Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to IS: Infinite Stratos or any content/references that're used. This Fanfic is made just for entertainment and not for commercial use in anyway.

Author's Note: Alright, this maybe a minor thing but in this chapter, we get to see what weapons that Alpha Squad used when they were as mercenaries. It's the Saber Assault Rifle, or Retro Saber as it'll be called later on. It's like the Lancer from Gears of War, but it's colored black with blue lining. It's been the signature firearm for Thunder Crash.

"Eric, if you get this message, if you're still alive, I need your help…" The man in the video said.

After hearing that, I felt a chill run down my spine. We're inside Ratchet and Scourge's dorm room, looking what's on the disc Magnus gave to us, after Ratchet decrypted it.

"Oh shit… Hot Shot, is that who I think it is?" Sideswipe asking me.

"Yeah, I think so…" I replied looking at the man in video.

The man is wearing glasses and looks like that he's in his mid 40's and his for his physical build, I can't really judge from the video.

"…Please, listen. It's complicated and I don't have much time…"

"Who's that talking?" Ratchet looking kind of puzzled.

"Daniel Tezla…" Sideswipe answers while watching the video.

"He was Thunder Crash's head weapons and armor technician." I added.

"What? Wasn't he—" Ratchet getting even more puzzled.

"Leave it, Ratchet." Sideswipe cutting Ratchet off.

"…I've been working on a project to develop a combat armor that can match up to Infinite Stratos. It's Project Silverback. I would tell you more about it in this message, but it's something that I have to tell you in person."

"Project Silverback? And what does he mean by a 'match up' to the Infinite Stratos?" Sideswipe asks.

"No idea." I answered back before turning back my attention back to the computer monitor.

"If he's still alive, we have to find him." I whispered.

"Is there any way to tell when and where this was recorded?" I turned towards Ratchet.

"There's no date or location code." Ratchet trying to look more into the disc.

"I've been trying to contact you over these past months, but I was being held prisoner before Thunder Crash was attacked, but I manage to escape. Should you receive this Eric, meet me at Tokyo Tower on Saturday, June 16th at 11:00PM. And if possible, have your squad with you."

The video on the monitor then fades into black.

"There, that's it for the disc." Ratchet taking the disc out of his computer and putting it in its case.

After hearing the message, there was a moment of silence in the room as we're all thinking of what we just listened to.

"…"

"Uh… So now what?" Scourge breaking the silence.

"What else is there? We meet up with Tezla…" I answered back in a rough firm tone.

"…"

"Hot Shot, he knows about the attack." Sideswipe turning towards me.

"And he looked a little older than…"

"Then when Thunder Crash's command declared him 'missing', I know." I finished Sideswipe's sentence.

"But what the hell is he talking about this 'Project Silverback'? And can it really develop something that can match up to the Infinite Stratos?" Ratchet asked.

"There's nothing new about the Infinite Stratos being the world's most powerful weapon. But what it did is breaking the balance of power on not just between countries on a political plain, but in society as well." Scourge reminding us.

"And people said that if men and women were to go to war with each other, we wouldn't even last for 3 days. And after those 3 days, those bitches would be riding us harder than a male rabbit would be on a female rabbit." Ratchet continuing from where Scourge stopped.

"You guys remember when men were actually stronger than women? But at the same time we had equal treatment? Man, I miss those days." Ratchet sulks.

"Well, there's only one way to find out for sure about this 'Project Silverback'." I picked up the disc from the desk and looked at it as if I was about to kill something.

"And that's to meet up with Tezla himself."

"Tokyo Tower, it's going to be a long way to get there from here in Odaiba, even by train." Sideswipe pointing out.

I put the disc back on the desk.

"Alright, guys. Why don't we all just call it a day for now? It turned out more 'eventful' than I thought." I began opening the door and soon left the dorm.

"Yeah, lets. See you guys later." Sideswipe heading to the door as well and soon walked out of the dorm with me.

"Later."

"Later, guys."

Ratchet and Scourge then took another look at Tezla's message.

"Man, Tezla sending a message like that to us…" Sideswipe catches up to me, while we're walking to our dorm.

Daniel Tezla…

He was Thunder Crash's head weapons and armor technician. He's the same guy that made my squad's weapons and combat armor. The weapons he made, they're not your typical custom made conventional firearms. No, believe it or not, he actually makes energy and plasma based firearms. The same kinds you usually see in sci-fi movies, TV shows and video games. As far as the recent ones and same goes with our combat armor.

Other than being the head weapons and armor technician, he was the one person I usually turn to whenever I have "certain" personal problems. Yeah, he helped me out with those personal problems I had, but in return I helped him with his work.

