Infinite Stratos: God of Thunder
By: The 483
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Infinite StratosFranchise.
Spoiler Alert: Warning: Light to mild spoilers for the Anime may be included herein.
Back to School
Tatenashi lay in silence, absorbing the information the tiny Russian had so blandly stated.
"Okay..." She said with a hint of irk, "is this credible?" Catherine stared back at her.
"Dunno. You tell me." She said. Tatenashi scowled, and lifted the sheets slightly, seeing the small woman curled cat like into her next, fast asleep.
"I want to say no, because she seems rather odd. Which is why I asked for your opinion. But, I suppose I will do some research when we return home, and make up my mind." She sighed. "What is up with this girl, anyway? She's cute and friendly, but I don't get it."
"Oh, just an average case of a person too smart for their own good who has trouble associating with people. We met way back when she was hired to make some things for my brother, and we started hanging out. So we've been friends for a long while. It's just hard to develop social skills when you have no equals, so if you remember that, she's pleasant enough."
"So, you really won't answer?" Tatenashi said, looking irritated.
"Nope. You are smart, you'll come up with your own answer in jig time. By the way, when you said home, where did you mean?" She asked.
"What? Why, the Academy, of course."
"Interesting. So you view that as your home, now?"
"It's just an expression, though I am quite fond of it. Why does it matter?"
"It really doesn't. I was just curious. It is a nice place, for sure. And you've really taken to being the den mother, haven't you?" Tatenashi smiled.
"I do. And in that vein, how long have you had a crush on Houki?" The silence was so complete from Catherine, that Tatenashi could hear Illesia's breathing in the nest between them. Tatenashi was very pleased with herself. She had taken a stab in the dark, on a hunch, and hit bingo. "Are you still there, Catherine?"
"Yes... I am just trying to formulate my reply." She said, an air of deep concern coloring her words. Tatenashi almost felt bad, but it was hard to get real answers out of her friend. She was still being too quiet.
"Are you not even going to deny it?" She finally said after a full minute of silence.
"If I did... you wouldn't believe me. How did I slip?" She said with a tired sigh.
"I wouldn't say slipped, really. But now that I have gotten to know you, little things stand out. It's interesting, because until you were so adamant about not wanting Houki to see you tonight, all the behavior I pegged as a little off, I wrote off as either you being American, with their weird habits, or because of your scarring. But, after watching your ...let us say, familiarity with Miss Jimenez and Miss Cherenkov here, it got me thinking. The way you are never in a changing room with other girls, how you don't shower when Houki is in the room, the fact that you are allowed in the men's bath. All of these seem normal enough, given your condition, but I had a hunch."
"How... do you even know about all that?" She said, edging panic. Tatenashi gave a sly smile, and found her hand in the mess of blankets.
"Because I make it a point to know everything. Especially back when I didn't like you for a while. Rank hath it's privileges, as you well know." She squeezed the hand. "But, if you are worried about me telling anyone, I won't." Casey scoffed.
"I am not worried about that!" she spit the words in disgust. "I am not some closet case. I am not ashamed of who I am or anything. I just figured it was polite not to stand around and admire a bunch of people who might be irked to know that they are the type I am attracted to. Like a boy in the girls locker room."
"Hey, hey, now. I meant no offense."
"And I took none." Catherine said, huffishly. "Besides, if you told Houki, I would have to end you. I so do not need any of that drama. I am happy the way things are. As far as it goes."
"Meaning, she has eyes only for Ichika." Tatenashi said, her voice transmitting her grin.
"Yeah," Catherine replied, her voice dripping sarcasm, "because that is the only hurdle I face in that endeavor. Oh, which, while we are on that subject, would you possibly do me a favor?"
"Oh? And just what type of favor are you requesting?"
"Shut up. If I was going to be asking that kind of a thing, I would be direct. What I would like, is that you ease off a bit on the whole, clinging to Ichika thing. I know your just toying with him, cause it is fun and irritates the girls, but he and Houki genuinely like each other, and he may actually make a move here soon."
