This is the follow-up to 'Strike Witches: 501st Disciple'. This idea came to me like a runaway train while playing 'Ace Combat: Infinity', while watching the 'Strike Witches' anime. And seeing how many references have been made in the past games, why not include the Witches into the mix. Many past aircraft names are playable also, which is why I'm including past characters from the series, into the 'Infinity' timeline.
Reminds you of a story, right? If you've read 'The Clocktower', by author 'Deadman'sHand92x45', then this story is where I took inspiration from, by adding COD characters from other games into the 'Modern Warfare' timeline and having the entire fighter wing fighting a war that they're not a part of. Unfortunately, the story went missing from the site, so, I have no idea when it will come back or added onto another fanfic website. So, props to you for giving me the inspiration while I based my time in 'Infinity'.
So, without further ado, 'Strike Witches: Infinity'. Hope you enjoy.
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Near a Peaceful River
25th December, 2025
"Oh, them? Yeah. I know them. It's gonna take a while. It all happened years ago." A man is standing on a bridge, wearing a black suit with a white undershirt and a red tie. His face is not seen. "Did you know that there are four types of aces?" He pointed them out with his fingers. "Those who seek strength, those who lived for pride, those who can read the tide of battle, and those who can do what they can. Those are the four. And them, they are true aces."
He was a fighter pilot known only as 'The Grim Reaper'. He is a colleague of a group I seek. Six years ago, there was a war that engulfed the world. The USEAN Conflict. And in that war, stood a Joint Fighter Wing, completely not from our world, that will inspire fear, admiration, and respect. They are the ones I seek. And so, with the words of the 'Reaper', and the aces that took part in the conflict, the curtain rises.
"In Tokyo… It was a cold and snowy day."
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10th December, 2019
Tokyo, Japan
Inside an airbase, near where the impact crater of the Ulysses meteors rained down upon Earth, a new pilot, along with fifteen other airmen watched as the briefer logged into the main database. Just then, a man, appearing in his forties and wore black wide-rimmed glasses. The screen logged in, as the name of the company is named. Arrows Air Defense and Security. The man walked up to the front and began speaking.
"All right. Time to start the briefing." He started "We've got a new guy here today, but I'll cut the introductions short. My name's Goodfellow, or Ulrich Olsen as personal information, and I'll be your rep from the Arrows. As you know, Arrows is a mercenary force specializing in aerial warfare. Some people like to call us 'pirates'. I'd prefer they called us 'privateers' at least." That received a unanimous approval from the pilots sitting with me. "We're being employed by the UN Security Council after all.
"Anyway, the UNSC's Military Staff Committee just sent Arrows a request for deployment." Ulrich continued "It was originally going to be an escort mission for the UNF Pacific Fleet stationed in Tokyo Bay, but that's changed." The images shown next revealed to be UAV's. "We now have multiple unknown UAV's flying toward Area J4E, Japan's capital of Tokyo. In other words right here."
"So we have multiple UAV's here and they can strike while we're still on the ground?" One of the pilots asked who have a British accent.
"The UAV's supplied by intelligence confirms that the majority of them are mainly used for reconnaissance." Ulrich answered "But, I have a hunch that there will be other UAV's that are armed. We need them downed before they reach city limits. This'll be the first sortie of the Rookie here, TAC name, 'Reaper'. Here's your emblem." The emblem showed what the Grim Reaper looked like. A black hooded figure with the skeleton of a man while wielding the legendary scythe.
"Omega from the Bone Arrow flight will be supporting you on this mission. Follow his instructions." Another image showed a man in his early twenties while posing a thumbs-up sign. It was then followed by his personal aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon. His emblem appeared next, showing a crab with a lightning bolt under it with three stars. "I'll be expecting results you here? Dismissed." The briefer then logged out of the database as the pilots went back to their normal duties. Omega and Reaper went to the hangar, ready to sortie.
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Reaper arrived at the hangar when Omega came in. "Hey, new guy." Reaper turned to Omega. "Name's Omega, and I'll be helping you out today."
"Why, thanks." Reaper answered
"You speak British?" Omega asked
"That I am." He answered "You know which aircraft I'm sortieing in?"
"Nothing from the factories yet." Omega answered "Fortunately we do have a spare aircraft you can fly in." The two pilots walked to find a spare F-4 Phantom II sitting in the hangar idly. The craft is armed with the standard Sidewinder and Skyflash High-Powered missiles. "From what I heard from the mechanics, this shall be your new aircraft for the time being until we can find you a better one."