Not in his lab, but in the 'testing fields'. Whenever he had something new, he always comes to me to test it out in real combat situations before he can make more for the rest of Thunder Crash.

But a few months before Thunder Crash disbanded, he turned up missing. When I got news of this, my bros and I searched the whole base and got a hold to his contacts to see what happened to him. But to no avail, we couldn't find a single trace of his whereabouts.

Sideswipe and I got to our dorm and without wasting anytime; we washed ourselves up, changed into our 'house clothes', that's comprised of sports jersey shorts and a T-shirt, and we just rest for the remainder of the night.

Inside a huge, fairly lit area, there was rubble and debris all over the place. To clarify, this is inside of Thunder Crash's base.

This is one of the training areas. Gunfire, grunting and yelling is what you normally hear when you're in one of these areas on a daily basis.

But not on this particular night…

"Hot Shot, get our brothers and everyone else out. My squad and I will buy you guys' some time." I'm being told to by a young Spanish American man, looking in his early 20s. He's more physically built than Sideswipe, not to mention he's like a more mature looking version of him.

This is Derrick "Shockwave" Garcia, the guy who I look up to as my older brother and Sideswipe's blood related brother.

"We're not leaving without you, bro!" I picked up a Saber assault rifle from one of our fallen guys.

"Hot Shot, this is not coming from another squad captain. This is coming from your older brother!" Shockwave turned his attention towards his squad, getting ready for the fight that's at hand.

"We've swore a brotherhood and we'll always watch each other's backs!" I argued back.

"You said it yourself, or was it all just talk? And didn't they say that 'action always speaks louder than words'?" Sideswipe cutting in.

"…"

Shockwave was standing there as if he's in deep thought, while his squad's waiting for his orders.

*Baboom!*

One of the walls has been blast through, sending debris throughout the training room.

Everybody was taking cover from the flying debris.

"Contact!" Sideswipe aiming his Saber at the hole.

As the dust was beginning to settle, JSDF soldiers came storming in.

"Alright then, my squad will grab their attention. Hot Shot, Sideswipe, you two flank right. Ratchet, Scourge, head up those stairs to that walkway and flank left." Shockwave ordered.

""""You got it!""""

We began moving into position in the training room while Shockwave and his squad grab the JSDF's attention.

"Two—"

"Three—"

"Fire!" Shockwave began firing his Saber.

*Dadadadadadadadadadada!*

The JSDF soldiers took cover behind some of the debris and began firing back at Shockwave's squad.

Shockwave's squad mates ducked just in time before the volley of bullets flew at them.

"Damn it! There are more of them!" One of his squad mates shouted.

"Anybody got Claymore frags?" Shockwave looked at his squad, reloading his Saber.

"Yeah, I have one." One of his other squad mates tosses it to Shockwave.

"But it's the last one."

"Alright, this is the one that needs to count the most."

"Alpha, are you in position yet?" Shockwave turns on his radio comm.

"Sideswipe and I are." I took a quick look at the JSDF soldiers firing down at Shockwave and his squad.

"What about Ratchet and Scourge?" Shockwave looks at the elevated walkway.

"Just give us the word!" Scourge about to aim his Saber down at the JSDF.

Shockwave took a quick look at the JSDF soldiers…

"Alright, smoke 'em!"

*Dadadadadadadadadadada!*

We all began firing at the JSDF; firing from their front and both sides these guys are done.

"Yeah, which one of you bitches is next?" Scourge shoots a JSDF soldier in the head.

"Here comes some more!" Ratchet shooting his Saber at the hole.

We all began shooting at the hole at any hostiles that came rushing it. Within that group of storming JSDF are three soldiers that are larger than the others.

"Grenadiers, take 'em out!" Sideswipe alerting us.

Grenadiers are armored soldiers, and their preferred weapon is a multi-purpose grenade launcher, the Howa 84RR.

"Concentrate you fire on the grenadiers!" Shockwave fires at the one of the grenadiers.

Then suddenly, one of the grenadiers took aim at Shockwave's squad…

*Baboom!*

Smoke and dust were sent everywhere from where Shockwave and his squad were.

"Bro! Are you okay?" I shouted through the radio.

"…"

"Aw shit…."

"…"

"We're still here, Hot Shot." Shockwave responds back.

I made a huge sigh of relief.

"Damn it! If only we had a fucking Flak Cannon here…" I thought.

"Throwing frag!" Ratchet throws a Claymore grenade at the group of JSDF soldiers, landing right below of one of the grenadiers.

*Beep beep beep*

*DUHHNN!*

""Gya-aaaaahh!""

"""Aaaahhhh!"""

Rubble, dirt and body parts are sent flying all over the place. One of the grenadiers was lying on the ground, completely motionless.

