AN: I do not own Halo or Infinite Stratos. The rights belong to their respective owners.
Year – 2531, January 30th
Location – UNSC Behemoth
Doctors Log-07
Subject -777
Medical Affliction – PTSD
Subject-777, better known as 'Sev' was sent to me immediately after the first battle of Harvest. Subject entered a state of rage, for reason's unknown at the time, on the observation deck of the UNSC Behemoth. Met with great resistance from 777, assisted by SPARTANS 117, 087 and 034 in pacifying the subject. 777 was taken to the medical bay after he was restrained. Halsey and myself personally oversaw the subject's psychiatric examination, finding symptoms of severe PTSD. Cause still unknown, subject refuses to elaborate. Only clue of cause is his constant muttering of the same phrase "I failed". Affliction negatively affected 777's combat performance, provided from observations made during simulations. Ultimate decision was made by Halsey to wipe selected memory of the battle of Harvest, in hopes of removing the trauma. Subject given experimental serum-MR390 (developed by Halsey during the SPARTAN II project) and placed into cryo-sleep, in hopes that once awoken, the trauma would be removed. Subject kept in stasis for one year before awoken by lab personnel (with an armed guard). 777 showed no signs of PTSD, and no memory of the events that transpired on Harvest. Halsey gave me an extensive profile on the serum used, warning that it may not be permanent. To counter this possibility, it was arranged for the subject to be administered with the serum annually until a more suitable solution can be developed. 777 was deemed ready for combat four months after being awoken, and put into the field immediately. Combat efficiency was off the charts during missions. To conclude, subject-777 has overcome his trauma, and there is no cause for concern.
-END OF MEDICAL LOG-
Year – 2531, 17th March
Location – UNSC Spirit of Fire, Unknown Planetoid.
"SPARTANS, Sergeant Forge. Please report to the bridge."
Jaeger heard the transmission over the intercom, heading straight to the bridge where the captain was waiting for him and the others. He encountered the others mentioned in the captain's transmission on his way to the bridge.
"Hey Sev."
Jaeger just nodded to his addresser, Jerome-092. He glanced to see Alice-130, Douglas-042 and Sergeant John Forge with 092. The others acknowledged Jaeger with small nods of their own, with Alice giving a small wave instead.
The five of them walked in silence to the bridge. They eventually reached the door to the bridge, with it opening to them. They all stepped into the bridge, standing at attention in rank before the captain. The captain gave them a quick salute, to which they returned.
"Thank you for coming here on short notice. This is important." he said.
The five of them stayed silent at his words, but he continued nonetheless.
"As you all know, the 'Arbiter' kidnapped Doctor Anders, whom Sergeant Forge managed to recover with your help. She has devised a plan to make sure the covenant doesn't escape the system and use the artefacts they've found. But... I'm afraid you're not going to like it"
The doctor, seemingly appeared from nowhere at Captain Cutter's last comment.
"Thank you Captain, I'll take it from here." she said.
The captain gave a short nod and allowed Doctor Anders to elaborate.
"Serina, if you will." she asked politely.
"Of course Doctor" the shipboard AI accepted.
Serina materialized a hologram of the doctor's plan.
"This is what I have devised. The hologram is currently displaying the reactor that powers the engines of the ship. In order to prevent the covenant from using the technology they've recovered from the planetoid , the reactor has to be detonated within the artificial sun that resides inside the planetoid. This will cause a mass overload, but at a price. The ship, with everything on it, will be destroyed by the overload. In other words, none of us are getting out of here alive."
The SPARTANS and Forge kept their silence. In their minds, they knew this had to be done. But Jaeger had other ideas.
"I can see an alternative." he announced neutrally.
The others on the bridge just stared at Jaeger, confused by his question.
"Please elaborate 777." the doctor asked.
"What if we loaded the reactor into a pelican and flew that into the sun? The pilot could detonate the reactor, while the Spirit of Fire slingshots itself around the sun, and out of the planetoid." he explained.
The doctor pondered the SPARTAN'S suggestion. It was a logical course of action, but one question remained.
"Then who would pilot the pelican?" the doctor inquired.
The bridge was silent as no one answered the doctor's inquiry. This was broken when one brave soul volunteered themselves.
"I will."
The others turned to the owner of the voice. Jaeger.
"Are you certain 777? You know it's a one way trip." Captain Cutter spoke.
"Yes" Jaeger replied without hesitation.
The Captain let out a long sigh. "Doctor? What do you think? Can we do it?"
"Yes, it should make no difference in the plan, except the fact that 777 would be the only casualty." she replied.
The Captain paused before finishing. "Very well SPARTAN. If that's what you want, but why if I may ask?"