"For now, I'm flying this piece." Reaper sighed "Oh well. Better than a MiG-15 at least that the North Koreans wielded." Omega laughed a bit before we headed over to the tarmac. The Typhoon and the Phantom waited on the runway until Omega was given permission for the two of them to take off. From above the clouds, Reaper can see the entire Japanese capital and the impact crater the meteor made years ago. The two pilots soared above Tokyo Bay while Omega flew next to the Phantom. "It's starting to come down." Reaper commented
"You're telling me." Omega said back "At least this is snow. Unlike those meteor's. There's a lot of meteor dust in the air again today. Hard to believe it's been already twenty years, huh? And the sky's still full of that junk." Reaper can't help but chuckle for a bit as the two planes are about to enter the metropolis.
"This is the JASDF 309th Squadron. Requesting affiliation." One of the Japanese pilots said over the radio.
"This is Omega from Bone Arrow Squadron, working under independent UN command. We're here on operational support."
"This is Bone Arrow rookie callsign 'Reaper'. I'm working tandem operations along with Omega from said organization."
"The Pirates, huh?" The 309th Squad Leader said "HQ told us to expect you. Good luck hunting."
"Yeah, you too." Omega answered as Goodfellow came in
"Goodfellow to all Bone Arrows, we will now commence mission operations. Engage any enemy craft that come across."
"Omega, affirmative. Bandits on our twelve. Probably surveillance UAV's." Omega reported in as Reaper spotted the UAV's. Reaper's instincts kicked in as he zoomed towards them. Omega looked at the Rookie, who was eager to get himself some kills. "Keep yourself together, rookie. These drones aren't even armed."
"I know." Reaper answer "But it can't hurt to make sure." Reaper locked onto the two UAV's and launched two Sidewinders, destroying them both.
"All enemy UAV's down." Goodfellow reported from the radar room "All units, we got new bandits approaching. Use your long-range search to get their location. Switch to your wide-range battle map."
"I can only see one UAV in front." Reaper answered "Not too much of a problem." Reaper got behind the UAV and used his Vulcan Cannon and tore the UAV to shreds. Omega whistled in awe.
"I've never seen anyone use their cannons before, rookie."
"I got it from my dad." Reaper said "He used to do it also when serving in Vietnam."
"Another enemy flight approaching." Goodfellow reported
"More of them?!" Omega whined as three UAV's started to appear on radar
"Be careful. A few of the bandits have anti-air ordinance on them." Reaper smirked under his helmet, deeming his and Goodfellow's analysis of the UAV's are correct. Reaper fired his Skyhawk missiles, destroying one surveillance and the armed version. Reaper looked at the charred remains of the UAV and founded a triangle shaped UAV.
"Hey, Omega." Reaper reported "I'm seeing some sort of highly advanced UAV that I just shot down."
"Was that a Quox?" One of the JASDF pilots asked
"I believe it is you two." Omega answered "These bogies are a lot more agile than the last guys."
"A general-purpose drone designed by the JASDF." The pilot said "It might just bear a close resemblance."
"I'll check on that craft later." Goodfellow said "Just focus on the attack." After I destroyed the last Quox UAV, more UAV's showed up.
"More radar blips? What the hell?!" Omega complained as the UAV's made a beeline for the UNF Pacific Fleet.
"Admiral Ramius, we have enemy UAV's approaching." Reaper looked down as the newest ship made by the US, the USS Archangel, is making due with her weapons.
"Fire CIWS! Don't let the UAV's reach Tokyo!" Reaper heard from the intercom that Admiral Ramius is a female, in fact one of the only woman who obtained the 'Admiral' rank.
"Enemy UAV's are attacking urban areas." Goodfellow reported "They're striking the coastline from Shinagawa to Kawasaki."
"They're attacking civilians?" Reaper asked with worry
"Unfortunately, they are doing so." Goodfellow answered as Reaper struck down a UAV
"They're the same armed version we just ran into!" Omega cried out as he took down a UAV
"All units, eliminate them before there's any more damage!" Goodfellow ordered as the last UAV struck multiple buildings along the coastline.
"Damage report!"
"There's an evacuation order out for the coastline." The JASDF pilot answered "If this keeps up though, the evacuation zones might be in danger too."