"That's one down!" Sideswipe taking aim at the other grenadiers.

There are 5 JSDF soldiers left, including the remaining 2 grenadiers.

"You want some?" I shot and killed one of the soldiers, bringing their number down to 4.

"Alright, time for the heavy artillery!" Shockwave switches his Saber to a Tri-barrel Rocket Launcher.

He pulls and holds the trigger for each barrel to be loaded with a rocket. And when the third rocket is loaded…

"Here's something for you!" Shockwave fires the 3 rockets in a spiral twist.

*Bang!*

*Bang! Bang!*

One of the rockets hit one of the JSDF soldier directly, blowing him to pieces. While the other two hits one of the 2 grenadiers, blowing his armor up in pieces and killing him from the shock of the impact.

"That's two!" Sideswipe points out.

He then spots the last grenadier aiming his Howa 84RR up towards his right, away from where Shockwave and his squad are.

"Shit! Ratchet, Scourge, get out of there!" He bellowed through the radio.

Just as Ratchet and Scourge saw the grenadier aiming at them…

*Baboom!*

The grenade just missed Ratchet and Scourge, hitting below the walkway. But it blew apart the support struts that were holding the section of walkway where Ratchet and Scourge are standing, making the walkway collapse under their weight.

Ratchet managed to grab hold of a piece of the railing.

"Aw, shit…"

Hearing this, Ratchet turned his head towards Scourge, seeing him sliding down the walkway.

"Scourge!" Ratchet attempts to reach his hand to Scourge but to no avail…

Scourge fell 5 meters down into the dust that was kicked up by the falling pieces of the walkway.

"Oh, hell no…" I muttered.

As the dust settled, Scourge was lying on the pile of debris, completely motionless.

I turned my attention towards the 2 remaining JSFD soldiers. Out of anger, I broke out of cover and began rushing towards them, both of my side arms blazing.

"Motherfucke-r-r-r-r-r-r-rs!" I shot one soldier in the head 5 times over as I charged, splattering his head everywhere.

I then went towards the last grenadier and when I got close enough, I jumped on his back, thrashing my weight all over causing him to lose his balance.

He then got a hold of me on my right arm, below my shoulder, and threw me on the ground, landing in front of him.

I recovered by swinging my right leg in a sweeping fashion, used the momentum to get myself into a somewhat of a headstand position, propelled myself up and kicked the grenadier on the chest armor, making him turn his back towards me.

As I got up, I jumped on the grenadier's back, this time he fell on the ground face first, deployed my forearm mounted combat blade on my right arm, and thrust it through the back of the grenadier's neck, killing him instantly.

With the look of a killer on my face, I took a quick look around me to see whose left and retracted my combat blade.

"…"

"That was violent, reckless, and necessary. Good job, little bro." Shockwave commented.

"Hot Shot, get out of there! We got more hostiles on the way!" Ratchet aiming his Saber towards behind me.

I turned towards the hole…

"Oh shit!" I bolted back towards where Sideswipe is.

More JSDF soldiers came storming in.

"Keep hitting them! Keep hitting them!" Shockwave fires his Saber at the hole.

"Damn it! There's too many of them!" Sideswipe looks on as he reloads his Saber.

"Come on! Drop them guys!" I shouted firing my Saber at them.

"Yeah, we're dropping them alright. But they've invited all their buddies!" Ratchet switches to his shotgun.

As we're firing at the JSDF…

*Bang!*

A sudden burst of light came from the center of the room, and then came this ringing noise in my head. All I can see is nothing but white. There's only one thing that can cause this, someone must've threw a Flash bang.

As I began to regain my vision, I can faintly hear a noise as if someone's jeering, the voice was deep. And when I turned towards the middle of the training room, I can see that the JSDF were being taken down by a dark figure, I can't tell who or what it is because of the effects from the Flash Bang.

"Whoo-hoo!"

*Dadadadaddadadadada!*

"Yeah, that's right! I'm back bitches!"

*Dadadadadadada!*

"Ha ha! Take that, you all!"

"Gyaa-aaaggghh!"

*Thud thud.*

"Oh, yeah baby! Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Yeah!"

*Dadadadadadada!*

"Who want some? Who want some? Hahahaha! Whoo!"

*Dadadadada!*

"Hell yeah!"

I then soon recognized that jeering as I recovered from the Flash Bang's effects.

"Hot Shot, is that—?" Sideswipe turns towards me.

"Got to be." I cut Sideswipe short as I looked at the JSDF soldiers.

The dark figure that was taking down the JSDF is actually Scourge. He was a one man wrecking crew, taking down all those soldiers by himself. Soon there are 3 soldiers remaining.