"You make me curious, Catherine."
"Oh, to hell with you! This is why I don't like people to learn these types of things. I am never going to hear the end of it, am I?" Tatenashi giggled.
"No, you are not. But it is all in good fun, you know. So, he finally decided, did he? About time. Kanzashi is going to be sad. But, she's become stronger, so she should bounce back."
"Kanzashi?"
"My sister. You know, the quiet one with glasses, looks kind of like me, if I were a librarian?"
"Oh! The one that looks like a cuter you! Yeah, okay, she's so quiet, it's hard to remember her, sometimes. She built her own IS, too, yeah? Cool." Tatenashi had pinched her when she had mentioned her sister being cuter.
"Now, now, you know if you try anything with my sister, I will..." Catherine cut her off.
"Oh, stow it. She's adorable, and you agree. Just lacking in presence. Don't pretend you're jealous, or I will have to call your bluff?"
"How? You can barely move. Besides, aren't we being a little too loud?" She said, realizing they were talking at normal volume.
"Nah. As long as we don't get rough with her, Illesia won't wake up until she wants to. Her internal clock is insane. Back when we were younger, and Everret, my brother, was doing some work with her, she used to name the time she would wake up, and hit it on the second every time."
"If you say so. She was doing the level of work she is now, even back then?"
"Yeah. She's really pretty awesome. Just has all the problems that come with genius. It's not often talked about, but all the classic geniuses were rife with social disorders. Their brains are just wired differently than ours. But she's lovable, when you get that her quirks are a result of her genius, and not her being irritating because she feels she can get away with it."
"Alright. I'll take your word for it. I have not know many geniuses, and you seem to have run ins fairly frequently. And I will lay off Ichika. Say... this has something to do with why he took Cecilia and Rinin out, and then they were upset for a while, after. He's telling the girls he isn't in love with so, isn't he?"
"Yup. And so far, they are not reacting kindly."
"But what if he does this to all of them, and then Houki turns him down?"
"She won't, unless she gets suspicious, and blows up at him before he gets to her. Which, she totally might do. Which is why I asked you now to be good to him about it. You really seem to drive her crazy." Tatenashi smiled broadly at this.
"She makes it so easy. She just wishes she could be as open with affections as I am."
"Aww, she is uptight, but it's not her fault. But thanks, I appreciate it. Wait... do you really like Ichika, like they do? Am I being an ass?"
"No, it's fine. He's alright, but I have no real attachment. Like I said, he's just fun to poke. But, I will not give Houki the room back. I am staying there."
"And I would not ask you to leave. None of my business there."
"Uh-huh. Anyway, you did a good job of distracting me from my primary question. So, how long has it been?" Catherine was quiet again for a moment.
"Oh, who knows. I just figured it out one day, and it hit me that I was infatuated with her. And who can even guess why her, lord knows I am surrounded by comely girls here."
"Yeah you are. I notice you been rather close with Cecilia, as well. Any designs there?" Tatenashi countered, her sly smile returning.
"Nah. Although, using that logic, wouldn't you be further up the list? While she is like, stunningly pretty, it isn't a thing. We just get along alright, when she isn't trying to kill me. I will say, though, I love her accent."
"Interesting. So, did you date Claudia, or is that just the vibe you two were giving off?"
"What!? No no no, NO!" Catherine answered violently. "And whatever she said about that is a lie. It was one drunken night, we were already friends, we just fooled around, that was all. Just the once."
"That is not suspicious at all." Tatenashi replied to the rushed speech, with a faux skeptical purr.
"Seriously! She busted out a bottle of Tequila, and one thing lead to another." Her voice trailed off at the end.
"Tequila? That super expensive liquor?"
"Yeah, it was made from a plant that was grown in Mexico before it went extinct during the "biofuel" craze in the early 2000's. Kind of like vodka. Knocks you for a loop."
"That's all?"