"Leave it to me!" Reaper called out as he got behind the enemy Quox and shot it down. Reaper sighed in relief as the coastal attack run failed.
"All enemy UAV's destroyed." Goodfellow said "No further enemy presence in this airspace."
"This is JASDF 309th Squadron." The flight lead said "Thanks for your support."
"Glad to be of service." Reaper answered
"This is Admiral Murrue Ramius of the USS Archangel. We appreciate your support." She thanked the two pilots
"Thanks, you too as well." Reaper said as Goodfellow assessed the damage reports
"Looks like they haven't reached the evacuation zones. Not too shabby, rookie." Goodfellow complimented him
"Thank you, sir." Reaper said in surprise as Omega joined up with him
"These things—Quox craft, you said? Why would they be striking Tokyo?" Omega asked
"I'll get the UNF to brief me on the UAV's later." Goodfellow answered "All units clear to return home." As Reaper and Omega head back to the airbase, Reaper's radar map became fuzzy.
"Goodfellow, my radar is going haywire." Reaper reported
"Is there anything wrong with your craft, Reaper?" Goodfellow asked
"Nothing's wrong. Craft seems intact. May be an outdated radar display." Reaper answered
"Hey, rookie. I'm seeing something over the impact crater." Reaper looked at the crater where a blue light suddenly showed. "What the hell?!" Lightning shot out of the blue light as the two inched closer and closer. Finally the light dissipated, only to reveal…
"Bloody hell! Omega break!" The two craft evaded when they spotted twenty people hovering in the sky while three people are located at Ground Zero. One person in particular has his eyes glowed red and has blue patches all over his body. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"You mean I'm seeing three males and fifteen females wearing some sort of plane on their legs and wearing no pants while two are wearing them and one is in a fighter jet? Must have been the vodka Bronco brought in last night."
"Reaper, Omega, what's going on up there?" Goodfellow asked
"You're not going to believe me when I say this, but we have people flying in the sky with planes on their legs and wearing no pants at all." Reaper answered. Goodfellow stayed silent for the moment until he came in again.
"Radio them in case they are either friendly or hostile." Goodfellow commanded
"Alright." Reaper tuned to the frequency that the mysterious people are using. "Attention unidentified… personnel. You are in restricted Japanese military airspace. Show us if you're friendly or we will open fire."
"Wait, Japan?" One of the personnel asked "Isn't it supposed to be Fuso?"
"Fuso?" Omega asked "As in Mitsubishi Fuso?"
"I don't think so."
"Miyafuji, I don't think we're in Fuso. It may look like it, but something feels different." Another answered. The two personnel in the skies sounded both female and both sounded young and old. Reaper and Omega looked at each other before Reaper questioned one thing.
"Who's your commanding officer?"
"That would be me." A boy answered Reaper, who sounded British
"Identify yourself, lad." There was a long silence as the boy deactivated the blue patches before Reaper got his answer.
"My name is James Dowding. Air Marshal of the Britannian Royal Air Force and Commander of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, also known as the 'Strike Witches'." The boy, now known as James Dowding answered. Reaper and Omega are left speechless. "Can you take us to your commanding officer?" Reaper and Omega are still shocked until they returned to their senses.
"Roger. I'll take you to him." James nodded while a red-haired girl ordered her teammates to land at the airbase. I got on the radio to Goodfellow, telling him what happened.
"Reaper, what happened?"
"It turns out that the people in the air are known as the 'Strike Witches'. One of them wanted to meet you."
"Alright. I'll meet the commander. For now, return to base." Reaper and Omega turned back to the airbase, waiting to be debriefed.
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"This is believed to be a terrorist attack carried out by armed forces from the Iyuli region." Goodfellow started "They caused extensive damage to Tokyo. The naval fleet was also attacked, so the UNF generals are all furious right now. The UAV's they used are an upgraded version of the MQ-90 Quox, a Japanese-made UAV that's also been deployed in the Americas. It may be unmanned, but it's still a very powerful bomber. It's equipped with an aggressive aerodynamic design and a new type of semi-automatic control system. The UNSC says it's a Wernher Noah product. Apparently the control system's a top-secret design that they stole. Wernher denies everything, of course.