"It is our duty, as SPARTANS, to protect humanity from any threat, no matter the cost. This is clearly a threat to humanity and must be prevented." Jaeger informed patriotically.
"Then what about the other SPARTANS?" Cutter responded logically.
"Because they're all part of a team. An efficient unit, they all fought and trained together. I didn't. If one of them were to take my place, then their performance would drop in combat, even with a replacement member." Jaeger clarified.
"But-" Alice started.
"No. This is how it must be. I refuse to allow anyone else to do this but me." Jaeger stated firmly.
They were all put into place by Jaeger's statement. Red Team were silently upset. Jaeger didn't see that they already saw him as a member of their team, even if it wasn't official. The silence continued before it was broken by Cutter.
"Very well. Red team, I want you to head to Hangar 2F and load a pelican with the reactor immediately. No more questions." he said authoritatively.
The other SPARTANS took their leave, having one last glance at Jaeger before heading to the reactor. This left the doctor, Captain Cutter, Sergeant Forge and Jaeger alone on the bridge. Cutter was still troubled by something however.
"Doctor, one problem still remains unsolved. How do we get out of the system with no slipspace capabilities?"
"All we can do is put the majority of the crew into cryo, and leave a skeleton crew to pilot the ship to the nearest UNSC controlled system." the doctor clarified.
"Very well. If that's what it takes. Sergeant Forge, I want you to organise the crew into cryo pods, you shall be joining them. Same goes for you doctor, you're going into cryo too. I will mange the skeleton crew." Cutter ordered.
"But sir, who will be part of the skeleton crew?" Forge asked.
"Hold that thought sergeant." he paused, reaching for the ship's intercom "Chief engineer Prescott, Officer Blake. Report to the bridge immediately." he ordered.
Minutes pass, but Prescott and Blake finally entered the bridge.
"You called sir?" Blake inquired.
"Yes. Yes I did. Blake, I want you to select ten officers and assign them to the bridge. I also want you to assemble a squad of marines from the crew. As for you Prescott, I want you to put together a team of your best engineers. Don't ask why, just do it for me." Cutter ordered.
The two addressees glanced at each other before giving the captain a salute, showing that they understood. They swiftly left the bridge to carry out the Captains orders. As they left, the intercom beeped. Captain Cutter answered the unknown hail.
"Cutter here."
"This is Red Team. The reactor has been loaded. It's ready."
"Good. Hold position, 777 and I will join you shortly."
He ended the short conversation and glanced to Jaeger. Jaeger gave a slow nod, and the two of them headed to the hangar.
At Hangar 2F -
Jaeger and Captain Cutter reached the hangar after a long walk of silence. They entered the hangar, noticing the SPARTANS of red team waiting for them, standing by the pelican with the devastating payload. The two approached red team, all of whom gave a stiff salute to the duo. They both returned the respectful gesture. There was an awkward silence between them, before the captain broke it.
"777, are you ready?" he asked
"Yes. You'd better report to the cryo bay now, I'll take it from here." Jaeger replied blankly.
The other four hesitated. The members of Red Team wanted to give their final farewell to the selfless soldier.
"It's been an honour Sev. We'll see you on the other side." Douglas said holding out his hand.
Jaeger decided to accept the gesture, and grasped the offered hand with his own. Their hands remained clenched as the other two SPARTANS added their own. All of the SPARTANS gave a curt nod, and the formation broke. The Captain cleared his throat to say his own goodbye to the SPARTAN.
"Good Luck Sergeant Major." he said softly, despite his respective stature.
"We make our own luck sir." he replied, with his old rival's catchphrase.
With the last of the goodbyes out of the way, Jaeger took the first step into the instrument of his death. He glanced over his shoulder to see the others standing at attention, with their arms raised as a salute. He acknowledged their respectful act with one last salute before heading to the cockpit of the pelican. He sat down in the pilots seat, and entered the command to close the ramp of the pelican. He looked down the cabin to see the reactor, it was humming slightly, showing that it was already primed and armed. Jaeger returned his attention to piloting the pelican. He started up the engines which whirred to life. In no time at all, he lifted the Pelican out of the Hangar and into the dark abyss to face his end.
So this is it, isn't it?
Yes. It is.
…
I'm sorry Jaeger.
Why are you apologizing Athena? This is the way things have to be.
But why you? Why not any of the others?
I explained that earlier. If you were listening I-
Don't give me that Jaeger. I know there was a different reason.
…
C'mon Jaeger, be honest. This is the last time we'll be able to talk like this.
…
To be honest Athena, I don't really know. It just felt like the right thing to do at the time. I feel like I still would of volunteered, even if it wasn't my duty.
I see...
…
…
Thank you Athena.
For what?
…
For everything.