"Yeah. Claudia is nice and all, but we were attracted to each other, but we didn't like each other. Plus, she has the whole, "in line for the South American Union throne" thing to deal with, so she'll have her pick when she is ready." Tatenashi had her flowing pretty freely now. So she decided to spring her original point again. It was often easy to get someone to spill something simple when they were already releasing other, unrelated items they were withholding.
"DO you think there will be a war?" Catherine did not fall for it.
"I am reserving my opinion until you bring your own reasoned answer to me. Anyway, now that I have thoroughly embarrassed myself, can we go to sleep? The adrenaline spike I got from finding out you know I like Houki has washed out of me, and I am beat." Tatenashi smiled.
"Sure. Thanks for leveling with me. I am glad you don't keep to your own philosophy about not telling friends things they can use against them later." There was a pause as Catherine yawned.
"No worries. What are friends for, if not to embarrass the hell out of each other?"
(...)
"Hyah!" Tatenashi grunted as she caught the stray arm, heaved the thin, sweatpants and tank top clad Catherine up and over her shoulder, and threw her bodily across the floor padded gym. Catherine rolled as she hit, spring to the side, and charged right back into the mix. They were not practicing Judo or any real form of martial arts, they were just brawling for fun and exercise. It had been a little more than a week since they had returned to the school. Ichika had talked to both Charlotte, and Laura, and while neither was pleased, they were not too distraught. Charlotte was pleased that they did not have to stop being friends, and Laura began to look for new ways to get herself involved with him and his sister, outside of the marriage route.
Catherine had opted to get more exercise, preferring the dull tightness and minor pain on a daily basis to the complete lockup that had happened after her loss to Illesia. Occasionally, like today, Tatenashi would opt in, and Catherine could get a real workout. But, more often, Cecilia would wish to train her body a bit, and she just was not up to this kind of thing. But Catherine admired her drive to get stronger, and it beat being lonely, so she worked with her. Houki had even worked with her one day, the one day she wore her flight suit, and while better then Cecilia, she was more suited to a sword then bare knuckle.
She managed, at least, she thought she did, not to act any different around Houki. She had been aware that she was attracted to Houki for a while now, but it hadn't really impressed itself upon her to a strong degree until Tatenashi had commented on it. Luckily, Houki was so preoccupied with Ichika's latest cuts that even if Catherine had been slightly awkward with her, she was incapable of noticing. But with almost total repairs to undergo, and quickly, as the next tournament was only a little less the 3 months away, and her new exercise regimen, on top of classes, Catherine spent very little time in the room.
Tatenashi met her closing blow, countered, and was blocked. They continued to trade blows and counterblows without effect, until Catherine missed her timing, and took a hit to her right arm between elbow and shoulder that lanced pain up her arm, despite to padded gloves they both wore. She caught her breath, receded with the blow, pivoting on her bad leg, using the action to lever her other leg up and viciously sideways at Tatenashi's seemingly exposed head. But Tatenashi seemed to easily catch the shin kick, brought her other arm up, locked the leg, sweep the other out, and brought Catherine down underneath her in an uncomfortable pose that had the leg pinned against Catherine's chest, with Tatenashi's smirking face a few inches above, sweaty and red.
"You're slowing down. Tired, or distracted." She asked, playfully. Catherine answered by a heavy puff, and panting. Tatenashi cocked a brow, her eyes twinkling. Catherine frowned, and spoke slowly, panting between words.
"If...you...even...think...about...it... ... ... I will...use... tongue...and... I will... be.. aggressive..." She rasped. Tatenashi's smile widened and she giggled.
"Oh, sweetie, you're in no position to move, much less press an attack like that." Tatenashi had been having a lot of fun with Catherine since she found out that she was into girls. Unlike Ichika, Catherine actually liked to fight back, and that was ever so much more satisfying then one who got red in the face with embarrassment whenever she so much as let the crack between her breasts peek out. She leaned down, kissed her forehead, then sprang back, just in case Catherine was shamming exhaustion. She didn't move except to feebly flop her arm in the air.
"Nope. Done. Plus, I think my arm has died."
"Aw, work it too hard?" Tatenashi asked, and walked over, retreating water bottles off the training room bench, and sitting next to the downed girl.
