first time I heard a fetish like this." Did you just think staying in a cell is some sot of weird fetish I have?
"I'm afraid telling him off won't work Orimura-sensei. Emiya-kun kun has been doing this for a long time now." The officer's reply quirked an eyebrow from the teacher. "I've already given up trying. He does whatever he wants, and I have to patch him up afterwards." I can feel the bandages around my head feels tighter officer...are you doing this on purpose?
"I'm surprised he's still alive. Nobody tried gutting him like a fish yet?" Do you have to say it like that sensei? Of course more than one person have tried that on me before.
"I'm pretty sure he had several close calls having a knife in his gut..." Officer, do you have to tell people that in public? "How many times already?" Wait how did you get so scary all of a sudden?
"I-I lost count? Eyah!" I feel the bandage across my head tightened. The pain was enough to make me flinch in surprise. What are you doing!? "Geh..." The temperature inside the station feels like it drops below zero celsius considering that all eyes were on me after I answer her question.
"This is getting nowhere. Officers I leave him to you." Orimura sensei walked away. "Don't let me catch you doing something stupid when I'm in town brat. I might mistake you for something else." I don't like the sound of that sensei what kind of threat is that?
Yamada-sensei what are you doing standing there staring at me like that? It's weird to see a teacher making puppy dog eyes! "Uhm I appreciate what you did for me I really am! I-
"Yamada-sensei let's go!" Orimura sensei ordered; her voice loud enough to make me jump slightly from my seat.
"Yes maam!" She made one last bow to everybody before making her way out.
"Well I always knew you;re some kind of eroge game protagonist Emiya-kun you really bagged this one!" Please don't refer me as a video game character and do you have to ruffle my hair? . "What am I going to do with you?" you're applying more force on my head!
"You can start by not ruffling my hair." This is starting to become a bad habit for you officer to keep messing up my hair.
"Uh huh I'm going to see you again probably tomorrow anyway so why break tradition?" Am I really getting predictable? You already deduce that I'm going to be here tomorrow? Oh wait knowing me probably something like that will happen. "I'm serious Emiya-kun get some help I can't keep doing this to you."
I didn't have anything to argue back so I left the police station without a word.
The apartment I live is not far from Gotanda Bakery, a family restaurant belonged to my Dan's grandfather. The walk there from the police station wasn't long hence I arrive in the neighbourhood before it's getting late at night.
"Yo Emiya they let you off early?" Speaking of him, he's closing the shutters now. It's almost night-time and the green haired teacher did bail me out so this time I get to see someone from the Gotanda family closing down the shutters this time.
"Yeah." I reluctantly spilled the beans. It's not anything related to magecraft so there's no repercussion telling Dan about what happened.
"Again? Man you're really need to start taking better care of yourself. The patrons were talking about your for hours!" Is that overly dramatic expression really necessary Dan? I was just trying to prevent a crime it's not like I'm causing an international incident or something. "So, who you saved this time? A third year? Second year? God don't tell me you saved Sarashiki!" Trust good old Dan to change the topic to picking up girls at the drop of the hat.
"A teacher." I'm pretty sure this is the first time I saved a teacher. "Yamada maya-sensei from IS academy."
"Haha! Damn it Emiya you just triggered a big flag this time HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I don't play your gal games Dan can you please elaborate what these flags are? Between you and me, I can't seem to grasp the point of trying to score girls though a computer screen and when there are so many girls out here in real life.
It's already nighttime by the time I was released from incarceration. The Gotanda bakery is the one place I go to hang out with my friend after work and damn it
To be more precise, the restaurant has already closed and I'm just healing my wounds inside. Ran's already asleep since it's already 9.30PM and she has school tomorrow.
As for Dan, being my best friend means that he's more willing to hang out with me despite my activities. We don't live far apart so I see him and his sister more often because the restaurant they work is just across the street in the neighborhood.
"So you're not going to visit your father's grave?" A lot of people around here has asked me that a lot lately. This town has its own small community hence being tight-knitted with each other. The old man awas the first in town having hard time trying not to socialize around so much.
"Can't face him yet Dan." I'm not an ally of justice yet at this point. I can't bear to face him at this level. I'm being doing this since elementary school and when I move into this area. Nothing has changed since the old man died.
"If you say so." The exchange becomes silent.