Jaeger ended the conversation in his head, noticing that they were almost at the sun. He felt no regret, he knew this was the only way to save everyone. He breathed in one, final long breath and released it. Unbuckling himself from the pilot seat, he approached the armed reactor. He motioned his hand over the activation command on the reactor. He hesitated slightly, glancing one last time into the glowing, yellow sun. He closed his eyes, bracing for the end.
And activated the make-shift bomb.
Year – Unknown
Location – Unknown
Darkness. That's all he could see. Darkness. Is this what it feels like to be dead? Jaeger thought. He walked slowly, gathering his surroundings. Jaeger. He heard the voice, like a whisper. He kept silent, listening intently for the voice. He heard it again, but this time it was clear. And warm. Jaeger, it's time to wake up dear. He was confused by what the voice had said. He was about to speak out into the darkness, but was interrupted by a sudden, bellowing voice.
JAEGER! JAEGER WAKE UP NOW!
Jaeger bolted up.
I'm... Alive? Athena, what's going on?
I have no idea, but I think you should see this. Get to the cockpit and look out the window.
Jaeger slowly gathered himself off the steel floor of the pelican, clutching his side as he did so. Damn, I'm injured he thought. Ignoring the pain, he staggered into the cockpit, and his jaw dropped at the sight infront of him.
Earth
Athena, Try to establish contact with FLEETCOM.
On it.
…
Well?
I'm getting nothing. Not even static.
That's impossible. Scan the planet for any UNSC communications, maybe FLEETCOM is down.
Scanning...
…
My god. You're not gonna like this.
What? What is it?
Jaeger... This isn't earth.
What are you talking about? Just look at what's in front of you. That has to be earth.
What I'm getting at is... well...
Just get to the point.
This isn't our earth.
What? Are you certain?
Yes, that's what I can get from the analysis. My scans showed no signs of the UNSC or the UEG at all. There's no orbital stations, there's no UNSCDF, there's nothing at all.
There has to be something.
Jaeger this-
We're going planetside.
But we don't even know what's down there!
Doesn't matter. I want to get a better grasp of this 'second earth'.
What if something happens?
Jaeger left Athena's question unanswered as he sat back down into the pilot's chair. He readjusted his course and headed to the planet below. He went on to answer Athena's last question.
Then we'll handle it.
"Alright class listen up! You have the good fortune of having me as your home room teacher this semester! So-" a voice started
"OH MY GOD! WE GET ORIMURA-SENSEI AGAIN!" another voice burst out
"KYAAA!"
Chifuyu Orimura rubbed her eyes stressfully. This is going to be a long year. Why do I always get the loonies? she asked herself. Ignoring the squeals of delight from the class, she stepped in front of the desk of one poor unfortunate soul.
"Ichika!" she said with a raised voice.
"Yes Ma'am?" he replied fearfully.
"I want you to make an effort this semester! No slacking off!" she commanded.
Ichika groaned at his sister's demand. This earned him a signature thwack to the head from her clipboard. After rubbing his sore spot on his head he looked into the eyes of the 'demon' as he saw it. He shuddered as he noticed the malice filled aura emanating from her. He gulped and gave a quivered response.
"Yes, Orimura-sensei."
"Good."
Chifuyu motioned for her assistant to take over. The assistant cleared her throat, ready to address the now reasonably quiet class.
"Welcome back to another semester at the IS Academy! I hope you all had a wonderful break from all the hard work you put in for your first semester." she stated cheerfully.
The assistant was met with an awkward silence. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly before continuing.
"Ummm... moving on. This semester will be more challenging than the last, so I hope you're all ready for the extra work! Tournaments will be held frequently to test your skills gained from your first semester, and hopefully you'll make some new friends along the way!" she finished joyfully.
The class remained in their state of silence at the assistant's bubbly nature. Chifuyu clapped her hands together to get the class' attention.
"That will be all Miss Yamada. As for the rest of you, class dismissed!" she remarked sternly.
The class stayed seated and begun their chattering. Save one.
Ichika Orimura ran one of his hands through his messy, navy blue hair and let out a sigh. Another year of torture, here I come. Hopefully I won't get as much grief from the others this- he thought before being interrupted.
"Ichika!" the voice said loudly.
Ichika turned his head to find the source of the newcomer. His childhood friend, Houki.
"What is it Houki?" he responded hesitantly.
"Let's go." she said, grabbing him roughly from his desk.
"Wha-, Where are we going Houki?" he asked irritatedly.
"Just shut up and follow me." she replied curtly.
Houki continued to drag Ichika by the sleeve until she reached their destination. The school roof.
"Houki, this is-" Ichika started.
She gave her reply by dragging him through the door and onto the roof. She released her hold from him, facing him with a tinted red face.
"Listen Ichika..."
"What? Is something wrong?" he inquired.
"About that night..." she trailed.