"Not that one. My right, from where I missed that block before you dropped me. I don't want to play anymore today." When she made no further moves, Tatenashi looked on with a bit of concern.
"You alright?"
"Yes, damn it. Can't a woman lay in a puddle of her own sweat for a while, until she feels like moving again?" She scowled. "You see? This is why I don't let most people in on what's bothering me. They see me go weak one time, and then they panic at any little thing I do." She let out a frustrated moan, and pounded a fist into the mat like a child. "It's so damn frustrating!" Tatenashi held up her hands in supplication.
"Sorry, Catherine. I just thought I might have slugged you too hard. Forget it." Catherine turned her head, an looked at her.
"Oh, not that. I am used to it. I meant it is frustrating to have my IS down. I feel so powerless knowing I cannot call on it whenever I might need it. All I can do is this little partial deployment, like this..." She touched a finger to Tatenashi's leg, where followed a small pop as she yelped and jumped slightly as a small electric spark zapped her like a static shock. She slapped the hand away angrily.
"Don't do that!" She said with a frown. Casey turned her head back to the ceiling.
"You keep teasing me, I keep zapping you. Not going to let you have all the fun." She made a motion that turned into a failed attempt to rise. "Ugh. Freaking Illesia. Love her to death, but she didn't have to completely dismantle me like that." She shook her head, and finally had enough drive to sit up. "Okay, I am better now, though I feel gross. We doing anything tonight?"
"Not that I know of. Did you want to do something? I thought you'd want to work on the Tesla."
"Oh, sure, but I am just heating magnets and testing them, for now. I am waiting on some parts to come in, so I can't do anything."
"I have nothing going on. Want to grab some other girls, and go to dinner in town or something?"
"That actually sounds really good. Who do you want to invite?" Catherine said, stopping gathering her things from the bench, and turning.
"I don't know. I was thinking maybe Cecilia, I'd see if Ichika wanted to go, and then whoever else I happen to encounter."
"Alright. Sounds good. I'll ask the pit girls. Going to take a shower. Meet you in the front in 20? Cool." Catherine grabbed her light coat, and threw it on, and scuttled off with her kit under her arm. Tatenashi gathered her own light jacket off the bench, and headed into the locker room. She was in and out of the shower in less than 5 minutes, one of the benefits of having short hair. She thought about returning to her room with just the towel on, that could be fun... but she decided against it, and removed her clean gym clothes room her locker and got quickly dressed. She folded her dirty clothes, tucked them under and arm, and left the gym. She pondered on who she should corner and make go with her, when she entered the dorm, and spotted a likely target. She put on her most political smiled, and approched.
"Oh, Houki! Just who I was looking for. Are you busy?"
(...)
A thin man in a black with white lined pinstriped suit sat in a thrown like metal chair in the center of a dark room, a sole video monitor the only source of light within the room. Displayed on the monitor was a satellite feed showing a large passenger liner cutting through relatively calm seas, foam spray trailing it giving the only indication that the ship was moving.
"News." The man said, he rather high pitched voice directed at the unseen person who stepped into the light cast form the monitor at the words.
She wore a deep blue IS flight suit, and was looking not to be in the best of condition. There were several tears, a few crusted with dried blood along her sides, and one leg had burn marks. Her right arm was clearly broke, held against her modest chest.
"I was unable to capture the target. She was more formidable than the I believed, and she managed to escape." The man in the chair sat in silence, almost as if he had not heard.
"It is of no great import. She would not have done what we wanted, anyway. We will just continue with the Female units. You are dismissed. Go to medical, but only after you send Gustov to me." He said, completely uninterested in the details. The woman bowed, and left. A thick set, Mustachioed man in his late 40's appeared from the gloom less than three minutes after she vanished. "How long until we will be able to field a full compliment?" He asked the man, though he knew full well the answer. But, subordinates liked to feel they were useful, so he could oblige, when necessary.