This is not the first time somebody from the town asks me about dad's grave. For some reason, The old man wrote in his will that he wanted to be buried in Fuyuki the old place I used to live and where he saved me from the fire 5 years ago. In his honor, I fulfilled his request.
"Yeah..." Coming up with excuses have become difficult for the past three years of my life considering that the townsfolk have asked me whether I will be going to visit him or not in Fuyuki.
"Anyway you;re ready for the festival?"
"Yeah of course I am." Who wouldn't be?
The festival is a big event in IS academy in the next few days corresponding with the beginning of the new semester. It is also the time where new IS being introduced to the world like an overly glorified car show.
"Yeah grandpa's excited. He keeps saying we can expand the place with all these people from around the world coming." I think your grandfather's place is fine as it is Dan but this is not my place to say anything about business so I'll let this one slide. "I just hope we don;'t have to move again..."
"Moving?"
"Yeah moving. We moved into this town about six years ago before your dad came here. First week was hell for me and my sis a lot of students came checking out our place." Dan elaborated. " We used to have students posting pictures of the food they ordered until grandpa banned cells in the shop."
That must be an experience. I wish I was there to help out.
"Too bad. The old man and I moved here a year later. I would have helped out if it was that busy."
"Well Shirou duty calls...can't keep my sister waiting or she'll throw a fit."
"I heard that!" You have incredibly sharp ears Ran that's for sure.
The trip back to my apartment wasn't long from Gotanda Eatery but the night is enough to make a normal person feel scared to walk into the neighborhood. Before, I would hear stories from Kiritsugu that young women used to feel scared walking home alone in the night after work due to men wanting to catch them offguard. With the development of IS, the problem lessens but continues to exist in a more gruesome fashion.
Nothing new in the mail other than bills and notifications about dad's old house in Fuyuki. This month alone I had three letters addressed to me about people wanting to buy that land. As usual, I declined their offer.
What did grab my attention momentarily is a letter from psychologist. No doubt someone from school must have been appealed to have me checked out but this is not the first time I refuse treatment.
Unlike that other house, my current residence is less grand than a single story Japanese traditional house. The apartment I've lived here has been around for a long time and the rent is cheap enough for a middle student like myself to afford and go to school without funding from anybody else.
The place is good enough for me. A bed to sleep, a study table, a fold out kitchen, a mini-fridge, my own private shower and definitely off the grid with no CCTV on sight. The perfect place as a miniature workshop and my living quarters.
I even have a great view of the ocean because my place is near the coast and the monorail system connecting the town to the island where IS Academy is located. Often times, I spot the monorail running, carrying students for years now.
"Trace On." Without disturbing anybody, I begin practising magecraft once again for tonight before I go to bed. As usual, I will practice when the clock strikes twelve and then I will go to bed. I only need a few hours of sleep before I begin a new day.
(Interlude)
As the clock strikes 12, the 15-year-old teenager named Emiya Shirou went to bed after hours of practice with his magecraft. Just like before, he made little if not no progress at all.
At the same time-
Should he have made a decision to take a look outside, he would have spotted a tanker ship off the coast heading towards IS academy.
A large tanker guarded by heavy duty series Uchigane Infinite Stratos units appear at the port. The reason why this specific tanker was heavily guarded because the ship has IS ready to be deployed by their respective Personal IS users at the day of the carnival next week.
The shipment containing the new IS has just arrived from the port and the school's defense squad led by Sarahsiki Tatenashi herself is leading the shipment.
Complications such as Phantom Task and thefts from various superpowers across the world meaning that security is tight to make sure that the IS technology shipped into the school is well guarded and protected.
The process took at least an hour with the paperwork that is needed to be done as soon as possible with the unloading of the ship's cargo takes precedent above all. Nevertheless, everything went smoothly with no underhanded attacks from any factions outside IS academy.
"Alright everyone that's a wrap!" The pilot of Mysterious Lady, Sarashiki Tatenashi announced to the crew. They have been at the boy for hours and all IS have been safely transported into the safety zones located inside the school.
"Hey Sarashiki we have one last IS right here!"
This caught Tatenashi's attention. She checked the entire list and there are only supposed to be 20 IS units transported into the school; 5 units belonged to several countries. "Eh? What are you talking about? Everything's cleared out! There shouldn't be anything left!"
"Come here for youself then!"