Ichika blushed at the memory of that night. He knew what she was talking about. It was when they beat the Silver Gospel at the end of last semester. He remembered the embarrassing (and life-threatening) position he found himself. With Houki in his arms running from the others as they shot at the two of them. He was about to speak up, but was interrupted when the door to the roof slammed open.
"Shinonono! What do you think you're doing!"
Ichika and Houki looked toward the door to find four girls. From Ichika's point of view, they looked very, very angry.
"I'm not doing anything. Is there something wrong Huang?" Houki replied calmly.
The girl in question was fuming at Houki's calm demeanour.
"Rin, Cecilia, Laura, Char, what're you doing here?" Ichika said before the situation escalated.
Rin recomposed herself to answer Ichika's question.
"Well, you and Shinonono there disappeared. The others and I wanted to see where you went off to."
"Well now you have. Is there something else you wanted?" Houki interjected jealously.
Rin was about to rebuke Houki's rude question, but the school bell rung, stopping her.
"Next time Houki, next time." Rin said before taking her leave with the other girls.
"C'mon, we need to get back to class." Ichika told Houki
Houki just nodded, but was secretly annoyed that she couldn't finish.
"Alright Class! Enough chatter!" Chifuyu said firmly.
The squabbling girls instantly ceased their mindless gossip at the command.
"Today we'll see just how much you've learnt from last year! You will all engage in separate spars with each other, taking turns. Remember this is just an exercise not a competition, don't go over the top! Are we clear?"
"Yes Orimura-sensei!" they replied earnestly.
"First up is Orimura and Shinonono!" Chifuyu declared.
Houki celebrated to herself, glad to be paired with Ichika first. While Ichika felt a wave of terror. Crap! Houki's gonna kill me! he thought fearfully.
The two of them deployed their IS' and moved into position, with Houki being met with the jealous gazes of all the class, especially from Rin, Cecilia, Laura and Charlotte. Ignoring the stares, Houki readied herself into a combat stance, as did Ichika. He activated his Yukihira, it's burning, blue blade bursting from the hilt. Houki materialized her own weapons, the twin katana's Amatsuki and Karaware.
Moments pass as the duo remain on guard with their weapons at the ready.
"BEGIN!" Chifuyu yelled.
They wasted no time in rushing toward each other. Ichika swung first, his attack being met with a block from one of Houki's blades. Houki Thrust her free katana at Ichika, but he dodged it narrowly. The two started pacing around in a circle with the brief cease of combat. Houki took the initiative as she rushed to Ichika, bringing down both swords onto him. He barely managed to block the attack with the Yukihira. They both held the lock, Houki pushing down with all her might and Ichika keeping her blades at bay, kneeling.
Ichika was already tiring from the battle. Dammit! I can't hold on much longer! he thought to himself harshly. No sooner did he have this thought, Houki removed one of her blades and swept her free sword at Ichika's side. With nowhere to dodge, Houki's sword connected with Ichika, bringing his shield energy to nought. Chifuyu stepped in at this moment.
"Alright, that's enough. Shinonono, put your IS on standby and rejoin the class" she paused "You too Orimura." she added with an irritated voice.
The two complied, Houki de-materialized her IS, putting it back into standby mode. She offered a hand to Ichika, which he took. She pulled him up and the two of them walked to their classmates.
"Dunois! Bödewig! You're next." Chifuyu said sternly.
The two girls complied, stepping forward from the class and activated their own IS, readying themselves for the coming duel.
"BEGIN!"
The two girls were about to engage each other, but a strange, growing, whirring sound held them in place.
"What's that sound?"
"Sounds like a Jet"
Chifuyu groaned inwardly at the comments. But something caught her eye in the distance.
"Miss Yamada, Isn't the area above the academy a restricted airspace?" she asked firmly.
"Umm... I think so." she replied absent mindedly.
"Then why is there an aircraft currently flying toward the academy?" she asked rhetorically while pointing to said aircraft.
Miss Yamada turned her gaze to where Chifuyu was pointing, noticing the approaching aircraft.
"Oh..."
Where are we going Jaeger?
We're just scouting for now. I need to know what's going on.
I have a bad feeling about this.
Calm down Athena. We'll be fine.
…
…
Jaeger.
What?
I'm picking up some strange readings, 1 klick east of us. It could be something-
We'll check it out.
Jaeger adjusted their current course, turning the pelican eastward.
What do you think we'll see when we get there?
I don't know. But it doesn't matter. If it can tell us more about this planet, then it's worth the risk.
Risk? You expecting an attack?
Maybe. If we are attacked, we'll handle it.
What do you mean by 'handle it'?
You already know the answer.
…
Jaeger-
Enough. No more talk. Let me focus.
...OK Jaeger.