"Before the end of the year, we will have 140 working units. Current attrition rates, and optimistic projections of future candidate batches suggest we will have 67 suitable pilots at that time, though my own personal belief sets that number closer to 59, not including our three current operational units." He said, after flooding his hands behind his back. "The rest of the forces will attain suitable numbers roughly a month prior to that to begin and support our current projected crop if you choose to launch then. The automated systems are at 100 percent your specification, with a 15 percent reserve." The man had not asked his subordinate to do this addition work outside his focus, and did not comment on it. Initiative was its own reward.
"Very well. And what effect will the lack of the asset make?" He replied coldly.
"No effect to that portion. As suspected, our top people cannot crack the system that prevents Males from piloting the units. I suspect that the ability is tied in with the anti-tampering device, so that she alone may choose which males may fly the Infinite Stratos systems." He continued, without emotion.
"Not surprising. But it is not necessary. We will amp up recruitment efforts, but will not relax our standards. We will also activate the "Tiger's Paw," "Jade Revoultionaries," and "Copperhead Union," as well as funding of several, independent terror groups. Send a strike against the Academy, full automatic, just to make it look like a follow up, and set up the ground work for the Triad to strike in New Zealand in 12 days, Hong Kong in 24 days, and Guatemala in 47 days. At the same time, send attack threats preceding each attack by 3 days, with an erroneous attack day listed, just to sow confusion. Dissmissed." The man nodded, and vanished.
The man in the chair let a half smile, half smirk play across his face. Things were going to be fun, over the next few months. But then, how could one not enjoy lighting the world aflame?
"Start the operation." He said, at the monitor. There was a three second pause, then something streaked in from abreast the ship, and exploded, throwing chunks of metal into the sea. Around the ship, three deltas, one red, one green, one blue, flitted around the damaged ship. The man smiled more broadly as his girls went to work.
(...)
Much to Tatenashi's chagrin, Catherine did not register any irritation when she showed up with Houki in tow. Catherine had been unable to secure anyone else who felt like making the train ride to town at that time of night, because most of them had morning classes early enough for it to be too late when they got back. But it had been a pleasant meal, and Catherine was not acting any differently then usual, confronted with Houki.
It was pleasantly cool, on the walk back to the school from the train. They had discussed many things, and Catherine and Tatenashi had passed many a smirk back and forth, as they knew that Ichika had said his piece to all the girls but Houki now, and it was just a matter of time before he grew a pair and confessed his feelings. Houki did not know this, and eagerly (angrily) avoided the subject. Now they were about a quarter mile from the school gates, and enjoying the leisurely walk in the cool darkness.
"What was that we had again?" Houki asked, adding up outrageous calorie count on the things she consumed, estimating based in how heavy the food was.
"Mexican food, dear. I thought it was a myth, but you Japanese really don't have any tolerance for spice. I mean, hell, I don't, but some of the things you referred to as spicy were not even flavored, really."
"Screw you." Houki returned, her stomach giving a little grumble. Catherine smiled.
"Oh, don't you worry, when we hit the desert battle in Death Valley in a couple months, I'll take you all out to a real, California, border hopper styled Mexican joint. A meal there is judged for success based on how long it leaves you on the toilet, praying for the merciful touch of death, while at the same time leaving you anxious to go back for more." She said, smugly. She did not khave to look to know Houki was disgusted. "Just wait, it's will be amazing, I promise."
"Casey, I made my decision." Tatenashi said, shifting the conversation.
"Oh? You're getting the nipple pierced?" Casey replied casually. Houki, after a night of such comments, did not boggle as much. She presumed that cultural differences led to such talk being open in the two foreigners. She was wrong, of course, but she was trying to fit the behavior in a mold she could rationalize.
"No, no. I already told you I would only if you did too." Tatenashi, always quick, could counter such comments with minimal effort, though they sometimes led to interesting conversations. "I mean about the War. I looked into it, and the trends Illesia was talking about were there, and as I researched past prices and purchases, the trend has risen steeply over the past two years."
"War? Illesia? What are you two talking about?" Houki asked, as they passed onto the school grounds, and they all felt a bit of tension they couldn't explain.