I'm coming!" Tatenashi made her way inside. "Woah..."
The IS unit in itself wasn't anything impressive. Appearance wise, the IS looks nothing like the standard 3rd generation IS everybody has grown accustomed to since the first deployment of USA's 3rd gen IS Bumblebee series.
However, what caught both their eyes was that the unit has a head like a knight's helmet. Tatenashi immediately thought of the superheroine Batgirl from the american comics she would read behind her desk in the student council room the moment she spotted the pointy bat like ears on its head.
"This has to be a mistake. We have everything here already. What do you mean you have one more?" Just to be sure, Tatenashi checks the list one more time. According to the records, everything was accounted for which puzzles her about the current development.
"Beats me I found this guy right here." The female worker pointed out.
"I guess they must have missed one. OK Load the IS at the usual spot. I'm going to settle this with the teachers later." There is no need to make a big deal of the situation, Tatenashi thought to herself.
"Say doesn't this guy remind you of the white knight? I mean it kinda looks like it..." The color scheme alone made it a dead giveaway that the IS unit resembles the famous white knight almost 8 years ago. " You don't think this is-
"Well whatever its, get it inside with everything else." Tatenahis ordered. The IS she's looking now does remind me of the famous white knight which started the new golden age for women worldwide. If it's true, then she is going to have a lot of words with the school's Board of directors and the principal in the morning. " I hope you're wrong I don't even want to think about it if this is the real thing."
"Eh? Why not? I think it's awesome if it's the real thing." From what she remembered, the White Knight IS was responsible for the destruction of the mass missile launches from various superpowers across the globe; destroying all of them simultaneously.
"No, A lot of countries would kill to have their hands on this guy. It's going to be one big issue to deal with if the IS is in the wrong hands." She shudders, thinking anybody other than IS Academy getting their hands on such IS. Sure, the unit may be outdated but its performance during that incident years ago were astounding even for an élite pilot like herself. " Or worse, Phantom Task grabbing their hands on this."
"if you say so..."
"Get it out of here. I'll feel a lot better once this thing is inside the school." Mysterious Lady's pilot immediately left the scene ,leaving the work with an important task that needs to be dealt with immediately.
"Ok little guy let's get you out of here.." She moves closer to the IS unit. "Eh?" She found herself engulfed by a scan from the unit's HD visor display. Her body instinctively froze as her entire body was scanned from head to toe.
The reason why she is unaccustomed to this is because she herself have never been in a situation where she will be tagged to a personal IS like the élite pilots would. Such procedure would have taken place elsewhere in a formal fashion, surrounded by experts from the country's IS technology development companies and delegates from the government.
"You're kidding me right?" Someone like herself have fantasized being tagged with a personal IS but for her dreams to be realized in a place like this, she admittedly did not expect it to happen so soon.
And the IS unit move by itself, removing itself from its shackles like a wild beast.
The female worker steps away from the unit, looking at in horror. "You're kidding me right?" She repeated herself, unable to believe what's going on in front of her.
By all means, no unmanned IS is capable of doing something what the unit in front of her is doing. All IS takes a mobile form like earrings she loves so much from reading magazine articles about personal IS users and this is nothing like what she expected.
The unmanned unit walk towards in an uncanny valley fashion, its imitation of walking like a human being is enough to frighten the worker into believing that there is somebody inside the IS yet the unit is unoccupied. The lack of pilot makes the movements even more disturbing because the is nobody inside.
"Kyaaa!" A shadow of a mechanical being appears on the wall behind the female worker. The horns on its head resembles a demonic being after the woman's soul. Its hands have claws; reaching towards her face.
END
Well I don't think I'll be writing anything for a while. Kinda busy with real life (and yeah Having to face a lot of problems now it feels better if I can just ignore everything and sleep but hey life goes on.
As for Shirou's scene earlier, UBW route from the VN mentioned that he used to save girls from the older kids so take this as a continuation of that habit. As the years go by, the contact sport between him and the perpetrators gets worse.
The popularity of Target: Emiya Shirou I'll be honest it astounds me to the point I actually hated the fic because it overshadows my other stories. I don't hate it anymore don't worry about it. For now, I want to see how people react to this. After all, I am trying a different approach apart from Ignition Strikers CG wrote months earlier.
I thank you guys from In Flight forum for assisting me.
Read and review!