Minutes pass by as Jaeger pilot's the Pelican without interruption. Something caught his eye. Using his HUD's zooming capability, he noticed a tall, jagged structure over the horizon. Without hesitation, he increased his speed. As the time passed by, more came into his view. It appeared to be an Island, dotted with multiple buildings.
Athena, what is that?
I have no-
What? Why did you stop?
Jaeger! Take evasive manoeuvres! Now!
Jaeger didn't hesitate, and instantly jerked the pelican left, and into a roll. Just as he finished the rushed movement, a crimson coloured projectile narrowly missed the pelican. His SPARTAN instinct kicked in, recognizing the unknown threat.
Athena, take over here, get out of range. I'm making the drop. If I need help, I'll activate my transponder.
As you wish.
With Athena's confirmation, Jaeger pulled her data chip from the back of his head and plugged it into the onboard AI slot. Her familiar avatar materialized, giving him a nod, signalling that she was in control of the pelican. He rushed into the cabin of the Pelican and opened the weapon station. He received his chosen weapons (SPARTAN Laser, MA5B and 2 M7S SMG's) as well as a mobile jetpack and slammed them hastily onto his armour's magnetic strips. He strode past the reactor and stopped at the loading ramp.
Do it Athena.
On it.
The ramp began to open, flooding the cabin with blinding light. After seconds pass, the ramp was fully open. And with one final intake of air, he leapt out of the pelican to face the new threat.
"Miss Orimura! That aircraft is getting closer!" a student exclaimed through the chaos
"Everyone calm down!"
The students all stopped their fearful squabbling.
"The situation is under control." she said as she pressed her earpiece "Yamada, has the aircraft accepted our hail?" she asked over the earpiece.
"No I'm afraid. It's unresponsive." Yamada replied.
Chifuyu sighed at this, but quickly recollected herself.
"Then we assume it's hostile. Shinonono, Huang, Alcott, Bödewig, Dunois! I want all of you to engage the aircraft! Buy us time to evacuate the students! Ichika, you're with me." she ordered.
The five girls, along with Ichika gave her a nod of acknowledgement, ready to engage their new foe. The five of them arranged themselves in a line, fully armed and ready to fight, while Ichika left with Chifuyu and the rest of the students to safety.
The unknown aircraft closed the distance between them and the academy. Rin wasted no time in firing at the aircraft with her impact cannons. The fiery projectiles sped to the aircraft, but it dodged the attack and veered off.
"You missed!" Cecilia yelled angrily.
"It's not my fault they dodged it! Why don't you give it a try?" she replied heatedly.
"Fine. Let me show you how easy it is" Cecilia responded haughtily.
Cecilia raised her sniper rifle, aiming at the aircraft. The aircraft adjusted its course, now heading straight to them.
"Take the shot Cecilia!" Houki yelled.
Cecilia ignored Houki's pestering, taking in long breaths to steady her aim. Her finger was slowly squeezing the trigger, but before she could take the shot, a glinting red light blinded her view, and she was suddenly sent hurtling backwards as a beam of blinding red light struck her. She slammed into the ground, unmoving, with her IS returned in standby mode.
The other girls just looked at each other, each with utter surprise written on their faces.
"What just happened?!" Rin yelled with a shocked tone in her voice.
Before any of the others could answer the obvious question, something impacted into the ground in front of them, lifting the dirt off the ground into a large dust cloud.
As Jaeger was falling through the air, he noticed a glint on the ground. He focused onto its origin with his advanced eyesight, and was met with a sight that stunned him.
From what he could see, there were five girls. Five human girls, wearing skin tight suits, adorned in a strange exoskeleton. To him, they looked no older than sixteen. Their stances are unbalanced, and their formation is flawed. They clearly have little or no combat experience. Good he thought tactically.
Jaeger pulled the SPARTAN laser off his back, aiming it at the origin of the glint. He zoomed in to find a young blonde girl aiming a large sniper rifle at the pelican. Interesting, they haven't seen me yet. He held down the trigger of the laser, allowing a familiar red light gather around the barrel. The laser surged, releasing a long red beam at the blonde girl. It connected with its target, sending the hostile flying backwards. Jaeger noticed that the girl's exoskeleton dissipated, leaving her lying on the ground. Supposedly dead. The other hostiles panicked as their comrade fell.
He was getting closer to the ground, so he locked his armour, ready for the rough landing. Within seconds of him doing so, he slammed into the ground, displacing the dirt and creating a dust cloud.
He waited, not wanting the others to notice his presence. A voice broke the silence that followed his destructive entry.
"What the hell was that?!" someone yelled.
The dust was slowly clearing.
"I have no-" Houki started.