"What do you predict will be the flashpoint?" Casey replied calmly, ignoring Houki' confused comment.
"I cannot say. Things look fairly stable right now. Not as stable as they did before I looked into it, but without a glaring spot of tension sticking out yet."
"Hmm, okay, and who do you think will be the first to mobilize?" Tatenashi thought, while Houki continued to look between the two inquiringly. They felt something was up on campus, but there was no clear sign of anything going on. Not unusual at 10:30 at night.
"I am not sure, though, based on available records, I would guess either Russia, China, or The South Americas. But I doubt the available records contain all the data."
"Close enough to what I think, but I already sent my opinions back to the US, so we may be in it pretty early, though I suggested a defensive game until more of the pieces are on the table. Though, of course they deny any involvement in IS manufacture."
"So you were already betting on it?" Tatenashi said, with a resigned sigh.
"Duh. Illesia said she believed it, and she wouldn't have mentioned it. Plus, from my understanding of Russia, once you guys quit getting super villains as potentates, you guys were on the front line of the New Space Race. For them to cut funding to the world's best asset on that front, means that they are betting on it too."
"God, you come off as such a stuck up bitch when you are logical..."
"Hey! What the hell are you two talking about!" Houki finally shouted, sick of being ignored.
"World war three." Casey said.
"The IS War." Tatenashi said over her. Houki blinked, and she elaborated. "During the France matches, Illesia Cherenkov spent the night with me and Catherine while she was all... Ow!" Catherine had pinched her quickly, and Tatenashi, remembering not to mention crippled-ness, changed her line. "After Catherine's embarrassing defeat, where she posed her theory that most of the Alaska Treaty countries are currently producing, or at least close to cracking IS Core manufacture, and that within the next 6-12 months, we would be engaged in a new world war."
"Um... what?" She said, her skepticism plain.
"I know, I know. You probably think were just those doomsayers. So, don't worry about it Houki. Say, doesn't it seem like there are way more lights on in the dorms then there should be at this time of night?" Catherine trailed off, and they picked up the pace as they neared the building. Inside, the halls wee a hive of activity, girls in the pajamas talking excitedly to each other. Tatenashi collared one.
"Dunois! What's going on?" Catherine waited with baited breath, not because she was interested in the commotion, but because she had been waiting to hear Charlotte make of the classic French stereotype exclamations, and had yet to get even a "Merde."
"Sharashiki! You have not heard? There was an attack tonight on a Passenger liner out of Brittan and America!"
"Okay, but the significance is..." She gestured her to continue. Terrorism was nothing new.
"The boat was destroyed utterly, no survivors, by what was believed to be IS units, unaffiliated with any known organization!" It took fifteen minutes for the three to be caught up. Tatenashi was not smiling, and Catherine looked like she was lost in thought. Houki looked slightly sick.
"Tatenashi, I'm going to the administration with our concerns." Catherine said, not grimly, but with a note of concern.
"Agreed. We may just be presuming baselessly, but we need to express these concerns."
"I am coming too." Houki said. The girls hustled back out of the dorm, and toward the administration building. "Wait, what is... oh, hell." Houki stopped and said as they came across some junked mechanical thing crashed in the middle of the quad.
"What's wrong, Houki?" Tatenashi asked.
"Tabane." She answered darkly. They continued on, finding the administration building dark, but open. They headed straight for Miss Orimura's office. Inside, they found Miss Yamada and Miss Orimura inside, with a screen with he news of the attack. And, in the chair behind the desk... was Tabane Shinonono wrapped in a blanked, chatting animatedly.
Her face was bruised, and the bridge of her nose was split, she had a cut on her lip, and the occipital crest of her left eye was still bleeding. She also had a mat of bruising over her face. But she seemed oblivious to the injuries.
"Tabane!" Houki cried upon seeing her, and rushed into the room. All eyes clicked onto her worried face. Tabane smiled mournfully at here.
"Houki-chan! It looks like Nee-san got into trouble, again."
End 10