"Navigation would normally use a system that relies on improved GPS satellite tech, but this craft uses a different relay system for its operations. We also caught an unknown fighter craft flying at high altitude over the area. The UN's going to raid and inspect Wernher's facilities in Iyuli and the other special zones shortly. Wernher Noah's the biggest company in its field. Normally, the UN doesn't like doing anything to make them angry. Now, though, I guess they don't have much choice."
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James' P.O.V.
Journal Entry: 101. It's been a long time since I've done one of these, so I'll get you caught up to speed. Everything can be traced back to the Second Neuroi War, a worldwide conflict that saw humanity holding its ground against an unstoppable enemy, known as the Neuroi. That is when Doctor Miyafuji introduced the Striker Unit to girls who manifested magical powers, hence the name 'Witches'. They served as humanity's last line of defense. The majority of the world population look up to them, but some didn't.
My father, looked up to them, but a certain Air Chief Marshal named Trevor Maloney tried to replace the Witches with a mecha called 'Warlock'. Fortunately, the project didn't fell through thanks to it becoming a Neuroi, and Maloney was stripped of his rank. It took a while for the 501st to liberate both Gallia and Venezia from the Neuroi altogether. They were disbanded twice, and then reformed once again in the Ardennes. After being reformed, I suddenly found myself as a witch, thanks to a freak accident. My tenure as a Witch has been… eventful. Made many friends and fell in love with a certain Karlsland witch, Gertrud Barkhorn.
We were also met by Mai Kawashima, the 'Ice Witch', Tatsuya Nakajima, Sanya's boyfriend and Neuroi Knight who happens to have Fred as a Neuroi core, the 555th Tiny Witches, and Lex, a pilot of unknown origins who flew with me during the final stages. Before Berlin, the 501st has been constantly receiving threats from Anti-Witch Generals. These men are known to have a pro-conventional military stance. My father, Montgomery, Rommel, Yamamoto, Zhukov and Eisenhower have Pro-Witch stances. Maloney, Goring, Model, and Von Rundstedt, are examples of Anti-Witch stances. They think that woman should remain at home, but time and time again, their plans always fail.
Surprisingly, another faction came into the picture. They are known as the Federation. They are the complete opposite of the Orussian Empire, who are led by some unknown figures in an alternate timeline. Thanks to Minna and the surprisingly alive Dr. Miyafuji, a humanoid Neuroi by the name of Euphie reactivated a Blue Neuroi shard by the name of Lelouch. Thanks to that shard, my Striker became fused with it, and they me a new nickname. The 'Zero Witch'. Finally, there are two simultaneous operations, Valkyrie and Unthinkable.
Unthinkable calls for the Liberation of Warsaw from both the Federation and the Rogue Generals. Valkyrie is the elimination of the Neuroi in Berlin. In Valkyrie, I went into the Alpha Hive and killed the Red Neuroi leader, and met with the Blue Neuroi leader herself. I gave her my boot knife turned sword, but the Hive is still standing. During Unthinkable, Maloney, who was hiding out in Warsaw, has his ace pilot to launch multiple Warlocks. That is when I got into an aerial duel with Maloney's pilot. Then, another pilot entered our world, only known as Lex. He followed his nemesis into Berlin as it became a two-on-two dogfight. We've won, the Alpha Hive dissipated, the Federation has been turned to the Coalition forces and the Rogue Generals are arrested for crimes of treason.
I became knighted after the war and promoted to Air Marshal of the RAF, while Trude, who brought Chris with her, continued to live with me and Madoka in both Konigsberg and London. It was two years later when we were sent to Berlin to investigate a magical rune. Unfortunately, it sent us to another world, along with the entire team. We're here now. And I do not know how we're going to get back. We'll just play through until we can figure out how. Right now, I'm going to have a chat with the commander of the two pilots we ran in to.
This is Air Marshal James Dowding, signing off.
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Reaper was left in the common room, leaving him with his thoughts. Only one thing came to mind. "Who are these people? Can we trust them? Will they help us with what's going on?" Only time will tell because he's about to see firsthand with what the Witches will do.
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Hope you like that little introduction I've written. It's based off of 'Lost Butterfly', the first 'Infinity' mission. Like I said, characters from past Ace Combat games will make appearances. Oh, and I brought in Murrue Ramius from the 'Gundam SEED' series. I don't own her and say what you like, because a fellow reviewer and I came up with the idea.
So, I've kicked off the New Year with the crossover I've planned about. Hope you enjoyed it and see you in the first chapter.