But she was interrupted when a black figure came into view as the dust began to settle. The four remaining girls were silenced, their voices long forgotten. Their jaws dropped as they took in the appearance of the new arrival.
A 6ft figure, adorned with bulky black armour, with crimson stripes running down its arms and the right side of its torso. What caught their attention was a bright orange visor on its helmet. They snapped out of their inspection when another red glint gleamed from the weapon it was now aiming at them.
They had little time to register the oncoming attack. A red beam headed straight toward the group. They dived out of its path. Some of them anyway.
The beam struck Rin as she was trying to dodge it. She let out a scream as it burned away her shields. Like Cecilia, she was propelled through the air by the impact, landing to the ground with a loud thud.
The remaining girls' anger rose. Whatever this thing was, it was going to pay. Houki rushed forward to unknown hostile, with her two swords raised above her head ready to cleave them in two.
Jaeger quickly acknowledged the new threat. He placed the laser back onto his back, leaving him unarmed. Houki reached him, bringing her swords down to slice him. He went into 'SPARTAN time', the world went into slow motion around him. He grasped the dull edges of the two swords with his hands, the force of their swing creating a shallow crater beneath his feet. He saw the girls shocked expression, probably from his display of strength. A spilt second later, he snapped the two weapons with his bare hands, kicking the girl in her exposed gut with great force, throwing her off balance. Houki tipped over, winded and knocked unconscious by the unknown assailants kick.
Charlotte and Laura stood still, immobilized by shock. And fear. Despite holding a calm demeanour, deep down they were terrified. This... thing had just dispatched two representative candidates and a highly skilled IS pilot with ease. The two of them shook off their surprise, attempting to formulate a counter-offensive. Laura took charge.
"Charlotte! I'll hold it in place with my AIC! Shoot it while its immobilised!"
Charlotte nodded determinedly, materializing her Garm SMG's and aiming at the armour clad figure. Laura held out her arm to Jaeger and activated her AIC.
Jaeger felt a sudden force grasp him. He tried to move, but something was stopping him. He looked at the two girls in font of him, the one in a black exoskeleton with silver hair holding out its arm to him, and the other orange coloured exoskeleton raising their weapons. The one in black is holding me. I need to deal with her first he thought calmly to himself.
He tensed every muscle in his body, clenching his fists, trying to break the girls hold on him. He could feel his arms moving ever so slightly, and with a single powered movement with his arms, he felt the unknown force dissipate. He wasted no time in sprinting toward the silver haired girl. She could only yelp as he grabbed her outstretched arm. He pulled on her arm forcefully, turning his body, with her arm in his grasp. He spun around and released his hold, sending the girl speeding through the air. Her forced flight promptly ended when she struck a nearby wall, breaking away the concrete. Familiar whistling sounds caught his attention. Bullets he thought irritatedly. He turned to see the last hostile shooting a wave of bullets at him. Luckily, his shields absorbed the brunt of the attack. He didn't want to take chances, so to be safe he activated his Z-4190 'Bubble Shield' smashing it to the ground, to protect him while his shields recharged. The spherical shield materialized around him as his opponent released another hailstorm of bullets, the shield preventing them from reaching him.
Charlotte kept firing at the unknown attacker, but ceased when she noticed that a strange dome-like apparition absorbed her bullets. She lowered her weapons and stared, with an angered gaze, at the figure standing within the transparent apparition. It was standing still, unmoving. Charlotte's rising anger got the better of her as she screamed at it.
"What are you?! Why have you done this?!" she demanded angrily.
Before she could continue, the figure started to slowly walk toward her. It stepped out of its protective bubble, advancing ever so slowly toward her. She raised her SMG's, her fingers on their triggers as she prepared to open fire. The figure became a blur as she was about to open fire. She searched frantically for the black-armoured figure, but to no avail. A deep, hoarse voice behind her made her freeze.
"I am a SPARTAN. And I defended myself."
Before she could react, she felt something collide with her head, and her world became dark.
To say Chifuyu was in shock was a severe understatement. Her along with the other students eyes were widened at the events of the battle. Ichika broke her shock as he spoke slowly.
"Chifuyu-nee, wh-what just happened?" he asked shakily.
Allowing the drop in formality, she replied as calmly as she could.
"I don't know Orimura. At the moment I don't really care. We need to help them before this... thing does any more damage."
She turned her attention to Miss Yamada.
"Miss Yamada, mobilize all the instructors, I don't want this thing getting away!" she ordered.
"Of course Miss Orimura." Yamada responded seriously.
Yamada raised her hand to her earpiece.
"Attention all Instructors! Report to the main training grounds! Bring your IS with you. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill!" she commanded with the same tone of seriousness.
"Ichika, is your IS fully charged?" Chifuyu asked.
Ichika checked to see if his IS could be deployed and gave her the answer she was hoping for.