Scourge charged towards one of the soldiers and thrusts his hand held SMG into his midsection, firing it and threw the soldier up and over him as he went.

The other soldier then began charging at Scourge. Just as he got close enough, Scourge spun around, pulled out his Saber and swung it at the charging soldier, with the teeth of the chainsaw bayonet ripping his face up, killing him instantly.

The chainsaw wasn't even on by the way.

As for the last soldier, he swung his right fist at Scourge but he grabs his fist, dropped his Saber, and swung his right fist towards the soldier's mid section.

"Gu-ack!" The soldier gawked.

"Here, send this message to your buddies for me!" Scourge pulls the pin of one of the grenades that's on the soldier's weapon web and kicks him away.

The soldier tries to get the grenade off, but…

*Boom!*

"…"

Scourge looks around the training room.

"Ha! Nobody can keep me down! Nobody!" Scourge jeered.

"Scourge!" Sideswipe called.

"Sounds like shit got thick for you guys." Scourge looking at the dead bodies.

"It did. Nice work on the 'clean up' man." Shockwave walks up to Scourge.

"Alright, form up." Shockwave calls from the middle of the training room.

We all began heading towards the center of the training room, checking to see if we're all okay.

"Nice job guys, by now the others must've escaped." Shockwave complements us.

"Now it's our turn. If there's anything you guys need that's still here, get it and head straight for the escape—"

*BOOM!*

We all turned to where the explosion came from. One of the walls has been blasted through, just like the first one.

"Gu-ahh!" A piece of debris flew right at me, hitting me in the midsection of my combat armor, knocking me on my ass.

"Hot Shot, you okay?"

"Hot Shot! Hot Shot!"

"Hot Shot! Hot Shot!"

"Daaahhh! Ha- ha- ha-" I snapped my eyes opened.

I was heavily panting as I sat up on my bed, covered in sweat. Sitting at my bed side was Sideswipe with a concerned look on his face.

"Sideswipe…" I panted, turning towards him.

"You okay, man?" He asked.

I shook my head side to side.

"Did you have that dream again, bro?" Sideswipe offering me a glass of water.

"Yeah, unfortunately." I replied, taking the glass from Sideswipe's hand and gulping the water down.

"I don't know why, but something's really bothering me about that dream." I lowered the glass down in my hand and looked at it.

"That's all in the past, man. There's really not much you can do about it." Sideswipe puts his hand on my right shoulder.

"I don't know, man. I thought I could move on just thinking of that." I looked back at Sideswipe.

Ever since the night of Thunder Crash's disbandment, I've been having these dreams about it once every now and then. I don't know why, but I have a feeling on whatever happened on that night's preventing me from moving on.

Although the last time I had that dream, in regards of how often, it was back in April when I started attending High School. Then when we entered May, I stopped having those dreams. I don't know if it's good or not. But yeah…

It's been a little over a week since we've listened to Tezla's message. And during that time, I've been having dreams about that night practically once every other night.

"Dude, I think you need some help." Sideswipe gets up and puts his school uniform on.

"…" I got off of my bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

"You've been dreaming of that night a lot more often now than back in April." Sideswipe continues.

"It's been like that since we've listened to Tezla's message. And that was a little over a week ago."

I stopped in front of the bathroom door, thinking about Tezla's message.

"Look, we need to get ready to meet up with Tezla this Saturday night." I looked back towards Sideswipe.

"We need to know for sure about 'Pro—"

"You're always like this, Eric!" Sideswipe cutting me off in a scolding tone.

"You're always bottling things up! I maybe overreacting, but that's going to get you killed one of these days!"

"Damn it, this 'Project Silverback' can possibly be our only shot at getting back at the IS and possibly for me to move on as well." I talked back.

Sideswipe scoffs and shakes his head in frustration as he picks up his school bag.

"I'm sorry, Eric. But you should still seek some help." Sideswipe walks past me and opening the door leading into the hallway.

"I'm going on ahead, see you at the campus." Sideswipe closes the door behind him.

I then opened the bathroom door and walked in to turn on the shower and stepped into the stall with the water raining down on me.

Ah fuck… What the hell's been going on? A lot's been going on in so little time…

I think Sideswipe's right about this. If push comes to shove, then I am going to need some help.

But hey, as time goes on, you'll never know what's going to happen.

I soon came to my senses and spent the next 10 minutes getting ready for the day ahead.

Author's Note: Phew... I'd never thought that I'd get this one done. Alright, for sure things are getting crazy for me offline now. So there's a very strong possibility that I won't be able to start on Ch. 4. I'm sorry guys, but I have my own things to deal with. And while I'm handling my personal matters offline, I'd really appreciate it if you write reviews and feedbacks, guys. Those are practically the main things that's making me continue with this Fic.