"Yes, it's ready to be deployed."
"Good. Listen up girls! Miss Yamada, Orimura and myself are going to assist in pacifying our attacker! Under no circumstances are you to leave the emergency bunker until the threat has passed! Understand?" she declared authoritatively.
The frightened students replied in unison, with shaky voices.
"Yes, Orimura-sensei."
Chifuyu glanced at Ichika and Miss Yamada, who both gave her a nod of agreement. She gestured for the two to follow her, which they did with great haste.
As Chifuyu, Ichika and Yamada rushed out of the bunker, Chifuyu had only one thing on her mind.
I hope we get there in time.
Jaeger stood over the now unconscious blonde haired girl. With his MA5B aimed at her head. He was about to finish her off when the faint sound of thrusters caught his attention.
He analysed his surroundings to find the source of the noise, noticing small dots in the sky approaching. Fast. I need to get out of here. I can't handle that many he thought. No sooner did he think this when a voice shouted to him.
"DON'T MOVE!"
Jaeger shifted his gaze to find a woman, with long black hair, fashioned into a ponytail, and piercing hazel coloured eyes standing before him. He also noticed a green haired woman, with matching green eyes, and another exoskeleton, piloted by a young teenage boy with navy blue hair and hazel coloured eyes. The boy and the black haired woman must be related, they look similar. I should use this to my advantage he thought analytically.
His inner thoughts were interrupted when the black haired woman spoke once more.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
Jaeger was insulted by this woman's tone. The way she addressed him was militaristic, like a superior would address their underlings. He was a SPARTAN, not a mere marine. And she had no right to address him as such. He just kept his silence as his reply.
Chifuyu's anger was slowly rising. Is it an IS? That would explain a lot. A person wouldn't be able to cause this much damage on without one she questioned herself. Ichika was getting angry as well. His friends were lying there, hopefully alive, because of this armoured-being standing before him. He voiced his anger loudly.
"You better be ready to fight you bastard! You'll pay for what you did to my friends!"
Jaeger's finger twitched on the trigger of his assault rifle at the young boy's outburst. His left hand clenched tightly around the bottom of the rifle, ready to adjust for any sudden signs of hostile intent.
"That's enough Ichika! Don't provoke it!" the black haired woman shouted.
So, the boy's name is Ichika.
The black haired woman, from what he could interpret, was trying to diffuse the situation before it escalated. Jaeger was fighting an internal battle. One side of him wanted to keep the situation under control, but he knew that reinforcements could arrive at any moment. The other side wanted to remove them and escape, but then that could lead to unforeseen consequences. For all he knew, the three standing before him could be part of a bigger faction. After great consideration, he decided on the latter, activating his emergency transponder, hoping that Athena would get here in time.
"Who are you? This is the last time I'll repeat myself" the black haired woman asked again.
More Silence.
"Don't make us fight you. Tell us why. Now." she threatened.
Jaeger noticed a large blip on his HUD.
...
As he kept his silence, multiple exoskeletons landed around him, boxing him in.
"If you won't talk freely, you leave us no choice. We'll take you into custody and make you talk. If you resist, we will use lethal force." Chifuyu said threateningly.
Jaeger was unfazed by Chifuyu's threat. He gave his response. A grenade. He whipped a grenade off his armour's belt and lobbed it right at Chifuyu.
"LOOK OUT CHIFUYU-NEE!" Ichika yelled as sliced the grenade in mid-air with his Yukihira.
Jaeger took his chance, and activated his jetpack. He replaced his MA5B with his M7S's and didn't hesitate to open fire onto his attackers.
Before any of them could return fire, a barrage of missiles flew past him and straight at the exoskeletons. They exploded, causing the hostiles to disperse. He glanced behind him, seeing his saviour. Athena.
He wasted no time in flying toward the back of the pelican, and into the cabin through the opened ramp. He rushed to the cockpit, buckling himself in. He grasped the joystick and jerked it backwards to elevate the pelican away from the hostiles still on the ground. He increased his speed, knowing that time was at the essence.
Chifuyu was furious. Not only did the intruder refuse to answer her question, it had the nerve to attack her.
"AFTER IT! DON'T LET IT ESCAPE!" Chifuyu bellowed loudly.
The instructors didn't hesitate, and activated their thrusters to pursue the fleeing assailant. Chifuyu addressed Ichika immediately after.
"Ichika, same goes for you. Stop it at all costs." she told him calmly.
Ichika gave a quick nod, and took off after the aircraft. As he flew away, Chifuyu allowed herself a rare sentimental thought.
Be safe Ichika.
I see you made new friends Jaeger.
This is no time for jokes Athena.
I'm just trying to lighten the mood.
Well don't. Do something useful and plot us a new course. We need somewhere to lay low.
Hmph. Meanie.
Athena.
I'm doing it, I'm doing it! Don't get you're knickers in a twist.
What is that supposed to mean?
…
Athena.
Shouldn't you be focusing on flying right now?
Jaeger grunted inwardly at Athena's sly comment. But she was right. He should be focusing on flying instead of getting into petty arguments with his AI.
So far, his escape was not going smoothly. At the time, he didn't know that the exoskeleton's could fly. He was having trouble avoiding all the missiles and bullets they shot at him, some of them hitting the hull on occasion. Luckily, there wasn't any serious damage. The warning alarm for missile lock went off in the cockpit, and Jaeger responded by roughly banking to the right. The missiles flew harmlessly past him, but quickly readjusted, regaining their lock on the pelican.
Athena. Take over.
What?! You're going to jump again?
No. I had something else in mind.
Alright, I found a good location for us, I'll head straight there.
Good. Open the back, I'm going to give our new 'friends' a little parting gift.
Jaeger unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat once more, heading back into the cabin to get his little 'present'. He reached the weapon station, and stopped in front of a sealed weapon's case. He forcefully opened the weapon's case, giving a very rare smirk under his visor. He heaved his little 'present' from the weapon's case and held it at his side. He stepped heavily to the opening ramp, revealing small dots in the clear sky.
He began to set up is 'present'. The 'present' was an AIE-486H heavy machine gun, capable of piercing the armour of a wraith and shredding banshees in mid flight. The perfect gift for his new 'friends'.
With the HMG ready to fire, Jaeger searched the sky for anyone dumb enough to fly too close. He noticed one particular dot standing out among the other dark green dots. He zoomed in his HUD on the anomaly. In is sight was the white exoskeleton from before, with the same male pilot. From the looks of it, the pilot was seething with fury.
Ichika was flying among the instructors, with his anger reaching breaking point. He noticed the back of the aircraft open open, and his eyes widened as he saw the figure, hunched over a large Gatling Gun. Before Ichika could warn the instructors of the new threat, a barrage of bullets shot out from the back of the aircraft, making short work of the instructors that were flying close to him, forcing them to back off. Ichika wasted no time in zooming away from the storm of projectiles, joining a small group of fleeing instructors.
"What's going on sensei?" he asked.
"We're pulling back, we need reinforcements." one of the instructors replied.
Ichika barely kept his anger contained.
"But we can't give up now!"
"Yes, we can. We're going back Orimura and that's final." the instructor said sternly.
Ichika's face scrunched up at the instructor's order. Like hell am I gonna let it get away! he thought angrily.
Before any of the instructors could stop him, Ichika sped back toward the aircraft, avoiding the gunfire that continuously poured out of the back of it. After a few moments, the gunfire ceased. Ichika took the chance, and headed straight to the back of the opened aircraft. He reached the ramp of the aircraft, noticing the abandoned Gatling Gun, still smoking at the barrel. He cautiously stepped further into the dark cabin, with Yukihira in hand. With every step, he felt his fear rising to engulf his anger. The assailant was nowhere in sight. Ichika gulped. He spoke shakily, trying to gain a bearing on his friends' attacker.
"I-I-I k-know y-you're i-in here. C-Come o-out and f-f-fight!"
No response.
He fearfully walked further into the cabin, but found he couldn't get past a large object marked with a nuclear symbol. Going against his better judgement, he went into partial deployment. He needed to explore the entire interior. With only his Yukihira and his pilot suit as protection, he stepped past the obstruction, and into what appeared to be the cockpit. It was empty.
He turned to leave, but a sudden voice stopped him.
"It's not nice to barge in here uninvited." it said cheerfully.
He turned back to see a small blue feminine figure materialize before his very eyes. The petite figure smiled sweetly at him and gave a small wave.
"Hello!" she greeted cheerfully.
Ichika was dumbstruck. Never before in his life had he seen something like this. A few seconds pass, and Ichika voiced his obvious shock.
"What are you?"
"I'm an AI of course. My name is Athena!" it exclaimed happily.
"Athena?" he asked numbly.
"That's right!" she replied.
An awkward silence ensued for a few moments, before Ichika asked Athena something that had been bothering him ever since he got onto the aircraft.
"I don't suppose you've seen a 6ft tall black...err...IS have you?"
"I wouldn't know anything about an IS, but I do know a tall black armoured guy." she responded
"Really?" he asked earnestly.
"Yeah, he's right there" she said pointing behind Ichika.
Before Ichika could react, he felt a painful thud on his head. He was losing consciousness, but not before hearing the armour clad being speak.
"Surprise."
And there you have it! We have finally reached the crossover! Thank you all for your patience with me. I'll make sure to publish the next chapter soon!
